17092017 - Why we proscribed IPOB - S/East Govs

PAGE 2 —SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 3
From Left:General Manager, North, Bank of Industry,
BOI, Omar Shekarau; Managing Director,
Olukayode Pitan; the Emir of Kano, Muhammad
Sanusi and General Manager, Large Enterprise,
BOI, Joseph Babatunde, during a visit to the Emir
in Kano.
How Tincan intercepted 1,100
pump action rifles — Customs
•Warns against entry of unauthorised persons into port
By Udeme Clement
THE Nigeria Customs
Service, NCS, Tincan
Island Command has stepped
up patrol in the port following
the seizure of 1,100 ammunition
imported into the country
through Turkey. The Command
also warned against unauthorised
entry into the port.
The Public Relations Officer
of the Command, Uche
Ejesieme, disclosed this in a
chat with Sunday Vanguard,
explaining that the mind-boggling
seizure of 1,100 arms is
a clear signal that the Command
is alert 24 hours to prevent
influx of ammunition and
other prohibited items capable
of threatening the economic
environment from
coming into the country.
According to him, “The
Customs Area Controller,
CAC, of Tincan, Comptroller
Bashar Yusuf has positioned
officers on strategic position
in the port to be vigilant in
monitoring and taking thorough
details on activities going
on at every corner of the
port. We are in the ember
months. This period of the
year is when economic saboteurs
engage more in illicit
trade but we are adequately
equipped for the task. CGC
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); Alhaji Hassan Fasinro (right); Secretary to Lagos State
Government, Mr. Tunji Bello (left), and former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health,
Dr. Mohammed Salami, during Fasinro’s 98th birthday at his Victoria Island residence, Lagos.
Hameed Ali has provided us
with necessary work tools and
the training to carry out our
statutory duties effectively.
Also, the CAC of Tincan is a
knowledgeable officer with
years of experience in antismuggling
operations, revenue
generation and other core
functions of Customs. This has
shown in our records under his
supervision. For instance,
aside from seizing arms and
other offensive items, the
Command is becoming more
thorough in revenue drive,
such that all high yielding revenue
consignments are closely
monitored to avoid circumvention
of procedure in any
form.”
On a visit to the Command,
Sunday Vanguard gathered
that the smuggler of the deadly
cargo concealed the items
in a 20ft container number
GESU2555208 in a bid to escape
security checks. Even the
Bill of Lading, which is a document
that gives clear description
of items imported into a
country was misleading.
While the seal on the container
from the country of origin
that ought to be broken only
when it was ready for examination
in the presence of Customs
and the importer had
already been removed, the Bill
of Lading falsely indicated the
content of the container to be
wash hand basins and water
closets. But the intelligence
driven approach used by officers
led to the seizure. Some
senior officers of the Command
who spoke during the
visit said the CAC is also working
assiduously in training officers
in his Command to be
efficient in discharging their
duties.
Ambode has shown that governance is
not rocket science — Dele Momodu
PUBLISHER
and
Chairman of Ovation
Media Group, Mr. Dele Momodu,
has commended Lagos
State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi
Ambode, saying he
has succeeded in proving
that governance in Nigeria
is not rocket science.
Momodu, who led members
of the Ovation Media
Group on a courtesy visit to
Ambode at the Lagos House
in Ikeja to formally present
Ovation Magazine’s Lagos
@ 50 Special Edition, said
the visible achievements in
the state in the last two years
were a testament to the fact
that the governor had kept
his eyes on the job. Momodu
said, “I wrote an article not
too long ago, you have made
us proud, you have shown us
that governance is not rocket
science, you make it look
so simple and people wonder
how you do it. But I think
the secret is that you are
Restructuring: Oni backs Yoruba leaders’
decision on regional govt.
... Says Adeyeye, Olujimi free to join APC
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
A
former governor of
Ekiti State, Chief
Segun Oni, has commended
Yoruba leaders for convening
the Ibadan summit
to drum support for regional
government, saying
the effort would help to
build awareness on the
agenda of the South -west.
Oni, who spoke in Ifaki
Ekiti, said the region has
come up with a framework
that will guide other ethnic
groups in the country
on the issue of restructuring.
Oni said: “Some people
didn’t even understand the
meaning of restructuring.
They are just joining the
bandwagon of discussants
of the national issue. But
the APC committee, led by
Kaduna State
Governor, Mallam Nasir
El-Rufai, has been able
to break down the issue to
specifics, so that our people
can understand.
“Again, the fact that
Yoruba people asked for
regional system was also
specific enough. So, I want
other geo-political zones
to emulate this.
On the crisis rocking
Ekiti State chapter of the
People’s Democratic Party
following the adoption of
the Deputy Governor, Prof.
Kolapo Olusola, as the
sole candidate for the 2018
election, the former governor
said aggrieved PDP
members, including a
former Minister of Works,
Prince Dayo Adeyeye, and
Senator Biodun Olujimi,
were free to join the All
Progressives Congress
(APC).
The APC governorship
aspirant and the National
Deputy Chairman (South),
said the party will soon react
to the statement credited
to the Minister of
Women Affairs, Hajia
Jummai Al-Hassan, that
she would support former
Vice President Abubakar
Atiku in 2019.
hands on, you go out to see
for yourself so nobody is going
to come and embellish
anything. Please continue
doing what you are doing
sir.”
The Ovation International
Magazine publisher, who
presented a copy of the special
edition of the Magazine
dedicated to the Lagos @ 50
celebrations to Ambode,
said they decided to be part
of the project to amplify the
achievements of the Governor
and promote it to a global
audience. Responding,
the governor thanked the
Ovation Team for deeming
it fit to partner the state government
to document the
landmark celebration of the
State’s Golden Jubilee, saying
that it would go a long
way to tell the story to the
generation yet unborn.
“I believe also that this
particular special edition is
going to go down as a historic
edition and I don’t want
to miss that point because it’s
something that we must be
able to put in all our institutions
so like I said we are
going to get many copies to
be able to give to embassies,
our hotels, our schools, our
libraries, all our institutions,
in the secondary schools and
also to be able to keep for
those yet unborn to be able
to see in pictorial form of the
things we have tried to do in
the last 50 years and maybe
inspire some other people to
do greater things than what
has been recorded here,” he
said.
CJN swears-in Acting FHC CJ
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
CHIEF Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter On
noghen, yesterday, swore-in Justice Abdu Kafarati as
the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
Kafarati, who hails from Kwami in Gombe State, took
over from Justice Ibrahim Auta whose tenure expired at
midnight yesterday.
The CJN, who performed the swearing-in ceremony at
the Supreme Court main courtroom, enjoined the Acting
CJ to avoid anything capable of causing embarrassment
to the judiciary. He said the new CJ should always stick to
the path of justice, stressing that the Federal High Court
plays very critical role in the Nigerian jurisprudence.
“Don’t get blackmailed or intimidated. People must always
talk, but ensure that you do the right thing always”,
Onnoghen stated.
Amosun warns ‘Oro festival’ as
new poly starts in Ogun
By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta
GOVERNOR Ibikunle Amosun, has warned tradi
tionalists over Oro festival in Ipokia local government
area of Ogun State as he laid the foundation of the
new polytechnic in Ipokia.
Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony at the
site of the main campus in Ijaye-Okeeyinbo, the governor
appealed to traditionalists to accommodate the students
of the institution.
The governor, who emphasised on ‘Oro festival’ which
the community is known for, appealed to the adherents
to limit the timing of their rites to midnight.
Amosun explained that it is when development is allowed
in any community that the culture and tradition
of such community can also be developed.
On the new polytechnic, Amosun said it was in fulfillment
of his electoral promise while campaigning for
governorship in 2015. The governor said the establishment
of the polytechnic in Ipokia was part of his administration’s
socio-economic blueprint to distribute infrastructure
across the state.
Earlier, the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland,
Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, advised Obas and village
heads in the area to moderate traditions and apply
wisdom in order to allow smooth running of the new
institution.
GTBank Fashion Weekend
Showcases “Africa’s Finest”
T
HE 2nd edition of the GTBank Fashion Weekend
holds on the 11th and 12th of November, 2017.
The event, according to a statement, will treat attendees
to an enthralling journey across a wide variety of Africa’s
finest styles and trends whilst offering small businesses
in the Nigerian fashion industry a free and vibrant
platform to connect with a wider segment of their
consumers as well as experts in their industry.
“The GTBank Fashion weekend is a free business platform
that was created by foremost African Financial Institution,
Guaranty Trust Bank plc, as part of its efforts
to showcase the best of Africa’s Fashion to a global audience
whilst promoting the effervescent enterprise of
the continent’s growing fashion industry”, the statement
said.
The 2016 debut of the consumer-focused event received
very positive reviews nationally and internationally. Attracting
over 30,000 guests over the 2-day period, the
event featured a series of master classes, runway shows
and a curated retail exhibition – creating the biggest,
most thrilling exposé of African fashion to take place on
the continent till date.
The retail exhibition gave the over 90 Small Businesses
that participated the opportunity to exhibit, sell and connect
with consumers, as well as discover new markets.

PAGE 4 —SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 5
AS NNAMDI KANU’S MEN FIGHT BACK...
Why we proscribed IPOB
—S/East Govs
•Presidency replies Obasanjo, Jonathan
•Brandish IPOB flag, get arrested, Abia CP warns
•Group not a terrorist organisation - Ohanaeze
•Attacks in Delta, Sokoto foiled
By Emeka Mamah, Vincent
Ujumadu, Kingsley
Omonobi, Anayo Okoli,
Adekunle Aliyu, Peter
Okutu, Joseph Erunke,
Nwabueze Okonkwo,
Johnbosco Agbakwuru,
Uguchukwu Alaribe, Dirisu
Yakugbu, Festus Ahon,
Ndahi Marama, Emeka
Mama, Abdullahi el-Kurebe
and Demola Akinyemi,
South-East governors,
yesterday, justified the
proscription of the
Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPoB), saying the action was
to douse tension and end loss
of lives in the region.
The Chairman of the
South-East Governors
Forum, Governor David
Umahi, said the proscription
had achieved its desired
result.
Umahi, who addressed
journalists in Abakaliki,
Ebonyi State capital, with
some security chiefs in
attendance, claimed IPoB
had lost its mandate by
causing tension and killings
in the South-East.
The group fought back,
last night, condemning its
proscription. It described
itself as a peaceful
organisation.
Meanwhile, the foremost
Igbo body, Ohanaze, rose
yesterday, from its meeting,
insisting that IPOB is not a
terrorist organisation.
The governor spoke on a
day four persons were said to
have been killed after
assailants suspected to be
IPoB members attacked a
settlement in Asaba, Delta
State capital.
In Sokoto, miscreants
attacked traders, mostly Igbo,
along Old Market Road,
Ahmadu Bello Way and Emir
Yahaya, forcing them to close
shop.
Solders were immediately
deployed to stop the attack.
Tension had risen sharply
in the South-East after
soldiers on Operation Python
Dance II clashed with
members of IPoB in
Umuahia, Abia State capital,
last Sunday.
There have been conflicting
accounts of the showdown in
which several people were
said to have been injured.
The incident caused Abia
State government to imposed
curfew in the state while the
Igbo influential group,
Ohanaeze, called for the
withdrawal of the Operation
Python Dance II from the
South-East.
Umuahia is the home town
of the IPoB leader, Nnamdi
Kanu, who is on trial for
leading the secessionist bid
for Biafra.
On Friday, former President
Olusegun Obasanjo asked
President Muhammadu
Buhari to meet Kanu to
resolve the crisis while former
President Goodluck
Jonathan called for a Council
of State meeting to discuss the
South-East development.
Presidency replies
Obasanjo, Jonathan
The Presidency, yesterday,
said the advice from
Obasanjo and Jonathan was
just the opinion of the two
former leaders.
The Special Adviser to the
President on Media and
Publicity, Femi Adesina, said,
as former Presidents, they had
the right to their opinions.
He told Sunday
Vanguard on phone, “It is
just an opinion. They have the
right to their opinion. They
are former Presidents, it is
their opinion.”
Umahi, the Chairman of
the South-East Governors
Forum, during his press
conference, yesterday, said
IPoB activities in Abia had
gone out of control of Kanu.
“When you put a small fire,
how far it can go cannot be
controlled. The IPoB
activities were gradually
going out of control of
Nnamdi Kanu. Soldiers
were passing by when IPOB
members started throwing
stones and other objects at
them and it sparked the clash
between the group and the
military”, he said, while
narrating the Sunday
confrontation.
“It is a shame that when
this thing happened, a man
called Charles Ogbu had to
send the phone numbers of
South-East governors, the
Senate President among
others to our people and all
our people could do was to
call to insult us, talk to us
anyhow. These are people that
never experienced war in their
lives.
“Our focus is how to save
lives of every Nigerian and we
believe in a united Nigeria.
Lives of people are involved
and we must not play politics
with that”.
The Ebonyi governor asked
security agents to ensure the
safety of non-indigenes in
Ebonyi and the entire South-
East.
“Anybody that wants to
foment trouble must be
crushed and I want security
agencies to beef up security
around non-indigenes in the
state and to report to me of
any problem because we must
maintain the peace.
He called on youths to stop
insulting President
Muhammadu Buhari and
leaders of the country. Umahi
explained that Operation
Python Dance had no ulterior
motive, saying it was to check
kidnapping, armed robbery
and other social vices in the
South-East.
The Chairman of the South-
East Governors Forum
announced the setting up of
an investigative panel to look
into the alleged killings
arising from the clash between
IPOB and the military in Abia.
He hinted that northern
governors will soon visit the
South-East, a visit to be
replicated by South-East
governors to the North as a
means of fostering unity in the
country.
He maintained that
majority of Igbo do not want
secession from Nigeria but to
be treated fairly, equitably and
justly in the country.
Umahi explained that
injustice or marginalisation
should not be a reason to talk
about secession, maintaining
that dialogue should be the
best way to resolve and redress
all differences.
The governor said
Operation Python Dance Two
was not targeted at IPOB.
He noted that no one
including the military
expected that there will be
violence as the Egwu Eke II
that was staged last year was
largely successful.
4 killed in Delta assault
The Asaba killing of four
persons on Friday night
was said to have been carried
out by IPoB members or a cult
group.
The attack targeted a
Hausa community in the
Delta State capital.
Sunday Vanguard learnt
that the assailants, numbering
three and clad in black attires,
invaded the settlement located
in Abraka market at about
10pm, killing three men, one
woman while five others were
left with grave injuries.
Armed with guns and other
dangerous weapons, the
suspected killers allegedly
shot sporadically into where
the victims were sleeping.
A source said the suspects
also threw bomb into a
mosque at Cable Point,
adding that a brave resident
picked the bomb and threw it
into the river before it could
explode.
The source explained that
armed soldiers and policemen
immediately arrived the scene
and chased the invaders away.
According to him, the
security agents took the injured
persons to hospital for
treatment and deposited the
corpses of the deceased in
mortuary, lamenting that they
did not sleep throughout the
night.
Those killed were identified
as Usman Abdullahi, Ali Sidi,
Ibrahim Zubairu and the
woman simply identified as
Hauwa.
Confirming the attack in a
statement, Delta State Police
Public Relations Officer,
PPRO, CSP Andrew
Aniamaka, said two suspects
had been arrested in
connection with their alleged
involvement in the dastardly
act.
Aniamaka named the
arrested suspects as “Abraham
Ndudi ‘m’, 24, from Kwale,
Delta State, and Okereke
Ifeanyi ‘m’, 21, from Ogbaru,
Anambra State”, adding that
the suspects were arrested
from their hiding place in the
ceiling of a major hotel in
Abraka, Asaba, where they
had fled into in their bid to
escape arrest.
Noting that the suspects
were already helping the
police in their investigation, he
said “efforts are in top gear to
arrest the third suspect, whose
real name is unknown but
simply identified as Last
From right: Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Kebbi State
Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Minister of FCT/Guest of Honour, Mohammed
Musa Bello; examining some gems stones at the closing session of the National Council on
Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD), in Abuja.
Burial”.
According to him, the five
persons injured in the attack
were recuperating at the
Federal Medical Centre,
Asaba.
While saying that
investigation has commenced
into the incident with a view
to finding out the motive
behind the shooting and the
possible involvement of other
conspirators in shooting and
wounding of innocent
persons, the police enjoined
“non-indigenes and
indigenes alike not to panic
or contemplate any reprisal
action as the law will surely
take its course”.
Borno meets Igbo
leaders
To douse tension in Borno,
the state government,
yesterday, met with the
President General of Igbo
Welfare Association, Chief
Maclaw Nwaogu, and other
leaders of Igbo community in
the state, and assured them of
protection of lives and
property.
Governor Kashim
Shettima, represented by his
deputy, Alhaji Usman
Mamman Durkwa, said the
meeting with the Igbo
community in the state was at
the instance of the governor
who was out of the state on an
official assignment.
Durkwa said, inspite of the
secessionist crisis in some
parts of Nigeria, the Igbo
community in Borno had
demonstrated some level of
maturity and resilience,
adding that, even at the peak
of insurgency, which saw
many people fleeing the state,
the Igbo remained calm and
went about their normal
businesses.
Sokoto: Soldiers deployed
after attack on Igbo traders
In the Sokoto incident, Igbo
traders were forced to close
shop as soldiers were deployed
to Bello Way to prevent further
attacks on the traders.
The irate youths, said to be
carrying cutlasses, stones and
sticks, allegedly set a building
belonging to one Chief
Gabriel Okafor on fire.
“I had gone out when I
received a call from my wife
that some youths had invaded
my house and set it ablaze. My
family narrowly escaped the
attack,” Okafor told
Sunday Vanguard. Another
victim, William Usoh, said the
windscreen of his car was
smashed by some youths
along Emir Yahaya Road. “It
was the arrival of the Nigeria
Civil Defence and Security
Corps (NCSDC) that stopped
the youths from vandalizing
shops within the vicinity,” he
said. The President of Igbo
Community in Sokoto State,
Chief Charles Uwaga,
confirmed that some of his
members had been attacked.
“A member just called me to
say his house had been razed.
There are also cases of shops
being vandalised.” Sunday
Vanguard saw soldiers,
policemen and men of Civil
Defence Corps on major
streets in Sokoto.
The situation forced the state
government to call on
residents to go about their
activities without fear of
molestation. A statement by
the spokesman to Governor
Aminu Tambuwal, Imam
Imam, said: “Against the
backdrop of heightened
security situation in other
parts of the country, Sokoto
State government has urged
all residents to go about their
normal activities without fear
of molestation.”
Saying that arrangements
had been put in place to ensure
security of lives and property,
the statement stressed that
nothing that was happening
in other parts of the country
will have a reprisal effect on
Sokoto residents.
IPOB not a terrorist
organization---Ohanaeze
Ohanaeze said that indeed
IPOB is not a terrorist
organization going by extant
national and international
laws, especially the terrorist
prevention Act 2011, as
amended in 2015.
It? however commended
the South east Governors for
their role in dousing the
escalated tension over army's
siege of the region.
Rising from Imeobi
meeting in Enugu, last night,
the apex Igbo body said it
stood for a united Nigeria
under a restructured federal
system of government that
guarantees justice, equity and
fairness.
In a communique read by
the President General ?of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief
Nnia Nwodo, flanked by
other Igbo leaders, it
condemned the military
operation in the zone and
urged the army to terminate
the exercise henceforth.
The group said it will hold
a special summit soonest in
support of the restructuring
agenda and supported all the
resolutions of the southern
leaders forum.
It emphasized concern on
the continued policy ?of
marginalization of south east
zone as the basic cause of
renewed agitation by Pro-
Biafra groups.
Those who attended the
meeting included: President
General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Chief Nnia Nwodo, Deputy
Continues on page 6

PAGE 6—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Chairman, Osun State House of Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable
Olatunbosun Oyintiloye (2nd right) receiving United Nations' 2017 Distinguished
Service Award from Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi (2nd left); Senator Mudashiru
Hussain (left) and Special Adviser to Osun Governor on Legislative Matters, Hon.
Ipoola Binuyo, during a Public Lecture and Award to commemorate the United Nations International
Day of Democracy at NUJ hall, Iyaganku, Ibadan ,on Friday.
Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (right) receiving the 2016 Alumnus of the
Year Award, from Chairman, Debril Oil Company Limited and Chairman of the Occasion, Rt.
Hon. U.J. Itsueli, during the Luncheon and Award Ceremony of University of Ibadan, Alumni
Association of Nigeria, at the University premises, yesterday.
Bad governance cause of agitations, ations, youth restiveness
— Gov. Okowa
Ola Ajayi, Ibadan
Governor of Delta
State, Dr. Ifeanyi
Okowa, has said restiveness
of youths and agitations
from different parts of the
country is a consequence of
the lack-lustre performance
of the ruling class.
Instead of political
restructuring into regional
system of government that
is now being clamoured for
by some Nigerians, he said
he would prefer what is
called restructuring of
minds and policies which
would translate to good
governance.
He said this after
delivering the 2017 Alumni
Lecture of the University of
Senate President Ike
Ekweremadu, Abia state
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu,
Imo state Deputy Governor
Eze Madumere and Ebonyi
state deputy Governor kelechi
Igwe.
Others are former President
General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Prof Joe Irukwu, former
Secretary General of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Dr. Joe
Nworgu, former minister for
Information Walter
Ofonagoro, former deputy
Governor of Ebonyi state Prof
Chigozie Ogbu, Senator
Enyinnaya Abaribe, Dr. Greg
Ibe and former Governor of
Anambra state Dr.
Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
We are a peaceful
organisation — IPOB
The group called IPOB,
condemning the South East
Governors Forum for its
proscription, described itself a
peaceful body.
In a statement by its media
and publicity secretary,
Comrade Emma Powerful, the
organization said the speed
with which the governors
announced the proscription of
IPOB’s activities had proved
that the governors “would
remain slaves in the hands of
their Hausa-Fulani masters”.
According to IPOB, it was
unfortunate that the governors
declared the group as illegal
without condemning the
barbaric and unprovoked
killings of IPOB people in
Umuahia, Aba and Port
Harcourt, “as well as the
continuous killing, raping of
Ibadan, entitled: ‘Good
Governance for Wealth
Creation and Sustainable
Development: Experiences
and Lessons,’ at the
institution’s Trenchard
Hall.
Okowa, who received the
most distinguished award
presented by Alumni
Association said, “The
issues to restructuring are in
many parts. You can see as
at today, the discourse on
restructuring is in various
parts; some are trying to
restructure the system of
governance, some are
trying to restructure in terms
of geo-political zones and
all manner of things, that
is not the key thing.
“What we need to do first
is to restructure our mind
and to restructure our
policies in such a way that
governance is directly linked
to the people and whatever
we do, we must ensure that
it’s all inclusive.
“When the people are
happy and when we are
actually beginning to impact
on the people in a more
positive way and there is less
hunger on the table and
there’s more employment,
you’ll find that people will
have less discourse on issues
of restructuring and issues of
sensation. Those things won’t
come to mind, the holistic
thing is that all these issues are
actually bordering more on
failure of governance.
The governor, who donated
the sum of N85m on
behalf of his cabinet
members for the
postgraduate hall
initiated by the
association, further said
“I am not saying
restructuring is not
important. But they are
bordering more on the
failures of the governance
system to such an extent
that people are now
feeling very pained over
the years. It’s not the fault
of one particular
government. Over the
years, we have failed to
diversify the economy.
“We have just
concentrated on the oil
economy, and to that
large extent, we try to
Why we proscribed IPOB — S/East Govs
Continued from page 5
women and destruction of
farm crops by Hausa-Fulani
herdsmen masquerading as
cattle rearers in Biafra land”.
The group went on: “We
want to find out how the
governors who do not know
the foundations of IPOB, would
make such a statement when
they know that IPOB had
staged 297 peaceful protests
and rallies both at home and
in Diaspora without a single
record of violence or crime.
With the record on ground,
IPOB under Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu, is one of the most
peaceful organized freedom
fighting groups in the world
today.
“It is dangerous that the
governors who are the chief
security officers of their
respective states in the zone
would decide to hand over their
people to the enemies who
were out to kill, maim and
destroy because of their selfish
reasons.
“IPOB under Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu must remain a
nonviolent group in the pursuit
for Biafra freedom, despite the
high handedness meted
against IPOB members and
our leader.”
Brandish IPoB flag, get
arrested Abia CP
Abia State Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi,
warned that anybody found
with Biafra emblem will be
arrested and charged to court.
Ogbizi, who spoke while
parading seven suspected
members of IPOB, explained
that with the proscription of the
group by the South-East
governors, it had become illegal
for anyone to operate under IPOB
or adorn Biafra emblems.
He lamented that one of the
injured officers in the Sunday
showdown with IPoB, an Assistant
Superintendent of Police, ASP,
serving at the Ariaria Police
Station, had died out of the
injuries he sustained.
The CP, who had earlier
visited the burnt Ariaria Police
Station in the company of the
Assistant Inspector General of
Police, AIG, in charge of
Operations, Force
Headquarters, Taiwo Lakanu,
accused IPOB of engaging in
violence and propaganda
under the guise of agitation for
Biafra.
The CP also stated that IPOB
attacked the area where the
AIG Zone 9, Commissioner of
Police, the Speaker and the
Attorney General of the state
reside, with petrol bombs,
describing the attack as well
planned.
He, however, denied that
Kanu’s parents were being
detained by the police.
Military lacks power to
declare IPOB a terrorist
organization – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) National Publicity
Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye,
condemned the declaration of
IPOB as a terrorist organization
by the military, stating that the
authorities lacked such power.
He said: “I believe that the
power to proscribe an
organisation lies essentially with
the National Assembly and the
Federal Government of Nigeria.
It does not lie with the governors
or the military.”
He, however, lauded the efforts
of the South-East governors
for banning IPOB and
instructed its leaders,
particularly Nnamdi Kanu
to forward the group’s
demands to the South- East
Governors’ Forum and the
Ohanaeze.
“The governors are the
chief security officers of the
various states and the
primary responsibility of
government is to secure
lives and property of its
citizens. That is the first
and most important
responsibility of
government. Therefore
as chief security officers
of their states, they are
allowed to take every
measure that will ensure
that peace reigns
supreme in their various
states. I believe that the
governors of the South-
East states have acted in the
best interest of the country.
“But for the military, I think
they over reached themselves
by declaring IPOB a terrorist
organisation. It is not in their
powers to do so but that of
the National Assembly ,” he
said.
Adeyeye also decried the
dearth of leadership among
Ndigbo, noting that the
development is largely to
blame for the emergence of
the now outlawed IPOB.
Ozekhome rejects
classification of IPoB as
terrorist group
Constitutional lawyer and
human rights activist, Chief
Mike Ozekhome, also
rejected the description of
IPOB as a terrorist
destroy the agricultural
economy
and
industrialisation, which was
already picking up at a
point in time. We refused to
use the money from oil to
critically address those
issues and that is what has
brought us to where we are.
It is the pain that the people
are going through that is
making people to begin to
talk about the discourse of
restructuring.
Yesterday, six categories of
awards were given to
various recipients. They
included Prof. Chevalier
Itsueli, who received two
awards of longtime
achievement and most
distinguished awards.
Others who were honoured
organization by the military,
saying the Federal
Government appeared to be
selective in its pronouncement.
Ozekhome wondered why
other groups had not been
declared terrorists
organizations.
He said, “I do not believe the
instances cited by the Defence
Headquarters to justify the
declaration of IPOB as a
terrorist organization”.
“The herdsmen who go on
rampage daily, maiming,
raping, killing; those
responsible for the Agatu
massacre, Shiites massacre,
Southern Kaduna pogrom,
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indiscriminate killings, brazen
quit notices givers, across
Nigeria, etc, have never been
arrested, prosecuted, let alone
being proscribed and
stigmatized as terrorist
organizations.
Tag herdsmen terrorists
too – Owie
National Leader (Southsouth)
of Action Democratic
Party (ADP), Senator Roland
Owie, faulted the decision by
the military to declare IPOB
as a terrorist group, saying it
smacked of double standard.
Continues on page 41
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ORTOM’S SECOND TERM
To be or not to
be?
9
SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 7
No signs recession
has ended
—Gov. Dickson
10
IGBO, N-DELTA, NORTH
Some of the ethnic
agitations are driven
by 2019 underground
politics —Dafinone
BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
Chief Ede Dafinone, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, is Chairman,
Nigerian Conservation Foundation. Dafinone contested the bye-election for Delta
Central Senatorial District in 2013 on the platform of Democratic People’s Party. In
this interview, he says successive administrations in the country and Niger Delta leaders
should be blamed for the dilapidation of infrastructure in the oil rich region.
Nigerians are lamenting that things are getting
worse every day. What is your take?
The statement you made that Nigerians are
leaning towards the feeling that things are not
going too well is very true. From the private
sector, the economy has been underperforming
compared with the position we were in four or
five years ago.
The feeling of Nigerians was that the coming
of the Buhari government would bring
immediate change and, of course this is not
possible. Change does take time. Also there
are two overriding factors: One the economy
was in a bad shape occasioned by the crash in
oil prices from the highs of $120 per barrel. In
the first few months of this administration, we
saw oil prices at the level of $30-40 per barrel
and, with your revenues cut by 60%, 70%,
government will have a hard time.
The second key factor is that the past
administration, with the ample resources at
their disposal and the high oil prices, was not
able to put the country on the right footing and
I can hear you say that here is another APC
person blaming the PDP government, but really
it is a wider issue than that because the whole
world slipped into recession at that same time
and not just a matter of Nigeria; so it takes a
bit of time to restructure the economy.
This administration has taken bold steps to
restructure, and I expect the dividends to show
in the 3rd and 4th years after assuming office
for the Nigerian people to see that the APC
government can perform and will perform in
the next term also.
The feeling of
Nigerians was that the
coming of the Buhari
government would
bring immediate
change and, of course,
this is not possible.
Change does take time
You said this administration has taken time to
restructure. What are the areas they have
restructured?
The economic recovery and growth plan is a
bold step; the Ease of Doing Business in
Nigeria is an even bolder step. I think
somewhere within that particular document,
there is a new policy direction where the
government says if you apply for a permit and
it is meant to take 45days, on the 46 day you
can rightly assume that your permit has been
granted if you have not heard from that office.
If government is able to shorten such
processing time, then, yes, there is massive
change coming.
When you talk about change, you are talking
about the impact; how has this restructuring
you mentioned impacted on Nigerians?
I said that I would expect that the impact will
show in the 3rd and 4th years of the
•Dafinone
administration. In fact, my estimate is that by the 4th
quarter of 2017, Nigerians should be able to see some
difference in the economy and that stems significantly
from the change in the direction of the foreign
exchange policy of the CBN.
For about two months now, they have made foreign
exchange freely available which means importers can
have access to foreign exchange and therefore import
the raw materials for their manufacturing or the goods
for trade.
You are a member of the private sector. Would you
say these policies are beginning to impact positively
especially since you head the MAN export group;
this Ease of Doing Business you are talking about,
have you begun to see the impact?
The policy is a good step in the right direction but
policy is one thing while implementation is another
and we are still in the early stages of implementation.
•Continues on page 8

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
DAFINONE: N-Deltans should
demand better performance
from their govs
•Continued from page 7
What I am assured is that government
has the force of character to see
through the implementation and get
us moving in the right track.
The economy is import-driven. How
do we reverse that trend?
The economy is import-driven
because we do not manufacture a
significant number of items we
consume locally. To reverse that
trend, we need to produce more of
our consumption locally and the
easiest thing to start with would of
course be agricultural produce where
fortunately Nigeria has competitive
advantage. If government is able to
continue on the drive to encourage
large scale agriculture, then this
should be the start of higher level of
consumption of locally produced
goods as opposed to imported items.
One of the things, and I think it is an
accidental development, that
happened when government did not
allow free access to foreign exchange
was that a lot of the big conglomerates
went into agriculture which should
yield benefits. I don’t think that was
the intention of government but it had
positive result none the less.
The unity of Nigeria appears to be
threatened; agitations and hate
speeches here and there, and nobody
is sure of what happens tomorrow.
What do you think is responsible for
the agitations?
I hold a rather different view on that
issue. I believe a lot of the agitations
are driven by underground politics,
there are different groups trying to
position themselves ahead of the
elections in 2019. And I think that you
will find when you dig a bit deeper
into the source of the agitations that
they are being pushed by such
groups. Where it is not political, then
it is financial and I would strongly
suspect that one, two or more of these
groups have been founded by people
who wish to make a personal financial
gain, it is a business.
So by creating a nuisance factor, they
believe that they will be rewarded
and unfortunately there is a precedent
as some people who disrupted the
economy (in the past) have benefited
personally from such disruption.
Threats by Arewa youths, IPOB,
Niger Delta militants and Middle
Belt Forum
I would like to see security agencies
look into the source of these threats
and uncover the issues that gave rise
to them.
Everybody is making threats. What
stops me too from going to my village
and saying all Igbo must leave?
By the time I spend some money
having 1,000 people camped outside
my house for a month, press
conference, I wear one yellow
bandana or something to signify that
I am different, government recognises
me, security agents recognize me,
and people are giving me money to
continue the work, it is business. It
needs to be exposed. Nigeria has
more to gain being together than
being separate.
Yes today oil comes from this region
and not that region; tomorrow
diamond may come from one region
But you do not hear
the same Niger
Deltans say that our
state or local
government did not
develop our area with
all the resources
available to it
and not from another region. We should
see ourselves as a brotherhood; that is
the way Nigeria started and know that
we need to work to support our brothers
in different parts of the country when we
had the resources and they don’t
because the position can easily be
reversed tomorrow.
Are you in support of restructuring?
I believe the cost of governance is too
high and I have had some little
experience with local, state and federal
governments, there is a significant
amount of administration cost that could
be reduced significantly if government
was restructured. So that argument leans
towards the administrations by regions.
Having said that to dissolve states and
move them to regions, the practicality is
a little bit difficult.
The main arguments for restructuring is
on the way resources are shared and the
way the central government powers are
reduced leaning again more towards the
America model of independent states.
There are some pluses for that but at this
stage of our development my feeling is
that we still need a stronger central
government that can give overall policy
direction.
I give you a small example; in all the
states the local government elections are
managed by state electoral commissions,
when you have local government
elections, the ruling party wins all seats
automatically; and in some cases there
were never any elections, so results were
just written and published.
So giving control of the police, giving
control of the electoral commissions etc
to state government where essentially
the governor controls the state House of
Assembly as an absolute power will
create little monarchies that are beyond
control. I don’t think we are ready for
this.
You are from the Niger Delta and the
bulk of the infrastructures in the area
are dilapidated. This is the area that
produces the major chunk of the wealth
of the country. What do you think is
responsible? And is this the reason for
the agitations in the area?
The reason for the agitations looking
backward is the sharing of wealth. But
with the whole dilapidated
infrastructures available within the
Niger Delta, you have to blame
successive governments and, when I say
*Dafinone
governments, I want to include
federal, states and local
governments because very often,
we, from the Niger Delta, complain
that the federal government has
deprived us of our resources.
But you do not hear the same Niger
Deltans say that our state or local
government did not develop our area
with all the resources available to it.
But the local government chairman
is from the local government and he
did nothing, the state governor is
from the region and he did little.
So our primary complaint should be
with those individuals and if they
have performed then we can go up
to the federal government to say
‘you have not given us a fair share’.
So we need to have more responsible
governments at the local and state
levels in order to ensure better
infrastructure development.
PANDEF
They called for restructuring for
example, but restructuring is not
something that Niger Delta on its
own can call for and the federal
government will agree to it. It takes
the whole country to sit down and
agree. I cannot list all the points for
you but, if I recall correctly, I think
five or six of the 16 points are not
possible to achieve. Then again I
hear that there are some credibility
issues within PANDEF so the
representations are getting
weakened because the stakeholders
have started to argue among
themselves.
It is in the government interest to
discuss and negotiate with one body
rather than a multitude of different
organisations. But at the same time,
there must be an organisation that
is credible and can carry everybody
along in order to get to a situation of
peace that can lead to development.
The agenda must be practical; I am
not trying to say that those that put
it together did not do enough work
but they have put in their best
shopping list and the best shopping
list may not allow a peaceful
agreement to be reached within a short
possible time. So maybe they should
have phased out what they want over
time and maybe have some low
hanging fruits that can show that
government is working towards
development. The agenda within the
time frame, I think it is 1st of November
or something of such; it is going to be
very hard to meet.
In what way should the federal
government handle the Niger Delta
situation?
I think the presidential amnesty
programme was a credible programme.
It brought out a large number of
militants from the creeks; it reduced the
level of agitation. Solving the problem
is to provide better infrastructure in the
region, to provide better education and
health care for the people of that region
and so on. And I think that the drive to
succeed that the Niger Deltans have
will take care of the rest.
Control of oil blocks in Niger Delta
The oil wells you talked about are those
that have been allocated to individuals
or private companies without a
transparent process and, through the
last 20-30years, most of the oil wells
held by the private individuals or
private companies as opposed to
multinationals have been shared on
that non-transparent basis. To reverse
that government needs to set about a
policy where future allocations will be
done and skewed towards people from
the Niger Delta.
Government should set up a
mechanism to bring it back into balance.
2019 ambition
I have argued since my first political
days that any politician that says that
he is in politics to help his people
should also be open enough to say
that ‘if I don’t become the president,
the governor, the senator, the
representative for my people, that
does not mean that I still cannot help
them’.
So if your mission is truly to help your
people whether in your village, state
or country, then as a skilled person
you should find other ways to give
back. You can do it through charitable
contributions, through foundations,
through accepting NGO positions, so
many other ways aside from becoming
the DG of NNPC or what have you;
you can give back without
government appointments, that is the
way I look at it.
In 2015, I didn’t contest; I contested
in 2013 in the bye election. I would
like to say that in 2019 I would look
at the options and where I feel I stand
a good chance of winning, I will look
at it seriously
C
M
Y
K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 9
ORTOM’S SECOND TERM
To be or not
to be?
BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI
In what appears to be a rehearsal of
the 2019 governorship election in
Benue, the state has, in the last few
months, witnessed increasing behind-thescenes
activities and high powered
consultations among political
stakeholders.
The race for who occupies the Benue
People’s House, the seat of power, has
taken off in earnest and the major
gladiators are deploying their war chests
ahead of the clash.
While youths and elders may have settled
for Governor Samuel Ortom of the ruling
All Progressives Congress, APC, to be in
power till 2023, the opposition People
Democratic Party, PDP, sees it as a move
that must be halted.
The opposition party, like in the last
general elections, has oiled its political
war machine to oust the ruling party while
about 12 aspirants have indicated interest
to run on the platform of the party.
Indeed, the battle for the soul of Benue in
2019 promises to be a fierce one.
While the PDP may be grappling with the
choice of candidate to field in that election
as was the case in the 2015 contest, Ortom
seems to be enjoying the confidence of
elders and youths across the state who, in
the last few months, have been falling
heads over heels to have him re-contest in
2019.
Some weeks ago, at a stakeholders
meeting in Makurdi, notable natives
made their interest known in the race.
Speaking during the occasion, Second
Republic Senator Jacob Gyado poured
encomiums on the governor which turned
out an indirect endorsement of Ortom for
second term.
Gyado said, “Governor Ortom’s humility,
doggedness and respect for elders as well
as his determination
to correct mistakes of
the past have earned
him such wide
acceptability
especially among
elders most of whom,
despite their health
challenges, made out
time to attend the
forum.”
While urging the
governor to beat his chest
for achieving such feat, he
called on critics of the
administration to exercise
patience as programmes being
rolled out to actualise the fivepoint
agenda of the government
were indicative of noble plans for the
people.
Speaker after speaker, including
a former Principal Private
Secretary to the late
Head of State, Gen.
Sani Abacha,
Major Gen.
Larence Onoja
(retd), also
endorsed Ortom
for second term,
calling on the
people to support
his quest to transform the state despite
daunting challenges.
Senator George Akume was not left out in
the endorsement of the governor.
Akume, who is the leader of the ruling party
in the state, during a meeting with youths
from his constituency, stated that the APC
was not shopping for another candidate to
run on the platform of the party in 2019.
“We do not have any intention to replace the
sitting governor in the 2019 election. He
remains our candidate”, the former governor
said.
Meanwhile, the wish of Benue elders to return
Ortom to office in 2019 came to the fore
during a ceremony to welcome a chieftain
of the PDP, Chief Ekpe Ogbu, to the ruling
APC in Utonkon, Ado local government area
of the state.
During that occasion, the Deputy Governor
in the last administration, Chief Stephen
Lawani, described the governor as a focused
leader, saying, “In spite of distractions, he
still had the courage to hold local
government elections when many other
governors could not do so”.
Lawani noted that the decamping of Ogbu,
who was special adviser on public utilities
in the last administration, would go a long
way to put Ortom in a good position to face
the challenges ahead.
Ogbu, who decamped with his teeming
supporters, described the governor as a Godgiven
leader, stressing that his
administration had demonstrated
commitment to the social, economic and
political development of the state and should
be supported to achieve a second term
ambition.
Shortly after that ceremony, thousands of
youths marched to the seat of government in
Makurdi where they called on the governor
to run for second term.
The youths, who wore T-shirts with the
inscription, ‘Benue Youths endorse Ortom for
While political leaders in the
state in unison declared
their support for second for
Ortom, the man seems to
have taken the
development in his strides
and has refused to make a
categorical statement about
his future ambition
2019’, alluded to what they described as
“impressive performance of the governor”
in the last two years.
Anthony Adah, Dan Nyikwagh and Sunny
Nyio, who spoke on behalf of the youths
from the three senatorial districts of Benue,
said the call became necessary for to
encourage Ortom to run for second term
given his humane disposition and
achievements in office despite obvious
challenges.
Adah, a notable youth leader in the state,
said, “We are here to compel Governor
Ortom to run for second term because he
has given hope to Benue youths and he
has led a government that is anchored on
transparency, equity, accountability,
prudence and frugal management of scare
resources of our state.”
Ortom, who responded to their call
through Mr. Titus Zam, his Special
Adviser Bureau for Local Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs, vowed to continue to
provide democracy dividends.
Just few days ago during a meeting of the
Northern Elders Forum, NEF, in Makurdi,
elder statesman and convener of the
forum, Wantaregh Paul Unongo,
eulogized the governor whom he
described as a son of immense political
knowledge who should be supported to
fully actualise his dreams for the state.
Unongo said, “My governor is my son and
a visionary politician who keeps his words
and his determination to transforms
Benue is legendary and he should be given
a chance and support to excel in the task
of transforming the state.”
In the same vein, the Igede Positive Youths
for Ortom 2019, in their hundreds,
besieged Makurdi with a declaration to
support the re-election of Ortom in 2019.
Leaders and elders from the two Igede
speaking local governments of the state
noted that they took the decision after
consulting with all leaders of Igede land.
In her speech on that occasion, a
Commissioner at the National Population
Commission, NPC, Patricia Kuchi, said,
“We are going to repeat what we did in
2015 in 2019 to ensure that Governor
Ortom wins the governorship election in
Benue.”
On his part, elder statesman and retired
Permanent Secretary, Edwin Omerigbe,
urged the governor to heed the clarion call
of the people by contesting the 2019
election.
While political leaders in the state in
unison declared their support for
second for Ortom, the man seems to
have taken the development in his
strides and has refused to make a
categorical statement about his future
ambition.
Speaking shortly after being endorsed
by Igede youths, he said his decision to
contest the 2019 election would be
made public early next year, assuring
that the decision would be influenced
by the voice of the people and God’s
direction.
He said he would not act outside the
dictates of God on the matter despite
the immense pressure being mounted
on him to seek re-election in 2019.
He said “I have said repeatedly that I
will pray about it and I’ve not even
started praying. But I think I will start
praying towards the end of the year.
So by the beginning of next year, if God
answers me, I will tell Benue people
yes or no.
“And because the Bible says greater is
the end of a thing than the beginning, I
can assure you that, at the end of four
years, Benue people would have every
reason to celebrate the
accomplishments of this
administration.”
Speaking on the chances of the
governor if he re-contests, the President
General of Onmiyi Igede, Chief Ode
Enyi, said, “Every second term bid in
Benue is always tough if we go by the
history of our political developments,
but, at the end the day, the incumbent
comes out victorious because we
always maintain our zoning
arrangements.
“I want to tell you that Governor Ortom
will win his second term because we
the Benue people ensure that every
governor does his second term so that
power can move to another zone
without issues. It is our unwritten
agreement.
“If we don’t do that, we could end up
with a zone doing more than eight
years; moreover we are living
witnesses to the challenge this
government is confronted with and the
sincere and honest disposition of the
governor to tackle them headlong.
“And I know that two years is a long
time for these challenges to be
addressed given the determination of
the governor to have them
permanently addressed.
In his reaction however, Benue State
Deputy Chairman of the opposition
PDP, Dr. Tertim Ayagwer, noted that the
ruling APC and Governor Ortom
would be woefully defeated in 2019.
Ayagwer said, “There is no doubt that
we will take over Benue in 2019 because
it is there for everyone to see that the two
years of the APC administration is a
monumental failure and waste.
“Benue people cannot afford to have this
government beyond 2019 because of the
suffering they have inflicted on the
people. That issue is a forgone
conclusion.”

