21022018 - APC CRISIS LATEST :Governor demolishes senator's house

Nigeria political 

cross carpeting: 

Danger to 

democracy 

40 

2019: We've lost 

confidence in INEC— PDP 

•We won't join issues with anybody or party — INEC 

3 women sell 2-month-old 

baby for N300,000 

9 

ATTACKS: 

Herdsmen take 

oath in Ekiti, 

assure of peaceful 

co-existence 

6 11 

VOL. 26: NO. 63490 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

APC CRISIS LATEST: 

Governor demolishes 

By Kingsley 

senator's house 

Omonobi, Henry 

Umoru & Ben 

Agande 

KADUNA— 

The 

lingering crisis in 

Kaduna State chapter of 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, worsened 

yesterday after a building 

located in the heart of 

Kaduna city, belonging to 

a leader of one of the two 

factions, Senator Suleiman 

DEMOLISHED 

BENUE KILLINGS Hunkuyi, was pulled down 

by the state government. 

Senator Hunkuyi, whose 

MASTERMIND? 

faction, last week, 

suspended Governor Nasir 

El-Rufai from the party, 

immediately accused the 

governor of instigating the 

action, saying the building 

was used as the campaign 

office for Governor El-Rufai 

and also as the state 

headquarters of the APC. 

The senator, however, 

vowed that the action of the 

governor would not 

demoralise him. 

Continues on Page 44 

•Senate condemns act, asks governor to rebuild house or... 

•Why we demolished the building — Kaduna State government agency 

•Our soldiers not involved in demolition— Army 

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Secretariat, a building said to be 

owned by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, along Sambo Road, Kaduna, 

demolished yesterday by the Kaduna State Government. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi. 

LASG prosecutes PSP operators 

for illegal refuse dumping 10 

FG reorganising 

command, control of 

army formations 8 

in Benue —Osinbajo 

New dividend policy 

shocks banks; loss of 

N100bn in 2 days 

stare investors in the 

42 

face 

Intelligence Response Team of Police paraded 

Alhaji Laggi, alleged 40-yr-old Leader of the 

herdsmen responsible for the attacks in Benue. He 

was arrested by IRT in Tunga Forest, Nasarawa 

State, yesterday. SEE STORY ON PAGES 6&7 

COLUMNISTS DEAR BUNMI OHUABUNWA 31 PRINCEWILL 17 

SEE 

30 

INSIDE 

Naira 

appreciates 

further to 

N360.25/$ 

at I&E 

Mr & Mrs 

44

2—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018—3



C 

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6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT—THREE 

women, including the mother 

of a two-month-old baby boy, who 

conspired among themselves to 

sell the baby for N300,000 

without the consent of his father, 

have been arrested by the 

Inspector General of Police 

Monitoring Team, led by ACP 

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

3 women sell 2-month-old baby for N300,000 

Woman dies 

hours to her 

wedding 

By Paul Olayemi 

SAPELE—A middleaged 

mother of four, 

simply called Maggie, was 

said to have slumped and 

died just hours before her 

traditional marriage in the 

Ugbeide area of Mosogar, 

Delta State. 

Maggie’s partner had 

decided to pay the bride 

price after years of being 

together. 

A source, who simply 

identified herself as Ofua, 

told Vanguard that the 

marriage was slated for 

February 15 and 16, and 

that they had even 

slaughtered a cow that will 

be used for the ceremony, 

when the bride suddenly 

clutched her chest and 

screamed. 

Ofua said: “We were 

rushing her to the hospital 

when the car ran out of fuel 

and before we could get 

fuel, she gave up the 

ghost.” 

Those who knew the late 

woman, described her as a 

nice person, who was fond 

of saying nice words to 

everyone she met. 

“She would greet you and 

ask of everybody including 

your husband and even 

your dog; we will miss 

her,“ said a woman who 

refused to disclose her 

name. 

In a related issue, a 42- 

year-old transporter, simply 

called Monday, was killed 

in Oghara, Ethiope West 

Local Government Area of 

Delta State. 

Vanguard learned that 

Mr. Monday and some 

persons from Mosogar in 

Ethiope West had gone to 

attend a burial in Oghara. 

According to a source, 

Monday had decided to 

head home at about 2a.m. 

on Saturday morning, 

when, just after the bridge 

along Warri-Sapele highway, 

a car intercepted the 

bus he was travelling in. 

Some men, after 

identifying Monday, 

dragged him out and 

butchered him with an axe, 

while the rest passengers 

were allowed to go. 

Bennet Igwe. 

The team also arrested four 

men suspected to be the killers 

of Chairman of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in 

Ogbogoro community, Obio/ 

Akpor Local Government Area 

of the state, Mr. Heaven 

Ihuigwe, who was murdered in 

September 2017. 

Deputy Commissioner of 

By Evelyn Usman 

THE Lagos State Police 

Command has smashed a 

notorious trans-border robbery 

gang, whose members come from 

the Benin Republic to snatch 

exotic cars from Nigerian 

motorists and take same to 

Cotonou , where they are sold at 

give away prices. 

Arrested were four members of 

the gang, including a herbalist 

who confessed to be preparing 

charms for the gang. 

Three members of the gang— 

Ajagba Hammaed, 30; Tobinju 

Potel, 35, and Botan Remmy, 

30— were arrested along the 

Mile-2/Badagry Expressway 

while on a mission to snatch 

vehicles in Lagos State. 

Recovered from them were one 

AK-47 rifle with serial number 

PE-2473; 43 AK-47 live 

ammunition; one locally-made 

cut-to-size double barrelled gun; 

six live cartridges; one car number 

plates (JD 697 KJA) and assorted 

charms, which they used for 

protection against gunshot. 

Preliminary investigation 

revealed that the gang members 

had been operating in Lagos 

State for close to two years. One 

of its operations was carried out 

at Ajose Adeogun, Victoria Island 

area of Lagos, on January 20, 

where they snatched a Prado 

Jeep with number plates ABC 

853 LK from one Olayinka 

Oyebola. 

Parading the suspects 

alongside 10 others arrested in 

one week, the command boss, 

Imohimi Edgal, explained that 

Oyebola had gone to withdraw 

some money from an ATM 

gallery, when he was accosted by 

the gun-wielding robbers. 

He said: “When he (Oyebola) 

was through with the withdrawal, 

he entered his car but before he 

could drive off, the criminals who 

had been stalking him, 

intercepted him, pointing their 

guns menacingly at him. 

“They forced him out of the 

driver’s seat and dragged him 

to the rear of the car. He was 

dispossessed of his phone, 

laptop and N45,000. 

"The gang also stripped him 

naked and drove him to Ajah/ 

Epe Road, where he was thrown 

out of the car.” 

Same day, the trio of Ajagba 

Hammaed, Tobinju Potel and 

Botan Remmy, as gathered, 

drove to Ikoyi area where they 

parked the stolen jeep beside 

another Prado jeep belonging to 

Police, Administration, Cyril 

Okoro, while briefing 

journalists in Port Harcourt, 

said: “Operatives of the IGP 

team unit, acting on credible 

intelligence, arrested Nkechi 

Uzoemene, Roseline Okey and 

Nwolu Rita, who conspired 

amongst themselves and sold 

a two-month-old baby boy 

belonging to Nwolu Rita for 

N300,000 without the consent 

of her husband. 

Baby factory discovered 

Okoro added that the team 

recovered the baby alongside 

nine pregnant girls, when 

they bust a baby-making 

factory in Imo State ran by 

one Mrs. Ngozi Egeonu. 

His words: “The child was 

sold to Ngozi Egeonu in 

Owerri, Imo State. After 

searching the house and 

premises of Egeonu, the 

operatives discovered nine 

pregnant girls, whose 

pregnancies have been 

mortgaged.” 

However, the suspects told 

Vanguard that they were 

innocent of the crime, adding 

Police smash trans-border robbery gang, nab 4 Beninois 

The suspects and their 'tools.' 

one Engr. Fidel Onwodi, who 

was with his wife. 

The unsuspecting couple, who 

were buying beef barbeque 

popularly called suya, were 

ordered at gunpoint to sit at the 

rear as the gunmen drove off with 

them. 

However on the way, Engr. 

Onwudi’s wife jumped out of the 

moving car, while the robbers 

continued the journey to the 

Third Mainland Bridge, where 

they dropped off her husband. 

The CP stated that they went 

away with Engr. Onwodi’s jeep, 

but abandoned the first one at 

Babatunde Cresent, Oniru area 

of Victoria Island, where it was 

recovered by operatives. 

Our choice of cars 

—Gang leader 

Leader of the gang, Ajagba 

Hammed, during investigation 

said: “Our choice of cars are 

Hilux, Toyoda Highlander and 

Prado and our target areas are 

Okota, Victoria Island and Ikoyi. 

"These cars sell fast in Cotonou. 

Had we listened to the herbalist, 

perhaps we would not have been 

By Bala Ajiya 

D AMATURU—ON 

Monday night, Boko 

Haram launched an attack on 

Government Girls College, 

Dapchi, Yobe State, with the 

intention to abduct students of 

the school. 

It was learned that the 

arrested. 

"We came into Nigeria that 

fateful day. At Mile 2, I told the 

herbalist to carry out a 

divination on whether the 

operation would be successful, 

but when he did he warned us 

not to do anything on that day 

that the road would not be 

smooth. 

“We did not heed his advice 

because we said he ought to 

have warned us before we left 

Cotonou. Barely had the 

herbalist left for Cotonou than 

we were arrested.” 

I smuggle their weapons 

into Lagos—Herbalist 

On his part, the herbalist, 

Rasheed Akiola, disclosed that 

he usually helped the gang to 

smuggle its weapons into 

Lagos. 

He said: “There are bush 

paths through which you can 

enter into Lagos from Benin 

Republic. 

“Whenever the gang was 

going for operation, they would 

give me their bag which 

contain their weapons to take 

Terrorists invade Yobe girls school 

insurgents, on arrival, shot 

sporadically and denoted 

bombs to scare people away 

from their path, which also 

gave the students the 

opportunity to escape. 

A resident said he saw three 

Hilux jeeps filled with the 

terrorists, adding that some of 

the girls sustained injuries 

to Mile 2. 

“I prepare some charms 

anytime I am bringing the 

weapons, to prevent any security 

agent from looking my way. 

“I would wait for them at Mile 

2, hand the bag to them before 

going back to Cotonou. I also 

prepared charms to fortify them 

against gun. 

“Each of them has four 

different charms. But on the day 

they were arrested, I warned 

them not to go. The total amount 

I have received from them is 

N71,000.” 

Other gang members also 

admitted to the crime. They 

revealed that the value of one 

of the Prado jeeps that was 

snatched was N32 million, but 

that it was sold for N3 million 

in Benin Republic. 

Investigation, according to 

Edgal, was still ongoing. He 

added that the suspects were 

helping operatives with 

information that will help in the 

recovery of one of the stolen Prado 

jeeps that is still in Cotonou, as 

well as the arrest of other 

members of the gang. 

while fleeing the school and were 

receiving treatment in an 

undisclosed hospital in Damaturu. 

A father, who did not want his 

name in print, said two of his 

children are missing. 

A source said security agents 

are after the terrorists, while the 

school authorities are taking a 

head count of students.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018—7 


•... as Police nab killers of PDP chieftain five months after 

that the baby was not sold, 

rather the little boy was sent to 

the home in Owerri for care. 

killers' arrests 

The team, according to 

Okoro, also arrested four men 

suspected to be the killers of 

Chairman of PDP, in Ogbogoro 

community, Obio/Akpor Local 

Government Area of the state, 

Mr. Ihuigwe, who was 

By Kingsley Omonobi 

ABUJA—THE 

Police 

Intelligence Response 

Team, IRT, under the office of 

Inspector General of Police, have 

arrested the ringleader of the 

herdsmen and three other 

kingpins, who carried out the 

killing of scores of Benue 

citizens, following the enactment 

of the law against open grazing 

by the Benue State government. 

A senior Police source attached 

By Anayo Okoli 

UMUAHIA— A disaster was 

reportedly averted at 

Umuohu Okpula, Ndume 

community, Ibeku in Umuahia 

North Local Government area of 

Abia State, when a vigilant 

grandmother prevented a fourday-old 

baby from being carried 

away by a hawk. 

The grandmother, who gave her 

name as Adeline Emmanuel, 

explained that she was lying 

down, when she heard the loud 

murdered in September 2017. 

Okoro stated that the killers 

of Ihuigwe were arrested 

through investigations, adding 

that the suspects have 

confessed to the crime. 

According to the Police boss, 

“following a tip-off, men of the 

IGP Monitoring Unit arrested 

to the IGP’s IRT disclosed that 

the ringleader, along with three 

other suspected killers, were 

nabbed in Tunga town, Nasarawa 

State. 

The officer said: “In line with 

the directives of the Inspector 

General, Ibrahim Idris, on the 

arrest of all persons involved in 

the killings in Benue State and 

those in possession of AK-47 rifles 

and other prohibited arms, four 

principal suspects were arrested 

in Tunga town, Nasarawa State, 

flapping of bird's wings. 

According to her, she heard noise 

of a struggling object as the bird 

was trying to fly through the 

window, but fell down on the floor 

of the one-storey building, 

prompting her to shout at her 

daughter, mother of the baby, to 

shut the window. 

She said: “I saw the hawk drop 

down where my four-day-old 

granddaughter was sleeping and 

was trying to carry the baby who 

was probably too heavy for it. 

"It was then that I started 

one Ifeanyi Okoro, 25, 

residing at Omagwa 

community in Ikwerre Local 

Government Area. On 

interrogation, the suspect 

confessed to have been 

involved in the murder of 

Ihuigwe. 

“He mentioned Ajade Niyi, 

between February 16 and 19 

by IRT in connection with the 

killing of Sergeant Solomon 

Dung and other Police officers 

and many innocent citizens in 

Benue State. 

“They are Alhaji Laggi, 40, 

mastermind and gang leader 

of the herdsmen group; 

Mallam Mumini Abdullahi, 

34; Muhammed Adamu, 30, 

and Ibrahim Sule, 32. 

"They have confessed to the 

killings and mentioned other 

shouting, asking my daughter 

to close the windows. 

“My shouting and that of my 

daughter coupled with others, 

who were by then aware of what 

was happening, attracted the 

community youths." 

She said the youths were able 

to catch the hawk and break its 

legs and wings. 

In her account, the mother of 

the four-day-old baby girl, Mrs. 

Joy Emmanuel, said she was 

outside when her mother-inlaw's 

shouting made her rush 

Austin Isotec, Chief Joseph 

Iwuoku and another, who is 

at large, as being involved 

in the assassination.” 

‘Why we killed him’ 

Shockingly, one of the 

suspects in the murder of 

Ihuigwe, Niyi Ajade, 

Police arrest mastermind of New Year killings in Benue, 3 others 

By Esther Onyegbula 

A 

member of a six-man 

robbery gang that 

specialised in dispossessing 

victims of their phones for the 

purpose of hacking into their 

bank accounts, has said he 

acquired the knowledge 

through Google. 

Parading the suspects, Lagos 

State Commissioner of Police, 

Imohimi Edgal, said Nwanze 

Ifeanyi, 27; Martins Uche, 27; 

and Solomon Dike, 31, rob 

people of their phones and flee 

on motorcycles. 

He stated that a member of 

the second group, Muritala 

Mohammed, 28 alias Swallow, 

using computer apps, retrieve 

the names and bank details of 

the original owner of the SIM 

including BVN, adding that 

the recovered details are used 

to determine the account 

balance. 

"Monies in the account are 

then transferred into different 

accounts sourced by the third 

group, made up of Shamson 

Mustapha, 25, and Ali Hassan, 

27,” Edgal added. 

Swallow, said to be a 

secondary school dropout, 

•He was killed so we can sell a plot of land—Suspect 

disclosed that the six-member 

gang was divided into two 

groups with one of the groups 

responsible for stealing phones, 

while the other group, to which 

he belongs, is responsible for 

transferring money from 

victims’ accounts. 

He stated that stolen phones, 

whose SIMs are registered with 

banks, were major targets. 

His arrest and those of his 

accomplices by operatives of the 

Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of 

the Lagos State Police 

Command, followed a 

complaint by one Kemi 

Benson, whose telephone 

was stolen during her son’s 

birthday at Egbeda area of the 

state, on January 20. 

According to Edgal, “when 

the victim went for SIM card 

replacement, as soon as she 

inserted her SIM into her 

phone, she received a bank 

alert of N1.153 million 

transferred from her account 

gang members in possession 

of the Police rifles they took 

from the slain officers as well 

as others in possession of 

arms. 

“Security agents have 

commenced follow-up 

operations in Benue, Taraba 

and Nasarawa states. 

“The DIG Operations, who 

is heading the operations, 

has spoken more on behalf of 

the Inspector General of 

Police on the investigation.” 

I learned cyber crime skills through Google—Suspect 

The suspects 

to other banks. 

“After an investigation, 

gangs, who specialise in 

dispossessing people of 

their mobile phones while 

riding on motorcycles, were 

apprehended. 

“The gang is made up of 

two groups. One specialises 

in snatching the mobile 

phone and sell to the other 

group to generate bank 

details and BVN to transfer 

the cash.” 

in, only to be confronted with 

the unusual sight. 

According to her, it was only 

the grace of God that made her 

to survive the shock, as she had 

never seen such an incident in 

all her life. 

She explained that they live 

upstairs in one of the 

apartments in the building, but 

“because the weather on that 

Sunday was unbearably hot, 

we decided to leave the 

windows open, which was how 

the hawk flew into the room and 

disclosed that they killed the 

victim so they could have 

access to sell off a portion of 

land linked to him as caretaker. 

Ajade said that the chief who 

wants to sell the land said the 

area will be sold for N20 million, 

adding that he was given 

N30,000 to carry out the killing. 

Gunmen 

kidnap 

youth 

leader in 

Akwa Ibom 

By Emmanuel 

Ayungbe 

UYO—THE youth 

leader of Udianga 

Enem community, Etim 

Ekpo Local Government 

Area of Akwa Ibom 

State, Mr. Itoro Inuaowo, 

was, yesterday, 

kidnapped by gunmen. 

It was gathered that the 

youth leader was 

abducted in the early 

hours of the day by 

militants, suspected to be 

members of the Iceland 

cult. 

According to a local 

vigilante, who would not 

want his name in print, 

“the gunmen arrived the 

youth leader's compound 

on three motorcycles at 

about 6a.m. and whisked 

him away at gunpoint.” 

It was gathered the 

Iceland members, 

popularly called The 

Red, had been on the 

prowl to avenge the 

murder of their leader, 

Akaniyene Jumbo (Iso 

Akpafid), who was 

ambushed and killed by 

security agents last 

month. 

The motive of the 

kidnap is yet unclear, but 

sources it is not 

unconnected with the 

efforts made by the 

youth leader to raise 

funds for security of the 

community. 

Hawk attempts to fly away with 4-day-old baby in Abia 

tried to carry my baby.” 

For the landlord of the building, 

Mr. Aaron Ibeji, he has never seen 

or heard that a bird, no matter its 

size, tried to carry a baby. 

He said the incident nearly 

shattered the peace of the 

community. 

Ibeji, however, expressed 

happiness that the youths of the 

community were able to catch the 

bird. He said that they were waiting 

for the elders of the community to 

decide on what they are going to 

do with the bird. 

C 

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HERDSMEN/FARMERS CLASHES: Benue, Nasarawa 

leaders meet with IGP, preach peace 

•Security situation has returned to normal—IGP 

•We're 100% for peace— Benue dep gov 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi, & 

Joseph Erunke 

A BUJA—POLITICAL 

and traditional leaders 

from Benue and Nasarawa 

states, yesterday, met with 

Inspector-General of Police, 

Ibrahim Idris, at Force 

Headquarters, Abuja, with 

a pledge to co-exist in 

peace. 

At the meeting, the IGP 

disclosed that after the 

period of skirmishes and 

confrontation between 

herdsmen and farmers over 

grazing activities as well as 

that of border communities 

in Nasarawa and Benue 

states, the security situation 

has returned to normalcy. 

Speaking at the 

reconciliation meeting, the 

IGP said information 

reaching him from the 

Deputy Inspector General 

of Police in charge of 

Operations, DIG Habila, 

who is currently in Benue 

State, showed that the 

security situation had 

normalised. 

While praying that the 

security challenges that 

resulted in the crisis never 

occur again, the IGP 

commended political and 

traditional rulers of both 

states for their contributions 

towards the existing peace. 

He said: “This meeting 

should be conducted as a 

kind of reconciliation 

meeting. We are not here 

to apportion blame. We are 

out here for peace within 

the border communities of 

Benue and Nasarawa 

states. We must have peace 

and sanity in these areas 

that we are experiencing 

crisis." 

We are 100% for 

peace 

—Benue dep gov 

In his address, leader of 

Benue State delegation 

and Deputy Governor, 

Benson Abonu, said: “We, 

from Benue State, are here 

for a meeting of brothers 

aimed at bringing peace to 

the ordinary people of 


states. 

“Both states were created 

from the Benue-Plateau 

State. We have lived 

together as brothers and 

sisters from time 

immemorial. The best is to 

maintain peace so that 

cordiality reigns and for the 

sake of our children. 

“We cannot afford 

anything less than peace. 

But the peace must be 

founded on justice, equity, 

equality. Benue State is 100 

per cent for peace. We will 

do everything to ensure 

peace. 

Ripple effect of 

open grazing law 

On his part, Special 

Adviser to Nasarawa State 

Governor on Security, 

Brigadier-General 

Muhammad Umar Adeika 

(retd), disclosed that the 

people of Benue and 

Nasarawa states were not at 

war. 

“Nasarawa State and its 

people do not have any 

problem with Benue State. 

We have conflict resolution 

mechanisms, which we 

employ in time of crisis. We 

can share it with our 

brothers from Benue State. 

“The problem we are 

having is the ripple effects 

of the open grazing law of 

Benue State. We don’t 

have anything against the 

law because it is Benue 

State legitimate law. But the 

effect has affected us 

seriously. 

“All those running away 

from Benue State are 

running to Nasarawa. 

Though it is tough but we 

are trying as much as 

possible to accommodate 

them to the best of our 

ability 

“So regarding this 

meeting, we are here with 

all sincerity. I am happy that 

our Benue State 

counterparts have 

expressed the same feeling 

for peace and we are in total 

support.’’ 

The meeting later went 

into closed-door with the 

Commissioners of Police for 


states in attendance. 

CONFERENCE: Mr. Jean-Michel Dumond, French Ambassador 

to Nigeria; Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant on 

Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora; Archbishop John Onaiyekan of 

Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, and Sebastian Tupkop of Nigerian 

Air Force Holding Company, during Ufuk Dialogue at 4th 

International Conference on Love & Tolerance, with theme: 

"Countering Violence and Extremism," in Abuja, yesterday. 

Senate probes amended 2019 

elections timetable 

THE Senate has 

mandated its 

committee on ethics to 

probe the amended 

timetable for 2019 elections. 

The resolution of the 

upper legislative chamber 

was sequel to a motion 

sponsored by Dino 

Melaye, senator 

representing Kogi West. 

While moving the motion 

on the floor of the Senate, 

yesterday, Melaye said he 

did not want to be part of 

any move targeted at 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, adding that Buhari 

was not only a party man 

but also someone he 

laboured for. 

He said: “I rise this 

morning, heavily disturbed 

that we took a resolution in 

this house last week and the 

aftermath of the resolution 

had a very serious effect on 

me as a politician. 

“The president of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria 

is not only my partyman, 

but is also a man we all 

laboured and voted for. 

“My brother and 

colleague, Senator Ovie 

Omo-Agege addressed the 

media, and I saw it on 

Channels and NTA last 

week, where he said the 

decision taken by this 

Senate is targeted at Mr. 

President. 

“If decisions in this 

Senate are now being 

teleguided and targeted at 

any particular person, then 

that is no longer 

democracy. That statement 

to me is weighty" 

The motion was referred 

to the committee on ethics 

after it was put to a voice 

vote by Ike Ekeweremadu, 

Deputy Senate President, 

who presided. 

Last Wednesday, nine 

senators opposed the 

amended timetable, saying 

it might be targeted at the 

President. 

Assets falsification charge: 

Why NJC can’t interfere in 

Ngwuta’s trial —FG 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA — THE Federal 

Government, yesterday, 

challenged the powers of 

National Judicial Council, 

NJC, to interfere in the 

ongoing criminal 

proceeding it initiated 

against Justice Sylvester 

Ngwuta of the Supreme 

Court, before the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal, CCT, in 

Abuja. 

Federal Government had 

in a 10-count charge marked 

CCT/ABJ/01/17, alleged that 

apex court jurist had 

between June 2, 2011 and 

July 19, 2016, refused to 

declare his ownership of 28 

plots of land to the Code of 

Conduct Bureau, CCB. 

It accused Justice Ngwuta 

who is also facing another 18- 

count criminal charge before 

the Federal High Court in 

Abuja, of engaging in private 

business as a public officer, 

contrary to Section 6(b) of the 

Code of Conduct Bureau 

and Tribunal Act. 

At the resumed 

proceeding on the matter, 

yesterday, government 

lawyer, Mr. Abey 

Mohammed, SAN, urged 

the tribunal to dismiss a 

motion the embattled jurist 

filed to oppose his trial. 

Ngwuta had in his motion 

Buhari in Yola, pledges FG's resolve to fight 

corruption 

By Umar Yusuf 

YOLA — PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, in Adamawa State 

restated the resolve of his 

administration to fight 

corruption until all the facets 

of government in the country 

were cleansed of the 

cankerworm. 

The President, who 

declared open a summit on 

anti-corruption, stated that 

his pledge when he 

assumed office on May 29, 

2015, to the effect that he will 

fight corruption and 

insurgency has achieved a 

significant landmark. 

“We, as government, are 

happy that what we 

envisaged about two and a 

half years ago on the 

teething problems facing the 

country has recorded 

enough progress,“ he stated. 

He reminded the 

Executive and Legislative 

Houses at both tiers of 

government that teamwork 

and cordial relationship 

between them were the 

bedrock of the development 

the country was yearning for. 

Earlier at the Yola 

International Airport, Buhari, 

in company of the governors 

of Kaduna and Bauchi states, 

Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and 

Abubakar Mohammed; 

Secretary to the Government 

of the Federation, Boss 

Mustapha, as well as acting 

chairman of Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC,Ibrahim 

Magu were received by 

Governor Mohammed 

Jibrilla and other top 

government officials. 

dated January 9, queried the 

jurisdiction of the tribunal to 

try him over charges he said 

was grossly incompetent. 

The embattled jurist, 

through his team of lawyers 

led by a former Attorney 

General of the Federation 

and Minister of Justice, 

Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, 

argued that by virtue of 

sections 318, 158(1) and 

Paragraph 21 (B) of the 3rd 

Schedule to the 1999 

Constitution, the CCT, 

lacked the requisite 

jurisdiction to hear and 

determine the case against 

him. 

However, Federal 

Government, in a written 

address it filed in opposition 

to Ngwuta’s motion, 

maintained that the tribunal 

had powers and jurisdiction 

to try the case before it. 

Federal Government 

stressed that powers the 

constitution conferred on the 

CCT made the Court of 

Appeal judgement in 

Nganjiwa’s case 

inapplicable to the charge 

against Ngwuta 

After they had listened to 

both sides, the Mr. Danladi 

Umar-led two-man tribunal, 

which initially stood-down 

the case for 30 minutes to 

deliver its verdict, 

subsequently deferred 

ruling till March 21. 

Herdsmen attacks: FG 

reorganises army 

command, control structure 

in Benue, others — Osinbajo 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor 

ABUJA— THE Federal 

Government has 

reorganised the command 

and control structure of army 

formations in areas around 

Benue State as part of the 

administration’s response to 

herdsmen attacks in the 

region, Vice-President Yemi 

Osinbajo disclosed, 

yesterday. 

In a special statement explaining 

the government’s 

response to the spate of 

conflict instigated by 

herdsmen attacks, the vicepresident 

further disclosed 

that the army will next week 

launch a special exercise to 

checkmate the activities of the 

herdsmen, bandits and 

militias in areas around 

Benue, Taraba, and 

Nasarawa states. 

In the statement issued on 

his behalf by Mr. Laolu 

Akande, Senior Special 

Assistant to the President 

(Media & Publicity) said the 

approach of the government 

has been to deploy the 

security forces in the troubled 

areas. 

He said: “The approach of 

the government has been to 

deploy mobile police forces to 

troubled areas and also both 

the army and Air Force, the 

Nigerian Army formations 

and units in Benue State for 

example, especially 72 

Special Forces Battalion, 

have consistently maintained 

Forward Operating Bases at 

the flash areas covering 

Guma, Logo, Katsina-Ala and 

Agatu Local Government 

Areas."



2019: We've lost confidence in 

INEC — PDP 

By Dirisu 

Yakubu & Omeiza 

Ajayi 

A BUJA—PEOPLES 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

yesterday expressed doubt 

over the ability of 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, to conduct free and fair 

elections in 2019. 

The party also called for a 

review of the voters register 

in Kano and Katsina states to 

address alleged instances of 

registration of underage 

voters in the recently 

conducted polls in the two 

North-West states. 

Addressing a world press 

conference, yesterday, 

National Publicity Secretary 

of the party, Mr Kola 

Ologbodiyan, lamented the 

outing of the electoral umpire 

in recent times, even as it 

called on the INEC chairman, 

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, 

to “do the needful” to restore 

the confidence of Nigerians 

ahead of the general 

elections. 

“Nigerians have 

completely lost confidence in 

INEC under Professor 

Mahmood Yakubu and we 

urge him to take the path of 

honour and do the needful 

before it becomes too late. 

“As you are aware, INEC 

has been indicted for 

registering and issuing 

permanent voters cards to 

millions of underage persons, 

particularly in Kano and 

Katsina states. 

“However, INEC has 

refused to take decisive steps 

to restore the sanctity of its 

register, particularly in Kano 

and Katsina states, but has 

rather made a puerile 

explanation of plans to 

investigate the allegation." 

While dismissing the 

reason advanced by INEC to 

justify the registration of 

minors in the states 

aforementioned, the PDP said 

Yakubu’s reign in the 

commission was no longer 

tenable. 

The party also took a swipe 

at All Progressives Congress, 

APC-led administration, 

saying its performance claims 

were intended to deceive 

gullible Nigerians ahead of 

the polls. 

“We have information that 

forces at the Presidency and 

the leadership of the APC, 

having failed to record any 

meaningful achievement in 

their three years of failed 

governance, and having 

realised that they have 

nothing on which to anchor 

their ill-lucked 2019 reelection 

bid, have mobilised 

their agents to commence the 

falsification of economic and 

development indices across 

all sectors, with a view to 

creating a false sense of 

performance,” 

Ologbondiyan said. 

The PDP also condemned 

what it called the impunity of 


Buhari’s administration, 

saying it had uncovered plans 

by government to demolish 

property owned by some of 

its vocal critics. 

We won’t join 

issues with parties 

or anybody 

—INEC 

However, in a swift reaction, 

•Calls for review of voters’ register in 

Kano, Katsina 

•We won’t join issues with parties or 

anybody —INEC 

INEC said it will not join 

issues with any political party 

or politician, saying it is 

currently focusing on efforts 

at delivering a credible 

general elections for 

Nigerians in 2019. 

“We will not join issues with 

anybody or party. We are 

focused on the task ahead. 

Whatever anyone is alleging 

is in the realm of speculation 

because there is no evidence 

to show that we are partisan,” 

said Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, 

INEC’s Director, Publicity 

and Voter Education. 

On reports by Gov. Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State alleging 

that INEC would be used to 

manipulate the 2019 

elections, Osaze-Uzzi said 

the antecedents of the 

electoral umpire in Rivers 

bore eloquent testimony to its 

non-partisan discharge of its 

mandate. 

He assured Nigerians that 

INEC would do all in its 

powers to ensure the fidelity 

of all future elections. 

MEETING: The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II (2nd left), 

introducing President, MOTAENGIL, Mr. Antonio Mota and CEO, 

Shoreline Limited, Mr. Kola Kairim (right) to Minister of Budget 

and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, after the Emir 

led a business delegation on a closed-door meeting with Vice 

President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: 

Abayomi Adeshida. 

Killings: Military'll restore normalcy to 

Benue, neighbouring states —COAS 

•Flags off Exercise Ayem A'Kpatuma 

•Says exercise not targeted at anyone 

By Peter Duru 

MAKURDI—CHIEF of 

Army Staff, 

Lieutenant-General Tukur 

Buratai, has promised to 

restore normalcy to the 

troubled communities of 

Benue State with the 

commencement of Exercise 

Ayem A’ Kpatuma, a special 

military spike programme 

launched to stem herdsmen 

incursions and killings in 

Benue and neighbouring 

states. 

Buratai spoke, yesterday, 

in Makurdi when he led top 

brass of Nigerian Army on a 

courtesy call on Governor 

Samuel Ortom of Benue 

State and to flag off the 

military exercise 

He said: “Ayem A’kpatuma 

is an exercise that would help 

familiarise our troops to the 

challenge of internal security 

and this is jointly being 

conducted with other services 

of the Armed Forces as well 

as other security agencies 

especially the Police, 

Department of State Service, 

DSS, and other paramilitary 

organisations. 

“I am not going to trace the 

history of the challenges that 

this part of the country has 

faced but by and large, it is 

our hope and expectation 

that at the end of the 

exercise, we expect that 

things would normalise. 

“This is a way of 

contributing our own quota 

to ensuring that we support 

the civil authorities to 

assuage whatever 

challenges they have over 

the situation that is facing our 

society. 

“First and foremost let me 

make it clear, that this is not 

an operation, it is an exercise 

that is essentially a military 

exercise. And we want to 

assure you that we are not 

targeting any individual. 

“It is an exercise that will 

help our officers and soldiers 

understand the basics that 

are required for internal 

security operations which 

include ambushes, military 

patrol, including civil/ 

military activities that we 

would undertake during 

this exercise to also include 

medical outreach as well as 

other programmes that 

would help us interact with 

the society in general and 

understand each other better. 

Ortom lauds Buhari 

Receiving the team, 

Governor Samuel Ortom 

lauded President 

Muhammadu Buhari for 

approving the military 

exercise in the state. 

