04022019 - North, S-West, N-Delta, M-Belt elders adopt Atiku

C 

M 

Y 

K 

CONFRONTING THE 

‘12 GIANT EVILS’: 

A responsive 

National Policy 

Alternative 28 

My transactions 

with Tinubu, by 

Tambuwal 42 

Nigeria not working 

— MBANEFO 

43 

Crash: No amount of 

thanksgiving to God is 

enough for saving our 

lives — OSINBAJO 

9 

VOL. 26: NO. 63736 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

North, S-West, N-Delta, 

M-Belt elders adopt Atiku 

•As Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze, PANDEF, M-Belt Forum meet in Abuja 

•Say Buhari has steered Nigeria towards insecurity, deep division, anarchy 

•I'm moved by the endorsement, says Atiku 

•They're parasites, traditional PDP supporters — BUHARI CAMPAIGN 

BUHARI LEADS APC RALLY IN GOMBE 

President Muhammadu Buhari (right), here greets former governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje (third right), Senator Ali 

Ndume (second right), Suleiman Hassan Minister of State Works, Housing & Power (second left), and others at the Gombe 

Airport during the APC Presidential Rally In Gombe State on Saturday. STATE HOUSE PHOTO. 

CCT trial: Anxiety over threat to 

issue bench warrant against 

Onnoghen 

8 

CCT boss, Umar, has no pending 

criminal charge — AGF 9 

Buhari’s govt marked 200 

judges for intimidation, false 

allegations — WIKE 

Don’t expect early discovery of 

oil in the North, NNPC warns 

COLUMNISTS OWEI LAKEMFA 33 SOBOWALE 31 HENRY BOYO 32 

12 

9 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, Henry 

Umoru, Omeiza 

Ajayi & Dirisu 

Yakubu 

ABUJA — Nigeria’s 

major sociocultural 

groups, under 

the aegis of Forum of 

Nigerian Elders and 

Leaders, yesterday 

endorsed the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

presidential candidate, 

Atiku Abubakar, averring 

that President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

has steered the country 

towards insecurity, deep 

Continues on Page 5 

‘FG’s 

intervention 

in tertiary 

institutions 

gulps 

N727.3bn 

in 4 yrs’ 

8 

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019—3

4 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

PDP Presidential candidate in this month's election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was over the weekend 

conferred with the title of Ahaejiagamba by Abia monarchs. Above, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar being invested 

with the title by the monarchs, led by their chairman, Eze Eberechi Dick. 

North, S-West, N-Delta, M-Belt elders adopt Atiku 

Continues from Page 1 

division, and anarchy. 

The resolution to adopt 

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for 

the presidency was 

adopted by Afenifere, 

(South-West); Northern 

Elders Forum, (North); 

Pan Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF; Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo (South-East) and 

the Middle Belt Forum, 

MBF, at the end of a 

meeting which held at the 

Abuja Sheraton Hotel, 

yesterday. 

The resolution was 

immediately welcomed by 

Atiku who said the rare 

unity of prominent 

Nigerians across ethnic 

and religious divides 

would further energise 

him to lead a Nigeria 

where neither tribe nor 

tongue would impair selfactualisation. 

The PDP Campaign on 

its part said it had fittingly 

positioned Atiku as the 

people’s candidate. 

The Buhari Campaign 

was, however, dismissive 

of the endorsement, 

describing the chieftains 

of the groups as known 

PDP supporters and 

parasites who in time 

past, rode on the back of 

Buhari for political 

relevance. 

The Buhari Campaign 

called out the chieftains of 

the various socio-cultural 

groups to test their 

political clout by 

organising parallel rallies 

anytime the Buhari 

campaign scheduled its 

rally in their zones. 

A communiqué issued 

at the end of the summit 

of the leaders drawn from 

the six-geopolitical zones, 

revealed that the groups 

were left with no option 

than to adopt Atiku, given 

his political savvy, 

compared to the younger 

ones in the contest. 

Among prominent 

Nigerians at the summit, 

yesterday, were Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo, (Afenifere), 

Prof. Ango Abdullahi 

(NEF), Chief Edwin 

Clark, (PANDEF); Chief 

Nnia Nwodo (Ohaneze), 

and Dr. Bitrus Pogu 

(MBF). 

Also present were 

Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, 

Prof. ABC Nwosu, Alhaji 

Buba Galadima, Amb. 

Yahaya Kwande, Dr. 

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, 

Dr. Junaid Muhammed 

and a host of others. 

‘Why we’re 

adopting Atiku’ 

In a communiqué at the 

end of the meeting, the 

forum acknowledged the 

existence of younger and 

highly qualified 

candidates, but advanced 

reasons for its choice of 

Atiku. 

“The Forum, having 

concluded a thorough 

evaluation of all 

candidates aspiring to 

lead our nation through its 

current challenges and 

engineer genuine 

national rebirth, has 

decided to note that 

several of the younger 

candidates who 

presented themselves for 

the Presidential election, 

demonstrated great 

capacity and promise to 

lead this country 

creditably and ensure that 

it engenders proper 

social and economic 

development to its people. 

“However most of these 

qualified younger 

candidates do not, at 

present, have the 

machinery and structures 

to win a Presidential 

election in Nigeria. 

“Therefore, the forum 

adopts the candidate of 

the PDP, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar of the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) as 

the Consensus Candidate 

for the office of President 

of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria as he has 

demonstrated the deep 

understanding of the 

critical need of the country 

at this time and possesses 

the capacity to proffer 

clear solutions in that 

respect. 

“Calls on all Nigerians, 

irrespective of religious or 

ethnic background to 

stand in unison and vote 

for Atiku Abubakar on the 

16th of February 2019 and 

ensure that they defend 

their votes.” 

It said having 

maintained informed 

vigilance over all 

developments towards 

the forthcoming 2019 

general election, it had 

outlined its views on the 

qualities of leaders that 

should aspire and seek its 

support and votes. 

The forum stated further: 

“These include a 

demonstrated 

commitment to the 

democratic process, a 

transparent willingness to 

address the structural 

foundations of our nation 

in a manner that should 

ensure greater political 

unity and economic 

development for all 

Nigerians, and the 

courage and competence 

to secure the nation from 

multiple and varied 

threats among others. 

“Having noted the 

continued drift of the 

country in the direction of 

insecurity, deep divisions, 

tyranny as shown in the 

recent unilateral sacking 

of the Chief Justice of the 

country against all 

globally known 

democratic ethos, etc. 

“Having closely 

followed the competition 

for mandates within the 

various political parties as 

well as the campaigns for 

the votes of Nigerians so 

far, including four weeks of 

close interactions and 

interviews with nearly all 

the aspirants for the 

position of the President of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria in the various 

parties. We make the 

following observations: 

Our observations 

“The forthcoming 

elections are vital to our 

desire to live together in a 

democratic nation that 

reflects our aspirations, of 

peaceful co-existence, 


By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou, Yinka 

Latona,Sophia Ogu &Chiamaka Uba 

Foreigners' participation in pro-Buhari rally (1) 

. 

Involvement 

of 

foreigners in 

President Buhari’s 

campaign is not a 

welcome idea at all. It 

means that foreigners 

may actively take part in 

the exercise in border 

states. 

I think this singular act 

is not healthy for our 

democracy as it will 

encourage rigging 

during the election. 

MissTemitope 

Mustapha Student 

Allowing foreigners to 

participate in election 

campaign may bring 

irregularities in the 

election. Such 

development could 

undermine the electoral 

process and national security 

as well. Presently, we are 

battling with the challenge of 

insecurity from some of these 

neighbouring countries, 

allowing them to participate 

in our election campaign is 

not ideal at all. 

Mrs. Onuoha Chinyere 

,Businesswoman 

Involvement 

of 

foreigners in our 

politics could undermine 

the credibility of the polls 

in border states and as 

well, endanger national 

security. 

This development had 

given credence to claims 

that foreigners had been 

registered from 

neighbouring countries 

to participate in the 

general elections. 

Miss Idris Tolulope 

Banker 

Personally, I am 

worried at the 

development as it could pave 

the way for inflow of non- 

Nigerians into the country to 

illegally participate in the 

2019 general elections. 

The presence of these 

Niger Republic governors at 

President Buhari’s rally 

signifies a direct assault on 

the credibility of the 

presidential election. Mrs 

Adeosun Tolulope Hair 

stylist 

In my opinion, I think 

other African nations 

have the right and 

freedom to associate with 

their counterparts within 

the region without fear or 

oppression.Nigerians 

should not be afraid of the 

development but I will 

implore INEC not to 

compromise during the 

election and not give 

room to any form of 

election malpractice. 

Mrs Agbabiaka Alice 

Businesswoman 

President Muham 

madu Buhari and 

his party are not pretending 

that they want 

to rig this election. We 

have seen enough evidence 

that they do not 

care about the credibility 

of the election. It is an 

insult for the APC to justify 

the presence of two 

Niger Republic governors 

at the rally. Nigerians 

should be ready to 

resist their evil plans. 

God is bigger than Buhri 

and APC. 

*Mr. Emmanuel Otobo 

Businessman

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

Notorious 

Katsina 

kidnapper 

nabbed 

By Bashir Bello 

KATSINA—A notorious 

kidnapper, Ibrahim 

Muwange, who has been on 

the wanted list of Katsina State 

Police Command in 

connection with kidnappings, 

cattle rustling and robbery, has 

been arrested. 

Spokesman of the 

command, SP Gambo Isah, 

who confirmed the arrest, said 

Muwange terrorised people of 

Danmusa, Malumfashi, 

Safana and Batsari Local 

Government areas of the state. 

SP Isah said Muwange was 

apprehended at Dayi, 

Malumfashi area of Katsina 

State. 

According to him, “On 

February 1 at about 5p.m., 

based on a tip-off, the 

Command succeeded in 

arresting one Ibrahim 

Muwange, 35, of Duffar Mato 

Malamai village, of Danmusa 

Local Government Area of 

Katsina State at Dayi, 

Malumfashi Local 

Government Area, Katsina 

state. 

“The suspect has been on 

the wanted list of the 

Command in connection with 

various cases of cattle rustling, 

kidnapping, culpable 

homicide and robbery 

terrorising Danmusa, 

Malumfashi, Safana and 

Batsari councils.” 

By Emeka Mamah 

ENUGU—FIVE suspected 

kidnappers including a 

woman were, weekend, 

arrested by Police operatives 

in a bungalow at a rural 

community in Nkanu West 


Enugu State. 

It was gathered that the 

suspects kept their victims in 

the bungalow before ransoms 

were paid for their release. 

Enugu State Police Public 

Relations Officer, Ebere 

Amaraizu, made this known 

By Abdulmumin Murtala 

KANO—THREE sisters living at 

Badawa Layout of Nasarawa 

Local Government Area, Kano State, 

have died in their sleep after spraying 

insecticide in their house at night. 

EXPRESS POTHOLES: Articulated trucks give up at different bad spots 

on Lagos-Badagry Expressway, yesterday. PHOTOS: Monsuru Olowoopejo. 

Fighting mosquitoes in Kano: 

3 sisters die in sleep after using insecticide 

By Daud Olatunji 

& Esther Onyegbula 

ABEOKUTA—TWELVE persons 

lost their lives, yesterday, in an 

accident involving a black Kia 

Cerato car and a grey Toyota Sports 

space bus near Shiun area of 

Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway, 

The sisters— Walida, 22; 

Zakiya, 20, and Wasila, 18— 

daughters of a businessman, 

Alhaji Salisu, went to bed 

Saturday only for their lifeless 

bodies to be discovered 

yesterday morning. 

... as 12 die in Ogun auto crash 

By Perez Brisibe 

UGHELLI—DISCOVERY of the 

remains of some suspected 

cultists killed during an attack on 

them by herdsmen, while 

performing initiation, has created 

tension in the university town of 

Abraka, Delta State. 

The incident, which was said to 

have occurred on January 26, came 

to the open yesterday, following the 

discovery of the decomposing 

bodies of some of the cultists 

dressed in their regalia. 

This is coming just as another 

group of herdsmen also opened fire 

on a team of five fishermen at 

Agadama community in Ughelli 

North Local Government Area of 

the state, killing two while three 

others escaped with gunshot 

Ogun State. 

Ogun State Sector 

Commander, Federal Road 

Safety Corps, FRSC, Clement 

Oladele, who confirmed the 

accident, said the Kia collided 

with the passenger bus 

yesterday afternoon, after one 

of its tyres burst. 

wounds. 

A security source at the 

Ughelli ‘A’ Police Division gave 

the names of the victims as 

Oruvwe Alakpa and Usivwe 

Edewor. 

The source, who spoke on 

condition of anonymity, said: 

“Both victims died on the spot, 

while the three others, who had 

accompanied them on the trip, 

sustained gunshot wounds. 

“The victims were buried by 

their families after their corpses 

were retrieved by community 

youths, who had mobilised into 

the bush to recover their lifeless 

bodies.” 

...on cultists’ killing 

Giving details on the attack 

on the cult group, a member 

The FRSC boss said the 

driver of the Kia car was 

suspected to have applied 

the brakes suddenly, which 

made him lose control of the 

speeding car. 

He said the car climbed the 

divider and collided with a 

Toyota Space van with 

number plates LSR 334FF, 

which was travelling from 

Herdsmen kill cultists in Abraka during initiation 

Police nab 5 kidnappers in Enugu 

yesterday. 

He said: ”The popular saying 

that one’s iniquity shall find him 

one day played out, weekend, in 

Enugu as some suspected members 

of a syndicate of kidnappers with 

their base in Aba, Abia State, were 

rounded up by the operatives of 

Nkanu West Division of Enugu 

State Command through a wellcoordinated 

intelligence 

information about their hideout 

located at Amakatanga axis of 

Agbani, Nkanu West Local 

Government Area of Enugu State. 

“It was gathered that the suspects, 

who gave their names as Kingsley 

Nwafor, 23; Chukwu Ebuka, 

28, and Mariam Oguejiofor, 

all residing at Aba, Abia State, 

and Nelson Morris, 24, as well 

as Ikechukwu Onwuabueke 

26, allegedly abducted their 

victim, one Anthony Okeke, 

46, from St. Michael’s Road, 

Aba, Abia State, after Mariam 

Oguejiofor lured the victim to 

Agbani in Enugu with details 

of business venture to be 

executed by him. 

“It was further gathered 

when the victim got to Agbani, 

the other suspects surfaced 

and pretending to be business 

of the Abraka Vigilante outfit 

told Vanguard that the 

incident occurred at the 

bushy part of Ovre’ Abraka 

where the cultists had 

converged for their ritual. 

He said: “We heard the 

gunshots at about 3:30a.m., 

after seeing some boys 

trooping into the area the 

previous night, but declined 

going to the area because 

that area is mostly dominated 

by herdsmen. 

“Some persons, while 

heading to their farms, 

stumbled on six decomposing 

bodies in different parts of the 

bush dressed in black with 

gunshot injuries. 

“Upon investigation, we 

discovered that some 

students from the university 

had converged in the area for 

their initiation, when they 

were attacked by the 

herdsmen, who thought the 

boys wanted to attack them. 

“We believe there are more 

bodies inside the bush as the 

decomposing bodies were 

discovered in different areas, 

apparently shot while trying 

to escape the attack.” 

Contacted, the state Police 

Public Relations Officer, DSP 

Andrew Aniamaka, stated 

that he contacted the 

Divisional Police Officers in 

the respective areas and they 

are yet to be briefed if any 

such incidents occurred. 

One of their neighbours said 

the young ladies might have 

sprayed insecticide in their 

room, which could be 

responsible for their fate. 

Kano is known for excessive 

mosquitoes presence, compelling 

many to abuse insecticides 

to seek relief from their bites. 

Spokesman of Kano Police 

Command, DSP Abdullahi 

Haruna, who confirmed the 

tragedy, said their bodies have 

been taken to hospital for autopsy. 

Abeokuta towards Sagamu. 

According to Oladele, “the 

unfortunate crash killed all the 

occupants of the two ill-fated 

vehicles. The suspected cause 

of the crash is tyre burst and 

speeding. They are five males, 

six female and one child. 

“The bodies have been taken 

to Olabisi Onabanjo University 

Teaching Hospital mortuary, 

Sagamu, and the wreckages of 

the vehicles have been cleared 

off the road.” 

He urged members of the 

public, whose family members 

travelled within the period, to 

contact the FRSC Command 

Abeokuta or Olabisi Onabanjo 

University Teaching Hospital, 

Sagamu, for identification of the 

victims. 

The Sector Commander also 

advised motorists to ensure 

that their vehicles are in good 

condition, including driving 

with good tyres, and avoid 

speed. 

...one killed in 

Lagos, 2 injured 

Also, a 29-year-old man 

identified as Morufu Balogun 

lost his life in a car accident at 

Majidun Bus Stop, along 

Ikorodu Road, Owode-Onirin 

area of Lagos, while two others 

sustained severe injuries. 

It was gathered that the 

accident occurred when the 

driver of a Honda Pilot SUV, 

with number plates EPE-599- 

EW, lost control of the car and 

knocked down three 

pedestrians. 

However, one of the victims, 

Morufu Balogun, died on the 

spot, while Adeniyi Ayuba and 

one other, who sustained 

injuries, were rushed to Ikorodu 

General Hospital. 

Confirming the incident, 

spokesman for Lagos State 

Police Command, CSP Chike 

Oti, said investigation is 

ongoing.


Sexagenarians, 6 others 

turn minors into sex slaves 

By Bashir Bello 

KATSINA—NINE suspects, 

including three 

sexagenarians, have been 

arrested by Katsina State Police 

Command for gang raping and 

turning two girls aged 14 and 

15 years(names withheld) into 

sex slaves. 

It was gathered that one of 

the girls hawk goods to support 

her insane mother after the 

death of her father and one of 

the suspects took advantage of 

her. 

The source added that the 

mother later regained her 

senses and reported the case 

at the Divisional Police 

Headquarters, Ingawa, that 

one Ibrahim Mohammed took 

her daughter, aged 14 years, 

into his room, took advantage 

and had sexual intercourse 

with her several times. 

Upon interrogation, Ibrahim 

By Innocent Anaba 

LAGOS—MEN of the 

Nigerian Police Force, Zone 

II, Lagos, have arrested Guy Futi, 

Managing Director of Jade 

Internet E-Services Nigeria 

Limited(Jumia Food), over 

allegations of fraudulent 

diversion/conversion of funds 

made against him by a logistics 

services providing company, 

Castle Logistics Services Limited, 

a Jumia vendor. 

Confirming the arrest, a member 

of the anti-fraud unit, Adewumi 

Adegoke, said a case of diversion 

of funds running into millions of 

naira was lodged against Jumia 

Food and Guy Futi by Castle 

Logistics. 

His words: “I can confirm that 

the Managing Director of Jumia 

Food was arrested and is in our 

custody. Investigations are 

ongoing on the allegations 

levelled against him and the 

company.” 

However, spokesperson for the 

company, Olukayode Kolawole, 

has said Guy Futi was not 

arrested, but honoured a Police 

invitation, after which he left the 

Police station. 

He said: “Jumia Food MD 

neither misappropriated the 

company’s funds nor converted 

them for personal use. 

“If this had happened, Jumia 

would have taken a legal action 

against him and probably 

involved the press. I say, 

unequivocally, that Jumia Food 

MD was never involved in any 

fraudulent act. 

“If truly this happened, why 

would Jumia cover up for him? Is 

an outside source more credible 

to tell an alleged story of fraud 

within Jumia than the company 

management? Again, there’s no 

•...another lures 4-yr-old with N50 

Mohammed confessed to have 

had sexual intercourse with her 

five times since he knew her two 

years ago. 

Similarly, Ali Isah, 68, also 

confessed to have had sexual 

intercourse with the girl. 

When asked if she feels pain 

in her private part, the victim 

said ’no,’ which many took to 

mean she had been consistently 

raped and already used to it. 

She later confessed that the 

suspects also had sexual 

intercourse with her friend, 

aged 15. 

Police 

Parading the suspects at the 

Police Headquarters, the 

command's spokesman, SP 

Gambo Isah, identified the 

sexagenarians as Ali Isah, 68; 

Ayuba Sada, 65, and Danjuma 

Saleh Galadima, 62, among 

others. 

The suspects, according to 

the Police, have been 

remanded in prison custody 

as they were charged to 

Senior Magistrate Court 5, 

Katsina State, for the offence 

of rape and conspiracy and 

the case is coming up by 

February 28. 

...4-yr-old 

Meanwhile, another 

identified as Wada Mai- 

Walda, 35, was also arrested 

for luring a four-year-old 

girl(names withheld) with 

N50 and ask her to open her 

private part for him to finger 

her. 

Mai-Walda has been 

charged to Sharia Court, 

Kofar Soro and his case 

comes up today, February 4, 

for hearing. 

Police arrest Jumia's MD over fraud petition 

•He honoured Police invitation, not detained—Jumia 

basis for hiding an employee’s 

fraudulent act if truly the employee 

committed such act. 

“Jumia has an outstanding court 

case against a vendor (3PL) 

partner, who owes the company 

and has refused to pay. It is on the 

basis of the court case filed against 

the vendor that Jumia Food MD, 

Guy Futi, was invited by the Police 

for questioning. 

“Guy Futi was never detained by 

the Police. He was invited for 

questioning and left the station 

after the interrogation same day. 

The Police should provide a 

physical evidence of him in 

detention or else the information 

you were supplied with was 

completely false and has a 

malicious intent. 

“A visit to the supposed station 

where he’s alleged to be waiting 

for bail will add so much credibility 

to your story. 

“Guy Futi had not joined Jumia 

as an employee at the time the 

vendor’s debts started 

accumulating. He’s barely new at 

Jumia Food. The allegations are 

completely untrue and appear to 

be a cheap effort by a third party to 

distract the public from the main 

issue and malign Jumia’s image.” 

The petition 

Castle Logistics, in a petition 

dated December 24, 2018 by one 

Mrs. Catherine Azubuike, to 

Nigerian Police, Zone II, Lagos, 

had alleged false presence, 

fraudulent conversion and 

diversion of N214.695 milion by 

Jumia Food. 

The petitioner alleged that they 

entered into a Service Level 

Agreement in August 2016, 

wherein they were to provide 

personnel services and equipment 

to Jumia Food for delivery of food 

supply requests made online by its 

customers, adding that it also 

involves the collection of monies 

and consequent remittance of 

same to Jumia. 

It was alleged that on May 

2018, Jumia was said to have 

been able to pay for only 

August 2016 to March 2018, 

and fell short of the payment 

of N214,695,445.49, and upon 

a thorough investigation into 

the payment collection 

system, they found out that 

Jumia, without Castle’s consent 

and permission, gave to some 

of the riders Jumia Food’s 

personal POS for collection of 

payments from customers, and 

effectively those payments were 

rendered directly into Jumia 

Food designated accounts, 

adding that Jumia stole and 

converted the said sum for own 

use. 

According to the petition, 

Castle demanded Jumia Food 

to provide it with complete 

bank reports of the 

transactions on those POS 

machines, but Jumia refused. 

It read: “Jumia Food 

refused, but rather chose to 

randomly estimate a 

percentage of the total funds 

received from those POS 

machines as funds related to 

orders handled by Castle. 

This resulted in huge monthly 

shortfalls on orders handled 

by Castle and Jumia Food 

kept demanding Castle to 

remit funds for those shortfalls 

without providing the POS 

reports.” 

Castle also alleged that 

further findings showed 

diversion of funds and Jumia 

deceived them into remitting 

funds to its bank account with 

clear intention to permanently 

deprive them of its use. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Chai! Chai! Chai! Who did 

this to Seyi Law's brother? 

Diarris God o. 

This here is national unity 

Let's not talk about the boys

8—VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

CCT trial: Anxiety over threat to issue bench 

warrant on Onnoghen 

•FG under pressure to withdraw charge 

•As S-Court hears Senate’s suit against Buhari tomorrow 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—AS the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal, CCT, 

in Abuja, resumes hearing on 

the six-count charge pending 

against the suspended Chief 

Justice of Nigeria, Justice 

Walter Onnoghen, his 

defence team has expressed 

fears over alleged plot to issue 

a bench warrant for his arrest. 

A member of Justice 

Onnoghen’s legal team 

comprising over 48 Senior 

Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, 

who spoke to Vanguard last 

night, expressed 

apprehension over alleged 

plan to persuade the Danladi 

Umar-led CCT panel to order 

security agencies to arrest the 

suspended CJN. 

The senior lawyer, who 

pleaded anonymity, 

maintained that the motion 

was already prepared and 

ready to be moved today, 

should Justice Onnoghen fail 

to appear before the CCT for 

his trial. 

It will be recalled that that 

the suspended CJN, who is 

facing prosecution over 

allegation that he failed to 

declare his assets as 

prescribed by the law, as well 

as operated foreign bank 

accounts, had on two 

adjourned dates declined 

appearance summons the 

tribunal issued against him. 

While he declined to appear 

for arraignment on January 14 

on the premise that the 

summon was not personally 

served on him, the defendant, 

on January 21, equally failed 

to appear before the tribunal, 

which he argued was bereft 

of the requisite jurisdiction to 

try him. 

He contended that Federal 

Government’s failure to 

channel the petition against 

him, as well as the outcome of 

the investigation that was 

purportedly conducted on his 

assets declaration forms by the 

Code of Conduct Bureau, 

CCB, to the National Judicial 

Council, NJC, legally 

invalidated the charge it 

entered against him at the 

CCT. 

Meantime, following his 

repeated absence for his 

scheduled trial, the Federal 

Government, on the last 

adjourned date, said it had the 

right to apply for a bench 

warrant to be issued against 

the suspended CJN. 

“We have the right under 

Paragraph 6(6) of the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal Practice 

Direction to apply for warrant 

of arrest,” government’s 

lawyer, Alhaji Aliyu Umar, told 

the tribunal. 

Vanguard learned last night 

that Onnoghen, who has 

gone to the Court of Appeal 

to challenge his trial, may not 

appear before the tribunal 

today, a situation that could 

warrant an application for his 

arrest. 

A-court set to hear 

Onnoghen’s appeal 

Meanwhile, the Justice 

Abdul Aboki-led three-man 

panel of Justice of the Court 

of Appeal is set to hear 

Onnoghen’s appeal. 

The appellate court had in 

a ruling on January 30, 

vacated its initial order that 

stopped the CCT from taking 

further steps in Onnoghen’s 

trial. 

The appellate court held that 

staying further proceedings in 

the matter would amount to a 

violation of extant laws 

regulating criminal trials in the 

county. 

As S-Court hears 

Senate’s suit 

against Buhari 

tomorrow 

In another development, the 

Supreme Court has fixed 

tomorrow to hear a suit the 

Senate lodged to challenge 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s powers to unilaterally 

suspend the CJN. 

In the suit marked SC.76/ 

2019, the Senate asked the 

apex court to declare the 

suspension of Onnoghen 

without support of two-thirds 

majority of the Senate, as a 

violation of section 292(1)(a)(i) 

of the constitution. 

The suit, having raised 

constitutional issues, will be 

handled by a seven-man 

panel of justices that will be 

constituted by acting CJN, 

Justice Tanko Muhammad. 

FG under pressure 

to withdraw charge 

Neverthless, pressure has 

continued to mount on the 

Federal Government to 

withdraw the charge against 

Onnoghen following the 

recent intervention of the NJC 

in the matter. 

The NJC had at the end of 

its emergency meeting last 

week, handed Justice 

Onnoghen seven working 

days to respond to corruption 

allegations against him. 

The legal body equally gave 

the same number of days to 

the acting CJN, Justice 

Muhammad, to explain why 

disciplinary action should not 

be taken against him for 

submitting himself to be swornin 

by President Buhari as 

Onnoghen’s replacement. 

Basically, the NJC, directed 

the suspended CJN to 

respond to a petition that was 

lodged against him by one 

Zikhrillahi Ibrahim of 

Resource Centre for Human 

RALLY: From 3rd left, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, National 

Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC; Governor Mohammed 

Abubakar of Jigawa State; President Muhammadu Buhari, and others, 

during the APC campaign rally in Jigawa State, yesterday. 

FG’s intervention in tertiary institutions 

gulps N727.3bn in 4 years—Minister 

By Joseph 

Erunke 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government said it has 

spent a total of 

N727,225,862,128.86 in the 

last four years on intervention 

in public universities, 

polytechnics and colleges of 

education. 

The disclosure came as the 

government expressed 

serious disappointment over 

what it described as “lack of 

accountability in some of the 

nation’s tertiary institutions.” 

Minister of Education, 

Mallam Adamu Adamu, 

who disclosed this at a press 

conference in Abuja, said the 

amount was spent on 

intervention in critical areas 

of tertiary education in the life 

of the Buhari administration 

in the last four years. 

He said: “Let me reiterate 

that the Federal Government 

will not fold its arms to watch 

public educational institutions 

funded from the public purse 

flout the laws of public 

accountability. 

“During the period under 

review, the Federal 

Government, through the 

instrumentality of the Tertiary 

Education Trust Fund, 

TETFUND, allocated a total 

of N727,225,862,128.86 

worth of investment in critical 

areas of infrastructural 

development in our tertiary 

institutions, especially in 

physical infrastructure, 

project maintenance, 

Information and 

Communication Technology, 

ICT, 

support, 

entrepreneurship, library 

development and special 

high impact projects, 

academic staff training and 

development, and research, 

among others. 

“TETFund intervention is 

aside from other sources of 

funding tertiary education 

such as the NEEDS 

Assessment, internally 

generated revenue of these 

institutions among others.” 

Calling on Academic Staff 

Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, 

to call off its strike, the minister 

said: “We have virtually 

resolved all issues as we await 

the union to also call off their 

strike in the coming days. 

Similarly, the government 

team has reached agreement 

with ASUU.It is my hope that 

academic activities will also 

resume in universities 

campuses across the country 

Health: Buhari stronger than 

many Nigerian men 

— Campaign Council 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

A BUJA—The 

Muhammadu 

Buhari Presidential 

Campaign Council has 

allayed fears about the 

health of the President, 

saying he remained fit and 

even stronger than many 

Nigerian men. 

Deputy Director General 

of the council, Waziri 

Bulama, disclosed this, 

weekend, while speaking 

with journalists in Abuja. 

He said: “I think the 

President, from the way he 

works in this campaign, has 

shown that he is stronger 

than many average men in 

this country. 

‘’This is a man at that age, 

flying from city to city and 

at least two cities every day 

of the week, commissioning 

projects, meeting traditional 

rulers, stakeholders and still 

returning to attend to other 

state functions and other 

groups in the Aso Villa. 

“The presidential 

campaign council is 

organised and structured in 

such a manner that all our 

leaders are part of the 

campaign organisation. For 

you to understand the role 

assigned to Asiwaju Ahmed 

Tinubu, the campaign is 

structured to suit every 

member. 

“You can recall that the 

reason Mr President said 

that Tinubu should co-chair 

the campaign is because he 

would not want to allow the 

state duty to suffer during 

the campaign. 

‘’Therefore, on issues that 

require his attention but will 

not be available because of 

state duties, we should 

reach out and refer to 

Tinubu. 