PAGE 10 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
No signs recession has
ended - Gov. Dickson
•Dickson
• Says Bayelsa will not remain the same
‘when we are through’
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, in this interview,
speaks on what he describes as the life transforming projects
embarked upon by his administration.
BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA, Yenagoa
Which projects are now scheduled for
commissioning?
Well, our government is about mega lifechanging
projects. In the area of education,
we have only commissioned the Ijaw National
Academy. But there are very many schools we
have built that are ready for commissioning. I
believe the results should speak for us but given
the political terrain in which we operate I think
we need to showcase some of them. In the area
of education, additional five model secondary
schools will be opened. These are areas where
there were no boarding schools before I took
over in 2012. That is why you should not have
been surprised if you had militants, criminality,
drug addicts, and so on.
We have not even talked about the
constituency boarding secondary schools that
are on-going with new facilities comparable
to what you see in tertiary institutions.
By all analysis, our state has the best public
schools in this country and we are not done
yet. So I am not surprised that exam results
are moving steadily up, the performance of
pupils is moving quite remarkably. That is an
indicator of the investment we are making.
Education in all these state boarding schools
is free. The uniforms are provided by us, the
books by us, we even feed them three times a
day.
We also have the best health care facilities in
the state. And even in this recession, we are
deepening our investment in that area and
pursuing our infrastructural development
program. The airport project is going on, mega
roads are going on, we have concluded sand
filling beyond Aleibiri; you can actually get to
Aleibiri with Hilux. This is the Bayelsa we
came to change.
How can the investment in education, this
legacy be sustained in subsequent
administrations?
I am quite satisfied already with where we
are although this is not where we want to be.
We want Bayelsa to be the number one in
education and we are working hard to lay that
infrastructure. When we took over Bayelsa, our
WAEC and NECO rating for 2012 was over
20. If we rated any better, it was considered a
fluke or an accident not a product of conscious
investment. But from that position, we moved
to number 6 or 7 last year I think and now this
year we are number 5. That is why we directed
the compulsory summer camping program for
the SS3 students. Our thinking is this, if we
camp them together as we did for between 4-6
weeks and they are not out there playing and
we bring in the best teachers in all areas to
coach them, the results should show. Our
expectation is that with this, by next year when
they take the competitive national exams,
Bayelsa will improve more. Our target is to be
number one and we can make it because it is a
product of conscious effort and nurturing.
Sustainability is the reason we created the
education development trust fund. I think
the fund has so far received close to N500m
and that is commendable. That fund with the
law that has established it will sustain this
policy beyond this administration. That is why
people should be interested in the policies of
people who want to lead.
What is the government doing as regards
teachers welfare as some are yet to receive
their 18% minimum wage arrears as well as
your promise of a million naira to the St.
Jude’s basketball team.
I have already approved the release of the
N1m that was promised to St. Jude’s
students as the best basketballers in
Nigeria.I want them to improve and
become international champions. On the
teacher’s welfare, no one is more
concerned than this government. But there
are problems in that area, fraudulent
activities in terms of payroll, people who
do not go to work, indiscipline and all of
that. We are going to address all of these.
And all the issues about teacher’s welfare
will be attended to. In fact, from next year
teachers will begin to attend the teachers
training institute for training and
retraining. We are not just building primary
and secondary schools; we are preparing
students who will graduate from these
schools to go to world class tertiary
institutions. We are funding the Niger Delta
University (NDU) better now and
addressing their challenges of capacity
building and infrastructure and helping
them to improve on their programs. They
got accreditation for all their courses for
the first time and I have charged them not
to stop at that. They should get more
courses. We are not paying any staff in the
African University. The university is
autonomous; they recruit the staff and
students pay fees. There are some courses
we want to encourage Bayelsans to study,
like nursing. We want to be like the
Philippines that trains nurses and export
them all over the world. We want to promote
agriculture and entrepreneurship and not
just certificate qualifications. We will select
young Bayelsans, and give them
scholarships. We pay their fees and they go
to the university. Between now and the end
Since we took over, no deduction
has been made in respect of
funds coming to councils. I do
not even know how much they
get. In this state we have local
government autonomy. We didn’t
dissolve the local government
system we met
of my tenure, the landscape will have so
changed that people who were not here
before will be shocked when they come to
Bayelsa.
When can the students’ loans board be
constituted for students to access loans
to pursue their academic dreams?
Very soon I will constitute that board and
some funds will be made available. I give
5% of the IGR to education trust fund every
month, 5% to health insurance and I am
thinking of putting some amount to the
students’ higher education loans board.
How soon will the state government
conduct local government elections?
Since we took over, no deduction has
been made in respect of funds coming to
councils. I do not even know how much
they get. In this state we have local
government autonomy. We didn’t dissolve
the local government system we met. We
wanted to conduct elections showing we
respect the autonomy of councils
especially in the area of their finances.
We constantly encourage them to be
transparent, hold transparency
briefings, and inform their people about
their income and expenditure, to
judiciously utilize their resources and
we give them policy guidelines. Because
of the recession, states are finding it
difficult to muster the resources to
conduct local council elections. Local
council elections run into millions so it
is a very expensive exercise. We are told
the country has gone out of recession
or is trying to come out of recession.
We haven’t seen or felt it yet but we
believe and pray that is so. If our
revenue improves by next year, we will
love to have local council elections.
About the health insurance scheme,
people are not sure how much is being
deducted from their salaries, and some
consider the deductions too many
coming in the wake of the education
trust fund deductions.
I thought we are through with this
complaint. The last I heard is that the
health insurance had close to N500m
in the account. I was just telling the
executive secretary that at the next
transparency briefing they will all come
to render their account. I have directed
them to set up internet platforms where
anybody can log in and see the way they
are managing the funds, both the
health and education trust funds. These
are laudable programs. The business
of health care is too important to be
left to an individual particularly when
there is a challenge.
What efforts are there to assist the
staff of the local governments in terms
of teachers’ welfare and the backlog
of salaries?
It is a very pathetic situation. It is not
just in Bayelsa but across the country.
It is a fall-out of the recession. In my
first tenure, you did not hear of such
challenges until the country went into
recession. Every money we get comes
from the federal government apart
from the IGR which when I started was
about N60m but which we managed to
raise to N500m on the average. Even if
we produce the oil, it is not owned or
managed by us. The number of these
people you are saying are local
government workers is actually few.
80% are workers in name only because
they had appointment letters and
receive salaries and not because they
go to work. When the economy was
robust, their wage-bill was about
N160m. Now their allocation is about
N90m, how do you expect them to meet
up? That is why I tell people to stop
payroll fraud in the local government
areas. The responsibility lies with the
stakeholders. I want to address most of
these reforms before my term runs out.
We have been compiling data. Before
2012, they were not keeping records in
the state. The union leaders should
please listen to me. We will not be
intimidated; we will do what is right.
What is the state of your
government’s effort towards the
renovation of the Samson Siasia
Sports Stadium since it started in
2012?
I received assurances from the
contractors just last week because we
are as concerned as everybody else. We
are paying them money that is left to
enable them put that place to use. We
are looking beyond the Samson Siasia
Stadium. We are looking at focusing
on the sports academy by next year.
How do you react to those who
are accusing you of taking on too
many projects?
It is a compliment if they say we
are doing too much because I came
angry at the state of our
underdevelopment. Whoever is
governor must leave a positive
impact.
Could you please throw more
light on the effort your
administration is putting into the
‘Light up Bayelsa’ project.
Now a lot of communities around
Yenagoa are connected to the
national grid, and we still want to
link up so many others. Amassoma
for example is linked to the national
grid. We had to do electrification in
Sampou. Sagbama to Ofoni
communities are all electrified,
connected to the national grid. We
want to do more and so we are
working with Agip. Right now they
are erecting a number of poles going
to Nembe from Imiringi gas turbine.
This could have been done several
decades ago but we want to
accomplish it if possible before the
end of December. We are working
hard. It may not be with the speed
we want because of funding
constraints but operation light up
Bayelsa is on course.
Very soon we will unveil our
collaboration with the IOCs to
generate up to 50mws of power
between now and next year so that
we can call on the investing public
and manufacturers to come to
Bayelsa. We also have plans to power
our airport.
What is your government doing
to assist BSSB scholars abroad?
Because of the down turn in the
economy, even states with more
buoyant economies could not
sustain foreign scholarships for their
students. But we managed to do so
with our Lincoln University scholars
and others in Ghana and some in
the UK. We have shifted emphasis to
local scholarships. Things are very
tight but we have not forgotten the
beneficiaries.
Any plans to celebrate the 21st
anniversary of the creation of the
state?
There are no elaborate plans.
Instead of throwing money around
we will use that money to build one
primary school or it will help to
complete one secondary school or pay
for the education of our children. That
is one legacy I care about. The days
of frivolities have ended and we are
going to do our best. We still have a
long way to go. We have two more years
to go and in spite of the recession, we
will try our best to conclude our
programs and policies. With the
economy we cannot take anything new
except minor things. And we will
deliver a new and better Bayelsa.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 11
Nigeria's economy is only technically
out of recession — Prof. Ekpo
By Udeme Clement
Akpan Ekpo, a professor of
economics, is the Director
General, West African Institute
for Financial and Economic
Management
(WAIFEM). In this interview,
Ekpo speaks on the controversy
trailing the data from the
National Bureau of Statistics,
NBS, showing that Nigeria's
economy is out of recession,
how Nigeria entered recession,
the urgent need for
President Muhammadu Buhari
to implement a developmental
state economic blueprint
and measures to be taken
to prevent a return to recession.
Is Nigeria's economy ac
tually out of recession
based on the statistics
from NBS?
Yes, technically. With marginal
growth rate in Gross
Domestic Product, GDP, the
economy has exited recession
and now on the path of recovery.
However, the challenges
like unemployment, double
digits interest rate, high lending
rate, inflation and misery
index have not decreased.
The economy entered recession
over a period of time and
cannot bounce back immediately.
Recovery will set in
when GDP growth equals the
rate of growth or population,
or better exit these rates. But
the recent data from NBS confirms
the need for aggressive
fiscal and monetary policies
implementation to sustain the
recovery path. It is important
to state that recessions are part
and parcel (permanent feature)
in a capitalist market
driven economy. Therefore,
there is no need to panic, but
to put in place a strong team
to manage the economy 24
hours daily. What is needed
is macro management of the
economy to minimise the adverse
effect of a recession.
Recession comes and goes. If
this recession is finally over,
another recession may come
at some point but we don't
know when.
This is a short recession because
it lasted just one year.
The NBS is the authentic
agency of government to provide
us with data. For instance,
the same NBS people
are criticising now gave us
data consecutively throughout
2016 and first quarter of 2017
despite political pressure to
show that the economy was in
• Prof. Ekpo
a recession. Now, they are
reporting that the economy is
out of recession and people
are complaining. Why? 0.55
percent growth is very marginal
and driven by crude oil
export. I assume that the
economy may grow at two
percent by the end of this year
if capital projects in 2017 budget
are implemented up to
about 80percent.
As an economic expert,
what do you think actually
went wrong, to the extent that
the economy entered recession
and no proactive step
was taken to prevent it?
We must not forget that recession
did not just happen
suddenly. There were signs of
economic down turn from 2012
and nothing was done about
it. In 2015, I predicted that the
economy was at the tip of a
recession and nothing was
done to remedy the situation,
until 2016 when the economy
finally entered full recession.
So, for Buhari to succeed, he
must implement a developmental
state economic blue
print, where government sees
development as its priority.
How can the economy exit
recession with poverty rate
of about 70percent and 30
percent unemployment rate
in the country?
Growth is not development,
meaning the economy can
grow and not developed. Exiting
recession does not mean
an end to poverty, unemploy-
In 2015, I predicted that
the economy was at
the tip of a recession
and nothing was done
to remedy the
situation, until 2016
when the economy
finally entered full
recession. So, for
Buhari to succeed, he
must implement a
developmental state
economic blue print,
where government
sees development as
its priority
ment/under-employment and
decay in infrastructure. The
Minister of Finance said that
N200billion was released for
capital projects. So, we need
monitoring and quarterly or
half yearly report on performance
of the budget. Now
that growth is coming, we
need monetary policies from
the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) to reduce interest rate.
With the assertion by NBS,
does it mean the CBN has
tackled the forex crisis rocking
the financial sector?
In fairness, the CBN has
pumped a lot of forex into the
system, such that Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
can now have easy access to
CBN forex window.
If the economy is indeed
out of recession, why are
many SMEs closing shop?
All the industries that went
under during the recession
may not come back. The manufacturers
should be innovative.
They should tap from the
existing interventions from
CBN and Bank of Industry
(boI). If there are issues, they
can confront the monetary
authority. Also, the policy of
buy made in Nigerian goods
is very important and must be
well implemented.
How can government minimise
recession?
The only way government
can minimise recession is to
build a market Socialist Economy
in theory and practice.
We must note that the GDP
growth did not further contract
negatively, if not, Nigeria
would have entered a depressionary
phase, which would
have been much more severe
that recession. This means
government must implement
a developmental state economic
philosophy, for the
economy to be public sector
driven with private sector as
one of the engines of growth.
The ruling class (government)
should have as utmost priority
the interest of the working
class, which includes the
“bribed segment”of that class.
Which people belong to the
class of bribed segment?
The top government functionaries,
Chief Executive
Officers, Managing Directors
and others. For example, why
are banks declaring profit and
yet retrenching workers?
Their major interest is to make
profit. Today, most bank workers
are contract staff, while
those in the top hierarchy
make good money. Ideally,
the banking sector ought to be
the hub in financing developmental
projects, but banks are
not doing that. Rather, they
make profit by investing in
government security like treasury
bills, charge unnecessary
fees and finance short term
LPOs, especially in oil sector.
In a market socialist system,
surplus generated by companies
will be used in the overall
interest of the firms and the
citizens. What we have now
is that, the major aim of private
sector is to make profit.
This shows in the way they
invest, as their dynamics of
investment are not favourable
to the system and sometimes
result in a recession. For instance,
the recession in Nigeria
was not just cased by a
sharp decline in oil prices as
some people claimed, but by
under-investment by private
sector and decline in consumption
by other economic
agents, such as households
and their families. Some people
were owned salaries for
over eight months and they
could not buy goods and services,
so they could not consume.
Does it mean the CBN is
not regulating the activities of
commercial banks?
In reality, the CBN is actually
regulating the banks.
May be CBN needs to investigate
the profit seeking motive
of the banks
You said that the growth rate
is so marginal. What can be
done to increase and sustain
the economic growth grate?
The economy now is more of
consumption. Therefore the
structure must change towards
production of goods
and services to be used within
the economy and export the
surplus to earn more foreign
exchange. Government
should open doors for employment
and the economy
has to grow at least at six percent
for about three to five
years for unemployment to be
reduced. This growth must not
be propelled by oil sector.
This is because oil drives the
economy but does not employ
many people. Agriculture can
create thousands of jobs, so
government should make agriculture
attractive, especially
for those out of tertiary institutions.
They should be able
to access land and credit facility
easily. Government has
to provide them with extension
workers. CBN has a lot
of intervention funds for agriculture,
people should get
information on how to access
these funds. Also, the subnational
governments must
play their role well in creating
jobs and growing the
economy of their States.
Those who want to be entrepreneurs
should be encouraged.
Most importantly, all
tiers of governments need to
examine our school system to
make it globally competitive
and of high quality because
the school system now is in
disarray.
C
M
YK

PAGE 12—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Diaspora Matters, with
Morak Babajide-Alabi
http://www.babajidealabi.com
Let's Talk About Rape
In Africa, it's not often we
get to talk about rape.
This is saying it mildly,
because we rarely talk about
it. When we do, it is done in
whispers, and in private clusters,
never to be discussed
publicly. Aside this, it is also
a taboo, that comes up only
when someone close is involved.
The resultant effect
of the "loud silence" is victims
are indirectly turned into the
accused.
In some African societies
the victims not only suffer the
emotional trauma, but also
the shame of identification
associated with it. The societies
blame the victims for being
the agent provocateurs in
their own ordeals. No wonder
just a few number of victims
ever come up with their
stories. Rape as we all know,
is a crime of “aggression,
power, and control in which
one person forces, coerces, or
manipulates another person
to have sexual intercourse
without their consent”. Rape
involves vaginal, oral, or anal
penetration by any object (including
fingers) and it also
includes forced oral sex.
The shame and stigmatisation
of rape victims have been
going on for long. Unfortunately
this trend has contributed
to the continued perpetration
of this criminal act. A
2014 United Nations Children
Education Fund
(UNICEF) report titled “Hidden
In Plain Sight” said in
part that “around 120 million
girls worldwide (slightly
more than 1 in 10) have experienced
forced intercourse or
other forced sexual acts at
some point in their lives." This
statistics should bring the reality
of the magnitude home
for everyone. It must however
be noted that the figures
reported here are mainly of
those that were identified. Of
every one case that is reported,
there are surely tens that
never made the books.
The reporting of rape cases,
especially in developing
countries is very challenging.
Yet we cannot deny the fact
that rape happens every second.
Statistics reveal that living
in certain parts of the
world exposes one to rape attacks
than in others. One
needs no magical power to
guess the countries where attacks
are likely to be prevalent.
These are in developing
countries where lawlessness,
violence and lack of good
leadership prevail. Residents
of countries in the sub southern
Sahara Africa fall under
this category as well. Do not
get me wrong, rape is prevalent
in developed countries but
the long arms of the law usually
gets to the offender faster
than in a country such as Nigeria
or India.
Talking about India, it's a
country where rape is reported
to be the past times of
young hot blood men. We can
still recollect the story that
came out of this country in
2012, when a young woman
was gang-raped and thrown
off a moving bus. We were
appalled by this news, and
many individuals and organisations
raised their voices
seeking the full weight of the
law be brought down on the
perpetrators.
In Nigeria, there are no accurate
statistics for rape cases.
We can excuse this, as even
economic policies are drafted
without correct statistics.
This has not taken away the
fact that rape is endemic in
the country. We can recollect
the infamous gang rape story
that came out from a south
east university sometimes
ago. Do we know how many
house maids are regularly
raped by their employers? Or
how many students are raped
in universities? To be honest,
rape over the years has become
part of the workings in
the Nigeria systems. Various
governments have turned
blind eyes to it and pretend it
is nothing that calls for urgent
attention. The executive and
judiciary arms of governments
have not done anything
historic.
Rape is a serious issue that
needs urgent attention of every
reasonable man and
woman. Human beings are
There is hope rising
in the horizon
though, as
individuals, charities
and nongovernmental
organisations are
giving voices to the
victims of rape
created to be reasonable and
rational, but atrocities, such
as rape has indicated otherwise.
If being reasonable is a
demand of living, rather than
increase, rape figures should
be nosediving. One therefore
wonders if we are losing the
war on sensibility. The rise in
rapes cases clearly suggests
that some men and women
rather than use their brains
prefer to be controlled by
their emotions. And in doing
this, they cause discomfort to
other people.
While governments, especially
in the developed countries,
have made some kind
of progress, the journey is yet
to start in the developing
countries. These governments
may have done more than the
ordinary to sensibly criminalise
this act, the question is
are they doing enough compared
with the scale of the occurrences.
The consensus,
however, is that no matter the
prevailing culture supporting
or encouraging rape acts,
governments, leaders, and all
right thinking human beings
should be campaigning for
tougher sentences.
There is hope rising in the
horizon though, as individuals,
charities and non-governmental
organisations are giving
voices to the victims of
rape. Of recent, some Nigerians
have in their individual
capacities been waging wars
on rape. Not that they have
formed vigilante groups to
stop the perpetrators, nor are
they parading the streets looking
for rape victims. No. They
have, as kind hearted, patriotic
and reasonable citizens
been using their private resources
to campaign for a
change of perception towards
rape victims in the country.
They are also determined to
ensure identified victims of
rape are not denied justice.
I am particularly impressed
by the rising voices of these
individuals that are constantly
hammering on this subject.
These are not jobless people,
but individuals concerned
over the plight of thousands
of victims who rarely get justice
in Nigeria. A particular
friend of mine in recent weeks
used his personal social media
channel to focus on rape
in Nigeria. He has been seeking
justice in his personal capacity
for a housemaid who
was raped by the husband of
her employer. With these individuals,
there is hope that
there will be reduction soon
in the number of rape cases.
There may not be such drastic
reduction, but the efforts
will no doubt make a difference.
Yesterday, my sister, Omolola
Balogun, joined these kindhearted
individuals who have
taken on the cause of educat-
ing and training young girls
in the country. She launched
a project that has been very
dear to her heart - All About
Girls. The project is set up to
empower girls in Nigeria to
be whatever they aspire to be.
This is a commendable
project that needs the support
of all well meaning Nigerians.
It aims at promoting and
developing capacity building,
self-awareness in young
girls to become matured
woman/adult, while also empowering
young girls with vocational/entrepreneurial
skills for self-reliant and economic
development.
She identified the need for
this project because young
girls are daily faced with
challenges, disappointment
from peers, discouragement
from home front etc which
has led to mental and emotional
disturbance thereby
affecting their sense of value
and lifestyle, resulting in early
marriage, prostitution,
molestation, exploitation,
drop out from school and
some joining gangs in order
to better their lives.
The strategy adopted is impressive
- offering a completely
free training to all girls
using real materials as working
examples to produce attractive
product with the aim
of marketing them to generate
revenue for sustainability.
With platforms such as
this, Nigerians girls have access
to what their counterparts
abroad have that's always
give them the advantage
in life. More so, where
there are opportunities, there
are bound to be successes. All
About Girls will definitely fill
a void in the system that is
skewed against young girls.
Stop taking women for granted,
Aisha Buhari warns politicians
By Dayo Johnson
THE wife of President
Muhammadu Bu
hari, Aisha, has
warned politicians in the
country against politicizing
the issue of women empowerment.
Aisha spoke in Akure, Ondo
State capital during the first
national workshop organised
by the National Council for
Women Societies (NCWS) on
economic diversification programmes
of government.
She also accused politicians
in the different political
parties of paying lip service
to matters that had to do
with women empowerment.
Buhari’s wife, who was represented
by the NCWS President,
Mrs. Gloria Laraba
Shoda, said whenever people
speak about empowering
women in a political dispensation,
it appears to those in
power as if asking them to
throw away the keys of the
offices they were already occupying.
Speaking on the seminar
titled; “Nigeria Women in
Agriculture Development,
Participation and Empowerment
in a Practicing Democracy’,
she said since women
are talking about agricultural
empowerment, those in
power should be delighted by
their suggestions..
In a paper at the occasion,
the Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Development,
Chief Audu Ogbeh ,noted that
the mainstreaming of women
in agriculture will contribute
greatly to the sustainability
of the nation’s agricultural
production.
According to Ogbeh, women
have enormous amounts
of potential that must be
tapped to grow an agricultural
sector that is the envy of
Africa.
The National President of
the NCWS, Shoda, explained
that women form nearly half
of Nigeria’s population with
Erosion control: Oko community
plants over 1,000 trees
In an effort to further fight
erosion menace that has
continued to cause
harm in Oko, the home town
of former Vice President, Dr.
Alex Ekwueme, the community
has begun planting of
trees with robust root system.
The Chairman of Ezioko
village, Oko, Men’s meeting
in Lagos, Mr. Chukwuneke
Okafor, in a statement disclosed
that over 1,000 trees
have already been planted in
various erosion sites in the
town, including the road leading
to the Federal Polytechnic,
Oko to stop further damage
in the near future.
According to him, this was
achieved through donations
from well-meaning people
millions working in the agricultural
sector in our rural
communities, but that due to
gender inequalities that pervade
the society, they do not
get the recognition and inclusiveness
they deserved.
Shoda, who said women
were not blaming any government,
noted that they were
only saying that in alignment
with current global thinking
on good governance, government
should create and promote
an inclusive genderfriendly
society.
She urged government at
all levels to carry women
along in terms of planning
and implementation of policies,
projects programmes
across the different social and
economic sectors such as outlined
in their development
agenda.
Lions Club donates to Makurdi flood victims
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
International Lions Club,
Ekiti State axis has
joined their counterparts
across the country to
donate relief materials worth
millions of naira to the displaced
victims of Makurdi
floods.
The relief materials comprised
of clothing, shoes, kiddies
toys, bedding items, groceries,
toiletries, sanitary
materials, food items and
medicines as well as N120,
000 cash.
Speaking at the venue of the
coalition centre in Ado-Ekiti,
the Zonal Chairman of the
club, Ln Asiwaju Oyedeji Olajubu,
explained that the gesture
was to show of love and
care to fellow citizens in distress.
According to him, what
happened in Makurdi was a
wake-up call to the National
Emergency Management
Agency to be more pro-active
on natural disasters by
providing accommodation
and necessary assistance to
victims.
The relief materials were
donated by all the clubs in
Ekiti axis comprising of Ado
Metropolitan Lions Club,
Ado Central, Ido Lions and
Centennial Lions Club in Afe
Babalola University.
Asiwaju Olajubu, who is the
immediate past President of
Ado Metropolitan Lions
Club, expressed concern over
the attitude of some Nigerians
to natural disasters, preferring
to concentrate attention
on occurrences in the
developed world.
The Regional Coordinator
of Lions Club International,
Ekiti Axis, Ln Folu Alade,
commended members of the
club for their quick response
to the clarion call for donation.
from the community.
He disclosed that more
trees will be planted in every
nook and cranny of the town
to help fight erosion on a slope
by reducing runoff and holding
soil in place with their root
systems.
He said that more trees will
be planted as people donate
fund and expressed worry that
many houses have been affected
by the gully erosion
through the years.
Despite the work being
done, Okafor said that the
Federal government needed
to allocate more resources to
Anambra State in order to
contain the greatest number
of erosion sites, especially,
Oko/Nanka erosion menace
APC group alleges hijack of 65
NDDC projects in Delta
By Brisibe Perez
TWO months after
leaders of the All Pro
gressives Congress,
APC, in Delta State resolved
to sheath their swords and
work for the unity of the party,
fresh crack has hit the party
over the sharing of the Niger
Delta Development
Commission, NDDC, projects
allocated to the state.
Members of a group, Consolidated
Delta APC, convened
by a chieftain of the
party in the state, Chief Hyacinth
Enuha, and President
Muhammadu Buhari’s media
aide, Loretta Onochie, are
angry over the way the 65
NDDC projects allocated to
the state were allegedly hijacked.
Enuwa, in a letter inviting
the group members to a meeting
at his Ogwashi-Uku residence,
had said: “NDDC
projects accruable to Delta
State have been hijacked by 3
Ijaws in Delta joining APC
en masse, says Johnny
Achieftain of All Pro
gressives Congress,
APC, High Chief
Michael Johnny, has revealed
that majority of Ijaws in Delta
were joining the APC en
masse due to their continued
marginalisation by the current
state government of the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP.
He made the revelation at
his Warri residence, shortly
after the inauguration of an
“MDA Ijaw LGAs sub-committee”
chaired by Mr. Jonatus
E. Ogodobiri, to organize
a mega rally in Ijaw LGAs of
persons”.
The meeting had in attendance
Loretta Onochie, Ossai
Abe, who represented
Chief Great Ogboru, Mr
Elvis Ayomanor, Dr Veronica
Ogbuagu, Donald Ugbaja
and Dennis Mene, among
others.
Sources at the meeting said
the group resolved to send a
petition to the Presidency on
the matter.
“We have resolved to meet
with the Minister for State Petroleum,
Dr. Ibe Kachukwu,
who will lead a delegation of
the group to meet with the
NDDC Chairman to express
our grievance and ensuring
that other groups are carried
along in the contracts sharing.
“We also resolved that if the
meeting with the NDDC
Chairman failed to yield the
desired result, we will take the
next step by petitioning the
Presidency over the matter.”
Burutu, Patani, Bomadi, Warri
North, Warri South West
and Warri South, respectively.
According to him, the Ijaws
in APC are united and committed
to vision of the party
in bringing development to
Ijaw communities, adding
that APC in Delta is determined
to taking over Government
House, Asaba come
2019, assuring them of better
representation and urged
the Ijaws to continue to support
the APC at both federal
and state levels.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 13

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
INSIDE STORY OF THE WAR
AGAINST KIDNAP KINGPINS
Vampire dead,
Evans ‘guilty’, fate
of 119 uncertain
•We are not done yet – IGP Idris
•Evans
•Vampire
BY EVELYN USMAN
The genesis of kidnapping
for ransom can be traced
to the activities of Niger-
Delta militants who abducted
foreign workers in their bid to
draw government’s attention to
the plight of the oil region as a
result of exploration there.
At first, it was for the purpose
of passing a message to the
international community.
Hostages were usually kept for
a week or thereabouts in
militants den and then released
after a mention of the incident
during a press conference or by
the BBC or the CNN.
The trend witnessed the
payment of ransom after an
international oil company whose
expatriates had been kidnapped
could not hold on for
negotiations to be completed
before going ahead to pay for the
release. The introduction of
ransom then shifted the focus of
the militants from mere gaining
international relevance to a
means of enriching themselves,
as well as financing arms and
ammunition for their struggle.
Seeing the trend as lucrative,
militants began to compel the
oil companies to pay huge sums
for the release of their men.
Many youths in the region,
majority of who were jobless,
ultimately resorted to
kidnapping for ransom to
survive.
Along the line, the
multinational companies in the
Niger – Delta re-strategised by
intensifying protection around
their employees, a move that
also witnessed a counter strategy
by militants who turned their
attention to high net-worth
Nigerians.
This continued until the
introduction of amnesty by the
federal government which saw
militants in the oil region
surrendering.
Unfortunately, amnesty did not
provide the ready answer to
kidnapping for ransom as the
trend was hijacked by copy cats
who introduced diverse methods
to it in other parts of the
country.
It initially escalated to the East
where aged parents and relatives
of persons considered to be rich
were kidnapped and kept by
captors until ransom was paid.
The situation got so bad that
most Igbo who were
known to travel to
their villages
during festive
periods such
as the new
yam festival
a n d
Christmas
stayed
away for
fear of
falling prey
to these
criminal
elements.
M a n y
communities in
the region were
vacated as natives fled
for fear of being kidnapped.
The problem soon spread to
other parts of the country with
the attendant violent twist as life
was snuffed out of victims either
out of frustration of not getting
the anticipated ransom or due to
delay in payment of ransom.
One of the pathetic incidents
was the killing of a 75-year-old
woman, Mrs Theresa Adaku
Edid, by her captors about six
years ago in Imo State after her
family had paid N1 million
One of the pathetic
incidents was the
killing of a 75-year-old
woman, Mrs Theresa
Adaku Edid, by her
captors about six
years ago in Imo State
after her family had
paid N1 million
ransom
ransom. She had returned from
the farm on April 14, 2011 and
was resting in front of her
compound when some armed
men drove in and whisked her
away to their hideout from where
they put a call through to her
relatives, who quickly paid the
ransom only to be told later that
she had died in their custody.
•IGP
Idris
Another incident was the case
of a professor of agricultural
economics and extension at
Ambrose Alli University,
Ekpoma, Paul Erie, whose
abduction was said to have been
masterminded by one of his inlaws.
He was abducted in June
2015. His abductors had tied his
mouth and nose to prevent
him from shouting, an action
that suffocated and killed
him. His decomposing body
was exhumed four months
later from a shallow grave in
Igbanke area of Edo State
where his captors had buried
him following their arrest.
Also in Lagos, a woman,
who was abducted while
driving into her compound in
Ikorodu area, had life snuffed
out of her in the kidnappers’
bid to prevent her from
shouting.
In January 2017, the mother
of an Abuja based
industrialist and indigene of
Ishiagu community in Ebonyi
State, Mrs Catherine Okorie
Chukwu, was abducted,
killed and buried at the
kidnappers den in Lokpanta,
Isuochi area of Abia State.
Her decomposing body was
exhumed from a forest by a
police team who led one of the
self-confessed kidnappers to
the spot.
Not done, kidnappers
extended their spree to
schools where students in two
different schools were
abducted and released after
several millions of naira had
been paid as ransom. The
latest was the release of the
•Kidnap suspects terrorising Abuja-Kaduna road
six students of Lagos Model
College, Igbonla, Epe, Lagos
after spending close to three
months in kidnappers’ den.
IGP Idris intervenes
At a point, kidnapping
became so rampant that
Nigeria took the third place
as the most likely country
where an individual could be
kidnapped, according to the
Global Kidnapping Index.
This led to foreign embassies
constantly issuing travel
advisories on the no-go areas
in the country.
Determined to checkmate
the trend, Inspector General
of Police, Ibrahim idris,
declared total war against
kidnappers.
Idris empowered the
Intelligence Response Team,
IRT, by broadening its scope
and procuring modern day
technology that would aid the
team’s work. In addition, he
established the Tactical
intelligence Unit, TIU, which
personnel were deployed to
all police commands across
the country, with a charge to
unearth criminal elements
behind kidnapping and other
violent crimes. .
The move can be said to be
paying off owing to the
several arrests made as well
as the rescue of abducted
victims before ransom are
paid.
Arrests
One of such arrests was
those of suspected kidnappers
of the the Oniba of Iba, Oba
Yeshau Goriola, last July.
Two German archaeologists,
Professor Peter Breunig and
Mr. Johannes Behringer, who
were abducted in Kadarko
Local Government Area of
Kaduna State, seven months
ago, were also rescued and
their suspected kidnappers
arrested. The arrest of an
11-man kidnap gang which
allegedly abducted the
Deputy High Commissioner
of Sierra Leone to Nigeria,
Major General Alfred Nelson,
can be said to be an
attestation to the IGP’s
avouched zeal to rid the
country of kidnappers.The
arrest of the suspects was said
to have been facilitated by
the IRT which also rescued
the victims.
Another major arrest was
that of kidnappers cum
robbers who terrorized
motorists as well as residents
of Gawu Babaginda village in
Niger State. The gang
members, as gathered,
relocated to Niger after
escaping arrest on Abuja-
Kaduna highway. Several
motorists who plied the
Suleja-Lambata, Bida and
Minna roads had fallen prey
to these criminal elements
who operated with reckless
abandon until August 22,
2017 when the long arm of the
law caught up with them.
The arrest, as gathered,
followed the establishment of
a special operation, code
named, Maximum Safety,
along Kaduna – Abuja,
•Continues on page 15

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 15
•Oduah
AFTERMATH OF IGBONLA ABDUCTION
Lagos monitors kidnappers
with watchtowers, CCTV…as
schools resume
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
“The state government remains
resolute in its commitment to
ensure the safety of lives and
property of residents and has
already beefed up security in
schools to prevent a re-occurrence,
(kidnapping).
“It is on record that the
Governor Akinwunmi Ambodeled
administration has invested
massively on equipment and
welfare of security personnel so as
to ensure that the State remain
safe for residents and investors.
“This government has already
taken giant steps to secure all our
schools especially those in the
suburbs and riverine areas and we
are confident that the steps taken
so far will go a long way in
nipping a repeat of such in the
bud.”
Those were the words of
assurances made by Lagos State
Commissioner for Information
and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde,
shortly after the release of six
students of Igbonla-Epe Model
College who were abducted on
May 25, 2017 in their school
premises.
Two separate incidents of
kidnapping of secondary school
students were witnessed in the
state within seven months last
session, the other being the
abduction of some students at the
Babington Macaulay Junior
Seminary, Ikorodu.
Apparently still haunted by the
incidents, school administrators,
parents, guardians and
stakeholders have expressed
concern over the safety of students
We are not done yet – IGP Idris
•Continued from page 14
Suleja-Lambata and Minna -
Bida Roads by the IGP. After a
painstaking intelligence, 26
suspected members of the
gang were arrested. Three
AK47 rifles, four single barrel
gun, two cut-to-size guns, one
locally made revolver, one
locally made pistol and one set
of military camouflage uniform
were recovered from them. In
addition to the recovery were 69
rounds of 7.62X39mm live
ammunition, 28 live and two
expended cartridges, a set of
military rain coat, two sets of
military shoes, one jack knife,
assorted clothes and charms
Vampire meets waterloo
Also worthy of mention was the
arrest of five suspected members
of a kidnap gang said to have
abducted Kogi State governor’s
mother, Mrs. Hawawu Bello,
three years ago. Among those
arrested was a former councillor
with the recovery of two AK47
rifles, 20 live cartridges; an Army
camouflage inner wear; two
army camouflage pair of
trousers, two army camouflage
across the state as the 2017/2018
academic session commenced
last Monday.
Penultimate Thursday, ahead
of resumption, the state
government, through the
Ministry of Education, had
organised a workshop for
stakeholders on the safety of
students and staff of model
colleges and upgraded secondary
schools across the state where
issues concerning security were
discussed.
At the event, Governor Ambode
ordered the state ‘special
taskforce’ to demolish illegal
structures and shanties located
within the set-back and around all
public schools in the state.
The state Police Command also
announced the deployment of
armed policemen to some model
colleges, particularly those
located in riverine areas in order
to nip in the bud any possible
security threat to students and
staff.
The three lecturers who spoke
at the occasion harped on
vigilance by government and
members of the public, stressing,
“Security is the job of everyone.”
Some of the other speakers urged
the state government to secure
riverine areas while some raised
the alarm over increasing
presence of criminal elements
around various schools in the
state and wanted government to
arrest the situation before it gets
out of hand.
The state deputy governor, Dr.
Idiat Adebule, explained the
measures already taken to prevent
kidnapping or crime in schools as
caps, one black Beretta, two
plastic guns, three sharp knives
and an axe.
Vampire
Another feat recorded under the
IGP’s watch was the fall of a
suspect, alleged as the most
vicious kidnap kingpin in the
history of Nigeria, Henry
Chibueze, whose alias was
Vampire. The kingpin had his
reign of terror in the South-East
and some politicians as his
victims. Vampire reportedly
killed his victims at the slightest
provocation, especially if
ransom was not paid in time or if
he considered what was being
paid for ransom too small. He
was reported to have told
relatives of some of the victims
to keep the money for their
(victims) burial, informing them
sometimes on where to get their
corpses.
But his reign of terror expired
on March 2, 2017, as he met his
dead end during a cross-fire with
operatives of the IRT. Five
members of his gang, including
a herbalist, were arrested while
several arms and ammunition
were recovered. The entire
well as ensure
that students and staff are safe and
secure.
Adebule, represented by the
Permanent Secretary in the state
ministry of education, Mr.
Adesina Odeyemi, spoke on the
theme of the workshop, ‘Towards
a safe and secure learning
environment’.
She stressed that the security of
lives and property is the prime
responsibility of any government
and the state government had not
shirked from the responsibility since
2015 that Ambode came on board.
“The future of our children
depends on quality education and
their safety will not be compromised
as they are commencing a new
academic session. We all have to be
on the same page on security, we
have to be proactive in order to
ensure a smooth sailing 2017/2018
academic session”, the deputy
governor said.
She, however, acknowledged that
there is a new phase of insecurity
that should be confronted which is
the kidnap cases of schools students.
South-East went agog in
celebration of Vampire’s death as
many of his victims said he had
bragged that he was
untouchable.
Evans meets waterloo
But the most celebrated
breakthrough among other
arrests of suspected
kidnappers was the
apprension of Chukwudumeje
Onwuamadike, popularly
known as Evans. He has
confessed to several high
profile kidnappings in Lagos
and Port Harcourt. Described
as a smooth operator and the
most brilliant and richest
kidnapper in the history of
Nigeria, Evans allegedly proved
a hard nut for the police to crack
as he held sway for years. While
the game lasted, he never settled
for an average Nigerian. His
targets were those who could
afford to pay ransom in foreign
currencies running into several
millions. He was also never in a
hurry to release any of them until
his demand was met.
But like every other thing which
has an end, the 37-year-old
suspect was arrested in his
She continued, “However, no
stone should be left un-turned in this
battle, capacity building in the area
of safety and security is equally
essential.”
The measures in place to boost
security include construction of
perimeter fences, clearing of bushes,
shanties, within and around school
premises, construction of watch
towers, flood lights and alarm
system to alert students and teachers
alike in case of intrusion, and Close
Circuit Television, CCTV,
installation in schools.
The Ambode government also
presented to the state Police
Command helicopters and three
gun boats purchased for aerial and
waterways monitoring of
criminal elements.
While delivering an
address on security, the state
Deputy Commissioner of
Police, DCP, Bolaji Salami,
who is also Officer in Charge,
OC, State Criminal
Investigation Department,
SCID, Panti, disclosed that the
police had destroyed over 200
camps of kidnappers in the
creeks and within Lagos.
He said, “The Commissioner of
Police in Lagos has also approved
the deployment of armed policemen
on 24 hours basis to some model
colleges to enhance security of lives
and property.
“The armed policemen will be on
shift, a team will be at duty post from
a certain period in the day while the
other team will take over the second
shift. These are some of the strategies
the police are putting in place to
checkmate incidents of kidnapping
and other sundry crimes.”
Meanwhile, two days after the
resumption for the new academic
session, four out of the six kidnapped
students of Igbonla Model College,
Epe, who regained freedom, joined
their colleagues.
The four freed students who
resumed with their colleagues are
Yusuf Faruq, Agbaosi Judah, Isiaka
Rahmon and Jonah Peter. The two
others still expected in school are
George Adebanjo and Philips
Pelumi.
During a visit to the school, it was
also observed that the entrance gate
had been rehabilitated and the
construction of watchtower
reaching 96 per cent completion.
Toilets and classrooms in the school
premises had also been renovated.
Magodo estate residence on June
10, 2017 by operatives of the IRT.
He was arraigned in court where
he pleaded guilty.
Raid of Abuja-Kaduna
highway
Sunday Vanguard
investigation showed that 72
suspects who allegedly
kidnaped and attacked
motorists along Abuja-Kaduna
highway were arrested in a
forest along that axis. A
breakdown showed that 32 of
them were apprehended on
July 31, 2017 at Kateri while
the rest (40) were arrested
during a raid of the forest
along the road.
Meanwhile, at the last
count, the number of
kidnapping suspects in the
custody of the police across
the nation totals 119 even as
their fate could not be
ascertained at press time.
In Lagos, several kidnap
suspects have also been
arrested with some attempts
foiled. So far, over 200
kidnappers’ dens have been
destroyed in the state,
including make shift buildings
.I have nothing to be afraid offreed
student
In an interview with journalists,
one of the freed students, Judah,
showing no sign of fear, said he,
alongside his three colleagues
resumed because they loved their
school and the serene atmosphere
good enough for their academic
pursuit.
He said: “I feel great resuming in
school. I believe that nothing bad
can happen to us again. I have put
the kidnapping behind me and
decided to come back to school.
“I decided not to go to another
school because I like my school. I
have nothing to fear. The teachers’
style of teaching is fantastic. They
often give us the opportunity to ask
questions whenever we don’t
understand what we are being
taught. The facilities have improved,
especially in the area of security.
“For those that have not resumed,
I believe that they do not have any
reason to be scared because those
that encountered the trauma with
them have returned to school”.
To boost security, armed
policemen deployed from Rapid
Response Squad, RRS, were seen on
the premises, patrolling.
The Perm Sec in Lagos State
Ministry of Education, Odeyemi,
who led government entourage on
a visit to model schools in the axis,
including Model College Agunfoye
in Igbogbo Bayeku Local Council
Development Area, LCDA, assured
parents of adequate security within
the school and environs, saying there
was no need for fear.
In order to enhance security,
Odeyemi said: “The students have
been sensitized on how they can use
alarm during emergency cases.
“And in order to ensure that we
have improved security, we have
lit up the schools. We have raised
the perimeter fences and put in
place other security apparatus
that we cannot disclose to the
public to boost the confidence of
parents.
“The entrances to the dormitory
have been strengthened to ensure
that we do not experience what we
had earlier. ”
Meanwhile, the state House of
Assembly has commended the
Ambode government for
providing the enabling
environment for the resumption of
the new academic session in the
state schools.
in kidnappers’ dens in creeks.
We will review the template
of security- IGP
Restating his determination to
stem the tide, IGP Idris said the
police would not allow criminal
elements hold sway in the
country. To ensure this, he said
his administration would keep
reviewing the template of
security.
Speaking with journalists, he
said: “We will regularly review
the template for providing
security from time to time. This
is to ensure that we smoke out
criminals from their hideouts. We
are not going to spare or think
twice about anyone who raises
his gun to fire at innocent
citizens, we will not allow that
hand to come down. I say this
with all sense of purpose. But we
cannot achieve this without the
support of community leaders
and the help of all Nigerians.
“All kidnap suspects in our
custody will be prosecuted as
soon as investigation in each case
is concluded. And for policemen
who engage in the war against
kidnappers, they will be
rewarded accordingly.”

