02112018 - Shi'ites: US, CDHR condemn use of ‘maximum force’

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Kano Assembly Buhari’ll accept Labour shuns 

invites Ganduje outcome of FG’s meeting 

over $5m bribe 2019 election 

on new 

minimum 

allegation 8 — AMAECHI 13 wage 

9 afresh 

Oil revenue falls by 30% as production, export woes worsen 

APC: Amosun, 

Okorocha 

attack 

Oshiomhole 

41 

20 

** 

VOL. 26: NO. 63672 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Shi'ites: US, CDHR condemn 

use of ‘maximum force’ 

•US calls for probe, urges restraint, worries over fatalities due to clashes 

•Govt violating rights of Shi’ites — OZEKHOME 

•Police arraign 130 Shi’ites; IGP Idris says they're not Islamic sect 

•Magistrates grant them bail ranging from N500,000, N200,000 to N50,000 

NCWS VISITS BUHARI 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi, 

Abdulwahab 

Abdulah, 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri, Joseph 

Erunke, Victoria 

Ojeme & Yinka 

Ajayi 

ABUJA — 

Reactions 

yesterday trailed 

the bloody clashes 

between members of the 

Islamic Movement of 

Nigeria, IMN, and 

security agencies, as the 

United States 

Government, Chief Mike 

Ozekhome, SAN, and 

Committee for Defence of 

Human Rights, CDHR, 

flayed the use of 

maximum force on the 

sect. 

The reactions came as 

130 arrested members of 

the sect were arraigned 

before an Abuja Chief 

Continues on Page 5 

President Buhari with National President, National Council of Women's Societies, NCWC, Dr Gloria Shoda at the State House, 

Abuja, yesterday. With them are SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha and other members of the delegation when the NCWC paid a courtesy 

visit to the President. State House Photo. 

Boko Haram 

terrorists raid 4 

Borno villages, 6 

IDPs camp, kill 13 

Atiku has been 

invited to come 

for US visa 

— GBENGA congresses in 

Atiku 

4 

DANIEL Katsina 4 

COLUMNISTS DONU 17 AZU 36 OWEI LAKEMFA 34 

PDP warns Tinubu 

over comment on 

10 

•Says presidential 

candidate’ll slash fuel price 

SEE 

INSIDE 

at N363.54/ 

$ in I&E 

window 41 

Mr & Mrs 

3 health workers abducted in Nasarawa 6 Naira stable 

Court okays 

suit seeking to 

void APC

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 —3

4—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Minimum wage: Labour boyco 

cotts FG’s 

reconciliator 

ory y meeting 

•We’re not aware of any meeting —Labour 

•As group drags Buhari, 36 govs to court 

By Victor 

Ahiuma-Young, 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri & 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—ORGANISED 

Labour, yesterday, 

boycotted a reconciliatory 

meeting convened by the 

Federal Government 

Minimum Wage 

Negotiating Team in Abuja to 

resolve the new minimum 

wage impasse. 

This came as a group, 

under the aegis of 

Incorporated Trustees of 

Kingdom Human Rights 

Foundation International, 

yesterday, dragged President 

Muhammadu Buhari; 

Minister of Labour and 

Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige; 

as well as governors of the 

36 states of the federation to 

court over delay in the 

implementation of the 

proposed N30,000 new 

minimum wage for Nigerian 

workers. 

The meeting was held at 

the office of the Secretary to 

the Government of the 

Federation, SGF, by noon. 

A source privy to the 

conciliatory meeting told 

Vanguard that it was aimed 

at taking a holistic view of the 

minimum wage brouhaha in 

a bid to find a lasting solution 

to it. 

The Federal Government 

delegation at the meeting 

includes the Ministers of 

Labour and Employment, 

Finance and Budget and 

National Planning, Senator 

Chris Ngige, Mrs Zainab 

Ahmed and Udoma Udo 

Udoma respectively. 

Others are the Head of 

Service to the Federation, 

Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the 

Director General, National 

Salaries, Income and Wages 

Commission, Chief Richard 

Egbule, and Accountant 

General of the Federation, 

Ahmed Idris. 

We’re not aware 

of any meeting 

—Labour 

HOWEVER, president of 

Nigeria Labour Congress, 

NLC, Ayuba Wabba, denied 

knowledge of any meeting 

with government. 

He said: “I have no idea of 

any meeting with 

government. Which 

conciliatory meeting? We 

have finished negotiations on 

the new minimum wage 

since October 5. 

"The only meeting we can 

attend is to submit the 

recommendation of the 

tripartite committee on the 

new minimum wage. The 

government can hold 

meeting with the Governors’ 

Forum, not labour. 

‘’You are aware we have a 

meeting of the joint Central 

Working Committee of the 

labour centres tomorrow 

(today) in Lagos. Most of us 

are on our way to Lagos for 

the meeting.” 

On plots by the Federal 

Government to use court 

order to scuttle the planned 

nationwide strike scheduled 

for Tuesday, November 6, 

Wabba said: ‘’We are not 

aware of that. In any case, we 

have travelled that road 

before. So, when we get to 

the bridge, we shall cross it.’’ 

Group drags 

Buhari, 36 govs 

to court 

Meanwhile, the group, in 

the suit filed before National 

Industrial Court in Abuja, also 

cited Attorney-General of 

Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Mr. Abubakar 

Malami, SAN; Revenue 

Mobilization, Allocation and 

Fiscal Commission; National 

Salaries, Income and Wages 

Commission, National 

Assembly as defendants in 

the matter. 

Other defendants in the suit 

marked NICN/ABJ/286/18, 

are Nigeria Labour 

Congress, Trade Union 

Congress and United Labour 

Congress. 

The group, aside seeking a 

court order to compel FG and 

all the 36 governors to pay the 

new minimum wage, also 

applied for an order to restrain 

organised labour from going 

ahead with its plan to embark 

on a strike from November 6. 

Atiku has been invited for US visa 

—Gbenga Daniel 

D IRECTOR- 

GENERAL of Atiku 

Campaign Organisation, 

Gbenga Daniel, has said 

officials of the United States 

have hinted the 

presidential candidate of 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

Atiku Abubakar, that he 

would get a US visa if he 

applies for one now. 

Recall that there had 

been speculations in recent 

times that Atiku was 

‘banned’ from entering the 

US due to allegations of 

financial impropriety 

levelled against him, 

especially in the aftermath 

of a US congressional 

report. which probed his 

numerous international 

financial dealings. 

Also recall that Abubakar 

had repeatedly dismissed 

the insinuations that he 

cannot travel to the US as a 

result of the allegations. 

Speaking on a Channels 

Television programme, 

Politics Today, on 

Wednesday, Daniel said: “I 

can also confirm to you that 

in the last few days, there 

have been signals from the 

American officials that he 

(Atiku) should, indeed, 

come forward so he can be 

granted visa. So between 

you and I, all the issues are 

perception.’’ 

However, efforts to 

authenticate this claim from 

the US Embassy, yesterday, 

proved futile as an official 

of the embassy promised to 

look at the claim and get 

back to Vanguard but he 

never did at press time. 

Daniel also explained 

that the perception of 

corruption that had tarred 

the image of Atiku over the 

years was misplaced. 

He said: “Well, my 

opinion is that the issue 

appears to have been overflogged. 

I remember when 

we were running the 

campaign in the primaries 

and everybody kept 

confronting us on this 

VISIT: Senator 

Gbenga 

Ashafa,Member, 

Senate 

Committee on 

National Security 

and Intelligence; 

Senator Sha’aba 

Lafiagi, 

Chairman, 

Senate 

Committee on 

National Security 

and Intelligence, 

and Commander 

of Presidential 

Air Fleet, Air 

Comodore H.B. 

Abubakar during 

an oversight visit 

by the Senate 

Committee to the 

Presidential Air 

Fleet, in Abuja 

perception and we brought 

it out in the open that, 

indeed, it is no more than 

perception, politically 

motivated perception which 

unfortunately appears not to 

have stopped. 

“By and large, I think as 

we move toward the real 

issues, people would just 

realise that this is just 

politically motivated issues. 

I have repeatedly said that 

this is not a Banana 

Republic. Nigeria as a 

people, we know our 

weaknesses, anything that 

is negative about our 

leaders, we are ready to 

believe it. 

“But until when 

(corruption) charges are 

pressed, as far as we are 

concerned, there are no 

issues there. If you look at 

the newspapers in the last 

few days, we have read a 

statement issued by the US 

State Department that they 

have no issues whatsoever 

with Atiku Abubakar." 

Court okays suit seeking 

to void APC congresses in 

Katsina State 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—It is more 

trouble for All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, as the Federal High 

Court in Abuja, yesterday, 

fixed November 8 to 

commence hearing on a 

suit seeking to void the 

outcome of all the 

congresses it held in 

Katsina State. 

Justice Folashade Giwa- 

Ogunbanjo okayed the 

matter for hearing, on a day 

the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, through its lawyer, 

Mr. Umar Buka, pleaded 

for a short adjournment to 

enable it respond to the suit 

lodged by two APC 

governorship aspirants in 

the state. 

The two plaintiffs, Alhaji 

Garba Sani Dankani and 

Muhammad Sada 

Mainasara, are praying 

the court to nullify, 

invalidate and set aside 

purported congresses the 

APC claimed to have 

conducted in all the wards 

and local government areas 

of Katsina State between 

May 5 and 19. 

The duo told the court 

that the purported 

congresses did not comply 

with any known law, 

alleging that APC illegally 

arrived at its list of 

candidates from Katsina 

State. 

While APC was cited as 

the 1st Defendant in the 

suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 

1035/18, INEC was joined 

as the 2nd Defendant. 

Specifically, the Plaintiffs, 

through their lawyer, Mr Ola 

Olanipekun SAN, posed five 

legal questions for the court 

to determine, which included: 

“Whether the 2nd Defendant 

(INEC) did not have statutory 

duty and responsibility under 

section 85(2) of the Electoral 

Act, to attend, observe and 

ensure that due elections were 

held at the Ward Congresses 

of the 1st Defendant, 

scheduled to be held in all 

Wards of Katsina State on 5/ 

05/2018." 

After determining the 

questions, the Plaintiffs, 

sought “an order of injunction 

restraining the 2nd defendant 

(INEC) from accepting any 

aspirant nominated by the 1st 

defendant political party, as 

candidates in any election to 

be conducted by the 2nd 

defendant, in respect of 

elective offices in Katsina state, 

without the 1st defendant 

holding a prior election of 

members of its Executive 

Committees in that State, 

conducted in a democratic 

manner allowing its members 

to vote in support of 

candidates of their choice, in 

accordance with section 85(3) 

of the Electoral Act, 2010 (As 

Amended). 

“A declaration of this 

honourable court that the 1st 

defendant having failed, 

refused and/or neglected to 

conduct valid congresses in all 

the Wards comprised in the 

Local Government Areas of 

Katsina State, the Local 

Government Congresses and 

the State Congress of the All 

Progressives Congress in 

Katsina State held on 12/05/ 

2018 respectively, are null, void 

and of no effect whatsoever." 

2019: Women give conditions 

to support Buhari 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—NIGERIAN 

women under the 

aegis of the National 

Council of Women 

Societies, NCWS, have 

given condition under 

which they would support 

the re-election of President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

saying the President has to 

appoint more women into 

his cabinet. 

Specifically, the women, 

yesterday, requested 

President Buhari to fill three 

vacant ministerial positions 

in his cabinet with women 

before the end of 2018. 

Members of the council 

numbering about 50 from 

across the 36 states of the 

federation and FCT paid a 

courtesy visit to the 

President at the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja. 

Speaking at the event, 

President of the NCWS, Dr. 

Gloria Laraba Shoda told the 

President that there was 

currently a deficit in women 

representation in the 

administration and that the 

women that had left the cabinet 

should be replaced in line with 

the 35 percent affirmative 

action. 

She said: “Nigeria is yet to 

fulfill the target of 35 percent 

of women in decision-making 

posts in the executive. The 

three women who vacated their 

ministerial posts for various 

reasons have not been 

replaced. 

Responding, President 

Buhari jokingly told the group 

that “I hope this is not a threat. 

Since the threat is clear and is 

coming at election time, maybe, 

I will appoint more women as 

SAs.” 

The President said the 35 

percent affirmative action 

demand was coming at a time 

when campaigns for the 2019 

general elections are about to 

start.

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

ANNIVERSARY: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (3rd right); Chairman of Island Club, 

Mr. Olabanji Oladapo (2nd right); Club Trustee, Chief Samuel Adegbayibi (right); Past chairmen of the Club 

— Chief Olu Falomo (3rd left); Chief Femi Adeniyi-Williams (2nd left) and Alhaji Akeem Awe (left) at the 

75th Anniversary Business Lecture of the Club with the topic: Nation Building: Communities, Inclusion and 

Prosperity, at Onikan, yesterday. 

Shi'ites: US, CDHR condemn use of 

‘maximum force’ 

Continues from Page 1 

Magistrate Court sitting 

at Wuse, Zone 2, Abuja by 

the Nigeria Police Force. 

This is even as the 

Inspector-General of 

Police, Ibrahim Idris, 

described the IMN as a 

non-Islamic organization. 

Amnesty International 

had on Wednesday 

criticised the use of 

maximum force on the 

sect members by the 

military and police which 

it claimed led to the death 

of 45 of the sect members. 

US reacts 

Reacting yesterday in a 

statement issued by the 

US Embassy in Abuja, the 

US government 

expressed concern at the 

the number of deaths that 

resulted from the clashes 

between the sect and the 

security forces in Abuja. 

“We urge government of 

Nigeria to conduct a 

thorough investigation of 

the events and to take 

appropriate action to hold 

accountable those 

responsible for violations 

of Nigerian law. We urge 

restraint on all sides,’’ the 

terse statement read. 

It's rights 

violation, says 

Ozekhome 

Also reacting, Chief 

Mike Ozekhome, SAN, 

said: “What the 

government is doing to 

the Shi’ites by killing 

those who participated in 

peaceful protest in 

Kaduna and Abuja for 

merely protesting, which 

is their constitutional 

rights under the 1999 

constitution, amount to 

breach of their 

constitutional rights and 

calculated pogrom. 

“These are people who 

are not armed, going for 

peaceful protest like what 

the likes of Charley Boy 

and the rest have been 

doing. That is an act of 

barbarism. Soldiers are 

trained to kill not to quell 

riot. 

"Military are called in a 

situation where the 

situation cannot be 

controlled. The police 

who are trained to quell 

riots are not even allowed 

or permitted to kill under 

section 214 and 215 of the 

constitution. So the killing 

is, indeed, malfeasance. 

“Like what the Amnesty 

International has said, the 

government and the 

military are to be held 

responsible. These same 

soldiers who are not able 

to quell the killings by 

herdsmen in Adamawa, 

Plateau, Enugu, Benue 

etc are now killing those 

who engaged in peaceful 

protest.” 

In his reaction, 

President of Committee 

for Defence of Human 

Rights, CDHR, Malachy 

Ugwumadu, said no one 

could discountenance the 

view of Amnesty 

International, on the 

ground that whoever 

killed another person 

unlawfully should be held 

accountable. 

‘’It is consequential for 

any violent behaviour or 

infraction of our laws and 

in line with the rule of 

law, must hold people 

accountable. Having said 

that, every Nigerian, 

under Chapter 4 of the 

Constitution and other 

relevant sections, have 

rights to freely assemble 

and associate. 

"Section 45 under same 

chapter 4 says that such 

right can be taken away 

in such circumstances 

when you infringe on the 

same constitution. 

"I condemn in totality 

any form of killing and 

violence by any group, 

which should not also be 

accommodated under any 

democratic set up like 

ours, which is capable of 

causing breach of peace,’’ 

he said. 

Police arraign 

130 Shi’ites; 

court grants 

them bail 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria 

Police Force yesterday 

arraigned 130 members of 

the Islamic Movement of 

Nigeria, IMN, before an 

Abuja Chief Magistrate 

Court sitting at Wuse 

Zone 2. 

The defendants were 

among 400 persons 

arrested after a two-day 

violent clash between 

protesting Shi’ites and 

security agencies within 

the Federal Capital 

Territory, a development 

that reportedly resulted in 

the death of no fewer than 

30 persons. 

Among those brought 

before the Magistrate's 

Court for trial were 11 

women, some of whom 

are nursing mothers. 

The accused persons 

were split and docked 

before five separate 

magistrates, though they 

were charged with the 

same offence. 

Specifically, the Police, 

in the First Information 

Report it lodged before 

the court, alleged that the 

defendants committed a 

joint act, “by joining or 

continuing in unlawful 

assembly, knowing it 

has been commanded to 

disperse, disturbance of 

public peace, rioting and 

causing hurt”. 

They were said to have 

by their actions, 

committed criminal 

Continues on Page 41 

By Ebun Sessou, Yinka Latona, 

Tade Oluwapelumi, Miriam Elibe & 

Chisom Nwangwu 

Call by SA to President Buhari for regulation of social media (2) 

I believe that in a democratic 

government if anyone 

breaks the law, there 

are appropriate provisions 

of the law to deal with such 

issues. 

Security agencies must 

not have any ulterior motive 

while pursuing this 

objective. 

They must be very careful 

to avoid using the law 

to witch-hunt anybody. Everybody 

must be treated 

with respect. 

*Miss Ayoola Gbemisola, 

Accountant 

The social media in the 

developed world serve as 

platform for citizens’ engagement 

with their governments 

and it contribute 

to the socio-political 

growth of the society. In 

Nigeria, it is deployed to 

vent anger, and hatred. To 

curb all forms of vices on 

the social media to some 

extent, our leaders must 

imbibe the spirit of selflessness 

and prioritise the unity 

of the country 

Miss Arinomo Rachael, 

Businesswoman 

It is a move in the right 

direction because there 

are irrelevant and false 

messages people spread 

on the social media. 

There are some pieces of 

information that are supposed 

to be within the 

country but they are on 

social media. If the way 

the platform is being 

abused can be curbed it 

will be very good. 

Mr.Adesoji Adewale, 

Graduate 

I feel the freedom on the 

social media can’t be 

curbed. Although the government 

has the authority 

to do so, It is wrong for 

them to do it.I also feel it is 

impossible for the government 

to control the way we 

express our selves because 

there is freedom of speech. 

What I think they can do is 

to find a way of blocking 

or getting those people who 

say things that are wrong 

on the social media. 

Jumoke Aregbesola, 

Accountant 

Nowadays there are 

many wrong things on 

social media. People use 

it to hack bank accounts 

and do other forms of 

evil. 

If there is a law against 

this abuse, I think it is 

in the right direction. 

The government should 

involve the stakeholders 

on the social media and 

the security operatives 

should be involved in 

the campaign. 

Mr. Remi Akala, Businessman 

The government in its 

quest to stop hate 

speeches on social media 

shouldn’t take away 

the right to freedom of 

speech. I would advise 

they enlighten people 

through the social media 

on the effects of hate 

speeches. People should 

be made to realise that 

hate speeches threaten 

peace and security. 

Mr. Okosa Eche 

Marketer

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

3 health workers 

abducted in 

Nasarawa 

GUNMEN, 

yesterday, 

abducted three officials of 

the Nasarawa State Primary 

Health Care Development 

Agency, NSPHCDA, along 

Nasarawa-Toto Road. 

Mr. Kennedy Idrisu, Public 

Relations Officer of the Police 

Command in Nasarawa State, 

who confirmed the incident, said 

that the three officials were 

travelling in a white Toyota Hilux 

van when the gunmen pounced 

on them at Bugan-Gwari village, 

at about noon. 

“The abductors seized the 

workers and took them to an 

unknown destination,” he said in 

Lafia. 

He said that the victims were 

on an official assignment from 

Lafia to Gadabuke in Toto Local 

Government. 

... as kidnappers 

of Navy 

personnel 

demand N4m 

ransom 

By Perez Brisibe 

& Paul Olayemi 

SAPELE—ABDUCTORS of a 

Navy seaman, who was 

kidnapped last Monday along 

the Sapele-Warri Road of Delta 

State, are reportedly demanding 

N4 million as a ransom for his 

release. 

The victim, Kola Omoniyi, who 

was taking a course at the Naval 

Engineering College, Sapele, 

was abducted on his way to Warri 

and taken to an unknown 

location. 

A security source disclosed that 

his abductors are making a 

ransom demand of N4 million for 

his release. 

“We have been able to track the 

abductors to Elume in Sapele 

Local Government Area of the 

state and we are currently 

combing the area to facilitate his 

release and his abductors 

arrested,” the source stated. 

Contacted, Delta State Police 

Public Relations Officer, DSP 

Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed 

the incident, adding that efforts 

are on to get the victim rescued. 

He said: “There is a report of 

kidnap. The person allegedly 

kidnapped is a seaman. His 

name is Omoniyi K. D. and was 

last seen in the evening of 

October 29, when he drove out 

of the Naval Engineering 

College, Sapele, in his vehicle. 

“The hoodlums called with his 

old number and are demanding 

for four million naira. The Police 

are doing everything possible 

with all the relevant security 

agencies towards his rescue and 

the apprehension of the 

hoodlums. 

“Some arrests have been made, 

although I cannot disclose how 

many persons have been 

arrested so far.” 

Boko Haram terrorists raid 4 

Borno villages, IDPs camp, kill 13 

By Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI—BOKO 

Haram insurgents on 

trucks with mounted guns and 

motorcycles, Wednesday night, 

attacked four communities in 

Konduga Local Government Area 

of Borno State, killed about 13 

people and sacked two villages. 

It was also gathered that the 

insurgents launched rocket 

attacks and forced their way into 

an internally-displaced persons, 

IDPs, camp on the outskirts of 

Maiduguri. 

An eyewitness, who gave his 

name simply as Alhaji Modu, 

disclosed that an Islamic cleric 

together with his wife and three 

children were burnt to death 

when the insurgents sacked their 

home at Bularin IDP camp. 

Hisd words: “An Islamic cleric 

together with his wife and three 

children were burnt to death 

when the insurgents sacked their 

home at Bularin IDP camp. 

“They burnt down the village 

market, shops, houses, animals 

and vehicles. Many people died 

in the attack, while others are still 

By Esther Onyegbula 

THE Police in Lagos have 

declared the Togolese cook 

that allegedly murdered his boss, 

Chairman of Credit Switch 

Technology, Chief Ope 

Bademosi, in his apartment on 

Onikoyi Lane, Parkview Estate in 

Ikoyi area of Lagos, Wednesday, 

wanted. 

The fleeing cook, whose age is 

put at between 25 and 30 years, 

was identified only as Sunday. 

At press time yesterday, 

Vanguard gathered that 

detectives at the Homicide 

Section of the State Criminal 

Investigation and Intelligence 

Department, SCIID, were on the 

trail of the agent that brought the 

suspect to the deceased home, 

three days before he committed 

the act. 

Vanguard gathered also that 

there was a hitch in investigation 

over non-availability of detailed 

information on the suspect, as he 

was said not to have been 

profiled. 

Until his death, late Bademosi 

was the Chairman of Ondo 

Development Committee, ODC, 

and the Lotin of Ondo Kingdom. 

The circumstance that led to the 

murder of late Badamosi by 

Sunday is yet to be unravelled, 

as family members said there 

was no friction between him, his 

widow and the cook. 

Sunday was said to still be 

under probation, when the 

unexpected happened. 

...as Lagos landlords 

begin profiling of employees 

As at yesterday, Vanguard 

learned that landlords in the 

area, who had foreigners as 

missing. 

“Bularin village was razed and 

several tents in the camp 

destroyed. Many people were 

displaced in the attack,” Modu 

added. 

Fighter planes to the 

rescue; 2,940 displaced 

Alfred Audu, a member of a 

militia, known as Civilian Joint 

Task Force, who claimed he was 

on duty at the time of the attack, 

said the insurgents engaged 

troops in a bid to force their way 

into the communities. 

Audu said the insurgents were 

pushed back when fighter planes 

were deployed to confront the 

invaders. 

Also, National Emergency 

Management Agency, NEMA, 

yesterday, confirmed the death 

of eight persons in what it called 

a coordinated attack by Boko 

Haram insurgents at four 

communities in Konduga Local 

Government Area of Borno State. 

Alhaji Bashir Garga, NEMA’s 

North-East Zonal Coordinator, 

disclosed in Maiduguri that 

2,940 persons were also displaced 

in the attack. 

Garga disclosed that the 

insurgents attacked the 

communities and an 

internally-displaced persons, 

IDPs, camp on the outskirts of 

Maiduguri on Wednesday 

night. 

He listed the affected 

communities to include Kofa, 

Mallumti, Ngomari and 

Gozari as well as Dalori 2 

IDPs camp. 

Garga said six persons were 

killed at Kofa village, while 

two others were killed in the 

IDPs camp. 

According to him, “the 

attack occurred on Wednesday 

night at about 8:p.m. Kofa, 

Mallumti, Ngomari and 

Gozari villages, which are 

close to Dalori IDPs camp, 

were affected. 

“Many villagers fled to the 

Dalori IDPs camp for safety 

leading to the insurgents’ 

attack on the camp vicinity, 

which claimed the lives of two 

displaced persons, making a 

total of eight deaths. 

“The terrorists gained 

access to the area through a bush 

path behind the villages and came 

in four vehicles and motorcycles. 

They ransacked the market in front 

of the IDPs camp. 

“Villagers, who ran into the bush 

for safety, have returned to their 

homes while the Borno State Fire 

Service contained the inferno. 

“About 490 households with an 

estimated population of 2,940 

persons were displaced in the 

attack.” 

Garga added that those who 

sustained injuries in the attack 

were treated at a clinic in the 

camp, while those with serious 

injuries were referred to hospitals 

in Maiduguri. 

According to him, an 

assessment team was deployed to 

provide relief assistance to the 

affected persons. 

Govt's story 

The state Deputy Governor, 

Alhaji Usman Durkwa, who 

visited the scene of the attack, 

sympathised with victims and 

assured them of immediate 

interventions by the government 

to alleviate their sufferings. 

Police declare Togolese cook wanted over Credit Switch boss murder 

Chief Ope Bademosi 

domestic workers, requested 

them to get Nigerian guarantors. 

Some of them were said to 

have taken their employees to the 

Police Station for profiling, which 

included finger printing, 

personal details about them and 

their photographs. 

Meanwhile, the two suspects 

arrested over the incident have 

denied culpability. One of them 

is the gate man to the deceased 

and the other his guarantor. 

Ahit-and-run driver has killed 

one Mr. Ogbennewo 

Oluwanifemi, an officer of 

National Drug Law Enforcement 

Agency, NDLEA, Jigawa 

Command. 

Mr. Ankeli Adah, Public 

Relations Officer of the 

Command, announced this in a 

statement yesterday, in Dutse. 

Adah said Oluwanifemi was 

During interrogation, the 

gateman, said to have also 

been newly employed, 

explained that he fled after 

the widow raised the alarm on 

discovering her husband in a 

pool of blood, for fear of being 

arrested. 

He further stated that he 

went straight to report the 

matter to the agent that 

brought him to the family, only 

for the latter to advise him not 

knocked down on October 29 

at about 6:30p.m., while on 

duty around Beguwa- 

Ringim Highway in the 

state. 

He said until his demise, 

the deceased was a Senior 

Narcotic agent attached to 

Ringim Area Command of 

NDLEA. 

The spokesperson further 

Sunday, the suspected killer. 

to run away, as such action could 

raise suspicion and would also 

indict him (agent). 

He said he agreed to return to 

the house accompanied by the 

agent, only to be arrested. 

Contacted, spokesman for 

Lagos State Police Command, 

Chike Oti, said investigators were 

still ongoing. 

Hit-and-run driver kills NDLEA officer in Jigawa 

stated that the agency was 

making effort to fish out the 

perpetrator of the act and bring 

him or her to book. 

Adah described the late 

Oluwanifemi as a dedicated and 

committed officer. 

He said the deceased left 

behind his aged mother, four 

brothers, one sister and an 

expectant wife.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018—7 

2 doctors slump in Kogi hospital 

By Boluwaji Obahopo 

LOKOJA—A doctor with the 

Paediatric Unit of Kogi State 

Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Dr. 

Amos Ojo, yesterday, slumped 

while on duty at the hospital. 

The doctor was said to be on 

ward round at noon when he 

suddenly collapsed due to 

exhaustion. 

A nurse, who noticed the 

development, raised the alarm 

and he was rushed to the Accident 

and Emergency Ward of the 

hospital. 

This is just as another doctor 

from the Paediatric Unit was 

equally said to be down and 

currently being attended to in his 

house after collapsing, Wednesday, 

in his house. 

Vanguard gathered from health 

workers that pressure of work had 

been much on doctors, following 

the mass exit of 79 physicians from 

hospitals across the state, 27 are 

from the Specialist Hospital, 

Lokoja, over alleged poor welfare. 

President of the Association of 

Resident Doctors, ARD, in the Kogi 

State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Ashraf 

Abdulhakeem, who confirmed the 

incident, said the doctor that 

slumped on Wednesday was 

resuscitated and currently in stable 

condition. 

He said: “Actually, there are two 

of our doctors that are having 

issues. In the late hours of 

By Emma Amaize 

ASABA—POLICEMEN in 

Delta State Command have 

arrested a dismissed Army Lance 

Corporal, who snatched a car from 

the owner at gunpoint in Benin 

City, Edo State while fleeing with 

the car at Effurun, Delta state. 

Another suspect, 32-year-old 

Ikechukwu, was also arrested at a 

mechanic workshop located at 

Onicha Ugbo junction while trying 

to sell a Toyota Camry car he stole 

at Port Harcourt during the just 

concluded Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Presidential primaries. 

The sacked soldier, L/Cpl 

David- West, formerly of 29 

Battalion, Port Harcourt, Rivers 

State, reportedly snatched a 

Toyota Camry car with number 

plates, Edo BEN 767 SG from the 

owner at gunpoint in Benin City, 

Edo on October 12. 

Upon information, Control 

yesterday (Wednesday), one of 

the doctors, who was on call at 

the Paediatric Unit, took ill and 

had to go home. Unfortunately, 

over the night, it escalated and 

we had to attend to him in his 

house. 

“This morning (yesterday) 

around 12noon, another doctor, 

who also works in the Paediatric 

Unit also collapsed. These are 

the two cases involving our 

doctors between last night 

(Wednesday) and today 

(yesterday). 

“Some of our doctors have left 

the hospital and they have not 

been replaced. That has now 

increased the pressure of work 

on the ones on ground.” 

Lecturer arraigned over N13m TETFUND fraud 

THE Independent Corrupt 

Practices and Other Related 

Offences Commission, ICPC, has 

arraigned Afolabi Olufemi, a 

former lecturer at Federal 

Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, and 

his associate, Bashiru Aremu, for 

alleged N13 million fraud. 

The two were arraigned before 

Judge Wasiu Akanbi of Osun State 

High Court 3, sitting in Osogbo 

for allegedly obtaining the sum of 

N13.3 million from the Tertiary 

Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, 

under the guise of running a 

doctorate degree in the United 

States of America, USA, before 

diverting it to personal purposes. 

When the charges were read in 

court, it was revealed that in 

January 2014, Mr. Afolabi, while 

serving as Head of Accounting 

and Finance Department of the 

polytechnic with the help of his 

associate, Mr. Bashiru, who 

claimed to be the African 

representative of Adam Smith 

University, USA, allegedly 

obtained the sum of N13.3 million 

from TETFUND under the 

pretence of running a foreign 

doctorate degree programme. 

Mr. Afolabi, who has since 

retired, diverted it to his personal 

use and was therefore charged for 

“engaging in criminal conspiracy 

to confer a corrupt advantage 

upon selves contrary to section 26 

(1)(c) and punishable under 

section 19 of the Corrupt Practices 

and Other Related Offences Act 

2000”. 

Mr Afolabi was also charged for 

“obtaining money by false 

By Wahab Abdulahi 

FOUR police officers and two 

companies were, yesterday, 

arraigned before an Ikeja High 

Court over alleged diversion of 

N1,301,334,108 from the coffers of 

the Nigeria Police Force. 

The defendants, , Olumide 

Odumosu, Sule Yususf Tegina, 

Helen Nwafor, Okpalugo Ifeoma 

, are facing 14-count charge of 

stealing and conversion. 

In the charge, marked, Temp/ 

39698/2018, the EFCC alleged that 

the defendants stole the N1.3 

billion from the Nigeria Police 

pretence – an offence that 

contravenes Section 1(1)(a) of the 

Advance Fee Fraud and Other 

Related Offences Act 2004”. 

The accused persons pleaded not 

guilty to all the charges and their 

counsel, Olateju Kolawole and 

Oyewale Dauda, thereafter 

requested for bail, which was not 

opposed by ICPC counsel, 

Sulaiman H. Abdulkareem and 

Kehinde Adetoye. 

Mr Akanbi granted bail to the 

4 officers, 2 companies defraud Police of N1.3bn 

Force and fraudulently converted 

it to their own between 2013 and 

2014. 

The Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission alleged that 

the defendants conspired with one 

Ogbadu Joseph and one Hassan 

Muhammed, who are now at large. 

Prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi 

Oyedepo, informed the court that 

the defendants acted contrary to 

Section 409 of the Criminal Laws 

of Lagos State, 2011 and were liable 

to be punished under Section 285 

(1) of the same Act. 

However, the proceeding could 

not go on as the 3rd defendant, 

accused persons in line with the 

terms of administrative bail 

earlier granted them by ICPC, 

with the condition that their 

sureties who were expected to 

be present in court must be civil 

servants not below Grade Level 

15 and above, working within 

the jurisdiction of the court and 

they should also produce N5 

million each in like sum. 

The trial was adjourned till 

December 10. 

Dismissed soldier hijacks 

car in Edo, arrested in Delta 

Room in Asaba, Asaba, tracked 

the car to Warri/Sapele Road, by 

Mercy Land, Church, Effurun, 

Delta state. 

The patrol team swung into 

action and apprehended the 

dismissed soldier with the 

vehicle, a military uniform and 

bag. 

Men of the Safer Highway 

patrol team 009, also stationed 

at Onicha-Ugbo/Ewohimi 

Junction, Delta state, acting on 

a tip-off, trailed the second 

suspect, Ikechukwu, to the 

mechanic workshop, where he 

confessed to having stolen the 

vehicle at Airport Stadium in 

Port- Harcourt. 

Commissioner of Police, 

Delta, Mr Muhammad 

Mustafa, confirmed the arrest 

of the two suspects to 

Vanguard, saying that 

investigations were on 

ongoing. 

Helen Nwafor, told the court that 

she does not understand 

English Language and would 

require the charges to be 

translated to her in Igbo 

Language. 

Justice Sherifat Solebo 

adjourned till November 7, 2018 

to get an interpreter, who 

understands Igbo. 

The defence counsel, A. O. 

Osinfowora, prayed that the 

defendants should be returned 

to EFCC , but his prayer was 

not granted and she ordered 

that the defendants should be 

remanded in the prison custody. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Now we know where Don Baba J 

got his fine nose. Just prove that 

you have daddy's finer brain 

Madam, lead by example 

Summer should be passport


VISIT: From left, Senator Abdulahi Gumel; Senator Dino Melaye, both menbers of Senate 

Committee on Local Content; Deputy Managing Director, Halliburton Energy Services 

Limited, Mr. Okey Okoli, and Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, when 

members of the committee visited the company as part of monitoring of compliance with 

Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, in Port Harcourt, Rivers 

State, yesterday. 

NHIS: Executive Secretary paid N508m 

without due process— Board chairman 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

A BUJA—CHAIRMAN 

of National Health 

Insurance Scheme, NHIS, 

Mrs. Enyatu Ifenne, 

yesterday, alleged before the 

House of Representatives 

panel probing the agency 

that the suspended 

Executive Secretary, Prof. 

Usman Yusuf, paid 

consultants N508 milion 

without due process. 

Ifenne, who disclosed this 

while appearing before the 

House ad-hoc committee 

investigating the crisis 

rocking the agency, also 

alleged that Yusuf awarded 

contracts worth millions of 

naira without approval, 

She equally accused the 

executive secretary of 

misappropriation of funds 

and sundry acts of financial 

recklessness. 

She told the committee that 

from the time the governing 

board was constituted till the 

suspension of the executive 

secretary, there were 

allegations of award of 

contracts and spending of 

millions of naira without 

approval from the relevant 

authorities. 

According to her, the 

suspension of the NHIS 

CEO by the governing board 

was because it believed that 

the agency must exercise 

transparency and 

accountability. 

She told the panelists that 

there were many issues that 

led the board to take the 

suspension decision. 

Ifenne said the issues 

included the financial 

infractions of the executive 

secretary, which were 

queried by the board, the 

padding of the 2018 budget 

of the agency and nepotism 

in terms of posting and 

remuneration of the 

workers.” 

She also said in 2015, N508 

million was paid to 

consultants by the NHIS boss 

for staff training, while 

another N48 million was 

expended on posting 


In his submission, 

representative of the Civil 

Servants Association of 

Health Workers, Omomeji 

Abdulrasak, accused the 

suspended executive 

secretary of “orphaning the 

scheme.” 

He disclosed that the 

suspension of Yusuf was long 

overdue because he had 

“flagrantly engaged in 

corruption, award of contract 

without due process, abuse 

of public trust, nepotism in 

remuneration and posting of 

staff and diversion of public 

properties." 

He stated that there were 

several attempts by the 

executive secretary to move 

away N25 billion from the 

coffers of the NHIS in an 

attempt to set up his own 

home office without recourse 

to the approving authorities, 

which was resisted by the 

staff of the scheme. 

He explained thatYusuf 

awarded contracts of N46 

million for maintenance; 

another N17.5 million for 

capacity building to Lubek 

Nigeria Ltd; a company he 

had a controlling interest in 

owned by Mr. Hassan Yusuf, 

one of his nephews 

Other financial infractions 

of the NHIS boss, according 

to Abdulrazaq, include 

using N3.5 million for the 

purchase of newspapers for 

his office, N567 million for 

the payment of seven Police 

orderlies without approval. 

Addressing the committee, 

Minister of Health, Prof. 

Isaac Adewole, said the crisis 

at the NHIS predated the 

period of the suspended 

executive secretary. 

He said President 

Muhammadu Buhari had 

already waded into the 

matter by directing the 

executive secretary to 

proceed on an administrative 

leave and constituted a 

committee to properly 

investigate the allegations 

against Prof. Yusuf. 

Responding, chairman of 

the committee, Ossai 

Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta), 

demanded for all documents 

regarding the allegations 

levelled against the 

embattled executive secretary 

as well as records of staff 

posting and other necessary 

documents to aid the 

investigation. 

The suspended executive 

secretary, is expected to make 

his presentation today. 

We'll continue to implement policies 

to better our economy —Buhari 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 


yesterday, said his 

administration was poised to 

continue the implementation 

of policies to make the 

economy he described as 

already looking good, better. 

Speaking at an audience 

with Mr Jesper Kamp, the 

new Ambassador of the 

Kingdom of Denmark to 

Nigeria, at the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja, President Buhari 

said Nigeria welcomed 

further strengthening of 

relations with countries, 

especially in the areas of 

agriculture and trade. 

He told the Danish 

ambassador that he was 

pleased as the relations 

between Nigeria and 

Denmark had remained 

strong, noting that in the 

economic sphere, there was 

still some more work to do. 

He said: “The Nigerian 

economy is looking good and 

we look forward to making it 

better.” 

President Buhari, who also 

received Letters of Credence 

from Major General Waqar 

Kingravi (retd), the new High 

Commissioner of Pakistan to 

Nigeria; Mr Babacar Ndiaye, 

the new Ambassador of 

Senegal to Nigeria, and Mr 

Vyacheslav Beskosky, the 

new Ambassador of Belarus 

to Nigeria, told them that 

Nigeria valued the existing 

cordial and friendly relations 

with their countries. 

In a statement signed by his 

Special Adviser on Media 

and Publicity, Chief Femi 

Adesina, President Buhari 

described the long-standing 

military cooperation between 

Nigeria and Pakistan as very 

commendable and beneficial 

to both countries. 

Receiving the Senegalese 

Ambassador, President 

Buhari commended 

President Macky Sall of 

Senegal for his roles in the 

progress achieved in the 

political process in Guinea 

Bissau. 

Noting that he was aware 

of the economic progress 

taking place in Senegal, 

President Buhari stressed the 

need for stability in West 

African to ensure rapid socioeconomic 

development, 

particularly in key areas of 

education, health and 

infrastructure. 

In his audience with the 

Belarus Ambassador, 

President Buhari harped on 

the need for improved 

economic ties, while 

commending the Eastern 

European country for 

accommodating international 

students from Nigeria in their 

tertiary institutions. 

The President wished the 

four Ambassadors very 

successful tenures, reiterating 

Nigeria’s commitment to 

continue to partner with their 

countries in areas of mutual 

concerns. 

We're doing our best to 

ensure Leah Sharibu is 

released —FG 

THE 

Federal 

Government, 

yesterday reassured, 

Nigerians that it was doing 

its best to ensure safe release 

of Leah Sharibu, the only 

one of the kidnapped 

Dapchi schoolgirls who 

remained in captivity. 

Minister of Information 

and Culture, Alhaji Lai 

Mohammed, gave the 

reassurance at the 100 years 

celebration of St. Andrews 

Catholic Church, Oro, his 

home town near Ilorin in 

Kwara State. 

Speaking to journalists 

after the centenary 

anniversary thanksgiving 

mass, the minister said 

Leah, abducted by Boko 

Haram, is dear to the 

government. 

“Nigerians should 

appreciate that any of our 

citizens, either boy or girl, 

Moslem or Christian is dear 

to us. We do not look at 

Leah Sharibu either as 

Christian or Moslem, but as 

a precious daughter of the 

country. We are doing our 

best to ensure her safe 

release and be reunited with 

her family,” he said. 

The minister also 

reiterated that government 

efforts at containing the 

Boko Haram insurgency 

Kano Assembly invites 

Ganduje over $5m bribe 

allegation 

By Abdulmumin 

Murtala, 

KANO—KANO State 

House of Assembly 

has invited Governor 

Abdullahi Ganduje for 

questioning over the 

bribery allegation levelled 

against him. 

An online publication, 

Daily Nigeria, had 

revealed videos, which 

depicted the governor 

allegedly receiving bribe 

from a contractor. 

The governor was in the 

invitation addressed to him, 

dated October 31, 2018, 

asked to report to the House 

panel handling the 

investigation today. 

The letter read: ‘’The 

State House of Assembly 

in its resolution, dated 

October 15, 2018, 

established a seven-man 

committee to investigate 

the allegations of collecting 

bribe from contractors by 

His Excellency, Dr 

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje 

as alleged by publisher of 

an online newspaper, 

Daily Nigeria, Mr Jaafar 

Jaafar, through some 

widely circulated video 

clips. 

"It is in that regard I, on 

were working and they are 

winning the war against the 

group. 

He said what was being 

witnessed were cowardly 

attacks on soft targets by the 

insurgents which were also 

being tackled. 

On the centenary 

celebration, the minister said 

100 years in the life of a church 

is historic and significant. 

Mr Mohammed, a Muslim 

from Oro, said the anniversary 

was beyond the centenary, but 

a celebration of peaceful 

coexistence of Christianity and 

Islam in the town. 

He said: “If you are looking 

for a community where there 

is absolute religious tolerance 

and peaceful coexistence, Oro 

is a good example. 

He appealed to Christians 

and Muslims where ever they 

may be in the country to 

emulate the Oro community in 

embracing peaceful 

coexistence. 

The Catholic Bishop of Ilorin 

Diocese, Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, 

gave gratitude to God for the 

celebration and described the 

centenary anniversary as the 

fruits of the Oro community’s 

fore fathers who accepted 

Christ early. 

The cleric thanked God for 

the light of the Gospel, which 

he said had dispelled all 

darkness from the town. 

behalf of the committee, 

respectfully write to request 

your response at an 

investigative hearing relating 

to the allegations to provide 

the committee with your 

perspective on the matter. 

"Furthermore, a written, 

signed and dated statement 

by your Excellency is required 

as part of the proceedings on 

or before the date of the 

hearing. You may wish to be 

accompanied by your lawyers 

to the hearing.’’ 

It would be recalled that an 

online publication, Daily 

Nigeria, had uploaded on the 

internet videos of the 

governor, dressed in white 

kaftan, allegedly collecting $5 

million bribe from a contractor 

in the state. 

Consequently, the State 

House of Assembly set up a 

committee to investigate the 

issue, and this prompted the 

invitation of the publisher, 

Jaafar Jaafar, who had since 

given the two videos to the 

lawmakers. 

As the House committee 

continued its investigation, 

another video showing the 

governor, dressed in black 

kaftan, allegedly collecting 

money from another contractor 

was uploaded on Wednesday 

However, the online 

publisher, Jaafar Jaafar, had 

since denied having anything 

to do with the latest video.


VISIT: From left, Senator Abdulahi Gumel; Senator Dino Melaye, both menbers of Senate 

Committee on Local Content; Deputy Managing Director, Halliburton Energy Services 

Limited, Mr. Okey Okoli, and Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, when 

members of the committee visited the company as part of monitoring of compliance with 

Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, in Port Harcourt, Rivers 

State, yesterday. 

NHIS: Executive Secretary paid N508m 

without due process— Board chairman 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

A BUJA—CHAIRMAN 

of National Health 

Insurance Scheme, NHIS, 

Mrs. Enyatu Ifenne, 

yesterday, alleged before the 

House of Representatives 

panel probing the agency 

that the suspended 

Executive Secretary, Prof. 

Usman Yusuf, paid 

consultants N508 milion 


Ifenne, who disclosed this 

while appearing before the 

House ad-hoc committee 

investigating the crisis 

rocking the agency, also 

alleged that Yusuf awarded 

contracts worth millions of 

naira without approval, 

She equally accused the 

executive secretary of 

misappropriation of funds 

and sundry acts of financial 

recklessness. 

She told the committee that 

from the time the governing 

board was constituted till the 

suspension of the executive 

secretary, there were 

allegations of award of 

contracts and spending of 

millions of naira without 

approval from the relevant 

authorities. 

According to her, the 

suspension of the NHIS 

CEO by the governing board 

was because it believed that 

the agency must exercise 

transparency and 

accountability. 

She told the panelists that 

there were many issues that 

led the board to take the 

suspension decision. 

Ifenne said the issues 

included the financial 

infractions of the executive 

secretary, which were 

queried by the board, the 

padding of the 2018 budget 

of the agency and nepotism 

in terms of posting and 

remuneration of the 

workers.” 

She also said in 2015, N508 

million was paid to 

consultants by the NHIS boss 

for staff training, while 

another N48 million was 

expended on posting 


In his submission, 

representative of the Civil 

Servants Association of 

Health Workers, Omomeji 

Abdulrasak, accused the 

suspended executive 

secretary of “orphaning the 

scheme.” 

He disclosed that the 

suspension of Yusuf was long 

overdue because he had 

“flagrantly engaged in 

corruption, award of contract 

without due process, abuse 

of public trust, nepotism in 

remuneration and posting of 

staff and diversion of public 

properties." 

He stated that there were 

several attempts by the 

executive secretary to move 

away N25 billion from the 

coffers of the NHIS in an 

attempt to set up his own 

home office without recourse 

to the approving authorities, 

which was resisted by the 

staff of the scheme. 

He explained thatYusuf 

awarded contracts of N46 

million for maintenance; 

another N17.5 million for 

capacity building to Lubek 

Nigeria Ltd; a company he 

had a controlling interest in 

owned by Mr. Hassan Yusuf, 

one of his nephews 

Other financial infractions 

of the NHIS boss, according 

to Abdulrazaq, include 

using N3.5 million for the 

purchase of newspapers for 

his office, N567 million for 

the payment of seven Police 

orderlies without approval. 

Addressing the committee, 

Minister of Health, Prof. 

Isaac Adewole, said the crisis 

at the NHIS predated the 

period of the suspended 

executive secretary. 

He said President 

Muhammadu Buhari had 

already waded into the 

matter by directing the 

executive secretary to 

proceed on an administrative 

leave and constituted a 

committee to properly 

investigate the allegations 

against Prof. Yusuf. 

Responding, chairman of 

the committee, Ossai 

Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta), 

demanded for all documents 

regarding the allegations 

levelled against the 

embattled executive secretary 

as well as records of staff 

posting and other necessary 

documents to aid the 

investigation. 

The suspended executive 

secretary, is expected to make 

his presentation today. 

We'll continue to implement policies 

to better our economy —Buhari 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 


yesterday, said his 

administration was poised to 

continue the implementation 

of policies to make the 

economy he described as 

already looking good, better. 

Speaking at an audience 

with Mr Jesper Kamp, the 

new Ambassador of the 

Kingdom of Denmark to 

Nigeria, at the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja, President Buhari 

said Nigeria welcomed 

further strengthening of 

relations with countries, 

especially in the areas of 

agriculture and trade. 

He told the Danish 

ambassador that he was 

pleased as the relations 

between Nigeria and 

Denmark had remained 

strong, noting that in the 

economic sphere, there was 

still some more work to do. 

He said: “The Nigerian 

economy is looking good and 

we look forward to making it 

better.” 

President Buhari, who also 

received Letters of Credence 

from Major General Waqar 

Kingravi (retd), the new High 

Commissioner of Pakistan to 

Nigeria; Mr Babacar Ndiaye, 

the new Ambassador of 

Senegal to Nigeria, and Mr 

Vyacheslav Beskosky, the 

new Ambassador of Belarus 

to Nigeria, told them that 

Nigeria valued the existing 

cordial and friendly relations 

with their countries. 

In a statement signed by his 

Special Adviser on Media 

and Publicity, Chief Femi 

Adesina, President Buhari 

described the long-standing 

military cooperation between 

Nigeria and Pakistan as very 

commendable and beneficial 

to both countries. 

Receiving the Senegalese 

Ambassador, President 

Buhari commended 

President Macky Sall of 

Senegal for his roles in the 

progress achieved in the 

political process in Guinea 

Bissau. 

Noting that he was aware 

of the economic progress 

taking place in Senegal, 

President Buhari stressed the 

need for stability in West 

African to ensure rapid socioeconomic 

development, 

particularly in key areas of 

education, health and 

infrastructure. 

In his audience with the 

Belarus Ambassador, 

President Buhari harped on 

the need for improved 

economic ties, while 

commending the Eastern 

European country for 

accommodating international 

students from Nigeria in their 

tertiary institutions. 

The President wished the 

four Ambassadors very 

successful tenures, reiterating 

Nigeria’s commitment to 

continue to partner with their 

countries in areas of mutual 

concerns. 

We're doing our best to 

ensure Leah Sharibu is 

released —FG 

THE 

Federal 

Government, 

yesterday reassured, 

Nigerians that it was doing 

its best to ensure safe release 

of Leah Sharibu, the only 

one of the kidnapped 

Dapchi schoolgirls who 

remained in captivity. 

Minister of Information 

and Culture, Alhaji Lai 

Mohammed, gave the 

reassurance at the 100 years 

celebration of St. Andrews 

Catholic Church, Oro, his 

home town near Ilorin in 

Kwara State. 

Speaking to journalists 

after the centenary 

anniversary thanksgiving 

mass, the minister said 

Leah, abducted by Boko 

Haram, is dear to the 

government. 

“Nigerians should 

appreciate that any of our 

citizens, either boy or girl, 

Moslem or Christian is dear 

to us. We do not look at 

Leah Sharibu either as 

Christian or Moslem, but as 

a precious daughter of the 

country. We are doing our 

best to ensure her safe 

release and be reunited with 

her family,” he said. 

The minister also 

reiterated that government 

efforts at containing the 

Boko Haram insurgency 

Kano Assembly invites 

Ganduje over $5m bribe 

allegation 

By Abdulmumin 

Murtala, 

KANO—KANO State 

House of Assembly 

has invited Governor 

Abdullahi Ganduje for 

questioning over the 

bribery allegation levelled 

against him. 

An online publication, 

Daily Nigeria, had 

revealed videos, which 

depicted the governor 

allegedly receiving bribe 

from a contractor. 

The governor was in the 

invitation addressed to him, 

dated October 31, 2018, 

asked to report to the House 

panel handling the 

investigation today. 

The letter read: ‘’The 

State House of Assembly 

in its resolution, dated 

October 15, 2018, 

established a seven-man 

committee to investigate 

the allegations of collecting 

bribe from contractors by 

His Excellency, Dr 

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje 

as alleged by publisher of 

an online newspaper, 

Daily Nigeria, Mr Jaafar 

Jaafar, through some 

widely circulated video 

clips. 

"It is in that regard I, on 

were working and they are 

winning the war against the 

group. 

He said what was being 

witnessed were cowardly 

attacks on soft targets by the 

insurgents which were also 

being tackled. 

On the centenary 

celebration, the minister said 

100 years in the life of a church 

is historic and significant. 

Mr Mohammed, a Muslim 

from Oro, said the anniversary 

was beyond the centenary, but 

a celebration of peaceful 

coexistence of Christianity and 

Islam in the town. 

He said: “If you are looking 

for a community where there 

is absolute religious tolerance 

and peaceful coexistence, Oro 

is a good example. 

He appealed to Christians 

and Muslims where ever they 

may be in the country to 

emulate the Oro community in 

embracing peaceful 

coexistence. 

The Catholic Bishop of Ilorin 

Diocese, Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, 

gave gratitude to God for the 

celebration and described the 

centenary anniversary as the 

fruits of the Oro community’s 

fore fathers who accepted 

Christ early. 

The cleric thanked God for 

the light of the Gospel, which 

he said had dispelled all 

darkness from the town. 

behalf of the committee, 

respectfully write to request 

your response at an 

investigative hearing relating 

to the allegations to provide 

the committee with your 

perspective on the matter. 

"Furthermore, a written, 

signed and dated statement 

by your Excellency is required 

as part of the proceedings on 

or before the date of the 

hearing. You may wish to be 

accompanied by your lawyers 

to the hearing.’’ 

It would be recalled that an 

online publication, Daily 

Nigeria, had uploaded on the 

internet videos of the 

governor, dressed in white 

kaftan, allegedly collecting $5 

million bribe from a contractor 

in the state. 

Consequently, the State 

House of Assembly set up a 

committee to investigate the 

issue, and this prompted the 

invitation of the publisher, 

Jaafar Jaafar, who had since 

given the two videos to the 

lawmakers. 

As the House committee 

continued its investigation, 

another video showing the 

governor, dressed in black 

kaftan, allegedly collecting 

money from another contractor 

was uploaded on Wednesday 

However, the online 

publisher, Jaafar Jaafar, had 

since denied having anything 

to do with the latest video.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — 9 

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

Banks refund N6.8bn excess charges 

dishonoured guarantees 

to customers 

and unauthorised 

By Elizabeth 

Adegbesan 

LAGOS—THE Central 

Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, yesterday, disclosed 

that commercial banks have 

refunded N6.8 billion 

excess charges to their 

customers in the first half 

NIDA to fete 

icons, catalysts 

of infrastructural 

devt in Nigeria 

L N AGOS—THE 

i g e r i a n 

Infrastructural 

Development Awards, 

NIDA, will celebrate 

Nigeria’s icons and 

catalysts of infrastructural 

development. 

The event, scheduled to 

hold at the Sheraton Hotel 

and Towers on December 

7, 2018, is themed: ‘Solid 

Infrastructural Backbone 

As catalyst for National 

Development.’ 

In a statement, the 

organisers said: “NIDA has 

identified corporate 

organisations, government 

agencies and individuals 

who have made huge and 

outstanding impact in the 

Nigerian infrastructural 

development sector over 

the years.” 

The Award Committee 

Chairman, Mr. Lanre Alabi 

said: “These group of 

organisations and people 

have played iconic roles 

and are worthy of being 

recognised for their 

contributions. This also 

serves as an 

encouragement to others. 

“The presence of these 

high-impacting 

infrastructure investments 

cuts across transportation, 

telecommunication, energy 

and power, oil and gas, 

aviation, agriculture, 

health, housing, 

entertainment and banking 

which adorn every part of 

the country. 

“We believe strongly that 

the award platform is bound 

to spur and galvanise 

public interest in 

infrastructure development 

thereby enhancing 

advocacy roles and to 

promote investment 

opportunities in the 

nation’s infrastructural 

development to the outside 

world. 

“The prestigious occasion 

will also be used to X-ray 

topical infrastructure issues 

facing the nation. The 

award will attract chief 

executives of multi 

nationals, leading private 

sector players in 

infrastructural 

development, top 

government functionaries, 

industry leaders, market 

analysts, professional 

groups and diverse 

economy sectorial leaders, 

among others.” 

of 2018, H1’18. 

The apex bank disclosed 

this in its half year, 2018 

economic review report. 

The report showed that 

the N6.8 billion excess 

charges refunded in H1’18 

was 6.0 percent lower when 

compared to N7.21 billion 

returned to customers in 

H1’17. 

The report said: “The Bank 

received 1,439 complaints 

from consumers of financial 

services in H1’18, compared 

with the 1,141 in the 

corresponding period of 

2017. The complaints were, 

mainly, in respect of excess 

charges, frauds, 

Jimi Agbaje picks lawyer as running mate 

...As Ohanaeze disowns Igbokwe over support for APC 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

L Governorship 

AGOS—THE 

Candidate of the People’s 

Democratic Party, PDP, in 

Lagos State, Mr. Jimi 

Agbaje, yesterday, picked 

Mrs Haleemat 

Oluwayemisi Busari as his 

running mate for the 2019 

governorship poll. 

Mrs Busari, 55, a lawyer, 

hails from Epe in Lagos 

East Senatorial District of 

the state. 

A statement, by the 

Director of Media and 

Publicity of the Jimi Agbaje 

Campaign Organisation, 

By Dayo Johnson 

A KURE—THE 

Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, yesterday 

said it has introduced 

financial literacy 

programme into the 

curriculum of secondary 

schools in the country. 

CBN’s Director, 

Consumer Protection 

Department, Mr. Kofo 

Abdulsalam-Alada said 

the programme, in 

collaboration with Nigeria 

Education Research 

Development Council, 

deductions/ transfers, 

among others. “A total of 

2,451 complaints, including 

those outstanding from 

2017, were resolved in the 

review period, compared 

with 1,270 complaints 

resolved in the 


2017. 

“Total claims in the review 

period in local and foreign 

currencies amounted to 

N20.5 billion, $163,479.00, 

£2,889.98 and €32.82, 

compared with N14.72 

billion, $2.42 million and 

€6,940.00, in the 


2017. 

“The sum of N6.80 billion, 

AWARD: From left— Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, Communications, 

Public Affairs and Sustainable Development Director, Lafarge Africa, Folashade 

Ambrose-Medebem and Chairman, Remo Growth and Development Foundation, 

Otunba Tunji Lawal-Solarin, at the presentation of the Akarigbo Corporate Council 

and Remo Distinguished Corporate Citizens' award to Lafarge Africa Plc in Lagos. 

JACO, Felix Oboagwina, 

yesterday, said the PDP 

candidate picked Mrs. 

Busari following 

comprehensive 

consultations with leaders 

and stakeholders within 

and outside the party. 

“Mrs. Oluwayemisi 

Haleemat Busari came 

highly recommended and 

widely endorsed,” the 

statement said, adding that 

“stakeholders all agree that 

without any iota of doubt, 

the Jimi-Haleemat 

combination is a winning 

ticket on every count.” 

This is coming as the 

Lagos State Ohanaeze 

CBN introduces financial 

literacy in school curriculum 

NERDC, was designed to 

give students the needed 

knowledge on savings and 

other investment. 

He said this at the school 

mentoring programme in 

Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State. 

Abdulsalam-Alada said: 

“We have a collaboration 

with Nigeria Education 

Research Development 

Council, NERDC, in 

designing a curriculum that 

will ensure that financial 

literacy is actually infused 

into subjects that are being 

taught in secondary 

schools in Nigeria. 

$119,349, £2,889.98 and 

€32.82 were refunded by 

financial institutions to their 

customers, compared with 

the sum of N7.21 billion, 

$2.40 million and €6,940.00, 

refunded in the 


2017. 

''Compliance examination 

was conducted on 21 banks 

in H1’18, to ascertain their 

level of compliance with 

consumer protection 

regulations, particularly the 

Guide to Charges by Banks 

and Other Financial 

Institutions, GCBOFI. 

The exercise revealed 

100.0 per cent compliance 

in the areas of outward 

telegraph/SWIFT and 

related charges.'' 

disagreed with Mr Joe 

Igbokwe over the support of 

the Igbo for the All 


APC candidates in the 2019 

polls in Lagos, saying: 

“Ohanaeze today will not 

support Mr. Joe Igbokwe or 

any party which does not 

fully endorse restructuring, 

devolution of powers, true 

federalism, fiscal federalism 

or resource control.” 

Faulting Igbokwe on his 

new committee of 10 Igbo 

leaders rallying support for 

APC, the Lagos Ohanaeze, 

in a statement by Chief 

Chileze Uzor said: “Ndigbo 

in Lagos will only give their 

votes through accredited 

Ndigbo for parties endorsed 

by the Executive Committee 

of the new Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo Lagos State, with a 

secretariat in Surulere, as 

directed by National Exco 

in Enugu.” 

Noting that the Ohanaeze 

Exco Lagos and committed 

Ndigbo living in Lagos 

delivered seven PDP 

candidates in 2015, Uzor 

said in 2019, it will support 

parties that are for 

restructuring because “this 

ideology can ensure basic 

and viable minimum living 

wage for workers and end 

hunger and criminality in 

our land. Our youths need 

an end to unemployment 

and poverty.” 

I regret returning to APC 

— OLUSOLA OKE 

By Dayo Johnson 

A KURE—FORMER 

governorship 

candidate of the Alliance 

for Democracy, AD, in Ondo 

State, Chief Olusola Oke, 

yesterday, said he regretted 

returning to All 


APC. 

Oke, who spoke at a 

meeting with his 

supporters in the 18 council 

areas of the state in Akure, 

declared that he suffered 

humiliation in APC. 

His supporters, who 

spoke through their 

representatives from the 

council area, said that they 

were tired of the party 

following the maltreatment 

they have suffered since 

joining the fold. 

In his response, Oke 

said: “I regret taking you 

back to the APC. I want to 

sincerely apologize to you. 

It was not my fault. 

“There is no humiliation 

I have not been subjected 

to in the APC. There is 

nothing that has not been 

done to reduce my political 

relevance. 

“I have decided not to 

keep quiet again. I don’t 

care what anybody may 

say. If you push a goat to 

the wall, it will fight back.” 

2019: Buhari too decent to 

use might to rig, says RBM 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—THE 

Re- 

Elect Buhari 

Movement, RBM, 

yesterday, declared that 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari and the All 


APC, will not engage in any 

illegality to win the 2019 

general elections. 

The group was reacting 

to insinuations that the 

APC was trying to use 

federal might against the 


PDP, in Akwa Ibom State in 

the countdown to the 

coming elections. 

In a statement by its 

convener, Mr. Emmanuel 

Umohinyang, RBM 

insisted that President 

Buhari was averse to 

illegality and would not 

condone same. 

The statement reads: “I 

think it was Senator Akpan 

from Akwa Ibom State that 

raised that concern at the 

Senate where he alleged 

that there was information 

that the APC is trying to use 

federal might to destabilize 

the state for election not to 

hold. 

“As ridiculous as the 

position of the 

distinguished senator may 

be, one is drawn aback 

because it seems to me that 

the PDP has a particular 

pattern of doing things. 

“Whenever they foresee 

defeat, they throw tantrum 

into the air so that when 

they lose, they will try to 

justify their earlier 

statement as the reason 

why they lost. Having 

said that, I do not think the 

APC would want to create 

such a scenario in a state 

that is almost an APC state 

now. 

‘You know the PDP was 

in government for sixteen 

years and we are all 

witnesses to how the 

institution of the Federal 

Government was badly 

abused during the period. 

“Under President Buhari, 

we have seen a president 

who has allowed 

institutions to work even at 

the detriment of the party.” 

CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS: 

Falana to speak at IPC’s 

media roundtable 

L AGOS—IN 

commemoration of 

this year’s International 

Day to End Impunity for 

Crimes against Journalists, 

IDEI, 2018, the 

International Press Centre, 

IPC, in partnership with 

the Lagos State Council of 

Nigeria Union of 

Journalists, NUJ, in Lagos 

will organise a tweet 

conference and media 

roundtable. 

Speakers expected to 

speak at the roundtable are 

human rights lawyer, Mr. 

Femi Falana, SAN; Lagos 

NUJ Chairman, Dr. Qasim 

Akinreti; Executive 

Director, Media Rights 

Agenda, Mr. Edetaen Ojo; 

Mrs. Yinka Shokunbi, of 

Health Style Plus and 

Executive Director of Wole 

Soyinka Centre for 

Investigative Journalism, 

Mrs. Tunrayo Alaka. 

In a statement, Director of 

IPC, Mr. Lanre 

Arogundade said: “The 

goal of the initiative is to 

facilitate a free and safe 

online environment for 

journalists and other media 

professionals in Nigeria 

and ensure that the right 

to freedom of expression for 

online journalism in 

Nigeria is respected, 

protected and guaranteed. 

The participants are 

expected to engage in a 

tweet session through a 

dedicated hash tag, and 

Face book posts, to 

concerned government 

agencies, public officials, 

respective stakeholders and 

the general public online.”

10 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Mrs Osinbajo seeks more 

women representation on 

leadership board 

By Providence 

Emmanuel 

LAGOS—WIFE of the 

Vice President, Mrs. 

Dolapo Osinbajo, 

yesterday, called on women 

in the country to push for 

better representation in 

organisations. 

She said this at the 

ongoing Women in 

Management, Business 

and Public Service, 

WIMBIZ, 17th Annual 

Conference, themed: 

‘Unstoppable you! Reinvent 

and Reinvigorate’ held in 

Lagos. 

Mrs Osinbajo said: “The 

argument that women can 

achieve success in their 

workplace has been won, 

the push for better 

representation and 

leadership on boards of 

organisations is ongoing. 