He said: “I thank Mr. 

President for approving the 

exercise in Benue State. 

Though I don’t know the 

difference between exercise 

and operation because it’s a 

military terminology. 

Flagging off the special 

exercise at its operational 

base, at the LGEA Primary 

School, Mbabegha Guma 

Local Government Area, the 

Army Chief assured that the 

40-day exercise that started 

on February 15, lasting till 

March 31, would address the 

security challenges facing 

parts of Benue and 

neighbouring states. 

Also speaking, Gov. 

Yahaya Bello of Kogi State 

promised that his state would 

extend support to the 

operation to ensure its 

success. 

Zamfara killings: Use air 

surveillance to identify 

location of bandits, Senate 

tells FG 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA— THE Senate, 

yesterday, asked the 

Federal Government to 

direct the Nigerian Air Force 

to use air surveillance to 

identify the location of armed 

bandits in Zamfara, with a 

view to flushing them out. 

It also urged the Federal 

Government to mount 

diplomatic pressure on 

Niger Republic and Chad to 

stop criminals from using 

their territories to launch 

attacks on Nigeria. 

The upper chamber 

equally asked the Zamfara 

State government to 

upgrade, recruit and 

generously fund state and 

local vigilance teams to 

improve security in the 

affected areas. 

Resolutions of the Senate 

were sequel to a motion by 

Senator Tijjani Yahaya 

Kaura (APC, Zamfara 

North), entitled, “Urgent 

need to look into the killings 

that took place in Zurmi 

L.G.A of Zamfara State.” 

Presenting the motion, 

Senator Kaura noted that 

cross-border banditry had 

brought Nigeria’s frail 

security system to the fore, 

having triggered an orgy of 

violence in Zamfara State, 

which left 39 people dead in 

Zurmi LGA on Wednesday, 

February 14, 2018. 

He said: “These security 

breaches are on the increase, 

in spite of the huge resources 

being expended by the 

federal and Zamfara State 

governments.” 

In his contribution, Senate 

Leader, Ahmed Lawan, who 

noted that there must be 

executive-legislative 

collaboration to ensure that 

the outcome of the recently 

held national security 

summit was realised, said 

“we need to be optimistic that 

this time around, the 

implementation will be 

better.” 

In his remarks, Deputy 

Senate President, Senator 

Ekweremadu, noted that 

any government that 

abandoned its responsibility 

of protecting lives of its 

citizens had failed. 

CBN, RMAFC oppose 

creation of new agency to 

manage assets 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA—THE Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN; 

Nigerian Deposit 

Insurance Corporation, 

NDIC, and Revenue 

Mobilization, Allocation 

and Fiscal Commission, 

RMAFC, yesterday, 

shunned the establishment 

of a new agency by the 

House of Representatives to 

manage assets that are 

proceeds of corruption and 

crime seized or forfeited to 

the Federal Government. 

The government agencies 

made their position known 

at the public hearing 

organised by House 

Committee on Banking 

and Currency on a bill 

seeking to establish 

Nigerian Assets 

Management Agency, 

NAMA. 

The agency, if created, is 

expected to manage all 

government assets, 

including those seized, 

forfeited or taken over by 

anti-graft and other federal 

security agencies. 

CBN Governor, Godwin 

Emefiele, urged that the 

NAMA Bill be 

consolidated with the 

Senate’s Proceeds of 

Crimes Recovery and 

Management Agency Bill 

or better still drop the 

NAMA Bill. 

The CBN governor, who 

was represented by an 

Assistant Director, Legal, 

Henry Forma, in declaring 

opposition to the new 

legislation, drew the 

attention of the House 

Committee to the existence 

of another bill before the 

Senate, known as the 

Proceeds of Crime Bill, 

which it considered more 

comprehensive. 

Emefiele said the two bills 

should be consolidated into 

one legislation since they 

were similar, adding that 

the Senate Bill provided for 

the establishment of the 

Proceeds of Crime 

Recovery and 

Management Agency. 

In his presentation, 

Acting Chairman, Revenue 

Mobilization Allocation 

and Fiscal Commission, 

RMAFC, Shettima Gana, 

who also opposed the 

establishment of the new 

agency, observed that the 

functions of the agency 

should be transferred to 

AMCON or the EFCC 

which had existing 

structures. 

He said following 

government’s 

determination in 2011 to 

reduce the number of 

agencies, the establishment 

of a new agency to manage 

all assets seized, forfeited 

or taken over by federal 

security bodies would not 

only increase the cost of 

governance, but amount to 

duplication of the functions 

of an existing agency.

10 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 


Osinbajo meets LCCI over Apapa gridlock 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government 

yesterday said it was 

working hard at addressing 

the protracted Oshodi-Apapa 

expressway gridlock in 

Lagos. 

Vice President Osinbajo 

who gave the assurance 

when he received a delegation 

of the Lagos Chamber 

of Commerce and Industry, 

LCCI, at the State House, 

Abuja, also said government 

was putting in place policies 

to fast track economic 

growth. 

He said in conjunction 

with the private sector, the 

Federal Government was 

resolving the Apapa, Lagos 

traffic gridlock. 

The Vice President said 

Muhammadu Buhari-led 

administration, in line with 

its Economic Recovery and 

Growth Plan, would 

continue to ensure the 

implementation of policies 

to drive socio-economic 

growth and prosperity. 

According to him, “I think 

that no one is in doubt that 

we have very great policies 

and we will ensure that these 

things are implemented 

and are done as faithfully as 

possible.” 

The Vice President in a 

statement by his 

spokesman, Laolu Akande, 

said the private sector in 

Nigeria would continue to 

play a prominent role in the 

economic programmes and 

initiatives of the Buhari 

administration. 

He said, “If you look at our 

economic programmes and 

several other initiatives, the 

private sector plays a 

prominent role in them, and 

that is how it should be. So 

there is no question that the 

roles the LCCI and private 

sector play are critical to the 

kind of development 

•Says FG'll fast track economic growth policies 

AITEO AWARDS: From left: Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State; Mr 

Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor Lagos State; Mr Francis Peter, Deputy Managing 

Director, Aiteo Group; his wife; Gianni Infantino, FIFA President; Ahmad Ahmad, 

CAF President;Amaju Pinnick, NFF President and his wife at the 1st AITEO/NFF 

Awards held at Eko Hotel Victoria Island Lagos on Monday. Photo by Akeem Salau. 

policies and plan that we 

have in this government.” 

Osinbajo commended the 

LCCI for its Presidential 

Policy Dialogues on the 

economy, which he noted 

had helped in shaping 

some initiatives and policies 

of government. 

He said the administration 

would continue to have 

robust engagements and 

work with the private sector 

and stakeholders in developing 

plans for implementation 

of several economic 

projects. 

Speaking to State House 

correspondents after the 

meeting, the leader of the 

delegation president of 

LCCI, Babatunde Ruwase, 

said, “There has been some 

progress, particularly in the 

ease of doing business policy 

of government that was 

put in place and the various 

other presidential orders 

that they have introduced 

so far have impacted 

positively in the business 

environment for us as business 

people.” 

Ruwase said it had 

become easier for business 

people to access foreign 

exchange to import raw 

materials, pointing out that 

there had been some stability 

in the foreign exchange 

market. 

He also said there had 

been improvements in power 

and in road construction, 

which enabled businesses to 

move their goods from one 

part of the country to another. 

Ruwase lamented however, 

that "the bridges we have 

in Lagos now are being 

turned to trailer parks, 

which is not good for business,” 

suggesting that the 

rail lines from the Apapa 

Ports should be resuscitated 

to make it easier for 

goods to move from the ports 

to various areas of Nigeria.” 

Ambode okays 285 new road projects 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni & Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

L 

A 

G O S — 

GOVERNOR 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State has 

approved construction of 

additional 285 roads and 

Private doctors fault 2017 

Gunshot Act 

By Chioma Obinna 

Lmedical AGOS—PRIVATE 

practitioners 

have faulted the newly 

signed Compulsory 

Treatment and Care for 

Victims of Gunshot Act, 

2017, by President Muhammadu 

Buhari, saying 

‘the act framed presumes 

guilt for the medical 

practitioners if a gunshot 

patient dies’. 

The Gunshot Victims Act 

2017 stipulates that a 

person with a gunshot 

wound shall be received 

for immediate and adequate 

treatment by any 

hospital in Nigeria with or 

without initial monetary 

deposit and shall not be 

subjected to inhuman and 

degrading treatment or 

torture by any person or 

authority, including the 

Police and other security 

agencies. 

In a chat with Vanguard 

after the National Executive 

Committee, NEC, 

Meeting of the Association 

of General Private Medical 

Practitioners of Nigeria, 

AGPMPN, National 

President, AGPMPN, Dr. 

Omo-Ehijele Frank 

Odafen, said: “For 

instance, who pays for the 

treatment? Who enforces 

payment? What if in the 

course of treatment, the 

police cannot be informed 

within two hours? The law 

as framed presumes guilt 

for the medical practitioners 

if a gunshot patient 

dies. What is the responsibility 

of the patient, relatives 

and the state under 

this law? What is the protection 

for the doctor under 

this law? 

“We are studying it and 

we are going to make a 

presentation to government 

as a body. Definitely, 

we have seen visible areas 

where amendment is 

necessary." 

other projects across the 

20 Local Governments, 

LGAs and 37 Local 

Council Development 

Areas, LCDAs, aimed at 

easing transportation 

problem and improving 

standard of residents. 

This came as Lagos 

Metropolitan Area 

Transport Authority, 

LAMATA, announced 

that Ambode, also 

approved the 

construction of four new 

bus termini in Agege, 

Ojota, Ajah and NAHCO 

near the Murtala 

M o h a m m e d 

International Airport, 

Ikeja, as well as 100 

modern bus shelters on 

major public transport 

corridors in the state. 

On the 285 roads, 

Special Adviser to the 

Governor on Community 

and Communications, 

Mr. Akeem Sulaimon, 

who disclosed this 

during a stakeholders' 

meeting with Executives 

of Community 

Development 

Associations, CDAs in 

Ikeja, noted that the 

projects excluded the 

181 roads earlier 

approved by the 

governor. 

According to Sulaimon, 

the governor was 

interested in taking 

development to the 

grassroots, hence communities 

in the 57 

councils would be 

assisted in executing 

self-help projects. He 

informed that about four 

to five self-help projects 

would be executed in 

each of the 57 councils 

across the state. 

Sulaimon said: “The 

projects will be funded by 

the state government. 

The projects embarked 

upon by the CDAs and 

the CDCs are 

complementary projects 

because the funds used 

in constructing the 

projects were contributed 

by the residents and the 

projects include 

construction of roads, 

streetlights and others. 

These projects will ease 

life of the residents.” 

Explaining further on 

the projects, Senior 

Special Assistant to the 

Governor on Community 

Affairs, Tajudeen 

Quadri, said there were 

about 3,900 CDAs and 57 

C o m m u n i t y 

Development 

Committees, CDCs in 

the state. 

According to him, 

“Assisting the 

communities to execute a 

minimum of four selfhelp 

projects will be 

beneficiary to the people 

at the grassroots.” 

Senate to probe N3.4bn 

NNPC/Agip security account 

By Henry Umoru 


Akoni 

LAGOS 

State 

Government plans to 

arraign four officials of a 

Private Sector Participant, 

PSP, arrested for dumping 

waste on the streets at night 

along the Central Business 

District, CBD, of Lagos Island. 

Also, four cart pushers;- 

Yusuf Saheed, Abubakar 

Lawal, Bashiru Umar and 

Amira Abdul, arrested in 

Moshalasi Alhaja in Agege 

area of the state for 

dumping refuse in 

unauthorised spots are to 

be arraigned in court 

soon. 

According to a statement, 

yesterday, by the state’s 

Commissioner for 

Information and Strategy, 

Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, 

the officials were arrested by 

security operatives in the 

early hours of Tuesday, in 

the process of using their 

compactor to dump refuse 

on the street. 

The suspects included; 

driver of the compactor, 

Oloruntele Adekunle and 

three others. The company 

was said to have its offices 

on Kudirat Abiola Way, Old 

Oregun Road, Ikeja. 

Bamigbetan said the latest 

arrest it was gathered 

brought the number of PSP 

THE Senate yesterday 

mandated its Committee 

on Public Accounts, 

headed by Senator 

Matthew Urhoghide, PDP, 

Edo South to thoroughly 

investigate the rationale 

behind a security account 

allegedly operated by the 

Nigeria National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, and Nigerian Agip 

Oil Company and report 

back within four weeks. 

This followed the adoption 

of a motion moved by 

Senator Dino Melaye 

(Kogi-APC). 

Moving the motion, 

Melaye said there was 

need for the Senate to unravel 

the objective of the 

account and source of its 

funding. 

He alleged that the 

account opened with the 

name NNPC/AGIP Oil 

Company IPP Security 

Account with address 

NNPC Garki, Harbert 

Macauley way is domiciled 

in First Bank Nigeria Plc 

with account number 

2006367288. 

Melaye allaged that the 

account had an opening 

balance of N31.7 billion 

and a closing balance of 

N34. 5 billion as at April 25, 

2017, adding that there 

were lodgments and withdrawals 

since January 

2017. 

“A lot of questions are 

begging for answers as regards 

this account. While 

we need to know the objectives 

of this account, we 

also need to know the signatories 

to the account ; is 

the account known to the 

Federal Government and 

what are the sources of the 

account’s funding. 

“About N2 trillion is kept 

in various accounts of 

government, we are 

operating a Treasury Single 

Account yet money is kept 

in various personal 

accounts. If these monies 

are properly remitted to 

government purse, we will 

have no business 

borrowing. This Senate will 

continue to expose any 

corrupt practice in the 

country because it is time 

to protect the future of 

Nigerians unborn,” 

Melaye said. 

In his contribution, 

Senator Sam Anyanwu 

(PDP Imo East), who 

seconded the motion, 

stressed that it had become 

imperative for the senate to 

carry out thorough 

investigation on the 

operation of an account by 

the NNPC/Agip Oil 

Company. 

In his remarks, deputy 

Senate President, Senator 

Ike Ekweremadu, who 

presided, directed the 

Committee on Public 

Accounts to investigate the 

matter and report back to 

the senate within four 

weeks of the assignment. 

LASG prosecutes PSP 

operators, cart pushers over 

illegal dumping of refuse 

operators arrested for 

similar offence in the last 

one week to five, while 

hundreds of cart pushers 

and wheel barrow operators 

had equally been arrested 

for dumping waste in 

public places and canals in 

various parts of the state. 

The commissioner 

maintained that the arrest 

was a clear confirmation of 

the suspicion of 

government that the new 

environmental waste 

management policy 

encapsulated in CLI was 

being sabotaged by vested 

interests. 

He said: “A PSP operator 

was caught along Lagos 

Island Central Business 

District discharging refuse 

on the street. He was 

arrested by security 

operatives in the middle of 

the night which shows the 

institutional corruption that 

has been lingering in the 

sector which the state 

government intends to fight 

with the reforms put in 

place. The arrest of the PSP 

operator is a clear example 

of the deliberate efforts to 

sabotage what the State 

Government is doing. The 

PSP operators are not being 

driven out of their 

businesses with the reforms 

as they are making the 

public to believe."

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 — 11 


Herdsmen take oath in Ekiti to stop 

killings 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

& Adeola Badru 

A HERDSMEN DO-EKITI— 

in 

Ekiti State have taken a 

traditional oath binding on 

them to assure the host 

communities in Ekiti and 

the South West, that they 

would no longer behave 

unruly, kill or allow their 

cows to stray into farms. 

This was as Governor 

Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State 

ordered the arrest and 

prosecution of herdsmen 

carrying guns and other 

dangerous weapons across 

the state. 

The traditional oath, 

revealed to be an effective 

cultural sanction on herders 

as its violation, is believed 

to bring tragedy on the 

culprit, was administered by 

the Sarkin Fulani of Kwara 

State, Alhaji Ardo Mairero, 

at a peace meeting of all 

parties involved in 

herdsmen challenge in the 

state. 

It was resolved at the 

meeting that “all herders 

must obey the anti-grazing 

and relevant laws of the 

land.” 

Besides, the meeting 

commended Governor 

Fayose for being a peaceful 

leader, “who represents 

hope for all.” 

Those present at the 

meeting include, Alhaji 

Ibrahim Shekarau, who 

represented the Emir of 

•As Ajimobi orders arrest of gun-wielding herders 

Kano; Alhaji Mohammad 

Leewa, National 

President, Miyetti Allah, 

Mohammad Kiruwa, 

Governor Ayodele Fayose, 

Ekiti Deputy Governor, 

Olusola Kolapo; Secretary to 

State Government, Modupe 

Alade; Chief of Staff, Dipo 

Anisulowo; Agriculture 

Commissioner, Kehinde 

Odebunmi and other 

national and zonal Miyetti 

Allah leaders. 

Also, a communiqué, cosigned 

by governor Fayose, 

Alhaji Shekarau, who 

represented the Emir of 

Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 

II, Mrs. Alade, Alhaji 

Kiruwa and others, was 

released through the office 

of the Chief Press Secretary 

to Governor Fayose, Mr. 

Idowu Adelusi. 

Adeslusi said: “Of most 

significance of the peace 

meeting of February 19 by 

the stakeholders was the 

traditional oath taken with 

kola nuts as agreement that 

the herdsmen in Ekiti will 

not behave unruly any 

longer, kill or allow their 

cows to stray into farms.” 

“It was administered with 

kola and sharing of the kola, 

which is a Fulani tradition 

that is binding on the 

initiators. With this oath, 

issues of robbery, killing, 

damaging of farms and 

kidnapping among others 

being allegedly perpetuated 

by herders are over in the 

state. The meeting and 

DTN hails firm's takeover by AMCON 

signing of the 

memorandum by all 

parties lasted for two hours 

between 11pm on Monday 

19 to 1am of Tuesday, 

February 20,” he said. 

The communiqué reads in 

part: “A truce meeting, 

initiated by the Emir of Kano 

and the Governor of Ekiti 

State over pastoralists 

menace was held on 

Monday, February 19. 

“The representative of 

Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ibrahim 

Shekarau, conveyed the 

concern of the Emir over 

broken down relationship 

between herdsmen and 

host communities that has 

led to loss of lives in Ekiti 

State and other parts of the 

country. 

"The Emir commiserated 

with the families of those 

whose lives have been cut 

short due to the attacks and 

reprisals of herders and 

associated consequences.” 

“Similarly, the leadership 

of the Miyetti Allah Cattle 

Breeders Association and 

patrons condemned in 

strong terms any form if 

killing that has taken 

place”, it stated. 

It also resolved that 

“herdsmen must stop 

attacks on any member of 

the host communities” even 

as they warned that any 

herder that breaches the 

peace “should be prepared 

to face the wrath of the law, 

and Ekiti people should not 

provoke the herdsman or kill 

BRIEFING: From left; Ngozi Ekoma, chairman, GEO Travel and Tour; Yahaya 

Kwande, member house of presentative; Shehu Dikko, 2nd vice president, 

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF); Alex Ekeoma, director, GEO Travels and 

Tour, and Ibrahim Guzo, board member, NFF, at the GEO Travel and Tour press 

conference to announce its partnership with NFF in Lagos. Photo by Akeem Salau. 

By Kenechukwu 

Iruomah 

THE Board and 

Management of Folio 

Communications Limited, 

owners of Daily Times of 

Nigeria, DTN, have hailed 

the takeover of the 

company by the Asset 

Management Company of 

Nigeria, AMCON. 

A statement by its Media/ 

Publicity Adviser, Mr. 

Bonaventure Melah said 

the development would 

save the newspaper from the 

threats posed by undue 

interference. 

The statement reads in 

part: "As law-abiding 

citizens operating a 

responsible corporate entity, 

we believe that the takeover 

of DTN by AMCON will 

help to save the dissipation 

of its assets by some 

property scavengers. 

"Our company, Folio 

Communications bought 

and fully paid for Daily 

Times of Nigeria in 2004 

through a widely publicised 

and transparent 

privatisation process. DTN 

was duly handed over to 

Folio the same year by the 

Bureau of Public 

Enterprises." 

their cattle.” 

It also agreed 

“pastoralists/farmers crisis 

and killings, under any 

guise must stop 

immediately. The meeting 

supports the anti-night 

grazing stand of the law 

because it protects the 

interest of all parties, and the 

law taken its course in the 

violation of letters of these 

resolutions.” 

Ajimobi orders arrest of 

gun wielding herders 

Meanwhile, to further 

nip the farmers/herdsmen 

clashes in the bud, governor 

Ajimobi has directed that a 

headcount of all Fulani 

herdsmen in the state 

should be taken for proper 

data collection and to 

prevent wanton destruction 

of lives and farmlands. 

The governor gave the 

directive at a stakeholders’ 

meeting aimed at dousing 

the tension between the 

herdsmen and farmers. 

At the meeting which was 

well-attended by the 

representatives of farmers, 

herdsmen, security 

agencies and other 

stakeholders, held at the 

House of Chiefs, in Ibadan, 

the governor said the 

decision was taken to make 

it easier to separate genuine 

pastoralists from criminallyminded 

herders. 

Some chiefs aid 

herdsmen activities 

— Oyo Farmers 

In his remarks, leader 

of Farmers Association in 

Oyo State, Mr. Ayoola 

Ajibesin said that the 

state House of Assembly 

had, in August 2017, 

called a peace meeting 

between the farmers and 

herdsmen where 

recommendations were 

made by both parties, 

noting that nothing 

concrete had been done 

since then. 

He also accused some 

local chiefs, particularly 

in the Oke Ogun axis of 

the state, of aiding and 

abetting herdsmen after 

collecting calves as gifts 

from them, particularly 

those with criminal 

tendencies, saying that 

this had contributed to 

the crises. 

We’re not criminals 

— MACBAN leader 

Also, the state chairman 

of MACBAN, Alhaji 

Yakubu Bello who spoke 

in Yoruba, exonerated his 

men from criminal 

activities and called on 

government to 

apprehend those who are 

criminals among 

herders. 

Bello 

said: 

“Government should do 

the needful to maintain 

law and order. For us, 

peace is very germane.'' 

Obasanjo, Amosun, Osoba, 

others storm Ikenne for 

Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu @ 70 

By Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA— 

F O R M E R 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo, Governor 

Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun 

State; former governors of 

the state, Olusegun Osoba, 

Otunba Gbenga Daniel and 

other eminent Nigerians, 

stormed the Ikenne, home 

of the late Chief Obafemi 

Awolowo to felicitate with 

Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo- 

Dosunmu, a former 

Nigerian ambassador to 

The Netherlands, who 

turned 70 years, yesterday. 

Awolowo-Dosunmu was 

also conferred the title of 

Iya Ewe of Our Saviour’s 

Anglican Church, Ikenne- 

Remo, by the church. 

The Archbishop of the 

Ecclesiastical Province of 

Lagos, Most. Reverend 

(Dr) Olusina Fape, in his 

sermon titled: ‘This is the 

Day of Joy’, said birthday 

is a time to appreciate God 

for the gift of life. 

He said: “For our dear 

sister, this is the day that 

the Lord has made, the day 

is your birth, the 70th year 

of the same. That our sister 

has seen this day is by the 

grace of God. God has 

preserved your life as it is 

unto this day.” 

Also, Amosun, who was 

represented by his Deputy, 

Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, 

said: “the celebrant is one 

of the fruits of the sage, 

Chief Obafemi Awolowo. 

We want to thank you for 

the numerous contributions 

to mankind. We 

acknowledge all that you 

have done and we said it is 

not by mistake that you are 

adding another feather to 

all the feathers you have 

already.” 

Akeredolu flags off N15bn 

Industrial Park, Ore fly-over 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—AS part of 

activities to mark his 

first year in office, Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu 

yesterday flagged-off three 

multi-billion projects in the 

southern Senatorial District 

area of the state. 

The flag off of the projects 

included the N15billion 

International Industrial 

Park in Omotosho, Ore in 

Odigbo Local Government 

Area, the construction of 

fly-over across Benin-Lagos 

express road at Ore, and 

the construction of an 18.1- 

kilometre Bye Pass road 

from Okitipupa to 

Igbokoda. 

He said his 

administration is able to 

achieve the feat following 

the signing of 

Memorandum of 

Understanding with 

HESSMAC Nigeria 

Limited for the 

Development, operation 

and management of the 

park. 

The governor said the 

industrial park, which 

covers a land area of 1000 

hectares, will generate 

15000 direct employment 

and other auxiliary services 

from 400 industries that will 

spring up in the park. 

He said: “An industrial 

park of this magnitude is 

typically accompanied by a 

number of technical and 

infrastructural facilities such 

hotels and guest houses, 

textiles and apparels, 

telecommunications, 

furniture, garment, 

building materials, plastic 

products, gas pipeline and 

distribution among others.” 

At the flag-off of 

18.1kilometres bye-pass 

road from Okitipupa to 

Igbokoda, Akeredolu said if 

the project is completed, it 

would eliminate the time 

wasted by commuters 

going to Igbokoda and 

beyond, 

who 

have hitherto been made 

to take the long and 

arduous journey through 

Okitipupa city centre. 

The governor also 

commissioned roads at the 

State University of Science 

and Technology, Okitipupa. 

Ogun Customs seizes N205m 

smuggled items in two weeks 

By Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA—THE 

Ogun State Area 

Command of Nigeria 

Customs Service, NCS, 

has said that its men 

intercepted and seized 

smuggled items with duty 

paid value over N205 

million. 

The seized items, which 

included 13 vehicles, 21 

motorcycles, 1,168 bags of 

rice, 221 kegs of vegetable 

oil, five sacks of second 

hand bags and 12 means 

of conveyance, with duty 

paid value of N153, 858, 

579, were seized within 

two weeks by the 

operatives of the command 

in Idi-Iroko axis of the 

state. 

The Command's Area 

Comptroller, Sani 

Madugu, said this on 

Tuesday at the Quarry 

Road, Abeokuta, 

headquarters of the NCS.



I took actions based on 

instructions by President's 

wife, Jonathan's aide tells court 

By Innocent Anaba 

W ARIPAMO- 

OWEI Dudafa, 

an aide to former President 

Goodluck Jonathan, 

yesterday told a Federal 

High Court in Lagos that 

all the actions he took in the 

performance of his duties 

were based on instructions 

handed down to him by Dr. 

Jonathan and his wife, 

Patience. 

While testifying in a suit 

by Mrs. Jonathan, seeking 

to vacate a no debit order 

placed on her account 

containing $15.5 million at 

Skye Bank Plc by the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, said he had no 

power to issue instructions 

to anyone while in the villa. 

The matter is before 

Justice Mohammed Idris. 

Respondents in the suit 

are the EFCC, Skye Bank, 

Dudafa, Pluto Property and 

Investment Company 

Limited, Seagate Property 

Development and 

Investment Company 

Limited, Transocean 

Property and Investment 

Company Limited and 

Globus Integrated Service 

Limited. 

While being crossexamined 

by EFCC’s 

lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, 

Dudafa, said: “I know 

Festus Iyoha and Peter 

Avirim. They are presidential 

stewards attached to the 

president. Several times, 

the former president and 

his wife gave me dollars for 

Festus, Peter and others to 

change to naira. 

“I was the Special Assistant 

to the President on Domestic 

Affairs and I received 

instructions from my boss. 

I never had powers to give 

instructions but I could relay 

instructions to aides in 

the Presidency including 

Festus and Peter. 

“I relayed instructions 

from the former president 

and his wife to the aides. 

Several instructions were 

given including the one 

involving money but they 

were all relayed on behalf 

of the former president and 

his wife. I was the only one 

that had access to the 

bedroom of the former 

president and if he gave me 

instructions, I had to carry 

them out. The physical 

handing over of the money 

was done by me though I 

was relaying an 

instruction.” 

Dudafa also told the court 

that he was not aware that 

Mrs. Jonathan was a 

Permanent Secretary with 

the Bayelsa State 

Government while he was 

serving in the Presidency. 

Nigeria, UNWTO sign agreement on hosting of 

African Tourism Ministers’ meeting 

NIGERIA and the 

UN World Tourism 

Organization, UNWTO, 

on Friday in Madrid, 

Spain, signed an 

agreement on the hosting 

of the 61st UNWTO 

Commission for Africa, 

UNWTO CAF, meeting on 

4-6 June 2018, in Abuja. 

The Minister of 

Information and Culture, 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, 

signed for the Nigerian 

government while 

UNWTO Secretary- 

General Zurab 

Pololikashvili signed for 

the global tourism body at 

an event at the UNWTO 

Headquarters in the 

Spanish capital. 

The agreement, the 

signing of which was 

witnessed by the 

Nigerian Ambassador to 

Spain, Her Excellency 

Susan Aderonke Folarin, 

among others, contained 

the conditions for 

organizing the meeting 

as well as other details. 

Speaking at the signing, 

the Minister said the 

Nigerian Government 

plans to use the 

opportunity of hosting the 

meeting to showcase the 

best of Nigeria to the 

world, adding that 

Nigeria has comparative 

advantage and has taken 

the world by storm in the 

area of music, movies, 

theatre and other aspects 

of the creative industry. 

He thanked the 

UNWTO and its member 

states for their confidence 

in giving Nigeria the 

hosting right for the 

meeting and assured that 

the country will host a top 

class event. 

‘’Nigeria does not take 

the confidence for granted 

and will not disappoint. In 

this regard, the meeting’s 

main organizing 

committee, as well as the 

sub-committees, are leaving 

no stone unturned to 

stage a highly-successful 

meeting. 

‘’All delegates coming 

to Nigeria for the meeting 

are assured of Nigeria’s 

legendary warm 

hospitality and an 

exposition of the 

country’s sight and 

sound. We will showcase 

the best of our 

entertainment industry 

that has taken the world 

by storm,’’ Mohammed 

assured. 

AGREEMENT: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the UNWTO's 

Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, signing the Agreement on Nigeria's hosting of the 61st 

CAF meeting, in Madrid, Spain, on Friday. 

PDP sends anti-grazing bill to Edo 

Assembly 

By Gabriel Enogholase 

BENIN—A “Bill to 

Prohibit Open 

Rearing and Grazing of 

Livestock and Provide for 

the Establishment of 

Ranches and Livestock 

Administration, 

Regulation and Control 

and for Other Matters 

Connected Therewith 

2018,” has been sent to 

the Edo State House of 

Assembly by the 

opposition party in the 

state, the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP. 

State party chairman, 

Chief Dan Orbih, who 

addressed newsmen in 

Benin City, yesterday, 

sad that the bill when 

passed into law by the 

Assembly will “Prevent 

the destruction of crop 

farms, community ponds, 

settlements, and 

property by open rearing 

and grazing of livestock, 

prevent clashes between 

nomadic livestock 

herders and crop 

farmers. 

“Protect the 

environment from 

degradation and 

pollution caused by open 

grazing and over 

grazing of livestock, 

optimize the use of land 

resources in the face of 

overstretched land 

increasing population. 

“Prevent, control and 

manage and spread of 

diseases as well as ease 

the implementation of 

policies that enhance the 

production of high 

quality and healthy 

livestock for local and 

international markets 

and create a conducive 

environment for large 

scale crop production.” 

Chief Orbih, in a 

covering letter attached 

to the bill and sent to the 

Speaker of the Edo State 

House of Assembly, Mr. 

Kabiru Adjotoh, said: 

“You will agree with me 

that in the last few years, 

the incessant killings 

and maiming of farmers, 

raping of women and 

girls in their farms and 

communities by 

herdsmen have reached 

an endemic proportion. 

“These attacks are 

provoked as herdsmen 

and their cattle invade 

the farms and ravage the 

farm produce, including 

cassava, yam and 

plantain which are the 

staple as well as 

economic lifeline of the 

farmers. 

‘We are a responsible 

political party standing 

in guard for the good 

people of Edo State. We 

cannot stand by in the 

knowledge that the 

government’s vexatious 

policy on ban of night 

grazing is inadequate, 

not well thought out and 

as a result, a complete 

failure. Consequently, 

we have, after due 

consultation with critical 

stakeholders, civil 

society and farmers, 

instructed our members 

in the state House of 

Assembly to present the 

attached bill. 

“We believe that when 

passed into law, it will 

prevent the destruction 

of farms and farm 

produce as well as 

protect lives and 

property of farmers, their 

wives and children 

occasioned by open 

grazing."



AIG doles out N16.3m to families of slain policemen 

By Onozure Dania 

THE 

Assistant 

Inspector-General of 

Police, Zone 5 

headquarters, Benin City, 

Mr Rasheed Akintunde, 

has presented cheques 

valued at over N16.3 

million to 14 beneficiaries / 

next of kin of officers who 

died in the line of duty in 

Tension in Ogoni as MOSOP kicks 

against resumption of oil exploration 

•Monarchs endorse firm to explore OML 11 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT 

HAR- 

C O U R T — 

TENSION is brewing in 

Ogoni ethnic nationality of 

Rivers State following the 

insistence by Movement 

for the Survival of Ogoni 

People, MOSOP, that the 

people of Ogoni have not 

endorsed any company to 

resume oil exploration on 

their land, as it called one 

Federal Government to 

monitor the activities of oil 

firms in the area. 

This came as some royal 

fathers in Ogoni, under the 

aegis of Supreme Council 

of Traditional Rulers of 

Ogoni, have endorsed 

RoboMichael Nigeria 

Limited to explore oil in 

OML 11. 

It will be recalled that 

Shell Petroleum 

Development Company 

had 25 years ago 

abandoned OML 11 after 

a face-off with the host 

communities over 

environment degradations 

caused by oil exploration. 

Meanwhile, the leader of 

Ken Saro-Wiwa Associates, 

KSA, Chief Gani Topba, 

Bayelsa, Delta and Edo 

states, under the Nigeria 

Police Group Life 

Assurance Scheme. 

According to a statement 

yesterday, by Mr Emeka 

Iheanacho, Zonal Police 

Public Relations Officer, Mr 

Akintunde, while 

presenting the cheques 

said that the event was not 

a speech making one, but 

•Endorsement of RoboMichael mere joke —KSA 

has described the royal 

fathers' endorsement of 

RoboMichael Nigeria 

Limited to explore oil in 

OML 11, as a mere joke, 

adding that the resolution 

of the chiefs will not stand. 