PAGE 16—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Alhassan and co wrecking
crew moves in on APC
“Better a declared enemy
than a doubtful ally.”
Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769-
1815. VANGUARD BOOK
OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 48.
Ms Aisha Alhassan spoke
and millions of men are
trembling. It was not because
she is the Minister for Women
Affairs; it was on account of
what she said and the
implications for the All
Progressives Congress, APC.
Read some of what she said
on the BBC Hausa Radio
programme.
“If today Mr. President says
he is running in 2019, I will
go to him respectfully and
thank him for giving me an
opportunity to serve and then
tell him I have to resign
because my political father
may be running.” Just in case
anybody is in doubt about the
political “Baba”, she made it
clear. “Atiku is my godfather
even before joining politics.”
Courage, honesty, gratitude
and clarity were all rolled into
a few sentences – the sort
Napoleon would have loved.
Two days after, the
“godfather” himself
reportedly said: “I have no
relationship with the [Federal]
government. I have not been
contacted even once to
comment on anything and in
turn, I maintained my
distance. They used our
money and influence to get
where they are, but, three years
down the lane, this is where
we are.” The charge of
ingratitude is unmistakable.
And, this is where we start
today to analyse the sudden
change in the polity and
consequences for Nigeria in
2019.
Two weeks ago, right here
you read in the article titled
NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT
2019 AND THE FORTY
DECIDERS the list of forty
individuals who, for good or
ill, will decide the fate of our
country on Presidential
Election Day, March 2019.
Buhari, Atiku and El-Rufai
were on that list. Today, only a
fool will fail to understand that
the first shot in a political war
had been fired. In June 2017,
in another article titled, APC:
SAND HOUSE BUILT
WITH SPITTUM ON SEA
SHORE, the point was made
that the APC now exists only
on paper; that the “party” will
not survive intact to contest
the 2019 elections. Several
reasons were given which
need not delay us here.
“I hate ingratitude more in
a man than lying, vainness,
babbling drunkenness, or any
taint of vice whose strong
corruption inhabits our frail
blood.” William
Shakespeare, 1564-1616.
(VBQ 103).
William George Jordan had
another spin on ingratitude
when he pointed out that
“Ingratitude is a crime more
despicable than revenge;
which is returning evil for evil;
while ingratitude returns evil
for good.” In that connection,
the reader needs to be aware
of certain facts which have a
bearing on this open
declaration of grievous
differences between the
Buhari and Atiku factions in
APC. I can state
authoritatively that Atiku
donated nothing less than two
million dollars to APC
presidential campaign
expenses. Even at two hundred
naira to the dollar, that would
amount to N400 million. But,
from other sources, the
amount donated was closer to
three quarters of a billion or
N750 million. Unless those
figures are disputed by
Buhari’s supporters, the next
question needs to be answered.
Is it fair to accept a man’s
shower of dollars and naira
before elections and not only
ignore him when victory is
secured but to distribute the
benefits of success to those
who contributed nothing? Is
it fair? Does that not
demonstrate ingratitude of
the worst kind?
Just in case Buhari’s fairweather
friends and
pretenders assume that Atiku
is the only aggrieved party in
that respect, let me disabuse
them of that idea. The largest
donor in the South-West, SW,
(name withheld but you must
be a fool if you don’t know),
has also watched with
growing horror how
thoroughly he had also been
sidelined. Between the two of
them and their business and
political networks, they must
have contributed close to half
the funds and also fifty per
cent of the votes which brought
Buhari to power. Together,
they watch helplessly what can
only be called the
“Dauralisation” of political
appointments. As one of the
silent dissidents told me, “to
get appointment now, you
have to either come from
Daura or be an in-law or close
friend of someone from
Daura. Where were these
people when we were beating
the bushes of Yorubaland for
Buhari?”
Another, a member of an
organization which
developed a voters’ list
containing close to three
million names and GSM
numbers, which were
effectively used to mobilize
votes for Buhari in 2015, added
that : “We still have our list; we
are in fact updating it and we
hope to expand it. But, we
certainly are not automatically
going to use it for Buhari if
things continue as they are.”
Perceived or real ingratitude
will indisputably cost Buhari
millions of votes in 2019 – if he
runs.
Ms Alhassan’s open
declaration however carries
with it more threats than
Buhari’s supporters are aware
of or are willing to
acknowledge. The statement
made on radio with millions
The report that APC
Governors and
Ministers favour
Buhari for second
term only reveals how
the black man does
not remember recent
history. Exactly four
years ago, all PDP
Governors and
Ministers supported
Jonathan
of Northerners listening on was
a demonstration of courage
which ordinarily would have
been considered reckless. Its reaffirmation,
a few days after,
reveals that it was deliberate
and she was prepared for the
consequences. As it is, she has
already openly tendered her
resignation waiting for the
President to act. Sacking her
now will amount to an anticlimax;
she struck the first blow.
Not sacking her opens up a
more frightening possibility for
the President. It might
encourage others, just as
disenchanted or double agents
within the presidency, to start
making similar statements.
In that connection, Buhari
and his supporters need to
be told clearly that there are
a lot of “double agents” in
government; people who
work for government and
are still paid by others
outside government who are
not in the Buhari camp. I
should know because almost
thirty years on these pages
has yielded a lot of top level
contacts. At any rate, secret
payments received by moles
in government follow the
same pattern. Those
involved forget that “a secret
is best kept if it is between
two people with one dead.”
Those collecting “double
pay” – from Buhari and
elsewhere - are watching to
see what would happen to
Alhassan.
“All political parties die at
last by swallowing their own
lies.” Dr Arbuthnot, 1667-
1735. (VBQ p 191).
Irrespective of whether she
is sacked or not, one of the
wrecking crews of the APC
has already landed the first
iron ball on APC’s sand
house. Others will surely
follow. The reasons are easy
to understand; Nigerians
and politicians just refuse to
accept the truth and be
guided by it. To start with
APC is not a political party
in the strict sense of the word.
It does not represent “the
ideals, the aspirations and
hopes” of Nigerians. At the
executive and legislative
branches, it has become
“merely a conspiracy to
seize power.” (Late President
Eisenhower of the USA).
Predictably, one of the first
to carpet Alhassan was
Governor El-Rufai of
Kaduna State. El-Rufai
would attack anyone who is
on Atiku’s side and the hatred
is mutual. Atiku and Rufai
represent different views of
how the country should be
governed; they stand on
opposite sides with regard to
restructuring – among other
things for example. So, what
are they doing in the same
political organization?
Saraki and Bola Tinubu,
Senator Melaye and
Governor Belo, Kwakanso
and Governor Ganduje
represent three other pairs of
APC members with totally
different ideas about how to
organize and run a political
party and to govern. APC is
not just a house divided
against itself; it is a house
actively engaged in internal
war. As 2019 approaches, the
cracks will widen until the
structure will eventually
collapse as the PDP did in
2015.
The report that APC
Governors and Ministers
favour Buhari for second term
only reveals how the black
man does not remember
recent history. Exactly four
years ago, all PDP Governors
and Ministers supported
Jonathan. That support did
not save him from defeat when
the ground shifted from under
his feet in the form of
defections from the PDP to
APC. At any rate, from
information available to me,
at least six Ministers would
have resigned from Buhari’s
government. The only thing
holding them back is fear of
humiliation by the Economic
and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC.
Meanwhile, they pretend
loyalty to a leader who has lost
their confidence. One
Minister hoping to be
dropped actually cried when
Buhari failed to reshuffle the
cabinet in May this year. He
adopted a wait and see
attitude in the first year. Now
he has seen enough and is
waiting to go.
APOLOGY
Last week, the first part of
RESTRUCTURING: A
DAGGER IN THE HEART
OF POLITY was published.
Ordinarily part two should
have followed. But Ms
Alhassan’s bombshell can be
regarded as Breaking News
superseding all else. My
a p o l o g i e s .
RESTUCTURING continues
next week.
Thrive, Not Just Survive
My mission in life is not
merely to survive, but to thrive;
and to do so with some passion,
some compassion, some
humour, and some style- Maya
Angelou
There is a saying that “if
you fail to plan, then
you plan to fail”. The
Governor of Kogi, Yahaya
Bello said this week that our
youths have to” develop
characters and attitudes that
could guarantee a secured
future rather than indulging
in hard drugs that would only
destroy their future. This is
rich, kicking our youths while
they are down. This is like
blaming a whole section of
the population and casting
aspersions that the fault lies
with our youths. I beg to differ;
our young people are resilient
and many have struggled
against all odds to merely
survive. Respective
administrations have failed
our young people. There is
however, pockets of young
people’s innovative
programme including, the
O’Yes programme in Osun
and a few other places but not
nearly enough.
There is far too many in
disinvested and
disenfranchised and
denigration of young people
at every given opportunity;
really what else do they
expect? Success without
investment?
With Nigeria’s population
at 182 million and more than
half its people are under 30
years of age. According to one
research: of the about 57
million out of school children
globally; 10.5 million of them
are Nigerian children,
making Nigeria the country
with the second highest
concentration of out of school
children globally.
The quality of education in
the state public schools,
where the majority of children
attend is appalling, and keeps
declining, and this is right
across primary, secondary
and tertiary institutions. The
derelict condition of facilities,
the inadequate or sometimes
complete absence of
necessary basic infrastructure
in educational institutions, as
well as the declining quality
of teaching and non-teaching
staff have all combined to
create the monumental
existential crisis and
challenge facing the
education sector in the
country today, and therefore
affecting the overall
development and preparation
of our youth for a purposeful
and productive life. The
The failures of
today’s young
people lies with the
failure to thrive in
an environment
that failed
spectacularly to
provide and
prepare them for
the future
writing indeed is on the wall:
powers that be are
spectacularly failing our
young; it is a shame and a
disgrace.
To further compound the
issue, less than 15% of youths
seeking admission into
tertiary institutions ever get
admitted annually. And yet,
there are no viable alternative
structured vocational and
skills acquisition institutions
of a tertiary status to
accommodate these teeming
population of youths excluded
from all rounded education.
There is gargantuan lack of
provision and investment to
accommodate the growing
population in particular, with
the nation’s shrinking
economy and depleted oil
revenue to provide adequate
infrastructure, transportation,
schools, social and health
facilities.
So Governor Bello through
his commissioner for Youths
and Sport, Adoji, was
addressing the Governor
Sensitisation/Awareness
Programme on Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking
organised by the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA), in Lokoja on
‘Listening to Children and
Youth: First step to help grow
healthy and safe: In his address,
the governor noted that what
mattered in life and determined
the future of an individual was
his or her character and
attitude! Seriously, this is like
the pot calling the kettle black.
In a society where politicians
dictum is do as I say not as I do,
this flies in the face of common
morality; the truth is lost on the
older generations and the
politicians in particular. They
failed to invest; they feathered
their nest while squandering
our future: our young.
It is obvious when the good
governor points out that the
youths are future leaders. So
when have the youths been
given the opportunity to grow
and develop their leadership
potential? When have they been
given the tools and the skills to
prepare them for the future?
When and how? These are the
salient issues and questions that
should be posed to the so-called
politicians in their ivory tower.
They have lost touch with
common man and the young.
If the truth must be told,
opportunities have come and
gone when our young were used
as political fodders to agitate
and intimidate the populace for
pittance during
electioneering, the
politicians set off a chain
reaction where they arm
youths with weapons, drugs
and tools of villainy and
expect these young people to
come out lily white? I think
not. The genie has been out
of the bottle for far too long.
So if there is any blame it
should be levied at the foot
of every single politician who
has groomed our youths for
life worse than useless. So I
think it is rich for any
politician to say that ‘ society
expected them to avoid drug
abuse and peddling of hard
drugs, as ‘’drugs destroy your
destiny”! And to rub salt into
the wounds, “What we are
seeing today among our
youths does not connote the
proverbial saying that youths
are the leaders of
tomorrow,” this is a bridge
too far.
I do not get where he got
his statistics from but
according to him, 80 per cent
of persons that commit
various crimes in the society
today are youths and noted
that most crimes were
committed under the
influence of one form of drug
or the other’ This is tarring
every young person with the
same brush.
It is ironic that he said that
“The heroes that fought for
the independence of Nigeria
were youths who did it using
their talents and
determination” and urged
youths to borrow a leaf from
the nation’s past heroes none
of whom he said was up to
40 years. Yes, that is true, but
that is because, these
incredible people were
standing on the shoulders of
giants, they did not do it on
their own, they did this because
people who came before
inspired them and
encouraged them to become
great and do great things.
That cannot be said of
subsequent generations who
are hell bent on holding on to
the vestiges of power. That is
the difference, somewhere;
somehow the good governor
and his likes have failed to
understand that the youths of
today are the reflection of the
generation before. Time to
shine the mirror within and
declare that the fault and the
failures of today’s young
people lies with the failure to
thrive in an environment that
failed spectacularly to
provide and prepare them for
the future. So I say, the legacy
of the future of our youths lies
in the genuine sustainable
commitment and investment
of this government. Five years
ago, I wrote in generation X:
‘I have been banging on about
the politicians consigning our
young people to the rubbish
heap and it is evident that the
youths have no stake in their
own future. They have had no
moral role-models; all they
see around them are grand
thieves, corruption on a grand
scale, murderers, violence, no
opportunists , inadequate
education and insecurities,
with opportunity or given the
chance to thrive from the
onset and we expect them to
know how to behave? We have
failed them and so badly too.
I see the finger pointing has
begun and the young are
blamed for the ills in Nigeria.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 17
Entrepreneurship is just a
polished word for a hustler
- Cutekimani
•Explains how she’s connecting brands to social influencers in Africa
Cutekimani is one of the very few bright
minds in the media that is breaking
through the feminine stereotypes and also
trailing the blaze for others to follow. As an
entrepreneur in the media industry in Nigeria,
she has worn many hats interchangeably- a
new media strategist, radio presenter,
publicist, blogger and even an actress - an art
she has passionately mastered.
Esther Tosin Adekeye, popularly referred to
as Cutekimani is the founder of Estol Africa,
a subsidiary of Estol Props Media.
Estol Africa is a leading Influencer
Marketing Agency in Africa established in
2014 to help brands engage their audience
and build meaningful relationships
through social advocacy; a company that
prides itself in delivering impactful social
campaigns through its network of
influencers in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.
How did the name ‘Cutekimani’ come
about?
During my undergraduate days at
the University of Lagos, I worked
for a campus magazine where I
would dig up dirty stories- about the bad
guys, molestation, bribery, and social vices
in school. So for security reasons, I
needed to have an abstract name that
could never be traced back to me. I also
had a radio show where I used to dish out
lots of scoops about the “Under G”
activities on campus. My on air name
was Fantasia till I graduated and went
for my NYSC at Silver Bird, in Port
Harcourt. When Mr. Gibson Lee who was
the TV director, asked the name I would
love to bear now that I was in Port
Harcourt, I started looking at the ceiling;
then he gave me 30 minutes to come up
with a name. I told God I wanted
something that defined me, which was
African, interesting & hip. I got on Google
and started searching till I found ‘Kimani’,
an Ethiopian name that meant smart,
sexy & successful. I later settled for
Cutekimani when I discovered that
Kimani had been taken already on social
media.
Have you always wanted to be in the
media or was it by accident?
I grew up as a creative child; having
engaged in lots of stage plays, cultural
dances, even being engaged as a child
model in various television commercials
from my nursery, primary and secondary
school days. I already had a lot of
confidence facing the crowd and as an
orator. Coming from that background, I
could not have found myself in any other
field rather than the creative industry.
Television newscasters always fascinated
me, and this was the reason I decided to
study Mass Communications in the University,
though I ended up majoring in
Public Relations and Advertising. Therefore,
it is safe to say media was all I always
wanted to do.
How have you been able to gather and
maintain your social media followership?
I personally don’t know any cheat code
to build social media followership; it took
me years to build and it takes strategy to
maintain. When I got my first blackberry,
twitter was one of the inbuilt apps and so
I started exploring. I was in Port Harcourt
then and I believed it was a “Lagos thing”
so I reached out to a friend who had about
40 followers then to put me through and
give me shout outs, follow back Fridays,
follow trains and all. I started growing bit
by bit, returned to Lagos and every
time I was on radio I enjoined listeners
to follow me, I sent broadcasts on
BBM, invited my Facebook friends
and it started growing more rapidly
and that’s one of my strengths, I grew
from offline to online. At the time the
EME album was dropped, I was on the
campaign, it was necessary to use all
my contacts to push the album hence
the need for daily BBM broadcasts,
Facebook blasts and more.
A social media
influencer is an online
brand advocate who
talks favorably about a
brand or product, and
then passes on
positive messages
about the brand to
other people,
spreading the word
through their personal
social media pages
Which of the social media platforms
are your favorites as a social
media strategist?
All of these platforms are work
tools for me, so it’s not about me
anymore. As a social media influencer
you need to have your own
strengths, you definitely can’t conquer
all of the social media platforms
so it’s best to own at least three and
own them well. That’s why we run
influencer engagements for brands,
we use various influencers per platforms
because we realize an influencer
might have eyes for fashion,
good pictures, have active 100k followers
on Instagram and a little over
5k active followers on twitter. Some
are Snapchat lords while some have
owned LinkedIn or even their blogs.
You will always catch me on Twitter
and Instagram before Snapchat, Facebook
or even LinkedIn. My love
for Twitter was one of the reasons I
started my over two-years old
TweetChat tagged #KimaniOffAir.
At the time I figured I needed to
also have a platform where I daily
inform people beyond social media,
I started my website.
Based on your experience who
would you call a social media
influencer?
A social media influencer is an
online brand advocate who talks
favorably about a brand or product,
and then passes on positive
messages about the brand to other
people, spreading the word
through their personal social
media pages. He is a user on social
media who has established
credibility in a specific field, has
access to a large audience and can
persuade others by virtue of their
authenticity and reach. He takes
part in relevant conversations
across a variety of networks.
Do you make it a point of duty to
post online every day?
Yes, posts go up on at least three
of my social media pages every
day; in fact, as a social media
influencer, you should have at
least two posts on your Instagram
daily, be active on twitter between
6am and 12am and be active
between 8am and 6pm on
LinkedIn. I have account
managers who also manage my
account especially when I am on
a trip or when we have events to
live feed from, just as I also manage
accounts for brands and individuals,
meaning you cannot be off
social media for any reason during
work period. It’s so serious that
at least one of my account managers
travel with me just to ensure
we don’t go offline
How do you manage a large
network of social influencers and
determine which is best fit for a
campaign?
We have developed an in-house
process that allows us vet, structure
and categorize our talents
based on certain checklist, like
their areas of interests, platforms
of strength, social followings, engagement
rate, etc. Thereby when
we get a communication brief from
our client we are able to provide
different classes of influencers
that would be able to effectively
achieve the campaign’s goal.
What are some of the brands
Estol Africa has been able to
work on?
Quite a lot, we have been privileged
to work on some really exciting
brands like Airtel Nigeria, Kenya Airways,
Intel, Gala, Minimie Chin
Chin, Payporte, Visa and Canon.
What’s your thought on entrepreneurship,
is it learnt or innate?
Entrepreneurship is just a
polished word for a hustler, and I
tell you, no one learns to be a
hustler, it is inborn. The first thing
you need as an entrepreneur is
the drive, before the skills. Even
if you didn’t have the skills, the
drive will push you to acquire
skills. So entrepreneurship is
innate.
What are your social media
handles?
I am @cutekimani across all
platforms
C
M
Y
K

PAGE 18, SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
BY TOLULOPE ABEREOJE
The ever trending baby
mama culture in the
Nigerian entertainment
industry today seems to
have come to stay. The escape from
marital commitments to focus on
raising a child has made many
followed this trend. And while some
have chosen to stick with just one
baby mama, others have gone the
extra mile to have more children
from different women. Here is a
quick peek into these celebrities
with more than one fruit from
different trees:
Flavour
Golibe crooner, Flavour N’abania
has two lovely children from two
Nigerian beauty queens. The
singer welcomed his first daughter
with beauty queen Sandra
Okagbue in September 2014 and
another the following year from
MBGN queen, Anna Banner.
Flavour however, has revealed
that “marriage is a huge
distraction” to his career and this
has left tongues wagging and
questions in the minds of many on
whether or not more baby mamas
are underway.
9ice
Next on this list is the Special
Adviser to Oyo State Governor on
Youths, 9ice. The singer has four
children from three different
women. The CEO of Alapomeji
Records had his first son in 2008
while he was still married to his
ex-wife, Toni Payne. He then
welcomed a set of twin girls from
his ex-girlfriend, Victoria ‘Vicky’
Godis who resides in Abuja and
then had his fourth and currently
last child in 2014 with
Olasunkanmi Ajala. 9ice is yet to
marry any of his baby mamas
but currently lives with Ajala
and has plans for her to be his
last. Is this really true?
JJC
JJC Skillz is another hard-tobelieve
baby daddy. The rapper has
three grown up kids from three
different baby mamas. This is so
because he didn’t marry any of
them. His wife and heartthrob,
Funke Akindele aka Jenifa
however, has over the weeks been
seen at events with a baby bump,
which signifies that baby number
four, is on the way. Is this going to
be the end of the road of baby
mama adventure for JJC or should
we keep our fingers crossed?
Wizkid
CEO of StarBoy Records, Ayo
Balogun popularly known as
Wizkid is definitely a double baby
daddy. The singer has two sons
from two different baby mamas,
Sola Ogudu and Binta Diallo
respectively. Despite the fact that
the singer is yet to acknowledge
his second son, Binta has flooded
social media with photos of her
child saying he is Wizkid’s. The
Jaiye Jaiye crooner however
accepted the paternity of his first
child, Boluwatife Balogun.
The
Kings Of
Baby
Mamas
Binta Diallo
•Celebrating celebs
with multiple baby
mamas
Anna Banner
Sandra Okagbue
Nabila Fash
Toni Payne
C
M
Y
K

Obafemi Martins
Super Eagles forward, Obafemi
Martins is a proud dad of three
boys: Tyler, Kendrick and Kelvin
Martins, from three different
women and he’s yet to marry any of
them. The Shanghai Greenland
Shenhua FC player had his last son
with Balotelli’s sister, Abigail Barwuah
who currently lives with him.
OritseFemi
Oritsefemi is another proud dad
of three girls from three different
women. The singer had earlier said
that he had no plans to marry any
of his baby mamas. This, according
to him is because his fiancée (now
wife), Nabila Fash is the woman of
his dreams.
Pasuma
Wow! 49 year old Oganla of Fuji,
Wasiu Alabi Pasuma has been
linked with several women and
he’s said to have up to twelve
children from five different women
that includes Nollywood actresses
and socialites. And guess what? He
is yet to officially tie the knot with
any woman.
IK Ogbonna
Actor, IK Ogbonna is also on the
train of celebrities with multiple
baby mamas. He has a lovely
daughter with another woman and
has also welcomed a
son with his wife,
Sophia Morales. The
actor says his wife
also loves his daughter
very much and
doesn’t think he’s
going to have any
complications with
that.
2Face
Idibia
Innocent Idibia
popularly known as
Tuface or 2Baba has
been tagged by
comedians as the
“father of many
nations”. The Benueborn
musician has
seven children from
three different
women. Although he
is now legally
married to his long
time girlfriend and
one-time baby mama,
Annie Macaulay, the
fact that he has three
children with Pero
Adeniyi and two
others with Sumbo
Ajaba cannot be
disputed. Annie
added another
beautiful girl to the
family after her
wedding with 2Baba.
Segun
Arinze
Veteran actor, Segun
Arinze is not just good at
acting but is also good at
having fruits from
different trees. He has
six children from four
baby mamas. He has a
teenage daughter with
his ex-wife, two others
from two unidentified
baby mamas and three
children with his current
wife, Julie.
Wasiu
Ayinde
Adewale
The last but definitely
not the least on this list
is fuji maestro, Wasiu
Ayinde Marshall. He is
fondly referred to as the
’father of many generations’
as the musician can
boast of 39 children from
three wives and several
concubines. Bravo!
IK Ogbonna
TOP comedians including Bovi, Gordons,
Osama, Acapella, Senator and Arinze
Baba combined forces to give residents of
the university town of Anyigba in Kogi State
and environs, a memorable weekend last
Sunday, when the mega comedy show touring
the nation, Glo Laffta Fest held in the
city.
Laughs, guffaw and shouts of conviviality
trailed each performance by the comedians
as they dished out witty jokes
and tear jerking wisecracks that lowered the
evil effect of cortisol, the stress hormone on
the bodies of attendees.
The expansive Sporting Complex of the
Kogi State University which hosted the
show was literally bursting at the seams with
guests who started arriving as early as 8am
for the event that was meant to kick off at
1pm.
SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 19
Osama, Acapella, Bovi, others give
Anyigba a weekend to remember
Glo subscribers having fun on stage
Wizkid
The mammoth audience,
consisting of students, officials
of the students union, top
leadership of the institution,
lecturers and residents of
Anyigba, had an uncommon fun
time from Osama’s curtain
raising performance.
The next act, Senator, took
the show higher with his
peculiar re-enactment of the
reactions of various tribes to
popular gospel songs. It was
one of the highest points in his
performance. He invited
Osama back on stage to
graphically demonstrate how
some Igbo traders count money
while listening to a particular
gospel song. This elicited an
uproarious ovation.
Also performing, Arinze Baba got the
audience shouting ‘encore’ with his near
perfect mimicry of Olu Jacobs while
Gordons and Bovi rounded the evening off
with sublime jokes, resonating well and
leaving indelible impressions with the
audience.
To further enliven the evening, the duo
of Kannywood star, Sani Danja and
Nollywood legend, Kanayo O. Kanayo
pepped up the show with their cameo
appearance while Mercy Johnson-Okojie
and Juliet Ibrahim compered the event and
DJ Lambo was impressive on the wheel of
steel.
Lokoja is the next destination of the tour
while cities like Port Harcourt for the
second time, Onitsha, Makurdi and Ajah
are on the queue to host Glo Laffta Fest in
subsequent weeks.
Flavour
K1 De Ultimate
9ice
C
M
Y
K

PAGE 20—SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk
08056180152, SMS only
It’s Not Easy Accepting A Stepmom Who’s
The Same Age As You!
FELICIA now in her 40s
will be the first to
admit that Chris her
father was a ladies’ man. “He
was always introducing new
girlfriends to me and my
brother when we were young”,
she said. So, when he came in
with Fatima, another new find,
26 years ago, I didn’t think she
would be anything other than
a passing phase. And the fact
that at 19, she was a mere 18
months older than me made
me really hostile towards her.
Couldn’t she find a man her
age? Was she after dad’s
money? I thought the 20-year
age gap between them was
ridiculous.
“When I was four, my mum
left my dad and soon after,
Dad had a son with someone
else out of wedlock. His second
marriage, when I was 12, was
to a woman his own age, but
that only lasted a few years.
And I was 18 when he wed his
third wife, Joanne, who again
was his age - but that marriage
lasted less than a year. I met
Fatima for the first time at dad’s
third wedding - she was one
of his colleagues. Dressed in
a show-stopping garb, I never
dreamt she would one day be
my step-mother.
“Dad was 40 and she just
turned 20 when they got
married and I couldn’t be
bothered to be friendly with
someone who was unlikely to
be around for long. Things
went from bad to worse when
in less than a year, Fatima
became pregnant. I kept my
distance but when
she had a son, I had this
strong urge to be a good sister
to him and my feelings
towards Fatima softened.
Sadly, only a few months later,
history repeated itself and they
split up.
“It was at this time that
something in me changed. I felt
sorry for her. Here was a woman
my own age who’d just had a
baby and found herself single.
I realised how scared she must
be feeling. The difficulty of her
situation brought us closer and
I wasn’t too surprised when
Fatima and Dad reunited nine
months later. I could tell she’d
forgive him anything. Even so,
knowing dad’s history, I didn’t
think he’d settle down properly.
To their credit, they went from
strength to strength and after,
she had another son, they got
legally hitched. I was married
myself by then with a daughter,
who was their bridesmaid. It
was my dad’s fourth wedding,
but unlike the others this felt
different - more secure.
“ A few years after their
marriage, Fatima and I were
pregnant together. Somehow, it
didn’t seem right to be
expecting at the same time as
my father. Grandchildren
aren’t mwant to have to
compete with a
grandparent’s newborn. Dad
and Fatima went on to have
my half-sister, now 14, who
is also auntie to my two
daughters aged 16 and 20!
“My own marriage crashed
after seven years and the
divorce cemented my
friendship with Fatima. The
break-up wasn’t an easy one,
so at the weekend I spent
time with Fatima. If we
wanted to talk, we would - or
we could just watch the telly
or go shopping together.
“Dad works long erratic
hours and encouraging
Fatima to spend time with me
is a way of paying her back
for the moral support she
showed me when I needed it.
And now you’d think it’s Dad
who’s the outsider. The age
gap between them has become
more apparent
because Fatima has really
blossomed now she is in her
forties. Dad on the other hand
has started to show his sixty
something years - his
Casanova days are over! It’s
odd to think Fatima and I got
off to a tricky start. She’s the
best thing to ever happen to
my father
and I’m definitely lucky to
count her as a true friend....”.
In The Interest Of The
Home! (Humour)
“Darling, we’ve been
married nearly 60 years and
I’m still very happy. But in all
that time, have you ever been
unfaithful?” he asked. His wife
looked at him in surprise.
“Well, if you must know, I was
unfaithful just three times.”
“Really” When?
“The first time was when you
put in for promotion to become
the youngest general manager
in the company and it all
depends on the vote of
Malcolm Havelot.” So being
unfaithful one time has helped
me work my way up to being
one of the most successful men
in our industry. Thank you
darling. When was the second
time?” “That was fifty years
ago when there was a threat
of a bypass being built at the
bottom of our land. If you
remember, there were two
options and the final decision
rested with the Planning
Officer and the Environmental
Surveyor.” “So you saved our
house, how wonderful,” he
said in gratitude. “Even if you
did sleep with two men at the
same time. And the third
time?” “Okay, yes, you
remember that time you wanted
to restructure the company and
you were 84 votes short ... “
What a way to go! (Humour)
An old man and a 20-yearold
girl got married and for
three weeks, they were very
happy until one Sunday he
collapsed and died. Her
mother arrived to console the
unhappy girl. “Oh mum”, she
cried. “It was such a
wonderful marriage. We were
always so passionate,
especially on Sunday when he
would make love to the rhythm
of the church bells”.
The girl suddenly looked
thoughtful. “Do you know I’m
sure he’d still be alive today if
the fire engine hadn’t gone
past, clanging its bell so
ferociously just minutes before
he died.”
Don't feel dissapointed
Y
OUR column to express your loving
thoughts in words to your sweetheart.
Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or
her know how dearly you feel. Write now in not
more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday
Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail:
sundaylovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your
envelope: “LOVE NOTES"
You can get another relatoinship
that can work despite the different
failures. Take heart and and see that
you are not worried, because in every
problem there are various take home
messages that you have to learn and
that does not mean that you will not
overcome such things in your life
time.
My Friend, I feel for you that such
challenges are happening. Just move on and
overcome all failed relationships that you
have been facing on this earth. Be happy
and rejoice, such things are also happening
to some other persons here on earth. It is
well with you soul and mind. Keep on
moving, you will surely overcome such
challenges and enjoy your love life.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 21
life
I thought of killing myself
• Benue flood victim who lost son, husband
and means of livelihood relives experience“
BY PETER DURU, Makurdi
Two years ago, Susan
Paul Mhen lost her
four-year-old son,
Terdoo Mhen, mysteriously
at the popular Wurukum
Market in Makurdi, Benue
State where she traded in
cassava flour.
The sudden disappearance
of the son, who was allegedly
abducted by unknown
persons in the market at the
peak of business activities,
remains a puzzle to the
police.
Meanwhile, Susan kept
hope alive, believing that
someday her son would be
recovered from his abductors.
Amid the hope, her
husband, Paul, passed on
about one year after, leaving
her with the three other
children among who was a
little daughter who at the
time was still breastfeeding.
And for the fear of the
unknown, the widow stopped
trading in the market.
“I didn’t know the intention
of those who took my son. I
was scared that they might
come after my little girl; so I
had to leave the market”,
Susan told Sunday
Vanguard.
“And it was out of the pain
of what happened to our son
that my husband developed
high blood pressure and took
ill severally before he
eventually died of heart
attack a year later.”
She lamented that the
death of her husband was a
sad blow to the family of five.
“We didn’t know where and
who to turn to and where to
start from”, the widow further
narrated.
“I was left with the
responsibility of taking care
of the three children who are
currently schooling in
Makurdi because I am
determined to ensure that the
children are educated.”
In the quest to make the
best out of life and provide
for the children, Susan said
she gathered the resources at
her disposal and also sourced
for funds to establish a
poultry farm from where she
sustained the children.
Unfortunately about two
weeks ago, the heavens
opened up on Makurdi and
environs and about half of the
town went under water.
The type of flood never
witnessed in the town since
•Inset: Mrs Mhen displaying the photo of her missing son
And in that incident,
fate again dealt a sad
blow on Susan whose
residence in Logo II,
like others in her
neighbourhood, got
submerged in the
flood.
The poultry farm she
had given her
resources and energy
to nurture in the last
one and a half years
went with the flood
2012 swept away close to
5,000 houses, rendering over
121,000 people homeless.
The devastation left in its
wake sorrow and tears as
many households and
individuals lost property and
valuables acquired through
years of toiling and life
savings.
Though the losses suffered
by the victims were yet to be
ascertained by experts, some
people believe it could be in
the region of several billions
of Naira.
And in that incident, fate
again dealt a sad blow on
Susan whose residence in
Logo II, like others in her
neighbourhood, got
submerged in the flood.
The poultry farm she had
given her resources and
energy to nurture in the last
one and a half years went
with the flood that almost
took her life.
Whereas close to 2.000 of
her birds were lost to that
unfortunate disaster, and her
household items went with
the flood, she and her three
children were rescued.
Susan is currently one of
the Internally Displaced
Persons taking shelter at the
camp located at the Makurdi
International Market for the
flood victims.
“I lost all my chickens to the
flood. When I realized that I
could not save anything from
the water, I thought of killing
myself because it was an
investment I was using to
sustain my family”, the
widow said.
“So, I couldn’t imagine
starting all over again
because we all know what the
cost of living is today. I
thought of the children and
how I would be able to cater
for their needs.
“The thought of jumping
into the water came into me
but it took the intervention of
God for me to change my
mind, especially when I took
a second look at my children
and what would become of
their lives if I’m not there for
them.
“The trauma is too much for
me. Within two years I lost
my son to unknown persons,
my husband and now all our
property including my
poultry farm from where I
sustained my children and
myself to flood disaster.
“I don’t know why this fate
has befallen me and my
family. It is as if the world was
coming to an end that night
of the flood but I thank God
for Governor Samuel Ortom
who immediately established
this camp to cater for us.
“In fact, while the three
days of intermittent rains
lasted, he was busy going
round the town to see things
for himself and to make
arrangements to move the
displaced persons to a safe
haven.
“The governor actually rose
to the occasion. While the
flood was at its peak, he was
everywhere with his team of
officials; sometimes he
visited some location
severally to make sure that
things didn’t get out of hand.
“I must say that it was his
proactive action that helped
to ensure that no life was lost
in the disaster despite the
magnitude of the
devastation.
“In our misfortune, we are
glad that somebody truly felt
our pains and genuinely
came to our rescue because
if he had not come to help,
many would have died of the
trauma that came with the
disaster. We are indeed
grateful to the governor and
his government.”
She said that despite the
economic challenges, the
Benue government had
strived to give the camp
inmates minimum comfort.
“Initially it was not easy
adjusting to camp life but we
have adjusted to the reality
of it all. And I must laud the
state government for going
out of its way to ensure that
we get minimum comfort but
the truth is that if you are not
in your own house it can
never be your own house.”
This is the touching story of
a mother of three who says
her major challenge at the
moment was how to start her
life all over again.
“I and my children cannot
remain in this camp forever.
We desire to live a normal
life and that is why I’m
begging public spirited
individuals to come to my
rescue so that I can get a new
home and also start a new
business to enable me cater
for my children.
“From all indications,
Benue State government
cannot handle this situation
alone. Though individuals,
groups and organisations
including the federal
government have been
extending support to
displaced persons, the state
government needs all the
support it could muster to be
able to meet the challenge
created by the disaster”.

