15062018 - RETURN TO PDP: Saraki, Kwankwaso, Goje, Tambuwal run into storm

GROUND-BREAKING 

From left: Vice President, 

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Edo 

State Governor, Godwin 

Obaseki; his wife, Betsy; 

APC Chairman, Chief John 

Odigie- Oyegun; and former 

Edo Governor , Adams 

Oshiomhole, at the groundbreaking 

ceremony of the 

1,800 housing-unit Emotan 

Gardens project in Ikpoba- 

Okha Local Government 

Area, Edo State,yesterday. 

From us at Vanguard 

to all our 

Moslem 

readers 

** 

VOL. 26: NO. 63572 FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

RETURN TO PDP: 

Saraki, Kwankwaso, Goje, 

Tambuwal run into stormBy •Local forces resist their return; vow not to surrender party structure Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

APC CHAIR: 

Oshiomhole 

surviving 

last-minute 

intrigues 

41 

UK considers 

relaxing visa 

rules for 

Nigerian 

doctors, 

nurses 4 

Gani 

Fawehinmi 

was 

blacklisted by 

NBA for 

supporting 

Buhari 

— KEYAMO 4 

WORLD CUP KICKS OFF 

A ball juggler entertaining spectators at the opening ceremony of the 2018 World Cup, at the Luzhniki 

Stadium, Moscow, Russia. 

Saraki, Dogara, govs, CAN felicitate with Moslems at Eid-el-Fitr 12 

COLUMNISTS: OWEI 31 DONU 17 AZU 36 GWANGWAZO 31 

SEE 

INSIDE 

Editor 

LAGOS — MOVES 

by the new Peoples 

Democratic Party, nPDP, 

leaders in the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, to get solid 

political footing ahead of 

the 2019 elections are 

facing challenges that 

could lead to despair in 

a few weeks. 

At the centre of the 

problems for the nPDP 

Continues on Page 5 

Mr & Mrs

2—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

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

Bankers C'ttee offers incentive to 

importers with Renminbi invoices 

By Babajide 

Komolafe 

IN apparent bid to facilitate 

the $2.5 billion currency 

bilateral swap between 

Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, and the Peoples Bank 

of China, PBoC, Bankers 

Committee, yesterday, 

decided to offer foreign 

exchange incentive to 

importers with invoices 

denominated in the Chinese 

Renminbi. 

Managing Director/Chief 

Executive, Stanbic IBTC 

Bank, Mr. Demola Shogunle, 

disclosed this at a press 

briefing after the Bankers 

Committee meeting, in 

Lagos, yesterday. 

He spoke alongside 

Managing Director/Chief 

Executive, UBA Plc, Mr. 

Kennedy Uzoka; Managing 

Director/Chief Executive, 

Keystone Bank, Mr. Obeahon 

Ohiwerei; Managing 

Director/Chief Executive, 

FirstBank Nigeria Limited, 

Mr. Adesola Adeduntan; 

Director, Banking 

Supervision, CBN, Mr 

Ahmad Abdullahi; and 

Acting Director, Corporate 

Communication Department, 

CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor. 

Last week, the CBN issued 

guidelines for the execution 

of the currency swap, saying 

it would sell 15 billion 

Renminbi over the next three 

years. 

Shogunle said to attract 

patronage for the Renminbi 

sales, the CBN and the 

Bankers Committee decided 

to offer incentives to importers 

that receive Renminbi invoice 

from their Chinese suppliers. 

He said: “Between CBN 

and the Bankers Committee, 

the idea is to start to encourage 

importers to receive invoices 

in Renminbi instead of US 

dollars and the incentive 

would be a percentage spread 

that is yet to be determined. 

“A percentage spread 

would actually be given to 

any importer that is bringing 

Renminbi invoice as 

settlement, instead of 

bringing a dollar invoice so 

that when you look at the 

overall cost, in terms of naira, 

if you bring Renminbi 

invoice, it is going to be 

cheaper for the importer in 

coming to CBN to get foreign 

currency which in this case 

will be Renminbi. 

“The importer would 

actually bring lesser amount 

of naira. If he goes ahead to 

bring from the same supplier, 

mind you from the same 

supplier based in China, 

maybe in Beijing, if he goes 

ahead to collect invoice in 

dollars, it is going to cost the 

importer likely more in terms 

of the naira amount that he is 

going to use to get the foreign 

currency. 

“Let’s link it back to what 

we are talking about on 

external reserves and the rest. 

We got almost $48 billion, but 

because we traded with 

China and China, being our 

largest trading partner, if we 

are able as a country to 

continue to bring in 

machinery and equipment 

without depleting our dollar 

reserves, then the external 

reserves will not be under 

threat. 

‘’So the 15 billion Renminbi 

in place, based on this bilateral 

currency swap, we are 

in a very good position and 

that is why it is important to 

encourage importers to bring 

invoices in Renminbi instead 

of dollars.” 

Also speaking, Chief 

Executive Officer of Keystone 

Bank, Mr. Obeahon 

Ohiwerei, said: “Anytime 

invoices are obtained in 

dollars for invoices that are 

coming from China for 

instance, there is usually at 

least a 10 percent mark-up. 

So that 10 percent we are 

saying is like minimum.” 

AGM/LECTURE: From left, Mrs Dorothy Ufot, SAN, Honourary 

Treasurer, International Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria; Mr 

Babatunde Savage, Chairman, International Chamber of Commerce, 

Nigeria; Mr Daniel Asapokhai, Guest Speaker/Director, Financial 

Reporting Council of Nigeria, and Chief Raymond Ihyembe, Vice 

Chairman, International Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria, during 

the 2017 Annual General Meeting/Lecture of International Chamber 

of Commerce, Nigeria, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

Secondus carpets EFCC for 

harassing PDP states 

•Prove allegation— EFCC 

•As PDP accuses Presidency of 

corruption on MTN fine 

By Dirisu 

Yakubu 

NATIONAL Chairman 

of Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Prince Uche 

Secondus, has chided 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

for what he described as 

unconcealed bias in its 

execution of the anticorruption 

war in the country. 

This is even as PDP, 

yesterday, urged President 

Muhammadu Buhari to clear 

the air over allegations of 

corruption that reportedly 

pervaded the fine recently 

imposed on MTN Nigeria. 

But the EFCC in a swift 

reaction by spokesman, 

Wilson Uwujaren, 

challenged the PDP 

chairman to provide names 

of contractors being allegedly 

harassed by the commission. 

Secondus said the recent 

arrest and harassment of 

contractors handling projects 

in only PDP-controlled states, 

has exposed the anti-graft 

agency as doing the bidding 

of the ruling All Progressives 

Congress, APC, ahead of the 

2019 general elections. 

The PDP boss in a 

statement signed by his 

media adviser, Ike Abonyi, 

said the EFCC had deployed 

its operatives to intimidate 

and harass contractors 

handling various projects in 

some PDP states, with the 

motive of frustrating their 

project goals, which had 

visibly placed them far ahead 

of their colleagues in APCcontrolled 

states. 

He expressed regrets “that 

the commission has remained 

beclouded in its bias” and 

has refused to heed the advice 

from well-meaning 

Nigerians and international 

watchers, including the 

recent one from the British 

High Commissioner to 

Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, 

not to take sides with any 

political party, ahead of the 

2019 general election." 

Secondus quoted Mr. 

Arkwright as saying: “INEC 

and EFCC should be there 

to preserve the integrity of the 

political process, including 

taking investigations without 

prejudice on one side or the 

other.” 

PDP accuses 

Presidency of 

corruption on 

MTN fine 

Meanwhile, PDP has 

urged President Buhari to 

clear the air over 

allegations of corruption 

that reportedly pervaded 

the fine recently imposed 

on MTN Nigeria. 

In October 2015, the 

telecom regulator, Nigerian 

Communications 

Commission, NCC, 

imposed a fine of N1.04 

trillion on MTN Nigeria for 

not complying with 

government’s rule on 

deactivation of 

unregistered SIM cards. 

The fine was also 

imposed on MTN for not 

disconnecting about 5.1 

million improperly 

registered lines on its 

network within the 

stipulated deadline. 

After several appeals and 

negotiations, including 

diplomatic interventions by 

the South African 

government, the fine was 

reduced to N330 billion out 

of which NCC said MTN 

had paid N165 billion. 

The PDP, however, said 

President Buhari and his 

administration have a lot of 

questions to answer on 

how the fine was reduced 

to N330 billion. 

It said this was also in the 

face of allegations that 

certain interests in the 

Presidential Villa, “close to 

President Buhari,” 

allegedly took a bribe of 

N500 million before the 

reduction was approved. 

Senate orders immediate 

deportation of SAMSUNG 

Managing Director 

THE Senate has 

ordered Nigeria 

Immigration Service 

(NIS), to deport Mr 

Young Ho Jo, Managing 

Director of SAMSUNG 

back to South Korea for 

allegedly coming into the 

country without proper 

documentation. 

The upper legislative 

chamber’s directive for 

deportation of 

SAMSUNG MD was 

announced, yesterday, by 

its Chairman on Ad- hoc 

Committee probing the 

$16.35 billion Egina Oil 

Field Project, Senator 

Solomon Adeola (APC 

Lagos West) during an 

interactive session with 

major and sub contractors 

of the project . 

According to Senator 

Adeola, resolution for 

deportation of the 

SAMSUNG MD was 

adopted by the Senate 

last Thursday in line with 

recommendation to that 

effect by the adhoc 

committee in its interim 

report . 

The senator, who made 

the announcement to the 

hearing of the embattled 

South Korean and other 

operators of the Egina oil 

field project, revealed 

that illegality of Mr 

Young Ho Jo residency in 

Nigeria came to the fore 

during scrutiny of his 

Why I’m calling for Buhari’s 

resignation —Sheikh Gumi 

AKaduna-based Islamic 

scholar, Ahmad Gumi, 

has said he has no sympathy 

for any political party in 

Nigeria. 

He also said he stood by 

his call on President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

resign due to alleged failure 

of his government. 

Gumi, a very influential 

Islamic cleric, particularly in 

Northern Nigeria, stated 

this at the closing of 

Ramadan Lecture for 2018 

at Shaikh Sanusi Khalil 

Mosque at Rigachikun, 

Kaduna State, yesterday. 

He was reacting to 

rumours in the state that he 

was critical of the 

government of All 


APC, because of his 

sympathy for the opposition 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP. 

The rumours arose from a 

picture of him with two PDP 

leaders and strident 

criticism of the 

administration of President 

Buhari 

But the cleric said, 

papers. 

He said : “Mr Young 

Ho Jo who has been 

working for the past two 

months in Nigeria as the 

managing director of 

Samsung without 

fulfilling legal 

requirements for such 

told us that he couldn’t 

complete his 

documentation as a 

result of alleged break 

down of machines of the 

Nigeria Content 

Development 

Monitoring Board, 

NCMDB. 

“But the NCMBD 

wrote to us that their 

machine had never 

broken down in the 

period claimed, showing 

that the man has 

contravened the Local 

Content law. Going by 

recommendations made 

by this committee to the 

Senate and resolution 

adopted, MD 

SAMSUNG is no longer 

recognised on account of 

improper documentation 

as shown by papers he 

presented . 

“To the Senate and this 

committee, SAMSUNG 

MD is an illegal 

immigrant who must be 

deported by the 

Nigerian Immigration 

Service, to which a letter 

to that effect has been 

forwarded to the 

Ministry of Interior." 

yesterday, his criticisms 

were based on his quest for 

justice in Nigeria, 

explaining that the picture 

that portrayed him sitting 

between former Vice 

President, Atiku Abubakar, 

and former Kaduna State 

governor, Ramalan Yero, 

was taken at a public event 

long ago. 

He explained: “There 

was a picture that was 

snapped at a mosque in 

Rigachikun. When I was 

invited to attend a 

wedding fatiha, on arrival 

I met him (Mr Yero) and 

former Vice President, 

Atiku Abubakar, at the 

mosque. 

“Then he (Atiku) was still 

in APC as a member and 

contested against 

President Buhari at the 

primaries, while Yero was 

then in PDP as a governor 

in the state. 

“I was asked to sit in 

their middle so I did. Now 

the picture is in circulation 

that I am a PDP member, 

that PDP paid me to work 

for them.’’

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018—3



Abba Kyari, Oyo-Ita clash over 3 

female perm secs 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor 

ABUJA— Chief of Staff to 

the President, Mr. Abba 

Kyari, and Head of Service, 

Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, have 

disagreed over the 

disengagement of three 

career permanent secretaries 

from public service. 

As a result of the 

disagreement, the three 

women have been left at 

home in the past three years, 

even though they are being 

paid salaries by the 

government. 

The three permanent 

secretaries—Mrs. Fatima 

Bamidele, Mrs. Nkechi Ejele 

and Mrs. Ibukun Odusote— 

ran into trouble when Buhari 

came into office as they were 

reportedly being investigated 

over 

alleged 

misappropriation of funds in 

their respective ministries. 

They were, therefore, 

placed under watch, while 

their counterparts were 

assigned to the ministries by 

the Buhari administration, 

which promised change in 

the land. 

Under a restructuring 

programme, the 

administration quickly retired 

no fewer than 17 permanent 

secretaries, while 18 new 

ones were appointed, 16 from 

among serving directors and 

two from the private sector. 

But in 2016, the HoS wrote 

a letter to the President 

absolving the three 

permanent secretaries of any 

offence and recommended 

that they be redeployed on 

one hand or retired ‘in public 

interest’ on the other hand. 

These issues were 

contained in two 

contradictory letters by Oyo- 

Ita, dated February 16, 2016, 

and March 17, 2017, and 

addressed to President 

Buhari. 

Allegations 

baseless 

In the letter dated February 

16, 2017, the HoS told the 

President that the allegations 

against Bamidele, Ejele and 

Odusote were baseless as no 

solid evidence was adduced 

to buttress the allegations of 

fraud and misappropriation 

of funds. 

But she prayed the 

President to retire them on 

the grounds that their 

positions had been filled and 

taken up by new appointees 

from their states. 

In a memo to the President, 

Oyo-Ita said: “It would be 

difficult for me to recommend 

their reinstatement because 

their positions have been 

occupied by the appointment 

of new permanent secretaries 

from their states. 

“Furthermore, their 

reinstatement would defeat 

government’s policy of a lean 

service. Finally, states that do 

not have permanent 

secretaries from their 

indigenes would complain 

against such an action.” 

The HoS asked the 

President to, among other 

things, “approve the 

retirement of Fatima Binta 

Bamidele, Ibukun Abimbola 

Odusote and Nkechi Ejele in 

the public interest.” 

Abba Kyari queries 

Oyo-Ita 

But her recommendation 

irked the Chief of Staff to the 

President, Abba Kyari, and he 

fired back at Oyo-Ita. 

In a memo dated April 25, 

2016 with reference No SH/ 

COS/ 100/A/ 1437, Abba 

Kyari queried Oyo-Ita, asking 

her to justify her 

•As confusion keeps 3 career 

public officers at home 

recommendation for 

retirement of the three women 

"in the public interest." 

The COS’s letter read: 

“From your submissions, it 

would appear that the three 

officers, all of whom have 

been exonerated by the 

investigation committee, are 

yet to meet the criteria for 

retirement either on length of 

service, age, or even the 

tenure principle. 

"None of them would also 

seem to have fallen under 

approved criteria used in 

respect of their erstwhile 

colleagues. 

“You may, therefore, wish to 

provide basis for your 

recommendation for their 

retirement 'in public interest' 

other than your explanations 

in para 5 and 6 of your letter 

under reference.” 

But the HoS later wrote 

another letter, dated March 

17, 2017, with reference 

number HCSF/911/ S.I/7/205 

to the President on why her 

position should be taken. 

She further explained to the 

President that the 

investigations into allegations 

of serious misconduct against 

the three permanent 

secretaries had been 

reviewed by the Federal 

Service Management 

Committee, FSMC, under 

her chairmanship. 

It was not clear as at last 

night which of the positions 

the President would take, 

while the three permanent 

secretaries continue to stay at 

home, receiving salaries for 

rendering no service to the 

country. 

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: From left, Vice Principal,Mr. 

Onakoya; Vice Principal Administration, Mr. Festus Garba, both of 

Community Senior High School, Wasimi, Maryland, Lagos; Customer 

Service Executive, Ugonwa Nwoye, and General Manager, Customer 

Management, Odunayo Sanya, both of MTN during MTN Nigeria’s 

visit to the school as part of the youth empowerment phase of the 21 

Days Of Y’ello Care Campaign. 

Gani Fawehinmi was blacklisted by 

NBA for supporting Buhari —Keyamo 

DIRECTOR of Strategic 

Communications, 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari Campaign 

Organisation, Festus 

Keyamo, SAN, has said the 

late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, 

SAN, was blacklisted by 

Nigerian Bar Association, 

NBA, for supporting 


Buhari in 1985. 

Keyamo said he has 

found himself in a similar 

position as the late activist 

and human rights lawyer. 

Keyamo, while speaking 

with 

The 

Interview.magazine said: 

“In 1984/85, Chief Gani 

Fawehinmi, my late boss, 

dared his colleagues at the 

NBA; he ignored all of 

them. In fact, it is just like 

some sections are so 

alarmed at what I am doing 

now. 

“That was exactly the 

same position Gani found 

himself. There is no 

difference. How would 

Gani support a Buhari, a 

dictator? As a result of that, 

he was put on blacklist by 

the NBA. 

“I hope you know that. It 

was because of Buhari that 

Gani was blacklisted. What 

happened? At the end of 

the day, in hindsight, years 

after Buhari left power, 

when Babangida took over 

power and now 

institutionalized 

corruption, Gani was 

proved right. 

"When he was asked to 

react to the assertion that 

his principal projects 

weakness, he said: “Your 

question is the bundle of 

contradictions we find 

ourselves in now. 

“Do you realise PDP is 

accusing Buhari of being a 

dictator? Do you realise that 

PDP and other people are 

accusing Buhari of being a 

tyrant? Have you heard 

things like that? It is a 

bundle of contradictions. 

“You are saying he is weak 

whereas other people are 

calling him a tyrant. So, 

thank you for reflecting the 

views that he is not even 

doing enough. He can be 

tougher than he is now,’’ 

UK considers relaxing visa rule for 

Nigerian doctors, nurses 

THE United Kingdom is 

set to exclude medical 

staff from the government’s 

visa cap, according to 

Saffron Cordery, Deputy 

Chief Executive of NHS 

Providers. 

Cordery told BBC Radio, 

yesterday, that the rules 

were making it difficult to 

recruit enough staff. 

Theresa May, UK Prime 

Minister, introduced the 

visa limit for all non-EU 

skilled workers at 20,700 

people a year. 

Cordery said: “This is 

going to be a huge relief 

Nigerian airlines sold 

tickets worth N505.2bn in 

2017— NCAA 

By Lawani 

Mikairu 

L AGOS—NIGERIAN 

Civil Aviation Authority, 

NCAA, said, yesterday, that 

domestic and international 

airlines operating in Nigeria 

sold tickets worth N505.2 

billion in 2017. 

The regulatory agency 

also said it applied 90 

sanctions on pilots, cabin 

crew, aircraft engineers, and 

four approved maintenance 

organisations for violations 

of civil aviation safety 

regulations between 

October 2014 and 

December 2017. 

Director-General of 

NCAA, Capt. Muhtar 

Usman, made the 

disclosure at the Quarterly 

Business Breakfast meeting 

of the Aviation Round Table, 

ART, in Lagos. 

Usman, who was 

represented by Capt. 

Adamu Abdullahi, Director, 

Consumer Complaints 

for trusts up and down the 

country who have been 

really struggling to fill their 

doctors and nurses 

vacancies. 

“Lifting the visa cap for 

foreign doctors and nurses 

is absolutely the right 

decision and a huge relief." 

The proposed changes 

will affect the Tier 2 visas, 

which are used by skilled 

workers from outside the 

European Economic Area 

and Switzerland. 

In April, NHS bosses said 

the immigration rules were 

hindering their ability to find 

Directorate, NCAA, said 

the ticket sales increased by 

14.2 per cent (N82.7 billion) 

compared to the N422.4 

billion sold in 2016. 

According to him, the 

eight domestic airlines sold 

N93.6 billion worth of 

tickets, while the 32 airlines 

on the international routes 

sold tickets worth N411.6 

billion during the period 

under review. 

He said the amount 

realised from the sale of 

tickets could have been 

higher if not for the closure 

of Nnamdi Azikiwe 

International Airport, 

Abuja for six weeks to 

enable the government 

rehabilitate its runway. 

He said: “A stable forex 

regime, effective 

implementation of 

Executive Order on Ease 

of Doing Business as well 

as the resumption of flight 

activities to the Maiduguri 

Airport, earlier closed due 

to insecurity, contributed to 

the increase.” 

CSOs fault Southern, 

Middle Belt leaders over 

call for INEC boss' sack 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—CIVIL Society 

Organisations, CSOs, 

operating under the auspices 

of Independent Service 

Delivery Monitoring Group, 

ISDMG, and Partners for 

Electoral Reforms, yesterday, 

faulted the recent calls by 

Southern and Middle Belt 

Leaders Forum, that 


Buhari relieve chairman of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, of his 

job with immediate effect. 

ISDMG claimed that 

heeding the call for the sack 

of the INEC chairman a few 

months to the 2019 general 

elections would amount to a 

constitutional breach. 

Speaking to journalists in 

Abuja, the group’s Executive 

Director, Chima Amadi, said 

such arguments adduced by 

the Forum that Buhari was a 

Fulani man and had, 

therefore, appointed a Fulani 

man as an electoral umpire 

to tilt the election in his favour 

was a baseless and 

primordial consideration 

capable of truncating 

Nigeria’s electoral process 

which had seen some level 

of progress since 1999. 

Amadi said: “While we 

don’t hold fort for the INEC 

Chairman, Prof Mahmood 

Yakubu, we are compelled to 

respond by stating the facts 

as they are and exposing the 

hollow claims of ethnic 

entrepreneurs, 

masquerading as leaders. 

workers after 100 Indian 

doctors were rejected. 

In February, NHS 

England said it had 

vacancies for 35,000 nurse 

vacancies and nearly 

10,000 doctors. 

Although the proposed 

change will only apply to 

doctors and nurses, it 

would free up visas for 

workers from other 

industries. 

As at December 2017, it 

was reported that 5,060 

Nigerian doctors were 

registered in the UK; a 

figure that rose to 5,250 as 

at April 2018.

eaders 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, 

JUNE 15, 2018—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

INAUGURATION—From left: Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Mrs Ipalbo-Harry Banigo; Gov. 

Nyesom Wike; Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State; former Governor of Rivers, Gov. Celestine Omehia 

and Sen. George Sekibo, during the inauguration of Mgbuosimini Rumueme Primary Health Care 

Centre in Rivers, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

RETURN TO PDP: Saraki, Kwankwaso, 

Goje, Tambuwal run into storm 

Tambuwal and his one- 

Continues on Page 41 

Continues from Page 1 

leaders is the increasing 

challenge to their return 

to the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

in their local 

strongholds, it was 

gathered. 

The nPDP comprises 

politicians who moved 

from the PDP before the 

2015 elections and 

merged with the APC. 

The group, nominally 

led by Alhaji Kawu 

Baraje, has lately 

complained of 

marginalization and 

persecution within the 

APC, with the vow to 

show its strength if 

rebuffed by the APC 

leadership and President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

Though the PDP has 

repeatedly proclaimed 

its willingness to receive 

the nPDP members back 

into the party, Vanguard 

has learned of strong 

political challenges that 

are currently causing an 

impediment to the return 

of the nPDP members 

into the party. 

At issue, Vanguard 

gathered, is the 

resistance of the present 

leaders of the party in 

the states where the 

nPDP leaders come 

from. 

Of great interest are 

Kwara, Kano, Sokoto and 

Gombe, it was gathered 

yesterday. 

A senior operative of 

the PDP told Vanguard: 

“They have issues, 

especially in the states 

as the PDP leaders are 

not willing to surrender 

the structures to them.’’ 

In Kwara State, for 

example, forces aligned 

to Dele Belgore and 

Mrs. Bola Shagaya are 

determined not to 

surrender the party 

structure in the state to 

Senate President, Dr. 

Bukola Saraki. 

Kano: 

Kwankwaso vs 

Shekarau 

In Kano State where 

Senator Rabiu 

Kwankwanso is believed 

to be now wholly 

estranged from his 

chosen successor, 

Governor Abdullahi 

Ganduje, the return of 

Kwankwanso and his 

allies to the PDP is being 

hindered by the 

challenge of supremacy 

between both 

Kwankwanso and Alhaji 

Ibrahim Shekarau, his 

immediate successor, as 

governor of the state. 

Though supporters of 

the two men who have 

become common 

opponents of the 

incumbent governor, 

Ganduje, recently made 

a public show of 

solidarity, it was learned 

that personal 2019 

aspiration might mar 

their new cordiality. 

Both Shekarau and 

Kwankwanso are 

believed to be 

strategizing for the 2019 

presidential election, 

but their campaigns have 

yet to gain traction, with 

the principal leaders of 

the PDP refusing to give 

even informal adoption 

of either man. 

One source privy to the 

development in Kano 

told Vanguard that 

should the two men drop 

out of the 2019 

presidential contest, 

they may fall back on the 

Senate. 

“It would interest you 

to note that the two men 

are from the same 

senatorial district, “that 

is, Kano Central and it 

could lead to acrimony if 

Shekarau, in the absence 

of the presidential 

ambition puts his focus 

on the Senate.” 

In Sokoto, 

Gombe Wamakko, 

Tambuwal, Goje, 

Dankwambo 

tango 

Another scenario also 

playing out in Sokoto 

State is the still clouded 

relationship between 

Governor Aminu Waziri 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun 

Sessou & Abasifiok Johnson 

What Nigerians expect from Super Eagles @ World Cup (3) 

Though I might not be 

able to predict who 

goes home with the 

trophy but if you ask me, 

I will be rooting for the 

defending champions to 

do that again. 

I expect an European 

team to lift the trophy at 

the end of the day. 

-Samuel Lawrence 

Worker 

For me oo, I think with 

the way everyone is 

talking about the jersey, 

the beauty has entered 

their head... 

Imagine how they 

played the friendly 

matches like they were 

at a fashion parade... 

Well, I just hope they 

make us proud and not 

come home sooner than 

expected as if they had 

gone on excursion. 

-Amaka Chylet 

Student 

The World Cup would be 

interesting. I see 

countries like Germany, 

Spain and Brazil and the 

most favourite to lift the 

trophy, not ruling out other 

countries totally because 

this is football and anything 

can happen. As for Nigeria, 

I'm expecting them to strive 

a little bit, because the team 

is young with so much 

energy but just few of them 

have got the big stage 

experience. I wish them the 

very best. 

-Ayodele Jubril 

Engineer 

When it comes to 

the Jersey of 

Nigeria, its more 

expensive than others 

but it doesn't mean 

they are actually 

going to win. 

With the way they 

went about the 

friendly matches, I 

am not sure of how 

well they would play 

but I think with the 

money at stake, they 

would buckle up. 

-Prosper Lawrence 

Student 

To me, the team has not 

impressed in their 

friendlies in any way. We 

lack that drive in front of 

goal. The coach needs to 

pick a formidable 

midfield, if not, the 

defenders will suffer. 

I don't have much 

expectations from the 

team, but I wish them 

good luck. 

The favourites are Brazil, 

Germany, Argentina and 

Spain. 

-Shormekun Armani 

Computer specialist 

Nothing out of the 

ordinary. 

Nigerians should not 

expect much from the 

Super Eagles, they 

should rather enjoy 

the fun of the game. 

I hope we get through 

to the round of 16. 

-Yemi Kush 

Digital Payment 

Strategist

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

FOUR men, who allegedly 

defiled and impregnated a 

15-year-old girl, were, yesterday, 

in Lagos remanded at Kirikiri 

Prisons by an Ikeja Magistrate’s 

Court. 

The accused, Henry Edmond, 

47, metal fabricator; Richard 

Effiong, 22, businessman; 

Simeon Michael, 30, self 

employed, and Ashumu 

Muhammed, 33, security guard, 

are being tried for defilement. 

THE Executive Director, 

Niger State Primary 

Health Care Development, 

Agency, SPHCDA, Dr. 

Yahaya Na’uzo, has 

confirmed the death of six 

out of the 43 people 

suffering from diarrhoea in 

three local government 

areas of the state. 

In an interview in Minna 

yesterday, Na’uzo 

disclosed that the outbreaks 

occurred in Bida, Gbako 

and Katcha Local 

Government areas. 

He said the affected 

persons were on admission 

at Bida General Hospital 

and the Federal Medical 

Center, Bida. 

“We want to advise, 

especially those living in 

rural areas, to be hygienic 

in their environment and 

avoid drinking unclean 

water. 

“They should report 

immediately to a nearby 

health facility if they noticed 

unusual changes in their 

body system.” 

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

4 men rape, impregnate 15-year-old girl 

Diarrhoea kills 

6 in Niger 

Peace Corps 

member caught 

with pistol 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

YENAGOA— 

A 

member of Peace 

Corps of Nigeria, Seiyefa 

Okorie, arrested with a 

locally-made pistol by 

Police in Bayelsa State has 

disclosed that he peddles 

drugs and robs in Yenagoa 

and environs. 

Bayelsa State Police 

spokesman, DSP Asinim 

Butswat, who confirmed 

the arrest in Yenagoa, said: 

“The synergy between 

Bayelsa State Police 

Command and the 

National Drug Law 

Enforcement Agency, 

NDLEA, in Bayelsa State 

paid off with the arrest. 

“In a raid on a criminal 

hideout at Amarata, 

Yenagoa, operatives 

arrested Seiyefa Okorie, 33, 

member of the proscribed 

Peace Corps of Nigeria and 

recovered a locally-made 

pistol from him.” 

Magistrate B. O. Osunsanmi 

refused to take the plea of the 

accused, but ordered that they 

be kept behind bars pending 

advice from the State Director 

of Public Prosecutions, DPP. 

She held that “based on the 

sensitivity of the case, it is 

difficult to grant bail. Bail will 

be at the discretion of the court. 

Case file should be 

documented and sent to the 

office of the DPP for advice.” 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—FIVE 

persons have been 

reportedly killed in two days of 

sustained hit and run attacks 

on communities in Logo local 

government area of Benue State 

by suspected militant 

herdsmen. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

marauders, who have taken 

over large expanse of forests in 

Logo, usually mounted road 

blocks in the area before killing 

their unsuspecting victims, 

retreat and disappear into the 

forests. 

Confirming the attacks, the 

Chairman of Logo local 

government council, Mr. 

Richard Nyajo, said: “The 

killings in Logo have become a 

daily affair. 

“Last Tuesday, two brothers, 

Cyprian Tsebo and Jonathan 

Tsebo both from Mobile 

barracks - Tombo ward, were 

ambushed and killed by the 

militant herdsmen. 

“It was followed by the 

gruesome murder of Luper 

Abeva at Tse Audu Amo-Tombo 

ward and Iortumbur Atov at Tse 

Akombo, Mbaniange Mbagber 

ward, who was murdered at 

Barracks. 

“And just yesterday, one 

Gbaden Mondo from Uk/ 

Tswarev ward was killed by the 

marauders at Tse Audu Amo 

after he was waylaid in an 

The accused committed the 

offences between December 

2016 and May this year in 

different parts of Ajah and 

Lekki, the Police prosecutor, 

ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the 

court. 

He said the accused 

unlawfully assaulted the girl by 

penetrating her private parts 

on separate occasions. 

Ayorinde said: “The accused 

have been having sexual 

ambush. 

“The bodies of these victims 

were all recovered. Our major 

problem is that the herdsmen 

have taken over the thick 

forests we have in Logo which 

stretches as long as River 

Benue. 

“It is from there that they 

come to mount road blocks to 

kill unsuspecting villagers 

after which they retreat and 

because these forests cannot be 

easily accessed they attack and 

withdraw into the forests. 

“I must, however, commend 

the security personnel drafted 

to Logo because they have 

been doing a yeoman’s job to 

intercourse with the girl, 

which resulted in 

pregnancy. 

“When the girl’s aunty 

discovered that she was 

pregnant, she questioned 

her. 

“The girl, who is five 

months pregnant, 

mentioned all the men that 

have been sleeping with her 

since her aunty brought her 

to Lagos in 2016, to help 

curtail these attacks. 

“They are our saving 

grace; they have embarked 

on total action against the 

marauders. If not for them 

Logo would have been taken 

over by the militant 

herdsmen. 

“Their target is to take over 

our land and not about 

grazing anymore, they 

vowed to take over the 

Benue valley and that is the 

agenda.” 

A relative of one of the 

victims, Tersee Mondo, said 

his brother was murdered 

while on his way from his 

farm where he had gone to 

take care of her children. 

“Her aunty’s husband, Henry 

Edmond, was the first to start 

having sex with her and he 

always threatened to kill her if 

she told the aunty. 

“The other accused sleep with 

her in their houses and shops 

when she is hawking puff puff. 

The case was reported and the 

accused were arrested.” 

The offence contravened 

Section 137 of the Criminal Law 

of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised). 

The case was adjourned until 

July 23 for mention. 

WRONG POSITION, WRONG POSITIONG: An accident scene at Nicon Junction by Nnamdi Azikiwe 

Expressway, Abuja, yesterday. NAN PHOTO. 

2 brothers, 3 others killed in Benue herdsmen attacks 

By Femi Bolaji 

THREE 

suspected 

kidnappers, who had been 

terrorising residents around 

Bali and Takum Local 

Government areas of Taraba 

State, have been killed by 

Police operatives during a gun 

battle. 

Mr. David Akinremi, the 

Commissioner of Police in the 

state, who confirmed this 

yesterday in Jalingo, said that 

officers of the command 

attached to Bali Division, acting 

on intelligence, stormed the 

hideout of a gang of 

kidnappers on Wednesday, 

where three of them were 

shot dead. 

According to him, “the 

criminal gang has terrorised 

and kidnapped a number of 

persons around Bali and 

Takum LGAs of the state, 

using a camp in Garuwa 

village in Bali to keep their 

victims. 

“In this encounter they fell 

to the superior fire power of 

our operatives in a shootout. 

Three members of the gang 

died in the shootout while 

others escaped with gunshot 

injuries. 

“One AK 47 rifle with 10 

rounds of ammunition, one 

inspect work. 

Reacting, the Benue State 

Police Commissioner, Fatai 

Owoseni, said his command 

was working hard to end such 

attacks, stressing that “there is 

no way you can completely 

eradicate criminality in the 

society. 

“Where you have isolated 

cases like that, it could be 

normal crime. In fact, there are 

so many dimensions to what is 

happening in that axis of the 

state. 

“But like the chairman said, 

we are certainly not sleeping 

that is why peace has gradually 

returned to that area.” 

Police kill 3 kidnap suspects in Taraba 

single barrel rifle with 5 live 

cartridges and some criminal 

charms were recovered from 

the bandits.” 

The commissioner added 

that clothing suspected to 

belong to some of their victims 

were also recovered. 

Akinremi urged members of 

the public to report any 

persons with bullet injuries to 

the nearest police station for 

possible arrest and 

prosecution. 

The police commissioner 

appreciated residents of 

Taraba for their continued 

support for the crime fighting 

efforts of the police.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018—7 

:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews 

Boko Haram leader, Shekau's mother speaks: 

Everyone knows a mother's 

love for her son, but... 

•...says he was an almajiri on the streets of Maiduguri 

MRS Falmata Abubakar, the 

mother of Boko Haram 

leader, Abubakar Shekau, has told 

newsmen “I did not set my eyes 

on him since he came into contact 

with Mohammed Yusuf. 

“I know he is my son, and 

everyone knows a mother’s love 

for her son, but our attitude to life 

is different.” 

She spoke with the Hausa 

Service of the Voice of America, 

VOA, in the village of Shekau, 

Yobe State, in what appears to be 

her first media interview. 

In a report published yesterday, 

VOA said elders and leader of the 

village took its team to the woman. 

The report also said Mr Shekau’s 

late father was the Imam of the 

village Mosque before his death. 

Mrs Abubakar said she had no 

idea where her son was. 

She said: “I don’t know whether 

he is dead or alive, only God 

knows. I have not seen him in the 

last 15 years.” 

Residents of the village said they 

always hid the identity of their 

village for fear of being associated 

with the Boko Haram leader. 

Mr Shekau is notorious for his 

leadership of the deadly group 

responsible for the deaths of tens 

of thousands of people in Nigeria, 

Cameroon, Chad and Niger. 

He has personally carried out 

the execution of several people, 

including members of the sect he 

leads. He has also carried out 

many raids leading to death and 

destruction of many towns and 

villages across the north eastern 

part of Nigeria. 

His mother said Mr Shekau left 

the village for Maiduguri, the 

Borno State capital as a young boy 

in search of Islamic knowledge. 

She said he was an “almajiri boy” 

who walks around the streets of 

Maiduguri looking for food. 

She said it was in the course of 

seeking Islamic knowledge that 

her son came into contact with the 

founder of Boko Haram, 

Mohammed Yusuf. She said the 

late Boko Haram leader was the 

one who indoctrinated her son. 

By Esther Onyegbula 

RESIDENTS of Cele, Adio, 

Alasia communities in Ijaniki 

area of Lagos State are reportedly 

jubilating over the killing of a 

gang leader, Dadi a.k.a Arrow 

Head, by police operatives. 

It was gathered that there was a 

gun battle between the police and 

the gang members during an 

initiation ceremony of the gang 

leading to the death of Arrow 

Head and the arrest of three others 

by the police. 

A resident, who does not want 

his name in print, said “sporadic 

sound of gunshots led policemen 

to the scene where they arrested 

She also said: “He has put so 

many people in serious difficulty; 

I pray that God guides him right.” 

She added that she will not curse 

her son, saying “he has chosen 

a path different from the one we 

put him; only God knows what 

he has become.” 

4 Nigerians, 2 Ghanaians 

in prison custody over oil theft 

FOUR Nigerians and two Ghana 

citizens, were, yesterday, 

ordered to be remanded in prison 

custody, by a Federal High Court 

sitting in Lagos, over alleged theft 

of 250 metric tonnes of petroleum 

products. 

The suspected oil thieves are 

Shadrack Eneogwu, Ojo 

Christopher, Atolagbe Hakeem, 

Daniel Oluwatobi(Nigerians) and 

two Ghanaians: John Kwane 

Amissah and Jonathan Kumah 

Tetteh. 

They were charged before Justice 

Hadisa Rabiu-Shagari l alongside 

a vessel, MT Queen of Peace, and 

two firms, namely: Macchalis 

International Limited, Ayoknok 

Ventures Limited, by the Economic 

and Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC. 

However, the fifth accused 

person, Shadrack Eneogwu, was 

said to be at large. 

In the charge sheet marked FHC/ 

L/203c/18, the EFCC alleged that 

all the accused persons had on 

November 9, 2017, conspired 

among them and unlawfully dealt 

in 130 metric tonnes of Low Pour 

Fuel Oil (LPFO) and I20 Metric 

Tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil 

Police arrest 2 over 

missing Abuja woman 

TWO suspected killers of Charity 

Aiyedogbon, who went missing 

since May 2016, have been 

arrested by the Federal Capital 

Territory, FCT, Police Command. 

The suspects are Chukwujekwu 

Ezeugo, 27, from Enugu State, and 

Emmanuel Adogah, 28, from Edo 

State. 

The Commissioner of Police in the 

FCT, Sadiq Bello, made the 

disclosure yesterday. 

Lagos residents jubilate as Police kill gang leader 

three members of the gang fully 

dressed in their regalia while the 

other members fled, the lifeless 

body of Dadi, aka Arrow head, was 

discovered in the pull of his blood. 

“News of the death of the 

suspected cult leader quickly 

spread like wide fire in Cele, Adio, 

Alasia communities with residents 

celebrating.” 

A landlord, Akindayo, said: “This 

is good news. I can’t contain my 

joy over this news. The young man, 

Dadi and his gang have been 

terrorising these communities for 

years. 

“He has killed several persons. 

He is behind most of the cult 

clashes in this area. His cup is full.” 

(AGO), with appropriate 

licence. 

The offences according to the 

prosecutor, Idris Mohammed, 

are contrary to sections 3 (6) and 

1(7) of the Miscellaneous 

Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws 

of the Federation of Nigeria 

2004 and punishable under 

Section 1(17) of the same Act. 

And section 4 of the Petroleum 

Act, Cap P10, Laws of the 

Federation of Nigeria 2004. 

All the accused pleaded not 

guilty to the charge. 

After their plea of innocence, 

their lawyers, Olalekan Ojo and 

Doraphy Bassey, told the court 

that they are yet to file bail 

application, as they just 

received the charge few minutes 

to the arraignment of their 

clients. 

They pleaded with the court 

for a short adjournment date to 

enable them file their 

applications. 

Consequently, Justice Rabiu- 

Shagari, ordered that all the 

accused persons be remanded 

at Ikoyi Prisons, till June 26, 

when their bail applications will 

be heard and determined. 

Bello said the principal 

suspect, Ezeugo, was arrested 

in Benin, while the second 

principal suspect, Adogah, was 

arrested in Abuja on June 11 

by operatives of the Command. 

The commissioner said 

Ezeugo, who had been at large 

since the disappearance of 

Charity, confessed to have 

conspired with Adogah to 

murder her on May 9, 2016. 

Confirming the report, Lagos 

State Police Command's 

spokesman, Chike Oti, said: 

“Members of the cult group 

attacked themselves at the 

initiation ground in the middle 

of the night. 

“Policemen, led by the 

Divisional Police Officer of 

Ijanikin, CSP Ubine, found the 

lifeless body of a member in the 

pool of blood. 

“He was later identified as 

their leader, Dadi. Three 

suspects were arrested and 

taken to the State Criminal 

Investigation and Intelligence 

Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba, 

for further investigation.” 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Is this Jagbajantis talk? 

Madam, if 

you cross 

this line 

during 

matches, you 

will feel what 

Ramos did to 

Salah



From left— Daughter, Cherelle Aboderin; widow, Mrs. Titi Aboderin; 

daughter, Nicole Aboderin; sister, Mrs. Angela Emuwa; sister, Salewa 

Aboderin, and Mogaji Olutunde, at wake and celebration of life concert 

for late Mr. Gbadebowale Aboderin in Ikeja, yesterday. 

Family, Punch, Church, 

others bid Aboderin farewell 

FAMILY members, 

friends, staff of Punch 

and members of 

Archbishop Vining 

Memorial Church 

gathered, yesterday, at 

The Haven Event Centre 

in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, for 

the wake and Celebration 

of Life Concert for Punch 

Chairman, late Mr. 

Gbadebowale Aboderin, 

who died on May 30, aged 

60. 

The funeral began 

yesterday with service of 

songs at his residence and 

basketball novelty match 

featuring The Dolphins: 

Old versus new. Today will 

be the funeral service at 

Arch Bishop Vining 

Memorial Church. 

Speaking at the wake 

yesterday, Ven James 

Adekanye described late 

Aboderin as a man who 

affected the lives of others. 

He said: “Wale was a 

philanthropist, sacrificed 

everything, lived for the 

interest of others more than 

himself and did his best 

“Every Christian is an 

ambassador of Christ and 

the light of the world. We 

are soldiers and Pilgrims 

here on a mission and 

when the time comes, God 

will ask us to return home. 

“Wale was called home 

to be with his God when 

his time came. We are not 

mourning him, we are 

celebrating his life; he is 

not dead, but lives on.” 

