14082018 - Saraki: Showdown on hold as NASS fails to reconvene

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Osinbajo is Buhari’s running 

mate in 2019 — PRESIDENCY 

<strong>Saraki</strong>, Ekweremadu not above 

arrest, says APC; slams PDP 

14 

5 

We’ll declare <strong>Saraki</strong>, 

Kwankwaso, Gemade, 

Melaye, Misau, others’ seats 

vacant— AKPABIO 

14 

•Olujimi replaces Akpabio as Senate 

Minority Leader 8 

** 

VOL. 26: NO. 63614 TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

<strong>Saraki</strong>: <strong>Showdown</strong> on hold 

as NASS fails to reconvene 

•Joint session on the cards to stave off impeachment bid 

•No date yet for planned joint session 

•Ex-APC senators ask court to halt bid to remove <strong>Saraki</strong>, Ekweremadu 

IN SERVICE OF COUNTRY 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu & 

Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

ABUJA — Senators 

planning for a 

showdown with the Senate 

President, Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, 

over his continued 

stay in office, despite his 

defection to the opposition 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, may have 

been caught off guard in 

their plan as the National 

Assembly has decided 

not to reconvene today, 

but hold a joint session 

to stave off impeachment 

of the leaders of the Senate. 

But date for the joint 

session is not immediately 

known. 

But observers said last 

Continues on Page 8 

Naira 

depreciates to 

N362.20 /$ in 

I&E window 41 

Mr & Mrs 

A cross section of National Youth Service Corps members performing the Three Happy Cheers Salute, during the closing 

ceremony of Batch B, Stream I Orientation Course programme, yesterday at the Permanent Orientation Camp, Nonwa/Gbam, Tai 

Local Government Area of Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke. 37 of their colleagues in Ogun State survived an auto crash, 

yesterday. SEE STORY ON PAGE 10. 

A-Court halts 

execution of arrest 

warrant on INEC 

9 Daura's houses 

boss, Yakubu 

9 

DSS denies 

recovering N21bn, 

weapons, PVCs from 

COLUMNISTS TENIOLA 18 YINKA ODUMAKIN 17 MAILAFIA 31 

Why soldiers 

revolted at 

Maiduguri 

Airport— ARMY 

35 

SEE 

INSIDE

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 —3

4 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

PLATEAU 2019: Useni dismisses health 

challenges as he emerges PDP frontrunner 

By Marie-Therese Nanlong 

THE battle for the 

governorship ticket of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP in Plateau State 

has taken a new shape with 

the leading aspirant, Senator 

Jeremiah Useni fighting off 

strident insinuations about his 

health condition. 

Useni, 75, who was military 

governor of the old Bendel 

State between 1984 and 1985 

and minister of the Federal 

Capital Territory between 

1993 and 1998, has emerged 

as the leading candidate in 

the pack of seven aspirants 

contending for the ticket. 

All seven aspirants in the 

race are from Plateau South, 

the region the party zoned it 

to so that it could give the 

incumbent governor, Mr. 

Simon Lalong, who comes 

By Sam Oyadonga 

THE All Progressive 

Congress, APC, in 

Bayelsa State is working to 

reinvent itself following the 

recognition of the Jonathan 

Amos led state executives by 

the national leadership of the 

party. Though the 

intervention has settled the 

fight for legitimacy, the 

lingering internal crisis within 

the fold is far from over. 

The internal crisis which 

stems from irreconcilable 

differences between some 

bigwigs of the party and the 

acclaimed leader of the party 

•Useni: I am fit as fiddle 

from the region, a stiff 

competition. The decision by 

the state chapter to zone the 

ticket to the South compelled 

aspirants from other zones 

including Barrister Caleb 

Muftwang to drop out. 

Among the seven aspirants 

that have come out to bid for 

the ticket are Useni, Samuel 

Jatau, Samuel Abashe, 

Ibrahim Ponyah, Kemi Nshe, 

Victor Lar, George Daika. 

Useni, however, remains the 

most conspicuous and 

perhaps the most intimidating 

APC tries to find grip in Bayelsa 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

THE contest for the Anambra 

South senatorial seat in 

2019 is emerging as a star 

battle with two formidable 

political giants set to combat 

Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, the 

widow of the late Ikemba 

Nnewi, Chief Emeka 

Odumegwu-Ojukwu in the 

election. 

It was thought that Senator 

Andy Uba who is serving his 

second term in the Senate 

would get his major challenge 

from the former footballer 

turned businessman, Chief 

Ifeanyi Ubah. 

Ubah emerged the leading 

aspirant of the All Progressives 

Grand Alliance, APGA after he 

collaborated with APGA to 

return Chief Willie Obiano for 

his second term. 

That was until news came in 

of plans by Mrs. Ojukwu to also 

vie for the seat that her late 

husband made a futile effort to 

and former governor of the 

state, Chief Timipre Sylva. 

Party bigwigs it was learnt 

are not comfortable with the 

subtle moves of the former 

governor to assert himself as 

the party’s gubernatorial 

standard bearer in the next 

governorship election in the 

state. The former governor 

has not left anyone in doubt 

about his ambition to again 

govern the state, a posture 

that many in the party appear 

not to be disposed to. 

Although it appears calm in 

the party at the moment, 

stakeholders are saying that 

an implosion could occur in 

the near future if there is no 

compromise. 

Attempts to reach the state 

chairman of the party, Mr. 

Jothan Amos, and the state 

publicity secretary, Doife Ola 

proved abortive as their 

known telephone numbers 

could not be rached. 

However, a party source who 

spoke on condition of 

anonymity said there was no 

cause for alarm. 

He boasted that the APC 

would take over the Creek 

Haven (Bayelsa Government 

House) in 2020, urging party 

faithful to come together to 

ensure the defeat of the PDP. 

who last week commenced a 

tour of the state. 

However, what had been 

seen as Useni’s unique 

selling point, that is the 

promise to serve only one 

term has now been adopted 

by Abashe and Jatau who 

have also declared their 

readiness to serve for only 

one term. 

To prove to sceptics that he 

is strong and capable, Senator 

Useni last week commenced 

a tour to meet critical party 

stakeholders across the state. 

It was in the course of the tour 

that the rumour came out that 

he collapsed a claim that was 

rebuffed by his campaign 

manager, Professor Dimis 

Mailafia and his media aide, 

Abubakar Ateeku. 

Dismissing the rumour, Prof. 

Mailafia said: “The news 

going around is that he 

collapsed in Bassa, we were 

at Bassa, a place where he 

addressed over 100 delegates 

for over 40minutes and they 

were asking series of 

questions. He finished 

answering the questions and 

even did some little jogging, 

and he sat with them, and 

after that, we prayed, and he 

walked to his car. 

Ateeku on his part stated, 

“Those that say they are well 

and are young have not been 

going around. It has been the 

trend from the opposition 

saying he is even on a , but I 

don’t know who the healthy 

person is and who is not, the 

one going around or the ones 

sitting one place and want to 

be Governor.” 

ANAMBRA SOUTH SENATE: Ubah, Uba, in hot contest with Bianca 

•Ojukwu: Enters the fray 

get. Senator Andy Uba who 

was elected into the 8th Senate 

on the platform of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, had 

since defected to All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

and indications are that he 

might secure the party’s ticket. 

Chief Ubah, had in the past 

contested for the governorship 

of the state but failed and has 

now turned his sight on the 

Senate on the platform of 

APGA. Both Uba and Ubah 

have solid structures in the 

zone, which is why the 

contest is likely to be tough. 

In the APC, some names are 

also emerging, especially from 

local governments in the 

zone which feel that Aguata, 

Uba’s local government area, 

has monopolized the seat for a 

long time. Before Andy, his 

elder brother, Senator 

Ugochukwu Uba also held the 

By Abdallah El-Kurebe 

ERSTWHILE minister of 

water resources and 

Sokoto State governorship 

aspirant, Alhaji Mukhtar 

Shagari has advised his party, 

the Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP to take heed to advises 

from party members to allow 

a level playing ground to pick 

its governorship candidate. 

seat between 2003 and 2007. 

It is thus not surprising that 

Ihiala Local Government Area 

which has not produced a 

senator since the beginning of 

the Fourth Republic has 

produced at least three 

aspirants to contest the election 

on the platform of various 

political parties. Among the 

aspirants is Prince Kenneth 

Emeakayi, a former chairman 

of PDP in the state. 

EFCC’s 

action in 

Benue is a 

witch-hunt 

— Benue 

PDP 

By Peter Duru 

THE Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Benue has 

described recent operations of 

the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC 

against the state government 

as a clear case of a witch-hunt. 

Benue state Publicity 

Secretary of the Party, Bemgba 

Iortyom told Vanguard that 

the action of the commission 

was politically motivated and 

should be roundly 

condemned by all Nigerians. 

Bemgba who insisted that 

the commission acted out of 

its purview, asked “does the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

have the powers to freeze a 

state government’s bank 

account? It is unprecedented. 

“We are not aware that by 

the acts establishing the 

commission it has such 

powers. 

We are seeing this for the 

very first time and it’s quite 

strange to us. “Moreover it 

came at a time of an ongoing 

squabble between Governor 

Samuel Ortom who just 

recently defected to the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP and the All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

“There are very clear 

political motives behind it, it 

is indeed something we find 

very strange, it is unfortunate 

that the end result would have 

amounted to increased 

sufferings for a people who 

have been struggling with the 

adverse effects of months of 

herdsmen crisis. 

“We all know that it is from 

the allocation that comes from 

the Federation Accounts that 

salaries are paid, it is from that 

allocation that most of the 

things that have to do with 

the economy of the state are 

taken care of. 

How PDP will win Sokoto by Shagari 

Speaking to Vanguard in an 

interview, Alhaji Sahagri said: 

“Right from 2007 and even 

before that, our party, the PDP 

had been accused of imposing 

candidates. 

“Principally, it cost us the 

election in 2015, and we have 

now told Nigerians that we 

rebranded and we are 

rebranding, and we are a new 

political party. The best way 

to choose a candidate is either 

through consensus or 

through the ballot. So, 

imposing a candidate will 

definitely affect the fortunes 

of our party. 

I am only advising. Many 

well-meaning Nigerians who 

love our party have also 

advised so; that we should 

allow free and fair election.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY AUGUST 14, 2018—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

RIVERS—Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (2nd L); Eze Ekpeye Logbo, Eze Robinson 

O. Robinson (M); Rivers State PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah (2nd R) and others, during the endorsement 

rites for Governor Wike by the leadership of Rivers West Senatorial District, yesterday at Ahoada. 

<strong>Saraki</strong>, Ekweremadu not above 

arrest, says APC, slams PDP 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, Henry Umoru 

& Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA — The All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, has 

affirmed that Senate 

President, Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, 

and his deputy, Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu, were not 

above arrest as it yesterday 

described concerns by the 


PDP, on the issue as 

hogwash. 

The assertion by the APC 

came amid fresh tension of 

new plots by APC senators 

working in cahoots with the 

national leadership of the 

party to forcibly remove the 

two Senate presiding 

officers from office. 

APC senators were last 

night huddled in a meeting 

in the Asokoro, Abuja, 

private office of a 

prominent chieftain of the 

ruling party where 

strategies to deploy towards 

that direction were 

allegedly being formulated. 

In the light of the 

reported schemes, plans by 

the National Assembly to 

reconvene to consider the 

budget for the 2019 election 

as proposed by the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, Vanguard learned, 

have now been put on hold. 

The APC’s response on 

fears concerning the arrest 

of <strong>Saraki</strong> and Ekweremadu 

followed the PDP’s claims 

of alleged plots by the APC 

and security agencies to 

arrest the duo to effect a 

change in the leadership of 

the Senate. 

“Apart from plots to arrest 

and detain <strong>Saraki</strong> and 

Ekweremadu, the PDP has 

also been made aware of 

plans to use the EFCC and 

security forces to clamp 

down on their family 

members, including their 

wives and siblings as well 

as close associates, all in 

the effort to weaken their 

resolve,” read a statement 

issued by the PDP 

spokesperson, Kola 

Ologbondiyan, on Sunday. 

APC reacts 

Responding to the claim 

through a statement issued 

by its acting National 

Publicity Secretary, Yekini 

Nabena, the ruling party 

said it had thought that by 

now, “the PDP would be 

tired of its lame opposition 

strategy of false alarms, 

baseless and frivolous 

accusations.” 

The APC, however, 

added that both men were 

not above arrest should they 

be found to run foul of the 

law at any time. 

“The Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in its latest round 

of bogus claims has alleged 

that the Federal 

Government plans to arrest 

the Senate President, Dr. 

Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, and his 

Deputy, Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu,” the APC 

deposed. 

He said President 

Buhari’s administration has 

repeatedly demonstrated its 

strict adherence to the rule 

of law, saying the alleged 

plan to arrest or harass the 

mentioned leaders was 

pure hogwash. 

“Clear conscience fears 

no accusation. Why are 

PDP leaders afraid of arrest 

if their conscience is clear? 

All law-abiding citizens or 

residents of the country 

have nothing to fear about 

arrest. 

‘’However, nobody, no 

matter how highly placed, 

will escape the full wrath 

of the law if he or she runs 

foul of our laws. 

“If the Senate President 

and the tree-climbing 

Senator are facing criminal 

charges in our law courts 

and his deputy has 

explanations to make to the 


Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, for acquisition of 

numerous properties in 

Nigeria and abroad 

through questionable 

sources, the President 

Buhari-led APC 

Continues on Page 41 

Rising cases of couples killing themselves (2) 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun 

Sessou, Abasifiok Johnson & 

Opara Victoria 

Domestic violence 

exists in marriages because 

of misunderstanding and 

lack of communication 

between partners. Before 

any marriage becomes 

violent, certain signs are 

noticeable. 

For example, getting 

irritated easily with 

anything a partner does, 

paying little or no attention 

and constant nagging 

among others. To avoid 

violence, couples should 

go for counseling, invite a 

trusted third party to act as 

a mediator. 

*Mr. Anuge Emmanuel, 

Student 

The high level of 

hunger and poverty 

in the land has contributed 

in no small measure to this 

scourge. For instance, 

some women whose husband 

can no longer meet 

up with family needs engage 

in extra marital affair 

so as to satisfy her needs. 

And men who cannot provide 

for their families avoid 

their homes and often go 

after ladies out there to satisfy 

their sexual urge. Both 

men and women are responsible 

for the high rate 

of domsetic violence. 

*Mr. Wolimoh Olajide, 

Warehouse worker 

The rate at which cou 

ples get kill themselves 

is quite alarming. 

People go into marriage 

with high hopes, but they 

get dissapointed eventually 

Ṡome forget that there 

are bound to be hitches and 

when that happens, if not 

properly managed, it leads 

to domestic violence. 

That is why there is violence 

at the slightest provocation 

and it sometimes 

result in death. Let us say 

no to domestic violence. 

*Mrs. Alozie Genevieve, 

Marketer 

The increase in the 

rate at which couples 

are killing themselves is 

worrisome and demands 

action. 

Domestic violence is usually 

caused by the jealous 

attitude of the women. That 

is why men often get angry. 

The rate at which women 

kill their husbands is 

alarming, we need God's 

intervention to stop couples 

from killing themselves, 

because it is beyond human 

imagination. How could 

lovers start killing themselves? 

*Com Saheed Afolabi, 

Youth leader 

A 

nagging wife, married 

to an angry husband will 

always incur his wrath. She has 

10 words to respond to just a 

word from him. And just like a 

time bomb, his anger will 

explode and he will do 

something he never planned for. 

Another reason is compatibility. 

Today, couples don’t spend 

time to get to know each other 

because of the beautiful faces and 

the six-pack they fancy. I think 

couples should spend time 

studying each other without 

pretence. Above all, 

understanding is key. 

*Mr. Egwuelu Victor 

Student 

It is a culmination of 

pent-up emotions. I 

think the first reason is contempt. 

The contempt might 

have developed through 

years of abuse by either of 

the parties. This could have 

stemmedfrom suspicion, 

distrust or intolerance because 

of suspected or confirmed 

cheating. 

The other factor is managing 

a relationship that 

has already broken down If 

all these are avoided, there 

would be a decrease in the 

rate at which couples kill 

themselves. 

*Mr. Falade Abiodun 

Beauty artiste

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUTS 14, 2018 

IGP condoles 

with families of 

policemen killed 

by Kaduna 

bandits 

•...orders 

prompt 

payment of 

benefits 

By Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—THE Inspector 

General of Police, IGP, 

Ibrahim Idris, has commiserated 

with the families of the four 

policemen, who were killed in an 

ambush on Saturday, in a forest 

in Kaduna State. 

The police personnel, who were 

in the IGP Intelligence Response 

Team, were killed in Rigasa 

Forest, Kaduna State, while 

returning after a successful 

operations that led to the arrest 

of some vicious and notorious 

kidnap-for-ransom suspects, 

responsible for the kidnap of 

Sheikh Ahmad Adam 

Algarkawy, recently. 

The Islamic cleric, who was 

held by the bandits in the forest 

has since regained his freedom. 

The IGP, in a statement by the 

Force Public Relations Officer, 

Jimoh Moshood, described the 

deceased police officers 

as ”Heroes of the Force.” 

The statement said: “The IGP 

mourns the unfortunate death of 

the deceased Police officers and 

describes them as Heroes of the 

Force, who laid down their lives 

and paid the supreme price in 

ensuring protection of lives and 

properties, and law and order in 

the country.“ 

Bandits killed 

The statement added that in 

spite of the loss suffered by the 

Police, “the team leader and 

other personnel of the IGP-IRT 

repelled the attack and killed six 

of the bandits. 

“Caches of firearms and 

ammunition were recovered from 

the bandits’ hideouts in Rigasa 

Forest. 

“The IGP has directed befitting 

burials for the deceased officers 

and prompt processing and 

payment of the life assurance 

benefits and other entitlements to 

their families.” 

It named the deceased Police 

officers as Inspector Bernard 

Odibo, Inspector Mamman 

Abubakar, Inspector Haruna 

Ibrahim and Sergeant 

Emmanuel Istifanus. 

The statement added: 

”Meanwhile, massive raids and 

assaults on the other bandits still 

at large in the Rigasa Forest are 

ongoing to bring them to justice. 

“The Nigeria Police Force, 

despite this unfortunate attack 

and killing of these policemen, 

will not relent in ensuring that 

crimes and criminalities are 

brought to the barest minimum 

in the country.” 

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

By Ochuko Akuopha 

OLEH—NOT less than 21 

houses have been set 

ablaze, with six persons 

missing at Inyi community, 

Ndokwa East Local 

Government Area, Delta State, 

following an intra-communal 

crisis that broke out when an 

indigene felled a guava tree in 

a disputed area. 

The mayhem, which began on 

Saturday, has caused 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

6 missing, 21 houses razed over 

felled guava tree in Delta community 

By Emem Idio 

YENAGOA—THERE was 

pandemonium at Our 

Saviour's Anglican Church, 

Romania, Yenagoa, the 

Bayelsa State capital, 

weekend, when a cleric 

slumped and died on the 

pulpit, while conducting a 

wedding. 

The cleric (names withheld), 

who is married with children 

and hailed from Tombia 

community in Yenagoa Local 

Government Area of the state, 

according to a church 

member, was not known to be 

sick, but complained of 

headache before his death. 

According to an eyewitness, 

the tragedy occurred when the 

cleric was giving his homily 

in the pulpit shortly after the 

couple had exchanged their 

marital vows and signed the 

marriage register. 

The late reverend, it was 

learned, was a former 

community leader and a chief 

of Biogbolo community, before 

he was transferred to Our 

Saviour's Anglican Church in 

Romania community as 

Presiding Priest. 

According to a church 

member, identified as Mary: 

“Our reverend was not known 

to be sick, but was complaining 

pandemonium in the 

community as panic-stricken 

indigenes are fleeing the area 

to take refuge in neighbouring 

villages. 

Sources said it may not be 

unconnected with a boundary 

dispute between two quarters 

of the community. 

A dependable source told 

Vanguard that “two quarters 

have been having issues over 

the boundary, but the problem 

started when someone from 

of a slight headache before the 

wedding ceremony. 

“We are at a loss as to what 

one of the quarters fell a 

guava tree around the 

disputed area. 

“When people from the 

other quarter saw what 

happened, a fight broke 

out and in the process, they 

started burning their 

houses.” 

Confirming the incident 

yesterday, Police Public 

Relations Officer of the State 

Command, Mr. Andrew 

Aniamaka, said the 

must have happened to him. 

He was such a nice family 

man.” 

It was gathered that the 

pandemonium that ensued 

indigenes “of the same kindred 

have been having issues for 

some time now. 

“On our side, we have been 

trying to make them toe the path 

of peace. They have been 

burning houses in the 

community. So far, 21 houses 

have been burnt, while 10 

others were vandalised and 

some persons are missing. We 

are discussing with the Okpala- 

Uku of the community on the 

way forward.” 

ACTION IN IBADAN: Ogunpa Channel in REACTION IN KADUNA: Ali Akilu Road, Kawo, 

Ibadan, Oyo State, turned waste bin. PHOTO: Dare Fasube. Kaduna, flooded after a downpour, yesterday. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi. 

Bayelsa Anglican cleric slumps, dies while 

officiating wedding 

Soldier, 2 others nab over alleged 

diversion of 45,000 litres AGO 

By Evelyn Usman 

ATTEMPT by a four-man 

robbery gang to divert a 

44,000 litres AGO tanker that was 

hijacked from a tanker driver 

along the Osodi/Apapa 

expressway, Lagos, has been 

foiled by operatives of the 

Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, 

Lagos State Police Command, 

following the arrest of three 

suspected members of the gang. 

Among the arrested suspects, 

was a Lance Corporal with the 

Nigerian Army, identified as 

Iwegbulam Peter, while the 

operatives are still on the trail of 

the fleeing fourth suspect, said 

to also be a serving soldier. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

gang trailed the tanker driver 

who loaded at one of the tank 

farms along the expressway, 

from Mile Two to Cele, where it 

intercepted him. 

The truck driver and his 

conductor were thereafter, 

ordered by the soldiers who 

accused them of being buckerers 

to enter their operational vehicle, 

while the suspected leader of 

the gang, Ikechukwu Ezekwe, 

44 , drove the truck away. 

Operatives who were 

contacted, tracked the 

hijacked truck to Ajah, where 

Ikechukwu was about to sell 

the content to a ready buyer. 

In this interview, Ikechukwu 

who admitted to have hired 

the services of the two soldiers, 

disclosed that he would have 

shared the amount realised 

from the sale of the stolen 

content on a 50/50 percentage 

with the soldiers. 

According to the father of 

two: “This is my first time of 

hijacking an AGO tanker. We 

used to hijack petroleum 

product from pipeline 

vandals, posing as security 

agents. But the clamp down 

on vandals by security agents 

also affected business for us. 

I initiated the plan to hijack 

the tanker loaded with 45,000 

AGO. 

“I invited this soldier 

(pointing at Peter) and 

another soldier. On the day of 

changed the mood of the 

wedding programme and 

disrupted proceedings for half 

an hour before normalcy was 

restored. 

the operation, on a Friday, we 

waited at Mile Two for over two 

hours, for tanker loaded with 

AGO(diesel) and not petrol 

because the buyer insisted on 

AGO. 

“By the time I sighted the truck 

loaded with the specified product, 

I told the driver to move behind 

it, until we got to Cele bus-stop, 

where I took the tanker. 

“I was already at Ajah, where 

the buyer who was waiting in his 

car, drove ahead, to the filling 

station where the content would 

be offloaded. But immediately he 

sighted the Police van block the 

truck, he zoomed off. 

“The arrangement was for him 

to buy the product at N130 per 

litres, instead of N180/N190 sold 

per litres at the depot” 

On his part, Lance Corporal 

Peter, denied having any 

knowledge that the truck was to 

be hijacked. 

He said: “When Ikechukwu 

contacted me, he said I should 

assist him to intercept some 

buckerers along the Oshodi/ 

Apapa expressway.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018—7 

By Ola Ajayi 

IBADAN—A 

27-year-old 

suspected ritualist, Sodiq 

Rasheed, caught with three 

human skulls, was among 36 

suspects paraded yesterday by 

Oyo State Police Command. 

Rasheed was arrested by the 

anti-crime patrol team of the 

Iyaganku Area Command along 

Ijebu-Ode/Idi Ayunre Road. 

According to Oyo State 

Commissioner of Police, Mr. 

Abiodun Odude, he exhumed the 

skulls from a cemetery in Omi- 

Adio area of the State. 

He told Vanguard: “I am a tree 

cutter. I went to work for Alfa 

Hadi. He did not like my financial 

condition, so he said he was going 

make me rich. Alfa Hadi 

requested me to bring the parts 

for the sole purpose of moneymaking 

ritual. 

“I went to the cemetery to dig 

up the skulls. I was on my way to 

deliver them, when I was arrested 

by the Police.” 

Parading the suspects at the state 

Police Command Headquarters, 

Eleyele, Ibadan, Odude said the 

command, in the last three weeks, 

vanguardnews 

Man caught with 3 

humans skulls in Oyo 

had recorded a lot of success in its 

war against crime. 

Other suspects arrested were 

allegedly involved in various 

offences ranging from money ritual, 

robbery, fraudulent activities, 

diversion of goods to cross-border 

NEWS HOTLINES 

@vanguardnews 08052867058, 

08035483885 

armed bandits, among others. 

Also paraded was a notorious 

gang of fraudsters, who 

allegedly specialised in 

obtaining goods from 

unsuspecting victim using fake 

bank SMS alert. 

The gang members, 

numbering about six, according 

to the Police, fraudulently 

obtained 33,000 litres of diesel 

from one Alhaji Yusuf 

Owodunmi in Apapa, Lagos. 

“The gang, through the use 

of fake SMS bank alerts, 

defrauded Alhaji Owodunni of 

N7,194,000. The suspects made 

frantic efforts to dispose the 

goods in Ibadan before luck ran 

out of them and were 

subsequently arrested by the 

command,” the Police boss 

added. 

Items recovered from the 

suspects include one AK-47 

military rifle, three TV sets and 

one big generator. 

Others are a truck of 33,000 

litres of diesel, a diverted 

truckload of noodles, five 

vehicles, mobile phones, one 

pump action gun with five 

cartridges, watches and a power 

generator. 

Another man shot dead in Ado-Ekiti 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

ADO-EKITI—BARELY four 

days after the killing of 

Bunmi Ojo, Personal Assistant 

to ex-governor Segun Oni by 

unknown assailants, another 

man was shot dead in broad 

daylight in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday. 

The identity of the latest victim 

of the unknown gunmen could 

not be ascertained at press time. 

Sources at the scene said the 

man was shot at a junction close 

to the end of the newlyconstructed 

overhead bridge at 

the Okesa/Ojumose Area of 

Ado-Ekiti at 5:30p.m. 

According to the eyewitnesses, 

the victim, who was said to be 

riding on a commercial 

motorcycle popularly called 

Okada, was trailed by the 

gunmen, who ordered the 

commercial motorcyclist 

conveying the victim to stop. 

They, thereafter, immediately 

shot him and sped off. 

The body of the dead 

passenger was said to have been 

moved to an unknown hospital 

by sympathisers, who thought 

he could survive. 

When newsmen got to the 

scene of the incident at about 

6p.m., bloodstains were noticed 

all over the scene. 

The incident led to the closure 

of many shops in and around 

nearby Bisi Market as traders, 

who either witnessed or got 

wind of the killing, hurriedly left 

for their homes. 

When contacted, the Police 

Public Relations Officer of the 

state command, DSP Caleb 

Ikechukwu, said the command 

was yet to be briefed by the 

Divisional Police Officer of Okesa 

Division. 

He promised to speak on the 

attack as soon as he gets 

information. 

157 prison inmates to write 

WASSCE, 2 pursue PhD 

THE Lagos Prisons Command 

says education behind bars is 

getting more interesting with two 

of its inmates already pursuing 

their PhD at the Kirikiri 

Maximum Prisons. 

The Controller of Prisons, 

Lagos Command, Mr. Tunde 

Ladipo, disclosed this in an 

interview in Lagos, yesterday. 

According to him, there is 

renewed interests in education 

among the inmates across the 

various prisons in the state. 

He said the progress and 

courage exhibited by the two 

PhD inmates at the maximum 

prison had sparked off a new zeal 

for academic pursuit among other 

inmates. 

In his words: “The command is 

committed in ensuring that no 

inmate is left behind in terms of 

education, as this is part of the 

reformation we are carrying out. 

“Around May or June, two of 

the inmates, who have acquired 

their Masters degrees enrolled 

for their PhD in the newlyestablished 

National Open 

University of Nigeria, NOUN, 

centre at the Kirikiri facility. 

“One of the inmates is studying 

Business Management and the 

other Peace and Conflict 

Resolution. The Vice Chancellor 

of NOUN, who personally 

presented them with the letter 

approving their PhD courses said 

it is tuition free. 

“To us, this is ground 

breaking and very 

encouraging, as they have 

shown that they are not 

limited by the situation they 

find themselves. And that is 

part of the essence of our ongoing 

reformation across the 

prisons. 

“As a result of this, the 

command is also witnessing 

an increase of enrollment of 

inmates into various 

categories of learning at the 

various prisons schools. 

“We are indeed happy with 

the establishment of the new 

NOUN Centre at the Kirikiri 

Prison, with state-of-the art 

facilities such as ultra modern 

and well-stocked library, 

computers and air 

conditioners.” 

He said 157 inmates across 

the prisons in the state have 

registered for the second 

series of the West African 

Senior School Certificate 

Examination, WASSCE, for 

private candidates. 

Giving a breakdown of the 

statistics of the inmates from 

the various facilities, he said 

that 91 of the inmates were 

from the Ikoyi Prisons, 12 from 

the Female Prisons, 14 from 

the Medium and 40 from the 

Maximum Prisons. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Oga, if you're from Edo, even your 

chequebook will disappear as you sleep 

Send him to Warri for 6-month IT to 

format his tokunbo brain to Nigerianese 

But if he wins N5 million will you 

be his personal prophetess?

8—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 


NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

Power: FG to concession 6 hydro 

dams — Fashola 

By Chris Ochayi 

M INNA—FEDERAL 

Government, 

yesterday, announced that it 

had completed 

arrangements to concession 

six hydro dams to private 

operators under build, 

operate and transfer, BOT, 

scheme. 

Minister of Power, Works 

and Housing, Mr. 

Babatunde Fashola, who 

disclosed this during the 

29th Power Sector 

Stakeholders’ meeting in 

Minna, Niger State, said the 

step was aimed at energising 

educational institutions and 

markets in the country. 

Fashola explained: “These 

are government-led 

initiatives based on the rural 

electrification plan approved 

by the President in 2016 to 

provide access to power for 

rural dwellers and 

vulnerable members of our 

society. 

“We proposed to use six 

small hydro dams that had 

been abandoned for 

decades, Federal 

Government owned 

universities and some 

markets as anchors. 

"Apart from the 

universities, where 

government is directly 

funding the intervention, the 

markets are being privately 

funded, contrary to 

allegations that have been 

made in the media, and I 

challenge those who made 

the allegation to provide 

proof to the contrary. 

“There are currently 15 

markets under 

contemplation with Ariaria, 

Sabon Gari and Sura 

markets in Aba, Kano and 

Lagos as flagships. The six 

hydro dams are to be 

concessioned to private 

operators to build, operate, 

and transfer. 

“Our thinking is simple. 

While the whole value chain 

and power privatisation 

gradually evolves, it is 

possible to create oases of 

success by showing to our 

children that they can have 

reliable power while in 

school. 

“If that is a reason to get 

children to school and keep 

them there, certainly, no 

good business can oppose 

this. 

“Indeed, it seems to me 

sensible to expect that the 

future of today’s business 

and even government, rests 

solely on the quality of 

education that the current 

generation of students get. 

“As for the markets, the 

37,000 shops in Ariaria, 

about 13,000 in Sabon Gari, 

and about 1,000 in Sura 

represent SMEs, where the 

•Says DISCOs major obstacle 

in power value chain 

majority of our people earn 

a living." 

DISCOs major 

obstacle in power 

value chain 

Meanwhile, Fashola, in 

spite of recent quit threat 

issued by Distribution 

Companies, DISCOs, 

insisted that they were the 

major obstacle militating 

against progress in the 

power value chain. 

The minister noted: “Those 

who know and who 

genuinely desire to solve 

problems in this industry do 

not need to be told that the 

most pressing challenge of 

Olujimi replaces Akpabio as 

Senate Minority Leader 

•Paulker takes over Olujimi’s 

position 

Dr Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, Senate 

President. 

By Henry Umoru 

A BUJA—SENATE 

Caucus of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, has 

finally nominated Deputy 

Minority Whip, Senator 

Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti 

South), as the new Senate 

Minority Leader. 

Vanguard gathered, 

yesterday, that with her 

appointment, Olujimi, who 

was deputy governor of 

Ekiti State, replaces the 

immediate past Senate 

Minority Leader and 

former governor of Akwa 

Ibom State, Senator 

Godswill Akpabio (Akwa 

Ibom North-West). 

A source told Vanguard, 

yesterday, that Senator 

Olujimi’s name would be 

made known when the 

Senate reconvenes in 

September from its annual 

recess. 

It would be recalled that 

Godswill Akpabio had last 

week, resigned his position 

as the Senate Minority 

Leader. 

Akpabio’s resignation 

was contained in a letter 

dated August 4, which he 

wrote to the Deputy Senate 

Minority Leader, 

Emmanuel Bwacha. 

Vanguard gathered that 

Senator Emmanuel Paulker 

(PDP, Bayelsa Central) now 

takes over the position of 

Olujimi as the Senate 

Deputy Minority Whip. 

According to the source, 

the PDP caucus took the 

decision to have Olujimi, a 

former member of the 

House of Representatives, 

in order to have a vibrant 

member from the South- 

West since Governor 

Ayodele Fayose, who has 

been very active, will soon 

round off, having 

completed his second term 

in office as governor. 

The source said further 

that Deputy Senate 

Minority Leader, Senator 

Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, 

Taraba South) and Senate 

Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy 

Senate President. 

the sector today lies at the 

distribution end. 

“Among the challenges at 

this sector of the value chain 

(and there are problems in 

gas generation and 

transmission), the most 

urgent being distribution of 

available energy to 

consumers, and there is an 

unused energy in the region 

of 2,000 megawatts in this 

category. 

“The other, of course, is the 

supply of meters to 

consumers. These two issues 

of power distribution and 

supply of meters rank 

highest in the feedback from 

the stakeholders in the 

industry." 

Minority Whip, Senator 

Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) 

would retain their positions 

because they are both from 

the north. 

Vanguard also gathered 

that the position of Senate 

Minority Leader did not go 

to the South because the 

National Chairman of PDP, 

Prince Uche Secondus, is 

from Rivers State, South- 

South geo-political zone of 

the country. 

According to the source, 

Olujimi was chosen 

because the party wants to 

recognise the contributions 

of women and she being 

one of the most active 

senators, it became 

imperative for her to take 

the position. 

The South-East was not 

considered because the 

Deputy Senate President, 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 

hails from Enugu (South- 

East). 

The PDP caucus had said 

it would get a very vibrant 

replacement who would 

lead the business of the 

party in the Senate 

successfully. 

<strong>Saraki</strong>: <strong>Showdown</strong> 

on hold as NASS 

fails to reconvene 

Continues from Page1 

night that both sessions 

of the National Assembly 

cannot meet to consider 

a bill. 

The senators, it was 

gathered, had perfected 

plans to impeach the 

Senate president, using 

the occasion of an expected 

emergency resumption 

of both the Senate 

and the House of 

Representatives today. 

But a source close to 

the leadership of the 

National Assembly told 

Vanguard, last night, 

that the National Assembly 

would not reconvene 

plenary as stated by the 

Deputy Speaker of the 

House of Representatives, 

Yusuf Lasun, to 

consider the budget of 

the Independent National 


INEC, for 2019 

general election. 

The source, who craved 

anonymity, however, told 

Vanguard that should 

the pressure of resumption 

continue to mount, 

the plan in the works 

now was to call for a joint 

session to be presided 

over by <strong>Saraki</strong> at the 

chamber of the House of 

Representatives. 

He stated that the joint 

session shall be restricted 

to only one agenda, 

which is the budget for 

INEC for 2019 elections. 

The source stated that 

measure was being taken 

to keep the APC senators 

in check and to prevent 

them from raising 

even a dissenting voice 

against the Senate President 

during the session. 

The source said: “The 

National Assembly is not 

likely to reconvene on 

Tuesday (today) or 

Wednesday (tomorrow) as 

being speculated. But a 

suggestion was made this 

morning (yesterday) to 

the leadership that if push 

comes to shove, a joint 

session should be held in 

the House of Representatives 

chamber presided 

over by the Senate President 

on INEC budget. 

“The idea is to stave off 

the senators rooting for 

impeachment of the Senate 

president. If you hold 

the session with the members 

of the House, I can 

assure you that no senator 

would raise a voice 

against the Senate president 

because such a person 

may be beaten. So, a 

joint session is currently 

being considered. That 

was the suggestion this 

morning (yesterday).” 

The source, however, 

charged Nigerians to 

ask the Presidency why 

it decided to keep the 

INEC budget, which he 

said was submitted to it 

since last February, only 

to bring up the issue 

when the National Assembly 

was proceeding 

on recess. 

He also hinted that 

Speaker Yakubu Dogara 

was not likely to defect 

to Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, this month 

until the dust in the Senate 

settles. 

He added that the fact 

that the PDP won the local 

government of the 

speaker in the last senatorial 

by-election in Bauchi 

State was a straight 

deduction that Dogara 

would eventually move 

to PDP, no matter how 

long it takes. 

“The election result was 

a straight answer that 

the people of his local 

government have rejected 

the APC. But I can 

tell you that the speaker 

is not defecting now, 

may not even be this 

month. 

"Though the speaker is 

keeping everyone 

guessing, I know he 

would move after this 

time,” the source assured. 

Meanwhile, two former 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, senators, 

Rafiu Adebayo and Isa 

Misau, yesterday, approached 

the Abuja Division 

of the Federal 

High Court, asking it to 

abort any attempt to forcibly 

impeach the Senate 

President, Dr. Bukola 

<strong>Saraki</strong>, from office without 

recourse to due process 

of the law. 

The two lawmakers, 

who represent Kwara 

South and Bauchi Central, 

respectively, alleged 

that some chieftains of 

their former party, APC, 

led by its National Chairman, 

Adams Oshiomhole, 

and Attorney-General 

of the Federation, 

Mr. Abubakar Malami, 

SAN, have perfected 

plans to use security 

agencies to force <strong>Saraki</strong> 

to vacate his position as 

the Senate President. 

Consequently, the 

plaintiffs, through their 

lawyer, Mr. Mahmoud 

Magaji, SAN, applied 

for an order of interlocutory 

injunction stopping 

Continues on Page 41


VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018—9 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

BRIEFING: From left, Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad; 

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Acting President, 

Mr Laolu Akande, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, 

Garba Shehu, during a news conference at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: 

NAN. 

PDP behaving like militant organisation 

—Presidency 

•Weekend’s hat-trick, endorsement of 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

& Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—THE 

Presidency and All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, yesterday, celebrated 

the party’s victory in the 

senatorial and House of 

Representatives by-election 

in Katsina, Bauchi and Kogi 

states, flaying Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, for 

rejecting the outcome. 

While Presidency described 

PDP as one behaving like a 

militant group, instead of 

following the democratic 

tenets in its activities on 

national issues, APC said its 

victory in the elections was an 

endorsement of President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

The Presidency also said the 

victory recorded by the party 

in the elections was an 

indication of President 

Buhari’s acceptance by 

Nigerians and what will be 

expected in 2019 elections. 

Briefing State House 

correspondents at the 

Presidential Villa, Abuja, 

Senior Special Assistant to 

the President on Media and 

Publicity, Malam Garba 

Shehu, flanked by his 

colleague in the office of the 

Vice President, Laolu 

Akande, said each of the byelections 

was considered to 

be epic in nature. 

He said the allegation of 

bribery for votes and votebuying 

alleged by PDP was 

a serious offence and that it 

was the duty of citizens who 

have evidence of such 

infractions to report to the 

appropriate quarters. 

