03082018 - Impeachment threats shadow plans to reconvene NASS

Saraki becomes National Leader 

of PDP, thanks party for 

accepting returnees 

3 

DEFECTIONS: God'll continue to fish 

We've 22 

states, 53 

senators, no 

more defections 

from APC 

4 

out bad eggs among us — BUHARI 3 —OKOROCHA 

There's 

cheapening 

of lives under 

Buhari's govt 

— SOYINKA 3 

** 

VOL. 26: NO. 63607 FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 

Impeachment threats shadow 

plans to reconvene NASS 

•There are issues pending for NASS to reconvene—APC LAWMAKERS 

•There's nothing urgent to warrant reconvening —PDP LAWMAKERS 

•APC should be careful not to truncate democracy — PDP 

•Saraki hasn't violated any law by defecting — AHMED RAJI, SAN 

Death 

PDP HOSTS DEFECTORS FROM APC 

penalty 

unacceptable, 

Catholic 

Church 

declares 

GRIDLOCK: 

Apapa 

corridor of 

Lagos- 

Ibadan rail 

project 

begins next 

week —FG 

46 

10 

Imo: 

Madumere, 

ex-dep 

gov's 

15 

security 

personnel 

withdrawn 

COLUMNISTS: OWEI 30 AZU 36 DONU 17 GWANGWAZO 30 SOLUDO 44 

ABOVE: From left: Gov. Udom 

Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Gov 

Ortom of Benue, Gov. Aminu 

Tambuwal of Sokoto, Senate 

President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, PDP 

Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus 

and other party stalwarts as the 

PDP welcomed defecting members 

of the APC to its 81st National 

Executive Council meeting at its 

Wadata Plaza headquarters in 

Abuja, yesterday. 

LEFT: Secondus and Saraki 

acknowledging cheers from party 

supporters before the meeting. 

Photos: Abayomi Adeshida. 

SEE 

INSIDE 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, Henry Umoru 

& Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA—The ruling 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and the 

opposition Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

buoyed by the influx of 

bigwig politicians into its 

ranks, this week, were at 

each others’ throats last 

night, over fears that 

moves were afoot to 

impeach the current 

leadership of the National 

Assembly. 

While APC lawmakers 

cited outstanding 

legislative proposals, their 

PDP counterparts alleged 

ulterior motives in the 

agitation, even as some of 

them chided the 

Presidency for laxity in the 

implementation of its 

Continues on Page 5 

Naira 

appreciates to 

N362.31/$ in 

I&E window 

41 

Mr & Mrs

2 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018—3 

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

BOOK PRESENTATION: From left, Managing Director, Eko Distribution, Mr. Adeoye Fadeyibi; 

Chairman of the occasion/Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Prof. 

James Momoh; Author, Mr. Solomon Uwaifo; President, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. 

Fola Lasisi and Executive Director, Transcorp, Mrs. Owen Omogiafo at the public presentation of a 

book titled "Conversations in Electric Utility Engineering,” in Lagos,yesterday. 

Saraki becomes National Leader of PDP 

•Thanks party for accepting returnees 

•Attempt to impeach Saraki'll be resisted— Tambuwal 

•Saraki, Ortom, Kwankwaso, others attend PDP NEC meeting 

By Henry Umoru 

& Dirisu Yakubu 

NATIONAL Executive 

Committee, NEC, of 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

yesterday, appointed Senate 

President, Dr Bukola Saraki, 

as its National Leader.The 

appointment came on a day 

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of 

Sokoto State said any attempt 

to remove Saraki as Senate 

president would be stoutly 

resisted. 

Being the highest office 

holder in the party at the 

moment, Saraki will replace 

his deputy, Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu, who held the 

position until his defection with 

other top APC members to the 

PDP. 

His emergence as National 

Leader of the PDP is upon his 

ranking as the party’s highest 

office holder.Saraki's arrival 

was heralded by loud ovation 

as he was led into the venue 

of the meeting by PDP 

National Chairman, Prince 

Uche Secondus and other top 

leaders of the party. 

Saraki, Rabiu Kwankwaso, 

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of 

Sokoto State and Governor 

Samuel Ortom of Benue State 

were all present at the 

meeting. 

The NEC meeting was in 

celebration mood as the 

politicians exchanged banters. 

Apart from former APC chiefs, 

the meeting hosted key figures 

in the PDP, including 

governors, lawmakers and 

some of the presidential 

aspirants. 

Attempt to impeach 

Saraki will be resisted 

— Tambuwal 

Meanwhile, Governor 

Tambuwal has said PDP 

would resist any attempt to 

remove Saraki as Senate 

president.Tambuwal, who 

stated, yesterday, at the 81st 

National Executive Committee 

meeting, NEC, of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, noted 

that any recourse to his 

impeachment would be 

resisted. 

Berating the state of affairs 

of the nation underAll 

Progressives Congress 

administration, Tambuwal 

said when Nigerians trooped 

out en-masse to elect the 

current government more than 

three years ago, they expected 

a robust democracy where they 

would be free to hold contrary 

political opinions without fear 

of harassment. 

He said: “Only about three 

days ago, I did say that 

Nigerians will not accept 

prison yard democracy; a 

situation whereby people 

would be simply framed up 

on account of different 

political leanings, is 

unacceptable. 

‘’We cannot afford to allow 

our country to drift further. It's 

not about any interest, it's about 

this country. This country is on 

a cliff. We must retrieve it, we 

must position this country and 

restructure it for the benefit of 

Nigerians. 

"When they talk about crosscarpeting, 

I begin to wonder. 

When I cross-carpeted the 

other time, did they complain? 

When I hear that some people 

are trying to break into the 

chambers of the Senate to steal 

the mace and install a pseudo 

President of the Senate, I 

wonder whether they actually 

know the rules of our 

democratic engagement. It’s 

not Gestapo. We are in a 

democracy. 

''The constitution of this 

country is very clear that 

members of the Senate and 

the House of Representatives 

can choose from among 

themselves their own 

President of the Senate or 

Speaker of House of 

Representatives without 

leaning to any political party. 

“It is a question of confidence 

in members of the chambers. 

So, if senators have 

confidence in Bukola Saraki, 

they should continue to 

sustain him as President of the 

Senate. And so be it with Mr 

Speaker, Dogara (Yakubu). 

“Let them hear it very clear. 

If you try it (illegal 

impeachment), we will match 

out our forces in this country 

and jam you,because we are 

talking about democracy. We 

cannot afford to allow 

anybody, no matter how 

highly placed, to toy with the 

future of about 200 million 

people in this country." 

It's a great day for our 

country —Saraki 

On his part, Saraki 

described his first day at the 

party’s national headquarters 

since his defection as “a great 

day for our country.” 

While stressing that a day 

for long speeches would come, 

the Senate President 

expressed gladness to be back 

to the party where his journey 

to political limelight began in 

1999. 

He said: “I am happy to be 

back to the political party 

where I started my political 

career,” he said, even as he 

called on party leaders to go 

the extra mile to return the 

PDP back to power. 

“Everybody is important and 

no sacrifice will be too much 

to make in our journey to the 

Promised Land." 

Remain resolute, 

Secondus charges party 

faithful 

An elated national chairman 

of the PDP, Uche Secondus, 

while welcoming the 

returnees, including the 

lawmakers representing 

Kano Central senatorial 

district, Musa Kwankwaso, 

and Benue North-East, 

Barnabas Gemade, charged 

party faithful to remain 

resolute, adding that the 

ruling party will continue to 

assault democratic institutions 

in the country. 

Shehu Sani's suspension 

tears Kaduna APC apart 

By Ben Agande 

K ADUNA—Chairman 

of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Kaduna 

State chapter, Mr. 

Emmanuel Jakada, has 

said the suspension of the 

senator representing 

Kaduna Central, Senator 

Shehu Sani, was 

unconstitutional. 

His statement came at a 

time chairman of the party 

in Senator Sani’s ward, 

Ibrahim Togo, insisted that 

the controversial senator’s 

suspension followed due 

process, a position earlier 

affirmed by Governor Nasir 

el-Rufai of of Kaduna State. 

Togo had said: “We, the 

Tudun Wada North, Ward 

Six EXCO of APC in 

Kaduna South Local 

Government wish to affirm 

our decision on the 

indefinite suspension of 

Senator Shehu Sani.” 

However, in a telephone 

interview with journalists, 

the state chairman of the 

APC, Emmanuel Jakada, 

said the purported 

suspension of Senator Sani 

did not follow constitutional 

provision. 

He said: “Look, 

suspension does not come 

from the pages of 

newspapers. However, at 

the local government, there 

must be a committee to find 

out the allegations. There 

are a lot of constitutional 

processes to be followed 

before you can pronounce 

somebody suspended." 

There's cheapening of 

lives under Buhari’s 

govt —Soyinka 

By Monsur 

Olowopejo 

L AGOS—NOBEL 

laureate, Prof. Wole 

Soyinka, yesterday, lamented 

that the lives of Nigerians 

have been so cheapened 

under the administration of 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, and called for the 

election of new generation of 

leaders to overhaul the 

system. 

Soyinka spoke at the official 

launch of his Interventions 

VIII series, entitled: “Quis 

Custodiet Ipsos Custodes? 

(Who keeps watch over the 

watchmen?), Gani’s 

Unfinished Business,” at 

Freedom Park, Lagos. 

Soyinka said there were 

serious acts of misgovernance 

under the current 

administration, as there were 

lots of unforced errors being 

committed by Buhari. 

“There are acts of misgovernance 

under this 

administration. There are 

unforced errors and acts that 

are considered being stupid; 

failure to secure lives; 

languages of self-excusing, 

which were condemned in the 

past but resurfacing all over 

the place,” he said. 

He decried that the 

administration glossed over 

intolerable degrees of 

bloodshed as if in a casual 

event or happening by 

accident, adding that there 

was “also, failure to exact 

authority when and as at when 

due which led to the killings." 

‘’There is cheapening of 

lives. The value of lives in the 

last year or so on is on a level 

we haven’t witnessed in the 

country for long time," Soyinka 

said. 

The Nobel laureate said this 

was one of the reasons it had 

Defections: God'll continue 

to fish out bad eggs among 

us — Buhari 

By Suzan Edeh 

B AUCHI—President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, likened defectors 

from his party, All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, to "bad eggs," saying: 

“God will continue to fish out 

the bad eggs among us.” 

Buhari, speaking in 

Bauchi, also told supporters 

not to be perturbed by the 

recent defections in the party. 

Buhari spoke at the 

commencement of the 

campaign rally for the Bauchi 

South Senatorial District byelection 

and formal 

presentation of APC 

candidate for the August 11 

poll, Gumau Yahaya. 

According to a statement by 

his office, President Buhari 

told the rally that the APCled 

government had 

remained faithful in 

become essential that “we all 

embark on ground clearing for 

new generation of leaders and 

to make sure that in the 

process, we don’t bring back 

what we are just getting out 

from. That is one of the stupid 

acts that we could be held 

responsible by the coming 

generation.” 

Soyinka stated that between 

now and 2019, an opportunity 

still existed, as there should 

be reforms and total overturn, 

saying whatever it would take 

to secure the nation to give the 

people new sense of dignity 

and humanity, should be done. 

On Obasanjo 

He also took a swipe at 

former President Olusegun 

Obasanjo, whom he 

described as hypocrite and a 

pretender who capitalised on 

every opportunity to make 

himself relevant. 

Soyinka said: “Obasanjo 

isn’t a stupid man but reads 

the wind and move in. He is 

busy hijacking existing 

movements. And that is why 

I have warned many that have 

movement and that includes 

him, to be careful because he 

could hijack them. 

‘’He frustrated June 12 and 

often put himself forward on 

any issue. He is welcome to 

reform and as his slogan 

maybe, the redemption 

process has started.” 

Soyinka was absolutely 

displeased with Obasanjo on 

how he rubbished the late 

Chief Bola Ige over the power 

sector crisis. 

He said he was very 

involved in Bola Ige’s stint as 

the Minister of Power, 

lamenting that “after Ige died, 

Obasanjo claimed that the 

deceased never knew his left 

from his right." 

implementing its campaign 

promise of improving the 

economy, securing the 

country, and the fight against 

corruption. 

He said: “The work we are 

doing is because of God, our 

country and you. I want to 

inform you that the 

knowledge we have 

garnered over the years, we 

won’t allow you to be 

cheated." 

Endorsing the APC 

candidate for the senatorial 

by-election, the president 

who was accompanied by the 

party chairman, Adams 

Oshiomhole; Governors of 

Bauchi, Plateau, Kano and 

Imo states, and other party 

officials declared: “We have 

confidence in him and we 

trust him.” 

He, therefore, urged the 

people of Bauchi South 

Senatorial District to vote Mr 

Yahaya in the upcoming 

election.

4—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 


FACILITY TOUR: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (middle); 

Special Assistant 1 to the President on Information and Culture, Mr. Segun Adeyemi (left) 

and Secretary, Transport Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mr. 

Kayode Opeifa, during a facility tour of the Abuja Light Rail Project by the minister, 

yesterday. 

We've 22 states, 53 senators, no 

more defection from APC — Okorocha 

•It'll soon be clear who controls Sokoto —Wamakko 

CHAIRMAN of All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, Governors’ 

Forum, Rochas Okorocha, 

has said no governor will 

defect from the party again. 

This came as former 

governor of Sokoto State, 

Senator Aliyu Wamakko, 

said in a few days, it would 

be clear who was in control 

of the state, in apparent 

response to the defection of 

his successor, Aminu 

Tambuwal, to Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, on 

Wednesday. 

Okorocha, who gave the 

assurance at the end of a 

closed-door meeting 

between President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

APC governors at the 

Presidential Villa, Abuja, 

Wednesday night, told State 

House correspondents that 

the meeting deliberated on 

the defections of two of their 

colleagues. 

“Two of our colleagues left 

our party, this is politics. It is 

unfortunate that they have to 

go. We have 22 states, 53 

senators now. Nobody is 

leaving the party anymore. 

Those who have left, we 

were aware that they will 

leave long ago. 

“President Buhari means 

well and he is willing to fight 

corruption and you all know 

if you are fighting 

corruption, it will fight back. 

This is what’s happening,’’ 

the governor said. 

National Chairman of 

APC, Adams Oshiohmole, 

who also spoke on the 

outcome of the meeting, said 

the governors were on a 

solidarity visit to President 

Buhari. 

The governors who 

attended the meeting 

included Abubakar Badaru 

of Jigawa, Akinwunmi 

Ambode of Lagos; Yahaya 

Bello of Kogi; Jubril Bindow 

of Adamawa, Kashim 

Shettima of Borno, Atiku 

Bagudu of Kebbi and Abiola 

Ajimobi of Oyo. 

Also at the meeting were 

Governors Ibikunle Amosun 

of Ogun, Simon Lalong of 

Plateau, Abdullahi Ganduje 

of Kano and Sani Bello of 

Niger. 

Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna, 

Tanko Almakura of 

Nasarawa, Godwin Obaseki 

of Edo and Osun deputy 

governor, Grace Laoye- 

Tomori, were also in 

attendance. 

Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, 

who is the current chairman 

of the Governors’ Forum, as 

well as governors of Bauchi 

and Yobe states were absent 

at the meeting. 

It'll soon be clear 

who is in control of 

Sokoto—Wamakko 

Meanwhile, former 

governor of Sokoto State, 

Senator Aliyu Wamakko, has 

said in a few days, it would 

be clear who was in control 

of the state. 

Wamakko, who now 

represents Sokoto North 

senatorial district, said in a 

few days time, it will be clear 

which party was really in 

control of the state. 

Insecurity: We need more equipment 

to tackle security challenges —Dan-Ali 

•Dambazzau tasks security agencies on intelligence 

gathering 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA—MINISTER of 

Defence, Mansur Dan- 

Ali, has told President 

Muhammadu Buhari that 

the military needs more 

equipment to tackle security 

challenges in the country. 

This is even as Minister of 

Interior, Abdulrahman 

Dambazzau, yesterday, 

tasked security agencies on 

intelligence gathering, listing 

poor welfare, inadequate 

logistics and indiscipline as 

factors responsible for the 

inability of security men to 

contain the killings across the 

country. 

The minister also assured 

the President that the military, 

through Operation Delta 

Safe, would continue to 

sustain its operations against 

illegal activities in Niger 

Delta with resultant reduction 

in illegal oil bunkering, 

militancy and pipeline 

vandalism. 

This was contained in a brief 

the minister presented to 

National Security Council on 

security situation in the 

country at the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja, yesterday. 

The meeting was presided 

over by President Buhari 

before he travelled to Bauchi 

State for a senatorial byelection. 

Present at the security 

meeting with the President 

were Chief of Defence Staff, 

Lt-Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin; 

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. 

Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval 

Staff, Admiral Ibok-Eta Ibas; 

Chief of Air Staff, Sadiq 

Abubakar; Inspector-General 

of Police, Ibrahim Idris; 

National Security Adviser, 

Babagana Mongonu; 

Director-General of National 

Intelligence Agency, 

NIA;Chief of Defence 

Intelligence and Chief of 

Staff to the President, Abba 

Kyari 

Dan-Ali in the brief he 

presented at the meeting, 

which was signed by the 

Public Relations Officer, 

Ministry of Defence, Colonel 

Tukur Gusau, said: “In view 

of the engagement of troops 

in various internal security 

operations across the country, 

the honourable minister 

requested for provision of 

more equipment for the 

Armed Forces to sustain the 

tempo in the fight against 

insurgency and other security 

challenges across the 

country." 

Dambazzau tasks 

security agencies 

on intelligence 

gathering 

Meanwhile, Minister of 

Interior, Abdulrahman 

Dambazzau, yesterday, 

tasked security agencies 

on intelligence gathering 

to stem the tide of killings 

across Nigeria. 

In a keynote address delivered 

at an emergency 

internal security summit 

in Abuja, Dambazau said: 

“There are indications that 

some of these threats are 

politically motivated from 

within the country; some 

are induced from the outside 

of the country by 

those who are not comfortable 

with Nigeria’s 

potentials; while others 

are as a result of outright 

criminal acts or violent 

extremism or both. 

‘’Whatever the source of 

these threats, security 

agencies must articulate 

their plans to contain, control 

and prevent them. 

These threats not only undermine 

democracy, but 

also slow down our development 

and growth, 

thereby impacting on the 

peace, security and stability 

of our dear nation.” 

Saraki, Tambuwal, others' 

defection unconstitutional 

—Falana 

By Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

HUMAN 

rights 

lawyer, Femi Falana, 

SAN, has faulted the 

defection of Senate 

President, Dr Bukola 

Saraki; Governor Aminu 

Tambuwal of Sokoto State, 

his Kwara State 

counterpart, Abdulfatah 

Ahmed, from All 


APC, to Peoples 


saying, it was 

unconstitutional. 

This is even as foremost 

constitutional lawyer and 

human rights activist, 

Chief Mike Ozekhome 

(SAN), condemned call by 

National Chairman of 

APC, Adams Oshiomole, 

that Senate President, 

Saraki, should resign as 

President of the Senate, 

after defecting from the 

APC to the PDP. 

Falana’s position came 

barely 24 hours after 

Tambuwal and 48 hours 

after Saraki, Ahmed and 23 

lawmakers in the state 

defected from APC to PDP 

Falana, who faulted their 

action on the sideline 

during unveiling of Nobel 

laureate, Prof. Wole 

Soyinka’s new book, 

entitled ‘Who keeps watch 

over 

the 

Offa bank robbery: Gov 

Ahmed’s aide, Alabi, gets 

interim bail 

By Demola 

Akinyemi 

ILORIN—JUSTICE I. 

A. Yusuf of Kwara State 

High Court in Ilorin, 

yesterday, granted an 

interim bail of N20 

million to Olalekan Alabi, 

Personal Assistant on 

Political Matters to 

Governor Abdulfatah 

Ahmed. 

Alabi had been in police 

custody in Abuja since 

May 30, 2018, following 

his arrest over alleged link 

with Offa banks armed 

robbery suspects. 

The judge granted the 

bail after carefully 

considering the oral 

application for bail made 

by Alabi’s counsel, Mr 

Adebayo Adelodun, 

SAN, and the response of 

Adekunle Iwalaye, who is 

the counsel to the 

respondent, Inspector 

General of Police, Idris 

Ibrahim. 

Adelodun had on July 

27, 2018 moved an exparte 

motion, praying for 

the release of his client 

from police custody. 

But the presiding judge 

watchman,’stressed that 

as stipulated in the 1999 

constitution, there was no 

crisis in the APC to warrant 

their defection from the 

party to PDP. 

He said: “1979 and 1999 

constitutions have 

prohibited cross-carpeting 

on the ground that you are 

cheating or shortchanging 

the electorate. And that was 

stated under section 68 1 

(G) of the constitution. 

“The only provision is 

that if your political party is 

in trouble and is 

fractionalized, major 

division, you can cross over, 

but not a division instigated 

for the purpose of exiting, 

no. 

“So if you are elected on 

the platform of party A you 

don’t want that party again, 

you must go and seek fresh 

mandate on the platform of 

your new party. 

Meanwhile, Chief Mike 

Ozekhome (SAN), has 

condemned call by 

Oshiomhole for Saraki to 

resign as President of the 

Senate. 

Ozekhome in a statement 

made available to 

newsmen yesterday, said: 

“In law, there is no legal or 

constitutional basis for Dr 

Bukola Saraki to resign or 

be removed as President of 

the Senate and Chairman 

of National Assembly for 

defecting from the APC to 

PDP.” 

failed to give any ruling, 

and ordered the 

respondent to appear in 

court today to show cause 

why the prayer sought in 

the application should not 

be granted. 

Consequently, counsel 

to the respondent, 

Adekunle Iwalaye, filed 

an affidavit to show cause 

why the governor’s aide 

should not be released 

from police custody, 

which 

was 

discountenanced by the 

court. 

Delivering his ruling, 

Justice Yusuf ordered that 

Olalekan Alabi be released 

on interim bail in the sum 

of N20 million with two 

reliable sureties in like sum. 

“The plaintiff in this suit 

is, hereby, granted an 

interim bail by this 

honourable court to the sum 

of N20million,” he ruled. 

He also ruled that the 

sureties must be civil 

servants with Kwara State 

government and must not 

be below the ranks of 

directors. 

The judge, thereafter, 

adjourned the case to 

October 22, 2018, for 

hearing.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, 

AUGUST 3, 2018—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

National Assembly that day 

was unbelievable. I was 

shocked by the way he 

acted. 

“The Senate is not Saraki; 

he is just a member of the 

Senate. Saraki is just a 

presiding officer that 

anybody can be, so for him 

to have just shut down the 

National Assembly because 

of personal issues, is very 

unfortunate and uncalled 

for, especially when you 

have significant matters 

before the Senate,” he 

added. 

Abu Ibrahim, 

Marafa back Ndume 

PROTEST—Ughelli women shutdown East-West Road, yesterday, in Delta 

State over estimated billings by the Benin Electric Distribution Co. Plc, BEDC. 



Continues from Page 1 

legislative agenda. 

The agitation for the 

resumption of the National 

Assembly was, however, 

rebuffed by the PDP which 

warned the APC not to 

truncate the nation’s 

democracy with the 

enthronement of its 

kangaroo-style siege to 

state legislative houses at 

the federal level. 

Outstanding issues 

Among outstanding 

issues cited by the Senior 

Special Assistant to the 

President (Senate), Ita 

Enang, last week, were 

2018 virement proposals 

including proposals for 

elections, approval of 

borrowings to fund the 2018 

Appropriation and 

approval of the 2018 

budgets of 64 governmentowned 

corporations. There 

are also outstanding 

appointments laid by Mr. 

President along with the 

2018 budget, including a 

request for approval of 

appointments which will 

ensure the fulfilment of the 

purposes meant. 

The two chambers of the 

National Assembly shut 

down penultimate Tuesday, 

following the siege to the 

homes of the two presiding 

officers of the Senate, 

Senate President Bukola 

Saraki and his deputy, 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu. 

Senator Saraki escaped 

the siege to surface in the 

chamber and presided over 

the session during which 14 

APC senators defected to 

the PDP and squashed 

alleged moves to remove 

him from office. 

Why NASS should 

reconvene —Ndume 

Speaking on a Channels 

Television programme on 

the eight-week recess, 

former Senate Leader, 

Senator Ali Ndume said: 

“What I want to do 

personally is to call on the 

Senate President, Bukola 

Saraki, to reconvene the 

Senate because we have 

critical matters of urgent 

national importance before 

the National Assembly. 

“His closure of the 

His agitation was echoed, 

yesterday, by Senators Abu 

Ibrahim and Kabiru Marafa 

who told Vanguard 

yesterday that the recess 

should be immediately 

called off. 

“First, the recess was 

done abruptly to 

everybody’s surprise, but I 

think it was done to forestall 

certain things. 

“So, obviously we must 

make every effort to find 

time, even for a day 

because it is only 

paramount and it requires 

our approval because the 

president is a very prudent 

and law-abiding president; 

if it were previous 

presidents they would not 

even fight us, and they will 

do it. Even for that, we 

should emphasize the 

interest of the nation, give 

a day and come and sit 

down and pass this and 

send it to Mr. President. 

“This is a difficult situation 

but let me use some 

connections that I have 

within the National 

Assembly and see if we can 

be able to come back. In the 

next one or two weeks, we 

would be pushing and see 

how it goes.” 

Also speaking with 

Vanguard, Chairman, 

Senate Committee on 

Petroleum Resources 

(downstream), Senator 

Kabiru Marafa, APC, 

Zamfara Central said: “I 

am absolutely in support 

that we should reconvene 

as there are pressing 

national issues as 

enumerated by the 

leadership especially as the 

majority in the Senate and 

that is why we are elected. 

“There is nothing bad 

about us coming back; 

attend to the issues and go 

back. I agree that we are 

on a lawful break which we 

are entitled to, but the law 

did not say that we cannot 

resume and attend to 

issues of national 

importance and we go back 

to continue with the break. 

“The Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC has to 

conduct the elections. It is 

only natural we reconvene 

and address the issues and 

go back for a holiday.” 

PDP senators insist 

on recess 

The calls were, however, 

dismissed by PDP senators. 

Senator Matthew 

Urhoghide (PDP, Edo 

South) said: “Is it today that 

they knew INEC would 

need money to conduct the 

election? The executive 

knew that the National 

Assembly would go on its 

annual recess like the 

judiciary, why is the 

executive blaming the 

legislature now? Why did 

they not bring the INEC 

budget two or three months 

ago? Why now when they 

knew that we would go on 

break? Instead of doing 

that on time, they were 

pursuing their selfish 

agenda of changing the 

leadership of the Senate.” 

Senator Samuel 

Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East) 

said: “We are on recess, and 

it is allowed. After a long 

journey or battle, you go on 

recess. I thought they said 

the senators don’t do 

anything; they don’t work, 

they just go there and eat 

money. Now we have to 

rest, and most of us are out 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun 

Sessou & Abasifiok Johnson, 

Opara Victoria 

Police, Civil Defence demand N317m to feed dogs, horses (4) 

I 

expect a 

free, fair and credible 

election in which the rights 

of citizens to exercise their 

franchise is guaranteed in an 

atmosphere devoid of fear. 

Security involves a lot of 

things and if what the 

apparatus needed to provide 

that security involves feeding 

of dogs and horses to carry 

out that function effectively 

and efficiently, so be it. 

What I would be worried 

about is if the money is not 

used for what it was budgeted 

for . 

Mr. Nelson Ekujumi 

A c t i v i s t 

This 

current 

government is 

claiming to fight 

corruption yet, 

corruption is increasing 

right under its nose and 

nothing is being done to 

curtail it. 

This change is not 

coming any time soon. 

So much money and 

resources in this country 

yet, we are languishing 

in poverty. 

The system encourages 

corruption and waste. 

That is the reason for 

such a request. 

Miss Deborah 

Omojuwa 

Student 

Nothing surprises me 

in this country anymore. 

This is a ridiculous 

excuse to embezzle 

money. First, it was a 

snake, then a monkey, 

now it's dogs and horses. 

For how long would this 

go on? 

We keep going 

backwards. The number 

of Nigerians in extreme 

poverty increases by six 

people every minute yet, 

we have this amount to 

waste on animals. 

M i s s U z o z i e 

Mavisclara, 

Student 

The money isn’t much 

given the type of dogs 

they need to take care 

of 

Ḣowever, the best solution 

is to get a farm, 

grow their feeds and 

good police veterinary 

doctors that are capable 

of handling their health 

with 30 percent of the 

money. 

The remaining money 

should be used for the 

creation of employment 

opportunities for unemployed 

Nigerians. 

Mr. Ladipo Ayodeji, 

Entrepreneur 

Despite the fact that 

the Nigerian economy is 

growing, the proportion 

of Nigerians living in 

poverty is increasing every 

year. Absolute poverty 

is measured by the 

number of people who 

can afford only shelter, 

food, and clothing. Why 

would the security operatives 

need N317m to 

feed dogs, horses? It is 

unacceptable. The percentage 

of Nigerians living 

in poverty has risen 

to nearly 61 percent. 

Miss Olobia Endurance, 

Medical biochemist 

Why proposing that 

kind of money because of 

an election? We may decide 

not to have a President 

for a while and see 

how things work. After 

the experiment, we can 

decide if we still want a 

President. The government 

should use the 

money to fix our lights, 

roads, and schools instead 

of wasting it. If they 

succeed in doing that, 

Nigerians will see the 

impact. And people will 

praise them instead of 

the condemnations they 

are getting now. 

Mr. Yusuf oluwatobiloba, 

Student

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUTS 3, 2018 

Abebe, 

Obasanjo’s 

in-law, 

granted bail 

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

By Abdulwahab 

Abdulah & Jane 

Echewedo 

JUSTICE Mojisola Dada of 

an Ikeja Special Offences 

Court, yesterday, granted 

John Abebe, the younger 

brother of late Stella Obasanjo, 

bail over alleged four million 

dollars oil-related forgery and 

fraud. 

Mr. Abebe is facing a fourcount 

charge of forgery, 

fabricating evidence, using 

fabricated evidence and 

attempt to pervert the cause of 

justice slammed on him by the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC. 

He, however, denied the 

charges during his 

arraignment on July 26 and 

was remanded for a week at 

the Ikoyi Prisons by Justice 

Dada. 

When his bail application 

was heard yesterday, Mr. Kanu 

Agabi(SAN), who represented 

Abebe, asked the court to grant 

him bail, based on his high 

status in the society. 

Agabi said: “He is anxious 

because his reputation is at 

stake. The granting of bail is 

in your discretion and it is not 

at all a formality. 

“Lastly, there is a principle 

that applies during 

sentencing, particularly when 

you want to apply a fine in 

terms of imprisonment. 

“This applies to bail; the bail 

should be affordable. If not the 

bail would be an illusion. He 

is a man of rank and position. 

“Our law permits bail to the 

defendant and that provision 

will be useless if he cannot 

avail himself of the bail.” 

Responding, Babatunde 

Sonoiki, EFCC counsel, in an 

application supported by an 

eight-paragraph affidavit, said 

Mr. Abebe should face justice 

irrespective of his status. 

He told the court: “Every 

citizen of Nigeria is being 

called before the law and 

before the law there is no high 

profile or low profile person, 

justice is blind. 

“If the court is minded to give 

bail, we want the bail to be such 

that it would compel his 

attendance in court as these 

are serious allegations against 

him.” 