“To be unstoppable is to 

make a mark. Do the best 

you can with what you 

have from season to season, 

stage to stage. If you are 

unstoppable and your 

neighbour, friends are 

unstoppable from all 

unstoppable then our 

nation becomes 

unstoppable.” 

Also, Chairperson 

INEC boss delivers Realnews 

anniversary lecture Nov 15 

L 

A 

G O S — 

CHAIRMAN of 

the Independent National 


INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, 

will deliver the sixth 

anniversary lecture of 

Realnews Magazine 

scheduled to hold on 

Thursday, November 15, 

2018, at the Sheraton Hotel, 

Ikeja, in Lagos. 

Yakubu will speak on 

the theme: ‘Political 

Transitions and Africa’s 

Economic Development.’ 

In a statement by 

publisher of Realnews 

Magazine, an online 

publication, Maureen 

567,637 PVCs uncollected 

in Ogun — INEC 

By Daud Olatunji 

AIndependent 

BEOKUTA—THE 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, in 

Ogun State, yesterday, 

disclosed that no fewer 

than 567,637 Permanent 

Voters Cards, PVCs, were 

yet to be collected by 

residents of the state ahead 

of 2019 general elections. 

The Commission’s 

Administrative Secretary in 

the state, James Popoola 

disclosed this at a one-day 

Stakeholders Election 

Forum on display held in 

Abeokuta, Ogun State. 

He said: “The whole 

essence of Voter Register 

Clean-Up is to assist 

eligible voters to confirm 

their registration status; to 

remove names of 


Executive Council, 

WIMBIZ, Mrs. Olubunmi 

Aboderin-Talabi, said the 

organisation has 

influenced about 105,555 

women since it was 

founded 17 years ago. 

She said: “Over the last 

17 years, we have 

implemented programs 

that seek to inspire, 

empower and advocate for 

greater representation of 

women in leadership 

positions both in the public 

and private sector. 

“We regularly collaborate 

with credible local and 

multinational organizations 

to deliver programs, which 

have on aggregate directly 

influenced over 105,555 

women since inception. 

“This year’s edition of the 

WIMBIZ Annual 

Conference will live up to 

this high standard and 

furthermore will galvanise 

and reawaken the inner 

repository of resilience that 

is latent within all women.” 

Dignitaries at the event 

are: wife of the Vice 

President, Mrs Dolapo 

Osinbajo; wife of Ogun 

State governor, Mrs 

Folorunsho Amosun; wife 

of former governor of Lagos 

State, Mrs Ambimbola 

Fashola and Maiden Alex- 

Ibru, among others. 

Chigbo, said: “Our choice 

of topic for the 2018 lecture 

has been informed by 

contemporary political, 

economic, security, sociocultural 

challenges facing 

Nigeria regarded as the 

giant of Africa as it prepares 

for the 2019 polls where 

Nigerians are expected to 

elect leaders they hope will 

move country to the next 

level.” 

She said given Yakubu’s 

world class experience, 

academic antecedents and 

his current position as 

chairman of INEC, he is in 

a better position to do 

justice to the topic. 

deceased, under age, and 

non Nigerians from the 

register of voters; to insert 

omitted names and to 

correct spellings and other 

errors identified in gender, 

names, age and addresses. 

“Only citizens with PVCs 

are eligible to participate in 

the election. Go out and 

collect your cards. No 

collection by proxy.” 

By Chisom 

Nwangwu 

LAGOS—AN antihuman 

trafficking 

foundation, Beauty in 

Every Life, BIEL, has 

partnered with the 

National Agency for the 

Prohibition of trafficking 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

PDP warns Tinubu over comment on 

Atiku 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

A BUJA—THE 

P e o p l e s 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

yesterday, warned the 

National Leader of the All 


APC, Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu, not to join in the 

smear campaign and 

unsavoury comments 

against its presidential 

candidate, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar. 

PDP also assured 

Nigerians that its 

presidential candidate 

would reduce the price of 

fuel, if he emerged 

victorious in the 2019 

presidential election. 

The party was reacting to 

a statement credited to the 

former Lagos State 

governor that its 

presidential flag bearer 

could strategise in the 

jungle ahead of the 

elections but won’t win the 

election. 

In a statement by its 

National Publicity 

Secretary, Mr. Kola 

Ologbondiyan, the PDP 

said: “Asiwaju, as an elder, 

should not reduce his 

pedigree by engaging in 

indecorous utterances 

which have become the 

trademark of his party. 

“It is also instructive to 

state that a person of 

Asiwaju status can 

conduct his political 

activities without recourse to 

indecent language that is 

•Says presidential candidate’ll reduce fuel price 

RELAUNCH: From left: Mr. Charles Nnochiri, Head of Marketing, PZ Cussons 

Consumer; Ahusimere Ejiroghene, Brand Manager, Morning Fresh; Philips 

Edafiogho, Sales Director, PZ Cussons; Ms. Joyce Coker, Human Resource and 

Admin Director, PZ Cussons; and Mr. Alex Goma, Managing Director, PZ Cussons 

Consumer, at the official Morning Fresh Relaunch in Lagos. 

lacking in respect for a 

personality, such as Atiku, 

whom Nigerians, across 

board, have generally 

resolved to be their next 

President. 

“For the avoidance of 

doubt, despite the ludicrous 

disposition of APC and its 

leaders towards the 2019 

election campaign, the 

repositioned PDP and 

our presidential 

candidate remain 

committed to our 

promise to focus on 

solutions to the myriad of 

problems facing our 

people and transform their 

lives for the better. 

“The PDP cautions 

Asiwaju Tinubu to redirect 

the discourse of his party 

to productive issues instead 

of this unbridled resort to 

lies, deception, 

beguilement, propaganda, 

smear campaign and 

uncouth language, which 

Nigerians now resent.” 

Meanwhile, the party has 

pledged the readiness of its 

presidential candidate to 

work out a pricing template 

that will immediately crash 

the pump price of fuel in 

the country, upon his 

election. 

The party said: “The PDP 

notes that for every N145 

paid for a liter of fuel, the 

Presidency cabal diverts a 

hidden N58 which 

Nigerians have continued 

to pay since the fuel price 

was increased from N87 to 

presumably subsidized 

cost of N145.'' 

ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CRISIS: Ambode harps on inclusive govt 

By Monsur 

Olowoopejo 

L 

A G O S — 

GOVERNOR 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State said, yesterday, 

that operating an inclusive 

government would end the 

spate of religious and ethnic 

crisis rocking the country. 

Ambode disclosed this 

while delivering the 75th 

anniversary lecture of 

Island Club, themed: 

‘Nation Building: 

Communities, Inclusion 

and Prosperity’, in Lagos. 

He said: “We must begin 

to realise that every strata 

of the society counts, we 

must listen and 

accommodate all views, 

whether they are poor, 

whether they are Igbo, 

Hausa, Muslims or 

Christians. 

“An inclusive society must 

BIEL partners NAPTIP to end human 

trafficking in Nigeria 

of persons, NAPTIP, to 

combat human trafficking 

in Nigeria. 

Speaking during the 

inaugural interactive 

session in Lagos, founder 

of the organization, Ebere 

Akadiri said: “We seek to 

collaborate and partner 

with other organizations 

especially the NAPTIP, in 

•Blames gridlocks on pressure from other states 

have the institutions, 

structures and processes 

that empower local 

communities, professional 

associations, artisans, so 

that they can hold 

government accountable. 

“It also requires the 

participation of all groups 

in society, including 

traditionally marginalised 

groups such as ethnic 

minorities and indigenous 

populations in decision 

making processes.” 

The governor, however, 

blamed increase in travel 

time in the state on 

dependence of other states’ 

residents on Lagos for 

survival. 

Ambode said residents 

from other states see Lagos 

as the only source of getting 

out of the poverty net, 

saying, “86 of them come 

into Lagos every hour 

without leaving.” 

the prevention of human 

trafficking and also 

amplifying their works 

globally, internationally 

and locally.” 

Also, the Lagos zonal 

commander NAPTIP, 

Daniel Atokoro, said that 

NAPTIP has adopted 

prevention as the 

strategy they are using 

in curbing human 

trafficking. 

Earlier in his welcome 

address, Chairman of 

Island Club commended 

the Lagos State Governor 

for supporting the Club 

since he assumed office. 

Also speaking, a former 

chairman of the Club, Chief 

Olumuyiwa Falomo lauded 

the Governor for his 

developmental strides in 

the last three and half years, 

assuring him that history 

would be kind to him. 

Investigative journalism key to 

tackling corruption — SERAP 

By Abdulwahab 

Abdulah 

LAGOS—THE Socio- 

Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project, 

SERAP, yesterday, stressed 

the importance of 

investigative journalism to 

uncovering corruption in 

Nigeria. 

Discussants, at a parley 

organised for journalists in 

Lagos, shared their views at 

an interactive session and 

the presentation of a manual 

entitled: ‘Uncovering 

Corruption in Nigeria: A 

Manual for Investigative 

Journalists.’ 

The manual, produced by 

SERAP agreed that a free 

world demands that the 

media needs to act to 

strengthen democracy and 

institutional bodies. 

The manual, which was 

published with the support 

of the National Endowment 

for Democracy, NED, was 

presented by human rights 

activist, Richard Akinnola. 

In his address, Mr. 

Akinnola said: “A free world 

demands that the media 

act to strengthen 

democracy and institutional 

bodies. Good governance 

and accountability thrive on 

access to information, not 

just by journalists alone, 

but by the average 

Nigerian. 

“Indeed, the right of a 

people to have access to 

officially-held information 

and comment on the affairs 

of state and conduct of 

government is an intrinsic 

part of democracy, which 

demands accountability of 

rulers and public officials to 

the citizenry.” 

He said : “The public has 

a right of access to 

information which is a 

public concern and of 

which the public ought to 

know. The newspapers, TV 

and radio stations are the 

agents, so to speak of the 

public to collect the 

information and to tell the 

public of it.''



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WORLD POLIO DAY: Members of Rotary Club of Asaba Metropolitan District 9141 Nigeria, 

during the Asaba city-wide Polio Walk in celebration of World Polio Day, in Asaba, Delta State. 

Benin palace chief wants 1897 judgment on 

Oba Ovonranmwen quashed 

By Alemma Aliu 

B E N I N — T H E 

Esogban of Benin 

Kingdom, Chief David 

Edebiri, yesterday, said 

there was a need for a legal 

action against the British 

government to set aside the 

1897 judgment against Oba 

Ovoranmwen after the 

invasion of Bénin 

Kingdom. 

Oba Ovoranmwen, who 

was deposed was banished 

to Calabar, while some 

chiefs were sentenced to 

death. 

Speaking with some 

micro-finance experts from 

seven African countries who 

visited him to learn more 

about Benin Kingdom, 

Edebiri said the trial of Oba 

Ovonranmwen was biased, 

saying there was no record 

of an interpreter to explain 

to the Oba what his 

prosecutors were saying 

during the trial. 

He told his visitors that 

the transformation of Benin 

Kingdom happened in 

1897 when the British 

invaded the kingdom and 

deported Oba 

Ovonranmwen. 

He, however, said 

despite the calamities that 

befell the kingdom, the 

people didn’t allow the 

British to subdue their 

culture. 

He said: “The trial of Oba 

Ovonranmwen cannot be 

said to be free and fair. The 

man who tried him could 

not speak Edo, Oba 

Ovonranmwen did not 

speak English and there 

was no record of an 

interpreter. 

“Lagos, as it is today, was 

founded by Oba Orogbua. 

After he led a conquest to 

Dahomey, he set up a camp 

and called it ‘Eko’ which 

Phillips Consulting releases 2019 training 

calendar for digital technology learning 

2019: S-South, S-East monarchs express 

concern over security 

By Etop Ekanem 

AS preparations for 

the 2019 general 

elections heighten, traditional 

rulers from South-South and 

South-East of Nigeria have 

deemed it fit to draw a road 

map for elections that would 

be free, fair and violence free. 

Most importantly their 

concerns are for the safety 

and security of lives of 

members of their 

communities during the 

forthcoming election. 

At the meeting of National 

Council of Traditional Rulers 

of Nigeria, NCTRN, South- 

South and South-East 

chapter, in Benin City, Edo 

State, the monarchs arrived 

at a common ground that “if 

our local community is saved, 

the the whole Nigeria is 

P 

H I L L I P S 

Consulting (PCL), 

an innovator in instructor 

led and online trainings, 

has launched its 2019 

Training Calendar – 

highlighting up-to-date 

training courses for 

professionals and 

companies to meet 

expected goals. 

This was disclosed by 

PCL team at a press briefing 

in PCL Lagos office by 

Senior Partner, People 

Transformation, Mr. Paul 

Ayim. 

The team which 

saved.” 

Chairman of the Second 

Consultation meeting of the 

southern monarchs, HRH 

Edmund Daukoru, the 

Mingi XII Amanayanabo of 

Nember Kingdom, said the 

meeting was convened to 

consider the security situation 

in the country. 

“Elections exaggerate 

already exiting problems and 

tensions in our community, so 

we have to address those flsh 

points and those cannot be 

immediately solved, at least 

stakeholders must have an 

understanding. And from the 

screening to primaries to the 

actual campaign strings and 

then the election day itself, 

we should ensure that we 

have secured places in our 

communities where voting 

materials and ballot boxes can 

comparised of Head of 

Digital Learning, Mrs. 

Modupe Thomas-Owoseni 

and Head ofClassroom 

Learning, Nwaji Jibunoh 

revealed that it is crucial to 

empower people to 

perform at the very highest 

level, he explained that 

PCL’s carefully designed 

and executed programs are 

provided through methods 

designed for optimal 

impact on participants’ 

behaviour. 

They also revealed that an 

ever-changing operating 

landscape means there is 

be stored, and again, we 

should consider the means of 

the day, " he added. 

Chief Sponsor of event, 

HRH Appolus Chu, the 

Ebere Emere Okori, Eleme 

of Eleme Kingdom, Rivers 

State said: “For today’s 

consultation, the main issue 

will be looking at ways of 

ensuring a violence-free 2019 

general elections. Aside that, 

we are going to look at other 

areas of common interest and 

grounds where the 

traditional rulers from the 

Southern part of Nigeria 

would come together and 

rub minds. 

“We have touched the 

area of violence free 

election which is the theme 

of this meeting and we 

have touched other areas of 

collaborations amongst our 

various communities." 

means camp in Bénin. The 

place started to function as 

an extension of Bénin 

empire. 

“It was the British that 

renamed the place Lagos 

because of the Lagoon. The 

royal family of Lagos 

understands this history 

and it is not in dispute.” 

One of the visitors from 

Kenya, Mrs. Cecelia 

Thuiya, described the visit 

as an eye opener. 

need to continuously 

evolve to ensure the 

provision of world-class 

learning interventions from 

creation through to 

delivery, in alliance with 

global thought-leader 

partners around the world. 

Speaking on the 

offerings, Senior Partner, 

Mr. Paul Ayim said “Over 

the years, several blue chip 

Organisations have trusted 

the quality of our classroom 

and digital learning 

interventions. This 

confidence has brought a 

paradigm shift in their 

mindset from seeing 

training as a cost to a 

significant investment in 

their most critical of all 

assets, their people. Our 

digital learning 

interventions further 

enhance their ability to 

embed learning into their 

employees flow of work. 

Employing blended 

learning approaches has 

led to impressive results 

as knowledge gained is 

immediately applicable 

in the work people do 

and reduces the 

significance of scrap 

learning, which occurs 

when people do not use 

what they learn. 

Our aim is simple: to 

help your people succeed. 

We will go to any length to 

ensure that this happens.” 

The 2019 training 

calendar features a wide 

range of In-House, Open- 

Standard, Technologyfocused 

and International 

programs that can be 

delivered locally and 

internationally at the 

client’s discretion. 

Amnesty Office partnering 

PTI to train 200 ex-agitators 

—Dokubo 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—OFFICE 

of the Special 

Adviser to President 

Muhammadu Buhari on 

Niger Delta and 

Coordinator, Amnesty 

Programme, Prof. Charles 

Dokubo, has said that the 

Amnesty Office is 

partnering with the 

Petroleum Training 

Institute, PTI, Effurun, 

Delta State, to train 200 exagitators. 

Omeni tasks Ndokwa 

indigenes on devt 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA-FORMER 

Secretary to Delta 

State Government, Mrs. 

Beatrice Omeni, has called 

on Ndokwa sons and 

daughters to come together 

in order to chart a new 

course for Ndokwa 

development. 

Omeni said this in Asaba 

during the pre-Ndokwa 

Economic Summit briefing 

organised by Ndokwa 

Study Group. 

Also speaking, Chairman 

of the occasion, Dr. 

Boniface Opia said the 

proposed Ndokwa 

Speaking with newsmen 

yesterday in Asaba, Special 

Assistant on Media to 

Dokubo, Mr. Murphy 

Ganagana, said that plans 

have been concluded to 

retool the programme to 

make it more robust and 

impactful for the enlisted 

ex-agitators. 

He said: ”We believe we 

should train people in such 

a way that they should 

have qualifications that will 

give them jobs, and that is 

the direction we have 

adopted." 

Economic Summit was 

coming at the right time. 

Earlier in his welcome 

address, the President of 

Ndokwa Study Group, Dr. 

Norris Ovili harped on the 

need to harness the 

abundant human and 

natural resources in 

Ndokwa land. 

Ovili said the planned 

summit scheduled to hold 

on November 9 and 10 in 

Utagba-Ogbe, Kwale, 

would provide a platform 

for Ndokwa people to meet 

and chart a new course for 

the growth and 

development of Ndokwa 

nation. 

Asaba Rotary Club marks 

World Polio Day 

By Nath Onojake 

A SABA—NIGERIA 

will be declared 

polio free in March 2019 

if no new case of the virus 

is recorded in the country. 

World Health 

Organization facilitator in 

Delta State, Mr. Ifeyinwa 

Mathias, disclosed this in 

Asaba, Delta State, 

during a road walk by 

Rotary Club of Asaba 

Metropolitan District 

9141 Nigeria, to mark this 

PDP Rep candidate assures 

of massive devt in Warri 

P 

E 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

O P L E S 

Democratic Party, 

PDP, House of 

Representatives candidate 

for 2019 general elections, 

Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, 

has promised massive 

infrastructural 

development and youth 

engagement for the area if 

voted into the Green 

Chamber. 

Ereyitomi gave the 

assurance in Warri during 

his “Thank You Visit” to 

PDP leaders and 

year's World Polio Day. 

He said Nigeria has not 

reported any case of polio 

virus since August 2016. 

The road walk which 

commenced from Traffic 

Light Round-About, took 

the participants to Oneh 

Primary School, Asaba, 

IDP Camp where 

children between 0-5 

years of age were 

immunized against polio. 

The walk also took the 

Rotarians to Cable Point, 

Asaba. 

stakeholders in Warri South 

and Warri South-West 

Council Areas of Delta 

State. 

He said “I have come to 

say thank you for the 

support given to me during 

the delegates elections in 

which I emerged the 

winner. I came here to 

solicit your support to be so 

elected and you gave it to 

me. It is only natural that I 

come back to say a big 

thank you in appreciation 

of the gesture and to further 

remind you that there is a 

bigger task ahead, which is 

the main election in 2019."


17TH WIMBIZ ANNUAL CONFERENCE, HELD AT EKO HOTEL, VI, LAGOS 

CONFERENCE: From left—Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, First Bank Plc; 

Mr Rasheed Jaiyeola, Founder, Bukka Hut; Mrs. Joke Bakare, Founder, 

MedPlus Ltd; Mrs. Olubunmi Aboderin-Talabi, Chairperson, Women in 

Management, Business & Public Service, WimBiz; Mrs. Iquo Ukoh, MD Entod 

Marketing Ltd; and Mr. Steve Babaeko, Founder, X3M Ideas, during the From left—Mrs. Funmi Robert, Chairman, Board of Trustees, 

17th WimBiz Annual Conference, themed: Unstoppable You: Reinvent & WimBiz; Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President (Special 

Reinvigorate!, held in Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez Guest of Honour); and Mrs. Olubunmi Aboderin-Talabi, at the 

conference. 

From left—Hajia Safiya Umar; Hajia Hadiza El Rufai, wife of Kaduna 

State Governor; and Hajia Fatima Abdurrahaman. 

From left—Chief Nike Akande, former President, Lagos Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry; Pa. Femi Olopade; Dame Abimbola Fashola, 

wife of Minister of Power, Works and Housing; and Lady Maiden 

Alex-Ibru, Chairman/Publisher Guardian Newspapers. 

BURIAL OF COMFORT OKPARAOCHA, A STAFF OF VANGUARD MEDIA LTD 

BURIAL: From left—Chioma Okparaocha; Charity Oladimeji; and Lawrence 

Okparocha, during the burial of their sister, Comfort Okparaocha, at the 

Baptist Cemetery, Jericho, Ibadan. The late Comfort Okparaocha, until her 

death, was a staff of Vanguard Media Ltd, Ibadan office. Photos: Dare Fasube. 

From left—Vanguard staff: Edwin Tujeworo; Abayomi Afuye; 

Debbie Igbinoba; Mariam Eko; and Alero Atsimene, at the funeral 

service. 

From left—Vanguard Staff: Mr Ola Ajayi; Pastor Innocent 

Nwanekwu; Moses Komolafe; Bosede Otunla; and Janet Najomoh. 

From left—Charity Oladimeji,; Chioma Okparaocha; Mrs Tola Okparaocha; 

Chinonye Imoisili and Adam Okparaocha, during the funeral service.



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SERVICE OF SONGS: Chief (Mrs.) Cynthia Dafinone, widow of late 

Chief David Dafinone, with her children, during the service of songs in honour 

of the deceased, in Sapele, Delta State, yesterday. 

We left APC because of unkept promises 

—Alaibe ...APC didn’t know Alaibe's value —Gov Dickson 

By Emem Idio 

Y ENAGOA— 

BAYELSA State 

chapter of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

yesterday, formally 

welcomed a former 

Managing Director of 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, and 

former Special Adviser to 

the President on 

Presidential Amnesty 

Programme, Chief Timi 

Alaibe to the party. 

Alaibe was received 

alongside other chieftains 

of the APC including 

former Secretary to 

Bayelsa State 

Government, SSG, Chief 

Gideon Ekeuwei, former 

PDP chairman in the 

state, Chief Rufus Abadi, 

and a two-time former 

Commissioner for 

Information in the state, 

Chief Nathan Egba and 

over ten thousand of their 

supporters. 

The defectors were 

received by Governor 

Seriake Dickson and the 

National Chairman of the 

PDP, Chief Uche 

Secondus, who was 

represented by the South- 

South Zonal Vicechairman 

of the PDP, Mr. 

Emmanuel Ogidi, in 

Yenagoa. 

The defectors, who had 

earlier been hosted by the 

governor, expressed 

gratitude to the state 

governor for giving them 

a rousing public 

reception. 

In his remarks, Alaibe 

said: “By hosting us this 

way, the governor has 

added value to our return 

to the PDP. I must tell you 

that with this rally, 

pundits are ashamed 

because they did not 

believe that we were 

going to be received in 

this manner. 

“We left All Progressives 

Congress, APC, because 

they don’t keep to 

promises. You can see that 

their house is in chaos. 

“We are coming back to 

support you so you can 

continue to invest in other 

areas including what you 

have already done in the 

health sector like the 

diagnostic centre where a 

former president came to 

be diagnosed. 

On his part, Dickson 

said: “ APC didn’t know 

Buhari’ll accept outcome of 2019 

election —Amaechi 

D IRECTOR- 

GENERAL of 

Buhari Campaign 

Organisation, Mr. 

Chibuike Amaechi, has 

said that President 

Muhammadu Buhari will 

accept the outcome of the 

2019 election. 

Speaking when he 

received a delegation from 

the European Union, EU, 

Amaechi said the ruling All 


APC, would adhere strictly 

to the electoral laws in the 

forthcoming elections. 

He said: “One assurance 

I will give to you today is 

that we will stand by the 

Independent National 


INEC, and we will stand 

by whatever decision they 

make. We believe that we 

promised Nigerians 

change and I also believe 

that you can observe the 

APC affirms Cole gov candidate in Rivers 

ALL 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, has 

said that Mr. Tonye Cole is 

its governorship candidate 

in Rivers State. 

Spokesman of the party, 

Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, said 

this in a statement 

yesterday. 

He said the clarification 

became necessary as a 

result of a Supreme Court 

ruling on the congresses 

conducted by a faction of 

the APC in the state. 

The apex court had 

annulled the congresses 

conducted by the faction 

loyal to Rotimi Amaechi, 

minister of transportation. 

Cole belongs to this 

faction. But Issa-Onilu said 

the ruling of the court did 

not affect Cole’s candidacy. 

“In view of conflicting 

interpretations that have 

greeted the recent verdict 

of the Supreme Court on 

the contentions among our 

members in Rivers State 

chapter of the All 


APC, it has become 

necessary to clarify that the 

Supreme Court’s verdict 

has nothing to do with the 

primaries conducted for the 

governorship and 

legislative positions in the 

state. 

‘’Therefore, Cole's 

candidature along with his 

running mate, Victor 

Giadom remains inviolate. 

The list of our candidates 

for the governorship, 

National Assembly, and 

House of Assembly polls 

has been processed by the 

National Working 

Committee according to the 



INEC, guidelines.’’ 

From left: Olorogun Moses Taiga, President-General, Urhobo Progress 

Union, UPU, World-wide; former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori 

and immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the 

service of songs. Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire. 

the value of Chief Alaibe 

and all these wonderful 

political leaders. I feel 

sorry for them. Our 

brothers and friends, in 

the new Bayelsa State that 

we have been creating, 

we believe in 

brotherhood, oneness, 

and unity. 

“I keep telling 

everybody that the 

disagreement of the past 

belongs to the past. All 

the mistakes of the past 

belong to the past. As 

governor of this state and 

leader of our people, my 

concern is the future.’’ 

change. 

“The assurance I will give 

from President Buhari 

Campaign Organisation is 

that there will be no 

interference by the 

president. We will play by 

the rules and whatever the 

campaign team needs to do 

to ensure that the election 

is transparent, we will do. 

We will also ensure that the 

election is such that 

Nigerians will be proud of, 

and we hope that the rest 

who are contesting in other 

parties will also take the 

same position.” 

Earlier, Ketil Karlsen, 

Head of the EU delegation 

to Nigeria and ECOWAS, 

said the EU would partner 

with Nigerians to organise 

credible polls in 2019. 

He noted that the EU, 

was only concerned about 

the best electoral practices 

for Nigeria. 

“We look forward to a 

good collaboration on this 

occasion of the 2019 general 

elections. We have had 

election observers in 

Nigeria for all general 

elections since 1999,” he 

said. 

A-Ibom SSG denies 

membership of APC 

By Harris 

Emmanuel 

U YO—SECRETARY 

to Akwa Ibom State 

Government, Dr. 

Emmanuel Ekuwem, has 

dismissed insinuations that 

he is a card-carrying 

member of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, describing 

the allegation as claptrap. 

He said he remained 

focus in assisting Governor 

Udom Emmanuel’s 

administration to succeed. 

He stated that those who 

had written off the 

governor’s re-election bid 

would be disappointed in 

March 2019. 

He said: ‘’Let the 

doomsayers wait to see 

what will happen on 

election day. They plan 

victory with violence. I plan 

victory with dividends of 

democracy. I remain 

focused and undistracted. 

Plots, gossips, and 

blackmail are what 

incompetent people thrive 

in.’’ 

OMPALAN tasks oil-producing 

states on 13% derivation 

By Akinroye 

Abdulazeez 

OIL and Solid 

Mineral Producing 

Area Landlords Association 

of Nigeria, OMPALAN, 

has decried what it termed 

the misappropriation of 13 

percent oil derivation fund 

at the expense of 

vulnerable local 

communities. 

Chairman, Board of 

Trustees, BoT, OMPALAN, 

Bishop Udo Azogu, made 

the observation at the 

group’s National Congress 

in Abuja. 

He said: “We call on 


Buhari to invoke his 

executive powers to halt 

looting of funds. Failure to 

do so, the government 

should scrap the various 

schemes for oil-bearing 

states. 

“The association will 

build effective mechanisms 

to bring reprieve to 

aggrieved communities 

who are victims of neglect 

by development agencies 

exploiting the country’s 

natural resources.’’ 

Cleric calls for policies to 

free Nigerians from poverty 

BISHOP of Greater 

Light Diocese of 

Saint Peter’s Christ Army 

Church of Nigeria, Rt. 

Revd. Promise Dibie, has 

called on politicians in the 

country to formulate 

policies and programmes 

that can free Nigerians from 

poverty. 

Bishop Dibie spoke 

during the dedication of the 

new Saint Peter’s Christ 

Army Church of Nigeria 

Cathedral and N50 million 

foundation laying 

ceremony of patients’ 

quarters, orphanage and 

offices at the diocesan 

headquarters of the church 

in Agbor, Delta State. 

He said: “There are 

always rewards from God 

for whatever one does on 

earth. Those who do good 

to humanity and promote 

the propagation of God’s 

work will immensely 

receive abundant blessings 

from him.’’



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1,000 flee Katsina village for LG hqtrs over bandits’ threat of attack 

By Bashir Bello 

OVER 1,000 women and 

children of Sabon 

Garin Dumburawa village 

in Batsari Local 

Government Area of 

Katsina State have 

relocated to the local 

government headquarters 

over fear of attack by armed 

LCCI's INVESTMENT CONFAB: From left—Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry 

and Cooperative, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr. 

Babatunde Ruwase; Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, Lagos, Ms Laure Beaufils, and 

Partner, Perchstone and Graeys, Mr. Tolulope Aderemi, at LCCI's 2018 international investment conference in 

Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele. 

3.0MIS tremor hits Abuja 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

ABUJA—A fresh round 

of tremor measuring 

3.0 Mercalli Intensity 

Scale, MIS, hit Maitama 

District in Abuja yesterday, 

Nigerian Geological 

Survey Agency, NGSA, has 

disclosed after receiving 

distress calls from residents 

in the area. 

Already, Federal 

Government has 

dispatched rescue and 

technical teams to the area 

to ascertain the level of 

impact. 

bandits, who sent a 

warning letter to the 

villagers after a failed 

attack. 

Caretaker Committee 

Chairman of the local 

government, Mannir 

Muazu, who confirmed the 

development, said the 

villagers foiled the attack by 

ceasing two motorcycles 

According to the 

Technical Head of NGSA, 

Dr. Abdulrazaq Garbaan, 

internal response protocol, 

was immediately activated 

and other relevant 

government agencies and 

stakeholders were 

informed about the 

incidence. 

Garbaan said: “NGSA 

received a call at about 

12.45p.m. today 

(yesterday) on a reported 

earth tremor from a location 

in Maitama District. A 

technical team was 

immediately dispatched to 

from the bandits, forcing 

them to retreat. 

According to him, “the 

incident happened on 

Wednesday evening. 

Initially the armed bandits 

attacked the village, but the 

villagers succeeded in 

foiling the attack by 

snatching two of their 

motorcycles. 

the location for an on-thespot 

assessment. 

“An internal response 

protocol was immediately 

activated and relevant 

government agencies and 

stakeholders were 

informed. These include 

National Emergency 

Management Agency, 

NEMA, and the FCT. These 

agencies responded 

promptly and arrived at the 

scene. 

“Our preliminary 

findings indicated that the 

tremor occurred around 

12.26p.m. around the 

Aremu assures Kwara workers of living wage 

By Victor 

Ahiumayoung 

G OVERNORSHIP 

candidate of Labour 

Party, LP, in Kwara State for 

2019 general election, Issa 

Aremu, has assured that LP 

is not only committed to the 

new minimum wage, but a 

living wage for Kwara 

workers. 

Aremu, who is the 

General Secretary of the 

National Union of Textile, 

Garment and Tailoring 

Workers of Nigeria, 

NUTGTWN, and two-term 

Vice President of Nigeria 

Labour Congress, NLC, 

reminded state governors 

that the primary purpose of 

governance is the security 

and welfare of the citizens. 

The LP gubernatorial 

candidate, who is also the 

Vice President of 

IndustriALL Global Union, 

African region, in a 

statement, contended that 

“any governor that opposes 

legitimate pay for workers 

in his state should not stay 

a day longer in office. 

“We also support an 

indefinite national strike 

and industrial action from 

November 6, except 

government accepts and 

commences the process of 

perfecting the payment of 

N30,000 as the negotiated 

and compromise new 

national minimum wage 

before that date. 

“The right to strike is 

both a human and trade 

union right and cannot be 

taken away by any 

government. 

“Therefore, President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

should ensure that strikes 

are not criminalised.” 

“The bandits sent a letter 

notifying the villagers of 

their plan to return. This 

created panic among the 

villagers and forced them 

to migrate here for fear of 

the attack. 

“We have also mobilised 

a joint patrol team to secure 

lives and properties of the 

people.” 

vicinity of Panama Street, 

Maitama District. After field 

evaluations, NGSA 

determined that the 

intensity was about 3.0 on 

the Mercalli Intensity 

Scale, which means it was 

felt indoors and lasted less 

than one minute,” adding 

that there were no structural 

damages. 