PAGE 22— SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
people
SIMON EBEGBULEM,
Benin City
It was celebration time
for the Esama of Benin
Kingdom and members
of his family in Benin-
City when Chief Gabriel
Igbinedion clocked 83
last Monday. Igbinedion
took time off the
celebration to talk about
his life and some
national issues.
Feeling at 83
I
owe my life to God
Almighty. I thanked Him
for keeping me alive.
Secret of good health
Long life is in your palm.
The first thing is your stomach,
that is, what you take through
your mouth to your stomach.
All of you, 30 years old, 40
years old, you know me. You
have never heard or seen
Igbinedion going to the bar to
drink. I inculcated that habit
in my children too. Drinking
is good, even the doctor
recommends that you take
brandy or wine but not to the
point of getting drunk.
Everything in life is about
moderation. Before you say
anything out, think twice about
it, especially the
consequences. And long life is
guaranteed if you have rest of
mind. Do not do anything that
will shoot your blood pressure
up.
Growing up
There are kids who suffer
while growing up but I did not
suffer. My father died when I
was nine years old. I inherited
a house in the village and six
cocoa plantations. My mother
was a big trader, selling fish.
I will not say things were not
rough but I survived. In this
town, I sold kerosene for
seven pence for more than
three years when I was a
houseboy and I went to fetch
firewood from the bush five
times a week. I remember one
day when one of the sons of
my boss, who was about eight
years, defecated in the sitting
room where I usually slept
and the mother called on me
to go and clean it up. All these
were what God wanted me to
pass through in life to be able
to get to where I am now. I
have been through a lot but
God saw me through.
Having seen it all in life, do
you think Nigeria is going in
the right direction?
I do not want to delve into
politics. Anyone before 1960 is
a senior brother to Nigeria. In
the 1940s, when we were
under the British colonialists,
I served in Ogbomosho as a
police officer. I had my Opel
Record car marked WEG 243;
look at the car there, blue
(pointing in the direction of
the car in his premises). I also
served as orderly to (the late
Chief Obafemi) Awolowo’s
wife. I was deployed to
Awolowo but his wife snatched
me from him and I started
driving her car. But if you
travel outside, Nigeria has
ESAMA @ 83
I sold kerosene as a houseboy
– Chief Gabriel Igbinedion
• ‘Please write with your ten fingers against state police’
•Chief Gabriel Igbinedion
done well. Man is never
satisfied. How I wish we have
somebody (a leader) who does
not ask for wealth or life, who
wears Agbada. You know
Agbada, that is the big dress
on top of the inner wear. So if
you wear Agbada, it is for the
country, the one you wear
inside is for the state. Your
trousers, which are what you
have left, are enough for you
and your family to take care of
yourselves. I thank God for
Nigeria today, but I am praying
that God will deliver the country
by bringing a leader who has
the fear of God. How can we,
since 1960, be looking for one
thing, electricity, and we cannot
get it? I will not like to delve
into politics; if I have to talk
about it, it is so deep.
Virtually every Nigerian is
talking about restructuring
today. What is your own
opinion on the issue?
Restructuring is to amend
what is wrong. My late
daughter, Dora Akunyili,
discussed this thing called
restructuring in my sitting room
in Abuja. When I was speaking,
No-one in north-east
Nigeria doubts the
bravery of the
vigilantes. They have
helped immensely in
putting Boko Haram on
the back foot.
But unless their
sacrifices are
recognised, they could
end up presenting a
new security threat
she bought into it. It is a very
good idea. Restructuring
Nigeria is long overdue. The
constitution is also stale. We
need changes. That is what the
people are yearning for but
whether the people are
interpreting it wrongly I do not
know.
First of all, we have to
condition the minds of
Nigerians to love their country.
If you see an America man, he
will tell you ‘I am an American’.
He is proud and patriotic
because the American system
inculcated America into the
Americans’ minds. If he is a
British, he will proudly say ‘I
am British’. Until Nigerians
accept that they are Nigerians,
all the things we are saying is
waste of time. Our leaders have
not sat down to pinpoint where
the error is. I hope that one day
we will see people who will
truly demonstrate such great
love and be proud of Nigeria.
We have lost so many great
leaders like Bola Ige, Alfred
Rewane among others who
could have turned things
around, it is a sad development.
Life as a philanthropist and
an entrepreneur
The way God created me is
that I do not like to see people
suffer. I can even borrow for you
if I know you genuinely need
help.
And I thank God that people
have accepted me as one of the
successful persons. And out of
the several people that we
started doing business together,
I am still there today by the
special grace of God. When I
was being given an honorary
degree some time ago, a top
politician said there is nobody
that God does not speak to. It
depends on if you are listening
at the time God is speaking to
you. I hear God’s voice, I win
some, I lose some. I did not
succeed in everything I did, but
no one in this country has taken
the risk I have taken to dig
unknown grounds. When I
was growing up, I worked in
Leventis Motors. One particular
Christmas, I was driving on
Sapele Road when I saw a
Greek entrepreneur who asked
his security guard to mix red
mud with water and start
sprinkling it on the people there
because they were scrambling
to buy soft drinks from him for
Christmas. I got annoyed. I
went to him and told him ‘I will
compete with you’. The
following January 3, I left the
country to go and bring Canada
Dry and I located it opposite his
office. I do not like seeing
people suffering.
The government of the day is
doing its best. I will not
condemn any government. I
pray that the Lord will answer
our prayers.
You were a police officer.
People have always talked
about the creation of state
police. What is your take on
that?
I vehemently object to state
police. Those of us who once
saw state police in operation will
not pray for it to come to this
country again. Do you know
what it took us to uproot state
police? Do you know how
politicians used them to their
advantage? Please write with
your ten fingers against it. Some
politicians think they are there
today but do not know they will
not be there tomorrow. Anyone
that agitates for state police does
not love this country.
What native police did to this
country in the 50s and 60s, if
you saw it, you will not want
them to come back.
You have achieved a lot. What
else are you asking God for?
I am consolidating. When I
established my (Igbinedion)
university, I told God that I
wanted to start consolidating. I
am consolidating what I have
so that it can remain successful.

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 23
By Benjamin Njoku
My wife almost had
hypertension over
me — Hakeem
Rahman
Renowned actor and one-time
manager in a first generation
bank, Hakeem Rahman,
believes in love at first sight. In
this interview, he relives the memories
of how he fell in love with his wife,
Gania Adeleke, while he was on his
sickbed about 25 years ago. On her own,
the wife admits to falling in love with
him because she saw in him the
qualities she wanted in a man.
BY BENJAMIN NJOKU
How we met
We met in a hospital where
I was on admission. She was
also admitted in the
hospital. Then she was
working in UBA while I was
working in Union Bank. She
later resigned after putting
in 16 years and became a
teacher in a government
owned school. I joined
Union Bank in 1980 and left
in 1999. Destiny brought us
together when we met while
on our sick beds in the
hospital. That was in 1991.
Falling in love
When I saw her, I was
moved as I confided in a
friend then that I met in
hospital a woman I loved.
And he told me that she was
living very close to his
house and promised to
introduce me to her. The
same day, I got her
telephone number and we
started talking. We went out
for lunch twice. Sometimes,
when we closed from work, I
would go and pick her with
my friend who had a car
then. There and then, I
discovered she was a
committed young woman.
That was how we hooked
up.
Attraction
Her humility attracted me
to her. She was humble,
gentle and easy-going.
Besides, I saw hope and
progress in her. Unlike the
young girls of these days
who have the desire to have
fun, she wasn’t such a
woman. She was interested
in a relationship. We dated
for two years before I
proposed to her.
Already into acting
I had already started
acting before I met my wife.
But while I was working as
a banker in 1992, I was
already featuring in movies.
I featured in the popular
sitcom, Checkmate, in 1993
and I played the role of Dr
Kami. It was the sitcom that
shot into prominence RMD,
Ego Boyo, Bob Manuel
Udokwu,
the late
Francis
Agu
among
others. Then
my wife never knew
I was into acting. She’s this
kind of Christian-minded
fellow.
Love at first sight!
It’s possible. That was the
first time I set my eyes on
her but the relationship
didn’t take off immediately.
There was a time we had a
break. Then I used to have
I had two other
women in my life then.
One was a nurse while
the other one was a
teacher. The two
women were beauty
queens. They were the
epitome of beauty and
head-turners. But,
eventually, they sold
out. The nurse gave
up while the other
lady was busy
messing around
more than a handful of
women around me. I used to
carry this Afro hair and
every woman would want to
have me for lunch. She was
too quiet and easy-going. I
liked hot babes, but each
time they dealt with me, I
remembered I had
somebody that truly loved
me and that was how I went
back to her. Unbelievably,
she
was
still
waiting for
me. And
when I came
back, she accepted me
wholeheartedly. She didn’t
reject me. In fact, she told
me that she knew I was
going to come back to her.
Women in my life
I had two other women in
my life then. One was a
nurse while the other one
was a teacher. The two
women were beauty queens.
They were the epitome of
beauty and head-turners.
But, eventually, they sold
out. The nurse gave up
while the other lady was
busy messing around.
Fear of other women
snatching you from her
There was a time my wife
nearly had hypertension
over me. She cried and said
this was why she didn’t like
to have anything to do with
a handsome man. The
headache was too much for
her. At a point, I started
feeling for her. But I
couldn’t help it because I
was a very handsome man.
25 years in marriage
I have been married for 25
years now. I married in
1992. I have five children.
My wife, a Christian, has
hardly changed. She is still
the same woman I married
25 years ago. But I’m the
person that has changed as
an actor. My job exposes me
to people as well as to
temptation. Even as old as I
am, young girls still come
after me.
My
father told
me I should
not come back
to his house -
Wife
Marriage proposal
I didn’t agree to marry him
immediately. I gave him a
tough time because I
needed to make inquiries
about him.
Attraction
He was working in the
bank then just as I was
working in the bank too. I
believed as bankers; we
would understand ourselves
and be able to live a good
life. I had wanted to marry a
working class young man;
not necessary that he must
be so rich but, at least, he
should be comfortable to
take care of his family.
Changed from the man I
married?
Not at all. He’s jovial and
he doesn’t hide anything
from me. He has no secret
unlike men who would not
share their secrets with their
wives.
What he has done to me
that pained me most
He hasn’t really hurt me in
any way. But the only thing
is that most times when he
promised to buy something
for me, he will not fulfil the
promise immediately. I
would have been waiting for
him to
fulfil the
promise before he would
come up with one excuse or
the other. It doesn’t mean
that he would not fulfil it
later. But as for taking me
out, every 26th of December,
he always has time for the
family. He will take me and
my children out to catch fun.
Challenges of marriage
There is no marriage
without challenges. Most
challenges we faced in our
marriage emanated from his
family. But we thank God we
were able to overcome the
challenges.
Attempt to quit marriage
My father told me from the
outset that I should not
come back to his house for
any reason. Whatever
challenges that come our
way, I try to face it with him.
I won’t quit.
What kept my marriage
going in the last 25 years
Understanding and
appreciating each other
even when the going seems
to be tough. Also, our
children from time to time
try to be involved in what
happens in the family.
Leaving banking job
It was around 2017. I
walked out of the job
because it was becoming
stressful. I couldn’t continue
combining it with building
my home. But when i left
the banking hall, I got
another job as a librarian in
a government school.

PAGE 24 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Edo legislators playing to
the gallery!
Anyone who has had
cause to travel
recently to Benin City
from Okene would agree that
such a trip is akin to severe
punishment due to the poor
state of the road. Thus, last
Wednesday, members of the
Edo State House of Assembly
angrily called for the
revocation of the contract
awarded for the
reconstruction of the road by
the federal government. The
Speaker of the House, Alhaji
Adjoto Kabiru, made the call
at Ekpoma, while leading
members of the house on a
‘protest inspection’ of the
road. Kabiru who decried the
slow pace of work by the
contracting firms argued that
the deplorable state of the
road had hampered socioeconomic
development of the
people of the state as well as
other Nigerians plying the
road. The protest inspection
of the road according to the
legislators was “to show
solidarity and share in the
pains experienced by
travellers and motorists.”
The posture of the
legislators appears hard to
fault because as the supposed
representatives of the people,
they ought not to have done
differently. Painfully however,
to commend the ‘honorables’
would grossly be against the
run of play when it is realized
that that the pro-people
garments they put on to make
their point were borrowed.
Ordinarily, Edo legislators do
not have a pro-people
character or record. They
were merely playing to the
gallery. First, they were being
temperamental in arriving at
their conclusive apportioning
of blames. Public
commentators are aware and
politicians know better that
road contracts in Nigeria are
generally awarded without
requisite funding. Seye
Ogunlewe, Works Minister
during the Obasanjo years
told a public hearing some
years back, that funding
provided for road
construction is usually
dissipated to give an
impression that many roads
were simultaneously in
progress. This often led to
abandonment of the
contracts. In many cases, the
contractors find it difficult to
get paid for work certified
done and as such cannot be
queried for any wrong.
The contractors that edo
legislators are indicting may
not be as incompetent as the
law makers think because
they are busy working on other
roads to which government
apparently places greater
Edo State legislators
need not pretend to
be pro-people if the
only criticism they are
able to articulate is
about federal roads
while closing their
eyes to the sufferings
meted to the people
at state level
premium. Interestingly, the
legislators chose not to blame
Babatunde Fashola our
current works minister who
heads the framework that has
allowed the poor state of the
Benin-Auchi portion of the
road. According to the law
makers, “Honourable Raji
Fashola is a man that we
respect very much. He is doing
wonderfully so well as a
Minister of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria but on
this Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi-
Okpella road there is need to
revisit the performance of the
contractors. They are not
competent.” Put differently,
edo legislators are convinced
that Fashola is doing so well
and coordinating works in
other places, yet he does not
extend the astute coordination
to the works in edo state.
This sounds like speaking
from both sides of the mouth
because except the goal is to
intimidate the contracting
firms to “see” the legislators,
how they arrived at their
defence of Fashola is not easy
to fathom. Do they have
legislative aides who having
investigated the subject
suggested such line of
thinking or are they like many
legislators nationwide who
receive allowances for aides
they do not appoint? More
importantly, we are not
aware of defects in
governance at the state level
that the legislators have ever
so fiercely criticized. We are
therefore free to believe the
allegation that because
legislators often get
patronized by governors, they
hardly raise eyebrows over
developments in their states.
As a result, so much goes
wrong in many states in
Nigeria with the law makers
who are supposed to serve as
a check on the executive
compromised and unable to
even ask questions. Indeed,
oversight functions in such
states are merely used to ask
for favours from Ministries,
Departments and Agencies
Perhaps this explains why
legislators in Edo State are yet
to speak on the building of “a
5-star” hospital in Benin that
has remained under lock and
key since it was politically
commissioned almost a year
ago. If Governor Godwin
Obaseki, truly stated that the
state government cannot
afford to equip and run the
hospital, what happened to the
over N10 billion reportedly
budgeted for it between 2014
and 2017? What is the
explanation for the earlier
assurance given by former
governor Oshiomhole that he
had paid 75 percent up front
for the supply of equipment for
the hospital? We fear that edo
legislators will never demand
answers to these questions in
view of a recent revelation that
for personal interests and
material considerations some
of them swap positions in the
house or condone official
infraction
Edo State legislators need
not pretend to be pro-people if
the only criticism they are able
to articulate is about federal
roads while closing their eyes
to the sufferings meted to the
people at state level. It is an
open secret for instance that
no one is bothered about the
plight of many citizens
especially retirees and local
government staff who are
owed several months of
salaries and allowances. The
argument that local council
staff are not state government
workers is puerile particularly
in the immediate past when
the House of Assembly was
used to replace elected
councilors with appointed
fronts. In addition, the
legislature said nothing about
the allegations that local
government allocations were
always confiscated. Instead,
the House was well known for
passing anti-people laws such
as exorbitant taxes. Whereas
the poor man is ignored by the
Assembly, elitist laws are
greatly embraced
Last year, the legislators
passed an amendment to the
State Pension Rights law of
2007 to include the provision
of a building valued at not
more than N200 million for a
former governor and another
worth N100 million for his
deputy. Both favoured former
political office holders were
also given the privilege of
choosing their preferred
locations for the houses. Also,
a governor is to enjoy pension
for life at a rate equivalent to
100 percent of his last annual
salary, three vehicles every five
years and free medical
treatment for him and his
immediate family.
Why should the state do all
these for a governor and his
deputy who can only be in
office for no more than 8 years
while despising public officers
who work for 35years without
guaranteed pension?
The phenomenon
of Biafra (8)
From the foregoing, it
seems that at a time
when the myth of Igbo
coup in which some of the
most illustrious sons of
northern Nigeria were killed
was sublimated in the minds
of northerners as part of the
plan for Igbo domination
leading to deep resentment
against Ndigbo and hysteria
for revenge, it is clear that
Ironsi made a grievous error
by believing that Lt. Col
Gowon, Major Danjuma, his
police ADC ,Thomas Pam,
and bodyguards who were
mostly northerners would
protect him if the need arises.
As Max Siollun accurately
observed, “By surrounding
himself with northern soldiers,
Aguiyi-Ironsi sealed his own
fate.” Chuks Iloegbunam’s
grisly description, in Ironside,
of how Danjuma betrayed
Ironsi, the man who recently
promoted him, by leading the
group of northern soldiers that
eventually murdered the
supreme commander and his
host, Lt. Col. Francis
Adekunle Fajuyi, is a
horrifying testament to the
inherent undependability of
human beings. Gowon’s role
in the event has been debated
by historians, especially given
his claim that he was not
involved. However,
Iloegbunam’s account
depicts Gowon as a sly
opportunist who saw an
opening and hoped to benefit
from it by betraying his boss,
because as COAS he should
have ordered Danjuma to stop
the impending arrest of Ironsi
immediately and ensure that
the supreme commander was
protected at all times.
PhD,Department of
Philosophy,
University of Lagos
08116759758
opuruiche2000@yahoo.com
Unfortunately, he failed Ironsi
at the time of his greatest need
- at such moments only an
officer imbued with
uncommon courage and
selflessness can withstand the
magnetic allure of power and
the privileges that come with
it.
Meanwhile, a critical step
towards Ironsi’s death was
taken when decree 34, also
known as the Unification
Decree 34, was promulgated
in May 1966. That decree is
often cited by northerners and
other non-Igbo supporters of
caliphate colonialism as
justification for the massacres
of Ndigbo in northern
Nigeria which gathered
momentum in May 29, 1966.
In the same category of
scapegoating Ironsi is
Gowon’s claim that although
the decree was discussed by
the Supreme Military
Council (SMC), it was
suddenly promulgated before
the conclusion of deliberation
on the matter by members.
Gowon’s story had been
debunked by Gabriel
Onyiuke who, because of his
position as Attorney-General
of the federation, was present
at the various SMC meetings
when the decree was
discussed. According to
Onyiuke, decree 34 was the
unanimous decision of the
SMC. Yet, it was
misinterpreted in the north as
a brazen attempt by the Igbo
to colonise northerners and
relegate them to subordinate
status in their homeland,
whereas in the south Ironsi’s
political reforms were
considered grossly
inadequate. Essentially,
decree 34 merely formalised
the centralised system of
government characteristic of
military governments
worldwide and which came
into effect in Nigeria for the
very first time after the
abortive coup of January
1966. Ironsi made the tactical
blunder of not embarking on
extensive consultations
before promulgating the
decree. Northerners, always
afraid that the better educated
southerners (particularly the
Igbo) would out-compete
them in a merit based
employment system in
northern region’s civil service,
violently opposed the
unification decree and
demanded araba (secession).
The northern position is
understandable but irrational
and their educational
backwardness self-inflcted,
given that with the active
support of British colonialists,
they resisted penetration of the
north by British missionaries
who were largely responsible
for introducing western
education into southern
Nigeria. Igbophobia
prevented northern leaders
from recognising that
centralisation of power
structure is inherent in the
military irrespective of the
ethnic origin of who is in
control. Keep in mind also
that, having been in power at
the federal level since
independence, prominent
northern politicians and emirs
were not accustomed to
important policy changes
being implemented without
their prior consent. Now, there
is double standard at play
here, because the problem for
northerners was not really the
decree itself but the fact that it
was enacted by the highest
decision-making body in
Nigeria (the SMC) headed by
an Igbo, the ethnic group
distrusted and dreaded most
by a broad section of
northerners. After all,
successive military regimes
headed by northerners ran a
system of government more
unitary than anything decree
34 or Aguiyi-Ironsi envisaged
without any opposition
whatsoever from the north –
in fact, the northern
theocratic establishment
always colluded with
northern military heads of
state to entrench caliphate
colonialism in the country.
Conflict theorists such as
Profs. Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe
and Patrick Wilmot affirm
that the northern
establishment lacks a
rational non-violent tradition
of accommodating sociopolitical
change instigated
by non-indigenes, and reacts
to such situations through
vicious attacks against the
Igbophobia
prevented northern
leaders from
recognising that
centralisation of
power structure is
inherent in the
military irrespective
of the ethnic origin
of who is in control
latter. True to type, after
decree 34 was made public,
mobs poured into the streets
throughout the northern
region and massacred
thousands of Ndigbo, many
of whom had their properties
looted and burned. Lt. Col.
Hassan Usman Katsina,
military governor of northern
region, was in a dilemma: he
felt a duty of loyalty to Maj.
Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi’s
government as a member of
the SMC, but found it
extremely challenging to
reconcile that with pressure
from his fellow northerners to
deal with the overambitious
Igbo. After a prolonged
meeting of the SMC in which
the araba riots of May
against the decree were
extensively discussed, Ironsi
and the military governors
went to great lengths to
explain belatedly to
Nigerians that the decree was
not intended to give undue
advantage to any section of
the country, that it was largely
nomenclatural and
transitional pending the
outcome of the Chief Rotimi
Williams-led constitutional
review going on at the time.
They also promised that no
major constitutional change
would be implemented
without subjecting it to a
referendum. Unfortunately, a
combination of political
naiveté by Ironsi, absence of
precedence for him to follow,
and his government’s failure
to implement necessary
reforms while the euphoria of
the January 15 coup lasted in
order not to offend northerners
led almost inexorably to
Ironsi’s downfall. The
poisoned chalice he inherited
after the Majors’ coup of
January 15 was made even
more toxic by the misguided
and insensitive negative
triumphalism of some Igbo
traders living in the north
whose behaviour seemed to
confirm northern fear of Igbo
conspiracy against the north.
To appease the incensed
northerners, the SMC passed
decree 44 which made it a
punishable offence to “display
or pass on images, songs,
instruments or words which
are likely to provoke any
section of the country.”
Pursuant to this decree, an Igbo
journalist and a handful of
others were arrested.
One of the most vicious lies
against Ironsi by northern
military officers was that he
(Ironsi) did nothing to punish
Major Chukwuma (not
Chukwuemeka, as I
mistakenly stated last week)
Kaduna Nzeogwu and others
involved in the first coup
because they were Igbo.
Indeed, when Major Danjuma
arrested Maj. Gen. Ironsi, he
accused the latter of shielding
the coup plotters. But if
Danjuma and his coconspirators
were correct, why
did Ironsi, after taking power,
set up a board of inquiry
chaired by Lt. Col. Yakubu
Gowon and which included Lt.
Col. Conrad Nwawo, Capt.
Bala Usman and M.D. Yusuf
to investigate the coup and
make recommendations to the
SMC? The more one
researches into the rise and fall
of ironsi, the more compelling
the conclusion that northern
soldiers had already made up
their minds right from the start
that he must be eliminated no
matter what he does.
Notwithstanding his
weaknesses exploited by
Gowon and his cohorts for
selfish purposes, Ironsi was a
victim of high level conspiracy
by northern officers he trusted.
For example, Captain Usman
who was closely involved in
the panel that investigated the
January 15 coup, stated that
the findings of the
investigative panel was ready
by the end of March 1966. But
Gowon procrastinated in
producing the relevant white
paper on it, thereby increasing
suspicion among northerners
that Ironsi was not interested
in bringing Nzeogwu and his
co-dissidents to justice.
Meanwhile, the coup plotters
were in different prisons across
the country, and despite the
conflicting polarity of attitude
towards the young majors by
northerners and southerners
which put Ironsi between the
proverbial devil and the deep
blue sea, an SMC meeting he
chaired decided that they
would be court-marshalled
not later than October 1966.
But why did Gowon foot-drag
in producing the white paper?
Was it deliberate to create
problems between the
supreme commander and
northern soldiers? Could it be
that Ironsi was somewhat
sympathetic to the nationalist
ideals that motivated
Nzeogwu and his cohorts
such that he condoned
Gowon’s procrastinations?
Whatever the true answers to
these questions might be,
Ironsi did not deserve the
horrible fate that befell him
in the hands of those he
entrusted with his safety. More
tellingly, no amount of
negative triumphalism by
Ndigbo for whatever reason
can ever justify the ferocious
murders and arson committed
against them by northerners.
To be continued.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 25
Was she sex mad - or was it the drugs?
SEX is supposed to be
demystified so youths
don’t feel guilty for
taking part in something that
follows naturally when you’re in
love - and you’re sure you’re
loved back. These days, you
hear and see clips of sexual
encounters that make your toes
curl! Mahmud, 32 and his
current girlfriend Julie were to
join another couple for a
weekend drinking spree when
he wished he never agreed to an
evening that turned out to be a
disaster. “The couple were Anna
and Thomas.
Thomas is a cousin and Anna
an ex-girlfriend he was now
dating,”explained Mahmud.
“Anna had always been sex
mad and didn’t mind who she
hurt as long as she had regular
sex. After a string of infidelity,1
decided to cut my loses. But it
didn’t take her long to hitch on
to Thomas who was six years
her junior. And she had no
qualms dating him. She loved
to flaunt her toyboy and they’d
been together nine months. As
soon as we got to Anna’s flat,
she was locked in red-hot kisses
with Thomas. ‘I can’t keep my
hands off him, ‘ she bragged
whilst he looked embarrassed.
What made things even more
uncomfortable for me was that
Anna was my ex. We’d dated as
teenagers for over two years
until I realised she’d gone
through most of my friends. But
I wasn’t jealous, I was glad she
was out of my life.
“She continued with groping
the poor boy. ‘I can’t wait to get
you naked,’ she whispered, loud
enough for us to hear. ‘Then
looking directly at me, she
licked her lips. 1 could see Julie
was annoyed. ‘Why don’t you
take things upstairs?’ she said
coldly. Anna took that as a cue
to pull Thomas toward the
bedroom. Then all went really
quiet. ‘Do you still fancy her’?’
Julie wanted to know after they’d
disappeared. 1 assured her Anna
was the least of my problems. All
of a sudden, the bed began to
creak. Then the creaks became
bangs - the headboard crashing
against the wall. Muffled groans
and squeals drifted from the
bedroom.
It was so funny we burst out
laughing. Did they have no
shame? Then an almighty
crash rang out, followed by
Anna’s shout. ‘The bed’s
broken.’ she yelled.
Thomas came through the
bedroom door, shamed-faced
before crashing on the couch.
He promptly fell asleep in a
drunken state. It wasn’t long
before Anna rust into the room.
We both stared at her, horrified
- she was stark-naked! She was
waving her arms, her fleshy
boobs and buttocks jiggling.
We broke the bed!’ she repeated
proudly. Thomas, poor boy, got
up to leave but Anna blocked
him, grinning lasciviously.
‘You’re going nowhere,’ she
ordered, things are just warming
up: Thomas ran for the door but
Anna raced after him. But he
was already out on the street.
“Were they both on drugs?
Anna came back to the flat just
as I was making my way to the
loo. She came after me and
steered me towards the bedroom
with Julie my girlfriend gaping
at us. I was mildly surprised she
could still be interest in me .
Julie saved the situation by
bursting through the bedroom
door. Anna, still stark naked
leered at her and asked her to
join us for a threesome orgy!
‘Not likely’, I told her, really
mad at her now. ‘I don’t fancy
you: Julie was furious. ‘How
dare you,’ she spat at her, she
was still naked, wearing only a
smirk. I felt really disgusted as
I tried to cover her up with a
sheet. Why can’t we have a
threesome?’
“Poor Julie. I’m sure she’d
never seen anything like that in
her life.
Neither have I, come to think
of it. ‘Look, I’m not interested,’
I told her, trying to get into her
drunken state. Or was it drugs?
Turning to
Julie, I told her we were
Ieaving. As we walked towards
the door, Anna yelled, coming
after me with her fists. She was
spoiling for a fight and as she
hit me a couple of times, I really
let her have it. She slumped
onto the floor and we used that
as an excuse to bolt out of the
door. As we left. I saw Thomas
weaving his way back to the flat
- he couldn’t get a taxi. What
relief! My last glimpse of her
was her still naked on the floor
as Thomas tried in vain to get
her to put some clothes on .:”
‘Lara, however, was sober
when she decided to teach her
cheating fiance a lesson. She’d
just realised he’d been bunking
a colleague of his for years. Her
opportunity to hit back came
when they both went for a
birthday party and she got
talking to an ex whose girlfriend
had to leave because she was
feeling a bit under the weather.
“Felix my fiance knew nothing
of my ex, she said. As I chatted
with him, we went outside for
some fresh air. Felix was busy
arguing with some of his friends
over some silly sports.
Suddenly, my ex, who didn’t
know about Felix and I being
engaged leant forward to kiss
me. I kissed him back. I was
thrilled as his hand moved up
and under my dress. I was glad
I wasn’t wearing any trousers as
he unzipped his trousers. No one
could see us where we were. It
was delicious revenge for
everything Felix had put me
through .
After the sex, we both
straightened our clothes. That
was good,’ Felix said. Too good,
I told him and as we walked
back into the party, we were
relieved we hadn’t been missed.
At the end of the party, my ex
asked if we could meet again.
We both knew it would have to
be in secret behind our partners
back. As far as I’m concerned,
it’s my turn to have fun and I
intend to do that for as long as
it lasts .:”
08052201867(Text Only)
Twisting to retain your suppleness
The Twist
Technique
Sitting down on your
practice mat or rug with legs
stretched out in front of you,
bend the right knee and cross
the right leg over the left thigh
with the foot firmly planted
down.
Now, bring the left hand to
This posture helps
with the lateral
flexibility of the spine.
It gives an effective
massage to the
abdominal organs,
that way improving
digestion and
elimination
•The Twist Pose
clutch the outside of the right
thigh with the pit of the elbow
against the right knee. Place
the right hand at the lower
back with the palm on lap.
Look over the right shoulder
holding high the head and
turn the trunk rightwards.
Breathe deeply. Hold the
pose for a slow count to 10
and repeat on the other side
with similar arrangements of
the hands.
Benefits:
This posture helps with the
lateral flexibility of the spine.
It gives an effective massage
to the abdominal organs, that
way improving digestion and
elimination. It also positively
•The Twist Pose
Yoga Classes
STARTED
Physical Therapy Centre
@ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola,
Victoria Island Lagos.
9.00am — 10.00am
on Saturdays
C
M
Y
K

PAGE 26—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
The door shall open now
Brethren, we are still in
the month of
Fruitfulness. By the
grace of God every effort you
put in to achieve your desired
goal will yield bountiful
harvest in the name of Jesus.
Today’s edition is mainly
about our activities as human
beings and how we can either
delay or fast-track our
miracles. We have often said
that as individuals we have
some roles to play to bring
our hearts' desire to
manifestation even as we
acknowledge there is nothing
any man can do without God.
Let’s take a physical look at
the door. Even without taking
a look at the dictionary, we
all know a door when we see
one but it is not the door that
is important but its functions.
The door is either an
entrance or an exit. It either
takes you into somewhere or
takes you out of a place.
However, that is the physical
door.
Here, our focus is on the
spiritual door. The spiritual
door has similar functions as
the physical door but the
spiritual door can either be
opened on closed spiritually.
How do I mean? Let’s refer
to the words of our Lord Jesus
in John 10 vs. 7 “ Verily, verily
I say unto you, I am the door
of the sheep”.
He was more emphatic in
verse 9 of the same chapter, “
I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be
saved , and shall go in and out
and find pasture”.
Here our Lord Jesus
confirms the functions of the
door but adds that once you
go through him, you will be
at peace. To find pasture for
the sheep is to be at peace. All
the demands of the sheep are
met. The sheep can eat, sleep,
and rest .
Our Lord Jesus said in Luke
11 vs. 9 “ And I say unto you,
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek and ye shall find; knock
and it shall be opened unto
you”.
Do you get the message?
Our Lord Jesus simply said,
knock the door and it shall be
opened unto you.
This season, in the name of
Jesus, the door of prosperity,
door of fruitfulness , door of
promotion , shall be open unto
you.Don’t forget, you must
knock first.
But the door can also be
used by the enemy to stop you
from reaching your goal.
The spiritual door may be
shut against your marriage
partner. Which means that
no matter how good looking
you are, no matter how well
mannered you are, that
marriage partner will never
find you. Why? It’s simply
because the door has been
shut against you.
For a married couple
believing God for children,
once the forces of darkness are
able to shut the door of your
childbearing life, no effort of
yours will produce children.
If yours is a desire to secure
admission into a higher
institution, once the enemy
shuts the door against you,
even if you have the best result,
you will just find that you are
denied admission though you
are qualified.
In the name of Jesus, the
God of light shall open every
door that has been shut
against you by the forces of
darkness.
We can go on and on about
spiritual doors but the good
news is that we have a God
that can open any shut door.
Our God can reverse the
irreversible. He can open and
no one can shut.
Our Lord Jesus tells us how
to open the door to our
breakthrough in John 14 vs.
6 “ I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father , but by me”.
I’ll share with you the
testimony of a couple waiting
on the Lord for children. Like
others, they visited doctors
and one of the doctors they
met told them if 100 men slept
with the wife she would never
be pregnant. Why? Her
womb was closed. He meant
that the walls of her uterus are
stuck together. Physically
speaking, when something is
closed, nothing can have
access to it. The couple
therefore began to consider
surrogacy but they continued
to believe God and intensified
their prayers. They did not
allow the doctors comment to
put a wedge between them or
dampen their spirit. While still
making efforts to meet the
conditions of surrogacy, God,
the Almighty, the one that
opens and no man can shut
intervened and she conceived.
Her doctor was so shocked
Brethren, you
cannot subdue
negative forces on
your own. You
need to go
through the door;
Jesus
that he disbelieved the urine
pregnancy test result insisting
that he must see the scan.
A few months after, he saw
the scan and today, the couple
is blessed with a baby boy.
Now, who shut her womb?
Only God knows.
Whether the enemy likes it
or not, your Samuel is on the
way in the name of Jesus.
However, some of us by our
actions have shut doors to our
breakthrough.
For instance if a single lady
who believes she is a beauty
queen that any man would
want for a wife begins to date
all sorts of men, or she begins
to look down at all men
simply because they are not
rich enough, she would have
shut the door of marriage
against herself. In other
instances, a lady makes up her
mind, the man I must marry
must come from a particular
ethnic group. With this
mindset, she is likely to miss
her God given life partner.
A lady who has had series
of abortions before she got
married, may have shut the
door of her childbearing life.
But we cannot continue to
allow our past to hunt us.
Anyone who is facing a
challenge must be
determined to be delivered.
What is deliverance? First,
it is about you making up your
mind that you can longer
tolerate that situation that has
made you stagnant. You must
say to yourself that it is time
that people began to call you
with the names of your
children. You must say to
yourself that you will no
longer live a lonely life.
This done, the next step is
what are your thoughts? Do
you always look depressed? If
you do, how can you attract a
life partner? Has your home
become a quarrel zone where
you are always at loggerheads
with your wife because
children aren’t coming? You
are simply delaying your
miracles. Were you to be a
child, would you like to be
born in a home where the
peace of the Lord is absent?
I’m sure your answer is No.
Brethren, your thoughts
must reflect where you want
to be. If you want to get over
that health challenge, begin
to see yourself healed. If you
want to be a mother of
children, then let your inner
mind begin to see you take
care of your own baby or
babies.
You have written
applications and no one has
invited you for a job. Brother,
begin to see yourself as an
employee or even an
employer.
Have you been held captive
by the forces of darkness or
your past? It is your duty to
seek deliverance .
Brethren, you cannot
subdue negative forces on
your own. You need to go
through the door; Jesus.
Why? The Bible tells us in
2nd Corinthians 10 vs. 4 “For
the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling
down of strongholds”.
We have a greater assurance
in the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ as recorded in Luke 4
vs. 18 “ The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor; he hath
sent me to heal the broken
hearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised”.
That challenge might have
left you broken hearted but
you must make up your mind
to be joyful.
Live a Godly life, mind the
company your keep and
intensify your prayers.
God our Creator is
merciful. He will definitely
respond to your prayer.
I see you celebrate before
this year ends in the name of
Jesus.
God be with us all.
Too Good to Cut
'Cake Etiquette'(Part 1)
So many weddings
nowadays taking
place at even odd
times during the week come
rain come shine. We all love a
beautiful wedding with all the
pomp and pageantry that
goes with it.
How many times do we
really get to taste the wedding
cake? After cutting some
forget to distribute, while
others are smart to put on the
table in cake boxes as part of
the table décor. A lot goes on
behind the celebratory cake
of the day not just a pretty sight.
What's the mystery behind
the wedding cake? Your
wedding day celebration is
incomplete without that
famous wedding delight.
Some brides go simple and
settle for a two tier cake, others
go the whole nine yards and
do as many as a 5-7 tier cake
or better still a cake with
individual layers garnished
with elaborate sugar craft
flowers and embellishments.
Today we are seeing even the
simplest of wedding cakes by
way of multiple cupcakes
arranged in tiers, how times
are changing. The wedding
cake is one of the most eye
catching themes of the
wedding, usually strategically
placed for all to see. The
ceremonial nature of the
couple getting up to cut the
cake sends paparazzi on a
frenzy and you too at times.
Did you know that the
wedding cake has a tradition
and customary role in
weddings, starting as far back
as the days of the Roman
Empire?
THE IMPORTANCE OF
THE WEDDING CAKE
AND IT'S SYMBOLISM
(i)Traditionally the wedding
cake is to symbolize the couple
having a prosperous life
together
(ii) The original
symbol of the cake was for the
groom to show his dominance
in the marriage.
(iii) Most cakes are white
as a symbol of purity.
(iv) The cutting of the cake
symbolizes the first joint task
in married life.
(v) The Bride feeding the
groom is a commitment to
vow to help her groom
wherever possible.
(vi) The freezing of the first
layer symbolizes the portion
of the cake to be used during
the christening of the first
child or in celebration of the
1st wedding anniversary.
Now that you have a fair
idea of what the wedding cake
stands for, it is paramount for
all brides to follow a few basic
rules when choosing their
cake. Remember that your
cake will form one of the
center pieces of attraction as
I mentioned earlier.
Everybody looks forward to
that moment, another time to
shine after all it is your unique
day. Whether you are the bride
or the groom, planning now
or later, I have come up with a
few Etiquette Tips for you
when it comes to settling for a
wedding cake, take note:
10 WEDDING CAKE
ETIQUETTE TIPS
Today's wedding cakes
come in all shapes and sizes,
models as well as themes, it is
truly a case of how artistic
your cake designer is.
#1 CHOOSE A CAKE
DESIGNER
In choosing a designer
research into it at least three,
who have either been
recommended or have proven
to do beautiful cakes by
reputation. The designer
should be able to recommend
and advise you on styles
according to your pocket. The
cake designer should be
seasoned enough to tell you
the latest trends and be willing
to show off recent works plus
offer cakes to taste.
#2 HAVE A BUDGET
Even if you have the most
ambitious, designers
remember that the average
wedding cake is not cheap. It
is a good idea to set yourself a
budget to work with
according to your entire
wedding budget. Try to stay
within it as much as possible.
Your budget will also
determine how durable the
cake may be highly influenced
by the ingredients used. Some
cakes use a dash of alcohol
for preservation so think
carefully when deciding your
budget.
#3 CHOOSE YOUR
DESIGN
It is your wedding and your
theme, most times the
designer will run with your
thoughts and imagination.
However the view of an expert
is always welcoming so it is a
good idea to solicit advice
when choosing a cake maker.
Research into various designs
and have your own creative
idea. Ensure your cake maker
is also creative enough and
experienced to do what you
asked for and possibly more.
Why not search the internet or
use your social media
platforms to see a world of
beautifully designed wedding
cakes. I once attended a
wedding when the cake was
in the design of a sleek car
because the couple were both
engineers, it was so original.
#4 IDENTIFY YOUR
THEME/COLOUR
SCHEME
Your theme can include
floral designs like sugar
flowers, ribbons or drapes.
You may decide to choose
round, square, hexagon or
heart shapes for your cakes. It
is important that the colours
of your cake match the decor
of the reception and the colour
theme of your wedding
including dresses. Be careful
when choosing colours
because not all colours work
well with cakes and the icing,
The prettier the cake the more
inclined your guests would be
to eat it.
Watch Out for Part 2:
Janet.adetu@gmail.com
Disregard ultimatum to FG
– Amukpe leaders
The monarch of Okpe
Kingdom, HRM Orhue
I, and the leaders of Amukpe,
Sapele Local Government
Area, Delta State, have
disassociated the district from
a 14-day ultimatum given to
the Federal Government by
some people to pay
compensation on the
rehabilitation of the Federal
Sapele/Agbor road in the
district which comprises 13
villages in the council.
The District Head of
Amukpe Chief Peter Asagba,
the President of the district,
Hon. Godwin Okpako as well
as the Secretary of the district,
Hon. Francis Idonoro have on
the instruction of the Orodje
in a press conference,
apologized to Senator Ovie
Omo-Agege, representing
Delta Central, the Minister of
Works and Transport, Mr
Babatunde Fashola, the
company in charge of the
project for the publication in
Vanguard of September 14th,
2017.
They maintained that such
ultimatum does not have the
blessing of the Orodje of Okpe
and the people of the district,
disclosing that Senator Omo-
Agege has assured that
compensation will be paid to
owners of legitimate
properties that are affected
before such property will be
destroyed.
While alleging that the
authors of the publication are
not known in the district, the
leaders of the districts hinted
that the Orodje of Okpe has
instructed that the police
should fish out the authors of
the said publication for
prosecution for carrying out
the action which they said
could stall the project.
By Akpokona Omafuaire
UVWIE - OVER
1,000 Arewa
youths have
dumped the All
Progressives Congress, APC
for the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, as the Vice
Chairman of Uvwie Local
Government Council, Chief
Napoleon Akpomiemie
New-Year Iffie declares for
council chairmanship
contest.
The Arewa youths said
the APC has failed in the
area of security while the
PDP has shown enormous
1,000 Arewa youths dump APC for
PDP in Uvwie
concern to their welfare.
Chairman of the Arewa
youths in Uvwie, Adamu
Ibrahim led the decampees
and made the call during
the declaration of Iffie
before the leaders, elders
and PDP faithful of Uvwie
chapter.
He also promised on
behalf of the decampees to
work for Iffie to become
chairman of Uvwie
council.
Receiving the decampees,
Uvwie PDP chairman,
Prince Kelly Otuedor,
assured them that they will
enjoy the dividends of
democracy like every other
person in the party.
"I want to assure you all
that you will benefit like
every other person in the
party.”
Earlier in his address,
Chief Iffie consulted and
asked the PDP to give him
the party's ticket to contest
as chairman in the
forthcoming local
government elections.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 27
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PAGE 28 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Gov v Okowa, a, other
thers s grace Ugbebor
daughter’s wedding
The couple: Joy Ucheamaka Ugbebor and Paul Eferetin Ehigiator with Gov.
Ifeanyi Okowa and wife.
Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa of Delta
State was the
special guest of honour
when Joy Ucheamaka
Ugbebor signed off her
maiden name to Paul
Eferetin Ehigiator at the
St. Albert’s Catholic
Church, University of
Benin, Benin-City, Edo
State, recently.
Other notable
dignitaries who
witnessed the two
lovebirds consummate
their romantic
relationship in conjugal
bliss are Senator Roland
Owie, Hon. Justice
Joseph Otabor Olubor,
First Lady of Delta State
and a host of others.
Photos by Barnabas
Uzosike.
The couple: Joy Ucheamaka Ugbebor and Paul
Eferetin Ehigiator in traditional attires.
From left: Mrs Helen Owie with Hon. Justice
Joseph Otabor Olubor and wife.
Peter Ehigiator, groom's brother (left) and
mother, Mrs Clara Ehigiator.
Efiawhare’s daughter hooked in traditional nuptial
bliss
Mr Godspower Nakpodia Efiawhare, fondly
referred to as Grand Orator of De Federal
Republic of Nigeria, has given out his
beautiful daughter,Lilian, in marriage to Fred
Omoru. The traditional marriage took place at
Rev. Fr. G.K Amolegbe Hall, St. Mary’s Catholic
Church, Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos, penultimate
Saturday. Many high-profile dignitaries graced the
occasion. Photos by Bunmi Azeez
R-L: Mr and Mrs Ugbebor, bride's parents and
Delta State governor's wife, Mrs Okowa.
L-R: Sen. Roland Owie and his wife with Delta
State governor's wife, Mrs. Okowa.
L-R: High Chief Wilson Okpubigho, Chief Simon
Ohwofa, Chie[ (Dr])Robinson Eregare and his wife
Chief (Mrs])Regina.
L-R: Mrs. Felicia Omoru, groom's mother; Fred
Omoru, groom; his wife, Lilian and Mr. Eloho
Omoru, representing groom's father.
L-R: Mrs. Onome Efiawhare; Fred Omoru,
groom; his wife, Lilian and Mr. Godspower
Nakpodia Efiawhare, groom's father.
L-R: Chief Isaac Nakpodia, Mr & Mrs. Tabor
Agbogidi and Sir Henry Kojo
R-L: High Chief Vincent Ahwi, Osu IV, Osu; Chief
Vincent Obarhua and Mr. Vincent Orhurhu.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 29
EXPLOSIVE DECLARATION
ON RESTRUCTURING
Buhari, only
you can solve
this mess
or else…
by Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi
•Expresses fear over looming danger
•Says 1966 is not the same as 2017
BY JIDE AJANI
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi is not unfamiliar with the problems facing Nigeria, having
operated at one of the very high levels of the nation’s political leadership as Minister of
Foreign Affairs. Besides, Akinyemi was the Deputy Chairman of the 2014 National
Conference convoked by former President Goodluck Jonathan, where he had to contend with
intrigues arising from ethnic leaders trying to outdo one another. In this interview, the elder
statesman diagnoses Nigeria’s challenges, situating them within the praxis of the current
clamour for restructuring. Whereas this interview was conducted penultimate Monday, long
before the malady going on in the South East geo-political zone, a malady involving Nigeria’s
military and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Professor Akinyemi had
foreseen events spiralling out of control. Indeed, he expresses the fear that if improperly
handled, those on both extremes of the divide would have each other to blame for, according
to this former Director General of the Nigeria Institute of International International Affairs,
NIIA,”nobody plans for disintegration of a nation; things just spiral out of control”.
From the fears of the North to the marginalisation of the South, Akinyemi deconstructs and
shatters long-held fallacies about Nigeria.
He believes and, therefore, insists that the only person who can solve Nigeria’s present
political problem stemming from the clamour for restructuring is President Muhammadu
Buhari. Read why. Excerpts:
Everywhere you turn now, restructuring is what you hear,
with some people claiming not to know what it means. As a
political scientist, in simple terms, what does restructuring
mean?
There is a lot of duplicity and shenanigan and a lot of
dishonourable intent in dealing with the question of
restructuring. First of all, it is politics, so, it should be
expected that politicians will play politics with anything.
As a political scientist, I have no problems dealing with
the question. Restructuring is addressing
constitutional, political and economic structures of a
country, in order to address pressing issues that need to
be addressed. Simple! It is not new in Nigerian
history. And the struggle for restructuring is not peculiar
to Nigeria.
After donkey centuries, they are still dealing with
restructuring in England - the struggle by the Welsh, by
the Scots and even by some of the counties within Britain
about devolution of power; about redistribution of wealth
and resources.
Yes, some people will be arguing in one extreme (total
independence), others will be arguing for autonomy and
it is in-between these two that we would find a balance
because, frankly, there is no one solution to a problem,
as long as it’s being managed by human beings. Go to
Spain: The Catalans! After how many centuries? Go
to France: Northern France. Go to Italy. Even go to
Germany, not to talk about the United States, where even
though they mask their own as struggle for states’ rights
versus federal might and talk about interfering, they don’t
argue about it as if it’s a constitutional demand, they
just deal with it as a political issue which the Supreme
Court then ends up adjudicating on. So, they never
turn it into an issue of constitutional amendment and
their system has worked in such a way that the Supreme
Court in America has amended the American
Constitution some times, almost out of recognition. But
in the case of Nigeria, we have several problems.
Yes, we have problems but some are more critical
than others?
Yes. The critical one - because I want a linkage with
what I’ve said about the American Supreme Court - is
that we have a Supreme Court in Nigeria that is so
elementary in the way it addresses issues, such that it
pushes things it could have dealt with under the law to
now make the situation look like it must lead to a
constitutional amendment. Is it not the same Supreme
Court in America that once defined a Negro as two thirds
of a white man; and, without constitutional amendment,
they got around to say ‘one equals one?’ Was it not that
same Supreme Court that said segregation in schools
was constitutional and then, when times changed, judges
changed with the times? But the moment you are always
appointing judges based on seniority, based on ‘as my
lord said in this, this, this; or this one said in this, this,
this’, then you will never have progress judicially and
that’s what has been happening in the case of Nigeria.
Can you give an example of the point you’re trying to
make?
A good example: Anytime I see a judgment of the
Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court in Nigeria, and
it’s unanimous, I know somebody is not thinking. In
Kenya, just last week, it was four to two. I know in the
Buhari versus Yar’Adua case, it was a split decision, that’s
very rare. Our Supreme Court needs to do its job and
be a constructive participant in the restructuring of
Nigeria.
How do we resolve the seeming incongruity between
a judgment of the Supreme Court that could mean an
amendment of the constitution, on the one hand, and
the provision in that same constitution which says
anything outside it shall be inconsequential, null and
void?
Correct. But it is a question of interpretation. That’s why
Continues on page 30

