10042018 - Why I'm seeking a 2nd term — BUHARI

Why farmers, 

herdsmen’s 

clashes may 

get worse 

— OGBEH 

8 

Nigeria’s 

external 

reserves’ll soon 

hit $50bn; now 

at $47bn 

— EMEFIELE 

9 

MEET 

THE BOSS 

Conversation 

with 

Madagascar’s 

wealthiest man 

Ylias Akbaraly 

Chairman, Sipromad 36 

Group 

** 

VOL. 26: NO. 63523 TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 

Why I'm seeking a 2nd 

term — BUHARI 

•President urges APC to be united and capture power in 2019 

•Asks party to grant waivers for Oyegun, others to contest at congresses 

•Why I endured media attacks by my opponents — Oyegun 

•Afenifere, Junaid Mohammed, Ikokwu, Okorocha, Adeniran, PDP, others react 

APC NEC MEETS 

By Omeiza Ajayi, 

Dennis Agbo, 

Ugochukwu Alaribe 

& Dirisu Yakubu 

A BUJA—President 

Muhammadu 

Buhari, yesterday, put 

paid to speculations about 

his political future with a 

declaration to the National 

Executive Committee, 

NEC of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, that he would seek 

a second term to enable 

him consolidate on his 

achievements. 

The resolution of the 

President’s aspiration, 

however, came with a 

fresh uncertainty on the 

future of the party, 

Continues on Page 5 

From left: Chairman, All Progressives Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; Senate President, 

Bukola Saraki; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress, APC, National 

Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; National Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Gubi; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu 

Dogara and the Chairman, Nigerian Governors' Forum, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, during the meeting of the APC National 

Executive Committee at the Party's National Headquarters, Wuse 2, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

High fertility 

rate fuelling 

underdevelopment 

—Experts 

46 

Buhari hasn’t 

approved release 

of $1bn for arms 

— Presidency 

COLUMNISTS TENIOLA 18 ODUMAKIN 17 COLE 31 MAILAFIA 31 

8 

Abacha loot: 

Adeosun blocks 

$17m payment 

to Malami’s 

lawyers 

9 

FG confirms 

Anambra's 

status as oil 

producing state 

16 

SEE 

INSIDE 

Naira 

depreciates 

to N360.21/ 

$ in I&E 

window 

49 

Mr & Mrs

2 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018— 3 

C 

M 

Y 

K


Vanguard, TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2018—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

VISIT—From left: Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Founder/Chairman, 

African Initiative for Governance (AIG); Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of the 

Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), and Herbert Wigwe, Group 

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, during a visit 

of the team from AIG and OHCSF to Access Bank Head Office in Lagos, 

yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau. 



Continues from Page 1 

following 

a 

recommendation by a 

committee of the party 

that could open the way 

for the extension of the 

tenure of the Chief John 

Odigie-Oyegun-led 

National Working 

Committee, NWC. 

The committee led by 

Governor Simon Lalong 

of Plateau State had 

been constituted upon 

President Buhari’s 

observations that an 

extension of tenure of 

the party executives was 

illegal. 

In its recommendations 

adopted by NEC, 

yesterday, it was 

recommended that the 

party goes ahead and 

conducts congresses and 

a national convention 

but that where it was 

impossible to do so, that 

the party should fall back 

on the extension of 

tenure for all party 

officers across board as 

originally conceived at 

the NEC meeting in 

February. 


declaration was received 

with rapturous approval 

at the NEC meeting. 

However, outside, critics 

and political rivals 

expressed dismay upon 

claims of a mixed 

performance in his first 

term. Special Adviser to 

the President on Media 

and Publicity, in a 

reaction, charged every 

other contender to run 

away. 

At the crowded, closeddoor 

NEC meeting, the 

President said that 

having made wide 

consultations and 

conscious of the need to 

consolidate on his 

achievements in office, 

he had decided to stand 

for re-election. His 

declaration was greeted 

with a standing ovation. 

The president, who 

came under “Any Other 

Business, AOB,” said he 

had been under 

tremendous pressure to 

make the declaration, 

adding that he felt it was 

courteous to first inform 

the NEC before going to 

town with it. 

Apart from hordes of 

presidential aides, 

others at the meeting 

which was also attended 

by Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo, were the 

caucuses of the National 

Assembly, led by Senate 

President, Bukola 

Saraki; Speaker Yakubu 

Dogara, governors of 

Zamfara, Imo, Oyo, 

Ogun, Benue, Plateau, 

Bauchi, Kebbi and 

Jigawa states. Others 

were those of Kaduna, 

Kogi, Borno, Sokoto, 

Adamawa, Lagos, Ondo, 

Nasarawa, Kano, Osun 

and the deputy 

governors of Katsina, 

Edo, Yobe and Niger 

states as well as other 

NEC members. 

Addressing journalists 

at a post-NEC briefing, 

both the Plateau State 

governor, Simon Bako 

Lalong, and the National 

Publicity Secretary of the 

APC, Mallam Bolaji 

Abdullahi, confirmed the 

president’s declaration. 

Lalong, who also spoke 

on the report of the 

technical committee 

which he headed, said: 

“Everybody’s interest 

was considered in the 

report and it was a 

unanimous vote and 

adoption of the 

recommendations that 

were made. 

“The President felt so 

happy and excited 

because of this unity in 

the party; he will now 

consider and also accept 

the appeal by several 

members of the society, 

party and everybody that 

he will contest the 2019 

election. 

“He has accepted that 

he is going to contest 

again the position of 

President of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria,” the 

governor confirmed. 

Oyegun’s NWC 

might have tenure 

extended if.... 

However, the last may 

not have been heard of the 

issue of tenure elongation 

for party executives as the 

Lalong committee in its 

recommendations sighted 

by Vanguard, stated that 

the party might have to fall 

back on its earlier 

resolution extending the 

tenure of the executives. 

It premised its decision 

on the inability of the 

party to fulfill all legal 

conditions necessary for a 

convention and 

congresses. 

“If for reasons of inability 

to fulfil constitutional and/ 

or legal conditions 

requisite for the conduct 

of a valid elective 

congress or convention, 

then the party may as a 

last resort leverage on the 

NEC resolution of 

February 27, 2018, which 

in our view is lawful in the 

circumstances. Finally, 

the committee 

recommended that a NEC 

meeting be convened to 

consider the report." 

According to the 

committee, “although the 

Continues on Page 49 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun 

Sessou & Frederick Okopie 

On rising food prices in Nigeria (2) 

THE Federal Govern 

ment should begin to look 

into the factors responsible 

for the high cost of 

fertilizer, high cost of 

transportation, excessive 

importation, crop 

diseases, extortion when 

transporting farm 

produce and bad roads. If 

these challenges are 

addressed, I believe the 

prices of food items would 

reduce. 

*Azeez Olateru, worker 

IN Nigeria, traders de 

termine the prices of 

foodstuffs whether they are 

produced locally or not. 

Prices are supposed to be 

determined by the forces of 

demand and supply. The 

reason prices of food items 

are on the increase is 

because the government is 

not interested in our 

markets. When the price of 

any item goes up, it hardly 

drops because of greed. 

The only way government 

can assist is by reducing 

taxes, making the roads 

motorable, and ensuring 

that transportation is 

affordable. 

*Comrade Florence 

Eghagara, Caterer 

THE situation is be 

yond my imagination. I 

never imagined that things 

would be this difficult in 

Nigeria. Whenever I think 

of the rising prices of food 

items, I begin to doubt the 

back to farm noise being 

made. The noise about 

agriculture has not resulted 

in food sufficiency in the 

country. 

*John Idani Upah, 

Analyst 

SINCE the minimum 

wage has not been 

increased, the poor are 

the people feeling the 

impact. Every home is 

experiencing this 

hardship and Nigerian 

government is watching 

without making any 

meaningful intervention. 

I hope this issue would be 

addressed as soon as 

possible because things 

are really tough. 

*Bukola Aderemi 

Ladigbolu, Activist 

THE situation demands 

urgent attention from the 

government because it 

can make a difference. 

Food is supposed to be 

cheap in Nigeria but 

what we have been 

experiencing since 2015, 

is disappointing. The 

government should 

address those things 

responsible for inflation. 

*Philips Adefioye, 

Journalist 

The market prices have 

been fluctuating since this 

government came on 

board. The price of an item 

can change within two 

days. Prices have reduced 

from the rooftop level of last 

year, but traders have 

refused to reduce their 

prices. What goes up in 

Nigeria never comes down. 

That is why we are where 

we are today and that is the 

reason the government 

should intervene. 

*Josephine Bathlomew, 

Interior Decorator

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 

Rape: Dark 

blood was 

coming out of 

victim, doctor 

tells court 

:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867058, 08035483885 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—A prosecution 

witness, Dr. Oyebimpe 

Oyeleke, in the ongoing 

trial of Sulaiman Femi, who 

allegedly raped his 13- 

year-old sister-in-law, told 

a Lagos High Court sitting 

at Igbosere that there was 

dark blood coming out of 

the victim's private part. 

He added that there were 

scars and bruises at the 

inner part of the labia 

minora, noting also that 

there was laceration on the 

hymen when she 

examined the teenage girl. 

Oyeleke, who was 

testifying before Justice 

Sedetan Ogunsanya, told 

the court that they first took 

the girl to a psychologist 

before she was examined. 

The witness, while being 

led in evidence by the 

Lagos State prosecutor, Mr. 

K. A. Bamgbose, informed 

the court that the girl was 

accompanied by an 

Investigative Police Officer, 

IPO, to the Mirabel Centre: 

“The victim said she was 

sent on an errand on 

January 5, 2016, when the 

perpetrator called her and 

forcefully put his penis in 

her vagina. 

“We examined her and 

after examination, part of 

what we do are tests for 

pregnancy, HIV, and 

Hepatitis, because we do 

not know the health status 

of the perpetrator.” 

During crossexamination, 

defence 

counsel, Mr. Olanrewaju 

Ajanaku, asked the witness 

if she discovered pus in the 

teenager’s vagina. 

She said: “I saw vagina 

discharge with black blood 

stains and at the same time 

it had a foul smell, probably 

she had not washed it after 

the incident. The discharge 

wasn’t taken for 

examination.” 

When asked if she can 

confirm if the discharge 

was sperm, she said: “No, 

I wasn’t there at the scene 

of the incident. A lot of 

things can be responsible 

for vaginal discharge, but 

there were dark bloodstains 

sticking out.” 

Ajanaku also asked her if 

there was any cloth, tissue 

wipes or cotton shown to 

her containing the 

defendant’s perm. 

Her words: “Nothing was 

shown to me. Her pant was 

not brought to me, but the 

one she wore the next day 

had blood stains.” 

Justice Ogunsanya 

adjourned till June 11. 

Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba ,Akoko, Ondo State, protesting hike in school fees, yesterday. 

In Anambra, man kills elder 

brother on eve of father's burial 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA—A middle-aged 

man, identified as Ekene 

Oyiogu, has been reportedly 

stabbed to death by his younger 

brother, Ejiofo, a day before 

their father’s burial in 

Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local 

Government Area of Anambra 

State. 

It was not clear at press time 

what informed Ejiofo’s action, 

but he was said to have told 

members of his kindred that 

their elder brother, Ekene, had 

allegedly been lording it over 

By Evelyn Usman 

THE 81 Division of the 

Nigerian Army has 

smashed a syndicate, which 

specialised in printing its 

recruitment forms and selling 

same to unsuspecting members 

of the public. 

Surprisingly, the alleged 

leader of the syndicate, 

Emmanuel Anthony, 28, was 

discovered to be an Army 

deserter. 

Anthony, who was dismissed 

from the Nigerian Army two 

years ago as a Lance Corporal, 

was also discovered to have at 

different times impersonated a 

Lieutenant and a Captain 

before he was arrested. 

I sell recruitment 

forms for N3,000 

During interrogation, the 

suspected leader of the 

syndicate, Anthony, said: “I was 

given two weeks pass, but I 

stayed beyond the stipulated 

date and went AWOL because 

I was afraid of losing my life in 

Maiduguri, where I was 

serving. 

“I bought the officers rank at 

Air Force Base, Ikeja, because 

I didn’t want Military Police to 

stop me anyhow. I used the 

uniform to escort second hand 

his siblings, especially since 

the death of their father last 

year. 

According to one of the 

villagers, the memorial service 

of their father, who was a 

businessman and politician, 

was slated for a day before 

Ekene was killed, weekend. 

Eyewitness 

An eyewitness said Ekene 

was stabbed several times by 

his brother, adding that he was 

confirmed dead before 

villagers got to the scene. He 

was later taken to Ideal 

vehicles, at the end of which I 

got N3,000. The Military 

recruitment form is sold for 

N3,000; but they are fake,” said 

the father of three. 

Also arrested, were 13 

persons that have been impersonating 

Army personnel. 

Among them was Gabriel 

Emeka, the printer alleged to 

Hospital, Ifitedunu, where 

doctors confirmed him 

dead. 

A villager, who spoke on 

condition of anonymity, said: 

“Trouble started brewing in 

the family soon after the 

burial of Pa Oyiogu. Some 

people in the community 

have been mediating in the 

matter, but nobody knew that 

it would lead to a man killing 

his brother. 

“The matter came to a 

head on Saturday, when 

Ekene was said to have 

stabbed his younger brother, 

be printing fake Army 

identity cards for Anthony. 

A breakdown of the 

number of impersonators 

arrested showed that three 

aside Anthony were also 

deserters from the Nigerian 

Army, two of them were 

dismissed from the Nigerian 

Air Force while eight were 

Ejiofo who, in turn grabbed the 

knife and cut Ekene several 

times on the neck, hand, navel 

and head. 

“He died as he was being 

taken to the hospital. Ejiofo fled 

after the incident and has not 

been seen since.” 

Police 

Police Public Relations Officer 

in Anambra State, Mrs Nkiru 

Nwode, who confirmed the 

incident, said the suspect was 

still at large, adding that efforts 

were being made to arrest him 

to face the law. 

Army deserter nabbed with fake recruitment forms 

NAF foils suicide bombing at UNIMAID 

By Joseph Erunke & 

Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI—THE 

Special Forces of the 

Nigerian Air Force, NAF, in 

conjunction with some 

Nigerian Army troops, 

successfully foiled a suicide 

bombing attack by Boko 

Haram terrorists at University 

of Maiduguri, Borno State last 

night 

The Boko Haram suicide 

bombers, according to the Air 

Force, in a statement by its 

spokesman, Air Vice Marshal 

Olatokunbo Adesanya, tried to 

gain access into the University 

but were quickly detected by 

the NAF Special Forces. 

The vest on one of the suicide 

bombers was said to have been 

detonated before they could 

gain access to the hostel, 

leading to a commotion. 

“However, there was no 

reported fatality except for 

the suicide bomber, whose 

counterparts immediately 

fled, when the NAF Special 

Forces and the NA troops 

opened fire on them, “the 

NAF Agusta Light Utility 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

JOS—SEVEN 

people 

reportedly killed by 

herdsmen, Sunday evening, 

at a relaxation spot in Nding 

Loh community, Fan District 

of Barkin Ladi Local 

Government Area of Plateau 

State, have been given mass 

burial. 

civilians. 

The suspects, according to the 

General Officer Commanding 

81 Division, Major General 

Enobong Okon, were arrested 

in full Military regalia within 

the division’s area of 

responsibility in Lagos and 

Ogun states, between March 31 

and April 4. 

Helicopter then went in pursuit 

of the fleeing Boko Haram 

terrorists , following which an 

additional suicide bomber was 

identified and neutralized. 

The NAF Agusta LUH was still 

searching for the other fleeing 

Boko Haram at press time. 

7 killed in Plateau burukutu join 

Those given mass burials 

include Gavou Pulle, 55; Samuel 

Choji, 45; James Choji, 47; 

Stephen Chung, 43; Ezekiel Pam 

Vou, 48; Pam Dung, 46, and Peter 

Davou, 41. 

A resident, who does not want 

to be named, said the attackers 

were passing by when, without 

provocation, they opened fire on 

the victims at the relaxation spot. 

The resident said by Sunday,

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018—7 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE— ONDO State 

capital, Akure, was 

grounded for several hours 

yesterday, as students of the 

Adekunle Ajasin University, 

Akungba, Akoko, marched on 

the streets protesting the over 

500 percent hike in their tuition 

fee. 

This is coming as the state 

House of Assembly dissociated 

itself from the increment of the 

tuition fee paid by the students. 

Leaders of student unions in 

tertiary institutions across the 

state, namely National 

Association of Nigerian Students 

NAN, and National Association 

of Ondo State Students, NAOS, 

led hundreds of the students to 

the streets in the metropolis. 

Thick smoke from bonfires 

billowed into the sky as the 

students barricaded Oyemekun 

Road, the only major road in the 

state capital. 

Business and commercial 

activities remained paralysed for 

over six hours that the protest 

lasted. The student were later 

dispersed by the rains. 

The students marched from 

Oba Adesida to Alagbaka 

causing gridlock. 

Shops and departmental 

stores along the Oba-Adesida, 

Oyemekun, First Bank and 

Alagbaka were hurriedly shut to 

avoid looting by miscreants. 

Some market women, who 

:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews 

Ondo varsity students ground 

Akure over 500% hike in fees 

joined the protest, lashed out at 

the institution's Governing 

Council for the development and 

called for a reversal forthwith. 

Security operatives led by the 

state Police commissioner, 

Olugbenga Adeyanju, and his 

deputy had hectic time 

controlling the hundreds of 

students, who displayed various 

placards condemning the 

increment and calling on the 

government to reverse it for peace 

to return to the state. 

Commissioner frees arrested 

students; lawmakers fault govt 

Some policemen were injured 

as stones were hurled at them by 

the students after cannisters of 

teargas were shot to disperse 

them. 

Vanguard gathered that some 

of the students, who were 

arrested, were later released on 

the order of the state's 

Commissioner of Police. 

Unperturbed, the students, 

who came prepared with their 

handkerchief soaked in 

kerosene, continued their 

protest singing antigovernment 

songs. 

The tuition fee was N25,000 

before it was increased to 

N200,000 last weekend by the 

institution governing council. 

This development had 

attracted condemnation across 

the state from the students, their 

parents and other stakeholders 

across the state. 

Meanwhile, the Speaker of 

the state House of Assembly, 

Bamidele Oloyelogun, and 

Chairman House Committee 

on lnformation, Fatai Olotu, 

directed the institutions 

governing council to revert 

to the former fee. 

They said that the 

governing council breached 

the agreement reached with 

the House of Assembly that 

before any increment will be 

announced they would be 

carried along. 

They appealed to the 

people of the state and 

especially the parents and 

students of the institution to 

be calm as the crisis over the 

fee would be addressed. 

The fees 

However, the institution 

Head, Information, Protocol 

and Public Relations, Sola 

Imoru, in a statement 

highlighted the new fees as 

follows: 

“Faculties of Arts and 

Education: fresh students, 

N150,000, returning 

students, N120,000; 

Faculties of Science, Agric, 

Social and Management 

Sciences: fresh students, 


students, N150,000. 

“Others include Faculty of 

Law: fresh students, 


students, N150,000.” 

Tonto's popular iPhone 

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and she won’t tell you to follow anything/anyone. 

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collect. Sis, biko don’t do us longer throat o. 

Double wahala in Congo 

Two GPMG, 114 AK-27 rifles, eight SMG rifles and 301 other assorted guns, prohibited 

firearms, illegal weapons and locally-fabricated lethal devices recovered in the ongoing mopup 

by the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement Team, paraded at Police Headquarters, 

Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan. 

t get mass burial 

five people were reported dead, 

while two of the three others, who 

sustained injuries, died yesterday 

morning in the hospital. 

The state command's Police 

Public Relations Officer, Mathias 

Tyopev, who confirmed the 

incident said, “On Sunday, at 

about 9p.m., one Pam Jack, the 

youth leader of Nding-Loh, called 

the Police Divisional Office in 

Barkin Ladi Local Government, 

saying on the same date at about 

7.30p.m., five unknown gunmen, 

suspected to be herdsmen, 

attacked a burukutu drinking joint 

at Nding village and shot eight 

persons. 

“On receipt of the report, a team 

of detectives led by the DPO 

rushed to the scene. On arrival, 

five persons were found dead, 

while three people, who were 

injured were rushed to Barkin Ladi 

General Hospital for medical 

attention. 

“Two out of the three people that 

were injured during the attack 

and were rushed to the hospital 

later died. They were given 

mass burial alongside the 

other five that died earlier on. 

“Peter Davou, who was 

injured on his leg, was treated 

and discharged. 

“An investigation is on to 

ascertain the remote and 

immediate causes of the 

attack. Two expended shell of 

7.62mm ammunition were 

recovered at the scene of the 

crime.” 

How the dead are moved in 

Congo. Okadamen, over.

8—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 


CLOSING CEREMONY: From left, Adebiyi Olukoya, Senior Analyst Agusto & Co; Yinka 

Adelekan, Executive Director, Agusto & Co; Mr. Tunji Kazeem, Chief Risk Officer, Nigerian 

Stock Exchange, NSE, representing Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, NSE; 

Mrs. Vivien Shobo, Managing Director, Agusto & Co; Mr. Isaac Babatunde, Executive 

Director, Agusto & Co; Mrs. Rita Emoefe, Associate Director, Agusto & Co, and Mr.Oritsejimi 

Ogbobine, Manager, Agusto & Co, at NSE closing ceremony by Agusto & Co team. 

Buhari hasn’t approved release of $1bn 

for military equipment —Presidency 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA— 

THE 

Presidency, yesterday, 

said President Muhammadu 

Buhari has not approved the 

release of $1 billion from 

Excess Crude Account, ECA, 

for the procurement of 

equipment to fight Boko 

Haram as was widely 

reported. 

Senior Special Assistant to 

the President on National 

Assembly Matters, (Senate), 

Senator Ita Enang, who 

briefed State House 

correspondents at the State 

House, Abuja, said the 

approval given to the Federal 

Government by National 

Economic Council, NEC, to 

spend $1 billion from ECA was 

undergoing the normal 

legislative processes before the 

National Assembly. 

He said release of such 

money could not have been 

approved by President Buhari 

as being reported, stressing 

that the President follows due 

process in the running of the 

affairs of the country. 

Senator Enang in a 

statement, entitled, “Security 

fund not spent without 

appropriation” said before any 

sum was released from the 

Consolidated Revenue Fund, 

there must be Appropriation 

Act, Vote of Charge and 

Warrant legally predicated on 

appropriation authorisation 

sub-head under the Act, 

adding that the executive was 

conscious of the provisions of 

Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 

1999 Constitution. 

He said: “In response to 

several issues raised about 

Security Fund sourced for at 

source from excess crude 

account to combat security 

challenges in the country and 

the several misreadings 

attending same, may I state 

as follows: That the said sum 

has not and cannot be 

approved for spending by Mr. 

President. 

“That in accordance with 

best practices, Mr. President, 

having received approval of 

sum from National Economic 

Council made up of all the 

governors, now had a meeting 

with the Minister of Defence, 

Service Chiefs and the 

Inspector-General of Police, 

among others to collate the 

need of each of the services 

and the money available for 

appropriation 

“That Mr. President and the 

meeting having collated the 

need of each service and the 

amount involved may now 

present same to the Federal 

Executive Council for detailed 

consideration, or in exercise of 

presidential powers may 

Oil prices re-bound with Brent 

crude at $67 

By Ediri Ejoh, 

with agency report 

OIL markets stabilised, 

yesterday, after 

slumping around two 

percent last Friday on the 

back of concerns of an 

intensifying trade dispute 

between the United States 

and China, as well as 

increased U.S. drilling 

activity. 

U.S. West Texas 

Intermediate, WTI, crude 

futures were at $62.17 a 

barrel up 11 cents, or 0.2 

percent, from their previous 

settlement, while Brent 

crude futures were at $67.23 

per barrel, up 12 cents, or 

0.2 percent. 

Oil prices fell about two 

percent on Friday after U.S. 

President Donald Trump 

threatened new tariffs on 

China, reigniting fears of a 

trade war between the 

world’s two largest 

economies that could hurt 

global growth. 

“While it’s possible an 

escalating trade war could 

dent global growth 

sentiment, the real fear is 

that China, if pushed hard 

enough, could slap a tax on 

U.S. oil imported into 

China,” said Stephen 

Innes, head of trading for 

communicate same to the 

National Assembly for 

appropriation. 

“That this may be done as 

usual upon Mr. President 

consulting prior with the 

leadership of the National 

Assembly through the whole 

body of principal officers or the 

presiding officers of each 

chambers only, before 

originating the 

communication to the 

National Assembly 

“That as at now, the process 

of approving the money for 

use is inchoate and still 

undergoing executive 

Asia/Pacific at futures 

brokerage OANDA in 

Singapore. 

In physical oil markets, 

Organisation of Petroleum 

Exporting Countries, 

OPEC’s number two 

producer, Iraq, said, 

yesterday, that it is keeping 

prices for its crude supplies 

in May steady. 

In the United States, 

drillers added 11 rigs 

looking for new production 

in the week to April 6, 

bringing the total count to 

808, the highest level since 

March 2015, General 

Electric’s Baker Hughes 

energy services firm said 

on Friday. 

Shell paid N1.5trn to FG 

in 2017 

ROYAL Dutch Shell 

paid a total of 

$4,322,742,582 (about 

N1.5 trillion) to the Federal 

Government in 2017, 

according to its annual 

payments report. 

The amount is broken 

down as $3,197,530,557 

for production entitlement, 

$765,526,389 in taxes, 

$245,769,306 in royalties 

and $113,916,331 in fees. 

By comparison, Nigeria 

earned a total revenue of 

N10.6 trillion in 2017 from 

both oil and non-oil 

sources, according to CBN 

Economic Report, meaning 

Shell alone contributed 

about 15 per cent to the 

country’s income. 

The total paid to Nigeria 

by Shell is the highest to 

any country where the 

international oil company 

operates. 

The closest country to 

Nigeria is Malaysia, 

Why farmers/herdsmen clashes may 

get worse —Ogbeh 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—MINISTER 

of Agriculture, Chief 

Audu Ogbeh, has warned 

that clashes between 

farmers and herdsmen 

might get worse in 2019, if 

nothing was done to 

intensify efforts to create 

cattle ranches or provide 

better security against 

rustling. 

Chief Ogbeh raised the 

alarm while briefing State 

House correspondents 

after the National Food 

Security Council meeting at 

the State House, Abuja. 

Members of the 

committee also urged 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari to quickly approve 

standard operating procedure 

before laying same before the 

National Assembly for 

appropriation. 

“That the processes now 

being worked on is to fast-track 

this procedures so that it may 

be forwarded to the National 

Assembly while it is still 

considering the 2018 

Appropriation Bill (Budget) for 

incorporation as Mr. 

President’s supplementary 

request under the 2018 

Budget, or if completed, after 

the 2018 Budget, it may be 

forwarded as supplementary 

Appropriation Bil." 

the establishment and 

training of Agro-rangers as 

special unit to assist 

security agencies check the 

clashes between herdsmen 

and farmers, which have 

cost hundreds of lives. 

The council, which is 

chaired by President 

Buhari, was presided over 

by Governor Atiku Bagudu 

of Kebbi State, in the 

absence of Buhari, who 

travelled to the United 

Kingdom immediately after 

the National Executive 

Council, NEC, meeting of 

the ruling All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

Ogbeh at the briefing said: 

“We have to move the cattle 

to the good old grazing 

reserves and we just have 

to create environment for 

them; clusters of ranches 

where they have water, 

grass and security against 

rustlers. 

“For nearly 40 years, we 

didn’t do much about 

cattle, we also forgot that 

cattle contribute six per 

cent to GDP. The cheapest 

way of rearing cattle is by 

roaming around with them 

as you see now. If you go 

into a ranch it is not cheap 

and government cannot 

subsidise cattle rearing like 

they do in Europe, where 

they subsidise every cow. 

We cannot afford that. 

“So, the thing is to create 

those ranches and the 

herdsmen are prepared to 

pay tax to support the 

programme. If we don’t do 

it, next year will be worse 

than this year, I assure 

you.” 

He further said, “Today, 

which received 

$4,153,062,216, followed by 

Norway 

with 

$3,425,577,190; Iraq, 

$$3,390,644,228; and 

Brazil, $1,569,519,784. 

A further breakdown 

showed that Shell paid 

$3,197,530,557 to the 

Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC; $79,675,241 to 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC; 

$280,010,396 to 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources, DPR; and 

$765,526,389 to Federal 

Inland Revenue Service, 

FIRS. 

The publication, tagged 

“Report on Payments to 

Governments for The Year 

2017,” provides a 

consolidated overview of 

the payments to 

governments made by 

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and 

its subsidiary undertakings 

as required under the UK 

laws. 

FG promises adequate 

security for students in 

unity schools 

ABUJA—MINISTER of 

Education, Malam 

Adamu Adamu, has 

promised adequate support 

for the security of lives and 

property of students of 

Federal Unity Colleges and 

other schools in the country. 

Adamu gave the promise 

in Abuja, yesterday, at the 

inauguration of the Central 

Planning Committee on 

Security Education and 

Awareness Campaign for 

Principals and Teachers of 

Federal Government 

Colleges. 

Adamu said that over the 

past decade, Nigeria had 

grown more insecure, 

largely due to ethnoreligious 

crisis and Boko 

Haram insurgency in the 

north, cultism and ritual 

killings in the south. 

He said it was worrisome 

as the educational 

institutions had become 

targets of insurgents. 

He said: “School security 

is vital to effective teaching 

and learning. Presently, the 

safety of the school child is 

of primary concern to 

stakeholders in the 

education sector. 

“In different parts of the 

country, communal and 

ethnic crisis erupted and 

hindered the smooth 

functioning of schools.” 

The minister added that 

insecurity in schools was not 

a problem unique to Nigeria 

alone, adding that the 

difference was on how to 

effectively manage the 

threats. 

He, however, called for 

partnership from 

stakeholders to curb the 

rising security challenges in 

schools. 

Mr Mike Okiro, former 

Inspector-General of Police 

and chairman of the 

committee, said teenagers 

had been the most affected 

in the recurring violence and 

crisis in the country. 

He said proper security 

awareness by principals and 

teachers would help to 

combat most of the problems 

in the schools. 

He said: “Like every wellmeaning 

Nigerian, our 

foundation feels greatly 

concerned about this 

untoward situation. Our 

focus on this project shall be 

on children, to whom we 

remain committed."