‘’Organising the 

campaign has many issues 

around it and we must 

know that organising a 

campaign is an ad-hoc 

exercise and a temporary 

arrangement with the main 

objective of mobilising and 

sensitising to bring out as 

many Nigerians as possible 

to participate in this 

election." 

Elections: No going back on 

manual results collation, 

transmission —INEC 

By Emma Ujah, 

Abuja Bureau Chief 

ABUJA— Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, has 

insisted on manual 

collation and transmission 

of the forth coming 

elections’ results. 

INEC’s National 

Commissioner and 

Chairman, Information 

and Voter Education, Mr. 

Festus Okoye, told 

journalists at an interactive 

session, in Abuja, last night 

that the decision to stick to 

manual collation and 

transmission of results was 

in line with extant electoral 

laws. 

“We have a bill for the 

amendment of the electoral 

law before the National 

Assembly. We have to 

conduct the elections in 

accordance with the 

provisions of the existing 

law. If the National 

Assembly amends the law, 

then we can act 

accordingly. We cannot act 

outside the law,” he said. 

Okoye said necessary 

arrangements had been 

made by INEC for the forth 

coming elections and that 

the commission would 

disappoint those waiting to 

buy votes at the polls. 

On what strategies had 

been put in place in that 

regard, he said: “The 

strategies are being kept 

secret. We will surprise 

them.” 

According to him, two 

Collation Officers will man 

each polling unit, with one 

collating the presidential 

election result and move on 

with it to the ward level for 

immediate transmission; 

while the second collation 

officer would take 

responsibility for the 

collation of the senatorial 

and House of 

Representatives results, 

which would be declared at 

different level. 

The commissioner 

disclosed that people living 

with disabilities, albinos, 

the elderly and pregnant 

women would receive 

special attention at the 

polling centres. 

He also said voters could 

vote with any of their 

fingers, especially given the 

fact that the space against 

the parties would be 

smaller due to their large 

number. 

Okoye urged political 

parties to play their roles 

with a view to making the 

elections successful. 

The Resident 

Commission in the Federal 

Capital Territory, Alhaji 

Yahaya Bello, urged the 

media to place premium on 

national security in their 

reportage during the 

elections. 

He urged them to avoid 

sensationalism and fake or 

unverified reports that 

could cause violence.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019—9 

Don’t expect early discovery of oil in 

northern Nigeria, NNPC cautions 

•NUPENG, PENGASSAN laud FG 

•Beg Buhari to assent to PIB without delay 

By Victor 

Ahiuma-Young & 

Michael Eboh 

NIGERIAN National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, weekend, issued a 

caveat against heightened 

expectations of an early find 

of crude oil and gas in the 

north, warning that discovery 

of hydrocarbons in the region 

might not be immediate, as it 

might take years or decades 

to achieve. 

Speaking during the 

Presidential Spud-in (drilling) 

of Kolmani River II Well, in 

Barambu community in 

Alkaeri Local Government 

Area, between Bauchi and 

Gombe states, Group 

Managing Director of NNPC, 

Mr. Maikanti Baru, warned 

that oil was discovered in 

Niger Delta after 50 years of 

searching, while in some 

other countries, it took several 

decades and search in 

numerous wells before the 

discovery. 

He called for patience from 

the president, who gave them 

the marching orders to search 

for crude in the north, from 

people of the North-East zone 

and the entire Nigerians. 

He said: “It usually takes 

time for oil to be discovered. 

In Niger Delta basin, it took 

over 50 years for explorations 

to discover crude oil. 

‘’Niger Republic drilled over 

600 wells over many years 

before they discovered crude 

oil, therefore, Mr. President, 

patience is of essence here.” 

Baru, however, assured that 

the NNPC will leave no stone 

unturned in executing the 

directive of the Presidency, 

while assuring that the NNPC 

would sustain the intensity of 

the ongoing oil and gas 

exploration in the inland 

basins. 

NUPENG, 

PENGASSAN 

laud FG 

Meanwhile, Nigeria Union 

of Petroleum and Natural Gas 

Workers, NUPENG, and its 

Petroleum and Natural Gas 

Senior Staff Association, 

PENGASSAN, counterpart, 

have commended the flag-off 

and official commencement of 

crude oil search in the Kolmani 

Well River-II, located near 

Barambu, Alkaleri Local 

Government Area of Bauchi 

State. 

The two unions noted that 

this latest milestone recorded 

by the government of 


Buhari was undoubtedly a 

reflection of his government’s 

resolve and commitment to 

grow Nigeria’s economy, boost 

capacity and provide energy 

sufficiency, strengthen 

Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. 

In a joint statement by Prince 

Williams Akporeha and 

Francis Johnson, President of 

NUPENG and 

PENGASSAN respectively, 

the unions, yesterday, argued 

that this initiative would go a 

long way to galvanize the 

current government’s national 

drive for jobs creation, youths 

empowerment and human 

capital development. 

The statement read: “We 

equally found it worthy to 

extend our commendations to 

Minister of State for Petroleum 

Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe 

Kachikwu, the hard working 

Group Managing Director, 

NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, 

and their entire team for 

making February 2, 2019, 

epochal in the annals of 

Nigerian history, posterity will 

surely judge you kindly for 

being a part of this major and 

significant breakthrough in 

our national life. 

Beg Buhari to assent 

to PIB 

“There is no iota of doubt in 

our minds that Nigerian 

workers have capacity and 

ability to deliver even much 

more than their counterparts 

in other climes when given the 

right tools and right working 

environment/conditions to do 

so. 

"However, as key 

stakeholders in the industry, 

we urge and appeal to this 

listening administration to 

accelerate the final executive 

assent to the entire Petroleum 

Industry Bill. 

"In this Bill, roles and 

accountability are better 

clarified; governance and 

transparency strengthened 

and inefficiency, 

maladministration, corruption 

and secrecy are accordingly 

tackled, these are quite 

important and must be 

upheld." 

“We further believe that 

when passed, it would end 

unnecessary political 

interference in the sector and 

optimize value chain in the 

upstream, midstream and 

downstream of the petroleum 

industry." 

'CCT boss, Umar, has no pending criminal 

charge' 

CHAIRMAN of Code of 

Conduct Tribunal, 

CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, 

has no criminal charges for 

fraud pending against him 

in the course of discharging 

his duties, according to 

PRNigeria. 

Dependable sources 

confirmed to PRNigeria that 

the purported charge filed 

against Umar by Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, 

through Mr Festus 

Keyamo, had been 

withdrawn on the order of 

the Attorney-General of the 

Federation and Minister of 

Justice since last year. 

The charge was, 

subsequently, struck out by 

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the 

Federal Capital Territory 

Crash: No amount of 

thanksgiving to God is enough 

for saving our lives —Osinbajo 

IDAH 

(Kogi)—Vice 

President Yemi Osinbajo 

said, yesterday, that no 

amount of thanksgiving and 

praises to God would be 

enough for saving his life 

and nine others in Saturday’s 

helicopter crash. 

News Agency of Nigeria 

reports that the Vice 

President survived an 

helicopter accident at Kabba 

in Kogi. 

Osinbajo spoke during a 

thanksgiving service at 

Redeemed Christian Church 

of God, RCCG, City of Grace, 

Lokoja. 

“Only God can take the 

glory for saving my life and 

that of the nine crew 

members on board,” he said. 

He said it would have been 

breaking news on local and 

international media that Vice 

President Osinbajo and nine 

crew members died in an 

helicopter crash, but noted 

that God had not allowed 

such to happen. 

He said: “No amount of 

thanksgiving and praises to 

God would be enough for 

saving my life and nine crew 

on board. 

“God is the one who can 

do all things, and only him 

can take the glory; we return 

the glory to him. 

“We are here to say thank 

you, thank you JESUS. We 

bless his name forever and 

ever.” 

Earlier, in a live telecast 

from the RCCG 

headquarters, Lagos, the 

General Overseer of the 

church, Pastor Enoch 

Adeboye, asked the 

congregation to rise and give 

glory to God for saving the 

live of his son, the Vice 

President, Yemi Osinbajo, 

from a crash. 

According to Adeboye, the 

devil wanted to take the life 

•AGF, EFCC’s reports clear him of 

bribery allegation 

High Court Abuja after it 

was withdrawn by the 

EFCC. 

The charge, filed by 

Keyamo, was done without 

the approval of Minister of 

Justice, Mallam Abubakar 

Malami, SAN, who 

immediately ordered that 

the charge be withdrawn 

because it was lacking in 

merit. 

PRNigeria has obtained 

copies of separate letters of 

query from the Ministry of 

Justice to Magu and 

Keyamo and another 

previous letter from the 

EFCC that exonerated the 

CCT boss from a bribery 

allegation. 

In a letter written to the 

Acting Chairman of EFCC, 

Ibrahim Magu, and 

Keyamo, Minister of 

of Yemi Osinbajo, but God 

put the devil to shame. 

Buhari praises 

Osinbajo for 

carrying on with 

campaign despite 

crash 

Following the accident, 


Buhari has commended 

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo 

for his “resilience” over how 

he handled the helicopter 

crash of Saturday. 

According to a statement 

from Garba Shehu, 

presidential spokesman, 

Buhari called the vicepresident 

and praised him for 

continuing with campaign 

activities despite the crash. 

Buhari said it takes 

“tenacious spirit and 

amazing spiritual strength” 

to survive a helicopter crash 

“without being paralysed by 

its impact.” 

Shehu quoted the 

President as telling Osinbajo 

during the phone call: “We 

give glory to Almighty God 

for sparing your life. I’m 

impressed by your tenacious 

spirit which enabled you to 

continue on your campaign 

engagement, despite the 

shock of the crash." 

NCAA commences 

probe 

The managers of the 

helicopter said the crash was 

caused by unusual weather 

condition. It was the second 

crash in eight months 

involving the vice-president. 

Meanwhile, Nigerian Civil 

Aviation Authority, NCAA, 

said yesterday it has begun 

investigation into the crash. 

General Manager, Public 

Relations, of NCAA, Mr Sam 

Adurogboye, confirmed this 

in Lagos. 

Justice had made it clear 

that he did not authorise 

the charge of any purported 

criminal charge to be 

brought against the CCT 

boss, hence the one filed 

against him by EFCC and 

Keyamo was a nullity. 

In the letter dated 

February 16, 2018, with 

Reference No DPP/ 

ADV:368/15 and signed by 

the Solicitor General of the 

Federation and Permanent 

Secretary in the Ministry of 

Justice Mr. Dayo Apata, the 

minister ordered Magu to 

explain what informed the 

filing of corruption charges 

against the tribunal 

chairman, having being 

cleared of corruption 

allegation twice by the same 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission.

10 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

Compel Fashola to 

name contractors who 

disappeared with project 

funds, SERAP tells court 

•I won't join issues with SERAP 

— Fashola's aide 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—THE Socio- 

Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project, 

SERAP, has dragged the 

Minister of Power, Works 

and Housing, Mr. 

Babatunde Fashola to 

court over “failure to 

disclose specific names 

and details of contractors 

and companies that 

allegedly collected money 

for electricity projects but 

failed to execute any 

between 1999 and 2018.” 

Recall that the 

Presidential candidate of 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar, on Channels 

TV, said: “We collected 

money from local, state 

and federal governments 

and others. Contractors 

were given some contracts 

and were paid hundred 

percent upfront. Up till 

now, we are not holding 

the contractors 

responsible. People have 

collected money upfront 

one hundred percent and 

have disappeared; and 

have not even done any 

work.” 

In the suit number FHC/ 

L/CS/105/19 filed last 

week at the Federal High 

Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, 

SERAP is seeking “an 

order for leave to apply for 

judicial review and an 

order of mandamus 

directing and/or 

compelling Mr. Fashola to 

provide specific details on 

the names and 

whereabouts of the 

contractors who collected 

public funds meant for 

electricity projects but 

disappeared with the 

money without executing 

any projects.” 

The suit followed 

SERAP’s Freedom of 

Information request dated 

4 January, 2019 giving 

Fashola 14 days to publish 

“the names of all 

contractors and 

companies that have been 

engaged in the power 

sector since 1999 till date, 

details of specific projects 

and the amounts that have 

been paid to the 

contractors and 

companies, details on the 

level of implementation of 

electricity projects and 

their specific locations 

across the country.” 

I won’t join issues to 

SERAP — Fashola’s aide 

When contacted, Special 

Adviser on Media to the 

Minister, Mr. Hakeem 

Bello said: “I am not 

reacting to SERAP but if 

they have gone to court, 

definitely, the ministry 

will respond.” 

IBTC YOUTH LEADERSHIP SERIES From left; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Dr Demola Sogunle; 

Founder, Pearls African Youth Foundation, Mrs Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings 

Plc, Mr Yinka Sanni; Movie Director, Kemi Adetiba and CEO, Farmcrowdy, Mr Onyeka Akumah, at the 2019 

Stanbic IBTC Youth Leadership Series in Lagos on Friday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 

How Tinubu stopped Ambode's 

impeachment 

•Gov may present budget today, USOSA calls for truce 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni & Esther 

Onyegbula 

LLeader AGOS—NATIONAL 

of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, 

yesterday, intervened in the 

feud between Governor 

Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos 

State and the legislature 

which has snowballed into 

impeachment threats. 

Consequently, 

indications emerged that 

members of the Lagos State 

House of Assembly may 

jettison the plan to impeach 

Ambode as they reconvene 

sitting today. 

This was the outcome of 

a peace parley yesterday in 

Lagos, which was attended 

by Tinubu, members of 

Governor’s Advisory 

Council, GAC; 

governorship candidate of 

APC in the state, Mr. Jide 

Sanwo-Olu; Lagos Central 

Senatorial Leader, Prince 

Tajudeen Olusi; Governor 

Ambode, his deputy, Idiat 

Adebule; Speaker of the 

House, Mudashiru Obasa, 

his deputy, Wasiu 

Esinlokun; Majority 

Leader, Sinai Agunbiade; 

Chief Whip, Rotimi Abiru 

and running mate to 

Sanwo-Olu, Dr. Femi 

Hamzat among others. 

Speaking at the end of the 

meeting, Tinubu, said: “We 

held a meeting on behalf of 

Lagosians. In the last week 

or so, there has been some 

talk about a conflict 

between the executive and 

the legislature in Lagos. 

This is of great concern to 

us. We looked at the source 

of the conflict, which is 

normal in a democracy, and 

that is why there are also 

conflict-resolution 

mechanisms. 

“We examined the 

grievances on both sides. As 

leaders, we also looked into 

areas where there has to be 

compromise. In order to 

build institutions and 

encourage consensusbuilding, 

we have to do 

what is right. 

“There is no 

impeachment. Let there be 

more communication and 

consensus-building and 

understanding. All these 

are inbuilt in the democratic 

system. 

“We thank the Speaker 

and the leadership of the 

House. We thank the 

governor and the deputy 

governor. They have all 

demonstrated respect for 

the party leadership in 

Lagos. You know when 

Lagos sneezes, other areas 

catch cold. We are happy 

that we are able to resolve 

the conflict and things will 

start moving well going 

forward.” 

Also speaking, Olusi 

said: “The APC leader has 

spoken. This is just to 

further confirm the 

decisions that we reached. 

Conflict is an institutional 

part of the governance. 

The executive and 

legislature must work 

together. 

“We have reached a 

decision that they must work 

together amicably. And 

very soon, the Legislature 

and the executive must 

resolve the grey areas in 

their relationship.” 

USOSA leadership 

calls for truce 

Meanwhile, the 

leadership of the Unity 

Schools Old Students 

Association, USOSA, the 

umbrella body of all alumni 

associations of all 104 

Federal Unity Schools, has 

called for peaceful 

resolution of the 

contentious issues. 

The President General of 

the association, Mr. 

Lawrence Wilbert, noted 

that with the socio-economic 

credentials of the state, 

threats to impeach the 

governor may lead to 

unnecessary chaos, which 

could weaken the state’s 

socio-economic 

competitiveness. 

He noted, “Lagos is 

Africa’s fifth largest 

economy contributing 

about 90 percent of the 

country’s trade flows and 

about 65 percent of 

manufacturing activities in 

Nigeria. In Q4 2017, it 

received about half of 

Nigeria’s capital 

importation. Lagos is 

Nigeria’s most attractive 

city of opportunities, with 

the constant growth in 

population. These are 

credentials that make a 

peaceful relationship 

between the different arms 

of government, absolutely 

imperative, to consolidate 

on the infrastructure 

development the state has 

continued to maintain.” 

The lawmakers had 

threatened to impeach the 

governor for allegedly 

spending unbudgeted 

funds in the 2019 

appropriation bill. 

Osinbajo crash : Privacy of people involved should 

be respected — AIB COMMISSIONER 

By Lawani Mikairu Professor Yemi Osinbajo FACT FINDING and 

(SAN)”. 

E 

making 

safety 

NGINEER Akin “Passengers and crew Recommendations with a 

O l a t e r u , survived the accident with view to preventing future 

Commissioner, Accident no injury. I will like to occurrences”. 

Investigation Bureau , AIB, appreciate the “As the Investigating 

yesterday called on the professionalism of the agency, AIB needs and 

general public to respect rescue team, without whose hereby solicits for your help. 

the privacy of those effort there may have been We want the public to know 

involved in the Caverton recorded casualty and/or that we would be amenable 

Helicopter crash. A injury”. 

to receiving any video 

statement signed by him “Accident Investigation clip(s), relevant evidence, 

said : 

Bureau, AIB, the agency of or information any member 

“On February 2, 2019 at government created under of the public may have of 

about 1331 UTC, (14:31 the Civil Aviation Act 2006 the accident; that can assist 

Local Time) an helicopter with a clear mandate to us with this investigation”. 

(AgustaWestland 139) with investigate air accidents “I would like to enjoin the 

Nigerian Registration and serious incidents has Press and the public please, 

Marks 5N-PEJ and serial commenced investigation to respect the privacy of the 

number: 31389, owned and into this accident”. people involved and NOT 

operated by Caverton “I am assuring the entire to pre-empt the cause of the 

Helicopters crashed on public that this accident. AIB will release 

landing in Kabba, Kogi investigation will be the preliminary report 

State, with 12 souls on detailed, thorough and which will include factual 

board including the Vice timely. Accident information about the 

President of the Federal Investigation is not to accident in a matter of days”, 

Republic of Nigeria, apportion blame, it is about he added.

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

VISIT: From left; Liyel Imoke, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Presidential 

candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Emir of Gwandu, Maj. Gen. Muhammad 

Ilyasu Bashar, National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus and the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu 

Waziri Tambuwal during during a courtesy call on the Emir yesterday. 

Two dead, several injured at Oyo APC rally 

IBADAN—NO fewer 

than two people died in 

a bloody clash between 

suspected political 

hoodlums at an All 

Progressives’ Congress, 

APC, campaign rally in 

Igboora area of Oyo 

State. 

The News Agency of 

Nigeria, NAN, reports 

that the incident 

occurred immediately 

after the rally held at the 

old motor park in 

Igboora on Saturday 

evening commenced. 

NAN reports that the 

campaign train, led by 

Governor Abiola Ajimobi, 

had commenced with a road 

show from Lanlate through 

Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa 

and Igangan before the 

ralies at Igboora, Eruwa 

and Omi-Adio. 

It was a peaceful rally 

which saw the governor 

and the party’s 

governorship candidate, 

Chief Adebayo Adelabu, 

acknowledging cheers 

from supporters who had 

thronged the streets to 

show solidarity for the party. 

Trouble, however, started 

immediately after the rally 

in Igboora as suspected 

political hoodlums 

engaged in a bloody clash 

which left one dead. 

NAN reports that another 

innocent resident, 

identified to be a 

younger brother to an 

APC leader in the 

community, was hit by a 

stray bullet and eventually 

Outbreak of Lassa fever in Ondo: CAN calls 

for sensitisation as 100 cases confirmed 

By Dayo Johnson 

A 

K U R E — 

PALPABLE fear 

has gripped the people of 

Ondo State as over 100 

cases of the Lassa fever has 

been confirmed in the state. 

This came as the 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, expressed 

worry that 80 cases have 

been confirmed. 

The outbreak was said to 

have been rampant in Owo 

and Ose council areas of 

the state. 

Sources in the Health 

Ministry said the death 

rate so far recorded as a 

result of the outbreak was 

below 20. 

Chairman of CAN in 

Ondo State, Rev Dr. Ayo 

Oladapo, in a five 

paragraph letter forwarded 

to religious leaders across 

the state, asked them to 

sensitize their members 

during their church 

programmes. 

Oladapo, in a statement 

entitled Outbreak of Lassa 

Fever in Ondo State, said: 

“I have just been informed 

through the representative 

of the Government that 

there is an outbreak of Lassa 

fever in the State. About 80 

cases have been confirmed. 

“All our Churches 

should please sensitize 

their members to cover 

their food properly and 

eradicate the existence of 

rats in their vicinities. 

“Announcement should 

be made on pulpits and in 

all our services.” 

In a swift response, 

Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu, at the weekend, 

inaugurated an Emergency 

Response Committee on 

Lassa fever, following 

recent reported cases of the 

disease in the state. 

The committee, chaired 

by the state Commissioner 

for Health, Dr. Wahab and 

Adegbenro, has the 

General Manager of Ondo 

State Waste Management 

Authority, Mrs. Bola 

Akinyanmi, as its secretary. 

The committee was 

charged to ensure that 

Lassa fever is flushed out 

of the state within the 

shortest possible time, 

and to embark on 

campaigns, advocacy 

visits to royal fathers and 

religious leaders and to 

identify an appropriate 

dump site for human 

wastes. 

The state Health 

commissioner, Dr 

Adegbenro said: “The 

sensitisation campaigns 

would be to crisscross the 

state on the need for 

residents to keep their 

environment clean and 

live hygienic lives at all 

times so that the primary 

carrier of the Lassa virus 

would not live in homes 

and to reduce the 

incidences of human to 

human transmissions. 

“Our people need to 

maintain cleaner 

environments, shun the 

habit of indiscriminate 

dumping of refuse around 

your homes so as not to 

attract rats. 

“Government has set in 

motion immediate plans to 

evacuate all dumpsites to 

keep rats far away. 

“The original source is 

from rats to human, but 

we have lots of human to 

human transmission and 

this is more reason why 

it is imperative to report any 

suspicious case to nearest 

health facility where 

necessary tests would be 

carried out to ascertain if 

it’s malaria or not so as to 

have such patient 

appropriately referred.” 

gave up the ghost. 

How crisis started 

Eyewitnesses told NAN 

that some suspected 

hoodlums had accosted the 

APC governorship 

candidate to demand for 

money but were blocked by 

another group of hoodlums. 

This, witnesses said, 

resulted in heated 

arguments which later led 

to the free for all. The 

incident had since resulted 

in counter allegations and 

reactions from political 

parties and residents. 

While APC accused 

opposition parties of being 

behind the mayhem, the 

People’s Democratic Party, 

PDP, asked APC to look 

inwards for the 

perpetrators. 

In a statement, the APC 

Communication team said: 

“Guns were freely 

displayed by thugs alleged 

to have been arranged and 

sponsored by the PDP and 

some other parties to carry 

out the dastardly act. 

“The mayhem eventually 

cost two lives. One of which 

is a younger brother to the 

leader of our party, Alhaji 

Olayide Abas. We hereby 

charge security agencies to 

investigate and unravel the 

killers of the deceased. 

“It is important to note that 

PDP has continually incited 

the people to cause trouble, 

having realised that the 

game is over. PDP is 

among the parties that 

masterminded 

mayhem.” 

VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY, 2019 — 11 

the 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Onnoghen: Falana writes AGF, 

proffers way to end crisis 

By Henry Ojelu 

Lrights AGOS—HUMAN 

lawyer, Femi 

Falana, SAN, yesterday, 

proffered a way out of the 

current crisis emanating 

from the trial of suspended 

Chief Justice of Nigeria, 

CJN, Justice Walter 

Onnoghen, calling on the 

Federal Government to 

withdraw the charges 

before the Code of Conduct 

Tribunal, while Onnoghen 

would be prevailed to 

resign. 

In a letter to the Attorney- 

General of the Federation, 

Abubakar Malami, SAN 

requesting for withdrawal 

of the charges against 

Onnoghen, Falana advised 

that having submitted a 

petition against the 

suspended CJN before the 

National Judicial Council, 

NJC, the right thing for 

government to do is to file 

a nolli prosecu before the 

CCT to discontinue the 

CJN’s trial and await the 

decision of the NJC. 

In the letter, Falana said: 

“Having confirmed that 

you have since submitted a 

petition to the National 

Judicial Council alleging 

grave misconduct against 

the Chief Justice, I am 

compelled to request you, 

once again, to file a nolle 

prosequi to discontinue the 

charge pending against his 

Lordship at the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal without 

any further delay. 

“The charge should not 

be allowed to hang like a 

Sword of Damocles on the 

head of the Chief Justice 

while he is being 

investigated by the 

National Judicial Council. 

In view of your implicit 

confidence in the ability of 

members of the National 

Judicial Council to resolve 

the matter you ought to 

accede to the request to 

terminate the proceedings 

at the Code of Conduct 

Tribunal forthwith. 

“As you are no doubt 

aware, the withdrawal of 

the case from the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal will lead 

to the immediate vacation 

of the ex parte order relied 

upon by President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

justify the illegal 

suspension of the Chief 

Justice from office and the 

appointment of Justice 

Tanko Mohammad as 

Acting Chief Justice of 

Nigeria. Even though by 

virtue of Paragraph 10 (2) 

(a) of Part 1 of the Fifth 

Schedule to the 1999 

Constitution (as amended) 

the Code of Conduct 

Tribunal is empowered to 

order any public officer to 

vacate office the power 

cannot be exercised until 

such a public officer has 

been tried and convicted for 

breaching the provisions of 

the code of conduct for 

public officers.'' 

How I'll fix unemployment 

problems — DIMEJI BANKOLE 

A FORMER BEOKUTA— 

Speaker 

of the House of 

Representatives and 


the Action Democratic Party 

in Ogun State, Mr. Dimeji 

Bankole has pledged to fix 

the problem of 

unemployment in the state 

if elected governor. 

He attributed the rising 

crime wave to the high 

rate of unemployment 

among the youth in the 

state. 

Bankole said this in 

Ota, while flagging off 

his campaign ahead of 

the governorship 

election in the state. 

He said: “One thing 

that everyone keeps 

complaining about is lack 

of jobs and opportunities 

for their children. My party 

is formed to address that 

challenge. 

“Ogun people are not 

interested in where the 

governor comes from, 

they want to know if he 

has the capacity to create 

jobs for the children who 

remain idle even after 

graduating from higher 

institutions. That is what 

our party promises: jobs, 

jobs, jobs for everyone.” 

Speaking on his plans for 

local councils, Bankole 

pledged not to tamper with 

funds meant for the 

development of local 

councils in the state, saying: 

“ADP is a party with one 

agenda and that is mass 

employment. It is the 

party that will allow local 

government to handle 

projects. We will not 

betray you.'' 

Lagos seeks return of historical sculpture from British Museum 

L 

A G O S — 

FOLLOWING 

Governor Akinwunmi 

Ambode’s decision to build 

a new cultural facility in 

Onikan, Lagos, in 

collaboration with the John 

K. Randle Centre for 

Yoruba Culture and History, 

the Lagos State 

Government has formally 

made a request to the 

British Museum in London 

for the return of an 

important sculptural 

woodcarving, known in the 

UK as the Lander Stool. 

The sculpture was 

...as J.K Randle Centre nears completion 

believed to have been taken 

from Nigeria in 1830 by one 

of the earliest known 

explorers of the interior, 

Richard Lander, who was 

instrumental in pioneering 

colonisation of Nigeria. 

The formal request by the 

Lagos State government 

was delivered to the British 

Museum over the weekend 

by Lagos State 

Commissioner for Tourism, 

Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve 

Ayorinde, who represented 

Governor Ambode at a twoday 

symposium on 

emerging museum projevts 

in Africa at the British 

Museum. 

Ayorinde said: “The J.K 

Randle Centre is a worldclass 

cultural institution that 

will enable the Yoruba 

people to reclaim their 

heritage from a colonial 

narrative, and present for 

the first time a high 

standard cultural and 

resource centre for millions 

of people in the state.” 

The Centre, according to 

him, will be a befitting 

gallery space that can host 

on a permanent basis some 

of the Nigerian artifacts 

expected to be returned 

from Europe and 

America. 

The Lander stool, one of 

the very first works taken 

from Nigeria, will form a 

fitting centre-piece to this 

opening exhibition that is 

expected to take place at 

the Centre, as it represents 

the very beginning of the 

colonial story that led to 

the formation of the 

Royal Niger Company 

and ultimately the colonial 

state of Nigeria.


Rivers: Cole expresses 

confidence on making it to ballot 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken 

TONYE Cole, the All 


APC, governorship 

hopeful in Rivers State, has 

expressed optimism of 

being restored to the ballot 

and winning the 

forthcoming election in the 

state. 

Speaking weekend, Mr. 

Cole said that so long as 

the process was followed, 

the party will come out 

victorious and engage the 

electorate with its positive 

change agenda. 

He said: “I think our 

chances are still strong. 

What happened when you 

have crisis is that there is 

always a point that you get 

to where reality has to 

come in. 

“I have maintained one 

thing from day one and 

studying the situation and 

ensured that one has 

always stayed within the 

gambit of the law. There is 

only one APC hierarchy, 

only one. It doesn’t matter 

how you want to do it. 

“A primary election was 

held based on that 

congress. Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

recognised that congress, 

the APC hierarchy in 

Abuja recognised that 

congress. That congress 

produced me as the 

governorship candidate 

and other candidates." 

DYV to deliver over 

500,000 votes to Okowa 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—NATIONAL 

Coordinator of Delta 

Youth Vanguard, DYV, Mr 

Kingsley Pemu, has said the 

group will deliver over 

500,000 votes to Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa and 

candidate of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in 

the March 2, gubernatorial 

election. 

Pemu who spoke to 

journalists in Asaba, said 

the group has the capacity 

to determine who becomes 

the next governor, adding 

that members of the group 

are scattered all over the 

state. 

Disclosing that the group 

has structures in all the 

local governments, wards 

and units in the state, he 

said Okowa has positively 

impacted on the lives of 

residents in Delta State 

through the provision of 

infrastructure, security, 

empowerment of women 

and general employment 

for the people. 

Pemu who spoke on the 

sidelines of the campaign 

rally at the Stephen Keshi 

Stadium, Asaba by the 

presidential candidate of 

the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, 

said over 5,000 members 

of DYV had benefitted 

from the job and wealth 

creation scheme of the 

Okowa’s administration in 

the past three years plus. 

He said; “In the past 

three and half years, 

Okowa has transformed 

Delta State to a height that 

is worth emulating." 

Group demands apology from 

military over harassment of 

Ijaw monarch 

By Emem Idio 

YENAGOA—AN Ijaw 

group, Order of 

Egbesu Brotherhood, has 

frowned at the alleged 

harassment of the 

Paramount Ruler of 

Gbaramatu Kingdom in 

Delta State by soldiers, 

calling on the military 

authorities to tender an 

apology to the monarch 

and Ijaw people for 

“unwarranted harassment 

and unprovoked 

militarisation of the Ijaw 

Ancestral home, the 

Gbaramatu Kingdom and 

it’s King HRM Williams N. 