He said: “One is to say that 

bribery of voters or vote 

buying is an offence in this 

country, I think that citizens 

who have evidence 

regarding this, have a duty 

to report to the law 

enforcement agencies. This is 

the way to help the country. 

PDP behaving like 

Buhari — APC 

militant 

organisation 

“Second, I think it is not the 

right attitude for a political 

party, a so-called opposition 

leader to conduct their affairs 

like a militant organisation, a 

political party cannot be run 

like a militant organisation. 

"If you have disagreement 

on the outcome of an election, 

they know the process and 

they know it because they 

abused it before. You can see 

this is the clear difference of 

the kind of democracy the 

APC administration is trying 

to put in place from what they 

are used to. 

“(Governor) Willie Obiano 

of Anambra, same afternoon 

he won election, President 

Buhari said congratulations 

and welldone, we were 

happy we came second in the 

elections. That is the way it 

is. 

“We lost a Senate seat in 

Osun, we didn’t try to bring 

down the roof, and this that 

has happened in Cross River 

(by-election for state 

assembly), did you hear 

Adams Oshiomhole saying 

he wants to shoot people? I 

think this is the difference we 

need. 

“It is clear that from election 

after election, Nigerians are 

reposing confidence in the 

Buhari/Osinbajo Presidency. 

Each of these election 

victories is considered to be 

epic in nature because none 

of these elections was an 

ordinary election. 

“We are happy that we have 

won and on behalf of the 

President and the acting 

president, we like to say thank 

you to Nigerians who 

continue to repose their 

confidence in the leadership 

of the APC administration." 

Weekend’s hattrick, 

endorsement 

of Buhari—APC 

On its part, APC said its 

“hat trick” victories in last 

weekend’s National 

Assembly by-election 

signalled Nigerian’s 

endorsement of President 

2019: PDP to prune number of 

Presidential aspirants 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

ABUJA—AHEAD of the 

2019 Presidential 

elections, there are 

indications that Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, has 

concluded plans to cut 

down the number of its 

presidential aspirants 

before the primary election. 

The plan, our 

correspondent gathered, is 

aimed at preventing 

unnecessary dissipation of 

energy by supporters and 

members of the PDP as well 

as nipping in the bud, 

possible fragmentations 

within the ranks of the 

party. 

Although the leadership 

of the party has 

continuously reiterated its 

commitment to fairness and 

justice, the current move is 

being orchestrated with the 

active cooperation of some 

of the aspirants. 

A highly-placed party 

source told this medium in 

confidence that those that 

have been told to drop their 

ambitions would be 

“compensated in one way 

or the other,” adding that 

what is of utmost 

importance is victory at the 

polls for the party. 

The sorce said: “The 

number of Presidential 

aspirants keep increasing 

by the day and this is a bit 

worrisome for us as a party. 

Yes, all those that have 

indicated interest in the 

ticket are eminently 

qualified but we must be 

realistic that this is not the 

time to have our house 

unnecessarily divided. 

Buhari’s administration, 

ahead of the next year 

elections. 

In its first formal reaction to 

the outcome of the elections, 

APC noted that since 

assuming office, President 

Buhari had demonstrated 

political will and “remains 

solidly committed to the task 

of building a new Nigeria, in 

line with the Change Agenda 

we promised to the electorate 

and the progressive ideals we 

stand for.” 

According to the Acting 

National Publicity Secretary 

of the Party, Yekini Nabena, 

“the All Progressives 

Congress, APC’s hat-trick 

victories, following 

weekend’s by-elections for 

Katsina North, Bauchi South 

senatorial seats and Lokoja/ 

Kogi Federal Constituency 

House of Representatives 

seat have again powerfully 

demonstrated the confidence 

and trust by our people in 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s administration.” 

“It is very easy to say all 

of them should battle it out 

at the convention to choose 

the Presidential candidate. 

There is a need to cut down 

the numbers whether we 

like it or not, these people 

(aspirants) are already 

leaders in their own right. 

“So, whether they 

emerge the candidate or 

not, they have paid their 

dues. The party has made 

steady progress in this 

regard and I believe it will 

turn out a win-win situation 

for all of us.” 

Beyond the need for an 

efficient conduct of the 

Presidential primaries, our 

source added that the 

leadership of the party is 

also mindful of the 

Memorandum of 

Understanding it signed 

with 37 other political 

parties a few weeks ago. 

A-Court halts execution 

of arrest warrant on 

INEC boss, Yakubu 

•Orders trial court to hands off 

till Sept 17 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A BUJA—ABUJA 

Division of the Court 

of Appeal, yesterday, 

ordered a stay of execution 

of the bench warrant 

directing Nigeria Police 

Force to arrest chairman of 



INEC, Prof. Mahmood 

Yakubu, for disobeying 

court orders. 

A three-man special 

panel of the appellate court 

held that the arrest order 

should be placed on hold, 

pending the hearing and 

determination of an appeal 

the INEC boss lodged 

before it. 

The Justice Abdul Abokiled 

panel also ordered the 

Federal High Court in 

Abuja to temporarily handsoff 

the case, saying it would 

be prejudicial for the 

contempt proceeding 

against Yakubu to continue 

while his appeal is still 

pending. 

The court held: “Since the 

court below is aware that an 

appeal has been entered in 

this court and is pending 

here. Also considering that 

the legality of the warrant 

of arrest is an issue in this 

appeal, it will be prejudicial 

to the appeal for the trial 

court to continue dealing 

DSS denies recovering 

N21bn, weapons, PVCs 

from Daura’s homes 

By Soni Daniel 

A 

B U J A — 

DEPARTMENT 

of State Services, DSS, has 

described as false and 

wicked, fake news being 

widely circulation in the 

social media claiming that 

N21 billion, 400 assorted 

weapons and permanent 

voter cards, PVCs, were 

recovered from the homes 

of its sacked Director- 

General, Lawal Daura. 

Spokesman of DSS, Mr. 

Tony Opuiyo, in a 

statement released in 

Abuja, yesterday, made it 

clear that neither the 

agency nor any other 

security outfit in the country 

had carried out any 

recovery either in the 

homes or residence of the 

sacked D-G. 

Opuiyo described the 

video as the handiwork of 

dishonest elements bent on 

creating tension and breach 

of the peace in the country 

and tarnishing the image 

with the issue. 

“We, therefore, stay the 

execution of the warrant of 

arrest pending the 

determination of the motion 

on notice, which will be 

taken together with the 

main appeal. 

“The application is 

adjourned till September 17 

for hearing.” 

Besides, the court 

directed Chairman and 

Legal Adviser of Anambra 

State chapter of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

Chief Ejike Oguebego, and 

Chuks Okoye, respectively, 

who are respondents in the 

appeal, to file their brief of 

argument before the 

adjourned date. 

Yakubu had through his 

lawyer, Chief Adegboyega 

Awomolo, SAN, begged the 

appellate court to stop trial 

Justice Stephen Pam from 

sitting on the contempt 

charge against him on 

Tuesday. 

The INEC boss told the 

appellate court that he was 

apprehensive that the high 

court Judge would send 

him to prison if allowed to 

proceed with the case as 

scheduled. 

“My lords, it will appear 

that the trial judge is bent 

on committing the 

appellant to prison at all 

cost and our worry is that 

he has dragged himself 

into the arena." 

of the DSS. 

The agency said: “These 

non-existent items include 

N21 billion cash; 400 

assorted and sophisticated 

small arms and light 

weapons/rifles; and 

thousands of Permanent 

Voters Cards, PVCs, 

belonging to Niger 

Republic immigrants. 

“In another video also in 

circulation, some persons 

believed to be personnel of 

a security outfit were seen 

forcing open safes stocked 

with money. The security 

operatives were described 

as executing a recovery 

operation at the Katsina 

home of the former D-G. 

“Consequently, the 

service wishes to inform the 

public that these videos are 

false and should be 

disregarded. So far, no such 

recovery operations have 

been undertaken by the 

EFCC or any other security 

agency at DSS’ office or 

residences of the former 

DG."

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

FINANCIAL INFRACTIONS/ 

PROPERTY SALES: Reps 

tackle BPP, BPE, others 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA—THE House 

of Representatives 

Committee on Ports, 

Harbours and Waterways, 

yesterday, tackled 

government agencies that 

failed to submit 

memoranda as it began a 

3-day investigative hearing 

on alleged disposal/ 

occupation of land 

belonging to the Nigerian 

Ports Authority, NPA, the 

Nigerian Shippers 

Council, NSC, and 

National Inland Waterways 

Authority, NIWA, and other 

notable government 

agencies. 

The committee, during 

hearing on alleged illegal 

disposal/occupantion of 

land belonging to NPA and 

NIWA and other maritime 

stakeholders, ordered all 

the agencies that failed to 

submit their memoranda to 

do so within 24hours. 

Also, 37 of the 80 agencies 

that were invited shunned 

the committee’s invitation 

as they failed to send 

representatives to the probe 

panel. 

Chairman of the 

Committee Pat Asadu, PDP 

S AGAMU—37 

members of the 

National Youth Service 

Corps, NYSC, who 

completed their service, 

yesterday, in Ogun State, 

were involved in an 

accident shortly after 

leaving the orientation 

camp in Sagamu. 

The Sector Commander 

of the Federal Road 

Safety Commission, 

FRSC, Ogun State 

Command, Clement 

Oladele, who confirmed 

this, said 19 of them 

comprising nine males 

and ten males were 

injured. 

He said the corps 

members were heading 

to Sango en route 

Ibadan-Lagos 

Expressway in a white 

coloured coaster bus, 


Enugu, in his opening 

remarks at the event, noted 

that financial improprieties, 

infractions and other 

unwholesome practices at 

the NPA, NIWA, Nigeria 

Shippers Council and other 

maritime regulators and 

operators was affecting the 

nation’s port development. 

He hinted that the 

investigation was 

predicated on referrals to 

the committee by the House 

on the alleged disposal of 

land by the NPA and other 

infractions by the agency 

and other maritime 

stakeholders and added 

that it was not intended to 

hitch hunt anybody. 

However, the lawmaker 

while reading the roll call 

of invited stakeholders, 

discovered that thirty-seven 

companies invited by the 

committee neither sent a 

representative nor a 

memorandum. 

Among the notable 

government agencies 

which shunned the 

investigative hearing 

include the Bureau of 

Public Enterprises BPE, 

Bureau of Public 

Procurement BPP, 

Infrastructure Regulatory 

Commission ICRC. 

After leaving orientation 

camp: 37 corps members 

escape death in auto 

crash in Sagamu 

when the accident 

occurred around the 

Danco petrol station 

axis. He said none of 

them died, but some 

sustained “serious 

injuries.” 

Explaining that the 

accident was caused by 

speed violation and loss 

of control by the driver, 

Mr Oladele said the 

injured victims were 

evacuated to FRSC 

Accident Emergency 

Clinic at Sagamu. 

The official disclosed 

that four of the victims 

with “more serious 

injuries” were referred 

for further checks at 

Olabisi Onabanjo 

University Teaching 

Hospital, OOUTH, in 

Sagamu. 

He advised corps 

members, when 

commuting, to always 

caution drivers who 

drive carelessly 

especially during the 

raining season. 

He added that officers will 

take necessary disciplinary 

action against such erring 

drivers. 

The accident came over 

a week after some corps 

members drowned in 

Taraba while swimming 

in a river. 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

<strong>Saraki</strong>, Obasanjo keep mum after 

closed-door meeting 

By Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA—THE 

Senate President, Dr. 

Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, yesterday, 

held a closed-door 

meeting with former 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo at his house 

in Abeokuta but kept 

My presidential ambition not 

a do-or-die affair — BAFARAWA 

By Wole Mosadomi 

M INNA—PEOPLES 

Democratic Party, 

PDP, presidential aspirant 

and former Governor of 

Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru 

Bafarawa, yesterday, 

described the war against 

corruption by the President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

administration as selective 

and has therefore made 

nonsense of the exercise. 

The PDP presidential 

hopeful, who was fielding 

was quiet over the 

details of the meeting. 

<strong>Saraki</strong>, who arrived in a 

black SUV land cruiser 

with a pocket of security 

details, arrived the OOPL 

around 5:30 pm emerged 

from the meeting at 7:12 

pm. 


questions from journalists 

in Minna, Niger State, 

during his visit to the PDP 

Secretariat on a campaign 

tour, also described leaders 

of the Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, as 

unqualified and have 

displayed their 

incompetence before 

various law courts across 

the country. 

He said: “The way and 

manner the EFCC is 

carrying out its assignment 

Impairment: LASG introduces 

sign language in banks, 

hospitals, Police stations 

By Monsur 

Olowoopejo 

LAGOS—AS part of 

measures to aid 

effective communication, 

the Lagos State 

Government, yesterday, 

launched the use of signs 

and symbols in banks, 

hospitals, police stations for 

people with hearing 

impairment in the state. 

Speaking at the launch 

of the initiative in 

Alausa, Ikeja, the State 

Commissioner for Youths 

and Social Development, 

Agboola Dabiri said: “We 

have created something 

that will help people 

with hearing impairment 

when they go to the 

police station, hospitals, 

banks and other places 

to be able to 

communicate with the 

people there through 

signs and symbols. This 

is the first of its kind in 

Nigeria.” 

The commissioner 

added that the state 

government was 

committed to the plight 

of people with 

disabilities in the state 

and will provide the 

enabling environment to 

make them comfortable 

in the state. 

the meeting was scheduled 

for 4 pm but did not start 

until 5:30 pm immediately 

after the Senate President 

arrived the former 

President’s library complex. 

Addressing newsmen 

after the meeting, <strong>Saraki</strong> 

said he was meeting with 

Obasanjo to make up for 

The injured Corps members being attended to by FRSC men and wellwishers. 

is not the proper way. We 

must get qualified people 

to handle the assignment, 

EFCC is manned by 

unqualified people and this 

is why they have bungled 

most of its cases in courts 

and failed to complete their 

cases to logical conclusions. 

“The fight against 

corruption is not a thing we 

say with the mouth. The top 

must show a way and good 

example for the corruption 

fight to succeed and this is 

why I am suggesting for the 

total overhauling of the 

Commission.” 

Alhaji Bafarawa, while 

commenting on his travails 

in the hands of the EFCC 

for over 10 years for alleged 

corruption, said it was a 

calculated attempt to 

destroy him politically but 

said that he has been 

vindicated. 

He sad: “My arrest and 

prosecution by the EFCC 

can best be described as 

political persecution, 

intimidation and 

humiliation, but I am 

thankful to God that I have 

been vindicated.” 

On his presidential 

ambition, the former 

governor said: “My 

ambition is not do or die; If 

I lose at the primaries, I will 

accept it in good faith 

especially if the exercise is 

transparent. I am a 

democrat and I will go on 

and support my party.'' 

the formal opening of the 

Presidential library held 

last year. 

He said: “You know I 

missed the official 

opening of the library and 

that is why I have decided 

to come and see the place 

and honestly, it is 

beautiful. We are very 

proud of what he has done 

here.” 

Attempts by newsmen to 

get <strong>Saraki</strong>’s comment on the 

crisis rocking the National 

Assembly proved abortive 

as he hurriedly boarded his 

vehicle and zoomed off. 

Vanguard, however, 

gathered that the 

meeting was not 

unconnected with the 

crisis rocking the National 

Assembly over the plot to 

impeach him by Senators 

elected on the platform of 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

New kings 

meet Olubadan 

over resolution 

of crisis 

By Ola Ajayi 

I BADAN—STRONG 

indications emerged 

that the royal battle between 

the Olubadan of 

Ibadanland, Oba Saliu 

Adetunji and new kings 

installed by Governor 

Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State 

may soon be over as the new 

kings, attended a formal 

peace meeting at the 

Popoyemoja palace of the 

monarch, yesterday. 

The peace parley, 

Vanguard gathered, was 

initiated by some Ibadan 

indigenes in Diaspora to 

end the imbroglio that has 

threatened the peace 

within the Ibadan 

traditional council. 

Though, the outcome of 

the meeting was not 

discussed with newsmen, 


amicable resolution had 

reached an advanced 

stage. 

The monarch and the new 

kings have been in tango 

over their promotion from 

high chiefs to crown 

wearing kings following the 

recommendations by a 

committee set up by 

Governor Ajimobi to review 

the 1959 Olubadan 

chieftaincy declaration. 

Last week, there was a 

meeting which had only 

two of the new kings in 

attendance. But the latest 

meeting appeared to be 

more elaborate. 

Those at the meeting 

included the Otun 

Olubadan of Ibadanland, 

Oba Lekan Balogun; the 

Balogun of Ibadanland, 

Oba Owolabi Olakukehin; 

the Ekaarun Olubadan, 

Oba Amidu Ajibade 

Salaudeen, and others. 

Some of the new kings 

were reportedly not at the 

meeting because some 

were outside the country.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


2019 POLLS: Stop glorifying corrupt people, 

Magu tells Nigerians 

•We've secured 150 convictions since June 

By Ola Ajayi 

IBADAN—AS 

the 

2019 general 

elections draw nearer, the 




EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim 

Magu, yesterday, advised 

Nigerians to stop 

glorifying corrupt people 

but should see the anticorruption 

war by the 


Buhari led administration 

as a collective fight. 

He also hinted that a 

total of 150 convictions 

had been secured by the 

agency as at June 2018. 

He said this at a 

stakeholders’ interactive 

session held at the 

premises of Ibadan zonal 

office of EFCC at 

Iyaganku. 

Magu said: “There are 

various ways of fighting 

corruption, among which is 

to sensitise, create 

awareness, and all that. But 

I am telling you, the looting 

must stop. We should not 

glorify the corrupt. We 

should not appreciate the 

corrupt. The ill must stop 

in the interest of our future 

generation. We have to find 

a way to protect their 

future.” 

The EFCC boss also used 

the forum to clarify that this 

present administration is 

not using the anti-graft 

agency to witch-hunt 

perceived political 

opponents as being 

insinuated in some 

quarters. 

Those present at the 

meeting include the Oyo 

State Chairman of the 

Nigeria Labour Congress, 

Mr. Waheed Olojede; the 

state Chairman, Christian 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN, Pastor Benjamin 

Akanmu; founder of 

Shafaudeen in Islam 

Worldwide, Prof Sabitu 

Olagoke, National 

Orientation Agency and 

Corrupt Practices 

Eradication Organisation of 

Nigeria among others. 

Magu added: “The 

EFCC does not embark on 

a witch-hunt. Our activities 

are in line with 

international best practices. 

In all that we do, we are 

indeed, guided first by the 

fear of God and patriotism 

and the rule of law. I will 

continue to discharge my 

duties solely with the fear 

of Almighty God, the 

overriding interest of our 

fatherland, Nigeria and the 

rule of law. 

“For us at the EFCC, we 

are driven by courage, 

integrity, and 

professionalism and our 

commitment to the common 

task of improving the lot 

of our people at the 

grassroots as we promote 

working partnership with 

all of you, this needs not 

be emphasised. 

“Like we all know, 

corruption is the number 

one problem that has 

militated against the 

development of Nigeria, 

especially the very poor at 

the grassroots. The havoc 

that corrupt practices have 

wreaked on the Nigerian 

economy is, no doubt. 

“It is pertinent for all of 

us to see ourselves as 

stakeholders in this fight. 

We must collectively strive 

to achieve the Nigeria of 

our dream, one which our 

children, indeed, even 

generations unborn will be 

proud of. 

“This is why fighting it to 

a standstill is not only a 

must but the only lifesaver 

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 — 11 

for our country, as to save 

the next generation. I want 

to restate for the records 

that, there is no better time 

to prop up the anticorruption 

campaign than 

now. 

“No doubt, your 

commitment, and outcry 

against ills of corruption, is 

a step in the right direction 

since the people at the 

grassroots constitute major 

victims of the menace of 

corruption anywhere in the 

world. 

While urging the media 

to do more in the fight 

against corruption, he said: 

“We, the people, 

particularly at the 

grassroots, have the 

obligation of providing 

relevant information on the 

consequences and the 

negative impact of 

corruption in the society. We 

are always ever ready to 

provide the media with 

the necessary information 

to be disseminated to the 

grassroots on the evil of 

corruption.” 

By Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

A DO-EKITI—THE 

Ekiti State Police 

Command, yesterday, 

declared that no stone would 

be left unturned in the 

search for the killers of Mr. 

Bunmi Ojo, former Personal 

Assistant to former Governor 

Segun Oni. 

The Police Public Relations 

Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr. 

Caleb Ikechukwu, who gave 

the assurance, however, 

disclosed that no suspect 

has been arrested in 

connection with the 

gruesome murder of the All 


APC, chieftain since last 

Friday when he was 

murdered. 

Unknown gunmen, who 

invaded a viewing centre 

in the Adebayo Area of Ado- 

Ekiti, shot dead the former 

Commissioner on the Board 

of Federal Character 

By Daud Olaunji 

AAfrican BEOKUTA—THE 

Democratic 

Congress, ADC, in Ogun 

State has assured that if 

given the mandate in the 

2019 general elections, it 

will operate with 

sincerity, integrity and 

binding social contract. 

A governorship aspirant 

on the platform of the 

party in the state, Mr. 

Gboyega Nasir Isiaka said 

this at a rally which 

climaxed the one-week 

sensitisation tour of ADC 

to Ado-Odo/Ota Federal 

Constituency, held 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

ASUU decries neglect 

of LAUTECH by Osun, 

Oyo govts 

O SOGBO—THE 

Academic Staff 

Union of Universities, 

ASUU, yesterday, 

decried the neglect of 

the Ladoke Akintola 

University of Technology, 

LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, 

by Osun and Oyo States. 

The Ibadan Zonal 

Coordinator of the union, 

Dr. Ade Adejumon, said 

this at a news conference 

in Osogbo. 

Adejumon said: “We 

are currently on two 

weeks warning strike. We 

are calling attention to 

the fact that LAUTECH is 

on the brink of 

disintegration. 

“We are not so much 

concerned about nonpayment 

of our 10 

months salary arrears, 

promotion arrears, but 

rather our concern is the 

poor funding of the 

university. 

“If nothing is done after 

the two weeks warning 

Commission on Friday. 

Speaking with journalists 

in Ado Ekiti on the 

tragedy, the police 

spokesman said plainclothed 

surveillance men 

and the Special Anti- 

Robbery Squad, SARS, 

have been dispatched to 

unravel the murderers. 

Ikechukwu said: “We are 

determined to ensure that 

the killers are brought to 

justice. We are gathering 

tips and working on all 

possibilities to ensure that 

these evil doers are made 

to face the wrath of the law. 

“We have sent our men 

to comb everywhere. Our 

men in plain clothes are out 

to unravel the killers, they 

are combing every corner 

and those areas seen to be 

criminal hideouts are under 

the watchful eyes of our 

men. So, we are confident 

that the killers will be 

arrested soon.” 

Meanwhile, one of the 

at Gangan Square, Ota, 

Ogun State. 

Isiaka said: “This 

government from its 

beginning has been 

insincere with the people. 

''They have done only 

what suits their ego and 

corruptly enrich their 

pockets. 

“We were on tour of 

Obafemi-Owode/Odeda/ 

Abeokuta North Federal 

Constituency two weeks 

ago and what we saw 

were not just bad roads, 

but the total neglect of 

rural communities in 

terms of amenities. We are 

however shocked that 

strike, then, we will 

proceed on an indefinite 

strike.’ 

He noted that the 

Memorandum of Action, 

signed with the union 

before its last strike was 

called off had not been 

fulfilled by the owner 

state governments. 

Adejumon called on 

Governor Rauf 

Aregbesola of Osun and 

his Oyo counterpart, 

Governor Abiola Ajimobi, 

to let the general public 

know if they could no 

longer fund the 

university. 

The ASUU coordinator 

said the actions of the 

two state governments 

had shown that they 

were no longer 

interested in the running 

of the university. 

He said that it was not 

possible for the 

institution to continue to 

rely only on its 

Internally Generated 

Revenue, IGR, to run the 

institution. 

We’ll do everything to arrest Bunmi Ojo's 

killers — POLICE 

deceased’s family members 

had revealed that Ojo’s 

killers seized his three 

mobile sets before raining 

bullets on him. 

The family member, who 

spoke under anonymity, 

said that the murderers also 

collected his car key, which 

he said was returned after 

carrying out the nefarious 

act. 

The family member said: 

“When they stormed the 

viewing centre, they shot 

into the air to disperse the 

viewers and they 

immediately seized Ojo’s 

mobile sets and car key 

before shooting him. 

“But they later returned 

the car key after killing him. 

What they wanted to do was 

to cause distraction and 

make the murder look like a 

robbery. 

“We are appealing to the 

police to bring the 

perpetrators to justice. Mr. 

Bunmi Ojo’s death 

shouldn’t be swept under 

the carpet.” 

2019: ADC pledges good governance in Ogun 

Ado-Odo/Ota could be in 

this deplorable condition. It 

is the second biggest local 

government in this state 

and major contributor to the 

revenue profile. 

Infrastructure here is 

nothing to write home 

about. 

“Moving through Ado- 

Odo, Igbesa, Alapoti, 

Agbara, Ota, Ijoko and 

environs, all you see are the 

signposts of poverty, 

squalor and degraded 

environment. Yet, the 

government is wasting 

billions of borrowed monies 

building needless bridges 

where not needed."

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

Renewal of Shell’s mining rights, 

insult on our dignity—MOSOP 

MOVEMENT for the 

Survival of the 

Ogoni People, MOSOP, 

has described the renewal 

of Shell Petroleum 

Development Company, 

SPDC’s mining rights in 

Ogoni as shocking and an 

insult on the collective 

dignity of the Ogoni 

people. 

Publicity Secretary of 

MOSOP, Mr Fegalo 

Nsuke, who spoke 

yesterday, in Bori, 

headquarters of Khana 

Local Government Area of 

Rivers State, where he 

addressed a cross section 

of Ogoni women, noted 

that Shell had prosecuted 

an ecological war against 

the Ogoni people for over 

50 years, sponsored 

Nigerian soldiers to abuse 

and trample on the rights 

of the people, refused to 

clean-up the lands polluted 

by the company’s 

irresponsible business 

practices and therefore, 

does not deserve to return 

to Ogoniland for oil 


mining. 

The MOSOP 

spokesperson said the 

conduct of Shell in Ogoni 

was a shame and urged the 

Nigerian president, 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

demonstrate his 

government’s intolerance 

for corporate irresponsibility 

by throwing out Shell from 

Ogoni and getting the 

company to pay for the well 

established abuses in 

Ogoniland. 

Nsuke added: “The news 

of President Buharis 

approval of Shell’s mining 

lease for OML 11 smacks 

insensitivity to the Ogoni 

predicament and confirms 

the intent of government to 

resume oil production in 

the area without first 

cleaning previous mess 

and address the issues 

raised by the Ogoni people 

including the demand for 

political rights to self 

determination, the 

protection of the Ogoni 

environment and other 

Delta community inaugurates 

youth wing executive 

Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

THE people of Afiesere 

Community, Ughelli 

North Local Government 

Area, Delta State have 

inaugurated an 18-man 

executive youth wing for 

the community. 

Those inaugurated are: 

Anthony Umukperuo , 

Chairman; Anthony 

Itobore , Vice Chairman; 

Ughenedoro Ufuoma, 

Secretary; Mr. Onoberhie 

Arthur , Treasurer,; Mr. 

Isodje Afure, PRO, Mr. 

Super Samuel, Financial 

Secretary, and Mr. Odoko 

Peter, Assistant Secretary 

Others are, Mr. 

Okpakefe Alex, Speaker; 

Mr. Igbini Daniel, 

Organising Secretary; Mr. 

Abiuwenowo John, Mr. 

Agbaero Janin, Mr. 

Ojefia Augustine, exofficios, 

and Mr. Itodje 

Oteni, Umukoro 

Iroroyohwo, Mr. 

Akpojiyovwi Sunday, Mr 

Paul Township, Mr. 

Akalamudo Sunday and 

Hon Onoberhie Patrick, 

Provosts. 

Speaking at the 

inauguration, the Youth 

Leader, Mr. Anthony 

Umukperuo said, 

“Afiesere is a peace loving 

community and there is no 

doubt the youth organ is a 

force in communal 

development right from 

time immemorial. 

“We promised equitable 

services to all and sundry, 

equitable distribution of job 

slots in all fair allocation 

system." 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Youths in politics: Uduaghan wants parties 

to reduce fees for election forms 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—IMMEDIATE 

past Governor of Delta 

State, Dr. Emmanuel 

Uduaghan, has charged 

political parties to reduce 

the fees for expression of 

interest form for the 2019 

general election so as to 

encourage youths’ 

participation. 

Uduaghan, who spoke at 

the 2018 Political Youth 

Conference organised by 

the Core Delta Youth as part 

of activities to mark the 

International Youth Day in 

Warri, Delta State, said the 

only way to actualise the 

“Not-Too-Young-To-Run 

Bill” recently signed into 

law by President 

Muhammadu Buhari, was 

for Nigerian youths to 

support their colleagues 

who are contesting for 

various political positions 

in 2019. 

Saying that 2019 should 

be a testing ground for the 

“Not-Too-Young-To-Run” 

campaign in the country, he 

said if the youths are eager 

to “Change the old 

narrative in a young and 

dynamic socio-political 

world,” they should 

support their colleagues 

who are vying for political 

positions rather than pull 

themselves down. 

CONCERT: From 2nd left—Organising Sectetary, Office of Youth of All 

Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State, Idris Aregbe; Chief Executive 

Officer, Maisinga Homes Ltd, Ahmed Maisinga; Comedian, Ayo Makun; 

Artist, Abbey Abuede; and others at music and message concert 

organised by Office of Youth Organising Sectetary, in Lagos. 

2019: Markafi cautions against 

money-bag politics 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase & 

Alemma-Ozioruva 

Aliu 

B ENIN-CITY—A 

Peoples Democratic 

Party , PDP, presidential 

aspirant and former 

National Chairman of the 

party, Senator Ahmed 

Makarfi has said the party 

RIVERS 

West 

Senatorial District, 

yesterday, endorsed 

Governor Nyesom Wike for 

a second term, saying that 

they are satisfied with his 

excellent performance. 

Thousands of leaders and 


PDP, members from the 

eight local government 

URHOBO Progress 

Union, UPU, has 

urged its people at home 

and in Diaspora to emulate 

late Urhobo icon, Chief 

Mukoro Mowoe, who died 

70 years ago. 

President General of the 

body, Chief Moses Taiga, 

gave the charge at the 

Cathedral Church of St 

Andrew, Diocese of Warri 

would win the 2019 

presidential election. 

He cautioned against 

picking a candidate that 

has money against a 

trustworthy candidate that 

has credibility. 

Senator Markafi who 

gave the warning in Benin 

City, Edo State, yesterday 

at a meeting with 

delegates of the party from 

areas of Rivers West 

senatorial district 

converged in Ahoada 

where they communicated 

their resolution to the state 

governor. 

The people of the district 

defied the heavy rain to 

display their support for the 

governor. 

Leader of the Senatorial 

(Anglican Communion), 

during a memorial service 

in honour of Chief Mowoe. 

Chief Taiga in a 

statement, said: “It was 

Chief Mowoe, who began 

his early life in Olomu, 

Delta State, that 

spearheaded the move to 

bring Idjere from Benin 

province and integrated it 

into Urhobo land, the re- 

the state at the party’s state 

secretariat, urged them to 

vote wisely at the 

forthcoming party 

primaries if they want to 

garner votes in the 

presidential election. 

The former Kaduna State 

Governor disclosed that he 

was travelling round the 

country on road in the 

course of his campaigns to 

have a mental state of roads 

and infrastructural situation 

Rivers West Senatorial District endorses 

Wike for re-election 

UPU lauds virtues of late Mowoe 

District and former Presidential 

Aspirant, Chief 

Ferdy Alabrabra said: 

“The people of Rivers West 

Senatorial District are for 

Governor Wike. In view of 

the good works of Governor 

Wike, we have resolved to 

overwhelmingly vote him 

again in 2019.” 

integration of Avwrake 

(Abraka) and Orogun from 

Kwale Division to Urhobo 

land, as well as founded 

Urhobo College, Effurun, 

all of which have remained 

his enduring legacy and 

largesse to Urhobos.” 

Present at the event 

include several traditional 

rulers led by the Ovie of 

Olomu, Ogbon 1. 

Uduaghan, who is a 

senatorial aspirant in Delta 

South, charged young 

people seeking to be 

leaders to first learn to 

manage time before 

seeking to lead, urging the 

youths to borrow a leaf from 

young Presidents like 

Emmanuel Macron. 

He said: “When young 

people stand for election, 

they don’t enjoy the 

support of fellow youths. 

They are still the ones that 

try to bring their fellow 

youths down. Any youth 

standing for election must 

focus on mobilizing the 

youths instead of running 

down other candidates as 

a form of manifesto. 

“Our political parties 

should lower their fees for 

expression of interest form 

for youths especially ahead 

of 2019 general election, 

because without it, the 

campaign for Not-Too- 

Young-To-Run which was 

recently signed by 

President Buhari will be a 

mirage. The 2019 will be a 

test ground for young 

people seeking to lead. 

Youths must support 

themselves for elective 

positions. Nigerian youths 

must borrow a leaf from 

global young presidents 

such as Emmanuel 

Macron of France.” 

across the country. 

This, he explained was to 

enable him not to waste 

time in addressing the 

problems when he is 

elected President of the 

country. 

Senator Makarfi said 

although he played a 

prominent role to stabilise 

the party, that should not 

give him automatic 

presidential ticket. 

He said he did not defect 

from the PDP in 2015 even 

when he knew he would 

lose the election. 

He said, “That I did 

service to the party should 

not give me any automatic 

right. Every other member 

of the party should have 

equal right to come and 

seek for this ticket and go 

around and communicate 

with you. 

“That is why I do not take 

my campaigns by air. I go 

by road to take mental note 

of roads condition across the 

country. That made me not 

to waste time as governor 

to address the 

infrastructural needs of 

Kaduna State. That is why 

I am loved by the people of 

Kaduna. 

“I am also taking mental 

note as I canvass for 

support of party men and 

women to nominate me as 

the party’s candidate. I 

knew I was going to lose 

election in 2015. My former 

chairman told me to leave 

the PDP but I said no."


Why we stopped exports from 

Calabar—C/River shippers boss 

By Godfrey 

Bivbere 

C HAIRMAN, 

Shippers Association 

of Cross River State, 

SACRS, Mr Michael 

Ogodo, has blamed 

stoppage of export through 

Calabar port on the 

absence of shipping lines 

at the port. 

In an interview with 

Vanguard, Ogodo 

explained that though they 

still export cashew nuts and 

other items, they have to 

first move such goods to 

Lagos where the 

consignments are shipped 

out. 

He added that former 

governor of Cross River 

State, Mr Donald Duke, 

when in power, initiated 

the development of 

TINAPA, which was a very 

big project and at the same 

time there was the Lafarge 

project. 

According to the SACRS 

boss, “when Duke came 

into office, he initiated the 

development of TINAPA, 

which was a very big 

project and at the same time 

there was the Lafarge 

project. So, those two 

projects were going on side 

by side in Calabar and that 

attracted Maersk Line to 

Calabar port every two 

weeks. It was bringing in 

imports for those projects. 

“By the time Duke left 

and Liyel Imoke came into 

office, of course TINAPA 

project had been 

completed and Lafarge was 

almost done and Maersk 

Line gave us notice that in 

six months, they would be 

leaving, that they were no 

longer going to make these 

calls. 

“So, we cried to Liyel to 

help us talk to the people 

to make it monthly instead 

of a fortnight ship calls. So, 

Maersk Line came, we had 

meeting with the governor 

and they told the governor 

that they were going to stop, 

that they had enough 

export from Calabar but not 

enough to bring in to 

Calabar.” 

Ex-party chairman, exco members, others 

dump APC for PPA in Delta 

By Onozure 

Dania 

FORMER Chairman of 

Delta State All 


APC, in Ughelli North 

Local Government Area of 

the state, Chief Felix Ekure; 

other executive members 

and party chieftains, have 

dumped the party for 

Peoples Progressive 

Alliance, PPA. 

Ekure, who addressed 

newsmen in Agbarha-Otor, 

Ughelli North, said he left 

the party with his people 

because they had seen 

light on the other side of the 

tunnel, adding that he was 

not interested in 

condemning Great 

Ogboru, Ovie Omo-Agege 

or Otega Emerhor over 

their leadership tussle, but 

reminded them that no 

house divided against itself 

can stand. 

Assuring his people that 

come 2019, they would 

liberate Delta State from 

further impoverishment 

and shackles of bad 

leadership, Ekure said it 

takes a greater mind to key 

into the prophesy of God, 

pointing out that they have 

seen Dr. O’diakpor Obire as 

the Abraham that will 

liberate Delta State. 

Ekure noted that Obire 

victory, come 2019, will 

come like that of the former 

Delta State governor, Chief 

James Ibori, in 1999, who 

amidst doubts, attained the 

number one seat of Delta 

State at a tender age until 

he assumed the exalted 

position of the number one 

citizen of the state. 

Receiving the former APC 

chairman, Ekure and other 

party chieftains to PPA, the 

state chairman of the party, 

Chief Fred Obi, said more 

people were joining PPA 

because they had seen 

their governorship aspirant, 

Dr. Obire, as a new brand 

and a sellable one. 

Wike hails Rivers corps members on commitment to SAED 

By Egufe 

Yafugborhi & 

Chijioke 

Nwankpa 

PORT HARCOURT— 

GOVERNOR Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, 

yesterday, expressed 

delight at the positive 

disposition of corps 

members towards the Skills 

Acquisition and 

Entrepreneurial 

Development Programme, 

SAED, of National Youth 

Service Corps, NYSC, in 

the state. 

Wike was represented by 

Secretary to State 

Government, Kenneth 

Kobani, spoke at the closing 

ceremony of the 2018 

NYSC Batch B Stream One 

Orientation Course, at 

Nonwa Gbam, Tai Local 

Government Area of the 

MEDICAL MISSION: All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship 

aspirant, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola (middle) flanked by Elende of Eko Ende, 

Oba Abdul Rauf Adebayo Olaniyan (2nd right); Head of the Oyetola Free 

Medical Mission and Chief Medical Director, Crest Hospital, Dr Waheed 

Abayomi (right) his wife, Alhaja Fasilat (2nd left); Prince Adesoye Oyelami 

(left) and Chief Dele Salawu, during a courtesy visit by members of Oyetola 

Free Medical Mission on the APC guber aspirant, at Iragbiji. 

state’s NYSC Permanent 

Camp. 

The governor said: 

“Reports reaching me attest 

to your positive disposition 

and good conducts in 

military drills, Man O’ War 

activities, sports, drama, 

lectures and particularly the 

skills acquisition 

programmes. 

“The current structure of 

the NYSC orientation 

programme hinges on 

development of skills for 

self employment and I will 

encouraged you to focus 

your minds on this. 

"You are living witnesses 

to the harrowing 

experiences some of your 

predecessors had gone 

through as a result of 

unemployment. You owe it 

a duty to yourself to be 

diligent and committed in 

every programme of the 

scheme.” 

State Coordinator of the 

NYSC, Chiwendu 

Chukwu, expressed 

appreciation for Rivers 

State’s support to the 

programme without which 

he said the successes 

recorded at the camp would 

have been impossible. 

Ndokwa East councillors endorse Okowa, Osanebi 

By Etop Ekanem 

NDOKWA 

East 

legislators have 

endorsed Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa for second term and 

Deputy Speaker of Delta State 

House of Assembly, Mr Friday 

Osanebi, for third term in 

office. 

The motion for the 

endorsement was moved by 

Emmanuel Emiri ( Ward 7) 

and seconded by Friday 

Edemaya (Ward 6). 

Reacting to what Emiri 

called a supersonic motion, 

members took turns to make 

contributions from their 

personal experiences and how 

Okowa and Osanebi had 

impacted Ndokwa people 

and Deltans at large. 

Leading debate on the 

motion, Majority Leader of the 

House, Prince Okwokwo, said 

the combination of the two 

leaders was divine and a 

perfect match, to effect the 

transformation and prosperity 

of Deltans at this material time. 

He noted that the prosperity 

gospel of Okowa had been 

adequately propagated to the 

people of Ndokwa East, with 

practical examples due to the 

mediation and sacrifices of the 

Delta State Deputy Speaker 

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018—13 

who is fondly called “The 

Empowerment Master.” 