Justice Dada granted him 

bail upon the condition that he 

must have submitted his 

international passport to the 

court registrar with one 

substantial surety. 

“The surety must own 

property in a choice area of 

Lagos and must provide proof 

of ownership,” she said. 

Justice Dada adjourned the 

case until October 23, October 

24 and October 25 for trial. 

EL-ZAKZAKY: Police on the road to Kaduna State High Court 4, during the trial of leader of Islamic Movement 

in Nigeria, IMN, Sheikh Ibrahim Yaqub El-Zakzaky, in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi. 

Mother of 5 arrested over death of lover 

By Evelyn Usman 

A48-year-old mother of five, 

Mrs Ebere Dike, has been 

arrested in connection with the 

death of one of her lovers, Mr. 

Otti-Oriekpa Mike, at her 

apartment in Morogbo area of 

Ikorodu, Lagos. 

Tragedy, struck after the 

deceased, a businessman, 

stumbled on the woman with 

another man, identified simply as 

Samuel, in the apartment he 

rented for her. 

An argument between Mike 

and his woman friend ensued, 

during which he was said to 

have angrily left the apartment. 

Confusion , however set in 

moment later, following the 

discovery of his lifeless body by 

the side of his vehicle which was 

parked down stairs. 

Policemen at Morogbo who 

were contacted , subsequently 

arrested the mother of five, from 

where she was transferred to 

the Homicide section of the 

State Criminal Investigation 

and Intelligence Bureau, 

SCIID, Yaba. 

A relative of the deceased, 

who gave his name simply as 

Imokwe, said: “My late brother 

was not leaving with her. They 

only had a baby girl together 

aside the five children she had 

for her former husband. 

“On that fateful day, he visited 

her without prior notice, only 

to find another man with her.” 

Suspect's story 

However, during 

interrogation, the suspect 

denied being engaged in 

physical combat with the 

deceased. Rather, she 

explained that he slumped 

while arguing with his rival. 

According to her “ he 

accused me of cheating on 

him when he saw Samuel, my 

business partner, with me. He 

became angry and left the 

house. When he got down 

stairs, he ignited his vehicle but 

it did not start. 

“Samuel also became angry 

with me and left the room. On 

getting downstairs, he met Mike 

still battling to fix the car. They 

started quarreling and in the 

process, Mike slumped on the 

spot. Nobody fought with him.” 

Vanguard gathered that in 

her earlier statement at 

Morogbo division, she did not 

mention Samuel’s name, until 

she got to SCIID. As at time of 

writing this report, Samuel’s 

whereabouts was unknown. 

His phone was switched off. 

To further complicate the 

issue, the suspect claimed 

she did not know where 

Samuel lives. 

Also, autopsy report 

revealed that the suspect 

was hypertensive and had 

cardiac arrest as at the time he 

died. There were also no marks 

of violence on the body. 

As at Wednesday, the case had 

been sent to the Directorate of 

Public Prosecutions for advice. 

Store keeper stabs boss dead 

over one-year unpaid salary 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—A 42-year-old 

assistant store keeper with 

the Ondo Multipurpose 

Cooperative Union, Ondo town, 

Ondo State, Adewale 

Adegoroye, yesterday, explained 

why he stabbed his boss, 60-yearold 

Akin Akinmulero to death 

over N700,000. 

Adewale, who was paraded by 

the state police command in 

Akure, alleged that he had not 

been paid salary for almost a 

year. 

The suspect told newsmen that 

the deceased was his benefactor, 

having invited him to join the 

company after he was jobless for 

years. 

He said both of them had 

worked in a cocoa company in 

Ondo town, which later folded 

up. 

According to Adegoroye, he 

had been complaining of hunger 

and maltreatment for a long time, 

but the deceased had turned 

deaf ears to his complaints. 

However, he said he decided 

to confront his manager on the 

ill-fated day, when he came with 

a large sum of money to the 

office. 

His words: “I confronted my 

boss, telling him I have not been 

treated well since I joined the 

THE World Health 

Organisation, WHO, has 

warned that 10 million deaths 

might be recorded per year 

globally from Antimicrobial 

Resistance, AMR, effective from 

2050, if not checked. 

The WHO Country 

Representative, Dr 

Wondimagegnehu Alemu gave 

the warning yesterday in a paper 

he presented at the second 

National Summit in Abuja, which 

•He robbed victim of N700,000 

company. I even told him that 

I have not eaten that day and 

that something should be 

done to my case. 

“He asked me to excuse him 

that he was busy and when I 

refused to leave the office, we 

started arguing and he 

slapped me in the process. 

“He later took a knife and 

we started struggling for it. I 

collected it from him and 

stabbed him. 

“It was not with the intention 

to kill him. All I wanted to do 

was to register my complaint, 

but when he brought out a 

knife I wanted to collect it from 

him, but later stabbed him. 

“I was later told he had 

died. I am very sorry. I never 

wanted to kill him. It is the 

devil that pushed me.” 

The suspect confessed that 

he took the money which he 

alleged was N200,000 and 

fled the scene after the victim 

fell on the ground. 

Police angle 

Police source, however, 

hinted that the suspect trailed 

the deceased to the office 

and used the back door to 

gain access to the office. 

He reportedly entered into 

has as its theme Antimicrobial 

Resistance; A Global Health 

Challenge in the Fight for 

Sustainable Health System. 

AMR occurs when microorganism 

such as bacteria, 

viruses, fungi and parasites 

change in ways that render 

the medications used to cure 

the infections ineffective. 

Represented by Mr. 

Omotayo Hamza, WHO, 

Head of Health Technical and 

an argument with the manager 

after which he stabbed him and 

took away N700,000 only to be 

arrested after he jumped the 

fences of three houses close to 

the company. 

Parading the suspect, the 

imagemaker of the state police 

command, Femi Joseph, said 

one Valentine Akinbolasere of 

59 Akinboyewa Street, Oka- 

Akoko, reported that on August 

1 at 11:40a.m., one Akin 

Akinmulero, Manager Ondo 

Multipurpose Cooperative 

Union, Ondo, aged 60 years, 

was attacked by one Adewale 

Adegoroye, also a staff of the 

union, by stabbing him with 

knife snatched N700,000 from 

the victim. 

”The victim sustained injury and 

was rushed to State Specialist 

Hospital, Ondo, but gave up the 

ghost. 

“The suspect was 

apprehended by the members 

of the public and handed over 

to the Police.” 

Joseph said the suspect would 

soon be charged to court for 

murder after the completion of 

investigation. 

The offences violated Sections 

120(1), 120(2), 126(2) and 467 of 

the Criminal Code Law of 2003. 

WHO warns of 10m deaths from AMR resistance 

Innovation, Alemu said most of 

the deaths would be recorded in 

Africa and Asia. 

He said four million of this 

estimated figure would occur in 

Africa, while another four million 

would be recorded in Asia. 

He noted that the rest countries 

of the world would share the 

remaining two million deaths. 

According to him, the problem 

of this AMR is huge in Nigeria 

based on surveys conducted so far.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018—7 

By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN—A Kwara State High 

Court sitting in Ilorin, 

yesterday, granted an interim 

bail of N20 million to Olalekan 

Alabi, the Personal Assistant on 

Political Matters to Governor 

Abdulfatah Ahmed. 

Alabi has been in Police 

custody in Abuja since May 30, 

following his arrest over alleged 

link with Offa banks robbery 

suspects. 

The Trial Judge, Justice I A 

Yusuf, granted Alabi bail after 

considering the oral application 

for bail made by his counsel, Mr. 

Adebayo Adelodun(SAN) and 

the response of Adekunle 

:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews 

Offa bank robbery: Gov Ahmed’s 

aide, Alabi, gets interim bail 

THE Marine Police, 

yesterday, said its men 

rescued three persons on Pashi 

River, Badagry, Lagos State, 

when their boat capsized on 

July 29. 

DSP Uchenna Itinyi, 

Divisional Marine Officer, 

DMO, Badagry, disclosed this 

in an interview in Badagry. 

Itinyi said the men were 

coming from Cotonou, Benin 

Republic, in a boat loaded with 

different goods, when it 

capsized. 

He said the Police officers, who 

were on 24 hours water patrol 

when the incident occurred, 

immediately moved to the scene 

and rescued the passengers. 

His words: “We were able to 

save them before the boat sank. 

But unfortunately, we were 

unable to save their goods as 

everything went down. 

“I asked them to sit down for 

few minutes to see if the incident 

had affected them, so that we 

could take them to the hospital 

for treatment. 

“When I discovered that they 

were in good condition, I told 

them to write an entry and 

released them. I urged them to 

come back the following day to 

check if we would be lucky to 

find any of their goods.” 

The DMO implored 

travellers on boat to always put 

on life jackets. 

The Marine Police, 

established in 1891 in Lagos, 

Iwalaye, who is the counsel to the 

respondent, Inspector General of 

Police, Idris Ibrahim. 

Adelodun had, on July 27, 

moved an ex parte motion 

praying for the release of his 

client from Police custody. 

However, the judge failed to 

give ruling and ordered the 

respondent to appear in court 

yesterday to show cause why 

the prayer sought in the 

application should not be 

granted. 

Consequently, counsel to the 

respondent, Adekunle Iwalaye, 

filed an affidavit to show cause 

why the governor’s aide should 

not be released from Police 

custody, which was 

was then known as Night Water 

Patrol, with initial personnel of 

12 headed by a sergeant. 

It was saddled with antismuggling 

patrols, anti-piracy 

discountenanced by the court. 

Delivering his ruling, 

Justice Yusuf ordered 

Olalekan Alabi released on 

interim bail in the sum of N20 

million with two reliable 

sureties in the like sum. 

“The plaintiff in this suit is 

hereby granted an interim 

bail by this honourable court 

in the sum of N20 million,” 

the judge ruled. 

He also ruled that the 

sureties must be civil 

servants with Kwara State 

Government and must not be 

below the ranks of Directors. 

The judge thereafter, 

adjourned the case to 22 

October, 2018 for hearing. 

Police rescue 3 in Lagos boat mishap 

A 

Karmo Grade 1 Area 

Court, Abuja, yesterday, 

sentenced Ibrahim Musa to 

one month imprisonment for 

stealing 15 chickens. 

The judge, Inuwa Maiwada, 

however, gave the convict option 

of N3,000 fine and warned him 

to be of good behaviour. 

Maiwada also ordered him to 

pay N5,000 as compensation to 

the complainant, Haruna Bulya. 

The convict had admitted 

committing the offences and 

begged the court to temper 

justice with mercy. 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—THREE suspected 

vandals Kabiru Musa, 

Umaru Muhammed and 

Rayyali Ibrahim, have been 

arraigned before an Ikorodu 

Magistrate’s Court sitting at 

Agbowa, for allegedly 

damaging Ikeja Electricity Plc, 

Transformer. 

Musa, 20, Muhammed, 25, 

and Ibrahim ,23, are facing a 

three count charge of 

conspiracy, willful damage and 

theft. 

The prosecutor Inspector Isaac 

Aminu, told the court that the 

defendants conspired amongst 

themselves to commit the 

alleged offences. 

He said the trio willfully and 

unlawfully interfered with the 

Ikeja Electricity Distribution 

Company’s Electric Transformer 

by disconnecting its Step-Down 

cable and Up- Riser cable. 

Aminu said the defendants 

committed the offences on July 

21, 2018, at about 12 am, at 

Electric- co operative Estate, off 

Igbe road, at NEPA Coop Estate 

operations, enforcement of 

ports, harbour and shipping 

acts, guards, escorts duties, 

surveillance and general 

anti-crime duties. 

3 vandals docked over 

Ikeja Electric’s transformer 

Musa said he did not know 

what came over him when he 

committed the crime. 

Earlier, the prosecutor, Ijeoma 

Ukagha, told the court that Bulya 

of Utako Ultra Modern Market 

Abuja, reported the matter at the 

Utako Police Station, Abuja, on 

July 13. 

She said on the said date, the 

convict went to the 

complainant’s shop to buy 15 

chickens, which was sold to him 

at N1,250 each. 

Ukagha said after the 

complainant slaughtered and 

in Ijede Ikorodu. The 

defendants stole 24 meters of 

electric transformer 

armoured cable valued N65, 

000, property of Ikeja 

Electricity Distribution 

Company,” the prosecutor 

said. 

According to him, the 

offence committed his 

punishable under sections 

411, 340 and 280 (2) (a) of 

the criminal laws of Lagos 

state 2015. 

However the defendants 

pleaded not guilty to the 

charge. 

The Magistrate Mr A. O 

Ogbe granted the 

defendants bail in the sum 

of N50,000 each, with one 

surety each in like sum. 

He said the surety must 

show evidence of tax 

payment to the Lagos State 

government and address of 

the surety to be verified. 

Ogbe also ordered that the 

defendants should be 

remanded in Kirikiri Prisons 

and adjourned the case to 

September 20, for mention. 

Man bags one month imprisonment for stealing 15 chickens 

packed the chicken, the 

convict left with the chicken 

without paying for them. 

The prosecutor said he was 

later caught and the 

chickens recovered from him, 

and taken to the police 

station. 

“During police 

investigation, he confessed 

to committing the crime and 

begged for forgiveness,” 

Ukagha said. 

The offences contravened 

the provisions of Sections 312 

and 323of the Penal Code. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Alex, if you want her back, just say so 

Jude Okoye was once a bus conductor, 

now his customers want their change 

Our verdict: Bring back our P-Square! 

How did some mothers end up 

with children such as M.B?

8 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 — 9

10 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 

2019: Alhassan vows 

to back President 

ABUJA — THE 

Minister of Women 

Affairs and Social 

Development, Aisha 

Alhassan, who last 

September vowed not to 

support President 

Muhammadu Buhari for a 

second term has changed 

her mind and vowed to 

ensure he returns for a 

second term. 

Alhassan, in a phone 

interview with the News 

Agency of Nigeria, NAN, 

yesterday, apparently may 

have changed track as she 

denied claims that she had 

resigned her ministerial 

appointment to enable her 

contest the governorship 

election in Taraba State. 

Saying that she was 

firmly in office and backing 

the president, she said: “I 

am also helping in 

mobilising support for him 

(Buhari) and the APC for 

the 2019 election,’’ she said. 

“Contrary to insinuations 

especially in the social 

Buhari's 10 days leave not 

for Saraki's impeachment 

— PRESIDENCY 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—THE 

Presidency, 

yesterday, denied 

allegations by the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, that 


Buhari’s planned 10 days 

leave to London was a plot 

for him to leave the country 

for the impeachment of the 

Senate President, Bukola 

Saraki. 

The Presidency also 

alleged that the PDP has 

been crying wolf because 

members of the party were 

afraid of their past, thinking 

that the Buhari 

administration would 

reopen the alleged 

inglorious past 16 years rule 

of the party. 

The President, in a 

statement, by the Senior 

Special Assistant to 

President Buhari on Media 

and Publicity, Malam 

Garba Shehu, described 

President Buhari as a 

Democrat that does not 

indulge in any 

unconstitutional and illegal 

act. 

The statement which was 

entitled, 'Nigerians don’t 

believe PDP anymore' 

reads: “Claims by the 

failing PDP that President 

Muhammadu Buhari had 

taken a taken a 10-day 

leave in order to leave the 

stage for illegal and 

unconstitutional actions by 

the administration are both 

ridiculous and a hollow 

narrative to garner cheap 

sympathy. 

“That the President, 

himself a sworn democrat, 

had handed power to his 


media, I only sought for 

permission from President 

Muhammdu Buhari to 

begin consultations. 

“This is preparatory to my 

seeking nomination from 

our great party the All 

Progressive Congress 

(APC) to contest for the 

office of the governor of 

Taraba State in 2019, which 

he has graciously 

accepted,” she said. 

Mrs Alhassan added: 

“The letter in circulation in 

the social media does not 

in any way mean or 

suggest resignation. 

“The letter is straight 

forward and unambiguous. 

“Our esteemed 

supporters and loyal party 

men and women in Taraba 

should please disregard 

any rumour of my 

resignation. 

“When the time comes for 

me to resign, I will do so in 

accordance with the laid 

down procedure and 

regulations.’’ 

deputy without compulsion 

is itself exemplary and 

innovative, something that 

the PDP failed to produce 

in their 16 years of 

m o n u m e n t a l 

mismanagement and 

sadistic plunder. 

“For the benefit of the 

doubters, Professor Yemi 

Osinbajo, SAN, the Vice 

President, who acts in the 

absence of the President, is 

a lawyer of the highest 

rank and a social rights 

crusader who had 

received local and 

international acclaim 

before he took the 

president office. 

''It is inconceivable that 

this is the team to copy 

the bad manners cast in 

stone in the PDP." 

GRIDLOCK: Apapa corridor of Lagos-Ibadan 

rail project begins next week — FG 

•As Ambode hails approval for reconstruction of Apapa-Oshodi expressway 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni & Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

LAGOS — THE 

Federal Government, 

yesterday, assured that 

work on the Apapa corridor 

of the Lagos-Ibadan Rail 

project would commence 

next week. 

The Federal Government, 

at the end of Wednesday’s 

Federal Executive Council, 

FEC, meeting, had 

approved N72.9 billion for 

the reconstruction of the 

road from Apapa to the Toll 

Gate on Lagos-Ibadan 

Expressway. 

This came as Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State commended 

the Federal Government’s 

action to commence work on 

the Lagos-Ibadan Rail 

Project from the Apapa 

axis, expressing optimism 

that the development 

would go a long way to 

enhance movement of 

cargos from Lagos to other 

parts of the country. 

The Minister of 

Transportation, Rotimi 

Amaechi said this when he 

and his team paid a 

working visit to Governor 

Ambode at the State House, 

Alausa, Ikeja in Lagos 

State. 

Addressing newsmen 

after a strategic meeting 

with the Governor, Amaechi 

affirmed that contractors 

would move to site to 

continue the Lagos-Ibadan 

Rail Project from Apapa as 

part of efforts to solve 

solution to the perennial 

traffic gridlock in the axis. 

Amaechi said: “You would 

recall that the Federal 

Government had 

commenced construction of 

the Lagos-Ibadan railway 

and the focus was more on 

the Ibadan and Abeokuta 

Detained journalist: IPC flays DSS over 

detention of Abiri 

A 

B U J A — 

THE International Press 

Centre, IPC, has flayed 

the Department of State 

Services, DSS, for failing 

to produce a witness 

against Mr. Jones Abiri, 

who was arraigned 

before a Magistrate court 

in Abuja. 

The case could not, 

however, proceed because 

the DSS failed to produce 

its witnesses and the matter 

had to be adjourned till 

August 16 with Mr. Jones 

Abiri being ordered to be 

remanded in Keffi prison. 

Mr. Abiri is also facing 

stringent bail conditions 

including the requirement 

to have two sureties, who 

must be senior officers in 

the civil service. 

Reacting to the 

development, the Director 

of IPC, Mr. Lanre 

Arogundade, said: “it was 

very irresponsible for the 

DSS to have failed to 

produce its witness after 

having illegally detained 

Abiri for two years and 

therefore effectively stalling 

his trial.” 

On the stringent bail 

conditions imposed by the 

Court, Arogundade said: 

“The attitude of the DSS 

showed that it did not have 

any case against Abiri and 

he should, therefore, be set 

free immediately and 

unconditionally.” 

Recall that Jones Abiri, 

a journalist and publisher 

of the Weekly Source local 

newspaper in Bayelsa 

State was in 2016 arrested 

and detained by the DSS 

HELL ON THE HIGHWAY: A long queue of tankers and container-bearing trucks 

causing unending traffic on the Oshodi Apapa Expressroad. Photo: AKEEM SALAU. 

axis because we had 

challenges in Lagos which 

included utilities and not 

much with the 

communities. I think I have 

to commend the 

communities that allowed 

us to use their land, 

though, we would pay 

compensation but not 

much. So, we are grateful 

to all the communities from 

Lagos to Ibadan. 

“However, we have 

utility challenges with both 

gas pipes and water and 

beyond the gas pipes; we 

also have challenges with 

bridges to either build or 

demolish. 

"I remember when we 

said we wanted to 

demolish the Costain 

Bridge, everybody 

screamed and we had to 

invite the Lagos Governor 

to assist us; he took us there 

and promised that he 

and held incommunicado 

until he was arraigned in 

court recently. 

would pay the 

compensation. 

“I like the fact that the 

Lagos State Government is 

also contributing to these 

efforts. So, what we have 

come here to do is to ensure 

that there is a win-win 

situation and the Lagos 

Governor has been very 

cooperative. He cooperated 

all the way from the 

beginning till now and 

what we have decided is 

that the CCECC should 

move back to Lagos 

commence construction 

because we are insisting 

that by December, we 

should complete the Lagos- 

Ibadan Railway. 

“While we are working 

hard to ensure that the rail 

is delivered by this year 

ending, the Federal 

Government has also 

awarded the contract to 

deal with the road between 

Apapa and Tin Can to 

enable us to evacuate 

cargos freely which is an 

addition to the rail.” 

Ambode commends FG 

In his remarks, Governor 

Ambode commended the 

Federal Government for 

approving the 

reconstruction of the 

Apapa-Oshodi 

Expressway as part of efforts 

to finding a lasting solution 

to the perennial traffic 

gridlock around the axis. 

His words: “We want to 

use this platform to thank 

the President and the 

Federal Executive Council 

for approving the 

reconstruction of the Tin 

Can-Apapa-Oshodi 

Expressway up to the Toll 

Gate which was done on 

Wednesday. This is in 

continuation of our efforts 

at finding a permanent 

solution to gridlock in the 

Apapa axis. We just want 

to reiterate our commitment 

to collaborate with the 

Federal Government to 

ensure that we reduce the 

sufferings of Lagosians. 

"I am happy that we have 

emerged from this 

meeting, with the Federal 

Ministry of Transport, to 

ensure that this rail project 

is delivered within the next 

six to 12 months.” 

Alleged fraud: Kalu appeals Court's ruling 

on no case submission 

LAGOS — FORMER 

governor of Abia State, 

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has filed 

an appeal challenging the 

ruling of a Federal High 

Court in Lagos, which said 

he had a case to answer in 

the allegation of fraud 

preferred against him by 

the Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC. 

Justice Mohammed 

Idris had, last Tuesday, 

held that Kalu has some 

explanations to make 

particularly on certain 

documents tendered by the 

EFCC as exhibits in 

evidence against him. 

In the notice of appeal, 

filed on his behalf by his 

counsel, Chief Awa .U. 

Kalu, dated August 1, Kalu 

insisted that all the 

evidences supplied by the 

prosecution witnesses had 

no “nexus,” with him, and 

as such there was no way 

a prima facie case 

against him would have 

been established. 

Listing his basis for 

appeal, Kalu said the court 

erred in law when it held 

that he has a case to answer 

“notwithstanding the fact 

that the evidence adduced 

by the prosecution 

witnesses had no nexus 

with the appellant (Kalu) 

and did not make out a 

prima facie case against the 

appellant.” 

He said: “None of the 

prosecution witnesses gave 

any evidence linking the 

appellant with any of the 

charges. No fund 

whatsoever was traced to 

the personal bank accounts 

of the appellant nor was the 

appellant shown to have 

personally benefitted 

himself from the said funds 

alleged to have been stolen 

or laundered."

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 — 11 


Buhari’s appointee, others set to dump APC 

in Ondo 


AKURE—THE wave 

of defection in the All 


APC, has hit the party in 

Ondo State as no fewer than 

three chieftains of the party 

are set to dump the APC for 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP. 

A reliable source said that 

the former Alliance for 

Democracy AD, 

governorship candidate 

who recently returned to the 

APC, Chief Olusola Oke 

has commenced talks with 

the leaders of the PDP in the 

state ahead of the next 

governorship election in the 

state in 2020. 

Oke, according to sources, 

has not fully been 

incorporated into the party 

he joined last year and was 

planning to opt out again 

for his former party. 

Other chieftains in talks 

with the PDP in the state, 

according to reliable 

sources, include an 

appointee of President 

Muhammadu Buhari, the 

Chairman of the National 

Oil Spill Detection and 

Response Agency, 

NOSDRA, Senator Ayo 

Akinyelure and a member 

of the House of Reps, Mr. 

Bode Ayorinde. 

Ayorinde represents Owo/ 

Ose Federal Constituency 

in the House of 

Representatives. 

He fell out with the 

governor after the 

governorship primaries in 

2016 which produced him 

as the party candidate. 

Director of Publicity of the 

party, Ayo Fadaka 

confirmed to Vanguard in 

Akure the looming 

defection set to hit the ruling 

party in the state. 

Fadaka said that both 

Ayorinde and Senator 

Akinyelure have concluded 

plans to join the party in the 

state. 

He said: “Some members 

of PDP that left the party 

after the 2015 general 

elections have shown the 

intention to rejoin the party 

in Ondo State.” 

A dependable party 

source said: “I can confirm 

to you that, in a matter of 

days, Senator Akinyelure 

will leave the APC and 

return to his former party, 

PDP. The reasons he 

dumped PDP shortly after 

the 2015 elections no longer 

exists in the party. 

“What is now left is for 

him to officially announce 

his resignation from APC. 

He has picked up his PDP 

membership card at his 

Show of strength: Kashamu leads scores of PDP 

supporters in Ogun ...He remains expelled — PDP 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

& Daud Olatunji 

Al BEOKUTA—THE 

a w m a k e r 

representing Ogun East 

Senatorial district, Senator 

Buruji Kashamu, yesterday, 

led hundreds of members of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in what could be 

described as a show of 

strength in Abeokuta, Ogun 

State. 

The PDP members, who 

were drawn from all the local 

government areas of the 

state converged on the party 

secretariat, located on 

Presidential Boulevard, 

along Oke-Mosan, 

Abeokuta. 

The 

rally 

tagged: ‘Unveiling PDP 

aspirants 

in 

Ogun’ featured posters of 

Kashamu governorship 

ambition and other aspirants 

in the state. 

Kashamu was 

recently expelled 

alongside Chairman and 

Secretary of the party in the 

state, Bayo Dayo and Semiu 

Sodipo by the National 

Working Committee of PDP. 

Addressing his loyalists at 

the rally, Kashamu 

described the rally as a show 

of strength to the people of 

the state. 

While speaking on his 

expulsion, the lawmaker 

said: “How can somebody 

expel you when you are 

committed to the party? The 

party is not for an 

individual. I want to 

Why we have refuse heaps in Lagos — VISIONSCAPE 

By Kingsley Adegboye 

L AGOS—THE 

Managing Director 

and Chief Executive Officer 

of Visionscape Sanitation 

Solutions Ltd, Mr. John 

Irvine, yesterday, has 

explained why there were 

still backlog of waste in 

some parts of Lagos State, 

attributing it to the 

temporary closure of two 

transfer loading stations. 

In a statement, Mr. Irvine 

said: “We are aware of the 

recent complaints about the 

resurgence of waste across 

the Lagos West axis of the 

State. Under the new 

arrangement for waste 

management reform by the 

Lagos State Ministry of the 

Environment, our mandate 

to accelerate waste 

infrastructure has made it 

necessary to temporarily 

close two transfer loading 

stations in that axis for 

upgrade 

and 

refurbishment of the 

facilities. 

“As a result, there is a 

backlog, as Waste 

Collection Operators 

experience a higher turnaround 

time. This 

underscores the 

importance of infrastructure 

to the waste management 

system and our role as 

Visionscape Sanitation 

Solutions remains the 

provision of these 

facilities. 

“Other environmental 

works like drainage and 

waterways management 

are handled by the Ministry 

of the Environment and its 

relevant agencies.'' 

ward in Idanre. If you care 

to know, his membership 

card number is 005. He is 

seeking to return to the 

Senate.'' 

MEETING: From left; Olu of Ilaro, paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde 

Olugbenle; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Deputy Governor, Ogun 

State, Chief Yetunde Onanuga; Governor Ibikunle Amosun and speaker of the 

House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi during the 7th quarterly meeting of 

Secretaries to Government of states (SSGs) of APC-controlled states at Mietros 

Hall, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta yesterday. Photo by Wumi Akinola. 

authoritatively inform you 

that I, Senator Buruji 

Kashamu, remain a 

member of PDP. Aside from 

that, I have a court order 

that protects me from being 

expelled by anybody. Any 

attempt to expel me is 

an effort in futility.” 

He remains expelled 

—PDP 

When contacted, the PDP 

insisted that Kashamu and 

others remain expelled by 

the party. 

National Publicity 

Secretary of the PDP, Mr. 

Kola Ologbodiyan said: 

“We have no reaction 

because the party has taken 

a decision and if the party 

reverses that decision, it will 

not be done in secret, it will 

be done in public.” 

Lawmaker lauds NASS over proposed dredging 

of Escravos Bar 

THE commencement of 

the dredging of the 

Escravos has been 

commended and described 

as one of the clear 

dividends of democracy at 

the infrastructural level. 

Expressing this view 

while speaking to 

newsmen in Abuja 

yesterday, member 

representing the Warri 

Federal Constituency in the 

House of Representatives, 

Mr. Daniel Reyenieju said 

that if completed and 

properly utilized, it will 

greatly turn the economic 

fortunes of the Warri 

Federal Constituency and 

Delta State and beyond. 

According to him, ‘’It was 

in 2016 that the House of 

Representatives graciously 

passed a motion which I 

sponsored, requesting the 

Federal Government to, as 

a matter of urgency, dredge 

the Escravos Bar so as to 

make Burutu, Koko, Sapele 

and Warri Sea Ports 

functional to boost the 

economies of the region, 

which in turn will reduce 

youth restiveness in the 

Niger Delta region. 

‘’I also emphasized in the 

motion that a well dredged 

Escravos Bar will reduce 

the pressure on Apapa Port 

and its attendant 

consequences of huge 

revenue loss to the country 

through payments of huge 

demurrage resulting from 

delays in berthing of ships 

being experienced by 

importers.’ 

The lawmaker was 

equally full of praise for the 

Nigerian Ports Authority, 

NPA, and the Federal 

Ministry of Transport for 

ensuring that the N13 

billion dredging project 

was signed with a 

reputable international 

dredging company. 

Certificate: Police investigate 

Adeleke, arrest principal 

By Gbenga 

Olarinoye 

Oappears SOGBO—THERE 

to be more 

trouble for Senator 

Ademola Adeleke as 

detectives from the Nigeria 

Police Force, NPF, have 

commenced investigations 

into the allegations of 

certificate forgery against 

the governorship candidate 

of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Osun State. 

Vanguard gathered in 

Osogbo yesterday, that 

policemen from the Force 

Criminal Investigation 

Department, FCID, 

Alagbon, Lagos, on 

Wednesday, visited Ede 

Muslim High School I, 

where the principal of the 

school, Mr. Khalid Abbas, 

was arrested and taken to 

the State Criminal 

Investigation Department, 

SCID, Osogbo before 

being moved to Lagos. 

Globacom, others among 

ATCON’s 100 heroes of Nigeria 

By Prince Osuagwu 

TELECOM 

giant, 

Globacom, has 

received commendations 

as one of the agents of the 

telecom revolution as the 

telecom company and its 

Chairman, Dr. Mike 

Adenuga Jr., have been 

listed in the Association of 

Telecommunications 

Companies of Nigeria, 

ATCON’s, 100 heroes of 

Nigeria’s telecom 

publication. 

