31102018 - Police car burnt in Shi'ite protest ; 400 arrested

Time for FG to 

re-establish 

Education Bank 

to boost 

education 

among youths 

(1) 

37 

MINIMUM WAGE: 

Labour draws 

battle line with 

govt, says no 

N30,000, no votes 

•Govs agree on 

N22,500 

4 12 

Agreement to enhance 

Nigerian Content: Executive 

Secretary, Nigerian Content 

Development and 

Monitoring Board 

(NCDMB), Engr. Simbi 

Kesiye Wabote with the 

Chairman, Indigenous 

Petroleum Producers Group 

(IPPG), Mr. Ademola 

Adeyemi-Bero after signing 

Service Level Agreement 

between NCDMB and the 

IPPG in Lagos, yesterday. 

Oando grows profit after tax by 46% in Q3 

4 

VOL. 26: NO. 63670 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

Police car burnt in Shi'ite 

protest; 400 arrested 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi, 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru, Joseph 

Erunke & Luminous 

Jannamike 

•Why we opened fire on protesters — Army 

•Army killed our members without provocation — Shi’ites 

•IMN members came into Abuja with petrol bombs — Police 

THE BIG DEBT QUESTION 

A BUJA—The 

clash between 

members of the 

Islamic Movement of 

Nigeria, IMN, otherwise 

known as Shi’ites, and 

security agencies in the 

Federal Capital 

Territory, FCT, continued 

yesterday, as protesting 

Shi’ites set a Police 

patrol vehicle ablaze 

along Adetokunbo 

Ademola Way, Wuse 

Zone 2, Abuja. 

The Shi’ites had on 

Monday, engaged 

soldiers at Nyanya, 

Continues on Page 5 

Finance experts 

tackle FG on increase 

in debt stock 38 

BOKO HARAM: 4 

Starving troops 

story, fake news 

—Lai Mohammed 

No plan to review 

fuel price —NNPC 

•Subsidiary resumes 

global shipment of 

crude oil 

A Police patrol car set ablaze during the clash of IMN members with 

men of the security agencies in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Olugbemiga 

Olamikan. SEE MORE PICTURES ON PAGE 6. 

We’ll punish 

perpetrators of 

Kaduna crisis 

— Buhari 

9 9 

Dangote 

responsible 

for over 10% 

of Nigeria’s 

GDP —Report 9 

Naira up to 

N363.32/$ 

in parallel 

market 

41 

Mr & Mrs 

COLUMNISTS 

DEAR BUNMI 30 

PRINCEWILL 

17 

OHUABUNWA 31 FASAN 31 

SEE 

INSIDE

2 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 — 3

4—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

BRIEFING: From left, Special Assistant to the President on Information and Culture, 

Segun Adeyemi; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and Executive 

Secretary, Nigerian Press Council, NPC, Nnamdi Njemanze, during a press briefing in 

Abuja, yesterday. 

MINIMUM WAGE: NACCIMA denies 

accepting N30,000, insists on N22,000 

•Governors agree on N22,500 

By Henry Umoru 

& Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—NIGERIAN 

Chamber of 

Commerce, Industry, Mines 

and Agriculture, 

NACCIMA, yesterday, 

dissociated itself from claims 

by organised labour that the 

Tripartite Committee on 

National Minimum Wage 

agreed on N30,000. 

NACCIMA said it only 

agreed to pay N22,000, 

adding that even when the 

Federal Government 

proposed N24,000, it was not 

comfortable with it. 

Consequently, NACCIMA 

has written to chairman of the 


National Minimum Wage 

Negotiation Committee, Ms 

Ama Pepple, denying ever 

accepting to pay N30,000 as 

the new minimum wage. 

The letter addressed to Ms. 

Pepple, and signed by Dr. 

M. F. Dankaka, President, 

Kaduna Chamber of 

Commerce, Industry, Mines 

and Agriculture and 

representative of 

NACCIMA in the tripartite 

committee, read: “We refer 

to the media reports on the 

above stated national 

minimum wage figure and 

the proposed industrial 

actions by organised labour 

over a misconceived 

‘agreement’ on the sum of 

N30,000 as the new 

minimum wage for Nigerian 

workers. 

“We were perplexed to 

learn that the sum/ 

agreement was an outcome 

of the workings of the 


National Minimum Wage, 

which we are a member. 

‘’At no time did 

NACCIMA agree to such a 

figure. Rather, the last figure 

offered by us as part of the 

organised private sector, 

OPS, was N22,000 and 

negotiation was still ongoing 

for the meeting to arrive at a 

consensus and not by 

moving a motion. 

“We did not also authorise 

the representatives of 

Nigeria Employers 

Consultative Association, 

NECA, and Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria, 

MAN, to speak on our 

behalf. Recall that our 

members constitute about 50 

percent of the employers in 

the OPS. 

‘’Conversely, we do not 

want to speak for the 

thousands of employers in 

the informal economy whose 

voices have not been heard.” 

NGF agrees 

on N22,500 

Vanguard reliably 

gathered that Nigeria 

Governors Forum, NGF, had 

at its meeting yesterday, 

agreed to pay N22,500, 

insisting that the N24,000 

proposal by the Federal 

Government was high. 

It was further gathered that 

the government was 

contemplating stepping up 

the amount to ensure 

harmonious relationship with 

the workers. 

At press time, NGF was still 

meeting at its headquarters 

in Abuja to conclude and 

agree on an acceptable 

figure. 

B/Haram: Starving troops’ story, 

fake news —Lai Mohammed 

•Says troops not on luxurious expedition 

By Emma Ujah, 

Abuja Bureau Chief 

ABUJA—MINISTER of 

Information and Culture, 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, 

yesterday, described media 

reports that Nigerian troops 

fighting Boko Haram in the 

North-East were starving and 

ill-kitted, as fake news. 

He told a press conference, 

in Abuja, that the troops were 

being fed centrally, thrice daily 

and that it was, therefore, not 

possible, for any of them to 

starve, as claimed in the report. 

Mohammed said the troops 

were making great sacrifices 

for the nation and that the 

public should support and 

pray for them. 

His words: “Recall that a little 

over three months ago, 

precisely on July 11, 2018, we 

launched a National 

Campaign Against Fake 

News. 

“At the launch, we said the 

campaign is to sensitise all 

Nigerians on the dangers 

posed to the peace and 

security, and indeed the 

corporate existence of Nigeria, 

by the phenomenon. We said 

that each and every Nigerian 

has a role to play in curtailing 

the spread of fake news. We 

also said Nigerians should not 

share any information they 

cannot verify. 

“Two months and 10 days 

after the launch, specifically on 

Sept.21, 2018, an online 

publication reported alleged 

deplorable conditions of the 

troops who are fighting Boko 

Haram in the North-East. 

"Quoting a phantom 

corporal, with the pseudonym 

Gandoki, said to be serving 

with one of the Special Forces 

Units in the theatre of 

operation, the publication 

alleged that troops deployed 

in particular along Gubio 

Road and the Brig.-Gen. 

Maimalari Secondary School 

were begging for food to 

survive, were poorly kitted 

with some wearing slippers 

and were facing irregular/short 

payment of their allowances. 

The publication also reported 

non-serviceable equipment in 

the theatre. 

“These allegations have 

grave implications for the 

security of the nation, hence 

the allegations were taken 

seriously by the President and 

Commander-in-Chief, who 

subsequently ordered an 

investigation to determine the 

veracity or otherwise of the 

claims in the publication. 

“The investigation has since 

been concluded and, in line 

with the transparent stance of 

this administration, I have invited 

you here today to share 

with you the outcome. 

“The summary of the 

findings is that there is no case 

of hunger, starvation or 

begging among the troops 

fighting in the North East, and 

in particular in the Armed 

Forces Special Forces Battalion 

that was referenced in the 

publication. 

“There is also no irregular/ 

short payment of allowances, 

while claims of poor 

equipment, inadequate kitting 

and accommodation are found 

to be ill conceived and 

unfounded." 

Troops not on 

luxurious 

expedition 

On the claim of poor 

accommodation in the 

operational environment, the 

minister said: “By their 

training, soldiers in theatres of 

war are usually in trenches, 

tents or other makeshift 

structures. Fighting 

insurgency is not a walk in the 

park and the gallant men and 

women in uniform who are 

engaged in counterinsurgency 

operation in the 

North East are not on a 

luxurious expedition. The 

battlefront is no playground.” 

Oando grows profit 

after tax by 46% in Q3 

OANDO Plc has 

sustained a rebound 

to profitability for three 

consecutive quarters this 

year with its profit after tax, 

PAT, for the third quarter 

(Q3) ended September 30, 

2018, rising by 46 per cent 

to N10.4 billion from N7.1 

billion in Q3 2017. 

Highlights of the 

company’s Q3 financial 

statement released at the 

Nigerian Stock Exchange, 

NSE, showed that the 

gross profit grew by nine 

per cent to N77.6 billion 

from N71.2 billion in 2017. 

Similarly, the company 

grew its turnover by 32 

percent to N505.1 billion 

from N383.5 billion in the 

corresponding period in 

2017. 

Oando said in a 

statement that the revenue 

was driven by higher 

commodity prices, recovery 

in oil prices among others. 

Adewale Tinubu, Chief 

Executive Officer, said: 

“Today’s positive result is 

further evidence of the 

progress made by Oando 

in 2018 driven by our 

continued focus on execution 

and operational efficiency, 

supported by buoyant 

commodity prices.” 

He said the results confirm 

Oando’s ability to take full 

advantage of the improved 

macro environment to deliver 

on key corporate imperatives 

of increased revenues and 

profit to create value for its 

shareholders. 

“As the year draws closer to 

an end, the management of 

Oando must be applauded for 

their dedication to keeping the 

company on course by 

delivering yet another 

consecutive quarter of strong 

financial performance,” he 

added. 

The result further showed 

that in the exploration and 

production sector, Oando’s 

upstream subsidiary, Oando 

Energy Resources, made a 

stellar performance as it 

benefited from the ramp-up of 

higher margin production 

resulting in a 45 per cent 

increase in realised crude 

selling price compared with 

the same period in 2017. 

Buhari assured us of 

free, fair 2019 polls 

— UN, ECOWAS 

By Omeiza 

Ajayi 

ABUJA— UNITED 

Nations and 

Economic Community of 

West African States, 

ECOWAS, said they have 

received assurances from 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari as well as the 

nation’s security agencies of 

a free, fair and credible 

general election next year. 

This was disclosed by a 

delegation from the Joint 

Mission of Economic 

Community of West African 

States, ECOWAS, and 

United Nations, UN, led by 

United Nations Special 

Representative of the 

Secretary-General for West 

Africa and the Sahel, Dr. 

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, 

when they paid a courtesy 

visit on Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, in Abuja, 

yesterday. 

The UN Representative 

intimated the commission on 

efforts taken by the joint 

mission to solicit the support 

of other stakeholders towards 

achieving peaceful and 

credible elections in Nigeria in 

2019. 

He said they had 

commenced interactions with 

candidates on ensuring 

conducive environment for the 

conduct of elections. 

He said: “Yesterday, we had 

an audience with President 

Muhammadu Buhari and he 

assured us of his 

determination as chairman of 

ECOWAS and the President 

of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria to do everything 

within his powers to ensure 

that credible, transparent, free 

and fair elections are conducted 

in 2019." 

Buhari, S-South govs meet 

in Aso Rock 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesteday, met behind 

closed doors with 

governors of South-South 

geopolitical zones at the 

Presidential Villa, Abuja. 

Four of the six governors 

of the zone came together 

at 2:50pm and proceeded 

to the President’s office for 

the meeting, which lasted 

about an hour. 

The governors were reluctant 

to talk to State House 

correspondents, who had 

waited to know the reason 

behind the meeting attended 

only by the governors in the 

opposition Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP. 

But in a brief answer to the 

reason behind their meeting at 

the Presidential Villa, Governor 

Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa 

State simply said: “My 

colleagues and I came to have 

audience with the president to 

discuss issues pertinent to our 

country and to our respective 

states."

vanguardnews 

@vanguardnews 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018—5 

NEWS HOTLINES 

POCKET CARTOON 

018773962, 

@vanguardnews 08052867058 

Workers participating in a protest led by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, President, Comrade 

Ayuba Waba; Trade Union Congress, TUC, President, Comrade Boboi Kaigama and other Labour leaders, 

during the peaceful protest on the Minimum Wage by the Labour movement at the gate of the State 

House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

Police car burnt in Shi'ite protest, 400 arrested 

Continues from Page 1 

while on procession from 

Mararaba, Nasarawa 

State, and the 

confrontation led to 

several deaths on the 

part of the Shi’ites and 

injuries to at least four of 

the soldiers. 

But a senior member of 

the IMN’s Media 

Forum, Dr. Shuaibu 

Musa, told Vanguard, 

yesterday, that no fewer 

than 17 of their members 

were killed in the 

Monday clash, while six 

were killed on Sunday. 

The military gave a 

casualty figure of three 

(3). 

The clash with the 

Police yesterday came as 

the Nigerian Army, late 

Monday night, 

explained why soldiers 

used live bullets on the 

protesting Shi’ites. 

Trouble started again, 

yesterday, as the IMN 

members, who were on a 

march along Adetokunbo 

Ademola Way, Wuse 

Zone 2, engaged 

policemen that were 

positioned to prevent a 

breakdown of law and 

order. 

Vanguard gathered 

that as soon as the 

protesters sighted the 

policemen, they started 

throwing missiles, 

including stones, bottles 

and other dangerous 

objects at them. 

An eyewitness told 

Vanguard that a petrol 

bomb was thrown at one 

of the new patrol cars 

recently donated to the 

police by Dangote Group 

of Companies, which 

burnt it completely. 

A senior Police officer, 

who spoke on grounds of 

anonymity, said the 

policemen being 

attacked had to call for 

reinforcement, which led 

to arrest of no fewer than 

400 of the IMN members. 

The officer said those 

arrested had been 

detained at the Federal 

SARS facility in Abuja 

from where they will be 

arraigned in court. 

The suspects 

FCT Commissioner of 

Police, CP Bala Ciroma, 

who also confirmed the 

clash, disclosed that 400 

violent Shiite members, 

who perpetrated the 

mayhem, had been 

arrested and detained 

for investigation. 

Speaking while 

parading some of the 

suspects, Ciroma said: 

“The FCT Police 

Command, in 

furtherance of its 

continuous effort to 

provide adequate 

security, protect lives 

and property and 

prevent any breakdown 

of law and order, 

intercepted and arrested 

some members of El- 

Zakzaky Islamic 

Movement of Nigeria 

with 31 bottles of petrol 

bombs and other 

dangerous weapons 

being ferried into FCT to 

cause mayhem and 

attack innocent citizens, 

including law 

enforcement agents 

deployed to protect lives 

and property. 

“It is unfortunate to 

inform you that members 

of this group during a 

violent protest today 

(yesterday), without any 

provocation, went on 

rampage and burnt 

down a Police Rapid 

Response Squad patrol 

vehicle deployed at 

Adetokunbo Ademola 

Crescent. 

"Some arrests have 

been made and 

investigation is in 

progress. Among those 

arrested is Mustapha 

Abdullahi, 20, at 

Ungwan Gwari Suleija, 

with 18 bottles of petrol 

bombs carefully 

concealed in a traveling 

bag. 

“To smuggle himself 

and the petrol bombs 

into the city, he 

disguised as a 

passenger and boarded 

a taxi with other 

unsuspecting 

passengers. 

“He ran out of luck 

when the vigilant 

policemen on duty at the 

point, upon reasonable 

suspicion, intercepted 

the cab and conducted a 

search on the bag in the 

car, which had in it, the 

improvised bombs. 

“The suspect was 

immediately arrested. 

Other exhibits found on 

him are two lighters and 

one dagger. The suspect 

will be arraigned in 

court on completion of 

investigation. 

“Similarly, on the same 

date, at about 11.30 am, 

police operatives on stop 

and search at Dokwa 

FCT-Niger boundary 

arrested one Abdulllahi 

Umar, 22, of Gadan 

Karte, Ilela LGA of 

Sokoto State with a bag 

containing 13 wellpackaged 

bottles of 

petrol bombs. 

“During interrogation, 

the suspect confessed 

that he arrived Suleija 

from Sokoto State on 

Sunday to join other 

members of their sect for 

the protest. 

He also confessed that 

he was ferrying the 

petrol bombs to FCT to 

confront law enforcement 

agents. 

Continues on Page 41 

By Ebun Sessou, Yinka Latona, 

Tade Oluwapelumi, Miriam Elibe & 

Chisom Nwangwu 

FG's $1.8m daily feeding of school children (3) 

I 

don’t know where we 

are heading to in this 

country. How can the Federal 

Government say that 

they spent such an outrageous 

amount of money on 

the feeding of students 

when many Nigerians are 

dying of hunger. Some 

families are presently 

homeless, while their farmlands 

have been ravaged 

by flood. Why can’t they 

channel such money to 

tackle security challenges 

confronting the country? 

This present administration 

will not stop deceiving 

Nigerians. 

Mrs. Funmi John, Caterer 

IN my own opinion, it 

amounts to wastage of 

public funds. Although 

some of my friends said it 

is true that President Muhammadu 

Buhari feeds the 

public school students, it 

is still not normal. We are 

talking about millions of 

dollars here. The President 

should know that he is 

wasting our resources. 

Maybe that is one of the 

reasons we are going back 

to recession. The government 

should set its priorities 

right. 

Adebowale John, Student 

IT’s indeed appall 

ing, that the leadership 

of this country has 

now dedicated its time 

to the creation of propaganda. 

These figures 

given by the government 

is indeed incorrect. 

It should desist 

from misleading Nigerians 

because we are not 

fools. What we need 

from this administration 

is good governance, 

anything less should be 

rejected by Nigerians. 

Chinenye Charles, 

Accountant 

l 

am speechless and I 

do not understand 

what this administration 

is doing. The point is 

that the government is 

never sincere in its dealings 

with Nigerians. It 

should be ashamed that 

they are feeding pupils 

with $1.8million daily 

when the money is 

enough to revive the education 

sector. Who fed 

us when we were in primary 

schools? 

Mr. Moses Babalola, 

Teacher 

THE school feeding 

programme is a 

welcome development 

in the education sector. 

I have also seen it in 

some states. It is a way 

forward in the education 

sector. If the past government 

had initiated 

such policy in the education 

sector it would 

have reduced poverty 

and also encouraged 

enrollment in schools. 

Mr. Morka Chukwuka, 

Businessman 

THE school feeding 

programme is a 

good idea by the government. 

But I don’t 

think that the money is 

being put to proper use. 

I feel they are some people 

diverting the money 

for their personal use. 

The government should 

make sure that the money 

is used appropriately. 

Mr. Rotimi Michael, 

Businessman

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

Man posing as 

Army Major for 

4 years nabbed 

in Warri 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

W ARRI—DELTA 

State Police Command 

has confirmed the arrest of fake 

soldier, “Major” M. Sali, alleged 

to have been operating within 

Warri and its environs for almost 

four years. 

The state Police Public Relations 

Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, 

who confirmed the arrest, 

disclosed that Sali was arrested 

at Eburumede Police Station, 

Okpe Local Government Area 

when he went to seek release of 

a suspect. 

The fake Major, who was not 

aware that security operatives 

were on his trail, denied 

impersonating a soldier, just as 

Army men swooped on him at the 

Police Station. 

Meanwhile, Vanguard 

gathered that the fake soldier had 

been posing as an intelligence 

officer of the Nigerian Army 

deployed to the Niger Delta for 

undercover operations. 

DSP Aniamaka said the matter 

has been referred to the Criminal 

Investigation Department, CID, 

for further investigation. 

Trial of lawyer 

that allegedly 

murdered 

husband stalled 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—THE trial of a female 

lawyer, Udeme Otike-Odibi, 

who allegedly murdered her 

husband, Symphorosa Otike- 

Odibi, was, yesterday, stalled 

due to the absence of the trial 

judge, Justice Asedayo Akintoye. 

Udeme, 48, is facing a twocount 

charge of murder and 

misconduct with regard to a 

corpse, before an Igbosere High 

Court in Lagos. 

She was arraigned on June 13 

by Lagos State Government, 

pleaded not guilty to the offences 

and was remanded at Kirikiri 

Prisons. 

The prosecutor had, during 

arraignment, told the court that 

Udeme committed the alleged 

offences on May 3 at Diamond 

Estate, Sangotedo, Lekki, Lagos. 

The prosecution said Udeme 

stabbed her husband and 

mutilated his corpse by cutting 

his genitals. 

At the resumed hearing of the 

matter yesterday, the case could 

not go on as it was revealed that 

the court was not sitting due to 

the absence of the judge. 

At the last adjourned date, 

October 10, the defendant’s 

friend, Mrs Mureen Offor, had 

told the court how the suspect 

allegedly murdered her 

husband, Symphorosa, in the 

early hours of May 3. 

The matter has been adjourned 

till November 20. 

By Henry Ojelu 

POLICE in Lagos, 

yesterday, arraigned a 

former Speaker of Lagos State 

House of Assembly, Jokotola 

Pelumi, and six other persons 

before an Ebute Meta 

Magistrate’s Court over the 

murder of Deputy 

Superintendent of Police, 

Akindele Akingboju. 

While Pelumi was arraigned 

for aiding the escape of some 

suspects in the crime, the six 

others were arraigned for the 

murder of the Police officer. 

The Police accused the former 

Speaker of receiving into his 

home a prime suspect, 

Adekunle Dabiri, who was 

alleged to have taken part in 

the murder of DSP Akindele. 

The prosecution said the other 

accused persons conspired to 

murder DSP Akindele of the 

Anti-Cultism Unit of Lagos 

State Police Command. 

Bail 

Pelumi pleaded not guilty to 

the charge and was granted bail 

by Chief Magistrate A. O. 

Adedayo in the sum of N1 

million with two sureties. 

The magistrate also directed 

that one of the sureties must 

be a member of the state House 

Protesting Shi'ites clash with Police at the Central District, Abuja, calling 

for release of their leader, El-ZakZaky. PHOTOS: Gbemiga Olamikan. 

Ex-Lagos Speaker, Pelumi, 6 others 

arraigned over Police DSP murder 

By Evelyn Usman 

FOUR policemen and three 

officials of Lagos State 

Traffic Management Authority, 

LASTMA, alleged to have been 

extorting motorists in Amuwo 

Odofin Area of Lagos, met their 

waterloo yesterday, following 

their arrest by a joint team of 

policemen from Area ‘E’ Festac 

command and X-Squad. 

Their arrest followed 

complaints of their activities 

from members of the public. 

Their modus oparandi as 

gathered, included accusing 

accosted motorists of either 

driving against traffic or not 

having valid documents. 

Thereafter, they would inform 

the ‘erring’ motorists that they 

were taking them to the station, 

only to divert to a mechanic 

workshop close to First Gate, 

AS the identity of the man 

that reportedly died 

during an early morning 

exercise in Aba, Abia State, 

Monday, is still unknown, 

yesterday morning a tricycle 

operator reportedly slumped 

and died close to a petrol 

station at Bata Bus Stop in Aba. 

The man was simply 

identified as Ogbonna Uche 

through his tricycle 

documents, which were 

checked by a policeman, who 

spoke under anonymity. 

The policeman said Uche 

crossed the road holding on to 

his chest and shouting “my 

heart, my heart” before he 

slumped and died. 

An eyewitness, who gave his 

name as Mmeribe John, 

of Assembly. 

The magistrate, however, 

ordered the remand of the 

other accused persons at the 

Ikoyi Prisons, pending legal 

Man slumps, dies in Aba 

after screaming ‘my heart’ 

where they extort the motorists. 

On receipt of the complaints, 

the Commissioner of Police, 

Lagos State Command, 

Imohimi Edgal, directed the 

Area Commander ‘E’ Festac, 

ACP Yusuf Ajape, and the 

officer in-Charge of the 

Command's X-Squad, 

Superintendent Alliu 

Abubakar, to investigate and 

get the perpetrators arrested. 

Caught 

The officers were said 

to have carried out a 

covert operation 

around the area 

yesterday and in the process 

the suspects were caught 

trying to extort N75,000 from a 

motorist. 

Among the LASTMA officials 

was a woman. 

Explaining how they were 

confirmed that the man 

crossed the road holding on 

to his chest. 

According to John, “he 

was shouting ‘my chest, my 

chest’and we asked him for 

the phone number of his 

wife. He said his wife has 

no phone. 

“That was the last word that 

came from him before he 

collapsed and died.” 

Mmeribe said the man 

must have consumed a 

substance from a small bottle 

found in his shirt pocket, 

which was suspected to be 

poisonous. 

Another Police officer at 

the scene, who did not give 

his name, sampled the 

substance using his fingers 

arrested, the 

Command’s 

spokesman, 

C h i e f 

Superintendent 

Chike Oti, 

said: “The 

f o u r 

policemen 

and 

three LASTMA 

officials were caught trying 

to extort one Mr. Waheed 

Lamidi, whom they gave a 

bank account to transfer 

N75,000 into, when he 

complained that he had no 

advice from the office of the 

State Director of Public 

Prosecutions. 

She adjourned the case till 

November 26 for mention. 

and said it felt very hot. 

Another man, who later 

arrived at the scene at about 

9:55a.m. and identified himself 

as Okwubunka, confirmed that 

the dead driver was truly 

Ogbonna Uche. 

He said late Uche was his 

brother and that they hailed 

from Okpulo-Umuobo in 

Osisioma Local Government 

Area. 

According to Okwubunka, the 

deceased “had been suffering 

from heart issues which are not 

natural, but he had been 

managing it.” 

Abia State Police Public 

Relations Officer, Geoffery 

Ogbonna, said on telephone 

that he was unaware of the 

incident. 

4 policemen, 3 LASTMA officials arrested for extorting N75,000 from motorist 

Edgal 

cash.” 

The culprits 

He gave identities of 

the policemen and 

LASTMA officials as 

Inspector Charles 

Omokaro, Inspector 

Idara Akai, Sergeant 

Chidi Mordi and Sergeant 

Joseph Bernard. 

Others are Mr. 

Sam Adekunle, 

Mr. Omolaja Ige 

and Mrs. 

Modinat 

Folashade. 

E d g a l , 

according to Chike, has directed 

that the suspects be taken to the 

command headquarters for 


Vanguard gathered that if 

found culpable, they risked 

dismissal.


Kadams, Modibbo Adama 

Varsity professor kidnapped 

By Umar Yusuf 

YOLA—A lecturer with the 

Modibbo Adama University 

of Technology, Yola, Professor 

Allan Kadams, was in the early 

hours of yesterday abducted 

from his home in the Bajambure 

Federal Housing Estate close to 

the university. 

A family source said seven 

unmasked men forced their 

ways into the residence of the 

professor at about 2a.m. and 

forcefully bundled him into a 

waiting vehicle, before zooming 

off to an unknown destination. 

The source added that as at the 

time of the incident, the Professor 

who is with the Department of 

Agriculture, Crops Production 

Unit, was bundled away 

unharmed. 

The kidnap was confirmed by 

Adamawa State Police Public 

Relations Officer, Abubakar 

Othman, who told newsmen that 

a crack team of detectives has 

been raised to trace the 

kidnapped professor. 

The Registrar of Modibbo 

Adamawa University of 

Technology, Hajiya Halima 

Mohammed, also confirmed 

the kidnap. 

The Registrar disclosed that 

the kidnap of the professor 

brings to two the number of 

professors from the institution 

abducted within two weeks. 

Hajiya Halima stated that 

another Professor, Ibrahim 

Adamu, was kidnapped from 

his Girei residence in the 

same circumstances. 

Court jails Indian national for fraud 


LAGOS—A Lagos High 

Court sitting in Igbosere has 

sentenced an Indian national, 

Mr. Sandeep Gogia to 22 years 

imprisonment for defrauding a 

Communication company of the 

sum of 250,000 US dollars. 

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, 

jailed him after he was found 

guilty of the fraud charge 

brought against him and his 

company, Eastern Metal 

Limited by the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission 

(EFCC). 

EFCC had arraigned him 

alongside his company on a 

three count charge of 

conspiracy, stealing and 

obtaining under false pretence 

and he pleaded not guilty. 

The anti-graft commission 

alleged that Gogia alongside one 

Mr. Arun Goswani who is at large 

defrauded the communication 

company by obtaining the sum 

of 250,000 US dollars, under the 

pretence of having naira 

equivalent of the amount. 

Grogia was said to have 

committed the offence whilst 

being the Chief Operating 

Officers, CEO, of Eastern Metal 

Limited sometime in July 2015. 

The offence bordered on 

stealing, obtaining money by 

false pretence and stealing 

contrary to section 287 (1) of the 

Criminal Law of Lagos State 

2015. 

It also contravened section 1 of 

the Advance Fee Fraud and 

Other related Offences Act No 14, 

2006. 

The judge while delivering 

judgement found him guilty of 

conspiracy, obtaining under 

false pretence and freed him 

on allegation of stealing. 

Justice Lawal-Akapo , 

therefore, sentenced him to 

seven years imprisonment 

on the charge of conspiracy 

and 15 years on the second 

count charge of obtaining 

money by false pretence. 

He said that the sentence 

is to run concurrently from 

October 25, 2018. 

The judge however freed 

him on the third count 

charge of stealing and 

ordered him to pay 

restitution of N59,750 

million to the victim. 

“The second defendant, 

Eastern Metals Limited, is to 

be wound up and the assets 

forfeited to the Federal 

Government.” 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Measuring yam for madam. 

He must be a graduate of 

Economics-Statistics. UNIBEST! 

She's the trial judge 

MEDICAL MISSION IN OYO: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and his 

wife, Founder, Access to Basic Medical Care Foundation, ABC, Florence (middle), and members 

of a delegation from the foundation and UK-based Jesus House Mission, during a visit to the 

governor preparatory to their commencement of free medical mission across the state, at the 

Governor's Office, Ibadan. 

Police raid criminal hideout in Delta, kill one, arrest 4 

By Festus Ahon 

CRIMINAL gang that has 

been terrorising Cable Point 

area of Asaba, Delta State capital, 

has been smashed by Delta State 

Police Command, killing one and 

arresting four suspects. 

The gang members, who are 

said to be responsible for a series 

of crimes including kidnapping, 

robbery and car snatching within 

the Asaba metropolis, were 

apprehended by operatives of the 

command. 

The operatives were led to the 

gang’s hideout where they usually 

re-grouped for criminal operations, 

by some of the suspects earlier 

arrested. 

A Police source, who pleaded 

anonymity, said the suspected 

criminals engaged the Police 

operatives in a shootout, until 

they were overpowered. 

The Police source added that 

some of the suspects were 

arrested while others escaped 

with gunshot injuries, adding 

that the gang leader, who 

jumped out of the moving Hilux 

van in an attempt to escape, was 

shot dead. 

He said an investigation has 

commenced with a view to 

trapping other fleeing members 

of the gang. 

An effort to reach the Public 

Relations Officer of the 

command, DSP Andrew 

Aniamaka, for comment on the 

matter proved abortive. 

This is someone's pikin o


VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018—9 

KADUNA CRISIS: From left, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; President 

Muhammadu Buhari, and the Emir Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, during a meeting with 

traditional and and religious leaders over Kaduna crisis, yesterday, in Kaduna. Photo: Olu 

Ajayi. 

We’ll punish perpetrators of Kaduna 

crisis — Buhari 

By Ben Agande 

K 

A D U N A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

vowed that federal security 

agencies will hunt and 

prosecute all those who 

sponsored acts of violence 

that recently erupted in 

Kaduna State. 

He spoke at a meeting with 

religious and traditional 

rulers in the state when he 

visited Kaduna to condole 

with residents on the recent 

violence in the state. 

According to the President, 

Kaduna residents “cannot kill 

and burn our way out of 

poverty and inequality. Strife 

can only deliver more pain 

and more strife. It is time to 

break out of the mind set that 

limits us from collaborating 

productively for the common 

good. 

“Kaduna, once the home of 

the Premier and home of New 

Nigerian Newspaper must 

not earn itself a new name – 

home of violence." 

Buhari’s meeting with 

religious and traditional 

rulers took place at Murtala 

Square and had in 

attendance the Emir of 

Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris; 

Archbishop of Kaduna 

Catholic Archdiocese, Most 

Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, and 

Secretary General of 

Jama’atul Nasril Islam, JNI, 

Dr. Khalid Aliyu. 

Among other clerics at the 

venue were Chairman of 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, Kaduna State 

chapter, Bishop George 

Dodo, and founder of the 

Peace Revival and 

Reconciliation Foundation of 

Nigeria, Pastor Yohanna 

Buru. 

The President said: 

“Violence shatters and 

divides people and stifles the 

prospect of any community 

that succumbs to its tragic 

logic. It is my earnest appeal 

to all who call Kaduna home 

to do their best to uphold 

peace in their respective 

communities. Chaos and 

anarchy tend to worsen and 

exacerbate whatever issues 

are agitating a community.” 

Buhari said government 

will adopt stringent measures 

to mete out punishment to 

the perpetrators of the crisis. 

“The Federal Government 

will take strongest measures 

possible to punish 

perpetrators of these crimes. 

If, in the past they got away 

scotfree, we shall now hold 

everyone to account for these 

latest killings. 

“Let it be clear to all that 

individuals and communities 

have obligations to comply 

with the law and uphold 

peace. 

‘’These obligations include 

respecting the rights of others 

to live wherever they choose, 

to worship freely and to 

pursue lawful livelihoods 

anywhere in this country. 

These are constitutional and 

human rights that we as a 

government and people 

must uphold and defend. 

“We are doing our best to 

develop human capital and 

address poverty and 

inequality in all parts of the 

country. Providing decent 

education and health are my 

priority goals. 

‘’I am delighted with the 

successful collaboration 

•Says Kaduna must not earn a 

new name as home of violence 

•El-Rufai demands N3.85bn to 

forestall future occurrences 

between federal institutions 

like the Bank of Industry and 

the Kaduna State 

Government to provide 

vocational and 

entrepreneurship skills, and 

low-interest credit to expand 

economic opportunities. 