Spokesman of MOSOP, 

Fegalo Nsuke, in a 

statement in Port Harcourt, 

yesterday, called on 


Buhari to avert a possible 

breakdown of the peace in 

Ogoniland by putting a 

check on the activities of 

Belema Oil Producing 

Limited and Robo Michael 

Limited, adding that their 

desperation for Ogoni oil 

has created local groups 

Ayade pledges N500m soft loan to LG workers 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

C ALABAR—CROSS 

River State governor, 

Prof. Ben Ayade, has set 

aside N500 million as loans 

to assist local government 

workers who wish to go 

into farming, saying his 

government will work with 

officials of the Nigeria 

Union of Local Government 

Employees, NULGE, to 

facilitate access to the loan. 

Ayade made the pledge 

in Calabar after he was 

a moment for sober 

reflection, adding: “The 

event is a moment to reflect 

on the lives of our 

colleagues who paid the 

supreme price of laying 

down their lives for the 

security of life and property 

of citizens of this country.” 

He condoled with the 

beneficiaries and their 

family members on behalf 

sharply divided against 

one another. 

Nsuke said: “The way 

forward is a peaceful 

settlement through 

dialogue taking into 

consideration the interests 

of Ogoni people as 

articulated in the Ogoni Bill 

of Rights. 

“MOSOP, therefore, 

expresses its displeasure 

with the Nigerian 

government feigning 

ignorance while companies 

representing its interests 

notably Belema Oil and 

Robo Micheal, continue to 

sponsor local actors who 

have turned themselves 

into rival groups projecting 

presented with the “Award 

of Excellent Performance in 

Governance,” by the 

national President of 

NULGE, Mr Ibrahim 

Khaleel, in his office 

yesterday. 

The governor, who said 

the loan was interest-free, 

added: “For the local 

government workers who 

want to go into farming, I 

have set aside N500 million 

as interest free loan to 

ensure that your stay in the 

council is not in vain. I will 

of the Inspector -General 

of Police, IGP, Mr Ibrahim 

Idris, on the demise of their 

husbands, fathers, 

breadwinners as well as 

loved ones, who lost their 

lives while on national 

service to their fatherland 

and prayed God to grant 

the deceased eternal rest 

and the families the 

fortitude to bear the 

irreparable loss. 

VISIT: Governor Udom Emmanuel receiving a gift from Archbishop Cletus Bassey, during a courtesy visit 

to the governor by members of Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly at Governor’s Lodge, Uyo. 

the various interests of their 

sponsors and representing 

real threats to the peace of 

Ogoniland." 

On its part, reading a 

communique on behalf of 

the royal fathers, its 

spokesman, HRH King 

Samuel Nnee, Gbenemene 

Tuatua, Tai, the 

paramount ruler of Kpite 

Communities, said the 

chiefs had resolved after 

due consultations to allow 

the firm operate the wells 

in the area. 

Nnee said: “We in 

consultation with our 

people, resolve and 

endorse RoboMichael 

Limited as our preferred 

company to operate the 

assets situated in our land 

in line with the decision of 

the Federal Government.” 

work with your union 

leaders to ensure that any 

serious person accesses the 

money.” 

Earlier, the national 

president of NULGE, Mr 

Khaleel told the governor 

that he was in the state to 

join his colleagues to 

appeal to the governor to 

contest the 2019 election, 

noting that the award was 

presented to him over his 

concern for the local 

government workers. 

A-Ibom to revoke occupancy 

of 1500 shops in Uyo market 

By Harris-Okon 

Emmanuel 

U YO—A-twoweek 

ultimatum 

has been given to 

owners of lock up shops 

numbering 1500 at the 

Akpan Andem Market 

located in the heart of 

Uyo, the Akwa Ibom 

State capital, to put 

them to use or face dire 

consequences. 

Chairman of Uyo Local 

Government Area of the 

state, Elder Umoh 

Okon, handed down 

the ultimatum when he 

led a team comprising 

the state Commissioner 

for Environment and 

Mineral Resources, Dr. 

Iniobong Essien and 

other top government 

Delta NULGE worried over 

non-passage of LG Autonomy Bill 

By Victor Ahiuma- 

Young 

DELTA 

State 

chapter of 

Nigerian Union of Local 

Government Employees, 

NULGE, has expressed 

worry over protracted 

delay in the deliberation 

and passage of Local 

Government Autonomy 

Bill sent by the National 

Assembly. 

Speaking on the 

union’s concerns over 

non-deliberation on the 

bill, state President of 

NULGE, Zico Okwudi, 

said the union was 

worried that while most 

states in the country had 

granted full autonomy to 

local governments, Delta 

State House of Assembly 

was yet to deliberate on the 

bill, months after it was 

transmitted to state 

Assemblies by the National 

Assembly. 

He said: “We find this 

development very worrisome 

in view of the fact that 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had 

during a courtesy visit by our 

union, assured us that Delta 

State will uphold autonomy 

for local government once the 

National Assembly transmits 

the bill to the state Assembly. 

Now that more than 13 states 

have passed the bill on local 

government autonomy, we 

are appealing to the state 

House of Assembly to 

expedite action on the 

passage of the bill in line 

with the governor’s promise." 

Delta Transport Commissioner 

harps on political integrity 

DELTA 

State 

Commissioner for 

Transport, Mr. Vincent 

Uduaghan, has 

emphasised the 

importance of political 

integrity and the avoidance 

of image smearing in all 

facets of politics. 

Uduaghan expressed the 

view when he observed 

that periodic boarding of 

unserviceable vehicles in 

the state was seen as 

campaign instrument in 

some quarters 

He reiterated that 

auctioning of unserviceable 

vehicles was constitutional, 

adding that “All procedures 

required by law were 

considered before such 

auctioning was 

determined. ‘’ 

He added that proper 

functionaries to inspect 

facilities at the Akpan Adem 

market and other markets in 

the state capital. 

The council boss said that 

the state government will be 

left with no other option 

than to revoke the 

occupancy of the shops if 

the owners did not open 

them for businesses. 

“Government is providing 

adequate and essential 

facilities such as toilet and 

potable water in the market, 

but it is sad that over 1500 

lock up shops have not 

been utilized and the 

government is giving the 

owners two weeks to open 

the shops for business 

purposes otherwise their 

occupancy will be 

revoked,” he said. 

publication concerning the 

vehicles and date of auction 

were made public as well 

as having a government 

registered auctioneer. 

On the privatization of 

Delta Line, Uduaghan 

said: “Without mincing 

words, the state 

government took that 

decision to divest 60 per 

cent of Delta Line's 

ownership through partial 

privatization. “ 

Uduaghan said that 

successive governments, 

spanning more than 15 

years, invested funds 

running into hundreds of 

millions of naira to make 

Delta Line thrive, profitable 

and meet the yearning of 

Deltans as it concerns the 

state's transport sector.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

SPECIAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE FOR OBA ADEDAPO TEJUOSO, OSILE OF OKEONA EGBA @ 80 

A special thanksgiving service to mark the 80th birthday anniversary of Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso 

was held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Monday. 

From right; former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun 

Osoba; Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Olori Yetunde Tejuoso. 

From left; Senate President Bukola Saraki ;Senator Solomon Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to 

President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), former President Olusegun Obasanjo 

and celebrant, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso. 

Otunba Adekunle and Erelu Ojuolape Ojora. 

From left; Senator Ahmed Lawan; Chief Judge 

of Ogun State, Hon. Justice Tokunbo Olopade 

and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo. 

Pastor and Mrs. Tunde Bakare 

DR. TOKUNBO AWOLOWO DOSUNMU @ 70 

From left: Oba Kabiru Sotobi, Ayangburen of Ikorodu; Oba Adewale Ajayi, 

Akarigbo of Remoland, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu (celebrant); 

Igwe Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and Oba Gbadebo Adedotun, the Alake of 

Egbaland at the 70th thanksgiving service of Ambassador Tokunbo at Our Saviour's 

Anglican Church Ikenne-Remo Ogun State. 

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (M) exchanging pleasantries with Aare 

Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Dr Gani Adams, while Chief Abba Folawiyo watches. 

From left; Mr Segun Awolowo (Jnr.); Rev Tola Oyediran, celebrant's sister; Amb Olatokunbo 

Awolowo-Dosumu (celebrant) and her daughter, Wemimo. 

From left; Mr. Yinka Odumakin; Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu; the 

officiating minister, Bishop Olusina Fape; Chief Ayo Adebanjo and 

former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018— 15 

:Vanguard News 

:@vanguardnews 

:@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 

Lagos govt moves against illegal 

abattoirs, slaughter slabs 


Akoni 

LAGOS—LAGOS State 

Government has read 

riot act to butchers at the 

Oko-Oba abattoir and other 

operators to desist from 

unwholesome way of meat 

slaughtering and 

transportation. 

The government, 

however, reiterated its 

resolve not to condone any 

act of unhygienic meat 

slaughtering in abattoirs 

and slaughter slabs as well 

as operation of illegal 

abattoirs in the state. 

State's Commissioner for 

Agriculture, Mr. 

Oluwatoyin Suarau who 

gave the warning at a 

stakeholders’ workshop, 

organized by the ministry 

for Oko-Oba Abattoir 

butchers, noted that the 

present administration of 

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode 

was committed to ensuring 

that all operations in the 

state abattoir meets 

international standard. 

Suarau added that the 

workshop was targeted at 

improving the skills of 

butchers especially at the 

Oko Oba abattoir, stressing 

that the state government 

would not relent in making 

and implementing policies 

targeted towards giving the 

state abattoirs the mega city 

status it deserves. 

He stressed that 

rehabilitation works as well 

as implementation of policy 

which include: removal of 

shanties, ban on Okada as 

means of transportation, 

use of the refrigerated meat 

van in meat transportation, 

deployment of experienced 

veterinary officers to 

abattoirs and slaughter 

slabs among others had 

been carried out at the Oko- 

Oba abattoir and other 

abattoirs in the state. 

"It is necessary to monitor 

the whole process of meat 

handling right from the 

animal markets to abattoirs, 

and even transportation. 

Government has handled 

significantly the 

transportation of meat by 

introducing the Eko 

Refrigerated Meat Van 

which is now used to 

transport meat rather than 

the former obnoxious meat 

transportation system. 

“This is a time to correct 

all ills of the animal market 

and abattoir in general so 

that no butcher will not 

have any excuse for any 

form of illegal practices”, 

he said. 

The commissioner stated 

further that the training 

had been designed in such 

a way that it would go a 

long way in developing the 

skills of butchers and 

keeping them abreast of 

modern day best practices 

in abattoir services. 

He therefore, urged all 

participants to make good 

use of lessons learnt from 

the training adding that it 

would enhance their skills. 

“I enjoin you all to make 

good use of the lesson 

learnt from this workshop 

to enhance your skills in 

your profession and 

support the state 

government in enhancing 

food security”, he said. 

Suarau maintained that 

the commitment of the 

present administration 

towards the attainment of a 

standard abattoir in ensuring 

food security depended 

largely on cooperation of 

every resident of the state, 

adding that food security and 

hygienic environment 

occupies the front burner of 

the present administration as 

a way to facilitate job and 

wealth creation as well as 

reduce poverty.

16—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

Abia govt seals federal 

varsity over tax offence 

U MUAHIA—ABIA 

State Board of 

Internal Revenue, BIR, 

Tuesday, sealed the 

premises of the Michael 

Okpara University of 

Agriculture Umudike, 

MOUAU, over alleged tax 

default to the tune of over 

N120 million. 

According to Abia BIR, 

the University owes N120, 

751, 998. 28 being tax 

deducted from staff but 

was not remitted to the 

state coffers by the 

management of the 

institution. 

The BIR was 

empowered to seal off the 

institution by a court order 

obtained, a copy of which 

was sighted by this 

reporter. The court order 

was signed by Justice 


Kelvin Wosu of the Abia 

High Court Umuahia. 

As the sealing lasted, 

both students and staff of 

the university were 

unable to gain entry into 

the university after it was 

sealed. 

Attempts by some 

aggrieved students of the 

university to forcefully 

gain entry into the 

premises was prevented 

by the management who 

feared the repercussion. 

The Public Relations 

Officer of the university, 

Mrs. Adanma Odefa 

confirmed the incident but 

refused to give details. 

Also, a popular event 

centre, WonderLand, 

owned by Senator Chris 

Adighje was also sealed 

by BIR for allegedly 

owing N7, 696,512.82. 

Imo chief judge cautions against 

self-help in dispute resolution 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

OWERRI—A plea has 

gone to Nigerians to 

resist the temptation of 

adopting self-help in 

resolving disputes. 

The Chief Judge of Imo 

State, Hon. Justice Paschal 

Obinna Nnadi, gave the 

advice while laying the 

foundation stone of a High 

Court Complex at 

Attanwambiri in Njaba 

Local Government Area of 

the state. 

“The dangers associated 

with the adoption of self 

help in resolving disputes 

are many and varied. The 

law will normally take it’s 

full course if the laws of the 

land is infringed upon. To 

be on the safe side, it is 

expedient to follow due 

process”, Justice Nnadi 

said. 

While commending the 

community for embarking 

on the court project, Nnadi 

also appealed to other 

communities to emulate 

Attanwambiri community, 

especially as “ government 

cannot do everything for 

the people. 

“The High Court 

complex, when completed, 

will midwife justice. Again, 

where there is justice, peace 

and development will reign 

supreme. I have no doubt 

that the structure you are 

about to erect will bring 

justice, peace and 

development”, Justice 

Nnadi said. 

He then assured the 

community that he will 

promptly post a judge to 

the place as soon as a 

befitting court hall and 

judge’s residence is in 

place. 

NCDMB holds career 

workshop in Owerri 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

O WERRI—The 

Nigerian Content 

Development and 

Monitoring Board, 

NCDMB, has appealed to 

Imo State students, to 

remain serious with their 

studies “as the future of 

Nigeria’s industrial sector 

depends on them”. 

The Executive Secretary 

of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi 

Wabote, gave the advice in 

a message delivered on his 

behalf by the Head, 

Capacity Development 

Unit of the establishment, 

Engr. Sallahudeen 

Muhammad, during the 

opening of a one day 

career workshop with 

senior secondary school students 

in Owerri. 

“The theme of the 

programme, Bridging the 

gap in Nigeria’s industrial 

sector: science, technology 

and engineering to the 

rescue, is most appropriate 

at this time of our nation’s 

history”, Wabote said. 

He urged the students, 

who were drawn from the 

three senatorial zones of 

the state, to know what they 

want in life and be 

determined to achieve it. 

In his own lecture, the 

Lead Trainer, Mr. Kola 

Samuel, reminded the 

students that the sciences 

hold the nation’s future. 

“You must help this nation 

to achieve it’s potentials," 

he charged. 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo condemns trial of 

Innoson’s chairman on trumped up charges 

...vows to move against bank 

By Emeka 

Mamah 

E NUGU—THE 

apex Igbo sociocultural 

organiztion, 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has 

flayed the trial of the 

Chairman and Chief 

Executive Officer of 

Innosons Group, Chief 

Innocent Chukwuma over 

alleged criminal offences in 

a civil matter between him 

and a commercial bank in 

the country, saying that 

Ndigbo would not tolerate 

poor treatment of its people 

in a bid to give their 

competitors some edge 

over them. 

It, however, threatened to 

review the patronage of 

Ndigbo people to the 

alleged offending bank or 

any economic 

establishment trying to 

hound Chief Chukwuma. 

This was contained in a 

statement signed by the 

Special Assistant to the 

President General of 

Ohanaeze Worldwide, 

Chief Emeka Attamah, in 

Enugu yesterday. 

The Ohanaeze’s 

statement read, “The 

attention of Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo has been drawn to 

a court action instituted 

against the Chief 

Executive Officer and 

Chairman of Innoson 

Nigeria Limited, Chief 

Innocent Chukwuma in 

which he is being charged, 

ostensibly, for obtaining 

Customs documents 

through fraudulent means. 

“Cognisant of the fact that 

the matter is in court and 

without any pretense to the 

veracity of the case or 

otherwise, Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo views the current 

travails of Chief 

Chukwuma as yet another 

attempt at hounding 

BIRTHDAY: Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike 

Rotimi Amaechi; Mrs, Priscilla Otti; Dr. Alex Otti; and Anambra State 

Governor, Willie Obiano, during the 53rd birthday of Dr. Alex Otti in 

Victoria Island, Lagos. 

another son of Igboland 

who, out of personal 

enterprise and dint of hard 

work, has helped in 

shaping the economic and 

industrial fortunes of 

Nigeria. 

“The apex Igbo 

organisation frowns at this 

recent attempt to obfuscate 

the clear court victory won 

by Innoson’s Group in a 

crucial suit against a 

leading bank in the 

country. 

“This release views the 

current twist in the whole 

affair as a deliberate 

attempt to put Chief 

Chukwuma on the 

defensive in a matter that 

clearly vindicates him and 

confers a lot of financial 

advantage on him and taint 

his reputation by 

introducing a criminal 

angle to an already settled 

civil proceedings. 

“Ohanaeze is carefully 

studying this discriminatory 

treatment of his adversaries 

by the law enforcement 

agents with a view to 

reviewing the patronage of 

our people to any economic 

establishment found to be 

associated in this new 

criminal assault of Chief 

Innocent Chukwuma. 

“We will no longer be 

prepared to do business 

with any organisation that 

denigrates the best of our 

people.” 

Court strikes out corruption charges against 

former Gov Nnamani 

By Innocent 

Anaba 

LAGOS—A Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Lagos, yesterday, struck 

out all the proceedings in 

relation to the trial of a 

former Enugu State 

governor, Dr. Chimaroke 

Nnamani, over alleged 

N5.3 billion fraud. 

Trial judge, Justice 

Chuka Obiozor, struck out 

the proceedings at the 

instance of the prosecuting 

counsel, Mr. Kelvin 

Uzozie, who had earlier 

told the court of the 

intention of the Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, to file 

a new charge against 

Nnamani and his former 

aide, Sunday Anyaogu. 

Both Nnamani and 

Anyaogu are being 

prosecuted by the EFCC 

on charges of N5.3 billion 

fraud. 

At the resumed hearing 

of the matter, yesterday, 

Uzozie, told the court that 

looking at the fact of the 

case, the position of the 

EFCC was to file a new 

charge with new number, 

against the two accused 

persons. 

Uzozie said the decision 

to file a new charge against 

the two accused persons 

was based on the judgment 

of Justice Mohammed 

Yunusa delivered of July 7, 

2017, on charge number 

FHC/L/09C/07, 

The prosecutor also told 

the court that "as at today, 

there was no charge 

against Nnamani and his 

aide before the court". He 

therefore, urged the court 

to strike out the entire proceedings 

before the court. 

Nnamani’s lawyer, Mr. 

Rickey Tafa, SAN and 

lawyer to the second 

accused, Mr. Victor Obaro, 

did not oppose this 

prosecution’s application. 

Fuel crisis: NNPC spends N1.8trn 

on petrol import—Baru 

By Michael Eboh 

ABUJA—THE Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, 

yesterday, said since the 

fuel crisis resurfaced across 

the country late last year, it 

has spent $5.8 billion (about 

N1.8 trillion) to import 9.8 

million metric tonnes of 

Premium Motor Spirit, 

PMS, to tackle the scarcity. 

Group Managing 

Director of the NNPC, Mr. 

Maikanti Baru, stated this 

during a public hearing by 

the Senate Committee on 

Public Accounts at the 

National Assembly 

complex. 

Baru, who was 

represented by the Chief 

Operating Officer, Finance 

and Accounts, Mr. 

Abdulrazaq Isiaka, said the 

NNPC carried out the 

massive importation in 

fulfilment of its statutory 

role of supplier of last resort 

to ensure Nigerians didn’t 

suffer as a result of product 

unavailability. 

According to Baru, the 

NNPC’s provision of 9.8 

million metric tons of petrol 

so far has helped a great 

deal in ameliorating the 

sufferings of Nigerians. 

He said the NNPC’s 

intervention became 

necessary, following the 

inability of the major and 

independent marketers to 

import the product because 

of the high landing cost 

which made cost recovery 

and profitability difficult 

owing to the regulated 

price regime. 

While assuring the public 

of adequate product 

supply, Baru, however, 

pointed out that crossborder 

smuggling due to 

price disparity between 

Nigeria and neighbouring 

countries where a litre of 

petrol sells above N350 per 

litre as well as logistic issues 

in trucking products to 

different locations across 

the country remained 

serious challenges in the 

quest for fuel queue-free 

situation in the country. 

Also speaking, 

Chairman, Senate 

Committee on Public 

Accounts, Senator 

Matthew Uroghide, noted 

that the public hearing was 

a part of the committee’s 

duty to find lasting 

solutions to the problem of 

fuel scarcity in order to 

make life easy for all 

Nigerians.

IN the 1920s, the American 

Institute of Criminal Law 

and Criminology defined State 

Police as “a specially 

organised and highly trained 

body, acting under state rather 

than local authority, and 

constantly employed in the 

prevention of crime, the 

apprehension of criminals, 

and the protection of life and 

property generally throughout 

the state and especially in the 

rural and sparsely settled 

districts distributed over the 

entire state in small groups for 

patrol duty, but quickly 

mobilised in larger units in an 

emergency. 

In the selection of such a 

force the greatest care is taken 

to eliminate political 

considerations and to secure 

persons with the highest 

physical and moral 

qualifications and with more 

than average intelligence”. It 

is the latter part of this 

statement which should worry 

the reader. 

It is a well-known fact that 

in today’s Nigeria jobs such 

as teaching, postings to the 

civil service or political 

appointments, only seem to 

attract the dregs of society 

rather than the best of what our 

country has to offer. 

What are the qualifications 

of most of the gun slingers 

patrolling the nation today? 

The creation of state police is 

the perfect opportunity to reorganise 

and professionalise 

the police force by making it 

an attractive option for 

promising young people 

rather than the dumping 

ground for poorly trained, 

even worse paid and illequipped 

people who often 

seem to be under the influence 

of one substance or the other 

despite their easy access to 

assault rifles. 

Successive 

governments 

After each crisis, one hears 

the common refrain from the 

governors “the security 

agencies were informed the 

attack was coming but they 

were slow to act”. State police 

would indeed solve this 

particular issue. It is tragic that 

successive governments, 

starting with the military, 

focused more on accumulating 

money and power than 

enabling all of Nigeria’s 

regions and entities to thrive 

by giving them the tools to do 

so. 

Having said that, I have 

written quite consistently in 

this column that without 

solving corruption, one could 

restructure Nigeria under 

every possible angle and still 

find the same result which is 

underdevelopment. 

It is corruption (and bad 

leadership) that have held us 

back as a nation and not our 

inability to restructure. 

However, given the unending 

killings plaguing many areas 

of the country, the creation of 

state police appears inevitable 

given the support of a few 

governors and the national 

assembly. It is up to Nigerians 

Confronting the inevitability of state police 

with Nigerians’ tolerance for abuse 

•Nigeria Police...will state police be abused? 

to be vigilant and to insist that 

whatever recommendations 

are made include clauses to 

stop this new police force from 

being misused by desperate 

political actors. 

Imagine the havoc state 

police could cause in a state 

such as Rivers where virtually 

every election is fraught with 

violence. There were actual 

beheadings in Port Harcourt in 

2015. 

What would happen if the 

political class of whatever 

party disposed of their own 

personal force? In response to 

the “lack of maturity” of 

certain governors, Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu, quoting Senator 

Victor Ndoma-Egba recently 

Femi Falana (SAN) 

HE recently called on the 

Nigerian Bar 

Association, NBA, to 

investigate Attorney-Generals 

who have shielded murder 

suspects from prosecution. It 

seems an obvious request, 

except, this is Nigeria, a 

country where almost every 

level of society colludes to 

ensure the perpetrators of 

injustice walk free. 

Many of the gunmen 

running amuck are known to 

politicians, the security forces 

and the judiciary. In fact, the 

sponsors of Boko Haram and 

other terrorist groups are 

allegedly known to the 

political class. 

Until we kill corruption, the 

reforms we want to implement 

simply won’t work, no matter 

how well-intentioned. Most of 

the violence in Nigeria is 

sponsored, used as a tool to 

said: “It is not a question of 

maturity, but a question of the 

federal system we opted for. If 

you choose to travel in a car, 

you just have to use the road, 

not rail. If you get a flight 

ticket, you have to fly”. 

What happens when many 

of the roads aren’t fit for 

horses or mules let alone cars 

or if the plane you boarded 

turns out to have an engine 

problem? 

You don’t “have to” manage 

whatever you find on ground, 

hoping or praying for the best 

(that is sadly the Nigerian 

story). This mind-set is 

destroying Nigeria, it is at the 

root of our people’s apathy, it 

is also subtly encouraged by 

•Femi Falana 

destabilise the polity or as a 

bargaining chip by those who 

want to make a statement to 

other power groups. We are 

easily distracted in Nigeria: 

until we continuously insist on 

a resolution to corruption 

cases, violence will always be 

easily funded while the courts 

and the entire justice system 

will be easily bought. 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FBRUARY 21, 2018 —17 

our leaders who tell us the interested in fixing the plane 

situation we find ourselves in and the road? It isn’t enough 

isn’t of their doing forgetting to say “we must have state 

it is their responsibility, once police” without presenting the 

elected, to repair it. 

measures taken to ensure it 

Senator Ekweremadu’s won’t be abused. 

analogy hits close to home Unfortunately we are not 

because both scenarios in used to asking for more 

regards to malfunctioning details, we don’t insist on 

roads and planes, are all too knowing our leaders’ plans. 

With our little regard for 

details, we allow them to be 

vague and imprecise 

forgetting the devil is in the 

details: Nigerian politicians 

leave room for error, for chaos 

to seep in because they profit 

from dysfunction. 

We must no longer allow it. 

We must refuse the disregard 

proper planning and insist the 

finer points of the state police 

issue are discussed and 

handled appropriately. All our 

lives depend on this. 

Given the 

unending 

killings 

plaguing 

many areas 

of the 

country, the 

creation of 

state police 

appears 

inevitable 

given the 

support of a 

few 

governors 

and the 

national 

assembly 

real in Nigeria. Countless 

people have died on our bad 

roads and lost their lives in 

plane crashes which could 

have been avoided, if not for 

the negligence of our 

authorities, corruption and the 

failure of the Senate in its 

oversight duties. So, the 

question is, do you keep flying 

regardless of the difficulties or 

stop, pending when the plane 

is fit to take off again? 

Moreover, what happens 

when nobody seems 

Obasanjo 

THE former President was 

recently in Otuoke, 

former President Goodluck 

Jonathan’s home town in 

Bayelsa where he was 

pictured at a church service in 

the latter’s company. Chief 

Olusegun Obasanjo was 

dressed in traditional Niger 

Deltan garb, as politicians 

often do when they visit each 

other. 

Hopefully no one is fooled 

by this attempt at portraying 

“oneness” and brotherhood 

when barely three years ago 

Obasanjo in his long letter to 

Jonathan barely stopped short 

of calling him clueless as well 

as a failure. 

Alliances shift depending on 

politicians’ whims and not 

what is best for Nigeria. Has 

Obasanjo “forgiven” Jonathan 

for all that went on under his 

watch? Obasanjo himself is 

fond of mentioning “his watch” 

as if he were God’s gift to 

Nigeria or the only man suited 

to the task. 

Privileges of the 

political class 

Poverty in Nigeria enforces 

a dog-eat-dog society: we are 

not, as of yet, appreciative of 

justice and the rights of our 

fellow man, so long as we feel 

our own rights are protected. 

Many of us would simply 

look the other way (as we 

already do) if governors used 

the police to terrorise 

communities etc. 

In fact, it isn’t so much the 

governors we should be afraid 

of, but Nigerians themselves. 

Our “see no evil, speak no 

evil” attitude is precisely what 

worries me. We don’t stand up 

to the abuse of our system nor 

do we rise against the undue 

privileges of the political class: 

exploitation is the new normal. 

If the creation of state police 

now seems inevitable to tackle 

our many security challenges, 

let us refuse what always 

seems to happen to any idea 

in Nigeria, that is, its 

predictable abuse or distortion 

by those who profit from 

dysfunction. 

•Obasanjo 

History will judge his 

contribution to Nigeria if we 

are too shy, cowardly or 

sentimental to do so. The same 

old guard is active once again, 

in the shadows. Nigerians 

must remain vigilant. 

Tabia Princewill is a 

strategic communications 

consultant and public policy 

analyst. She is also the co-host 

and executive producer of a 

talk show, WALK THE TALK 

which airs on Channels TV.


THE recent announcement by the 

Federal Government of a 20-year 

electricity transmission development 

plan looks persuasive on the surface, 

like every other ambitious long-term 

plan the government has gone into. 

A document presented to the Minister 

of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. 

Babatunde Fashola by the Interim 

Managing Director of the Federal 

Government-owned Transmission 

Company of Nigeria, TCN, Mr. Usman 

Gur Mohammed, targets the wheeling 

capacity of 10,000 megawatts by 2020 

and moving up to 28,000 megawatts by 

2035. 

According to Fashola, the plan is 

meant to ensure that, “in future, we 

should no longer have the story of 

stranded power. That is power that is 

produced but not utilised because of no 

transmission and evacuation means.” 

Most successful countries engage in 

long-term planning as a means of 

overcoming most of their capital 

developmental challenges but in 

Uncertainties around FG’s 20-year power 

transmission plan 

Nigeria, they hardly get implemented. 

They have become the greatest sources 

of abandoned projects which litter our 

national landscape. 

Our perceived inability to make much 

progress in our electric power 

development plans since 1999 owes 

mainly to corruption and lack of 

continuity in the execution of capital 

projects due to regime changes even 

within the same political parties. We are 

worried that this transmission plan 

might suffer the same fate, since the 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

dispensation will not last beyond the 

next five years at the maximum if he is 

re-elected. 

The only way to meet this ambitious 

national goal is for the Nigerian 

governing elite to have a change of 

attitude to governance. We must start 

seeing government as a continuum 

beyond the narrow confines of partisan 

politics and selfish interests. Each new 

regime that comes on stream must key 

into ongoing strategic national policies 

and plans. 

Another source of uncertainty about 

this plan is the general realisation that 

the “national grid” system of electricity 

transmission has proved unworkable. 

Those calling for restructuring and 

devolution of powers argue that 

decentralisation of power generation 

and transmission is the only viable way 

forward. Projecting centralised power 

transmission in this country into the 

next 20 years is both unrealistic and 

myopic. 

We must begin to look at the 

alternative opportunities that a 

decentralised system of transmission 

presents. We strongly believe that if the 

national grid is devolved to the six 

geopolitical zones, for instance, power 

generation and transmission to the 

various localities will be more speedily 

optimised. 

Every zone will use what they have, 

be it hydro, gas, thermal, wind, solar 

or a mix of all to get what they want. 

Healthy competition will ensue among 

the various zones and we will be able 

to achieve far more than 28,000MW of 

electricity by 2035. 

We should not hang an expensive, 

long-term plan on a tried-and-failed 

centralised national grid system. 

By Gabriel Makanjuola 

HOW else can one describe the 

recent invitation of licensed PSPs 

by VisionScape, the Lagos State 

Government’s foreign waste manager, to 

outsource short-haul transportation of 

municipal waste within the state but an 

irony, an attempt by a patient to administer 

treatment on his doctor? Here is a patient, 

who is so sick that everyone is expecting 

his death, then suddenly from his state of 

helplessness on his sick bed, he turns 

round and feebly tries to treat his healthy 

doctor. How can this be? 

Here is a company that has woefully 

failed to live up to expectation over a 

year since the State Government signed 

a 10-year contractual agreement with it 

to displace the about 350 PSP operators 

from domestic waste collection and 

disposal in the state without any good 

reason at a time the state was nationally 

and internationally acclaimed the 

cleanest in the country. 

But unfortunately, heaps of refuse and 

waste which Lagosians thought they have 

put behind them for good, are back all over 

the city particularly on major roads and 

highways. Homes are almost being 

swallowed up by unmoved refuse, just as 

rats which feed fat on heaps of undisposed 

food remnants have not only grown fatter 

but are mistaken for rabbits. They are 

multiplying in millions and contesting 

space with humans. Lagos has returned 

to its pre-1999 years when it earned the 

sobriquet of the dirtiest city in the world. 

OPINION 

When the waste patient turns medic 

Then, very unashamedly, the company 

that was so highly promoted as having the 

magic wand to better manage the waste 

processes in Lagos with the cheaper funds 

it would bring in, put up a public notice 

on Monday, February 12, 2018 to invite 

The beauty of waste 

management lies in its 

transparency; it has a way of 

showcasing and regulating 

itself; you know when it’s 

working and when it’s not; the 

indication is always in the 

clean or filthy state of the 

environment 

licensed PSPs for outsourcing of short-haul 

transportation of municipal waste within 

Lagos State. That call for the licensed PSP 

operators it has so much disparaged before 

now is nothing but an advertisement of its 

incompetence, its inability to fulfill its 

contractual obligations and a betrayal of 

Government’s confidence in its ability and 

exclusive reserve of domestic waste 

collection and disposal. It has also tacitly 

admitted that the PSPs are good at what 

they do contrary to the negative impression 

of them it had earlier tried to give. 

But far beyond this is the question it 

raises, that is, if by that publication the 

private company has not appropriated 

and usurped the role of the state waste 

management regulatory agency, the 

Lagos Waste Management Authority, 

LAWMA, and that of the supervisory 

Ministry of Environment, MoE. 

Very laughable was the 48-hour 

timeframe for expression of interest in 

the outsourcing of the short-haul 

transportation of municipal waste by 

the PSPs. It was a show of false illusion 

of self-worth, believing that legislating 

operators out of existence through the 

connivance of the state legislature will 

send operators scampering for cover 

with their tails between their legs back 

to their offices. But they are dead 

wrong! It only got them thinking, 

making them job seekers. They soon 

realised that the PSP operators too are 

investors and money talks. Millions of 

Naira is required daily to fuel and fix 

the trucks and those who worked hard 

to earn it will not fritter it away just because 

a company suddenly enjoys a monopoly 

in the business. 