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018—9 


Nigeria’s external reserves'll soon 

hit $50bn — Emefiele 

•Puts current reserves at $47.4bn 

•Warns against complacency after recession 

By Emma Ujah & 

Babajide 

Komolafe 

UYO—THE Governor 

of Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin 

Emefiele, yesterday, 

predicted that the nation’s 

foreign reserves would soon 

hit $50 billion mark. 

He made the prediction 

while speaking at the 25th 

CBN seminar for Finance 

Correspondents and 

Business Editors in Uyo, 

Akwa Ibom State, yesterday. 

According to him, the 

reserves have currently risen 

to $47.4 billion as at April 5. 

Represented by Deputy 

Governor, Corporate 

Services, Mr. Edward 

Adamu, Emefiele said 

policies of the CBN in recent 

times helped the country to 

navigate its way out of 

economic recession, warning 

that the nation must remain 

vigilant and build on the 

post-recession gains in order 

not to relapse into another 

cycle of recession. 

He said: “Foreign 

exchange supply has 

improved since the 

establishment of the 

Investors and Exporters, 

I&E, window, with 

autonomous inflows of over 

$20 billion through this 

window alone from April 

2017 to date. 

“Foreign exchange 

reserves have recovered 

significantly from a low of just 

over $23 billion in October 

2016 to about $47.37 billion 

as at April 5, 2018. Foreign 

exchange reserves will 

continue to grow. Following 

recent accretion, FX reserves 

may be about $50 billion 

sometime later this year.” 

Emefiele noted that in spite 

of the reduction in import 

bills, a lot remained to be 

done in the agriculture and 

manufacturing sectors. 

He said: “For one, our 

import bill may have fallen 

but our manufacturing and 

agriculture sectors still have 

a long way to go, if we must 

attain self-sufficiency in those 

sectors. 

“We must not be quick to 

discard the restrictive 

measures, which aided our 

recovery simply because the 

metrics have improved.” 

He assured that the CBN 

would continue to fine-tune 

its policies and strategies 

based on our understanding 

of evolving developments 

and supported by in-house 

technical analysis and 

simulations. 

Emefiele said: “We will 

remain proactive in ensuring 

that the welfare of Nigerians 

is optimised at any point in 

time. 

“In Monetary and 

Exchange Rate Policy, we 

have signalled from the last 

Monetary Policy Committee, 

MPC, that we will sustain 

the tight policies that have 

helped rein-in inflationary 

pressures. That is the reason 

we kept the Monetary Policy 

Rate, MPR, at 14 per cent. 

“We will also continue the 

transparency and evenhandedness 

that have 

attracted inflows of FX into 

the country while keeping 

FX supply to the market 

adequate. 

“As we entrench and 

sustain the transparency in 

the FX market, as FX 

reserves accretion continues, 

and market confidence and 

improved sentiments 

remain, we expect that the 

exchange rate will not only 

be stable but would begin to 

appreciate against major 

currencies. 

“The adverse 

competitiveness outcome, 

which such appreciation may 

entail, would be adequately 

mitigated by proactive 

policies to ensure that our 

balance of payments position 

is not undermined.” 

The CBN boss called for a 

re-doubling of strong policy 

coordination, collaboration 

and cooperation which 

flourished during the very 

difficult times. 

DINNER: From left, Emmanuel Eze, Executive Director, 

SystemSpecs Ltd., owners of Remita; Liyel Imoke, former Governor 

of Cross River State; Mr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communication, 

and Mr. Olorogun James Emadoye, National President, Institute of 

Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, at the 2018 ISPON 

president's dinner, in Lagos. 

Abacha loot: Adeosun blocks $16.9m 

payment to Malami’s lawyers 

MINISTER 

of 

Finance, Mrs Kemi 

Adeosun, has refused to 

approve the payment of 

$16.9 million fees to two 

lawyers for the recovery of 

Abacha loot worth $321 

million. 

Adeosun also wrote a 

strongly-worded letter to 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, raising objections to 

the payment. 

Meanwhile, the 

recovered sum, according to 

online platform, TheCable, 

has been repatriated to 

Nigeria by the Swiss 

government, following the 

execution of the 

memorandum of 

understanding, MoU, 

between the two countries 

for the judicious use of the 

recovery. 

“It is true that a request 

was made to the Minister 

of Finance for the payment 

to the Nigerian lawyers, but 

approval is another thing 

altogether,” a senior 

government official 

said,weekend, adding that 

the request had been sent 

back to the Ministry of 

Justice. 

TheCable had reported 

that Enrico Monfrini, a 

Swiss lawyer hired by the 

Federal Government since 

1999 to work on recovering 

Abacha loot, had finished 

the Luxembourg leg of the 

job since 2014 when 

Mohammed Bello Adoke 

was Attorney-General of the 

Federation. 

Monfrini had also been 

paid his fees by the Federal 

Government. 

The recovered money 

was then domiciled with the 

attorney-general of 

Switzerland, pending the 

signing of an MoU with 

Nigeria to avoid the issues 

of accountability around 

previous recoveries. 

All that was left after the 

signing of the MoU was a 

government-tog 

o v e r n m e n t 

communication for the 

money to be repatriated to 

Nigeria. 

However, Abubakar 

Malami, Minister of 

Justice and Attorney- 

General of the Federation, 

had engaged the services 

of another set of lawyers in 

2016 for a fee of about N6 

billion. 

The Cable Newspaper 

Journalism Foundation, 

CNJF, a partner 

organisation to TheCable, 

then sent a Freedom of 

Information, FOI, request to 

Malami for a copy of the 

agreements reached with 

Monfrini for the recovery. 

TheCable understands 

that the terms in the 

agreement were clearly 

spelt out, such that no other 

lawyer would be needed for 

the return of the money to 

Nigeria. 

Malami refused to accede 

to the FOI request, but the 

Cable Foundation is 

currently in court to seek an 

order of mandamus to 

compel the attorney-general 

to make the documents 

public. 

In an email to TheCable, 

however, Monfrini 

explained that there was no 

truth in the allegation. 

He said: “I never had the 

audacity to ask for additional 

fees. This figure of 20 per 

cent is simply invented. I 

didn’t reject any proposal 

made by Mr. Malami since 

my fees were already paid 

a long time before Mr. 

Malami’s appointment as 

attorney general. Any 

allegations against that 

would just be a lie." 

TY DANJUMA: Army probes 

alleged involvement of 

personnel in farmers/ 

herders' clashes 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi & 

Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—THE Nigerian 

Army, yesterday, set up 

a panel of inquiry to probe 

allegations by some 

Nigerians that its personnel 

were colluding with 

herdsmen in the killing of 

natives in Taraba and 

Benue states. 

Chief of Army Staff, 

Lt.General Tukur Buratai, 

who inaugurated the 

committee at the Army 

Headquarters, Abuja, said 

the army under him was 

visibly disturbed at the 

allegations, especially 

coming from respected 

senior citizens of the 

country. 

Buratai charged the 

committee, headed by 

Major-General Joseph 

Nimmyel (retd) to go all out 

to unravel all circumstances 

leading to the allegations, 

vowing that personnel of the 

service found to have 

compromised in their 

services to the country would 

not be spared. 

The inauguration of the 

panel came barely three 

weeks after Danjuma, a 

former Chief of Army Staff, 

raised the alarm that an 

ethnic cleansing was being 

executed in the country, 

especially Benue and Taraba 

states, by militias in 

connivance with men of the 

Nigerian Armed Forces, 

asking the people to rise and 

defend themselves. 

Buratai explained: “The 

Nigerian Army has over the 

years conducted operations 

in line with its constitutional 

responsibility of defending 

the territorial integrity of 

Nigeria and providing aid to 

civil authority whenever it is 

called upon for such a task. 

“However, the actions of 

the Nigerian Army in recent 

military operations, 

particularly in Taraba State, 

have been criticized by 

individuals and interest 

groups from different sectors 

of the society. 

“Some of these concerns 

have come from the state 

government, Non- 

Governmental 

Organisations and very 

senior citizens from the state. 

Speaking on behalf of the 

committee members, 

chairman of the committee, 

Major General Joseph 

Nimmyel (retd), assured 

the COAS of the readiness 

of the committee to deliver 

on their mandate and terms 

of reference. 

The committee was given 

up to April 19 to submit its 

report. 

FG to introduce new 

anti-terrorism law, tackle 

financiers — AGF 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Attorney- 

General of the 

Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Mr. Abubakar 

Malami, SAN, said, 

yesterday, that the Federal 

Government was set to 

introduce a new legislation 

that would create tougher 

sanctions for terrorists and 

their financiers. 

Malami, who made the 

disclosure at the opening of 

a regional workshop on 

prison intelligence in a 

counter-terrorism context, 

organised by International 

Institute for Justice and Rule 

of Law, said the new law 

would also expand the 

definition of terrorism. 

According to him, the new 

Terrorism Prohibition and 

Prevention Bill will replace 

the current Terrorism 

Prevention Act 2011 (as 

amended in 2013). 

The AGF was represented 

at the event that had 

participants from other 

African countries, by Director 

of Public Prosecution at the 

Federal Ministry of Justice, 

Mr. Umar Mohammed. 

He maintained that 

provisions of the new law 

was made to conform with 

international standards, 

decrying that the scale of 

terrorist incursions has 

continued to metamorphose 

at an alarming and 

despicable rate." 

CJN tasks Sharia, 

customary courts 

Meanwhile, Chief Justice 

of Nigeria, Justice Walter 

Onnoghen, has urged Sharia 

and Customary Courts in the 

country to embrace case 

management systems that 

would ensure quicker 

dispensation of justice at the 

grassroots. 

The CJN, who made the 

call at the opening of the 2018 

national workshop for Area/ 

Sharia/Customary Courts 

Judges, Directors and 

Inspectors of the various 

courts, organised by National 

Judicial Institute in Abuja, 

implored judges of various 

courts to continuously seek 

knowledge, be hard-working 

and eschew corruption in all 

its ramifications. 

“It is imperative for the 

various heads of courts to 

develop standard uniform 

procedures for basic 

functioning of your courts,” 

the CJN added.

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 


N330BN FINE: MTN has paid 

165bn — NCC 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

A BUJA—THE 

N i g e r i a n 

Communications 

Commission (NCC), 

yesterday said MTN 

Nigeria had paid N165 

billion out of total of N330 

billion fine slammed on it 

in 2015 for SIM registration 

breaches. 

Executive Vice Chairman 

of the Commission, 

Professor Umar Garba 

Danbatta, made this know 

when a delegation of MTN 

Group led by its 

Nigerian Chairman, Dr. 

Pascal Dozie paid a 

courtesy visit to the 

commission headquarters 

in Abuja. 

Danbatta said MTN had 

paid more than 50 per cent 

of the whole fine with the 

latest payment of N55 

billion in March and noted 

that the payment made in 

installments was in line 

with the terms of agreement 

reached between MTN 

and the regulatory body. 

“So far MTN has paid 

more than 50% of the fine 

and that will translate to 

N165 billion. Yes it’s a 

whopping sum of money 

and they have not defaulted 

yet, and this payment they 

are making follows the 

terms of agreement we 

reached with them,” he 

said. 

Replying, Chairman of 

MTN Nigeria, Dr. Pascal 

Dozie urged the NCC to 

auction more spectrums to 

further open up the ICT 

space and improve the 

country’s economy. 

BOKO HARAM: ‘Wounded 

soldiers not abandoned at 

Army referral hospitals' 

By Evelyn Usman 

LChief AGOS—ACTING 

Medical Director 

of the 68 Nigerian Army 

Reference Hospital, Yaba 

Lagos, Brig- Gen Adekola 

Dada, yesterday dismissed 

as untrue allegation by a 

man who claimed to be an 

Army Captain that soldiers 

wounded while fighting 

insurgents in the North East 

part of the country, were 

abandoned at the Army 

referral hospitals. 


hospital only had one 

injured soldier who had a 

fracture in his right tibir, at 

the Male Orthopedic ward, 

in Yaba area of the state. 

Brig. General Dada, who 

informed that the soldier, 

Sergeant Ahmed Abdulai, of 

the 19 battalion, Maiduguri, 

sustained the fracture while 

training, wondered why 

anyone could fabricate such 

falsehood at a time when all 

Chiefs of the Armed Forces 

were putting more effort to 

boost the welfare and fitness 

of personnel. 

Speaking during a tour 

with journalists round the 68 

reference hospital, he said: 

“The process for referral is 

very fast. If a soldier is 

wounded, he is evacuated 

to the base hospital 

depending on the nature of 

the injury. Some can even 

be managed locally at the 7 

Division Medical Services 

and hospital at Maiduguri, 

which immediately takes 

care of wounded personnel. 

SECURITY SUMMIT: Border bilateral agreements 

btw Nigeria, Benin Republic never executed 

— ENVOY 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni & Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

L N AGOS—THE 

i g e r i a n 

Ambassador to Benin- 

Republic, Mr Kayode 

Oguntuase, yesterday said 

the border bilateral 

agreements between both 

countries (Nigeria and 

Benin Republic) only 

existed on papers, 

saying: “They were never 

executed.” 

This came as Lagos State 

Commissioner of Police, Mr 

Imohimi Edgal said 

between 2014 and today, a 

total of 1315 armed robbery 

attacks, 359 cult-related 

cases and 392 kidnapping 

cases were recorded, with 

several arrests and 

prosecutions ongoing. 

Edgal also informed that 

the activities of the dreaded 

Badoo cult group, hitherto 

prevalent in Ikorodu axis of 

the state, as well as 

militancy, especially along 

the riverine communities 

had been degraded in the 

state 

The Ambassador and 

Imohimi, spoke at the oneday 

Lagos State security 

summit, in Lagos, with the 

theme: “Securing Lagos 

State: Towards a 

Sustainable Framework for 

Modern Mega City.” 

The ambassador, who 

spoke with newsmen on the 

sideline, lamented that the 

nonimplementation of the 

agreements was affecting 

proper protection within 

the seven borders that 

existed between both 

countries. 

“There is need for both 

countries to obey the 

protocols signed earlier. We 

have the Badagry protocol, 

ECOWAS free trade 

protocol. We discovered 

that some of these protocols 

only exist on papers. We 

must show more 

commitment to it. Most of 

the goods in Benin- 

Republic weren’t made 

within the country, they 

were brought there. These 

goods, especially the bad, 

which are on transit found 

their way into Nigeria. The 

Federal Government talk 

more of rice and vehicles 

but there are other more 

serious goods that found 

their way into Nigeria; 

some of them are fake 

drugs.” 

Earlier, Edgal said: “In 

comparison, when I 

became Commissioner of 

Police, Lagos State in 

September last year, I 

introduced my own 

policing plan powered by 

the strategy and 

philosophy of community 

policing and community 

safety partnership. Policing 

like we all know is more 

about strategy and 

technology but there are 

other factors that come to 

play such as logistics and 

•1,315 armed robbery attacks, 392 kidnapping, 359 cultrelated 

cases recorded since 2014 — POLICE CHIEF 

all that but when there is a 

clear-cut strategy backed 

with the right technology, 

then the war against crime 

would be won.” 

He called for increased 

manpower and a system to 

stop the practice whereby 

people spread fear through 

social media, as well as 

legislation to compel all 

businesses to install CCTV 

cameras within their 

premises. 

On his part, Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State, there was 

need to examine the 

concept of collective 

vigilance in a Mega-City 

security system with 

stakeholders having 

defined roles and 

relationships from the 

primary levels of 

community security 

initiatives to tertiary levels 

in the state. 

“This has become 

necessary because of the 

continuous influx of 

foreigners and people from 

other parts of the country, 

in their thousands, into 

Lagos State on daily basis. 

This has increased our 

vulnerabilities to threats of 

terrorism, transnational 

organized crimes, cyber 

and violent crimes of wider 

security dimensions,” 

Governor said. 

SECURITY SUMMIT: From left: Mr. Oye Hassan-Odukale, Chairman, Lagos State 

Security Trust Fund, LSSTF; Prof. Ademola Abass, Special Adviser to Governor on 

Overseas Affairs and Investments; Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun, Executive Secretary/ 

CEO, LSSTF and Mr. Tunji Bello, Secretary to State Government, during the Lagos 

State Security Summit 2018, tagged: "Securing Lagos State: Towards a Sustainable 

Framework for a Modern Mega City'' at Eko Hotel, Lagos. Photo by Bunmi Azeez. 

28 suspects arraigned for gruesome 

murder of 10 herdsmen in Benue 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—THE 

Police in Benue 

State yesterday arraigned 28 

suspects at a Makurdi 

Magistrate court for their 

alleged involvement in last 

Saturday’s gruesome 

murder of 10 herders at 

Yelwata, a border town 

between Benue and 

Nasarawa states on the 

Makurdi- Lafia road. 

The victims were said to 

be traveling from Awe in 

Nasarawa State for a 

wedding but unfortunately 

had a break-down in the 

town when the hoodlums 

pounced on them and killed 

them in cold blood. 

State chairman of Miyetti 

Allah Cattle Breeders 

Association, Mohammed 

Husseini, said the victims 

left Awe in the early hours 

of Saturday in a chartered 

bus and on getting to Yelwata 

town, they had a flat tyre and 

stopped to fix it, but 

suspected Tiv militia 

surrounded them and 

slaughtered them one after 

another. 

He gave their names as 

Gambo Modoka, Lauru 

Hodi, Bogel Mainasara, 

Zakari Modoka, Hassan 

Mainasara, Gambo 

Mainasara, Ya’u Ori, 

Feuri Adamu, Khadija 

Rilwanu, as well as two 

kids whose names could 

not be ascertained. 

Counsel to the 

complainants, Mr. 

Tijuana Ahmed appealed 

to Benue State Police 

command to urgently 

conclude investigations 

into the matter to allow 

timely determination of 

the matter which was 

adjourned to April 24 for 

THE Akwa Ibom State 

Government has said 

that the pastor whose church 

building collapsed and killed 

27 persons in the state in 

2016 is not culpable of any 

crime. 

The tragic incident 

occurred during the 

consecration ceremony of 

the founder and pastor of 

Reigners Bible Church, Uyo, 

Akan Weeks, as a bishop. 

The church building was 

still under construction when 

it caved in. 

Also, 37 persons were 

injured, while additional 

number of people died later 

from injuries. The state 

governor, Mr Udom 

Emmanuel, who was one of 

the guests at the church 

ceremony, narrowly escaped 

unhurt. 

The state government, in 

a white paper released 

yesterday, rejected the 

commencement of definite 

hearing. 

Reacting, Benue State 

Police Commissioner, Fatai 

Owoseni confirmed the 

arraignment, stressing that 

it would serve as deterrent 

to anyone or group of 

persons who would 

contemplate taking the 

laws into their hands. 

AKWA IBOM CHURCH BUILDING 

COLLAPSE: Govt absolves pastor 

pastor’s indictment by the 

commission of inquiry it set 

up to probe the incident. 

The commission, headed 

by a retired judge, 

Umoekoyo Essang, said in 

its report that the pastor’s 

“undue interference” in the 

construction work led to the 

collapse of the church 

building. 

''His (Mr Week's) adamant 

posture of unbridled 

impunity as the General 

Overseer of Reigners Bible 

Church led to the 

unfortunate incident of 10 

December, 2016,” the 

commission's report said. 

The commission said the 

church didn’t get 

government permit for the 

building construction and 

that construction work 

was rushed with impunity 

to have the event take 

place in an uncompleted 

building site.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 — 11 


GOVERNORSHIP: We won’t allow cash 

for votes in Ekiti election — INEC 

•4 policemen for each polling unit, says Police chief 

•Monarchs warn Commission against rigging 

By Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

AIndependent 

DO-EKITI—THE 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

yesterday, assured the 

electorate in Ekiti State that 

it would work with the 

security agencies to 

prevent monetisation of 

the July 14 governorship 

election in the state. 

The electoral body said it 

was aware of how people 

were being offered N5,000 

each to cast their votes in 

Anambra, Ondo, and Edo 

states, saying such won’t 

reoccur in Ekiti through 

strong synergy with the 

security agencies. 

This was as the Ekiti State 

Council of Obas warned 

INEC against 

manipulation of the 

governorship election, 

urging it “not to outsmart 

the smart card readers so 

that the state can have a 

credible election that will 

be acceptable to all.” 

Also, 

the 

Commissioner of Police, 

Mr. Abdullahi Chafe, 

said the police has 

mapped out strategies to 

stop electoral malfeasance 

by ensuring that four 

policemen man a polling 

unit to ward off thuggery 

and manipulation. 

The INEC Chairman, Prof 

Mahmood Yakubu, gave 

the assurance in Ado Ekiti 

during a stakeholders’ 

meeting on the Continuous 

Registration Exercise. 

The meeting was 

attended by the Deputy 

Governor, Prof Kolapo 

Olusola, who is also an 

aspirant in the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP; 

leaders of political parties, 

security agencies, market 

women, civil society 

organizations, labour 

leaders, among others. 

Yakubu, who was 

represented by INEC 

National Commissioner in 

charge of Oyo, Ekiti, Osun 

and Ondo States, Mr. 

Solomon Soyebi, said: “The 

elections in Edo, Ondo 

and Anambra States were 

largely monetized. We are 

aware of this. It was, see 

and buy, but it won’t 

happen in Ekiti.” 

He said INEC has 

conducted a total of 286 

polls since 2015 and that 

only 28 were nullified due 

to parties’ poor internal 

democracy. 

He said: “It was N5,000 

per vote in Ondo and 

Anambra states. We are 

working with security 

agencies not to allow it to 

happen again. We even 

seized some cash in 

Anambra state. 

“In the Ekiti election, we 

won’t allow any vehicle to 

come near the polling units, 

because the politicians 

SECURITY SUMMIT: From left; Dr. Ona Ekhomu, Chairman, Trans-World 

Security; Mr Imohimi Edgal, Lagos State Police Commissioner and Mr. Olayinka 

Odutola, Director General, Association of Enterprise Risk Management 

Professionals (AERMP) at the 2018 Lagos State Security Summit in Lagos. 

used to keep the money in 

the booth. With this, it will 

reduce because politicians 

can’t carry large amount in 

their pockets.” 

He assured that INEC 

will be neutral in Ekiti 

election, urging the 

stakeholders to work hard 

to mobilize the people for 

the continuous registration 

exercise and also claim over 

200,000 Permanent Voters 

Cards that are still with the 

commission. 

Ekiti monarchs urge 

INEC’s transparency 

In their remarks, the 

Alare of Are Ekiti, Oba 

Boluwade Adebiyi, the 

Attah of Ayede, Oba 

Mumini Orisagbemi and 

the Alara of Aramoko, Oba 

Olu Adeyemi, urged INEC 

to be transparent. 

Appealing to politicians 

to do things with 

decorum, they warned 

that the people of the state 

are ready to reject any 

election that doesn’t 

represent the true 

reflection of their 

preference among the 

governorship candidates. 

Oba Adebiyi said: “We 

are aware of the Smart 

Card Reader that will be 

used for this election. 

Our appeal is that do not 

outsmart the smart card 

reader so that we can 

have a peaceful poll.” 

We want INEC’s 

neutrality — Deputy Gov 

Also, the Deputy 

Governor said Ekiti people 

are peace-loving people, 

urging that: “all we want 

from INEC is neutrality so 

that Ekiti can be at peace 

before, during and after this 

election,” he stated. 

218,000 PVCs unclaimed 

— REC 

The Resident Electoral 

Commissioner in Ekiti 

State, Prof Abdulganiy Raji, 

said over 218,000 PVCs 

were yet to be claimed, 

urging the stakeholders to 

sensitize their people to be 

aware of their obligations 

during elections. 

Your position on indebtedness deceptive, 

Osun PDP tells Dep gov 

By Gbenga 

Olarinoye 

O Peoples SOGBO—THE 

Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Osun State 

has described as deceptive 

the recent claim by the 

Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi 

Laoye-Tomori that the 

state’s indebtedness is 

being exaggerated by the 

opposition. 

In a statement, yesterday, 

by its state chairman, Mr. 

Soji Adagunodo, the party 

accused the Deputy 

Governor of playing the 

ostrich by pretending not 

to know that the 

“humongous debt 

incurred by the Rauf 

A r e g b e s o l a 

administration in the last 

7 years is not only 

unsustainable but was 

spent mainly on phantom 

projects which served as 

conduit pipe for the looting 

of the state treasury. 

“What happened to the 

monies borrowed for the 

Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila Odo 

road; the Gbongan to 

Akoda road; the Airport in 

Iddo Osun; the Water 

projects in Ede and Ilesa 

as well as many other 

projects?” 

While making reference 

to a recent report by a 

budget transparency and 

accountability 

organization, BUDGIT, 

the PDP said: “Osun State’s 

economy can hardly 

Adebanjo one of Nigeria’s most 

consistent, tested icons 

— AFENIFERE 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—THE pan- 

Yoruba socio-political 

organisation, Afenifere, 

yesterday, described one of 

its leaders, Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo, who turns 90 

today, as one of Nigeria’s 

most consistent, forthright, 

dedicated, trusted and 

tested icons. 

Afenifere described 

Adebanjo as a priceless gift 

to Yoruba race and Nigeria 

and a faithful disciple of 

Chief Obafemi Awolowo 

who has remained one of 

the most strident voices in 

the calls for a restructuring 

of the country like the sage 

himself who had stridently 

advocated a federal Nigeria 

since 1947. 

In a statement by its 

National Publicity Secretary, 

Mr. Yinka Odumakin, 

Afenifere said: “The entire 

Afenifere family rises like 

one man to salute and 

celebrate one of its most 

consistent, forthright, 

dedicated, trusted and 

tested icons, Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo as he clocks 90 

on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. 

“The story of Chief 

Thugs invade Atiku’s 

campaign office in Katsina, 

destroy vehicles 

OPU formed to project Nigeria’s image abroad 

— GANI ADAMS 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—THE Aare 

Ona Kakanfo of 

Yorubaland, Aare Gani 

Adams, has said that the 

Oodua Progressive Union, 

OPU, was formed to project 

the positive image of 

Nigeria and Yoruba race to 

the world. 

Speaking to newsmen 

shortly after his arrival from 

the United Kingdom, on a 

12 day-visit, he said OPU 

sustain the almost N400 

billion debt which the 

Aregbesola administration 

has thrown it into through 

its recklessness, 

cluelessness and utter 

disregard for due process. 

“For the avoidance of 

doubt, this is what 

BUDGIT said about this 

same matter in its October 

2017 report which declared 

Osun as being insolvent.'' 

was inaugurated six years 

ago to unite Yoruba sons and 

daughters in the Diaspora, 

for socio-economic 

integration, growth, and 

networking of Nigerians 

abroad. 

Adams said: “Our aims 

and objectives are clear; we 

are poised to promote our 

cultural identity, including 

our language and socioeconomic 

values. We are 

also determined to protect 

the interest of the race 

through global integration.” 

Giving reasons for the visit 

K SUSPECTED 

ATSINA— 

thugs broke into the Atiku 

Abubakar’s Presidential 

Campaign office, along 

Dandagoro road, 

Batagarawa local 

government area of Katsina 

State, during the weekend, 

destroying vehicles parked 

inside the premises. 

The suspects reportedly 

attacked supporters of the 

former vice-president 

whom they met in the office. 

Jacob Dickson, 

spokesman of Atiku’s 

campaign in the north-west 

geopolitical zone, said 

items worth hundreds of 

millions of naira were 

destroyed during the 

attack. 

Aliyu Abbas, chairman of 

the Atiku Care Foundation, 

to Europe, Adams said he 

was in Europe to attend the 

receptions organized by the 

Europe chapter of the OPU. 

He said: “Since my 

installation as the Aare 

Onakakanfo of 

Yorubaland, in January, 

prominent people and 

groups have been holding 

a number of receptions for 

me in Nigeria, that is 

why OPU members in 

Italy, France, Sweden, 

and United Kingdom 

decided to honour me 

and my family.” 

Adebanjo is partly that of 

Afenifere as there is 

u n b r o k e n 

interconnectedness in a 

man who has consistently 

stayed on a political front 

for almost seven decades. 

You can therefore not write 

the history of Afenifere 

without Adebanjo featuring 

or that of Adebanjo without 

mentioning Afenifere. 

“In fact, if you take 

Afenifere out of Chief 

Adebanjo’s life, all that may 

be left in his childhood and 

adolescence. 

“This explains our joy as 

this great spirit celebrates 

90 and shatters the whole 

idea generated by the fear 

that you have to stay out of 

trouble with authorities to 

preserve your life. He has 

confronted evil in the land 

for over 60 years, 

“He remains one of the 

most strident voices in the 

calls for a restructuring of 

Nigeria into a proper 

federation for the country to 

fulfill its manifest destiny. 

He is an eloquent and 

consistent advocate of 

restructuring as a faithful 

disciple of Chief Obafemi 

Awolowo who has 

stridently advocated a 

federal Nigeria since 1947.'' 

said it was “barbaric for the 

thugs to have attacked the 

office and innocent 

supporters who were 

celebrating there.” 

A witness was quoted as 

saying the thugs came in 

three tricycles, spy on the 

Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) members before 

launching the attack. 

“We (supporters of Atiku) 

went to the PDP northwest 

zonal rally that took place at 

the party’s secretariat in 

Katsina and returned to 

celebrate the colourful 

outing in our befitting 

campaign office refurbished 

in support of Atiku’s 

candidature ahead of the 

forthcoming general 

elections in 2019 when the 

armed thugs stormed and 

attacked us. 

“Initially, they came in to 

spy on us before going back 

to pick up their arms to 

launch the attack. They 

smashed windscreens, 

mirrors and bodies of 

vehicles parked within the 

premises of the campaign 

office with cutlasses, sticks 

and others they were 

carrying on their hands. 

“They damage our fence, 

brought down our party 

flags erected round the fence 

and went away with some 

of the party flags. 

“We have reported the 

case at the Divisional Police 

Office in Batagarawa and 

the DPO with his men have 

swung into action 

immediately,” he said.



Pastor's kidnapping: Obaseki 

tasks Police on culprits’ arrest 

EDO State governor, 

Mr. Godwin 

Obaseki, has charged the 

Police in the state to bring 

the kidnappers of the late 

Pastor Pius Eromosele to 

justice. 

The governor, in a 

statement, commiserated 

with the Eromosele family 

over the death of their 

father, assuring that the 

state will ensure that 

justice is served and the 

culprits brought to book. 

He said, “It is with 

heavy heart that we 

received news of the 

incident, which led to the 

death of Pastor Eromosele. 

The state government will 

ensure that relevant 

security agencies get to 

the bottom of this incident 

and arrest the culprits.” 