The cleric urged the 

children to always 

celebrate their dad, saying 

“the way God called Wale, 

he can call anybody at 

anytime. When your time 

comes, what will people 

say about you and what 

will you be remembered 

Twins Outreach 

holds programme 

TWINS 

Outreach 

Salvation Ministry 

has commenced June 

special programme with 

the theme My Father, My 

Father, Make My Life A 

Testimony, yesterday, to 

end Sunday, June 17 at 

for? 

“What will people say 

about you when you are no 

more? How many lives 

have you impacted with 

that position God has 

placed you?” 

He pleaded with the 

widow, Mrs Titi Aboderin, 

to be strong, saying “God 

will comfort you and give 

you strength.” 

The deceased's 

daughter, Relly, 

described her dad as a 

great man, a respected 

entrepreneur and 

philanthropist. 

According to her, “he 

was my daddy, my 

champion and he 

encouraged me to do what 

others would not do. 

“He taught me to get 

back up no matter how 

many times life knocked 

me down. My father 

constantly told me how 

proud he was of me.” 

Another daughter, 

Nicole, said: “He taught 

me so much about life, 

taught me humanity and 

competence. He taught 

me God and love.” 

According to 

representative and Editor 

of Opinion Editorial, 

PUNCH, Mr. Joel 

Nwokeoma, the deceased, 

ensured professionalism 

in PUNCH. 

Among those present at 

the event were Mr. Femi 

Otedola; General 

Manager/Editor-in-Chef, 

Vanguard Media Ltd., Mr. 

Gbenga Adefaye; Deputy 

Managing Director, 

Thisday Newspapers, 

Mr. Kayode Komolafe; 

Mr. Kunle Bakare, 

Publisher Encomium 

Magazine, 

others. 

among 

the church’s auditorium in 

Ogungbesan Street, off 

Coker Bus Stop, Apapa- 

Oshodi Expressway, 

Lagos. 

Ministering are 

Prophetess E. Ehijene and 

Prophetess H. Ogiesoba. 

By Victor 

Ahiuma-Young 

I NTERNATIONAL 

Labour Organisation, 

ILO, yesterday urged 

global business leaders to 

work together with the 

United Nations to build a 

future of work that was 

equitable and harnessing 

technology to enhance 

people’s lives, especially 

those trapped in forced 

labour. 

Speaking to over a 1,000 

CEOs at The Consumer 

Goods Forum’s annual 

Global Summit in 

Singapore, ILO Director 

General, Guy Ryder, said 

that “a major transformation 

of the workforce lies ahead 

of us. 

“We can design the future 

of work we want, but there 

is general concern about 

what the future will bring. 

“We should give people 

greater confidence in the 

future through good 

From left— Pastor Akinola Fasawe, Mr. Sanya Onayoade, Mr. Kolawole Sule, Mr. 

Abiola Ayokunbi and Goni Kayode Balogun Jr., at the event. 

Business owners central to fighting 

global scourge of forced labour—ILO 

business conduct and 

public policies.” 

The remarks came just 

after the release of a 

global call to action , 

affirming business’ 

commitment to strive to 

eradicate forced labour from 

global supply chains and 

not to tolerate forced labour 

within their operations. 

The call to action to end 

forced and unethical 

recruitment practices 

issued by The Consumer 

Goods Forum (CGF), in 

alignment with the ILO 

and IOM, will raise 

awareness and help drive 

responsible business 

practices. 

“Businesses have a 

central role to play in 

fighting the global scourge 

of forced labour. It is not 

just the right thing to do, it 

makes economic sense too. 

“Value chains that are free 

of forced labour are much 

more productive and 

sustainable than those that 

cut costs and whose workers 

toil in conditions akin to 

slavery”, Ryder added, as 

he called on CGF members 

to implement the Priority 

Industry Principles on 

Forced Labour. 

Leading into the summit, 

ILO launched a 

new Business Network on 

Forced Labour that will 

help enterprises make 

progress on the elimination 

of forced labour and 

trafficking. 

The Forced Labour 

Network will contribute 

to Alliance 8.7, a global 

partnership to achieve 

Sustainable Development 

Eid Mubarak! What you 

need to do on Eid-il-Fitr day 

IT is mustahabb to do 

ghusl before going for 

Eid prayers. Just like 

it is recommended for 

Jumu’ah, a Muslim is 

advised to observe it. It 

was narrated in a saheeh 

hadeeth in al-Muwatta’ 

and elsewhere that ‘Abd- 

Allah ibn ‘Umar used to 

do ghusl on the day of al- 

Fitr before going out to 

the prayer-place in the 

morning. Al-Muwatta’ 

428. 

Also, It is a day we must 

emphasis that fasting has 

ended, so, endeavour to 

eat something. 

D o Takbeer on the day 

of Eid: This is one of the 

greatest Sunnahs on the 

day of Eid. Recite: Allahu 

akbar, Allahu akbar, laa 

ilaaha ill-Allahu, wa 

Allahu akbar, Allah akbar, 

wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allah 

is Most Great, Allah is 

most Great, there is no 

god but Allah, Allah is 

Most great, Allah is most 

great, and to Allah be 

praise). While going and 

returning from eid. 

Offering congratulations/ 

Salutation. The etiquette of 

Eid also includes the 

congratulations and good 

wishes exchanged by 

people, no matter what the 

wording, such as saying to 

one another Taqabbala 

Allah minna wa minkum 

(May Allah accept (good 

deeds) from us and from 

you” or “Eid Mubaarak” 

and other permissible 

expressions of 

congratulations. 

Adorning oneself on the 

occasion of Eid: Every 

Goal Target 8.7, which calls 

for the elimination of child 

labour by 2025 and forced 

labour, modern slavery and 

human trafficking by 

2030. 

Muslim is advised to wear 

his best clothes. So a man 

should wear the best 

clothes that he has when 

going out for Eid. 

When you get to the eid 

ground, sit down, wait for 

the Imam. There is no 

need for any nafilat. Just 

wait for the imam to signal 

the commencement of the 

two-rakaat prayer. 

Thereafter, wait patiently 

for the sermon before 

leaving. 

With regard to women, 

they should avoid 

adorning themselves (to 

show off to non-mahram 

men) when they go out for 

Eid, because they are 

forbidden to show off their 

adornments to nonmahram 

men. 

It is also haraam for a 

woman who wants to go out 

to put on perfume or to 

expose men to temptation, 

because they are only 

going out for the purpose 

of worship. 

Going to the prayer by 

one route and returning 

by another. It was 

narrated that Jaabir ibn 

‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be 

pleased with him) said: 

On the day of Eid, the 

Prophet (peace and 

blessings of Allah be upon 

him) used to vary his 

route. Narrated by al- 

Bukhaari, 986. 

It was said that the two 

routes would testify for 

him on the Day of 

Resurrection, for the earth 

will speak on the Day of 

Resurrection and say 

what was done on it, both 

good and bad.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018—9


Innoson vs GTB: Court 

adjourns ruling indefinitely 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU—THE Court 

of Appeal sitting in 

Enugu has adjourned 

indefinitely, for ruling on 

an application brought 

before it by Guaranty Trust 

Bank, GTB, seeking to 

amend its motion of appeal 

against a judgement given 

by a Federal High Court, 

Awka in favour of Innoson 

Group of companies against 

the bank. 

At the resumed hearing 

of the matter in Enugu 

yesterday, counsel to 

GTBank, Chief Wole 

Olanipekun (SAN) 

informed the court that the 

appellant (GTBank) had its 

notice of appeal against the 

judgment of the Federal 

High Court, Awka. 

Opening his address, 

Olanipekun informed the 

court that he would like to 

withdraw the application 

dated June 22, 2016 and 

sought the court to grant 

him leave to do so. 

The application for 

withdrawal of the motion 

seeking an extension of 

time to respond to the 

counter affidavit filed by 

Innoson against the motion 

to amend the notice of 

appeal was opposed by 

counsel to Innoson Group, 

Prof. McCarthy 

Mbadugha. 

Arguing that the court 

does not have the 

jurisdiction to grant 

hearing to the appellants, 

Mbadugha maintained that 

the court should hold the 

balance between the 

contending rights of all 

parties. In maintaining this 

balance, he alleged the 

court should note that they 

(Innoson Group) have a 

motion before the court 

challenging that the 

applicants cannot be 

allowed to move any 

applications before the 

court since they are yet to 

comply with a previous 

order of the court. 

He further argued that by 

order 80 of the Supreme 

Court Rules, since the 

appellants appeal has been 

entered at the Supreme 

Court, the Court of Appeal 

lacks the right to adjudicate 

on it. 

Responding to Innosons’ 

argument, counsel to 

GTBank noted that 

Mbadugha’s positions 

were unconstitutional. 

He maintained that once 

an application for 

withdrawal has been made, 

the applicant can withdraw 

his application and such an 

application cannot be 

opposed. 

Maintaining that it is 

within the court’s 

jurisdiction to grant the 

leave being sought, 

Olanipekun argued that 

the right of appeal is a 

constitutional right that 


should not suffer any 

distraction or nuances of 

the respondent. 

Upholding Olanipekun’s 

argument, the court led by 

Justice Ogunwumiju ruled 

that by the provision of the 

1999 constitution, an 

appellant has the right to 

withdraw its application. 

“The application hereby 

stands withdrawn and 

struckout”, the lead Judge 

ruled. 

With the application 

withdrawn, Olanipekun 

moved a motion praying 

the court for leave to amend 

its notice of appeal dated 

January 28, 2015 

challenging the order of the 

Federal High Court, Awka. 

This motion was again 

challenged by counsel to 

Innoson Motors who 

argued that where an 

appeal has been entered at 

the Supreme Court as in the 

case at hand, the lower 

court (Court of Appeal) 

loses the right to entertain 

the matter in any sort. 

The only jurisdiction the 

lower court has he argued, 

is to transmit all pending 

applications to the 

appellate court. 

Urging the court to 

disregard Innoson’s 

argument, GTBank’s 

counsel argued that what 

is before the Supreme 

Court is an appeal on an 

interlocutory application, 

which is totally different 

from the substantive suit 

being argued by the 

parties. 

“A respondent to an 

appeal does not have the 

locus standi to ask for a stay 

of proceedings. The only 

party that can ask for stay 

of execution is an appellant 

who has an appeal”, he 

argued. 

The matter was 

adjourned for ruling on a 

date to be communicated to 

the parties in the suit. 

Mixed reactions trail civil servants' 

solidarity march for Okorocha 

•Court shifts hearing on congress till June 26 

•Imo LG poll threatened 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara & 

Chinonso Alozie 

REACTIONS 

and 

counter reactions 

yesterday trailed a 

proposed solidarity march 

for Governor Rochas 

Okorocha by civil servants 

in the state. 

Speaking to Vanguard in 

Owerri, the Good 

Governance Initiative, 

TGGI, Imo State chapter, 

through their state 

coordinator, Onwuka 

Nwachukwu said the civil 

servants were forced to 

accept the idea of 

organising a solidarity 

march for Okorocha 

planned for this week or 

risk their job. 

This is as a Federal High 

court sitting in Owerri, 

presided over by Justice 

Lewis Allagoa, yesterday 

adjourned till 26th June, 

2018, hearing on the matter 

challenging the validity of 

Eid-el Fitr: Ugwuanyi, Obi 

preach love, peace, unity 

AS Muslims celebrate 

Eid-el Fitr, Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of 

Enugu State and former 

Governor Peter Obi of 

Anambra State have 

enjoined Nigerians, 

especially Muslim faithful 

to take advantage of the 

spiritual rebirth offered by 

Ramadan to promote love, 

peace, unity and progress. 

Gov. Ugwuanyi in a 

message felicitated with 


Buhari and other Muslim 

faithful for the successful 

completion of Ramadan 

and emphasized the 

compelling need for all 

Nigerians to continue to 

live in peace and harmony 

as well as offer special 

prayers for the country. 

In his own message, the 

former Governor of 

Anambra State, Mr. Peter 

Obi who rejoiced with the 

Muslims, congratulated 

them for successful fasting, 

through which they fulfilled 

one of the five pillars of 

Islam. 

Obi reminded them that 

a time like this calls for 

sharing of love through 

charity and compassion. 

He said it also called for 

understanding and 

devotion to the progress 

and development of the 

country. 

He called on them to 

explore the spiritual 

content of the celebration by 

letting its essence to bring 

them into greater love for 

one another. 

the congresses of the Imo 

State All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

According to 

Nwachukwu, of TGGI, 

“Our investigations also 

revealed that the planned 

solidarity march for the 

governor will be made 

compulsory for civil 

servants and those who 

defy the order will be 

severely dealt with. 

“Apart from the fact that 

the planned demonstration 

is not in the interest of the 

generality of the people of 

the state, it is a well known 

fact that it is subject to being 

infiltrated by criminals and 

political thugs who may 

unleash mayhem on the 

demonstrators. 

“We are through this 

medium, asking civil 

servants in the state to resist 

this intimidation by 

refusing to participate in the 

planned demonstration. 

The Imo civil service has the 

reputation of being one of 

the best in the country." 

Also speaking on the 

planned solidarity march, 

the Imo State chairman of 

Trade Union Congress, 

TUC, Paul Akalazu, said: “I 

heard of it but I have not 

been formally notified. I will 

treat it as nothing until I 

receive formal notification.” 

In his reaction, the State 

Commissioner for 

Information, Mr. Nnamdi 

Obiaraeri said Imo workers 

decided on their own to 

honour Okorocha because 

of the lovely policies of the 

government to workers in 

the state. 

“It's the decision of the 

Imo workforce. On their 

own, they chose to honour 

a man that has honoured 

them. What is bad about 

that? Okorocha is a labourfriendly 

governor." 

Court shifts hearing 

on congresses to 

June 26 

Meanwhile, a Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Owerri, presided over by 

Justice Lewis Allagoa, 

yesterday adjourned to 

26th June, 2018, hearing on 

the matter challenging the 

validity of the congresses of 

the Imo All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

It will be recalled that the 

Judge, Allagoa, had earlier 

adjourned the matter to 

22nd June, 2018. 

The second adjournment 

came after a counsel to 

the defendants, a Senior 

Advocate of Nigeria ,SAN, 

Kelvin Nwufor, pleaded to 

the Judge, that he would 

not be available on the 22nd 

June, 2018, giving the 

reason that he would be 

attending the burial 

ceremony of his mother inlaw 

on the same date 

which coincided with the 

previous adjourned date. 

Speaking to newsmen, 

the cousel to the plaintiff, 

Chidozie Ogunji, said: “It 

has no implication 

whatsoever because the 

court made an order on the 

18 of May. Anybody who 

wants to violate the order 

of the court can do so but 

for us, the rule of law must 

always be. If you want to 

violate the order of the 

court, the consequences 

are there. 

“There is an extant order 

of the court which has been 

served on all the parties 

and I am sure that APC 

being a party which will 

ordinarily abide by the law, 

will not allow anybody who 

is affected by that order to 

participate in that 

convention.” 

In his remarks, C.O.C 

Akaolisa, counsel to the 

defendants in the ward, 

LGA and state officers of 

APC, elected under Hillary 

Eke, had his motion for 

joinder granted by the 

court. 

SHOW: From left— 

T o b e c h u k w u 

Nkemdilim Okigbo, 

Corporate Relations 

Executive; MTN 

Nigeria, Dr. Pascal 

Dozie, Chairman, 

MTN Nigeria; Prince 

Julius Adelusi- 

Adeluyi OFR, Mni, 

Chairman MTN 

Foundation; and 

Chief Executive 

Officer, Transcorp 

Hilton, Mr Valentine 

Ozigbo, at the Fela 

and the Kalakuta 

Queens Production in 

Abuja 

Imo LG poll 

threatened 

In a related 

development, the 

proposed Imo State Local 

Council elections may 

finally hit the brick wall, if 

National Industrial Court of 

Nigeria, NICN, sitting in 

Owerri, approves the 

prayers of the embattled 

chairman of the State 

Independent Electoral 

Commission, ISIEC, Chief 

Amaechi Nwoha. 

Already, the presiding 

Judge, Justice O. O. 

Arowosegbe, has fixed 

June 21, 2018, to rule on 

the motion, brought by 

Nwoha, seeking an order 

of Court, restraining the 

state government from 

removing him as ISIEC 

chairman, which he said “is 

tenured”. 

Chief Nwoha, who in suit 

number NICN/OW/15/ 

2018, prayed the court to 

hold that he cannot be 

removed from office 

without following due 

process, also complained 

that he had not been paid 

in the past four and a half 

years. 

Nwoha equally urged the 

court to declare that the 

appointment of Mr. 

Ezekiel Ibeabuchi as 

ISIEC chairman did not 

follow due process, 

stressing that any action 

taken by the man 

(Ibeabuchi) in that capacity, 

“is illegal, null, void and of 

no effect”. 

Nwoha’s counsel, Prince 

Ken C. O. Njemanze, SAN, 

told the court that his “client 

is in court to challenge his 

purported dismissal, 

termination of his 

appointment and 

subsequent protection of 

his tenure and not to discuss 

the contract document of 

employment.” 

Njemanze urged the court 

to dismiss the preliminary 

objections of the defendants 

and grant his client’s 

prayers, adding that their 

action was geared to further 

stall proceedings.


APC can’t win 2019 with 

Buhari—Ogbonnia 

By Dennis Agbo 

E 

N U G U — A 

Presidential 

aspirant under the platform 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Dr. SKC 

Ogbonnia has advised the 

party not to think of 

fielding President 

Muhammadu Buhari as its 

candidate for the 2019 

general election, noting 

that his candidacy will not 

fly. 

Ogbonnia who said that 

he was among the 

proponents of the Buhari 

Presidency in 2014, noted 

that three years down the 

line, President Buhari had 

failed to deliver even on the 

fight against corruption. 

He also noted that there 

was nowhere, both in the 

party and in the Nigerian 

constitution where it was 

stated that the president 

must be a person from a 

particular section or tribe in 

Nigeria at any point in 


time. 

Ogbonnia who fielded 

questions from newsmen 

on his aspiration in Enugu, 

yesterday, said "the Buhari 

tragedy is that he is 

jammed between the rule 

of law and leadership." 

He said: “Our problem is 

the lack of will for 

implementation of policies 

in Nigeria. It is the turn of 

the masses other than tribe. 

The easiest problem to 

solve in Nigeria is 

corruption but we chose not 

to solve it. 

“I still score President 

Buhari low in the fight 

against corruption even 

though he has made 

progress. I will defeat 

Buhari in four zones of the 

country. With Buhari, APC 

cannot win in 2019 but I 

would rather give him the 

Mandela option which is to 

resign than the Mugabe 

option which will disgrace 

him out.” 

Abia Gov’s wife laments rising 

cases of rape, prostitution, 

baby factories 

By Anayo Okoli 

UMUAHIA—WIFE of 

Abia State Governor, 

Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has 

lamented the rising 

incidents of human rights 

abuse, such as rape, forced 

prostitution, baby factories, 

and human trafficking 

which she said seemed 

endemic in Nigerian 

society. 

To this end, Mrs. 

Ikpeazu has urged the 

Abia State Police 

Command to strengthen its 

Juvenile and Women 

Centre, JWC, by setting up 

a special investigation desk 

to ensure “speedier and 

thorough attention to 

reports and allegations of 

abuses and violence 

against women and 

children so that perpetrators 

do not go scot free”. 

Mrs. Ikpeazu who spoke 

when she led a coalition of 

women from various professions, 

on advocacy visit to 

the Abia State Police Commissioner, 

Anthony Ogbizi, 

explained that the visit was 

to “encourage the police for 

speedy investigation and 

prosecution of incidents relating 

to women and children; 

encourage the police 

in the fight against teenage 

pregnancy, child trafficking, 

baby factories and obnoxious 

widowhood practices. 

“The incidents of human 

rights abuse, rape, baby 

factories, forced prostitution 

and trafficking seem 

endemic in our society. 

More and more of our 

young girls are being 

drawn into prostitution, 

baby factories and rape, 

while women are being 

abused, beaten and 

sometimes killed even in 

their homes." 

2019: Delta APC governorship 

aspirant kicks against zoning 

By Simon Adewale 

CHIEF Osiobe Okotie, 

a governorship 

aspirant in Delta State, 

under the platform of All 


APC, has urged the state 

chapter of the party to 

jettison zoning, saying 

“zoning will not work for 

APC in the 2019 

governorship election in 

the state.” 

Osiobe who noted that 

zoning was not an idea of 

the APC in Delta state 

described it as “ a selfish 

and personal interest and 

irrelevant to Delta state 

chapter of APC and not 

good for the state.” 

He noted that “no zoning 

arrangement was 

documented, neither is it 

a constitutional 

arrangement and as such, 

no one or group of persons 

has the right to zone the 

governorship ticket of APC 

to any section of the state,” 

adding that "it would be 

unfair to the Urhobo nation. 

“Yes, James Ibori and Dr 

Emmanuel Uduaghan did 

two terms each, but it is not 

mandatory that Delta North 

must complete two terms 

through APC. 

"Zoning should be 

discarded for all aspirants 

to have a level playing 

ground." 

Mbazulike Amaechi accuses Igbo leaders 

of betraying IPOB, other pro-Biafra agitators 

•No election in Biafra unless...—IPOB 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu & 

Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

FIRST 

Republic 

Minister of Aviation, 

Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, 

has accused Igbo leaders of 

betraying the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB and 

other Biafra agitators. 

Speaking with Vanguard 

in his Amichi home, in 

Nnewi South Local 

Government Area of 

Anambra state, Chief 

Amaechi said that Igbo 

leaders instead of directing 

the IPOB on the way and 

manner to carry out their 

agitation for Biafra, 

betrayed them, thereby 

making them look as law 

breakers when they are not. 

“Any aggrieved person, 

group or organisation has 

the right to engage in 

agitations for better 

condition. There is no law 

that says that when you are 

maltreated, you should not 

complain against or to the 

person maltreating you. But 

in the case of IPOB, the 

Igbo leaders who should 

have directed them on the 

best way to follow betrayed 

them.” 

According to Chief 

Amaechi, “Igbo leaders 

must not support the IPOB, 

but at the same time, they 

should not have betrayed 

them. If you are my leader 

and I am doing something 

you do not support, you 

should not sell me out or 

betray me the way Igbo 

leaders betrayed IPOB and 

other pro-Biafra groups. 

“Personally, I believe in 

one great country which we 

fought for its creation and 

independence, with other 

notable and patriotic 

Nigerians who do not have 

the divisive minds like the 

present leaders of the 

country have in today’s 

Nigeria. 

“I am very sad that the 

country I and other 

nationalists fought very 

hard for its creation and 

independence has been 

betrayed and my side of the 

people treated as slaves in 

their country. It is very 

RECREATION: Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, wife of the Lagos State Governor 

(3rd left); Mr. Deepak Singhal, MD/CEO, Dufil Prima Foods Plc; and 

Mrs. Ariyo Aderemi Modupe, the proprietress, Good Inheritance 

Academy, Ojota, Lagos, during an audience with children at Apapa 

Amusement Park, in Lagos. 

Save us from hunger, death, 

disengaged workers beg Ikpeazu 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

A BA—WORKERS 

disengaged from the 

Abia State Civil Service in 

2011, have sent a save our 

soul message to Governor 

Okezie Ikpeazu to pay 

them their entitlements and 

save them from hunger and 

death. 

The workers lamented 

that they have been made 

to suffer untold hardship for 

seven years since they 

were disengaged from 

service without their 

entitlements paid and 

urged the governor to 

review the policy and pay 

them off. 

Former Governor 

Theodore Orji had on 

October 1, 2011, 

disengaged over 4,000 non 

indigenous workers in the 

state civil service and later 

recalled those from non 

Igbo states. 

In an interview with 

Vanguard in Aba, leader of 

the disengaged workers, 

Mrs Fidelia Ihejirika, 

said about 92 of the workers 

have died out of frustration 

while others could barely 

feed their families or send 

their children to school. 

She urged the governor 

to review what she 

described as the wicked 

policy of his predecessor in 

inflicting suffering on 

workers and their families 

whose only offence was 

their state of origin. 

“We have made several 

appeals to Gov. Okezie 

Ikpeazu to look into our 

situation. We will 

continue to appeal to him 

to review this wicked policy 

of his predecessor in 

inflicting hardship on the 

poor workers and their 

families whose only offence 

is their state of origin. 

"Since October 2011, over 

92 of the disengaged 

workers have died out of 

frustration. Some others 

could barely feed their 

families or send their 

children to school. Most of 

us are widows. Many have 

since relocated to their 

villages because they could 

no longer afford rent. 

“If workers who are being 

owed three or four months 

arrears are crying, you can 

understand what it means 

for someone who has 

worked for 35 years to be 

disengaged without pay. 

"Some of us were 

disengaged at the peak of 

our career. It is a great 

injustice to disengage 

workers after 30 or 35 years 

of service without paying 

their entitlements. 

“If we are paid, it would 

help to reduce our 

sufferings. This is why we 

are crying to Gov. Ikpeazu 

to come to our aid. We are 

aware that he is not the one 

who disengaged us, but as 

a Christian and Igbo leader, 

we are appealing to him to 

review this policy and pay 

our entitlements.” 

annoying and saddening. 

“Young men have the 

right to agitate but their 

leaders have betrayed 

them. If their leaders do not 

support them, they should 

not sell them out or betray 

them like they have done 

to IPOB which has been 

roundly betrayed by Igbo 

leaders who should guide 

them. 

“IPOB is not a terrorist 

organisation and they are 

neither armed nor involved 

in any kind of violence. 

MASSOB has been there 

over the years doing their 

thing without violence, yet 

Nigerian government has 

been after them, but in the 

North, people are being 

killed, houses burnt and 

communities sacked by 

herdsmen, yet they have not 

been declared a terrorist 

group. It is IPOB they 

declared as a terrorist 

group. 

“When a people as part 

of a union say they are not 

happy with the union like 

the Biafra agitators are 

doing and embark on 

protest against the union, 

the people should be 

allowed to decide their faith 

whether to belong or not, it 

was done in Great Britain.” 

No election in Biafra 

unless…—IPOB 

In a related 

development, the 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, vowed 

yesterday that there would 

be no election in the South 

East and some parts of the 

South –South geopolitical 

zones in 2019 unless there 

was a referendum on the 

status of Biafra before then. 

IPOB Media and 

Publicity Secretary, 

Comrade Emma Powerful 

in an interview described 

the organization’s boycott of 

the Anambra governorship 

election in November last 

year as a test run, adding 

that it had understood how 

the government reacted to 

such a situation and would 

perfect on it in future. 

He said: “We shall 

continue to boycott elections 

in Biafraland regardless of 

the consequences until we 

get a date for our 

referendum, which will 

ultimately ascertain what 

we Biafrans want. 

“The boycott of Anambra 


November 2017 was a test 

run. We now have a better 

understanding of how they 

react to election boycott 

threats, what tools they 

deploy including 

falsification of voter figures, 

and how they deploy them 

through INEC to fool the 

masses."



INSPECTION: From left—Engr. Ike Oduah, Perm Sec, Ministry of Energy; Mr. Newworld 

Safugha, Commissioner of Energy; Hon Jollomi Esitegiwa, Leader of the House, Warri- 

North LGA; and Engr David Oniyeburutan, Chairman, Koko Community Warri-North LGA, 

during the inspection of 7.5 MVA 33 KV Injection Substation Project at Koko, Warri-North 

LGA. Photo: Nath Onojake 

Eid-el-Fitri: Saraki, Dogara, govs, CAN, 

APC felicitate with Muslims 

...preach peace, love, tolerance 

By our reporters 

AS Nigerian Muslims 

join their counterparts 

in other parts of the globe 

to celebrate Eid-el-Fitri after 

a successful Ramadan, 

President of the Senate, Dr. 

Abubakar Bukola Saraki, 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Yakubu 

Dogara, state governors, All 

Progressives Congress of 

Nigeria, APC, and Christian 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN, have felicitated with 

them, urging them to sustain 

the principles of 

Ramadan in their daily 

lives. 

Saraki in a statement 

through his Special Adviser 

on Media and Publicity, 

Yusuph Olaniyonu, 

said in spite of Federal Government’s 

appreciable efforts 

in combating the challenge 

of insecurity, it was 

imperative for Muslim 

faithful to utilise this period 

to pray fervently for peace 

and unity in the country. 

“We have just ended a 

month long fast thus paving 

way for the Eid-el-fitri 

celebrations. These two 

periods are such times that 

the Almighty Allah enjoined 

us to ask for his 

blessings. We should therefore 

seize the opportunity 

to pray for the country and 

its leaders,” Saraki said. 

Saraki called on Nigerians 

to use the season to 

promote national integration, 

saying “Eid-el-fitri is 

a time of love and goodwill. 

It gives us a message to love 

all and hate none.” 

He said despite numerous 

challenges in the 

country, ‘’hope is not lost”, 

adding that, “only tolerance, 

stronger sense of patriotism 

and love for one 

another will help the country 

surmount her present 

socio-economic challenges.” 

Dogara 

Also, the Speaker Dogara 

in his Sallah message, enjoined 

them to sustain the 

lessons of Ramadan and 

replicate same in their daily 

lives for a better society. 

He said: “As you join the 

rest of the Ummah all over 

the world to celebrate this 

year’s Eid el-Fitri, marking 

the end of the holy month 

of Ramadan, I enjoin 

you to replicate and demonstrate 

in your daily lives 

the lessons and virtues of 

sacrifice, forgiveness, piety, 

self denial and genuine 

love towards one another 

which you learnt during the 

month- long fast”. 

“This is indeed another 

moment of celebration and 

sober reflection. And 

apart from reflection, I urge 

you to also take out opportunity, 

cashing on the spirituality 

of this festive period 

to offer special 

prayers for the nation 

against the backdrop of the 

current security and economic 

situation. 

CAN 

Meanwhile, in a statement 

in Abuja, CAN President, 

Revd. Samson 

Ayokunle, said: “The CAN 

leadership reiterates its irrevocable 

commitment to 

working with the leadership 

of the Supreme Council 

for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) 

in promoting peaceful coexistence 

and ensuring the 

emergence of a just Nigerian 

society where justice 

and equity will become the 

bonds of our shared humanity, 

and where none is 

discriminated against on 

the basis of their religion or 

social status. 

“Considering the many 

challenges bedevilling our 

country, CAN is optimistic 

that the Nigerian Inter-Religious 

Council (NIREC) 

will become more vibrant 

and effective as to collaborate 

with the Federal Government 

in tackling the 

myriad ills plaguing our 

country. While appreciating 

the gesture of the government 

in resuscitating 

NIREC after many years of 

inactivity, CAN looks forward 

to a more robust interaction 

for religious harmony. 

“In celebrating the end of 

the Ramadan, CAN is 

hopeful that our political 

leaders at all levels will 

cease all discriminatory 

practices on the basis of religious, 

political or ethnic 

differences. Since Christianity 

and Islam preach 

unity, we earnestly pray 

that the Federal Government, 

through security 

agencies, will find means 

of resolving rampant killings 

by Boko Haram terrorists, 

criminal herdsmen and 

bandits. 

“Once again, Christians 

all over Nigerians congratulate 

all Nigerian Muslims, 

among others, and wish 

them a happy Eid-el-Fitr. 

APC 

For the APC, in a statement 

by Mallam Bolaji 

Abdullahi, its National Publicity 

Secretary, “With all 

the love, blessings and 

peace on this joyous occasion, 

we wish Muslims and 

indeed all Nigerians a 

happy Eid, and may all our 

good deeds be accepted by 

Almighty Allah (SWT). 

“As a Party, we remain 

confident that we will deliver 

on our promises to the 

electorate through ongoing 

implementation of the policies 

of the President 

Muhammadu Buhari-led 

APC administration. With 

your continuous prayers, 

support and cooperation, 

the ongoing task of building 

a new Nigeria for our 

progress, peace, unity and 

prosperity will be achieved. 

Ambode 

On his part, Lagos State 

Governor, Akinwunmi 

Ambode urged Nigerians 

to imbibe the tenets of tolerance 

and unity for one 

another irrespective of ethnic 

and religious differences 

as a pathway of building 

a strong and united 

nation. 

Ambode, in his Eid-el- 

Fitri message, through his 

Chief Press Secretary, 

Habib Aruna, stressed that 

it was only by embracing 

peace, unity and fairness 

that Nigerians could begin 

a rebirth, urging them to 

imbibe the tenets of love, 

tolerance, forgiveness and 

brotherhood which the period 

of the holy month exemplifies. 

According to him, “In the 

last three years, despite the 

seeming economic challenges, 

the nation has witnessed 

appreciable level of 

development and more can 

be achieved if all hands are 

on deck. 

“As we celebrate this auspicious 

occasion of the end 

of the holy month of 

Ramadan, therefore, let us 

renew our faith in our nation 

and implore the Almighty 

God to restore to us those 

values that place high premium 

on human life, love for 

our country, love for our 

neighbour and sharing even 

as we ventilate our faith in 

the unity of our dear country 

and the possibility of her taking 

her proper place in the 

comity of nations." 

He noted that the spirit of 

Eid-el-Fitri resonates 

around the virtues of love 

and respect not just for God 

but also for fellow humans. 

“It is only in the spirit of brotherly 

love and dedication to 

national service that Nigerians 

could build the desired 

nation.” 

Wike 

Also, Governor Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, in his 

message urged the Muslim 

Community to pray for 

the unity and peace of the 

nation as they celebrate. 

The governor called on the 

Muslim faithful to use the Idel-Fitr 

celebrations to rededicate 

themselves to the 

ideals of peace, security and 

friendship. 

He assured that the State 

Government and security 

agencies had put in place 

security measures to ensure 

a peaceful celebration of the 

Sallah. 

Governor Wike urged Nigerians 

to promote religious 

tolerance, adding that such 

virtue would ensure peace 

across the country and enhance 

national development. 

He assured the Muslim 

community and all residents 

of the state government’s 

determination to improve the 

lives of her citizens. 

Amosun 

For Governor Ibikunle 

Amosun of Ogun State, in 

his message, by the state 

Commissioner for Information 

and Strategy, Otunba 

Adedayo Adeneye, said 

“During Ramadan, which is 

one of the important pillars 

of Islam, we were obliged to 

fast, shun evil actions, speak 

right and show love to one 

another. It also compelled us 

to engage in deep spiritual 

reflection and I believe that 

if we all continue in this practice 

after Ramadan, it will be 

not only to our benefit as individuals, 

but also as a nation. 

Above all, we should not 

draw back in our devotion to 

Allah, which is the ultimate 

of our faith.” 

Al-Makura 

Similarly, Governor Umaru 

Tanko Al- Makuraof 

Nasarawa State, said: "Government 

will not condone 

any acts capable of beaching 

the existing peace prevailing 

in our state and will deal 

decisively with any 

individual(s) and groups 

whose stock in trade is to 

perpetuate crime, 

criminality and fan embers 

of disunity among the diverse 

ethnic nationalities 

in the State”



APC women hail Buhari for honouring Abiola, others 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

W ARRI—ALL 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, Women in 

Delta State have lauded 


Buhari for the national 

honours conferred on late 

Chief MKO Abiola and 

others over the June 12 

1993 presidential election, 

describing it as a move to 

further deepen the nation’s 

democracy. 

Woman Leader of the 

party in the state, Dr. Janet 

Oyubu, speaking in Warri 

yesterday, commended the 

President on his anti-graft 

war, noting that women in 

the state would continue to 

support the President. 

Her words: “I know that 

with time and as we go 

through the narrow path, 

Nigerians will get to know 

that Mr. President is Godsent 

and that he meant very 

well for the country. 

“We thank the President 

for the posthumous award 

of Grand Commander of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, GCFR, given to 

late Chief Abiola as well as 

the award of Grand 

Commander of the Order 

of the Niger, GCON, given 

to Ambassador Babagana 

Kingibe and Gani 

Fawehinmi of blessed 

memory. 

“Others that fought for 

Nigeria and are alive 

should also be considered 

to give it a national look.” 

SPAR: Actor, Yomi Gold and 41st Miss Nigeria, Mildred Ehiguese (middle) flanked by SPAR Team 

at the SPAR Children’s Day celebration in Ilupeju Shopping Mall. 

Contracts pass through due 

process in A-Ibom— Govt 

By Harris-Okon 

Emmanuel 

UYO—AKWA Ibom 

State Government has 

cleared the air on its award 

of contracts, saying the 

processes are in tandem 

with the international best 

practices. 

Commissioner for 

Information and Strategy, 

Charles Udoh, made the 

disclosure against the 

backdrop of allegations that 

the state government 

contract award was 

shrouded in secrecy and not 

through competitive 

bidding. 

Udoh said: “Our award of 

contracts follow due 

diligence, due process and 

international best practices. 

That is why we have a 

Special Adviser on Due 

Process; that tells you how 

serious this government 

takes the issue of 

transparency. 

“We also have a Special 

Adviser on Direct Foreign 

Storm drainage project ‘ll 

end flooding in Asaba—Okowa 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA State 

governor, Dr Ifeanyi 

Okowa, yesterday, assured 

that the ongoing storm 

drainage project would end 

the flooding problem of 

Asaba and its environs 

when completed in 

February 2019. 

The governor, who spoke 

while commissioning 

Kanayo and Oboduku 

Streets, Akwuebulu Road 

project with drainage, 

warned against 

indiscriminate dumping of 

refuse in the state, 

especially in the state 

capital. 

He said his 

administration was 

determined to build good 

roads in all parts of the 

state, adding that his 

administration is 

committed to taking 

projects to the doorsteps of 

all Deltans resident in the 

state. 

Okowa said: “As a 

government, we know what 

the needs of our people are 

and we will be steadfast 

with our promises.” 

He frowned at the 

dumping of refuse on road 

median and told the State 

Waste Management Board 

and the Ministry of 

Environment to take more 

proactive steps towards 

addressing the issue. 

The governor who also 

inspected the Stephen 

Keshi Stadium and Asaba 

Central Hospital projects, 

appealed to parents and 

community leaders to 

Investment and we publish 

our annual report detailing 

how much we spend on a 

given project and that is a 

pointer to the fact that this 

government is transparent 

and accountable. 

“There is no one way in 

awarding contracts. The 

most important thing in 

awarding contract is that 

you follow international best 

practices.” 

On why the state 

government does not 

publicise the contract sum, 

advise their children 

against dumping refuse in 

public places and on road 

median, adding that it 

does not tell well of the 

state. 

While commending the 

Asaba Capital Territory 

Development Agency for 

building the roads with 

drainage, Governor 

Okowa thanked Deltans 

for partnering with his 

government. 

Okowa, speaking at the 

Stephen Keshi Stadium, 

said: ”I am certainly very 

satisfied with the amount 

of job put in in the last 

nine days. 

“The work has been 

tremendous and I intend 

to return back here in 

another nine days from 

now.” 

the Commissioner said: 

“There are no standard 

costs because construction 

of roads varies from size to 

size. 

“The road you construct 

in Mbo cannot be the same 

amount with the one you 

construct in Uyo because of 

their peculiar terrain. 

“The annual report is a 

clear indicator of how we 

spend Akwa Ibom money. 

There is no hidden agenda. 

And how many states in 

Nigeria publicise theirs? 

“So, Akwa Ibom is very 

transparent and this is why 

we publish our annual 

report with audited 

financial statements for 

every year.” 

Udoh maintained that 

the roads constructed by 

the government were built 

to international standards 

and specifications even as 

he accused the Federal 

Government of not 

building a single road in 

the state despite the fact 

that the state produces the 

highest oil quantum to 

the nation coffers. 

The commissioner 

affirmed that “the state 

government takes into 

consideration economic 

value when building 

roads. 

“Governor Emmanuel is 

transforming the state in a 

sustainable manner beyond 

political lines, and he is 

celebrated outside the state 

and country.” 

2019: Amatare assures of 

Buhari's victory in S-South 

By Etop Ekanem 

A 

chieftain of All 

Progressive 

Congress, APC, and 

leader of President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

Campaign Organisation 

for the South-South 

zone, Tare Amatare, has 

assured the victory of the 

President in the 2019 

presidential election in 

the South-South and 

Nigeria, promising to 

take President Buhari 

campaign to all creeks 

and communities in 

Niger Delta. 

Amatare, while 

speaking with journalists 

in Warri, Delta State 

recently, said no 

government in Nigeria 

since 1960 had fought 

corruption the way 

President Buhari 

government has done, 

adding: “I will mobilise 

South-South zone for the 

By Onozure Dania 

A governorship 

aspirant on the 

platform of All 

Progressive Congress, 

APC, in Delta State, Dr. 

O’diakpo Obire, 

yesterday, kicked against 

zoning formula, as he 

inaugurated its Support 

Group, OSG, across the 

25 local government 

areas to dare the stance. 

The inauguration 

which took place in 

Sapele, Sapele Local 

Government Area of 

Delta State was 

witnessed by the 

governorship hopeful, 

Dr O’diakpo Obire, who 

was the special guest of 

honour. 

Addressing the group, 

Dr Obire said, “I am in 

this race to win. I am 

President, and the 

campaign narrative is 

going to change to reflect 

facts and achievements of 

the Buhari administration. 

“I am going to move into 

the riverine communities 

and appeal to his people 

to vote massively for 

President Buhari and APC 

in the 2019 general 

elections. 

“What is happening in 

APC, where some states 

have parallel executives is 

the beauty of democracy, 

and such will not affect 

President Buhari's victory 

in the election, because his 

supporters are intact. At 

the moment, Buhari has no 

viable challenger.” 

Amatare urged 

Nigerians to stop seeing 

the killings in the country 

as an Islamic agenda by 

the President to wipe out 

Christians, contending 

that “most of the killings 

are politically-motivated.” 

Delta governorship 

aspirant faults APC zoning 

THE 

Assistant 

Inspector - General 

of Police, Zone 5 

Headquarters, Benin 

City, Edo State, AIG 

Rasheed Akintunde, has 

ordered that security be 

beefed-up across the 

Commands within the 

zone during the Eid-el- 

Fitr celebration. 

According to a 

statement, yesterday by 

Mr Emeka Iheanacho, 

zonal Public Relations 

Officer, “Following the 

Eid-el-Fitr celebration to 

mark the end of 

Ramadan fast by the 

Muslim faithful, AIG 

neither running for 

governor to become richer 

nor famous. As the Chief 

Executive Officer of 

Hatfield Group, I am 

comfortable and talking 

about fame, God is 

enough for me.” 

Obire said his decision 

to become governor was 

informed by his passion 

to have a state that will 

work for all Deltans. 

His words: “There is no 

doubt that the tradition of 

zoning or rotation has 

further helped divide us 

as people. Deltans are 

one and it is time Delta 

is united. 

“I see a new Delta, 

where governance will 

not be determined by 

your locale or descent, 

but by your content of 

character and 

competence.” 

AIG beefs up security 

in Edo, Bayelsa, Delta 

Akintunde has directed 

the commissioner of Police 

of Bayelsa, Delta and Edo 

State Commands to beef - 

up security in their 

respective commands to 

ensure a hitch-free Sallah 

celebration. 

“He directed that 

emphasis should be placed 

to all linking roads, major 

highways, city centres, 

worship centres, 

recreation centres, Radio 

and Television houses, 

government installation/ 

properties and other flash 

points with a view to 

guaranteeing security of 

lives and properties.” 

C 

M 

Y 

K



Nigeria'll continue to deepen relationship 

with allies—Buhari 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

M u h a m m a d u 

Buhari, yesterday, assured that 

Nigeria would continue to 

deepen relationships with her 

allies, particularly those with 

mutually beneficial interests. 

President Buhari gave the 

assurance while receiving 

outgoing Ambassadors of 

Federal Democratic Republic of 

Ethiopia, and Republic of 

Turkey at State House, Abuja. 

He said the core policies of 

the administration – securing 

the country, fighting corruption, 

and reviving the economy – 

could not be effectively done 

without good neighbourliness 

and deepening of relationship 

with allies. 