“I urge Kaduna State 

government not to relent in 

its focus in expanding 

equality of opportunity, 

promoting job creation and 

upholding law and order. 

El-Rufai 

demands 

N3.85bn to 

forestall future 

occurrences 

Earlier in his remarks, 

Governor Nasir el-Rufai had 

requested President 

Muhammadu Buhari to pay 

victims of 2011 post election 

violence the compensation of 

N3.85 billion, as part of 

measures to forestall future 

crisis in the state. 

According to him, many of 

the people that lost lives and 

property and communities, 

which places of worship were 

destroyed in these crises 

since 2011 are yet to be fully 

compensated, resettled and 

their property reconstructed. 

“We need to achieve closure 

on resettlement of displaced 

persons, payment of 

compensation to 2011 victims 

and the reconstruction of 

destroyed property. We are 

appealing to the Federal 

Government to provide the 

balance of 53 per cent of 

assessed compensation, 

amounting to about N3.85 

billion, to enable victims 

rebuild their lives, and for all 

places of worship to be 

restored.” 

While commending the 

Federal Government for 

providing its security asset to 

quell the crisis, the governor 

said the night time curfew in 

the state would soon be lifted 

“as the security assessment 

had indicated that it was 

prudent to do so. 

The governor said the root 

cause of the crises in the state 

was because of “certain 

resentments driven by poverty 

and a sense of inequality,” 

noting that many of the violent 

episodes that had blighted the 

state have started in and 

around markets, and often 

targeted at economic assets of 

citizens. 

Dangote responsible for over 10% of 

Nigeria’s GDP — Report 

ALIKO Dangote, Africa’s 

richest man, and his 

conglomerate, Dangote 

Group, have been reported 

to be responsible for over 10 

percent of Nigeria’s gross 

domestic product, GDP. 

The report, published by 

TIME Magazine, said Aliko 

Dangote was currently worth 

$14.1 billion, adding that his 

company’s investment was 

responsible for much more 

than his net worth. 

According to the World 

Bank, Nigeria’s GDP stood 

at $404.653 billion by the end 

of 2016, maintaining its 

stance as Africa’s biggest 

economy, over South Africa 

and Angola. 

“Dangote Group claims its 

investments contribute 

upwards of 10 per cent of 

Nigeria’s GDP, a figure 

supported by outside 

economists,” the TIME 

report read in part. 

This suggests that Dangote 

Group has investments worth 

more than $40 billion in 

Nigeria, ranging from cement 

to food products, and now, to 

oil and gas. 

Dangote Group is 

currently building the 

world’s largest greenfield 

refinery, estimated to be 

worth upwards of $10.5 

billion. 

The billionaire also runs 

arguably the biggest cement 

company in Africa, with an 

operating revenue of N240 

billion as at Q2, 2018 and a 

market cap of N3.62 trillion 

(over $10 billion). 

Dangote Cement is also the 

biggest company, by market 

cap, on the Nigerian Stock 

Exchange, ahead of Nestle 

and Nigerian Breweries 

combined. 

No plan to review fuel 

price — NNPC 

• As Nidas resumes global 

shipment of crude oil 

By Michael 

Eboh, Fortune 

Eromosele & 

Temitayo Gold 

NIGERIAN National 

Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, said, 

yesterday, that the Federal 

Government was not 

considering undertaking a 

review of the pump prices 

of petroleum products, 

especially Premium Motor 

Spirit, PMS, also known as 

petrol. 

This came on a day the 

NNPC also said its 

subsidiary, Nidas Shipping 

Services, has resumed the 

international shipment of 

crude oil and petroleum 

products and had already 

got its first consignment. 

In a statement in Abuja, 

General Manager, Group 

Public Affairs Division of the 

NNPC, Mr. Ndu 

Ughamadu, affirmed that 

contrary to the 

misinformation trending in 

the social media that the 

Federal Government had 

no plan to review prices of 

petroleum products, either 

downwards or upwards, 

there was no such plan. 

Ughamadu stated that 

despite the fact that NNPC, 

since October, 2017, had 

been the sole importer of 

PMS into the country, as oil 

marketing companies, 

OMC, could not import due 

to the open market price being 

much higher than the N145 

per litre official selling price, 

government had no plan to 

review the market prices of 

products. 

He cautioned rumour 

mongers to be wary of the 

impacts their ignoble act could 

cause on prices of petroleum 

products, especially petrol as 

the festive period draws nearer. 

Nidas resumes 

global shipment 

of crude oil 

Meanwhile, NNPC, 

yesterday, said its subsidiary, 

Nidas Shipping Services, had 

resumed the international 

shipment of crude oil and 

petroleum products and had 

already gotten its first 

consignment. 

In a statement in Abuja, 

Ughamadu said global tanker 

fixture’s report had 

acknowledged the chartering 

of LRI tanker, MV Atlantica 

Bridge by Nidas to load jet fuel 

from El Dekheila Port, Egypt, 

for delivery to Nigeria for Duke 

Oil. 

The fixture report, he said, 

also captured Nidas’ booking 

of tanker Res Cogitans to load 

Mercuria’s gasoline cargo for 

early-November loading from 

Europe’s Amsterdam- 

Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) 

region to Offshore Lagos. 

No money paid into Jang’s 

account, EFCC witness tells 

court 

By Marie- 

Therese Nanlong 

JOS —A WITNESS of 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, Mr. Uchenna 

Igwe, has told Jos High 

Court 5, presided over by 

Justice Daniel Longji, that 

the disputed N2 billion 

Micro, Small and Medium 

Enterprise, MSME, fund, 

for which Senator Jonah 

Jang was dragged to court 

by the commission, was not 

at any point paid into 

senator’s personal account. 

Senator Jang was the 

governor of the state 

between 2007 and 2015. 

The witness, a senior 

manager of a new 

generation bank, was the 

Branch Manager of the 

Beach Road branch of the 

bank when the said money 

was paid. 

He said that the money, 

which was meant to be paid 

into Plateau State Small 

and Medium Enterprise 

Development Agency, 

PLASMEDA, by the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, was paid into Plateau 

Project account. 

While being crossexamined 

by the defence 

counsel, Mr. Robert Clarke, 

the witness said: “When I 

noticed it, I immediately 

notified the state 

Commissioner for Finance 

and Accountant-General. 

"An instruction was raised by 

the Accountant General to 

move it into PLASMEDA 

account, and I complied on 

March 20, 2015. 

“Another instruction came 

from the same Accountant 

General to the effect that the 

money be moved back to 

Plateau Project account on 

March 24, 2015, and that was 

done.” 

He said, thereafter, the 

money was disbursed in 

tranches into various accounts, 

including state’s Central 

Salary Account, Office of the 

Secretary to the State 

Government, OSSG, 

Government House 

Administrative account, and 

Plateau State House of 

Assembly Account, noting that 

no money was paid into the 

personal account of the 1st 

accused, Jonah David Jang.

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

Court to hear MTN's suit 

challenging $8.1bn fine Dec 4 


LAGOS—THE hearing 

of a suit filed by MTN 

Nigeria Communications 

Limited to challenge 

the $8,134,312,397.63 being 

demanded from it by the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, over alleged foreign 

exchange remittances 

infraction, has been fixed for 

December 4, by a Federal 

High Court sitting in Lagos. 

When the case came up 

for mention, yesterday, 

counsel representing MTN 

and CBN, informed the 

court of all the processes 

they have filed before it. 

MTN’s counsel Chief 

Wole Olanipekun, SAN, led 

14 other lawyers, including 

Prof Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, 

Operation Velvet: Lagos Police 

suspend exercise for one month 

By Evelyn Usman 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State Police 

Command, yesterday, 

announced the suspension 

of the newly launched 

Operation Restore Sanity/ 

Velvet for one month to 

enable motorists and 

motorcyclists the 

opportunity to regularise 

their documents. 

The decision to suspend 

the exercise was reached 

following the intervention 

of Governor Akinwunmi 

Ambode and members of 

the House of Assembly. 

We suffered under Fayose, 

Ekiti Obas lament 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

A DO-EKITI— 

TRADITIONAL 

rulers in Ekiti State, 

yesterday, told Governor 

Kayode Fayemi the unfair 

treatment and abandonment 

they were subjected to by 

the Ayo Fayose-led 

administration. 

At a meeting with the 

governor in his office, the 

traditional rulers narrated 

their ordeals during the last 

administration, where their 

salaries were not paid 

regularly and their 

allowances slashed to 40 per 

cent, leading to situations 

where some monarchs get 

sitting allowances as low as 

N2,000 or N4,000. 

The Obas, led by their 

chairman, the Oloye of Oye- 

Ekiti, Oba Oluwole 

Ademolaju, said it was 

unfortunate that custodians 

of the culture and tradition 

of the people could be 

treated in such a shabby 

and despicable manner 

where peanuts approved for 

them could not be paid 

while some people were 

living grandiose life style. 

They called on the 

governor to be 

compassionate on them and 

return their rights and 

privileges that have been 

denied them in the last four 

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Mr Damian Dodo, SAN, 

Mr Adeniyi Adegbonmire, 

SAN, and Mr Bode 

Olanipekun, SAN. 

On the CBN legal team 

were Seyi Sowemimo, 

SAN, and Ademola 

Akerele, SAN. 

However, the Attorney 

General of the 

Federation, Mr Abubakar 

Malami, SAN, who was 

joined as the second 

defendant in the suit, was 

absent and was not 

represented in court. 

Justice Said, while 

adjourning the suit till 

December 4, 2018 for the 

hearing of all pending 

applications, directed that 

hearing notice should be 

served on the Attorney 

General of the Federation. 

The Police Command, in 

a statement, by its 

spokesman, Chike Oti, was 

however quick to warn 

motorists that the “grace 

period should not be 

interpreted as a period of 

lawlessness on the city’s 

roads. It is a time allowed 

to get the vehicle 

documents and necessary 

permits together. 

“The Command will 

continue to enforce laws 

against driving on BRT 

lanes, parking at 

unauthorised places 

thereby causing gridlock 

and driving against traffic.” 

years, urging that their 

plight be looked into within 

the ambit of available 

resources. 

They lso lamented that 

about 13 obas who were 

crowned after the exercise 

were denied official 

vehicles by the Fayose 

government. 

They gave kudos to 

Governor Fayemi for giving 

over 120 cars to all Ekiti 

Obas during his first 

tenure, adding that it was 

commendable and 

unprecedented in the 

history of the state and 

Nigeria at large. 

Earlier, Governor Fayemi 

had solicited their support 

for his administration, 

adding that government 

cannot move forward 

without the support of the 

traditional institution. 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Companies' inabilitty to pay tax fuels 

poverty in Nigeria — SERAP 

By Udeme Akpan & 

Wahab Abdullah 

LAGOS—A 

new 

report by the Socio- 

Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project, 

SERAP, has disclosed how 

over $8 billion oil and gas 

assets were sold to 

Nigerian entities – 

especially onshore fields 

–between 2005 and 2015, 

and how the failure of 

companies to pay Capital 

Gains Tax, CGT, on the 

sale of the assets fuelled 

p o v e r t y , 

underdevelopment and 

inequality in Nigeria. 

The report, titled: ‘The 

impact of non payment of 

capital gains tax and other 

levees in the oil and gas 

sector on the socioeconomic 

development of 

the country’, was authored 

by Messrs Bimpe Balogun 

and Azeez Alatoye and 

presented at CITIHEIGHT 

Hotel, Lagos. 

The report said: “The 

Goodluck Jonathan 

government also failed to 

collect tax on the transfer 

of Conoco Phillip Oil 

Company Nigeria Limited 

to Oando Hydrocarbon 

(Now Oando Oil Limited) 

through the acquisition of 

the shares of Conoco 

Phillips in Canada for $1.79 

billion. The shares were 

acquired by Oando Energy 

Resources Canada. 

“In recent years, 

economic inequality has 

soared to unprecedented 

SPELLING BEE: From left; 2nd place winner, 2018 Lagos State Spelling 

Bee Competition, Ikhariale Grace; Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos 

State on Tourism, Art and Culture, Aramide Giwason; Deputy Governor of 

Lagos State, Dr Idiat Adebule; 1st place winner, Ajala Gloria; Group Public 

Relations and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Tope Ashiwaju with 3rd place 

winner, Akinbodewa Oluwatosin at the 2018 Lagos State Spelling Bee Competition 

sponsored by Indomie in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau. 

levels in Nigeria, 

hampering poverty 

reduction efforts, fuelling 

political instability and 

presenting new threats to 

the full spectrum of human 

rights. 

“The political will to 

improve framework and 

policies for the 

determination and 

payment of capital gains tax 

in the oil sector could 

generate much needed 

revenue for execution of 

government projects and 

Senate to establish Fed Poly in Buhari’s town, Ikom, 

others 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA—THE Senate 

has put in place, 

measures to establish a new 

federal tertiary institution in 

Daura, Katsina State, home 

and state of President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

in three other different 

states of the federation. 

The four proposed federal 

institutions are Federal 

Polytechnic, Daura, Katsina 

State; Federal University of 

Education, Aguleri, 

Anambra State; Federal 

Polytechnic Ikom, Cross 

River; and the National 

Institute of Construction 

Technology and 

Management, Uromi, Edo 

State. 

The bills were sponsored 

By Funmi Ajumobi, 

Monsur Olowoopejo 

& Elizabeth Nwandu 

LAGOS—A 14-year-old 

daughter of a barber, 

Miss. Gloria Ajala of Lafiaji 

Senior High School, Lagos, 

Ambode, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat attend GAC meeting 

By Monsur 

Olowoopejo 

L 

A G O S — 

GOVERNOR 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State and the 2019 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC 

governorship candidate, 

Mr. Babajide Sanwo- 

Olu, yesterday, attended 

the Governor’s Advisory 

Council, GAC, meeting. 

The meeting came barely 

24 hours after Ambode and 

Sanwo-Olu collapsed their 

campaign structures to the 

float Independent 

Campaign Group, ICG, a 

campaign group that 

harmonized their groups 

including President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

group in the state. 

Vanguard gathered that 

by Senators Ahmed Babba 

Kaita (APC, Katsina), Victor 

Umeh (APGA, Anambra), 

John Owan-Enoh (APC, C/ 

River) and Clifford Ordia 

(PDP, Edo) respectively. 

The public hearing was 

organised by the Senate 

Committee on Tertiary 

Institutions and 

TETFUND, headed by 

Senator Barau Jibrin. 

Declaring open the public 

the meeting was held at the 

State House Marina, Lagos 

Island and was also 

attended by former 

Commissioner for Works, 

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat. 

Hamzat’s presence, 

Vanguard learned was 

because he had been 

tipped as the deputy 

Governorship candidate 

of the party. 

provision of infrastructure 

and socio-economic 

development. As such, an 

improved framework has 

the potential to galvanise 

action to reduce poverty, 

underdevelopment, 

unemployment, and 

inequality. 

Speaking at the event, 

human rights activist, Mr 

Femi Falana, SAN, said: 

“SERAP deserves 

commendation for the 

public presentation of this 

timely report. From the 

hearing yesterday, Senate 

President, Dr. Bukola 

Saraki, said that the four 

bills were as a result of the 

Senate’s commitment to 

quality education in the 

country. 

Represented by the 

Minority Whip, Senator 

Philip Aduda, PDP, FCT, 

Saraki who noted that 

Nigeria's education sector 

has been on the downward 

report not less than $270 

million has not been 

recovered by the federal 

government, the amount 

recoverable has not been 

captured due to the refusal 

of DPR and NEITI to 

provided requested 

information on the oil 

companies that have 

divested interests in the oil 

and gas sector. SERAP 

should proceed to compel 

the two agencies to supply 

the information so as to 

update the report. 

SPELLING BEE COMPETITION: Barber’s 

daughter emerges Lagos One-Day governor 

yesterday, emerged the 

One-day Governor after 

winning the 2018 

Spelling Bee competition. 

Gloria defeated 

Ikhariale Grace of Tin 

Can Island Senior High 

School, Tolu and 

Akinbodewa Oluwatosin 

of Iworo Ajido Senior 

Secondary School, 

Olorunda who took the 

second and third 

positions respectively. 

Later in the year, 

Governor Akinwunmi 

Ambode will swear-in the 

barber’s daughter and 

vacate his seat for her on 

that day. 

Speaking with Vanguard, 

Gloria described her victory 

as reward for hard work and 

commitment, saying, “I 

read several books to 

trajectory, stressed the need 

to come up with urgent 

steps that would make 

more Nigerians have 

access to quality education. 

Saraki, who called on the 

stakeholders to come up 

with useful inputs towards 

the establishment of the 

institutions, assured that 

the Senate would continue 

to give attention to 

education. 

prepare myself for the 

competition.” 

Congratulating Gloria, 

the Deputy Governor of 

Lagos State, Dr. Idiat 

Adebule, said the One Day 

Governor would be 

awarded scholarship to 

pursue any course of her 

interest in any Nigerian 

university. 

Adebule noted that the 

competition has 

experienced improvement 

in the areas of presentation 

and vocabulary 

development. 

Earlier, the Permanent 

Secretary, Ministry of 

Education, Mrs. Adebunmi 

Adekanye, hinted that the 

prestige and privileges that 

accompany winning the 

contest was responsible for 

motivating the students.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 — 11 

ORGANISED LABOUR'S WARNING STRIKE IN SOME STATES 

The Organised Labour held a warning protest nationwide to demand for an increase in minimum wage. Photos by Abayomi Adeshida, 

Lamidi Bamidele, Dare Fasube, Olu Ajayi, Bunmi Azeez, Akeem Salau, Chijioke Nwankpa, Nath Onojake & Barnabas Uzosike. 

Protesters marching from Ojuelegba to Ojota, Lagos. 

From left; NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba; TUC 

President, Comrade Boboi Kaigama; NURTW National President, 

Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin and other Labour leaders at the gate 

of the State House, Abuja. 

From left; NLC Chairman, Kaduna State, Comrade 

Adamu Ango, President, NUTGTWN, Mr John Adaji 

with the Chairperson, NLC Women Kaduna, Mrs 

Martha Banki and ULC Chairman, Kaduna State, Mr 

Ephraim James in Kaduna. 

Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Secretary, Joint 

Actions Fronts addressing protesters at Gani 

Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos. 

From left; Comrade Beatrice Itubor, Chairman, NLC 

Rivers State; Comrade Igwe Acheze, Deputy President, 

ULC and Comrade Innocent Lord Douglas addressing 

a rally in Port Harcourt., Rivers State. 

...Ibadan, Oyo State. 

...Asaba, Delta State. 

...Maryland, Lagos. 

...Benin City, Edo State.


MINIMUM WAGE: Labour draws battle line with 

govt; says no N30,000, no votes 

PROTEST: Protesters on National Minimum Wage by Organised 

Labour unions at Maryland, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele 

By Our Reporters 

LEADERS of Organised 

Labour, workers and 

their civil society allies, 

yesterday, trooped into 

major streets across the 

country to protest, as part 

of the sensitisation of 

workers and Nigerians for 

November 6, 2018 

commencement date of a 

nationwide indefinite strike 

to compel government to 

peg a new minimum wage 

at N30,000, threatening 

“no N30,000 new minimum 

wage, no votes" in 2019 

general elections. 

Nigeria Labour 

Congress, NLC, Trade 

Union Congress of 

Nigeria, TUC, and United 

Labour Congress of 

Nigeria, ULC, had 

declared yesterday, a day 

of national mourning and 

sensitisation of workers and 

Nigerians ahead of the 

November 6, start date of a 

nationwide strike. 

The federal and state 

governments have since 

declined any N30,000 

minimum wage 

agreement. 

Lagos 

In Lagos, the protest rally 

which kicked off from 

Ojuelegba Bridge, through 

Ikorodu Road to Gani 

Fewehinmi Freedom Park 

in Ojota, crippled activities 

on the ever busy road 

causing heaving gridlock 

on both sides of the road 

and its environs. 

The protesters displayed 

placards with inscriptions 

such as “No minimum 

wage, No work from 

November 6”, “Minimum 

Wage of N30, 000 not 

negotiable”, “Minimum 

wage will boost Nigerian 

economy’, “Upward 

review of Minimum wage 

will not trigger inflation”, 

“Ngige and governors do 

not own Nigeria, Nigeria 

belongs to all workers,, 

“N30,000 minimum wage, 

no more, no less” among 

others. 

Addressing the protesters 

at the Maryland 

roundabout and at Ojota 

freedom park, leader of the 

protesters and President of 

ULC, Joe Ajaero, declared 

that from November 6, it 

would be a total war until 

the N30,000 new minimum 

wage was achieved. 

According to him, 

whatever the governors 

meeting yesterday came 

out with would be of no 

effect unless they agreed to 

implement the N30,000 

minimum wage, insisting 

that there would be no 

more negotiations because 

the Tripartite committee 

appointed by President 

Muhammadu Buhari, had 

finished its assignment and 

submitted its report to the 

President. . 

He said: “We are on the 

road because of 

government insensitivity to 

the welfare of workers and 

Nigerians. We are on the 

road to sensitise workers 

and Nigerians about the 

November 6 

commencement date of a 

nationwide indefinite 

strike. We are on the road 

to tell the government that 

enough is enough. The 

November 6 will be the 

mother of all strikes in 

Nigeria. Posterity will judge 

us if we fail to rise up to 

defend Nigerian workers. 

We are on the road to tell 

the government that no 

N30,000 minimum wage, 

no votes. There is no good 

healthcare and electricity 

tariff is far more than 18,000 

minimum wage and the 

tariff continue to increase.” 

Similarly, a Vice 

President of NLC, Amechi 

Asugwuni told Nigerians to 

stock food stuff and other 

necessities ahead of the 

November 6, strike. 

Stock up foods, 

Labours tells 

Nigerians 

According to him, “the 

struggle is to defend the 

people of this country and 

the mourning day is to 

sensitise workers and other 

Nigerians to stockpile food 

stuff and other necessities 

in their houses because 

once we commence the 

strike, there will be no 

going back except 

government agrees to our 

terms and conditions. The 

minimum wage is a 

legitimate right for 

Nigerian workers. 

Abuja 

In Abuja, labour leaders 

frowned at Federal 

Government’s delay in the 

process of promulgating 

new National Minimum 

Wage for workers in the 

country. 

Speaking, President of 

NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said 

“We call on the Federal 

Government to take 

necessary steps to ensure 

the enactment of a new 

national minimum wage act 

as we cannot guarantee 

industrial peace and 

harmony.” 

Wabba explained that the 

new national minimum 

wage was both legally and 

materially due since 2016, 

saying “the Minimum 

Wage Act prescribes a five 

yearly cycle of review.” 

He also said coupled 

with the delay, the increase 

in the pump price of 

petroleum products by over 

85 per cent and the 

devaluation of the Naira by 

100 per cent in 2016, had 

massively affected the cost 

of living. 

According to him, the 

exchange rate and inflation 

rose to an all-time high, 

rendering the N18,000 

unjustifiable as basis for 

continued national 

minimum wage. 

“Given the realities of our 

economic condition, the 

least any worker should 

earn is N30,000,” he said. 

Also, Mr Bobboi 

Kaigama, TUC president, 

said implementation of the 

national minimum wage 

was imperative as workers 

in the country were faced 

with hard times. 

Kaigama called on the 

Federal and State 

Governments to do the 

needful as N30,000 was not 

too much for them to pay 

workers as minimum wage. 

“They cannot say they do 

not have money; the 

political office holders have 

the money and also the 

government. We also know 

how much they are putting 

into politics and the 

forthcoming general 

elections. 

“Workers are not slaves 

but rather they create the 

wealth of the nation, they 

cannot continue to suffer. 

After all the minimum wage 

is long overdue,” he said. 

Bayelsa ready to pay 

N30,000 

In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State 

Government, assured civil 

servants in the state of its 

readiness to pay the 

N30,000 minimum wage 

being demanded by the 

organised labour if it was 

generally accepted. 

Governor Seriake Dickson 

gave the assurance 

yesterday in Government 

House while receiving 

protesting delegation of 

leaders and members of 

the organised labour. 

Represented by the State 

Head of Service, Mr Luca 

Obiri, he noted that already 

the state government had 

set up modalities for the 

implementation of 

whatever decision reached 

with Labour. 

His words: “I want to 

assure Bayelsa workers 

that government is in 

support of your quest for 

new minimum wage. The 


will be implemented by the 

state government.” 

I will pay any 

amount adopted as 

minimum wage 

—Ortom 

In Benue, Governor 

Samuel Ortom, promised 

to pay any amount agreed 

upon by the negotiating 

committee on minimum 

wage. 

Ortom spoke in Makurdi, 

when members of 

organised labour visited 

him to register their support 

for the upward review of 

wages. 

Ortom, who was 

represented by his Chief of 

Staff, Mr Terwase 

Orbunde, said that he was 

not against the upward 

review of workers’ 

minimum wages “in spite 

of the current economic 

challenges bedeviling the 

country." 

Ekiti gov says 

Labour’s agitation 

legitimate 

In Ado-Ekiti, Governor 

Kayode Fayemi of the state, 

described workers, 

agitations as legitimate and 

worthy of being given 

considerations by 

governments. 

This came as workers 

marched round some major 

streets in the state from 

Mobil Filling Station in 

Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti 

to the Governor’s office. 

Fayemi, who was 

represented by the Chief of 

Staff, Biodun Omoleye and 

the Head of Service, Dr. 

Gbenga Faseluka, said: 

“My government as you all 

know is labour friendly. The 

agitations for new National 

Minimum Wage is 

legitimate and let me tell 

you, my government will 

never allow workers to go 

hungry again by working 

without getting their pay.” 

In Anambra, no pay, 

no work, no votes 

In Awka, Anambra State, 

labour leaders also resolved 

to down tools on November 

6, unless the demand for a 

Minimum Wage of 

N30,000 was implemented, 

saying “no pay, no work no 

vote.” 

President of Non- 

Academic Staff Union of 

Educational and 

Associated Associations, 

NASU, Chris Ani, who led 

the protest, spoke at 

New Freedom Square, 

Awka. 

He lamented that “the 

N30,000 equals N1000 per 

day for a worker and is 

equivalent to N50 per day 

for a family of six that 

contends with rent, 

school fees electricity bill, 

transportation and tax.” 

Ogun 

Also, in Abeokuta, 

protesting members of 

organised labour shut 

down some part of the state 

as they marched through 

major streets of Abeokuta, 

to sensitise the citizens of 

the state ahead of the 

impending nationwide 

strike over the minimum 

wage. 

They warned they would 

proceed on total strike from 

November 6, 2018, if the 

government failed to accept 

to pay the N30,000 

minimum wage being 

demanded. 

Labour seeks end to 

oppression in Oyo 

Led by the state chairmen, 

NLC and TUC, Mr 

Waheed Olojede and , Mr 

Emmanuel Ogundiran, 

Labour protesting in 

Ibadan, said: “We are 

saying no to oppression; 

Nigerian workers say it is 

our rights to earn what we 

deserve and that is why we 

are on the streets today.” 

Kogi 

In Lokoja, Organised 

Labour in Kogi State, 

insisted that workers would 

not accept anything less 

than N30,000 minimum 

wage. 

State chairman of NLC, 

Onuh Edoka, led the 

workers who marched 

through some streets in the 

state capital before they 

stormed Government 

House to meet with 

Governor Yahaya Bello. 

Taraba 

In Jalingo, Organised 

Labour vowed to cripple 

Taraba State from 

November 6, if government 

failed to accept to pay 

N30,000 minimum wage as 

agreed. 

The protesters who started 

from the Ministry of Works 

Complex in Jalingo to the 

Government House, 

threatened to shut down 

markets, offices among 

others in compliance with 

the strike scheduled to 

commence on November 6 

if government fails to 

accede to their demands. 

Enugu 

Also in Enugu, leaders of 

organised labour in Enugu 

State, led by Mr Ben 

Asogwa, Secretary to TUC, 

trooped to the major streets 

to sensitise workers and 

Nigerians ahead of the 

November 6 strike to press 

home their demand for the 

N30, 000 minimum wage.



NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

PREMIERE: From left:Uche Ebemere, Manager, Corporate Communications, MTN Nigeria; Gbenga 

Yusuf, Creative Director of 'Legends the Musical'; Pamela Emodi, Manager, Education Portfolio, MTN 

Foundation; Nonny Ugboma, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation and Music Director and Composer/ 

Arranger of 'Legends the Musical', Ayo Ajayi, at the premiere of MTNF sponsored 'Legends the Musical: 

Kings and Kingdoms' at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. 

MINIMUM WAGE: Edo ready to pay N30,000 

as NLC urges compliance 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase & 

Alemma Aliu 

EDO State governor, 

Godwin Obaseki, 

has assured workers in the 

state that his administration 

is ready to pay N30,000 

minimum wage, saying the 

state is already paying 

N25,000 as its minimum 

wage. 

He also added that Edo 

State would be the first to 

implement the resolution 

reached at the emergency 

meeting between the 

Federal Government and 

state governors over the 

new minimum wage for 

workers in the country. 

Obaseki gave the 

assurance yesterday in 

Benin while addressing 

members of the organised 

labour, who were on a 

protest march to the 

Government House to 

sensitise the people on the 

planned strike by the 

Nigeria Labour 

Congress,NLC. 

The governor, in his 

address to labour unions, 

said his administration was 

already paying N25,000 

while other states were 

paying N18,000. 

He said:”We believe in 

labour and our government 

is labour friendly. That is 

why we have maintained a 

harmonious relationship 

with labour in the state and 

have not had a single strike 

in two years. 

“I want to assure you that 

whatever we agreed on in 

Abuja today (Tuesday), 

Edo State Government will 

be the first to implement it. 

The President 

Muhammadu Buhari I 

know does not want 

Nigerian workers to suffer 

because he is committed to 

the welfare of the common 

man.’’ 

On his part, Chairman of 

Nigerian Labour Congress 

(NLC), Comrade 

Emmanuel Ademokun 

said: “They have increased 

the price of fuel from N87 

to N145, the cost of living 

has increased, and the 

value of the naira has 

dropped. Why would they 

not be able to increase our 

pay? 

Meanwhile, 

the 

Chairman of Edo State 

Chapter of the Association 

of Local Governments of 

Nigeria (ALGON), 

Comrade Jenkins Osunde, 

disclosed that the Obasekiled 

administration has 

cleared 50 percent of 

inherited salary arrears 

owed local government 

workers in the state 

Come clean on your secondary school 

certificate, PDP charges Buhari 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

P 

E O P L E S 

Democratic Party, 

PDP, has charged President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

live up to his responsibility 

by coming clean on his 

secondary school certificate. 

According to the party, the 

fretting in the Presidency 

over the issue shows 

something is fishy. 

Responding to the 

Presidency’s assertion that 

the President had his 

certificates and that the 

party was wasting its time 

on the issue, the PDP said: 

"The fretting and jitters in 

the Presidency” caused by 

the certificate issue, 

suggested that “Mr. 

President is morally 

burdened and ostensibly 

has something to hide.” 

PDP spokesman, Kola 

Ologbondinyan, charged 

the Presidency to “do the 

needful by placing the 

certificate in public domain 

instead of confronting and 

threatening Nigerians for 

demanding that the 

President shows his 

certificate. 

“The Buhari Presidency 

should know that their 

threats and confrontation 

cannot take away the fact 

that their principal’s 

certificate issue requires a 

personal responsibility and 

the President cannot wish 

Delta monarchs beg FG to fix 

Lagos-Asaba expressway 

By Victor 

Ahiumayoung 

DELTA 

State 

Council of 

Traditional Rulers, DSCTR, 

has pleaded with the 

Federal Government to 

urgently intervene by fixing 

the bad portion of Lagos- 

Asaba road between Ubulu- 

Okiti and Otulu Junction, 

saying it has become a 

death trap for motorists and 

other road users. 

In a statement in Asaba, 

Chairman of the Council 

and Obi of Owa Dr. 

Emmanuel Efezeimor II, 

decried the deplorable 

condition of the road noting 

away this responsibility as 

he had always done on 

official matters. 

“If Mr. President has 

nothing to hide, he should 

end the confrontations and 

show integrity by writing 

the military authorities to 

make the certificate public." 

that urgent steps should 

be taken to fix the portion 

of the road to avert danger. 

The monarchs said that 

the Lagos-Asaba road is the 

gate way to the eastern part 

of the country contending 

that the road usually 

witnesses heavy traffic 

during the yuletide thereby 

underscoring the need for 

government to urgently 

take action. 

The royal fathers also 

stressed “the need for the 

deployment of officials of 

the Federal Road Safety 

Corps, FRSC, to divert 

motorists from the bad 

portion of the road." 

NLNG TRAIN-7: We're working with 

Kachikwu, to ensure local content 

—N-Delta youths 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA— 

NIGER Delta 

Youths Coalition for Peace 

and Progress, NDYCPP, 

yesterday said it is 

collaborating with oil 

industry leadership to 

ensure the participation of 

youths in the NLNG Train- 

7, in order to reduce the 

domination of foreign 

companies. 

Chairman of NDYCPP 

organising committee, 

Chris Jumbo, who said this 

in Yenagoa, noted that 

arrangements have been 

concluded to hold a forum 

of stakeholders on the 

NLNG Train-7 in Bonny, 

later in November. 

He said the Minister of 

State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe 

Kachikwu, would lead 

other industry chiefs to the 

Oboro donates relief materials 

to Delta flood victims 

By Gab Ejuwa 

DELTA 

Central 

senatorial candidate 

of Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP and member, 

representing Okpe, 

Sapele, Uvwie Federal 

Constituency in the House 

of Representatives, Evelyn 

Oboro, has donated relief 

materials and food items to 

flood victims in IDP camps 

in Ewu community, 

Ughelli South Local 

Government Area of Delta 

State. 

Mr. Peter Odiobara who 

event. 