If the government is really interested in 

its Cleaner Lagos Initiative, it should 

extend to the local PSP operators the same 

contract terms it has initiated with 

VisionScape and see if they will not amaze 

it with their delivery within the shortest 

possible time unlike the foreign expert now 

asking for 18 months to exhibit its much 

advertised wizardry in waste management. 

The local PSP operators they claimed were 

incompetent and lack the equipment to be 

in the business are now the ones helping 

them to move the overwhelming heaps of 

waste they are unable to contend with 

while state officials are pretentiously 

looking away as if they are unaware of 

what is happening. The beauty of waste 

management lies in its transparency. It has 

a way of showcasing and regulating itself. 

You know when it’s working and when it’s 

not. The indication is always in the clean 

or filthy state of the environment. 

Lack of proper understanding of waste 

management is not only responsible for 

government’s action in throwing the state 

back into this messy waste entrapment we 

now find ourselves, but the reason the 

dump sites have terribly gone bad and are 

collapsing. The dumpsites are full and a 

disaster waiting to happen. PSPs have no 

problem of collection but of dumping. If 

the issues that created the fault lines are 

not addressed, they will remain clogs in 

the wheel of any waste management 

programme of government until they are 

resolved. Operators will continue to be 

inefficient if they have to stay, waiting to 

dump sometimes for as long as 48 hours. 

Editor’s note: Please read continuation of 

Who’s Jerusalem By Nathaniel Ngerem 

which began on Mondayviewpoint Online 

@www.vanguardngr.com. 

*Mr. Makanjuola, a public affairs 

commentator, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 — 19 

Emefiele, Akeredolu 

to inaugurate 

largest egg powder 

plant in Africa, 

Middle-East 

By Babajide Komolafe 

Nigeria imported 17bn litres of petrol in 

2017 — NBS 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan bureau report on Price of Petrol 

and Automotive Gas Oil watch 

THE National Bureau of for January, revealed that the 

Statistics (NBS) yesterday average price paid by consumers 

said that the volume of Premium 

Motor Spirit (PMS), known as 

petrol, imported into the country 

dropped by eight percent to 17 

billion litres in 2017. 

The volume of petrol imported 

in 2016 stood at 18.8 billion litres. 

The Bureau disclosed this in its 

Petroleum Products Imports and 

Consumption (Truck In) Statistics 

report for 2017. 

The report showed that the 

highest volumes of petrol (1.88 

billion litres) were imported in 

July and August while 18.36 

billion of PMS was distributed 

state-wide in the year under 

review. 

The report stated: “The 

petroleum products importation 

statistics for 2017 reflected that 

17.31 billion litres of PMS, 4.28 

billion litres of automotive gas oil 

(AGO), 340.33 million litres of 

household kerosene (HHK), 

592.73 billion litres of aviation 

turbine kerosene (ATK) and 15.61 

million litres of low pour fuel oil 

(LPFO) were imported into the 

country in 2017. 

“The months of July and August 

2017 recorded the highest 

volumes of PMS imported into the 

country at 1.88 billion litres while By Adaeze Okechukwu 

the highest volume of AGO and 

T 

HHK were imported in March HE Central Bank of 

and April 2017 respectively. 

Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said 

“State-wide distribution of that Non-Interest Financial 

truck-out volume for 2017 showed Institutions (NIFIs) can now 

that 18.36 billion of PMS, 4.75 participate in the N200 billion 

billion litres of AGO, 944.39 Commercial Agricultural Credit 

million litres of HHK, 554.61 Scheme (CACS). 

million litres of ATK and 127.42 The CBN disclosed this in the 

million litres of LPFO were revised guidelines for the scheme 

distributed nationwide during the released yesterday via a circular 

period under review.” 

titled ‘Amendment to the 

It would be recalled that the Commercial Agriculture Credit 

Scheme (CACS) 

Guidelines’. 

The apex bank 

explained that the 

$122.35 +0.50 

extension of the scheme 

to NIFIs was part of its 

$2,138.000.00 

efforts to deepen access 

$13.42 0.04 

to finance and reduce 

exclusion rate. 

“As part of the efforts 

by the Central Bank of 

$63.00 +0.41 Nigeria to deepen 

access to finance and 

62.11 +0.43 reduce exclusion rate, 

the CBN has revised the 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

existing Commercial 

Agriculture Credit 

US DOLLAR 305 305.5 306 

Scheme (CACS) 

POUNDS 427.3355 428.0361 428.7366 

EURO 378.627 379.2477 379.8684 Guidelines to include 

FRANC 330.1754 330.7168 331.2581 Non-Interest Financial 

YEN 2.8647 2.8694 2.874 Institution (NIFIs). It is 

CFA 0.5549 0.5649 0.5749 

expected that the review 

WAUA 444.35999 445.0883 445.8168 

RENMINBI 48.0117 48.0909 48.17 of the Guidelines for 

RIYAL 81.3268 81.4601 81.5935 other invention funds 

SDR 445.2085 445.9384 446.6682 would follow in due 

DANISH 50.8206 50.9039 50.9873 

RAND 26.1482 26.191 26.2339 course”, the CBN stated. 

CBN Exchange rate as at 20/02/2018 Among others things, 

the revised guidelines 

for petrol increased by 28.4 percent 

year-on-year (YoY) and 11.1 

percent month-on-month (MoM) 

to N 190.9 in January 2018 from 

N 171.8 in December 2017. 

The average price paid by 

consumers for Automotive Gas 

Oil increased by 3.89 percent 

(MoM) and decreased by 5.89 

percent (YoY) to N213.82 in 

January 2018 from N205.81 in 

December 2017. 

L-R: Team Member, Brand Management and Sustainability, Heritage Bank, Mrs. Ozena 

Utulu; Director of Studies, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies, 

Prof. Anthony Kila; Managing Director/Visionary, Generation Next, Mrs. Olufunke 

Fajusigbe and Experience Centre Manager, Heritage Bank, Mr. Oluwale Osundele, during 

a seminar on Brace Yourself by Heritage Bank/Generation Next in Lagos…yesterday. 

CBN extends N200bn commercial agric fund 

to Non-Interest banks 

created a non-interest window for 

participation of NIFIs. 

The guidelines stated: “The Non- 

Interest window shall be a twotiered 

structure. The first is 

between the CBN and the NIFI. A 

restricted profit-sharing agreement 

shall be executed between the 

CBN and NIFI. The CBN, as 

Capital Provider disburses the 

funds for investment by the NIFI 

as the Implementing Party, based 

on a Business Plan commitment 

to be signed by the NIFI 

committing itself to the following 

terms as follows: Investment shall 

only be for financing of projects 

under the target activities, 

commodities and value chains; the 

financing shall have an overall 

target profit rate of 9.0 per cent; 

the profit distribution ratio between 

the CBN as Capital Provider and 

the NIFI asthe Implementing Party 

shall be in the ratio of 2:7 (i. e. CBN 

22 percent and NIFI 78 percent); 

and the NIFI commits itself to 

achieving a target profit rate of 2 

percent accruing to CBN. 

“The second tier is between the 

NIFI and the Investor. The NIFI 

finances the customer (Client) 

using CBN approved non-interest 

financial contracts appropriate with 

the type of financing requested, like 

Murabahah, Salam, Istisna, Ijara, 

Wakalah, etc.” 

The CACS was created in 2009 

by the CBN in collaboration with 

the Federal Ministry of Agriculture 

and Water Resources 

(FMA&WR) established the 

Commercial Agriculture Credit 

Scheme (CACS) in 2009 to 

provide finance for the country’s 

agricultural value chain. 

THE Governor, Central 

Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. 

Godwin Emefiele and the Ondo 

State Governor, Mr. Rotimi 

Akeredolu, SAN, will soon 

jointly inaugurate a new Egg 

Powder Plant in Emure-Ile, near 

Owo, Ondo State established 

through a Public Private 

Partnership (PPP) arrangement 

between the Ondo State 

Government and Greenfield Assets 

Limited. 

The Acting Director, Corporate 

Communications at the CBN, 

Isaac Okorafor, disclosed this in 

Abuja yesterday, explaining that 

Greenfield Assets Limited, under 

the PPP arrangement, had 

commenced the utilization of 150 

Hectares of land for the 

establishment of 10 million broilers 

per annum farm with a 4,000 birds 

per hour meat processing plant; a 

600,000 layers farm for the 

production 100 million eggs per 

annum; two 20 tons per hour 

Feed-mill and a 500,000 Eggs per 

day Egg Powder Plant. 

According to him, the plant 

would create about 25,000 jobs, 

earn the country over $1 billion 

in foreign exchange savings and 

boost increased incomes for poultry 

farmers in Nigeria. 

Dr Paul Obanua, the Chief 

Executive Officer of Greenfield 

Asset Limited, who mobilized the 

investors, put the estimated value 

of the Nigerian poultry industry 

at ¦ 300 billion ($850 million), 

which he said comprised of 

approximately 220 million birds 

that produced over 770,000 MT 

of eggs and 340,000 MT of poultry 

meat in 2017. 

According to Agriculture Nigeria, 

Food processing industries in West 

Africa spend over $2 billion 

annually in imports of egg and milk 

powder products. Nigeria is said 

to spend $1billion annually in Egg 

Powder imports alone. 

The project with a capital 

requirement of N28.4 billion to be 

invested in capital equipment and 

working capital, will see Big 

Dutchman International 

providing technical and 

operational management of the 

project. Other parties to the project 

are Marel Food Processing 

Company BV, a leading global 

provider of advanced processing 

systems and services to the poultry, 

meat and fish industries, and 

Actini SAS. 

NPA moves to conclude review of concession agreements 

by May 

By Godwin Oritse 

THE Nigerian Ports 

Authority has commenced moves 

to conclude review of concession 

agreements with terminal operators by 

May this year even as the Shippers’ 

Association of Lagos State, SALS has 

called on the agency to expedite action 

of the review. 

Managing Director of NPA, Ms 

Hadeza Bala Usman disclosed this 

yesterday while speaking at a 

stakeholders meeting in Lagos, 

assuring that the review of port 

concession agreements would be 

concluded by May 2018. 

It will be recalled that some terminal 

operators got their concession 

agreements extended before it expired, 

a development the current 

management had frowned at and 

promised to review. 

Usman explained that before a 

concession can be extended, the 

existing agreement must have met 

certain criteria for it to be extended 

adding that no due diligence was 

conducted to determine whether or 

not these criteria were met or not. 

Besides, the House Committee on 

Marine Transport, headed by Dr 

Patrick Asadu also frowned at the way 

and manner the concession 

agreements were extended without 

following due process. 

But, President of SALS, Rev. 

Jonathan Nicole, in an interview with 

Vanguard on the sidelines of the 

meeting said that the terminal 

operators are not predictable and the 

NPA should think twice before 

renewing their concession agreements.


Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 — 21


Hair & beauty market: Local and foreign 

brands battle for supremacy 

Stories by 

Princewill Ekwujuru 

Local and foreign 

manufacturers in the hair 

and beauty segment of 

the market are locked in 

supremacy battle for market 

share. 

The battle for the market share 

is in the shampoo, conditioner 

and oil sub-sector of the market. 

The local brands competing 

against foreign brands include, 

Natures Gentle Touch, 

manufactured by Recare Nigeria, 

a multinational with local 

presence in Nigeria; Venus 

hair care range, manufactured 

by PZ Cussons, Promaxx, 

produced by Global Industries 

Limited; Topklass 

manufactured by VIP 

Industries Limited; Vinoz, 

produced by Vintage 

Industries Limited; Morning 

star, manufactured by M. S 

Industries Nigeria; Apple 

Beauty shampoo, produced by 

N.N. Fems Industries, 

Soulmate, manufactured by 

Soulmate Industries Limited and 

others. 

The foreign hair and beauty 

brands jostling for market share 

against local brands are, Dark 

and Lovely, Argan oil 

shampoo, Lemon sage, Nexxus, 

Vo5 Herbal Escape hair 

shampoo and conditioner, 

Shea butter moisturizing cream 

shampoo, and Revlon. 

The battle for supremacy is 

reflected in products 

segmentation, competitive 

pricing and attractive packaging 

by the manufacturers, aimed at 

expanding their market reach in 

a bid to leverage market growth. 

Another step taken by the 

producers to grow the market is, 

offering of products in different 

pack sizes and plastic 

containers, therefore widening 

consumer choices across different 

price ranges. 

Vanguard Companies 

Markets, C&M findings 

revealed that investment in 

infrastructure by the 

multinationals with local 

presence in Nigeria, increasing 

population, craze for beautiful, 

neat and fashionable hair have 

been identified as factors driving 

growth in the industry. 

The manufacturers are 

considering Nigeria as one of 

their major markets primarily 

due to the huge population and 

market size, which they see as 

attractive and ready-made for 

their products. 

C&M discovered that most of 

the brands come with shampoo, 

conditioners and oil, which 

makes it difficult for a consumer 

to buy the products differently. 

C&M also noted that the 

distribution system employed by 

the manufacturers is not different 

from the direct supply approach 

deployed by other product 

owners to reach their target 

audience. 

Consumers speak 

Findings by C&M in various 

markets and hair dressers in 

parts of Lagos, Ogun, Imo , 

Anambra and Enugu States 

showed that consumers were 

divergent in their views, but 

majority of them preferred 

Natures Gentle Touch, 

Promaxx, Salvon, Topklass, 

Dark and Lovely, Nexxus and 

Soulmate. 

A consumer, Yemisi 

Awosanya, indicated preference 

for Topklass, saying, “It 

gives me the kind of soft and 

tiny hair I want.” 

Ms. Ifeoma Oji, a hairdresser 

who plies her trader at Iyana- 

Isasi, Lagos said: “Most 

customers who come here use 

Promaxx, Salvon or Natures 

Gentle Touch, this also depends 

on scull and skin type. People 

also go for these products 

because of their quality. “ 

Another hair dresser, Francisca 

Ochonogor, whose shop is 

located at Isolo, Lagos, said: 

“All these products are of good 

quality, particularly Dark and 

Lovely, Argan oil shampoo, 

Venus and Natures Gentle 

Touch. Ochonogor who 

refused to mention brand names 

stated: “The challenge with 

some of the products is that 

consumers complain of burns 

after use.” According to Mrs 

Abisola Olarotimi, Chief 

Executive Officer of Ultimate 

Shampoo, Iyana-Iba market, 

Lagos State, said: Topklass 

hair shampoo is the most popular 

shampoo among consumers. It 

is widely used in salons; I 

often use the product because it 

repairs hair and makes it soft, 

although I also make use of 

Promaxx shampoo whenever I 

run out of Topklass.” 

From there you 

will find the 

right shampoo 

and conditioner 

for your hair 

type. For fine 

hair, use a 

product that 

won’t weigh the 

hair down, but 

give it strength 

and volume 

Ogbodo Ifeoma, a hairstylist at 

Jessica’s Unisex salon at Festac 

Town, Lagos State, said: 

“Topklass shampoo is the best 

so far, it softens hair and makes 

it shiny. When used on clients’ 

hair, it makes the hair shiny 

and it is affordable. 

Expert speaks 

According to a hair expert, 

Josephine Oke, who runs a hair 

clinic in Surulere, Lagos, said: 

“Washing our hair is 

something most of us do without 

thinking twice about it. It’s just 

part of our daily routine. It 

might not be as simple as we 

thought. As it turns out, the 

way you wash your hair can be 

the difference between a good 

hair day and a bad one.” 

“After doing hair for 15 years, I 

find most people still have a hard 

time with this very fundamental 

task. The first step is 

figuring out what type of hair 

you have. Do a test and see if 

the diameter of your hair is 

smaller than a quarter. That 

means you have fine hair. And a 

quarter or more means you have 

medium to thick hair,” said Oke. 

“From there you will find the 

right shampoo and conditioner 

for your hair type. For fine hair, 

use a product that won’t weigh 

the hair down, but give it strength 

and volume. 

Fine hair has 50 percent less 

protein than medium or thick 

hair, which means it’s weak and 

needs to be strengthened. For 

medium to thick hair, look for a 

product with moisture that will 

soften the texture,” she pointed 

out. 

Friesland’s Peak milk gets HS boss nod 

Friesland WAMCO Capina, 

manufacturers of Peak Milk 

has been commended by the 

Chairman/CEO of HS Media, 

owners of Hotsports Nigeria 

Limited, Mr. Taye Ige for 

equipping the Nigeria 

Paralympics training centre at 

the National stadium in Lagos. 

The HS boss, while praising the 

company for turning the once 

upon a time, dilapidated Power 

Gymnasium complex at the 

National Stadium, Surulere to 

a world class training facility 

said: “This transformation 

shows WAMCO’s kindness.” 

Speaking, the HS boss said he 

complex which was equipped 

with the best and latest training 

equipments to challenge the 

Nigerian Paralympics’ team to 

achieve more remains one of 

several interventions by 

Friesland WAMCO. 

Celebrating the success story 

with the company, Chairman/ 

CEO of HS Media, owners of 

PwC emerges top in Global Brand Index 

PwC has emerged one of 

the top 50 brands worldwide 

in the professional services 

sector, in the annual Brand 

Finance Global 500. 

The Global 500 is a list of the 

strongest and most valuable 

brands world-wide, with top 

positions dominated by the 

technology sector. 

The report assesses 

organisations across two main 

categories - the strength, and the 

value of their brand. The brand 

NIMN calls 

for 

establishment 

of Marketing 

Ministry 

Marketing practitioners, 

under the aegis of the 

National Institute of Marketing 

of Nigeria (NIMN), have 

stressed the need for the 

federal government to create a 

Ministry of Marketing that 

would enable it effectively 

prosecute its rebranding 

Nigeria project. 

The institute also elected new 

First and Second Vice 

Presidents and two executive 

members to support other 

council members in the 

running of the institute’s 

affairs. 

Speaking at the institute’s 

Annual Marketing Summit/ 

Annual General Meeting in 

Abuja, over the weekend, the 

institute’s president and 

chairman of Council, Mr. Tony 

Agenmonmen, stated that such 

ministry had become 

imperative since professionals 

were needed by the 

government in its bid to 

reposition Nigeria. 

To achieve this, the NIMN 

boss counselled, the federal 

government should set up a 

marketing team, Team 

Marketing Nigeria, comprising 

marketing and marketing 

communications experts in the 

private sector and 

knowledgeable people in 

government, which will be 

responsible for the strategic 

design of the new marketing 

Ministry of Marketing. 

Agenmonmen also argued 

that the new ministry could 

serve as a replacement of the 

current Ministry of 

Information, National 

Orientation and other 

government ministries and 

agencies, believed not to be 

helping the rebranding 

Nigeria cause. 

Giving reasons for the 

institute’s decision to tag this 

year’s edition of the marketing 

Summit, Marketing Nigeria, 

Agenmonmen explained that it 

was borne out of the need to 

enable marketing professionals 

join other stakeholders in the 

task of repositioning brand 

Nigeria. 

HotSports, Mr. Taye Ige said as 

a company, they are happy to be 

part of that success story, 

initiated and financed by Peak 

Milk. 

strength is calculated using a 

number of measures, including 

marketing, brand perception and 

business performance relative to 

competitors. The strength score 

feeds into the overall brand value 

calculation.


eGovt: 22,000 public servants to benefit from Nigeria South Korea collabo 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

NO fewer than 22,000 public servants would bene 

fit from the latest collaboration between the Federal 

Government and the South Korean Government 

on e-government. 

The collabo routed through Korean International Corporation 

Agency (KOICA) is on capacity building for 

e-Government initiatives. 

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications 

Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi stated this, Monday, 

during the closing ceremony of the In-Country e-Government 

Capacity Building Training in Abuja. 

The Permanent Secretary said the collaboration is to 

train public servants by providing short and long-term 

training courses in Nigeria targeting over 22,000 

Public Servants in different levels to successfully 

drive the e-Government program by the government. 

He added that e-Government has been captured 

in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 

by Federal Government and the recently launched 

2017-2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation 

Plan is to but reposition the service 

for better performance through key e-Government 

projects. 

Abdullahi stated that the training involves all in 

the public service and has been categorised into 

segments to accommodate all. 

He said the Executive Course I is for Head of 

Government Establishments, Executive Course II is for 

Directors in Public Service, Professional Course for Middle 

Level Officers, e-Security for ICT Technical Staff and 

Train-the-Trainer for future potential trainers on the Capacity 

Building Program. According to him, Project Planning 

and Development has been added to the curriculum 

to manage balanced e-Government system in terms 

of procurement, grievance settlement and preparation 

in readiness for the implementation of the e-Government 

masterplan that is awaiting Federal Executive 

Council (FEC) approval. 

He thanked KOICA for their commitment in actualizing 

the training as scheduled and has assured that the 

goal of using e-Government as a tool to impact and improve 

our socio-economic growth would be achieved. 

•President Buhari 

Hate Speech or Censorship? 

Civil servants redeployed over 

social media comments 

By Prince Osuagwu 

(Hi Tech Editor) 

& Charles Kumolu 

(Deputy Features Editor) 

The decision of one of 

government parastatals, to 

start monitoring the activities 

of its employees on the social media 

is spreading fears of censorship of 

the media and its practitioners. 

But the parastatal on the other 

hand appears to be respecting the 

government directives on hate 

speech. 

However, many Nigerians have 

said the directive is more of 

censorship than guarding against 

hate speech. 

Hate speech is speech which 

attacks a person or group on the 

basis of attributes such 

as race, religion, ethnic 

o r i g i n , s e x u a l 

orientation, disability 

or gender. In the law of some 

countries, hate speech is described 

This is the 

beginning of 

despotism for 

such an 

organisation 

because its 

staff are no 

longer free to 

express 

themselves 

as speech, gesture or conduct, 

writing or display which is 

forbidden because it incites 

violence or prejudicial action 

against a protected group. 

Censorship, in the other hand, is 

the suppression of speech, public 

communication or other information, 

on the basis that such material is 

considered objectionable, harmful, 

sensitive, politically incorrect or 'inconvenient' 

as determined by government 

authorities or by community 

consensus. 

Meanwhile,the development at 

the parastatal, which was followed 

by an order to stop commenting on 

issues that border on national interest 

has not only created an atmosphere 

of anxiety, it is sending wrong 

signals in the polity. 

The letter signed by the Executive 

Director of Admin and Training of 

the organisation, reads in part: 

“The unguarded and unethical 

manner, in which online publication 

concerning sensitive and topical 

national issues are being embraced, 

canvassed, patronised and shared 

by members of staff to the 

embarrassment of the 

management, has come to the 

notice of board management. 

Management has decided to put a 

stop to this reckless and unethical 

behaviour. 

Threatened 

Civil servants 

“The Director-General therefore 

expressly mandates you to inform 

all members of staff in your station 

to steer clear of any publication 

(online or otherwise) that could 

impact negatively on the corporate 

existence of Nigeria and to the 

embarrassment of the 

organisation. 

“Any member of staff caught in 

this fast spreading serious act of 

misconduct will be made to face the 

consequences of his/her action in 

line with the civil service rules.” 

Hi-Tech gathered that fear is now 

the word among the staff of the 

parastatal, and other agencies 

where the order is active. 

Long before the letter barring its 

staff from engaging in national 

discourse on the social media 

started trending, Hi-Tech learnt 

that three members of staff had been 

redeployed over their activities on 

the social media. 

Sources at organisation 

revealed that one of those 

redeployed was fsaid to have made 

comments considered offensive 

against an aide of the President. 

Another person was also said to 

have criticised the President on his 

social media page while the third 

person made comments on a topic 

the authorities found uncomfortable. 

Hi-Tech further learnt that apart 

from redeployment to other 

departments, the fate of the affected 

staff is still uncertain given the 

manner the new directive is being 

carried out. 

Meanwhile, many people, 

particularly human rights activists, 

who spoke to Vanguard on the 

issue believe that what the 

organisation did is contrary to 

Section 4 (1) of the 1999 

Constitution which states that: 

“Every person shall be entitled to 

freedom of expression, including 

freedom to hold opinions and to 

receive and impart ideas and 

information without interference.’’ 

Executive Chairman, Centre for 

Anti-corruption and Open 

Leadership, CACOL, Mr. Debo 

Adediran said: "This is the 

beginning of despotism for such an 

organisation because its staff are 

no longer free to express 

themselves. What the organisation 

has done is breaching the 

constitution. It is now asking for 

the wrath of the people by that 

action. Another effect is that the 

organisation has commenced demarketing 

itself because people will 

begin to have negative impression 

of them. 

Gagging 

Continues on page 24 

C 

M 

Y 

K


MOBILE MARKET 

with Tare 

tareyoudeowei@gmail.com / 0806 713 4677 

Trending in the mobile market this week 

ASUS ROG Strix 

Lenovo 

Ideapad 110 

Available for N140,000 

at Office Everything 

stores, the LENOVO 

IDEAPAD 110 is worth 

every students’ finance 

as it would serve the 

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student, the budding 

Engineer as well as the 

literary buff who plans to write an A- 

grade project from an array of e-books. 

The Lenovo Ideapad is fitted with an 

Surface 

Book Pro 4 

Western Digital 

External Hard 

Drive Passport 

Though on the large side, the ASUS ROG 

Strix, sold for N720,000 at Pointek stores across 

the country, is apt for creative professionals, 

be they fashion designers, furniture makers, 

architects , engineers 

as well as audio, 

video and photo 

editors. 

This is because the 

ROG Strix is packed 

with Intel Core i7- 

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16GB DDR4 RAM, a 

1 terabyte hard disk, 

15.6 inches screen 

and a Windows 10 64 

BIT operating system, 

to make life 

easier on several levels. 

Intel Pentium processor, 4GB RAM, 

500GB hard disk storage space and a 

15.6 inches slim screen. 

To back up your 

work, as well as for easy 

transportation of files, 

Yudala has original external 

hard disks that 

are reliable. One of 

such is the Western 

Digital External Hard 

Drive Passport avail- 

Available in variants of 128, 256, and 512GB or 1Terabyte 

solid state drive or hard disk space, Microsoft’s 

Surface Book Pro 4 tablet is apt for audio and/or video 

editing, photo editing, graphics design and the likes, 

all on the go. 

With 1TB cloud storage, professionals can link their 

work and instead of carrying their laptops that have all 

their work around, with the Surface Book, work can be 

continued on the go 

with 13.5 inches PixelSense 

display touch 

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pen. 

It also comes with Intel 

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10 operating system 

and Adobe creative 

Cloud Photography, all 

for N550,000 in SLOT 

outlets. 

able for N25,000. 

The 2TB Passport 

comes with auto backup 

with included WD 

Backup software, password 

protection with 

hardware encryption 

and USB 3.0 port that 

is USB 2.0 compatible. 

For creative professionals 

who have to 

save large raw files or 

back them up, the 2TB 

capacity is advised. A 

professional photographer 

revealed that from 

his experience in the 

field it is safer to have 

about two 2TB hard disks 

than one super large external 

hard disk. 

Anxiety: Civil servants redeployed over 

Social media comments 

Continued from page 23 

Staff 

“This is even not the first 

time such is happening in 

that organisation. We are 

aware of this because we are 

in the social media era where 

there is unfettered access to 

information. This directive 

is an affront to the freedom 

of expression and the 

fundamental human rights 

of the people. It is a step in 

the wrong direction which 

should be corrected quickly. 

I expect the Ministry of 

Information to ensure that 

this parastatal rescinds its 

decision. It is wrong to gag 

their staff. There are laws in 

our statute that take care of 

incidents that happen on the 

social media.’’ 

Similarly, National 

Coordinator of Committee 

for Advancement of 

Accountability and Social 

Equality, CASE, Mr. Deji 

Fagbemi said: “Nigeria is 

back to the dark ages. We 

warned the media when 

they supported the 

government in power now 

but they were carried away. 

We were consistent in our 

calls that there would be 

repression of inalienable 

freedom but our pleadings 

made no meaning. I am not 

surprised that the media is 

paying for the choice made 

in 2015. 

With this directive, the 

parastatal is interpreting a 

script from a higher 

authority. The media should 

see this as a challenge . 

Freedom of expression is a 

natural right that should not 

be repressed in whatever 

form.” 

Some of the staff, who 

spoke on condition of 

anonymity, confessed to 

performing their duties in an 

uncertain atmosphere, 

saying that all their activities 

are now being monitored by 

government spies. 

Freedom 

of expression 

One of them said: “We are 

no longer free to air our 

views on the social media 

and even outside it because 

the government has eyes on 

us. They are monitoring all 

we do so that they can 

identify those who will speak 

against them. The fate of 

those staff is unknown. Their 

crime is that they exercised 

their freedom of expression 

as enshrined in the 

constitution. 

One commented on the 

social media handle of a 

Presidential aide. They 

made findings about him 

and discovered where he 

works. I am sure that the 

letter that was sent us was as 

a result of that. That letter was 

supposed to be an in-house 

memo but it was leaked. 

Another person said: 

“Since I don’t have another 

job, it is compulsory that I 

obey the order. We are all 

adhering to the order. There 

are government spies 

everywhere now so we are 

being careful not to lose our 

jobs. It is a sad development 

because the situation means 

that we can’t express our 

views on the state of the 

nation.’’ 

Hate 

Speech 

The parastatal appeared 

to be test running the order 

the Minister of Defence, 

Mansur Dan Ali, issued to 

government and security 

agencies recently, asking 

them to “tackle the 

propagation of hate speech 

through the social media, 

particularly by some notable 

Nigerians.”The order means 

that some prominent 

Nigerians should be 

monitored and tracked down 

if they make statements that 

could be described as hate 

speech. 

However, this decision is 

not going down well with 

many Nigerians. A digital 

rights group, Paradigm 

Initiative, described the order 

as government’s latest 

attempt to curtail free speech 

and vowed to challenge it in 

court. 

Already, members of the 

National Assembly, Senior 

Advocates of Nigeria, the 

People’s Democratic Party, 

labour and other notable 

Nigerians had reportedly 

criticised it, saying it justifies 

the opinions of some people 

that the present government 

is allergic to criticisms. 

Right to 

Privacy 

Although some people 

admitted that governments 

all over the world have at one 

point or the other monitored 

people for specific reasons, 

they however, said it was not 

done by fiat without passing 

through relevant channels 

that would look at the 

implications and approve 

that it was safe and could not 

overtly violate people’s right 

to privacy. 

Boye Adegoke, a Digital 

Rights Program Manager at 

Paradigm Initiative said, “we 

are deeply concerned that 

free speech, particularly, 

online, continues to suffer 

•Burden of social media 

sustained attacks from 

agents of government under 

this administration. 

“This order advances the 

restriction of access to 21 

news websites including 

Naij.com. It is one of the 

several attempts by the 

government to curtail 

people’s rights, online and 

could further negatively 

affect the digital space.” 

He added: “As Nigeria 

heads for a general election 

in 2019, we must not allow 

the government to trample 

on constitutionally 

guaranteed rights such as 

free speech. Paradigm 

Initiative, on its part, will 

continue to challenge any 

anti-free speech policy or 

posturing by the 

government. Digital rights 

like privacy and freedom of 

expression are important 

features of modern societies 

and must not be allowed to 

be abused by people who are 

afraid of criticisms.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 —25 

Artificial Intelligence: LG’s CLOi Robot, 

ThinQ spark high user interests 

By Tare Youdeowei 

IN its bid to adopt next 

generation technologies 

like AI, machine learning, 

big data and more in 

business and management 

practices while expanding 

collaborative efforts 

with other organizations, 

LG’s has launched 

its CLOi Robot at CES 

2018. The CLOi Robot 

made its debut appearance 

at the recently concluded 

LG MEA Innofest 

2018, just as LG has announced 

the creation of 

ThinQ brand to identify 

all of its 2018 home appliances, 

consumer electronics 

and services that 

utilize artificial intelligence. 

Speaking on the smart 

products, Mr. Kevin Cha, 

President LG Electronics 

Middle East & Africa enthused; 

“LG ThinQ products 

and services will all 

have the ability to employ 

deep learning and communicate 

with one another, 

utilizing a variety of 

AI technologies from other 

partners as well as 

LG’s own AI technology, 

Enugu goes live on digital broadcasting 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

THE Federal Government, 

on Monday officially 

launched Digital Switch 

Over, DSO, in Enugu 

State. 

Minister for Information 

and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, 

made this 

known during the flag off 

where he said with the 

launch in Coal City, there 

was no better evidence of 

By Tare Youdeowei 

Inlaks, financial technology 

solutions provider in Nigeria 

and Sub-Saharan Africa, 

has commended the 

Central Bank of Nigeria for 

licensing additional 28 Micro 

Finance Banks (MFBs) 

in the country. This brings 

the number of microfinance 

banks in the country to 

1,008, representing an increase 

of three per cent in 

that sector from 2016 to date. 

Speaking on this development, 

Executive Director at 

Inlaks, Olufemi Muraino 

explained that this move 

was essential in order to effectively 

ensure the development 

of the Nigerian 

economy. He said, “The licensing 

of additional 28 

MFBs in 15 States by the 

CBN is a welcome development 

which will not only 

attract investors and new 

businesses but will also 

boost the nation’s economy 

and further deepen financial 

inclusion in the country.” 

•LG ThinQ kitchen solution 

DeepThinQ. 

“The advancements in 

AI and robotics are expected 

to transform lifestyles 

and industries 

around the world, ultimately 

improving humankind’s 

experiences 

from reducing repetitive 

tasks at home or work to 

even eliminating age-old 

malignant practices. This 

is why significant investments 

will be made in this 

area. We are confident 

that as the years 

progress, consumers in 

the region will see significant 

value brought to 

FG’s commitment to the 

rapid spread of the massive 

benefits of digital television 

to the people of Nigeria. 

People of Enugu 

State will now join their 

counterparts in Jos, the 

FCT, Kwara and Kaduna 

states, in this new way of 

watching television. 

The Minister, who lamented 

huge loss of revenue 

in the sector, said it has 

become imperative that 

Inlaks: CBN right in licensing 

more microfinance banks 

Muraino further explained 

that this was an 

opportunity to integrate the 

newly licensed MFBs into 

the National Association of 

Microfinance Banks Unified 

IT Platform (NAM- 

BUIT) to ensure a better 

regulatory framework. The 

National Association of Microfinance 

Banks Unified 

IT Platform (NAMBUIT) is 

an institutional collaboration 

between Inlaks, CBN 

and the National Association 

of Microfinance Banks 

(NAMB). 