Leader of Ndokwa East 

legislature, Prince Uwa 

Chukwuji, before his final 

ruling on the motion, said the 

deputy speaker should be 

commended and supported 

always, because he has 

empowered youths of 

Ndokwa land and beyond. 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

We must open our party 

secretariat despite 

vandalisation, Abe insists 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT—A 

governorship aspirant of 


APC, in Rivers State, Sen. 

Magnus Abe, has said 

despite the vandalisation of 

the new secretariat of his 

party by suspected APC 

hoodlums last Saturday, that 

it will not stop its official 

opening ceremony. 

Abe, who represents Rivers 

South-East senatorial district 

in the National Assembly, 

also called on the Inspector- 

General of Police, Ibrahim 

Idris, to investigate the attack 

on the new party secretariat 

and bring the perpetrators to 

book. 

Abe in a statement, 

yesterday, in Port Harcourt by 

his spokesman, Parry Benson, 

after a special prayer session 

organised by women of his 

district at Bori, headquarters 

of Khana Local Government 

Area of the state, said: “Let 

me say very clearly that today, 

some people attacked the 

new party office that the party 

was trying to open on Aba 

Road, Port Harcourt. 

“The whole idea of bringing 

guns into politics is to 

intimidate people, create fear 

in your mind, make you think 

that no matter how many you 

are, with one gun, they are 

more than you. That is the 

message they want to send. 

“But let me stand here, 

before God Almighty and 

respond to them and let me 

also say that when we don’t 

carry guns, it is not because 

we don’t know where guns 

are. I have said it before, that 

I buy computers for students 

because that is what I give 

my own children." 

“I have not fought anybody, 

Lawmaker bags award, as 

constituents pledge 

support for 2019 

By Simon 

Adewale 

BOMADI— 

THE 

lawmaker representing 

Patani/Bomadi Constituency 

in Delta State House of 

Assembly, Mr. Nicholas 

Mutu, has been awarded an 

honorary title on road 

construction and human 

empowerment in rural 

communities in his 

constituency by People 


Bomadi Local Government 

Area chairman, Mr Prince 

Opuofoni. 

Giving the honorary title 

during a consultative visit of 

the lawmaker to the party at 

Bomadi, headquarters of 

Bomadi council, Opuofoni 

said the title was well 

deserved. 

He noted that considering 

the lawmaker’s 

developmental efforts for his 

constituency over the years, 

the party was 100 per cent 

ready to return him 

unopposed to the House of 

Representatives in 2019. 


Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on 

Politics, Mr David 

Ekereokosu, and member of 

Delta State Scholarship 

Board, Mr Jackson 

Okodozor, also described 

Mutu as an outstanding 

legislator. 

In his response, Mutu said 

the visit was basically to 

consult his party over his 

willingness to continue his 

assignment at the National 

Assembly in 2019. 

Popo emerges 

Excravos 

chapter of 

seafarers 

chair 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

WARRI— 

Newly 

elected Chairman, 

Seafarers Unit, Excravos 

chapter of Maritime 

Workers Union of Nigeria, 

Seamen and Water 

Transport branch, Mr Amos 

Popo, has assured 

members that he will 

continue to give special 

attention to their welfare. 

Speaking shortly after he 

was elected with other 

officers for a tenure of four 

years, he said he had 

offered himself for election 

because of his passion to 

serve and take the union to 

greater heights. 

Others elected are Glory 

Reyenieju, Vice Chairman; 

Richard Atete, Secretary; 

Moses Edun, Assistant 

Secretary; Jackson Tenuma, 

Treasurer; Vincent 

Neburagho, Coordinator; 

Beauty Kpoma, Special 

Female; and Dennis 

Okotie, Wilson Ejeh, 

Michael Atete, and Imeh 

Edah as Ex Officios.


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

Recruits into PENCOM 

petition Osinbajo over death 

of colleague 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken 

SUCCESSFUL recruits 

into the National 

Pension Commission, 

Pencom, have petitioned 

Acting President Yemi 

Osibanjo over the 

suspension of their 

appointments which they 

said has led to the death of 

one of them, Ajiya 

Mustapha. 

The recruits in a Save our 

Soul (SOS) message to 

Osinbajo dated August 9, 

2018 and signed by 

Mustapha Sadiq and 

Ismaila Oluwatosin Gazail 

on behalf of the affected 

recruits described the 

blocking of their 

assumption of duty since 

May 2017 as “unfortunate” 

and their conditions as 

“pitiful.” 

They wrote: “After the 

completion of a successful 

aptitude test, which was 

conducted in December 

2016/January 2017, and 

further to various rigorous 

interviews and screening 

processes, we were 

employed as staff of 

PENCOM via offer Letters 

of Employment dated 

March 2017. 

“In line with our Letter 

NIMASA moves to check spate 

of boat mishaps, loss of lives 

By Kingsley Omonobi 

A Chairman, BUJA—THE 

Board of 

Directors of the Nigerian 

Maritime Administration 

and Safety Agency, 

NIMASA, Major General 

India Garba (retd), 

yesterday decried the spate 

of boat mishaps with 

attendant loss of lives and 

property across the country 

and expressed 

Government’s concern. 

Gen Garba noted that the 

mishaps were frequent in 

the rainy season and 

proposed an active 

collaboration between 

NIMASA and other 

relevant agencies of 

government including 

National Waterways 

of Employment, we were to 

resume our duties on May 

2nd and 5th June 2017, 

respectively. We signed and 

dropped our acceptance 

letters with the 

Commission accordingly. 

However, to our surprise, 

prior to the date of 

resumption, we were 

informed via telephone 

calls that our resumption 

had been postponed 

indefinitely. 

“Note that upon collection 

of our various Letters of 

Employment in March 

2017 and the resumption 

dates stipulated therein, we 

resigned from our previous 

places of employment. As 

such we have been totally 

unemployed for over one 

year now.'' 

In a reply to their letter 

dated 4th April 2018 and 

referenced as 56331/S.3/C2/ 

I/T/99, the SGF, said that “a 

response from the 

Commission stated that the 

decision was based on the 

need to allow for a review 

of the earlier recruitment 

exercise(s) to: ensure 

compliance with Extant 

Laws and due process; 

recruitment within 

approved manpower 

establishment; and provide 

required infrastructure to 

accommodate new 

appointees.'' 

Authority (NIWA) Nigerian 

Ports Authority (NPA), 

National Emergency 

Management Agency, 

NEMA, and the National 

Orientation Agency (NOA) 

to checkmate the tragic 

incidents. 

In a statement issued in 

Abuja, the NIMASA 

Chairman identified 

overloading and improper 

kitting of passengers for 

water journeys as the main 

factors responsible for the 

various boat mishaps in the 

country. 

He disclosed that plans 

were underway to deploy 

officials and security agents 

to various jetties to ensure 

strict compliance with 

safety standards of boat 

operations in waterways. 

We'll declare <strong>Saraki</strong>, Kwankwaso, Gemade, 

Melaye, Misau, others' seats vacant — AKPABIO 

•Says he's not moved over calls for his seat to be declared vacant 

By Henry Umoru 

A 

B U J A — 

THE immediate 

past Senate Minority 

Leader and former 

governor of Akwa Ibom 

State, Senator Godswill 

Akpabio, now of All 


APC, Akwa Ibom North 

West, yesterday vowed that 

the Senate would declare 

seats of Senate President, 

Dr. Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, former 

Peoples Democratic PDP, 

national Chairman, 

Barnabas Gemade, 

Senators Rabiu 

Kwankwaso; Dino Melaye; 

Usman Nafada; Suleiman 

Hunkuyi and others who 

dumped APC for PDP 

vacant. 

Others are Senators 

A b d u l l a h i 

Danbaba;Mohammed 

Shaaba Lafiagi; Rafiu 

Ibrahim; Ida Hamman 

Misau; Monsurat 

Sunmonu; Suleiman Nazif 

and Abdulaziz Nyako. 

Answering questions 

from journalists in Abuja, 

Senator Akpabio who last 

Wednesday dumped the 

PDP for the APC, said he 

was not disturbed over calls 

from some quarters that his 

seat in the upper Chamber 

be declared vacant. 

Akpabio, who was 

blocked at the foyer of the 

National Assembly and 

asked if he was perturbed 

about reports that his seat 

should be declared vacant, 

said, “Even as you are 

looking at me, do I look 

perturbed? I have not 

heard the report. Because 

the reason why I think that 

is a rumour is that there is, 

at the moment, no division 

in the APC. The APC is one 

family. If you hear about R- 

APC that was not really a 

political party. That was not 

a division, it has since been 

consumed in what they call 

Coalition of United Political 

Parties (CUPP). So, there is 

no division. And so, any 

defection from APC to PDP, 

we will like to declare those 

seats vacant.” 

On the question that the 

APC National Chairman, 

GOLF TOURNEY: From left: General manager, Stills, West Africa Business 

Unit, Coca-Coca-Cola, Yebetal Getachew; Finance Director, West Africa 

Business Unit, Coca-Cola, Sanjeev Kumar; Winner of the Men tournament 

"Road to Mauritius", Mr P.K LassA at the IBB Golf club in Abuja. 

Police arrest five as protesting students 

of Ilorin College disrupt exams 

By Demola Akinyemi 

I 

L O R I N — 

PROTESTING 

students of College of 

education, ilorin , Kwara 

State over the ongoing 

strike by their lecturers, 

disrupted ongoing second 

semester examination. 

The protest, also 

paralysed commercial 

activities at Saw Mill area, 

where the institution is 

located, which caused traffic 

gridlock around the area, 

while the protest lasted. 

Adams Oshiomhole had 

said severally that the party 

would get <strong>Saraki</strong> 

impeached and that 

Constitution says twothird 

is required to effect 

such an impeachment 

and how he has mobilized 

for this, Akpabio said, “I 

just came in from Ikot- 

Ekpene, where I decided 

with my people to join 

A BUJA—THE 

Senior Special to 

the President on Media 

and Publicity, Garba 

Shehu, said yesterday 

that Vice-President Yemi 

Osinbajo will run on the 

same ticket with President 

Muhammadu Buhari in 

the next year's 

presidential polls. 

Shehu said this while 

fielding questions from 

state 

house 

correspondents yesterday. 

He was reacting to the 

string of victories 

Already, men of Kwara 

State anti riot mobile police 

squad have arrested no 

fewer than five of the 

students over the protest. 

The aggrieved students, 

who carried placards with 

various inscriptions, said 

that ongoing strike by the 

academic staff of the 

institution over four and 

half months unpaid salaries 

by the state government, 

forced the lecturers to 

boycott semester exam. 

The Student Union 

Speaker, Ajamiu Mathew, 

who spoke on behalf of the 

APC. I’m yet to be briefed 

on any of those items. I 

have not heard anything. 

What I am hearing now 

is what you are telling 

me. But why don’t you 

wait for me to formally 

talk to you? I believe 

that when the National 

Assembly resumes you 

will hear from me 

directly. So, exercise 

recorded by the ruling All 

Progressives Congress 

(APC) during the 

weekend’s bye elections 

in the country. 

“Decisive victories in 

senatorial and state 

assembly elections in 

Katsina, Bauchi and Kogi 

states were an indication 

that the Buhari/Osinbajo 

presidential ticket that 

won the 2015 election will 

ensure an encore in 

2019,” he said. 

The presidential media 

aide said the victory in 

students, called on the state 

government to,” Pay more 

attention to plight of the 

institution.” 

Confirming the arrest of 

the students, Spokesman of 

the command, DSP, Ajayi 

Okasanmi said: “Our men 

have arrested five of the 

students who are ring 

leaders of the protest, they 

are presently being 

interrogated.” 

Meanwhile, Kwara State 

Government has said it has 

released N125 million as 

June 2018 subvention to all 

the state-owned tertiary 

institutions. 

patience.” 

When asked to confirm if 

the National Assembly will 

reconvene on Wednesday, 

the Senator said, “I have 

noted all your reports. We 

are also in Abuja. So, thank 

you for the reports.” 

When asked what he had 

found out, Akpabio said: 

“You are the one telling me. 

That’s what I’m saying.” 

Osinbajo is Buhari’s running mate 

in 2019 — PRESIDENCY 

those states shows that the 

ruling party is still popular 

and that Nigerians have just 

endorsed Buhari/Osinbajo 

joint ticket. 

“I like to speak to you 

about the fabulous shows 

of the APC in Katsina, 

Bauchi and Kogi, and 

even to some extent in 

Cross River States. All of 

these coming against the 

background of Ekiti state,” 

he said. 

“It is clear that from 

election after election, 

Nigerians are reposing 

confidence in the Buhari/ 

Osinbajo presidency. 

Each of these election 

victories is considered to 

be epic in nature because 

none of these elections 

was an ordinary election. 

''We are happy that we 

have won and on behalf 

of the president and the 

acting president, we like 

to say thank you to 

Nigerians who continue 

to repose their confidence 

in the leadership of the 

APC administration. 

“We also want to thank 

the leadership of the party 

at the national level, but 

equally important, to 

thank all the party’s 

apparatchiks deployed to 

all the campaigns and 

ensured that all the 

elections were won 

handsomely by APC.''

Hunger, suffering midwifed 

by greedy politicians 

— Archbishop Obinna 

O 

W 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

E R R I — 

CATHOLIC 

Archbishop of Owerri 

Ecclesiastical Province, His 

Grace, Most Rev. Dr. 

Anthony J. V. Obinna, has 

blamed those he described 

as “greedy politicians” for 

the high level of suffering 

and starvation ravaging the 

people, especially in Imo 

State. 

Obinna also reasoned 

that the reckless destruction 

of people’s businesses and 

sources of livelihood by the 

state government in the 

guise of urban renewal, has 

unarguably increased the 

level of hardship in the 

state. 

The cleric’s position was 

made public through the 

Archdiocesan tabloid, The 

Leader. 


“The abnormal hunger 

ravaging the state and 

Nigeria is created by 

greedy politicians and 

mammonic class. The 

present situation must be 

reversed in order to move 

the state forward. But who 

will bell the cat? Who shall 

we send?”, Obinna asked. 

It was the considered 

opinion of the Archbishop 

that “the mammonic class 

and greedy politicians, in 

their mad quest for money, 

material wealth and other 

fleeting possessions, create 

abnormal hunger which 

makes the people 

completely destitute, 

without food, money and 

other necessities of life”. 

According to Archbishop 

Obinna, greed leads to 

hatred among the greedy, 

violence and defection from 

one political party to 

another. 

NSE commends Ugwuanyi’s 

intervention on Milliken Hill road 

THE Nigerian Society of 

Engineers, NSE, 

Enugu State chapter has 

commended Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for 

reconstructing and 

modernizing the historic 

Milliken Hill federal road 

in Ngwo, Enugu North 

Local Government Area, 

after so many years of 

neglect. 

The body also applauded 

the governor for his quick 

response in the ongoing 

construction of more 

massive concrete retaining 

walls on the erosion-prone 

areas of the road, following 

the recent slight challenges 

witnessed on it during the 

last heavy rains in the state 

that lasted for over seven 

days. 

Speaking after an 

assessment tour of the site, 

the state chairman of the 

association, Engr. Ifeanyi 

Ofili, who was 

accompanied by a team of 

Engineers, certified the 

ongoing massive erosion 

control and remediation 

work on the road, declaring 

that it was in compliance 

with the standard 

engineering specification 

for construction of a 

concrete retaining wall of 

such magnitude. 

Engr. Ofili noted that the 

road was built on a difficult 

terrain and was hitherto 

neglected for so many years 

without any form of 

maintenance until the 

recent intervention by the 

state government, stressing 

that the governor deserves 

a commendation for 

reconstructing and 

remodeling the hilly and 

undulating road. 

COE dean harps on importance 

of vocational education 

DEAN of Federal 

College of Education 

Technical, Akoka Lagos, 

Dr. AYP Ojelade has 

reiterated the importance 

of vocational education in 

the economic diversification 

of Nigeria. 

Ojelade spoke during the 

four-day 8th edition of 

National Conference of 

School of Vocational 

Education at Federal 

College of Education 

Technical, Akoka Lagos 

with the theme, “Economic 

Diversification and Change 

Agenda: Wither 

Entrepreneurship and 

Vocational Education” 

which had the lead 

conference paper 

presented by Dr Kehinde 

Olojede. 

Ojelade said: “No nation 

can grow without major 

interest in vocational 

education. Young people 

must show interest because 

it is the way to guarantee 

economic self sufficiency for 

their future." 


NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Impeachment: How Imo assembly violated 

court order—Madumere's counsel 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

OWERRI—AN Imo 

State High Court 

presided over by Justice 

Benjamin C. Iheka was 

yesterday, told how the 

State House of Assembly 

defied an Order of Court 

and pronounced the 

impeachment of the Deputy 

Governor, Prince Eze 

Madumere. 

Giving a graphic account 

of what happened after the 

last sitting, Madumere’s 

counsel, Prince Ken C. C. 

Njemanze, SAN, recalled 

that the Attorney General 

and counsel for the Speaker 

and Imo State House of 

Assembly were present in 

court when the order, 

restraining the defendants 

was made. 

“My Lord, I am not 

strictly speaking, going into 

the matter before you. I am 

speaking seriously from the 

Bar. The Attorney General, 

who represented the Chief 

Judge and Mr. O. C. 

Chibueze, who 

represented the Speaker 

and the House of Assembly 

were present when the 

court validly issued the 

restraining order on the 

defendants”, Njemanze 

said. 

The SAN also said: “We 

all went home with the belief 

that all sides would respect 

the Order of Court, but we 

were wrong. Six clear hours 

after the valid order was 

made, the social media 

became saturated with the 

news that the State House 

of Assembly had 

....As lawyers say Imo indigenes are 

traumatised, brutalised by poor governance 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

O 

W E R R I — 

MEMBERS of 

Imo Progressive Lawyers 

Association, IPLA, have 

expressed worry that 

“reports from across the 

state show that the people 

are traumatized and 

brutalized and their 

mandate grossly abused, as 

a result of poor 

governance.” 

The IPLA National 

President, Mr. Chukwuma 

Ezeala, who made the 

lamentation yesterday at a 

press conference in Owerri, 

equally fumed that 

governance in recent times 

has not shown respect for 

the mandate freely given to 

them by the good people 

of Imo State. 

“The colossal decay in the 

education and health 

sectors in the state are 

unimaginable. The tertiary 

institutions are in a sorry 

state. The primary and 

secondary schools are at it’s 

lowest ebb. How do you 

explain the fact that some 

of our flagship secondary 

schools do not have 

classrooms and teaching 

staff?”, the lawyers fumed. 

They were equally irked 

that Imo State University 

has not only lost many of 

its accreditation but is no 

longer a place to reckon 

with even as they also 

grieved 

that 

manufacturing and 

agriculture have finally 

taken a flight. 

“It should be admitted 

that we can no longer 

persist in the deceit of 

styling our state a 

democracy, whereas only a 

handful of the political elite 

decide the outcome of 

electoral processes,” the 

lawyers said. 

On the way forward, the 

group appealed to Imolites 

to come together in a 

constitutional and dignified 

manner to resist any form 

of dictatorship, domination 

and subversion of their 

rights. 

Boundary Dispute: Ebonyi, C-River govts agree 

to execute joint projects 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI—AFTER 

intensive periods of 

acrimony, killings of 

innocent lives and wanton 

destruction of properties 

worth millions of naira 

following unresolved 

boundary disputes 

between Ebonyi and Cross 

River states, both states last 

weekend in Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State decided to end 

the hostilities and live 

together as one indivisible 

entity. 

VISIT: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and 

Culture, Deaconess Grace Gekpe (middle); President of StarTimes, 

Mr Pang Xingxing (fourth from right) and other management staff of 

StarTimes when the Permanent Secretary visited the cable television 

service provider in Beijing, China. 

Both sides agreeing to 

end the hostilities amidst 

some unwarranted 

scepticisms, remained a 

good omen and a sign of 

better things ahead for the 

indigenes of Ebonyi and 

Cross River states. 

In a communiqué signed 

by both states, they also 

agreed to embark on 

construction of bridges and 

roads to mark the end of the 

hostilities and the 

beginning of a new era 

determined to give a new 

lease of life to the people of 

all the affected 

communities. 

While Ebonyi State 

government is to construct 

600 metres bridge across 

Oferekpe River in Ikwo 

axis and 500 metres bridge 

at Ndibe Beach in Afikpo, 

Cross River State 

undertook to compliment 

Ebonyi by constructing 

7.2km road to link up with 

the federal high way 

coming in from Ogada in 

Cross River State to 

Oferekpe in Ebonyi State as 

well as 19km road linking 

Ndibe beach to Ugep or a 

17km road linking Ndibe 

Beach to Adim. 

This is part of a ten point 

communiqué on the 

bilateral meeting of officials 

of Cross River State and 

Ebonyi interstate boundary 

challenges held in Port 

Harcourt, River State. 

The meeting which was 

convened and co-chaired 

by Governor David Nweze 

Umahi of Ebonyi State and 

his Cross River state 

counterpart, Ben Ayade 

also resolved to end 

hostilities in their boundary 

areas. 

impeached the Deputy 

Governor. 

“The House equally 

claimed to have okayed the 

appointment of somebody 

as the new deputy 

governor, despite the 

pendency of the suit and 

order of court. The impunity 

in this state must stop. 

“It is sad to note that this 

breach happened as the 

Attorney General, the chief 

law officer of the state and 

Mr. O. C. Chibueze 

watched helplessly. There 

will be serious chaos in the 

land if we enthrone self 

help instead of the rule of 

law. I felt like letting you 

know what has happened, 

but I will go fully into the 

issue when hearing 

begins”, Njemanze said. 

Vanguard recalls that 

when the matter, HOW/ 

565/2018, was called up 

earlier, Njemanze 

enumerated all the suits the 

plaintiff filed and what they 

were intended to achieve. 

He was particularly 

interested in the motion 

urging the Court to set 

aside the acts of the 

defendants, done in breach 

of the lawful and subsisting 

Court Order. 

“We have served the 

processes on the Chief 

Judge, Nze Saba Nze, Mr. 

Charles Okoro, the 

Speaker, Imo State House 

of Assembly and Imo State 

House of Assembly. The 

other defendants have 

because of their unlawful 

act, disappeared”, 

Njemanze told the Court. 

He then said that since 

they do not know the 

addresses of the other 

defendants, they expected 

that the Chief Judge, who 

appointed them should 

have delivered the 

processes. 

“We are aware that this 

matter cannot go on without 

proper service on all 

parties. We will do the 

needful before our return 

date”, the SAN promised. 

Responding, the Attorney 

General, Mr. Milletus 

Nlemadim, SAN, pointed 

out that “the processes were 

served last Friday on the 

Office of the Chief Judge 

instead of my office. Having 

served my client, we intend 

to react appropriately to it”. 

Before the Court 

adjourned the matter to 

Monday, August 20, 2018, 

Justice Iheka said he was 

adjourning because some 

parties in the suit have not 

been served. 

“There is the need for me 

to remind the defence 

counsel that you already 

know that you are out of 

time in filing your 

responses. I hope you will 

do the needful before the 

new date because I would 

not entertain unnecessary 

delay in this matter”, 

Justice Iheka said.



NEWS 

HOTLINES 

018773962, 

WEDDING: From left— Ondo State Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Are Adetimehin; 

wife of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mrs Ajewole Ajayi; the couple, Mr Mathew Tive, his wife, 

Omowunmi Olatunji-Tive; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, and his wife, Betty Anyanwu- 

Akeredolu, at the wedding ceremony of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, 

Mrs Omowunmi Olatunji-Tive in Akure Ondo State, weekend. 

YOUTH CONFAB: From left— Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. 

Agboola Dabiri; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello; Country CSR Manager, Nigerian 

Bottling Company Ltd, NBC, Mr. Ekuma Eze and Founder, Rise Networks, Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, 

during the Mega Youth conference in commemoration of the 2018 United Nations International Youth 

Day in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau. 

FG sets new target for 

acquisition of 2 back-up 

satelites 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government says it is 

committed to acquire the 

proposed back-up satellites 

before the end of its 

administeation in May, 

2019. 

The Minister of 

Communications, Barr. 

Adebayo Shittu made the 

pledge on Thursday when 

the governing board of the 

agency paid him a courtesy 

visit in his office at Abuja. 

The minister said the 

Federal Government is 

ever commited to acquire 

two additional satellites to 

reposition the Nigerian 

Communications Satellite, 

NIGCOMSAT Limited for 

better service delivery. 

‘‘That is still the challenge 

we are working on. Before 

May 2019, we would have 

NAHCO to handle 5 new 

airlines, posts positive half 

year financial performance 

By Lawani Mikairu 

LAGOS — AVIATION 

Handling Company, 

NAHCO-aviance has 

signed new contract to 

provide ground handling 

services for five new 

airlines. This is just as the 

company has posted a 

superlative 2018 Half year 

financial performance. 

This was revealed by 

NAHCO’s Managing 

Director/CEO, Mr. Idris 

Yakubu who took over as 

CEO in November 2017. 

Yakubu said the good 

financial performance is a 

result of growing faith in 

the new management that 

has superintended the 

affairs of the company 

during the period. 

The new airlines to be 

handled by the company 

are Max Air which recently 

achieved that. Despite the 

delayed visit, we were able 

to discuss a number of 

substantial issues. We also 

resolved to take certain 

major steps to encourage 

the business of 

NIGCOMSAT," he said. 

Shittu said it was 

unfortunate that a lot of 

people over the year do not 

really appreciate what 

NIGCOMSAT stands for 

and it is for the Nigerian 

fledging economy, and as 

such receive little or no 

patronage from both the 

public and private 

organizations, who 

patronize foreign satellite 

for their services. 

He, however, vowed that 

the ministry would 

continue to work hard to 

come up with a new 

approach towards funding 

the project without unduly 

affecting other government 

needs. 

started operations from 

Lagos and Kano, Medview 

airline for its Hajj 

operations, FlyNas for 

international and Hajj 

operations, AirPeace 

domestic and regional 

operations and Aero World. 

Recall NAHCO handles 

most of the airlines in the 

country and in February 

2018 began handling the 

Rwandan international 

airline, Rwandair, at the 

Nnamdi Azikiwe International 

Airport, Abuja. 

The Company in a 

statement says it will 

continue to deliver service 

to the delight of its 

clientele. 

In the results announced 

for the half year 2018, the 

group posted a turnover of 

N4.64 billion against the 

N3.71 billion posted for the 

same period last year. 

Obene lauds Okowa, Aguoye 

on dividends of democracy 

LAUNCHING: From left— Mrs. Zatur Hassim, Specialised Nutrition Director, FrieslandCampina 

WAMCO; Dr. Bartholomew Brai, National President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria; Mrs. Yetunde Odejayi, 

Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Lagos State; Mrs. Ore Famurewa, Corporate 

Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Mrs. Adebunmi Adekanye, Permanent Secretary, 

Ministry of Education, at the Peak456 'Drink Move Be Strong' Pre-school programme launch in Lagos. 


ASABA—A stalwart of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Delta State, 

Mr. Andrew Obene, has 

commended the state 

Commissioner for Works, 

Chief James Aguoye for his 

contributions towards the 

effective implementation of 

the SMART agenda of 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. 

Obene, in a statement 

yesterday, said that, 

"Aguoye has really worked 

as he promised by 

touching many people 

financially, like the aged, 

jobless, and the 

handicapped. 

He also assisted in the 

construction of markets and 

roads in all parts of the state 

as well as other areas like 

agriculture and electricity. 

"He has even made deaf 

and dumb persons to 

evangelize for Governor 

Okowa's second tenure 

with sign languages to 

individuals. God has really 

used this devoted, 

dedicated and God-fearing 

commissioner for the 

benefit of all Deltans. 

"He is still working round 

the clock without 

sentiments, segregation, 

not egocentric and never 

tired to ensure that our 

governor's second term 

whose benevolence has 

transformed Delta State 

with his concrete-solid work 

done by our commissioner 

for Works."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 —17 

C 

M 

Y 

K 

APC's "broom of destruction" 

WHEN my senior brother 

and friend,Dr. Femi 

Aribisala wrote on "APC and the 

spirit of witchcraft " in this 

newspaper on September 6, 

2015, the land was still too filled 

with delusional euphoria to pay 

him due attention. 

He started by calling attention 

to what happened on 

November 27, 2014, at the 

inauguration of Rauf 

Aregbesola as second-term 

governor of Osun State, where 

Senator Bola Tinubu, National 

Leader of the APC, asked 

Nigerians to prepare their 

charms and other juju powers 

for the 2015 elections with now 


Buhari, Chief Bisi Akande and 

APC state governors in 

attendance. He asked: 'Why 

would Tinubu, a practicing 

Muslim(he has even been 

nicknamed Abraham by GO 

Enoch Adeboye)ask people to 

seek occultic powers in order to 

prevail in elections? He was 

also at loss as to how Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, a Christian pastor 

could associate with a political 

party whose leadership dabbles 

in the occult? 

He went on to show how the 

broom symbol of the defunct 

ACN which was adopted as the 

logo of the APC is a witchcraft 

symbol believed by cultists to 

provide the power to rise above 

the earthly plane and to soar in 

the spirit realm. 

He also pointed out that when 

a broom is held over the head 

the way APC leaders hold it 

over us,it is no longer about 

sweeping dirt but spreading 

evil. 

The last poignant point he 

made which I shall return to is 

the deeper symbol of the broom 

when he wrote:"The broom is 

united at the top and this would 

seem to signify unity. However, 

it is scattered at the bottom, 

which spells disunity. With the 

scattered end waved in the air, 

the APC broom portends 

disunity for Nigeria, both at the 

party and at the national level." 

It was Asiwaju Bola Tinubu 

who again brought out the evil 

significance of the APC's broom 

when he spoke from the 

abundance of the heart at the 

defection ceremony of Godswill 

Akpabio in Ikot Epene last 

Wednesday. 

William Shakespeare wrote in 

The Merchant of Venice about 

things not being what they 

appear thus: 

"The devil can cite Scripture 

for his purpose. 

An evil soul producing holy 

witness 

Is like a villain with a smiling 

cheek, 

A goodly apple rotten at the 

heart. 

Oh, what a goodly outside 

falsehood hath!" 

Quoting what appears to be a 

passage from the Bible’s Book 

of Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 23, 

Tinubu, a Muslim, said “The 

people in the city shall be swept 

away with brooms.’’ In what 

could be a Freudian slip of what 

they are doing with the broom 

and that he was holding a "a 

broom of destruction " in his 

hand. 

The Bible verse actually reads, 

“I will make Babylon a desolate 

place of owls, filled with 

swamps and marshes. I will 

sweep the land with the broom 

of destruction. I, the LORD of 

Heaven’s Armies, have 

spoken!” (New Living 

Translation). 

He obviously did not read the 

scripture as what the Lord of 

hosts promised of the "broom of 

destruction " was against the 

wicked rulers of Babylon.Verses 

3-7 of that Scripture was so 

explicit: 

"3-4 When God has given you 

time to recover from the abuse 

and trouble and harsh servitude 

that you had to endure, you can 

amuse yourselves by taking up 

this satire, a taunt against the 

king of Babylon: 

We are today more 

separated than we 

were before 

amalgamation in 

1914 because of 

the antics of a 

leadership that 

thrives in pitching 

Nigerians against 

themselves 

4-6 

Can you believe it? The tyrant 

is gone! 

The tyranny is over! 

God has broken the rule of the 

wicked, 

the power of the bullyrulers 

That crushed many people. 

A relentless rain of cruel 

outrage 

Established a violent rule of 

anger 

rife with torture and 

persecution. 

7 

And "now it’s over, the whole 

earth quietly at rest. 

Burst into song! Make the 

rafters ring!" (The Message 

Translation). 

The flaunting of the power of 

the occult over our land in the 

midst of the "destruction " that 

has been visited us in the last 

three years should be a wake - 

up call to Nigerians. Our land 

is desolate,blood is flowing on 

our streets without a war 

declared and we have become 

one big graveyard. The moral 

fabric of our polity has been put 

asunder. We are at the edge of 

a major precipice, as evil strolls 

on four legs in our country. 

The division Aribisala 

projected about the broom has 

come to full manifestation with 

the split in APC and our country 

fractured badly along ethnic 

amid religious lines. We are 

today more separated than we 

were before amalgamation in 

1914 because of the antics of a 

leadership that thrives in 

pitching Nigerians against 

themselves. 

My ears have heard so many 

things in the last few years from 

those who knew how strong evil 

powers were tapped into to 

subjugate this land. I have 

been told of the devilish 

package from the marabouts of 

Gambia and all that were buried 

across the land with their 

various spiritual repercussions 

for the nation. People who have 

no business in public life have 

been thrown up in our space 

only on account of 

administering evil powers for 

political purposes.The physical 

darkness over our land is a 

reflection of the pitch darkness 

that controls the soul of this 

country. 

The records of European 

witches trials from 15th Century 

showed that one of the witches' 

magical power was an 

upstanding broom. Magically 

the broom remains a witches' 

strong implement and the APC 

should reconsider flaunting 

such over our country in order 

to remove the suspicion that it 

is tapping into the powers of the 

occult to manipulate the polity. 

The spiritual fathers of this 

country have to rise in the spirit 

to exorcise the power of evil on 

our entity. 

. 

Feedback 

DEAR Yinka Odumakin, 

My name is Emeka Ukpabi 

and I am an ardent reader 

of your column in 

Vanguard Newspaper. 

Recent events, relating to the 

leadership of the National 

Assembly, has proved 

prescient, an article I wrote 

in 2011, titled 'The Peoples 

House'. That History has 

already repeated itself, but 

Buhari and his APC are in 

danger of repeating not only 

the recent history, but the 

ancient history as well. I will be 

honored if you would share this 

article with your readers, on 

your column. 

Yours faithfully, 

Prince Emeka Ukpabi 

The Peoples' House 

By Emeka Ukpabi 

First Published June 29, 2011 

THE last leadership 

election of the Seventh 

Nigerian House of 

Representatives completes a 

revolutionary cycle started 

weeks earlier, by the 

presidential poll. The linchpin 

of the latter competition, 

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, said 

as much when he declared, in 

a recent interview, that he and 

his deputy, Hon. Emeka 

Ihedioha, were inspired by 

President Goodluck Jonathan to 

contest, despite the apparent 

constraints. To the casual 

observer, the deeper 

significance of Speaker Aminu 

Tambuwal’s advent is lost, and 

inadvertently so is the weight 

of history upon the 7th 

Assembly. 

However, history will not be 

denied and insists we remember 

the two leading lights of the 

Seventh Legislative Assemblies 

and Senate of ancient Rome, 

Lucius Junius Brutus and 

Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, 

who started the revolution that 

toppled the Roman Monarchy, 

which had lasted an 

approximate unbroken 245 

years, in 509 BC. Titus Livy, the 

ancient Roman historian (59 BC 

– AD 17), records in the ‘History 

of Rome’ that it was the 

unbridled misuse of absolute 

monarchial powers, by the 

Seventh and final king of 

Rome, Lucius Tarquinius 

Superbus, which presaged the 

end of the ‘Roman Kingdom’ 

and the beginning of the 

‘Roman Republic’. According to 

Livy, the crimes of the King 

included; “summary judgment 

and sentence, the use of 

intimidation and violence, 

arrogance, disrespect for 

Roman customs and contempt 

for the Roman Legislative 

Assemblies and Senate”. 

Arnold J. Toynbee, the British 

Comparative historian, in ‘An 

Historian’s Approach to 

Religion’, posits that when a 

movement faces a crisis, it can 

take one of four routes. First, it 

can dwell on the past and glory 

in what it once was. Toynbee 

calls that ‘Archaism’. Second, it 

can forecast into the future and 

build castles in the air, 

dreaming of what it would like 

to be. That he calls ‘Futurism’. 

Third, it can retreat into its shell, 

and give itself up to mystical and 

psychedelic experiences. This 

he calls ‘Mysticism’. Fourth, it 

can take a hold of the crisis, 

transform it into something 

positive and make a new 

beginning. Toynbee calls this 

‘Reformation’. Toynbee says 

that only the last solution settles 

the crisis; the rest, he claims, 

are short-lived. 

Consequently, as ancient 

Rome stood at the precipice, 

Lucius Junius Brutus, elected 

‘Tribune’ at the time, whose 

powers included the authority 

to convene the Legislative 

Assemblies and act as its 

president, took a hold of the 

crisis, overturning the old order, 

and introducing the ‘Roman 

Republic’, which Livy says 

“flourished for the next 500 

years until the rise of Julius 

Caesar and Caesar Augustus”, 

and covered a period during 

which Rome’s sphere of 

influence and area of control 

extended to cover huge parts of 

Europe, North Africa, and the 

Middle East. 

Brutus was a leader who 

wrought transformation in the 

name of the people of ancient 

Rome, and one of his first 

actions, as Consul, was to make 

the people swear an oath, which 

according to Livy “compelled 

the populace, eager for its new 

found freedom, with the oath 

that it should never again allow 

itself be swayed by royal 

entreaties or bribes, and shall 

allow no single man to rule over 

Rome”. 

Sound familiar? Yes; because 

comparable words were used by 

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, in 

the recent interview mentioned 

earlier, published in The Nation 

newspaper edition of Friday, 

June 24, viz: “I will not be a tool, 

stooge, or agent of 

intimidation…”, and “this 

House (House of 

Representatives) will acquire 

the image of the ‘Peoples 

House’ because it is 

representative of all Nigerians”. 

Chikwendu Christian 

Ukaegbu, Professor of Sociology 

Development, Northwestern 

University, Evanston, Illinois, in 

a recent essay, ‘What Next for 

Nigeria’s development’, 

highlights the responsibility 

borne by the new governing 

class elected in the 2011 

elections, as the vanguard of the 

urgent national development 

aspirations of the populace, in 

this second 50 year chapter of 

Nigeria’s independence. In 

describing these leaders as an 

epochal class, he declares that 

they should be “proactive, 

interventionist, ambitious, 

autonomous, and energetic in 

the implementation and 

supervision of policies. That 

they should have a vision of 

where they want to lead the 

country, and situate 

development policies within 

their unique history, borrowing 

relevant models from outsiders 

rather than depending on them. 

That they should use national 

revenue to solve the people’s 

problems and invoke integrity 

and honesty in the allocation of 

public resources, and trust the 

ability of citizens to build the 

foundations of national 

development if given proper 

leadership”. 

This is what Lucius Junius 

Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius 

Collatinus were and did, and 

we are confident that Aminu 

Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha 

stand at the right place on the 

crossroads of history, to be and 

do exactly the same.


BARRING unforeseen last-minute 

political lapses the two chambers of 

the National Assembly, NASS – the 

Senate and the House of Representatives 

– will reconvene soon to attend 

to emergency issues of high national 

interest. Last week, President of the 

Senate, Senator Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, had 

already made moves for the leadership 

of the two chambers to meet but 

the siege to the Assembly Complex 

by the Directorate of State Services, 

DSS, disrupted it. 

Shortly after July 24, 2018 when the 

NASS adjourned for its two-month 

annual recess, President Muhammadu 

Buhari wrote a letter urging the 

Federal lawmakers to reconvene to 

consider his requests for funds for 

the conduct of the 2019 general elections. 

The Senate is also expected to 

confirm key appointments into the 

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission 

(EFCC), the Independent 

Focus on national interest as NASS reconvenes 

Corrupt Practices Commission, 

ICPC, the Assets Management Corporation 

of Nigeria, AMCON and the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. 

Unfortunately, politics threatens to 

stand in the way of efforts to recall 

the legislators back from recess in the 

interest of the nation which they have 

given positive response to. While the 

ruling party, the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, is flexing muscles, 

mandating its lawmakers in the Senate 

to impeach <strong>Saraki</strong>, some elements 

in the opposition People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP, also want to seize the 

opportunity to either replace its ex- 

Minority Leader, Senator Godswill 

Akpabio who resigned and defected 

to the APC, or actually snatch the position 

of Senate Leader from APC’s 

Ahmed Lawan in the belief that they 

now have the majority after 14 APC 

senators defected to join them. 