On his part, Edo State 


Mr. Johnson Kokumo, 

said the incident that led 

to Mr. Eromosele’s death, 

was a clear case of 

kidnapping. 

Kokumo who disclosed 

this in a chat with 

journalists, said that the 

state government was 

working on the directives 

of Governor Obaseki to 

track and arrest the 

suspects. 

Edo water, sanitation project 

on course —EU 

By Simon 

Ebegbulem 

B ENIN—THE 

European Union, 

EU, yesterday, said that the 

various water and 

sanitation projects in Edo 

State on which it is 

collaborating with the state 

government are on course, 

contrary to an allegation by 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP. 

The EU-Niger Delta 

Support Programme 

Consultant, Engr. Soji 

Adeyemi, who disclosed 

this in Benin City yesterday, 

explained that the Edo 

State Government had an 

“Extensive water sector 

policy developed by the 

Godwin Obaseki-led 

administration while a 

water sector master plan is 

being developed by the 

government in partnership 

with the EU. 

“Two agencies of the state 

government will eventually 

take over the management 

of water supply across the 

state: Small Town, Rural 

Water Supply and 

Sanitation Agency, that will 

provide water on a 

sustainable basis to all 

small towns and rural 

communities; Edo Urban 

Water Corporation, which 

will deal with the supply of 

water to urban areas and 

the management of all 

dams in the state.” 

Delta South leaders laud lawmaker 

over empowerment programmes 

W 

A 

By Tare 

Youdeowei 

R R I — 

ITSEKIRI, Ijaw 

and Isoko Leaders’ Forum 

of Delta South senatorial 

district has lauded the 

various empowerment 

programmes of Mr 

Michael Diden, saying 

that he has been a key 

factor in facilitating their 

meetings with the state 

governor, Dr. Ifeanyi 

Okowa, at critical times 

in the administration of the 

affairs of the state. 

The forum, otherwise 

known as the 3ices and led 

by Mr Edward Ekpoko, 

commended Diden in 

Warri when he paid a consultative 

visit to present 

himself and also inform the 

leaders of his intention to 

vie for the Delta South 

senatorial seat on the 

platform of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in 

2019. 

Speaking on behalf of the 

leadership of the Forum, 

Chief Gabriel Etaluku said: 

“We will do everything to 

assist you and the others 

who would come to us for 

our blessings because all 

the aspirants are our 

children. We know you, 

you do not talk much but 

do much. You have served 

us well at some critical 

point in Asaba." 

Frozen IRDC funds: I've uncovered plans 

to attack me, cries Lori-Ogbebor 

By Charles Kumolu 

& Kelechukwu 

Iruoma 

RIGHTS 

activist, 

Chief Rita Lori- 

Ogbebor, has raised the 

alarm that some peersons 

have concluded plans to 

attack her over the freezing 

of Itsekiri Regional 

Development Council, 

IRDC, accounts, saying 

should anything happen to 

her, those who want the 

accounts unfrozen should 

be held responsible. 

She also called on Delta 

State governor, Sen Ifeanyi 

Okowa and the Inspector 

General of Police, IGP, 

Ibrahim Idris, to take note 

of the development, 

adding that she was being 

targeted as a result of her 

crusade for accountability 

in the management of 

community development 

funds. 

Briefing 

newsmen 

yesterday in Lagos, she 

said: “There is a plan to 

attack me because of my 

stand on IRDC funds. 

Those who have joined in 

the fight against the 

mismanagement of Itsekiri 

funds are also being 

targeted. I got privileged 

information that people are 

being mobilised for the 

mission. I want the world 

to know about this sinister 

plan. I have been serving 

Itsekiri for 30 years and I 

have given all I have to the 

Itsekiri nation. I have never 

asked for anything from 

Itsekiri people. I just want 

the best for my people. 

“Those embezzling our 

funds want to carry on with 

their terrible activities. I 

have served my people 

well. It is sad to see the 

wealth of my people being 

plundered by a few 

individuals. It is sad that 

the place I grew up is now 

a forest because funds 

meant for development are 

being embezzled. 

“I learned that a few 

people have mobilised 

youths to attack me because 

of the court order on the 

accounts being used to 

siphon our money. There 

are people, who believe that 

Itsekiri development funds 

belong to them and think 

they can do anything to 

ensure that they continue 

to get free money. 

“I want to use this 

medium to inform the 

governor of Delta State, Sen 

Okowa that I have been 

targeted for attack. I will 

also write a petition to the 

Inspector General of Police 

to inform him about the plot 

against me. Should 

anything happen to me or 

anyone associated with this 

fight for accountability, 

those people who want the 

accounts unfrozen should 

be held responsible. 

“I am very passionate 

about my Itsekiri nation and 

can’t support anything that 

will bring misery to our 

people. My people are 

treated as slaves and 

refugees. Seeing people 

suffer is something that 

breaks my heart. ‘’ 

Lori-Ogbebor had 

instituted a suit before a 

Delta State High Court, 

Warri, against some Itsekiri 

leaders and Chevron over 

alleged diversion of funds 

donated by Chevron and 

other donors for the 

development of Itsekiri 

communities. 

Also, an Abuja High 

Court directed the Nigeria 

Police Force to freeze seven 

accounts operated by IRDC 

which contained N2.1 

billion. 

The accounts were frozen 

after which a Delta State 

High Court sitting in Warri 

granted a similar order. 

INVESTITURE: Obong Nsima Ekere, Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, 

NDDC, (middle), being robed during conferment of a honorary Doctor of Management Technology 

degree on him by the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, Prof. 

Francis Eze. With them is FUTO's Registrar, Mr. John Nwabuihe. 

Bayelsa govt to flush out ghost workers, under-aged staff 

By Ebun Sessou 

BAYELSA 

State 

Government has 

reiterated its 

determination to flush 

out from the state's 

bloated workforce, ghost 

workers as well as 

under-aged workers in 

the state public service. 

Secretary to the State 

Government, Mr. 

Kemela Okara, who 

disclosed this to 

newsmen in Lagos, 

yesterday, reiterated that 

the public service reform 

initiative in the state was 

meant to produce quality 

service delivery and not 

to witch hunt the people 

of the state. 

According to him, since 

the reform started, the 

state government has 

been able to cut down 

the bloated monthly 

wage bill from N6.7 

billion in 2012 to N2.9 

billion, saving N3.6 

billion in 2018. 

According to him, 

“When the governor took 

office in 2012, one of the 

things he promised was 

to give Bayelsans the 

state they deserve as 

there was need to look 

critically at the engine of 

implementation of public 

policy which is the 

public sector, including 

the civil service, 

parastatals, government 

owned enterprises, 

tertiary institutions 

among others. This is 

one policy that the 

governor has 

consistently addressed 

since 2012. 

“Since 2012, we have 

been looking at the 

possibility of making the 

public service more 

efficient, how we can 

better manage the civil 

service as well as deal 

with lots of issues which 

we met, including a 

bloated workforce, ghost 

workers, sustainable 

monthly wage bill and 

ensure that people who 

were employed into 

various places met the 

lay down criteria. 

“After six years of 

Governor Seriake 

Dickson, nobody can 

accuse him of being 

ruthless and careless 

with the needs of the 

people. This 

government has been 

able to address issues 

including road 

infrastructure, quality 

education and good 

health care services 

among other facilities.”



500 youths renounce cultism in Bayelsa 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha & Emem 

Idio 

Y ENAGOA—NO 

fewer than 500 

youths in Yenagoa, Bayelsa 

State, yesterday, 

renounced their 

membership of different 

secret cults in a ceremony 

at the state office of Bayelsa 

Volunteers. 

Speaking at the event, 

state chairman of Bayelsa 

Reps c’ttee orders AuGF to conduct 

environmental audit in Rivers 

A 

B 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

U J A — 

DISTURBED 

by the appearance of 

black soot in major cities 

of Rivers State, the 

House of Representatives 

Committee on Public 

Accounts, PAC, yesterday, 

ordered the Auditor- 


Federation, AuGF, Mr 

Anthony Ayine, to 

conduct 

an 

environmental audit in 

Rivers State with special 

focus on air pollution. 

This came after the 

AuGF made a 

presentation of its report 

on environmental audit of 

the Federal Capital 

Territory, FCT, the first of 

its kind in Nigeria, to the 

committee. 

Members of the 

committee, after listening 

to the details of the report, 

mandated the AuGF to 

conduct a similar audit in 

Rivers State, particularly 

on the appearance of 

black soot in the air in Port 

Harcourt and major cities 

in the state likely caused 

by oil exploration. 

Speaking at the 

interactive session, 

Chairman of the 

Volunteers, Prince Douye 

Koroye, said the youths 

decided to come out to 

renounce their membership 

of cultism following the 

stringent penalty provided 

in the state law which 

stipulates 20 years jail term 

with no option of fine for 

convicted cultists. 

He said: “The only proper 

thing to do is for us to start 

from our household being 

a youth body and today the 

Bayelsa State Volunteer 

committee, Kingsley 

Chinda, PDP, Obio/ Akpor 

federal constituency of 

Rivers State, said: “This is 

a landmark occurence in 

our history as this is the 

first time such an audit on 

our environment will be 

conducted outside the 

normal procedure of 

audits of accounts in our 

clime. 

“There is an urgent 

need to conduct a similar 

audit in Rivers State on air 

pollution because of the 

appearance of soot in the 

air of major cities of Rivers 

2019: Ex-Minister calls for credible 

PDP candidates 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—FORMER 

Minister of Defence 

and former National 

Secretary of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Dr 

Roland Oritsejafor, has 

advocated credible 

candidates for the party 

ahead of the 2019 general 

election. 

Similarly, the pioneer 

Chairman of Delta State Oil 

Producing Areas 

Development Commission, 

DESOPADEC, Chief 

Wellington Okrika, has 

stressed the need for PDP 

Services special squad 

members, local government 

coordinators, and others are 

here to give peace a chance 

and say no more to cultism. 

Let us be rest assured that 

nobody is here to victimize 

anybody but to give 

credibility to what the state 

governor has done. We are 

here to denounce cultism 

and to do the right thing. 

“It is all about credibility. 

You can see that the policy 

the government has put in 

State. This has been 

directed by the Speaker of 

the House via a House 

resolution.” 

The House had on 

March 6, mandated the 

committees on 

Environment and Climate 

Change to check the 

appearance of black soot 

in Port Harcourt based on 

Kingsley Chinda’s 

motion. 

The House had 

mandated both 

committees to meet with 

various agencies to probe 

the remote causes of the 

to settle for the best at all 

times to remain ahead of 

other political parties in the 

country and the state in 

particular. 

Oritsejafor and Okrika 

spoke separately when 

they played host to a Delta 

State House of Assembly 

aspirant in Warri South- 

West constituency, Mr 

Andrew Igban, who was 

at their residences on 

consultative visits on his 

aspiration to represent his 

people at the state 

legislature. 

They described Igban as 

a good product for PDP, 

place must be implemented. 

“We believe that as 

youths, we must be free 

from cultism and crime and 

the only way to be free from 

crime is what we have done 

today and I want to believe 

that Bayelsa youths will 

take advantage of what we 

have done and others that 

we have not reached out to. 

Very soon, we will reach out 

to them also." 

THANK YOU CEREMONY: From left: Richard Nyong, MD/CEO, Lekki Gardens; Adeyeye 

Ogunwusi, Oni of Ife; Olushola Nyong, wife of the MD/CEO, and Tunji Alapini (AIG retired), during 

the Lekki Gardens ‘Thank You' ceremony to friends, family and stakeholders, in Lagos. 

soot which most residents 

complain causes rashes 

and other skin diseases. 

Ayine, earlier in his 

report on the FCT, had 

pointed to poor toilet 

system discharged into 

the river in areas like Jabi, 

Nyanya in the FCT, as a 

major source of concern. 

The report also indicated 

poor institutional efforts 

by those involved in 

waste management as 

one of the factors working 

against good sanitation in 

the territory. 

stressing that having 

worked closely with the 

members of Delta State 

House of Assembly since 

2003, he has the experience 

to represent Warri South 

West constituency in the 

state legislature. 

In his remarks at both 

visits, Mr Andrew Igban 

said his aspiration was an 

answer to a clarion call by 

the people of Warri South 

West constituency whom 

he said, have always 

yearned for quality 

representation in the Delta 

State House of Assembly. 

Oil spills: Environmentalists 

seek establishment of 

laboratories in N-Delta 

E NVIRONMENTAL 

Right Action/ 

Friends of the Earth 

Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, 

yesterday, solicited the 

establishment of 

specialised laboratories 

for oil spill related tests 

to resolve spill related 

conflicts in the Niger 

Delta region. 

ERA/FoEN made the 

appeal in its report on 

the September 2017 spill 

incident at Agip’s 10" 

Tebidaba-Clough-Creek 

pipeline in Southern 

Ijaw Local Government 

Area of Bayelsa State. 

It will be recalled that 

the clean-up of the oil 

leak, which discharged 

about 180 barrels of 

crude into the 

environment, was delayed 

until the Bayelsa State 

Government intervened to 

resolve the disagreement. 

Mr Marco Rodondi, 

District General Manager, 

Nigeria Agip Oil Company, 

said that the conflict 

between the community 

and Agip frustrated the 

clean-up efforts, which had 

currently reached the final 

stage. 

The report urged the 

federal and state 

governments as well as 

interventionist agencies in 

the Niger Delta region to 

set up specialised 

laboratories to facilitate the 

speedy resolution of oil spill 

pollution-related conflicts 

between oil firms and their 

host communities. 

Nurses, midwives resist three 

percent deduction from salaries 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

B 

E N I N — 

NATIONAL 

Association of Nurses and 

Midwives (Federal 

Health Institutions 

Sector), has described as 

illegal, unlawful and 

unconstitutional, the 

deduction of three 

percent from their March, 

2018 Consolidated Basic 

Salaries which they 

claimed was authorised 

by the Accountant 


Federation. 

In an open letter to the 

Accountant General of the 

Federation through their 

counsel, Olayiwola 

Afolabi, a Benin-based 

lawyer, the association 

said that the deduction of 

the said three percent 

from their Consolidated 

Basic Salaries for the month 

of March, 2018, was contrary 

to the provisions of the 

National Association of 

Nurses and Midwives, 

NANNM- Constitution, 

Article V(1)(a). 

Afolabi said that the afore 

mentioned article stated that, 

“Every member of the 

Association shall pay a 

monthly check off due of 

three percent on monthly 

basic salary out of which, one 

percent is professional fees 

and two percentage actual 

check off due. 

“The literal interpretation 

of the above provision is that 

the check off dues shall be 

strictly from the monthly basic 

salary payable to the 

individual members of our 

clients. By necessary 

implications, this will be 

exclusive of other allowances 

and entitlements presently 

built into the Consolidated 

Basic Salary." 

A-Ibom govt tackles flooding 

in Uyo 

By Harris-Okon tagged 

Emmanuel Engagement 

U YO—COM- 

MUTERS and 

residents of Ibrahim 

Babangida Avenue in 

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, 

will soon have cause to 

smile as the state 

government makes good 

its promise to tackle the 

perennial flooding which 

has ravaged the road. 

IBB Avenue, a major 

road to the capital has 

remained a nightmare to 

commuters and 

businesses with 

perennial flooding during 

the rains. 

At a forum in Uyo at 

the Traditional Rulers 

Council Hall on 

Wellington Bassey Way, 

“Community 

and 

Mobilization for 

implementation of IBB 

Avenue Flood Control 

Scheme,” state 

Commissioner for 

Environment and Mineral 

Resources, Dr. Iniobong 

Essien, said although the 

IBB Avenue flooding appears 

to be minimal, it spans a 

stretch of 7.5 kilometers. The 

project is expected to gulp 

about N17 billlion. 

Essien who is also 

Chairman, Nigeria Erosion 

and Watershed Management 

Project, Akwa Ibom State 

NEWMAP Steering 

Committee said, “The project 

will run through three local 

governments of Uyo, Nsit 

Ibom and Ibesikpo Asutan."

14 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 

RETURN OF PROHIBITED ARMS: 

IG extends ultimatum by 21 days 

•As task force recovers 425 lethal weapons 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi 

ABUJA—THE In 

spector General of 

Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, 

yesterday ordered a 

21-day extension of the 

ultimatum given to Nigerians 

across the country 

to return illegal and 

prohibited weapons in 

their possession. 

The new date is now 

now between April 9, 

2018 (yesterday) and 

April 30, 2018. 

The announcement of 

the new date coincided 

with the parade of 425 

prohibited lethal weapons 

seized by the Force 

Headquarters Task 

Force for the seizure of 

such illegal weapons from 

individuals and groups. 

A statement from Force 

Headquarters disclosed 

that the new date was 

granted following requests 

by the general 

public for an extension 

particularly in some 

states of the federation. 

It will be recalled that 

IGP Idris on 21st February, 

2018 directed 

Commissioners of Police 

of all the state commands 

of the federation 

and the Federal Capital 

Territory (FCT), Abuja and 


the Supervising Assistant 

Inspectors General of Police 

of the 12 zonal commands 

in the country to 

immediately commence 

simultaneously, the disarmament 

and recovery of 

prohibited firearms, ammunition 

and weapons in 

the possession of individuals 

and groups across 

the country. 

They include all suspected 

militias, bandits, 

armed herdsmen and 

farmers, vigilante groups, 

neighborhood watch and 

other groups or 

individual(s) or bodies 

bearing prohibited firearms 

and ammunition, illegal 

weapons and lethal 

devices whether locally fabricated, 

modified or otherwise 

fashioned to kill or 

that can cause harm or injury 

to persons or that can 

cause panic, fear, apprehension, 

security 

breach, breach of peace 

or that can cause threat 

to law and order anywhere 

in the country. 

Recoveries of prohibited 

firearms made by the Task 

Force included; 

two GPMG (General Purpose 

Machine Guns), 114 

AK47 Rifles, eight SMG 

Rifles, 301 other assorted 

guns, totalling 425 prohibited 

weapons. 

Nigeria pays $5.08m UN dues 

NEW YORK (USA) 

—NIGERIA has 

paid its regular UN dues 

for 2018, making it the 74th 

out of the 193 member states 

of the global international 

organisation to fulfill its financial 

obligations. 

The Spokesperson for the 

UN Secretary-General 

Stephane Dujarric said in 

New York that Nigeria paid 

its annual dues in full. 

Ms Dujarric said: “Nigeria 

has paid its regular budget 

dues in full, bringing 

the Honour Roll to 74.” 

Investigations revealed 

that Nigeria paid 

FCMB partners Etihad to secure favourable fares 

for customers 

By Peter Egwuatu 

FIRST City Monu 

ment Bank Limited 

(FCMB) Plc and Etihad 

Airways have entered into 

partnership that allows 

customers of the bank who 

plan to travel abroad for 

personal or business purposes 

to get reduced fare 

for their trips. 

The partnership, which 

was launched in Lagos, 

offers discounted, highly 

affordable and convenient 

travel packages, including 

flight tickets, to existing 

and potential customers of 

FCMB who fly on Etihad 

Airline to any part of the 

world. 

To benefit from the 

package, all an existing 

customer of FCMB needs 

do is to visit a dedicated 

website, log in to complete 

a form and submit. 

But for a non-customer, 

all that’s needed to open 

an account is to log in to 

a portal before the booking 

form, using any of the 

devices to complete the 

process. 

In a welcome address 

during the launch of the 

partnership, Managing 

Director, FCMB , Mr. 

Adam Nuru commended 

Etihad Airways for the 

quality of service it offers its 

customers, noting that the 

brand within a few years of 

its establishment, has 

achieved a very robust international 

image with a 

high level of global acceptability 

within the aviation 

circles. 

Nuru said: “I thank the 

representatives of Etihad 

Airways Group. We do not 

take our partnership with 

you for granted. We take it 

seriously knowing that it 

will surely strengthen 

our course and increase 

the range of valuable 

products we can offer our 

loyal customers.” 

APC NEC & NWC MEETINGS IN ABUJA 

$5,080,178 on April 5. 

One hundred and nineteen 

members are yet to 

pay their regular budgets. 

The record also reports 

that Nigeria became the 

10th country in Africa to 

pay its UN regular budgets 

in full. 

In 2016, Nigeria had 

asked the UN to review its 

assessed contributions to 

the organisation in view of 

the economic recession in 

the country at the time. 

The Head of the Civil 

Service of the Federation, 

Winifred Oyo-Ita, made 

the call at the UN Headquarters 

in New York when 

she visited the Chairman of 

the UN Fifth Committee, 

Kingston Rhodes. 

The Fifth Committee is 

the committee of the General 

Assembly with responsibilities 

for administrative 

and budgetary matters. 

Nigeria was expected to 

pay outstanding contributions 

of 10. 2 million dollars 

as at December 2016. 

Ms. Oyo-Ita said: “Due 

to recession, we want 

something done to review 

our dues and we want the 

UN to reconsider our assessment 

due to the realities 

of the time. 

“What Nigeria is being 

asked to pay now is on the 

high side. Nigeria is committed 

to paying its contributions 

but we want some 

considerations. We want 

something to be done to readjust 

our scale.” 

Nigeria’s scale of assessment 

for 2013 to 2015 was 

0.119 before the re-basing 

of the country’s economy 

in 2014. 

However, with the re-basing 

of the Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP) to 500 million 

dollars, the scale of 

assessment of Nigeria increased 

to 0.209 for the period 

2016 to 2018. 

Nigeria has been pursuing 

the re-adjustment of 

the scale due to the economic 

reality of the country 

Ḣowever, Mr. Rhodes 

had told Ms. Oyo-Ita that 

the UN was aware of the 

economic situation in the 

country but that the effort 

was hindered by the General 

Assembly Resolution 

that cancelled annual review 

of scale of assessment. 

He explained that the 

Resolution now established 

three years minimum 

period of scale of assessment. 

According to him, therefore, 

Nigeria’s scale would 

be due for review in 2018, 

being the next scale year. 

From left; Chairman, All Progressives Governors Forum, Chief Rochas Okorocha; Senate 

President, Senator Bukola Saraki; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; 

APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; APC National Secretary, Mallam 

Ibrahim Gubi; Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Chairman, Nigerian 

Governors' Forum, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari during the meeting of the APC National Working 

Committee at the Party's National Headquarters, Wuse 2, Abuja. Photos by Abayomi Adeshida. 

From left: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode; Oyo State 

Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Deputy National Chairman 

(North), All Progressives Congress, Senator Lawal Shuaibu; and 

Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdul'aziz Yari, during the APC 

National Executive Committee meeting, in Abuja. 

(LEFT): From 

left; Secretary to 

the Government 

of Federation, 

SGF, Mr. Boss 

Mustapha; Governor 

Rochas 

Okorocha of 

Imo State; APC 

Chairman, Chief 

John Odigie- 

Oyegun and Vice 

President Yemi 

Osinbajo. 

From right; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and other 

NWC members during the meeting.


C 

M 

Y 

K



By Vincent 

Ujumadu, Anayo 

Okoli, Levinus 

Nwabughiogu & 

Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

E 

N U G U — 

NEWS of 

President Buhari’s decision 

to contest another term in 

office was received 

yesterday, with mixed 

feelings across the country. 

While many people 

interviewed by Vanguard 

said it was the right of the 

president to contest, others 

said his frail health and 

alleged poor performance 

during his current tenure 

were enough to warrant his 

stepping down for another 

candidate in his party. 

Governorship candidate 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in Abia 

State in the 2015 general 

election, Dr. Nyerere 

Anyim, while reacting to 

Buhari's declaration said 

the president deserved a 

second term in office to 

correct what he described 

as "PDP’s 16 year mistake 

in Nigeria." 

Anyim said the president 

has done well if one takes 

into account the poor state 

of affairs when he came into 

power. 

He said: “Anyone 

assessing Buhari’s 

performance should take 

into account the state in 

which PDP landed Nigeria 

in the 16 years it held 

power. Corruption was at 

its height. But now, it is no 

longer business as usual. 

People are now afraid of 

dipping their hands into 

the public treasury. Security 

has improved. The 

dilapidated federal roads 

under PDP are being 

addressed, the issue of 

power is getting attention. 

You now have steady 

power at Ariaria market; 

it’s the achievement of the 

APC government. You also 

know that the PDP in the 

South East has been 

claiming Buhari and APC’s 

projects as their own, but 

we are not worried.” 

He called on the South 

East to support Buahri’s re 

election, describing it as the 

easiest way for a Nigerian 

President of Igbo extraction 

in 2023. 

“Ndigbo should support 

Buhari to win in 2019 and 

hand over to an Igbo son 

in 2023," he added. 

Buhari hasn't 

achieved anything 

—Uwazuruike 

In his reaction, former 

President of Aka Ikenga, 

the punching arm of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief 

Goddy Uwazuruike 

challenged President 

Buhari to tell Nigerians 

what he has achieved to 

merit re-election in 2019. 

The former Ohanaeze 

scribe who is also a legal 

practitioner queried 

Buhari's delivery on his 

campaign promises in 2015 

to seek the renewal of his 

mandate from Nigerians. 

He however 

AWARD: From left—Executive Vice President (South West), Junior 

Chambers International, JCI, Nigeria, Abiola Olorunnisola; 

Chairperson, 2018 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons, TOYP Awards, 

Toyin Atanda; President, JCI Nigeria, Adeniyi Balogun; and member 

of Panel of Judges, JCI TOYP 2018, Prince Lekan Fadina, during the 

unveiling of finalists for the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award 

held in Lagos. 

Mixed reactions trail 

Buhari’s 2nd term declaration 

•Buhari deserves second term—Anyim 

•He should tell us what he has achieved—Uwazuruike 

•It’s his right—Obiogbolu 

acknowledged that it was 

his right under the 

constitution to contest 

election, insisting that the 

president had some 

explanations to make. 

He said: “The constitution 

guarantees the right to 

contest for elections. The 

contestant makes some 

basic promises. But the 

basis for recontesting is to 

continue the good work. In 

other words, President 

Muhammadu Buhari will 

tell us what he has 

achieved! 

“He listed three major 

areas: corruption, security 

and the economy. He 

should tell us where his 

achievements lie in these 

three areas. He can say I 

have fought corruption 

without fear or favour. 

“That the charges of 

nepotism and cover up of 

corruption against his men 

is not true. He should tell 

us that the insecurity we 

felt before has been 

eliminated. 

"He must tell us how 

human rights are 

respected, how court orders 

are obeyed. The president 

has to tell us how investors 

are trooping in and where 

they are now." 

It’s the president’s 

right to seek reelection—Obiogbolu 

A chieftain of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, and 

the party’s governorship 

aspirant in last year’s 

governorship election in 

Anambra State, Dr. Alex 

Obiogbolu said while it is 

the right of the president to 

seek re-election, it is left for 

the Nigerian electorate to 

decide who the country’s 

next president would be. 

He said: “The president 

has the right to contest and 

continue in office but I 

believe Nigerians will 

ultimately decide who will 

be the next president. 

“Nigerians have seen his 

performance and are now 

in a better position to 

compare him with PDP. My 

concern is that my party, 

PDP, should get its acts together 

and present a good 

candidate that can defeat 

APC." 

It’s worst thing to 

happen to Nigerians 

—MASSOB 

But the Movement for the 

Actualisation of Sovereign 

State of Biafra, MASSOB 

wondered how a leader it 

described as the "worst 

President the nation had 

ever had" deemed it 

necessary to declare to 

recontest when his present 

tenure has "choked 

Nigerians to death." 

MASSOB however said 

that the declaration did not 

bother its members as 

Buhari’s declaration was for 

“those who still believe in 

Nigeria. 

“The announcement of 

his ambition may sound so 

much pleasant to APC but 

it is full of hopelessness and 

Fulani interest," MASSOB 

said in a statement signed 

by its leader, Comrade 

Uchenna Madu. 

House committee promises adequate 

funding of on-going TCN projects 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU—HOUSE of 

Representatives 

Committee on Privatization 

has assured that it will make 

adequate budgetary 

provision in 2018 budget to 

complete all on-going 

Transmission Company of 

Nigeria, TCN, power 

projects in the country. 

The chairman of the 

committee, Hon. Ahmed 

Yerima, gave the assurance 

when he led members of 

the committee to an oversight 

function and 

interaction with 

management of Enugu 

Electricity Distribution 

Company, EEDC, 

yesteray in Enugu. 

Yerima noted that ongoing 

TCN power projects 

were critical to the economic 

and social growth of the 

country. 

“We are looking for a way 

to meet all the TCN 

budgetary needs for the 

completion of their 

numerous on-going power 

projects at various degrees 

of completion to ensure 

constant and stable power 

supply in the country. 

“These projects are critical 

to the economic and social 

growth of the country. 

“When completed and 

put to use, it will translate 

to more jobs, employments, 

profits, more money, 

security and general wellbeing 

of our people in the 

country,” he said. 

He also said that it would 

also look at the issue of 

government ministries, 

departments and agencies 

owing private investors 

huge money running into 

billions of naira. 

The chairman also said 

that the committee was 

considering a legislation 

that would be allencompassing 

to 

checkmate energy theft in 

the country. 

FG confirms Anambra’s 

status as oil producing state 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

& Nwabueze 

Okonkwo 

O NITSHA—THE 


has at last recognised 

Anambra as one of the oil 

producing states in the 

federation. 

National chairman of 

Host Communities 

Producing Oil and Gas, 

HOSCON, Prince Mike 

Emuh who disclosed this 

yesterday at Anambra State 

Traditional Rulers’ House, 

Government House, Awka, 

while briefing traditional 

rulers in the state, said the 

Federal Government had 

also approved 10 modular 

refineries in all the 11 oil 


country out of which one of 

the refineries would be cited 

in Anambra. 

Emuh further told the 

traditional rulers that the 

Federal Government also 

approved the employment 

of 10,000 youths from all the 

oil producing states, out of 

which 1,000 youths are to 

be employed in Anambra 

State, adding that he was 

in the state to ask the royal 

fathers to mention a 

particular place where the 

modular refinery would be 

cited in the state and to 

prepare for the selection of 

the youths to be employed. 

Flanked by Chief 

Monday Whisky, 

HOSCON’s National 

Media Director and other 

national officers; Anambra 

HOSCON officers, 

including the state 

chairman, Anthony 

Chiokwe, his deputy, Greg 

Onyilegbe and the state 

organising secretary, 

Ifeanyi Chigbo (a.k.a. 