President Buhari, while 

receiving Samia Zekaria Gutu, 

outgoing Ambassador of 

Ethiopia, said: “Security and 

economic development are 

crucial to any country, and that 

was why I visited our 

immediate neighbours once I 

got to office. 

"I visited Chad, Niger, 

Cameroon, and Benin 

Republic. You will spend less 

money on security, and deploy 

more resources to 

infrastructural development, 

when you are in good 

terms with your 

neighbours.” 

President Buhari in a 

statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, Chief Femi 

Adesina, congratulated 

Ethiopia on the political 

stability that had been 

attained in the country, 

after a recent change of 

the Prime Minister. 

He also offered best 

wishes to the 

ambassador in her new 

assignment as head of 

her country’s electoral 

body, noting that: 

“Anything that has to do 

with election in 

developing countries is 

particularly 

challenging.” 

Ambassador Gutu 

described Nigeria and 

Ethiopia as “strategic 

partners,” who have 

deep relationship, 

adding that her over 

three-year stay was a 

period that saw the 

furtherance of bilateral 

relations between the 

two countries. 

In his audience with 

Hakan Cakil of Republic 

of Turkey, President 

Buhari congratulated the 

outgoing ambassador on 

the close relationship 

between the two countries, 

and thanked Turkey for 

academic scholarships 

granted scores of young 

Nigerians in recent times. 

Ambassador Cakil, who 

was on tour of duty for about 

three years, noted that 

Nigeria was his country’s 

most strategic partner in 

sub-Sahara Africa. 

He said: “I had my first 

ambassadorial posting 

here, and I am lucky that 

during my time, the 

President of Turkey came 

here, and the Nigerian 

President was also in 

Turkey. I will never forget 

it.” 

Otuaro assures Delta NUJ 

of govt's collaboration 

DEPUTY Governor of 

Delta State, Deacon 

Kingsley Otuaro has said 

Delta State government looks 

forward to a greater 

collaboration with Nigerian 

Union of Journalists, NUJ, in 

the state just as he thanked 

the body for its proper 

TUC urges Nigerians to imbibe 

principles of June 12, Ramadan 

By Victor 

Ahiuma-Young 

TRADE Union Congress 

of Nigeria, TUC, 

yesterday, said Nigerians 

needed to learn a lot from the 

principles of June 12, 1993 

presidential election and 

Ramadan, urging them to be 

patriotic and allow the 

cardinal principles of their 

respective religions reflect in 

all their dealings. 

TUC in a statement by its 

President, Bobboi Kaigama 

and Secretary General, 

Musa-Lawal Ozidi, said the 

two major events of the 

declaration of June 12 as 

Democracy Day and special 

awards given to major actors 

in the struggles as well as 

the end of Ramadan with Eidel-Fitri 

celebration this week, 

were symbolic and could 

determine the nation’s future 

as a country. 

According to the statement, 

“Chief Moshood Kashimawo 

Abiola, a man loved and 

voted for in a keenly 

contested presidential 

election held 1993 was 

honoured this week. Islam 

was his belief but he was also 

making donations to 

churches. He was a 

detribalized Nigerian. 

"The whole country was his 

constituency. He gave his all 

and even died in the process. 

The investiture held during 

the week was well attended. 

It was a good one by the 

Federal Government. 

"We identify with that in full 

force. Nigeria is a nation 

loved by God. In fact, we 

could say God is a Nigerian 

when you consider the crises 

we have gone through. 

End of Ramadan 

While commending Muslims 

faithful in Nigeria and all over 

the world for a successful 

Ramadan, TUC said: “We 

must embrace the lessons of 

Ramadan, which include 

personal sacrifices, piety and 

self denial. The deficiencies 

of these virtues are the 

fundamental reasons why 

countries we were at par with 

in the 1970s have all left us 

behind. 

"The time to look beyond all 

artificial social, political and 

economic divisions including 

ethnic and religious 

differences in society is now. 

All faithful must abide strictly 

with the teachings of the Koran 

and Prophet Mohammed." 

reportage of government 

programmes. 

The deputy governor gave 

the assurance during a 

courtesy call on him, 

yesterday, by Delta State 

Council of the NUJ led by 

its Chairman, Mike Ikeogwu, 

who said the body had come 

to assure the deputy 

governor of support for his 

peace shuttles in the state. 

The Delta NUJ boss said 

he was impressed by 

Otuaro’s cordial relationship 

with Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa, which he said had 

no doubt promoted peace, 

investors’ confidence and 

development of the state. 

Otuaro said NUJ had 

demonstrated that it has 

proved an integral part of 

governance by properly 

propagating, especially the 

pivotal peace-building 

activities of the Delta State 

Advocacy Committee Against 

Vandalism of Oil and Gas 

Facilities and other 

components of the SMART 

Agenda. 

He said: “We are willing 

and looking forward to a 

greater collaboration and 

partnership and will support 

whatever productive venture 

you may be involved in 

keeping with objectives of 

government.” 

Thanksgiving Service for Chief Michael Ade-Ojo @ 80 

From left: Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, Chairman, Elizade Motors/celebrant; his 

wife, Taiwo; Mrs Deola Sagoe, and Mr Demola Ade-Ojo, first son of the 

celebrant, at the Order of Holy Communion Service for the 80th birthday 

Thanksgiving Service of Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, in Lagos, yesterday. Photos: 

Akeem Salau. 

From left: Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; Governor Abiola Ajimobi 

of Oyo State, and his wife, Florence. 

From left: Chief Adebutu Kessington; Olori 

Abimbola Balogun; Otunba Olasubomi 

Balogun, Founder, FCMB Bank, and Otunba 

Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun 

State. 

From left: Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, Chief 

Olusegun Osunkeye and his wife, Abosede. 

From left: Oba Gboyega Dosunmu, the Olowu 

of Owu; Oba Adedapo Tesjuoso, the Osile of 

Oke Ona Egbaland, and Chief Michael 

Ade.Ojo, the celebrant.


FORMER 

Vice 

President and Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

presidential hopeful, Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar, is billed to 

address the issue of 

restructuring next weekend 

at the Hall of Grace, HoG, 

awards. 

Indications to this effect 

emerged from a former 

Minister of Information, 

Chief Alex Akinyele. 

Chief Akinyele, also the 

Grand Custodian of the 

HoG Awards, said: “I have 

personally signed off and 

approved the fact that 

Alhaji Atiku should speak 

to Nigerians through the 

platform of the HoG Awards 

holding on June 24 in 


Niger begs FG for intervention 

in flood disasters, resettlement 

By Wole Mosadomi 

M INNA—NIGER 

State government 

has pleaded with the 

Federal Government for 

immediate assistance to 

tackle the flood ravaging 

the state, especially in the 

resettlement of 

communities already 

affected by the perennial 

flood. 

The state Acting 

Governor, Ahmed Ketso 

made this appeal yesterday 

in an interactive session 

with journalists after 

inaugurating 

Correspondents Chapel of 

NUJ office in Minna. 

He explained that as the 

rains set in this year, 

“several communities 

within the planes of rivers 

Niger and Kaduna are now 

being threatened by the 

impending flood.” 

Communities mostly 

affected, according to the 

Acting Governor, include 

Shiroro, Mokwa, Lavun, 

Borgu, Wushishi, Lapai 

abd Agaie Local 

Government areas, with 

their houses and farm 

produce submerged 

completely. 

He said already, the state 

government has sent a 

letter of appeal to the 

Federal Government 

seeking for its prompt 

intervention to save the 

lives of millions of people 

affected by flood every year 

in the state. 

Alhaji Ketso noted that the 

Federal Government's 

intervention on the worst 

hit communities in Muregi 

area of the state during the 

Obasanjo regime, had 

since stopped. 

He said: “At our own 

level, we have started 

sensitising the people 

living within the prone 

areas and we are hoping 

that the federal government 

will soon assist us in the 

resettlement efforts towards 

finding a permanent 

SUPREME EDUCATION: From left— Head Boy, Olawuyi 

Abdulganeey; Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olubukola Adewuyi; Principal, 

Iheanyichukwu Akwitti, and Head Girl, Odogiyon Adetolani, all of Supreme 

Education Foundation Schools, during the 25th valedictory service/graduation 

ceremony of the school in Lagos. 

Atiku speaks on 

restructuring at HoG awards 

Lagos. 

“There is the need for 

every well-meaning 

Nigerian to support 

restructuring our Nation. 

We believe that the 

structure isn’t working the 

way we all expect it to. 

There is the urgent need to 

do this debate and make all 

Nigerians understand how 

restructuring will work, 

particularly our brothers 

and sisters from the North.” 

On why the organisation 

chose the former Vice 

President to speak on the 

issue, Chief Akinyele 

said: “At HoG, we believe 

in sincerity. 

“We have looked at those 

clamouring for 

solution to the problem of 

flood disaster in the state. 

“Regrettably, several lives 

have been lost to the 

annual flooding in the 

affected areas, while farm 

produce worth millions of 

naira have also been 

restructuring and we have 

seen that the former Vice 

President is perhaps the 

most sincere.” 

Distinguished Nigerians 

such as Atiku Abubakar, 

Ibrahim Dankwambo, 

Bukola Saraki, Ben Bruce 

and Shehu Sani will be 

honored at the event. 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—Benue 

State Police 

Commissioner, Fatai 

Owoseni, said yesterday 

that the Command has 

placed about 5,000 of its 

personnel on red alert to 

destroyed because most of 

them are predominantly 

farmers. 

“Even up till now, many 

of these farmers are jobless 

because they do not have 

anywhere to go, to continue 

with their businesses.” 

NB reaffirms support for media excellence 

By Yinka Kolawole 

NIGERIAN Breweries, 

NB, Plc has restated 

its commitment to the 

promotion of excellence in 

the practice of journalism in 

Nigeria, even as it 

announced opening for 

entries for the 10 th edition 

of its Golden Pen Awards, 

where winners will receive 

a total of N7 million in cash 

prizes plus other gift items. 

At a briefing in Lagos, 

Kufre Ekanem, Corporate 

Affairs Adviser, NB Plc, 

said the award is to honour 

journalists that abided by 

the ethics of the profession. 

Ekanem said the theme 

of the 10th edition of the 

Golden Pen Awards is 

“Agriculture, Local 

Sourcing and Industrial 

Development.” 

His words: “As a company 

committed to Winning with 

Nigeria, we believe that the 

focus on Agriculture, Local 

Sourcing and Industrial 

Development is key to 

making our country achieve 

her full potential as a selfreliant 

country with a 

diversified economic base.” 

According to him, in 

addition to the Reporter of 

the Year in the 2018 edition 

going home with a cash 

prize of N2 million plus a 

gift item, the first runnerup 

will get N1 million plus 

a gift item, while the second 

runner-up will go home 

with N750,000. 

In the Photojournalist 

category, the overall winner 

will receive N1 million plus 

a gift item while the first 

and second runners up will 

be rewarded with 

N750,000 and N500,000 

respectively. The winner of 

the Report of the Year will 

receive N1 million and a 

gift item. 

Entry for the awards 

opened on Wednesday to 

close on Friday, July 13, 

and are open to 

journalists from all media 

platforms with reports 

published in 2017 

focusing on agriculture, 

local sourcing and 

industrial development. 

ensure a hitch-free Eid-el- 

Fitr celebrations in the 

state. 

Addressing newsmen in 

Makurdi, Owoseni said: 

“We have placed our officers 

and men, about 5,000, on 

red alert to ensure that 

there are no security 

Glo’s Professor Johnbull 

tackles use of public utilities 

STAR character in 

popular TV drama 

series, Professor 

Johnbull, sponsored by 

the telecommunications 

company, Globacom, 

Kanayo O. Kanayo, this 

week joins other cast of 

the series to canvass for 

proper orientation on 

the correct use of public 

utilities. 

Professor Johnbull 

airs at 6p.m. on Sunday 

on DSTV Africa Magic 

Family and GOTV 

Channel 2, with repeat 

broadcast on Thursday 

at 9.30p.m. on NTA 

Network, NTA 

International on DSTV 

channel 251 and NTA 

on StarTimes at 

8.30p.m. on Tuesday 

and Friday. 

It is also aired on 

Anambra Broadcasting 

Service at 8.30p.m. on 

Wednesday and 

Saturday. 

Entitled “Cold 

Meters,” this week’s 

episode presents a 

critique of the attitude 

of members of the 

public to public utilities 

and how some vent 

their anger on the 

perceived poor service 

by providers through 

non-payment of bills or 

by tampering with 

metres and other 

consumption-reading 

devices designed to 

gauge and determine 

charges. 

Ruling class can’t 

save Nigeria—JAF 

By Agbonkhese Oboh 

NIGERIANS have 

been told to shed 

the illusion that any 

section of the ruling class 

will save the country as 

they are all repositories 

of “class exploitation, 

ethnic tension and 

religious crises” all 

geared towards the 

perpetration of civilian 

dictatorship. 

This was contained in 

a communique by a 

Joint Action Front, JAFled 

summit on Nigeria 

in Crises: Towards a Pro- 

People Political 

Alternative, presented at 

Eid-el-fitr: 5,000 policemen on red alert in benue 

breaches in the course of 

the celebrations in Benue 

State. 

“Besides, increased 

Police visibility, joint 

motorised patrols with 

sister-security agencies 

and covert operations, 

have been put in place.” 

While encouraging 

utility service providers to 

be on top of the game to 

give customers good 

services for their money’s 

worth, Professor Johnbull 

asks questions such as 

should consumers pay for 

epileptic services? Can 

anyone justify the huge 

sums claimed by electricity 

distribution companies? If 

consumers don’t pay for 

services, how will the 

service providers sustain 

the services? 

These and other issues 

are posers raised in “Cold 

Meters.” 

In a new dimension to 

the drift of the episode, 

Flash (Stephen Odimgbe) 

will be seen taking his love 

for Jumoke (Bidemi 

Kosoko) a notch higher as 

he hires “professional 

freezers” to “freeze” 

Jumoke’s metre as a 

means of circumventing 

payments until the lid was 

blown off the illegal deal. 

Chief Chika Okpala, aka 

Zebrudayah, of 

Masquerade fame, makes 

a cameo appearance. 

The activities of his ‘wife’ 

and a “professional 

freezer” almost robbed 

him of his legendary 

reputation as an upright 

man, just as Flash is 

compelled to hawk yams 

for Mai Doya (Funky 

Mallam) for reasons 

viewers will decode as 

they keep a date with the 

new episode. 

a briefing in Lagos to mark 

the 25th anniversary of 

June 12, 1993 presidential 

election. 

According to JAF’s 

National Chairperson, Dr. 

Oladipo Fashina, “any 

illusion that any section of 

the ruling class, whether 

big or small or a coalition, 

can save Nigeria is bound 

to end in disappointment. 

“Rather, we enjoin all 

pro-people organisations, 

groups, workers, traders, 

professionals, students, 

youths and the poor 

masses, armed with 

socialist economic and 

political programmes, to 

mobilise for true 

democracy and embrace 

the call for system change.” 

Together with 16 affiliates 

and 37 groups, including 

Environmental Rights 

Action, ERA; Alliance of 

Nigerian Students Against 

Neo-Liberal Attacks, 

ANSA, among others, JAF 

said it will work out a 

political alternative to the 

“exploitative ruling class.”

C 

M 

Y 

K 

16 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 —17 

LAST week, I lamented the 

criminality that the 

political class, members of the 

ruling All Progressives 

Congress, APC, included, is 

inflicting on Nigerians; and I 

expressed disappointment 

about Buhari’s failure to 

impose discipline on 

dangerous cowboys who are 

destroying our country. And the 

question I keep asking myself 

is this: What’s the point of 

having a military man at the 

helm if crooks and killers are 

not afraid of him?! 

Anyway, it would appear that 

I was naïve to have high 

expectations because many 

friends, acquaintances and 

Vanguard readers have told 

me that they knew all along 

that Buhari would disappoint; 

and I thought I should share 

some thought-provoking 

emails that I’ve recently 

received: 

From Pere-ebi Tiemo 

(ptiemo@bu.edu)> 

Dear Ms. Kogbara, it’s 

shocking to know you had high 

hopes for Buhari. Are you that 

clumsy? Citizens get the 

leaders they deserve. 

Visionary 

leaders 

Right now, we have subpar 

leaders because we settle for 

less. We have the same dogs 

ruling us every season; all they 

do is change their collars. On 

the flip side, is Nigeria's 

democracy genuine enough? 

Do the people actually pick 

leaders or are leaders forced 

upon the people? 

It seems every four years 

Nigerians have to choose the 

lesser of two evils and if we get 

it wrong we get the full-blown 

devil as a leader. Nigeria lacks 

talented, visionary leaders who 

are willing to make sacrifices. 

The breakdown in law and 

order, pockets of civil unrest 

nationwide and terrorist attacks 

are byproducts of poor 

governance. And Nigerians 

accept it. 

We are jaded to all our daily 

horrors… and, as you said in 

•Pupils feeding in schools as part of the government’s Social Investment Programme 

Other opinions 

your column, we cannot pray 

our way out of our problems 

even if we have a pastor for a 

vice president…Nigerians 

need to divert their time, 

monies, and energies from 

mega churches into demanding 

the best from their leaders at 

all levels. 

Excerpts from an Open Letter 

to Buhari, from Ephraim 

Adiele, a Media and Digital 

Marketing Specialist. 

(adieleeo@gmail.com; 

contactable on @baba_random 

on all social media platforms): 

Dear Sir, I don’t have 

anything personal against you. 

I even like you, but I feel that 

you have no business being 

President because I’ve done 

proper ground research and 

realised you have nothing 

good to offer in terms of 

leadership skills. You were not 

an exemplary leader during 

your first stay as Head of State 

- You even overthrew a 

democratically elected 

government. And because you 

are not exactly a businessman, 

I did not expect you to 

revolutionise the economy. 

I remember that fateful day – 

December 24, 2014 - when I 

was invited to Oriental Hotel, 

Lagos, as part of a number of 

young leaders of thought to 

come and have audience with 

your then-vice presidential 

aspirant, Yemi Osinbajo. 

On that day, we were given 

the APC manifesto, which I 

went through and laughed 

heartily at because I realised 

that you and your party 

members really take Nigerians 

for fools (well, aren’t we?) by 

making promises that can 

never be fulfilled even in the 

next 20 years except a 

miraculous revolution occurs. 

After I was handed the 

manifesto, I went through it 

and underlined several of those 

phantom promises which I 

knew will never be fulfilled. I 

will just list them here and 

probably just make a few 

additions later. 

The APC promised the 

following: 

• “Within the first year of your 

By my last 

check, only 

seven per cent 

of the 2018 

budget was 

allocated for 

education 

administration, employ 740,000 

(20,000 per state + FCT) 

young graduates in immediate 

employment 

and 

empowerment scheme.” - This 

promise was never fulfilled 

and this is already the third year 

and no signs of this ever 

happening. 

• “After NYSC, we will pay 

graduates stipends for one year 

under a vocational scheme 

where they build 

entrepreneurial and workreadiness 

capacity.” – NYSC 

alumni… how market? 

•“Create an additional 

middle class of at least four 

million new homeowners” – 

Please when and where is the 

next landlord meeting holding. 

I have to attend. 

•“Provide free meals in school 

to drastically reduce the 

number of out-of-school 

children. Osun State provides 

free lunches and got its 

enrolment to 80 per cent”. I’m 

stunned that APC used 

Governor Rauf Aregbesola as 

an example because the 

alleged enrolment figure is 

suspect, as is claims that the 

free food programme is 

successful! 

Annual budget 

for education 

• “Targeting up to 20 per cent 

of our annual budget for 

education.” – By my last check, 

only seven per cent of the 2018 

budget was allocated for 

education. 

•“Ban medical trips for 

government officials” - Yes, 

you read right! This same 

Buhari who has embarked on 

a number of foreign medical 

trips since 2015 promised to 

ban medical trips abroad for 

government officials. 

• “Tuition reimbursement for 

health workers willing to 

relocate to rural areas” – I know 

many of my friends in the 

medical field who would dive 

at this offer if ever it is made, 

but what do I know?. “Buhari 

has fulfilled his campaign 

promises”. 

• “In different 

phases over four years, 

APC will make monthly 

direct cash transfer of 

N5,000 to the 25 

million poorest 

citizens, if they 

immunize their 

children and enroll 

them in school”. – 

Dear Mr President, I 

strongly believe I am 

among the 25 million 

poorest Nigerians and 

my children are 

immunized and in 

school, where can I 

join the queue to 

collect my N5k? 

• “Generate, 

transmit and distribute 

electricity on a 24 hour 

basis … by 2019” – I will borrow 

the words of Mr President 

himself when he was talking 

about his friend, Olusegun 

Obasanjo: “Where is the 

power?” 

•“Will guarantee the 

independence of EFCC and 

ICPC” – The same EFCC 

whose chairman was spotted 

wearing a Buhari re-election 

badge during a recent 

interview with Channels TV? 

Issokay!!! 

In summary, a good look at 

the APC manifesto shows that 

the Presidency has failed as 

regards fulfillment of its 

promises to Nigerians. 

Asides the aforementioned, it 

is pertinent to note the 

following anomalies that have 

become the order of the day 

since the President took oath 

of office. 

•Incessant killing of innocent 

villagers by herdsmen; people 

are being killed and nothing is 

being done about it! Benue, 

Taraba, Plateau…name it! 

Just before the election, I 

used to have discussions with 

my friends and they were all of 

the opinion that you were the 

saviour Nigeria badly needed. 

I used to laugh and tell them 

you will do exactly what you 

have been doing and are still 

doing. 

Responses to: 

donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk 

or to 0802 747 6458 OR 0811 

675 9752 (texts only). 

PLEASE KINDLY NOTE 

THAT UNLESS YOU 

REQUEST ANONYMITY, 

YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE 

PUBLISHED, WITH YOUR 

NAMES AND CONTACT 

DETAILS ATTACHED. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

Eid-el-Fitr: Towards social, religious 

harmony 

One of the most joyous days in the 

Islamic calendar is Eid-el-Fitr, 

which means ‘Festival of Breaking 

the Fast’. Like every other festival 

with their roots in tradition, Eid-el- 

Fitr marks the end of 29 or 30-day 

Ramadan and signals the beginning 

of a new Islamic month - Shawwal. 

The celebration, which is usually 

marked with special morning 

prayers in mosques and open-air 

areas always culminates in a feast, 

in most cases, lavish banquets with 

families, friends, neighbours and the 

less-privileged. No doubt, the 

four-week abstinence from food and 

drink, rigorous spiritual activities, 

sharing with and caring for others, 

has shown that believers can be closer 

to the Creator. The period has 

provided Muslims with a standard 

by which to evaluate themselves 

with total recompense and chart a 

new beginning to make lives better. 

In showing gratitude to God 

for this spiritual fulfillment, Muslims 

and even non-Muslims should 

bolster the lessons for self-restraint, 

self-purification, God-consciousness, 

compassion, and peaceful coexistence. 

If truly the fasting was for the worship 

of Allah and not for the sake of 

tradition, then, it will be a huge step 

towards self-rededication and national 

rebirth. Fasting develops in 

a person the real spirit of unity, love, 

brotherhood and justice which are 

required for national stability and 

development. 

As we confront the crises of religious 

and ethnic diversity in the 

country, it is important that Nigerians, 

irrespective of religious and 

ethnic affiliation, eschew hatred and 

imbibe the spirit of love, care and 

compassion which Ramadan promotes. 

Why should anyone force his faith 

on others? Why should we harm, 

ridicule, marginalise or abuse adherents 

of other faiths? The Prophet’s 

(s.a.w) message on this was instructive: 

“Be compassionate to 

those who are on earth, so that Who 

is in heaven will be merciful onto 

you.” 

Again, one of the glittering tenets 

of Islam is peace with neighbours 

and fellow humans. Islam encourages 

and promotes the understanding 

of this tenet by showing love 

and care even to non-Muslims, in 

order to ensure harmonious relationships 

within the society. It is not 

in our collective interest that one 

tribe or religion subjugates the other. 

Our diversity should be our 

strength. 

Leaders should also note that injustice, 

corruption and insensitivity 

to the plight of the weak are incompatible 

with Islam and at variance 

with the above stated practice 

of the Prophet. 

As we bid Ramadan farewell, the 

celebration of Eid-el-Fitr should 

mark a new beginning for us with a 

resolve to shun all evil acts and 

adopt various positive behaviours 

required to lift the nation high. If 

we do these, our quest for social, 

religious and political integration 

will be easily achieved. 

On this joyous occasion, we say 

Eid-el-Mubarak to all our Muslim 

compatriots. 

By Akintola Benson- Oke 

THERE is disagreement among linguists 

on the definition of the word, ‘mantra.’ 

On the one hand, in the practise of spiritual 

disciplines (and especially in Hinduism and 

Buddhism), a mantra is a word or sound that is 

believed to have a special spiritual power. 

Thus, a personal mantra is sometimes 

repeated as an aid to meditation or prayer. 

On the other hand , the expression, mantra, 

is also wide enough to cover a word or phrase 

that is often repeated, and which expresses a 

particular strong belief. For instance, British 

fans often chant the familiar football mantra: 

“Here we go, here we go, here we go...” 

There is also a long history of scholarly 

disagreement on the meaning of mantras and 

whether they are instruments of mind, as 

implied by the etymological origin of the 

word mantra. One school suggests that 

mantras are mostly meaningless sound 

constructs, while the other holds them to be 

mostly meaningful linguistic instruments of 

mind. Both schools agree that mantras have 

melody and a well-designed mathematical 

precision in their construction and that their 

influence on the reciter and listener is similar 

to what is observed in people around the world 

listening to their beloved music that is devoid 

of words. 

It is in the light of the foregoing appreciation 

of the power of mantras that one would also 

appreciate the use of mantras in electioneering 

campaigns. Writing on this with reference to 

the 2008 Obama campaign, Michael 

Marinaccio, a political theorist opined that, 

“in the 2008 election, the Obama campaign 

introduced a flurry of mnemonic devices that, 

while similar in fashion to the political slogans 

of yesterday, separated themselves in a critical 

way: it consolidated thinking. “Yes We Can” 

— “Change We Can Believe In” — “Change 

We Need” — “Change.” The slogans reduced 

OPINION 

Lagos: From sloganeering to actioneering 

and fused every idea into a word. For “Change 

We Can Believe In,” it was reduced to change. 

With “Yes We Can,” it was reduced to yes and can. 

Change became a clarion call for bold action and 

monumental shifts in governing style, a fundamental 

repudiation of the previous eight years.” 

The use of the word, ‘change’ as a political slogan 

or mantra has been extensive and, in the 2015 

general elections in Nigeria, we had a fair share of 

it. The concern, however, is that mantras and slogans 

are not easily converted into concrete actions. As 

Tim Blixseth noted, “many great ideas go 

When civil servants are 

enthused about the 

organisation and its mission, 

the services rendered will 

mirror this enthusiasm 

unexecuted, and many great executioners are 

without ideas. One without the other is worthless.” 

In Lagos State, we have been mindful of 

avoiding that pitfall. Since his assumption of 

office in 2015, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode 

has led and supported the Ministry of 

Establishments, Training and Pensions to 

design and deploy a series of trainings and 

workshops designed to concretise and convert 

our change mantra into meaningful, 

measurable, consequential and sustainable 

change in the Lagos State Civil Service. 

In the pursuit of this end, we have found that 

the key to making such concretisation and 

conversion is the pursuit of quality in the 

processes and service offerings of the Lagos 

State Civil Service. Thus, this training titled, 

Re-Charting the Path to Quality: The 

Sustainable Road to the Change Mantra, has 

been designed by the Ministry of 

Establishments, Training and Pensions and 

approved by the governor to knit together all 

the factors and knowledge nuggets that will 

ensure that this administration’s change 

mantra indeed births the desired concrete 

change for the civil service. 

A passionate commitment to the mission of 

the Lagos State Civil Service is a sine qua non 

in the pursuit of quality offerings and 

concretisation of change. It is well known that 

excitement trickles down and is infectious. 

When civil servants are enthused about the 

organisation and its mission, the services 

rendered will mirror this enthusiasm. 

Furthermore, such enthusiasm will stimulate 

a passionate commitment to the pursuit of 

excellence and quality. 

Knowledge of the organisation’s strategic 

vision is also important to the attainment of 

qualitative output in the civil service. Civil 

servants must always remain focused on the 

strategic vision and the long-term mission of 

the organisation. Staff members can become 

narrowly obsessed with the day-to-day 

operations of the service, but it is important 

for all stakeholders to understand the 5, 10, 

and 20-year plans. It is also important to 

remember that the organisation was in 

existence long before officers arrived and will 

remain in existence long after they leave. 

The possession of conceptualisation skills is 

the third of the critical factors affecting the 

attainment and sustenance of the pursuit of 

quality offerings in the civil service. Business 

magnate, Chester I. Barnard argued the 

importance of conceptualisation skill when he 

wrote: “…the essential aspect of the [executive] 

process is the sensing of the organisation as a 

whole and of the total situation relevant to it.” 

The purport of this is that officers of the Lagos 

State Civil Service must always be able to see 

how any one action or decision affects every part 

of the service and its service offerings. 

In the fourth place, paying attention to detail is 

an important skill expected of civil servants who 

will pursue and deliver quality services. As 

important as it is for officers to see the big picture 

and think strategically, it is equally important 

for them to pay attention to the details. This does 

not mean that officers have to be involved in 

every minor decision, or undermine the decisions 

of subordinates and colleagues; rather, every 

officer must remain aware of the activities of the 

other officers and the status of projects, thus 

allowing autonomy whenever possible. 

Effective delegation of responsibilities and 

duties is also an art and skill that civil servants 

must acquire and master. There is a fine line 

between delegating tasks to staff and shirking 

from responsibilities, knowing subordinates and 

colleagues will take up the slack. The Lagos State 

Civil Service must navigate this distinction by 

assigning not just tasks, but clearly defined 

spheres of influence where officers have authority 

to make decisions. Delegating tasks and 

responsibilities in this manner empowers officers 

to grow in their positions, preparing them for 

future leadership positions. 

An in-built capacity to identify and grow talent 

is yet another important capacity that the civil 

service must acquire and cultivate. The Lagos 

State Civil Service, if it must deliver quality, must 

be able to take existing talents within the 

organisation, nurture it, and place officers in 

positions where they can be most successful. The 

processes and style of the civil service must be 

careful not to stifle staff growth by becoming 

overbearing or forcing officers into positions for 

which they are ill-suited. 

Continues online @www.vanguardngr.com 

*Dr.Benson-Oke, is Lagos State Commissioner 

for Establsihments, Training &Pensions.

Utilisation of local raw materials hits 

63% in 2017 — MAN 

•Faults NBS on Q1’18 manufacturing exports stats 

•As NACCIMA laments high food import bill 

By Yinka Kolawole & 

Naomi Uzor 

THE 

Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria 

(MAN) said utilisation of local raw 

materials in the country has 

steadily increased over the past 

three years, hitting 63.21 percent 

in 2017, due to increasing 

government support for backward 

integration. 

President of MAN, Dr. Frank 

Jacobs, disclosed this to Vanguard 

while commenting on the first 

quarter, 2018 (Q1’18) Foreign 

Trade Statistics released by the 

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 

last week. 

He stated: “Government took 

the right step by adopting 

resource-based industrialization 

which aims at developing rawmaterials 

locally for further 

utilization by domestic industries 

and strengthened support for 

backward integration. The result 

of these steps today was that the 

manufacturing sector is now able 

to increase the local raw materials 

utilization. 

“A survey conducted by MAN 

shows that local raw-materials 

utilization in the manufacturing 

sector was 40.77% in 2015; 

increased to 53.14% in 2016; and 

further to 63.21% in 2017. 

“The renewed attention to 

resource-based industrialization 

and backward integration polices 

complemented the CBN 

intervention in the official forex 

market that began in February 

2017 and the introduction of the 

Investor & Exporter (I&E) Forex 

Window leading to relative ease 

of forex sourcing to support 

business activities in the country, 

particularly since 2017.” 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$115.65 -0.70 

$2,445.00 65.00 

$12.24 0.27 

$76.08 -0.66 

$66.63 -0.01 

304.9 305.4 305.9 

406.6451 407.312 407.9788 

358.5319 359.1199 359.7078 

308.6032 309.1093 309.6154 

2.7583 2.7628 2.7673 

0.5288 0.5388 0.5488 

432.3446 433.0536 433.7626 

47.6211 47.6997 47.7782 

81.3268 81.4335 81.5668 

433.0495 433.7596 434.4698 

48.1112 48.1901 48.269 

24.0044 24.0438 24.0831 

CBN Exchange rate as at 14/06/2018 

Jacobs however said that the 

increase in the value of raw 

material imports in the NBS report 

lends credence to the recorded 

growth in the manufacturing 

sector. 

Meanwhile, the MAN President 

has faulted the NBS report on 

manufacturing sector export 

performance for Q1’18, 

contending that the figure for 

actual export of manufactured 

goods in Q1’18 is N45.39 billion 

as against N434.37 billion reported 

by NBS. 

He further said that the report 

on manufacturing sector export 

performance for Q1’18 appears to 

be ambiguous. Jacobs explained: 

“A cursory look at the NBS Trade 

Summary report shows that 

manufacturing export in Q1’18 

actually declined when compared 

with Q1 and Q4 of 2017. 

According to the report, export of 

manufactured goods was N64.17 

billion in Q1’17 and N55.40 billion 

in Q4’17; and N434.37 billion in 

Q1’18. “But, a major component 

of the N434.37 billion of Q1’18 was 

a re-export of N388.98 billion 

captured in the report under 

‘Vehicles, aircraft and parts 

thereof.’ 

“So, if the re-export figure is 

deducted from the reported 

N434.37 billion, we have N45.39 

billion which may represent the 

actual export of manufactured 

goods in the period. This figure is 

less than the export performance 

of the sector in Q1 of 2017 by 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 — 19 

N18.78 billion or 29.3% (not 

576.90% higher) and N10.01 

billion or 18.1% (not 684.11% 

higher) in Q4 of the same year, 

contrary to the NBS report.” 

In its reaction, the Nigerian 

Association of Chambers of 

Commerce, Industry, Mines and 

Agriculture (NACCIMA) said 

government should intensify 

efforts aimed at reducing food 

import bill which stood at N1 

trillion as at 2017. Opeyemi 

Alaran, Research, Statistics & IT 

Department, NACCIMA, stated: 

“The Association finds it 

worrisome that the Food Import bill 

remains quite high despite the 

human and natural endowments 

enjoyed by the country in that 

space. Analysis shows that the 

trend of expenditure on food 

importation has been on the 

increase since mid-2016, the 

period the Naira was devalued by 

almost 90%. However, this trend 

has begun to decline since Q3’17.” 

From left: Mr. Chukwuemeka Aniukwu, Media Relations Manager; Kufre Ekanem, Corporate 

Affairs Adviser; and Mr. Patrick Olowokere, Corporate Communications & Brands PR Manager, 

all of Nigerian Breweries Plc, at the flag-off of the 2018 edition of the Nigerian Breweries 

Golden Pen Awards in Lagos 

New corporate governance code takes off 

January 2020 — FRC 

By Yinka Kolawole 

THE new Code of 

Corporate 

Governance in Nigeria 

(CCNG) is expected to 

take effect on January 

1, 2020, following the 

unveiling of the 

exposure draft of the 

new (FRC). 

Executive Secretary/ 

CEO, FRC, Mr. Daniel 

Asapokhai, stated this 

in Lagos yesterday at 

the Annual General 

Meeting (AGM) of the 

International Chambers 

of Commerce Nigeria 

(ICCN), with the 

theme, ‘Framework for 

New National Code of 

C o r p o r a t e 

Governance’. 

Asapokhai, who represented 

the FRC chairman, Mr. Adedotun 

Sulaiman, as guest speaker at the 

event, said that the philosophy of 

the new code is principle-based 

and less prescriptive than the old 

code. 

According to him, the mission 

of FRC is to primarily promote 

trade and investment in Nigeria. 

He stated: “We believe having 

a national code that a lot of our 

commercial enterprises adhere to, 

will increase national 

development. The code aims to 

standardise the practice of good 

corporate governance and induce 

voluntary compliance with the 

highest ethical standards across 

the Nigerian market. 

“Due to the fact that many 

companies that are expected to 

implement the code may not 

currently have adequate corporate 

governance structures, 

companies would be required to 

begin reporting on the application 

of the Code in their annual report, 

starting in financial years ending 

on or before January 1, 2020.” 

The FRC helmsman said 

people have six weeks between 

now and end of July to study the 

draft code with a view to making 

necessary inputs before a new 

national code is finally unveiled. 

In his opening remarks, 

Chairman, ICC Nigeria, Mr. 

Babatunde Savage, said one of 

the motives of inviting the FRC 

chairman as the guest speaker 

at the event is to examine how 

to adopt the highest standards 

of corporate governance to 

achieve long term value for all. 

He said ICC Nigeria has 

exposed key rules, codes and 

policies to the business 

environment. 

Senate seeks 

SON’s return to 

ports 

By Naomi Uzor 

THE Senate Committee on 

Industry has called for the 

return of the Standards Organisation 

of Nigeria, SON, to the nation’s 

ports. 

Senator Sam Egwu, chairman of 

the committee, made the call during 

an oversight function to SON’s 

offices and laboratories in Lagos. 

He said it was necessary for the 

agency to have first-hand 

information on goods berthing on 

the shores of the country before 

being allowed into the markets, 

adding that Nigeria as a large scale 

importing country must have its 

standard organisation at the nation’s 

point of entry, in order to ascertain 

the quality of goods coming in. 

Egwu stated: “We cannot 

overemphasis the issue of 

standardisation, because it is the 

core for every manufacturing output. 

We are not happy that SON has not 

been allowed to operate at its 

maximum capacity especially with 

their presence being felt at the port. 

“Nigeria is import dependent, with 

porous borders and for them not to 

be at the port to inspect these goods 

first hand is not good enough. They 

should be allowed to be at the port 

to see these products before they 

enter into the market. 

Director General, SON, Osita 

Aboloma, told the committee that 

steady progress had been made 

over the years under the current 

leadership of the senate committee 

on industry. 

AFC President, CIO 

bag Champion of 

Finance awards 

AFRICA 

Finance 

Corporation (AFC), its 

President and Chief 

Investment Officer (CIO) have 

been bestowed with the 

Champion of Finance awards. 

The awards are given to 

individuals whose lifetime 

contributions to finance and 

Europe, Middle East and 

Africa (EMEA) region have 

demonstrated excellence and 

provided impactful result for 

shareholders and clients alike. 

Andrew Alli, who has served 

as Africa Finance 

Corporations President and 

CEO since 2008, was awarded 

the Champion of Finance 

Award for his outstanding 

achievement in, lifetime 

contribution to the field of 

Finance and for relentless 

contributions to the 

sustainable development of 

Africa’s infrastructure. 

Under Alli’s leadership, AFC 

has over the last ten years, 

evolved from a US$1 billion 

start-up into an institution that 

is a powerful force on the 

continent with a balance sheet 

of US$4.2 billion. 

Oliver Andrews, AFCs Chief 

Investment Officer, previously 

a strategic advisor to the World 

Bank, African Development 

Bank, Economic Community 

of West African States 

(ECOWAS) and CEO TCI 

Infrastructure, has served in 

various capacities at AFC.


By Theodore Opara 

AUTOMOBILE makers are 

responding to the needs 

of their customers with their 

new models. Research has 

shown that automobiles of today 

go beyond just one purpose. 

They can be deployed for various 

purposes as the need may 

arise. This must have necessitated 

the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 

V-Class, which 

combines the dual purpose of a 

van and luxury saloon. 

The Mercedes V-Class is like 

no other van as it offers luxury 

in a typical Mercedes way. It is 

rugged, durable and built to 

withstand the Nigerian environment. 

The good news is that 

Mercedes-Benz has introduced 

the latest model of the V-Class 

in Nigeria through its representative, 

Weststar. 

Following its market launch in 

2014, the V-Class immediately 

became an international success 

before its introduction into Nigeria 

last year. 

According to Mr. Mirko Plath, 

Managing Director/CEO Weststar 

Associates Limited, authorised 

distributor of Mercedes- 

Benz in Nigeria, the V-Class is 

a product of Mercedes-Benz’s 

international growth strategy: 

Vans goes global, with the goal 

to further extend the business 

unit's technology leadership, 

expand existing brand activities 

and tap into new growth potential 

outside the core European 

markets. 

The Weststar boss explained 

that the V-Class fits perfectly 

into this global approach as it 

combines luxury, utility and performance 

for customers who 

want to have enjoyable driving 

experience with the functionality 

of a van that can serve their 

daily needs for both personal 

use and work-related activities. 

It comes with features that include 

a generous interior space, 

an attractive exterior design, 

technological leadership, high 

quality equipment and excellent 

safety highlights that set it 

*Mercedes-Benz V-Class 

Van or saloon, Mercedes Benz 

V-Class fits in 

*The Interior of V-Class 

apart from its competitors. 

“Customers in Nigeria can 

now enjoy luxury and utility together 

in a van as the V-Class is 

built following the excellent 

standards of Mercedes-Benz 

passenger cars and is 

equipped with a generous 

amount of interior space to accommodate 

business and family 

needs of different customer 

groups. From the interior and 

exterior designs, to the safety 

and driving assistance systems, 

the new V-Class is way 

ahead in its segment.” 

The new V-Class comes in 

three different lines (Standard, 

Avantgarde and Exclusive) 

and in addition, an exclusive 

AMG line which comes with 

refined sportiness. The standard 

V-Class line’s exterior 

design is equipped with16- 

inch steel wheels, halogen 

headlamps, a manual tailgate 

with fixed rear window and 

four individual seats in the rear. 

The Avant-garde V-Class 

Porsche builds first fully electric sports car, Taycan 

The future of mobility is an 

other step closer: Series 

production of the first purely 

electric Porsche is set to begin 

next year. In preparation, the 

vehicle has now been given its 

official name: The “Mission E” 

concept study, the name currently 

used to describe Porsche’s 

complete electric offering, 

will be known as the Taycan. 

The name can be roughly 

translated as “lively young 

horse”, referencing the imagery 

at the heart of the Porsche 

crest, which has featured a 

leaping steed since 1952. “Our 

new electric sports car is strong 

and dependable; it’s a vehicle 

that can consistently cover 

long distances and that epitomises 

freedom”, explains Oliver 

Blume, Chairman of the 

Executive Board of Porsche 

AG. The oriental name also 

signifies the launch of the first 

electric sports car with the soul 

of a Porsche. Porsche announced 

the name for its first 

purely electric series as part 

of the “70 years of sports cars” 

ceremony. 

Two permanently excited 

synchronous motors (PSM) 

with a system output of over 

600 hp (440 kW) accelerate the 

electric sports car to 100 km/h 

in well under 3.5 seconds and 

to 200 km/h in under twelve 

seconds. This performance is 

in addition to a continuous 

power level that is unprecedented 

among electric vehicles: 

Multiple jump starts are 

possible in succession without 

loss of performance, and the 

vehicle’s maximum range is 

over 500 km in accordance 

with the NEDC. 

Names with real meaning 

At Porsche, the vehicle 

names generally have a concrete 

connection with the corresponding 

model and its characteristics: 

The name Boxster 

describes the combination of 

the boxer engine and roadster 

design; Cayenne denotes fieriness, 

the Cayman is incisive 

and agile, and the Panamera 

offers more than a standard 

Gran Turismo, which is what 

allowed it to win the Carrera 

Panamericana long-distance 

race. The name Macan is derived 

from the Indonesian 

word for tiger, with connotations 

of suppleness, power, fascination 

and dynamics. 

