13032019 - March 23 date for make-up polls in Adamawa, Kano, others

INEC under 1999 

Constitution: 

Election of 

transformation 

leaders 

40 

Onnoghen fails to 

appear for trial, 

says he has tooth 

ache, high blood 

9 

pressure 

More nations, 

airlines 

ground 

Boeing 737 

Max 8 

Nigeria records $2.8bn balance of payment surplus in Q4' 18 

43 

Buhari meets 7 APC 

govs in Aso Rock 8 

Maritime connectivity: 

Nigeria not among top 5 

countries in Africa 

•See pullout inside 

19 

VOL. 26: NO. 63764 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

March 23 date for make-up 

polls in Adamawa, Kano, others 

•Anxiety heightens as INEC holds back on Rivers 

•Obi expresses concern over Rivers stalemate 

•PDP flays BMO over President’s neutrality claim 

GOV POLL: Amosun, 

Okorocha in 

dilemma after 8 

defeat of protegees 

COLUMNISTS 

DEAR BUNMI 

Gunmen kidnap 

expatriate in 

Kano, kill one 7 

23 

PRINCEWILL 

17 

Senate begins 2019 

budget debate today; 

reconstitutes Minimum 

Wage C’ttee 

9 

ROTIMI FASAN 32 

Story on 

Page 5 

SEE 

INSIDE 

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019—3


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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

BUHARI RETURNS TO ABUJA—President Muhammadu Buhari and wife 

Aisha, return to Abuja from Daura, Katsina State, after the Governorship 

and State Assembly Elections, yesterday. 

March 23 date for make-up polls 

in Adamawa, Kano, others 

By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Charles Kumolu, 

Egufe Yafuborhi, 

Omeiza Ajayi, 

Dirisu Yakubu, 

Umar Yusuf, Marie- 

Therese Nanlong, 

Davies 

Iheamnachor, Femi 

Bolaji & Dickson 

Omobola 

A B U J A — T H E 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission 

INEC has said it would 

conduct supplementary 

elections on March 23 in 

states where the exercise 

was put on hold due to 

violence or other reasons. 

The decision was a fall out 

of the commission’s 

meeting, yesterday in 

Abuja. 

INEC National 

Commissioner and 

Chairman of its Information 

and Voter Education 

Committee, Festus Okoye 

in a late Tuesday statement 

said the Commission met 

and reviewed the conduct 

of the 29 Governorship and 

991 State constituency 

elections held on March 9, 

2019. 

In all, the commission 

had declared winners in 

the Governorship elections 

in 22 states. 

‘However, the Returning 

officers in Adamawa, 

Bauchi, Benue, Kano, 

Plateau and Sokoto states 

declared the governorship 

elections inconclusive. 

Consequently, the 

Commission will conduct 

supplementary elections on 

Saturday 23rd March 2019 

to conclude the process. 

Supplementary elections 

will also hold in polling 

units in all states where 

State assembly elections 

were declared inconclusive 

and winners could not be 

declared. Details of the 

constituencies including 

number of polling units 

and registered voters, will 

be published on our 

website tomorrow 

Wednesday 13th March 

2019,” he declared. 

Okoye said the elections 

were declared inconclusive 

for a combination of 

reasons, mainly the 

discontinuation of use of 

the Smart Card Readers 

midway into the elections 

or the failure to deploy 

them, over-voting and 

widespread disruption in 

many polling units. 

“In compliance with the 

Margin of Lead Principle 

derived from Sections 26 

and 53 ofthe Electoral Act 

2010 (as amended) and 

paragraph 41(e) and 43(b) 

of the INEC Regulations 

and Guidelines for the 

conduct of elections, the 

outcome of these elections 

could not be determined 

without conducting polls in 

the affected polling units. 

Hence the Commission’s 

decision to conduct 

supplementary elections in 

line with this principle. 

“Furthermore, the 

Commission has 

considered a Report 

submitted by the Resident 

Electoral Commissioner for 

Bauchi State on the 

disruption of the collation 

at the Tafawa Balewa LGA 

collation centre, which led 

to the cancellation of results 

for the entire local 

government. The 

Commission found that 

there are issues that need 

further investigation and 

has set up a team led by a 

National Commissioner to 

resolve them”, he added. 

This came as the polity 

was awash with flak for the 

electoral commission, 

yesterday, as it failed to give 

its position on the 

suspended Governorship 

and State House of 

Assembly elections in 

Rivers State and its 

declaration of the polls as 

inconclusive in six states. 

While suspending all 

electoral processes in 

Rivers on Sunday on 

account of widespread 

disruption of elections 

conducted on March 9, the 

electoral umpire raised a 

probe committee it asked to 

probe the incidents and 

submit its report in 48 

hours. The deadline 

ended, yesterday. 

However, the INEC 

would make a 

proclamation on the Rivers 

election before Friday, 

Vanguard has learned. 

Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, 

chief press secretary to the 

INEC Chairman, Professor 

Mahmood Yakubu, said 

the committee was still in 

Rivers state as of 4pm, 

yesterday, adding that its 

report was expected to be 

submitted to the 

commission on or before 

Wednesday (today). 

Vanguard gathered that 

the commission would 

consequently meet on the 

report and take a decision 

as to whether to conduct 

fresh polls in affected areas 

or collate results in areas 

where there was no 

violence. 

Indeed, mixed reactions 

greeted the INEC’s 

declaration of the 

governorship elections 

inconclusive in six states 

and its delay in addressing 

the Rivers suspended polls. 

The All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, bickered over the 

issues yesterday. 

Rivers APC, PDP bicker 

over suspended elections 

The APC and PDP in 

Rivers intensified their 

accusations and counteraccusations 

over the 

suspended polls in the 

state. 

Rivers APC in a statement 

by its Spokesman, Chris 

Finebone stated that 

despite not fielding 

candidates, it was actively 

involved in the 

governorship and state 

assembly elections as it 

endorsed the candidate of 

another party. 

“Rivers APC was an 

active stakeholder in last 

weekend’s elections and 

the reason is that we 

formally endorsed and 

adopted the AAC 

governorship candidate, 

Awara Biokpomabo. We 

must establish our 

disapproval of the 

tendencies by a section of 

stakeholders in the polity, 

especially some supposed 

local and international 

observers who appear not 

to appreciate the onerous 

task security agencies are 

undertaking to ensure that 

Rivers people were able to 

come out and vote safely 

and their vote counted. 

“We call on the INEC 

Chairman, Prof. Mahmood 

Yakubu to redeploy Mr. 

Effanga from Rivers 

without further delay to 

avoid possible crisis that 

may follow the organised 

conspiracy being instigated 

by altering result of the 

2019 governorship polls in 

Rivers State.” 

The PDP, in its own 

statement by Jerry 

Needam, Media Aide to 

Rivers PDP Chairman, 

Felix Obuah, commended 

Gov. Nyesom Wike for the 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou, Yinka 

Latona, 

Chiamaka Uba & Dickson Omobola 

Gov/Assembly Polls: What do you think is responsible for poor turnout? (3) 

Many 

reasons 

accounted for the 

low turnout. 

First is the fact that lots of 

sacrifices such as trekking 

long distances were 

involved.Second, results 

of the presidential poll 

did not go the way some 

voters expected. The fears 

of attack by hoodlums 

made people to stay back. 

It appeared as if the 

security agencies on the 

ground were not capable of 

controlling the activities of 

rogues. 

Olu Aluko-Apalara, 

Analyst 

There was huge 

turnout in my area 

in Eti Osa in Lagos, but 

if there was low turnout 

in some areas, it may be 

because they are losing 

interest in Nigeria's 

electoral process as a 

result of lack of security 

and truthfulness. 

Princess Ifedoyin 

Tubosun 

Health officer 

The low turnout was 

not in all parts of the 

country as there was large 

turnout of voters in some 

places. I feel the low turnout 

was due to the violence 

in some parts of the country 

during the presidential 

and NASS elections. Nobody 

wants to die. Our 

leaders should always remember 

that there is tomorrow. 

Comrade Jimoh Adeyeye, 

Tanker Driver 

Millions of eligible 

voters in Nigeria 

stayed away from casting 

their votes because of violence. 

They did not want to be 

caught in it. Voters also 

stayed away because 

they felt their votes were 

stolen during the presidential 

and NASS elections. 

Mrs. Vickie Onyekuru, 

Chartered Administrator 

I would say the reason 

for the low turnout is not 

because of the lack of security 

personnel on the 

ground to oversee the 

process, but fears that 

votes would not count. 

In some Local Government 

Areas, LGAs, in Lagos 

the fear of violence 

was not a reason but concerns 

over predetermined 

rigging. Since their votes 

do not count there was no 

point wasting their time 

voting. 

Mr. Juba Philip, Student 

The people do not believe 

in the neutrality of 

the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC. The experiences 

they had during the presidential 

election were responsible. 

Furthermore, 

there is no electoral education 

on why people 

need to turn out and vote 

for individuals to represent 

them. 

Mr. Segun El Raphael, 

Fashion Designer

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MACRH 13, 2019 

Electrician 

denies killing 

wife, dumping 

corpse in river 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—A 49 year old 

man, Ismaila Salau, 

accused of murdering his 

wife, Silifat Yakubu, by hitting 

her on the head with a pestle 

and dumping her corpse in a 

stream, yesterday, denied the 

accusation. 

Salau was arraigned in 

2015, on a count charge of 

murder preferred against him 

by the Lagos State 

Government. 

At the resumed hearing, the 

witness, who was led in 

evidence by his counsel, Mr. 

A. A Babalola, said on 

October 3, 2014, he was held 

up in traffic after running 

errands for a friend. 

The witness told the court 

that on the fateful day, he left 

home around 6a.m. and 

returned back the following 

day at 4a.m. because his 

friend sent him on an errand. 

“I was held up in traffic 

until the early hours of the 

following morning. My car 

also fell into a ditch due to 

flood,” he told the court. 

He said that he called his 

wife who was visiting her 

parents during the Salah 

festivities . 

Salau said that when he got 

home, he did not see his wife 

and her phone was switched 

off. 

The witness said he called 

his older daughter who told 

him that the deceased left her 

mother’s house since 8 p.m. 

Salau narrated how he went 

for a village meeting the 

following day and heard 

about a pregnant woman 

who drowned in the stream. 

He said: “I then told the 

Baale that my wife was 

missing so he asked me and 

my wife’s elder brother to go 

to the Badagry General 

Hospital where the corpse was 

deposited to check if it was 

my wife. 

“When I saw the corpse, I 

knew that that was my wife.” 

During cross-examined by 

the Lagos State prosecutor, 

Jubril Kareem, the accused 

admitted that he did not report 

to the Police about his missing 

wife. 

He, however denied the 

statement he allegedly made 

to the police during police 

investigation. 

After listening to the 

evidence, Justice Oluwatoyin 

Ipaye, adjourned the case 

until April 9, for continuation 

of trial. 

Earlier, the prosecutor 

Kareem, had told the court 

that the defendant committed 

the alleged offence on 

October 3, 2014, 11 p.m, at 18, 

Igbele village, in Araromi 

community of Badagry, Lagos 

State. 

Man arrested for incest tortured to death 

in Ondo NSCDC custody, family alleges 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—THE father of a 12- 

year-old girl, Razak Ahmed, 

arrested for incest has allegedly 

been tortured to death by officials 

of the Nigeria Security and Civil 

Defence Corps, Ondo State 

Command, while in their custody. 

The deceased, arrested Sunday 

for having carnal knowledge of his 

daughter, was reportedly beaten to 

death with sticks by officials of the 

command while trying to extract 

confessional statements from him. 

Consequently, his family 

speaking through his younger 

sister, Mrs Taiwo, in Akure called 

on President Muhammadu Buhari 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

ABUJA—A High Court of the 

Federal Capital Territory, 

sitting at Maitama, yesterday, 

convicted one Osahon Scott, who 

was arraigned by the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, for posing as a United States 

military officer to perpetrate online 

fraud. 

In a count charge it filed before 

the court, EFCC, alleged that the 

convict pretended that he was Gen. 

Sgt. Major John Rossi, an 

American soldier deployed to 

Afghanistan on peace keeping 

mission. 

EFCC told the court that the 

defendant fraudulently induced 

one Li Sufung to deliver the sum of 

20, 000 Yuan (Twenty Thousand 

Yuan), claiming that it was payment 

for cost of “non inspection of 

certificate”. 

The suspect, who was docked 

before Justice Umar Bature for fraud 

and cheating, pleaded guilty to the 

charge. 

Based on a plea bargain 

and the state governor, Rotimi 

Akeredolu, to investigate his 

alleged killing three days after 

he was taken into custody. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

deceased was arrested by 

officials of the command on 

Sunday over the allegation at 

his Aule residence area in 

Akure, the State capital. 

A reliable source told 

Vanguard that “it was one of 

his daughters, from another 

wife , that reported the case at 

the NSCDC station in Akure, 

on Sunday, so he was beaten 

to death by the men of the 

corps today (yesterday).” 

The deceased younger 

document he signed with the 

prosecution on March 4, 2019, 

which was brought to the court 

pursuant to Section 270 of the 

Administration of Criminal 

Justice Act, ACJA 2015, he 

was accordingly convicted. 

The prosecuting counsel, 

Deborah Ademu-Eteh, who 

tendered the document before 

the court, argued that the 

defendant should be 

sentenced in line with terms 

sister, Mrs. Taiwo, 

confirmed that the he was 

beaten to death with stick. 

Taiwo said “ It was one of 

his daughters that lied 

against him at the NSCDC 

office and he was then 

arrested and taken to their 

office and detained since 

Sunday. 

“In their cell they started 

beating him with sticks 

because he told them he did 

not commit the offence he 

was alleged to have 

committed. The torture was 

too much that he gave up the 

ghost and he was taken to 

the mortuary by men of the 

of his plea bargain. 

However, the defence 

counsel, Mr. Ochumba 

Kingsley, pleaded with the 

court to temper justice with 

mercy, even as he urged the 

trial Judge to consider that 

the defendant was consistent 

with his custody terms. 

He further drew attention 

of the court to the health 

status of the defendant, who 

he said was suffering from 

corps.“ 

Taiwo called on the 

government and human rights 

organisations to assist the family 

to get justice. 

She alleged that the command 

was planning to sweep the case 

under the carpet . 

Several calls put across to the 

image maker of the command, 

Samuel Oladipo, for 

confirmation or otherwise of the 

incident, were not picked. 

But a source in the command 

described the death of the 

suspect as unfortunate. 

He, however, denied that he 

was beaten to death with sticks 

by officials of the command. 

Women protesting non-release of the March 9 governorship election results at the Sokoto office of Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday. NAN PHOTO. 

Fake American soldier convicted over internet scam 

THE Police Command in 

Cross River State said, 

yesterday, that it foiled a 

kidnap attempt on Mr. Ani 

Esin, Security Adviser to the 

Governor of the state, Ben 

Ayade. 

The command’s 

Spokesperson, DSP Irene 

Ugbo, who confirmed the 

incident in Calabar, 

yesterday, said the incident 

happened around 3am same 

day in Calabar. 

Ugbo said one of the 

suspected kidnappers died 

while trying to escape in 

one of the vehicle’s removed 

from Esin’s house. 

He explained that the 

unknown gunmen had 

stormed Esin’s house to 

kidnap him, before a police 

team led by the 

Commissioner of Police, Mr. 

Austin Agbonlahor stormed 

the premises and foiled the 

peptic ulcer. 

Besides, the defence lawyer 

told the court that the 

defendant is a surviving son 

of a single mother, an aging 

grandfather, describing him as 

a young man with a bright 

future ahead who is 

remorseful of his actions. 

After he had listened to the 

submissions, Justice Bature 

deferred sentence of the convict 

till March 19. 

Police foil kidnap attempt on Gov Ayade’ aide, one 

suspect dies 

attempt. 

She said: “The incident 

happened in the early hours 

of today(yesterday). It took the 

personal intervention of the 

state Commissioner of Police 

who led a team of officers to 

foil the abduction. 

“One of the suspects died 

while trying to escape in one of 

the vehicles removed from 

Esin’s house. We rescued the 

victim and he is at present in a 

stable condition in a hospital.”


Man steals N80,000 from 

bread seller, loses it on betting 

THE Police in Lagos, 

yesterday, arraigned a 20- 

year-old man, Prosper Okeke, who 

allegedly stole N80,000 from a 

bread seller and spent all on 

betting game and lost. 

Okeke, who lives at 1, Samuel 

Street, Ogudu, is facing a count 

charge of stealing before an 

Ogudu Magistrates’ Court, but he 

pleaded not guilty. 

According to the prosecutor, 

Insp. Lucky Ihiehie, Okeke stole 

the money kept under the bed by 

Mrs Pricilla Kanu, on Feb. 28, at 

AN expatriate working with 

a construction company was 

reportedly kidnapped in the early 

hours of yesterday in Kano 

metropolis by suspected gunmen 

with the driver killed. 

The expatriate, who is a staff of 

Triacta Construction Company 

working on Kano Zoo Road under 

path, was abducted at the 

construction site in the metropolis. 

An eye witness, who pledged 

anonymity, disclosed in Kano, 

yesterday that the incident 

happened around 7:00am as the 

company’s staff was returning to 

work after the election break. 

The eye witness said the 

gunmen arrived in the site and 

shot the expatriate’s driver before 

taking him away to unknown 

destination. 

When contacted, the Police 

Public Relations Officer, DSP 

Abdullahi Haruna, who confirmed 

the story, said the person 

45, Gafari Street, Ogudu. 

“The complainant (Kanu) said the 

defendant, a packager, entered her 

room on February 28 and stole the 

money which she kept under her 

bed. 

“When she came back from her 

shop on that day she discovered 

that the money she kept in her 

handbag under her bed wasn’t 

there anymore. 

“She raised the alarm, and her 

daughter told her that Okeke came 

to their house to see her son. 

“On March 4, she traced Okeke 

By Bashir Bello 

GUNMEN that reportedly 

stormed Kankara town, 

Matsiga Kankara in Kankara Local 

Government Area of Katsina State, 

yesterday morning, killed a fouryear-old 

boy with another six-yearold 

hospitalised after sustaining 

gunshot injury during the attack. 

It was gathered from a 

community source that the gunmen 

that stormed the house of one 

Adamu were angered by the fight 

put up by the household and 

to his workplace and he 

confessed to have taken the 

money and used all of it to play 

a betting game, which he lost,” 

he submitted. 

Stealing contravenes Section 

287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 

State, 2015, and punishable 

with three years’ jail term. 

The Magistrate, Mrs E. 

Kubeinje granted the defendant 

bail in the sum of N50, 00 and 

a surety in like sum. 

Substantive hearing in the 

case will start on April 8. 

Woman drags co-beggar 

to court over assault, stealing 

A 

beggar, Binta Umar, 

yesterday, dragged a fellow 

beggar, Hajara Kano, to a Sharia 

Court ll sitting at Magajin Gari, 

Kaduna over alleged assault and 

stealing. 

Umar said she was in court 

because Kano stole her charity 

money given to her by a passerby. 

She alleged that when she 

confronted Kano about the matter, 

she hit her and threw her into the 

gutter. 

The complainant prayed the 

court to grant her justice and 

punish Kano for what she did. 

The defendant however was not 

in court to answer to the charges. 

The Judge, Musa Sa’ad- Goma, 

said the defendant had disobeyed 

the court by not appearing which 

contravened Section 300 of Penal 

Code. 

The judge ordered the 

immediate arrest of the defendant 

and adjourned the case until 

March 19 for further hearing. 

...as boy dies in Kano well 

Tragedy befell a family at 

Yar’akwa Balangu Quarters, 

Tarauni Local Government Area, 

Kano State, Monday evening, 

when their two year-old son, 

Abdullahi Jibril, fell into a well and 

died. 

The spokesman for the Kano 

State Fire Service, Alhaji Saidu 

Mohammed, who disclosed this 

yesterday in Kano, said “We 

received a distress call at Kofar 

Nasarawa Division from one 

Malam Umar Umar, at about 

Gunmen kidnap expatriate, kill 1 in Kano 

kidnapped was a Lebanese. 

He explained that the gunmen 

also shot one other person dead 

and injured another, pointing out 

that the expatriate went out without 

3:40pm that a boy had fallen into 

a well. 

“On receiving the 

information, we quickly sent our 

rescue team to the scene at 

about 3:50pm.” 

The spokesman said that the 

little Jibril was playing near the 

well in their compund and 

mistakenly fell inside. 

MNJTF destroys Boko Harama's 70 gun trucks, as many 

terrorists surrender, in the ongoing Operation YANCIN TAFKI. 

his assigned security and driver. 

He, however, said that 

investigation into the matter was 

on after which details would 

follow. 

Gunmen kill minor, 

abduct 3 in Katsina 

resorted to shooting. 

“In the process the baby was 

killed, the six-year-old 

sustained gunshot injury, while 

three other children of the 

family were whisked away by 

the abductors,” the source said. 

Contacted for confirmation, 

spokesperson of the Katsina 

State Police Command, SP 

Gambo Isah, promised to reach 

out to the Divisional Police 

Officer of the area and get back 

to Vanguard, but were yet to do 

so at press time. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Sorry my guy. Some 

teachers no go school 

No be your fault. Just pray 

the table doesn't turn 

Saves you bride price 

headache. Ask Lakunle

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

Amosun, Okorocha in dilemma after 

defeat of protégés 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor 

G OVERNORS 

Ibikunle Amosun 

and Rochas Okorocha of 

Ogun and Imo states 

respectively have been 

thrown into a dilemma on 

how to approach the defeats 

suffered by their protégés 

in last weekend’s 

governorship elections. 

Both men, who supported 

candidates against the 

choice of their party, All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, for the governorship 

election, are in 

contemplation whether to 

endorse or back judicial 

challenges against the 

outcome of the polls. 

Both men were as at 

yesterday, yet to 

congratulate the winners of 

the governorship election in 

their states. 

They were also yet to 

endorse a judicial appeal 

against the declarations. 

Prince Dapo Abiodun of 

APC won Ogun State 

governorship election as 

against the desire of 

Senator Amosun who 

backed Allied Peoples 

Movement, APM’s, 

Adekunle Akinlade as his 

successor. 

Okorocha, on the other 

hand, backed Mr. Uche 

Nwosu, his son-in-law, as 

his successor, against the 

candidate of the APC, 

Senator Hope Uzodinma. 

The Imo governorship 

election was, however, won 

by Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP’s Chief Emeka 

Ihedioha. 

Neither Amosun nor 

Okorocha had at press 

time, yet to extend gestures 

to the winners of the 

election. 

Press aides to the two 

men have also remained 

incommunicado. 

On Monday, Governor 

Amosun went round 

Abeokuta on the inspection 

of projects during which he 

told Government House 

press crew that he 

remained committed to 

finishing the legacy projects 

initiated by his 

administration. 

He said the loss would 

not affect his commitment 

to finishing his legacy 

projects, which he said 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari would commission 

before May 29. 

The dilemma for the two 

outgoing governors, who 

have both been suspended 

from the party by National 

Working Committee, NWC, 

of the party is that should 

they act as bitter losers they 

could face further sanctions, 

especially after leaving 

office. 

Amosun, one source said, 

also has to consider his 

alleged aspiration to get 

whatever it is that the party 

would offer in the Senate. 

“As a ranking senator, 

Amosun is entitled to 

anything that the Senate 

offers, and he would not 

want to further alienate the 

party into pushing him 

away,” one political pundit 

said yesterday. 

The scenario for 

Okorocha is even worse. His 

Presidential poll: CUPP reveals 

Appeal Court Tribunal members 

•Asks Bulkachuwa, Aboki, Ige to recuse 

themselves from panel 

By Joseph 

Erunke 

A BUJA—COALITION 

of United Political Parties, 

CUPP, Nigeria’s biggest 

opposition coalition, claimed, 

yesterday, that it was in 

possession of a five-man list 

of justices approved by the 

President of the Court of 

Appeal, Justice Zainab 

Bulkachuwa, to hear the 

petition of Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar and Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, against 

the results of the February 23 

presidential elections. 

The group named Justice 

Zainab Adamu-Bulkachuwa, 

Presiding Judge and 

President Court of Appeal; 

Justice Abdu-Aboki; Justice 

Peter O. Ige; Justice J. S. 

Ikyegh and Justice S. C. Oseji, 

as some of the justices 

allegedly on the list it claimed 

to have in its possession. 

In a statement by its 

spokesman, Ikenga 

Ugochinyere, CUPP alleged: 

“The approved list, which was 

intercepted by our credible 

informan during conveyance 

from the villa back to the Court 

of Appeal, was drawn from a 

list of eight justices submitted 

to the villa for approval 

“Nigerians will recall that 

we had earlier raised alarm 

over the donation of a 

senatorial ticket to the husband 

of the President of the Court of 

Appeal by APC. 

“We had questioned the 

rationale behind such 

donation when he did not 

participate in the primaries if 

not to secure the assurance of 

his wife, the President of the 

Court, to constitute with the 

approval of the Presidency the 

panel that will hear any 

petition challenging the 

outcome of the elections. 

“It was also a failure to 

secure similar assurances from 

the Chief Justice of the 

Federation that led to the 

onslaught on him by the 

Federal Government as the 

Honourable Chief Justice had 

insisted on doing only justice 

and nothing else. 

“The list is drafted in such a 

way that without any matter 

properly being before the 

justices, the panel has been 

rigged and skewed with three 

of the justices on the list having 

been approached and 

commitments secured from 

them that no matter the 

evidence put before them, they 

were going to rule in favour of 

the President. 

Asks Bulkachuwa, 

Aboki, Ige to recuse 

party, APC, lost the 

governorship election to 

PDP and his prospect of 

getting a Senate seat on 

the platform of the party 

hangs on the balance and 

could be left in the cold if 

he does anything to 

alienate his party further. 

VISIT: President Muhammadu Buhari (middle); Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo (right) and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, 

wwhen the president received in audience Vice President Osinbajo 

and some All Progressives Congress, APC, state governors at the 

State House, Abuja, yesterday. 

themselves from 

panel 

“They are now agents and 

officers of the president and 

not officers in the temple of 

justice. It is based on the 

foregoing and the evidence 

in the custody of CUPP that 

we immediately, categorically 

and unambiguously demand 

that Justices Zaibab 

Bulkachuwa, Justice Aboki 

and Justice Peter Ige recuse 

themselves from the panel. 

“The intelligence at our 

disposal, which formed basis 

for all the views canvassed in 

this statement, is that these 

three justices have already 

given their commitment to the 

Presidency that they will rule 

in favour of the president at 

the tribunal, hence they 

cannot dispense justice. 

“Justices Aboki and Peter 

Ige in furtherance of this 

commitment, had already and 

very strangely so denied 

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar his 

application for forensic 

analysis of the materials used 

for the Presidential election. 

“We also demand that 

Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa 

recuses herself from the 

administrative duty of 

reconstituting the panel but 

by an impartial Senior 

Justice of the Court." 

Buhari meets 7 APC 

govs in Aso Rock 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, met behind 

closed doors with seven 

governors of the ruling All 

Progressives Congress 

APC, at the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja. 

The president arrived the 

Presidential Villa at about 

1 pm, yesterday, after 

spending five days in his 

home town, Daura, Katsina 

State, where he went to 

participate in the 


assembly elections. 

The agenda of the 

meeting was not made 

public and the governors 

did not talk to journalists 

when they finished. 

It is coming barely a day 

after Independent National 


INEC, declared six 

governorship elections in 

the north inconclusive. 

The INEC had declared 

elections inclusive in six 

states that are stronghold of 

APC except Benue and 

Sokoto whose governors 

were elected on the 

platform of the ruling party, 

APC, before they defected 

to the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP. 

The states that have 

inconclusive elections are 

Benue, Sokoto, Kano, 

Plateau, Adamawa and 

Bauchi, while elections in 

Rivers State was 

suspended as a result of 

violence. 

Five of the PDP 

governorship candidates 

that were leading in the 

elections, according to the 

results declared by the 

INEC before the elections 

were declared inconclusive, 

are Governor Samuel 

Ortom of Benue State; 

Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto 

State; Abba Yusuf of Kano; 

Umaru Fintri of Adamawa 

State and Bala Mohammed 

of Bauchi State, while 

Governor Simon Lalong of 

Plateau State who is 

seeking second tenure on 

the platform of the APC had 

higher number of votes 

against his opponent, 

Jeremiah Useni of PDP. 

INEC stated that the 

number of cancelled votes 

in the six states that 

elections were declared 

inconclusive were higher 

than the number the 

leading candidate has 

against his opponent. 

Fake News: You can’t arrest 

Fani-Kayode, Odumakin 

without due process, court 

tells EFCC 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Abuja 

Division of the Federal 

High Court, yesterday, 

held that Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, was 

bereft of the powers to arrest 

former Minister of Aviation, 

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, 

and spokesman of Pan- 

Yoruba group, Afenifere, 

Yinka Odumakin, for 

allegedly peddling false 

news on social media 

without recourse to the due 

process of the law. 

The court, in a judgment 

delivered by Justice John 

Tsoho, said the duo were 

entitled to the enforcement 

of their fundamental 

human rights as enshrined 

in the 1999 Constitution, as 

amended. 

It will be recalled that the 

anti-graft agency had 

threatened to move against 

both Fani-Kayode and 

Odumakin, for allegedly 

originating a false post that 

its operatives had in 

January, raided the Abuja 

home of the suspended 

Chief Justice of Nigeria, 

CJN, Justice Walter 

Onnoghen. 

In a bid to foil their 

planned arrest, Fani- 

Kayode and Odumakin 

approached the high court 

for protection, alleging plot 

by security agencies to 

infringe on their 

constitutionally guaranteed 

rights. 

Meanwhile, delivering 

judgment on the matter, 

Justice Tsoho noted that 

though the defendants 

were empowered to carry 

out their constitutional 

mandate, he said such 

powers must be exercised 

in accordance with 

provisions of the law. 

The court held that 

EFCC’s public declaration 

to arrest Fani-Kayode and 

Odumakin on the basis that 

they spread false rumour, 

amounted to breach of their 

fundamental rights 

enshrined in Section 34(a) 

35(1) (4) and (5) of the 1999 

Constitution. 

The court said the 

defendants, especially the 

EFCC, must refrain from 

issuing threats of unlawful 

arrest. 

However, Justice Tsoho 

refused to compel the antigraft 

agency to tender 

unreserved apology to the 

applicants, even as it 

equally declined to award 

them N20 million as 

damages for the unlawful 

threat to arrest them.


Onnoghen fails to appear for trial, says he 

has toothache, high blood pressure 

•Kicks against day-to-day hearing 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A BUJA—The 

suspended Chief 

Justice of Nigeria, CJN, 

Justice Walter Onnoghen, 

yesterday, went before the 

Court of Appeal to 

challenge the decision of 

the Code of Conduct 

Tribunal, CCT, to defer 

ruling on two applications 

he filed to challenge the 

competence of the sixcount 

charge the Federal 

Government preferred 

against him. 

Meanwhile, the 

suspended CJN failed to 

appear before the tribunal 

for Federal Government to 

open its case against him, 

yesterday, on the premise 

that he developed an acute 

toothache that needed 

urgent medical attention. 

Justice Onnoghen, in a 

notice of appeal he filed 

through his team of 

lawyers led by Chief 

Adegboyega Awomolo, 

SAN, said it was legally 

wrong for the Danladi 

Umar-led CCT panel to 

order day-to-day hearing of 

the case against him, when 

it is yet to determine 

whether or not it has the 

requisite jurisdiction to 

entertain the charge. 

He argued that the same 

panel had in a previous 

ruling it delivered on 

February 9, 2018, 

terminated hearing on a 

similar charge the Federal 

Government brought 

against Justice Sylvester 

Ngwuta of the Supreme 

Court, based on a 

preliminary objection that 

was filed by the defendant. 

Noting that Ngwuta’s 

trial was stopped at the 

preliminary stage, the 

embattled CJN wondered 

why his case would be 

treated differently by the 

tribunal. 

Fails to appear for 

trial, says I’ve 

toothache, high 

blood pressure 

To establish his claim, 

Onnoghen’s counsel 

tendered a medical report 

issued to him by the hospital 

where he was said to be 

receiving treatment. 

Upon an inquiry from the 

tribunal Chairman, Federal 

Government’s lawyer, Mr. 

Aliyu Umar, SAN, 

acknowledged that he was 

served with a photocopy of 

the said medical report. 

The prosecution counsel 

told the tribunal that he 

would have raised an 

objection against 

Onnoghen’s failure to 

appear for his trial on the 

basis of the medical report, 

if not for the fact that the 

doctor indicated that the 

defendant had high blood 

pressure measured at 410/ 

121. 

Umar, SAN, said he was, 

therefore, constrained to 

reserve his observation on 

the medical report, since 

the doctor equally stated in 

the letter that the embattled 

CJN needed a bed rest for 

at least 72 hours. 

Following an agreement 

by the defence and the 

prosecution, the CCT 

Chairman adjourned the 

matter till March 18. 