PAGE 30—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Akinyemi: My fear over looming danger
Continued from page 29
I gave you those examples from the United
States, where the Supreme Court reversed
some decisions it took 50 years ago, without
saying they overthrew themselves -
interpretation. An interpretation means you
look at the facts before you. The judges who
disagree with the views of the majority are not
dumb.
There was a Supreme Court judge in
America: you know there is a provision in the
constitution that nothing, no law shall abridge
the right of free speech.
There was a judge who said, ‘no law means
no law, no matter the justification;’ the law
which says no law means no law can abridge
free speech. But the majority of the Supreme
Court said the law does not permit you to get
up in a darkened cinema theatre and shout
‘fire’, when there is no fire and, in the stampede
that follows, several people die, and you say
you’re claiming your right of free speech.?
Both of them are not mad, while one is a strict
constructionist, the other is what I will call a
socially applied constructionist and that’s
why, till today, one of the most well respected
judges in history, under the Common Law,
the British system, is Lord Denning, because
he keeps saying, use your sense. Do I
interpret this law in a way that doesn’t then
make sense; that causes more havoc
because the wordings are plain? And this
is why I disagree with the judgment of the
Supreme Court in Kenya because of the
chaos it is going to cause in that country -
by four men.
In applying common sense, what are
those peculiar problems confronting
Nigeria that makes politicians always
play funny, especially in this restructuring
chorus?
First, issues that should be dealt with at
the local and state levels have all been
transferred to the centre by the federal
government. All you need to do is take the
Independence Constitution and take your
present Constitution and you will find how
many of the items are now listed in the
reserved list (67). In fact, somebody may
say that is the only problem because the
moment you transferred those things to the
centre, it also meant you’ve transferred the
resources, which should have been left at
the local government and state levels, to
the federal government, so that the federal
government can now cope, and that is the
thesis wrapped around resource control.
To me, that is basically what restructuring
is all about: Give us back those issues that
are for us, they have no business in Abuja.
People know what restructuring is.
Having served in government, you need
to help Nigerians understand this next
question. What would make a politician
agitate for certain things while serving his
state or at the state level and, suddenly,
because he is no longer a state governor
but a federal minister, then, unashamedly,
turns round to repudiate everything he had
said regarding the structure we operate
and pooh-poohs the idea of devolution?
It’s because the whole purpose of holding
office is to monopolise the exercise of
power, whether you are capable or not, of
handling the portfolio you have been
given. Just exercise of power to
demonstrate that, you know, ‘I’m the one
there now, I’m the boss, I have the power’,
that’s all. Simple. Ego.
I’m glad you asked the question because
people then see transfer of issues and
transfer of responsibilities for those issues
as transfer of power, as if what you have on
your plate is not enough.
Babatunde Fashola is a good example of
three heavy-duty issues, ministries. Yes,
he’s not the President; he didn’t allocate
them to himself. But you mean you couldn’t
tell the President, ‘no sir’. Nobody can
handle that job and this has nothing to do
with nor is it a reflection of one’s own
capability. Give the President examples
of developing countries. Take
transportation: In India, there’s a whole
minister in charge of just railways, a whole
minister, because they’ve identified
railways as being critical to the
infrastructural and economic development
of India, such that you need the
•Akinyemi ... Northern leaders have fears
concentration of the person in charge.
Here, you make it part of transportation -
he’s hooked on to waterways, hooked on to
this, hooked on to that. It’s just an ego trip.
Long time ago, the Public Works
Department had a head who had all he
needed to repair a bad portion of a road as
soon as he spotted the damage. Now, it
must go all the way to the Perm Sec in Abuja.
Why? Do you need a constitutional
amendment to reverse that? Devolution
is it. But the reason you and I know is that
you don’t want the man alone to collect the
bribe for that stretch of the road; so you
want Abuja to handle it such that by the
time the request passes through the Director,
Federal Highway, to the table of the Perm
Sec, a small pothole has become a gully.
So by the time he (Perm Sec) approves and
sends it back with the money, it would not
solve the problem; you then start the
rigmarole all over again. In the meantime,
the road has been destroyed. That doesn’t
The person, right now,
who the North believes
in, is Buhari. If Buhari
were to tell them that, ‘for
the stability of Nigeria, in
order for things not to fall
apart, in order for us to
even protect our gains in
the North, the North has
to give up certain issues
need constitutional amendment. But that’s
the situation.
Worse still, you move that Perm Sec from
Works to another ministry, say Power
Ministry, and there are many issues he’s
leaving behind. But must you even move
the man? That’s another matter entirely.
Meanwhile, the same man who was at
Works, who owed PHCN and refused to pay,
now settles in Power Ministry and begins to
harass Works Ministry to pay up - money
he didn’t pay while he was at Works. It
doesn’t make sense. In the US, the Secretary
of State remains there almost for the entire
two terms so you could start a project and
complete it and, at the same time, you’re
developing expertise but here it is different.
Institutional memory is lost in our case.
You asked why someone who stood for
something while he was a governor now
changes his tune when he becomes a
minister of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. Now, if a Perm Sec at Works who
refuses to pay Power Ministry monies owed,
he now gets to power and now begins to
harass Works for the monies he didn’t pay
(he’s operating at the federal level), why
should it surprise you if governor who
becomes a minister changes tune.
You know people conveniently suffer from
amnesia about the history of Nigeria.
Another example for you about the
question you asked: Look, I was in
NADECO; we spent months, years in
London, under Chief Enahoro, dealing with
what would be an ideal constitution for
Nigeria. And for somebody to turn around
and say he doesn’t know what restructuring
is all about now? Even those people who
were with us in NADECO, people who sat
with us to take all those decisions, to now
turn around to say they don’t know what
restructuring means. I hope that
answers the question.
You were Deputy Chairman of
Jonathan’s Conference. President Buhari
says he’s not interested. Looking back at
the efforts of Justice Kutigi and yourself
and all the members, what do you say?
I have taken a position that, as Deputy
Chairman of the conference, I’m like a
deputy referee. I’m neutral as regards the
conference decisions. I’m neutral as
regards whether they are implemented or
not. I have my own personal feelings but,
as a referee, we made sure that the rules
were followed despite disappointments that
we may have had as referees who officiated
a match. So, it’s the same thing. I’m
indifferent, not because I don’t care, but I
don’t want any accusation that as one of
those who piloted the affairs of the
conference, I had preferences for this
outcome or for that outcome.
Having said that however, I must say that
I feel very aggrieved that all that hard work,
all the resources that were expended on this
venture seemed to have gone to waste.
But this is not the first time that such
reports would be ignored?
You’re absolutely correct. The archives
of Nigeria are full of reports; even under
the British, reports of commissions which
never saw the light of day and,
unfortunately, future generations are the
ones who pay the price. I was reading
something recently where a British colonial
officer suggested that what would be best
for Nigeria was, I think, six or 12 regions;
but Lugard and London overruled him, yet,
some 100 years later, what are we talking
about now? Six regions?
I would not want to put the whole blame
on Buhari. President Jonathan had
adequate time.
How much time did he have?
We submitted our report to him in August
(2014) or so.
For ease of execution, we divided that
report into three parts deliberately. One, we
put issues that he, as President, could
implement without reference to anybody
using executive powers and we based our
recommendations on the constitution, not
that we were asking him to violate the
constitution. He could have done so with
the instrumentality of Executive Orders. The
second part dealt with those that needed
federal legislation and the third was those
that needed constitutional amendment.
He didn’t act on the report.
Why do you think he chose not to act on
the report?
I raised this issue with him later and he
said he didn’t want to muddle the political
space because of the elections. He was
sure he was going to win and he would not
deal with this matter until after the
elections. But I remember I told him that
nothing was certain in politics and that, at
times, it was better to address issues when
you have the time to do so, especially when
you have the powers to do so.
I later on got to know that it was a sabotage
effort.
Sabotage from where? How?
Some people from outside with the aid of
some people within the secretariat itself.
Let’s get this clear. Sabotage to make
sure that the report was not implemented?
And this involved people from within
government and outside government?
Yes; to make sure that he didn’t implement
it.
What manner of President did we have?
Who does that?
He was persuaded that he shouldn’t; that
it was better for him to wait, so he agreed.
There were even attempts to derail the
conference by these people. You would
not believe the politics that happened there.
It would be nice to let us into some of the
politics that went on there?
No. I won’t talk about that.
But the conference, too, shocked many
Nigerians with some of its very queer
recommendations. For instance, even
with a situation where some states are
considered unviable, that conference
advocated that more states should be
created. What was that? Then, some
people have come out to say it is those
who lost election last year that are
clamouring for restructuring now?
Like I said, from the time the British
stepped into Nigeria, restructuring has been
taking place. Restructuring turned the
Colony of Lagos into part of the Southern
Protectorate, then we had the Northern and
Eastern Provinces, regions and devolution of
power from colonial authorities to the people;
these were acts in restructuring. The efforts
to attain independence were all restructuring
and even the creation of the Mid-West Region
was also restructuring, so what the hell does
somebody mean by saying that those who lost
elections in 2015 are the ones calling for
restructuring? I’m not a politician; so I don’t
want to take on anybody.
And that’s why I said it is not peculiar to
Nigeria because it is part of the process of
political development, so it cannot be peculiar.
And, in any case, the conference was held in
2014, 600 resolutions, all adopted by
consensus. Go there, you would find what
restructuring is all about. If, out of 600, you
want to adopt 200 and drop 400, that is the
first step. You cannot solve all the problems
of a country in one day. None of the
conferences that were held under the British
solved all the problems - it didn’t solve the
issue of the minorities. Instead, it set up a
commission and the struggle continued and
the Mid-West was created. And then (former
Head of State) Gowon came in 1967 and
created 12 states. To now say you don’t know
what restructuring is, I’m shocked about that.
You do not need to agree with everything
that we did. It doesn’t invalidate the exercise.
However, let me say this: It is only under a
military regime that one man can decide the
outcome of a constitutional conference and
that is the Head of State. If he says I want 10
states created, he goes ahead. But what is
being done through civilian consultative
process is about give and take; and that was
responsible for the number of states we ended
up having because it was about ‘I want this,
please support me’, and then you say ‘okay, I
will support you but I want a state’. At the
Continues on page 31

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 31
‘1966 is not the same as 2017’
Continued from page 30
end of the day, people negotiated and ended
up with an imperfect compromise, but it is a
compromise to which you all could append
your signature.
What is critical is to have your political elites
reading from the same page. That is what
creates stability. It came to me as a surprise
too.
What came to you as a surprise?
This issue of stat creation you mentioned.
You know, I was the one reading out the
resolutions and putting them to vote; so when
I got to that and saw it, state creation, I looked
at Justice Kutigi, it was then I knew that
bargaining had taken place behind our back.
Out of the normal, formal conference
proceedings, delegates had met at night and
had decided a lot of issues among themselves
on that matter. It was overwhelmingly
approved by the delegates. My job was to
put it to a vote. And you know Nigerians could
be funny; so the arrangement between Justice
Kutigi and I was that I would put it to a vote,
they will vote and Justice Kutigi would declare
the result of the vote. So you then don’t come
out to say ’Professor Akinyemi had a hidden
agenda’. What Nigerians must understand
is that give and take is the spirit and it is still
very relevant in resolving the critical issue
confronting us now.
So, if people could gather like that, agree,
disagree and then agree, talk down at each
other and still manage to reach consensus
on those issues, why can’t the same thing
happen now with the issue of restructuring?
Don’t forget, that we said we reached
agreement by consensus, not unanimity. Each
time somebody disagrees with something or
wants to draw attention to himself, he looks
for an issue that would make him prominent.
Trump (US President) did it. Have you asked
why, Trump, with his ostentatious lifestyle,
claims to be a spokesperson for the poor, the
coal miners, and yet they buy it, because he
was speaking their language - he had looked
for what will resonate with them and he
latched onto that? That is why in a developing
country, I was shocked, while I was reading
about Pakistan, that only about three or four
major families actually dominate politics
there. Even in Libya, I never thought of
LIBYA the way it turned out until Gaddafi was
killed. And then Jordan, it is tribal families
who rule and the royal family is dependent on
them for support.
It’s about tribalism and ethnicity and
politicians will always use divisive elements
to shore up their own support.
When President Buhari started his first
wave of appointments and it appeared some
parts of the country were not carried along,
people complained. But then, even those
who had been properly carried along, to
what extent have the masses of those regions
or parts of the country benefitted in the past
when such appointments were evenly
spread? How can you respond in a context
that people would understand and begin to
reason properly that it is not just about
appointments alone?
People cannot understand or reason
properly. You’ve got to accept that in politics,
rationality takes a back seat; people refuse to
reason rationally when it comes to politics.
Ethnicity is a negation of rational thinking.
I remember once reading something that was
meant to be a joke but it wasn’t. It said if you
enter a Nigerian plane and you look at the
newspapers people are reading, you can tell
which part of the country they are from. It’s
like my mind is made up, so don’t confuse me
with facts. So, when a northerner then picks
up a newspaper from another part of the
country, his first impression is, ‘what do you
expect?’ But if he reads the same thing in a
newspaper aligned to his region, then he
believes it. Same goes for a westerner or an
easterner and that is why I have come to the
conclusion that, right now, the only person
who could solve Nigeria’s problem is Buhari.
Can you repeat that?
Yes, Buhari!
How?
The restructuring or the solution to the
Nigerian problem involves the North
embracing restructuring because the North
•Akinyemi
has fears - mind you, the North doesn’t say it is
marginalised. No. But the North has fears
that it can be marginalised and that the only
way to protect itself, because of the state of
economic development, educational
development and others, is to control the
process and to control the system.
Look, we must tell each other the truth if,
indeed, we want a solution to the Nigerian
problem.
Since 1966, the constitutions we’ve had in
this country have been the constitutions
produced under military regimes and the
military regimes we’ve had have been
dominated by the North; given what
happened in the counter coup of July 1966,
they’ve never let go. And that is why you’ve
had that overweighting of issues into the side
of the exclusive list. Because if they control
the federal government and they have a
constitution that has transferred most of the
powers to the federal government, then their
fears are being addressed. They are
protecting themselves. It’s a rational thing.
Okay, so how does President Buhari, with
the way his administration has been set up
as per appointments, rightly or wrongly,
become a vehicle for solving the problem?
The person, right now, who the North
believes in, is Buhari. If Buhari were to tell
them that, ‘for the stability of Nigeria, in order
for things not to fall apart, in order for us to
even protect our gains in the North, the North
has to give up certain issues; we must devolve
issues, certain subjects, from the Exclusive List,
Concurrent List and, also now, at least reserve
some issues for the local governments’, and
they would trust him; that he’s not selling them
out for political reasons.
The fact that Atiku Abubakar said it, that
Ibrahim Babangida said it, they don’t have
the same kind of gravitas in the North as
Buhari today.
That is why I said it’s only Buhari.
But this President Buhari, from his body
language, do you think he has this broad
world view as to understand the complexities
of the issues such that he can then take the
bull by the horn?
(Cuts in) He must be persuaded.
Persuaded? Who will persuade him and
how?
The way to do that is to seek access to the
people who surround him and people know
who they are. The people he himself trusts.
Obviously, he’s not going to listen to me, for
reasons that we have been talking about for
some time now.
‘Professor Akinyemi is a Yoruba man now,
so what do you expect?’ Even if he gives me
audience, at the back of his mind is, ‘I’m gonna
watch out for this man. I’m gonna watch out’.
We are on a precipice and it’s not funny at
all.
I have never felt the kind of fear that I feel
now. Obviously, I know some of the things
that are going on and I know that this fear is
being felt at many levels. All you need to do is
to see people who normally don’t speak out
who are now speaking out. The fear is
palpable and genuine. It is not one created
out of hot air.
It makes no sense to continue to say ‘Nigeria
is indissoluble; the unity of Nigeria is nonnegotiable’.
Nobody plans disaster. Nobody does. We
are rational to that level but there are always
unforeseen consequences of an action.
A Swahili proverb says nobody teaches you
how to fall into a ditch; but take a false step
away from the edge and all the other steps
follow rapidly and, before you know it, you’re
at the bottom.
Nobody is planning disintegration of
Nigeria deliberately; but through acts of
commission or omission, things can get out
of hand and that’s my fear.
A planned dissolution of Nigeria is not to be
feared because by the time you look at the
pros and cons, you will come to the conclusion
that it is not possible because the consequences
are more. It is that unplanned one that I
fear. There are too many freelance agents
now. It has become a game of who is going
to be more radical, who is going to be more
patriotic. The type of language I see on social
media - saboteur, coward, patriot, traitor - all
because they are not buying into the
recklessness of some arguments – is
frightening.
If you say you want to go to war and you
want my support, surely at my level, I need to
know how prepared you are. You cannot
clap with one hand. I see war, how women
and children are not spared on CNN, BBC
al-Jazeera, you cannot pray for that. It’s not
because I am a coward. This is not an appeal
to one side. It is an appeal to all sides.
What Nigerians must
understand is that give
and take is the spirit and
it is still very relevant in
resolving the critical
issue confronting us now
You may think you can overrun the place
but that was before. This is not 1966. This
is 2017. The amount of weapons in Nigeria
now, where they are located, they are not under
the control of government.
Are statesmen like you not meeting and
reaching out and the need for them to calm
nerves?
That’s why I’m talking to you. You recall
that for about one year now, I haven’t spoken.
I haven’t talked. But now I feel I have a duty.
And there are friends across the bridges that
we talk. But the generation of the First
Republic, the generation of the civil war, they
are all dying off and those who are now playing
centre stage are people who have been fed
and have grown up on grievances.
This issue of trust is …
(Cuts in again) Let me give you an example
of what happened at the (2104) conference.
The North led a delegation to Justice Kutigi
to complain about me. But Justice Kutigi was
such an honourable man. He told them,
‘Wait, let me call him’. They didn’t like that.
You know, part of the Nigerian style of
governance is to go behind a man, to dig the
ground under his feet, tell all kinds of lies,
then you go away and take a decision on his
fate without giving him an opportunity to
defend himself, but Kutigi didn’t behave that
way - because of his world view, a judge, who
would listen to both sides. He sent for me.
So I came and they said, ‘Well, Prof, we are
not accusing you of anything dishonourable,
but Prof didn’t just drop from heaven; he’s a
Yoruba man, Yoruba blood flows in his vein.
Therefore, he may not even be aware that he is
pushing a Yoruba agenda; but you know the
way you’ve allowed him to conduct the
proceedings, we can see…’.
After listening to them, Justice Kutigi told
them that ‘this same man, whom you’ve
accused of driving a Yoruba agenda, do you
know the first people who wrote a petition
against him were the Yoruba? They said he
has sold out to you northerners. The first
petition. Do you know that while the South
is in favour of State Police, he is against State
Police? Do you know that while the South is
against autonomy for local governments, prof
actually is in favour of autonomy for local
governments? These are critical issues which
form the bulk of the southern agenda and you
come here to say this’.
At that point, the Chairman lost his temper
and let them have it. He said this was the
way things happened. He asked for their
evidence. There was nothing. He said our
habit was to consult on everything and he and
I would agree on what we were going to do.
But in their minds, because that was what they
were doing, they believed that ‘Prof cannot be
objective’.
But there are people in the North, who
actually see a danger to the survival of Nigeria
if these issues are not addressed. Maybe they
are people who think Atiku and IBB are
making sense who may, in fact, although have
not come out to say so, you’ve got to then talk
to them. They are the ones who would talk to
Buhari. He would then listen to them.
When President Buhari took over and
attacked corruption frontally and the results
started showing, it created the necessary
dislocation in many quarters. But soon,
some people began to wonder about the effect
of the dislocation such that we started getting
comments like ‘we were better off before’?
Corruption is something that baffles me,
may be because of my discipline. I have
often found it extremely useful to adopt a
comparative approach in evaluating solutions
to a problem. When I used to teach and even
now when I’m still delivering a lecture, the
easiest way to get to people is to say ‘in
Malaysia, it is done this way, in Singapore, it
is done this way, in Canada, therefore,
problems that we face, they also faced, how
have they addressed those issues; so don’t think
that corruption is in the DNA of Nigerians
alone. Corruption is in all our DNAs’. If
not, there wouldn’t be laws against corruption
in other parts of the world. Laws are made to
address a specific nuisance. Now, I have often
found out that some countries ensure that
those who are in charge of their systems have
a post-retirement engagement that still keep
them committed to the systems. They
understand that you must leave office but there
are other offices created that still make you
part of the system until one dies. In the case
of Britain, the House of Lords is there and you
then have commitment. Before deregulation
and de-nationalisation, there were boards of
government owned companies where you
have vacancies. Now those companies have
been sold off; even when government
companies are in the hands of the private
sector, they know they still need people who
understand the system and who can talk to
those in the system, so actually they continue
with the pre-deregulation system of appointing
people after retirement. In the case of the
US, because there is this nexus between the
private sector and the government sector,
which is where the whole question of lobbyists
in Washington comes in, a very powerful
group. The essence is that you’re always part
of the system and you’re also committed to
the system; therefore, there is no reason for
the corruption DNA in you to act up because
you have more to lose when you are caught.
We don’t do that here. One, if you’re holding
an appointive post, the moment you leave,
nobody wants to know you. I’m not saying
you must be a Minister or Perm Sec for life.
But let us use our brain and look at how others
have handled the post retirement issue that
makes their people committed.
It is worse because what we have done now
is that there is even no stability all the way
down to the legislature and local councils.
And this is done by the godfathers who want to
keep calling the shots such that loyalty is to
the godfather and not the system. That’s why
the country suffers because there is no
continuity in the system. The godfather now
replaces the system. You won’t tackle
corruption by just preaching, you won’t
because it is self-interest.
The issue of corruption is undermining
everything and that is the truth.

PAGE 32—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Be security conscious
Hello stars out there!
Surely, you are adjusting to the
n e w
system gradually. I know many
of you are in another school
because of movement from primary to
secondary school and many are in new
classes, meeting with new teachers
because of promotion. Do not worry,
before next week, you would have
been fully adjusted, if you really want
to. That is why education is progressive.
You can't continue to be in the same
class, doing the same thing and playing
with the same set of people. Your
movement signifies progress in life and
so, you are bound to be experiencing
this at every stage of your life. So, be
prepared.
As you are adjusting to the new
system, remember to be security
conscious in your school, in the school
bus, along the way and among your
friends. It is not every time your parents
and adults will be with you. Security is
the responsibility of everyone including
children. Whenever you notice any
strange thing, tell your parents or
guardians, your teacher or a trusted
adult. It is what you say they can act on
but if you decide to keep quiet, it is risky
for everyone. Your parents are your
friends; have trust in them more than
you have in outsiders.
To school authorities out there, don’t
wait till you hear the news of students
kidnap before you take necessary
precautions in your various schools.
Taking one or two days to sensitize
students on different security alerts is
recommended. The benefit is not only
for the students but also for the school.
To the government, security of the
students must be of utmost importance,
as everyone expects the education
ministry to lay good example in
government schools by making sure
security precautions are taken. In fact
installations of CCTV in schools
should have been in the news for
parents and students to gain
confidence of the government in the
issue of security before students
resumed. Nigeria children believe it
is not yet too late.
PARENTING
Stop Nagging!
Get Your
Children to Do
Their Homework
Getting your children to do their
homework should not be difficult.
Relax and take the steps listed below:
1. Make it clear that it’s their
homework, not yours.
Many parents seem to care more
about their children’s homework than
the children themselves. So, the
responsibility shifts from the children
to the parents.
But it shouldn’t be so. After all, it’s
your children’s homework, not yours.
Help them to understand
that their homework
is their responsibility. Feel free to
provide help or guidance, but you
should never do the work for them.
ABUSED?
Numbers to Call
2. Don’t force them to do their
homework.
Many parents feel if they don’t force
their children to do their homework,
Aunty Funmi – 08052201992
Lagos State Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation
(WAPA) – 01- 7617508, 01- 7308112
Lagos Education And Resource Network (LEARN)
– 07027950412
Lagos State Ministry of Youth & Social Welfare – 01- 7433669
Lagos State Office of Public Defender – 01- 7926928
they won’t do it. Rules without
relationship breeds rebellion
If you threaten or intimidate them, your
parent-child relationship will suffer. If you
impose rules without nurturing the
relationship, sooner or later your children will
defy you. Power struggles are unhealthy,
whether they are over food, going to school,
or homework.
3. Discuss expectations and consequences
with them.
Don’t just impose your own expectations.
Instead, have a calm discussion with your
children. This will give them a sense of
ownership over their homework, and their
education.
4. Don’t micromanage them.
You might be tempted to think that your
children will only complete their homework
under your supervision.
But it’s possible for them to take full
responsibility of their homework, such that
you don’t need to supervise them at all.
5. Create a distraction-free area for
homework and study.
Do not allow your children to do their
homework where TV and other distractions
are. Holidays is over. There should be TV
time, may be on weekends for them to be
current. If not, let them wait till holiday time
again. Let them know that holiday is fun time.
To be continued in our next edition.
Do you know this expression?
‘To nip something in the bud’
It simply means to prevent a small problem from getting worse by stopping it soon
after it starts or to put an end to something before it develops into something larger.
Horticulturists (people who deal with fruits, vegetables and flowers) learned long
time ago that in order to produce good fruits, a plant had to have lots of buds
snipped off. This improved garden produce but was not good for the buds. It became
proverbial that when a bud is cut off, it will no longer produce fruits.
Today, the word is used to refer to any sudden stop in plans or project in which no
further progress will result.
For example: All State governors should swing into action to nip in the bud the
activities of students groups in their different states whether academic group or
entertainment group. This is because they can hide under the pretence of forming
groups to do evil.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 33
HEALTHYLIVING
Mental
disorder is
common but
treatable
•Inside The Retreat for victims
By Chioma Obinna
News of Nigerians attempting suicide
in recent times has remained a topic
for discussion. The harsh economic
conditions in the country remain a cause for
worry. Over five Nigerians were in past
months reported to have attempted suicide.
One particular case of suicide that
succeeded was the jumping into Lagos lagoon
from the top of the Third Mainland Bridge
by a medical doctor. According to reports,
the doctor had been battling Sickle Cell
Anaemia. He was also said to have written
the exam for his residency in surgery so he
could become a consultant and passed but,
due to his ailment, he was turned down. The
hospital was said to have turned him down
because they felt his ailment, characterised
by seizures, could be a deterrent to
performing his duties. This was said to have
triggered depression that led to his suicide.
There was another incident in which a
woman attempted suicide by jumping into
the lagoon from the Maza-Maza Bridge in
Mile 2 area of Lagos.
The middle-aged wom¬an was said to
have been walking along the bridge when
she suddenly climbed the rails and jumped.
She was rescued.
Mental health physicians say hopelessness,
post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use
disorder, stigmatization and chronic illnesses
which make people struggle in life, leading
to anxiety and depression, may have
contributed to the surge in thoughts of suicide
and the act itself.
According to the Medical Director, Federal
Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, Prof.
Taiwo Lateef-Sheik, 80 per cent of Nigerians
with mental health problems do not have
access to treatment.
And according to the World Health
Organisation, WHO, suicide ranking,
Nigeria, with 15.1 suicides per 100,000
populations per year, is ranked the 30th most
suicide-prone out of the 183 nations in the
world.
Nigeria has public health institutions
offering mental health services, yet statistics
show that only one in 50 of the seven million
Nigerians living with depression, a major risk
factor for suicide, receive treatment that is
minimally adequate.
To ensure that these Nigerians receive the
treatment that they require, two Nigerians
UK- based renowned specialists in addiction
and psychiatrics, established the first-ever
private mental health clinic in Nigeria, known
as The Retreat
The Retreat, which opened in Lagos two
months ago, was established to enable the
average Nigerian patient have access to
advanced, dignified care through
therapeutic recovery treatments.
For example, in Sokoto State, reports show
that the total number of patients seen in 2015
was about 60,000; in 2016, the number
jumped to slightly above 93,000. Also, at the
Federal Neuro-Psychiatrist Hospital, Yaba,
Daily stresses in life,
noise pollution and
how it affects sleep,
sitting in traffic,
recession and
poverty, all these
tend to influence an
individual’s mental
well-being
in 2015, about 25,000 patients were seen,
compared to about 53,000 patients in
2016. Add to these the cases handled in
traditional homes and churches and were
therefore not reported.
Records show that Nigeria has a ratio
of mental health bed of 0.4 per 100, 000
persons, four psychiatric nurses per 100,
000 persons and 0.09 psychiatrists and
0.02 psychologists and social workers
per 100, 000 persons, hence, the
establishment of The Retreat to close the
gap.
Mental health disorders are still
shrouded in secrecy due to the stigma
and discrimination associated with the
problem, a situation that compounded
access to quality care. People often see
the mental disorder victim as the mad
man on the street
Perhaps this motivated the initiators
of the Retreat Hospital to reduce stigma
and provide access to Nigerians with
mental disorders, who have stayed away
from receiving care due to the prying
eyes of the public.
The Retreat Hospital is world class
and basically established to reduce cases
of mental disorders and suicide attempts
by providing therapeutic recovery
treatments.
Facilities at the healthcare centre are
of international standards. It has wards,
therapy room units, laboratory, medical
centre, dining hall, and outdoors sports
recreational facilities as seen in
neuropsychiatric hospitals in advanced
countries.
The experience of the initiators, who
had practiced mental health in the UK
for about 25 years, is one factor that
many analysts believe would ensure
better care for Nigerians down with
mental disorders as well as reduce the
growing cases of suicides in the country.
From the entrance to the reception, a
first timer to the hospital might mistake it
for a private home.
The hospital with 20 beds and
additional 16 beds in the pipeline is
uniquely situated in a one acre private
estate offering serene, quiet and tranquil
environment needed for recovery of
patients, hence, the estate is powered by
green energy utilising solar power and
electricity as secondary backup without
any generators.
The executive wards have all the
facilities needed for a complete home.
The therapeutic rooms have different
games as part of treatment and recovery
processes. The table tennis court house
adds colour to the environment.
There is a multipurpose outpatient hall
with reduces time for a patient to a
maximum of 15 minutes and the serene
environment not only relives one from the
hustling and bustling of city life but also
serves as a treatment process for people
with mental disorders.
The Retreat Hospital parades
experienced doctors, nurses and therapists
committed to delivering the highest
quality of care.
Health watchers are of the view that the
hospital has the potentials to make
Nigeria a medical tourism destination of
choice. However, this objective is yet to be
achieved as the hospital is currently two
months old. The beauty, allure and luxury
of the environment, wards, private rooms,
operating theatres, etc., are irresistible.
Visit
A visit showed that the hospital is
capable of complementing the services
currently offered by public health
institution across the country despite the
huge cost of providing such treatment by
a privately owned hospital.
Awareness about the facility across the
country could be better even as Nigerians
continue to hide their mental problems.
The fact remains that all sorts of mental
ailments are treatable there at an
affordable cost. The premises located
in Ikorodu area of Lagos are fully secured
to prevent intrusion while treatments are
based on person centred underpinned by
the recovery model with focus on psychoeducation
and coping skills to prevent
relapse.
Treatments are driven by evidence-based
practice which consists of through
diagnostic assessment of the individual,
followed by customised treatment
interventions backed by sound research
evidence.
According to the Chief Medical
Director, Dr Olawale Lagundoye, The
Retreat decided not to run on generators
because the ensuing sound and fumes
could trigger further mental problems.
“We felt that there is need for us to improve
access to mental healthcare to Nigerians,
hence the decision to establish the Retreat
Motivation as a private person”, he said.
Lagundoye said that although there had
been developments and expansion around
the physical side of health, less had been in
the mental health arena. To him, the
situation equally highlights societal
challenges in terms of how people perceive
mental illness.
“They paint a picture of a man on the
street who people felt things have gone
wrong with. But what we know is that there
is actually a whole range of mental health
conditions that range from mild to severe”,
he said. “Daily stresses in life, noise
pollution and how it affects sleep, sitting
in traffic, recession and poverty, all these
tend to influence an individual’s mental
well-being”.
The CMD regretted that those conditions
most of the time are either not identified
and, when identified, people don’t tend to
know where to go to access help in a timely
manner.
He said early diagnosis and treatment
delivery make a lot of difference in terms
of what a person is experiencing.
According to him, The Retreat is here to
provide timely and competent evidenced
based psychological interventions
alongside medical interventions in a
therapeutic milieu.
Lagundoye explained that Ikorodu was
picked for the project because the initiators
wanted an exclusive and serene
environment where quality care could be
provided for patients.
“For affordability, we have a range of
facilities that provide opportunities for
different levels of individuals. We have
open wards, single rooms and executive
facilities and we also run outpatient clinics.
When you look at facilities across the
country, majority of persons that have
psychiatric problems tend to be seen as
outpatients. We have provided the whole
range of treatments. We are the first
privately built mental health facility. That
is an important milestone. We hope to
stand out too”, the CMD said.
Langundoye, who once had mental
health challenge while in medical school,
said stigma remained a problem in
accessing mental health services all over
the world, assuring that the hospital would
promote awareness towards reducing it to
barest minimum.
Uniqueness of the centre
The co-founder added: “The
environment is one that provides
personalized private therapeutic care. The
hospital is a retreat in the real sense,
because we take you out of the hustling
and bustling of everyday life and bring you
into therapeutic environment where you
are treated with dignity and compassion
and engage with competent experts”.
And his message to Nigerians: “Mental
health is quite common but treatable,
hence the need for people to seek help from
competent individuals”.

PAGE 34—SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
08116759757
Syringe creates 7,500 jobs in Akwa Ibom
By Ola Dapo Akinrefon &
Udeme Clement
A
Turkish company, Jubilee
Syringe Manufacturing
Company (JSM), says 250
Nigerians are expected to be
directly employed and over 5,000
indirectly as the factory starts
production.
Jubilee Syringe was conceived by
businessman and investor, Mr.
Onur Kumral, who doubles as
Chairman.
The company, however, is to be
managed by another Turk, Mr.
Zubeyir Gulabi, who is the
Managing Director.
Kumral explained that the
company is a hundred per cent
“privately driven initiative and
investment.”
He commended the Akwa Ibom
State government for providing an
investor-friendly environment for
the factory located in the state.
“To attract investors to your
country, you must encourage
them; investors need
encouragement. This is what
Akwa Ibom State government has
provided us, and this explains
why we have come to Akwa Ibom
State to invest. Apart from the
encouragement through a
partnership with the state
government, the state is the safest
place in the country in terms of
security. And of course, you know
that no investor would risk
investing in an unsafe
environment. In Akwa Ibom, we
are quite safe and our investment
is safe”, the company Chairman
said.
“To some people, Akwa Ibom
State might look far away from the
market, but the good policies of
Alaba Market
group leader sues
for peace
By Tony Nwankwo
FOLLOWING the exit of Chief
Emeka Mozoba as
Chairman, Fancy and Furniture
Dealers Association (FFDA) at the
Alaba International Market in
Lagos, a new executive has been
inaugurated to pilot the affairs of
the association. They are Ernest
Okonkwo (aka A1), as Chairman
with Felix Obalim, now 1 st Vice
Chairman. 2 nd Vice Chairman is
Nnamdi Udenkwo, elected to fill
the vacant position that followed
the upgrade of First and Second
Vice Chairmen, respectively, while
Engr. Okafor Francis Ikechukwu
retains his position as General
Secretary. Other positions are
Uchechukwu Chukwuma, Asst.
Secretary; Prince Moses Igwe,
Treasurer; Samuel Onyeanusi,
Financial Secretary; Mallachy
Ihuoma PRO. Anthony Uba,
Provost; Emeka Okonkwo, Asst.
Provost, Udensi Nwike, Welfare
and Victor Onyerionwu, Asst.
Welfare.
Speaking to journalists shortly
after the inauguration, Chairman
Ernest Okonkwo called on the
different factions to rally round the
new executive for peace to reign
in the market. “I appeal to all the
factions from the Amalgamated to
the Fancy and Furniture
Associations to sheathe their
swords so that we can enjoy the
peace that we hope will follow the
impeachment of Mozoba.”
the government on the ground
have given us the confidence that
this is the best location to do
business, and we are here to stay”.
Kumral said the quality of
syringes to be produced in the
Nigerian factory will meet
international standards.
According to him, the
technology JSM is bringing on
board “is the best and the latest
anywhere in the world.”
“We will be producing to the
European standards. Why are we
doing that? First, Nigerians
deserve it, so we give it to them;
the highest quality. You know
what? People keep asking me if
the price of the product will be
affordable and I say yes it will be
affordable even with the high
standard of production”, he
pointed out.
“Jubilee Syringe is going to be
the cheapest and the highest
quality. This is possible because
if I do not import products, I do
not pay importation tax which is
about 30 - 35 per cent difference.
Again, the raw material is just an
hour away from me because I am
buying it directly from Nigeria. So
why can’t it be the cheapest?
“When you consider importing
the products abroad and going
through the process of clearing
with the Nigerian Customs and
going through other processes,
you will understand why Jubilee
Syringe will be the cheapest. Like
I said, there is a huge market here,
huge potentials, Nigeria is the
largest economy in Africa, this
could not have come at a better
time.” With its decision to situate
JSM in Akwa Ibom, he explained
that the state will become the hub
of medical equipment in Africa.
Tutor General/Permanent Secretary, District 5, Mrs. Anike Adekanye; Group Public Relations and
Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr.. Tope Ashiwaju; 2017 1-day Governor of Lagos State,
Miss Zoffun Bukola; Head of Marketing, Indomie, Mr. Singh Manpreet and Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Education, Lagos State, Mr. Odeyemi Adesina during a courtesy visit to Indomie in Lagos.
•From left: Vice-Principal, Admin, Grace High School, Lagos, Philip Balogun; Vice-chairman, Parent Teacher
Association, Mrs Joyce Isichei; Administrator, Mrs. Tokunbo Edun; Head of Grace Children School, Dr. Nike
Akintayo and Chief Executive Officer, Seedvine Tech, Ltd. Mr. Herry Ozulumba, during the unveiling of Grace
High School Logo in commemoration of 50th anniversary of the school.
How Okowa empowered 25,000 youths—Ossai, aide
ENGR Daniel Ossai, Senior
Special Assistant (SSA) to
Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa
of Delta State on Project
Monitoring, has lauded his
principal for his achievements in
the area of road construction and
maintenance.
Ossai listed the achievements
to include the dualisation of the
Amupe - Sapele Road; the
construction of the Ozanogogo -
Alisimie Road in Ika South Local
Government Area and Nsukwa
- Ndemili Road which cuts across
three local governments - Ika
South, Ndokwa West and
•Kumral
Aniocha South.
According to him, Kwale -
Ogume - Obiaruku Road has
also been completed.
“A total of 98 road projects were
initiated in Delta State out of
which 40 have been completed
while the remaining 58 are at
various stages of construction”,
the governor’s aide stated.
“With the dry season fast
approaching, more of the
projects would be completed
while contracts for more projects
would be awarded in the course
of Governor Okowa’s first
tenure”. Ossai also disclosed that
Okowa has completed and
equipped three technical colleges
in the state and the Faculty of
Law Complex of the Delta State
University (DELSU), Oleh
Campus.
“The governor has also
empowered over 25,000 youths
across the state. He has also
performed creditably in the area
of peace and security,” he added,
while urging the people of the
state to continue to embrace
peaceful co-existence and be law
abiding as the governor has what
is needed to take the state to the
next level.
Microsoft,
Tech4Dev train 7,
200 Nigerian
women on
coding skills
Dayo Johnson, Akure
A
non-profit group, Tech4Dev,
is partnering with 12 state
governments in the country to
train over 7,000 women in ICT.
The training comes under an
initiative known as Nigerian
Women Techsters.
Its programme manager Peace
Odili said in Akure that the
initiative would be partly funded
by Microsoft and train women
between the ages of 18-40 on
coding skills over a 3-year
period.
Odili explained that training
sessions would take place on
week days with participants
taking online courses in
entrepreneurship and change
making, and physical training
sessions on weekends.
“Tech4Dev with support from
Microsoft is partnering the Office
of the First Ladies, State
Ministries of Women Affairs and
the Federal Ministry of Women
Affairs across the 12 States in
Nigeria with high female – male
parity within the technology
sector, to establish the Nigerian
Women Techsters Initiative”, she
said.
“The beneficiary states are:
Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Edo, Kogi,
Kwara, Abia, Imo, Rivers, Kano,
Kaduna and Kebbi states.”
According to her, interested
young women should fill the
application
on
www.nigerianwomentechsters.org
with the first cohort scheduled for
Ondo, Ekiti and Oyo states.
Edo 2017 to
showcase Benin
comic act
THIS year’s edition of the
annual Edo Festival and
Awards holds November 4. To
perform among others at the
occasion is comic act, Frank
Osarumwense Joseph(aka MC
Kpolo).
MC Kpolo cracks jokes in his
indigenous Benin language.
Sources close to the organisers
of the programme disclosed that
the comic act has also been
shortlisted for an award at the
event.
The comedian, 24, started his
journey into fame while still in
primary school.
MC Kpolo once disclosed to
journalists one of his meal
embarrassing moments.
He recalled that a female fan
requested that he should sing
one of Celine Dion’s classics in
Benin language. The lady was
dumbfounded as the comedian
could not sing the song.
The comedian stressed that his
fans were always expressing
their love for his performance.
On fees for his performance,
the comedian said it varied from
parcels of land to N400,000.
“It all depends on my
relationship with my client”, he
stated. He gave thumbs up to
the organisers of the Edo Festival
and Awards for nominating him
for the award.