Target), Emuh who is also 

a member of Federal 

Government’s Governing 

Council on Petroleum, also 

handed over all the 

documents containing the 

approvals from the Federal 

Government and a copy of 

HOSCON’s constitution to 

the royal fathers. 

It’s welcome 

development— 

Anambra Govt 

Anambra State 

government reacted last 

night on the new status of 

the state as officially an oil 

producing state, describing 

it as a welcome 

development. 

Speaking with Vanguard 

on the issue, the state 

Commissioner for 

Information, Mr. C Don 

Adinuba, however 

observed that the quantity 

of oil produced in the state 

was still small, hoping that 

with further exploration, 

more oil would be 

discovered in the state. 

He said: “This is cheering 

news, but we must realize 

that the quantity of oil 

produced in Anambra State 

cannot be compared to what 

is produced in other oil - 


country. 

“The oil in Anambra is 

produced from marginal oil 

fields, which may not 

immediately attract 

international oil companies. 

For now, the oil is produced 

through barges as 

opposed to pipeline 

drilling that carries large 

quantity of crude oil. 

“But we are grateful for 

this recognition, which will 

surely shore up the state’s 

revenue, even if 

marginally.” 

Drainage system threatens 

families in Imo 

O WERRI—FEARS 

have gripped Imo 

residents over the style of 

drainage system being 

constructed by the Imo 

state government. 

Vanguard monitored the 

trend yesterday in Owerri, 

where a family of one Mr. 

Emmanuel Emelogu, 

located at Umuodu 

Amakohia Mbieri road, 

was threatened by the 

ongoing drainage 

construction in front of his 

house. 

This is coming at a time 

hundreds of residents 

living along MCC-Uratta 

road, are currently scared 

over the construction of a 

filling station very close to 

their residences. 

Investigation by 

Vanguard revealed that 

part of the grieviaces was 

that the drainages were 

placed beneath the 

foundation of their houses. 

Currently, Emelogu and 

his entire household were 

finding it difficult to get in 

or out of their residence due 

to what looks like a pit dug 

in front of their house. 

As a result of the bad 

drainage construction, 

parts of the fence of the 

building had already 

collapsed, thereby putting 

members of the family in 

the hands of night preyers. 

In another development, 

the residents of MCC/ 

Uratta road, who spoke 

through their leaders, Mr 

Edward Ugochukwu and 

Mr. Kingsley Onyemaobi, 

have called on Governor 

Rochas Okorocha to stop 

the construction of a filling 

station in their area.

"Don't invite Adebanjo into a fight you might 

call a truce" 

THE irrepressible Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo turns 90 today 

and all roads lead to his Isanya 

Ogbo near Ijebu-Ode for a 

deserved celebration .This superb 

review of his autobiography 

Telling It As it Is by my brother 

and friend, Prof. Wale Adebanwi 

is a very befitting tribute. 

Mr. Chairman, distinguished 

guests: Picture in your mind a 

man you have invited into the 

ring to help you fight a 

formidable adversary, an 

adversary with a fearsome 

supporting cast of heavyweight 

boxers on his side. You grow tired 

of the fight as you seem to have 

no chance of winning, so you 

jump out of the ring. And then 

you return hours later only to find 

that the man you asked to help 

you is still in the ring, fighting 

on, even though more people 

have abandoned you to join the 

other side. He has been bruised, 

yet he is punching backwhile 

raising his voice to announce that 

the battle is not over until his side 

is victorious. Your manager 

throws in the towel, but our man 

picks up the towel and flings it 

out of the ring while announcing 

to the referee that the battle 

continues…. 

Perhaps, this scenario will help 

you in appreciating the life of the 

man whose autobiography is 

being presented today, Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo: lawyer, politician, 

political pugilist, party organiser, 

and a moral beacon. Chief 

Adebanjo’s preternatural 

embrace of political conflict and 

battles and his unflagging 

boldness in the face of tyranny 

have made him one of the most 

formidable and consistent political 

fighters this country has ever 

known. 

A quick anecdote: a colleague 

of mine who visited Chief 

Adebanjo when he and Chief 

Abraham Adesanya were 

detained in 1996 by the General 

Sani Abacha regime at Alagbon 

on the spurious suspicion of 

complicity in the assassination of 

Mrs. Kudirat Abiola returned to 

tell us of how uncomfortable he 

was when he was allowed to see 

Chief Adebanjo in detention. I 

will quote him verbatim in Yoruba 

because his words still ring loud 

in my mind: “Oni wahala ma ni 

Baba Adebanjo o! Se ni baba yen 

maa tu n bu Sani Abacha l’oju 

awon olopa ni Alagbon! [“Chief 

Adebanjo is a rebellious old man! 

He was abusing Sani Abacha in 

the presence of police officers at 

Alagbon!”] Even in the face of the 

repurposed perfidy that has 

become dominant in our political 

culture, as many seek any 

platform to power, the fearless old 

man remains unyielding in his 

commitment to the building of a 

better society. He has successfully 

reworked all the suffering, the 

imprisonment and detentions, the 

disappointments and betrayals, 

into a rugged conviction about the 

justness of his cause. 

Hear him in a recent Punch 

interview: 

“I am 90. What is the big deal 

in a 90-year-old man dying? But 

I’m shouting to the top because I 

want to go on record that you were 

warned and that is the fight that 

Chief Awolowo had been fighting 

before he left. I want to be satisfied 

that when I meet him, I can report 

to him that I didn’t yield an inch. 

That is why I’m talking. Am I 

going to become president? Do I 

want to be governor? Have I 

asked any one of them to give my 

children jobs? Have I asked for 

any subsidy from them?” 

Do not ask Chief Ayo Adebanjo 

His education in 

the first and most 

prestigious 

secondary school of 

the era, C.M.S. 

Grammar School, 

prepared him for a 

life imbued with 

public spirit 

to join a battle for which you 

might call a truce at some point. 

He does not operate on the 

concept of limited struggle. As this 

book shows, Chief Adebanjo 

keeps fighting even when the 

originally injured has given up 

the battle. He refuses to 

surrender. As you will find when 

you read this book, even at 90, 

the author still delivers bruising 

upper cuts to allies and 

adversaries alike. 

Let me quickly say that this is 

not your conventional book 

review. As I warned 

BabaAdebanjo a few weeks ago, 

I am here not only to review the 

book. Telling It as It Is: The 

Autobiography of Ayo Adebanjo, 

which is being presented today 

is only a departure point for me 

to reflect on Baba Ayo Adebanjo’s 

public, political life and what I 

consider to be the coremission of 

his life: the good of the people. 

There are many ways in which 

this book captures this life mission. 

I suggest that the two most 

important vectors of this mission, 

as exemplified in the life of the 

author, are tenacity and party 

spirit. The first has defined the 

organisational basis of his political 

life,while the other is the 

foundation on which his public 

engagement was built and has 

been sustained. Both have 

worked together to define an 

essential political life irrevocably 

committed to what the author’s 

late leader, Obafemi Awolowo, 

described as “the good of the 

people” – the proposed title of 

Book Three of the Adventures in 

Power series, which death denied 

us the benefit of reading. 

Since adolescence, Chief 

Adebanjo’s life, as this book 

shows, has exemplified whatMax 

Weber, in the famous lecture, 

"Politics as a Vocation," describes 

as “the steadfastness of heart 

which can brave even the 

crumbling of all hopes.” 

Telling It as It Is, a compelling 

and frank narrative of life and 

politics spanning nine decades, 

seamlessly combines the personal 

and the political in a very 

readable, thoughtful, provocative 

and yet, witty style. This 

combination is flagged even by 

the dedication to mother, wife and 

political leader. The book is 

divided into 18 chapters, with 

each dedicated to personal or 

political life - or a combination or 

interlacing of both. The Foreword 

is written by one of the author’s 

political associates, Chief 

Cornelius Adebayo, who 

succinctly describes the book as 

“a reminder of where we started 

as Awoists, how we have been 

shaped and a true assessment of 

where we are heading” (p. 12). 

The Foreword was originally the 

task of Chief Adebanjo’s lifelong 

friend, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi. Sir 

Olaniwun’s passage in 2016 

shifted the task to their younger 

fellow-traveller, Chief Adebayo. 

Let me quickly note in 

parenthesis, that what I wrote in 

my tribute to Sir Olaniwun when 

he died was as true of him as it is 

true of his friend, Chief Adebanjo. 

Like his late friend, Chief 

Adebanjo has an “unquenchable 

trust in the possibilities of public 

good, the creation of a good 

society and an evangelical sense 

of rectitude.” These qualities are 

evident in the narratives in this 

book. 

There is a certain joy that politics 

brings to the author which 

triumphs over all the 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 —17 

disappointments and disabilities 

of the political system; there is a 

certain peace that his moral vision 

invests him with that is 

undisturbed by the perennial 

crises and political violence that 

he has lived through and that 

surround him. To be able to 

account for this paradox, we need 

to read the first three chapters of 

this book which locate the 

personal and the political and 

then unite them in a certain 

embrace of the world that 

explains his irrepressible, stern 

but cheerful nature and the vigour 

of his ideological convictions. 

“This narrative,” writes the 

author, “is about growing up in a 

world of struggles, determination, 

perseverance, persistence and 

insistence. It is about a life of 

travails and triumphs; an 

admixture of failures and 

successes – a narrative about life 

told in its raw and undiluted 

form” (p. 14). Indeed, this book 

is “undiluted” and I will add, 

unpretentious. 

Born to parents who didn’t have 

the benefit of western education, 

Joel Adebanjo Adedairo, a 

goldsmith and Christian, and 

Salamatu Odubanke, a trader 

born to a renowned Muslim 

family in Ijebu-Ode, the young 

Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo grew 

up as the only child of his mother 

in a polygamous home. Despite 

their relative poverty and lack of 

education, his parents were 

perceptive enough to realise that 

opportunities for a better life in 

the 1930s were plentiful in Lagos 

and thus they moved there when 

he was six. The cosmopolitan 

environment in which the young 

man grew up in Isale Eko (Lagos 

Island), which was dominated by 

nationalists, freedom-fighters, 

newspapers men, and 

professionals including men like 

Herbert Macaulay, H.O. Davies, 

Eric Moore, Adeyemo Alakija, 

Nnamdi Azikiwe and Mbonu 

Ojike, helped to form a shrewd, 

sociable, modish and ambitious 

young man -nick-named 

“Sportless Banjus.” His education 

in the first and most prestigious 

secondary school of the era, 

C.M.S. Grammar School, 

prepared him for a life imbued 

with public spirit. His principal, 

Canon Kale, described him in his 

testimonial as “a strong 

character” (p. 41) 

....To be concluded . 

Feedback 

Re: Lagos lockdown, Nigeria is dying 

IT is no longer news that there is a lot of anger in Nigeria, 

accompanied by sadness and sorrow. The peoples of this country 

ponder now more than ever before on the essence…the true essence, 

of the unity of this federation. Nigeria is now an imperial contraption, 

like in ancient Rome; where the legislative arm is comatose and the 

emperor contends worship with the ancient gods. In Nigeria, there 

exists a cult of imperial devotees, and their allegiance is to the emperor 

first, before the country. These devotees will defend and lie for the 

emperor, even when the facts are present in black and white. Little 

wonder there is already a campaign for a second tenure, when the 

present is nothing short of nightmarish and stacked with millions of 

demons. 

These devotees do not want their master to understand that he is 

living in a different world, other than the one he is ruling. They fan 

his ego and push his thoughts to longevity and consolidation, 

attributes akin to deities. They are the go-between, and they care for 

nothing but to defend their master and then prove their relevance to 

anyone that cares to know. Lai Mohammed is one of such. Eventhough 

the pronunciation of his name adds a little humour to that fact. He 

had not tasted the power that he has now, when he talked about 

helicopters during the Jonathan administration. I bet he must feel the 

need to recant those words. Nowthat he is the oracle of the gods, the 

chief devotee; he will not want just a helicopter, but a fleet of fighter 

jets announcing his entrance into Lagos state. Hehas carved a niche 

for himself, and he too, like his master, has gone imperial. 

But the truth is that even, he and all the other devotees that 

worshipped their master in Lagos did not notice that the people 

suffered in traffic lockdown. Hitherto, they thought that it was a thing 

peculiar to the PDP/Jonathan administration. They thought that 

Nigeria has become so better under the APC, that perhaps the roads 

have become as wide as the ones in California, that the railroads are 

now underground and the lagoon is dotted with hundreds of ferries. 

They felt that the hundreds of people that enter Lagos everyday come 

in by flights,and that the people will have nothing but joy in their 

hearts as they welcome the god-emperor and his devotees. They 

have stayed so steadily under roofs that experience no power failure 

that they have begun to see hardworking Nigerians as lazy and 

architects of their own misfortune. They live in Nigeria, but they do 

not see what is happening in Nigeria. 

Yet, as much as these politicians strive to deny the truth and deify 

incompetence; the sad outcome is written all over Nigeria. When 

Danjuma released his bomb, the truth was too hard to swallow and 

they all hid their faces. TY Danjuma openly denounced the god worship 

that is going on and urged the peoples of Nigeria to think for 

themselves. It was he, who for once, hit the nail hard on the head, 

sending splinters of it to pierce the eyes of the on-looking devotees of 

a nepotism-infested and ethnic-cleansing regime that heeds no 

warnings. His, was a voice in faraway Taraba, akin to that of John the 

Baptist. A voice that must have resonated in the minds of thousands 

of people who trekked to work the day the president visited Lagos. It 

reminded them that this country is now… to all defend yourself. A 

voice that simply uttered the sad truth that people often took to prayer, 

in mosques and churches. The truth that Nigeria is not just in a 

lockdown, but is also dying. 

C 

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IN what will pass as a befitting 

climax to a trial drama that began five 

years ago, the long arm of justice 

eventually caught up with pension 

thief, John Yusuf, as the Court of 

Appeal, Abuja Division on 

Wednesday March 21, 2018 jailed him 

for six years and also asked him to 

refund N22.9 billion of the N32.8 

billion police pension money he stole. 

Yusuf thought he had escaped justice 

when, in 2013, he was sentenced to 

two years in jail, with the option of 

paying a paltry fine of N750,000 by 

Justice Abubakar Talba of the Federal 

Capital Territory High Court. 

Following Justice Talba’s ruling which 

understandably triggered national 

outrage, the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on 

April 26, 2013 approached the 

appellate court to set aside the 

judgment of the lower court. 

The anti-graft agency had asked the 

appeal court to rule on “whether the 

A comeuppance for the pension thief 

trial judge exercised his discretion 

judicially and judiciously when, 

having convicted the respondent of a 

three count charge of conversion of 

over N3billion contrary to section 309 

of the Penal Code, His Lordship 

imposed two years imprisonment 

with an option of fine of N250, 000 

on each of the three counts”. 

The EFCC questioned the judge’s 

discretion in imposing the sentence 

on the respondent who readily 

pleaded guilty and paid the ridiculous 

fine. 

Ruling on the substantive matter, the 

Justices of the Court of Appeal held 

unanimously that having pleaded 

guilty to the three counts ( 17, 18 and 

19) and converting the N24 billion to 

personal use, the sentence of the trial 

court does not, therefore, serve as 

deterrence to both the convict and 

others. 

The position of the Appeal Court in 

this regard is certainly welcome. The 

John Yusuf corruption trial was a 

highly-celebrated one, but most 

skeptical Nigerians had felt that it 

would be swept under the carpet or 

allowed to fizzle out as usual. We 

commend the EFCC for its tenacity 

in pursuing the course of justice for 

the millions of Nigerian pensioners 

whose life-long savings had suddenly 

become a honeypot for crooked civil 

servants employed to manage it for 

the overall interests of the pensioners 

and the national economy. 

This feat has demonstrated, once 

more, that the arm of the law is long 

and far-reaching, even in Nigeria. 

Nigerians have short memories on 

such big scandals. Many had already 

forgotten all about it, but the memory 

of the law is steadfast. That is because 

the law enforcement mechanism was 

alive to its responsibilities in this case. 

Kudos to the EFCC and also to the 

Court of Appeal. 

We call on the anti-graft agency and 

the courts to leave no stone unturned 

until every recoverable kobo of this 

stolen pension is recovered to give 

the pensioners justice. 

I 

“ N September 1960, an NPC 

delegation from Gboko 

heading for Wukari for a 

provincial party conference was 

ambushed by an angry mob 

mainly from the Mbatie clan, near 

Yandev. The action was partly in 

retaliation for repeated 

government denial for the 

opposition UMBC to hold its own 

meetings. The NPC convoy was 

forced to retreat to Gboko to seek 

police protection. The second 

attempt encountered another 

ambush and the police opened 

fire and Gbantiogh, a man from 

the Mbalagh clan was killed. 

Following this incident, 

widespread violence broke out in 

most parts of the division. 

On September 3rd the Muslim 

village of Gidan Uga was razed, 

ostensibly for its overwhelming 

pro-NPC sympathies. The 

following days witnessed 

indiscriminate burning and 

looting in most parts of Tiv 

division and were particularly 

directed against government 

functionaries and NPC 

supporters. The arsonists 

assumed a special characteristic 

of their own. Although they did 

not wear special uniforms, they 

blackened their faces, festooned 

themselves with palm leaves (the 

party symbol of the UMBC - AG 

alliance) and frequently shouted, 

‘Tarka’, ‘Awo’, as battle cry. They 

assumed the name of Adzov 

(spirits) by which the rioters 

absolved themselves of 

responsibility by invoking the 

spirit of the ancestors. 

It is clear from the foregoing that 

resistance to political oppression 

The unending Tiv/Fulani 

crisis (2) 

stood at the centre of the Tiv 

revolt. Thus, using legal and 

administrative measures without 

redressing the fundamental 

political questions could only 

exacerbate rather than resolve the 

contradictions. It was only in the 

middle of September that some 

efforts were made to address the 

political problem with the 

dissolution of the Native Authority 

(the Council of Ten). Although 

this went a long way in calming 

tension, it could not however, 

immediately resolve the problem 

because inherent sectional 

cleavages and some unresolved 

chieftaincy disputes had crept in 

to compound the prevalent 

schismatic tendencies. In the 

course of the conflict, violence was 

especially directed against 

property. The crisis was so severe 

that according to the Government 

White Paper: “At the beginning 

of the disturbances the 

administration broke down 

completely.” During the crisis 

5,000 people were known to have 

been arrested out of which 3,882 

of them were convicted. 

In all, some 50,000 people were 

estimated to have directly 

participated in the arson. These 

figures are definitely high by any 

imaginable standard of civil 

unrest whether in Nigeria or 

The Tiv NA Council 

was dissolved in 1959 

and from this date 

onward, no local 

election was held to 

elect representatives to 

the central and District 

Councils; this meant 

that UMBC supporters 

who formed the 

majority of Tiv 

population were denied 

their rights to vote 

anywhere else in the world. For 

the next three years, the political 

and legal reforms which 

accompanied the 1960 revolt 

went a long way in calming the 

otherwise restive population. 

However, the outbreak of yet 

another unrest of no less 

disruptive character in 1964 called 

Atemtyo meant that the earlier 

reforms did not permanently 

resolve the issues. Added to this 

is the palpably vindictive 

character of the settlement of 

compensation of the 1960 riot 

victims. The Fletcher Commission 

which assessed the 1960 riot 

damage estimated the cost at over 

half a million pounds. This 

amount, by a directive of the 

Northern Regional Premier, Sir 

Ahmadu Bello, was to be paid up 

by every adult male tax payer in 

the area to the tune of two pounds, 

eleven shillings (£2.11) per head. 

The average Tiv man was 

infuriated by this decision because 

its enforcement clearly exposed 

the intense political bias and 

insensitivity of the Northern 

Regional Government and the 

NPC functionaries against pro- 

UMBC clans in Tiv Division. For 

example, in Abinsi, Gboko and 

Katsina-Ala (UMBC stronghold) 

where no riot took place and, 

therefore, no property was 

destroyed the people were forced 

to pay the special levy, whereas 

Makurdi (a pro-NPC base) was 

exempted although many people 

from the area were convicted of 

participation in the riot. 

Suffice it to say that compared 

with the 1960 riot, the 1964 

incident was very severe in terms 

of the extent of personal violence. 

The reason for the outbreak of 

violence in 1964 was, apart from 

the above factors, largely due to 

the fact that the grievances of the 

UMBC were not addressed by the 

NPC government. At an UMBC 

meeting in March 1960, a 

catalogue of the party’s 

grievances were discussed and 

subsequently embodied in a 

petition to the Premier of the 

North. Among the grievances 

raised were the following: 1) The 

appointment of NPC loyalists to 

the dissolved Tiv NA by the Tor 

Tiv when the members of the NA 

ought to have been popularly 

selected by the kindred and clan 

heads, representing their 

people’s wishes; 2) The 

appointment of NPC members as 

District members as District Heads 

and Court members throughout 

Tivland; 3) Dismissal of UMBC 

supporters and appointment of 

NPC supporters as tax collectors 

in place of those dismissed; 4) 

Refusal of the NA to grant 

contractors and trading licences 

to UMBC supporters;5) 

Discrimination in the allocation in 

the award of scholarship by the 

NA; 6) Discrimination in the 

allocation of jobs to UMBC 

supporters; 7) Indiscriminate 

sacking of clan and kindred 

heads, e.g. Tarka Nachi, clan 

head of Mbakor; and 8) Lack of 

attention to UMBC request and 

complaints by NA councilors. It 

should be noted that the Tiv NA 

Council was dissolved in 1959 

and from this date onward, no local 

election was held to elect 

representatives to the central and 

District Councils. This meant that 

UMBC supporters who formed 

the majority of Tiv population 

were denied their rights to vote.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 — 19 

Crude oil theft rose 50% in 2017 - Shell 

… As firm’s payments to FG rise by 18.7% to $4.32bn 

By Prince Okafor 

IN a report indicating a wors 

ened operational environment 

in Nigeria’s upstream oil 

sector, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, 

the parent company of Shell 

Company in Nigeria, said 

crude oil theft from its pipeline 

networks in Nigeria rose by 50 

percent to 9,000 barrels of oil a 

day (b/d) in 2017, from about 

6,000b/d in 2016. 

But the firm recorded 16.7 

percent increase in payments to 

the Federal Government for production 

entitlement, royalties, 

taxes and others in 2017 to 

$4.32 billion from $3.64 billion 

in 2016. 

These were contained in the 

company’s annual sustainability 

report released, yesterday. 

The report stated: “Crude oil 

theft from Shell Petroleum and 

Development Company, SPD- 

CJV’s pipeline network 

amounted to around 9,000 barrels 

of oil a day (b/d) in 2017, 

an increase from around 6,000 

b/d in the previous year. The 

increase in 2017 can in part be 

explained by the militant-induced 

shutdown of the Forcados 

export terminal in 2016, 

which reduced opportunities for 

third-party interference. 

“This demonstrates that continued 

air and ground surveillance 

as well as the action by 

the government security forces 

remain necessary to prevent 

crude oil theft. Since 2012, 

SPDC has removed more than 

950 illegal theft points.” 

The company further noted 

that the number of its operational 

spills in the country increased 

from eight in 2016 to 

nine in 2017, adding that, “the 

volume of oil spilled in operational 

incidents decreased to 0.1 

thousand tonnes compared to 

0.3 thousand tonnes in 2016. 

“The number of sabotage-related 

spills in 2017 increased to 

62 from 48 in 2016. Theft and 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$118.50 1.05 

$2,502.00 49.00 

$12.35 0.01 

$68.71 1.60 

$63.48 1.42 

304.6 305.1 305.6 

426.836 427.5366 428.2373 

372.6781 373.2899 373.9016 

315.7458 316.2641 316.7824 

2.8372 2.8418 2.8465 

0.5502 0.5602 0.5702 

441.3123 442.0367 442.7611 

48.3031 48.3828 48.4626 

442.0355 442.7611 443.4867 

50.0296 50.1117 50.1938 

25.2205 25.2619 25.3032 

CBN Exchange rate as at 09/04/2018 

sabotage caused close to 90% of 

the number of spills of more than 

100 kilograms from SPDC JV 

pipelines, with the balance being 

operational spills. 

“In 2017, 92 sites were remediated 

and certified (out of 251 

identified for this work), with 32 

in Ogoniland. During 2017, 84 

new sites requiring remediation 

were identified, of which eight 

are in Ogoniland. In total, there 

are 243 oil spill sites that require 

remediation.” 

Chief Executive Officer, Royal 

Dutch Shell Plc, Ben van 

Beurden, said: “We work to do 

the right thing. Firstly, we continue 

our relentless focus on 

working with communities and 

managing our impact on the 

environment. This means in 

Nigeria, for example, addressing 

environmental challenges 

related to oil spills in areas with 

significant oil theft and illegal 

refining.” 

However, according to the report, 

a total of $3.197 billion 

went to Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, 

for production entitlement. 

Production entitlement is the 

host government’s share of production 

in the reporting period 

derived from projects operated 

by Shell. 

Amongst the payments the 

report says that $765 million 

was paid to the Federal Inland 

Revenue Services (FIRS) as tax, 

$280 million was paid to the 

Department of Petroleum Resources, 

DPR, as Royalties. 

From left: Managing Director, SKG Pharma Ltd, Dr. Okey Akpa, Managing Director, New 

Health Pharmacy, Abuja, Pastor Ignatius Onah,Managing Director, Jaymorr Pharmacy, Aba, Mr. 

Onuachu Chijioke,Managing Director, Jonaco Pharmacy, Onitsha, Mr. Chizoba Okeke,and General 

Manager, Marketing and Customer Care, SKG Pharma Ltd, Mrs. Pat Iloba at the SKG 

Annual Trade Partners’ Conference in Lagos 

FSDH projects inflation rate decline to 13.49% in March 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE FSDH Merchant 

Bank has projected that 

March 2018 inflation rate would 

be around 13.49 percent, a 0.84 

percentage point trend down 

from 14.33 percent recorded in 

February. The bank disclosed 

this yesterday during 

a media presentation 

of its monthly research 

report titled: 

“Growth prospects 

improve but uncertainties 

remain” held 

in Lagos. 

The bank’s Head of 

Research and Strategy, 

Mr. Ayodele Akinwunmi, 

said: “Our 

expectation is that it 

will drop further in 

March to 13.49 percent 

mainly on account 

of base effect of 

previous year. We expect 

inflation rate to 

drop to single digit in 

July 2018, provided 

there is no adjustment 

to the price of 

Premium Motor Spirit 

(PMS), electricity 

tariff, and government 

resolve to stop 

the rising crises in 

some parts of the 

country quickly.” 

On the implication, he said 

the declining inflation rate may 

lead to a further drop in the 

yields on fixed income securities, 

particularly at the short-end 

of the yield curve. 

The bank also projected that 

the equity market would appreciate 

in the second quarter 

of 2018 (Q2’18). This, according 

to Akinwunmi, would be 

driven by investors taking positions 

in the market following 

the sell down in March, further 

drop in yields on treasury bills, 

stability in the foreign exchange 

market and the release of corporate 

earnings and actions of 

companies. 

Akinwunmi stated: “We expect 

the equity market to appreciate 

in Q2’18 based on historical 

performance. The following 

factors should drive the performance 

of the equity market: 

investors taking positions in the 

market following the sell down 

in March, further drop in 

yields on Nigerian Treasury 

Bills (NTBs), stability in the foreign 

exchange market and the 

release of corporate earnings 

and actions.” 

On strategies to curb the lingering 

uncertainties experienced 

in the various sectors of 

the economy and to achieve inclusive 

economic growth in the 

country, Akinwunmi stated: “We 

have seen some micro economy 

improvement. We have also 

seen some additional inflow in 

Nigerian economy. 

Access Bank unveils USSD code to obtain loans 

Access Bank Plc has 

launched a special USSD 

code to provide quicker and instant 

access to loans for its customers. 

In a statement made available 

to Vanguard, the bank said the 

USSD code is a strategic tool 

for the recently-launched Pay- 

Day Loan product by the bank. 

Unveiled in partnership with 

Remita, PayDay Loan requires 

no collateral or guarantor, enabling 

customers to obtain loans 

instantly without visiting the 

bank – thereby enabling customers 

to meet their urgent financial 

needs before receiving 

their salaries. 

In a statement released by the 

Bank, Executive Director, Personal 

Banking, Victor Etuokwu 

said, “Acquiring loans in Nigeria 

has always been known to 

Peter Moyanga 

Joins Board of 

Africa Franchise 

Center 

FAST rising Africa Franchise 

Center, AFC, presently has 

in its Advisory Board, the Former 

Chairman of the Franchise Association 

of South Africa, FASA 

and one of Africa’s most notable 

names in the area of franchising 

and small enterprise development, 

Mr. Peter Sipho Moyanga. 

AFC is a private sector-led 

initiative to increase prosperity 

and support the growing businesses 

by promoting franchising 

as a business development 

model. The Africa-wide initiative 

was launched in Lagos in November 

2017 at a ceremony attended 

by franchise business 

leaders and commercial diplomats 

from US Embassy and many 

African countries. 

Reputed to be an expert in the 

field of franchising, property and 

business development, Moyanga 

is known to have done pioneering 

work in the development 

of franchising across Africa , leading 

workshops and training sessions 

in partnership with African 

Development Bank and other development 

agencies. 

Moyanga has been involved 

with McDonalds Corporation in 

South Africa since 1995 having 

been one of their first employees 

when the corporation entered that 

market. 

In 20103 he left corporate life 

to become an owner operator 

(franchisee) and he currently 

own many McDonald’s outlets in 

South Africa, through his company, 

Moyanga Family Foods. 

Mr. Moyanga joins an Advisory 

Board of AFC which 

already has such known names 

as Mr. Brent Omdhal, US 

Commercial Counselor to Nigeria; 

Mr. Anayo Agu, former 

Senior Commercial Specialist at 

the US Commercial Service in 

Nigeria. 

*Moyanga 

be limiting - either due to access, 

collateral issues, including 

the duration of the approval 

process. With our obligations 

to our customers especially 

during difficult economic periods, 

we are emphasizing 

Access Bank’s position in offering 

lifestyle products and services 

that meets their financial 

needs.”



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Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 — 29


Why Ikoyi apartments are empty — Developer 

— Says vacant upper class property in Lekki,VI, Ikoyi risen by 72% 

By Kingsley Adegboye 

IF you think the reason for the 

visible empty residential 

apartments that cut across the 

length and breadth of Ikoyi, a 

highbrow neighbourhood and 

one of the most expensive 

residential abodes in Lagos, is due 

to effect of the current economic 

crunch in the country, it is not. 