Already, Inlaks is partnering 

with the CBN to deploy 

a single core and agent 

banking solution for almost 

1,000 microfinance banks in 

the country under the auspices 

of the NAMBUIT. 

The banking solution is 

expected to link the Microfinance 

Banks [MFBs] in 

Nigeria to the platform of 

the Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement 

System [NIBSS] to 

enable the MFBs to engage 

the cash deposit banks in a 

seamless transaction. 

their lives by our AI enabled 

electronics and 

home appliances making 

it extremely fruitful for 

both them as well as our 

retail and distribution 

partners.” Cha said. 

Stating that LG is committed 

to enhancing its 

portfolio of products with 

AI, Mr. Derek Sim, Marketing 

Director, LG Electronics, 

Middle East & 

Africa said; “DeepThinQ 

is already changing the 

way certain products targeting 

the commercial 

and consumer sectors are 

designed. 

Nigeria, urgently, puts in 

place an industry framework 

that will ensure that 

content producers receive 

their due for the value of 

the content they create, as 

well as providing objectives 

that guarantees the 

advertising community 

their Return-On-Investment 

on media placements. 

Mohammed reiterated 

his call for establishment 

of Audience Measurement 

System to make our DSO 

sustainable for signal distributors, 

channel owners, 

TV content producers and 

advertisers. “Without the 

system, we will not see the 

growth in television and 

the value creation in the 

creative industry that the 

economy and people of 

Nigeria so desire. Bringing 

Nigerian TV advertisement 

market in line with 

global best practices could 

bring an additional 200 to 

400 million dollars 

of revenue to the industry, 

based on current comparisons 

with other African 

countries. This is our next 

task and we invite all well 

meaning practitioners of 

this industry to join hands 

with us to achieve this. 

“The current measurement 

system is no longer 

ideal for the critical transitional 

phase before full 

DTT Migration. We need 

an objective and scientific 

Audience Measurement 

System that articulates the 

value of the content to consumers 

as well as the value 

of the audience to advertisers, 

particularly in the 

television sector.”

26 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

Healthy bed: Don’t 

make your bed 

immediately you 

wake up 

There is no gainsaying the 

fact that a well made bed 

can set the tone for the rest 

of your day. If you make your 

bed every morning, you will 

have accomplished the first 

task of the day. It will give you 

a small sense of pride, and it 

will encourage you to do 

another task and another and 

another. 

Making your bed will also 

reinforce the fact that little 

things in life matter. If you 

can’t do the little things right, 

you will never do the big 

things right. 

However, making your bed 

immediately you wake up is 

not healthy. We live in tropical 

environment which is mostly 

hot and not many homes are 

powered with airconditioners. 

People sweat a lot 

such that in the morning, 

bedsheets are soaked. This 

gives room for dust mites 

because they like warm and 

moist environments and the 

bed is the perfect environment 

for them to live. 

Although, according to 

information available to 

Homemakers, they are 

harmless but their faeces can 

trigger allergic reactions. 

Since no one has the power to 

stop anyone from perspiring 

overnight, what do you do to 

remain healthy? 

Letting your bed air out for a 

few hours before making it, will 

prevent dust mites and smell 

Letting your bed 

air out for a few 

hours before 

making it, will 

prevent dust 

mites and smell 

that comes with it 

that comes with it. 

The best thing to do is to 

remove the bedsheet, open the 

window and let it air out for a 

few hours before you make the 

bed properly. 

It may not be easy to change 

bedsheet everyday but drying 

it in the sun is something that 

must not be joked with. Every 

weekend, cleaning should not 

be compromised too if we want 

•Bed soaked with sweat 

our family to remain healthy. 

This allows the mattress and 

duvet to air and dry out as they 

will be damp from perspiring 

overnight (we all do.) 

Following these steps will 

help you create a great looking 

bed that not only looks great 

but is healthier, too. 

CONSUMER WATCH A place that makes you plan ahead 

Items Prices Items 

Prices 

Items Prices 

Basket of Tomatoes N15,500 - N25,000 

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

A bag of Long pepper N6, 500 – N7000 

A bag of Onions (white) N25, 000 – N35, 000 

A bag of Onions (Red) N20, 000- N26, 000 

50kg of long grain Rice N14,000 - N14,500 

A derica of long grain Rice N230 -N250 

50kg of short grain Rice. N13,000 - N13,800 

A derica of short grain Rice N230 

A crate of eggs N1,000 

A bag of Olotu beans N35,000 -N48,000 

A bag of Oloyin 

N25,000 -N33,000 

A bag of Yam Flour (Elubo) N27, 000-N28,000 

A bag of Garri (Yellow) N7,000 

A paint bucket N600 

A bag of Ijebu Garri N6000 - N7000 

A paint bucket 

N500 

25 Litres of Vegetable Oil N11,000- N11,500 

10 Litres N6,500-N 7,000 

25 Litres of Palm Oil N9,000 

5 Litres of Palm Oil N2,200 -N2,300 

Salt 

N80-N150 

Noodles- 70g 

N1500- N1970 

Spaghetti (1packet) N190-N200 

Macaroni(1packet) N180 

Semovita (10kg) N2,800- N3,000 

Pampers (cartons of 8) N3, 400 

Seasonings 

N110 – N500 

Tomato paste (2,200g) N1200-N1500 

Tomato paste (Medium) N550-N700 

Tomato paste(small) N150-N350 

Tomato sachet (a roll) N250 –N300 

Pack of toilet roll (48pieces) N1,800-N2,300 

A Satchet of milk N30-N50 

A Sachet of beverage N45-N50 

Toothpaste 

N270-N300 

5 Litres of Kerosine N1,100 

12.5kg Cooking gas N4, 000 

Yam (1 tuber). 

N400- N800 

Ugu Leaf (a bundle) N3, 500 – N4,000 

A dozen of tied Ugu Leaf N1,800, 

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

Carton Titus ice Fish N19,000 

1 Carton of Kote ice fish N16,200 

1 Carton of Sawa ice fish N10, 000, 1Kg-N600


VOL. 2 NO. 19 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

With ITF training and 

empowerment, 300 youths begin 

self–sustaining careers 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA- FOR three months, 

300 youths selected from 

various communities in 

Anambra State were exposed 

to a rigorous training 

organised by the Industrial 

Training Fund, ITF, under its 

National Industrial Skills 

Development Programme, 

NISDP, after which they were 

empowered with starter packs 

to begin a new phase in their 

lives. The programme is part 

of the Federal Government’s 

job creation and poverty 

reduction programme in 

which 11,000 youths are 

targeted across the country. 

Though ITF has been 

training youths over the years 

for skills acquisition, the 300 

youths trained in Anambra 

State were the first set to 

receive starter packs for their 

businesses. Even during the 

period of the training, the 

youths were paid stipends by 

the Federal Government to 

enable them transport 

themselves to and from the 

venues of the training. 

In fact, at their passing out 

in Awka, the joy of the youths 

knew no bounds as they 

danced and clutched their 

equipment showing that they 

were ready to join the club of 

young entrepreneurs in the 

country. One of their trainers, 

Mr. Chris Arinze said with the 

equipment given to the 

beneficiaries, the sky has 

become their limit. “With this 

gesture from ITF, you have 

been made. ITF is the only 

organisation that truly 

empowers youths as others are 

merely used to achieve 

political purposes,”Arinze 

observed. 

The Director-General of 

ITF, Sir Joseph Ari said the 

beneficiaries, who were 

trained in tailoring and 

fashion design, welding and 

fabrication, as well as in 

plumbing and pipe-fitting, 

were carefully selected based 

on their potential for value 

addition to the growth and 

development of the Nigerian 

economy. 

Ari, who spoke through 

Mr. Peter Agu, an official of 

ITF, said it was the first time 

the trainees received starter 

packs, adding that under the 

present phase, the 

empowerment would be 

extended to 11,000 

beneficiaries across the 26 

states and the Federal Capital 

Territory. 

He said: “This event marks 

a watershed since we 

commenced implementation 

of the NISDP as we have taken 

How prayers from motherless babies helped me 

to get Chinese visa - Nigerian-born Chinese actor 

By Nwabueze Okonkwo 

ONITSHA - A Nigerianborn 

China-based actor 

and model, Mr. James Ifeanyi 

Ogbobe, has called on 

wealthy and privileged 

Nigerians to shower love on 

the less privileged ones in the 

country, particularly children 

at motherless babies homes. 

Speaking when he hosted 

about 250 children in his 

country home in Alor-Uno, 

Nsukka Local Government 

Area of Enugu State, Ogbobe 

lamented that a lot of wealthy 

and privileged Nigerians are 

indifferent to the plight of less 

privileged children in the 

country. 

The actor and model who 

also visited the National 

Council for Women Society, 

NCWS Motherless Babies 

Home in Onuiyi, Nsukka, said 

the prayer of children which 

helped him to secure Chinese 

visa for his trip in 2009 

•One of the beneficiaries receiving a starter pack from ITF 

officials 

•Ogbobe inset children during the party 

motivated his interest in 

helping them. 

He said before he travelled 

to China, he had challenges 

getting visa, but one day, he 

went to a Motherless Babies 

Home in Lagos and asked them 

to pray for him so that he could 

get Chinese visa, which they 

did. Ogbobe stated that after the 

prayers, he was issued 

with Chinese visa, which 

The decision to 

provide the packs was 

informed by our 

tracking and 

monitoring of trainees 

of the earlier phases, 

which revealed that 

when supported with 

start-up packs, 90 per 

cent of the trainees 

went on to be 

successful 

entrepreneurs or 

even employers of 

labour 

enabled him to travel, adding 

that he realised that helping 

children, especially the 

motherless and less privileged 

ones, was more potent than 

going to herbalists who will 

prepare charm for you to get 

money. 

“I have found out that 

charity work for less 

privileged children will make 

me realise my ambition. 

•A cross section of beneficiaries 

•Some of the materials made by the trainees on display 

Showing love to the children 

is a far more potent force 

than going to all these 

spiritualists, who will help 

you succeed but will tell you 

that you will live for 20 years 

only, as the case may be. On 

February 8, 2018, I hosted 250 

kids in my house, where I 

feted and gave them presents 

to put smiles on their faces 

during the New Year,” he said. 

a step further from merely 

training and equipping the 

youths with knowledge and 

skills, to providing them with 

starter packs to enable them 

set up their businesses and 

hit the ground running. 

“The decision to provide 

the packs was informed by our 

tracking and monitoring of 

trainees of the earlier phases, 

which revealed that when 

supported with start-up 

packs, 90 per cent of the 

trainees went on to be 

successful entrepreneurs or 

even employers of labour. 

“The start-up packs 

distributed to the trainees 

should be viewed as our 

practical example and 

message to our stakeholders, 

especially state governors 

and other members of the 

Organised Private Sector, 

OPS, that training without 

corresponding support will 

not lead to expected 

outcomes.” 

Some of the beneficiaries 

said with what they got from 

ITF, they were ready to face 

life challenges, which they 

hope to surmount since they 

have skills to prove their 

worth in the society. 

Anambra State governor, 

Chief Willie Obiano, who was 

represented at the ceremony, 

commended ITF for 

introducing the programme 

and urged the organisation to 

make the empowerment more 

frequent to accommodate 

more youths. 

He also advised the 

beneficiaries to make 

maximum use of the 

opportunity, noting that with 

what they had received from 

ITF, the sky had become the 

limit for them. 

C 

M 

Y

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 —29 

Poverty Alleviation: 

Communities harvest 

constituency 

empowerments in 

Enugu 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU- Some 

residents of Enugu 

State have been 

empowered by both federal 

and state lawmakers from the 

area to improve their 

wellbeing. 

One of such is the 

programme by Hon. Dennis 

Amadi of Udi/Ezeagu Federal 

Constituency, who last 

weekend gave out items such 

as sewing machines, 

motorcycles, solar power 

lights, power generating sets, 

grinding machines and a 

compilation of 30 years WAEC 

past question papers and 

answers for education 

support. 

Amadi said it was to ensure 

that his people developed 

their entrepreneurial skills 

that he facilitated their 

training in different skills 

including commercial 

agriculture. Some were 

trained in deep sea welding 

by the Metallurgical Training 

Institute, Onitsha, after which 

they also received seed grants 

as start-ups. 

Similarly, the Chairman, 

House of Representatives 

Committee on Works, Rep. 

Toby Okechukwu, donated 

dynamic mobile science 

laboratories to some 

secondary schools in Aninri/ 

Awgu/Oji River Federal 

Constituency. 

Okechukwu also donated 

thousands of educational 

desks to the post-primary 

THE TEAM 

SUPERVISING EDITOR: 

Chioma Gabriel, Lagos 

(08052201257) 

EDITOR: 

Emeka Mamah, Enugu 

email: 

emekemamah@yahoo.com 

Anayo Okoli, Umuahia 

Vincent Ujumadu, Awka 

Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri 

Peter Okutu, Abakaliki 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu, 

Nnewi 

Nwabueze Okonkwo, 

Onitsha 

Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba 

Enyim Enyim, Onitsha 

Chinoso Alozie, Owerri 

Chinenye Ozor, Nsukka 

Eric Ugbor, Aba 

schools in the constituency, 

noting that he was 

encouraged by the efforts of 

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi 

and Senator Ike Ekweremadu 

to make the donations. 

Okechukwu said that in 

recent times, he has been 

paying WAEC fees for 

students in his constituency 

where along the line, he 

noticed that the students 

lacked desks. He also recalled 

providing science kits to 

secondary schools but again 

realised that science 

equipment were prone to 

upgrades which made him go 

for the modern mobile science 

laboratories. 

Okechukwu disclosed that 

the students were trained by 

the Scientific Educational 

Development Institute, SEDI, 

in Enugu on the uses of the 

modern equipment. 

In the same manner, 

succour came the way of 

women and youths of 

Umunonu-Umuezeani, 

Ugwogo-Nike community in 

Enugu East Local 

Government Area of Enugu 

State, when the member 

representing them in the state 

House of Assembly, Hon. 

Joseph Ugwumba Agbo 

offered them N5 million 

interest-free loans for farming, 

trading as well as skills 

acquisition, recently. 

The beneficiaries made up 

of 81 rural women, received 

the sum to boost their farming 

and trading activities, while 

21 youths would be deployed 

to learn different trades such 

as building skills, auto 

repairs, welding and 

fabrication, among other 

skills. 

Ugwumba said he was 

motivated to make the 

donation going by the needs 

of the people as contained in 

the Visit Every Community, 

VEC, report of the state 

government. 

He said it was meant to 

dissuade the women from 

selling sachet water on the 

streets and get back to 

farming; while the youths 

would acquire skills instead 

of selling land as has been 

their habit in some 

communities in his local 

government area. 

Speaking during the 

National Assembly members’ 

assignments at Nnewe and 

Udi, respectively, the Deputy 

Senate President, Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu noted that the 

•Hon. Ugwumba handing over cheques to Ugwogo-Nike women 

He said that 

with the 

empowerment, 

the community 

in the next five 

years, would 

produce more 

skilled and 

educated 

people 

lawmakers were the pride of 

their constituents and 

charged the beneficiaries to 

make judicious use of the 

items. 

Governor Ugwuanyi who 

was present at Hon. Amadi’s 

empowerment programme in 

Udi encouraged the 

lawmakers on their roles in 

complementing the efforts of 

the state in reducing poverty 

at the grassroots. 

Chairman of Ugwogo-Nike 

community’s cooperative 

society, Mr. Cajetan Oko 

described Ugwumba as a 

visionary leader who is 

desirous of reducing poverty 

and restiveness among 

women and youths of the 

community. 

He said that with the 

empowerment, the 

community in the next five 

years, would produce more 

skilled and educated people. 

One of the women leaders 

in Ugwogo-Nike, Mrs. 

Theresa Edeonu expressed 

appreciation on behalf of the 

women, noting that it was the 

first of its kind in the 

community. 

She recalled that Hon. 

Ugwumba had earlier 

brought a Non-Governmental 

Organisation, Women for 

Deputy President 

of the Senate, 

Senator Ike 

•Beneficiaries at Ugwogo-Nike dancing in gratitude 

•Hon. Dennis Amadi handing over sewing machine to a 

beneficiary 

and crime in the society and 

Women, that has greatly 

urged other leaders to 

empowered the community’s 

emulate the lawmaker. Agbo 

women. 

noted that Ugwumba had led 

Another community leader 

the community for over 40 

in Ugwogo, Mr. Emeka Agbo 

years with no record of having 

said that the skills acquisition 

sold any land even as his rival 

would help reduce poverty 

engaged in land speculation.

30—VANGU 

ANGUARD, ARD, WEDNESDAY, , FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

I need to let him know I fancy him! 

Dear Bunmi, 

I’m 24 years old and up until 

about a year ago, I had strong 

views about getting married. 

I promised myself I wouldn’t 

settle down until I turn at 

least 28. 

But now, my attitudes have 

changed dramatically and I 

think I have met the perfect 

man for me. 

We have been very good 

friends for about three years 

I still love my ex! 

Dear Bunmi, 

I‘m still madly in love with 

my ex and it’s making it 

impossible for me to move on. 

I have never known for sure 

if he’s over me, but when I 

tried to contact him, he didn’t 

respond, so I gave up. 

It’s driving me crazy and I 

feel I won’t be happy with 

anyone else, until I am 

properly over him. 

Have you some tips on how 

to move on? 

Motara by e-mail 

DearBunmi, 

My four-year-old daughter 

mentioned something to me 

about a ‘second mummy’ her 

daddy was talking to at her 

nursery school. It turns out my 

husband has been texting the 

woman and has even met up 

with her a few times. Are they 

having sex too? 

Maybe they’re having a full 

affair. 

I am so upset I can’t believe 

he’s been spending time with 

her in front of our daughter. 

How do I confront him about 

this? 

Amaka, by e-mail. 

Dear Amaka, 

You need to ask him, but 

don’t let your imagination run 

away with you. 

Let him know what your 

daughter said, then give him 

chance to explain. 

He must know that if he was 

and we live next door to each 

other. 

He is in his late 20's and he 

is good looking, caring and 

very considerate - in fact he’s 

what you’ll call a perfect 

gentleman. 

Keeping my hands off him 

is agonising. I get jealous if 

he talks about other women 

and miss him terribly when he 

goes away. 

He doesn’t have a girlfriend 

Dear Motara, 

Your ex isn’t making it 

impossible to get over him - 

you are, by keeping up trying 

to contact him. 

Sorry to be so blunt, but you 

have given him chance to 

respond and he’s blanked 

you. It’s time to move on. 

Delete his number. Dump 

him from your social media. 

Spend time on yourself and 

not on an ex who doesn’t 

deserve it. 

Take up a hobby or meet up 

with old friends. It’s time to 

take your life back! 

...then give him chance to explain. 

He must know that if he was 

meeting another woman with your 

daughter, it would get back to you. 

It’s important you know the full 

truth before you decide what to do 

and I just can’t stop thinking 

about him. I’m afraid that if I 

tell him how I feel, it will 

jeopardise our close 

friendship. On the other 

hand, if I don’t say anything, 

how will I ever know if he feels 

any affection for me? 

Should I open up or keep 

these feelings to myself? 

Ufuoma, by e-mail. 

Dear Ufuoma, 

You really don’t have to 

throw this man to the ground 

and swear your undying love 

for him, you know. 

Feelings can be displayed 

without great declaration. 

Add a new element to the 

friendship you already have 

- buy him a lovely decoration 

for his room for instance, or a 

book on one of his interests, 

or offer him a small personal 

courtesy that will make him 

look at you in a slightly 

different way. 

Ask his advice about one of 

your ‘problems’ or about a 

new hairstyle. Ask him if he’d 

like to go to a movie, or 

somewhere off your usual 

beaten path. Make a gesture 

that will place the ball in his 

court and give him a chance 

to respond in his own way. 

Remember, most people do 

not lead their lives by taking 

big leaps, but simply by going 

gently with the flow. 

Who’s my daughter’s “second mummy?” 

meeting another woman with 

your daughter, it would get 

back to you. 

It’s important you know the 

full truth before you decide 

what to do. 

Stay calm in the meantime. 

Is my boss ashamed of me? 

Dear Bunmi, 

Two years ago, I started dating 

my boss, who is 10 years older 

than me and divorced. Away 

from the office, our 

relationship is great. I’ve met 

his kids and we’re now talking 

about me moving in with him. 

However, he refuses to tell 

anyone at work that we’re a 

couple and acts as if he barely 

knows me. I don’t want 

special treatment, but I’m 

starting to think he must be 

ashamed of me. 

Felicia, by e-mail. 

Dear Felicia, 

Why don’t you have a word 

with your man about how you 

feel? I’m sure he’s not 

ashamed of you. He’s just 

worried about how people will 

take the news. He might be 

wary of how his own boss 

would take the news or accuse 

him of being unprofessional. 

For all you know, most of your 

colleagues would have 

cottoned on to what is going 

on and just play along with 

you. 

Tell him how you feel about 

this secrecy. In the meantime, 

why don’t you start looking 

into jobs elsewhere? It’s 

possible to work alongside 

your other half, but if you can 

move, it might be easier for 

both of you. 

He makes me pay for everything 

DearBunmi, 

Although my boyfriend has 

his own flat, he spends all his 

free time in mine. Only he 

scarcely pays for anything he 

eats or drinks. 

This makes me angry 

knowing how expensive food 

and utilities are. 

Whenever I ask him to chip 

in more, he agrees, then turns 

up with next to nothing in his 

wallet. As things are now, it 

is a struggle for me to pay for 

everything. 

Tonia, by e-mail. 

Dear Tonia, 

What you have on your 

hands is not just a money 

problem, it’s a loving problem. 

Dear Bunmi, 

I used to scoff at the adage 

that the way to a man’s heart 

is through his stomach, but 

my wife is making me do a 

rethink. 

We’ve been married for more 

than 10 years and have three 

lovely children. My wife has 

been a good wife and mother. 

I have a very successful law 

practice and she does good 

business selling fabrics and 

jewellery. 

My grouse is that her 

cooking leaves a bad taste in 

the mouth. 

Most of the time, she has a 

trained caterer come to the 

house to do the week’s 

shopping for foodstuff and 

store enough prepared food 

in the deep-freezer to feed an 

army. 

This is all well and good but 

you know how erratic 

electricity is; and whenever 

the generator breaks down, 

meals become a nightmare. 

I’ve asked her to make more 

effort at cooking, but apart 

from simple fry-ups like dodo 

Your boyfriend, apart from 

being a leech, is lacking in 

respect, affection and care. 

He should want to 

contribute, make your life 

easier and want an equal 

relationship where you both 

at least, pay your way. If 

you’re to pay for things both 

of you enjoy, then it is obvious 

he’s in the relationship for all 

he can get. 

My advice? Don’t waste 

time trying to find the money 

to support this free-wheeler. 

And don’t waste your breath 

trying to convince him to pay 

his way. 

Show him the door and 

solve all your problems at 

once! 

Your wife has readily admitted 

her shortcomings in the kitchen 

and is willing to make up for it; if 

you’re a deft hand at cooking, 

helping once a while might 

challenge her 

After 10 years of marriage, can my 

wife ever learn to cook? 

and chips, her stews are 

something else. She told me 

she’s tired and doesn’t know 

what else to do. She is 

thinking of getting a live-in 

cook and paid for by her, but 

I still feel bad that she doesn’t 

love me enough to want to 

know how to cook. 

Nduka, by e-mail. 

Dear Nduka, 

Is it really the end of the 

world that your wife can’t 

cook? 

Just as some women are 

petrified at sitting behind the 

wheels, a few find 

experimenting in the kitchen 

a bit daunting. 

You said she is a good 

mother and wife, and has 

even offered to employ a livein 

cook paid for by her. If this 

is not love, I wonder what it 

is? 

Your wife has readily 

admitted her shortcomings in 

the kitchen and is willing to 

make up for it. If you’re a deft 

hand at cooking, helping 

once a while might challenge 

her. 

Share your problems and release your 

burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, 

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


IGERIANS are fast losing count of 

Nthe number of casualties lost in the 

series of attacks attributed to armed 

herdsmen across different parts of northern 

Nigeria and the rest of the country. Each 

day comes with different news and it all 

looks like it has got to the point where people 

have become so desensitised they simply 

take these killings and related violence in 

their strides. Nigerians now wake up daily 

to reports of violent deaths in different parts 

of the country. It is apparent most of the 

attacks that result in the deaths are hardly 

reported except where the casualty figure is 

so high it counts in its scores. There is death 

everywhere and most of it is today ascribed 

to herdsmen that allegedly pay furtive, 

nocturnal visits to farmsteads they 

thereafter proceed to waste and lay bare. 

They don’t stop at burning and looting these 

farms, they inflict unimaginable injuries on 

those fortunate to escape whereas others are 

literally cut up into bits and pieces that 

make the attacks all look like some ritual 

practice. 

Whatever are the intentions of the 

attackers, what the various narratives have 

in common about them is that Hausa- 

Fulani-inspired armed militias are 

responsible for the attacks. Another 

undeniable fact of these series of attacks is 

that almost to the last incident in Zamfara 

where more than forty Nigerians were 

reportedly murdered, nobody has been 

apprehended for these heinous acts. The socalled 

Fulani herders have apparently 

grown wings that enable them to escape 

from the site of the attacks without trace. 

Which is probably why many of the victims 

and others speaking for them have held the 

security agencies, particularly the police, 

either complicit or responsible for the 

attacks. The police have been less than 

responsible in their conduct as far as the 

killing saga involving cattle herders are 

concerned. This is a very regrettable state 

of things considering that an increasing 

sam@starteamconsult.com 

Like Baru, like Yusuf: Corporate 

governance failures in PMB’s govt 

ONE of the greatest virtues 


Buhari, PMB, is associated with is 

Integrity. This popularly marketed 

virtue is the back bone of the faith 

Nigerians have in PMB to fight 

corruption. This was the primary 

promise made to the people of 

Nigeria and this was also the main 

reason Nigerians voted him into 

power. 

Therefore one would expect that 

the President would ordinarily not 

do or permit to be done anything that 

would impugn his integrity. When 

the story about his former SGF 

Babachir Lawal broke, following 

Babachir’s indictment by the 

National Assembly, many Nigerians 

were shocked that it looked as if he 

was being shielded from facing the 

law. 

PMB quickly set up an-in house 

committee to investigate the 

indictment and he was soon 

absolved. This was not a surprising 

outcome. Because friends will 

always stand behind their friends. 

The FEC can not investigate itself. 

That is antithetical to good corporate 

performance practices. But the 

National Assembly stuck to their 

gun, supported by the civil society 

and subsequently forced PMB to set 

up another investigative committee 

now headed by the Vice President. It 

took nearly six months for the report 

to be acted upon. Babachir was found 

culpable by the VP’s Committee 

which showed the strength of 

character of the VP and PMB had to 

replace him. Since then, we have read 

that the EFCC has begun to question 

him on the grass-cutter deal. It was 

bewildering to many that PMB 

would drag his feet in dealing with a 

corruption matter. 

Given Nigerians' current revulsion 

to issues related to corruption and 

their expectations, they thought that 

such a weighty accusation should 

have involved the EFCC 

immediately the accusation was 

made by a responsible government 

body like the Senate of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria. Then enter Dr. 

Maikanti Baru who was appointed 

the Group Managing Director of 

NNPC by PMB. Some time last year, 

Ibe Kachikwu the Minister of State 

The Zamfara massacre: making sense 

of nonsense 

number of the casualties are themselves 

police officers. 

Just over a week ago, four of them were 

abducted by armed men. While two or three 

of them later returned to their camp, 

reportedly, one or two others did not. In fact, 

the decomposing body of one of the 

abducted men would be found days after 

their abduction. Whatever way the issue is 

viewed police officers like other security 

personnel are sharing in the onslaught 

against Nigerians by armed bandits 

masquerading as herders. But the Inspector 

General of Police, IG Ibrahim Idris, has 

overdrawn all the sympathy and empathy 

Nigerian politicians and 

elite in various sections of 

the society have succeeded 

beyond anything imaginable 

in the manner they have 

employed ethnicity as a tool 

of separation among 

Nigerians 

that could be extended to the police 

especially the rank and file that are at the 

centre of making peace in communities 

overrun by militias. Since the IG chose to 

take the partisan position of defending one 

side in the series of violent encounters, 

whatever else the police have been doing 

have been overshadowed by the 

unpardonable utterances of the man. 

Ibrahim Idris is a past master of avoidable 

controversies that show him up as an 

unprofessional officer. For the moment, he 

seems to have stayed out of controversy in 

Zamfara. But Abdulaziz Yari, the Zamfara 

State governor, has been less than impressed 

claiming the security agencies, among 

whom we must include the police failed, 

perhaps we are to interpret that as a refusal 

for Petroleum wrote a memo to PMB 

which eventually became public that 

‘Kanti Baru was awarding contracts 

without the approval of either the 

Minister of State or the NNPC 

Board. 

Indeed Ibe accused Baru of 

insubordination and sidelining of the 

NNPC board which he chaired. It 

was then reported that for some of 

those approvals Baru either went to 

meet PMB on his sick bed in the UK 

or went to meet PMB’s Chief of Staff. 

Baru was reported to have responded 

that he did not need the approval of 

the NNPC board to award either 

procurement or sales contract. 

Rather he only needed to go to the 

NNPC Management Procurement 

When we were hoping 

that we had seen the 

end of this kind of 

troubling incidents, 

then entered Prof. 

Usman Yusuf who was 

(or is) the Executive 

Secretary of the 

National Health 

Insurance 

committee which he Baru chaired. 

This explanation was supported by 

the Presidency and the matter was 

closed after Ibe was admonished to 

mind his business, know his limits 

and to concern himself with the 

mundane assignments of the 

minister of state with his lame 

statutory board. 

Baru was vindicated and Ibe was 

humiliated. In all my years in 

corporate governance practice, I am 

yet to come across this kind of 

arrangement where a corporate 

statutory board does not have an 

approving power over certain levels 

of contracts or procurement, and the 

Nigerian Government under PMB 

believes it is okay. Up till today, I 

find this arrangement 

bewildering. While we were still 

trying to understand how this 

NNPC’s troubling corporate 

governance structure promotes 

transparency and ethical conduct, 

the story of Maina broke out. 

Abdulrasheed Maina was accused 

of misappropriating billions of 

Naira when he was chairman of a 

Presidential Task Team on Pensions 

Reform, PTTPR, set up by President 

Goodluck Jonathan. He was 

relieved of his appointment and 

dismissed from the civil service and 

later invited by the National 

Assembly and the EFCC. 

He declined the invitations and 

was declared wanted by the EFCC. 

Maina took a walk across the border 

and waited for the fall of President 

Goodluck Jonathan. PMB came to 

power and authorised the Attorney 

General, Malami, to visit Maina in 

the UK and negotiate his return. 

Maina made a triumphant return 

and between the DSS, AGF, Minster 

of Interior and the Presidency he got 

reabsorbed into the federal civil 

service and received double 

promotion. The current head of the 

civil service briefed PMB that the 

reabsorption of Maina into the 

service was going to affect PMB’s 

to respond, to the 

distressed calls 

of the people of 

Birane Village in 

Zurmi Local 

Govermment 

Area. 

Beyond the 

c o m m o n 

complaint that 

the security 

agencies have 

been largely reactive in their approach to 

combating the armed militias ravaging 

different parts of the country, we may need 

to take a close look at the claim that the 

Hausa-Fulani have not just been the 

aggressors but also that their intention is to 

extend Fulani control to communities 

hitherto free from their influence. The 

reason one is saying this is that if, as it has 

been shown, Fulani-sponsored militias have 

been behind the attacks across Benue, 

Taraba, and Nassarawa states and the 

dominant narrative has it that their intention 

is to establish and entrench Fulani influence 

in these parts, is that the same reason for the 

attacks in Zamfara state? And for some 

reason, the people of Zamfara have said 

nothing about anyone or group of persons 

trying to dominate them politically beyond 

blaming the security agencies for their 

failure to respond to prior reports of planned 

attacks. How do we explain the difference 

in reaction between the attacks in Zamfara 

and the others in Benue, Taraba and 

Nassarawa among others, even when the 

victims in all these cases acknowledge the 

failure of the security agencies in responding 

sooner? 

What I am driving at here is, perhaps, the 

need to reexamine the ascribed motives for 

the attacks. This may appear to weigh 

nothing but when viewed from the 

perspective that the highly emotive nature 

of the anger against the herders and the 

government that appears to be doing far less 

than it can in the face of the attacks, is to a 

great extent because of what many perceive 

as the desire of the Fulani to establish their 

influence and eventually take over control 

of communities not controlled by them. The 

anti-corruption fight. She was 

ignored and Maina resumed and 

was paid his arrears of salary at the 

new level from 2013 when he was 

sacked by Jonathan. Maina was 

posted directly from Presidency to 

the Ministry of interior, with a copy 

of the letter sent to the Head of 

Service. 

The civil society and the media 

raised the red flag and after dithering 

for a while, PMB authorised his sack. 

The EFCC invited him again, he 

refused and rather took another 

walk across the border back to his 

base in self exile. EFCC then declared 

him wanted a second time. And 

nobody was queried or sanctioned. 

It was just an ordinary matter. 

Neither the DSS, nor the Police, nor 

the Immigration, nor the Ministry 

of Interior was put to any task. Then 

the National Assembly set up a 

committee to investigate how all 

these happened under the watch of 

PMB. The AGF goes to court to stop 

the investigation. Truly bewildering! 

When we were hoping that we had 

seen the end of this kind of troubling 

incidents, then entered Prof. Usman 

Yusuf who was (or is) the Executive 

Secretary of the National Health 

Insurance, NHIS. Yusuf was accused 

of impunity, corruption and other 

elements of malfeasance. The 

Minister of Health, the distinguished 

Professor Isaac Adewole did a 

preliminary investigation and sent 

Yusuf on suspension to enable him 

do a more detailed investigation. 

Yusuf resisted going on suspension 

claiming that he was appointed by 

the President and, therefore, could 

not be disciplined by the Minister. 