Others expected at the 

forum include Executive 

Secretary, Nigerian 

Content Development and 

Monitoring Board, 

(NCDM), Mr. Simbi 

Wabote, and Special 

Adviser to the President on 

Niger Delta and Amnesty 

Coordinator, Prof Charles 

Dokubo. 

NLNG Train-7 is a gas 

production expansion 

project valued at over $7 

billion by the Nigeria 

Liquefied Natural Gas 

Limited (NLNG) located in 

Bonny Island in Rivers. 

Jumbo explained that 

NDYCPP was engaging 

other organisations in 

building the capacity of host 

communities to participate 

meaningfully in the 

business activities to be 

created by the project. 

presented the items on 

behalf of the PDP senatorial 

candidate, said the items 

will serve as palliatives to 

the flood victims. 

He added that the 

gesture was a testimony to 

Oboro's readiness to 

always support her people 

better whenever the need 

arises. 

“Oboro is always 

passionate about rendering 

help to our people. These 

relief materials are to 

complement the efforts of 

Delta State Emergency 

Management Agency.” 

Owie eulogises Dafinone 

By Alemma Aliu 

B ENIN—FORMER 

Senate Chief Whip, 

Senator Roland Owie, 

yesterday described the 

death of Senator David 

Dafinone as a loss to the 

nation. 

A statement by Owie in 

Benin City yesterday said 

the loss of Dafinone, “who 

reprerented the then 

Bendel Central in the 

Second Republic is a great 

loss to Nigeria , the old 

Bendel and Nigerians of 

goodwill. He was the only 

NPN senator from Bendel 

while the late Senator Olu 

Akpata, Sen. Justice 

Atake, Sen. John Umolu 

and Senator Chief Nosike 

Ikpo, were of the UPN. 

“Sen. Dafinone was one 

of the mentors of those of 

us who were young 

members of the House of 

Representatives. He was 

very accommodating and 

truthful. When some NPN 

leaders from the present 

Edo State, invited Senator 

Dafinone and Dr. Ebiuwa 

Sowho, who was NPN 

House of Representatives 

member, for Ethiope 

Federal Constituency, to 

NPN caucus and accused 

the duo of attending 

Bendel National 

Assembly Forum, Senator 

Dafinone told them that 

they were first indigenes 

of Bendel State before 

being members of NPN.” 

Owie who is the contact 

committee chairman of the 

Action Democratic Party 

(ADP) said with the 

Forum, the lawmakers 

were able to attract many 

projects to Bendel State.


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

OSUN POLL: Afenifere suspends 

Omisore for colluding with APC 

By Dayo Johnson & 

John Olaniyi 

AKURE—THE pan- 

Yoruba socio-political 

organisation, Afenifere, 

yesterday, suspended the 

Osun State governorship 

candidate of the Social 

Democratic Party, SDP, 

Senator Iyiola Omisore, for 

violating its directive not to 

team up with the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, during the Osun rerun 

governorship election. 

But in a swift reaction, 

Senator Omisore hit back 

saying SDP members are 

not affiliates of Afenifere. 

Afenifere leader, Pa 

Rueben Fasoranti 

announced Omisore’s 

suspension at its monthly 

meeting held in Akure, 

Ondo State. 

After a stormy session on 

the issue, the group axed 

the SDP governorship 

candidate for embarrassing 

the group by joining forces 

with the APC in the re-run 

governorship election in 

Osun State. 

Fasoranti said: “We have 

decided to suspend Iyiola 

Omisore from the group for 

one year for violating 

Afenifere’s directive which 

affected the outcome of the 

Osun elections.” 

The Afenifere leader 

disowned Omisore’s 

decision to collude with the 

APC in the re-run election 

noting that the group was 

not part of any of such plan. 

Recall that the SDP 

National Chairman, Chief 

Olu Falae had equally 

disowned the party’s 

governorship candidate for 

not carrying the party along 

before selling out to the APC 

in Osun state. 

Meanwhile, Afenifere in 

its communiqué entitled: 

‘This State of Anomie Can’t 

Go On’, read by Mr. Korede 

Duyile condemned “the 

extreme and barbaric use of 

force against members of 

Islamic Movement of 

Nigeria, IMN, in Abuja in 

the past few days coming to 

head with killings of 

unidentified members of the 

sect by a combined team 

of Police and soldiers in the 

federal capital. 

On President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

certificate scandal, Afenifere 

said: “We believe that this 

controversy touches at the 

core of the moral fibre of our 

country not necessarily 

because the President may 

not be qualified to contest 

based on the ridiculous 

provisions of the Abacha - 

made constitution of 

Nigeria which makes 

leadership the only job for 

which serious preparation is 

not required but because a 

good standard is not set for 

the society and especially 

our young people by the 

following unfortunate 

developments. 

“The onus on Mr 

President is to produce the 

document he has claimed 

through the examination 

body so as to retain his claim 

to being a man of integrity 

•SDP members not affiliates of Afenifere — Omisore 

and being eligible to contest 

the 2019 elections. 

SDP members not 

affiliates of Afenifere 

— Omisore 

Reacting to his 

suspension, Omisore said 

SDP members are not 

affiliates of Afenifere. 

He said he had not been 

informed of the decision by 

Afenifere but maintained 

that he acted in line with 

the resolution passed by 

SDP. 

His words: “Acting at 

variance? Osun SDP 

passed a resolution to 

coalesce with APC. Osun 

SDP members are not 

affiliates of Afenifere. 

CONVERSATION WITH MIMIKO: Presidential candidate of Zenith Labour Party, 

ZLP, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (2nd left); former national team football player, Olusegun 

Odegbami (right) and others during an interactive meeting with the ZLP Presidential 

candidate, tagged "Conversation with Mimiko" in Ibadan yesterday. 

INEC writes PDP on decision to publish 

Kashamu’s list 

By Daud Olatunji 

AIndependent 

BEOKUTA—THE 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

yesterday, notified the 

national leadership of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, of its decision to 

publish the list of candidates 

submitted by the Adebayo 

Dayo-led state executive 

committee of Ogun for the 

2019 general elections. 

INEC made this known in 

a letter, with reference 

number INEC/LEG/DR/ 

197/1/514, dated October 25, 

2018, addressed to the 

National Chairman of the 

PDP, Prince Uche Secondus 

and obtained by Vanguard 

yesterday. 

In its letter titled: 

‘Nomination of candidates 

for 2019 general elections in 

Ogun State’, INEC drew 

the attention of the national 

leadership of the party to 

two judgements of the 

Federal High Court in the 

following cases: FHC/L/ 

CFS/636/2016- Adebayo 

Dayo and another Vs INEC 

and five others and FHC/L/ 

CFS/114/2018-Alhaji 

Adewole Adeyanju, 

(member of PDP NWC) and 

six others Vs INEC and 30 

others. 

Kashamu lauds INEC, 

PDP 

Reacting to INEC’s 

decision, Senator Kashamu 

commended the 

Commission and the 

leadership of the party for 

recognising the Dayo-led 

Ogun PDP exco. 

In a reaction to INEC’s 

decision, Senator Kashamu 

stated that in a clear 

obedience to subsisting 

court judgments, “our 

candidates’ list has been 

accepted, processed and 

certified for the forthcoming 

elections.” 

Kashamu declared that 

there should be a “No victor, 

No vanquished disposition 

amongst Party members”, 

saying, “we shall all reap 

from the electoral fortune 

that will be ours at the 2019 

general election.” 

Adebutu kicks 

Also reacting, a 

governorship candidate of 

the PDP, Mr Ladi Adebutu 

said he remains the 

authentic PDP candidate for 

Ogun State. 

Adebutu said: “My 

attention has been drawn to 

the INEC’s letter being 

circulated in the media by 

Sen. Kashamu, to the effect 

that it is stated therein that 

based on the court order 

given two and half years ago 

by Justice Buba, INEC is 

constrained to use the 

candidates list submitted by 

Eng Bayo Dayo led Exco for 

the 2019 elections. 

“I want to reassure 

members of the PDP and 

our supporters in Ogun 

State that Kashamu is on his 

last legal train ride to 

political oblivion and 

irrelevance in ogun State. 

“We have absolute 

confidence in the chief 

Secundus led National 

Politics is local, so I acted 

in consonance with the 

position and will of Osun 

SDP. 

“I’m yet to be informed, if 

so, Afenifere bypassed 

principle of fair hearing. 

“I wasn’t given any 

directives it might be 

oversight on Afenifere’s 

part or assumptions.” 

•Kashamu lauds INEC, PDP; Adebutu 

kicks 

Excos and we trust that they 

will leave no stone unturned 

to protect the interest of 

our members and 

candidates in Ogun state. 

For a fact the Bayo Dayo 

led execo did not conduct 

any primary that conforms 

to the provisions of the PDP 

constitution and electoral 

guide lines. 

“We are already 

completing the process if 

approaching the Supreme 

Court on this obnoxious and 

destructive legal strangle 

hold by a non member of our 

party. 

“We are sure that we will 

get justice by the Grace of f 

God as it is a known fact of 

life that good will always 

triumph over evil.” 

INEC's letter signed by its 

acting Secretary, Mr. 

Okechukwu Ndeche reads: 

“The Federal High Court in 

the matters ordered the 

commission to recognize 

Adebayo Dayo-led state 

executive committee of PDP 

in Ogun state and receive 

list of candidates for the 

2019 Governorship, 

National Assembly and 

State House of Assembly 

election from the said 

committee. 

“Consequently, INEC, 

hereby, notes the decision 

of the Federal High Court 

in the above referred cases 

and will publish the lists of 

candidates submitted by the 

Adebayo Dayo-led state 

executive committee of 

Ogun State pursuant to 

the orders of the Federal 

High Court until they are 

set aside.” 

PRIMARY: 5000 APC members 

defect to PDP in Ondo 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—NO fewer 

than 5000 members 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and Zenith 

Labour Party, ZLP, in Ondo 

State, yesterday, defected 

to the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP. 

This development was 

the fall out of the crisis that 

characterised the APC 

primaries in the state. 

Leading the 2000 

defectors from the APC, the 

former leader of the House 

I presidential 

BADAN—THE 

candidate of the Zenith 

Labour Party, Dr Olusegun 

Mimiko has said if elected 

as president in 2019 he 

would harness the power 

of information technology 

(IT) tools to fight endemic 

corruption in Nigeria. 

Mimiko, who spoke at an 

interactive meeting tagged 

in Idanre area of the state, 

Mr. Lanre Oluwarakise 

said that the party in the 

state had been factionalised 

into groups. 

Oluwarakise said: “The 

present administration has 

brought untold hardship, 

hunger 

and 

backwardness to all the 

legacies of the immediate 

past administration in the 

state. Nothing can be 

pointed to as an 

achievement going to 

two years of Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu.” 

How I will tackle corruption 

as President —- MIMIKO 

“Conversation with 

Mimiko,” held in Ibadan, 

the Oyo state capital on 

Tuesday. 

At the event, which had 

in attendance political 

leaders across different 

political parties, members of 

the academia, students, 

market traders, among 

many others, Mimiko said 

fighting corruption should 

not be a selective war if 

Nigeria is truly desirous of 

ridding the nation of 

corruption. 

He noted that corruption 

will be properly tackled 

with IT tools and Bank 

Verification Number 

Analysts plead more time for 

Visionscape to prove capacity 

LAGOS—A 

public 

affairs analyst and 

consultant economist, 

Messrs Nelson Ekujumi 

and Joseph Egbeyindo 

have urged the Lagos 

State government to 

allow Visionscape 

Sanitation Solutions more 

time to prove capacity in its 

current 

waste 

management contract to 

implement the new 

integrated waste 

management policy 

encapsulated in the 

Cleaner Lagos Initiative, 

CLI. 

Ekujimi and Egbeyindo 

said this during a television 

phone-in programme 

tagged: ‘TVC This 

Morning’. 

Egbeyindo said: “There 

is palpable fear amongst 

PSP operators that 

Visionscape has come to 

take away their means of 

livelihood, just as the Lagos 

State Waste Management 

Authority, LAWMA, holds 

the view that the newlyappointed 

sanitation 

contractor has come to bite 

into its pie. 

“Against the revocation of 

Visionscape municipality 

waste management 

(BVN) which will make it 

possible and easy to track 

the movement of money 

across the country. 

The ZLP Presidential 

hopeful said “if we can 

track movement of money 

with the BVN, we can 

effectively tackle corruption. 

If elected President, we will 

implement policies that will 

limit the movement of high 

denomination cash. 

“We will also reform the 

law to ensure that delay of 

justice is totally removed 

from our judicial system.” 

On his plan for 

restructuring, the former 

Ondo Governor said he will 

employ legislative, 

constitutional and 

administrative approaches 

to ensure restructuring. 

He said his government 

will make move for 

legislation that will ensure 

60% of resources are 

devolved to component 

units, establish special 

bureau to daily tackle issue 

of restructuring. 

contract, it is more 

advisable that the company 

is allowed more time to 

deliver on its promises. The 

atmosphere has not been 

conducive for optimal 

performance, so it is rather 

early to say the company 

lacks capacity. 

“Moreso, abruptly 

terminating the contract, 

aside from being hasty, also 

exposes the state to both 

reputational and financial 

risks. For instance, the 

action will adversely affect 

the state’s credit rating in 

the domestic and 

international market, it may 

impair relationship with 

group of investors, 

comprising Pension Fund 

Administrators, PFAs, 

Deposit Money Banks and 

Trustees and Asset 

Managers with whom the 

state shares a longstanding 

relationship”. 

“So, rather than squander 

its A+ GCR and Agusto 

&Co. credit rating 

reputation on an issue that 

could be addressed by 

process restructuring, the 

state should systematically 

the strains in the state’s 

waste management and 

disposal ecosystem.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018—15 

Ohanaeze youths urge APC to 

clarify Fashola’s statement on 

2023 presidency 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—The 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

Youths wing has urged the 

National Working 

Committee, NWC, of the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, to clarify its position 

of the statement credited to 

Works and Housing 

Minister, Babatunde 

Fashola that APC would 

shift Presidency to the 

South West in 2023 if Buhari 

wins. 

The group said ,“we 

won’t want to believe that 

the rumoured pact between 


Buhari, PMB, and Tinubu 

concerning 2023 is true.” 

A statement signed by 

the group’s Acting National 

President, Dr. Kingsley 

Dozie and National 

Publicity Secretary, Chief 

Osmond Nkeoma said: “We 

are making it categorically 

clear that Ndigbo are more 

united now than ever and 

no such evil pact can 

deprive us of our 

constitutional right to the 

presidency of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria.God 

will vindicate Ndigbo. 

“Such provoking and 

inciting statements prove 

our suspicions that the 

PMB-led APC cannot be 

trusted. 

“The fact remains that 

Ndigbo want restructuring 

now and have made it so 

clear through our 

restructuring summit and 

various discussions, 

statements and fora. Give 

us restructuring now and 

let 2023 take care of itself. 

“We stand in total support 

of the Afenifere 

spokesman, Mr. Yinka 

Odumakin when he said: 

‘both the Buhari advocates 

in the South West and 

South east are not in tune 

with the mood of both 

zones. 

“The mood of both zones 

is not Nigerian presidency 

in 2023 but restructuring in 

2019, because if we 

restructure the country in 

2019 and people have the 

autonomy to run their 

regions as they want within 

corporate Nigeria, Igbo 

2023 Presidency will take 

care of itself." 

Trader Moni: FG targets 30,000 

beneficiaries in Anambra 

Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N NEWI—THE 

F e d e r a l 

Government yesterday said 

it is targeting about 30,000 

beneficiaries from 

Anambra State for 

Enterprise and 

Empowerment 

Programme, for small 

businesses, popularly 

known as Trader Moni. 

This is coming as traders 

in Anambra State 

yesterday appealed to the 


expedite action in 

ensuring that all the 

people who registered for 

its Enterprise and 

Empowerment 

Programme, for Small 

Businesses receive it on 

time and without much 

stress. 

Disclosing the Federal 

Governments position on 

the number of 

beneficiaries being 

targeted in Anambra 

State, Mr. Adebowale 

Bakare, the Project 

Supervisor for Generating 

Demand Management, 

GDM, Group, the 

enrollment, activation and 

disbursement company, 

handling the Enterprise 

Empowerment 

Programme in 

conjunction with the Bank 

of Industry, BOI, for the 

Federal Government, said 

no fewer than 30,000 

people from Anambra 

State would benefit from 

the loan disbursement. 

“We are here today for 

enrollment of new 

beneficiaries, data 

activation of next set of 

beneficiaries and 

disbursement for the 

beneficiaries whose own 

enrollment has matured. 

The programme has been 

on but people were not 

embracing it before now.” 

Nwobodo eulogises Anenih 

By Dennis Agbo 

E NUGU—SECOND 

Republic governor of 

old Anambra State, Senator 

Jim Nwobodo has 

described the late Chief 

Tony Anenih as a master 

strategist who made 

political successes at 

difficult times. 

Nwobodo who spoke to 

Vanguard in Enugu, in 

honour of the late political 

sage, also said Anenih was 

a quintessential political 

strategist whose service 

would be missed in the 

current electoral period. 

He stated that Anenih’s 

death was a colossal loss 

and an end of era. 

Nwobodo said: “I know 

him as far back as when he 

was the NPN chairman of 

old Bendel State, when 

Ogbumudia contested 

against Ambrose Ali. 

Nobody gave him a chance 

but the truth is that he made 

him the then governor of 

Bendel State. 

“He played a very crucial 

role during the PDP period 

when he was elevated to 

the position of chairman of 

the Board of Trustee. His 

death is a pity and may his 

soul rest in the Bosom of 

the Lord.” 

Asset declaration: FG files charges 

against Oduah, Uzodinma 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—The Federal 

Government 

yesterday, slammed 

criminal charges against 

Senators Hope Uzodinma 

from Imo State and Stella 

Oduah from Anambra 

State, following their 

alleged refusal to declare 

their assets. 

The two separate 

charges, were lodged 

before the Abuja Division 

of the Federal High Court 

by the Special Presidential 

Investigation Panel for the 

Recovery of Public Property, 

SPIP. 

The duo, who are still 

serving lawmakers, will 

each answer to a two-count 

charge that was okayed by 

the Attorney General of the 

Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Abubakar Malami, 

SAN. 

While the charge against 

Oduah was assigned to 

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, 

Senator Uzodinma, who is 

a factional gubernatorial 

flag-bearer of the All 


APC, in Imo State, is 

expected to take his plea 

before trial Justice 

Babatunde Quadri. 

Specifically, the two-count 

charge against Oduah who 

recently defected to the 


PDP, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/ 

110/2018, read: “That you, 

Senator Stella Adaeze 

Oduah (F) on or about 29th 

day of March, 2018 being 

a public officer with the 

National Assembly Abuja, 

within the jurisdiction of 

this honourable court, 

committed an offence to wit: 

refused to declare your 

assets without reasonable 

excuse and upon notice to 

declare your assets before 

the Special Presidential 



Abuja contrary to and 

punishable under S. 3 (3) 

(1) (a) of the Recovery of 

Public Property (Special 

Provision) Act 2004. 

“That you, Senator Stella 

Adaeze Oduah (F) on or 

about 29th day of March 

2018 being a pubic officer 

with the National Assembly 

Abuja within the 

jurisdiction of this 

honourable court 


neglected to declare your 







Abuja contrary to and 




Provision) Act 2004” 

The one against 

Uzodinma, marked FHC/ 

ABJ/CR/107/2018, read in 

part: “That you, Senator 

Hope Uzodinma (M) on or 

about the 5th day of March 

2018, being a public officer 

with the National Assembly 

Abuja, within the 

jurisdiction of this 

honourable court, 


refused to declare your 







Abuja, contrary to and 




Provision) Act 2004." 

PARLEY: From Left—Mr. Clem Ugorji, Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Coca- 

Cola West Africa Business Unit; Dr. Bala Yusuf, Technical Director, Office of the Senior Special 

Assistant to the President on SDGs; Prof. Chinyere Ezeaka, Professor of Paediatrics, LUTH, 

Idi-Araba; Dr Adedamola Dada, CMD, Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta; and Mrs. Amaka 

Onyemelukwe, Head, Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, during 

the Coca-Cola stakeholders parley on "Enabling Safe Births in Nigeria" held in Lagos. 

Ebonyi govt calls for speedy demarcation of 

Ngbo/Agila boundary as assailants kill 6 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI— 

DEPUTY Goveror of 

Ebonyi State, Dr Kelechi 

Igwe, yesterday called on 

the National Boundary 

Commission, NBC to 

facilitate the demarcation of 

Ngbo /Agila boundary lines 

both in Ohaukwu Local 

Government Area of Ebonyi 

state and Benue State to 

forestall further killings in 

the troubled zone. 

Speaking in Abuja at a 

joint meeting of officials of 

NBC, Benue/Ebonyi 

Interstate Boundary, Igwe 

described as disturbing, 

incessant loss of lives and 

property in the boundary 

area, as six indigenes of 

Ngbo were gruesomely 

murdered recently. 

The deputy governor who 

is also the Chairman of 

Ebony State Boundary 

Committee said: ‘’The level 

of attacks and killing of our 

people on regular basis by 

their Benue neighbours, 

is worrisome. It is not as if 

our people are too weak to 

retaliate but as a responsible 

government, we 

consistently appeal to them 

not to resort to reprisal so 

as not to aggravate the 

situation.” 

Speaking, the Deputy 

Governor of Benue State, 

Benson Abonu chided 

NBC for failure to follow up 

joint sensitisaton carried out 

by the commission and the 

two affected states since 

2016. 

He described as 

unfortunate, the 

resurgence of crisis in the 

border corridors and 

reported that the two states 

had in a bilateral meeting 

Ohakim calls APGA ponzi scheme 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

OGovernor WERRI—Former 

of Imo State, 

Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has 

said that “the travesty in All 

Progressive Grand 

Alliance, APGA, has shown 

that what APGA leadership 

was doing all along was a 

ponzi scheme, a scam of the 

highest order, to defraud 

fellow Igbo men and 

women of their hard earned 

money”. 

Ohakim, who made the 

allegation while reacting to 

a press statement authored 

by the APGA national 

youth leader, wondered 

why the national chairman 

of the party, Victor Ike Oye 

authorised such “junk and 

bucket of lies” against his 

person. 

“While we do not want 

to continually engage in a 

matter of yesteryears that is 

totally false, Mr Victor Oye 

and his cohorts should 

know that talking about 

Ohakim beating a 

Reverend Father has 

become an over-used cliché 

and nobody takes such 

people seriously,” Ohakim 

said. 

held in Abakaliki on the 

24th of October, 2018 took 

far reaching agreements 

towards restoring peace on 

the the interstate 

boundary. 

Part of the resolution was 

to call on the relevant 

authorities to establish an 

Army base and police post 

in the flash point, joint 

patrol of security agencies 

in the disputed area to 

check the activities of 

miscreants, as well setting 

up of a joint committee to 

dialogue and bring lasting 

solutions. 

The Director General of 

the National Boundary 

Commission, Dr 

Mohammed Ahmed in a 

welcome address, 

attributed return of 

hostilities to nonconstitution 

of the agreed 

Joint Peace Committee and 

urged the meeting to 

discuss the issue 

dispassionately and come 

up with resolutions to bring 

lasting peace to the affected 

communities of the two 

states.

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

MTN, CBN case adjourned to 

Dec 4 

A 

Lagos judge yesterday adjourned a hearing in a $10.1- 

billion dispute between South African telecoms firm 

MTN Group and Nigeria's central bank until Dec 4. 

The central bank has accused the firm of illegally sending 

$8.1 billion abroad, and the Nigerian government has 

demanded $2 billion in related taxes from MTN. 

MTN, which makes about a third of its annual core profit 

in Nigeria, has said the allegations are without merit. 

Nigeria's central bank on Aug. 29 ordered the South African 

firm and its lenders to bring $8.1 billion back into 

Nigeria that it alleges the company sent abroad in breach 

of foreign exchange regulations. MTN also faces a $2 

billion tax demand from the country's attorney general. 

At the adjourned hearing in December, MTN will make 

its case to stop the central bank asking for the return to 

Nigeria of the $8.1 billion. 

China's Yuan hit lowest level el in 

10yrs 

China's battered currency is trading at its lowest point 

since the global financial crisis, leaving investors 

asking how much farther it might fall. 

The yuan sank past 6.97 to the dollar in Tuesday morning 

trading in Asia, its weakest level since May 2008. 

The currency has now slumped more than 9% against 

the greenback since January, dragged down by interest 

rate hikes in the United States, fears over the health 

of China's economy and the trade war between the two 

countries. 

The new 10-year low for the yuan came after indications 

Monday that the clash between Washington and 

Beijing is set to intensify. Bloomberg News alarmed investors 

with a report that the White House is considering 

more tariffs on Chinese goods by December if a 

meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese 

leader Xi Jinping doesn't go well. And the US government 

said it was restricting exportsof American technology 

to a state-backed Chinese chipmaker. 

The exchange rate is creeping closer to 7 yuan to the 

dollar, which is seen as a key psychological threshold 

for traders and could be the trigger for renewed attacks 

by Trump. 

UK to tax revenues of big tech 

companies 

The United Kingdom has announced plans to tax the 

revenues of major tech companies. 

Treasury chief Philip Hammond said Monday that a 2% 

levy on sales of digital services in the United Kingdom 

would be implemented in April 2020. 

He said the tax would apply only to profitable companies 

with global revenues of at least $640 million a year. 

"It will be carefully designed to ensure it is established 

tech giants, rather than our tech start-ups, that shoulder 

the burden," Hammond told parliament during a speech 

on the budget. 

Hammond implied that Facebook would be affected by 

the new tax. US tech companies such as Google and 

Amazon are also likely be impacted. 

Some leading tech companies have faced intense 

criticism for paying little tax in the United Kingdom. 

Hammond said the new measure would raise an 

estimated $512 million a year for the Treasury. 

In announcing the new plan, the United Kingdom broke 

ranks with other countries working together on reforms 

to global digital taxes. The Organisation for Economic 

Cooperation and Development is working on 

international digital tax rules, but its final 

recommendations are not due until at least 2020. 

AfDB rolls out climate risk financing, 

insurance programme for African countries 

The African Development Bank, AfDB has approved the 

Africa Disaster Risks Financing (ADRiFi) Programme, 

the institution’s first climate risk management programme 

to boost resilience and response to climate shocks in 

regional member countries. 

The comprehensive programme, open to regional member 

countries, will enhance their ability to evaluate climaterelated 

risks and costs, respond to disasters and review 

adaptation measures at both national and sub-national 

levels. It will also facilitate initial financing for countries 

in need of support. The programme’s initial phase is 

expected to run from 2019 to 2023. 

The enhanced resilience and adaptation of countries to 

the negative impacts of climate change, as well as disaster 

risk insurance cover, will reduce the vulnerability of the 

poor to climate change and act as a safeguard against 

loss of livelihoods in communities, especially for 

smallholder farmers. 

2019: S-West 

youths reject 

Atiku's SGF 

offer, laud 

Buhari 

By Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

LAGOS—AHEAD of 

the 2019 election, 

youths in the South-West 

have rejected Secretary 

to Government of the 

Federation, SGF 

reserved for the region 

by Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP Presidential 

candidate, Atiku 

Abubakar, saying, the 

party has never fulfilled 

past pledges made to the 

region. 

The youths under the 

aegis of Progressive 

Yoruba Youth Congress, 

PYYC, yesterday alleged 

that the party has 

constantly shortchanged 

the region while 

assigning key positions 

even after making 

promises publicly to 

secure South-West 

support. 

National President, 

PYYC, Mr. Kola Salawu at 

a press briefing in Ikeja, 

argued that the tears of the 

region was wiped off by All 


APC in 2015 when it zoned 

the Vice President 

candidate post to South 

West and fulfilled it. 

Salawu added that the 

party has also handed over 

number two citizen post to 

the region which PDP 

couldn’t give them but 

rather alloted it to South- 

East, picking Peter Obi as 

Vice Presidential 

Candidate. 

According to him, we 

have rejected Atiku and his 

party. And doing so, we 

have decided to campaign 

for our Uncle, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo and President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

during next year election. 

Salawu added; "South 

West will not go back to 

oblivion again. And all the 

good people of the region 

must rise up to protect this 

ongoing progress and 

support the one who has 

brought development to 

the region. 

"We urge all sons and 

daughters of the South 

West of Nigeria to be 

politically awake and 

choose wisely in the forthcoming 

elections as the 

decisions we make will 

determine if the region will 

continue to enjoy the true 

benefits of good 

governance or we go back 

to the days of total neglect. 

"Let us not forget that the 

neglect by the PDP was not 

only political but also 

infrastructural. The party 

for whatever reason barely 

completed or even carried 

out any major project in the 

South West. "The Lagos – 

Ibadan express way, the 

busiest in the country was 

abandoned."

THE Nigerian situation is 

an extreme case of class 

warfare whereby so long as rich 

or well-off individuals believe 

they can continue to escape 

discomfort, they are perfectly ok 

watching poverty (and 

insecurity) rise. 

We congratulate each other 

about successful concerts and 

fashion events, enjoy whatever 

entertainment is currently 

available but we never stop to 

think how much better 

organized and, therefore, more 

pleasurable (meaning more 

profitable) these events could 

be if we finally fixed the 

structural issues affecting all 

our industries and the society 

at large. 

We have a crop of elite women 

who attend conferences 

parading whatever First Lady 

makes herself available but who 

completely ignore the 

fundamental issues affecting 

women and girls. We have 

business men claiming to 

mentor and train young people 

while engineering a greedy 

financial or banking system that 

makes passive income from 

overcharging and exploiting 

businesses therefore making it 

virtually impossible for these 

same “mentees” to survive 

longer than two or three years. 

Attention and 

accolades 

The best part of this, from the 

perspective of the class warfare 

winners, is that Nigerians 

applaud and encourage their 

oppressors, lavishing them with 

attention and accolades. Each 

of us, lost in our personal, 

individual struggles fails to 

truly connect the dots between 

the collapse of public 

administration in Nigeria and 

the hardship we all encounter 

at various levels. This journey 

to self-destruction only 

intensifies with time: the stakes 

get higher and higher, poverty, 

violence and suffering are 

exploding all around us and we 

choose to pretend there is 

nothing we can do. 

We normalize injustice, 

blaming so-called culture and 

traditions, weak institutions etc. 

as if people like you and I 

weren’t responsible for 

Anenih 

THE former PDP Board of 

Trustees Chairman, Mr. 

Tony Anenih, recently passed 

away. In Nigeria, it is the 

accepted practice to brush all 

scandals away, despite the lack 

of resolution. 

While Mr. Anenih’s nearest 

and dearest mourn, the average 

Nigerian who only knew him 

through his reported actions 

leading to the 1993 annulment 

might still be wondering 

whatever happened to the 

December 2009 Senate report on 

the alleged mismanagement of 

billions of naira during his 

tenure as Minister under 

Obasanjo. 

It was said at the time that 

close to N300billion in a period 

of 10 years (1999-2009) meant 

for road construction around 

Nigeria was unaccounted for. 

There is also the matter of Olu 

Who is to blame for Nigeria’s dysfunction? 

Children hawking on the streets...who is to blame? 

upholding those practices or for 

corrupting those structures. If 

we do some soul searching, we 

are sure to find that from top to 

bottom each one of us is guilty 

of encouraging some corrupt 

practice or the other, some form 

of injustice and chaos. 

According to UNICEF the 

majority of the street children 

in Africa can be found in 

Nigeria, particularly in the 

North where almajiri children 

are victims of all manner of 

abuse and deprivation. 

When Zainab Ahmad, the 

Minister of Finance, mentioned 

the idea of religious leaders 

talking to their congregations 

about family planning, it was 

precisely because population 

pressure is a danger to Nigeria’s 

already overstretched and 

underfunded public services. 

We have turned religion and 

tradition into weapons, refusing 

rational thought and creativity, 

while, ironically, the “smaller” 

African countries we look down 

on continue to leave us behind. 

•The late Tony Anenih 

Falae’s revelation: that he 

received N100 million 

#Dasukigate money via 

Annenih. Only God can forgive 

the dead. The traumatised, 

impoverished living mustn’t 

ignore issues and questions left 

unanswered. 

Senegal, a majority Muslim 

country passed a number of 

laws protecting women in 

polygamous marriages: upon 

marriage Senegalese men are 

required by law to “tick” a box 

identifying whether they choose 

a monogamous marriage, or a 

polygamous marriage with 

What stops 

Nigeria from 

boasting of as 

many female 

parliamentarians 

as Rwanda or 

even Senegal? 

several sub-options (one wife, 

two wives or a maximum of four 

wives). 

A man who marries a woman 

and states he intends to be 

Metuh 

OLISA Metuh, the former 

PDP National Publicity 

Secretary said his trial (he is in 

court for receiving #DasukiGate 

funds) was based on the APC’s 

desire to stop him from 

criticizing Buhari. The media 

allows people who are in court 

to skew the narrative, however, 

whether we choose to ignore 

this or not, for a trial there must 

be evidence. 

What does Mr. Metuh make 

of the evidence the prosecution 

alleges links him to the funds? 

Why do Nigerians allow 

everything to be politicized to 

the point that eventually, all is 

forgotten, swept under the 

carpet with no real resolution? 

If Nigeria is to make any 

significant progress with the 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 —17 

monogamous can be sued by Islam practiced in Senegal is 

his wife if he tries to introduce the same as in Nigeria where 

the notion of a second wife Sunni Muslims are the majority, 

without her consent. He risks a so nothing more than choice 

six months jail term and 500, stops Nigerian leaders from 

000 CFA fine. A woman who installing progressive laws. As 

finds out her “co-wives” and for Nigerian women, some of 

their children receive greater the most vibrant and welleducated 

on the continent, it is 

care or financial benefits than 

she does can also seek redress stunning to find a number of us 

are still so passive on political 

issues. What stops Nigeria from 

boasting of as many female 

parliamentarians as Rwanda or 

even Senegal? Nothing more 

than elite selfishness: the 

Nigerian women who are 

allowed into the boys club are 

those who seek political power 

with no pro-people ideology to 

justify their quest and the rest 

of us are turned into willing 

sycophants when we applaud 

and endorse such individuals. 