Future investment doubled 

Porsche plans to invest more 

than six billion euro in electromobility 

by 2022, doubling the 

expenditure that the company 

had originally planned. Of the 

additional three billion euro, 

some 500 million euro will be 

used for the development of 

Taycan variants and derivatives, 

around one billion euro 

for electrification and hybridisation 

of the existing product 

range, several hundred million 

for the expansion of production 

sites, plus around 700 million 

euro for new technologies, 

charging infrastructure and 

smart mobility. 

line’s exterior is equipped 

with 17-inch light-alloy 

wheels, a waistline trim strip 

in chrome, separately opening 

rear windows, LED intelligent 

light system and an additional 

left sliding door. The Exclusive-Class 

line’s exterior is 

equipped with 19-inch lightalloy 

wheels, a panoramic sliding 

roof, an “Exclusive” label 

on the fender, electric sliding 

doors and tailgate as well as 

the Avantgarde sports package 

included. 

Apply caution in 

the rain, FRSC 

warns drivers 

THE Federal Road Safety 

Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye 

Oyeyemi has appealed to 

drivers to apply common sense 

speed limits while driving to 

avoid disasters associated with 

heavy downpour during this 

rainy season. 

According to him, visibility is 

always poor with foggy weather 

during this period. 

As a result, the Corps Marshal 

has expressed worry over 

the rate at which people neglect 

the basic ethics of driving during 

the rainy season, which results 

in avoidable crashes, 

deaths and fatal injuries in 

some cases. 

He, therefore, advised all 

motorists to make sure their 

vehicles are in order, stating 

that it is important for all motorists 

to ensure their braking 

systems, wipers and headlamps 

are in good shape. 

“The tyres are important to all 

vehicles; hence it is equally 

essential that motorists get new 

tyres with firm grip and tractions 

in order to avoid crashes 

during this season,” he said.


SAFETY features usually 

rank very high on a 

parents’ list of priorities when 

looking to buy a new family car. 

But with so many advances in 

technology and engineering in 

the auto industry in recent years, 

it can be a bit overwhelming for 

buyers to make sense of all the 

terminology, and know exactly 

which features to look for 

during the decision-making 

process. 

The Ranger, which was 

Ford’s top-selling vehicle in 

Nigeria in 2017 and Nigeria 

Auto Journalists’ Pickup of the 

Year, is a great all-rounder, 

combining the perfect blend of 

on-road comfort and stability 

with off-road capability. It boasts 

of all the toughness and rugged 

capabilities of a pick-up truck, but 

also features smart technology, 

outstanding safety, superior fuel 

economy and high standards of 

quality and comfort normally 

associated with passenger cars. 

The top of the range Ranger 

Wildtrak is from a design 

standpoint, very modern, refined 

and stylish. 

“Ford has a longstanding 

commitment to developing and 

implementing innovations that 

make their vehicles safer for our 

customers and their families,” 

says Abiona Babarinde, GM of 

Marketing and Communications 

at Coscharis Motors, the exclusive 

distributor of Ford vehicles in 

Nigeria. 

To indicate just how seriously 

Ford Motor Company is 

committed to safety, the 

automaker’s Ranger engineers 

used sophisticated computer 

modelling and assessed more 

than 9,000 virtual crash tests, 

before any of the 110 actual 

vehicle crash tests or 410 system 

sled tests were undertaken. 

These virtual simulations 

allowed the engineers to 

optimise the vehicle structure 

and safety systems to provide the 

maximum levels of protection 

possible, in a wide-range of realworld 

collision scenarios. All this 

was achieved before any real 

prototype vehicle was built and 

subjected to crash testing. 

Below are some of the features 

which make the Ranger such a 

safe and family-friendly car: 

Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) 

and Emergency Brake Light 

(EBL). When the driver applies 

brakes quickly in an emergency 

situation, the Emergency Brake 

Assist function will provide 

additional pressure to the braking 

system to increase the braking 

force and reduce the distance 

required for the vehicle to stop. 

At the same time, the 

Emergency Brake Light feature 

will flash the indicator lights to 

warn other drivers. 

The Ranger provides an array 

of airbags dependent on the 

model. 

These include driver, 

passenger, and side curtain 

airbags.Selected double-cab 

models are fitted with ISOFIX 

child car seat mounting points. 

The Rollover Mitigation, an 

optional feature on certain 

Rangers, intervenes by 

controlling the vehicle’s speed 

and restoring stability, 

Hand-assembly of most powerful Jaguar begins 

Smart safety features that stand Ford 

Ranger Pickup out 

*Ford Ranger Pickup 

HAND-assembly of the 

new Jaguar XE SV 

Project 8, the most powerful, 

agile and extreme performance 

Jaguar road car ever, begins 

this month. The first examples 

of Project 8, a limited-edition 

sports sedan with genuine supercar 

performance, will be delivered 

to performance driving 

enthusiasts this summer. 

The All-Wheel Drive 441kW 

5.0-litre Supercharged V8 

petrol Project 8, which has a top 

speed of 322km/h and accelerates 

from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 

seconds, set a new four-door 

production car record around 

the Nürburgring Nordschleife 

in Germany last year – the 

‘gold’ standard for all-round 

high performance. Its best lap 

of 7 min 21.23 sec was quicker 

than many supercars. It is available 

either as a four-seater or 

in lightweight two-seat Track 

Pack configuration, which also 

boosts torsional rigidity by 27 

per cent over the four-seat version 

(Track Pack is a market-dependent 

option at extra cost). 

According to John Edwards, 

Jaguar Land Rover Special 

Operations Managing Director, 

“The SV team’s aim is to produce 

halo vehicles that push the 

boundaries in terms of luxury, 

performance and all-terrain capability. 

Project 8 is a great example 

of what happens when 

enthusiastic designers, engineers 

and manufacturing specialists 

are given the opportunity 

to create an extreme 

performance sports car without 

compromise.” 

Fundamental to the performance 

of the most track-focused 

SV vehicle ever produced, 

Project 8 features a 

number of modifications to 

the award-winning XE’s 

lightweight aluminium bodywork, 

including: carbon fibre 

bumper with enhanced cooling 

ducts, vented carbon fibre 

bonnet, flared wheelarches 

covering 20-inch forged 

aluminium alloy wheels, adjustable 

front splitter, flat underbody, 

rear carbon fibre 

bumper with integrated diffuser, 

and an adjustable rear 

aerodynamic wing. These developments 

ensure that 

Project 8 is the lightest and 

most purposeful V8 sedan in 

the Jaguar range. 

To ensure optimum performance 

on road or track, 

Project 8 enhances the XE’s 

double-wishbone front and 

Integral Link rear suspension 

with redesigned front uprights, 

two-piece upper wishbones, 

plus motorsport-derived 

ball joints and twin 

springs (height-adjustable 

for a 15mm lower ride on 

track). It also debuts a new 

Carbon Ceramic Braking 

system, an industry-first use 

of F1-style silicon nitride ceramic 

wheel bearings on a 

road car and incorporates a 

rear Electronic Active Differential 

(EAD) with oil cooler 

– a first for XE. 

To maximise traction, 

EID-EL-FITRI: FRSC to cover 45 

corridors in special patrol 

Project 8 utilises a re-calibrated 

version of Jaguar’s eightspeed 

Quickshift All-Wheel 

Drive system. Capable of 

changing gear in just 200 milliseconds, 

and shifting nonsequentially, 

such as from 8 

to 2 in extreme situations, it 

helps deliver outstanding 

precision and confidence with 

a strong torque-rich shift 

quality unique to this car. 

The 

Corps 

Marshal,Federal Road 

Safety Corps, FRSC, Dr. Boboye 

Oyeyemi, has directed the 

Corps’ Operatives (Regular 

and Special Marshals) to ensure 

effective coverage of all 

designated routes as part of 

special patrol ahead of the 

Eid-El-Fitri special patrol 

season. 

The Corps Public Education 

Officer, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, 

in a statement, has said arrangements 

are in place to cover 

45 Corridors during the festive 

season which is expected 

to commence from June 13, 

2018 to June 18, 2018.The 

Corps spokesman said the 

preparation became necessary 

because of the expected mass 

movement of people and goods 

across the length and breadth 

of the country during the festive 

season, coupled with the 

bid to reduce road traffic crashes 

by at least 15 per cent and 

fatalities by 30 per cent during 

the period. 

He listed the corridors to be 

covered to include: Sokoto- 

Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi 

corridor, Katsina-Kano-Wudil- 

Dutse-Azare-Potiskum corridor, 

Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos corridor, 

Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, 

Okene-Ogori-Isua-Owo 

corridor, Makurdi-Otukpo- 

Obollo Afor-9th Mile 

corridor,Asaba-Abraka- 

Ughelli-Warri corridor, Ibadan- 

Ogere-Sagamu corridor etc.

22— VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

Tourism creates 21 million jobs in Africa, exceeds 

manufacturing, banking — AU 

•Okomu National Park, 'The pride of our natural heritage' is the smallest of the seven National Parks in Nigeria. The park is a rainforest ecosystem gazetted 

from the former Okomu Forest Reserve in 1935. Today, the park is a good habitat for numerous endangered flora and fauna species. 

The African Union, AU, 

says the tourism sector 

supports about 21 million jobs 

in Africa with a value of over 

$160 million, exceeding 

manufacturing and banking 

sectors combined. 

Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, the 

AU Commissioner for 

Infrastructure and Tourism, 

disclosed this at the justconcluded 

61st UN World 

Tourism Organisation, 

UNWTO Regional 

Commission for Africa 

Conference in Abuja. 

Abou-Zeid said tourism was 

an engine for inclusive growth 

and economic development on 

the continent. 

“In the African continent, 

tourism supports about 21 

million jobs translating to 

one in 14 jobs; this is how 

important tourism is. That is 

why we are making sure it 

takes its due place. 

“The value of the industry 

now stands at over $160 billion 

accounting for almost eight 

per cent of Gross Domestic 

Product. 

“So, it exceeds the 

contributions from 

manufacturing and banking 

sectors. 

“Tourism industry accounts 

for more than six per cent of 

the total investments valued 

at $29 billion and employs 

over 20 million people, hence 

accounting for 6.5 per cent of 

the total work force,” she 

said. 

The AU commissioner said 

it was projected that five per 

cent of the tourism industry 

would grow much faster than 

the 4.8 per cent economic 

growth forecast for the 

continent over the next 10 

years. 

She, therefore, called for 

tourism promotion strategies 

through improvement of 

Africa’s image in the global 

media. 

“Our priority on the 

continent now should be to 

optimise the role of tourism 

based on the agenda of 

NEPAD/AU action plan. 

“On that, we have the 

responsibility to coordinate 

and facilitate the 

implementation and of course 

collaborations with UNWTO 

Tourism: Delta Govt. woos investors to build resorts, parks 

The Delta Government 

has called on investors 

to open its huge tourism 

industry by building worldclass 

resorts and leisure 

parks in the state. 

The Commissioner for 

Culture and Tourism, Mr 

Emmanuel Chinye, said the 

state government had 

designed a template to open 

up the state’s tourism sector 

for development through a 

public-private partnership, 

PPP. 

The commissioner said the 

move was part of the state 

government’s efforts to harness 

the huge economic potential of 

the sector, which he described 

as an “untapped goldmine.” 

According to him, the ease of 

doing business as it concerns 

the tourism industry in Delta, 

has also been liberalised. 

He added that plans were also 

afoot to identify and document 

new and existing tourist 

locations in the state. 

“We have a lot; you must 

have heard of River Ethiope, 

believed to be the deepest 

inland waterway in Africa, 

which is popular internationally. 

“The source of the river is at a 

place called Umuaja in Delta; 

we have been able to provide a 

ranch and some huts at the site. 

“Now, we need to provide a 

chalet with internet services 

there so that people can come 

in and stay for as long as they 

want,” the commissioner said. 

The Director of Tourism in 

the ministry, Ms Eseroghene 

Onokpe, said Gov. Ifeanyi 

Okowa had been supporting 

the efforts to develop the 

and other key partners. 

“We have finalised the first 

agenda for 2063, the focus 

now is on strategy for 

implementation. 

“We are particularly keen 

to see that tourism is very 

much high in the priority of 

the action plan,’’ she said. 

sector. 

“The governor has approved 

memos for tourism staff in the 

directorate to understudy 

Lagos State and Cross River, 

which have gone far in the 

sector. 

“The smart agenda of the 

Okowa-led administration is 

geared towards promoting the 

sector to a revenue-generating 

one,” she said. 

Eid-El-Fitr: Consevator-General urges Nigerians to patronise National Parks 

Alhaji Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator- 

General, National Parks Service has 

urged Nigerians to use the occasion of Eidel-fitr 

to patronise any of its parks across 

the country in order to appreciate Nigeria’s 

natural treasure. 

Goni, who made the call in an interview 

Wednesday in Abuja said: “I want Nigerians 

to make out time during the Sallah break to 

visit the Park closer to them so as to recreate 

and have a happy and peaceful Eid-il-Fitr.’’ 

According to him, patronising the parks 

will go a long way in helping to develop 

them to acceptable global standards. 

“It will also enhance the revenue drive of 

the parks, thereby, contributing to the country’s 

Gross Domestic Product, GDP. 

“We are working to preserve and protect the 

nation’s natural heritage and the cultural 

edifices that memorialise them across 

generations, and if we don’t patronise them, 

they will go moribund.’’ 

He said National Parks enhance ecological 

processes and life support system such as soil 

regeneration, protection of nutrient cycles, as 

well as cleansing and purifying hydrological 

cycles among others. 

Goni stressed the need for the country to pay 

serious attention to its parks because they are 

capable of generating money for the country. 

“All our parks have facilities that will make visitors 

comfortable. 

“Oli Tourist Camp, Kainji Lake National Park in Niger 

State covers an area of 5,340.82sq.km with 52 standard 

chalets, 24 hours electricity supply, a conference centre, 

two swimming pools, a restaurant and bar. 

“Chad Basin National Park located in the Sudano- 

Sahelian Ecological Zone of the extreme North-East of 

Nigeria between Borno and Yobe states has 12 chalets 

modestly furnished en-suite facilities for sport fishing, boat 

cruising and bird watching at night.’’ 

He called on Muslims and Nigerians in general to 

use the Sallah period to pray for peace and harmony in 

the country.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 — 23 

By Osa Amadi, Arts Editor 

More and more Nigerian 

artists are keying into 

environmental activism: 

artistically repurposing discarded 

materials and using them to create 

wealth and other forms of 

environmental arts. We have seen Olu 

Amoda’s ingenious works using 

discarded nails and other pieces of 

metals sourced from Nigeria’s open 

environment. Only last week, 

Vanguard’s Arts & Reviews carried the 

story of Olumide Onadipe’s 

Connecting the Dots which tackled 

global consumerism. And now, Wilfred 

Ukpong’s Future World is bestriding 

the world like a colossus. 

The future truly lies in the 

environment in every sense. First, the 

economically advanced section of the 

international community respects and 

values even the tiniest effort made by 

individuals, countries or groups 

towards bequeathing the world a 

healthier environment – forest 

conservation, renewable energy 

technology, wildlife conservation and 

protection, genetic diversity, genetic 

capital conservation, clean energy, 

waste management, product recycling, 

energy efficiency, taming of 

consumerism, sustainable 

development, etc., etc. 

Secondly, the global economy is 

gravitating towards environmental 

friendly resource use or what some 

people call green economy, owing to 

the realisation of the unsustainability 

of traditional sources like fossil fuel 

and non-eco-friendly use of land, 

forests and its resources. This is why 

the west is now obsessed with electric 

cars, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal 

energy, etc. 

Third, the evolving concept of carbon 

quota and carbon auctioning will 

ultimately lead to the situation whereby 

a country, community, group or 

individual that is able to conserve its 

forests will be paid royalties to keep 

the forests for the good and survival of 

the global environment since forests act 

as carbon sinks and producers of 

oxygen and diverse genetic resources. 

The illimitable wealth accruable from 

a lifestyle, business or art that cares 

for the environment is available to, and 

accessible by all trades or vocations – 

business, architecture, arts, sciences, 

sports, engineering, law, agriculture, 

medicine, media, academics, just 

name it. 

It is from the angle of visual art that 

Wilfred Ukpong is tapping and 

accessing the limitless wealth in 

environmental issues. 

In March 2018, an excellent golden 

award ever to be won by a Nigerian at 

The Golden City Gate Film Festival 

during the Internationale Tourismus 

Borse (ITB) Berlin (the world’s leading 

Travel Trade show held annually in 

Berlin, Germany) was given to a 

Nigerian-born and Oxford-based 

multidisciplinary artist, social practice 

art researcher and filmmaker, Wilfred 

Ukpong. His futuristic art-house short 

film, Future World, made in his Blazing 

Century Studios in Nigeria was given 

an excellent award out of 120 

international film entries under the 

“Eco-Tourism” category. 

The ceremony was held at the 

Nigerian Embassy in Berlin and hosted 

by the Nigerian Ambassador, His 

Excellency, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar. 

The award was presented to Ukpong 

by Mr Wolfgang Jo Huschert, 

chairman of the Federal Association of 

German Film and Audio Visual 

Producers and President of the 

International Tourism Film Festival 

(The Golden City Gate Berlin). The 22- 

member jury comprising European 

film and culture experts commented on 

*From left: Regine Hess, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy in Nigeria; Artist and Filmmaker, Wilfred Ukpong; 

and Mr. Wolfgang Jo Huschert, President of German Film Producers Association, at the formal presentation of the award 

to the artist recently at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. 

Wilfred Ukpong’s Future World 

priming global envir 

vironmental 

consciousness 

the film as the first significant landmark 

futuristic science-fiction made in 

Nigeria and for its articulation of 

current ecological issues. They praised 

the filmmaker’s ingenious combination 

of fiction, reality, cinema and art in an 

innovative frame. 

The court-métrage, filmed in coastal 

communities in Lagos and the Niger- 

Delta in 2016 is also considered a 

critical and creative endeavour that 

seeks to engender ecological 

sustainability, political empowerment, 

cultural evolution, and economic 

development of disenfranchised oilproducing 

communities. It shows the 

imperative to preserve some leftover 

fragile, pristine, and relatively 

undisturbed natural areas (featured in 

the film) which can attract all kinds of 

tourism to Nigeria; educational, 

ecological, historical and 

entertainment. 

Ukpong sees (created) Future 

World as a mirror that reflects the 

complexity of our industrial age and 

the paradox of Southern Nigeria, 

known as an oil-rich region and yet 

heavily ravaged by decades of 

environmental pollution caused by 

oil spillage and gas flaring. Ukpong 

hopes that his film will appeal to the 

conscience of the oil and gas 

companies and the government and 

prompt them to address the 

problems of the region. 

Blazing Century Studios is located 

in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria 

and specialises in creative content 

research, training, development and 

presentation. The studio was 

founded and directed by the artist, 

researcher and filmmaker, Wilfred 

Ukpong. Blazing Century Studios 

provides the physical basis for 

multidisciplinary works and practice 

in the realms of arts, film and sound/ 

music creation. It facilitates a 

collaborative creative space for 

young artists, filmmakers, designers, 

music composers and technicians from 

Nigeria and abroad to engage in 

meaningful projects that foster sociocultural 

and economic development, as 

well as an environmental 

consciousness and change. Equipped 

with a range of high-end audio-visual 

technology, creative materials, and 

expertise, Blazing Century Studios 

offers world-class art, sound and 

cinematic production for the local and 

international exhibitions. The studio is 

currently working on a series of 

interlinked projects among creative 

workshops, photographic, art film, and 

sculptural installations, all conflating 

around a futuristic abstract narrative 

set against the backdrop of an 

ecologically ravaged dystopian world 

and involves the talents of more than 

500 local community youths in 

Southern Nigeria. 

Future World is a seven-minute courtmétrage 

art-house film conceived as a 

socially engaging project to promote 

youth empowerment, community 

development and environmental 

protection in coastal communities in 

Southern Nigeria. This bold and 

It shows the 

imperative to 

preserve some 

leftover fragile, 

pristine, and 

relatively 

undisturbed natural 

areas (featured in the 

film) which can 

attract all kinds of 

tourism to Nigeria; 

educational, 

ecological, historical 

and entertainment 

innovative project is conceived by 

Wilfred Ukpong, French-Nigerian and 

Oxford-based multidisciplinary artist, 

filmmaker, and social practice 

researcher. Ukpong’s work is heavily 

influenced by the concept of “Social 

Sculpture” developed by 20th-Century 

German artist, scholar and social 

activist, Joseph Beuys who extended 

the conception of art to the process of 

building and shaping a sustainable 

ecologically viable world. 

The award-winning entry, Ukpong’s 

debut developed from extensive 

research work in Nigeria’s coastal 

regions and his rehabilitation efforts 

with the Niger-Delta youths, pulsates 

with topical issues and showcases 

creative talent in Nigeria’s oilproducing 

areas from the viewpoint of 

an indigenous academic of 

international acclaim. Ukpong salvages 

industrial oil and gas waste discarded 

along this coastline and adaptively 

repurposes them into innovative art 

objects and film props during creative 

empowerment workshops where art 

and filmmaking become tools of skills 

development, environmental 

consciousness and social change. 

With an overarching interest in Afrofuturism, 

Ukpong’s visual narrative 

tends to break away from poverty 

realism often perpetuated by the media 

through “poverty porn,” which has 

negatively contributed to the 

subordinate identity for the African 

continent. He does this by training and 

exposing some talented youths to 

foreign film and drama schools 

through scholarship programmes 

offered by his Blazing Century 

Studios. He further engages and 

prompts them to re-imagine their 

future as he deftly immerses them in 

his seemingly sophisticated utopian 

universe of high-tech props, opulent 

costumes, and expensive sets where 

their prowess, hopes, and dreams can 

gain vent. 

Issele-Uku 

monarch visits 

US Consulate 

General for 

cultural ties 

The Traditional Ruler of 

Issele-Uku Kingdom in 

Aniocha North local government 

area of Delta State, His Royal 

Majesty Obi Agbogidi Nduka, 

MNSE, last week visited the 

United State of America 

Consulate General in Nigeria, 

Mr. John Bray. 

The visit to the official 

residence of the Consulate 

General located at Ikoyi, Lagos 

was the royal father’s maiden 

visit to the Consulate General in 

Nigeria. HRM, Obi Nduka, was 

accompanied on the visit by 

HRM, Obi Agbogidi Alfred 

Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and 

Chief David Kanebi Siunoje, 

the Olikaeze of the Issele-Uku 

Kingdom. They were received by 

the Consulate General, Mr. John 

Bray and the Political/Economic 

Officer in the Consulate, Mr. 

Benjamin Williams. 

Speaking during the visit, the 

Obi of Issele-Uku commended 

the cordial relationship existing 

between Nigeria and the United 

State of America, stressing that 

the US Educational, Cultural 

and Community Development 

Policies have greatly benefitted 

Nigerians including the people 

of his Kingdom. He reiterated 

his resolved to be steadfast in 

maintaining and sustaining the 

rich cultural heritage of the 

people of Issele-Uku, adding 

that his major focus since 

ascending the throne of his 

forefathers has been in the 

overall development of Issele- 

Uku kingdom. 

Return of Argungu 

Fishing & Cultural 

Festival: Bagudu 

targets 15,000 

jobs 

Governor of Kebbi state, 

Alhaji Abubakar Bagudu, 

is targeting about 15,000 jobs 

from the activities of re-branded 

Argungu fishing and cultural 

festival slated to kick off next 

year. 

Governor Bagudu, a keen 

follower of global cultural 

tourism source markets and 

upbeats in emerging 

destinations said that Kebbi’s 

most famous fishing festival 

with a huge international 

offering could swing travel visits 

to Nigeria and consequently 

create jobs that will drop 

unemployment rate in the state 

and also cause rapid 

urbanization of Kebbi’s rural 

areas. 

The governor who is 

determined to build the 

economic profile of the agrarian 

state through structured cultural 

and tourism resources has also 

uplifted the buoyant economy of 

Kebbi through massive rice 

cultivation and export.


GADGETS OF THE WEEK 

Smart-phones with amazing 

battery life 

Compiled by: Juliet Ebirim 

A 

decent battery is the foundation of any smart-phone worth its 

salt. It ensures that you can get the most out of your phone, at 

any time of the day. More importantly, it’s the underlying factor 

behind whether or not you can listen to tunes on your device when 

you’re on your way home after a long day at work. Most phones 

that go all out with their features, forget to back it up with a big 

battery. But, there are still ample options in the market that fall 

within the mid-range or budget segment. 

Keep in mind that battery size alone isn’t the determining factor 

for a smart phone’s battery life. The phone’s chipset and a 

consumer’s usage pattern also have a huge part to play. Mobile 

Market looks at some smart-phones with long-lasting battery life; 

Samsung Galaxy 

S7 Edge 

The beauty of what 

Samsung has designed is 

to offer you the thinnest feel in 

your palm without distorting 

the large screen size. Some of 

our most valuable memories 

occur at night. The S7 Edge 

camera is the first to have a 

professional-grade Dual Pixel 

Sensor with which you will at 

the moment be able to take 

crisp, rich pictures in the dark. 

With the S7 edge smartphone, 

you own the dark. Galaxy S7 

edge runs effortlessly and 

speedily, managing every bit of 

the extra data on your microSD 

Gionee M7 Power 

Gionee M7 Power is a 

variant of the upper midrange 

M7 smartphone that 

promises longer battery life. It 

comes with a bigger juicer than 

the regular variant while 

sharing most of the specs and 

features. Launched in 

September 2017, the Gionee 

M7 Power sports a 6-inch full 

HD+ FullView IPS display with 

an aspect ratio of 18:9. The 

screen is protected by a layer 

of Gorilla Glass 3 on the top. 

The highlight of the phone is 

its 5000mAh battery, which 

card. One of the most 

impressive apart from its 

beautiful design, cool user 

interface and features, is the 

strong battery life. Even with the 

superior battery of 3000mAh - 

5000mAh , charging is still 

quick. 

The device is available at 

Konga.com 

Infinix Note 3 

This beautiful smartphone from Infinix is one 

device which has become quite popular amongst 

lovers of good smartphones, and for good reasons! 

Even though Infinix is a well-known brand in 

Nigeria, the release of the Infinix Note 3 really 

put them on a higher pedestal in the eyes of smart 

phone users, especially considering it boasts of 

an enviable 4500 mAh battery power! 

The Infinix Note 3 is powered by a large 4500 

mAh battery combined with the battery saving 

features of the XOS software, which promises 

long battery life of up to two days or even more. 

The phone also supports fast charging. 

Featuring a 6.0 inch HD screen, a sleek design 

that’s only 0.9mm thick and a 4500mAh battery 

life, the NOTE 3 is unstoppable. You can acquire 

it now at Jumia.com 

offers 

tons of 

power. It 

i s 

powered 

by a 

quadc 

o r e 

Snapdragon 

4 3 5 

chipset, 

coupled with 4GB of RAM. The 

64GB internal storage is 

expandable to up to 256GB. 

GSM Arena is the place to go 

get it 

A 

good choice for multimedia 

buffs, Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro 

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro features a Snapdragon 653 with 6GB 

RAM that takes you through every 

task easily without any lags.It has 

64GB of internal storage which you 

can further expand to 256GB via 

microSD card. With respect to optics, 

the phone has 16-megapixel rear 

and front cameras which perform 

decently in every lighting condition. 

There is a 4000mAh battery inside 

which lasts for the whole day even 

with heavy usage. Jiji.com boasts of 

having it in numbers 

Nigerians to explore new tech trends, 

possibilities @ ICTELL expo 

By Juliet Umeh 

If all that were outlined at 

the media unveiling of the 

2018 ICTEL expo in Lagos 

recently are to be relied 

upon, Nigerian business 

owners and aspiring 

entrepreneurs are going to 

harvest information, 

inspiration, innovation and 

optimal brand exposure at 

2018 Information 

Communication Technology 

Expo, (ICTEL Expo) .It will 

be hosted by Lagos Chamber 

of Commerce &Industry 

(LCCI) and will be a two-day 

annual event with the theme 

Developing Efficiency and 

Competitiveness in the 

Digital Age. 

Unveiling the Expo, 

President, LCCI, Mr. 

Babatunde Ruwase, stated 

that the event will provide a 

platform that brings together 

the key players in the 

Nigerian information & 

communication technology 

sector towards a greater 

contribution of ICT to national 

economic development.He 

noted that information and 

communication technology 

sector has continued to drive 

entrepreneurship, innovation 

and sustainable business 

models in Nigeria and 

beyond. 

“Technology-driven service 

delivery and mobile payment 

solutions have transformed 

the way we do business today. 

The ICTEL Expo is a veritable 

platform to explore new 

technology possibilities and 

trends.The ICT sector could 

contribute more to our 

national development if the 

needed infrastructure and 

policies are in place,” he said. 

He urged government and 

private sector players to 

explore the public-private 

partnership model to mobilize 

needed investments for ICT 

infrastructure and provide a 

conducive policy environment 

where ICT business can 

thrive.Expressing optimism 

towards the upcoming event, 

Mr. Ruwase said the Expo is 

part of the platform they use 

to promote ICT in Nigeria. 

“We all know that ICT is 

thriving and a way to go now 

in all aspect of our lives. So, 

we are trying to bring a lot of 

awareness and this is the 

fourth edition that we are 

Emerging trends: 

How AI's helping to 

check abuse, 

exploitation of children 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

Joelle Casteix is a renowned child rights 

advocate who co-founded the Zero 

Abuse Project meant to end sexual abuse 

of children.However, when she envisioned 

the project, she did not figure that Artificial 

Intelligence (AI) would play a role.As a 

founding member of Zero Abuse Project, 

Casteix had been working on legal and 

regulatory aspects of sexual abuse of 

children. Out of Zero Abuse Project she 

created another, called Project G. 

Project G is a tool that identifies risk factors 

of predatory behaviours, not only on 

predators who prey on children, but those 

associated with the cover up of sexual 

exploitation.During the recent ITU AI for 

Good Global Summit, Casteix explained that 

when she decided to build a database to 

catalogue and index records of abuse by 

institutions, she realized that she needed a 

powerful tool to make sense of the data.She 

said: “We never thought AI would be a part 

of our mission. I was working to figure out 

how to make organizations and institutions 

safer for kids. Our number one goal was to 

build a database, something where, if we 

needed the information quickly, we could 

rely on. So, we met a contact here through a 

friend of ours, Neil Sahota, and he said: "I 

think what you need is a little more than a 

database". That was how I was introduced to 

Edited by: 

Prince Osuagwu 

08050498513 

princeosuagwu@gmail.com 

going to have. We are going 

to have a strong collaboration 

with the relevant ministry at 

federal and state level. So, 

we want to do what we have 

done last year in a better 

way,” he added. 

Earlier in his welcome 

address, Chairman, Trade 

Promotion Board, LCCI, Mr. 

Gabriel Idahosa, pointed out 

that there will also be 

conferences to address the 

current trends in the ICT 

sector and an overview of 

government policies and how 

business has been impacted 

by the policies. He also said 

that the best practices in ICT 

regulations would also form 

a critical part of the discourse 

at the various scheduled sideevents 

during the Expo. 

AI,” 

She recalled that 

the contact insisted 

that by using 

Artificial 

Intelligence, 

Project G, a 

new initiative 

from The Zero Abuse Project would bring 

to light trends and risk factors that threaten 

children’s safety.According to her, “The goal 

of our non-profit is to protect children from 

sexual abuse and exploitation globally, no 

matter the form of that exploitation.Today, 

with the tool we are aware of various 

behaviours and also use AI to find patterns 

that we have never thought possible to 

protect more and more children from abuse. 

It’s an amazing and fascinating tool , 

because it helps show us what a predator 

looks like.” Casteix explained that these 

new advances in machine learning and AI 

are allowing researchers to identify patterns 

in data sets never before seen.In the US, 

referrals to state child protective services 

involve around 6.6 million children each 

year and around 3.2 million of those children 

are investigated.


For Femi Falana and Kunle Ajibade: Sixty Hurrahs to 

Courage and Conviction 

By Ogaga Ifowodo 

Iwas twenty-three and in the 

first semester of my final 

year as a law student at the 

University of Benin. He was thirty 

and already a rising star in the 

legal profession, though still under 

the wing of the urbane but 

ever battle-ready Alao Aka- 

Bashorun. I had recently ceased 

to be Secretary-General of the Students 

Union and Opeyemi 

Bamidele (now literally taking the 

bullets of enemies of democracy 

in our land) newly sworn in as 

the Chairman of the Caretaker 

Committee, pending the election 

to constitute a new executive. And 

it was the matter of the election 

that led to my “indefinite suspension” 

— along with Bamidele and 

two others, in the first instance 

(eight more followed suit, besides 

the president of the union) — 

thereby almost confirming my father’s 

fear the day I informed him 

of my intention to run for a Students 

Union office: that I did not 

intend to graduate! 

Intolerable election guidelines 

Still smarting from our victory 

in the fight for the restoration of 

the union at Uniben — following 

the unconstitutional ban on student 

union activities in the wake 

of the nationwide protests 

sparked by the murder of four 

Ahmadu Bello University students 

by anti-riot policemen precipitately 

called to quell a peaceful 

protest (Professor Ango Abdullahi, 

the vice chancellor, would further 

outrage the nation by announcing 

that “only four students died” 

as if one were not too many) — 

Professor Grace Alele-Williams 

sought to pacify her campus for 

General Babangida, the reigning 

military dictator, by issuing intolerable 

election guidelines. Candidates 

were to submit their manifestoes 

for vetting; were not to use 

university policy as a campaign 

issue; must not belong to campus 

associations (this aimed at disqualifying 

members of the 

“banned” League of Patriotic Students, 

resurrected as the Cultural 

Awareness Club, our group); possession 

of a minimum Grade 

Point Average of 2.75; and disqualification 

without reason. Why 

call it an election, you might ask, 

but we were then in the early years 

of Babangida’s political witchcraft, 

hence his dying need to pacify 

the campuses by emasculating the 

National Association of Nigerian 

Students (NANS), as well as the 

Academic Staff Union of Universities 

(ASUU), arguably the only 

organised opposition at the time 

to the burgeoning military terror. 

Our suspension was punishment 

for rallying the students against 

the obnoxious guidelines, for calling 

“on students to boycott” the 

elections and — of course, they 

had to add this — “incit[ing] them 

to violence and demonstration.” 

But that was hardly our only 

crime. At the time of the second 

petrol price increase by 

Babangida from 39.5 kobo to 42 

kobo per litre — yes, the national 

currency did have value once 

Femi Falana 

upon a time! — the union had 

barely been inaugurated and so 

we lacked the platform for an 

effective protest, with the 

University of Jos, I believe, 

leading the way then. Then 

Babangida gave us a chance to 

salve our festering wound of nonparticipation: 

the students unions 

of the universities that shunned 

“violence” by not protesting 

would each be given an eighteenseater 

bus to commend their 

“maturity.” Promptly, we made 

clear what kind of praise or gifts 

the University of Benin union 

would accept by holding a rally 

and rejecting the bribe outright. 

But the true test of the union’s 

character followed quickly when 

the university decided to cancel 

resit examinations. Resits gave a 

second chance, a lifeline even, to 

struggling students, many of 

whom were indigent, some 

constrained to do menial work in 

town to see themselves through 

school, and who still had to cope 

with poor living conditions, and 

non-existent or inadequate 

learning materials as libraries and 

laboratories were sapped to 

“death” by the IMF/World Bank’s 

Structural Adjustment 

Programme, imposed by 

Babangida on the nation despite 

its total rejection by the people. 

The last straw 

Whatever the merits of the decision, 

the students would accept 

it only if living and learning conditions 

were improved, even if by 

a mere fifty percent. The vicechancellor 

would not budge and 

challenged me, as the perceived 

recalcitrant mouthpiece of the students, 

to a debate. The entire university 

trooped to the quadrangle 

of the Faculty of Social Sciences 

to be schooled on how misguided 

the new students union was. As 

it happened, she lost the argument 

and was constrained to restore 

resit exams for the time being. 

That was the last straw. Something 

had to be done. 

And so disregarding our request 

to examine the evidence and 

witnesses against us, and for 

adequate time to prepare our 

response to the charges of holding 

a rally, and incitement to 

demonstration and violence, the 

university proceeded at breakneck 

speed to hand us what, in 

effect, were expulsion letters. I 

took the query, our responses, and 

the suspension letters to Femi 

Falana in Lagos, meeting him at 

home in Ketu where he lived at 

the time. On the principle of fair 

hearing alone, our suspension 

would be annulled by the court, 

but what to do about the ubiquitous 

cast-iron ouster clauses in the 

Constitution (Suspension and 

Modification) Decree, the Federal 

Military Government (Supremacy 

and Enforcement of Powers) 

Decree, recently reiterated in the 

Students Union Activities (Control 

and Regulation) Decree 47? 

Falana saw a way out. He would 

bring to aid the African Charter 

on Human and Peoples Rights, 

already ratified and domesticated, 

which, as an international treaty, 

Nigeria was obligated to enforce 

in her courts. By sheer coincidence, 

the late Justice James 

Whatever the 

merits of the decision, 

the students 

would accept it only 

if living and 

learning conditions 

were improved, 

even if by a mere 

fifty percent 

Omo-Agege of the former Bendel 

State High Court was assigned 

the case, Bamidele & Ors v The 

University of Benin. He had been 

one of the resource persons who 

helped birth the Charter during 

his time as an expatriate jurist in 

The Gambia. He was more than 

happy to give it life, though the 

university’s failure to adhere to its 

enabling Act had already simplified 

the task for him. He voided 

our suspension/expulsion. I lost 

a semester but returned to complete 

my LL.B with honours, 

though Professor Alele-Williams 

would withhold my faculty 

reference form and prevent my 

admission into the Nigeria Law 

School until a month before the 

bar exam, the battle for my admission 

waged administratively 

this time by Mr Aka-Bashorun 

himself. 

He was thirty and I was twentythree 

when we first met. I, a law 

student with his head in law and 

his heart in poetry and literature, 

Kunle Ajibade 

and he a copy writer with the defunct 

Grant Advertising at an indifferent 

address on Bode Thomas 

Street, Surulere, Lagos. 

Kunle Ajibade, would soon after 

wend his way to the newsrooms 

of The Guardian, The African 

Concord, and TheNEWS magazine 

and Tempo newspaper, the 

last two as co-founder and editor. 

I don’t recall precisely the occasion 

of our first meeting — 

whether the 1988 Association of 

Nigerian Authors annual 

conference at the National 

Theatre or on one of my many 

truant jaunts to Lagos to attend 

this or that reading — but 

whichever it was, I suspect that I 

was introduced by the late poet 

Idzia Ahmad, Ajibade’s 

colleague at Grant. It was in his 

days at The African Concord, 

however, that I really got to know 

Ajibade. With the encouragement 

of Lewis Obi, its editor, and Ohi 

Alegbe, copy editor, I had begun 

contributing articles to its pages. 

And then in 1993 I won the 

Association of Nigerian Authors 

poetry prize with an unpublished 

manuscript, what became 

Homeland and Other Poems. 

Ajibade who had begun a series 

of long interviews of established 

authors for Weekend Concord, 

was, it seemed, almost as 

delighted as my euphoric self and 

interviewed me for his report as if 

I were already a bona fide poet, 

thereby doing wonders for my 

budding writer’s ego! 

The vicious days 

But literature is one thing and 

real life another. And so it was that 

soon after that we would both be 

in the trenches during the vicious 

days of the Babangida/Abacha 

tyranny that culminated in the 

cruellest evil perpetrated against 

democracy and our sovereign 

right to self-determination: the 

annulment of the June 12, 1993, 

presidential election. Jailed for 

life, he was, by a military tribunal 

set up to confirm verdicts already 

reached before the charges were 

framed. Ajibade’s offence had 

been no more than publishing 

General Obasanjo’s statement in 

denial of the ridiculous charge of 

accessory before the fact of treason, 

making Ajibade’s offence 

purportedly that of being an accessory 

after the fact of treason! 

Whenever anyone quite solicitously 

wondered how I coped 

with six months of preventive 

detention, I always said that I got 

away lightly and would cite 

Ajibade among other human 

rights and democracy activists 

given life imprisonment sentences, 

or who had spent well over 

a year in the Babangida/Abacha 

gulag, Ajibade having done 

three-and-a-half years before freedom 

came in the wake of his jailer’s 

death. I was amused when 

Ngugi wa Thiong’o conceded to 

Ajibade the status of “older jailbird” 

during a conversation with 

him at the 2016 Ake Arts and Book 

festival in Abeokuta because he 

had himself spent only one year 

in Arap Moi’s prison. 

Jailed for life 

Jailed for life, but the people on 

whose side he fought, as the rest 

of the world, hailed him for a life 

courageously lived. As they hail 

Falana who in those days walked 

through revolving doors to prison 

cells and SSS dungeons. Among 

his peers and even succeeding 

generations, Falana stands tall as 

a people’s solicitor and advocate, 

insisting on seeing law as a tool 

of social engineering rather than 

merely as a genteel profession of 

self-satisfied practitioners, best 

served without a conscience, by 

keeping silent in the face of 

tyranny or, even better, taking the 

side of diabolical governments. 

For his part, Ajibade was editor 

of Tempo, the underground 

newspaper set up by TheNEWS 

crew after their magazine had 

been proscribed. These two 

tribunes of truth and justice 

recently marked their sixtieth 

anniversary in a beautiful land 

made almost unliveable on any 

proper index of healthy living, 

where the average life expectancy 

is a bleak fifty-four years, placing 

us behind 215 other countries in 

the world and 15 in Africa. They 

can’t hear me, but I am shouting 

sixty hurrays in the first instance, 

and sixty more (for I wish them a 

very long life), in tribute to their 

extraordinary courage. 

•Ifowodo, poet, lawyer and 

activist, represents Delta State on 

the Governing Board of the 

Niger Delta Development Commission 

(NDDC). A Good 

Mourning, his latest book of 

poems, includes his reflections 

on the June 12, 1993 catastrophe.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


THE Secretary General of 

Nigerian Supreme Council 

for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. 

Ishaq Oloyede has described the 

recent demand for Nigeria to 

relocate her embassy from Tel 

Aviv to Jerusalem and the 

expression of support to 

President Trump’s relocation of 

the United States of America’s 

embassy to Jerusalem as 

appalling to all men of 

conscience and a direct 

manifestation of acute bigotry, 

abject ignorance and lack of 

understanding of the issue. 

Oloyede who is also the 

Registrar, Joint Admissions and 

Matriculation Board, JAMB, 

stated this while delivering the 

maiden Ramadan Lecture titled 

Achieving Peace, Stability and 

Good Governance in a Multi- 

Ethnic and Multi-Religious 

Society organised by The Point 

Newspaper held at the Combo 

Hall, LTV 8, Agindingbi, Lagos 

recently. 

According to him, “ The recent 

demand for Nigeria to relocate 

her embassy from Tel Aviv to 

Jerusalem and its expression of 

support to President Trump’s 

relocation of the United States of 

America’s embassy to Jerusalem 

is not only appalling to all men of 

conscience but a (direct) 

manifestation of acute bigotry, 

abject ignorance and lack of 

understanding not only of the 

‘Biblical prophecy’ but indeed of 

the religious demographics of 

Shawwal 1, 1439 A.H. 

Call for movement of Nigeria’s embassy to 

Jerusalem is acute bigotr 

try—Pr 

y—Prof Oloyede 

the State of Israel today. 

He added that the Christian 

Leader, His Eminence Pope 

Francis made an informed and 

impassionate plea against the 

decision saying that the decision 

“would add new elements of 

tension in a world already shaken 

and scarred by many cruel 

conflicts”. 