Ogoba, Oboro 11, in Delta 

State.” 

In a statement in 

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, 

yesterday, the leader of the 

group, Apostle Bodmas 

Kemepadei, described the 

monarch of Gbaramatu as 

the traditional and spiritual 

head of all Ijaw people by 

his title as the Agadagba 

(King/High Priest), noting 

that the actions of the 

military amounted to 

desecration of the revered 

stool. 

Kemepadei said: “We 

have it on good authority 

that few days back, the 

Agadagba (King/High 

Priest) of Gbaramatu 

Kingdom, who was in a 

convoy, was harrased by 

men of the military in the 

area disregarded his 

traditional title and 

desecrated his stool, in the 

guise of searching for 

criminals." 

Buhari govt has marked 200 judges for 

intimidation, false allegations, Wike alleges 

PORT HARCOURT — 

RIVERS State 

governor, Mr Nyesom 

Wike has said that the All 


APC, Federal Government 

had marshalled out a 

satanic onslaught to 

intimidate 200 judges, 

especially those of the 

federal judiciary. 

Wike said that strategic 

credible intelligence 

intercepted by him revealed 

that a federal minister told 

a gathering that following 

the destabilization of the 

Supreme Court, the next 

target will be the Court of 

Appeal and Federal High 

Court. 

Speaking during a 

church service at the 

Greater Evangelism World 

Crusade, yesterday in Port 

Harcourt, Wike alleged that 

the Federal Government 

had collected the asset 

declaration forms of 200 

judges from the Code of 

Conduct Bureau, CCB, for 

the planned mass 

onslaught. 

He said: “I intercepted a 

discussion by a minister of 

the Federal Executive 

Council, where he was 

telling a gathering that they 

were happy that they had 

dealt with the Supreme 

Court. The minister said 

that the next set would be 

the Court of Appeal justices 

and the Federal High 

Court judges. The minister 

said any judge that fails to 

cooperate will face trump 

up charges and would be 

compelled to resign. 

“This failed APC Federal 

Government has gone to 

the Code of Conduct 

Bureau to get the asset 

declaration forms of 200 

judges. Any judge that fails 

to follow their evil plot, will 

be harassed with false 

allegations and 

persecution.” 

The governor noted that 

the APC Federal 

Government will generate 

several false allegations to 

compel upright judges to 

resign from the bench. 

Wike called on the 

Church to pray for the 

federal judiciary to survive 

the deadly siege of the APC 

Federal Government. 

He said: “The Church 

should continually pray for 

the Federal Judiciary. The 

judiciary in Nigeria is 

under siege. If anything 

happens to the judiciary, 

our democracy is in trouble. 

“The Church needs to 

pray for the judges to 

remain strong in the face 

of intimidation and 

harassment.” 

On the forthcoming 

general election, Wike 

urged the people to vote for 

the revival of the country, 

adding that the country was 

not doing well and needs 

to make progress. 

He thanked the Church 

for praying for peaceful and 

credible polls in Rivers 

State. 

Ogoni monarchs to UNEP: Ensure we benefit 

from clean-up 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT: 

Royal fathers in Ogoni 

land, Rivers State, have 

pleaded with United 

Nations Environmental 

Programme, UNEP, to 

ensure that the 

implementation of the 

report it did on the oil 

devastated environment of 

Ogoni was for the benefits 

people of the area. 

This is just as UNEP 

representative, Mr Mike 

Cowing, announced that 

Deltans‘ll benefit more with Ogboru 

as governor, says Uduaghan 

Perez Brisibe 

P 

A T A N I — 

IMMEDIATE past 

governor of Delta State, Dr. 

Emmanuel Uduaghan has 

promised Deltans that they 

will benefit more from 

governance if they vote for 

Chief Great Ogboru as 

governor of the state in the 

ACQUISITION: From left—Finance Director, Coca-Cola West Africa, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar; 

President Coca-Cola West Africa, Mr. Peter Njonjo; Chairman, Tropical General Investments, 

TGI, Cornelius Vink; MD, TGI, Mr. Rahul Savara; and GED, TGI, Jerome Shogbon, at a 

formal contract signing ceremony to mark the full acquisition of Chi Nigeria Ltd by Coca- 

Cola Company in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau 

forthcoming general 

election. 

Uduaghan, who is All 


APC, Delta South 

senatorial candidate, also 

gave reasons he pitched 

tent with the governorship 

hopeful, noting that 

Ogboru understands the 

plights of Deltans just like 

the programme would 

bring in team of water and 

soil sediment scientists and 

public health specialists to 

complement and 

supplement the expertise 

already in Hydrocarbon 

Pollution Remediation 

Project, HYPREP. 

The Ogoni chiefs, who 

spoke, weekend, when 

HYPREP led the team of 

UNEP representatives to 

the area following the 

commencement of the 

remediation, visited the 

Chairman, Supreme 

Council of Ogoni 

himself and was 

committed to giving the 

state a new lease of life if 

elected as governor. 

Addressing a crowd that 

graced the APC 

governorship rally in the 

area weekend, Uduaghan 

noted that providence had 

brought him and Chief 

Ogboru together because it 

was Ogboru’s time to rule 

the state as governor. 

Traditional Rulers, HRM 

King Godwin Gininwa, at 

his home in Korokoro, Tai 


Rivers State. 

Speaking, Gininwa 

commended UNEP for the 

assessment in Ogoniland, 

noting that the report alone 

had solved the problem 

between communities and 

oil companies in the area.. 

The Royal father, who 

thanked the President 

Muhammadu Buhari for 

his commitment to the 

Ogoni clean-up, enjoined 

the youths of Ogoni to 

conduct themselves 

peacefully throughout the 

exercise, adding that they 

would be the major 

beneficiaries of the cleanup. 

He said: “I will appeal to 

UNEP that in the process 

of implementing the report, 

they should ensure Ogoni 

people benefit from it. 

“The United Nations had 

always stood by the people 

of Ogoni, even all through 

the Ogoni struggle. 

Therefore, the benefits of 

the clean-up should not be 

a matter of APC and PDP, 

but should benefit 

everybody.” 

Meanwhile, the UNEP, 

has announced that it would 

set up an office in Port 

Harcourt, to monitor the 

progress of the clean up. 

Cowing noted that the 

office will be set up in 

March and manned by 

both nationals and 

international staff, adding 

that UNEP will partner and 

train HYPREP staff for a 

period of 12months both in 

Nigeria and in Europe. 

“We will supervise, train 

and monitor the clean-up 

to enable the 


report to the letter. 

Wherever there is a need, 

UNEP will assist HYPREP." 

However, Project 

Coordinator, HYPREP, Dr. 

Marvin Dekil, while 

reiterating the Federal 

Government’s commitment 

to the clean-up, said the 

second coming of UNEP 

into the project would 

ensure that all what they 

recommended are 

successfully implemented.


MEETING: From left, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group, Pearl 

Uzokwe; Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, Bethel Obioma; Chair, Omnia 

Strategy, Cherie Blair, and Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Kola Adesina, 

during a meeting on partnership between Sahara Group and Omnia Strategy towards 

promoting the SDGs in Africa in Davos, Switzerland. 

Buhari, Atiku fight over 7m Igbo votes 

in north 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—AHEAD of the 

February 16 general 

elections, President 

Muhammadu Buhari-led 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, and the main 

opposition Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

have intensified efforts to 

grab the about seven 

million votes of Ndigbo in 

northern part of the country. 

While attempts are made 

to ensure that Buhari get 

the endorsement of Ndigbo 

in the north, there appears 

to be disaffection among the 

leadership of Ndigbo in the 

area over what they 

described as grand plot by 

a former national vice 

chairman of PDP, South, 

Nze Ozichukwu, to hijack 

the Atiku’s campaign in the 

north. 

This development, it was 

gathered, has made the 

Igbo leaders in the area to 

contemplate endorsement 

of President Buhari despite 

the general adoption of 

Atiku by the parent body of 

the apex socio-cultural 

group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo. 

It was alleged that the 

suspended secretary of the 

Igbo apex group, Mr 

Okwukwu had embarked 

on recruitment drive with 

the support of one of the 

ministers from the South- 

East to pay a visit to 

President Buhari at the 

Presidential Villa with the 

aggrieved Igbo leaders in 

the north to declare their 

support for the President 

despite the Ohanaeze 

endorsement of Atiku. 

A source privy to the 

development in Ohanaeze 

leadership in the north told 

Vanguard on condition of 

anonymity that a powerful 

group led by one of the 

ministers from Southeast 

has embarked on 

aggressive consultations 

•Aggrieved Ohanaeze leaders plan to dump Atiku 

•If Buhari invites us, we‘ll honour him —IDA President 

and money was moving to 

swell the support base of 

President Buhari but such 

move has been resisted. 

The person who 

described the unfolding 

development as 

“dangerous concerning 

Ndigbo support in the 

north,” said: “There is a 

campaign going on for the 

endorsement and support 

for Buhari. The reason is 

that those not elected as 

leaders in the north now 

hijacked Atiku’s campaign, 

both Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

and Igbo Delegate 

Assembly.” 

The source accused Nze 

Ozichukwu Chukwu, 

former national vice 

chairman of the PDP of 

assembling some people in 

Abuja to hijack the Atiku 

campaign. 

Continuing, the source 

said: “Igbo leadership in 

the north has met and 

agreed to make open 

declaration in support of 

Buhari, this is an 

underground move. There 

are powerful people behind 

it. As we talk, money is 

moving and the leadership 

is resisting the attempt. 

"Ozichukwu is busy using 

AbdulRazaq pledges review of KWASU tuition fees 

By Demola 

Akinyemi 

I LORIN—KWARA 

State All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

governorship candidate, 

AbdulRahman 

AbdulRazaq, has 

promised to look into 

complaints of exorbitant 

fees being paid by 

students of Kwara State 

University, KWASU, 

Malete if elected. 

He said: “We will 

review the complaints if 

elected,” AbdulRazaq 

Atiku’s wife and people 

that are not part of the 

leadership here in the 

north. The seven million 

votes is about to go down 

the drain. In the next few 

weeks, if nothing is done, 

the aggrieved people will 

dump Atiku.” 

The source further 

claimed that meetings 

were held in Abuja in the 

minister’s residence and in 

Minna, Niger State to woo 

people for President 

Buhari. 

The source alleged that 

the expelled Secretary of 

Ohanaeze was in Abuja to 

endorse Buhari, adding: “If 

things don’t go right, there 

will be tsunami.” 

When contacted, 

President of Igbo Delegate 

Assembly, Chi Nwogu, said 

his group was not a political 

group to be engaged in 

politics. 

He said every Igbo 

person respects the 

decision of Ohanaeze and 

that if the President of the 

Federal Republic invites 

them, they would honour 

the invitation to hear him 

out, though he said that to 

his knowledge, there was 

no invitation before him. 

said weekend at a 

campaign in Malete 

where students 

complained of high 

tuition being charged in 

the state-owned varsity. 

Accompanied by top 

APC chieftains and 

candidates, AbdulRazaq 

had spent the last one 

week campaigning 

across Kwara North 

senatorial district where 

he was welcomed by 

residents who said they 

were ready to support 

him to win the next 

governorship election. 

On the endorsement of 

Atiku by the Ohanaeze 

leadership, he said: “There 

is something you should 

know. Since Ohanaeze is 

involved and there is no 

crisis in the election of the 

President General, 

anything he says is binding 

on Igbo people. Before this 

political era, Ohanaeze had 

no problem.” 

Also reacting to the 

alleged attempts by the 

Buhari camp to invite them 

to the State House, he said: 

“If the president of the 

Federal Republic wants to 

see you, you will not say no, 

but I am not aware of that 

as at now.” 

On the allegation of 

attempts to hijack the Atiku 

campaign structure in the 

north, former PDP boss, Nze 

Ozichukwu said: “Well I am 

not a member of the 

executive of Ohaneze and 

I am not involved in the 

leadership of the Igbos in 

the north. This is the season 

of blackmail and people will 

want to seek relevance by 

dropping names. I am not 

in the mood to engage 

anybody.” 

AbdulRazaq also 

pledged to access the 

N100 bilion funds the 

Federal Government 

proposes to address the 

farmers-herders’ crisis in 

parts of Kwara, saying: 

“The current state 

government has refused 

to tap into this relief 

offered by central 

government for reasons 

best known to them.” 

The Fulani community 

also called for the 

improvement of schools 

in their communities to 

aid nomadic education. 

Gov Emmanuel promises 

more devt projects in 

Eastern Obolo if re-elected 

By Chioma 

Onuegbu 

UYO —AHEAD of the 


election, Governor Udom 

Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom 

State has promised that if reelected 

into office for a 

second term his 

administration would 

embark on more 

development projects in 

Eastern Obolo Local 

Government Area of the 

state. 

Emmanuel who made the 

promise when he took his 

campaign rally to the area 

disclosed that plans had 

been concluded by state 

government to take over 

community school in Eastern 

Obolo, especially those with 

high students population. 

He noted that he would 

provide more employment, 

and empowerment 

opportunities to make the 

youths have reliable sources 

of livelihood, stressing that 

some youths would 

understand the economic 

importance of the coconut 

plantation sited in part of their 

community after few years. 

He also told the crowd that 

the state government was 

interfacing with Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, over the 

various uncapped oil wells in 

the area, with a view to 

erasing any controversy in 

the oil production status of the 

local government area, and 

ensuring that the exploration 

of oil in Eastern Obolo is 

handled by international oil 

companies that would benefit 

the people. 

Oil spill: Bayelsa community 

writes SPDC MD, alleges 

oppressive tactics by 

multinational 

By Emem Idio 

Y ENAGOA—THE 

people of Aghoro I 

community in Ekeremor 


Bayelsa State, have accused 

Shell Petroleum 

Development Company, 

SPDC, of frustrating the 

community's efforts to get 

redress following a major oil 

spill, which occurred in the 

area last year. 

In an open letter to 

Managing Director of the 

company, Consultants to the 

community, led by Furoebi 

Akene, said the personnel of 

the company were applying 

“divide and rule tactics,” on 

the people. 

The letter, which was also 

copied Bayelsa Deputy 

Governor; Minister of Justice 

and Attorney General of the 

Federation; Minister of State 

for Petroleum; Minister of 

Environment; DSS and 

NOSDRA among others 

read: “A major crude oil spill 

occurred around Agoro section 

of the Trans Ramos pipeline 

and was noticed on May 17, 

2018 and a Joint Investigation 

Visit, JIV, was made between 

May 25 and 29, 2018. 

“During the JIV, the 

following confirmations were 

made: The spill was as a result 

of instrument (rupture of the 

pipe as a result of corrosion). 

The spilled crude had already 

spread into Ramos river, 

creeks and the swamps that 

covered a large expanse of 

land. Farm lands, fishing 

gears, marine and aquatic 

lives, trees, among others 

have been impacted. 

Communities, fishing and 

other settlements are 

adversely impacted. 

“We are compelled to write 

you this letter due to the 

oppressive antics adopted by 

your company since the spill 

occurred till date as though you 

are above the enabling laws 

of this country where you 

operate." 

APC faction to organise 

separate presidential 

campaign in Zamfara 

GUSAU—A faction of 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and 

supporters of Kabiru 

Marafa governorship 

campaign in Zamfara has 

promised to organise a 

separate campaign rally for 


Buhari. 

The Youth Leader of 

Mafara Governorship 

Campaign, Alhaji Rabiu 

Abubakar, made this 

known in a radio broadcast, 

yesterday, calling the 

attention of Marafa 

loyalists and supporters to 

that effect. 

He said: “The call has 

become necessary so that 

we can clearly distinguish 

ourselves from the 

campaign rally being 

organised by the state 

government. 

“l wish to implore all our 

supporters to disregard the 

presidential campaign rally 

being organised by the 

state government and to 

also direct that none of our 

members should wear the 

Marafa campaign T-shirt, 

faze cap or any indication 

of our movement to the 

occasion."


ACCESS BANK LAGOS CITY MARATHON 2019 

The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon 2019 took off from the National Stadium, 

Surulere and terminated at Eko Atlantic City, Lagos weekend. Photos: Bunmi Azeez. 

From left: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State; Joshua 

Kepkori, from Kenya (2nd position); Sataleu Lagase from Ethiopia 

(winner); Williams Yegon from Kenya (3rd position) and Mr. Herbert 

Wigwe, CEO and Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc. 

From left: Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, wife of Lagos State Governor; Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode; 

Atennesh Herepa (winner of 2nd position); Dinke Meserat (winner); Kabena Chala (3rd Position) 

both from Ethiopia; Mr. Herbert Wigwe, CEO and Group Managing Director, Access Bank 

Plc; Mr. Solomon Dalung, Youths and Sports Development Minister and Uzoma Dozie, MD/ 

CEO, Diamond Bank. 

A foreign participant. 

Tending to the weary. 

Indian athlete being brother's keeper. 

At the take-off point. 

On the 3rd Mainland Bridge. 

...And the show goes on. 

Participants having fun.


80TH BIRTHDAY CEREMONY OF ALAOWEI BOZIMO 

The Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, HRM. Ovie 

Richard Layeguen Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro I JP with 

Alaowei Broderick Bozimo. 

BIRTHDAY: From left, Delta State PDP Chairman, Kingsley Esiso; Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa; Mrs Joyce Bozimo, wife of celebrant; the celebrant, former Minister of Police 

Affairs, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo; his other wife, Justice Rosaline Bozimo; former 

Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori; Senator James Manager and others, during 

Bozimo's 80th birthday ceremony at the Rainbow Christian Assembly in Warri, Delta 

State. Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire 

Delta State 

Governor, 

Senator Ifeanyi 

Okowa (left); 

and Alaowei 

Broderick 

Bozimo. 

Some Delta State traditional rulers at the event. 

Nigerian Actress, Liz Benson and her hubby (right) with Alaowei 

Broderick Bozimo and Barr.(Mrs.) Joyce Bozimo. 

A cross section of some Chiefs from Akugbene-Mein Kingdom. 

Bishop & Mrs. Eric Emiaso with other guests. 

Former Minister of Defense, Dr. Roland Oritsejafor (left), Chief Bernard 

Edewor and others. 

The Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice Marshal Mukoro (2nd left), 

Alaowei Broderick Bozimo and other distinguished guests.


Nnamani urges electorate 

to vote Ugwuanyi, others 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

AHEAD of the 


election, the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) in 

Enugu State has intensified 

campaign efforts, as the 

party’s governorship 

candidate, Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and its 

candidate for Enugu East 

Senatorial District seat and 

former Governor of the 

State, Senator Chimaroke 

Nnamani, yesterday, 

embarked on a vigorous 

exercise on the streets and 

suburbs of Enugu, 

canvassing for votes. 


campaign at the various 

areas visited amid 

excitement and cheers from 

teeming party supporters 

and admirers, such as 

Bridge Quarters by 

Railway, Enugu, Ogbete 

Main Market, Iva Valley, 

Coal Camp and Ogui Nike, 

Senator Nnamani thanked 

God for using Gov. 

Ugwuanyi, whom he 

described “a great leader 

and a man of uncommon 

leadership virtues who 

respects the symbol and 

heritage of Nsukka”, to 

revive his political 

ambition. 

The former governor, 

who is the leader of 

“Ebeano” political family 

in Enugu State, urged the 

people of the state to vote 

massively for Gov. 

Ugwuanyi, himself and 

other candidates of the 

party in the state, stressing 

that the governor is “a 

good man with inestimable 

humility and candor”. 

Senator Nnamani while 

expressing his gratitude to 

Ugwuanyi for according 

him due respect and 

giving him a sense of 

belonging, prayed God to 

give the governor good 

health, strength, wisdom 

and protect him and his 

family. 

ECCIMA doubts FG’s 

implementation of 2019 budget 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU—THE Enugu 

Chamber of 

Commerce, Mines and 

Agriculture, ECCIMA, has 

cast doubt on federal 

government’s 


proposed 2019 budget 

which is still with the 

National Assembly. 

ECCIMA said that since 

the federal government 

was unable to implement 

the 2018 budget to a realistic 

conclusion, particularly on 

capital projects, it may not 

be able to attend to this 

year’s financial proposal. 

The chamber said that 

considering that this year 

is an election year with 

possible transition in 

government, the nation’s 

economy would likely 

suffer from proper 

implementation. 

ECCIMA made the 

observations at its 45th 

Annual General Meeting 

in Enugu. 

President of ECCIMA, 

Sir Emeka Udeze at the 

opening session of the 

meeting said that “going 

by the 2018 budget where 

only N820 billion was 

released for capital projects 

as against the proposed 

N2.87 trillion for 2019, one 

worries if the federal 

government would be able 

to implement the 2019 

budget with the projected 

revenue income, 

realistically.” 

Aguleri king dies at 74 

AWKA—THE Aguleri 

Traditional Council in 

Anambra East Local 

Government of Anambra 

State, considered as the 

longest dynasty in Igbo 

land, yesterday announced 

the death of the traditional 

ruler of the town, Eze 

Christopher Idigo. He was 

74 years old. 

The late Igwe Idigo 

celebrated the 119th 

Ovala Aguleri and his 23 

rd Ovala on January 5th 

this year and died six days 

later. 

The traditional prime 

minister of Aguleri, Chief 

Henry Manafa, who made 

the formal announcement 

at the Idigo palace in 

Aguleri, said a date for his 

burial would be made 

public in due course. 

Uncollected PVCs set ablaze at INEC office in Abia 

U MUAHIA— 

Thousands of 

uncollected Permanent 

Voter Cards, PVCs, have 

been set ablaze by 

unknown persons who 

broke into the office of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, in Abia State 

yesterday. 

The Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, Joseph Iloh, 

who confirmed this 

yesterday, said the attackers 

broke in through the 

window of the office and set 

ablaze about 15,000 

uncollected PVCs, as well 

as the register containing 

the list of all registered 

voters. 

Iloh, however, said that 

the Commission had the 

authentic list of registered 

voters at its headquarters in 

Umuahia, the state capital. 

The Police said they were 

investigating the matter 

and the perpetrators of the 

crime would be brought to 

book. 

PDP alleges plot by APC to ‘import' 

Chadians, Malians for election 

•As Atiku pledges to end Igbo marginalisation 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—THE 

main opposition 

party, the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, has 

alleged that the ruling All 


APC, was plotting to import 

citizens of the Republic of 

Chad and Mali to vote in 

next month’s presidential 

election and warned 

against such plot. 

The party therefore called 

on the Minister of Interior 

to close all the nation’s land 

borders and ensure that no 

foreigner is illegally 

allowed into the country to 

participate in the coming 

voting exercise. 

The national chairman of 

the party, Prince Uche 

Secondus who made the 

allegation weekend, in 

Umuahia, at the Abia State 

Presidential Rally for Atiku/ 

Obi presidential ticket, 

warned that Nigerians 

would resist any attempt to 

rig the February 16 

Presidential election by 

using foreign citizens from 

the nation’s neighbouring 

countries. 

Addressing the rally, 

Secondus urged Abia 

people to vote for Atiku and 

Obi as well as all PDP 

candidates for positive 

change and so as to save 

Nigerians from the current 

hardship they going 

through. 

He warned INEC not to 

allow the ruling APC to rig 

the election, insisting that 

PDP would resist any plan 

to rig the election. 

Also addressing the rally, 

the presidential candidate, 

Atiku Abubakar concurred 

that the said rumour of 

importing foreigners by the 

APC was real and warned 

against such illegality. 

I'll end 

marginalisation of 

Ndigbo —Atiku 

He said he would end the 

marginalisation of Ndigbo 

by ensuring that they get 

whatever is due to them in 

both appointments and 

projects. 

Atiku also promised to 

improve the SME status of 

Aba to create jobs for the 

people, especially the 

youths, saying he would 

leverage on the business 

opportunities in Aba to 

create jobs for the people, 

especially the youths. 

In his speech, the vice 

presidential candidate, Mr. 

Peter Obi urged Abia 

people to be steadfast in 

their support for PDP. Obi 

said the coming election is 

about saving Nigeria, 

particularly, Ndigbo, and 

not about Atiku and himself. 

He called on Abia people 

to vote PDP, saying that 

Atiku Presidency would 

provide infrastructure to 

boost Abia economy. 

No plans to establish Islamic varsity in Imo —House 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

OWERRI—THE Imo 

State House of 

Assembly has denied plans 

to make a law that will 

enable establishment of an 

Islamic university in the 

Delta monarchs urge residents to vote Atiku 

THE chairman of Delta 

State Council of 

Traditional Rulers and the 

Obi of Owa Kingdom, 

HRM, Efeizomor 

Emmanuel has called on 

Delta people to vote Alhaji 

Abubakar Atiku and Peter 

Obi in the February 19 

election. 

He said this during the 

PDP campaign in Asaba, 

Delta State. 

Enumerating the 

numerous qualities why the 

duo are good for the job, 

he said that the people of 

Delta State, being Anambra 

neighbours were aware of 

the great leadership Peter 

Obi provided when he was 

the Governor of Anambra 

state. 

According to him, the 

way Obi approaches 

PRESENTATION: From left—Regional Chief Marketing Officer, Globacom Ltd, Ashok Israni; 

Deputy Chiief Operating Officer, Technical, Bisi Koleosho; Group Chief Technical Director, 

Sanjib Roy; Editor, Daily Trust Newspapers, Nasiru Abubakar; CEO, 360 NOBS/Stylevitae, 

Noble Igwe; and theRegional Director, West Africa, Marketing Communications, Charles 

Jenaruis, during the presentation of Glo Business Direction to media executives, in Lagos. 

Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor 

leadership makes him fit for 

higher responsibilities. 

The traditional ruler who 

called Obi “our son”, said 

that with people like him, 

the restoration of Nigeria 

was a hopeful venture. 

Recalling his numerous 

encounters with him, he 

said he could vouch for his 

respect for the traditional 

institution. 

state. 

The Chief Press Secretary 

to the Speaker of Imo State 

House of Assembly, Marcel 

Ekwezuo gave the denial 

in a statement to newsmen 

in Owerri. 

Imo State House of 

Assembly had faced 

backlashes following 

rumoured plans to back 

with a law the 

establishment of an Islamic 

university in the state. 

But the State Assembly, 

argued that with such a law, 

it would only produce a 

legal backing for all 

Christian-based 

organizations and not 

Islamic university. 

According to Ekwezuo, 

“the Imo State House of 

Assembly says it did not 

pass any bill for the 

establishment of an Islamic 

university. Instead, the 

House passed bills for the 

establishment of Chosen 

University and Bishop 

Shanahan Polytechnics 

among other people – 

oriented bills passed. 

“The House passed ‘a bill 

for a law to establish 

schools of nursing and 

midwifery owned by faithbased 

organisations and 

other 

private 

establishments in Imo 

State. 

“The decision of the 

House to pass the bill for 

establishing schools of 

nursing and midwifery 

owned by faith-based 

organisations and other 

private establishments in 

Imo State was because the 

House had earlier passed 

into law, a similar bill to 

establish Imo Catholic 

Schools of Nursing and 

Midwifery, which gave 

rise to various Churches or 

Christian denominations to 

seek approval for 

government recognition for 

their schools of nursing and 

midwifery. 

“In view of the multiplicity 

of churches therefore, the 

constitutional right of 

freedom of religion/ 

worship, the House 

decided to make a single 

law that can accommodate 

all other Christian faithbased 

institutions for the 

establishment of their 

schools of nursing and 

midwifery."


FORUM: From left— Godman Akinlabi, Lead Pastor, The Elevation Church; Femi Adeoti, MD, African 

Operations, Inlaks Ltd; Dr. Biodun Adedipe, Economist & Chief Consultant, BAA Consults Ltd and Molade 

Adeniyi, CEO, Wave Recruiting, at the 2019 Vantage Forum held in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele. 

3,000 athletes screened for HIV at Access 

Bank City Marathon 

By Gabriel Olawale 

LAGOS—MORE than 

3,000 athletes presented 

themselves for Human 

Immunodeficiency 

Virus, HIV testing and 

counselling at the 2019 

Access Bank Lagos City 

Marathon. 


screening which was put 

together by Nigeria Business 

Coalition against 

AIDS, NIBUCAA and 

HACEY Health Initiative, 

Imo gov: Nkwere monarchs back Uzodinma 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

O 

W E R R I — 

TRADITIONAL 

rulers from Nkwere Local 

Government Area of Imo 

State, the home town of the 


the Action Alliance (AA), 

Mr Uche Nwosu, weekend 

endorsed the candidate of 

the All Progressives 

Congress (APC), Senator 

Hope Uzodinma. 

They attributed what they 

described as an attempt by 

Governor Rochas Okorocha 

to gun for a third term in 

office as reason for their 

decision despite the fact 

that Nwosu is a son of the 

soil. 

The traditional rulers led 

by Eze Uzoho Emmanuel 

Anuruo of Umuezeanoruo 

autonomous community 

Executive Secretary of 

NiBUCCA, Gbenga Alabi 

said the programme should 

serve as a case study for 

government and the private 

sector to end spread of HIV/ 

AIDS in Nigeria. 

Alabi noted that while 

leveraging on the global 

event, the exercise seeks to 

promote HIV prevention 

messages to over 1 million 

Nigerians through the 

internet and engagements 

in other social events like 

the Access Bank marathon. 

Nkwere LGA, bared their 

minds when the campaign 

train of Senator Uzodinma 

invaded Nwosu's home soil. 

According to Eze Anuruo, 

"Senator Uzodinma is our 

choice for governor. We are 

aware that one of our sons 

wants to be governor but we 

believe it is an attempt by 

the out going governor to 

get a third term. All this 

government has done is to 

New NCC broadcast policy underway 

—Asein 

Obaseki's CoS leads Unit/wards 

campaigns in Akoko-Edo 

By Alemma Aliu 

BENIN CITY —AS a 

way of ensuring total 

victory for the All 


APC, in Akoko-Edo local 

government area, the Chief 

of Staff to Governor Godwin 

Obaseki of Edo State, Taiwo 

Akerele weekend 

commenced units and ward 

campaigns. 

He first met with all the 

unit chairmen in Ward I 

where he admonished 

them to ensure they win 

their units in the February 

16 presidential and 

National Assembly elections 

insisting "there is nothing 

like Igarra agenda, what we 

have is APC agenda" 

He said President 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

provided a conducive 

environment for Obaseki to 

take development in the 

state to the next level and 

that the only way such 

would continue is to return 

Buhari for a second term. 

He said “Elections are just 

few weeks away and we 

have a mandate to ensure 

that we win our units for all 

the candidates of the APC 

starting from President 

“We still have miles to go, 

as the latest UNAIDS 

report shows, and that 

includes reaching people 

living with HIV who do 

not know their status and 

ensuring that they are 

linked to quality care and 

prevention services,” Alabi 

said. 

In the same vein, Project 

Director, HACEY Health 

Initiative, Isaiah Owolabi, 

noted that the HIV and 

AIDS epidemic in Nigeria 

calls for more investments 

. 

undermine the traditional 

institution and we need 

somebody like Hope 

Uzodinma who has the 

experience to lead our 

state. 