...as NGSA 

advises residents 

Garbaan asked residents 

not to panic as 

investigations were still 

ongoing and that there is 

no cause for panic. 

Tremor had earlier 

occurred on September 5 in 

Mpape, Maitama, and 

other parts of Abuja, 

throwing residents in the 

area into panic. 

However, NGSA advised 

residents to move out of 

their houses if vibrations 

continued, assuring that 

Abuja was not prone to 

earthquake. 

The agency added that 

government had 

purchased six earthquake 

monitoring seismograms to 

monitor of all ground 

disturbances, and that 

installation has began in 

the six geopolitical zones. 

Sickle Cell Foundation, Rhieos partner on multi-SCD registry 

SICKLE 

Cell 

Foundation Nigeria, 

SCFN, and RHIEOS 

Ventures, yesterday, signed 

a Memorandum of 

Understanding, M oU, to 

establish the first multicentre 

Sickle Cell Disorder, 

SCD, registry in Nigeria. 

In statement to announce 

the partnership in Lagos, 

SCDRN Coordinator, Dr. 

Sola Ojewunmi, who 

regretted that 100,000 

babies do not live to 

celebrate their fifth birthday 

due to ignorance and lack 

of access to proper 

diagnosis and care, said: 

“We are very excited to start 

the development of the first 

multi-centre SCD registry 

in Nigeria, which would be 

of benefit to persons with 

the disorder, caregivers and 

doctors.” 

The registry, he said, will 

provide support and 

improve quality of 

treatment and care for 

persons with SCD as well 

as for policy formulation. 

Activists seek justice for 

late 13-yr-old raped victim 

By Boluwaji 

Obahopo &Esther 

Onyegbula 

INDIGENES of Idoma 

on the platform of 

Ochetoha K’ Idoma, in 

Benue State; Coalitions 

of Civil Society 

Organisations, CSOs, 

and Federation of 

International Women 

Lawyers, FIDA, in Kogi 

State, have demanded 

for justice over the rape 

and death of 13-year-old 

Elizabeth Ogbaje. 

Chairman of the Idoma 

group, Adoya Amali, at 

a briefing in Lagos, said: 

“We condemn Mr. 

Andrew Ogbuja and his 

son, Victor Ogbuja's 

actions that led to the 

death of 13 years 

old Elizabeth Ochanya 

Ogbaje. 

“We call on all Idoma 

sons and daughters, 

including all wellmeaning 

individuals, to 

Osinbajo, monarchs 

for Ikenne's Ebenezer 

THE Vice President, 

Professor Yemi 

Osinbajo, is expected to 

preach at the 

thanksgiving service to 

round off the annual 

Ikenne 40 days prayer 

and fasting programme, 

tagged Ebenezer, in 

celebration of 120 years 

of introduction of 

Christianity to Ikenne- 

Remo in Ogun State, 

this Sunday at Obafemi 

Awolowo Memorial 

Anglican Church, 

Ikenne. 

Organised by the 

International Restoration 

Crusade and the 

Ransomed Christian 

Centre, the Convener, 

Pastor Tosin Onayiga, 

Gin maker suprises 

patrons at Felabration 

CHELSEA London 

Dry Gin, the official 

sponsor of Felabration 

2018, the annual musical 

festival in honour of late 

Afrobeat legend, Fela 

Anikulapo-Kuti, gave 

fans, best dancers and 

patrons at the event 

surprise rewards for their 

loyalty. 

Many went home with 

TV sets, deep freezers, 

table top fridges, power 

generating sets, gas 

cookers and washing 

machines. 

The week-long event at 

the popular New Africa 

Shrine, Ikeja, attracted 

A-list stars such as 

Davido, 2Baba, 

Adekunle Gold, Falz, 

assist the Police with 

information that will lead 

to the arrest of Victor 

Ogbuja to face judgment.” 

Similarly, Vice chairman 

of Kogi Non- 

Governmental 

Organisations Network, 

KONGONET, Ms Eunice 

Agbogun, who spoke on 

behalf of protesters at the 

Nigeria Union of 

Journalists, NUJ, 

secretariat in Lokoja, said 

the rape of a minor calls 

for global condemnation. 

Also speaking, Mrs 

Christiana Adejumo, Kogi 

FIDA Chairman, said 

Ochanya’s crime lasted for 

five years because it was a 

crime of opportunism in 

the sense that the 

perpetrators felt that 

since they were living in 

the same house, they 

won’t be discovered. 

She urged mothers to be 

extra vigilant and watchful, 

noting that “the rapists are 

within and living with us.” 

explained that the entire 

crusade “is a time for God 

the Deliverer, to capture 

the captors, expose to the 

captured what led to the 

captivity and make a way 

of escape for the captive. 

“This is what God has in 

plan for the Ikenne City, 

the indigenes and 

residents,” he noted about 

the crusade held on the 

theme Amazing Grace. 

Supported by Christian 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN, Ikenne Area, and 

Pentecostal Fellowship of 

Nigeria, PFN, Ikenne, the 

event will have top 

government functionaries 

in Ogun State, politicians, 

traditional rulers and 

clerics in attendance. 

Small Doctor, Tekno, 

Pasuma, Reminisce, Y- 

Cee, among others. 

According to Afolabi 

Kasomo, Brand Manager 

Chelsea London Dry Gin, 

“we are leveraging on the 

event as one of the 

avenues to connect with 

our patrons and lovers of 

good music and also 

reward them for their 

loyalty over the years. 

“The brand has always 

associated and partnered 

with the Felabration over 

time and will continue to 

do so,” he added about 

this year’s event, which 

marked Fela Anikulapo- 

Kuti’s 80th birthday on the 

theme Baba at 80 

Overtaking Overtake.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018—15 

PROWA frees 4 inmates 

from Abakaliki Prison 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI—FOUR 

inmates serving 

various jail terms in 

Abakaliki Prison in Ebonyi 

State, yesterday, regained 

their freedom following the 

payment of the fines 

slammed on them by the 

courts which handled their 

respective cases. 

Prisons Officers Wife 

Association, PROWA, also 

empowered additional four 

inmates who have finished 

serving their jail terms by 

providing them with 

different equipment to start 

up their own businesses as 

soon as they leave the 

rehabilitation facility. 

National President of 

PROWA and wife of the 

Controller General of the 

Nigerian Prisons Service, 

Hajia Gwamma Ja’afaru, 

made the payments and 

the donations on behalf of 

the association shortly after 

Asaba women 

to hold annual 

thanksgiving, 

award 

By Providence 

Emmanuel 

ASABA 

Women’s 

Association, Lagos, 

has announced plans to 

hold its annual 

thanksgiving and awards 

ceremony on Sunday at 

Asaba Civic Centre Festac. 

In a statement, President of 

the association, Mrs. Isioma 

Onianwa, said that the 

receipients for the 2018 

awards are being honoured 

for their contributions to the 

d evelopment and progress of 

women and youths in the 

country. 

Onianwa explained that the 

awardees, Chief Christy 

Chizea, Dr Gertrude 

Ogunkeye, Mrs Justina 

Onwudinjo and Lady Vicky 

Agili, as well as other 

dignitaries, are expected to 

grace the occasion. 

commissioning PROWA 

acquisition centre built by 

the association in Abakaliki, 

the state capital. 

This was even as the wife 

of the state governor, Mrs 

Rachael Umahi, also 

donated several food items 

to the serving inmates of 

the prison. Some of the 

items she donated 

included: bags of rice, 

beans, beverages, tubers of 

yam and others. 

In her speech, the 

Controller of Prisons in the 

state, Emelia Oputa, said 

the state command under 

her administration had 

recorded appreciable 

success since she came on 

board. 

She disclosed that during 

the last year’s National 

Examination Council, 

NECO, exams, no fewer 

than 40 inmates in the 

facility under her command 

sat for the nationwide test. 

Onitsha: Police allege murder 

in death of 22-year old man 

By Nwabueze 

Okonkwo 

O NITSHA— 

CONTRARY to 

speculations that a 22 year 

old man, Peter Udekwe 

committed suicide inside 

his rented one-room 

apartment at No. 27B 

Enweonwu Street, Inland 

Town,Onitsha, Anambra 

State, the state police 

command is suspecting 

that he was rather 

murdered by unknown 

assassins. 

Residents of the street 

had been jolted by the 

discovery of Udekwe’s 

lifeless body Tuesday 

morning hanging inside 

his room as if he had committed 

suicide the previous 

night. 

The State Police Public 

Relations Officer, PPRO, 

Haruna Mohammed told 

newsmen yesterday that 

the police are hunting for 

murder suspects because 

according to him, 

Udekwe’s lifeless body had 

some injuries arising from 

sharp cuts, an indication 

that the assassins might 

have murdered him and 

them hung his body on a 

rope to disabuse the mind 

of the public. 

Mohammed disclosed 

that the police are even 

closing in on one of the 

suspects, adding that in no 

distant time, the mystery 

surrounding Udekwe’s 

death would be unraveled 

by the police. 

Imo people commend Ekwerike for technological 

empowerment 

By Chioma 

Gabriel 

STAKEHOLDERS in 

Imo State have 

continued to commend the 

Abundant Nigerian 

Renewal Party, ANRP, 

governorship candidate in 

Imo State, Prof Alphonsus 

Ekwerike for his 

o u t s t a n d i n g 

empowerment, 

technological trainings, 

award of scholarship, 

effective media relations 

and re- orientation of Imo 

youths. 

Speaking to newsmen in 

Owerri, the Imo State 

capital, Dr. Emma 

Amaefule said, “ Youths are 

the hope of every nation. 

To achieve Imo industrial 

revolution, youths in the 

state need to be innovative 

and empowered 

technologically. The lack of 

Enugu community demands N50m 

compensation from govt over land 

By Chinenyeh 

Ozor 

N SUKKA—THE 

ongoing clearing of 

large hectares of land at 

Ogbagu Agbani 

community in Nsukka 

Local Government Area, 

Enugu State for an alleged 

housing estate in the area 

is raising dust as indigenes 

of the community in a 

peaceful protest told the 

state government to pay 

compensation for food 

crops and economic trees 

I neither demolished mosques nor sent Hausa 

out of Anambra —Obi 

By Chioma 

Gabriel 

FORMER Governor of 

Anambra State and 

Vice-Presidential 

candidate of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, Mr. Peter 

Obi has described as sheer 

fabrication, wicked and 

inhuman, the allegation 

being circulated by the 

innovations in our societies 

or state today among our 

youths is the root cause of 

the high rate of 

unemployment, 

prostitution, armed robbery, 

kidnapping and other 

social vices but now, Imo 

people are happy, 

commending Prof 

Alphonsus Ekwerike for his 

valuable contributions and 

commitment to the 

advancement of Imo 

peoples goals, 

philanthropy, humanitarian 

services and quality 

empowerment. “ 

Also contributing, Chief 

Uzoma Okeke expressed 

joy for the positive impacts 

made by Ekwerike in Imo 

State as well as the 

repositioning of Imo youths 

with technological and 

innovative empowerment. 

“ To ensure that Imo people 

are innovators is a sure road 

map to Imo 

worth over N50 million 

which were allegedly 

destroyed at the site of the 

proposed housing estate. 

The indigenes, wailing 

while bearing placards 

protesting the destruction of 

their cash crops, yam 

farms, yellow peppers, 

fruited pumpkins, cocoyam 

farms, vegetables and 

economic trees in the 

course of clearing the large 

hectares of land at Ogbagu 

Agbani community, said 

that the state government 

did not give them notice to 

opposition that he 

demolished mosques when 

he was governor of 

Anambra State; snubbed 

the Sultan, Alhaji 

Muhammadu Sa’ad 

Abubakar III; drove the 

Hausa away from Anambra 

State and shunned the 

then Minister of Finance, 

Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman’s 

industrialisation. I urge 

Imo people to take 

advantage of the 

incubating innovation 

programme of Prof 

Ekwerike and be focused in 

order to develop their 

capacity effectively “. 

He added that the award 

of scholarships in Ikeduru 

LGA and over seven youths 

in Ihitte/Uboma Local 

government Area are 

highly commendable.He 

assured Ekwerike of Imo 

people's maximum support 

in his gubernatorial bid 

come 2019. 

It was gathered that the 

innovative technological 

empowerment training 

programme involved Imo 

youths from 18 to 45 years, 

drawn from the 27 Local 

Government Area of the 

state including the National 

Youth Service Corps 

members serving in Imo 

state. 

remove the crops before 

embarking on clearing the 

site for the housing estate 

in the area. 

Some of the placards 

read: ‘’Our youths need 

jobs in the new estate’; 

‘Ogbagu Agbani land is 

owned by Agbani’; ‘Let 

government's 

compensation come to 

Ogbagu Agbani, not 

Nguru.' 

Speaking during the 

peaceful protest, the 

chairman, Ogbagu Agbani 

Land Committee, Chief 

DIALOGUE: From left—Mr Laoye Jaiyeoba, MD, Nigerian Economic 

Summit Group; Mr Tarik Bouquoquo; Dr Oby Ezekwewili; Karim El 

Ayanoui, Managing Director, OCP Policy Centre; and Mohammed 

Hariri, Managing Director, OCP Africa Fertilizer Ltd, Nigeria, at the 

recent Morocco-Nigeria Relations Strategic Dialogue, in Abuja. 

attempt at mediation and 

did not visit schools in the 

North. 

Responding to 

journalists’ questions at 

Southern Sun, Lagos 

yesterday, Obi regretted 

that rather than some 

political elites focusing on 

resolving the plight of 

several millions of 

Nigerians without 

livelihood, over 10 million 

of out-of-school children 

and many more of 

unemployed youths, they 

are busy engaged in 

emitting hate speeches and 

spreading concocted 

falsehoods in their 

desperation to be elected 

into public offices so that 

they will continue with 

impoverishing the nation 

and the generality of the 

people. 

Obi said: "As a matter of 

fact, the mosque at Onitsha 

was destroyed before I 

became governor. 

Describing the allegation 

that he snubbed the Sultan 

Onogwu Obayi 

Ikechukwu from Agbani 

quarters of the community, 

said that the community 

is not against the state 

government developing 

the area but that the community 

has to be consulted 

and agreement reached 

for whatever project the 

state govermment had in 

mind which definitely 

would create employment 

for youths of the community. 

“We are protesting to let 

the state govermment know 

that we deserve the right 

to be consulted and given 

notice before encroaching 

on the said land which 

belongs to Ogbagu Agbani 

community. 

“We are a peace-loving 

community that appreciates 

the good goverance of 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on roads 

network, infrastructural 

development, human and 

capital development 

among others. We are 

happy the state 

government extended the 

arms of fellowship to 

Ogbagu Agbani 

community for the housing 

estate but they ought to 

have given us prior notice 

to that effect by hoisting a 

signboard directing us to 

remove our crops one 

month before entering the 

land." 

of Sokoto who was in the 

State as ridiculous, Obi 

asserted that irresponsibility 

and disrespect for elders 

and leaders were not in his 

character. 

According to him, “The 

irony of this concoction is 

that I have been a friend of 

His Eminence, the Sultan 

right from my first year at 

the University of Nigeria, 

Nsukka, in 1980 through 

his tenure as Nigeria’s 

Defence Attaché in Pakistan 

till the present. "The fact is 

that the visit of his 

Eminence, during which I 

was alleged to have 

snubbed him was purely a 

courtesy call after which I 

personally accompanied 

him to see the Obi of 

Onitsha, Obi Alfred Achebe 

with whom he had a 

meeting. I also requested 

His Eminence to visit the 

Hausa community in the 

state during which I offered 

to rebuild and 

subsequently gave them 

the funds for that purpose."


Petrobras to sell stake in Nige- 

rian firm for $1.5bn 

Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA will sell its 50 percent 

stake in a Nigerian oil and gas exploration venture to 

a consortium led by top oil trader Vitol for $1.53 billion, 

the latest step in the state-controlled oil company's debt 

reduction drive, according to a securities filing on 

Wednesday. 

The other 50 percent stake in Petrobras Oil and Gas BV, 

also known as Petrobras Africa, is owned by Brazilian 

investment bank BTG Pactual, which in a Wednesday 

filing confirmed a Reuters report that it would likely hang 

on to its portion after previously mulling a sale. 

Petrobras, one of the world's most indebted oil majors, 

had targeted $21 billion in asset sales for 2017 and 2018, 

but only succeeded in unloading $9.5 billion worth by 

the end of the first half. 

The deal involves a stake in some of two deepwater exploration 

blocks that are among Nigeria's largest and lowest-cost 

fields. Swiss-based Vitol is expected to shoulder 

the largest part of the investment, spending an estimated 

$1 billion, according to a Reuters report in June about 

the oil trader's interest. 

Eni failed due diligence in 

Nigeria deal 

Eni made no thorough background checks on a mid 

dleman it hired to broker a $1.3 billion Nigerian 

acquisition, a former board member of the Italian oil 

group told a Milan court. 

Milan prosecutors allege bribes totalling around $1.1 

billion were paid, including to middleman Emeka Obi, 

in the 2011 purchase by Eni and Anglo-Dutch peer 

Royal Dutch Shell of Nigeria's OPL 245 offshore oilfield. 

The prosecutors allege the bribes were paid to win the 

licence to explore the field which, because of disputes, 

has never entered into production. Shell expects the 

landmark corruption trial to last many months. 

All those charged have denied any wrongdoing, while 

Eni declined to comment on Wednesday. 

Luigi Zingales, an Eni board member from May 2014 to 

July 2015, told judges he had flagged to the company a 

lack of due diligence into a broker firm used in the deal, 

and headed by Obi, calling it "a significant hole in governance". 

Zingales, who at the time was also a member of Eni's 

risk committee, said using a middleman was not its 

normal practice. 

Biggest investors' exit from 

emerging stocks in Oct 

Investors pulled the most money out of emerging market 

stocks last month since the 'taper tantrum' panic of 

2013 when the U.S. Federal Reserve first hinted at 

reducing its post crisis stimulus programme, financial 

flows data has showed. 

Figures from the Institute of International Finance (IIF), 

which tracks what money managers buy and sell, 

estimated a gross $17.1 billion was pulled out of EM 

stocks in October, also making it the fourth worst month 

since its records started in 2005. 

Against a backdrop of China trade and growth jitters, 

foreign investors pulled $12.3 billion from Asian 

emerging equity markets, distributed broadly 

throughout the region. 

China, which had been a source of strength for EM flows 

this year, saw its highest monthly equity outflows since 

a mini-devaluation in 2015. 

Samsung agrees payouts after 

worker's death 

The death of a 23-year-old former Samsung worker 

has led to the company agreeing a major compensation 

deal. 

Hwang Yumi died en route to hospital in 2007 after developing 

leukaemia. 

Her father led a campaign to shame the company into 

making payouts for other cases of the disease, miscarriages 

and other ailments linked to chemicals used at its 

South Korean factories. 

Those affected - and workers' children with related ailments 

- will receive up to 150m won (£102,907) per 

illness. 

Hwang Sang-ki - a taxi driver - set up the Supporters for 

the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor 

Industry (Sharps) with the help of local labour activists 

in November 2007. 

As of June 2018, Sharps said, it had identified 319 other 

victims, 117 of whom had died. 

The settlement takes into account that it is not always 

clear how each person came to become ill, according to 

a report from the Yonhap news agency. 

The deal extends to both workers directly employed by 

Samsung as well as those who were hired via sub-contractors. 

TESTMASTER 

launches 

National 

Maths 

competition 

for schools 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

L TESTMASTER 

AGOS—THE 

Educational Ltd has 

formally launched its 

National Senior Secondary 

School Mathematics 

Competition, just as it also 

unveiled its technological 

solution to examination 

challenges called 

‘Testmaster App’. 

Speaking at a press 

conference held at the 

Ikeja, Lagos office of the 

company on Tuesday, to 

sensitize the Nigerian 

public about its 2019 

National Mathematics TV 

Quiz Competition, Chief 

Operations Officer and cofounder 

of the company, 

Mr. Ofir Zukovsky, said 

“Testmater Education, an 

International company 

with a local Nigerian 

branch is comprised of 

foreign as well as 

indigenous educational 

experts with proven track 

record in developing and 

marketing successful 

techno-pedagogical 

solutions to millions of 

children/students 

worldwide. 

He described ‘Testmaster 

technology’ as an 

Application that has come 

with error-free solution to 

mass failure in WAEC, 

NECO and JAMB 

examinations among 

children and students in 

Nigeria. 

He added that, 

“TESTMASTER is a 

solution that allows every 

student in Nigeria access 

to top quality education, at 

a cost anyone can afford! 

by providing easy access 

to the best digital private 

tutor on major subjects, all 

compliant with SSCE/ 

JAMB curriculums, any 

time and on any digital 

device.” 

Throwing more light on 

the mathematics 

competition, the Country 

Representative of the company, 

Mr. Paul Olatunde, stated that 

2019 national secondary school 

mathematics TV quiz show, 

tagged “Master of Math” is an 

annual national mathematics 

program that provides SS2 

students in public and private 

schools the opportunity to 

compete in live TV show against 

and alongside their peers. 

“Master of Math is not just 

another mathematics 

competition but one that inspires 

Nigerian students to greater 

achievements through 

experiencing the magic 

introduced by Testmaster. 

Furthermore, math teachers are 

being empowered with new 

digital ‘personal assistants’ which 

will improve their teaching skills”, 

he said.


I 

’VE spent the past few 

weeks in Nigeria, doing a 

lot of informal opinion-polling, 

as in randomly sounding all 

sorts of people out about their 

political views, their fears and 

their hopes for the future. 

Many of us spend most of 

our time in bubbles that are full 

of like-minded folks who have 

identical or very similar socioeconomic 

profiles, lifestyles, 

expectations, educational 

backgrounds and so on. 

Often, we don’t even realise 

how limited our perspectives 

are. For example, a friend of 

mine told me, a couple of 

months ago, that she was very 

depressed because: “I’m so 

short of money right now that 

I cannot travel abroad on 

holiday this summer like 

everyone else.” 

I reminded her that 

“everyone else” is a farcical 

exaggeration and that the 

average Nigerian doesn’t 

even classify certain months of 

the year as “summer” (summer 

being a totally foreign season 

and concept), never mind 

assume that he or she is 

entitled t1o take time off work 

in some far-flung location 

every June, July or August. 

Far-flung 

location 

But despite my 

sanctimonious rebuke and 

awareness that it is not 

“normal” to traipse around the 

world in the summer (or at any 

other time of the year), I do 

understand where my friend 

was coming from because I feel 

equally aggrieved when I 

miss out on luxuries that 

privileged people regard as 

necessities and take for 

granted! 

Long story short, if you want 

to get a proper feel for what 

is going on in the country as 

a whole, you have to get out 

of your bubble. And I’ve 

recently gone out of my way 

Just tired! 

to approach complete 

strangers who don’t appear to 

have much or anything in 

common with me. 

Why? 

Because like many 

journalists, I’m interested in 

politics and have access to 

politicians who are interested 

in the media, which means 

that the majority of individuals 

with whom I regularly 

communicate are directly 

It is difficult to 

imagine Buhari 

overcoming this 

humungous 

image problem 

before the 

polling stations 

open in 

February 

linked to the two main 

political parties. 

Sure, I have friends, 

acquaintances and 

professional contacts who are 

not themselves members or 

direct beneficiaries of the APC 

or PDP; but most are still in 

the game – and have seats on 

the political gravy train - 

because they have close ties 

to people who are (often 

senior) members and (often 

high-level) beneficiaries of 

APC/PDP. 

Anyway, realising that I was 

only hearing a very limited 

range of reactions to the status 

quo and the key players who 

are dominating the narrative, 

I decided to get out of my 

bubble and find out what 

ordinary Nigerians who are 

less personally involved in 

politics think about President 

Buhari and his rival, Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar. 

So for the past few weeks, I 

have talked to several taxi 

drivers, tailors, students, 

academics, medics, clerics and 

so many other voters who 

don’t know anyone in the 

corridors of power and are 

therefore not making 

Rochas' successor 

IMO State Governor, 

Rochas Okorocha, is 

determined to make his son in 

law, Uche Nwosu, his 

successor. 

My mother is from Imo State 

and I have told my cousins that 

if Imolites allow the Okorocha 

clan to get away with such 

crude, dictatorial nepotism, I 

will totally lose respect for 

them! 

Nwosu responded to his 

"inflicted victory" in the APC 

primaries by saying that he 

was extending the hand of 

fellowship to the aspirants he 

“defeated”. 

I hope that the other 

aspirants bite his so-called 

hand of fellowship and gang 

up on him and ensure that his 

judgements based on 

sentiment or vested interests. 

And you know what? 

Mr President is definitely 

hated in certain quarters. And 

I’d say that the main grudges 

his detractors have against 

him revolve around the 

herdsmen issue and a belief 

that he has inflicted poverty. 

But most of the people I 

spoke to told me that they 

don’t hate him or wish him ill 

and are just tired of him. 

“I just want him to go home 

to Katsina and rest and let 

another person take over and 

give us hope,” said a hotel 

employee I chatted to. 

And I totally empathise with 

this viewpoint. I too am just 

tired, rather than hostile. 

I don’t hate the old man. 

Indeed, I sometimes feel a 

•Uche Nwosu, Rochas inlaw 

opponent wins the 2019 

election! 

pang of nostalgic goodwill 

when I see him on TV because 

I did, after all, campaign and 

vote for him in 2014 and 2015. 

And one does not shed such 

emotional attachments easily. 

And my disappointment in his 

performance has not turned to 

hatred. 

I’m just tired of his 

administration’s failures and 

just tired of futilely wishing 

that he can become the type 

of firm, dynamic, nationgalvanizing, 

miscreantdisciplining 

leader I wanted 

him to be. 

By the way, the reason a 

surprising number of people 

do not hate Buhari is because 

they do not blame him for 

Nigeria’s ills; and they are not 

blaming him for Nigeria’s ills 

because they do not believe 

that he is actually running the 

country at the moment. 

He is widely perceived as a 

mere figurehead, a fragile 

pensioner who is going 

through the motions 

ceremonially, while being 

manipulated by shadowy, 

selfish, inept, unelected 

relatives and cronies. 

Even if this theory is 

inaccurate, it is immensely 

unflattering. And it is difficult 

to imagine Buhari overcoming 

this humungous image 

problem before the polling 

stations open in February. 

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To 

Donzol2002@Yahoo.co.uk Or 

To 0802 747 6458 Or 0811 675 

9752. Please kindly note that 

unless you specifically request 

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details attached.


NIGERIA’S longest-serving 

military ruler, General Yakubu 

Gowon, has aptly added his voice 

to the need for aspirants to 

political offices in 2019 

(especially the presidential 

candidates of the two main 

parties – the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP) – to 

accept the result irrespective of 

the outcome. 

Speaking at the University of 

Ibadan recently during the 

exhibition in honour of Emeritus 

Professor of Medicine, Oladipo 

Akinkugbe (an event which also 

marked Gowon’s 85th birthday) 

the former Head of State 

reminded Nigerians that former 

President Goodluck Jonathan’s 

acceptance of defeat in 2015 went 

a long way in preserving the 

peace and unity of the country. 

Recalling the knife-edge 

atmosphere at that momentous 

point in our history amidst dire 

Gowon’s 2019 poll clarion call 

predictions of the possible 

disintegration of Nigeria after 

that election, Gowon observed: 

“What happened last time (in 

2015), if you remember, there was 

so much tension and the tension 

was so high that if things had 

gone wrong, Nigeria would have 

been on fire. Then, as a result, 

former President Jonathan 

agreed at the early stage to say 

he accepted the results and 

congratulated Buhari. Now, this 

is the way”. 

This call by a living legend who 

restored the nation’s unity after a 

30-month civil war 48 years ago 

is timely and relevant. It is a 

message that should keep 

resonating in the minds of all 

patriots as we edge closer to the 

start of the campaigns towards 

the 2019 general elections. 

Nigerians need to be reminded 

that campaigns and elections are 

merely means to the ultimate 

objectives of installing good 

governance, keeping Nigeria 

united and taking the country to 

a greater height. Failed elections 

have plunged nations (including 

Nigeria) into spiralling crises and 

conflicts, which we must avoid at 

all costs. 

However, there are always two 

sides to every coin. Accepting the 

result of elections is usually the 

rational consequence of an 

electoral exercise perceived to 

have been conducted in a free and 

fair manner. The 2015 general 

elections had their fair share of 

manmade flaws, but those could 

not detract from the general 

perception that they were free, 

fair, acceptable and credible. This 

is what anaesthetises the pain of 

loss. When bare-faced cheating 

characterises an electoral process 

it is hard for those who feel 

cheated to accept the outcome. 

The ball is in the court of the 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission (INEC), the ruling, 

opposition and other political 

parties and their supporters, the 

security agencies, the electorate 

and election observers to ensure 

that the 2019 elections are free, 

fair, credible and acceptable. That 

way, those who lose will have no 

other choice than to concede. 

In 2019, we must show the world 

that 2015 was not a fluke. 

By Adewale Kupoluyi 

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the 

Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the 

United Labour Congress, ULC, have 

threatened to resume strike action on 

November 6, if the Federal Government fails 

to heed the demands of Nigerian workers for 

increase in minimum wage. According to the 

trio of NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; the TUC 

President, Bobboi Kaigama; and ULC 

President, Joe Ajaero, the unions decried the 

Federal Government’s decision to implement 

a ‘no work, no pay’ policy. The organised 

labour had insisted that the Federal 

Government should rather implement a ‘no 

pay, no work’ policy just as it would criminalise 

the non-payment of salaries by employers. 

No doubt, the essence of national minimum 

wage is to protect the right of the worker to 

earn a decent standard of living and also a 

means of promoting fair distribution of 

income and wealth. The minimum wage is 

usually adjusted through a continuous process 

of comparing the purchasing power of 

minimum wages in relation to different 

baskets and across the regions within the fiscal 

regime. 

It would be recalled that in September, NLC 

declared a nationwide strike over the stalled 

process of providing a new national minimum 

wage, but the strike was hurriedly suspended 

after a few days because an agreement was 

reached to resume negotiations by reconvening 

the tripartite committee set up to find a lasting 

solution to the problem. The 30-member 

tripartite National Minimum Wage 

Committee was set up by the Federal 

Government, to negotiate a new wage for 

workers by reviewing the current one and 

recommending another that takes care of the 

current conditions of living in the country. 

Unfortunately, the Federal Government 

could not get the nod of state governors to 

present a proposal for an acceptable minimum 

OPINION 

Averting the impending Labour strike 

wage to the committee, leading to the lockjam. 

Workers had initially demanded for 

N56,000 as the new minimum wage, now 

reduced to N30,000 while the Federal 

Government and state governments are 

offering N24,000 and N20,000, respectively. 

State governors are insisting that they should 

be allowed to set their own minimum wage, as 

many of the states were hardly able to pay the 

subsisting one. Labour unions are saddened 

that state governors could work against the 

The devaluation of the Naira, 

increase in the price of 

petroleum products and inflation 

have rendered the income of an 

average worker useless 

N30,000 minimum wage while still expecting 

workers to vote for them under the current 

political dispensation. 

The process of implementing a new national 

minimum wage had always become 

problematic in the country over the years. In 

other climes, national minimum wages are 

fixed alongside those set by subnational 

governments. The assumption is that because 

of the peculiarities of federating states, there is 

likely to be minimum wage differentials across 

regions. This is in tandem with the line of 

arguments of the governors that seem to be 

critical of the payment of the new wage. Should 

workers bear the brunt of this failure to 

reconcile positions? 

In Nigeria, the series of criticisms and 

objections had made wage adjustments and 

minimum wages discourse to be politicised. 

The truth is that many workers are of the 

opinion that labour agitations in Nigeria have 

been heavily politicised to the extent that union 

leadership appeared to have lost direction and 

are only interested in getting undue attention, 

cutting corners and short-changing the system 

for their personal gains. It is for these reasons 

that labour leaders at times get serious knocks 

from their members for allegedly being 

unfaithful. Cabinet ministers and government 

officials overseeing labour matters in the 

country have equally been accused of taking 

sides and compounding the problem. 

The issue of new wage negotiations would 

have been over by now, if government had been 

consistent while our labour leaders are tactical 

and focused like some of their predecessors of 

old that sacrificed their personnel comfort and 

interests in their campaign for better package 

for workers. To put an end to the persistent 

unrest, the Federal Government should stop 

foot-dragging and playing antics that would 

further delay the implementation of a new wage 

regime for the many starved Nigerian workers. 

Come to think of it; can N18,000 adequately 

feed, clothe and cater for an adult working in 

our country today? The answer is simply ‘no’. 

The devaluation of the Naira, increase in the 

price of petroleum products and inflation have 

rendered the income of an average worker 

useless. Many workers in the country are 

perpetual debtors because of their weak 

purchasing power. They often rely on loans to 

get basic needs for themselves that should 

ordinarily be provided for by the state. That is 

why many of them are not financially stable. 

Many of them are just working; they have 

nothing to show for it because of the bad shape 

of the economy. To make government perform 

its constitutional duties to the citizens, a 

number of fiscal rejuvenation initiatives have 

to be embraced almost immediately. 