Army arrests 24 suspects for snatching 

ballot boxes — Spokesman 

THE Nigerian Army has 

arrested no fewer than 24 

suspects in connection with 

electoral offences during last 

Saturday’s governorship and 

House Assembly elections in 

Imo, Abia and Cross River 

states. 

Spokesman of the Army, 

Sagir Musa, said in a 

statement, yesterday, that 15 

suspects were arrested in 

Abia State. 

He said of the 15 suspects, 

five were political thugs, 

arrested at Lokpanta while on 

their way to disrupt election 

at Lekwesi community, 

adding that camouflage 

trousers, daggers and 

assorted charms were 

recovered from them. 

He said the other six 

suspects were arrested at 

Osisioma junction while they 

were conveying already 

thumb printed ballot papers 

in a vehicle. 

“On questioning, he, 

Enwereji, claimed the ballot 

papers were specimens for 

campaign,”the Army scribe 

said. 

Noting that investigation 

was on to ascertain the 

culpability of the suspects, 

Musa said troops also 

rescued an INEC staff 

abducted by hoodlums at 

Ohafia Technical College at 

Anna village also in Abia 

State. 

He said four suspects were 

arrested in connection with 

the case, while efforts were 

on to apprehend other 

fleeing members of the gang, 

adding that the four suspects 

had been handed over to the 

police for further action. 

In Imo, the army 

spokesman said four 

suspected fake soldiers in 

military uniform (woodland 

camouflage) were nabbed 

around Everyday Super 

Market in Owerri. 

He said the suspects were 

“escorting a prominent 

female politician in a political 

party vehicle” at the time of 

arrest. 

Musa said troops also 

intercepted and arrested 

suspected ballot box 

snatchers at Air Force 

junction, near Ngor Okpala 

Local Government Area of 

Imo State during the election. 

The Army spokesman said 

in Cross River, troops on 

patrol around power plant 

substation, Odukpani Local 

Government Area, rescued 

one Authur Nkama, 

kidnapped at Ikot Ansa in 

Calabar Municipal Area 

Council. 

Senate begins 2019 

budget debate today 

•As Alimikhena heads ad-hoc c'ttee 

on New Minimum Wage Bill 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA— SENATORS 

will today begin debate 

on the general principles of 

2019 Appropriation Bill of 

N8.83 trillion presented 

before the National 

Assembly by President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

The commencement of 

second reading of the 

Appropriation bill by the 

senators is coming months 

after President Buhari 

presented the budget to a 

joint session of the National 

Assembly. 

Senate President, Dr 

Bukola Saraki, who 

disclosed that the senators 

will begin the debate today 

at a brief session of the 

Senate, yesterday, however, 

urged the lawmakers to 

write down their names to 

indicate when they would 

make their submissions on 

the appropriation bill. 

Saraki said: “We will 

commence the second 

reading and debate on 

general principles of the 

budget. So colleagues 

please put your names on 

the list for Wednesday 

(today). 

Meanwhile, Saraki 

yesterday announced that 

following the absence of the 

chairman, Senate Adhoc 

Committee on New 

National Minimum Wage 

Bill, Senator Olusola 

Adeyeye (APC, Osun 

Central), the Deputy 

Senate Majority Whip, 

Senator Francis 

Alimikhena, (APC, Edo 

North), will now head the 

panel in acting capacity. 

Recall that the Senate 

had on January 24 this 

year, set up an eightmember 

Adhoc Committee 

to look at the New 

Minimum Wage Bill after 

scaling second reading, 

just as the Bill was referred 

to the constituted adhoc 

committee. 

The committee was given 

two weeks to conclude its 

assignment and report 

back. 

In line with 

parliamentary practice, the 

Senate adjourned plenary 

till today in honour of a 

serving member of the 

House of Representatives, 

Temitope Olaoye, a.k.a, 

‘Sugar’. 

The lawmaker, who 

represented Lagelu/ 

Akinyele Federal 

Constituency of Oyo State, 

was reportedly shot in the 

eye by unknown gunmen 

in Ibadan during the 

March 9 governorship and 

state Houses of Assembly 

elections. 

Party supremacy’ll prevail 

over speakership 

—House Leader 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

A BUJA—LEADERSHIP 

of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, will 

determine who emerges as 

the next speaker of the 9th 

House of of Representatives, 

House Leader, Femi 

Gbajabiamila, revealed, 

yesterday. 

Gbajabiamila, a strong 

contender in the race for the 

seat, disclosed this while 

responding to questions on 

the just concluded general 

elections in the country. 

He said while the caucus 

was not thinking about 

leadership election right now, 

the party will have the final 

say at the right time. 

He said: “Well, we are yet 

to get to that stage, but it’s a 

good question and very 

important too that we know 

the place of our party in the 

scheme of things. 

“But let me say that it’s 

going to be purely a party 

thing. It’s an international best 

practice that when a party 

wins majority seats in the 

parliament, it sits down to 

fashion out ways of 

distributing leadership 

responsibilities among 

members in the parliament. 

“So when we get to the point 

of choosing our leaders, the 

concept of party supremacy 

must come to play. So it’s the 

party’s responsibility to tell us 

which direction to go.” 

On the general elections, 

Gbajabiamila, flanked by 

other caucus members, 

described the election as a 

process of national rebirth in 

which there was “no victor, 

no vanquished.” 

He said: “The 2019 general 

elections have come and 

gone, and they were keenly 

contested processes that saw 

many upsets and surprises.’’ 

‘’However, it was also a 

process that led to the loss of 

precious lives of Nigerians, 

and we regret the loss of any 

life during the process. 

"One life lost means a loss 

to the nation, especially the 

loss of our colleague, 

Temitope Olutayo Shuga, for 

whose sake we adjourned 

sitting today.” 

The caucus, while 

congratulating returning 

members within its fold, also 

commended the opposition 

for giving a good account of 

itself at the polls.

10 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

2019 presidential election 

result, clear rape on 

democracy — AREWA YOUTH 

By Gabriel Olawale 

L President AGOS—THE 

of Arewa 

Consultative Youth Forum 

, Yerima Shetimma, 

yesterday expressed 

displeasure over the 

outcome of 2019 general 

elections even as he accused 

the Independent 

National Electoral Commission, 

INEC of playing the 

All Progressives Congress 

script. 

Shetimma who spoke 

during a geo-political 

Mega rally in Lagos 

t a g g e d , 

“#SaveOurDemocracy” 

said the kind of democracy 

playing out in the country 

was not what was envisaged, 

“we thought by now 

we would have gotten to another 

level, but from all indications, 

we are going 

backward as a country as far 

as election is concerned. 

“2019 elections was 

characterized with mass 

rigging and that is abuse 

on the sensitivity of 

Nigerians. It will go 

down in history as the 

worst as it clearly shows 

a rape on democracy. If 

you look very well, 

people came out en 

masse and voted for what 

they wanted. But from all 

indications, you can see 

that the second election 

recorded poor turnout 

which is a clear 

indication that Nigerians 

were not happy. 

“In term of integrity, you 

can see that no integrity 

because serious flop was 

recorded during the 

election. We are happy that 

the flag bearer of People’s 

Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar 

has gone to court. 

“We won’t sit down and 

allow Nigerians to be run 

as if we are in the Banana 

Republic. INEC declared 

elections inconclusive in 

states where PDP is leading 

but very enthusiastic to 

declare states where APC 

won. We are not going to 

encourage one party system 

in Nigeria because their 

plan is to kill the opposition". 

Shetimma who is also the 

National Chairman of 

Nigerian Ethnic Nationality 

Youth Leaders Forum, said, 

“we intend to go across the 

six geo-political zones to 

speak to people and make 

them realise the consequences 

of what happened. 

Corroborating his view, 

President, Yoruba Council of 

Youths Worldwide, Aremo 

Hassan said if the trend continued, 

“we may wake up 

one day and face the anger 

of Nigerians. People came 

out en mass to vote but what 

they did was to undermine 

the will of the people by 

subverting the true reflection 

of what people wanted 

and did what they wanted.'' 

Hassan added that the 

elections were also well 

monetized and it may signer 

danger to the development 

of the country,” monetizing 

elections kill the 

real essence of democracy. 

‘Productivity, not hostility'll drive 9th Senate' 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA—AHEAD of 

the inauguration of 

the 9th Senate on June 9, 

Senate leader, Senator 

Ahmad Lawan, yesterday 

said productivity and not 

hostility would drive the 

Senate. 

Answering questions 

from Journalists in Abuja 

on what Nigerians 

should expect from the 9th 

Senate, Senator Lawan, 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Yobe North, 

noted that the Upper 

Chamber would be well 

disposed to the aspirations 

and policy directions 

of the executive arm of 

government particularly 

the presidency . 

Lawan said, "being a 

senate that will be more 

populated by members of 

the ruling All Progressives 

Congress (APC), it will be 

on the same page with the 

executive arm of government 

on business of governance 

and not antagonistic 

in anyway. 

Lawan, who was the 

candidate of APC for the 

Senate President in 2015, 

said: “We thank God we 

went for the election and we 

won. And not only winning, 

APC gained more seats 

than they did in the 8th 

Senate. This will bring the 

required synergy between 

the Senate and by extension 

the National Assembly 

with the executive arm of 

government, particularly 

the Presidency. 

“It will be a Senate that 

will have very positive disposition 

to aspirations and 

policy directions of the 

executive. Our prayer is 

that oil price in the international 

market should 

increase more than it is 

now. And even daily oil 

production should increase 

from 1.9million to the projected 

2.3 million in the 

2019 budget so that the executive 

can rake in projected 

revenue for a friendly 

National Assembly to give 

the required Appropriation. 

“All in all, the 9th Senate 

and by extension 9th National 

Assembly will be one 

that will be on the same 

page with the executive in 

the next level agenda that 

will be characterized with 

robust and smooth business 

of governance “ 

COLLOQUIUM: From left; Mrs Ayodeji Megbope, MD; No-Left-Overs; Christos Giannopoulos, CEO, 

PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC,; Chief Nike Akande, keynote Speaker; Ms Joyce Folake Coker, Executive 

Director, Human Resources and Admin, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc; Mrs Toluwaleke Adenmosun, Managing 

Director, Accenture Financial Services at the colloquium on achieving gender-balance on the 

International Women’s Day celebration organised by PZ Cussons Nigeria at Ilupeju, Lagos. 

Topmint unveils Falz as brand 

ambassador 

A 

leading player in 

the confectionery and 

biscuits category in Nigeria, 

OK Foods Limited has 

signed Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, 

popularly known as 

FalzTheBahdGuy as brand 

ambassador. 

Announcing the signing 

during the launch of a new 

menthol-flavored candy 

under the brand name 

“Topmint”, MD of OK 

Foods Limited, Mr. Murali 

Krishnan said: ''The team is 

very positive that the chosen 

brand ambassador 

(Falz) will help drive brand 

awareness and association 

with core consumers'', adding 

that Topmint Candy is 

By Olayinka Ajayi 

LMinister AGOS—FORMER 

for Defence 

and Chieftain of the All 

Progressive Congress, 

APC, Chief Demola Seriki, 

has described the 

governorship candidate 

of the Peoples’ 

Democratic Party, PDP,in 

Saturday’s governorship 

election, Mr. Jimi 

Agbaje, as a ‘perennial 

runner’ that needs encouragement 

to look for 

a winning product that has 

been tested amongst consumers 

and rated higher on 

parameters such as taste, 

size and mint strength 

when compared to other 

mint brands available in the 

Nigerian market. 

The official signing event 

took place at the Radisson 

Blu Hotel, Ikeja Lagos. 

Commenting on his 

appointment, Falz said: “I 

love the idea of being sharp, 

witty, smart and creative. 

That’s what I always strive 

to be with everything I do. 

I am excited about this and 

I am positive that the collaboration 

between Topmint 

Candy and my brand 

will produce amazing results.'' 

POLL: APC lauds residents of Lagos for continued support 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State chapter of the All 


APC, yesterday expressed 

its appreciation to the 

people of the state for 

massively voting the party 

in Saturday’s governorship 

election. 

The party said it 

remained grateful that the 

people and residents of the 

state voted for its 

LAGOS: Agbaje, a perennial runner, needs to 

be encouraged — Demola Seriki, ex-minister 

a successor for his party. 

Fielding questions from 

newsmen following Mr. 

Babajide Sanwo-Oluwo 

declaration as winner of 

the governorship election 

by the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

Seriki said Sanwo-Olu 

won with 78 per cent, 

while Jimi Agbaje had 22 

percent of the votes. 

His words: “He needs to 

be encouraged to look for 

a successor for his party, 

NUCFRLANMPE warns firm over unilateral 

redundancy 

By Maryann Michael 

NATIONAL Union of 

Chemical, Footwear, 

as he is perennial runner 

but I am sure he won’t run 

again. Although, there was 

low turnout everywhere but 

what surprised me was that 

we ballooned the figure as 

Sanwo-Olu scored 78 per 

cent of votes while the PDP 

candidate Jimi Agbaje 

scored 22 per cent. I didn’t 

expect that. I was hoping 

he (Agbaje) would score 

about 35-50 per cent. So it 

means everything they are 

talking about PDP means 

they are just kidding.” 

governorship candidate, 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu. and 

his Deputy, Olufemi 

Hamzat. 

In a statement issued by 

its spokesman, Mr Joe 

Igbokwe, in Lagos, the 

party said such longstanding 

fidelity was 

responsible for the success 

of the party in all the 

elections conducted this 

year and the huge success 

Rubber, Leather and Non- 

Metallic Products 

E m p l o y e e s , 

NUCFRLANMPE, has 

written to the management 

of Fatai Atere, Lagos based 

KCSSA West Africa, 

Limited, warning against 

unilateral retrenchment of 

its staff. 

The union in a letter by 

its Acting National 

Secretary, Joseph Dada, 

dated March 8, 2019, 

addressed to the Human 

Resources Manager, 

warned that it would not 

accept any redundancy 

carried out without 

involvement of 

NUCFRLANMPE. 

The letter read in part: 

“We have been informed 

that your Management 

have declared some 

workers redundant and 

wants to pay them by the 

story which the APC had 

become in Nigeria and in 

Lagos. 

It said Lagosians knew 

the reliability of the leadership 

of Asiwaju Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu, the National 

Leader of APC. 

The APC also said 

Lagosians had continued to 

trust the leadership of 

Asiwaju Tinubu because 

he had not disappointed 

end of the month. Recall 

that we have written a letter 

dated 9th February 2019 for 

unionization of your 

workers and your 

subsequent reply dated 

25th February 2019 and in 

which you proposed to meet 

with us tentatively in July 

2019. We view this action 

of proposing a very long 

time for meeting as a ploy 

to sack the workers without 

paying them their correct 

entitlement. 

“In view of the above and 

in accordance with Labour 

Act, your Management is 

under obligation to inform 

the union . This you have 

not done. We are therefore 

proposing to meet with 

your Management on 19th 

March 2019 by 11.00a.m to 

discuss this issue while 

equally asking that status 

quo should be maintained.” 

them and such confidence 

was shown in the 

comprehensive victory APC 

got in Lagos on Saturday. 

According to the statement, 

“we commend Lagosians 

for receiving well, the 

decent and robust campaign 

of our candidate, 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, 

which hinged on furthering 

the development of Lagos 

and ensuring better life for 

all Lagosians irrespective of 

religious, tribal or political 

affiliation. 

“We know this resonated 

with the good people of 

Lagos who responded with 

their massive votes on the 

9th of March to elect 

Sanwo-Olu as governor of 

Lagos State. 

“We note that while our 

party was focused on 

showcasing its 

achievements in Lagos, our 

rivals concentrated on 

waking and feeding 

primordial sentiments in a 

bid to divide Lagosians on 

tribal, religious lines. 

“We are happy that 

Lagosians accepted our 

message based on our 

achievements in the past 16 

years and through that 

massive endorsement, 

expressed their willingness 

to continue to stick with our 

party as it continues to 

deliver the dividends of 

democracy for the good of 

all Lagosians.''

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 — 11 

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

EXPO: From left: Engr Masur Ahmed, President, Manufacturer Association of Nigeria; Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, 

representing Minister of Industry & Trade; Dr Zainab Hammanger, Rep; DG, Raw Material Research and 

Development Council; Mr Paul Gbadebo, Group Managing Director, Flour Mills Nigeria and Mr Joseph Otu- 

Oru; Project Manager, Clarion Events West Africa during the 2019 Manufacturing and equipment Expo in Lagos. 

PDP, ADC, AAN, ANRP candidates storm 

INEC office 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

A 

K U R E — 

CANDIDATES 

of four political parties in 

Ondo State yesterday 

protested to the state 



INEC, demanding the 

cancellation of Saturday 

House of Assembly election 

in Ondo East and Ondo 

West council area of the 

state. 

The candidates alleged 

intimidation, bribing of 

electorate and act of 

brigandage by the ruling 


SECURITY BREACH: Ajimobi tells 

offenders to await consequences 

By Adeola Badru 

I FOLOWING 

B A D A N — 

pockets of violence that 

erupted in Ibadan, Oyo 

State capital, Governor 

Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday 

told those responsible for 

the security breach to wait 

for the consequences of 

their actions, vowing that 

they would be made to face 

the music. 

Recall that crisis erupted 

in major parts of the state 

•Demand cancellation of elections in Ondo 

•They are bad losers — APC, ZLP 

APC, and Zenith Labour 

Party, ZLP. 

The candidates Maxwell 

Adeyosoye, Bisola 

Oladapo and Taye 

Oladunjoye of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

African Democratic 

Congress, ADC,, African 

Alliance Congress, AAC, 

and the Abundant Nigeria 

Renewal Party, ANRP. 

Alongside their 

supporters, they stormed 

INEC office and demanded 

for the cancellation of the 

results declared in the three 

constituencies in the two 

as a result of ballot boxes 

snatching and the 

gruesome murder of a 

serving members of the 

House of Representatives 

in the state, Hon. Temitope 

Olatoye ‘Sugar’ on 

Saturday, March 9, leading 

to attacks on innocent 

citizens. 

Ajimobi, who spoke with 

the State House 

correspondents against the 

backdrop of the recent 

unrest in the state, however 

said peace sustained by his 

council areas of the state. 

The names of the 

candidates and their 

political parties are PDP - 

Abiola Oladapo, AAC- 

Kunle Akintan, ADC- Taye 

Oladunjoye, ANRP - Dele 

Ogunrinde. 

Led by a former 

commissioner and PDP 

leader in Ondo Kingdom, 

Chief Segun Adegoke, and 

the Minority Leader in the 

state House of Assembly, 

Dayo Akinsoyinu, the 

protesters armed with 

placards with different 

inscriptions, blocked the 

administration in the last 

eight years would not be 

allowed to degenerate to the 

days of brigandage 

witnessed before the advent 

of his administration. 

He said “This government 

would not leave its 

administration until May 

29, so between now and 

May 29, we will ensure 

peace and tranquility, 

which is the hallmark of our 

administration and all that 

foment trouble in the state 

will face the music. We 

believe all hands must be 

on deck to maintain peace 

and tranquility in the state.” 

However, he admonished 

the governor-elect, Mr. Seyi 

Makinde to maintain the 

peace and security, which 

according to him, have 

been the hallmark of the All 

Progressives Congress 

administration in the state. 

“On the candidate, 

particularly the newly 

elected governor, he should 

toe the line of peace and he 

should also encourage the 

people to toe the line of 

peace, just like we have 

done. Even if we have done 

bad things in some areas, 

we have done many good 

things that outweighed 

those supposedly bad 

things,” Ajimobi stressed. 

entrance to the INEC office 

in Alagbaka area of Akure, 

the state capital. 

The protesters who came 

in 18 buses disrupted free 

flow of traffic and 

demanded to see the 

Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, REC,Dr 

Rufus Akeju to submit their 

petitions to him. 

Addressing newsmen, 

Adegoke alleged that 

Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu, connived with 

ZLP to manipulate the 

election results in the two 

council areas in favour of 

the candidates of APC and 

ZLP. 

According to him “the 

collaboration between APC 

and ZLP to balkanize Ondo 

kingdom is irregular and 

illegal and would be 

resisted by all lawful 

means.” 

The protesters threatened 

to challenge the outcome of 

the election in the law court 

if INEC refuses to cancel 

the election results. 

“The people were 

thoroughly intimidated 

and harassed, some of the 

agents were abducted, 

many were physically 

attacked and others 

chased away. It was an 

eye-sore to behold young 

men who are regarded as 

leaders of tomorrow, 

brandishing guns and 

wielding cutlasses 

menacingly.” 

Reacting, the state 

Chairman, ZLP, Wale 

Gbakinro said “the ZLP was 

in no way connected to the 

said allegations being 

maliciously peddled 

around in the media. We 

are a peace-loving political 

party that was founded on 

social democratic ethos. 

“It is therefore blatant 

falsehood that some 

individuals who have been 

known to be professional 

political merchants and 

troublemakers in the 

kingdom have decided yet 

again to use this as a 

weapon to blackmail our 

party and cause 

unwarranted disturbances 

in Ondo kingdom.'' 

Amosun pledges not to 

abandon any project 

By Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA— 

GOVERNOR 

Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun 

State has said his 

administration will not 

abandon any on-going 

project in the state, assuring 

that he will work till the last 

day in office. 

Amosun who gave this 

assurance in Abeokuta, 

during the Executive 

Council meeting said, 

“Politics will not slow us 

down, as it is time to fully 

go back to work. The 

construction of the Ogun 

State Television (OGTV) 

Complex, Ogere 

International Market, the 

250-bed ultra-modern 

hospital, Abeokuta City 

Centre, new Makun City 

and other road projects 

would be completed and 

commissioned by President 

Muhammad Buhari in May 

this year”. 

Amosun, who thereafter 

led the Executive Council 

members and Permanent 

Secretaries on inspection 

tour of some major projects 

in Abeokuta, the state 

capital said, projects like 

the International Airport at 

Wasimi, might not be 

completed due to time 

constraint, saying: ‘’I will 

follow it up while in the 

Senate, though it is a 

Federal Government 

project”. 

The governor while 

appreciating members of 

his cabinet for their selfless 

efforts in the rebuilding 

mission said, “we will 

continue to work our talk 

and finish strong.” 

Meanwhile, Labour 

leaders who were recently 

reinstated by Governor 

Amosun, have visited him 

to appreciate his 

magnanimity. 

Accompanied by the 

Chairman, Trade Union 

Congress, TUC, Bunmi 

Fajobi, to the Governor’s 

residence in Abeokuta, the 

Ogun State Chairman of 

the Nigeria Labour 

Congress, NLC, Akeem 

Ambali said, “the past is 

gone and a new era is here.” 

‘Buhari’s victory has returned 

power to poor masses' 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

ADO 

EKITI—A 

House 

of 

Representatives memberelect 

in Ekiti State, Olusola 

Fatoba, has said the 

landslide victory recorded 

by President Muhammadu 

Buhari in the presidential 

poll, is an indication that 

power has returned to poor 

Nigerian Masses. 

Fatoba, who won on the 

platform of the All 


APC, noted that the victory 

had not only further 

strengthened the power of 

the masses but also 

confirmed that Nigerians 

were appreciative of the 

federal government’s 

programmes and policies. 

Fatoba, who was elected 

during the February 23 

election to represent Ado/ 

Irepodun/Ifelodun federal 

constituency also added that 

the superlative performance 

of Governor Kayode 

Fayemi and women empowerment 

of the governor’s 

wife, Bisi, accounted 

for the APC’s good showings 

in Ekiti. 

In a chat with journalists 

in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, 

Fatoba reminded the ruling 

elite that Buhari had 

demystified their powers 

and brought recognition to 

the masses . 

“The victory of President 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

elevated the powers of the 

electorate and their 

relevance about who 

should become the 

president of our dear 

nation. In the past, few 

elite dictated the pace in the 

politics of the nation, but 

now President Buhari has 

brought a paradigm shift to 

our politics and people 

have now taken ownership 

of government,” he said. 

Pants for ritual: Godwin not our staff 

— National Orthopaedic Hospital 

By Evelyn Usman 

L N AGOS—THE 

a t i o n a l 

Orthopaedic Hospital, 

Igbobi, Yaba , yesterday, 

said that Racheal Godwin, 

the lady who last week at 

the Lagos State Police 

Command, Ikeja, gave an 

account of how she 

narrowly escaped death, 

after her boyfriend 

allegedly used her panties 

for money ritual, is not a 

member of staff of its staff. 

Racheal, 

a 

physiotherapist, had told 

journalists that she worked 

at the hospital but the latter 

said it did not have her 

name in its record. 

The hospital in a 

statement signed by Mrs 

R.O Onotsojah-Adedoyin, 

expressed disappointment 

that it was not contacted to 

ascertain whether the lady 

was a member of its staff 

or not, before publication.. 

The statement reads, “ 

Going through the records 

of the hospital, we wish to 

intimate you that Racheal 

Godwin is not a member of 

Staff of National 

orthopaedic Hospital, 

Igbobi, Lagos. 

“The media failed to carry 

out thorough investigation 

about the employment 

history of the victim 

knowing fully well that the 

National Orthopaedic 

Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos is 

a household name as well 

as foremost health 

institution in the treatment 

of Orthopaedics, Trauma 

and Burns & Plastic 

Surgery in Nigeria.''

12—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

Ukah, Ebie, Macaulay, 

others rejoice with Okowa 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA State 

Commissioner for 

Information, Chief Patrick 

Ukah, his Basic and 

Secondary Education 

counterpart, Mr Chiedu 

Ebie, Mr Ovuozorie 

Macaulay, Olorogun John 

Oguma, Olorogun Taleb 

Tebite, Chief Fred 

Majemite, Chief Dennis 

Omovie, Mr Roland Oyibo 

and Mr Emmanuel Okoro 

have rejoiced with 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

on his victory in the 2019 

governorship election. 

They described the 

governor’s victory as a 

victory for democracy and 

for the entire good people 

of the state. 

Ukah assured the 

governor of the continued 

support of the people in his 

second tenure in office, 

adding “The victory of the 

governor is well deserved 

because he delivered on his 

promises in his first term in 

office." 

Ebie commended 

Deltans who came out in 

large numbers to cast 

their votes and for their 

orderly conducts during 

the polls, adding “Deltans 

spoke loud and clear 

through their votes; they 

silenced the opposition 

and we are very grateful 

to them.” 

Okoro who spoke in the 

same vain, said Deltans 

rewarded Okowa with a 

second term for his hard 

work. 

Olorogun Tebite, Chief 

Majemite, Chief Omovie 

and former Secretary to the 

State Government, SSG, 

Macaulay, thanked God for 

the governor’s victory, 

assuring that the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, will 

continue to deliver 

dividends of democracy 

and more to Deltans. 

Tebite said, “Chief Great 

Ogboru should quit politics 

forthwith and face his 

business. Not everybody 

can be in politics, therefore, 

he should return to his 

business as to create jobs 

for Deltans and Nigerians." 

Stop blackmailing Adjogbe, 

UYC tells Obiuwevbi 


A SABA—URHOBO 

Youths Council, UYC, 

has warned the Delta State 

House of Assembly 

candidate of Accord Party 

in the Ughelli North 

Constituency 1, in the last 

Saturday election, Chief 

Ominimini Obiuwevbi to 

desist from what it 

described as cheap and 

baseless political blackmail 

against the acting 

Executive Director Projects, 

EDP on the board of Niger 

Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, Engr 

Samuel Adjogbe. 

Addressing journalists in 

Ughelli, President of UYC, 

Terry Obieh said: “We 

have observed the unfounded 

allegations of intimidation 

in the just concluded 

governorship and 

state House of Assembly 

elections levelled by one 

Chief Ominimini against 

the acting EDP, Engr 

Adjogbe. 

“While we are not new to 

the spate of political 

blackmails government 

appointees go through, we 

are compelled to point out 

that Adjogbe was not even 

a candidate in the said 

elections, let alone conspire 

with anyone to manipulate 

the mandate of Evwreni 

people as alleged." 

INEC apologises to NAF over 

wrongful accusation 

Soni Daniel, 

Abuja 

THE 

Independent 


Commission, INEC, has 

apologised to the Nigerian 

Air Force for wrongfully 

accusing it of using its 

personnel to invade its 

premises in Rivers State 

and disrupt the collation of 

results in the protracted 

governorship and House 

of Assembly polls. 

It will be recalled that the 

Spokesman for INEC in 

Rivers State had accused 

the NAF and other security 

agencies of invading its 

collation centre and 

disrupting the exercise 

thereby, forcing it to 

discontinue the declaration 

of results, a development 

that is currently generating 

tension across the country 

and beyond. 

A statement by the Head 

of Voter Education in Rivers 

State, Mr. Edwin Enabor for 

the Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, Obo 

Effanga, yesterday, said 

INEC also discovered that 

the men in military 

uniforms were not from the 

NAF. 

"The commission 

therefore, wishes to express 

its regret at the 

embarrassment this might 

have caused the NAF.” 

A-Ibom PDP faults APC’s allegation 

against Igini 

By Chioma 

Onuegbu 

UYO—AKWA Ibom 

State chapter of the 

People’s Democratic Party, 

PDP, has faulted the All 


APC, over its allegation that 

the Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, Mr. Mike 

Igini assisted it (PDP) to rig 

the just concluded general 

election held in the state. 

State Publicity Secretary 

of PDP, Ini Ememobong, 

who addressed newsmen, 

yesterday, in Uyo, said: 

“The entire world, we are 

sure, was shocked by the 

statement by the state 

Chairman of the broom 

wielding party, Ini Okopido 

and the subsequent 

statement by the duo of 

Obong Nsima Ekere and 

Chief Godswill Akpabio 

claiming that they won in 

26 local government areas 

of the state. 

“This is surely the best 

example of living in fool’s 

paradise. For the avoidance 

of doubt, we must state that 

the APC lost in all the local 

government areas 

including Essien Udim and 

Ikot Abasi LGAs. 

“It can be recalled that the 

APC did not prepare for 

elections, they prepared for 

federal might backed by 

rigging, where thugs will 

be clothed in military 

uniforms and posted to all 

parts of the state to hijack 

materials and rig for them. 

“The people in Akwa 

Ibom have announced to 

the world that they do not 

need godfathers when they 

have God the father. Their 

reply is a testimony that the 

populace prefer the peace 

that they are currently 

enjoying and do not wish 

to go back to the evil days 

of political assassinations 

and oppression. 

“The breath of fresh 

political air currently 

blowing through the state 

is divinely orchestrated and 

cannot be truncated by the 

conspiracies of men, no 

matter how highly placed 

and connected.” 

VISIT: Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Mr Taiwo Akerele (middle), 

during a congratulatory visit to the Chairman of APC, Barrister Anselm Ojezua (right) and 

Secretary of the party, Lawrence Okah yesterday. 

Ijaw youths allege attacks on Rivers communities 

...want AAC gov candidate declared winner 

ABUJA—THE Ijaw 

Youth Council 

Worldwide, IYC, has 

decried what it called 

sponsored attacks on Ijaw 

communities of Rivers 

State, saying the plan was 

orchestrated by elements 

who are against having a 

governor of Ijaw extraction 

in the state. 

IYC President, Eric 

Omare in a statement, 

yesterday, in Abuja said, the 

Council had closely 

watched the activities 

surrounding the 2019 

Rivers State governorship 

and state House of 

Assembly elections, and 

“reports coming from our 

members, scattered around 

the state, only prove to us, 

that the Ijaw nation is under 

attack. 

“Elections held in other 

parts of the country were 

relatively peaceful, with 

pockets of violence in a few 

locations. Scores of Ijaw 

sons and daughters have 

been harassed and 

intimidated by the activities 

and presence of the 

Nigerian Army in Rivers 

State. More particularly, the 

attack on His Royal 

Majesty, Tom Ateke and 

former President of IYC, 

Alhaji Asari Dokubo. We 

condemn these attacks in 

the strongest terms. Thugs 

are being armed to cause 

mayhem in core Ijaw 

communities, while other 

locations in the state enjoy 

the comfort of a peaceful 

environment. These and 

many more atrocities are 

plaguing the Ijaws in 

Rivers State. We will not 

tolerate it. 

“Though we cannot 

predict the outcome of the 

elections, we want to make 

known our suspicion of 

sabotage. It is funny that 

leading to this date, every 

gubernatorial candidate of 

Ijaw extraction that gained 

Trouble looms between Delta community, 

“We demand equity for 

oil firm in OML 40 

By Emma Amaize 

ASABA—CRISIS is 

brewing between 

Atesuo, an Ijaw community 

in Warri North Local 

Government Area, Delta 

State and Nigerian 

Petroleum Development 

Company, NPDV/ 

ELCREST JV over 

mobilization of personnel 

and equipment for 

dredging, drilling and 

installation of pipelines by 

the company allegedly 

without appropriate 

negotiation with the 

villagers. 