Speaking after recieving 

the prayers of the elders 

and Ezes from Nkwere, 

Sen. Uzodinma, who vowed to 

restore the dignity of the 

traditonal institution, lamented 

that the Governor Okorocha-led 

By Ene Ocheme 

ABUJA—A national 

policy that will facilitate 

the enforcement of copyright 

law to enhance the operation 

of the broadcast industry 

for rapid national development 

will soon be formulated 

by the Nigerian 

Copyright Commission, 

NCC. 

Director-General of 

NCC, John Asein disclosed 

this in Abuja, at the 

weekend, during a consultative 

meeting with representatives 

of the 

broadcast media led by the 

Acting Chairman of the 

Muhammadu Buhari, our 

candidate for the Senate 

and House of 

Representatives and then 

the next election, we have 

to do the same for our house of 

assembly candidates. 

“Governor Godwin Obaseki 

has been able to do so much for 

the state taking it from where 

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole 

stopped because President 

Muhammadu Buhari has created 

the conducive environment 

for him to work. The President 

has stood as a guarantor on behalf 

of the federal government 

for some gigantic projects Governor 

Obaseki is doing." 

According to him, 

“UNAIDS recommends that 

HIV prevention efforts must 

be reinvigorated if the world 

is to stay on the Fast-Track 

to ending the AIDS 

epidemic by 2030.” 

“The UNAIDS Prevention 

gap report shows that 

worldwide an estimated 1.9 

million adults have become 

infected with HIV every 

year for at least the past five 

years and that the number 

of new HIV infections is 

rising in some regions,” 

Owolabi added. 

administration borrowed N312 

billion between 2015 till date without 

any visible development. 

"As we speak, the courts have 

garnisheed.the accounts of Imo 

State government so what has 

been happening is that the money 

that accrued to us from the Federation 

Account goes to private 

pockets. Those in governmemt 

House now share our money as if 

its their private funds. 

Broadcasting Organisations 

of Nigeria, BON, 

Sir. Geoffrey Ohuabunwa. 

Noting that the country 

may not have prepared 

for all the emerging platforms 

in the digital environment, 

Asein underscored 

the need to rejig 

the regulatory framework 

and business models to 

better grow content, provide 

adequate legal safeguards 

and guarantee the 

sustainable growth of the 

industry. 

He called for deeper collaboration 

between the broadcasting 

sector and the Commission, 

to better address the convergence 

of the interests of broadcasting 

organistions, content 

creators and aggregators; and 

Internet service providers. 

Asien, who assured that the 

NCC would continue to play 

the umpire in the administration 

of rights, called on collective 

management organisations, 

as well as called collecting 

societies, to develop tariff 

structures that take into account 

the peculiarities of the 

Nigerian environment. 

China buys 2m tons of U.S. 

Soybeans post trade talks 

CHINA has snapped up more U.S. soybeans 

following two days of trade talks in Washington. 

State-run buyers Cofco Corp. and Sinograin, purchased 

more than one million tons of American soybeans 

each, the companies said in separate statements 

on Saturday. 

The purchases are “to implement the consensus 

that the leaders of both China and the U.S. have 

come to,” according to almost identical statements 

from the companies. The soybeans will be shipped 

between April and July and loaded at ports both in 

the U.S. Gulf and the Pacific Northwest, people familiar 

with the matter told Bloomberg. The transaction 

comes ahead of China’s Lunar New Year holidays, 

when Cofco and Sinograin are expected to 

be absent from the market, the people said. 

The purchase comes after President Donald Trump 

said that China, the top soybean importer, had 

agreed to buy a total of five million tons of U.S. 

supplies following last week’s talks in Washington. 

U.S. corporate earnings trend stokes 

concern about 2019 outlook 

U 

.S. companies are beating analysts’ expec 

tations this earnings season, but to a smaller 

degree than normal, and S&P 500 companies are 

now barely expected to eke out an increase in profits 

for the first quarter of 2019. 

The trend underscores fears about a potential decline 

in earnings this year, even as stocks just closed 

their best January in more than three decades, as 

the benchmark S&P 500 index rebounded from a 

swoon late last year. 

“It does get tricky here as this quarter plays out if 

companies continue to see weakness. Then, there’s 

going to be an issue and investors will become very 

concerned,” said Michael O’Rourke, chief market 

strategist at JonesTrading in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Fourth-quarter earnings are estimated to be up 

15.5 percent from a year ago, based on results from 

nearly half of the S&P 500 companies and forecasts 

for the rest, according to IBES data from Refinitiv, 

compared with about 14.5 percent three weeks ago. 

SoftBank’s Vision Fund in talks to 

invest $1.5bn in Chinese used car 

platform 

THE SoftBank-led Vision Fund is in talks to 

invest up to $1.5 billion in Chinese used car 

trading platform Guazi.com, two people with knowledge 

of the matter said. 

That would mark the latest Chinese deal by the 

mammoth $100 billion investment fund as it looks 

to expand in the world’s No.2 economy, and would 

come after it invested 460 million euros in German 

used car dealing platform - Auto1. 

The fund is likely to invest up to $1.5 billion in 

Guazi in a deal that would value the firm at $8.5 

billion before the investment, according to one of 

the sources, who had direct knowledge of the situation. 

World’s largest pension fund loses 

$136bn in 3 months 

THE world’s biggest pension fund posted a 

record loss after a global equity rout last quarter 

pummeled an asset class that made up about 

half of its investments. 

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund 

(GPIF) lost 9.1 percent or 14.8 trillion yen ($136 

billion), in the three months ended Decembert 31, 

it said in Tokyo, weekend. The decline in value and 

the rate of loss were the steepest based on comparable 

data back to April 2008. Domestic stocks were 

the fund’s worst performing investment, followed 

by foreign equities. Assets fell to 150.7 trillion yen 

at the end of December from a record 165.6 trillion 

yen in September. 

While stocks helped the GPIF generate returns 

for the previous two fiscal years, December’s global 

rout underscored the risks facing the fund since 

it revamped strategy in 2014 to accumulate stocks 

and pare domestic bonds. The GPIF may have little 

choice but to invest in equities as fixed-income 

yields, especially those of Japanese government 

debt, are too low, said Naoki Fujiwara, chief fund 

manager at Shinkin Asset Management Co. in Tokyo.

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

IN a recent chat with select 

media practitioners, Minister of 

Budget and National Planning, 

Senator Udo Udoma, said the 

Federal Government has retained 

the 2019 budget oil price 

benchmark at $60 per barrel 

because it believes oil price would 

rally to near $70 per barrel this 

year. 

Udoma explained that the 

government had extensive 

consultations with local and 

international experts in arriving at 

the benchmark. True to the wisdom 

of the experts, shortly after the 

budget was transmitted to the 

National Assembly, the price began 

to rally and by the third week in 

January 2019 it had significantly 

gone above $60 with the year’s 

peak price projected at $62.8, 

giving great hope to the 2019 

budget. 

Traditionally, the government 

sets the oil price benchmark at 

about 15 per cent below the ruling 

Oil price instability and the 2019 

budget 

market price at the point of budget 

preparation. It is also important to 

note that because of our oildependency, 

any significant shift 

in the oil price benchmark would 

mess up the budget. 

Consequently, we are compelled 

to raise some concerns over recent 

developments in the international 

oil market that should be pointers 

to looming threats to the country’s 

fiscal plan 2019, even if all things 

go well on the political front. 

In the past few trading days, oil 

price has changed direction four 

times showing clear instability. 

Secondly, the price remained 

subdued below $62 after the initial 

spike to $62.8 in the first week of 

the year. 

We believe these two scenarios 

raise a red flag against the 2019 

budget benchmark. It would 

require special and fundamental 

developments in the international 

oil market architecture to have a 

price rally to $70, a comfortable 

range for the budget. 

Uncertainty about the U.S.-China 

trade conflict, rising rig count and 

concerns about global economic 

growth are much bigger threats. 

Related to this is the Russian 

double-dealing. On the one hand, 

it supports OPEC’s output cut but 

on the other it is quickly 

replacing Venezuela in ramping up 

supplies to China, thereby making 

the Venezuela shortfall of no effect. 

Moreover,feelers from the US 

Energy 

Information 

Administration, EIA, oil outlook for 

2019, indicate the U.S. will turn 

from a net energy importer to 

exporter starting 2019. This has 

been the abiding strategy of 

President Donald Trump in keeping 

energy cost low for American 

industries amidst the surging 

natural gas and oil production in 

US. China is also stepping up oil 

exploration efforts. 

It is based on these that we call 

for urgent withdrawal and 

downward review of the budgetary 

figures with a more realistic 

revenue projection. We must also 

have free, fair and acceptable 

elections to ensure smooth and 

peaceful governance. Anything to 

the contrary could be disastrous to 

the budget and the economy. 

February 16 and the restructuring bait 

By Emmanuel Umohinyang 

ONE of the greatest pains of patriots 

who truly love the African continent 

is that it continues to lag behind despite her 

enormous potentials. 

Curiously, Africa’s bane has largely been 

due to Africans who continue to show 

contempt towards a continent so blessed in 

human and natural resources, though some 

still refer to her colonisation by foreign 

powers as a major drawback. Nigeria which 

was truly the giant of Africa is a typical case 

of the unfortunate scenario after showing 

some glimpses of greatness at infancy. 

Many still recall the Malaysia story where 

that country came to Nigeria many years 

ago to explore how she could tap the 

potentials of oil palm and is today a major 

foreign exchange earner from that produce, 

years after, while Nigeria continued its over 

reliance on oil until recently. 

Similar stories are legion, but the sad story 

was that Nigeria was almost left to bleed to 

death administration after administration, 

largely due to corruption, even as the civilian 

administrations did not fare better. 

Compared with other African countries, 

which have done better, the difference no 

doubt has been the issues of leadership and 

followership, which are very critical in any 

nation state. 

Though Nigeria like most other African 

countries has good people at various rungs 

of the ladder, what separates us from other 

nations is attitude. For instance, have you 

bothered to ask yourself why Nigerians, 

especially the elite, suddenly become mute 

when they see issues that are injurious to the 

health of the nation? 

Why do they look the other way when 

somebody tells us to our face, that he will do 

the impossible when he becomes the 

President, when we know he lacks the 

antecedents? Why don’t they as opinion 

leaders shape the reasoning of the illiterates 

and vulnerable positively on issues of 

national importance as the coming election? 

These questions are germane when one 

considers the restructuring bait former Vice 

– President, Atiku Abubar has been dangling 

before Nigerians in the last few months. 

Suddenly, the Waziri Adamawa has 

become an advocate of restructuring after 

becoming the presidential candidate of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. 

Worse still, he says he would restructure 

Nigeria to correct imbalance in the system 

to ensure a level playing ground among all 

segments of the country within six months! 

Beautiful as his proposition appears, it still 

beats one hollow when one takes a critical 

look at both the message and the messenger. 

First, it appears that former governor of 

Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu was right 

after all when he queried Atiku’s democratic 

credentials. This is because questions about 

the former Vice President’s sudden romance 

with restructuring needed to be asked. 

Having been on the political turf and rising 

to the level of the nation’s number two, when 

and how did he join the restructuring train? 

He also needs to be asked how he will 

achieve restructuring within six months in 

office if he becomes President? 

This is in view of the fact that we are 

knowledgeable enough to know that 

restructuring cannot be achieved by 

executive fiat. Such a proposition therefore 

needs to go before the National Assembly, 

where the two arms would subject the issue 

to serious debate before it can be actualised. 

Even foreigners have an idea about 

Nigerian’s complexity and what that 

therefore means is that some spade work 

would have to be done among critical 

stakeholders, even before such a bill is 

OPINION 

presented at all. This would, no doubt, 

require some time, even as government 

would also be busy with other germane 

issues of state, which means the six months 

proposed by Atiku is nothing but to 

hoodwink the electorate into voting for him 

as President. 

This reminds one of the emergency U– 

turn made by former President Goodluck 

Jonathan who had all along rejected the 

idea of a National Conference by 

Nigerians. His stand before the sudden 

change was that holding the conference 

may lead to end of the Nigerian nation and 

that he would not be party to such. However, 

Nigerians were shocked to see the same 

Jonathan telling them that he had 

As February 16 fast 

approaches, the time to 

put on our thinking caps 

is now, especially as we 

need to take a major 

decision about our future 

and our children’s future 

suddenly had a change of mind due to 

superior argument. 

But those who saw through the script 

knew that the former President only shifted 

ground to fulfill the agenda of certain 

interests whom he relied on for votes. The 

outcome today is public knowledge. 

Though Jonathan wasted a substantial part 

of our commonwealth on that conference, 

he was roundly defeated by President 

Muhammadu Buhari, who is widely 

respected for his integrity at the polls. 

Today, a similar scenario is playing out 

with former President Olusegun Obasanjo 

drumming support for Atiku to become the 

next President. 

Both Obasanjo and Atiku led this country 

for eight years and they never touched 

restructuring with a long pole while their 

administration lasted. Atiku in particular 

is being clever by half in pushing his agenda 

during his political campaigns. 

Has anyone heard him pushing the 

restructuring agenda anywhere around the 

North? Never! 

However, the PDP candidate knows that 

restructuring is sweet music to the ears of 

those in the South and never forgets to drum 

it hard whenever he campaigns in the zone. 

This reminds one of the late political leader 

in a state in the North Central and father of a 

leading Senator, who employed the strategy 

many years ago. Each time he took his 

presidential aspiration to the North, he was 

known and addressed with an Islamic name, 

a strategy devised to sway votes from the 

North, which is dominated by Muslims. 

In the South, he was simply addressed in 

his Yoruba name, to show his affinity with 

the South, especially the Yoruba-speaking 

areas. His posters were designed in like 

manner but his dream eventually hit the rocks 

for obvious reasons. 

As February 16 fast approaches, the time 

to put on our thinking caps is now, especially 

as we need to take a major decision about 

our future and our children’s future. This is 

in view of the fact that February 16 offers us 

a moment to decide whether to continue with 

a government that though not perfect, has 

shown prospects of a better future or one with 

an outlook of an uncertain future. 

That somebody who wants to become our 

president would declare equivocally that he 

would sell the NNPC to his friends as they 

also deserve to become rich raises 

fundamental questions even as the same 

fellow continues to contradict himself now 

and then on how he would tackle corruption. 

•Umohinyang, a social commentator, wrote 

from Lagos

By Babajide Komolafe 

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

Credit to FG rises by 34% to N4.9tr in 2018 

•Interbank interest rate to rise despite N315bn inflow 

•Forex: CBN approves NIPOST, 4 fintechs, others as IMTOs operators 

CREDIT to the Federal 

Government rose by 34 

percent to N4.87 trillion in 

2018, while credit to the private 

sector rose marginally by 

1.96 percent to N22.73 trillion. 

This was revealed by the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, in its Depository Corporation 

survey released last 

week. The survey also showed 

that banks’ current account 

rose by N440 billion to N9.84 

trillion in 2018 from N9.39 trillion 

in 2017. 

The survey showed that 

Broad money rose by 12.17 

percent year-on-year (y-o-y) 

to N27.08 trillion in December 

2018. The increase in 

Broad money resulted from a 

14.26 percent y-o-y rise in Net 

Domestic Assets, NDA, to 

N15.02 trillion which was accompanied 

by 18.54 percent 

y-o-y increase in Net Foreign 

Assets (NFA) to N18.39 trillion. 

The survey also showed that 

the increase in NDA resulted 

from a y-o-y rise of 6.42 percent 

in Net Domestic Credit, 

NDC, to N27.59 trillion, supported 

by a 1.64 percent y-oy 

fall in Other Liabilities (net) 

to N12.57 trillion. Further 

breakdown of the NDC 

showed a 33.77 percent y-oy 

increase in Credit to the 

Government to N4.87 trillion, 

boosted by an increase of 1.96 

Continues on page 21 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

By Babajide Komolafe 

MORE Nigerians have 

abandoned their bank 

accounts majorly due to 

economic hardship caused by 

sluggish economic 

growth, rising job losses and 

reduction in purchasing 

power occasioned by double 

digit inflation. 

Statistics from the Nigeria 

Interbank Settlement System, 

NIBSS, showed that Nigerians 

abandoned 10 million bank 

accounts in 2018. NIBSS is 

owned by all Nigerian banks 

and the Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN. 

According to the company, 

the number of bank accounts 

abandoned by bank customers 

and hence categorised as 

‘inactive bank accounts’ rose 

by 28 percent to 46.7 million 

in 2018 from 36.7 million in 

2017. 

Depositor-initiated 

transaction 

According to the CBN 2015 

guidelines on dormant 

accounts, “An account shall 

become inactive if there has 

been no customer or 

depositor-initiated transaction 

for a period of six months after 

the last customer or depositor 

initiated transaction.” 

This implies that in just one 

year, ten million bank 

accounts recorded zero 

transactions. 

Financial Vanguard analysis 

also showed a steady growth 

in the number of inactive bank 

accounts between 2014 and 

47 million bank 

accounts go dormant 

•Economic hardship, BVN, others take blame 

•Banks strategise against worsening situation 

2018. 

According to NIBSS, 

inactive bank accounts grew 

faster than active bank 

accounts in the past five years, 

2014 to 2018. 

During this period, inactive 

bank accounts grew by 73 

percent while active bank 

accounts grew by 35 percent. 

While inactive bank accounts 

increased by 19.61 million to 

46.7 million in 2018 from 27.09 

million in 2014, active bank 

accounts rose by 24.75 million 


Nestore’s plant downtime 

deflates revenue 

by 27.9% to N4.32bn 

26 

NSE asks shareholders 

to query directors over 

financial impropriety 

Confronting the ‘12 Giant 

Evils’: A Responsive 

26 National Policy Alternative 28 

C 

M 

Y 

K


FINANCIAL VANGUARD 

47 million bank accounts go dormant 


to 71.2 million in 2018 from 

46.45 million in 2014. 

Financial Vanguard 

investigations and the 

comments from both bankers 

and bank customers, indicate 

that factors responsible for the 

steady and huge growth in 

the number of inactive bank 

accounts are many and varied. 

These include ownership of 

multiple bank accounts by 

some bank customers, 

breakdown in bank-customer 

relationship, Biometric 

Verification Number (BVN) 

issues, incomplete account 

opening documentation and 

Know Your Customer, KYC, 

challenges as well as 

increased efforts against 

money laundering and other 

financial frauds by banks and 

the regulatory authorities. 

However, most of the bankers 

and individuals who spoke to 

Financial Vanguard, cited 

economic difficulties and 

business failures as well as 

rising job losses as the major 

causes. 

Okechukwu Uzor, a teacher, 

does not see the need 

to continue to operate his 

bank account. 

“I have an account with a 

zero balance which I have 

abandoned. If I have the 

money I will credit the 

account. The money is not 

enough to feed talk-less of 

saving it in the bank”, he told 

Financial Vanguard . 

Economic 

downturn 

“The factors mainly 

responsible for the rise in 

inactive bank accounts are 

economic downturn/business 

failures and inactivity on 

salary accounts due to loss of 

job,” said FirstBank in 

response to Financial 

Vanguard enquiries. 

Last year, the National 

Bureau of Statistics reported 

that the number of 

unemployed Nigerians rose 

by 3.3 million to 20.3 million 

in the third quarter of 2018 

(Q3’18) compared to third 

quarter of 2017 (Q3’17). 

This, according to Uju 

Ogubunka, President of Bank 

Customers Association of 

Nigeria (BCAN) will 

definitely lead to inactivity in 

bank accounts. 

“The current situation where 

people are being laid off is 

responsible. If your job stops 

and you have been 

depending on your salary; 

now if your salary is not 

coming in, whatever you get, 

you just use it to oil your daily 

need. That can warrant 

inactivity in account,” he told 

Financial Vanguard. 

This is aptly illustrated by 

the story of Makinde Wakil, 

Managing Director B2SM 

Management Services 

Limited, who had to abandon 

his corporate bank account due 

to economic downturn. 

He said: “I have a personal 

account and I also had a 

corporate account between 

2010 and 2015. If I print my 

bank statement you will see 

inflow and outflow of funds 

and the e-payment 

transactions because we dealt 

with multinational companies 

at that time and their 

payments didn’t come within 

the country, they paid from 

their head office abroad. 

“We worked round the clock 

when there was business. We 

paid salaries; we also had 

other subsidiary companies 

under us. The business was at 

its peak by that time but 

thereafter from mid 2015 there 

was no business activity 

happening in the company. 

“As a result of that, what do 

we have to do? When you are 

in business everything goes 

well but when you are not, 

what do you do. So my 

corporate account has been 

dormant from that time till 

date.” 

In addition to bank 

customers who abandoned 

their accounts due to job 

losses, is a growing number of 

Nigerians leaving the country 

for greener pastures abroad, 

and in the process abandon 

their bank accounts. 

Speaking on condition of 

anonymity, a staff of Ecobank, 

said: “A lot of people are 

leaving the country and 

abandoning their accounts. So 

it is leading to an increase in 

inactive accounts that banks 

have. Those are the people 

that can actually have bank 

accounts. You know people that 

are able to leave are people 

that earn fairly well and they 

can have a bank account. Once 

they leave they don’t access 

those accounts anymore.” 

An example is Mr. and Mrs. 

Oloruntoba who have stopped 

operating their bank accounts 

since they migrated to the 

United States early 2018 with 

their two year old daughter. 

The fraud factor 

The case of Mrs. Sarah 

Adewale, who sells clothes 

and fashion accessories is, 

however, different. She 

abandoned her bank account 

not because of job loss or 

economic hardship, but due to 

fraud. 

Narrating her experience to 

Financial Vanguard, she said: 

“One of the factors responsible 

for increase in inactive 

accounts is fraud. People are 

abandoning their bank 

accounts after being 

defrauded. Like me, I fell into 

the hands of fraudsters or 

armed robbers called ‘onechance’ 

who used a Point of 

Sale (PoS) machine to transfer 

my money in my bank account 

to their accounts. And since 

then I abandoned the account 

because I don’t have any 

reason to go to the bank again. 

I don’t want to encounter such 

and since then the bank has 

been calling me but I don’t 

have their time.” 

According to a branch 

manager with UBA, many 

Nigerians in Diaspora have 

abandoned their bank 

accounts due to fear of 

fraudsters. “We discovered 

that a lot of customers living 

abroad refused to enrol for the 

Biometric Verification Number 

(BVN) because they don’t want 

anybody to use their account 

to commit fraud. They will tell 

you I will come and do it when 

The customers 

abandoned the 

accounts because 

they don’t want 

the activities in 

those accounts 

traced to them 

I return to the country. So the 

account becomes inactive.” 

The BVN effect 

The BVN according to 

bankers is another reason why 

some customers have 

abandoned their accounts. “A 

lot of the inactive bank 

accounts have BVN issues,” a 

top official of NIBSS confirmed 

to Financial Vanguard 

on condition of anonymity. 

Confirming this in response 

to Financial Vanguard 

enquiries, GTBank said: 

“There is a close tie between 

number of accounts that are 

inactive and number of 

accounts that do not have 

BVN. In addition, inaccurate 

information supplied by 

customers leads to data 

matching issues during BVN 

enrolment”. 

A branch manager in one of 

the tier-1 banks, however, said 

the reason some bank accounts 

have not been linked to BVN 

is because they were primarily 

opened and used for 

fraudulent activities. “The 

customers abandoned the 

accounts because they don’t 

want the activities in those 

accounts traced to them”, she 

said. 

Banks 

fight back 

Financial Vanguard 

investigations, however, 

discovered that most banks are 

not comfortable with customers 

abandoning their bank 

accounts and hence are 

making efforts to reduce the 

number of inactive bank 

accounts in their books. 

“It is part of our performance 

indices”, a branch manager in 

a Tier-1 bank told Financial 

Vanguard. 

“In my bank, we don’t use 

the six months criteria of the 

CBN. Rather we use three 

months. Once the customer 

does not operate the account 

for three months, it is classified 

inactive, and we begin to take 

measures to encourage the 

customer to operate the 

account. We are also given 

quarterly target or threshold 

for inactive bank 

accounts,” she said. 

To check incidence of inactive 

bank accounts, FirstBank said 

it has created a team to follow 

up on inactive account 

holders. This is in addition to 

digitisation of account opening 

process and creation of convenience 

for on-site BVN 

enrolment. 

Other measures introduced 

by the bank 

COVER 

include: automation of access 

to loan facilities like salary 

overdraft, personal loan 

against salary; and creation of 

account opening processes at 

agent locations to help in 

reducing the incidence of 

inactive accounts as such 

agents are closer to customers. 

On its part, GTBank said it 

actively engages inactive 

customers through 

incentivized campaigns to 

encourage them reactivate 

their accounts. “Furthermore, 

the bank has also commenced 

expanding its agent banking 

network so that customers in 

remote areas can bank without 

the inhibition of proximity to 

our regular branches,” the 

bank told Financial 

Vanguard. 

CBN reacts 

The CBN, however, 

described the rise in inactive 

bank accounts as a normal 

feature of the banking 

industry with profit potentials 

for banks. 

Responding to Financial 

Vanguard enquiries, Director 

Corporate Communications, 

CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, 

said: “Incidence of abandoned 

accounts has always been a 

feature of the Nigerian 

banking industry for many 

reasons. 

“A common reason is the 

cumbersome procedure of 

complete closure of an 

account. Many people in a 

hurry will withdraw to the last 

kobo possible and move on, 

abandoning the account for 

good. 

“There’s is also death and 

the absence or knowledge of 

a bona fide heir to the estate 

or poor documentation for 

inheritance. 

“In most cases, abandoned 

accounts carry relatively low 

balances compared to active 

ones signifying lack of interest 

to pursue them. The banks, 

however, welcome such 

developments because the 

funds represent no-cost flow 

and eventual profits. 

“The above are normal 

trends in the banking system. 

However, if the is a recent 

upsurge in the statistics then 

fear of law enforcement 

against money laundering 

cannot be ruled out especially 

if the sums in the accounts are 

heavy.” 

BCAN President, Oju 

Ogubunka however insisted 

that the authorities should be 

worried and take measures to 

tackle the trend. 

He said: “The industry 

should be worried about it. If 

the accounts are active, that 

helps monetary policy 

performance, because velocity 

of money and other factors will 

come into play. If people are 

not using their bank accounts 

and they are now dealing on 

cash and carry basis, that is 

lost in the economy 

arrangement in terms of 

capturing it in the system”.



Credit to FG rises by 34% to N4.9tr 

in 2018 


percent in Credit to the 

Private sector to N22.73 

trillion. 

The survey revealed 

that the 12.17 percent y- 

o-y rise in Broad Money 

Supply was driven by 

5.15 percent y-o-y increase 

in Narrow Money 

to N11.75 trillion (as 

Demand Deposits and 

currency outside banks 

rose by 4.74 percent 

and 7.32 percent to 

N9.84 trillion and N1.91 

trillion respectively); 

also, Quasi Money 

(near maturing short 

term financial instruments) 

rose by 18.22 percent 

y-o-y to N15.33 trillion. 

Furthermore, Reserve 

Money (Base Money) 

increased y-o-y by 10.05 

percent to N7.14 trillion 

as Bank reserves and 

currency in circulation 

rose y-o-y by 12.03 percent 

and 8.0 percent to 

N4.46 trillion and N2.23 

trillion respectively. 

on Collateralised lending 

(Open Buy Back, 

OBB) fell by 101 bpts to 

11.07 percent last week 

from 12.08 percent the 

previous week. Similarly, 

interest rate on Overnight 

lending fell by 114 

bpts to 11.86 percent last 

week from 13 percent 

the previous week. 

Analysts at Lagos 

based Afrinvest Limited, 

however, opined that 

this trend will not persist 

this week in spite of 

N315.55 billion inflow 

expected for maturing 

TBs. “Next week, we expect 

money market rates 

to slightly advance as 

we expect the CBN to 

sustain the pace of 

OMOs in a bid to keep 

system liquidity tight. 

Hence, we don’t expect 

the OMO maturities of 

N315.6 billion in the 

coming week to improve 

system liquidity,” they 

stated. 

Analysts at Lagos 

based Zedcrest Capital 

Limited also stated: “We 

expect rates to inch 

slightly higher opening 

next week, as the CBN 

is expected to resume 

its OMO and wholesale 

forex interventions consequently 

tightening 

system liquidity.” 

Forex: CBN approves 

NIPOST, 4 

fintechs, others as 

IMTOs operators 

On the foreign exchange 

scene, the CBN 

last week released the 

list of 58 firms approved 

as International Money 

Transfer Operators (IM- 

TOs) to render international 

money transfer 

services. Highlight of 

the list include Nigeria 

Postal Service, NIPOST, 

Depository Corporation Survey 

and four financial technology 

firms namely, 

Flutterwave, Pagatech, 

Interswitch and e- 

Tranzact. Other notable 

firms on the list include 

Moneygram, Western 

Union and Worldremit. 

Meanwhile, the naira 

recorded mixed performance 

in the parallel market 

and in the Investors 

and Exporters (I&E) window 

last week. 

According to 

naijabdcs.com, the live 

exchange rate platform 

of the Association of Bureaux 

de change Operators 

of Nigeria 

(ABCON), the parallel 

market exchange 

rate fell to N360 per 

dollar last week from 

N362 per dollar the previous 

week, indicating 

N2 appreciation for the 

naira. But athe naira depreciated 

by 25 kobo in 

the I&E window, as the 

indicative exchange rate 

for the window rose 

slightly to N362.71 per 

dollar last week from 

N362.46 per dollar the 

previous week. 

Cost of funds to rise 

to rise despite N315bn 

inflow 

Cost of funds in the 

interbank money market 

is expected to rise this 

week in spite of N315.55 

billion inflow expected 

from maturing treasury 

bills (TBs). 

Last week, cost of 

funds fell for the fourth 

consecutive week following 

the inflow of 

N756.62 billion into the 

market in the latter part 

of the week. The inflow 

comprised of N446.68 

billion from matured 

TBs and N310 billion 

from statutory allocation 

of funds to state and local 

governments by the 

Federal Accounts Allocation 

Committee, 

FAAC. The huge inflow 

saved the interbank 

money market from severe 

scarcity of funds 

occasioned by the mop 

up of N536 billion by the 

CBN through series of 

secondary market (Open 

Market Operations, 

OMO) TB auction during 

the week, as well as 

sale of primary market 

TBs worth N255 billion 

during the week, and 

N117 billion outflow for 

purchase of FGN bond 

sold by the Debt Management 

Office (DMO). 

Consequently, average 

short term cost of funds 

fell for the fourth consecutive 

week by 110 basis 

points (bpts) last week. 

Data from FMDQ 

showed that interest rate 

Exchange rates 

Interbank Lending Rates 

FGN Bonds yield

22—VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019

VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 — 23





NSE task shareholders to 

query directors over financial 

impropriety 

By Peter Egwuatu 

THE Nigerian Stock 

Exchange, NSE has called 

on shareholders to query 

directors of their companies 

whenever they discover any 

impropriety in their financial 

statements. 