The publication which 

was unveiled to the public 

in Lagos noted that 

Globacom had pioneered a 

series of innovations that 

have helped to transform 

the nation’s telecom sector. 

Some of the innovations 

included the introduction of 

the Per Second Billing, 

PSB, in Nigeria at 

inception. 


AKURE— 

THE 

Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, yesterday 

restated its commitment to 

the economic well-being of 

all Nigerians. 

It restated this at the ongoing 

sensitization fair in 

Akure, Ondo State. 

The fair also seeks to 

promote financial inclusion 

for all segments of the 

society. 

The participants were 

assured that the apex bank 

will commence the 

circulation of a lower Malls, 

denomination of the Naira 

notes to end the scarcity of 

these notes. 

Speaking at the fair, an 

The men, it was further 

learned also went to the 

head office of Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, in 

Osogbo, Osun State. 

When newsmen visited 

Ede Muslim High School, 

Ede, yesterday, sources in 

the school confirmed the 

arrest and the subsequent 

transfer of the suspect to 

Osogbo. 

A source in the school, 

who does not want his 

name in print told 

journalists who visited the 

school yesterday that the 

arrest of the principal was 

true. 

His words: “It is true that 

policemen from Lagos 

came to Ede Muslim High 

School. I was told by the 

teachers that the 

policemen came to 

investigate the secondary 

school certificate which 

Senator Ademola Adeleke 

submitted to INEC.'' 

The publication said that 

PSB made it possible for 

Nigerians to get 

unprecedented value for 

money by paying only for 

the exact time spent on 

calls. 

The launch of the 

publication, which was 

chaired by former 

Executive Vice Chairman, 

Nigerian Communications 

Commission, NCC, Dr. 

Ernest Ndukwe; also had 

in attendance the Minister 

of Communications 

Technology, Chief Adebayo 

Shittu, who was the Special 

Guest of Honour. 

The book also added that 

Globacom facilitated 

telephone penetration 

nationwide through 

hundred percent reduction 

of GSM SIM price from 

N20,000 to N200 and 

crashing of call tariff from 

N50 to 5kobo. 

CBN committed to economic 

well-being of Nigerians 

Assistant Director, Currency 

Operations Department of 

the CBN, Mr. Benedict 

Maduagwu said the 

Bank recognised the 

important role market 

players and other 

economic agents play in 

economic transactions 

hence the need for easy 

accessibility of the lower 

denomination currency. 

Maduagwu said that CBN 

has commenced the direct 

disbursement of N200, 

N100, N50, N20, N10 and 

N5 denominations to 

Merchants, Shopping 

Stores, 

Supermarkets, Market men 

and women, toll-gates etc in 

exchange for the higher 

denominations.

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 

Omo-Agege frowns at 

herdsmen attacks on Urhobos 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—SENATOR 

representing Delta 

Central Senatorial 

District in the National 

Assembly, Ovie Omo- 

Agege, yesterday 

frowned at increasing 

attacks by herdsmen on 

harmless urhobo people. 

He condemned the 

unprovoked attack by the 

ravaging herdsmen on 

one of his constituents, 

Mr Abraham Onokpasa, 

who is now in critical 

condition at the hospital. 

Omo-Agege in a 

statement, said his 

constituents who are 

going about their 

legitimate businesses, 

were being attacked by 

the ravaging herdsmen. 

Calling on the police to 

arrest and persecute any 

herdsman involved in 

the attack, he said: “I 

condemn in the 

strongest possible terms, 

the increasing attacks on 

my constituents and the 

destruction their 

property. 

“The recent invasion of 

the compound of late 

Benedict Onokpasa by 


herdsmen is very painful 

and regrettable.” 

He added that 

perpetrators of the 

attacks should be 

brought to justice. 

The senator warned 

that his "constituents will 

not take it lightly, should 

the police let go of those 

arrested in connection to 

this particular attack." 

Omo-Agege added: 

“This is one attack too 

many. I condemn this 

unprovoked attack on 

Onokpasa’s family and I 

want to task the police to 

bring the perpetuators to 

book by ensuring that 

they are made to face the 

full weight of the law. 

“I wish to also add that 

my constituents will not 

tolerate any attempts to 

treat this particular case 

with kid gloves.” 

It will be recalled that 

Abraham Onokpasa, the 

last son of late Benedict 

Onokpasa was attacked 

by herdsmen and 

sustained head injury for 

daring to challenge the 

herdsmen for destroying 

his sister’s farm. 

Dickson signs public service records, 

media corporation bills, 8 others into law 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA— 

GOVERNOR 

Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa 

State, yesterday, signed 10 

bills, including the Public 

Service Records and 

Documentation Centre Bill 

2018, into law. 

Dickson in a statement in 

Yenagoa listed the bills to 

include; the Niger Delta 

University (Amendment) 

Bill, Media Corporation 

Bill, Directorate for Project 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

(Amendment) Bill and the 

Teaching of Indigenous 

Language Bill. 

Also signed into law are 

the Heritage Control, 

Biodiversity and 

Archaeological Sites 

Preservation Bill, 

Polytechnic (Amendment) 

Bill, Special Matters Court 

(Education) Bill, 

Community Safety Corps 

Bill and Registration of 

Neighbourhood Watch Bill. 

The governor, after 

appending his signature on 

the bills, underscored the 

importance of the laws and 

expressed determination to 

implement them for the 

overall benefit of the state. 

While urging the state 

House of Assembly to give 

expeditious consideration 

to other pending bills, 

before proceeding on their 

annual vacation, Governor 

Dickson said, the 

government would further 

enlighten the public on the 

significance of the laws, 

through its Ministry of 

Information and 

Orientation. 

He said: “I’m highly 

delighted at the hard work, 

dedication, synergy and the 

way the Assembly easily 

relate with the vision of this 

restoration government for 

a new Bayelsa. We don’t 

take this for granted. I hope 

that this collaboration will 

continue in the interest of 

our state. 

“Today, I’m signing the 

highest number of bills. 

I’ve not had 10 bills at a go 

before. These are bills 

touching on different 

important aspects of the life 

of our state and the 

Ministry of Information will 

give further highlights on 

the substance of these 

legislations.” 

REUNION: 1959 Ancient Mariners, From left— S. Ojukwu, Arc. C. Majoroh, Prof. O. Omatete, 

Chief J.J. Akpieyi, Mr. Tabiowo; and another mariner, at the Government College, Ughelli, 

Awards, Prizes and Testimonials Reunion Day, held in Ughelli, Delta State. 

FLOOD: Egor community sends 

SOS to LGA chairman 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

BENIN—OWNERS of 

houses and residents of 

Anigboro Street and 

environs in Egor Local 

Government Area of Edo 

State, have sent a Save Our 

Soul, SOS, to the council 

Chairman, Ms Eghe 

Ogbemudia to save them 

and their property from 

being washed away by 

flooding that has ravaged 

the area. 

In the SOS by Messers F. 

I. Oviasogie, Elder Roland 

Irorere, Iro Omorodion and 

two others for the 

community, the residents 

lamented that many houses 

and property worth millions 

of naira in the area had 

been destroyed by the 

flood, which had turned 

many landlords into 

tenants. 

They said: “Whenever it 

rains, people are trapped 

in their homes and cannot 

come out because of the 

flood and children cannot 

go to school, while market 

women cannot also go to 

market. 

“For your information, the 

flood situation in our area 

is worsened by the 

construction of service lanes 

on both sides of the Uselu / 

Lagos Road, Benin City. As 

a result, the water from 

Adolor Street area, Ugbowo 

and Uwasota Road among 

others, coupled with the 

one from Evbareke empty 

into our area. 

“The situation is terrible. 

Chairman sir, we plead 

By Festus Ahon delivery to Deltans, 

A 

assuring that lawmakers in 

SABA—SPEAKER of the state would remain 

the Delta State House dedicated to their duties in 

of Assembly, Chief Sheriff order to give the indigenes 

Oborevwori has restated and other residents of the 

the resolve of the House to 

state the best. 

continue to make good laws 

He said: “I want to 

for the good governance of 

welcome you all to today’s 

the state. 

plenary and also to thank 

Oborevwori in his 

welcome address after two 

the Almighty God for 

weeks recess, said the 

granting us journey mercy 

House remained to and from our legislative 

committed to service 

training. I wish to also 

with you to come around 

and see things for yourself 

especially when it rains. 

Please, do something about 

it as well as help us reach 

out to both the state and 

federal governments to 

come to our aid. 

“Chairman, except 

something is urgently 

done, we and our property 

are at the verge of being 

washed away by the flood 

as a six years old school girl 

was recently washed away 

by flood near the Five 

Junctions along Uselu / 

Benin because of failure to 

cover the gutters. 

“We live in the same axis 

where the tragedy occurred 

hence our apprehension 

that something should be 

done urgently about our 

plight to avert similar 

situation as that of the poor 

little girl.” 

We’ll continue to make good laws for 

governance of Delta—Oborevwori 

inform my fellow 

colleagues that the staff of 

Delta State House of 

Assembly and committee 

clerks have also been 

trained and I believe that 

the lessons learnt would 

positively impact on us all 

in the execution of our 

legislative duties and 

services to Deltans. 

“Once again, I welcome 

you all to today’s plenary 

and wish you all the best.”



Defection: They all have blind ambition, 

their exit a triumph for APC—PRESIDENCY 

By Ike 

Uchechukwu 

C ALABAR—SENIOR 

Special Assistant to 


Buhari on Political Matters, 

Mr Gideon Sammani, has 

described those defecting 

from the ruling All 


APC, to other political parties 

as politicians with blind 

ambitions, stressing that 

their exit is a triumph for the 

party. 

Sammani, who spoke at the 

inauguration of State 

Executive Officers of 

National Youth Support 

Movement for Buhari/ 

Osibanjo 2019 in conjunction 

with Progressive Women’s 

Front International, 

yesterday, in Calabar, said: 

“The defectors are those with 

blind ambition and are 

desperate to cling power 

even when they don’t have 

the requisite capacity to 

match President Buhari, 

neither can they rule the 

country and turn around its 

ailing economy, which was 

brought to its knees by past 

administrators who led the 

country. 

“These set of politicians 

had in the past carried bags 

of money to voters so that 

they can be voted into power, 

unfortunately, Nigerian 

voters knew that they were 

not the right calibre of 

politicians who could 

manage the economy of the 

nation. 

“It is a disgrace to the 

nation. Their exit will be a 

triumph and success for the 

APC. Don’t allow the 

ongoing defection to 

discourage you and don’t 

feel disappointed at all, we 

are not afraid because they 

are a not a threat at all. 

“Like water, it will always 

find its level. These people 

are not in the same level with 

Mr. President, and they lost 

that election to Mr. President 

who is well trusted by many 

Nigerians.” 

Another presidential aide, 

who also doubled as 

chairman for the occasion 

and guest speaker at the 

event, Alhaji Muhktar Abba, 

told party supporters not to 

be deterred by the gale of 

defections that hit the party 

in the last one week, adding 

that it was a time to see those 

who are the true members 

of APC. 

He said: “Don’t allow the 

gale of defection to 

discourage or weaken you. 

After darkness comes light.” 

He urged the newly 

inaugurated executive of the 

women group not to relent 

every the effort of restoring 

Cross River State to its 

rightful position given the 

fact that the state was the first 

capital city of Nigeria. 

COMMISSIONING: From left, General Manager, RB West 

Africa, Mr Dayanand Sriram; Marketing Director, RB West Africa, 

Aliza Leferink; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State, Ministry of 

Evironment, Mr Abiodun Bamgboye, and Harpic Brand Ambassador, 

Helen Paul, during the Harpic/Ministry of Evironment public toilets 

commissioning in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau. 

2019: PDP'll field only popular 

candidates, Dickson tells party faithful 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA— 

GOVERNOR 

Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa 

State has said only popular 

candidates will fly the 


PDP, flag in 2019 general 

Assembly by-election: Ayade 

sends appointees on 2-week 

field campaign in Obudu 

By Emma Una 

C ALABAR— 

POLITICAL office 

holders who are from 

Obudu Local Government 

Area of Cross River State 

have been directed to report 

at Obudu to get to the field 

and canvass for votes for the 


PDP, candidate. 

The by-election 

scheduled for August 11, 

2018 is to replace Mr 

Stephen Ukpikpen, who 

represented Obudu State 

constituency but died in 

May while on an early 

morning jog. 

The governor, according 

to a source, ordered the 

political office holders 

beginning from 

commissioners to personal 

assistants to report at their 

polling units to canvass for 

votes to ensure a landslide 

victory for the PDP. 

The race is between 

Ngozi Ukpikpen, wife of 

late Assembly member, who 

is the PDP flag bearer and 

Adah Ishamali of the All 


APC. 

Chief Press Secretary to 

the governor, Mr Chris Ita, 

said there was nothing 

unusual for the governor to 

ask his aides to spend two 

weeks in the field 

canvassing support for the 

PDP candidate because he 

wants victory for his party. 

“He only asked political 

office holders from Obudu 

to report to the field and not 

all political office holders 

from across the state and 

there is nothing unusual 

about that because he wants 

victory for his party.” 

election. 

He, therefore, called on 

members of PDP to work 

together in building a 

cohesive and united party, 

rather than engage in antiparty 

activities that could 

undermine the party’s 

fortunes ahead of next 

year’s general election. 

Dickson, who made the 

call at a consultative 

meeting with stakeholders 

of PDP in Yenagoa, noted 

that such acts were capable 

of affecting the chances of 

the party adversely. 

The governor in a 

statement by his Chief 

Press Secretary, Mr. Francis 

Agbo, said if the PDP must 

win all elective positions 

from the state to the 

national levels, members 

must learn to build 

consensus with the party’s 

leadership in the state. 

Describing the meeting 

as a family affair, the 

governor maintained that 

the party remains supreme 

and called on all to place 

the party’s interest above 

personal ambitions to 

enable them succeed in the 

forthcoming elections. 

Dickson, who also 

pointed out that they 

needed to take great care 

in selecting candidates that 

could win elections at all 

levels, however, 

acknowledged the fact that, 

only God chooses leaders. 

He said, “In the last two 

and half years, things have 

not been the way we have 

known them to be. Since 

May 2015, your party and 

your state have been in 

opposition, with the kind of 

government that you all 

know is at the centre. Yet, 

we have all managed to do 

what we have done in very 

trying circumstances and in 

an uncharted territory. 

“There is no other 

governor of this state that 

has that experience of 

leading a party to a battle 

when you are in opposition 

and managing stability in 

the party, state and the 

government." 

“I thank you all for the 

Ortom impeachment saga: 

APC, Presidency 

destabilising Nigeria 

—Anietie Okon 

By Harris-Okon 

Emmanuel 

U YO—APPARENTLY 

worried by the political 

crisis engulfing Benue State 

following the departure of 

Governor Samuel Ortom 

from All Progressives 

Congress, APC, to Peoples 


Senator Anietie Okon, has 

accused APC and the 

Presidency of destabilizing 

the nation’s democracy. 

He described as 

preposterous a situation 

where only eight of the 30- 

member legislature would 

serve impeachment notice 

on Governor Ortom and 

cautioned the Presidency 

and security agencies 

against plunging the nation 

into anarchy. 

According to him, the 

police force “has been 

reduced to a gangster outfit 

doing the bidding of the 

Presidency and the APC 

against the constitution of 

Nigeria.” 

He decried the 

involvement of President 

Muhammadu Buhari on the 

raging political crisis in 

Benue State, saying his 

attitudinal position had 

given vent to the acts of 

banditry being allegedly 

perpetuated by the police in 

the state. 

The elder statesman 

expressed dismay over the 

impulsive allegation from the 

anti-graft agency that the 

governor had embezzled 

N22 billion, underlining that 

the action of the agency has 

spurred massive erosion of 

credibility and trust by 

Nigerians. 

He said: “What is 

unfolding in Benue State is 

unconstitutional and devoid 

of any known legislative 

norms, practices and 

procedure. The eight 

lawmakers are hit men of a 

gangster cartel and the 

citizens are appalled by this 

crass exhibition of 

desperation." 

PPA guber aspirant assures 

Deltans of all-inclusive govt 

By Onozure Dania 

G OVERNORSHIP 

aspirant of 

Progressive Peoples 

Alliance, PPA, in Delta 

State, Dr. O’diakpo Obire, 

has assured Deltans of an 

all-inclusive government, if 

elected as the state 

governor come 2019. 

Obire at the state party 

secretariat, Asaba, said 

Deltans have been 

subjected to poverty for too 

long, noting that his 

administration will usher in 

sustainable development. 

While formerly signing 

his membership card of the 

party, Obire recalled that 

few weeks ago, he resigned 

his membership of All 


APC, because of the 

intractable strife in Delta, 

saying: “In PPA, I will fly 

the flag of the party as the 

2019 gubernatorial 

candidate. 

“I will be ready and 

committed to pursue my 

governorship aspiration to 

its logical conclusion by 

winning the governorship 

election. I am in this race 

to win. By the Grace of God, 

nothing is stopping us 

since my mandate to lead 

the state is divine. 

Welcoming Obire to PPA, 

the state chairman, Mr. 

Fred Obi, expressed 

delight at the development, 

saying he was convinced 

that given the pedigree of 

Obire who has no political 

baggage, he was sure of 

victory, assuring party 

members of prosperity 

come 2019 elections. 

Police arrest kidnap kingpin who arranges 

abductions from prisons, 7 others 

By Emma 

Amaize, Regional 

Editor, South-South 

W 

A R R I — 

OPERATIVES of 

Special Anti-Kidnapping 

and Cybe-Crime Squad, 

SAKCCS, Delta Police 

Command, have arrested a 

32- year-old kidnap 

kingpin, who organised 

kidnap operations from the 

prisons, Okere, near Warri, 

Delta State and six other 

suspected hostage takers, 

including a prisons staff. 

It was gathered, 

yesterday, that SAKCCS 

detectives, acting on 

intelligence, busted the 

syndicate of kidnappers 

and prisons officials 

allegedly responsible for 

several kidnap cases within 

Warri, Ughelli, Sapele and 

environs. 

State Commissioner of 

Police, Muhammad 

Mustafa, confirmed the 

arrest of the kingpin and 

seven others, but did not 

give further details. 

He said: “As a follow up 

to the kidnap case of 

Benedicta Eseoghene at 

Ogbueke Square, Asaba, 

on May 22 and other kidnap 

cases and its environs, 

a team of SAKCCS 

operatives, acting on intelligence, 

on June 22, about 

12.30 hours, stormed a 

hotel in Warri where the 

suspects were arrested.” 

Our findings showed that 

the kidnap linchpin, who is 

serving a 21-year-jail term 

at Okere Prisons, was 

covertly unconstrained by 

a prison staff presently in 

police custody on the 

orders of the syndicate for 

a kidnap operation on June 

22.

14 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 


DSS bows to pressure, arraigns 

journalist detained since 2016 

A BUJA—THE 

Department of 

State Services, DSS, 

y e s t e r d a y 

arraigned Jones Abiri, a 

journalist who has been in 

its custody since 2016, at 

a magistrate court in 

Abuja. 

Abiri, publisher of the 

Weekly Source, a 

newspaper based in 

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, 

was picked up by agents 

of the DSS on the 

allegation that he is the 

leader of joint 

revolutionary council of 

the Joint Niger Delta 

Liberation Force, a 

separatist group. 

He was accused of 

bombing oil pipelines, 

planning attacks on 

Abuja, and sending threat 

to international oil 

companies and also 

demanding money from 

them. 

There has been pressure 

on the government and 

the DSS to either release 

or charge Abiri to court. 

Yesterday, the journalist 

was arraigned for the first 

time since he was arrested 

and was granted bail in 

the sum of N2 million. 

Abiri was asked to 

produce two civil servants 

resident in Abuja to stand 

as his sureties. 

They are not to be less 

than grade level 15 

officials and they will have 

UGHELLI WOMEN'S PROTEST 

Ughelli women shut down East-West road over estimated billings by BEDC, yesterday. 

to deposit their original 

appointment letters with 

the court. 

But Marshal Abubakar, 

counsel to Abiri, informed 

the court of their 

application to vary the bail 

condition. 

Abubakar argued that 

his client should be 

granted on selfrecognition 

because he is 

a journalist. 

“We now informed the 

court that our parties in 

this suit cannot meet the 

bail conditions. There is 

an application to vary the 

conditions,” he said. 

“We said the first 

defendant Mr Jones 

Abiri is a journalist who 

has practiced his 

journalism in Bayelsa 

State. So the court now 

adjourned for the 

hearing of our 

application to allow Mr 

Jones Abiri goes on selfrecognizance.” 

T h e r e a f t e r , 

Chukwuemeka Nweke, 

the magistrate, fixed August 

8 to hear the application. 

He also fixed August 16 

for the commencement of 

Abiri’s trial. 

NCE approves establishment 

of Education Bank & Study 

Loan Board 

CUPP inaugurates a 17-man Steering Committee 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

A 

B U J A — 

DETERMINED 

to forge a common front 

ahead of the 2019 

elections, the Coalition of 

United Political Parties, 

CUPP, yesterday 

inaugurated a 17-man 

steering committee to pilot 

its affairs, preparatory to the 

general elections. 

The inauguration also 

coincided with the 

unveiling of its national 

secretariat located at 

Wuse district of Abuja. 

Members of the 

committee include Alhaji 

Buba Galadima, Senator 

Ben Obi, Prince 

O l a g u n s o y e 

Oyinlola, Professor 

Tunde Adeniran, Chief 

Peter Ameh, Alhaji 

Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, 

Chief Sam Eke, Hon Jeff 

Ojinka and Barrister Igwe 

Emeka Benjamin. 

Others are Hon Razak 

Eyiowuawi, Ambassador 

O d i o n 

Okpebholo, Abduljalili 

Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Tanko 

Yunusa, Reverend 

Olusegun Peters, Barrister 

Georgina Danagogo, 

Ikenga Ugochinyere and 

Mark Adebayo. 

Speaking before the 

inauguration of the 

committee, former 

Foreign Affairs Minister 

and Chairman of the PDP 

Disciplinary Committee, 

Chief Tom Ikimi, 

expressed gladness at the 

ability of the coalition to 

stay immune from 

external influences since 

By Joseph Erunke 

A BUJA—THE 

National Council on 

Education, NCE, has 

approved the establishment 

of Education Bank and 

Study Loan Boards by states 

at concessionary interest 

rate to allow students easy 

access to fund. 

The council, which took 

the decision at its 63rd 

conference in Abuja, also 

asked all states of the 

federation to establish what 

it called “Education 

Fund” with special 

emphasis on funding 

teacher development and 

secondary education. 

A communique released 

to the media after the twoday 

event, said the council 

also called for establishment 

of a special intervention 

fund for persons with special 

needs just as it said 

investments in education 

should be tax deductible. 

The NCE, which also 

approved that contracts 

and other financial 

transactions should be 

taxed to fund education, 

resolved that revenue 

generated from parastatals 

it a came on board a few 

weeks ago. 

He said, “There has not 

been a single crack in the 

alliance since its 

formation, despite 

unsavory attempts by our 

main opponents, who 

have deliberately or 

mischievously attempted 

to initiate or present 

nonexistent cracks in the 

alliance to the public.” 

Ikimi reminded chieftains 

of the various party not to 

forget that CUPP was 

“borne out of the peculiar 

circumstances that our 

AESN hails FG on Currency 

Swap Agreement with China 

ASSOCIATION of 

Economists and 

Statisticians of Nigeria, 

AESN, has hailed the 

Federal Government for 

signing Bilateral 

Currency Agreement with 

China, stressing that trade 

and investment between 

the two countries will 

improve and financial 

market stability 

maintain. 

The association named 

employment and 

business opportunities, 

infrastructural 

development, 

industrialisation, skill 

development, technical 

assistance and more as 

some of the benefits 

companies and 

businesses in Nigeria 

stand to gain. 

under the Federal Ministry 

of Education be ploughed 

back to the education sector. 

According to the 

communique, stakeholders 

also resolved that the ”right 

conditions should be 

created for alumni to 

plough back to their almamater.” 

After extensive 

deliberations on all the 

memoranda presented to 

the council and other issues 

on how to improve 

Nigeria’s education sector, 

it noted that “there was no 

deliberate and carefully 

crafted policy by the 


ensure that our schools are 

insulated from attacks," 

saying "the Chibok girls and 

the recent Dapchi girls 

kidnapping are pointers to 

the unsafe nature of our 

schools for teaching and 

learning.” 

The council, while also 

lamenting that there are no 

standard measures for 

schools to adopt in relation 

to safety and security of 

schools, said: ”A national 

policy on safety and security 

in schools in Nigeria will 

mitigate the insecurity in 

the education sector.” 

...Unveils secretariat in Abuja 

nation finds itself at this 

time. The coalition is in 

the quest for a return to a 

virile and durable 

democratic process that 

will assure respect for civil 

liberties and human rights 

and maintain a culture of 

sustained adherence to 

the rule of law.” 

The coalition according 

to Ikimi, would soon 

create a number of 

committees including the 

Blueprint/Manifesto, 

Publicity/Media Strategy 

and Contact/Mobilization 

committees. 

According to a 

communiqué by Vice 

President, Gbadamosi 

Olusola and Chief 

Registrar, Olusola 

Akinfolarin, at the end of 

the association’s 13th 

induction and 15th 

mandatory ceremony in 

Lagos, the association 

recommended that 

“goods in the Bilateral 

Trade Agreement between 

the two countries to reflect 

importation reality; part of 

Nigeria’s foreign 

reserve should be in 

Yuan as a commitment to 

the naira; Chinese 

company should be 

encouraged to invest in 

Nigeria with Nigerians in 

better position to learn; 

Letter of Credit to be 

opened, etc.”



Imo: Police withdraw Madumere’s 

security personnel 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

OWERRI— TRAVAILS 

of Prince Eze 

Madumere took a 

dangerous slide yesterday, 

as the Imo State Police 

Command has reportedly 

withdrawn its personnel 

guarding him. 

Confirming the latest 

development in a press 

release, Madumere’s Chief 

Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. 

Uche Onwuchekwa, said 

the act has put the life of 

his principal in serious 

jeopardy. 

“We wish to draw the 

attention of the general 

public and the Inspector 

General of Police, of the 

continuation of utter 

disregard for rule of law by 

the Commissioner of Police, 

Mr. Dasuki Galandanchi, 

who has thrown caution to 

the wind by withdrawing 

the security apparatchik of 

the Deputy Governor of 

Imo State, Prince Eze 

Madumere, thereby 

making him susceptible to 

attacks”, Onwuchekwa 

said. 

He accused the Imo 

police boss of “yielding to 

being an instrument of 

oppression in the hand of 

the Governor and ready to 

do his bidding”. 

According to the CPS, 

Mr. Galadanchi, in the 

wake of the failed 

swearing-in of Governor 

Okorocha’s new deputy 

governor designate, due to 

the refusal of the Chief 

Judge and other qualified 

judicial officers in 

obedience to court order, 

had withdrawn all police 

officers attached to the 

Deputy Governor”. 

Continuing, 

Onwuchekwa said: “We 

view such action as not only 

deliberate but a way of 

playing-out the script of his 

sponsor”. 

Onwuchekwa equally 

disclosed that “in the same 

spirit of impunity and 

recklessness, strange 

looking police men, 

without recourse to the 

restraining order of court, 

at about 10 am on Tuesday, 

August 1, 2018, sealed-off 

the entrance gate to the 

office of the Deputy 

Governor with chain and 

padlock”. 

Onwuchekwa said that 

“on inquiry, the policemen 

claimed they were sent 

from Governor’s Office, all 

the staff of the Deputy 

Governor were not only 

humiliated but chased out 

of the Office”. 

The CPS claimed that this 

act of impunity has, in no 

little measure affected the 

business of the Office of the 

Deputy Governor as 

Imolites who visited the 

Nnewi flood: Obiano downcast, orders 

search for missing victim 

...visits Amawbia flood victim 

By Emeka 

Odogwu 

N 

N E W I — 

GOVERNOR 

Willie Obiano of Anambra 

state has ordered the 

immediate recovery of the 

body of forty five (45) yearold 

Mr. Ugochukwu 

Ofiaeli who was allegedly 

drowned in a flash flood at 

Nnewi at the weekend. 

Ofiaeli who hailed from 

Egbu-Umuenem, Otolo 

Nnewi, was alleged to have 

been carried away by flood 

last weekend along 

Okwuani- Ezi Ogwugwu 

Road, Nnewi and had not 

been seen since then. 

The governor had earlier 

visited Ofiaeli's home 

where he met with his 

family and reassured them 

that government will find 

the missing person dead or 

alive as he has given 

directive 

for 

commencement of search 

activities for the body. 

Speaking at the scene of 

the incident, Governor 

Obiano said a joint team 

comprising men of the 

Operation Clean and 

Healthy Anambra, OCHA 

Brigade, the Nigeria 

Security and Civil Defence 

Corps and the State 

Ministry of Works would 

join the search. 

The governor also 

directed the Ministry of 

Works to redesign the road 

and create appropriate 

water channels to guard 

against a recurrence of such 

incidents. 

He also paid a 

condolence visit to the 

family of Pastor Salvation 

Samuel of Amawbia 

community who lost their 

fourteen year old daughter, 

Ebubechukwu in a flash 

flood around Landmark 

Hotel Amawbia /Nibo last 

week. 

In his speech, Obiano 

appealed to the people to 

be patient whenever they 

encounter flash flood and 

allow it to subside no matter 

how small they may seem, 

office for genuine reason 

were humiliated and 

embarrassingly turned 

back. 

He expressed shock at 

the twist of events, even 

after Governor Rochas 

Okorocha had directed that 

court order must be obeyed 

to the latter as relayed by 

the Attorney-General of Imo 

State, Mr. Militus 

Nlemadim, SAN. 

“We hereby appeal to the 

Inspector General of Police 

to call the Imo State 

Commissioner of Police to 

order and direct him to 

restore Prince Madumere’s 

security details without 

further delay”, 

Onwuchekwa pleaded. 

OPENING: From left—Commandant, Private Guards Company, 

National Security and Civil Defence Corps, Zone A Command, 

Commander Adebisi Adeyemi; Oba of Isheri Olofin, Lagos, Oba 

Nurudeen Adekanbi, Olubiyi II; former Managing Director, Assurance 

Bank, Mr. Chika Nbonu, and Pastor Godsave Adodo, at the opening 

of Astra Security Systems Limited, in Lagos. 

noting that it is more profitable 

to lose time than to 

lose lives. 

Obiano later visited the 

scene of the flood that 

carried the 14 year- old girl 

and ordered proper 

digging up of the water 

channel to avoid future 

occurrence. Already, a 

swamp buggie already 

deployed by the state 

government was digging 

up trees and clearing a 

natural water channel 

along the road. 

Enugu gets new Air Ground Commanding 

Officer 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU—CHIEF of 

Air Staff, Nigerian 

Airforce, Air Marshal 

Sadique Abubakar has 

appointed Air Vice Marshal 

Saddiq Ismaila Kaita as the 

new Air Officer 

Commanding Ground 

Training Command, GTC, 

Enugu. 

Air Vice Marshal Kaita 

took over from Air Vice 

Marshal Sampson Akpasa 

who has been appointed as 

the Air Officer 

Commanding Special 

Operation Command 

Bauchi. 

AVM Saddiq Ismaila 

Kaita was the Air Officer 

Commanding Special 

Operation Commander, 

Bauchi before his 

appointment as the Air 

Officer Commanding 

Ground Training 

Command. 