After some ding-dong, he succumbed 

and proceeded on an indefinite 

suspension. 

nepotistic tendencies of the Buhari 

administration have served to muddle up 

matters even further. The herdsmen attacks 

are seen as one with the desire of the Buhari 

government to fill every space with Fulani 

faces. But then is it possible, as some have 

alleged, that interpretation given the attacks 

have been politicised by some people? This 

is without prejudice to the fact that most of 

these attacks have been traced to Fulanisponsored 

militias who appear to enjoy the 

confidence of members of the leading cattle 

herders’ association, the Miyetti Allah. But 

could politics be playing a part in how some 

people have been interpreting the attacks 

by Fulani militias? 

May be then, what we should do is focus 

more on the criminality of the attacks while 

seeking justice for the injured by insisting 

that the attackers be brought to book and 

made to account for their action without 

reading motives for the attacks beyond the 

fact of a clash of interest between farmers 

and herders. Nobody is served well by the 

fact that Nigerians are killing one another 

or may be hiring foreigners to hack down 

their compatriots. Even when they find it 

necessary to put the blame on others, 

Nigerian politicians and elite in various 

sections of the society have succeeded 

beyond anything imaginable in the manner 

they have employed ethnicity as a tool of 

separation among Nigerians. A crime is a 

crime irrespective of who is responsible or 

the motivation for the attack. Let every 

criminal act be accorded its due reward 

without concern for whether it was 

perpetrated by a Yoruba, Fulani or Birom 

person. Let every action as are crimes be 

treated on their own merit. 

C 

M 

YK

32--- VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

•Buhari with APC governors in Daura last Friday 

BUHARI AND TRUMP: 

Comparisons, 

contrasts of 

Consolers-in-Chief 

THE actions and inactions of Presidents Donald 

Trump and Muhammadu Buhari to similar eruptions 

of violence in their two countries have elicited 

commentary on the expectations from Nigerian 

political leaders. 

By Emmanuel Aziken, 

Political Editor 

TWO unfortunate 

happenings in the 

United States and 

Nigeria penultimate 

Wednesday may have helped 

to bring out contrasting 

inclinations of the leaderships 

in the two countries. 

That Wednesday which 

happened to be Valentine Day 

when love is shared, turned 

into a day of agony in the 

Southeast state of Florida in the 

United States and the 

Northwest state of Zamfara in 

Nigeria. 

On that day, a seemingly 

neurotic teenager entered a 

Florida school and shot to death 

three teachers and 14 students 

bringing again to the fore, the 

recurring debate about gun 

control in that country. The 

Florida state governor, Rick 

Scott in apparent anger over the 

failure of the Federal Bureau 

of Investigation, FBI to act on 

intelligence that could have 

stopped the shooting 

demanded the resignation of 

the FBI director, Mr. 

Christopher Wray. 

On the same day in Nigeria, 

in Zamfara State, bandits now 

generally termed herdsmen 

killed 36 persons in Birane 

Village in Zurmi Local 

Government Area of the state. 

Two days after the Florida 

shooting, President Donald 

Trump was in Florida where he 

visited survivors and the 

emergency responders in an act 

of encouragement. Over here 

in Nigeria, two days after the 

horror in Zamfara, President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

proceeded on a short break to 

his native Daura in Katsina 

State for a five-day break. 

Katsina State by the way shares 

boundary with Zamfara where 

some of those who probably 

voted for the president in 2015 

were among those killed by the 

bandits. 

President Buhari is of course 

not the first Nigerian leader to 

be flayed for being seemingly 

aloof to the plight of the killing 

of Nigerians. 

His predecessor, Dr. 

Goodluck Jonathan was 

particularly hounded for his 

failure to visit Chibok, Borno 

State after the Boko Haram 

militants kidnapped the Chibok 

Secondary School girls in April 

2014. 

About a month after the 

incident, news filtered out that 

the president would go to 

Chibok, but that visit was 

eventually cancelled even after 

the movement of the advance 

team to Borno State. 

The opposition All 

Progressives Congress, APC 

was aghast at the cancellation 

of the visit. Alhaji Lai 

Mohammed, the interim 

spokesman of the party, which 

was still in its formative stages 

at that time, in a statement 

lambasted Jonathan in a press 

statement for failing to take his 

role as consoler in chief. 

“With his utterances and 

•Trump at the Florida Hospital last Friday 

actions or inaction, President 

Jonathan has deepened the 

pains of the parents and 

guardians of the girls, and that 

of the whole nation, when he 

should have been the consolerin-chief 

at such a difficult time,” 

Mohammed said in a press 

statement issued on May 18, 

2014. 

Continuing the party said:“A 

President and Commander-in- 

Chief, who is afraid to visit any 

part of his country, has 

betrayed the very people who 

voted him into office. 

“In the case of Chibok, he has 

shown that the residents of the 

town should not expect to be 

seen as compatriots by their 

own President hence they are 

on their own.” 

Before and after the Chibok 

incident, President Jonathan 

had been known to have visited 

some of the sites of Boko 

Haram bombings, especially in 

Abuja. However, to his credit, 

President Buhari has not had 

the misfortune of a bomb blast 

in Abuja since his advent. 

However, violent killings 

have sharply risen outside the 

federal capital with herdsmen 

killings taking the notoriety that 

was once associated with the 

Boko Haram insurgents. 

However, the contrasting 

response of Presidents Buhari 

and Trump to the Valentine Day 

killings in their respective 

countries has not come as a 

total shock to some of Nigeria’s 

leading civil rights activists. 

Chairperson of the Transition 

Monitoring Group, TMG, 

Dr.Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi in 

her comments on the 

contrasting actions of the two 

presidents sought to put 

Buhari’s inaction on his 

military training. 

“Is it today that we knew that 

Buhari does not go to places 

where things happen? To me, 

it looks like that is his style. It 

looks like it is insensitive 

anyway, even with the killings 

in Benue, he didn’t go even 

though he went to Nasarawa. 

So, I think that is his style 

maybe it is the military part of 

him. Maybe the death of people 

don’t really move him, but from 

the beginning of his tenure, that 

has been his pattern. 

“He has never been to 

Maiduguri despite the 

I think that is 

his style maybe 

it is the military 

part of him. 

Maybe the 

death of people 

don’t really 

move him 

genocide that has happened 

there. Unlike other climes 

where it is a good thing to go 

to such places, unfortunately, 

it is not so here. The president 

must be humane; he must be 

sensitive. “In other climes, it is 

not so,” Mrs. Akiyode-Afolabi, 

also the executive director of 

the Women Advocates, 

Research and Documentation 

Centre, WARD-C said. 

Mr. Auwal Musa Ibrahim, the 

chairman of the Board of 

Trustees, BoT of Amnesty 

International, Nigeria in his 

response flayed President 

Buhari for being insensitive 

saying: 

“Nigerian leaders are not 

sensitive to the sufferings of 

their people; they are not really 

concerned about the feelings of 

their people because they are 

not suffering the kind of 

hardship that the people are 

facing. 

“Second, they don’t care about 

the electoral consequences 

because elections in Nigeria do 

not sanction those who do 

wrong and the system is not 

one that rewards good 

behaviour, and that is why 

many Nigerian leaders are 

taking people for granted. I 

cannot understand that right 

from beginning Trump who had 

been described as a core 

politician even before he was 

inaugurated went to say thank 

you to those who elected him, 

but President Buhari who was 

elected overwhelmingly even 

in Kano where his political 

headquarters is; refused to go 

to Kano for a long time until 

when people began to 

complain. Now that election is 

coming; he went to visit Kano.” 

The Amnesty International 

boss also flayed the president 

for not visiting Borno and many 

other places where he received 

support despite what he termed 

as the spate of genocide in 

those parts of the country. 

Ibrahim popularly known as 

Rafsanjani in civil society 

circles further rebuked the 

governor of Zamfara State, 

Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari for 

leading other APC governors 

on a pilgrimage to Daura State 

in neighbouring Katsina State 

even while his state was in 

mourning. 

He particularly flayed the 

governor for being insensitive 

in abandoning his duty post 

saying that he had no duty to 

be outside the state at that time. 

Like his predecessor, 

President Jonathan, President 

Buhari has, however, not failed 

to condemn acts of brutality 

against Nigerians repeatedly 

instructing security chiefs to 

apprehend the perpetrators of 

such violence. 

But many Nigerians 

apparently want the president 

to back his words with action 

and show compassion and wear 

the garment of consoler-inchief 

even when his 

government has failed to check 

the activities of the evil 

marauders.



N’Delta agitators call for halt to cult-related killings 

By Emma Amaize 

Y ENAGOA— 

NIGER Delta 

agitators, yesterday, 

condemned the killings 

and violence perpetrated 

by cultists and other 

gangsters in the region, 

calling on susceptible 

youths recruited by selfseeking 

political leaders to 

halt the madness. 

The agitators, under the 

MEGA-RALLY: From left: Mr. Ifeanyi Ebiogbe, President-General, Delta Community Youth 

Association; Chief Festus Ochonogor and Mr. Ifeanyi Esivwezie, Director-General, during a megarally 

by Delta Community Youth Association, in Oshimili Arcade, Asaba. Photo: Nath Onojake. 

NNPC GMD lauds Azikel Refinery 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA— 

G R O U P 

Managing Director of the 

Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, 

has lauded the progress of 

work at the Azikel Refinery 

site in Bayelsa State for 

achieving 65 per cent 

completion on stages I, II 

and III. 

Baru, in his goodwill 

message delivered by the 

Managing Director, Port 

Harcourt Refining 

Company, Shehu Malami, 

made available to 

newsmen in Yenagoa, 

expressed optimism that the 

refinery construction will be 

completed soon to begin 

onward dispensing of 

refined petroleum products 

to the public. 

According to him, work 

on the perimeter fencing, 

loading gantry, security 

unit and the administrative 

building has attained 

appreciable level of 

completion while the core 

refining modules of the 

ISBL fabricated in Houston, 

USA, will be freight on skid 

and coupled at the refinery 

site. 

aegis of 21st Century Youths 

of Niger Delta, in a 

statement by W O I Izon- 

Ebi, said: “We are asking 

them to repent because we 

know and understand that 

they have been deceived by 

our political leaders and 

fathers because of their 

greed and selfishness. 

“The youths being used 

to cause mayhem should 

ask themselves why our 

political leaders want the 

Stressing the need to 

encourage the company, he 

pointed out that the 12, 000 

barrel per stream day 

(bpsd) hydro-skimming 

refinery will produce petrol, 

diesel, aviation fuel, LPG 

and heavy fuel oil. 

The GMD also lauded 

the signing of the certificate 

of occupancy of the Azikel 

Refinery and Azikel Power 

Project acquired land by 

the state governor, Mr 

Seriake Dickson, which 

was witnessed by former 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo and himself. 

He noted that of the 22 

refinery licences granted by 

Delta Poly Rector warns against cultism, 

prostitution 

By Ochuko Akuopha 

OLEH—RECTOR of 

Delta State 

Polytechnic, Ozoro, Prof. 

Job Akpodiete, has 

warned students of the 

institution against 

indulging in cultism, 

prostitution, hooliganism 

and other vices, saying 

that the polytechnic will 

not hesitate to sanction 

erring students. 

Speaking during the 

polytechnic’s 2017/2018 

best for their immediate 

family members to the 

detriment of Niger Delta as 

a region. 

“The rate at which youths, 

including primary and 

secondary school children, 

not to talk of 

undergraduates in higher 

institutions are involved in 

killings and violence in the 

name of cultism is very 

disturbing and should not 

be allowed to continue. 


Buhari, Azikel Refinery is 

in the forefront of ensuring 

that Nigeria attains selfsufficiency 

in petroleum 

products. 

Baru pledged that 

NNPC will continue to 

support the project towards 

completion and lauded 

President Buhari for the 

policy towards improving 

production of refined 

petroleum products to 

ensure availability in all 

parts of the country. 

“I am optimistic that the 

combined effort of the 

NNPC and output from 

private refineries will 

matriculation ceremony, 

Akpodiete said the vision 

of the polytechnic was to 

“become a world class 

institution that offers 21st 

century academic and 

technological 

programmes supported 

by state of the art facilities 

in a conducive 

environment comparable 

to global standards.” 

He assured that the 

students will be exposed 

to different areas of 

entrepreneurship 

“Our youth should also 

ask why political leaders 

send their children abroad 

to study, while our 

educational system in the 

Niger Delta is not working 

with the proliferation of 

different cult groups. They 

should also inquire why 

there is no constant 

electricity despite the 

abundance of gas flaring 

everywhere in the Niger 

Delta." 

impact positively on 

capacity and improved 

production of petroleum 

products in the country.” 

He emphasized that the 

Azikel refinery is well 

poised to meet the mandate 

of increased refining 

capacity, adding that 

Nigeria stands to benefit a 

lot from the initiative. 

He congratulated the 

Group President of Azikel 

Group for building a new 

private refinery and prayed 

that the steps taken and 

work done will serve as a 

roadmap for others to join 

in industrializing the nation 

on the path of economic 

recovery. 

“through hands-on-skills 

acquisition during the 

course of your study in this 

polytechnic that will assist 

you to be employers of 

labour rather than job 

seekers on graduation. 

“Most of the building 

projects executed by past 

and 

current 

administrations had 

inputes of students and 

staff in the School of 

Engineering and 

Environmental Studies.” 

2019: Gbararmatu youths tip 

Mulade for DTHA 

By Onozure Dania 

G BARARMATU 

Political Youth 

Vanguard has called on the 

immediate past Chairman 

of Kokodiagbene 

Community, Gbararmatu 

Kingdom, Warri South- 

West Local Government 

Area of Delta State, Mr 

Sheriff Mulade, to join the 

state House of Assembly 

race to represent Warri 

South- West constituency. 

The group, through its 

Mobilization Officer, 

Benjamin Gelemo, at 

Kokodiagbene community, 

said Mulade is tested and 

trusted and urged him to 

represent the peace loving 

2019: SDP repositioned to 

dislodge APC, PDP —Idawene 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—DELTA 

State Chairman of 

Social Democratic Party, 

SPD, Mr Oke Idawane, 

yesterday, said the party 

was being repositioned to 

take over power from All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, at the national level. 

He added that the party 

was also re-strategizing to 

win the Delta State 

governorship election in 

2019, noting that structures 

were being put in place to 

make the party more 

formidable both at the 

national and state levels. 

Briefing newsmen after 

an enlarged state 

executive meeting of the 

party, Idawane said the 

SDP was out to push both 

people of Warri South West 

council in the House of 

Assembly. 

“We need quality 

representatives, who will 

continue and follow Daniel 

Mayuku's footsteps to 

sustain and attract the 

desired development to 

our dear state, particularly 

Warri South-West. We are 

calling on Mulade to 

honour this call and come 

out to represent us. 

“We do not need a 

political stooge, we need a 

representative that has the 

fear of God, who is humble 

and has the interest of the 

people at heart,” they 

added. 

Groups advocate increase in 

Amnesty Programme's 

budgetary allocation 

By Gab Ejuwa 

PAN Niger Delta 

groups, Itsekiri 

National Development 

Initiative, INDI, Niger 

Deltans for Good 

Governance, NDGG and 

Niger Delta Advocates for 

Good Governance and 

Environmental Justice, 

NDAGGEJ, based in Warri, 

Delta State, have called for 

increase in the budgetary 

allocation to the 

Presidential Amnesty 

Programme for it to cater for 

the wellbeing of the 

beneficiaries. 

The groups said in a 

statement by Dennis 

Mene, President, INDI, 

Samson Toga, President, 

NDGG, Esimaje Okotie, 

PRO, NDAGGEJ, that 

despite the fact that Niger 

Deltans benefited more in 

the programme as a result 

of the prudent 

management of the funds 

since Major-General Paul 

Boroh (retd) took over the 

coordination of the 

programme, increment was 

needed for more 

beneficiaries to be trained 

and engaged. 

The groups urged the 

coordinator of the Amnesty 

Programme not to be 

distracted from the prudent 

and effective manner he has 

been managing the 

programme thus far and as 

well urged him to ignore 

the few who are not happy 

in ensuring that all benefit 

from the programme, 

irrespective of ethnic 

nationality, which is against 

the old order of sharing the 

money among few persons 

from the region. 

the APC and Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

aside in 2019, adding that 

the Ukwuani Local 

Government executive had 

been inaugurated, 

following the expiration of 

the past executive. 

Naming Chief Joseph 

Ekeli and Mr Emikpe 

Anthony Chibueze as 

chairman and secretary 

respectively among others 

executive members, he said 

they will pilot the affairs of 

the party in Ukwani council 

“before, during and after 

the 2019 general election.” 

He expressed hope that 

the member representing 

Uvwie council at the Delta 

State House of Assembly, 

Mr Efe Ofobruku, who 

defected to the PDP recently 

from the SDP will return.



FOOTBALL: Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, CEO, GWG Sports Centre Limited and 

Technical Consultant, Higher Institutions Sports League, HiSL; Mr. Sola Fijabi, Director, 

PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing: Dr. Maryam Sali, Director, Student Support 

Services, National Universities Commission and Prof. Stephen Hamafyelto, President, Nigerian 

Universities Games Association, NUGA at the MoU signing and international press launch of 

the Higher Institution Football League, HiFL, held in Lagos, yesterday. 

Biafra: Court okays separate trials 

for Nnamdi Kanu, co-defendants 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Abuja 

Division of the Federal 

High Court, on Tuesday, 

okayed separate trials for 

the ‘missing’ leader of the 

proscribed Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. 

Nnamdi Kanu and other 

members of the group 

under trial. 

The court, in a ruling that 

was delivered by Justice 

Binta Nyako, gave Federal 

Government the nod to 

separate charges against 

Kanu from that of his codefendants. 

Kanu whose whereabouts 

has remained unknown 

since September last year, 

was hitherto facing a fivecount 

treasonable felony 

charge alongside four other 

pro-Biafra agitators- 

Chidiebere Onwudiwe, 

Benjamin Madubugwu, 

David Nwawuisi and 

Bright Chimezie. 

At the resumed 

proceeding on the case on 

Tuesday, government 

lawyer, Mr. Shuaibu 

Labaran, lamented that 

Kanu’s continued absence 

had frustrated the progress 

of the trial. 

Consequently, he made 

an oral application for the 

court to separate the 

charges against Kanu from 

the ones FG preferred 

against his co-defendants. 

The application was not 

opposed by all the defence 

lawyers, including counsel 

to the IPOB leader, Mr. 

Ifeanyi Ejiofor. 

In her ruling, Justice 

Nyako said she granted the 

request in order “to meet 

the justice of the case.” 

Federal Government had 

in the charge marked FHC/ 

ABJ/CR/383/2015, alleged 

that Kanu and his codefendants, 

as well as other 

persons currently at large, 

had “on diverse dates in 

2014 and 2015 in Nigeria 

and London, United 

Kingdom, did conspire 

amongst yourselves to 

broadcast on Radio Biafra 

monitored in Enugu and 

other areas within the 

jurisdiction of this 

honourable court, 

preparations being made 

by you and others at large, 

for states in the South-East 

and South-South zones 

and other communities in 

Kogi and Benue States to 

secede from the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, with a 

view to constituting same 

into a Republic of Biafra and 

you thereby committed an 

offence punishable under 

section 516 of the Criminal 

Code Act, Cap C38 Laws 

of the Federation of 

Nigeria, 2000.” 

It alleged that Kanu “on 

or about the 28th April, 

2015 in London, United 

Kingdom did in a broadcast 

on Radio Biafra monitored 

in Enugu, Enugu State 

and other parts of Nigeria 

within the jurisdiction of 

this honourable court, 

referred to Major General 


GCON, President and 

Commander in Chief of the 

Armed Forces of the 

Federal Republic of 

Nigeria as a paedophile, a 

terrorist, an idiot and an 

embodiment of evil, 

knowing same to be false 

and you thereby committed 

an offence contrary to 

section 375 of the Criminal 

Code Act, Cap C. 38 Laws 

of the Federation of 

Nigeria, 2004.” 

Besides, Federal 

Government told the court 

that the defendants had 

between the months of 

March and April, 2015, 

imported into Nigeria, a 

Radio transmitter known as 

TRAM 50L, which they 

concealed in a container 

that was declared as used 

household items, contrary 

to section 47(2) (a) of the 

Criminal Code Act, Cap 

C45, Laws of the 

Federation of Nigeria, 

2004. 

Kanu was arrested by 

security operatives on 

October 14, 2015, upon his 

arrival from the United 

Kingdom. 

He is answering to four 

out of the five-count charge. 

Whereas the court fixed 

March 20, 21 and 22 to 

commence full-blown trial 

of the four pro-Biafra 

agitators, it adjourned the 

case against Kanu till 

March 28, 2018. 

No land for cattle colony in South- 

East—Archbishop Chukwuma 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU—BISHOP of 

the Enugu 

Ecclesiastical Province of 

Anglican Communion, 

Archbishop Emmanuel 

Chukwuma, has stated that 

herdsmen are worse than 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB and as such, 

no South East governor will 

be allowed to give land to 

terrorists in any guise. 

Bishop Chukwuma, who 

was speaking to journalists 

at the Cathedral Church of 

the Good Shepherd, 

Enugu, noted that 

herdsmen are armed, 

dangerous and as such, are 

a threat to farmers in the 

coming farming season. 

He said: “We cannot have 

colony for terrorists; people 

that are dangerous, who 

have guns and other 

dangerous equipment for 

killing and maiming our 

people and farming will 

become difficult. 

“Very soon, farming will 

start, how can you have 

colony when you have 

farmers ready to go to farm 

and are scared because of 

herdsmen. Something 

needs to be done by the 

government and security 

agencies to make 

everywhere secured and to 

make everybody join in 

agriculture which the 

government is talking 

about. 

“Cattle colony is another 

agenda for Islamizing 

Nigeria. Forget about what 

they said, once anybody or 

state has the colony, they 

will continue to impregnate 

people and they will begin 

to expand. We don’t want 

that. I have stayed in the 

North and have never seen 

where their cows are being 

reared all over the place. 

Cattle rearing is a private 

business. 

“As far as I am concerned, 

no governor in South East 

will accept and should 

accept any colony for any 

cattle rearer because they 

have become dangerous 

and we don’t know what 

they might become 

tomorrow. They are 

dangerous and I say, they 

are worse than IPOB. They 

should be described as a 

terrorist group too." 

The Bishop also reacted 

to the call by two former 

presidents, Olusegun 

Obasanjo and Ibrahim 

Babangida on President 

Buhari not to consider reelection 

as not being the 

solution to Nigeria’s 

problem, stating that the 

question is who will 

succeed the president 

when he leaves. 

S’East governors asked to 

invest in ranches 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N NEWI—SOUTH 

East governors have 

been asked to mobilise 

funds for setting up cattle 

ranches for interested 

people in the region to do 

cattle business, instead of 

creating cattle colonies that 

will encourage frequent 

clashes between invading 

herdsmen from the North 

and the Igbos. 

The President of 

Association of Small and 

Medium Scale Industries 

Anambra State, 

ASAMSIAS, Chief 

Johnson Okolo, made the 

call, while addressing 

newsmen in his office in 

Onitsha, Anambra State. 

Chief Okolo, who also 

corroborated the call by the 

President General of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief 

Nnia Nwodo for the Igbos 

to reinvent their cattle 

farms, allegedly destroyed 

during the Nigerian civil 

war, urged South East 

governors to help the Igbos 

to go back to their cattle 

business, to create 

employment for the 

teaming youths in the 

zone. 

“Today, our people are no 

more going to farms 

because of the fear of the 

invading and marauding 

herdsmen who attack them 

in their farms. In my village, 

Afa in Enugu State, 

herdsmen raped a woman 

of about 90years and an AK 

47 was recovered from 

them. 

“I believe the Nigerian 

civil war has ended, so 

Igbos should set up their 

cattle ranches again. 

Afterall, most Igbo men 

whose money were seized 

and later given stipend 

went back to business with 

the paltry sum that was 

released to them and today, 

they are doing well. Same 

way, they can re-establish 

their cattle ranches and be 

successful again." 

Land dispute: Owerri residents 

threaten petition against Imo CP 

O 

W 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

E R R I — 

FOLLOWING the 

shooting of teargas at 

protesters and journalists 

by Police officers in Owerri, 

plans have been concluded 

to petition the Inspector 

General of Police, IGP, 

against Imo State 

Commissioner of Police, 

Mr. Chris Ezike. 

A community leader from 

Ihiagwa in Owerri West 

Local Government Area, 

Mr Sam Anokam 

confirmed this yesterday to 

newsmen in Owerri. 

The petition is said to be 

on the involvement of the 

Police in the matter between 

the Federal University of 

Technology, Owerri, FUTO, 

and the host community, 

Ihiagwa over land dispute, 

as well as their encounter 

with the Police during the 

last protest. 

Anokam said: “I have 

been in this struggle 

highlighting the anomally 

on FUTO land acquisition 

and the impact on the host 

communities. 

“Communities give out 

land to government for 

development purposes. It is 

based on due process. Due 

process in land acquisition 

implies that we have 

consultations with the host 

communities. An 

acquisition that engulfs the 

habitation area is punitive 

and cannot stand. 

“It has been a disputed 

area and sometimes, the 

Police will come and arrest 

the youths and I will go and 

explain to them." 

ANAN lauds Ugwuanyi on 

peace, good governance 

E NUGU—THE 

Association of 

National Accountants of 

Nigeria, ANAN, has 

commended Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of 

Enugu State for the 

remarkable successes his 

administration has 

recorded in the state despite 

“the harsh economic 

climate” in the country. 

Speaking when a 

delegation of the national 

leadership of the 

association paid a courtesy 

visit to the Government 

House, Enugu, in company 

of members of its state 

branch, the president of the 

body, Alhaji Shehu Usman 

Ladan, applauded Gov. 

Ugwuanyi for ensuring 

peace and security in the 

state as well as regular 

payment of workers’ 

salaries and pensions. 

Alhaji Ladan, who 

informed Gov. Ugwuanyi 

that the body was in Enugu 

for the first session of its 

2018 Mandatory 

Continuing Professional 

Development, MCPD 

programme, which was 

eventually declared open 

by the governor yesterday, 

said that “one of the 

greatest achievements of 

Your Excellency is the 

peace and security in the 

state.”


36 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

WITH CHARLES KUMOLU 

midweekpersonality@gmail.com 

08052140865 (sms only) 

OKEOWO: Lessons from my 

billionaire father who had 3 

pairs of shoes 

WITH the lessons learnt from his wealthy father, Managing Director of Environ 

Technology, Mr. Desmond Okeowo, narrates how he built the third leading 

internet hardware company in Nigeria. Okeowo notes how he combined the 

experiences he garnerd from his privileged background with the lessons he 

learnt from the Chairman of Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga to achieve 

greatness as an entrepreneur. Currently, he aspires to be Nigeria's President. 

In the beginning 

I am the last son of the late 

Chief H.G Okeowo, who 

owned the first engineering 

firm in Ogun State. My father 

worked with federal and state 

governments. He constructed 

Allen Avenue, Aromire, Oba 

Akran, Awolowo Way, and 

Abeokuta/Shagamu Express 

Way among others. The roads 

are still valid till date because 

quality job was done on them 

by my father’s firm. Since I 

grew up, I am yet to see the 

roads in state of decay. 

He was a civil engineer 

during the time Chief Obafemi 

Awolowo was the Premier of 

Western Region. My father 

had me when he was 65 years. 

I grew up in an atmosphere of 

excellence. I studied 

Philosophy at Ogun State 

University. 

When I came back from the 

UK in 2003, I worked with the 

only indigenous telecoms firm 

in Nigeria, Globacom. I worked 

with Otunba Mike Adenuga, 

who I learnt doggedness from. 

I left Globacom in 2007 to start 

my own technology firm, 

which I named Environ 

Technologies. We are doing 

very well and have about 900 

staff. We are not just the first 

directory company in Nigeria, 

we are the leading directory 

firm in the country. We have 

been working across the nation 

since 2007. 

Next major influence 

After God, my father was the 

next major influence in my life. 

His lifestyle was Spartan. I 

knew my father for 40 years 

and in those years, he didn’t 

have more than three pairs of 

shoes. And he was a billionaire 

in the 1970s. One of the shoes 

was for work, one was for 

church while the third one was 

for social outings. That showed 

the kind of person he was 

despite his wealth. 

We had an extremely big 

mansion that was well 

furnished. Mercedes Benz 

cars took us to school. But amid 

that affluence, my father was 

very frugal with everything. He 

trained all us in such a way 

that we must be working at all 

times. He was a disciplined 

person, who ensured that we 

were disciplined any time we 

erred. 

There was a time my maternal 

grandmother visited us and was 

cleaning her teeth with a 

chewing stick. I liked it and 

asked for it which she gave me. 

I decided to use it and my father 

found me doing so one day. He 

disciplined me to the extent that 

I thought he wanted to kill me. 

The greatest sin in our house 

was to be idle. It is a sin to find 

someone watching television 

even though there were 

television sets in each room. I 

learnt how to read voluminous 

books between the age of seven 

and 10. My father had a library 

where we cultivated the habit 

of reading. At the age of 21, I 

had authored a book. I didn’t 

stop there as I have written so 

many books since then. My 

father made us realise that we 

have to be productive every 

minute of our lives. 

It was such that immediately 

anyone in my house left 

secondary school, the person 

would get a job. I was paid 

N200 monthly in my first job 

while my father subsidized it 

with N400 monthly to ensure 

that I did not stay idle at home. 

It was also mandatory for us to 

join our church choir. The 

choirmaster came weekly from 

Ibadan to teach us. All these, 

shaped my life because I apply 

them in my daily life. I have 

more than 12 brothers who are 

successful. With such a 

background, I had no option 

than to become naturally 

successful as well. 

I sold my two cars 

just to raise money 

to start the 

business; I was a 

big boy in 

Globacom at that 

time but I became 

nobody and was 

riding Okada for 

three months 

PERSONALITY ETHICS 

*Being idle is a sin to 

me 

*There are things one 

should not die for 

*No mountain is too 

high for me to climb 

Ijebu Ode Grammar School 

I was sent to a boarding school 

early in life. I had Mr. M. 

Adedeji, who was another 

influence in my life. We were 

about 400 students at Ijebu Ode 

Grammar School and he knew 

everybody’s name. Ijebu Ode 

Grammar School prepared 

many of us for greatness. That 

is why I am not surprised that 

many are doing well. It was like 

a military school with a system 

that made us responsible. 

Leaving Globacom and 

becoming an entrepreneur 

My meeting with Otunba 

Mike Adenuga was a lifechanging 

one. He is an enigma, 

a mobile and living 

encyclopedia of words. He does 

not believe that there is a 

mountain that is too high to 

climb. I studied him for three 

years. I studied his company 

and concluded that there is 

nothing he was doing that I 

cannot do. But that was not why 

I resigned. I was the GPRS and 

Data Manager in Globacom. It 

was a time when the internet 

was not common. 

We used a technology called 

GPRS. We were just two GPRS 

experts in Nigeria and I was the 

number one expert. I used to 

train all Globacom staff 

nationwide. At that time, the 

internet was gradually 

registering its presence in 

Nigeria. I asked myself that if 

Globacom is deploying internet 

services, who are the firms that 

would provide the hardware 

that people will need to support 

the internet? After coming up 

with that key question, I 

resigned. Before doing that, I 

had done my feasibility studies 

and had practised discreetly 

while I was still working for 

Globacom. After my resignation, 

I set up a technology 

distribution company. We are 

doing very well and we are 

ranked number three in the 

country after Zinox and 

another company. When it 

comes to distribution, there is 

no company in Nigeria that we 

have not worked with. We 

have even worked with the 

Federal Government to the best 

of our ability and our work 

speaks for us. 

Excelling within a short 

space time 

The unending hunger for 

knowledge has been central to 

our success. When I left 

Globacom, I only saved money 

to buy 10 computers. An uncle 

also had some money with me 

which I used. I sold my two 

cars just to raise money to start 

the business. I was a big boy 

in Globacom at that time but I 

became nobody and was riding 

Okada for three months. I did 

that to ensure that I built a 

vibrant brand. 

I couldn’t have bought 

another car early enough until 

I saw that my complexion had 

become so dark after three 

months. My face was so dark 

that I decided to stop riding 

Okada. At that point, I decided 

to take some money out of the 

business to care for myself. I 

took a taxi to Beger, where I 

choose four cars. Two were for 

the office while the remaining 

two were for the house. The 

seller drove the cars to my 

house on a Friday and I paid 

on Monday. However, I will 

say that I have not really 

suffered in life or experienced 

difficult times. I am just a 

product of a disciplined 

background. When I started my 

business the economy was 

good and it made us enjoy 

rapid growth. 

Generational change 

My passion for the country 

stems from the need to awaken 

the spirit of excellence in us. 

When I was working in 

Globacom, our monthly 

expenditure on diesel was N2 

billion. If eight telecom 

companies were spending such 

an amount monthly on diesel, 

it would amount to N16 billion. 

Such a huge amount of money 

can be used to fix certain areas 

in the power sector in order to 

generate electricity. But our 

current crop of leaders are not 

thinking in that direction. With 

due respect to the President and 

his cabinet, I doubt if one can 

sit down with them and have a 

meaningful discussion on 21- 

century matters. I am talking 

about calculus, artificial 

intelligence and sound 

computing knowledge that 

drive the 21 century. These 

leaders are just there watching 

as the world leaves us behind. 

The President is still talking 

about stolen funds instead of 

connecting us to the 21 century. 

People should not die of 

hunger because the President 

is fighting corruption. If a man 

cannot feed his family, he 

would lose his family which is 

his pride. We cannot leave the 

destinies of Nigerians in the 

hands of people, who are old 

and are not in touch with 21- 

century realities. If we allow 

our fathers to continue to lead 

us, we will be left behind 

because this generation is a 

digital one. It costs nothing to 

have an electric train in 

Nigeria. The basics should be 

provided by government at all 

levels the way it is done in 

other places because there are 

things that men should not die 

for. I am referring to the things 

contained in Maslow’s 

Hierarchy of Needs.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018—37 

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

CONCERT: From Left—Praiz, Simi and Adekunle Gold at the 100 Per 

cent Live Concert, organised by Peak Milk, held at Muri Okunola 

Park, Lagos. 