The community in a 

statement by the 

spokesperson, Mr Dickson 

Isene, urged the Delta 

momentum and stood a 

chance of victory at the poll, 

was mysteriously knocked 

out of the race. The issues 

of Tonye Cole from the All 


APC, and Dumo Lulu 

Briggs from the Accord 

Party are still moving front 

and back in court, while 

election day has come and 

gone. Now Awara 

Biokpomabo of African 

Action Congress, AAC, an 

Ijaw son was leading and 

State Government to 

persuade the company to 

halt the planned 

mobilisation of personnel 

and equipment to avert 

crisis in OML 40 

“We wish to draw the 

attention of the Delta State 

Government to the refusal 

of the management of 

NPDC/ECREST JV to 

series of letters sent to them 

for a formal meeting to 

discuss the position of 

Atesuo community within 

OML 40. It becomes 

necessary at this time as 

the company is about to 

mobilise to site without 

meeting the charter of 

demands." 

Vanguard learned that 

contrary to the demand of 

suddenly Independent 



suspended the exercise for 

security concerns. 

“Though, we do not 

support or celebrate 

violence, previous elections 

that had produced winners 

in Rivers State were not in 

any way better, including 

the 2015 elections which the 

Supreme Court described 

as ‘A theatre of war’, which 

produced Nyesom Wike as 

governor without any 

interference." 

the community, the company 

recently mobilised to 

the site without reaching 

a pact with the people, a 

development that has further 

fuelled tension in the 

area. 

Community chairman, 

Chief Johnbull Adaun and 

11 others, in an earlier letter 

to the Managing Director 

NPDV, ELCREST JV, 

dated February 12, said: 

“We will like to express our 

displeasure over the noninvolvement 

of Atesuo 

community during the 

survey of Atesuo field at 

OML 40. It is our strong 

belief that your company 

will not make the same 

mistake during the 

dredging, drilling and 

pipelines installation."


Masari promises inclusive govt, 

says no loser in Katsina 

By Bashir Bello 

KATSINA 

—RE- 

ELECTED Governor 

Aminu Masari of Katsina 

State has promised to run 

an inclusive government, 

saying there is no loser from 

the just concluded 

governorship election in the 

state. 

The governor spoke while 

delivering his acceptance 

speech at the council chamber 

of General Muhammadu 

Buhari Government House 

after his declaration as winner 

of the election by 



INEC. 

According to him, “as we 

celebrate our victory, it is 

important that we caution our 

people that the contest was 

not between enemies. In 

Katsina State, we do not have 

a loser, everyone is a winner. 

That is how we will move to 

the next level. 

"I wish to reassure you of 

our commitment to continue 

to promote good governance 

in our state and prioritise the 

education sector, 

empowerment and security of 

our people. Insha Allah, we 

shall not disappoint.” 

The governor described the 

victory as a vote of confidence 

expressed by the people of 

the state, saying: “Today’s 

victory is a vote of confidence 

and affirmation of trust on 

what our administration 

succeeded in achieving in 

our first term. 

"Our first term, we had a 

pact with the people of the 

state that we will lead with 

the fear of Allah, that we would 

manage their resources 

judiciously, that we will 

provide you security and 

well-being, and that we 

would work hard to bequeath 

a Katsina State where our 

children will be proud to call 

home. Nothing changes, in 

fact, in anything I am here 

and now reaffirming our 

commitment to this pact as we 

move to the next level. 

Plateau Assembly seats: APC 

wins 15, PDP 8; one pending 

By Marie- 

Therese Nanlong 

J 

O S — A L L 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, has won 

15 of the 24 state House 

of Assembly seats 

declared by Independent 


Commission, INEC, in 

Plateau State, while the 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, won eight. 

However, a 

supplementary election 

will be held in Langtang 

South constituency on a 

later date to determine 

the winner for the seat. 

According to the list by 

INEC's Head, Publicity 

and Voters Education, 

Osaretin Imahiyereobo, 

constituencies won by 

APC included “Bokkos, 

Wase, Shendam, 

Pankshin North, 

Pankshin South, Mangu 

North, Kanke, Dengi and 

Kantana. 

"Others are Mikang, 

Jos East, Jos North- 

North, Qua’an Pan 

South, Qua’an Pan North 

and Pengana.” 

The winner of the 

election in Pengana 

constituency, Ezekiel 

Afon, died after he was 

declared winner of the 

seat. A by-election 

would be conducted in a 

yet to be determined 

date. 

Imahiyereobo listed the 

constituencies won by 

PDP as “Riyom, Irigwe/ 

Rukuba, Jos South, 

Langtang North-North, 

Langtang North-Central, 

Barkin Ladi, Mangu 

South and Jos North- 

West.” 

A date would be set for 

the issuance of the 

Certificate of Return. 

“Our success in this election 

would not have been possible 

without the general support 

and contributions of the 

millions of our party loyalists, 

supporters and well wishers. 

"In particular, I will like to 

pay tribute to our campaign 

council for their tireless effort 

without which no doubt the 

outcome of this election would 

have been different. Our party 

Gov Bello assures of more dividend of 

democracy 

By Wole 

Mosadomi 

M 

I N N A — 

GOVERNOR 

Abubakar Bello of Niger 

State has re-assured 

people of the state that he 

will justify the 

confidence reposed in 

him by the electorate in 

re-electing him for a 

second term of four 

years. 

The governor, who 

spoke in Minna, while 

receiving stakeholders 

who paid him solidarity 

visits after his victory at 

Saturday's poll, promised 

that he would focus more 

on the ongoing projects 

his administration started 

and embark on new 

people-oriented ones. 

He said: “In our next 

four years in office, we 

will consolidate on what 

we have started so that 

we don’t leave anything 

unfinished as well as 

identify key areas we 

need to improve on.” 

He expressed 

satisfaction on the 

outcome of the elections 

and commended the 

people of the state for the 

level of confidence 

reposed in him, saying: 

“I am very happy with 

the outcome of the 

election and from the 

number of votes we got, 

it shows the confidence 

Nigerlites have in this 

administration and we 

leaders, elders stakeholders, 

religious and traditional 

leaders, groups also 

contributed significantly to 

the electoral victory.” 

On security, Masari said 

the government would not 

compromise the security of 

lives and property of people 

in the state as it would 

collaborate with 

neighbouring states of 

Zamfara and Kaduna to find 

a lasting solution to issues of 

insecurity along the border 

areas. 

UNVEILING: From left: Mr. Ashwin Prabhu, Marketing Head; 

Mrs Adenike Lawrence, Brand Manager Sweets; Mr Murali 

Krishnan, Managing Director, all of OK Foods Limited; Mr, Folarin 

Falana aka FALZ, Topmint menthol candy Brand Ambassador; Mr 

Rajesh Rajurkar, Sales Head, and Mr Kuldeep Kulshreshtha, General 

Manager, both of OK Foods Limited during the signing and 

unveiling of FALZ as the official brand ambassador for Topmint 

menthol candy, in Lagos. 

will not disappoint you." 

Meanwhile, Niger 

East senator-elect, 

Alhaji Mohammed 

Musa, 

has 

congratulated the 

governor on his reelection. 

In a statement he 

signed, the senatorelect 

said the re-election 

of the governor was a 

clear testimony of his 

general acceptance by 

the people just as he 

advised him to maintain 

the trend for more 

dividend of democracy. 

He said: “I believe that 

Governor Abubakar Bello 

has shown commitment 

towards the realisation of 

APC’s change mantra, 

which is geared towards 

transforming Nigeria and 

Niger State in particular 

through robust economic 

programmes and policies 

that have direct bearing on 

the general well-being of 

the people." 

He called on the 

governor to put aside all 

differences and forget the 

bitterness expressed by the 

opposition during 

electioneering campaign 

and carry everyone along 

irrespective of their 

political leaning for the 

progress of the state. 

Nasarawa gov-elect seeks 

opposition’s collaboration for 

inclusive govt 

By David Odama 

L AFIA—NASARAWA 

State governor elect, 

Abdullahi Sule, has 

appealed to all the 

contestants in the just 

concluded general election 

in the state to bury their 

hatchets and join hands 

with All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

government to move the 

state to the next level of 

development. 

Sule promised to run an 

inclusive government that 

will recognise the 

opposition irrespective of 

ethnic, religion and 

political differences. 

The governor-elect spoke 

at a briefing in Lafia, where 

he dedicated his victory to 

Nasarawa people and 

others who contributed to 

his emergence as the 

governor of the state. 

According to him, “the 

development of the state in 

which our campaigns were 

anchored on should be 

channelled collectively into 

a common pool for the 

overall development of our 

dear Nasarawa since all 

cannot be governor at the 

same time. 

"As a people, I want to call 

on all and sundry to be 

collectively engaged and 

participate fully in our 

government towards more 

infrastructural development 

and drive the 

industrialisation of the 

state.” 

Similarly, Speaker, 

Nasarawa State House of 

Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim 

Abdullahi, has said the 

election of Sule as governor 

of the state is an indication 

that the people of the state 

want more infrastructural 

development. 

Abdullahi, who won his 

re-election into the state 

House of Assembly stated 

this while speaking with 

newsmen in Umaisha,Toto 


the state. 

The speaker who 

expressed optimism that 

Sule would take the state 

to the next level also 

appreciated the people of 

the state for having 

confidence in the APC 

across the federation. 

While congratulating the 

governor elect, the speaker 

described Sule’s victory as 

well deserved considering 

his track records of 

achievements while in the 

private sector as well as the 

developmental strides of 

APC-led government in the 

state under the leadership 

of Umaru Tanko Al- 

Makura. 

“We have hope and 

confidence in President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

Abdullahi Sule, the 

Nasarawa State governorelect. 

So, what is required 

is an enabling environment 

for him to succeed,” 

Abdullahi stated. 

The speaker, therefore, 

enjoined candidates who 

lost in the elections and 

other members parties to 

accept the election results 

in good faith. 

Nigeria is ripe for woman 

president —Abdulsalami's 

wife 

By Wole 

Mosadomi 

M 

I N N A — 

FORMER First 

Lady, Justice Fati Lami 

Abubakar, took a swipe 

at the political 

development in the 

country and declared 

that Nigeria is ripe for a 

woman president. 

In a chat with 

Vanguard in Minna, 

Niger State, Justice Fati 

Abubakar, who is the wife 

of former Head of State, 

General Abdulsalami 

Abubakar, said with 

various and very 

important roles women 

had played in the 

administration of the 

country at all levels of 

governance, local 

government, state and 

federal, “it is obvious and 

glaring that Nigeria has 

upright, dependable 

women with impeccable 

characters that can pilot 

the affairs of this country 

to an enviable level.” 

Mrs Abubakar who is 

the immediate past and 

first woman Chief Justice 

of Niger State said: 

“Nigerian women are 

ready to take a lead in the 

country and so are ready 

for anything for the 

progress of the country. I 

can boldly tell you that the 

women in this country are 

ready for anything.” 

On whether the country 

has capable women to 

lead this country, Justice 

Fati said: “You should not 

even talk of capable 

women because we have 

them in abundance. They 

are everywhere and 

ready to lead very well. 

"What is actually 

remaining for them is the 

time and opportunity, 

which is very important 

to take the lead and I am 

optimistic that the time 

will come soon.”

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

FG wants full risk identification 

in Labour sector 

By Victor Young 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government has 

called for a comprehensive 

identification of risks 

associated with the Labour 

sector, for inclusion in the 

National Risk Register. 

Permanent Secretary, 

Federal Ministry of Labour 

and Employment, William 

Alo, spoke in Abuja during 

the flag-off of a workshop 

on the Development of 

National Risk Register, 

NRR, for Nigeria, 

organized for the staff of the 

Ministry. 

He described as narrow, 

the Risk proposed by the 

Risk Assessment Working 

Group, RAWG, for 

ownership by the Ministry 

– Industrial Action 

Affecting Key Industries 

and Government-run 

Services. 

Alo said: “It therefore 

became necessary to 

develop in-house 

capacities on the subject for 

more comprehensive 

identification of risks 

associated with the Labour 

sector”. 

Represented by Director, 

Human Resources and 

Management, Mr Ajibola 

Ibrahim, the Permanent 

Secretary said, “Any 

unidentified risk in this 

sector would not appear on 

the Risk Register, and 

would not be taken into 

cognizance while planning 

for avoidance of occurrence 

or reduction of impact on 

the nation’s economy.The 

National Risk Register is 

developed and 

maintained by countries 

to serve as information 

and planning tool on risk 

identification and 

management, and Nigeria 

is adopting the process as a 

best practice.” 

Earlier, Director, Special 

Duties/Projects, Dr M. E. 

Nwordu, said the training 

was aimed at building staff 

capacity in-house “to enable 

optimal contribution to the 

development of the NRR, 

with the labour sector 

adequately covered; and to 

acquire sufficient 

knowledge to develop Local 

Risk Register (LRR) for the 

Ministry at various level.” 

The resource persons 

from the Office of the 

National Security Adviser 

(ONSA), Ahmed Abba and 

JohnBosco Ekeocha, 

discussed the guiding 

principles of the National 

Risks Assessment, which 

require all relevant 

Ministries, Departments 

and Agencies (MDAs) to 

work together to produce a 

consistent and coherent 

assessment of risks that 

affect Nigeria over the next 

five years using an agreed 

process. 

The ONSA oversees the 

National Risks Assessment 

on behalf of the President 

and the National Security 

Council, and organizes a 

Risks Assessment Working 

Group (RAWG) made up 

of representatives from the 

key MDAs. 

More than half world population lacks 

health care, social security — ILO 

I Labour NTERNATIONAL 

Organisation, 

ILO, yesterday said more 

than half of the world’s 

population lacked access to 

essential health care and 29 

per cent had 

comprehensive social 

security coverage. 

In a new report on the 

implementation of social 

protection in more than 100 

countries, released in 

Geneva Switzerland, ILO 

said “Globally, only 68 per 

cent of persons of 

retirement age receive 

some form of pension, and 

in many low-income 

countries this drops to just 

20 per cent. Fewer than 60 

per cent of countries 

reported that they had 

schemes or benefits to 

ensure income security 

for children. 

The findings are coming 

in the General Survey 2019 

compiled by the ILO 

Committee of Experts on 

the Application of 

Conventions and 

Recommendations, 

CEACR.. 

The Survey (published 

under the title: Universal 

social protection for human 

dignity, social justice and 

sustainable development) 

focuses on the ILO’s Social 

Protection Floors 

Recommendation, 2012 

(No. 202), calls for basic 

income security and 

essential healthcare 

guarantees from childhood 

to old age. It also aims to 

encourage greater levels 

of protection for as many 

people as possible, as 

soon as possible. 

According 

to 

Emmanuelle St-Pierre 

Guilbault, Legal Specialist 

at the ILO’s International 

Labour Standards 

Department, “Social 

protection is proven to be 

good for societies and 

economies. This human 

right clearly has strong buyin 

from countries, 

employers and workers 

across the world. This is a 

‘must’ to tackle the broad 

and rising inequality we see 

today and foster stability. 

“The ILO stands ready to 

help countries address any 

remaining obstacles, 

including the major issue 

of financing, on the road to 

achieving sufficient social 

protection for all,” she 

added. 

The report found that 

while universal health 

coverage has been 

achieved in many highand 

middle-income 

countries, in many countries 

the population only has 

access to certain 

components of health care. 

The main deficits in 

essential health care access 

relate to the underfunding 

of health protection, 

shortages of health workers 

and high rates of out-ofpocket 

payments. This 

results in an increased risk 

of impoverishment and 

financial hardship, which is 

found in all regions of the 

world. 

The report says that 

more effort is needed to 

establish universal health 

coverage in both law and 

practice, including the 

reallocation of budgets 

and an increase in the 

number of health workers. 

Senate reconstitutes 

Minimum Wage committee 

A Senate BUJA—THE 

yesterday 

appointed Senate Deputy 

Majority Whip, Senator 

Francis Alimikhena, as 

Acting Chairman of the 

Adhoc Committee on 

Minimum Wage. 

The President of the 

Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, 

who made the 

announcement at plenary , 

said Alimikhena would 

work in acting capacity 

while the Chairman, 

Senator Olusola Adeyeye, 

was away on health 

grounds. 

Saraki charged the 

committee to expedite 

action on the matter to 

enable the senate to be able 

to catch up with the House 

of Representatives which 

had already passed the bill 

through third reading. 

The Deputy Senate 

President, 

Ike 

Ekweremadu, had on 

January 24, appointed the 

Chief Whip of the Senate, 

Olusola Adeyeye, as 

Chairman of an eightmember 

ad-hoc committee 

mandated to work on the 

minimum wage bill. 

The members of the adhoc 

committee are: Abu 

Ibrahim(APC-Katsina 

State); Shehu Sani(PRP- 

Kaduna State) and Sam 

Egwu(PDP-Ebonyi). 

Others are: Suleiman 

Adokwe(PDP-Nasarawa 

State); Francis Alimikhena 

(APC-Edo); Senator 

Solomon Adeola (APC- 

Lagos State) and Binta 

Garba (APC-Adamawa). 

The House of 

Representatives had on 

January 29 approved 

N30,000 as minimum wage 

for workers in the public and 

private sectors. 

The lower chamber 

increased the threshold for 

public and private sectors 

workers in states and 

local governments from 

N27,000 as proposed in 

the National Minimum 

Wage Act Amendment 

Bill to N30,000. 

Stanbic IBTC grows profit after tax to N74.4bn 

By Nkiruka Nnorom 

STANBIC 

IBTC 

Holdings Plc has 

posted N74.4 billion profit 

after tax, PAT, for the year 

ended December 31, 2018, 

54 percent increase 

compared to N48.4 billion 

recorded in 2017. 

Details of the result 

showed the group grew its 

topline earnings for the 

financial year to N222.4 

billion, representing 4.7 

percent growth compared to 

N212.4 billion in the 

corresponding period in 

2017. 

Other key performance 

COMMISSIONING: From left: Oba Ambaliu Agbedeyi, Alagege of Orile-Agege, Dr. Shamsideen Allison, Perm 

Sec, Office of Special Adviser on Education, Rotn. Basirat Giwa, President, Rotary Club of Gbagada and Rotn. 

Kola Shodipo, District Gov, during the commissioning of Lagos State Agency for Mass Education, Agege Vocational 

Training Centre (renovated by Rotary Club of Gbagada), in Agege, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez 

FG denies privatisation of dams 

A BUJA—THE 

Minister of Water 

Resources, Mr Suleiman 

Adamu, yesterday denied 

claims that it was privatising 

the nation’s dams, saying 

what was being done was 

hydropower concessioning. 

indicators were equally 

impressive. The group’s 

total assets grew by 20 

percent to N1.67 billion 

compared to N1.39 billion in 

December 2017. Profit before 

taxation was N88.2 billion, 

up by 44 percent compared 

to N61.2 billion achieved in 

the same period in 2017. 

Customer deposit grew by 

seven percent to N807.7 

billion from N753.6 billion 

in the corresponding year. 

The gross non-performing 

loans decreased by 50 

percent to N17.7 billion 

against N35.3 billion in 

2017, indicating the 

company’s ability to reduce 

Adamu said this at the 

opening of a Media Water 

Sector Workshop in Abuja. 

According to him “We are 

not concessioning dams, 

when we concession, we 

are concessioning the 

hydro power component of 

its toxic assets appreciably. 

The decrease impacted 

positively on the gross 

non-performing loan to 

total loan ratio, which 

improved to 3.9 percent, 

well below the regulatory 

mark of five percent, as 

against the 8.6 percent 

recorded in 2017. 

Mr Yinka Sanni, CEO, 

Stanbic IBTC Holdings, 

commenting on the results 

said the balance sheet size 

was impacted by “growth in 

risk assets and financial 

investment portfolio,” a 

reflection of investment 

expertise and quality 

management. 

the dam but the dam itself 

will still be owned by the 

Federal Government. What 

we do is to provide some 

leasing arrangement for 

cage fish farming and all 

others, we concession 

hydropower for 

aquaculture.” 

Adamu said the 

concessioning model, being 

facilitated by the 

Infrastructure 

Concessioning and 

Regulatory Commission 

and Bureau of Public 

Enterprises allows a 

concessionaire to take 

custody of the project for 

a period of time as 

determined by the 

financial analysis. 

He noted that the 

concessionaire would be 

responsible for generating 

hydro power and 

connecting it to the 

transmission network 

made available by the 

Transmission Company of 

Nigeria for distribution. 

On Gurara Dam, 

Adamu said the ministry 

was negotiating with the 

preferred and reserved 

bidder in line with the 

guidelines of the 

Infrastructure Concession 

Regulatory Commission 

(ICRC), to drive the 

processes to benefit 

Nigerians. 

He said that the rule in 

the guidelines of ICRC 

stipulated that a 

Transaction Adviser be 

involved in the processes. 

“We have concluded that 

of Gurara where we have 

30 megawatts of hydro 

power plant, all the 

processes leading to the 

concessioning have been 

done, what is left is for us 

to present it to the Federal 

Executive Council for 

approval. 

“We still have to wait 

because the transmission 

line is not working and it 

is not within the purview 

of the ministry, it is taken 

by Transmission 

Company of Nigeria A lot 

of progress has been 

made, we hope that by the 

end of this year, 

something will happen.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019—15 

INAUGURATION: Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu (4th left); Dr 

Eucharia Oparah (5th left), Chairman, National Steering Committee on the Strategic 

Implementation Plan of Leather and Leather Products Policy in Nigeria; Permanent Secretary, 

Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Bitrus Nabasu(3rd left), and other members of the 

committee during their inauguration at the minister’s office in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN 

How Ihedioha won Imo gov election 

•Thousands join Ihedioha's victory rally in Imo 

•Ex-Deputy Speaker's victory has crumbled Okorocha’s political dynasty 

•AA, Nwosu head to court 

By Chinonso 

Alozie & 

Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

OWERRI—THE State 

Returning Officer for 


election in Imo state, Mr. 

Francis Chukwuemeka 

Otonta, Monday 

announced the candidate of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Emeka 

Ihedioha, the winner of the 


Vanguard was at the 

INEC office along 

Portharcourt road when 

Otonta announced the 

votes earned by the various 

political parties across the 

27 local government 

areas. 

The state returning officer, 

while giving the summary 

of the excercise as it 

happened in the 27 local 

government areas in the 

state said that Ihedioha of 

the PDP, soared to victory 

with the total votes of 

273,404 to humble other 

candidates in the race. 

He gave as registered 

voters 2,221,008 and 

accredited voters 823,743. 

The total votes cast: 

714,355; rejected votes; 

251,30; and then the total 

votes according to Otonta, 

was 739,485. 

In Otonta’s record, other 

governorship candidates of 

the Action Alliance, AA, 

Uche Nwosu, got 190,364; 

Ifeanyi Araraume of the All 

Progressive Grand 

Alliance, APGA, 114,676; 

and Accord Party, AP, 

Ikedi Ohakim, polled 6,846. 

Ihedioha will bring 

sanity in Imo 

—Illomuanya 

Meanwhile, the 

traditional ruler of 

Obinugwu Kingdom in 

Orlu Local Government 

Area, Imo State, Eze Cletus 

Illomuanya, yesterday 

urged the governor-elect, 

Emeka Ihedioha to clean 

up the polity. 

Illomuanya stated this in 

Owerri, while appreciating 

Imo people for a bold step 

taken in voting Ihedioha 

into power, adding that the 

state has been rescued. 

The royal father also 

begged Ihedioha to look 

into the traditional 

institution in the state, with 

a view of redefining the 

institution to carry out its 

activities without fear of 

intimidation. 

According to Illomuanya, 

“Imo is in dire need of an 

administrator of Ihedioha’s 

pedigree, whom he said is 

tested and trusted." 

Thousands join 

Ihedioha’s victory 

rally in Imo 

In a related 

development, thousands of 

Imo people yesterday 

joined the governor-elect, 

Emeka Ihedioha to 

celebrate his victory at the 

just concluded 

governorship election in 

the state. 

Ihedioha together with 

his Deputy, Gerald Irona, 

in their convoy moved 

round some of the major 

streets of Owerri 

metropolis to thank the 

people for their support. 

Ihedioha in what he 

tagged “the journey to 

rebuild Imo has also 

described “it as a victory for 

Imo people.” 

Vanguard monitored the 

rally which kicked off from 

his residence at the Civic 

Center in Owerri, joined by 

residents, market women, 

taxi drivers as well as 

passersby. Also, commuters 

were also seen hailing 

Ihedioha for his victory at 

the poll. 

One of the supporters, 

who spoke to Vanguard 

said: “We are happy that 

Imo people have restored 

the zoning arrangement. 

We have been crying that 

other zones should allow 

Owerri and by God’s grace, 

this has been achieved". 

A motorist, who 

introduced himself as 

Emma Iheduru, said: "I will 

first of all thank Senator 

Hope Uzodinma for 

weakening governor 

Rochas Okorocha in Orlu 

zone. Uzodinma divided 

the votes in Orlu zone, 

which gave Ihedioha more 

edge ahead of his 

opponents.” 

Ihedioha's victory 

has crumbled 

Okorocha’s political 

dynasty 

Similarly, Imo General 

Assembly, IGA, an 

association that unites the 

people of Imo State living 

in Nnewi, the commercial 

city of Anambra State has 

described the victory of 

Emeka Ihedioha as the 

collapse of Chief Rochas 

Okorocha’s political 

dynasty. 

The Imo indigenes living 

in Nnewi had shortly after 

the announcement of the 

Imo governorship election 

result turned the industrial 

city to celebration galore, in 

jubilation for what they 

called “freeing Imo State 

from bondage.” 

The president of IGA, 

Chinedu Igwe who spoke 

with newsmen on the 

sideline while the 

celebration was going on 

said “the governorship 

election availed the people 

of Imo state the opportunity 

to get rid of the incumbent 

governor, Owelle Rochas 

Okorocha and his political 

dynasty that has been 

collapsed with Ihedioha’s 

election victory. 

“We prayed, worked and 

hoped for this day of 

deliverance and God in his 

infinite mercy has answered 

our prayers and gave us a 

leader who we expect to 

take Imo State to a greater 

height and make Imo 

occupy her pride of place 

again in the comity of 

states. 

“The fall and fall of Owelle 

Rochas Okorocha’s 

political dynasty is a lesson 

to everyone in the position 

of authority that they 

cannot be more powerful 

than the people on whose 

mandate they assume 

office." 

AA, Nwosu head to 

court 

Meanwhile, the national 

chairman of the Action 

Alliance, AA, Kenneth 

Udeze and the Imo State 

governorship candidate of 

AA, Uche Nwosu, yesterday 

said they would head to 

court to challenge the 

declaration of Emeka 

Ihedioha of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, as 

winner of the concluded 

election. 

The national chairman of 

AA, Udeze, disclosed this 

to newsmen in Owerri, 

adding that the party had 

gathered it’s evidence as a 

proof to present before the 

court that AA, won the 


Imo and that the candidate 

of his party was rigged out 

in the process. 

Udeze boasted that some 

of their evidences would be 

presented before the court. 

He alleged that in Imo East 

Senatorial District, the 

officials of the Independent 


Commission, INEC, could 

not use the card reader. 

Also reacting, the Imo 

state governorship 

candidate of AA, Nwosu, 

called on the national 

chairman of INEC, 

Mahmood Yakubu, to look 

into the activities of the 

Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, INEC, 

Francis Ezeonu. 

INEC to sue peddlers of 

false allegations 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

E 

N U G U — 

INDEPENDENT 


Commission, INEC, has 

said that it is studying wild 

allegations made against 

the commission during the 

2019 general elections for 

the possibility of taking 

culprits to court. 

The INEC Resident 

Electoral Commissioner, 

REC, Enugu, Dr Emeka 

Ononadu who said this 

during a post election 

media briefing at INEC 

office, Independent 

Layout, Enugu yesterday, 

warned that INEC was not 

ready to condone reckless 

allegations that cast 

aspersion on the electoral 

process. 

“Although, certain 

political groups effortlessly 

tried to falsely label INEC 

and security agencies in an 

attempt to find one way or 

the other to scuttle the 

process, the maturity 

exhibited by citizens was 

enough to send their plans 

to the cleaners. 

“I am also studying those 

wide allegations for 

possibilities of seeking court 

redress because it is not 

only politicians that can 

always take INEC to court. 

“INEC and its staff also 

have a name to protect; we 

are not going to tolerate 

reckless allegations that 

can cast aspersion on our 

democracy and electoral 

process. We are moving 

towards a direction when 

nobody will get away with 

any unsubstantiated 

allegation that robs off on 

the credibility of an 

election." 

He thanked all 

stakeholders who 

participated in the election 

in the state for displaying, 

“ a rare attitude in this era 

of extreme political rascality 

displayed in different states 

during this election, which 

made the job extremely 

difficult for most of my 

skilled colleagues in other 

states." 

Court grants bail to party agents 

accused of tearing INEC materials 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O magistrate WERRI—A 

court 

sitting in Owerri, presided 

over by Chief Magistrate 

R.O. Nworka, yesterday 

adjourned till May 6, the 

case of some political party 

agents allegedly involved 

in an electoral 

misconduct. 

It will be recalled that 

during the announcement 

of the Imo State 

governorship results at the 

Owerri office of the 



INEC, party agents 

disagreed and as a result , 

INEC materials were 

dramatically torched. 

About three of the political 

party agents were arrested, 

at the INEC office: agent 

of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Uche 

Onyegucha; Paschal 

Onwukaike of Democratic 

Alternative, DA. and 

Steve Asinobi among 

others. 

The suspects were 

arraigned on 10-count 

charge bordering on 

disruption of election 

process and INEC result 

sheets. 

However, the Chief 

Magistrate granted bail to 

the suspects after 

considering the bail 

application brought before 

it by Onyegucha’s 

counsel Louis Alozie 

(SAN). 

EEDC moves to check 

over-billing in Aba 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

A BA—ENUGU 

Electricity 

Distribution Company, 

EEDC,has said that it has 

commenced metering of its 

Distributor Transformer 

to check overbilling of 

customers in Aba, Abia 

State. 

In an interview with 

newsmen in Aba, Head, 

Communications, EEDC, 

Mr. Emeka Eze explained 

that the transformer 

metering exercise would 

ensure that transformers cut 

off from power supply 

while their feeders are 

running do not get billed. 

He assured that the metering 

of transformers 

would be completed March 

2019, stressing that it was 

pursuing transformer 

metering to ensure 

customers’ complaints of 

overbilling are eliminated. 

“Now, part of what we are 

doing is to meter open 

transformers. The idea is to 

zero down the cost of 

energy consumed per 

transformer so that energy 

consumed by customers 

through a particular 

transformer is now what will 

be used to bill customers. It 

is a strategy to address this 

complaint of overbilling as 

some people say they have 

not seen light for one year 

yet they get bills."


CELEBRATION: From left— Mrs Ifeyinwa Osime, Non-Executive Director, Wapic Insurance Plc, Ms 

Mary Agha, Company Secretary, Mrs Amuche Okeke-Agba, Partner, Mckinsey & Co, Mrs Yinka Adekoya, 

MD/CEO, Wapic Insurance Plc, Dr Enase Okonedo, Dean of Lagos Business School and Mrs Abimbola 

Tiamiyu, Director of Examination, CIIN, at the 2019 International Women’s Day celebration, organised 

by Wapic Insurance Plc in Lagos. 

Election: Agrieved candidates can reclaim 

mandates without courts —Mediators 

By Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

LAGOS—AS aggrieved 

candidates kick against 

the declared results by 

Independent Electoral 

Commission, INEC, the 

Institute of Chartered 

Mediators and 

Conciliators, ICMC, 

Nigeria has urged the 

candidates to approach 

Alternative Dispute 

Resolution, ADR to reclaim 

their mandates. 

According to the experts 

in the institute comprising 

lawyers and judges, the 

Peoples’ Democratic Party, 

PDP Presidential 

candidate, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar and other 

aggrieved politicians 

should embrace INEC’s 

Electoral Dispute 

Resolution mechanism to 

fast track their cases. 

Speaking at a special 

induction ceremony and 

ADR Seminar in Lagos, the 

President of ICMC, 

Emeka Obegolu, said that 

Electoral Dispute 

Resolution, which serves 

as Alternative Dispute 

Resolution, ADR, will better 

handle their case rather 

than approach a judge that 

does not have grip of the 

country’s political activities. 

He said: “We are of the 

opinion that dispute from 

these elections should be 

given the opportunity to be 

Delta voted for more devt—Takeme 



Commissioner, 

Ministry of Urban 

Renewal, Chief Julius 

Takeme says Deltans voted 

for more development by reelecting 

governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa for another term of 

four years. 

Speaking with newsmen 

shortly after the declaration 

of the last Saturday's 


the state of which the 

governor who was the PDP 

candidate for the election 

gathered 925, 274 votes 

against the APC Great 

resolved through mediation 

and other spectrum. 

Opportunities available 

within the Electoral Dispute 

Resolution Directorate of 

INEC and other mediations 

centres, utilize services of 

Isoko North PDP hails Okowa, 

Owhefere's re-election 

By Ochuko 

Akoupha 

ODemocratic ZORO—PEOPLES 

Party, PDP, 

in Isoko North Local 


State, has felicitated with 


and the Majority Leader of 

the Delta State House of 

Assembly, Mr. Tim 

Owhefere on their reelection 

in the March 9, 

Governorship and State 


elections. 

The party in a statement 

jointly signed by the 

Chairman of the Isoko 

North PDP Campaign 

Council, Arch. Joseph 

Ogeh, Coordinator of the 

Campaigns Hon. 