According to Oloyede, “Pope 

Francis said further: “I cannot 

remain silent about my deep 

concern for the situation that has 

developed in recent days and, at 

the same time, I wish to make a 

heartfelt appeal to ensure that 

everyone is committed to 

respecting the status quo of the 

city, in accordance with the 

relevant resolutions of the 

United Nations,”. Apparently 

drawing lessons from history, 

the Pope further stated that 

“Jerusalem is a unique city, 

sacred to Jews, Christians and 

Muslims. Where the Holy Places 

for the respective religions are 

venerated, and it has a special 

vocation to peace,”. 

Oloyede said, “It is particularly 

instructive to note that Pope 

Francis’s vote for peace and call 

for the preservation of the 

sacerdotal status of Jerusalem for 

Christian, Islamic and Judaic 

religious traditions has also been 

echoed by the National Council 

of Churches, which represents 

some 35 Million American 

Protestants across 38 different 

denominations from 

Presbyterian to Methodist to the 

National Baptist Convention. In 

its response to the 

announcement of the movement 

of the US embassy to Jerusalem, 

the National Council of Churches 

pooh-poohed the decision of the 

American President. The Council 

said the decision “has thrown fuel 

on the fires of conflict in the 

region. People are likely to die as 

a direct result of this decision”. 

True to the Council’s prediction 

(prophesy), a lot of people have 

died and are dying as a result of 

the unfortunate decision of the 

American government. It is 

therefore strange that a Christian 

group would substitute “love” for 

pathological hatred and 

oppression just to hurt their 

Muslim brothers. 

“I, therefore, call on all peoples 

of conscience to rise above 

pettiness and join the assemblage 

of well-meaning organisations all 

around the world including the 

United Nations and World 

Council of Churches all of which 

have deprecated the decision of 

the United States of America on 

the relocation of its embassy to 

Jerusalem as ill-advised and as a 

recipe for global insecurity and 

strife, to insist on equitable 

solutions in consonance with the 

United Nations General 

Assembly Resolution ES-10/ 

L.22 on the status of Jerusalem. 

A comprehensive, just and 

lasting resolution in the occupied 

territory is imperative,” he said. 

BARKA JUMAH 

Eid-el-Fitr: Rise, stay forever atop 

2018 edition of Ramadan has faded away; never 

to return. As a partaker, thank Allah for the blessings 

of life and wellness. 

Our lives now persist at the curve of fresh faith and 

the grand blessings of glorious gains of Ramadan. 

Your soul is fragrant and new, having been 

wrought by the scented breeze of the holy month of 

Ramadan; and the compass of faith marches each 

of us to life's loveliest destination, and the blissful 

paradise in the hereafter. 

Your ripened faith, wrought by recitation of the 

Qur'an and the practice of doing good and righteous 

deeds would defeat the hardships of life in your path, 

crush your foes, and help you rise and stay forever 

atop. Never cease to do good deeds. Adjust yourself 

to the daily freshness of hope and the abundance of 

Allah's reward that the force of Ramadan blessings 

have gifted to you, and remain, "Ramadan Strong", 

forever. 

We shall all observe the 2019 Ramadan edition, 

insha Allah. Happy jumat. Have a joyous Eid Fitr. 

— Dr Adewale Adeeyo OON. 

Be steadfast against intellectual 

war against Islam — Sheikh 

Abdullah Al-Ilory 

A 

Lagos-based Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Abdullah Adam El- 

Ilory has urged Muslims to be steadfast and united to be 

able to overcome the intellectual war against Islam and 

Muslims. 

Abdullah, who succeeds the great Islamic scholar, Sheikh 

Adam Abdullah El-Ilory, stated this during the Ramadan 

lecture of Bodija Estates and Environs Muslim Community at 

the Islamic Centre, Bodija, Ibadan. 

Speaking on the title “Continuity of Intellectual War against 

Islam’’, the scholar who is also a lawyer, recalled that there 

was no more conventional war against Islam like the ones 

waged against Prophet Muhammad in Makkah and Madinah. 

He said the greatest war against Islam and Muslims nowadays 

is intellectual war which includes deceptions and other 

modern day propaganda to woo the followers of Islam from 

the religion. 

He implored Muslims to be vigilant and careful in jumping at 

any offer from the western imperialists who will not rest on 

their oars until they weaken the power of Islamic countries 

and countries with Muslims majority politically and 

economically. 

He cited cases of insurgencies of ISIS, Boko Haram, 

destruction of Iraq, Syria, Libya, Qatar, Egypt, Palestinian and 

other countries of dominant Muslim population as one of the 

ploys to destroy Muslims and Islam completely. 

“Remember that despite the persecution and opposition of 

our Prophet by the Kufaar, he persevered and was victorious 

at the end of the day’’ Abdullah added. 

The chairman of the community, Alhaji Waheed Alli told the 

Islamic faithful that all the lectures were carefully selected on 

socio-economic and political affairs to benefit members and 

contribute their own quota to the development of the nation. 

Other highlights of the community Ramadan activities 

include daily Tafsir of the Qur’an, providing daily iftar to over 

500 people and have weekly Sunday school for over 600 

children at the Islamic Centre. 

Ambode’s aide urges Muslims to 

sustain Ramadan virtues 

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO 

These Muslims shun declaration of the sighting of the new moon by His 

Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto and observed Eid Prayers yesterday at Agodi 

Muslim prayeing ground, Ibadan. Photo Dare Fasube 

MSSN Lagos congratulates Muslims, warns politicians against insincerity 

THE Muslim Students’ 

Society of Nigeria, Lagos 

State Area Unit has congratulated 

Nigerians over their successful 

completion of the 1439AH 

Ramadan. 

This is as the MSSN Lagos 

admonished politicians and 

leaders in the country to be 

sincere with their electoral 

promises as the 2019 general 

election approaches. 

The Amir (president) of the 

MSSN in Lagos State, Dr. Saheed 

Ashafa, said this in an Eid-ul-Fitri 

press release to mark the end of 

the 1439AH Ramadan. 

Ashafa thanked Allah for the 

relative peace enjoyed in the 

country in the holy month, 

adding that Muslims must not 

relent in engaging in continuous 

prayer for Nigeria. 

He also urged Muslims in the 

country to emulate the lessons 

of the holy month and counselled 

them to abstain from every act 

that contravenes the dictate of 

Allah.He said, “We thank 

Almighty Allah for making us 

witness this unique and holy 

month of Ramadan. We pray that 

Allah accepts our prayers and 

worships. Amidst celebration, 

we should remember the essence 

of the month which is sacrifice, 

perseverance and obedience to 

Allah. “We should continue to 

live in piety and fear our Creator 

after the month of Ramadan. We 

should be good symbols and 

ambassador of Islam at all times. 

I plead with us not to commit 

inequities that we avoided in 

Ramadan in any other month.” 

THE Senior Special Assistance, SSA to Lagos State Governor on 

Survey Matters, Adeleke Adekoya has urged Muslims to sustain 

the virtues imbibed during the period. 

Adekoya who stated this during a lecture organized by the Fathiu -l- 

Khaerul Islamic Society of Nigeria in Somolu Local Government, Lagos 

state, recently, stressed that persistent prayers, love for one another 

and perseverance, would be improve security of lives and property in 

Nigeria. 

According to him, if Muslims to sustain the virtues of the month, it 

would help the country especially Lagos state, to boost its security, 

better economy, assist in provision of infrastructure and other basic 

needs. 

He urged residents to consistently pray for peace and tranquility so 

that governor Ambode could deliver more impactful dividend of 

democracy. 

Adekoya attributed the reduction in hooliganism in Somolu and 

other parts of Lagos to consistent efforts of the present administration 

to make security a priority. 

He urged residents of the area to further their cooperation with the 

state government to sustain the peace and bring more development 

to the area.

Etiquettes of Eid-il-Fitr 

DOING ghusl before going 

for Eid prayer: It is 

mustahabb to do ghusl before 

going for Eid prayers. Just like it is 

recommended for Jumu’ah, a 

Muslim is advised to observe it. It 

was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth 

in al-Muwatta’ and elsewhere that 

‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar used to do 

ghusl on the day of al-Fitr before 

going out to the prayer-place in 

the morning. Al-Muwatta’ 428. 

Also, It is a day we must 

emphasis that fasting has ended, 

so, endeavour to eat something. 

It is strongly recommended even 

it it just little, you need to take in 

food, snacks or fruits. The Prophet 

(s.a.w) used not to go out on the 

morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had 

eaten some dates… of which he 

Shawwal 1, 1439 A.H. 

UMURAH: NAHCON releases contact numbers 

for complainants 

THE National Hajj 

Commission of Nigeria 

(NAHCON) has released contact 

number on which ongoing 

Umurah pilgrim can lodge their 

complaints. 

Vanguard gathered that there 

were complaints from umurah 

pilgrims bothering on 

accommodation arrangements 

by some tour operators which 

were not satisfactory with some 

of the pilgrims. 

In a statement issued and signed 

by the by NAHCON Head, Public 

Affairs Division, Hajia Fatima 

Usara, the commission said: “we 

wish to draw the attention of its 

numerous clients to some crucial 

matters especially on the current 

Umrah exercise. 

“As part of its supervisory 

duties, NAHCON has since 

dispatched a team of its staff to 

Makkah to monitor, evaluate, 

take necessary action and report 

on Umrah activities of pilgrims as 

would eat an odd number. (Al- 

Bukhaari) This however does not 

apply to Eid-il-Adha, which does 

not permit eating before going to 

Eid until one comes back from the 

prayer. 

Do Takbeer on the day of Eid: 

This is one of the greatest Sunnahs 

on the day of Eid because Allah says 

(interpretation of the 

meaning):”(He wants that you) 

must complete the same number 

(of days), and that you must 

magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbeer 

(Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most 

Great)] for having guided you so 

that you may be grateful to Him” 

[al-Baqarah 2:185] 

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, laa 

ilaaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar, 

Allah akbar, wa Lillaah il-hamd 

well as licensed service providers. 

In view of the above, the 

commission would like to call on 

its clients with complaints to 

contact its officials on these phone 

numbers: +234803 733 4415or 

+234806 760 0401. Or contact 

this team at NAHCON Head Office 

in Umm Jood District, Makkah. 

“However, NAHCON would like 

to enjoin all Umrah pilgrims to, 

henceforth, verify and determine 

the package they are paying tour 

operators/service providers for 

even before embarking on the 

journey. Doing this is important 

to facilitate any role NAHCON 

would be playing in the interest of 

the Umrah pilgrim-whether in 

sanctioning defaulting tour 

operators or even the Umrah 

pilgrims themselves. Doing this 

will eliminate any chances of being 

shortchanged and reducing the 

pilgrim’s tendency of expecting 

too much from his/her service 

provider. 

(Allah is Most Great, Allah is most 

Great, there is no god but Allah, 

Allah is Most great, Allah is most 

great, and to Allah be praise). It 

was narrated that al-Waleed ibn 

Muslim said: I asked al-Awzaa’i 

and Maalik ibn Anas about saying 

Takbeer out loud on the two Eids. 

They said, Yes, ‘Abd-Allah ibn 

‘Umar used to say it out loud on 

the day of al-Fitr until the imam 

came out (to lead the prayers). 

Offering congratulations/ 

Salutation. The etiquette of Eid 

also include good wishes by 

people, no matter what the 

wording, such as saying to one 

another Taqabbala Allah minna 

wa minkum (May Allah accept 

(good deeds) from us and from 

you” or “Eid mubaarak” and other 

permissible expressions of 

congratulations. 

“In another development, 

NAHCON would like to advise 

Umrah pilgrims to ensure that 

they do not overstay their visa 

expiry date. It is pertinent to note 

that such an overstay carries with 

it multiple penalties- arrest, 

detention, six months 

imprisonment, a fine of 50,000 

Saudi Riyals and deportation. 

Similarly, for service providers/ 

tour operators who fail to report 

visa violators to necessary 

authorities or aid overstaying of 

Umrah pilgrims in the holy city, 

they risk a fine of 100,000 Saudi 

Riyals per violator. 

“While NAHCON calls upon 

Umrah pilgrims to abide by the 

regulations of the Saudi Arabian 

authorities, and to remain good 

ambassadors of their country, the 

commission reiterates its 

commitment to safeguard the 

rights of all Umrah pilgrims as well 

as those of licensed service 

operators. The commission is 

determined to ensure that service 

providers meet their obligations 

to their clients.” 

From left: Imam Abdulqodri Opeloyeru, Chief Missioner, Nurulhaqq Islamic 

Society of Nigeria; Imam Ishaq Olasunkanmi Aikehuyo 1, Chief Missioner, 

NurusSalaam Islamic Foundation; Imam Ishaq Sobayo,Chief Missioner, 

Alhaqul Mubeen Islamic society and ustaz AbdulAfeez Sa’adallah during the 

2018 Lailatul-Qadr of Nurusalaam Islamic foundation in Lagos. 


Ambode to fete Muslims at Sallah in 

20 centres across Lagos 

IN furtherance of his Administration policy of inclusive 

governance, the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, 

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, along with his wife, Mrs. Bolanle 

Ambode, will celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitri with Muslims simultaneously in 

Lagos, at designated locations in each of the 20 Local Government 

Areas across the State. At these venues, apart from the usual 

merriment associated with such festivals, celebrating Muslims will 

pray for sustainability of peace and continuation of unprecedented 

development in the state, and prayer for the governor, his wife and 

other members of his family for many successes recorded so far in the 

third-year of Administration. 

Decentralized form of Eid-ul-Fitri celebration were successfully held 

in 2017 for the first time in each of the 20 Local Government Areas, 

where Governor Ambode pledged to continue to meet with the people 

during important religious festivals, stating that grassroots 

participation, involvement and identification to enhance spirituality 

“is central to sustainability of peaceful coexistence and religious 

harmony, bringing unprecedented accomplishments being 

experienced in Lagos.” 

The Administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode believes that 

prayer has been playing pivotal roles in the rapid development and 

tranquility that prevails in Lagos, and has been actively supporting 

initiatives that will promote socio-economic growth, infrastructural 

expansion, enhancement of security, increment of safety and 

happiness of the people. 

This year Eid-ul-Fitri will be celebrated in the following centres across 

the 20 Local Government and Muslims have been directed to attend 

any one of the venues that falls within their local government or local 

government development areas as follows: 

Agege LG: Agege Local Government Maternity Centre, Sango Agege. 

Ajeromi LG: Aga Hausa, Ajegunle, Ajeromi Ifelodun LG 

Alimosho LG: Alimosho Local Government Secretariat Premises, 

Akowonjo 

Amuwo Odofin LG: Amuwo Odofin Local Government Secretariat, 

Festac. 

EIDUL-FITR: Sustain lessons of 

Ramadan, Group urges Muslims 

MUSLIMS have been urged to sustain the piety, charity, good 

neighbourliness and forgiveness which were parts of the lessons 

derived from Ramadan in line with the Holy Qur’an and the teaching of 

Prophet Muhammad (SAW). 

In the same vein, they were advised to ensure peaceful coexistence 

with their compatriots and to pray harder for Nigeria and her leaders, 

as they celebrate the Eidil-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan. 

These were contained in a press statement signed by the chairman 

and secretary of the South East Muslims Organization of Nigeria 

(SEMON), Muhammad O. Ajah Jr. and Abdurrahman Nwabueze 

Urama, respectively. The group applauded the spirit of brotherhood 

exhibited by Muslims during Ramadan and called for attention to the 

less-privileged Muslims as commanded by Allah and exemplified by 

the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), adding that the care for the 

poor and needy during the Holy month should continue after the 

celebration. 

The group also reminded Muslims on the six days of Shawwal fasting 

(the Islamic month after Ramadan) as it was the tradition of the Prophet 

Harping on Zakatul-Fitr, the group said it is compulsory on every 

Muslim, including the unborn in the mother’s womb, adding “Zakatul- 

Fitr ensures elevation of the fasting of a Muslim in Ramadan into the 

Divine Presence. 

“Although the few days of Ramadan have ended, the lessons from 

them are great and dominant to be forgotten soon by a faithful Muslim. 

Anyone who enjoyed Ramadan and really felt its impact has to maintain 

the spirit of the month for a long time. Some people just passed through 

the month without allowing the month to pass through them. Ramadan 

is so grand that those who allowed it pass through them would wish 

that the whole year be Ramadan”. 

“We urge them to continue to pray for our beloved nation and for 

our leaders because they need the divine guidance from Allah to carry 

out their duties for development, fairness and justice in our democratic 

governance. 

Muslim group provides free meal 

to over 15, 000 in Ramadan 

THE Bodija Muslim Youth Forum (BOMYOF), has since 

the beginning of Ramadan fast provided free meals 

(Iftar) to over 15,000 people as part of its 2018/1439 A.H 

Ramadan programmes in Ibadan. 

The chairman of the Forum, which is the youth wing of Bodija 

Estates and Environs Muslim Community (BEEMC), Alhaji 

Abdur-Rahman Balogun said this in Ibadan during one of the 

Iftar programmes. 

Balogun said over 500 Islamic faithful and non-Muslims 

resident in Bodija and its environs of Ibadan benefited daily 

from the free meal since the commencement of Ramadan 

fasting on May 17. 

He said that by the end of 29th or 30th Ramadan fast on 

Thursday June 14 or Saturday June 15, more than 15,000 

people would have benefitted from the free meal of the Forum. 

Balogun said that the Forum decided to provide free meal 

to the people in Ibadan to cushion the effects of economic 

hardship on some families who were finding it difficult to fast 

and feed their families. 

Balogun stressed that it was more rewarding to assist the 

needy during the month of Ramadan in line with Islamic 

dictates. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


JUNE 12: How S-West 

celebrated MKO Abiola 

By Dayo Johnson, Dapo 

Akinrefon, Gbenga Olarinoye, 

Olasunknami Akoni, Ola Ajayi, 

Daud Olatunji & Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

THE celebration of this year’s 

June 12 anniversary by South- 

West states was different in many 

ways. 

Across the states in the zone, 

various stakeholders organised 

events to celebrate the day. 

The recognition of June 12 as 

Democracy Day by South-West 

states was born out of the 

conviction by governors elected on 

the platform of the Alliance for 

Democracy, AD, that the date 

cannot be wished away in 

Nigeria’s political history. 

Interesting, President 

Muhammadu Buhari, last week, 

directed that effective 2019, 

Nigeria’s Democracy Day, marked 

every May 29 for the past 18 years, 

be shifted to June 12 to honour 

Moshood Abiola, the winner of the 

1993 presidential election. 

Since 1999, successive 

governments brushed aside calls 

for Abiola to be honoured and for 

the Federal Government to 

recognise June 12 as democracy 

day. 

Buhari, in a statement, said: 

“Accordingly, after due 

consultations, the Federal 

Government has decided that 

henceforth, June 12 will be 

celebrated as Democracy Day. 

Therefore, Government has 

decided to award posthumously 

the highest honour of the land, 

GCFR, to the late Chief MKO 

Abiola, the presumed winner of the 

June 12 1993 cancelled elections. 

His running mate as Vice 

President, Ambassador Baba Gana 

Kingibe, is also to be invested with 

a GCON. Furthermore, the tireless 

fighter for human rights and the 

actualisation of the June 12 

elections and indeed, for 

democracy in general, the late 

Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, is to 

be awarded the GCON.” 

As a mark of honouring Abiola, 

all the South-West states declared 

June 12 as work-free day for 

workers. 

Akeredolu absent 

In Ondo State, the 2,500 capacity 

international event centre, the 

Dome was filled to the brim as the 

June 12 Democracy Day was 

celebrated with fanfare. 

A work-free day had earlier been 

declared by the state government 

to ensure that the ceremony was 

well attended by all and sundry 

across the state. 

A special town hall assembly to 

mark June 12 Democracy Day in 

the state was organised by the state 

government. 

However, Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu and the lead discussant, 

who is the governorship candidate 

of the All Progressives Congress in 

Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, 

were conspicuously absent at the 

ceremony. 

Akeredolu’s deputy, Mr. Agboola 

Ajayi, however, stood in for him at 

the ceremony. 

Governor Akeredolu while 

speaking during the ceremony, 

tackled all the critics of President 

Buhari who raised eyebrow over 

the honour done Abiola by giving 

him the highest award of GCFR 

and the pronouncement of June 12 

as the Democracy Day. 

Speaking through his deputy, the 

governor said: “Successive 

governments have brushed aside 

calls and agitations for Abiola to 

be officially recognised as the 

winner and consequently 

honoured. 

“While the generality of the 

people have continued to applaud 

the decision of Mr. President in this 

regard, few naysayers do not see 

anything worthwhile in this act.” 

Ogun embarks on 

Democracy Walk 

In Ogun State, the home state of 

Abiola, as part of commemorating 

June 12, the state governor 

declared the day work-free, to 

enable residents and stakeholders 

mark the democracy day. 

It was also an opportunity to 

celebrate the conferment of a posthumous 

national honour on their 

son. 

A Democracy Walk was led by 

the Governor, Senator Ibikunle 

Amosun. 

The walk, which took off from 

the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, 

Abeokuta as early as 7:00am, 

took participants through major 

roads in the state capital to 

Abiola’s family house at Oke-Ido, 

Gbagura, where prayers 

were offered for the martyr. 

Those who participated in the 

events include government 

functionaries, activists, civil 

society organisations, democracy 

volunteers, civil servants, labour/ 

trade unions, students, market 

women/men. 

The walk was led by the Ogun 

State Deputy Governor, Mrs 

Yetunde Onanuga and the 

Secretary to the State 

Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa. 

In his remarks, Gov. Ibikunle 

Amosun, represented by his deputy, 

Onanuga, said the state 

government appreciated Buhari 

for honouring MKO and the 

people of Nigeria by recognising 

the acclaimed winner of June 12 

election. 

“We are grateful for actualising 

June 12 as Democracy Day. We 

have always observed June 12 

since the beginning of this 

administration, that is to tell you 

the passion this government has 

for MKO,” he said. 

Ambode constructs 

MKO statue 

As a way of honouring the late 

politician, Governor Akinwunmi 

Ambode of Lagos State reconstructed 

an earlier statue of 

Abiola. 

Ambode justified reasons the 

previous statue of the late Chief 

Moshood Abiola, was replaced 

with another statue saying, some 

things are more glorious than what 

•The late MKO Abiola 

you think. 

The governor stressed that the 

location of the statue was 

significant and should be made 

obvious because anyone coming 

into the state through Lagos- 

Ibadan Expressway will have 

contact with the statue. 

He unveiled the 46-feet statue 

which includes 9-feet pedestal, to 

mark the 25th anniversary of the 

annulled election at MKO Abiola 

Garden in Alapere, Ketu, with 

Abiola’s wife, Dr. Doyinsola 

Abiola, and others. 

The governor, dressed in a white 

shirt with ‘93’ inscribed on it, 

disclosed that the structure was 

reconstructed to further appreciate 

his contributions. 

He said: “There was a statue 

done by my predecessor, 

Babatunde Raji Fashola, but in the 

divine world, some things are 

more glorious than what you think 

and so we decided at the end of 

2016 that we should do bigger 

statues for Chief Gani Fawehinmi 

and MKO Abiola since almost 

everybody passing and entering 

Lagos go through this particular 

Ojota axis and so we decided late 

in 2016 that we should build 

something bigger and so it took us 

about a year to do this. By the time 

we did the one for Gani to 

celebrate his posthumous birthday 

on April 22, we also agreed that 

we should unveil that of MKO 

Abiola on June 12. 

“But just as if God has a way of 

crowning all efforts to mark the 

25th anniversary of June 12, our 

President, President Muhammadu 

Buhari has deemed it fit to give our 

own MKO Abiola the highest 

honour in the land, Grand 

Commander of the Order of the 

Federal Republic, GCFR, and that 

is why we believe strongly that your 

presence here is not just for this 

statue but it is also historic which 

we would always remember in the 

annals of the history and politics 

of this country that sooner than 

later, there would be one day we 

would mark as MKO Abiola Day.” 

Abiola’s son 

commends Ambode 

Responding on behalf of the 

family, MKO Abiola’s son, Abdul 

Mumuni Abiola commended 

Ambode, noting that the statue was 

indeed befitting to honour his late 

father. 

“I heard about this statue six 

months ago and I was called to 

come and see it and when I got here, 

I saw a statue of three-storey 

building. This is indeed massive. 

The family of the late MKO Abiola 

really appreciates this and we want 

to thank the Governor,” Abdul 

Mumuni said. 

Onigbogbo Local Council 

Development Area, LCDA, also 

erected an effigy of MKO Abiola 

in his honour, at Allen/Opebi 

roundabout. 

Gani Adams 

awards activists 

At another event in Lagos 

organised by the Aare Onakakanfo 

of Yoruba land, Aare Gani Adams, 

former governors and activists 

converged to honour those who 

fought for the June 12 struggle. 

Coincidentally, Gani Adams 

took up the mantle of Aare 

Onakakanfo of Yoruba land 

following Abiola’s death, a former 

occupant of the seat. 

One of the highlights of the event 

was the awards given to activists 

who fought for democracy. 

In his speech, Adams said: 

“Today, having made the 

sacrifices, I feel relieved to witness 

this day being recognised as our 

Democracy Day. 

“The glory of this day is not for 

me alone, it is the glory of all 

members of OPC, and a few other 

civil society groups that share the 

same ideology with us. It is the 

triumph of victory over defeat. 

“Today, we have defeated the evil 

voices that killed the dream of the 

late MKO Abiola. Today, we have 

silenced the voices of the evil 

doers. Also, we have made history 

as the only group in the country 

that echoes the sanctity of this day 

to the people. 

“The voice of the people, they 

say, is the voice of God. 

Celebrating today annually as our 

Democracy Day for the past two 

decades come with a lot of 

sacrifices, but we thank God that 

the reward came in due time. 

“Beyond that, on this special 

occasion today, we shall be 

honouring 21 prominent people 

with special awards for their roles 

during the June 12 struggle, and 

after the death of MKO Abiola. 

“The gory story of June 12 could 

best be told by those of us that have 

the grace to be alive today.” 

Abiola, Adedibu celebrated in 

Oyo 

In Oyo State especially in 

Ibadan, the memories of June 12 

were brought to life at two different 

fora. 

In the first place, the League of 

Veteran Journalists led by Mr 

Adele, organised a lecture in 

honour of the late Moshood Abiola 

and at the 10th year anniversary 

marking the death of Chief Lamidi 

Adedibu, the strongman of Ibadan 

politics, spoke glowingly about the 

fallen hero. 

While presenting a keynote 

address at the 10th year of 

Adedibu’s death, a Second 

Republic Liaison Officer of 

President Shehu Shagari, Dr. Saka 

Balogun said Chief Lamidi 

Adedibu played a key role in the 

emergence of Chief Abiola as the 

presidential candidate; his 

election as President in 1993 and 

particularly the efforts he made to 

secure a court bail for Chief MKO 

Abiola after he was detained 

following the annulment of his 

election.


LAGOS STATE 

•A classroom in Aponmu 

High School, Ondo State 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—HUNDREDS of 

secondary school buildings 

across Ondo State are in such 

a deplorable state. 

Most of the schools that are 

over three decades old have 

been left to rot away by 

successive administrations in 

the state. 

The immediate past 

government abandoned public 

schools across the state and 

went on a spending spree by 

wasting billions of tax payers’ 

money to build what it called 

Mega Primary schools. 

Vanguard investigations 

showed that the ageing 

classroom buildings are 

depressed in the middle, 

indicating that they might 

cave-in any time. 

This could endanger the lives 

of students and teachers. 

Coupled with this 

unpardonable neglect by 

successive administrations, the 

recent rainstorm in the state 

further damaged many school 

buildings across the three 

senatorial districts in the state 

thereby adding to their woes. 

Findings showed that one of 

the schools badly affected was 

the Aponmu Community High 

School, Akure, in Akure South 

Local Government Area which 

was founded 38 years ago and 

presently serves over 50 

communities in Ward one of the 

council. 

It was founded by the first 

civilian governor of Ondo 

State, Chief Adekunle Ajasin. 

The school had become a 

burden to Parents-Teacher 

Association through whose 

efforts the school has been 

sustained over the years. 

Dilapidating school 

structures 

However, the May 3 

rainstorm across the state 

worsened the situation as 

the Aponmu Community 

THE TEAM 

EDITOR: Dayo Johnson 

Deputy Editor: Dapo Akinrefon 

08023844928 (sms only) 

CORRESPONDENTS: 

Ola Ajayi 

Ibadan 

Gbenga Olarinoye Osogbo 

Dare Fasube 

(Photo) 

Daud Olatunji Abeokuta 

Rotimi Ojomoyela Ekiti 

Monsuru Olowoopejo Lagos 

Adeola Badru Ibadan 

called on the state government 

to intervene. 

Chairman, Parent-Teacher 

Association, Fashola Richard 

Oluwasegun told Vanguard 

that ”our efforts could no 

longer sustain the school as 

government had placed 

embargo on collection of any 

form of money in whatever 

guise. 

Fashola pointed out that a 

three classroom block which 

was built by Education Trust 

Fund, ETF during the tenure 

of the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu 

which was meant to serve only 

Senior Secondary School 1 is 

now serving SSS 1 to SSS 3. 

“The last straw that broke the 

camel’s back was the havoc 

wreaked on the school by the 

rainstorm on May 3, 

2018 when the roofs of the 

main examination hall and that 

of other blocks caved in. 

Lamenting the poor situation 

of the school, he said students 

and vice-principal now have to 

converge under trees in the 

school premises. 

He said: “Before and after the 

May 3 rainstorm, the PTA had 

written series of letters, 

appealing for government 

intervention, even though their 

subsequent visits are yet to 

yield the required results. 

“As a saving grace, the hall 

that was being used for 

meetings by PTA is now 

partitioned to accommodate two 

classrooms even as students of 

SSS 3 are writing NECO 

examination in an unconducive 

environment.” 

Students express 

displeasure 

Many of the students, who 

spoke with Vanguard, 

expressed displeasure over the 

poor learning condition in their 

school, adding that 

government should be alive to 

its responsibilities by providing 

classrooms for them. 

Another school in a bad 

shape, Agbaode/Orimolade 

Grammar School Ikare, in 

Akoko North-East Local 

Government Area of the state, 

is begging for government 

intervention. 

Coincidentally, the school 

was equally established 38 

years ago through 

collaboration between the Ondo 

State Government and Iyometa 

•A classroom in 

Aponmu High School 

When teachers/students study under trees in Ondo 

If the immediate 

past 

administration in 

their eight years 

had embarked on 

renovation of 

schools, there 

would not have 

been dilapidated 

buildings in 

schools across the 

state 

Community to immortalise the 

first Owa-Ale of Ikareland, the 

late Oba Agbaode. 

The late monarch was said to 

have founded Ikare in 13th 

Century and the founder of 

Cherubim & Seraphim Church 

worldwide, Saint Moses 

Orimolade who hailed from 

Ikare. 

The school had suffered 

neglect by government for 

years, leaving the community, 

through the PTA, as major 

financier except the payment 

of staff salary. 

Findings by Vanguard 

showed that notable 

personalities had passed 

through the school both as 

students or teachers. 

A visit to some schools, 

especially in the remote areas, 

showed that students are 

learning under harsh 

environments. 

Many of the students 

especially those in junior 

classes, put on more than one 

clothe because of the wind that 

blows into the classrooms 

which have no windows. 

Some of the schools in Ikare 

having collapsed and 

dilapidated structures include 

Agolo High School, Osele High 

School, Ansarudeen (AUD) 

Grammar School and Ikare 

Grammar School. 

Vanguard was informed by a 

teacher in AUD Grammar 

School in Ikare that the school 

established in 1962, had 

produced many professionals, 

political and religious leaders 

including the founder of 

Synagogue Church, Pastor T.B 

Joshua. 

A student told Vanguard that 

“Whenever it rains, the 

students feel discouraged to 

come to school because the 

classrooms are flooded while 

teachers also work in terrible 

conditions, the PTA is doing its 

best but Ondo State 

Government’s attention is 

needed urgently.” 

A retired teacher, Ojo Dada 

said: “AUD Grammar School 

used to be our pride in Akoko, 

especially the people of Ikare, 

Ogbagi, Arigidi and Irun, the 

ensuing accommodation crisis 

compelled the school to abolish 

its long-established boarding 

system. The hostels were then 

converted to classrooms, and 

even the existing classrooms 

are no longer conducive.” 

Ondo govt reacts 

The Information and 

Orientation Commissioner, Mr. 

Yemi Olowolabi while reacting 

to the dilapidating state of 

public schools across the 

state assured that government 

would do something about the 

dilapidated buildings. 

Olowolabi said: “The state 

government has awarded over 

500 contracts for the renovation 

of primary schools across the 

state. 

“If the immediate past 

administration in their eight 

years had embarked on 

renovation of schools, there 

would not have been 

dilapidated buildings in 

schools across the state. 

“If one government in one 

year awarded over 500 

contracts for renovation of 

public schools; if every 

government before us had 

been doing that, there will not 

be dilapidated schools in Ondo 

State today. 

“This particular school you 

mentioned, I am sure the 

Ministry of Education must 

have sent people there, to 

assess the state of the school 

and I believe something will be 

done about it as soon as 

possible. I can assure you that 

no school will be left in a state 

of dilapidation in Ondo State.” 

Community protests deplorable state of Oyo-Ogbomoso road 

By Adeola Badru 

IBADAN—— HUNDREDS of indigenes and 

inhabitants of Oyo-Ogbomoso community staged 

a peaceful rally to the Palace of Soun of 

Ogbomosoland, Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi over the 

deplorable condition of the road even as they called 

on the Federal Government to 

expedite action on its completion by 

August 1. 

The protesters said the road has 

claimed several lives. 

While briefing journalists recently 

at the Soun Ogunlola Hall, 

Ogbomoso, Rev. Israel Olubi 

Olaniyan, who spoke on behalf of the 

Oyo-Ogbomoso community noted 

that the deplorable condition of the 

road left commuters with no other 

option than to ply the old Oyo- 

Ogbomoso which is one lane road 

plied by vehicles of all sizes going 

to and from the northern and western 

part of the country. 

Olaniyan said: “Hitherto, this road 

has become a carcass of itself and a 

den of death for commuters plying 

it. Statistics at our disposal indicate 

that an average of 15 people die on 

the road per week. 

“When this is multiplied by 42 

weeks that make a year, it indicates 

that an average of 780 people are lost 

annually on this road. When this is 

multiplied by the 18 years since the 

road was awarded, it shows that an 

average of 14,040 people lost their 

lives on Oyo-Ogbomoso road.” 

He recalled how three secondary 

school principals and an accounts 

officer lost their lives on the road 

during one of the meetings of 

secondary school principals called by 

the state government, adding that one 

of the victims of the accident had 

spinal cord injury and still in the 

hospital till now. 

He said: “Just two weeks ago, 15 

students of Ladoke Akintola 

University of Technology, Ogbomoso, 

lost their lives in a ghastly motor 

accident on the same road. Recently 

too, a truck carrying petrol fell along 

the road at Adeogun Village, its 

contents spilled out and set ablaze 

some houses and claimed the lives 

of inhabitants sleeping peacefully in 

their homes.” 

Rev. Olaniyan, however, called on 

President Muhammadu Buhari and 

the Minister of Power, Works and 

Housing, Mr. Raji Fashola to 

expedite action on the abandoned 

road by August 1, which he said, 

would salvage the precious lives of 

Nigerians plying the road from many 

dangers that the one lane Oyo- 

Ogbomoso road posed. 

While speaking on behalf of the 

monarch, the Aare Ago of 

Ogbomosoland, Chief Samuel 

Sobalaje Otolorin called on the 

Federal Government to listen to the 

pleas of the Oyo-Ogbomoso 

community to hasten the completion 

of the road.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

30 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018

When the American fox and the 

Korean tortoise met in Singapore 

WHEN United States, US, 

President Donald Trump 

arrived the Sentosa Island of 

Singapore, he appeared 

psychologically unprepared for his 

June 12, historic summit with the 

Democratic Peoples’ Republic of 

Korean, North Korean President 

Kim Jong- un. Two days before the 

summit, he had a verbal brawl at the 

G7 Summit with some of America’s 

closest allies; the trusting but miffed 

Germans, the exasperated French 

and traditional ally, Canada. 

An angry Trump refused to sign the 

G7 Communique and accused 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin 

Trudeau of stabbing America in the 

back. In turn, the countries accused 

America of insulting them. As the 

meeting with Jong-un got underway, 

the question was if brother Canada 

is beginning to find the Americans 

unreliable, is it the North Koreans 

who would trust them? 

Following his fight with trusted 

allies, Trump arrived Singapore, a 

man that appeared isolated. 

In contrast, Jong-un took strolls 

with Singaporean officials, 

appeared at ease and enjoying the 

international focus on him and his 

country. It was a sharp contrast; here 

is the leader of the ‘Free World’ 

looking isolated and the leader of 

North Korea, a country that has 

faced isolation for 68 years, 

appearing friendly, free and relaxed. 

For North Korea, the meeting was 

a good public relations and it had 

every reason to appear confident. Its 

food crises, is over, its possession of 

nuclear weapons, meant that Trump 

cannot afford to display the kind of 

arrogance he had exhibited to the 

Canadian and German leaders. 

Also, for the first time in nearly 70 

years, the government in South Korea 

was not anti-North, wants peace and 

reconciliation and is keen to ensure 

that its territory will not be used as a 

theatre of war. 

The North and South Korea 

conflicts are a Cold War product. 

Both sides went to war on June 25, 

1950. On the North Korean side were 

China and the defunct Soviet Union, 

on the South Korean side were 21 

countries including Great Britain 

with the US providing 90 per cent of 

the foreign troops under the United 

Nations flag. 

It was a stalemate, and by the time 

the ceasefire agreement was signed 

in July, 1953, over five million people 

had lost their lives. The US alone 

lost almost 40,000 troops with over 

100,000 injured. Technically, the war 

Saraki, Police, politicians, thugs 

and failure of governance (2) 

Last Friday RIPPLES shared the 

first instalment of the above. Saraki 

faces an inquisition as sponsor and 

patron of the notorious gang of Offa 

robbers, alleged to be his "Boys", his 

thugs. 

To re-engage, first a hearty Barka 

Da Sallah to all Muslims ending the 

Ramadan Fast. I pray we imbibe and 

practise the discipline and piety 

Ramadan teaches. 

During the week GMB scored a 

political masterstroke, recognising 

MKO Abiola's anulled June 12, 

1993 elections, declaring June 12 our 

new Democracy Day. He gave MKO 

a post-humous GCFR, reserved for 

Presidents. His VP Kingibe, an Aso 

Rock insider, also got a GCON. 

GMB thus proved himself an 

adept politician with all the guile 

and cynicism of a Machiavelli. He 

saw and used the opportunity to save 

his shaky 2019 bid in the South, 

smartly manipulating the Yorubas 

and the whole South. 

The only discordant note here is 

Kingibe, who benefited from the 

scuttling of June 12, becoming 

Abacha's Foreign Minister, by 

dumping MKO. He is principal 

beneficiary of what he'd denounced 

in this Machiavellian play for 2019. 

Now, to RIPPLES for the week. As 

I was saying on thugs and 

politicians: It is public knowledge 

there was a time ECOMOG Boys 

were used by top politician to get 

into government. He allegedly used 

the thugs and the BH to consolidate. 

Buji Foi, became SAS 

Commissioner on the BH slot. This 

is current political history. 

In Kano, five, six decades back, the 

NPC and NEPU of the First 

Republic, had the very vicious NPC's 

'Yan Akwusa and the Rundunar 

Samarin Sawaba (RSS) thugs, the 

Youth Vanguard of opposition 

Talakawa party, NEPU. The name, 

Youth Vanguards has since been 

adapted by Hausa as Yan Banga 

with all of the notoriety and 

viciousness of such party thugs. The 

new thuggery is now of the radio, by 

so-called "public commentators". In 

Kano and other Hausa speaking 

areas these are, 'yanJagaliya or 

'yanBaka radio warriors. Though 

drastically reducing the sword 

wielding thuggery of the past, now 

libel and slander are daily radio fare. 

Failure of the regulatory authorities 

here, NBC and the police, underlines 

the pervasive failure of governance. 

This week as we mark the Sallah, 

the annual Durbar tomorrow, marks 

the anniversary of the shameless 

public show of shame in my State of 

Kano. Thugs allegedly led by known 

public figures of the State APC 

Government at Hawan Daushe 

unleashed bloody terror on 

unarmed Kwankwasiyya nPDP APC 

supporters, leaving many stabbed, 

heads and limbs broken. All in full 

public glare. Yet, to-date, no one has 

been sanctioned. Not the security 

personnel, not the APC State 

Government politicians. Such a 

shameful failure of governance. 

With 2019, around the corner, at 

the build up to recent LG elections in 

Kano, leading politicians proved 

that more thuggery is what to expect 

Everyone involved 

with politics knows 

full well the 

diabolical 

relationship between 

thugs and politicians 

has not ended and it was only in 

April, 2018 that Jong-un and South 

Korean President Moon Jae-in 

agreed to sign a treaty formally 

ending the war, by the end of the year. 

It is clear that if the US has the 

capability and military strength, it 

would be dictating and not holding 

a meeting with Jong-un; but North 

Korea with its nuclear weapons has 

It is clear that if the US 

has the capability and 

military strength, it 

would be dictating and 

not holding a meeting 

with Jong-un; but North 

Korea with its nuclear 

weapons has become 

like a needle which the 

rotund American cock 

cannot swallow 

become like a needle which the 

rotund American cock, cannot 

swallow. 

The meeting itself was more of 

drama than substance. President 

Trump said his country is committed 

to providing security guarantees for 

North Korea, a promissory note 

which the North Koreans know is 

not cashable. In return, Jong-un 

“reaffirmed his firm and 

unwavering commitment to 

complete denuclearization of the 

Korean Peninsula.” The same 

commitment he had made to the 

South Korean President and to the 

world 46 days earlier. 

The twosome signed a vague fourpoint 

communique in which both 

sides committed themselves to 

establishing new relations for peace 

and prosperity. They also agreed to 

build “a lasting and stable peace 

regime on the Korean Peninsula.” 

The third point was a reiteration of 

North Korea’s commitment “to 

work toward complete 

of our politics unless something is 

done, and urgently too, to stop it. 

Cudgels, swords and club wielding 

desperadoes, thugs were recorded on 

State Television with National 

Assembly members, unfairly tagged 

"Honorables", and "Distinguished", 

leading and encouraging them at 

public rallies. Of course the former 

PDP Kwankwasiyya Government in 

Kano, now at the receiving end, also 

had a similarly poor record. Recall 

its deployment of thugs in PDP 

politics to disrupt party events. 

Is it any wonder that we now have 

the nation's number three citizen, 

Senate President Saraki (ex-of-PDP) 

tapped as Patron of thugs nabbed for 

robbery and murder? We will 

continue to hear such unfortunate 

tales for as long as failure of 

governance isn't properly addressed. 

We will continue to have politicians 

of shady character leading us and 

recycling themselves in all parties. 

Both leading parties of the day, ruling 

APC and opposition PDP are equally 

guilty, because it pays; because the 

people, the "good guys" who vote and 

the good-guy-elite facilitators fail to 

pull together at elections. We will 

keep on having these fallouts, 

deflecting attention from the basic 

role of government for as long as the 

institutions, we should rely on, in 

particular the police, remain mere 

serfs of any criminal in power. 

In Britain sometime in 1991, a 

common policeman on the beat 

arrested a minister for trolling a 

prostitute. He had to resign, 

something our men (and women too) 

of power hardly do, no matter the 

shame they bring their families. 