The Senior Officer had 

ab-initio, been Flying 

Training Instructor at 301 

Flying Training School 

,FTS, Kaduna from May 

1988 to October 1988 and 

Basic Flying Training 

Instructor at 303 Flying 

FTS Kano from 1990 to 

1992. 

He was posted back to 301 

FTS and underwent 

instructor pilot training on 

ABT - 18 primary flying 

trainer in 1994, then 

Dornier 228 conversion 

course in 1998. The senior 

officer attended Junior and 

Senior Division Staff 

Courses at Armed Forces 

Command and Staff 

Course Jaji in 1996 and 

2002 respectively. He 

attended the National 

Defence College, 

Bangladesh where he had 

his Master Degree in 

Strategic Studies. 

Enugu community denies 

suicide report over 

alleged land acquisition 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

E 

N U G U — 

RESIDENTS of 

Abor community, Udi Local 

Government Area of Enugu 

State, yesterday dismissed 

media report over the 

allegation that some of them 

threatened to commit 

suicide following the 

purported intention of the 

state government to acquire 

their ancestral land, saying 

there is no iota of truth in 

the publication. 

Addressing journalists at 

the residence of the oldest 

man in the community, 

Ichie Idenwagu Charles, 

the chairman of Ama-Ezike 

village, Ichie Offor 

Uchenna said the alleged 

suicide attempt was “a 

creation of mischief makers 

and blackmailers.” 

Accompanied by other 

elders of the community 

and youth leaders, 

Uchenna said that contrary 

to claims by the Ngwuagu 

village, the said land was 

a subject of litigation before 

an Enugu High Court prior 

to the inception of the 

present administration, 

adding that their rival 

neighboring village has 

been trespassing on the 

property against the order 

of the court. 

The community leader 

said the Enugu State 

Government was 

intervening towards an 

amicable settlement of the 

land dispute involving the 

two villages. 

While giving insight into 

the controversial land, he 

said, “My community is not 

having any issue with the 

Enugu State Government 

and no body is threatening 

to commit suicide 

anywhere, contrary to the 

media report. The land in 

question belongs to 

Ngwuagu and Amaezike 

villages. The land has been 

a subject of dispute in court 

since 2006. 

“We beckoned on the 

state government to 

mediate and assist us as a 

father to settle the problem 

we are having over the 

land. Our neighbouring 

community, which is now 

laying false accusation 

against the state 

govermnent went there, 

parcelled the land, 

cancelled our previous 

perimeter survey. They 

went there and started 

building houses and selling 

the property to individuals, 

neglecting the court order. 

The court told us to farm 

and not to build houses. 

“But they disobeyed the 

court and even threatened to 

kill any one of us from 

Amaezike that visits the land. 

They sold the land, they are 

not living there as they falsely 

alleged. 

“So, that is why we begged 

the State Government to 

come and settle this case 

between brothers, so that 

everybody will live in peace 

and unity in Abor.” 

On suicide claims, Uchenna 

emphasized that, “There is no 

committing of suicide 

anywhere, they are just using 

it to blackmail the State 

Government and attract 

cheap popularity.I repeat, 

nobody is committing 

suicide, our ancestral home 

is in Abor, Udi Local 

government area, that land 

in question is a grass land 

that belongs to two of us." 

Women participating in politics 

not prostitutes, NGO insists 

By Peter OKutu 

A BAKALIKI— 

EBONYI women 

have been urged to engage 

in active politics not 

minding the odds or 

challenges being faced by 

women in Nigeria’s political 

landscape as every woman 

with capacity has the right 

to compete in any electoral 

contest in the country. 

The women who were 

drawn from Ebonyi North 

senatorial district 

comprising Abakaliki, Izzi, 

Ebonyi and Ohaukwu local 

government areas of the 

state took turn to express 

their determination to be 

part of the 2019 general 

elections even as they 

insisted that women have 

the capacity to outperform 

the menfolk, if given the 

opportunity in the 2019 

general election. 

Speaking during a town 

hall meeting on 

“Enhancing the capacity of 

women to engage in 2019 

election” organized by 

Actionaid through 

Participatory Development 

Alternative PDA at San 

Diego Hotel, Abakaliki, the 

Chief Executive Officer, 

CEO of PDA, Victoria Eze 

debunked the insinuation 

in some quarters that 

women who engage in 

active politics in the country 

were prostitutes. 

According to her, such 

insinuations were actually 

designed by men or the 

society to create a barrier 

for the women not to be able 

to participate in politics or 

develop the needed 

capacity to undertake 

electoral adventures for the 

betterment of the country. 

“It is simply one of the 

ways men use to outweigh 

the women in politics; no 

woman is a prostitute but if 

a woman is a prostitute, 

then the men are also 

prostitutes if there is 

anything like that."

16— Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 —17 

FOR the past couple of 

weeks, I have largely 

dedicated this page to 

Fulanis and Middle Belt 

Christians who have 

contacted me to share their 

differing opinions about the 

herdsmen crisis in the North. 

The following email from a 

Benue State indigene, Iorkam 

W a n a z o o m 

(iorkamwanazoom@gmail.com), 

contained some interesting 

points that have not hitherto 

been aired in the Sweet N 

Sour space. 

UMAR 

Abubakar 

Ibrahim, one of your 

contributors on July 20, said 

that the Fulanis are targetted 

by other tribes in the North. 

This is a lie and an 

obfuscation strategy devised 

by evil people to try and 

evade responsibility for the 

brigandage of Fulani militias. 

Migratory 

grazing 

Every ethnic group in the 

North occupies its territory 

where it lives and carries out 

its economic occupations. 

Where individuals, members 

of an ethnic group, move to 

places outside of their own 

personal holdings, they 

purchase the right to use such 

places through negotiated 

personal transactions. 

The Fulani also have 

territories that they settled, 

and from there go on 

migratory grazing with their 

cattle to other areas on 

seasonal basis. They used to 

negotiate with the people in 

the areas they visited, to graze 

in the non-cultivated open 

spaces. But over time, and 

since the advent of the current 

government, they no longer 

seek permission to graze on 

any land. They now prefer to 

graze their cattle on the 

cultivated crops of the farms 

belonging to the locals, 

thereby destroying the farms. 

When they are challenged for 

destroying planted crops and 

•Fulani cattle rearers 

Not the last word 

farms, they resort to violence 

and kill the farmers. 

They do this with the full 

knowledge that the law 

enforcement agencies under 

their kith and kin in Buhari’s 

government will not hold 

them accountable to justice. 

When a farmer in annoyance 

over destruction of his farm 

crops, fights back and a Fulani 

Every piece of 

land belongs to 

someone or 

some people, 

and if you need 

access to it, you 

negotiate for it 

and come to 

mutual, freewill 

agreement 

is hurt, the herders mobilise 

their militias and attack the 

village, killing everyone they 

see and destroying the 

village. 

They have now come up with 

all kinds of diversionary 

excuses, alleging rustling of 

their animals and blockage of 

grazing routes. Non-herders 

cannot rustle cattle, they 

cannot control and make away 

with cattle. Where rustling 

takes place, it is carried out 

by Fulani themselves, not 

crop farming communities. 

The claim of grazing routes 

assumes that there are no 

other people in the North but 

only Fulani, to whom all the 

land belonged. History 

showed that areas belonging 

to other ethnic groups that 

Fulani used to pass with their 

cattle were made available by 

permission of the owners. 

Now population has grown 

and open spaces taken up and 

occupied by the growing 

populations. Are the Fulani 

suggesting that ethnic groups 

should not grow in population 

in their territories, so that 

there will be open spaces for 

the exclusive use of the 

Fulani? 

The resort to accusing 

politicians’ desperation is just 

another way of obfuscation of 

the magnitude and intention 

of the evil being carried out 

by herders’ militias with the 

connivance of the government 

in charge of security 

apparatus and law 

enforcement. 

I find it very irritating when 

our Fulani compatriots adopt 

diversionary and evasive 

tactics and arguments to 

downplay the evil their 

tribesmen are unleashing on 

simple minded, less 

influential, smaller tribes in 

the North. I read your earlier 

article in which Fulani elites 

like Kadaria Ahmed 

lamented that they are being 

unfairly singled out and 

accused of massacres. 

A simple test of the truth 

regarding the issue of attacks 

and massacres is the locations 

where they have happened. 

Never have we heard of an 

attack in the areas that are 

originally Fulani occupied as 

shown on your updated map. 

No tribe has encroached on an 

inch of Fulani territory 

anywhere in Nigeria. 

Reprisal 

attacks 

The Zamfara attacks are 

Fulani themselves rustling 

the cattle of their fellow 

herders, but the targets of 

their reprisal attacks are the 

minority farming tribesmen. 

The Adamawa Mambilla 

clashes all happened in the 

territories of the Bachama, 

where the itinerant Fulani 

have gone to assert 

themselves over the locals! To 

find an enduring solution to 

the clashes, we need to 

enforce the fact that there is 

no free land or any other 

resource that the citizenship 

of Nigeria automatically 

confers on any one. 

Every piece of land belongs 

to someone or some people, 

and if you need access to it, 

you negotiate for it and come 

to mutual freewill agreement. 

You do not use your network 

of links to government to 

seize the land by violence, 

arm-twist and blackmail the 

owners of the land to become 

subjugated to you. The 

argument of Fulani that land 

belongs to government and 

they have rights to such lands 

by virtue of citizenship is 

wrong. At its heart, this is an 

issue of resource control, only 

this time it is not oil but land. 

Mr Wanazoom’s comments 

are not the last word. This 

important and robust debate 

should, no matter how 

painful, be ongoing. As I’ve 

said before, unpleasant 

issues do not disappear simply 

because they are swept under 

the carpet for diplomatic or 

cowardly reasons. I firmly 

believe that problems are 

more likely to be solved if 

toxic grievances are openly 

expressed. 

Which is why I will, from 

time to time, continue to 

publish articulate 

submissions received from 

either “camp” on this page. 

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.


AS there appears some lull in 

recent weeks in the massacres in 

Benue State by suspected armed 

herdsmen, the peace of the state 

continues to be threatened, this time 

by political upheaval. All hell broke 

loose following the decision of 

Governor Samuel Ortom, some 

members of the State House of 

Assembly and other prominent 

political actors to defect from the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, to the 

rival Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 

On Monday, July 30, 2018, eight 

members of the Benue House of 

Assembly led by the impeached ex- 

Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange and fully 

supported by a horde of mobile 

policemen, stormed the Assembly 

complex. Without the legitimate 

Speaker, the Clerk and the Mace, 

they suspended 22 of their 

colleagues loyal to Governor Ortom, 

apparently to make way for his 

impeachment. Efforts by the 22 

members to get into the Assembly 

The Constitution must prevail in Benue 

Chamber were thwarted by the 

police. 

The eight assemblymen were 

purportedly aggrieved over an 

alleged misappropriation of N54 

billion by the Ortom government. 

According to them, of this amount, 

N22 billion was embezzled as 

security vote, while N32 billion was 

taken from funds belonging to the 

local governments while months of 

workers’ salaries remain unpaid. 

They served a seven-day 

impeachment notice on the 

Governor. 

Having been prevented from 

getting into the Assembly Chamber, 

the 22 members assembled in the 

Banquet Hall of the Government 

House and suspended the eight 

members for six months. Police later 

chased away workers at the 

Assembly complex and put it under 

lock and key. 

These sad events in Benue State 

which have been condemned across 

the country, reminds us of the dark 

early days of our democracy under 

President Olusegun Obasanjo, when 

no less than five governors 

(Anambra, Oyo, Bayelsa, Ekiti and 

Plateau) were impeached with the 

police seen to be implementing 

orders from the Presidency. 

However, in the unfolding Benue 

crisis, President Muhammadu 

Buhari has quickly dissociated 

himself from “any unconstitutional 

act,” saying that those insinuating 

presidential nexus in the matter are 

suffering from “paranoia at its 

worst”. Having exonerated himself, 

we call on the President to rein in 

the excesses of the police and get 

them to be neutral and professional 

in handling the situation. The 

Federal Government should never 

again be involved in any 

impeachment plot at the state level. 

It is none of their business under 

our Constitution. 

If the Benue Assembly members 

are convinced that Governor Ortom 

has a genuine case to answer, they 

must strictly follow the steps 

prescribed by Section 188 of the 1999 

Constitution (as amended). Eight 

members of a 30-man House of 

Assembly certainly do not constitute 

a quorum required to serve a 

governor impeachment notice. 

That’s impunity. 

The Benue Assembly complex 

should be reopened immediately. 

By Oludayo Tade 

THE growing fear of insecurity and the 

consequent worthlessness of lives of 

Nigerians have been further affirmed by the 

deaths recorded across the country. The 

indications into how Nigeria’s poor security 

infrastructure and its handlers will 

unprotect hapless masses emerged on the 

turn of 2018 with the Benue massacre of 

about 100 persons felled by herdsmen. Since 

that bloody beginning, Nigerian lives have 

become counted as numbers. We are only 

alarmed again with more recent killings in 

different parts of the country by herdsmen 

who operated for hours without intervention 

from our police, but are quick to tell the 

public, they are ‘on top of the situation.’ 

It is not the killings of people in Benue, 

Zamfara, Plateau, Ekiti, Ondo and 

Nasarawa that foreground the worthlessness 

of lives in my country; people are only 

alarmed by the daring nature that the serial 

killings have assumed following 

presidential lip service to checking it. If we 

are given opportunity to choose how we 

want to die, none of us will choose to die as 

experienced in the Plateau, or the Otedola 

Bridge way. The Yoruba categorised these 

dimensions of death as Ikúgbígbóná 

(horrifying death). Many prefer to die 

peacefully in their sleep (fífowóroríkú) but 

when people are hacked and burnt to death 

while asleep or awake, that is ‘hot-death’. 

But the way we are treated while living is 

more likely to influence how we shall die or 

the way we shall be interred. 

In Nigeria, we experience the practicality 

of all men are born equal but some are more 

equal than others. The foundation of future 

death is already laid by a government that 

pays less attention to the education of her 

people. The ruling class needs the children 

OPINION 

Cattle=Human: The worthlessness of Nigerian lives 

of the poor to be illiterate so that they remain 

unquestioned and silenced. Those who 

attend school are not catered for; they drop 

out of school, become useful pawns and fight 

back at the society that fails to cater for them. 

They are used as thugs and killed in battle 

by the state instrumentality that made them 

so. What a worthless life! 

What more describes 

failure than when a 

government cannot 

protect the lives and 

property of those under its 

watch? 

Death is just everywhere! People die in their 

hundreds on poorly constructed or 

refurbished roads daily. To make matters 

worse, the Police, FRSC, Customs, lurk 

around the bad portions on the roads where 

they unleash terror on drivers not only 

because they do not have papers but because 

of what they must SETTLE! Those who resist 

are shot dead and nothing happens 

thereafter! Passengers would rather ask 

drivers to pay and let them proceed. We have 

simply been reduced to ‘I don’t care people.’ 

Wrongs have become norms. In all these, 

the Aso Rock messiah can do no wrong even 

when the body language leaves a lasting 

impression of approval. 

What is life of a civil servant worth in 

Nigeria? N18, 000 ($50) poverty wage in a 

month! We are governed by legislators who 

take over N13.5 million monthly and full 

compliments of security and severance 

allowances when they leave office. The 

executive and Judiciary are yet to reveal 

their humongous earnings. The civil servant 

who after retiring is still doomed to queue 

in the sun, has no money to access health 

care. Many pensioners are owed for years. 

The point is that with N18,000, there is a 

limit placed on the value of life and life’s 

chances in terms of what one can become 

and enjoy and one is likely to die. 

Do you imagine how valuable our lives 

are worth in the eyes and hearts of those 

who lead us? How many people die in 

hospitals daily for government‘s failure to 

provide basic hospital needs ? Hospitals 

don’t have electricity and drugs. The 

qualified medical personnel are leaving in 

droves to countries where their skills are 

valued, and where their lives and those of 

their families can be better. In Nigeria today, 

the lives of the poor are used to nurture and 

service those of the rich and ruling class. 

Collective patrimony is used to treat the 

President in the UK. Governors use scarce 

resources to treat their malaria abroad. In 

the absence of proper wage, children have 

become breadwinners and ply their trade 

on dangerous roads where they are killed, 

raped, and kidnapped for rituals. Other 

children lost hope and resorted to drugs and 

are used by the exploiters to inflict pain on 

the rest of us. In the North, millions are out 

of school and among them, are those now 

wasted as suicide bombers. 

What the state wants to do, it does; what it 

does not want to do, it does not do. Is it not 

the same Inspector-General of Police who 

transmitted special squad from Abuja to 

arrest the Offa robbery gang that finds it 

difficult to tame killings in the North- 

Central? Beyond the face-saving, postmassacre 

deployment of security which is 

yet to stop the killings as more have been 

killed, the President needs to move beyond 

praying to solve security problems. Why did 

he not pray to get healed when he was sick 

but travelled to the UK to access quality 

medicare? Ace musician, Idris 

Abdulkareem, had in his ‘state-condemned’ 

song, Jagajaga, described how the masses 

are treated and are unified by suffering and 

death. Idris underscores how state failure 

allows the killing of innocent citizens 

‘gbosagbosa, gunshot in the head.’ 

Avenging the life of cattle with that of 

human beings only shows another 

dimension of life’s worthlessness in Nigeria. 

What is difficult in arresting rustlers and 

ensuring that they are made to pay double 

for what they stole and then jailed? What is 

difficult in arresting and making murderers 

face the law? How long will it take PMB to 

arrest members of the opposition within or 

outside APC if they are truly culpable in 

wasting human lives? What more describes 

failure than when a government cannot 

protect the lives and property of those under 

its watch? 

Let those alive till 2019 elections represent 

the interests of the dead by voting those who 

can protect and value us better. But I know 

these periodic losses will pass and we shall 

be back to our normal ‘worthless’ routines 

waiting for when it will be our turn. This is 

the story of Nigeria, the Federal Republic of 

‘I don’t Care People.’ 

*Dr. Tade, a sociologist, wrote via 

dotad2003@yahoo.com.

CBN to sanction banks for clearing 

system defaulters 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Central Bank of 

Nigeria (CBN) has 

prescribed 26 sanctions, which 

includes payment of fines 

against banks that flout the 

Nigerian Bankers Clearing 

System (NBCS) rules. 

The sanctions were contained 

in the revised NBCS rules 

released by the apex bank via a 

circular signed by the Director, 

Banking and Payments System 

Department, CBN, Dipo 

Fatokun. 

According to the apex bank the 

objectives of the NBCS rules are 

to provide for efficient operation 

of Automated Clearing System, 

speedy and efficient collection of 

cheques, bills and other payment 

instruments payable or 

deliverable to member banks of 

the NBCS by a system or systems 

of clearing. 

Also the new rule is to prescribe 

appropriate standards for the use 

of the NBCS; and to provide a 

mechanism and framework for the 

clearing and settlement of 

payment instruments among 

member banks. 

On sanctions for flouting 

the NBCS rules, CBN said: 

“Transmission of data that is not 

in agreement with the images 

will attract a sanction of N1, 

000 per item; Banks charging 

beneficiaries for Inward ACH 

credits except as prescribed by 

the CBN attracts 200 percent of 

the charge/fee subject to a 

minimum of N5, 000 to be 

charged per item against the 

bank; Delayed presentation of 

customers ACH instruments on 

the clearing system attracts a 10% 

of ACH item with a cap of 

N10,000 per payment 

instrument; A bank refusing to 

pay its own instrument drawn on 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$106.35 -1.70 

$2,078.00 8.00 

$10.70 0.22 

$72.72 0.33 

$68.34 0.68 

304.95 305.45 305.95 

400.4603 401.1169 401.7735 

356.4256 357.01 357.5944 

307.5643 308.0686 308.5729 

2.7245 2.7289 2.7334 

0.5263 0.5363 0.5463 

427.5749 428.2759 428.977 

44.8084 44.8824 44.9563 

81.3113 81.4446 81.578 

427.8753 428.5769 429.2784 

47.821 47.8994 47.9779 

22.9813 23.019 23.0566 

CBN Exchange rate as at 02/08/2018 

itself (Manager’s Cheque/Draft) 

other than in cases of forgery or 

theft will pay10% flat charge of 

face value or N10,000 flat charge 

per cheque, whichever is higher. 

In addition, Paying Bank shall 

pay full instrument value to 

Presenting Bank. 

“Presenting of Non-NUBAN 

transactions for clearing attracts 

a fine of N1, 000 per item; A 

member bank not treating 

(approve or reject) Direct Debit 

mandates within 48 hours of 

getting alerts is to pay a fine of 

N5, 000 per item per day; 

Frivolous return of Direct debit 

instruments, where valid 

mandate exists and customer has 

sufficient funds attracts a fine of 

N10,000 per item. 

“Late transmission of clearing 

data i.e. where NIBSS had to 

delay the closure of a clearing 

session to accommodate late 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 — 19 

transmission by a bank attracts 

a fine of N50, 000 within the first 

hour and every N50, 000 for 

every additional hour; 

Presenting or Paying Bank that 

applies account maintenance 

charge on debit entries arising 

from returned cheques 

processing is to pay a fine of 

N10, 000 per item. In addition, 

refund of the charge to the 

customer; Undue delay in 

transmission of cheques valid for 

presentment attracts a fine of 

N10, 000 per item per day.” 

MEETING: From left: Mr. Seun Tubi, Director; Alh. Nurudeen Fagbenro, Director; Mrs. 

Derin Agbabiaka, Company Secretary; Prince Aderemi Adekile, Chairman; Mr. Oluwagbemiga 

Olawoyin, Managing Director; and Mr. Idorenyen Enang, Director, all of Prorisk Insurance 

Brokers Limited during the company’s board meeting in Lagos. 

…Urged to prioritize low interest rate 

over MPR 

By Naomi Uzor 

MEANWHILE, the Lagos 

Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry, LCCI, yesterday, called 

on the apex bank to prioritize 

achieving low interest rate over 

maintaining high monetary policy 

rate (MPR). 

While the former, according to the 

chamber would stimulate 

investment and enhance 

growth the latter is aimed 

at checkmating inflation. 

At a press conference 

on the state of the 

economy, President of 

LCCI, Mr. Babatunde 

Ruwase, said low interest 

rate will also lead to the 

creation of more jobs, 

boost industrial output 

and ultimately have a 

moderating effect on 

inflation. 

The Chamber noted 

the decision of CBN’s 

Monetary Policy 

Committee (MPC) at its 

meeting of 23rd and 24th 

July 2018, which retained 

the monetary policy rates 

(MPR) at 14 percent. He 

opined that the MPC 

decision was 

underpinned by CBN’s 

concern about inflation 

and the risks to exchange rate, 

foreign reserves and capital flows. 

But Ruwase stated: “However, 

times like these calls for 

prioritization in favour of 

stimulation of investment and 

growth. This means giving 

priorities to job creation and poverty 

reduction, which are cardinal 

programs of the present 

administration.” 

He also commended the creation 

of a single digit interest rate window 

through the issuance of Commercial 

Papers by the large corporates, 

especially for the real sector, noting 

that it is gratifying that this window 

also offers long term facility of up 

to seven years tenure. 

This is salutary, and we 

commend CBN for the bold 

move. We also commend the 

decision to introduce a 

differentiated dynamic cash 

reserves requirements (CRR) 

regime to direct long-term bank 

credit at 9 per cent with a minimum 

tenure of seven years and two years 

moratorium to employment elastic 

sectors of the economy. The 

implication of this is that banks that 

lend to sectors that readily create 

jobs will get a corresponding CRR 

concession. 

mCASH comes with N50,000 insurance per 

transaction — NIBSS 

By Babajide Komolafe 

NIGERIA 

Interbank 

Settlement System 

(NIBSS) has said that every 

transaction via the mCASH 

electronic payment platform 

enjoys maximum insurance 

cover of N50,000. 

Managing Director/Chief 

Executive, NIBSS, Mr. Ade 

Shonubi, disclosed this at the 

re-launch of the platform in 

Lagos. He explained that 

mCASH is an innovative 

solution that was designed to 

facilitate low-value retail 

payments, grow e-payments 

by providing accessible 

electronic channels to a wider 

range of users and to further 

enhance financial inclusion 

in Nigeria. 

“This solution also extends 

e-payment benefits to payers 

and merchants at the bottom 

of the pyramid where usage 

of cash has been 

predominant,” he added. 

Speaking on the benefits of 

mCASH as against other 

platforms, he said the 

insurance cover is to enhance 

Microsoft 

up-skills 82 

Nigerian 

start-ups 

By Dotun Ibiwoye 

EIGHTY two Nigerian 

start-ups have grown 

their ventures with the help 

of 4Afrika, a Microsoft 

initiative, in the past five 

years. 

Speaking at a media chat 

with some of the Nigerian 

beneficiaries of the 4Africa 

initiative at Microsoft office in 

Lagos, Microsoft 4Afrika’s 

Innovation Lead, Djiba 

Diallo, said the programme’s 

focal point is to accelerate 

Africa’s economic 

development and improve its 

global competitiveness. 

According to her, 4Afrika 

which was launched in 

February 2013, with intent to 

move Africa’s digital 

transformation forward, has 

empowered people across the 

continent, while giving them 

the tools to turn great 

She stated: “Microsoft’s 

4Afrika programme provides 

grants, up-skilling workers, 

educating people, mentoring 

and training start-ups and 

NGOs, and working with 

African businesses on the 

ground to support them.” 

According to her, through 

deliberate skills transfer and 

access to cloud services, 

startups can innovate and 

compete on a global scale. 

She affirmed that a thriving 

start-up culture can have a 

tangible, immediate economic 

impact also, particularly 

those in the technology, 

mobile, and digital 

transformation fields. 

“Our close relationship 

with start-ups has influenced 

how we have engaged with 

them – they have learnt from 

us, and we have learnt from 

them, fine tuning the 

guidance and support that we 

have offered and continue to 

offer over time. We 

understand startups; and 

their successes have 

underlined our belief in the 

need to focus energies here. 

This is a beneficial 

relationship for all, and one 

that also unlocks several 

significant benefits on a micro 

and macro level,” she said. 

confidence in the platform, 

adding that NIBSS and 

telecommunication companies 

(telcos) have also upgraded 

mCASH to deter SIM swaps 

related and other types of 

frauds. 

Shonubi stated: “If you use 

mCASH and there is a fraud, 

up to N50, 000 is fully insured 

and you will get your money 

back because Bank Verification 

Number (BVN) is at the back, 

we can always do investigation 

to find out where your money 

went. I am not even aware of 

any other similar product that 

has insurance as a cover.”


Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 — 21










Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

Disasters: Natural and man-made 

SOME residents of the Greek 

holiday resort of Mati in the 

Rafina region might have 

thought what they were 

experiencing on July 24 was the 

fulfillment of the Biblical 

pronouncement that God will no 

longer destroy the world with 

water, but with fire next time. 

For many, all they saw were 

fires racing towards them like a 

category five typhoon making a 

land fall. In minutes, the raging 

fires which were 15 metres high, 

had leaked homes and cars and 

burnt many. For some, the fire 

seemed to be raining from the 

skies. The official casualty figure 

this week, is 91 dead and 

hundreds injured. 

Luckily, the Aegean Sea was 

nearby, and many made a dash 

for the beach. At least, 25 bodies 

were found on the road leading 

to the beach; they did not make 

it. There was the case of 26 

adults and children, who fled 

towards the sea. Perhaps due to 

very poor visibility, they missed 

the road and found themselves 

trapped over a cliff with the fire, 

hot on their heels. The two 

options they had were either get 

roasted by the fire or jump down 

the cliff to certain death. They 

got out of their cars, apparently 

hugged each other as if trying to 

shield themselves or in a joint 

prayer, as they faced a horrifying 

death. Amongst them was a 

mother with her child in her 

arms. 

There wasn’t much of a succor 

for some who made it to the 

beach as hot ashes and debris 

falling from the sky, forced them 

deeper into the sea. It meant 

death for some even if they could 

swim. Many who made it to the 

sea, survived with over 700 

rescued from the waves. 

Nikos Stavrinidis and wife, 

Rafina were at home when the fire 

sprang on them. He told the 

Associated Press: “It happened 

very fast. The fire was in the 

distance, then sparks from the 

fire reached us. Then the fire was 

all around us. We ran to the sea. 

We had to swim out because of 

the smoke, but we couldn't see 

where anything was…We didn't 

all make it…What upsets me and 

what I will carry in my heart is 

that it is terrible to see the person 

next to you drowning and not be 

able to help him. You can't. That's 

the only tragic thing. That will 

stay with me." 

A Polish mother and her son 

holidaying at the Ramada hotel 

were evacuated with other 

tourists. They made it to the sea 

and were put in a boat which 

apparently capsized. They did 

not make it out alive. 

The Holy Book say 

God gave humanity 

dominion over the 

earth, but we have 

taken nature for 

granted and are 

realizing that 

dictatorship, 

impunity and 

arbitrariness cannot 

be tolerated not just 

by humans, but also 

by nature 

Season of political migration and 

Kano's 3-man lockdown 

NOW that the season of 

migration is on us, we 

have seen how the dry 

harvest in the last three years is 

forcing politicians to seek pasture 

in fields they hope there will be 

enough greenery for them to 

partake of and dispense as is usual 

in the business of governance. 

For those who affect the 

deceptively holier-than-thou 

attitude to politics and governance 

of Adams Oshiomhole, new 

national chairman of ruling APC, 

the politicians should simply 

remain wherever they are, whether 

or not there is pasture for them and 

their supporters. In this season, 

Kano faces exciting times. 

RIPPLES this morning had the 

good fortune of plotting a free ride 

for an interesting article on 

camping and decamping from 

political parties, and on the State 

of the State since 1999. 

Malam Abdullah Musa 

Abdullah wrote in on it. He titled 

his write-up: "KANO: ENTER THE 

THREE WITCHES!". He is 

concerned, like most Kanawa 

(Kano people), that Kano has been 

juggled by three gladiators who 

have kept switching their 

preferences since 1999. Rabiu 

Musa Kwankwaso, now Senator, 

was Governor of the State with Dr. 

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as his 

deputy. 

From 2003, up to 2011, 

Sardaunan Kano, Malam 

Ibrahim Shekarau was Governor 

while Kwankwaso was Minister 

from 2003 to 2007. From 2011 to 

2015 Kwankwaso was again 

Governor with Ganduje as his 

deputy. During the period of 

Kwankwaso's second term, 

Shekarau was in his turn minister 

representing Kano. Now, Ganduje 

is Governor and Kwankwaso 

Senator while Shekarau is waiting 

in the wings for whatever. 

As Ganduje and Kwankwaso 

have since 2015 been at war while 

Shekarau and Kwankwaso were 

not on the same page or same 

party, now Shekarau and 

Kwankwaso are back in the same 

party awaiting permutations 

ahead of 2019. All this, in 

supposedly sophisticated Kano, 

made up of progressive and other 

politicians. 

On the matter of these three 

gladiators, Kwankwaso, Ganduje 

and Shekarau, Abdullah Musa 

Abdullah, a versatile writer and 

public affairs commentator wrote 

in. With a prayer, the piece will be 

seen for what it is as a fair comment 

from a concerned and committed 

Kano patriot saying things that 

need to be said. 