We want to call on the Federal lawmakers 

to see the call for it to reconvene 

as a challenge to their sense of 

patriotism. The need for funds for the 

conduct of the 2019 general elections 

by the Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC and other relevant 

partners in that project is a call 

to protect our democracy. Without 

timely appropriation of funds, the 

INEC cannot perform magic. We 

would run into dire constitutional crises 

and the legitimate electoral aspirations 

of the various political parties 

and their candidates will be threatened. 

We therefore call on all members of 

the National Assembly to focus strictly 

on the core agenda of national interest 

– funds for the elections and 

possible confirmation of the President’s 

nominees. Any attempt to bring 

in the issue of struggle for control of 

the leadership of the National Assembly 

will only precipitate needless political 

stalemate. 

The issue of leadership change, if 

absolutely necessary, should be 

shelved until the NASS resumes in 

September. Even at that, it must be 

carried out strictly in accordance to 

constitutional injunctions. No act of 

impunity will be acceptable. 

ON Monday July 30, I 

witnessed 

the 

enthronement of the Right 

Reverend Dr. Humphrey Bamisebi 

Olumokaye as the 8th Bishop of 

the Diocese of Lagos, Church of 

Nigeria (Anglican Communion). 

It was a colourful ceremony held 

at the Cathedral Church of Christ, 

Marina, Lagos and attended by 

sixty-two Bishops from all parts of 

the country and many clergy men 

from different denominations. 

Bishop Olumokaye (49) is from 

Idanre, a hilly town in Ondo state. 

Like cocoa farming, Christianity 

is a way of life in Idanre. According 

to Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi in his 

book titled The First Century of 

Christianity in Akure Diocese, 

Christianity came to Idanre on 

May 4, 1895 when the late 

Reverend Charles Phillips (later 

Bishop) paid his first missionary 

visit to Idanre. The enthronement 

of the new Bishop of Lagos Diocese 

is the best thing that has happed to 

Christianity in Idanre 

notwithstanding that Idanre has 

produced Bishop Clement 

Agboola Akinbola who served in 

Ekiti diocese and Bishop Olasoji 

Makindipe of the Methodist 

Church. 

The following have served as 

Bishops of Lagos: Rt. Rev. Melvile 

Jones (1919-1940), Rt. Rev. Leslie 

Gordon Vining (1940-1951), Rt. 

Rev. Adelakun Wihiamson 

Howells (1955-1963), Rt. Rev. Seth 

Runsewe Kale (1963-1974), Rt. 

Rev. Festus Oluwole Segun (1975- 

1985), Rt. Rev. Joseph Abiodun 

Adetiloye (1985-1999) and Most 

Rev. Dr. Ephraim Adebola 

Ademowo (2003-2018). 

Lagos Diocese is one of three 

dioceses in Lagos state and it has 

one hundred and twenty-two 

churches. Lagos mainland diocese 

has its headquarters at St. Jude’s 

Cathedral Ebute Metta, Lagos and 

it is headed by Right Reverend 

Babatunde Colenso Akinpelu 

Johnson (52). Lagos mainland has 

eleven archdeaconries with fiftythree 

churches. It was inaugurated 

From the Hills to Marina Lagos 

on the 23rd August, 2006 as the 

95th diocese of the Church of 

Nigeria (Anglican Communion). 

St. Jude Cathedral celebrated 

150th anniversary in September 

2017. The Cathedral has the most 

modern bell sound system and 

three 25m clock faces opal acrylic 

dials with raised metal numbers 

encased within an aluminum 

frame. The dials illuminate at 

night to signify the importance of 

the clock to the Ebute Metta 

community. 

St. Jude’s Ebute Metta 

Cathedral was built in 1867 and 

the dean of the cathedral is 

Venerable Feyi Ojelabi from Oyo 

city in Oyo state. 

Lagos West Diocese has its 

headquarters at Archbishop 

Vining Memorial Church at Ikeja, 

and is headed by the Right 

Reverend James Olusola Odedeji 

(49) from Eko Ajala in Ikirun, 

Irepodun local government area 

of Osun state. The dean of the 

Cathedral is Venerable Adegoke 

Oludare Agara (50) from 

Amusigbo Quarters, Ido-Ani in 

Ondo State. The diocese is 

motivated by brilliant 

entrepreneurs and with the 

blessing of Ikeja business district. 

Three rich churches of the diocese 

include Archbishop Vining 

Memorial Cathedral, Oba 

Akinjobi, Ikeja, the Church of 

Ascension, Opebi and the Church 

of Pentecost, Festac. 

The oldest church of the Lagos 

diocese is St. Peter’s Church Faji, 

Lagos, established in 1853 by 

Catechist James White, Rev, 

Charles A. Gollmer and Rev. Ajayi 

Crowther (later Bishop). Reverend 

Gollmer spent few weeks with 

Catechist James White at Ebute 

Ero mission station before moving 

to establish the Breadfruit mission 

station at the former slave market 

in August 1852. The Breadfruit 

station served as a temporal abode 

for him, while he was building a 

new mission house at the Marina, 

In appreciation of his 

contributions, a street 

in Ota-Ayegbaju was 

named Bishop 

Olumokaye Street 

locally referred to as Ehin-Igbeti. 

St. Peters Faji is the second oldest 

church in Nigeria of which St. 

Peters, Ake, Abeokuta established 

in 1842 by Reverend Henry 

Townsend is the first. 

The following have served as 

Vicars in St. Peters, Faji: T.B. 

Wright (1887), R. Coker (1906), 

J.Ologundudu (1906-1910), E.J. 

Sowande (1910-October 1918), 

J.A. Cole (November 1918- 1924), 

S.V. Latunde (1924-1933), S.J. 

Gansallo (1933-1936), R. A. 

Ashley-Dejo (1939-1942), L.G.A. 

Jadesimi, W.R.B. 1945-1954), 

S.A.Oduneye ( 1955-1957), D.A. 

Olugbile (1957-October- 

Septempber 1961, S.B. Talabi 

(December 1963), S.A.F. Odunuga 

(January 1964- December 1964, A. 

O. Ayodele (Jan 1965-September 

1965), S.B. Talabi October 1965- 

September 1970, S.A. Adewale 

(September 1970- August 1972), 

A.O. Adewale (October 1972- 

August 1973), S.A. Adewale 

(September 1973-June 1976), E. O. 

Folorunsho (July 1976-August 

1982), S.S.O. Sodipe (September 

1982- January 1987), A. O. 

Kuforiji (January 1987- December 

1988), A.O. Adeniyi (January 

1989-July 1990), B.O. Okunuga 

(August 1990- June 1992), B.I. 

Adewunmi (July 1992- November 

10, 1992), S.B. Akinola (November 

11, 1996- July 28, 2002), A. O. 

Soleye (August 4, 2002- 15 October 

2005), S.O. Olaleetan (15th 

October 2005- , Venerable Tayo 

Adeloju and Venerable Caston 

Akingbesote (till date). 

The headquarters of Lagos 

diocese is at Marina, Lagos. The 

church was dedicated on June 10, 

1869 by Bishop S. Ajayi Crowther. 

The present clergy at the 

Cathedral Church of Christ, 

Marina, Lagos are Revd. Dr. 

Oluwaseun Adeyemi, Revd. 

Timothy Olusanya, Revd. Sunday 

Ogundipe, Revd. Canon Adekunle 

Ajado, Revd. Canon Dr. 

Ogheneruemu Eruenah, Ven. Niyi 

Agesin, Ven Gabriel Ezeanya 

(Canon Residentiary) and Very 

Revd. Adebola Ojofeitimi, the 

Provost. 

Past and present provosts of the 

Cathedral are Adelakun 

Williamson Howells (1951-1960), 

Festus Oluwole Segun (1960- 

1970), Samuel Hugh Akinsope 

Johnson( 1970-1995), Adebola 

Olusegun Okubadejo (1995-1998), 

Thomas Akinola Jaiyeola 

Oluwole(1991-2002), Oluyinka 

Ibikule Omololu (2002-2009), 

Babatunde Colenso Akinpelu 

Johnson (2009-2016) and Adebola 

Ayodeji Ojofeitimi 2016 till date. 

On January 19, 2003, ten 

ecclesiastical provinces of the 

Anglican Communion were 

created and ordained by the then 

Primate, the Most Reverend Peter 

Jasper Akinola. Most Reverend 

Adebola Ademowo from Odogogo 

village very near Ijebu-Ode in Ijebu 

North East local government of 

Ogun state was made the 

Archbishop of Lagos Province. 

Lagos diocese, Lagos mainland 

and Lagos West are part of Lagos 

Province. Presently,Lagos province 

is headed by the Bishop of Remo 

diocese, Archbishop Michael 

Olusina Fape from Ibogun, near 

Akure in Ondo state. He was 

consecrated Bishop on November 

16 2003. 

Other Archbishops installed on 

January 19, 2003 were the Most 

Reverend E. Maxwell, the province 

of Niger and Bishop of Awka, the 

Most Reverend Emmanuel Nglass, 

province of Niger-Delta and 

Bishop of Uyo, the Most Reverend 

Joseph Akinfenwa, province of 

Ibadan and Bishop of Ibadan, the 

Most Reverend Samuel A. Abe, 

province of Ondo and Bishop of 

Ekiti, the Most Reverend Josiah 

Idowu-Fearon(Kaduna), the Most 

Reverend Bennet Okoro (Owerri), 

the Most Reverend Albert 

Agbaje(Bendel), the Most Reverend 

Emmanuel Mani( of Jos province 

and the Bishop of Maiduguri) and 

the Most Revered Peter Jasper 

Akinola of the Abuja province and 

the Bishop of Abuja. 

Before the enthronement, Bishop 

Olumokaye had served as Bishop 

in Osun North East Diocese with 

headquarters at Otan-Aiyegbaju. 

A member of the diocese Chief 

Kunle Adedayo from Ila-Orangun 

said the diocese will miss Bishop 

Olumokaye. In appreciation of his 

contributions, a street in Otan- 

Ayegbaju was named Bishop 

Olumokaye Street. His late father, 

Venerable Olumokaye served in 

the Anglican Communion for 

forty-three years before his death. 

Bishop Olumokaye was elected 

Bishop of Lagos diocese in Ilorin 

in February this year in succession 

to Bishop Ephraim Adebola 

Ademowo (70).

FG, others got N3.5trn FAAC 

funds in H1’18 consolidated revenue 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

WITH the distribution of 

N668.9 billion for the 

month of June 2018, as 

indicated in the report of the 

National Bureau of Statistics, 

NBS, yesterday, the three tiers 

of Nigerian government have 

shared a total of N3.5 trillion 

as statutory allocations in the 

first half of 2018, H1’18. 

The Federal Government 

took N1.7 trillion representing 

49 percent of the distributed 

funds, while the 36 states of 

the federation collected N1.1 

trillion or 31.4 percent, leaving 

N795.52 billion to the 774 local 

governments. 

On monthly basis, the 

highest allocation of N608.33 

billion happened in May, 

while the lowest allocation of 

N566.14 billion was received 

in February. 

The amount disbursed in 

June comprised of N575.48 

billion from the Statutory 

Account and N93.42 billion 

from Valued Added Tax (VAT). 

The NBS report stated: 

“Federal government received 

a total of N282.22 billion from 

the N668.90 billion. States 

received a total of N181.17 

billion and Local governments 

received N136.49 billion. The 

sum of N53.07 billion was 

shared among the oil 

producing states as 13 percent 

derivation fund. 

“Revenue generating 

agencies such as Nigeria 

Customs Service (NCS), 

Federal Inland Revenue 

Service (FIRS) and 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources (DPR) received 

N4.63 billion, N7.40 billion 

and N3.92 billion respectively 

as cost of revenue collections.” 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$106.20 -0.80 

$2,108 22.00 

$10.32 -0.22 

$71.36 -1.45 

$65.91 -1.72 

305 305.5 306 

393.511 394.1561 394.8012 

353.617 354.1967 354.7764 

307.1191 307.6226 308.1261 

2.7463 2.7508 2.7553 

0.5197 0.5297 0.5397 

425.4862 426.1837 426.8812 

44.7297 44.8035 44.8772 

81.3247 81.458 81.5913 

426.1765 426.8752 427.5738 

47.4074 47.4851 47.5628 

22.6132 22.6503 22.6873 

CBN Exchange rate as at 13/08/2018 

The report further stated: 

“The sum of N240.85 billion 

was disbursed to the FGN 

account; N5.10bn shared as 

share of derivation and 

ecology; N2.55 billion as 

stabilization fund; N8.57 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 — 19 

billion for the development 

of natural resources; and 

N5.96 billion to the Federal 

Capital Territory (FCT) 

Abuja” 

From left- The Human Resources Project Coordinator, Association of Nigerian Electricity 

Distributors, (ANEDC), Rotimi Adebari ; the Chief Executive Officer –BEDC, Funke Osibodu; 

and the Executive Director, Commercial, Dr. Abu Ejoor at the media parley with on-airpersonalities, 

online influencers and newspaper journalists across BEDC franchise states held 

at the corporate head office, Benin City, yesterday. 

Quarantine Service suspends 4 vegetable 

exporters 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

FOLLOWING the recent 

return of vegetables 

exported to United Kingdom, 

UK, the Nigerian Agricultural 

Quarantine Service, NAQS, 

Monday, suspended four 

exporters for disrespecting laid 

down procedures before 

exporting the product. 

The Coordinating Director, 

NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, 

disclosed in a chat with 

Vanguard, that the suspended 

companies have been 

exporting the product 

for over 10 years, 

adding that they bypassed 

it (NAQS) to 

make the export to 

UK. 

He said: “The four 

vegetable exporters 

have been suspended 

as the first step, and 

we will carry out 

further investigations. 

They did not pass 

through us as an 

agency in charge of 

agricultural products, 

but went on to export 

the vegetables. 

“What they did is 

embarrassing to the 

country upon the 

return of the 

vegetables they 

exported to UK 

because they want to 

make quick money 

from other items they had 

intention to make money from. 

We will not accept it and this 

must stop. 

“They used the vegetable as 

cover up for the export of other 

items other than agricultural 

commodity.” 

“The UK authority were not 

sure of the health and safety 

of the vegetables for their 

citizens to consume because 

there was no document 

certifying the vegetables 

condition from us as agency in 

charge of agricultural products 

import and export 

regulations. 

“These are people who 

have been exporting 

vegetables for over 10 years 

and have been doing it 

according to our regulatory 

standards, but this time 

decided to do what is not 

expected of them.” 

He also frowned at the way 

some government agencies at 

the ports clear products, 

particularly agricultural 

products, stressing that it was 

not their mandate to do so. 

Electricity transmission records 2,000 outages 

— Benin Disco 

THE BEDC Electricity Plc’s 

(BEDC’s), otherwise known 

as Benin Disco, has said that the 

Transmission Company of Nigeria 

(TCN) national grid has recorded 

over 2,000 outages and 

interruptions in its network 

coverage area of Delta, Edo, Ekiti 

and Ondo, causing affected 

customers dissatisfactions 

between January and July, this 

year. 

Managing Director/CEO of 

BEDC, Mrs Funke Osibodu, who 

disclosed this during a media 

parley organized at the company’s 

Head Office in Benin, Edo State, 

however, said that 

notwithstanding the supply 

interruptions, the company was 

able to record several 

improvement initiatives, which 

impacted positively on power 

availability to customers in all the 

four states within its franchise 

area. 

She noted that recent 

information from National Bureau 

of Statistics, NBS, stated that 

BEDC has the highest number 

of meters amongst all the 11 

electricity distribution companies. 

Commenting on how the firm 

had been of service to its 

customers, the BEDC boss said: 

“In Delta State, we restored 

electricity supply to over 54 

Communities including Ibusa, 

Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Uku, 

Isselu-Uku (on-going), Ogunu, 

Otor-Udu, Emadaja, Iwhrekekan, 

Mosogar, Onyobru Water Side 

Community. 

“In addition, in order to enhance 

security, various streetlight 

projects were commissioned that 

are providing 24 hours supply 

covering over 20 km in Asaba 

How e-invoicing 

can boost 

economic growth 

— CEO, Pearly 

Bleuwaters 

By Dayo Adesulu 

JUST like the revolution 

witnessed in the 

communications industry when 

people systematically moved 

from the era of letter posting to 

emailing, Nigeria is set to move 

from paper invoices to e-invoices 

I business transactions. 

Taking this position during a 

press conference in Lagos last 

week, the CEO, Pearly 

Bleuwaters International 

Limited, Mr. Victor Oshodin, 

said that in Nigeria only 20 

percent of businesses use e- 

invoicing. 

He projected that if Nigerians 

welcome the culture of e- 

invoicing, the economy will 

grow at a rapid pace. 

While explaining the 

advantages of e-invoicing, 

Oshodin said it would reduce 

operational cost and save time. 

According to him, e-invoicing 

over the network can help buyers 

achieve better than 98 percent 

touch-less processing and help 

suppliers reduce days sales 

outstanding (DSO) by an 

average of six days. 

He stated: “Pearly Bleuwaters 

International helps and supports 

buyers globally that use our e- 

invoicing programs because it 

can be configured to suite 

business. 

“It was also designed in a way 

that it meets with each 

organization’s rules at each level 

and apply these rules to countryspecific 

e-invoice templates.” 

These rules, he noted, support 

Values Added Tax (VAT) and 

other indirect tax methods to help 

buyers comply with e-invoicing 

regulations. 

He pointed out that there are 

three other business areas 

Nigerians are yet to key in, 

adding that through these 

media, businessmen and 

customers can cut cost, maximize 

profits and also get the best 

services. The areas, he noted 

includes; Luxury, Aroma, and 

Doctor on Call. 

across major urban roads such as 

Mariam Babangida way, Ibusa to 

Koka Junction, Illa road to DELSU 

Anwai Campus, Government Core 

Area, Interbua, Ezenei Road, 

Nnebisi-Dennis Osadebe Road to 

Abraka, Okpanam Road and 

locations in Effurun area - Jakpa 

Road, Airport Road, NPA 

Expressway, DSC Round, Sokoh 

Estate road, Refinery Road, PTI 

road. 

“In Edo State, power supply has 

also improved from 2hours in 2013 

to 6-10 hours for locations with 

severe infrastructure limitations 

such as Okada, Oluku, part of 

Sokponba, Evbuotubu, Oliha and 

Siluko, all in Benin, there has been 

improvement from 6hours to 12- 

15hours for locations with more 

improved infrastructure including 

Auchi, Edo North, GRA, Ugbowo, 

Okhoro and New Benin.”


By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

FOLLOWING a 

comprehensive review 

of the Lagos rail project 

which ought to have commenced 

passenger operation but was 

hindered by unforeseen third party 

issues and other challenges, the 

Lagos State Government has said 

that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, 

LRMT, Blue Line Rail project from 

Marina to Mile 2 section would be 

ready for passenger operation by 

2022. 

Managing Director of Lagos 

Metropolitan Area Transport 

Authority, LAMATA, Mr. Abiodun 

Dabiri, who revealed this during 

signing of an agreement on behalf 

of Lagos State Government with a 

foreign firm, Alstom SA of France 

at the weekend, added that the 

move was part of efforts to bring 

the mass transit project to 

passenger operation in 2022. “It 

will bring a new lease of life to the 

project”. 

Dabiri explained that the state 

government had engaged 

consultants to carry out a technical 

review and due diligence on the 

implementation of the project, 

which substantially had focussed 

on civil works who reported back 

to government that operation of the 

first phase could only commence 

in 2022. 

He explained that following the 

report, Alstom SA France, which 

is experienced international 

railway systems aggregator and 

rolling stocks manufacturer, with 

over 100 years of railway 

experience covering 60 countries, 

was engaged to review the report 

of the consultants. 

Dabiri added that Alstom SA 

agreed with the submission of the 

consultants that the first phase of 

the rail project could only become 

operational in 2022 based on 

proposed funding pattern. 

The agreement was the result of 

the commitment of Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode towards the 

transformation of public 

transportation in the state. 

He said that a consortium of 

experts engaged by the state 

government to undertake a 

technical due diligence on the 

LRMT Blue Line Project, Mile 2– 

Marina section, developed a 

roadmap which was accepted by 

the state government to bring the 

railway project to passenger 

operations. 

The consortium, according to 

Dabiri, in it’s final report, outlined 

their findings and proposed a road 

map to complete the civil 

infrastructure works and the 

Operation and Maintenance 

(O&M) infrastructure that would 

be needed for the commencement 

of passenger operation. 

He stated that based on the final 

report submitted, “The consortium 

of Alstom Transport SA France has 

been engaged for the 

procurement, engineering, 

construction, installation of 

operation and maintenance 

(O&M) moveable infrastructure 

and commissioning of railway 

systems towards the 

commencement of passenger 

operations for LRMT Blue Line 

project from Marina to Mile 2”. 

While highlighting the extent of 

works to be carried out by the firm, 

Dabiri disclosed that for ease of 

LRMT: Marina-Mile 2 section commences 

operation in 2022, LAMATA assures 

implementation, the work plan 

had been divided into two phases. 

Phase one, he said, was aimed 

at demonstrating the non-public 

operation of the existing rolling 

stock before end of second quarter 

of 2019. 

“For this purpose, a track length 

of about 3.0 km from Iganmu 

station to National Theatre will be 

electrified. This operation would 

be done with the rolling stocks 

already supplied for the Blue Line 

project. This phase would allow the 

completion of all the preliminary 

works that would lead to the 

•Lagos Blue Line Rail Project 

BY KINGSLEY 

ADEGBOYE 

TO boost housing stock in 

Lagos, Dayola 

Property & Development 

Company, a Lagos-based 

renowned real estate 

development firm, has 

introduced two prime property 

known as Beaufort Park and 

Heirs Park Residences into 

Lagos property market. 

Located just behind Novare 

Lekki Mall alongside fully 

developed estates, Beaufort 

Park is a 24-unit premium 

affordable housing 

development of homes built for 

discerning investors and 

prospective home owners who 

desire to acquire and enjoy 

living in this emerging and fast 

developing area of Lagos. 

The homes are as advanced 

shell in a lavish three-bedroom 

apartments with Boys 

Quarters that are expected to 

be finished to taste by would 

be buyers. 

Speaking at the weekend 

during the unveiling of the new 

additions to the numerous 

residential estates already 

financing of the main works in 

Phase two. Phase one will be fully 

financed by Lagos State 

Government through Internally 

Generated Revenue (IGR). 

“Phase two, which is expected to 

be completed in 39 months would 

entail the provision and 

installation of railway operations’ 

systems for the project from 

Marina to Mile 2 and the delivery 

of a passenger Lagos Blue Rail 

Line by 2022", Dabiri noted. 

He explained that the efforts of 

Governor Ambode’s 

administration on the rail project 

delivered by Dayola Property & 

Development Company such as 

Heirs Park Residences Phase 1, 

Walton Park, 1369 Apartments 

and others located within Lekki, 

the Managing Director and 

Chief Executive Officer of the 

company, Mr. Dayo Olaiya, 

who said the estate is covered 

by global C of O, noted that his 

housing projects which go 

through relevant consultants 

right from commencement stage 

to completion, meet required 

standard. 

Olaiya who said his projects 

usually come with intercom 

and fire alarms, added that 

facilities such as Lawn Tennis 

Court, Swimming Pool, Two 

Car Park Spaces per housing 

unit, Water Treatment Plant, 

Electricity, Children’s Play 

Ground Area, Tarred Road 

Network and Drainage 

System among others, will be 

provided at Beaufort Park. 

Explaining that the 

introductory price of a unit is 

N19.99 million while the stock 

lasts, he said regular price per 

unit is N23.99 million, pointing 

out that initial deposit of 12.5 

per cent or N2.5 million is 

was to bring to fruition the state 

government’s commitment to 

deliver a multi-modal transport 

system for the state and transform 

the state’s public transportation 

landscape and move it closer to the 

achievement of the first integrated 

and multi-modal transport system 

in Nigeria. 

“On completion, the rail project 

would reduce congestion and 

pressure on the roads which will 

lessen maintenance cost and 

increase the life span of road 

network, promote modal shift as 

private car owners and public bus 

expected from interested 

investors as down payment 

while the balance payment is 

spread across 24 months. 

He therefore advised 

investors to take advantage of 

the introductory price which 

lasts till September to invest 

in the project, saying “Real 

estate is an imperishable 

asset, increasing in value. If 

not bought for residential 

purpose, also buying rental 

property is a significant 

commitment and a great long 

term investment with medium 

risks and reasonable increase 

in value. 

“Dayola Property & 

Development Company can 

bring your real estate 

investment dreams to fruition. 

With developments in 

Ikoyiand Lekki, our projects 

are developed to suit and 

meet the needs of discerning 

investors”, Olaiya stated. 

He said Heirs Park 

Residences Phases 1&11 

located just before the 6th 

Lekki Round About by 

Domino Pizza behind Spg 

Head Quaters, Igbo Efon, 

Lekki, Lagos, is a beautiful 

place for living. 

According to him, it comprises 

commuters will move towards the 

use of rail as a safer, more 

convenient option. It will also 

enhance quality of life and reduce 

pollution on many road transport 

corridors,” he said. 

Dabiri therefore, appealed to 

businesses and residents to trust 

Ambode’s administration to bring 

the Blue Rail Line to passenger 

operation by paying their taxes 

since the rail project is solely 

finance by the state government 

through its internally generated 

revenue. 

“We had highlighted earlier that 

what we are doing currently to 

bring the rail project to passenger 

operation would be funded 

through IGR. This is your project; 

it is designed to ease the 

movement of Lagosians, it is 

designed to improve and increase 

our competitiveness in the comity 

of smart cities, it is designed to 

improve our lifestyle and 

regenerate our environment. Let 

us support it,” Dabiri stated. 

Guy Jean-Pierre, a Director of 

the firm thanked the state 

government for the confidence 

reposed in the firm and the 

opportunity given to partner with 

the state on the Blue Line Rail 

project. 

He assured that the firm would 

work to ensure the delivery of the 

Blue Line to passenger operation 

by bringing on board required 

expertise and experience in rail 

system management. 

Firm boosts housing provision in Lagos with Beaufort 

Park, Heirs Park Residences 

luxury four-bedroom 

Maisonettes all ensuite with 

exquisite finishing in a private 

estate, adding that it has very 

serene and secured 

neighbourhood, and it is two 

minutes drive to access to the 

main Lekki-Epe Express Way. 

Olaiya said each maisonette 

boasts of three ensuite 

bedroom on the first floor, onebedroom 

ensuite on the 

ground floor and a spacious 

living room and kitchen area 

with boys quarters, adding 

that each unit is designed 

perfectly to suit every buyer’s 

taste with maximum attention 

to details. 

Explaining that the estate is 

very accessible with good 

road, clean water, steady 

power supply and excellent 

professional facility 

management service, he said 

the special offer price per unit 

is N55 million, pointing out 

that interested investors are 

expected to make initial down 

payment of 20 per cent or N11 

million while the balance is 

spread across 24 months at 

zero per cent.


Lagos demolishes illegal nine-storey building in Lekki 

Stories by Kingsley 

Adegboye 

THE Lagos State 

Building Control 

Agency LASBCA, weekend 

demolished a ninestorey 

building at Osapa 

London in Lekki area of 

Lagos for allegedly 

contravening building 

plan regulations. 

The General Manager 

of the Agency, Mr. 

Olalekan Shodehinde, 

said the demolition was 

also because the 

building had no certified 

plan approval. 

Shodehinde said the 

building was detected in 

2017, following which an 

investigation was launched, 

stressing that the 

building had nine floors, 

while the master plan of 

Osapa, the area it was 

situated, only allows for 

a maximum of four 

floors. 

According to Shodehinde, 

the structural 

stability of the soil could 

not carry such a highrise 

structure, adding 

that the state 

government had given 

approval or order for the 

building to be pulled 

down. 

He noted that the 

exercise was being 

carried out to curb the 

incidents of incessant 

building collapse in the 

state, pointing out that 

the state government 

would not fold its arms 

The nine-storey building demolished by LASBCA at the weekend for not having approval 

We Strive to Support Affordable Housing-Royal Ceramics boss 

THE General Manager of West Af 

rican Ceramics Ltd, foremost manufacturer 

of the ROYAL brand of tiles, 

grouts and tile adhesives, Mr. Bhaskar 

Rao, has stated that the idea behind 

opening of ultra modern showrooms 

across the country known as Royal Exclusive 

Showroom stocked with the company’s 

range of products is basically to 

support affordable housing in Nigeria. 

Rao disclosed this at the inauguration 

of two additional ultra modern exclusive 

tile showrooms to the network of 

Royal Exclusive Showrooms in Aba and 

PortHarCourt recently. 

The launch of the showrooms in Port 

Harcourt and Aba marks respectively 

the 10th and the 11th showrooms in a 

roll since the company rolled out the 

Royal Exclusive Showroom initiative, a 

strategic manufacturer-dealer partnership 

framework that has seen the setting 

up of several showrooms in major 

commercial cities across the country 

which includes Kano, Nassarawa, Jos, 

Osogbo, Enugu, Lagos, Abuja and 

most recently Port Harcourt and Aba. 

According to the General Manager, 

in Port Harcourt, the company partnered 

with Marchambers Int’l Co. Ltd., 

a major building material dealership 

located along the stretch of East-West 

Road in Rumuigbo while S. Nnadi 

Commercial Ent. Nig. Ltd., courted with 

the company to set up the showroom 

along Faulks Road in Aba, Abia state. 

He revealed that the partnership 

which aims to support government’s efforts 

in reviving the manufacturing sector 

and encourage patronage of locally 

produced goods, would afford builders, 

project owners and other professional 

stakeholders in the housing sector the 

opportunity to reduce risk, lower the 

and allow loss of lives 

and destruction of 

property. 

Shodehinde who said 

several notices had been 

served on the owner of 

the structure, but 

allegedly failed to 

comply with the order, 

said “Though, the 

building does not have 

approval plan, what we 

are talking about goes 

beyond approval plan, 

because if the developer 

applied for approval of 

nine floors in the area, it 

would not have been 

granted. 

“When LABSCA 

discovered the building 

in 2017, a Stop Order 

Notice was served. In 

October of the same 

year, when it was at its 

fifth floors, the agency 

cost of projects and enjoy a one-stop 

shop experience of tile applications 

through the showrooms which also 

serve as experience centres beyond sales 

outlets. 

“The Royal Exclusive Showroom initiative 

is a response to support government’s 

efforts in resuscitating local production 

through effective distribution 

network to ensure that products are 

available at the right time, right place, 

and at the right price. 

“It also ensures the delivery of the 

products in a way that encourages the 

consumer to cultivate and sustain the 

‘Buy Nigeria’ behaviour because they 

do not just buy the products but the collective 

experiences of product quality, 

affordability, reliability, product knowledge 

and application as well as unmatched 

customer services, and all the 

functional attributes of the product”, the 

GM said. 

It also ensures the 

delivery of the products 

in a way that encourages 

the consumer 

Speaking further, Rao said that the 

mega showrooms are designed to enlighten 

customers about the applications 

of various designs and types of tiles in 

a building project and to create an unprecedented 

shopping experience for 

customers as obtainable overseas. 

He added that the showroom is an initiative 

to strengthen dealer relations and 

channel management in a way that consumers 

would experience tile shopping 

sealed it. After a few 

months, the agency 

visited the site to 

observe that the 

building had been 

constructed up to the 

ninth floor. 

“Again, a 14 day 

ultimatum notice was 

served to the 

developers to remove 

the structure at their 

own cost, which they 

failed to comply with. 

Once an illegal 

building has been 

demolished by the 

government, the 

owner would be 

given 90 days to pay 

the demolition cost, 

failure to do so means 

the government 

would confiscate the 

landed property”, 

LASBCA GM stated. 

different from the norm but obtainable in developed 

societies. 

Corroborating Rao’s position, the CEO of 

Marchambers Int’l Co. Ltd., Mr. Ohazulumeh 

Chamberlain posited that the key focus of the 

current administration which is to grow the 

real sector and revive the community of local 

manufacturers can only be achieved when 

dealers in the value chain support this drive 

by pushing locally produced goods and services 

especially when the quality surpasses 

imported products. 

“The 17 million housing deficit however unverified, 

holds water and requires the collaborative 

efforts of all stakeholders in the industry 

to make affordable housing available 

and cost effective. Partnering with Royal, a 

household name with a formidable mark of 

quality which surpasses many imported products 

and brands is a step towards the support 

of affordable housing provision. 

“With Royal, we have tiles and accessories 

designed and manufactured for the needs of 

affordable housing. This partnership is well 

thought out and indeed would position us to 

fill the gap that maybe created by the forex 

situation deterring importation of several 

goods and expected rising demand for local 

building materials particularly in tiles and sanitary 

wares categories.” Chamberlain said. 

In the same vein, CEO of S. Nnadi Commercial 

Ent. Nig. Ltd., Prince Sunny Nnadi 

urged the public to support the ‘Buy Nigeria’ 

campaign. He called on architects, builders, 

estate developers, project owners and everyone 

to visit the Royal Exclusive Showroom to 

experience the various tile applications. He 

said that the showroom is equipped with application 

set up such as bathroom set up, living 

room set up; kitchen set up and office space 

set up and a trained customer relationship 

Manager armed with vast knowledge on tiles 

to educate and incisively advise customers on 

types of tiles and designs suitable for applications 

in their building projects. 

Estate 

surveyor and 

valuer launches 

book 

COME this Sunday, 

August 19, 2018, 

the book “40 YEARS OF 

HOUSING DISCOURSE” 

will be launched at the Island 

Club, Onikan, Lagos. 

The book is a compilation 

of some articles of Asiwaju 

Kola Akomolede, a renowned 

estate surveyor 

and valuer, which have 

been published by different 

National Newspapers 

over the past forty years. 

The covers all subjects relating 

to land and housing 

and other ancillary subjects 

like land policy, Land use 

Decree, Land Use Charge, 

Rent Control Laws, Property 

Taxes, How to Sell or 

buy Properties, How to 

avoid Fire in Houses, How 

to avoid being duped by 

Quack Estate Agents, 

Property Management and 

Why we lack Maintenance 

Culture. 

It also covers other subjects 

like Housing Finance, 

Low Income Housing, 

Housing investment 

abroad and at home, 

Shares versus Property Investment/Treasury 

Bills, 

Origin of BQ, Meaning of 

Storey House, Building 

Materials among many 

others. 

According to a statement 

by the organisers, the 

chairman of the occasion is 

the former Minister of 

Health and chairman of 

Juli Pharmacy, Prince Julius 

Adelusi-Adeluyi while 

the former Governor of 

Ogun state, a veteran journalist 

and former CEO of 

Daily Times, Aremo Olusegun 

Osoba (who wrote the 

forward of the book) will be 

the Special Guest of Honour. 

Mr. Segun 

Oloketuyi, Managing Director 

of Wema Bank Plc. 

will be the Chief launcher 

with Mr. John Momoh, 

chairman of Channels Television, 

as the Book presenter. 

The review of the book 

will be done by a veteran 

journalist and a Cofounder 

of the Tell magazine, 

author of several 

books and currently a columnist 

in The Guardian, 

Mr. Dare Babarinsa. 

There will be a panel of 

discussants that comprises 

Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, and 

a human rights lawyer, 

Mr. Rowland Abonta, National 

President of the Nigerian 

Institution of Estate 

Surveyors & Valuers and 

Mrs. Adesuwa Onyenokwe, 

Publisher & Editor in 

Chief of TW magazine and 

presenter of Seriously 

Speaking, a TV show.


Fear ear grips 14 4 oil firms, as DPR probes Energia 

••• 

seeks to protect indigenous participation 

By Udeme Akpan 

FEAR has gripped 14 

indigenous oil and gas 

companies as the Department 

of Petroleum Resources, DPR, 

has started to probe Energia 

Limited, one of the leading 

indigenous companies over 

labour, operational, 

managerial and other issues. 

Investigations by Vanguard 

showed that the DPR, which 

has the mandate to issue 

licences, approvals, permits, 

and regulations as well as 

monitor compliance in the 

industry, decided to intervene 

in the case of Energia 

following a petition received 

from 11 former personnel of 

the company. 

The personnel were fired, 

barely three months after its 

former Managing Director/ 

CEO; Mr. Felix Amieyeofori 

was made to resign or retire 

in March, 2018, indicating 

that all is not well with the 

company. 

The company that has either 

suspended or rescheduled 

some capital projects, 

apparently as a result of its 

inability to fund them, it was 

gathered presented 

redundancy as the main 

reason for sacking the 

workers. 

But the affected workers, 

who collectively took their 

case to DPR, alleged many 

factors, including undue 

interference of the board of 

directors, favouritism, 

operational, managerial and 

other issues as factors 

contributing to the relatively 

poor situation of Energia 

Limited. 

DPR's intervention 

Consequently, the DPR that 

has powers to sanction has 

directed Energia to respond to 

the various allegations made 

by the former workers. 

Spokesman of DPR, Mr. 

Paul Osu, indicated in an 

email to Vanguard that: "A 

petition was received from 

some staff of Energia 

regarding 

their 

disengagement from the 

services of the company on 

claims of redundancy. 

"In line with our statutory 

regulatory oversight of the oil 

and gas sector, DPR has 

requested Energia to 

respond to allegations by the 

petitioners within two weeks 

of receipt." 

Energia's response 

However, the response of 

the company to DPR remains 

unknown as Energia 

declined to comment on the 

issues, despite its awareness 

of the provisions of the 

nation's Freedom Information 

Act. 

Specifically, in an email to 

Vanguard, the company 

stated: "Unfortunately, we 

would not be able to grant an 

interview session on those 

topics at this time." 

The fears 

However, investigations by 

Vanguard showed that before 

now, many indigenous 

companies that do not have 

unions to fight for workers 

were very comfortable. 

But with the latest case, 

they were said to be scared, 

especially as DPR is resolute 

to watch closely developments 

in the companies, targeted at 

ensuring that the indigenous 

operators, including Oriental, 

Midwestern, Walter Smith, 

Niger Delta Petroleum, Green 

Energy/Lekoil, Network E&P, 

Platform, Pillar Oil, Prime 

Energy, Excel E&P, Frontier 

Oil, Suntrust, Oando and 

Only vibrant steel industry can develop Nigeria's 

economy – Bwari ...says Ministry remits N3 bn to federation account 

By Ediri Ejoh & Gabriel 

Ewepu 

THE Minister of State for 

Mines and Steel 

Development, Mr. Abubakar 

Bwari, has identified vibrant 

steel industry as a key driver for 

Nigeria's economy. 

Bwari, who added that the 

government was bent on 

diversification disclosed this 

while declaring open a 2-day 

National Steel Summit 2018 with 

theme, 'Diversification of the 

Nigerian economy - the 

Indispensable Role of the Steel 

Industry' that was held in 

Lagos. 

He stated that the country 

had lagged behind in terms of 

industrialization, which many 

THE average price 

of Organisation of 

Petroleum Exporting 

Countries, OPEC’s basket 

of 14 crudes in the past 

one week was $71.88 

compared with $72.53 

recorded the previous 

week. According to 

OPEC’s calculation, the 

highest price of crude 

was recorded on August 

07, 2018, which averaged 

$72.49 per barrel, while 

the lowest price for the 

period under review 

averaged $70.06. 

• Men at work 

Energia Limited comply with 

set standards and guidelines. 

Consequently, this is 

expected to enable the 

government achieve set 

objectives, especially 

increased indigenous 

participation, local content 

and capacity building in the 

industry, previously 

dominated by International 

Oil Companies, IOCs. 

other countries that were 

classified as third world 

countries have now joined the 

league of industrialised 

countries of the world. 

Bwari said the Summit was 

targeted at achieving many 

objectives, including enhancing 

interaction and devising 

strategies for the sustainable 

development of the metals sector; 

creating a platform for dialogue 

between government and metals 

industry stakeholders as well as 

evolving acceptable time-bound 

strategies towards fulfilling the 

goals of developing the metals 

sector in Nigeria. 

He said: "Considering the fact 

that the consumption rate of steel 

and other metal products is 

regarded as a major index of 

industrialisation, it is obvious 

that Nigeria is seriously lagging 

behind, even by the standard of 

developing nations", he further 

explained. 

"Indeed, considering the 

versatility of steel as an industrial 

material, Nigeria could easily 

join the comity of steel producing 

nations if our abundant iron ore 

resources are effectively 

harnessed to produce crude 

steel." 