Emmanuel Egbabor and 

Chairman of the party in the 

area, Prince Godwin 

Ogorugba eulogised the 

people of Isoko North for reelecting 

the duo of 


and Hon. Tim Owhefere 

Ogboru's 215,938 votes, 

Chief Takeme said the 

victory was expected and 

commended Deltans for 

their commitment to PDP. 

He stated that Dr Okowa 

had shown great zeal and 

capacity in the development 

of the state since 

assumption of office as 

governor of Delta state, 

stating that his re-election 

will bring greater progress 

and development in Delta 

State. 

Takeme who was the 

coordinator of PDP 

campaign organization, 

Burutu local government 

area felicitated with Ifeanyi 

mediators in healing a nation 

divided by tribal, ethnic/religious 

issues over a 

keenly contested election.” 

Registrar of ICMC, 

Segun Ogunyannwo, argued 

that the institute was 

whom they described as 

great performers. 

The statement read: "The 

performances of the 

Governor and our able 

representative in the State 

Assembly have been 

commendable with visible 

and impactful projects as 

well as human capital 

development in the area. 

"It is therefore not a 

surprise for Deltans and the 

people of Isoko North to 

Rocsol launches new 

product 

By Providence 

Emmanuel 

L AGOS—ROCSOL 

Foods Limited, a 

subsidiary of Rocsol 

Investment Limited is 

expanding its horizons into 

the food and agriculture 

industry, just as it launched 

its flagship product, Rayna 

Roasted Oat Flour. 

Speaking at the 

Okowa for his re-election, 

stressing that it was a well 

deserved victory. 

The commissioner 

affirmed that Burutu local 

government area was a 

strong hold of PDP, hence 

the landslide victories 

recorded in the area in all 

the elections, stressing that 

the 49,722 votes for PDP in 


was commendable. 

Takeme congratulated all 

the winners in the elections 

for their victories and 

commended the people of 

Burutu local government area for 

their show of commitments in the 

general elections. 

not discouraging the politicians 

to embrace the court 

for justice, but noted that if 

the aggrieved parties embrace 

dialogue through 

ADR, electoral cases would 

be resolved within weeks. 

overwhelmingly return 

them to office for another 

term as the reward for 

hardwork is more work. 

"On behalf of the 

leadership, elders, 

stakeholders and members 

of our great party in Isoko 

North LGA, we congratulate 

our amiable Governor 

Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and 

Majority Leader Delta State 

House of Assembly Hon 

Tim Owhefere on their successful 

re-election." 

Distributors Business Forum, 

Acting Managing Director, 

Rocsol Foods, Mr. 

Joseph Igori, said that the 

new oat flour birthed after 

years of planning, research 

and design, urging distributors, 

marketers, eateries, 

hotels and consumers to 

immediately key into the 

product. 

Igori said: “We’re an 

investment company and 

we take advantage of 

opportunities when we see 

it. The new product is not 

just about to make money; 

as a business enterprise, we 

don’t often focus only in 

making money, but we also 

anticipate in creating value 

and giving society the best 

product. That is why of all 

products, we decided to 

deal in oat because of the 

health benefits it gives to our 

consumers and the public. 

“The partnership we are 

forming with our distributors is to 

ensure we have a means of 

creating work for other people as 

well, so it’s a two pronged system 

we are running here, we are 

creating value for the consumers 

and then creating convivial 

atmosphere for our partners to 

operate." 

Rewane resigns from FCMB board after 

17 years 

Bismarck Rewane, chief executive officer of 

Financial Derivatives Company, has resigned 

from the board of FCMB Group Plc. 

Before his resignation, Rewane had been an 

independent non-executive director of the bank 

since 2002, and serves on the boards of several 

blue-chip companies within corporate 

Nigeria.Before his resignation, Rewane had been 

an independent non-executive director of the bank 

since 2002, and serves on the boards of several 

blue-chip companies within corporate Nigeria. In 

a disclosure on the Nigerian Stock Exchange 

(NSE) on Tuesday, FCMB said his resignation 

was accepted at a board meeting held on March 

8.In a disclosure on the Nigerian Stock Exchange 

(NSE) on Tuesday, FCMB said his resignation 

was accepted at a board meeting held on March 

8. 

“FCMB Group Plc hereby announces the 

retirement of Mr. Bismarck Rewane from the 

Board of the Company. This follows the acceptance 

of his retirement by the Board, at the Board of 

Directors’ meeting held on Friday, March 8, 2019.” 

FirstRand likely to shrink 

branches- Pullinger 

FirstRand will likely need to shrink its branch 

network over the next decade as South 

Africa’s largest retail bank looks to digitise and 

adopt a platform model offering services beyond 

banking, CEO Alan Pullinger said on Tuesday. 

The country’s oldest bank dating back to 1838 

reported a 6.1 percent rise in half-year headline 

earnings on Tuesday, outperforming rivals in retail 

banking but with costs that are rising above 

inflation. 

“We’re a big old banking group that’s been around 

for 180 years, so we have lots of branches, and 

processes, and stuff that’s probably not fit for this 

future platform bank we want to get to,” Pullinger 

told Reuters in a phone interview. 

African Bank appoints ex-Liberty 

Holdings CEO as chairman 

African Bank, a small South African lender 

which is trying to rebuild after nearly 

collapsing under the weight of bad debts, said it 

has appointed Thabo Dloti, former CEO of insurer 

Liberty Holdings, as its chairman. 

Dloti, who is also an ex-CEO of Old Mutual 

Investment Group and Liberty Holdings’ asset 

management subsidiary Stanlib, will be a 

permanent replacement for Louis von Zeuner, who 

left African Bank last July. 

“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Dloti as 

chairperson and look forward to his leadership 

and contribution in furthering the development 

and delivery of the African bank strategy,” African 

Bank’s CEO Basani Maluleke said in a statement.. 

W/ Africa Crud: Nembe Creek 

pipeline resumes, Angolan trade 

slows 

The Nembe Creek Trunk Line in Nigeria was 

back online after a Feb. 28 explosion, while 

trade in Angolan cargoes has slowed this month 

as demand in key East Asian markets weakened. 

NIGERIA 

The pipeline, one of two major lines transporting 

Bonny Light crude oil, was shut on Feb. 28. 

Operator Aiteo said on Tuesday that the cause 

was an explosion and that operations resumed 

on Mar. 7. A trading source said delays were 

minimal and that the stoppage slowed down a 

purchased crude cargo by just one day. 

ANGOLA 

12 cargoes of Angolan crude remained for March 

loading, a trading source said. Another trader 

said prices were liable to fall due to weak demand 

from Angola’s key markets in China and East 

Asia.

A 

NUMBER of analysts 

and gender activists 

bemoan the low number of 

female political representatives 

in Nigeria (only six women won 

or retained their Senate seats in 

the just concluded 2019 general 

elections). However, beyond 

this appalling statistic, I am 

more concerned by the policies 

senators champion, no matter 

their gender. 

In Nigeria, we’re obsessed 

with tokenism: we promote and 

support women and youth 

simply to appear “modern”, or 

because the candidates 

themselves have an air of 

progressivism. But too many 

people of all ages, of both 

genders, masquerade as 

reformists to hide their deeply 

conservative, pro-status quo 

nature. So many powerful 

women have had the 

opportunity to fight to improve 

the condition of society’s most 

disadvantaged people, either as 

ministers, senators, or in other 

political capacities, yet how 

many of them are known for 

their policies in favour of socioeconomic 

justice? 

Business 

advantages 

Many men and women of the 

political class simply use the 

opportunity to corner further 

business advantages for 

themselves, or in the case of 

women, to pose as activists and 

receive awards from various 

platforms they patronise. Most 

Nigerians can’t identify their 

local representatives, and I’ll 

wager most people have never 

visited their constituency office. 

Beyond focusing on the 

President, so many individuals 

in the political arena have a 

more direct effect on our lives; 

which is why real change is so 

difficult to bring about if we 

keep electing non-performing 

individuals at the local level, (or 

refusing to monitor) the 

activities (or lack thereof) of 

local government chairmen, 

members of state houses of 

assembly, senators and 

members of the house of 

representatives. 

A number of individuals 

running for President in the 

Bola Tinubu vs. Bukola Saraki 

SOME people assumed 

that because Kwara said 

“o to ge” (enough is enough), 

the people of Lagos would 

answer “freedom” and reject 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s 

influence in Lagos politics. 

Nigerians are so much more 

discerning than the elite 

commonly think. 

While Bola Tinubu has 

mentored countless individuals 

who are now eminent leaders 

at local and national levels; 

Bukola Saraki is not known for 

such a feat. Tinubu currently 

holds no national political office 

but remains not just relevant but 

central to our politics, perhaps 

because of his wide network 

and relationships. Tinubu is 

responsible for introducing 

proven performers and 

technocrats. 

How many people would 

partner with the opposition, 

What role should our senators play in 

enabling a better economy? 

2020 US elections are current 

members of Congress. In 

Nigeria, Senate presidents and 

speakers of the House routinely 

aspire to become presidents, but 

beyond their personal ambition, 

how successful have they been 

at improving the standard of 

living in Nigeria? 

It’s unfortunate the average 

Nigerian remains uninformed 

and still doesn’t fully 

understand what the people 

they vote for ought to be doing: 

the political class encourages 

this so no one is armed with the 

right information or ideas to 

adequately question them. 

Beyond blaming the President 

for not being able to be 

everywhere at once, we need to 

focus on the Senate, a key 

institution in any democracy. 

Nigeria’s next Senate president 

must be someone who is ready 

to work with the executive, not 

be a hindrance to its policies 

those opposed to the party they 

claim to belong to, to foist 

themselves into power, and 

hope to survive for longer than 

a short period of time? Indeed, 

when you prove that you have 

no real loyalty to any particular 

group, that you’re ready to work 

•Senate president, Bukola 

Saraki 

(especially because the APC 

has a majority), and to produce 

results for Nigeria as a whole. 

We need to first of all reflect 

over the concept of what an 

Our senators should 

be working to 

safeguard the rights of 

the common man; we 

need to ask ourselves 

where they fit in the 

plan to create an 

economy that works 

for all 

“economy” really is. According 

to 

Investopedia, 

“the economy is the 

production and consumption 

activities that determine how 

scarce resources are allocated in 

against those who’ve helped 

you, etc., success is short lived. 

2019 saw many supposedly 

“indestructible” giants fall. 

Their common crime? 

Arrogance, treachery and 

detachment from reality. 

•Asiwaju Bola Tinubu 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 —17 

an area. It includes everything 

related to the production and 

consumption of goods and 

services”. 

Conflict over the allocation of 

scarce resources is the reason 

behind violence and poverty 

which affect each other in a sort 

of feedback loop. Nigeria is not 

a country which works for 

everyone; on the contrary, it is 

a country where the rich and the 

well-connected are allowed to 

ride roughshod over the laws 

of human decency and 

compassion, aided, in many 

ways, by a Senate which isn’t 

alive to its responsibilities. 

Budgets, for example, show a 

nation’s commitment to 

providing opportunities for all, 

and investing in all citizens, not 

just a few. 

Nigerian budget scandals, 

“padding”, excessive 

allowances for some of society’s 

most unproductive elements 

while depriving critical sectors 

of funds, show the fundamental 

dysfunction of our society. Can 

any President succeed without 

a National Assembly that is propeople? 

No. And what are we 

ready to do about constituency 

projects, knowing much of the 

funds earmarked for them have 

Nigerian Army 

MANY 

Independent 


Commission, INEC, offices were 

burnt down. The latest was the 

INEC office in Ebonyi State 

where unidentified thugs set fire 

to sensitive materials and 

structures. The army accused 

politicians of dressing their thugs 

as soldiers to cause confusion and 

perpetrate violence. 

Colonel Sagir Musam, the 

Nigerian Army’s spokesman said: 

“the Army understands that most 

civilians caught in the callous 

onslaught of these murderous 

thugs might not be able to 

distinguish between genuine 

soldiers and impersonators, 

especially when they are armed 

with military-type weapons.” 

He further revealed that a 

number of “fake soldiers” were 

apprehended and confessed to 

being sponsored to disrupt the 

allegedly gone “missing” over 

the years and the projects 

themselves are rarely traceable 

or completed? The concept of 

economic justice is still too 

foreign to us: we are more 

capitalist than the nations who 

invented the concept. 

Our senators should be 

working to safeguard the rights 

of the common man; we need 

to ask ourselves where they fit 

in the plan to create an 

economy that works for all, 

where everyone can produce 

and consume goods at different 

levels. Too often, our concept of 

a thriving economy is reduced 

to putting a lot of money into 

the hands of a few people who 

are granted tax breaks and 

allowed to have a monopoly of 

production, driving prices up, 

and pushing competitors out. 

Where is the legislation to 

protect against this? 

Structural 

changes 

Rarely any sweeping, 

structural changes emanate 

from the Senate, which neither 

connects with the will of 

Nigerians for lasting change, 

nor recommends or puts 

forward the legislation to enable 

or support this. Many of the 

issues discussed on the senate 

floor are based on outdated 

understanding or barely 

concealed private interests 

which have a negative impact 

on working class people’s 

ability to create and consume 

wealth. Injustice is the 

cornerstone of our society, it is 

written into the way we discuss 

important issues and pretend to 

tackle them. 

Our system is rigged to defend 

the interests of the powerful, 

which is why even when 

politicians are literally caught 

doing wrong, there are so many 

hurdles towards prosecuting 

them. The greatest of all these 

hurdles is our own 

unwillingness to support 

justice: we prefer ethnoreligious 

prejudice. Can we get 

National Assembly leaders who 

are dogged fighters for the 

common man? Is that too much 

to ask? 

elections. Prosecuting the 

politicians who fund unrest all 

over the country, must be swift, to 

set an example: virtually every 

election cycle, the level of political 

desperation seems to increase, 

based on politicians’ desire to gain 

or retain positions at all cost. 

Human life means nothing in 

Nigeria, given what’s at stake: is 

it time to discuss making political 

office less attractive? 

How many of our current officials 

would vote to reduce the pay 

packages and rewards associated 

with government jobs? 

Tabia Princewill is a 

strategic communications 

consultant and public policy 

analyst. She is also the cohost 

and executive producer 

of a talk show, WALK THE 

TALK which airs on 

Channels TV.


SINCE Sunday March 10, 2019, Nigerians 

have been in deep mourning 

over the death of Professor Pius 

Adesanmi, one of the 157 victims of 

the Ethiopian Airliners Boeing 737 

MAX 8 which crashed in Addis Ababa, 

Ethiopia. 

Besides Adesanmi, the Professor of 

Literary Arts in Carleton University, 

Ottawa Canada, another Nigerian, 

Ambassador Abiodun Bashua, a 

former United Nations and African 

Union, AU, Deputy Joint Special Representative 

in Darfur, Sudan, was 

among 40 UN officials who died in 

the ill-fated flight. 

Professor Adesanmi was a popular 

literary icon, social critic and very active 

on the social media. According to 

an intimate friend with whom he had 

communicated before the crash: “Pius 

had wanted explanations on how individuals 

behave – be they friends in 

government, our activist friends or his 

fellow writers. He also had his expec- 

Adieu, Prof Pius Adesanmi (1972 – 2019) 

tations on how Nigeria should be. Pius 

was always at a loss why people misbehave.” 

Like many well-meaning Nigerians, 

Adesanmi was gravely upset with the 

state of affairs in his home country, 

Nigeria, and never kept silent over it. 

Through his writings and public 

speeches, he had attacked, with his 

infectious satire, every ill that is still 

with us today as a country. 

His friends and followers on 

Facebook know how deeply Pius loved 

his family, especially his young 

daughter, Tife and his wife in Canada. 

He was also fond of his aged mother, 

Mama Adesanmi. No doubt, they have 

lost a wonderful father, a great husband, 

a valuable brother and a loyal 

son whose heart was overflowing with 

affection. 

Reading his award-winning books 

and listening to his humour-laced but 

incisive public lectures, no one would 

be left in any doubt that Kogi State, 

Nigeria and Africa have lost a gem. 

Professor Pius Adesanmi fought for 

good governance, justice and equality. 

He had wanted the best for Nigeria 

but was terribly heartbroken at the 

serial failures of governance which resulted 

in state failure. 

The books authored by Professor 

Pius Adesanmi include: The Wayfarer 

and Other Poems (2001), You're Not a 

Country, Africa (2011), and Naija No 

Dey Carry Last (2015). In 2001, 

Adesanmi's The Wayfarer and Other 

Poems won the Association of Nigerian 

Authors, ANA’s Poetry Prize, and 

in 2010, his You're not a Country, Africa, 

a collection of essays, won the 

inaugural Penguin Prize for African 

Writing in the non-fiction category. 

It is heart-rending that Adesanmi 

had to fly safely for 13 hours from 

Canada to Ethiopia only to end up on 

a short flight from Ethiopia to Kenya 

on his way to attend the Economic, 

Social and Cultural Council, 

ECOSOCC, meeting in Nairobi. We 

console all the family members of the 

late Professor Pius Adesanmi, Ambassador 

Abiodun Bashua and all victims 

of that fateful crash. 

They will always be fondly remembered. 

OPINION 

Will Buhari change the narrative this time around? 

By Sunny Ikhioya 

IRRESPECTIVE of the outcome from 

our courts, Muhammadu Buhari is, for 

now, the President and President-elect of 

Nigeria and will be our ruler until the month 

of May 2023. For those who have been 

following judicial proceedings of 

presidential elections, no election has been 

overturned at the Supreme Court level, no 

matter how flawed. 

Not even the twelve-two third saga of the 

Second Republic and the election that 

brought the late Umaru Yar’Adua to office, 

despite his public confession, to the effect 

that it was flawed. 

Buhari is very experienced in this respect 

as he has been there for not less than three 

occasions. This may explain why Adams 

Oshiomhole, Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, is excited about 

the prospect of going to court. One is 

worried that we are still conducting 

elections that are seen to be blatantly flawed 

and begin to wonder when Nigeria will get 

it right. 

My concern in this piece is not about the 

elections and the shenanigans of politicians, 

it is whether Buhari has learned any lessons 

from his experience or if he will flunk it a 

second time. Of all those who have ruled 

this country, only two persons are better 

placed to carry out the necessary reforms 

that this nation required at this period. They 

are Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu 

Buhari. They attract so much expectations 

because of their backgrounds, strong 

character and popular support/acceptance 

by the people. 

Unfortunately, Obasanjo wasted his own 

opportunity due to obvious reasons. Buhari 

followed in his footsteps during his first 

tenure as a civilian president. There is no 

doubt that President Buhari fell far short of 

expectations during his first tenure, no 

matter what the spin doctors will want us to 

believe. The only reason he is back today is 

the absence of a strong leader from the 

Northern part of the country with credibility 

and cult-like followership. 

We know that it will take a leader with 

strong character at the helm of affairs to 

turn the fortunes of Nigeria for the better as 

Nigerians are a very difficult people to 

manage due to the peculiar circumstances 

of our diversity. 

That was why Buhari’s success at the 2015 

election was greeted with so much 

excitement and expectations. But we have 

since discovered that having a strong 

character alone does not translate into good 

leadership; there are a lot more qualities 

required and unless you come down from 

your ‘high horse’ as a man of power, you 

may never acquire these necessary 

resources. 

You will not know or understand this until 

probably when you are out of office. It is 

also worse when you are gripped by the 

messianic complex and get carried away 

with the feeling that nothing you do can be 

faulted. 

That is where Buhari missed it in his first 

term as a civilian president. And with the 

propaganda spin doctors beating the drums 

and refusing to acknowledge his 

shortcomings, the people had no option than 

to sit, wait and watch for the opportunity to 

give him the thumbs down. 

A significant percentage of the people are 

not excited about his coming back, some 

are even in mourning mood. But the “die 

hard” among his supporters will gloat in 

their pyrrhic victory, instead of quietly and 

soberly reflecting or pondering on areas they 

have got it wrong. 

It is not a good testament that a 

Muhammadu Buhari who promised 

electoral reforms in his inaugural address 

will, four years later, allow to be conducted 

under his watch one of the most flawed 

elections ever witnessed in this country. 

Reports on the elections show that in many 

cases the numbers do not seem to match, 

and the umpires, observers and 

independents do not seem to care. That is 

the situation as President Buhari prepares 

to start another term. 

Will he flunk it like the first tenure or use 

Integrity is to 

practise what you 

preach, as you say it, 

do it; there should 

be no double 

standards 

the second term opportunity to redeem 

himself and write his name in gold for 

posterity to acknowledge? That is the 

question. He came in on the wave of 

sentiments as a man of integrity; but after 

four years, we are beginning to question this 

position. Integrity is to practise what you 

preach; as you say it, do it. There should be 

no double standards. 

Equity and fairness entails you stick to the 

rule of law and not allow your personal views 

and opinions to override it. Integrity abhors 

cheating in whatever form and demands 

that you uphold the trust of the people in all 

ramifications. 

Did Buhari meet that criteria during his 

first tenure in-charge? The answer is no. He 

will not be there forever. So, will he make 

amends and correct all observed flaws 

witnessed in his first term? Will he quickly 

get to work and put in place a cabinet of 

credible and purposeful men and women? 

Will he allow the rule of law to always guide 

his decisions as president? Will he rein in 

the herdsmen? 

Will he look out for people outside his 

ethnic zone to help him put things right? 

Will he acknowledge the intellectuals in his 

party - Osinbajo, Sagay, Utomi etc - and 

allow them to have their say in his 

government? Will he treat the integrity issue 

with all fairness and subject his own party 

men to same measures like others? Even the 

highly reviled PDP still managed to take 

some of their own to court. 

Will he improve on our electoral processes 

and ensure that all observed lapses never 

occur again? Will he be more realistic with 

the management of our economy, so that 

the promised care for the masses can be 

achieved? Will he allow religion to stand 

separated from government? 

Will he learn to talk well about Nigeria 

and Nigerians to attract foreign investments 

or will he continue to paint Nigerians in 

bad light? It is up to him to decide. The 

praise singers and flatterers will scoff at 

these suggestions and even label them as 

the lamentations of a wailer. But one thing 

to note is that a significant number of the 

population did not vote for his second 

coming. This must be a cause of concern for 

any people-focused government. Let’s hope 

the story will be different next time and no 

more excuses, please. 

•Ikhioya, www.southsouthecho.com, 

Twitter: @SunnyIkhioya

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 , 2019 — 19 

Nigeria records $2.8bn Balance of 

Payments surplus in Q4’18 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

Nigeria’s Balance of 

Payments (BOP) 

improved to $2.1 billion surplus in 

the fourth quarter of 2018 (Q4’18), 

representing 162 percent increase 

when compared with the $4.54 

billion deficit recorded in the third 

quarter of the year (Q3’18). 

The improvement was driven by 

21 percent decline in imports and 

2.1 percent increase in exports 

during the quarter. 

The CBN disclosed this 

yesterday in a report titled: “Brief 

on Balance of Payments Statistics 

Q4’18.” 

The report stated: “The 

provisional Balance of Payments 

(BOP) estimates for Q4’18 showed 

a significant improvement in the 

BOP outcome as the overall 

balance of payments recorded a 

surplus of $2.8 billion compared 

to a huge deficit of $4.542 billion 

and a surplus of $6.18 billion 

recorded in the preceding quarter 

and corresponding period of 2017, 

respectively. 

“The current account balance 

(CAB) improved from a deficit of 

$1.544 billion in Q3’18 to a surplus 

of $1.104 billion in Q4’18. The 

financial account balance 

indicated a net acquisition of 

financial assets of $2.328 billion in 

the review period as against a net 

incurrence of financial liabilities of 

$4.62 billion recorded in the 

preceding period. 

“The current account indicated 

a positive outcome during the 

review period, recording a surplus 

of $1.105 billion as against a deficit 

of $1.544 billion and a surplus of 

$3.657 billion in the previous 

quarter and corresponding period 

of 2017, respectively. This 

development was largely 

attributable to the decrease in 

imports and payments on income. 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$94.50 0.50 

2,189.00 0.00 

$12.31 0.02 

$66.42 -0.16 

$56.78 -0.01 

305.95 306.45 306.95 

399.4483 400.1011 400.7539 

344.4385 345.0014 345.5643 

302.8908 303.3858 303.8808 

2.7494 2.7539 2.7584 

0.5052 0.5152 0.5252 

423.7266 424.4191 425.1116 

45.5674 45.6423 45.7172 

81.578 81.7113 81.8446 

425.4457 426.1411 426.8365 

46.1442 46.2196 46.295 

. 21.349 21.3839 21.4188 

CBN Exchange rate as at 12/03/2019 

“The surplus in the Goods 

Account increased significantly to 

$6.794 billion in Q4 2018 from 

surpluses of $3.76 billion in the 

preceding quarter and $5.473 

billion recorded in the 

corresponding period of 2017. 

“Export earnings rose by 2.8 per 

cent to $16.656 billion in Q4 2018 

when compared with Q3 2018. It 

also indicated an increase of about 

27.6 per cent when compared to 

corresponding Period of 2017. 

Earnings from crude oil and gas, 

which accounted for 93.8 per cent 

of total export earnings during the 

review period, increased by 2.1 

per cent to $15.62 billion in Q4 

2018 when compared with the 

preceding quarter, while earnings 

from non-oil and electricity exports 

increased by 15 per cent to $1.035 

billion in Q4 2018 when compared 

with the preceding quarter. 

“Available data showed that 

payments for import of goods (fob) 

to the economy in the review 

period decreased significantly by 

21 per cent to $9.862 billion below 

the level recorded in the preceding 

quarter. This was largely as a result 

of 20 percent decrease in the 

imports of non-oil products. 

“Net out-payments for services 

during the review period 

increased by 17 per cent to a deficit 

of $8.288 billion when compared 

with the level recorded in Q3 2018. 

When compared with the 

corresponding period of 2017, it 

indicated a much higher increase 

of about 77 percent. 

“However, the deficit in the 

income account (net) decreased by 

11 per cent to $3.714 billion in the 

review period from a deficit of 

$4.162 billion recorded in the 

preceding quarter. When 

compared with the level in the 

corresponding period of 2017, it 

indicated an increase of about 25 

percent. 

“The surplus in the current 

transfers (net) increased by 5.7 per 

cent to $6.312 billion in Q4 2018 

when compared with the 

preceding quarter. However, the 

level of surplus was 8.0 percent 

higher than the level recorded in 

the corresponding period of 2017. 

“Direct Investments inflow 

decreased by 28 percent to $314.44 

million when compared with the 

preceding quarter of 2018. It 

however, indicated a decline of 67 

percent when compared to the 

corresponding period of 2017.’’ 

L-R: Deputy Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna; CEO, Netherlands 

Development Finance Company (FMO), Peter Van Mierlo and Group Managing Director/ 

CEO, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe at the signing ceremony of $162.5m Subordinated 

Syndicated Loan to Access Bank at the Hague, Netherlands. 

Appeal Court affirms SEC’s regulatory oversight 

over public companies 

By Peter Egwuatu 

THE Court of 

Appeal has 

affirmed the powers of 

the Securities and 

Exchange Commission, 

SEC, to intervene in the 

management and 

control of any public 

company which is 

considered to have 

failed, is failing or is in 

crises. 

SEC revealed this in 

a statement made 

available to Vanguard 

yesterday stressing that 

the Commission is 

statutorily mandated as 

the apex regulator of the 

Nigerian capital market 

to ensure the protection 

of investors and 

maintain a fair, efficient 

and transparent market. 

The statement is 

titled: “The Court of 

Appeal Decision in Securities 

And Exchange Commission vs. 

Big Treat Plc & 5 Others Reaffirms 

the Commission’s Regulatory 

Oversight over Public 

Companies in Nigeria”. 

It stated: “Recall that in 2008, 

the SEC conducted an 

investigation on Big Treat Plc a 

public listed company (1st 

Respondent) and its directors 

which revealed several 

infractions of the Investments 

and Securities Act 2007 such as 

inadequate internal control 

systems and a breakdown of 

corporate governance in the 

company. 

“Based on the foregoing, and 

pursuant to the provisions of 

Section 13 (v) of the ISA 2007, 

the Commission in 2010 

approached the Federal High 

Court seeking a number of reliefs 

against Big Treat Plc 

(1stRespondent), three of its 

directors – Pamela Wu, Harries 

Wu, Steve Wu – and two entities 

owned by them – New Frontier 

Engineering and Construction 

Company Ltd and Skyone 

Group of Companies Ltd with a 

view to preserving the assets of 

the 1st Respondent. 

“In the course of the 

proceedings, the Commission 

applied for and was granted an 

ex-parte order of interim 

injunction. However, the exparte 

order was subsequently 

vacated. 

“The Commission appealed 

against the decision of the 

Federal High Court and the sole 

issue for determination as raised 

by the Commission before the 

Court of Appeal was “whether 

the lower court was right when 

it held that the 1st Respondent 

(Big Treat PLC) is not a capital 

market operator because it does 

not play any specific role in the 

capital market and as such, not 

registerable or subject to the 

control of the Appellant (the 

Commission).” 

FG to enhance 

private 

investments, 

remove 

bottlenecks to 

growth - Fashola 

By Naomi Uzor 

Federal Government has 

promised to encourage 

private sector investment for 

infrastructure development and 

also removed bottlenecks to 

economic growth. 

Minister for Works, Housing 

and Power, Babatunde Raji 

Fashola made this promise 

while speaking at the opening 

ceremony of the 2019 edition of 

the Manufacturing Equipment 

Expo (NME) and 

Manufacturing Partnership for 

African Development (mPAD), 

tagged “Optimizing Value Chain 

to Maximize Growth and 

Competitiveness in the 

Manufacturing Sector”. 

Fashola said the 

Muhammadu Buhari led federal 

government in a bid to create an 

enabling environment for 

manufacturing and other 

businesses has provided basic 

infrastructure such as roads, 

power, rail lines and water. 

Fashola who was represented 

by Engr. Ibi Terna, Director, 

Highways Development, said 

improved transport infrastructure 

is expected to improve the time 

and cost of access to raw 

materials/finished goods and 

ensure wider market for the sale 

of manufactured products. 

He said: “However, being 

aware that public funds are not 

adequate to provide the desired 

level of infrastructure due to other 

competitive demands on public 

resources, policies have been put 

in place to encourage the private 

sector to partner with the federal 

government in the provision of 

this critical infrastructure”. 

“The Federal Government’s 

focus on previously comatose 

road projects on major arterial 

routes like the Enugu-Port 

Harcourt Highway, Apapa- 

Oworonshoki Highway, Lagos- 

Ibadan Highway, Kano- 

Maiduguri Highway, Lokoja- 

Benin Highway and Kaduna 

Eastern By pass to mention a few 

is not accidental; it is targeted at 

increasing manufacturing 

capacity and national 

productivity. Such projects are 

now making steady progress 

towards early completion.” 

Chairman, Flour Mills 

Nigeria, John Coumantaros said 

the topic gave Nigerians an 

opportunity to look at the 

seemingly obstinate challenges 

that they must contend with in 

the manufacturing sector, 

including the widening 

infrastructure deficit, 

unfavourable policies, 

dwindling consumer spending, 

and its attendant effect on our 

bottom line.




Storytelling videos to dominate advertising 

in 2019 

Stories by Princewill 

Ekwujuru 

MARKETING experts 

have projected 

increase in the use of video 

as major means for advertisement 

in 2019 with 

more than 48 percent 

brands expected to add storytelling 

into their advertising 

content this year. 

The experts said this percentage 

is a result of technology 

and the storytelling 

techniques brands will deploy 

to drive consumer 

attention. The experts also 

said as technology and 

search engines increase in 

velocity, so do the strategies 

marketers will employ to 

engage consumers online, 

especially through Youtube. 

Likewise, they stated that 

social media presence, innovative 

new technology integrations, 

and strong 

behind-the-scenes strategies 

and measurement plans 

will be the benefits brands 

that use storytelling content 

will enjoy when they use 

search engines. 

Vanguard Companies and 

Markets (C&M) investigation 

showed that storytelling 

was deployed by 

majority of brands in Nigeria, 

especially in 2018, with 

*From Left: Mr. Eze Frank, Sales Manager, CCD Superstores, Mrs. Bukola 

Mato, Managing Director, Nic’s Butchery and Mrs. Iyobo Innih, Executive 

Director, CCD Superstores at the unveiling of Nic’s Butchery’s brand at the 

flagship CCD Superstores in Ogudu, Lagos. 

experts arguing that the 

trend will increase in 2019. 

The findings also showed 

that content marketing are 

tools employed by companies 

to reach their target audience 

incorporating Youtube 

and other social media 

search engines. 