The Chief Executive Officer, 

NSE , Mr. Oscar Onyema, 

assured shareholders that the 

Exchange will continue to 

protect their interest by ensuring 

that companies complied with the 

rules of the stock market. 

Reacting to a question on the 

issue involving the defunct Skye 

Bank Plc with respect to investors’ 

protection during his media 

briefing at the Exchange in 

Lagos, he said: “One of the 

things that we actually pride 

ourselves at the Exchange is 

protection of investors. I know 

that when something goes wrong 

Flour Mills 

reduces finance 

cost by 34% to 

N16.5bn 

FLOUR Mills Nigeria Plc 

has recorded a 34 percent 

drop in its finance cost in the 

third quarter financial year ended 

December 31, 2018 to N16.5 

billion from N25.2 billion in the 

corresponding period of 2017. 

According to the result released 

on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, 

NSE, weekend, the company’s 

revenue was N401 billion, for the 

nine months ended December 

31, 2018, a decline of six 

percent when compared to N428 

billion, of the same period last 

year, driven by the first six 

months, with third quarter, Q3 

returning to top line growth. 

The result reflects a notable 

reduction in finance cost of N16.5 

billion, a significant drop of 34 

percent, when compared to 

N25.2 billion of the same period 

last year. 

The company recorded revenue 

of N297 billion for nine months 

ended December 31, 2018, 

representing a marginal decline 

of two percent, when compared 

to N304billion recorded in the 

same period last year. The two 

percent drop in revenue is 

disappointedly related to the 

logistic upheavals posed by the 

traffic challenges in Apapa. 

Gross profit declined by -18 

percent to N34 billion, compared 

to N41 billion in Q3’ 17. Profit 

Before Tax declined by -25 

percent to N13.56billion, 

compared to N18.20billion in 

Q3’17. 

Commenting on the result, Paul 

Gbededo, the Group Managing 

Director said: “The results are 

largely a reflection of our focus 

on driving volume growth while 

improving operational efficiency 

and ramping up strategic 

marketing and promotional 

activities to win over new market 

segments in our food business. 

the first person you want to shoot 

is the Exchange and possibly the 

Securities and Exchange 

Commission, SEC because we 

are in the frontline. If I take Syke 

Bank specifically, the Exchange 

has done a lot to protect the 

interest of shareholders but let 

understand we are operating in 

the market place where 

shareholders themselves have 

responsibility. 

“When we force companies to 

disclose they put up their 

financials, you go to Annual 

General Meeting, AGM, you 

have right to ask questions, if the 

management is doing something 

you have to hold them 

accountable. You don’t have to 

wait until something goes wrong 

and you start blaming Stock 

Exchange. We operate within 

legal boundary. The primary 

regulator for banks is the Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Their 

own dealing is different from ours 

and so we cannot say we are 

going to stop the Central Bank 

from taking regulatory action 

against a bank.’’ 

Analysts foresee bearish trend this week as investors take 

short term position 

By Peter Egwuatu 

AHEAD of the presidential 

election this month, 

analysts have predicted a 

continuous bearish trend in the 

equity market on the Nigerian 

Stock Exchange, NSE, this week 

as investors continue to take 

short term position on equities 

with good fundamentals. 

After two consecutive weeks of 

gains, investors began to book 

profits last week leading to the 

decline in the NSE All Share 

Index , ASI by 2.5 percent 

Week on Week, W-o-W and -2.5 

percent Year to Date, YtD, to 

close at 30,636.36 points while 

market capitalisation decreased 

by N294.7 billion to close on 

Friday at N11.4 trillion. 

Meanwhile, investors in the 

nation’s stock market lost a total 

of N326billion in January as 

bearish sentiment persisted. 

Reacting to the market 

condition, analysts at a Lagos 

based investment firm, Cordros 

Capital said: “Against marked 

sell-offs across bellwether stocks, 

the Nigeria’s equities market 

closed the last session of the 

month on a negative note. Our 

outlook for equities in the nearto-medium 

term is negative, and 

we guide investors to trade 

cautiously, amidst absence of a 

near term positive catalyst and 

political jitters ahead of the 

upcoming 2019 elections. 

However, macroeconomic 

fundamentals remain stable and 

supportive of recovery in the long 

term.” 

Similarly, analysts at Afrinvest 

Research said: “In our opinion, 

this further confirms that 

investors are still on the sidelines 

and may only take short term 

positions till post-election stability 

is established. As we move into 

a new month, we maintain our 

bearish outlook on the market, 

although the earnings season 

could see market rally in the 

period. “ 

Market analysis last week, 

showed that investor sentiment 

as measured by market breadth 

indicated that 16 stocks advanced 

relative to 50 stocks that declined. 

The best performers were ABC 

Transport gaining +24.1 

percent to close at N 0.36, 

Mutual Benefit garnered +10 

percent to close at N0.22 .Beta 

Glass surged by +9.1 percent to 

close at N 60.00, followed by 

Sterling Bank rising by N 8.41 

and UACN Property garnered 

8.18 percent to close at N1.72 

By Peter Egwuatu the company recorded 

NOTORE 

Chemical revenues of N4.32billion for the 

Industries Plc has three months compared to 

explained that the drop in N5.99billion for the 

revenue by 27.9 percent for the corresponding period in 2017. 

unaudited first quarter, Q1 Specifically, Notore recorded 

results ended December 31, an operating profit of N2.99 

2018 was due to the plant billion in Q1’18 showing a 

downtime caused by a jump of 412 percent over its 

maintenance programme. Q1 2017 operating profit of 

The results released by the N0.58 billion. Administrative 

Nigerian Stock Exchange, expenses increased to N1.4 

NSE, weekend, showed that billion from N1.3 billion 

while Consolidated Insurance 

led the laggards as it dropped 

by -17.14 percent to close at 

N0.29 , followed by Niger 

Insurance which declined by - 

15.38 percent to close at N 0.22. 

Dangote Flour nosedived by - 

10.8 percent to close at N 5.80. 

Ikeja Hotel lost -10.7 percent to 

close at N1.50, and Academy 

Press declined by -10.71 percent 

to close at N 0.45. 

Notore’s plant downtime deflates revenue by 27.9% to 

N4.32bn 

recorded in the preceding 

period, while finance cost 

increased to N3.1 billion from 

N2.5 billion. 

However, the net finance cost 

of N3.09 billion in Q1’18 made 

Notore to end 

the period with a loss of 

N93 million, which the 

company said is a significant 

improvement compared to 

the loss of N1.958 billion 

recorded in the corresponding 

period of the previous year. 

Sterling Specta N10bn loan records zero NPL, targets N40bn 

second tranche 

By Peter Egwuatu Valentine day, (February 14, 

2019) would be given a reduced 

interest rate of 1.92 percent. 

Speaking at a press briefing 

weekend in Lagos, Mr Shina 

Atilola, Divisional Head, Retail 

and Consumer Banking, Sterling 

Bank Plc, who disclosed this said: 

“We have recorded zero NPL up 

to date and would launch the 

second phase which is N40 

billion mark and a target size of 

50,000 transactions. 

“The new Specta loan is unique 

as both customers and non 

STERLING Bank Plc has 

disclosed that the Specta 

N10 billion loan scheme 

launched last year has recorded 

zero Non Performing Loan, NPL 

and thus has concluded 

arrangement to launch the 

second phase by increasing the 

loan size to N40 billion marks this 

year. The second phase is 

expected to commence today 

(Monday) and borrowers, who 

take the loan between today and 

customers of the bank can have 

access to the loan. Also, it is not 

just for salary earners but for non 

salary earners who need money 

for various needs. Sterling Bank 

last year introduced a consumer 

loan scheme called ‘Specta’, 

which disbursement is done in 

less than five minutes.” 

Specta is an online lending 

platform that offers loans not more 

than N5 million to individuals, 

with a goal to create a simple, 

convenient, and personalised 

experience for customers.




Confronting the ‘12 

Giant Evils’: 

A Responsive 

National Policy 

Alternative 

A presentation by Fola Adeola, Founding Chief Executive, 

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Founder, Fate Foundation, as 

the keynote speaker at the 3rd Vangaurd Economic Discourse 

RECENT public policy 

debates have put 

forward the idea that Nigeria's 

policy options center around an 

Economic Growth versus 

Human Development Index 

(HDI) dichotomy. I am 

concerned that this 

juxtaposition sets up the false 

premise that the choice can 

ever, in fact, be binary - that it 

is possible for a good leader, 

or even one that aspires to 

simply average results, to 

choose either economic growth 

(usually expressed as GDP 

growth) OR human 

development (as represented 

by HDI) as the basis for a 

national policy - either because 

one is sufficient, in itself, or 

because the other will 

naturally follow. 

Proponents of an "economic 

growth" policy thrust put 

forward the position that if we 

just focus on growing the 

economy, human development 

will naturally follow. 

Alluring 

proposition 

They would have us believe 

that the cure for what ails 

Nigeria is a leader who will 

focus on growing the economy, 

because if our economy grows, 

the rest of what ails us will 

naturally be dealt with - and 

our country will be transported 

from third to first world on the 

back of the prosperity that is 

created. 

This is an alluring 

proposition: it is attractive in 

its simplicity, and is even 

logical in the same basic sort 

of way. The reasoning goes 

something like this: if there 

was more money to go around, 

the government would have 

money to fund intervention, 

people would have more to 

spend, and the country would 

be better. 

Economic growth advocates, 

therefore focus on annual 

increases in GDP (i.e. the value 

of goods and services produced 

in a country), and on GDP per 

capita (GDP relative to the size 

of a country's population). 

There are obvious issues with 

limiting policy to a GDP 

conversation. 

The most commonly 

cited are that GDP only 

measures the formal 

economy (leaving out 

the value of activity in 

the informal economy), 

and that GDP per capita 

does not address issues 

such as wealth distribution - 

both important issues in 

developing countries. GDP 

also does not track how money 

is spent, or what investments 

are made. As a headline 

progress indicator for countries 

like the US or UK, already in 

some steady state, economic 

growth as a sole indicator of 

progress and compass for 

policy may well be instructive. 

Not for Nigeria. 

Perhaps to circumvent these 

gaps, and in search of a more 

inclusive measure of progress, 

a clamour for the human 

development index (HDI) as a 

policy barometer has 

increasingly found voice. 

Advocates believe that 

because HDI also takes into 

account life expectancy, access 

to knowledge (as measured by 

average years of education in 

the adult population, and 

expected years of schooling for 

young children), as well as the 

"standard of living" (as 

measured by the country's 

Gross National Income - a 

measure similar to GDP, but 

which includes income made 

by nationals who live abroad, 

and excludes what is made by 

non-national in the country), it 

offers a measure that is robust, 

reflective of the population's 

reality, and internationally 

understood. What could 

possibly be wrong with that? 

My answer is this: that as 

an index for speaking to the 

world about our progress, HDI 

is worth calculating, and 

tracking, as it offers some 

insight into the effect of a 

country's social policies. But 

those insights are limited, to 

health and educational 

duration - not quality - and, 

again, to national income 

figures that say nothing about 

allocation and distribution. 

We should admit, also, that 

as headline communication 

measures, even GDP and GDP 

per capita have their uses: they 

•Fola Adeola, Founder, Fate Foundation 

can be both externally and 

internally instructive about the 

state of the nation, relative to 

other countries, and as a 

measure of the effect that 

population growth has on 

revenue management. The 

more people there are, the 

higher GDP has to be, for there 

to be growth on a per capita 

basis. 

That much we can glean. 

Those concessions 

notwithstanding, if we accept 

that the purpose of national 

policy is to effect real change, 

and not simply to speak to the 

world in headlines, then we 

must consider that neither 

economic growth nor HDI can 

Numbers from the 

Budget Office of the 

Federation indicate 

that Nigeria spent 

66% of its earnings 

on servicing debt in 

the first half of 2018 

- up from 22% in 

2012, and 

ascending all the 

way to 68% in 2017 

be sufficient as a basis for 

driving national policy - we are 

too far off course for these to 

be our policy development 

anchors. 

To my mind, a more granular, 

more responsive approach to 

policy formulation is required 

for Nigeria, and we must begin 

by asking the question "what 

are we developing policies to 

address?" In other words, 

what do I mean by "we are too 

far gone?"In researching this 

paper, I came across the 

London School of Economics' 

definition of social policy as 

"the services and support 

provided by the state across 

the life course of citizens, from 

childhood to old age: including 

child and family support, 

schooling and education, 

housing and neighbourhood 

renewal, income maintenance 

and poverty reduction, 

unemployment support and 

training, pensions, health, and 

social care: with an emphasis 

on reducing inequalities in 

access to services." It sounded 

almost utopian. 

I, frankly, had to remind 

myself that that speaks more 

to how far we have fallen than 

it belies the fact that those - 

indeed - are the issues with 

which responsible 

governments should be 

concerned. I say, "remind 

myself," not because I recall it 

from something I read or 

watched, but because I have 

lived it. 

Not that long ago, in my own 

lifetime, the Nigerian 

government (or at least the 

Western Region Government) 

had policies and programs in 

place to address most, if not 

all, of those social needs. I am 

sixty-five years old;imagining 

our present condition, even 

fifty years ago, would probably 

have been considered 

ludicrous pessimism.Yet here 

we are. 

What exactly is our present 

condition? 

1. We are a bastion of penury, 

as evidenced by the living 

standards of our people. 

According to research 

produced by the Brookings 

Institution, Nigeria has 87 

million people living in 

extreme poverty - more than 

any other country in the world. 

Can this be true? Let's go back 

for a minute to the discussion 

on GDP per capita. We are told 

that Nigeria made 375.8 billion 

dollars in 2017 (I do not have 

the figures for 2018), and that 

there are 190.9 million people 

in the country, so GPD per 

capita is $375.8 billion divided 

by 190.9 million, that is $1,968 

or N708,480. Now, even if we 

had the luxury of spending all 

our income on citizens, this 

would still only come to about 

5 dollars a day per person. If 

we then consider the country's 

other financial obligations, size 

of government, and general 

income disparity, it makes 

sense that almost half of us are 

living in extreme poverty. Both 

HDI and economic growth 

indices will reveal this. 

2. We are a debt-burdened 

nation - numbers from the 

Budget Office of the Federation 

indicate that Nigeria spent 

66% of its earnings on servicing 

debt in the first half of 2018 - 

up from 22% in 2012, and 

ascending all the way to 68% 

in 2017. Neither HDI nor 

economic growth figures can 

guide debt and revenue 

management. 

3. We are an increasingly 

illiterate nation - UNICEF 

estimates that 13.2 million 

Nigerian children were out of 

school in 2015, up from 10.5 in 

2010. 

Quality 

education 

Even those who are in school 

have little hope of receiving 

quality education, with only 

0.5% of national GDP allocated 

to education. While economic 

growth will be impacted by 

this, it will not measure it. An 

HDI-focus will track, but not 

address it. 

4. We are an irresponsibly 

procreating people - Every four 

seconds. That is the statistic. 

Every four seconds, a child is 

born in Nigeria. At an annual 

population growth rate of 

about 2.6% per annum, 

Nigeria will apparently be the 

world's 3rd most populated 

country by 2050 - at about 

which time, the country is 

projected to have depleted 

85% of its oil reserves. 

Considering that almost half of 

our population is already 

impoverished, what sense can 

there possibly be in breeding 

like rabbits? Both HDI and 

economic growth will reveal 

this, as trends after the fact. 

5. Crookedness has 

become synonymous with our 

national brand - Transparency 

International ranked us No. 

148, out of 180 countries in the 

world in 2017 Transparency 

Index. In 2012, we were No. 

121. And the way we are 

fighting corruption, if indeed 

we are fighting, then surely we 

must consider that our fight is 

both toothless and ineffective, 

and rethink our approach. 

Neither HDI nor economic 

growth-centered policies can 

address this. 

It is a grim condition, 

indeed, which is why we must 

do better than base our 

Continues on page 29


Confronting the ‘12 Giant Evils: 

A Responsive National Policy Alternative 


interventions on "tidy" indices 

that do not guide responsive 

policy formulation. This is not 

a start-up sovereign, such as 

Israel. Rather, we are a country 

on a collision course, barely a 

nation in any real sense, and 

deeply plagued by 

fundamental evils, which, if not 

addressed, will ensure our ruin. 

It is through this lens - of the 

giant evils that plague us - that 

my own view of a development 

policy for Nigeria is 

constructed.You might ask 

why I would choose to define 

policy on the back of problems 

- evils. 

My polite answer is that the 

role of a government is to 

respond to/create an enabling 

environment for the needs, 

challenges and aspirations of 

its population to be addressed; 

and, that where there are 

barriers to this, taking them 

down must be the foundation 

of policy. This is why they are 

called policy interventions - 

their singular purpose is to 

remove the barriers to national 

ascension. 

Barriers to 

national ascension 

The choice of the word "evils" 

in describing our particular 

barriers is a function of their 

depth and destructiveness, 

and is quite deliberate. To call 

them challenges would be a lie, 

it would cause us to 

underestimate their 

pervasiveness and leave any 

responses we may craft 

inadequate to address theirrot. 

If we are running away from 

the insufficiency of GDP and 

HDI as foundations for policy, 

then we must run toward the 

kind of brutal honesty that will 

compel us to strive for a 

different existence.I also 

believe that by first describing 

our afflictions, it becomes 

possible to define organised 

remedies (orpolicy 

interventions) and articulate a 

future state (in other words, 

avision) for our country. 

The idea of naming a 

nation's ills as a foundation for 

policy-making is not an 

altogether original position, I 

should admit. In 1942, at the 

end of World War II, the United 

Kingdom commissioned a 

national survey with a view to 

developing a comprehensive 

social policy. 

The result, the Social 

Insurance and Allied Services 

Report, more popularly 

dubbed the Beveridge Report, 

identified 5 giant evils in British 

society - squalor, ignorance, 

want, idleness and disease. In 

response to each of them, 

policy interventions were 

crafted, modified versions of 

which remain part of the fabric 

of British society today - 

Council Housing, Grammar 

Schools, The Dole, JobCentres, 

and the National Health 

Service (NHS). 

The severity of our situation 

suggests to me that we may 

well already be in a minefield 

of evils; but even minefields 

must be mapped in order to 

be disabled. That said, I have 

been unable to distil just 5 evils 

- particularly because our 

scope must extend beyond 

social policy, if any impact is 

to be realisable. 

What I have arrived at, after 

much musing, is a list of twelve 

giant evils, that are 

fundamental to our present 

condition. There are, of course, 

other evils; only that they are 

yet to attain the size of 

giants.Nigeria's TWELVE 

GIANT EVILS, in my view, are 

the following, and they break 

down as social, structural, 

economic and psychological. 

The first five are social, and 

in fact, identical to the findings 

of the UK Beveridge 

Commission during World War 

II - and that may tell us 

something, both about the 

universality of the human 

condition, and the state of our 

country. 

Hunger - the inability of 

citizens to access food, due to 

extreme poverty. 

Ignorance - the absence of 

quality basic education, fueling 

an inability to make informed 

decisions about their 

leadership, followership and 

lives. 

Squalor - decrepit living 

conditions - from clean water 

to housing 

Disease- preventable 

sickness and deaths, borne of 

poverty, ignorance, and 

abysmal health-care options. 

Idleness- lack of jobs, and 

access to opportunity/ 

resources. 

The next two are structural: 

Darkness - the absence of 

steady or predictable power, 

•Fola Adeola 

Voidness-compounding the 

absence of power, is a dearth 

of infrastructure (pillars to 

support a productive economy, 

inadequate and poorly 

maintained roads, public 

transit systems, etc.) has 

translated to stagnation of key 

industries. 

The next two economic: 

Barrenness - A failure to 

produce, and therefore to 

generate adequate revenues to 

fund our development. 

Wastage - A failure to 

manage even the available 

resources. Poor expenditure, 

taxation, and debt 

management, cost of 

government (particularly the 

national assembly). 

And the final three 

psychological: 

Aimlessness - Leaderless, 

visionless, directionless, and 

without order. Just existing, 

subsisting actually. 

Crookedness - Intentional 

and devious creativity, aimed 

at taking unethical (often 

illegal) advantage of a poorly 

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 — 29 

managed system. 

Insecurity - Living in fear of 

violence, exploitation, without 

protection or just recourse. 

It is certainly possible to 

nuance, unpack, and debate, 

ad nauseum, my choice of 

twelve, but all good debates 

are limited by time. Let us 

therefore take these as 

sufficient for the purpose of 

advancing this discussion. 

What we are trying to establish 

is first that we are a country 

plagued by some very 

fundamental and pervasive 

problems and, second, that 

confronting those problems 

systematically and 

comprehensively is the 

responsibility of a responsible 

government, and must be the 

foundation of policymaking. 

Any national agenda that does 

not address, or at least consider 

the breadth of our afflictions is, 

by definition, inadequate and 

unworthy. You cannot restore 

health to an HIV positive 

patient by treating pneumonia. 

Nor can you administer HIV 

cocktails and ignore the 

already-present opportunistic 

infection. Ask the doctors, 

broad-spectrum ailments 

require broad-spectrum 

treatment. Sometimes this 

calls for sequencing, 

sometimes trade-offs, but the 

life of the patient hangs on 

accurate diagnosis of all 

underlying conditions, and the 

physician's skill, in determining 

a treatment protocol. The grace 

of God, of course, is implied; 

first in assembling this 

confluence of factors, and then 

in completing what lies beyond 

the limits of human endeavour. 

But first, let's deliver 

appropriate and directed 

human endeavour, over which, 

we have been given both choice, 

and control. 

Given the bleak picture 

painted of our country, it is not 

an unreasonable question to 

ask whether this writer has not 

entirely given up on Nigeria. 

What future can one possibly 

envisage if we acknowledge 

these evils to be true? "Can our 

present circumstances be 

changed, or are we beyond 

redemption?" 

I believe they can be 

changed, I believe redemption 

is possible, but I also strongly 

believe that it cannot be 

accidental. It must be 

deliberate and systematic, and 

it must be based on difficult 

truths, because there are too 

many of us for denial and 

natural resource booms to be 

our ticket out of penury. 

Strategic 

logic 

Also, although the scope of a 

Nigeria turnaround must 

necessarily go beyond social 

evils, I have ordered my dozen 

giant evils in this way for a 

reason: listing the social first, 

and not second or third, 

because, even having first 

made the point that our policy 

priorities must be entire and 

mutually propelling, I also 

believe that order, not priority 

now, but the sequencing of our 

thoughts and interventions 

must begin with people. To the 

extent that it is people who 

make up a nation, their lives 

must matter first, and their 

needs must lead our other 

priorities. 

My reasoning rests on the 

strategic logic of starting with 

the end in mind, and I will give 

you a non-statistical, nonclinical, 

though no less valid 

insight into my leaning on this. 

I grew up in a world where 

parents considered their 

children an investment, and 

made financial sacrifices for the 

child as well as the parents' 

future. Parents, sometimes 

communities, ensured that 

children were fed, healthy, and 

went to school, often at great 

personal cost, in the belief that 

those opportunities would 

afford the child an opportunity 

build a better life for himself, 

Continues on page 30



Confronting the ‘12 Giant Evils’: 

A Responsive National Policy Alternative 


and that the fruit of that 

improved future would be 

shared by the collective. 

Oftentimes, there were tradeoffs 

between children, on the 

basis of aptitude, or attitude, or 

both. Sometimes it was gender, 

but the basis and fairness of 

tradeoffs notwithstanding, they 

were made. The result was that 

the poor birthed the rich, and 

many of the successful people 

we celebrate today can speak 

of "humble beginnings". 

Between the knowledge of 

want, and a refusal to go back 

to it, and the sense of 

responsibility imbued by the 

sacrificers, the motivation to 

succeed was not in short supply. 

"From those to whom much is 

given, much is expected", so 

goes the adage, and in order to 

give, parents went without; they 

borrowed, they nurtured a 

sense of responsibility.I believe 

that a developing nation, 

particularly one plagued as we 

are with these many evils, must 

take the same view. 

That its leaders must, as 

custodians of citizens, prioritise 

the development of people, and 

do so with an investment 

mentality. I believe that by first 

planning for it citizens, a nation 

puts itself in a position to 

understand what its actual 

financial requirements are (for 

those of you who are 

commercially inclined, we can 

call it a target/budget), and can 

then set economic growth goals 

and unpack the strategies by 

which to achieve them. 

Policy 

interventions 

Having named our shame, 

what do we do about it? These 

evils have, after all, been laid 

out, not to revel in despair, but 

to craft policy interventions that 

directly address our most 

intractable problems. To that 

extent, it would be irresponsible 

to speak of evils without offering 

a framework on which policy 

responses can be anchored. I 

should 

1.Describe the evil, and why 

it is evil. 

2. What is the future state that 

we want to replace the current? 

(We must take the time to 

describe this is painstaking 

detail) 

3. What cadre of peers do we 

anticipate we will have in that 

future state? (This is an 

important question, as it takes 

account of the fact that we live 

in an evolving world. Our peer 

comparisons cannot be static, 

they must be informed by our 

desired place in the world). 

4. What specific interventions 

will bring about this outcome? 

And what role must the people 

themselves play? What will 

happen if citizens fail to play 

their role? 

5. What resources will we 

require (financial, and 

•Fola Adeola 

otherwise)? How will we get 

them? 

6. How will we measure 

success, internally, and relative 

to our future peers? 

If we are able to take all 12 

evils, and rigorously run each 

of them through these six 

critical questions, I suspect our 

policy options will be laid bare 

before us. For illustrative 

purposes, let us examine the 

evil of ignorance: 

By defining our aspirations 

with precision, and addressing 

the 

questions 

If we continue to 

ignore the reality 

that we are a 

country on the 

precipice, it is 

almost certain that 

we will fall over; it 

can get worse, and 

there are examples 

all around us 

comprehensively, our policy 

direction for ignorance and all 

of the other 11 giant evils that 

plague us can be determined 

based on this proposed 

framework. 

While space limitations will 

not permit a full review of all 12 

giant evils, there are two in 

particular that require some 

further exposition, as I believe 

they are central to any hope we 

may have of turning this country 

around. The first is the evil 

ofaimlessness. Where are we 

going? What is our national 

vision, and what is our plan for 

getting there? To my mind, this 

even more essential than many 

of the restructuring debates that 

proliferate our polity. Structure 

follows strategy, not the other 

way around. So we must define 

(either by adopting the vision 

of a leader who presents us with 

a rigorously considered, viable 

and aspirational roadmap, or 

through representational 

participation in a conversation 

about national direction) a path 

for Nigeria. 

To me, envisioning a future 

for Nigeria starts with having a 

vision for the people. "The 

people perish, no have no 

vision". "What do we want the 

lives of the people of Nigeria to 

look like in 25 years?; and the 

answer to that question must 

go beyond "good" or 

"prosperous" or "world class", 

none of which actually means 

very much. To address this 

comprehensively, we must go 

back to the giant social evils and 

be specific - e.g. want to reduce 

the percentage of our people 

living in extreme poverty to 5%, 

etc.We must find a leader who 

will speak to us every day, 

reminding us of that collective 

dream. We must instill it in 

schools, and in the public space. 

We must become 

unapologetically brainwashed, 

steeped in our vision of a better 

future. 

The second is the evil of 

barrenness. I find it interesting 

that we so readily and 

derogatorilycall women barren 

in our society, referring to 

biological processes over which 

they invariably have no control. 

Yet, we - the nation - despite 

having significant control over 

our ability to produce, fail to 

recognise our own national 

sterility. We produce nothing. 

Nor do we have any concise 

national plan that I am aware 

of, to build and hone expertise 

in producing anything. A 

country that does not make 

does sustain, and extraction is 

not the same as production. 

According to the National 

Bureau of Statistics, 99% of 

Nigeria's export revenues come 

from oil. There is a lot of 

narrative around diversification 

today, but I have heard nobody 

say, "we will be the best at 

producing these 3, or 4, or 5 

things globally". We either talk 

about solid minerals, and gas, 

which, incidentally are also 

extractive, or we pay lip service 

to agribusiness. 

Where is the land to 

accommodate endless 

commercial production of 

anything and everything? 

Where will this uncontrolled 

population live, if cassava and 

rice are competing for space 

with people and livestock? We 

must get real. I am not saying 

the country does not have 

agricultural potential, but we 

must focus, and do so from the 

beginning to the end of highvalue 

chains only. 

The primary agricultural 

level, it has been established, 

is where the smallest profit 

resides. Switzerland, the home 

of premium chocolate, does not 

grow cocoa. Yet it is they who 

set the standards; chocolates 

are now graded, based on the 

level of cocoa inclusion. We, on 

the other hand, continue to 

peddle a pedestrian narrative of 

growing enough to feed an 

endlessly growing number of 

mouths. We don't plan for 

wealth, we plan for subsistence. 

This cannot be a viable path. 

The first question, in my view, 

is this: what do we need to fund 

the future we desire?This is the 

reason why I insist that we must 

lead policy formulation by 

addressing social evils first. 

By understanding the kind of 

future we desire for our people, 

we can work out what the cost 

of that future is, and plan for how 

we will generate the funds for 

it. Funding sources will require 

creativity, some borrowing 

possibly, ambitious revenue 

generation targets, and clear 

strategies for achieving them. 

We already are the 7th most 

populous country in the world. 

Even if we were to magically 

stop procreating today, we 

would still remain in the 90th 

percentile on population size for 

a while to come. This means, if 

we go back to the discussion on 

GDP per capita, that we need 

to have a GDP in the top 

quartile globally to give our 

citizens a world class lifestyle. 

How will we build that wealth? 

Surely, not by subsistence. 

Nationally, we must plan to bear 

fruit - premium, high value, fruit 

and on more than one front. 

And that planning, the 

identification of transformative 

sweet spots, has already tarried. 

A word of note is probably 

prudent here. A country that 

plans to produce on a global 

scale, must be prepared to make 

significant sacrifices. No 

country with a population like 

ours has gone from 3rd to 1st 

world by keeping her doors 

completely open, and 

continuing to import everything 

from luxury cars to toothpicks. 

China closed its doors. India 

closed its doors. Singapore 

didn't, but hey don't have our 

population.If shutting doors has 

become unfashionable, the use 

of tariffs has not. Perhaps it is 

time that those who have 

amassed sufficient wealth to live 

above the development of their 

nation, begin pay for the luxury 

of their imported lives. 

The clock is ticking on 

Nigeria. Oil reserves are 

dwindling, the population is 

rapidly increasing. From a 

country that planned, and saved 

and provided high quality social 

services, we have devolved into 

one that is entirely dependent 

on its revenues, practically, from 

one product, oil. When the 

global price is high, we declare 

a boom. When the world is not 

quite as interested in our 

subterranean treasures, or 

those in whose backyards the 

oil wells actually lie refuse to 

be appeased by token payments 

that have not, in 60 years, 

improved the livelihoods of the 

inhabitants, we plunge into a 

recession. 

If we continue to ignore the 

reality that we are a country on 

the precipice, it is almost certain 

that we will fall over. It can get 

worse, and there are examples 

all around us. Yemen, Sudan, 

Libya, the DRC;these are all 

countries with people who also 

pray to "the living God". 