About the same time, Prime 

Minister Thatcher too had to pay a 

fifty pound-fine for driving without 

a seat belt. That seething scandal 

dominated the airwaves, on the local 

and international press for weeks. 

She was carpeted by the media for 

arrogance, even after paying off the 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 —31 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

denuclearization of the Korean 

Peninsula.” The last, was a 

commitment to recovering the 

remains of Prisoners Of War and 

those Missing In Action and the 

immediate repatriation of those 

already identified. 

Both sides also agreed to hold 

follow-up negotiations, led by the 

American Secretary of State, Mike 

Pompeo, and a high-level North 

Korean official. The timeframe for 

this is an equally vague “earliest 

possible date” to implement the 

outcomes of the summit. 

President Trump hailed the vague 

agreement as “comprehensive.” 

While Jong-un returned home 

apparently satisfied that his country 

had exacted some commitments 

from the US and shown itself to the 

world that contrary to widely held 

beliefs, it is not a warmongering 

state, President Trump addressed a 

press conference seeking to provide 

some flesh to the bony agreement 

and provide some details. 

He said the US would stop its 

military exercises with South Korea 

because: “We will be saving a 

tremendous amount of money. Plus, 

it is very provocative.” 

He is also looking forward to 

bringing the 32,000 American troops 

home. Both promises, apart from 

being confidence-building 

measures, are also economically 

sensible. The rising annual cost of 

maintaining American troops in 

South Korea as at 2016, was $1.1 

billion. Although the South Koreans 

pick up about half the bill, Trump 

has been complaining about it being 

a financial burden to cash strapped 

US. Additionally, the South Koreans 

spend $10 billion annually to 

provide support personnel services 

to the American military. It also 

makes huge arms purchases from 

the Americans which in the last 10 

years came to over $32 billion. The 

South Koreans would rather want 

fine. 

Here, the-Saraki-and-thugs-asrobbers-tale 

assumed such a frenzied 

dimension only because the thugs 

got caught in a bloody robbery, 

massacring over 30 people. The 

furore however smacks of hypocrisy 

by all concerned. Granted, ex- 

Governor Saraki is "implicated" as 

patron of these robbers who double 

as his thugs. But that is a common 

practise of politicians. I doubt if there 

is any sanctimonious top 

government politician who can 

escape similar involvement with 

thugs today. 

But, it is unlikely any politician 

with the keys to the treasury will be 

personally involved in such base 

robberies. Even the actual thug 

attacks are normally not done with 

politicians leading, save for a few 

extremely irresponsible and 

bloodthirsty loonies and psychopaths 

amongst them. Higher forms of 

robbery and thieving, cleaning up the 

treasury for their hedonistic 

pleasures is their own style. Their 

style is for Magu's EFCC and the 

ICPC to address and curtail. 

Everyone involved with politics 

knows full well the diabolical 

relationship between thugs and 

politicians. Though a practicing 

politician, I don't support such 

thuggish lunacy. It is clear the police 

don't and won't ever have enough 

manpower and tools to secure all 

who need security. We have to learn 

to be really civilized if we are to 

escape the vicious cycle of bad and 

to spend such huge resources 

developing their country. 

America would certainly want to 

reduce the cost of maintaining 

foreign bases in countries like 

Germany, Japan, Qatar, Djibouti, 

Australia, Bahrain, Kenya, 

Colombia, and Bulgaria. 

The Trump promise of America 

gradually easing sanctions will be 

sweet to North Korean ears, but I 

am not sure how much store they 

can put in another Trump promise 

to assist in the massive development 

of their country, when America itself 

needs cash. As at May, 2018, the 

US official debt was $21.15 trillion 

while its former Comptroller- 

General (Director of American 

Government Accountability Office), 

Mr. David Walker says in reality, the 

American debt exceeds $65 trillion. 

While Trump appears anxious to 

negotiate a nuclear deal with North 

Korea, he is not hesitating in 

smashing the Iranian Nuclear deal 

with the United Nations because he 

knows the former has a stockpile of 

nuclear weapons while he believes 

the Iranians can be stopped from 

developing nuclear weapons. 

China should be happy about the 

easing of tension in the Korean 

Peninsula, stoppage of war games 

and the possibility of America 

drastically reducing its troops there. 

But it should realise that the 

Americans may shift attention to the 

disputed South China Sea. 

If peace were to return, the 

immediate winners would be the two 

Koreas who will spend less on arms, 

work towards reconciliation and if 

possible, unite. But let me conclude 

by stating that the Talks are not 

irreversible especially if they are 

tailored primarily to achieve 

unilateral North Korean 

denuclearization. The North 

Koreans will not entrust their security 

and lives in the hands of the 

Americans. 

failed governance that spawns such 

thugs and their mentors. 

The vicious cycle we need to break, 

begins with rejecting bad politicians 

who'd never let go, so long as they 

know our votes don't count. It doesn't 

matter what party, region or religion 

they claim: Bad is bad, good is good. 

No cosmetics or sermon of change 

can change these. 

On Jail for ex-Governors, they can 

run but can't hide . . 

Last Wednesday (13/06/2018) 

JOSEPH IGIETSEME 

wrote 

an apt piece on 

NaijaObserver@yahoogroups: "I'm 

sure some of us have been following 

the recent court judgements that sent 

some past Governors to several years 

of jail time. 

"More will SURELY come; they can 

run but can't hide! I'm sure these and 

upcoming successful prosecution of 

corruption cases in Nigeria will 

silence ethnicists who have been 

yelling "selective prosecution" to 

cause distractions and shield their 

folks who have raped our common 

heritage treasuries: no good schools; 

no good roads; no steady electricity; 

no clean water; no national airline; 

no reliable mass transit transportation 

system; no nothing, as the American 

would say! 

"These people hustle for public 

offices, promising public service, but 

actually to perform "Personal Service" 

at the expense of society and rest of 

us... they Must Pay..."

32— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

LIBRA: BETTER than yesterday as you will be at a 

more comfortable place today and suddenly discover that 

your hope is alive. Venus bring you money 

SCORPIO: ROMANTIC Venus at positive angle may 

bring matters-of-the heart related temptation through 

friends. But your best bet now is moderate ambition. 

SAGITTARIUS: The best bet for you is to consolidate 

on progress you made yesterday and look for best way to 

pacify your new friends. 

CAPRICORN: EVERYBODY needs other people’s cooperation 

just like you today but you will not be 

compelled by situation to dance to others’ tune; meaning 

that you can do things your own way and rightly expect 

success 

AQUARIUS: THOSE of you willing to give others the 

needed co-operation will be in better position to 

consolidate on progress you have made recently. Don’t 

allow sex to distract you. 

PISCES: WATCHOUT for minor and avoidable but 

costly mistake within your working arena, especially if 

you are in charge of other people’s money. If you develop 

new romantic liaison today, it may not last. 

ARIES: AS the saying goes “time waits for nobody” it’s 

important you guard against unnecessary 

procrastination capable of putting you at tight corner 

tomorrow. Be loving. 

TAURUS: IT’S better you conclude what you’ve been 

doing for a while rather than starting something new you 

don’t know when to finish it. Be more family minded. 

GEMINI: IF careless remarks are made by you today, 

it would back-fire at resumption of work tomorrow 

morning. Those who are eager for romantic attention 

will have their dream coming true. Be more loving 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“Great things are done by serials of small things put together”-Vincent 

Van Gogh- 

You grow and learn new things every time something 

changes. You discover new insights about different aspects of 

your life. You learn lessons even from changes that did not 

lead you to where you wanted to be. People often resist 

change because this brings us into unfamiliar territories. 

Embrace change one shift at a time, small changes will 

eventually lead to the desired big ones. -Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

A friend is 

someone 

you share 

the path 

with. ~ African 

proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

CANCER: IF you wait too long before an important 

(financial) decision is taken, you may find yourself 

keeping date with what you don’t bargain for. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

LEO: Placement of the Moon influences your associates 

to become more self-assertive. If you take good advice 

you’ll fare better. However, it’s important you don’t forget 

your tomorrow with others. 

VIRGO: BETTER than yesterday and luckily for you, 

opportunity to rectify mistakes made yesterday may come 

today to the betterment of your finances. Don’t try to buy 

love with money. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, Apapa, Lagos 

What about me? 

Dear Joshua, 

You have done many people’s horoscope; what 

about me? I want you to kindly analyse my star 

and tell me everything about my self. Please take 

note that I value my health and career than any 

other thing. 

Samson, Jos. 

Dear Samson, 

What space can take will be given to you hereunder. 

Scorpio and Libra that hosted both your 

natal sun and moon are members of very strong 

star signs-health wise. 

Scorpio, in particular, has unusual survival 

ability. That is to say, even when health related 

challenges come, your survival endowment will 

always see you through. 

Your major challenge is from your constant 

worries about too many things, especially on 

career related issues. Business miscalculation 

can be another source of health related challenge. 

You will agree with the fact that both constant 

worries and business miscalculation can affect 

one’s circulatory system. 

Other things to watch-out for include: Urinogenital 

organs, minor accident (fire), bones 

dislocations, a few other times, skin infections 

and, of-course, fever. Always take care of the 

stomach. Please take note that all these are mere 

warnings as there is nothing fatalistic about 

them; a good guard, though. 

Oil related Neptune was the closet heavenly 

body to the sun when you were born at positive 

angle to Pluto in Leo. Thus, having things to do 

with oil along your career/business lines is not 

by accident. 

Then preponderance of water element and fixed 

quality in the distribution of the planets when 

you were born are favourable to commercial 

involvement with anything liquid. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 —33 

Edited by Emeka Aginam 

Pastor Taiwo 

You will no longer 

tolerate perversion of 

injustice but you are 

consistently and 

unrepentantly perverting 

justice for the 

defenceless killed by 

Myetti-allah because 

their murderers are your 

kinsmen. What kind of 

perversion of injustice 

can be greater than that? 

No wonder Solomon in 

his unequaled wisdom 

says in Ecclesiastes 4:1, 

"Again, I observed all the 

oppression taking place 

under the sun. I saw the 

tears of the oppressed, 

and they had no 

comforter; the power lay 

in the hands of their 

oppressors, and there 

was no comforter." 

ed Pastor Taiwo 

I have to disagree 

with the praises being 

generously given to 

President Buhari’s 

desperate attempt to 

revive the support of 

Yorubas. Recognition of 

June 12 is a loud able 

political move made to 

please gullible voters. 

Congratulations to the 

long suffering family of 

Abiola and Gani 

Fawehinmi. Abiola 

remains the presumed 

winner of June 12 1993 

election. President 

Buhari choose not to 

release the result of the 

real votes. Gani 

Fawehinmi wouldn’t 

have had anything to do 

with the award by 

President Buhari given 

the massacre by resident 

Buhari’s Fulani’s terrorist 

herdsmen killers in 

Benue, Taraba and other 

parts of Nigeria 

.Unfortunately the 

children of the departed 

are lacking in the value 

that made Gani 

Fawehinmi so dear to 

Nigerian 

Field_Marshal 

One day, in the nearest 

future, another 

government will rise up 

and apologize to the 

numerous victims and 

their surviving members 

of Herdsmen killings. 

That government will 

seek justice for these 

ncc.gov.ng@NgComCommission 

Every consumer has 

the constitutional right 

to seek redress if he/ 

she feels they have 

been under-served by 

their network provider. 

Tony 

Ojobo@TonyOjobo1 

ATCON is looking at 

harnessing the 

enormous #Broadband 

potentials in all states 

of the #Federation 

transforming them into 

Smart State Status. 

June 12’s annulment: We’ll no 

longer tolerate perversion of 

justice — Buhari 

innocent deaths and 

award them with 

honours but many in 

government today will 

send their sulking 

apologies for not being 

able to attend the event. 

Maybe we will have a 

government that will 

apologize to former 

President Shehu Shagari 

for the injustice done him 

in 1983. 

Field_Marshal 

Would late Abiola have 

stood side by side with 

Babagana Kingibe today 

and listen to his 

hypocritical remarks? 

President Buhari merely 

honoured his boss and 

idol Gen Abacha by 

bringing Kingibe to 

receive the "honour” on 

his behalf. This political 

charade stinks to high 

heavens and late Abiola 

is weeping the more now 

TOWN CRIER 

Great that President 

Buhari has apologized 

for the evil "his people" 

did to Nigerians, he 

should also apologize for 

the souls his foot soldiers 

killed when he lost 

election. He also should 

Ben Murray- 

Bruce@benmurraybruce 

In most of sub 

Saharan Africa, the 

middle and upper class 

is growing. In Nigeria it 

is shrinking. Why is 

Nigeria, the largest 

nation in the continent, 

not following the African 

trend? It started in late 

2015. The facts are 

there. Do we continue 

blaming Jonathan or 

face the facts? 

Donald J. 

remember that he 

destroyed democracy by 

toppling former 

President Shehu Shagari 

and a day of reckoning 

will come when all the 

evil people that 

destroyed Nigeria for 

their selfish interest will 

be held accountable, it 

TRENDING ON THE TWITTER 

Trump@realDonaldTrump 

Just landed - a long 

trip, but everybody can 

now feel much safer 

than the day I took 

office. There is no longer 

a Nuclear Threat from 

North Korea. Meeting 

with Kim Jong Un was 

an interesting and very 

positive experience. 

North Korea has great 

potential for the future! 

World Food 

Programme@WFP 

Broken food systems 

fuel hunger, limit 

will surely come just like 

the realization of June 

12. 

Sir. Trueman Blue 

Nice, President 

Buhari have done well by 

recognising MKO, but 

let him be assured that 

new government will 

livelihoods & often 

create a need for food 

assistance. In Malawi, 

WFP improves market 

conditions for 

#smallholder farmers, 

to support the local 

food systems. 

Andrew 

Verity@andyverity 

Believe it or not 

what's holding 

inflation down, 

according to the 

official inflation 

numbers, is static 

electricity prices and 

also do Nigerians proud 

by arresting him for 

toppling a democratic 

government of former 

President Shagari. 

ed Sir. Trueman 

Blue 

President Buhari will 

face the World Court 

once all evidence are 

handed to the right 

International 

organization, for the 

massacre of innocent 

children women and 

men 

AlBsure23 


should fight injustice 

with justice. Who killed 

Abiola? And his wife, 

Kudirat? If they are 

brought to justice, then 

this apologies will be 

meaningful. People are 

insensitive, especially 

the Abiolas, they should 

be more interested in 

FG giving their father 

and mother justice than 

accepting mere 

apologises. Black man's 

mentality is his greatest 

undoing. A dilemma. A 

race in Africa with a 

short and incoherent 

memories. Poor black 

African people. 

Benue has lost over N400bn to herdsmen 

attacks — Gov Ortom 

Akeem Oyegoke 

While Nigeria can get 

more money from 

agriculture than oil, but 

there is no serious 

government to make it 

happen. Nigeria should 

vote for another 

president 

ak- ak MosesCh 

How much is Benue 

state as a whole? If they 

keep waiting for 

government these 

Herdesmen will wipe 

them out 

Field_Marshal 

You are industrializing 

Benue with mass graves 

with support from 

President Buhari, whom 

you absolved from Benue 

killings 

Dazmillion 

Ortom is the biggest 

fool Nigeria has as a 

governor. This same man 

was 2 weeks ago 

appealing to the good 

people of Benue to vote 

for President Buhari in 

2019 

Eva Nexy 

Iskacountryman 

The 400bn he said 

might not be up to that 

amount, but remember 

that the government and 

private properties been 

looted or destroyed by 

the herdsmen after 

invasion was huge. Such 

as houses, cars, farm 

products, among others. 

•Gov Ortom 

cheaper food - 

notably "sugar, jam, 

syrups, chocolate and 

confectionery. 

World Health 

Organization 

@WHO 

Central African 

Republic faces 

serious health & 

humanitarian 

challenges:-Low 

immunization rates 

(less than 50%) , 1 in 

25 people between 

15-49 live with HIV, 

High maternal 

N1.126bn 

fraud: Court 

sentences 

Joshua 

Dariye e to 14 

year 

ears 

imprisonment 

Uche Onuigbo 

Kudos to President 

Buhari for these two 

governor thieves that has 

been convicted. Good job. 

WJasper Chijioke 

Nwankwo 

I think all Lawyers of 

these two former 

Governors should be 

punished by the Bar and 

the Bench for wasting 

11years in the court on 

cases of merciless theft 

against Nigerians. 

Those Lawyers should 

lose their SAN status and 

be fined heavily.This is 

the practice in UK and 

US. 

frankbuttrue WJasper 

Remember, this 

particular case started 

more than 7 years ago 

under PDP's government. 

So, it was already within 

the ambit of the courts to 

which APC could do 

nothing. Left for APC, 

nothing would happen to 

Dariye. Thank God, our 

judiciary was able to 

resist the initial Gestapo's 

style attempt by the 


government to suppress 

them 

WJasper frankbuttrue 

So it is the Judiciary 

that is now resisting 

President Buhari and not 

the President insisting 

that the Judiciary should 

get reformed. So PDP 

started the case and then 

abandoned it at the Court 

of appeal for 7years 

playing politics on mere 

jurisdiction 

disagreements until this 

government came in to 

firmly handle the appeal 

to the level of Supreme 

Court so that the case can 

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34 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

Fayose's continuity agenda takes blow 

...as former loyalst defects to APC 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

GOVERNOR Ayodele 

Fayose’s continuity 

agenda suffered a major blow 

yesterday after the former 

Deputy Speaker of the State 

House of Assembly, Segun 

Adewunmi dumped the 


PDP for the All Progressive 

Congress APC. 

This came as the House of 

Assembly suspended 

indefinitely, a former chief 

whip, Akiniyi Sunday. 

Adewunmi who represents 

Ekiti West Constituency 1, in 

the State House of Assembly 

alongside his counterpart from 

Ikere Constituency, Akiniyi, 

were removed last month 

following alleged disloyalty 

to the governor. 

Both had been in a running 

battle with Fayose over their 

alleged support for Prince Dayo 

Adeyeye in the PDP primaries 

who contested against the 

deputy governor, Kolapo 

Olusola in the PDP primaries 

and had since defected to the 

APC . 

He was suspended at the 

plenary, following allegation of 

gross misconduct, anti-party 

activities, sleeping on duty, 

absenteeism, and violence 

against colleagues in the 

house. 

The suspension was based on 

the recommendations of an adhoc 

committee set up to 

investigate the various 

allegations against him. 

Deliberating on the matter, all 

the members who spoke 

condemned the action of 

Sunday and threw their support 

behind the recommendation of 

the committee. 

Upon the contributions the 

speaker, Pastor Kola Oluwawole 

pronounced Hon. Akiniyi 

suspended indefinitely. 

Mr. Akiniyi had last month 

been relieved of his role in the 

house as chief whip and 

investigations show that he 

could announce his defection 

to the APC at any moment. 

APC must take opportunity of confusion in PDP — Kolawole 


A 

Chieftain of the APC, 

Akinlayo Kolawole has 

charged his party to make good 

use of the opportunity offered by 

low morale in the PDP as he 

yesterday disclosed that at least 

ten PDP members of the State 

House of Assembly were set to 

defect. 

Kolawole who spoke yesterday 

in Ikosun Ekiti in Moba Local 

Government Area of the State also 

expressed sadness over what he 

yesterday described as the 

obnoxious policies, and despotic 

actions of Governor Ayodele 

Fayose had stifled and chased 

away private companies from the 

state. 

He said by his actions several 

Ekiti indigenes were rendered 

jobless and made to suffer. 

Kolawole said the PDP has been 

quaking in the face of defections 

of party bigwigs while the APC 

stands united, describing this as 

a potent factor that will help APC. 

“Governor Fayose’s intolerance 

has been crippling his party, and 

this makes it better for APC. 

Former Minister of Works, Prince 

Dayo Adeyeye and his 

supporters have quit PDP. 

“Former Commissioner for 

Justice to Fayose, Barr Owoseeni 

Ajayi has done same, these are 

people you can’t treat with 

disdain in the politics of Ekiti. 

“Many of Fayose’s aides, 

including a trusted ally like 

Alhaji Demola Bello have joined 

APC. In a matter of days, ten 

members of the State House of 

Assembly are planning to join us. 

These are happening when APC 

is stable.” 

Kolawole said it sounded so 

unfathomable that Governor 

Fayose could borrow as much as 

N56 billion within three years, 

while also accusing Fayemi, who 

paid salaries and pensions and 

managed the economy in the 

most prudent way of corruption. 

Faulting the policies of the 

outgoing governor, he said: 

“Governor Fayose ’s arbitrary 

tax policy made Guaranty Trust 

and Eco Banks to close shop in 

Ekiti. And most disturbing was 

the fact that most of those that 

were laid-off as a result of this 

not well thought-out action in 

those banks were indigenes of 

the state. 

They are about to buy this election — APGA 

candidate, Ayodele cries out 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

All Progressive Grand 

Alliance (APGA), candidate, 

Ambassador Ayodeji Ayodele has 

expressed worry over the role the 

use of money could play in 

determining the outcome of the 

polls, adding that if not checked, 

the eventual winner may not reflect 

the real choice of the people. 

In an exclusive chat with 

Vanguard on Wednesday, Ayodele 

called for strict compliance to the 

electoral umpire’s regulations on 

the use of money, arguing that 

competence and readiness to 

deliver the dividends of democracy 

should be the yardstick in the 

choice of the governor of the state, 

Fayose 

Ambassador 

Ayodele 

rather than money or godfathers 

He promised to turn around the 

economy of the state if elected, 

through mechanized agriculture 

as well as creating multiple 

windows of credit to fund small 

and medium scale enterprises. 

Ekiti, according to him, would only 

take her place in the sun, if creative 

We ‘ll announce July 14 election results in 

Ado-Ekiti — REC. 


THE Resident Electoral Com 

missioner, Professor Abdulganiyu 

Raji on Thursday dismissed 

the allegation that result 

of the Ekiti State gubernatorial 

election would be declared in 

Abuja. 

Speaking during a Voters’ Education 

Implementation Committee 

meeting in Ado Ekiti, Professor 

Raji maintained that the 

result of the July 14 gubernatorial 

election in the State would be 

announced in Ado Ekiti 

The REC charged journalists in 

the State to adhere strictly to the 

Ethics of their profession by balancing 

and cross-checking their 

stories from credible sources before, 

during and after the governorship 

election in the State. 

He emphasized that news media 

must steer clear of misinformation, 

misrepresentation and 

fake news in reporting issues 

relating to the governorship election 

to prevent an avoidable political 

crisis in the State. 

Raji assured that INEC was 

adequately prepared and ready 

to conduct a free, fair and credible 

election on June 14 adding 

that relevant security personnel 

have been trained to guarantee 

the safety of lives and property 

Ayodeji 

as well as the peaceful conduct 

of a one man, one vote, all-inclusive 


the State. 

He stated that the enhanced 

card reader machine would be 

used for the voting exercise to 

eliminate unwholesome and 

sharp practices warning that only 

registered eligible voters would 

be allowed to vote during the 

election. 

Advising the electorate to vote 

according to their conscience, the 

REC warned that INEC would 

not allow anybody to distribute 

money around any of the 

2,195,000 polling units in the 

State as part of efforts at eliminating 

financial inducements 

from electoral process in the 

country. 

“Most of the international 

development organizations like 

DFID, USAID, and others that 

had good working and beneficial 

relationships with Dr. Fayemi 

were no longer operating in the 

state. 

“Ekiti has been in solitary 

confinement since the advent of 

the PDP government in Ekiti 

without bilateral relationships in 

terms of economic building and 

exchange of skills and ideas and 

no economy can develop under 

this harsh situation. 

energies of the people and state 

resources are harnessed efficiently 

and effectively by a result-driven 

government. 

“If you look at the desperation 

which led these candidates to 

spend an unreasonable amount of 

money to get the people’s vote; it 

is worrisome. It is bribery; let’s call 

a spade a spade. If you read the 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission (INEC) regulations 

on bribery, the use of money for 

the conduct of politics is a violation, 

but this is a country where rules 

are made but not obeyed. If not, 

by now, some of them should have 

been in jail with the kind of money 

they have put in the political 

process. 

“My fear is that democracy may 

be endangered, state power might 

be used to ignore the voice of the 

people through their votes, and we 

might have an announcement of 

fictitious figures which may not 

reflect the will of the people,” he 

said. 

On the source of funding of his 

campaign, the APGA chieftain said 

he has been relying on private 

resources, adding however that 

external support would be 

appreciated as well. 

“So far, we have been funding 

the campaign from private 

resources; we are also looking 

forward to people to support us. 

But I think we all have the 

responsibility to de-emphasize the 

role of money in politics, and in 

Ekiti, a few individuals have used 

the money to confuse people. We 

are teaching them that the money 

they give them will not feed them 

for up to a week,” he added 

Ekiti will never 

tolerate someone 

like Fayose or his 

like again — Afuye 

ex-commissioner 

Stories by Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

FUMINIYI Afuye, a chieftain 

of the APC and former 

Commissioner for Information 

in the state has commended 

the reconciliatory efforts of the 

flag bearer of the party in the 

July 14, Governorship poll, Dr. 

Kayode Fayemi. Speaking in 

Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, Afuye 

said, “were it not for the bold 

steps taken by Fayemi 

immediately after the 

conclusion of the Governorship 

primaries, the story would have 

been different for the party.” 

The APC chieftain, equally 

commended the maturity and 

spirit of sportsmanship 

displayed by Fayemi’s cocontestants, 

stressing that all 

these worked together for the 

party’s unity. 

He was optimistic that victory 

would come the way of the 

party in the governorship 

election, adding that the PDP 

government led by Mr. Ayo 

Fayose has failed the people. 

“Well, I won’t say that it is 

maturity displayed by the 

stakeholders and it also 

showed that democracy is 

growing and the people have 

to look at options. If someone 

is truly a democrat, that you lost 

in any contest did not mean 

that you had to run away or 

look for space outside your 

party”. 

Elections: Don’t 

disenfranchise 

person with 

Disabilities, Group 

tells INEC 


THE president of the Senate, 

Dr. Bukola Saraki has been 

urged to transmit the Nigeria 

Disabilities Bill that had been 

passed by the two chambers of the 

National Assembly to President 

Muhammadu Buhari for assent. 

Making the advocacy in Ado 

Ekiti on Wednesday the Centre for 

Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), 

said the measure became 

imperative as part of the ways to 

protect their rights and make them 

relevant in the electoral process. 

It also appealed to the 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission(INEC), to create 

enabling environment for persons 

living with disabilities(PWDs) to 

be able to participate in Ekiti and 

Osun 

governorship polls as well as the 

2019 general elections 

unhindered. 

Speaking during the flag off 

campaign for equal voting access 

in Ekiti, the CCD Executive 

Director, Mr. David Anyaele, said 

INEC must fashion ways to 

remove all barriers preventing 

their members from participating 

during elections.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 —35 

Former Secretary 

General, 

National Union of 

Petroleum and Gas 

Workers ,NUPENG, 

and Petroleum and 

Natural Gas Senior 

Staff Association of 

Nigeria, 

PENGASSAN, Chief 

Frank Kokori, who 

was detained for four 

years as a result of 

June 12 struggle, 

responds to latest 

developments on the 

June 12 issue in this 

interview. 

BY CHARLES KUMOLU, 

Deputy Features Editor 

Do you think the honour 

bestowed on Abiola has 

ended all questions relating 

to June 12? 

The pressure is so 

high on the 

government now. 

The next step is for 

the government to put in 

place the machinery that will 

bring it to a conclusion. The 

GCFR means that he has 

been recgonised as a 

President. 

Did you ever think the honour 

would happen in this 

dispensation? 

We were thinking that 

Obasanjo should have done 

that before he left 

government. After Obasanjo, 

Nigerians continued to 

clamour for it. But on every 

June 12 anniversary, the 

momentum was reducing 

because people were not 

actually pressing hard for it 

like in the early days. That is 

despite the fact that 

Southwest states made June 

12 a public holiday. 

The news was like a 

thunderbolt to us because we 

were not thinking about it. No 

matter what anybody says, we 

are overjoyed because what 

the President did was the 

right thing to do. I think it will 

encourage patriotism in this 

country. Young people will 

now know that if they fight for 

their country, they will be 

rewarded. At that time, young 

people who were student 

union leaders and young 

journalists were involved in 

the struggle. Some of us were 

in our middle age at that time. 

I was 50 then. 

This will make people to 

know that even if they die 

fighting for this country, they 

will be honoured in death. 

For instance, Steve Biko of 

South Africa, Martin Luther 

King and others were young 

when they died fighting for 

their country. 

Buhari not hijacking 

June 12 glory — Kokori 

Don’t you think some people 

are trying to hijack the 

June 12 glory? 

Now, many people will be 

saying that they were the 

leaders of June 12 struggle, 

but I know those, who were 

in the struggle and I will 

reveal their identities. It is 

important that some of these 

things are made known so 

that a lot of people will not 

hijack the glory by saying that 

they were part of the struggle 

because June 12 has been recognsised. 

No matter what 

anybody says about Buhari at 

this time, he has done the 

right thing. And posterity will 

always respect him for that. I 

and a lot of patriotic people 

who fought for June 12, knew 

that Obasanjo imposed May 

29 on us. It was a decreed 

date. It means nothing to Nigeria. 

The fact that the President 

was sworn in on that day, 

was not enough to proclaim it 

Democracy Day. The significance 

of June 12 is that it 

was a time Nigerians told the 

military that enough was 

enough. We said that we 

can’t allow an election that 

was widely adjudged as 

credible to be annulled. Most 

people were mopping until 

At that time, 

young people 

who were 

student union 

leaders and 

young 

journalists were 

involved in the 

struggle. Some 

of us were in 

our middle age 

at that time. I 

was 50 then. 

some of us said no. 

I am happy that God used 

me at that time to ensure that 

my union got involved. I 

made my union realise that 

we are not just in the union 

to carry placards. Unions 

should stand for justice and 

equity. That was what 

NUPENG&PENGASAN did. 

Unionism is not just about 

placard-carrying because it 

meant nothing to African 

military dictators. If we had 

only depended on placardcarrying, 

the military would 

have just overran us and that 

would have been the end of 

June 12. South Africa defeated 

apartheid because they did 

not depend on placardcarrying 

which was what we 

did during June 12. An 

election cannot be conducted 

there and the winner will not 

be sworn in. It can’t happen 

there because South African 

countries had freedom 

fighters, who carried guns. It 

is not like that in Nigeria 

where we got our 

independence through dialogue. 

Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, 

Tafewa Balewa and others 

attended conferences where 

they negotiated for our independence. 

They didn’t fight 

physical battle. It was June 12 

that saw battle, killing and 

resistance. I was locked up for 

four years. People like Gani 

Fewehimi went to court and 

secured my release but the 

government did not release 

me. That was why we fought 

hard during the struggle. 

What people are saying is 

that the government did this 

to get sympathy ahead of the 

2019 election. In fact, the assumption 

is that the APC-led 

government wants to use the 

glory of a dead man to woo 

the Southwest. What does 

that mean to you? 

Actually, we pressurised 

Obasanjo, who had all the 

opportunities to do so but he 

did not do it. And he is a 

Yoruba man, who attended the 

same school with Abiola. He 

should have done it to gain 

popularity. He should have 

done it for people to love him. 

But a man from the north, who 

does not know much about the 

politics of the Southwest did it 

under three years. Those with 

such opinion are disgruntled. 

The Abiola family is happy. 

My children and everyone 

around me is so happy. My 

union is so excited because we 

were prominent in the 

struggle. Some of my union 

members lost their jobs 

because of the struggle. Do 

they know what it means to 

lose a job in an oil company? 

It is because our union is 

strong that was why we fought 

for them to be reinstated. 

NUPENG and PENGASSAN 

were the arrowheads. 

We started with NUPENG 

and later convinced 

PEGASSAN to join us within a 

week. We were not fighting for 

salary review, we were fighting 

for social justice. We were not 

partisan; we only used the 

powers of labour to fight a 

political battle. For 10 weeks we 

were in action until I was 

captured. What we did was 

unlike what the current unions 

do. The union of today fights 

for salaries and issues that affect 

them alone. If after what all we 

passed through, someone is 

recognising our sacrifice, why 

should I not be happy? Why 

did Obasanjo not do it? 

Afenifere and National 

D e m o c r a t i c 

Coalition,NADECO, begged 

him but he refused.


June 12 and quest of Buhari's 

motive 

Late Bashorun MKO Abiola. 

As politicians of all 

shades and stripes 

converged on Abuja on 

Tuesday to mark the 25th 

anniversary of June 12, the 

declaration of that day as the 

new Democracy Day and 

the investiture of MKO 

Abiola with GCFR, the motive 

of President 

Muhammadu Buhari continued 

to dominate conversations. 

The President’s action has 

been described as a bribe for 

Southwest vote and a mocking 

portrait of him with 

strong Yoruba tribal marks 

has gone viral. 

There’s a lot that I 

disagree with about Buhari’s 

government, the main 

points being its doublestandards, 

insularity, cult 

worship and its disdain for 

dissent. 

It’s also concerning that 

in the last decade or so, and 

particularly on Buhari’s 

watch, the fault lines of 

religion, nepotism and 

ethnicity – and virtually 

every token that divides the 

country, of which June 12 

was a redemptive symbol – 

have widened remarkably. 

Yet, I believe it is possible 

to call Buhari out for the 

failings of his government 

without denying him credit 

for what was clearly a 

courageous act. There’s no 

point splitting hairs over his 

motive for revalidating June 

12. 

Is Buhari all right? 

Delegates from his Northwest 

constituency who attended 

the 2014 National 

Conference must think that 

Buhari has gone mad. 

Only four years ago, on 

June 12, 2014, when Orok 

Duke, a delegate from Cross 

River State, called for oneminute 

silence at the 

plenary of the conference to 

honour the June 12 dead, 

some Northern delegates 

led by Naseer Kura and 

Mohamed Hadajia, 

pounced: June 12 was a nogo 

area. They almost came 

to blows with Ayo Adebanjo 

and others before Chairman 

Idris Kutigi intervened. 

Now, Buhari has chosen 

where his thunder would 

strike. 

I’m not interested if Buhari 

did it to spite former military 

President General 

Ibrahim Babangida, who 

had the chance to install the 

winner of the fairest and freest 

election in the country’s 

post-war era, but chose, instead, 

to annul the result 

and live in regret for the rest 

of his life. 

I’m not interested if 

Buhari did it to spite former 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo who was the 

major beneficiary of 

Abiola’s struggle and death 

but who, after procuring his 

own amnesty, simply 

refused to give honour 

where it is due. 

Nor am I interested if 

Buhari, who may not have 

mentioned the words, 

“June 12” or “MKO 

Abiola” after visiting 

Abiola’s grave with his 

running mate Tunde 

Bakare in 2011 did what he 

did to curry favour from the 

Southwest ahead of 2019, 

if he tossed in a GCON for 

the indefatigable Gani 

Fawehinmi to broaden his 

support base, and then 

dropped a GCON for the 

shame-worthy Babagana 

Kingibe for political 

balance. 

Bribe or not 

When the time comes, the 

Southwest, and indeed voters 

across the country, will 

decide what it is about 

Buhari’s four year in office 

Yet, I believe it 

is possible to 

call Buhari out 

for the failings 

of his government 

without 

denying him 

credit for what 

was clearly a 

courageous act 

they wish to reward or punish 

him for. But to beat 

him over the head on his 

motive, as if there’s any 

thinking politician who will 

act against their selfinterest, 

is a waste of time. 

We waited 25 years and 

six and a half heads of state 

for the right thing to be 

President Muhammadu Buhari. 

done and it seemed it would 

never happen. We waited 

for the man who won the 

election and gave his life 

to defend it to be honoured 

and it seemed the day 

would never come. 

We waited for a day to 

honour the heroism of 

students, traders, workers, 

rights activists and ordinary 

people who stood up to 

defend their vote on June 

12 (at the risk of their lives) 

when politicians were 

“chopping on June 12”, 

but it seemed the day would 

never come. 

And finally, when the 

first steps are taken we 

begin to obsess on the 

government’s motives? 

What was Shonekan’s 

motive for accepting to 

serve and continuing to do 

so even after a court 

declared his government 

illegal? Or what is the 

motive of the Nigerian state 

in continuing to recognise 

his interim government 

and in treating him as a 

former head of state? 

What was Obasanjo’s 

motive for neglecting even 

one minute’s silence in 

honour of the man who 

paved the way for him or 

for despising over 100 

martyrs, murdered by the 

state on the streets of Lagos 

and elsewhere and on 

whose back he rode to 

power? A valiant attempt to 

resist allegations of 

incestuous sectionalism? 

Ego? Jealousy? Or just a 

vile attempt at malicious 

amnesia? What was 

Obasanjo’s motive? 

Backhanded compliment 

What was Jonathan’s 

motive for the backhanded 

compliment of attempting to 

rename the University of 

Lagos Moshood Abiola 

University, when he 

continued to despise June 

12, its heroes and heroines 

as well as its symbolism? 

Until the military government 

of General Abdsalami 

Abubakar declared May 29 

handover day and 

Obasanjo, being Obasanjo, 

renamed it Democracy 

Day, it meant nothing more 

than the day Constantinople 

fell to Ottoman Sultan 

Mehmed II, ending the 

Byzantine Empire, or the 

Ecuadorian Independence 

Day. 

May 29, was a rabbit 

from the hat of the 

Abubakar military regime, 

just another convenient 

day, better than August 27, 

which Babangida wanted 

to consecrate on the 

national calendar to mark 

the day he seized power; it 

is a day incomparable in 

national historical 

significance to October 1, 

January 15, July 29, or 

June 12. 

Three of the four leading 

candidates in that election 

– Abiola, his running mate 

Kingibe (SDP); and Bashir 

Tofa (presidential candidate 

of the NRC) – were all 

Muslims. Yet Nigerians 

voted massively for the 

Abiola-Kingibe Muslim- 

Muslim ticket in defiance 

of the hubris of religion and 

ethnicity. 

Even when Babangida’s 

government claimed to 

annul the election and Sani 

Abacha refused to release 

Abiola until he died in 

Abdulsalam’s custody, the 

spirit and symbolism of that 

day had suffused 

progressives young and 

old. Not a few risked their 

lives and fortunes in the 

earnest struggle to make 

the outcome of the election 

the minimum irreducible 

standard for future polls 

and civic engagement. 

If a section of the political 

elite sectionalised the post- 

June 12 struggle, as 

Columnist Mahmoud Jega 

said in his Monday 

article, they did so, as 

politicians will always do, 

to press their own 

advantage. It neither 

justified the refusal of the 

military to do the right thing 

nor did it vitiate the pan- 

Nigerian mandate. 

The Pharisees 

This moment was long 

overdue; and, whatever the 

motive, the ultimate prize 

for courage may yet go to 

the government that 

authorises the release of the 

complete results of the June 

12 election, formally 

declares Abiola the winner, 

and publishes a thorough 

and carefully vetted 

honours’ roll; one that truly 

does justice to the struggle. 

But even that will be 

building on this first step. 

There is a sense in which 

the controversy over 

Buhari’s motive reminds 

me of the biblical encounter 

between Jesus and the 

Pharisees over the man 

with a withered hand. 

The Pharisees were members 

of a conservative Jewish 

political party. As Jesus 

reached out to heal the man 

with the withered hand, 

they confronted him with 

the Mosaic law, which forbade 

any work on the Sabbath. 

He ignored them and 

set the man free when they 

refused to answer him if 

any of them would let their 

fallen sheep die in the pit 

on a Sabbath. 

If Buhari has restored the 

dignity and symbolism of 

June 12 out of some selfish 

political motive, his selfishness 

will be remembered 

more than the generosity of 

his predecessors who 

turned a blind eye to the 

right thing. 

Ishiekwene is the 

Managing Director/Editor- 

In-Chief of The Interview 

and member of the board 

of the Global Editors 

Network 

Finally, justice done to MKO's 

mandate, says Senator 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

L AGOS—SENATOR 

Gbenga Ashafa has 

described the national 

awards of GCFR, in 

memory of the presumed 

winner of 1993 Presidential 

election, late Moshood 

Kashimawo Olawale, 

MKO, Abiola, Ambassador 

Babagana Kingibe and late 

Chief Gani Fawehinmi, as 

a deserved justice done. 

Ashafa in his reaction to 

the awards, commended 

President Buhari for the 

honour bestowed on the 

personalities. 

His words: “I commend 

President Buhari for finally 

doing substantial justice to 

both the June 12, 1993 

mandate and the memory 

of M.K.O Abiola GCFR 

after the long course of 

denial by successive 

administrations. 

“It is at least quite 

comforting that this honour 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA State 

Chairman of the All 

Progressive Congress, 

APC, Chief Cyril Ogodo 

yesterday said the 

conferment of the highest 

national award of Grand 

Commander of the Federal 

Republic, GCFR on late 

Chief MKO Abiola, the 

presumed winner of June 

12, 1993 presidential 

election by President 

Muhammadu Buhari was 

historic and commendable. 

Ogodo in a statement 

issued by the State Publicity 

Secretary, Mr Moses 

Kamanya, thanked Mr 

President for the landmark 

decision in honouring 

these democracy heroes 

and giving them their right 

place in history where 

N E W S 

HOTLINES: 

has come in the lifetime of 

Ambassador Baba Gana 

Kingibe GCON who 

shared the ticket and fate 

of Chief Abiola. 

“In the same vein, the 

well deserved high-honour 

done to the memory of 

Chief Gani Fawehinmi 

SAN GCON, reflects 

President Buhari’s 

sympathy towards the 

human rights struggle then 

and now. 

“After the quarter of a 

century, we finally have a 

president who is courageous 

enough to place our 

democratic history in proper 

perspective by awarding 

the highest National 

Honour–the Grand 

Commander of the Federal 

Republic to the only elected 

president Nigeria never 

had and the forerunner/ 

sacrificial lamb for the 

democracy which we enjoy 

today. Now we can clearly 

say that we are on the march 

again." 

.... As Delta APC hails 

Buhari, says award historic 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE Director 

General of National 

Building and Road 

Research Institute, 

NIBRRI, Prof. Danladi 

Matawal has blamed the 

frequent collapse of 

bridges around Mokwa 

area to poor design of the 

bridges. 

Prof. Matawal disclosed 

on Tuesday ' while fielding 

questions at the ongoing 

NIBRRI International conference 

with the theme: 

Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs) and the Nigerian 

Construction Industry 

– Challenges and the 

Way Forward in Abuja. 

The DG also blamed the 

previous governments 

failed. 

Ogodo said the awards to 

two other prominent 

Nigerians, Abiola's running 

mate, Alhaji Babagana 

Kingibe, and the late 

human rights activist, 

Chief Gani Fawehinmi, 

with the Grand 

Commander of the Order 

of Niger, GCON was a 

proof that President 

Mohammadu Buhari 

recognized the sacrifices of 

these leaders to the 

attainment of the present 

democracy in Nigeria. 

He said; “the posthumous 

award bestowed on Chief 

Abiola and others by the 

President has set the 

Nation on path of justice 

and truth because 

democracy has been given 

its right footing." 

NIBRRI blames frequent 

Mokwa bridge collapse on 

poor designs 

bridges collapse to the low 

lying of the bridges around 

the area and the collapsible 

nature of the soil also in the 

area. 

Recall that the Mokwa- 

Jebba road bridge 

collapsed on Saturday 

morning leading to heavy 

vehicular traffic on the 

road, which links Niger 

state and Kwara states. 

The road is a major 

transit route between Abuja 

and the Western part of the 

country. 

Prof. Matawal, however 

promised that NIBRRI 

would step up studies of 

existing bridges around the 

country and the Mokwa 

area in particular to find 

lasting solution to the 

collapse.