To begin with, the pattern of public 

expenditure that is not prudent and wasteful 

should be jettisoned. They include misplaced 

priorities and white-elephant projects that have 

no direct impact and bearing on the people. 

Many states across the federation are guilty of 

this, as they continue to embark on borrowing 

spree. Not only that, many workers are being 

retrenched in the face of the harsh economy 

and pervading acute unemployment in the 

land. There is need for more pragmatism in 

our disposition to public finance. Nigeria is a 

blessed country such that with adequate 

planning and fiscal discipline, it should be able 

to comfortable stand tall among leading 

industrial giants. 

Federal, state and local governments should 

look inward and realistically manage their 

bureaucracies for better service delivery 

without increasing costs. They should 

undertake radical reforms hinged on public 

expenditure template such that elected officials 

and political appointees would no longer live 

big at public expense bearing in mind that we 

all go to the same market. Public funds should 

be allocated and spent on social services and 

critical infrastructure while leaving business 

ventures to the private capital in the form of 

public-private partnership. Senior citizens and 

pensioners should be accorded great priority 

by paying their entitlements on a regular basis. 

More focus should be placed on reducing 

public debt, overhauling the taxation system 

to make taxes the main source of public 

revenues and getting more informal sector 

operators to pay correct taxes by dragging 

them into the tax net. More importantly, the 

labour minister should be unbiased, perform 

his duties objectively and stop fuelling the 

impasse. 

Standard practice in federal systems 

supports minimum wage legislation by the 

different tiers, though none should be lower 

than the federal rate. Nigeria could adopt what 

is obtained in other developed countries by 

separating minimum wage from general 

salary review and allow federating states to 

set their own pay based on capacities and 

capabilities. 

•Mr. Kupoluyi, wrote from Federal 

University of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

3 banks fail CBN’s liquidity ratio requirement 

By Babajide Komolafe & 

Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THREE banks failed to meet 

the 30 percent liquidity ratio 

requirement of the Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, even as 

investigations revealed prevalence 

of major foreign exchange 

malpractices in the banking industry. 

The CBN disclosed this in its 

2018 half year, H1’18, economic 

review released yesterday which 

indicated slight improvements in 

the banks’ financial health 

buoyed by sustained recovery 

in macroeconomic conditions, as 

reflected by the 1.9 percent and 

1.5 percent Gross Domestic Product, 

GDP, growth rates recorded 

in the first quarter (Q1’18) and 

second quarter (Q2’18) of the 

year respectively. 

The CBN noted that while in 

the overall, the banking industry 

recorded improvement in capital 

adequacy ratio, liquidity ratio and 

asset quality (non-performing 

loans ratio), three banks, however, 

failed to meet the 30 percent minimum 

liquidity ratio requirement 

of the apex bank. It did not mention 

the names of the affected 

banks. 

The report stated: “The health 

of banks improved in the review 

period, following the sustained 

recovery in macroeconomic conditions, 

including declining inflation, 

stable exchange rate and 

gradual upswing in the real 

economy. 

“At end-June 2018, the industry 

average capital adequacy ratio 

(CAR) was 12.08 per cent, compared 

with 10.23 per cent and 

11.51 per cent at end-December 

2017 and end-June 2017, respectively. 

The development reflected 

the increase in banks’ total qualifying 

capital. 

“The industry threshold, however, 

remained at 15.0 per cent 

for banks with international 

authorisation and 10.0 per cent 

for banks with either national or 

regional authorisation. 

“Asset quality of the banking 

industry, measured by the ratio 

of non-performing loans to total 

loans (NPL ratio) fell to 12.45 per 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$116.10 3.40 

2,250.00 16.00 

$13.37 0.18 

$73.18 -1.86 

$63.72 -1.59 

305.6 306.1 306.6 

394.5907 395.2363 395.8819 

348.1395 348.7091 349.2787 

304.5038 305.002 305.5002 

2.7085 2.7129 2.7174 

0.5081 0.5181 0.5281 

421.6901 422.3801 423.07 

44.0292 44.1017 44.1742 

81.4694 81.6027 81.736 

423.5922 424.2852 424.9783 

46.6551 46.7314 46.8077 

20.9459 20.9801 21.0144 

CBN Exchange rate as at 01/11/2018 

*As investigation unveils major forex malpractices 

From left: Dominique Friedl, General Manager Africa, PAYJOY; Shina Atilola, Group Head, 

Strategy and New Business, Sterling Bank Plc; Gozy Ijogun, Managing Director, Technology 

Distributions Limited with Adekunle Adebiyi, Sales and Distribution Executive, MTN Nigeria, 

during the formal unveil of Sterling-MTN Pay Small Small service in Lagos 

cent at end-June 2018, compared 

with 14.80 per cent and 15.02 per 

cent at end-December 2017 and 

end-June 2017, respectively. At 

this level, the ratio, remained 

above the regulatory threshold of 

5.0 per cent. 

“The decrease in the NPL ratio 

reflected the effect of the 

favourable macroeconomic conditions 

and stricter prudential regulation. 

To further consolidate on 

the improvement, the CBN directed 

banks to intensify efforts at 

debt recovery, realisation of collateral 

for lost facilities and 

strengthening their risk management 

processes. Loan loss provision 

was 75.74 per cent at end- 

June 2018, as against 80.4 per 

cent in the corresponding period 

of 2017. “The industry liquidity 

ratio increased to 46.09 per cent 

By Michael Eboh 

The Nigerian Na 

tional Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, yesterday, said it has 

signed a six-month crudefor-product 

swap agreement 

otherwise known as 

Direct Sale-Direct Purchase 

(DSDP) with BP Oil 

International Limited, the 

trading arm of British Petroleum 

(BP), for the supply 

of Premium Motor 

Spirit (PMS) also known 

as petrol. 

In a statement in Abuja, 

NNPC said this latest 

agreement would represent 

20 per cent of 

NNPC’s total PMS supply 

under the DSDP arrangement, 

which basically 

allows the Corporation 

to exchange 

crude oil with international 

oil traders for imported 

petroleum products 

over a period of 

time. 

It added that this was 

part of measures to sustain 

the robust supply of 

petroleum products across the 

country and especially going into 

the Yuletide period and beyond. 

Speaking shortly after a brief 

signing ceremony in Abuja, 

Group Managing Director of 

NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, said 

as the nation’s products supplier 

of last resort, NNPC was committed 

to products availability by 

inviting new and old players to 

play in the Nigerian oil sector. 

Baru stated: “As a reliable sup- 


at the end of the first half of 2018, 

from 45.8 per cent at end-June 

2017, reflecting the rise in the 

stock of liquid assets held by 

banks. With the exception of three 

(3) commercial banks, all others 

met the minimum regulatory liquidity 

ratios of: 30.0 per cent for 

commercial banks; 20.0 per cent 

for merchant banks; and 10.0 per 

cent for non-interest banks, at 

end-June 2018.” 

Forex Infractions 

The improvement notwithstanding, 

examination of banks’ 

foreign exchange activities during 

the period revealed prevalence 

of malpractices, reflecting 

pressure on management to generate 

more foreign exchange revenues. 

The report stated: “The bank 

conducted a review of foreign exchange 

operations of 26 banks (22 

commercial and 4 merchant) in 

April 2018 to ascertain the level of 

compliance with extant foreign 

exchange regulations. The review 

covered foreign exchange activities 

for the period, April 1, 2017 to 

March 31, 2018. 

“Major infractions observed included: 

non-repatriation of export 

proceeds within the stipulated 

time; dealing in high value foreign 

exchange transactions with multiple 

corporate customers yet to be 

on-boarded on the FMDQ Advised 

Trading and Surveillance 

System; and rendition of inaccurate 

returns. Others were non-compliance 

with approved net foreign 

currency trading position, foreign 

trade documentation lapses and 

general failure to comply with 

regulations”. 

NNPC, BP sign 6-month crude-for-product swap 

NSE suspends trading in shares of 6 listed firms 

By Nkiruka Nnorom 

The Nigerian Stock Ex 

change, NSE, yesterday 

suspended trading on the shares 

of six listed companies for failure 

to file their relevant financial 

accounts to the Exchange within 

the stipulated time. 

The companies are Unity Bank 

Plc, Fortis Microfinance Bank 

Plc, Golden Guinea Breweries 

Plc, Thomas Wyatt Nigeria Plc, 

Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc 

and Deap Capital Management 

& Trust Plc. 

A circular to the dealing members 

signed by Godstime 

plier, we think BP is a brand that 

we can always partner with. We 

trust the company and we have a 

good relationship with it. We also 

believe in the company’s commitment 

towards the development of 

local content.” 

Mr. John Goodridge, Head of 

Marketing and Origination, BP 

Oil International, said it was a 

great honour for his company to 

be trusted by NNPC as one of its 

strategic suppliers. 

Iwenekhai, Head, Listings Regulation 

Department, NSE, said that 

the suspension became necessary 

following the failure by the companies 

to comply with the second 

filing deficiency notification issued 

them at the expiration of the ‘cure 

period’. Iwenekhai explained that 

the suspension, which became effective 

yesterday, will only be lifted 

upon submission of the relevant 

accounts by the companies. 

The Exchange stated: “Dealing 

members are hereby notified that 

pursuant to Rule 3.1, Rules for filing 

of accounts and treatment of 

default filing, rulebook of the Exchange, 

which provides that; ‘If 

MTN issues 

undermine 

investors’ 

confidence 

— British envoy 

*As LCCI charges FG on 

investment policy 

By Naomi Uzor 

The Lagos Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry 

(LCCI), yesterday, called on the 

federal government to formulate 

policies that will attract more private 

investment into Nigerian 

economy, just as British Deputy 

High Commissioner to Nigeria 

said ongoing tussles between the 

government and MTN Nigeria 

has affected investors’ confidence 

in the country. 

President, LCCI, Mr. Babatunde 

Ruwase, who made the call 

at the 2018 LCCI International 

Investment Conference, with the 

theme “Promoting Investment, 

Connecting Businesses”, said in 

order to stimulate both domestic 

and foreign investment, the necessary 

conditions are to ensure 

that the policies are right and the 

institutions must be investment 

friendly. 

Ruwase stated: “As you all 

know, the Nigerian economy is 

in dire need of private investment. 

We need investment to create 

jobs, diversify the economy, 

grow government revenue and 

improve the welfare of the people. 

It is gratifying that governments 

at all levels have now realised 

the urgent imperative of 

economic diversification. I believe 

that the non-oil economy is more 

inclusive and integrated”. 

In her remark, British Deputy 

High Commissioner, Ms Laure 

Beaufils, said predictability in 

decision making, application of 

regulations and systematic application 

of the rule of law, is crucial 

to attracting foreign direct investment 

(FDI) into the country. 

Beaufils noted that the MTN 

issues undermined government’s 

efforts and affected investors’ 

confidence on whether Nigeria 

was a suitable place for investment. 

“I can tell you that the MTN 

issue was damaging for the economy; 

there is a lot that is going 

on right now to address the issue, 

we are aware of that, but investors 

most times do not go beyond 

the headlines. What we 

advise today is that such rash 

decisions should be avoided in 

the interest of further investments 

which are absolutely essential to 

the economic development of the 

country, job creation and the vision 

that we have of an incredibly 

vibrant and rich Nigeria,” she 

said. 

an issuer fails to file the relevant 

accounts by the expiration of the 

Cure Period, the Exchange will: 

send to the issuer a ‘Second Filing 

Deficiency Notification’ within 

two business days after the end 

of the Cure Period; suspend trading 

in the issuer’s securities; and 

notify the Securities and Exchange 

Commission (SEC) and 

the market within twenty- four 

(24) hours of the suspension. 

“Trading in the shares of the six 

listed companies have been suspended 

from trading via the facilities 

of The Exchange, effective 

today, 1 November 2018”.

20 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Ibe Kachikwu, Minister for State, Petroleum Maikanti Baru, NNPC GMD Osagie Okunbor, MD Shell Austin Avuru, MD Seplat 

Nigeria’s oil revenue falls 30% below budget 

target, as production, export decline 

•Oil price drops to $74.25 amidst global economic gloom 

•FG records N787bn deficit in 6mths 

By Babajide Komolafe & Ediri Ejoh 

NIGERIA’s oil revenue fell by 30 

percent below the budget 

estimate in the first half of the year 

(H1’18) triggered by decline in crude 

oil production and export during the 

period. 

As a result total federally collected 

revenue in H1’18 fell by 33 percent 

below the budget estimate, while the 

federal government recorded deficit of 

N787 billion during the period. 

The above sharply contrast 

development in the global crude oil 

market which saw 16 percent increase 

in price to $74.41 a barrel in H1’18 

from $64.37 abarrel at the end of 2017. 

Meanwhile crude oil price yesterday 

fell to $74.52 a barrel, the fourth 

consecutive week of declines, as rising 

crude supply came along concern over 

global growth and weak equity 

markets. The price had peaked at 

$86.7 per barrel in October before the 

decline set in. 

Oil revenue fall by 30 percent 

According to the half year review 

(H1’18) released by the Central Bank 

of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday, oil 

revenue in the first six months of the 

year stood at N2.68 trillion, 

representing 30.1 percent below 

budget estimate from the period. 

The CBN stated: “At N2,686.12 

billion or 4.5 per cent of GDP, gross 

oil revenue fell below the 

proportionate budget estimate by 30.1 

per cent, but rose above the level in 

the first half of 2017 by 66.5 per cent. 

“The drop in oil revenue, relative to 

the proportionate budget estimate, was 

attributed to the decline in the volume 

of production and exports during the 

period. Relative to the budgeted 

benchmark of 2.3 million barrels per 

day (mbd), crude oil production 

averaged 1.90 mbd. 

“ In addition, crude oil exports 

dropped below the proportionate 

budget benchmark of N611.38 billion 

by N403.84 billion or 66.1 per cent. 

The gross oil revenue comprised: PPT/ 

Royalties, N1,767.36 billion (65.8%); 

Domestic Crude Oil/Gas Sales, 

N706.31 billion (26.3%); Crude Oil 

and Gas Exports, N207.54 billion 

(7.7%); and “Others”, N4.91 billion 

(0.2%), 

“Provisional gross federallycollected 

revenue in the first half of 

2018 stood at N4,401.91 billion or 7.7 

per cent of GDP. The amount was lower 

than the proportionate budget 

estimate by 33.7 per cent, but was 

above the level in the corresponding 

period of 2017 by 47.1 per cent. The 

drop in federally-collected revenue, 

relative to the budget estimate, was 

attributed to the shortfall in both oil 

and non-oil revenue. Of the total 

revenue, oil constituted 61.0 per cent, 

while non-oil accounted for the 

balance of 39.0 per cent. 

“A total of N512.70 billion accrued 

to the VAT Pool Account in the first 

half of 2018, representing a decrease 

of 30.8 per cent below the 

proportionate budget estimate for the 

fiscal year. The amount was 

distributed among the three-tiers of 

government as follows: Federal 

Government, N76.90 billion; state 

governments, N256.35 billion; and 

local governments, N179.44 billion. 

“The total statutory revenue 

distributed to the three-tiers of 

government and the 13% Derivation 

Fund amounted to N3,822.84 billion 

in the first half of 2018. This was 

below the 2018 proportionate budget 

estimate of N5,804.56 billion by 34.1 

per cent, but above the N2,530.42 

billion distributed in the first half of 

2017 by 51.1 per cent. A breakdown 

revealed that the Federal Government 

received N1,652.14 billion, while the 

state and local governments, as well 

as, the 13% Derivation Fund got 

N1,055.33 billion, N795.42 billion and 

N319.95 billion, respectively. 

“A further analysis showed that the 

amount distributed, comprised: the 

Federation Account, N3,202.98 billion 

(83.8%); VAT Pool Account, N512.70 

billion (13.4%); and other statutory 

revenue (including Exchange Gain, 

Excess Crude/PPT, Federation 

Revenue Augmentation and Non-Oil 

Excess Revenue), N107.16 billion 

(2.8%). 

FG records N787bn deficit 

Provisional data showed that the 

fiscal operations of the Federal 

Government, in the first half of 2018, 

resulted in an overall deficit of 

N786.75 billion or 1.3 per cent of GDP, 

compared with the proportionate 

budget estimate and the 

corresponding period of 2017 at 

N977.23 billion and N921.13 billion, 

respectively. The deficit was financed, 

mainly, from domestic sources with 

Other Funds accounting for 83.8 per 

cent of the total. 

“At N1.79 trillion or 3.0 per cent of 

GDP, the provisional retained-revenue 

of the Federal Government was lower 

than the proportionate budget 

estimate by 52.9 per cent. It was, 

however, higher than the level in the 

first half of 2017 by 24.0 per cent. The 

development, relative to the 

proportionate budget estimate, was 

attributed to the drop in revenue from 

oil and non-oil sources. A breakdown 

of the retained-revenue revealed that 

the share from 

the Federation Account was N1.525 

trillion (84.8%); Federal Government 

Independent Revenue, N77.67 billion 

CRUDE oil price yesterday fell to 

$74.52 a barrel, the fourth 

consecutive week of declines, as rising 

crude supply came along concern over 

global growth and weak equity 

markets. The price had peaked at $86.7 

per barrel in October before the decline 

set in. 

Russia is pumping oil at a post-Soviet 

high, U.S. crude output has topped 11 

million barrels a day and a Reuters 

survey of Organization of the 

Petroleum Exporting Countries, 

OPEC, production shows that the 

group has more than made up for 

declines in Iranian shipments in 

October. 

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were 

down 52 cents at $74.52 a barrel while 

U.S. futures CLc1 were down 32 cents 

at $64.99 a barrel. 

Brent has declined from a 2018 high 

of $86.74 in early October, driven 

lower by growing concern over a 

possible slowdown in global growth as 

the U.S-China trade dispute heats up 

and hits emerging market economies 

in particular. 

(4.3%); VAT Pool Account, N76.90 

billion (4.3%); Exchange Gain, N28.66 

billion (1.5%); Excess Crude, N14.10 

billion (0.8%); Federation Revenue 

Augmentation, N5.16 billion (0.3%); 

Non-Oil Excess Revenue9, N1.37 

billion (0.1%)and ‘Others’, N69.57 

billion (3.9%). 

“Provisional data indicated that the 

aggregate expenditure of the Federal 

Government in the first half of 2018 

was N2.586 trillion or 4.3 per cent of 

GDP. This was below both the 

proportionate budget estimate and the 

level in the corresponding period of 

2017 by 46.1 and 21.3 per cent, 

respectively. The development, 

relative to the proportionate budget 

estimate, reflected, largely, the low 

pace of capital releases, owing to the 

delay in the passage of the 2018 

budget and the need for MDAs to 

finalise their procurement processes. 

Non-debt expenditure was below the 

proportionate budget estimate by 63.6 

per cent and constituted 52.0 per cent 

of total expenditure. Total interest 

payments amounted to N1.24 trillion, 

representing 68.9 and 48.0 per cent of 

FGN retained revenue and total 

expenditure, respectively.” 

Oil price drops to $74.25 amidst global 

economic gloom 

However, an analyst with Huatai 

Great Wall Capital Management, Bruce 

Xue, said, “Oil investors are now betting 

on the potential of a global slowdown.” 

Also, Senior Manager, Saxo Bank, 

Ole Hansen said: “Given these (output) 

numbers, with Russia pumping hard 

and the United States and OPEC as 

well, and we are not really seeing a 

pickup in demand for another month 

... it could indicate we’re back to the 

good old $70-80 range that persisted 

through April and August.” 

Recall that a Reuters survey on 

Wednesday showed the OPEC raised 

oil production last month to its highest 

since 2016, led with gains by the United 

Arab Emirates and Libya. 

Brent and U.S. crude posted their 

biggest monthly percentage decline 

since July 2016 in October, with Brent 

down 8.8 percent for the month and U.S. 

crude losing nearly 11 percent. 

Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions on Iran’s 

energy exports come into force on Nov. 

4 and it is still unclear how much the 

country’s roughly 3.8 million bpd 

production will be affected.


By Theodore Opara 

Massilia unveils Mitsubishi 

Eclipse Cross compact SUV 

MASSILIA Motors, sole 

distributor of Mitsubishi 

Motors and a subsidiary of CFAO 

Group in Nigeria has unveiled 

its all-new compact SUV to the 

delight of the motoring public at 

its head office in Ijora, Lagos. 

Known for its strength in Sports 

Utility Vehicles, the Japanese 

auto maker crafted the Eclipse 

Cross with a fusion of sharp 

coupe looks, dynamic SUV mobility 

and the signature Mitsubishi 

styling, technology and driving 

confidence. The rear design 

is distinguished by the almost 

cubist styling created around the 

high-mounted, stretched rear 

lamps and a horizontally divided 

rear window. Eclipse derives 

its name from the Mitsubishi 

Motors popular specialty coupe 

model sold in the 90’s, while 

Cross is short for crossover. 

The vehicle was unveiled in the 

recently renovated showroom of 

Massilia Motors in Ijora Lagos. 

Journalists were taken on a tour 

of the newly refurbished aftersales 

facility of Massilia Motors 

which features state of the art features 

like a well stocked spare 

parts store and a modern spray 

booth. The after-sales facility also 

parades modern engine room, 

warranty room, tools warehouse, 

multiple working bays, oil room, 

washing stand and an electrical 

and AC department among others. 

The Eclipse Cross stands out 

in the Sports Utility Vehicle segment. 

Human 

connectivity 

The human connectivity features 

of the Eclipse Cross such 

as Bluetooth, AM/FM/CD 

Touchscreen Audio system + 

MP3, Hands-free phone kit, etc. 

are well pronounced just as in 

the cockpit, the Smartphone Link 

Display Audio system encourages 

new encounters on the road. 

The Eclipse Cross comes with a 

variety of quality seat materials 

such as standard fabric, high 

grade fabric with silver stitches 

and leather with orange stitches. 

The Head Up Display (HUD) 

conveys vehicle information in 

full color above the meters for 

easy viewing. You can adjust 

image brightness and display 

height to suit your preference 

and time of day. The combiner 

extends or retracts when you turn 

the ignition. 

The comfortable rear seats with 

9-step reclining and 200mm sliding 

adjustment can be slid all the 

way back for class-leading leg 

room. Even then, there is plenty 

of storage space in back and the 

60:40 split seatbacks can be individually 

lowered for more. 

The rear view is clear through 

the double rear windows with 

minimal interference from the 

height-adjustable rear headrests, 

which are specially designed to 

stay low while providing comfortable 

head support. 

The Eclipse Cross is available 

in Nigeria in GLS 2.0 litre engines 

with CVT gearbox and four 

wheel Drive. This engine comes 

with some other performance 

enhancing features such as the 

Super-All Wheel Control, which 

takes away worries in difficult 

terrains such as muddy, gravel 

or sandy roads. 

Even if you unintentionally 

brake or accelerate too hard 

around a muddy turn, you can 

maintain control without extra 

steering effort because S-AWC 

adjusts braking and coupling in 

the rear differential to improve 

vehicle performance. The Forward 

Collision Mitigation System 

(FCM) helps in preventing 

a frontal collision or reduce damage 

if the collision becomes unavoidable. 

It also responds to 

vehicles and pedestrians via camera 

and laser radar. 

The Adaptive Cruise Control 

maintains a selected distance 

between your vehicle and the car 

ahead via radar for greater safe- 

•L-r: Olatunji Itiola, Head of Sales, Massilia Motors Ltd; Thomas Pelletier, Managing Director, 

Massilia Motors/Country Delegate, CFAO Group Nigeria; Funmi Abiola, Marketing Manager, 

Massilia Motors Ltd, and Navin Chander, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Massilia 

Motors Ltd, at the unveiling of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross into the Nigeria market, in Lagos. 

ty and peace of mind. It reduces 

driver stress especially during 

traffic jams on highways. You are 

also safer in your Eclipse Cross 

as it features the Lane Departure 

Warning. This feature beeps and 

displays a warning if the vehicle 

drifts from its lane while the turn 

signals are not operating. To increase 

safety, comfort and driving 

ease at night, the Automatic 

High Beam activates high beams 

switch to low beams when vehicles 

are detected ahead and automatically 

switch back to high 

beams so you don’t have to remove 

your hand from the steering 

wheel to switch the beams 

manually. 

Other safety features the vehicle 

include the Blind Spot Warning, 

Active Stability Control 

(ASC) and Hill Start Assist. 

If wheels lose their grip on slippery 

surfaces or while turning, 

ASC automatically adjusts en- 

Abuja Int'l Motor Fair: Camry shines at ‘Night with 

Toyota MD' 

THE all-new Toyota 

Camry was the 

cynosure of all eyes at the just 

concluded Abuja International 

Motor fair where it took the centre 

stage at the Toyota Nigeria 

Limited stand. 

Although Toyota displayed its 

full range at the fair which 

included the Yaris, Corolla, 

Avensis (all sedans) as well as 

the Sports Utility Vehicles such 

as the RAV4, Land Cruiser 

Prado, Land Cruiser Estate and 

Fortuner, the new Camry stood 

out at the stand, being the newest 

model from the Toyota stable. 

Also on display were Toyota 

•Toyota Camry 

range of commercial vehicles 

which included the Hilux 

Pickup, Hiace and Coaster 

buses. These vehicles attracted 

good number of visitors to the 

Toyota stand which incidentally 

was the only fully covered stand 

at the exhibition ground. 

As a company that knows how 

to explore opportunities at an 

event like the Abuja Motor show, 

Toyota earmarked a day at the fair 

as a special day which it tagged, 

“A Night with the Toyota 

Managing Director.’’ 

The special night with the 

Toyota Managing Director was 

unique as the Managing 

Director of Toyota Nigeria 

Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade Ojo, 

personally marketed the Toyota 

brand and models. 

He welcomed dignitaries to the 

Toyota stand, among whom were 

top military and paramilitary 

officers and personally conducted 

them round the cars. 

The all new Toyota Camry, 

which is the Toyota flagship 

sedan was the centre of attraction 

for the guests who were amazed 

by its unique features and 

Toyota’s creativity in designing 

a car with first class luxury 

interior. 

It was a night to remember by 

gine output and applies braking 

force at the appropriate wheels 

to help maintain control and prevent 

skidding. 

Some other exciting features 

include, the reverse (video) camera 

for ease of mobility and comfort 

and the Mitsubishi trademark 

“paddle shift” which simulates a 

traditional automatic transmission 

by stepping the gear ratios 

up or down. 

all as a young saxophonist 

entertained guests with 

scintillating tunes to the 

admiration of the guest who also 

took some dancing steps. This 

brought back life to the fair 

ground. 

Also worthy of note was how 

Toyota took time to decorate a 

section of their stand where it 

displayed the Camry on an 

elevated platform. With the 

managing director explaining 

features of the Camry to most of 

the guests and the music playing 

in the background, the guests 

were relaxed for the evening. 

Speaking on the ‘Toyota Night 

with the Managing Director’, 

Toyota spokes person, Mrs Bukky 

Ogunusi, said that Toyota wanted 

to do something differently. She 

added, “We wanted to prove how 

dearly we cherish our customers 

by giving them the best treatment 

at the fair. Only the best is good 

enough for them.” 

On the Toyota models, she 

explained that they came with a 

full range of products to the fair 

and since the company was 

introducing the new Camry for 

the first time, they needed a 

conducive environment to 

showcase the new model of their 

flagship. She added that a Night 

with Toyota Managing Director 

was quite apt for this.

22— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

Edo South, Urhoghide and democracy dividends 

By Emman Aibangbee 

WHAT baffles many observers of 

the political trends in Edo South 

senatorial district is the rather infectious 

bonhomie and unusual camaraderie 

that exist between the people of the 

district and its distinguished senator at 

the National Assembly, Senator 

Matthew Aisagbonrodion Urhoghide, 

since 2015. The convivial relationship 

that exists between the affable senator 

and the people of the district, is not a 

product of an abracadabra mantra or 

the result of coercion or propaganda. It 

is the product of the senator’s synthesis 

of the people’s expectations predicated 

on a bench-mark of value-added 

leadership modem and anchored on the 

orientation and desire to fill that yawning void 

and impact meaningfully on the living 

standard of the larger mass of the Edo south 

people. 

Senator Urhoghide defied and shunned 

aspects of bureaucracy and the ever-present 

red-tapism usually associated with 

government business and resolved to identify 

and be on the side of the people. In fact, he is 

in tandem with the people as the tireless and 

unrelenting champion of their causes, hopes 

and aspiration. He has consciously-designed 

a trajectory to provide lasting solutions to the 

needs and aspirations of his people by creating 

performance benchmarks; effective and 

efficient service delivery; programmes and 

projects monitoring mechanisms and timelines 

etc, to achieve his overall vision and mission 

of bequeathing lasting legacies, in all sectors 

of the people's life. It is the responsibility of 

government to jumpstart and foster the 

initiation and 

growth of the key 

areas and promote 

rapid development 

of the state and 

country at large. 

Realising this 

importance of 

government’s 

intervention in the 

provision of the 

necessary enabling 

climate for the 

initial and take-off 

of commercial 

activities, the 

senator, through the 

Constituency 

Projects he has 

For the 77 wards 

of Edo South 

senatorial 

district, it has 

been one 

commissioning 

or inauguration 

of peoplefriendly 

projects 

or the other in 

the past weeks 

selected and 

mentored, has 

complemented and 

set the benchmark for the state government 

through the provision and construction of 

people-centred projects and programmes for 

the people of Edo South District. These projects 

and programmes are primed to stimulate 

economic and commercial activities that will 

complement the agrian sector which the rural 

sector of the district is well-known for. The 

primary aim of this concept is to open up the 

communities, empower the people and 

encourage self-employment. 

When Urhoghide was sworn in as the Senator 

representing Edo South senatorial district in 

2015 for his first tenure of four years, he had a 

bold vision of providing dynamic servant/ 

leadership, focused on the overall actualisation 

of his set goals for the upliftment of the people 

of the district. These well-thought-out 

objectives encapsulated in his ground-breaking 

roadmap, are primed to provide lasting 

solutions to the needs and aspirations of all 

Edo south people. His approach to the 

implementation of the Constituency Projects 

and other interventions was confronted with 

daunting issues of age-long stunted 

development, entrenched and fossilised 

political interests that either stalled the myriad 

interventions on the side of the people or were 

poised to sabotage his people-centred and 

equitably projects and programmes and return 

to the “business as usual” days. 

In the midst of this milieu that could have 

dissuaded a lily-livered and “clueless” servant/ 

•Senator Matthew Aisagbonrodion Urhoghide 

leader, he set out to, clinically, implement his 

charter of sustainable development to take Edo 

South out of the doldrums of the Years of the 

Locusts, instituted by some purposeless 

leadership modems that almost rendered the 

district prostrate and comatose. 

In a clime were supposed men (and women) 

of honour and unassailable pedigree stand 

truth on its head for survival’s sake, the 

emergence of an oasis of due diligence; 

accountability; corporate best practices and 

truth, calls for cheer and celebration. Where 

others fear to tread and chicken out because 

of threats and blackmail of social, political 

and economic intimidation, a lone star has 

emerged in the hazy horizon of Nigeria’s 

political space to champion the true use of 

political power in furthering the interests of 

the common man. The foregoing encapsulates 

Senator Urhoghide’s covenant with the larger 

mass of the Edo South people and the altruistic 

measures he has taken to ensure the holistic 

implementation of his roadmap of sustenable 

programmes and projects that will impact 

positively on the average Edo south person. 

His magic wand of development is evident 

in diverse areas of the senatorial district’s life. 

They include but not limited to: (a) 3- 

classroom block (Iganke); a 6-classroom 

block (Secondary arm) (Oben); a 6-classroom 

block (Primary Arm) (Oben); a block of 3 

classrooms including Principal’s Office, Staff 

Room and conveniences (Urhokuosa); solarpowered 

boreholes (Egbokor, Obozogbe Niro, 

Avbiugu, Urhonigbe, Evboesi, Orogho, Ogan, 

Etete Quarters, Evbareke Motor Spare Parts 

Markets, Igbinaduwa/Textile Mill/Siluko 

Road Junction, Benin City, Uwelu Spare Parts 

Market, Evbuotubu Village, Ikhueniro 

Secondary School, Iguogbe, Oghada, Oke- 

Aimufua; installation of solar-powered street 

lights at the Palace of the Enogie of Omolua, 

Igbanke West, Oza, Believers Ministries Inc. 

premises, Oza installation of 500KVA 

transformers at Iguogbe, Iguosula, Ugoneki, 

Idokpa, construction of 24-stall market 

complexes at Urhuokuosa, Eruanokhua, 

Urumon, Iguedayi, Ugbighele; Mini water 

schemes at Ologbo, Obagie Nevbuosa etc. 

Modern town halls have been built or 

renovated and commissioned for use at 

Ohovbe Quarters, Uhie, Evbareke Motor 

Spare Parts Market and Ologbo. Others 

include a health centre at Ehor and Oil Palm 

Processing Plant and a Skills Acquisition 

Centre at Ogbeson in Ikpoba Okha LGA. 

For the 77 wards of Edo South senatorial 

district, it has been one commissioning or 

inauguration of people-friendly projects or the 

other in the past weeks. Over the past three 

years, Senator Urhoghide has striven to 

actualise this innate template of meaningful 

and verifiable service delivery, in the above 

areas and more, too numerous to list here. 