The Minister said, "We have 

made great progress in 

resolving the legal issues 

surrounding the Ajaokuta Steel 

Complex, similarly, Aluminum 

Smelting Company of Nigeria, 

ALSCON, we have made 

significant progress in our effort 

The marginal fields were 

previously owned by the IOCs 

but left undeveloped before 

the Federal Government took 

over and placed them at the 

bosom of indigenous 

companies for development in 

the spirit of local content. 

Specifically, they include 

Ebok, Umasadege and 

Ibigwe, currently producing 

22,000 barrels, 12,000 barrels 

and 6,259 barrels per day, 

bpd, and operated by 

Oriental, Midwestern and 

Walter Smith respectively. 

The fields include Ogele, 

Otakikpo, Qua Iboe and 

Ebendo, currently yielding 

6,500 barrels, 6,000 barrels, 

2,143 barrels and 2,100 bpd, 

belonging to Niger Delta 

Petroleum, Green Energy/ 

Lekoil, Network E&P and 

Energia Limited, respectively. 

They include Egbeoma, 

Umutesi, Assaramatoru and 

Eremor fields, currently 

producing 2,006 barrels, 1,500 

barrels, 1,200 barrels and 700 

bpd, owned by Platform, Pillar 

Oil, Prime Energy and Excel 

E&P respectively. 

Other fields are Uquo, 

Umusadege and another, 

currently producing 520 

barrels, 3,600 barrels and 

15,000 bpd, owned by 

Frontier Oil, Suntrust and 

Oando, respectively. 

to bring the company back to 

life with the approval of the 

National Council on 

Privatisation that Messrs UC 

Rusal be restated as core 

investor." 

He noted that the ministry had 

so far remitted about N3billion 

to the federation account, this 

year, adding that in the last three 

years, the revenue generated by 

the ministry had improved 

drastically. 

"When we came in, in 2015, our 

contribution to the federation 

account was just merely 

N700million, in terms of 

royalties, but today we can 

proudly say we have gone above 

N3billion. 

"The National Bureau of 

Statistics says it was the attention 

that has been given to the steel 

sector that has kept it growing. 

Even under recession, we are not 

there yet but we believe we will 

get there,'' he said. 

Also speaking, the Permanent 

Secretary in the ministry, Dr 

Abdulkadri Mu'azu, charged 

participants to be robustly 

deliberate and frankly lay to bear 

issues and proffer solutions, 

capable of enabling the 

government to make good 

decisions. 

Also, Director General, 

National Steel Raw Materials 

Exploration Agency, NSRMEA, 

Kaduna, Mr Umar Hassan, said 

the government has the capacity 

of developing the iron and steel 

industry for economic 

diversification. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


Vanguard’s 

Electricity watch 

Egina FPSO 

RECERTIFICATION: 

From Left: 

Managing Director, 

AOS Orwell Mr. 

Femi Omotayo, 

receiving Emerson's 

ICSS recertification 

from SanjinBisevac, 

(Lifecycle Sales 

and Operations 

Director, Middle 

East & Africa, 

Emerson) in Lagos. 

$16bn Egina: We'v 

e've e laid foundation for economic 

growth- Osinbajo 

By Ediri Ejoh 

THE 

Acting 

President of 

Nigeria, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, has expressed 

satisfaction over the $16 

billion Egina Floating 

Production Storage 

Offloading (FPSO) 

project, adding that the 

economy was ready for 

more investment. 

He made this known at 

a visit to Total's Egina 

FPSO in LADOL Free 

Zone, Lagos. He 

explained that the 

present administration 

has laid the foundation 

for the nation's 

economy explaining, 

"We strongly believe 

that the Nigerian 

economy must be private 

sector lead. This project, 

for example, is a $16 

billion project in naira 

terms, that is about N5 

trillion. 

"The entire Nigerian 

budget is about N9 

By Udeme Akpan 

THE Nigerian Association 

of Liquefied Petroleum 

Gas Marketers, NALPGAM 

has urged the Federal 

Government to remove 

Value Added Tax, VAT on 

liquefied petroleum gas, 

popularly known as cooking 

gas in Nigeria. 

The association that disclosed 

this at its recent annual 

general meeting, AGM, also 

distributed about 500 

cylinders to some residents 

of Lagos, stressing that 

commercial quantity of the 

product will be given out in 

other parts of the nation in 

order to propagate the use of 

cooking gas. 

Mr Nosa Ogieva-Okunbo, 

president of the association, 

explained that cooking gas is 

cleaner and cheaper than 

other cooking fuels. 

He commended the 

government for setting up a 

committee to look at the issue 

of VAT on locally produced 

LPG. 

Ogieva-Okunbor said the 

removal of VAT on the LPG 

supplied to marketers by the 

Nigerian Liquefied Natural 

Gas would attract more 

investors and reduce 

importation of gas into the 

country, which is VAT-free. 

...as Total pledges more investment in Nigeria 

trillion and our spending 

on infrastructure, which 

is the largest in the 

history of Nigeria is N1.5 

trillion. So it tells you 

that this project alone is 

several times more than 

the federal government 

spending 

on 

infrastructure. This is the 

story of developed 

economies that are 

private sector driven, as 

there is no way that 

government's revenue 

can possibly satisfy the 

demand." 

Also speaking, 

Managing Director, Total 

Upstream, Nigeria, Mr. 

Nicolas Terraz, stated that 

the company would 

continue to invest in 

Nigeria's economy as it 

had invested over $10 

billion in the last five years. 

Represented by Deputy 

Managing Director, 

Deepwater, Mr. Ahmadu- 

Kida Musa, Terraz 

explained that Egina, 

remained the largest 

He said the cost of 

purchasing the cylinders 

had discouraged many 

Nigerians from switching 

to cooking gas. 

Ogieva-Okunbo stated: 

"The association decided 

that the best way to 

encourage more 

Nigerians to convert to 

the usage of the LPG is to 

give out free start-up 

investment currently 

ongoing in the oil and 

industry, adding, "The 

project is expected to be 

completed in the quarter of 

2018 within the initial 

budget of $16 billion. 

"The Egina FPSO is a 

newly built spread moored 

FPSO, and will be 

connected through subsea 

production systems to 44 

wells consisting of 21 oil 

producers and 23 water 

injector wells via 

umbilicals, flowlines and 

risers." 

"On plans to partner with 

the government on zero 

gas flaring, the project is 

designed such that there 

will be no routine gas 

flaring during normal 

operation as all the treated 

gas will be transported 

through the existing Akpo- 

Amenam pipeline to the 

Bonny NLNG plant." 

He noted that the project 

will add 200,000 barrels of 

oil per day to the 

production of the country, 

NALPGAM AM urges FG to remove e VAT, , gives free cylinders 

package. It is significant 

to the economy by the 

time we hit our target of 

about five million people 

using the LPG in the 

country; it would have a 

ripple effect on the 

economy and the 

environment. 

"Today, we started with 

about 500 cylinders; 

within the next one 

representing about 10 

percent of Nigeria's 

current total capacity. 

While lauding the 

support received from its 

partners, Chairman of 

LADOL, Mr. Ladi 

Jadesimi, stated that the 

achievement of the project 

was a pointer to the growth 

of local content and 

capacity of indigenous 

operators. 

He said: "LADOL has 

demonstrated that there 

are talents in Nigeria and 

ease of doing business is 

very 

much 

accommodating as well as 

encouraging. We have 

grown from how we 

started in 2001 and have 

made Nigeria a hub and 

opportunity for 

prospective businesses to 

come in. We will continue 

to grow our capacity and 

ensure that more projects 

are done in Nigeria order 

than encouraging capital 

flight." 

month, we will go to Epe 

because our dream is to 

take it to the rural areas. 

We are going to the rural 

areas so that people in 

those areas would start 

using the LPG. Between 

now and December, we 

would do it in four places 

in Lagos and every 

month, and extend it to 

other states." 

We need new tec 

echnologies to address power 

er, 

metering challenges - Buhari 

By Michael Eboh 

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has stated that Nigeria was in dire need of new 

engineering technologies to address its power supply and metering challenges. 

Speaking at the 27th Engineering Assembly of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering 

in Nigeria, COREN, Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. 

Suleiman Adamu, also emphasized the need for an upgrade in engineering practice in Nigeria. 

He said, “Our country is in dire need of new engineering technologies to improve our 

infrastructure development. We need to upgrade the quality of engineering practice and 

concentrate on the application of modern engineering technology in road construction, 

power, manufacturing and housing among others. 

“New engineering technologies are also needed to improve services in agriculture, 

transportation and power sectors, particularly to revamp our power generation, transmission 

and distribution, as well as our metering system.” 

He noted that the absence of the requisite infrastructure in most engineering faculties up to 

our universities, that complement theoretical teaching with practical knowledge, had created 

a wide deficit in the quality of Nigeria’s engineering products. 

According to him, of similar concern was the fact that Nigerians are victims of poor quality of 

service delivery by poorly trained and unqualified engineers, adding that wherever there 

was a collapse of infrastructure anywhere in Nigeria, everyone is left to count the losses. 

He said: “Similarly, the absence of up to date engineering curriculum to reflect the current 

global trends in engineering, has drastically reduced the competitiveness of our engineers. 

There is a deserving gap between engineers trained in Nigeria and those trained abroad. 

There is the need for our universities to turn out quality and world grade professionals.” 

The president further declared that no society could develop without engineering, noting 

that it is his desire to see the development of engineering training and practice in Nigeria and 

through it, a better living for all Nigerians. 

Source: NCC Daily Operational Report 

NNPC GMD, Total DMD, others 

set for NAEC Conference 

THE Group Managing Di 

rector, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) 

,Dr. Maikanti Kachalla Baru , Deputy Managing Director, Total 

E&P Nigeria, Ahmadu-Kida Musa, President, Petroleum Club, 

Dr. Godswill Ihetu and other industry stakeholders will lead 

discussions around emerging issues in the oil, gas and power 

sectors at the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria's 

(NAEC) Annual Conference 2018. 

In a statement signed by the General Secretary NAEC, the 

conference will hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, on Thursday 

16th August 2018 by 9am. With the theme "PIGB: Emerging 

Issues and Concerns". 

This year's conference has two panel sessions. The first session 

is titled: "Regulatory issues in oil and gas industry." While the 

second panel session is titled: "Impact of good governance in 

achieving power sector efficiency." 

Captains of industry, organised private sector, legislators, as 

well as other stakeholders in the energy power sector will be in 

attendance. The Keynote address and the Lead paper will be 

delivered by the GMD NNPC , Dr. Baru while the Chairman of the 

Conference is DMD Total E&P Nigeria ,Ahmadu-Kida Musa. 

International Oil Companies (IOCs), independent producers, 

managers of the privatized power assets and other stakeholders, 

would also be at the conference to proffer solutions to issues to be 

discussed. 

The conference is expected to provide a veritable platform for 

the government and industry operators to rub minds on the 

ways to address the energy challenges confronting the country. 

Confirmed speakers include: Dr.Godswill Ihetu, President Petroleum 

Club, Sen. Omotayo Alasoadura, Chiedu Ugbo, Managing 

Director, Niger Power Holding Company of Nigeria, (ND- 

PHC), Odien Ajumogobia, Chairman Nigeria Natural Resources 

Charter (NNRC), Osten Olorunsola, Chairman, Energy institute 

Nigeria and former Director of DPR , Kola Adesina, Group Managing 

Director, Sahara Power Group and Femi Olawore, former 

Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, 

MOMAN. 

Others include: Prof. James Momoh, Chairman, Nigerian Electricity 

Regulatory Commission (NERC); Adeoye Fadebiyi, Managing 

Director, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Dr. Anthony 

Youdeowei, Managing Director, Ikeja Electric Plc., Reginald 

Odia, Chairman of Economic policy, Manufacturers Association 

of Nigeria (MAN), Comrade Francis Johnson, President 

of PENGASSAN, Marilyn Amobi, Managing Director, Nigeria 

Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and Usman Gur Mohammed, Managing, 

Transmission Company of Nigeria. 

/


PIB delay causes leakages, theft, sabotage in oil industry —NNRC 

By Chiamaka Meribole 

STAKEHOLDERS in the 

Nigerian petroleum 

industry have stated that the 

delay in passing the Petroleum 

Industry Bill, PIB, into law has 

resulted in a lot of leakages, theft 

and sabotage in the industry. 

They made this assertion in a 

communiqué issued at the 

roundtable on the PIB in Abuja. 

The stakeholders averred that 

Nigeria's competitive advantage 

is consistently being eroded by 

increasing discoveries of crude 

oil in more stable economies 

operating within Africa such as 

Tanzania, Ghana and 

Mozambique among others. 

They further explained that 

Nigeria has realised the need to 

change the governance 

framework of its oil and gas 

industry, having used an archaic 

law that was enacted in 1969 to 

run her oil industry in 2018. 

According to the communiqué, 

the non-passage of the PIB has 

cost Nigeria's oil and gas 

industry billions of dollars' worth 

of investment and returns to her 

economy. 

It noted that this becomes 

worrisome, especially as the PIB 

sought to empower institutions 

and not individuals, take away 

bad governance which leads to 

inefficiency, ineffectiveness, 

rent-seeking tendencies, 

inequity, secrecy and corruption 

in the country's petroleum 

industry. 

However, the stakeholders 

were unanimous in their views 

that the 2019 elections had 

provided Nigerians with the best 

opportunity to get the political 

leadership of the country to pass 

By Prince Okafor 

THE 

Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, has stated 

that the nation's aim of 

attracting investors to its gas 

utilisation drive and creating 

value for the economy has been 

responsible for different gas 

prices in the domestic market. 

The Chief Operating Officer, 

Upstream, Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, 

Mr. Bello Rabiu, made this 

known yesterday, at the just 

concluded Society of Petroleum 

Engineers, Nigeria Annual 

International Conference and 

Exhibition in Lagos. 

According to him, "Part of the 

reasons for the gas master plan 

is to make the domestic gas 

market viable and reduce entry 

barriers. 

"As incentives, we have one 

gas price for power, another for 

industries, so that they can have 

cheaper energy. Also, there is 

a different price for gas-based 

industries such as fertilizers 

and petrochemicals. This is 

aimed at arriving at a willing 

buyer, willing seller model of 

pricing." 

He further stated that, "The 

end goal of this is so that 

Nigerian companies in these 

industries can compete 

favourably with companies that 

produce similar products 

around the world. In this sense 

a Nigerian fertilizer 

the PIB into law. 

To this end, the stakeholders, 

through the communiqué 

recommended that the assent to 

the PIGB is essential and should 

happen as soon as possible. 

They also called for the 

proposals made on the variants 

of the Petroleum Industry Bill 

(PIB), that is the Petroleum 

Industry Administrative Bill 

(PIAB), the Petroleum Industry 

Fiscal Bill (PIFB) and the 

Petroleum Host and Impacted 

Communities Development Bill 

(PHICDB) at the public 

hearings should be 

expeditiously considered with 

CONFERENCE: From Left: Executive Director Port Harcourt District, Total E& P Nigeria Ltd, 

Mr. Victor Bandele; a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation (NNPC), Funsho Kupolokun, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Maikanti Baru listen as Executive General Manager, GSR & 

Planning (DeepWater), Total, Tunji Akinwunmi gives a brief of Total’s activities in Nigeria during 

a tour of exhibition booths at the 2018 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition 

(NAICE). 

Why we have different gas prices in Nigeria - NNPC 

manufacturer should be able to 

compete with other fertilizers 

makers around the world. 

"To ensure there is willing 

buyer, willing seller model in 

the domestic gas market, the 

NNPC decided 5 billion 

standard cubic feet of gas daily, 

will be able to sustain supply 

and sufficiency of gas to the 

domestic market." 

Also speaking, the 

Managing Director, Shell 

Nigeria Exploration and 

Production Company, 

SNEPCo, Bayo Ojulari, said: 

"If the right people are placed 

in areas where we want things 

to be done, this country will 

move forward. Apart from 

human capacity in our oil and 

gas business, human capacity 

We use our charges to maintain Zone- LADOL 

By Ediri Ejoh 

THE management of 

Lagos Deep Offshore 

Logistics (LADOL) has 

explained that its charges are 

essential to enable it maintain 

the zones. 

Addressing journalists to 

refute media reports for 

imposing one percent Free on 

Board (FOB) charges in Lagos, 

Managing Director, LADOL, 

Amy Jadesinmi, said: "All 

charges are mandated by the 

federal government policy 

which is within a transparent 

frame work. No company 

operating in the LADOL free 

zone have been charged with 

the bills passed as a matter of 

urgency by the National 

Assembly. 

The communiqué added, "The 

relevant government MDA's; 

Federal Ministry of Petroleum 

Resources (FMoPR), Federal 

Ministry of Finance (FMoF), 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources (DPR), Federal 

Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), 

Petroleum Products Pricing 

Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) etc, 

must advocate for the Assent of 

the PIGB for the benefit of the 

Nigerian economy. 

"Key issues for public 

engagement on the PIGB should 

in diversify economy, is the key 

element we need to focus on, 

we cannot do any of this 

without building human 

capacity and hence the 

collaboration with universities 

must be more solid than it used 

to be. 

"In Nigeria, 2 million people 

enter the labour market every 

year and the biggest economies 

around the world are 

leveraging on their population, 

if your population is 

productive. It is a blessing. 

"But diversification must be 

focused. We need a 

diversification roadmap that 

will integrate Nigeria economy 

and it should be underpinned 

as jointly signed by 

commitment that shows what 

charges not mandated by the 

government. 

"It is wrong to calculate the 

value of the one percent 

management fee in the contract 

when the project had not yet 

left the free zone. This is not a 

unilateral action by us, and to 

say otherwise is completely 

false and highly mischievous 

since we have been transparent 

at all times. 

"The enterprises operating 

within the LADOL free zone 

and the related parties are 

aware of the charges and the 

rules and regulations in detail. 

The charges are known and 

required to maintain the zones 

include: harmonisation; 

presidential assent; public 

education about the new oil and 

gas governance regime; passage 

of the remaining complementary 

three bills; effective 

implementation of the PIGB; as 

well as close monitoring and 

reporting. 

"The media and civil society 

must begin in earnest to sensitize 

the public on the need to change 

the status quo.Accountability 

actors to demand that the 

National Assembly to create a 

platform where people can verify 

the bills they are working on.” 

CSOs and media must 

each of us is going to contribute 

to building the roadmap, and 

every year, as we reflect on our 

performance against that, and 

we show where we are, and 

how we are moving forward. 

"For Nigeria to diversify its 

economy, it must leverage on 

the low hanging fruits, such as, 

agriculture, petrochemicals, 

which use gas as its feedstock 

and more importantly, 

education and technology. 

"To reap the benefits of a 

diversified economy, an 

enabling environment is 

needed. This includes security, 

transparency and 

accountability, infrastructure 

(power, pipeline networks) and 

effective Public Private and 

Academia (PPA) partnerships." 

and the free zone scheme. 

"There is nothing that was not 

known at the start of the project. 

Within the approved tariff, you 

have what is called the one 

percent management fee as the 

statutory charge. The one per 

cent management fee is one 

per cent of the cost of the 

product when it leaves the free 

zone. Obviously you can't 

calculate that till the end of the 

project so what is known is that 

there will be that calculation 

and that management fee is 

clearly stated on the tariff 

schedule and it's not unique to 

this project and is not unique 

to Samsung." 

MAN seeks FG's 

intervention to end 

disagreement with 

DISCOs 

By Sebastine Obasi 

THE 

Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria 

(MAN) has called on the 

Federal Government to 

intervene in the debt 

disagreement between them 

and the electricity distribution 

companies, DISCOs, so as to 

enable them access the 

stranded 2,000 megawatts of 

electricity. 

MAN President Dr Frank 

Jacobs, who stated this also, 

said that the condition given by 

the Nigerian Electricity 

Regulatory Commission (NERC) 

was too stringent, as it may not 

be achieved easily due to the 

volume of the debt. 

He said, "Some of the 

challenges we have with taking 

advantage of the stranded 

2,000 megawatts of power is 

that the NERC has continued to 

insist that MAN members and 

consumers clear off 

outstanding debts to the DISCOs. 

"However, there have been 

disagreements on how much is 

really involved and that has not 

been resolved to date. The 

figures reeled out by the DISCOs 

are too high when compared 

with what our members 

claimed they owed." 

He noted that a consensus was 

reached by both MAN and 

DISCOs to seek the intervention 

of the government so as to 

enable manufacturers to take 

advantage of the stranded 

power. 

The MAN President also 

called on the government to 

create the enabling 

environment for the private 

sector to thrive by providing 

the necessary infrastructure, 

macro-economic environment 

and ease of doing business. 

"This means providing the 

necessary basic infrastructure 

to ensure that the 

macroeconomic environment 

is suitable for business to thrive. 

Business successes are 

determined by parameters such 

as exchange rates, interest 

rates, taxation and ease of doing 

business and we urge that these 

factors be addressed to 

encourage local and foreign 

investments," he said. 

NCDMB to 

commercialize 

undergraduate 

engineering 

projects 

THE Nigerian Content 

Development and 

Monitoring Board (NCDMB) will 

partner the Council for the 

Regulation of Engineering in 

Nigeria (COREN) and the 

Committee of Deans of 

Engineering and Technology of 

Nigerian Universities (CODET) to 

develop and commercialize the best 

engineering projects completed by 

undergraduates in the 2017/2018 

academic session. 

The Executive Secretary of 

NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye 

Wabote made the commitment on 

Tuesday at the 27th Engineering 

Assembly organised by COREN in 

Abuja. He spoke after the 

announcement of the top three 

individual and group engineering 

undergraduate projects in the 

country by the Committee of Deans.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 --25 

C 

M 

Y 

K

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

26— Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

World CEO Forum 

connects business 

leaders from all 

over the World 

Dubai has emerged as a favorite destination 

for meetings, conferences and exhibitions 

and a slew of global top-notch events. The 

city has witnessed a plethora of personalities 

flocking the cities infrastructure for international 

standard events. The infrastructure which includes 

transportations, hotels, restaurants and other facilities 

are rapidly expanding along with quality service 

standard for visitors. 

One of the key factors is Dubai’s strategic location 

between the Far East and Europe; making it the 

economic center for Asia, Africa, Europe, and Russia. 

Recognizing the region’s growing appeal among 

business and leisure tourists, The International 

Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), ranked 

Dubai as one of the world’s top destination for business 

events— an achievement which suggests that the 

emirate is on track to reach its goal of luring 20 million 

tourists a year by 2020. 

The ICCA is the most dependable and consistent 

benchmark for how a destination is performing in terms 

of hosting international association meetings and events. 

Global Events Management is one the leading events 

company in the UAE. Recognizing the significance of 

the business event industry and the various growth 

facets each event brings to the city, GEM, over 30 years 

has become the established host of a broad range of 

events from niche trade shows to major international 

event such as the World CEO Forum (WCF), which is 

in its third year. 

The WCF is an important business event for 

professionals in almost every industry all across the 

world. The caliber of attendees is high – often key 

decision makers. As well as offering engaging content 

and outstanding speakers, the forum provide an 

essential networking venue for global business 

executives and has achieved a reputation for attracting 

serious C-level hotel executives. 

Spearheading Global Event Management Company 

and the World CEO Forum is Chairman, James Magee, 

who recognizes that business events such as the WCF 

accelerate the regions journey towards becoming a 

knowledge-sharing economy and its goal of welcoming 

20 million visitors each year by 2020. 

What is the World CEO 

Forum all about ? 

The World CEO Forum is a 

gathering of the most 

influential business leaders 

from all over the world. The 

key focus of the business 

event is on creating new 

opportunities/facilitating 

business whilst sharing 

thoughts on case studies 

with internationally 

recognised CEOs of some of 

the world’s leading 

companies. It’s also the hub 

for people with real-life 

experience and knowledge. 

Covering everything from 

Dubai’s Expo 2020 and its 

numerous business 

opportunities, one of the 

goals of the WCF is to 

facilitate actionable 

takeaways to enhance 

business in the UAE. 

How will the WCF be 

different from other events 

of its kind? 

A unique selling point of 

the WCF is its ability to 

practically engage in 

corporate match-making , 

helping companies make the 

right connections. GEM has 

been in the UAE where we 

have been facilitating high 

level business connections 

for the past 33 years. Our 

vast network ensures that 

we have delegates from all 

over the world attending. 

What will be the theme of 

this edition of the forum? 

The main theme is the 

same as the last two, (it is 

the 3rd World CEO Forum 

we have staged in Dubai), 

and that is, Connecting 

business people, business 

development, knowledge 

James Magee 

Founder, World CEO Forum 

exchange and lots of fun 

networking. 

Are there certain topics 

you foresee dominating 

discussions? 

Technology, Future Cities, 

Communications, Telecoms, 

The Internet, 5G. Future 

Energy, Sustainable energy, 

the price of oil, the 

alternatives, electric 

vehicles, smart cities, AI and 

how this might effect the 

workforce, training, 

recruitment, the future of the 

planet’s water and its value, 

the future of food and how 

organic can take on and 

destroy Bauer and 

Monsanto by funding and 

encouraging farming in 

naturally fertile lands like 

Africa and Asia. The CEO’s 

changing role, the need to 

open trade agreements, not 

stifle them. We try to keep it 

non-political, but I am 

guessing Mr. Trump might 

be one of the topics of 

conversation. 

What do you expect the 

impact of the WCF to be 

like? 

When business leaders get 

together, great things 

happen so the impact we 

expect will be closer 

business relations amongst 

attending CEOs and that 

include co-operations, joint 

ventures, partners, mergers, 

acquisitions - everything is 

on the table. Because 

politicians rarely get it right, 

the kind of dramatic change 

we anticipate can only be 

driven by business leaders. 

What’s the reason for 

choosing Dubai as the 

location for the event? 

Dubai is a great business 

events hub. it is where East 

Meets West and a great 

place to do business. Given 

that we’ve been in this 

market for 33 years, we have 

been able to build a strong 

network of C-Suite executive 

contacts in the UAE and the 

event is going to leverage 

on all these and more. 

The key focus 

of the WCF is 

on facilitating 

business whilst 

sharing 

thoughts on 

case studies 

with 

internationally 

recognised 

CEOs of some 

of the world’s 

leading 

companies 

To what extent will 

deliberations made at the 

WCF help the current 

crises some parts of the 

world are facing? 

Business leaders have the 

power to change the world, 

they may not have realised 

to what extent yet! 

Business leaders control 

trade, currencies are 

weakened or strengthened 

by International trade and 

trade relationships help 

create peace. Every eight 

years, (sometimes four), 

changes take place in the 

USA and one party spends 

the next eight years, 

(hopefully four or less), 

trying to undo what the 

previous administration 

has done, (or not done). 

This affects the whole 

world. The Forum will 

offer examples of what the 

business leaders can do to 

impact and change this. 

Who are those CEOs 

really championing the 

world economy in the 

global arena? 

We believe Jack Ma, Jeff 

Bezo, and any truly 

international organisation, 

but the SMEs who venture 

into the international 

trade must not be 

neglected. We believe the 

future champions will be 

from Asia, Africa, India 

and the Middle East, but 

Europe and the Americas 

will always be very 

important. 

How has the behaviour 

of leaders in government 

and business aligned with 

what the world is trying 

to accomplish within the 

sphere of global trade? 

‘Without realising it, 

Trump has made the entire 

world watch, witness and 

question the self- centred, 

short-term protectionism, 

selfishness, pettiness, 

Xenophobia, racism, far 

right supremacist that he 

has highlighted. This 

inspires, this motivates, 

this makes people 

passionate - this causes 

people to rebel, rise up 

and fight against these 

decisions and effect 

change. The people - the 

business leaders - will be 

the change, the consumer 

decides what to buy and 

the future trade is decided 

by them. This topic will 

be hotly debated at the 

forum. 

What are the 

expectations for the 

forthcoming WCF? 

Exciting new business 

connections for all who 

attend, more international 

trading partnerships 

formed, joint ventures 

created, partnerships 

agreed, mergers 

instigated, acquisitions 

identified. Investments 

made, valuable knowledge 

shared, thought-provoking 

topics discussed and goals 

agreed to effect change. 

I would like to say that 

helping to achieve global 

peace and harmony 

amongst all mankind is 

one of our main goals, we 

are all one race – the 

human race, but sadly - 

wars are rarely started by 

business people. That 

does not mean we won’t 

try!


AOS Orwell strengthens leadership team with 

Key appointments 

AOS Orwell has announced 

three key 

strategic appointments, as 

the foremost oilfield conglomerate 

re-energizes to 

optimise performance and 

execute its strategic growth 

plans. The appointments 

have taken effect. 

The appointees are Ms. 

Charlotte Essiet, Government 

Relations Director; 

Mr Anthony Nwosu, 

Country Manager, 

Wellbore Construction 

Division; and Mr Kelly 

Shideler, Country Manager, 

Oiltools Africa Limited/ 

Titan Tubulars Nigeria 

Limited OAL/TTNL. 

According to AOS Orwell, 

the appointees bring 

a solid combination of 

profound commercial and 

operational experience 

which would be 

instrumental in further 

repositioning the company 

to take advantage of 

emerging opportunities in 

the oil, gas, electrical and 

power sectors. 

“I am delighted to welcome 

the new team to these 

very important roles in AOS 

Orwell,” Managing 

Director of the company, 

Femi Omotayo, stated. 

“They are not only the right 

entrants with the requisite 

experience, their collective 

expertise and leadership 

capacity will help the 

company to the next level 

as we continue the process 

of building AOS Orwell for 

growth and profitability. 

With these key 

appointments, leadership 

has been brought closer to 

our strategic business units 

(SBUs).” 

In her role, Ms. Charlotte 

Essiet will manage and 

coordinate engagements 

with Government 

Agencies/Authorities, NNPC, NAPIMS, 

DPR, NCDMB and other key external 

stakeholders. She has joined the company 

in this new position following over 14 

years experience in managing Sales, 

Business Development, Government/ 

External Affairs and Nigerian Content. 

Also, Ms.Essiet’s career history includes 

exposure to Strategy and Business 

Development in Europe, UAE, Equatorial 

Guinea and Nigeria. 

Charlotte holds an MBA in 

Engineering Business Managers from 

Manchester Business School, United 

Kingdom and an Executive Professional 

Certificate in Strategic Marketing 

Management, SMM, from Stanford 

Business School, USA. 

Anthony Nwosu or Tony, as he prefers 

to be called, will be accountable for the 

overall growth of the Wellbore Construction 

Division, WCD, business in AOS 

Orwell and meeting the Division’s 

financial targets by effectively implementing 

a fit-for-purpose strategy, managing 

customers and stakeholders and 

supervising Divisional Sales Managers 

and Business Segment Managers, 

BSMs. 

He joined the company following over 

16 years in various Operations, Sales and 

Leadership positions in the Oilfield 

Services industry. He has spent over 10 

years in Senior Management roles in 

Product Line management, Drilling 

Services and Sales. Mr.Nwosu’s career 

demonstrates strong Commercial Acumen 

and Strategy with exposure to business 

operations in Gabon, Ghana, South Africa, 

Qatar and Nigeria. 

Mr. Kelly Shideler joined the company 

in this new position following a career 

spanning more than 20 years in marketing, 

sales and operations. Mr. Kelly has spent 

over nine years in senior roles 

internationally, working in Russia, China 

and Pakistan. Also, his career history 

includes some exposure to West Africa with 

clients such as Exxon Mobil, Shell, Lonestar 

Drilling, Ensign Energy Services International, 

KCA Deutag and Reliant 

Services. 

Stanley Jacob emerges CeBIH Chair, as Dele 

Adeyinka bows out 

STANLEY Jacob has 

been elected the 


Committee of e-Banking 

Industry Heads, CeBIH. 

Stanley was elected 

alongside nine others into 

the executive committee 

charged with the affairs 

of CeBIH for the next 

one year. Prior to his 

election, Stanley served 

as the vice-chairman of 

CeBIH in 2017, and he is 

currently the Head of 

Consumer Distribution at 

Ecobank Nigeria. 

Members of the 

executive committee 

include Kayode Olubiyi 

(Keystone Bank), Vice- 

Chairman; Yemi Atanda 

(GTBank), Secretary, 

Industry Shared Services; 

Bidemi Asunmo 

(Sterling Bank), 

Secretary, Other Financial 

Institutions, OFIs & 

Fintech Relations; Mike 

Onwu (Heritage Bank), 

*Essiet 

*Jacob 

Secretary, Emerging Payments & 

Technologies; Celestina Appeal (Zenith 

Bank), Secretary, Product Pricing & 

Revenue Assurance; Mike Ogba 

(Access Bank), Secretary, Finance & 

Treasury; Gloria Eruemegbe (Union 

Bank), Secretary, Publicity & Advocacy; 

Nmutaka Chikwendu (Stanchart), Internal 

Auditor and Oluremi Tinuolu 

(Unity Bank), Assistant Secretary, 

*Shideler 

*Nwosu 

Finance & Treasury. 

Stanley is a Certified Digital 

Payments and Project Management 

professional with key strengths on 

Digital Financial Services, Emerging 

Payments, Strategy and Retail 

Transformation. Over time, he has 

implemented key strategies aimed at 

transforming the future of financial 

distribution through revolutionary 

branchless strategies with large retail alliances 

aimed at delivering exceptional 

customer experiences through enterpriselevel 

financial systems. 

He has an MBA in Technology 

Management from ADBU India; 

Executive Master’s in Project 

Management from the British School of 

Project Management, UK and has 

completed executive courses from 

Columbia Business School; INSEAD; University 

of Georgia (Terry School of Business 

in Atlanta); Thunderbird School of Global 

Management, Arizona; and the Fletcher 

School of Law & Diplomacy (Tuft 

University, USA). 

Prior to joining Ecobank, Stanley was 

the Head of Digital Banking for Standard 

Chartered Bank, supporting retail 

markets across Africa and a former COO 

& Group Head of eBusiness for Fortis 

Mobile Money. 

Ajayi now Managing Director 

of UAC Foods Limited 

UAC of Nigeria PLC 

(UACN) has announced 

the appointment 

of Dr Oladele Ajayi as the 

Managing Director of 

UAC Foods Limited, a 

Joint Venture Company 

between UACN and Tiger 

Brands Limited of 

South Africa. 

Dr Ajayi holds a PhD in 

Mechanical & Process 

Engineering from the 

University of Strathclyde, 

United Kingdom and an 

alumnus of the Advance 

Management Program of 

Harvard Business School 

In 1989, he joined Nigerian 

Breweries Plc as an 

Assistant Brewer and following 

several roles in 

Technical, Marketing and 

Sales, both in Nigeria and 

overseas, was appointed 

Sales Director of Nigerian 

Breweries Plc. Thereafter, 

he was appointed Managing 

Director of 

Heineken, Hungary and 

later Managing Director, 

Central and East Africa 

sub-regions for Heineken 

International. 

Dr Oladele has also 

served in many non-executive 

roles such as 

Chairman of Sierra Leone 

Brewery Limited, Chairman 

of Brasserries et 

Limonaderies du 

Rwanda, External Director 

of Guinness Ghana 

Breweries Limited and 

Director of Brasserrie de 

Bourbon, St Dennis, La 

Reunion. 

Prior to his appointment, 

Dr Oladele was the Special 

Adviser to the Federal 

Minister of Industry, 

Trade & Investment and 

Non-Executive Director of 

GZ Industries. 

Almak Media appoints Aliu 

Akoshile as CEO 

ALMAK Media Limited, 

an integrated 

marketing communication 

firm, has announced the 

appointment of Aliu 

Akoshile as Chief Executive 

Officer. 

The appointment, which 

took effect from August 1, 

2018 is to position the 

media specialist company 

for strategic growth and 

realisation of its mission 

to offer innovative marketing 

communication solutions 

that create and 

transform brands. 

Akoshile started his 

journalism career with 

SUNDAY TIMES in 1986 

and in over three decades, 

he has traversed the 

gamut of integrated media 

communications as a 

reporter, associate editor, 

editor-in-chief, PR and 

Communications head of 

a commercial bank, and 

media executive in charge 

of business development 

and brand strategy. 

He was until now the 

Associate Director, Business 

of Media Trust Limited, 

publishers of Daily 

Trust Newspapers, where 

he served for nearly 11 

years and led teams that 

successfully executed 

customer-centric products 

development, brand innovations, 

creative marketing, 

special sales, commercial 

printing, events 

planning and activation, 

*Dr. Oladele Ajayi 

*Aliu Akoshile 

and international stakeholders’ 

relationships. 

Akoshile holds a B.Sc. 

degree in Mass Communication 

from University of 

Lagos and M.Sc. degree 

in International Relations 

& Strategic Studies from 

the University of Jos. He 

has attended leadership 

training on strategic management 

at the University 

of Oxford, UK; Howard 

University School of Business, 

Washington DC; 

and the Lagos Business 

School/Pan African University. 

A consummate professional, 

Akoshile is a member 

of the Nigerian Institute 

of Management, 

NIM; Nigerian Institute of 

Public Relations, NIPR; 

and a registered practitioner 

of advertising certified 

by the Advertising Practitioners 

Council of Nigeria, 

APCON.

28— Niger-Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

VOL. 1: NO. 177 TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

Delta community 

threatens NDDC road 

project over compensation 

•Bomadi LG chair wades in, lifts embargo; 

Villagers give Setraco 2-week ultimatum 

By Chancel Sunday 

B OMADI—ESANMA 

community in Bomadi Local 

Government Area of Delta State, 

has threatened to stop 

construction on the Bomadi- 

Gbaregolor-Esanma- 

Akugbene-Ezebiri Road project 

being undertaken by the Niger- 

Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, following 

alleged nonpayment of 

compensation. 

The community had, 

penultimate week, prevented 

the contractor, Setraco Nigeria 

Limited, which returned to the 

site lately after a long absence, 

but the Chairman of Bomadi 

Local Government Area, Mr. 

William Angadi, intervened, 

promising to look into the 

matter in two weeks. 

It gave the construction giant 

a two-week notice to pay 

compensation or the people will 

stop further work on the project 

awarded to Setraco since 2009. 

How trouble started – 

Community scribe 

Secretary of the community, 

Mr Akpoebimone Omoro, told 

NDV that disagreement ensued 

when the NDDC hired valuer, 

Chrise Oghene Omoru and Co, 

bypassed the community in the 

payment process. 

He said that two communities, 

Gbaregolor and Ekameta, had 

earlier been paid in the first 

batch in 2011, leaving 

neighbouring Esanma, Ogboinama 

and Akugbene 

communities in the second 

batch. 

He explained that the 

community was infuriated when 

the NDDC agent bypassed them 

and went ahead to pay its 

neighbouring Ogboin-ama 

community, claiming that 

Esanma community had 

already been settled. 

Bomadi LG chair brokers 

temporary peace 

The community scribe, 

however, said with the 

intervention of the Bomadi 

council chairman, Hon. 

William Angadi, who pleaded 

with the community for two 

weeks’ grace to resolve the 

grievances, the company was 

allowed to continue work, but 

not without conditions. 

According to him, “This issue 

of compensation has lingered 

for too long. Just of recent, we 

were surprised to hear from the 

NDDC valuer that 

compensation had been paid to 

Esanma beneficiaries without 

giving any concrete evidence. 

•Ongoing Bomadi-Gbaregolor-Esanma-Akugbene-Ezebiri road project 

“We feel that the agent 

spitefully bypassed us and went 

ahead to pay compensation to 

our neighbouring 

community. 

Our fathers, mothers, others 

still crying 

“Beneficiaries in our community, 

including our old fathers and 

mothers, whose farmlands, 

fishponds, economic trees, 

buildings and crops were 

destroyed, are still lamenting. 

“So, we decided to stop them from 

3 C’River villages angry over 

abandoned Oban-Ikang road 

CROSS RIVER… 

THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

IDUDUN- THE people of 

Idundun, Ayangbe and Etay 

Ayip in Akpabuyo and Calabar 

Municipality Local Government 

Areas, Cross River are grumbling 

about alleged neglect of the twokilometer 

Oban-Ikang link road 

six years after a contractor dug 

out the tar. 

Residents told NDV that the 

scraping of the tar and eventual 

removal of the asphalt had 

caused huge potholes on the 

road, which in turn plunged the 

people into avoidable adversity. 