Vanguard, , FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018—37 

Court strikes out N70m 

suit against ex-Speaker 

By Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA—AN 

Ogun State High 

court sitting in Isabo, 

Abeokuta, yesterday, laid 

to rest, the lingering legal 

battle between a former 

Speaker of House of 

Representatives, Mr. 

Dimeji Bankole and a legal 

practitioner Dr. Yemi Oke. 

Delivering her 

judgement, in the case 

with suit number AB/153/ 

2012, the presiding judge, 

Justice Motunrayo 

Dipeolu dismissed the 

claimant’s claim in its 

entirety. 

It will be recalled that the 

suit was instituted by Dr. 

Oke demanding for 

N70m legal fee from the 

former Speaker since 2013 

before he later reduced it 

to N6m. 

The judgement was 

delivered after six years of 

legal battle. 

She said: “From the 

evidence before the court, 


there is no proof that a bill 

of charge was served on the 

defendant for services 

rendered by the claimant if 

any in compliance with 

the above-started section. 

“In the circumstance, I 

agree with the submission 

of the defendant’s learned 

counsel that the claimant 

did not comply with the 

provision of section 16 of 

the legal practitioners Act 

to entitle it to the relief 

claimed. 

I’m vindicated 

—Bankole 

Reacting through his 

Media Aide, Morgan 

Amodu, the former 

Speaker said the 

judgement has reaffirmed 

his confidence in 

the judiciary. 

He said: “Twice, I was 

dragged to Court over 

trumped-up cases and 

twice, I was vindicated. Our 

confidence in the judiciary 

remains resolute." 

Ooni opens Brazilian market 

for Nigerian herbal products 

By Gbenga 

Olarinoye 

O SOGBO—A 

breakthrough in 

alternative medicine has 

been recorded in Nigeria as 

the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan 

Ogunwusi, signed an 

agreement with a Brazilian 

research institute that 

specialises in herbal 

medicine, opening the way 

for Yoruba traditional herbal 

medicine experts to treat 

patients in the country. 

The agreement was 

signed in the premises of 

the institute during a 

conference Ooni 

Ogunwusi addressed in the 

presence of some notable 

royal fathers from South 

West Nigeria, as well as 

Yoruba traditional medical 

experts from the country. 

A statement by the media 

aide to the Ooni, Moses 

Olafare said the research 

institute located in Fiocruz- 

Bairro Manguinh, Rio de 

Janeiro, has as parts of its 

core mandate to research 

into contemporary health 

issues among Brazilians 

and globally, and come up 

with solutions. 

Speaking shortly after 

signing the agreement, 

Ooni Ogunwusi, said: “I 

am a testimony of the 

efficacy and potency of 

Yoruba herbal products. 

Since I ascended to the 

throne, I have not used 

orthodox medicine to treat 

myself, whenever I feel it 

is necessary to do so. 

“Let us stop 

discrimination against 

African medicine and 

traditional religion. If we all 

believe in one God, then 

we should not 

discriminate." 

Osun, Ogun gov aspirants 

congratulate Muslims on Eid-el-Fitri 

G OVERNORSHIP 

aspirants on the 

platform of the All 

Progressives Congress in 

Osun and Ogun States, 

Messrs Gboyega Oyetola, 

and Abiodun Akinlade 

have congratulated 

Muslims in Nigeria and 

every part of the world on 

the completion of 

ramadan fast and 

celebration of Eid el Fitri. 

Alhaji Oyetola, in a 

message to mark the end 

of Ramadan, said it is a 

thing of joy that Muslims 

and indeed non-Muslims 

alike have witnessed 

another celebration of Eidel-Fitri, 

stressing that it is a 

special privilege from 

Allah that our lives have 

been spared till today. 

On his part, Akinlade, a 

former House of 

Representatives member 

for Yewa South/Ipokia 

federal constituency 

between 2003 and 2015, 

urged Muslims to inculcate 

the lessons learned during 

the Ramadan fast by 

positively impacting on 

their neighbours and the 

larger society. 

The APC chieftains, 

therefore, called on all 

Muslims not to depart from 

their good ways noting that 

the 30-days of spiritual 

exercise had drawn them 

closer to Allah with a lot of 

lessons learned in the 

process. 

Attacks in Ekiti: Protect your land from 

external invasion—Fayose, Babalola, Olajide 

A DO-EKITI— 

GOVERNOR 

Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti 

State; founder, Afe Babalola 

University, Aare Afe 

Babalola and Secretary 

General, Yoruba Council of 

Elders, YCE, Dr. Kunle 

Olajide, yesterday, 

proffered ways out of the 

multiple cases of 

kidnappings, destruction of 

farm lands by herdsmen 

and other security vices 

plaguing the state. 

They said this at a 

dialogue themed: 

"Protecting Yoruba Land," 

organised by a Pan Yoruba 

Socio-cultural Movement, 

Yoruba KOYA Movement in 

Ado-Ekiti. 

We must defend our 

land—Fayose 

In his address, Governor 

Fayose said all Yoruba 

people, irrespective of their 

political interest and 

religion, should unite 

together to wage war 

against the qazi-invasion of 

Yoruba Land by external 

forces. 

Fayose said: “Let me say 

very expressly that 

resistance is not easy but 

only the courageous wins. 

I was at the Ibadan 

restructuring crusade 

organized by Afenifere in 

September 2017, all that I 

said there, I have no 

apology for them. 

“Let me say this that this 

struggle is not about Yoruba 

KOYA, it is Ekiti KOYA. All 

states should go and collate 

figures of herdsmen and 

cows on their land and 

bring it together. We must 

defend our land. Some of 

our leaders because of their 

political interest, they keep 

shut. I am a Nigerian, they 

should lock me up, I am not 

afraid; the power of the 

people is greater than 

those in the position of 

power. Those oppressing 

us today will be out of power 

one day.” 

Protect your land 

jealously—Afe 

Babalola 

Also speaking, Chief Afe 

Babalola, who was 

represented by Professor, 

Deji Olofintila, said he had 

written several letters to the 

Directorate of State 

Services, DSS, Police and 

RETURN: Former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko 

(middle), and his wife, Olukemi (right), receiving their Labour Party 

membership cards from the Ward 7 Chairman of LP in Ondo West LGA, 

Kayode Oladapo (left) at the official return of Dr Olusegun Mimiko to 

the arty, in Ondo town, yesterday. 

Why I returned to LP—Mimiko 

By Dayo Johnson 

A KURE—FORMER 

governor of Ondo 

State, Dr. Olusegun 

Mimiko, yesterday, 

explained why he left the 


PDP, for the Labour Party, 

LP, even as he dispelled 

speculations that he left the 

party because of 

disagreement. 

He spoke at a rally 

organised to welcome him 

back to Labour party after 

picking his party card at his 

Ward 7 in Ondo town. 

The rally was attended by 

the national leadership of 

the party including its 

national chairman, 

Abdukadir Abdusalam and 

LP members across the 18 

council areas in the state. 

Mimiko said: “I was of 

the LP, and had won my 

two gubernatorial elections 

on the platform of the Party 

prior to my decision to move 

over to the PDP in 2014. 

“The implication of this is 

that there was practically no 

personal gain in focus for 

us in moving over to PDP 

as at that date. 

“The decision was also 

not borne out of any 

disagreement with LP, 

either ideologically or 

operationally. 

“It was simply a decision 

that we needed to take in 

the higher interest of our 

country. 

“We particularly had in 

focus the agenda of 

restructuring, which 

frontier the then president 

had extended a bit by 

convoking the National 

Conference. 

“We thus felt compelled 

to work with his party, 

hoping that his victory in 

the 2015 election, would 

translate the vision of 

restructuring the Nigerian 

federation into reality. 

“We thought helping to 

elect a presidential 

candidate that had 

demonstrated this 

commitment to the 

restructuring of the country 

was well worth the risk 

associated with our having 

to step out of our LP 

platform onto PDP, on which 

the former president was 

running.” 

Expressing delight at 

Mimiko’s return, the LP 

chairman, Mr. Abdusalam, 

said: “Today is indeed not 

a day for long speeches. We 

are here to welcome Dr. 

Mimiko to our party. The 

Labour Party is elated that 

a social democrat like Dr. 

Mimiko, who through his 

sterling performances as 

governor mainstreamed 

pro-people and pro-poor 

people policies, 

programmes, and projects, 

is returning to add value to 

the party. I assure you of 

our support and 

commitment at all times.” 

Nigeria Security and Civil 

Defense Corps, NSCDC, 

on the need to step up 

surveillance across the state 

without any meaningful 

response. 

Babalola said: “This is our 

fight in Ekiti, I am shocked 

that an Ijebu man, Deji 

Osibogun will come to Ekiti 

to mobilize our people. The 

role I played in the creation 

of Ekiti State cannot make 

me be watching helplessly 

without doing anything. 

“Ekiti is a land of peace 

but it seems our land is 

being eroded now. The 

First Bank at Ifaki-Ekiti was 

invaded, the Union Bank 

at Ilawe-Ekiti was attacked, 

now Efon-Iwaraja road 

has been taken over by 

herdsmen, terrorising 

our people in the process. 

“One of the people 

kidnapped by these 

criminals on May 23rd 

this year is the wife of my 

staff; they killed her, in the 

presence of her three 

children. The following day, 

they kidnapped another 

person. On June 8th, they 

kidnapped a man along 

Efon-Erio road. It seems all 

the roads leading to Ekiti 

land have been taken over 

by 

criminals 

masquerading as 

herdsmen. 

Support Nigeria’s 

restructuring 

—Olajide 

Olajide, who said the 

military incursion into 

politics balkanised the 

political, economic and 

social structures of the 

nation, appealed to Yoruba 

people to support the 

crusade for the 

restructuring of Nigeria. 

The YCE scribe said: 

“Buhari said the herdsmen 

killing people are from 

Libya, it is his responsibility 

to protect Nigeria's 

territorial integrity, it is his 

duty to protect Nigerians 

from being invaded." 

Re: How we can 

make June 12 

count in 2019 

—Ayo Obe 

I 

N an interview with Ms 

Ayo Obe, entitled: "How 

we can make June 12 

count in 2019," published 

on page 22 of our edition 

of Tuesday, June 12, 2018, 

she was referred to as the 

president of the CLO at the 

time of the annulment of 

the June 12, 1993 

presidential election. 

Ms Obe was deputy 

president of the CLO at that 

time and did not become its 

president until October 

1995. The president at the 

time of the annulment was 

Olisa Agbakoba, CON. 

Editor


ANOKE 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss 

Rose Anoke, now wish 

to be known and 

addressed as Mrs. 

Rose Munachiso 

Anoke Uzosike. All 

former documents 

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NIMASA, UNILAG 

and general public 

please take note. 

AJAYI 


addressed as Ajayi 

Adeleye Adeniyi, now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as Adeniyi 

Olukayode Joshua. All 


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public please take note. 

ERUCHALU 



Sandra Oluchukwu 

Eruchalu, now wish to 

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Ekwue. All former 

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AKUMA 



Akuma Rita Uchenna, 

now wish to be known 

and addressed as Mrs. 

Mba Rita Uchenna. All 




ADENIYI 



Rosemary Modupe 

Adeniyi, now wish to 

be known and 


Modupe Rosemary 

Udumebraye – Friday. 

All former documents 


public please take 

note. 

ENO 



Eno Gift Etukudoh, 


and addressed 

a s Mrs. Kokomma 

(Gift) Gabriel 

Nkanang. All former 




OSUAFOR 



Obiageri Confidence 

Osuafor, now wish to 

be known and 


Obiageri Confidence 

Philemon. All former 




IKWUEZE 

Confirmation of name 

This is to confirm that the 

names, Ikwueze Chisom 

Sunday and Ukwueze 

Chisom Emmanuel refer to 

one and the same person. 

I now wish to be known 

and addressed as 

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Emmanuel. All former 

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General public take note. 

MORAH 



Jennifer Nkem Morah, 


and addressed as Mrs 

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Emokpaire. All former 




OPHUOGHORI 


addressed as 

Ophuoghori Maryann, 



Idemudia Maryann. 




OBI 


addressed as Obi, 

Ifeoma Juliet, now 


addressed as Nnaji, 

Ifeoma Juliet. All 




note. 

DUKE 



Xerona Genevieve 

Bobmanuel Duke, now 



Xerona Duke Phillips. 




KAYODE 

I. formerly known and 

addressed as Kayode 

Oluwatosin, now wish 


addressed as Kayode 

Oluwatosin Odunayo. 

Former documents 

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state College of 

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and general public 


ESIRORIE 



Akpevwe Esirorie, 



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ALORO 


addressed as Aloro, 

Bukola Gbotemi, now 


a d d r e s s e d 

a s Babatunde, Bukola 

Gbotemi. All former 




RITA 



Ramatu Abubakar 

Oshiomhole, and Miss 

Ramatu Abubakar Rita 

Oshiomhole, now wish 



Ramatu Abubakar 

Ogbebor. All former 




ENEJI 



Eneji Veronica 

Ojugbo, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as Mrs 

Veronica Ekpenyong 

Okon. All former 




ISEDOWO 



Bukola Yetunde 

Isedowo, now wish to 

be known and 


Bukola Yetunde 

Ochei. All former 




YEIGBA 


addressed as 

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addressed as Timi 

Kuroegbe Jeremiah. 


remain valid. Bayelsa 

State Judiciary and the 

general public please 

take note. 

NDOMADU 



Ndomadu Patricia 

Ifeyinwa, now wish to 

be known and 


Okolie Patricia 

Ifeyinwa. All former 




TELEMA 

Confirmation of name 

I, Telema Ediyekio hereby 

confirm that the name 

Telema Ediyekio and 

Telema Edmoudson refers 

to one and same me. I, 


and addressed as Telema 

Ediyekio. All former 


Bayelsa State 

Environmental Authority 

and the general public 


OZOR 


addressed as Ozor 

Osekosor Nzekwe, now 


addressed as Nzekwe 

Osekosor Theophilus. 




OKPAK 

AKO 



O k p a k o 

Oghenevwaire Mercy, 



A k o r t h a 

Oghenevwaire Mercy. 




IYEKE 


addressed as Mr. 

Jones Ekwu Iyeke, 


and addressed as Mr. 

Jones Ekwu Effiong. 




note. 

ASUOHA 



Blessing Chinatu 

Asuoha, now wish to 

be known and 


Blessing Chinatu 

Nwachukwu. All 




note. 

LOKULOKU 


addressed as Lokuloku 

Itekenari, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as Adigwe 

Ifeanyi Itekenari. All 




CORDELIA 


addressed as Mbah 

Uchenna Cordelia, 



Mbah Chidinma 

Loveth. All former 




OGIEMHEN 



Theresa Ogiemhen, 



Theresa Ogiemhen 

Onajite. All former 




ASOBI 


addressed as Asobi 

Chigbogu Christopher, 


and addressed as Asobi 

Chigbogu Isaa 

Adinnin. All former 




FAGBENR 

GBENRO 


addressed as 

Elizabeth Mosunmola 

Fagbenro, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as 

Elizabeth Mosunmola 

Phillips. All former 




OJIERIAKHI 


addressed as Miss Joy 

Osasumhen Ojieriakhi, 



Joy Osasumhen 

Ojieriakhi-Unuabor. All 

former documents remain 

valid. Concerned 

authorities and the 

general public should 


APPEAL 


addressed as Appeal 

Oluchukwu, now 


addressed as Ikharo- 

Appeal Oluchukwu. 




OKPUNO 



Praise Ifechukwude 

Okpuno, now wish to 

be known and 


Praise Ifechukwude 

Razaq. All former 




TEMITOPE 


addressed as 

Adegboro Oluwaseun 

Temitope, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as 

Adegboro Seun Tope. 




OLATUNDE 

Confirmation of Name 

This is to confirm that 

Olatunde Kazeem Hamza- 

Olabode and Olabode 

Hamza Olatunde Kazeem, 

refer to one and the same 

person, but now wish to 

be known and addressed 

as Olabode Hamza 

Olatunde Kazeem. All 

former documents remain 



OLAWUNMI 


addressed as 

Olawunmi Comfort 

Olajumoke Olubola, 



Ayowole Comfort 

Olajumoke. All former 



please take note.

IBE 

We, formerly known and addressed as 

Geoffrey Onyema Ibe or Geoffrey Ibe 

Onuoha, Albert C. Ibe, Clement Chiemezie 

Ibe Onuoha, Bartholomew I. Ibe, and Justus 

Eze Ibe, now wish to be known and 

addressed as Geoffrey Onyema Onuoha, 

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OBOH 



Sunday Oboh, now 


addressed as Prince 

Uvwarho Sunday 

Agbaisi. All former 




DICK 


addressed as Dick 

Abiloye Olueh, now 


addressed as Olueh 

Abiloye Felix. All 




CHANGE OF NAME 

AMEDU 



Amedu Violet, now 



Ebhodaghe Violet. All 




note. 

ANYAH 



Mercy Ifeoma Anyah, 



Mercy Ifeoma 

Osemele. All former 




FAL 

ALOKUN 



Falokun Olatundun 

Blessing, now wish to 

be known and 


Sanni Olatundun 

Blessing. All former 




ALAKWEM 


addressed as 

Alakwem Maureen, 



Dominic Maureen. All 




note. 


KOLA 

OLAWOLE 

OLE 



Kolawole Oluchi Love, 



Oladipupo-Kolawole 

Oluchi Love. All 




ABBA 

Addition of Name 


addressed as Abba 

Olieje, now wish to be 

known and addressed 

as Abba Christien 

Olieje. All former 




AWHOTU 



Awhotu Atatuwoma 

Anna, now wish to be 


as Mrs. Odisi 

Atatuwoma Anna. All 




note. 

BANK 

ANKOLE 



Bankole Ajike 

Oluwakemi, now wish 



Odekunle Ajike 

Oluwakemi. All former 




NELLY 


addressed as Adaeze 

Nelly Iheanacho, now 


addressed as Pauline 

Adaeze Iheanacho. All 




AKPEVWE 



Akpevwe Praise 

Oghenechovwe, now 



Akpevwe Praise Olili. 




AFOLABI 

Correction of Name 

My correct name is 

Afolabi Morenikeji 

Olalekan, but it was 

wrongly written as Affo 

Keji Olalekan on some 

of my documents. 

Afolabi Morenikeji 

Olalekan remains my 

correct name. All 




EWUBARE 


addressed as Ewubare 

Blessing Doris, now 


addressed as Upele 

Doris Oghenekaro. All 


remain valid. Diamond 

Bank and general 

public take note. 

IBEMESI 



Ibemesi Florence 

Akuadi, now wish to 

be known and 


Obidi Florence 

Akuadi. All former 




EDDICHUKU 

I, formerly known, called 

and addressed as Mr. 

Christopher Ekezie 

Eddichuku, now wish to 

be known, called and 


Ukwuegbu Christopher 

Ekezie. All documents 

bearing my former name 

remain valid. University of 

Port Harcourt, Calabar and 

general public please take 

note. 

UFIBRO 


addressed as Ufibro 

Samuel, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as 

Ahwinahwi Samuel. 




UZOCHUKWU 



Uzochukwu Uchenna 

Celestina, now wish to 

be known and 


Abasilim Uchenna 

Celestina. All former 




OKPOTOR 

OR 


addressed as Okpotor 

Regina, now wish to be 


as Mrs. Ogumor 

Regina. All former 



take note. 

OKAFOR 


and addressed as Miss 

Grace Amarachi Okafor, 

now wish to be known, 

called and addressed as 

Mrs. Grace Peter Ubi. All 

documents bearing my 

former name remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

ADAM 

AM 



Ochuko Adam, now 



Ochuko Betty Ebuwa. 




NDUKWE 



Chinonso Lilian 

Ndukwe, now wish to 

be known and 


Chinonso Lilian 

Komone. All former 




UZOCHUKWU 

Correction of Name 

I, Uzochukwu 

Anayochukwu wish to 

notify the general public 

that my name was 

wrongly written as 

Uzochukwu Anayo 

Okeke, instead of 

U z o c h u k w u 

Anayochukwu which is 

my correct name. Former 


General public take note. 

ONWUAK 

AKOR 


and addressed as Miss 

Onwuakor Udoka Ndidi 

and Onwuakor Udoka C. 

now wish to be known, 

called and addressed as 

Mrs. Chineke Udoka 

Ndidi. All documents 

bearing my former name 


public should please take 

note. 

ABIOWUN 



Omoefe Divine 

Abiowun, now wish to 

be known and 


Omoefe Divine 

Oromoni. All former 




OBOH 


addressed as Miss Oboh 

Rachael Ogenese 

Oghenekevwe, now wish 



Omokuru Rachael 

Oghenekevwe. All former 


Post Primary Education 

Board, Asaba and general 


EFFIONG 


addressed as Effiong 

Nsikak Jane, now 


addressed as 

Okoroafor Jane. All 




note. 

ANABA 


addressed as Caroline 

Nwankego Anaba, now 


addressed as Caroline 

Akinloluwa Adejumo. 




IKILIAGWU 


addressed as 

Tobechukwu 

Ikiliagwu, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as 

Tobechukwu Emefena. 




OFFIANNA 


addressed as Sunday 

Offianna, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as 

Ifeanyichukwu 

Sunday Offiabulu. All 




note. 

CHIAZOR 


addressed as Chiazor 

Obiageri Peace, now 


addressed as Abuzor 

Obiageri Peace. All 




ISABELLA 


addressed as Kanu 

Isabella, now wish to be 


as Kanu Nkechi Isabel. 




OGOFA 



Ogofa Elizabeth, now 



Friday Ebilafa 

Elizabeth. All former 




DUDUN 



Margaret Dudun, now 



Margaret Agbuke. All 


remain valid, any 

authority it may 

concern and the 

general public to take 

note. 

IKWUEZE 


addressed as Ikwueze 

C h i s o m 

Uchechukwu, now 


addressed as Ukwueze 

Uchechukwu Sarah. 



public take note. 

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ISLAND LAGOS


My June 12 diary 

By Ladipo Adamolekun 

THE three “Diary” entries 

reproduced below to share 

with readers were 

actually”Jottings” that were 

extensions to my shorter daily 

diary entries. Twenty-five 

years after the infamous 

annulment, I still stand by my 

position on Babangida in the 

first entry: “He has exposed 

Nigerians at home and abroad 

to ridicule and he certainly does 

not deserve a decent end.” 

Similarly, I have remained a 

firm proponent of restructuring 

our overcentralised federation 

as summed up in the second 

entry: “… an immediate first 

step toward keeping Nigeria 

one is to transform the central 

government into a small 

authority with other powers and 

resources transferred to states 

and local governments.” 

Finally, President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s declaration of June 12 

as the country’s Democracy Day 

together with the award of 

GCFR to late MKO Abiola, and 

the apology to the Abiola family 

on behalf of the nation, could 

mean that “the opportunity 

provided by the Abiola victory” 

is not lost forever, contrary to the 

fear expressed in the last entry. 

Babangida’s 

Nonsense 

The peaceful conduct of 

elections on June 12 was 

acknowledged by national and 

international observers who 

proclaimed the elections free, 

fair and credible. The biggest 

surprise of all (at least, for me) 

was the decisiveness of M. K. 

O. Abiola’s victory, an 

unambiguous and emphatic 

vote for “one Nigeria”. 

Babangida’s annulment of the 

result of the June 12 elections 

confirmed his lack of 

commitment to “one Nigeria”. 

(He most certainly fought the 

civil war out of duty and not out 

of conviction). The annulment 

also revealed his total 

commitment to, and unlimited 

•Prof. Ladipo Ademolekun 

faith in, manipulative politics. 

More importantly, the 

annulment marked the 

beginning of his end. Only 

two questions remain: when will 

the end come and in what 

circumstances? He has 

exposed Nigerians at home and 

abroad to ridicule and he 

certainly does not deserve a 

decent end. 

July 11, 1993. 

B. June 12 and the 

Future of Nigeria 

In a conversation with a 

Nigerian colleague in IMF on 

January 3/95, I had to spell out 

my commitment to the June 12 

Movement. He had compared 

the June 23 annulment of the 

June12/93 presidential 

elections to the Buhari coup that 

sacked Shagari administration 

in December 1983. 

Furthermore, he mentioned that 

the Constitutional Drafting 

Assembly had agreed on 

rotational presidency with the 

next president coming from the 

South. He concluded that the 

country could move on from this 

point. 

I responded by highlighting 

three main reasons why the 

future of Nigeria – rather, 

whether Nigeria has a 

meaningful future – is tied to 

June 12. 

1. The Babangida argument 

that key persons (dominant 

group) within the military did 

not want MKO Abiola, the 

winner of the June 12 elections, 

to become president is the 

Twenty-five 

years after the 

infamous 

annulment, I still 

stand by my 

position on 

Babangida in the 

first entry, he has 

exposed Nigerians 

at home and 

abroad to ridicule 

and he certainly 

does not deserve a 

decent end 

ultimate illustration of military 

diktat. This should not be 

allowed to stand. Tens of 

soldiers should not be able to 

reject the electoral verdict 

handed down by 14 million+ 

Nigerians. Above all, for me, 

a fundamentalist against 

military rule, this form of 

military arrogance must be 

resisted. 

2. The pattern of voting for 

Late Bashorun MKO Abiola. 

MKO Abiola that cut across 

existing dichotomies – North/ 

South, Christian/Muslim, 

inter-ethnic and majority/ 

minority – was a loud assertion 

of the wishes of Nigerians 

across these divides to 

constitute ONE nation-state. 

Significantly, this was done 

through peaceful, free and fair 

elections, attested to by both 

internal and external 

observers. Rejection of the 

mandate and legitimacy 

conferred by this vote raises 

serious questions regarding 

the extent of commitment to one 

Nigeria by those responsible 

for the annulment and their 

supporters. And will electoral 

legitimacy ever be respected in 

the country if the annulment is 

allowed to stand? 

Former Military President I.B Babangida 

3.The “talk” that MKO Abiola 

would not be president 

because he is a Yoruba 

southerner is widely linked to 

the assertion or perception that 

Hausa-Fulani northerners 

wish to continue to hold the 

topmost political position in the 

land. The crucial question is 

whether all Nigerians are free 

to compete for the top 

leadership position and, if 

successful, assume that 

responsibility. In other words, 

are all Nigerians entitled to 

equal political rights? If the 

answer were to be in the 

negative, then the idea of 

keeping Nigeria one would 

have to be abandoned. 

At the end of the 

conversation, we agreed that an 

immediate first step toward 

keeping Nigeria one is to 

transform the central 

government into a small 

authority with other powers 

and resources transferred to 

states and local governments. 

Here is an area where some 

forward thinking could 

continue while the prevailing 

mess is sorted out. 

January 3, 1995 

C. M. K. O. ABIOLA 

–A Tribute 

MoshoodKashimawoOlawale 

Abiola is no more. His death 

on July 7 has all the hallmark 

of a sacrifice. Some would like 

to see it as a sacrifice to “keep 

Nigeria one”. For those who 

belong to this school of thought, 

his removal from the political 

scene would make it possible to 

continue with “politics as usual”: 

sans convictions, sans integrity, 

and sans dignity. This should 

not be the case. Instead, it 

would make sense to regard his 

death as a sacrifice both for the 

dignity of the Yoruba and for 

democracy in Nigeria. 

No sooner did Abacha arrest 

him in 1994 than I concluded 

that Abacha would never 

release him from detention. 

Indeed, I agreed with the view 

that Abacha could arrange for 

him to be killed in the event of 

his own (Abacha’s) death. 

Almost exactly one month after 

Abacha’s death [June 8], Abiola 

allegedly died of heart attack, 

as was purportedly the case 

with Abacha. Was there foul 

play? We may never know. In 

addition to Abacha, I would also 

hold Babangida responsible for 

Abiola’s death because his 

infamous annulment of the June 

12 1993 presidential election 

results was the start of the chain 

of events whose end we still 

cannot foretell. 

I remember Abiola as a 

shrewd and accomplished 

businessman with a very large 

heart. His philanthropy was 

genuine; not just an expiation 

for the egbin (dirt) associated 

with wealth. His contributions 

to a variety of causes 

demonstrated the breadth of his 

interests: religion, publishing, 

sports and education, among 

others. There was nothing 

incongruous in his struggle for 

political power. Indeed, his 

great triumph of June 12 

1993 was a landmark 

political victory in Nigeria as 

he provided evidence that 

the country could be 

maintained as a single 

political entity. But as we 

wasted the opportunity of 

the civil war, the opportunity 

provided by the Abiola 

victory is now lost forever. 

Will there be a third 

opportunity for the country? 

Abiola has died a Yoruba 

martyr and a martyr for 

democracy in Nigeria. He 

upheld the dignity of the 

Yoruba nation. I am confident 

that he will live forever in 

the hearts of his people and 

of all true democrats in 

Nigeria. Sun re o, Are 

Onakankanfo 

July 7, 1998 

Nigeria Notes 

(New Series) 

Professor Ladipo 

Adamolekun writes from Iju, 

Akure North, Ondo State.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018—41 

The Chief of Accounts and Budget, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshall 

Clement Agada Ogbeche; presenting a prototype Trainer Aircraft known as 

"Super Mushshak" to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, in Abuja, 

yesterday. PHOTO: Media Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance. 

APC CHAIR: Oshiomhole 

surviving last-minute intrigues 

•Edo bishop goes to court, asks EFCC to investigate him 

•Banire, 2 NWC officials face attacks from home 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, & Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

AAdams BUJA—Comrade 

Oshiomhole 

was 

yesterday 

strengthening his frontline 

position to become the next 

chairman of the ruling All 


APC, despite last minute 

intrigues within and outside 

the party to scupper his 

aspiration. 

With all the national 

officers but three, almost set 

to return to office, the focus 

has been directed towards 

the office of national 

chairman where 

Oshiomhole’s bid has 

remained unassailable. 

The three national 

officers, who have met a 

roadblock in their reelection 

bid, are the 

National Legal Adviser, 

Muiz Banire; the National 

NAIRA WATCH 

Woman Leader, Hajiya 

Ramatu Aliyu, and the 

National Treasurer, Alhaji 

Mohammed Bala 

Gwagwarwa. All three are 

being seriously opposed by 

their state governors. 

The National Organising 

Secretary, Senator Osita 

Izunaso, despite the 

opposition from his 

governor, Owelle Rochas 

Okorocha of Imo State, is 

set for a smooth return to 

office, having joined other 

like-minded party chieftains 

to take the party structure 

from the governor. 

The seeming failure of the 

plot involving the use of two 

former governors (Senator 

Osehrienmen Osunbor and 

Mr. Clement Ebri) to check 

Oshiomhole, Vanguard 

gathered yesterday, may 

have instigated the latest 

plot to use the Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, as the 

Naira appreciates to 

N361.07 /$ in I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, appreciated by three kobo 

to N360.07 in the Investors and Exporters 

(I&E) window even as the Central Bank of Nigeria 

(CBN) injected $343.06 million through the Retail 

Secondary Market Intervention Sales. 

The Acting Director, Corporate Communications 

at the CBN, Isaac Okorafor confirmed the injection 

saying the amount released was for requests in 

the agricultural, airlines, petroleum products and 

raw materials and machinery sectors. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the I&E window dropped to 

N361.07 per dollar from N361.10 on Wednesday, 

indicating 3 kobo appreciation for the naira. 

However, the naira, yesterday, remained stable at 

N360 in the parallel market. 

According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate 

platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change 

Operators (ABCON), the parallel market exchange 

rate stood at N360 per dollar yesterday from N360 

per dollar on Wednesday. 

last hurdle against him. 

In the latest bid, an Edo 

State-based cleric, Bishop 

Osadolor Ochei, has 

approached the Federal 

High Court in Abuja for 

an order of mandamus to 

compel the EFCC to 

investigate and 

commence criminal 

proceedings against the 

former governor. 

Oshiomhole’s bid, party 

sources in Abuja told 

Vanguard yesterday, had 

become almost 

unassailable with his two 

major rivals, Senator 

Osunbor, also a former 

governor of Edo State, 

and former Governor 

Clement Ebri of Cross 

Rivers State, yet to get 

traction in the race for the 

top position in the party. 

However, party insiders 

say that despite 

profusions of loyalty to 

Oshiomhole, deep-seated 

political interests are still 

uncomfortable with him, 

especially based on the 

fact of those sponsoring 

him. 

“There are two main 

blocs behind him, the 

Presidency and the 

governors, but you cannot 

guarantee that everybody 

is queuing loyally,” a 

senior party operative 

disclosed yesterday. 

At least, two state 

governors, Vanguard 

learned yesterday, 

notably Governor 

Abdulfatah Ahmed of 

Kwara and Aminu 

Tambuwal of Sokoto, who 

belong to the new Peoples 

Democratic Party, nPDP 

bloc, in the party are 

alleged not to have got 

into the Oshiomhole tide. 

The position of the 

Minister 

of 

Transportation, Rotimi 

Amaechi, on Oshiomhole 

remained inscrutable 

yesterday. 

Amaechi, according to 

party insiders, had 

initially been firmly 

against Oshiomhole, not 

only because of his 

inclination to the outgoing 

chairman, Chief John 

Odigie-Oyegun, but also 

because of local South- 

South politics. 

“It is the matter of 

regional supremacy, over 

who will now call the 

shots,” one party source 

said. 

Until now, Amaechi had 

been the leader of the 

South-South caucus of the 

party and the emergence 

of Oshiomhole as national 

chairman, it is feared, 

could be a hindrance to 

that. 

A party source, 

however, dismissed the 

aspiration of the two 

challengers against 

Oshiomhole, saying 

“there is no one in the 

wings that can stop the 

momentum." 

Vanguard gathered that 

the court action to compel 

the EFCC to investigate 

Oshiomhole’s alleged 

infractions as governor 

was the work of some 

Abuja-based APC 

stakeholders against his 

aspiration, working in 

cahoots with the former 

governor’s domestic foes 

in Edo State. 

The suit to stop 

Oshiomhole 

In the suit marked FHC/ 

ABJ/CS/628/2018, the 

applicant prayed the court 

to declare that EFCC has 

a statutory duty to 

investigate different 

petitions containing 

allegations of financial 

recklessness against the 

former governor. 

He alleged before the 

court that the ex-governor 

built a sprawling 

mansion worth more than 

N10billion in his 

hometown, Iyamho, while 

in office, among other 

allegations. 

The applicant told the 

court that he had on 

November 4, 2016, sent a 

petition to the EFCC, 

detailing some corrupt 

practices he said the exgovernor 

was involved in. 

He maintained that 

EFCC’s refusal to act on 

petitions containing 

“weighty allegations” 

against Oshiomhole, ran 

contrary to Section 15(5) 

of the 1999 Constitution 

(as amended) which 

enjoined the State to 

abolish corrupt practices. 

EFCC as 1st 

defendant 

Highlighting some of 

the allegations, the 

applicant told the court 

that Oshiomhole, “bought 

a property along Okoro- 

Otun Avenue, G.R.A., 

Benin City owned by Edo 

State Government while 

serving as Governor of 

Edo State in an insider 

deal without due process 

and an abuse of his oath 

of office.” 

He said the property 

acquired by the 2nd 

Respondent was 

originally given to 

University of Benin as a 

gift by Edo State 

Government. 

“The 2nd Respondent, 

while a dispute was 

pending in Court between 

University of Benin and 

Edo State Government, 

forcibly acquired the 

property for his personal 

use. The 2nd Respondent 

has since erected a 

structure with an 

underground apartment, 

roof-top swimming pool, 

another giant structure 

worth more than 

N500,000,000 (five 

hundred million naira) 

which is far beyond his 

legitimate income. At the 

time of the sale, the open 

market price of that 

magnitude of property 

and in that such highbrow 

location was about 

N100 million naira. 

“This transaction took 

place while the 2nd 

Respondent was Governor 

of Edo State and he 

bought the said property 

for just N23 million naira 

vide an Access Bank 

cheque. 

“The 2nd Respondent 

authorized and awarded 

the highly inflated contract 

and payment within a 

relatively short time for the 

construction of a 168 

room-hostel in Edo State 

University, Iyamho for the 

sum of N1.88 billion naira. 

The average cost per room 

translates to N10 million 

naira for each hostel room. 

“This contract was 

awarded to the firm of A & 

K Construction Limited 

without compliance with 

due process. Similarly, the 

2nd Respondent 

authorized and awarded 

the highly inflated contract 

of building the Teaching 

Hospital of the said 

University for the sum of 

N12.2 billion naira without 

compliance with due 

process", the applicant 

alleged among others. 

Others 

Meanwhile, 

the 

RETURN TO PDP: Saraki, 

Kwankwanso, Goje, Tambuwal 

run into storm 

Continues from Page 5 

time political benefactor, 

Senator Aliyu Wamakko, 

the immediate past 

governor of the state. 

Though Tambuwal is 

said to be still respectful 

to Wamakko, it is 

believed that there is 

pressure on the former 

governor to toe an 

independent political 

pathway by not following 

Tambuwal back to the 

PDP. 

Some Wamakko 

followers, it was 

gathered, would even 

want Tambuwal to return 

to the PDP in the belief 

that he would lose out in 

the PDP presidential 

primaries and by that 

open the way for 

Wamakko to foist a more 

compliant political 

surrogate as governor of 

National Woman Leader, 

Aliyu despite a strong 

lobby on her behalf is, 

however, facing serious 

challenges from her Kogi 

base on account of the 

sponsorship of a rival by 

the state governor, Alhaji 

Yahaya Bello. 

Aliyu, Vanguard 

gathered was rejected on 

account of the fact that 

she won her position in 

2014 through the 

structure of the late 

Governor Abubakar Audu 

who was in the firm 

control of the state 

chapter of the party until 

he died midway into the 

election that would have 

returned him as governor 

for the second time. 

Bello has been at 

variance with the 

rudiments of the Audu 

structure. 

Aliyu’s challenger, 

Hajia Salamatu Baiwa 

from Ofu Local 

Government Area of the 

state, it was gathered, is 

being seriously backed by 

the governor’s powerful 

Chief of Staff, Edward 

Onoja. 

Banire, it was gathered, 

is under pressure from 

the Lagos State chapter of 

the party which had even 

before now sought to 

sanction him on account 

of his alleged 

involvement in the crisis 

in the state chapter of the 

party. 

The national treasurer, 

Gwagwarwa, Vanguard 

learnt yesterday is sure to 

be stopped on account of 

his unalloyed loyalty to 

Senator Rabiu 

Kwankwanso on whose 

back he rode to the office. 

Gwagwarwa has 

remained loyal to 

Kwankwanso and 

rebuffed pressures to join 

the faction of the party 

loyal to Governor 

Abdullahi Ganduje, a 

senior party operative in 

Abuja told Vanguard 

yesterday. 

the state. 

Even more, despite 

recent appeasements by 

Governor Tambuwal 

towards former Governor 

Attahiru Bafarawa, it was 

gathered that the 

Bafarawa camp, which 

currently controls the 

structure of the PDP, is 

insisting that whoever 

comes into the party 

should take his position 

on the queue. 

In Gombe State, there 

are also claims that the 

war of attrition between 

Governor Ibrahim 

Damkwambo would 

make it impossible for 

Senator Danjuma Goje, 

the former governor of 

the state, to return to the 

same fold with the 

outgoing governor to 

whom he once acted as 

a benefactor.

42— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

Interview 

Onuoha calls for ethnic diversity on Nigerian 

campuses and in the academy of sciences 

Dr. Kalu Mosto Onuoha was formerly Petroleum Technology Development Fund Professor 

of Geology, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). At 70, he is now Emeritus.Onuoha— 

who has been president of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences (NAS), since January, 2017— 

explicated current issues, and highlighted his priorities, during a late-night interview with 

J.K. Obatala, at Warri’s Casa De Pedro Hotel. An early achievement, was the attainment of 

a long-sought certificate of occupancy for NAS—paving the way for its eventual relocation, 

from Lagos to Abuja. 

A bill to provide legal backing for the Academy, awaits President Muhammadu Buhari’s 

signature—and Onuoha explains the ramifications.Other topical terrain explored, include 

the deplorable state of public schools, the plight of Nigerian universities, too few Northerners 

in the Academy and the need for a synergy with indigenous oil firms.A former Biafran army 

officer, Onuoha also speaks candidly about the leadership of Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu 

and the underlying causes of current secessionist agitation.He was the pioneer Exxon Mobil 

Professor of Petroleum Geology at the University of Calabar and held the Shell Chair, at UNN, 

for 10 years. Onuoha, is from Akanu Ohafia, in Abia State. 

How far, with your effort 

to secure legal backing 

for the Nigerian Academy of 

Sciences? 

We’ve gone very, very far. I 

started working on it, almost 

immediately, after being 

sworn in. 

The Senate and the House 

have passed the bill. We are 

waiting for the Head of State 

to sign it. 

What difference is that going 

to make? 

We’re expecting two major 

fallouts. First, it places the 

Academy in an officially recognized 

position—so that it 

can give evidence-based advice 

to government. 

In other words, we are supposed 

to be a source of advice, 

on any science-related issue 

that comes up… 

When they turn to us, our 

task is to produce experts. 

We’ve done some things before, 

such as assisting with the 

Lassa Fever epidemic. 

Then, when the AIDS crisis 

broke, we were instrumental 

in setting up protocols for handling 

blood, and that type of 

thing. 

The second fallout, is financial. 

When the bill is signed 

into law, we expect to have a 

line budget—annually... 

Not that Government will 

pay for everything NAS does. 

But it should, at least, provide 

some funds for the Academy 

to pay staff, and all that. 

The signing, it seems, 

should also boost your effort 

to get a certificate of occupancy 

and relocate to Abuja? 

Actually, we got our certificate 

of occupancy, around the 

middle of last year. What we 

don’t have now, is money to 

build! 

But there’s no hurry about 

relocating. Let me say that, as 

president, I don’t see it occurring 

in my term—and we still 

have three years to go—unless 

something extraordinary happens. 

It’s going to take time, because 

the building is supposed 

to be monumental—not 

something that can be thrown 

up, overnight. So, it’ll cost 

quite a lot. 

We’ll proceed, gradually: 

Maybe start with a Conference 

Centre that one can use, then 

a Guest House, a Museum 

and ultimately the main building… 

The operative assumption 

has always been, that there 

are no natural hydrogen deposits 

on Earth—that all of it 

has escaped into space. But 

they’ve found underground 

hydrogen in Mali! 

Prof. Kalu 

Mali is not that far from Nigeria. 

Don’t you think the 

possibility that there may 

be deposits here, ought to be 

explored? 

Oh, that’s interesting! I’d 

like to find out more. If I knew 

the geology of the area where 

they found hydrogen, in Mali, 

I would then have an idea 

about the feasibility of exploration 

here. 

I’ll read up on it… It sounds 

exciting…NAS can study the 

importance of this discovery 

and document it. Then urge 

Government to act… 

Your predecessor—Professor 

Oyewale Tomori—once 

expressed concern, about 

NAS’s predominantly Yoruba 

membership. 

Yes. One reason, is that the 

venue for our meetings, is often 

Lagos. So, it’s easier for 

Yoruba to attend and make 

their presence felt. 

Then again, funding comes 

into play. Venues used to rotate—like 

when NAS held its 

Public Lecture at Federal University 

of Petroleum Resources 

(FUPRE), in Delta State…. 

What measures are you 

implementing, to broaden the 

base of the Academy? 

…We are sending Fellows 

back to institutions that are 

underrepresented. They will 

act as ambassadors—to generate 

interest, among qualified 

scholars. 

We are liaising with Vice 

Chancellors, telling them 

somebody is coming. All they 

have to do, is to receive the 

Fellow for a Public Lecture …. 

The Academy will pay for his 

transport. 