Urhoghide’s commitment to the oftenneglected 

but vital area of sustainable human 

capital development, has also singled him out 

of the crowd of those who pay lip-service to 

corporate social responsibility with projects 

and programmes that will not stand the test of 

time. Does anyone need wonder where the 

blissful relationship between Senator 

Urhoghide and the people of Edo South 

Senatorial District took root and is still 

blossoming and blooming? 

* Mr. Aibangbee, a political commentator, 

wrote from Benin City, Edo State.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018—23

24—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018


Tribute 

DAVID OMUEYA DAFINONE: The exit of an icon 

By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Sekinat Habeeb, Bayo 

Daniel & Maryam Oseni 

TODAY is the culmination of a 

week-long celebration of the 

life and times of the Patriarch of 

the Dafinone family, Chief 

(Senator) David Omueya 

Dafinone, who slept in the Lord 

on Sunday September 30, 2018 

at the age of 91. 

His burial activities, which 

started in Lagos on October 25 

with service of songs, will 

continue today with interment 

and end on Sunday with 

thanksgiving in Sapele, Delta 

State. 

An accomplished accountant, 

and a dedicated family man, his 

son, Ede Dafinone, described him 

as a man who will be greatly 

missed. “He was a father who 

stood by us no matter what and 

he sacrificed so much for us and 

the nation,” he said. 

An Icon of no mean status, 

Chief Dafinone was an elder 

statesman, administrator, and an 

erudite politician. The patriarch 

of the Dafinone family, an 

accounting family listed in the 

Guinness book of records as 

having the largest number of 

accountants in one family, was the 

proprietor of D.O Dafinone & 

Company, which he founded in 

1966 and later merged to become 

Horwath Dafinone and 

Company. 

Born on March 12, 1927 in 

Sapele, Delta State, Dafinone 

announced his arrival on 

Nigeria’s political landscape with 

his landslide victory in Bendel 

South Senatorial election in 1979 

when he was 52 years old. Then 

Delta was under defunct Bendel 

State, which has now been 

broken into two – Edo and Delta. 

Running on the platform of the 

National Party of Nigeria, NPN, 

he polled 59,632 votes to beat 

Thompson Salubi of the Unity 

Party of Nigeria, UPN (24,874 

votes) and E.E.E Idigbo of the 

Great Nigeria Peoples Party, 

GNPP (20,760 votes). 

Distinguished senator 

As a senator, Dafinone, who 

owns the Ceddi Plaza, Abuja, was 

one of the leaders of the 

movement for the creation of Delta 

State in the 1980s and the efforts 

yielded dividends in 1991. The 

nationalist, who was a member 

of The Patriots, a group of 

eminent elder statesmen, later led 

the Union of Niger Delta, a nongovernmental 

environmental 

and social justice pressure group. 

Growing up 

Dafinone attended Government 

School, Benin, from 1934 to 1938 

and Edo College, Benin, from 

1939 to 1942. Between 1943 and 

1945, the young Dafinone moved 

to Abeokuta Grammar school 

where he remained until he 

completed his secondary 

education and emerged as the 

overall best candidate in 

Mathematics in the Cambridge 

School Certificate Examination in 

West Africa for that year. This feat 

automatically won him a 

scholarship from the then 

Governor of Northern Nigeria, L. 

H. Gobble, to further his studies 

overseas. 

Brilliant career 

Dafinone joined the civil 

service on August 28, 1946 as a 

third class clerk in the 

Registration and Records 

Department under the 

supervision of Mr. E. Ejueyitchie, 

the administrative officer in the 

Finance Department. In 1948 

when Mr. Ejueyitchie was 

transferred to the Zaria Training 

Institute, Dafinone was appointed 

Acting Administrative officer in 

the Finance Department. At 21, 

the consummate accountant was 

saddled with the responsibility of 

preparing the native treasury 

estimates for the entire Northern 

Nigeria. The task entailed the 

entire paper work on revenue 

and expenditures of the entire 92 

native treasury in Northern 

Nigeria. Any time the estimates 

were prepared, they were taken 

before a special Finance 

Committee appointed by the 

colonial administration for 

approval before they eventually 

received the Governor’s consent. 

In that committee were five other 

notable Nigerians – Sir Ahmadu 

Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa 

Balewa, Alhaji Muhammadu 

Ribadu, Alhaji Aliyu Makaman 

Bida and Alhaji Yahaya 

Madawakin Ilorin. Given his 

excellent performance as Acting 

Administrative Officer in the 

Finance Department as well as 

Assistant Secretary to the Special 

Finance Committee of the Big 

Five, Dafinone was 

recommended for the First 

Devonshire Course in Public 

Administration at the University 

of Exeter in August 1951, where 

he spent two years and obtained 

a Diploma in Public 

Administration. 

Coping with challenges 

of development 

On completion of the course, 

Dafinone was advised by the then 

Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir 

Arthur Richards, who had much 

knowledge of his performance in 

Kaduna to read for a university 

degree if he must come home to 

cope with the challenges of 

development in Sub-Saharan 

Africa. He thus enrolled for a 

degree in Economics (with 

specialization in accounting) in 

1953 at the University of Hull. He 

transferred to the University of 

London as an external student in 

1956 where he graduated in 1958. 

He immediately enrolled for his 

professional examinations with 

the Institute of Chartered 

Accountants in England and 

Wales. Chartered accountants 

In the same year, he joined J.A. 

Miles and company, a firm of 

chartered accountants as an 

articled clerk. He served his term 

for three years with the firm and 

having passed his professional 

examinations, he was admitted 

as a member of the Institute of 

Chartered Accountants in 

England and Wales in November 

1963. 

Back home, Dafinone qualified 

as a Chartered Accountant in 

Nigeria in 1970 and joined 

Delloites, Haskins and Sells, a 

firm of Chartered Accountants as 

an audit manager. In spite of the 

heavy load of work he shouldered 

at Delloites, he maintained a 

compact social life. He hobnobbed 

with several federal ministers of 

the First Republic such as Chief 

Festus Okotie-Eboh and Sir 

Balewa. He also, on several 

occasions, assisted the Prime 

Minister in drafting some of his 

short questions and answers in 

the parliament. On August 18, 

1966, he founded a firm of 

chartered accountants registered 

in the Federal Republic of Nigeria 

under the registration of Business 

Names Act of 1961. He named 

the firm after himself; D. O. 

Senator David Dafinone 

Dafinone & CO. (now Horwath 

Dafinone). 

Public service . 

In 1967, the then Head of State 

General Yakubu Gowon 

appointed him into a three-man 

commission to investigate the 

assets of public officers in the then 

Mid-West State of Nigeria. He 

worked for several months on the 

commission, but at the end of the 

day had to make independent, 

minority recommendations 

because he found some aspects 

of the initial report not agreeable 

H i s 

humanitarian 

services 

manifest in 

various forms, 

particularly his 

pivotal role in 

the construction 

of the Orodje of 

Okpe’s palace, a 

project that was 

completed in 

1997 

with his personal convictions. In 

1969, the Gowon Administration 

again appointed Dafinone a 

Commissioner under the Ports 

Amendment Decree of 1969 to 

serve as the Federal Government 

Arbitrator with Justice Fatayi 

Williams as Chairman to take over 

the Port of Warri and Calabar from 

the United African Company 

Limited. From 1964 to 1970, he 

sat on various Commissions as 

Administrator and member for the 

Apapa Road Project tribunal 

together with Justice Adefarasin 

as chairman. Partisan politics In 

1971, he was appointed Sole 

Commissioner by the Ministry of 

Internal Affairs to investigate the 

affairs of the Nigeria Pools 

Company Limited. Having 

excelled on the jobs he was 

assigned especially during the 

war years, General Gowon in 

1971 appointed Dafinone as a 

non-executive Director of the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

where he served in various 

capacities. He was at different 

times, the Chairman of the 

Monetary and Banking Policy 

Committee and the Recruitment 

Committee. 

His politics: 

In September 1978, when the 

administration of General 

Olusegun Obasanjo lifted the ban 

on partisan politics, he joined the 

NPN and with the likes of Alhaji 

Adamu Ciroma, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir 

and others, they wrote the NPN 

manifesto inside his office on 

Broad Street, Lagos. Informed by 

the call by his people to lead, 

rather than personal ambition, it 

was therefore not surprising 

Dafinone’s political journey was 

very successful. At first attempt, 

he was elected as a Senator of 

the Federal Republic of Nigeria 

in 1979, representing former 

Bendel South (now Delta Central 

in Delta State) senatorial zone. 

Mobilising and impacting on his 

Urhobo people: Before long, he 

used election to reposition the 

Urhobo ethnic group which had 

been dogged by factional fighting 

among various interest groups. 

He started the Urhobo 

Development Association, UDA 

with other prominent sons of 

Urhobo to provide purposeful 

leadership for the people in the 

80s. 

In the Senate, he served as 

Chairman, Senate Committee on 

Commerce, Industries, National 

Planning and Steel Development 

between 1979 and 1983. He was 

re-elected for a second term in 

1983. He consistently supported 

the creation of new state as a 

means of ensuring good 

governance. As the NPN caucus 

leader in the Senate, he had a 

working arrangement with the 

other parties. Thus on several 

issues of national interest, he was 

able to muster his colleagues for 

the Alhaji Shehu Shagari 

Administration. He showed an 

unflinching commitment to the 

promotion of high standards in 

the practice of the accountancy 

profession in Nigeria. 

Return to private sector 

Following the truncation of the 

Second Republic by the Military, 

Dafinone returned to the private 

sector. 

However, he was appointed in 

1987 as consultant to carry out a 

detailed organizational, financial, 

technical and management 

review of the country’s steel mills 

with a view to providing 

information for their partial 

privatization 

and 

commercialization. 

Dispute resolution 

capabilities. Known for his 

excellent dispute resolution 

capabilities, he was also 

appointed to Arbitrate the dispute 

between the Nigeria Security 

Printing and Minting Company 

Limited and Thomas de la Rue 

limited of the United Kingdom in 

1990. Between 1990 and 1991, 

Senator Dafinone was appointed 

as a consultant to the Federal 

Government to source funds for 

the completion of the Lagos Third 

Mainland Bridge Project, while 

serving as a committee member 

to review the administration of 

indirect Taxation in Nigeria. 

Founding the PDP 

With the end of the Abacha 

regime in June 1998 and the 

beginning of General 

Abdulsalami Abubakar’s 

transition to civil rule programme, 

Dafinone joined forces with like 

minds to found the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP. He 

thereafter aspired to lead the 

country as president, for which 

he mobilised men and resources 

to begin the Dafinone for 

President campaign. However, 

the dream was aborted in mid- 

September of 1998 due to a 

protracted illness. He was flown 

abroad and after four months he 

recovered fully. By January of 

1999 when he returned, political 

activities had gone too far to be 

reversed in his favour. 

Undaunted, Dafinone later 

joined the National Democratic 

Party, NDP but his desire to fly 

the party’s presidential flag in 

2003 was not successful as he lost 

the ticket to Senator Ike 

Nwachukwu. 

Eagle-eyed entrepreneur 

The Second Republic Senator, 

who in his last 50 years mounted 

a strong campaign for the 

emancipation of the people of 

Niger Delta and for equitable 

distribution of the resources of the 

country, was a successful 

industrialist. He also went into 

joint venture Partnership with 

multinationals to establish two 

industries in roofing materials 

and rubber processing plant in 

Sapele Local Government of 

Delta State. Dafinone constructed 

a multi- purpose building named 

Ceddi Towers in the Central 

District Area of the Federal Capital 

City, thereby offering 

employment to hundreds of 

Nigerians through various 

businesses that he presides over. 

As a versatile player, Senator 

Dafinone is a member of various 

international organizations. He is 

a member of the Urban Land 

Institute of America, an 

organization with an asset value 

of $93 trillion, since 1992 and was 

elected to the Public Private 

Partnership Council of the same 

body in November 1994. He was 

elected a fellow of the National 

Geographical Society of Great 

Britain in 1990. 

Awards, honours 

His humanitarian services 

manifest in various forms, 

particularly his pivotal role in the 

construction of the Orodje of 

Okpe’s palace, a project that was 

completed in 1997. He also 

functioned as Chairman and 

Patron of sundry bodies in Okpe 

Kingdom. In recognition of his 

immense and selfless 

contributions to the socioeconomic 

and political 

development of Okpe Kingdom, 

he was honoured in 1997 with the 

traditional title of Owhere 1 of 

Okpe Kingdom by the Orodje of 

Okpe. An award of Certificate of 

Excellence for professional 

practice by the Delta State 

Government was also given to 

Senator Dafinone in September 

1997. 

In 2001, he was awarded the 

ICAN Certificate of Merit for 

Outstanding contributions to the 

Accounting profession by the 

institute of Chartered Accountant 

of Nigeria, ICAN. And in 2003, 

the Federal Government 

conferred on him the National 

Honour of the Officer of the 

Federal Republic, OFR. On 

August 1, 2000, Guinness World 

Records recognized Senator 

Dafinone as the patriarch of the 

Family with the highest number 

of Chartered Accountants (who 

are members of the Institute of 

Chartered Accountants in 

England Wales in one nuclear 

family – a recognition that has 

received resounding ovations 

from far and wide. In 2006, he 

received a ‘definite entry’ in the 

Cambridge Blue Book for an 

outstanding contribution in the 

field of Accountancy. Married to 

Chief Cynthia Watson Dafinone, 

the elder statesman was blessed 

with three sons and two 

daughters. Interestingly, all of 

them are qualified and chartered 

accountants, a world record. They 

all had degrees in Economics.


Again, we are heartbro 

ken. We are griefstricken 

by yet another wanton 

killing, avoidable deaths. 

The latest from Kaduna and 

Abuja. We have not forgotten 

the pogrom in Plateau, 

the homicide and in Benue 

and the Boko Haram bloodshed 

around the corridors 

and hinterlands of States in 

the North-East. These are 

wounds that may not heal fast 

especially among the immediate 

affected families. We 

reel from the daily occurrence 

of these sad incidents. 

Sadly too, the figures of 

deaths emanating from these 

developments seem not to 

worry occupants of Aso- 

Rock. Oga Femi Adeshina and 

his boss will like to argue that 

several killings have been 

with us from the time past. If 

truly they have been with us, 

we had that conviction in 

May 2015 that this government 

will do everything in its 

power to keep these tragedies 

away from us. But we 

have nonetheless continued 

to face a pandemic of killings, 

slaughtering and gun violence. 

In truth, the mythos about 

these bestialities as well as 

the physicality of the various 

killings are not only unprecedented 

but also threatening 

our corporate existence. To 

say we have fallen short in 

peace and security is clearly 

an understatement. Violence 

here and there, criminals on 

the loose, maiming and taking 

lives at will. 

Where have we gone wrong? 

Safar 23, 1440 A.H. 

Will this President stop the killings? 

What have we done to deserve 

this? Why do we continue 

this way? And why do 

we prefer cutting down lives 

to saving them? 

The immediate cause of 

the Kaduna crisis was still an 

offshoot of what was known 

before now. The crisis which 

began at Kasuwar Magani 

area Friday October 19 was 

said to have spilled to areas 

like Mararrabar Rido and 

spilled to Sabon Tasha and 

Tudun Wada Central Market 

within a short period. It was 

gathered that the new dimension 

of the crisis, this 

time, was so fierce that a 24- 

hour curfew had to be declared 

by the State Government 

in the city. No resident 

or visitor in the troubled 

area was able to go out of 

The nation is 

bleeding, the people 

are tired of 

excuses. Let us not 

just mourn the 

dead, let us not 

only make scathing 

condemnations 

of tragic incidents, 

but let government 

use all its might 

and power to stop 

the carnage and 

bring peace to 

every community 

his/her lodge either in pursuit 

of business or even health 

maintenance. The crisis was 

said to have claimed about 55 

lives with scores of people injured 

and displaced. 

Another devastating violence 

broke out in Karu, a 

densely populated suburb of 

Abuja between the Military 

and Shiites members during 

a procession by the sect. 

Within a short period, 16 to 

22 people were said to have 

been killed by soldiers’s bullets. 

The Army said its personnel 

conveying weapons 

were obstructed and denied 

right of way by the Shiites, 

during which some soldiers 

were brutalised with stones 

and sharp objects. 

Sadly, we have continued in 

this cataclysm because the 

government and relevant security 

agencies have failed in 

their duties to protect lives 

and property; they have refused 

to bring perpetrators to 

book even when they know 

them. Recall that the President 

had said during the last 

Benue Masacre that some 

highly placed people were 

masterminds of the killing of 

innocent people, yet up till 

today, nothing was done to 

punish them and serve as deterrent 

to others. The nation 

is bleeding, the people are 

tired of excuses. Let us not 

just mourn the dead, let us not 

only make scathing condemnations 

of tragic incidents, but 

let government use all its 

might and power to stop the 

carnage and bring peace to 

every community. 

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), exchanging pleasantries 

with Sheikh (Dr) Muhyideen Ajani Bello, during latter's celebration of 68 Years 

of Daawah, at Felicia hall, Jogor Center Liberty Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, recently. 

BARKA JUMAH 

Stay with faith 

Faith is illumination that radiates blissfully from 

deep inside the soul, bursting into the aliveness of 

hope and robust believe. 

As we anxiously march through life's tedious 

motions, unaware of the awaiting fortunes or 

harsh realities of our journey, we must accept all 

challenges of life with faith that forge our fear of 

Allah and that also harvest His mercy. 

Since living cannot persist without tribulations, 

ill-tempered demons would inevitably obstruct 

you; and may even hurt you. 

Stay with faith. Once prayers remain your possessive 

obsession, your vuctory is sure, insah Allah. 

None can stop your triumph nor impair the illumination 

of your lofty destination except your 

tired and broken faith. Believe, strongly! 

May Allah fill your life with amazing fortunes 

that keep you atop in colorful balance and gift to 

you peace and prosperity of wellness; plus salubrious 

joy that forever balm your family. Happy 

jumat. — Dr. Adewale Adeeyo, OON 

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He must be employed or self employed and between 

48 and 55. Divorcee or widower and ready for marriage. 

PROFILE 132: A gainfully employed young man, 5ft.7inch South 

West wants a Muslim lady between 30 to 35 years as life partner. 

Preferably tall, light in complexion, literate and ready for marriage. 

PROFILE 133: A gainfully employed young lady, 30 years, wants 

a Muslim man between 38 to 40 years as life partner. He must be 

working and based in the North. 

Profile134: A Muslim male, 35, based in the North central 

seeking a Muslim lady as second wife from any region between 

30 - 35 years of age. She must be literate, working and 

ready for marriage and ready to relocate. 

Profile135: A Muslim male, 50, employed, based in Lagos 

needs a Muslim lady between 30 to 35 years as second wife. 

Single or divorced with not more than one child and ready 

for marriage. 

Profile 136: A Muslimah, 33, divorced, based in Lagos 

needs a Muslim man between 35 to 40 years for marriage. He 

must be based in Lagos. 

Emir of Potiskum calls for religious 

tolerance among Nigerians 

THE Emir of Potiskum in Yobe, Alhaji Gidado Ibrahim, 

has called for the setting up of institutions on comparative religious 

studies to deepen understanding and tolerance among adherents 

of various religions in the country. 

The Emir made the suggestion Wednesday in Kaduna when he visited 

Pastor Yohanna Bury, President, Interfaith Dialogue, Peace and Reconciliation 

Foundation. 

Ibrahim stressed that deepening understanding of the various religions 

would break existing barriers and misconceptions as well as promote 

peace and mutual respect among Nigerians. The Emir urged the 

youths to be peace, law abiding citizens and help government to ensure 

peace and stability in their communities. He said religious leaders also 

have a very important role to play in peace building through the promotion 

of peaceful coexistence and reconciliation among communities. 

According to him, they also have a prominent role to play in tackling 

extremism by preaching tolerance and brotherliness at all times. “Tolerance 

is the beginning, the first stage in a longer, deeper process of 

developing a culture of peace. Without tolerance, peace is not possible,” 

the Emir stressed. Ibrahim thanked the pastor for his tremendous contributions 

toward peace building among different faiths in the country, 

and urged other Muslim and Christians clerics to also commit themselves 

to promoting peaceful coexistence and interreligious tolerance. 

Responding, Buru said all well meaning Nigerians must join hands in 

sensitising the people on the importance of peace and unity. He said 

both the Holy Qur’an and Bible condemn killings of innocent souls, and 

urged the people of Kaduna state and other crisis prone states, to forgive 

one another. Buru noted that ethno-religious crisis that claimed lives 

and properties was a serious setback to peaceful coexistence not only in 

Kaduna but across northern Nigeria. He therefore urged religious leaders 

to engage their followers to embrace peace, love for humanity, tolerance, 

sacrifice and forgiveness. He also supported the setting up of institutions 

on comparative religious studies, saying it would promote better 

understanding, religious tolerance, forgiveness, reduce blasphemy 

and continuously preach peace and harmony between Muslims and 

Christians.


28— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

By Monsuru Olow- 

L AGOS—FOLLOW- 

ING 

an 

early morning 

downpour in many 

parts of Lagos, during 

the week, residents 

have raised concerns 

over the state government’s 

flood abatement 

strategy, urging a 

review of the current 

process to prevent 

flooding. 

Many parts of the 

state were flooded after 

the downpour that 

lasted for several 

hours. 

It was gathered that 

some parts of Okokomaiko 

in Ojo, Agege, 

and Alimosho were seriously 

flooded with 

school pupils having to 

wade through the water 

to get to their 

schools. 

When Vanguard visited 

Ago-Tapa community 

in Okokomaiko, 

Ojo, many residents 

were seen bailing (removing) 

water from 

their houses. 

Scores of school pupils 

waded through the 

•A flooded road in Lagos 

Residents lament as floods cripple 

activities in Lagos 

water to go to school 

while those who could 

not level were assisted 

by their parents or 

guardians. 

On the Lagos-Badagry 

expressway, some 

drivers who tried driving 

through the flooded 

part at Okokomaiko 

end of the road, which 

is under construction, 

were stuck. 

Decrying over the 

persistent and increasing 

wave of 

flooding, Mrs. Anuoluwa 

Ajayi said: “It 

would have been 

worse than this if not 

for the intervention of 

the residents to construct 

drainages and 

ensure cleaning of the 

drains but there is little 

an individual can 

do.” 

In Aboru, Vanguard 

learned that residents 

are counting their losses, 

after the entire community 

was flooded. 

Many watched as the 

flood damaged their 

property. Some of the 

structures were 

wrecked by the water 

channelled to the community 

from other 

parts of the council. 

Mr. Mike Ige described 

the experience 

in the axis as unbearable, 

adding that there 

is always anxiety 

among residents whenever 

the clouds begin 

to gather. 

Appealing to the 

State Governor, Mr. 

Akinwunmi Ambode, 

he said: “We are urging 

the governor to 

help check the ongoing 

bridge expected to 

link our community 

with Iyana-Ipaja axis 

and provide other facilities 

that will assist 

in ending cases of 

flooding in Aboru. We 

cannot withstand it anymore.” 

The residents, however, 

blamed the disruption 

in the water 

flow on the ongoing 

construction of Pen- 

Cinema Fly-over 

Bridge, saying, the 

water flow has been 

distorted. We hope that 

the work would be completed 

soon 

BAD ROADS: When planned 

Badagry-Mile 2 mass protest failed 

By Esther Onyegbula 

LAGOS—THE proposed 

mass protest by commuters 

and residents of the 

Badagry-Mile 2 Expressway 

axis failed to hold on 

Tuesday morning as scheduled. 

Late September, a message 

was broadcast on social 

media and WhatsApp 

about a mass action to protest 

the terrible state of the 

Badagry-Mile 2 expressway 

that has continued to 

cause untold hardship to 

commuters and motorists. 

When Vanguard visited 

the major bus stops such as 

Agbara, Oko-Afo, Badagry 

round about, Adeniran 

Ogunsanya College of Education, 

Okoko-Iyana-Iba, 

Volks, Barracks and Alakija 

where the protests were 

billed to hold, normal business 

activities and movements 

were ongoing. 

However, most of the major 

bus stops where the protest 

was billed to hold had 

heavy police presence 

which directly or indirectly 

discouraged prospective 

protesters. 

A driver, Edwin Usong, 

who spoke to Vanguard, 

said: “Initially, I thought the 

protest would hold so I left 

for work as early as 4 am in 

the morning. From my bus 

stop at Oko-Afo, there were 

so many passengers on the 

road and very few commercial 

vehicles. The few commercial 

vehicles available 

were initially afraid to work; 

hence, many passengers 

were stranded.” 

Recounting her experi- 

ence, Ajoke Adebayo, a civil 

servant, who works in one 

of the government agencies 

said: “I had a terrible experience 

on Tuesday morning 

while going to the office 

from Agbara. There were no 

vehicles, like many other 

passengers, I was stranded. 

I spent more than the 

usual fare because the few 

available commercial vehicles 

hiked their fares. There 

were no vehicles plying 

Mile 2, most of the drivers, 

who had the courage to 

work, were plying short distances.” 

It was learned that several 

reasons accounted for the 

failure of the proposed protest 

which was dead on arrival. 

According to a community 

leader, the protest failed 

because people did not 

know the organisers. 

A community leader, Alhaji 

Haruna Adio Igboro said: 

“Someone or group of persons 

must champion the 

protest. Another reason it 

failed was because most of 

the people, who reside 

within the axis, are average 

and low income earners 

who eke their living daily. 

For them, the protest would 

deny them the opportunity 

to get their daily bread. The 

high income earners hardly 

come out to protest.” 

But a press conference today 

and unanimously agreed to 

suspend the planned mass 

protest, Conveners of the Mass 

Action, the Badagry 

Intervention and Human 

Rights Initiative, BIHRI, cited 

the quick intervention of the 

Federal Executive Council to 

approve the 46km Badagry 

Seme Expressway. 

NeXchange 

opens for purchase 

of preowned 

goods, 

items in 

Ibadan 

By Adeola Badru 

IBADAN—IN a bid to 

revolutionise the Nigerian 

e-commerce space, 

buyers of pre-owned 

goods were thrown into 

joyous mood, just as an 

online business platform 

named NeXchange commenced 

operations in 

Ibadan, Oyo State. 

NeXchange is an online 

market newly launched 

into the Nigerian e-commerce 

space, which offers 

products for sale to buyers 

as well as providing a 

platform for sellers to sell. 

Speaking with journalists 

in Ibadan, Oyo State, the 

Business Development 

Manager of the online 

firm, Mr. Moses Nwanze 

said: “NeXchange is set to 

revolutionise the Nigerian 

e-commerce space as we 

know it. There is something 

for everyone, as either 

a buyer or seller and 

everyone can find something 

of value. Topped off 

with our trademark service 

delivery, we are on the 

fast lane to becoming a 

household name that is 

synonymous with integrity 

and a brand to be reckoned 

with. NeXchange is 

operational in Lagos, 

Ibadan and Ogun States 

but is set to expand into 

other major cities and territories 

in Nigeria, in line 

with our growth expansion 

plans.” 

In addition, Nwanze 

said: “A lot of people buy 

second hand items because 

they cannot afford 

new ones so we are selling 

quality pre-owned 

items on this online platform,” 

adding that the platform 

further afforded the 

opportunity for Nigerians 

who continue to keep 

items they more used to 

sell off those items and 

make more money and 

profit. 

“NeXchange is a lifestyle 

solutions provider, leveraging 

on technology to create 

online platforms that 

resolve basic prevailing 

issues that average modern 

Nigerians tackle in 

their everyday lives. These 

online platforms offer valuable 

services that are convenient, 

safe and reliable. 

Topped off with our trademark 

service delivery, we 

are on the fast lane to becoming 

a household name 

that is synonymous with 

integrity and a brand to be 

reckoned with.” 

While reiterating the 

need for the the Federal 

Government to increase its 

efforts geared towards the 

development of the e-comm 

e r c e 

sector, Nwanze hinted 

that it would consequently 

lead to an improvement 

in the nation’s economic 

situation.


Aare Adams fetes monarchs, 

others at Olokun festival 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—LAST week, hundreds 

of people converged on Suntan 

Beach in the ancient city of 

Badagry, Lagos State, to celebrate 

the 2018 edition of the annual 

Olokun Festival. 

The eight-day annual event was 

filled with activities such as 

regatta, festival float, traditional 

dance, beauty pageant, ayo olopon 

(a Yoruba traditional leisure game) 

and many other activities. 

The venue of the festival was 

filled to the brim as adherents of 

Olokun, a water goddess in 

Yorubaland, came to pay obeisance 

and offer sacrifices in return for 

wealth, good health and fame 

among others. 

Also, the event had in attendance 

traditional monarchs such as the 

Akran of Badagry, His Royal 

Majesty, Oba De Wheno Aholu 

(OFR), the Royal father of the day, 

His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. 

Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, 

Laminisa 1, Timi of Ede, and other 

prominent Obas. 

As part of activities for the grand 

finale, some Yoruba sons and 

daughters, who exhibited 

professional proficiency in their 

chosen careers, especially, in the 

promotion of Yoruba culture and 

tradition, were honoured 

as ambassadors of Olokun Festival 

Foundation. 

They include: Chief Abiodun 

Fagboro (Abbey Fagboro), Otunba 

Aderinokun Babs Olurinde, Mrs. 

Yemi Ajide Olayinka, Abayomi 

Mate (Ifankalleluyah) Bashiru 

Adisa (Baba Gboin), Fakoya Qudus 

Oluwadamilare (Q dot.) and the 

amiable Chairman of the Olokun 

Festival planning committee, 

ambassador Muyiwa Oshinaike. 

In his address at the occasion, 

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State commended 

organisers of the festival for their 

contribution to tourism in the state. 

Ambode, who was represented 

by Prince Babatunde Ajose also 

commended the organisers for the 

huge economic contribution of the 

festival to the economy of the state 

which he put in the region of N300 

million. 

In his welcome address, the 

promoter of the festival, the Aare 

Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani 

Adams commended the Lagos 

State government for supporting 

the use of Yoruba Language during 

a legislative session at the state 

Assembly, and making it one of the 

compulsory subjects for admission 

THE TEAM 

EDITOR: Dayo Johnson 

Deputy Editor: Dapo Akinrefon 

08023844928 (sms only) 

CORRESPONDENTS: 

Ola Ajayi 

Gbenga Olarinoye 

Dare Fasube 

Daud Olatunji 

Rotimi Ojomoyela 

Monsuru Olowoopejo 

Adeola Badru 

•The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams and some traditional rulers 

during the just concluded Olokun festival held in Badagry 

into the state University. 

He, however, expressed sadness 

over the deplorable state of the 

Lagos-Badagry expressway which 

he said ”has the potentials to 

become one of the greatest 

LAGOS—FOUNDER of 

the Breast Cancer 

Association of Nigeria, 

BRECAN, Mrs. Betty 

Akeredolu, who is wife of 

Ondo State governor, Mr. 

Rotimi Akeredolu, last 

Saturday led popular 

actress, Ngozi Nwosu, 

youths, women, school 

children on a street walk in 

highbrow Lekki metropolis 

in Lagos State to create 

awareness against breast 

cancer among women. 

Aside from the walk, there 

were series of free health 

services such as Blood 

Pressure examination, 

Cancer Screening, HIV Test 

and other activities. 

The awareness, which 

kicked off at 8am from 

Admiralty Roundabout, 

Lekki passes through 

Elegushi Palace, 

terminating at Leisure 

Ibadan 

Osogbo 

(Photo) 

Abeokuta 

Ekiti 

Lagos 

Ibadan 

tourists’ sites and destination in the 

world. 

Aare Adams said: “Our 

governments both at the federal or 

state level, need to partner with 

private organizations to boost 

tourism across the country. It is sad 

that the road leading to Badagry has 

been under construction for close 

to a decade. 

“This has affected the people 

plying the road daily. It has also 

affected the economic potentials 

of the ancient town. 

“The road that links all the West 

African Coasts is located here, but 

government has abandoned the 

road. Like the Badagry road, the 

Lagos/ Ibadan Express road also 

suffers the same fate. Roads that 

are being used by citizens and 

Diplomats from all over the world 

should be accessible and 

motorable. 

On the need to celebrate the 

nation’s cultural heritage, he said: 

“the event is not about the fun, 

merriment or jamboree; it is about 

how best we can sustain our cultural 

identity. It is not about the festivity 

and celebration; it is about the 

Yoruba cultural heritage. It is about 

sending a message of hope to 

everybody that shares in our dream. 

“And it is worthy of note that at 

every point of our struggle and 

cultural evangelism, we have shown 

great confidence and respect for 

our traditional institutions. 

“Therefore by celebrating Olokun 

Festival and other festivals across 

the nation, we are promoting our 

cultural heritage. 

“By celebrating Olokun Festival, 

we are doing justice to our cultural 

identity. 

“By celebrating Olokun Festival 

we are transiting from poverty to 

abundance. By celebrating Olokun, 

we are moving ahead of others both 

financially and spiritually. 

“All these festivals, no doubt, 

have rich background in Yoruba 

history, and it is our duty and 

responsibility to sustain this 

tradition by celebrating them. 