Rather, the cause of the emptiness 

is as a result of poor finishing of 

the apartments coupled with the 

use of poor materials during 

construction. 

Making this revelation to 

Vanguard Homes & Property, the 

Managing Director, Sujimoto 

Construction Limited, a Lagosbased 

real estate development 

company reputed for high class 

property development, Mr. 

Sujibomi Ogundele, said: “You 

cannot offer a Toyota for the price 

of a Bentley. One might argue that 

both cars will eventually ply the 

same road. But the efficiency and 

prestige of a Bentley speaks for 

itself. Any sane person knows 

that. While many will consider this 

outrageous, it is indeed a stark 

reminder of the realities 

experienced in Nigeria’s real 

estate industry today. 

“If you are an avid property 

enthusiast, developer or an 

observer, you must have noticed 

the surge in the number of empty 

apartments in Ikoyi over the last 

few years. This disturbing 

phenomenon must have 

prompted the well-informed and 

educative research publication of 

economy watch, Financial 

Derivatives Company Limited, to 

point out that the number of vacant 

property in the upper class real 

estate neighbourhoods of Lekki, 

Victoria Island and Ikoyi has risen 

by 72 per cent over the last 18 

months.” 

•Residential apartments in South Africa 

Ogundele who noted that he 

was at a meeting with the MD/ 

CEO of Financial Derivatives 

Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck 

Rewane, for the first time, said 

their conversation touched on the 

matter of surge in the number of 

empty apartments in Ikoyi, 

pointing out that the padded cost 

of construction is responsible for 

outrageous prices of apartments 

in Ikoyi. 

According to him, to avoid 

drawing hasty conclusions and to 

guide our investment choices, 

investors should only listen to 

industry experts and verifiable 

perspectives as seen in the FDC 

research, and avoid the 

bandwagon of those listening to 

jaundiced opinions. 

Sujimoto Construction boss who 

stated that apartments that should 

not cost more than N100 million, 

are costing investors N400 million 

to construct, arguing that owners 

of such property have no choice 

but to let out an apartment at N40 

million, thereby transferring the 

padded cost of construction to 

tenants. 

“What is the difference between 

•Residential apartments in Lagos 

locally fried plantain chips sold 

in remote areas and its equivalent 

sold in urban areas? Have you 

ever wondered why a good meal 

prepared in Ijebu Ode would cost 

less than one sold in Lagos? 

“An estimated rent for an 

apartment in Ikoyi is about 

$80,000. The same apartment in 

Lekki would cost $30,000. What 

do you think makes the 

difference? It is value arising from 

quality and location put together. 

If location is a fundamental 

principle in real estate, how much 

more luxury real estate? A 

developer who compromises on 

the quality of materials, has no 

right to place an exorbitant price 

on his products (apartments). 

“Thus, the argument for supply 

exceeding demand, as far as 

empty apartments in Ikoyi go, is 

unfounded. Luxury apartments 

are in high demand. Poorly 

finished buildings with exorbitant 

prices constitute the pile of empty 

apartments constantly being 

referred to in Ikoyi. Consider this: 

Are developments such as Tango 

Towers and Ultimate Towers in 

Ikoyi, empty? 

“If such developments are not 

empty, imagine what would 

happen when the Lorenzo by 

Sujimoto with its high-end 

features such as state-of-the-art 

facilities, exceptional returns on 

investment and competitive 

pricing, is completed? 

“During my interview on CNBC 

Africa, I pointed out that luxury 

is not expensive, but it is the 

intention to deliver luxury that is 

expensive. While the cost of a nice 

three-bedroom apartment in 

Johannesburg would go for about 

$350,000, the same apartment in 

Ikoyi would cost one million US 

dollars. If the cost of construction 

materials is the same all over the 

world, the price of marble, granite, 

cement, tiles, kitchen, doors, 

paints etc, why is cost in Nigeria 

about 300 per cent higher? 

“With the plummet of oil price 

and downward trend of major 

economies across the world, 

individuals and organisations no 

longer have loose money to throw 

around. And with the current 

downsizing by companies, 

prospective tenants demand full 

value for their hard-earned 

money. 

“Nigerian developers must 

realise that times have changed. 

The ‘quick fix, quick gain’ 

syndrome has ended. Real estate 

developers who fail to understand 

that the current investors and real 

estate enthusiasts are upbeat 

about quality and finishing after 

having seen same from their 

travels around the world, will soon 

fade away,'' Ogundele said. 

Litigation: Court awards N82.7million against oil company 

By Abdulwahab 

JUSTICE Letam 

Nyordee of High 

Court of Rivers 

State, has awarded the sum 

of N82.7million against 

Total Exploration & 

Production Nig. Limited, 

TEPNL, as compensation 

for a claimant, Mr. Ken 

Ojiri, whose property was 

directly affected by the 

company’s gas pipeline 

and the mandatory 

setback. 

In the suit filed by Ojiri 

against the oil company, he 

claimed that his parcel of 

land measuring 13.642 

plots covered with a 

Certificate of Occupancy 

(C of O) located at 

Rukpokwu in Port 

Harcourt, was unlawfully 

entered into by Total 

Exploration Nig. Ltd, 

without his permission. 

According to him, he 

bought the said parcel of 

land for the purpose of 

establishing an oil service 

station and other businesses 

in January 2011 for 

N106,413,840 million. 

Already, TEPNL, has filed 

an appeal over the judgment 

of the trial court, praying the 

court for a stay of action 

pending the determination 

of the appeal. 

The claimant, however, 

argued that in July 2011, the 

company with its surveyors 

entered, “delineated a right 

of way and mounted survey 

beacons on the land without 

any form of notice,” 

claiming that the land had 

been jointly acquired by the 

Federal Government of 

Nigeria and Government of 

Rivers State for them to 

construct a high pressure 

gas pipeline, the Northern 

Option Pipeline, NOPL. 

Ojiri submitted that there 

was no acquisition as 

neither the state nor the 

federal government revoked 

his right of occupancy over 

the land till date, claiming 

further that a year after the 

acquisition, TEPNL offered 

him the sum of N1.5 million 

as the compensation for 

only 2.9584 plots of land and 

surface rights, even though 

the presence of the gas 

pipeline condemned the 

entire land. 

He said that the 

controversies surrounding 

issue of compensation 

continued while the 

company mobilised Saipem 

Contracting Nigeria 

Limited, its contractor, to 

forcefully enter the land and 

proceed with the 

construction of the high 

pressure gas pipeline with 

the aid of armed security 

men, which made him to file 

a suit No. PHC/1711/2012 

against the company 

praying among other things 

that the court declare that 

the Defendant being a 

private limited liability 

company, “has no right to 

compulsorily acquire, enter 

or embark on any form of 

activity pursuant to the Oil 

Pipeline License No. 1489 

on any part of the claimant’s 

land measuring 13.642 plots 

and situate at Rukpokwu in 

Port Harcourt and covered 

by a Deed of Assignment 

dated 26th January, 2011 

without the payment of sum 

of N140,900,000.00 as 

compensation to the 

claimant for the land as 

assessed and contained in 

the Professional Report 

dated 16th July, 2012 and 

N67,158.00 for surface 

right.” 

Besides, he prayed the 

court to declare that the 

claimant having purchased 

his land for business purpose 

is also entitled to 

compensation for loss of 

profit and expenses as a result 

of the defendant’s 

interference with the 

claimant’s land.


Martin Luther King Jr and the 

legacy of a permanent influence 

WEDNESDAY 4th April this 

year marks 50 years down to 

the very day, when African-American 

civil rights leader Martin Luther 

King Jr was felled by an assassin’s 

bullet in Memphis, Tennessee. The 

year was 1968. He was visiting the 

notoriously racist southern state to 

support striking sanitation workers. 

It is one of the great ironies of history 

that a man who had dedicated his 

entire life to fighting social injustice 

strictly through nonviolent peaceful 

means was himself killed in such a 

violent manner. Many people do not 

realise that he was only 39 when his 

life’s work was ended. 

Many saw it coming. His house 

had once been bombed, with his wife 

and children barely able to escape. 

A deranged woman once plunged a 

butcher’s knife into his chest, missing 

his heart by a hair’s breadth. The FBI 

under the demoniac Edgar Hoover 

had hounded him relentlessly. He 

had a premonition of his own death. 

At a church service the night before, 

he left his last testament in his 

famous Mountaintop Speech: 

“We’ve got some difficult days ahead. 

But it doesn’t matter with me now, 

because I’ve been to the mountaintop. 

THE Nigerians who cross the Sahara 

on their way to Europe were exploited 

by all kinds of people: in Nigeria in Benin 

by the agent, in Sahara, on the way to 

Agadez, by Bedouins and Berbers who 

extorted money from them. 

In Libya, they were sold as slaves usually 

because they could not pay the asking price 

which had doubled since they left Benin or 

for any capricious reason by the racketeers. 

Many thousands die in the Mediterranean 

Sea while crossing Italy or Greece. When 

rescued; they sought asylum. Many ended 

up in immigrant camps, with little food and 

water. Some escaped or are helped to escape 

for a fee to get to Europe, the Promised Land. 

Those who did regard their ordeal as a 

success. Some soon settled down, marry, 

work; send money home to parents, build 

houses, in Benin and elsewhere, etc. 

All these economic migrant adventurers 

claim that the reason for leaving was there 

were no opportunities in Nigeria for them 

to work. 

There is some evidence to support this: for 

example, 6 million Nigerian were refused 

university places in five years. Nigeria has 

massive graduate unemployment even 

among the few who go to university. There is 

no viable scheme for skill acquisition and 

no political will to engage the unemployed 

beyond slogans. 

Frustrations make them fall into the hands 

of racketeers – African and European, which 

make them prey to the recruiter (huntsmen) 

and racketeers. 

We in effect have a self-perpetuating myth 

because the inadequacy of Government, 

business, and family to respond at all levels. 

The upshot is the inability to manage 

ambition, even when these ambitious are 

irresponsible and unrealistic. 

Europe’s hunger for cheap labour, cheap 

sex, stories which Europeans tell back home 

about opportunities in Nigeria/African 

encourage the traffic; expatriate salaries in 

Africa compared to local salaries merely 

exacerbate a bad situation. 

Some feel that if Europeans can earn such 

huge salaries in Africa, why should Africans 

not have such differential pay in Europe? 

Even legitimate services – an expatriate 

doctor or engineer – earns well above his 

Like anybody, I would like to live a 

long life. Longevity has its place. But 

I’m not concerned about that now. I 

just want to do God’s will; and He’s 

allowed me to go up to the mountain. 

And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen 

the Promised Land. I may not get 

there with you; but I want you to know 

tonight that we as a people will get 

to the Promised Land….so I’m not 

worried about anything; I’m not 

fearing any man. Mine eyes have 

seen the glory of the coming of the 

Lord…” 

All hell broke loose following the 

news of his assassination. Black 

youths set fire to shops, warehouses 

and buildings. Sporadic violence 

broke out in Washington DC, 

Chicago, New York City, Pittsburgh, 

Detroit, Baltimore and other cities, 

with some 45 people died, over 2,500 

wounded and some 15,000 arrests 

were made by law-enforcement 

agents. 

President Lyndon Johnson, himself 

a progressive reformer, was at his 

wit’s end. Robert Kennedy, a 

presidential candidate and younger 

brother of the assassinated John F. 

Kennedy, made an impassioned 

speech that seemed to have calmed 

Victor, CNN, Libya and slavery (2) 

Nigerian counterpart in Nigeria. When the 

Nigerian doctor or engineer works in 

Europe the Nigeria has no such luck: in fact, 

his pay, some claim, is usually less. 

Victor was sold as a slave, rescued in Libya, 

deported to Nigeria. CNN traced him back 

to Benin where his story originally began 

and thus informing CNN’s story of how the 

trade is conducted. 

The CNN does not tell us how or by whom 

Victor was rescued. When slaves are sold it 

is usually for life but Victor is able to escape. 

Large swarth of Southern Sudan is occupied 

by Nigerians – at last count – over 1.5 million 

– usually people on their way to Mecca who 

failed to do so. There are Nigerians in 

almost all the countries in Africa. But they 

are not slaves. 

Long before the CNN exposé, Nigerian 

women have been recruited and trafficked, 

mainly by people from East European 

countries – Serbia, Montenegro, Chek, 

Slovakia, and Russia. Others are Italian, 

Dutch traffickers who use a different route – 

He had, he claimed, returned 

to poverty which was worse 

than slavery 

the women fly into these countries and join 

an elaborate network of prostitution, menial 

labour during which they pay off their 

recruiters, sometimes with promises that the 

Nigerians arrange for their sisters, and 

relatives and friends as new fodder for the 

system. Hundreds are enterprising, work 

hard, pay off their debts, marry locally, and 

send money home. Benin is full of houses 

built by women who live overseas. 

Back to Victor: he is vocal in captivity – 

and returns to Nigeria. If CNN can find him, 

so can many other organizations. What has 

happened to Victor and other returnees in 

Nigeria? Our security service presumably 

has debriefed them. If so how come no arrest 

of the traffickers in Benin and elsewhere 

despite the boast of Edo State Attorney 

General. 

There are Nigerian’s who are enamored 

to NGOs. Why is there not one trying to help 

returnees? 

Government response has so far been short 

of any coherent policy and woefully 

the waves: “For those of you who are 

black and are tempted to be filled 

with hatred and distrust…against all 

white people, I can only say that I 

feel in my own heart the same kind 

of feeling. I had a member of my 

own family killed, but he was killed 

by a white man. But we have to make 

an effort….to go beyond these rather 

difficult times. My favourite poet 

was Aeschylus. He wrote: In our 

sleep, pain which cannot forget falls 

drop by drop upon the heart until, in 

our own despair, against our will, 

comes wisdom through the awful 

grace of God.” 

Barely two months later, on 5 June 

1968, was Robert Kennedy mortally 

MLK often said that a 

man has not begun to 

live until he has 

found a life-purpose 

big enough to die for 

wounded by a Palestinian fanatic 

named Sirhan Sirhan. 

Martin Luther King Jr was born 

into a privileged middle class family 

on 15 January 1929. His father was 

a Southern Baptist Minister in 

Atlanta, Georgia. MLK attended 

Morehouse College in Atlanta, 

graduating at the rather young age 

of 18. He went for graduate work at 

Boston University, where he earned 

a doctorate in Systematic Theology. 

After graduation, as fate would have 

it, he began his pastorate at the 

Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in 

Montgomery, Alabama. He was 

barely 25. 

Like most Southern cities, 

Montgomery was mired in Jim 

Crow racism. The young pastor, 

barely in his twenties, was caught up 

in mass boycott of public buses by 

black people protesting 

discrimination. On December 1 

1955, a seamstress by the name of 

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat 

in the “coloured section” of a public 

bus. Her subsequent arrest provoked 

a mass demonstration by the black 

community in Montgomery. A 

movement was born, the Southern 

Christian Leadership Conference 

(SCLC). The people looked for 

leadership and they found it in the 

frail shoulders of this newly arrived 

young pastor at the Dexter Avenue 

Baptist Church. The rest, as they say, 

is history. 

Martin Luther King Jr. did not seek 

fame. Rather, it was fame that sought 

him. He had a dream and a calling. 

His dream was to liberate his longsuffering 

people from racial 

oppression. His calling was to be the 

servant of his people. MLK often said 

that a man has not begun to live until 

he has found a life-purpose big 

enough to die for. His campaigns 

centred on desegregation, voting 

rights, fair wages and access to 

education and health. His high 

watermark was the famous March 

on Washington in 1963, which 

culminated with his famous “I have 

a Dream” speech; one of the greatest 

in the annals of political rhetoric. 

MLK became a leader of world 

stature. In October 1964 he was 

awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. 

In 1965 he led the marches from 

Selma to Montgomery. In 1966 the 

movement turned its attention 

farther north, to Chicago. Their focus 

was on segregated housing. The 

SCLC became a nationwide 

movement mobilising African- 

Americans and all men and women 

of good conscience in the fight for 

social justice and human dignity in 

the United States of America. 

When MLK turned his attention to 

the injustice of the Vietnam War, it 

seemed to the Establishment that he 

inadequate. An old 

adage is don’t give 

fish to a person: 

rather teach him 

how to fish. 

If a CNN 

reporter can 

identify the 

traffickers in 

Nigeria, so can 

our security forces 

– why not 

persecute and jail them for their activities? 

The usual panacea of job training, 

counseling, etc. should be employed in 

Nigeria for Victor and his ilk. What is the 

ministry of Nigeria Foreign Affairs doing 

in Libya? We always had a robust security 

service system in Libya and Niger and Chad? 

What happened? Is there no Consular 

Service in Libya? 

However, we should ask the Bleeding 

Hearts of the United States and Europe, who 

broke Libya? The traffickers started 

operating fully, after the West removed the 

most effective Government in Libya since 

1966. They orchestrated the destruction of 

Gadhafi without replacing him with an 

effective Government – a feat they repeated 

in Egypt and Iraq and Iran. Western interests 

in these areas are different and opposed to 

the progressive interests of the people of the 

area. 

The West must own the vessel they broke 

in Libya in as much the same way as they 

must own that broken in Egypt and the rest 

of the Maghreb. 

Why does Libya want slaves? Don’t they 

have enough workers? The CNN does not 

tell us this because it would explain why a 

widespread practice of two or three auctions 

is held daily in Libya. 

Victor wants to be a designer but there are 

technical colleges in Nigeria – why didn’t 

he go there? What was his qualification 

which made him unable to get a job? Many 

of the returnees have claimed that they saved 

N1.5 million which they spent on the Libyan 

adventure. 

According to CNN, there is international 

complicity in the trafficking of slaves. The 

arrival of these economic migrants is one of 

the feedstock for the far right movement and 

the isolation politics in Europe. 

The world response when CNN aired this 

programme operation of slavery was 

had crossed the Rubicon. He was 

labelled a rabble-rouser, communist 

agent and a philanderer. He had to 

die. Despite all his detractors, his 

name and legacy will endure through 

the ages. MLK was a drum major 

for social justice; an apostle of peace 

— the moral conscience of America. 

Without his legacy the idea of an 

African-American as president of the 

United States would have been wellnigh 

unthinkable. By the sheer moral 

force of his spirit, MLK transformed 

the very meaning of what it means 

to be an American. 

MLK was in Accra on 6 March 

1957 when Ghana celebrated its 

independence as a sovereign nation. 

He identified with the leading 

independence leaders of the New 

Africa. He saw the destiny of the 

Mother Continent as inseparable 

from that of his captive people in the 

Americas and the islands of the seas. 

But we must never idolise any human 

being. MLK had his own 

shortcomings – after all, he was only 

human. What stood him apart was 

that he had moral courage. And he 

was a man of compassion, truth and 

justice. And he loved the Lord greatly. 

The world will never be the same 

because Martin Luther King Jr. 

passed through it. He once appeared 

to me in a dream several years ago 

when I was a struggling young 

university lecturer in London. He was 

in tattered rags with dirt and wounds 

all over him; silently weeping. 

Without words, the message came 

to me: that the work that he lived 

and died for is not yet ended. We must 

take up the baton where he left it. 

With the immense suffering, poverty 

and injustice that we see everywhere 

around us – in Nigeria, in Africa, in 

the world — the work of God has 

only begun. 

against the West. This was massive. The 

reaction in Nigeria was tepid and even 

indifferent. 

The West moved to repatriate 15,000 

instead of the miserable 1000 per month. 

CNN traced those repatriated – CNN 

comes to Nigeria, to an unsavoury 

neighbourhood where they men Pusherman, 

Eveke and an army of traffickers – selling 

hopes through trafficking human beings. 

The pusherman Eveke arranged for them to 

go to Auchi the North of Edo State. The 

programme now introduced the possibility 

that women were or might be abused – Eveke 

- knows and tell them – gives them condoms. 

The arrangement was that you pay nothing 

at the beginning; payment was to be made 

in Libya. In my more cynical mood, I would 

have doubted several aspects of this 

arrangement. The CNN did not find one 

female in camp in Libya. Eveke’s 

“introduction” of condoms may have been 

to sex up the story by CNN. 

Thus a customer presumably carried the 

money and contraception during the trip. 

The Edo Attorney General condemned the 

traffic, threatened prosecution and 

imprisonment but gratuitously added that 

the causes of human trafficking had “deep 

cultural roots, which must be exposed and 

pulled out”. Really!! Mr. A.G. what could 

this possibly mean? 

We are told that Victor was responsible 

for his mother and three siblings – Victor 

was of an indeterminable age anywhere 

between 26 and 36 years old. He had, he 

claimed, returned to poverty which was 

worse than slavery. He hoped to go to Europe 

again through Libya 

Victor is responsible for mother including a 

baby and 3 siblings but have no father. Victor 

looks like 30 years old, what was his CV and 

what did he do to collect N1.5million plus the 

other money that was lost to rescue him? 

C 

M 

Y 

K




There’s crisis in Rivers APC, Abe’s supporters insist 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT 

HAR- 

C O U R T — 

CHIEFTAINS of All 


APC, in Rivers State have 

cried out that there was 

crisis in the party in the 

state, adding that it was 

wrong for some individuals 

to claim that there was unity 

in the party. 

VISIT: Former Minister of State for Defence, Dr Roland Oritsejafor (right) and Delta State House of 

Assembly aspirant in Warri South-West constituency, Mr Andrew Igban, when the latter and his supporters 

paid a consultative visit to the minister. 

Nkanga bemoans nonimplementation of 

PANDEF’s 16-point agenda 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

UYO—THE 

new 

n a t i o n a l 

Chairman of Pan Niger 

Delta Forum, PANDEF 

and a former military 

administrator of Akwa 

Ibom State, Air 

Commodore Idongesit 

Nkanga, has bemoaned 

the non-implementation 

of PANDEF’s 16-point 

agenda, describing the 

Federal Government's 

action as further 

marginalisation of the 

Niger Delta. 

Nkanga who spoke 

during the inaugural 

meeting of the National 

Executive Committee, 

NEC of PANDEF held in 

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State 

capital, added that the 

insensitivity of the 


towards the problems of 

the region necessitated 

the ongoing agitations 

for restructuring by the 

people of the region. 

His words: “It is 

because we are 

operating a fake 

federalism that we are 

asking for true 

f e d e r a l i s m . 

Restructuring is another 

The chieftains of the party 

who are supporting 

Magnus Abe’s 

gubernatorial ambition 

spoke yesterday in Port 

Harcourt while reacting to 

a statement by Sen. Andrew 

Uchendu, that there was no 

crisis in the party. 

Speaking, former 

Attorney-General of the 

state, Mr. Wogu Boms, said 

that there was an 

unresolved crisis in the 

way of saying that we 

want justice. And I 

believe you are aware 

that PANDEF came into 

being in 2016 when we 

tried to put together 

solutions to the problems 

of the Niger Delta. The 

Federal Government at 

that time felt they did not 

have the right people to 

speak to from the Niger 

Delta region. 

“When PANDEF first 

met with the President 

NUPENG elects Akporeha president as 

Achese bows out 

By Victor Ahiuma- 

Young & Egufe 

Yafugborhi 

PORT 

HAR- 

COURT—THE 

Nigeria Union of Petroleum 

and Natural Gas Workers, 

NUPENG, has elected 

Prince Williams Apkoreha, 

president to lead 15 others 

to run the affairs of the 

union in the next four 

years. 

Prince Apkoreha 

emerged unopposed 

during the 4th National 

Delegates Conference, 

NDC, in Port Harcourt, 

state’s chapter, noting that 

it was high time the leaders 

resolved it. 

Boms noted that if there 

was no crisis, some of the 

leaders of the party in the 

local government areas 

wouldn’t have been sacked 

by the Minister of 

Transportation, Mr 

Chibuike Amaechi, leader 

of the party in the state. 

He said that the crisis in 

the party originated from 

on November 1, 2016, 

we presented a 16-point 

agenda to him. The 

copies of that are already 

in public domain. That 

was supposed to be a 

working paper. It was as 

a result of that, the Vice 

President visited the 

Niger Delta states. 

“We have expressed 

our dissatisfaction 

because of the nonimplementation 

of the 

16-point agenda that was 

Rivers State, where the 15 

members of National 

Administrative Council, 

NAC, were also elected 

unopposed. 

Until his election as 

president, Prince Akporeha 

was the National Treasurer 

of NUPENG and Delta 

State Chairman of United 

Labour Congress of 

Nigeria, ULC. 

Others elected are Bassey 

Harry and Olujide Kilanko, 

Deputy Presidents, Aneru 

Bello, Rotimi Benjamin, 

Lucky Etuokwu, and 

Adamu Abdulkadri, Vice 

Presidents, Warri Zone, 

Abe's ambition to be the 

governorship candidate of 

the party in 2019, adding 

that leaders and members 

of the party were disunited 

at the moment. 

Boms said: “There is a 

big crisis in the party and 

every leader is aware of it. 

It will therefore be wrong 

for somebody to come out 

to say there is no crisis 

when we all know the 

truth." 

given to the president. 

The only item that has 

been touched is the 

Maritime University in 

Delta State. The clean 

up of Ogoniland was 

flagged off but we have 

our doubts if anything 

will be done beyond 

that. The issue of 

modular refinery seemed 

to have been hijacked 

because nobody is 

saying anything about it 

again." 

Lagos Zone, Port 

Harcourt Zone and 

Kaduna Zone. 

Mr Alex Agwanwor 

emerged National 

Treasurer; Monday 

Osunde, National Trustee; 

Cogent Ojobor, National 

Public Relations Officer, 

PRO; Odudu Benjamin, 

National Industrial 

Relations Officer; P. A. 

Onyeodi, Financial 

Secretary; Victoria 

Oyeleke, National Welfare 

Officer; Suleiman Runka, 

National Auditor; 

Thompson Abiodun, 

National Auditor and Prince 

Moses, National Chief 

Whip. 

Delta APC advocates 

consensus ward candidates 

By Ochuko 

Akuopha 

P ATANI—ALL 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, in 

Patani Local 

Government Area, Delta 

State, has called for a 

consensus arrangement 

at the ward level in 

order not to give room 

for the opposition to 

“sponsor spies” to 

occupy executive 

positions and create 

acrimony amongst party 

members. 

Addressing newsmen 

at the end of a leaders 

and stakeholders 

GKM preaches unity, gets 

Deputy Arch-Minister 

2019: Otuisi justifies Okowa’s 

re-election bid 

By Etop Ekanem 

SPECIAL Assistant 

to Delta State 

Governor on Political 

Matters, Mr Louis Otuisi, 

has said that Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa’s 

prosperity for all Deltans 

goal is on course and 

justifies his re-election bid 

in 2019. 

Otuisi, who spoke to 

newsmen in Uduophori, 

Patani Local Government 

Area of Delta State shortly 

after the ward meeting at 

meeting of the party in the 

area, the Chairman, Mr. Joe 

Ekiyor, said: “What we are 

saying is that we must unite 

ahead of 2019 elections. If 

there is going to be 

congress, we should be 

prepared and let the 

congress not scatter us. 

“We should try as much 

as possible to get 

candidates through fair 

consensus at the ward level 

because at the ward level, 

people know themselves 

but if we allow a full scale 

congress maybe through 

option ‘A Four’ or ‘one man 

one vote,’ it will allow some 

of these miscreants to 

infiltrate the party." 

111 Delta communities 

threaten to shut down oil field 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

W ARRI—ONE 

hundred and 

eleven host communities 

of OML 30 in Delta State 

have threatened to shut 

down the oil field if its 

operators dare to go 

ahead with their alleged 

plan to introduce a nongovernmental 

organisation, NGO, as its 

representative to review 

the existing 

Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, 

with the communities. 

Rising from a meeting 

of the OML 30 

GOD’S 

Kingdom 

Mission, GKM, 

has admonished church 

leaders to preach and 

embrace unity to build the 

body of Christ, noting 

that there was need for 

Christians to demonstrate 

love for one another for 

growth and progress of 

the church and the 

country. 

The Arch-Minister of 

GKM, Roland Oghene 

gave the charge while 

Community Development 

Board and Community 

Representative Committee 

(cluster President Generals 

and Secretaries ) yesterday, 

Chairman of the board, 

Morris Idiovwa, flanked by 

others said operators of the 

oil field should go into direct 

discussion with the host 

communities. 

“We will not tolerate any 

discussion through a third 

party, an NGO. As host 

communities, we have 

resolved that we will discuss 

directly with operators of the 

oil field in our communities. 

We suffer the pains of 

pollution,” he said. 

declaring open the 2018 

Conference of Laity at the 

church’s headquarters in 

Enerhen, Warri, Delta State, 

as he commended Mike 

Orugbo, immediate past 

Chairman, Conference of 

Laity and other members of 

the Church for their service 

to God and the church. 

Meanwhile, Emmanuel 

Jigbale, who was consecrated 

Deputy Arch-Minister, has 

urged members to continue 

to demonstrate seriousness in 

the things of God. 

Patani council, weekend, 

said: “Sincere Deltans would 

admit that Governor Okowa 

has positively affected all 

Deltans through massive 

human capital development. 

The impact of the 

entrepreneurial/skills 

acquisition and agricultural 

empowerment programmes 

drew the applause and 

support of the World Bank 

and the numerous 

appointments spread across 

all parts of the state point to a 

fair heart."


Protest trails detention of 

Enugu community leaders 

By Dennis Agbo 

E 

N U G U — 

HUNDREDS of 

men and women of 

Ogbozinne Ndiagbu- 

Akpugo community in 

Nkanu West Local 

Government Area of Enugu 

State, yesterday, besieged 

Agbani Divisional Police 

Headquarters in protest, 

over the detention of their 

community leaders. 

Those detained included 

the chairmen of Ogbozinne 

and Ngwenchi villages, 

Chief John Okoh and 

Gabriel Nwodo, 

respectively, who were 

invited to Agbani Police 

Station last week and were 

detained for undisclosed 

reasons. 

Worried by the 

development, the 

community mobilized in 

large numbers to the 

Divisional Police 

Headquaters where they 

laid seige. 

Addressing the 

protesters, Mrs Zainab 


Embei said she was 

delegated by the state 


Danmallam Mohammed to 

maintain peace in the area. 

She however failed to give 

reasons for the detention 

of the community elders but 

said they would be released 

as soon as investigations 

were concluded. 

One of the community 

leaders, Mr. Onyejiuwa 

Edeh however said the 

matter was not far from the 

case the community has 

with its traditional ruler, 

HRH Igwe Stephen Nwatu 

at the State High Court in 

Agbani, bordering on 

alleged obnoxious policies 

of the monarch in the 

community. 