It’s too easy to blame every 

government for the Nigerian 

conundrum without stopping to 

think of the role we play in 

upholding injustice, mediocrity 

and incompetence. The 2019 

contest is no different. There is 

no conversation on the issues. 

In fact, many of said issues are 

obscured by our unwillingness 

to identity corruption as the 

fundamental issue in Nigeria. 

Every issue we face circles back 

from the courts. The Senegalese to corruption in one way or the 

constitution recognizes male other. Yet, we continue to defend 

and female equality: so what is the rights of corrupt people to 

wrong with the Nigerian oppress us with their money or 

National Assembly? 

to buy our silence, with no end 

in sight. 

Atiku 

ACCORDING to INEC, the 

former Vice-President, 

Atiku Abubakar declared he 

earned N60.2 million as his 

personal income in three years. 

The PDP presidential 

candidate also indicated he 

paid N10.8 million in taxes 

between 2015 and 2017. Some 

civil society groups have come 

out to question this, such as 

Olugbenro Ogunoye, the 

National President of the 

Rebirth Nigeria Leadership and 

Good Governance Initiative, 

who claimed the amounts Atiku 

disclosed couldn’t even cover 

his “lifestyle” and first class trips 

for that period. 

This group also mentioned 

the alleged “dollar rain” at the 

PDP convention and a network 

of politicians and other 

individuals who supposedly 

•Olisa Metuh 

fight against corruption our 

society and our system must 

require the accused to truly 

prove their innocence rather 

than hide behind the idea of a 

witch-hunt. 

owe their incomes to the vicepresident. 

“Is he trying to tell 

us that he gave out the 

equivalent of his one year 

income to three delegates? 

Then, he must have been 

working for ten thousand years 

to pull that feat” they said. Atiku 

supporters consistently mention 

his business interests in media, 

shipping, education, 

manufacturing etc. to “prove” he 

creates jobs. 

How can all of these 

companies put together amount 

to “only” N60 million in income 

is the question many have 

raised, or more importantly, is 

all of that commensurate with 

“only” N10 million in taxes? The 

issue is that investigations in 

Nigeria rarely produce real 

results, therefore cheapening 

the entire exercise and the 

concepts of crime, punishment 

and social justice. 

In Nigeria everything 

remains hearsay and 

“inconclusive” thus allowing 

stranger and stranger notions 

and happenings: will Nigeria 

ever successfully investigate 

former leaders like Korea or 

Brazil? The former vicepresident 

says he earns N2 

million monthly which is 

interesting given what his 

private university alone is 

projected to make. What a 

country. 

Tabia Princewill is a 

strategic communications 

consultant and public policy 

analyst. She is also the cohost 

and executive producer 

of a talk show, WALK THE 

TALK which airs on 

Channels TV.


THE Federal Government has 

decided to respond to our runaway 

population growth by mooting a 

familiar proposal: promulgating a 

policy which will limit each mother 

to two children. 

The Minister of Finance, Hajiya 

Zainab Ahmed, at the recent 24th 

Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, 

disclosed that the plan, which is part 

of strategies to ensure the success of 

the Muhammadu Buhari 

government’s Economic Recovery and 

Growth Plan (ERGP), will align our 

population growth rate to economic 

growth and eventually exit Nigeria 

from its current poverty trap. 

Nigeria’s current population growth 

is about 3 per cent, while the slowly 

recovering economy is growing at 1.9 

per cent GDP. Coupled with heavy 

borrowings, indebtedness and other 

variables, this was partly responsible 

The one mother, two children proposal 

for the country’s new status as “the 

poverty capital of the world”. 

There is no doubt that any plan to 

enthrone economic prosperity in 

Nigeria must include a 

comprehensive strategy to slow the 

current growth rate of our population 

which is currently put at 198 million. 

It is estimated that at the current rate, 

the Nigerian population will be 

verging around 400 million by 2050, 

making the country the third most 

populous country in the world. 

The government’s intention is noble 

and imperative. China and India have 

successfully deployed similar policies 

to prevent population disasters and 

promote massive economic growth. 

The question is: will Nigeria be able 

to summon the willpower to 

implement such a socially-complex 

policy? 

This question is germane because in 

1987, General Ibrahim Babangida’s 

government launched a policy of one 

couple, four children maximum. But 

barely two years later, Babangida and 

his spouse with already four children, 

violated the policy by having a fifth 

child and justified it on the basis of 

their religious faith. 

Nigeria is a country where citizens 

saddle themselves with heavy 

religious and cultural burdens which 

they use to sabotage genuine efforts 

to leverage on best practices to 

develop the country. We doubt that the 

Acting Minister’s plans to dialogue 

with religious and community leaders 

will avail much. We hope it does. 

Nigerians must be made to see the 

wisdom in limiting our population 

growth and aligning it to our 

economic growth. Otherwise, we will 

not be able to avoid the disaster that 

China, with supreme willpower, was 

able to sidestep to become the world’s 

second most prosperous economy. 

To make the policy a success, Nigeria 

must unfold a regime of incentives and 

sanctions to curtail procreation. The 

effort to reduce our population growth 

is not that of the government alone. 

The people must see the need to key 

into it. For a society to survive and 

thrive, its attitude to religion and 

culture must be pragmatic and 

progressive. 

For us, it is now a matter of survival. 

By Sunny Ikhioya 

WHAT is it about electricity supply in 

Nigeria? Why is it so difficult to simplify 

and bring under manageable indices, when 

other climes have taken it for granted and 

moved on to greater things? 

We have had our hopes raised to the zenith 

and brought down to mother earth during 

the Obasanjo era, with Bola Ige's promise 

of six months delivery. We have also seen 

our common patrimony shared and handed 

over to an oligarchic few in the name of 

privatisation, hoping that the situation will 

improve. Yet, no luck. 

Now Babatunde Fashola, the wonder 

governor of Lagos state, whom all have 

embraced to bring the lingering challenge 

to an end is feeling deeply frustrated. With 

over three years on the job, he is yet to take 

off. In fact, he is crying foul. What is it about 

power? 

Certain private and privileged estates in this 

country have constant power supply 

twenty four hours a day. Why is it that they 

are succeeding and our power companies 

are failing? Is it about money, competence, 

or plain sabotage ? Is it about privatisation 

or government mismanagement ? 

Our politicians have started going round 

making promises, no one is looking at the 

root of the problems. How do we think we 

can make progress in this country without 

fixing the power situation? Do we truly 

realise that power affects all parts of our 

existence as a nation? Inflation, 

unemployment , peace and good health, 

criminality, self reliant productivity and 

shared prosperity are all consequences of 

an efficient or failed power generation 

management, depending on which side you 

belong. It is therefore, a crisis that any serious 

government has to take as number one 

priority. We are tired of treating the 

symptoms instead of the root causes. 

What went wrong in the days of Nigeria 

Electricity Power Authority, NEPA, and 

what are the problems today? Can we say 

what we have now is full privatisation or 

partial? Can we achieve success with partial 

privatisation and overbearing government 

interventions? Should the government take 

back the full running of power, since the 

present handlers are always complaining 

of limited funds to run the business and 

acquire up to date technologies? 

Alternatively, should we do a rebidding of 

the whole power companies, that will be 

very transparent and open to only companies 

with the required capabilities to run it and 

provide for up to date facilities? The 

challenge of power in this country is so 

confusing that it defies logic. 

To make it simpler, can't we just decentralise 

power and put people in charge of their 

own destiny? Can't we all, from top to down, 

just decide it is public power or never, for 

once? Are the people properly sensitised 

on the proper handling of public property? 

Do we have accurate statistics of actual 

consumption capabilities and patterns? Can 

we just keep it simple? 

Are the technologies of the past inadequate 

for now? If mistakes have been made in the 

past, why don't we scrap the past and begin 

afresh, instead of struggling to fix the 

impossible? Do they -government- have the 

political will to remove bottlenecks clogging 

the power industry? 

As it is presently, the minister in charge of 

power, Babatunde Fashola, seems to be 

exasperated with the shenanigans going 

on and has clearly shown his inability to 

contain the situation. 

Is increasing tariff the solution? When you 

OPINION 

Breaking the electricity supply jinx 

Wed pg 18 , Oct 29 

increase tariff and cannot deliver service to 

the consumer, what happens? What happens 

to the myriads of estimated billings in the 

midst of darkness? What about the 

unaccounted for supplies, that goes to 

saboteurs, area boys and powerful politicians 

and leaders? It is clear that, even with 

privatisation, there are areas that the Disco 

staff will not attempt to set foot on, to collect 

tariff, either because of inefficiencies related 

to their services or fear of retribution from 

A country that 

continues to wallow 

in darkness will 

never make 

meaningful progress 

area boys. How do we contain situations 

such as this? Do we have the right 

manpower? 

Preently, most of the trained and 

experienced power staff have either been 

retired or sacked, the few that are left behind 

are exhibiting their inability to cope with 

the situation. Their integration into the new 

system should have been preceded by 

detailed and diligent training programme 

that will emphasise a new orientation and 

focus. From what we have seen so far, this 

was not done properly, the bulk of workers 

we have there are casual workers, recruited 

as artisans, to either connect or disconnect 

electricity supply, nothing more. They lack 

equipments, training, etiquette and other 

basics of professionalism. The power 

industry cannot make progress under such 

conditions. Go to Disco offices round the 

country, you will find many untrained 

staff. 

The transmission companies face the same 

plight. I was in the office of one of their 

managers, in the process I overheard people 

complaining, I then asked the person when 

he or any of his colleague last attended 

training or seminar on the latest power trend 

and he told me, that ended since 

government handed over, the new owners 

are not interested in that , can you imagine 

this? You are not training and offering staff 

refresher seminars, how do you expect the 

business to make progress? 

It is clear that people have seen the power 

projects in Nigeria as an avenue for personal 

enrichment instead of the development of 

shared prosperity, for the common good of 

all. It is not of concern to them that the people 

and fellow country men are suffering. One 

of them was even asked government for a 

refund. Did they think electricity 

supply is a bazaar? What a joke! 

Can we all just concentrate on fixing power 

for once? Even if it will take the whole 

budget, let us do it, the long term benefits 

cannot be quantified. It has to be done 

because the success in the power sector, will 

determine how far we can go in our attempt 

to build a self reliant and progressive nation. 

We cannot do without electricity. 

Spiritually, it is said that light will take over 

darkness and progress will be in the land. 

A country that continues to wallow in 

darkness will never make meaningful 

progress. 

Power is a force, it is a catalyst, if properly 

handled and fixed, can bring great joy to 

our nation. 

*Mr .Ikhioya www.southsouthecho.com 

Twitter: @SunnyIkhioya

Nigeria’s Personal Well-Being Index 

drops by 2.3-points in Q3’18 

By Udeme Akpan 

THE NOIPolls Personal 

Well-Being Index (PWBI) 

recorded a 2.3 points decline of 

in the third quarter of 2018, 

Q3’18 to stand at 62.9 points as 

against 65.2 points obtained in 

the previous quarter, Q2’18. 

The NOIPolls Personal 

Wellbeing Index measures the 

satisfaction of respondents on 

various aspects of their lives and 

a decline in these indices 

indicates a general 

dissatisfaction with the current 

state of affairs around them. 

In its latest report obtained by 

Vanguard, NOIPolls stated: “Six 

of the seven factors that 

constitute the PWBI experienced 

a decline except the achievement 

index which experienced a 

marginal increase. 

“The highest decline was seen 

in the Economic Index with a 4.9- 

points decline to stand at 37.1- 

points from the 42.0-points 

obtained in Q2’18, this slight 

decrease corroborates the 

NOIPolls’ Consumer Confidence 

Index (CCI) Q3’18 report 

recently released which revealed 

a 6.2-point decline from the result 

obtained in Q2 2018.” 

It stated further: “The Personal 

Security Index saw the second 

highest decline of 3.8-points to 

stand at 59.7-points in Q3’18 from 

63.5-points obtained in Q2’18. 

The reason for this further drop 

in the Personal Security Index 

could be attributed to the series 

of security breaches across the 

length and breadth of the country 

which require urgent and 

stringent steps to contain”. 

In February 2014, NOIPolls 

Limited introduced its portfolio 

of indices; the NOIPolls Personal 

Well-Being Index (PWBI), the 

NOIPolls Consumer Confidence 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$114.80 0.55 

2,218.00 23.00 

$13.34 -0.16 

$75.35 -0.99 

$65.63 -0.41 

305.6 306.1 306.6 

391.0237 392.6651 393.3065 

348.2618 348.8316 349.4014 

305.6611 306.1612 306.6613 

2.7189 2.7233 2.7278 

0.5084 0.5184 0.5284 

421.3447 422.034 422.7234 

43.9103 43.9826 44.0549 

81.4673 81.6006 81.7338 

423.3782 424.0709 424.7636 

46.67 46.7464 46.8227 

21.0967 21.1312 21.1657 

CBN Exchange rate as at 30/10/2018 

Index (CCI) and the NOIPolls 

Eagle 30 Business Confidence 

Index (EBCI). The NOIPolls 

Personal Well-Being Index 

measures factors impacting on 

the lives of everyday Nigerians; 

thereby producing a complete 

view of the individual’s personal 

well-being. 

The NOIPolls Consumer 

Confidence Index provides 

consumer assessments of the 

economic situation and their 

intentions and expectations for 


Dangote refinery 

will transform, 

diversify Nigeria’s 

economy — Edwin 

the future. The NOIPolls Eagle 

30 Business Confidence Index 

measures business leaders’ 

perceptions and expectations 

about the Nigerian business 

environment using the top 30 

companies in the country. 

L-R: Abisola Bisiriyu, Financial Controller, SFS Capital Nigeria Limited; Dimeji Sonowo, 

Executive Director, SFS Capital Nigeria Limited; ?Mr. Oscar N. ?Onyema OON, CEO, Nigerian 

Stock Exchange; Patrick Ilodianya, Managing Director, ? SFS Capital Nigeria Limited; Motadeni 

Balogun, United Capital Trustees; Oladayo Osawemem, Head, Finance & Mortgage Asset (Union 

Homes REIT), at the Gong Ringing Ceremony for Union Homes REIT 

CBN issues Code of Corporate Governance 

to BDCs 

•Bars families from dominating boards 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, in a bid to 

further strengthen financial institutions 

and reposition them to 

perform their statutory roles, has 

issued a new Code of Corporate 

Governance for Bureau De 

Changes (BDCs) in the country. 

In a circular to Other 

Financial Institutions 

(OFIs), signed by Director 

Financial Policy 

and Regulation Department, 

CBN, Kevin 

Amugo, the bank 

stated: “Pursuant to 

the provisions of section 

33 (1) b of the CBN 

Act No. 7 of 2007; and 

sections 57, 61-33 of 

the Bank and Other Financial 

Institution Act 

(BOFIA) of 1991 (as 

amended), the CBN 

hereby issues the 

Code of Corporate 

Governance in respect 

of the under-listed six 

Other Financial Institutions 

(OFIs): Microfinance 

Banks, Development 

Finance 

Banks, Primary Mortgage 

Banks, Mortgage 

Refinance Companies, Finance 

Companies and BDCs.” 

Section 2 of the code stated: 

“On separation of powers, the 

positions of the Board Chairman 

and the Managing Director/Chief 

Executive Officer 

shall be separate. No one person 

shall combine the two positions 

in any BDC at the same 

time. For the avoidance of 

doubt, no executive Vice Chairman 

shall be allowed in the 

Board structure. 

“Not more than two members 

of a family shall be on the board 

of a BDC at the same time. The 

expression ‘family’ includes 

director’s spouse, parents, children, 

siblings, cousins, uncles, 

aunts, nephews, nieces and inlaws. 

“Where the BDC is a member 

of a holding company, not more 

than two family members shall 

be allowed to serve on the 

Boards of the BDC and the holding 

company. No two members 

of a family shall occupy the positions 

of Chairman and MD/ 

CEO of a BDC.” 

Rights Issue subscribers will benefit from this year’s 

dividend — May & Baker 

By Peter Egwuatu 

THE existing shareholders 

of May & Baker Nigeria Plc 

who will subscribe to the 980 new 

ordinary shares being offered by 

the company now stand the 

chance of benefiting from the 

expected 2018 financial year dividend. 

The Group Managing Director/CEO 

of the company, Mr. 

Nnamdi Okafor, who disclosed 

this to Vanguard said with a N3 

billion authorized capital only 

N490 million of which is paid up, 

May & Baker remains an investment 

haven for discerning investors. 

He stated: “The shareholders 

who will subscribe to the new 

shares being offered will have the 

benefit of reaping dividend to be 

declared this 2018 financial year. 

Note that May & Baker has consistently 

paid dividend over the 

years.” 

However, Okafor lamented that 

the economic environment has not 

really helped the manufacturing 

sector, stressing that production in 

the pharmaceutical sector of the 

country has been greatly constrained 

by the past economic recession 

that affected the country. 

He said: “The pharmaceutical 

companies experience difficulties 

in producing drugs, dispensable, 

By Udeme Akpan 

THE $12 billion Dangote 

refinery will transform and diversify 

Nigeria’s economy when 

completed in 2019. 

Speaking at the on-going Oil Trading 

and Logistics (OTL) conference 

in Lagos, yesterday, Mr. 

Devakumar Edwin, Executive Director, 

Dangote Group said that the 

650,000 barrel per day refinery will 

stimulate economic development in 

Nigeria. 

Edwin, who was represented by 

the Director, Business Strategy and 

Optimisation, Dangote Refinery, 

Mr. Srinivas Rachakonda described 

the refinery as one of the most strategic 

socio-economic projects in Nigeria. 

He said that the refinery was designed 

to process a variety of light 

and medium grades of crude and 

produce extremely clean fuels that 

meet Euro V specification. 

The Dangote boss said that usually, 

the sulphur in petroleum fuels 

results in vehicle exhaust emissions 

that have negative impact on health 

and environment, adding that the 

Dangote plant has invested in most 

advanced technology to produce 

Euro V fuel due to help Nigeria meet 

the European Standard of gasoline. 

Rachakonda said that the project 

will provide thousands of direct and 

indirect jobs and add value to the 

Nigeria’s economic development, 

noting that the refinery will lead to 

significant skills transfer and technology 

acquisition opportunities in 

the country. 

Also speaking, the 

former Executive Secretary, 

Petroleum Product 

Pricing Regulatory 

Agency (PPPRA), Mr. 

Reginald Stanley, said 

Dangote Refinery is going 

to be a game changer for 

the entire African downstream 

industry. 

Stanley said that the refinery 

would attract global 

attention and market when 

completed, adding that the 

initiative has raised hope 

for other African countries 

on the viability of investing 

in a huge refinery. 

etc. These constraints arise as 

a result of exchange rate fluctuations, 

import duties, high 

taxation, poor infrastructure, inadequate 

human capital and 

non-availability of raw materials. 

This is as a result of the over 

dependence on the Nigerian oil 

market, excessive dependence 

on imports for both consumption 

and capital goods”. 

On other constraints, he stated: 

“The poor state of Apapa Road 

has affected our business. Imagine 

there are some of our raw materials 

that are in still in the port 

yet to be cleared because of bad 

road. When we need these raw 

materials we cannot access them 

and that is a big challenge.”

20 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

Manufacturing: Govt needs inclusive sustainable 

policies to encourage local investors — Gbededo 

PAUL Gbededo, is 

the Group 

Managing Director / 

Chief Executive Officer 

of Flour Mills of 

Nigeria Plc. In this 

interview, he 

enumerated the 

challenges facing flour 

millers and need for 

g o v e r n m e n t 

intervention. He said 

Government needs to 

encourage inclusive, 

sustainable and 

enforceable policies to 

encourage local 

investors. Excerpt. 

The year is ending in a few 

months, what is your 

general assessment of the 

flour milling industry? 

There is no denying the 

fact that Wheat remains one 

of the most important 

agricultural commodities in 

Nigeria today.And with the 

increasing numbers in our 

population, and the growing 

mouths to feed, it has 

perhaps become even more 

significant as a cash crop 

and deserving of the interest 

that it has garnered lately. 

2018 has no doubt been an 

interesting year. We have 

seen a lot of changes, in not 

just the flour milling 

industry but, in the 

manufacturing sector, and 

the Nigerian economy as a 

whole. Nigeria is witnessing 

an increase in the growth 

patterns for the non-oil 

sectors and its contribution 

to the GDP, for the first time 

in many years, and we are 

only hopeful that this trend 

will continue well into 2019 

as focus shifts to the 

agriculture 

and 

manufacturing sectors. 

Predictably, in 2018, we 

saw a drop in the demand for 

wheat, and other wheatbased 

products. This can be 

attributed to the low 

disposable income and 

purchasing power in the 

market, with direct impact 

on the margins and 

profitability in the industry. 

As the economy improves, 

we envisage that we will see 

some appreciation here. For 

a country with about 180 

million people, the official 

statistic record of 69gramme 

per capita for wheat 

consumption 

is 

comparatively still very low. 

In South Africa, wheat 

consumption is at 318 

gramme per capita. So, 

there is plenty room for 

improvement. 

One of our biggest 

challenges in the industry, 

today, is perhaps the 

concerns for the amount of 

wheat that is imported. In 

Paul Gbededo, Group/CEO, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc 

2017, Nigeria’s wheat import 

was at 4.6 million tons, but 

this figure dropped by 

15percent in 2018. This can 

be attributed in the most part 

to the effort of companies 

like Flour Mills, and of 

course, the Flour Millers 

Association of Nigeria 

(FMAN), who have invested 

heavily in the rapid 

improvement of locally 

grown wheat while 

gradually moving Nigeria 

closer to the vision of 

attaining self-sufficiency in 

Wheat production in 

Nigeria. 

To what extent has 

government policies, 

benefited the industrial 

sector? 

Nigeria has just emerged 

from what can be described 

as one its most challenging 

periods. 2015 and 2016 were 

particularly challenging 

years for businesses in 

Nigeria. That been said, a lot 

of the stability that we are 

witnessing today in the nonoil 

and productive sectors 

can very easily be attributed 

to policy interventions by the 

government. The CBN and 

Bank of Industry for example 

have been very visible in the 

progress that has been 

recorded so far. From 2016 to 

date, the CBN had 

introduced several 

intervention initiatives like 

the N40 billion. Anchor 

borrowers Programme 

(ABP), and the introduction 

of the importers & Exporters, 

and Small and Medium 

Enterprises (SMEs) Forex 

windows. These are but a few 

of these examples. The 

Presidential Enabling 

Business Environment 

Council (PEBEC) is also 

worth mentioning. The 

improvement in the ease of 

registration of companies 

within a short time has had 

a positive impact on the 

sector as well. 

There are still all manners 

of imported flour in the 

market. How is this 

affecting the flour millers? 

Other than the obvious 

danger to investments in the 

sector, and likely threat to 

jobs, and the loss of local 

capacity utilization; perhaps 

most worrisome is impact 

some these imported flour 

brands will have on 

consumers. For starters, local 

flour is fortified with vitamins 

A & C, unlike the imported 

flours that lack fortification. 

As expected, the 

inefficiencies at the 

ports coupled with 

the traffic 

congestion on 

Apapa road has 

been a major cause 

of worry for 

manufacturers. 

Port congestion has 

remained a major challenge 

in Nigeria. How is this 

affecting the Flour Millers? 

As at today, Nigeria 

controls about 70 percent of 

the cargo traffic of the entire 

West and Central Africa, with 

a majority of that traffic 

routed through Apapa port. 

As expected, the 

inefficiencies at the ports 

coupled with the traffic 

congestion on Apapa road 

has been a major cause of 

worry for manufacturers. The 

port congestion is quite 

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President Dangote Group 

simply a major symptom of 

the large scale 

infrastructural decay and 

deficit at the ports. The 

impact that this has on the 

logistics for import and 

export activities is better left 

imagined. Thankfully, we 

have witnessed an improved 

interest by the government to 

resolving some of these 

challenges. And the organized 

private sector is only happy to 

help. As you must be aware, 

FMN and other partners have 

already committed about N4.3 

billion into the complete 

overhaul of the Apapa wharf 

road. 

Four years after 

privatization of the power 

sector, Nigeria is still far from 

enjoying regular electricity 

supply. How is your company 

managing the situation? 

The privatization of the power 

sector is a policy in the right 

direction. A private sector 

driven market is the best 

approach to ensuring the 

provision of efficient and 

quality service in the power 

sector. While it is true that a lot 

of the challenges in that sector 

persists, I imagine that with 

time and a little more 

resources, we should start to 

see some improvements. 

Judging by the mode of our 

business and operations, we 

require 24 hours uninterrupted 

power supply, and have over 

the years developed our 

capacity to meet our power 

needs. We now have about 20 

to 40 percent redundancy rate 

for power generated from diesel 

and gas. We are now in a 

position to generate and 

distribute power to our 

neighbors and have applied 

for a license to facilitate this. 

How would you rate 

consumer purchasing 

power in the present 

economic situation? 

In the past 10 years we 

have witnessed a steady 

decline of disposable income 

in the country, a rise in 

poverty rates and the near 

death of the middle class. 

The devaluation of the Naira 

for a country that is largely 

import dependent, coupled 

with challenges faced by 

several public workers who 

have been owed salaries for 

months have put a major strain 

on economic activities in the 

country. 

What further steps need to 

be taken to establish a viable 

food and beverage sector? 

The size and growth rate of 

Nigeria’s populations is a clear 

indication of the growth 

potentials of agro-processing 

and manufacturing sectors. 

Nigeria must continue to focus 

on growing its local content by 

encouraging, innovation, 

implementing backward 

integration policies and 

creating an enabling 

environment that will 

encourage and stimulate 

investments in the real sectors. 

We need to focus on increasing 

capacity, especially in areas or 

comparative advantage and 

continue to actively encourage, 

the development and purchase 

of ‘Made in Nigeria,’ products. 

In your opinion, what do 

you think government should 

do to ameliorate the 

challenges in sector? 

Government needs to 

encourage inclusive, 

sustainable and enforceable 

policies to encourage local 

investors. There must be 

conscious effort to address not 

just the issues of dilapidating 

infrastructure like road, rail, 

and power, but also to build 

capacity in the real sector.

33% PR practitioners experienced business 

downturn in 2017 — Report 

…Projects 2018/19 political campaign to boost profit 

Stories by Princewill 

Ekwujuru 

THE Nigerian Public 

Relations (PR) 

Report, an annual PR 

research, published by 

BHM, a PR agency, said 

33 percent of PR 

practitioners agree that 

profitability in PR 

dropped in 2017 

compared to 20 percent 

in 2016, but expects 

political campaign in 

2018/19 to shore up 

profit. 

The report, which is a 

joint product of Brentt 

Consulting, Nigeria, 

stated that PR 

practitioners said the 

2016/17 economic 

recession in the country 

was responsible for the 

downturn in PR 

businesses in 2017. 

The practitioners said 

currency volatility, 

macro-economic shocks 

and policy issues with 

big spenders caused the 

downturn in PR Spend. 

The Report said PR 

practitioners attributed 

decline in PR Profit to the 

need for increased 

creativity and 

innovativeness, 

pedigree and good track 

record, clear 

understanding of clients’ 

business on the part of 

PR agencies. 

The 2017 PR report 

which is divided into 

seven sections covering 

various areas of interest 

revealed that the first 

section, Research 

Findings, gives an 

industry overview and 

state of Nigeria’s PR 

industry. 

According to the 

report, PR practitioners 

said digital/ social media 

marketing that offered 

PR services contributed 

to decline in PR profit in 

2017. 

Another factor the 

responsible for the fall in 

PR profit in 2017, 

according to the report, 

was the disposition of 

communication 

managers towards PR. 

For this reason, PR is the 

mostly hit of all 

companies’ supplies 

items in terms of cost 

rationalization. 

The Report also pointed 

out that most micro-mini 

and mid-sized companies 

avoided PR agencies in 

2017, leaving the space 

for mostly large PR firms. 

It added that mid-sized 

agencies (billing-wise) 

faced challenges like 

their micro- and mega 

counterparts. 

According to the report, 

companies whose PR 

Spend were in the 

budget of N0 – N5m, 

N6m – N10m, in 2015 did 

not engage PR agencies 

in 2017. It also showed 

there were drops in the 

numbers of agencies 

whose annual revenue 

were N11million– 

N20million, N21million– 

N50million and 

N100million – 

N150million between 

2015 and 2017. 

In 

another 

development, report 

stated that digital/social 

media marketing was the 

most sought after and 

offered service in the 

Nigeria PR industry 

with over 80percent of 

respondents using it, 

because 

the 

measurement is more 

accurate than the 

traditional media. 

Specialist in Strategic 

PR, Media and 

R e p u t a t i o n 

Management, Moliehi 

Molekoa said: “Now, 

more than ever before, 

PR professionals are 

under pressure to be 

more thoughtful, more 

creative and focused on 

delivering value for their 

clients. What makes a PR 

person different from the 

regular ‘tweet’ is their 

ability to bring to bear the 

traditional principles of 

PR in a technologically 

sophisticated 

communications terrain.” 

Corroborating, 

Associate Analyst, 

Online Community 

Management, Chain 

Reactions Nigeria, 

Uchechi Onuoha told 

Vanguard Companies 

and Markets (C&M): “It 

really just affirms the 

saying that the world is 

a global village. Any PR 

outfit that has not 

realized that it needs to 

be digital/social media 

savvy, no matter how 

basic, is really just setting 

itself up for failure. 

“Indeed, a future 

focused PR firm should 

invest heavily in the 

digital capabilities of its 

people or attract new 

talents with those 

capabilities. Everything 

happens online now – 

news, banking, 

entertainment and so on. 

SO&U boss advocates industry regulation to curb political smear 

campaigns 

From left: Abiola Otukoya, Mall Manager; Dapo Oluwasusi, Mall Managing Director; 

Abiodun Balogun, Chairman, all of Leisure Mall; Emmanuel Isangediok, 

Marketing Manager, SPAR Nigeria; Hargovind Daliyat, Retail Operation Head, 

SPAR Nigeria and Vasudevan K, Executive Director SPAR Nigeria at the opening of 

the new SPAR outlet at Leisure Mall, Surulere, Lagos. 

GROUP Managing Director 

of SO&U Group, 

Mr. Udeme Ufot has urged 

stakeholders in the communication 

industry to 

take a critical look at issues 

concerning management 

of electioneering campaign 

communications, 

specifically during the 

2019 electioneering year. 

The SO&U boss who was 

speaking at the forum on 

Political Communication, 

organized by the Advertising 

Practitioners Council 

of Nigeria (APCON) in 

Abuja, called for campaign 

communications to be fair 

and truthful enough to aid 

democratic choice by the 

electorate and devoid of 

any traits that could precipitate 

violent conflicts. 

In a paper titled, “Trends 

and Consequences of 

Smear Political Campaigns”, 

he said: “ political 

smear campaigns utilize 

unverifiable rumours 

and distortions, half-truths 

and even outright lies. 

The media consumption 

pattern of most of the 

target groups has also 

been heavily influenced 

by the digital/social 

media world.” 

However, Managing 

Partner of Greenland 

Communications, 

Owerri, Imo state, Ijeoma 

Njoku said: “The 

traditional method of 

disseminating 

information through the 

newspapers cannot die, 

despite what the digital 

and social media is doing 

online. 

“The client still wants 

their products or 

campaign talked about in 

the Newspapers and 

broadcast stations. The 

traditional media and the 

digital can work hand-inhand, 

the best for the 

client.” 

On the declining profit, 

Managing Consultant, 

Precise Reputation 

Design, Bolaji Okusaga 

said: “The state of affairs 

has been driven largely 

by currency volatility, 

macro-economic shocks 

and policy issues with 

big spenders like MTN 

and Etisalat (now 

9Mobile) in the Telecom 

sector, Unilever and P&G 

in the FMCG sector 

crawling back with 

consequent squeeze on 

the local PR industry.” 

On perspective of 

improving Nigeria’s PR 

industry status, 

Okusaga stated: “2018 

promises to be brighter 

and better, given the 

obvious recovery of the 

economy and a projected 

increase in government 

and political spending 

being a year before the 

general elections.” 

Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, an 

integrated marketing 

communications 

professional highlighted 

some of the attributes 

that clients expect from 

Phillips Consulting unveils new brand identity, unveils MD 

Even when the facts are 

seen to lack substance, it 

targets reputation; in most 

cases it has already tarnished 

reputation before 

the truth is known. Often 

PHILIP Consulting 

Limited, (PCL) has 

unveiled a new brand 

identity as well 

as presents its new Managing 

Director, Mr. Robert 

Taiwo to the business community. 

Speaking about the new 

brand identity at the Nigeria-South 

Africa Chamber 

of Commerce AGM in Lagos, 

Taiwo said: “We wanted 

to refresh our brand, 

whilst not taking it away 

from the strong name reputation 

we have built over 

the years. Mr. Phillips also 

wanted to create an identity 

that would begin to separate 

him from the institution 

he has built by de-emphasising 

his name and 

changing the name to 

PCL, which also created 

the flexibility to do more 

exciting things beyond the 

label of consulting”. 

The PCL boss explained 

that the major service offerings 

of the firm will be 

in Strategy and Operations 

Transformation, Digital and 

Technology Consulting 

and People Transformation. 

”33" Export deepens friendship through consumer 

engagement 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, October 31, 2018 — 21 

such targets are typically 

forced to focus on correcting 

the false or erroneous 

impression rather than 

the real issue” 

He cited that when political 

campaigns are not 

issue based, there is a 

strong tendency to dwell 

on theatrics, verbal assaults 

and character assassination. 