Now to the full rendition of 

Malam Abdullah Musa's: "KANO, 

ENTER THE THREE WITCHES!". 

"The phrase, ( sentence if you 

prefer) in quotes above is from a book 

by Shakespeare. (Macbeth?) 

"Do not ask me the details, I have 

not read it. One thing I know, it was 

an introduction to a scene. 

"The Witches said: When shall we 

three meet again 

"In thunder, lightening or in rain 

"When....... ( forgot this line) 

"When the battle is lost and won. 

"But I am not analysing 

Shakespeare's plays. My interest is 

politics. But why the Witches? 

"Because in many societies 

witches are believed to exist. They 

thus are well-known products. But, 

they are usually treacherous, 

mischievous. Whatever good they 

do, it will ultimately turn out to be 

bad. 

"Three people have held Kano's 

politics by the jugular since 1999. 

They are: Kwankwaso, Shekarau, 

Brian O’Callaghan-Westropp, 

an Irish, got married to his 

heartthrob, Zoe Holohan on July 

19. His mother was very happy 

as she had lost one of her sons 

twenty years before, in a 

motorcycle accident when he was 

in his 20s. The couple went on 

honeymoon to Greece where the 

fire caught them. The fire 

separated the couple as they fled 

its rage. Zoe Holohan survived 

with non-life threatening injuries, 

and Ganduje in that order. 

"Viewed another way, Ganduje 

was cloned from Kwankwaso. But 

has he grown wings! 

"Kwankwaso served two staggered 

terms. Shekarau served eight years 

straight. 

"Ganduje is aiming for Shekarau's 

record, he is now about to complete 

first term. 

"Shekarau (a Buhari creation) 

contested for the presidency of 

Nigeria on the plartform of ANPP. 

Contesting on his CPC's platform, 

Buhari floored Shekarau even in 

Kano State. 

"Kwankwaso contested against 

Buhari for APC's presidential 

nomination. Buhari defeated him, 

Kwankwaso defeated Atiku. 

"Towards 2019, Kwankwaso has 

dumped APC, probably for two 

reasons: It is shown by body 

language that APC intends to field 

Buhari. 

"What is worse, in Kano state, 

APC re-affirmed that Ganduje is 

the leader of the party. 

"Kwankwaso is expected to accept 

his former underling as his superior. 

Ganduje's deputy, Hafiz was 

nominated or imposed by 

Kwankwaso. He has now fallen out 

with Ganduje, retraced his steps 

back to Kwankwaso ( that is if he 

ever left). 

As Ganduje and 

Kwankwaso have since 

2015 been at war while 

Shekarau and 

Kwankwaso were not on 

the same page or same 

party, now Shekarau 

and Kwankwaso are 

back in the same party 

awaiting permutations 

ahead of 2019 

but 49-year old Brian 

O’Callaghan-Westropp did not. 

His grieving mother had to fly to 

Greece, to retrieve the body of her 

son; the second she will have to 

bury in two decades. 

What caused the twin fires may 

never be known as Protection 

Minister, Nikos Toskas threw in 

possible arson. But what is known 

is that climate change had 

produced a dry winter, a hot 

summer with temperatures of up 

to 40 degree Celsius, and hot, fast 

winds gathering a speed of 

60mph. There was also the 

maintenance of a pine forest 

from which the first fire was 

reported. There was either no 

evacuation plan in the tourist 

town, or it was not activated. Also, 

many of the roads in the town are 

reported to lead to dead ends 

leading to gridlock as people 

tried to flee to safety. 

Near the Northern California 

National Parks in United States, 

another fire, the Carr Fire began 

raging as those of Greece were 

being brought under control. So 

far, eight persons have been 

killed, the cost of the 900 homes 

destroyed has been put at $253 

million, while the cost of 

suppressing the fires has 

surpassed $25 million. The 

suppression cost of the Ferguson 

Fire, which began 10 days before 

the Carr Fire has so far gulped 

over $64 million. 

Perhaps, Japan presented the 

most perplexing case for 

humanity when in July, it 

witnessed both flooding and 

heatwaves which killed over 300 

persons. It began in the first week 

of the month when floods, 

accompanied by landslides, over 

ran the Western and Central 

"Latest newspaper reports suggest 

that Ganduje is wooing Shekarau 

back to APC, with offer to him to 

nominate a new Deputy Governor. 

(Hafiz is going to be advised to 

either resign or be impeached) 

"We wait to see whether the 

Obasanjo versus Atiku type of 

boxing match will be re-enacted in 

Kano. 

"But what is happening between 

the three principal 'Witches' is not 

my interest here. 

"My interest is: from 2019 

onwards, where does Kano go, 

development wise? Neither 

Kwankwaso nor Shekarau will ever 

be Kano state's governor again 

under the present constitution. 

"So their interest is installation of 

a stooge.....with possibility of 

determining for as long as they are 

alive, who becomes governor in 

Kano. 

"Those who eat from the palms of 

Kwankwaso or Shekarau would be 

happy with such an arrangement. 

But their palms are not big enough 

to accomodate millions of Kano 

state citizens. 

"What of Ganduje? My view is 

that Ganduje has no direction, nor 

inner propulsion. If anything 

propels him, it is the desire to equal 

Kwankwaso's political record. 

"It is his right, but I also have the 

right to reject him. Kano has 

numerous challenges. In fact Kano 

is specially challenged. It needs 

genuine change of focus which only 

government will provide. 

"Shekarau, a retired civil servant, 

wanted Kano state government to 

parts of the country killing some 

220 persons. It was replaced in 

the second week by heatwaves of 

over 40 degrees celsius which 

sent about 10,000 Japanese to the 

hospital for heatstroke 

symptoms. The following week, 

the casualties ending up in 

hospital rose to 22,000, while in 

the fourth week of July, it came 

down to 13,700 persons. In the 

same period in neigbouring 

South Korea, heat-related 

ailments sent 26 to early graves. 

The month of July was also 

quite devastating in Nigeria as 

floods swept through a number 

of states. In Katsina State, it 

killed 48 and displaced about 

2,000. The floods killed eight in 

Niger State and an unspecified 

number in Ogun State including 

a food vendor, Halirat Akintobi 

and her two sons. The Nigeria 

authorities attributed the 

disaster to global warming and 

shifting patterns of rainfall. In 

Kenya, flooding that began in 

March, has so far killed 122 and 

displaced 222, 456 persons. 

Human beings have not treated 

the environment well. This has 

resulted in climate change. What 

we are witnessing is a ferocious 

fight back by nature. The Holy 

Book say God gave humanity 

dominion over the earth, but we 

have taken nature for granted 

and are realizing that 

dictatorship, impunity and 

arbitrariness cannot be tolerated 

not just by humans, but also by 

nature. The tragedy and 

immediate danger we face is that 

powerful people like American 

President, Donald Trump, do not 

take climate change serious, such 

people even think it is a scam. 

keep shouldering his burden as first 

class citizen for the rest of his life: 

he built a palace for himself from 

government's treasury, he wants 

government to maintain it for him, 

to feed him, feed his horses, buy him 

bullet proof SUVs every four years, 

paid annual leave, free medical 

care..... 

"Even HIV virus will not be this 

destructive on Kano populace. 

"But this is democracy. 

"Shekarau proposed this law, then 

House of Assembly rubber-stamped 

it for him.... And the sheep he ruled 

over continued eating husk. 

"We will do our best to convince 

Kano people to try something new. 

"After more than 50 years on the 

throne, when he died, none of the 

children of Dr Ado Bayero 

succeeded him. 

"If monarchy can accept a fresh 

face, why not politics? 

"When Goodluck visited Kano for 

a party function and Kwankwaso 

was an APC governor..... 

Kwankwaso staged a sweeping 

exercise of the venue the PDPians 

'polluted'. 

"And today, after Kwankwaso 

returned again to PDP, members of 

Kwankwasiyya movement gathered 

to burn the brooms! 

"Don't you feel pity for some 

people's lack of inner compass?" 

This is vintage ABDULLAH 

MUSA ABDULLAH in his 

Thursday 26 JULY, 2018 epistle 

sent to my email. And I like it for 

its aptness. I doubt if anyone can 

put it forth any better. 

What sayest thou Kano?



YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

PISCES: Although erratic people from unexpected 

quarters may oppose you openly, your being self assertive 

will earn you both victory and financial success. Then 

tomorrow will prove more successful. 

ARIES: Yes! It’s your day again. The more ambitious 

you are the better for you. Then you will need to ignore 

those with queer characteristics within your working 

arena. 

TAURUS: Mixed trends are indicated. If you take good 

advice from your cool headed friends, you will benefit 

more than you imagine, but if you take to unpredictable 

attitude, you will today start fire that will burn with great 

intensity tomorrow. 

GEMINI: If you take the veterans within your base for 

granted, they will fail you painfully. Yet here is a lucky day 

for you when your being secretive and self reliant will 

earn you success. Be more ambitious. 

CANCER: Some of the people around you may get on 

your nerve via careless remarks, you must not allow them 

to disorganise your plans. The closer you are to the 

influential people the better for you. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“We are products of our past but we do not have to be 

prisoners of it”-Rick Warren- 

Undo a wrong. Is there someone you need to apologize 

to? Is something, large or small, weighing on your mind? 

All of that is wasted mental and emotional energy if you do 

not take step to rectify the situation. Only you know what it 

is, and when you do it, you’ll be filled with positive energy 

almost immediately. -Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

Speak softly 

and carry a 

big stick; you 

will go far. ~ 

West African 

proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LEO: “Money is the root of all evils” says an adage. And 

if care is not taken, money may set you and some other 

people fiercelly against each other to the detriment of 

your cause. Be cautious. 

VIRGO: Opposition between the Moon and Uranus in 

your star sign may induce personality clashes you don’t 

need at lest for now. What can help you now is love and 

your being persuasive. Think of the future. 

LIBRA: Positive events that started yesterday will 

continue today. Rely more on your ability to be as bold as 

necessary so that you can get things done your own way at 

work. 

SCORPIO: Good luck will smile at you. Romantic 

interlude that started recently may become excitingly 

louder and melodious to the satisfaction of your soul. 

SAGITTARIUS: If you allow domestic pressure to affect 

your working pattern, your senior colleagues may not 

understand and make things a bit more difficult. IF you’re 

stable, you will have more to gain financially. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

CAPRICORN: After snappy aggressive approach 

exhibited by you yesterday ,you are back at your being 

pleasant self to the admiration of others. This is the wrong 

time to take law and it’s agents for granted. Youngs-atheart 

are favoured so also commercial activities. 

AQUARIUS: Some of you will wake up from slumber 

and realise mistakes about your finances early enough 

and make amendment but those who are reckless will 

commit more blunder. Beware of joint venture. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

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

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

When would frustration go? 

Dear Joshua, 

I am a prominent chief around here. I know that 

everybody has heard what frustration is but I doubt it if 

someone somewhere has first hand experience of what 

frustration is more than me. Why? 

Right now I am a healthy person yet I want your 

Astrological ex-ray about my star and tell me what to expect 

health-wise and/or how to manage myself, career and 

financially. 

Anonymous, Nigeria. 

Dear Anonymous, 

It is true that you have gone through a few moments of 

test but today you are prominent. Meaning that what you 

tagged as frustration are needed challenges. 

Your parents must have gone through a few numbers of 

troubled moment while trying to raise you as you have 

what looked like a dirty childhood from both health and 

other areas as your life as indicated by opposition between 

conjoined planets across Pisces and Virgo when you were 

born 

Luckily for you however, as your natal Moon strongly 

got positive aspect from Venus, Your survival is assured. 

And there are indications of better health for you as you 

out-grow the childhood problems. 

Nonetheless what you will need to take seriously include 

constant worries, toothache, skin infection, headache 

(fever)lungs, stomach ache, feet and sometimes the bones 

(dislocation). Nothing fatalistic about everything started 

here but mere warnings. 

Yours is a rugged personality suitable for military career 

of any type. And whenever you opt out of the military, it 

will be wise of you to give consideration to involvement 

with liquid related business especially the oil industry. The 

computer world and essential needs of women. Actually 

dealing with women along your business line will prove 

most fortunate for you. 

Fish farming and other agro-allied can be favourable 

but because of your love of changes, you may not be able 

to see such through. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



Ughelli women shut East-West Road 

over estimated billings by BEDC 

By Perez Brisibe 

U 

G H E L L — 

TRAVELLERS on 

the Ughelli axis of East- 

West Road were, yesterday, 

stranded for over four 

hours as hundreds of 

protesting women from 

Ughelli and surrounding 

communities shut the road 

over what they described as 

the continuous estimated 

billings by Benin Electricity 

Distribution Company, 

BEDC. 

Vehicular movement and 

commercial activities on the 

road were completely 

paralysed till about 11a.m., 

when the protest ended 

with the women promising 

to return to the road if the 

matter is not addressed. 

The protest is coming less 

than 24 hours after 

residents of the area urged 

the Federal Government to 

revoke the operational 

license of BEDC over the 

alleged high estimated 

billings. 

The women, who carried 

placard with inscriptions 

such as “BEDC/NEPA 

restore our transformer,” 

“BEDC asking us for 

N5,000,” among others, 

stormed the streets of 

Ughelli as early as 6a.m., 

and ended their protest at 

the BEDC office on the 

East-West Road, where 

they barricaded the road. 

‘They claimed 

transformers we bought’ 

Speaking on behalf of the 

protesters, one of the 

women, Patricia Ajagba, 

said while some electricity 

consumers were made to 

pay monthly estimated bills 

despite prolonged 

blackout, others were forced 

to tax themselves with at 

least N5,000 for the repair 

of faulty electricity 

transformers. 

She said: “We even 

purchased some of these 

transformers only for 

BEDC officials to force us 

to sign an undertaking that 

the transformers was 

provided for us by them as 

a requirement for them 

installing and powering it 

on.” 

Efforts to speak with the 

BEDC Branch Manager, 

who was simply identified 

as Bethel, were fruitless as 

he directed all inquiries to 

the company’s head office 

in Benin, Edo State. 

COLLOQUIUM: From left— Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, UNILAG, Professor Ayodele 

Atsenuwa; Professor J. Oloka-Onyango of Makerere University, Uganda; Justice I. O. Harrison of High 

Court of Lagos State; Professor Oyewole Oyewo and Acting Head, Department of Public Law, Dr. Olusola 

Amusa, both of UNILAG, at the colloquium on Status of Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural 

Rights, organised by the institution's Department of Public Law, in Lagos. 

Fix flow stations in our land, Ijaw group warns FG 

By Akpokona 

Omafuaire 

WARRI—THE Iduwini 

National Movement 

for Peace and Development, 

INMPD, has called on the 


take urgent steps to 

address the development 

issues affecting Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC’s Flow 

Stations located in Burutu 

and Gbaramatu kingdoms 

in Burutu and Warri South- 

West Local Government 

areas. 

INMPD gave the 

warning yesterday in a 

statement in Warri by Musa 

Oyandugha, Publicity 

Secretary and Amino Suyei, 

Mobilisation Officer. 

The statement read in 

part: “Undoubtedly, the 

maintenance of the flow 

stations will usher in 

enormous economic value 

and affect lives of residents, 

as well as the 

government. Because it 

will to an extent address 

the unemployment 

problem that has 

engulfed the country. 

“It is sad and very 

unfortunate that tangible 

development sited in the 

Niger Delta region, 

especially in Ijaw areas, 

are being abandoned. 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA State 

Commissioner for 

Information, Ogbueshi 

Patrick Ukah, has assured 

Deltans and non-Deltans 

alike of more developments, 

saying Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa meant well for the 

state. 

Ukah gave the assurance 

when Oshimili North 

Traditional Rulers, 

Landlords’ Association of 

Pat Okonkwo axis (Okotomi 

Layout) Okpanam, Yoruba 

Community in Okpanam, 

Hairdressers Association 

and Artisans’ Association of 

Okpanam, Oshimili North 

Local Government Area of 

the state paid him a courtesy 

visit in his Okpanam 

country home. 

Earlier, leader of 

landlords’ association 

delegation, Mr. Tunde 

Oliogu, the traditional 

“If the priority of 

government is the 

security and welfare of the 

people, we do not see any 

reason why a project that 

rulers and the other groups 

pledged their allegiance to 

will address the economic 

woes of not only the Ijaw, 

but the entire country at 

large should be left in 

such a sorry state.” 

Ukah assures of more devt projects from Okowa 

Governor Okowa’s 

administration. 

PDP's moving closer to 

2019 victory—Obuah 

RIVERS State Chairman 

of Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Mr. Felix 

Obuah, has said the gale 

of high profile defections 


Congress, APC, has 

brightened the chances of 

PDP’s victory in 2019. 

Obuah said their 

departure has put APC in 

disarray, stressing that the 

development has 

confirmed the unwavering 

position of PDP that APC is 

visionless, lame and has 

nothing to offer the masses 

other than poverty, hunger 

and bloodletting. 

Recalling that the 

decampees, which include 

Senate President, Dr. 

Bukola Saraki; Kwara State 

Governor, Abdulfatah 

Ahmed; Benue State 

Governor, Samuel Ortom; 

Sokoto State Governor, 

Aminu Tambuwal; National 

Publicity Secretary of APC, 

Bolaji Abdullahi and a host 

of some state assembly 

members constitute the 

‘heart and soul’ of the party, 

Obuah said the 

development now marks 

the end of the road for APC. 

He added that the 

ultimate beneficiaries of the 

development are the 

generality of the Nigerian 

citizens, whose political 

system has been 

transformed to that of 

animal kingdom. 

Shaibu alleges diversion of funds 

meant for Niger Delta devt 

By Alemma- 

Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN—EDO State 

Deputy Governor, 

Mr. Philip Shaibu, 

yesterday, said the 

diversion of funds meant 

for development in the 

Niger Delta region was 

responsible for the 

under-development of 

parts of the region. 

He advocated 

execution of projects that 

have direct impact on the 

people of the region. 

Shaibu spoke at a 

programme tagged 

Participatory and 

Response Governance 

for Sustainable 

Development in the 

Niger Delta, in Benin, 

yesterday. 

The programme was 

organised by Niger 

Delta Institutions 

Learning Event, in 

conjunction with USAID, 

Leadership Initiative for 

Transformation and 

Empowerment, LITE- 

Africa and Africa 

Network 

Environment 

for 

and 

Court upholds Nwafor 

as Rivers APC counsel 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT— 

A Rivers State High 

Court sitting in Port 

Harcourt has held that 

Mr. Nwafor Felix is the 

legal representative of 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in the 

crisis rocking the party 

following its ward, local 

government and state 

congresses conducted 

in the state in May. 

The court also 

admitted about 44 

exhibits submitted to it 

by counsel for the 23 

aggrieved members of 

the party, Henry Bello. 

The decision of the 

court followed two 

letters read by the 

court, believed to have 

been sent by the 

National Legal Adviser 

of APC, Darius 

Okitade. 

Trial judge, Justice 

Chiwendu Nwogu, 

read the two letters and 

urged Tuduru Edeh 

and 

Latif 

Fabemi(SAN), to cease 

representing the party 

in the matter. 

Meanwhile, the 23 

aggrieved members 

are asking the court to 

declare that the 

purported ward, local 

government and state 

congresses conducted by 

Economic Justice, ANEEJ. 

Represented by the 

Chairman of Edo State 

House of Assembly 

Committee on 

Appropriation, Damian 

Lawani, Shaibu said the 

government must use the 

bottom-top approach in 

project execution in the 

region. 

He said: “It is 

unfortunate that some of 

those who are supposed 

to ask these questions 

are friends to those 

whose duties are to 

monitor the utilisation of 

these funds. 

“We must educate the 

people that their interest 

is what is at stake, so they 

must ask questions 

relating to how these 

funds are utilised.” 

In his welcome 

address, Executive 

Director of ANEEJ, Rev. 

David Ugolor, said the 

aim of the programme is 

to engage government 

agencies saddled with 

implementing 

development in the region 

to strengthen transparency 

and accountability. 

the defendant in the state 

on May 12, 19, 20 and 21, 

respectively, are null, 

void and of no effect 

whatsoever. 

Bello further 

announced the 

submission of 44 exhibits 

in proving that the 

congresses of the party in 

the state were in total 

contradiction of APC’s 

constitution. 

He prayed the court to 

grant the claimants’ 

prayers in the interest of 

justice and save the 

country’s democracy 

from being subjected to 

impunity. 

Burial 

MRS. Victoria Atobamrere 

of Evwreni in Ughelli 

North LGA of Delta State 

is dead. She died April 7, 

aged 76. Today is lying in 

state at the family 

compound, followed by 

requiem mass at St. John’s 

Catholic Church, Evwreni. 

Internment is at her family 

compound and entertainment 

of guests at Mariere 

Primary School. Sunday is 

thanksgiving at Blessed 

Tansi Catholic Church, 

Ugboroke, Effurun.


Udeogaranya commends 

A’Court ruling on re-ordering 

of elections 

Apresidential aspirant of 

All Proressives 

Congress, APC, Chief 

Charles Udeogaranya 

yesterday commended the 

Appeal Court ruling 

upholding the National 

Assembly’s power to 

reorder elections. 

According to 

Udeogaranya in a 

statement, “Our judiciary 

has once again shown the 

light and now Nigerians 

will find the way. My 

gratitude goes to the fiveman 

panel of the Court of 


Appeal, led by the court’s 

President, Justice Zainab 

Bulkachuwa, who without 

doubt expressed an 

uncommon prudence in the 

administration of justice, 

regardless of personalities 

and positions involved in 

the case. 

“With this verdict coming 

at a time like this, it is a clear 

indication that men and 

women of a high ethical 

standard are in 

abundance in Nigeria and 

it gives hope for a better 

Nigeria.” 

Chinese consulate donates 

medical equipment to LASUTH 

By Ebun Sessou 

TO foster the Nigeria- 

China relationship as 

well as contribute to the 

health care system in 

Nigeria, the Chinese 

Consulate has donated an 

auto hematology analyzer 

and a semi-auto chemistry 

analyzer to the Lagos State 

University Teaching 

Hospital (LASUTH). 


Consul General of Peoples 

Republic of China China in 

Lagos, Mr. Chao 

Xiaoliang, the Lagos State 

University Teaching 

hospital is one of the 

leading hospitals in Lagos. 

“However, we are aware 

that the hospital is in urgent 

need for some medical 

equipment. I am a 

Lagosian and as a loyal 

citizen, I think it is 

necessary to do something 

for them. 

The equipment, which 

costs about seven million 

naira, was donated 

alongside other 

humanitarian aids. “I 

sincerely hope that these 

equipment will be put in 

full use by the doctors and 

can help more local patient.” 

Xiaoliang added that 

since China and Nigeria 

face similar challenges in 

its health sector as most 

populous countries, they 

launched programmes in 

the health cooperation on 

humanitarian grounds to 

benefit locals. 

In appreciation, the 

Acting Director, Clinical 

Services and Training, Dr. 

Tunde Odusote said that 

visiting the hospital shows 

that they value the level of 

service they are offering to 

both Nigerians and the 

Chinese community in 

Lagos. 

Corporate organisationstasked 

on action against sexual 

harassment 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS State Domestic 

and Sexual Violence 

Response Team, DSVRT, 

has urged corporate 

organisations in the state to 

put structures in place or 

sustain existing structures 

for reporting cases of sexual 

abuse. 

Co-ordinator of DSVRT 

Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi 

gave the charge when the 

team embarked on a 

sensitisation and 

awareness engagement 

with corporate 

organisations on sexual 

harassment. 

Contrary to earlier 

reported allegations of 

sexual abuse in Unilever by 

our correspondent, it was 

learned that one of the key 

organisations who 

partnered with Lagos State 

on this workshop tour was 

Unilever Nigeria Plc. 


coordinator, the 

engagement workshop 

with Staff of Unilever 

Nigeria Plc on sexual 

harassment was a successful 

collaboration and participants 

were actively engaged. 

The existing structure 

available to staff for 

ethics handling within the 

organization was also 

commended. 

She said DSVRT had 

engaged over 100 human 

resource professionals and 

psychologists from various 

corporate organisations at 

a workshop organised by 

Employee Assistance 

Professionals Association. 

By Dotun Ibiwoye 

THE 

National 

Orientation Agency, 

NOA, has said that the War 

Against Indiscipline, WAI, 

brigade founded by 


Buhari is the foremost 

voluntary organisation 

funded by its individual 

members who have 

integrity. 

NOA’s Director-General, 

Dr. Garba Abari, noted that 

the WAI is built on 

PROJECTS: FG to refund N489bn to 21 states 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—TWENTY one 

states of the federation 

are to benefit from the 

N489bn refund approved 

by the Senate for states that 

used their resources to 

execute federal projects in 

their areas. 

The Senator representing 

Anambra Central 

senatorial district, Chief 

Victor Umeh, while briefing 

reporters in Awka 

yesterday, said the Senate 

decided to approve some of 

the outstanding claims and 

liabilities of states based on 

their claims. 

According to Umeh, 

Lagos State topped the 

beneficiaries of the refund 

with N114.6 billion, while 

Akwa-Ibom State came 

second with N78.7 billion. 

Zamfara State, according 

to him, would get N60. 02 

billion from the refund, 

Ogun State - N59.2 billion 

and Anambra State N37. 9 

billion, among other states. 

MEETING: From left—Executive Vice President, Unilever Ghana and 

Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Capital, Funso 

Akere; Chief Executive Officer, JOF Nigeria, Segun Olugboyegun; 

and Unilever Global Foods President, Nitin Paranjpe, during Nitin’s 

meeting with Unilever local partners in Nigeria, yesterday. 

Umeh, who is a member 

of the Senate ad hoc 

committee on promissory 

note programme and bond 

issuance that approved the 

refund, said the approval 

became possible following 

the rescinding of earlier 

Senate resolution on the 

committee’s interim report 

of 7th June, 2018. 

He said: “The approval of 

the refund followed a 

motion by Senator Francis 

Alimikhena representing 

Edo North that the Senate 

should settle inherited local 

debts and contractual 

obligations on refund to 

state governments for 

projects executed on behalf 

of the federal government. 

“Anambra State deputy 

governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke 

and I led the Anambra 

delegation to the refund 

defence. I devoted my time 

to it because Governor 

Willie Obiano is doing well 

and needs as much 

assistance as possible to 

continue his good work in 

the state.” 

The senator appealed to 

the federal government to 

release the money without 

much delay to enable the 

states put the fund to use. 

APC, Ebonyi govt fight over use of 

stadium for rally 

•Stadium under reconstruction—Ebonyi govt 

•We must use it, Saturday—APC 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI— 

EBONYI State 

government and the All 


APC, yesterday took 

different stands over the 

planned usage of the 

Abakaliki Township 

Stadium by the latter for its 

rally this Saturday in the 

state. 

The All Progressives 

Congress, APC in the state 

had announced that it will 

hold a mega rally at the 

stadium on Saturday, 

ahead of the 2019 general 

elections. 

But the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, led 

state government in a 

reaction yesterday 

maintained that it has not 

discipline and only people 

with integrity are members 

of the organisation. 

Speaking at the official 

decoration of Lagos State 

Patron of WAI, Comrade 

Israel A. Adeshola, Abari, 

who was represented by 

NOA’s state director, 

Waheed Ishola, said: “WAI 

is the only gazetted 

voluntary organization in 

Nigeria. The peace corp 

was attempted but it did not 

work. Today’s event is 

given approval to any 

political party in the state 

to make use of the Abakaliki 

Township stadium for any 

rally on Saturday. 

The state government 

said it has banned the use 

of the stadium which it 

recently renamed Pa Ngele 

Oruta Stadium, for any 

political rally pending 

when ongoing 

reconstruction work at the 

stadium is completed. But 

the APC on its part insisted 

that it must go ahead with 

the rally. 

The Chief Press Secretary 

to Governor David Umahi, 

Emmanuel Uzor, 

while addressing 

journalists who paid him a 

courtesy visit, urged the 

APC in the state to look 

elsewhere for its proposed 

WAI is being funded by members, not govt—NOA 

another milestone in the 

history of WAI. The 

organisation truly has 

integrity. 

“President Buhari who 

created the WAI is still on 

the seat. It is easy for 

anyone to criticize and find 

faults in the government but 

when we get into 

government, what do we 

do? That’s another story. 

“Comrade Adeshola 

struggled and should be 

applauded." 

rally. 

According to him, "the 

stadium is not available for 

use for the rally as it was 

still undergoing 

reconstruction and 

renovation including 

asphalting and 

illumination of floodlight. 

“Abakaliki Township 

Stadium, now Pa Ngele 

Oruta Stadium as you all 

know has been under 

reconstruction and as I am 

talking to you, the asphalt 

at the back of the stadium 

is ongoing and the 

illumination of the flood 

light and the popular stand 

is ongoing." 

While noting that the 

state government allows 

freedom of political parties 

in the state to operate 

unhindered, Uzor however 

maintained that any 

political activity at the 

stadium at this particular 

time will jeopardise the 

work currently ongoing at 

the staudium. 

“Any political activity in 

that place especially by a 

particular party that is 

divided along three 

different strange lines will 

jeopardise the 

construction work in the 

stadium. 

“We believe in 

accommodating all the 

different voices especially 

different parties in the state. 

We don’t want to stiffle any 

opposition. Any opposition 

with credible integrity that 

wants to do anything is free 

to do it but as for the 

stadium,you will notice that 

for some time, even the state 

government has not done 

anything in the stadium 

because of the work going 

on there,” Uzor added. 

But in a swift reaction, 

the state Publicity Secretary 

of APC, Nwoba Chika 

Nwoba insisted that the 

party would make use of the 

stadium on Saturday. 

He warned supporters of 

the state government to stay 

away from the stadium on 

Saturday for their own 

good. 

“We are using the State 

Township Stadium on 

Saturday for our rally 

irrespective of the refusal of 

the state government. We 

are using it and we are 

here warning the touts who 

would be sent by the 

governor or anybody to 

stop our entry into the 

facility to please stay at 

home in their own interest. 

We will not entertain any 

nonsense that day. 

“The state government 

wrote to our great party, the 

APC this morning saying 

that the stadium was 

undergoing reconstruction, 

a stadium that was used for 

several events a few days 

ago. 

“So, may it be known to 

all that the APC Ebonyi 

State chapter shall be 

making use of the stadium 

on Saturday, despite any 

ongoing re-construction” 

Nwoba said.



Court decides El-Zakzaky’s bail October 4 

AKaduna High Court, 

yesterday, fixed 

October 4 to rule on the bail 

application of Islamic 

Movement in Nigeria, 

IMN's leader, Ibrahim el- 

Zakzaky, and his wife, 

Zinat. 

The trial judge, Gideon 

Kurada, adjourned the 

matter after counsel to the 

defendants, Maxwell 

Kyon, moved the 

application for the bail of 

the first and second 

defendants. 

Mr. Kyon told reporters 

that the prosecution had 

served the third and fourth 

defendants, Yakubu Yahaya 

and Sanusi Abdulqadir, 

respectively, standing trial 

with the Shi’ite leader. 

Kyon said the defence 

counsel had filed their bail 

application to the court and 

the prosecution had also 

filed their response. 

After the court session, 

prosecution counsel, Chris 

Umar, confirmed that the 

third and fourth 

respondents had been 

served through 

publications in two national 

dailies. 