Between the opioid optimism of 

the religious, and the parochial 

preoccupation with the nuclear 

that numbs the elite, we are 

stumbling towards 

Armageddon. And the thing 

about Armageddon is it engulfs 

all: the poor, the rich, the 

innocent and the guilty. 

Survival of 

the fittest 

Less than thirty days to the 

next election, it might be worth 

pausing to ask ourselves what 

we are looking for? Is it the 

leader who offers us change (to 

what, and from what?), or the 

one who offers us prosperity (for 

whom, and by what means?). 

Is it the one who offers youth 

(as an elixir for what?), or the 

one that offers experience (as a 

credential in lieu of a vision)? 

Why do we consistently choose 

between less than and nothing? 

Can we start now, to demand 

more? 

Can we take this country and 

own it? Do we care enough 

about our futures and our 

children's tomorrow, to wrestle 

it away from these giant evils? 

Who are we waiting for? The 

strongman who will close our 

borders and insist we start to 

fill the void? Or do we continue 

with this survival of the fittest, 

where the weak are destroyed, 

until none of us is left? We have 

choices to make, about our 

votes, and about our roles. May 

God bless Nigeria,and teach 

her people to be a blessing unto 

themselves. Our lives depend 

on it.


Nigerian economy after the 

elections of 2019 

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 — 31 

A week in politics is a long 

time— Harold Wilson, UK PM, 

1970s 

IT is not just in politics that 

seven days can become a long 

time. Even in national economies, 

seven days can alter the fate of a 

nation for a long time to come. 

Most oil-producing nations of the 

world experienced the most rapid 

surge, in percentage terms within 

the first week after the Yom Kippur 

War between Arab countries and 

Israel in 1973. Suddenly, crude oil 

which fetched thirty cents a barrel 

skyrocketed to $3 (1000%), $4 

(1333%) and $5 (1667%) on 

account of drastic supply 

reduction imposed by the Arab 

countries. Nigeria earned more oil 

revenue in a week than the 

aggregate revenue of oil and nonoil 

exports in the previous year. So 

sudden was the bonanza Gowon’s 

government did not know what to 

do with it. What they eventually 

did is still affecting our economy 

till today. 

Among the measures taken at 

the time, none has had a more 

lasting impact than the Udoji 

Awards – which addressed 

Minimum Wage at the time. As 

usual, the agitation started from 

the Nigerian Labour Congress, 

NLC, and other unions 

representing workers. The end 

result was basic wage adjustments 

which set all sorts of records in 

profligacy and demonstrated a 

lack of self-restraint on the part of 

those in government. Somehow, 

the authors of that bill failed to 

consider the long term 

consequences of the pact – in the 

event oil prices dropped. 

My office on the day after civil 

servants were paid their Udoji 

awards was directly opposite PZ 

Supermarket situated at the 

corner of Martins and Broad 

streets in Lagos Island. Previously, 

on a good day, PZ would sell about 

six television sets a day – as I could 

see from my office window. 

Refrigerators and air-conditioners 

sold even less. But, the day after 

receipt of the awards, including 

nine months increase paid in 

arrears, the queue in front of PZ 

started as early as 6.30 am. People 

were there to buy electronics. By 

10 am the entire stock had been 

exhausted. The store manager, a 

drinking acquaintance requested 

for more stock at a 25% price 

increase. Everything was bought 

before the store closed at 6 pm. 

Incidentally, Kingsway Stores, 

Leventis Stores, UTC, Bhojsons 

and Chellarams were 

experiencing the same deluge of 

orders. Each responded by 

increasing prices every few hours. 

Still the buyers came asking for 

more. 

Car dealers also had their own 

bonanza. Until Udoji, a 

prospective car buyer would have 

the car delivered same day 

payment was made. That changed 

within a week. Thereafter, buyers 

had to wait and bribe to have cars 

delivered in less than three months 

after depositing full amount. 

Sadly, though, most of those who 

rushed out to buy expensive items, 

especially those nearing 

retirement, purchased their first 

and last of such items. Many of 

the old jalopies, Peugeot 504s in 

particular, people see in rural 

areas were probably procured 

during that national loss of 

common sense. Few ever thought 

that the good times could not last 

forever until Buhari became 

military head of state. Then, 

sugar, milk, detergent, sardine, 

etc., became “essential 

commodities, essenco”, very 

scarce and priced out of reach of 

the common person for a while. A 

few men decided our fate then. 

Another few will do it again. 


By Providence Emmanuel 

WHAT is your expectation of 

the MfB subsector in 2019? 

From the positive point of view, I 

don’t expect much to happen until 

after the elections. It is also very 

important that the policy makers at 

that level realize that the country is 

a going concern, elections would 

come and go but the business would 

continue. 

It is important that we have a 

progressive policy that is consistent; 

it encourages people that are taking 

investment decisions to make 

adequate investment which would 

in turn create new businesses that 

would in turn create jobs. A lot of the 

professions that we have in the 

country are based on the skills of our 

people. Nigerians abroad remit 

about $25 billion annually; we are 

number three in terms of global 

money transfer and remittances. Our 

resource base is not the oil but our 

people, the core focus should be on 

how to enhance the quality of our 

people and their contribution. 

How would you describe the 

proposed CBN’s National MfB 

I think that the focus of Central 

Bank of Nigeria’s, CBN as a 

regulator is to make policies that 

would drive how the financial 

market develops. If CBN is saying 

Virtually all those who will 

determine the fate of Fellow 

Nigerians are now busy 

campaigning for elections. They 

are inattentive to anything 

concerning the economy from now 

until the last votes are counted. 

That will take us to the last week 

in February. Two months in 2019, 

at least, will be gone before they 

bend their minds to it – if all goes 

well with the polls. An 

inconclusive result or widespread 

violence could postpone the time 

those in charge of our collective 

economic destiny will have time 

Nobody has told 

us how much 

this increase 

sought by 

organised 

labour will cost 

us 

to consider it. More weeks will be 

lost in a year which started badly 

and is trending worse for the 

nation. 

Just as this article was being 

prepared, an international news 

report told the whole world that 

President Trump and the US 

Government has given the leader 

of the opposition in Venezuela 

right to operate the Latin 

America’s accounts in the US; as 

well as authority over Venezuelan 

assets in America. Irrespective of 

whether one is for the Nigerian 

ruling party – the All Progressives 

Congress, APC – or the opposition 

– the Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, - it must be admitted that 

Trump has suddenly introduced 

something new in global 

economics which Nigerian 

political leaders must take into 

account. 

What stops the US from seizing 

Nigeria’s funds in the country and 

handing it to anybody it chooses 

to recognise after our presidential 

election? What will be the 

consequences of such a measure 

for our economy which is 

projected to grow at a mere two 

per cent this year? Will the 

economy be forced into a recession 

and exacerbate our struggle with 

deepening poverty? Most 

importantly, what can Nigeria do 

very quickly to shield most of its 

external reserves from what would 

amount to Yankee Banditry? 

One does not have to support 

the Venezuelan dictator, and I 

don’t, to object to what on 

America’s part amount to abuse 

of a globally agreed privilege. 

Nations’ funds are kept in the US 

because the dollar is the global 

reserve currency (every 

transaction across borders is 

quoted in dollars). But, there is 

nothing in that global 

arrangement which confers on the 

US the right to dispose of any 

nation’s funds in order to promote 

its own national interest. This is 

an urgent issue which calls for 

immediate response and 

leadership. But, the leader is out 

hustling for votes in his selfinterest 

when indeed the few weeks 

between now and the election 

might create the conditions for 

our loss of control over our 

American deposits. 

Similarly, the untidy situation 

with the Minimum Wage calls for 

proactive and intelligent 

leadership. Nowhere in the world 

does adjustment to the minimum 

wage alone end the story. Even a 

fool knows that if the least paid 

worker moves from N18000 to 

CBN’s National MfB will create credit arbitrage 

in the subsector —MD, Purple Money MfB 

In this interview, Managing Director, Purple Money MfB, Mr 

Obinna Onunkwo, bares his mind on the national microfinance 

bank being promoted by the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), 

noting that it can create credit arbitrage in the subsector. 

Excerpt: 

that they want to set up a national 

MfB working with NIPOST, the 

challenge is that there is going to be 

a crowding out effect because if they 

want to dedicate such amount of 

financial capacity in setting up that 

infrastructure and the bank, then 

what is the role of the private sector 

and what is the incentive for private 

sector participants to continue to 

invest in that microfinance space? A 

lot of people would view it and say, 

CBN is coming as their competitor, 

so how do I compete with my 

regulator, when my regulator is 

directly/indirectly backing the 

setting up of an alternative institution 

that is going to compete with me. 

From that point of view, that crowding 

out effect means that less people 

would be interested in the space; the 

current people that are joining the 

space may not want to deploy 

additional expenses to expand their 

business; it may create credit 

arbitrary where some people would 

go to a national MfB, take loan and 

divert it to go and pay for the loan 

they have with other MfBs. So this 

is not creating an efficient system 

where capital is efficiently allocated. 

For CBN to come in and play in 

that space where they should be 

regulating and driving policies is not 

going to achieve the desired effect 

of bringing about financial 

inclusion. I understand the CBN’s 

frustration in terms of getting more 

and more people to get access to 

credit because credit is important to 

poverty alleviation. Across the world, 

such as Latin America, South East 

Asia, the proven model is where 

private sector is actively involved in 

eradicating poverty by ensuring that 

capitals through loan is efficiently 

allocated and it is done in a 

sustainable manner. The issue with 

government agencies getting 

involved with these things is that, it 

is tied down with bureaucracy and 

decision would be made and they 

are not efficiently implemented. The 

sustainable model is a model that 

allows anybody that is playing in that 

space to react in real time to market 

condition, devoid of sentiments but 

focused on objectivity. 

Is it true that the MfBs have not 

been able to disburse intervention 

funds as expected? 

There are several issues 

surrounding access to on-lending 

facility and there are several funds 

with the CBN for on-lending. There 

is the one for Agriculture, SMEs, 

MSMEs, among others, each has its 

criteria. The issue here is from the 

micro point of view, we all know 

what the economy is going through, 

there was a recession last year. All 

these things indicate the 

hurdle you have to cross to 

access or give credit. If the federal 

government is actively playing in 

the fixed income market and 

determining what the risk free rate 

is, which is about 15 per cent. Why 

N30,000, he would earn more than 

those several levels above his own. 

Are officers in levels two and 

above earning less than N30,000 

expected to supervise Level 1 

workers taking home more than 

they do? If not, by how much will 

their pay-scales be moved up? 

And, when the exercise is 

completed, how much will be 

added to the public sector wage 

bill at Federal, State and Local 

Governments? Can they pay and 

still serve the rest of us who are 

not public service workers? 

NLC officials heckling the 

Minister of Labour and calling 

Zamfara State Governor Yari 

“Ole” apart from demonstrating 

bad manners are acting like a 

mob. They are not the only 

claimants to public funds. And 

they don’t even speak for more 

than two per cent of all workers in 

Nigeria. They certainly don’t 

speak for me. In fairness to all 

stakeholders, the governments at 

all three tiers of Nigeria should 

first of all publish how much the 

wage bill will be after the increase 

and how much revenue they 

project to collect. All of us should 

see how much is left after the 

minority i.e organised labour has 

been satisfied. Right now, what we 

have amounts to the blind leading 

the blind. Nobody has told us how 

much this increase sought by 

organised labour will cost us. 

Their blanket assertion that states 

can pay is just self-serving. 

Here again, we need leadership. 

With the elections only a few 

weeks away, all the political 

leaders, led by Buhari and Atiku, 

should appeal to Nigerians to 

ignore the NLC and come out to 

vote. That is a more urgent need 

than settling the Minimum Wage 

dispute. Without that, what 

happens in the next few weeks 

could cost us the rest of this year 

and create a longer term problem. 

MICRO FINANCE 

would you give loan to somebody 

below that rate. If the federal 

government is borrowing money 

from the public at 15percent, why 

would you give a loan below that 

rate, if you do that then you are 

subsidizing something and subsidy 

does not come into play if you are a 

private enterprise because it is not 

sustainable. If you put in place 

conditions that do not reflect micro 

reality, it would be difficult for people 

to access those funding. 

How would recapitalisation drive 

efficiency in the MfB sub sector? 

There are several ways to look at 

this, if you look at it historically, when 

N20 million was set as minimum 

capital base, what was the exchange 

rate of the naira? If you give a market 

woman N50,000, when exchange 

rate was N80 to a dollar, you know 

what she can buy with such a loan. 

Today, that N50,000 is worth 

N250,000 because with N50,000, 

how many bags of rice can a market 

woman buy and sell, the purchasing 

power of the currency over the last 

two decades has significantly 

depreciated. Over that same period, 

the cost of providing services has 

increased, the cost of infrastructure, 

both soft and hard infrastructure, that 

is light, internet connections, quality 

of manpower, among others, has 

increased over the last two decades.


(08052201997) 

14 Nigerian banks to enjoy $7bn reserve 

THE Chairman of the 

Special Presidential Panel 

for Recovery of Public 

Property, Mr. Okoi Obono- 

Obla, noted in a NAN 

report on (September 7, 2018), 

in Abuja, that the Agency is 

continuing its investigations to 

“recover monies that had been 

taken away (stolen?) from the 

people of Nigeria.” One of such 

‘loot’, according to the 

Chairman, is the “$7bn fund that 

the Central Bank of Nigeria 

granted 14 commercial banks in 

2006. Incidentally, Obono-Obla 

also confirmed that, these banks 

have not repaid the money to 

government’s treasury “after 13 

years.” Curiously, however, 

according to the Special Panel’s 

Chairman, “when we enquired 

from CBN, the state of that 

money, the banks told us that the 

money was ‘dashed’ to them.” 

Nevertheless, Obono- 

Obla rightly reiterated, that the 

$7bn, belonged to “Nigerians 

and so could not be given away, 

for free to commercial banks, 

owned by private individuals.” 

The above title ”14 Nigerian 

Banks to enjoy $7bn 

Reserve” was first published in 

October 2006, after, former CBN 

Governor, Soludo, embarked on 

a bizarre escapade, which was 

arguably, a scam of Nigeria’s 

Treasury. This article was first 

published, on 9/10/2006; and 

repeatedly, thereafter on 8/11/ 

2010; 30/11/2013; 16/2/2015 and 

17/9/2018 respectively. A 

summary, again follows, 

hereafter. Please read on. 

“The report that 14 Nigerian 

banks were appointed as Asset 

Managers of Nigeria’s reserves 

was published in The Guardian 

Newspaper of October 5 th , 2006. 

The CBN Spokesperson, Festus 

Odoko, confirmed that “already, 

$7bn deposit representing, part 

of CBN’s present share of foreign 

reserves, currently estimated at 

about $38bn, had been released 

to bankers.” 

“Consequently, CBN made 

good its promise to invite 

Nigerian banks, which have a 

consolidated $500m capital base 

to a “Foreign Reserves banquet”, 

if they provided evidence of 

collaborative agreements with 

credible international financial 

houses. However, it is unclear 

whether or not the expected 

M.O.U. between 14 Nigerian 

banks and their respective 

International affiliates actually, 

involves the compelled adoption 

of global best banking practices 

and ethical standards with, 

collateral responsibility for 

financial integrity, or if the 

expected collaboration, is simply 

a glorified correspondent 

relationship! 

“But whose interest is CBN 

serving anyway? Instructively, 

the disbursement of $7bn of 

public funds should not be 

treated with levity. Although, 

“Odoko confirmed, on Tuesday, 

October 3, 2016, that CBN’s 

Investment Committee ratified 

the appointment of the 14 banks 

for “reserves management” 

curiously, however, Odoko also 

confirmed that the $7bn 

‘bounty’ had already been 

shared before Thursday 

morning, 5/10/06!” 

“Nigerians may not appreciate, 

that CBN committed Nigeria to 

possibly its largest single 

investment ever, so far, with this 

one stroke! The question 

however, is whether the expected 

return from this ‘huge 

investment’ will stimulate 

productivity, with increasing 

employment opportunities, and 

improve social welfare. If not, 

who will benefit from this biggest 

ever single investment, paid 

upfront by Nigerians? Yes, you 

have got it, the same 14 banks 

whose Directors will, ultimately, 

wear broad smiles to their 

overseas vaults!” 

“Incidentally, the 14 favoured 

banks, are free to invest 

anywhere in the world! Thus, 

while we still go cap-in-hand for 

foreign loans to support Nigeria’s 

economic development, 

ironically, we have 

simultaneously, also exposed our 

hard earned $7bn, for no gain 

whatsoever, without any 

collateral or some measure of 

audit control or equity 

participation to a consortium of 

Nigerian banks, with a 

consolidated capital base of less 

Nigerian banks 

still do not find 

it attractive to 

lend to the real 

sector, 

particularly the 

income and 

employment 

generating 

SMEs 

than $3bn presently! 

“Notably, Nigerian banks still 

do not find it attractive to lend to 

the real sector, particularly the 

income and employment 

generating SMEs; consequently, 

it would be foolhardy to expect 

that this $7bn largesse, would 

change the attitude of banks to 

the real sector. The bizarre 

strategy of harvesting well below 

3% returns on a $7bn sovereign 

loan, which is not time bound, is 

starkly amplified by CBN’s 

willingness, to conversely pay 

interest rates between 12-17% for 

those funds it borrows primarily, 

from the same banks! 

“Indeed, if the 14 banks are free 

to repatriate all or part of the $7bn 

back to Nigeria’s capital market, 

the obvious investment 

destination would be patronage 

of government’s treasury bills 

and bonds, on which banks 

would earn up to 17% 

return.” ”Unfortunately, 

however, the trillions of Naira, 

CBN borrows with its Treasury 

bill sales are, regrettably, not also 

tied to any specific infrastructural 

project, but are inexplicably 

simply, sterilized from use in 

CBN vaults in order to restrain 

inflation. 

“CBN’s mouthpiece, Festus 

Odoko, confirmed, that “the 

$7bn represents CBN’s share of 

foreign reserves!’ I beg your 

pardon! What work did CBN do 

to earn $7bn? Besides, the 

Constitution does not allocate a 

portion of dollar reserves to 

CBN; therefore, crude oil 

earnings, clearly belong to the 

Nigerian people, as defined by 

the three tiers of government; 

consequently, the National 

Assembly, would default in their 

constitutional mandate, if CBN 

is not, promptly, invited to 

defend why $7bn, out of our 

reserves should be ‘given’ to 14 

banks without any collateral or 

profitable return!” 

The above title was first 

published on 9/10/2006, a few 

days after 14 banks received 

CBN’s $7bn ‘booty’ in October 

2006. Not surprisingly, 

however, by 2009, i.e. three years 

after Soludo’s ‘celebrated’ 

banking consolidation, most 

Nigerian banks tittered on the 

verge of collapse. The 14 

favoured banks, apparently, 

never repaid the $7bn placement 

before the banking crisis; 

consequently, Nigeria’s $7bn 

may have ultimately ‘gone with 

the wind’ during the ensuing 

financial meltdown in 

2009! Nonetheless, such 

probable default did not stop 

banks from receiving 

an additional ‘bounty’, this time 

well above N5tn ($30bn), from 

fresh lifelines extended through 

CBN and AMCON interventions 

between 2009-2010, to ailing 

banks during the financial 

meltdown! 

However, notwithstanding 

CBN’s misguided generosity, 

banks have clearly still failed to 

service the real sector with cheap, 

loanable funds, which could 

stimulate industrial rejuvenation, 

economic growth and increasing 

job opportunities; indeed, over 

30% of all bank credit still goes 

to Government, while another 

33% are loans for fuel imports. 

Thus, in view of the preceding 

narrative, EFCC should closely 

examine the circumstances and 

the ultimate fate of CBN’s 

extraordinary package of $7bn to 

banks in 2006! 

POSTSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 

2018: Curiously, 

despite Obono-Obla’s 

bombshell on the $7bn largesse, 

twelve years later, curiously, 

Press/Media/Public reactions 

against this brazen pen robbery 

have been inexplicably very 

lukewarm. Incidentally, however, 

about five years ago, learned silk, 

Femi Falana and Associates, on 

the behest of this writer and 

another concerned Nigerian, 

approached CBN on the 

platform of the Freedom of 

Information Act, for confirmation 

of whether or not the 14 favoured 

had Banks liquidated CBN’s 

‘unusual advance’ of $7bn to 

privately owned banks. 

Regrettably, till this day, CBN 

has ignored the FOI request. 

However, in January 2019, Dr. 

Obadiah Mailafia, a former CBN 

Deputy Governor, was invited by 

EFCC to shed more light on the 

$7bn that Soludo allegedly 

dashed 14 banks in 2006! 

Mailafia’s testimony will be 

published next week. 


FG develops 5 new standards for indigenous food products 

IN furtherance of the 

Federal Government’s 

quest to promote agriculture as 

the bedrock of the economic 

diversification agenda, the 

Standards Organisation of 

Nigeria, SON, has coordinated 

the drafting of five new 

standards on indigenous foods. 

The on-going development of 

the Standards also promotes the 

application of research and 

technology to boost the 

production of foods for local 

consumption and export. 

Disclosing this at the first 

Technical Committee (TC) 

meeting on food technology 

standards in 2019 in Lagos, 

SON Director General, Osita 

Aboloma, said that the 

development is to further the 

nation’s quest to be in the fore 

front of promoting indigenous 

production of food. 

According to him, the 

technical committee meeting is 

to also reiterate Nigerian 

stakeholders’ relevance in food 

standardisation. 

Represented by Dr. Mrs. 

Omolara Okunlola, SON’s 

Group Head, Food Technology, 

he said that the standards 

would provide necessary guide 

to manufacturers, promote fair 

trade practices and assist 

statutory regulatory activities. 

Aboloma enjoined the 

committee to critically consider 

issues bothering on food safety, 

food quality and fair trade 

practices so as not only to 

strengthen the economy but to 

enhance the productivity of the 

food sector. 

He listed the five new 

standards to include standard 

for packaged millet flour for 

pap, standard for corn pap 

powder, standard for packaged 

sorghum powder for pap, 

standard for fonio flour (Acha 

flour) and standard for Acha. 

The TC Chairman, Prof. 

Charles Ariahu of the 

Department of Food Science 

and Technology, University of 

Agriculture, Markurdi, 

promised that the committee 

will carry out its responsibilities 

diligently. 

He enjoined members of the 

TC to ensure strict compliance 

with the Standards’ 

development guidelines and 

endeavour to contribute their 

opinions and positions freely. 

According to him, some of the 

products to be considered are 

indigenous, have been in 

existence over the years and are 

already being traded across 

borders, thus the need for 

approved specifications to serve 

as benchmarks. 

ECONOMY 

Institutions represented at 

the TC meeting include 

Promasidor, Federal Produce 

Department, Consumer 

Protection Council, CPC, 

Federal Institute of Industrial 

Research, Oshodi, FIIRO, 

NASCO Foods and the 

National Agency for Food Drug 

Administration and Control. 

NAFDAC. 

Others were the Federal 

Ministry of Agriculture and 

Rural Development, OLAM 

Foods, Institute of Public 

Analysts of Nigeria, IPAN, 

Nestle Foods and Federal 

University of Agriculture, 

Abeokuta, FUNAAB.

Escape 

IGREW up in Obalende, one 

of the tough neigbourhoods on 

Lagos Island where the struggle for 

survival was a daily challenge. 

There was a tall, handsome boy 

who was older. He was the 

architect of a lot of schemes which 

got boys into trouble. But 

somehow, he was never caught. So 

he escaped punishment. As he grew 

into full teenagehood and 

expanded his territory of operation 

to other areas like Ikoyi and 

Lafiaji, he, to the best of my 

knowledge, escaped arrest unlike 

many of his collaborators. I no 

longer recall his name, because he 

became better known by his 

nickname, Escape. 

In the heady days of military 

dictatorship when it was dangerous 

to challenge continued military 

misrule, whenever I escaped any 

arrest or crackdown, I 

remembered Escape. 

After we had seen the back of the 

Babangida regime and General 

Sani Abacha emerged the new 

dictator, things became worse. 

While under the former, we could 

hold meetings openly, we no longer 

could under the Abacha 

dictatorship whose bestiality, 

including assassination of 

perceived opponents, remain 

By Daniel Nwokocha 

ISSUES arising from the 2019 

presidential debate organised by the 

Nigerian Election Debate Group and the 

Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, on 

January 19, in Abuja, have continued to 

dominate the nation’s political space. The 

absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, 

who is contesting the February 16 

presidential election on the ticket of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, and Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, and 

contesting the presidential election on the 

ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

has elicited comments for obvious reasons. 

The well advertised presidential debate had 

raised expectations and anticipation of 

millions of agitated Nigerians and friends 

of Nigeria that the debate would provide an 

opportunity for them to assess beyond the 

dramas, the mental fitness among other 

things, of those presenting themselves for 

the race of the office of president, especially 

the incumbent President Buhari. 

Today, everybody is talking about the 

debate and asking whether it is right for the 

two major contestants to miss the debate. I 

have had occasion in the past to express my 

view on presidential debates in our country. 

And I have insisted on focusing on the very 

essence of presidential debate, any 

arrangements that compromise the essence 

of the debate would mean taking the entire 

people of Nigeria for granted. In fact, 

debates are not just addresses or rallies; they 

are ultimately a stage where opposing 

arguments are put forward by the debaters. 

Presidential debates provide a platform 

where critical issues and questions of 

national importance are argued and 

answers are provided. In such debates, it is 

usually between forces for and against, it is 

not a narrative exercise where the 

unparalleled in our history. So we 

had to abandon our old meeting 

places such as Dr. Beko Ransome- 

Kuti’s offices and home in Anthony 

Village, and places in Mushin 

provided by Dr. Frederick 

Fasehun, for new venues. One of 

such places was the Iron and Steel 

Senior Staff Association of Nigeria 

offices, Dopemu, on the outskirts 

of Lagos. One of the reasons we 

picked this venue was because 

union meetings were usually held 

there, so the entry or exit of many 

young people from the premises 

will draw no suspicion. It was also 

in a fairly populated neigbourhood 

so people's attention could easily 

be drawn if the military or security 

forces were to discover the venue 

and launch an attack. 

Despite this, members were 

cautioned to be on the alert and 

shake off any tail by security 

agents. Also, our meetings were 

not really scheduled; we met when 

necessary. It was in the precellphone 

days so there was no way 

activists could be called or sent text 

messages; it was usually through 

verbal communication. As 

meetings could be at very short 

notices, some missed them, but 

accepted whatever decisions were 

arrived at or instructions passed. 

Presidential debate: Beyond the fuss 

contestants come to entertain the audience. 

As a matter of fact, certain issues of national 

importance often come up at the debate to 

which only the incumbent can provide 

answers. 

In developed democracies, presidential 

debates are usually organised for only the 

top contenders. For example, in the case of 

the US, which Nigeria copies, the debate is 

usually between just two parties, the 

Democrats and the Republicans. Even 

though other parties field candidates for the 

presidential elections in the US, only the 

candidates of the two major contending 

parties feature in their presidential debates 

of course, after the parties’ primaries. All 

over the world, except in Nigeria, 

presidential debates lose their essence once 

the incumbent is not going to be in 

attendance. Again, take the US for example, 

it is unimaginable that the incumbent 

president would miss out on such a very 

important debate because the debate is 

designed to analyse the performance of the 

incumbent and his party and by the same 

token, extract commitments from the 

contenders. 

It is very unfortunate that President Buhari 

and his party, APC, did not see the debate in 

this light, rather, the party as usual gave 

untenable excuses why President Buhari was 

absent at the debate. According to the 

spokesman for the APC Presidential 

Campaign Council, Mr. Festus Keyamo, 

Buhari did not attend the debate because it 

clashed with his other major activities. The 

APC and President Buhari behaved true to 

type. In fact, the party did not disappoint 

N i g e r i a n s 

who predicted that President Buhari would 

dodge the debate. It would be recalled that 

Buhari in the same manner refused to 

participate in the March 2015 presidential 

debate where the contenders spoke about 

Additionally, I had the knack of 

driving to the premises from the 

back street which was longer. But 

it enabled me to survey the street 

ahead and detect anything amiss. 

One day, I went for a meeting at 

the premises. As I drove into the 

street, I noticed some persons 

discussing at a side road. Apart 

from that, nothing seemed 

suspicious and activities seemed 

As I drove through 

the front street, I met 

some of my fellow 

activists; they had 

stationed themselves 

to stop others from 

falling into the 

hands of the security 

agents, but I had 

come from the back 

street and missed 

them 

normal. 

As I drove into the premises, a 

young man playing the gateman, 

welcomed me. I knew the union 

only had night watchman or men. 

Immediately, my antenna was up. 

He greeted me politely and I 

asked: “Sorry, do you work for the 

union?” “Yes Sir” “Is the President 

or General Secretary in?” “Yes Sir” 

“Okay, please tell them a journalist 

wants to see them.” He asked me 

to come down and I said I was in a 

hurry, could he please go inform 

his bosses as I had a deadline to 

beat. Then a second man 

appeared, swiftly opened my car 

door, packed the papers and files I 

had at the back seat, and ordered 

their ideas and programmes on how to fix 

Nigeria. 

The question is: what is the essence of 

debate if the one central to it chose to boycott 

it? Nigerians have been saying so many 

things about the absence of President Buhari 

at the all important debate and have come 

to a conclusion that President Buhari 

actually has no programme for the country. 

And that the ruling party deliberately took 

Nigerians for granted. But while Nigerians 

are struggling to swallow this obvious act 

of disservice to our country, the party with 

the same token took on Atiku, Buhari’s real 

nightmare in the presidential race, just to 

distract Nigerians the more. One can 

understand that handlers of President Buhari 

are still behaving as if his absence at the 

debate is not an issue. It should be 

emphasised that his absence totally 

diminished the importance of the debate. 

Like in sports contests, Buhari’s handlers 

should be reminded that Buhari is the 

reigning or defending champion. The 

expectations, excitements of those present 

at the arena and those following via satellite 

crashed as the champion stayed away. 

Fortunately for Atiku, more Nigerians are 

now convinced about his commitment to get 

Nigeria working again. Atiku demonstrated 

that he was fully prepared for the debate 

despite a long trip from the US and the hectic 

schedules arising from it, he moved straight 


that I followed him upstairs to the 

union office. I feigned anger and 

protested the assault. He ignored 

me and ran upstairs; I followed 

him protesting and hurling insults 

at him. I told him he had no right 

to seize my papers. When we 

arrived in the office, a number of 

my comrades were there under 

arrest with operatives of the State 

Security Services, SSS (now DSS) 

keeping watch over them. 

I pretended I did not know any 

of them, and continued my 

challenge of the first agent. 

Another agent who was apparently 

the superior asked what the 

argument was about, and the 

agent said I had driven into the 

premises for the subversive 

meeting. I shouted, “What 

meeting? What meeting? I am not 

an official of the union, I merely 

came to interview the President or 

General Secretary.” The superior 

officer said I should be quiet as he 

tries to determine my true mission. 