The two-km road which was 

scraped from Etab Ayip 

Roundabout, by Jonathan 

Airport bypass in 2013, has also 

made the road impassable, 

thereby increasing transport fare 

and reducing vehicular activities 

on the route. 

However, motorcycle 

operators, popularly called Alalok 

or okada were reportedly making 

brisk business because cars 

hardly ply the route anymore. 

We’re in pain – HRH Ayito, clan 

head 

Speaking with NDV, the head 

of Kasuk II Qua clan, Calabar 

Municipality, HRH Ededem 

Ayito, said: “Since 2013 

when the road was scraped 

by CCECC under the 

purview of the Federal 

Government, nothing else has 

been done, many of the 

villages and communities on 

the other side of the bridge 

have suddenly been plunged 

into economic hardship. 

“It has caused serious 

hardship to those 

communities. There are some 

businesses like relaxation 

spots, restaurants and even a 

slaughter that used to be along 

that road, they have all folded 

up. 

“We want to use this medium 

to appeal to both Federal and 

Cross River state governments 

to come to the aid of the people 

because the hardship has 

gotten out of hands,” he said. 

. 

…could have been 

worse – Asuquo, 

community leader 

A community leader, Chief 

Festus Asuquo, disclosed that 

had it not been for the 

proactive nature of the 

youths, it would have been 

worse because they had to 

stop the contractor from 

further bulldozing the road. 

He said: “When the 

DELTA... THE BIG 

HEART OF THE NATION 

carrying out work until they do the 

needful. We believe that the agent 

is deliberate in his actions to cause 

contractor started bulldozing the 

road, they wanted to take the head 

bridge, but the youths refused and 

asked them to finish the part already 

scraped before continuing as if they 

knew the project would be 

abandoned. 

“Six years after, nothing has been 

done on that road; in fact, the road 

has been taken over by potholes, and 

has become so deplorable to the point 

that we can hardly drive our cars 

through that road. 

Soaring transport fare 

“Before now, from Calabar to 

Idundun, Ayangbe was about N100 

- N150, but today, it is between N400 

and N600 from the roundabout by 

Jonathan By-pass. Motorcyclists 

collect as high as N500 to Idundun, 

before now, it used to be just N50 in 

the day and N100 at night,” he 

bemoaned. 

Brisk business by 

motorcyclists 

A motorcyclist, Andrew Umoren, 

said: “I know our people are 

suffering, but I must confess that my 

business has expanded since the 

road was bulldozed by the contractor, 

I have bought three more 

motorcycles. 

“I do not pray it continues, but the 

hardship on the road is much, a lot 

of people have been injured on that 

road. We pray that the Federal 

Government will do something 

urgent about it,” he added. 

chaos in the area. 

“If he had indeed paid 

beneficiaries of this community 

as he claimed, let him come up 

with evidence of their receipts 

and signatures. 

“But we are emphatically 

saying that nothing has been 

paid to any beneficiary here. If 

he had secret deal with any 

community member, that is left 

for him to answer. 

We’ll stop work again if… 

“The community has resolved 

that at the expiration of the two 

-week notice, the conditions we 

have given must be met, as 

failure to comply will force us to 

stop work on site again. 

Demands 

“Our conditions are simple; 

the company should pay 

compensation to beneficiaries 

in our community, open the 

canal that it had blocked for 

seven years that has been 

causing yearly flooding in our 

community. 

“Again, Setraco should recall 

the six security workers it had 

sacked at the wake of our action; 

construct a bridge across Ajoroba 

natural canal rather than a 

culvert, an access road and a 

CSO of Esanma origin. 

“The issue is that we are not 

ready to share vital security 

information with the company 

through a CSO from a 

neighbouring community,” he 

said. 

Mutu gets 

PDP award 

for road 

construction, 

empowerment 

By Chancel Sunday 

OMADI – THE People’s 

BDemocratic Party, PDP, in 

Bomadi, Bomadi Local 

Government Area, has bestowed 

an honorary doctorate degree, 

Ph.D, in road construction and 

empowerment of rural 

communities on the lawmaker 

representing the Bomadi/Patani 

Federal Constituency in the 

House of Representatives, Hon. 

Nicholas Mutu. 

Giving the honorary title, 

weekend, during the visit of the 

lawmaker to the party office at 

Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi 

Local Government Area, the 

party chairman, Hon. Prince 

Opuofoni, said: “The title is well 

deserved and is in consideration 

of the lawmaker’s developmental 

efforts in his constituency over 

the years.” 

He declared that the party was 

100 per cent ready to return him 

unopposed in 2019. 


Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on 

Politics, David Ekereokosu, and 

Member, Delta State Scholarship 

Board, Mr Jackson Okodozor, 

also described Mutu as an 

executive legislator considering 

his unequalled developmental 

activities in rural communities. 

“Your voice is loud and clear in 

empowerment schemes, road 

construction and community 

development. The only language 

of politics is development and 

development alone. You are an 

executive legislator in road 

construction in rural 

communities,” Ekereokosu said. 

Earlier, during his visit to the 

palace of the traditional ruler of 

Kabowei Kingdom, Patani Local 

Government Area, the monarch, 

HRM Shadrack P. Erebulu, the 

Aduo III, thanked Mutu for his 

relentless efforts in human 

empowerment and community 

development.

Niger-Delta Voice, , TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 — 29 

BAYELSA… 

THE JERUSALEM OF IJAW 

NATION 

By Samuel Oyadongha 

ORUBIRI- THE serene 

Orubiri community of 

Opokuma clan in Kolokuma- 

Opokuma Local Government 

Area of Bayelsa State came 

alive weekend following the 

official flag-off of 

Empowerment/Business Set-up 

– Starter pack distribution for 

Presidential Amnesty delegates 

in the state. 

No fewer than 150 exagitators 

trained in various 

trades were empowered with 

starter packs, according to their 

skills by the Coordinator, 

Presidential Amnesty 

Programme, PAP, Prof. Charles 

Dokubo at the colourful event 

which attracted traditional 

rulers, community elders and 

youth groups from the state. 

Niger-Delta Voice finding 

revealed that the presentation 

of the entrepreneur starter 

packs was the last phase in the 

process of Amnesty training, an 

indication that the youths of the 

region are not lazy but only 

need opportunities. 

The starter pack, made up of 

power generating sets, deep 

freezers and plastic tanks 

among others, is meant to 

establish beneficiaries as 

employers of labour and reduce 

cases of unemployment in their 

various communities. 

Speaking at the event which 

was turned into a mini carnival 

by the elated youths, Prof. 

Dokubo assured that the 

programme would be reviewed 

to refocus on its mandate and 

programmes in order to 

produce the desired results. 

Lamenting that the initiative 

had not produced expected 

results in the past as many of 

the over 20,000 ex-militants 

trained by the Amnesty office 

since inception eight years ago, 

still remained unemployed, he 

AKWA-IBOM… 

LAND OF PROMISE 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

IKPA- 

COMMUNITY 

leaders of Ibiono Ibom 

Local Government Area, 

Akwa Ibom State, have 

called on their sons and 

daughters appointed into 

positions of authority to be 

THE TEAM 

Emma Amaize, Editor 

Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa 

Jimitota Onoyume, Warri 

Gabriel Enogholase,Benin City 

Festus Ahon- Asaba 

Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt 

Emmanuel Una- Calabar 

Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri 

Godwin Oghre- Sapele 

Harri-Okon Emmanuel- Uyo 

Chioma Onuegbu- Uyo 

Ike Uchechukwu, Calabar 

Davies Iheamnachor, Port Harcourt 

Emem Idio, Yenagoa 

Brisibe Perez, Ughelli 

Theresa Ugbobu, Agbor 

Ochuko Akuopha, Oleh 

Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu- Benin City 

Nath Onajoke, Asaba 

Chijioke Nwankpa, Port- Harcourt 

150 trained ex-militants benefit from Amnesty 

entrepreneur starter packs in Bayelsa 

•Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Prof Charles Dokubo, 

presenting empowerment/business set-up starter pack to one of the beneficiaries 

of the scheme in Bayelsa. 

called for the judicious use of 

the equipment provided by the 

Federal Government, noting 

that the gesture was a bold step 

in the concerted efforts by 

MOSOP TO FG: Ogoni needs economic cleanup, not 

mere environmental cleaning 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

OGONI- PRESIDENT of the 

Movement for the Survival of 

Ogoni People, MOSOP, Mr. 

Leborsi Pyagbara, has said that 

Ogoni people in Rivers State 

whose sources of livelihood were 

destroyed by pollution by oil 

companies required economic 

cleanup and not just 

A’Ibom community leaders task indigenes on devt 

committed to using their 

positions to touch lives and 

contribute to the general 

development of the area. 

They made the call at the 

inauguration of mini water 

projects and an ultra-modern 

administrative complex, 

‘Udom Emmanuel IWADU 

House at Use Abat (Ibiono 

Western) and Ikpa 

communities respectively, 

built by one of the 

indigenes, Mr. Ini 

Ememobong, a legal 

practitioner and 

Publicity secretary of 

the People’s 

Democratic Party, 

PDP. 

A day to 

remember – 

Paramount ruler 

Speaking at Ikpa 

during the 

commissioning of 

the IWADU House, 

Paramount ruler, 

HRM Edidem (Dr) 

Okuku Ime 

Udousoro Inyang, 

said: “Today is a day 

government to deepen peace, 

safety and security in the 

communities. 

Dokubo, who had earlier 

visited the Bayelsa State 

environmental remediation from 

the Federal Government. 

Pyagbara, who is a member of 

the Governing Council of 

Hydrocarbon Pollution 

Remediation Project, HYPREP, 

spoke in Port Harcourt at a 

stakeholders’ meeting on the 

implementation of the UNEP 

report on Ogoni land cleanup, 

that will not be forgotten in 

Ibiono Ibom Local 

Government Area. I want to 

use this opportunity to tell 

politicians to emulate this 

kind gesture. We appreciate 

Ini Ememobong today for his 

good representation. When 

the time comes, we will call 

him back to honour him. 

“Also I want to use this 

opportunity to salute the 

state governor because he 

is a listening governor and 

a promise keeper. Past 

governors of Akwa Ibom 

made promises to Ibiono 

people, but they failed to 

fulfill their promises. I 

remember when Governor 

Udom Emmanuel came for 

campaign in 2014; I told 

him that he should do 

whatever he can do for 

Ibiono. 

“Governor Udom 

Emmanuel promised that 

he will construct Ibiaku-Ikot 

Udom road within 100 days 

in office and he fulfilled his 

promise. So I am happy to 

identify with his 

government. And about his 

re-election, this community 

Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral 

Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) in 

Yenagoa said the people of the 

Niger-Delta would not have 

been suffering if the scheme had 

organised by the Federal Ministry 

of Environment through HYPREP. 

He said: “This is a long journey 

we started some time in 1990. It is 

only our collective will and 

collective support that will make 

the project a success. For us, we 

will continue to raise the alarm 

when things go wrong. 

“We need economic cleanup as 

has endorsed him and I 

support their stance,” the 

monarch asserted. 

We 

commend 

Ememobong- Ibiono Ibom 

Union president-general 

President-General of the 

socio-cultural organisation, 

Ibiono Ibom Welfare 

Development Union, IWADU, 

Obong Effiong Inyang, said 

the union could not thank 

Ememobong enough for 

assisting them to carry out one 

of the projects of the 

organisation that had been 

delayed due to paucity of 

funds. 

“On July, 29, 2017, we laid 

the foundation, molded blocks 

and appealed to worthy sons 

and daughters of Ibiono Ibom 

to contribute to the building of 

a befitting IWADU house and 

a secretariat. Little 

contributions have been 

received and still hamstrung 

by finances, the main project 

is still at the very early stages 

of development,” he said. 

lived up to expectations, adding 

that his regime studied the 

failures in implementations of 

the programme and took a 

decision to refocus the scheme. 

He said: “The amnesty 

programme has taken a new 

turn. Amnesty has been here 

for a very long time, but those 

of us from this state have not 

gained from it effectively. If we 

have, most of our people will 

not be suffering.” 

New dawn beckons 

Dokubo said he came to the 

state to officially launch a new 

dawn in the implementation of 

the scheme to enable people in 

communities benefit from it and 

that his administration was 

focusing on the reintegration 

phase of the programme just as 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

was interested in the scheme 

reaching rural communities of 

the Niger-Delta. 

“The people of the Niger- 

Delta for a long time have been 

marginalised, ostracised and 

oppressed. But now we have 

come to a position where we 

can focus. I believe that this 

system has changed. The 

objective of the government 

clearly states that they want to 

nurse back communities to 

health in such a way that they 

will be part of the bigger 

picture. 

you are going on with 

environmental cleanup. I call on 

all of us to give support to this 

project. It is a historic opportunity 

because the world is waiting to 

see it executed. 

Money for Ogoni cleanup 

won’t be diverted -FG 

Meanwhile, the Federal 

Government has assured 

stakeholders of the oil impacted 

Ogoni ethnic nationality of Rivers 

State that no part of the money 

paid for the remediation process 

would be diverted for any other 

use. 

The Minister of State for 

Environment, who is also the 

chairman, Governing Council of 

HYPREP, Ibrahim Jibril, at the 

meeting also assured that the 

money so far paid for the process 

was intact in a designated 

account, adding that Ogoni Trust 

Fund has been incorporated. 

Jibril, who was represented by 

Dr. Ishaku Mohammed, said: 

“Funding is the area of concern. 

We have opened escrow account. 

We assure that the money for the 

project is sacrosanct for the 

project and will not be diverted 

for other uses. 

We’ve opened a foreign 

account, BOT 

Meanwhile, the President of 

KAGOTE and member of Board 

of Trustee, HYPREP, Dr. Peter 

Medee, disclosed that the BOT 

had successfully opened an 

account with a foreign bank, 

adding that it would guarantee 

security of funds for the project 

“The Ogoni Trust Fund has 

been incorporated. Two Ogonis 

are trustees in the fund. Ogoni can 

use the fund without interference 

from the Federal Government 

and it is done in such a way that 

change in administration will not 

affect the project,” he added.


Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 -- 31 

Turkish De-Light 

IHAVE been to Turkey several 

times. Istanbul is a city that 

continues to fascinate me, with its 

colours, history and its unusual 

blend of Asia and Old Europe 

melded together in a unique 

cosmopolitan harmony. I love 

Ankara and Izmir. I cherish the 

distant memories of 

Constantinople and the ruins of 

Byzantium. I am speechless each 

time I behold the glories of Hagia 

Sophia in Istanbul. 

I have several emotional 

connections with Turkey. I have 

had close ties with one of the top 

business families in that country, 

namely, the Carmikli family who 

own the Nurol Group of 

Companies, a multibillion dollar 

industrial conglomerate in Turkey. 

One of the great British historians 

during my student years was 

Norman Stone, who later moved 

to Turkey and has remained 

Professor of International 

Relations at Bilkent University. I 

certainly did not like his 

conservative politics, being a close 

adviser and speechwriter to Prime 

Minister Margaret Thatcher. But 

then Stone was one of the most 

prescient historians of our epoch, 

having predicted the collapse of 

the old Soviet Empire and the 

demise of communism as a global 

ideological rival to Western liberal 

democracy at a time nobody 

expected it. 

By Charles Onunaiju 

HAVING been elected in defiance to 

and against the will of the Nigeria’s 

traditional political establishment, 

President Muhammadu Buhari was not 

meant to have a smooth sail in governance. 

Despite the comfortable majority of the 

ruling party in the two chambers of the 

parliament, such key institution as the 

legislature, which would have ordinarily 

functioned to compliment the executive arm, 

also formed by ruling party to drive 

governance, was from the beginning arrayed 

against it. The traditional political 

establishment, overwhelmed by the popular 

rage that swept the formerly “unelectable” 

General Buhari to power, quickly recovered 

from the shock of the “Febuhari” electoral 

audacity of ordinary Nigerians and 

regrouped to erect governance hurdles. 

Messers Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong> and Ike 

Ekweremadu, Senate President and deputy 

president respectively were the desperate 

political revenge to the electoral effrontery 

of the popular masses to defy the will of the 

deeply entrenched political establishment. 

The best and easiest way President Buhariled 

federal government to play into the hand 

of his angry and desperate political 

detractors is to go into the hot chase of 

Messers <strong>Saraki</strong> and Ekweremadu, in any 

bid to remove them from the leadership of 

the Senate through constitutional process 

of impeachment or any other means. 

Chairman of the ruling APC, Mr. Adams 

Oshiomole's indignation at the prospects of 

the members of a minority party 

appropriating the leadership in the senate, 

where his party has majority whether slim 

or large is understandable, but he must 

appreciate that whatever the gains of an APC 

leadership of the senate, snatched from the 

As it happens, I am also a lover 

of Turkish literature, in particular, 

the poetry of the medieval mystic 

and philosopher Mawlana 

Jalaladdin Muhammad Rumi and 

the contemporary novelist and 

Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk. The 

Turkish people are friendly, warm 

and welcoming. Their kind of 

Islam is cosmopolitan and 

tolerant. The Turks are a highly 

civilised and proud people. 

Turkey is a country with a rich 

and extraordinary history. Before 

the Islamic conquest of 1453, the 

country was known as Byzantium, 

which belonged to the eastern 

flank of Christendom, with its 

capital as Constantinople and 

influence extending as far as 

Russia, Ukraine, Greece and the 

Holy Mountain of Athos. 

Byzantium was a glorious 

Christian kingdom which was 

defeated and taken over by the 

marauding Ottomans who 

descended from the wild steppes 

of Eurasia. The Ottomans became 

the terror of Europe, having 

conquered much of the Balkans; 

they were stopped only at the gates 

of Vienna in Vienna and Nantes in 

France. Until their defeat in World 

War 1, the Ottomans were a world 

imperial power that had ruled 

much of Europe, Eurasia and 

extending as far as Egypt, 

Palestine, Arabia and North Africa 

and Tripolitania. The emergence 

of Kemal Ataturk as leader of the 

Turkish Republic set the country on 

the path of modernisation, 

secularisation and westernisation. 

Modern Turkey has a population 

of 80 million, with a GDP of almost 

US$1 trillion and a per capita 

income of US$11,000. Economic 

reforms and sound public 

management have led to a stable 

currency, growing external 

reserves and a push towards high 

exports drive and an increasingly 

prominent role in international 

economic relations. Turkey has 

been a strong member of NATO 

and the Western alliance. 

Unfortunately, her application to 

join the EU has always met a dead 

end, largely due to human rights 

issues and the dominant role of the 

army in governance and the highhanded 

treatment of dissidents and 

Kurdish nationalists associated 

with the PKK. 

The current leader of Turkey, 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has 

overseen a remarkable period of 

accelerated growth. He is no doubt 

a strong leader who has reshaped 

the constitution to give him a 

stronger role as leader of the 

country. His economic success has, 

unfortunately, been accompanied 

by a greater leaning towards 

authoritarianism as well as 

erosion of Turkey’s secular status 

and its identity as a centrist and 

moderate European country. 

Turkey has been very hot in the 

news these days – for altogether 

negative reasons. It all began with 

a dispute over an obscure 

American missionary pastor by the 

name of Andrew Brunson who 

headed the Izmir Church of 

Resurrection in Izmir. Following 

the 2016 coup attempt that led to 

the loss of over 250 lives, the 

Erdogan government accused the 

American of supporting the exiled 

Islamist leader Fethullah Gulen as 

well as showing sympathy and 

aiding the Kurdish PKK terrorists. 

He was sentenced to 23 years in 

jail. 

President Donald Trump took the 

decision to freeze the assets of 

some Turkish officials connected 

with the decision to jail the 

American pastor. The Turkish 

government retaliated in like 

manner against some American 

officials. 

Compounding this diplomatic 

stand-off has been the recent 

decision by the Trump 

administration to launch a trade 

war against some of its major 

trading partners. In August 10, 

Washington slammed higher tariff 

duties on Turkish exports of steel 

and aluminium. President Donald 

Trump tweeted as follows: “I have 

just authorised a doubling of Tariffs 

on Steel and aluminium with 

respect to Turkey as their currency, 

the Turkish Lira, slides rapidly 

downward against our very strong 

Dollar! Aluminium will now be 

20% and Steel 50%. Our relations 

with Turkey are not good at this 

time!” 

The decision has plunged the 

Turkish economy into turmoil. The 

lira slumped to a low of 7.19 to the 

dollar, from 6.4 during the 

previous week. From the 

beginning of this year, the Turkish 

lira has experienced a 45 percent 

fall against the dollar. Financial 

markets around the world have felt 

the ripples. The Hang Seng Index 

in Hong Kong lost 1.5 percent of 

its market capitalisation. The 

Leave <strong>Saraki</strong> and Ekweremadu alone 

incumbent holders will not be worth the 

fight, even as the 8th senate is in its twilight. 

Senate president <strong>Saraki</strong> and his handlers 

should be left to bask in the moonshine of 

their political maneuvers and the political 

limelight it has so far showered on them. 

There will be no better way to further the 

cause of Senator <strong>Saraki</strong> and his princpals 

than to make him look like a victim of a 

high-handed and desperate political witchhunt. 

Senate presidency, for the ruling APC 

There will be no better way 

to further the cause of 

Senator <strong>Saraki</strong> and his 

princpals than to make him 

look like a victim of a highhanded 

and desperate 

political witch-hunt 

in the remaining few months of the life of 

the 8th senate, would not confer any 

meaningful political advantage or help the 

electoral fortune of the ruling party. It would 

rather, give the ruling party, an important 

electoral mileage, if Messers <strong>Saraki</strong> and 

Ekweremadu led leadership in the senate is 

publicly perceived to be using their vintage 

positions to obstruct governance, a role they 

would most likely relish to play. Instead of 

pushing to canonise them as democratic 

icons, tormented by a ruling party and a 

harsh government it produced, Messers 

<strong>Saraki</strong> and his senate leadership should be 

encouraged to ride roughshod on all known 

parliamentary conduct and practices to 

demonstrate the staying power of his 

In the building of the 

New Nigeria of our 

dreams, we would 

want to build solid 

win-win relations 

with Turkey and other 

emerging economies. 

But we should make 

sure we protect our 

national system from 

mindless adventurers 

political maneuvers and lead him down to 

political irrelevance, the well known 

political cost for arrogance of power. 

The top priority concerns of President 

Buhari’s administration – securing, the 

country by defeating terrorism or 

substantially degrading it, battling down 

corruption to the point of considerably defanging 

it from been a serious threat to the 

country’s survival and recovering the 

economy and setting it on the path of 

sustainable and inclusive growth; can 

certainly go far with complimentary 

legislative collaboration but cannot be 

stopped, let alone reversed by hostile 

legislative behaviour. While the 

administration should remain focused on 

these core agenda and assiduously cultivate 

legislative inputs to advance them, it should 

nonetheless be dutiful in engaging 

legislative collaborations but never to be 

seen, to indulge in any compromises to the 

core three-fold agenda, on which it won the 

electoral approval of the majority of 

Nigerians. 

Chasing after Messers <strong>Saraki</strong> and 

Ekweremadu in a senate leadership tussle 

as the chairman of the ruling APC, Mr. 

Adams Oshiomole has threatened, would be 

a wasteful distraction from the important 

issues of governance, for the which the 

government has committed itself. 

The economy is at a very low ebb, and 

most of the rescue measures which 

government has put in place are significantly 

correct therapies but their full effects on 

recovering and growing the economy is in 

the future, and except Nigerians understand 

these measures and buy into it, they would 

be largely vulnerable to the narratives of 

Nikkei in Tokyo nosedived by 2 

percent while the FTSE Index in 

London saw some 0.5 percent 

wiped off its balances. The South 

African rand lost 7 percent of its 

while the Indian rupee went down 

to 69.8 percent against the dollar. 

By contrast, safe haven currencies 

such as the U.S. dollar, the Swiss 

franc and the Euro made some 

gains. 

Meanwhile, finance minister 

Berat Albayrak is set to roll out a 

reform package to salvage the 

economy and restore confidence. 

Last week, the reserve bank of 

Turkey made some interventions to 

shore up the lira, but it had little 

effect, largely because markets no 

longer believe that the central 

bank is an independent and 

credible institution. 

Turkey’s future as a member of 

the Western alliance and as a 

prospective candidate for 

membership of the European 

family of nations has become more 

uncertain than ever before. 

President Erdogan suffers from the 

hubris of indispensability. His drift 

towards the Arab world will render 

it a more difficult partner for the 

West. Over the past few years, 

Turkey has become an important 

trading partner for Nigeria and 

other African countries. During the 

2016 coup attempt, President 

Erdogan accused Nigeria of 

harbouring some of his bitterest 

opponents by allowing them to set 

up schools, universities, hospitals 

and other businesses. A Turkish 

businessman was allegedly 

apprehended not too longer ago 

for bringing in a shipment of arms 

into our country. Nigeria has 

become a free playing-field for all 

sorts of arms dealers and terrorist 

adventurers. In the building of the 

New Nigeria of our dreams, we 

would want to build solid win-win 

relations with Turkey and other 

emerging economies. But we 

should make sure we protect our 

national system from mindless 

adventurers. 

quick fix that has no prospect for long term 

and enduring solutions. Instead, of the 

ruling party to chase after <strong>Saraki</strong> for the 

take-over of the senate “palace” and its 

“crown,” it should focus on helping its 

government to win over the patience and 

understanding of Nigerians on the bright 

and future prospects of the government’s 

current policy to usher in, a Nigeria of 

sustainable economic growth, inclusive 

social and political order, with equal 

opportunities and profound sense of national 

identity. 

The lure of political office-holding is the 

greatest undoing of the Nigeria political 

elite and therefore animates, their passions 

for public life, making politics to fall victim 

of an ignoble unpopular definition as the 

game of numbers. Politics is patently the 

struggle for values and to remain in public 

life without even an office but steadfast in 

upholding the cherished values is the 

greatest reward of a meaningful political 

life. A value in politics is the belief in a 

certain way or method by which the greatest 

interests of the majority of the people can be 

better served and fulfilled. 

The political affront of the Senate 

President, Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong> is tempting enough 

to lure the ruling party and even the 

government into a hot chase, but they will 

be doing that, at the detriment of President 

Buhari’s bankable political goodwill and 

electoral fortune, which he needed to secure 

firmly; for the next phase of consolidating 

his vision and policy. 

It is much better to leave Messers <strong>Saraki</strong> 

and Ekweremadu alone and allow them to 

burn out the glow of their Pyrrhic victory in 

capturing the senate. 

*Mr. Onunaiju, a journalist, wrote from 

Abuja. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 —33


No spread of Lassa fever in Enugu, 

says Health Commissioner 

ENUGU 

State 

Commissioner for 

Health, Dr. Fintan Ekochin 

has denied a report on front 

page of Vanguard 

newspaper of August 13, 

2018, alleging a spread of 

Lassa fever in the state, 

stating that the publication 

is false and misleading. 

Reacting to the 

development, the Health 

Commissioner said that 

the false report is capable 

of causing undue panic 

among the residents of the 

state at a time when 

personal hygiene and 

environment sanitization 

should be the paramount 

message. 

Ekochin explained that 

the state had one confirmed 

case of Lassa fever, which 

was duly made public last 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

MASSOB condemns proposed traditional 


week, adding that none of 

the close contacts of the 

confirmed victim has till 

date tested positive for the 

disease. 

Wondering who was the 

“source” that the reporter 

quoted, his or her integrity 

and medical proficiency, Dr. 

Ekochin urged the general 

public to disregard the 

report of the purported 

spread of Lassa fever in 

Enugu State. 

He therefore, maintained 

that the state government 

is committed, through its 

new Public Health 

Emergency Centre, to 

continue active surveillance 

and control measures in 

keeping with its resolve to 

ensure health security and 

wellbeing of the people of 

the state. 

BZF gives FG 7-day ultimatum 

to release all detained 

pro-Biafra agitators 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU—LEADER of 

the Biafra Zionists 

Federation, BZF, Barr. 

Benjamin Onwuka has 

issued a one-week 

ultimatum to the Federal 

Government to release all 

pro-Biafra detainees at 

various prison formations 


Onwuka, who made the 

demand yesterday in a 

statement said all the 

affected persons must be 

freed within one week to 

enable them participate in 

his Biafra restoration rally 

on August 20. 

He equally warned the 



EFCC, to desist from 

harassing the Deputy 

Senate President, Senator 

Ike Ekweremadu as well as 

the governors of Benue and 

Akwa Ibom States, Samuel 

Ortom and Udom 

Emmanuel respectively. 

The self-acclaimed 

Zionists who said there was 

no going back on his 

planned Biafra 

inauguration rally told the 

FG “that it should without 

further delay, release all 

pro-Biafra agitators 

irrespective of the group 

such persons belong, be it 

MASSOB, IPOB, BNG, 

among others. They must 

all be set free to join us in 

what we are doing. This 

should be complied with 

before August 20. 

“In addition, the 

government of Buhari, 

through the EFCC is going 

beyond its bounds. The 

EFCC has no right to freeze 

elected democratic state 

government’s bank 

accounts. How do you 

expect that government to 

run the affairs of the State? 

“We caution against this 

illegality against Benue 

and Akwa Ibom State 

Governments simply 

because they are Biafrans 

and hold different political 

interests. The EFCC 

should let go of their 

accounts and runnings of 

their governments. 

“We are also aware that 

they want to freeze the 

account of Rivers 

Government because of 

Wike but that must not 

happen. We are watching. 

“Since the last three 

weeks, the Deputy Senate 

President has been facing 

unjust persecution by the 

EFCC simply because he 

is a Biafran. He is now 

being threatened to resign 

from his position. This is a 

humiliation and a 

challenge to us." 

title on Ganduje 

...says it’s slap on Ndigbo 


A BAKALIKI— 

MOVEMENT for 

the Actualization of the 

Sovereign State of Biafra, 

MASSOB, yesterday 

condemned the proposed 

traditional chieftaincy title 

to be given to Governor 

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje 

of Kano State by HRH, Eze 

Eberechi Dick in Aba, Abia 

State. 

The group which 

described the proposal as 

a slap on Ndigbo 

wondered at the rationale 

for such eloquent honour 

on a man alleged to have 

always exhibited ethnical 

hatred for Ndigbo. 

In a statement issued in 

Abakaliki by the National 

Director of Information of 

MASSOB, Comrade 

Edeson Samuel, the group 

threatened that it will never 

allow Governor Ganduje to 

step his foot in Aba or the 

palace of HRM, Eberechi 

Dick, describing the 

conferrer as a major Biafra 

saboteur if he decides to go 

ahead with the conferment 

of the traditional title on the 

governor. 

“The leadership of the 

Movement for the 

Actualization of the 

Sovereign State of Biafra, 

MASSOB, has 

condemned the proposed 

traditional chieftaincy title 

on Abdullahi Umar 

Ganduje, the governor of 

Kano State by HRM, Eze 

Eberechi Dick. 

"Mere proclamation of 

such installation is a 

traditional slap on Ndigbo. 

What is the rationale for 

such eloquent honour to a 

man who grossly and 

disrespectfully 

dishonoured and exhibited 

venoms of ethnical hatred 

for Ndigbo. 

“There are many alleged 

atrocities and evils committed 

against Ndigbo by 

Governor Ganduje. In the 

case of the alleged murder 

of an Igbo woman named 

Mrs Bridget Agbahime in 

Kano state by sponsored 

Islamic fundamentalists, 

Governor Ganduje did 

nothing in the prosecution 

of the prime suspects. 

“MASSOB recalled that 

on June 2, the 74-year-old 

kitchen utensils trader from 

Imo State was brutally 

attacked and killed at Kofar 

Wambai market in Kano by 

a Muslim mob who 

accused her of blasphemy. 

According to Biafra 

Intelligence Agency’s 

report, she was pounced 

upon and murdered after 

she refused to allow a 

Muslim man perform 

ablution in front of her 

shop. 

“And five months into the 

incident, more than 

enough time for Governor 

Ganduje and the Kano 

State government to have 

arrived at a closure on that 

act of bestiality, what did the 

family get? Just when they 

were bracing up for a firm 

prosecution that will lead to 

conviction, they were 

treated to the familiar 

abracadabra that is peculiar 

to the country’s legal 

system. 

“In what must go down 

as a classic judicial 

swindle, the chief 

magistrate, Muhammad 

Jibril, acting on the advice 

of the Attorney General of 

Kano State through 

Governor Ganduje 

discharged the suspects 

and terminated the case." 

NNPC, Seplat seal five deals to build gas 

plants in Imo 

By Michael Eboh 

THE Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, yesterday, signed 

five agreements with Seplat 

Petroleum Development 

Company, SPDC, for the 

Assa North and Ohaji 

South, ANOH, Gas 

Development scheme 

which would see the 

construction of an initial 300 

million standard cubic feet 

per day (mmscfd) gas 

processing plant in Imo 

State. 

The agreement, 

according to a statement by 

the NNPC, was part of 

efforts to bridge the 

projected medium-term 

gas supply gap expected by 

2020 and was also aimed 

at delivering about 3.4 

billion standard cubic feet 

of gas per day by 2020. 

Again, visually impaired block Imo Govt House 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

OWERRI—IMO state 

chapter of the 

Nigerian Association of the 

Blind, NAB, yesterday, 

cried out over what they 

described as the continued 

refusal by the state 

government to listen to their 

plight. 

The group led by 

Christopher Kalu said they 

were bothered by the kind 

of treatment they receive 

from the government, 

adding that the issues they 

had outlined some years 

ago were not addressed 

even at the moment. 

Kalu said his group had 

protested three times in the 

state without getting 

attention from the Rochas 

Okorocha- led 

administration. 

Kalu recounted among 

other things “that the 

government promised us 

that they will establish a 

special school for the blind 

INAUGURATION: From left—Chief Nick Nzeakor, Executive Director, 

West African Ceramics Ltd; Prince Sunny Nnadi, MD, S.Nnadi 

Commercial Enterprise Ltd; Alh. Bello Abdulrahim, Admin. Manager, 

West African Ceramics Ltd; and Chief Paul Obi, Chairman of the 

occasion, during the inauguration of Royal Exclusive Showroom in 

Aba recently. 

and up till now, we have 

seen nothing.Some of us 

had to travel outside the 

state in search of schools for 

the blind and we have a 

government that is talking 

so much about free 

education.” 

He adedd that “Okorocha 

promised us in 2013 that he 

was going to build a school 

but we have not seen 

anything. 

“We have not received 

our bursary allowances for 

over six years.” 

Kalu claimed that the 

government had also 

promised their members 

empowerment 

opportunities. 

At the time of filling this 

report, Kalu was said to 

have been invited to meet 

with a government official 

inside the government 

house and by the time he 

came out, he told his 

members he was not 

satisfied with the position 

of the government official 

on their demands. 

The NNPC explained 

that the ANOH Gas 

Development scheme was 

one of the Seven Critical 

Gas Development Projects 

(7CGDP) which was aimed 

at boosting gas production 

and infrastructure 

development. 

Speaking at the signing 

agreement, Group 

Managing Director of the 

NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, 

declared that a special 

purpose vehicle known as 

ANOH Gas Processing 

Company, AGPC, was 

being promoted by the 

NNPC and Seplat to 

develop, build, operate and 

maintain the ANOH Gas 

Processing Plant, with an 

initial capacity of 300 

million standard cubic feet 

per day in Imo State. 

Baru, who was 

represented by the Chief 

Operating Officer, Gas and 

Power, Mr. Saidu 

Mohammed, said the 

NNPC would do 

everything possible to 

ensure that the project was 

successfully delivered. 

He said, “Following the 

execution of Heads of 

Terms (HoT) by the 

Nigerian Gas Processing 

and Transportation 

Company (NGPTC) on 

behalf of the NNPC, Seplat 

and AGPC on December 19, 

2017, the Steering 

Committee for the AGPC 

project has provided the 

leadership the broad 

guidance for the 

development and 

finalisation of the various 

commercial agreements 

required to underpin the 

project.” 

The MoU signed, 

according to the NNPC 

include: the AGPC 

Shareholders Agreement 

between AGPC, NGPTC 

and Seplat; AGPC Share 

Subscription Agreement 

between AGPC, NGPTC 

and Seplat; Wet Gas Sales 

and Purchase Agreement 

between, NNPC, Seplat 

and AGPC; Gas Sale and 

Purchase Agreement 

between AGPC and 

Nigerian Gas Marketing 

Company (NGMC); and 

Gas Marketing Agreement 

between AGPC and 

NGMC.



NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Army explains shootings by troops at Maiduguri Airport 

By Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI— 

MILITARY 

authorities have confirmed 

the protests and 

indiscriminate shootings at 

Maiduguri International 

Airport by some soldiers 

deployed to Marte Local 

Government Area of Borno 

State to fight Boko Haram 

terrorists. 

The aggrieved soldiers 

had kicked against the 

deployment, asking why 

they were not sent back to 

their families after over 

three years in Borno State. 

Marte is about 120 

kilometres from Maiduguri 

that shares border with 

Chad Republic and is one 

of the areas under Boko 

Haram’s control. 

A statement, yesterday, by 

spokesman of Operation 

Lafiya Dole and Deputy 

Director, Public Relations, 

Colonel Onyema 

Nwachukwu, said: “The 

Theatre Command on 

Sunday night witnessed a 

riotous reaction from a few 

unscrupulous troops, while 

conducting a 

redeployment of troops 

who are currently deployed 

at the Maiduguri Airport, 

following a directive to 

review troops’ deployment 

in Maiduguri metropolis in 

a bid to reinvigorate the 

security architecture of the 

city. 

“The redeployment 

became expedient after a 

recent assessment of the 

security situation by the 

Theatre Command. 

Regrettably however, a few 

of the troops who had 

misunderstood the 

development and 

erroneously assumed it 

was going to negatively 

affect their rotation from the 

theatre of operation, 

became agitated and 

reacted by firing into the 

air. 

“Calm has been restored, 

as the Theatre 

Commander, Major 

General Abba Dikko, has 

taken charge of the 

situation after admonishing 

the troops.” 

VISIT: Paramount Ruler of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim (middle); Minister of Science and Technology, 

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (4th right); Minister of State for Labour, Productivity and Employment, Professor 

Stephen Ocheni (3rd right); Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency, 

NSRDA, Professor Seidu Mohammed (left), and others during Onu’s visit to the paramount ruler in 

Okene, Kogi State, yesterday. NAN PHOTO. 

Benue Court stops new speaker, 

principal officers from duties 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—THE 

crisis rocking Benue 

State House of Assembly 

took a dramatic turn 

yesterday, as a Makurdi 

High Court presided over 

by Justice Theresa Igoche 

restrained the newlyelected 

Speaker of the 

House, Mr. Titus Uba, from 

KADUNA 

State 

Coordinator of 

National Orientation 

Agency, NOA, Zubairu 

Galadima-Soba, has said 

National Identity Number, 

NIN, is replacement for 

tribal marks. 

Speaking at the National 

Identity Management 

Commission, NIMC, 

training for NOA officers in 

the 23 local government 

areas of Kaduna State on 

the importance of obtaining 

NIN, yesterday, Galadima- 

Soba said Nigerians should 

be made to know that 

obtaining NIN is a civic 

responsibility. 

His words: “The National 

Identity Number is a 

carrying out his 

responsibilities. 

Also restrained by the 

order were the Deputy 

Speaker, Johnson Ahubi; 

Majority Leader, Avine 

Agbom; Deputy Majority 

Leader, Audu Sule; Chief 

Whip, Kester Kyenge, and 

Clerk of the House, Dr. 

Torese Agena. 

Justice Igoche gave the 

NIN is replacement for tribal 

marks—NOA coordinator 

unique number given to 

citizens and legal residents 

of Nigerians to identify 

them. 

“Gone are those days 

when tribal marks were 

used to identify persons. 

Nowadays you must have 

an identity number to be a 

genuine citizen or legal 

resident of Nigeria.” 

Galadima-Soba added 

that the collaboration with 

NIMC would assist in 

increasing the number of 

registered Nigerian 

citizens and legal 

residents on the national 

identity database. 

The training is prelude 

to a state-wide campaign 

to be run by the two 

restraining order while 

ruling on an ex parte 

motion filed by the 

impeached Speaker, 

Terkimbi Ikyange, and four 

others against Mr. Uba and 

the five others. 

The court also restrained 

the new Speaker from 

carrying out any function at 

the Assembly, pending 

hearing and determination 

organisations to mobilise 

residents to enroll into the 

National Identity 

Management System. 