Speaking at a briefing 

tagged: Ads Media Chat, 

Country Director, Google 

Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan- 

Chiazor, said that 17 million 

eyes through Youtube 

viewed top Ads in 2018 in 

Nigeria, while 257.5 million 

viewed top Ads 

globally. In Nigeria, 

Ehimuan-Chiazor said: 

“Last year, MTN’s ad, 

Traditional Wedding Day, 

recorded 2.6 million views, 

Jumia’s Black Friday - 2.3 

million views, Stanbic 

IBTC - Enabling you to be 

you - 2.1 million views, 

Union Bank of Nigeria - Enabling 

Success - 2.7million 

views, United Bank for 

Africa's advert, 919 Dance 

Video recorded 1.6million 

views. Others are MTN 

Mpulse advert-The Takeover 

which had 1.6million 

views, Airtel NG - The-Inlaws 

advert-Tutorial got 1.4 

million views, P&G Nigeria 

advert- Ariel Assurance recorded 

1.3 million views, 

GTBank advert-Come Let’s 

Eat Together - GTBank 

Food & Drink 2018 had 1.2 

million views and LG Inverter 

advert–The new Inverter 

Equation of home appliances 

recorded 1.2 

milion views. 

She added: “Looking at 

this year’s top ads on You- 

Tube, we find a few key 

trends such that emotive 

storytelling is key to building 

brand love and preference 

as shown in Airtel NG 

advert-The In-laws. How 

MTN's Traditional Wedding 

day advert depicts how culture 

connects. 

Music found a place at the 

heart of YouTube - so it’s no 

surprise to see many brands 

riffing on musical themes 

this year, like UBA’s advert, 

919 dance video.” 

Amid a year of political 

and social turmoil, she 

said: “Many brands chose 

to take a stance on social 

topics, leading to some of 

the year’s most thoughtprovoking 

works, including 

Union Bank’s commercial, 

Enabling success.” 

In global Ad view, she 

stated that the 2018 Global 

Year-End, YouTube Ads 

show that Amazon Super 

Bowl LII Commercial-Alexa 

Loses Her Voice was 

viewed by 50.1 million eyes. 

On the YouTube music advert—Open 

The World of 

Music recorded 39.5 

million views, OPPO F7- 

Real SHomePod — 

Welcome Home by Spike 

Jonze — an Apple advert 

had 16.3million views, 

Gatorade|Heart of a Lio advert, 

had 13.7million views 

and Support Makes Real 

Hero advert, had 31.7million 

views, Nike’s-Dream 

Crazy commercial recorded 

27.3 million views. 

Others are Turkish Airlines' 

advert -Safety Video 

with The Lego Movie Characters 

had 25.2 million 

views, Groupon 2018 Super 

Bowl Commercial-Who 

Wouldn’t, recorded 25.5 

million views, Samsung 

Galaxy commercial: 

Moving On, recorded 17.4 

million views, Rescue Blue 

the Dinosaur-Lego Jurassic 

World-Pick Your Path commercial 

had 10.8 million 

views. 

According to a content 

marketing expert with 

SpringBoards Nigeria, 

Morris Ibeabuchi, "storytelling 

content is the way to 

go now. I am glad some 

Nigerian brands are toeing 

the line. Content marketing 

is a strategic and storytelling 

marketing approach focused 

on creating and distributing 

valuable, relevant 

and consistent content to attract 

and retain a clearly 

defined audience and ultimately 

to drive customer 

action. 

“I can tell you for free that 

this year, brands that follow 

the social media, especially 

Youtube will have an advantage 

over those that do 

not. Majority of business-tobusiness 

(B2B) and business-to-consumer 

(B2C) 

marketers who advertise 

using the social media will 

increase their market leadership 

because most consumers 

watch ads online 

these days.” 

Speaking, Adewole Aromale 

of Darths Communications, 

Lagos said: “Video 

will be growing this year 

with estimated 48 per cent 

of marketers planning to 

add Youtube to their marketing 

plans, while 46 per 

cent plan to add facebook 

video. 2019 will be about 

creating interesting storytelling 

content people want 

to engage with. Do not talk 

about your brand, create 

content people can relate 

with, watch or listen to.”

Our son’s wife threw him out and 

we want him out too! 

Dear Bunmi. 

Our 34-year-old son moved 

out of the family home as 

soon as he graduated six 

years ago, partly because we 

wouldn’t let him smoke or 

come home drunk. 

Three years ago, he got 

married and moved in with 

his wife’s family and had a 

child. Now he’s been thrown 

out of the house. We let him 

back home expecting it to be 

for a few months until he 

could find somewhere more 

permanent. 

But not only has he made 

no effort to look for a place 

of his own, he smokes in the 

house and even complains 

about his meals. My husband 

is too disappointed by 

his behaviour. Things just 

can’t go on the way they are. 

Rele, by e-mail. 

Dear Rele, 

Sometimes, no matter what 

you say or do, children will 

want to do their own thing. 

But their upbringing sets the 

tone for much of their behaviour. 

If you let them behave 

like tyrants as children, 

they’ll continue to do so as 

adults. 

It sounds to me as if you’ve 

never drawn a line and said: 

“This far and no further." The 

result is a selfishness and 

self-destructiveness that does 

no good to anyone. 

I sympathise with your husband’s 

frustration but I wonder 

if it would help if he stood 

up for both of you and start 

saying ‘no’. 

Your son is never going to 

be able to function well as 

an adult, a husband or a father 

unless he starts taking 

responsibility for his actions— 

and that might begin 

when you stop letting him 

get away with murder. Start 

today. 

Tell your son he should 

start thinking of leaving as 

soon as possible. Give him a 

date by which he must have 

a place of his own and insist 

if he doesn’t have one, he still 

moves out. Until then, he 

keeps to your rules. 

How could mum leave after all these years? 

Dear Bunmi, 

My parents have always 

fought like cat and dog. I got 

married to the first man that 

proposed to get away from 

their constant arguments 

and frosty atmosphere. 

Recently, mum’s late father’s 

estate was finally settled 

and she inherited a 

lovely flat. She’s since made 

it clear to us children she intends 

to leave dad as soon 

as the flat becomes vacant. 

They’ve been married for 

over 30 years and I’m sure 

our dad hasn’t a clue about 

how to look after himself and 

I can’t help feeling that 

mum’s being unreasonable, 

running out on him at this 

stage in their lives. 

It seems sad to get to this 

age and go their separate 

ways. Do you think I can 

make her reconsider? 

Abiola, by e-mail. 

Dear Abiola, 

Your mother has obviously 

given her decision to leave a 

great thought before the 

good fortune of an alternative 

came in to help her make 

up her mind. 

After all these years of rancour 

with your dad, she’s obviously 

had enough and 

wants to spend the rest of her 

life doing tAAhings that bring 

her happiness. 

After the initial shock, 

which you and your siblings 

should help him get over, 

both your parents will eventually 

be happier. Times have 

changed. 

If a couple aren’t happy, no 

one expects them to stick 

things out just for appearance’s 

sake. I know it is hard 

to accept but this is your 

mum’s decision. 

If she’s in good health, she 

could have years left to live 

and she probably doesn’t 

want to spend them in marriage. 

Don’t worry about your 

dad. With time he’ll come to 

accept his new status and 

could also make a happier 

life for himself. 

I don’t understand why I’m 

being unfaithful to my boyfriend 

as I love him a lot; I 

just believe that since I feel 

no guilt, there is no reason to 

stop. How can I stop? I don’t 

want to lose my boyfriend 

who is the best thing that has 

happened to me 

No guilt about being unfaithful 

Dear Bunmi, 

I’ve been in a serious relationship 

for close to a year 

now, but my problem is that I 

can’t stop cheating. I’ve always 

been a flirt and my boyfriend 

thinks I mean no harm 

by it. Recently, I’ve been doing 

more than flirting. 

A few weeks ago, I even allowed 

myself to be seduced by 

one of my boyfriend’s mates! 

I know it makes me look 

slutty, but I felt no qualms 

whatsoever—he’s just one of 

the few men I’ve cheated with 

since I started going out with 

this guy. 

I don’t understand why I’m 

being unfaithful to my boyfriend 

as I love him a lot. I 

just believe that since I feel 

no guilt, there is no reason to 

stop. How can I stop? I don’t 

want to lose my boyfriend who 

is the best thing that has happened 

to me. 

Wosilat, by e-mail. 

Dear Wosilat, 

I don’t think you are ready for 

a proper relationship. You might 

love your boyfriend, but you’re 

obviously not committed to him. 

There are many reasons why 

people stray. 

Maybe you’re attached to the 

thrill of secret flings or you’re 

frightened of being tied to only 

one relationship. You need to 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, March 13, 2019 —23 

Can I learn to live with his 

philandering? 

Dear Bunmi, 

I am 28 and my husband is 

three years older. We’ve been 

married for four years and have 

two lovely children. He has always 

cheated on me, even before 

we got married. Every time 

he has told me that these 

women mean nothing to him 

and that he loves only me, so I 

have learnt to forgive him. As 

far as I know, he’s been quiet 

now for about four months. 

I love my husband a lot and I 

don’t want to lose him, but I 

can’t get images of him with 

other women out of my head. 

I’ve tried to talk to him but he 

just gets angry and tells me to 

stop nagging. I’m scared that if 

I don’t put all this behind me 

and start to trust him, our marriage 

might suffer. 

I don’t think I can cope if he 

leaves. I’m scared of being on 

my own in spite of the fact that 

I have a good job and I don’t 

want to meet another man only 

to go through the whole heartache 

all over again. 

Tessy, by e-mail. 

Dear Tessy, 

Your response to this man’s 

repeated infidelity is inhibited by 

your fear of being on your own 

He said I asked for it! 

Dear Bunmi, 

I attended a friend’s party recently 

and accepted an offer of 

a lift from one of the guests as it 

was almost midnight. He’s not 

a boyfriend though he’s fairly 

well known to me. On the way 

home, he started fondling me 

and putting my hand on his 

crotch. 

I told him in no uncertain 

terms what I thought of his action, 

only for him to drive to a 

quiet spot and tried to rape me. 

I fought him off very violently 

and escaped into the night. 

I nearly died of fright as I 

made my way back to the main 

road and had to walk for a long 

time before I arrived at another 

friend’s place, who put me up 

for the night. 

Unfortunately, the man was 

not sorry for what he did and 

search your mind to see if you’re 

really in love with this man. 

Your best bet is to let your 

steady go before he discovers 

what you are up to and be thoroughly 

disgusted with you. 

Tell him you need a breather, 

then see if you can change your 

ways by considering your reputation 

and fear of STDs, especially 

AIDS. When you are sure 

you can be trusted, that’s when 

you’re ready to commit. 

with two children. I sympathise, 

yet your well-being and success 

as a woman do not depend on 

any one man. Right now, this 

marriage is not making you 

happy. You deserve the love of 

someone who will be true. 

A woman may rationalise her 

partner’s infidelity, as he is likely 

to do, and tells herself that his 

having sex with other people is 

unimportant. Your husband was 

telling the truth when he said 

that these brief encounters 

meant nothing to him. 

He has opportunistic sex when 

it was on offer, not because the 

women are beautiful, not even 

for the sake of variety, but because 

it stroked his ego. 

No woman feels secure if her 

partner has sex with other people, 

no matter how insignificant 

they are to him. Of course, 

you’re plagued by cruel images 

of his infidelity. 

One day, one of these women 

may gain his affection and steal 

him away from you and the 

children. You must not tolerate 

this. 

Don’t criticise your husband. 

Explain to him that his behaviour 

is endangering your love. 

If he still cannot commit, then 

you’ll either take him as he is or 

leave. 

some of his friends agreed that 

sometimes, if you accept a lift 

you must expect to be made a 

pass at. Is this fair? 

Susan, by e-mail. 

Dear Susan, 

You can’t rule out bad behaviour 

among some men no matter 

how respectable they look. 

Thankfully, not all of them are 

louts. To help you be on your 

guard, here are some tips experts 

advise you follow when 

going to a party or on a date: 

Always tell someone which 

party you are going and when 

you expect to be back. Carry a 

charged mobile phone and 

money if you are travelling by 

public transport. Don’t take 

drinks from strangers, or leave 

your drink unattended. Met 

someone new? Don’t go home 

with them or ask them back. 

Arrange another date. 

Agree with your mates to look 

out for each other. Then if you 

feel unsafe or ill, you’d have 

someone to turn to. Don’t ever 

walk home on your own. Don’t 

drink and drive. Take car keys 

away from a friend who might 

be tempted. 

On public transport, sit near 

the driver with an eye to the exit 

door. If using a taxi, avoid unlicensed 

ones (Kabukabu) and 

avoid a taxi that is already occupied. 

Lastly, stay alert and 

aware. Think ahead — what 

would you do if something went 

wrong? 

Share your problems and release your 

burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, 

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

C 

M 

Y 

K 

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY 13, MARCH, 2019 

R&D: FG to save N2.6trn in five years 

…vows to make research industry-driven 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

The Federal Government 

says the sum of N2.6 

trillion would be saved 

for the country in the next five 

years. 

Minister of Science and 

Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya 

Onu, disclosed this when the 

President of Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria, MAN, 

Engr. Mansur Ahmed paid 

him a courtesy visit in his 

office on Monday in Abuja. 

He said the feat would be 

achieved through the Natural 

Strategy for Competitiveness 

in Raw Materials being 

championed by the ministry. 

He said the government will 

develop necessary 

technology to promote 

innovation and make research 

by its agencies to be industrydriven. 

Dr. Onu said henceforth 

research efforts by Ministry 

will be industry driven and 

targeted at national needs, 

adding that this was to enable 

Nigeria stop the importation 

of what it could produce 

internally. 

The Minister said his 

Ministry has produced a 

leather policy that is expected 

to boost the leather industry 

and 

spearhead 

industrialization in the 

country. 

Dr. Onu also said that the BT 

cotton variety recently 

developed by the Ministry’s 

Agency-National 

Biotechnology Development 

Agency will go a long way in 

resuscitating our moribund 

textile industry and 

rejuvenate our cotton Sector. 

In his remarks, the President 

of MAN said the association 

wants a Public Private 

Partnership, PPP, with the 

Ministry for the purpose of 

improving and adding value 

to raw materials so as to boost 

industrialization. 

According to him, the 

collaboration will help develop 

sub-sectors of the economy 

which have the potentials to 

end the importation of 

finished products and create 

jobs. 

Tension in telecom sector: 

Telcos may 

review tariffs over 

double taxation 

•Seek harmonisation of regulation on 

environmental impact assessments 

By Prince Osuagwu 

(Hi-Tech Editor) 

&Emeka Aginam 

There appears to be 

tension in the 

telecom sector as 

telecommunications 

operators in the country 

threaten to review tariffs 

upwards if multiple regulation 

and taxation on their 

operations continue. 

The telcos through their 

umbrella body, the Association 

of 

Licensed 

Telecommunications Operators 

of Nigeria, ALTON are concerned 

that non harmonisation 

of taxes and levies by different 

tiers of government is 

stressing their businesses and 

makes return on investment 

difficult to attain. 

Their agitation followed a 

letter to the Federal 

government seeking 

clarification on whose right it 

is, between the federal and 

state governments to issue 

demand notices on 

Environmental Impact 

Assessment. 

The letter which ALTON on 

behalf of the telcos sent to the 

Director, Department of 

Environmental Impact 

Assessment, EIA, Ministry of 

Environment, alleged that the 

telecom industry was being 

over burdened with taxes and 

levies and that operators may 

be forced to review tariffs to 

offset the effect. 

The letter signed by ALTON 

Chairman, Engr Gbenga 

Adebayo reads in part: “We 

have received complaints 

from our members that they 

have been receiving demand 

notices for Environmental 

Impact Assessment, EIA, payment 

from some states government 

Ministries of Environment, 

which we considered 

as an aberration of the 

existing law”. 

With this development, we 

want to know if: 

*The Federal Ministry of 

Environment has ceded the 

EIA oversight functions to 

some state Ministry of Environment 

to issue EIA Certification 

to our members. 

*Some States Ministry of 

Environment, as the case 

may be, can conduct EIA 

process to our members 

without recourse to the 

Federal Ministry of 

Environment and National 

Environmental Standards 

and Regulations 

Enforcement Agency, 

NESREA. 

*The Statutory 

responsibility on 

environmental issues of the 

Federal Ministry of Environment, 

FME, has been transferred 

to state government. 

*The states now have power 

to collect ecological fund 

from private sector after payment 

has been made to them 

by the federal government. 

“We kindly request from the 

Federal Ministry of Environment 

to clarify these posi- 

tions, to guide us in our 

dealing with the situation and 

to advise our members 

accordingly” According to 

him, “Tax is regarded as an 

oxygen to development but if 

oxygen is too much, it could 

lead to disaster. Our members 

are responsible corporate 

citizens of the country and 

natural partners in progress 

that follows due processes”. 

When Hi-Tech further 

engaged Adebayo on the 

issue, he argued that his 

members obtain EIA from the 

Federal Ministry of 

Environment through 

NESREA in collaboration with 

each State Ministry of 

Environment, but regretted 

that the States are now coming 

to demand for another process 

Tax is regarded as 

an oxygen to 

development but 

if oxygen is too 

much, it could 

lead to disaster. 

Our members are 

responsible 

corporate citizens 

of the country and 

natural partners 

in progress that 

follows due 

processes 

•Telecom mast 

directly from telcos, amounting 

to multiple taxation and 

charges. 

He alleged that Tax and 

Levy Amended Order 2015 

signed by the former Minister 

of Finance in the last 

administration, created a lot 

of confusion in the taxes and 

levies regime, negating 

government ease of doing 

business programme by 

making the environment 

harsh to do business in. 

He called on the federal 

government to look at the 

order again with the view of 

harmonising processes and 

making the environment free 

for business. 

Some industry practitioners 

who spoke to Hi-Tech also regretted 

that the issues of EIA 

Demand Notices by some 

states has led to sealing of 

many telecommunication 

sites causing issues in 

quality of service which 

eventually leaves the 

subscriber frustrated. 

A Lagos-based telecom 

Engineer, Mr Chima Obasa 

said: "This issue of double 

taxation has been a 

reccuring one. The federal 

government should look 

critically at the demands of 

the telecom operators, particularly 

in the area of declaring 

telecommunication 

infrastructure as Critical 

National Infrastructure. That 

is the only way we will make 

progress, forestall incessant 

harassment on the operators 

and avert their plan to take 

advantage of these issues to 

review the tariffs upwards 

which will not affect only the 

subscribers but the economy 

too.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 — 25 

Emerging trends: ''1.1bn people at 

risk of developing hearing loss’’ 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

The World Health 

Organization, WHO, says 

1.1 billion youths are at risk 

hearing loss. 

This was disclosed at the 

launch of safe listening toolkit 

to protect peoples’ hearing, at 

this year’s World Hearing Day, 

in Mauritius. It is observed 

internationally to prevent the 

scourge of hearing loss. 

WHO warned that those 

listening to loud to music or listening 

for too long must be 

careful because unsafe listening 

practices contribute to irreversible 

hearing loss. 

WHO Director-General, Dr 

Tedros Ghebreyesus, who 

made the disclosure, said 

greater number of young 

people will be at risk because 

of the rising access to 

technology. He added that 

these young people are more 

at risk, because they listen to 

music for too long and too loud. 

“Once hearing loss sets in, 

due to loud sounds, it cannot 

be reversed. Such hearing 

loss, if unaddressed, can 

greatly impact one’s ability to 

communicate, be educated or 

find and hold suitable 

employment. 

Meanwhile, WHO’s Lead on 

prevention of deafness; Dr 

Shelly Chandha, said ITU is 

promoting the Safe Listening 

Toolkit, a reference guide for 

implementing the ITU Safe 

Listening Standard. 

According to ITU, the toolkit 

launch provided practical 

guidance to support Member 

States, industry partners and 

civil society groups to use and 

implement the WHO-ITU 

H.870 international standard 

on safe listening devices and 

system. 

Chandha, explained: “It is a 

set of recommendations for safe 

listening features that should 

be included on every personal 

listening device like a smart 

phone or an MP3 player.” 

She explained that there are 

three sets of features: a software 

that tracks how much and how 

long you are listening, and tells 

you how much sound you are 

getting, a safety feature that 

includes automatic volume 

reduction and parental control 

like giving people an optional 

safety belt in their device and 

making this information available 

to the user at the touch of the 

fingertip, so he can find out how 

much sound you have consumed 

today, or over the last week. 

According to her, “The next 

step is for countries to take 

these standards and turn them 

MTN makes entry to mobile 

world easy with Smart 

feature phone 

into regulations to protect the 

hearing of their people.” 

For ITU Deputy Secretary- 

General, Mr Malcolm Johnson, 

“It’s something we can all relate to. 

I certainly can relate to it because I 

have two granddaughters who are 

very active in their school rock 

band, and I’m always asking them 

to keep the sound down a bit. Now 

they will be able to see on their 

device that they are giving 

themselves a risk of losing their 

hearing.” 

New LG OLED TVs debut, 

boost TV market 

By Juliet Umeh 

LG Electronics has 

announced 2019 premium 

TV line-up featuring advanced 

OLED and NanoCell TVs 

promising they will begin rolling 

out this week. 

According to the electronic 

manufacturer, the OLED models 

will make up 20 percent of the 

company’s high-end TV portfolio 

and with demand for OLED TVs 

expected to grow this year to 3.6 

million units, seven million units 

in 2020 and 10 million in 2021, 

LG expects to extend its leadership 

in the premium TV segment. 

According to LG customers in 

Fueltrax sponsors Nigerian-American naval 

officer to NASCAR outdoor race 

By Juliet Umeh 

United States (US) company, Fueltrax, 

says it has expressed interest in sponsoring 

a Nigerian-American Naval Academy 

graduate and US Navy officer, LT Jesse Iwuji, 

for a marine race competition in Las Vegas, US. 

Fueltrax, is a United States-based company 

that operates in the maritime industry. The 

sponsorship will see Iwuji making his first ever 

Las Vegas Motor Speedway start in the 

NASCAR gander outdoor truck series race, 

making him the only serving military member 

racing in NASCAR. 

Announcing the sponsorship, CEO of the 

company, Anthony George, said: “It’s a passion 

for us to give back to young men and women 

and help them reach their dreams. Iwuji is 

a big dreamer and a hard worker and we are 

honoured to help him continue on his journey 

to success in NASCAR.” 

The West Africa Operations Manager of 

Fueltrax, Bene Okorie, said: “We are so grate- 

ful for our Nigerian-based marine operators 

and proud to support Iwuji both as one from 

our community and as a first-generation American 

pursing his dreams. Nigerians everywhere 

should be proud of Jesse’s success” 

he added. Meanwhile, Citracks, a locallybased 

service partner for Fueltrax in Nigeria, 

also expressed excitement over the partnership 

deal, adding that it will further boost marine 

operations management both in Nigeria 

and in the United States of America, more so 

that over 50 per cent of Fueltrax operations 

are based in Nigeria. 

Head of operations at Citracks, Frances 

Ogujawa, said: “We partnered Fueltrax to 

oversee system installation because they set 

the standard for Electronic Fuel Management 

System (EFMS) in Nigeria, making the services 

that we both provide our clients more 

reliable and easier to support locally. The partnership 

highlights the high performance standards 

of not only Fueltrax, but also of their local 

partners like Citrax.” 

South Korea and the United 

States will be the first to take home 

the products starting this month 

with availability in key markets 

of Asia, Europe and South America 

to follow thereafter. 

President of Mobile Communications 

and Home Entertainment, 

Mr. Brian Kwon, said: “This 

year’s OLED and NanoCell LCD 

TVs will offer upgraded AI picture 

and sound quality thanks to 

the company’s advanced secondgeneration 

Alpha 9 Gen 2 intelligent 

processor and deep learning 

technology. 

“New LG TVs will receive an 

upgrade mid-year to support 

Apple AirPlay 2 and Apple 

HomeKit for easy streaming of 

video and audio content 

and connectivity 

to Apple’s smart home 

products. 2019 LG TV 

owners can also 

expect to receive a 

firmware update that 

will add Amazon 

Alexa support to 

complement Google 

Assistant which is 

included out of the 

box, making LG the 

only TV brand to provide 

support for both leading AI 

platforms without the need for 

additional hardware. 

“The ±9 Gen 2 processor in LG’s 

W, E and C series of OLED TVs 

elevates picture and sound quality 

with deep learning technology 

and access to an extensive 

database of visual information. 

This allows the processor to 

optimize the images by 

recognizing source quality and 

implementing the best algorithm 

to display a stunningly real image. 

The processor also analyzes 

ambient conditions to achieve the 

optimal level of screen brightness. 

“Moreover, 2019 TVs from LG 

intelligently adjust content 

compatible with Dolby Vision to 

ensure an outstanding HDR 

experience, even in brightly lit 

conditions. It also fine-tunes audio 

according to a content type, 

making a movie and TV dialogue 

easier to understand and 

delivering crisp, clear vocals in 

songs. 

By Prince Osuagwu 

MTN Nigeria has taken the 

gauntlet of ensuring every 

new entrant to the mobile 

world, does so in a smart way. This is 

as the telco has launched an affordable 

smart feature phone, MTN Smart, designed 

as a feature phone but with 

almost all the features of a high end 

smart phone. 

Besides, the company ensures the 

smart phone is relatively affordable. 

The 3G KaiOS smart feature phone, 

allows customers to upgrade from a 

typical feature phone with only voice 

and text capabilities, to a fully 

connected device with a fast 3G 

internet connection, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 

GPS, dual SIM 3G capabilities. It has 

an App Store and comes pre-loaded 

with the most popular Apps available 

in the market today, including but not 

limited to WhatsApp, Facebook, 

Twitter, YouTube and Google Maps 

Chief Marketing Officer, MTN 

Nigeria, Rahul De while unveiling the 

device, said: “Despite rising mobile 

phone penetration and increasing 

data consumption, device affordability 

remains a significant disincentive 

for most Nigerians. The MTN Smart 

feature phone is a great, affordable 

and tailor-made solution aimed at 

bridging this device gap and ensuring 

that every Nigerian is able to benefit 

from the modern, connected life.” 

The phone which boasts of two 

•Abiodun Ajayi, GM, Data & Devices, MTN Nigeria; Adekunle Adebiyi, Sales & 

Distribution Executive, MTN Nigeria; Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise 

Business Officer, MTN Nigeria; Rahul De, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria 

and Richard Iweanoge, GM, Brand & Communications, MTN Nigeria at the launch 

of the MTN Smart feature phone that held on the 6th of March, 2019 in Lagos. 

cameras, a 2-day battery life with 

2000mAh battery, is powered by the 

SC7731EF processor, has a 2.4-inch 

screen, 256MB RAM and 512MB of 

storage and runs on the increasingly 

popular KaiOS operating system 

MTN said the device is available in 

all MTN stores and comes with free 

500MB monthly data for the first six 

months.


Amnesty Programme: 365 Days 

of Dokubo’s Restoration Mission 

By Murphy Ganagana 

MADAM Ekioukere 

Foster hails from 

Bayelsa State but resident in 

Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi 

Local Government Area 

of Delta State. A few weeks 

ago, she was among thousands 

of beneficiaries of starter 

packs distributed by the 

Presidential Amnesty Programme 

to empower residents 

of communities impacted 

during the Niger Delta crises. 

Since luck visited her 

through the Special Adviser to 

the President on Niger Delta 

and Coordinator, Amnesty 

Amnesty Programme, Prof. 

Charles Dokubo, the 57-yearold 

woman has been consumed 

by joy and a burning 

zeal for a new life fired by hope. 

Ekioukere shares same fate 

with several Niger Deltans including 

the aged, youth, men 

and women. While beneficiaries 

of the Amnesty Programme 

are savouring a new 

dawn, residents of communities 

in the Niger Delta region 

have also invested a balloon 

of hope in the Programme propelled 

by Prof. Dokubo’s passion 

for work and commitment. 

And they hold belief that 

their optimism is not misplaced. 

Today, (Wednesday) March 

13, marks Dokubo’s one year 

in office, a period character- 

ized by fresh initiatives and 

events that has put smiles on 

the faces of not only beneficiaries 

of the Amnesty Programme, 

but on their parents, 

brothers and sisters. For close 

watchers of activities at the 

Amnesty Office, that the Abonnema, 

Rivers State-born erudite 

professor of international 

repute and nuclear scientist 

recorded tremendous 

achievements within a period 

of one year was not surprising 

as he set out to pilot the 

Amnesty Programme on full 

throttle. 

Angel of peace 

On assumption of office in 

March 2018, Dokubo engaged 

critical stakeholders in 

the Niger Delta in consultative 

meetings geared towards 

deepening peace in the volatile 

region. Apart from key 

leaders of ex-agitators, he also 

met severally Niger Delta elders, 

elders and stakeholders 

in Lagos. Among critical 

stakeholders who attended 

some of the meetings were 

Chief Bibopre Ajube, aka 

General Shoot-at-Sight; Dr. 

Ebikabowei Victor Ben, alias 

Boyloaf, and a representative 

HRH Ateke Tom. Representatives 

of other frontline leaders 

of ex-agitators in the Niger 

Delta including Chief 

Government Ekpemupolo 

alias Tompolo, also attended. 

On June 7, 2018, he met 

with over 30 Phase One leaders 

of Niger Delta ex-agitators 

at the Abuja Sheraton Hotels 

and Towers in furtherance of 

his peace efforts, and parleyed 

70 Phase Two and Three 

leaders the next day at same 

venue. He had earlier hosted 

the leadership of the Pan Niger 

Delta Forum (PANDEF), 

and visited a former Federal 

Commissioner for Information 

and respected Ijaw leader, 

Chief Edwin Clark, in his 

determination to deepen 

peace in the Niger Delta. 

A New Dawn 

As a first step after mounting 

the saddle, Dokubo constituted 

a committee headed 

by a university teacher, Prof. 

Ayibaemi Spiff, to review operations 

of the Amnesty Programme. 

Part of the findings 

of the committee was that 

while the Amnesty Office had 

undertaken the construction 

of five Vocational Training/ 

Reintegration Centres across 

states in the Niger Delta, however, 

even when two of the centres 

(in Ondo and Bayelsa 

States) were near completion, 

had been activated for 

the training of thousands of 

persons enrolled on the Programme 

that are yet to be 

skilled due to the failure of the 

Amnesty Office to pay in full 

the contract sums, lack of 

proper supervision and demand 

for variation by some 

of the contractors. 

Interestingly, of the 30,000 

persons enlisted in the Presidential 

Amnesty Programme, 

11,297 persons are yet to be 

placed in either vocational 

training facilities or deployed 

for formal education as of 

when Dokubo assumed office. 

But he has completed, 

equipped and activated the 

Oil and Gas Vocational 

Training Centre at Agadagba- 

Obon, Ondo State, and also 

commissioned the Basic 

Skills Vocational Training 

Centre at Boro Town, Bayelsa 

State. To fast track the training 

of the several beneficiaries 

awaiting skills acquisition, 

Prof. Dokubo performed 

a foundation laying ceremony 

for an Agricultural Vocational 

Training Centre in 

Gelegele, Edo State on Friday, 

February 15, just as he 

has intensified efforts to complete 

a Power and Energy Vocational 

Training Centre located 

at Bomadi, Delta State, 

and the Maritime Vocational 

Training Centre at Oboama, 

Rivers State. So far, a total of 

1, 401 beneficiaries of the Amnesty 

Programme have been 

trained in various skills between 

March 13, 2018 when 

he assumed office to date. 

Cognizant of the fact that 

the success of the Reintegration 

component of the Amnesty 

Programme depended 

largely on the Re-insertion 

part of it which entails aiding 

processes of returning already 

trained ex-agitators to 

On his path of 

charting a new 

course for the 


Dokubo 

has surmounted 

several 

obstacles by 

sheer determination 

civil society, Dokubo has taken 

bold steps on empowerment, 

through the provision 

of start-up packs and mentoring 

for several already trained 

and qualified ex-agitators to 

become entrepreneurs. In this 

regard, 1,165 already trained 

beneficiaries of the Amnesty 

Programme were empowered 

in various trade areas 

within his one year in office. 

In the area of education, 

1,230 beneficiaries of the Programme 

were offered scholarship 

and deployed in 11 

partnering institutions within 

the country between January 

30 and 31, 2019, while about 

35 are set to be deployed to 

various institutions offshore. 

207 students spread across 

66 institutions in 20 countries 

are currently studying various 

courses. On Thursday, July 19, 

2018, he visited students sponsored 

by the Amnesty Programme 

in London and met 

with 47 students and recent 

graduates from 25 institutions 

in the UK at the Nigeria High 

Commission. The objective of 

the visit was to enable him 

evaluate the students’ academic 

progress, celebrate 

those completing their programmes 

and charge the remaining 

ones to be good am- 

Prof. Charles Dokubo. 

bassadors of the Programme. 

Determined to facilitate job 

placement for beneficiaries of 

the Amnesty Programme, 

Prof. Dokubo created a Job 

Placement and International 

Development Partners Engagement 

Unit (JPIDPEU) on 

May 2, 2018. So far, the unit 

has profiled 28 delegates for 

underwater welding jobs in oil 

servicing companies; 100 delegates 

for civil service jobs and 

10 delegates for aviation crop 

spray pilot jobs. It has also 

concluded profiling of 25 delegates 

for catering services, 

hotel and fast food jobs and 

75 delegates for other job opportunities. 