“33” Export lager beer 

has expressed its preparedness 

to deepen bonds of 

friendship through its consumer 

engagement platform, 

‘Friendship Experience 

Party’ 

Speaking, in Asaba, Delta 

state, Brand Portfolio 

Manager, Mainstream Lager 

and Stout Brands, Emmanuel 

Agu, said: “The 

importance of having 

friends and spending quality 

time with them cannot 

be over-emphasized as research 

has shown that people 

with a wide network of 

friends have less tension, 

suffer from less stress, and 

live longer. 

He continued, “ “33” Export 

lager beer initiated the 

Friendship Experience party 

and ‘City of Friends’ 

events in an effort to provide 

unique friendship experiences 

while also creating 

opportunities for consumers 

to bond, party and 

create memorable moments. 

The Friendship experience 

party which has been 

on for a couple 

their agencies which 

have invariably led to 

decline in PR profit 

attributed it to need for 

increased stakeholders 

reach, creativity and 

innovativeness, pedigree 

and good track record, 

professionalism, clear 

understanding of clients’ 

business, quick 

turnaround time, among 

others. 

In her words: “There’s 

a lot that goes into being 

a successful PR 

consultancy or 

consultant. And while 

everyone takes a unique 

path, there’s one 

prerequisite that stands 

in the way of becoming 

successful: You have to 

possess a weighty 

understanding of who 

you are and what you 

bring to the table. In 

order to help others, you 

need to be acutely aware 

of your strengths, 

weaknesses, past 

experiences, and future 

aspirations and 

limitations.” 

New TV 

brand, TCL, 

hits market 

By Blessing Adegor 

THE Creative Life 

Television, otherwise 

known as TCL TV, has 

been unveiled. 

The new TV brand which 

presently is rated number 

three in the world and reputed 

to be America’s fastest 

growing brand birthed 

in Nigeria with improved 

picture resolution, viewing 

experience and a value 

based pricing model. 

While introducing the 

product to the media and 

dealers, Chairman of TCL, 

Mr. Adnan Mehdi said: 

“TCL the fastest growing 

brand in technology is 

going to become the 

number one in the nearest 

future. We are doing 

everything possible to offer 

this premium brand to 

home in Nigeria.” 

Managing Director, Mr. 

Hassan Mehdi said: “We 

have established a new 

entity for TCL to build trust, 

transparency and 

confidence. We hope you 

enjoy this experience.” 

TCL being a global 

manufacturer of smart 

products and provider of 

internet application 

services was founded in 

1981. It has grown from a 

small joint venture 

producing audio tapes in 

Huizhou into a global 

corporation, which engage 

in a wide range of business 

such as telephone, TV, 

mobile phones, 

refrigerators, washing 

machines, air conditioners 

and many more. 

According to Mehdi, 

ever since its invention in 

1981, the brand has 

globally gained recognition 

with 19 years of 

international development 

history that has produced 

about 13.2 million sets 

taking 27 per cent in the 

North American market, 

South America 47 per cent 

and Europe 73 per cent.

C 

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22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 — 23

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018


C 

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26— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

GenesysIGNITE Tech convergence: Young Nigerian tech start-ups to get 

$30.000 seed funding 

By Juliet Umeh 

To explore the latest 

technology trends, its role 

in building national economy, 

a technology establishment, 

Genesys Tech hub, said 

participating Nigerian young 

entrepreneurs at their 

upcoming event tagged: 

‘GenesysIGNITE 2018’ will get 

professional insights to realize 

growth opportunities. 

GenesysIGNITE is an 

annual Tech convergence that 

seeks to congregate young 

Entrepreneurs/Startups, 

Industry Leaders, Visionaries, 

Innovators, CTOs, CIOs, 

Engineers, Developers, 

Designers, and Tech 

Enthusiasts, with a main 

objective to explore latest 

technology trends & its role in 

building national economy and 

to proffer professional insights 

particularly for the 

participating startups. 

The event which holds 

November in Centenary city, in 

Enugu state will have the 

Governor of Enugu State, 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as a Guest 

of honour while former Senate 

President Chief Ken Nnamani 

will be the chairman. 

Co-host of the event, Mr 

Chukwuemeka Agbata, said 

the purpose of GenesysIGNITE 

2018 is to ensure that 

technology development is 

spread evenly across the 

country. 

Agbata said the event will 

also promote and display the 

achievements of the country’s 

young entrepreneurs, with 

outstanding business 

solutions, leveraging 

innovative technologies and 

digital initiatives. 

He said: “GenesysIGNITE will 

expose participating startups to 

potential mentors and investors 

during the event; ultimately 

seeking to become a catalyst for 

more innovative solutions. 

“Graduates, undergraduates 

and budding-entrepreneurs will 

have the opportunity to pitch 

their start-up ideas to a panel. 

The top innovative ventures will 

be granted a seed fund of up to 

$30, 000 in cash and support,” 

Agbata added. 

Black Friday: Digital sales promo with 

different benefits, controversies 

•Jumia declares 90% discount on over four million products 

•Konga replaces Black Friday with Konga Yakata 

•Abuja based e-commerce researcher says Black Friday, insult to Nigeria, Africa 

By Prince Osuagwu 

(Hi-Tech Editor) 

By tomorrow, another 

Black Friday season 

kicks off. Presently, 

Black Friday is widely 

regarded as the busiest 

shopping event of the year. It 

provides shoppers with the 

opportunity of buying goods 

and services at very affordable 

costs - mostly, at half the original 

prices. 

Statistics show that 2017 Black 

Friday raked in a whopping 

$700 billion throughout the 

November – December period, 

representing an increase of 

5.5% on that of 2016. 

Out of that sum, $7.9 billion 

accrued on online sales alone, 

representing an increase of 

17.9% on that of 2016. 

Accordingly, both online and 

brick and mortar shops are 

gearing towards the 

controversial sales promo 

period. 

Jumia declares 90% 

discount 

Jumia Nigeria has 

announced that about four 

million products on its online 

shopping mall would be 

offered to customers on 90 

percent discount as it kicks off 

its 6th Black Friday sales 

campaign. 

The e-commerce 

platform said the 

effort was to help 

revolutionise the 

shopping habit of 

Nigerians and as well 

promote the 

convenience of 

online shopping in 

the country. 

It also added that 

the gesture will also 

see small and 

medium businesses 

across the country, 

increasing their sales 

and growing in the 

process. 

Chief executive officer of 

Jumia Nigeria, Mrs Juliet 

Anammah at a press 

conference to flag off the 

campaign in Lagos said the 

campaign will run from Friday, 

02, November to November 

30th, 2018. 

Anammah also stated that 

special deals such as flash 

sales, treasure hunts and 

s p e c i a l 

vouchers will be 

exclusively 

Last year, 

79% of our 

customers 

shopped on 

mobile phones 

and we are 

looking to 

upturn the 

numbers to 

100% at the 

end of 2018 

available to 

customers who 

shop on the 

Jumia App. 

According to 

her, “we expect 

to see an 

increase of 50% 

website traffic 

as a build up 

over last year’s 

Black Friday. 

The rise of 

m o b i l e 

STATS: 

• $700 bn: 

2017 Black 

Friday sales 

• 5.5%: 

Increase from 

2016 

• $7.9bn: 

Online sales in 

2017 

penetration in the country 

which stands at 84% is one of 

the factors driving our App and 

website visits; others being our 

amazing deals. Last year, 79% 

of our customers shopped on 

mobile phones and we are 

looking to upturn the numbers 

to 100% at the end of 2018, in 

order to achieve the country’s 

goal of becoming a mobile-first 

country,” she added. 

Speaking of the concerted 

efforts Jumia has made in 

providing customers with 

varities of quality products, the 

chief commercial officer of 

Jumia Nigeria, Shobhit Pandey 

said: “We have doubled our 

product assortment compared 

to 2017 Black Friday campaign. 

This year, with the support of 

our vendors, we are offering 

our customers discounts as high 

as 80% on categories such as 

men’s and women’s fashion, 

70% on wristwatches and 

sunglasses, 65% on health and 

beauty products, 50% on mobile 

phones, electronics, and 

groceries, and 40% on fitness 

and automobile products. 

Unlike last year, these amazing 

deals will only be 

available every 

Friday of the week in 

the month of 

November.” 

Also, Managing 

director, Binatone 

Nigeria, Prasun 

Banerjee, who 

spoke about why the 

partnership with 

Jumia for Black 

Friday will help 

deepen ecommerce 

penetration in the 

country, said: 

“Jumia has made 

the Black Friday 

sales event a 

wonderful 

opportunity for us to 

offer huge discounts 

to their customers, 

thereby enabling us 

to sell more items 

than we projected. This means 

that more Nigerians will shop 

during this period.” 

Meanwhile, the country 

manager for Jumia Services, 

Jumia’s logistics arm, Tolulope 

George-Yanwah assured of 

excellent delivery services 

during and after the campaign, 

having discovered that 

logistics constitute major 

challenges during Black 

Friday, and these have been 

fixed ahead of November 2nd. 

Explaining why app usage is 

important to Jumia in this Black 

Friday, Head of Engagement 

Marketing, Jumia Nigeria, 

Olamide Amosu said: “We’re 

focused to turn a profit, thus 

going from being “in the red” 

to being “in the black. 

“today, many Nigerians who 

have little or no idea of the 

associated meanings or 

etymology of the term – Black 

Friday – glory in the 

consumerism-driven fever 

which advertising has helped 

entrench in the minds without 

paying heed to how the term 

came about. 

“When an entire people lose 

their way and emulate 

culturally-alien concepts, there 

should be a conscious effort to 

query the norm, to ask 

questions and to customize 

these imports to suit native 

circumstances or existential 

realities”. 

He advised Africans to look 

inwards for a more fitting term, 

Continues on page 27

KStar: How Nigeria’s power outages 

necessitated first online power backup system 

By Prince Osuagwu & 

Blessing Okereke 

Nigeria today, is 

regarded as the biggest 

economy in Africa. However, 

its power sector is performing 

far below the level of an 

economy of this magnitude. 

Over half of the population 

has no access to gridconnected 

electricity and 

those who are connected to the 

grid suffer extensive power 

outages. 

The power outages, fuel 

massive data and information 

losses which leave victims 

emotionally traumatised and 

induce cost escalation on their 

businesses 

Original Equipment 

manufacturers hoping to make 

their mark in the Nigerian 

market are always advised to 

come up with products that 

are green in nature. This has 

seen a flurry of 

Uninterruptible power 

systems, UPS in the market. 

However, while most of 

them help in retaining power 

during outages, while users 

look for alternative sources, 

many have not lived up to 

their billing of helping users 

retain data, hundred percent, 

during outages. 

Experts say that this is 

because the traditional nano 

second breakage between 

power outages and the switch 

on to an alternative, a lot of 

information or data may have 

been lost or compromised. 

So, when one of the leading 

companies in the power 

backup industry in Nigeria, 

Simba Industries, introduced 

the first online 

Uninterruptible Power 

Supply, UPS systems to the 

market, it appeared the 

market has come of age. 

The KStar UPS systems are 

online, to the extent of having 

a seamless transition between 

power sources without even a 

nano second breakage. 

KStar is mainly known for 

specialised power backup 

solutions, capable of handling 

mission-critical electrical 

equipment including hospital 

diagnostic and surgical 

apparatus, data centres and 

Bank ATMs. 

Unlike traditional Online 

UPS systems, KStar products 

can handle a wide range of 

applications which have 

peculiar power needs, such as 

factory machinery, where 

power requirements at startup 

are huge, and where power 

failure can often lead to 

significant cost escalation, as 

machines need to cool down 

and be restarted. 

They aim at addressing the 

power failure challenge for 

both individual customers and 

industries. 

Speaking at the unveiling of 

the products in Lagos 

recently, official of Simba 

Industries, Mr Prasanna 

Sridhar, explained that KStar 

varieties of KSTAR UPS systems 

is the sixth largest 

manufacturer of UPS in the 

world, offering high quality 

products and full service 

support to more than 90 

countries. 

He said the introduction of 

KSTAR products in Nigeria 

followed the realisation that 

Nigeria has low and poor 

power supply which not only 

affect individual user but also 

companies and larger 

corporate organisations 

Sridhar noted that the different 

ranges of KStar UPS can cater 

to power demands and need 

across different sectors, 

including manufacturing, oil 

and gas, medical 

establishments, businesses and 

other key industries. 

He said: “Hundreds of 

thousands of businesses 

around the world depend on 

reliable power back-up 

solutions for their critical 

systems. Downtime is simply 

not an option for them, as it 

results in potentially millions 

of dollars of losses per 

second. The KStar UPS 

draws on the latest research 

and development to offer 

By Juliet Umeh 

Towards their effort to en 

hance health care delivery 

in Nigeria, save patients 

the expenses of referrals 

abroad and improve patient’s 

experience, a group of medical 

professionals known as 

Stack Diagnostic Product recently, 

unveiled an online 

laboratory portal known as 

DiagnosMe.Africa in Lagos. 

Stack Diagnostic said that 

the DiagnoseMe.Africa will 

leverage cutting edge technology 

to provide a platform 

where clients can order and 

pay for tests, sample pickup, 

sample analysis and receive 

results in the provider portal. 

They also said the portal will 

allow individuals to easily 

carry out medical tests at the 

convenience of their homes. 

Speaking at the media 

launch, Chief Executive Officer, 

Stack Diagnostic Product, 

Dr Abasi Ene-Obong, said the 

unparalleled power backup 

solutions for a diverse range 

of industries”. 

Also, Head of Simba Service, 

the group’s Services division, 

Mr Suresh Kumar added that 

KStar UPS is supported by 

Simba Service in Nigeria, 

which provides power audit 

consultation, installation, 24 

hour customer support, and 

annual maintenance contracts. 

He said:”At Simba, we 

believe that total customer 

satisfaction is only achieved, 

when a good quality product 

is supported by attentive and 

responsive customer care and 

after sales service. Simba 

Service is at the heart of our 

value proposition to 

customers.” 

KStar offers an extensive range 

of UPS solutions, including 

Online Transformer/ 

Transformer-less UPS, Line 

Interactive UPS and Modular 

UPS all of which are aimed at 

delivering optimised energy 

sourcing, cost savings as well as 

minimising downtime – thereby 

meeting the critical needs of its 

customers in various sectors of 

the Nigerian economy. 

Continues on page 26 

an original word to situate an acceptance of 

the annual celebration of global 

consumerism. 

Konga Yakata makes the difference 

He also lavished praises on e-commerce 

platform Konga.com for coming out with a 

Nigerian concept konga yakata, which 

replaces its own Black Friday 

Unveiling the concept recently, officials of 

Konga.com explained that Yakata, in the 

local Nigerian parlance, means crashing. “In 

other words, the term is used to signify what 

the annual shopping fiesta has come to 


Avon, Piggybank.ng enhances Nigeria’s 

healthcare access with technology 

By Blessing Okereke 

With less than five percent 

of the Nigerian 

population under any sort of 

healthcare cover, 

Piggybank.NG and Avon 

Healthcare Limited, Avon 

HMO, have struck a strategic 

partnership to disrupt the 

statistics. 

The partnership enables the 

provision of health insurance 

plans to users with flexible 

monthly payments. 

The companies said reason for 

their collaboration was to create 

a unique health care plan called 

AvonFlex, which is focused on 

affordability and flexibility for 

Piggybank.NG users. 

Nigeria is home to over 67 

million youth, with deeply 

limited understanding of the 

importance of health insurance 

and equally limited healthcare 

coverage. While Avon HMO 

has used its platform to 

advocate for health education 

in part by pioneering the sale 

of healthcare plans online and 

By Bose Adelaja & 

Chioma John 

Ahead of the 2019 general 

elections, a Geo-Fencing 

firm, Widenit, is unveiling a new 

technology towards actualizing a 

credible election in the country. 

The 

technology, 

www.widenit.com, is a locationbased 

target campaign, expected 

to galvanize youth participation 

in the election, address voter 

apathy, discourage vote-buying 

with the strong potential as an 

anti-rigging tool, and is ideal for 

political campaigns as it 

facilitates easy reach out to 

potential voters. 

The Chief Facilitator of 

Widenit, Mr. Bosco Onyeme, said 

the technology when introduced 

into the Nigerian market is 

expected to revolutionalize the 

conduct of and participation in 

elections in the country. 

Onyeme said, “Statistics 

indicate that in the run-up to the 

general elections, the 

launching straight to consumer 

retail plans, it is pushing the 

boundaries further by 

leveraging on ‘fin-tech’ to 

improve healthcare access. 

With Piggybank.NG widely 

trusted by millennials as 

Nigeria’s fastest growing 

digital savings platform, both 

companies believe the gap 

between access and 

affordability can be further 

bridged with AvonFlex. 

Chief Executive Officer of 

Avon HMO, Adesimbo Ukiri, 

said: “After awareness of 

healthcare plans and their 

impact, affordability is the 

second greatest impediment to 

more widespread healthcare 

coverage among Nigerians. 

AvonFlex is a healthcare plan 

that allows Piggybank.NG 

users pay for comprehensive 

health coverage in instalments, 

instead of a yearly lump sum. 

With some plans starting as low 

as N60/daily, AvonFlex offers 

value, flexibility and yet 

another viable option to access 

healthcare.” 

Firm unveils technology on 

credible elections in Nigeria 

demographic distribution of voters 

is skewed heavily in favour of the 

youths with a commanding 

percentage of 65 percent of the 

population aged 18 to 35 years. 

“Also, the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

recently released the updated figures 

of the voters register across the 

geopolitical zones of the country. 

Experience from our previous 

elections have shown that a paltry 

number of less than 50 percent of 

registered voters come out to exercise 

their civic duty. 

“What this technology will do to 

address this nagging voter apathy 

is that with Widenit, INEC, 

political parties and individual 

candidates can deliver targeted 

messages to specific recipients in 

specific areas. For example, the 

political parties and the electoral 

umpire can use it to send languagespecific 

‘Get out and vote’, ‘Collect 

your PVC’, and ‘Vote, don’t fight’ 

messages to demographically 

segmented sectors of the 

electorate,” he said. 

Group seeks enhancement of healthcare delivery through technology 

…unveils online laboratory portal 

platform was launched to provide 

quality health care services 

in Nigeria particularly in the 

area of laboratory tests. 

Ene-Obong lamented that 

deaths from some diseases like 

prostate and breast cancer 

which countries in Europe and 

America have been able to totally 

eradicate kills 80 percent 

of its patients in Nigeria. He 

called for a revolution in health 

care delivery in Nigeria 

through the provision and enhancement 

of recent technological 

tools stating that such 

revolution will reposition 

health care delivery in Nigeria 

and save lives. 

He said: “The burden of diseases 

requiring molecular and 

genetics testing are on the rise 

in Nigeria. Thus, the online platform 

provides genetic testing 

services using a centralized laboratory 

approach, an online marketplace 

for ordering tests, receiving 

test results, confirming 

diagnosis, and referring patients 

for secondary and tertiary care.” 

Black Friday: Digital sales promo with different ... 

represent to the brand and its numerous 

patrons: a time to crash prices and offer 

consumers best deals on a wide range of goods 

and services” said one of the officials. 

According to Flynn, “Konga has given us a 

refreshing variation on the Black Friday theme 

by re-christening it KongaYakata. Interestingly, 

Konga has also gone beyond just jumping on 

the Black Friday band-wagon to actually making 

it a sales event worth participating in. 

Konga Yakata, as an original term finds more 

relevance with Nigerians and Africans. It’s 

indigenous and most importantly, lends a 

proudly local flavour to what is a very important 

shopping activity in the annual calendar”.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31 , 2018 

VOL. 2 NO. 41 

By UGOCHUKWU 

ALARIBE 

ABA – Chairman of 

Osisioma Ngwa 

council area, Abia State, 

Hon. Benjamin Mgbeahuru, 

has lamented that the people 

of the area lack potable water 

as the Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, dump has polluted 

their land.He stated that 

some pipeline host 

communities can no longer 

farm on their lands due to the 

devastating effects of 

spillage and effluent from 

the NNPC depot. South 

East Voice observed that the 

NNPC depot dump located 

along Geometric road had 

encroached on the road and 

poses danger to motorists. 

Mgbeahuru who disclosed 

this while receiving 

members of the Nzuko 

Ohanaeze Ndi Ukwa/Ngwa 

at Osisioma, said NNPC’s 

negligence has caused 

untold suffering for the 

people of the council and 

urged the corporation to 

compensate victims.The 

chairman noted that several 

residents died in their 

houses as fuel spilled to 

There is palpable 

tension at 

Agbani Nguru community in 

Nsukka local government 

area, Enugu State as an 

unknown state government 

agency allegedly invaded 

over 2,000 hectres of land of 

the community without prior 

notice to community 

elders.The community took to 

the streets of Nsukka chanting 

sorrowful songs over the 

alleged invasion of their 

communal land. The invaders 

destroyed cash crops, cassava 

and tubers of yam among 

others while clearing the 

land for whatever purpose 

they had in mind. 

The protesters numbering 

over 500 said it's illegal for 

any government, churches 

and agencies to enter any 

communal land without prior 

notice and an agreement with 

the owners before such 

agency or group of persons 

would mobilise and move to 

site.Some of their placards 

read "Leave Agbani Nguru 

land’; ‘Govt do not take land 

by force;’ ‘Abani Nguru land 

is communal land;’ ‘ Ministry 

of Housing, stay away from 

Nguru land".Speaking during 

the protest, the Secretary, 

NNPC dump has polluted 

our waters, farmlands 

— Community 

•NNPC Aba Depot dumpsite 

different areas, stressing 

that the incident has gone 

beyond the council’s 

capacity to handle.Taking 

South East Voice round the 

scenes of the pipeline 

explosion which killed over 

200 people at Umuaduru 

and Umuiom communities 

as well as the NNPC dump; 

Supervisor for Environment, 

Hon. Chile Ugochukwu, 

alleged that NNPC was 

alerted on the leaking 

pipeline, but failed to mend 

it. He further stated that the 

depot management refused 

to attend the Council’s peace 

and security meeting, 

despite invitations extended 

•Nguru 

community 

protest 

in court 

to them. 

The supervisor further 

lamented that Ekeakpara 

road which leads to the NNPC 

depot connecting the Aba – 

Owerri highway, has been in 

a dilapidated state for over 10 

years.“The NNPC waste 

dump has polluted our land, 

our water is now unsafe. Some 

communities hosting 

pipelines can no longer farm 

because spilled petroleum 

products have devastated 

their farm lands. The 

Ekeakpara road where the 

NNPC depot is located has 

been abandoned for over 10 

years now. NNPC trucks have 

destroyed our roads. Our 

safety is supposed to be part 

of NNPC’s social 

responsibility, but they have 

failed to show concern. 

When their managers come, 

they do so by helicopters. 

NNPC is here for business, 

but they are doing it at the 

detriment of our people. 

Look at their dump behind 

the depot; it is fast 

encroaching on the road and 

poses danger to motorists. 

“Last year, two of our 

people drowned in the dump. 

Now, their negligence on the 

leaking pipeline has killed 

over 200 people. When we 

got reports about the leaking 

pipeline, we extended 

invitation to the NNPC for our 

peace and security meeting, 

but they failed to attend. As 

at today, NNPC pipelines are 

still leaking in several 

communities, posing danger 

to the people. We are calling 

on them to relocate the dump 

before it kills more of our 

people. We get nothing from 

the depot; no employment, 

no scholarship, no good road 

and no electricity. NNPC has 

brought suffering to Osisioma 

Ngwa people. Nothing can 

compensate our loss.” Effort 

to contact the NNPC Depot 

Manager, Aba, Mr. Joseph 

Dumaka, was unsuccessful. 

However, a senior NNPC 

official at the Aba depot told 

South East Voice that only 

the national head office of the 

corporation could react to 

such matters. 

Protest rocks Nguru over invasion of communal land 

BY CHINENYEH OZOR 

Nguru land committee, Mr 

Ugwu Bartholomew said it 

was surprising to the 

community to see a 

government agency forcibly 

enter the communal land 

without the consent of the 

community, clear hectres of 

land for an alleged housing 

estate. 

Ugwu said the community 

trooped out in their numbers 

to see what the alleged 

government agency was 

doing in their land, only to see 

a large number of armed 

policemen on guard while a 

catapillar was busy uprooting 

cassava, tubers of yam and 

other cash crops cultivated on 

the land in question.“We were 

speechless as nobody 

approached the community 

for once before entering the 

land for any purpose. The 

Ministry of Land had earlier 

entered the land; we went to 

court and obtained an 

injuction restraining 

government, its agency 

and proxies from entering 

the land till the determination 

of the suit. Now the state 

It is illegal for 

any government 

agency to enter 

any land without 

consulting elders 

of the land 

Ministry of Housing forcibly 

entered the communal land 

without notice to the 

owners,” he said adding“It is 

illegal for any government 

agency to enter any land 

without consulting elders of 

the land. The eldest man of 

Nsukka, Attama Ezeogudo 

who is the major stakeholder 

of Nguru community was not 

consulted nor was Nguru 

supreme general assembly.It's 

inhuman and an abuse of 

rights to liberty and property.” 

He called on the Ministry of 

Housing to quietly stop work 

at Agbani /Nguru land and 

broker dialogue for an 

agreement to be reached 

before any further work on the 

land, adding that the stop 

order of the community was 

to avoid break down of law 

and order.Also speaking, Mr. 

Obute Thomas, member 

Nguru Land Committee said 

the community has no 

business with any government 

except the Ministry of Lands 

and that the court advised 

us to go back to the drawing 

board to make peace, 

explaining that the 

community is still on the 

peace process when the 

Ministry of Housing with its 

commissioner, Chief Peter 

Okonkwo entered the land 

illegally. 

“Ministry of Lands came to 

the left side of the land for 

occupation before the 

injunction was obtained while 

the Ministry of Housing came 

to the right wing of the land 

by force as they did not 

consult any member of the 

land committee before 

embarking on clearing the 

land.It's illegal, let them 

respect the Land Use Act and 

vacate till we are able to 

dialogue with them peacefully. 

Government cannot forcibly 

occupy about 2000 hectres of 

any community without 

consulting owners of the 

land. The Commissioner for 

Housing, Chief Peter 

Okonkwo is the brain behind 

Agbani Nguru land 

invasion”, he said calling on 

the Enugu State governor to 

intervene to save Nguru 

communal land, adding that 

the community is ready to 

partner with the state 

government provided it is 

through the right channel. He 

pointed out that the 2,000 

hectres of land in question 

belongs to the entire Nguru 

community and due process 

has to be followed .


30— VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

I feel such a fool having a fancy wedding 

to marry a cad 

Dear Bunmi, 

My wedding that took 

months to plan because I 

wanted a lavish one now looks 

like a sham! Almost as soon 

as we came back from our 

honeymoon, words started 

flittering in that my husband 

was a chronic womaniser. I 

didn’t get a whiff of it until a 

friend of one of his girlfriends 

asked what happened to my 

pregnancy? I wasn’t a friend 

of hers but she told me her 

friend, who was a long-term 

lover of my husband was devastated 

when she learnt I was 

pregnant and he had to marry 

me. All of this girl’s friends 

knew my husband, so did her 

family. 

When I got home, I 

confronted him and he 

admitted he’d been having the 

affair for months but had 

ended it after we got married. 

He said he felt so bad about 

what he’d done and put his 

head in his hands, crying. 

I don’t know what to think 

right now. I went back home 

to my parents for a short 

while, but that wasn’t really 

solving anything, so I’ve 

gone back to my own home. 

We both want to try and make 

the marriage work, but right 

now, I’m too angry to really 

commit to this. I feel so stupid 

having such a lavish wedding 

reception when it was a big 

lie - and my parents are 

heartbroken for me too. It’s 

horrible to see them so upset 

and helpless. I know he 

realises he’s made the worse 

mistake of his life and I do 

know he loves me, but I’m 

struggling to see how this can 

ever be mended. 

Mercy, 

by e-mail. 

Dear Mercy, 

You can’t expect this to be 

mended instantly, but it can 

be if it’s what you both want. 

It’s a crisis point in your 

relationship and, at the 

moment, things could go 

either way, so it’s crucial that 

you work through why the 

affair happened and the best 

way to do that is to have 

counselling. 

It’s 

understandable that you’re 

still very hurt and angry, and 

it’s going to take time for those 

feelings to recede and to 

rebuild trust. For that to 

happen, he has to be honest 

with you. 

Don’t fool yourself into 

believing that now he’s told 

you and unburdened himself, 

you can just move on. You 

really can’t - you have to 

confront it and talk about it, 

and it’s going to take time 

and probably loads and loads 

of tears. In the process, you 

might decide to go your 

separate ways, but at least 

you will do that knowing you 

gave it everything and did as 

much as you could to save 

the situation. Finally, please 

don’t worry about the big 

wedding or your parents - 

when this kind of thing 

happens, people are kind and 

will try to support you. Good 

luck. 

Why is he spending so much time with his 

widowed sister-in-law? 

Dear Bunmi, 

SINCE my husband became 

close to his sister-in-law, I’ve 

felt very insecure. Her 

husband (my husband’s 

brother), sadly passed away 

about a year ago and since 

then, my husband has bent 

over backwards to help her - 

he literally jumps into action 

when she calls. At first I 

thought it was incredibly kind 

of him and I knew he felt he 

owed it to his brother to make 

sure she was Ok, but now I’m 

starting to resent it. She’s at 

our place a lot (she has no 

kids) and he’s always at hers 

and always sorting things out 

for her. He spends more time 

with her that he spends in his 

own home. 

I feel like saying something 

but I realise how I could come 

across as a heartless woman 

who resents him helping my 

widowed sister-in-law. 

Mobola, 

By e-mail. 

Dear Mobola, 

Don’t say anything for now, 

at least not from a critical or 

angry standpoint because you 

might regret it. What your 

husband is doing is not 

unusual - it’s what families 

do. He’s still grieving too, and 

perhaps helping his sister-inlaw 

is helping him to deal 

with it too. You could also 

offer to take some of the 

responsibility off him and do 

a few things to help your 

sister-in-law. That way, you 

might understand better what 

she’s going through and it 

may also mean you have 

more time with your husband. 

It’s a much more positive way 

to approach it - you’re saying 

you’d like him to be around 

more for you, but understand 

your sister-in-law needs 

support, so you’re prepared to 

help too. 

Is she dating us both in the 

same office? 

Dear Bunmi, 

I work in the technical 

department in my office as I 

am an electrical engineer. 

Last year, I finally had the 

courage to approach one of 

the secretaries in my office and 

she agreed to be my girlfriend. 

We’ve been lovers since then 

and I’ve lavished a lot of time 

and money on her. 

A colleague recently 

informed me that he had it on 

good authority that my girl is 

sleeping with her immediate 

boss, who also happens to be 

my boss. 

I was obviously the last to 

know as many members of 

staff have confirmed this. 

Naturally, I am devastated. I 

love her but I don’t want to 

lose my job. What should I 

do? 

Emma, 

By e-mail. 

Dear Emma, 

You have to make quick 

judgment here and get a grip 

on the fact that you have to 

keep your work and your love 

life separate. 

It is unfortunate that you’ve 

fallen in love with this girl. A 

girl who strings two men 

along in the same office is 

usually tagged a trollop and 

the earlier you gave her the 

push, the better for your peace 

of mind. 

Office relationships are very 

difficult at the best of times 

without having to tread on 

your boss’ toes. 

Does he have a streak of violence 

in him? 

Dear Bunmi, 

WE had a mild argument 

and my boyfriend threw a few 

cushions at me and now my 

friends are saying he is 

violent and I should leave 

him. We’re currently thinking 

of getting engaged and 

buying a flat together which 

is very stressful in itself, but 

he is also worried about 

redundancy at work and this 

was very out of character for 

him. 

His previous relationships 

had been difficult and his 

marriage broke down when 

his ex-wife cheated on him. 

Now it looks as if he’s tarring 

me with the same brush. I’d 

never hurt him, and deep 

down, I think he knows this. 

But he just seems to act as 

though he thinks I would. Last 

weekend, my friends were 

round at our flat and he was 

picking on me all night, even 

though I was trying to be 

extra nice. This was when he 

lost it and threw the cushions. 

I left with my friends and 

stayed with my parents. Now 

everyone says he’s violent and 

that I should leave him. But I 

Boyfriend criticises my 

daughter’s dad 

Dear Bunmi, 

I’M a single parent of a 10- 

year-old girl in love with a 

considerate lover. 

He gets on well with my 

daughter but they recently 

had a disagreement about her 

being rude and it ended up 

with my partner telling my 

daughter that it was all her 

dad’s fault for not being 

around to give her proper 

home-training. 

My daughter was shocked 

and upset. I wanted to stick 

up for her but didn’t want to 

intervene, especially knowing 

my daughter was really 

annoying during their row, 

and he was right to tell her 

off. 

How do I get the balance 

right? 

love him so much and really 

don’t want to. Is there any 

hope for us? We’re in our 40s. 

Belinda, 

by e-mail. 

Dear Belinda, 

We all have stressful times, 

but that is no excuse for 

violence, even if it is with soft 

furnishings. Violent 

behaviour tends to get worse 

over time and it’s no excuse 

to blame his behaviour on his 

past. I’m sure he’s really sorry 

about what happened, but 

abuse is abuse. Even the 

presence of his friends hadn’t 

stopped him. Only you know 

this guy, but your mates are 

looking out for you. 

Trust me, if you two do have 

a future, you’ll go through 

things a lot more stressful 

than buying a flat! He’s 

clearly been damaged by life 

and needs to confront both 

this and his anger. He needs 

professional help. That may 

sound drastic, but if you want 

a future together, you’ve got 

to make this clear to him. 

Good luck. 

Maureen, 

By e-mail. 

Dear Maureen, 

The two of you are currently 

working out a set of rules on 

dealing with your child, but 

you need to make sure your 

rules tally with your partner’s. 

So in this situation, where 

your partner did something 

out of order, talk through your 

feelings with him and ask for 

some changes. Once you’ve 

both agreed that mentioning 

your daughter’s dad is out of 

order, your partner almost 

certainly won’t do it again. 