Meanwhile, NIMC 

state coordinator, 

Abubakar Hassan, said 

the biometric data 

gathered during the 

registration of the identity 

number would help curb 

the menace of terrorism in 

the country. 

He urged Nigerians 

who have not enrolled 

into the system to do so 

because of the benefits 

those that registered are 

getting from government, 

noting that those under 16 

years of age are ineligible 

for registration. 

of the motion on notice. 

Ruling 

In her ruling, presiding 

judge said: “Upon hearing 

from Chief Mamman 

Osuman for the applicants, 

the Court held as follows: I 

have read the motion filed 

on August 10 together with 

the other process 

accompanying it. 

“I have particularly 

looked at paragraph 22 to 

34 of the affidavit in 

support and paragraphs 

five to 13 of the affidavit of 

urgency. 

“This Court takes judicial 

notice of the Order of 

interim injunction made 

against the plaintiffs/ 

applicants on August 1. 

“It is necessary for the 

purpose of averting any 

danger that may be caused 

and to avoid any breach of 

the peace, that this 

application be granted so 

that the members of the 

Benue State House of 

Assembly will not sit in the 

fifth plaintiff/applicant(s) 

(Assembly) Complex until 

the motion on notice is 

heard and determined.” 

The judge adjourned till 

August 15 for 

commencement of hearing 

of the motion on notice. 

APC govs, senators raising 

funds towards <strong>Saraki</strong>’s 

impeachment—MDG 

A pro-democracy 

group, Movement 

for Democratic Goals, 

MDG, has raised the 

alarm over alleged plans 

by All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

governors and senators 

to raise billions of Naira 

to fund the removal of 

Senate President, Dr. 

Bukola <strong>Saraki</strong>, and his 

deputy, Ike 

Ekweremadu. 

National Coordinator 

of the group, Aliyu 

Abdulkareem, in a 

statement in Abuja, 

yesterday, said: “We 

have been reliably 

informed by our sources 

in APC that governors 

and senators are holding 

several meetings to raise 

funds to begin several 

illegal processes that 

may force Senate 

President, Dr. Bukola 

<strong>Saraki</strong>, out of office by a 

group of minority 

senators. 

“We also have it on 

good note that the 

governors and senators 

are planning to meet this 

week to finalise plans and 

raise the said funds as part 

of their individual 

commitment to the plans 

that would eventually lead 

to the impeachment of 

<strong>Saraki</strong> as Senate 

President. 

“The meeting is at the 

instance of a party leader, 

who, according to our 

source, has assured the 

President that he would 

leave no stone unturned in 

ensuring <strong>Saraki</strong> and 

Ekweremadu are removed 

from office, over <strong>Saraki</strong>’s 

defection from APC to 


PDP. 

“We condemn any illegal 

and unconstitutional 

attempt by APC and its 

members to pooh-pooh the 

constitution in a desperate 

bid to impeach the Senate 

President by a minority 

vote, and we will prove to 

them that Nigeria is 

greater than any other 

political party.” 

Bauchi senatorial by-election: 

PDP to challenge 

APC's victory in court 

•...they're bad losers, 

APC responds 

By Charles 

Agwam 

B AUCHI— 

PEOPLES 


has accused Bauchi State 

Government and All 

Progressive Congress, 

APC, of rigging 

weekend’s Bauchi South 

senatorial by-election, 

vowing to challenge the 

result in court. 

Speaking to newsmen 

yesterday, State 

Chairman of the party, 

Alhaji Hamza Akuyam, 

flanked by the party flag 

bearer, Ladan Saliu, 

described the election as 

the worst in the history 

of democratic elections. 

Recall that the 



INEC, declared the APC 

candidate, Lawal 

Gumau as the winner of 

last Saturday senatorial 

by-election, having 

polled 119,489 votes to 

defeat the PDP candidate, 

who polled 50,256. 

According to PDP 

chairman, “the do-or-die 

attitude of the Bauchi 

State government poses 

a clear and present 

danger to our democracy. 

“It is unacceptable and 

can be accepted only at our 

own peril. The party will 

challenge the result at the 

court. 

“It is regrettable that the 

state office of INEC 

became a theatre of 

electoral malpractice and 

manipulation, where 

figures were scandalously 

re-jigged to favour APC. 

“This was done without 

any consideration for 

voters, who stood in 

queues for long; some 

travelled miles and 

withstood extreme 

conditions only for officials 

to disenfranchise them 

with a stroke of the pen. 

This is unacceptable.” 

Reacting to the 

allegation, the state 

chairman of APC, Uba 

Nana, said the allegations 

were baseless, saying PDP 

is a bad loser. 

In his words: “These 

allegations always come 

up after an election. You 

are a witness to the levelplaying 

field that all 

candidates enjoyed in the 

just-concluded elections. 

“What I see in all these 

is that they are bad losers. 

They should go and put 

their house together for the 

next election.”


EYESEEEUPHORIA: From left; Mrs Ronke Okikiolu; Dr. Darryl Glover, Chief 

Executive Officer, Eyeseeeuphoria; his wife, Adeola, and Mrs Adenike Ashiru at the 

official opening of Eyeseeeuphoria Specialist Optical Care Centre in Lekki, Lagos. 

FORUM: From left; Bajo Onafuwa, Customer Relations Manager, MTN 

Nigeria; Otunba Ayo Olumoko, Osun Osogbo Festival Chairman and HRM 

Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, Larooye 2, Ataoja of Osogboland at the 2018 

Osun Osogbo Festival stakeholders forum at Ataoja's palace in Osun State. 

UNVEILING: From left Alao Abolaji, Immediate Past President, Nigerian 

Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA, Lagos Chapter; Bukola Adelabu, 

GM, Sales and Marketing, Grand Cereal Ltd, maker of Binggo dog food; Dr 

Bala Muhammed, Chairman, NVMA, FCT Abuja chapter; Evangeline Walter, 

Market Devt Manager, Binggo Dog Food and Dr A. Olufemi, Chairman, 

NVMA, Lagos Chapter during the unveiling of Binggo dog food in Lagos. 

WEBERRCOIN: From left; Mr. Jerry Ibeauchi, UX Designer, Weber Coin Nigeria 

Ltd, Ms Oluchi Orji, Digital Marketing Webercoin Nigeria Limited, Mr Sheneni 

Tukura, CEO, Webercoin Nigeria Ltd and Ms Susan Onigbinde, Markerting and 

Media, Webercoin, during a briefingt o announce ongoing Webercoin Initial Coin at 

Elmark Hotel Allen Ikeja Lagos. Photo by Kehinde Gbadamosi.



NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Witchcraft logo affecting APC—Nyiam 

COLONEL 

Tony 

Nyiam(retd), has 

taken a swipe at the logo of 


APC, blaming it for the 

killings across Nigeria since 

the inception of Buhari’s 

regime. 

In a statement, Nyiam 

said: “The bad omen 

involved in Nigeria being 

ruled by a political party 

NOILER BIRDS: From left— Group Managing Director, Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited, 

Dr. Ayoola Oduntan; Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Abiola 

Kufile-Okonji; Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, and Ogun State Commissioner 

for Agriculture, Mrs. Adepeju Adebanjo, during the distribution of 35,000 Noiler Birds to 3,000 

beneficiaries in Ogun State. 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

& Emem Idio 

Y ENAGOA—BAYELSA 

State Civil Service 

Commission says it has 

received no fewer than 

23,000 applications for the 

1,000 available spaces in 

the state civil service. 

A Commissioner in the 

commission, Chief Kune 

Igoni-Claudius, who 

disclosed this during the 

launch of the commission’s 

website yesterday in 

Yenagoa, said of the 23,000 

applications that were 

issued, more than 12,000 

applicants returned their 

duly completed forms. 

He commended 

Governor Seriake Dickson 

for actualising the dream of 

the current administration 

in reforming the civil 

service in the state and the 

employment of indigenes of 

the state into various cadres 

in the service. 

In his remarks, the state 

Deputy Governor, Rear 

Admiral Gboribiogha John- 

Jonah (retd), lauded the 

commission for utilising 

Information and 

Communications 

Technology, ICT, in 

handling its recruitment 

processes. 

He tasked other 

establishments, ministries, 

whose logo is an 

upstanding broomsticks 

should not be taken 

lightly, particularly with 

the unprecedented 

killings of innocent 

Nigerians since Buhari 

became President. 

“Historical research into 

records of European 

witches trials from 15th 

Century onwards show 

that one of the chief 

means of witches magical 

flights is an upstanding 

broomstick. Thus, I have 

been suggesting a 

change in APC logo. 

“Nigerians need to learn 

from the bad luck that 

visited Germany when 

ruled by a so-called 

Progressive National 

Socialist Party. The then 

Hitler-led Nazi party’s 

logo was a turned down 

Swastika symbol. 

“In a similar manner, 

there is bad luck inherent 

in APC leaders’ 

veneration of broomsticks 

turned upward, contrary 

to the downwardpointing 

direction when 

brooms are used for 

sweeping.” 

23,000 apply for 1,000 civil 

service jobs in Bayelsa 

departments and agencies, 

MDAs, in the state to 

borrow a leaf from the 

commission. 

John-Jonah said: “I am 

glad with what you have 

done and I know other 

establishments and MDAs 

will benefit from what you 

have started. ICT is the new 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

UYO—AKWA Ibom 

State Government has 

dismissed claims that 



EFCC, traced N1.4 billion 

belonging to the state to 11 

accounts operated by top 

lawyers in the country, 

describing the allegation as 

a face-saving effort by the 

anti-graft agency. 

The state government 

said it is worrisome that All 


APC-led Federal 

Government had continued 

to use the anti-graft agency 

to ‘witch-hunt ‘suspected 

enemies’ in its desperation 

to return to power in 2019. 

The state Commissioner 

for Information and 

Strategy, Mr. Charles 

Udoh, spoke yesterday in 

Uyo, while reacting to claim 

trend and if you don’t 

maximise it, you will be left 

behind.” 

Also, the state 


Information and 

Orientation, Mr. Daniel 

Iworiso-Markson, said the 

unveiling of the website 

would further engender 

by EFCC that the amount 

was traced to 11 accounts 

paid to a lead legal officer 

in the state whose name 

was withheld. 

Udoh explained that all 

the accounts of the state 

government had been 

unfrozen by EFCC, noting 

that the allegation by the 

agency was a blatant lie to 

cover up for its impunity 

and illegality. 

His words: “It is a major 

concern, because if the rule 

of law is not respected, if 

impunity becomes the order 

of the day, where the 

welfare of the citizenry is 

not taken into 

consideration, it becomes 

worrisome where we are 

heading to as a country. 

“We are concerned and 

every well-meaning 

Nigerian should be. Even 

the international 

community and investors 

transparency in the state 

government employment 

process. 

He assured that the 

government would leave 

no stone unturned in 

ensuring that qualified 

Bayelsans are engaged 

based on merit and not 

sentiments. 

A-Ibom govt faults EFCC on 

state’s N1.4bn in 11 accounts 

doing business in Nigeria 

should be concerned, 

because it will definitely 

have negative impact on the 

economy of the country.” 

The commissioner said 

Governor Udom 

Emmanuel, as a renowned 

banker before coming into 

politics, maintained a good 

reputation, adding that the 

state frowns at any attempt 

to drag his integrity to the 

mud, especially on financial 

matters. 

He added that every 

government has brand 

identity and that of 

Governor Emmanuel was 

integrity, transparency and 

accountability. 

“It was unconstitutional 

for EFCC to not only freeze 

the state’s account, but do 

so without notice, prior 

communication and 

without following due 

process.” 

NPDC going against Local 

Content Act on Gbetiokun 

Oil Field—Abigborodo 

By Gab Ejuwa 

THE people of 

Abigborodo 

community in Warri 


Area of Delta State have 

said the refusal of 

Nigerian Petroleum 

Development Company, 

NPDC, to recognise 

them as host community 

under the Gbetiokun Oil 

Exploration Field was a 

breach of the Local 

Content Act. 

In a statement by the 

community’s Chairman, 

Monday Agbeyi; 

Secretary, Godfrey 

Ogbemi and Legal 

Adviser, Shedrack 

Demaki, the people said 

NPDC was fanning 

embers of disunity and 

crisis among the oilproducing 

communities 

in the area. 

The community 

lamented that despite the 

continuous call on the 

management of NPDC to 

recognise them as host 

community, the 

company has continued 

to trespassed, deforest and 

exploit their land. 

They explained that the 

land in question, which is 

hosting the Gbetiokun Oil 

Exploration Field 

operated and serviced by 

NPDC through Elcrest 

Exploration and 

Production Nigeria 

Limited, is called 

Orokeland and belongs to 

the people of Abigborodo 

community. 

According to them, 

“court judgments between 

Abigborodo and Ureju 

community over the said 

land at the High Court in 

Sapele in 1973; Appeal 

Court, Benin in 1988, and 

Supreme Court in 1991 

were delivered in favour of 

Abigborodo community. 

“It is, therefore, 

disheartening that NPDC, 

having been furnished 

with all these information, 

has refused to recognise 

the Abigborodo as host 

community in line with 

the Local Content Act, 

rather NPDC is 

recognising Ureju as the 

owners of the said land.” 

Burutu elects Justice Tabia 

king after 72-yr hiatus 

By Perez Brisibe 

B URUTU—THE 

people of Tuomo 

Kingdom in Burutu 

Local Government Area 

of Delta State have 

elected retired Supreme 

Court Judge, Justice 

Francis Tabia as their 

Pere (king) 72 years after 

the last Pere passed on. 

The Pere-elect polled a 

total of 16 votes out of 21 

votes by the kingmakers 

spread across the 10 

communities of the 

kingdom to beat his only 

rival, Joseph Boson, who 

was said to have 

withdrawn from the race. 

The election, held at 

Esuku Primary School, 


A 

S A B A — 

EXECUTIVE 

Director, Projects, Niger 

Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, 

Engr. Samuel Adjogbe, 

has bagged the Rotary 

International Club award 

for his contributions to 

the development of 

society. 

The award was 

presented to Engr. 

Adjogbe by President of 

Rotary International 

Club, Airfield, Port- 

Harcourt, Rivers' State, 

Tuomo, was witnessed and 

observed by the Burutu 

council chairman, 

Godknows Angele, and 

other senior officials from 

the council. 

Publicity Secretary of the 

kingmakers, Chief Mike 

Loyibo, noted that owing 

to Tabia's experience, 

leaders of the kingdom 

came together and 

pressured him to lead 

them. 

In his acceptance 

speech, the Pere-elect 

said: “I have been elected 

Pere not because of my 

size but because my 

people see me as a credible 

person and so I promise 

to deliver and leave up to 

expectations.” 

NDDC director bags Rotary award 

at the fifth President’s 

installation and community 

service projects 

unveiling ceremony. 

President of the club, 

Mr. Mudiaga Iyomi, noted 

that Engr. Adjogbe has 

over the years assisted the 

less-privileged in the 

society. 

Receiving the award, 

Ajogbe thanked the club, 

dedicating it to President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

who he said was doing 

much in the Niger Delta 

region through NDDC to 

alleviate the sufferings of 

the people of the region.


Opticians laud Obaseki, vow to 

flush out quacks in profession 

By Alemma- 

Ozioruva Aliu 

B ENIN-CITY—THE 

Nigerian Optometric 

Association, NOA, Edo 

State in its bid to reform, 

sanitize the profession has 

vowed to fish out bad heads 

and quacks and inject 

modern concepts of the 

profession into the 

association. 

Chairman of NOA in Edo 

State, Dr Joe Owie stated 

this position yesterday at a 

press briefing to address 

issues affecting the 

association in the state. 

He said the crisis that 

enveloped the association 

has been resolved and 

appreciated the 

intervention and support of 

all stakeholders in the 

health sector. 

“This sector, in every 

given society, such as ours 

is one that must be given 

very serious attention it 

deserves, so as to ensure 

that members of the society 

are given unimpaired and 

seamless access to health 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

S-East IPAC warns APC not to meddle 

in senate leadership crisis 


care in the state, as it is commonly 

said, “ Health is 

Wealth.” 

Owie said some of the 

challenges affecting his 

members and the 

profession included 

insufficient manpower, 

funding and infrastructural 

development. 

He also lamented the non 

payment of allowances for 

its interns at the Stella 

0basanjo Women and 

Children hospitals just as 

he called for approval for 

the employment of 

0pttometrists, in Primary 

Health care Centres across 

the state, so as to prevent 

avoidable blindness 

He commended 

Governor Godwin Obaseki 

for his strides in the state. 

“I want to use this 

opportunity to commend 

Governor Godwin 0baseki 

the Ambassador of Eyecare 

in Nigeria for his 

financial support during 

the 2017, national 

conference, which was 

held in Edo State." 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA— 

CHAIRMAN of the 

South East Caucus of Inter 

Party Advisory Council, 

IPAC, Prince Emeka 

Okafor has condemned last 

week’s siege on the 

National Assembly by 

operatives of Directorate of 

State Service, DSS, 

describing it as “an 

aberration and a coup”. 

Okafor also urged the 

leadership of the ruling All 

Progressive Congress, 

APC, to stop meddling into 

the leadership affairs of the 

Senate and allow the 

Senators to sort themselves 

out over who leads them as 

an independent arm of 

government. 

According to the IPAC 

leader, who spoke to 

Vanguard, APC is 

overheating the polity with 

the way and manner the 

National Chairman is 

talking and beating drums 

of war over the removal of 

<strong>Saraki</strong> as if he is in a 

military regime, and urged 

him to allow the Senators 

to handle their affair in a 

very democratic way. 

“I join my voice to 

condemn the action of the 

DSS. It is a political 

nonsense, an atrocity for 

this nation. It was 

undemocratic; simply put, 

it was a coup. 

“If tomorrow the DSS 

operatives barricade and 

lay siege on Aso Rock, it 

simply amounts to a coup, 

no argument about that. So 

what they did at the 

National Assembly last 

week was a direct coup. 

“We borrowed democracy 

from the Western World, but 

we are not emulating the 

way they practice it”, 

Okafor lamented. 

He commended the 

acting President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo for the swift action 

taken to sack the former 

DSS director general, 

Lawal Daura, saying his 

action shows that “he is a 

leader and a lawyer who 

understands the 

implications of the evil act 

Ebonyi govt spends N400m for 

renovation of NYSC camp 


A BAKALIKI— 

GOVERNOR David 

Umahi of Ebonyi State 

yesterday doled out N400m 

for the renovation of Ebonyi 

State Orientation Camp of 

the National Youth Service 

Corps, NYSC, at Afikpo 


Area of the State. 

The governor further 

approved N5,000 travel 

allowance to each of the 

2,200 Batch B stream 1 

corps members who ended 

their orientation course 

yesterday and also gave the 

corps members who took 

part in the parade another 

N2 million. 

He also gave out various 

cash sums to the staff of 

NYSC and the military 

officers who trained the 

corps members. 

committed by the DSS director”. 

“He used his powers well 

because as acting 

President he has the full 

powers of the President,” 

Okafor said. 

On the impending 

leadership crisis in the 

Senate, the IPAC chairman 

called on the National 

Chairman of APC and the 

party to steer of the Senate 

and allow the Senators to 

sort themselves out. 

In his remarks, Umahi 

urged them not to allow 

themselves to be used by 

selfish politicians to 

truncate the nation’s 

democracy. 

According to him, 

"politicians are planning to 

rig next year’s election and 

the corps members owe a 

duty to the country not to 

give in to the nefarious 

plots of such politicians." 

C 

M 

Y 

K

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 — 39 

I will probe Aregbesola’s govt — Kehinde, 

AGA candidate 

Stories by Gbenga Olarinoye 

THE All Grassroots Alliance, AGA, 

Governorship Candidate, Barrister 

Femi Kehinde, has declared that, if 

elected governor, he would look into the 

financial records of the state under 

Governor Rauf Aregbesola. 

He said it would be necessary to 

properly scrutinise financial records of 

the state because of “poor distribution 

of resources” by the current 

administration, to ascertain the actual 

debt portfolio of the state, after which 

measures to raise government earnings 

would be introduced. 

Kehinde, who disclosed this after he 

was presented with AGA flag, noted that 

Osun should not have been among poor 

states going by the large deposits of 

gold and other mineral resources in the 

state. 

He said that a survey has shown that 

Osun has gold deposits estimated at 

over $52 million and lamented that 

rather than past leaders leveraging on 

that to improve the state’s earnings, 

they embraced the option of excessive 

borrowing to finance nearly all their 

OSUN State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf 

Aregbesola, has asked corps 

members serving in the state to shun 

violence, corruption and not allow 

themselves to be used by politicians to 

perpetrate rigging during the 

September 22 election. Aregbesola 

made this call, yesterday, at the closing 

ceremony of the orientation course and 

passing in parade of the 2018 Batch B 

corps members, at the NYSC permanent 

orientation camp in Ede. 

The governor said corps members 

would be engaged for the governorship 

election and admonished them not to 

let the people’s trust in them as neutral 

agents come to naught. “You all have 

been rightly informed during the 

swearing-in ceremony of your role in 

the forthcoming election in the state. 

“Ensure to abide by the advice, which 

came to you through seasoned officers 

of the scheme and its collaborating 

agencies when you are called upon for 

participation in the election process in 

the course of your service year. 

“Shun violence and corruption, ensure 

projects. His words: “If people of Osun 

make me their governor by voting for 

me on September 22, I will definitely 

look into Aregbesola’s accounts. We 

must determine how much the state 

owes. I won’t distract myself with 

needless probe, but we must look at 

Aregbesola’s financial records as 

governor. 

“I will definitely renegotiate all the 

loans taken. Even when we are not 

going into full probe, we must ascertain 

some things about our finances as a 

state. Osun has been poorly managed. 

How can a state that sits on over $52 

million worth deposit of gold remain 

poor? “We have gold in Atakumosa 

East and West up to Ife Central. 

The entire belt of Itakunmodi, 

Iperindo, Ijana, have gold in 

abundance. Our gold is about 100 

meters deep, unlike in South Africa 

where you have to go deep to about 500 

meters or Ghana which is 200 meters. 

“I am going to revamp Osun’s 

economy with massive investment in 

agriculture. Our natural resources will 

also be explored to generate revenue. 

Resist being used for rigging — Aregbesola 

asks corps members 

AHEAD of the September 22 

governorship election in Osun 

State, a group in the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in the state, called 

‘‘Concerned Citizens of Osun State” has 

given the National Working Committee, 

NWC, of the party, under the leadership 

of Prince Uche Secondus seven days 

ultimatum to recount the result of the 

primary to ensure peace. 

The result of the primary showed that 

Senator Ademola Adeleke defeated Dr 

Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes. 

In a statement by its President, 

Olayiwola Raphael Adesoji, the group 

alleged that the process that produced 

Adeleke was not transparent and the 

result announced by the Balyesa State 

Governor, Seriake Dickson in favour 

of Senator Adeleke was a day light 

robbery. The statement declared that the 

winner of the primary did not meet the 

requirement of Section 177 (d) of the 

•Aregbesola 

that the votes of every citizen at the 

polling units count and do not allow 

yourselves to be used by anyone to 

perpetuate rigging during the process. 

Remember your family, the scheme and 

the nation at large are looking up to you 

and so, do not let the trust reposed in 

you by these people come to at naught,” 

he said. Mr Emmanuel Attah, the 

Coordinator of Osun NYSC, in his 

speech, highlighted the training given 

the corps members during their 21- day 

orientation course, saying the training 

was designed to prepare them 

physically, mentally and emotionally for 

the challenging tasks of nation-building. 

PDP group gives NWC seven day ultimatum to 

recount primary results 

1999 Constitution (as amended). 

While faulting how delegates were 

accredited on the fateful day. It said that 

contrary to Section 30, Subsection E of 

the Electoral Guidelines for Primary 

Elections 2018, the total number of 

delegates accredited for the primary 

elections was not announced before the 

commencement of voting. “At the end 

of the whole exercise, the Chairman of 

the panel (Dickson) announced 3,246 

as total accredited delegates, which is 

contrary to figures subsequently entered 

on the result sheet as 3,242. Apart from 

reports that fake delegates were 

allowed to vote during the primary and 

other anti-democratic practices, which 

characterized the exercise that took 

place at GMT Hotel in Osogbo, one 

major item we wish to point out was 

Governor Dickson’s blatant refusal to 

allow a recount of Senator Adeleke’s 

votes,” it said. 

Kwali potentials and Shazin's 

invest drive 

By Chukwudi 

Enekwechi 

AS chairman of 

Kwali area 

council Federal Capital 

Territory, Honourable 

Joseph Shazin is firing 

on all fronts in terms of 

showcasing the 

numerous potentials of 

Kwali area council and 

by extension Abuja to 

all parts of the world. 

This was made manifest 

during his recent official 

trip to South Africa. 

His mission in South 

Africa was at the 

instance of the national 

secretariat of the 

Association of Local 

Governments of Nigeria 

ALGON. As the federal 

capital territory 

chairman of the 

association Hon. Shazin 

was invited to 

participate at the 

African Economic 

Development Summit 

which held at 

Emperor’s Palace 

Kempton Park 

Johannesburg, South 

Africa. 

The summit was 

aimed at strengthening 

the economic 

development of African 

municipalities and local 

governments with a 

view to realising the 

m i l l e n n i u m 

development goals at 

the third tier of 

government. Before 

now, it seemed as the 

implementation of the 


development goals was 

majorly focussed on the 

urban centres, states 

and federal levels. 

The summit also 

delved into finding 

workable ways and 

means of ensuring that 

the people at the third 

tier of government are 

not excluded in the 

realisation and delivery 

of the objectives of the 


development goals in 

African countries. 

The summit also 

sought to expose and 

equip the participants 

which included the 

Kwali area council boss 

with the necessary tools 

and information on how 

to achieve the goals and 

objectives. Such tools 

will aid them in the 

economic development 

of their area councils as 

well as avail them of 

new innovations in 

service delivery. 

Principally the African 

Economic Summit was 

focussed 

on 

strengthening Pan 

African partnerships 

among 

the 

municipalities and 

enhance the exchange 

of good practices among 

the peoples and the 

leaders. 

Hon. Shazin also used 

the opportunity of the 

South African trip to 

woo potential investors 

to Kwali area council 

bearing in mind the 

availability of arable 

land for agricultural 

activities, huge 

opportunities in 

pottery- making which 

has already being made 

famous with the legend 

of pottery-making, Dr. 

Ladi Kwali of blessed 

memory. 

Lest we forget, the 

achievements of this 

woman and his name 

still reverberate 

gloriously across the 

globe. The Kwali area 

council boss no doubt 

showcased Kwali to the 

gathering of the 

distinguished audience 

of municipalities’ 

leaders 

in 

Johannesburg, South 

Africa. 

There is no doubt that 

there is a growing 

yearning among the 

electorate in the 

municipalities and local 

governments for better 

In South Africa, 

he gave a good 

account of his 

constituency by 

promoting the 

numerous 

investments, 

economic and 

agricultural 

potentials in the 

area council 

service delivery, and 

the realisation of their 

hopes and aspirations 

as encapsulated in the 

mandate they had 

entrusted on the 

shoulders of leaders 

like Hon. Joseph 

Shazin of Kwali area 

council. In South Africa, 

he gave a good account 

of his constituency by 

promoting the 

numerous investments, 

economic and 

agricultural potentials 

in the area council. He 

was also able to 

establish linkages with 

other chairmen of 

municipalities across 

Africa. 

Since his assumption 

of office, Hon. Joseph 

Shazin and his team 

have been delivering on 

his promises to the 

people of Kwali area 

council. In simple 

parlance he has been 

delivering democracy 

dividends to the 

residents of the area 

council with prompt 

payment of salaries, 

rehabilitation of 

d i l a p i d a t e d 

infrastructure; 

provision of health 

facilities; empowerment 

of the indigenes through 

education and award of 

scholarships to indigent 

students. 

He has also continued 

to enhance the security 

of the area council by 

working closely with 

the traditional rulers 

and other community 

leaders, and this has 

helped to improve 

security of lives and 

properties in the area. 

Going by his visible 

achievements, Hon. 

Joseph Shazin has 

emerged as one of the 

best municipal 

chairmen in Africa. His 

inclination towards the 

well-being of his 

constituents is not only 

remarkable but 

unsurpassable. 

As things stand today 

the people of Kwali area 

council, Gwagwalada, 

Kuje and other 

s u r r o u n d i n g 

communities are 

desirous to support him 

in his aspiration to 

contest for the position 

of member Federal 

House 

of 

Representatives. He 

continues to enjoy the 

goodwill and mammoth 

support of the 

constituents of FCT 

Abuja South federal 

constituency and the 

upcoming 2019 

elections will afford 

them the opportunity to 

once again provide him 

an opportunity to serve 

his people at a higher 

level. 

At the end of the day, 

the major determinant 

of victory for 

Honourable Shazin in 

the coming election will 

be how he has been able 

to deliver many projects 

to his people with the 

limited resources at his 

disposal, and this can 

be attributed to the 

prudence and 

accountability he has 

brought to bear in the 

running of government 

affairs in Kwali area 

council. 

*Mr. Enekwechi, a 

public 

affairs 

commentator, wrote from 

Lagos.


*President Donald Trump meets with supporters from a group called “Bikers for Trump” at the Trump National 

Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. REUTERS/Carlos Barria 

Turkish lira crisis may put naira at risk 

*As Erdogan vows economic action against US 

* Iran’s supreme leader says no negotiation with Trump 

THE naira may be af 

fected by the ongoing 

financial turmoil 

which has seen the Turkish 

lira lose 40% of its value. 

The lira has been in turmoil 

over worries about 

the country’s high debt 

levels, rising inflation, 

President Tayyip Erdogan’s 

refusal to consent 

to an increase in interest 

rates and tension 

between the European 

country and the US. 

Erdogan has described 

his country’s economic 

problems as an attack; accusing 

US President 

Donald Trump of carrying 

out an operation against 

Turkey. 

He also defended the 

country’s debt levels saying 

cheap credit is the 

way to fuel the economy. 

Euronews reports that a 

construction boom in the 

country has left banks 

and companies exposed. 

Commenting on the 

risk to the naira, Jameel 

Ahmad, FTXM’s global 

head of currency strategy 

and market research, 

said investor appetite to 

emerging-market assets 

might be reduced. 

“Global markets 

throughout this week are 

likely to remain dictated 

by external pressures, 

with this most likely being 

encouraged by the 

intense risks around the 

Turkish lira crisis,” he 

said. 

“The threat for the Nigerian 

naira will be that 

investors continue to remain 

‘risk off’ during this 

period, with a strict reduction 

in trader appetite 

towards emerging-market 

assets. 

“This means that 

emerging market currencies 

like the naira will be 

off the table for investors 

and we can expect for the 

North Korea’s Kim 

Jong-un and South 

Korea’s Moon Jae-in will 

meet in Pyongyang in 

September following talks 

between the two sides at 

the demilitarised zone. 

North and South Korean 

officials held high-level 

negotiations at the border 

truce village of Panmunjom 

on Monday to discuss the 

naira to take guidance 

from the Lira crisis. 

“If the lira continues to 

worry global investors 

the naira, like other 

emerging market currencies, 

will suffer from the 

risk-off environment.” 

Already, indices on Nigerian 

Stock Exchange 

hves been on a downward 

trend. The South 

African rand also hit a 

two-year low on Monday. 

Earlier on Monday, Finance 

Minister Berat Albayrak, 

who is also Erdogan’s 

son-in-law, said 

Turkey would start rolling 

out an economic action 

plan. Economists say the 

lira’s fall is due to worries 

about Erdogan’s influence 

over the economy, 

his repeated calls for 

summit. 

In a three-sentence joint 

statement, the rival neighbours 

didn’t mention an 

exact date for the meeting 

and provided no details on 

how to implement past 

agreements. 

The push for what will be 

the leaders’ third summit 

since April comes amid renewed 

concerns about a 

nuclear standoff between 

lower interest rates, and 

worsening ties with the 

United States over the detention 

of a Christian 

pastor and other disputes. 

Erdogan reiterated on 

Monday his view that the 

currency’s crash had no 

economic basis, saying 

that U.S. sanctions imposed 

on Turkey over the 

terrorism trial of the pastor, 

Andrew Brunson, represented 

a “stab in the 

back” by a NATO ally. 

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme 

Leader Ayatollah 

Ali Khamenei has ruled 

at negotiations with the 

administration of US 

President Donald Trump, 

going toe-to-toe with him 

in a series of social media 

posts. 

Rival Korean leaders to meet in Pyongyang 

in September 

Aretha Franklin seriously ill 

Aretha Franklin is 

“seriously ill”, according 

to a person close 

to the veteran soul singer. 

The source, who spoke 

on condition of anonymity, 

confirmed to 

the Associated 

Press that Franklin was 

gravely unwell. 

The 76-year-old cancelled 

planned concerts 

earlier this year due to 

health concerns and was 

ordered by doctors to rest 

for two months. 

Last year Franklin indicated 

her plans to 

retire from touring following 

the release of a 

new album. 

Separately, celebrity 

website TMZ has also 

reported that a “long-time 

friend was told a week 

ago ‘prepare yourself, 

she’s dying.’” 

Franklin, whose career 

spans seven decades, is 

best known for songs including 

Respect and (You 

Make Me Feel Like) A 

Natural Woman. 

The 18-time Grammy 

winner is one of the bestselling 

artists of all time 

and was inducted into the 

Rock and Roll Hall of 

Fame in 1987. 

Washington and 

Pyongyang. “The 

September summit can be 

viewed as North Korea’s 

strategy to find a 

breakthrough in its stalled 

talks with the US,” 

said analyst Go Myonghyun 

from the Asan Institute 

of Policy Studies.“For 

South Korea, President 

Moon wants to improve 

inter-Korean ties, but that’s 

hard without progress in 

US-North Korea talks,” he 

told AFP news agency. 

Moon’s trip to Pyongyang 

will be the first in more 

than a decade.The first 

South Korean president to 

go to the North’s capital 

was Kim Dae-jung, who 

met the current leader’s 

father and predecessor 

Kim Jong-il in 2000 and 

later won the Nobel Peace 

Prize in part for his efforts 

at inter-Korean 

reconciliation. 

Evicted from Maltese cowshed, 

African migrants left homeless 

Maltese police on Monday evicted scores of mi 

grants from a converted cowshed on a farm 

outside Valletta, shutting down accommodation condemned 

as inhumane but leaving most of them homeless. 

The mostly African workers had been paying up 

to 200 euros (£178.7) a month to live in the building, 

which had been sub-divided into small rooms with 

beds. 

The farm near the capital “was illegally housing 

over 110 foreign workers in inhumane conditions... 

The shower and lavatory facilities were a health hazard,” 

Planning Authority official Charles Gafa said. 

The migrants said they had reached Malta by ferry 

from Italy. Some told local reporters they were moving 

in with friends but about 80 said they had nowhere 

to stay and were asking for help. 

The planning authority said it would ensure the farm 

was no longer used to house migrants. 

The Aditus foundation, a Maltese rights charity, 

called for an investigation. 

It said there had been repeated reports of “severe 

labour exploitation of migrant workers in the agriculture 

sector, at times amounting to forced labour, slavery 

and trafficking for labour exploitation.” 

The planning authority had no immediate comment. 

Malta has in recent weeks been thrust uncomfortably 

to the forefront of Europe’s migration crisis, having 

joined Italy in denying safe harbour to several 

rescue boats that have picked up refugees seeking to 

cross the Mediterranean from North Africa. 

Mnangagwa urges Zimbabweans 

to move on after post-election 

unrest 

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday 

said Zimbabweans should now unite to rebuild 

the economy and put behind them the election period 

that saw six people being killed after the army stepped 

in to quell post-election protests this month. 

In his first national address since being declared 

winner in a disputed presidential vote, Mnangagwa 

said Zimbabwe had showed the world it could hold a 

free and peaceful vote but blamed the main opposition 

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for 

violence that followed. 

“It is now time to put the election period behind us 

and embrace the future,” Mnangagwa said during 

Heroes Day commemorations in the capital Harare. 

“We should never be deterred by temporary setbacks 

or regrettable events which we encounter in our cause 

to build an open, free and democratic, prosperous 

Zimbabwe.” The July 30 election, the first since Robert 

Mugabe was forced to resign after a coup last 

November, was cast as a watershed vote that could 

pull a pariah state back into the international fold and 

spark an economic revival. 

But the violence that erupted after Mnangagwa’s 

ruling ZANU-PF party won the national elections and 

the heavy-handed army response was another reminder 

that Zimbabwean society remains deeply divided 

even after Mugabe’s near four decades rule. 

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa and Mnangagwa’s 

main rival who has challenged the election result at 

the Constitutional Court said in a message to mark 

Heroes Day that Zimbabwe was a broken and divided 

nation that needed healing and reconciliation. The 

vote, he said, had been held in a “scandalous” way. 

Tunisia’s leader to unveil 

pro-women inheritance law 

Tunisia’s president on Monday proposed giving 

women equal inheritance rights despite protests 

from thousands of people objecting to any challenge 

to Islamic law. The North African Muslim country, 

which toppled autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 

2011, grants women more rights than other countries 

in the region, and since last year has allowed Muslim 

women to marry non-Muslim men. 

But in a show how divided society remains, thousands 

demonstrated on Saturday in front of parliament 

against any changes to inheritance rules. 

The current system is based on Islamic law which 

typically allows men to inherit double what a woman 

would receive. 

“I propose equality inheritance to become law,” President 

Beji Caid Essebsi said in a speech. 

But in the face of the opposition from conservatives, 

he left the door open for some exceptions, saying families 

who wished to continue the allocation based on 

Islamic law would be able to do so. 

Parliament now needs to decide on a bill. 

Tunisia is ruled by a coalition of moderate Islamists 

and secular forces which have been managing its democratic 

transition since 2011, avoiding the upheaval 

seen in Egypt, Libya or Syria.


YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

TAURUS: BETTER than yesterday as you will be at a more 

comfortable place today and suddenly discover that your 

hope is alive. Venus bring you money. 

GEMINI: ROMANTIC Venus at positive angle may bring 

matters-of-the heart related temptation through friends. 

But your best bet now is moderate ambition. 

CANCER: The best bet for you is to consolidate on progress 

you made yesterday and look for best way to pacify your 

new friends. 

LEO: EVERYBODY needs other people’s co-operation just 

like you today but you will not be compelled by situation 

to dance to others’ tune; meaning that you can do things 

your own way and rightly expect success. 

VIRGO: THOSE of you willing to give others the needed 

co-operation will be in better position to consolidate on 

progress you have made recently. Don’t allow sex to distract 

you. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“Creativity involves breaking out of the established 

patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” 

— Edward de bono 

Work towards the direction of your dreams and think more 

positively. This is one of the best things you can do with 

your time. Spend time in goal setting, goal planning and 

creative thinking. Open your mind up to new ideas, approaches 

and more. When you do, you will find energy 

streaming into your life in amazing ways. — Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

If the cockroach 

wants to rule 

over the 

chicken, then it 

must hire the 

fox as a bodyguard. 

~ Sierra Leone proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LIBRA: WATCHOUT for minor and avoidable but costly 

mistake within your working arena, especially if you are 

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

liaison today, it may not last. 

SCORPIO: AS the saying goes “time waits for nobody” 

it’s important you guard against unnecessary procrastination 

capable of putting you at tight corner tomorrow. 

Be loving. 

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

doing for a while rather than starting something new you 

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

CAPRICORN: IF careless remarks are made by you today, 

it would back-fire at resumption of work tomorrow 

morning. Those who are eager for romantic attention will 

have their dream coming true. Be more loving 

AQUARIUS: IF you wait too long before an important 

(financial) decision is taken, you may find yourself keeping 

date with what you don’t bargain for. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

PISCES: Placement of the Moon influences your associates 

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

you’ll fare better. However, it’s important you 

don’tforget your tomorrow with others. 

ARIES: BETTER than yesterday and luckily for you, opportunity 

to rectify mistakes made yesterday may come 

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

love with money. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

What is about me? 

Dear Joshua, 

You have done many people’s horoscope; what about 

me? I want you to kindly analyse my star and tell me 

everything about my self. Please take note that I 

value myhealth and career than any other thing. 