This is just the beginning 

of an action plan of 

the Post Training Engagement 

and Job Placement units of 

the Amnesty Office for the next 

two years. Besides, a DFID 

funded project–to MADE 

(Market Development in the 

Niger Delta), is sponsoring a 

training for trainers programme 

for 20 delegates of 

the Amnesty Programme in 

Agricultural Extension. 

Recently, the Director General 

National Agency for Food 

and Drug Administration and 

Control (NAFDAC), Prof. 

Moji Adeyeye granted approval 

for the Amnesty Programme 

to use 23 Technology 

Incubation centres allocated 

to the office by National 

Board for Technology Incubation 

(NBTI) for cluster manufacturing 

by beneficiaries of 

the Programme. The centres 

would be used by delegates to 

produce their products for the 

purpose of obtaining NAF- 

DAC Registration numbers. 

The delegates have been 

trained on production of rice, 

garri, plantain-flour, plantain-chips, 

chinchin, smoked 

fish, chicken, snail and fruit 

juice production, among others. 

On his path of charting a 

new course for the Amnesty 

Programme, Dokubo has surmounted 

several obstacles by 

sheer determination. And the 

tonic required to motive him 

is the support and encouragement 

from critical stakeholders 

and other quarters which 

he doesn’t lack. For Chairman 

of the Senate Committee 

on Niger Delta, Senator 

Peter Nwabushi who spoke at 

the commissioning of the Oil 

and Gas Basic Skills Vocational 

Training Centre, 

Agadagba-Obon, Ese Odo 


Ondo State, Dokubo deserve 

commendation for his prudent 

management of funds allocated 

to the Amnesty Programme 

and his transparency. 

“The Presidential Amnesty 

Programme which was established 

in the year 2009 has 

had four chief executives as 

Special Advisers/Coordinators. 

Of all the four, I can confidently 

say that the present 

Coordinator has been very 

proactive and eager to realize 

the mandate of the Programme… 

In his short time in office, he 

has really demonstrated capacity 

to transform the Niger 

Delta region for sustainable 

development. Our committee 

is very pleased with his efforts; 

he is a square peg in a square 

hole”. 

While the Director of Research 

at the National Institute 

for Policy and Strategic 

Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau 

State, Prof. Habu Galadima 

says Dokubo has provided 

the needed strategic 

leadership towards actualizing 

the objectives of the Presidential 


the ruling All Progressive Party 

(APC) gave him kudos for 

deepening peace and stabilizing 

the Niger Delta. In a letter 

of commendation signed by 

its national secretary, Mai 

Mala Buni, the APC applauded 

Dokubo’s efforts at ensuring 

development in the oilrich 

region. It said the positive 

transformation of the Presidential 

Amnesty Programme 

was in line with the Change 

Agenda of President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s administration. 

But for Dokubo, the glory 

goes to the Almighty God and 

to President Buhari who has 

been a pillar of support for the 

people of Niger Delta. “Let 

me place on record that we 

are able to achieve all these 

because of the staunch and 

unalloyed support President 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

been giving the Amnesty Programme 

and the Niger Delta 

as a whole. On his fatherly 

watch, we have since reworked 

the Programme to 

focus on not just training but 

also job creation and empowerment 

of already trained 

beneficiaries. I can confirm to 

all stakeholders gathered 

here today that President Buhari 

loves the Niger Delta and 

its people”, he assured. 

*Ganagana is Special Assistant 

(Media) to Prof. Dokubo






32— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

Nigerian electorate are talking; are 

the politicians listening? 

JUST the morning after the 


assembly elections, it had become 

clear that Nigerian voters might 

have found their voice and are 

beginning to talk. All too often 

Nigerians are urged to vote as their 

vote is supposed to be the means 

through which they demonstrate 

their power of choice. But many 

times the voice of the voter hardly 

counts. The norm in the last 20 

years of the country’s return to 

democratic practice or civil 

governance, if it would seem too 

optimistic to describe what we’ve 

had until now as democracy, has 

been for the voice of the people to 

be stolen. 

The practice of indiscriminate 

thumbing of ballot and 

falsification of electoral figures 

was rife and all politicians had to 

do was to hire enough thugs to help 

with the execution of their illegal 

and criminal subversion of the will 

of the people. A lot of this still 

happens even in the just concluded 

2019 elections. But if the outcomes 

of some of these elections are 

anything to go by, if the way and 

manner Nigerians voted on 

February 23 and March 9, 2019 

are any indications of emerging 

patterns of voting, then the 

Nigerian voter may be wising up 

to the wiles of our politicians. 

There is every reason for those 

politicians who thought they could 

simply force their wish down the 

throat of the voter to realise that 

things are changing and very fast 

too. Politicians have the option 

now to listen to the voice of the 

people or risk being sent out of 

office. The choice is theirs to make. 

But it should be a thing of joy that 

politicians in certain parts of the 

country, particularly in the South- 

West, are being called to account. 

We saw signs of this during the 

governorship election in Osun 

State where after eight straight 

years of being in charge of 

governance in the state the All 

Progressives Congress Party, APC, 

struggled to hold back the 

challenge of the Peoples 

Democratic Party candidate, 

Demola Adeleke. 

Only months before that 

elections, Adeleke, a senator of the 

Nigerian state and uncle of the pop 

star, Davido, famous for his 

dancing rather than his political 

skills, had shamed the APC when 

his wish to replace as senatorial 

candidate his brother, Isiaka 

Adeleke, who suddenly died in the 

build up to the 2019 elections, was 

rebuffed. The younger Adeleke’s 

late entry into the race did not stop 

him from winning to the surprise 

of the APC leadership in the state. 

As if that was not enough, Demola 

Adeleke went on to challenge the 

APC candidate and now 

incumbent governor, Isiaka 

Adegboyega, and all but won the 

election that would later be 

declared ‘inconclusive’ by the 

Independent National Electoral 

Everywhere in 

Yorubaland, the 

people may be 

regaining their 

voice; but are the 

politicians 

listening? 

Commission. But for this electoral 

legerdemain, a trick that allowed 

the APC to engage in both 

appropriate and inappropriate 

rejig of its strategy in the brief 

interval before the conclusion of 

the electoral exercise, many 

Nigerians firmly believed and still 

believe that the PDP candidate 

would have won and probably did 

win that election. 

The APC under Rauf Aregbesola 

had frittered away the good will it 

enjoyed in the wake of its 

emergence in the state by its nonpayment 

of workers’ salaries for 

many months. Rather than being 

repentant, the government carried 

on as if it was best placed to know 

what was in the best interest of the 

people, often deciding to pursue 

causes the people did not buy into 

or were convinced of. The party 

that appeared beholden to leaders 

outside the state, especially the 

APC leader, Bola Tinubu, 

continued to harp on its supposed 

adherence to the welfarist 

principles of Obafemi Awolowo. 

Indeed the name of Awolowo was 

the magic mantra with which the 

APC held the people of the South- 

West for very long. It is the same 

name that the so-called 

progressives continue to mouth to 

win the support of voters in the 

South-West even when their 

political practices are at variance 

with the core principles of the 

Awolowo political school. Every 

two-penny politician in the South- 

West only needed to mouth their 

respect for Awolowo style of 

politics and the door is open for 

them to enter the ‘joy of their 

master’. Thus, the likes of Abiola 

Ajimobi, who was always at 

loggerheads with the people of 

Oyo State, was able to thump his 

nose at the people apparently 

because he had the support of Bola 

Tinubu and he was a member of 

the APC that claims to be 

committed to Awolowo’s welfarist 

policies. 

Otherwise, nothing ought to have 

recommended Ajimobi for a 

second term given his propensity 

for needless controversies. He 

owed workers many months’ 

salaries, called the bluff of 

students and lecturers in their 

demand for his intervention in the 

financial crisis that hit Ladoke 

Akintola University, LAUTECH. 

Rather than show interest in the 

plight of LAUTECH that was 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

partly owned by Oyo State, he 

chose to establish a so-called 

technical university that would 

serve only to massage his ego. And 

perhaps as a demonstration of 

hisdesire to have his way at the 

expense of the people, Ajimobi spat 

in the face of the Olubadan by his 

appointment of his traditional 

rulers to challenge the superiority 

of the paramount ruler of Ibadan. 

He did go after Fresh FM, a radio 

station owned by Yinka Ayefele, 

the popular juju musician where 

he demolished their office. 

In spite of all this and without 

any sign of remorse, Ajimobi 

bulldozed his way into the 

senatorial race in Oyo State, 

hoping to retire to the National 

Assembly after two terms as 

governor in the manner of many 

other former state governors. But 

the people of Oyo waited for him 

and spoke in one clear voice that 

put an end to his ambition among 

three other APC aspirants. This, 

notwithstanding, the last minute 

agreement his principals in the 

APC reached with opposition 

elements, including a former 

governor, Alao Akala, the people 

of Oyo State still punished the APC 

by voting for Seyi Makinde, the 

PDP candidate. Akala was taught 

the lesson of his life by the people 

of Ogbomoso. 

In Ondo where Rotimi 

Akeredolu is transforming into 

another Ajimobi, having forgotten 

how he emerged governor, the 

people spoke loudly. It was 

complete annihilation for the 

Saraki dynasty in Kwara. 

Everywhere in Yorubaland, the 

people may be regaining their 

voice. But are the politicians 

listening? Are they learning? 

Still on remedying the power sector 

By Ani Nkemjika Nnenne 

IN reaction to my article on 

“Remedying the power sector for 

service delivery”, an interesting and well 

thought-out piece by Carl Umegboro, 

published in several national dailies 

exposed the realisation of a comical truth: 

that “Up NEPA” is among the first few 

words mastered by infants in Nigeria. A 

phrase unanimously chorused even by 

adults, whenever there is flash of power, 

especially after long hours of no supply. 

The stimulating piece rightly 

acknowledged that tariff adjustments, 

government bailouts and subsidies are 

“positive ideas” toward solving the sector’s 

liquidity issues. It further posited that these 

ideas are “not feasible means of revenues” 

and advised DisCos to first, “consider all 

unconnected population to the grid as 

neglected, untapped or unexploited 

revenues”. 

Incidentally, a high number of 

unconnected populations without access 

to electricity are majorly in rural areas. 

Emphatically, Section 88 of the Electric 

Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 

established the Nigerian Rural 

Electrification Agency responsible for 

promoting, coordinating and 

administering electrification of rural and 

unserved population. In other words, 

electrification of “unconnected population” 

is outside the purview of DisCos 

responsibilities. 

Additionally, the concept of sourcing 

revenue through this medium does not 

support economies of scale. Due to the 

sparse nature of rural areas, they are 

powered by 33KV voltage level compared 

to urban areas that can be powered with 

11KV voltage level. Impliedly, rural areas 

may consume higher levels of electricity 

making connection to these areas more 

cost consuming, coupled with reluctance 

to pay electricity bills by majority of the 

rural population as they consider it a social 

benefit. 

Until urbanisation rates increase, grid 

extension is not cost-effective for providing 

access to electricity and therefore, may not 

happen without provision of subsidies or 

government funding. This is supported 

by the provisions of EPSRA which 

provides eligibility criteria for electrification 

of unconnected population to the extent 

that such activity must demonstrate 

technical, economic and financial viability 

for a sustained period. Until done, DisCos 

may be unable to extend service to potential 

rural customers as a way of increasing 

market share and earnings. 

Asserting that “the key factor affecting 

the sector is the defective privatisation that 

myopically mortgaged it to the people 

without in-depth knowledge of the sector 

unlike the government’s apt action in the 

telecommunications industry” appears to 

be an indictment on the National Council 

on Privatisation and the Bureau of Public 

Enterprise. They are required to conduct 

its affairs with high levels of transparency 

and accountability by ensuring investors 

meet the set technical and financial criteria. 

Conversely, comparing the power sector 

with the telecommunications industry is 

an unfair analogy. For example, the private 

wireless telecommunications companies in 

Nigeria have operated for 18 years (since 

2001) while the power sector postprivatisation 

era is five years (November 

2013). Similarly, big telecommunication 

giants like MTN are products of foreign 

direct investment characterised by 

deregulation of the telecom sector and not 

privatisation. Undeniably, the defunct 

NITEL is still battling the vagaries of an 

unfortunate privatisation exercise. 

Furthermore, the telecom sector tariff was 

market determined (and relatively high) 

at inception giving these companies time 

to stabilise financially. Irrespective of 

process, profit and return on investment 

are major motives and guide behind 

prudent private sector investments. Over 

40 years of underinvestment in the sector 

cannot be remedied by private finance 

alone. Given its importance, government 

support for the sector is imperative. 

Development finance institutions like 

Over 40 years of 

underinvestment in the 

sector cannot be remedied 

by private finance alone; 

given its importance, 

government support for the 

sector is imperative 

World Bank advised FGN of the need to 

support the sector until service delivery 

levels improve to the point where electricity 

customers accept automatic tariff 

adjustments because of improved service. 

At privatisation, FGN conceded the need 

for this support and committed a financial 

sum post-privatisation, which is now 

reneged. Till date, FGN retains 40 per cent 

stake in DisCos and if DisCos declare 

profits, 40 per cent of agreed dividend goes 

to FGN. 

Suggesting that “DisCos as public limited 

liability companies can effectively source 

for funds from the public for enhanced 

capacity on operations” is brilliant but 

currently impractical. While public funding 

is an efficient means of raising funds by 

public companies, DisCos do not meet the 

criteria for enlistment on the NSE yet. 

DisCos are not yet profitable an attempt to 

issue IPOs in the face of liquidity crisis 

and non-cost reflective tariff will fail until 

they achieve financial viability and 

profitability. Companies seeking 

admission to the Official List of the NSE 

must comply with SEC’s Rules, 

Companies and Allied Matters Act, 

Investment and Securities Act and other 

relevant laws. 

I agree in entirety that the system should 

be “firmly run on accountability and 

prudent management” by DisCos 

tightening all loose ends to enhance 

effective ATC&C loss recovery through 

reinforcement of the revenue protection arm 

to checkmate bypasses and illegal 

connections. 

By extension, also checkmate their 

corrupt and unscrupulous workforces that 

devise means to divert company’s 

earnings resulting in gross losses. 

In conclusion, for DisCos like any other 

real business to thrive, cost reflective tariffs 

must be set and products sold at marginal 

profit. A cost reflective tariff reflects the 

true cost of producing and supplying 

electricity; otherwise, government 

subsidies should cover the variance 

between the current tariff and the true 

cost of electricity supply. Importantly, 

obtaining commercial loans is also not a 

solution to the sectors lingering liquidity 

issues. In the short term, DisCos should 

focus on customers, service improvements, 

revenue and profitability as these serve as 

foundation for reaching long-term fundable 

milestone. 

•Nnenne wrote from Abuja. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


Security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu(right), his wife, Dame Vicky Ekhomu, celebrating with Pastor Reuben 

Lawani (middele) during his 70th birthday service at Four Square Gospel Church, Ota, Ogun State. 

Okowa dedicates victory to God 

By Emma Amaize 

& Festus Ahon 


governor and 

candidate of Peoples 


Ifeanyi Okowa, has 

defeated his major 

challenger, Chief Great 

Ogboru, of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in the 

March 9 elections. 

Announcing the results, 

state Returning Officer, 

Professor Seth Jaja, said 

Okowa polled 925,274 to 

beat Ogboru, who scored 

215,938, to distant second. 

Ogboru contested against 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

& Perez Brisibe 

A BRAKA—DELTA 

State governorship 

candidate of All 


APC, in the just-concluded 

elections, Chief Great 

Ogboru, has reacted to the 

declaration of Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa as the 

winner, saying “he will take 

steps necessary to defend 

the franchise and mandate 

of the people of Delta 

State.” 

Ogboru, who lost his bid 

to govern the state for the 

sixth time, also accused 

Okowa of allegedly 

imposing himself on 

Deltans, saying “Okowa 

did not present himself to 

the people of Delta State to 

be re-elected. He is 

imposing himself on them 

and they will reject him 

by the grace of God.” 

Meanwhile, the state 

Chairman of APC, Mr. 

Jones Erue, has said the 

party was set to head to 

the tribunal to seek 

nullification of results of 

the governorship and 

Chief James Ibori in 2003 

and lost, he contested 

against Dr Emmanuel 

Uduaghan in 2007, 2010 

re-run, 2011 and lost. He 

squared up against Okowa 

in 2015 and again in 2019. 

National Chairman of 

APC, Mr. Adams 

Oshiomhole, had boasted 

at different fora that he 

would stop Okowa from 

securing a second term in 

office, and that he would 

relocate to Delta State 

during the elections to 

ensure Okowa’s exit. 

Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo, Oshiomhole and 

top members of APC within 

and outside the state had 

stormed Warri few days to 

the election for a town hall 

meeting. 

The governor won in 23 

of the 25 local government 

areas in the state, while 

Ogboru won two. By the 

victory, Okowa became the 

first Anioma son to rule the 

state twice. 

Breakdown 

Jaja said the total 

number of registered 

voters was 2,831,205 and 

total number of accredited 

votes was 1,188,784, 

adding that valid votes 

were 1,154,188 and 

rejected votes, 24,147, 

while total votes cast were 

1,178,335. 

Okowa, who won all the 

local governments in his 

Delta North senatorial 

district, sealed his victory 

with results from Uvwie, 

Warri North and Warri 

South-West local 

governments, which came 

in Sunday. 

Speaking on his victory 

at Government House 

Chapel, Asaba, Okowa 

said he was thanking God 

because Delta is a praying 

state, adding that he 

dedicated his campaign to 

God and trusted in Him. 

...as Great Ogboru heads to tribunal ‘to 

reclaim mandate’ 


elections in many parts of 

the state. 

Addressing journalists in 

Warri, Erue alleged that the 

election was fraught with 

rigging, ballot snatching, 

stressing that PDP, 

connived with ad hoc staff 

of INEC and security 

agencies to rig the 

elections. 

Ogboru, flanked by 

members of APC 

Campaign Council, who 

briefed newsmen at his 

Abraka country home, 

By Victor Young 

DELTA State Head of 

Service, HoS, Mr. 

Reginald Bayoko, has 

commended workers in 

the state, especially public 

servants, for re-electing 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, 

assuring that the governor 

will not disappoint in 

making the workers and 

all Deltans reap the fruits 

of his re-election. 

Speaking in Asaba, after 



said: “This is the worst 

election we have 

witnessed in Delta State 

in the past 20 years; 

“The reign of terror, the 

number of people who 

died, and of course the 

accreditation records from 

INEC testify that PDP 

unduly influenced and 

interfered with the 

process of the election 

which is to say that the 

election was neither 

credible, free nor fair. 

“APC rejects those 

results that were 

announced and we are 

taking concrete measures 

Delta HoS congratulates Okowa 

INEC, declared Okowa 

winner of Saturday’s 

governorship election, an 

elated Bayako, said he 

was not surprised by the 

massive support the 

workers, including 

pensioners in the state, 

gave Okowa, since he 

had continued to put 

smiles on the faces of the 

people since he assumed 

office four years ago. 

According to him, “the 

governor’s understanding, 

knowledge and 

commitment to a service 

to make an analysis of the 

results that emanated 

from the units and to 

ensure that the proper 

results of these elections 

are announced. 

“The first thing to do is 

to take a proper audit of 

the results we have, 

analysis them and know 

what appropriate action to 

take. 

“Nevertheless, there is 

only one arena today in 

which we can ventilate 

whatever grievances you 

have and you know it 

better than I do and that 

is where we are going to.” 

delivery civil service in the 

state has created strong 

mutual working 

relationship, trust and 

confidence between the 

governor and workers in 

the state. 

“I want to use this 

opportunity to plead with 

workers in the state to 

work harder to raise 

productivity bar, as the 

governor is ever 

determined to ensure 

improved welfare and 

prosperity of all Deltans in 

the next four years.” 

Coup against Rivers' people 

'll not stand—Biakpara 

By Onozure Dania 

C HAIRMAN, 

N a t i o n a l 

Councillors Forum of 

Nigeria, South-South 

Zone, Pudiya 

Biakpara, has said “the 

attempted political 

coup in the Rivers State 

governorship election 

against the collective 

will of the people of the 

state must not be 

allowed to stand.” 

Biakpara in Warri, 

Delta State, said the 

situation had 

heightened tension in 

the oil-rich Rivers State 

which is key to the 

nation’s economy. 

He said the 

militarisation of the 

election was 

undemocratic and 

should be condemned 

by all well-meaning 

Nigerians, including 

the international 

community, adding 

“this undemocratic 

actions has clearly 

shown the desperation 

of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

leadership to grab 

PDP wins Bayelsa 

Assembly election 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

THE 

National 

Independent 


INEC, has declared the 

final result of Bayelsa 

State House of 

Assembly, with Peoples 


retaining 17 seats. 

The opposition, All 


APC, won four seats as 

against the one seat it 

secured in the 24- 

member House in 2015. 

Declared inconclusive 

by INEC were the 

Brass I, Ogbia II and 

Southern Ijaw IV 

constituencies due to 

alleged hijack of ballot 

boxes and other forms 

of electoral anomalies. 

Supplementary poll is 

expected to be 

conducted in affected 

areas. 

Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, 

INEC Head of 

Department, Voter 

Education and Publicity 

in the state, however, 

explained that the 

reason for declaring 

three constituencies 

inconclusive was due to 

failure to follow INEC 

regulations and 

guidelines for the 

conduct of the general 

election. 

power by all means even 

without a candidate in 

the race. 

“The indefinite 

suspension of the 

collation of results of the 

governorship election is 

capable of setting the 

state on fire, which 

should be avoided as 

power is not taken by force. 

“The Independent 



should do the needful and 

save its face from shame 

and distrust, which had 

characterised the 

electoral process. 

“Fear has gripped 

residents of Rivers State 

as the state has been 

taken over by fiercelooking 

soldiers and 

anti-riot policemen. 

Militants are already 

threatening fire and 

brimstone over the muchawaited 

results. 

“The people have the 

right to elect their 

representatives and 

Rivers State is clearly a 

PDP state. The people 

have spoken loudly to 

return all the PDP 

governors in the zone.” 

He said: “The election, 

which was held on 

March 9 in all 24 state 

constituencies, had 21 

results fully declared 

and winners returned, 

while three were 

declared inconclusive 

with due reference to 

INEC regulations and 

guidelines for the 

conduct of 2019 general 

election.” 

Members-elect 

Meanwhile, those who 

emerged as APC state 

Assembly member-elect 

are Mr. Wilson Ayakpo 

(Ekeremor II), Mr. 

Edward Irigha (Nembe 

II), Douglas Samson 

(Nembe III) and Omubo 

Ayonatimiyo (Brass II). 

However, PDP 

returned about 17 

members of the state 

House of Assembly, 

including the Deputy 

Speaker, Abraham 

Ngobere (Brass III), 

Obolo Bubou (Silga II) 

and Tonye Isenah 

(Kolga II) for the third 

term. 

Ben Ololo (Nembe I), 

Koku Obiya (Yenagoa 

II), Obodor Mitema 

(Ogbia I), Adikumo Salo 

(Sagbama III), Kenbai 

Bernard (Sagbama II), 

Ogbere Michael 

(Ekeremor III), were also 

returned for second term.

34—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

PDP sweeps Abia house seats 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—THE 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, has won 19 out 

of the 24 seats in the Abia 

State House of Assembly, 

granting the party an 

overwhelming majority. 

The All Progressive 

Grand Alliance, APGA, 

won three seats and All 


APC, secured two seats. 

However, a major upset 

in the election was the 

defeat of the deputy 

speaker of the House who 

represents Bende North, 

Cosmas Ndukwe who lost 

to Chijioke Chukwu of 

APC. The defeat of Ndukwe 

believed to be one of the 

“political mafias” in the 

State was surprising as he 

has always been regarded 

as a political colossus in his 

Burial 

THE funeral rites of late 

Mrs Iduzemwongie 

Eghafona-Legemah, JP, 

has been announced by her 

family. 

Service of songs holds 

tomorrow at 3:30pm at her 

residence, 6, Oguola Street, 

Oliha Quarters, Benin City, 

followed by interment. 

Entertainment of guests 

will hold March 16, 2019 

at NTA Pavilion, West 

Circular Road, Benin City 

at 2:00pm. She is survived 

by children, grandchildren 

and other relations. 

• Late Mrs Eghafona- 

Legemah, JP 

Bende area. 

Incidentally, he is the only 

principal officer of the 

House that lost his seat as 

both the Speaker, 

Chikwendu Kalu and 

leader of the House, 

Chinedum Orji were reelected. 

PDP also won two of the 

three Senate seats in the 

state. Incumbent senators 

Theodore Orji of Abia 

Central and Enyinnaya 

Abaribe of Abia South were 

re-elected. However, Mao 

Ohuabunwa of Abia North 

was not re-elected; he lost 

his seat to former governor 

Orji Uzor Kalu of APC. 

The party won five of the 

eight House of 

Representatives seats, APC 

won two, while APGA 

retained its one seat, Aba 

North and South Federal 

Constituency. 

Obiano excited over APGA’s 

state Assembly victory 

By Vincent 

Ujuumadu 

Burial 

• Late Madam Eze 

BURIAL rites for late 

Madam Nnemurora 

Regine Eze who died at the 

age of 89 begins Friday, 

March 22, 2019 with a 

wake keep at her residence 

at Nkpologu, Uzo-Uwani 

L.G.A, Enugu State, while 

burial mass will hold on 

Saturday, 23rd March at 

Sacred Heart Catholic 

Church, Nkpologu. She is 

survived by her children 

and other relations. 

A WKA—GOVERNOR 

Willie Obiano has 

expressed satisfaction with 

the outcome of the House 

of Assembly election in the 

state, describing the 

conduct of Anambra people 

during the elections as 

forward-looking and 

inspiring. 

The Commissioner for 

Information and Public 

Enlightenment, Don 

Adinuba, in a statement 

yesterday, quoted Obiano 

as commending the people 

for not only coming out in 

large numbers to vote in 

both the national and state 

assembly elections, but also 

for being peaceful, orderly 

and law-abiding 

throughout the exercise. 

He said: “We are happy 

that the people voted 

overwhelmingly for the 

ruling All Progressive 

Grand Alliance, APGA, in 

the House of Assembly 

elections where the party 

won 26 out of the 30 seats, 

leaving the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) 

with only 6 seats." 

Passage 

• Late Madam Obe 

MADAM Esther Obe 

is dead, aged 80. 

Lying in state will be 

March 15, 2019, at her 

Ologede Quarters 

residence. 

She will be buried on 

Saturday, March 16 at Odo 

Ikoyi Street, Opposite 

Salvation Army School, 

Akure, after a Christian 

wake keep.She is survived 

by children and 

grandchildren. 

Enugu guber election, best in country 

...congratulates Ugwuanyi for landslide victory 

—CRPP •As APC stakeholders urge Eze to concede defeat 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU—A coalition of 

70 Registered Political 

Parties, CRPP, in Enugu 

state, has described last 

Saturday’s gubernatorial 

election in the state as the 

best, freest and fairest 

across the country. 

The political parties have 

therefore congratulated the 

winner of the election, 

Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi and appealed to 

other contestants in the 

election to join hands with 

the governor to move the 

state to a higher level of 

progress 

and 

advancement. 

Forty out of 42 political 

parties that participated in 


belong to the coalition. 

At a press briefing in 

Enugu yesterday, 

Coordinator of CRPP in the 

state, Mr. John Nwobodo, 

Loose Media, AAF announce grant for young writers 

By Samson 

Echenim 

LOOSE Media in 

partnership with 

African Artists’ Foundation, 

has announced a fivemonth 

grant to support the 

launch of a platform for 

aspiring writers known as 

Loose Conversations 

According to the 

Managing Director/CEO, 

surrounded by other party 

chairmen and stalwarts, 

said they evaluated the 

conduct of election in the 

state and were convinced 

that the Independent 



performed excellently. 

They said: “In addition to 

being free, fair and 

transparent, the election 

was peaceful and meets the 

threshold of international 

best practices of democratic 

elections. The coalition 

notes that the peaceful, 

political environment 

before, during and after the 

election was possible due 

to the peace and security 

architecture put in place by 

Ugwuanyi. 

“We most heartily 

congratulate the Governor 

of Enugu State and 

governor-elect, Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi for landslide 

victory at the polls, wining 

Loose Media Limited, 

Valentine Ohu, "the Loose 

Conversation initiative is 

designed to challenge 

one’s mindset, a 

storytelling-based strategy 

to give a voice to 

conversation society has 

been afraid to have, 

challenging the status quo 

and allowing new 

standards of thinking." 

Speaking during a press 

conference to unveil the 

a well deserved second 

term in office. The result 

couldn’t have been 

otherwise given the 

excellent performance of 

His Excellency in the four 

years he has been on the 

saddle.” 

APC Stakeholders 

urge Eze to concede 

defect 

Meantime, stakeholders 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in the 

three senatorial zones of 

Enugu State have urged 

the party’s gubernatorial 

candidate in last 

Saturday’s election, 

Senator Ayogu Eze, to 

concede defeat, as he was 

responsible for his loss. 

Addressing newsmen 

yesterday at President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

campaign office in Enugu, 

the stakeholders 

Enugu election observers want attack on 

colleagues investigated 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

E NUGU—MEMBERS 

of the Independent 


Commission, INECaccredited 

local and foreign 

Observers and Congress of 

Civil Society Organizations 

in Nigeria, who monitored 

the March 9 Governorship 

and House of Assembly 

Elections in Enugu State, 

have called on “the Federal 

Government, security 

agencies, the international 

community and human 

rights organisations” to 

investigate and take action 

on “the brutal attack and 

assault on our colleagues 

(observers) in Umuida, 

Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze 

North Local Government 

Area, Enugu State by 

supporters of a candidate”. 

It was recently reported 

by members of Global 

Policy Advocate and 

Leadership Initiative, 

accredited by INEC as 

observers, that they were 

brutally attacked and 

humiliated by “thugs” at the 

residence of Senator Ayogu 

Eze of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, when they 

innitiative, Ohu said: 

"The grant provides 

important funding to 

support aspiring writers, 

further important 

conversations and invest 

in online communities 

through writing. 

"From March, 2019, the 

organisation will grant one 

lucky winner $1,000 for five 

exceptional stories and 

$1,000 to one writer every 

month until July 2019." 

represented by Okosisi 

Chinedu of Enugu North 

Senatorial zone; Victor 

Nwankwo of Enugu West 

zone and Uche Okoye of 

Enugu East zone frowned 

at the objection raised by 

Senator Eze against 

Comrade Adolphous Ude, 

the APC party agent that 

signed the governorship 

result at INEC office after 

it was announced. 

They said: “To our 

greatest surprise, a 

candidate of our party 

without the authorization of 

the NWC of the party on 

his own volition boycotted 

his election and equally 

ordered the party 

candidates to boycott their 


elections. This action alone 

portrayed him as a betrayer 

and sell-out to the party. We 

are not expecting a better 

result than what we already 

have." 

VISIT: Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Sulaiman Balarabe (middle) with state executives 

of Police Community Relations C'ttee, PCRC, during their courtesy visit to the commissioner. 

paid him a visit to verify 

his alleged boycott of the 

election. 

As a result of the injury 

sustained from the attack, 

it was also reported that the 

leader of the team, Amaka 

Offor, fell seriously sick and 

fainted just a few meters 

away from the Enugu Police 

Command, immediately 

they were granted bail. 

Reacting to the 

development, the 

independent observers, 

who were represented by 

their group leaders 

namely: Samuel Onoja, 

Moses Ebahor, Titus 

Alagba, Chidi Chielo and 

Kingsley Muogo, while 

briefing newsmen on the 

outcome of last Saturday’s 

elections in Enugu State, 

strongly condemned the 

heinous act “in its entirety”, 

disclosing that the incident 

“could have led to the death 

of our colleagues, who 

were exercising their 

legitimate duty”.


GTB MASTER CUP: From left—Corporate Communications and External Affairs, GTBank Plc, 

Unoaku Anyadike; Captain, FSTC, Yaba, Mmuo Onyedikachi; Corporate Communications and External 

Affairs, GTBank Plc, Modupe Phillips; Captain, CMS Grammar School, Chibike Igbori, and Idoko Negedu 

of Corporate Communications and External Affairs, GTBank Plc, at the quarter final, Season 8 of GTBank 

Lagos Master Cup, at Campos Stadium, Lagos, yesterday. 

Awaiting Kano election results: 

KAPEDI urges Kano politicians, 

youths to maintain peace 

By Maryann Michael 

EMINENT citizens of 

Kano State, on the 

platform of Kano Peace and 

Development Initiative, 

KAPEDI, have pleaded 

with stakeholders and 

youths in the state to remain 

calm and maintain law and 

order, pending official 

release of results of 


and House of Assembly 

elections by the 



INEC. 

The group, in a statement, 

expressed concerns over 

the atmosphere of 

apprehension pervading 

the state as the collation 

and announcement of 

results progressed. 

The statement was signed 

by no fewer than 21 

eminent citizens of the state 

including Dr. Shamsudden 

By Luminous 

Jannamike 

ABUJA—SOME civil 

society organisations, 

CSOs, yesterday, called on 

Kogi State government and 

the Department of State 

Services, DSS, to release 

Austin Okai, a critic of the 

Governor Yahaya Bello 

administration, allegedly 

arrested on the eve of the 

February 23 presidential 

election. 