“The only way we can sustain our 

cultural heritage is through 

programmes such as this, where we 

can educate ourselves and remind 

others about the past. 

BRECAN walk for Breast Cancer 

•Ondo First Lady, Nollywood actress, Ngozi 

Nwosu, others shut down Lekki 

Sports Park at Ikaate 

Elegushi, saw the Lekki 

metropolis recording a 

temporary shut down for 

hours. 

In her address, Mrs. 

Akeredolu said: “BRECAN 

founded 21 years ago has been 

assisting breast cancer 

patients and others 

unknowingly living with the 

deadly virus with medical 

treatment and screening on 

the platter of gold. 

“We must all put our hands 

together to wage war against 

the hegemony of cancer that 

kills over one million women 

in a year across the world. The 

stigma must also be looked 

into by government so that 

people could be courageous to 

come out for treatment. 

“Let me say very expressly 

that being diagnosed for 

Breast Cancer is not a death 

sentence, it can be well 

managed if detected early and 

cured 100%. I was mocked by 

friends and associated when 

I removed my breast over 

cancer but here I am today 

waxing stronger to the 

admiration of those mocking 

me then. 

“We lost many women to 

cancer before they are not 

aware of their body status, 

•Members of Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria 

(BRECAN), led by its Founder/Wife of Ondo State Governor, 

Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu and Popular Nolywood 

Actress, Ngozi Nwosu in a group Photograph at the Palace 

of Elegushi of Ikaate Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba 

Saheed A. Elegushi after a Walk with the theme: Let us Beat 

Breast Cancer Together held to Commemorate World Cancer 

Awareness Month in Lekki, Lagos 

early detection saves lives. 

And again, let me inform the 

general public that breast 

cancer is not limited to 

women alone, men also have 

it, so, I urge gentle men here 

today to be conscious of any 

changes in their breast.” 

Besides, she said: “Cancer 

is not a spiritual attack, it is 

good to pray to God, but if you 

notice changes in your breast, 

the best place to visit is the 

hospital.” 

In her remarks, the Lagos 

State Coordinator of 

BRECAN, Mrs. Tovia 

Ojekere, took time to educate 

participants on the symptoms 

of breast cancer and how to 

properly examine breast, 

identifies lumps as well as 

how cervical cancer was often 

contacted through sexual 

intercourse, urging all 

sexually active women to go 

for medical check-up as of 

when due.

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018—31 

Minimum Wage: NLC accused of 

compromise 

Nigerian workers for selfish 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

NNEWI—AS 

the 

Nigerian Labour 

Congress, NLC, threatens 

to embark on a nationwide 

strike, November 6, 

following the refusal by 

governments to accept the 

N30,000 minimum wage 

for workers, Nigerian 

workers have been told to 

blame the leadership of the 

organised labour, 

particularly the NLC for 

their woes. 

Former President General 

of Onitsha Markets 

Amalgamated Traders 

PRESS BRIEFING: 

From left—Elvina 

Ibru, Co-Producer; 

Terry McMahon, 

multiple awardwinning 

Irish Film 

Director and Leke 

Akinrowo, Writer/ 

Producer of "Caged 

In The Creeks," 

during the preproduction 

press 

briefing for the 

coming epic movie in 

Lagos. 

Non–declaration of assets charge, frame up by opponents 

—Uzodinmma 

THE 

senator 

representing Imo West, 

Sen. Hope Uzodinmma 

has dismissed the alleged 

charges against him for 

non-declaration of assets as 

a desperate attempt by his 

political opponents to frame 

him up on a non-existent 

crime aimed at denting his 

image before the people of 

Imo State who have 

resolved to vote for him as 

Edo govt commends Nosak Group on job creation 

By Samson Echenim 

EDO State government 

through the Secretary 

to the State Government, 

Mr. Osarodion Ogie, has 

commended the 

management of Nosak 

Group for planning to 

invest in the state and create 

jobs, saying that the move 

deserves support from both 

the government and people 

of Edo State. 

The SSG said this when 

he led a delegation of 

government officials on 

inspection tour of Nosak’s 

facilities in Lagos. 

He said: “The Edo State 

Government will do its best 

to support Nosak Group in 

acquiring more parcels of 

land in the state for the 

ultimate benefit of Edo 

Association, OMATA, 

Chief Pius Ozoh Anaekwe, 

while addressing newsmen 

yesterday in Onitsha 

alleged that the organized 

labour, particularly NLC 

leadership has always 

compromised on issues 

affecting workers welfare 

because of selfish interest 

“NLC leadership is no 

more taken seriously by 

Federal and state 

governments whenever 

they threaten or go on strike 

for whatever reasons 

because they have always 

compromised and danced 

to government’s tunes, 

thereby selling out 

the next governor. 

Some newspapers 

published yesterday that 

the Federal Government 

has filed criminal charges 

against Uzodinmma for 

non-declaration of assets. 

Curiously, the charges 

were allegedly filed at the 

registry of the court and not 

at the Code of Conduct 

Bureau, CCB, by the 

Special Presidential 

people”. 

The entourage which 

included the Solicitor 

General and Permanent 

Secretary, Ministry of 

Justice, Oluwole Iyamu, 

SAN; Principal Private 

Secretary to the Edo State 

Governor, Mrs Uyi Oduwa- 

Malaka and Managing 

Director, Edo State 

Geographic Information 

Service, EDOGIS, Arch. 

Frank Evbuomwan, 

accompanied by the 

chairman of the group, Dr. 

Toni Ogunbor, inspected 

Nosak Farm Produce Ltd, 

Nosak Distillers Ltd and 

Grand Petroleum Ltd in the 

Apapa area of Lagos. 

Addressing the 

delegation, hairman of 

Nosak Group, Dr. Toni 

interests. 

“Nigerian workers 

should therefore blame the 

leadership of NLC and 

other labour unions' 

leadership for their woes in 

Nigeria and the Nigerian 

governors' refusal to accept 

the N30,000 minimum 

wage. 

“Nobody should blame 

Nigerian governors for 

refusing to accept N30,000 

minimum wage for the 

workers because NLC is no 

more what it used to be. It 

does not command the 

respect of the federal and 

state governments. They 

have destroyed labour and 

made workers worthless in 

Investigation Panel for the 

Recovery of Public Property. 

According to the 

publication, the case 

against Uzodinmma 

marked PHC/ABJ/CR/107/ 

2018, alleged that on or 

about 5th day of March 

2018, being a public officer 

with the National 

Assembly, he committed an 

offence by refusing to 

declare his assets without 

reasonable excuse before 

the special presidential 

investigations panel for the 

Ogunbor, expressed the 

company's willingness to 

invest in Edo State, create 

more jobs and grow the 

state’s economy. 

He said: “Nosak Group 

has negotiated with three 

communities for land leases 

and crop compensation at 

mutually agreed terms. The 

communities are Obagie - 

10,000 hectares, Igieduma 

– 7,000 hectares and 

Evbueghae in 

Orhionmwon Local 

Government Area– 5,000 

hectares,”. Ogunbor said. 

He noted that the group 

has a total direct investment 

of about N30 billion in 

Lagos and Edo States. 

“In the past three years, 

the group has fine tuned its 

investment strategy and 

Nigeria. 

“The NLC has also failed 

to lend its voice to the 

restructuring of the country 

due to the personal interest 

of its leadership. If the 

country is restructured, the 

governors can even pay 

N60,000 minimum wage 

but NLC has been silent on 

the issue of restructuring in 

Nigeria because of 

personal interests.” 

Anaekwe suggested that 

"the only way the organised 

labour will get the federal 

and state governments to 

accept their demands is by 

impeaching the current 

labour leaders and electing 

credible and honest people 

who will sincerely fight for 

them without compromise." 

recovery of public property 

contrary to and punishable 

under S.3 (3) (1)(a) of the 

Recovery of Public Property 

(Special Provision) Act of 

2004. 

But in a prompt reaction 

to the charge, Uzodinmma 

in a statement in Abuja, 

yesterday, said he was 

certain that the so-called 

crimes were cooked up by 

his political opponents just 

to smear his image, 

wondering how he can be 

guilty of failure to declare 

wants to focus more on the 

agro allied sector," Ogunbor 

noted. 

In his remarks, the Chief 

Operating Officer of Nosak 

Group, Mr. Thomas 

Oloriegbe, said: “The next 

phase for Nosak Group is 

to cultivate 7,000 hecters of 

land for palm plantation in 

Edo State for Saturn Farms, 

Install 150,000 litres per 

day for Nosak Distillers, 

expansion of production 

capacity from 200 to 1,200 

Metric tonnes per day for 

Nosak Farm Produce, 

expand to four other 

locations for CCD Super 

Stores – Yaba, Surulere, 

Lekki and Island in the next 

three years and to procure 

additional 30 new trucks for 

the haulage business.” 

500 APGA members defect 

to PDP in Abia 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

ABA—NO fewer than 

500 members of the All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, in Aba 

South Council Area, Abia 

state, have defected to the 


citing crisis in their former 

party as reason for the 

defection. 

The former APGA 

members from Ward 5, Aba 

South Council, explained 

that they left because of the 

crisis rocking APGA in the 

state as well as the failure 

of the party to fulfill its 

promises to them. 

Receiving them into the 

party, chairman, PDP, Aba 

South council, Chief Uche 

Ugwuzo commended them 

for returning to the PDP, 

assuring that the party’s 

umbrella is too large to 

contain all members. 

No plan to ban tricycle 

operation, says Enugu govt 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU—THE Enugu 

State Government has 

denied the rumour making 

the rounds that it plans to 

ban the operation of 

tricycles in the state, 

popularly known as 

“Keke,” after the 2019 

general elections, stating 

that “there is no iota of truth 

his assets when as a serving 

senator, he declared 

his assets in 2011 before 

serving in the 7th Senate 

and in 2015, before he was 

sworn in as a member of the 

8th Senate. 

Uzodinmma said it was 

laughable to accuse him of 

failing to declare his assets 

in March, 2018 whereas by 

law, he is only expected to 

declare his assets to the 

CCB before he is sworn in 

as a Senator in the 7th and 

8th Assemblies in 2011 and 

2015 respectfully. 

“The whole idea is to 

frame me up by whatever 

means because this 

candidate wants a weak 

governorship candidate for 

APC, that is Governor 

Okorocha’s son in-law, 

who he knows he can 

defeat as the APC 

governorship candidate for 

Imo state. So he conspired 

with his friend in the 

investigation panel to draw 

up these frivolous charges 

against me. The plot was 

well timed to come out a day 

before the final day of 

submission of governorship 

candidates to INEC so as 

to force APC not to submit 

my name as the 

governorship candidate of 

our party” the statement 

explained. 

“You did well by returning 

to the party where you 

previously belonged. The 

umbrella is too large, it will 

contain every member.” 

In separate interviews 

with journalists, some of 

the decampees including 

Chimaobi Ozoemenam and 

Eni Enichukwu, said they 

were motivated to return to 

the PDP by Governor 

Okezie Ikpeazu’s good 

leadership and quality 

representation by the 

member representing Aba 

South Constituency in the 

state assembly, Clinton 

Ebere. 

“We decided to officially 

join the PDP because of the 

crisis in our former party, 

APGA. There is crisis in 

APGA today. Since we 

worked for Hon. Clinton 

Ebere while he was in 

APGA, we decided to follow 

him to the PDP for the 

better." 

in it.” 

In a statement by the 

state’s Commissioner for 

Transport, Vitus Okechi, the 

state government described 

the allegation as “false and 

baseless”, stressing that 

“there is no such plan.” 

The commissioner 

disclosed that “the state 

government has implicit 

confidence in the 

leadership and 

membership of the 

Association of Tricycle 

Riders Transport Union in 

Enugu State”, adding that 

it “has continued to enjoy 

a cordial working 

relationship with them as 

partners in the 

development of the state.” 

Promising to empower 

tricycle operators more 

“after the 2019 election in 

line with the policy thrust 

of the administration” the 

government urged “the 

public to discountenance 

the said rumour as there is 

no iota of truth in it.” 

Burial 

MRS. 

Grace 

Omofumah, of 

Ibore, Edo State is dead. 

Service of Songs holds at 

her residence, Ihenwhen 

Ewu, Edo State, on 

November 08, 2018, while 

Christian wake follows the 

next day. Church funeral 

service and internment will 

take place on November 10, 

2018 at her residence. She 

is survived by children and 

other relatives. 

•Late Omofumah


YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

ARIES; Both yourself and other important 

personalities to you are beginning to see things from 

same point of view making it easy for you to eliminate 

unnecessary rift. 

TAURUS; Venus moves into a positive angle to your 

Star and encourages peaceful settlement. Exhibition 

of maturity on your part will favour you better. 

GEMINI; Gradually you are dropping aggressive 

approach you have adopted in the last few days to 

the betterment of your cause. Remain practical till 

after 10.15pm. 

CANCER. Other people will continue to have their 

says and if you try to indoctrinate them tensed 

atmosphere will be aggravated. Be patient. 

LEO; Entrance of romantic Venus into a positive angle 

will enhance your prospects. Both financial and love 

related success are possible. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“80 percent of success is to keep showing up.” — Woody Allen 

Keep showing up. Eventually life’s No’’s are going to turn into 

a big YES! 

But remember when you work hard in silence, the result someday 

will be your loud music. Don’t quit, stay at it, re evaluate if 

neccessary, but take it one step at a time. 

Greater goals were overcome with yet greater or smaller challenges. 

They are there to strengthen us. Stay in gratitude and 

someday your gifts will be a sweeter song that gladens many 

hearts. -Ella Randle. 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

Much wealth 

brings many 

enemies. 

– Swahili 

By Kola Fayemi 

VIRGO; This is not the right time to rely on promises 

made by others. Continue to take matters-of-the-heart 

seriously. Reason with your reliable associates. 

LIBRA; Better than yesterday; however that is not to 

say you should throw caution to the wind. 

Improvement on your love life indicated. Try to 

comport yourself. 

SCORPIO ;After the am period you will become more 

aggressive. However your best way to success is to 

seek and reason with opinion of your spouse and/or 

important partners. 

SAGITTARIUS; After a few days of fun you may need 

to settle down to serious business. Those of you 

working till very late evening will need to be more 

careful till after 10.15pm. Reason with your tried and 

trusted old hands(friends). 

CAPRICORN; Venus moves into positive angle and 

boost your sparkling personality to the betterment of 

your cause. Could be a nice day for the-young-atheart. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

AQUARIUS; It is important you don’t allow your mind 

to wander unnecessarily so that minor but costly 

mistakes would be averted. Avoid late evening 

confusion. 

PISCES; Recent tension generated by controversy 

over money will start to ease off. Be more vigilant if 

you are working late in the evening. Yet you will need 

to watch what you do within your base till after 

10.15pm tonight. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

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

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

Good future for me? 

Dear Joshua, 

I want to know about my future, especially what I 

should expect from my love life both in the 

immediate and far future. However that is not to 

say I am not interested in good financial standing. 

Francis, Abuja. 

Dear Francis, 

Although there will be a particular time you will 

need to be more careful so that you will not gamble 

with love as predicted under your love life. 

Major challenges for you here is inability to hold 

on to your gains (profits) partially by the contact 

made between your natal Saturn and Venus and 

some other times by your love of LUXORY (easy 

life). Although the Saturn influence can be 

mitigated, the love of luxury comes from your 

Taurus – Stallion which must not be totally 

discouraged but should not be allowed to go 

beyond your control. Yes envy and jealousy can 

creep in as indicated by the oppositions between 

your natal Venus/Saturn in Taurus and Jupiter in 

Scorpio, but that is not enough excuse for either 

failure or manipulation of occult powers against 

you. Whatever anybody says and/or does GREAT 

FINANCIAL SUCCESS is your portion. 

The most influential planet during your birth hour 

is Venus-the planet of MONEY and LOVE. You are 

the romantic type whose magnetic personality and 

open handedness are sources of big trap to his 

members of opposite sex. As handsome as you are 

you truly crave stability in your love life, /home and 

the happiness you desired will be yours. You will 

need to watch carefully around and during your 

44th year on earth as you may be tempted to 

gamble with matters-of-the-heart. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

Human Caravan: Poverty anywhere is 

danger to prosperity everywhere 

A 

BEAUTIFUL looking lady, 

perhaps in her mid- twenties, 

smiles into the camera. The 

chubby-cheeked child she is carrying 

is wearing a cap, but he is 

shirtless. They are part of the over 

7,200 Latin Americans who embarked 

on an estimated 17-day 

walk towards the United States, 

US, border. 

They had bid goodbye to their 

ancestral homes mainly in Honduras, 

Guatemala and El Salvador. 

Many have just the clothes 

on their backs, the bags (some nylon) 

they are clutching, and their 

lives. Their determination is to get 

into the US by any means necessary. 

For this, they are trekking on 

roads and highways, through forests 

and fording waters including 

swimming and rafting the Suchiate 

River which separates Guatemala 

and Mexico . For such a desperate 

movement, virtually no 

threats can dissuade them, at least 

not the massive deployment of 

Mexican police and the threats of 

American President Donald Trump 

to cut aid to the countries they have 

left behind and to deploy the 

mighty American Army. 

Except the children being carried, 

these are thousands of mainly 

young and physically fit people, 

because only such persons can undertake 

such a grueling migration. 

These Latinos are like the 

Biblical Abraham who heard a 

voice in his native Ur, in today’s 

Southern Iraq, telling him "Go 

forth from your country, And from 

your relatives And from your father's 

house, To the land which I 

will show you”(Genesis 12:1). The 

marked difference is that unlike 

Abraham, this exodus has a promised 

land it is headed to; the United 

States. The marchers are no 

different from the desperate African 

migrants who travel through 

the desert and take to the seas in 

unsafe rickety boats to get to Europe. 

The fact that this exodus was 

spontaneous, and its huge size, 

might be an indication of the desperate 

situation in some Latin 

American countries characterised 

by mass unemployment, organised 

and unorganised violence, 

hunger and bad governance. 

The idea of this caravan had 

started when Bartolo Fuentes of 

the Freedom and Refoundation 

Party of Honduras reproduced a 

poster on his Facebook page inviting 

people for a migrant march 

with the slogan: “We’re not leaving 

because we want to, but because 

we are being expelled by violence 

and poverty.” The march 

The human caravan is a 

reminder to America 

and most rich countries 

that centuries of 

dominating and 

exploiting other 

peoples, and the 

prevailing unfair 

globalization, will have 

to be addressed in 

favour of the victims 

commenced last week with 160 

people from the gang-plagued city 

of San Pedro Sula, deciding to 

leave for a safe haven which they 

identified as the US. By the time 

this group reached the Guatemalan 

border, it had swelled to over 

1,600 due partly to words of 

mouth, the mass and social media 

and the panicky response of President 

Donald Trump who was issuing 

threats rather than a more organised 

response to tackling a desperate 

human convoy. This is more 

so, when American law gives those 

fleeing violence, the opportunity 

of applying for asylum. 

Thousands of the marchers sleep 

and bath in the open. Despite assistance 

by ordinary Mexicans, 

and some help from the Mexican 

government, the marchers are in 

need of water, food, medicine and 

blankets. The world, especially the 

United Nations needs to come to 

their aid. Some may argue that the 

marchers predicament, is a choice 

they consciously made. I will say, 

no! Hunger and poverty are never 

a choice; they are mainly imposed. 

As I watched them on television 

and video, I was conscious of the 

fact that almost all the marchers 

will not reach their destination; 

some will end up living in Mexico, 

some will return to their countries, 

some may even die. But that will 

not deter the next wave of marchers 

because they want their tomorrow 

to be better than their yesterday. 

Mexico itself is highly volatile 

and crime-infested with hunger 

and violence forcing some 

Mexicans to make illegal crossings 

into America; so I foresee 

many of the marchers who are 

opting to stay in Mexico, making 

attempts in future to cross into 

America. It will be a continuous 

test of endurance and human will. 

The current state of many Latin 

American countries is the result of 

mindless American exploitation 

and political intervention which 

turned them into ‘Banana Republics’. 

Take for example, Honduras 

where the caravan took off. It has 

virtually been an American colony 

since the 1890s with the American 

banana companies seizing 

most of its fertile land and rendering 

the farmers destitute. Additionally, 

the Americans dominated 

the banks and mines, imposed 

structural adjustment while turning 

the country into one huge 

American military base. The country’s 

military had a free hand violating 

human rights and running 

American-backed death squads 

like Battalion 3-16 which physically 

eliminated hundreds of anti- 

American activists. When a reformist 

President, Manuel Zelaya came 

to power in 2006 and tried to carry 

out changes in favour of the 

populace, the military kidnapped 

him on June 28, 2009 and exiled 

him to Costa Rica without their 

bosses in Washington calling them 

to order. Incumbent, President 

Juan Orlando Hernández is authoritarian 

with no respect for 

democratic values. He changed 

the electoral rules to be eligible for 

re-election in the November 2017 

elections. When opposition politician, 

Salvador Nasralla was in 

the lead in that election, the results 

were suspended for 30 hours and 

the incumbent eventually declared 

winner. When people protested, 

they were shot at with over thirty 

killed while America asked the 

people to accept the announced 

results. 

Guatemala where the caravan 

gathered strength before forcing 

its way to Mexico is another American 

Banana Republic. When a 

patriot, democratic President Jacobo 

Arbenz took 1.4 million acres 

of uncultivated lands mainly from 

the American United Fruit Company, 

paid compensation, and redistributed 

them to about 500,000 

farmers (a sixth of the population) 

then American Secretary of State 

John Foster Dulles, got permission 

from President Dwight D. Eisenhower 

to overthrow the government. 

The coup, executed between 

June 18-27, 1954 was supervised 

by the American Central 

Intelligence Agency , CIA, headed 

by Allen Dulles, the Secretary 

of State’s brother. It was Codenamed 

Operation PBSUCCESS. 

Subsequently, brutal military regimes 

and anti-people governments 

were imposed. 

Another large number of the 

marchers came from El Salvador, 

a country the Americans ran like 

Honduras, except in this instance, 

it was the showcase of American– 

backed killer squads including a 

private one. In one of its most infamous 

atrocities, the Atlacatl 

Battalion, newly trained by the US, 

was sent on its first mission in 

December 1981 to the El Mozote 

area. It killed over 1,200 Salvadorans 

including at least a hundred 

children. 

The human caravan is a reminder 

to America and most rich countries 

that centuries of dominating 

and exploiting other peoples, and 

the prevailing unfair globalisation, 

will have to be addressed in 

favour of the victims.


36 —Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

IT'S a surprise that 

the acting Chairman 

of the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission 

(EFCC), Ibrahim 

Magu, is still standing. 

His appointment had 

been barely announced 

when some folks with 

very long memory of 

their unpleasant 

encounter with him in 

their earlier life stuck the 

knife in his back; they’ve 

been twisting it since. 

They have been at it 

now for three years. Just 

like the title and content 

of this column this week 

only slightly amended to 

reflect the malice of the 

Magu haters, nothing 

much has changed. 

After working without a 

letter of appointment 

and overstaying his 

confirmation by two 

years and six months, 

Magu will be exactly 

three years on his job on 

November 11. 

The former Director of 

the State Security 

Service, Lawal Daura, 

was the arrowhead of an 

anti-Magu plot, with a 

conspiratorial web 

extending from the 

corners of the 

Presidency and the 

Ministry of Justice to top 

quarters in the National 

Assembly. 

Daura said in a letter 

carefully released at the 

Senate committee 

confirmation hearing 

two years ago that Magu 

was Nigeria’s most 

dangerous man. The 

Is Magu still Nigeria's most dangerous man? 

DSS could therefore not 

recommend him for 

clearing. 

OK, Daura didn’t put it 

exactly that way – he 

said, at the time, that 

there was evidence from 

eight years ago that 

Magu took official files 

home; that he fiddled 

with recovered assets 

sometime in his earlier 

life; that his friend, an air 

force officer, who was 

under investigation, 

paid twice the value of 

his house rent for him 

and furnished it; that he 

flies around with 

suspects under 

investigation; and that he 

even flew first class, 

against the rules. 

A ‘problem’ like 

Magu 

With Senate President 

Bukola Saraki facing 

corruption trial at the 

time, Daura’s letter was 

exactly the Christmas 

gift that the lawmakers 

had been praying for. 

So, when Santa Claus 

delivered it to the Senate 

committee, the matter 

did not even go to the 

whole house, as 

required by law, before 

Magu was rejected. 

This curious episode 

reminded me of two 

things – an aphorism and 

a story. Lavrenti Beria, 

the former head of 

Joseph Stalin’s KGB, 

loved his job to death 

and was always eager to 

show his boss. 

Whenever he thought 

Stalin had difficulties 

finding a reason to 

Ibrahim Magu 

eliminate any of his 

foes, Lavrenti would go 

to him quietly and whisper, 

“show me the man 

and I will find the 

crime.” 

In three years of doing 

one of Nigeria’s most 

difficult jobs, Magu has 

stepped on so many toes 

that finding a crime to 

hang him didn’t need a 

Lavrenti. 

Daura made Magu’s 

fall his main job paying 

no heed at all to the fact 

that he himself was 

standing on feet of clay. 

When former President 

Acting appointments 

belong 

to the 

stone age. As 

Magu marks 

three years in 

office without a 

letter of appointment, 

we 

don’t expect 

any surprises 

from the Senate. 

But that’s 

precisely where 

Magu’s freedom 

lies 

Mwai Kibaki started 

the war against corruption 

in Kenya, those 

who wanted it to fail did 

more than use aphorisms 

to fight John 

Githongo, the anti-corruption 

czar at the time. 

According to Michela 

Wrong in her book, 

“Our Turn to Eat,” at 

first, they ignored 

Githongo. When he 

seemed to be getting 

uncomfortably close to 

the thieves, who were 

mostly insiders, they 

tried to shoo him away. 

He persisted and sank 

his teeth into one of 

Kenya’s biggest scandals 

– the $1 billion 

Anglo Leasing case. At 

that point, the backlash 

got nasty. 

They called him a 

stooge of the Oyinbo 

man, especially the 

donor countries, and to 

incite the public against 

him, said he was gay 

and a traitor to his tribe. 

They sent stalkers after 

Githongo and threatened 

him directly. When he 

refused to back down, 

they went after his 

family. 

They suddenly 

remembered a loan 

taken by his father who 

had an accounting firm 

under former President 

Jomo Kenyatta and 

reminded John that his 

father had not finished 

paying up. “The minister 

of Justice was telling me 

that if I eased off my 

enquiries, then my 

father’s loan matter 

would be made to go 

away,” Githongo said. 

Corruption did not 

relent until Githongo 

fled for his life. 

Here to stay 

Magu is not going anywhere. 

They have 

thrown at him the 

kitchen sink and some 

more, but I’m sure he 

knows by now that it 

comes with the territory. 

Not one EFCC 

chairperson since 

inception has served two 

terms and Magu has the 

added distinction of 

nearly completing his 

first term of four years 

without a letter of 

confirmation! 

The EFCC is not a 

perfect organisation but 

in the last three years we 

have witnessed clear and 

sustained efforts to 

improve its efficiency, 

the autonomy granted 

the Nigerian Financial 

Intelligence Unit, the 

improved record of 

conviction, and the 

excellent facilities in the 

new Abuja headquarters, 

to mention a few. 

The war on corruption 

may still have its rough 

edges, but Magu has 

pursued a number of 

those who pocketed 

public funds and forced 

them to pay. He has 

worked with other 

institutions to tighten financial 

controls and 

plugged leakages 

through which the 

country was losing billions 

of naira yearly. 

All of this of course 

will be good music in 

the ear of many politicians, 

as long as Magu 

is not coming after them 

or their cronies. With 

many of them already 

warming up for 2019, 

they are genuinely worried 

that the anti-corruption 

war may upend 

their political ambition. 

Magu has shown from 

his devotion and courage 

that he is a clear and 

present danger to a 

number of ambitious 

politicians and their 

friends used to easy 

passes. That’s why they 

want to stop him. 

The Senate tried to give 

the impression that the 

main reason why it 

rejected Magu’s 

nomination twice was 

that it was looking for 

someone above board; 

not exactly like the 

distinguished senators, I 

guess, but someone 

above board! 

Yet, we can smell 

mischief in his three 

years in office. Magu 

has shown a commitment 

to work and 

independentmindedness 

that have 

proved to be a major 

headache for politicians, 

their powerful cronies 

and insiders who would 

rather have a puppet in 

that office. 

Stone age 

Acting appointments 

belong to the stone age. 

As Magu marks three 

years in office without a 

letter of appointment, we 

don’t expect any 

surprises from the 

Senate. But that’s 

precisely where Magu’s 

freedom lies. 

He does not owe the 

politicians any special 

favours and is therefore 

not a hostage to the 

selfish and narrow 

interests of those who 

would exploit an 

administrative leverage 

just to get even. 

In three years, he has 

done more for the 

country than those with 

dodgy records cleared by 

the DSS and 

enthusiastically 

confirmed by the Senate. 

Politicians want to fight 

corruption; that is what 

they say. But they want 

to do so on their own 

terms. Their biggest 

regret in the last three 

years, is that they can’t 

get Magu to play. And 

that’s a far greater 

measure of success for 

the country than could 

have been conveyed by 

any letter of 

appointment. 

To succeed, Magu 

must remain Nigeria’s 

most dangerous man. 

Ishiekwene is the 

Managing Director/ 

Editor-In-Chief of The 

Interview and member 

of the board of the 

Global Editors Network.



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Oseahumen. All former 

documents remain valid, 


note. 

OGHENETEGA 


Oghenetega Ikutegbere, 


Tega Ikutegbere. All former 


General public, banks and all 

concerned institutions 


OHWONIGHO 


Ohwonigho Judith 

Oghenemine, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Judith 

Oghenemine Idoghor. All 



note. 

ANYILA 


Anyila Sechivir Priscilla, 


as Mrs. Priscilla Sechivir 

Tsutsu. All former 



note. 

ONORIMUO 


Onorimuo Chiyenum 

Rhoda, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. 

Oghenemano Chiyenum 

Rhoda. All former 



note. 

ELECHI 


Elechi Ifesinachi Christiana, 


Mrs. Ugo Ifesinachi 

Christiana. All former 


Alvan Ikoku Federal College 

of Education, Owerri, NYSC 

and general public please take 

note. 

ABIOLA 


Abiola Naimat Imotayo, 


Adeyinka-Abiola Naimat 

.I. All former documents 



OKAFOR 


Adaobi Gloria Okafor, 


Mrs Adaobi Gloria 

Dominic-Isimoya. 




FANIRAN 


Miss Faniran 

Oluwaseun Abidemi, 


as Mrs. Abatan 

Oluwaseun Abidemi. 




UGOKWE 


Miss Ugokwe Fidelia, 


as Mrs. Agbaleke 

Fidelia Nkemjika. 




EDEMEKA 

I, formerly known 

as Nelson Edemeka Joe, 


Nelson Emmanuel Joe. All 


valid. Access Bank and 


note. 

OGEFERE 

I, formerly known as Mrs. 

Ogefere Joyce Rukevwe, 


Mrs. Akpoghene Joyce 

Rukevwe. All former 



note. 

ORIOGHE 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as Orioghe 

Eloho, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

Mrs Eloho Kenneth 

Akpedeye. All former 

documents remain vaild. 

General public take note. 

JEFE 


Okiemute Peace Emem 

Jefe, now wish to be 

known as Peace Samuel. 




OMATSEYE 


Omatseye Blessing 

Oritsegbegbemi, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Agbo 

Blessing Oritsegbegbemi. 




ONYENEGECHA 


Onyenegecha Geraldine 

Chigozie, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Nkem 

Geraldine Chigozie. All 




IHEMEDU 


Ihemedu Cynthia Mary, 


Mrs Leonard Cynthia 

Mary. Former documents 


public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME 

OWAN 

Confirmation of Names 

These names Owan Susan 

Onang and Owan-Jegbe 

Susan Onang, belong to the 

same person, but now wish to 

be known as Jegbe Susan 

Onang. All former documents 

remain valid, any authority it 

may concern and general 

public to take note. 

OLOWOLAJU 


Olowolaju Johnson 

Akinloye, now wish to be 

known as Joel Johnson 

Akinloye. Former 



take note. 

OJOKAI 


Miss Ojokai Christy 

Balaere, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Eyanbri 

Christy Balaere. All 




SAMUEL 


Miss Samuel Eunice 

Itohan, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Awikpe 

Eunice Itohan. All former 



take note. 

IWEGBU 


Iwegbu Faith, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Ngwu 

Iwegbu Faith. All former 



take note. 

EKPEI 


Miss Ekpei Unuemeyo- 

Ojo Evelyn, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Iduh 

Ngozi Evelyn. All former 



take note. 

ODUOMA 


Oduoma Ifeyinwa Juliet, 


Mrs Ogbini Ifeyinwa 

Juliet. All former 


Fed Poly Nekede and 

general public take note. 

MUNI 

I, formerly known as Mrs. 

David Queen Muni, now 


David Queen Elizabeth. 




ONOME 

I, formerly known as Ibuje 

Onome Courage, now wish 

to be known as Ibuje 

Oghenetevweroso Christiome 

Courage. All former 

documents remain valid, any 

authority it may concern and 

general public to take note. 