Obahiagbon advocates politics without 

bitterness 

B ENIN-CITY— 

FORMER member of 

the House of 

Representatives, Mr Patrick 

Obahiagbon, yesterday 

urged politicians in Edo 

state and the nation as a 

whole to play politics 

devoid of bitterness so as 

to enjoy accelerated 

development both in Edo 

State and Nigeria as a 

whole. 

O b a h i a g b o n 

(Igodomigodo) who stated 

this shortly after he paid a 

condolence visit to Mrs 

Vero Iyahen, the widow of 

late Senator Sunday 

Iyahen, a world acclaimed 

Professor of Mathematics, 

said the deceased humble 

life-style despite his 

political and academic 

backgrounds, needs to be 

emulated by politicians so 

that we can have a better 

society. 

According to 

Obahiagbon, who is also a 

former chief of staff to 

former governor Adams 

Oshiomhole, "the late 

Professor Sunday Iyahen 

was a role model for 

politicians, would be 

politicians, Benin youths 

and the entire Nigerian 

youths. We salute this great 

visionary leader. 

"A world acclaimed 

mathematician, who taught 

generation of Nigerians 

and African students at 

home and abroad and 

brought hope, discipline 

and knowledge to the 

politics and development of 

the Benins. 

"We call on politicians in 

Edo state and Nigeria as a 

whole, to emulate this 

worthy son from the great 

land of Igodomigodo in 

their politics and electoral 

contests. He truly played 

his politics devoid of 

bitterness and acrimony. 

His humble way of life 

despite his intelligence and 

political pedigree deserves 

to be commended by 

everyone," he stated. 

ANNIVERSARY: 

Delta DPP 

felicitates with 

Ovie of Uvwie 

kingdom 

By Festus Ahon 

A 

S A B A — 

DEMOCRATIC 

Peoples Party DPP, Delta 

State chapter has felicitated 

with the Ovie of Uvwie 

Kingdom, HRM 

Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1 

on his 10th year coronation 

anniversary on the throne. 

Chairman of DPP in the 

state, Mr Abel Okpegwa 

in a statement made 

available to newsmen in 

Asaba, said the Uvwie 

kingdom has remained 

peaceful and investorfriendly 

since the monarch 

ascended the ancient 

throne of his forefathers 10 

years ago. 

Okpegwa said “On 

behalf of the members of the 

Democratic Peoples Party, 

DPP we wish to felicitate 

with the Ovie and the good 

people of Uvwie kingdom 

on the 10th year coronation 

anniversary of HRM 

Emmanuel Sideso, Abe I. 

Your Majesty, because your 

reign has brought good 

fortune in Uvwie kingdom, 

it is almost unbelievable 

that you are 10 years on the 

throne. 

“You have impacted so 

much on Uvwie people and 

the whole of Delta State and 

Nigeria as you have 

brought uncommon zest 

and creativity to the throne 

by ensuring unity among 

various kingdoms,” adding 

that “you did not only 

brought peace and 

tranquillity to the domain 

but have also encouraged 

togetherness and unity of 

purpose at both state and 

national fronts. 

“You have shown that 

with tolerance, Nigerians 

can live together peacefully 

as a people bonded with 

common destiny. I 

therefore commend you for 

guarding against social 

vices and encouraging 

harmonious and peaceful 

coexistence among the 

youths."


Zidane: I’ll fight to 

remain Madrid coach 

Many had thought Real 

Madrid’s Champions 

League tie with Paris Saint- 

Germain would define 

Zinedine Zidane’s future and 

the coach has stated his 

intention to remain in his 

current role. 

A first leg win over Les 

Parisiens has been backed up 

by a goalfest victory over Real 

Betis in LaLiga, where Madrid 

face Leganes in midweek. 

“Sometimes when answering 

[questions about the future], 

there are doubts, but until I get 

tired of this job, I will 

continue,” the Frenchman 

stated yesterday. 

“I’m fine here, I’m going to 

continue to fight. But I will say 

that I take it day by day. With a 

long contract or not, it is day 

by day, that is what helps me 

be strong. 

FA Cup fallout: 

Aguero to 

sue Wigan 

fan 

Sergio Aguero is considering 

legal action and police have 

launched an investigation after 

crowd trouble and two arrests 

marred Wigan’s shock FA Cup 

defeat of Manchester City. 

Wigan are also to carry out 

their own ‘full investigation’ 

after thousands of supporters 

spilled onto the pitch following 

the final whistle at the DW 

Stadium on Monday, with one 

of them confronting Aguero. 

TV footage of the chaotic 

scenes appeared to show 

Aguero raising his arm to push 

away the fan and later having to 

be prevented from approaching 

him. Press Association Sport 

understands Aguero has since 

reported the individual shouted 

“suck my d**k” at him and spat 

in his ear. 

Aguero and City are yet to 

decide whether to take the 

matter further but will discuss 

with lawyers whether they 

think a common assault has 

occurred. 

Ronaldinho: I’m 

now a musician, no 

longer a footballer 

esterday morning saw 

Yone of the greatest 

footballers to ever play 

the game bring to an end 

his glittering career as 

Ronaldinho announced his 

retirement. 

The former Barcelona forward 

posted an emotional video in 

which he stated that his playing 

career was coming to an end at 

the age of 37. 

“I have big news to share with 

everyone, I’ve officially decided 

to end my career as a football 

player this year,” he explained in 

the video. 

“I want to thank you for all 

your support. After almost three 

decades dedicated to football, I 

will let go of my biggest dream.” 

Ronaldinho will now dedicate 

himself to running both his 

football academy and his music 

career. 

“I am now a musician, no 

longer a footballer’’, he said 

Rather unsurprisingly, his 

retirement video went viral 

within seconds, such was the 

respect and admiration the world 

held for the World Cup winner. 

•Aguero 

•Zidane 

•Ronaldinho 

•Moses 

C helsea 

right 

wing-back 

Victor Moses 

has expressed his 

happiness over 

winning the 

inaugural Nigeria 

Player of the Year 

Award on Monday 

night. 

The nominees for the 

award were Moses, Leicester City 

midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and Lobi 

Stars frontman Anthony Okpotu 

but the Nigeria Football 

Federation decided to award the 

prize to the Blues number fifteen. 

‘’Hi everyone, it’s Victor Moses 

here, thanks for making me the 

Nigeria Player of the year,’’ 

Moses told the official Nigerian 

Federation Twitter page. 

‘’And also thanks to the NFF for 

this award, I really appreciate it 

Drogba’s son joins 

Ligue 1 side 

Former Chelsea striker Didier 

Drogba’s 17-year-old son Isaac 

has joined Ligue 1 side Guingamp 

as part of their U19 academy, the 

French team have announced. 

The teenager follows in his 

father’s footsteps with Drogba 

making 50 appearances at 

Guingamp before his move to 

Marseille and then Chelsea, where 

he scored 164 goals in 381 

appearances for the Premier 

League club. 

“Couldn’t be more proud of you 

Isaac Drogba,” the 39-year-old 

said on his verified Instagram 

account. 

Drogba won four league and FA 

Cup titles, one Champions League 

trophy and several individual 

honours during his nine seasons at 

Chelsea. 

His son also represented the 

Blues at youth level and plays as a 

striker. 

Moses celebrat 

ates 

player of the year 

awar 

ard 

Pogba set for Sevilla tie 

Paul Pogba was part of 

the Manchester 

United squad that 

flew to Seville for 

the Champions 

League 

fixture. 

The 

midfielder 

missed the 

weekend’s win 

over 

Huddersfield 

Drogba and son 

Town with illness, and Jose 

Mourinhorevealed he did not 

know whether his star man 

would be fit in time for the 

midweek European tie. 

But Pogba did make the 

trip after training with the 

squad as normal on Tuesday 

morning. 

Mourinho called up Ethan 

Hamilton to the United bench 

at Huddersfield to replace 

Pogba with a host of senior 

and it’s an honour to 

win an award like 

this for Nigeria. 

‘’And also most 

importantly, 

thanks to all my 

fans that have 

supported me and 

being there for me 

right from day 

one. 

‘’Thank you all 

and God bless.’’ 

Moses started three games for 

the Super Eagles in 2017 and 

wrote his name on the scoresheet 

against Cameroon in a 

World Cup qualifier. 

players missing through illness or 

injury. 

“I didn’t rest anyone other than 

[David] De Gea,” the manager 

stressed. “Can we recover some of 

them for today? I think [Marcus] 

Rashford, [Ander] Herrera, [Antonio] 

Valencia have a chance. Paul Pogba? 

I don’t know. [Marcos] Rojo, [Phil] 

Jones, [Marouane] Fellaini, Zlatan 

[Ibrahimovic], I don’t think they 

have any chance.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 — 39 

FACES AT THE AITEO/NFF AWARDS. Photos by Akeem Lawal 

•Ospina 

League Cup final 

Cech tips Ospina to start for 

Arsenal against City 

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech does not expect to 

play against Manchester City in the Carabao 

Cup final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football. 

Arsene Wenger has opted to choose the Colombia 

international for every round of the competition thus 

far, and Ospina is expected to be handed a starting 

spot at Wembley this weekend. 

Cech, who won three league cups 

with Chelsea, says being left out of 

the final is just part and parcel of 

being a footballer but admits being 

a spectator is always difficult. 

“At the start it was clear that it 

was going to be like that,” said 

Cech, when asked if Ospina would 

play in the final. 

“I will be there with the team supporting but I don’t 

expect to play. It is always hard to watch any game 

from the bench or even from the stand if you are not 

selected..” 

From Left, NFF boss, Amaju Pinnick, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, Gov. 

Akinwunmi Ambode and Deputy Managing Director of Aiteo Group enjoy the 

moment as Infantino holds the platinum award 

From left, 

Daniel 

Amokachi, 

Austin 

Okocha and 

Segun 

Odegbami 

bask in the 

excitement at 

the occasion 

Coutinho’s 

Barcelona home 

burgled 

Philippe Coutinho’s new home 

in Barcelona was burgled on 

Monday night while he was out 

for dinner with his family. 

The former Liverpool 

playmaker returned to his home 

in the early hours of Tuesday 

morning to make the discovery. 

Reports have it that the 

burglars had left the property 

before Coutinho and his family 

returned and no significant items 

of value were stolen. 

•Pogba 

•Coutinho 

Reports in Spain say Coutinho is 

having building work carried out on 

his house, which made it easier for the 

thieves to access the property. 

The Brazil international moved to 

Barcelona from Liverpool in January 

for a club-record £146m fee and has 

since made seven appearances in the 

league and cup, scoring on one 

occasion. 

Champions League 

Sevilla plan to 

mark-out -out Sanchez 

hez 

Sevilla boss Vincenzo Montella has joked 

that his side may have to ‘kill’ Alexis 

Sanchez in tonight’s Champions League 

last-16 clash with Manchester United. 

Montella has taken a keen interest in 

Sanchez’s career since the Chilean 

joined Serie A outfit Udinese as a 

teenager back in 2006. Sanchez 

has only managed one goal 

since joining the Red Devils in 

January but Montella 

believes the forward is 

among United’s most 

potent attacking weapons. 

‘Maybe we could kill him or 

knock him down or something,’ 

the Italian said in the lead-up 

to the first leg. ‘I remember 

Sanchez really well from his 

time in Italy. ‘He has improved 

a lot his style in his career and 

he’s a really good player in 

terms of the transitions and finding spaces, and 

has a really good speed in attack.’ 

Sevilla left-back Sergio Escudero hailed 

Sanchez’s ‘quality’ and ‘intelligence’ ahead of 

the match. ‘We have a lot of respect for United 

and, in Alexis Sanchez, they have a really good 

quality player,’ he said. ‘We know him from 

his time at Barcelona – he’s really intelligent 

and he could be a big danger to us’’. 

•Sanchez 

Rashidat 

Ajibade (left) 

receives the 

Young Player 

of the year 

award from 

Rita Nwadike 

at the Eko 

Hotel, 

Victoria 

Island. 

Airforce school wins Olaniyan 

basketball tourney 

From right, Captain of Airforce School female team, Buky Tope receives 

the first prize trophy from sponsor of the competition, Chief Christian F.I 

Olaniyan. 

ir Force Secondary School, 

AIkeja has won the 12 th edition of 

Olaniyan Basketball tournament 

held at the Victory Court in Ikeja 

The boys from Airforce school 

defeated Army Command School , 

Ikeja 34-22 in the final watched by 

an excited crownd. 

In the girls category,, Airfoce 

school defeated Victory Grammar 

School 20-11 , to record a cleansweep 

of the trophies and cement its 

name as the undisputed champions 

of the school sports tournament.. 

Airforce Secondary School came 

first, Army Command came second 

and Victory Grammar School 

placed third respectfully. 

Managing Proprietor of 

Victory Group of Schools and 

sponsor of the tournament, 

Christian F.I Olaniyan praised 

the wonderful efforts of the 

winners, losers and participating 

schools for the maturity and 

sportsmanship displayed during 

the two day competition. 

Prizes, awards, certificates and 

trophies were presented to the 

victorious schools and 

individuals for their good 

performances in the competition.


“Unlike other parts of the 

world where politicians defect 

for ideological reasons, 

politicians in Nigeria defects 

mostly for selfish end. All they 

are concerned with is simply 

associating with those with 

whom their personal political 

objective stand a better chance 

of being achieved”. 

OVER the course of centuries 

dating back to Athens 507 

BC, political and philosophical 

thinkers have analyzed the 

relationship between the 

governed and the government. 

It is generally agreed that the 

individual has expressly or tacitly 

given up his freedom to the 

government in return for the 

protection of that government. As 

a result the individual or citizens 

are expected to live harmoniously 

and in accordance with the laws 

of the land while the government 

provides security of life and 

property. This theory pervades all 

modern societies with varying 

degrees of success. A major way 

in which this contract is 

continually renewed is through 

elections in which Politicians seek 

the votes of the electorate with the 

promise of improvements in the 

standard of life. In Nigeria 

Political Parties serve as a Platform 

upon which the relationship 

between the ordinary citizens and 

the government is nurtured. 

However, Nigerian politicians 

have for several years failed to 

show any appreciation for the fact 

Nigeria political cross carpeting: 

Danger to democracy 

that in exchange for their votes, 

the people require the service of 

the government. What is often of 

paramount importance to most 

politicians in Nigeria is how they 

will attain political office, no 

matter the means by which they 

get it. This desire for power has 

manifested itself in various forms, 

the most common being what is 

known in Nigeria as 

“Crosscaperting” or “Crosscarpeting”. 

To be certain, the word “Crosscarpeting” 

does not exist in the 

English language. It has 

however been coined in Nigeria 

to describe a common 

phenomenon by which politicians 

almost unashamedly, switch 

political allegiance just to achieve 

their own personal political goals. 

In an article titled: “Cross 

Carpeting in Nigerian Politics: 

Some Legal and Moral Issues 

Generated”, O. Opadere and J. 

Agbana stated the first known 

case of cross carpeting in Nigeria 

as follows: 

Celebrated cross carpeting 

“In 1951 the first celebrated cross 

carpeting episode occurred in 

Nigeria; which consequently 

robbed Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe the 

chance to lead the government’s 

business of Western Nigeria. This 

happens to be the most celebrated 

cross carpet episode in Nigeria. 

Yoruba members of the National 

Council for Nigerian and the 

Cameroon 

(NCNC) were 

lobbied to cross 

over to the Action 

Group (AG) to 

stop Dr. Nnamdi 

Azikiwe, an Igbo 

man, from 

becoming the 

premier of 

Western Region. 

This heralded the 

massive cross 

over to the AG. 

As the leader of 

the NCNC, 

Azikiwe was to 

be the Premier of 

Western Nigeria 

following the 

elections of 1951 

with Chief 

O b a f e m i 

Awolowo, a 

Yoruba man and 

the leader of 

Action Group, as 

the leader of the 

opposition in the 

Regional House 

of Assembly. The 

NCNC won 42 

seats out of 80, 

but within 24 

hours 20 of them 

had cross 

carpeted to AG.” 

Over the years, 

this development 

gained much 

traction such that 

most Nigerians 

are now familiar 

now with 

defections by 

Politicians from 

one political party 

to the other. 

While it is not 

unique to 

Nigeria, the 

surprising thing 

however is that unlike other parts 

of the world where Politicians 

defect for ideological reasons, 

Politicians in Nigeria defect 

mostly for selfish ends in a bid to 

contest elections. Therefore a 

Politician who is unable to get the 

ticket of his Party for a particular 

election will immediately defect 

to another opposing party even if 

he had already been elected to 

public office on the platform of his 

original party.In such situations 

it would even not matter if ,as it is 

in most cases, the manifesto of his 

new party is diametrically 

opposed to that of his former 

party. However I find it rather 

strange that a political office 

holder who has attained public 

office through the votes of the 

electorate on the strength of the 

manifesto of its party will defect 

to another party with a totally 

different manifesto and yet carry 

on as if there is nothing 

dishonourable about his conduct. 

I believe that honour should play 

an important role in any human 

endeavour and particularly in 

politics. On the contrary, what has 

been experienced is an upsurge 

in defections all with a view to 

securing tickets to contest 

elections. In some instances, 

politicians have defected from 

their political parties to another 

What is often of 

paramount 

importance to 

most politicians 

in Nigeria is how 

they will attain 

political office, no 

matter the means 

by which they get 

it 

party only to leave that other party 

for yet other parties before 

eventually returning ‘home’ to 

their original political party. 

In the case of AG Federation v. 

Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR (Pt. 

1041) 1 which I was privileged to 

argue before the Supreme Court 

of Nigeria, the Court, while 

stating the absence of a a clear 

constitution provision permitting 

the removal of the then sitting Vice 

President on account of his 

defection from the ruling party on 

whose platform he sought an 

election, to the opposition, 

nevertheless deprecated his 

conduct and stated as follows: 

“The action cannot be justified 

by the fact that he had been 

suspended or expelled from the 

ruling political party under which 

he was jointly elected with the 

President or that he exercise his 

fundamental right of association 

guaranteed by the Constitution. 

What is required of him is to first 

resign and even after resigning 

from that office he would be 

precluded from dissociating 

himself from the collective 

responsibility for decisions taken 

by the Cabinet while he was in 

office.” 

My decision to focus on this 

issue is not without reason. With 

less than a year to the next general 

elections Politicians are already 

busy reappraising alliances and 

pursuing new ones all in a bid to 

be strategically placed to win the 

votes of the electorate. None of 

the meetings currently being held 

focus on ideological parameters. 

All that people appear to be 

concerned with is simply 

associating with those with whom 

their personal political objectives 

stand a better chance of being 

achieved. Soon in virtually all 

states of the Federation Campaign 

Posters will become common 

sights. However despite the 

diverse method these Politicians 

have chosen to sell themselves, 

what remains common are the 

promises being made to 

Nigerians. Yet these same 

promises were made in the run 

up to the last general elections. If 

left unchecked, the current spate 

of defections will spell doom for 

democracy in this country. It will 

continue to foster the notion that 

the interests of the citizens have 

no role to play in the 

determination by politicians of the 

question whether they should 

remain on the political platform 

on which they sought the votes 

of the electorate. It will continue 

to foster the notion that attainment 

of political office rather than being 

the means to an end, is the end 

in itself. Winning political office 

will continue to be a do or die 

affair. 

Patriotic ideals and conduct 

Yet governance anywhere in the 

world is supposed to be about the 

people. The Nigerian National 

Anthem is one that calls on all 

Nigerians to rise to the call of the 

Nation and act only in its best 

interests. By the words of the 

anthem, patriotism is demanded 

of every Nigerian. However a 

country that demands patriotisms 

from its citizens must continually 

be seen to be working in their best 

interests. The government of the 

country must always be seen to 

seek ways of making the lives of 

the citizens better and not 

otherwise. One can hardly expect 

patriotic ideals and conduct from 

a citizen who feels let down by 

his country and its leaders. This 

is why politicians must be made 

to realize the sacredness of 

electoral promises they make prior 

to election and the oath they take 

upon assumption of office. 

Vigilance must be the eternal 

watch word of not only Nigerians 

but indeed all those who are 

governed all around the world. 

To be continued.



:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

New dividend policy shocks 

banks as investors lose 

N100bn in 2 days 

By Peter Egwuatu & 

Nkiruka Nnorom 

INVESTORS 

with 

shares in the banking 

sector on the Nigerian 

Stock Exchange, NSE have 

lost over N100.8 billion in 

two trading days of the 

week following the directive 

by the Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN that 

restricted dividend 

payments by banks with 

high Non Performing 

Loans, NPLs, and low 

Capital Adequacy Ratio, 

CAR from paying dividend 

to their shareholders. 

Vanguard’s trail of the 

implications and impacts 

on the banks quoted on the 

Nigerian Stock Exchange, 

NSE, shows that while 11 

out of the 16 banks in the 

NSE began losing prices in 

the market on Monday, the 

remaining joined by 

Tuesday, except United 

Bank for Africa Plc (UBA). 

The banks that 

appreciated include: 

Access Bank (5 kobo) per 

share to close at N12.56 per 

share from N12.60 per 

share, GTBank gained 

N1.00 per share to close at 

N47.50 per share, from 

N46.50 per share, Fidelity 

Bank gained (8kobo) per 

share to close at N3.28 per 

share from N3.20 per share 

and Jaiz Bank gained 4 

kobo per share to close at 

N1.04 per share from N1.00 

per share. 

In the second day 

(Tuesday) trading 

session, investors 

reacted as the news on 

CBN’s directive filtered 

to the market, with 

virtually all the banks’ 

share prices dropping, 

except UBA which 

gained 20 kobo per share 

to close at N12.20 from 

N12.00 per share it 

closed on Monday. 

The high point in the 

CBN’s revised guideline 

on payment of dividend 

which came to public 

knowledge through 

media reports on 

Monday, was that no 

bank shall pay dividend 

on its shares until all its 

preliminary expenses, 

organisational expenses, 

share selling 

commission, brokerage, 

amount of losses incurred 

and other capitalised 

expenses not represented 

by tangible assets have 

been completely written off; 

and adequate provisions 

have been made to the 

satisfaction of the bank for 

*Mr. Godwin Emefiele, 

CBN Governor 

actual and contingency 

losses on the risk assets, 

liabilities, off balance sheet 

commitments and such 

unearned incomes as are 

derivable there from. 

In line with recent 

developments as well as 

perception of potential risks 

on the horizon, the apex 

bank’s further guidelines 

had diverse impact on the 

different banks. 

In its analysis of the 

impact, analysts at Afinvest 

West Africa, a Lagos based 

investment house, stated: 

“All the Nigerian banks 

under our coverage, save 

for Unity Bank and Union 

Bank, meet the minimum 

requirement stipulated by 

the CBN. For Unity Bank, 

the current CAR (as at nine 

months, 9M:2017) is 

unavailable while Union 

Bank had a CAR of 13.3% 

(below CBN requirement 

of 15.0% in first half, 

H1:2017). We envisage 

Union Bank’s CAR will 

improve by full year, 

FY:2017, adjusting for the 

capital raise of N50.0billion 

via rights issue in 2017. 

“Banks that have a 

Composite Risk Rating 

(CRR) of “High” or a Non- 

Performing Loan (NPL) 

ratio of above 10.0% shall 

not be allowed to pay 

dividend. Only First Bank 

Nigeria Holdings, FBNH 

has an NPL ratio above 

10.0% which should 

disqualify the entity from 

paying dividend. However, 

given the Holding 

company structure 

operated by FBNH, we 

believe dividend can be 

paid from earnings of 

subsidiaries, other than the 

bank. 

Banks that meet the 

minimum capital adequacy 

ratio but have a Cash 

Reserve Ratio, CRR of 

“Above Average” or an NPL 

ratio of more than 5.0% but 

less than 10.0% shall have 

dividend payout ratio of not 

more than 30.0%. 

Under this condition, 

Ecobank Transnational 

Incorporated, ETI is the 

only Tier-1 bank restricted 

to a maximum payout ratio 

of 30.0% on the basis of the 

fact that its NPL ratio stood 

at 9.6% in 9M:2016. 

Similarly, Diamond Bank, 

Fidelity Bank, Stanbic 

IBTC, Sterling Bank, and 

Union Bank are also 

restricted to a maximum of 

30.0% maximum payout 

ratio with respective NPL 

ratio above 5.0% but below 

10.0%. 

“Banks that have capital 

adequacy ratios of at least 

3% above the minimum 

requirement, CRR of 

“Low” and NPL ratio of 

more than 5.0% but less 

than 10.0%, shall save 

dividend pay-out ratio of 

not more than 75%of profit 

after tax. 

Under this Condition, 

ETI is the only Tier-1 bank 

that is restricted to 75.0% 

maximum dividend payout 

ratio, while STANBIC is the 

only Tier-2 bank eligible to 

pay up to 75.0% as dividend 

payout. 

“There shall be no 

regulatory restriction on 

dividend pay-out for banks 

that meet the minimum 

capital adequacy ratio, 

have a CRR of “low” or 

“moderate” and an NPL 

ratio of not more than 5%. 

However, it is expected that 

the Board of such 

institutions will 

recommend payouts based 

on effective risk 

assessment and economic 

realities. 

Only six banks – Access 

Bank, First City Monument 

Bank , FCMB Holdings, 

Guaranty Trust Bank , 

GTBank, UBA, Wema 

Bank and Zenith Banksimultaneously 

meet the 

CBN’s minimum 

requirement for CAR and 

Non-Performing Loans. 

Hence these banks are 

excluded from the stated 

restrictions on dividend 

payment. 

“In light of these new 

guidelines and based on 

our analysis of the banks 

using their 9M:2017 

results, most of the banks, 

especially the Tier-1 banks 

(Access Bank, GTBank, 

UBA and Zenith Bank) 

save for FBNH, are not 

likely to be significantly 

impacted and are expected 

to sustain the historical 

dividend payment trend. 

ETI meets the regulatory 

requirement for CAR, but 

has NPL above 

recommended maximum 

by the CBN; hence a 

maximum payout ratio of 

30.0% is placed on the 

bank.”



SON: From left— Adamawa State Coordinator, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Mr. Sunday 

Galadinma; Falicitator, Dr James Aghonhese; North-East Zonal Coordinator, SON, Engr. Albert 

Willberforce, and Chairman, North- East Zone of MAN, Alhaji Ahamed Jarma, at the public sensitisation 

of SON ACT 2015 in Yola, Adamawa State. 

Rape of displaced minors: Borno get care centre 

By Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI— 

RESIDENTS of 

Borno State, where 

internally-displaced 

women and girls are 

reportedly raped daily, 

have expressed 

happiness over 

government’s opening of 

a referral care centre for 

sexually-abused persons. 

This came barely days 

after the state’s Police 

Commissioner, Mr. 

Damian Chukwu, raised 

an alarm on the escalating 

cases of rape, especially 

By John Mkom 

J ALINGO—THE 

herdsmen and farmers 

in Taraba State have agreed 

to lay down their arms and 

embrace peace, with an 

accord signed in a security 

meeting organised by the 

National Economic 

Council, NEC, Committee 

on Farmers/Herdsmen 

clashes in Nigeria, headed 

by the Vice President, 

Professor Yemi Osinbajo. 

Also, an ad hoc technical 

committee, headed by 

Governor David Umahi of 

Ebonyi State, was with his 

team in Taraba State for the 

conflict resolution. 

While reading the 

resolutions of the ad hoc 

technical committee with all 

the tribes and social cultural 

associations in the state, 

Governor Umahi said the 

two groups and other tribes 

in the state have resolved 

that henceforth, there will 

be no more clashes 

between farmers and 

herders. 

He said: “In three days, 

we have spent about 14 

hours to interface with the 

parties; it has been so 

of minors. 

The Police boss said it is 

easy for rape culprits to 

get away with the crime, 

because the victims’ 

parents often do not want 

to press for charges due 

to possible stigma. 

According to the Police 

chief, who briefed 

newsmen on the security 

situation in the state, 

cases of rape had become 

prevalent in the camps for 

internally-displaced 

persons, IDPs. 

Chukwu, whose 

lamentations resulted in 

the setting up of the 

referral centre by the state 

government, advocated 

possible enactment of the 

sexual abuse law, and 

setting up of special 

tribunal for offenders. 

Borno First Lady 

Wife of the Borno State 

governor, Mrs. Nana 

Shettima, who led officials 

of the state and 

international development 

agencies to open the Sexual 

Assualt Referral Centre, 

SARC, facility in 

Maiduguri, the state 

capital, said the trend of 

raping of vulnerable 

Herdsmen, farmers reach 

compromise In Taraba 

fruitful and we are happy. 

“We discovered that some 

leaders and stakeholders 

have not been telling their 

followers the truth about the 

anti-open grazing law, but 

resorted to extorting money 

from their followers for 

litigation. 

“We found that some 

clauses in the anti-open 

grazing law were not 

friendly and we all resolved 

that such clauses be 

amended to accommodate 

all citizens; the government 

also accented to our plea. 

“Both parties in all the 

meetings held here in 

Taraba have agreed that 

ranching is the best practice 

in the modern days. 

“It was also agreed that 

no herder should come into 

the state without 

acknowledgment letter 

from a village head, where 

he is coming from and 

such herder must get 

acceptance letter from the 

community chief of where 

he intend to settle, before 

any land will be allocated 

to him for grazing.” 

Umahi added that a peace 

and reconciliation 

committee had been 

constituted to tackle the 

issues and report to NEC 

in Abuja. 

Ortom urged to cooperate with FG 

THE Buhari Media 

Support Group, 

BMSG, has advised 

Governor Samuel Ortom of 

Benue State to extend a 

hand of support to the 

Federal Government in its 

efforts to address the 

security challenges in the 

country. 

In a statement in Abuja, 

the group explained that 

Ortom's hostility towards 

President Buhari is 

counter-productive to the 

synergy that is needed to 

tackle security issues or 

problems in the country. 

According to the BMSG, 

no security issue should be 

treated in isolation, as such 

method amounts to 

scotching a snake without 

killing it. 

It noted that the 

recruitment and training of 

militias by politicians is no 

less violent than the 

females had become 

worrisome. 

Mrs Shettima said: “The 

centre is put in place under 

the EU-funded British 

Council programme, 

Managing Conflict in 

North-East, MCN. 

“With Boko Haram 

displacing well over two 

million people, mostly 

women and children, 

several cases of sexual 

abuses, especially raping of 

young girls, have become 

the order of the day within 

and outside the IDP camps 

in Borno State. 

“The SARC centre is 

expected to provide 

medical and psycho-social 

care for all persons that are 

sexually abused from all 

parts of the state.” 

Commissioner, 

Project Manager 

The Commissioner for 

Health, Dr. Haruna 

Mshellia, said the SARC 

facility will also function as 

a hub for collation of 

forensic evidence that will 

aid the possible prosecution 

of rapists and related 

sexual abusers. 

Earlier, Project Manager 

of MCN, Professor Tabiu 

Mohammed, said the 

SARC centre was part of the 

organisation's programmes 

aimed at promoting the 

involvement of women in 

peace building and 

addressing violence on 

women and girls. 

menace of the herdsmen, 

adding that the discovery 

of training camps for 

militias has made it 

imperative for government 

to tackle security 

comprehensively. 

Reassuring Nigerians of 

Buhari’s determination to 

tackle insecurity without 

compromise, BMSG 

advised Ortom to stop 

playing politics with the 

matter. 

Kwara begins mandatory 

health insurance scheme 

By Chioma 

Obinna 

KWARA 

State 

government has 

begun advocacy 

activities for the take-off 

of its mandatory state 

Health Insurance 

Scheme, KWHIS, to 

improve access to 

quality, equitable and 

affordable healthcare 

services. 

Speaking at a briefing, 

the Interim Chair of 

Kwara Health Insurance 

Scheme Committee, Dr. 

Bunmi Jetawo-Winter, 

explained that the 

scheme was a scale-up of 

the Community Based 

Health Insurance 

Scheme, CBHIS, started 

in 2007 with the support 

of PharmAccess 

Foundation and the 

Dutch Health Insurance 

Fund. 

Jetawo-Winter added 

that CBHIS commenced 

in Edu Local 

Government Area and 

By Bashir Bello 

KATSINA—A nongovernmental 

organisation, Gwagware 

Foundation, yesterday, 

endorsed President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

and Governor Aminu 

Bello Masari of Katsina 

State for 2019 elections. 

The Director General, 

Small and Medium 

Enterprises 

Development Agency, 

SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko 

Radda, who doubles as 

the Gwagwaren Katsina, 

led the Foundation. 

Dr. Radda said those 

criticising President 

Buhari should know that 

he was not in power to 

enrich himself, but for the 

love he has for the 

expanded to 11 others by 

2009, across all the three 

senatorial districts and 

provided coverage for 

200,000 residents. 

Jewato-Winter said: “The 

CBHIS proved a major 

success and generated 

significant impact in health 

care delivery and access 

within the state. It 

garnered momentous 

attention locally and 

internationally and 

received the Financial 

Times/ 

IFC 

Transformational 

Business Award for 

Achievement in 

S u s t a i n a b l e 

Development: Maternal 

and Infant Health.” 

On her part, the 

Country Director of 

PharmAccess Foundation, 

Mrs. Njide Ndili, 

expressed satisfaction with 

the progress made so far 

and commended Governor 

AbdulFatah Ahmed for his 

commitment to providing 

health cover for all 

residents of Kwara State. 

Foundation endorses 

Buhari, Masari for 2019 

THE Voice of Freedom 

Network, a pressure 

group in Delta State, has 

lauded Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa on his Man of the 

Year 2017 award by the 

Independent 

Newspaper. 

In a statement, the 

group’s Convener, Mr. 

Victor Adaka, 

commended Okowa for 

performing “creditably 

well in the face of 

economic hardship 

caused by a Federal 

Government that has 

made citizens helpless.” 

Describing the 

country and to give his best 

to alleviate the sufferings 

of Nigerians for good. 

Earlier, the Katsina State 

Chairman of the 

Foundation, Alhaji Kabir 

Usman, said the 

endorsement was to follow 

the footstep of All 

progressives Congress, 

APC, in the state, which 

endorsed the President 

and the governor and gave 

them automatic tickets. 