Militarizing The East
rexmarinus@hotmail.com
Last week, the first part
of my column on Ni
gerian universities
was published, and I’d
planned to continue with the
subsequent parts this week.
But it appears that this has to
wait for something more urgent
this week. I promise to
return to Nigerian universities,
but the more urgent
issue this week is what now
seems to be the military invasion
of the East: the so
called “Operation Python
Dance II” authorized by the
President. I am still not sure
who advises President Buhari
on his Eastern policy,
but here is what is obvious:
whoever is crafting Buhari’s
internal domestic policy,
particularly with regards to
the East, and its general implication
on national security,
is either ignorant, subversive,
or both, and is doing
disservice both to the
Buhari presidency and to the
corporate integrity of the
Nigerian state.
President Buhari is trapping
both himself and Nigeria
in the first stages of
what will finally prove to be
a very long, costly, and unwinnable
war, and this
brings me seriously to this
question of Buhari’s credentials
as a military General
who ought to understand
operational strategy and
Warcraft; as well as his patriotism
as a Nigerian, not
to talk of his role, as the
head of her federal government.
The decision to authorize
a military operation
in the East in this so-called
“Operation Python Dance
II” is not only, in my view,
unconstitutional, it just simply
is ill-advised, and it is
setting the stage for that moment
we all so pray not to
come; that tipping point
that militarizes the East,
and turns it once more to a
war zone. It seems that President
Buhari is nostalgic
about war, and the events in
which he participated between
1967 and 1970 did
not teach any lasting lessons.
But there is that Igbo
saying: “oji oso agbakwuru
ogu, amaghi si ogu wu
onwu” – they who embrace
war very quickly often do not
understand that war means
death.
The leaders of the East
have expressed outrage about
this operation. Many regard
it as the president’s final brazen
declaration of war
against a zone that opposes
him politically. He apparently
did not consult the governors
before unleashing the
military on the five core Eastern
states, where there is no
large scale disturbance of the
kind that should warrant the
large scale deployment of the
Nigerian Armed and Security
services. The East is largely
peaceful, but it does seem
that the President needs an
excuse to subvert the Nigerian
constitution and unilaterally
declare a state of emergency
in the East, and establish
overt control of that zone.
The President is sworn to defend
Nigeria, and this move
would have made sense, and
the President would have
been within his constitutional
obligations, only if a war
had been declared in the East,
and the National Assembly
had given him the powers to
use troops to quell insecurity
unmanageable by the police.
But Buhari obtained no such
powers or authority before
moving materials of war and
troops into a cognate part of
the federation. This President
appears to be fighting a personal
war against the South
East using the resources of the
federal government. It is an
illegal and unpatriotic use of
presidential power to fight
personal vendetta. Nigerians
must rise as one to stop this to
forestall sending very many
innocent Igbo youth, and lots
of Nigerian military and security
personnel, in the long
run, to untimely death. The
President may be too distant
from the current reality to understand
that resistance in the
East may be different this time
from the civil war of 1967-
70. It would be informal, long
drawn, and will be more by
guerrilla tactics than formal
military confrontation. It
would be Mao rather than
Montgomery. It is likely to be
street by street, and is unlikely
to be confined to the East.
This fight may envelope Nigeria.
Let me work through my
speculation, and one does this
by summoning the history of
other conflicts, which I implore
the Federal Government
of Nigeria and her strategists
to pay careful attention
to, and pull back, before we
spin irretrievably to this looming,
totally pointless conflict.
Here is how this is going to
pan out: at the first stages of
this military occupation
called “Operation Python
Dance II,” the government
will establish overwhelming
presence and authority in the
SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 35
which would give greater fire that will engage the occupying
to this resistance than anything
Army in mosquito
that this government sting attacks. They will very
would have imagined, because
easily, given the distribution
always, an oppressed of Igbo communities
people are often in deep need around West and Central
of heroes – particularly the Africa and around the
heroic dead. These people world, create safe houses;
will fight from the grave. The secret operational bases;
Biafra movement, currently systems of exchange; smuggling
relatively disorganized will
routes; and tactical
become more sophisticated command posts to stage
as more strategic people join any acts of subversion.
their ranks out of frustration, These groups will act in
fear, anger, or even dare; as shadows using the old Igbo
more sympathizers provide military philosophy of
them operational capacity, “Olua Ogbalaga” – deployed
both logistical and material,
effectively by the
and ultimately, the voice of Ekumeku, and other Igbo
moderation will be silenced legions during colonialism.
in the East, and the only voice They will expand their operations
that will make sense to anybody
over every part of
in the East will be the the East – including what we
voice of resistance. People will now call the “Niger Delta”
communicate by whispers – and meet up with dormant
and by signals. Young engineers
resistance groups in these
and technicians will be-
areas; they may then begin
come more inventive with to engage in massive sabotage.
materials around them; may
fashion their own weapons, Because of the vital nature
and turn small places into of Eastern Nigerian economy
small units of communication
to the economy of Nige-
to form a vast network of ria, they will force a very
small radio stations and a strategic economic meltdown,
broadcast system that will be
that will affect every
difficult to dismantle. system of exchange in Nigeria
It will be mobile and easy
and West Africa, and
to operate on the go; and they this will have real impact in
will operate at very cellular a global economy. I predict
levels. They will finally form that what we may be about
the Biafran Legion (“The Egwugwu”)
to see is the Nigerian equiv-
under the banner alent of the Irish Republi-
of the rising sun, but the difficulty
can Army - the IRA – and all
for the Federal Gov-
this because President Bucan
ernment will be that this hari, and the APC government
Legion will operate informally;
are hell-bent on sub-
organized as loose, duing the Igbo whom they
independent units; there feel are in opposition to
will be no discernible central
them.
command, just a cen-
This policy of militarizing
tral idea which is what the the East will have a blowback
Buhari presidency is currently
that many have not thought
instigating; the Le-
about. And I also really wish
gionnaires will train right that the Biafra activists should
under the nose of the government;
understand that they are
every sacred about to turn the East once
grove; every primary again into another theatre of
school; every community war. It is imperative that both
center; every night in the the Federal government and
East will be deployed for the the Biafrans step back from
training of a guerrilla force this precipice.
East, and will initially subdue
the population. But the effect
will wear off quickly because
years of military rule, and
benign military occupation
of the East after the war has
hardened the population
against the use of military terror.
Heightened application
of terror by the Nigerian military
and security personnel;
the stops-and search; the seizures;
the curfews; the purloining
and stealing from the
people; the heavy toll will also
begin very slowly to erode any
initial support for, or fear of
the Nigerian security services,
and there will be increasing
build-up of what we call
“resistance confidence.”
This policy of
militarizing the East will
have a blowback that
many have not thought
about. And I also really
wish that the Biafra
activists should
understand that they
are about to turn the
East once again into
another theatre of war
There will be a slow arming
of the wider population who
will begin increasingly to be
recruited to the cause of Biafra
activism, both in sympathy
to the cause, and out of
the survivalist instinct to defend
themselves, their communities,
their neighbours,
their dignity and shared interests.
This is the normal human
response to these conflicts,
and it will be increasingly
subterranean.
The Federal Government
would by then have created
some martyrs for the cause,
who will be celebrated in
songs, art, and rituals, and
At the cross roads
These are not good times
in Nigeria and security
questions abound. There's so
much to worry about. From
armed robbery, kidnappings
and all manner of agitations,
it is obvious that all is not well
in Nigeria.
The Indigenous People of
Biafra, IPOB, has just been
declared a terrorist organization
and many received same
with mixed reaction. All kinds
of agitations have been ringing
and are still ringing
across Nigeria. I have no opinion
on that.
Recently, there was another
report of interception of
arms and ammunition making
it the third time this year
that arms are being intercepted
either on the highways, the
ports or elsewhere. It raises
Heart of the matter,
with Chioma Gabriel
email: anyagafu@yahoo.com
Telephone: 08052201257
so many questions especially
when much is not heard
about these interceptions afterwards.
Who imported
them and for what purposes?
The reports always either
tagged them illegal arms or
substandard arms and ammunition
and then nothing
else is heard about them.
In the past, Nigeria has had
cause to report Iran to the
United Nations Sanctions
Committee over high calibre
arms and ammunition intercepted
by security agencies at
Apapa Port. The intercepted
arms and ammunition, loaded
in 13 containers labelled
as "packages of glass wool
and pallets of stone", according
to LT. Col Sagir Musa at
that time were said to have
originated from Iran, a country
under UN sanctions.
As we are all aware, proliferation
of small arms and
light weapons is increasingly
and dangerously becoming a
transnational organized
crime in Nigeria with Boko
Haram’s insurgency, reemerging;
Niger Delta crisis,
ethnic agitations and escalating
kidnappings, communal
crisis ,armed robbery and
herdsmen menace and now
Biafra.
Some rampaging herdsmen
carry Ak47 across their
shoulders as if its their right
under the Nigerian constitution
and there appears to be
some justified explanations
about their doing so. They too
should be tagged something
based on their activities in
states like Benue, parts of
southeast, south-south and
southwest Nigeria.
Reports abound of many
arms and ammunition of various
types, sizes and caliber
being intercepted and confiscated
by security agencies
across borders in Nigeria especially
parts of the north. The
recurrent detection and recovery
of cache of arms, ammunition
and Improvised
Explosive Device Materials
either at the ports or on the
It is a tragedy that the
exact number of illegal
routes and means
through which illegal
aliens, arms and
ammunition are
trafficked in to the
country remains a
mirage
highways should be paid serious
attention. The source of
the calibre of sophisticated
weapons used by some of
these outlaws to operate
should be investigated.
It is still fresh how a Catholic
Church was invaded at
Ozubulu and worshipers attacked
by gunmen who left
many wounded and others
dead. The last is yet to be
heard of that attack on innocent
worshipers and the police
are still investigating.
It is no longer a secret that
these “merchants of death”
wield the most sophisticated
arms, sometimes overwhelming
the security forces
with their state-of-art arms
and ammunition.
It is also not impossible that
those who make a business
out of crisis engage in arms
trafficking/ trading through
covert and deceptive use of
porous Nigerian borders of
Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
In the northern axis alone,
there are reported to be over
250 footpaths from Damaturu/Maiduguri
axis that link
or lead direct to Cameroon,
Chad or Niger. These paths
are mostly unknown by security
agencies, are unmanned,
unprotected and thus serve as
leaky routes for arms and
ammunition trafficking in to
Nigeria.
Nigeria is currently engaged
in a serious fight
against terrorism. The increasing
number of ethnic
agitations across the country
has added to the challenge of
the influx of illegal aliens,
arms, ammunition and sophisticated
IED materials
into the country.
The vastness of the nation’s
borders in the face of these
challenges has not helped
matters. Nigeria must come
up with more innovative technology;
sound policies and
proficient process that will
help protect our borders.
It is a tragedy that the exact
number of illegal routes
and means through which illegal
aliens, arms and ammunition
are trafficked in to
the country remains a mirage.
Now concerning the agitators,
we have all heard the
news that IPOB, and others
are now terrorist organizations.
I think that should also
include other agitators
across Nigeria including
those that threw stones at the
MumuDon Do protesters at
Abuja. Nigeria must be sanitized.
No group or organization
must exist besides the
national assembly and the
governors. Anybody who has
anything to say should speak
through their governors and
representatives at the national
assembly.
The same treatment should
be extended everywhere
across Nigeria so that peace
should reign in our country.
Even those agitating for restructuring
should mind their
language. We are good as we
are. Everything is perfect. We
need to maintain the statuesque.
Nothing needs to be
addressed .
Nest-ce pas vrai ? (Isn't it
true)
Urhobo HOSTCOM laments exclusion
from PANDEF's leadership
The Host Communities
of Nigeria Producing
Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM,
Urhobo chapter, Delta State,
has decried not having a representative
in the membership
of Pan Niger Delta Forum,
PANDEF/ dialogue
team, led by Chief Edwin
Clark, presently negotiating
with the Federal Government.
HOSTCOM, in a letter to
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo,
Minister of State for Petroleum
Resource, Dr. Ibe
Kachikwu and Chief Edwin
Clark, said Comrade Efe G.
Okovwurie, chairman of
Urhobo HOSTCOM was
nominated and mandated to
represent Urhobo oil communities
in PANDEF.
According to them ," Urhobo
HOSTCOM being the
mother organ of all Urhobo
oil and gas producing communities
in Urhobo nation,
must have representatives in
PANDEF to properly outline
the critical challenges and
issues affecting oil and gas
producing communities in
Urhobo nation".
Kokarhaye sworn in as IDU PG
The new President Gen
eral Ibruvwe Development
Union, IDU, Mr. Wilson
Kokarhaye has assured
the people of the community
of effective representation.
Kokarhaye who spoke
shortly after he was sworn-in
along other members of his
executive to pilot the affairs
of IDU for the next two years,
said he would work in harmony
with government and
development agencies to attract
developmental projects
to the area.
"l use this medium to solicit
for your support adding that
a tree cannot make a forest,
calling on youths of the community
to shun any act of violence
and remain law abiding
citizens at all times”.
Others who were sworn-in
are: Omakpokpo-Ose Efe,
(Vice PG), David Ikumariegbe
(Sec. Gen), Mr. Adeku Erhioyovwe
(Fin. Sec.), Chief
Lucky Udjemu (PRO), Atunucha
Aaron (Assist. PRO),
and others.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Viewpoint
How Okowa made Delta safe haven for investors
By Basil Ishiekwene
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Okowa’s peace moves and
empowerment success story
SECURITY of lives and property
has always been the primary
purpose of government in all parts
of the world, because, every
human activity revolves round
safety. Bearing this in mind, Delta
State Governor, Senator Dr.
Ifeanyi Okowa on assumption of
office in May, 2015 made it a
point of duty to tackle the security
challenges through unconventional
means.
Delta State before the emergence
of Governor Okowa was most times,
seen as the entire Niger Delta region.
As such, if there was security
breach in any part of the 5 states of
the Niger Delta, newsmen were always
ready to link it to Delta State
which made investors to be sceptical
about investing in the state.
Governor Okowa’s efforts to ensure
a peaceful state was compounded
shortly after he took oath of office
when the Federal Government
declared renowned Ijaw-born Chief
By Femi Mimiko
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Looming nuclear war
EXTANT crisis on the Korean
Peninsula is simply about a new
reality, which the wider world, not
without a reason though, is quite
reluctant to acknowledge and relate
with. This is, hate it or leave it, the
arrival of a nuclear-armed North
Korea, and the change in strategic
engagement in the region, nay the
world, that should ordinarily be
attendant upon that.
Without much regard to this new
reality, the United States and its
allies, especially in the north Pacific
region, continue to stand on the
increasingly tenuous position of the
United Nations that the Korean
Peninsula be denuclearized. History
suggests that this is a laudable
objective, though. What with the
horrific memories usage of the
atomic bomb in World War II
continue to evoke? To be sure, a
nuclear war is one, which, as Jimmy
Carter noted in 1979, ‘in horror and
destruction and human death, will
dwarf all the combined wars of
man’s long and bloody history!’
By Pamela Osagie
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
Two different concepts
IF you did not hear about the epic
fight, which featured Floyd
Mayweather Jr., the world-famous
boxer who came out of retirement,
and his Irishman, Connor
McGregor, you are, most likely
living under a rock.
The fight, aptly dubbed ‘The
Money Fight’, was billed to be the
biggest fight in combat sports
history. Highly sensationalized, it
pulled up staggering statistics from
viewership numbers to winnings for
both fighters and promoters. The
fight took place on August 26 at the
T-Mobile Arena, Nevada. The night
ended with Mayweather stopping
McGregor at the tenth round and
hitting a 50-0 unbeaten boxing
record.
Much has been said about the
dexterity and doggedness of
Mayweather and perhaps of
Connor, so that is not the focus of
this article. The focus however is on
the broadcasting rights of the fight
and a look once more at the payper-view
model – a highly
controversial topic for us here in
Nigeria – for the televised fight.
Government Ekpemupolo, popularly
known as Tompolo wanted.
The action of the Federal Government
irked the youths of the region
which resulted to renewed hostilities
in the creeks of the Niger Delta,
leading to the destruction of pipelines
with a threat to the declaration
of Niger Delta republic.
Already, the price of crude oil in
the international market was at its
lowest ebb and the destruction of the
pipelines short-in crude oil that
could have been reported from Delta
State leading to great shortage
of funds for Governor Okowa to successfully
deliver on his electoral
promises.
Bearing in mind that government
alone cannot meet with the yearnings
of the people especially in the
area of tackling unemployment,
Governor Okowa embarked on
peace moves to stop the hostilities
in the creeks and through consistent
dialogue with different stakeholders,
the destruction of pipelines
stopped. It is worthy to state that the
situation also, caused the Vice President,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to visit
the state.
Joblessness is a key factor to insecurity
and to ensure that idle minds
Much ado about pay-per-view
TV content is not
bought on a one-off
basis; pay TV providers
continually pay for
content and the costs
have an upward review
when contracts expire
What is pay-per-view?
Let’s start from a simple definition
of the pay-per-view (PPV) concept.
A Google search of the phrase
describes it as “a type of pay
television service by which a
subscriber of a television service
provider can purchase events to view
via private telecast”. Primarily, the
service is employed during sporting
events such as boxing and
professional wrestling and, in some
cases, football matches.
Essentially, PPV is available
through cable TV subscriptions in
United States, Canada and some
parts of Europe. The Mayweather/
were reduced in the state, Governor
Okowa embarked on aggressive
skill acquisition cum empowerment
programmes, designed to make the
beneficiaries successful entrepreneurs.
This was necessary because,
the Governor discovered that with a
workforce of over 60, 000 people
and with the effects of recession on
government, it would have been
wrong to employ more persons into
the state civil service. Till date, Delta
ranks among the states with the
highest number of civil servants
which gulps more than N6 billion
monthly on wages.
It is noteworthy that since the commencement
of the Governor’s youth
empowerment programmes, incidence
of kidnapping, armed robbery
and other social vices have been
on downward trend. According to
the Governor, “every two weeks, we
sit with security chiefs to analyze security
situation in the state, today, it
was heartwarming to note that issues
of kidnapping and other security
challenges came up, it was discovered
that they are on downward
trend.”
This fact was buttressed and corroborated
by DIG Emmanuel Inyang
when he visited Governor
Okowa, he said, statistics at his disposal
revealed that remarkable success
has been recorded in the reduction
of crime wave and promised to
ensure that the South South zone
became the safest in the country.
According to DIG Inyang, “I have
gone through the crime statistics of
the state, Delta Police Command is
doing well, the crime rate has reduced,
“hence I urge all stakeholders
to sustain the partnership against
New Realities on a Troubled Peninsula
Elsewhere, he cautioned that ‘the
survivors (of a nuclear war), if any,
would live in despair amid the
poisoned ruins of a civilization that
had committed suicide.’ With this
The North Koreans,
according to the
Russian leader, will
rather eat grass
than abandon their
atomic energy
programme!
in focus, the moral platform on
which a programme of
denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula is predicated cannot be
According to DIG Inyang,
“I have gone
through the crime statistics
of the state, Delta
Police Command is doing
well, the crime rate
has reduced, “hence I
urge all stakeholders to
sustain the partnership
against crime
faulted. The challenge begging to
be dealt with, however, is hinged on
what the US has chosen to do in
pushing this agenda, to wit, denial
that, indeed, North Korea has
crossed the Rubicon and become
nuclear armed!
To be sure, ours cannot be
anything but the age of realpolitik.
Were it not so, the question would
have some significance, why the US,
that is itself armed-to-the-teeth with
the nuclear bomb, would at the same
time claim the moral authority to
dispute other nations’ right to own
it. It is evident that the regime in
Pyongyang is truly in awe of what it
assumes is the determination of
Washington to destroy it. Thus, for
the regime, only a credible nuclear
arsenal is its ultimate protection
against US aggression; a position
that, with the benefit of hindsight,
comes with some degree of
credibility. What with the way Libya
which, under pressure from the West,
dismantled its own nuclear weapons
programme, has come to look like,
consequent upon the regime change
proclivity of the United States. How
does that fear get allayed, such that
amassing nuclear weapons, or
preparing to ‘fight to the finish’ with
this terribly bad weapon becomes
rather otiose for the North Koreans?
This is the challenge before global
diplomacy today.
The queer logic of realpolitik
allows everybody to wink at the
contradiction inherent in a nuclear
armed US moralizing on the
inadmissibility of other nations into
the nuclear club. That same logic
now compels a huge paradigm
shift in attitude towards North
Korea. It requires that the US
government, and indeed the United
Nations, acknowledge the arrival
of Pyongyang on the nuclear
platform. The world then must
begin to figure out ways of treating
this rogue nation as a nuclear power,
no matter how irritating that is.
This, it is evident, is all the North
Koreans think they deserve. It is
what they want.
While it is clear that blustering
on the part of the US will not
achieve much, additional
sanctions, as Vladimir Putin has
McGregor fight was televised via
Showtime PPV, which was available
through both traditional television
providers and various digital
services. With most cable services,
there is a PPV option in the
programme schedule screen. On
clicking on the programme or event
you choose to view, the charges will
be added to your monthly cable bill,
and the programme will be
available for you to watch. Some
PPV events, like live sports, occur at
certain times only. If this is the case,
you can pay for it anytime, but must
tune in to the specified channel at
the time of the programme in order
to view it (you will still be charged if
you’ve purchased it and don’t
watch!)
How much does PPV cost?
Well it typically depends on the
event or programme you wish to opt
in for. Some can cost as high as $100
for just one programme. For
example, the domestic cost for the
Mayweather/McGregor fight was
set at $89.99 USD for standard
definition and $99.99 for high
definition.
Is PPV the same as pay-as-youwatch?
NO. They are two different
concepts. This is perhaps the biggest
debate in the pay-TV industry here
in Nigeria. It is argued that the payas-you-watch
model of TV
programming should be
implemented.
In the eye of this stormy
conversation is MultiChoice. The
firm has at several times addressed
this elephant in the room. In one of
such recent responses, Managing
Director, MultiChoice Nigeria,
John Ugbe, unequivocally said there
is no such thing as a ‘pay-as-youwatch’
model of programming.
Ugbe has been quoted to have
said: “I can confirm that no other
country under MultiChoice is
providing its pay TV services
through a ‘pay-as-you-watch’
model. People often confuse ‘pay-asyou-watch’
model with ‘pay per
view’, where essentially, subscribers
pay specifically for big ticket events
in addition to their monthly
subscriptions. This effectively makes
the subscriptions even more
expensive”.
So where did this notion come
from?
crime.” he said
This remarkable reduction in
crime rate was made possible by the
adequate provision of operational
vehicles, logistics and communication
equipment by Delta State Government
to the police and other security
agencies to enhance operational
efficiency of security formations
across the state.
The success story in crime reduction
wouldn’t have been possible
without the synergy between security
agencies operating in the state,
especially in the area of sharing of
information which has helped a lot
to ensure a peaceful state. The Governor
further assured that his administration
would continue to encourage
the good working relationship
between the agencies. Worthy of
commendations are the traditional
and other community leaders for effectively
collaborating with the state
government to continuously engage
the youths towards ensuring sustained
peace in the state.
As I write this piece, Delta State
Government through the empowerment
programmes of Governor
Okowa’s administration has engaged
more than 45, 000 people.
This has reduced security threats in
the State as most people who could
have been involved in one crime or
the other are gainfully employed.
*Hon. Basil Ishiekwene is Special
Assistant to the Governor on
Security
now indicated, will also not just be
unnecessary, but wholly
ineffectual. The North Koreans,
according to the Russian leader,
will rather eat grass than abandon
their atomic energy programme!
At any event, the Kim dynasty has
demonstrated over the years that it
cannot be bothered by the negative
outcomes of additional sanctions
on the country. It has taken time to
condition its population to accept
the most excruciating forms of
privation as synonymous with
service to the fatherland. Where does
the world go from here?
In the past few days, Washington
has made it clear that it has run out
of patience with North Korea.
Meanwhile, the North Korean leader
struts around with some queer
confidence in his ability to inflict real
damage on the United States.
In the rhetoric of war, Carter’s
admonition on the practical
uselessness of nuclear weapons
seems to be lost.
•To be cotinued
• Mimiko, a professor, is of the
Department of Political Science,
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-
Ife.
Again, this can be traced to
subscribers clamouring for what
they experience with telecoms
operators. Why this is not a bad thing
to wish for, the truth is, it will take a
huge financial toll on both parties.
Also, telecoms service providers do
not buy content like pay-TV
providers do. What they buy is
spectrum and that is a one-off
payment. TV content is not bought
on a one-off basis. Pay TV providers
continually pay for content and the
costs have an upward review when
contracts expire. Subscribers often
hinge their demand for a pay-asyou-watch
model on the fact they
are billed while not watching. On
the technical side of things, it is
impossible to tell when a subscriber
is watching a channel or not. As
much as a pay-as-you-watch model
sounds like a good concept, it is just
is not viable. PPV on the other hand
is obtainable, but would you rather
go through the hassle of paying
separately for a big ticket game or
simply enjoy it as an add-on with
your premium subscription? This is
what MultiChoice has offered and
it is with good reason too. So let’s
keep enjoying quality programming
from MultiChoice as we look
forward to another boxing fight.
* Osagie lives in Lagos

sam.eyoboka@gmail.com
08023145567 (sms only)
Anglican cleric berates prosperity
preachers
preachers.....as St. Barth's extols founding fathers
By Sam Eyoboka
BISHOP of Ogori Magongo
Local Government Area of
Kogi State, Church of Nigeria,
(Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev.
Festus Davies, has blamed the travails
of the Nigerian Church on the penchant
for materialism by gospel
preachers.
Preaching the only sermon at the
thanksgiving service to round up the
60th anninversary of St.
Bartholomew’s Anglican Church,
Aguda, Surulere, Lagos,
the bishop who stood in for the vice
chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University,
Oyo, Rt. Rev. Professor Dapo
Folorunsho Asaju commended the
invaluable contribution of members
of the church.
The bishop reminded them of the
noble role St. Bartholomew played as
a true disciple of Christ to grow the
church among the heathen. The cleric
therefore urged the members,
especially the young ones, to take
evangelism as a primary duty, in order
to save the world for Christ.
According to him, the Church today
had abandoned its first love, as it now
emphasises prosperity preaching over
and above the salvation message.
“The challenge the Church is facing
today is that the 16th, 17th, 18th and
19th centuries stood for the undiluted
word of God, but the present generation
is diluting the word of God to the
By Pastor
Okokon Ating
UNDER the subject
matter of adjustment,
here stands another challenge
which most newly married
couples are unable to
overcome. This challenge is
called Human ego. It is
divided into two parts: ‘Men
and Woman ego’.
The Dictionary meaning of
the word ego is: ‘Having a
sense of your own value and
importance’. Yes, there are
many men and woman who
want others to see how
valuable they are than others.
Such people see things from
their own perspective alone.
They are selfish in that, it is
difficult for them to bow to
other people’s opinions.
Sometimes they can become
authoritative in na-ture.
Pride overshadows them
hence they are ‘Mr. know it
all’.
Most men see the opposite
sex as the under-dogs who
ought not to have any say
particularly when it comes to
the issue of husband and wife.
The issue of leadership in the
family raises the level of pride
among some men while the
issue of wealth in the family
also raises pride among some
women---hence, the equality
in status and the competition
of who should obey who first.
Biblically, women know this
fact that men are the head of
every home and any other
person should be subjected to
the man as unto the Lord.
I met a man who thought
he could subdue his wife by
force by putting it to his wife
that he is the head of the
family. He preached the slang
as the gospel until one day the
wife called him and said, yes,
you are the head but without
me you can't have peace in
the home.
He thought the wife was
joking until negative reactions
came from the wife, then
ANNIVERSARY CAKE: The chief celebrant, Ven. Ben Nwanekwu
(c) flanked by other dignitaries to cut the 60th anniversary cake.
extent that everybody is now preaching
what he/she likes.
“Everybody preaches what suits him/
her and not what Christ stood for.
Healing and prosperity in the Bible
are good but that cannot be our
major emphasis. Once they get the
gospel right, there is healing, deliverance,
and breakthrough...but
Christ first and all other material
things will be added to you and not
the other way round."
Continuing, he asked: "How can you
talk about healing when Christ has
not been preached; where do you
get the healing from? Until we go
back to the old time religion we will
Adjustment in marriage II (Human ego)
he knew that preaching to be
the head is not the key to
peaceful marriage alone but
allowing your spouse to
recognize and value the
headship.
Today, that marriage is in
shambles because both could
not adjust to one another. They
saw them-selves with their
wealth, education and
decision as being the
paramount than the peace
they should have derived as
husband and wife.
It was unbelievable, when I
met a man who told me that
it took him 30 years of
marriage before he could see
his wife as a partner. He said
all the while, he has seen his
very legal wife as another
person entirely. The wife was
living in fear---no intimacy
and know know-ledge shared
between each other. The man
said he only saw himself as
one who was capable of
doing every thing, the wife is
just a cook, childrenproducing
machine, and the
person that does other
domestic activities. The
testimony confirmed that it
took the man 30 years before
he could adjust himself and
that was the beginning of their
happiness in the marriage.
It is a challenge which
needs to be tackled serious-ly
and ejected quickly. It is one
of the little foxes that eats the
vine. I tell you the truth, a
woman or man who is from
a family without shock
absorber would not take nor
condole it and the end can be
disastrous. People who find
not get ourselves right,” he
maintained.
The bishop noted that the Church
has lost its respect in the society,
because preachers now preach to
please politicians for what they
would gain from them.
According to him, “the government
no longer respects the Church because
preachers tell politicians what
they want to hear in expectation of
pecuniary gains.”
The Aguda church recently completed
its 60th anniversary with
several social outreaches to the
community including fixing
themselves in this menace
can read just for the sake of
peace and conformity in the
marriage. I do not advocate
for mana-gement in such a
situation but prayers and
ADJUST-MENT.
I will like to conclude this
chapter by pointing to one
other factor couples need to
adjust to: ISOLATION.
Isolation is defined as disassociation
from one another
in various angles. It could
be isolation from the same
bed, room, dinning table,
communication, tra-veling to
a distant place together, it
may also entail keeping late
in the office while your spouse
is alone at alone, etc.
The Bible says, “when a
man hath taken a new wife,
he shall not go out to war,
neither shall he be charged
with any business: but he shall
be free at home one year, and
shall cheer up his wife which
he hath taken” (Deuteronomy
24:5). The idea of isolation is
a serious threat to newly
married couple hence they
need to safeguard themselves
with-in this scope of time lest
they regret. It may seem unbelievable
to some people
that it is not done neither is it
easy for newly married couple
to be isolated from each other.
Of course there are people
who value their businesses,
offices and profession more
than spend-ing time with their
spouse at home which doesn’t
mean they don’t love their
spouses.
Conclusively, we can't put
away the word ADJUST-
MENT from marriages. The
period of adjustment is the
period of learning and
amending for the coming
generation.
*Pastor Okokon A. Ating is
of The Apost-olic Church, 3,
Tree Power Avenue, Odo-
Eran, Itire, Lagos.
08054121355
SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 37
potpoles, providing security outposts
in the neighbourhood, provision
of an air-conditing unit for the
chapel within the Aguda Police Post
among others.
The year long celebration thanksgiving
service attracted several of
its baby parishes across the state and
and was rounded off with an award
ceremony to recognise the sterling
contributions of founding fathers of
the church who had laboured tirelessly
to bring the church to where it
is today.
The Lagos Mainland Diocesan
bishop, Rt. Rev. Akinpelu John-son,
in his exhortation, admonished the
church members not to relent in well
doing that the church is known for,
adding “people hear of St. Barth's
Aguda, and remember that
Bartholomew was one of Jesus'
disciples, who took the gospel to as
far as India.
"What we know of St. Barth's is that
they preach the gospel and evangelise.
So, as we rejoice today, we
should do so knowing the history of
the church," he stated.
The cleric enjoined them to strive to
complete the new building under
construction before the 70th anniversary.
The awardees included the longest
serving vicar and archdeacon of the
church, Ven. Ben Nwane-kwu, Papa
T. N. Njoku, and people’s warden,
Sir Henry Oranusi, among others.
REVEREND FATHER
John Damian
ADIZIE, OCD
Director of Int'l Youth Empowerment
& Rehabilitation Centre (IYERC)
Tel: 08076635886
Email: johndamianocd@yahoo.co.uk
Our expectations as Nigeria
quits recession
FEW weeks ago we cried
to God, asking him to
deliver our Country, Nigeria
from its sinking point. As God
would have it the Federal
Government has finally
declared that Nigeria is out
of recession. This a welcome
development and it calls for
celebration!
The only interesting thing
about this recession is that
most of us who are living in
rural areas were forced into
agricultural development, as
an alternative way of
surviving.
Unfortunately, most of our
political leaders used
recession to justify nonpayment
of salaries. Our
pensioners are dying of
hunger. Most of the major
roads are dilapidated. We all
experienced high cost of
living.
But thank God, Nigeria is
finally out of recession! We
have survived the most
prolonged and devastating
economic recession in the
history of Nigeria. To God be
the glory!
To whom much is given
much is expected! Now that
Nigeria is out of recession
people’s expectations are
high. Most Nigerians believe
that from now henceforth
workers will start receiving
their salaries as at when due;
because a labourer deserves
his wages!
We hope to see massive
improvement in most of the
major roads across the
country, especially all the
major roads leading to the
Federal Capital territory
from the Southern part of
Nigeria. As a matter of
urgency, the Federal
Government should address
the issue of indefinite strike
once and for all. Our students
and even their parents are
simply fed up with academic
disruptions.
We hope the government
will soon address the issue of
unemployment by creating
job opportunities and
encouraging youth
empowerment initiatives. We
also hope to see the
rehabilitation and restoration
of our refineries, textile
industries, cement industries
and other industries that have
the capacity of creating jobs
and fostering development at
all levels.
We expect the government
to bring a lasting solution to
the problem of in-security,
insurgencies and various
political agitations in
different parts of the country.
Solution to the problem of
insecurity does not in any way
mean creation of more
security agencies; it does not
even mean the acquisition of
more weapons.
Massive youth
employment and
empowerment is the only way
out. If the youths are
constructively employed and
engaged certainly they will
CPFN EXCO
inaugurated
By Sam Eyoboka
THE Lagos State branch of the
Christian Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN),
during the week, in Lagos, inaugurated
a new executive coun-cil
that will pilot its affairs in the next
couple of years.
The new executive council is headed
by Pastor Stephen Obises-an (JP) of
the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC).
Obisesan's executive was inaugurated
at The Apostolic Church
LAWNA Headquarters, Olorunda,
Ketu and witnessed by the chairman,
Christian Associat-ion of Nigeria
(CAN), Lagos State, Apostle Alex
Bamgbola, his PFN counterpart,
Bishop Sola Ore, immediate past
President of The Apostolic Church
Nigeria and Chairman, Lagos,
Western and Northern Areas
(LAWNA), Rev. Gabriel Olutola.
Preaching the only message of the
day, the national president of CPFN,
Pastor Abraham Akinosun, urged
Christians to do more to expand the
kingdom of God in the nation.
Akinosun, who is also the
president of Christ Apostolic
Church (CAC), said Christianity had
done so much for Nigeria in terms
of educational advance-ment,
reforms and medical inter-ventions.
Churches, he noted, have built
schools, hospitals, elderly peoples
homes and other charitable institutions
in remotest parts of the
nation without financial motivations.
not be used as agents of
destruction. Violence can
only beget violence. Dialogue
and amnesty are the best and
alternative ways of
addressing political
agitations and insurgencies.
Nigerians are hopeful that
from now the prize of dollar
and other commodities will
gradually come down. One
of the ways to solve the
problem of dollar is by
encourag-ing export and
import free zone. In line with
the Oba of Benin and other
well meaning Nigerians, we
appeal to the Federal
Government to reconsider the
export free zone.
Through this means most
of the locally produced goods
in Nigeria can easily be
marketed outside. It will not
in any way discourage
Nigerians from patronizing
made-in-Nigeria products.
Instead, it will create broader
market for made-in-Nigeria
products. With this, the
Nigerian Naira will definitely
appreciate.
Inadequate Power supply
remains a major factor that
hamper economic growth.
Power supply has remained a
perennial problem in
Nigeria. If the government
could sincerely solve the
problem of power supply
once and for all, definitely
Nigeria will never fall into
recession.
Nigerians are spending a
lot of money on generator
sets, diesel and fuel. Although,
one man’s meat is another
man’s poison. While most
Nigerians are lamenting
because of inadequate power
supply few individuals who
are importing generators and
plants are making a lot of
money.
Tourism and pilgrimage
centres need urgent attention.
Nigeria spend a lot of money
on foreign tourism and
pilgrimage. Time has come
when Nigeria should start
developing their own tourist
and pilgrim-age centres.