KALU 


Rachael Uche Kalu, now 


Rachael Uche Uwhubetine. 


remain valid. General public 


ODUOGWU 


Uduogwu Anwuli Endurance 

and Miss Uduogwu Joy 

Anwuli, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Okoroh- 

Orhotohwo Anwuli Joy. 

Former documents remain 


note. 

OBUKOHWO 


Miss Obukohwo Gladys 

Nneka, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Gabriel 

Ifeanyichukwu Gladys 

Nneka. All former 



take note. 

IDOKO 


Miss Idoko Princess 

Adaeze, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Obi 

Princess Adaeze. All 




JOHN 


Ogogo Chukwudi John, 


Ogogo Chukwudi 

Richard. All former 



take note. 

JEMIREYIGBE 


Jemireyigbe Amatoritsero 

Christopher, now wish to 

be known as Eyetan 

Amatoritsero Smith. All 




LIFE 

Confirmation of Name 

This is to confirm that Life 

Elijah Jumbo and Uwem Elijah 

Jumbo refer to me, but now 

wish to be known as Uwem 

Elijah Jumbo. Former 


General public take note. 

FOR ADVERT PLACEMENT 

VISIT TRINITY MALL, 

BESIDE ZENITH BANK 

ORITSHE BUS STOP, 

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO WAY, 

IKEJA, 

OR MURPHIS PLAZA, 

SANUSI FAFUNWA 

STREET, VICTORIA 

ISLAND LAGOS 

Delta 

community 

threatens to 

shut down 

Nestoil 

operations 

THE people of Tekedor 

Kusimi in Warri South- 

West Local Government 

Area of Delta State have 

threatened to ground 

activities of Nestoil Limited, 

an oil services firm 

operating in their 

community, should the 

company fail to honour the 

Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, 

entered into with them. 

Speaking with newsmen 

in Warri, Chairman of 

Tekedor Kusimi 

community, Mr Clement 

Tekedor, condemned the 

disrespectful manner with 

which Nestoil has treated 

his people, describing the 

action of the company as 

“most uncivil and an affront 

on the peace-loving 

people of Kusimi.” 

He explained that the 

entire community was not 

happy with Nestoil, 

especially in the handling 

of an agreement entered 

with the community, which 

was suddenly terminated 

without due process or 

adherence to the details of 

the agreement mutually 

signed by both parties. 

He added that Nestoil 

contemptuously breached 

the agreement without 

paying the outstanding of 

the contract signed with the 

Community. 

Also speaking, 

spokesman of the 

community, Chief Tony 

Tekedor and a youth 

leader, Isaac Akasa, 

berated the company for 

their action which, they 

alleged, had created 

distrust and suspicion 

among the people, adding 

that all efforts to reach the 

management proved 

abortive. 

They called on Delta 

State and the Federal 

Government as well as all 

relevant authorities to 

prevail on the 

management of Nestoil 

Limited to honour the 

Freedom to Operate, FTO, 

agreement signed with 

their community. They 

observed that their patience 

had been stretched beyond 

limit and, therefore, gave 

Nestoil company up to 

Monday, November 5, 

2018 to answer to their 

demands or face stiff 

reactions from the 

community. 

Efforts to reach the 

management of the 

company for comments 

were not successful. 

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018—39

40—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018



NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Shi'ites: US, CDHR condemn 

use of ‘maximum force’ 


offences contrary to section 

79, 104, 113, 106 and 242 

of the Penal Code. 

Police alleged that on 

October 30, “at about 

1400hrs, at different part of 

FCT and its environs, 

following a tip-of that some 

group of persons were 

rioting, disturbing public 

peace and blocking 

vehicular movement. 

“Immediately, a team of 

Police men, led by Assistant 

Commissioner of Police in 

charge of Operation, FCT 

Command, Abuja, ACP 

Valentine Olumesi, 

arrived at the scene and 

met you whose names 

appeared overleap, 

riotously gathered and 

blocking vehicular 

movements and you were 

ordered to disperse 

peacefully and you refused 

and started throwing stones 

at the Police officers and 

other members of the public 

and, thereby, caused them 

bodily harm. 

“You are, thereby, 

reasonably suspected to 

have committed the above 

mentioned offences”. 

All the defendants 

pleaded not guilty to the 

charge read and 

interpreted to them in 

Hausa, even as they were 

granted bail by all the 

Magistrates that took their 

plea. 

Magistrates 

grant them bail 

ranging from 

N500,000, 

N200,000, 

N50,000 

However, the 

magistrates differed on the 

bail terms. 

In her ruling, Magistrate 

Elizabeth Jones-Woni, who 

recorded plea of 30 of the 

defendants, granted them 

bail to the tune of N500,000 

each, adding that they 

should provide three 

persons to stand surety for 

all of them. 

Similarly, Magistrate 

Musa Ibrahim Jibbo who 

was assigned the case 

involving 35 of the arrested 

Shi’ites members, gave 

them bail in the sum of 

N200,000 each with one 

surety in like sum. 

However, Magistrates 

Njideka Duru, who took 

NAIRA WATCH 

plea of 35 defendants, and 

Lateef Abolaji, who heard 

plea of 30 others, allowed 

them on bail to the tune of 

N50,000 each. 

Arraignment of the Shi’ite 

women was stalled owing 

to the absence of 

Magistrate Musa Eneye 

who was assigned to take 

their plea. 

Meantime, while 

deciding the merit of a bail 

request by counsel to the 

defendants docked before 

him, Magistrate Abolaji, 

held that Police failed to 

adduce convincing 

evidence why they should 

be allowed to remain in 

detention pending their 

trial. 

He dismissed an 

objection Police raised 

through its lawyer, Mr. 

Edwin Ochai. 

Magistrate Abolaji held 

that all the FIR Police 

lodged against the 

defendants contained 

bailable offences, adding 

that the argument that the 

Shi’ite members were not 

resident in the FCT, was not 

enough ground to deny 

them bail. 

“On the whole, the 

ground for objecting to this 

bail application is not 

established,” he held. 

Aside directing the 

defendants to pay N50,000 

each with one surety in like 

sum, the Magistrate 

ordered that each of them 

must depose to an affidavit 

to keep peace and be of 

good behaviour while on 

bail. 

He further ordered that 

the sureties must be 

resident in the FCT with 

traceable addresses of 

residence and places of 

work. 

The sureties were also 

ordered to deposit either 

their national identity cards, 

voters' cards, drivers' 

licenses or their 

international passports. 

The case was 

subsequently adjourned 

till December 5 for trial. 

Shi’ites not 

Islamic sect, 

says IGP Idris 

Also yesterday, the 

Inspector General of Police, 

Ibrahim Idris, said that 

contrary to beliefs in some 

quarters that the Islamic 

Movement of Nigeria, 

IMN, was as an Islamic 

Naira stable at N363.54/$ in 

I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, was stable at N363.54 per 

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

even as the volume of dollars traded dropped slightly 

by 76 percent. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded yesterday 

in the window dropped slightly by 76 percent to $226.35 

million from $397.57 million on Wednesday. 

Similarly, the Naira yesterday was stable at N360.5 

per dollar in the parallel market. 

organization, the reverse 

was the case. 

Idris said the movement, 

otherwise known as Shi’ite, 

had nothing in common 

with Islam, adding that the 

sect’s activities as 

witnessed in recent past 

showed it was not an 

Islamic one. 

The IGP said he had 

already constituted a 

committee, made up of the 

United Nations, the 

ECOWAS among others, to 

destroy all the recovered 

arms in police custody 

before the 2019 general 

elections. 

Besides, he also said the 

26,000 ammunition 

recovered during mop-up 

operations, will be 

destroyed. 

Speaking while briefing 

Commissioners of Police, 

CPs and officers above, at 

the Force Headquarters, 

Abuja, the police boss 

charged police personnel 

to brace up to the security 

challenges posed the 

country by some outlawed 

groups as the Shi’ites. 

He urged the public to, 

henceforth, refer to the 

protesters as “El-Zakzaky 

group”, warning that all 

legitimate strategies will be 

adopted to ensure threats 

to security were contained. 

Idris maintained that no 

death had been recorded 

from the Police clash with 

the IMN members, owing 

to the minimum force 

strategy so far adopted. 

“These are people that 

have planned to bring 

problem of security all over. 

The strategy adopted by the 

Police is the best approach. 

I think it is something that 

is commendable”, Idris 

said. 

Idris particularly said as 

the 2019 general elections 

draw nearer, officers and 

men of the force must be 

proactive in intelligence 

gathering so as to timely 

detect and nip in the bud 

security challenges before 

they snowball into bigger 

problems for the country to 

handle. 

While hailing the 

handling of the Shi’ites 

challenge by officers and 

men of the Force, he noted 

that in spite of the 

development, the Shi’ites 

were still Nigerians. 

“We didn’t lose any life 

within the Police. What we 

do is that, where you have 

a lot of violent response, we 

use smoke. I think that’s the 

maximum we use. And I 

think, so far, most of them 

that constituted themselves 

a security risk to the general 

well-being of the country, 

were arrested. 

“I think it is very 

important for the response 

of the police to be 

measured. As I said earlier, 

these are also Nigerians, 

we have to employ every 

method, to make sure we 

tackle their threats with 

minimum force. 

Meanwhile, a committee 

set up to recover illegallyacquired 

firearms across 

BUSTED: The Kaduna State Police Command paraded suspected armed 

robbers, kidnappers and members of Sura-saka gang and other suspected 

criminals, yesterday, in Kaduna. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi. 

the country, is set to destroy 

a total of 10,000 of the 

items. 

Also, 26,000 ammunition 

and other prohibited 

weapons mopped-up 

during the operations, will 

be destroyed. 

The IGP, who made the 

disclosure, said: “I have set 

up a committee, headed by 

the Deputy Inspector 

General of Police, 

Department of Operations, 

comprising the United 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, Johnbosco 

Agbarakwu, 

Chinonso Alozie 

and Daud Olatunji 

Owerri 

Nations’ organs, ECOWAS 

and the Presidential 

Committee on the 

Prohibition of Small Arms 

and Light Weapons 

(PRESCOM) and other 

critical stakeholders for the 

destruction before the 2019 

elections of about 10, 000 

illegal arms and prohibited 

weapons and above 26, 000 

illegal ammunition 

recovered in the mop up 

operations of illegal firearms 

and prohibited weapons 

Okorocha, Amosun attack 

Oshiomhole afresh 

•We will resist Oshiomhole’s attempt to handover our state to a 

rapacious cabal - Amosun 

ABUJA — Governors 

Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun 

State and Rochas Okorocha 

of Imo State, yesterday, 

launched fresh attack on the 

National Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole for derailing 

their succession plans. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

national leadership of the 

party submitted the list of the 

party’s governorship tickets 

well before today’s deadline, 

ostensibly to fend off pressures 

from the governors and other 

interests. 

Okorocha, who was 

weighing the option of 

fielding his son-in-law on the 

platform of the Social 

Democratic Party, SDP in a 

retort accused the national 

chairman of the party, 

Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole of costing the 

party five million members 

since his advent on account 

of alleged poor leadership. 

Governor Amosun who also 

has the Senate ticket for Ogun 

Central rebuffed assertions by 

Oshiomhole of innocence in 

the affairs of Ogun State as 

he vowed that the national 

chairman’s alleged plot to 

foist gangsters on the state and 

hand over the patrimony of 

Ogun State to a rapacious and 

expansionist South-West 

gang would be firmly resisted. 

Associates of the governor, it 

was gathered, were also 

scheming to dump the APC for 

the Democratic Peoples Party, 

DPP. 

Governor Yari was, however, 

in a hearty mood yesterday 

evening when he addressed 

media men. Though his name 

was forwarded as 

replacement for Senator 

Ahmad Sani (Yeriman 

Bakura), his succession plot to 

project his commissioner for 

finance, Mukhtar Shehu Idris 

as his successor was firmly 

rebuffed with the adoption of 

Dr. Dauda Lawal as the 

governorship ticket holder. 

That, however, is still unsure 

given the stance by the 


Electoral Commission, INEC 

that the APC will not field 

candidates from the state for 

all elective positions in the 

state. 

Okorocha’s SDP option 

Vanguard gathered 

yesterday in Owerri that 

Okorocha’s associates had put 

the SDP as their last option of 

holding on to the Government 

House with the option of 

pushing Nwosu in as the 

candidate. 

Remarkably, though the 

party was, by yesterday said to 

be holding out towards 

Okorocha despite the interest 

of two other strong 

governorship candidates, 

Senator Samdaddy Anyanwu, 

of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP and Okey Ezeh of 

the All Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA. 

As a result of the pendency 

currently ongoing 

throughout the country”. 

In a related 

development, Idris said the 

Force had ensured that 

political parties held their 

primaries under an 

atmosphere of peace. 

He, has, therefore, 

charged officers and 

policemen to ensure that 

the feat was replicated 

during the 2019 general 

elections, 

of Nwosu’s interest, Vanguard 

gathered that SDP, had as at 

press time yesterday not 

submitted any name to INEC 

for the Imo governorship 

ticket. 

A source close to the party 

told Vanguard yesterday, 

“I want to tell you the truth, 

no name has been submitted 

to INEC, from SDP,” a source 

who nevertheless admitted 

that Casmir Anyanwu won 

the primaries of the party. 

“Among the names which I 

have mentioned the reason 

why the party has not 

submitted their names, was 

that the party was looking for 

somebody that can clinch the 

victory for SDP. 

“In all sincerity, the name 

of Uche Nwosu may fly. He 

has the capacity to deliver, 

forget all that is happening to 

him in APC, by the time he 

finally resolves to join us the 

game will change. 

“For now, Okorocha is 

negotiating very well. We will 

give them our conditions, and 

we hope that it will work out 

well after INEC, has released 

the lists of candidates.” 

He spoke further: “The 

reason why Senator Anyanwu 

and Okey Ezeh have not 

scaled through is that the 

Okorocha factor is a strong 

one that you cannot just end 

like that.” 

Okorocha, however, 

insisted yesterday that he 

would not leave the APC 

having been a founding father 

even as he insisted that 

Oshiomhole’s alleged 

failures had led to the loss of 

five million members. 

Continues on Page 44

Google staff walk out in global protest 

against company’s harassment conduct 

Staff at Google offic 

es around the world 

staged an unprecedented 

series of walkouts in 

protest at the company’s 

treatment of women. 

The employees are demanding 

several key 

changes in how sexual 

misconduct allegations 

are dealt with at the firm, 

including a call to end 

forced arbitration - a 

The pilot of a Lion Air 

flight from Indonesia’s 

Bali island on Sunday 

made a radio alert 

minutes after take-off due 

to technical problems, but 

they were overcome and 

he pushed on to Jakarta. 

The same jet crashed on 

another flight hours later, 

killing all 189 people on 

board. 

Herson, chief of the airport 

authority for the Bali- 

Nusa Tenggara area, told 

Reuters that after the alert 

the pilot updated the control 

tower to say that the 

plane was flying normally 

and he would not return 

to the airport as requested. 

“The captain himself 

was confident enough to 

move which would make 

it possible for victims to 

sue. 

Google chief executive 

Sundar Pichai has told 

staff he supports their 

right to take the action. 

“I understand the anger 

and disappointment 

that many of you feel,” 

he said in an all-staff 

email. “I feel it as well, 

and I am fully committed 

to making progress on an 

issue that has persisted 

for far too long in our 

society… and, yes, here 

at Google, too.” 

A Twitter feed titled 

@googlewalkout has 

documented the movement 

at Google’s international 

offices. 

Google staff in Singapore, 

Zurich, London, 

Tokyo, Berlin and New 

York took part. 

THE United Nations 

General Assembly overwhelmingly 

adopted its 

27th annual resolution 

calling for an end to the 

U.S. economic embargo 

on Cuba after a failed bid 

by Washington to amend 

the text to push Cuba to 

improve its human rights 

record. 

The U.N. vote can carry 

political weight, but only 

the U.S. Congress can lift 

the more than 50-year-old 

embargo. The United 

States and Israel voted 

against the resolution, 189 

countries voted in favour 

and Ukraine and Moldova 

did not vote. 

Pilot radioed alert on doomed Indonesian jet’s previous flight 

fly to Jakarta from Denpasar,” 

said Herson, who 

goes by one name, speaking 

by phone from Bali 

and referring to the resort 

island’s airport. The pilot 

of another plane that was 

approaching Bali just after 

the Lion Air jet had 

taken off said he was ordered 

to circle above the 

airport and listened in to 

a radio conversation between 

the Lion Air pilot 

and air traffic controllers. 

“Because of the Pan-Pan 

call, we were told to hold 

off, circling the airport in 

the air,” said the pilot, who 

declined to be named because 

he was not authorised 

to speak to the media. 

“The Lion plane re- 

quested to return back to 

Bali five minutes after 

take-off, but then the pilot 

said the problem had 

been resolved and he was 

going to go ahead to 

Diamond Bank, in 

partnership with 

Facebook, has commenced 

the second phase of the 

training for Small and 

Medium-scale Enterprises 

(SME) owners to enhance 

their businesses 

using digital marketing 

strategies. 

The training which took 

place across seven states 

(Ibadan, Abuja, Kaduna, 

VANGUARD, FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — 43 

UN urges end to US embargo on Cuba 

Jakarta.” 

Pilots use ‘Pan-Pan’ calls 

to flag urgent situations. 

They are a step down from 

‘Mayday’, which signals 

severe distress. 

Kano, Port- Harcourt, Aba 

and Umuahia) with over 

1,000 SME owners in attendance, 

was aimed at 

scaling up the skills of 

small businesses to cater 

for millions of Facebook 

users in Nigeria and 

beyond. 

Addressing newsmen in 

Port-Harcourt, Head, Regional 

Businesses, South, 

Diamond Bank Plc, 

U.S. Ambassador to the 

United Nations Nikki Haley 

told the General Assembly 

that the resolution 

was an opportunity for 

countries “to feel they can 

poke the United States in 

the eye.” 

“But you’re not hurting 

the United States when 

you do this. You are literally 

hurting the Cuban 

people by telling the regime 

that their treatment 

of their people is acceptable,” 

she said ahead of 

the vote. 

The United States consistently 

voted against the 

U.N. resolutions for 24 

years but abstained for the 

first time in 2016 under 

former President Barack 

Obama, as Washington 

and Havana forged a closer 

relationship. 

But relations have deteriorated 

sharply since 

President Donald Trump 

took office in January 

2017, returning to Cold 

War characterisations of 

Cuba and tightening trade 

and travel restrictions that 

had been eased by 

Obama. 

The United States voted 

against the U.N. resolution 

last year along with 

its ally Israel. The General 

Assembly’s remaining 

191 members voted in 

favour. 

This year, the United 

States proposed eight 

amendments to the resolution, 

including calling 

on Cuba to “fully grant its 

citizens internationally 

recognised civil, political 

and economic rights and 

freedoms, including freedom 

of assembly, freedom 

of expression and free access 

to information.” 

Diamond Bank, Facebook host business training for 

entrepreneurs 

Nkem Okoro, said “As one 

of the fastest growing retail 

banks in the country, 

Diamond Bank is always 

at the forefront of leveraging 

technology to drive 

emerging businesses. The 

idea behind the training 

is to give our SME customers 

an opportunity to 

merge their personal and 

business Facebook accounts 

to increase exposure 

to potential customers. 

There are over two 

billion people on Facebook 

and with that, our 

customers will be able to 

showcase their products to 

this large population as 

well as get leads that will 

take their businesses forward. 

We have over 120 

SME customers participating 

in today’s event and 

we intend to actualise our 

promise to provide 

financial and non-financial 

services."


Sarri: Moses can leave 

CHELSEA Manager, 

Maurizo Sarri 

has opened the door of 

a potential exit for 27 

year old Moses to leave 

the club in January when 

the transfer window 

opens. 

Sarri had firm talks 

with Moses and told the 

Nigerian that he isn’t 

part of his future plans 

Success in 

contention for 

goal award 

ISAAC Success has 

been nominated for 

Watford’s Goal of the 

Month October 2018 

award for . 

The Super Eagles striker 

put the icing on the 

cake by converting a brilliantly 

executed free-kick 

routine for Watford’s third 

goal in the 80th minute 

against Huddersfield 

Town in a Premier 

League clash on Saturday. 


Okorocha, Amosun attack Oshiomhole afresh 


Speaking to reporters after 

a closed-door session with 


Buhari, Okorocha said the 

president remained the 

rallying force behind the 

continued unity of the APC 

even and with the same 

breath said that Oshiomhole 

could not with his alleged 

failures disintegrate the party. 

He also said that Asiwaju 

Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 

commendation of 

Oshiomhole flowed from 

ignorance on the alleged 

failures of the national 

chairman. 

“I am here to clear the air 

that the Presidency is behind 

what Oshiomhole is doing in 

some of the States which has 

affected our party negatively. 

From my understanding from 

Mr. President, there is no such 

directive for Oshiomhole to do 

anything illegal or create any 

sign of injustice and as so, 

Oshiomhole is on his own in 

this whole thing. 

“There is no presidency 

support for him to refuse a 

candidate who won the 

election and give to the wrong 

candidate who did not win the 

election. This is the matter, 

and I will simply say it is not 

with the consent of the 

presidency, he is on his own. 

When asked whether APC 

was going to disintegrate as 

a result of the crisis in the 

party, Okorocha who said that 

he was the person that named 

the party APC said, “Well, 

APC will not disintegrate for 

as long as the person, 

Muhammadu Buhari is still 

for the team and he is 

free to leave if an offer 

which matches his valuation 

by Chelsea is tabled 

by teams. 

Moses moved from his 

role as an integral play- 

Kalu faces fitness race 

THERE are fears over 

the fitness of Samuel 

Kalu ahead of Nigeria’s 

2019 Africa Cup of Nations 

qualifier against 

South Africa and the international 

friendly with 

Uganda this month. 

the President of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, and 

remains the leader of this 

party. 

“So, we cannot give that 

credit to the chairman. He 

cannot disintegrate this party, 

the party is still intact, just that 

many people are hurt. Since 

his inception and after this 

primaries, we are losing 

almost five million voters 

because of anger, protest 

everywhere, and he needs to 

be called to order, he has to 

respect the rule of law, respect 

court orders and do the right 

thing - obey court orders 

where applicable and not turn 

himself into INEC 

(Independent National 

Electoral Commission). 

The APC Governors Forum 

Chairman said that the tacit 

support for Oshiomhole by 

Tinubu was based on illinformation 

on the side of the 

national leader. 

“Maybe, he is being 

misinformed. If he is properly 

informed, he will not say what 

Oshiomhole is doing is the 

right thing.” 

On his rumoured plan to 

defect to the Social 

Democratic Party, SDP, he 

said, “SDP? How can I build 

a house and leave it for 

someone else? I am in APC, I 

founded the APC, I gave the 

name APC, and so this is our 

party, and we must continue 

with the party and build the 

party for victory. “ 

Meanwhile, Nwosu, 

yesterday radiated a kind of 

confidence that seemed to 

push aside the fact that he 

er during the reign of 

Antonio Conte to a player 

who has just 26 minutes 

of league football 

under Sarri whose team 

are currently unbeaten 

in all competitions. 

Regional newspaper 

Sud Ouest reported that 

the Nigeria international 

did not participate in Bordeaux 

training session 

yesterday as a result of 

illness. 

Musa: Eagles will beat Bafana Bafana in Jo’burg 

Pogba: Juventus is my home 

M ANCHESTER 

United midfielder 

Paul Pogba is excited to be 

returning to face Juventus 

on Wednesday - “Turin is 

my home”. 

''\It’s a pleasure for me, 

Turin is my home and 

that’s where I scored my 

first professional goal. We 

were a family, so of course 

we stay in touch.” 

Al-Nassr of Saudi Ara 

bia attacker, 

Ahmed Musa has declared 

that he and his colleagues 

in the Super Eagles 

will go all out for victory 

against South Africa 

later this month, because 

they remember how Bafana 

Bafana beat them dur- 

was not the candidate of the 

APC. 

Nwosu said: “Apart from 

available records, which 

showed that I am the 

authentic governorship 

candidate of our party, I also 

have a valid Court Order 

barring the partly and INEC 

from substituting my name. 

So the media house reporting 

that is obviously sponsored to 

do a hatchet job”. 

“There are no contentions to 

my victory at the Imo State 

governorship primary 

election. What we have in the 

records is that the 

governorship candidate of 

APC in Imo State is Uche 

Nwosu, not only that, I have a 

valid Court Order barring the 

party and the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission (INEC) from 

receiving any other name that 

is not my name. 

“There is no contention in 

that, the only primary that 

was upheld was that of 

Agbabiaka, which I won, and 

everybody knew it was the 

authentic primary. 

Also, Senator Anyanwu, 

through his Chief Press 

Secretary, Kelechi Eke, has 

said that he would not dump 

the PDP, for SDP. 

He said: “For the records, 

Sen. Samdaddy Anyanwu as 

the highest political office 

holder in PDP in Imo State 

will never leave the party for 

any individual or group of 

Individuals. 

Amosun’s DPP Option 

Governor Amosun was as at 

press time yesterday, locked 

ing the first leg in Uyo. 

Musa stressed: “South 

Africa are under pressure 

not Nigeria, so I think we 

are going there even for 

a win'' 

AWCON 2019: Dennerby reveals Super Falcons’ agenda 

SUPER Falcons coach, 

Thomas Dennerby 

has listed his team’s priority 

at the Africa Women 

Cup of Nations starting in 

Ghana on November 17. 

The Swede-born coach 

who has been training with 

home-based players with 

the hope of the foreignbased 

joining this weekend, 

said their first proiority 

is to win one of the three 

slots of the FIFA Women 

World Cup in France, and 

then of course to win their 

Zenith Women’s B’Ball League: Customs, 

Rocks, Angels confirm final six slots in Abuja 

NIGERIA Customs, 

Plateau Rocks and 

Kaduna Angels on Thursday 

picked the three final 

slots of the 14th Zenith 

Bank Women’s Basketball 

League taking place in 

Abuja. 

The three teams have 

been impressive at the savannah 

Conference of the 

competition which is also 

taking place in Enugu due 

AFRICAN 

football 

fans will tomorrow 

watch live Bundesliga 

matches, as Bayern 

Munich battle Freiburg at 

the Allianz Arena in 

Munich 

10th AWCON title. 

“We must secure a world 

cup place for France. And 

then win the title in Ghana,” 

said the coach. 

He revealed that his team 

is almost ready and all the 

invited foreign-based players 

will arrive on November 

expect those like Asisat 

Oshoala, Onome Ebi and 

Desire Oparanozie who 

have been exempted. 

in a strategy meeting with his 

associates ahead of today’s 

deadline for the submission of 

governorship candidates by 

INEC. His preferred aspirant 

for the APC ticket, Adekunle 

Akinlade was edged out by 

Chief Dapo Abiodun whose 

emergence has been seriously 

challenged by Amosun and 

his political machine. 

As at the time of filing this 

report, governor Amosun was 

holding a meeting with his 

loyalists over the decision of 

the National Working 

Committee of the party on the 

party candidates in the state 

ahead of the coming elections. 

Vanguard gathered that 

Amosun was under pressure 

from loyalists who did not 

make the party list submitted 

to INEC to pull out from the 

APC to DPP. 

However, the associates 

were said not to have reached 

a consensus on the issue with 

some still preferring the 

safety of the APC than 

migration to a new platform. 

One source pointed at the 

Chief of Staff to the governor, 

Tolu Odebiyi as equivocating 

on the issue and that he had 

been given a 24-hour 

ultimatum to make up his 

mind. 

The Chief of Staff was said 

to have requested for 48 hours 

to consult his people . 

We'll resist Oshiomhole’s 

plot to handover our state to 

rapacious cabal 

Governor Amosun was last 

night unyielding to the claims 

of innocence by Oshiomhole. 

The governor in a statement 

issued by his commissioner 

to its abridged format this 

season. 

Nigeria Customs and 

Plateau Rocks have been 

in devastating form against 

all opposing teams in Abuja 

centre of the championship. 

It was also not a surprise 

that Kaduna Angels women 

basketball team won the 

third ticket at the Savannah 

Conference. 

Bundesliga matches on StarTimes 

Currently occupying the 

second position on the table 

with 19 points, the Bavarian 

giants will be keen to catch 

up with leaders, Dortmund 

, who face Wlofsburg 

tomorrow. The games will 

be shown on StarTimes. 

Bayern Munich are set to 

be without Thiago 

Alcantara for ‘a few weeks’ 

after the influential 

midfielder suffered an ankle 

ligament injury. The 

Spanish international 

for information, Dayo 

Oduneye in responding to 

Oshiomhole’s claim that he 

would not sell his conscience 

said: 

The attention of the 

Governor of Ogun State, 

Senator Ibukunle 

“We state without any fear 

of equivocation that no one, 

at least not on the side of 

Senator Amosun, has 

requested or expected 

Oshiomole to sell his 

conscience. The least we 

expect of him is to abide by 

the rules and guidelines of the 

APC. Oshiomole knows, as 

we know, that in the instance 

of the last primaries in Ogun 

State, he has fallen short of the 

minimum standards of 

justice, equity and fairness. 

“The resort to hiding under 

the false claims about 

“conscience and integrity” is 

cheap. 

“Oshiomile knows that 

there were no other 

gubernatorial primaries in 

Ogun State other than the one 

that produced Hon. Adekunle 

Akinlade as candidate. He 

knows that the primaries into 

national and legislative 

offices were won hundred per 

cent by those declared winner 

by the panel he sent to Ogun 

State to oversee the exercise. 

He knows that the 

shenanigan of unknown court 

injunctions, unknown appeal 

panels and all sorts unleashed 

on the process by him and his 

cohorts are premeditated 

schemes executed to deny the 

members of the APC their true 

choice of candidates in the 

elections. 

“Our consolation lies in the 

The Kaduna Babes on 

Tuesday whipped Nasarawa 

Amazons 84-36 and 

had earlier in the tournament 

piped Benue Princess 

58-34. They were yet 

to play their last match at 

the time of this report but 

have recorded wins in other 

games just like the two 

other qualifiers for the Final 

Six slated for Lagos. 

limped out of the German 

giants’ DFB-Pokal win over 

Rodinghausen on Tuesday, 

adding to injury worries for 

manager Niko Kovac. 

The former Barcelona 

man, 27, who has played 

in 14 out of 15 competitive 

games this season, was 

replaced in the 75th minute 

after being fouled. And 

Coach Kovac, who was 

under pressure last month 

after a run of four games 

without a win, admitted the 

injury “doesn’t look good” 

Anichebe brands teammate as 

disgrace 

FORMER West Brom 

star, Victor 

Anichebe who could not 

hold his grief over a loan 

gave out to an ex team mate 

Stephane Sessegnon over 

an apparent £10,000 debt. 

Anichebe posted this 

message on Instagram 

before deleting it 

In the post, Anichebe 

wrote. 

“This guy Stephane 

Sessegnon asked me to 

borrow him £10k. 

“I’ve been chasing him 

for it for a long time now 

but he ignores my calls, 

messages and any form of 

contact.” 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

fact that in the fullness of 

time, what remains unknown 

to the public will become 

bare and everyone will see 

Oshiomole and his cotravellers 

for who they are. 

“In his conduct, Oshiomole 

has exhibited disdain for the 

interest of the APC and that 

of the National Leader of the 

party, President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

Senator Amosun remains 

committed to his convictions 

about President Buhari and 

nothing in the shenanigan of 

the primaries will change 

that. 

“Finally, Oshiomole’s 

claim that only three state 

governors are aggrieved 

about the conduct of the 

primaries flies in the face of 

the nation-wide outcry that 

remains loud, trailing the 

exercise several weeks after. 

We remind him that in any 

case, justice is not dependent 

on the number of whom it has 

been denied. 

“Injustice to one is injustice 

to all. The overwhelming 

majority of members of the 

APC in Ogun State remain 

unshaken in their rejection of 

the gangsterism that has 

been visited on them in the 

conduct of the primaries. 

“They remain resolved that 

the attempt to hand over their 

state and their patrimony to 

a rapacious gang of 

expansionists in the South 

West will be resisted, not 

only by members of the APC 

but by the entire people of 

Ogun State who are too 

enlightened to tolerate such 

abomination.”


46 —VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018


Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

7 Shortened (11) 

8 Impart knowledge (6) 

9 Three-legged stand (6) 

10 Purchased (6) 

12 Baltic country (6) 

13 Cereal crop (3) 

14 Mean, ungenerous (6) 

16 Indifference (6) 

18 Scarcity (6) 

20 Bloom, blossom (6) 

22 Handsome (4-7) 

DOWN 

1 Daybreak (4) 

2 Rectangular but not square (6) 

3 Branch of mathematics (8) 

4 Present (4) 

5 Rigorous (6) 

6 Reprove (8) 

11 Exceed in importance (8) 

12 Vaulting game (8) 

15 Not wide (6) 

17 Handsome youth (6) 

19 Pilot’s place (4) 

21 Therefore (4) 

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. 

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02112018 - Shi'ites: US, CDHR condemn use of ‘maximum force’

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