You also need to have a chat 

with your daughter. Let her 

know how much your partner 

means to you and how it 

would make you really happy 

if both of them get along. 

What your husband is doing is not 

unusual - it’s what families do; 

he’s still grieving too, and perhaps 

helping his sister-in-law is 

helping him to deal with it too; 

you could also offer to take some 

of the responsibility off him and 

do a few things to help your sisterin-law 

Share your problems and release your 

burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, 

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


How do we sustain improvements in 

the ease of doing business ranking? 

MY personal passion is to play 

a role in Nigeria’s 

ascendancy from a third world 

country to a first world nation. This 

passion has been the driver in most 

of the things that I do. My active roles 

in the Nigerian Economic Summit 

group, NESG, Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria, MAN, 

Nigeria Employers Consultative 

Association, NECA, Business 

Leaders’Forum, BLF, etc have been 

driven by this passion. 

I am tired of seeing Nigeria occupy 

lowly positions in global rankingshuman 

development index, global 

competitiveness index, infant and 

maternal mortality, corruption 

perception index, quality of tertiary 

education, infectious and 

communicable diseases, life 

expectancy, poverty rate, misery 

index, etc. That was why I wrote my 

seminal book in 2010 titled: 

‘Nigeria@50: Time for the evolution 

of a new Nation’, which title has been 

amended to ‘Nigeria: Need for the 

evolution of a new nation’. I desire a 

new nation where things work, where 

quality of life is high and where we 

can compete squarely with most of 

the nations of the world in most 

aspects of human endeavour. 

I also know that no nation can 

achieve this feat of transformation 

or ascendancy from thirrd world to 

first world without a compelling 

vision. All countries that have made 

this transition like Singapore, South 

Korea and Taiwan have started with 

developing a vision, led by a 

visionary leader who effectively sold 

the mission to his people and 

mobilized them to pursue the 

achievement of the vision through 

dedicated implementation of a 

cohesive strategy. 

That was why we initiated the 

Vision 2010 project with General 

Abacha and when that failed, 

following the death of Abacha and 

the refusal of President Obasanjo to 

deal with any document bearing 

Abacha’s picture, we re-engaged with 

Yar'Adua/Jonathan to devise the 

vision 2020. Though the vision was 

poorly sold to Nigerians and its 

implementation half hearted, there 

is no gain saying that the focus to be 

among the top twenty countries with 

the highest gross domestic 

product,GDP, by the year 2020, 

helped Nigeria make significant 

advances in GDP growth during 

Jonathan years. By 2015, we were 

advancing quite steadily and there 

was a projection we could achieve 

the vision before 2020, until the 

2016-2017 recession halted and 

reversed our journey. 

Nigeria, currently has a mediumterm 

economic recovery and growth 

plan, NERGP. This is no national 

vision as it is neither long term, not 

comprehensive, nor aspirational. 

But it is better than nothing. It is like 

Obasanjos’s NEEDS, National 

Economic Empowerment and 

Development Strategy- a set of 

economic targets and actions to be 

taken primarily by the public sector 

to pursue economic growth. Because 

of its limitations in concept and 

scope such plans do not mobilize the 

entire citizenry. Little wonder the 

NERGP is making slow progress as 

we struggle to resist falling back into 

recession. But there is one area, we 

can see and feel real progressimprovement 

in the Ease of Doing 

Business 

I am tired of seeing 

Nigeria occupy lowly 

positions in global 

rankingshuman 

development index, 

global competitiveness 

index 

How did we get here? In 2012 or 

so when Dr. Olusegun Aganga was 

minister of trade and investment, was 

complaining about Nigeria’s global 

rankings especially in the areas of 

ease of doing business and 

competitiveness, that the more we 

tried, the worse our rankings 

became; I advised him to identify and 

benchmark those criteria that were 

used for the global assessment. 

Thereafter, we needed to set up 

mechanisms to take each criterion 

one by one and identified actions we 

needed to take to improve our 

ratings on each of the scores. He 

accepted this advice, which I gave at 

a breakfast meeting of the Nigerian- 

American Chamber of Commerce, 

NACC. 

Dr. Aganga ran with this leading 

to the inauguration of the Nigerian 

Competitiveness Council. Things 

then began to improve for Nigeria. 

Similar strategy has been been 

adopted by this government with a 

determined focus on improving 

Nigeria’s ease of doing business. 

Specifically the government set up a 

Presidential Enabling Business 

Environment Council, PEBEC, 

under the direct supervision of the 

Vice President. Specific areas of 

reform were identified and the 

government mandated changes in 

those areas. This involved the signing 

of some executive orders, marshaling 

of actions to be taken by the MDAs, 

involvement of the States and some 

effort at monitoring the agreed 

changes. 

This dedicated focus resulted in 

Nigeria moving up 24 places in the 

2018 World Bank’s Ease of doing 

Business report- moving from 169 

place in 2017 to 145 place in 2018. 

What is more, Nigeria was judged 

as one of the ten most improved 

economies in the World. This is a nomean 

achievement which deserves 

applause. Nigeria showed 

improvements in seven key activity 

areas- Paying Taxes (182-171), 

Registering Property (182-179), 

Getting Electricity (180-172), 

Getting construction permit (174- 

147), Access to Credit (32-6), 

Enforcing contracts (139-96), and 

starting a business (138-130). As can 

be seen the most significant 

improvements were recorded in 

access to credit, enforcing contracts, 

construction permits and paying 

taxes. Anybody who has watched will 

have noted that these improvements 

were result of visible focus and 

actions taken in these areas. 

Though the recently released World 

Economic Forum, WEF, 2018 global 

competitiveness index rating showed 

that Nigeria went back from overal 

112 ranking in 2017 to 115 ranking 

in 2018, there is clear evidence that 

the free fall has been arrested and if 

we continue to mandate reforms and 

enforce and monitor the reforms, 

positive changes will occur. My 

main point is that changing our 

economic, political and social 

conditions are possible if we 

inculcate the habit of breaking down 

the issues into identifiable 

manageable bits, designing the 

changes we want, working with 

stakeholders to take action to effect 

the changes, monitoring, rewarding 

compliance and punishing noncompliance. 

Yes some may argue that the 

changes have not yet made the 

expected impact on a wide scale 

across the economy, for example, the 

access to credit where Nigeria 

jumped 26 positions from 32 to 6. 

Many may still argue that the access 

is not yet universal and that the scores 

may just be the assessment or 

perception of the privileged who 

actually participated in the surveys. 

Yes, that may be right, but we must 

bear in mind that it is the 

same”privileged class” whose 

assessment put us in the 32nd position 

in 2017 that have revised their 

assessment making us jump to the 

sixth position in 2018. 

That shows that things have 

changed in these areas and if we 

continue to push those changes to 

endure, then the impact will 

percolate down. But that really is the 

challenge. Are these changes now 

permanent? Are they now engrained 

in our bureaucratic culture or shall 

we return to our old ways when the 

focus is relaxed or when new 

bureaucrats come on stage as 

happened with the war against 

indiscipline. Sustainability is a 

major challenge for desirable 

change in our economy. And we 

must find ways to assure this. 

Buhari’s school certificate saga 

AS the 2019 elections hot up , 

Nigerians are once again clamoring 

for President Muhammadu Buhari to 

produce evidence that he attended 

secondary school up to school certificate 

level. This is not just an idle but a 

constitutional demand that requires 

contestants for the office of president to be 

secondary school graduates at the very 

least. Mr. Buhari, as Nigerians well know, 

has not been able to produce this evidence. 

His explanation is and has been that the 

original copies of his school certificate are 

with the Board of the Nigerian Army where 

he submitted them at the point of enlistment 

in the military. Conversations and, indeed, 

controversy about President Buhari’s 

educational qualification are not new. They 

were a major issue during the 2015 election. 

No doubt because there was widespread 

disenchantment with the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, led government of 

President Goodluck Jonathan, many 

Nigerians did not care very much and were 

satisfied with his explanation concerning 

his certificates. Perhaps, because the party 

in power realised too late that the support 

Buhari enjoyed could lead on to victory, they 

too were not explicit in their insistence that 

Buhari show evidence of school certificate 

education. As the world now knows, Buhari 

went on to win that election and is today an 

elected president seeking re-election. 

Since 2015, however, Buhari’s popularity 

has plummeted and in the wake of the PDP’s 

primaries that produced Atiku Abubakar, a 

former Vice President, as presidential 

candidate, supporters of the PDP candidate 

and other Nigerians are again asking that 

Buhari show evidence that he is school 

certificate-qualified to be president. This 

follows the President’s camp’s desire to fight 

both dirty and clean as they question the 

source of Atiku’s vast wealth. Atiku who has 

for a very long time nursed a presidential 

ambition is considered a formidable 

opponent, one with the right connections 

and enough wealth, to give Buhari a very 

credible run for his money and position as 

incumbent president. But in the manner 

many Nigerians in 2015 could not care less 

about questions concerning Buhari’s 

certificates, they are not bothered about 

issues concerning the source of Atiku’s 

wealth today. If not for anything else, what 

this all shows is the level of disenchantment 

with Buhari’s performance, especially the 

hollowness of his anti-corruption fight that 

is perpetually impervious to corruption 

allegations and even evidence against not a 

few of his close associates. Add that to 

Buhari’s nepotism, his open partiality to 

Nigerians from both his region and religion 

and his failure to decisively end persistent 

insecurity in different parts of the country, 

especially in the Middle Belt and North-east 

of the country. 

In a country where many 

have lost their position on 

account of forgery or lack of 

qualification, questions 

about the President’s 

educational qualification 

cannot be waved off 

The government’s disrespect for the rule 

of law is yet another point at issue. In 

Buhari’s narrow world, the perversion of 

justice that comes with disrespect for the rule 

of law, evidenced best by his administration’s 

cheery-picking of which court orders to obey 

or not, is not corruption. But Nigerians see 

things differently and are openly 

challenging the president’s position in the 

manner they have chosen to ignore 

questions about Atiku’s wealth. 

We must, however, not be blind to the gaps 

in the position of some of those now asking 

that Buhari produce evidence of school 

certificate education while being clear about 

the kind of argument and position being 

canvassed by 

opponents of the 

President, some 

of whom, it 

would appear, 

actually want the 

world to believe 

that Buhari is a 

cattle herder let 

loose, a raving 

illiterate without 

any kind of formal education. Which is 

another way of saying he never attended 

secondary school. As a political talk that 

may be fine. Otherwise, this might be taking 

disgust too far and denying the evidence of 

their own eyes. For one, there have been 

corroborative statements from 

contemporaries of President Muhammudu 

Buhari that attended secondary school with 

him. There is evidence also that the subjects 

he claimed he did at the School Certificate 

Examination, which some have questioned, 

were indeed on offer as school certificate 

subjects in the 1960s. Same thing goes for 

the grading system which was based on 

figures. 

Alex Ajayi, a former administrator, recently 

claimed the distinction of issuing school 

certificate to three former heads of states, 

namely, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha 

and Muhammadu Buhari. While it may be 

difficult to separate fake and authentic news 

in this age of social media, we may also 

want to consider the statement attributed to 

General Alani Akinrinade that new officers 

into the army were made to hand in the 

originals of their certificates to the Board of 

the Nigerian Army. Buhari’s 

contemporaries have not questioned this 

claim, however, far-fetched it may sound to 

many of us. But such apparently extreme 

procedure should not look improbable in 

an institution like the military when we 

consider there are today even embassies in 

Nigeria that demand originals of 

applicants’ certificates for certain categories 

of visas. Anything could happen to these 

documents while in the custody of these 

organisations. It is, therefore, possible that 

the Army Board, given our shoddy record- 

keeping procedures, has misplaced Buhari’s 

documents. This would justify his insistence 

that the documents are with the Army Board. 

But for the fact that we are never inclined to 

get things right as a country, nothing stops 

current administrators of the President’s 

former secondary school either confirming 

the true state of things where they cannot or 

will not issue a new certificate. Neither 

would the argument stand that Buhari has 

superior professional qualifications having 

trained in certain military academies. 

The point of debate is not that he has these 

superior qualifications but rather the basic 

secondary qualification that should qualify 

him for the higher qualifications. In a 

country where many have lost their position 

on account of forgery or lack of 

qualification, questions about the President’s 

educational qualification cannot be waved 

off. We only need to put things in context, 

ask the right questions and demand the right 

answers. Except they are happy pursuing a 

futile endeavour, the idea that Buhari could 

be disqualified at this point on grounds of 

non-possession of school certificate, as it 

would appear to be the case with those 

clamoring for the President’s certificates, is 

at once far-fetched and a non-starter. It will 

not happen- certainly not under the present 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC. Just as we demand of 

the All Progressives Congress ,APC, the PDP 

should fight Buhari on the basis of his 

performance record and not get distracted 

by side argument. To insist on Buhari’s 

disqualification at this point when evidence 

shows he attended secondary school and 

graduated with a certificate is bad, 

thoughtless politics. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

32— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

LAST QUARTER (2018) 

HOROSCOPE 

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar. 20) 

By Joshua Adeyemo 

Yes, it is good to be as cooperative as you 

are and continue to earn success without 

much stress but there will be times during this 

last quarter of 2018 when you will spring surprises 

when and if you are taken for granted. 

As lucky Jupiter continue to operate from 

powerful Scorpio till November 8, 2018, element 

of good luck will not desert you. Rearrangement 

of planetary placement equally 

will not bring misfortune your way. Those of 

you who are professional travellers are in for 

both rewarding and exciting last quarter of 

2018. Politicians (who are as gentle as Baba 

Awolowo was ?) born under Pisces will start a 

remarkable/progressive one year period of 

SUCCESS during last quarter of 2018 when 

lucky Jupiter enters Sagittarius on November 

8, 2018. There will be times when you will 

need to be as cooperative as necessary and 

some other times will call for assertive approach 

on your part : your monthly guide will 

serve as your needed compass. Whichever way 

anybody will sees it, you will record a very 

successful last quarter of 2018. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

Chosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude 

is going to determine how you live your life. 

-Joel Osteen- 

A positive attitude helps you cope more easily with the daily 

affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it 

easier to avoid worries and negative thinking. If you adopt it as 

a way of life, it would bring constructive changes into your life, 

and makes you happier, brighter and more successful. 

-- Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

Three things 

cause sorrow to 

flee; water, green 

trees, and a 

beautiful face. 

~Moroccan 

Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

Monthly Guide 

Oct: Do not make yourself object of ridicule 

by too trusting strangers you meet on internet 

who professed love to you: such can both be 

too risky, adventurous and inimical to your 

money, especially if you are a male member 

of this compassionate Star. 

Joint venture will require both knowledge of 

the transactions and legal backing from your 

trusted legal adviser(s). Either internet or 

physical contacts, giving all you have or too 

much of 

your times to romantic escapades can only 

prove debilitating to both your purse and 

other good activities of yours. You are advised 

to patiently wait for your good times 

when members of your opposite sex will be attracted 

to you without fear of negative repercussion. 

Moderation on your part will 

however see to the betterment of your finances. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

Nov: Uranus on backward motion moves to 

Aries your Solar second house of money and 

movable possessions. That is why you will 

need to re examine your financial plans before 

final execution to avert avoidable loss. 

First half of the month will bring competitors 

you can handle wit seriousness on your 

part, but if you take them for granted they 

may spring unpleasant surprises on you during 

second half of the month : although you 

will try and rise up to the occasion it may be 

a bit late. According to popular saying “ a 

stitch in time saves nine“ Refuse to giving in 

to either procrastination or complacent approach. 

Dec : Retrograding Neptune in Pisces after 

many months will resume direct motion in 

your Star and makes it possible for you to 

become more progressive. Equally, placement 

of aggressive Mars in your Star will encourage 

you to become more self assertive in positive 

ways to the betterment of your personal 

affairs. This is your month. Significant business 

prospects indicated for you. Your popularity 

is on the increase. Members 

of your opposite sex will be struggling for 

your attention. Even those of you travelling 

for pleasure and/or end of the year arrangement 

will have genuine cause to smile 

broadly. 

Eventually all those competitors will turn to 

become your friends. And I say 

Congratulations!!! 

IMPORTANT NOTICE 

Your lucky dates and dates to beware of are 

included in this exercise – those dates are 

very important. On your lucky dates, try to 

maximise your gains on one hand, on the 

other hand, try your best possible to avoid 

trouble and/or loss during dates to beware 

of. But take note that there is not much to 

worry about (concerning) dates to beware of 

because, they are mere warnings. However 

lucky dates are for real and superior to all 

other segments. 

YOUR LUCKY DATES 2018/2019. 

OCTOBER = 11, 19 & 25. 

NOVEMBER =5 TO 7, 12, 17 & 26. 

DECEMBER = 9, 14, 19 & 23. 

DATES TO BEWARE OF 2018. 

OCTOBER = 13. 

NOVEMBER = 30. 

DECEMBER = 24. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

Y 

K 



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FASHION WEEK: From left: Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Emmanuel Oriakhi; 

Brand Manager, Heineken, Olaoluwa Babalola; Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries, Uche Unigwe and 

Senior Brand Manager, Heineken, Obabiyi Fagade, at the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week 2018. 

Socio-economic activities grounded in 

Ogbe-Ijoh —IYC 

By Emma Amaize 

W ARRI—IJAW 

Youth Council, 

IYC, Western zone, 

yesterday, raised the alarm 

that social and economic 

activities have been 

grounded at Ogbe-Ijoh 

community, Warri South- 

West Local Government 

Area, Delta State, following 

the boundary dispute 

between Aladja and the 

community. 

Chairman of IYC in the 

zone, Mr. Frank Akiefa, in 

a statement, also lamented 

that scores of residents had 

fled the Ijaw town as a result 

of the bloodbath, urging 

the Delta State governor, 

Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to 

urgently put modalities in 

place to stop the crisis. 

The statement reads: 

“Within this period of 

hostility, socio-economic as 

well as political activities 

have been halted. Children 

no longer go to school 

because of fear. Many have 

been killed, mutilated, 

injured and permanently 

disfigured in Ogbe-Ijoh. 

“This avoidable crisis has 

also resulted in many 

fleeing their homes. 

Dwellers in these 

communities no longer 

carry out their economic 

C-River NLC declares No minimum wage, 

No vote in 2019 

By Emma Una 

C ALABAR— 

LEADERSHIP of 

the Nigeria Labour 

Congress, NLC, in Cross 

River State, yesterday, 

called on workers to 

embark on a protest 

across the state to 

demand 

the 

implementation of the 

activities like fishing and 

farming for fear of losing 

their lives. 

“As the general election 

draws near, we urge 

Governor Okowa to find a 

lasting solution to the 

dispute because elections 

might be thwarted in those 

areas. We also want to 

recommend that security 

personnel should be 


for workers. 

Thousands of workers 

both in the private and 

public sector assembled 

at the Zoo Garden Park 

in Calabar as early as 

8.00am and moved 

round major spots in the 

city, saying that they 

would embark on strike 

over the minimum wage. 

Bayelsa govt grants automatic employment 

to First Class graduates 

By Emem Idio 

Y ENAGOA— 

GOVERNOR 

Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa 

state has said that he has 

taken a decision to sign an 

executive order to give 

automatic employment to 

all first class graduates in 

the state every year. 

The Governor said the 

executive order was aimed 

at ensuring that the 

automatic employment 

policy is sustained annually 

even after the end of his 

administration. 

A statement by the Special 

Adviser to the Governor on 

Media Relations, Mr. 

Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the 

governor to have stated this 

during an induction 

ceremony for 31 First Class 

graduates, who were 

offered automatic 

employment at the 

Government House, 

Yenagoa. 

He explained that the 

order would mandate the 

Civil Service Commission 

to present a list of duly 

verified applicants to the 

office of the governor every 

year for automatic 

employment. 

Governor Dickson also 

directed the Civil Service 

Commission to 

immediately issue letters of 

employment to verified 

First Class graduates in the 

state. 

The governor also 

disclosed plans to sign a 

second order aimed at 

verifying the indigeneship 

of Bayelsans seeking 

employment into the civil 

service with the paramount 

rulers and Community 

Development 

Development Chairmen 

CDC, in the various 

communities. 

stationed in between the 

two communities to ensure 

lives and property are 

secured. 

“We equally use this 

medium to call the two 

communities to give a 

peace a chance. The 

warring communities 

should know that no parcel 

of land is worth the blood 

of a human being.’’ 

Secretary of the state 

chapter of NLC, 

Comrade Ita Ayi, who 

briefed participants said: 

“We are workers and 

have had prolonged 

negotiation with the 

government for an 

increase in our salaries. 

N30,000 was arrived at, 

surprisingly, the 

Minister of Labour, Sen 

Chris Ngige after we 

had agreed asked for 

another round of 

negotiation and we are 

saying no to that kind of 

action. 

“We are asking for an 

increase in our salaries 

because we are tired of 

buying garri on credit, 

salt on credit, maggi on 

credit and even the 

houses we cannot pay 

our rents. 

“We are not going to 

vote next year for these 

people who are 

insensitive to the plight 

of workers because they 

spend billions of naira 

on themselves and their 

families. But they tell us 

there is no money.’’ 

Varsity lecturer hails Delta-based 

author 

By Gabriel Olawale 

W 

A R R I — A 

university don, 

in the Department of 

English and Literary 

Studies, University of 

Nigeria, Nsukka, 

Professor Damian Opata, 

has hailed a Delta-based 

author, Mr, Ekanpou 

Enewaridideke, for 

writing books that would 

Oruma calls on FG to rescue 

Nigeria from recession 

By Ebun Sessou 

SENIOR 

Pastor, 

Grace Worship 

Centre, Pastor Ojay 

Oruma, has called on 

federal government to 

intensify efforts in rescuing 

the nation’s economy from 

going back to recession 

saying failure to do so 

would spell doom for the 

country. 

He disclosed this at the 

press conference heralding 

Passage 

PAUL Onokpasa, 59, 

of Adagbrassa- 

Ugolo in Okpe Local 

Government Area of 

Delta State is dead. He 

died after a brief illness 

in Abuja. 

Burial arrangements 

will be announced by 

Onokpasa Family of 

Okpe. He is survived by 

a widow and three 

children. 

Late Paul Onokpasa 

Burial 

MR. 

Goodluck 

Kemele of 

Idumu-Oza in Ika South 

LGA of Delta State, is 

dead, aged 69. 

Funeral service and 

interment take place 

November 2, 2018 at his 

residence, 35 B, Oza 

Street, Idumu-Oza, 

Agbor, Delta State. 

He is survived by 

widows, children, 

grandchildren and other 

relatives. 

Late Mr. Kemele 

improve the standard of 

education in Nigeria. 

Opata said this at the 

presentation of the books 

entitled: Spiked Beyond 

Spikes and Tapestry of a 

Dolphin, by a Warri based 

author, Mr. Ekanpou 

Enewaridideke in Warri, 

Delta State. 

He said: “Spiked 

Beyond Spikes, is a wellwritten 

text, one that is 

lavishly inter-textual." 

the annual thanksgiving of 

the church in Delta State 

coming up on November 4, 

2018. 

According to him, 

government at all levels has 

the responsibility of 

ensuring stability of the 

nation’s economy adding 

that proactive approach to 

address any crisis should 

be employed. 

Burial 

THE late Mrs. Victory 

Igere, aged 74, will be 

interred after a funeral 

service on November 2, at 

Baptist Hospital/State 

School of Nursing Field, 

Eku, Delta State. 

Service of songs will hold 

tomorrow at Fountain of Life 

Baptist Church, Ekehuan 

Road, Benin City. 

She is survived by her 

children, grandchildren 

and other relations. 

Late Mrs. Victory Igere 

Passage 

PA Joseph Ejuwa of 

Olomu family, Koko, 

Warri North L.G.A and 

Onosajegre Opia family, 

Ethiope East L.G.A, Delta 

State, is dead, aged 88. 

He was a deacon in First 

Baptist Church, Sapele. 

He is survived by a 

widow, 8 children, 

including Mr. Benjamin 

Ejuwa and many 

grandchildren. 

Burial arrangement will 

be announced later. 

Late Pa Joseph Ejuwa 

C


Innoson to produce 

armoured vehicles for Police 

N NEWI—Inspector 

General of Police, 

Ibrahim Idris has 

expressed readiness to 

partner Innoson Motors in 

procurement of armoured 

personnel carriers to assist 

the government in fighting 

insurgency in the country. 

The IGP said this when 

he visited Innoson 

Company, Nnewi, 

Anambra State for 

inauguration of Innoson 

Vehicle Automated Plant 

and unveiling of Innoson 

IVM Granite 2019 edition. 

Idris commended 

Innoson for providing 

camouflaged vehicles for 

the Army, to tackle all forms 

of insecurity. 

IGP Idris, who was 

represented by his Deputy, 

Agboola Oshodi-Glover, 

assured the firm of police 

patronage of armoured 

vehicles. 

He called on other 

organisations to support 

Over 200 professors mobilise 

for Atiku/Obi ticket 

AN intelligentsia group 

comprising over 200 

Professors, going by the 

name of Anambra 

Consultative Forum, 

University of Nigeria 

Nsukka, UNN, has thrown 

its weight in support of the 

Presidential candidate of 

the People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar and his running 

mate, the former Governor 

of Anambra State, Mr. Peter 

Obi. 

A press statement made 

available to newsmen 

signed by the trio of Prof. 

E.O.Ezeani, Prof. F.O. 

Orabueze and Prof. P.U. 

Okpoko, President, 

Secretary and co-convener 

respectively, states that 

Obi’s vice presidential 

candidacy is the best for the 

country at a time like this. 

They said having 

dissected the problems of 

the country, they found the 

choice of Obi apposite. 

While granting dissenting 

voices the right to their 

2019: Ohanaeze Ndigbo, others demand 

presidential debate, regional govt 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU—Apex Igbo 

socio-cultural 

organisation, Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo, Igbo World 

Assembly, IWA, and other 

Igbo socio-cultural 

organisations have 

demanded that a well 

packaged presidential 

debate be held to enable 

Nigerians make informed 

choice on who to vote for in 

the 2019 presidential 

election. 

Ndigbo were also 

unanimous in demanding 

that Nigeria goes back to 

the first republic constitution 

that gave all regions of the 

country windows of 

equality, competitiveness 

ART X Lagos to re-position Nigeria’s arts sector 

By Samson Echenim 

FOUNDER 

and 

Director of ART X 

Lagos, Ms. Tokini 

Peterside, has said that the 

event, which commenced 

two years ago, is aimed at 

re-positioning Nigeria’s 

arts sector and bringing it 

to limelight. 

Speaking ahead of the 

third edition of ART X 

Lagos, which holds from 

Friday, November 2 to 

November 4 2018, in 

Lagos, Peterside said 

Nigeria’s art sector has 

performed abysmally low, 

accounting for an 

insignificant portion of the 

$60 billion global industry. 

She observed that arts 

education in Nigeria needs 

locally made vehicles. 

“Innoson is making 

history. This type is rare. I 

congratulate you and want 

to assure you that police will 

give you all the necessary 

support you need. 

“But you need to 

commence production of 

Armoured Personnel 

Carriers to enable the police 

tackle insurgency and 

other security challenges in 

the country,” he added. 

Anambra State Governor, 

Willie Obiano, represented 

by Dr Nkem Okeke, 

praised the ingenuity of the 

company amidst obvious 

industry challenges. 

“I’m happy this is 

happening in our state. It’s 

only here that we’re 

manufacturing vehicles. 

Others travel to other 

countries to gather parts to 

assemble in Nigeria,” he 

said. 

Obiano, however 

regretted the epileptic 

power supply in the state. 

opinions, they said in other 

climes, people like Obi 

would have been begged 

by search parties to come 

out and salvage the 

country. 

Justifying their position, 

they said: “What should be 

uppermost in our minds 

now is how to salvage this 

ailing economy and save 

Nigeria from total collapse. 

This demands a 

personality with proven 

competence, remarkable 

legacies, zeal, pedigree, 

unwavering commitment 

and strong desire to serve, 

which Mr. Peter Obi has in 

abundance. 

"He is not an idealist, but 

a pragmatist. He does not 

only do the talk, he also 

walks the talk. He also has 

imposing credentials, borne 

out of many years of 

personal development and 

diligence to his credit. His 

legacies in Anambra State 

as former governor speak 

volume about his 

personality." 

to be modernised, adding 

that huge investments still 

need to be made in arts 

faculties around the 

universities, while support 

from the government, 

corporate bodies and other 

foundations are needed to 

enable the industry create 

the required value and 

unlock its potential for 

economic growth. 

She said: “The arts market 

in Nigeria today is not 

living up to its potential in 

terms of its contribution to 

the economy. This is a $60 

billion industry around the 

world. In other markets 

around the world, the arts 

industry is a very significant 

contributor to the economy. 

In Nigeria, we have just 

scratched the surface. 

“Today, the music 

industry in Nigeria is 

flying; the film industry is 

flying, even the fashion 

industry has started to fly, 

yet with arts, you find out 

that it is a bit slow and it 

takes more time. 

“We launched the ART X 

Lagos because we realised 

that there was a long way 

to go towards establishing 

Nigeria arts market and 

making it a strong 

contributor in the creative 

economy. So, we have 

created our platform to be 

a market maker, to bring 

people together, to ‘blow 

up’ the contemporary art 

market and show people 

what is happening and 

bring more Nigerians to be 

collectors of this art.” 

and fairness for a rekindled 

spirit of one Nigeria. 

The Igbo groups shared 

their similar ideologies 

during the business 

conference of Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo in the Diaspora 

represented by Igbo World 

Assembly, IWA, in Enugu, 

yesterday. 

While Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

is the apex socio-cultural 

orgainsation of Ndigbo, 

IWA is made up of 


organization in the 

Diaspora with membership 

in 37 countries. 

Chairman of IWA, Chief 

Nwachukwu Anakwenze, 

said the group would 

mobilise Ndigbo and other 

Nigerians for the 2019 

elections but that its support 

for any political party would 

be based on the position of 

such party on restructuring, 

presidential debate and 

rule of law. 

Anakwenze said, “We are 

happy that the ball is set for 

another election and 

among other things, we 

demand a debate by the 

presidential candidates to 

enable the electorate make 

informed choices. 

“One of our goals is to 

regenerate the relationship 

with our brothers and 

sisters from the South 

South region and work for 

the sustained security in our 

region. We are resolute in 

FUND RAISING: From left—Gladys Amiandamhen, Vice-President, 

Female Future Initiative; Modupe Adepitan, Celebrant and President/ 

Founder, Female Future Initiative; Dr. Tunde Lawal, chairman of the 

occasion and CEO, Turner Wrights; and Olaita Dada of V-Logic 

Forwarding & Clearing Ltd, during the 40th birthday celebration of 

Modupe Adepitan and fundraising Gala for Female Future Initiative 

Foundation, held in Lagos. 

making peace and 

combating the adversaries 

that have plagued us. We 

do not believe in promoting 

ethnicity but in a system 

where all sections are 

treated equally.” 

President General of 

Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia 

Nwodo, who presented the 

keynote address, stressed 

that the position of 

Ohanaeze had been that 

Nigerians were better 

together and that 

considering the 

investments Ndigbo have 

made in the country, they 

would have a better deal in 

an equitable Nigeria. 

He advised the people of 

the South East to take 

advantage of the 2019 

general elections to 

support a government that 

would change the narrative 

in the country. 

Nwodo said the yearning 

of majority of Nigerians 

was to institute a system of 

government that would reengineer 

the economy akin 

to what obtained in the first 

republic, suggesting that 

the only way to achieve that 

was to restructure the 

system of governance. 

“Four zones out of the six 

in the country have set the 

agenda for restructuring. I 

appeal to our people to go 

out and vote during the 

election because your 

warfare is your vote,” he 

pleaded. 

Nwodo said that he 

looked forward to a time 

when the children of highly 

placed politicians in the 

country would share the 

same classrooms with less 

privileged Nigerians as 

was the case in the first 

republic. 

Igbo group to engage Atiku on restructuring 

...begs IPOB to accept restructuring 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

OWERRI—AN Igbo 

group, Eastern 

Region Assembly, ERA, 

yesterday revealed it’s plan 

to invite the presidential 

standard-bearer of the 


PDP, Atiku Abubakar, to 

give an insight of how he 

intends to achieve the 

agenda of restructuring if 

he becomes the President 

of Nigeria. 

The National President of 

ERA, Ejike Ikezuagu told 

newsmen in Owerri that 

Nigeria needed 

restructuring in a way to 

encourage even 

development. 

Ikezuagu also believed 

that the restructuring 

agenda would go to an 

extent to address the issues 

raised by the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB. 

He was peeved that 


Buhari has not given 

attention to the agenda of 

restructuring, adding that 

it could be increasing the 

challenges in the country. 

Ikezuagu said: “Given the 

tensed and heated political 

atmosphere in Nigeria at 

the moment owing to the 

coming 2019 general 

elections where Nigerians 

would decide their fate, the 

Eastern Region Assembly, 

ERA, has taken it upon 

itself to invite Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar to a national 

discourse in London 

soonest. 

“After due consultations 

with various stakeholders, 

groups and friends across 

the region and abroad, we 

have come to the 

conclusion that there is 

need for the people of old 

Eastern region to have a 

vibrant political movement 

that will play a role 

equivalent to that of Arewa 

Consultative Forum and 

Odua Youths. 

“ERA is here to ensure 

that the entire groups in the 

eastern region have one 

voice in all national issues 

as it regards the eastern 

region. 

“In the days to come, we 

have promised to take a 

decision regarding the 

2019 election as it affects the 

entire region. We shall take 

a decision regarding 

campaigns of all the 

political parties after proper 

consultations. 

“We take cognisance of 

Ohanaeze Youth Council 

which has been playing a 

good role as well as 

speaking wonderfully in the 

interest of the region. 

However, they are not 

regarded as a political bloc 

nor a political movement 

representing the people of 

the East. 