PAGE 38— SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
DR. FRANCIS
AKIN-JOHN
Church Growth Consultant, 6/8,
Mukadaq Close, Off Palace Way,
Iyana-Odo, B/Stop, Isheri-LASU Road,
Lagos.
08023000714. akingrow@yahoo.com
Signs of Static Pastors.
Isaiah 56:10-11.
Small, medium size but struggling
churches are the outcome
of static churches. Static pastors
are pastors of yesterday, driven
by tradition, ceremony, doctrinal
correctness, prejudice, dogmas
and old pattern. Static pastors
don’t go out to learn, improve
themselves nor do they welcome
change.
a. Static in Knowledge
Little or no training
Outdated information
Once and for all training.
b. Static in Message
Irrelevant and monotonous
Shallow and dry
Repetitive and routine.
c. Static in Anointing
Dry, old and stale.
d. Static in Character
Negative, prejudiced
Ungodly and unkind.
Unstable and inconsistent.
e. Static in strategy
Adhere to and practise the teachings of Jesus Christ
By Pastor Oloruntimilehin
Joshua Daramola(BOSORO)
IT is imperative to place
issues in their right
perspectives concerning the
preaching of many pastors today.
Many of these servants of God
claim to be followers of Jesus
Christ but fail to impact the
teachings of Jesus on their
followers.
Christianity came into existence
after the death of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was like a president and his
disciples or followers were his
ministers. Therefore, it was
mandatory that his teachings
should be seriously followed and
carried out more than the
teaching of his ministers.
Even some of the followers did
not know Jesus because they came
into prominence several years
after Jesus’ death. Before the death
of Christ, he said some people
would claim they were doing signs
and wonders in his name. He said,
he would denounce and call them
workers of iniquities (Matthew
7:21-23). It is possible that those
Outmoded and achaic
Irrelevant and ineffective
f. Static in Relationship
Abusive, domineering and secretive
Unfriendly and unapproachable
Unsmiling and stone faced.
When pastors are static and stagnant
in these areas, the church
will always be the worse for it.
When pastors are not growing,
improving, resourceful and relevant,
the church will take a nosedive
under them.
B. Kinds of Pastors Today. Jeremiah
12:10; 10:21; Jeremiah
50:6.
Churches rise and fall based on
the kinds of pastors leading
them. Today, we have super pastors,
first class pastors and average
minded pastors. Which one
are you? Furthermore, we can see
these kinds of pastors on the
church scene today:-
1. Businessmen Pastors - they are
in the ministry to make money -
•Daramola
that wrote the Bible were among
the people Jesus denounced.
Remember that Paul said he was
still pursuing it and he did not
know if he could make heaven.
He did not know Christ before his
conversion.
Brethren, those that are
preaching salvation do not show
people the right way; they are
casting people into hell fire.
Anyone that preaches heavenly
kingdom preaches salvation.
What is salvation? Salvation is
about having something in
abundance and having access to
God.
People may be preaching about
salvation and yet do not get the
Making of an Effective Minister (4)
Lamentations 2:14; Micah 3:10-
11.
2. Funky Pastors - Wordly, carnal,
sensual, who wateres down the
gospel to please people. Jeremiah
6:13-14.
3. Vocational Pastors - called by
men and circumstance, not by
God - Ezekiah 34:2-3
4. Yesterdays Pastors - Ultra-conservative
and traditionally
minded.
5. Political Pastors - Playing
church or local politics to the
detriment of the church.
6. Occultic Pastors - Using means
to ‘jazz’ up the work - Revelations
2:20,24; 3:9
7. Shallow Pastors - They pretend
to know, but they don’t know.
Zepheniah 3:4.
8. Ministry Pastors - Ministry is
much more important than God.
9. Sick Pastors - Spiritually sick
but physically okay. Revelations
3:14-19.
10. Wounded Pastors - Emotionally,
Spiritually and Psychologically
wounded.
11. Technology Pastors - Relying
on Computer, internet and Secular
education only.
12. Growing Pastors - Growing
personally, Spiritually and professionally.
Majority of these kinds of pastors
cannot lead the church up,
Difficulty in overcoming enemies within
By Pastor Layi Bamidele
THOUGH Goliath is an in
timidating Giant, David
found it easy to overcome
him than to overcome Saul.
Goliath is a known enemy, but
Saul was an enemy that disguised
as a friend. Saul was using David
to fight the wicked Philistians, he
did not fancy the idea that David
will be the one to take over from
him.
He was using David to fight the
Philistians yet he did not want him
to survive the battlefield. Saul
knew that God has abandoned
him, and that David was a potential
candidate to take over from
him. He was aware that the Lord
had rejected him, and that as he
decreased, David was bound to
increase.
After David overcame Goliath,
he was on his way to the breakdown
level. The breakdown level
is the level where don't need to
fight but God fights your battles
for you. All the while David has
been fighting and gathering experience.
When Saul started with his
envy, David needed not to fight,
he was at his breakdown zone.
*Bamidele
God broke Saul down for
David’s sake. I don’t know the
battles you have been fighting all
these while, but God will break
down your enemies for your sake.
When God helps you to the break
down, all your enemies will be like
grass under your feet. The breakdown
zone is the last zone before
you enter into your winning zone.
God broke Saul down for David
to enter into his winning zone.
Saul became an enemy within,
even as David was fighting for him
to keep the throne, he was looking
for how to kill David. Many
people that you are fighting tooth
and nail to be free from the trap
of the devil will turn back against
you to fight you unjustly.
salvation because they fail to
preach about heaven.
Most of his teachings can be
found in the Scripture, Matthew 5,
6, 19 and Luke 19. These are what
the followers of Christ need to
follow. Imagine Apostle Paul
advised and canvassed for
adoption of celibacy if it is possible
and if it was not possible the men
should have wives (I Corinthian7:1;
7:8-9; 7:26)
Consider if celibacy was possible
then there would be no child
bearing and in turn the world
would perish. Whereas God said
in Genesis 1:28 “…Be fruitful and
increase in number.”
Jesus Christ who Paul claimed
he was following preached that
husbands should not divorce their
wives except they commit adultery
(Matthew 19:9). Paul’s teaching
was not the same as Jesus’ teaching.
Furthermore Jesus Christ did not
preach prosperity and salvation.
He was preaching heavenly
kingdom. He made the assertion
in Matthew 6:25-34 “…Therefore
do not worry, saying what shall we
eat? Or what shall we drink? Or
Pharaoh was an enemy within
who used the children of Israel for
labour, and when it was time when
God told them it was time for their
freedom, Pharaoh refused to heed
to the instruction of God and his
destiny was destroyed. Pharaoh did
not want to release the children of
Israel, but God arose on their
behalf and brought them out on
an eagle's wings.
God demonstrated the deliverance
process to Moses with the
burning bush. The bush was
burning but not consumed. This is
an indication that things might be
hot and uneasy now, but the fire
will have a soothing and beautifying
effect at the end. The fire will
not destroy you.
After being tried, you will come
out as pure gold. When the children
of Israel got to their breakdown
zone, the same Pharaoh that
vowed never to allow them go, was
the same person that asked them
to go after God broke him down.
The Angel of the Lord killed all the
first born of the Egyptians because
God was fighting the battle for
Israel.
but down spiritually. The church
cannot grow to become a glorious
and rapturable church under
them.
C. The Growing Pastor. Luke
2:40,52.
There can be no perfect leaders,
but growing ones. People are not
looking for perfect leaders, but
growing leaders. The church will
only move away from stagnancy
when the pastors start to grow in
these three areas:
1. Spiritual Growth. Ephesians
6:10; II Peter 3:10.
Growing in the Lord, in the word
of God, maturity in spiritual
things and becoming deep with
the Lord. Spiritually strong in
prayers, waiting upon the Lord,
voice and gifts of the Spirit must
be permanent features in the life
of pastors.
2. Personal Growth. II Peter 1:5-
11.
Character development, ability
to read and write, self-improvement
in leadership skills, relational
skills, and building trust
and competence are very crucial.
Pastors must keep updating, upgrading
and reinventing themselves
in this work. What gets
you there will surely not keep you
there.
3. Professional Growth. I Timothy
4:13; II Timothy 4:13.
Going for formal, informal and
what shall we wear? For after all
these things the Gentiles seek. For
your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. But seek
first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you. Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about its
own things. Sufficient for the day
is its own trouble.”
The above Bible passage tells
that Jesus was concerned about the
heavenly kingdom. People cannot
leave the teachings of Jesus and
go for the teaching of Peter, Paul
or John.
There is need to firstly digest
Jesus’ teachings before any other
teaching. Some of those who
wrote books in the Bible were not
absolutely loyal to him; even some
betrayed him and were nowhere
to be found during Christ’s
tribulations.
Some in their books claimed the
cross was carried by another
person. Many of them did not
know Jesus very well. Their
contributions to the Scripture did
not portray them as Jesus’ elects.
Brethren I want to emphatically
In anything in life always give
room for God to fight for you.
Exodus 14:21-30 says: “And Moses
stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the Lord caused the sea to go
back by a strong east wind all that
night, and made the sea dry land
and waters were divided...But the
children of Israel walked upon the
dry land in the midst of the sea,
and the waters were a wall unto
them on their right hand and on
their left...Thus the Lord saved
Israel that day out of the hand of
the Egyptians, and Israel saw the
Egyptians dead upon the sea
shore”.
Take the case of the Amonites,
Moabites and the people of
Mount Sir. These people we called
the executive conspirators, even
though they are friends with each
other, but they have found a
common cause to be united. They
are the people that will conspire
together so as for you not to get to
your next level. They have decided
to come together because they are
not interested in your destiny and
progress.
They are bent on hindering your
progress at all cost. At your
non-formal trainings and courses
that will bring improved professional
performance. Becoming
resourceful and relevant through
constant attendance of conferences,
seminars and resources
that will help your ministerial
life. These must be continous and
consistent.
4. Update, Upgrade and Resourceful.
You must constantly learn, read
books and gather resources that
will help your progress in life and
ministry. You must not be a stale
minister, but a resourceful one.
5. Powerful Communicator.
Your pulpit ministry must be
growing. You must not only
preach, you must grow to become
a great communicator. Preachers
are many, communicators
are few.
Every church and ministry
growth almost always starts from
that of the pastor and leader.
When growth stops in the life of
pastors, decay will surely start in
the churches.
Living for Growth
Growth! - Its sound alone makes
you jump within Growth - The
epitome of life and living. The
only evidence of life in the human
heart God has never grown,
but authorizes growth in all.
The end result of doing something
right.
inform you that those that do not
worry about what they shall eat,
drink or wear normally get all
these things with ease.
This is based on the experience
gathered in the course of my
pastoral activities. I do not worry
about worldly things, all I care
about in my words and deeds is
the need to make heaven and it is
real.
A lot of pastors and heads of
churches do not preach about
heavenly kingdom but acquisition
of material and worldly things.
What is the teaching of Christ?
One of his teachings is that rich
people should sell all their
possession; give them to the poor
and follow him. Until the pastors
start preaching about this matter,
they are not preaching about
heavenly kingdom. This is because
many rich people acquired their
riches illegimately.
It is difficult for such people to
return their ill-gotten wealth. And
if this is not done, then the
preachers are not teaching the
truth but misleading them.
*For further inquiries call
08023020108; 08058110288
f a c e b o o k . c o m /
pastoroloruntimilehin.
breakdown zone, God will make
an open show of them.
II Chronicles 20:1-6 says: ”And
it came to pass after this also, that
the children of Moab, and the
children of Ammon,and with them
others beside the Ammonites came
against Jehoshaphat to battle
...And said, oh Lord God of our
father, art not thou God in heaven?
and rules not thou over all kingdoms
of the heaven? and in thine
hand is there not power and might,
so that none is able to withstand
thee?“
May I say this, do not be afraid
of what the enemy can do, all you
need to do is to get closer to God
and be very very prayerful. Whenever
anything unusual happens or
comes around you to disturb you,
get back to the control tower. Our
God is an unusual God, he will
use unusual things in an unusual
way to remove unusual problems
of your life. When you are
confronted with this type of battle,
all you need is get yourself
prepared for the great battles
ahead of you.
.Bamidele is General Overseer,
Christ Glorious Endtime Evangelical
Church, Lagos.
Pastor.bamidele@gmail.com

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 PAGE 39
WHEN you ask Chris
tians why Jesus came
into the world and died
on the cross, they will tell you
he had to die in order to offer
himself as a sacrifice for sins.
However, this is entirely different
from the reason Jesus gave
to his disciples.
He told them God is not interested
in sacrifices: he is only
interested in repentance: “Go
and learn what this means: ‘I
desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For
I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.” (Matthew
9:13).
At the end of his earthly ministry,
Jesus did not say he had to
go away in order to make a sacrifice
for sins. He said he had
to go away in order to send the
Holy Spirit: “I tell you the truth:
It is for your good that I am
going away. Unless I go away,
the Counselor will not come to
you; but if I go, I will send him
to you.” (John 16:7).
Redemptive
process
Why is the role of the Holy
Spirit so critical in the redemptive
process?
As a man, Jesus could only be
in one place at a time. This limits
the number of people he
could minister salvation to at
any given time. Not so, with the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can
be everywhere simultaneously.
He can minister salvation individually
and collectively.
Therefore, he is a more effective
minister of the new covenant.
But let there be no mistake: the
Spirit of Jesus is Jesus. The
spirit of a man is the man. The
Holy Spirit is Jesus in another
form. He is the spiritual Jesus
who transforms sons of men
into sons of God by systematically
feeding us with the bread
The blood of Jesus is the Holy Spirit (2)
of life:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and
where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty. But we all, with
unveiled face, beholding as in
a mirror the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the
same image from glory to glory,
just as by the Spirit of the
Lord.” (II Corinthians 3:17-18).
This is the charge of the Holy
Spirit. Jesus says: “When he,
the Spirit of truth, comes, he
will guide you into all truth.”
(John 16:13). “The Counselor,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will
teach you all things and will
remind you of everything I
have said to you.” (John 14:25-
26).
The
out-pouring
Jesus provides us with a symbol
of the coming of the Holy
Spirit by drinking wine with his
disciples at the Last Supper.
He poured wine into one cup
and said to them: “Drink from
it, all of you; for this is my blood
of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for forgiveness
of sins.” (Matthew
26:27-28).
Many presume he was referring
to the out-pouring of blood
from his body on the cross of
Calvary. However, Jesus would
not ask his disciples to drink
The out-pouring
of the blood of the
new covenant
took place at the
Pentecost and not
at Calvary
his natural blood, something
forbidden in the Law of Moses.
The blood of sacrificial animals
is not drunk by sinners;
but the Holy Spirit is new wine.
The Holy Spirit is the blood of the
covenant that Jesus poured out
symbolically at the Last Supper.
The actual out-pouring ultimately
took place at the Pentecost and not
at Calvary. That outpouring was
not merely a historical event, as
was the case at Calvary. On the
contrary, the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit operates in the present
continuous and has continued
since the Pentecost to this very day.
It occurs every time we invite Jesus
into our hearts and the Holy
Spirit either comes to dwell in us
or to refill us again with himself.
Peter told onlookers at Pentecost
that what they were witnessing was
the out-pouring of the Spirit of
Jesus Christ: “God has raised this
Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses
of the fact. Exalted to the
right hand of God, he has received
from the Father the promised Holy
Spirit and has poured out what you
now see and hear.” (Acts 2:32-33).
This fulfilled the prophecy of Joel:
“Afterward, I will pour out my
Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your old
men will dream dreams, your
young men will see visions. Even
on my servants, both men and
women, I will pour out my Spirit
in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29).
New
Covenant
Jesus prayed that those who believe
in him should be at one with
God: “My prayer is not for them
alone. I pray also for those who
will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be
one, Father, just as you are in me
and I am in you. May they also be
in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. I have
given them the glory that you gave
me, that they may be one as we
are one. (John 17:20-22).
This prayer is answered through
the process whereby the Holy
Spirit of God comes down to indwell
every true believer. By this
answered prayer, Jesus became:
“the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the sprinkled blood that
speaks a better word than the
blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:24).
Again, the blood that is sprinkled
on believers and the blood that
speaks a better word is none other
than the Holy Spirit.
The blood of Abel spoke of vengeance
and judgment: “And he said,
"What have you done? The voice
of your brother's blood cries out
to me from the ground. So now
you are cursed from the earth,
which has opened its mouth to receive
your brother's blood from
your hand.” (Genesis 4:10-11).
The Holy Spirit, on the other
hand, speaks in our hearts the love
and mercy of God.
Therefore, we are counseled: “See
to it that you do not refuse him
who speaks.” (Hebrews 12:25).
“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, by whom you were sealed for
the day of redemption.” (Ephesians
4:30).
With the Holy Spirit at work in
us, God fulfils his promise of the
new covenant: “I will cleanse you
from all your impurities and from
all your idols. I will give you a new
heart and put a new spirit in you”
(Ezekiel 36:25-26).
“‘The time is coming,’ declares the
LORD, ‘when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah. It
will not be like the covenant I
made with their forefathers when
I took them by the hand to lead
them out of Egypt, because they
broke my covenant, though I was
a husband to them,’ declares the
LORD. ‘This is the covenant I will
make with the house of Israel after
that time,’ declares the LORD.
‘I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts. I will
be their God, and they will be my
people.’” (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
Unlike under the old covenant
where God wrote his commandments
on a tablet of stone; under
the new covenant, God’s commandments
are written: “Not with
ink but with the Spirit of the living
God, not on tablets of stone
but on tablets of human hearts.”
(II Corinthians 3:3).
CONTINUED
As God Promised (1)
II CORINTHIANS 1:20 states,
“For all the promises of God in him
are yea, and in him Amen, unto the
glory of God by us”
Definite, positive, sure and certain
are the promises of God and all of
them are well est-ablished in and
through Him. The promises are yea
with respect to God’s capacity and
amen, with respect to men who
believe the promises. They are also
yea with respect to the clergies and
apostles; and amen, with respect to
their hearers. God is true and real,
therefore I want you to understand
that every of His promise is true;
and accordingly each must have its
due fulfillment.
So, beloved, henceforth cry no
more for help is ever presence from
the Lord for you for the promises
have gone out of His mouth and will
not return void until they
accomplished the purpose by which
they were given. If God is standing
by you in all that you are involved in
or do, you shouldn’t worry about
anything again. What you ought to
do is just to put your trust and
confidence in Him for He will never
dis-appoint you. You should not be
afraid of the enemies or adverse
situations you found yourself for the
battle is not yours but God’s. What
you ought to do is to take it to the
Lord, remind Him of His words and
be assured, He will fight for you.
Understand that whether these
promises are in the old or new
testaments, whether they were made
to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David,
the pro-phets, or the Apostles, and
etc, they all belong to you.
Isaiah 55:11 say, “So shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth: it shall not return unto me
void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper
in the thing whereto I sent it”. God
is not a mortal being that could be
caught in falsity. Whatever He says
He also ensures it is fulfilled. The
power to fulfill His promises is never
diminished. If we remind Him
constantly of His words He will
surely fulfill them.
God’s promises will never fail
because He is the all sufficient God
who does not lack anything. His
resources are inexhaustible and He
is the Almighty. He is not a man that
can lie or change, He keeps His
promises. His truth and faithfulness
are a shield and buckler. We should
therefore believe His promises and
lay claim to them in every areas of
our lives. This is so much the reason
we should acquaint ourselves with
the Scriptures so as to identify these
promises and claim them in our
times of need.
All the promises contained in the
Bible are guaranteed and cannot
fail. These promises are over 8,000,
and they are left to you to try to
identify and claim them. I am
assuring you that if you do this,
happy shall you be. But remember
that God must be approached
according to His laid down
principles so that you can obtain a
hearing from Him. When you are
asking for His promises to be
fulfilled in your life, you must show
Him how small you are and how
great He is. You must acknowledge
before Him how limited you are in
everything and how unlimited He
God’s promises will
never fail because He is
the all sufficient
God who does
not lack
anything
is in supplying all your needs.
Whatever is it that is your need, by
prayer and definite requests with
thanksgiving make your wants
known to Him. And believe He has
done it and thank Him for answering
your prayers and the Lord on His
part will have no option than to
answer because of the faith, trust and
confidence exhibited in Him.
Joshua 18:3 says, “And Joshua said
unto the children of Israel, How long
are ye slack to go to possess the land,
which the LORD God of your fathers
hath given you?
Beloved, how long shall you delay
to claim all these promises that
belong to you for those who know
their God shall be strong and do
exploits. They shall be strengthened
by the fact that God’s promises to
them shall not fail.
Matthew 7:7-8,11 says, “Ask, and
it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you: 8For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened”. Verse
11 says, “If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall
your Father which is in heaven give
good things to them that ask him?”
If you ask according to His will,
the good Lord will take away your
sickness; He will cause your thirst
and hunger to quench. He will bring
back your runaway husband or wife,
remove the strange women or men
in your matri-monial home, provide
for you, deal with your enemies and
give victory to you in all frontiers of
war in Jesus name!
Beloved, the assurance of
receiving are there before us,
therefore, let us all endeavour to
claim all these promises of God that
are scattered all over the Bible and
obtain unspeakable joy. Now is the
time and never be slow to claim what
belongs to you. As He has promised,
so He shall do it for us in Jesus name!
But if you are a sinner or have
backslidden, I advise you that before
you begin to think of claiming the
promises of God as He has
promised, you must confess and
forsake your sins unto the Lord and
surrender your life unconditionally
to the Almighty God while
promising Him that you will never
go back to the world again. Once
this is done, you are expected to
maintain your new life by living a
Christ-like life, for it is only then and
then only shall you be entitled to lay
hold of the promises of God
scattered all over the Holy Bible. I
want to let you know that the
goodness of the Father is the
inheritance of the Children. A
bastard or stranger cannot lay claim
to it except he or she is adopted. So,
I implore you to be a child of God
so that all good things shall be
added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you”. Christian
faith and obedience in
righteousness lead to divine
prosperity. Before you ever begin to
claim God’s promises as He has
promised, you must first look for the
kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and then all other
things like healing, breakthrough,
deliverance, employment,
fruitfulness, etc, shall be your
portion.
Chosen holds
crusade
T
HE Lord's Chosen Charismatic
Revival Movement holds a
power packed special intern-ational
programme entitled, ‘God's Blessing
for higher level' on September 23-
24, 2017 at its Re-vival Ground,
along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway,
Ijesha, Lagos at 8.00 a.m. daily.
A statement signed by the church's
PRO, Pastor Louis Chidi said the
interdenominational crusade which
will be addressed by the General
Overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, is
meant not only to re-store upon man
God’s blessings for higher level and
reposition him to his height at
creation, but more importantly to
strengthen his grace to have control
and do-minion over his economic,
political and social environment.

PAGE 40—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
I forfeited being the
Rector of a Federal
Government institution
— Oba Babalola, Onitaji
of Itaji
BY BASHIR ADEFAKA
Oba Idowu Adamo Babalola will
never forget the Nigeria of his
days where academic brilliance
and hard work was not only appreciated
but also duly compensated. It reminds
him of his sponsorship by the University
of Ibadan following his success at the
prelim exam to study in the nation’s
premier university and also by the
Federal Government to Canada for his
masters. The sciences and
mathematics teacher of the old spoke
to Sunday Vanguard Royalty in his Itaji
– Ekiti palace.
Kabiyesi had expected his guest on
Friday, August 19 but road situation in
Ekiti from the Osun border would
require a man working on his health to
take things easy. Hence the meeting did
not take place until the following
morning.
Protocol demands that the Onitaji
would not come out of Iyewu (his palace
flat) to attend to visitors until 10am. But
his media visitor arrived at the palace
at 6.30am and requested to see the Oba,
who was once Vice President-General,
Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs (NSCIA), South West, during the
era of the 19th Sultan of Sokoto and
President-General of the NSCIA, Alhaji
Muhammadu Maccido.
“If not because you said you are from
Lagos, Kabiyesi does not come out to
attend to visitors until 10am,” a female
palace official said.
What is more? It was the wonderful
discovery about the way the Oba
handles his day from the time he rises
from bed in the morning to the time he
retires to bed in the night, which was a
major point the reporter’s deliberate
breaking of protocol to arrive as early
as 6.30am wanted to achieve. At the time
of arrival, the king was already in the
mosque, having observed Solatul-Subhi
(early morning worship) and was now
seated supplicating to Allah.
That became an issue of interest to
the journalist who inquired to know why
an Oba in a state like Ekiti dominated
by Christians and pagans could be so
committed to Allah being that many
kings have arrogated to themselves the
attribute of God.
“Who am I under the power of Allah?
I am only here as Oba on trust from my
Lord to be in control of the affairs of my
people. I will be held accountable for
how I handle the trust and that is why I
have to be prayerful at all times and
don’t have to – for once – distance myself
from the worship of Allah. So, no Oba
must consider himself above the
worship of Allah because, whether
Muslim, Christian or pagan, he is Oba,
first and foremost, because Allah made
him to be and He (Allah) alone can make
him a successful Oba and He alone can
remove him if He so wills,” the Onitaji
said once he emerged from the palace
mosque to receive his visitor.
Me and my kingdom
Sitting down to talk, Oba Babalola,
in a relaxed mood, explained some
points to his guest about himself
and his kingdom.
“I was born over 70 years ago.
The year of birth I had in school
is 1944 meaning that I am 73
years old but I don’t know
precisely my date of birth.”
About growing up, he said, “I
was born in Itaji, had my primary
Who am I under the
power of Allah? I am
only here as Oba on
trust from my Lord to
be in control of the
affairs of my people. I
will be held accountable
for how I handle the
trust and that is why I
have to be prayerful at
all times and don’t have
to – for once – distance
myself from the worship
of Allah
education in Oye, my secondary
education at Ayede Grammar School
and then proceeded to University of
Ibadan for my tertiary education and
graduated in1970.
“Being the only one that indicated
interest in teaching, after graduation in
Ibadan in
June 1970, I was posted to Ansar-Ud-
Deen College, Ikole, in the days of
Western Region, as a teacher of sciences
and mathematics. So, I never had
problem seeking employment.
“There were many schools wanting to
have me but Ikole became important
because Ansar-Ud-Deen College Ikole
had agreed to sponsor me to the
university if I passed my prelim exam.
But when I passed my prelim and result
was out, the University of Ibadan itself
•Oba Babalola
gave me scholarship, so I was in Ibadan
as a university scholar.
“That scholarship by the University
of Ibadan therefore made it impossible
for Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Ikole to be
responsible for my university education
sponsorship as agreed. But because they
wanted me to come to them at all costs,
after my university education, they then
started giving me pocket money, which
I was then using to train my younger
siblings. The first money they gave me
was 25 pounds for book allowance.”
Oba Babalola continued, “I built all
the sciences facilities: Chemistry,
physics and biology and mathematics
as teacher of same in Ansar-Ud-Deen
College, Ikole, and ensured that they
were all approved. I later taught
mathematics at Egbe-Oba Ekiti before
I left teaching three years after and
moved to the Federal Ministry of Works
in 1974.”
His Majesty did not say how far he
had gone in the Federal Civil Service
before retiring but he said, “I could have
become the Rector of the Federal School
of Survey, Oyo. I turned it down because
I was due for the obaship of Itaji.
“I was in the Federal Civil Service
from 1974 until I resigned in 1984
prelude to my ascension of the throne
in 1985”, he stated.
“While in the Federal Ministry of
Works, the Federal Government
sponsored me for my master’s degree
in Canada.
“But let me ask: is there any Nigerian
state or government establishment that
still sponsors the staff to further their
studies like it happened in our own
time? In our time, there was government
and not leadership tussle”.
Festivals
On the festivals celebrated in Itaji, he
said, “We have many festivals here in
Itaji but I will talk about the most
celebrated, the Oloa festival also known
as Agunlele. It is the main festival of
Itaji that sons, daughters and friends
come from wide and near to celebrate”
On how Oloa is celebrated, the
monarch said, “One month
to the festival, some women,
specially selected, will start
prayers for the success of the
festival. On the eve of the
festival, princes will dance
round the town. That is the
night those princes and other
members of the kingdom
community would be judged by
a panel of chiefs, called the
Igbo, to determine who among
them is good or bad; who
among the princes is
a womanizer or has
bad character.
That arrangement
by the Igbo team is
Itaji customary way
of getting people to
be self-disciplined.”
Oba Babalola said
the panel is
independent and
has authority to
carry out its duty
without interference
either from the king
or anybody else.
“I know nothing
about how the
judgment of those
princes is planned.
It is only the Igbo
team that know.
They are the ones
who would have
done a thorough
research to identify
who is good or bad.
But they must come
to me as Oba early in the morning of
the festival day to give the outcome of
their investigation regarding which
prince has bad or good character and I,
bound by the customs and tradition of
the land, have no power to influence
the judgment and that goes to the point
when the outcome of their findings will
be announced at a gathering of all the
natives in morning of the festival day.
“After that day of announcement of who
is bad, however, you don’t hear that
information anywhere again. It ends on
that day. And no one ever opposes the
decision of the Igbo panel because doing
so has consequences. There was a
man, very close friend of mine, who
opposed and wanted me to influence
the decision of the panel and I could
not come out because, for seven days
before the festival, I don’t come out. For
opposing that judgment, he faced
consequences. How it happens, I don’t
know. Note that for the seven days that
I don’t come out, there are Elegbe and
chiefs meetings going on in the palace.
“Part of the way the festival is
celebrated is that, on the day, there is
Igbo Egun (Egun Forest), which was
the settlement of the Onitaji a long time
ago. There is a traditional priest in
charge of the rites and he goes to that
Igbo Egun only with a ram in the
morning while dance is going on in the
palace. The ram does not come to palace
but is provided by the palace for the
ritual. Then the
chiefs and people of the town, after
the Igbo Egun ritual, will converge on
the Onitaji palace and the Onitaji prays
for them all and that marks the end of
the festival.
Coping as Muslim Oba
“The Oloa is taken care of not by me
but by Oba l’Egun on behalf of the
Onitaji. I don’t prevent my people
from carrying out their rites according
to their beliefs but they too don’t tamper
with my rights to my religious practice
and beliefs. But I take care of all by
feeding them and meeting all the
expenses.”

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 41
Buhari tasks military on scientific ways
of dealing with security challenges
By Ben Agande &
Johnbosco Agbakwuru
PRESIDENT Muhammadu
Buhari has advised
officers and men of the Nigerian
Armed Forces to explore
more scientific ways of
dealing with current security
challenges in the country.
The President, who gave
the advice on Saturday at the
combined passing out
parade of Regular set 64 and
65 as well as Course 44 of
the Short Service, Nigerian
Defence Academy, NDA,
Kaduna, urged the military
to keep faith with democracy
President Buhari, who
was represented at the
occasion by Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo, told the
military to redidcate
themselves to their oath to
the nation, keep faith with
democracy and help sustain
it.
According to him, “the
world has changed a great
deal in the time since
today’s graduating classes
enrolled into the NDA. The
threats that confront us a
nation and as a planet have
evolved and continue to
evolve. It feels like yesterday
when the earliest highprofile
Boko Haram suicide
bombings happened in
Nigeria.
“If I recall correctly the
bombing of the Police Headquarters
in Abuja was the
first major incident to hit the
national consciousness. It
was a surreal moment,
something that no one associated
with Nigeria. And
again very quickly we
started to see a trend of
female suicide bombers.
"This swift evolution in
suicide bombings is a
perfect illustration of the
nature of the threats that
nations face today. This is
therefore the question we
ought to be asking ourselves:
are our Armed Forces
evolving with a similar speed
and urgency?"He then
commended "the management
of the NDA for your
efforts so far in adapting
your curriculum and programmes
to contemporary
realities. "I have been told
of the recent paradigm shift
in the Academy’s training
calendar, such that Naval
and Air Force cadets now
spend only four years in the
Academy and then move to
their respective bases, in
place of the old system that
saw them spend all five years
in the Academy.
"Let me say that I am
pleased to note that the
NDA has been positioning
itself as a hub for innovation.
I am already aware of
inventions such as an
Automated Pop-Up Target
System, a Multi-Purpose
Combat Mobile Robot, and
a Perimeter Surveillance
Robot, which the NDA has
showcased at various science
and technology exhibitions
in the recent past.
"This is laudable and I
urge you to sustain the
culture. I would also like to
urge you to collaborate more
extensively with the private
sector, for research and innovation".
689 cadets graduated at
the event, which was attended
by Service Chiefs,
Governors and traditional
rulers among others.
HERDSMEN: Falae laments
herdsmen’s incessant attacks
...praises Fayose’s ‘bold moves’
Former presidential candidate
of Alliance for Democracy
(AD) and Secretary to the
Government of the Federation
(SGF), Olu Falae, yesterday,
praised the courage of
Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti
State to stop the activities
of herdsmen.
Describing the herdsmen
menace in the nation as
worse than the ethnic agitation
of the Indigenous People’s
of Biafra (IPOB) and the
Niger Delta unrest, positing
that the herdsmen’s activities
could dis-intergrate the nation
should the government
fail to urgently tame it.
The ex-Minister for Finance,
who had been kidnapped
on his farm by the
herdsmen and later released
through efforts of security
operatives, made the remarks
in Akure.
According to a press statement
by Fayose’s Chief Press
Secretary, Idowu Adelusi.
Falae condemned the activities
of the herdsmen which he
claimed could cause disintegration
of the country and
confessed that he has been
regularly attacked, harassed
by the herdsmen on his farm.
He lamented that over 500
cattle invaded his farm, last
Friday, saying the activities of
the herdsmen was a security
threat to our nation.
Falae also praised the ‘bold
step’ taken by Fayose at enacting
anti-grazing laws, saying
that the urgent implementation
of the laws has put
paid to unwholesome activities
of the herdsmen in Ekiti
State. He therefore advised
other governors to emulate
governor Fayose and free
their people from the jaws of
the herdsmen.
Speaking also about the
recent repeat of coming tops
in the National Examination
Council (NECO) by Ekiti
State, Falae congratulated
Governor Fayose, saying: “
he (Fayose) has returned water
to the dried fountain
through bold steps taken to
turn around the education industry
in the state”
Also speaking on the Governor,
Falae said that during
the burial of late Major General
Adeyinka Adebayo, ‘I
went round the state and saw
gigantic ongoing projects
such as the Fly-over, Ado-Ikere
dualized road, the new
governor’s office, the new
high court complex and the
new ultra-modern Oja Oba
market and I concluded that
this young man is performing.
I give kudos to him.”
His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri and his new chiefs after their
inauguration yesterday.
The new chiefs paying homage to Ogiame Ikenwoli. Photos by Akpokona Omafuaire.
Olu of Warri calls for unity of Niger Delta
By Akpokona
Omafuaire, Warri
THE Olu of Warri, His
Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli,
has called on Niger Delta
neighbours to unite in order
to derive maximum benefit
from their God-given natural
resources.
Ogiame made the call yesterday
while inaugurating new
chiefs at his Aghofen palace.
According to the Warri monarch,
"We (Itsekiri people) are
Ekweremadu, ENSIEC commend PDP for peaceful LG
primaries
THE Enugu State
Independent Electoral
Commission (ENSIEC) has
described the Local
Government primary election
of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) in the State as
peaceful and in compliance
with the electoral guidelines
of the party.
In the same vein, Deputy
President of the Senate,
Senator Ike Ekweremadu,
has commended the peaceful
conduct of the exercise.
Ekweremadu also assured
that the ongoing constitution
amendment exercise would
address challenges facing
Local Governments across the
nation.
The Senator, who
monitored the exercise in the
five Local Governments of
Enugu West in company of
Member representing Aninri-
Awgu-Oji Federal
Constituency, Hon. Toby
Okechukwu, and Member
representing Udi-Ezeagu
Federal Constituency, Hon
Dennis Amadi, among others,
said the overwhelming
acceptance of the results of the
primaries by party faithful
was not only an indication of
the popularity of the winners,
but also the readiness of the
PDP to make a clean sweep in
the forthcoming council
election in the District.
Speaking at the PDP
primary election in Udenu
Local Government Area,
which was attended by
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,
the Chairman of ENSIEC,
Chief Mike Ajogwu (SAN),
who led a delegation of the
commission to monitor the
exercise, appreciated the large
turnout of party faithful as well
as their conportment and
adequate security provided.
Chief Ajogwu noted that the
commission, in keeping with
the electoral act, dispatched
its officials to the 17 Local
Government Areas of the
State to monitor the exercise,
expressing satisfaction that the
reports gathered clearly
indicate that the PDP LG
primaries were transparent
and peaceful.
Also speaking, the
peaceful and accommodating.
We love our neighbours.
Let's fight for one another and
then others will see our
strength. "Let the Ijaw man
fight for Itsekiri man, let the
Ijaw man fight for the Urhobo
man, let the Isoko man fight
for the Ndokwa man.
"Invite us for your programme,
when others see us
together then they will realize
we are one people and that we
are not fighting ourselves.
Chairman of the Electoral
Committee from the
National Secretariat of the
PDP, Hon. Ndubuisi Nwobu,
commended the State Party
leadership and Gov.
Ugwuanyi for “the way and
manner the exercise was
conducted”, adding that the
feat will “be highly
recommended to other states
to emulate”.
Why we proscribed IPOB — S/East Govs
Continued from page 6
Owie, in a statement,
yesterday, said that the Buhari
administration was not
walking the way of justice and
equity; otherwise, it should
immediately declare Fulani
herdsmen, who have
continued to kill and maim
innocent Nigerians in the north
central and southern parts of
Nigeria, as a terrorist group.
He, therefore, counseled that
government should be just and
equitable in order to please
God and man, stressing that if
they are not, they do not only
become irresponsible, but also,
history would not forgive their
imprudence and posterity will
judge their mistakes.
Nnamdi Kanu on his own -
Okorocha
Also reacting to the IPOB
resistance of the military,
Governor Rochas Okorocha,
yesterday, said that no
reasonable Igboman would
support secession, adding that
Nnamdi Kanu should be
treated as a single individual.
Okorocha, speaking in
Owerri at the New Yam
Festival organized by Imo
State Council of Traditional
Rulers, said that everyone that
loves Ndigbo had condemned
"We must let the world know
that we are one and they will be
afraid to fight us. Our problem
is divide and rule hence outsiders
are (short-changing us)
"All the marginal fields and
oil wells are owned by others,
but if we unite then we will benefit.
Let's unite and live peacefully."
The Olu took a swipe at
some of the Itsekiri political
class who failed in developing
the area when they had the opportunity.
He stated that greed and selfishness
are the major plagues
bedevilling his kingdom and
called for a change of attitude.
The new chiefs are: Chief
Olivia Agbajoh, Oyewumi of
Warri kingdom; Chief Robinson
Ariyo, Egogo-Iwere of Warri
kingdom; and Chief Amanoritsewor
Atiwa, Otsoro of
Warri kingdom.
Chief Agbajoh thanked the
Olu for the honour done her
and promised to use the title
for development of Itsekiri and
Nigeria.
New executive for Ikpide-Irri Progressive Union
the activities of IPOB.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba
Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who
attended the function,
however, said he would not
condemn the IPOB elements but
would rather ask that they be
made to channel their energy
positively, adding that he was
passionate about the unity of the
nation.
IKPIDE-Irri Progressive
Union (IPU) in Isoko South
Local Government Area of Delta
State, Saturday, August 26,
2017 held its Annual General
Meeting (nationwide) at Ikpide-
Irri Town Hall, where the Returning
Officer, Mr. Solomon Okperi;
Mr. Abel Ogbogbo and Mr.
Actor Etoroma (members) conducted
an election. At the end,
the following officers were elected
to pilot the affairs of the
Union for the next three years:
Mr. Michael Omojefe (President-General),
Mr. John Asieba
(Vice President-General), Mr.
Ukpethu Samuel (Secretary-
General), Mr. Udezi Fredrick
Godspower (Asst. Secretary-
General), Mr. Lawson Ewoma
(Financial Secretary), Mr.
Favour Udezi (Treasurer), Mr.
John Ukpethu (Spokesman),
Adedoyin sues for peace
The President of Oduduwa
University, Dr. Rahmon Adedoyin,
condemned alleged attack on
Kanu’s house.
Adedoyin, in a statement,
appealed to groups and
individuals dissatisfied with the
structure of Nigeria to exercise
restraint and tread the path of
dialogue in order to save the
country from the experiences of
the last civil war.
Mr. Festus Ukpowe (Asst. Spokesman),
Mr. Erick Odi (Youth Leader).
Messrs Actor Etoroma and
Endurance Mazoje were appointed
as Internal Auditors to
audit the outgoing administration.
In his acceptance speech,
the new President-General,
thanked all the past executives
and the entire community members
for their support and prayed
for God’s wisdom and guidance
for success.

Page 42— SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17 , 2017
ANAMBRA
We need a leader who can clear the errors of
the past three years – Aroh, former Commissioner
Dr. Edozie Aroh is a former
Commissioner in Anambra State.
In this interview, Aroh speaks
about governance in the state and what
is required of anyone aspiring to be the next
governor.
You served the administrations of Mr.
Peter Obi and Governor Willie Obiano
respectively. Could you relive some
of memories of those days?
Yes, I served in the government of Mr. Peter
Obi and briefly in that of Chief Willie
Obiano. When all deductions are made
and, on balance, the difference is
unimaginably clear. Obi came into
government fully made and prepared for
the job. His successor owes him a verdict
of excellence. He wanted the best for
Anambra; he went for the best in his
choice of those that would work with him
and he pushed everybody so hard that
he attained the height no other state
governor has attained in Nigeria.
In all honesty, the moment Obi left
government in Anambra, government lost
steam. It is not the fault of the man that
is there now, but the people of the state
appear, rightly or wrongly, to be at home
with Obi’s style of leadership.
If you have to choose from among those
contesting to be governor of the state in
the next election, who will you go for?
This is incontestable. Anambra people are
all behind Mr. Oseloka Obaze not for what
he promises to be, but for what he is.
How do you mean?
Mr. Obaze is a man that justifies the
saying that “The Taste of the Pudding is
in the Eating”. Among Anambra people,
•Aroh
he is known and seen as a man with
finesse; experienced and imbued with
integrity and honour to be entrusted
with governance. Some say it is because
they hear others say so, but for people
like me that worked with him, I assure
you that the best Anambra can have in
the four years is the coming of Obaze
as governor.
Well-educated, widely-exposed,
contented and hardworking, he has
consistently been an asset to geo-entities,
organizations and individuals he has
worked or is associated with. He is a
man of principle and exhibits the
highest sense of duty, professionalism
and decorum at all times.
The former Gov. of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Ibi (left), and the Catholic
Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor(right), at the 2017
Annual Seminar of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, Awka Diocese,
at the Retreat Centre, Okpuno, yesterday
Peace and Reconciliatory meeting between former Governor of Delta
State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Prof Pat Utomi, an APC
governorship aspirant. Meeting was brokered by Bishop Hassan Kukah
at the Kukah Centre, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Festus Ahon
In fact, when he joined the
administration of Mr. Peter Obi,
many members of the Executive Council
did not understand him initially, but
steadily we came to respect him as we
observed his pre - occupation with
rendering service to the people. Such
was his rating that whenever the then
Governor Obi was to set up a
committee, the entire ExCo - even
before the governor spoke - would
exclaim: “Let OHO head it!” Why? He
is the kind of person that you give any
assignment and be assured he will
deliver even beyond expectations.
Several times on the floor of the ExCo
meeting, Mr. Peter Obi – you know his
attitude to transparency and
accountability - would read out
Oseloka’s report, inclusive of the
expenditures involved, after a
particular assignment. On one
occasion, he photocopied one of those
statements and – without any comment
- gave to the rest of us to read. At
the next ExCo meeting, Mr. Obi asked
for our comments about the accounts.
Everybody that read it recommended an
award for him. Eventually, Obi told us
that he wanted us to read the report for
us to see how clear an account is supposed
to be. Being the person Obi is, he even
pointed to us instances Obaze returned
money, in circumstances where some
people will not see any reason for that.
It did not happen once or twice, that
was his habitual practice.
This is why many of us insist that for
Anambra to move forward and rediscover
itself by correcting the legion
of errors of the last three years, we need
Oseloka Obaze to be the governor.
Group canvasses support for Okowa
The Like Minds, a socio-political group based
in Aniocha North Local Government Area
of Delta State have appealed to Deltans to
continue to support the administration of Governor
ifeanyi Okowa, saying Governor Okowa in the
last two years has demonstrated uncommon
goodwill in the distribution of infrastructural
development in the State.
In a statement jointly signed by Amaechi Udemba
and Kingsley Azu, the group said such support
will strength Governor Okowa’s capacity to do
more for the people of the state despite the lean
resources accruable to the state. The statement
cautions against falsehood, saying instead of
following the path of self-degradation by spreading
falsehoods on the developmental achievements
Customs in PH rakes in N2.98bn
By Udeme Clement
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Area 1
Command Port Harcourt, has realised
N2.98billion in its revenue generation for the month
of August, 2017. The Command also surpassed its
revenue target in the same period with N300million.
The Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command,
Comptroller Kabiru. Isiyaku, disclosed this in a
document signed and made available to Vanguard
by the Public Relations Officer of the Command,
Okwara Ngozi. explained that despite the challenge
of low importation to the port under the coverage of
the Command, revenue collection has not declined.
She said, “The statutory function of this Command
is collection of revenue through import/excise duties
as well as other taxes, and accounting for same. In
spite of low activity of work force in the Command
as it relates to generation of revenue, the CAC has
not relented on his stride to motivate officers
positively in other areas. This includes in-house
capacity building programmes for officers due to
mass transfer from Enforcement Unit to the port, in
I say so with the highest sense of
responsibility. Do you know that unlike in
Peter Obi’s time, contractors in Anambra
today are owed over N100 billion with
the effect that no meaningful progress is
being recorded, as they want to be paid
what is due to them rather than take on any
fresh work and be lured into further financial
quagmire? From being a debt-free state on
its assumption of office in 2014, the current
administration has plunged Anambra into
over N80 billion debt. What happened to
the money Peter Obi saved for the state?
Is it still intact or frittered away? How many
abandoned projects have been completed
in three years? These are some of the
pertinent questions the people of Anambra
must ask and get clear answers to.
Have you heard of any personal contact
with Obaze beyond the ExCo
environment?
Severally. I have served on many committees
with him. Let me share one of the
experiences I had with him: I was in his
office when an aide to Governor Obi
came to request that he should do
something as directed by His Excellency.
Incredibly, he sent the aide back after
explaining to him that the thing could not
be done the way His Excellency wanted it.
With a wonderful gift of putting people at
ease, he said to the aide something like:
“It is not for you to tell him; I am coming
right now to explain things to him”. This
shows you that he does not compromise
principles even in the face of odds. This is
the type of man we want now.
If he becomes governor, what agenda
would you set for him?
I have read his manifesto – which you
should also read - and you can discern
that he has already set an agenda for
himself. He is abreast of the situation in
all sectors of the state and is prepared to
tackle the challenges.
Among other assignments, Obaze headed
a committee to tackle the 2012 flood disaster
in parts of the state. The Anglican Bishop
of Mbamili, Henry Okeke - whose diocese
was badly hit and who worked with
Obaze on the emergency - expressed
amazement at his sense of work and duty
and had to voice it out. That is one of
several testimonials for Obaze across the
state.
of the Okowa’s administration, such energy
should be channelled into productive ventures .
The group said the job creation scheme of the
Delta State government which has provided over
2,300 jobs is open to all irrespective of political
leanings. It therefore advises those who take
delight in spreading falsehoods to desist, saying
telling lies as a way of opposition cannot produce
any positive results.
It condemns the activities of some persons who
in the couple of weeks have formed the habits of
removing the signposts of the State Ministry of
Works from an already completed and
commissioned road projects ,only to place the
sign-posts on yet to be tarred roads, just to give
the wrong impression that the State Government
is not performing.
order to ensure maximum revenue
collection as well as blockage of revenue
leakages in the Command. Since the
arrival of Comptroller Isiyaku, the
Command has improved tremendously
on its revenue collection and
operational efficiency”.
She added, “Other projects embarked
upon by the CAC include renovation of
dilapidated building and offices to
enhance a conducive working
environment and provision of
medicament at the Command’s clinic
for the well being of officers”.
In the same vein, the CAC attributed
the success recorded by his Command
to the focus and drive of officers, to
achieve the targets given by the top
Customs management. “My mandate
by CGC Hameed Ali is to ensure that
the Command adheres to the core
values of the Service in all ramifications”,
he said.