Edeh said: “The Police 

invited the chairmen of 

villages that make up our 

autonomous community 

and two reported on 

Saturday and were 

detained. Others have 

now refused to report. The 

police have refused to tell 

us their offence.” 

FG boosts power supply in Abia 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—THE 


yesterday, announced that 

it has added 40 megawatts 

mobile power transformer 

to the 132/33KV to Ohiya 

Transmission sub-station in 

Umuahia, as part of its effort 

to improve power supply in 

Abia State. 

It also said that the 

transformer in Aba 

transmission sub-station 

was equally boosted with 60 

MVA transformers. 

Speaking at the 

inauguration of the 

transformers at the 

Umuahia sub-station, the 

Minister of Power, Works 

and Housing, Mr. 

Babatunde Fashola, 

explained that the 

Umuahia project has 

brought to 90 such booster 

transformers across the 

country in the last few 

months. 

According to Fashola, 

"with the inauguration of 

the Umuahia transformer, 

power supply to city and its 

environs, including Bende, 

Ikwuano, Ohafia and parts 

of Arochukwu, Isuikwuato 

and Umunneochi council 

areas will improve." 

He further stated that the 

Aba sub-station would 

ensure steady and quality 

power supply to the over 

30,000 shops at the Ariaria 

International market and 

would boost the economy 

of the state. 

British Council, Foundation train 

teachers, school administrators 

NO fewer than 300 

participants 

comprising teachers and 

school administrators 

drawn from various schools 

in Rivers, Cross Rivers and 

Lagos states were trained 

during the Training of 

Trainers, TOT, programme 

put together by The Fast 

Forward Project for more 

innovation, infuse workreadiness 

skills in a regular 

day-to-day teaching. The 

dissemination phase of the 

programme target for 

training 1,000 secondary 

school students on 

employability skills was 

held in Lagos April 4, 2018. 

Fast Forward Project, 

funded by the MacArthur 

Foundation, the British 

Council and supported by 

LEAP Africa is an action 

research pilot project with 

a work-based learning 

model. 

One of the highlights of 

the dissemination included 

the internship aspect where 

the chosen secondary 

school students embarked 

on two-week internship 

training at designated 

employers. 

"This experience brought 

about significant 

transformation in the 

students’ communication 

skills, critical thinking, 

problem solving, values, 

vision, time management, 

leadership, confidence 

level and goal-setting 

among others," the 

organisers said in a 

statement. 

Abia Poly lecturers begin strike over 

11 months salary arrears 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

ABA—THE Academic 

Staff Union of 

Polytechnics, ASUP, Abia 

State Polytechnic chapter, 

has embarked on an 

industrial action over the 

non-payment of 11 months 

salary arrears and 14 

months check-off dues 

owed the union. 

The lecturers in a protest 

yesterday, bore placards 

which read; '11 months 

salary unpaid, we are not 

slaves;' 'Eboh is working 

against Gov. Ikpeazu;' 

'Rector Eboh must Go;' ' Mr. 

Rector, pay our 11 months 

arrears and 14 months 

check off dues;' 'Gov. 

Ikpeazu, give us a new 

management team at Abia 

Poly;' 'As long as Eboh is 

here, there will be no 

lecture until the 11 months 

salary arrears are paid;' 

among others. They 

barricaded the gates of the 

institution along Aba- 

Owerri road before a 

detachment of soldiers 

forced them to shift from the 

road. 

It was a theatre of 

confusion as the lecture 

halls were shut while 

students gathered in 

groups discussing the 

situation. 

In an interview with 

Vanguard, vice chairman, 

ASUP, Abia Poly chapter, 

Comrade Emelike 

Ndubueze Ogbonnaya, 

stated that the lecturers 

have vowed not to resume 

work until their 11 months 

arrears of salaries and 14 

VISIT: From left—Pastor Ghandi Olaoye, Head Pastor, Redeemed 

Christian Church of God, Jesus House, Washington DC; 2019 

presidential aspirant, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu; and his wife, Maryanne, 

during Prof Moghalu's Washington DC town hall meeting as part of 

his "Build a Nation" tour. 

months check-off dues are 

paid and accused the 

Acting Rector, Prof. Ezionye 

Eboh of being insensitive 

to the problem of salary 

arrears owed workers. 

He said: “The Acting 

Rector is the problem of 

Abia Poly. He must be 

sacked because he has 

mismanaged the 

institution. There will be no 

negotiation. As long as 

Eboh is here, there will be 

no lectures. We will not 

resume work until the 11 

months arrears and 14 

months check off dues are 

paid. 

"He has collected school 

fees from 15, 000 students 

and the State government 

has paid subvention up to 

February but the Rector 

does not want to pay us 

arrears of our salaries. The 

strike is indefinite; there 

will be no lecture in Abia 

Poly until Eboh is removed. 

We refuse to be 

intimidated.” 

The lecturers alleged that 

the Acting Rector has 

sacked over 89 staff of the 

institution on flimsy 

excuses and removed their 

names from the institution’s 

payroll and urged the state 

government to constitute 

another management team 

for the polytechnic. 

Efforts to contact the 

Acting Rector of the 

Polytechnic, Prof. Ezionye 

Eboh, were unsuccessful as 

he was said to be in a 

management meeting 

when Vanguard called at 

his office. 

Suspected herdsmen kill widow in Anambra 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—A middle-aged 

widow has allegedly 

been raped and murdered 

in her farmland at Nteje in 

Oyi Local Government 

Area of Anambra State by 

persons suspected to be 

herdsmen. 

The woman was said to 

have recently completed the 

burial rites of her late 

husband, who died in 

February this year. 

It was gathered that the 

corpse of the woman, 

whose name was not 

immediately given, was 

discovered after her 

relations waited 

unsuccessfully for her 

return from the farm. 

News of her death went 

round the community, 

prompting several 

meetings by the people of 

the area on the best way to 

handle the situation. 

The traditional ruler of 

Nteje, Igwe Rowland 

Odegbo who confirmed the 

death, however said the 

deceased was not from his 

community, adding that 

the picture of the deceased 

was circulated round the 

community but nobody 

could identify her. 


incident might have 

happened in a land 

belonging to the 

neighbouring Umuleri in 

Anambra East local 

government area, adding 

that the deceased might 

also have been from that 

community. 

The monarch, however, 

explained that the matter 

had already been reported 

at the Otuocha police 

division. 

Police Public Relations 

Officer in Anambra State, 

Mrs. Nkiru Nwode said 

she was not aware that the 

incident had anything to do 

with herdsmen. “There is 

nothing to show that 

herdsmen were involved in 

the killing,” she said. 

She, however, said that 

one person arrested in 

connection with the 

incident was still being 

detained in police custody, 

explaining that 

investigation into the matter 

was still on. 

Abia politicians shelve differences, attend 

Emenike mother’s burial 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA— 

PROMINENT Abia 

politicians, weekend set 

aside their political 

differences when they 

converged at Umukabia for 

the burial ceremony of the 

mother of APC chieftain, 

Chief Ikechi Emenike. 

At the occasion, President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

stressed the need to build 

strong bridges across 

ethnic, religious and 

political divides for a better 

Nigeria. 

Addressing the burial 

ceremony of Mrs. Helen 

Egobekee Emenike 

Uwagbama, mother of 

Ikechi Emenike, which saw 

the coming together of 

some hitherto bitter political 

rivals of Emenike, 

including Senators 

Theodore Orji, Enyinnaya 

Abaribe and Chief 

Onyema Ugochukwu, 

among other PDP 

members, President Buhari 

who was represented by 

Education Minister, 

Adamu Adamu said "such 

bridge building among 

the political class would 

help Nigeria achieve 

national cohesion, peace 

and harmony among the 

diverse peoples." 

Abia State Governor, 

Okezie Ikpeazu led his two 

colleagues, Rotimi 

Akeredolu of Ondo State 

and Ogbeni Rauf 

Aregbesola of Osun State 

to attend the burial 

ceremony which also saw 

the presence of Science and 

Technology Minister, Dr. 

Ogbonnaya Onu as well as 

former governor of 

Bayelsa State, Chief 

Timipre Silva.



Onoja, Gov Bello’s Chief of Staff has 

threatened to kill me—Daily Post editor 

•Odunsi a lying janjaweed reporter; should go back to journalism school—Onoja 

By Boluwaji Obahopo 

LOKOJA—THE Deputy 

Editor of Daily Post 

Newspapers, Mr. Wale 

Odunsi, has petitioned the 

Inspector General of Police, 

Mr. Ibrahim Idris, accusing 

Mr. Edward Onoja, Chief 

of Staff to Governor Yahaya 

Bello of Kogi State, of 

threatening to kill him. 

However, in a swift 

reaction, Mr. Onoja has 

refuted the claims, 

declaring that he has 

already instructed his 

lawyer to institute a law suit 

against the online 

newspaper over a false, 

disheartening and 

discrediting report that his 

wife, child and he were 

involved in a road mishap. 

According to Onoja, “the 

Daily Post has reported that 

I am incapacitated and 

unconscious after the road 

mishap. So I ask how 

possible it is for an 

‘unconscious’ person like 

me to threaten an ablebodied 

person? 

“That cannot be true. It is 

the continuation of the spirit 

of lies that has enveloped 

them. That is a quantum of 

lies and falsehood. I never 

threatened anybody’s life. 

“Wale Odunsi is a quack 

and ‘janjaweed’ reporter. I 

never travelled with my 

wife or child; I am hale and 

hearty. 

“He should enroll back 

into a journalism school 

and spend at least six 

months to get the proper 

journalism training. They 

failed to look into the tenet 

of the journalism 

profession. They didn’t try 

to cross check the 

authenticity of the story. 

“They will soon hear from 

my lawyer. But on the issue 

of threat to life; it is a lie. I 

didn’t and can’t threaten 

his (Odunsi) life.” 

Odunsi’s petition 

Meanwhile, in the 

petition submitted to the 

Force Headquarters in 

Abuja yesterday, Odunsi 

said: “Mr. Onoja called me 

at exactly 10:39a.m. on 

Sunday, April 8, via phone 

number 07088698212. 

“The call was less than 

three minutes. He 

complained about a story 

we published about him 

and insisted it was false. I 

politely told him to write to 

our management to 

formally complain. But he 

dismissed my advice. 

“He claimed the story was 

a hatchet job, but I quickly 

replied him that some other 

media houses reported a 

similar story. 

“Mr. Onoja continued to 

speak in harsh tones and 

told me point blank that he 

would order a hit on me. I 

asked if he was threatening 

me and he said ‘Yes, mark 

my words. I will kill you’. 

“He went on to say 

‘Anywhere I see you, I will 

tear you apart’. These are 

weighty statements which 

any reasonable person 

must not take lightly. 

“I am writing to you to 

please use your good 

offices to investigate this 

threat before my life is cut 

short. 

“Even though I believe 

God Almighty gives and 

takes life, a direct and 

unequivocal statement 

such as Mr. Onoja’s should 

not be swept under the 

carpet.” 

NOAH'S ARK ANNIVERSARY: From left— MD, TBWA Concept, Kelechi Nwosu; MD, 

Noah's Ark Communication, Lanre Adisa; Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic 

University, Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya; Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, and 

Keynote Speaker, Thomas Kolster, during the 10th anniversary of Noah's Ark Communication in Lagos. 

Prayers, only option to sustainable peace— Al-Makura 

By David Odoma 

L AFIA—FOLLOWING 

increasing cases of 

farmers/herdsmen 

clashes leading to loss of 

By Suzan Edeh 

BAUCHI—THE United 

Nation Children Fund, 

UNICEF, yesterday, said it 

had supported the 

enrollment of no fewer than 

one million girls in school 

under the Girls’ Education 

Project, GEP, in the last 

eight years. 

Speaking at the opening 

ceremony of the National 

Development Workshop on 

Gender Right 

to Education, Advocacy 

lives and properties 

across Nigeria, Governor 

Tanko Al-Makura of 

Nasarawa State has taken 

the campaign for peace 

and tolerance to the 

and Mentoring Skills for 

High Level Women 

Advocates, HILWA, in 

Bauchi, the Chief of Field 

Office of UNICEF, Nigeria, 

Bauchi Field Office, Mr. 

Bhanu Pathak, said: “Over 

the years, UNICEF has 

supported the development 

of women and children 

through teacher training, 

including training of 1,417 

female teachers though 

Trainee Scholarship 

Scheme. 

“UNICEF is also 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, for 

spiritual intervention. 

Governor Al-Makura, 

who spoke when he 

received the leadership of 

We've supported enrollment of 

over 1m girls in Nigeria—UNICEF 

supporting school 

enrollment drives, 

empowering communities 

and assisting in the 

establishment of the Girls 

for Girls (G4G) and HILWA 

groups in various states.” 

In her address, the First 

Lady of Bauchi State, Hajia 

Hadiza Abubakar, said 

HILWA had been working 

round the clock to ensure 

enrollment of the girl-child 

in school, that she remains 

in school and transits from 

one level to another. 

Nasarawa State branch of 

CAN, said with the 

unabated killings of 

innocent Nigerians, the 

only option left for a 

sustainable peace was for 

the religious bodies to take 

Nigeria’s problems to God 

in prayers. 

According to the 

governor, “my 

administration has put in 

place several measures 

including resuscitating 

the state’s inter-religious 

council to foster religious 

unity and peaceful coexistence 

in the state.” 

Earlier, state Chairman 

of CAN, Bishop Joseph 

Masin, commended Al- 

Makura for his policies 

that had brought about 

relative peace across the 

state and assured him of 

CAN’s continuous 

prayers for peace to rein 

in the state. 

Mark saved our democracy 

from collapse—Ekweremadu 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—THE 

Deputy Senate 

President, Ike 

Ekweremadu, has said 

the political tenacity and 

foresight of former 

Senate President, David 

Mark, helped stabilise 

Nigerian polity and 

saved the country’s 

democracy from collapse. 

He explained that 

Mark's ‘doctrine of 

necessity’ saved the 

country’s democracy 

from collapse and the 

constitution review 

which he anchored were 

achievements and 

BMSG lauds Buhari’s 

decision to seek re-election 

BUHARI 

Media 

Support Group, 

BMSG, has lauded the 

resolve by President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

seek re-election in 2019, 

describing it as 

encouraging and soul 

lifting. 

In a statement by 

BMSG Coordinator, 

Austin Braimoh, and 

Secretary, Cassidy 

Madueke, in Abuja, the 

group congratulated All 


APC, on the President’s 

declaration, noting that it 

could not have come at a 

better time, “as Nigerians 

expect he will continue to 

serve as a stabilising 

factor.” 

The group urged APC 

to get prepared with 

strategies to lead a 

successful campaign for 

the President to get reelected. 

Winners emerge in 

DiamondXtra promo 

DIAMOND Bank has 

rewarded 1,016 

customers with N59 

million, with Miss 

Catherine Ulunma from 

Abuja branch emerging 

winner of the star prize 

of an Hyundai Accent car, 

in the DiamondXtra 

Season 10 first quarterly 

draws. 

At the draws, held in 

Lagos, Richard Anyanwu 

from Mbaise branch 

emerged winner of the 

educational grant category 

of N100,000 every 

month for five years, 

while Millicent Dufia, 

Adedayo Adewale and 

Charles Ikechukwu won 

N1 million each in the 

rent for a year category. 

Speaking at the event, 

the bank’s Head of 

Consumer Banking, 

imprints that would remain 

indelible in Nigeria’s 

history. 

Ekweremadu, who 

spoke at the 70th birthday 

and thanksgiving service 

at Saint Augustine’s 

Catholic Church, Otukpo, 

in honour of Mark, said: 

“No doubt, the period the 

former Senate President 

presided over the National 

Assembly was the golden 

era of our democracy.” 

In his speech, the 

celebrant, Senator Mark, 

appealed to Nigerians to 

continue to pray and 

ensure the enthronement 

of peace and stability in the 

country. 

According to BMSG, 

“we praise the President 

that his efforts to diversify 

the economy yielded fruits 

in many folds, making 

agriculture to take the 

driver’s seat and offering 

employment opportunities 

to millions of hitherto 

deprived Nigerians. 

“It is also apposite to laud 

the President on the zeal 

his government displayed 

in fighting corruption with 

emphasis on loot and 

assets recovery, as stolen 

monies were recovered 

from impossible places 

where they were stashed. 

“For these and more, we 

appeal to Nigerians to 

appreciate the President’s 

declaration of intent to run 

again, strong in our 

conviction that he will 

continue to run an open 

and transparent 

government if given a 

second chance.” 

Karmont Tukur, revealed 

that since the inception of 

the promo, the bank has 

rewarded 11,000 

customers with over N5 

billion in the last nine 

years, adding that the bank 

will continue to change 

lives and ensure closer 

bonds with its customers. 

Also, a representative of 

the KPMG, the audit firm 

in charge of the validation 

process, Kenneth Ukanwa, 

said the processes put in 

place for picking eventual 

winners and even those 

qualified for the promo 

were eligible Xtra savings 

customers, adding that the 

winners were selected 

from a pool of electronic 

tickets belonging to 

DiamondXtra Savings 

subscribers who had 

balances in the account.


Conversation with 

Madagascar’s 

wealthiest man 

Ylias Akbaraly is the wealthiest man in Madagascar. He is 

the current successor and leader of the Sipromad empire 

founded by his great grandfather in 1918. From a small family 

trading business, Sipromad Group is one of the leading multimillion 

dollar conglomerates in Africa and the Indian Ocean with 

interests spanning business aviation, agri-business, tourism, 

manufacturing, energy, technology, real-estate, pharmaceutical and 

banking. The story of the founding of Sipromad Group is a long 

and interesting one. Akbaraly’s great grandfather, Merally Manjee, 

was an adventurer with origins in Gujarat, a state in Western India. 

The Gujaratis are widely known as the world’s best business people 

and a trait common with them is that they are never put off by 

factors such as distance or temperature. Business is their principal 

business and they can be found managing businesses ranging from 

corner shops to hotels, from tech start-ups to some of the world’s 

largest conglomerates. Like the Lebanese and Chinese, the Gujaratis 

form an impressive global commercial network with substantial 

influence on some of the world’s most advanced economies. 

One other thing the Gujaratis are noted for is their economic 

migration flows. A critical case in point in this regard is Merally 

Manjee, who trudged on Sea for a period of three months, arriving 

at Belo Sir Tsirbihina, a village on the west coast of Madagascar, 

where he founded a small commodities trading company that 

eventually became one of the most successful businesses in the 

northern province of Madagascar. Flush with success, Merally 

passed the business on to his son, Akbaraly Merally, who in turn 

took the business to another level. The next in line of successors to 

carry the legacy was Sermamod Akbaraly, the grand-son of Merally 

Manjee. Sermamod, it was, who built upon the success of the 

business, rechristened it to Sipromad Group in 1972 and stretched 

it to the bustling Malagasy Capital, Antananarivo. 

Before long, Sipromad Group became known throughout 

Madagascar for its diversified business interests. During this period, 

Sermamod’s son, Ylias had completed studies at the University of 

California, Berkeley where he graduated with a Master’s degree 

in Management and Marketing. After a brief working stint in the 

United States, Ylias returned home to take over the business. Upon 

his return, in 1991 and within a space of 20 years, he successfully 

turned the company around, making it one of the most successful 

companies in Madagascar and in the Indian Ocean. Under his 

leadership, the group grew from 20 to over 3,000 employees, 

with representative offices in Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles, Mali 

and Paris. With an imposing 33 –storey headquarter building known 

as the Orange Telecommunication Tower, Sipromad Group enjoys 

the high prestige of owning Madagascar’s tallest building popularly 

known as the “Pride of the nation." 

With a fortune estimated at $800 million, Forbes ranked Ylias 

Akbaraly as the fifth wealthiest person in Francophone Africa. 

Through the business activities of Sipromad Group, his ultimate 

vision is to make Madagascar the pride of the Indian Ocean and 

Africa. 

In 1918 Sipromad was 

founded — 100 years later, it 

has grown to become a $350 

million (annual revenues) 

multinational conglomerate. 

What are the biggest lessons so 

far? What’s changed in those 

100 years? 

The growth of the company is 

as a result of our ability to 

respond to several evolving 

circumstances. Our operational 

principles have always been 

based on perseverance, vision, 

and pragmatism. To this day, 

those principles remain our 

strength. In the years since its 

founding, what has changed 

most significantly is the way we 

have evolved with Madagascar’s 

industrialisation of the 1970s 

which 

necessitated 

conglomerates like ours to 

support the government’s effort 

of economic development 

through job creation. So, in order 

to maximize the value of 

Madagascar’s national output, 

the company was renamed 

Sipromad Group in 1972 to 

reflect the diversification of our 

business interests across the 

several sectors in which we are 

now major players in the region. 

Madagascar has been 

roundly described as the 

potential tiger of Indian Ocean. 

What are your thoughts here? 

Madagascar has always 

positioned itself as the potential 

Tiger of the Indian Ocean with 

huge opportunities for foreign 

investors. Yes, of course, 

Madagascar can be the Tiger of 

the Indian Ocean and the 

reasons are very simple. First, 

our location (right in between 

Asia and Africa), is a very 

strategic one. Second, we are the 

biggest country in the Indian 

Ocean and third, we have a 

young and vibrant population 

that is well educated. However, 

I think the government of my 

country should look into 

simplifying regulations that will 

make it easier for entrepreneurs 

and foreign investors. I would 

also like to use this opportunity 

to mention that Madagascar has 

huge investment opportunities in 

Madagascar has 

always positioned 

itself as the 

potential Tiger of 

the Indian Ocean 

with huge 

opportunities for 

foreign investors 

Ylias Akbaraly 

Chairman, Sipromad Group 

mining, renewable energies, 

tourism and agribusiness 

sectors. 

Access to electricity remains 

a major challenge in 

Madagascar, yet in a country 

steeped in infrastructural 

deficits, you were able to turn 

around the fortunes of your 

family business into a multimillion 

dollar conglomerate. As 

the chairman of Madagascar’s 

largest privately owned 

company, how have you tackled 

these challenges? 

We are investing in hydropower. 

The first one is already in 

operation. We will start a second 

one for 30MW capacity soon. 

And then, we will launch a third 

one for larger capacity. We are 

also thinking of diversifying into 

solar power as well; the reason 

being that we have sun almost 

all year around. Solar energy is 

an ideal solution – as it is 

available round the year, cost 

effective and with potential 

accessibility to the population. 

As the world’s fourth largest 

island, Madagascar is known to 

have an impressive array of 

biodiversity, natural beauty and 

cultural resources to support 

tourism. To what extent has 

Madagascar highlighted 

opportunities to strengthen its 

tourism sector through regional 

integration initiatives? 

Well, I think we need to first and 

foremost invest in infrastructure 

and connectivity because 

tourism is one of the most 

important sectors that can drive 

serious revenue for my country— 

with its beautiful beaches and 

unique flora and fauna. Though 

there are about 200,000 tourist 

visits each year, there are still 

many tremendous potential for 

Ecotourism that could help 

create more jobs that will in turn 

be beneficial to the economy. In 

spite of the infrastructural 

challenges, there are business 

potentials for hotels and 

international airline companies, 

if only they can be brave enough 

to take the plunge! 

Now, let's go back to Sipromad 

that you have grown so 

exponentially. What are your 

reflections on the path to the 

C-Suite, especially some of the 

key translatable lessons from 

your time in the US? 

United States – compared 

with Madagascar – is a 

developed country. My 

background helped me to 

transpose my skills on 

management strategies in order 

to offer to Sipromad Group a 

unique management system 

that’s suited to its own corporate 

culture. My leadership, conflict 

management, communication, 

and negotiation skills have 

really helped me in expanding 

the business. And we always 

ensure that we never deviate 

from our reality. Despite cyclical 

economic crises in Madagascar, 

Sipromad Group has been able 

to adapt its strategies based on 

our values and ethical standards. 

Growing up, did you always 

want to be an entrepreneur or 

something else, and how did 

that shape what you became? 

My family and I are of 

Gujarati origins. Business is an 

integral part of our DNA. This 

legacy, coupled with my 

background is attributable to 

what I am today. 

Where 

is the biggest 

opportunity for the future of 

Sipromad? 

Sipromad Group has 

successfully consolidated its 

activities in Madagascar as the 

leader in diversified industry 

working with international 

partners as Banque Centrale 

Populaire, Brinks, Orange, Tozzi 

Green, Apple, Rohde & Schwarz 

or Turkish Airlines. With 

political stability, and attractive 

regulations, we hope to expand 

further into Africa because that 

is where the future lies. More 

importantly, we have identified 

sectors such as energy, 

broadcasting 

and 

telecommunications as the new 

focus for us. 

In view of the developments 

and changes taking place in 

African markets, what is your 

assessment of business 

relations between Madagascar 

and the rest of Africa? 

Madagascar joined Southern 

African Development 

Community, SADC and 

Common Market Eastern and 

Southern Africa, COMESA in 

order to integrate the African 

market but the questions are: 

does this integration make a real 

difference for Madagascar? Has 

it achieved what was expected? 

To what extent have you 

promoted trade and investment 

in Madagascar to pave the way 

for FDI into to the country? 

Sipromad Group is a reliable 

partner and has worked with a 

couple of international 

companies. These partnerships 

are the result of our respect for 

the state apparatus which is an 

essential factor for ensuring 

solid FDI in Madagascar. 

What areas of investment 

could be most promising for 

Nigerian businesses? 

Mining, 

tourism, 

manufacturing, export and 

energy sector are areas which 

could be most promising for 

Nigerian businesses. 

Do you have a role model? If 

you could meet any 

entrepreneur or business 

leader from history, who would 

it be and why? 

My political role model is 

Barack Obama and my business 

role model is Bill Gates. Bill 

Gates is a model for me because 

of the empire he has built and 

the great humanitarian work he 

is championing through his 

foundation. 

Yes, talking about 

humanitarian work, you and 

your wife, Cinzia, established 

the Akbaraly Foundation. 

What is the mission here? 

My wife and I have always 

been involved in charitable 

causes. The mission of the 

Akbaraly Foundation is to 

assist the less privileged 

children and women in 

Madagascar. Since it was 

founded, we have established 

prevention centers and mobile 

units in the country to detect and 

treat breast and gynecological 

cancers among destitute 

Malagasy women. We have 

achieved quite much and have 

even gone on to inaugurate the 

first oncology center in 

Madagascar, with mobile 

health care service that will 

travel all across the 

disadvantaged and underserved 

areas. 

Sipromad Group is 

headquartered in the 'Orange 

Towers', widely known as the 

tallest building in Madagascar. 

What does this symbolise for 

the company? 

It expresses our commitment to 

look even further ahead and 

symbolises our successful 

financial policy. We also try to 

demonstrate that by investing 

in Madagascar, the economy 

will become more prominent, 

for the benefit of the nation as a 

whole.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018—37 

MEETING: From left, wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo 

Osinbajo; Special Education Expert, Mrs Emmanuella Otiono, and 

Founder/Executive Director, Children Development Centre, Dr. Yinka 

Akindayomi, during Concerned Mothers meeting of The Women 

Helping Hands Initiative, TWHHI, in Lagos. 

VISIT: From left, Portfolio Manager, Mainstream, Lager and Stout 

brands NB Plc, Emmanuel Agu; former BBNaija housemates, 

Oluwabamike Olawumi and Tope Teddy Adenibuyan; and Brand 

Manager, “33” Export & Stout NB Plc, Oluseun Lawal, during a 

courtesy call on Nigerian Breweries headquarters, in Lagos. 

TALENT SHOWCASE: Mr Abraham Ikoko (right), explaining 

some points to some guests during the maiden edition of our talent 

showcase, CADEUX DANS, organised by Faculty of Engineering, 

Univeristy of Lagos, UNILAG, at Engineering Lecture Theatre, 

UNILAG, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

AWARD: Dr Kabiru Ajisope, Managing Director/CEO, Abishat 

Everwell Herbal Therapy Nig. Ltd (middle); Editors, Tellview 

International Magazine, Lekan Makinde (right) and Sunday John, 

when Ajisope received Role Model Award for his outstanding 

contribution towards health development in Nigeria, in Lagos.







44 — Niger-Delta Voice, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 

VOL. 1: NO. 172 

72 TUESDAY, , APRIL 10, 0, 2018 

18 

APOI: Agony of a Bayelsa oil spill 

ravaged community 

•Agip, community bicker over cleanup, compensation claims 

By Emem Idio 

APOI—NINE months after 

a major massive oil spill 

along the Nigerian Agip 

Clough Creek/Tebidaba 10” 

pipeline was recorded in Apoi 

cmmmunuty in Southern Ijaw 

Local Government Area, 

community leaders and oficials of 

the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, 

NAOC, are yet to amicably resolve 

the matter, with claims and 

counter-claims by both parties. 

While the community folks led 

by the Chairman of Apoi Council 

of Chiefs, Chief Kemela Godspower 

insists that no cleanup has been 

effected at the impacted sites and 

compensation paid, Agip officials 

and contractors, however, claim 

that it has since carried out cleanup 

exercise and compensation 

paid to the community. 

Community allegedly 

factionalised 

It was alledged that there is a 

set of Apoi people residing outside 

the community but the company 

recognises and deals with the 

community leaders when it comes 

to such matters. 

During a follow up visit to Agip 

spill impacted environment at 

Apoi by Environmental Rights 

Action, ERA / Friends of the Earth 

Nigeria, FoEN, and newsmen, it 

was a tale of pain and allegations 

of neglect by the company 

according to the community 

leaders. 

The community leaders noted 

that the Joint Investigation Visit, 

JIV, report indicates that the spill 

was caused by corrosion and 

volume of spilled crude oil 

recorded as 180 barrels (124 barrels 

recovered). 

Speaking about challenges the 

community is contending with and 

the oil spill, Chairman of Apoi 

Council of Chiefs, Chief Kemela 

Godspower said: “The oil multinationals 

have been polluting our 

only source of drinking water, from 

the Ogboinbiri environment and, 

the most recent incident from Agip 

pipeline here in Apoi. 

“The Agip spill was caused by 

corrosion at a 6 0'clock point; right 

under the pipe. That pipe was laid 

since 1980 and the company has 

not changed it till date. Yet, Agip 

was arguing with us until the 

matter went to Government 

House. It was the Deputy Governor 

who prevailed on Agip before 

they came and clamped the ruptured 

spot. 

“It was a tug of war before we 

were able to get the JIV from them. 