Speaking at a joint 

briefing in Abuja on the 

plight of the detained critic, 

Convener, Coalition in 

Defence of Nigerian 

Democracy and 

Constitution, Ariyo-Dare 

Atoye, claimed Okai was 

kept at a DSS facility in 

Kogi State without access 

to his lawyer, family and 

Usman, Ibrahim Khaleel 

Inuwa, Professor Munzali 

Jibril, Alhaji Isyaku Kumar 

Tofa Dan Adala, Alhaji 

Aliko Dangote, A. B. 

Mahmoud(SAN), Professor 

Bello Ahmed Salim, Alhaji 

Aminu Sani, Mansur 

Ahmed and Ambassador 

Bala Sani. 

It said: “KAPEDI has 

followed the recent 

developments following 

the generally peaceful 

conduct of the 


assembly elections 

conducted on March 9 

throughout the state. We 

commend the people of 

Kano for participating 

peacefully in the elections 

in the exercise of their civic 

rights to elect their leaders. 

“We observe, however, 

that an atmosphere of 

apprehension has 

pervaded the state in the 

last several hours as the 

associates. 

According to him, “our 

concern is further 

complicated by the refusal 

of DSS to make any public 

statement regarding his 

arrest and ordeal. 

“We consider this an 

infringement on his 

fundamental human rights 

and a grave disservice to 

our constitution and the 

justice system. We want 

Governor Yahaya Bello to 

know that we and the 

people of this country will 

hold him responsible, if 

anything untoward 

happens to Usman Okai.” 

In his presentation, Deji 

collation and 

announcement of results 

has progressed somewhat 

slowly. 

“Many have taken to 

various social media 

platforms to broadcast 

unofficial results thereby 

contributing to the 

heightened tense 

atmosphere. 

“KAPEDI wishes to urge 

for calm and maintenance 

of law and order as we 

await the formal declaration 

of results by the 



INEC. 

“We remind political 

parties and their 

candidates to uphold the 

terns of the Peace 

Agreement publicly 

signed which bind them 

to peaceful conduct 

before, during and after 

the elections. We urge all 

parties or candidates 

dissatisfied with the 

outcome of the election to 

seek redress through 

legal and constitutional 

means. 

“We appeal to victorious 

parties and candidates to 

conduct themselves with 

decorum and not to engage 

in any provocative conduct 

or utterances as they 

celebrate their victory. 

“We call on our young 

people to demonstrate 

maturity and patriotism by 

refusing to participate in 

any acts of violence or 

disturbance of public order 

so that our state can 

continue its match to 

greatness and prosperity. 

“We commend the law 

enforcement agencies, 

particularly Nigeria Police, 

Military and paramilitary 

agencies and urge them to 

remain neutral and 

professional in their 

conduct.” 

Release Austin Okai from detention, CSOs urge Kogi govt 

Adeyanju, Convener, 

Concerned Nigerians, 

raised the alarm that Okai’s 

continued detention was 

generating tension within 

and outside Kogi State, 

adding that all efforts to 

secure access to him have 

proved abortive. 

On his part, Anthony 

Ehilebo, a political 

advocate, said: “We wish to 

state categorically that 

Usman Okai must 

immediately be released 

MEMBER of Peoples 

Democratic Party, 

PDP, in Warri North Local 


State, Chief David Ugedi, 

has said the re-election of 


has shown that Deltans 

were appreciative of his 

development strides across 

the state. 

He said Okowa touched 

all facets of the state’s 

economy without bias. 

Chief Ugedi, a PDP 

unconditionally without 

further delay. 

“We also wish to 

emphasise that the 

government of Yahaya 

Bello must desist from 

needless persecutions and 

remember that power is 

transient.” 

leader in Opuama Ward 7 

in Warri North, who is also 

Bebetebefiewei of Egbema 

Kingdom, congratulated 

Senator James Manager, 

Chief Thomas Eriyetomi 

and other PDP candidates 

who won their elections. 

...Edevbie in Ughelli North 

Meanwhile, PDP 

trounced All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in Ward 3/ 

7, Ughelli North, the 

traditional home of 

INEC cancels 138,706 

votes in Nasarawa 

By David Odama 

LAFIA—NO fewer 

than 138,706 votes 

were cancelled in the 

just-concluded 


Nasarawa State, 

returning officer, 

Professor Abdullahi 

Bala, has announced. 

According to the 

returning officer, 96,973 

votes were cancelled 

from 27 polling units in 

Karu Local Government 

Area; 22,891 from 15 

polling units in 

Nasarawa Local 

Why I won—Ereyetomi 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

WARRI—HOUSE of 

Representatives 

member-elect for Warri 

federal constituency, 

Chief Thomas 

Ereyetomi, has 

dismissed allegations of 

rigging levelled against 

him, saying he won the 

election on the strength 

of his popularity and 

programmes for the 

constituency. 

Ereyemito, through 

Chief Robinson Ariyo in 

Warri, Delta State, also 

enjoined those who 

contested with him to 

Tender Years elects prefects 

PREFECTS of Tender 

Years Preparatory 

School have been 

inaugurated following 

their election by fellow 

students and family 

members of the 

contesting students. 

Speaking during the 

inauguration, Director of 

Education and Principal 

of the School, Mrs. 

Donna Wallace, said the 

prefects were elected 

through modern day 

electoral processes. 

According to her, the 

decision to elect the 

prefects, as opposed to 

selection, was part of a 

strategy to instill the 

knowledge of politics in 

the students and also 

help them practicalise 

Okowa's devt stride earned him 2nd term—Ugedi 

opposition in Delta State, 

which PDP has not won 

since 1999. 

Ward 3/7 falls within 

Ughelli constituency 2, 

which comprises Ughelli 

Ward 1-5, 2-6 and 3-7 

spread among Agbarho, 

Uwheru and Afiesere axis. 

Besides Ward 3/7, PDP lost 

both governorship and 


elections in the other 

wards. 

Sources attributed the 

Government Area. 

Bala, who attributed the 

cancellation in 59 polling 

units across the state to 

over-voting, ballot 

snatching and insecurity, 

said other cancellation of 

4,145 votes were from four 

polling units in Obi 

council; 3,571 in two 

polling units in Kokona 

and 4,202 in three polling 

units in Keffi. 

Also cancelled were 

3,189 votes from two 

polling units in Awe; 2,018 

from four units in Doma 

and 1,717 from two polling 

units in Akwanga council. 

work with him to take the 

constituency to greater 

heights, assuring that as 

a member of the House of 

Representatives he would 

promote several 

empowerment 

programmes for youths 

and women. 

“We will be in touch with 

the people, work with 

community based 

organisations to drive 

development in the 

communities and I will 

build capacity among the 

people and roll out various 

empowerment 

programmes to strengthen 

the economy of the area,” 

he added. 

the electoral process. 

In her words: “While the 

children are practicalising 

the electoral processes, 

they learn how it works, 

starting from nominations 

down to the election 

process.” 

The prefects are Aniekan 

Wellington, Head Boy; 

Ulla Amapakabo, Head 

Girl; Ayman Abubakar, 

Assistant Head Boy; 

Ashriel Abayilo, Assistant 

Head Girl; Suhaan 

Adtani, Library Prefect; 

Desmond Igwe, Assistant 

Library Prefect; Adebola 

Adebayo, Social Prefect; 

Pearl Abe, Assistant Social 

Prefect; Derrick Jinadu, 

Sports Prefect and 

Jemimah Gadzama, 

Assistant Sport Prefect. 

good showing of PDP in 

Ughelli Ward 3/7 to the 

influence of the 

Commissioner of Finance, 

Olorogun David Edevbie, 

a native of Afiesere, whose 

positive impact on 

indigenes of the 

communities in the ward 

dwarfed those of APC 

members and leaders in 

the area. 

A resident said Olorogun 

Edevbie has proven, once 

again, that he is very much 

in touch with the grassroots 

in his locality.


WITH CHARLES KUMOLU 

midweekpersonality@gmail.com 

08052140865 (sms only) 

PERSONALITY ETHICS 

People should 

change with time 

Nobody Someone should needs be to 

slow make at a grabbing decision to 

opportunities 

Money is good 

but a good name 

is better 

I'm always open 

to new ideas 

Not poor either: 

I grew up in a middle class 

family. My parents provided all 

the basic things for my siblings 

and I. We had good housing, 

clothing, and education 

among others. We didn't get 

the luxuries but we got good 

things. We weren't really rich 

but not poor either. I have 

lived in Lagos basically all my 

life. I attended primary 

school, secondary school and 

university in Lagos. I learned 

a lot from my family and most 

values I have till date were all 

learned from my family. My 

parents taught me to always be 

someone of character and 

someone everybody can easily 

vouch for without fear or 

doubt. An important lesson I 

learned growing up is: money 

is good but a good name is better. 

I was brought up to be respectful, 

orderly, mannered 

and follow protocol. 

Suddenly get broke 

While growing up, I saw rich 

people get broke within and 

around my family. I always 

wondered what made a rich 

man to suddenly get broke. I 

realised it was lack of financial 

planning and investment. 

Most people were just comfortable 

and relied solely on one 

means of income. Also, people 

didn't want to change with 

time. I heard many people saying 

they weren’t greedy and 

did not want to go the extra 

mile to be successful. I later 

learned that such statement 

was just an excuse for being 

lazy or probably scared of the 

unknown. All these affected my 

thinking and still do till date. I 

don't want to make the same 

mistakes those before me, 

made. 

Cheat generation 

I am always open to new ideas. 

The moment I start off a 

project, I am already thinking 

of the next big thing, and how 

to expand to reach a wider audience. 

I often tell my friends 

that our generation is the 

“cheat generation.” We have 

the internet, technology, and 

social media. Entrepreneurs 

many years ago did not have 

any of these and they still 

thrived. Technology is our 

“cheat.” What took so much 

work and time for 

entrepreneurs many years ago 

to achieve, can easily be 

achieved now from our office 

AIGBOGUN: 

Seeing rich people get 

broke, my turning point 

That some of the most influential people today are millennials, is not 

surprising but how they achieve influence within a short period is 

amazing. Chief Executive Officer of CashBox, Mr. Sydney 

Aigbogun, is an example of one the millennials making impacts. 

He combined millennial ethos with individualism to become the 

founder of a flourishing business empire. You won’t read his 

story and still belong to those who consider millennials as just a 

mobile phone generation. 

desk with just a click. 

Smart areas 

Regardless of your religion or 

belief, the "God factor" is key. 

Putting God first in everything 

one does and also constantly 

learning new things are important. 

Being smart is key, not 

just academically but in all 

areas. A lot of things I know 

now are things I originally 

almost knew nothing about 

but constant reading and 

learning helped me. Before my 

present project, I really didn’t 

know much about codes and 

how they work, but right now 

I find it amazing when I start 

to talk about codes like an Ivy 

League-trained programmer. 

Intelligent and extremely 

hardworking 

My parents are my greatest 

inspiration. My dad is an intelligent 

and extremely hardworking 

person. He taught me 

to believe in hard work and 

persistence in everything I do. 

My mother is our prayer 

warrior. She taught me to always 

put God first in everything. 

I have also learned a lot 

from just watching YouTube videos 

and reading online. I keep 

saying this: "Google is your 

friend" There is absolutely 

nothing that Google doesn’t 

have an answer to. What is required 

is just to search for it. I 

also learned the importance of 

having an effective company 

structure many years ago. No 

matter how small a company is, 

a structure should always be 

put in place to guide you. 

My turning point 

I have always been a business-inclined 

person. I started 

my first business when I was 

16yrs old, and that was dog 

breeding. I graduated with a 

second class upper in Finance 

from the University of Lagos. 

My plan when I left the 

University was to work in a 

multinational company like 

many of my peers. My original 

plan was to have a 9-5 job for 

one year after which I will become 

an entrepreneur. I just 

basically wanted to see how a 

proper company structure 

looked like before I would start 

mine. But after a particular 

interview, I had at my dream 

multinational company back 

then, the partner who 

interviewed me told me he saw 

more in me. He said he 

believed I could do something 

more than working in that 

company. He was so sure I 

could do more. 

Researching and 

asking questions 

That was my turning point, 

after that interview I decided I 

was no longer getting a 9-5 job. 

I decided that I was going to 

start a business but I still wanted 

something within the 

finance sector even though I 

really did not have any idea of 

what I was going to do. I kept 

researching and asking questions. 

A few months later after 

raising some money, I 

started trading forex locally 

and internationally. I fully invested 

in this project for four 

years but I just wanted to do 

more. I had a very strong urge 

to do something that could 

touch more lives, not just 

about making money because 

forex was fetching enough 

money for me at the time. I 

wanted to reach more people 

and also employ more 

graduates. That was the reason 

I diversified into consumer 

finance. 

Meeting set targets 

CashBox was founded because 

many customers were 

constantly asking us if we offered 

some form of savings, and 

we kept saying no. But with 

constant pressure from customers, 

I started talking to some 

people and we decided to find 

the best way to go about savings. 

We wanted technology to 

be at the forefront. We did not 

want to do things the way traditional 

banks were doing it 

and at the same time we did 

not want our customers to pay 

for using our service, instead, 

we wanted to reward them with 

high interest for saving their 

money and meeting set targets. 

When an opportunity 

comes 

Starting a business is extremely 

difficult and running a 

business is even harder. Nobody 

wants to help you until 

they see you making significant 

progress. Some people are 

lucky to have rich parents who 

give them support, but the 

majority aren’t. The importance 

of hard work cannot be 

overemphasised. It is just to 

keep working hard and be persistent. 

When an opportunity 

comes, people should not be 

slow to it. It should be quickly 

grabbed before someone else 

does. I always advice that nobody 

should act like a CEO 

before the person actually becomes 

a CEO. Also, it is important 

to sit down and do the 

work. At the early stage of a 

business, the CEO should be 

a part of the customer care department 

which is the most 

important department in any 

business. And above all, be a 

person of character because 

character is key. 

I haven't achieved my 

greatest goal. I want people to 

just keep watching what I am 

doing. As a business owner, no 

matter what happens, always 

pay your staff. 

Read full version on 

www.vanguardngr.com

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 — 37 

VOL. 2 NO. 43 

Anambra community protests ceding 

of 8500 hectares forest reserve to 

individual 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

A WKA—HUN 

DREDS of placard-carrying 

men, women 

and youths from 

Ozzu –Ndiukwuenu 

community in Orumba 

North Local Government 

Area of Anambra 

State on Monday 

stormed the Government 

House in Awka to 

protest the alleged ceding 

of part of 8,500 hectares 

of Mamu River Forest 

Reserve in the area 

to an individual by the 

Anambra State Government. 

Their argument was 

that their common inheritance 

was being cornered 

by the said individual, 

with the support 

of the state government 

officials, at a time the 

Forest Reserve was still 

in dispute between Anambra 

and Enugu states. 

South-East Voice gathered 

that the issue of determining 

the rightful 

owners of the land is being 

handled by the National 

Boundary Commission, 

but instead of 

waiting for the matter to 

be resolved, some government 

officials connived 

with an indigene 

*Protesters from Ndiukwuenu protesting the ceding of Mamu Forest 

Reserve in Anambra State. 

of Ndiukwuenu to deny 

the people their land. 

They were even more 

worried that the person 

who got the land was 

selling them as plots to 

individuals from outside 

the community, who 

were threatening them 

with guns and dangerous 

weapons on daily 

basis. 

According to the protesters, 

the ancestors 

and even unborn children 

of Ozzu-Ndiukwuenu 

would never allow 

those behind the 

sale of the land to enjoy 

any peace and urged 

Governor Willie Obiano 

to intervene in the matter 

immediately by cancelling 

whatever agreement 

reached with the 

person who is selling the 

land and using the proceeds 

to fight the community. 

The protest letter which 

was signed by their leader, 

Chief Peter Nwafor 

and handed to the Senior 

Special Assistant, 

SSA, on Security to Obiano 

read: “We are protesting 

the grave injustice 

done to us, our ancestors 

and unborn generations 

by agents of 

your government, who 

have forcefully taken 

over our land and bestowed 

the rights to 

same in the hands of 

known criminals from 

within and outside our 

community. This single 

action of empowering 

and rewarding criminality 

has led to the deterioration 

of security situation 

in Ozzu-Ndiukwuenu, 

such that the 

community has become 

inaccessible beyond 

8.00pm, as okada riders 

are scared to access it 

due to the nefarious activities 

of the group of 

people your government 

has empowered. 

“Your Excellency, may 

we call your attention to 

the fact that while our 

neighbouring communities 

sold their land to the 

colonial government for 

the purpose of Forestry, 

Ozzu-Ndiukwuenu 

community donated 

theirs after reaching 

some terms of agreement 

with the colonial government. 

“It is unacceptable to 

us that your government 

gave approval to 

the de-reservation of 

some portions of this 

land, shared it among 

some powerful agents of 

your government and 

known trouble makers in 

Anambra State in total 

disregard of the terms of 

agreement reached by 

your predecessor government. 

“The leadership of the 

community was neither 

consulted, nor informed 

of this grave decision 

that will affect the life of 

the community in many 

ways. Those involved 

use forged and fraudulent 

documents in selling 

the Mamu River Forest 

Reserve lands and 

we hereby plead for 

their investigation and 

immediate prosecution. 

“We also remind Your 

Excellency that the ownership 

of Mamu River 

Forest Reserve is still in 

dispute between Anambra 

and Enugu states 

and the present action of 

your government has 

opened us to fresh attacks 

from agents of 

Enugu State Government. 

“We therefore plead 

with Your Excellency to 

revoke the approval given 

for the de-reservation 

of any portion of Mamu 

River Forest Reserve, 

pending the resolution 

of the substantive case 

before the National 

Boundary Commission, 

NBC. In the event that 

the case is resolved in 

favour of Anambra State, 

the government, as a rational 

agency, must follow 

due process in the 

de-reservation of any 

portion of the forestry 

and not the current regime 

where our land is 

given out as a reward to 

greedy people.” 

The people also complained 

about the alleged 

government neglect 

of Ndiukwuenu 

community, citing the 

case of the abandoned 

Ndiukwuenu road 

project and the pitiable 

situation at the Community 

Secondary School, 

Ndiukwuenu. 

They said further: “It is 

an irony that while government 

pays teachers 

in secondary schools in 

rich communities across 

the state, poor Ndiukwuenu 

is made to recruit 

and pay teachers from 

its meager resources, if 

children in the community 

must go to school. 

This is despite the fact 

that Ndiukwuenu is the 

most educationally disadvantaged 

community 

in Anambra State. These 

are the things that matter 

to us and not the gifting 

of our land.”




THE 2019 general elections 

have come and gone. As 

was evident from the outset, the 

elections have been 

characterised by controversy. 

While some candidates and 

their parties have expressed 

satisfaction with the entire 

process, it has not been so with 

others. At the centre of it all is 


Electoral Commission whose 

conduct of the elections has 

again come under intense 

scrutiny. That this would be so 

was clear from accusations and 

counter accusations made 

before the elections by 

the major political parties 

about the impartiality or 

independence of the electoral 

umpire. 

These concerns were further 

heightened when the 

Commission very early on the 

date earlier scheduled for the 

conduct of the Presidential 

Election, announced a 

postponement citing logistical 

difficulties. Both parties accused 

the other of having conspired 

with the electoral body to bring 

about the postponement so as 

to confer an advantage on itself. 

A few days to the elections, the 

opposition party revealed that 

a company belonging to the 

member of the ruling party and 

who was actually a candidate 

at one of the already scheduled 

elections, was one of those 

contracted by INEC to supply 

card readers for use in the 

election. It was, therefore, 

alleged that this arrangement 

had conferred undue advantage 

on the ruling party and called 

into question, the integrity of the 

entire process. 

Political 

history 

To be certain, allegations of 

bias or impartiality against the 

electoral umpire, are not 

entirely new in the Nigerian 

political landscape. It appears 

that at almost every point in our 

political history, politicians have 

always found reasons, real or 

imagined, to accuse other 

politicians of collusion with the 

electoral body. When President 

Muhammadu Buhari was 

announced the winner of the 

Presidential Election, the 

opposition party and its 

candidate, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar, were quick to reject 

the results, citing what they 

described as widespread 

irregularities in the process. The 

President and his party were of 

course quick to praise the 

conduct of the election. 

However, a few days later, 

while on the campaign trail for 

the gubernatorial elections, the 

ruling party itself condemned 

the conduct of elections held in 

Akwa Ibom State in which one 

of its members who had defected 

from the opposition, lost the 

election to return to the Senate. 

However one looks at it, it is 

worrying that 59 years after 

independence, such allegations 

still hold sway. It is even more 

worrying when facts emerge 

which suggest that those 

making the allegations, may 

have valid reasons to say so. I, 

therefore, intend to examine 

INEC under 1999 Constitution: 

Election of transformation leaders 

ways in which the electoral 

process could be further 

strengthened to guard against 

the kinds of complaints 

witnessed during the just 

concluded elections. A key 

component of this analysis as a 

matter of necessity, will be an 

examination of the role of the 

Independent Electoral 

Commission in the entire 

process. 

Establishment of INEC: The 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission owes its existence 

to the provisions of Section 153 

of the Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria 1999. The 

composition and powers of the 

Commission are as contained in 

paragraphs 14 and 15 of Part 1 

of the Third Schedule to the 

Constitution. By paragraph 15, 

the Commission specifically has 

the power to: 

(a) organise, undertake and 

supervise all elections to the 

offices of the President and Vice 

President, the Governor and 

Deputy Governor of a State, and 

to the membership of the 

Senate, the House of 

Representatives and the House 

of Assembly of each State of the 

It appears that at 

almost every point in 

our political history, 

politicians have always 

found reasons, real or 

imagined, to accuse 

other politicians of 

collusion with the 

electoral body 

Federation. 

(b) register political parties 

in accordance with the 

provisions of the constitution 

and an Act of the National 

Assembly, 

(c) monitor the organisation 

and operation of the political 

parties, including their finances, 

(d) arrange for the annual 

examination and auditing of the 

funds and accounts of political 

parties, and publish a report on 

such examination and audit for 

public information; 

(e) arrange and conduct the 

registration of persons qualified 

to vote and prepare, maintain 

and revise the register for the 

purpose of any election under 

the constitution; 

(f) monitor political campaign 

and provide rules and 

regulations which shall govern 

the political parties; 

(g) ensure that all Electoral 

Commissioners, Electoral and 

Returning Officers take and 

subscribe the oath of office 

prescribed by law; 

(h) delegate any of its powers 

to any Resident Electoral 

Commissioner; and 

(i) carry out such other 

functions as may be conferred 

upon by it by an Act of the 

National Assembly. 

The origin of the INEC goes 

back to the period before 

Independence when the 

Electoral Commission of 

Nigeria was established to 

conduct 1959 elections. The 

Federal Electoral Commission, 

FEDECO, established in 1960 

conducted the immediate postindependence 

federal and 

regional elections of 1964 and 

1965. The electoral body was 

dissolved after the military coup 

of 1966. In 1978, the Federal 

Electoral Commission was 

constituted by the regime of 

General Olusegun Obasanjo, 

organising the elections of 1979 

which ushered 

in the Nigerian 

S e c o n d 

Republic under 

the leadership 

of Alhaji Shehu 

Shagari. It also 

conducted the 

g e n e r a l 

elections of 

1983. 

In December 

1995, the 

military 

government of 

General Sani 

A b a c h a 

established the 

National 

Electoral 

Commission of 

Nigeria which 

conducted 

another set of 

elections. These 

e l e c t e d 

institutions 

were not 

inaugurated 

before the 

sudden death of 

General 

Abacha on June 

1998 aborted 

the process. In 

1998 General 

Abdulsalam 

Abubakar’s 

Administration 

dissolved 

NECON and 

established the 

Independent 

National 

Electoral 

Commission, 

INEC. INEC 

organised the 

transitional 

elections 

1999. 

in 

Electoral Commissions are 

not unique to Nigeria. As a 

matter of fact, Electoral 

Commissions come in different 

models and configurations 

which Wikipedia describes as 

follows: 

Independent model: In the 

independent model the election 

commission is independent of 

the executive and manages its 

own budget. Countries with an 

independent election 

commission include Australia, 

Canada, India, Indonesia, 

Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, 

Poland, Romania, South Africa, 

Sri Lanka, Thailand and the 

United Kingdom. In some of 

these countries the 

independence of the election 

commission is constitutionally 

guaranteed, e.g. section 190 of 

the Constitution of South 

Africa. 

Branch model: In the branch 

model the election commission 

is often called an electoral 

branch, and is usually a 

constitutionally-recognised 

separate branch of government, 

with its members appointed by 

either the executive or the 

legislative branch. Countries 

with an electoral branch include 

Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, 

Nicaragua and Venezuela. 

Mixed model: In the mixedmodel 

there is an independent 

board to determine policy, but 

implementation is usually a 

matter for an executive 

department with varying 

degrees of supervision by the 

independent board. Countries 

with such a model include 

Cameroon, France, Germany, 

Japan, Senegal and Spain. 

Executive model: In the 

executive model the election 

commission is directed by a 

cabinet minister as part of the 

executive branch of 

government, and may include 

local government authorities 

acting as agents of the central 

body. Countries with this model 

include Denmark, Singapore, 

Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia. 

In the United States, elections 

for federal, state, and local 

offices are run by the executive 

branch of each state 

government. See, for example, 

the Division of Elections of the 

Florida Department of State. 

Judicial model: In the judicial 

model the election commission 

is closely supervised by and 

ultimately responsible to a 

special “electoral court”. 

Countries with such a model 

include Argentina, Brazil and 

Mexico. 

It is the independent model 

that Nigeria has adopted as is 

evident from its very name. 

However, questions still arise as 

to how independent the body 

truly is when a lot of its activities 

are still tied to the executive arm 

of government, including 

appointment of its officers, a 

large number of which , by law, 

are pointed by the President. 

To be continued…

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 —41 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

KWARA APC—From left: Chairman of the All Progressives Congress 

(APC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Bashir Bolarinwa; Minister of Information 

and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Governor-Elect of Kwara 

State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq during the party’s Family Meeting 

in Ilorin. Photo: NAN. 

March 23 date for make-up polls in 

Adamawa, Kano, others 

Continues from Page 1 

peaceful disposition 

displayed to ensure that the 

state remains calm and 

peaceful. 

“We urge and believe the 

INEC and the fact-finding 

committee will remain firm 

on what is right and save 

Rivers from the turmoil 

being orchestrated by one 

man’s inordinate ambition 

to continue to rule the state 

through proxy.” 

Release result of gov 

poll, Rivers women 

Also, Concerned Women 

and Youths of Rivers State, 

urged the INEC to release 

the result of the 

governorship election, 

adding that continued 

delay in declaration of the 

winner of the election was 

dangerous to the security of 

the state. 

Briefing newsmen in Port 

Harcourt, the spokes person 

of the group, Akaeolo 

Wealth, particularly 

expressed concern over the 

women, men and Youths 

who were murdered. 

Wealth said the women 

and youths are tired of 

insecurity in Rivers State, 

and condemned the recent 

murder of security 

operatives including 

Nigeria Soldiers who were 

killed in Akuku Toru Local 

Government by armed 

thugs. 

Obi expresses 

concern, urges 

international 

community’s 

intervention 

Also, Vice Presidential 

candidate of the PDP, Mr. 

Peter Obi expressed 

concern on the outcome of 

the governorship 

elections, particularly in 

Rivers State. 

Obi, in a statement from 

his media office, yesterday, 

said the militarization of 

election which culminated 

in the relocation of a 

collation centre to a 

military base in addition to 

denying international 

observers access to the 

centre, were clearly 

unacceptable and 

amounts a grave breach of 

democratic norms. 

The Vice Presidential 

candidate noted that the 

“needless involvement of 

the military has 

aggravated the situation 

in Rivers state” wondering 

the state has become of 

huge interest. 

He flayed the what he 

called the harassment of 

the state governor, 

Nyesom Wike, saying his 

stewardship in the past 

four years rightly earned 

Naira down to N358.2/$ in 

parallel market 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, depreciated to N358.2 

per dollar in the parallel market. 

According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange 

rate platform of the Association of Bureaux De 

Change Operators (ABCON), the parallel market 

exchange rose to N358.2 per dollar from N358 on 

Monday translating to 20 kobo depreciation of the 

naira. 

However, the naira, yesterday appreciated by 

N1.06 kobo in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) 

window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window dropped to N360.44 

per dollar from N361.50 per dollar on Monday 

translating to N1.06 kobo appreciation of the naira. 

him the nickname, “Mr. 

Project” from an opposition 

figure. 

INEC must stop 

declaring elections 

inconclusive for 

eventual rigging 

– NIM 

In like manner, the 

Nigeria Intervention 

Movement, NIM, asked the 

INEC to ‘’desist from the 

antics of declaring elections 

almost won inconclusive to 

enable its ‘favoured’ political 

parties to put machinery in 

place for eventual rigging of 

the elections as cleverly 

invented during the Osun 

state gubernatorial elections 

last year.’’ 

In a statement by Mr 

Debo Adeniyi, its director, 

Media and Publicity 

Bureau, NIM said: ‘’We 

wish to alert the entire 

country that we of the third 

force are already exhausted 

by this disingenuous antics 

of INEC officials and have 

decided to resist this with 

everything at our disposal 

as it is brazen corruption of 

our electoral system by INEC 

in collusion with parties in 

power. 

‘’We note that this style of 

mandate manipulation is 

again about to happen in the 

gubernatorial elections in 

some states like Kano, 

which shall be resisted with 

a nationwide mass action in 

Nigeria to express our 

principled grievances 

against the obvious lapses 

in the 2019 elections.’’ 

Inconclusive 

elections, ploy to rig – 

Fadaka 

The Southwest Zonal 

Publicity Secretary of the 

PDP, Mr, Ayo Fadaka, 

concurred with the NIM, 

and described the 

declaration of the 

governorship elections in 

six states as inconclusive by 

the INEC as a ploy to rig 

the polls in the affected 

states. 

He said in a statement: “It 

is absolutely disappointing 

that an administration 

headed by an elder 

statesman, President Buhari 

will clearly set out to 

undermine the peace of the 

nation through the 

pursuance goals. This was 

not expected from a man 

who won an election and 

was not denied his 

mandate. 

“The 2019 elections 

supervised by the Buhari 

administration remain the 

very worst in the annals of 

our history. The quest to 

subdue and disrespect our 

franchise was clandestinely 

planned by elements in the 

Presidency and its 

implementation began 

with the unconstitutional 

suspension of the Chief 

Justice of the Federation. 

“It is common knowledge 

that in seven states across 

the nation, gubernatorial 

elections have been 

declared inconclusive for 

no other reason than the 

glaring fact that the PDP 

won those states. This is 

disappointing, dishonest 

and disingenuous.’’ 

We’re disappointed with 

inclusive election in 

Plateau - APC 

The APC in Plateau State 

faulted the circumstances 

that led to the inconclusive 


the state saying though the 

party is not afraid of a rerun 

but “fraudulent practices 

during election should not 

be rewarded with a rerun.” 

The State Chairman of 

the Party, Latep Dabang, 

wondered why the State 

Collation Officer, Professor 

Richard Kimbir did not 

identify areas where 

elections were cancelled 

due to either failure of smart 

card reader or violence 

before calling for a rerun. 

Stating his Party’s 

position at a press briefing 

in Jos, Dabang expressed 

confidence of widening the 

winning margin of 44,000 

as the affected areas for 

rerun are “our strongholds” 

and appealed that the 

voice of Plateau people in 

the election be respected. 

“APC is not afraid of a 

rerun because the affected 

areas are our strongholds 

where the opposition is 

labouring to ensure that the 

votes do not count. We will 

go and come out victorious, 

I can assure that the 44,000 

gap will be doubled. 

Plateau people have 

spoken, their will should be 

respected.” 

Speaking on the 

impending bye-election 

due to the demise of the 

APC Pengana State 

constituency candidate 

who had won the election 

but died shortly after 

winning, Latep stated 

though the incident is a sad 

one as he had spoken with 

him 10 minutes before his 

demise, the party will 

decide on the steps to take 

in line with the approved 

guidelines before the byeelection. 

Why INEC must declare 

our candidate as winner in 

Adamawa – PDP 

In Adamawa State, the 

PDP demanded the 

immediate declaration of its 

candidate,Umaru Fintiri as 

the winner of the 


The party stated that the 

INEC’s declaration of the 

election as inconclusive 

was untenable knowing 

fully that it’s candidate 

convincingly won the 

election with a wide margin 

of 32,476. 

Former Governor Boni 

Haruna and a major 

stakeholder of the party told 

a press conference in Yola, 

yesterday, that the PDP has 

established that the number 

of PVCS collected in the 44 

polling unit are 31,027, 

which are less than the 

32,476 votes margin the 

PDP candidate has over the 

APC. 

However, Fintiri said that 

the INEC decision will not 

affect his leading position 

in the contest. 