We’ll even provide some 

small money, to help package 

his presentation. Host universities 

are mainly responsible 

for accommodation. 

Then, the Guest Speaker will 

spend 15 or 20 minutes of his 

presentation, talking about 

the Academy—how it came to 

be, what we do, how to become 

a Fellow, etc. … 

Why are there so few 

Northerners in NAS? 

Well, some are reluctant to 

apply. And there was a time, 

when they had very few highly 

qualified people. 

Then too, the yardsticks for 

promotion to the rank of “professor” 

are not really the 

same, in all the northern universities… 

When it comes to a Fellowship 

in the Academy, we are 

not looking at “title”. We’re 

interested in your contribution 

to science. And by that criterion, 

many applicants fall 

short. 

Right now, there are quite 

a lot of qualified individuals 

in the North. So, they’re beginning 

to come in… 

Part of my plan, is to see if 

we can return to our policy of 

rotating venues, from one 

zone to another—when financial 

conditions permit…That 

will catalyze the process. 

Local support is essential. 

I can recall an instance, in 

which NAS sought help from 

the Governor of Abia State. 

We wanted to honour one 

big time Nigerian scientist, 

who’d published in “Nature” 

and other top journals. His 

name was Eni Njoku… 

Yes. He was a famous botanist. 

Njoku was also the Founding 

Vice Chancellor of the 

University of Lagos. We tried 

to convince Governor Orji 

Uzor Kalu to sponsor a lecture 

series, in Njoku’s memory. 

He promised—but ultimately 

didn’t… 

If memory serves me correctly, 

Njoku conducted a 

series of pioneering experiments, 

to study the interaction 

of plants with light. 

Yes. Photochemistry and 

that kind of thing. But, getting 

back to the issue of zone 

rotation … we’ve held a meeting 

in Maiduguri, before. 

I can never forget it! The 

Shehu of Borno was there. 

When we were going away, 

those who came received a 

shocking surprise. 

Our hosts packaged mangara 

(dried fish) from Chad 

and other things, for each 

Fellow. It was presented to us 

at the point of departure... 

Everyone had been happy to 

see us in Maiduguri. 

It’s that kind of spirit we 

need to revive…. 

Are you going to renew 

your effort to honour Professor 

Eni Njoku? 

Well, there’s already a biannual 

Lecture in his honour, 

at UNN. But he’s from Ohafia—the 

next village after 

mine! So, I have a personal 

interest. More importantly 

though, Njoku was a great 

man—a man before his 

time…. 

He was a key negotiator, for 

Biafra. If Colonel Odumegwu 

Ojukwu had listened to people 

like Njoku, I think things 

would have been different. 

Different,” in what sense? 

Ah-h-h-h…I don’t want to 

talk about “Biafra”. I was part 

of it... I was an army officer, 

during the war. 

But the point is, … if our 

leader had not been so recalcitrant, 

restructuring could 

have been achieved 

easily…But Ojukwu made a 

lot of mistakes. Some bordering 

on ego... 

Ego? 

Yes…This is my judgement. 

The superior person, intellectually, 

was Nnamdi Azikwe. 

Zik was the one who composed 

the Biafra national anthem. 

He wrote it. [He hums 

a bar, from the anthem]. 

Zik was a super intelligent 

person. But, after a time, he 

strayed off—because he was 

not making any impact. Zik 

just went away. In fact, he 

landed on the other side. And 

that was it. 

Zik stopped supporting 

Biafra? 

Oh sure. Very close to the 

end, Zik withdrew his support… 

[He thought] our leader 

should have 

bargained…But 

Ojukwu 

didn’t… and we ended up 

with nothing. 

Yet there is a marked resilience 

among Igbos. Not many 

people in the world, could 

have endured what we went 

through—and bounced back, 

as we have. 

We came out of the war with 

no money. But if you go to 

Abuja, half the real estate is 

owned by Igbos. Go to Lagos 

and see what they’ve 

achieved. 

To be concluded 

TRIBUTE 

WALE 

ABODERIN: Pillar 

of Journalism/ 

Man of the 

people 

THIS good man left us 

much too soon. Too all 

who knew him as a person, 

Wale Aboderin was an excellent 

friend and human being. 

To all who knew his work, he 

was among the noteworthy 

and preeminent figures in 

Nigerian journalism. His contributions 

to life at both the 

personal and professional levels 

were vast and profound. 

Affable and humble but 

hardworking and 

accomplished, Wale strived for 

excellence in all he did. This 

made him a unique and rare 

person. He was not satisfied 

by the ordinary or the 

average. He was not one to 

follow the crowd. He was one 

who always sought the truth 

and who mandated his 

newspaper to publish it and 

never conceal it. Of a 

generous and kind spirit, 

Wale was not one to look for 

confrontation. However, 

equally of courageous heart 

and of sterling principle, he 

would not run from 

confrontation if anyone tried 

to abridge his right to print as 

he saw fit. 

Wale reached the height of 

his profession but never lost 

touch of the noble objective of 

his mission: to enlighten and 

educate the people. His life 

and the manner in which he 

lived it are examples to young 

journalists and to all of us who 

believe in the pursuit of 

excellence through truth. 

He contributed mightily to 

the growth of journalism in 

Nigeria. This means he stood 

as a guardian of every 

person’s right to freely 

express themselves and as an 

architect of democratic 

discourse aimed at creating a 

better nation. 

Wale was our brother and 

friend. He was a leading and 

bright light whose humanity 

and love of people was 

nothing short of inspiring and 

contagious. He truly cared 

about the people around him 

and those who somehow 

crossed his path. Innate 

kindness was evident in all he 

did. 

Through our sorrow at his 

passing, we must also realize 

that we have indeed been 

blessed to know such a rare 

and decent man. 

Wale, we shall miss you 

greatly and your place can 

never be filled but we will do 

the best we can by trying to 

live up to your example. 

Truly, this was a good man 

who left us much too soon. 

Farewell, dear Wale. 

Farewell. 

Late Wale Aboderin.

:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 

Army laments rising cases of IED use 

in Southeast 

By Emeka Mamah 

ENUGU—THE Nigerian 

Army has expressed 

alarm over what it described 

as emerging but dangerous 

trend of the use of 

Improvised Explosive 

Device, IED, as weapon in 

the South Eastern part of 

the country. 

The Army said that 

although the zone was the 

most peaceful among all the 

six in the country, the 

introduction of IED as 

means of fighting enemies 

had become a source of 

great concern to the military 

and other security agencies. 

The Deputy Director, 

Army Public Relations, 82 

Division of the Nigerian 

Army, Col Sagir Musa, 

made this known while 

speaking at a media summit 

by the Nigerian Union of 

Journalists, NUJ, at 

Concorde Hotel Owerri, 

yesterday. 

He spoke against the 

backdrop of the the bomb 

explosions at the country 

home of the President 

General of Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo, Chief Nnia 

Nwodo, in Ukehe, Igboetiti 

Local Government Area of 

Enugu State with the 

second and third explosions 

occurring at a Catholic 

Church compound at Nike, 

near Enugu and a popular 

yam market, also in Enugu 

metropolis last month. 

“In view of the obvious 

security threats in the South 

East such as kidnappings, 

cultism, armed robbery, 

communal conflict, farmersherdsmen 

clashes, political 

violence and secessionist 

agitation as well as the 

emerging dangerous trend 

of the use of IED as seen in 

By Innocent Anaba 

L immediate 

AGOS—THE 

past 

General Secretary of the 

Nigerian Bar Association, 

NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe 

has said that his 

disqualification from taking 

part in the forthcoming 

contest for the presidency 

election of the association 

cannot stand. 

The Electoral Committee 

of NBA, ECNBA, had in a 

letter dated 14 June, 2018, 

informed Osigwe of his 

disqualification from the 

race on the grounds that he 

allegedly did not pay his 

annual dues and other 

financial obligations to the 

Nnewi Branch as and 

when due for at least three 

years immediately 

preceding this year’s 

election. 

However, rejecting his 

disqualification, Osigwe 

said same was 

“insupportable in law and 

in fact.” 

In his protest letter, the 

ex-NBA scribe disclosed 

the recent explosion in 

Ohanaeze leaders’ 

compound, a catholic 

church and a popular yam 

market, there is the need 

for members of the public 

especially the media to be 

more watchful, so as to 

sensitize the public on the 

disturbing trend and the 

necessity for partnership 

with the security agencies 

with the view to collectively 

and effectively contain these 

challenges,” Musa said. 

He, however, said that 

even at that, the South East 

remained the most 

peaceful, among all the 

geopolitical zones in the 

country as major security 

challenges that could have 

spread throughout the 

region were nipped in the 

bud. 

According to him, in the 

“midst of all these security 

threats, it is obvious that the 

South East Zone is the most 

peaceful region in Nigeria. 

Major security challenges 

that could have 

dramatically disturbed the 

peace; security and stability 

of the region have been 

effectively silenced. 

“Consequently, there is the 

need for the various tiers of 

government, security 

agencies, civil society organizations, 

the media and 

members of the public to 

collectively cooperate to 

improve, if not sustain, the 

current security situation,” 

in the region.. 

On terrorism and other 

criminalities, he 

said,”Nigeria is currently 

facing multiple security 

challenges that are spread 

across the major regions of 

the country. 

“None of the regions in 

Nigeria is insulated from 

one crisis or the other. For 

instance, there are the 

lingering challenges of 

terrorism, cattle rustling, 

armed banditry, 

kidnappings, arms and 

IED proliferation and other 

sundry crimes such as 

armed robbery in the North 

East region. “There are also 

the threats of armed 

robbery, insurgency, ethnoreligious 

disturbances, 

cattle rustling, kidnappings 

and political crisis among 

other menaces in the North 

Western part of Nigeria." 

AWARD: Christopher Moore, Publisher, EMEA Finance; Andrew Alli, 

President & Chief Executive Officer, and Oliver Andrews, Chief Investment 

Officer, both ofAfrica Finance Corporation during 2017 Champion of Finance 

Award bestowed on Alli and Andrews by EMEA Finance in London. 

NBA Presidency: My disqualification 

insurpportable in law, Osigwe tells c'ttee 

that he had informed the 

ECNBA of his membership 

of NBA Nnewi branch 

which he joined in January, 

2018, adding, “ I could not 

have paid branch dues as 

a member of Nnewi Branch 

in 2016 and 2017 as I was 

not a member of the Branch 

in those years. 

“In 2016 and 2017, I was 

a member of NBA Abuja 

Branch and paid my branch 

dues accordingly to Abuja 

Branch Account. Section 

13(4) of NBA Constitution, 

2015 as amended provides 

that no member shall belong 

to more than one 

branch. Thus a lawyer cannot 

lawfully pay branch 

dues to more than one 

branch at the same time in 

the same year. 

“The NBA Constitution 

does not require a 

candidate for national office 

to have mandatory 

membership of a particular 

branch before he/she will 

qualify to contest in the 

election. 

“In the light of the above, 

I request that my name be 

restored as a candidate for 

the office of President for the 

2018 Elections having met 

all the requirements.” 

Adewole urges Nigerians to be voluntary 

blood donors 

By Luminous 

Jannamike 

ABUJA — Minister of 

Health, Prof. Isaac 

Adewole, yesterday, urged 

more Nigerians to be 

voluntary blood donors, 

lamenting that out of the 

estimated 1.8 million units of 

blood the country needed 

each year, only 10 per cent of 

blood collection were 

accounted for by voluntary 

donors. 

He noted that voluntary 

blood donation brings 

numerous health benefits to 

the donor, which, according 

to him, include longevity of 

life, production of new blood 

cells, absence of anaemia at 

old age, and opportunity for 

free medical screening. 

Briefing the press in Abuja 

on the occasion of the 2018 

World Blood Donation Day, 

the minister also revealed the 

measures put in place by the 

Federal Government to 

address the gaps in the 

nation’s annual blood needs. 

He said: “May I inform you 

that Nigeria’s estimated 

blood need is about 1.8 million 

units of blood per annum; 

national data indicate that 

voluntary non-remunerated 

blood donation accounts for 

only 10 per cent of our total 

blood collection. 

"Family replacement 

donations as well as 

commercial donations on the 

other hand, account for 30 

and 60 percent respectively." 


I didn't dispute NBS figure on 

employment—Keyamo 

DIRECTOR of Strategic 

Communications, 


Buhari Campaign 

Organisation, Festus 

Keyamo, SAN, yesterday, 

said he did not dispute the 

figures of National Bureau of 

Statistics, NBS, on 

employment. 

According to him, what he 

disputed in the latest edition 

of THE INTERVIEW 

magazine, marshaled by the 

very able ace journalist, Mr. 

Azu Ishiekwene, was the 

figure as presented by the 

reporter on job loss not 

unemployment as wrongly 

reported by some on-line 

media. 

According to him, “to say 

those who are unemployed 

rose by four million, is not the 

same as saying four million 

Listen to your kids, Ruff & 

Tumble urges parents 

LAGOS—IN furtherance 

of its commitment to 

inspire children and 

teenagers, premium 

clothing brand for the next 

generation, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, 

has released a video to 

launch its #Listen2me2 

campaign. 

Released on Children’s 

Day, the #Listen2Me2 

video is in line with the 

brand’s desire to advocate 

for kids as well as start a 

conversation online and 

offline on the importance 

on listening to kids and 

giving them room to voice 

their opinions and ideas 

without being restricted by 

their parents and 

guardians. 

According to the Chief 

Responsibility Officer of 

Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, Adenike 

Ogunlesi, “A child is the 

most precious gift of life - 

born full of dreams and as- 

people lost their jobs. This is 

clearly because the millions of 

graduates and other trainees 

the nation produces yearly 

make the unemployment 

figures to rise, but it is not the 

same as saying that those jobs 

were lost. 

"The fact is that for many 

years now that even preceded 

this administration, we have 

not been creating the number 

of jobs as quickly as can 

accommodate the numbers of 

fresh graduates we produce 

every year. 

"The obvious narrative 

created by those who report 

like this is that the figure of 

job loss is as high as they want 

to make it up and is as a direct 

result of some policies that the 

Buhari administration got 

very wrong." 

BATN Foundation to 

empower poorest farmers in 

Nigeria 

By Gabriel 

Olawale 

THE British American 

Tobacco Nigeria 

Foundation, BATN, has 

unveiled a four-year strategic 

plan to promote wealth 

creation activities in the 

agriculture sector as part of 

efforts at empowering rural 

Nigerians for a sustainable 

future. 

Speaking during the 

launch of “Country 

Programme 2018 to 2022,” 

Chairman of the Foundation, 

Kola Jamodu, said BATN 

was committed to 

empowering rural small 

holder farmers to move from 

subsistence farming to 

commercial agriculture. 

Jamodu said the 

company’s support would 

focus more on practical 

means of mitigating 

challenges confronting 

farmers, saying: “We are 

going to support them with 

grant and technical 

expertise so they can 

become prosperous. 

Imagine if every 

smallholder farmer is 

prosperous, we would have 

significantly reduced 

poverty in rural 

communities and generated 

employment for thousands 

unemployed youth in the 

labour market." 

On his part, Managing 

Director of BAT Nigeria, 

Chris McAllister, said 

before oil was discovered in 

Nigeria, agriculture was the 

mainstay of the economy, 

which contributed about 60 

per cent to the GDP. 

pirations. It is our collective 

responsibility to create an 

environment of limitless 

opportunities so every child 

can find purpose and 

fulfillment.” 

She further noted that 

“There's so much noise in 

the world today. It's very 

easy for children to get 

confused when no one is 

guiding and nurturing 

their growth, especially 

their values and mindset. 

With so many confusing 

messages, parents / 

guardians need to actively 

engage children through 

everyday activities that 

ensure there is great 

communication between 

both parties. Despite our 

cultural norms that very 

often shut children down, 

we need to develop a new 

culture that listens and 

encourages engagement 

with today's child.”



Wike accuses APC of plot to disrupt 

council polls 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT— 

GOVERNOR Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, 

yesterday, claimed the 

state government had 

intelligence report that a 

faction of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, was 

arming political thugs to 

disrupt local government 

elections taking place 

tomorrow in the state. 

But in a swift reaction, 

APC denied that it was 

planning to disrupt the 

council polls, saying it had 

no stake in the election. 

This came as the state 

Police Command said it 

would deploy over 15000 

personnel across the state 

for the election, warning 

youths to avoid being used 

to cause panic during the 

process. 

Governor Wike, in a state 

broadcast, alleged that the 

APC faction planned to 

disrupt the elections in 

Abua/Odual, Akuku Toru, 

Asari Toru, Degema, 

Emohua, Ikwerre, Ogba/ 

Egbema/Ndoni, Opobo 

and Tai local government 

areas. 

He said: “The arrowheads 

of this satanic plot are 

recruiting and arming 

political thugs with guns to 

be deployed on the eve of 

the election to create an 

atmosphere of insecurity in 

these and other local 

government areas and 

scare voters to shun the 

polling stations. 

“ In the light of the these 

dangerous threats from 

these people, therefore, I 

wish to call on the security 

agencies, especially the 

Nigeria Police to live up to 

their primary responsibility 

of providing adequate 

security for the election and 

deal decisively with those 

who may attempt to disturb 

the peace, order and 

security of the State before, 

during and after the 

election.” 

He said that the state 

government had received 

concrete assurances from 

the heads of all the security 

agencies that they had put 

adequate measures to 

secure the peace and 

ensure orderly conduct of 

the election. 

He noted that the Rivers 

State government would 

hold the security agencies 

accountable should 

insecurity be experienced 

in the state in the course of 

the elections. 

It is a lie, we have 

no stake— APC 

But reacting through its 

Publicity Secretary, Mr. 

Chris Finebone, APC said: 

“It is absolutely important 

•It is a lie, we have no stake— APC 

• Police warn against violence, deploy 

15,000 personnel 

to quickly mention that the 

APC, its leaders and 

members across Rivers 

State have no stake in the 

sham local council elections 

and have no reason at all 

to consider or disrupt a 

process we have clearly 

distanced ourselves from 

and made such position 

known to the world. 

“However, it is pertinent 

to state that in that 

broadcast, Gov. Wike was 

simply showcasing his 

typical self by shying away 

from the groundswell of 

protests by cheated PDP 

members who have told 

him to his face that they will 

disrupt the sham council 

polls especially in the local 

government areas he 

enumerated in his 

broadcast. 

“It is clear without doubt 

that by dragging the names 

of the APC and its leaders 

into the fray, Nyesom Wike 

was merely pre-empting 

the disruption his 

disgruntled party men and 

women have vowed to visit 

on the sham elections on 

Saturday." 

Police warn 

against violence, 

deploy 15,000 

personnel 

Meanwhile, the state 

police command also 

announced that there 

would be restriction of 

movement during the 

exercise, stressing that 

police has put in adequate 

plans for violent free polls. 

Commissioner of Police 

in the state, Ahmed Zaki, 

while briefing newsmen on 

the preparedness of police 

on the elections, said: “As a 

command, we have braced 

up to the challenges of the 

elections and accordingly 

put in place adequate 

security measures to ensure 

that the local government 

elections are free, fair 

credible and devoid of any 

violence. 

“Consequently, we have 

drawn up our operations 

order which have captured 

all our deployments, 

including those of other 

security agencies. In all, 

about 15,000 security 

personnel drawn from the 

police and all the agencies 

will be deployed for the 

exercise." 

“There will be a total 

restriction of movement of 

persons, vehicles both on 

land and air, between the 

hours of 7a.m. to 4p.m. 

WED: From left, A Director at Lagos State Ministry of 

Environment, Mrs. Titilayo Raji; Member, National Executive 

Council of Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF, Mr. Desmond 

Majekodunmi; Group Head, Corporate Affairs, First City Monument 

Bank, FCMB, Mr. Diran Olojo; Chairman, NCF, Chief Ede Dafinone; 

Founder, FABE International Foundation, Mrs. Temitope Okunnu 

and Divisional Head, Corporate Services, FCMB, Felicia Obozuwa, 

during the celebration of this year’s World Environment Day, 

organised by NCF and supported by FCMB, at Lekki Conservation 

Centre, in Lagos. 

Osinbanjo hails Obaseki, commissions 1,727 housing 

units in Edo 

By Simon 

Ebegbulem 

BENIN CITY—VICE 

President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, has flagged off the 

1,727 Emotan Garden 

housing units in Egba, 

Ikpoba Okha Local 

Government Area of Edo 

State, commending 

Governor Godwin Obaseki of 

the state for his 

developmental strides. 

According to him, “I want 

to appreciate what the astute 

and dynamic governor, 

Godwin Obaseki, is doing. I 

was in Auchi to launch the 

fertiliser plant a couple of 

months ago and recently in 

this same local government I 

was here to launch the 

Industrial Park. It is my 

special pleasure to be here 

again to commission the 

ground breaking of this 

Emotan Garden. 

“I want to thank the 

governor and the 

government and Mr. Africa 

and the APDA for their very 

execellent job and I hope that 

within the next few months, 

given the fact that they were 

able to build this house within 

12 days and I am sure that if 

we work hard, the 1,727 

housing units can be 

completed in no distant time.” 

Earlier, Governor Obaseki 

said it was in fulfillment of his 

electioneering promises of 

creating jobs and providing 

affordable housing for the 

people of the state. 

He said: “I want to thank 

all of you for taking time out 

to witness this ground 

breaking ceremony of 

Emotan Garden, which we 

hope will be our flagship into 

creating modern house style 

in our state. 

“You will recall during my 

electioneering campaign I 

did promise that we are going 

to make Edo State an 

economic hub. I said we are 

going to create a minimum 

of 200,000 jobs in my first time 

in office and we expected that 

these jobs would be created 

from areas like agriculture, 

construction and the 

manufacturing sectors. 

“But we realised also that 

housing is very key to 

APC convention: I’m very 

much in chairmanship race 

— Osunbor 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

A BUJA—FORMER 

governor of Edo State, 

Senator Osereimhen 

Osunbor, said, yesterday, he 

was still in the race to pilot 

the affairs of the ruling All 


APC. 

Speaking at a press 

briefing, Osunbor said: “My 

sole aim of joining the race 

is to make APC a role model 

in Africa and beyond. I have 

a vision of an APC that will 

be a model for other political 

parties in Nigeria and even 

beyond to emulate.’’ 

Asked whether there was 

any time he stepped down, 

Osunbor said: “You said the 

rumour mill and what we 

heard was that I bought the 

S/SOUTH APC YOUTHS TO OSHIOMHOLE: 

Use your negotiating powers 

to unite warring members 

By Simon 

Ebegbulem 

BENIN 

CITY— 

YOUTH of All 


APC, in the South-South, 

have urged the immediate 

past governor of Edo State, 

Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, to put to use his 

power of negotiation in 

reconciling warring members 

of the party in the event he 

emerges as the next National 

Chairman. 

In a statement signed by 

the zonal coordinator of the 

youths under the aegis of 

Concern APC Youths in the 

South-South, Ibie Obarakpor 

and Tony Adun, expressed 

concern over the face-off 

between the National 

Assembly members and the 

presidency 

According to them, "It is sad 

that the APC has majority in 

creating jobs and that was one 

of the reasons why one of the 

first thing to do was to 

restructure Edo State Housing 

and Property Development 

Company. We re-enacted the 

law setting it up, we got a new 

management and this is the 

evidence of the reforms we 

have made in that agency.” 

The governor said 80 

percent of materials used for 

the building of the houses 

were gotten locally from the 

state 

“We believed that we are 

starting a new paradigm in the 

position of affordable housing 

and we expect that this houses 

will sell from about N3 million 

to no more than N12 million 

and it will truly be affordable,” 

he said. 

form but failed to submit 

it and now you are saying 

I stepped down. But I 

never did. 

"I was the fourth person 

to submit the form and I 

have not changed my mind 

about running because I do 

have a vision of what I can 

do to re-engineer our great 

party." 

"Our democracy and the 

political process in Nigeria 

since 1999 have been 

characterised by weak 

political party 

administration. 

“If our democratic culture 

is to be firmly established 

and good governance 

entrenched, it will require 

well managed political 

parties. This is because 

democracy thrives best 

under an effective and 

efficient 

system." 

the National Assembly, yet 

they are always at 

loggerheads with the 

executive. The crisis became 

worst with the recent 

congresses conducted by 

our party." 

Burial 

multi-party 

THE funeral service for 

late Mr Reginald Ibe will 

hold at St Joseph’s 

Catholic Church, Uzoagba 

Ikeduru Local Government 

Area, Imo State while 

interment follows at Ibe’s 

compound, Amambaa. 

Uzoagba today. 

Service of songs for late 

Chief Clement Amaran, 

76, who died April 7, 2018 

comes up at St. Andrew’s 

Anglican Church, Sanusi 

Street, Ayetoro, Ajegunle 

tomorrow while funeral 

service holds at St. Mark 

Cathedral Church, 

Kaiama, Bayelsa State on 

June 22, 2018 

He is survived by widow 

and children.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 — 45 

‘North Korea sanctions to remain 

until complete denuclearisation’ 

TOUGH sanctions will 

remain on North Korea 

until its complete 

denuclearisation, the U.S. 

secretary of state said on 

Thursday, apparently 

contradicting the North’s 

view that the process agreed 

at this week’s summit would 

be phased and reciprocal. 

However, South Korean 

President Moon Jae-in said 

the world, through the 

summit, had escaped the 

threat of war, echoing 

Trump’s upbeat assessment 

of his meeting with Kim. 

“What’s most important 

was that the people of the 

world, including those in the 

United States, Japan and 

Koreans, have all been able 

to escape the threat of war, 

nuclear weapons and 

missiles,” Moon told 

Pompeo. 

Pompeo insisted North 

Korea was committed to 

giving up its nuclear arsenal 

but said it would “be a 

process, not an easy one”. 

Kim understood getting 

rid of his nuclear arsenal 

needed to be done quickly 

and there would only be 

relief from stringent U.N. 

sanctions on North Korea 

after its “complete 

denuclearisation”, Pompeo 

said. 

Moon later said South 

Korea would be flexible 

when it comes to military 

pressure on North Korea if 

it is sincere about 

denuclearisation. 

Also on Thursday, North 

and South Korea held their 

first military talks in more 

than a decade. The talks 

followed on from an inter- 

Korean summit in April at 

which Moon and Kim 

agreed to defuse tension 

and cease “hostile acts”. 

Speaking later in the day 

in Beijing, Pompeo said 

China, Japan and South 

Korea all acknowledged a 

corner had been turned on 

the Korean peninsula issue, 

but that all three had also 

acknowledged sanctions 

remain in place until 

denuclearisation is 

complete. 

“China has reaffirmed its 

commitment to honouring 

the U.N. Security Council 

resolutions. Those have 

mechanisms for relief 

contained in them, and we 

agreed that at the 

appropriate time that those 

would be considered,” 

Pompeo said, standing next 

to the Chinese 

government’s top diplomat, 

State Councillor Wang Yi. 

New York Attorney General sues 

Trump Foundation 

THE New York 

attorney general on 

Thursday sued President 

Donald Trump’s 

charitable foundation 

along with its directors 

— the President, his 

sons Eric and Donald Jr. 

and daughter Ivanka, 

alleging they violated 

state and federal 

charities law. 

Attorney General 

Barbara Underwood 

alleges a pattern of 

persistent illegal conduct 

over more than a decade 

that includes extensive 

unlawful political 

coordination with the 

Trump presidential 

campaign. 

Underwood is asking a 

court to dissolve the 

Trump Foundation and 

wants $2.8 million in 

restitution plus 

additional penalties. 

The attorney general 

seeks to ban Trump from 

serving as a director of a 

New York not-for-profit 

for 10 years and Trump’s 

children from serving for 

one year. 

The complaint alleges 

that the Trump 

Foundation engaged in 

repeated and willful selfdealing 

transactions to 

benefit Trump’s personal 

and business interests. 

“As our investigation 

North Koreans watch the displayed local newspapers 

reporting the summit between the U.S. and 

North Korea at a subway station in Pyongyang, 

North Korea. Kyodo/via REUTERS 

reveals, the Trump 

Foundation was little 

more than a checkbook 

for payments from Mr. 

Trump or his business to 

nonprofits, regardless of 

their purpose or 

legality,” Underwood 

said. “This is not how 

private foundations 

should function, and my 

office intends to hold the 

Foundation and its 

directors accountable for 

its misuse of charitable 

assets.” 

The investigation also 

found that the board 

existed in name only and 

did not meet after 1999. 

Additionally, Trump 

allegedly made all 

decisions related to the 

foundation. 

Italy, France patch up 

migrant row 

ITALY and France tried 

to patch up a row over 

immigration on Thursday as 

Pope Francis urged 

politicians everywhere to 

work together on helping 

refugees and respect their 

dignity. 

Italy summoned France’s 

envoy on Wednesday and 

demanded an apology from 

President Emmanuel 

Macron, who had said 

Rome’s move to block a 

migrant rescue ship from its 

ports was an act of “cynicism 

and irresponsibility”. 

Macron, in a phone call 

late on Wednesday with 

Italian Prime Minister 

Giuseppe Conte, said he did 

not mean to offend “Italy and 

the Italian people”, 

according to a statement. 

The two leaders confirmed 

a lunch meeting on Friday 

to discuss “new initiatives” 

on immigration, a day after 

Italian Interior Minister 

Matteo Salvini announced 

an “axis” with Germany 

and Austria to fight illegal 

migration. 

“France does not want 

escalation; it’s counter 

productive. We need to 

maintain dialogue,” a source 

close to Macron said as the 

president visited the 

western town of Rochefort. 

However, the source added 

that Macron was not “taking 

back anything”. 

Italy’s Conte later said on 

Facebook he would take to 

Paris “Italy’s request for 

broad collaboration and 

solidarity on immigration at 

a European level”. Conte 

will meet German 

Chancellor Angela Merkel 

in Berlin on Monday. 

WINNER: Mr Segun Agbaje, MD/CEO, GTBank Plc (right) presenting a 

dummy cheque of a million naira to Mr Kukogho Samson, overall winner 

of GTBank Dusty Manuscript competition, a CSR initiative of the bank, at 

the bank's head office in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele. 

VISIT: Members of PDP Women Vanguard Initiative visited the PDP Lagos 

State Women Leader, Yeyemesho Shola Benson (sitting). From left: Mrs Omon 

Adebanjo, Mrs Felicia Ajayi, Mrs Vickie Djevwudu (Chairperson), Mrs Bisola 

Olagunju (secretary) and Mrs Funke Lawson. 

EXCURSION: Mr Bonny Asieba of Graphics Department (left) interacting 

with students of Caro Favoured College, Awodi-Ora, Apapa, Lagos, 

during excursion to Vanguard Newspapers, in Lagos. 

SANITISATION: From left, General Manager, Security, Nigerian Ports 

Authority, NPA, Mohammed Khalil and Port Manager, Tin-Can Island Port, 

Emmanuel Akporherhe, at an operation to clear the port environment of 

squatters and sanitisation of the area.


Rohr 

Rohr: Eagles mentally ready for 

Croatia 

TECHNICAL Advis 

er Gernot Rohr declared 

yesterday that 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles 

are “physically and mentally 

ready” for their first 

match of the 2018 FIFA 

World Cup finals coming 

up tomorrow against 

Croatia. 

“We are looking forward 

to the match with 

a lot of optimism. It will 

be a tough one, but we 

are physically and mentally 

ready. We had 

quality preparatory 

matches and trained 

twice at our final camp 

in Austria, and since arriving 

in Essentuki, we 

have done some useful 

tactical preparation. 

“It is important to start 

well in a good tournament 

like this, and that 

is what we hope to do on 

Saturday,” Rohr told reporters 

yesterday. 

“This group is probably 

the toughest in the 

tournament; everyone is 

calling it the ‘group of 

death’. That is the motivation. 

We have given 

ourselves the target of 

coming out of this group 

just like we did in the 

African qualifying group 

that everyone gave the 

same tag. 

“As our coach has said, 

we worked hard at both 

the camp in Austria and 

since we got to the team 

base camp in Essentuki. 

Our Football Federation 

also did well to get us to 

prepare in very good 

places devoid of distraction 

and now, it is our 

responsibility to do the 

nation proud by starting 

well against Croatia.” 

Mr. Mohammed Ndagi (l) of Federal Inland Revenue 

Service (FIRS) presents the VAT Wonder Goal of the 

Week award to Usman Bashir of Niger Tornadoes 

Salah fit 

to face 

Uruguay 

EGYPT coach Hector 

Cuper says he is 

“very optimistic” that Mohamed 

Salah will play in 

his team’s World Cup 

opener against Uruguay. 

Cuper announced the 

development during a 

news conference in advance 

of today’s game. 

Salah had been questionable 

since suffering a left 

shoulder injury during a 

collision with Real 

Madrid’s Sergio Ramos 

during the Champions 

League final last month in 

Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Salah almost singlehandedly 

led Egypt to its 

spot in the 32-team World 

Cup field. He scored five 

goals in six games in the 

first round of the qualifiers, 

including a late penalty 

that earned the seven-time 

African champions their 

first World Cup berth since 

1990. 

Eagles, Croatia battle for life in group of death 

Moses 

Ambode, Fashola, Dalung in 

Russia for Eagles 

GOVERNOR of La 

gos State, Akinwunmi 

Ambode, as well as the 

Minister of Works, Power 

and Steel, Babatunde Raji 

Fashola and the Youth and 

Sports Minister,, Solomon 

Dalung are in the Federal 

Government delegation 

that will arrive in Russia 

today to lead the support 

for the Super Eagles in Saturday’s 

clash with Croatia 

Ȯfficials confirmed that 

the dignitaries would depart 

Nigeria on Friday 

morning. 

Modric 

Also in the delegation are President of the 

Nigeria Olympic Committee and Nigeria’s 

IOC Member, Enginner Habu Ahmed Gumel, 

as well as a number of other highly –placed 

officials and directors in the Sports Ministry. 

They will be received on arrival by Nigeria’s 

Ambassador to the Russian Federation, 

His Excellency Professor Steve Davies Ugbah; 

President of the Nigeria Football Federation,, 

Amaju Melvin Pinnick; NFF Vice Presidents 

Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko; 

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi 

and the Consul-General in the Nigerian 

Embassy, Nura Bello Dankadai. 

The Eagles will not lack support in the other 

side of the stands at the Kaliningrad Stadium, 

with members of the respected Nigeria 

Football Supporters Club also on ground. 

Aiteo sponsor theme 

song for Nigeria’s 

World Cup campaign 

AITEO Group, the 

Official Optimum 

Partner of the Nigeria 

Football Federation 

(NFF have premiered to 

industry applause, an official 

theme song to 

mentally boost the Super 

Eagles of Nigeria to go 

for glory at the Russia 

2018 World Cup. This is 

also as they pledged to 

donate $50,000 to the 

team ‘for every unreturned 

goal’ scored at 

the Mundial. 

The rousing theme 

song titled, ‘Dem Go 

Hear Am, meaning “Go 

Show Them” was put together 

by Nigeria’s Hip- 

Hop/Afrobeat luminaries; 

Olamide and Phyno. 

The single, has been 

well received by Nigeria’s 

teeming football 

and music fans, and is 

currently enjoying massive 

airplay with over 

1,000,000 downloads recorded 

across assorted 

media channels. The hit 

track had also garnered 

7.5 million social media 

impressions barely 24 

hours after release. 

According to Benedict 

Peters, the Executive 

Vice Chairman of Aiteo 

Global Group, the 

Group’s sponsorship of 

the theme song is yet 

another demonstration 

of its commitment to promoting 

football in Nigeria 

as a means of uniting 

the people. 

“Football is a phenomenon 

in Nigeria. You can 

see and feel its power on 

every street. It galvanises 

unity amongst our 

people, irrespective of 

ethnic or class differences. 

As the World Cup 

kicks off, we solidly 

throw our weight behind 

our national team and its 

ever-effervescent supporters 

spread across the 

globe,” he said. 

Also speaking at the 

launch of the theme 

song, President of Nigeria’s 

Football Federation, 

Amaju Pinnick, extolled 

Aiteo for its unflinching 

support for football development 

in Nigeria. 

DARK horse Croatia take on 

s p i r 

ited Nigeria in a World Cup 

opener tomorrow that could leave one 

side fighting for their tournament 

lives in the Group of Death. 

At every World Cup a group is 

stamped with the ominous ‘Death’ label 

and in Russia that designation has 

fallen on Group D. 

Croatia and Nigeria, two teams who 

fully expect to reach the knockout 

round, are joined by Argentina, led 

by five-times world player of the year 

Lionel Messi, and surprise package 

Iceland, looking to match their march 

into the quarter-finals at Euro 2016. 

Nigeria will try to put a run of indifferent 

form and controversy behind 

them when they step onto the pitch 

at the Kaliningrad Stadium. 

The Super Eagles come into their 

tournament opener having failed to 

win in their last four international 

friendlies and dogged by scandal 

with coach Gernot Rohr accusing 

some reporters of unethical behaviour 

and coming up with lies in the buildup 

to the World Cup. 

Nigeria are the lowest-ranked team 

in the group at 48 but have displayed 

the ability to punch above their weight 

as they did at the 2014 World Cup in 

Brazil when they reached the round 

of 16. 

“I love this group because we know 

how to rise to the occasion together,” 

said Rohr, on the Nigerian Football 

Federation website. “Nigeria will be 

ready for Croatia.” 

In contrast, Croatia, a team stacked 

with quality, have often failed to live 

up to expectations.

Vanguard, FRIEAY, JUNE 15, 2018 — 47 

Croatia v Nigeria 

Tomorrow 8pm 

Mikel vows to lead by example 

CAPTAIN John Obi 

Mikel has assured 

that he is ready to lead 

Nigeria well at the 2018 

FIFA World Cup finals. 

Nigeria open their campaign 

tomorrow against 

Croatia, with Mikel set to 

feature in his second 

FIFA World Cup here in 

Russia, starting with a testy 

clash with Croatia tomorrow. 

Looking calm, collected 

and sure –footed as the 

three –time African champions 

trained in Essentuki 

on Wednesday, the 

former Chelsea midfielder 

conjured the image of 

someone very ready to 

rally his troops for the big 

one. 

“It is the FIFA World 

Cup, the biggest stage. 

We are here to prove ourselves. 

The attitude that 

saw us through a tough 

African qualifying group 

is still there, and looking 

at the boys, I have confidence 

that we will achieve 

our first objective of getting 

through the group 

stage. 

“It is going to be about 

focus, about ambition and 

about perseverance. The 

confidence is there to go 

out and fulfil our pledge 

to the country. 

“Everyone in this team 

is ambitious. The World 

Cup means a lot to everyone, 

and this is where to 

prove how good you are. 

No one wants to miss this 

opportunity. It is going to 

be a tough World Cup finals, 

from the efforts and 

visible ambition of the 

various teams, and that 

includes Nigeria. We will 

give it our best shot’’, 

added Mikel. 

Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia 

Russia off to flying start 

in World Cup opener 

Cheryshev scored his side’s fourth of the game 

with a truly stunning strike worthy of winning any 

match at this tournament 

Rohr courts Russian 

support for Eagles 

SUPER 

Eagles 

coach, Gernot Rohr 

has urged Russians to 

support John Obi Mikel 

who is married to a 

Russian model. 

Rohr stated this 

during his interaction 

with the media at the 

team’s base in 

Essentuki. 

“We arrived here late 

in the night because of 

the delay we had and 

some of our luggage is 

still not here. We got 

here around 1am and 

people still came out to 

welcome us. 

“We have some of our 

players who have 

Mikel Obi 

special relationship 

with Russia. Idowu who 

is Russian and 

Nigerian born and 

Musa who plays for 

CSKA Moscow. Of 

course there is also 

Mikel who is married to 

a Russian. We hope this 

will help us get the 

sympathy of the 

Russian public. 

“We won’t have the 

possibility of our fans 

back home coming out 

to support us as the 

distance is very far but 

we hope the fans can 

give us their support 

because of these 

players. 

“Croatia is not far from 

here and we expect 

their fans to come out 

in large numbers to 

support their team.” 

Ekong, Uzoho and Iwobi 

HOST 

nation 

Russia have got 

their World Cup 

campaign off to a dream 

start courtesy of a 5-0 win 

over Saudi Arabia at the 

Luzhniki Stadium in 

Moscow yesterday. 

An expectant crowd were 

treated to a vastly-improved 

performance compared to 

their form in the buildup to 

the tournament, which 

resulted in Russia going into 

the opening match without 

a win in seven and as the 

lowest-ranked team in the 

competition. 

Yury Gazinskiy gave a 

sign of things to come when 

he opened the scoring after 

12 minutes, but it was 

Stanislav Cherchesov’s 

substitutions who made the 

biggest difference, with 

Denis Cheryshev scoring 

twice and Artem Dzyuba 

also coming off the bench 

to score one and create 

another. 

Perisic: We will clip 

Eagles wings 

CROATIA’s Inter 

Milan winger 

Ivan Periši has presented 

his thoughts ahead of 

their World Cup opener 

against the Super Eagles. 

‘’The victory would 

give us confidence and 

it would be easier for us 

to continue the competition,’’ 

Periši said at a 

press conference. 

‘’We respect Nigeria, 

who regularly qualifies 

for big competitions, but 

it’s all up to us and so 

we will set up on the 

ground.’’ 

AC Milan striker Nikola 

Kalini added : ‘’We 

must show respect, they 

certainly have good offensive 

players, they 

have shown themselves 

against England and 

will undoubtedly be difficult, 

but we need to 

see where our biggest 

chance to win is’’. 

Rashford misses 

England training 

Rashford 

ENGLAND striker 

Marcus Rashford 

has missed another 

training session in the 

buildup to his side’s 

World Cup opener 

against Tunisia on 

Monday. 

Rashford picked up a 

knock before the team 

flew out to Russia and 

was subsequently kept 

out of Gareth 

Southgate’s first session 

in the country 

yesterday. 

The Manchester 

United man has played 

down concerns over the 

knee injury, but he was 

once again absent for 

England’s second day of 

training and instead will 

conduct separate 

preparatory work at the 

team hotel. 

2026 World Cup 

Why Morocco lost, by 

Amokachi 

Nigerian legend Daniel Amokachi believes 

failure to secure a united African vote was the 

reason why Morocco’s bid to host 2026 World 

Cup failed. 

Morocco lost out to a joint bid fronted by the 

United States of America, Canada, and 

Mexico. 

Of the 211 FIFA member nations, 200 cast a 

vote at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow 

last Wednesday, with the winners needing a 

majority of 104. Eleven African countries 

among them South Africa, failed to vote for 

the Morocco bid. “We were very hopeful but, 

at the end of the day, if you lose a certain 

number of votes from your own continent, and 

from some of our Arab brothers, who flipped 

coins, then you have no chance,” said Morocco 

bid ambassador Amokachi.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Bivalve mollusc (6) 

4 Roar like a bull (6) 

8 Balm, ointment (5) 

9 Certificate of attainment 

(7) 

10 Woodwind players (7) 

11 Beginning (5) 

12 Sky (9) 

17 Defamation (5) 

19 Of current interest (7) 

21 Maim, disable (7) 

22 Attach (5) 

23 Passed through a 

sieve (6) 

24 Thwarted (6) 

DOWN 

1 Established way of 

behaving (6) 

2 Cancel (4,3) 

3 Vegetables associated with 

Wales (5) 

5 Blow up (7) 

6 Weaving frames (5) 

7 Riches (6) 

9 Take to pieces (9) 

13 Fall ill again (7) 

14 Diplomatic (7) 

15 Casual trousers (6) 

16 Bent (6) 

18 Instructions given for a task (5) 

20 Greek philosopher (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. 

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15062018 - RETURN TO PDP: Saraki, Kwankwaso, Goje, Tambuwal run into storm

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