“Also, Ijaw Youths Council 

and other related ethnic 

groups in the eastern 

region are organisations 

representing their ethnic 

interests, thereby leaving 

the collective interest of the 

entire eastern region at bay 

without having a political 

movement to liaise with 

political parties in order to 

protect their interest as a 

region."



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We want justice for Ochanya Ogbanje, 

women groups protest in Plateau 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

JOS—FOLLOWING the 

death of Ochanya 

Ogbanje in Benue State 

from vesicovagina fistula, 

VVF, as a result of sexual 

abuses, women groups in 

Plateau State, yesterday, 

staged a peaceful protest, 

pleading with relevant 

authorities to follow up the 

matter and ensure justice 

for the deceased. 

The women called on 

persons that have gone 

through same experience 

or still going through same 

to speak out. 

Among the women 

groups were the Nigeria 

Association of Women 

Journalists, NAWOJ; 

International Federation of 

Female Lawyers, FIDA; 

Women for Women He for 

She; Voice for the Girl-Child 

and 21 others. 

Addressing the people at 

Secretariat Junction in Jos, 

Mildred Bako of Voice for 

the Girl-Child demanded 

the judiciary not to let down 

late Ochanya “a sacrificial 

lamb for several other 

voiceless girls in our 

communities.” 

According to her, “the 

idea of rape or sexual child 

abuse by adults is 

By David Odama 

L AFIA—GOVERNOR 

Tanko Al-Makura of 

Nasarawa State has warned 

against his name being 

degradation of our values 

as a people. We are 

gathered here to lend our 

voices as care givers, 

human rights activists, the 

media and advocates to the 

voiceless children. 

“Ochanya, the 13-yearold 

lass who was allegedly 

molested sexually for five 

years by her guardian (and 

his son), ought to have 

protected her from such 

exploitation. We all demand 

justice for Ochanya against 

all odds.” 

Others who also spoke, 

including Jennifer Yarima 

of NAWOJ; Jophia Gupar, 

Women for Women, He for 

She; Kyenpia Nyabam, 

CLAPAI among others, 

called on mothers to be 

vigilant, befriend their 

children and keep the 

communication lines open 

to encourage their children 

to quickly speak out if there 

is any abuse or situation 

which could lead to abuse. 

VISIT: President Muhammadu Buhari (right) and President of Lagos 

Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, at the 

presentation of an advocacy document on maritime reforms and petroleum 

industry to President Buhari during a courtesy visit by LCCI to the State 

House, Abuja. 

Count me out of Atiku’s 

presidential ambition— Al-Makura 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—BENUE 

State government 

has commenced the 

payment of backlog of 

salaries to workers from the 

N14.9 billion Paris Club 

refunds recently released to 

the state by the Federal 

Government. 

The state government has 

also commenced the 

linked to the presidential 

candidate of the opposition 


PDP, Atiku Abubakar. 

Reacting to an online 

publication in the state, Al- 

process of paying three 

months of the backlog owed 

pensioners in the state. 

Commissioner for 

Finance, Mr. David Olofu, 

who made this known 

yesterday in Makurdi, said 

the government was 

coming up with a debt 

sustainability strategy 

framework to liquidate the 

outstanding payments 

owed workers and 

Makura denied meeting 

with the PDP presidential 

candidate in Dubai as 

alleged in the publication. 

Describing the 

allegations as irresponsible 

Benue begins payment of salaries, 

pensions backlog from Paris Club refund 

By Aliyu Dangida 

DUTSE—JIGAWA State 

government, through 

Local Government Service 

Commission, has 

earmarked N21 million for 

the payment of about 800 

students’ allowances. 

Chairman of the 

commission, Alhaji Kabiru 

Sugungun, who made this 

known in Dutse, said the 

payment was for fresh 

students in various tertiary 

institutions across the world 

for their tuition, books and 

accommodation. 

He added that the 

commission had already 

paid local government staff 

studying in tertiary 

pensioners. 

On the issue of 

underpayment of some 

workers, the commissioner 

said: “If that happened, the 

person concerned need to 

revert back to the payroll 

clerk in their ministry to take 

it up with the office of the 

Accountant-General, 

where the payment is 

actually made and I am 

sure with our calibre of staff, 

... as Jigawa earmarks N21bn for students 

institutions their claims, 

noting that many local 

government staff had 

secured admission into 

Bayero University, Kano; 

Ahmadu Bello University, 

Zaria, and Federal 

University, Dutse, due to 

the support from Governor 

Muhammad Abubakar and 

staff of the commission. 

. 

propaganda being 

sponsored in Nasarawa 

State over 2019, Governor 

Al-Makura said the 

calculated attempt is 

designed to smear his 

political position in his 

mother-party, APC. 

His statement 

According to a statement 

by his Director, Strategic 

Communications and Press 

Affairs, Yakubu Laimai, “the 

governor has never at any 

given time held a closeddoor 

meeting in Dubai, 

UAE, with PDP’s 

presidential candidate, 

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar over 

2019 general elections as 

published by an online 

media in the state. 

“The claim that Governor 

Tanko Al-Makura has 

agreed to work for Atiku 

Abubakar to ensure he wins 

the presidential polls in 

Nasarawa State is not only 

a fallacy, distraction and 

attempts to sow seeds of 

discord in APC and with 


Buhari, but a plan by the 

opposition to destroy the 

governor’s hard-earned 

good records in the state.” 

ADC presidential candidate 

unveils plans for power sector 

By Chris Ochayi 

A BUJA—AFRICA 

Democratic 

Congress, ADC, 

presidential candidate, 

Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, 

has unveiled said if 

voted into power he will 

revolutionise the power 

sector of the economy, 

pledging that his 

administration will 

invest heavily in power 

transmission network. 

Dr. Mailafia also 

promised to invite 

foreign investors to get 

them involved in 

building of power 

transmission equipment 

within the country, as 

well as open discussions 

with Russia or Ukraine 

on development of 

nuclear power. 

The former Deputy 

Governor of Central 

Niger regulates heavy duty 

vehicles' movement 

By Wole 

Mosadomi 

M INNA—NIGER 

State government 

has restricted the 

movement of heavy and 

articulated vehicles 

plying highways in the 

state to between 10p.m. 

and 6a.m. with 

immediate effect from 

next Tuesday. 

The regulated time, to 

last for two weeks, will 

be followed by total 

restriction to enable 

government fix the roads 

concerned, which are 

Minna-Kateregi-Bida 

Road and Eastern bypass 

on township roads 

Killing defenceless Aladja 

9, barbaric—Lawmaker 

SENATOR 

Ovie 

Omo-Agege (Delta 

Central) has said the 

killing of nine persons in 

Aladja “by soldiers 

deployed on peacekeeping 

mission is 

callous and barbaric, as 

there is no justification for 

the troops opening fire 

on defenseless 

protesters.” 

He stated this during 

a condolence visit to the 

people of Aladja over the 

killings, where he was 

represented by Chief 

Francis Atanomeyovwi, 

former National 

Treasurer of Urhobo 

Progress Union, UPU, 

and Mr. Chuks, Director 

General of the Omo- 

Agege Campaign 

Organisation. 

He said: “We are 

shocked about the 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

who spoke in Abuja while 

unveiling his blueprint on 

power sector, however, 

lambasted the electricity 

distribution companies, 

DISCOs, for poor 

performance. 

According to him, “the 

power sector reforms were 

less successful. Despite 

investments of more than 

US$20 billion of public 

funds, electricity 

generation has never quite 

exceeded the 5,000 MW 

mark. 

“Part of the problem has 

been the mix of incentives 

that would encourage the 

power distribution 

companies, DISCOs, to 

plough back their profits 

into further investments in 

the sector. 

“There has also been 

little or no investment in 

power distribution.” 

through to Paiko-Suleja- 

Abuja Road. 

Government claimed it 

had spent billions of Naira 

to fix the roads, but that 

they go bad almost 

immediately after, due to 

the excess luggage heavy 

duty vehicles carry. 

Secretary to the State 

Government, Alhaji 

Ibrahim Ladan, disclosed 

these after an enlarged 

security council meeting 

that had Governor 

Abubakar Sani-Bello; his 

deputy, Alhaji Ahmed 

Ketso; traditional rulers, 

heads of military and 

paramilitary agencies, 

and top government 

officials in attendance. 

barbaric killing of Aladja 

people by soldiers in the 

boundary dispute.” 

The Senator also called 

on Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa to take a decisive 

action on the matter, 

urging him to release and 

work with the many reports 

of panels set up over the 

years on the Aladja and 

Ogbe-Ijoh crisis. 

Earlier, President of 

Aladja community, Mr. 

Elias Dogene, blamed the 

Army for the deaths of 

Aladja people in the 

Monday clash, saying “it 

is most unfortunate and 

uncivilised, because the 

army has no justification for 

that action at all; these are 

people without arms.” 

They also visited the 

palace of the Ovie of Udu 

Kingdom, HRM 

Owhorhu 1.

36 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

WITH CHARLES KUMOLU 

midweekpersonality@gmail.com 

08052140865 (sms only) 

PERSONALITY ETHICS 

*If you don't train 

them, don't blame 

them 

*You become 

powerful by 

sharing your 

knowledge 

*There is enough 

for everyone to 

learn 

*There is no place 

for generic 

knowledge 

First graduate: 

My father was the first 

graduate in his district in India 

in the '30s. Coming from a family 

of highly educated people, I had 

no option but to continue on that 

path of acquiring knowledge. My 

father used to say that whatever 

wealth anyone acquires can be 

stolen, but knowledge acquired 

cannot be stolen. I started 

walking in his footsteps of 

acquiring knowledge right from 

India. I have four brothers, who 

are on that path. My children 

have also acquired multiple 

degrees in different disciplines 

and I have told them that they 

had earned a place at Harvard 

Business School. Having come 

from that kind of environment, 

I am creating such environment 

within my area of influence in 

Nigeria and Canada. 

I told my immediate staff here 

when they joined us that they 

needed to upgrade their 

qualification. I told them that I 

was willing to support them if 

they are starting any project. I 

also promised to support them 

financially and provide the time 

required for the acquisition of 

knowledge. They all have MBA. 

I made it clear that I wanted 

them to acquire knowledge and 

pass on to others. That is just the 

best way we can empower 

people. 

Challenged to seek higher 

knowledge 

I'm into selfless service, 

because of my childhood 

experience. I had mentors while 

growing up. My elder brother 

was my foremost mentor, while 

my father was the second 

mentor. I had a distant uncle, 

who was a very senior civil 

servant in India. Having 

learned so much from their 

mentorship, I decided to repay 

the society anywhere I find 

myself. In Canada, where I have 

a home, I have a Non- 

Government Organisation, 

NGO, that assists people. 

In Ryerson University, Canada 

where my son graduated, I am 

always invited to deliver 

speeches any time I am around. 

I do that without charging any 

fees, because empowering 

people gives me happiness. I 

owe a lot to Nigeria. Before 

coming here, I had a master’s 

BATTH: Ordering steps 

with knowledge 

YOU will either find him classy or cerebral in the first 10 minutes with 

him.Those early moments won’t go without you taking note of any of those 

distinguishing attributes, if not all. The encounter doesn’t just need to 

progress further before knowing that you are face-to-face with someone 

whose knowledge of events, issues and trends are not just generic, but authoritative. 

With a multi-disciplinary background that includes medicine, law, insurance 

and business administration, Dr. Harhhajan Batth has an enriching story 

any day and you can’t help but feel entertained, informed and reformed as 

you read his story that began in the land of his birth, India.That was the 

scenario as this chat lasted at his office, Chellarams Plc. a leading Nigerian 

conglomerate with interests in many industries. Dr. Batth, who is the President 

of Lagos Business School, EMBA7 was the Executive Director of Prestige 

Assurance Company; Chief Manager, The New India Assurance Company. He 

also trains entrepreneurs for the Tony Elumelu Foundation. 

degree and I used to work at 

Afro-Asian Insurance Company. 

It is the largest insurance 

company in India. I rose to Scale 

Five on the corporate ladder and 

the highest point is Scale Seven. 

While studying for the 

interview for Scale Five, I was 

going through a balance sheet 

when I stumbled on paid-up 

capital. I didn’t know the 

meaning and there was no 

internet at the time for me to have 

searched for it on Google. I asked 

and no one could give me an 

answer. I was challenged by that 

to seek higher knowledge. 

Nowhere in the boardroom 

Fortunately, I was seconded 

by the government of India to 

work at Prestige Assurance 

Company in 2001. The first thing 

I told my Assistant General 

Manager, AGM, who was 

studying for his MBA at Enugu 

State University of Science and 

Technology, ESUT, Business 

School was that I wanted to enroll 

for an MBA. I said I was not just 

comfortable with my science 

background ,because I read 

Vetinary Medicine and Law. 

Fortunately, the Lagos 

Business School had just 

announced vacancies for 

admission that year. I sat for the 

examination and passed. When 

I was asked why I wanted another 

degree after the ones I had 

earlier obtained in different 

disciplines, I simply said that I 

just wanted to understand all 

about the Balance Sheet. 

People will find this surprising 

but as one is growing up in the 

hierarchy and if he does not know 

certain things, he will end up 

nowhere in the boardroom. I was 

preparing myself for a major 

position in the boardroom. 

I needed more knowledge to 

understand the economics of the 

business and sociopolitical 

environment and how to run the 

business on commercial lines. 

After finishing the programme, 

I just felt like other degrees I had 

were obsolete. The school 

opened my brain to new ideas. 

After that, I enrolled for a number 

of courses associated with the 

school. It was an eye-opener for 

me that there is a lot for everyone 

to learn. After that, I started the 

journey of sharing my 

knowledge with everyone just 

like Bill Gates said that you don’t 

become powerful by just keeping 

your knowledge to yourself. 

Currently, apart from the 

people on my mailing list, there 

are many entrepreneurs who 

come to me for mentorship. As 

they are running their businesses 

they come to discuss their fears 

and challenges with me. I don’t 

just give answers alone. I do that 

after brainstorming with my 

colleagues, because it's always 

good to have a wide perspective 

on issues. 

Business and life 

I have many mentees, who feel 

I have something that could 

transform their lives. One of them 

is Omawumi. Having met 

Omawumi, I told her to come to 

my place where we discussed 

issues and challenges. 

After sometime, I discovered 

that she started implementing 

whatever generic discussion we 

may have had in her business 

and life and there was growth 

from the point where she met 

me and where she is today. 

Whenever she told me about a 

project she worked on, I always 

asked if she made money. If she 

said no, I encouraged her to 

make money with her projects, 

because she had not gotten to the 

level where she would be offering 

services for free. As for me, I have 

been so blessed by God that I 

stopped charging for my 

services many years ago. 

As someone, who mentors 

people, I don’t just teach people 

how to prosper but how to 

improve their lives. Having 

achieved what people may call 

success in life, if I fail to pass on 

what I had achieved to others, 

that means I am not successful. 

Bill Gates once said that power 

does not come from knowledge 

but from sharing it. 

It implies that if I'm a little bit 

knowledgeable or powerful, I 

will become more powerful if I 

share my knowledge with people. 

Anything I do is free , because 

God has blessed me. I don’t have 

to make money with my 

knowledge. Instead, I use it to 

perform my personal social 

responsibility. 

There was a time I was 

approached to speak to students 

who enrolled at Poise Graduate 

Finishing School, Lagos. The 

school was established to give 

skills to graduates. I went there 

a couple of times. After delivering 

my lectures, so many students in 

the school became my mentees. 

They were impressed because I 

shared every valuable 

experience they needed to grow 

with them. Every opportunity of 

growth that I have, I share it with 

my mentees. Last year, I was 

approached by the Tony 

Elumelu Foundation to be a 

mentor. Perhaps, they got my 

contact from Linkedin or 

someone made the referral. 

To be concluded


“I intend to highlight 

how the resuscitation of 

the bank would boost 

education and reduce 

unemployment 

amongst the youths of 

this country”. 

INADEQUATE fund 

ing of “education 

and youth unemployment” 

are two issues 

which continue to attract 

public discourse in Nigeria. 

Over the years, 

government funding to 

education has decreased 

leading to various crisis 

within the educational 

sector. Strikes, dilapidation 

of structures, massive 

exodus of qualified 

personnel to foreign universities, 

otherwise 

known as brain drain are 

some of the ills with 

which Nigerian tertiary 

institutions are identified. 

Closely related to 

the downturn in the fortunes 

of the educational 

institutions is the rising 

youth unemployment. 

Many graduates lack the 

proper or adequate education 

to make them employable 

even within the 

country. 

Rising state of poverty 

in the country 

With the coming of the 

next elections, I remain 

of the firm conviction 

that these issues deserve 

the attention of those aspiring 

to political office. 

This is so as they both 

have contributed to the 

rising state of poverty in 

the country. In the coming 

weeks, I will draw 

attention to the need to 

resuscitate the Nigeria 

Education Bank 

(EDUBank) which was 

established in 1993 during 

Babangida regime 

purposely to provide 

short term loans to parents 

and students for 

educational development 

or projects. However, 

it was wound up in 

2003 due to fraud and 

non-remittance of repaid 

loans back to the headquarters 

by staff of the 

bank among other reasons 

which I will address 

later. I intend to 

highlight how the resuscitation 

of the bank 

would boost education 

and reduce unemployment 

amongst the youths 

of this country. In addition, 

I will highlight 

how inadequacies and 

fraud can be curbed if 

the bank is to be established. 

Prior to independence, 

unemployment and poverty 

were not the problems 

that they now pose 

to the country. Jobs were 

available for the few educated 

Nigerians. Even 

those who were not 

Time for FG to re-establish Education Bank 

to boost education among youths (1) 

deemed educated by 

western standards did 

not suffer a shortage of 

jobs. This was perhaps 

due to the low population 

of the country. In 

1955, the population of 

Lagos numbered at 

312,000. By 1980, due to 

rural urban migration, it 

has risen to about 

3000000 (three million). 

In the immediate period 

after independence, unemployment 

was still not 

a problem. Most graduates 

already had job offers 

even before leaving 

school. 

In Nigeria unemployment 

rate is reported by 

the National Bureau of 

Statistics. From 2006 to 

2011, the unemployment 

rate averaged 14.6%. It 

recorded a record low 

percent of 5.6 in December 

2006. In 2011, it recorded 

an all-time high 

of 23.9%. At a time, figures 

released from the 

National Bureau of Statistics 

stated that 5.3 million 

youths are jobless in 

Nigeria while 1.8 million 

graduates enter the labour 

market every year. 

The problem has been 

on for some time due to 

the inability of authorities 

to track the numbers 

of persons entering the 

labour market every year. 

As at the 3rd quarter of 

2017, the unemployment 

rate in Nigeria , according 

to africacheck.org 

stood at 18.8% while the 

total percentage of unemployed 

and underemployed 

stood at 40%. The 

body stated as follows: 

Nigeria’s latest unemployment 

data 

If young Nigerians 

after 

acquiring educational 

or vocational 

training 

are unable 

to find jobs, 

there is bound 

to be an effect 

on the rate of 

poverty in the 

country 

enced a slowdown in 

economic growth from 

2014 and entered into a 

recession in 2016, only 

exiting it in the second 

quarter of 2017.)In absolute 

numbers, the 

number of people who 

were unemployed had 

increased to an estimated 

15.9 million, 

“Nigeria’s latest unemployment 

data is for July 

to September 2017. A total 

of 51.1 million people 

was estimated to be in 

full-time employment 

during this period, or 

working at least 40 hours 

a week. The country’s 

unemployment rate 

stood at 18.8%, as Spectator 

Index had tweeted. 

It was the twelfth consecutive 

rise since the 

last quarter of 2014. 

(Note: Nigeria experiwhile 

the underemployed 

were at about 18 

million (21.2%).Combined, 

40% of the country’s 

labour force were 

therefore either underemployed 

or had no job.” 

Jigawa, Rivers, 

Kaduna, Yobe and Akwa 

Ibom states had the 

highest levels with 

62.4%, 61.4%, 58.6%, 

58.1% and 54.8% respectively. 

Ondo which had 

the lowest rate recorded 

34.5%. 

Where there is unemployment 

there is bound 

to be poverty. If young 

Nigerians after acquiring 

educational or vocational 

training are unable 

to find jobs, there is 

bound to be an effect on 

the rate of poverty in the 

country. Ours is a society 

which places emphasis 

on the nuclear structure 

of the family with 

the effect that a salary 

earner in most cases is 

responsible for the upkeep 

not only of his immediate 

family comprising 

of his spouse and 

children but comprising 

also of a retinue of relatives. 

Thus the unemployment 

of one individual 

in our society is 

bound to affect the abilities 

of several others to 

maintain a 

meaningful or 

reasonable 

level of economic 

existence. 

Eeffects of 

unchecked 

population 

growth 

on unemployment 

The rising 

state of unemployment 

has 

not been 

helped by the 

the astronomical 

growth in 

the country’s 

population. 

Nigeria 

prides itself as the most 

populous black country 

in the world. With an estimated 

population of 

over 180,000,000 it is a 

claim that is beyond dispute. 

On the continent of 

Africa itself the population 

of Nigeria is the 

highest as it beats Ethiopia, 

with a population of 

about 88,000,000 people, 

to a very distant second. 

Nigeria ranked 7th 

on a global scale 

On a global scale, Nigeria 

as at July 2016 was 

ranked 7th with a population 

count higher than 

those of countries such as 

Japan, Mexico, Russia, 

Italy and the United 

kingdom! The latest research 

shows that about 

5.5 Million Nigerians 

are yearly added to the 

population. According to 

the United Nations, the 

population of Nigeria 

will reach 391 million by 

2050 which might make 

Nigeria become the 4th 

most populous country in 

the world. 

In 2100, the population 

of Nigeria is projected to 

reach 545 million. That is 

quite a lot and is well 

above the population of 

approximately 

38,000,000 people recorded 

in 1950. These 

numbers are worrying. 

Reporting on the astronomic 

growth of the 

population in Nigeria, 

Elizabeth Rosenthal in 

an article titled “Nigeria 

tested by rapid rise in 

population” published 

in the April 14th 2012 

edition of the New York 

Times stated as follows: 

“In a quarter-century, 

at the rate Nigeria is 

growing, 300 million 

people — a population 

about as big as that of the 

present-day United 

States — will live in a 

country roughly the 

size of Arizona, New 

Mexico and Nevada. 

Failing 

standards 

living 

In this commercial hub, 

where the area’s population 

has by some estimates 

nearly doubled 

over 15 years to 21 million, 

living standards for 

many are falling…As 

graduates pour out of 

high schools and universities, 

Nigeria’s unemployment 

rate is nearly 

50 percent for people in 

urban areas ages 15 to 

24 — driving crime and 

discontent…Last October, 

the United Nations 

announced the global 

population had breached 

seven billion and would 

expand rapidly for decades, 

taxing natural resources 

if countries cannot 

better manage the 

growth….Nigeria, already 

the world’s sixth 

most populous nation 

with 167 million people, 

is a crucial test case, 

since its success or failure 

at bringing down 

birthrates will have outsize 

influence on the 

world’s population. If 

this large nation rich 

with oil cannot control its 

growth, what hope is 

there for the many 

smaller, poorer countries?” 

The numbers projected 

for Nigeria are worrying. 

With our current population 

government is already 

facing hard times 

formulating and implementing 

policies which 

will have an effect on the 

development of the country. 

All ills such as unemployment, 

housing 

deficit, pollution, inadequate 

health facilities, 

conflicts, high cost of living 

and crime which are 

associated with astronomic 

increment in 

population are present 

in Nigeria. 

To be continued.


Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed FDC CEO, Bismark Rewane 

BudgIT Lead Partner, Oluseun 

Onigbinde 

Finance experts contradict FG over increase in debt stock 

By Babajide Komolafe & Yinka Kolawole 

A 

fresh controversy may have 

emerged over the true state of 

borrowings and indebtedness of the 

Nigerian government since inception of 

President Buhari’s regime in 2015 with 

BudgIT Foundation contradicting the 

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on 

actual figures. 

Contrary to Osinbajo’s position that the 

government has borrowed only $10 billion 

in the past three years, BudgIT, a fiscal 

policy monitor house, has given a 

breakdown that indicated that actual 

borrowings in the past three years is about 

$22 billion. 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said 

the Buhari-led administration inherited 

a debt of $63 billion and has only borrowed 

$10 billion since it took office in 2015. 

Speaking at the 9th Public Lecture of 

Sigma Club at the International 

Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, 

last weekend, Osinbajo stated: “In 2010, 

our debt was $35 billion, $41 billion in 

2011, $48 billion in 2012, $64 billion in 

2013, $67.7 billion in 2014, $63.8 billion 

in 2015, $57.8 billion in 2016, $70 billion 

in 2017 and $73 billion in 2018” 

“The nation’s debt as at today is $73 

billion, an increment of $10 billion from 

the $63 billion inherited in 2015.” 

However, in a statement yesterday by 

Niyi Soleye, Human Resources Manager, 

BudgIT, the organisation noted that while 

the external debt rose by $10.49 billion 

from $7.34 billion in June 2015 to $17.83 

billion in June 2018, domestic debt 

increased by N3.76 trillion from N8.39 

trillion to N12.15trillion within the same 

period, amounting to about $12 billion at 

an exchange rate of N305/$. 

BudgIT stated further: “It is important 

to deconstruct the Federal Government 

debt into external and domestic debt to 

get a full understanding for purposes of 

accountability. The total FG Debt Stock 

totals the sum of External Debt and 

Domestic Debt. The Debt Management 

Office figures showed that FG external 

debt alone grew from $7.34 billion in June 

2015 to $17.83 billion in June 2018, that’s 

an additional $10.49 billion in 3 years. 

“Domestic debt of FG as at June 2015 

was N8.39 trillion while it stood at N12.15 

trillion as at June 2018. That’s another 

increase of N3.76 trillion in 3 years. At 

an exchange rate of N305/$, that’s $12 

billion. This means the total increase in 

external and domestic debt is $22 billion. 

“It is public knowledge that the Naira 

was devalued in recent years, and this 

singular act shrunk and expanded a lot 

of indexes. Those who put forward $10 

billion are comparing the wrong values 

without adding the important information 

that exchange rates for the times are 

different. From our research, we have 

observed that this administration (FG 

alone) borrowed $22 billion in three years 

but due to naira devaluation gains total 

public debt stock (for the entire 

Federation) increased by $10 billion, 

which makes current claims true. 

“However, it is important to state that it 

is true that public debt is now $73 billion, 

grew by $10 billion, because FG domestic 

debt in USD terms was $42.63 billion in 

June 2015 and $39.75 billion as at June 

2018. 

“This does not mean that FG borrowed 

less domestic debt in 3 years. It only goes 

to show that the domestic debt of FGN 

grew from N8.39 trillion to N12.15 trillion 

from 2015 to 2018 respectively. Devaluing 

exchange rate from N196.95/$ to N305.7/ 

$ made the domestic debt in 2018 

relatively smaller in USD terms. 

“It is important to classify debt into two 

categories considering that external debt 

will be paid in USD or other currencies 

while domestic debt will be settled in 

Naira. This invariably has consequences 

for debt servicing costs in the near term. 

“It is hoped that this “marginal” 

increase in debt in USD terms does not 

unleash excessive borrowing by the 

Federation considering that public 

revenue in USD equivalent has also 

severely shrunk”. 

BudgIT also highlighted the sharp rises 

in sub-national borrowings in the past 

three years as well as the impacts of 

adjustments in exchange rate on overall 

debt burden. 

It stated: “States’ domestic debt rose 

from N1.69tn in June 2015 to N3.477tn 

in June 2018. Adjusting this for USD also 

does not tell the full story. States debt 

costs are deducted in Naira equivalent 

at prevailing “official” rates. “However, 

devaluation provides adjusted gains 

especially for monies earned in USD such 

as oil & gas revenues but losses for those 

earned in Naira such as CIT & VAT, when 

converted to USD. 

Total borrowings, indebtedness is $47bn in 3 

yrs — Rewane 

COMMENTING, 

Managing 

Director/Chief Executive, 

Financial Derivatives Company 

Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, 

supported BudgIT’s position that the 

total debt borrowed between 2015 and 

2018 is more than $10 billion. 

However, he said that the $22 billion 

borrowed in three years, as pointed by 

BudgIT, relates only to contractual 

debt, adding that when this is 

combined with non-contractual debts, 

usually referred to as tradables, the 

total figure would be about $47 billion. 

He stated: “The total debt borrowed 

at $22 billion is accurate. In 2015 it was 

$10 billion that was the total debt, now 

they have borrowed $12 billion more 

between 2015 and now. 

“But what was the debt used for? 

Can you tie that to any specific capital 

project? Third, we are now using 52 

cents in every dollar to service debt. 

“And the debt we are talking about 

is the contractual debt. There is noncontractual 

debt called tradables. The 

tradables are very high. When you add 

the tradables to the contractual debt, 

you have a figure of about $47 billion. 

“But the volume of the debt is not 

important, it is what you have used the 

debt for and whether it is helping 

productivity. 

“This conversation is a very important 

conversation that Nigeria should 

have. So that leaders we know that 

before you engage on borrowing, you 

must have a specific project, you must 

have the impact analysed, and you 

must have a source to service it. 

“And don’t forget that sovereign debt 

is never to be repaid, they are always 

refinanced. It is debt sustainability 

“The devaluation of the Naira has 

impacted directly on the purchasing 

power of Nigerians, with income severely 

shrunk in Naira terms while those who 

export especially in non-oil sector have 

seen relative gains”. 

that determines whether you are able 

to carry on additional debt. 

Right now, the revenue are 

declining, our ability to sustain higher 

debt is in question.” 

Looking forward BudgIT harps on 

judicious use of the borrowed funds. 

It stated: “BudgIT believes that 

acquiring debt is not bad if put to 

judicious and profitable use for the 

citizenry but we request more 

transparency on self-liquidating 

capital projects that such borrowings 

are tied to. We believe Nigeria should 

expand total revenue to at least meet 

its recurrent costs, in line with the Fiscal 

Responsibility Act. 

A core part of our work is to provide 

more transparency to the numbers, 

demand accountability, and seek 

clarification from public institutions 

when necessary. This we would 

unrelentingly continue to do.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018— 39



Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 —41 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Police car burnt in Shi'ite 

protest, 400 arrested 

Continues from Page 1 

“In conclusion, I want 

to bring to your 

knowledge that a total of 

400 members of El- 

Zakzakky Islamic 

Movement of Nigeria, 

IMN, who participated 

in the violent protest of 

Tuesday (yesterday) are 

currently being detained 

for 

discreet 


Dangerous weapons 

were also recovered from 

them. 

Shi’ites Protest: 

Police beef up 

security around 

Aso Rock 

Following the clash, the 

police immediately 

beefed up security 

around entrances to the 

State House. 

Consequently, the 

Police stationed its 

officers opposite the Fire 

Service, the entrance to 

the State House, before 

the barricade mounted by 

a combined team of 

operatives of the 

Department of State 

Services, DSS, the Police 

and the Army. 

Occupants of vehicles 

going into the Villa were 

thoroughly screened 

before they were allowed 

to drive in. 

From the Secretariat to 

the entrances to State 

House and the National 

Assembly, security was 

also beefed up with 

additional armed mobile 

police officers mounting 

surveillance. 

Bank orders 

closure of 

branches 

Also yesterday, a 

commercial bank asked 

its branches in Area 3, 

Garki, Abuja, to close 

business for the day at 

NAIRAWATCH 

3:00pm because of the 

tensed situation in the 

area. 

When Vanguard 

visited the bank 

yesterday, customers 

were gathered outside 

the bank arguing with 

the security man, who 

was explaining to them 

that the bank had closed 

business for the day. 

After a while, one of the 

officials of the branch 

explained to the 

customers that the order 

to close business for the 

day was purely for 

security reasons, adding 

that the order came from 

above. 

He stated that the order 

was due to the 

prevailing security 

situation around Abuja, 

following the protests of 

the Shi’ite members who 

had invaded Abuja since 

Sunday. 

Why soldiers 

opened fire on 

Shi'ite 

protesters 

— Nigerian Army 

Meanwhile, the 

Nigerian Army has 

admitted its personnel 

fired live ammunition at 

Shi’ite protesters on the 

outskirts of Abuja on 

Monday afternoon, 

killing at least three 

protesters who allegedly 

tried to breach a security 

checkpoint. 

The Army said its 

personnel conveying 

military equipment were 

waylaid by the Shi’ites in 

the Saturday encounter, 

during which some 

soldiers were brutalised 

with stones and sharp 

objects. No soldier was 

killed during the 

encounter. 

In a Facebook post late 

Monday night, the Army 

said soldiers unleashed 

their firearms on the 

protesters after they 

became violent and 

Naira up to N363.32/$ in 

parallel market 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

The Naira, yesterday, appreciated to N363.32 

per dollar in the Investors and Exporters 

(I&E) window due to the 779 percent increase 

in the volume of dollars traded in the window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window dropped to N363.32 

per dollar yesterday from N363.58 per dollar on 

Monday, translating to 26 kobo appreciation of the 

naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded yesterday 

in the window rose marginally by 779 percent to 

$449.66 million from $51.14 million on Monday. 

However, the naira yesterday was stable at N360.5 

per dollar in the parallel market. 

started firing stones with 

catapults, wounding four 

soldiers in the process. 

It said the protesters 

repeatedly lobbed 

Molotov cocktails at 

troops and police officers 

manning the security 

checkpoint near the 

overhead bridge in Karu. 

“The sect, in massive 

numbers, forced their 

way into the troops 

checkpoint after overrunning 

the Police Force. 

The Police withdrew back 

to own troops position to 

join efforts to repel them. 

“They fired weapons at 

own troops, throwing 

bottle canisters with fuel, 

large stones, catapults 

with dangerous objects 

and other dangerous 

items at troops, causing 

bodily harm and 

stopping motorist 

movement, breaking 

their windscreens and 

causing heavy traffic. 

“However, troops 

repelled the attack in 

conjunction with the 

Nigerian Police Force to 

stop the situation from 

further deteriorating. 