FORUM From left— Chair, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Graca Machel; 

President of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim; GMD/CEO, Access Bank, Dr. Herbert Wigwe; former Minister 

of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, and CEO, Ecobank Foundation, Julie Essiam, at the ACT Foundation-funded 

African Philanthropy Forum Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

I’m yet to defect— Kano Dep Gov 

By Demola 

Akinyemi & 

Abdulmumin 

Murtala 

THE Deputy Governor 

of Kano State, Professor 

Hafiz Abubakar, yesterday, 

denied reports that he had 

dumped All Progressives 

Congress, APC, for Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP. 

In a statement by 

Abdulwahab Sa’id Ahmad, 

media assistant in the office 

of the Deputy Governor, 

Professor Abubakar called 

on the public to await 

whatever political stance he 

would decide on in the 

near future. 

Meanwhile, 16 APC 

Local Government 

chairmen in Kwara State 

have announced their 

defection to PDP. 

Joshua Omokanye, state 

chairman, Association of 

Local Governments of 

Nigeria, ALGON, who is 

also the council chairman 

of Oyun Local Government 

Area of the state, in 

company of his colleagues, 

announced their defection 

at a briefing in Ilorin, 

yesterday. 

He claimed their decision 

was not in conflict with the 

Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria and 

supported by Section 109 

(1) (g). 

According to him, “it is 

our collective resolve to join 

PDP as the worthy 

alternative platform to 

further our political careers 

and work for the 

advancement of the 

•...as 16 Kwara APC council bosses join PDP 

generality of our people. 

We have no doubt it would 

not be like the 

conglomeration of strange 

bedfellows that APC had 

been in the last four years. 

“APC is being controlled 

by a cabal bent on 

destroying its rising 

acceptability. They have 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—BENUE 

State tribal leaders 

on the platform of 

Mdzough U Tiv, MUT; 

Ochetoha K’ Idoma, OKI, 

and Omi Ny’ Igede, ONI, 

have condemned the 

political crisis rocking the 

state, urging the feuding 

parties to sheathe their 

swords to avert looming 

anarchy in the state. 

The leaders also 

appealed to the paramount 

rulers of the state to 

intervene in the matter by 

summoning a summit to 

resolve the crisis. 

In a statement by Chief 

Edward Ujege, President 

General of MUT; Adoya 

Amali, National President, 

OKI, and Ben Okpa, 

President General, ONI, 

the leaders decried the 

actions of the feuding 

parties lamenting that 

“their behaviours do not 

indicate that they 

understand the objectives 

of their mandate, instead 

they are deviating from the 

surreptitiously made it lose 

the compass of 

inclusiveness. It can today 

be said that APC is lacking 

internal democracy.” 

Kano Dep Gov 

On Kano State Deputy 

Governor, Professor 

Abubakar’s affiliation, his 

expectations of the 

common Benue man. 

“We express our dismay 

and disapproval of the 

spate of impeachments and 

suspensions between the 

executive and legislative 

arms.” 

Condemning occupation 

of the state Assembly 

media aide’s statement 

said: “The the future 

political direction of 

Professor Abubakar, his 

supporters and political 

associates will be in the 

public domain at the 

appropriate time after due 

consultations with all 

concerned elders.” 

Benue tribal leaders warn against looming 

anarchy, condemn Police invasion of Assembly 

THE 

Commandant 

General of Nigeria 

Security and Civil Defence 

Corps, NSCDC, Abdullahi 

Muhammadu, has 

expressed satisfaction at 

the growth of Nigeria’s 

private security operations, 

describing it as a collaborative 

industry capable of 

contributing meaningfully 

to tackling national security 

challenges. 

He spoke at a visit to the 

Lagos headquarters of 

Halogen Security 

Company Limited. 

Abdullahi, accompanied 

by two Assistant 

Commandants General 

and two Zonal 

by Police personnel, the 

leaders noted that “the 

process of law making is 

to disagree to agree and 

we have witnessed this in 

any legislative fora 

worldwide without the 

unnecessary interference of 

the Police and other law 

enforcement agents.” 

NSCDC boss lauds security firms 

Commanders, said: “I am 

impressed with what I have 

seen here today at Halogen 

Security Company. 

“Some private security 

companies have outpaced 

expectations and are moving 

the industry forward.” 

THE gale of defection 


Congress, APC, to Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, and 

other parties has been 

described as a strategic 

plan by enemies of Ndigbo 

to ensure that the 

presidency eludes the 

South-East in 2023. 

A chieftain of APC in Imo 

El-Zakzaky: Vanguard circulation 

rep escapes death in Kaduna 

By Ben Agande 

THE 

Circulation 

Representative of 

Vanguard newspapers 

in Kaduna, Clement 

Olajide, yesterday, 

escaped death by the 

whiskers as soldiers 

deployed to enforce 

blockade of roads 

leading to the Kaduna 

High Court, where 

leader of Islamic 

Movement in Nigeria, 

IMN, Ibrahim El- 

Zakzaky, was to be 

arraigned, fired several 

tear gas canisters at his 

car, while he was 

distributing yesterday’s 

edition of Vanguard 

By Suzan Edeh 

B AUCHI— 

BUHARI Youth 

Organisation, BYO, 

Bauchi State chapter, 

has said defection of 

some members of National 

Assembly to Peoples 

Democratic Party, 

PDP, will not affect the 

chances of All Progressive 

Congress, APC, in 

2019 elections. 

National Secretary of 

the group, Muhammad 

Bello, who stated this at 

the NUJ Secretariat in 

Bauchi yesterday, said: 

“Defection is not a new 

thing to us. 

By Agbonkhese Oboh 

TO have a 

progressive society, 

youths must 

complement education 

with discipline, says the 

Commandant of 

Command Day 

Secondary School, Ojo, 

Lt. Col. Musa Bappaiya, 

who spoke at the 

school’s 18th valedictory, 

speech and prize-giving 

day , Lagos. 

According to him, 

“students who pass 

through command 

schools are independent 

and confident. But, 

above all, they are 

disciplined. Discipline 

newspapers. 

Visibly shaken Olajide 

said the shell of tear gas 

canister missed his head 

by the whiskers and hit the 

dashboard of his car. 

He explained that as he 

came out to find out what 

was going on, a group of 

soldiers swooped on him, 

before a superior officer 

restrained them when he 

discovered Olajide’s 

identity. 

Sheikh Zakzaky and his 

wife were brought to court 

yesterday on charges 

preferred against them by 

the Kaduna State 

government, including 

culpable homicide and 

unlawful assembly. 

‘Defection of lawmakers 

will not affect APC’ 

“I want to assure you 

that the defection of lawmakers 

will not affect 

APC in 2019. 

“Though we are not 

happy that some of the 

lawmakers left APC, I 

want them to know that 

the party they defected to 

will not accommodate 

them like APC because 

we accommodate each 

other and live like one 

family.” 

On the forthcoming 

Bauchi South 

Senatorial by-election, 

Bello urged Bauchi citizens, 

especially the 

youth, to support APC's 

candidate, Lawal Gumau. 

‘Education needs discipline 

for a progressive society’ 

State, Prince Anthony 

Chyma, said this in a 

statement yesterday in 

Abuja, noting that a 

calculated attempt is being 

made to thwart the chances 

of President Muhammadu 

Buhari handing over 

power to a candidate from 

the South-East in 2023. 

According to him, “those 

complements education, 

which is necessary for any 

society to make progress.” 

Corroborating the 

Commandant, Chairman 

of the school’s Parents, 

Teachers’ Association, 

PTA, Professor Bidemi 

Idowu, of Lagos State 

University, said the 

synergy between all 

stakeholders in the school 

had helped build very 

complete students. 

At the event, Mrs V. O. 

Abayomi, Deputy Director, 

81 Division Quality 

Assurance Evaluation 

Unit, gave a talk on 

“Sexuality and Sexual 

Promiscuity Among the 

Under-Aged.” 

‘Defectors want to derail South-East 2023 chances’ 

defectors are out to frustrate 

the possibility of an Ndigbo 

man being president in the 

next dispensation. This is 

our chance now. 

“We should not be 

deceived by the antics of 

anti-South-East politicians, 

who would rather die than 

see a man from the region 

become President.”


THE ruling All 

Progressives 

Congress (APC) has been 

gripped by a fever of 

cross-carpeting. Publicly, 

the party is saying it will 

not lose sleep. The most 

dramatic statement yet 

was by the Minister of 

Information and Culture, 

Lai Mohammed, that 

providence is removing 

stones from the party’s 

rice, the same rice they 

have been eating for three 

years now. 

Late-night statements 

by party leaders suggest 

that if the party is 

sleeping at all, it is doing 

so with one eye open. 

With Senate President 

Bukola Saraki and three lies a cauldron of anger, 

governors out and a few vengeful spite and the 

more almost sure to leave urge to get even. 

the APC, it’s not only rice 

stones that the APC will Tadpoles to frogs 

have to worry about. The The blockade of the 

stones already lodged in homes of Saraki and his 

the party’s intestines deputy Ike Ekweremadu; 

might just be as deadly. the shuffling of the Kwara 

The APC is getting a taste State chapter of the APC; 

of its own medicine and and the crude and 

the party is not finding it pathetic attempt to 

exactly funny. 

impeach Governor 

When the party is not Samuel Ortom – all 

busy pretending that it is bearing the mark of state 

too preoccupied with the agents – are warning 

weighty affairs of state to shots that defectors are in 

worry about the for a hard, dangerous 

defections, it is busy time. 

fudging the numbers, At the last count, 50 or 

giving false hope that it more APC tadpoles in the 

remains the unshakable National Assembly, 

majority party and there’s roughly one-eighth of the 

nothing to worry about. active total members, had 

But beneath the surface shed their tails of 

Of defections and the 2019 electoral maths 

indecision and emerged 

as PDP frogs. The 

metamorphosis will reach 

its most hilarious point 

when candidates for key 

positions, especially the 

presidential and running 

mate tickets, are chosen at 

the PDP convention. 

Yet, even at this stage, 

the APC feels cornered. 

Whatever its 

pretensions to the 

contrary, the APC believes 

that unless it can raise the 

defection bar to suicidal 

heights and possibly 

make scapegoats of a few 

defectors or potential 

defectors, more defections 

will follow and not even 

the electoral maths by 

Festus Keyamo (SAN), 

would save the party at 

the next election. 

Defectors should 

expect hell, with little or 

no relief at all from the 

courts or the constitution. 

When the five former PDP 

governors left their party 

to form the nPDP and 

later moved in their 

numbers to join the APC, 

they did so in defiance of 

the restraining provisions 

of Section 68 of the 

constitution. 

They simply declared 

that the PDP had become 

factionalised and unfit to 

stay and were warmly 

embraced by the APC. 

Either out of complacency 

or because of infection 

from a terminal disease, 

the PDP let the defectors 

go. 

In hindsight, it was a 

mistake that the party 

would regret, and one 

which the present APC 

beneficiaries are 

determined not to repeat. 

The APC would do 

whatever it can to make 

the defectors miserable if 

they insist on defecting 

and useless if they 

The stones 

already lodged 

in the party’s 

intestines might 

just be as deadly, 

the APC is getting 

a taste of its own 

medicine and the 

party is not 

finding it exactly 

funny 

manage to stay. It’s a case 

of damned if you leave, 

damned if you stay, and 

damned if your name was 

even mentioned to leave. 

Politicians and 

cousins 

But why should anyone 

shed a tear? Cross 

carpeting and desperation 

to stop it is not a Nigerian 

thing and whatever 

politicians here or their 

cousins elsewhere may 

say, when their survival is 

threatened, politicians 

will put on their face 

masks first before sparing 

a thought for Johnny. 

According to an account 

in the Journal of 

Contemporary African 

Studies published seven 

years ago, in 1966 when 

the former Vice-President 

of Kenya, Odinga 

Odinga, broke with the 

ruling KANU and formed 

the Kenya People’s Union 

(KPU), 28 MPs followed 

him and crossed the floor 

to the KPU. 

The government of 

Jomo Kenyatta was 

threatened with collapse. 

It immediately responded 

by passing a 

constitutional amendment 

forcing all MPs who had 

left KANU to recontest 

their seats in a byelection. 

This constitutional 

provision was “borrowed” 

from Malawi, where it 

was first adopted by a 

constitutional amendment 

in 1964 when the ruling 

party was faced with the 

same situation as faced by 

KANU in Kenya. 

The study under 

reference also indicates 

that since the 1990s when 

a major wave of political 

liberalisation began in 

Africa, 26 out of 45 

countries have 

implemented antidefection 

laws either in 

their constitutions or in 

their electoral laws. 

History 

defection 

of 

They range from Sierra 

Leone, which perhaps 

has the strictest (a 

politician is deemed to 

have defected by merely 

voting against his party) 

to the “transfer market” 

system in South Africa, 

where there are two 15- 

day window periods in 

every legislative season 

when legislators may 

defect, though the 

defection must represent 

not less than 10 per cent 

of the total number of 

seats held by the party 

that the defector is 

leaving. 

The history of defections 

in Nigeria dates back to 

1951 when members of 

the NCNC defected to the 

AG to prevent the NCNC 

candidate, Nnamdi 

Azikiwe, winning the 

majority in the Western 

Regional Assembly. 

Defection or party 

hopping was also 

rampant in the Second 

Republic, yet this was a 

time when the parties 

even had an appearance 

of ideological 

differences. 

Why worry? 

There have been 

concerns about whether or 

not party hopping 

weakens the party 

system, the legitimacy of 

parliaments and perhaps 

voter confidence in 

democracy. Political 

opportunism is a matter 

for concern. But there is 

no strong evidence to 

suggest that countries 

with strong anti-defection 

laws, like Malawi, for 

example, where merely 

forming a pressure group 

in parliament could be 

grounds for expulsion 

from a party, have a more 

stable political system 

than countries with less 

stringent anti-defection 

laws. 

Apart from lack of 

internal democracy, other 

common reasons for 

defection are pork barrel 

and clientele politics. But 

it’s nothing to lose sleep 

about. Over time, the 

parties will evolve and 

find better ways of 

dealing with internal 

discontent or lose their 

support base as citizens 

become more engaged 

with the system. 

Strengthen 

party 

the 

One of the ways, for 

example, could be to 

strengthen the party 

statutes as in France and 

Italy, but note that even 

this novelty has not made 

the Italian system 

defection-proof. 

However we may 

despise defectors today, 

the fact is that Nigeria’s 

main parties remain 

special purpose vehicles 

with hardly anything 

separating them. And we 

love them just the way 

they are. Move the names 

and party symbols around 

a bit and you’ll get the 

same outcome. The 

parties exist for the sole 

aim of getting power by 

means fair or foul, with no 

guiding principles, no 

worldview and no vision 

of how to organise 

society. 

When defectors leave, 

there’s no need to 

question why because the 

only difference between 

where they are going and 

where they’re coming 

from is the party symbol. 

The parties are a 

reflection of who we are 

at this time. 

Since constitutional 

restraint has failed to stop 

defectors from enjoying 

the sport, APC, the party 

at the receiving end 

today, may seize this 

uncomfortable moment to 

review its statutes and 

clean up its act, instead of 

burying its head in the 

sand. The adversity, if not 

wasted, may well be a 

good chance for selfrenewal. 

Ishiekwene is the 

Managing Director/ 

Editor-In-Chief of The 

Interview and member 

of the board of the 

Global Editors Network


NNEBO 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss 

Nnebo Rita Amuche, 

now wish to be known 

and addressed as Mrs. 

Okonkwo Rita 

Amuche. All former 

documents remain 

valid. General public 

please take note. 

ADJARHO 



Ejiro Evelyn Adjarho, 



Ejiro Evelyn 

Eziebashe-Ezekiel. All 

former documents 

remain valid. General 

public please take note. 

ANOKE 



Anoke Rose, now wish 

to be known and 

addressed as Mrs. 

Rose Anoke Uzosike. 

All former documents 

remain valid. 

NIMASA, UNILAG 

and general public 


CHIKWENDU 



Abundance Chizoba 

Chikwendu, now wish 



Chizoba Abundance 

Isaiah. All former 




CHICHI 

Confirmation of Name 

I hereby confirm that the 

name Odum Chichi 

Stanley and Odum 

Stanley Chukwuyem refer 

to one and the same me. I 


and addressed as Odum 

Stanley Chukwukadibia . 




CHIGOZIE 


addressed as Samson 

Onyebuchi Chigozie, 


and addressed as 

Samson Onyebuchi 

Godwin. All former 




EJOGA 


addressed as Ejoga 

Emiene Peculiar, now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as Akor 

Agbenu Peculiar. All 



public please take 

note. 

ATSIKIDI 



Atsikidi Kelly 

Osikhotse, now wish to 

be known and 


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valid.All authorities 

and the general public 


INYAMA 



Inyama Blessing 

Adeyi, now wish to be 

known and addressed 

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Blessing Adeyi. All 




INYAMA 


addressed as Inyama 

Ugochukwu Josiah, 



Josiah Ugochukwu 

Josiah. All former 




AGBONRIMIEN 



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Onyechie, now wish to 

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addressed as Mrs 

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IMANAWA 


addressed as 

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Favour, now wish to be 


as Manawa Othuko. 




note. 

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addressed as 

Ekpekerekpe 

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be known and 

addressed as Otobore 

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note. 

ECHALAUKU 


addressed as 

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Echalauku, now wish 


addressed as 

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EGBON 



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Precious, now wish to 

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IDEH 



Ideh Charity, now 



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MGBONYEBI 


addressed as Miss. 

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Ufuomaniefe Mercy, 



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remain valid. To whom 

it may concern and 

general public to note. 

RHOGHO 



Celestina Rhogho, 



Celestina Zephaniah. 




OYEYIOLA 



Oyeyiola Bukola 

Elizabeth, now wish to 

be known and 


Ogunyinka Bukola 

Elizabeth. All former 



and concerned 

authorities should take 

note. 

ESHALOMI 



Eshalomi Stella, now 



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note. 

GODSPOWER 

Addition of Name 


addressed as 

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Godspower Collins 

Kpeji. All former 




BUKKIE 



Bukkie Anike Allison 

and Miss Olubukola 

Anike Allison, now 



Olubukunola Anike 

Omodara. All former 




BLESSING 


addressed as Blessing 

Taiye, now wish to be 


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note. 

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addressed as Brume 

Mega, now wish to be 


as Ovueraye 

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pubic please take 

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OKONT 

ONTA 



Gloria Ngozi Okonta, 



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NKWOCHA 


addressed as Nkwocha 

Arthur Ikechi, now 


addressed as 

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Ikechi. All former 




GODFREY 


addressed as 

Norbaine Jude 

Godfrey, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as 

Norbaine Efiye Jude. 




note. 

NWABUOKU 

Confirmation of Name 

I hereby confirm that 

N w a b u o k u 

Chukwudozibe Solomon, 

Nwabuoku Dozibe 

Solomon, Nwabuoku 

Dozibe Stephen Solomon 

refer to me. I now wish to 

be known and addressed 

as Nwabuoku Dozibe 

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former documents remain 



BILLY 



Billy Sophia 

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AKPAGIDE 



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Akpagide, now wish to 

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BENSON 


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public take note. 

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take note. 

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Monsurat Quadri, now 


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IBIOGU 


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Godswill Ahiaoma 

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AMADI 

Addition of Names 


addressed as Amadi 

Osadebe Chiedozie, now 

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General public please take 

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SUBEDETU 



Anavherokhai 

Subedetu, now wish to 

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OSARO 


addressed as Charles 

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Osarochinwi. All 




OGUONIGHO 



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EZIKE 

Reconciliation of Name 

This is to confirm that the 

names Miss Ezike Nkiruka, 

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Ezike and Mrs Igboke 

Favour Ezike refer to one 

and the same person. I 

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AZUBUIKE 


addressed as 

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UGOCHI 



Ezeonyeasi Onyekachi 

Ugochi, now wish to 

be known and 


Ihionu Onyekachi 

Ugochi. All former 




AMONA 


addressed as Elizabeth 

Bunmi Amona, now 


addressed as Elizabeth 

Bunmi Saka. All former 




IGBA 



Igba Cecilia Sikele, 



Hilili James Cecilia. 


remains valid, general 


KINGSLEY 

Reconciliation of name 

This is to notify the 

general public that 

Edumasuode Kingsley or 

Edumasuode Ebi or 

Edumasuode Kingsley is 

one and the same person, 

now wish to be known and 

addressed as 

Edumasuode Kingsley 

Ebi. All former documents 



OBRUCHE 



Akporhunuyo Obruche, 



Obruche Godwin 

Ibodje. All former 




ADIM 

Reconciliation of Name 

This is to confirm that the 

names Maduemezia 

Emmanuel Randolph Adim 

and Maduemezia 

Emmanuel Adimabua refer 

to one and the same 

person. I now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

Maduemezia Emmanuel 

Adimabua. All former 


General public please take 

note. 

IGENE 

I, formerly called Miss 

Edna Ejemen Igene, 



Edna Ejemen 

Oronsaye. All former 


valid. Concerned 

authorities and the 

general public should 


CHANGE OF NAME 

AMAKODIKE 


addressed as 

Amakodike Chiwendu 

Maryann, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as Achilonu 

Chiwendu Maryann. 




UWAEZUOKE 

I, formerly known as 

Uwaezuoke Nonye 

Juliana, now wish to 

be called and 

addressed as Igwe 

Nonye Juliana. All 


bearing my name still 

remains valid, banks & 

general public take 

note. 

EDEH 



Edeh Patience 

Ndidiamaka, now wish 



Bosco-Itoro Patience. 


remains valid, general 


OBIAGWU 


addressed as 

Obiagwu Chidinma, 


and addressed as Mrs 

Okafor Chidinma 

Joyce. All former 


vaild. General public 

take note. 

OKONKW 

ONKWOR 

OR 



Okonkwor Salome 

Udoka, now wish to be 


as Mrs. Braimoh 

Salome Udoka. All 


remain valid. First 

bank, Ecobank, NYSC 

and general public 


UMOH 


addressed as Miss Jane 

Sylvester Umoh now wish 


addressed as Mrs. Jane 

Stephen Akpan. All 

documents bearing my 

former name remain valid. 

Medical and Dental 

Council of Nigeria 

(MDCN) and general 


HELENA 

Confirmation of Names 

This is to certify that the 

names Mrs. Obaro- 

Omokaro Funlolake 

Helena and Mrs. Obaro- 

Omokaro Funke Helena as 

they appear in some of my 

documents refer to one 

and the same me. I now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Funke Helena Obaro- 

Omokaro. All former 


General public, please take 

note. 

ETUGBO 


addressed as 

Okemena Etugbo 

Patricia, now wish to be 


as Etugbo Patricia 

Okemana. All former 




MOSES 


addressed as Hope 

Moses, now wish to be 


as Aghogho Hope 

Eric. All former 




ERUK 

UKOGHENE 


addressed as Moses 

Oghenetega, now 


addressed as Moses 

Oghenetega 

Erukoghene. All 




OKOTIE 


addressed as Okotie 

Kindness Ajirioghene, 



Obroku Kindness 

Ajirioghene. All 




DAVID 



David Jennifer, now 



Orioko Akeni Jennifer. 




note. 

UCHEME 



Ucheme Augusta 

Ogonna, now wish to 

be known and 


Njoku Augusta 

Ogonna. All former 




OBI 



Obi Ukamaka Mercy, 



Okoli Ukamaka 

Mercy. All former 




DOSUNMU 

I, formerly known as 

Mrs Dosunmu Bimpe 

Oluwafunto, now wish 



Sorinola Oluwafunto 

Omotara. All former 



should take note pls. 

OKAGBUE 



Makuachukwu 

Happiness Okagbue, 



Makuachukwu 

Happiness Agangan. 




FANTI 



Amakiri Fanti, now 


addressed as Mrs. Eze 

Fanty Amakiri. All 




IGHOTEMU 



Ighotemu Esther, now 



Seimode Esther. All 




note. 

ORHOTOHWO 



Emuesiri Egbaivwie 

Orhotohwo, now wish 



Emuesiri Egbaivwie 

Modjota. All former 




OYEW 

YEWO 


addressed as Oyewo 

Abidemi Sherifat, now 


addressed as 

Akindele-Oyewo 

Sherifat Abidemi. All 




IKEH 



Ikeh Felicia 

Nwamaka, now wish 



Udekwe Felicia 

Nwamaka. All former 




NNABUGWU 



Nnabugwu Okwuchi 

Mary, now wish to be 


as Mrs. Amafili 

Okwuchi Mary. All 



Public Please take 

note. 

OSEMENKHIAN 



B l e s s i n g 

Osemenkhian, now 



Awhotu Blessing. All 




ALAOWEI 


addressed as Alaowei 

Cletitio and Ayaowei 

Harrison Letito, now 


addressed as Ayaowei 

Keregha. All former 


valid. First bank of 

Nigeria, Sterling Bank 

and the general public 


IWU-ADA 



Iwu-Ada Tressy and 

Iwu Tressy, now wish 



William Iwu Tressy. All 




note. 

IKEGBUNAM 


addressed as 

Ikegbunam Onyiuke 

Romanus, now wish to 

be known and 

addressed as Oforle 

Ikegbunam Onyiuke 

Ojukwu. All former 




ONOJA 


addressed as Veronica 

Ogwa Onoja, now 



Ogwa Veronica 

Babayemi. All former 




IBEDILO 

Confirmation of Names 

This is to certify that the 

names Otuodichukwu 

Ibedilo, Otuodichukwu 

Anyalechi Vincent and 

Anyalechi Vincent as 

they appear in some of my 

documents refer to one 

and the same me. I now 

wish to be known as 

Anyalechi Vincent. All 

former documents remain 

valid. General public, 

please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME 

ODIGILI 


addressed as Odigili 

Ifeanyi Tessy, now 


addressed as Isaac 

Ifeanyi Tessy. All 




OGUNDELE 



Ogundele Abisola 

Alice , now wish to be 


as Mrs. Olutayo 

Abisola Alice. All 




OGUGUA 


addressed as Ogugua 

Chikodili Precious, 



Overe Chikodili 

Precious. All former 




AI 

FOR 

ADVERT 

PLACEMENT 

VISIT 

TRINITY 

MALL, 

BESIDE 

ZENITH 

BANK 

BALOGUN 

BUS 

STOP, 

OBAFEMI 

AWOLOWO 

WAY, 

IKEJA, 

OR 

MURPHIS 

PLAZA, 

SANUSI 

FAFUNWA 

STREET, 

VICTORIA 


FG orders 48 coaches 

for Abuja Light rail 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government has 

placed order for 48 train 

coaches for full operation of 

Abuja Light rail project. 

The Minister of 

Information and Culture, 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, 

disclosed this, yesterday, 

during a tour of the project 

from Airport terminal to Idu 

Sub-Station to Abuja metro 

station at the Central 

Business District. 

The tour was a 

continuation of the 

nationwide tour of federal 

government projects, 

which started in May this 

year with the Lagos – 

Ibadan standard gauge 

rail, being the first leg of 

Lagos- Kano standard 

gauge railway. 

This was followed by 

inspection of the erosion 

and flood control project in 

Osogbo, Osun State; the 

dualization of Ogbomosho- 

Osogbo road project; the 

Enugu-PH express way 

and second Niger bridge, 

among others. 

The minister also stated 

that the federal 

government had set up 

N199 billion Infrastructure 

Development Fund to 

address the challenge of 

infrastructure deficit in the 

country. 

According to him, 

government is also working 

to improve other sea ports 

in the country to decongest 

Apapa port. 

‘‘We have just concluded 

a part of the Abuja Light rail 

project. Commercial 

operations have started. We 

have placed order for 48 

coaches, which we are 

expecting to arrive soon to 

compliment the three 

coaches now in operation. 

‘‘We are laying 

foundation for enduring 

infrastructure for 

generations unborn. This 

has left the opposition to 

resort to hate speech and 

fake news. We have joined 

Ikeja Electric promotes 299 

workers 

By Prince Okafor 

LAGOS—IN line with 

its commitment to 

reward productivity and 

also bolster efficiency 

within the organization, 

Ikeja Electric, IE, has 

announced the 

promotion of 299 

employees across 

various job grades in the 

business, while 

employing over 500 new 

staff in the last one year. 

In a statement released 

by the organization, the 

promotions cut across both 

junior and senior staff 

cadres in various 

departments of the 

company’s Head Office 

and its six business units. 

A breakdown of the list 

showed in the senior cadre, 

13 employees were 

the League of Nations in 

smart rail transportation,’’ 

he said. 

As part of its commitment 

to close the infrastructure 

gap in the country, the 

minister stated that federal 

government had set up 

N199 billion Infrastructure 

Development Fund for 

special intervention. 

The fund, according to 

him, will be used to fund 

critical infrastructure across 

the country without 

necessarily relying on 

annual budgetary 

provisions. 

‘‘This government has 

shown the political will, 

commitment to change the 

infrastructural decay it met 

on ground. One thing this 

government has been able 

to succeed in doing is 

setting up Infrastructure 

Development Fund, IDF. 

''This is adequate 

provisions made by 

government to avoid the 

mistake of the past, where 

critical projects were 

starved of funds due to lack 

of adequate provisions. We 

are also working to improve 

other sea ports in the 

country. 

‘‘The important thing for 

this administration is to 

continue with what we met 

on ground. We could have 

abandoned all the projects 

we met. But we said no. our 

philosophy is to build an 

enduring infrastructure 

legacy that will outlive this 

generation,'' he stated. 

On the affordability of the 

service, Alh. Mohammed 

said, ‘‘what we are doing 

is to test run the system. No 

fee is being charged for the 

next couple of months until 

we perfect the system. 

‘‘Today, we are 

subsidizing passengers’ 

movements on the Abuja- 

Kaduna rail line by 50 

percent. The idea is to 

create the enabling 

environment. We do not 

run it because we want to 

recoup the money 

spent but because we 

know it is a tool for growth." 

promoted to the role of 

Senior Managers, while 

seven others got promoted 

as Managers and another 

15 employees ascended 

the career ladder to become 

Assistant Managers. 

In addition, 121 

employees moved up to 

become Supervisors while 

one person rose to Grade 

Level 1 Officer. 

In the junior cadres, 38 

Technicians were 

elevated to Junior Grade 

Level 4, another 86 

persons across 

Technical, Commercial, 

Security, Internal Audit 

and HR & Admin 

Departments were 

promoted to Junior Grade 

Level 3 while 17 

employees were elevated 

to Junior Grade Level 2.


BOOK PRESENTATION: From left— Deputy Vice Chancellor, 

Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Professor Olatunde 

Arayela; wife of the author, Oluwayemisi; the author and former 

Registrar of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Mr. Ayorinde 

Ogunruku; and former Vice Chancellor, FUTA, Emeritus Professor 

Peter Adeniyi, at the public presentation of Ogunruku's book, Trends 

in University Administration: A Compendium of Selected Papers, at FUTA. 

GRADUATION: From left, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian 

Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo; the graduand, 

Olusegun Awolowo (Junior), and mother, Adebola, during the 

graduation of Olusegun Awolowo (Junior) at Warwick University, 

UK. where he bagged Bachelor of Laws (with honours) in law 

qualifying degree with second class, upper division.


HAJJ PILGRIMS—2018 Hajj pilgrims from Lagos State boarding the 

Med-View B777-200ER aircraft as Hajj pilgrims airlifting commenced from 

Murtala Muhammed Airport, at the early hours of yesterday. Photo: Lamidi 

Bamidele. 