I told him I will not, that as a 

journalist I have a right to do my 

job without interference, and that 

even if they were policemen, they 

could not interfere with my job as 

I would not interfere with theirs. I 

told them that I was sure they 

would not want to take on the 

Nigerian Press as I intend to press 

a case of repressing the media. We 

had a shouting match and the 

superior officer asked his 

subordinate to release my 

documents and let me go. As I left, 

I cast a glance at my comrades who 

had been rounded up, primarily to 

note who had been arrested. 

Downstairs, another agent was 

there, waiting to arrest more 

activists. I sped off. It was a narrow 

escape. I was not too worried 

about being arrested; this 

likelihood was ever present for us. 

Of course, the more of us free out 

All the other contestants who 

chose to go ahead with the 

debate did not do so because 

they were comfortable with the 

fact that Buhari was not present 

or that they love Nigeria and 

Nigerians more than Atiku, but 

only seized the opportunity of 

free live television coverage 

provided by the occasion to 

speak of their ambition 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

there to organise and mobilise 

against the junta, the better. But my 

primary concern was a document 

I was carrying. The National 

Democratic Coalition, NADECO, 

an umbrella opposition group to 

military rule had been established 

a few months before. It had 

resolved to write a petition to the 

American President detailing the 

atrocities of the Abacha junta and 

asking for his assistance to bring 

it to book. 

Dr.Ransome-Kuti who had 

represented the Pro-Democracy 

Movement at the meeting had 

briefed me about the decision and 

asked me to write a draft for 

NADECO’s consideration. It was 

before the days the computer 

became popular; I had written the 

draft in long hand. It was among 

the documents the agent had 

packed from my back seat. Had I 

allowed them to go through my 

seized files, the draft would have 

been discovered; and it was in my 

hand writing! 

As I drove through the front street, 

I met some of my fellow activists; 

they had stationed themselves to 

stop others from falling into the 

hands of the security agents, but I 

had come from the back street and 

missed them. Secondly, rather 

than flee when the initial group of 

the state agents arrived, the 

activists had confronted them, 

throwing stones. Eventually the 

former secured the premises and 

helmed them in. By the time I 

arrived, the crowds had dispersed 

and everything seemed normal. 

Those arrested were moved to the 

SSS offices. We then began the 

process of identifying their exact 

location and how we could secure 

their freedom. As I drove away that 

day, I recalled the story of the 

Obalende boy called Escape. 

to the debate venue but politely excused 

himself after realising that the defending 

champion had decided to shun the debate. 

It is unfortunate that Buhari and the APC 

did not see it fit to seize this opportunity to 

engage his challengers and Nigerians in 

general through the debate. 

This is the reason the other contenders 

should have also insisted that they would 

not participate in the debate if Buhari was 

not going to be available. What was the 

essence of all they said about the wobbly 

situation of the country if President Buhari 

who presides over the affairs of the country 

was not there? So who were they debating 

with? The fact is, all the other contestants 

who chose to go ahead with the debate did 

not do so because they were comfortable 

with the fact that Buhari was not present or 

that they love Nigeria and Nigerians more 

than Atiku, but only seized the opportunity 

of free live television coverage provided by 

the occasion to speak of their ambition. But 

after all the dramas, one of the contestants, 

Oby Ezekwesili has withdrawn from the 

race. What then was all the drama for? This 

has further indicated how far they would go 

to compromise standards just to further their 

own personal interests which they 

masqueraded as national interest. It is very 

clear to Nigerians that some of the 

contestants do not have campaign posters, 

or billboards or campaign secretariat. At 

this stage of our national life, we can no 

longer take certain things for granted. 

Nigerians understand very well that 

Buhari’s presence at the debate was 

important, for almost four years the 

presidency kept making excuses for its poor 

performance in managing the economy, 

Boko Haram attacks, herdsmen killings, 

hunger and increasing poverty in the 

country. If one of the contenders at the 

debate had decided to ask question on why 

Boko Haram is killing our soldiers, who will 

Continues Online 

*Mr. Nwokocha, a political analyst, writes 

from Abuja. 

C 

M 

Y





RALLY: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (R), with Oyo State APC 

governorship candidate, Chief Adebayo Adelabu during a campaign rally at Eruwa, 

Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State on Saturday. 

Port harbours: Tell Nigerians how N16bn was 

spent, Adamu challenges Obasanjo/Atiku 

By David Odama 

LAFIA— 

FORMER 

Nasarawa State governor, 

Senator Abdullahi Adamu, 

has challenged former 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo, and presidential 

candidate of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku 

Abubakar, to explain to 

Nigerians how the N16 billion 

port harbours construction in 

Lagos and N20 billion 

expansion of Lagos airport 

were expended. 

The Senator representing 

Nasarawa West in the National 

Assembly also asked the 

former leaders to tell 

Nigerians the whereabouts of 

N1.4 bilion conversion of 

steam and head for the power 

plants; N47.4 billion 

conversion of Alaoji Power 

Plant to double circuit and 

N3.5 billion for procurement 

and repair of two boilers at 

the Egbin Power Station in 

Lagos. 

Adamu who spoke, 

yesterday, in Toto Local 

Government Area of the state 

in continuation of his 

campaigns, alleged further 

that the former vice president 

Atiku was a leading figure 

and headed the economy 

team during Obasanjo 

administration. 

According to him, Atiku 

supervised the privatisation 

of government enterprises 

that became a shadow of 

themselves until President 

Buhari came to power , a 

situation that had contributed 

to the nation’s economic 

predicament. 

Adamu said: “The present 

economic hardship 

confronting the nation today 

was instituted by the 

administration of former 

president Olusegun 

Obajanjo, vice president 

Atiku Abubakar and Dr. 

Goodluck Jonathan 

administrations. In 2016, 


Buhari fulfilled his campaign promise 

of N2 billion to Ajaokuta Steel 

Company, ASC, by settling the legal 

bottleneck surrounding the 

company out of court.” 

Lagos 

Assembly 

candidate 

begins 

campaign, 

backs PMB, 

Sanwo-Olu 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—A memeber of 

the Lagos State House 

of Assembly, representing 

Eti-Osa constituency, 

Gbolahan Yishawu, at 

weekend, flagged-off his 

campaign for re-election 

bid, with mammoth crowd 

of supporters of All 


APC. 

Addressing newsmen 

during the flag -off 

campaign, Yishawu 

maintained that people 

trooped out to support the 

party with good repute and 

integrity. 

According to him, "We are 

out to create awareness 

regarding the general 

elections. The mammoth 

crowd is as a result of what 

APC has done from 

Federal to local 

governments levels. You 

can see that people are 

happy with the party and 

those are the electorates." 

In his reaction, APC 

leader in Ikoyi Obalende, 

Wale Edun, explained that 

the mammoth crowd came 

out enmasse in support of 

APC and Gbolahan and 

other candidates of the 

party. 

He therefore, called on 

Nigerians to vote for 


Buhari, Gbolahan Yishawu 

and other candidates of 

APC, saying vote for the the 

party will bring 

development and progress 

to the nation. 

"I appeal to Nigerians to 

come out February 16 to 

vote for Buhari and other 

APC candidates". 

The Executive Chairman 

of Ikoyi Obalende Local 

Council Development 

Area, LCDA, Fuad Atanda- 

Lawal stressed that votes for 

APC is vote development, 

and for Yishawu is 

continuity.

38 —VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

I tell the story of my life with my 

sculptures —Aidelokha Iziogba 

By Osa Mbonu 

Aidelokha Iziogba is an 

artist who can be described 

as a 'wildlife sculptor' 

due to his emotional attachment 

to animals which 

he tries to recreate through 

his works. He could also 

pass as an environmentalist 

for similar reason. Iziogba 

was part of the artists-in-residence 

program titled: 

Naija, put together by Alexis 

Galleries. He shared his 

creative experiences and 

motivations with Vanguard's 

Arts Editor, OSA MBONU: 

Are you Iziogba the 

sculptor? 

Yes, my name is Aidelokha 

Iziogba. I am a sculptor from 

Auchi Polytechnic. 

For how long have you 

been practising as an artist? 

I have practised art right 

from my childhood. I 

graduated from Auchi Poly in 

2014. 

Is this sculptured cat what 

you are producing for this 

residency program? 

Yes, this cat and two other 

works: a dog and a rooster. 

You seem to have emotional 

attachment to animals. 

Yes, I love pets. I study 

•Aidelokha Iziogba 

munication; what are you trying 

to communicate to your 

audience with these sculptures? 

Like this cat I am working 

on, the title is Contemplating 

the next move. You know that 

cats are very cunning, both in 

movement and in character. 

When I was growing up in 

Ebute Metta, Lagos, we had 

a lot of cats in our compound 

and the next compound. 

People associate cats with 

negative things like witchcraft 

and bad omen. That is 

even portrayed in many of 

the movies we watch. 

But I believe all those things 

are superstitions. Cats are 

normal animals like other 

animals, and I love them. 

Maybe, all those superstitions 

people have about cats 

made me to be curious and 

fascinated with them. That is 

why I am sculpturing the cat 

here. 

You say that this other work 

in progress is a dog; cats and 

dogs are eternal enemies; 

are you trying to start a fight 

here? 

(Laughter) No. I used to 

have a very big artesian dog. 

A certain woman who came to 

rent an apartment in our 

compound asked me what the 

dog loved to eat and I told 

animals a lot. I study their 

forms, characters and other 

features. I study human beings 

too but I am more fascinated 

by animals. 

As you know, art is comher 

it was fish. I didn't know 

that the woman had a plan. 

She probably didn't like dogs. 

She put poison on a fish and 

gave it to the dog. The dog 

ate the poisoned fish and 

died. 

I carried the dead dog and 

cried the way I had never 

cried before in my life. Later, 

I buried it. Up till now I still 

have dogs. So with this work, 

I am trying to recreate that 

dead dog. 

Your third work, you said, 

is a rooster; what is the story 

or message behind the 

rooster? 

I have a poultry farm. Each 

day, before I enter into my 

studio, I have to go and feed 

my chickens. In the process, 

I observe them and I admire 

their crowns. 

So in essence, these works 

are also telling the story of 

your life. 

Yes, you are right. They are 

expressions of my 

preferences; the things I love 

in my environment. 

Cats are normal 

animals like other 

animals, and I love 

them; maybe, all 

those superstitions 

people have about 

cats made me to be 

curious and 

fascinated with 

them


40 —VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

PHILIP 

I, formerly known as Philip 

Esther Laju, now wish to be 

known as Philip-Agbajoh 

Esther Oritselaju. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public take note. 

IDENYI 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Idenyi 

Chinazor 

Janefrancis, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Ndubuisi, 

Chinazor Janefrancis. All 

documents bearing my former 

names still remain Valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

ONWUCHEKWA 

I, formerly known as Isoken 

Muniratu Onwuchekwa, now 

wish to be known as Isoken 

Monica Amaeze. All former 



OLATUNBOSUN 

I, formerly known as 

Omolara Olatunbosun, 

now wish to be known 

as Omolara Faleru. All 

former documents remain 

valid. General public 

please take note. 

OSAROBO 


Osarobo Olivia Osarugue, 

now wish to be known as 

Mrs Edomwande Olivia 

Osarugue. All former 


General Public please take 

note. 

AKPORHUNUYO 


Akporhunuyo Obruche, now 

wish to be known as Mrs 

Ogheneobruche Ibodje. All 


valid. General public, banks and 

all concerned institutions 

should please take note. 

OKPEGBA 


Okpegba Oroboaveru Joy, 


Mrs. Owhe Oghenekaro 

Oroboaveru Joy. All former 



note. 

OKORO 


Okoro Helen, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. 

Akinruwa Helen. All 




USHIE 


Ushie Jenet Onyeni, now 


Idagu Jenet Onyeni. All 




AVWUNU 


Avwunu Obaro Nancy, now 


Uruemuoghene Jesuobarome 

Nancy. All former documents 

remain valid. General public 


MICHAEL 


Ataphrarierie Michael, now 

wish to be known as 

Ataphrarierie Oghenevwaire 

Michael. All former 



UMARU 

I, formerly known as Abubakar 

Adamu Umaru, now wish to 

be known as Abubakar Adamu. 

All documents bearing my 

former names still remain 

Valid. General public, First 

Bank Plc and all relevant 

authorities please take note. 

ONWUCHEKWA 

I, formerly known as Joseph 

Amaeze Onwuchekwa, now 

wish to be known as Joseph 

George Amaeze. All former 



UGBOH 


Ugboh Emmanuel, now 


Francis Emmanuel. All 


valid. General public take 

note. 

OMORAKA 


Favour Angel 

Omoraka, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Favour 

Angel Trieb. All former 



OLAYODE 


Olayode Oluwayemisi 

Mutiat, now wish to be 

known as Kola-Kuforiji 

Oluwayemisi Mutiat. Former 



note. 

ATAGANA 


Atagana U. Justina Honesty, 


Mrs. Foreign Okoche Justina 

Honesty. All former 



note. 

IGBIRIKI 


Igbiriki Beauty, now wish 

to be known as Emugha 

Beauty. All former 



note. 

MOMOH 


Halimat Tina Momoh, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Osarenkhoe Halimat Tina. All 


valid. The general public, 


FAJEBE 


Fajebe Yetunde Abimbola and 

Mrs. Yewande Abimbola 

Olowu, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Olatunde 

Yetunde Olowu Abimbola. 

Former documents remain 


note. 

AVWERUKERUVWE 


Roseline Avwerukeruvwe, 


Mrs Roseline Ogheneruemu 

Ogedegbe. All former 



AVABA 

I, formerly known as Avaba 

Inatimi Gabriel, now wish to 

be known as Avaba Kenny 

Gabriel. All documents 

bearing my former names still 

remain Valid. General public 

and all relevant authorities 


NWOGU 

I, formerly known as Nwogu 

Princess Chinenye, now wish 

to be known as Sunday 

Princess Chinenye. All 



note. 

ANYICHIE 


Anyichie Chinonyelum Joy, 


Mrs. Eke Chinonyelum Joy- 

Jacobs. All former 


FCMB and general public 


EWOHON 


Ewohon Onyeka, now 


Whisky Onyeka. Former 



note. 

IKE 

I, formerly known as Ike 

Chizoba Godgive, now 

wish to be known as Ejike 

Chizoba Godgive. Former 



note. 

GBENEDIO 


Otite Gbenedio, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Igugu 

Otite. All former 



note. 

NWAFOR 


Nwafor Rosemary Amarachi, 


Mrs. Nwagu Rosemary 

Amarachi. All former 



note. 

OSIAGWU 


Osiagwu Ewere 

Elizabeth, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Ikechukwu 

Ewere Elizabeth. All former 

documents remain valid. The 

general public, please take 

note. 

OPARA 


Patricia Uchechi Opara, now 


Patricia Uchechi Ajuonuma. 

All former documents remain 


note. 

AGIDDI 

I, formerly known as Agiddi 

Josephine Timinepre, now 

wish to be known as Ariye 

Josephine Timinepre. All 

documents bearing my former 

names still remain Valid. First 

Bank plc, UBA, the general 

public and all relevant 

authorities please take note. 

OKPANACHI 


Joy Okpanachi, now 


Joy Ojone Akinola. All 



note. 

IBIFUBARA 


Regina Tamunoibelema 

Ibifubara, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Regina 

Martins Alaminiokuma. All 


valid, general public please 

take note. 

ENEBELI 


Enebeli Ogochukwu Sophia, 


Mrs. Okiowei Ogochukwu 

Sophia. Former documents 

remain valid. General public 


BLESSING 

I, formerly known as Oluku 

Blessing, now wish to be 

known as Oluku Meshack. 

All former documents 

remain valid. General 

public please take note. 

MAMINETU 


Lisa Maminetu Mohammed, 


Mrs. Lisa Mohammed 

Adeleke. All former 



note. 

ADJERESI 


Adjerese Joy, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Obanyedo- 

Blessed Joy. All former 



note. 

OGBOSEI 


Ogbosei Vera Ehinon, now 


Vera Ehinon Usen. Former 



ONWUEGBUCHULAM 


Rachael Onyinyechi 

Onwuegbuchulam, now wish 

to be known as Mrs Rachael 

Onyinyechi Nwachukwu. All 



note. 

ONUOHA 

I, formerly known as Onuoha 

Chinyere Nkiruka, now wish 

to be known as Ajuzie 

Chinyere Nkiruka.Former 



note. 

EKEH 


Ekeh Amarachi Sylverline, 


Mrs. Chukwu Amarachi 

Sylverline. All former 

documents remain valid. The 

general public should please 

take note 

AMADI 

In BVN my name was 

captured as Amadi Elera. I 


Amadi Elera Kaa. All 


valid, Bank and general 

public please take note. 

AJE 


Oluwabunmi Mobayowale 

Aje, now wish to be known 

as Mrs. Oluwabunmi 

Mobayowale O. Mukoro. 


valid. General public please 

take note. 

AHUKANNA 


Ahukanna Nnamdi 

Ugochukwu, now wish to be 

known as Ahukanna 

Ugochukwu. All former 



note. 

ABAM 


Lovinah Kalaine Abam, now 


Lovinah Kalaine Dede. All 


valid. General public please 

take note. 

OLATUNDE 


Olatunde Kafayat Aduke, 


Mrs Kafayat Aduke Olatunde 

Oladele. All former 



note. 

DIAMOND 


Diamond Bishop Ariakpotor, 


Ewono Bishop. All former 


General public and the Banks 

should take note. 

UGWU 


Ugwu Blessing Obioma, now 


Ali Blessing Obioma. All 



note. 

EDEWOR 


Edewor Aruoriwo 

Praise, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Okiemute 

Aruoriwo Praise. All former 

documents remain valid, 

NYSC and general public 


ECHEBELEM 


Echebelem Vivian Adaeze, 


Mrs Anaele Adaeze. All 


valid. The general public 


OSIMEH 


Linda Christopher Osimeh, 


Mrs Linda Chidinma 

Emmanuel Imediegwu. All 


valid. The general public 


UMEZULUIKE 


Umezuluike Nonso, now 


Umezuluike Chukwunonso 

Chinedu. All former 



MARCUS 


Marcus Joyce Ebiden, now 


Ofua Joyce. All former 


General Public should 


OGAGA 


Adah Sarah Ogaga, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Egwali 

Adah Sarah. All former 



note. 

OGWEZI 


Ogwezi Ogochukwu 

Joan, now wish to be known 

as Mrs Ogbuta Anthony 

Ogochukwu Joan. All former 



note. 

URUEMUOHWO 


Uruemuohwo Dedemise, now 


Uruemuoghene McSuccess. 



note. 

FOR ADVERT PLACEMENT VISIT TRINITY MALL, 

BESIDE ZENITH BANK BALOGUN BUS STOP, OBAFEMI 

AWOLOWO WAY, IKEJA, 

OR MURPHIS PLAZA, SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, 

VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS

42 — VANGUARD, MONDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

My transactions 

with Tinubu 

- Tambuwal 

•Tinubu asked Saraki to 

become Senate President 

•Gbajabiamila was against 

Dogara becoming ‘His’ 

Deputy Speaker 

By Soni Daniel and Emmanuel Aziken 

Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal the immediate past 

speaker of the House of Representatives became the 

second person in the Fourth Republic to spend a full term 

of four years as Speaker of the House. He also became the 

first person in that office to defect from the party on which 

he was elected. Following his stint, he became governor of 

Sokoto State. 

In this interview with the Vanguard team of Ochereomme 

Nnanna, Soni Daniel and Emmanuel Aziken, he for the first 

time speaks on the intrigues that shadowed his political dealings 

with the All Progressives Congress, APC national 

leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the emergence of Senator 

Bukola Saraki as Senate President, Yakubu Dogara as 

Speaker of the House and why he left the APC to the People's 

Democratic Party. He affirms that Muhammadu Buhari 

that crusaded for free and fair election four years ago is not 

the same in Aso Rock and puts election manager, Prof. 

Mahmood Yakubu on the spot that posterity would judge 

his actions. Excerpts: 

What were the undercurrents 

that led to the formation of the 

new government in 2015? 

From the onset, we began to 

have our disagreements. On the 

one hand, some people were 

saying that we should allow 

members of the National Assembly 

to go and elect members of 

the National Assembly on their 

own unhindered, but some party 

members were saying no, that 

they should be guided and they 

midwifed a process whereby 

Senator Ahmad Lawan would be 

Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila 

would be Speaker, but 

we disagreed. 

Now, check the high-level appointments 

of the government of 

President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Himself came from the old CPC, 

VP, from the ACN, the then SGF 

(Babachir Lawal), from the CPC 

and the current one (Boss Mustapha) 

from the ACN. If you look 

at the ministers outside Amaechi 

who else do you have from 

the New PDP? Check! Not even 

the one from Kano or the one 

from Sokoto or the one from Adamawa! 

And these were states 

that were initially, nPDP. Check, 

Kwara, Lai Mohammed from 

ACN. All of these ministers 

came from states where the 

nPDP delivered but were denied 

ministerial appointments. 

So, if not for the effort to bring 

Saraki and Dogara, the nPDP 

bloc would not have been considered 

for any reasonable appointment 

in Buhari’s administration. 

Even in developed democracies 

where you have coalitions 

to form government, you normally 

sit down to ensure that you 

have inclusivity and that you 

carry everybody along. 

In the Second Republic, you 

saw the NPN and NPP form the 

government. 

You opposed the emergence 

of Mrs. Aisha Abubakar as the 

ministerial nominee from 

Sokoto State. Why? 

Yes, we did. 

So, what made you change 

your mind? 

It was not changing of the 

mind. We called a meeting of 

stakeholders of the then APC 

who said we should go and 

deliver their message to President 

Buhari – Wamakko and 

myself. We met him, and he 

pleaded and appealed to us 

that we should go back and 

meet them (stakeholders) that 

he has done it and cannot go 

back on it. 

So, we came back and managed 

the situation. Meanwhile, 

she was PDP and from my constituency. 

Her younger brother, 

the same father and same 

mother, contested for the seat I 

left in the House of Representatives 

on the platform of PDP. 

What could have led to the 

situation that you won an election, 

but extraneous forces 

who contested against you 

formed the government? 

What happened is becoming 

clearer to Nigerians today. 

Why did the president cave 

in? 

I think the question should 

be directed to him and you can 

see that in virtually all the states 

of the federation. Most of the 

governors were not consulted. 

Despite reports that Asiwaju 

Tinubu helped you to become 

Speaker, you did not 

help Femi Gbajabiamila, his 

nominee to replace you. Why? 

Let me tell you if you want to 

Tinubu didn’t come 

out of the blues to 

say that he was 

supporting me; we 

sat down over four 

times for me to 

convince him on 

the viability of that 

project. We did the 

mathematics; he is 

a smart politician, 

he saw clearly that 

we were going to 

make it even 

without his 

support 

know; truly, Asiwaju Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu supported me to 

become the Speaker of the 

House of Representatives using 

the ACN bloc in the House of 

Representatives. If you go today 

and dig out the records and subtract 

the number of ACN members 

that supported me and give 

it to Mulikat, she couldn’t have 

won. Go and do the mathematics. 

I got the majority of the PDP; I 

got CPC, I got ANPP. Assuming 

that you go and take out the entire 

number of ACN members 

who supported me…and I am 

not saying that they didn’t support 

me; I am grateful, and I will 

remain eternally grateful, but I 

am giving you an idea of what 

happened. 

Tinubu didn’t come out of the 

blues to say that he was supporting 

me. We sat down over four 

times for me to convince him on 

the viability of that project. We 

did the mathematics; he is a 

smart politician. He saw clearly 

that we were going to make it 

even without his support. We did 

the mathematics, he knows, he 

is alive. I am not lying. 

Initially, he had given his 

blessings through Abike Dabiri 

and Jumoke Okoya-Thomas 

to Mulikat, but by the 

time we sat down and did the 

mathematics, he realised that 

he was going on a wild goose 

chase. So, he supported me, 

and I am grateful. 

But you see, in politics, we 

had that understanding. We 

worked together for this country, 

the support he gave me, I 

am grateful. Till today in my 

political relationship with 

Bola Tinubu, he had never 

given me one naira; but that 

is not what is between him 

and I. It was a political transaction 

and not financial, a 

purely political transaction, 

purely political engagement, 

political project that had a 

lifespan. When my tenure was 

expiring and as a leader in 

APC whether anyone liked it 

or not because I was number 

four at that time, and when 

Bola Tinubu was working towards 

bringing Femi, he never 

called me, quote me! 

I initiated a meeting with 

Bola Tinubu on my own volition 

with Gov. Abdulaziz Yari; 

we went to him ‘this thing you 

are doing, you are not talking 

to us?’ He said I am sorry and 

that was when he “realised” 

that he needed to talk to us in 

his interest in Femi becoming 

Speaker. 

So, we sat down, and we 

agreed to sit down again, but 

he didn’t call us back until 

when it was getting late, and 

I initiated a meeting with him 

in Lagos. I flew with some 

serving members of the House 

of Representatives and some 

incoming members of the 

House to Lagos and had a 

four-hour meeting with Asiwaju 

Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

Before we started, we intreated 

into an inner room 

and told members of the House 

of Representatives to tell him 

the truth between themselves 

and God Almighty if there 

should be election who would 

win between Femi and Dogara 

Ṫhey took their turns, and 

including those close to him, 

they told him that if we should 

go into a free and fair process, 

that Dogara would win. 

When we retreated, I said: 

“Asiwaju, you have heard from 

my colleagues, but let me ask 

you what made you feel that 

you needed not to talk to me or 

invite me to come and discuss 

with me how someone should 

come and take over from me?” 

He said: "Aminu, I am 

sorry, I am sorry it was 

•Aminu Tambuwal 

an oversight." So, I said: Ökay, 

you have heard, what do you 

want? You want Femi as Speaker?" 

He said yes. I said: "Okay, I 

am not opposed to it, but let me 

tell you, we need to pair Femi 

and Dogara together as Speaker 

and Deputy Speaker. If you 

want Femi, I can support Femi, 

he is my friend, but we have to 

make sure that Dogara is on the 

ticket as Deputy Speaker. 

We went back and forth, back 

and forth and we agreed. He 

said to me: "Aminu, is that the 

deal?" I said "that is the deal. I 

will go back and talk to Dogara." 

We discussed about Senate 

President, and he said no, Bukola 

has not spoken to him, he 

has not done this and that. 

I said "no, Bukola has been to 

you three times and on each of 

those three times, he had briefed 

me, and you know how close 

Bukola and I are, so Asiwaju 

don’t tell me that." 

I said to him: "You have spoken 

to an emir in the North for 

about 45 minutes that you want 

to take your pound of flesh because 

Bukola didn’t support you 

to become Vice-President and 

that he should not get Senate 

President." He said: ‘Ah, how did 

you get to know?’ I told him the 

emir told me; you don’t know 

how close I am to that emir. 

So, I said: "Asiwaju; I know 

what the game is. We had insisted 

that Bola Tinubu should 

not be running mate to Buhari. 

Buhari had already caved in, 

and we said that with Muslim- 

Muslim ticket, we could not win 

and that was my first offence. 

That was my first offence with 

Tinubu, not this House of Representatives 

politics. 

That was also the offence by 

Bukola, offence by Yari. 

Was Rotimi also involved? 

Rotimi wanted it for himself. 

And that was my offence against 

him which is a different matter. 

So, I pleaded and pleaded and 

it got to the point that I left where 

I was seated and knelt before 

Asiwaju and held his knees and 

said ‘Asiwaju, I am begging you, 

I am appealing on behalf of Bu- 

Continues on page .......

VANGUARD, MONDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2019 — 43 

My transactions with Tinubu - Tambuwal 

Continued from page ... 

kola, please forgive him 

for whatever sins.’ He 

said, "Aminu, go back 

and sit down." I told him 

we can resolve this issue 

and he said how? 

I said, "if you agree, 

Bukola can become Deputy 

Senate President," he 

said no, no. 

Deputy to who? 

To Ahmad Lawan. I 

said I could go and talk 

to Bukola. And I told him 

my reasons why I was 

supporting Bukola. I said 

outside my relationship 

with him (Saraki), I said 

in my presence, in the 

presence of God, in your 

study, you encouraged 

Bukola to go and become 

senator so that he could 

become Senate President. 

In my presence, only 

three of us with God! You 

Asiwaju, you did that. 

Two, I know his capacity, 

and we are very close, 

and I know he can provide 

leadership. 

Three, the governor I 

am taking over from is 

supporting Bukola, do 

you want me to start fighting 

him by going to support 

someone else? And 

there were some other 

factors. 

I told him these are the 

reasons. Let me have 

something to go back 

with, let’s talk to Bukola 

let him take Deputy Senate 

President to Lawan, 

let Femi be Speaker, let 

Dogara be Deputy 

Speaker. We spent four 

hours in his office in Lagos. 

He gave me an indication 

that he had agreed 

but that Bukola should 

come and see him. I went 

and told Bukola, go and 

see Asiwaju. 

Few weeks later, they 

came up with their mock 

primaries. When they 

said there was going to 

be mock primaries, the 

next thing I saw was that 

mock primaries had been 

held and Monguno had 

stepped down for Femi 

and that they had paired. 

And that George Akume 

and Ahmad Lawan had 

formed a ticket. This was 

in clear contradiction of 

the agreement. He (Tinubu) 

is alive! 

Meanwhile, I had 

called Dogara and told 

him of my conversation 

with Asiwaju and that in 

the interest of peace, I 

want you to make the sacrifice 

and that in any 

case, you are still growing. 

You cannot say Deputy 

Speaker is too small 

for you. Dogara didn’t 

argue with me; he said 

okay. 

I called Femi; I told 

Femi Gbajabiamila that 

this was my conversation 

with Asiwaju Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu that you 

are going to pair with 

Dogara and he said why 

should I bring Dogara to 

come and become Deputy 

Speaker! Femi told me 

that! 

I said what is your problem? 

I said, "Femi, you 

know in terms of relationship 

with members that 

•Aminu Tambuwal 

you are not good, you 

need somebody who can 

do that for you. Let him 

do it, and we argued back 

and forth. And we had 

discussed that Monguno 

should be chairman of 

House Committee on Appropriation. 

Femi is alive. 

I said do you agree? He 

said okay. I first discussed 

with Femi then Dogara 

then I invited Monguno. 

I said: "Monguno, you 

know I can't even call 

your name because you 

had been to this House in 

1992/93 with my senior 

brother, I call him senior 

brother. I said between 

you and your God, can 

you defeat either Femi or 

Dogara in this contest? He 

said no. I said then why 

are you in the contest, and 

he said that there are 

some factors blah, blah, 

blah. I said will you accept 

my intervention for 

either of them to be 

Speaker and the other 

deputy and you accept 

chairman of appropriation? 

He said yes and that 

I should go ahead. 

I said no I would not go 

ahead but go and discuss 

with your people, you 

have supporters within 

and outside the National 

Assembly, go and discuss 

with them and come back. 

He never did. 

Little did I know that 

when I left Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu’s place, somebody 

from the North-East had 

gone to tell him not to accept 

Dogara, that the Kanuri 

want to have the 

Deputy Speakership and 

Monguno is Kanuri. 

This I later came to 

know, and that was what 

informed the shift in the 

understanding I had with 

Asiwaju. So, it is not as if 

I stabbed him (Tinubu) as 

the public is being made 

to believe. We had an understanding. 