Fintir told journalists in an 

interview in Yola that the 

reasons adduced by INEC 

for the cancellations in 

some polling units are 

being taken in good faith 

so that the electorate in 

those affected units can be 

given another chance to 

vote their choice. 

Fintiri who expressed 

satisfaction with the entire 

process of the exercise 

urged his teeming 

supporters to be calm and 

law abiding. 

In his reaction to the 

proposed supplementary 

election, National Vice 

Chairman of the APC in 

charge of North-East 

Comrade Salihu Mustapha 

alleged that the elections 

were marred with 

irregularities and fraud. 

Comrade Mustapha who 

served as a the party’s 

agent at the collation centre 

stated that his party is 

rejecting the outcome of the 

exercise and will challenge 

it at the election tribunal. 

Over 1000 women 

take protest to Sokoto 

INEC office 

In Sokoto, no fewer than 

1000 women, yesterday, 

stormed the Sokoto office of 

the INEC demanding the 

immediate declaration of 

Governor Aminu Tambuwal 

of the PDP as the winner of 

the poll. 

The women, who were 

accompanied by over 1000 

young ladies queried the 

rationale behind INEC’s 

decision to declare an 

election clearly won by 

Tambuwal inconclusive. 

According to the annoyed 

women, the APC led federal 

government in 

collaboration with INEC 

since 2015 had continued 

to upturn elections clearly 

won by PDP in the name of 

inconclusivity. Giving 

reasons for their large turn 

out in support of the protest, 

a Permanent Member with 

the State Universal Basic 

Education Board (SUBEB) 

Hajiya Fatima Illo, said no 

governor in Nigeria has fair 

leadership mindset like 

Tambuwal. Backing her 

claim,Illo said Governor 

Tambuwal recognizes 

women by appointing three 

commissioners, four 

Special Advisers, six 

Director Generals, three 

Permanent Members and 

69 councilors into the state. 

PDP flays BMO over 

President’s “neutrality” 

claim 

Meanwhile, the PDP, 

yesterday, chided the 

Buhari 

Media 

Organization, BMO, over 

the latter’s claim that 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s non-interference 

in the electoral process was 

the reason his party, the 


APC, lost in some states 

in the recently concluded 


This is even as the party 

accused the Independent 


Commission, INEC, of 

conniving with the ruling 

party to declare elections in 

some states of the 

federation “won by the 

PDP,” inconclusive. 

In a statement jointly 

signed by Niyi Akinsiju 

and Cassidy Madueke, 

BMO’s chairman and 

secretary respectively, the 

group attributed the loss 

APC suffered in some 

states, to President 

Buhari’s decision not to 

interfere in the 


“It was unthinkable that 

a ruling party in Nigeria 

would lose crucial states so 

soon after winning a 

Presidential election. 

Nigerians are used to 

Presidents using their 

enormous powers to retain 

their party in power at state 

level at all cost regardless 

of the people’s will but 

President Buhari has 

shown himself to be 

different in spite of what 

his perennial critics want 

Nigerians to believe, 

“BMO’s statement read in 

part. 

In a reaction to this 

however, spokesman of the 

PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, 

said contrary to the allusion 

to neutrality by BMO, 

Nigerians have rejected the 

APC, saying their “loss” in 

the states that have been 

declared inconclusive, is a 

testament to the people’s 

determination to get rid of 

the ruling party. 

He said: “The APC has 

been rejected by Nigerians 

and that again played out 

in the recently concluded 

governorship elections. If 

Buhari is truly neutral, we 

challeng INEC to 

announce the results of 

Benue, Bauchi, Kano, 

Adamawa, Sokoto and 

Plateau states, where the 

PDP clearly won the 

elections. 

“Why are they holding on 

to Rivers state? Results in 

these states are in the 

public domain and 

Nigerians know that we 

won clearly.” 

“INEC is in criminal 

accord with the APC and 

that is why they are so 

confused, especially in 

Rivers where they don’t 

know what to do next. But 

Nigerians have spoken 

and their votes must count.” 

The publicity scribe urged 

Nigerians and PDP 

supporters nationwide to 

remain calm, stressing that 

no matter how long it takes, 

the party would not allow 

any state the people entrust 

to it to slip away. 

Taraba govt extends 

curfew to 24 hours in 

Jalingo 

Meantime, the Taraba 

State Government has 

extended the Dusk to 

Dawn curfew imposed on 

Jalingo, the state capital to 

24 hours.

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MARCH 13, 2019 

Delta: My next line of action – Ogboru 

By Perez Brisibe 

CHIEF Great Ogboru was the All Progressives Congress, 

APC governorship candidate for Delta State 

in last Saturday’s governorship election. Having lost 

for the sixth time to the ruling Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, he speaks on his next line of action describing 

the election as the worst in the 20 years 

history of the state. 

Speaks on 2019 governorship 

polls in Delta 

The events concluding the 

governorship elections in Delta 

State took place on the 9th of 

March but not without incidents 

in several places. As a 

matter of fact, I and most Deltans 

believed that those elections, 

if and when properly 

conducted, APC should have 

won, and we believed that up 

until some few hours to the 

conclusion of the polls that we 

were winning, unfortunately, 

just after midday, thugs, uniformed 

persons working with 

the PDP in Delta State, started 

to rain terror on our agents and 

defenseless voters. 

They went from polling unit 

to polling unit, either snatching 

ballot boxes or where they saw 

that the APC has made significant 

gains, they destroyed the 

ballot papers in those places 

under the watchful eyes of persons 

wearing uniform. We do 

not know if they are fakes or 

persons employed by the state, 

but suffice to say that these 

dastardly acts happened under 

the very eyes of persons wearing 

uniforms. 

It happened in almost all the 

local government areas in Delta 

State without exemption. For 

instance, in Burutu, Bomadi 

and probably in Warri South 

West, voting started on Friday 

evening and we made several 

complaints to the authorities, 

but nobody heeded our calls. 

On Saturday, it became apparent 

that indeed, some persons 

had actually started their 

usual practice of undermining 

the electorate in Delta State. But 

we thought it would be a restricted 

incident to certain riverine 

communities, but when it 

I do not think our 

party agents sold 

out during the 

election process, 

they were coaxed 

into leaving whatever 

arena they 

showed up to do 

their lawful duties 

started in Sapele, Uvwie, Udu, 

Ughelli South, Okpe all in Delta 

Central, Ukwani, Ndokwa 

West and East, Ika North East 

and South, Oshimilli, Aniocha, 

all in Delta North, it became 

clear to us that the PDP never 

prepared for any elections. 

They know that in an elec- 

•Ogboru 

Ogboru’s thugs disappointed 

him – Esiso, PDP chairman 

Chief Kingsley Esiso, the chairman of the 

Delta State chapter of the PDP dismissed 

Ogboru’s assertions. 

He said: 

First, I am surprised that Chief Ogboru will be 

accusing the PDP of using thugs when obviously, 

it was the APC that used thugs all over 

the state as part of their election strategy, 

but unfortunately for them, it did not work. 

So they cannot turn round now and start 

blaming the PDP of using thugs when they 

are the ones that actually employed thugs. 

They are actually crying over spilled 

milk as bad losers. The best thing 

Chief Ogboru should do as a 

gentleman, is to call the governor 

and congratulate him. 

They didn't prepare for any 

election, and Deltans just 

spoke and they made a 

choice to choose governance, 

peace, even development 

and rotational governorship 

and these are what 

PDP stands for. 

•Kingsley Esiso 

tion, they will not be able to 

stand the will of the people of 

Delta State. So what they simply 

did was to recruit thugs from 

outside the state, and in some 

cases, we were told that some 

of those uniform persons were 

thugs of the PDP and it is with 

the aid of these thugs that they 

were able to undermine the will 

of the people of Delta State. 

The people of Delta as you 

can see are in mourning because 

the will of the people have not 

been expressed in those polls. 

On Sunday, we made an inductive 

analysis of the situation and 

we called on INEC to take a 

decision to disrupt further announcement 

of those results because 

the results that were being 

announced, were far in excess 

of what we know could 

have happened in the state. 

Over 500, 000 unaccredited 

voters voted in Delta 

The INEC accreditation 

records from their database corroborate 

what we are saying, 

that the voters did not turn up 

as much as the votes that are 

being announced. INEC as at 

today, has less than 600, 000 

accredited voters but the votes 

as being announced, exceed 1, 

100, 000 which is to say over 

500, 000 people who were not 

accredited, voted. That is a very 

serious issue, we have presented 

our case to the law enforcement 

agencies to investigate 

why this could happen, we have 

made our complaints to INEC, 

and of course, naturally, the 

party is taking a decision to 

challenge all of those actions in 

the proper arena. 

Most of our agents were driven 

away from the collation centers 

with collation taking place 

outside the prescribed environment 

of such to take place. 

This is the worst election in 

Delta 

This is the worst election we 

have witnessed in Delta State 

in the past 20 years, the reign 

of terror, the number of dead, 

and of course the accreditation 

records from INEC testifies 

that the PDP was unduly influencing, 

interfering with the 

process of the election which 

is to say that the election was 

neither credible, neither was it 

free or fair. Just like the decision 

our party has taken, we 

therefore reject the results. 

Use of federal might 

Yes, we are members of the 

ruling party and that is correct, 

but there are other interests that 

may have played out in this exercise. 

I do not think our party agents 

sold out during the election 

process, they were coaxed into 

leaving whatever arena they 

showed up to do their lawful 

duties. The institutional support 

we had is for all Nigerians and 

somebody hijacked that opportunity 

to his personal advantage 

and that is the question that has 

to be answered. 

Message to Supporters 

To our supporters, I want 

them to know that something 

is happening, it is not a hopeless 

situation at all, and we are 

going to take whatever step that 

is necessary to defend the franchise 

and mandate of the people 

of Delta State but whatever 

we have to do must be lawful. 

He relied on APC’s rigging 

plans – Osuoza, Publicity Secretary, 

Delta State PDP 

• Ifeanyi Osozua, 

Mr. Ifeanyi Osozua, publicity scribe of the PDP in Delta 

State also responded to Ogboru. 

Basically, Great Ogboru relied so much on their rigging 

plan, they did not campaign nor did they seek the people’s 

support and just relied on rigging. And they relied so much 

on the use of the military and other state institutions to 

replicate exactly what happened in Rivers State. 

But unfortunately for him, the military chose to be 

100 percent neutral and professional in the discharge 

of their duties in Delta and Ogboru can only thrive when 

there is crisis and unfortunately again, there was peace 

in Delta throughout the elections, so he could not do 

everything. 

And as a party having sensitized everybody on the 

evil plans by the APC, Deltans were ready for 

this election. The camping of ex-militants 

whom they were ready to give uniform to, we 

alerted the whole world about it and the swapping 

of results which they had already 

planned. 

So, Deltans were very vigilant and we just 

wanted a free and fair election. Let it be clear 

to everybody and that is exactly what happened 

and the state was generally peaceful. 

T h e areas where we had little skirmishes were 

the areas where Ogboru and his thugs perpetrated mayhem killing 

people in Abraka and some other local government areas 

and the people killed were PDP members. 

So, PDP won this election fair and square.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 — 43 

More nations, airlines ground 

Boeing 737 Max 8 

*US to mandate design changes 

* No B737 MAX 8 operating in Nigeria --- Minister 

*Plane had flight control problems – Ethiopian Airline 

* Boeing to deploy software upgrade 

*Clothing and personal effects from passengers are seen near the wreckage at the scene 

of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast 

of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri 

THE United Kingdom, 

Germany, 

Australia, Singapore, 

Austria, Poland, Italy, 

Netherlands, Ireland, 

Iceland, South Korea, 

Mongolia, Norway, Indonesia, 

Malaysia, 

Oman, and France 

joined other countries 

and airlines yesterday 

in banning Boeing 737 

Max 8 following the 

crash of an Ethiopian 

Airlines aircraft last Sunday. 

The European Union, 

EU, also suspended all 

flights in the bloc by 

Boeing 737 MAX planes 

in the biggest setback 

yet for the U.S. planemaker 

following the 

crash that killed 157 

people. 

In South Africa, Brazil, 

India, and Mexico, some 

airlines also suspended 

the usage of the aircraft 

model. They all cited 

safety reasons and the 

need to carry out a proper 

investigation into the 

incidents involving Boeing 

737 Max 8. 

Answers could 

take months 

Experts are chasing 

details on Sunday's 

crash, but answers could 

take months. Boeing defended 

its aircraft and 

said it has "full confidence 

in the safety of 

the Max." 

However, US regulators, 

Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) ordered 

Boeing to make 

urgent improvements to 

the best-selling jet involved 

in the deadly 

plane crash but ruled 

out grounding the fleet 

as investigators worked 

to piece together the 

aircraft's final 

moments. 

Anti-stalling 

software 

The FAA said it was 

ordering Boeing to 

make improvements to 

anti-stalling software 

and the maneuvering 

system, giving the 

company until the end 

of April to make the 

updates. A team of US 

aviation experts from 

the FAA was at the site 

on Tuesday. 

The FAA further declared 

the 737 Max 8 

airworthy. 

The agency said it was 

working with local 

authorities and the National 

Transportation 

Safety Board and may 

soon share safety information 

concerning the 

aircraft. 

"If we identify an issue 

that affects safety, we 

will take immediate and 

appropriate action," it 

said in a statement. 

Two U.S. senators 

called for the fleet’s immediate 

grounding. 

However, President 

Donald Trump waded 

into the debate over 

modern airplane design. 

“Pilots are no longer 

needed, but rather computer 

scientists from 

MIT,” Trump tweeted, 

lamenting that product 

developers always 

sought to go an unnecessary 

step further 

when “old and simpler” 

was superior. 

“I don’t know about 

you, but I don’t want Albert 

Einstein to be my pilot. 

I want great flying 

professionals that are allowed 

to easily and 

quickly take control of a 

plane! Trump did not refer 

directly to 

On its part, Boeing said 

it will deploy a software 

upgrade across the 737 

MAX 8 fleet “in the 

coming weeks’’ as pressure 

mounted. 

It made the statement 

a few hours after the 

FAA directive to do so. 

The company said in 

the aftermath of October's 

Lion Air Flight 

crash that it had, for several 

months, "been developing 

a flight control 

software enhancement 

for the 737 MAX, designed 

to make an already 

safe aircraft even 

safer". The software upgrade 

"will be deployed 

across the 737 MAX 

fleet in the coming 

weeks," it said in a statement. 

No grounding is 

needed 

Boeing did not reference 

Sunday's crash in 

connection to the software 

upgrade, adding 

that no grounding is 

needed. 

"We are confident in 

the safety of the 737 

MAX and in the work of 

the men and women 

who design and build it," 

Boeing Chief Executive 

Officer Dennis Muilenburg 

told employees in 

an email. 

Cost of grounding 

The cost of grounding 

all 737 MAX planes 

could be between $1 billion 

and $5 billion, according 

to estimates 

from Wall Street firms 

Melius Research and 

Jefferies. 

In a related development, 

the CEO of Ethiopian 

Airlines, Tewolde 

GebreMariam revealed 

that the pilots aboard the 

Ethiopian Airlines flight 

told air traffic control that 

they were having “flight 

control problems.’ 

He added that a recorded 

conversation 

with air traffic control 

detailed the final moments 

of the flight. 

"He was having difficulties 

with the flight 

control of the airplane, 

so he asked to return 

back to base," Gebre- 

Mariam said. 

He added that the pilot 

was granted permission 

to return to the 

ground, adding that it 

happened at the same 

time the flight disappeared 

from radar. 

GebreMariam said the 

Ethiopian Airlines pilots 

had received additional 

training on the flight 

procedures involving 

the 737 MAX 8 after the 

Lion Air crash. 

"We believe the similarities 

are substantial" 

between the two crashes, 

GebreMariam said, 

adding that both incidents 

featured new models 

of the same airplane, 

and both flights lasted 

only minutes before the 

planes went down. 

Grounded across 

the globe 

GebreMariam declined 

to say whether he 

thought all Boeing 737 

MAX 8 aircraft should be 

grounded across the 

globe, though he noted 

that Ethiopian Airlines 

has grounded its fleet of 

MAX 8s. 

"We don't yet know the 

exact cause of the accident, 

and speculation is 

not helpful in either 

way"but I think there 

are questions without 

answers on the 

airplane," he said. 

GebreMariam said 

Ethiopia's Ministry of 

Transport will work with 

the United States, where 

Boeing is based, to find 

a place to examine that 

data. Ethiopia does not 

have the necessary 

equipment to perform 

those tasks on its own, 

he added. 

Bodies will take 

days to release 

Also, Ethiopian Airline 

said the families of those 

who died aboard the 

aircraft must wait at 

least five days to begin 

receiving some victims’ 

remains, though the 

identification of others 

is expected to take 

much longer. 

“The process of identifying 

the victims will 

take at least five days. 

“Families will be notified,” 

Ethiopian Airlines 

spokesman Asrat Begashaw 

told reporters in 

Addis Ababa on Tuesday. 

Due to the impact and 

ensuing fire, the identification 

of some remains 

could take weeks or 

months and may need to 

be done via dental 

records or DNA, an industry 

expert told Reuters. 

The process will be 

complicated because the 

passengers came from 

more than 30 countries 

and Ethiopia has limited 

forensic capabilities, 

the expert added, asking 

not to be named. 

Noordin Mohamed, a 

27-year-old Kenyan 

businessman, said his 

family had no information 

about when they 

might be able to bury 

his brother and mother, 

who is a dual British- 

Kenyan citizen. 

“We are Muslims and 

have to bury our deceased 

immediately. 

Now we cannot even recover 

any bodies,” he 

told Reuters in the Kenyan 

capital Nairobi. 

“Losing a brother and 

mother on the same day 

and not having their 

bodies to bury is very 

painful.” 

A team from the Israeli 

volunteer rescue service 

ZAKA was hoping to 

join the crash site on 

yesterday and help 

identify bodies, said 

Opher Dach, consul of 

Israel’s embassy in 

Ethiopia. 

No B737 MAX 8 

operating in Nigeria 

---Minister 

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 

Minister of State, Aviation, 

Senator Hadi Sirika 

and the Nigerian Civil 

Aviation Authority, 

NCAA, yesterday confirmed 

that no Nigerian 

airline has Boeing 737 

MAX 8 currently in its 

fleet. 

Giving the confirmation 

through the Deputy 

Director, Media and 

Public Affairs in the ministry, 

Mr James Odaudu, 

the minister said : “ As 

the nation joins the rest 

of the world in mourning 

the victims of the unfortunate 

crash of the 

Ethiopian airlines, I am 

assuring Nigerians that 

the nation does not currently 

have any Boeing 

737 Max on its register, 

and therefore no cause 

for concern. Any accident 

anywhere is a tragedy 

to the global aviation 

industry. Nigeria identifies 

and commiserates 

with the Ethiopian aviation 

authorities. 

“The Nigerian Civil 

Aviation Authority, 

NCAA, the industry regulator 

in Nigeria, has 

issued the necessary 

advisory as it relates to 

the country.As we continue 

to mourn and pray 

for the victims, we wish 

to reassure Nigerians 

that we do not have any 

Boeing 737 Max on Nigeria’s 

register to worry 

about. Civil Aviation Authority 

has issued the 

needed advisory.'' 

Also, the General 

Manager, Public Relations 

of NCAA, Mr. Sam 

Adurogboye said the 

agency was closely 

monitoring investigations 

into the safety of 

Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. 

Adurogboye made 

the assertion yesterday 

in Lagos. 

He, however, assured 

the Nigerian flying public 

of their safety, saying 

there was no cause 

for alarm. 

He said: “Presently, 

the aircraft type, Boeing 

737 Max 8 is not in 

operation in the 

country. However, the 

NCAA is consciously 

monitoring the 

developments.’’

44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, March 13, 2019 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

PISCES: Although element of good luck will put smile on your face 

today, don’t forget that there will always be tomorrow; meaning that it is 

important you don’t step on toes because of your immediate needs and 

wants. 

ARIES: Those with sugar coated tongues may take undue advantage 

of you, especially if they discover that you will like sycophants to 

surround you today. Take good advice from your reliable friends seriously. 

TAURUS: Secretive deals are sources of avoidable trouble; meaning 

that you will need to do away with whatever can not be placed above 

board. Think positively about your image and prepare to protect your 

name. 

GEMINI: Unless you are more vigilant some people will call themselves 

your friends and make your purse very uncomfortable. Your personal 

family must be given priority attention today. Be more loving. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it 

is thinking of yourself less.” -Rick Warre- 

A humble person is actively interested in others than 

self. Listens to others with loving interest and with an 

expectation to learn and grow or to give necessary support. 

He or she take self a little less seriously, and can 

laugh at their own expense, because they know that a 

person’s worth is based not on impressing other people 

but rather a deep contentment which is derived from a 

higher source. -- Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

Food gained by 

fraud tastes 

sweet to a man, 

but he ends up 

with gravel in 

his mouth. ~African 

Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

CANCER: Similar to yesterday but there will be more pressure on 

you through either career or business related issues. Your willingness to be 

as gentle as necessary while trying to assert yourself holds the needed 

solutions. 

LEO: Those of you in the middle of legal battle will need to prepare for 

both expected and unexpected confrontation. Exhibition of maturity the 

way you will not run your way into avoidable problem will see you 

through. 

VIRGO: Female members of this Star Sign will need to be as receptive 

as necessary while handling their sex life, especially if you are married. 

Say no to any negative advice, especially from not too close (so call) 

friends. 

LIBRA: Proper management of your image should top your priority 

list today. Those of you nursing false hope will need to wake up from 

slumbering and be as practical as necessary. Matters-of-the-heart are 

looking favourable. 

SCORPIO: It is important you exhibit maturity and love while handling 

your personal family affairs. Don’t forget your ability to be secretive 

when necessary. Respect the law and it’s enforcement agents around you. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

SAGITTARIUS: Unnecessary argument can not help either you or 

your partners now, that is why you will need to encourage receptive 

approach. But whatever happens you will win and succeed today eventually. 

CAPRICORN: Unnecessary aggression on your part may send 

wrong signal about you to others who you may eventually need their cooperation 

both now and in the immediate future. Think money and your 

family. 

AQUARIUS: You may be tempted to give in to temptation to become 

unnecessarily complacent about health related issues, either of 

yours or others that are important to you. Avoid unnecessary argument at 

work. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

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

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LIBRA 

Libra is the 7th Zodiac sign related to public spiritedness partnership, 

marriage, rival, close associates, open opponents, justice, harmony 

and/or care for peace and concord. 

Through Venus - the ruler of Libra, Librans are artistic inclined and 

as Venus rules money, money, music and comfort are truly important 

to all Librans and you are not an exception. Libra is a cardinal star sign 

which induces it’s natives to desire action and importance in a peaceful 

manner. Things ruled by Libra as stated above must be taken 

seriously by you. 

You see, if a Libran makes mistake while trying to make a partnership 

choice either of business or emotional type, it will profoundly 

affect many other areas of his/her life. Equally, business rival and/or 

open opponents must not be treated with levity. 

Element of Libra is air. Natives of air Star signs are naturally intelligent 

and must think twice of their ideas before trying to discard them. 

Because their ideas are truly brilliant and most of them can lead to 

success both for themselves and others. 

Libra is the social butterfly of the Zodiac and the issues of justice, fairplay 

and equity are very important to the natives of Venus ruled Libra. 

Some people who need to know better erroneously believe that Librans’ 

love of peace makes them a weak set of people but Librans can revolt, 

if and when injustice is done to them. 

Some other times however, the desire for peace in your inner-self at 

times get the better off-you, to the point that you seek others’ approval 

before you do anything. And this your weak point can be taken advantage 

of by some dubious people who will not hesitate to do so. 

But as peace loving as Librans are if a Libran discovers real or 

imaginary injustice against self, he/she will feel cheated especially, if 

the matter at hand concerns RELATIONSHIP, few of them will then 

react violently but many will sulk. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 — 45


Zidane’s bumper shopping list: 

Hazard, Neymar, Mbappe, Mane, Pogba 

all being considered for summer splurge 

Zinedine Zidane was 

promised the world in 

order to step back into the fray 

as Real Madrid coach – now 

the club must work out how 

they are going to pay for it. 

The club have made Eden 

Hazard their main target but are 

waiting to see how the Chelsea’s 

appeal to the Court of Arbitration 

for Sport pans out. 

If they earn a stay of execution 

on the FIFA ban on registering 

new players then the way will be 

clear to bring Hazard this 

summer. 

If that door is closed to them 

they will not give up on the 

Belgian but they may have to 

pay Chelsea’s full £100m asking 

price despite the fact that the 28- 

year-old will have only one year 

left on his deal. 

So buoyed by succeeding in 

bringing back Zidane, club 

president Florentino Perez 

was uncharacteristically 

forthright about the club’s 

possible pursuit of two other 

targets – Kylian Mbappe 

and Neymar. 

Asked if signing Mbappe 

now became easier because 

he had Zidane at the helm he 

joked with reporters on 

Monday night: ‘Zidane is 

French he can maybe do 

something’. And asked if he 

preferred Mbappe or Neymar 

he said: ‘I would say both’. 

That playing to gallery, on a 

triumphant day that seemed to 

sweep away all of the doom and 

gloom of last week’s Champions 

League exit, is not likely to last. 

Mourinho: I did 

not want Real 

Madrid return 

Jose Mourinho 

has said that 

he was not 

interested in 

a return to 

Real Madrid 

before the 

Spanish 

g i a n t s 

announced 

the return of 

Zinedine •Mourinho 

Zidane. 

The future of interim boss 

Santiago Solari has been up in the 

air for a number of weeks, and it 

was revealed on Monday that 

Zidane had accepted an offer to 

have a second spell at the 

Bernabeu. 

Mourinho had been heavily 

linked with another period at the 

La Liga side, but the Portuguese 

has insisted that he was not 

contemplating a reunion with Los 

Blancos. 

The 56-year-old told BeIN Sport: 

“Would I go back to a club I’ve 

been at before? If I thought it was 

the right club, right structure, the 

right ambitions, no problem at all. 

“It is a reason of pride when a 

club where you worked before 

wanted you to come back. The only 

moment where I had this feeling 

was with Chelsea, not with Real 

Madrid.” 

Mourinho has been out of work 

since being sacked as Manchester 

United manager in December. 

Madrid 

know that 

t h e i r 

chances of 

g e t t i n g 

Mbappe – the 

jewel in PSG’s 

crown - are very 

slim and that 

Neymar will cost 

the same 222m euros 

(£190m) he cost PSG 

two seasons ago. 

If action is finally 

taken against PSG for 

financial doping then 

that changes the 

transfer landscape. 

Until then, and all the 

time Hazard is a 

possibility, the Chelsea 

player remains the 

number one target. 

Chelsea could end up in 

the High Court amid 

their ongoing legal 

battle with Antonio 

Conte over his 

severance package. 

A Premier League 

managers’ arbitration 

tribunal has now been 

appointed to rule on the 

matter. 

There have been months of 

wrangling between Conte and 

Chelsea’s respective legal teams, 

but both parties are yet to reach 

an agreement on the Italian’s payoff. 

He was sacked by Chelsea in July, 

two years into his contract at 

Stamford Bridge and with a year 

left to run. 

The dispute will now be put to a 

three-person tribunal, which is the 

first legal port of call for any 

ongoing issue around an 

employment contract. 

Further disagreement and refusal 

to accept the ruling would see the 

judgement challenged in the High 

Court. 

Conte’s lawyers have argued he 

should be paid for the final year of 

his deal — which would be worth 

around £9million — unless he 

takes another job. 

Chelsea, on the other hand, have 

argued that his behaviour during 

his last year put him in breach of 

his contract. 

There was a serious deterioration 

of relationships between the 49- 

year-old and senior figures behind 

the scenes at Stamford Bridge. 

The issues began when Conte sent 

a text message to Diego Costa to 

tell the striker he was surplus to 

Zidane has yet to draw up his list 

of targets but he will also need a 

new centre-forward and there is a 

suggestion that last summer he 

wanted the club to pursue 

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane. 

He is likely to make a similar 

request in the coming weeks 

when he sits down with Real 

Madrid’s director general Jose 

Angel Sanchez. 

Real Madrid don’t just need 

attacking reinforcements. 

Midfield and defence will also 

need to be strengthened. Porto 

centre-back Militao will be the first 

to arrive and attention will then 

turn to the middle of the pitch. 

Paul Pogba has already been 

linked in Spain but the old barriers 

of negotiating with Mino Raiola 

remain. Christian Eriksen remains 

a more likely target. 

Chelsea’s pay-off battle with 

Conte to end up in High Court 

•Conte 

requirements. This is 

likely to be used in 

Chelsea’s case against 

Conte. 

There have been 

discussions within 

Conte’s legal team 

about claiming for 

aggravated damages. 

They believe that by 

leaving it so late to sack 

him, Chelsea stopped 

Conte from finding another 

top job in the summer. 

Arsenal will play a 

friendly in Dubai as 

part of a five-day training 

camp in March as Unai 

Emery looks to keep his 

squad in pristine condition 

in the battle for a top four 

finish. 

His side will meet Al- 

Nasr Dubai on March 26, 

during the upcoming 

international break so 

Emery will have a limited 

squad at his disposal. 

Arsenal’s last game this 

month comes against 

Rennes in the Europa 

League on Thursday. 

No FA Cup action 

means they next 

play Newcastle on 

April 1. 

‘It will be great to 

get some warm weather 

training and break up the 

usual routine as we enter 

the final stage of the 

Tottenham heave sigh 

of relief after Zidane’s 

return to Real Madrid 

Tottenham players are 

confident Mauricio 

Pochettino will not quit the 

club at the end of the 

season. 

Pochettino appeared to 

have the pick of either the 

Manchester United or Real 

Madrid jobs this summer, 

raising major concerns 

within the squad that their 

manager would get 

tempted away by one of 

European football’s 

superpowers. 

However there has been 

a feeling within the squad 

•Pochettino 

in recent weeks that 

Pochettino was preparing to 

stay for at least another 

season - a belief reinforced 

on Monday by the news that 

Zinedine Zidane has 

replaced Santiago Solari at 

the Bernabeu. 

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

looking increasingly certain 

of landing the Old Trafford 

job on a permanent basis 

following his breathtaking 

impact since arriving as 

interim manager, 

Pochettino’s options look to 

be disappearing. 

Mourinho wanted by PSG 

PSG want Jose Mourinho as their next manager if they 

sack Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season. 

Mourinho, 56, is desperate to return to management and 

has openly spoken about working in Ligue 1 since being 

sacked by Manchester United last year. 

He had been heavily linked with a sensational return 

to Real Madrid until it was confirmed Zinedine Zidane, 

46, is taking charge at the Bernabeu again. 

Ruthless PSG could axe the German after blowing a 

two-goal advantage in their Champions League defeat 

to the Red Devils. 

The French giants have a history of sacking managers 

who fail to deliver in the Europe with Unai Emery and 

Laurent Blanc the two previous names on the receiving 

end of the chop. 

Mourinho has managed across four European countries 

but has yet to make his name in France. 

Zidane says Marcelo must stay 

Zinedine Zidane’s return as Real Madrid coach could 

well have a major impact on a number of players’ 

futures, not least Marcelo - who, according to a report in 

his native Brazil, ‘Zizou’ is eager to keep at the Santiago 

Bernabéu. 

The left-back, who had lost his place to Sergio Reguilón 

under sacked Madrid boss Santiago Solari, has been 

heavily tipped for a summer move to Juventus, with 

reports even claiming that he has agreed terms with the 

Serie A champions. 

However, A Bola Brasil says that Zidane is “not 

giving up on Marcelo” and has told Madrid president 

Florentino Pérez that the LaLiga giants must not let the 

30-year-old leave the Spanish capital at the end of the 

season. 

The publication says Zidane is keen to get the Brazilian 

back to his best at Madrid, and this week plans to sit 

down with the defender for talks that are set to play a 

key role in determining whether or not he ends his 12- 

year stay at the club. 

Arsenal schedule Dubai friendly ahead of top four run-in 

season,’ Emery said. 

‘The facilities in Dubai 

are fantastic and it will be 

an honour to be part of the 

formal opening ceremony 

for the new 

stadium.’ 

Arsenal 

face 

Rennes at the Emirates Stadium 

on Thursday looking to overturn 

a 3- 

1 deficit from the 

first-leg in 

France.


Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Smug (10) 

7 Peak (8) 

8 Spoke falsely (4) 

9 Republic of Ireland (4) 

10 Opportunities (7) 

12 Fine Penmanship (11) 

14 Refrain from voting (7) 

16 Reverberation (4) 

19 Compass bearing (4) 

20 Feelings (8) 

21 Constantly (3,3,4) 

DOWN 

1 Tick off (5) 

2 Dog of mixed breed (7) 

3 Deficiency (4) 

4 English cheese (8) 

5 Synthetic fabric (5) 

6 Crunchy salad vegetable 

(6) 

11 Assiduous (8) 

12 Telegraphs (6) 

13 Italian opera composer 

(7) 

15 Sum (5) 

17 Unit of weight (5) 

18 Italy’s capital (4) 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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13032019 - March 23 date for make-up polls in Adamawa, Kano, others

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