“Unfortunately, during 

the encounter, three 

members of the sect were 

killed, while four 

soldiers sustained 

various degrees of 

injuries and are being 

treated at a military 

medical facility. 

‘’Meanwhile, the 

situation has been 

brought under control 

and normalcy restored in 

the general area and 

there is free flow of traffic. 

‘’Members of the 

public living within 

Abuja and environs are 

enjoined to go about 

their normal activities 

without fear of 

molestation. 

“The Nigerian Army 

will not be deterred in 

carrying out its 

constitutional roles and 

also safeguarding law 

abiding citizens,” the 

Army explained. 

Shi’ites react 

Meanwhile, the IMN 

in a statement issued 

yesterday, titled, ‘’We 

reject the Army’s 

accusation after killing 

us at Nyanya’’, said: 

Yesterday (Monday), the 

Nigerian Army, after a 

brutal clampdown on a 

peaceful mourning 

procession of the Islamic 

Movement In Nigeria 

and killing at least 20 

and injuring of several 

others, released a press 

statement claiming that 

some of its troops were 

attacked by members of 

the Movement. 

VISIT—President Muhammadu Buhari (Right) accompanied by 

Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (2nd right) with 

National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno (2nd left); Inspector 

General of Police, Idris Kpotun Ibrahim (left) and other senior 

officials, as he arrived Kaduna State, yesterday, to sympathize with 

the state over security challenges in the state. Photo:Olu Ajayi. 

‘’It shamelessly 

claimed that their troops 

were deployed on 

routine duty at Kugbo/ 

Karu bridge checkpoint 

of the Federal Capital 

Territory, FCT, when 


Movement attacked 

them. 

‘’Had it not been that 

it was similar to the one 

they released after they 

killed six members of the 

Islamic Movement at 

Zuba, Abuja, wherein 

they seek to justify the 

savagery they meted out 

on us, we wouldn’t have 

bothered to reply them. 

‘’All the parameters 

surrounding the incident 

only proved that the 

entire incidences were 

deliberate and preplanned, 

confirming 

information the 

movement had that they 

were deployed to kill 

Shia members who were 

coming to Abuja from 

Mararaba. 

‘’Parts of the concocted 

lies contained in the 

Army statement that 

immediately followed the 

brutal clampdown to 

mischievously deceive 

the public reads: ‘The 

sect in massive numbers 

forced their way into the 

troops checkpoint after 

over running the Police 

Force. 

‘’The Police withdrew 

back to own troops 

position to join efforts to 

repel them. They fired 

weapons at own troops, 

throwing bottle canisters 

with fuel, large stones, 

catapults with dangerous 

objects and other 

dangerous items at 

troops causing bodily 

harm and stopping 

motorist movement, 

breaking their 

windscreen and 

causing heavy traffic. 

‘’However, troops 

repelled the attack in 

conjunction with the 

Nigerian Police Force to 

stop the situation from 

further deteriorating. 

Unfortunately, during 

the encounter, three 

members of the sect were 

killed, while four 

soldiers sustained 

various degrees of 

injuries and are being 

treated at a military 

medical facility.’ 

They killed 

without 

provocation 

— Shi’ites 

‘’The above assertion 

by the Nigerian Army is 

an attempt by them to 

turn the victims into 

villains. There is no iota 

of truth in what they 

dished out to the public 

to justify their 

unjustifiable act of 

killing defenceless 

citizens who have 

trekked peacefully for 

over three hours without 

any incident from 

Mararaba Bus stop, only 

to find their path 

barricaded with 

armoured vehicles and 

fully armed troops that 

resumed killing without 

any provocation. 

‘’It was the troops who 

blocked the highway to 

prevent members of the 

Islamic Movement from 

entering Abuja for the 

A r b a ’ e e n 

commemoration of the 

martyrdom of Imam 

Husain AS. This is an act 

of provocation to deny 

people their right to 

peaceful assembly; hence 

there is no way it can be 

justified. 

‘’In the first place, the 

Army is not supposed to 

be drafted to a scene of 

peaceful protest; this is 

the norm in civilized 

climes. We wonder why 

it is different here, a 

country that claims to be 

following democratic 

principles. 

‘’Also, the claim by the 

Army that some of us 

carried arms and fired at 

them is a figment of their 

imagination. The Islamic 

Movement has never 

carried any arms, and 

for someone to come out 

in broad daylight to 

accuse us of carrying 

weapons is a blatant lie. 

‘’However, we believe 

the hawks within the 

security networks of the 

country have been 

planning to plant some 

of their agents during 

our peaceful marches, so 

that they can avail them 

with an opportunity of 

accusing us of carrying 

arms and causing 

mayhem. We reject these 

in totality. 

‘’We also view this act 

as a deliberate genocide 

perpetrated by the 

Nigerian regime. We, 

hereby call on 

Nigerians, the 

international community 

and rights groups to 

raise their voices against 

the extra-judicial and 

brutal bloodletting 

perpetrated by the 

Nigerian Army. 

“We also call on the 


stop sending its security 

agents to kill us, while at 

the same time we see 

other citizens protesting 

without being killed in 

this country. This is clear 

deceit and double 

standards. 

The fact that the 

business of the Army is 

the protection of the 

territorial integrity of the 

country is enough to 

show the illegality of 

sending heavily armed 

soldiers in combat mode 

to disperse peaceful 

procession of men, 

women and children. 

‘’Once again, we will 

not relent in our effort to 

get our voices heard, 

hence we call for the 

immediate and 

unconditional release of 

our leader, Sheikh 

Ibraheem Zakzaky, his 

wife and other illegally 

detained members of the 

Movement."


FAYEMI: The issues after honeymoon in Ekiti 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

THE euphoria heralding Dr 

Kayode Fayemi’s October 

16, 2018 swearing in as the 9th 

civilian governor of Ekiti State 

is at the climax at the moment. 

Attention seekers and political 

jobbers are at work seeking to 

outdo one another in the placement 

of congratulatory advertisements 

and jingles in radio stations 

in the state. 

Honeymoon 

Thus, Fayemi is still enjoying 

his honeymoon. Few appointments 

have been made with little 

or no protest from any quarter. 

However, in another two weeks, 

the honeymoon is expected to be 

over and the need to face the 

daunting task of governance will 

be inevitable. 

Fayemi appeared to have realised 

this himself. During a ‘thank 

you ‘tour of the state,’ and town 

hall meetings with party supporters 

and people of the state as part 

of the inauguration activities, he 

said, ‘in a matter of days, the 

questions in town would be, what 

has the new governor done, what 

is he up to, we are yet to see 

anything...and so on.” 

The task on ground is enormous, 

especially in a state with zero-economic 

base. The civil service that 

had been the only industry in the 

state has long been lying prostrate, 

with several arrears of unpaid 

salaries and pensions, not 

to talk of gratuities which are fast 

becoming a privilege. 

Civil servants are being owed 

four months arrears while local 

government workers are in excess 

of eight months unpaid salaries, 

and pensioners are grappling with 

10 months. Gratuities have become 

fairy tales, and were last 

paid in 2012. 

Incidentally, 2018 is the year 

with the largest number of retirees 

from the state civil service. 

Sadly, all of them are retiring without 

getting their gratuities, a situation 

that can be referred to as 

post retirement poverty. 

Apart from Afe Babalola University, 

which is the second largest 

employer in the state, no other 

private initiative has such capacity. 

Almost every other business 

in the state depends on government 

and civil servants patronage. 

Economy in doldrums 

Although, the state has capacity 

for large agricultural concerns 

but the method is still at the pristine 

hoe and cutlass level. The 

four years of Governor Ayodele 

Fayose did not record much mileage 

in this sector and in initiating 

youth employment and empowerment 

scheme. 

With the level of poverty occasioned 

by irregular salaries, the 

consequence is high rate of outof- 

school children and statistics 

put Ekiti as the one with the highest 

number in South-West. 

High expectations 

Expectations are high. The 

majority of Ekiti people believe 

Fayemi has the magic wand to 

revive the economy, ignite indus- 

Governor Kayode Fayemi taken the oath of office 

trial revolution and development. 

Some analysts in the state said during 

Fayemi’s first coming, 2010 to 

2014, there was massive engagement 

of youths; 20,000 youth were 

in volunteers’ scheme together 

with Peace Corps and Traffic Management 

Agency. Another 5,000 

were engaged in Youth in Commercial 

Agriculture. The state was 

opened up for tourism, a fortune 

was spent on remodelling and repackaging 

the Ikogosi Warm 

Springs, Ire bricks was also revived, 

the Fountain Hotel was up 

and alive. 

Deliberate efforts were launched 

to ensure Ekiti indigenes filled 

their quotas in federal institutions. 

Development partners, like DFID, 

World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF and 

many others had presence in Ekiti 

to assist the government. Farm settlements 

that had hitherto been 

abandoned, were activated, cocoa 

farmers across the state were assured 

of access to loans. 

To encourage the youths of the 

If the government 

recognises the civil 

service as the engine 

room of government, 

payment of 

salaries shouldn’t be 

difficult 

The burning issues 

• Reviving the economy 

• Paying salaries and pension arrears 

• Paying gratuities of retirees 

• Creating jobs for youths 

• Boosting agriculture 

• Reviving abandoned industrial projects 

• Improving IGR 

state to become modern farmers, 

School of Commercial Agriculture 

was established in Ishan Ekiti. 

These lofty programmes were 

abandoned during the Fayose 

era. 

Today all of the state’s business 

concerns are either closed down 

or in state of anomie. The YCAD 

and youth volunteers’ scheme 

were discarded and abandoned. 

Erifun factory has been abaning, 

he fa- cil- i- tated over N2 billion 

from the African De- vel- opment 

Bank to fund youth in Agricul- 

ture. He ini- ti- ated a process 

for a grant from World Bank to estab- 

lish and bankroll a strong 

schol- ar- ship scheme in the state 

among other mem- o- randa of asso- 

ci- a- tion his gov- ern- ment 

entered into with globally respectable 

bodies to fast-track de- 

doned. 

The inter- nally gen- er- ated 

revenue that was hovering between 

N400 and N500 million under 

Fayemi has nose- dived to below 

N100 million. In- ter- vention 

funds from inter- national 

or- gan- i- sa- tions to fund Agricul- 

ture, ed- u- ca- tion and coop- 

er- a- tive so- ci- eties are no 

longer op- er- a- tional. All these 

are issues that are now begging 

for at- ten- tion. 

Dur- ing the Fayemi’s first comvel- 

opment. Sadly, all these 

have gone into ex- tinc- tion and 

needed to be re-ignited. 

Osundare, Awe, Labour set 

targets for Fayemi 

Ekiti people, just like what the 

former Chairman of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Chief 

Jide Awe, said, actually went to 

the poll with the following mindset: 

they wanted a person with 

a proven track-record of performance 

and integrity, and who 

would bring about the kind of 

turnaround the state needs at 

this crucial period, through 

focused leader- ship, good 

gov- er- nance, restoration of 

cher- ished values and multi- 

fac- eted de- vel- opment. 

The renowned playwright and 

poet, Prof Niyi Osundare put the 

expectations of Ekiti people succinctly: 

“With Fayemi coming on 

board, he needs to tackle poverty 

and re-enact value reorientation 

in Ekiti. He must come 

with policies and programme of 

actions that will engender development 

of the state 

“His (Fayemi) nose and ears 

must be close to the ground. He 

must be close to the people and 

eradicate ignorance and poverty 

that make our people to believe 

in stomach infrastructure. 

“This is your (Fayemi) second 

chance and significant opportunity 

to rewrite your name 

in gold and make significant 

impacts on the lives of Ekiti people 

for real restoration of our value 

system.” 

Chairman Nigeria Labour 

Congress in Ekiti State, Ade 

Adesanmi wants the new administration 

to set its priority 

right, adding that once this is 

done meeting its obligations 

shouldn’t be problem. 

His words: “Ordinarily, if the 

government recognises the civil 

service as the engine room of 

government, payment of salaries 

shouldn’t be difficult. All they 

need to do is to set their priorities 

right, do away with frivolous and 

bogus projects that have no direct 

bearing on the life of the people 

and concentrate on the people’s 

welfare through patent of salaries 

as at when due.” 

Fayemi raises hope 

Despite lamentations over the 

state’s indebtedness to the tune of 

N170 billion, Fayemi has assured 

that these challenges won’t stop 

his government from delivering 

dividends of democracy to the citizens. 

He promised to turn the fortunes 

of Ekiti State around through his 

four cardinal programmes of Social 

Investment, Knowledge Economy, 

Infrastructure and Industrial 

Development, Agriculture and Rural 

Development. 

“In our quest for economic rejuvenation, 

our government shall 

invest heavily in Youth in commercial 

Agriculture because Ekiti is basically 

agrarian, reactivate community 

based projects, tap into our 

tourist potential and ensure security 

of local and foreign investors. 

“As of today, the debt profile and 

other financial commitment hanging 

on the state look challenging, 

but with your support, we shall 

overcome. The light shall shine 

again. We shall celebrate our core 

values of scholarship, knowledge, 

hard work, unity and strong character 

bequeathed to us by our 

founding fathers. 

“We shall network with the federal 

government and other local 

and international bodies to bring 

the dividends of democracy Ekiti 

people deserve to their doorsteps,” 

Fayemi assured. 

He promised to turn the fortunes 

of Ekiti State around through his 

four cardinal programmes of Social 

Investment, Knowledge Economy, 

Infrastructure and Industrial 

Development, Agriculture and Rural 

Development.

Trump targets US birthright citizenship 

ahead of elections 

PRESIDENT Donald 

Trump on Tuesday revived 

his support for the legally 

questionable theory 

that citizenship is not automatically 

conferred on children 

born in the United 

States of illegal immigrants, 

in a bid to reshape immigration 

policies with crucial congressional 

elections a week 

away. 

Seeking to shore up support 

for fellow Republicans, 

Trump told the Axios news 

website he would issue an 

executive order on the subject, 

a unilateral move without 

congressional approval 

that would require a radical 

new interpretation of existing 

law and almost certainly 

be challenged in the 

courts. 

Under the U.S. Constitution’s 

14th Amendment, enacted 

in the wake of the U.S. 

Civil War to ensure that 

blacks previously subject to 

slavery had full citizenship 

rights, citizenship is granted 

to “all persons born or 

naturalized in the United 

States.” 

It has been routinely interpreted 

over the years to 

confer citizenship to people 

born in the United States 

whose parents are illegal 

immigrants. 

Trump, who has made 

rhetoric against illegal immigrants 

a central plank of 

his presidency, originally 

spoke out against birthright 

citizenship when he first 

started running for president 

in 2015. 

The legal argument espoused 

by conservative activists 

for excluding children 

of illegal immigrants would 

likely be based around the 

language in the 14th 

Amendment that says people 

born in the United States 

are citizens if they are “subject 

to the jurisdiction” of the 

United States. 

Activists seeking to limit 

immigration, including 

Michael Anton, who wrote 

an article on the subject for 

the Washington Post in July, 

argue that illegal immigrants 

are not under the jurisdiction 

of the United 

States and therefore their 

children born on U.S. soil 

should not be U.S. citizens. 

Most legal scholars say 

the jurisdiction language 

denies citizenship only to 

those who are not bound by 

U.S. law, such as the children 

of foreign diplomats. 

Ilya Shapiro, a lawyer with 

the libertarian Cato Institute, 

said that although there is a 

debate in academic circles 

among conservatives on 

whether Congress could 

legislate on the issue without 

running afoul of the 14th 

Amendment, “it’s not something 

that can be done by 

executive action alone.” 

One Republican member 

of Congress, frequent 

Trump ally Senator Lindsey 

Graham said he would 

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 — 43 

move forward to introduce 

legislation “along the same 

lines” as Trump’s order. 

At least since 2005, Republicans 

in the U.S. Congress 

have regularly offered 

legislation ending birthright 

citizenship for children born 

in the United States if their 

parents were in the United 

States illegally. But the legislation 

has never advanced, 

even when the House of 

Representatives or Senate 

was under Republican control. 

Neither Graham nor 

Trump gave any details 

about the latest plan. The 

White House did not respond 

to a request for comment. 

Indonesian divers hunt for doomed plane’s 

cockpit recorders 

*To inspect all Boeing 737 MAX jets after crash 

INDONESIA deployed 

divers on Tuesday to 

search for an airliner that 

crashed with 189 people on 

board, as “pinger locators” 

tried to zero in on its cockpit 

recorders and find out 

why an almost-new plane 

went down in the sea minutes 

after take-off. 

Indonesia, one of the 

world’s fastest-growing aviation 

markets, has a patchy 

safety record. With the now 

almost certain prospect of all 

on board having died, the 

crash is set to rank as its 

second-worst air disaster. 

Ground staff lost contact 

with flight JT610 of budget 

airline Lion Air 13 minutes 

after the Boeing 737 MAX 

8 aircraft took off early on 

Monday from the airport in 

Jakarta, the capital, on its 

way to the tin-mining town 

of Pangkal Pinang. 

Dozens of relatives of 

those on board gathered at 

a police hospital where 

body bags were brought for 

forensic doctors to try to 

identify victims, including 

by taking saliva swabs from 

Rescue workers lay out recovered belongings believed to be from the crashed 

Lion Air flight JT610 at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta, Indonesia. REUTERS 

family members for DNA 

tests 

“I keep praying for a miracle 

although logically, the 

plane has sunk in the 

ocean,” said Toni Priyono 

Adhi, whose daughter was 

on the flight. 

“But as a parent, I want a 

miracle.” 

A Reuters witness on a 

boat at the crash site saw 

about 60 divers scattered in 

inflatable boats over the 

slightly choppy waters entering 

the sea, which is 

about 35 metres (115 feet) 

deep. 

Sonar vessels and an underwater 

drone have also 

been hunting for the wreckage 

of the fuselage, where 

many victims were feared 

trapped, officials said. 

The head of a national 

transport safety panel, Soerjanto 

Tjahjono, said that 

underwater “pinger locators”, 

including equipment 

from Singapore, were being 

deployed to help find the 

aircraft’s black boxes. 

UN urges Saudi to reveal whereabouts of 

Khashoggi’s body 

UN High Commis 

sioner for Human 

Rights Michelle Bachelet 

on Tuesday called on Saudi 

authorities to reveal the 

whereabouts of the body of 

slain journalist Jamal 

Khashoggi in order to ensure 

an independent and 

impartial investigation of 

his murder. 

GENEVA (Pakistan Point 

News / Sputnik - 30th October, 

2018) UN High 

Commissioner for Human 

Rights Michelle Bachelet 

on Tuesday called on 

Saudi authorities to reveal 

the whereabouts of the 

body of slain journalist 

Jamal Khashoggi in order 

to ensure an independent 

and impartial investigation 

of his murder. 

“For an investigation to 

be carried out free of any 

appearance of political considerations, 

the involvement 

of international experts, 

with full access to 

evidence and witnesses, 

would be highly desirable,” 

Bachelet said in a 

statement as quoted by her 

office. 

“Forensic examination, 

including an autopsy on 

the body of the victim is a 

crucial element in any investigation 

into a killing, 

and I urge the Saudi authorities 

to reveal the 

whereabouts of his body 

without further delay or 

prevarication,” she 

stressed. 

Meanwhile, Turkey’s 

President Recep Tayyip 

Erdogan says a game is 

being played over the murder 

of Saudi journalist Jamal 

Khashoggi to protect 

senior figures linked to the 

crime. 

Bangladesh, Myanmar agree to 

begin Rohingya repatriation by 

mid-November 

BANGLADESH and Myanmar agreed on Tuesday 

to begin by November the repatriation of hundreds 

of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh 

to escape a Myanmar army crackdown, though 

doubts about a speedy return are likely to persist. 

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed from 

the west of mostly Buddhist Myanmar into Bangladesh 

from August last year after Rohingya insurgent attacks 

on the Myanmar security forces triggered a sweeping 

military response. 

“We are looking forward to start the repatriation by mid- 

November,” Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Shahidul 

Haque told reporters in Dhaka after a meeting with a 

Myanmar delegation led by senior foreign ministry official 

Myint Thu. 

Myint Thu hailed what he called a “very concrete result 

on the commencement of the repatriation”. 

Germany’s deadliest post-war serial 

killer: nurse admits killing 100 

patients 

AGerman nurse admitted in court on Tuesday 

to being post-war Germany’s deadliest serial 

killer, murdering 100 patients with lethal injections 

so that he could play the hero by trying to revive 

them. When judge Sebastian Buehrmann asked 41- 

year-old Niels Hoegel if the charges against him 

were valid, he responded in the affirmative, adding: 

“All that I have admitted to is true.” 

Hoegel hid his face behind a blue plastic folder as 

he was ushered into the courtroom in the northern 

city of Oldenburg by police and his attorney. 

He had already been sentenced to 15 years in jail 

in 2015 after he was found guilty of killing two patients 

with lethal injections. In January, prosecutors 

brought new charges against him for killing another 

97 people. The court said in a statement that the 

number had gone up to 100. 

His admission will not end the trial, at which families 

of the victims hope to uncover more information 

about the crimes. 

Merkel looks to Africa to cement 

a legacy shaped by migration 

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged on 

Tuesday a new development fund to tackle unemployment 

in Africa, a problem spurring the mass migration 

that has shaped her long premiership as it nears its 

end. 

Merkel hosted a summit of African leaders a day after 

her announcement that she would retire from politics by 

2021, which sent shockwaves across Europe and started 

a race to succeed her 

She needs the Compact with Africa summit to show 

that progress has been made in addressing the aftermath 

of one of the defining moments of her 13 years in 

power: her 2015 decision to open Germany’s doors to 

more than a million asylum seekers. 

The Berlin summit, attended by 12 presidents and prime 

ministers including Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, South 

Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed and 

Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, is designed to showcase the 

continent as a stable destination for German investment. 

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine 

Lagarde is also there, along with a host of international 

development officials. 

Egypt releases author, publisher 

held over book on economy 

AUTHORITIES i n 

Egypt have released 

the author of a book 

critical of President Abdel 

Fattah el-Sisi’s economic 

policies and his publisher 

after detaining them 

more than a week ago. 

Abdel Khalik Farouk 

said on Tuesday a Cairo 

court ordered his release, 

alongside publisher Ibrahim 

el-Khateib, pending 

an investigation into accusations 

of publishing “fake 

news”. 

The book argues that el- 

Sisi lacks a vision for remedying 

Egypt’s economic 

woes, which Farouq 

blames on the military’s 

monopoly of power since 

1952. 

Farouk 

Copies of the economist’s 

book - titled, Is Egypt really 

a Poor Country? - were 

seized just days before his 

arrest on October 21, according 

to local media. 

Farouk’s wife told Reuters 

news agency three policemen 

who came to their 

home said the arrest was in 

connection with the book.


AFCON 2019: We are not there yet – Amuneke 

FORMER African 

footballer of the year 

and coach of Tanzania national 

team, Emmanuel 

Amunike has said that the 

ticket to AFCON 2019 has 

not been guaranteed yet for 

the Taifa Stars. He said only 

hard work can guarantee 

them success. 

“We are hoping, by God’s 

grace, to pick a valuable 

point in Lesotho, and if we 

can as well get the three 

points, then we are close 

to AFCON 2019. 

“But for now we need to 

work harder, remain focused 

and stay committed, 

that is what we should be 

thinking. 

Onazi blasts 

Rohr 

TRABZONSPOR mid 

fielder Eddy Onazi 

was on another level in his 

team’s 1-1 draw against 

Antalyaspor in the Turkish 

Super Lig on Saturday, 

earning rave reviews for his 

performance at the Antalya 

Stadyumu. 

Of the 28 players in action, 

the Nigeria international 

touched the ball the 

most, 111 times in total, 

placing first ahead of Argentinian 

teammate José 

Sosa who had 100 touches. 

Out of the 92 passes Onazi 

attempted, he completed 

72 and ended the game 

with a passing accuracy of 

82.6 percent. 

But the most eye-catching 

stats is that he was the joint 

top dribbler, along with 

Antalyaspor’s Dogukan 

Sinik with four take-ons. 

The 25-year-old, had a 

game-high five tackles, won 

two fouls and made one interception. 

In an obvious dig aimed 

at Gernot Rohr, Onazi criticized 

the German for not 

handing him playing time 

at this summer’s World 

Cup. 

The relationship between 

master and pupil is set to 

further deteriorate as the 

former Lazio ace has been 

omitted from the latest Nigeria 

roster announced on 

Monday for no good reason. 

‘’I’ll show my quality and 

talents to those who didn’t 

give me the chance to play 

in the World Cup,’’ Onazi 

told the Turkish press. 

*Onazi 

“I have consistently 

urged the boys to keep focus, 

knowing that Tanzania 

has not qualified for 

AFCON for the past thirty 

eight years. If we can 

make it through that will 

be historic for the people 

of Tanzania,”. 

The former Julius Berger 

coach concluded by saying 

it time work harder. 

Mikel not a must in Eagles - Ikpeba 

*Mikel (left) 

GERNOT Rohr’s deci 

sion on player selection 

has been apt, including 

leaving out captain John Obi 

Mikel again, according to 

ex-Nigeria international Victor 

Ikpeba. 

On Monday, Rohr named 

a 23-man squad for the African 

Cup of Nations qualifiers 

against South Africa and 

Uganda friendly and the 

Tianjin Teda midfielder was 

a notable omission. 

Mikel has yet to return to 

international duty ever since 

captaining the country at the 

2018 World Cup in Russia. 

While prior omissions had 

uncertainty about the former 

Chelsea player’s fitness, this, 

however, seems way off it as 

the 31-year-old was on parade 

for his club Tianjin Teda 

on Sunday, scoring one of 

their goals in another loss. 

However, Ikpeba does not 

see it as an issue, trusting Rohr 

with his judgments. 

“Mikel is not a must in Eagles. 

I understand the coach,” 

Ikpeba said on Monday. 

“Mikel has been a fantastic 

player for the national team 

for more than a decade. And I 

understand that the skipper 

and the coach have a great 

relationship but we don’t 

know why he was not invited. 

“But this is great for the 

team and great for the young 

set of players that they can do 

without Mikel and without 

Victor Moses. The team has 

been brilliant without them 

and the coach has been apt 

with the decision,” 

10,000 runners register for Bet9ja Lagos 

Women Run 2018 

WITH just one week to 

the main event, a total 

of 10,000 runners from 

across Lagos State and its environs 

have registered for the 

2018 edition of the Lagos 

Women Run a-10 kilometre 

marathon race for all classes 

of women, with major sponsorship 

coming from Bet9ja. 

This figure was released 

Tuesday afternoon by the Coordinator 

of the Run, Tayo 

Popoola, who said in a statement 

signed by the Director of 

Media and Publicity, Mr. 

Dapo Sotuminu, in Lagos, that, 

the majority of the registered 

runners are from the Lagos 

Island, Lekki and the Aja axis 

of Lagos State, which was an 

improvement over last year’s 

edition where majority of the 

runners were from Ikorodu. 

She noted that, the largest 

registrations were done online 

through the Lagos Women 

Run official website, while the 

number of registration received 

physically at the secretariat 

of the LWR inside the 

Teslim Balogun Stadium, 

though not up to that received 

online were also quite substantial, 

which represents a 

vast improvement on what 

obtained in the 2017 edition. 

*Amunike 

*Lagos women run for good health 

EFE Ambrose has not 

been called up for 

national duty since 2016, 

after losing his place at 

Celtics. 

However, after moving to 

Hibernian in Scotland , he 

became Nigeria’s most consistent 

defender in Europe 

this season having featured 

in all Hibernian FC’s 17 

games in all competitions 

this season. 

Super Eagles Technical 

Adviser Gernot Rohr says 

Hibernian FC defender, 

Efe Ambrose is being monitored 

closely and could be 

invited to fight for a shirt in 

the national team when the 

opportunity arises. 

Ambrose awaits Eagles 

recall 

He’s certainly a good 

player and we are monitoring 

him at the moment, we 

have five good defenders 

who are doing well in the 

Super Falcons tackle Dominion Hotspur in friendly 

THE Senior Women 

National Team, Super 

Falcons, will tomorrow test 

strength against Dominion 

Hotspur FC, a boys’ team 

based in Lagos, in its first 

friendly match ahead of 

next month’s 11th Women 

Africa Cup of Nations. 

Head Coach Thomas 

Dennerby sanctioned the 

friendly, as the eighth –time 

African champions began 

the second phase of camping 

on Monday at the magnificent 

Jubilee Chalets and 

Resort, Epe in Lagos. 

Already, Dennerby has 

GCU Relays 2018: Prof Omatete 

gives firm assurance 

been able to welcome a 

couple of the 19 overseas 

–based professionals invited 

to the camp, which 

gradually moves into intensive 

stage during the week 

with a final list expected 

before the team jets out of 

the country. 

team and he will only get 

his chance when one loses his 

form. 

Rohr admitted that Ambrose 

is a valuable option and will 

not hesitate to create a chance 

for him when need be. 

Iyare wins 7th Oba of Benin golf tourney 

OSAZE Iyare superla 

tive performance in 

the game of golf continued 

on the rise as he added the 

7th Oba of Benin Invitational 

Golf Tournament winner’s 

trophy to the collection of trophies 

in his shelve. 

Iyare, (handicap. 3) won 

the tournament with 149 net 

having played 70 and 79 net 

Don’t drag us into NBBF crisis, Gombe 

Bulls tell FIBA 

*Warns against denying them ticket 

PROFESSOR Orit 

segbemi Omatete, 

President General Worldwide, 

Government College 

Ughelli Old Boys Association 

has given firm assurances 

on a hitchfree delivery 

of the 2018 maiden 

edition of the GCU Relays 

confirmed for November 

17th at the modern Tartan 

Tracks. 

Already sorted out for the 

Relays are perfect arrangements 

put in place for Security, 

Medical and Logistics. 

The Games’ technical are 

perfectly placed in the professional 

abilities of Sir 

Emmanuel Elili, former 

Delta State Athletics Federation 

Chairman and National 

Pole Vault Champion. 

“For medical concerns, 

we are having the School 

Sick Bay, the General Hospital 

nearby, as well as very 

competent Doctors (mostly 

Old Boys coming for the 

Sept. 73 Reunion) and 

Nurses on standby, in spite 

of not nursing fears about 

injuries, “Prof Omatete said. 

He also reinterated the 

water tight security arrangement 

already secured 

for the GCU Relays from the 

nearby Military Barracks, 

including the Police Post 

across the schools Appian 

way and Gate. 

Zenith Bank B’ball League: Plateau, 

Customs lead in Abuja 

respectively on day one and 

two of the golf actions, and 

thus beat Oscar Iyare (handicap. 

10), who played 156 net 

to second place, while Prince 

Aghatise Erediauwa with 160 

net settled for third after beating 

Ben Oghumah on count 

back. 

In a post match interview, 

Iyare noted that he had been 

CHAMPIONS of the 

2018 Kwese Premier 

League, Gombe Bulls Baskrtball 

Club have told the African regional 

body of FIBA that they should not 

be dragged into the lingering leadership 

dispute of the Nigeria 

Basketball federation, NBBF 

Chairman of the club, Ibrahim 

Saad said yesterday in reply 

to a letter written to the club 

by Julien Farran, Competitions 

Manager, Africa of FIBA that 

players and teams in the Kwese 

Premier including Gombe Bulls 

are only interested in playing 

basketball and not politics. 

The Gombe side had written 

to the Abidjan office of FIBA Africa, 

intimating it that few days 

to the commencement of the 

Zone 3 qualifiers for the Club 

Championship which they 

qualified for, they are yet to get 

any information from Zone three 

whch is headed by a key member 

of the Musa Kida faction of 

the NBBF. 

In response however, FIBA 

through Mr Farran directed 

Gombe Bulls to write through 

the NBBF which it communicates 

with, despite plea from the 

club that they have been kept in 

the dark concerning registration 

for the qualifiers. 

THE Nigeria Customs 

Basketball team and 

Plateau Rocks women from 

Jos are currently leading 

the pack in the Savannah 

Conference of the 14th edition 

of the Zenith Bank 

Women Basketball League 

going on at the Indoor 

Sports Hall of the Abuja 

National Stadium. 

Both teams have recorded 

maximum points in their 

first two matches with Nigeria 

Customs topping the 

log with superior goals margin. 

The Customs women 

who previously defeated 

their FCT counterparts 46- 

27, also had an easy game 

against debutant the Ladies 

from Maiduguri who 

they were walloped 130- 

12, the Borno women had 

earlier on Monday been 

beaten 77-5 by Adamawa 

Babes. 

In some other matches 

decided on Tuesday, Plateau 

Rocks beat Kebbi 

women 73-28 while Kaduna 

Angels overwhelmed 

Benue Angels 58-34. 

The players will observe 

Wednesday as a rest day 

while the final actions continue 

on Thursday to determine 

the three teams 

that will qualify from the 

Centre for the final leg in 

eyeing the trophy since 

the tournament started, 

and having allowed it to 

slip from him last year he 

was better prepared for it 

this year. “Thanks be to 

God that I won, because I 

played hard golf due to the 

fact that I was taught the 

hard way. All glory be to 

Him.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018— 45


VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 — 47

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

1 Brooms made of twigs (6) 

4 Channel port (6) 

8 Academy award (5) 

9 Boasted (7) 

10 Futile (7) 

11 Female relative (5) 

12 Lawyer (9) 

17 Incorrect (5) 

19 Satan (7) 

21 Long (7) 

22 Allowed to enter (3,2) 

23 Die (6) 

24 Courageously (6) 

DOWN 

1 Explode (4,2) 

2 Victory (7) 

3 Signalling code (5) 

5 Opposed (7) 

6 Corner (5) 

7 Unhappier (6) 

9 Fundamentally (9) 

13 Of less weight (7) 

14 Disproved (7) 

15 A dozen (6) 

16 Spirit distilled from wine (6) 

18 Confess (3,2) 

20 Large stringed instrument (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: 

08027767834; 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.

31102018 - Police car burnt in Shi'ite protest ; 400 arrested

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