So, when I saw it, I 

called Dogara and said it 

is like God has decided 

to make you the Speaker 

because I had done the 

mathematics and it is only 

for us to talk to four or five 

persons, and you will 

make it, and that was 

what happened. 

So, it is not as if I betrayed 

Asiwaju Tinubu. 

He knows, he is alive. Let 

him swear by the Koran 

if that was not what happened. 

After the formation of 

the Buhari government 

and following insinuations 

that Tinubu himself 

had been sidelined, did 

the two of you ever sit 

down to deliberate on 

the issue? 

I visited Asiwaju in his 

house in Abuja in the first 

Ramadan, and I told him 

I was there to greet him. 

Of course, he was hot, 

and I told him that I was 

not there to discuss politics 

and I refused. Every 

effort by him to crack me 

to make me discuss politics, 

I told him no, that 

you are my elder, this is 

Ramadan, I am here to 

greet you. 

Was he happy? 

Eventually, he saw me 

off, we had some conversation, 

and he saw me off, 

and we were laughing 

and smiling, you understand! 

Was he happy with the 

Buhari administration? 

I am not his spokesperson; 

I cannot speak for 

him. 

Dogara is a Christian 

from the Northern minority, 

and his choice 

was unusual. What quality 

projected him to 

break such ethnic and 

religious cleavages to 

emerge Speaker? 

His openness, his 

friendship with virtually 

everybody. 

You supported him despite 

the fact that he did 

not support your emergence 

as Speaker? 

I supported him because 

I knew he could do 

the job. It is not about me. 

It is about this country. 

That is why I said I joined 

the APC because things 

were not going the right 

way. There was a derailment 

in the government 

of Jonathan, and we 

God can use anything; 

so, God 

factor came in, 

and as a believer 

in God, I said it is 

not about me, it is 

about how best we 

can have someone 

that can turn 

around things and 

make Nigeria a 

greater nation... I 

am supporting 

Atiku Abubakar 

100 per cent 

needed to take back our 

country. 

When they said I 

should not run for president, 

I pulled back. 

When I ran in PDP now 

and came second, I am 

working with the party to 

make sure that we have 

a better government in 

place. 

For me, it is not about 

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. 

When the six governors 

came to talk to me not to 

leave APC, I told them 

that I had reason for leaving 

PDP; there were objectives. 

Tell me, which of 

them has been achieved? 

Is it insecurity, is it fight 

against corruption, is it 

the economy? Is it unemployment? 

What are the 

indices? 

Many were surprised 

that the PDP presidential 

primaries did not implode 

the party? What 

happened? 

I will take you to the formation 

of APC four years 

ago and leaving APC 

back to PDP. It is not 

about myself; it is about 

this country. It is about 

good governance. Any 

person that can provide 

that, I am ready to work 

with that person. We 

went for primaries, and 

we lost the primaries to 

Atiku, and before then 

we gave our word to the 

party that since we were 

interested in running for 

the presidency for the 

simple reason that individually, 

we could do better 

than Buhari, that whoever 

wins, we will support. 

It is true that at a time it 

looked like we were cruising 

to victory, but the God 

factor came in. 

So how did the God 

factor come in? 

I can’t describe it! 

Was it the generals that 

intervened? 

God can use anything. 

So, God factor came in, 

and as a believer in God, 

I said it is not about me, 

it is about how best we 

can have someone that 

can turn around things 

and make Nigeria a greater 

nation. 

That was exactly what I 

said in 2014, and it is still 

my position as at today. I 

am supporting Atiku Abubakar 

100 per cent. 

One of the reasons the 

president gave for vetoing 

the Electoral Act was 

that it was against the 

ECOWAS protocol 

which frowns at amendments 

close to elections. 

But you were Speaker 

when the Electoral Act 

was amended just before 

the election. So what do 

you say to that? 

The president’s reason 

is laidback. Amendments 

were done while I was 

Speaker and not only 

once. 


Buhari of today is 

not interested in free and 

fair election. APC is looking 

for a shortcut to get 

back to Aso Rock, and 

they are doing everything 

humanly possible to take 

us back from the gains of 

2015 in improving our 

electoral system, and 

they are desperate. 

How is PDP responding 

to this development? 

We are responding by 

going to the people; we 

have been campaigning. 

We will insist that votes 

must count, it is not negotiable. 

The fact that they 

are interested in rigging 

which is obvious, does 

not mean that there 

should not be a free and 

fair election. We are insisting 

on free and fair 

election, and we are reminding 

Prof. Mahmood 

Yakubu that there will be 

a day that he will cease 

to be INEC chairman and 

he has a family, he has a 

history, he has a future. 

Nigeria is not working 

– Arthur Mbanefo 

Being excerpts of a 

speech delivered 

by frontline diplomat, 

and former Nigerian 

P e r m a n e n t 

Representative to the 

United Nations, UN, 

Chief Arthur Mbanefo, 

at the Vanguard 2018 

Personality of the year 

award held on January 

18, 2019 at Eko Hotel 

and Suites, Lagos. 

Now, what should I 

share with you tonight 

as my most important 

concern? I have given 

deep thought to this 

question and so bear 

with me as I try to expouse 

same to you. 

There is no doubt that 

our dear country Nigeria 

is facing a welter 

of challenges, particularly 

now that we are 

heading into the 

Mbanefo 

The rest of 

the world has 

called us corrupt. 

They have 

described us as a 

people lacking 

focus and unclear 

as to what 

our needs as a 

nation are or 

should be. 

general election in a few 

weeks time. Some of 

our difficulties have 

been pushed to the fore 

front particularly by 

politicians seeking office. 

For some odd reasons, 

we seem to be 

rapidly losing all the developmental 

gains we 

made 

since 

independence and 

immediately after the 

civil war; notably between 

the mid 70’s and 

the 1980s. 

We have, openly acknowledged 

that we are 

facing serious challenges 

as a country. In most 

cases, some have been 

threatening the foundation 

of our precariously 

balanced federation. 

Our political 

economy is hardly 

working; our education 

system is obviously not 

meeting its objectives; 

our healthcare delivery 

system is deplorable; 

our neglected water 

and food security 

threaten our future as a 

people; our physical 

infrastructure is broken; 

our ability energy 

sufficiently has overwhelmed 

our collective 

imagination. I can go on 

and on. 

In short Nigeria is not 

working. Period. 

An editorial in one of 

Nigeria’s leading newspapers 

on Thursday 13 

July 2017 captured our 

present situation and I 

quote: “ It is clear for all 

to see, except the federal 

and state governments 

who have often 

seen the Nigerian federal 

system designed for 

inter-elite settlement 

and fiefdoms of control, 

that Nigeria’s expensive 

but broken federal 

structure is buckling 

and things are gradually 

falling apart.” 

The rest of the world 

has called us corrupt. 

They have described us 

as a people lacking focus 

and unclear as to 

what our needs as a nation 

are or should be. 

There are very 

serious and damning 

charges. The question 

is: what are we doing 

about it? How much 

condemnation do we 

require to make us 

decide as citizens of one 

country to start holding 

among ourselves civil 

conversations that will 

lead to finding appropriate 

solutions to our 

brokenness? 

Nigerians are basically 

not corrupt. They 

just lack the basic 

quality of integrity; inability 

to speak the 

truth always, no matter 

what and be willing to 

accept genuine and 

constructive criticism 

instead of operating 

constantly in a state of 

self denial. 

Now, here is my pitch. 

I know that you are 

being honoured for the 

significant contributions 

you have made so 

far, but I know you can 

all do more to truly 

make a difference. 

Some of you in my age 

bracket would say that 

they have already done 

a lot. To them, I will recommend 

the saying in 

the book of Proverbs: 

“Old men see visions 

and young men dream 

dreams.” 

It is in our hands to 

amend the brokenness 

of Nigeria and make it 

work again. 

Your mentees are 

looking up to you for 

practical leadership. So 

ask yourself tonight: 

how can I make a difference? 

Remember, to 

whom much is given, 

much is expected. 

Thank you and enjoy 

the evening.


YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

TAURUS: Although matters-of-the-heart may give you cause 

to smile broadly, if care is not taken, you would cause friction 

that can’t help you r case at work. This is the wrong time for 

unnecessary scheming within your working arena. 

GEMINI: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance 

may have an exciting and satisfying day. Happenings within 

your social circles must be taken more seriously. 

CANCER: Confrontation may come your way in the circle 

but the heavens are working favourably for you. Some doses of 

romance is not too much for you on a day like this. 

LEO: Provided you don’t allow your innate ability to be as 

diplomatic as necessary desert you, things work favourably for 

you to the betterment of your finances. 

VIRGO: Many of you will be in sentimental mood and exhibit 

strong romantic desire openly. But then, if care is not taken, 

you may be carried away to the detriment of your finances. 

Serious minded lovers are in for happy day. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. 

It simply means that you’ve decided to look beyond 

the imperfections of life.”-Take Heart Quotes- 

When people let you down, learn to be your own cheerleader 

and best friend. Accept and process your feelings, 

and be kind to yourself. Most important, try to learn from 

the experience, and don’t let other people’s issues get you 

down. You have a choice about how to react, even if 

you didn’t choose the situation. Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

Beautiful discourse 

is rarer 

than emerald ~ 

yet it can be 

found among the 

servant girls at 

the grindstones. 

~Egyptian Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LIBRA: Whatever anybody says or does, you will have both 

your say and way. Venus and Jupiter may tempt some of you to 

embrace illicit (or secret) romance within your base of operation. 

SCORPIO: Venus and Jupiter at positive angles may tempt 

you to join some of your friends who are already onboard of 

merry making train. Watch your health. 

SAGITTARIUS: Good luck will smile at many and induce 

love of luxury merry making and romantic liason. Genuine 

lovers will need to be on guard against deceit from new admirers. 

CAPRICORN: Both financial success and emotional satisfaction 

are closed to you than before. Those of you travelling 

because of maters-of-the-heart are in for an exciting romantic 

day Those ambitious career-wise will succeed after few struggles. 

AQUARIUS: Many members of your opposite sex will go 

out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. This is the 

wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument. 

PISCES: If you priority is love, much of it would come your 

way as desired. But here is a better day for more ambitious in the 

business world. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you over money. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

ARIES: Those of you with secret admirers within your working 

area will have the needed opportunities to make the needed 

moves. Resist the temptation to deceive others. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, Apapa, Lagos 

What’s my Horoscope 

Dear Joshua, 

I am a middle aged lady born on September 13, 1960. Although 

I am fairly successful, I want you to give me my comprehensive 

horoscope, especially what my special gift is. 

Which day of the week was I born? Where were my natal 

planets and their meanings? Who am I? 

Blessing, Abuja. 

Dear Blessing, 

There is no space for comprehensive horoscope but what 

you’ll have here -under is answer to your questions/ You were 

born on a Thursday and your special gift is LEADERSHIP 

quality. 

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA 

Date of Birth: Thursday, September 13, 1962 

Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo 

Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces 

Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra 

Venues in 5th Degree of Scorpio 

Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer 

Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces 

Saturn in 5th Degree of Aquarius 

Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo 

Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio 

Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo 

North Node in 6th Degree of Leo 

South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius 

Quality and Element 

Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed 

and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and water 

star signs hosted five planets each. 

Push-full influence = 20% 

Non- push-full element = 80% 

Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter 

General Analysis 

Just 20 per cent of push-full influence in your chart can deceptively 

present you to others as a soft (or even timid) person 

but practical Virgo that hosted nothing less than three heavenly 

bodies when you were born and Astrological aspects between 

Mercury (mental focus) and aggressive Mars in you r 

chart are pointers to the contrary. 

Yes! You are highly intelligent and your mind works the same 

way detective’s minds do. It is true, there are little contradictions 

between your inner self and your emotional being as 

indicated quality, water element and Virgo characteristics. 

One moment, you can be very emotional, exhibiting temper 

with stinging tongue but a few hour later you are amiable, easy 

going, friendly and compassionate. You are the adaptable type 

who will see changes as sources of good opportunities. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

VANGUARD, MONDAY, FABRUARY 4, 2019 — 45 

Trump says sending troops to 

Venezuela an option 

U 

.S. President Donald 

Trump said that 

sending the military to 

Venezuela was “an option” 

as Western nations boost 

pressure on socialist leader 

Nicolas Maduro to 

hand over power to opposition 

leader and self-proclaimed 

President Juan 

Guaido. 

The United States, Canada 

and several Latin 

American countries have 

disavowed Maduro over 

his disputed re-election 

last year and recognise 

Guaido as the rightful 

leader of the economically 

troubled OPEC nation. 

Maduro however still 

maintains the powerful 

backing of Russia, China 

and Turkey, whose foreign 

minister said on Sunday 

that Western meddling 

was fuelling Venezuela’s 

troubles and punishing 

millions of its people. 

In an interview with CBS 

on Sunday, Trump reiterated 

that military intervention 

was a possibility. 

“Certainly, it’s something 

that’s on the - it’s an option,” 

Trump said, adding 

that Maduro requested a 

meeting months ago. 

“I’ve turned it down because 

we’re very far along 

in the process,” he said on 

a CBS “Face the Nation” 

interview. “So, I think the 

process is playing out - 

very, very big tremendous 

protests.” 

Tens of thousands of people 

thronged the streets of 

various Venezuelan cities 

on Saturday to protest his 

government and a senior 

air force general recognised 

interim-chief Guaido. 

France and Austria said 

on Sunday they would recognise 

Guaido if Maduro 

did not respond to the European 

Union’s call for a 

free and fair presidential 

election by Sunday night. 

The Trump administration 

last week issued crippling 

sanctions that are 

likely to further weaken 

the country’s struggling oil 

industry. 

While that could weaken 

Maduro, it risks also 

exacerbating Venezuela’s 

economic collapse. Venezuela 

is suffering medicine 

shortages, malnutrition 

and hyperinflation 

that has prompted millions 

to emigrate in recent 

years. 

Venezuela’s ambassador 

to Iraq, Jonathan Velasco, 

became the latest of a 

handful of officials to defect 

from Maduro’s government 

this weekend in 

a video published on social 

media on Saturday. 

Guaido told his supporters 

in a major rally in Caracas 

on Saturday that he 

would on Sunday announce 

when they would 

seek to bring in international 

humanitarian aid 

from Colombia, Brazil and 

a Caribbean island. 

It is unclear whether 

Maduro’s government, 

which denies the country 

is suffering a humanitarian 

crisis, will let any foreign 

aid through. 

Queen Elizabeth to be evacuated in case of 

Brexit riots 

THE British monarch 

could be whisked 

away to a secret location 

if disorder was to break 

out, UK media reported. 

The chance of a no-deal 

Brexit has prompted businesses, 

people and the 

government to make contingency 

plans. 

Queen Elizabeth II and 

other members of Britain's 

royal family could be 

evacuated from London in 

case of no-deal Brexit 

civil unrest, 

Britain's Sunday 

Times and Mail on 

Sunday newspapers reported 

on Sunday. 

Citing sources within 

the UK government, The 

Sunday Times said Cold 

War-era plans to rescue 

the monarch in the event 

of a nuclear attack from 

the Soviet Union have 

been "repurposed" for 

a worst-case scenario 

where Britain leaves the 

European Union without 

a deal. 

The evacuation plans 

were "dusted off" for the 

sake of "sensible 

planning," a government 

source told the paper. 

In the case of widespread 

rioting in the UK 

capital after March 29, the 

royals would be transferred 

to a top-secret location, 

the newspaper 

said. The plans have 

been prompted by concerns 

that the royals may 

be a target for angry Britons 

if the country faced 

large-scale disruption. 

The Sunday 

Times said the contingency 

plans for the royal 

family were part of 

stepped up no-deal preparations 

by British civil 

servants, codenamed 

Operation Yellowhammer, 

and involved discussions 

between London's 

Metropolitan Police 

and one other regional 

police force. 

NLC pickets Zimbabwean Embassy over 

workers, labour leaders arrest 

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

THE organised labour 

weekend picketed 

the Zimbabwean Embassy 

in Abuja for the arrest 

and detention of workers 

and labour leaders who 

protested over the increase 

in the prices of fuel in the 

country and demanded for 

their the immediate release. 

Speaking at the Embassy, 

President of the Nigeria 

Labour Congress, NLC, 

Ayuba Wabba said if the 

Zimbabwean government 

refused to release the 

union leaders, workers 

across the world would 

mobilise to shut down the 

Zimbabwean embassies 

across the world. 

The NLC President who 

is also the President of the 

International Trade Union, 

ITU, asked the United 

Nations, UN, to invoke 

relevant international conventions 

to protect the 

right of workers in Zimbabwe. 

Wabba said ITUC and the 

NLC will petition the International 

Court of Justice, 

ICJ, to protest the violation 

of human rights in 

that country and the violence 

that followed the protest 

by the workers. 

He further asked the International 

Labour Organisation 

(ILO) and the African 

Union, AU, to invoke 

relevant labour conventions 

in dealing with the 

issue in Zimbabwe, adding 

that it was an irony that 

the same government 

which the labour union 

fought for is the one intimidating 

labour leaders. 

Nexford University launches 

online degrees 

WASHIGNTON DCbased 

startup, Nexford 

University, has concluded 

plans to launch affordable 

degree programmes 

for online students 

in Nigeria. 

A statement by the CEO of 

the institution, Mr. Fadl Al 

Tarzi, said the school is an 

accredited university with a 

startup mentality to provide 

quality education for students 

across the globe. 

He said: “ Nexford University, 

a one-year-old startup, 

is gearing up for its 

'Series A' funding to launch 

globally affordable degree 

programmes. Students in 

Nigeria can earn a Bachelor 

of Business Administration 

(BBA) for $80 per 

month. The American university 

has built a distinguished 

team including 

machine learning engineers 

and full-time faculty 

with terminal degrees. 

“We are building a nextgeneration 

university. It 

offers world-class competency-based 

education 

powered by the latest 

technology. This requires 

significant investment to 

reach global scale." 

Leicester 0-1 Man Utd 

Rashford wins it for 

Red Devils 

Manchester 

U n i t e d 

extended their 

unbeaten run under interim 

boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

to 10 games with a narrow 

victory against Leicester at 

the King Power Stadium. 

Marcus Rashford 

continued his goalscoring 

form with the winner in the 

ninth minute - his 10th goal 

of the season. 

Ricardo Pereira’s poor 

clearance was straight into 

the path of Paul Pogba, who 

lofted the ball towards 

Rashford, the England striker 

allowing it to come over his 

shoulder, before taking a neat 

touch and drilling past Kasper 

Schmeichel. 

Inconsistency has been 

the story of Leicester’s 

season and this defeat 

came on the back of a wellearned 

point at Liverpool 

on Wednesday, but they 

did have their chances. 

Jamie Vardy connected 

with a bicycle kick after James 

Maddison’s free-kick 

bounced off the wall, and 

fired straight at David de Gea. 

Man City 3-1 Arsenal 

Aguero scores hat-trick 

to reduce gap at top 

Sergio Aguero scored a 

hat-trick as 

Manchester City cut 

Liverpool’s lead at the top 

of the Premier League to 

two points with a vital win 

over Arsenal. 

The Argentine forward 

headed City in front after 

just 46 seconds from 

Aymeric Laporte’s cross. 

Laurent Koscielny 

marked his return from 

injury with a headed 

equaliser. 

City secured the points 

when Aguero struck from 

close range for his second 

and third goals - both from 

assists by Raheem Sterling. 

His third - and 14th 

league goal of the season - 

was controversial as the ball 

struck his arm as he slid in 

to meet Sterling’s cross but 

it was not intentional and 

the goal was allowed to 

stand. 

Dembélé a doubt for El Clásico 

With Lionel Messi 

due to have tests 

on a thigh injury 

tomorrow, Barcelona 

have been handed 

another fitness concern 

after Ousmane Dembélé 

was diagnosed with 

tonsilitis, leaving the 

Frenchman’s involvement 

in the Clásico in grave 

doubt. 

Dembélé, who is in the 

final stages of his recovery 

from an ankle sprain, was 

expected to return to 

training tomorrow as Barça 

prepare to take on Real 

Madrid in the first leg of the 

Copa del Rey semi-finals 

on Wednesday night. 

However, Blaugrana 

doctors this morning 

prescribed the forward 

antiobiotics and told him 

to go home and rest after 

he reported to the club’s 

training ground suffering 

from a fever, complaining 

of pain in his tonsils and 

feeling generally unwell. 

Barça will wait and see 

how the 21-year-old’s 

condition progresses, but 

with tonsilitis usually 

requiring a recovery period 

of at least three to four days, 

there is little optimism that 

he’ll be fit to face Madrid 

at the Camp Nou. 

Juve to splash £40m for Marcelo 

Real Madrid leftback 

Marcelo is a 

£40m target for Italian 

champions Juventus, 

according to a report. 

The long-serving 

defender, who has spent 

the past 12 years at the 

Bernabeu, is believed to 

be seeking a lucrative 

move away from Madrid 

in the summer. 

Marcelo has featured 

less regularly under 

Santiago Solari, with 

Sergio Reguilon being 

preferred of late, and 

Tuttosport suggests 

that Los Blancos are 

willing to cash in as part 

of a freshen-up. Juve 

are said to be willing to 

pay the Brazil 

international £10.5m a 

year in wages to tempt 

him to join them over a 

rival club. 

Ronaldo laments Juve 

mistakes in Parma draw 

Juventus star Cristiano 

Ronaldo was unhappy 

after his side’s 3-3 draw 

with Parma in the Serie A 

Ronaldo scored a brace 

as Juve took a 3-1 lead, 

only for a late double from 

Gervinho to secure a draw 

for Parma at Allianz 

Stadium. While the 

Portuguese star was glad 

to get on the scoresheet, 

the 33-year-old rued the 

result for the league 

leaders. 

“I’m happy about the 

goals but not the result. 

This is football,” Ronaldo 

told DAZN. “We dropped 

back in the final few 

minutes and Parma 

capitalised on our mistakes. 

“I don’t think the last few 

results are because of our 

heavy workload. We’re 

relaxed and not worried. 

“We’re confident in the 

ability of this team and its 

technical quality, as well as 

the coach and the staff.”


Amuneke 

Amuneke warns Flying Eagles 

against South Africa 

Coach Emmanuel 

Amuneke has 

hailed the Flying 

Eagles winning start at 

the U20 AFCON in 

Niger, but at the same 

time warned the 

Nigeria U20s have to 

be at their best against 

South Africa tomorrow. 

The Flying Eagles 

beat Burundi 2-0, while 

CAF CL: It is 

not yet over for 

Lobi – Ogbeide 

Despite losing at 

home to Moroccan 

giants Wydad 

Casablanca in their 

match day three group 

stage fixture at the 

ongoing CAF 

Champions league on 

Saturday at the 

Nnamdi Azikiwe 

Stadium in Enugu 

Lobi Stars head coach 

Solomon Ogbeide has 

stated that all hope is 

not yet lost for Lobi as 

they are confident of 

making it out of the 

group stage of the 

competition. 

The Nigerian team 

failed to capitalize on 

home advantage as 

they failed to pick any 

point falling one nil 

to current table 

toppers Wydad at their 

adopted home ground 

in Enugu despite 

having a more 

improved second half 

performance. 

Speaking at the end 

of the match, the 

veteran coach insists 

that they can also pick 

points away from 

home to stay in 

business. “We are 

disappointed in the 

result but this does not 

mean we are out of the 

competition. We still 

have three more games 

in the group stage 

though we will be 

going to play away in 

two of those matches. 

Flying Eagles 

South Africa forced a 1- 

1 draw with hosts 

Niger. 

A win for the Flying 

Eagles on Tuesday will 

book them qualification 

to the 2019 FIFA U20 

World Cup in Poland. 

Amuneke, who is on 

the CAF Technical 

Study Group for the 

U20 AFCON said the 

Super Eagles captain 

John Mikel Obi is 

eying a full return to the 

Super Eagles following 

impressive outings with 

championship side 

Middleborough after two 

competitive games. 

Mikel made his first 

Championship start in 

the team’s 3 – 2 away win 

at West Bromwich Albion 

having previously been 

involved in the club’s FA 

Cup home draw against 

Newport County in 

January, four days after 

his arrival at the club. 

team led by coach Paul 

Aigbogun can get the 

job done tomorrow. 

“It was a good start for 

the Flying Eagles in the 

tournament as winning 

your first match gives 

you more confidence to 

push harder and that’s 

exactly what they have 

done,” the one-time 

African Footballer of the 

Mikel Obi poised for 

Super Eagles return 

Sports facility expert, 

Ebi Egbe has 

appealed to Niger Delta 

Development 

Commission (NDDC) to 

extend the good works it 

is doing in the Niger 

Delta region to the area 

of sports. 

Egbe, the Chief 

Executive Officer of 

Monimichelle noted that 

sports is an area that 

impacts directly on the 

youths insisting that 

NDDC’s intervention in 

the area of sports would 

curb youth restiveness in 

the region. 

In 

Egbe’s 

words:”NDDC has been 

doing a good job in the 

area of road construction, 

provision of water, health 

care name it, but the 

commission need to pay 

more attention to sports. 

Sports is an area that 

Super Eagles coach 

Gernot Rohr had 

revealed that Mikel’s 

progress will be clearly 

monitored by the 

coaching crew with his 

performance key to his 

national team return. 

“We are very happy 

about it (Middleborough 

move) because it’s been 

a long time he didn’t play 

and Mikel is a player 

who is dedicated to the 

game, he wanted to play 

in Europe, now we can 

watch what he is doing. 

Year said. 

“The boys showed 

wonderful character in 

second half to get the 

two goals needed to go 

top of the group. 

“They need to 

continue in that manner 

knowing fully well they 

have a very crucial 

match coming up on 

Tuesday against South 

Africa. 

Obi 

Egbe tasks NDDC on sports infrastructure 

impacts on the youths. If 

they (NDDC) do that, it 

would curb youth 

restiveness in the region. 

The Niger Delta region 

need to have sports 

facilities like 

Recreational Centres, 

Sports Parks and Mini 

Stadiums, where the 

youths can go and horn 

their sporting skills. The 

emphasis need to shift to 

the youths and putting in 

place structures that 

would benefit them. It is 

only when that is done 

that there would be 

security in the area and 

investors can come in 

and do business in the oil 

rich region.” 

He pointed out that a 

country like South Africa 

deliberately built a 

befitting sports arena in 

the Soweto area of 

Johannesburg and today 

that is paying off as 

several South African 

sports stars have come 

out of Soweto which was 

hitherto only known for 

crime. 

AXA Mansard, a member 

of the AXA Group has 

announced a partnership 

deal with Liverpool FC. 

A statement from the 

company said, “The multiyear 

partnership with 

English Premier League 

legends Liverpool Football 

Club (“Liverpool FC”) sees 

AXA become the club’s 

Official Global Insurance 

Partner.” 

Commenting on the 

partnership, the CEO of AXA, 

Thomas Burbel said “I am 

delighted to announce this 

long-term partnership with 

Liverpool FC, which comes at 

a particularly exciting 

moment for AXA as the Best 

2019 CAF Confederation Cup: 

Rangers beat Salitas FC 2-0 

R 

a n g e r s 

International 

Football Club of 

Enugu yesterday got 

their 

CAF 

Confederation Cup 

group phase off to a 

winning start when 

they beat Salitas FC of 

Burkina Faso 2-0 in 

Enugu. 

Skipper Godwin 

Aguda opened scoring 

for the home team as 

early as the second 

minute when he 

dashed into the box 

Victor Moses is 

delighted after 

scoring his first goal for 

Fenerbahce in their 2-0 

victory over Goztepe in 

Turkish Super Lig game. 

The Nigerian winger 

replaced Ghana 

international Andre 

Ayew, who had earlier 

scored the opener, and 

made his impact felt in 

his second game for the 

side. 

Moses finished off a 

counterattacking move 

he started to seal a 

second consecutive 

victory for Ersun Yanal’s 

men after a 3-2 win over 

Yeni Malatyaspor on 

Rangers 

before he chipped past 

the goalkeeper. 

Benin international 

defender Isaac Loute 

doubled Rangers 

advantage on the hour 

when he delivered a 

superb free kick 

beyond the diving 

goalkeeper. 

Rangers threw away 

several other chances 

including a late effort 

by substitute Bobby 

Clement, who fired 

over the bar when he 

was put clear on goal. 

First Fenerbahce goal 

excites Moses 

Monday. 

Impressed with his 

performance as well as 

the victory for his side, 

the on-loan Chelsea 

attacker has taken to the 

social media to celebrate. 

“What a feeling! 

Another win and my first 

goal,” Moses tweeted. 

The victory helped 

Fenerbahce move four 

spots to 11th as they 

now have 23 points from 

20 games. 

Moses will hope for a 

starter’s shirt when the 

Yellow Canaries take on 

Kayserispor next Friday, 

having started his two 

games for the side from 

the bench. 

Moses 

AXA Mansard partners Liverpool FC 

Global Brand Ranking, 

announced by Interbrand 

today, recognized AXA as 

the number one insurance 

brand for the 10th year in a 

row.” 

Building on shared 

values, AXA and Liverpool 

FC will create innovative 

experiences for clients, 

partners and fans around 

the world, as well as making 

meaningful contributions to 

the local communities in 

which they both operate. 

Working closely with 

Liverpool FC’s players, 

manager, coaches and 

health professionals, AXA 

will also create unique and 

relevant content that will 

help support the shared goal 

of promoting a healthy 

lifestyle, delivering on the 

AXA brand purpose of 

empowering people to live a 

better life. 

Also commenting on the 

Partnership, the Head, 

Brand and Communications 

at AXA Mansard Insurance 

plc, Mrs Nkiru Umeh noted 

“We are excited about this 

partnership with Liverpool 

FC. It’s our way of 

identifying with the passion 

and energy of football fans 

both in Nigeria and all over 

the world, which reflects our 

passion to consistently 

provide quality products and 

services to our esteemed 

customers.”


Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

FRIDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Outdated (8) 

6 Floor covering (3) 

9 A shade of purple (5) 

10 Wind-storm (7) 

11 Slimmed down (7) 

13 Combine (5) 

14 Small prawn (6) 

15 Intense or violent 

effort (6) 

18 Of the nose (5) 

20 Perpendicular (7) 

21 Voted into office (7) 

22 Saunter (5) 

23 Strike lightly (3) 

24 Sunrise (8) 

DOWN 

2 Gross mistake (7) 

3 Poem (3) 

4 Monetary unit of 

Portugal (6) 

5 Meet (9) 

6 Native of New Zealand (5) 

7 Immediately (5,3,4) 

8 Captivity (12) 

12 Finished (9) 

16 A branch of mathematics (7) 

17 Miscellaneous (6) 

19 Farm animals (5) 

22 Atmosphere (3) 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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

08027767834; 01-4544821. Abuja office: 7, Dambata Close, Area 7, Garki, 09-2921024. Ikeja office: 73, Awolowo Way. V.I. Office: Murplus Plaza, 27, Sanusi Fafunwa Street. Asaba: 21, Anwai 

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

04022019 - North, S-West, N-Delta, M-Belt elders adopt Atiku

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