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 43
EDITED BY OSA AMADI
osaamadi@yahoo.com
08033751682
2017: MUSON festival of artistic feat
By Chris Onuoha
The 21 st MUSON
Festival of the Arts,
2017 edition has been
slated to kick off on October
18 with series of activities
billed to make the annual
anniversary of the prestigious
music school a memorable
one.
On Wednesday October 18,
there will be MusicQuest/
Youth Concert, a competition
that provides a platform of
self-expression for the young
budding artistes categorised
into three; Pianoforte, Voice
and other Instruments. My
Kind of Music, scheduled for
Thursday, October 19 will be
featuring a member of the
diplomatic community in
Nigeria and a great friend of
MUSON, Mr Ingo Herbert,
German Consul-General and
three Nigerians who have
distinguished themselves in
their chosen areas of
endeavour: Mrs Opunimi
Akinkugbe, CEO Bestman
Games; former Banker, Mrs
Bolanle Austen-Peters,
Lawyer and CEO BAP
Productions and Pastor Ituah
How many of our
compatriots in
today’s Nigeria
would take the time to find a
holistic solution to the
nation’s broad problems or
explore themes, ideas and
ethics within the Nigerian
context, with a view to
providing suggestions on
how to rightly lead Nigeria?
It requires enthusiasm,
patriotism and deep courage
for anyone to find the
commitment and time to
write about leadership and
governance in Nigeria.
Ikechukwu Philip Ejiofor’s
Leading Right: Nigeria on
leadership, published by
Exclusive Edge, will make
serious revolutionary impact
on millions of people across
the country.
Indeed, Leading Right:
Nigeria, a-two-in-one book
made up of 579 pages cites
lack of understanding of
several dimensions of
leadership obligations by
politicians, poor political
leadership based on poor
value systems, principles,
political ideologies, financial
impropriety and corruption
as bane of leadership in
Nigeria, is a new addition to
leadership issues and
Ighodalo, Managing Partner
SIAO and Pastor-in Charge,
Trinity House. The guests will
be taken on a musical journey
through the memories,
experiences and life
philosophies.
Saturday October 21 will be
Chevron Festival Drama,The
Engagement written by Sefi
Atta, a story about a family at
odds on the day of their
daughter’s traditional
engagement ceremony to be
staged at the Agip Recital Hall
by the Jos Repertory Theatre,
directed by Dr. Patrick-Jude
Oteh.
Also, TOTAL Festival Gala
Concert will come up on
Sunday, October 22, featuring
the 45-man MUSON
Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by the virtuoso
Visiting Conductor Walter-
Michael Vollhardt and the 40-
man MUSON Choir,
conducted by its veteran
Conductor, Sir Emeka
Nwokedi.
MUSON Day, a special
members’ day, set aside to
mark the founding of the
Society is scheduled for
Wednesday, October 25. This
celebration, featuring a
concert followed by cocktails,
Repositioning leadership on
principles of democracy
By Ovie Edomi
knowledge that cannot be
brushed aside.
He defined “Political
Leadership as the selfless
sacrifice offered by those in
public service, who carefully
seek to bring the
fundamental principles of
democracy and human rights
to the citizens in fulfillment
of their socio-economic
needs.”
Writing about the Nigerian
state from the era when
federal system of
governance was adopted in
*Members of the anniversary committee during the briefing in Lagos
also serves as an interactive
forum for members, their
friends and families. For the
first time, this year’s
programme will feature a
special ceremony during
which new members will be
formally welcomed into the
Society.
Friday, October27 will take
the form of a Jazz Party
organised in collaboration
with the Winehouse Jazz
Family. It will be an evening
of Jazz music and partying to
the music of the Winehouse
1954 to the
restoration of
democracy in
1999, the author
argues that there
has been so much
concentration
a n d
centralisation of
resources and
power at the
center.
In Chapter the
author argues
that federalism
and good
governance are
designed to
bring the
fundamental
benefits of
leadership and
governance
closer to the citizens and
guarantee their freedom and
right to live peacefully.
The author explains the
consequences of the failure
of leadership and the
aftermath on the socioeconomic
and political
development of the nation in
chapter 5. He gave the
example of the Civil Service,
where there is no sense of
urgency and commitment
because the Civil Servants
have become complacent
and used to clichés like
“Government work no dey
Band, the MUSON School
Jazz Band and guest artistes.
The 21 st MUSON Festival
will come to a close on
Sunday 29 th October with an
enthralling performance of
the Opera: La fille du
Regiment by Donizetti,
directed by Nigeria’s ace
Opera Singer, Teacher and
Director, Joseph
Oparamanuike.
According to MUSON
CEO, Gboyegan Banjo
during the event briefing
in Lagos, “After last year’s
finish” ”Government work
no be your Papa
work”, ”Tomorrow is
another day”.
In Chapter 6 the author
examines the executive arm
of government and
extensively reviewed the
general approaches used by
different governments to
bring the fundamental
principles
of
democracy, directly to the
people, while Chapter 7
which is the beginning of
Volume Two focused on the
legislature, its composition
and structure at the federal
and state levels.
Chapter 8, which is about
the Judiciary, discusses the
ways the National Judicial
Council could maintain the
integrity of the bench. The
author describes the Civil
Service as the repository of
knowledge through which
strong public institutions of
reckoning could be built.
Chapter 10 calls on
professional journalists to
dissociate themselves from
political bias, political role,
political influence,
commercial priorities,
audience pressures,
audience appeal, audience,
and maintain value
principles that are essential
to fair reporting and
journalism.
In Chapter Eleven, the
role and participation of
citizens in the democratic
process with emphasis on
voting, membership of
political parties and
participating in governance
processes are discussed.
very elaborate and hugely
successful celebration of
our historic twentieth
anniversary, our focus now
is on how to ensure its long
term sustainability,
particularly under the
current challenging
economic climate in
Nigeria. We are gratified by
the fact that the festival has
over the past 20 years
established itself as unique
Nigeria culture and artistic
event.”
Where citizens refuse to
participate in the democratic
processes, the author argues,
leadership and democracy
suffer at the mercy of political
power grabbers.
Non-Governmental
Organizations were described
in the eleventh chapter, as
the mouthpiece of the
voiceless, and the unseen
arm of government. The
author referenced NGO’s that
play exceptional leadership
roles using the principles of
transparency and
accountability.
The last chapter, 13,
provides the summary and
suggestions of the author’s
mindset about how to “lead
right”. Some of the
suggestions proffered by the
author include: the need to
build correctional facilities in
the six geo-political zones
where deviant and corrupt
citizens will be incarcerated
to learn the invaluable
dignity in labour to reform
their characters and
encouragement of whistle
blowing and rewarding of
those who are bold enough to
blow the whistle against
social deviants in government
and our communities among
others.
All those who aspire to lead
the people at any level of
governance will certainly find
Ejiofor’s Leading Right:
Nigeria very useful.
Edomi, a Mass
Communication scholar, is
the editor-in-chief of South-
South International
Magazine

PAGE 44 —SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
T
here appears to be frustration,
anger and anxiety among banks
customers as commercial bank
officials now make mandatory for
customers to use other alternative
channels for cash transfer less than
N100, 000 instead of electronic transfer
in the banking.
Such alternative channels include
internet banking, Automated Teller
Machines, ATM, Mobile Phone
Money, among others.
“Electronic Fund Transfer” is a
system of money transfer from one
account to another within same bank
or different banks using electronic
mode of transfer without any manual
interference.
While the apex Bank, the Central
Bank of Nigeria had told banks to
encourage their customers to migrate
to available electronic channels where
possible for e-transfer, banks official,
according to Sun Tech news findings
have insisted that any customer
transferring less N100, 000 must use
other channels other than doing the
transfer in the counter.
Before now, bank officials were
flexible in allowing customers to use
e-transfer form in the counter to transfer
money less than N100, 000.
Meanwhile, a bank official had
recently told Sun Tech news that it is
not compulsory that a customer must
transfer up to N100, 000 when using
e-transfer form. It is a way of
encouraging customer to use other
channel thereby decongesting the
banking hall.
With the current posture of
commercial banks insisting that no
transfer less than N100, 000 will be
allowed , there have been deepening
worries among customers who prefer
e-transfer channel inside the banking
hall.
The e-transfer form allows a
customer to transfer money to many
people in different banks at the same
time.
While long queues at many ATM
points, network failure, limited internet
access, lack of security, among other
challenges associated with e-payment
have persisted, customer, according
findings, it is a nightmare for customers
to run from one bank to another in an
apparent attempt to do transfers.
Customers, according to findings,
because of convenient sake, customers
still prefer to use e-transfer channel
inside the banking hall for money
transfer especially when transferring
money to different people in different
banks.
Major issue in using ATM to transfer
money is identity. When money is sent
through ATM, the beneficially will not
know the identity of the sender as the
name will not show in the details.
The only thing that will show are the
location of where the money was sent
and time it was sent. This is a software
issue though as the sender will still
need to call the beneficially to inform
him or her who sent the money.
While expressing frustration, anger
and anxiety over current bank posture,
Makuochukwu Nwazuluoke who
narrated his experience said that
banks should be flexible and allow
customers to use any channel
irrespective of the amount.
“My Uncle has instructed me to
send money to people using e-transfer
channel inside the bank. I had wanted
to transfer N45, 000 in the counter to
three people in different banks but my
bank, First Bank did not allow me to
that. The bank official insisted that it
has to be N100, 000 and above. By
that time, the ATM network was down.
I was deeply worried as I was
compelled to go to the three banks in
LG boosts sets new standard with TrueSteam technology in dishwashing
With new innovations offered by concluded IFA 2017 held in in
Original Equipment Berlin, Germany, may have set
Manufacturers, OEMs, especially
in home appliances, smart home
solutions, consumers now have
limited choice in product offerings.
Committed
itself apart from the competition
with steam technology that not only
cleans more effectively, but also
more efficiently.
With years of
to creating
•LG SteamClean
steam technology
t o t a l
experience gathered
solutions for
the homes
from LG’s clothing
care products such as
with its
washing
industry
leading core
machines
a n d
technologies,
t h e
K o r e a n
technology
Styler, the
dishwasher’s
giant , LG
host of unique
Electronics has
performancee
is set a new
n h a n c i n g
standards for
technologies will offer
dishwashers with
consumers a whole new
its newest LG
way to wash dishes.
SteamClean
dishwasher equipped
with the company’s oneof-a-kind
The product is equipped
with QuadWash, a feature that
raises the bar on dishwashing by
TrueSteam using four spray arms instead of the
technology.
two featured in most washers.
For one thing, the revolutionary Its multi-motion arms sweep
product which was among and rotate back and forth while
solutions showcased at the just spinning in both directions to clean
different locations in Ekwulobia,
Aguata Local Government Area,
Anambra State to do the
transfers”,Nwazuluoke narrated his
sad experience.
I am not aware of any policy
mandating banks to compel
customers to use alternative channels
of payment, he said, adding that,
“Banks, to the best of my knowledge
based on cashless policy of the CBN
are to encourage customers to use
plates, glassware, and cookware of
all shapes and sizes from nearly
every angle.
The solution is also powered by
the Inverter Direct Drive Motor,
which increases energy efficiency
and helps reduce noise.
The motor also allows for the
adjustment of water intensity to
provide the soft settings necessary
for fragile dishware in the upper
rack and a stronger setting for pots
and pans on the lower level. This
versatility offers more effective
cleaning performance without
risking damage to the dishware.
Moreover, the EasyRack system
conveniently allows users to adjust
the height of the rack to three
different levels to accommodate all
dishes, cups and flatware.
Offering nine pre-set wash cycles
to choose from allows users to
download more using the LG
SmartThinQ app.
Commenting on the new solution,
Song Dae-hyun, president of LG
Electronics and Home Appliance &
Air Solution Company assured that,
“LG SteamClean dishwasher offers
everything our consumers expect
Edited by EMEKA AGINAM
Email: emekaaginam@yahoo.com 08057538314
Frustration, anger as banks compel customers to use other e-channels for transfer
he Secretary General of the
TC o m m o n w e a l t h
Telecommunications Organisation,
CTO, Shola Taylor has warned on the
risk of many countries missing out on
the benefits of Internet of a thing,
IoT, Big Data, AI and augmented reality
innovation if they do not invest
sufficiently in broadband and ICT
services.
The CTO scribe who spoke last week
at t the opening of CTO ICT
Forum’17 held this week in Maputo,
Mozambique., said that, “With the
Internet of Things, we have a new
environment conducive of
opportunities for new forms of digital
entrepreneurship or public service
delivery,” he said. But he reminded
that “there are still far too many
without access to the Internet, who
are unable to take advantage of the
opportunities and benefits digital
technologies have to offer.”
The event, which was opened by
His Excellency Carlos Agostinho do
Rosário, Mozambique’s Prime
Minister, was attended by ministers,
regulators, national ICT agencies,
industry executives, non-profit
organisations and academia from the
Caribbean, Europe, Africa, South Asia
and the Pacific.
“We need to investigate new
options to provide broadband,
including low-orbit space solutions. To
achieve this, more investment is
essential. Of course, universal service
funds must continue to invest and
deliver on increasing access. Countries
must invest in services for their citizens,
and in the infrastructure to support
the delivery of these services, or they
internet banking or other channels
rather than going inside the banking
bank hall to do transfer”, hwe said.
In Lagos, it is also the same story.
“With e-transfer channel, you can
transfer money to many people in
different banks using one form in the
counter. I do not know if it is a mandate
from the CBN. What I know is that it is
a way of encouraging customers to
embrace cashless policy, Sunday
Okosun, a businessman based in Ikeja,
Lagos, told Sun Tech
news.
For Linda Amuzie, a
University of Lagos
undergraduate, it is
really frustrating
running from one bank
to another in an
attempt to make
payment to people in
different banks.
“ATM and internet
banking may not
always be reliable. It is
secured doing
payment in the
banking hall especially
when you are
transferring to many
people. CBN should
revisit the policy if it is
their mandate”
Why cashless policy
*To
drive
development and
Invest in broadband or miss out on IoT , CTO tells
member countries
Dell Technologies has revealed
that GE, the world’s largest
digital industrial company, has signed
a multi-year commitment to use Dell
Inc. infrastructure and end-user
computing solutions to support GE’s
ongoing digital transformation efforts.
Under the agreement, Dell Inc.
becomes the primary IT infrastructure
supplier for GE. The deal is one of the
largest non-government contracts in
Dell Technologies, Dell or EMC history.
This is even as the tech giant
celebrated the first the first anniversary
•People waiting in
the ATM
will miss out on the benefits of IoT, Big
Data and augmented reality
technologies,” Taylor warned.
For Prime Minister Agostinho do
Rosario, “It’s important for us to continue
developing infrastructures as well as
information and communication
technology services in order to ensure
greater availability and coverage of
online services.,” . “Access is front and
center; it is the first step towards a digital
nation,” said Mr Johnson. “Big Data,
Cloud computing, artificial intelligence,
the Internet of Things and 5G will all
shape our digital future. They are
important steps on the journey towards
a digital nation” and “we need to bring
together technologists, regulators and
policy makers, not only from the ICT
sector, but all the sectors that will
increasing depend on the technology,
in order to address these challenges,”
he added.
Dell seals deal with GE on infrastructure for digital transformation
of its formation through the historic
merger of Dell and EMC.
In its inaugural year, the company
formed a unified Dell and Dell EMC
salesforce and created a $35 billion Dell
Technologies channel and global
channel program that added 10,000
new business customers to the Dell
EMC portfolio.
In addition Dell EMC experienced
explosive revenue growth (nearly
double historical rates) in
underpenetrated1 accounts in the
first half of 2017, fuelled by cross-selling
of server, storage, client and converged
infrastructure solutions.
“We set the bar high and exceeded
our own expectations,” said Michael
Dell, chairman and chief executive
officer of Dell Technologies. “We’ve
made enormous strides this past year
in serving the needs of our customers,
from governments to fast-growing
small businesses to many of the world’s
largest enterprises who call Dell
Technologies their most strategic IT
partner. And we’re just getting
started.”
from an LG appliance –
convenience, flexibility, and
especially performance.
“Steam technology allows us to
deliver a balance of superior
performance with gentle care. It’s
this kind of innovation with a real
purpose that our customers expect
from LG.”
While a Pre-Steam option gently
removes caked layers of food
residue, eliminating the need to
scrub items by hand before placing
them in the dishwasher, he explained
that TrueSteam emits high
temperature steam to clean
everything from delicate stemware
to steel pots and pans.
By spraying the contents with
steam at the end of a cycle, the LG
SteamClean dishwasher reduces
undesirable water spots one of the
most frequently mentioned
complaints among dishwasher
owners by 40 percent.1 LG’s steam
technology not only ensures
impeccably clean results, it also
yields significant hygienic benefits
in keeping with LG’s longstanding
dedication to exceeding consumers’
needs.
modernization of our payment system
in line with Nigeria’s vision 2020 goal
of being amongst the top 20 economies
by the year 2020.
An efficient and modern payment
system is positively correlated with
economic development, and is a key
enabler for economic growth.
*To reduce the cost of banking
services including cost of credit and
drive financial inclusion by providing
more efficient transaction options and
greater reach.
*To improve the effectiveness of
monetary policy in managing inflation
and driving economic growth.
Benefits:
For Consumers: Increased
convenience; more service options;
reduced risk of cash-related crimes;
cheaper access to banking services and
access to credit.
For Corporations: Faster access to
capital; reduced revenue leakage; and
reduced cash handling costs.
· For Government: Increased tax
collections, greater financial inclusion,
increased economic development.
Definition of Key Terms “alternative
cash payments”
How Microsoft is boosting
digital learning in schools
with new tools, services
Combining the right tools and
teaching expertise to transform
education, the software giant,
Microsoft has introduced a new set
of educational products and
services, inspired by teachers and
students.
The new tools, Windows 10 S, new
experiences in Microsoft Teams, new
features in Minecraft and mixed
reality, as well as a range of devices
suited specifically to education,
according to Hakeem-Adeniji-
Adele, Microsoft Nigeria’s Chief
Technology Officer are expected to
teach students imperative skills
needed to master the changing
dynamics of the modern and
digitally transforming workplace.
To help teachers get ready for the
new school year, he informed that
Microsoft is hosting “Back to
School LIVE,” an interactive set of
online workshops, and tips to get the
most out of new products like
OneNote Class Notebook in
Microsoft Teams, Minecraft:
Education Edition and Windows 10
S.
While encouraging Nigerian
teachers to embrace the new tools,
he cited example of how Clive
Gibson is making it his business to
incorporate technology into his
teaching, and reaping the rewards.
For Microsoft, better education,
combined with early access to the
tools used in the modern workplace,
could transform the Middle East
and Africa’s young developing
economies into the leading source
of new workers in the global market.
According to Adele, Gibson
teaches physics to 11 to 18 year olds
in Dubai, and builds his lessons in
OneNote because he finds this
promotes independent learning and
allows all students to become more
proficient in his subject.
While technology impacts
everything in classrooms from the
way we collaborate, share ideas and
connect with each other, to how we
leverage content generated daily by
students and teachers, he said that
digital transformation in schools
begins with the way students learn.
This new way of collaborating has
created a new learning context and
paradigm for schools, students and
teachers, he said.
He believed that the impact is farreaching;
as it teaches students
imperative skills needed to master
the changing dynamics of the
modern and digitally transforming
workplace.
As devices and technology become
more accessible, and the capabilities
grow, he said with optimism that
unlocking the potential for all
students to learn, closing the skills
gap and empowering the 1.4 billion
students in the world to achieve more
is possible.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 45
TACKLE... Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero (r) tackles Watford’s
defender Daryl Janmaat (l) in their English Premier Leaguematch
at Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, north of London
yesterday.. City won 6-0. Photo AFP
Aguero fires City to the top
with 10th hat-trick
SERGIO
Aguero
scored a hat trick as
Manchester City
thrashed host Watford 6-
0 in the English Premier
League on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side
made it 15 goals in three
games as it followed up
thumping victories over
Liverpool and Feyernood
to end Watford’s unbeaten
start to the
league.
Aguero’s early double
put City in control. He set
up Gabriel Jesus to make
it three before halftime.
Nicolas Otamendi
headed in the fourth,
Aguero completed his
hat trick, and Raheem
Sterling added a late
penalty.
The victory took City
atop the standings with
four wins and a draw
from five games.
Manchester United can
go level on Sunday with
a win over Everton.
Watford had kept three
consecutive clean sheets
in the league under new
manager Marco Silva,
but couldn’t contain
City’s attack.
Aguero headed in
Kevin de Bruyne’s free
kick in the 27th minute
Dembele limps out of
Barcelona debut
BARCELONA lost
Ousmane Dembele
to injury just 25 minutes
into his full La Liga debut
against Getafe.
The initial €105 million
signing appeared to suffer
a hamstring problem as
he tried to back-heel the
ball near the corner flag
midway through the first
half of Saturday’s away
match, which was goalless
at the time.
Dembele immediately
raised his arm and then sat
on the turf as he pointed
to the back of his leg. He
then walked off the pitch.
The ex-Borussia
Dortmund winger had
made his first Barca start
against Juventus in the
Champions League on
Tuesday, having come on
as a substitute at home to
Espanyol last week, his
first game in the club’s
colours.
He was the biggest signing
of the summer at
Camp Nou, helping to
quell criticisms over the
club’s transfer policy
which arose following the
sale of Neymar to Paris
Saint-Germain.
Gatafe took the lead in
the first-half when Gaku
Shibasaki took a first time
volley that went into the
top left corner like a rocket.
Ter Stegen had no chance.
Barça woke up with the
goal and began to show a
little more urgency with
their play, and if it wasn’t
for a spectacular save by
Vicente Guaita, Lionel
Messi would have scored
the equalizer with a free
kick into the top corner
Denis Suarez and
Paulinho scored in the second
half to give the La Liga
leaders all the points.
then tapped in David
Silva’s cross just four
minutes later.
The Argentine striker
turned provider before
the interval as he released
strike partner
Gabriel Jesus, who finished
accurately into the
bottom corner.
Nicolas Otamendi
headed in a Silva corner
to make it 4-0 in the
63rd, and Aguero got his
third 10 minutes from
time.
Aguero passed on penalty-taking
duty to Sterling,
who marked his return
from suspension by
completing the rout.
BAKAYOKO: We beat Tottenham,
we’ll beat Arsenal too
C
H E L S E A
midfielder,
Tiemoue Bakayoko said
beating Tottenham at
Wembly is a motivation for
the Blues to do the same
as they face Arsenal today
in another English Premier
League.
The Frenchman is in his
debut season in English
football, but he is well
versed in the various rivalries
that come with playing
for a London club and the
heightened importance
supporters place on certain
fixtures, especially when
facing a neighbour who
also has ambitions of lifting
silverware this season.
Given that his first competitive
appearance for
Chelsea came in a London
derby victory, when they
beat Tottenham 2-1 at
Wembley last month,
Bakayoko is not daunted
by the prospect of taking
on the Gunners this weekend.
‘I think that actually in
terms of rivalries that
Chelsea have, the one with
Tottenham is perhaps even
bigger than Arsenal,’ said
the 23-year-old. ‘Having already
played that match,
being able to win that
match, being able to bring
so much happiness to our
fans was really a wonderful
achievement for the
team.
‘Now we’re looking forward
to the match against
Arsenal, which perhaps carries
less of that rivalry, but
it is nevertheless incredibly
important and it’s absolutely
vital that we work hard to
achieve the right result on
the pitch.’
Dembele...Down
hamstring.
with
True Blue... Bakayoko in a midfield contest Tottenham’s
Mousa Dembele
Koeman urges Everton
defenders to stop Lukaku
RONALD Koeman
says Everton must
improve defensively if
they are to contain the
“dangerous” Romelu
Lukaku against
Manchester United today.
The Goodison Park
side know all about the
Belgium forward’s threat
after he scored 20-plus
goals in each of his previous
three seasons with
the Toffees before his
move to Old Trafford this
summer.
The 24-year-old already
has six goals in as
many games for his new
club, while Everton have
not won domestically
since the opening day of
the Premier League season,
with a 3-0 defeat to
Atalanta in the Europa
League preceded by a 3-
0 loss to Tottenham and
a 2-0 reverse at Chelsea.
“We know him really
well,” Koeman said.
“He’s one of the best
strikers. I mentioned several
times last season
he’s a great finisher. I
hope that we know how
we have to defend
against him.
“There are a lot of individual
qualities in the
players around him [at
United]. In the box he’s
really dangerous, he’s
fast, he’s strong.
Hodgson fears for Palace safety
NEW Crystal Palace
manager Roy
Hodgson said his side
could stay in the relegation
zone following their
next three fixtures that involves
two away trips to
the Manchester clubs and
the visit of champions
Chelsea.
The Eagles are bottom of
the Premier League and
have now gone 450 minutes
without scoring a
goal after losing their first
five games.
“It could be an even
worse scenario when that
spell is over,” said
Hodgson after losing his
first game as Eagles manager
1-0 at home to
Southampton.
“But we’ll work hard and
if there are points to be
won then we’ll get them.
We won’t be lying down
but, realistically, when you
look at these three games,
people will say ‘how can
you win them?’ That’s up
to us. We won’t be the first
team to have a disastrous
start and to pull ourselves
out of trouble.
“We didn’t deserve a
fairytale ending,” said the
70-year-old, who was appointed
on Tuesday following
the sacking of
Frank de Boer.

46—SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Iheanacho wants Eagles to finish
off Zambia
FIFA U-20 WWC: Falconets thrash
Tanzania
NIGERIA’S Falconets yesterday,
went on rampage as they blew
away Tanzania with three
unanswered goals in a first round
first leg tie of the 2018 Fifa U-20
Women’s World Cup qualifiers in
Benin City.
The Nigerian girls showed no
mercy to their Tanzanian
counterparts at the Samuel
Ogbemudia Stadium, making an
easy work of their visitors with three
goals in front of the cheering fans.
Bayelsa Queens utility player
Lilian Tule put the two-time World
Cup finalists on the ascendancy in
the 22nd minute. Rasheedat Ajibade
emerged a two-goal heroine as she
was on song in the 52nd and 57th
minutes respec-tively. The second
leg clash will take place in the next
fortnight in Dar e Sallam.
FIFA 2018 WCQ
•IHEANACHO...Stepping
up for Leicester
KELECHI Ihanacho said
the Super Eagles need
to finish off Zambia in their
FIFA World Cup qualifier
October 7 in Uyo and book
their place in the Russia
2018 tournament.
Iheanacho who made his
first full appearance with
Leicester City as they drew
1-1 with Huddersfield
yesterday, said the battle to
qualify for the World Cup
was not over yet and the
Eagles need to beat Zambia
to get the job done.
Nigeria top the group
with 10 points while
Zambia are on seven. A win
will seal the group for the
Super Eagles who are yet
to taste any defeat in the
qualifiers. With Cameroon
and Algeria already out of
contention, Zambia are
aiming to get a good result
and earn their first World
Cup ticket.
‘’We’re top of the table but
it’s not over yet. We still
have to play Zambia at
home next month, so we
hope we get the points we
need to qualify for the
World Cup,” said
Iheanacho.
He revealed that it was
thrilling playing for the
Super Eagles and it was
an honour to contribute to
their 4-0 win over
Cameroon in Uyo.
‘’Playing for my country
is one thing I dream of
and I’m happy to play for
them. It is a scene of joy
every time I put on the
green and white shirt,’’
Iheanacho told lcfc.com.
‘’I felt very happy
getting a goal against
Cameroon after coming
on in the second half. It
was great for me to get on
the scoresheet.
He added that Ahmed
Musa and Wilfred Ndidi
have helped him to settle
well at Leicester.
“It is lovely being
around them now,” he
said. “I can speak some
pigin and have a little
chat. It helps me settle
down.
“They took me to a
Nigerian restaurant in
Leicester where they
normally go to eat. I feel
very happy here. It is a
great move for me. It is
where I should be.
“It is a great club, a
beautiful club, and
hopefully I will help the
team to fight as well.”
WAFU Cup: Super Eagles post another draw
against Guinea
NIGERIA’S Super Eagles team B
yesterday failed to score against
Guinea in group A of the 2017 WAFU
Cup of Nations on-going at the Cape
Coast Stadium, Ghana.
This was coming after they were forced
to a goalless draw by Mali in their
previous game on Thursday.
Nigeria started positively with their
first chance on goal in the second minute
when Olamilekan Adeleye Aniyikaye
met a long throw-in from the left, but
his ten-yard header was well-saved by
the Guinean keeper.
The Syli National’s first attack
saw Seydouba Camara break
behind the defence in the 19th
minute and with just the keeper
to beat he pushed his effort inches
wide from six-yards out.
Nigeria bossed the game after
that and were close to opening
the scoring in the 38th minute
when Anthony Okpotu met a
cross from the left, but his 12-yard
header shaved the wrong side of
the post.
On the stroke of half time
•Ajibade...Falconets'
striker
Kingsley Eduwo broke behind the
Guinea defence, but failed to beat the
keeper despite having all the time in
the world as the first half ended 0-0.
Both countries pushed numbers
forward in the final ten minutes of the
match, but were poor in front of goal
and had to settle for a share of the spoils
as the encounter ended 0-0.
The result leaves Nigeria with two
points in Group A while Guinea earned
their first point. Nigeria play Ghana
in the last group game on Monday.
According to coach Yusuf, no team is
unbeatable hence Ghana
should be wary of them.
“I believe every team is
beatable. When you get
your tactics right on the day
and take your chances, you
will definitely win,” Yusuf
told reporters.
“We’ll stick to our positive
minds and see how we can
beat them.”
GOtv Boxing Night 12: Edo Boy vows to
retain ABU title
REIGNING
African
Boxing Union (ABU)
light welterweight champion,
Stanley “Edo Boy” Eribo, has
vowed to successfully defend
his title when he fights
Tanzania’s Ramadhani
Shauri at GOtv Boxing Night
12 on October 1.
Speaking in Lagos on
Friday, Edo Boy said the event
slated to hold at the Indoor
Sports Hall of the National
Stadium, Lagos, will see him
•Watford chairman, Sir Elton John and Guordiola
before City thrashed Watford yesterday
Guardiola compares City to
all conquering Barca
PEP Guardiola compared Manchester City to his allconquering
Barcelona side after the Blues hit Watford
for six at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
And Guardiola reckons his current side have the hallmark
of the Barca team that dominated Europe under his
stewardship.
“It was so good,” he told Sky Sports. “Especially after
an away game in the Champions League. The way we
played as a team, we are so happy.
“I was lucky to manage Barcelona with many
outstanding performances but this week has been a lot of
goals. We have found our game, we can make short passes
and we have a lot of energy from our full-backs.
“The people who come from the bench always give us
something new. Clean sheets are a consequence of you
controlling the game.”
Adodo attributes successful
season to NPFL/Star
partnership
THE 2016/17 Nigerian Professional Football League
season came to an entertaining end with a pulsating
final match between Plateau United and Rangers
International at Rwang Pam stadium in Jos, last Saturday.
United defeated last season’s champions Rangers 2-0 to
emerge the new champions.
Coach Kennedy Boboye led Plateau United to their first
ever league title.
Speaking on the thrilling end of the season, Tokunbo
Adodo, Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Nigerian
Breweries, said the experiential participation of football
fans at the final match in Jos supports the brand’s
commitment to driving audience venue participation.
“We are very excited to witness what has been a
thoroughly enjoyable and exciting league season. As you
know, Star is all about giving Nigerian football fans
premium experience and the way the NPFL has gone
this season is not only pleasing for us but very encouraging
particularly showing what is possible for the next season.
Millions of Nigerian football fans now follow the league
with greater passion and that’s the reason Star is
celebrating the shinning fans.
Gallant D’Tigers lose
Afrobasket title to Tunisia
NIGERIA’S senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers
were gallant in defeat yesterday as they lost 65:77 to
host Tunisia in the final of the 2017 Afrobasket decided in
Tunis.
Captain of the team, Ikechukwu Diogu emerged the
top scorer and best rebounder of the encounter with 20
points and 10 rebounds respectively.
The team were comfortable in the first quarter, winning
it with 14 to 8 points but thereafter, the host buoyed by
their vociferous home crowd came back strongly in the
second and third quarters which they won 17:10 and
27:16. The decisive last quarter saw the D”Tigers fighting
back to cover the Tunisian lead but their efforts were not
enough as they settled at 25:25 at the end to finish 12
points behind Tunisia at 65:77. The Tunisians thus
compensated their home fans for the 2015 loss to Angola
in the semi final when they hosted the event alone.
at his best.
“Shauri will regret
accepting to fight me. The
ABU title is important to me. I
am not ready to relinquish it
yet, not to Shauri, not
anybody,” he said. Aside from
the ABU title fight, three
other title fights are lined up.
Olaide “Fijaborn” will
defend his West African
Boxing Union light
welterweight title against
Ghana’s Bilal Mohammed.
Also, Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph
will attempt to win the
Commonwealth Africa
lightweight title, when he
takes on Kenya’s Frank
Nyakesa, who is a
replacement for Dillon Yule of
South Africa. Yule sustained
injury in training on
Wednesday and pulled out of
the fight.
West African featherweight
champion, Waidi “Skoro”
Usman will take on Tanzania’s
Juma Fundi in an
international challenge bout.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017, PAGE 47
Great expection ... Dorren Amata
AFN CRISIS: Estate sues for quick
settlement
By Ben Efe
WORRIED by the
lingering face-off between
Athletics Federation of
Nigeria members, South
East representative on the
board, Hon Patrick Estate
Onyedum stated yesterday
that there has to be a quick
resolution to the impasse that
has seemingly, grounded the
once vibrant federation.
The fall-out of the June 13
elections continues to plague
the AFN. The new bone of
contention is the appointment
of committees and a
technical director. These are
developments that have
been contested by a good
number of members.
A meeting called by the
president, Ibrahim Gusau to
chart a way forward was attended
by a handful of members.
The vice-president
Olamide George and others
stayed away on the excuse
of attending the Youth
Games in Ilorin Kwara State.
However, Hon. Onyedum
a former sprinter and councilor
representing Ichida
ward in Anaocha Local Government
area of Anambra
State, noted that athletics
was suffering and it was
about time all the elected
members put aside personal
interests and face the
daunting task of repositioning
the sport in view of the
African Championships,
coming up in Asaba, Delta
State and the Commonwealth
Games billed for
Australia in a busy 2018
season.
“We really have to stop
antagonising the AFN president
and concentrate on the
task of reviving athletics. We
did not come to the board to
pursue personal interests,
but to contribute our quotas
to the development of athletics
in the country.
“Gusau is running an
open administration and has
even given the VP a free
hand to operate and now he
seems to be driving on one
way. The committees he and
others are talking about were
well known to him and others
only for him to turn
around and disown the list.
“On Sunday Adeleye as
the TD, there are no rules
on the IAAF books that disqualifies
him from holding
the post. He may be young
and new to that terrain, but
he has the energy to do the
job and we as members must
have to support him.
“There is work to be done
and for the sake of our ath-
Joshua dismisses Haye from
‘top three’ fight list
letes and the country, we
need to end all these agitations
and move ahead. Let
us all reason like sports men
and women and see what
can be done to avoid the mistakes
of the past.”
ANTHONY Joshua
has insisted David
Haye is not in his “top
three” potential opponents.
Haye, who is recovering
from an injured
Achilles sustained in
March’s defeat to Tony
Bellew, is still targeting
a fight with Joshua and
told Sky Sports: “I will
find a way to beat that
giant, he is 10 years
younger, three inches
taller and three stone
bigger and I love and
relish that kind of challenge.”
Joshua will next defend
his IBF and WBA
‘super’ heavyweight
titles against Kubrat
Pulev at Cardiff ’s Principality
Stadium on October
28 and is not taking
Haye’s threat seriously.
“People are more relevant
for calling people
out than for actually
fighting,” Joshua told
Sky Sports.
“If we fight, you’ll hear
all sorts from me about
Haye. For now, I wish
him a speedy recovery.
“It would be great if he
and Bellew fight again.
Once he gets that out of
the way, if it happens,
then he can focus on
other players in the
heavyweight division.
“Haye isn’t in my top
three [potential opponents].
My mandatory is
Pulev, then Luis Ortiz,
then I can start looking
out to see what other options
I have.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
•Ike Diogu
Gallant
D’Tigers lose
Afrobasket
title to
Tunisia
Kelechi Iheanacho...Making appearance for Leicester City againt Huddersfield in
yesterday’s EPL game.
FIFA 2018 WCQ:
Falconets thrash
Tanzania
National Youth Games Champions... Chairman, Delta State Sports Commission, Tonobok
Okowa celebrating the State’s victory at the National Youth Games with the team.
AFN crisis: Estate sues for
quick settlement
SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 5
Iheanacho wants
Eagles to finish off
Zambia
Guardiola compares City to
all conquering Barca
ACROSS
DOWN
1. Governor of Sokoto 1. Sample (5)
State (8)
2. Niger state town (4)
5. Assistant (4)
3. Observe (5)
7. Praise (5)
4. Lecture (6)
8. Upright (4)
5. Everyone (3)
9. Lantern (4)
6. Use (6)
11. Tradition (6) 10. Inquires (4)
13. Lagos masquerade (3) 12. Carpet (3)
15. Exclamation (2) 14. Colour (6)
16. Pig’s nose (5) 15. Resistance unit (3)
18. Agent (3)
17. Coax (4)
20. Glitters (6)
19. Rollicked (6)
24. Forward (5)
21. Hatchet (3)
25. Nigerian state (6) 22. Satisfied (4)
27. Boring tool (3) 23. Nigerian state (3)
29. Ghanaian fabric (5) 26. Cry of derision (3)
31. Perform (2)
27 . African country (6)
32. Oshiomhole’s state (3) 28. Endure (4)
34. U.S. currency (6) 29. Child (3)
36. Vow (4)
30. Spoke (6)
38. Musical quality (4) 31. Adorn (5)
39. Inclination (5) 33. Baking chambers (5)
40. Eager (4)
35. Asterisk (4)
41. Damages (8)
37. Possessed (3)
WAFU
Cup:
Super
Eagles
post
another
draw
against
Guinea
RESULTS
Details
inside
Crystal Palace 0 S’hampton 1
Huddersfield 1 Leicester 1
Liverpool 1 Burnley 1
Newcastle 2 Stoke City 1
Watford 0 Man City 6
West Brom 0 West Ham 0
Tottenham 0 Swansea 0
Levante 1 Valencia 1
Getafe 1 Barcelona 2
Real Betis 2 Deportivo 1
Bayern Munich 4 Mainz 0
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 Augsburg 2
VfB Stuttgart 1 Wolfsburg 0
Werder Bremen 1 Schalke 2
Afrobasket
Senegal 73 Morocco 62
Nigeria 65 Tunisia 77
TODAY’S MATCHES
EPL
Chelsea v Arsenal 1.30pm
Man Utd v Everton 4pm
Laliga
Alaves v Villarreal 11am
Girona v Sevilla 3.15pm
Las Palmas v Athletic Bilbao 5.30pm
Real Sociedad v Real Madrid 7.45pm
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