He said it endorsed the 

governor on the grounds 

of his intervention in the 

areas of education, health 

and security, among others. 

Meanwhile, Governor 

Masari has warned the 

people against violent 

protest that can lead to 

break down of law and 

order in the state. 

Voice of Freedom lauds 

Okowa on award 

opposition in Delta State as 

a “bunch of failed 

politicians looking for daily 

bread,” the group insisted 

that “the masses are 

starting to appreciate 

Okowa for the numerous 

projects he is 

undertaking.” 

Adaka said: “We urge 

those who have been lured 

into the wilderness of 

meaningless opposition in 

Delta to repent, instead of 

sitting idle in their homes 

and hotel rooms, looking 

for ways to condemn a 

performing governor that 

deserves a second term.”


POCKET CARTOON 

BUHARI IN YOLA— The crowd that welcomed the president in Adamawa. INSET: President 

Muhammadu Buhari being received by Governor of Adamawa State, Mohammed Umar Jibrilla Bindow 

at the Yola International Airport, during President Buhari's one-day official working visit to the state to 

commission projects and attend Adamawa State Anti-Corruption Summit in Yola, yesterday. 

Governor demolishes senator's house 

Continues from Page 1 

The Senate in a sharp 

reaction, condemned the 

move upon a motion on the 

issue brought by Senator 

Shehu Sani who on his part 

called on President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

rein in the Kaduna 

governor. 

The Kaduna State 

Government, while 

acknowledging the 

demolition, said the 

building was pulled down 

upon failure of the owner 

to pay ground rent since 

2010 and for public 

nuisance, including 

attracting political thugs. 

The building had 

reportedly been put to the 

use of the APC faction to 

which Hunkuyi belongs 

and from where the 

suspension order on the 

governor was issued. 

The one-storey building, 

located along Sambo Road 

in Ungwar Rimi, was 

pulled down in the early 

hours of yesterday by a team 

from Kaduna State Urban 

Planning 

and 

Development Agency, 

KAPSUDA, in company of 

heavily armed military and 

police men. 

The government said a 

revocation order was 

issued out of Kaduna 

Geographic Information 

Services, KADGIS, but did 

not say when the notice 

was given. 

News of the demolition 

gained attention after a 

tweet from Hunkuyi on the 

incident. 

In his tweet, the Kaduna 

North senator, who has had 

recurring fallouts and 

reconciliations with El- 

Rufai, said: “It is on record 

that few months back, 

@GovKaduna Mallam 

@elrufai marked another 

property of mine in 

Hunkuyi town for 

demolition, but residents of 

the area prevented the 

officials from demolishing 

it. Today, he came well 

prepared with military men 

to destroy my house at 

Sambo Road.” 

Why we 

demolished 

Senator Hunkuyi’s 

house —KDSG 

Justifying the demolition 

yesterday, the Director 

General of Kaduna 

Geographic Information 

Services, KADGIS, Ibrahim 

Husseini, said the “illegal 

violation of land use had 

begun to distress 

neighbours who were 

being forced to endure an 

influx of thugs and 

blockage of the road.” 

The statement read: “The 

Kaduna State Urban 

Planning 

and 

Development Agency 

(KAPSUDA) is currently 

undertaking operations 

across Kaduna metropolis 

in compliance with its 

mandate. In partnership 

with sister agencies, 

KASUPDA is clearing 

illegal structures, tackling 

street hawking and 

restoring order across 

Kaduna. 

“This morning, 

(yesterday) a building on 

11B Sambo Close was 

removed for flagrant 

violations of land use and 

non-payment of ground 

rent since 2010. This illegal 

violation of use had begun 

to distress neighbours who 

were being forced to 

endure an influx of thugs 

and blockage of the road. 

“The Kaduna Geographic 

Information Service 

(KADGIS) issued a 

revocation notice of 

statutory right of occupancy 

No. KD. 16712 that covers 

11b Sambo Close in the 

Ungwan Rimi area. The 

appropriate notice of 

revocation was delivered at 

28 Inuwa Wada Road, the 

registered address of the 

company that held the title 

to the property. The notice 

was also delivered to the 

building in question and 

sent by post to the 

registered address of the 

previous title holder. 

“The land has now been 

allocated to KASUPDA for 

the purpose of developing 

and maintaining a public 

park that will provide a 

green area and a serene 

place for recreation in that 

residential neighbourhood. 

“KADGIS wishes to 

remind all title owners to be 

fastidious in complying 

with the terms of their 

allocation. The purpose of 

allocation of land cannot 

be wilfully altered; neither 

can title holders lawfully 

neglect to pay their ground 

rents. 

“Since 2016, the 

government has been 

taking action on various 

land-related matters, 

including revoking all 

undeveloped land titles in 

the state and directed that 

all abandoned buildings be 

developed within three 

months of the notice. 

“The Kaduna Geographic 

Information Service 

(KADGIS), as the 

government agency 

charged with ultimate 

responsibility on land 

Continues on Page 45 

On FG's declaration of hate speech as act of terrorism (1) 

By Bose Adelaja, 

Bartholomew Madukwe & 

Frederick Okopie 

This government’s 

definition of hate 

speech is if you say anything 

against President 

Buhari or APC. My 

question is: Who then 

determines what hate 

speech is? One man’s 

hate speech is another 

man’s freedom song. It is 

better it is made part of 

our laws. 

Mrs Helen Ihenacho, 

Businesswoman 

The decisions, policies 

and actions of the government, 

at all levels, are 

causing and increasing 

suffering, hardship, tyranny, 

unemployment, 

food insecurity, injustice, 

extra-judicial tortures and 

killings - these are acts of 

terrorism against Nigerians 

than any form of terrorism. 

Mr. Bolaji Balogun, Footballer 

Ibelieve there are laws 

against incitement to 

violence. That would 

make more sense. Defining 

hate speech would be 

very difficult. Hate speech 

is a subjective phrase but 

hate action is concrete. In 

my view, calling it an act 

of terrorism is to gag, silence 

the deprived and 

oppressed masses of Nigeria. 

Mr. Shola Olabode, Self 

Employed 

Equating hate-speech 

with terrorism does 

not conform to the dictates 

of democracy because 

in every democratic 

system of government, 

people must like or condemn 

government’s actions. 

The APC government 

should define or 

clarify what constitutes 

hate speech. 

Mr. Olalekan Saka, 

Musician 

Hate speech is speech 

calculated to threaten, 

abuse, harass, or distress 

a person or group on 

the basis of attributes such 

as nationality, race, colour, 

religion, ethnic origin, 

gender, or disability. 

Since it is not in the constitution, 

everything else 

goes. It is impossible to 

create laws to cover all 

aspects of the human life. 

Miss Rachael 

Owolabi, Student 

Hate speech, basically, 

is for people who 

refuse to exercise decorum 

and self restraint 

when they address others, 

which could be a civil 

or criminal offence in 

our constitution, depending 

on the circumstances. 

Anyone who causes trouble 

with his speech should 

be punished accordingly. 

Mr. Bolaji Ajiboye, 

Driver


Governor demolishes senator's 

house 

Continues from Page 44 

matters in Kaduna State, 

calls for the utmost 

cooperation by the public 

with all our agencies.” 

Senate condemns 

demolition, asks 

governor to pay 

compensation 

The Senate in a sharp 

reaction, condemned the 

demolition, with the 

presiding officer and 

Deputy Senate President, 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 

warning that politicians 

must not overheat the polity 

ahead of the 2019 elections. 

Ekweremadu, who noted 

that demolitions carried out 

against political rivals 

should stop, said the 

government should have 

taken resort to the courts in 

pressing its issues against 

the senator. 

“This is something we 

need to watch, as we head 

towards 2019. We must 

appeal to politicians not to 

overheat the system and 

then imperil our 

democracy. There is a limit 

to the patience of our 

people. 

"This should be the last of 

this kind of incident in any 

part of Nigeria. If people 

have grievances, they have 

the court to settle it, and our 

courts can be trusted to 

ensure that justice is 

delivered to whoever 

justice is due. 

"I do hope that the 

governor will make effort to 

go and rebuild the house 

or pay him adequate 

compensation. We 

condemn the act.” 

The Senate resolution to 

condemn the demolition 

was upon a motion brought 

to the Senate floor by 

Senator Shehu Sani, APC, 

Kaduna Central, who has 

himself been engaged in a 

long-running political spat 

with Governor El-Rufai. 

Presenting his motion 

earlier, Senator Sani said: 

“In the last two and half 

years, we have been faced 

with tyranny and open 

dictatorship in Kaduna 

State. My constituency 

office was attacked by 

NAIRAWATCH 

violent thugs, and it has also 

been clear that armed 

military personnel and 

policemen have been 

consistently used by the 

governor to intimidate and 

harass people who don’t 

agree with him." 

Expressing concern that 

Governor El-Rufai projects 

himself as acting in the best 

interest of President 


Senator Sani said: “It is of 

concern to us that these 

actions by the governor had 

been done in the name of 

Mr. President. 

"We will use this 

opportunity to call on Mr. 

President to caution his 

beloved son who has 

unleashed a reign of terror 

and has been held in the 

most despicable and 

irresponsible way and it is 

a fact that if this crisis is not 

in every way nipped in the 

bud, it will in every way 

catapult and metamorphose 

into something bigger." 

I have forgiven El- 

Rufai — Senator 

Hunkuyi 

Meanwhile, Senator 

Hunkuyi said he had 

forgiven Governor El-Rufai 

over the action and 

described the governor as 

his brother. 

He also noted that the 

same building was used as 

El-Rufai’s campaign office 

ahead of the 2015 elections 

and also as APC state 

secretariat. 

Hunkuyi, who wondered 

what would have 

happened, if it were during 

military rule, said that El- 

Rufai was incompatible with 

democratic norms, adding, 

“if such things could 

happen, what will the 

military have done?” 

He stated further: “Your 

own party, no matter the 

dispute, what will the 

military be doing in a 

location like that. 

"To me, if the intention of 

pulling down the property 

is to shut me down, it has 

given me more reason, 

strong reason to maintain 

my posture, my belief, 

maintain my direction in 

standing strongly with the 

electorate and my people in 

my state. 

Naira appreciates further to 

N360.25/$ in I&E 

By Adaeze Okechukwu 

The naira yesterday appreciated further to N360.25 

per dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) 

window of the foreign exchange market. 

Data from the Financial Market Dealers Quote 

(FMDQ) showed that the indicative exchange rate 

for the I&E dropped further to N360.25 per dollar, 

yesterday, from N360.28 per dollar on Monday, 

translating to a 3 kobo appreciation of the naira. 

The appreciation was prompted by a 23 percent 

increase in the volume of dollars traded in the I&E 

window. The window recorded a turnover of $223.38 

million yesterday, indicating a $42.28 million increase 

from $181.01million recorded on Monday. 

The naira also appreciated by N1 to N362 per 

dollar yesterday from N363 per dollar on Monday in 

the parallel market. 

“As I am standing here 

today, the 20th of February 

2018, let that be a point for 

the growth of democracy in 

that state; let it serve as a 

rallying point for those who 

have been short-changed, 

pained in any way in my 

state by the leadership of 

Nasir El-Rufai. 

“This is not too much a 

price to pay for democracy 

to thrive, a price to pay to 

express the opinion of my 

teeming supporters. I am 

at the receiving end today. 

Over 40,000 people have 

lost their means of 

livelihood just because we 

disagree with El-Rufai. 

“Let me also use the 

opportunity to remind 

Nasir El-Rufai that there is 

another property which I 

housed him, which he 

slept in so many times in 

the course of bringing so 

many people together to 

elect him as governor on 

Queen Elizabeth Road in 

Zaria. In case he forgets 

and in case he still wants 

to take it, I rest my case." 

Army not 

involved in 

demolition 

—1 Division 

Meanwhile, the 

Nigerian Army has denied 

any involvement in the 

demolition of the office of the 

All Progressive Congress 

(APC) in Kaduna state. 

According to authorities of 

the 1 Division, Nigerian 

Army, none of its soldiers was 

involved in the demolition 

exercise, noting that attempt 

to drag the army into the issue 

was to distract it from its 

professional duties. 

The Army in a statement 

signed by Col Muhammed 

Dole, Deputy Director, Army 

Public Relations, said: “The 

attention of 1 Division, 

Nigerian Army, has been 

drawn to a twitter message, 

report in mass and social 

media of alleged 

involvement of military 

personnel in the demolition 

of a politician’s property by 

KASURPA in Kaduna State. 

“This is not true. No 

Nigerian Army soldier was 

involved in the exercise. 

“The allegation and the 

attempt to drag the Nigerian 

army into issue of demolition 

is yet another baseless and 

unsubstantiated claim to 

malign the hardworking, 

loyal and professional 

officers and soldiers of 1 

division, Nigerian Army and 

discredit them. 

“Contrary to claims, the 

troops of 1 division have 

not been involved in any 

illegal activity of either 

harassment of politicians 

or demolition of their 

properties in Kaduna and 

its environs. 

“Therefore, this claim 

remains the highest 

mischief and misleading 

and it is viewed as 

another calculated 

attempt to distract our 

troops from performing 

their professional duties. 

“Therefore, the public 

should disregard such 

false allegation." 

By Sam Eyoboka 

RETIRED Catholic 

Archbishop of Lagos, 

His Eminence, Anthony 

Cardinal Olubunmi 

Okogie has warned the 

nation’s leaders to tread 

softly because there is 

anger in the nation, arguing 

that even leading 

members of the ruling All 

Progressives Congress at 

the centre have demonstrated 

commendable candour 

by openly acknowledging 

that the hopes of 

2015 have been shattered. 

In his latest open letter to 

the nation, Cardinal Okogie 

began on a sporty note, 

reminding the nation that 

late football commentator, 

Ernest Okonkwo, was fond 

of using an Igbo proverb 

while giving minute-byminute 

description of football 

matches on the radio. 

“Anytime there was an 

infringement that escaped 

the attention of the referee, 

he would ask his colleagues, 

Sebastian Ofurum 

or Tolu Fatoyinbo if they 

too saw the infringement. 

If they confirmed what he 

saw, he would say in Igbo: 

“What two persons have 

seen and confirmed to be 

a boa must not be mistaken 

for a piece of diamond.” 

One may apply that maxim 

to the situation in our 

country right now. 

“There is anger in the 

land. Many voices are echoing 

it. These voices of anger 

are so deafening that 

it can no longer be denied. 

The level of discontent in 

Nigeria at this point in time 

is like the proverbial boa 

sighted by even more than 

two persons. It would be 

unwise to mistake it for a 

piece of diamond. 

“It has been sighted by 

Retired Generals Olusegun 

Obasanjo and Ibrahim 

Babangida who have spoken 

of the anger in the land 

in clear and unmistaken 

terms. It has been sighted 

by traditional rulers who 

have called the attention of 

government to it. It has 

been sighted by the Catholic 

Bishops’ Conference of 

Nigeria when Bishops 

went into the corridors of 

power to speak to power, 

in the way Biblical prophets 

directly confronted 

kings in Israel,” Okogie 

contended in the letter. 

Continuing, he maintained 

that the situation 

can no longer be treated as 

the cry of “wailers”, “even 

leading members of the 

party ruling at the centre 

have demonstrated commendable 

candour by 

openly acknowledging that 

the hopes of 2015 have 

been shattered by the disappointment 

of 2019. 

“’Your worst enemy could 

be your best friend, and 

:Van :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

There's anger in the land, 

says Cardinal Okogie 

your best friend your worst 

enemy,’ sang Bob Marley. 

But presidential aides in 

our country do not seem to 

grasp the wisdom in those 

words. By their own reckoning, 

anyone who raises 

doubts as to the rightness 

of government policies, actions 

and statements is an 

enemy of government. 

“He or she is ridiculed as 

speaking because there is 

no more access to ill-gotten 

wealth. A police officer, appointed 

to his office, demonstrated 

unspeakable insolence 

on television, calling 

an elected state governor 

a “drowning man”. In 

other climes he would lose 

his job. In Nigeria he keeps 

it. 

“The Catholic Bishops’ 

Conference of Nigeria 

stood with and for democratic 

forces in this country 

during the dark days of 

military rule. In 1984, when 

the current President was 

a military ruler, Nigeria’s 

Catholic Bishops went to 

him to inquire as to when 

he would restore democratic 

governance. During the 

lawlessness of military rule, 

Nigeria’s Catholic Bishops 

called for elections and 

called for the release of political 

prisoners. 

“Interventions of Nigeria’s 

Catholic Bishops date 

back to October 1, 1960, the 

day Nigeria gained independence, 

when the Bishops 

addressed a letter to 

Nigerians. Fifty years later, 

the same Catholic Bishops’ 

Conference of Nigeria 

addressed another letter 

to Nigerians, entitled 

“Growing a New Nigeria”. 

That letter was presented to 

former President Goodluck 

Jonathan at the Our Lady 

Queen of Nigeria Cathedral 

on the First Sunday of 

Lent in 2011. 

“The Bishops have never 

failed to offer their advice 

to successive governments 

in this country. Every 

line, every word of every 

intervention emanating 

from the Conference was 

chosen to offer frank and 

friendly advice. The Bishops 

did the same thing a 

few days ago, calling the 

attention of the President to 

the anger and disappointment 

in the land. At the 

end of their friendly exchange 

with the President, 

some of his aides and 

friends resorted to name 

calling and gratuitous accusations. 

“Anyone who has a faint 

idea of how the Catholic 

Church is run would know 

that the Catholic Church 

does not run on tithes. She 

has never taught that God’s 

blessings depend on tithes. 

No Catholic Bishop in this 

country has a private jet. 

Not even the Pope has one. 

But an uninformed state 

governor, notorious for being 

insolent, described the 

Bishop’s intervention as 

the wailing of religious 

leaders who no longer 

have access to tithes because 

of this government’s 

anti-corruption fight. 

“True friends tell each other 

the truth. There cannot 

be sincere friendship 

where there is no truth. 

Those who are telling our 

President the truth are his 

true friends. Those who are 

shielding him from the 

truth while insulting those 

who tell him the truth are 

his real enemies. 

“By insulting well-meaning 

Nigerians who happen 

to disagree with policies of 

government they are not 

winning friends for the 

President. They are in fact 

helping to grow the rank 

and file of the angry. Whoever 

loves this President 

would want him to succeed. 

Whoever wants him 

to succeed must tell him 

the truth. For if he fails, 

Nigeria fails. 

“The truth is: Nigerians 

are not happy. As we said 

early in this administration, 

Nigerians are hungry and 

angry. They are not happy 

because their lives and 

their belongings are not 

safe. They work so hard 

while the value of the money 

they earn cannot make 

them enjoy basic things of 

life. Nigerians are unhappy 

because the economy 

has been so mismanaged 

that some cannot pay the 

school fees of their children. 

“Nigerians are unhappy 

because they have not got 

jobs. Nigerians are unhappy 

because, instead of hope, they 

are offered propaganda and 

insults by the President’s men. 

Nigerians are angry because 

their loved ones are butchered 

by herdsmen while the 

response of government is 

woeful. 

“The issue at hand is more 

serious than getting re-elected. 

It cannot be resolved by 

way of a facile intra-party 

reconciliation. Before it can 

succeed, this government 

must admit it has failed. Before 

it can retrace its steps, 

this government must admit 

that it has strayed from the 

path of keeping the promises 

it made, promises that made 

Nigerians vote as they did in 

2015. Apart from seeking intra-party 

reconciliation, this 

government must first reconcile 

with Nigerians by treating 

them with respect. 

“Despite the insolence of 

some of its officials, we still 

pray for this government: 

may this government not 

suffer the fate of the proverbial 

hunter’s dog that got 

lost in the forest because it 

obstinately refused to heed 

the hunter’s whistle,” Okogie 

further warned.

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

Uche 

Okechukwu, 

others launch 

football academy 

Former Super Eagles 

captain, Uche 

Okechukwu, also known 

as Gentle Giant, has 

launched a football 

academy, called Abia 

Greater Tomorrow 

Football Academy in Aba, 

the commercial city of 

Abia State. 

The Aba-based academy 

is set up by the ex- 

Nigerian International 

together with another ex- 

Eagles player, Emeka 

Ifejiagwa and Emeka 

Uche, Okechukwu’s twin 

brother, who is also a 

footballer. 

Okechukwu started his 

football career in Aba in 

the early 80s with a local 

side called Aba Greater 

Tomorrow, he also played 

for Falcon FC, a division 

3 club in Aba, Flash 

Flamingos of Benin, 

Iwuanyanwu Nationale of 

Owerri, before heading 

out to Brøndby in 

Denmark, from where he 

went to Fenerbahçe in 

Turkey. 

Speaking from his base 

in Aba, Abia State, Uche 

said: “I know people have 

been wondering where I 

am and what I am doing. 

They have been expecting 

to hear from me and what 

Team 

NNPC 

yesterday 

emerged winners of the 

table tennis team event 

at the ongoing Nigeria 

Oil & Gas Industry 

Games. 

The trio of Keye 

Surajudeen Adekunle, 

Hassan Aliyu and 

Maiyefa Monday 

proved too difficult for 

their counterparts from 

Chevron represented by 

Oyinbo Olaleye, Okeifa 

Francis and Segun 

Francis by 3-0 to be 

crowned winners of the 

event. 

The more experienced 

Team NNPC used a 

combination of good 

serves and strokes to 

subdue their opponents 

to rhe admiration of the 

crowd in the 

entertaining encounter 

decided at the table 

tennis hall of Ikoyi Club 

my plans are 

a f t e r 

retirement. I 

take my time in 

doing whatever 

I want to do. 

“The plan to set up this 

academy has been part of 

my plans, but I have been 

waiting for the right time, 

and I think this is the right 

time. My twin brother 

Emeka Uche and our 

friend, Emeka Ifejiagwa, 

who also played for the 

Super Eagles are in this 

together. “When we 

concluded plans to start 

up this academy, we 

The 

Nigeria 

University Games 

Association in conjunction 

with Pace Sports 

Entertainment Limited has 

concluded arrangements 

to stage a football 

competition for universities 

registered with NUGA. 

Both parties signed a 

Memorandum of 

Understanding on 

Tuesday in Lagos to kickstart 

the competition 

tagged Higher Institution 

Oil/Gas Games: NNPC, Shell 

win t/ tennis event 

•As rain disrupts tennis play 

•Uche Okechukwu 

decided to revive the 

name of the club that the 

three of us started in Aba, 

that is Aba Greater 

Tomorrow, but we decided 

to call it Abia Greater 

Tomorrow Football 

Academy. We want to start 

our academy where we 

started our football career. 

We want to give back to 

same locality that gave us 

the opportunity to become 

what we are today. 

Higher institutions football 

league starts July 

1038. 

In the women 

category, three time 

defending champions 

Mojisola Adeniran and 

Chizoba Onuoha of 

Shell defeated the duo of 

Adefiseso Adetola and 

Adjeke Felicia of NNPC 

to emerge winners. 

An excited Mojisola 

told our correspondent 

that she was overjoyed 

retaining the title with 

her team mate because 

younger players 

boastedto stop them prio 

to the competition. 

“I’m really overjoyed 

with the victory because 

it is not easy winning it 

for the third time. Many 

young player are getting 

stronger every year and 

some of them even 

boasted we’re not going 

to survive the 

preliminaries”, she 

stated. 

Football League (HIFL) 

The event is billed to 

take place between July 28 

and October 27, 2018 in 

eight zones and for the 

period of 14 weeks, 30 

matches will be played. 

Already, the institutions 

have been divided into the 

two groups- the Atlantic 

(South) and Savannah 

(North) groups- for 

logistics reasons. 

According to Head 

Strategy at Pace Sports 

Entertainment and 

marketing, Olamide 

Adeyemo, the competition 

will be on home and away 

basis while the final four 

matches will take place at 

the Teslim Balogun 

Stadium in Lagos. 

“We have been on this 

project for over one year 

and so we have held many 

meetings to look at all areas 

to make the event a huge 

success. 

We are committed to 

engage the students and 

use this platform to help in 

the development of sports 

facilities across the 

institutions in the country,” 

Adeyemo said. 

NUGA President, 

Stephen Hamafyelto, 

expressed delight on the 

forthcoming competition 

which has the 

endorsement of the 

Nigeria Football 

Federation. 

“We will always ensure 

the provision of sporting 

facilities as well as 

supervise and encourage 

the organization of 

sporting activities in 

Nigeria. 

CONDOLENCE: Former House of Representatives member, Mr Patrick 

Obahiagbon, signing the condolence register when he paid a condolence visit 

to the family of late Prof. Sunday Iyahen at their GRA residence, Benin City, 

yesterday. 

WORKSHOP: From left, Mr. Deji Koko, Director of Account, Ministry of 

Establishments, Training and Pensions; Mr. Kenny Joda, Consultant; Mrs. 

Omotilewa Ibirogba, Permanent Secretary in the ministry; Dr. Akintola Benson 

Oke, Commissioner of the ministry and Adedayo Famaknwa, Chairman, 

House Committee on Establishments Training, Pensions and Public Service, 

during a two-day workshop on coaching for higher performance in Lagos 

State civil service, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez 

BANQUET NIGHT: From left, Lion Asiwaju Ayobola Samuel, District 

Governor 404B2 Nigeria; Lion Dupe Dada, First Vice District Governor, 404B2 

Nigeria; Gbolagade Adebisi, Multiple District Council Chairperson, 404 Nigeria, 

and Oyewole Oyewunmi, District Governor, 404B1 Nigeria, during the 

banquet night at the just concluded 2nd Joint Districts Convention, in Ado- 

Ekiti, Ekiti State. 

REWARD: From left, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, 

Ensure Insurance Plc, Tonte Ikiriko; recipient of Cashback Reward, 

Mrs. Abimbola Jinadu, and Communications Specialist, Ensure Insurance Plc, 

Kanma Ekpe, during the presentation of Ensure Cash Back Accident free 

reward cheque, in Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2018 — 47 

World Cup: 

Messi’s 

Argentina’s only 

threat to Eagles 

— Siasia 

Former Super Eagles 

coach, Samson 

Siasia has stated that 

Lionel Messi remains the 

only real advantage 

Argentina have over 

Nigeria in this summer’s 

FIFA World Cup in 

Russia. 

Speaking to brila.net 

ahead of the Mundial 

with Nigeria and 

Argentina paired to battle 

it out at the group stage 

again alongside Croatia 

and Iceland, Siasia said, 

“Argentina are a big side, 

but one fact remains, it’s 

Lionel Messi and he is 

the only advantage they 

have over our own 

National Team.” 

“They have good 

players and we also have 

our own good players, but 

one person stands out 

which is Messi,” the 

former coach added. 

Siasia led the Under-20 

Flying Eagles to the World 

Infantino: 

In Nigeria, 

football is life 

Y o u t h 

Championship in 

the Netherlands 

where Nigeria were 

runners-up losing 2-1 

to a Messi-inspired 

youth team. 

The young Argentine at 

that time in 2005 scored 

from the penalty spot to 

give Argentina the lead 

but a flying header from 

Chinedu Ogbuke 

Obasi gave the Flying 

Eagles a deserved 

equalizer before 

Messi put 

another 

penalty past 

goalkeeper 

Ambrose Vanzekin. 

Lionel Messi won the 

Golden Ball being the 

best player of the 

tournament 

followed by John 

Obi Mikel and 

Taiye Ismail Taiwo 

in second and 

third respectively. 

President of the Federation 

of International 

Football Association, FIFA, Gianni 

Infantino has described Nigeria as a 

country with unquantifiable passion and 

love for football; where football is more 

than a religion. 

“I was told that in Nigeria football is a 

passion, but it is a lie because it is more 

than that. In Nigeria I was told that 

football is love, but it is a lie, it is more 

than that. “In Nigeria, I was told that 

football is a religion, but it is a lie, it is 

more than that. In Nigeria, football is 

life,” he said in Lagos on Monday. 

Infantino spoke at the maiden edition 

of the AITEO-NFF Awards, which was 

organised by the Nigeria Football 

Federation (NFF) and bankrolled by oil 

giants AITEO Group. 

The event which held at the Eko Hotels 

and Suites saw Chelsea FC winger 

Victor Moses win the “Player of the 

Year” award. 

Speaking also at the event, the Lagos 

State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, 

pledged his administration’s continued 

support to football and sports in general. 

Messi 

WAFU Women Cup: 

Super Falcons, 

Black Queens set 

to rekindle Nigeria, 

Ghana rivalry 

Nigeria’s Super Falcons 

and Ghana’s Black 

Queens are set to rekindle 

t h e Nigeria/Ghana football 

rivalry when they clash tomorrow in the 

semi-final of the WAFU Zone B Women’s 

tournament holding in Cote d’ Ivoire. 

The Super Falcons made up of mostly U-20 

players topped group B after beating Togo 3-1 on 

Sunday. Ghana finished second to the hosts Cote ‘d 

Ivoire who will play Mali who were a replacement for 

Benin Republic. Speaking on the match, Super Falcons 

assistant coach, Precious Dede maintained that the 

Nigerian women are focused and are ready to beat 

Ghana and reach the final. 

“Ghana is always a difficult opponent. But our 

tournament will not end in the semi-final,” said 

the former Super Falcons 

keeper. 

•Infantino 

Roller Sports Federation of 

Nigeria has rewarded 

Nigeria that won medals at the 

African Roller Skating Championship 

which held in Togo last year. 

The team which was participating 

for the first time in the championship 

won one silver and five bronze 

medals. They were hosted to a warm 

reception by President of the 

Federation, Comrade Joseph Evah at 

the National Stadium, Surulere in 

Lagos at weekend. 

The federation boss reminded all 

that “before they travelled to Togo, I 

promised each gold medalist the sum 

of N200,000, N150,000 for silver and 

100 for bronze,” adding, “although 

they are here without gold today, we 

are happy they are back with some 

medals being first timers and I want 

to redeem that pledge.” 

•Oshoala 

Roller Skating President 

rewards athletes 

C’wealth Games: 

T/Tennis will be Nigeria’s 

stronghold — players 

Nigeria’s para table 

t e n n i s 

representatives in the 

2 0 1 8 

Commonwealth 

Games have 

promised a better outing. 

Nigeria is among the 

eight African countries 

shortlisted and certified for 

the games by the 

International Table Tennis 

Federation (ITTF) Para 

Table Tennis Division 

(PTTD). 

The 

Commonwealth Games 

officially known as Gold 

Coast will hold in Australia 

from April 5 to April 25. 

Nigeria is expected to 

feature two players in 

para table tennis. The 

athletes are Netherlands- 

CAF Champions League: 

MFM coach seeks 

players’ courage 

against AS Bamako 

The 

Technical 

Adviser of MFM 

FC, Lagos, Fidelis 

Ilechukwu, has urged his 

players to remain focused 

when they meet AS 

Bamako of Mali in the 

second leg of CAF 

Champions League at 

the Soccer Temple, 

Agege Township 

Stadium today. 

MFM, debutant 

in the prestigious 

CAF Champions 

League, 

h a d 

secured a 

h a r d - 

fought 1-1 draw against 

AS Real Bamako at the 

Stade Modibo Keita in 

Bamako in the first leg. 

Ilechukwu, who 

•Ilechukwu underplayed the goal 

advantage in Mali, 

said that it might not 

necessarily count 

because the Malians 

LMC mourns Udoji, to honour 

late player on Match day 10 

The 

League 

Management 

Company (LMC) has 

sympathised with the 

Management and players 

of Kano Pillars FC on the 

death of their Center back, 

Chinedu Udoji and 

directed that a minute 

silence be observed in 

honour of the fallen star 

during match day 10 

fixtures this weekend. It 

also asked players to wear 

black armbands during the 

match to mourn the late 

player. 

Udoji died in a fatal motor 

accident in Kano on his 

way home from visiting 

former team mates at the 

camp of Enyimba 

International after the 

Match Day 9 1-1 draw with 

Kano Pillars. 

“We are saddened by the 

news of Chinedu Udoji’s 

death, he was such a 

based Temitope Lanre 

Ogunsanya (male) and 

home-based Faith 

Bazuaye (female). 

Ogunsanya said in 

Lagos on Tuesday that he 

would be delighted to 

represent his country in 

the games. Ogunsanya 

promised to win a medal 

at the competition. 

The consistent and 

skillful player, who plies 

his trade with Xerxes 

Rotterdam Club, said that 

he had garnered 

adequate experience to 

perform well. 

“I see my participation 

as an opportunity to fly 

the nation’s flag as a 

good ambassador in 

Australia." 

might be on a revenge 

mission. 

“Football is not 

sometimes a predictable 

game, you cannot say 

that you have a goal 

advantage going away, 

then you are confident of 

winning your next game 

at home. 

“The AS Bamako team 

is also a strong side and 

we have to respect them. 

The only thing is that we 

are going to adopt new 

tactics different from 

what we used in Mali. 

“It won’t be the same 

type of approach; we will 

not sit back and defend. 

We need to attack them 

because they can have a 

goal too and that will be 

bad for the team,” he 

said. 

Ilechukwu urged the 

club’s fans to cheer the 

team because they were 

their backbone. 

•Late Udoji 

dedicated player and an 

asset to the Nigeria 

Professional Football 

League (NPFL)”, said 

Shehu Dikko in a 

statement.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

same number). 

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

top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) 

contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can 

appear twice in any block, column or row. 

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or 

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

ACROSS 

1 Cuts the grass (4) 

3 Italian bread (8) 

9 Toy bears (7) 

10 Automaton (5) 

11 US cattle farm (5) 

12 Educational establishment 

(6) 

14 Reddish-brown hair 

colour (6) 

16 Homicide (6) 

19 Citrus (anag.) (6) 

21 Conked out (5) 

24 Reversal of direction (1-4) 

25 Utter fluently (4,3) 

26 Blood vessels (8) 

27 Perceive by touch (4) 

DOWN 

1 Fabric (8) 

2 Make broader (5) 

4 Be adamant (6) 

5 Accommodation on ship (5) 

6 Popular newspaper size (7) 

7 Busy little insects (4) 

8 Shilly-shally (6) 

13 Veracious (8) 

15 Bunch of flowers (7) 

17 Maintenance (6) 

18 In short supply (6) 

20 Male singing voice (5) 

22 Lying face downwards (5) 

23 Castro’s land (4) 

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

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

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

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