Continues from Page 5 

of the country for various 

reasons while some are in 

their constituencies 

politicking. 

“But if there is a serious 

issue that requires urgent 

attention that will help the 

country to move forward, 

that will make Nigerians 

happy, why not? We are 

there, they elected us, they 

will recall us, and we could 

come and do the right 

thing. Of course, we know 

we would have concluded 

most things if not for the fact 

that there was a 

parliamentary coup which 

did not succeed and we 

have to go back and restrategise.” 

Reps also split 

Members of the House of 

Representatives were 

equally divided along 

partisan lines with the PDP 

members rebuffing 

entreaties of the APC 

lawmakers. 

“They want us to 

reconvene to cause further 

crisis”, says Aliyu Madaki 

NAIRA WATCH 

(PDP, Kano). 

Madaki, who recently 

defected from the APC to 

the PDP, said yesterday: “We 

are on recess and it is an 

annual ritual we always 

fulfil. They want us to 

reconvene so that they can 

cause further crisis but we 

are very ready for them.” 

On the supplementary 

budget, he said: “We saw 

it before we went on recess 

and we can always look at 

it when we resume; if it is 

not in good taste, we will 

return it to them 

immediately. 

“There is an ulterior 

motive behind the call, says 

Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, 

(PDP, Rivers), Chairman, 

House Committee on 

Public Accounts. 

Chinda said: “There must 

be an ulterior motive 

behind the call to reconvene 

the National Assembly, but 

we’ll surprise them. 

“And if I may ask, for what 

purpose are we 

reconvening? If it is 

because of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, budget why did the 

Naira appreciates to 

N362.31/$ in I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, appreciated to N362.31 

in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window dropped marginally 

to N362.31 per dollar yesterday from N362.33 per 

dollar on Wednesday, indicating 2 kobo appreciation 

of the naira. 

However, the volume of dollar traded in the 

window yesterday rose by 18 percent to $106.06 

million from $90.14 million traded on Wednesday. 

Similarly, the naira yesterday appreciated by 30 

kobo in the parallel market. 

According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate 

platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change 

Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the parallel market 

exchange dropped to N358 per dollar from N358.3 

per dollar on Wednesday 30 kobo appreciation of 

the naira. 

executive fail to include it 

in the 2019 

Appropriation?” he 

wondered. 

“But whatever they are 

plotting, we’ll surprise 

them and make what is on 

the ground for now a child’s 

play as we are sure they 

will not succeed with their 

selfish intentions. 

“Since we are here to 

represent our people, if it 

becomes mandatory, we 

may reconvene, but if they 

attempt anything funny, 

we’ll surprise them.” 

“There’s no emergency to 

warrant reconvening of 

NASS”, adds Solomon 

Maren (PDP, Plateau). 

Maren on his part said 

that “there’s no problem 

with the National Assembly 

reconvening if the need 

arises but, at the moment, 

there is no emergency to 

warrant reconvening. 

“Dissident members or 

Senators cannot make us 

reconvene because if this 

happens, it will mean we 

are giving credence to their 

misbehaviour. 

“The National Assembly 

and indeed legislative 

conventions do not allow 

activities of parliament to be 

controlled by emotions, 

rather on rules and 

constitutional provisions.” 

PDP warns 

The National Publicity 

Secretary of the PDP, Mr. 

Kola Ologbondinyan told 

Vanguard yesterday that 

the APC should not toy 

with the idea of enthroning 

what it yesterday described 

as its kangaroo-style tactics 

operated at the state level 

at the national level. 

The party spokesman said 

doing such could truncate 

the nation’s democracy. 

He said: “The decision to 

either reconvene the 

Senate or not, lies with the 

President of the Senate and 

you don’t just wake up as 

a senator from the right side 

of the bed or from the left 

side of the bed and jump 

out and say, come out and 

open the Senate. 

“There must be a matter 

of urgent national 

importance. There must be 

such urgent national 

importance for you to open 

the Senate. 

“And we want to warn 

APC. If they think that the 

kind of kangaroo processes 

that they adopt in the states 

can be done in the National 

Assembly, they will put the 

polity under unnecessary 

pressure and will truncate 

this democracy. 

“PDP will not accept any 

underhand measure from 

the APC on the issues of the 

National Assembly where 

there are rules and the 

constitution that guide the 

operations of the National 

Assembly. 

“The National Assembly 

is not a kangaroo assembly 

where they can deploy 

police to go and shut down. 

They will just truncate this 

democracy,” the PDP 

spokesman warned 

yesterday. 

Buhari’s vacation, 

cover to impeach 

Saraki, 

Ekweremadu 

— PDP 

Meanwhile, the PDP 

also, yesterday, alleged that 

President Buhari’s twoweek 

vacation in London 

was designed to exonerate 

him from blame in what it 

described as a plan to 

impeach Saraki and 

Ekweremadu. 

The party in a statement, 

said it was aware of a plot 

already perfected in a 

meeting on “Wednesday 

night, between the 

Presidency and some All 

Progressives Congress 

(APC) senators, who are 

now in the minority, to 

forcefully reconvene the 

Senate with protection from 

security agencies, with a 

view to impeach Senate 

President, Bukola Saraki 

and Deputy Senate 

President, 

Ike 

Ekweremadu.” 

The statement further 

read: “The PDP knows that 

the desperation to illegally 

take control of the National 

Assembly is part of the 

design to undermine our 

democratic institutions and 

completely foist a dictatorial 

regime on our nation. 

“The planned invasion is 

also a bid to cover the 

atrocious and humongous 

corruption of the Buhari 

administration, which the 

National Assembly is set to 

expose. 

“The PDP has been 

reliably informed about 

how these APC senators, 

especially members of the 

Buhari Parliamentary 

Support Group (BPSG), 

have been provided with 

huge sums of money, 

illegally lifted from 

repatriated funds, to carry 

out this nefarious act under 

the guise of urgent need to 

approve funds for the 2019 

general elections. 

“It is clear that President 

Buhari and the APC are 

hugely terrified and 

distressed by the gale of 

defections from their fold 

and have resorted to 

underhand methods, 

threats and intimidation, 

irrespective of the damage 

being inflicted on the polity. 

“Having been demeaned 

by the widespread 

condemnation of the recent 

siege to the residences of 

the Senate President and 

Deputy Senate President, in 

addition to the invasion of 

the Benue State House of 

Assembly in a failed attempt 

to impeach Governor 

Samuel Ortom and 

forcefully take over the 

state, President Buhari is 

now jetting out of the 

country so as to appear 

innocent and oblivious of 

the political terrors about to 

be unleashed on the 

National Assembly. 

“This is the same leader 

who, in 2014, applauded 

the defection of PDP 

members, including then 

leaders of the National 

Assembly, into his APC, 

describing the movement, 

then, as ‘good for 

democracy’.” 

Saraki has not 

violated any rule 

for defecting 

— Ahmed Raji 

A notable Senior 

Advocate of Nigeria, 

Ahmed Raji, however has 

cleared the air that Dr. 

Bukola Saraki has not 

violated any known law of 

the land by defecting from 

the ruling All Progressives 

Congress (APC), to the 

opposition Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP). 

Raji, who disclosed this in 

an interview with 

Vanguard, said it was only 

the Senate President that 

the constitution vested with 

the power to reconvene the 

Senate. 

Although, he was quick 

to point out that he does not 

believe that some senators 

were scheming to forcibly 

reopen the Senate. Raji 

said: “I do not think 

anybody has threatened to 

forcefully reopen the 

senate. What they have 

said is that they want to 

appeal to the leadership to 

reconvene. If you check 

their rules, it is the 

prerogative of the president 

to convene the Senate.” 

On the burning issue of 

legality or otherwise of 

Saraki’s defection, Raji, 

SAN, said any 

parliamentarian that had 

defected may lose his seat 

if there was no division 

within his party. 

He, however, posited that 

what Saraki has done was 

presumed legal unless the 

action was challenged in a 

court of law. 

“Under the constitution, 

Section 65, if a 

parliamentarian defects, 

except there is a division, 

he may lose his seat. But 

the question is, is there a 

division within the APC? Is 

R-APC a division? If it is 

held to be a division, he has 

not violated any law,” said 

Raji. 

The legal practitioner 

pointed out that the issue 

of Saraki’s defection could 

at best be described as a 

mooted one. He urged the 

ruling party to seek a 

judicial determination of the 

matter so as to clear the air 

once and for all. 

He said: “It has not been 

tested and it is a mooted 

point unless the court 

pronounces; nobody can 

say one way or the other. 

Until it is challenged, it is 

presumed that what he has 

done is legal. 

‘’So far, nobody has gone 

to court to challenge what 

he has done; until there is 

judicial intervention, 

nobody can pronounce if 

what he has done is 

against the law or 

otherwise.” 

Raji further said that the 

recent demand by the APC 

National Chairman, Adams 

Oshiomhole, that Saraki 

should resign his position 

was founded more on 

morality, reiterating that 

Oshiomhole’s demand did 

not have any basis in law. 

Noting that Saraki was 

not elected as APC Senate 

President, Raji wondered 

why Senator Ekweremadu 

would be occupying the 

seat of Deputy Senate 

President all this while 

without the ruling party 

asking him to resign. 

On internal politics of the 

parliament, Raji said: 

“While the party majority 

plays the role, it is not the 

sole determinant. Nothing 

in their rules says that 

someone from a minority 

party cannot be Senate 

President. But in their 

rules, the majority leader 

must come from a party 

that has majority in the 

house.’’ 

Raji further educated that 

if party ‘A’ that had been the 

majority suddenly became 

the minority, that majority 

leader would turn out to be 

the minority leader. 

“In this case, we are not 

talking of the Senate 

President that is elected by 

all of them. It is not APC 

affair, but the whole house 

affair. This is not a 

parliamentary system of 

government, but a 

presidential system of 

government. So, the 

question of party 

discipline, party structure 

and party hierarchy is more 

pronounced in 

parliamentary system of 

government because both 

the legislature and the 

executive are fused,’’ he 

said. 

Meanwhile, Raji has 

advised the ruling party to 

muster the majority of 

senators if it desired to 

remove Saraki, but was 

quick to add that the 

majority must be 2/3 of 

senators to constitutionally 

undertake the removal of 

Bukola Saraki as the 

Senate President. 

Also on what Raji 

expected of Saraki when he 

reconvenes the Senate, he 

posited that nothing else 

was expected of the Senate 

President than to 

constitutionally discharge 

his duties. 

He said: “He was elected 

by them and until they 

withdraw the mandate, 

what else do you expect 

him to do? He hasn’t said 

that he is tired of the office. 

I expect him to discharge 

his duties as a responsible 

citizen and to pilot the 

affairs of the senate without 

rancour and without any 

fear or favour.’’


THE person who intends 

to perform Hajj must do 

so with the express niyyah of 

attaining Allah’s pleasure, and 

to fulfill one’s fardh, and also to 

diligently carry out the 

commands of Allah and His 

Messenger. Just as the Prophet 

said, actions shall be judged 

according to intention,” you 

must make your intention clear 

so that you don’t miss the 

reward inherent in the 

performance of holy pilgrimage. 

One of the thoughts and 

actions that could ruin one’s 

hajj even before departing from 

home is when your hajj is 

driven by the desire to be called 

Alhaji or Alhaja, and making a 

gold or silver tooth, or other 

showmanship. Your desire and 

intention must be clear - only 

for the worship of Allah. 

Consider that you have the 

privilege to be graciously called 

by Allah to the holy land. It is 

not by your bank account 

though, a prerequisite, but by 

the mercy and grace of Allah to 

visit His House. There are 

people with deep pockets but 

have no grace to visit the holy 

land. Since hajj is an act of 

worship, it must be performed 

in peace, with utmost devotion 

and the highest form of taqwa. 

After having the right 

intention, you must also be in 

the right frame of mind. You 

must have the physical and 

mental readiness for the 

journey and the rites. 

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi 

wa sallam said: “He who 

performs Hajj and does not 

speak obscenely or commit evil 

will return clean from his sins 

just as the day his mother gave 

birth to him.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 

vol. 2, p. 347, no. 596]. If he did 

so, his Hajj would be righteous 

(mabrur). Allah’s Messenger 

sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam 

said: “The righteous hajj has 

no lesser reward than Jannah 

(Paradise).” [Sahih Muslim, 

vol. 2, p. 680, no. 3127] 

The ‘ibadaah of hajj has the 

exclusive status of being fardh 

only once in a lifetime, for those 

who can afford it. It is, therefore, 

important that the sincerity of 

intention must be given due 

regard. In other ‘ibaadaat and 

devotions, it is possible to 

gradually develop ikhlaas, 

whereas the time available for 

hajj is usually limited. The need 

for ikhlaas is vital because a 

fardh hajj can never be 

repeated. During your journey 

to hajj, a concerted effort 

towards developing this all 

important sincerity must be 

made. 

It is important that hajj 

should be kept free of ulterior 

and worldly motives. Joining 

worldly objectives with 

religious aims is like adding 

water to milk. 

Early preparation is advised 

against physical discomfort, 

emotional aggravation and 

monetary expenses. It will also 

enable you to perform hajj in 

Zhul-Qadah 20, 1439 A.H. 

Before you go on hajj... 

relative peace of heart and 

mind. Therefore, it makes 

sense to be as ready as possible 

for this spiritual rejuvenation. 

Settlement of debt 

If you have monetary debt or 

are responsible for any moral 

transgression, then fulfill your 

debt or have it waived, and have 

your moral violations forgiven. 

It is important that one settles 

all outstanding matters and 

transactions, and has his faults 

and shortcomings forgiven. All 

amaanaat (trusts) and anything 

borrowed must be returned. A 

detailed and final will must be 

made regarding all important 

matters. It is not to suggest one 

is preparing for his last but 

Islam has thought us to always 

approach every ibadah and 

every other thing we do as if it 

would be the last. 

You must make an honest 

effort to resolve your 

outstanding differences with 

others and seek forgiveness 

from those you may have hurt 

in any way in the past. This is 

based on specific instructions of 

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) 

and must be followed for the 

hajj to be meaningful. 

Education 

Do not forget all what you have 

been told during seminars and 

training on hajj rites. Consider 

your hajj as if it is your last on 

earth. Do it with outmost 

vigour, unshakable faith and 

unrelenting readiness to do all 

ibadaah. You may also note 

down some important dua and 

supplication that are required 

in some certain areas. 

Memorise them and internalise 

them for you may not have the 

opportunity to carry along all the 

time your notebook. 

Food and luggage 

There is no need for you to 

carry everything. Stay light. 

Keep your baggage to the 

essentials. Some foodstuff may 

be okay, so as to eat well and 

stay healthy. But it is essential 

to note that Saudi authorities 

do not allow perishable food 

items to be brought into the 

country in significant quantities 

anyway. You may, however, 

prefer to use your own food 

immediately upon arrival but 

almost everything you will 

need is there. The State 

Pilgrims and National Hajj 

Commission, NAHCON, are 

doing their best to make every 

pilgrim feel at home. They 

serve good and delicious meals 

both at Makkah and Madinah. 

I remember, most of the items 

I went with last year, were 

donated to the have-nots when 

returning because there was 

no need for most of them as far 

as food is concerned. Your hand 

luggage must not be more than 

8 kilogrammes while check-in 

luggage should not exceed 32 

kilogrammes, while going and 

returning. 

Departure 

When you are ready to leave 

your house for the journey, 

observe a two rakaah prayer, 

pray for forgiveness of sins, 

pray for your family and a 

successful journey and 

acceptable hajj. The effect of 

sincerely repenting and then 

proceeding for hajj will be that 

one will be favoured by Allah 

and blessed with the strength 

to continually do good deeds. 

Depart with happiness from 

home. A hajj which is 

performed with a feeling of love 

and keenness is conducive to 

religious upliftment. 

Inconvenience during travel 

should not hamper this love 

and keenness. Kiss your wife 

and children and bid them 

farewell. 

While on the journey, be at 

your best behaviour amongst 

your brothers and sisters in 

Islam. 

Assist them in their needs. 

Be of help to them within your 

capacity. The person who helps 

his companions on this journey 

will be regarded as a mujaahid 

(one who strives to uplift 

Islam). 

BARKA JUMAH 

Allah's favour 

Allah shall favour each of us with the incredible 

capacity to deflect and abhor shame and 

disrepute by the powers of personal faith that 

has endured tribulations, but blossomed into 

deep devotion for Allah; and love of humanity. 

May firm faith yoke us all together in the promise 

and hope of a life of triumphant fulfillment. 

Stay with Allah. Never shift from Him. Pray 

ceaselessly. 

May your prayers yield the comfort of peace 

that illuminate our thoughts with goodness that lend 

to us Allah’s graces and mercy that stir the fear of 

Allah; and respect for humanity that elevate our actions 

to the highest love of one another. Happy jumat. 

– Dr Adewale Adeeyo, OON 

Tijjaniyya group disowns 

dissident Haqiqah dissident 

sect 

THE Adamawa chapter of Tijjaniyya Islamic group has 

disassociated itself from the dissident Haqiqah sect, describing 

the Haqiqah philosophy as un-Islamic. 

The Haqiqah group, which had since gone underground, 

claimed to be part of Tijjaniyya group and was alleged to be 

on recruitment drive in Adamawa and Nasarawa states. 

A statement signed by leader of Dariqatul Tijjaniyya in Adamawa, 

Sheikh Hamidu Jailani, urged Muslims to “disregard 

the poisonous philosophy and campaigns by the Haqiqah sect, 

which was bent on polluting the mindset of peace-loving 

Muslims. 

“The Dariqatul Tijjaniyya in Adamawa is deeply concerned 

about the spate of flagrant un-Islamic practices being pioneered 

by a dissident group called Haqiqah that claims to be part of 

Tijjaniyya. 

“All actions, inactions, preaching, activities and programmes 

of the dissident group are not only at variance with established 

Islamic doctrines as enshrined in the Holy Qur’an and 

the Hadith, but also run completely counter to the reasonable 

Ijma or consensus of opinion by present and past Muslim jurists 

all over the world. 

“Thus, we wish to make it categorically clear that Dariqatul 

Tijjaniyya is dissociating itself from this group and all their 

activities and from any other group that moves away from Allah’s 

injunctions in the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s 

interpretation in the Hadith. 

“It is in this regard that we and any reasonable-minded 

Muslim considers the Haqiqah group as potential danger to 

established conventions of recognised Islamic practices.” 

The Tijjaniyya group urged Muslim leaders, communities, 

clerics and scholars worldwide to continue to unite in countering 

such anti-Islamic groups, stressing that “the name Islam 

means peace and therefore, Muslims should by their actions 

and utterances promote peace at all times, regardless of who 

is or are involved in any case whatsoever.” 

It also urged security agencies to be extra vigilant in taming 

the emerging excesses of such groups to safeguard the nation’s 

peace, security and stability. 

It also condemned “sporadic killings taking place in different 

parts of the country” and appealed to Nigerians to engage 

in prayers for peace and stability in the country. 

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Police Command in Adamawa, 

SP Othman Abubakar, said that the command had commenced 

investigation over activities of the Haqiqah group in 

the state. 

Some of the alleged controversial doctrines of the Haqiqah 

sect included non-adherence to five daily prayers and the 

Ramadan fast as being observed by Muslims. (NAN)

MORE than 9,000 pilgrims 

from Kwara, Kaduna, 

Kebbi, Kano and Sokoto 

states have joined their counterparts 

in Madinah for the 

2018 hajj rites. 

The pilgrims were airlfited 

from six airports to the holy 

land by MaxAir and Saudi Arabia 

designate airline, Flynas. 

Meanwhile, the National 

Hajj Commission has airlifted 

Zhul-Qadah 20, 1439 A.H. 

Hajj 2018: Airlifts ts of pilgrims continue nationwide 

•Tambuwal, El-Rufai emphasise on good conduct 

•Lagos begins airlift 

*FCT pilgrims during Ziyara in Madinah 


Islamic group partner 

tners Imams, EFCC, NUJ on anti-corruption 

Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, 

an organisation 

promoting social re-order 

through engagement, has partnered 

imams, Islamic scholars, 

Economic and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, Lagos 

State Government and Nigerian 

Union of Journalists, NUJ, 

Lagos Chapter on promotion of 

anti-corruption messages in 

their areas of jurisdiction for a 

new order. The partnership, according 

to the National Chief 

Imam and Executive Director of 

Encouraging Accountability 

and Transparency Through 

Faith-Based Intervention, EAT- 

FIn, Al-Habibiyah Society of Nigeria, 

Imam Fuad Adeyemi said 

all stakeholders must ensure 

that messages against corruption 

in Nigeria had impact on 

the society. 

Adeyemi stated this during a 

sensitisation programme for 

Imams and scholars across the 

state held at Lagos State Central 

Mosque, CBD, Alausa, Ikeja. 

“The advocacy is important as 

result of the followership it controls 

across board. 

Adeyemi added that the 

group since inception, had fed 

over 1,500 people daily during 

the month of Ramadan. 

Chairman of the occasion, Dr 

Abdulhakeem Abdulateef, the 

Commissioner for Home Affairs, 

Lagos State, stated that 

The National Hajj 

Commission of Nigeria, 

NAHCON has said it 

woud upgrade the Abuja Hajj 

Camp to a befitting international 

standard. 

The decision was reached by 

NAHCON Management team led 

by Barrister Abdullah Mukhtar 

Muhammad Chairman of the 

Commission, during an 

unscheduled visit to the Camp 

yesterday 

The Management decided that 

Halls and Kitchen would be given 

a facelift and furnished, the 

drainage system and other 

facilities would be upgraded, and 

beautified, in addition to 

landscaping the entire Camp 

environment. 

The commission said it would 

also provide all necessary and 

over 9,000 pilgrims comprising 

pilgrims from eight states from 

six airports in 20 flight operations 

from Nigeria to the Kingdom 

of Saudi Arabia to perform 

this year's hajj. 

Statistics obtained from the 

commission's website shows that 

a total of 8,607 pilgrims from eight 

states namely: Kaduna, Kano, 

Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, 

Kebbi and FCT were airlifted by 

government was planning to 

bring religious leaders to its 

payroll so as to make the job 

easier for them. 

He added that “Imams and 

Pastors are believed to be men 

of God, so we need all of you to 

help us to encourage the right 

values in the society particularly 

in the area of accountability 

and anti-corruption. 

“We must remember that the 

Almighty Allah will ask all of us 

to render account of our deeds 

thereafter, so the Imams and 

other religious clerics should 

lead us in the right direction 

because they are our leaders.” 

The Zonal Head, EFCC, Lagos, 

Umar Hadeja, who represented 

the Acting Executive 

Chairman of the commission, 

Ibrahim Magu, noted that it 

was time we began to ask some 

pertinent questions: what does 

Islam say about corruption? 

What does the Quran say about 

the punishment that awaits any 

believing Muslim who engages 

in corrupt practices? 

Hadeja equally said that 

faith-based organisations must 

be seriously involved in this 

enlightenment campaign, considering 

the fact that every religion 

preaches against 

moral decadence, act of indiscipline 

and other vices, including 

corruption. 

“The Enlightenment and Reorientation 

Unit of the Public 

NAHCON to give Abuja 

Hajj camp facelift 

comfortable working facilities and 

conducive environment to all Hajj 

stakeholders, comprising the 

Custom, Immigration, NDLEA, 

Airlines and others, to ensure 

effective service delivery to 

pilgrims as they transit to and from 

the Holy Land. 

Those on the Chairman’s 

entourage during the unscheduled 

visit, included the Commissioner 

Policy, Personnel Management and 

Finance, Dr Yusuf Adebayo 

Ibrahim, Commissioner 

Operations, Alhaji Abdullah 

Modibbo Saleh, and other Senior 

Management Staff of the 

Commission. 

Meanwhile, it is expected that the 

last batch of the FCT pilgrims 

would be airlifted to Saudi Arabia 

tonight, from the Nnamdi Azikwe 

International Airport Abuja. 

Affairs Directorate of the Commission 

has been engaging various 

stakeholders in the anticorruption 

war. The 

sensitisation programmes are 

designed not only to enlighten 

the populace about the danger 

of corruption, but to also encourage 

them to take ownership 

of the anti-corruption fight.” 

He also commended the organisers 

for the choice of the 

theme of this event: Promoting 

Accountability, Transparency 

and Reducing Corrupt Practices 

In Our Society: An Islamic 

Approach. 

Chairman of Lagos State 

Council of the Nigerian Union 

of Journalists, Dr Qasim Akinreti 

urged Islamic clerics to join 

the crusade to combat ills in the 

society especially in the area of 

corruption and other social vices. 

”The NUJ Lagos State 

will continue to interact with 

leaders of different faiths towards 

promoting a just society 

MaxAir and Flynas, in 20 flight 

operations from six pilgrims’ embarkation 

points across the country. 

As at press time, Medview Airline 

was also preparing to airlift 

pilgrims from Lagos and Ogun 

states. 

Governor Nasir El-rufa’i of Kaduna 

State has expressed satisfaction 

with the ongoing airlift operation. 

The governor stated this 

during his visit to Kaduna International 

Airport. 

The governor also commended 

the intending pilgrims for their continued 

patience while passing the 

processes of their journey to the 

holy land. 

He urged the pilgrims to focus on 

their spiritual obligations while in 

the holy land and serve as good 

ambassadors of Nigeria. About 

3,200 intending pilgrims are expected 

to perform the pilgrimage 

from the state. 

Also, Governor Aminu Tambuwal 

of Sokoto State advised the pilgrims 

to be of good moral conduct 

throughout their stay in the holy 

land. Nigeria, according to Tambuwal, 

requires continuous prayers 

for the peace and stability of the 

country, urging them to pray for 

Nigeria while in the holy land. 

In the same vein, the Sultan of 

Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad 

Saad Abubakar charged the 

pilgrims to be careful with their 

basic travelling allowances and 

avoid early purchase of unnecessary 

items especially the first timers. 

The duo spoke during airlift of 

pilgrims in Sokoto. Speaking earlier, 

the chairman of the Sokoto 

State Pilgrims' Welfare Agency, Alh. 

Muhtari Bello Maigona, commended 

Governor Tambuwal for 

his support towards the success of 

this year’s hajj operations in the 

state. About 433 pilgrims from 

Wurno, Gada and Rabah local government 

areas of the state arrived 

the holy city of Madinah for the 

pilgrimage. 

Meanwhile, Lagos state Muslim 

Pilgrims Welfare Board, LSMPWB 

has begun its airlift with pilgrims 

from Agege and Ajeromi local 

governments taking the lead. 320 

pilgrims were airlifter 6:30am 

yesterday by Medview airline at 

the Murtala Muhammad 

International airport, Ikeja. As at 

press time, pilgrims from 

Alimosho, Amuwo and Apapa 

have also been invited to the Hajj 

camp waiting to be airlifted 

today. 

According to the Amirul Hajj 

and Hon Commisioner for Home 

Affairs, Dr Abdullateef 

AbdulHakeem, the airlifts will be 

concluded in four days in back to 

back. 

He added that the state and 

NAHCON will continue to give 

pilgrims better service to make 

their pilgrimage acceptable and 

interesting. 

free of corrupt practices,” he 

said. Guest lecturers at the event 

included Professor Kamil Koyejo 

Olosho, the South- West Vice- 

President, Al-Habibiyyah, and 

Head of Department, Arabic and 

Islamic Studies, University of 

Ibadan, Dr Saheed Timehin, a 

lecturer of Foreign Language Department 

of Lagos State 

University and others. 

Al-Habibiyyah has held similar 

programme in northern 

part of Nigeria. 

*Hajj pilgrims from Kwar State being airlifted by MaxAir at Ilorin airport to Madinah 

recently.

44— VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 

The political economy 

of restructuring the 

Nigerian federation (1) 

By Chukwuma Charles 

Soludo 

Introduction 

NO issue commands a greater, 

broader consensus in 

Nigeria today than the need for 

restructuring the Nigerian 

federation. 

Almost the entire Nigerian sociocultural-political 

groups (South 

West /Yoruba Nation; South-South; 

South-East /Ndigbo; Middle Belt, 

and the former Northern Region) 

have either produced or are 

working to announce their template 

for restructuring. Even some political 

parties, led by the All Progressives 

Congress (APC), have either 

announced details of their position 

on restructuring or made “true 

federalism” the centre piece of their 

manifestos for a better Nigeria. It is 

fair to admit however that there is 

still reasonable disagreement 

regarding the consistency of the 

case for restructuring and the 

nature and content of restructuring. 

Content and nature 

In terms of content and nature, 

we can group the various 

restructuring models into three 

categories: soft restructuring 

(tinkering with amendments of the 

1999 Constitution); hybrid 

restructuring (negotiate a new 

Constitution with sufficient 

regional autonomy within the 

federation); and hard restructuring 

(confederation or outright 

independence for any desiring part 

of the country). There seems to be 

a preponderance of mainstream 

opinion around the hybrid option, 

and the loudest case for 

restructuring is so far based on 

political and non-religious 

agitation. We now need to deepen 

the conversation in at least two 

levels. First is to ensure greater 

convergence of views on what 

should be the content of 

restructuring. Second and for the 

first one to happen, the public must 

understand how the proposed 

restructuring will affect their livesespecially 

their pockets. 

Our thesis is that while other 

considerations may be important, 

the overarching case for 

restructuring is economic: 

restructuring should provide the 

necessary foundational Meta-level 

socio-political-governance 

architecture for the emergence and 

sustainability of a secured and 

prosperous post-oil economy. 

Furthermore, to translate the 

agenda from declarations to action, 

we need to understand the basis 

for inertia on the part of political 

actors and hence focus on the 

incentive structure and 

organization/mobilisation required 

to make it happen. Put differently, 

restructuring will have short to 

medium term “winners” and 

“losers” but everyone could 

potentially win in the long run. But 

if we don’t understand the 

concerns of the temporary ‘losers’ 

and address them, our collective 

long term benefits may be delayed 

or derailed. 

Institutions Matter: Nigeria’s 

Prof. Charles Soludo, CFR. 

Constitution as Inappropriate 

Meta Institution for a Productive 

Economy 

The literature on the role of 

appropriate economic institutions 

for prosperity is vast. Institutions 

as the sanctions/constraints on and 

incentives of the key actors 

(including the political- legalgovernance 

arrangements, 

property rights and rule of law, 

fiscal structure and distributional 

arrangements, transparent and 

accountable governance, speedy 

and fair dispensation of justice, 

competition and incentives for 

private wealth creation, etc) 

determine whether a society 

stagnates or prospers. 

Role of Institutions in Growth 

and Development 

In their seminal paper on “The 

Role of Institutions in Growth and 

Development” (2008, p.7), 

Acemoglu and Robinson 

summarise some of their key 

findings by noting that: ''We argue 

that the main determinant of 

differences in prosperity across 

countries are differences in 

economic institutions. To solve the 

problem of development will entail 

reforming these institutions. 

Unfortunately, this is difficult 

because economic institutions are 

collective choices that are the 

outcome of a political process. The 

economic institutions of a society 

depend on the nature of political 

institutions and the distribution of 

political power in society. As yet, 

we only have a highly preliminary 

understanding of the factors that 

lead a society into a political 

equilibrium which supports good 

economic institutions... 