They initially did not want to give 

us our copy. But, up till now no 

compensation has been paid by 

the comany, for individual and 

general community damage. We 

•This is the site of interest. 

are still waiting on them to come 

and pay us but they are not forthcoming. 

We want the state government 

to come to our assistance, just 

as we need the company to come 

and do the needful to help us too; 

since we are their landlords. 

Corroborating Chief Godspower's 

claims, Mr Tobin Seigha, the 

Chief Security Officer, CSO, of Apoi 

said an equipment failure oil spill 

was traced to a pipeline in July, 

last year. 

“Apoi community is sustained by 

the environment, including this oil 

spill impacted environment in 

terms of livelihood activities like 

logging, hunting, fishing, farming, 

herbs, drinking water, etc. All we 

are pleading is that, Agip should 

return to the impacted 

environment and do proper cleanup. 

We are also pleading with the 

state government to look into this 

matter. 

Bayelsa…THE PEOPLE'S PARADISE 

“Normally, the JIV 

report ought to have 

been signed at the site 

of incident. But, these 

people (Agip) argued 

with us (Apoi 

community). The argument 

dragged on 

until we were invited 

to the Bayelsa State 

Government House. 

It was at the Government 

House that the JIV report 

was finally signed under serious 

pressure. Agip then told us that 

after clamping, they will return the 

following week for cleanup. But 

since that statement was made till 

date, they haven’t come here for 

cleanup since 2017 till date. 

“The only day we saw someone 

visiting the environment, it 

was an Agip contractor. He said 

he was the contractor to do the 

•Tobin Seigha, standing in front of the 

strange, foamy chemical 

AKWA IBOM…LAND OF PROMISE 

By Harris-Okon Emmanuel to serve the university community. Scheme to serve university 

T 

Speaking during the inauguration “And the President has asked me 

HE students, staff and of the project in Uyo, Senior Special to come and commission the facility, 

management of University of Assistant to the President on see the extent of its completion, see 

Uyo, UNIUYO, in Akwa Ibom State Legislative Matters, Senator Ita where it could reach and what more 

are in high spirits and they have many Enang, explained that the project could be done for the institution. He 

reasons to be excited. The acute water was not sponsored by him, but has mandated us to ensure that the 

shortage being experienced in Uyo, embarked upon by the Federal presence of his administration is felt 

the state capital, would not affect the Government’s agency under the in all the nooks and crannies of the 

institution, as the mini-water project Federal Ministry of Water Resources. country, of which UNIUYO will not 

which commenced in 2014, has come Ita, who represented President be an exception. 

on stream. 

Muhammadu Buhari said: “I want “The vision of the Buhari 

Niger-Delta Voice learned that the to state it clearly that I do not take administration in its support and 

project consists of 12-inch borehole, glory for what that does not belong assistance to the University of Uyo 

135 cubic metre overhead tank and to me. The project was not executed and any other institution in the 

150 horse power stand by generator from my personal funds. I only country, is to ensure that when the 

to power it. 

facilitated the provision of the facility doors of education are open to the 

Federal Govt intervention from the budget of the Federal teeming youths, the prison doors are 

The project was undertaken by the Government through the Cross River shut. 

Cross River Basin Development Basin Development Authority, “For the reticulation of the water, 

Authority, a subsidiary of the Federal CRBDA under the Ministry of Water we will work with Cross River Basin 

Ministry of Water Resources, Abuja Resources. 

Development Authority to extend the 

cleanup. Before we knew it, this 

contractor with some persons 

from Apoi living in Yenagoa 

went to the spill site in the name 

of cleanup without seeing the 

leadership of the community. 

“The community questioned 

the unofficial manner of going 

about it; without following due 

process. When the team was 

asked to meet the community 

leadership for proper understanding 

before any work is 

done at the site, the contractor 

told the community folks that already, 

related issues have been 

agreed upon with some Apoi indigenes 

outside the community.” 

Agip’s position 

Agip, in their reaction said 

there are factions in the community 

owing to intracommunity 

clashes in the 

community, insisiting that they 

were dealing with one of the 

community factions. 

Agip General Manager, District 

GMD, Mr. Marco Rodondi 

in his response obtained by 

NDV stated: “As you are aware, 

this spill caused us a lot of headaches 

due to clashes between 

two factions that impeded the 

access to site and severally delayed 

repair and cleanup operations. 

“We commenced cleanup of the 

spill with an initial recovery 

phase, right after the leak by 

recovering as much as possible 

of free oil. The second phase of 

the cleanup activity, being carried 

out by Fakpo Services (recommended 

by community, Faction 

A), was stopped several 

times by Faction B. Faction B of 

the community was insisting that 

the contract be awarded to a contractor 

that did not have the requisite 

regulatory certification for 

the provision of oil spill cleanup 

services. 

“This substantially delayed 

further cleanup effort. We reported 

this problem to the regulatory 

agencies. Following further 

engagement with the community, 

Fakpo was eventually 

allowed to commence the cleanup. 

We carried out a joint monitoring 

of the cleanup site with 

government regulatory agencies 

and the community representatives 

including Vice- 

Chairman of the community on 

Mach 28, 2018 and the contractor 

is on site to conclude the 

cleanup. 

“We also wish to inform you 

that compensation has been 

paid to the community through 

a firm whom they donated a 

power of attorney for the payment. 

The payment was made 

in February of this year. Therefore, 

we totally reject this false 

allegation regarding the payment." 

Contractor's reaction 

The Agip contractor, Chief Israel, 

when contacted on why the 

cleanup has not been carried 

out said: “That is not true, we 

have done the cleanup job.” 

Excitement as UNIUYO mini-water scheme comes on stream 

facility beyond the estimated two 

kilometres.” 

More projects underway 

Senator Enang, however, 

promised that he would take up the 

uncompleted hostel at the main 

campus with the authorities of the 

interventionist agency, Niger-Delta 

Development Commission, NDDC; 

assuring funds were now available 

for the completion of the Law Library 

he facilitated in the university. 

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Enefiok 

Essien in his remark, thanked the 

Federal Government for the 

completion of the project which 

started in 2014, describing water as 

a source of life to all living things, 

adding that the university requires 

about N3 million to reticulate the 

water within the university 

environment.



High fertility rate fueling underdevelopment — Experts 

By Chioma Obinna 

WHEN John and 

Josephine Adigwe 

got married several years 

back, all they could think 

about at that time, was 

making babies. Today, 

Josephine is a mother of 

eight. Faced with the 

current economic 

challenges in the country, 

the meagre income of her 

husband, a carpenter, 

cannot meet the needs of 

the family. The family of 

10 is surviving hand-tomouth. 

Four of the children 

have dropped out of school, 

even as three square meals 

daily is a tall dream. 

Josephine is one of the 

Nigerian women of 

reproductive age that are 

not accessing 

contraceptives and 

suffering the consequences 

that made up the 16 

percent family planning 

unment need, according to 

the 2013 Demographic 

Health Survey. 

While the Adigwes are 

endangering the future of 

their young ones and 

swelling the number of 

dependents of the country, 

Godson and Tina Egwu, 

are working towards 

achieving a better future for 

their two children. 

Married 10 years after 

graduation, Godson, a civil 

servant, took it upon 

himself to plan his family. 

Exactly, 13 months after 

their nuptial, his wife gave 

birth to a baby girl. The 

couple agreed to seek 

family planning services 

and opted for long acting 

contraceptives that helped 

to prevent pregnancy for 

five years before the third 

child was born. 

Today, their children are 

healthy and in school and 

with potential to contribute 

positively to the country’s 

economic growth. 

Sadly, there are more 

families like the Adigwes 

than the likes of the 

Godsons. 

Statistics from the Nigeria 

dividend.org show that as 

at mid- 2016, Nigeria had 

a population of 186 million, 

annual population growth 

rate of nearly 3 percent, and 

44 percent of the 

population was under age 

15. 

According to the data, the 

Total Fertility Rate, TFR, or 

the average number of 

children per woman over 

the course of her lifetime, 

declined from 6.5 in 1990 

to 5.7 in 2015. Given 

INFOGRAPH: A family of six children. If current trends continue, the large size of the young population 

relative to the working-age population will delay all four demographic dividends of health, education, 

political stability and economy. Image by Paceproject.org 

Nigeria’s high population 

size and population growth 

rate, even assuming a 

decline in total fertility rate 

to 3.7, the population is 

expected to grow to over 

440 million by 2050. 

From the 2016/2017 

Multiple Indicator Cluster 

Survey, MICS, Nigeria has 

a fertility rate of nearly 6 

children per woman and a 

median age of 18. The 

survey also showed that 

before age 19, some women 

in Nigeria must have given 

birth to a live baby. 

Health watchers say 

although Nigeria has made 

bold efforts to achieve rapid 

economic development 

over the past four decades, 

among other factors, rapid 

population growth has 

affected the quality of life 

and made achievement of 

socio-economic 

development goals 

difficult. 

While launching the 

roadmap on harnessing 

demographic dividend in 

the youth population, the 

Vice President, Prof Yemi 

Osinbajo, expressed worry 

about the Nigeria’s fertility 

rate, saying with the 

youthful age structure of 

about half of the population 

under 35 years, the 

implication of such 

demographic realities for 

the country’s development 

may have consequences too 

grave to be ignored. 

Experts estimate that the 

window of opportunity for 

demographic dividend 

occurs when the age of the 

young population and the 

older population is between 

26 and 41 years. 

Findings show that 

countries with higher 

fertility rate are unlikely to 

achieve desired levels of 

development across 

multiple sectors. But with 

a change in maturing age 

structure opens a window 

of opportunity across four 

sectors – health, education, 

economic and political. 

In a research carried out 

by Dr Richard Cincotta, a 

political demographer 

associated with Stimson 

Center and Wilson Center 

in Washington DC on how 

Age Structure Change Can 

Benefit Development with 

statistical analysis using 

data from over 100 countries 

for a period of over four 

decades, it was found that 

countries with very youthful 

populations almost never 

attain high thresholds of 

development. Nigeria falls 

among these countries. 

The research specifically 

found that Nigeria has only 

1 percent chance of 

achieving the Sustainable 

Development Goal, SDG, 

target of reducing under-5 

mortality to less than 25 

deaths per 1,000 live births. 

But experts say if the 

country invests more in 

Nigeria has only 

one per cent 

chance of 

achieving the 

Sustainable 

Development 

Goal target of 

reducing under- 

5 mortality 

reproductive health 

particularly family 

planning in areas with poor 

health indicators, then 

fertility levels may begin to 

decline more significantly, 

and children will be more 

likely to achieve better basic 

levels of health. 

Supporting this view, the 

Programme Director, 

Population Reference 

Bureau, PRB, Elizabeth 

Leahy Madsen, said all 

was not gloomy for Nigeria, 

if the country invests 

massively in child survival 

and child spacing, adding 

that such investments can 

turn things around. But she 

observed that demographic 

window of opportunity 

does not open on its own. 

She said countries must 

provide women with 

voluntary family planning 

information and services as 

it helps couples achieve 

their desired family size 

and contributes to improved 

child health through 

promoting healthy timing 

and spacing of 

pregnancies. 

Using historical data from 

countries that have 

achieved the child survival 

dividend in the research 

supported by Population 

Reference Bureau, PRB, 

USAID and Policy 

Advocacy Communication 

Enhanced, (PACE), 

Nigeria's likelihood of 

achieving the child survival 

dividend is possible only if 

the country's total fertility 

rate, or the average number 

of children a woman would 

have in her lifetime, 

continues to decline. 

It also showed that a 

faster decrease in the total 

fertility rate could accelerate 

Nigeria's progress toward 

the child survival dividend. 

From the statistical graph, 

in 2015, Nigeria’s median 

age (the exact mid-point in 

a population, where half of 

all people are older and half 

are younger) is projected to 

be 18 in 2020, with a fertility 

rate of more than 5 children 

per woman. With such a 

high percentage of young 

people in the population, 

Nigeria has a very small 

chance of achieving any of 

the four dividends. By 2030, 

the UN projects that fertility 

would decline below 5 

children per woman, but 

the median age would still 

be very young, at 19 years. 

And, Nigeria would 

continue to have high child 

mortality. The UN 

Sustainable Development 

Goals aim to reduce the 

number of preventable 

child deaths by 2030, to 25 

or fewer deaths of children 

under five per 1,000 live 

births. Nigeria is one of the 

countries least likely to 

accomplish this across 

Africa, which means that its 

child mortality rate will 

remain higher than in most 

other African countries, 

including neighboring 

Cameroon. Currently, 10% 

of children in Nigeria die 

before their fifth birthday, 

and that is likely to reduce 

only slightly during the 

next couple of decades. 

"Because Nigeria’s 

fertility rate has remained 

high for so long, the chance 

of the country as a whole 

achieving any of the four 

dividends will not rise 

above 50% for several 

decades. But individual 

families – parents and 

children – can benefit 

immediately from smaller 

family size. Smaller 

families share resources 

among fewer people, 

which means each child 

can be better fed, educated, 

and cared for. 

"By 2020, Nigeria is 

expected to have fertility 

rate of 5.4 with a median 

age of 18 and likelihood of 

achieving child survival 

dividend is 2 percent. By 

2025, Nigeria will achieve 

a total fertility rate of 5.1 

with median of 19 percent, 

and likelihood of achieving 

child survival dividend will 

be 2 percent. 

“In 2030, the Total fertility 

rate will be 4.7, median age 

19 and the percent 

likelihood of achieving the 

child survival dividend 

increased to 2 percent. In 

2035, Nigeria will have 4.4 

total fertility rate with 

median age of 20 and the 

likelihood of achieving the 

child survival dividend will 

be 3 percent. By 2040, the 

country's TFR will be 4.1 

with a median age of 21 and 

likelihood of achieving child 

survival will be 4 percent. 

Also, by 2045, it will 

achieve 3.8 fertility rate 

with median age of 22 and 



By 2050, it will achieve 3.5 

total fertility rate with 

median age of 22 and 



Corroborating her views, 

a Reproductive Health/ 

Family Planning Advisor, 

Mrs. Jumoke Adekogba, 

who spoke on the fertility, 

affects development in 

Health and education said 

“In Nigeria, more than 6 in 

10 births fall in at least one 

of the high risk categories. 

This means that more than 

half the children born have 

an elevated risk of dying 

before their fifth birthday 

“At the family level, 

having fewer mouths to 

feed could help to reduce 

poverty and free more 

money to educate or help 

each child.” 

Adekogba explained that 

having fewer children was 

a potential to increase the 

rate of economic growth 

and remain a path out of 

poverty for many Nigerian 

families. 

She noted that in the 

education sector, findings 

have shown that if Nigeria 

continues on its current 

path of high fertility, the 

number of primary school 

pupils will more than 

double by 2040. 

“If the country takes the 

path of low fertility, the 

nation has fewer students, 

there will be less pressure 

to build new schools and 

provide better health for the 

children,” she noted.


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The man, Great Ovedje Ogboru 

By Henry Efe Duku 

POPULARLY called 

‘The Peoples General’ 

by his political followers 

and even a great 

many of his opponents 

for his principled stance 

against bad governance, 

Chief Great OvedjeOgboru 

is a business and 

political leadership icon 

to many. He was born on 

the 10th day of April, 

1958 in Port Harcourt to 

the famous Ogboru Dynasty 

of Abrakaof Urhobo 

and the Okolocha family 

of Umukuata in Anioma, 

both in Delta State. 

A Christian, Ogboruis 

married to Stella EbiOgboru, 

a virtuous Ijaw amazon. 

They have four 

children. 

Early Life 

Great Ogboru had his 

elementary education at 

Municipal Primary 

School, Port Harcourt, 

Christian Missionaries 

Society (CMS) Primary 

School, Abraka and Local 

Authority (LA) (now Oharisi) 

Primary School, 

Ughelli from 1966 to 

1971. He was admitted 

into the prestigious Government 

College, Ughelli 

(GCU) in 1971 and finished 

in 1975. Immediately 

thereafter, he worked 

for four years as a primary 

school teacher at 

Owodoawanre Primary 

School, Ughelli. Within 

this period, he obtained 

his Advanced Levels result. 

Business 

In 1980, young Great 

was faced with serious 

challenges of life. Fourth 

in a family of 16 children, 

Great appreciated the full 

financial burden on his 

low-income civil servant 

father. He chose therefore 

to momentarily sacrifice 

higher education in 

the hope that decision 

would in the future be a 

positive turning point in 

the destiny of his family. 

Consequently, in January 

1978, he left home, clutching 

a bag that contained 

only four shirts and three 

trousers, and headed to 

Lagos in search of ‘greatness’ 

– a bold step of faith 

that would later transform 

so many lives beyond 

imagination. And so, his 

sojourn in corporate Nigeriastarted 

as a Marketing 

Officer in Exchange 

Fisheries, a small Lagos 

fishing company. Exchange 

Fisheries became 

a “necessary apprenticeship 

opportunity”. 

For greater effectiveness 

in his marketing 

role, he enrolled into the 

Chartered Institute of 

Marketing, London. 

Just aged 25, Ogboru 

left paid employment and 

started his own business 

in 1983. Banking on his 

rare sense of personal 

integrity and divine 

grace, he established Fiogret 

Limited, a frozen fish 

trading company. Fiogret 

grew rapidly into a global 

fishing conglomerate 

with fishing licenses 

around the world. Within 

three years, Ogboruestablished 

many successful 

subsidiaries of 

Fiogret in quick succession 

including, Grato – a 

foremost furniture production 

company; GLE 

Finance, a finance company 

with bureau de 

change operations; Sofimar 

Fisheries – a USD 5 

Million capitalised, 

USD25 Million assets 

base Joint Venture with 

the former Union Soviet 

Socialist Republic (USSR) 

Government; Abraka Rubber 

Industries; Ajalomi 

Shipping Company; West 

Coast Publicity Company; 

and Fiogret Express. 

He also got a banking licence 

from the Central 

Bank of Nigeria. 

With these businesses, 

Ogboru’s name became 

registered in global corporate 

consciousness as 

arguably then Nigeria's 

youngest and richest 

business mogul and billionaire. 

On August 10, 

1989, he took the world 

stage by storm as the 

youngest and highest 

Nigerian donor to the 

Namibia Solidarity Fund 

(NSF) in the ancient city 

of Benin. A firm believer 

in humanity and its preservation, 

he stood with 

the people of Namibia in 

their struggle for freedom 

because for him, “Humanity 

is one.” His philanthropic 

works are rooted 

in uncommon humility. 

Once asked about what 

he does for society with 

his wealth, he simply answered, 

“Ask the people. 

I am just favoured by 

grace to be an instrument 

in God’s hands.” 

Self-Exile 

It has been said that 

Great Ogboru is “unapologetically 

democratic” 

and a “natural hater and 

fighter of any form of socio-political 

dictatorship, 

tyranny or hegemonic 

misrule.” In 1990, it was 

alleged that he supported 

an attempt to remove 

the military dictatorship 

of Ibrahim Babangida although 

he was later 

cleared of any wrongdoing 

in the matter in 1999 

by the Federal Government 

of Nigeria under 

then Head of State, General 

Abdulsalam Abubakar. 

This allegation led to 

his self-exile in the United 

Kingdom from 1990 to 

2000. With this, his business 

empire in Nigeria 

suffered setbacks in the 

hands of successive military 

governments during 

this period. Upon his return 

from exile, Ogboru’s 

businesses initiated bold 

legal actions for wholeness 

against the Federal 

Government on various 

grounds including assets 

stripping, balkanization, 

and ‘continuous violation’. 

Ogboru won. 

Further Education 

Chief Great OvedjeOgboru 

Exile afforded Great 

Ogboru a break from intense 

business pressures 

for personal academic 

development. With less 

busy corporate schedules, 

he returned to the 

Chartered Institute of 

Marketing, London and 

completed his studies 

there. Thereafter, he attended 

Huron University 

of South Dakota, London 

Campus where he 

obtained a Master of 

Ogboru has a 

marathoner’s 

mindset to necessary 

change. 

For him it requires 

courage, 

endurance, vision, 

and a constancy 

of purpose. 

He believes 

real 

change does not 

come on a platter 

of gold. For him, 

obstacles are enemies 

of change 

that must be successfully 

challenged 

Business Administration 

degree. He went on to 

study for and obtained a 

Master Degree in International 

Relations at the 

University of Kent in Canterbury. 

His research 

work at Kent on the effects 

of IMF’s Structural 

Adjustment Programme 

(SAP) on the economies 

of Ghana and Nigeria 

still stands out there. 

Politics 

Great Ogboru is a member 

of the Nigeria Policy 

Group (NPG) – an august 

body that financed and 

supported democratic 

struggles from abroad to 

return Nigeria to democracy 

in the heyday of military 

dictatorship. He is a 

respected grassroots political 

leader in Delta 

where he is the nemesis 

of bad governance and 

misrule. Convinced about 

his ‘Equal Opportunities 

Development Initiative 

(EODI)’ – a well-articulated 

governance agenda 

to transform Delta State to 

a modern economy and 

society, he has remained 

passionately consistent 

about leading his people 

to turn the fortunes of Delta 

around. His patience 

and consistency on the 

Delta Project derives from 

Ogboru’s core as a leader. 

Ogboru has a marathoner’s 

mindset to necessary 

change. For him it 

requires courage, endurance, 

vision, and a constancy 

of purpose. He believes 

real change does 

not come on a platter of 

gold. For him, obstacles 

are enemies of change 

that must be successfully 

challenged. As the great 

writer OgMadino put it 

in his bestseller ‘The 

Greatest Salesman in the 

World’, “… victory comes 

only after many struggles 

and countless defeats. Yet 

each struggle, each defeat, 

sharpens your skills 

and strengths, your courage 

and your endurance, 

your ability and your confidence 

and thus each obstacles 

is a comrade-inarms 

forcing you to become 

better … or quit.” So 

Ogboru knows that the 

possibility of a better future 

is often lost when 

people fear or turn away 

from challenges. For him, 

they are to be confronted. 

For Delta, Ogboru holds 

the firm view that the state 

is in a needlessly pitiable 

state and this must 

change for sustainable 

development. For him, 

“Ours is a rescue mission 

for the good of all. Like 

the Asian Tigers, we must 

make deliberate haste to 

create a modern economy 

in Delta for our people. 

The more time we waste, 

the more harm they cause 

us all – whether Urhobo, 

Kwale, Ika, Aniocha, 

Ndo-Oshimili, Itsekiri, 

Isoko, or Ijaw. Partisan 

sentiments aside, is there 

any sustainable progress 

in Delta? Where are the 

businesses? Where are 

the jobs? Do they know 

the danger of ignoring 

the youths? … We are 

better than this mediocrity. 

Something has to give 

way.” This is the essential 

Ogboru. Our people 

overwhelmingly agree 

with him that anything 

other than good governance 

that leads our people 

on a clear visionary 

path of undoubted excellence 

is a waste of time. 

Ogboru’s personality, 

political philosophy and 

governance agenda resonate 

with Deltans for 

good and obvious reasons. 

He is a visionary 

with immense capacity to 

create wealth and do 

things right. Principled 

and incorruptible, many 

rightly see in Ogboru the 

much-needed answer to 

Delta’s unpardonable 

governance decadence. 

Very kind at heart and 

soft in appearance, Ogboru 

is nonetheless generally 

known to be very 

tough against lawlessness 

and whatever that is 

corrupt. Also, his unique 

perspective to the purpose 

of wealth endears 

the people to him. It is 

probably to this end that 

Comrade Emeka Nwaola, 

Labour Party Chairman 

in Delta State, recently 

noted that: “If every rich 

man behaves like Chief 

Ogboru who sees wealth 

as nothing, then the madness 

of looting the treasury 

will be minimal. I 

commend his simplicity 

to affluence. Though he 

left our party LP, I still 

respect and love him.” 

That probably summarizes 

the Ogboru persona 

with regards to affluence 

and public leadership 

and how it connects 

seamlessly with the people. 

Happy Birthday! 

Today is Olorogun 

Great Ovedje Ogboru’s 

60th birthday! How time 

flies! Ever handsome like 

a beauty queen and effervescent 

but humble in 

all his ways, this champion 

whom grace raised 

from the rustic village of 

Ajalomi in Abraka is now 

60 years in his wonderful 

earthly journey. For 

this wealthy captain of industry, 

quiet philanthropist 

and credible political 

leader, life has no doubt 

been both beautiful and 

challenging but through 

it all, God has been specially 

gracious and faithful 

to him. Blessed by 

God with an amazingly 

simple life, humane values 

and with his principled 

struggles for a better 

society for all, Ogboru 

is a “bright point of 

light” shining for many to 

see. For a leader who 

gives his all, this is a rare 

moment to give him the 

best of our heart’s content. 

Therefore, one must 

say, ‘Happy Birthday and 

Many Happy Returns’ to 

the People’s General. 

May the good Lord continue 

to shower you with 

His grace, loving kindness, 

and mercies. 

*Prince Efe Duku, a Senior 

Legislative Aide in the 

Senate and former Executive 

Assistant to Chief Great Ogboru, 

wrote from Abuja. 

Reyenieju to 

Warri youths: 

Be peaceful to 

attract 

developmental 

projects 

By Jeremiah 

Urowayino 

THE 

member 

representing Warri 

Federal Constituency in 

the House of 

Representatives, Mr. 

Daniel Reyenieju has 

enjoined communities 

and youths in Warri to be 

peaceful and law abiding 

to attract government’s 

developmental 

programmes and 

investors, noting that the 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowaled 

administration has 

prioritised the provision of 

network of roads, job 

creation through the 

S T E P / Y A G E P 

programme, upgrade of 

education 

including 

facilities, 

technical 

education, among others. 

Reyenieju,who made 

this disclosure in an 

interview with newsmen 

in Koko, headquarters of 

Warri North Local 

Government Area, while 

in company of Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa for project 

commissioning said: “No 

meaningful development 

can be achieved in an 

environment of conflicts 

and acrimony as 

government and investors 

cannot invest their 

resources in such an 

environment." 

Delta launches 

nonstop flight 

from Lagos to 

New York-JFK 

By Lawani Mikairu 

DELTA Airlines has 

launched a new 

nonstop service from 

Lagos to New York-JFK, 

linking the financial 

capital of Nigeria to the 

financial capital of the 

world. The New York-JFK 

route complements the 

airline’s existing flight to 

Atlanta, providing a daily 

departure and more travel 

choice to the US than ever 

before. 

The New York-JFK flight 

will operate three times 

weekly, with Delta’s 

existing services to 

Atlanta departing on the 

other four days. 

Customers flying to 

Delta’s New York-JFK 

hub will benefit from more 

connections across the 

US to destinations 

including Washington DC, 

Baltimore and Chicago. 

Speaking about the new 

route , Mr. / Corneel 

Koster, Delta’s senior vice 

president, Europe, Middle 

East, Africa and India 

said: “With the U.S. the 

largest foreign investor in 

Nigeria, this new route 

underscores our 

commitment to the 

market by facilitating 

trade and commerce 

between our nations."

Vanguard, TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2018 —49 

PRESIDENT BUHARI DEPARTS FOR UK— President Muhammadu 

Buhari (left) with Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari (right) and FCT Minister, 

Mallam Muhammed Musa Bello, as he departs Abuja, yesterday, from the 

Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, for the United 

Kingdom, where he is expected to hold discussions with Prime Minister 

Theresa May and attend CHOGM. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. 




decision taken by NEC on 

February 27 is legal and 

constitutional; and 

violated neither the party 

constitution nor that of the 

federation, it is still in the 

best interest of the party 

to conduct congresses 

and convention. However, 

in doing so, all 

reasonable measures 

should be taken to 

minimise opportunity for 

acrimony or rancour while 

ensuring that all 

prescribed constitutional 

and legal conditions are 

met.” 

Earlier at the 

commencement of the 

meeting, the president 

gave a hint of what was 

to come as he engaged 

members in a conciliatory 

manner, urging them to 

close ranks and deliver 

the party to Nigerians in 

2019. 

In a deft political move 

to placate contending 

forces in the party 

regarding the leadership 

of the party, President 

Buhari asked the NEC to 

grant waivers to members 

of the Odigie-Oyegunled 

National Working 

Committee, NWC, who 

wish to seek re-election. 

President Buhari 

urges unity 

The President said: “I 

want to specifically thank 

members of the technical 

committee for a job well 

done within a limited time 

frame. It shows the 

essence of commitment 

and the ideals of our 

party, with a view to 

consolidating the party to 

continue to provide good 

governance in the overall 

interest of Nigerians. 

“The general interest of 

the party and based on the 

report submitted by the 

technical committee, it is 

important to focus on how 

to move the party forward 

NAIRA WATCH 

Naira depreciates to 

N360.21/$ in I&E 

By Adaeze Okechukwu 

The naira yesterday commenced the week with a 

32 kobo depreciation to N360.33 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 window rose to N360.33 per dollar 

yesterday, from N360.01 per dollar on Friday last 

week , indicating 32 kobo depreciation of the naira. 

The depreciation was occasioned by a 16 percent 

decline in the volume of turnover recorded I&E 

window yesterday. The transactions in the window 

stood at $217.15 million, down from $259.03 million 

recorded on Friday last week. 

Meanwhile, naira remained stable at N362 per 

dollar yesterday for the eleventh consecutive 

business day in the parallel market. 

by avoiding actions 

detrimental to the interest 

of the party. 

“Considering that 

politics is a game of 

numbers, we must not be a 

house divided against itself 

and must try to appreciate 

and accommodate our 

differences as far as the law 

permits. 

“Having seen the report, 

my position is to ensure 

that the party tows the part 

of unity, legality, cohesion 

and not that of division. 

Therefore, I am stressing 

that we strengthen our 

internal democracy by 

organizing party 

congresses and convention 

where election of national 

executive committee 

members will be held. This 

will automatically end the 

cases filed by members 

seeking orders of court 

compelling the party to hold 

its congresses. 

“I also believe that the 

current executives should 

be free to run for elective 

positions in the party if they 

so wish and permitted by 

our party constitution. 

“However, considering 

the provision of Article 30 

Section 1 and Subsection 3 

of our party constitution, 

which requires any serving 

officer desirous of seeking 

re-election, to resign from 

office 30 days before the 

election, I’m not sure of the 

practicality of the present 

serving officers’ ability to 

meet this condition. 

“Accordingly, the party 

may consider granting 

waivers to party executives 

at all levels so that they are 

not disenfranchised in 

participating in the 

elections provided this does 

not violate our rights or our 

rules. 

“Necessary waivers 

should also be extended to 

executives at the ward level 

whose tenures may have 

elapsed and indeed to 

anyone knocking on our 

doors from other parties. 