Adeoye, Ilorin. 

Dear Adeoye, 

What space can take will be given to you here-under. 

Scorpio and Libra that hosted both your natal 

sun and moon are members of very strong star signshealth 

wise. Scorpio, in particular, has unusual survival 

ability. That is to say, even when health related 

challenges come, your survival endowment will always 

see you through. 

Your major challenge is from your constant worries 

about too many things, especially on career related 

issues. Business miscalculation can be another source 

of health related challenge. You will agree with the 

fact that both constant worries and business miscalculation 

can affect one’s circulatory system. 

Other things to watch-out for include: Urino-genital 

organs, minor accident (fire), bones dislocations, 

a few other times, skin infections and, of-course, fever. 

Always take care of the stomach. Please take note 

that all these are mere warnings as there is nothing 

fatalistic about them; a good guard, though. 

Oil related Neptune was the closet heavenly body 

to the sun when you were born at positive angle to 

Pluto in Leo. Thus, having things to do with oil along 

your career/business lines is not by accident. 

Then preponderance of water element and fixed 

quality in the distribution of the planets when you 

were born are favourable to commercial involvement 

with anything liquid. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa


Family planning: 

Despite increase in uptake, ignorance 

fuels myths, misconceptions in Kaduna 

By Chioma Obinna 

Afew years back, it was 

common knowledge 

that many people strongly 

believed that family 

planning was a ploy by the 

Western world to reduce 

the population of Africans 

and render them 

permanently infertile. 

The problem was also 

exaggerated with the fact 

that many Nigerians 

ignorantly believed that 

using family planning was 

against their religion and 

cultural beliefs while some 

assumed that it causes 

infertility as well as 

increases their risk of 

contracting cancer of the 

cervix. 

However, these 

perceptions have 

continued to limit access to 

family planning services 

and its benefits to the 

women, society and the 

children resulting to 

overpopulation and 

unintended pregnancies 


Findings by Good 

Health Weekly during field 

visits to some communities 

and health facilities in 

Kaduna State recently 

revealed that rumours and 

misinformation remain 

significant barriers despite 

efforts of the Kaduna State 

government in 

collaboration with its 

partners to make family 

planning services 

available and accessible at 

all levels. 

Today, challenges such 

as misinformation and 

negative spousal attitude 

still fuel myths and 

misconceptions about 

family planning in the 

State. 

For instance, some of the 

rumours making the 

rounds include how 

contraceptives like 

implants tend to disappear 

inside a woman's body. 

Some believe that when 

used, implants walk round 

the woman's body starting 

from the hand to the brain, 

while majority of the 

women claimed that family 

planning causes cancer, 

others assumed that family 

planning can make a 

woman barren for life. 

In one of the 

communities, Good Health 

Weekly encountered a 

young pregnant woman 

surrounded by four small 

children that appeared to 

be of same age. Our 

reporter, who was waiting 

for a commercial motorbike 

to convey her to Ungwan 

Rimi Primary Health 

Centre, engaged the 

expectant mother in 

conversation and 

established that she gave 

birth to all of the children. 

"I have seven children," 

the woman who identified 

herself as Hajia Hafisat 

revealed. 

Hafisat does not believe 

in family planning, no 

thanks to the negative 

stories that she has heard 

from her peers who also 

shun the practice. 

Apparently, these stories 

have fuelled her fears and 

doubts. 

"I have heard so many 

stories about how family 

planning can cause cancer 

and I cannot afford the cost 

of cancer treatment. 

"I have never used any 

type of family planning 

method and I don't want to. 

Some women in my 

community who attempted 

to use contraceptives later 

stopped because of 

bleeding. Some have 

gained belly weight. 

"Another woman that 

used one form of 

contraception for three 

months could not get 

pregnant after three years. 

There are others who have 

gained too much weight as 

a result of contraception. 

“There are also stories 

that when a woman uses 

the implants, it disappears 

into her body. A few 

women even told me that 

sometimes the implant 

moves from the hand into 

the stomach," she noted 

with disappointment. 

Like Hafisat, 38-year-old 

Zainab Umar is is also not 

on any family planning 

method. She has six 

children. 

Zainab told Good Health 

Weekly that even though 

she is uncomfortable with 

the fact that she gives birth 

almost every year, the fear 

of side effects of 

contraceptives has kept her 

away from embracing the 

practice. 

Zainab said: "The 

experiences of some 

women that I have heard 

discouraged me and many 

other women in this 

community from embracing 

family planning. 

"I don't like the fact that I 

am not spacing my 

children but when I hear 

complaints from other 

*Ungwan Rimi Primary Health Centre, Kaduna North Local Government Area. 

women that they 

experience excessive 

bleeding, or that they 

either lose weight or add 

weight, I become afraid. 

"Before one child I'm 

nursing is six months old, 

I would have become 

pregnant with another 

child. What made me shy 

away from family 

planning is fear of the side 

effects, but I will try and 

see if I can do it," Zainab 

said. 

Spousal differences 

Apart from fear of side 

effects, there are women 

whose spouses are not 

particularly disposed to 

family planning. 

Such is the case of 22- 

year-old Hajara who was 

I don't like 

the fact that I 

am not 

spacing my 

children but 

when I hear 

complaints 

from other 

women 

about 

excessive 

bleeding, I 

become 

afraid 

married at the age of 13, 

gave birth to six children 

but lost two. 

"All my efforts to take up 

one family planning 

method or another have 

failed. I want to take a rest 

but my husband has 

refused me taking family 

planning. 

“I visited a family 

planning centre around 

my area twice but they 

refused to do it for me, 

insisting that I must bring 

my husband." 

However, Hajara has not 

completely given up on 

embracing family planning 

as she is still hoping that 

her husband would 

change his mind. 

These and other 

perceptions have 

continued to limit full 

access to family planning 

services and denied 

millions of women the short 

and long-term benefits of 

contraception. 

But unlike Hafisat, 

Hajara and Zainab, 32 

years old Theresa Marcus 

was indifferent. Theresa is 

on family planning. 

"I have three children. I 

am on family planning 

because to help myself 

because if I give birth now 

within a year I will take in. 

When I heard about family 

planning I came to the 

Ungwun Rimi PHC and 

explained my case to the 

nurse who introduced me 

to it and counseled me. 

"I was shown and 

counseled on the various 

types of family planning 

methods and I chose the 

one I wanted. It has really 

helped me." 

Theresa said although 

she had side effects earlier 

but she is okay now. 

"Before I started using 

the contraceptive, my 

menses used to be three 

days but ever since, it is 

now going to two weeks 

sometimes one week. 

“I came back to the PHC 

and they explained to me 

why it was happening and 

they gave me some 

medicines that helped me. 

Now I am okay." 

Theresa says now that 

she was ready for another 

pregnancy her husband 

has prevented her from 

removing the implant. 

"My last child is going to 

three years and half. Now, 

my husband is now 

comfortable with it," she 

said beaming with smiles. 

According to statistics 

from the Kaduna State 

Costed Implementation 

Plan, Kaduna has a 

population of 6.11 million 

which include 1.44 million 

women of reproductive age 

and the population is 

young and growing with 

44 per cent of the 

population below age of 15. 

Under its plan, Kaduna 

State is expected to achieve 

a Contraceptive Prevalence 

Rate, CPR, of 46.5 per cent 

from its present 18.5 per 

cent by end of 2018, 

according to the 2013 

National Demographic 

Health Survey, NDHS. 

To achieve this, the state 

government has made 

progress in ensuring 

availability of healthcare 

services that has, in turn, 

increased uptake of family 

planning. These efforts 

were also evident in the 

released 2017 Multiple 

Indicator Cluster Survey, 

MICS. 

Kaduna State has 

boosted its functional 

health facility in every 

ward, and its contraceptive 

prevalence rate is now 

24.10 per cent with an 

unmet need of 22 per cent 

from the NDHS 2013 CPR 

of 18.5 percent and unmet 

need 5.8 percent. 

Tackling barriers and 

male attitude 

Good Health Weekly 

encountered stakeholders 

including religious and 

traditional leaders, and 

non-governmental 

organizations that are 

working together to tackle 

the challenges. 

The District Head, 

Kaduna, Doka in Kaduna 


Area of the state, Bala 

Mohammed Tijjani 

however declared that 

there have been positive 

changes in traditional and 

religious perception 

concerning family 

planning. 

According to him, family 

planning is better known 

as child spacing to clear 

doubts surrounding it as 

well as gain wider 

acceptance particularly 

when the relationship 

between it and reduction of 

maternal mortality rate was 

Continues on page 44

44— Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

Family planning: Despite increase in uptake, ignorance fuels 

myths, misconceptions in Kaduna 

Continued from page 43 

established. 

"Our research has 

indicated that one of the 

major barriers is the men 

folks, this is one of the 

reasons we embark on 

visits to the 23 local 

governments in Kaduna 

state. We are trying as 

much as possible to carry 

along the men folks. 

“We usually bring them 

under one roof of their 

traditional rulers and 

community leaders. We talk 

to them man to man and 

show them the need to 

support their women to 

access these services 

whenever they need them. 

"We intend to encourage 

a more mutual working 

relationship between the 

women and men whereby 

they sit down and talk about 

it and agree or disagree 

with the services." 

Challenges of providers 

A family planning 

provider at the Ungwan 

Rimi PHC, Kaduna North 

Local Government, Hajia 

Hassan Baba who attested 

that effect of rumours and 

Nigerian Army set to restructure medical corps facilities 

By Chioma Obinna 

WITH the security 

challenges facing 

the Nigerian Army which 

has put high demand on 

human and material 

resources, the Nigerian 

Army, NA, has embarked 

on restructuring and reequipping 

of its medical 

corps facilities to ensure 

availability of world-class 

care for the safety of lives of 

troops when they need to 

be admitted in the hospitals 

for treatment. 

Disclosing this during the 

opening ceremony of its 

2018 Nigerian Army 

Medical Corps Training 

Week, with the theme: 

Enhancing Quality 

Healthcare in Nigerian 

Army Medical Corps 

Facilities, the Chief of Army 

Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai 

said already, the army has 

begun overhauling of 

facilities, especially in 

tertiary hospitals. 

According to him, the 

hospitals can now boast of 

diagnostic equipment like 

mammogram, CT scan, 

MRI and others, as well as 

ultramodern theatre 

facilities for the 

management of surgical 

cases. 

Represented by Maj.- 

Gen. Enebong Udoh, the 

General Officer 

Commanding (GOC) 81 

Division of the Nigerian 

Army, he said the move was 

also to reduce medical 

tourism. 

He said the training week 

misconceptions were not as 

bad as in the past, said 

more women were actually 

accessing the services than 

before. 

But Baba however, 

stressed the need for more 

awareness. According to 

her, many of the women 

carrying around the 

rumours were not on 

family planning and are 

ignorant of the topic. 

"Most of the reasons are 

majorly rumours and 

misconception because if a 

particular client has some 

side effects they will 

discourage the other 

women, but the rumours 

and misconceptions have 

reduced to some extent.” 

Baba said the state 

government and family 

planning providers have 

been using the media to 

dispel these rumours. 

"I am usually on a radio 

programme every 

Wednesday to discuss 

family planning live. Talk 

about the myths and 

misconceptions. We have 

numerous callers from all 

over the state appreciating 

what I am doing because I 

was to reposition the 

Nigerian Army Medical 

Corps to deliver health care 

services in a more robust 

manner. 

“NA is faced with security 

challenges that have put a 

high demand on human 

and material resources. To 

surmount these challenges 

requires that medical 

professionals should be 

well-trained and 

competent. All efforts, 

therefore, should be geared 

towards reducing the 

effects of sicknesses and 

injuries in the battlefield 

through an efficient 

casualty management 

system. 

He said in view of the 

huge investment being 

made to upgrade the 

facilities, medical personnel 

are expected to be capable 

of handling and 

maintaining newer 

sophisticated equipment. 

”I expect a more positive 

attitude in your care of 

patients and facilities 

placed at your disposal. It 

is for this reason that I 

appointed a monitoring 

and evaluation team to see 

that standards are 

maintained in the hospitals. 

I expect that you will make 

use of these findings to 

improve the quality of care 

in your facilities.” 

In his welcome address, 

the Corps Commander, 

Medical, NAMC, Maj. 

Gen. Ikechukwu Okeke 

who lamented the shortage 

of medical personnel 

disclosed that all categories 

have cleared their doubts 

about it." 

However, at some of the 

Centres visited, there 

were reports of shortage of 

trained family planning 

providers, including stock 

outs and privacy issues. All 

the centres have only one 

provider despite the high 

number of women 

attended to everyday. 

Baba, however, said the 

constraint now, was 

inadequate personnel to 

provide the services. Daily, 

she confirmed that she 

attends to an average of 40 

to 50 women. 

"Due to the workload, I 

close late because they 

come at any time they 

want. Sometimes I close 

at 5:00 pm instead of 3:00 

pm every day. 

Also a family planning 

provider at the Kaduna 

State Primary Healthcare 

development Agency, 

PHC, Chikun LGA, Mrs. 

Fatima Jibrin said although 

there was a great change 

in the uptake following 

community mobilisation 

due to activities of partners 

like Nigeria Urban 

of staff of various specialties 

have been called upon to 

perform trauma care or 

nursing roles due to the 

exigencies of duties. 

Stating that every 

personnel privileged to 

wear the maroon beret must 

have basic combat casualty 

care training; he said they 

have identified some gaps 

in the knowledge and 

training of NAMC 

personnel which has been 

seen not only in combat 

casualty care but also the 

quality of care in NA 

medical facilities. 

“There is a need to 

reappraise what we are 

doing whether right or 

wrong and learn better 

ways of doing them. Basic 

Reproductive Health 

Initiative, NURHI, lack of 

privacy remains a problem 

in her facility. 

"Most of these women 

seek family planning 

secretly. They would not 

want people they live with 

in the community to see 

them. So if the partners 

can help to have a special 

place strictly for family 

planning it will increase the 

client flow. 

"Another challenge we 

are having is the 

consumables if there can be 

sustainability and 

consistent supplies it will 

help. These women want 

these services free at every 

level. We offer it free 

during outreaches but 

when we are running out 

of the consumables, we 

take a token from them, like 

N200. Shortage of 

personnel is also a 

problem." 

At the Hajia Gambo 

Sawaba General Hospital, 

Zaria, family planning 

focal person, and incharge 

of Labour Ward, 

Maimuna Ibrahim Muye 

confirmed that family 

issues such as 

infrastructure/equipment 

maintenance, emergency 

preparedness, clinical 

process and attitude to 

work are sometimes 

bizarrely neglected. 

He said the lack of 

doctors and nurses have 

necessitated that more 

personnel be trained to 

provide care especially in 

the pre-hospital setting in 

the field. “As part of effort 

to enhance the quality of 

care in NAMC facilities, a 

new directorate has been 

established at the 

headquarters in line with 

NA Order of Battle, 

ORBAT 2016. The Corps 

is in the final stages of 

producing the NA medical 

planning had contributed 

towards improving 

maternal health in the 

hospital. 

"In this hospital, we are 

having less mortality. 

Formerly, we used to have 

in a month five to six deaths 

but now we hardly record 

a death even in a month. 

Over the past three months, 

we have only one maternal 

death. This is because 

more women are now on 

family planning, especially, 

the postpartum IUCD. It 

has really improved the 

maternal health. 

Rumours untrue, says 

Pathfinder 

Dispelling the rumours, 

Dr. Farouk Jega. Snr. 

Country Director, 

Pathfinder International , 

said there was no such 

thing as feeling some 

movements in the body 

after an implant insertion. 

" A contraceptive implant 

is inserted in the upper 

arm inside the surface of 

the foreskin in the upper 

arm. through a it is a very 

small or short surgical 

procedure that take a little 

time to clear after a user 

*Panel of discussants during the 2018 Nigerian Army Medical Corps Training 

Week in Lagos. From Left: Keynote speaker; Maj. Gen. O. A Ogunbiyi (rtd), 

Chief Medical Director, Brig-Gen. A Dada, 68 NARHY, Maj.Gen. Ameh (rtd) 

and Brig. Ben I. U Babangida. 

doctrine as a guide to how 

we should do things and 

the mental health policy is 

almost ready for 

publication. All these are 

aimed at putting the corps 

in a better position to 

provide quality care. 

In his lecture: Enhancing 

Quality Healthcare in 

Nigerian Army Medical 

Corps Facilities, Maj-Gen 

O.A Ogunbiyi who 

identified poor 

infrastructure, skilled 

manpower, funding, the 

attitude of healthcare 

providers and training as 

challenges facing NAMC, 

recommended that the 

Army Heaquarters should 

sustain the annual 

recruitment of skilled 

“Any woman needs to 

know that. If you are on 

injectables you need to give 

yourself some time before 

it is cleared out of your 

system. 

Further, Farouk stated: 

"We have community based 

programmes to dispel 

them. We go into 

communities listen to their 

sides and clear their 

doubts. 

“In Kaduna, specifically, 

between 2000 and 2012, 

we had long project to 

expand contraceptive 

choices, especially in 

private sector and 

community based 

programme we did a lot of 

work with religious , 

leaders, market women, 

and young people. We 

were in Kafanchan, Karina, 

Ungwan LGAs, etc. 

"It is true that some 

women can experience 

weight gain after using 

some hormonals 

contraceptives but it is not 

every woman. No 

contraceptives that does not 

have side effects but that is 

not to say they are not safe. 

The reactions are not life 

threatening.” 

There is need for 

providers to counsel the 

clients before 

administering because it 

will to a long extent reduce 

the misconception.. Good 

counselling can alleviate 

these rumours. Quality 

counselling will 

encourage continuation 

while wrong counselling 

will 

promote 

discontinuation among the 

women. 

State government 

reacts 

On how the state is 

tackling the issues of 

barriers, the Permanent 

Secretary, Kaduna State 

Ministry of Health and 

Human Resources, Shehu 

Usman Muhammed said 

the state is tacking the issue 

with education, awareness 

creation 

and 

communication. 

"We have given the civil 

society groups that are 

faith- based a lot of 

opportunity to go into the 

communities on our behalf 

and to also elucidate the 

misconceptions for us to 

address. They go into the 

communities, listen to them 

and bring back to the 

government to discuss and 

address. 

“We have involved the 

traditional rulers, religious 

leaders, women groups, we 

are also on radio 

programmes daily because 

Kaduna is a radio listening 

state so we go on radio live 

programmes and this is 

continuous." 

Muhammed said to 

prevent stock outout in the 

facilities, the logistics 

management unit was 

established working hand 

in hand with the State 

drug management agency 

to ensure the commodities 

are distributed alongside 

other drugs in the state.


NCDC, PHN, others seek end to disease epidemics in Nigeria 

By Sola Ogundipe 

TOWARDS ending 

the series of 

outbreaks of Lassa 

fever, Monkeypox, 

yellow fever, cholera, 

meningitis, Ebola and 

other epidemic 

diseases in Nigeria, the 

Nigeria Centre for 

Disease Control, 

NCDC, and the Private 

Sector Health Alliance 

of Nigeria, PHN, have 

launched the Alliance 

for Epidemic 

Preparedness and 

Response, A4EPR. 

According to the 

NCDC, the aim of the 

A4EPR is to develop a 

formal structure for the 

private sector to 

support the Nigerian 

government through 

the NCDC, in the 

p r e v e n t i o n , 

preparedness, 

detection, response 

and control of 

outbreaks in Nigeria. 

Recent outbreaks of 

epidemic diseases 

have caused 

significant strain to 

the nation’s public 

health sector. In 

addition to this, these 

outbreaks affect the 

country’s economy 

through loss of labour, 

reduced productivity 

and inefficiency of 

businesses. The 

A4EPR is designed to 

address priority areas 

in health security, 

focusing on building 

the capacity to protect 

the health of 

Nigerians. These 

priority areas include 

– purchase of 

equipment for 

outbreak preparedness 

and response; support 

to states during 

outbreaks; advocacy 

and communications 

as well as capacity 

development. 

Launching the new 

initiative at a Private 

Sector Roundtable on 

Health Security in 

Lagos, the Minister of 

Health, Prof. Isaac 

Adewole, said the 

Alliance has been 

designed to keep 

businesses in place, 

stop them from 

hemorrhaging and 

give the comfort that is 

required to hold their 

investment. 

Adewole, who gave 

kudos to the initiative 

and expressed 

commitment to support 

the Alliance, stated: 

“We need to appreciate 

a few things about the 

2014 West African 

Ebola outbreak. One 

was that Nigeria was 

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL) 

I 

recently discovered that my girlfriend was cheating 

on me. It is so painful and I am shattered by this. 

I never expected this at all. I don’t know why this 

keeps happening to me. This is the second time a 

woman has cheated on me. I am nice. I am really 

nice and do whatever she needs me to do for her. I 

feel very bad and I don’t know what to do – Benson 

I am sorry to hear that. It is a very painful experience 

but you will recover from it. Sometimes people cheat 

out of curiosity, a sense of adventure, loneliness, anger, 

revenge, emotional neediness, economic hardship or 

just for fun’s sake. So don’t blame yourself. But this 

incident has got me thinking. Sometimes, some women 

and even men date multiple people. This is common 

and you may have been a victim of that type of emotional 

scam. But like they say, if it wasn’t meant to be, there 

is nothing you can do about it. There are many women 

out there. Take your time before you commit to another 

one and don’t use money to chase women. It never 

ends well. You don’t want to be the guy women love 

for his money and nothing else. Date her for a while 

and ensure she loves you for you before you start buying 

her stuff – Uche 

I have been having quick ejaculation for a long 

time, infact, I cannot remember ever really enjoying 

sex. I also have weak erection and can only have 

erection during the first round of sex. I have pile 

and I don’t know if that is the cause - Enyinna 

It is normal that men find it a bit harder to get a 

second erection soon after climaxing. The body needs 

a little time to recover and reproduce semen but of 

course there are products that can help you perform 

better. Infact I will recommend a combination of 

products that will stop your quick ejaculation, give 

you fast and hard erections for subsequent rounds of 

sex in addition to performance stamina and a larger 

penis. For this you need a combination of Black Mamba 

and Rock Hard DelayCream. Black Mamba is a 

lucky because we had 

about 300 field 

epidemiologists on 

ground. Two, the 

outbreak did not start 

in Nigeria and that it 

happened in Lagos 

and Rivers states - two 

of the most viable 

states in the country - 

was divine. 

“If Ebola had 

happened elsewhere 

at the time it did, it 

would have been a 

major disaster. That 

helped us to handle 

the situation. These 

were things that made 

a difference.” 


Minister, three key 

lessons from the 2014 

Ebola outbreak 

response in Nigeria 

included strong 

partnership between 

state and federal 

governments, publicprivate 

partnerships 

and effective team 

work. 

He stated: “Lesson for 

me is that we need to 

work together, federal 

must work with state, 

and we need the private 

sector. We need the 

discipline, the resultoriented 

approaches of 

the private sector and 

most importantly, we 

need the resources of 

the private sector. 

“We need international 

partners, and an 

energised media. We 

need to be prepared all 

year round for outbreak 

of epidemics. 

We had an outbreak of 

Lassa fever this year 

that surpassed all 

others. 

The WHO is talking 

about the X outbreak, 

what we need to work 

on is how the oubreak 

will be and how we can 

get the commitment we 

require. 

He described the newly 

launched platform as a 

unique strategic 

partnership between 

the NCDC and the 

supplement that will give you strong erections, fast 

recovery time after ejaculation, a bigger penis with 

constant use and prolonged action. The Rock Hard 

DelayCreamfurther ensures you last longer before 

ejaculating. So get these two products and your 

problems will be history – Uche 

Hello. I wrote you last year about how my 47 year 

old wife lost interest in sex after the birth of our last 

child. You gave us one drug called G Female or 

something. It was helpful and we had good sex 

whenever she took it. We later lost your number and 

couldn’t order more. I just found it now and we need 

that drug again. Thanks – Joseph 

You are welcome. Call the numbers below to get it or 

order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com – Uche 

I don’t enjoy sex. A friend said you have something 

called a vibrator that can help me. Is it true? How 

does it work and which one do I need? Nancy 

A vibrator is a rubber-like or plastic device powered 

with batteries or electricity, which vibrates to stimulate 

a woman’s genitals in a manner that gives sexual 

pleasure. Some vibrators look like real penises while 

others are more abstract in shape. What matters most 

though is not the look but the pleasure it can give. For 

you I will recommend the Grey G Spot Rabbit vibrator. 

Sexual pleasure and orgasms are guaranteed with this 

sex toy. Get an arousal gel as well to make it even 

more enjoyable. Ask for the Asian Dream Orgasm 

Gel – Uche 

And that is all for today. Adults in need of these 

treatments/novelties can call us on 08171912551, 

08051924159 or 07038845262 for help or visit 

www.zeevirtualmedia.com to place their orders with 

their computers or on their phones with the zee mobile 

shopping app. Zee Virtual Media delivers all over 

Nigeria. For enquiries email us at 

zeevirtualmedialtd@gmail.com-Uche Edochie, MD, 

Zee Virtual Media. 

Private Health Sector 

Alliance of Nigeria. 

During a panel 

discussion with 

representatives from 

Dangote Foundation, 

Total E&P, MTN 

Foundation, Tony 

Elumelu Foundation, 

Facebook and the 

Lagos State 


Health, each panelist 

shared their 

organisation’s 

experience as part of 

the 2014 Ebola 

outbreak response and 

other outbreak 

response activities, 

highlighting 

recommendations and 

areas for future 

collaboration. 

In describing the 

efforts to develop an 

initiative as A4EPR, 

the CEO of NCDC, Dr. 

Chikwe Ihekweazu 

and his counterpart at 

PHN, Dr. Muntaqa 

U m a r - S a d i q 

expressed their 

optimism that it will 

serve as a secure and 

sustainable platform 

for public-private 

partnerships in 

Nigeria’s health 

sector. 

Next year, A4EPR 

will work towards 

securing commitments 

from the private sector 

to achieve its 

objectives.


Qian Yang and Linlin Wang of China cloise in on Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria 

during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 group D match 

FIFA U20 WWC: Ajibade 

breaks Chinese hearts 

EMOTIONS ran so 

high after 

Falconnets captain, 

Rasheedat Ajibade 

scored a stoppage time 

goal to level up against 

China and then earned 

Nigeria a passage to the 

quarter final of the FIFA 

U-20 Women’s World 

Cup on-going in France 

Nigeria trailed from a 

41 minute striker by 

diminutive Linyan 

Zhang, who turned her 

Nigerian marker in the 

box and stroked the ball 

past a diving Chiamaka 

Nnadozie to give the 

Asians the lead. 

At the break the 

Falconets pushed hard 

in search of an equaliser 

in the second half, but 

found the China 

backline and goalkeeper 

Huan Xu in resilient 

form until the end of the 

contest. 

Ajibade became 

Nigeria’s hero when she 

turned home Aishat 

Bello’s cross at the near 

post. The goal sparked 

celebrations from the 

Nigerian girls at the 

full-time whistle, while 

ENYIMBA with their 

backs to the wall 

in their CAF 

Confederation Cup 

campaign need to win 

their next game against 

Joilba of Mali to stay in 

contention. 

The former CAF 

Champions League 

Champions will face 

Joliba on Sunday, and 

according to defender 

Benjamin Francis, the 

their Chinese 

counterparts broke down 

in tears. 

The Falconnets will 

play against Spain on 

Thursday. The 

Spaniards beat Paraguay 

4-1, Japan 1-0 and drew 

2-2 with the USA. 

CAF Confed Cup: Enyimba defender dreams 

victory in Bamako 

match is a must win if 

Enyimba need to 

advance to the knock 

out stage. They have 

won two matches and 

lost two. With the game 

against Joliba and 

CARA Brazzaville to 

come, Enyimba are 

hoping to collect six 

points and bounce 

back. The People’s 

Elephants who third on 

the log with six points. 

Musa scores on Al Nassr debute 

AHMED Musa came 

off the bench to 

score the match winner 

for new Saudi Arabian 

club Al Nassr in an 

Arab 

Club 

Championship clash 

against Al Jazira of 

UAE. 

The Nigeria World 

Cup hero a minute into 

the interval and he 

blasted the winner for 

his new club after 75 

minutes in the game 

CAMEROON soccer 

l e g e n d , 

Samuel Eto’o said his 

country will be ready to 

host the 2019 Africa 

Cup of Nations as CAF 

inspection team arrived 

the Yaounde yesterday. 

There are insinutions 

that Cameroon may not 

be able to host the 

tournament, which has 

been expanded to 24 

teams. 

But 

Eto’o, 

Cameroon’s all-time 

leading goalscorer and 

still going strong at 37, 

“Games between 

Enyimba West African 

teams are always 

difficult. But we must 

win in Bamako. 

“We want to improve 

our points haul so it is 

important we go all out 

and get a win. We said 

to ourselves we were 

going to win 

remaining games in 

the group,” Francis 

said. 

Cycling Lagos 2018: Organisers parade partners, cyclists at 

mini tour ahead of grand finale 

IT was a parade of 

corporate 

partners and cyclists as 

the city of Lagos 

witnessed the Cycling 

Lagos Mini Tour on 

August 10 in readiness for 

the highly anticipated 

international cycling 

event scheduled for 

August 25, 2018. 

The Tour which took off 

from Eko Hotels & Suites, 

Victoria Island, and 

terminated at the Teslim 

Balogun Stadium, 

Surulere, went through 

Falomo Bridge, Awolowo 

Road, Tafawa Balewa 

Square, Broad Street, Eko 

Bridge and Western 

Avenue, Lagos. 

Speaking in an 

interview after the Tour, 

Chairman, Cycling 

Lagos, Mr. Soji Adeleye 

described the Cycling 

Lagos Mini Tour as a 

rehearsal that was 

organized to demonstrate 

the readiness of the 

partners, organizers and 

cyclists for the grand 

finale of the Cycling event 

holding on August 25. 

•Bolt 

“The Cycling Lagos 

Mini Tour is our simple 

way of informing 

Lagosians about our 

readiness to stage the 

August event. The Tour is 

a dress rehearsal ahead of 

the grand finale of the 

event that promises to be 

the biggest cycling 

competition in Africa. 

At the initial plan, we 

USAIN Bolt might be 

a superstar 

athlete but the fastest man 

ever won’t be getting 

special treatment when 

he arrives in Australia in 

his bid to become a 

professional footballer. 

Australia’s Central 

Coast Mariners have 

played in Abu Dhabi. 

It was a Round of 32 

clash. 

Ahmed Musa has 

joined up with his new 

team after he completed 

his transfer from 

Premier League club 

Leicester City. 

The 26-year-old 

winger has signed a 

four-year contract, 

which is believed to 

have fetched him a little 

fortune. 

Eto’o backs Cameroon to host successful 

AFCON 2019 

hope to have about 1,000 

cyclists, but now, we have 

passed that mark. This is 

a great plus for us to see 

the great number of cyclists 

registered. We are also 

expecting cyclists from 

across Africa, from Kenya, 

South Africa, Tanzania and 

other African countries. It 

is going to be a great 

event’’, he said. 

said he was certain the 

tournament will go 

ahead as planned. 

“It will take place in 

Cameroon. If you had 

been able to see, in 

recent days, Cameroon 

is making an incredible 

effort,” he said. 

“Now, if you arrive in 

Cameroon, there aren’t 

only the stadiums, 

because the Nations 

Cup also brings 

infrastructure, roads 

and raises awareness of 

the country for a month. 

Thank you to the CAF 

for trusting our 

country.” 

Eto’o compared the 

Bolt demands ‘black cab’ from Australian club 

agreed to help the eighttime 

Olympic champion 

achieve his long-held 

dream, letting him train 

with the club indefinitely 

in his pursuit of a playing 

contract. 

He is due to arrive in 

Gosford, 75 kilometres (47 

miles) north of Sydney, on 

•Eto'o 

his own this weekend and 

has made just one demand 

— that his hire car is black. 

“Colour of choice, 

apparently,” Mariners 

chief executive Shaun 

Mielekamp told the 

Sydney Daily Telegraph 

Monday. “So black it is.” 

Asked if there had been 

•Musa 

situation to criticism of 

preparations in Brazil 

ahead of the 2014 

World Cup. 

“You know, 

everything is never 

finished. That’s not 

only in Cameroon and 

not only in Africa,” the 

37-year-old former 

Barcelona, Inter Milan 

and Chelsea striker 

said. 

“In 2014, FIFA was 

wondering whether the 

World Cup would take 

place in Brazil because 

Brazil wasn’t ready. But 

in the end Brazil was 

ready, and that will be 

the case for Cameroon.” 

other demands, he said: 

“No, there’s only that 

one. 

“We’ve had no requests 

for private bodyguards, 

personal masseurs, 

chauffeurs. Nothing about 

providing bottled water 

from France, either,” he 

added.


Pogba...Barca knocking some more 

SAM Allardyce has 

laid into new 

Arsenal boss Unai 

Emery for having his 

side play out from the 

back against 

Manchester City. 

Emery underwent a 

baptism of fire in the 

opening day weekend 

of the Premier League, 

facing off with the 

champions at the 

Emirates on Sunday. 

The Gunners fell to a 

2-0 defeat at the hands 

of Pep Guardiola’s 

charges, although it 

could have been a larger 

Barca not giving up on Pogba 

yet, says Bartomeu 

B ARCELONA 

president, 

Josep Maria Bartomeu 

has hinted that Paul 

Pogba could still come 

to Spain before the close 

of the transfer window. 

Mundo Deportivo 

claim Pogba, who is 

contracted to United 

until June 2021, wants 

to leave Old Trafford 

this summer because of 

a strained relationship 

with coach Jose 

Mourinho. 


Barcelona-based 

publication, Barca, who 

are in contact with 

Pogba’s agent, Mino 

Raiola, will be patient 

and try to sign the 

France international 

before the transfer 

window ends. 

“I never speak about 

Allardayce blasts Emery over Gunners 

loss to City 

scoreline in favour of the 

visitors, who dominated 

proceedings throughout. 

Well known for their 

high pressing game, 

City took Arsenal to task, 

and Allardyce has laid 

the blame squarely at 

Emery’s doorstep. 

“It’s the manager’s 

fault,” the former 

England boss told 

Talksport . “Don’t ask 

someone to do against 

Manchester City what 

you shouldn’t do. 

“What do Manchester 

City do? Press, press, 

press, so why do you try 

and play out [from the 

back]? 

David Silva retires from international football 

M ANCHESTER 

City’s Spain 

midfielder David Silva has 

announced his retirement 

from international football. 

Silva, 32, won the 2010 

World Cup and 2008 and 

2012 European 

Championship titles and 

played 125 times for Spain 

after making his debut in 

2006. 

He said he was “very 

proud” of his achievements 

with La Roja, and that the 

decision to retire was “one 

the most difficult of my 

career”. 

“I lived and dreamed with 

a team that will forever be 

remembered. 

“I leave happy with all I 

have achieved, experienced 

and dreamed with a team that 

will be remembered forever, 

and I have ended an era filled 

Keita happy to sign for Inter 

KEITA Baldé Diao reveals “since I was little I’ve 

always dreamed of playing for Inter”, after 

completing his move from Monaco. 

The Senegal international officially completed his transfer 

to the Nerazzurri today, returning from Ligue 1 on a loan 

with option to buy just 12 months after leaving Lazio. 

“I’m very happy to be here and I’ll give my all to make the 

fans happy,” Keita told Inter TV. “I’m back in Italy with a 

huge desire to play for a big club. I already have experience 

in this league and I want to do well. 

Emery...Baptism of fire 

with emotion from all those 

moments that come to my 

mind, like the figure of Luis 

Aragones, a teacher that 

none of us will ever forget.” 

[specific] names, you 

know it,” Bartomeu told 

Spanish TV station TVE 

after Barca’s 2-1 win 

over Sevilla in the 

Spanish Supercup on 

Sunday night, when 

asked about Pogba. 

“Furthermore, there is 

respect for other clubs. 

The truth is that there 

are 20 days remaining in 

the transfer window. I 

CHELSEA winger 

Willian says 

there is “no chance” he 

would be at the club had 

former head coach 

Antonio Conte still been 

in charge. 

Conte won the 2016-17 

Premier League title 

with the Blues but was 

sacked in July after 

finishing fifth. 

His replacement, 

fellow Italian Maurizio 

Sarri, won his first 

Premier League match 

in charge, 3-0 at 

Huddersfield on 

Saturday. 

Brazilian Willian, 30, 

was linked with 

Barcelona, Real Madrid 

and Manchester United 

this summer but 

committed his future to 

the Blues in early 

August. 

Asked whether he 

would have stayed if 

Conte had not been 

do not say it for this 

player [Pogba]. 

“This player is in his 

team and playing a 

competition. There are 

still 20 days left, we will 

see which players can 

leave and which players 

can come. We’ll see. 

“It is better you ask 

about the topic of players 

to [Barca technical 

director Eric] Abidal, 

[assistant technical 

director Ramon] Planes 

or [sporting manager] 

Pep Segura. We still have 

days remaining in the 

market to take action if 

needed.” 

Pogba, 25, wore the 

captain’s armband and 

scored in United’s Premier 

League season-opening 

2-1 win over Leicester City 

at the weekend. 

United paid Juventus 

€105 million (£89.3m) to 

acquire Pogba two years 

ago. 

Conte almost pushed me out of 

Chelsea, Willian reveals 

REAL 

Madrid 

midfielder 

Luka Modric has been 

included in the club’s 

travelling squad for 

Wednesday’s UEFA 

Super Cup clash with 

fired, he told the 

Evening Standard: “No 

chance. No. I’m here 

because I want to play 

for Chelsea. I will only 

leave if Chelsea want me 

to go.” 

Chelsea are at home to 

Arsenal in their next 

league fixture on 

Saturday, and Willian 

added: “Now we have a 

different style, that’s 

why we can create 

problems for Arsenal. 

“Of course, it will be a 

special game against 

Arsenal because it is a 

derby. It is always 

difficult against them. 

We have to prepare well 

during the week.” 

Modric in Real Madrid squad for UEFA Super Cup 

Modric and Bale...Back to basis 

Willian...Sulking days 

Atletico Madrid in 

Tallinn, a further sign 

that the Croatia 

international will not 

leave for Inter. 

Inter coach Luciano 

Spalletti again 

admitted last weekend 

that Modric had 

“shown interest” in 

joining the Serie A 

side, although 

reporters close to the 

Madrid hierarchy 

claim that the 33-yearold 

will instead agree 

a new contract that 

pushes him towards 

the top of the 

Bernabeu salary scale. 

Some reports in Italy 

had claimed Madrid 

president Florentino 

Perez was stalling 

over the matter but, 

with Italy’s summer 

transfer window 

closing on Friday, 

time to finalise a move 

to Inter is now very 

tight. 

New Madrid coach 

Julen Lopetegui has 

named all available 

players for the UEFA 

showpiece seasonopener, 

including 

injured defenders 

Jesus Vallejo and 

Alvaro Odriozola. 

Also on the plane are 

other players heavily 

linked with loan or 

permanent moves, 

i n c l u d i n g 

goalkeepers Luca 

Zidane and Kiko 

Casilla, young 

midfielders Marcos 

Llorente and Fede 

Valverde and 

homegrown forwards 

Borja Mayoral and 

Raul de Tomas.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

1 Counting-frame (6) 

4 Give a sermon (6) 

8 Fencer’s weapon (5) 

9 Naval rank (7) 

10 Globes (7) 

11 Meeting place (5) 

12 Revoked (9) 

17 Exterior (5) 

19 Everywhere (3,4) 

21 Trig ratio (7) 

22 Ether (anag) (5) 

23 One who dies for a cause (6) 

24 Blood vessel (6) 

DOWN 

1 Appraise (6) 

2 Someone else (7) 

3 Below (5) 

5 Taken away (7) 

6 Protective garment (5) 

7 Aided (6) 

9 Attacker (9) 

13 Magic (7) 

14 Varied (7) 

15 Base (6) 

16 Avaricious (6) 

18 Male singing voice (5) 

20 By and by (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 

City: 4E, Arusa Street. Port Harcourt: 50, Ikwerre Road; Warri: 102, Efurun-Sapele Road. Advert: advertproduction@yahoo.com; E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, 

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.

14082018 - Saraki: Showdown on hold as NASS fails to reconvene

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?