Nevertheless, some countries do 

undergo political transitions, 

reform their institutions, and move 

onto more successful paths of 

economic development. We also 

can learn a lot from these success 

stories ... Making or imposing 

specific institutional reforms may 

have little impact on the general 

structure of economic institutions or 

performance if they leave 

untouched the underlying political 

equilibrium... A piecemeal 

approach may be dangerous”. 

An important insight from the 

above as well as cross country 

experiences is that institutional 

development is not a cut and paste 

affair. The political and economic 

institutions must synchronise, and 

there is no universal template as to 

how they emerge given the varied 

political and historical experiences. 

Context and history matter, and 

building progressive institutions is 

a continuous work in progress. 

However subjective one may view 

institutions, we can still recognise 

a good institution as one that 

unleashes and maximises the 

creative energies of the people for 

the promotion of the highest 

possible security, prosperity and 

happiness of the people. 

Institutional Dysfunction and 

Nigeria’s Circular Stagnation 

We argue here that Nigeria’s meta 

Put differently, 

restructuring will 

have short to 

medium term 

“winners” and 

“losers” but 

everyone could 

potentially win in 

the long run 

institution, its Constitution (Legalpolitical-governance 

architecture) 

is designed to share and consume 

the oil rents and has perverse 

incentives for a productive 

economy. Oil or natural resource 

boom is known to cause the 

appreciation of the real effective 

exchange rate thus harming the 

economy, and this has been 

referred to as the Dutch Disease 

syndrome. Ours is beyond the 

Dutch Disease. We also suffer what 

can be described as a Lottery Effecta 

syndrome whereby a hitherto 

hard working person wins a lottery, 

quits his job and restructures his 

family’s lifestyle around the 

consumption of the lottery money; 

breeds more children and each with 

guaranteed allowance from the 

lottery money; and centralizes 

decision-making in the family such 

that the children never have the 

experience to take up challenges 

and mature in the process; etc. At 

adulthood, the children have 

developed a dependent/ 

entitlement mind-set and the 

ageing dad can no longer cope 

while the lottery money can no 

longer service the bloated lifestyle. 

Instead of the Lottery windfall 

aiding the family, the arrangements 

designed to utilize it might turn the 

Lottery into a curse. 

The above is a caricature of 

Nigeria’s experience with oil and 

the institutional arrangements to 

share and consume it. A 

combination of the Dutch Disease 

syndrome and the Lottery Effect 

produced what I refer to as 

Nigeria’s Oil Structural Disease. 

Until we wean the system of this 

Disease, Nigeria’s economy will 

continue to sluggishly muddle 

along (I made a similar argument 

in my 2005 Democracy Day 

Lecture). This Structural Disease is 

the key reason why Nigeria’s quest 

for economic diversification over the 

decades has been moving in fits 

and starts, as we repeatedly 

expected bumper harvests out of 

an arid soil. Despite the plethora 

of plans and efforts at 

diversification, oil is still the oxygen/ 

life support of the economy. When 

oil price goes up, we celebrate and 

the economy booms, and when it 

falls, the economy slumps and 

everything goes burst — salary 

arrears, exchange rate collapse, 

inflation, output stagnation, 

poverty and unemployment soar, 

etc. It still accounts for more than 

90% of Nigeria’s export and foreign 

exchange earnings and more than 

65% of government revenue. 

Something has to give! 

Visionary and capable 

leadership 

Having a visionary and capable 

leadership is critical for the 

transformation of a society. But the 

‘system’ in which the leader 

emerges and operates is equally, if 

not more, important. Whatever the 

skills of Lionel Messi or Christiano 

Ronaldo as footballers, if the field 

of play is a cassava farm, their 

talents might come to naught. 

Perhaps, some rugged street 

urchins might be the real football 

‘leaders’ in the cassava farm. 

Sometimes the debate about 

leadership and system comes 

down to chicken and egg 

argument. My view is that we have 

searched for too long for good 

leaders to fall from heaven but for 

a change, let us focus also on 

reforming our evidently defective 

institutions-at least to loosen the 

suffocating stranglehold of Abuja 

and unleash the creative and 

competitive drive of our people. It 

is an oxymoron to repeat the same 

thing over and over and expect a 

different outcome. 

Nigeria at the moment is stuck 

on the low speed lane. I don’t want 

to open the Book of Lamentations 

and rehash the long list of what is 

wrong with Nigeria. Most times,1 

insist (for my sanity) to keep 

focused on the list of what is right 

with Nigeria. 

However, for our discourse, I 

draw attention to what I call the 

Nigerian Newspaper Headline 

Index (here I compute over a given 

period the ratio of good news to 

bad news on the headlines of 

Nigerian newspapers). One is 

amazed how it correlates well with 

other indices of our progress or 

retardation. In other words, our 

Newspaper Headlines summarize 

the health of the nation. 

In particular, I don’t know how 

many Nigerians take interest in 

studying the 12 clusters of variables 

that are considered in computing 

the Fragile/Failed States Index by 

the U.S Fund for Peace. The index 

which aims to “assess vulnerability 

to collapse” summarises the 

failure of Nigeria’s institution and 

measures four clusters of variables, 

namely: a) Cohesion (security 

apparatus, factionalised elite, and 

group grievance); b) Economic 

(economic decline, uneven 

economic development, and 

human flight and brain drain); c) 

Political (state legitimacy, public 

services, and human rights and 

rule of law); and d) Social 

(demographic pressures, refugees 

and IDPs, and external 

intervention). Nigeria’s ranking 

has deteriorated from 54 in 2005 

and now stands between 13 and 

15 over the past seven years and 

largely in the red alert category 

with countries such as 

Afghanistan; Iraq, Haiti, Guinea, 

Syria,Yemen, etc. We can’t reverse 

this ranking without addressing 

the underlying causative factors. 

Remove the life support of the oil 

rents and one can only imagine 

the conflagration and the race to 

the bottom that might follow. We 

don’t have to wait to reach that 

point before we take action. 

Perverse incentives for 

competition and productivity 

Having defined institution partly 

as an incentive system, it is our 

view that Nigeria’s federal 

structure (its state and local 

government creation) and more so 

its fiscal federalism constitute a set 

of perverse incentives for 

competition and productivity. The 

current state structure has been 

largely a response to political 

pressures, especially the agitation 

by the elite for their respective 

empires-the so called 

marginalisation arguments. 

With the scrapping of the 1963 

Republican Constitution together 

with its decentralised fiscal 

federalism, and the imposition of 

a military command and control 

structure after the military coup of 

1966. the subsequent creation of 

states and local governments had 

little consideration for economic or 

fiscal viability. With every created 

state and local government 

guaranteed unconditional cash 

handouts (largely oil money) from 

the federation account, every 

group wanted its own state. State 

and local government creation 

became a patronage and political 

tool for elite buyout and political 

balancing where those at the helm 

conferred advantages to 

themselves. The incentive system 

tilted towards a culture of cake 

sharing and consumption-an 

indolent, entitlement culture and 

the earlier culture based on hard 

work, competition and cake baking 

died. 

The umbilical cord between 

government and private sector/ 

citizens was severed. 

Governments do not lose sleep to 

provide appropriate enabling 

environment for private enterprise 

largely out of love for the private 

sector. Government depends on the 

private sector to create jobs and pay 

taxes. In return government does 

everything to create the enabling 

environment and even undertakes 

economic activities — in its 

enlightened self-interest, to generate 

jobs and tax revenue. 

Continues on Monday. 

A lecture delivered at the 

Maiden Lecture organized by 

Ndigbo Lagos Foundation On 

Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 

at the Nigerian Institute of 

International Affairs, Victoria 

lsland, Lagos.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 -- 45 

21 years after, fans remember 

Afrobeat legend Fela 

Stories by Benjamin 

Njoku 

Twenty-one years after 

the Afrobeat legend, 

Fela Anikulapo Kuti passed 

on at the age of 58, fans took 

to the social media 

yesterday, to pay tributes 

to the man, who used his 

music to fight against 

injustice and bad 

leadership in the country. 

Fela, a legendary multiinstrumentalist, 

musician, 

and pioneer of the Afrobeat 

music genre, human rights 

activist and political 

maverick died on August 2, 

1997. 

Yeni Kuti, the late legend’s 

daughter first took to her 

Instagram page to pay 

tribute to her late father. 

In her IG post, she wrote, 

“yeniakuti This day 21 

years ago, we lost our father. 

A father to all! Continue to 

Rest In Peace Fela!” 

Her post ignited torrents 

of tributes from fans, who 

described the late iconic 

singer as “the greatest 

•Fela 

Nigerian that ever lived.” 

In his post, 

mgbekenrandy wrote, “The 

legend still lives in our 

hearts.” babtunesmusic 

wrote, “Live on king.” 

beyondlooksmakeover said 

“The legend lives forever”, 

while sunepa22 wrote, “Your 

legacy lives forever in our 

heart. 

RIP 

baba.”timadewusi described 

him as “Nigeria’s greatest 

ever! Prophet to sure ju!!!” 

For olacubeleather, Fela 

lives on because he has 

death in his pouch. 

funmi_kuti@yeniakuti 

wrote, “They are celebrating 

popsie’s birthday right now. 

Rocking up in heaven. May 

they all continue to rest in 

peace.” 

otrarator thanked Yeni 

Kuti for releasing her late 

father’s unreleased albums, 

saying “That’s the greatest 

honor your great father, our 

father deserves. With all that 

is happening in naija now 

if baba were to be around, 

we all know say baba go 

talk.” However, If Fela were 

to be alive, he would have 

clocked 80 on October 15, 

2018. Unfortunately, that 

day will be the climax of the 

annual Felabration Music 

Festival held in his honour. 

Almost one year after the 

split of singing sensation, 

PSquare, one half of the 

group, Peter Okoye has 

revealed why he chose to 

leave the music group. 

Peter also known as Mr P 

revealed that it was disrespect 

towards his family that pushed 

him to quit. He added that his 

twin brother, Paul would insult 

his wife and kids and expect 

him to perform as a group. 

Speaking in an interview 

with Citizen TV in Kenya, 

Peter said:”In life what we 

call family value is important. 

The fans want Psquare but 

how many times do you want 

Psquare to come back and 

break up. We’ve broken up 

three times and the same 

issue is still there. so if 

Oghenekaro Itene goes to Hollywood 

Nollywood 

actress, 

Oghenekaro Itene is 

steadily inching her way to 

her dream of becoming one 

of the better known talents 

out of Africa plying her trade 

in America’s Hollywood. 

Following her last outing 

in ‘Esohe’, an epic which 

was a collaboration between 

Nollywood and Hollywood, 

served in a cocktail of the rich 

tradition of Bini kingdom, 

Oghenekaro continues the 

pursuit of her Hollywood 

Dream in Chase, in which 

she plays the role of Jayla. 

Written, directed and coproduced 

by Michael 

Matteo Rossi, the movie is 

Psquare can only come back if... 

— Peter Okoye 

•PSquare 

Psquare is going to come 

back we need to settle that 

issue. Psquare might come 

back, they might not come 

back.” 

Peter said he must put his 

wife and children first 

because of the vow he made 

about a hit man who must 

prove his loyalty to his 

mentor and best friend, while 

his girlfriend wants to leave 

the business. Rossi already 

has a feature, Sable and 

several shorts to his credit. 

His latest film, Chase, which 

showcases Oghenekaro will 

be in the cinemas soon. 

on his wedding day. 

“I pulled out the plug 

because I felt the disrespect 

coming from my family (was) 

getting too much,” he said. 

“There’s something we 

call marginalisation. Don’t 

ever be a slave because you 

want to be family. “Psquare 

can only come back if the 

respect comes 100 percent. I 

don’t disrespect my brother’s 

wife neither, his family but he 

does that to me all the time. 

He’ll insult me and my 

family in public, on 

instagram, and the next 

minute he’ll wait for me 

backstage for us to perform 

together.” 

•Oghenekaro 

AN EVENING WITH PROF PAT UTOMI 

An Evening with Prof. Pat Utomi, where he made known his intention of contesting for governorship seat of Delta State under 

the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), held at Jade Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. Photos by Bunmi 

Azeez. 

From left: Mr. Delly Ajufo, Mr. Chike Nwaanze, Mr. Moses Kragha, Chairman of the occasion 

welcoming Prof Pat Utomi, host. 

Prof Utomi and wife. 

(LEFT): From 

left; Dr. Austin 

Nweze, Mr. 

Minna Onomroba 

Abel and 

Mr. Abelee 

Ake. 

From left: AVM. Terry Okorodudu, Dr. Alex Neyin and Dr. Omawumi 

Urhoboh.


Catholic church declares death penalty 

inadmissible 

POPE Francis has de 

clared that the death 

penalty is never admissible 

and that the Catholic 

Church will work towards 

its abolition around the 

world, the Vatican formally 

announced Thursday. 

The change, which has 

been added to the Catechism 

of the Catholic 

Church, makes official a 

position that the Pope has 

articulated since he became 

pontiff. 

The church now teaches 

that “the death penalty is 

inadmissible because it is 

an attack on the inviolability 

and dignity of the person” 

and states that it will 

“work with determination 

towards its abolition worldwide,” 

the Vatican said. 

The declaration by Pope 

Francis, who is spiritual 

leader to the world’s 1.2 billion 

Catholics, may have 

particular resonance in the 

United States, where capital 

punishment remains legal 

in 31 states and as a federal 

punishment. 

In his Christmas message 

in 1998, John Paul 

wished “the world the consensus 

concerning the 

need for urgent and adequate 

measures ... to end 

the death penalty.” 

His successor, Benedict 

XVI, in a document published 

in November 2011, 

called on society’s leaders 

“to make every effort to eliminate 

the death penalty.” 

Francis wrote in a March 

2015 letter to the president 

of the International Commission 

Against the Death 

Penalty that “today capital 

punishment is unacceptable, 

however serious the 

condemned’s crime may 

have been.” 

He added that the death 

penalty “entails cruel, inhumane 

and degrading treatment” 

and said it was to be 

rejected “due to the defective 

selectivity of the criminal 

justice system and in the 

face of the possibility of judicial 

error.” 

Death toll rises as Zimbabwe awaits results 

ZIMBABWE police 

said on Thursday the 

death toll a day after clashes 

between soldiers, police 

and opposition party supporters 

had doubled to six 

after three people succumbed 

to their injuries. 

Police spokeswoman 

Charity Charamba said the 

situation, particularly in the 

capital Harare, remained 

tense and the army’s assistance 

was still needed to 

ensure security. 

Both leading contestants 

in Zimbabwe’s disputed 

presidential election indicated 

they had won on 

Thursday as a tense nation 

awaited official results three 

days after voting. 

International observers 

urged the electoral commission 

to release the tally as 

soon as possible to avoid 

further violence after six 

Apple’s market value hits $1 trillion 

APPLE has become the 

world’s first public company 

to be worth $1 trillion 

(£767bn). 

The iPhone maker’s market 

value reached the figure 

in late morning trading in 

New York as its shares rose to 

a new record high above 

$207. 

WHO warns there may be no 

vaccine option for new Ebola outbreak 

IT may be impossible 

to use a vaccine to tackle 

Democratic Republic of 

Congo’s new Ebola outbreak 

that has caused four 

confirmed cases, including 

two health workers, a senior 

World Health Organization 

(WHO) official said on 

Thursday. 

Officials have not confirmed 

the particular strain 

of Ebola causing the outbreak, 

which may have 

killed 20 people, but 

WHO’s emergency response 

chief Peter Salama 

said it could be the Zaire, 

Sudan or Bundibugyo 

strain. 

If it is the Zaire strain, the 

Merck (MRK.N) vaccine 

used in the last Ebola outbreak 

may be an option, otherwise 

the situation will be 

much more complex “and 

we may not have any vaccine 

options”, he told Reuters 

at WHO’s headquarters 

in Geneva. 

“The majority of the cases 

occurred in the second 

half of July when the provincial 

medical teams have 

looked back. They have 

noted cases that could be 

consistent with Ebola that 

began even in May but it’s 

far too early to say,” Salama 

said. 

The cases are spread over 

tens of kilometres, he said. 

people were killed on 

Wednesday in clashes between 

security forces and 

opposition supporters. 

Opposition leader Nelson 

Chamisa claimed victory, 

saying President Emmerson 

Mnangagwa knew 

he had lost otherwise the 

results would have been 

announced by now. 

But Mnangagwa’s ruling 

ZANU-PF suggested the 

win would be his. 

“We are obviously very 

pleased that the results announced 

by ZEC so far 

show that we achieved twothirds 

majority from the parliamentary 

election,” 

ZANU-PF’s legal secretary 

is Paul Mangwana told reporters, 

referring to the electoral 

commission. 

“We expect that these results 

will become a reflection 

of what we are expecting 

in the presidential elections.” 

The commission said it 

would start announcing the 

results of the election - Zimbabwe’s 

first since the army 

ousted Robert Mugabe last 

November to end four decades 

of authoritarian rule 

- from 10 p.m. local time 

(2000 GMT). 

Earlier on Thursday, police 

sealed off the headquarters 

of Chamisa’s 

Movement for Democratic 

Change (MDC) and later 

stormed the offices and arrested 

16 people. 

Troops cleared the streets 

of the capital, despite calls 

from foreign governments 

and international organisations 

for calm and for political 

leaders to show restraint. 

The stock has been rising 

since Tuesday when it reported 

better than expected results 

for the three months to 

June. 

Apple beat Silicon Valley 

rivals such as Amazon and 

Microsoft to become the first 

to hit the $1 trillion valuation. 

Since the iPhone first went 

on sale in 2007, Apple shares 

have soared by 1,100% and 

have jumped almost a third 

in the past year. 

The rise is even more astonishing 

- 50,000% - since 

the company first listed in 

1980. That dwarfs the 2,000% 

increase for the S&P 500 over 

the same period. 

Apple traces its origins to 

the garage of co-founder 

Steve Jobs in 1976 and was 

initially best known for its Mac 

personal computers before its 

smartphone paved the way 

for the app economy. 

Mr Jobs, who died in 2011 

and was succeeded as chief 

executive by Tim Cook, oversaw 

the development of the 

iPhone, which transformed 

Apple’s fortunes. 

KANU: Arsenal need miracle to win EPL title 

UNAI Emery’s Arse 

nal must produce a 

“miracle” to win the Premier 

League in the Spaniard’s 

first season at the 

club, says former striker 

Nwankwo Kanu. 

“If it happens and they 

win the league, it’s a miracle,” 

said the Nigerian. 

“It takes time for the newcomers, 

the new signings, 

to adapt. We have to allow 

time for him to bring his 

own style and the way he 

wants to play.” 

Arsenal are yet to win the 

Premier League since the 

2003-04 season. 

“For the new manager, 

it’s going to be a very big 

challenge; the fans want 

them to perform in the 

league in his first year, 

which is always difficult for 

a new coach." 

Eagles to play in Asaba 

By Ben Efe, Asaba 

NIGERIA Football 

Federation president, 

Amaju Pinnick has 

hinted that the Super Eagles 

will play one of their 

qualification matches at the 

Stephen Keshi stadium. 

The Stadium which is 

currently hosting the 21st 

African Athletics Championships 

has one of the best 

playing pitches in the 

country at the moment. 

“We got assurances from 

the NFF president that the 

Eagles will play their African 

Cup of Nations qualifier 

here in Asaba. It is part 

of Delta’s agenda to promote 

and develop sports 

from the grassroots to the 

top,” a top Delta government 

official disclosed. 

Super Cup 

Marciniak to officiate 

Madrid, Atlético showdown 

POLAND’s Szymon 

Marciniak has been 

chosen as the referee for 

the 2018 Uefa Super Cup 

in Tallinn. 

The traditional 

European curtain-raiser 

sees Champions 

League winners Real 

Madrid take on Europa 

League holders and city 

rivals Atlético Madrid 

at the Estonian capital’s 

Lilleküla Stadium on 

Wednesday 15 August 

(21:00 CEST). 

Marciniak, 37, was 

among the officials at 

this summer’s World 

Cup finals in Russia, 

taking charge of 

Argentina’s 1-1 draw 

with Iceland and 

Germany’s 2-1 win over 

Sweden, both in the 

group stage. 

We still want Messi 

—Roma 

ROMA 

have 

appointed 

Barcelona’s Francesco 

Calvo as their new chief 

revenue officer, with 

President James 

Pallotta adding ‘’we 

still want Lionel 

Messi!” 

“This changes 

nothing,” Palotta said 

in a statement via 

Roma’s official Twitter 

account. “We still want 

Messi!” 

FIFA Under-20 

World Cup 

Go for 

glory, 

StarTimes 

urges 

Falconets 

AS the FIFA Under- 

20 Women’s World 

Cup kicks off this weekend, 

official broadcast 

partner of the completion, 

StarTimes has 

urged the Nigerian team 

to do the country proud 

by bringing the cup 

home. 

The biennial tournament, 

which is holding 

in France runs till August 

24th, with 16 teams 

battling for the coveted 

trophy. 

According to Startimes, 

all 32 matches will 

be brought to Nigerians 

live and in HD on Star- 

Times World Football 

and Sports Focus for the 

entertainment of its subscribers 

across Africa. 

Falconets begin their 

campaign against Germany 

at the Stade de 

Marville in Saint –Malo 

on August 6th 

Germany edged Nigeria 

out to lift the trophy 

the two times Nigeria 

got to the final in 2010 

in Germany and 2014 in 

Canada. 

NFF Congress postpones 2018 Election 

By John Egbokhan 

THE Congress of the 

Nigeria Football Federation 

has postponed the 

2018 Elective Congress 

earlier scheduled to hold 

on September 25. 

Rising from its Extra Ordinary 

General Assembly 

held yesterday in Benin 

City, the congress of the 

NFF said the highly anticipated 

election into the 

Executive Committee of 

the NFF will hold on a yet 

to be determined date. 

According to a communique 

issued at the end of 

the Congress, the NFF also 

announced the suspension 

of all guidelines for the 

election. 

It has admonished interested 

candidates in the 

election to be ready to subject 

themselves to NFF and 

FIFA Statutes 

According to the communique, 

‘’the date for the 

2018 Elective Congress 

has been shifted from Sept 

25 to a new date that will 

be communicated to all 

stakeholders as the date 

clashed with the CAF elective 

congress. 

‘’ Fresh forms can now be 

obtained by new interested 

candidates as all guidelines 

have been suspended. 

All candidates for election 

must undertake to work 

with the NFF Statutes’’. 

In other resolutions 

reached, Congress empowered 

NFF with the 

authority to expel members 

who take football matters to 

open court. 

‘’ All those who were 

banned by the NFF will be 

unbanned and process will 

begin for unbanning of 

those banned by CAF and 

FIFA after they must have 

withdrawn all court cases 

against the NFF. 

‘’Giwa FC relegated and 

not expelled from the 

league in 2016 will return 

to the league where it was 

relegated to as part of reconciliation. 

The club will 

commence participation in 

the lower league with NFF 

providing financial supports 

for the matches. All 

matches involving Giwa 

FC will be rescheduled to 

accommodate them.’’

ASABA 2018 CAA: 

Amusan, Enekwechi win gold medals for Nigeria 

Stories by Ben Efe, 

Asaba 

NIGERIA bagged 

two gold medals 

yesterday on the day 

two of the African Athletics 

Championships on 

a day South Africa and 

Cote d’ Ivoire athletes 

expectedly dominated 

the men and women 

100m. 

Hurdler, Tobi Amusan 

lived up to expectations 

and dusted the field in 

an exciting fashion 

coasting home to a time 

of 12.86seconds to win 

the gold. She couldn’t 

match her 12.68 seconds 

season best she posted 

to win the gold at the 

Commonwealth Games 

gold back in April in 

Gold Coast, Australia. 

R i e k e n n e t e 

Steenkamp of South Africa 

picked the silver at 

13.18 seconds, while 

Rosvitha Okou of Cote 

d’Ivoire settled for 

bronze at 13.39 seconds. 

Nigeria’s Grace 

Aiyemoba placed fourth 

with 13.68, while Efe 

Favour was sixth with 

14.18 seconds. 

Shortly afterwards , 

Chukwuebuka 

Enekwechi crowned 

himself the shot put supremo, 

with a heave of 

20.38m to win the gold. 

Egypt’s Mohammed 

Kaily managed 19.33m 

and Kyle Blignaut completed 

the podium position, 

with 19.05m. 


JOYOUS: Nigeria's Oluwatobi Amusan (c) kisses her gold medal alongside her 

rivals during the victory cermony for the 100m women's hoddles final . Amusan 

won in a time of 12.36 secs . Photos by Henry Unini in Asaba. 

Delta Gov proposes speedy evacuation of athletes, 

officials 

RUN: Male athletes compete in the 800m race in 

Asaba yesterday. 

BOTHERED by the 

n e g a t i v e 

impression delays at the 

airports have caused, 

Delta State 

government is looking at 

ways to effect speedy 

evacuation of 

delegations to the 21st 

African Athletics 

Championships. 

According to Delta 

State commissioner for 

information, Patrick 

Ukah, the government is 

so concerned about first 

impressions that the 

visiting delegates have 

had on their arrivals. 

And accordingly the 

Delta governor, Ifeanyi 

Okowa is determined to 

erase such impression 

Scoreboard, floodlights to come 

on in 24 hours 

IT has been disclosed 

that equipment for the 

flood lights and 

scoreboard of the Stephen 

Keshi Stadium will be 

installed in another 24 

hours after failing to meet 

the opening day deadline. 

It was gathered that for 

the three weeks the ship 

bearing the cargo containing 

the equipment was stranded 

on high seas. 

“The ship did not get 

clearance to berth and 

deliver the cargo. But as we 

speak the container is 

already in Asaba and ready 

for installation. “The Delta 

State government has spent 

a lot of money to ensure that 

the championships run 

without any hitch. The 

equipment spent three 

weeks at the sea as the ship 

was waiting clearance to 

berth. By Wednesday the 

technicians already received 

them and we are hoping 

that within 24 hours we will 

have the score board and 

flood lights,”hinted a Delta 

state official here. 

FASTEST MAN...South Africa's Akani Simbine 

(c) after winning the men's 100m final in Asaba. 

by giving the athletes 

and officials a smooth 

evacuation from Asaba to 

their point of exit from 

Nigeria. 

“We are going to liaise 

with the organizing 

committee to see how we 

can implement a speedy 

and stress free 

evacuations. 

“The governor is not 

happy with the 

shortcomings noticed in 

the 

transit 

arrangements. 

“But some of these 

are not to be blamed 

entirely on the LOC, 

because some of the 

visiting delegates did 

not provide adequate 

information on their 

Ogba denies athletes 

were stranded 

IAAF president backs Africa to 

host World Championships 

IAAF president, Seb 

Coe has backed Africa 

to host the senior IAAF 

World Athletics Championships 

in the nearest 

future. 

Coe who was speaking 

in Asaba said the continent 

having produced 

world class athletes 

needs to bring the sport 

close to the people so that 

more youths will embrace 

the sport. He hinted that 

Kenya’s capital city, 

Nairobi, after successfully 

hosting the world Un- 

Why we settled for Asaba to host — CAA president 

Confederation of Africa 

Athletics president, Kalkaba 

Malboum has explained 

why Asaba was 

chosen to host the 2018 

African Athletics Championships. 

He was speaking 

against the back ground 

of hiccups noticed during 

the arrivals of the delegations. 

He indicated that 

Delta State practically rescued 

the CAA the dilemma 

of choosing who to 

host after Lagos State developed 

cold feet after accepting 

to host in 2016. 

“At the 2016 Lagos Marathon 

we met with the 

State governor who promised 

to host the event. 

“But it became obvious 

they were not going to 

host. We invited them to 

Durban to take the flag 

but they didn’t show up. 

We couldn’t put pressure 

on the governor to 

change his mind." 

Udo-Gabriel: I'm not 

under pressure 

Solomon Ogba 

der-18 will be the hosting 

the world junior championships 

in 2020. 

“It has always been my 

ambition to see Africa host 

the senior world championships 

in 10 years and 

that is left to my colleagues 

in Africa to decide 

which country can 

host. 

“We are a global sport, 

it needs to be seen to be 

global, we are the sport 

Africa is most successful 

at. 

“There are two major 

sports in Africa… there is 

football and athletics. We 

need to see funding for 

the sport. IAAF will help 

area federations develop 

programe delivery. 

“We have Olympic development 

money earned 

from broadcast rights, it 

has been dedicated to 

help federations and athletes 

that most need 

them.” 

NIGERIA’s Joy 

Udo-Gabriel says 

she is not under any 

pressure as she qualified 

for the finals of the 

Women 100m at the ongoing 

Africa Senior 

Athletics Championships 

in Asaba. 

Udo-GabrIel said she 

was delighted to be in 

the finals of the event 

scheduled 

to hold today.. 

The athlete, who was 

part of Nigeria’s Women 

4x100m bronze winning 

team at the Commonwealth 

Games in 

Gold Coast, Australia, 

said she was excited to 

represent her country in 

the ongoing event. 

“I am happy to be in 

the finals of the 100m 

here in Asaba, I am not 

under any pressure, I 

am also very excited to 

run at home,” she said. 

The 18-year-old athlete 

said that Ivorian 

Marie-Josee Talou was 

the only threat to her, 

adding that running 

with her would help her 

to improve on her time." 

LOCAL Organizing 

Committee 

chairman of the Asaba 

2018 African Athletics 

Championships, 

Solomon Ogba 

yesterday denied that 

athletes and delegates 

were stranded at the 

Lagos airport. 

He explained that 

those who missed their 

flights were put in 

hotels in Lagos and 

when their flights 

became available they 

were moved to Asaba. 

He argued that the 

problem associated with 

the travel arrangements 

were not peculiar to the 

Asaba 2018 

championships as 

Nigerian teams have 

also suffered delays, but 

Nigeria didn’t complain. 

However, he was quick 

to apologize to 

journalists who had to 

sit on bare floors on the 

first day of the 

championships. 

“We are really sorry for 

that occasion. The chairs 

meant for the media area 

were diverted by another 

committee and we 

couldn’t act fast enough 

to provide chairs.” 

Sebele Tsaone of 

Botswana, fastest woman 

in Africa.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

FRIDAY’S SOLUTION 

Across 

1 Game bird (9) 

6 Disencumbered (3) 

8 Permit (5) 

9 Thick-set powerful breed of 

dog (7) 

10 Most doleful (7) 

11 New England state (5) 

14 Extortionate moneylender 

(6) 

18 Brazilian dance (5) 

20 Roof beams (7) 

22 Cut into three parts (7) 

23 Dome-shaped Inuit 

home (5) 

24 American whiskey (3) 

25 Overjoyed (9) 

Down 

1 Lauded (7) 

2 Annoyed (5) 

3 Answers (anag) (7) 

4 Reduce in rank (6) 

5 Derby venue (5) 

6 Former prince of Monaco 

(7) 

7 Robinson Crusoe author (5) 

13 Type of lettuce (7) 

15 Putting through a sieve (7) 

16 Answer (7) 

17 Hansel’s sister (6) 

18 Indian stringed 

instrument (5) 

19 In the lead (5) 

21 Brilliant success (5) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no 

number can appear twice in any block, column or row. 

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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

01-4544821. Abuja office: 7, Dambata Close, Area 7, Garki, 09-2921024. Ikeja office: 73, Awolowo Way. V.I. Office: Murplus Plaza, 27, Sanusi Fafunwa Street. Asaba: 21, Anwai Road. Benin 

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

03082018 - Impeachment threats shadow plans to reconvene NASS

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