“Just like our party 

symbol is the broom, we 

stand by strength in unity. 

Let us try to be united in 

party, victory is sure by the 

grace of God. And together, 

we must continue to 

sanitise Nigeria’s political 

environment. I welcome 

you to this meeting with the 

hope that in our 

deliberations, we will 

conduct ourselves without 

rancour, and promote the 

highest interest of our party 

and the nation.” 

Why I endured 

media attacks by 

my opponents 

—Oyegun 

Earlier, Odigie-Oyegun, 

while opening the meeting 

had lamented at the extent 

to which some party 

members went to discredit 

him. 

“In the past days, I have 

read news reports and all 

manner of comments and 

opinions that have tried to 

frame the majority decision 

of NEC as an attempt to 

primarily secure “tenure 

elongation” for Oyegun 

and the NWC. This is quite 

unfortunate because 

nothing could be farther 

from the truth. 

“We are looking for ways 

to minimize rancour in the 

party ahead of the next 

general elections, and we 

are looking for ways to save 

the party from potential 

legal booby traps. These are 

both valid considerations. 

The challenge that we have 

faced has been how to 

reconcile the two in the best 

interest of the party. 

“On a personal note, I 

have had to endure virulent 

media attacks, malicious 

insinuations, and outright 

character assassination. 

However, the responsibility 

imposed on me by my 

position as the National 

Chairman of the party, 

demand that I rise above my 

personal pains and refuse 

to yield to the temptation to 

react in a manner that 

potentially complicates the 

situation for our party. 

However, I will like to urge 

everyone else to remember 

that regardless of our 

ambitions and personal 

interests, the party is 

greater than all of us. 

Vanguard recalls that at 

the NEC meeting of 

February 27, members 

requested the NEC to 

approve a timetable for 

congresses and the 

convention ahead of the 

expiration of the tenure of 

the current executive. 

However, rather than 

approve the timetable, 

“members expressed 

concern that if we 

embarked on the 

congresses as planned, the 

process could precipitate a 

series of rancour, which 

might be difficult for the 

party to manage ahead of 

the coming general 

elections. It was, therefore, 

resolved by a majority of 104 

to 4 votes that the current 

executives of the party at all 

levels be allowed to 

continue in acting capacity 

for a period not exceeding 

12 months starting from 

June 2018. 

NEC retains Zoning 

Formula 

In line with the 

recommendation of the 

Lalong Committee, the 

NEC also retained the 

zoning formula for the 

party. 

The Lalong committee 

had in its report which was 

sighted by Vanguard 

recommended what it said 

was “a roadmap to the 

Congress and the 

convention respectively.” 

The recommendations 

are; “21 days statutory 

notice for the holding of 

elective congresses and 

convention be given to 

INEC immediately; the 

current zoning formula for 

party offices be retained; 

requirements of article 

31(ii) be waived in line with 

the provisions of article 

13.4(xv) to avoid disruption 

in the management of 

party affairs at all levels. All 

pending suits in respect of 

this matter be withdrawn.” 

Wild jubilation in 

Kano 

Meanwhile, there was 

wild jubilation in Kano, 

yesterday after the 

declaration, as youths in 

their hundreds took to the 

streets to celebrate. 

Usman Baba, a resident, 

said the past three years of 

the Buhari administration 

had been spent restoring 

security in the country and 

fighting corruption. 

“We are happy and 

hoping that President 

Buhari should return to 

embark on infrastructural 

development since he has 

already retrieved a lot from 

looters,” he was quoted to 

have said. 

“We don’t want someone 

to come and embezzle the 

retrieved loot or divert it to 

some looters again. That is 

why we want him to serve 

another term.” 

Abduljalal Mu’azu, 

another resident, also 

expressed optimism that if 

Buhari wins a second term, 

the country’s situation 

might improve. 

A female respondent 

Malama Musa, said the 

world had accepted the 

president as trustworthy 

and transparent. 

Reactions to 

Buhari’s 

declaration 

It is an internal APC 

affair - PDP 

The Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) has said 

Buhari’s declaration is an 

internal affair of the APC for 

which it would not interfere. 

The PDP National 

Publicity Secretary, Kola 

Ologbondiyan told 

Vanguard that the 

declaration had placed 

President Buhari among 

the ranks of aspirants 

seeking to be the President 

of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, effective May 29, 

2019. 

“Until he becomes the 

candidate of the APC, we 

will not spend precious time 

on his mere show of 

interest,” he noted. 

He has the right to 

contest; we have the right 

to vote – Labour 

Comrade Issa Aremu, 

General Secretary of the 

National Union of Textile, 

Garments and Tailoring 

Workers of Nigeria, 

NUTGTWN said while it is 

the president’s 

constitutional right to 

contest, workers would 

exercise their right to vote 

for who they feel is best for 

Nigeria. 

“For us in the labour 

movement, 1999 

Constitution of Nigeria 

allows for two-term tenure 

for the President if elected. 

Same for governors and 

open-ended for legislators. 

“The controversy over 

why the President is 

contesting or not is 

therefore unnecessary. He 

has that right for reelection. 

What is also clear is that 

Labour will also exercise its 

constitutional rights to vote 

based on critical 

assessment of all political 

office holders with respect 

to decent work, decent pay, 

employment, cost of living, 

security and building of a 

prosperous, fair, just and 

united Nigeria. 

Buhari should not seek 

reelection - Onyia 

Former Minister of 

Foreign Affairs, Chief 

Dubem Onyia, in his 

reaction said: “Buhari 

scored low in all sectors. He 

came to power with the 

promise that he would 

fight corruption. In four 

years, nobody has been 

brought to book for 

corruption, and there is 

pervasive corruption 

everywhere. Look at the 

issue of Maina. He even 

recalled somebody who 

was sacked for alleged 

corruption. 

“The job of the 

government is to provide 

security for its citizens; he 

has failed to provide 

security for Nigerians. 

Nigerians are being 

slaughtered on a daily basis 

across the country, and 

nobody is doing anything. 

“Take the issue of the 

Naira. He came in when 

the exchange rate was 

N190 for a dollar, but it is 

now over N366 for one 

dollar." 

It is a big relief - Gov 

Shettima 

Speaking to Vanguard 

after visiting the Chief of 

Staff to the president, 

Mallam Abba Kyari, 

Governor Kashim Shettima 

Continues on Page 52



C 

M 

Y 

K

52—Vanguard, TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2018 

From right: General Alexander Ogomudia (Retd), former Chief of Army Staff; Dr.Emmanuel Uduaghan, 

former Governor of Delta State; Senator James Manager and Johnson Erijo, during the funeral ceremony 

of Chief Edegware, in Igbide town, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, weekend. 

Why I'm seeking a 2nd term 

— BUHARI 


of Borno State said: “We are 

fully in support of his 

decision, and it’s part of 

democratic culture. 

Traditionally, the president 

has the right of first refusal 

of the candidature of their 

party, so it’s not something 

that is unusual or 

unwarranted or 

unconstitutional. 

“He has done the right 

thing, he is going to contest, 

and we are solidly behind 

him." 

APC has no apology to 

make— Okorocha 

Governor Rochas 

Okorocha of Imo State in his 

response said it was a 

patriotic response to the 

clarion call of Nigerians of 

goodwill for him to lead the 

country for another 4 years. 

The governor noted too 

that, the declaration of the 

President to go for second 

term would also go a long 

way to reduce the noise of 

the opposition and take care 

of the idiosyncrasies of 

certain elements in the 

system. 

The governor said the 

President had done well to 

deserve second term and 

remarked that those who 

had wanted to blackmail 

him out of going for another 

term can now find other 

meaningful things to keep 

themselves busy. 

He expressed optimism 

that the President would 

largely garner more votes 

in 2019 than he had done 

in 2015 because most 

Nigerians, including 

people of the South-East, 

have seen that he meant 

well for the nation and her 

Citizenry. 

The governor said the 

APC has no apology to 

make because it has done 

well considering the 

magnitude of the rot it met 

on ground in 2015. 

We thank Buhari – 

Governor Bello 

Governor Yahaya Bello 

of Kogi State on his part, 

declared his staunch 

support for the 

president’s re-election. 

“I am a staunch 

supporter of Mr. 

President, and I am 

proud to be associated 

with such a great leader 

and personality,” saying 

the people of Kogi State 

were among the first to 

call on the president to 

seek re-election. 

“We thank Mr. 

President for listening to 

the voices of Nigerians 

who are satisfied with 

his performance." 

He has failed on all 

fronts - Fayose 

Governor Ayodele 

Fayose of Ekiti State on 

his part said: “That 

ambition is dead on 

arrival. We don’t want 

grandpa as president 

anymore. Nigeria does 

not deserve a Buhari as 

president in 2019. 

Buhari is old and tired. 

When people don’t know 

when to take their leave 

and say bye, Nigerians 

will show them the exit 

door. 

“He has done more 

harm to this country. His 

ambition is a means by 

which Nigerians will tell 

him good riddance to bad 

rubbish when they booth 

him out of office. He is 

an easy candidate to 

defeat in the poll for he 

has failed woefully." 

Contenders should 

have a rethink — 

Adesina 

Special Adviser to 

President Buhari on 

Media and Publicity, Mr. 

Femi Adesina advised 

prospective contenders 

to have a rethink, 

following Buhari’s 

declared interest to run 

for the forthcoming 2019 

election. 

Adesina noted that 

Buhari is the only 

candidate that can take 

Nigerians to the 

Promised Land. He 

disclosed this barely 

hours after the President 

made a public 

declaration to contest for 

2019. 

In his article, titled 

"2019: Let the others 

simply run away", 

Adesina reeled out 

Buhari’s achievements 

noting that he will 

support him as long as 

he knows that the 

president will perform 

more than anyone else. 

“There are two options 

for those in contention for 

the presidency in 2019: 

run, or run away. Now 

that President 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

indicated his intention to 

run, dwarfs trying to 

wear a giant’s shoes 

should simply run away.” 

Nnamani, 

Okechukwu, BSO react 

Former Senate 

President Ken Nnamani, 

the Director-General of 

Voice of Nigeria and the 

Buhari Support 

Organisation, BSO, in 

Enugu State, were 

among respondents to 


declaration to seek for a 

second term in office. 

Nnamani, who was 

Senate President under 

the platform of the 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, but now a 

member of the APC said: 

“He has taken the bull by 

the horn. There were 

hitches in his first term; 

maybe it will be a good 

opportunity to address 

them. 

On his part, the DG- 

VON, Mr. Osita 

Okechukwu said: “Now 

that he has agreed to our 

persuasions we believe 

he is the only one who 

can consolidate. The 

credibility of the loan that 

he is seeking for is 

because they know he 

can deliver with the 

money. 

“We expect he will 

deliver on roads, 

railway, power sector and 

self-sufficiency in 

agriculture. So we need 

him to consolidate on the 

achievements he has 

already made, it’s a 

welcome development.” 

The Enugu state 

chapter of Buhari 

Support Organisation on 

its part celebrated the 

President’s open 

declaration for second 

term bid. 

Chairman of BSO in 

Enugu, Chief Anike 

Nwoga in a statement, 

yesterday, said “it was is 

a launching pad for the 

progress and prosperity 

of our dear fatherland. A 

country whose growth 

has been stunted by 

infrastructure deficit. 

“BSO Enugu State 

Chapter rates the 

Buhari’s Roads, Rails, 

Agric and Power (RRAP) 

Projects as the most 

massive infrastructural 

development in the 

annals of the history of 

Nigeria, ever embarked 

by one regime.’’ 

He will meet us in the 

field – Adeniran, SDP 

chieftain 

Former Ambassador of 

Nigeria to the Republic 

of Germany and chieftain 

of the Social Democratic 

Party (SDP), Professor 

Tunde Adeniran has 

welcomed Buhari’s 

decision saying the SDP 

would meet him on the 

field. 

“We are happy that he has 

come out to confirm what we 

have always suspected. He 

will meet us in the field. He 

has to convince Nigerians 

why they should support 

him for another four more 

years of nepotism, 

insensitivity, insecurity, 

subjugation, and 

uncertainty.” 

His friends are deceiving 

him — Ezeife 

Former governor of 

Anambra State, Dr. 

Chukwuemeka Ezeife said 

the president’s friends did 

not advise him well even as 

he affirmed that the 

president would win the 

election. 

“Good luck to him if he 

has chosen to run again. If 

it is the will of God that he 

returns, there is nothing 

anybody can do about it. 

But if you ask me, I think 

his close friends should 

have advised him 

differently. That is my 

honest opinion,” Ezeife 

stressed. 

He is Nigeria’s saviour 

— Etiebet 

In his reaction, former 

Minister of Petroleum, 

Chief Don Etiebet, said: 

“We have been waiting 

anxiously for this 

declaration because some of 

us have been consistent 

and audacious in 

supporting him since May 

2015 when he became 

President of Nigeria. His 

presidency has shown he 

is the saviour of Nigeria, 

what is needed right now 

is for him to consolidate and 

entrench his programmes 

and policies as a foundation 

for Nigeria to take off as a 

nation for development.” 

Nigerians will live to 

regret it — Junaid 

Mohammed 

Reacting, Second 

Republic Lawmaker, Dr. 

Junaid Mohammed, said it 

is left for Nigerians whether 

President Buhari will get 

another term or not. 

“I believe nobody should 

be surprised about Buhari’s 

declaration. Why? Because 

Buhari is a kind of man that 

cares less about Nigerians 

and wants to hold on to 

power as long as he can. It 

is now left for Nigerians to 

decide whether he stays on 

or not. What I can boldly 

say is that if Buhari wins 

another term in office, there 

will not be end to corruption, 

insurgency, and insecurity. 

His loyalists and cronies 

will continue to milk the 

country.” 

All he wants is power 

— Okurounmun 

The Afenifere chieftain 

said by the declaration, 

President Buhari has 

shown that he does not 

have regards for Nigerians. 

“I think he cares about 

nobody, all he cares about 

is power. His quest for 

power does not make him 

think of anything like 

insecurity which is 

presently ravaging the 

country. I believe strongly 

he is doomed for failure, he 

is designed for disaster and 

I am sure he will meet his 

waterloo.” 

It’s left for Nigerians to 

decide —Afenifere 

In its reaction, the pan- 

Yoruba socio-political 

organisation, Afenifere, said 

though the president has a 

constitutional right to seek 

a second term in office, it is 

left for Nigerians to decide 

whether they want to 

support him or not. 

Afenifere’s National 

Publicity Secretary, Mr. 

Yinka Odumakin said: “He 

has constitutional rights to 

declare, and we also have 

constitutional rights to say 

whether we want to support 

him for a second term or not. 

So, now that he has thrown 

his hat in the ring, we want 

to see other hats in the ring. 

If Nigerians do not want 

what they have 

experienced in the last four 

years, they will decide. It is 

clear today that for Nigeria 

to move forward, Nigeria 

must be a productive 

country. 

He had no option 

– Senator Lawan 

“Last year, I said it that 

the President has no 

option than to run for the 

second term. He has 

been working very hard 

to set infrastructure 

foundation for Nigeria, 

and he needs to 

consolidate on that. With 

very scarce and limited 

resources due to the 

declining price of crude 

oil in the world market, 

this administration has 

been able to do a lot with 

the little it has got.” 

It is good for PDP 

– Senator Olujimi 

Deputy Minority Whip 

of the Senate, Senator 

Biodun Olujimi, PDP, 

who welcomed the 

development said it 

would make it better for 

the PDP to win. 

“We welcome him into 

the race because it will be 

easy to beat them.” 

Ball in Nigerians’ 

court – Ikokwu 

Second Republic 

politician, Chief Guy 

Ikokwu, said the ball is 

now in the court of 

Nigerians to decide 

based on their 

assessment of President 

Buhari’s performance. 

He said: "Buhari has 

the constitutional right to 

declare for second term. 

It is also the absolute 

right of Nigerians to 

assess his performance 

in office in the last three 

years and judge whether 

Nigeria has been better, 

whether there are real 

changes and 

improvement in their 

socio-economic and 

political welfare. If they 

felt he has done well, it 

is their privilege to 

endorse him.


C 

M 

Y 

K


Cambridge Analytica: Facebook alerts 

users over data scandal 

FACEBOOK mem 

bers can discover 

whether they are among 

the 87 million potential 

users whose data was 

shared with Cambridge 

Analytica. 

Every account holder is 

being sent one of two notices 

informing them 

whether their data was 

breached. The tech giant 

said people will also be 

shown what apps they 

use and what data those 

apps may have gathered. 

Facebook has additionally 

suspended a data 

analytics firm called 

Cubeyou, ahead of an investigation. 

The tech giant will look 

into into whether Cubeyou 

collected data for academic 

purposes and then 

used it commercially, following 

a partnership with 

Cambridge University in 

the UK. The investigation 

follows allegations 

reported by CNBC, regarding 

a personality 

quiz called “You Are What 

You Like”, also known as 

“Apply Magic Sauce”. 

Cubeyou denies the allegations. 

Both the firm 

and Cambridge University 

state that the app made it 

clear that data was for use 

in both academic and 

business purposes. 

In an emailed statement 

received by Bloomberg, 

Ime Archibong, vice-president 

of product partnerships, 

said Cubeyou’s 

apps would all be banned 

from the platform if the 

data firm “refuses or fails” 

the audit. Cubeyou said 

it has always complied 

Russian 

Foreign 

Minister Sergei Lavrov 

has said no evidence 

has been found of a chemical 

weapons attack in 

Syria’s formerly rebelheld 

town of Douma. 

Medical sources say dozens 

were killed in Saturday’s 

alleged attack but 

numbers are impossible 

to verify. 

Mr Lavrov said Russian 

specialists and aid workers 

had visited the area, 

which rebel fighters have 

started leaving under a 

surrender deal. The US 

and France have threatened 

a “joint, strong response”. 

US President 

Donald Trump said on 

Monday that the situation 

was being assessed and 

“major decisions” would 

be made within 48 hours. 

with Facebook’s rules. 

The news comes as Facebook 

chief Mark Zuckerberg 

revealed how he 

plans to begin two days of 

testimony to Congress in 

Washington regarding the 

recent scandals. His opening 

remarks include a 

pledge to never let advertisers 

or developers “take 

priority over” his firm’s 

mission to connect people. 

Russia says no evidence 

of chemical attack 

*Trump to meet Kim 

in June 

The claim from Russia - 

which has intervened militarily 

in Syria in support 

of the government - came 

after videos shot by rescue 

workers on Saturday 

showed lifeless bodies of 

men, women and children 

with foam at their mouths. 

Meanwhile, President 

Trump said on Monday 

that he planned to meet 

North Korean leader Kim 

Jong Un next month or in 

early June and hoped the 

discussions would ultimately 

lead to an end of 

the North’s nuclear weapons 

programme. 

Also, the FBI reportedly 

raided the office of President 

Trump’s personal 

lawyer, Michael Cohen. 

S/Africa’s top court dismisses Pistorius’ 

bid to appeal murder sentence 

SOUTH Africa’s Con 

stitutional Court has 

dismissed an application 

by paralympic gold medallist 

Oscar Pistorius to 

appeal his sentence for 

murdering his girlfriend, 

legal documents showed 

on Monday. 

Pistorious was initially 

jailed for six years for 

shooting dead Reeva 

Steenkamp, but prosecutors 

argued that sentence 

had been “shockingly lenient” 

and an appeal court 

agreed in November to 

more than double the term 

to 15 years. 

Pistorius challenged the 

appeals court’s ruling in 

the Constitutional Court. 

“The Constitutional Court 

Lufthansa cancels 800 flights 

amid strike action 

Lufthansa has been 

forced to cancel 800 

flights on Tuesday as the 

spring of discontent 

among Europe’s workers 

spreads to Germany. The 

airline has axed half of its 

1,600 scheduled flights, 

affecting 90,000 passengers. 

Workers are staging 

the walkout ahead of pay 

talks, following similar 

action in France. 

Air France is expected to 

face further disruption on 

Tuesday after industrial 

action at the weekend. 

Lufthansa told passengers 

whose flights had not 

has considered the application 

for condonation 

and leave to appeal. It has 

concluded that ... the application 

for leave to appeal 

should be dismissed 

as it does not engage this 

court’s jurisdiction,” read 

the court’s order dated 

March 28 and made public 

by the National Prosecuting 

Authority (NPA) 

on Monday. 

The NPA said it was 

pleased with the order. 

“We have always contended 

as the NPA that 

their leave to appeal has 

no prospects of success, 

and the Constitutional 

Court has just confirmed 

that,” NPA spokesman 

Luvuyo Mfaku said. 

China wary as Japan unveils 

first marine unit since WWII 

been cancelled to allow 

more time to travel and 

get to airports earlier. 

The walk-out does not 

involve Lufthansa’s own 

staff but public sector 

workers such as ground 

handlers at Frankfurt, 

Munich, Cologne and 

Bremen airports. The 

trade union Verdi said the 

strikes were intended to 

“increase pressure” on 

public sector employers 

ahead of wage talks. 

However, Lufthansa said 

it “cannot comprehend 

Verdi’s threat to carry out 

such a massive strike”. 

THE Chinese government 

has reacted warily 

to the establishment of a 

new Japanese amphibious 

special unit, designed 

to repel invasions 

on Japan’s remote islands. 

Japan and China have 

a long history of territorial 

disputes over islands 

in the East China Sea, in 

particular a rocky, uninhabited 

island chain 

known as the Diaoyu 

Islands in Beijing and 

the Senkaku in Tokyo. 

The Japanese Self 

Defense Force debuted 

their newly formed Amphibious 

Rapid Deployment 

Brigade (ARDB) on 

Saturday, at a military 

display near Sasebo, on 

the southwestern tip of 

Kyushu Island. 

About 1,500 members 

of the new unit conducted 

a public exercise, 

camouflaged with khaki 

stripes, imitating recapturing 

a Japanese island 

from an invading army. 

The unit gives Japan its 

first marine troops since 

World War II. 

Team Nigeria 

opens medal 

account 

TEAM Nigeria opened 

her account for 

medals at the ongoing 

Commonwealth Games in 

Australia yesterday with 

two Silver medals from the 

Team Event of Table Tennis 

and Shot Putt. 

A power-packed team of 

Segun Toriola, Bode 

Abiodun, and Olajide 

Omotayo took Nigeria to 

the podium behind Team 

India who snatched the 

Gold. 

The Nigerians highly 

tipped to pluck the Gold, 

however, succumbed to the 

superior fire-power of the 

Indians 3 - 0. 

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi 

with a distance throw of 

21:14 could not upstage 

New Zealand’s 21:14 that 

hit gold and he settled for 

Silver. 

Bode Abiodun started 

the first game with so 

much vim and vitality 

romping into 11 - 4 for the 

first set. But it was the 

Indian Achanta Sharath 

who bounced back to claim 

the three remaining sets at 

11 -5, 11 - 4, 11 - 9. 

Enekwechi clinches shot 

put silver for Nigeria 

NIGERIA’s athletics 

hopes at the 

Commonwealth Games got 

rekindled as shot put thrower, 

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi 

bagged a silver medal in the 

event with a heave of 21.14m, 

a personal best for the USbased 

athlete. 

New Zealander, Tomas 

Walsh got the gold with a 

Games record of 21.41m while 

Canadian Tim Nedow settled 

for bronze with 20.91m. 

The medal came after 

Nigerian sprint hope, Seye 

Ogunlewe rallied to a fourth 

finish in a dramatic 100m men 

S ILVER-winning 

Table Tennis team 

at the ongoing 

Commonwealth Games 

have blamed fatigue and 

injury for their loss to 

India at the final of the 

Table Tennis Team event. 

India beat Nigeria 3 - 0 

to claim Gold but coach 

Nosiru Bello explained 

that they lost to fatigue 

and injury and not to 

final in which South Africa’s 

Akani Simbine and Henricho 

Bruiuntjies settled for silver 

leaving race favourate, Yohan 

Blake of Jamaica in a 

wonderland. Simbine crossed 

the line with 10.03seconds 

while Blake came up with 

10.19 seconds, the same time 

returned by Ogunlewe who 

set a new personal best. 

In the women 400m Yinka 

Ajayi running in the fifth heat 

gave hope to Nigerian officials 

with a heartwarming 51.71 

seconds after Sade Abughan 

and Patience Okon-George 

were disqualified 

Fatigue, injury denies us gold — Bello 

India. 

“We were fatigued as we 

only rested 40 minutes 

before the commencement 

of the final against India. 

Segun Toriola had a 

muscle injury but still gave 

his best. The Indians 

played their semi final in 

the morning and rested 

better than us. We played 

our semi final and hardly 

rested before the final.''

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 — 55 

Champions League: 

Guardiola demands ‘perfect 

game’ from players 

PEP Guardiola has 

challenged his 

Manchester City team to 

play “the perfect game” to 

overcome Liverpool in the 

Champions League 

quarter-final second leg at 

the Etihad Stadium 

tonight. 

City trail Jürgen Klopp’s 

side 3-0 and they followed 

last Wednesday’s defeat 

in the first match at 

Anfield by losing at home 

to Manchester United 3- 

2 on Saturday, after 

surrendering a two-goal 

lead and missing the 

chance to clinch the 

Premier League title. 

Guardiola is conscious 

his players may be 

affected mentally by these 

reverses and, while 

striking a positive note by 

saying his side can use 

the challenge as 

inspiration, he 

understands how difficult 

the task is. 

“Of course to go through 

you have to make the 

perfect game, create 

chances, be clinical and 

concede few chances,” 

said Guardiola. 

“All the conditions have 

to be perfect. The aim is 

tough but we have 90 

minutes and in football 

everything can happen. 

“What we are going to 

do is try. We have to score 

the first one, then make 

the second one. 

Messi is fit as fiddle, Roma coach warns 

EUSEBIO 

Di 

Francesco has 

dismissed any lingering 

questions over Lionel 

Messi’s fitness and 

wants Roma to restrict 

him again in the second 

leg of their Champions 

League quarter-final 

against Barcelona. 

Messi missed 

Argentina’s two 

friendlies last month 

with a hamstring injury 

and was only a 

substitute in Barca’s 2- 

2 draw against Sevilla 

on March 31, but he 

was back in the starting 

line-up for the 4-1 

victory over Roma atAold 

was not among the 

goals in the first leg but 

hit a hat-trick in a 3-1 

win against Leganes on 

Saturday, Ernesto 

Valverde opting against 

Fernandinho angers Liverpool 

fans 

L IVERPOOL 

outclassed City 

during the first half of last 

week’s match, scoring three 

goals before the half hour 

mark. 

But Fernandinho has 

ripped into the Reds’ 

resting the superstar. 

Di Francesco felt 

Messi’s latest display 

proves how effective 

Roma were in keeping 

him quiet and wants a 

repeat at the Stadio 

Olimpico on Tuesday. 

“Everyone was saying 

he wasn’t fit and 

suddenly he scored a 

hat-trick,” the Roma 

coach told a pre-match 

news conference. 

Lille consider Enyeama's recall 

FORMER 

Super 

Eagles keeper, 

Vincent Enyeama’s 

career at Lille may receive 

a shot in the arm after 

manager, Christophe 

Galtie hinted that 

Enyeama still have a 

tactics, claiming Jurgen 

Klopp’s men play route 

one football. 

“They are a team that like 

to play long balls,” he said. 

“They try to keep the 

players around the middle. 

They are a team that like to 

play long balls. 

“I hope we can solve all 

the problems we had, 

especially in the first half, 

in 10-15 minutes we 

conceded three goals. 

“Then we can apply our 

type of game.” 

The Brazilian’s 

comments have angered 

Liverpool fans, who took to 

social media to hit back at 

the City star. 

One supporter tweeted, 

“Imagine what 

Fernandinho thinks of 

Mourinho style if he thinks 

Klopp Liverpool are a long 

ball side...” 

chance to prove himself 

with the French Ligue 1 

side 

Galtier has expressed 

the same fears as Nigeria 

manager Gernot Rohr, 

who has doubts about 

including the former 

Super Eagles captain in 

his World Cup roster due 

to match-rustiness. 

‘’It’s a reflection I had 

and I still have. He has not 

played for a year at this 

level . He is still 

handicapped in relation to 

his injury (knee) and 

many things he can not 

MOHAMED Salah 

has been warned off 

leaving Liverpool by former 

Egypt coach Hassan 

Shehata, with any switch to 

Real Madrid set to leave him 

in the shadow of Cristiano 

Ronaldo. The Champions 

League holders continue to 

be heavily linked with a man 

who has netted 38 times 

across all competitions this 

season – a tally which leaves 

him just two adrift of a 

talismanic presence at 

Santiago Bernabeu. 

do,’’ Galtier told reporters. 

This season, the 

experienced netminder 

has played only two 

matches for the reserve 

team of Lille and his last 

appearance was on 

March 24 against Viry 

Châtillon. 

In a bid to step up his 

fitness, the former 

Enyimba shot-stopper 

has requested that he 

should play matches for 

the reserve team, who 

compete in the National 

2 or fourth-tier, only at 

home. 

Don’t join Real Madrid, Shehata 

warns Salah 

Shehata appreciates why 

the 25-year-old has become 

a man in demand, but has 

used Brazilian superstar 

Neymar as an example of 

how operating alongside a 

multiple Ballon d’Or winner 

can actually do more harm 

than good. “It is up to him, 

but I think he should play 

for the team who will always 

let him play. 

“Salah is the biggest star 

with Liverpool, but with Real 

Madrid he will under the 

shadow of Cristiano 

Ronaldo.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Brought up (6) 

4 Counting-frame (6) 

8 Explosion (5) 

9 Prime minister (7) 

10 Eluding (anag) (7) 

11 Sharp hooked claw (5) 

12 Remiss (9) 

17 Criminal (5) 

19 Mexican liquor (7) 

21 Highly regarded (7) 

22 Consumed (5) 

23 Hang loosely (6) 

24 Decapitate (6) 

DOWN 

1 Bunny (6) 

2 Finder of a magic lamp (7) 

3 Eulogise (5) 

5 Respire (7) 

6 Cold (5) 

7 Dash (6) 

9 Foretold (9) 

13 Military commander (7) 

14 Scottish emblem (7) 

15 Frightened (6) 

16 Merited (6) 

18 Citrus fruit (5) 

20 Wait in line (5) 

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

two of the same number). 

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

lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold 

block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. 

This means that no number can appear twice in any 

block, column or row. 

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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

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

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

10042018 - Why I'm seeking a 2nd term — BUHARI

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