27032019 - War over NASS leadership as Ndum , PDP Blast Oshiomole

INEC under 1999
Constitution: Need to
amend the electoral
law for election of
transformational
leaders 40
Who's running Lagos?
Lagos, a state and mega city is now caught in the
paradox of motion without action as governance
seemingly is on exile. The reality— dilapidated roads,
morbid utilities, rising lawlessness, hellish traffic,
garbage-strewn streets, etc. Read the report of this
situation tomorrow. UNIQUELY VANGUARD!
Militarisation of
electoral process an
ill-wind —Sunday Oibe,
NCEF PRO
CBN reduces MPR to 13.5%, as MPC calls for rebasing of GDP
9
22
VOL. 26: NO. 63723 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
War over NASS leadership as
Ndume, PDP blast Oshiomhole
•Choice of Lawan, Gbajabiamila shocking, unconstitutional, says Ali Ndume
•Lawan, Gbajabiamila chosen because they were never in PDP — SOURCE
•Election of presiding officers open to all parties — PDP
•Don't be like last NASS, Buhari counsels new leadership
Court
30
clears
INEC, as
Adamawa
make-up
poll holds
tomorrow
PRESIDENTIAL
POLL: Tribunal
begins
hearing on
Atiku's
petition
against Buhari
today 9
Coalition of
Igbo groups
tasks
Buhari on
S-East
roads
34
COLUMNISTS
RIVERS: You
fell for stomach
infrastructure, APC
tells Bomba Yeeh 12
DEAR BUNMI
INVESTITURE
President Muhammadu Buhari (3rd left), flanked by the President, The Nigerian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors, Obafemi Omnasile (2l); SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapher (4th right) and Minister for Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, with a delegation during the investiture of President Buhari as a
Fellow, Chattered Institute of Surveyors at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.
FG sets up c’ttee on building collapse
ROTIMI FASAN
26 31
14
Committee dismisses allegation
of sodomy, cannibalism, missing
children in Abuja school
14
SEE
INSIDE
By Emmanuel
Aziken, Political
Editor, Henry
Umoru, Johnbosco
Agbakwuru, Dirisu
Yakubu and Ezra
Ukanwa
ABUJA — The bid
by the All
Progressives
Congress, APC, leadership
to enthrone harmony
between the next National
Assembly and executive
arm of government was
threatened, upon dissent to
the party’s nomination of
Senator Ahmad Lawan and
Mr Femi Gbajabiamila as
presiding officers.
Dissent rose from within
the party and outside.
Senator Mohammed
Continues on Page 5
Naira down
at N358.5/$
in parallel
market 41
Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

vanguardnews
@vanguardnews
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—5
NEWS HOTLINES
POCKET CARTOON
018773962,
@vanguardnews 08052867058
NAFDAC @ 25—From left: Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye
Ogunwusi; wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; the Director
General, National Agency for Foods and Drugs Control, (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye; and the
Chairman, NAFDAC Board, Inuwa Abdulkadir, waiting to cut a cake during the presentation of awards
to deserving citizens, at an event to mark the 25th Anniversary of NAFDAC at the State House
Conference Centre, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.
War over NASS leadership as Ndume,
PDP blast Oshiomhole
Continues from Page 1
Ndume, a fellow contestant
for the office of Senate
President in a stern rebuke
to the national chairman of
the party, Mr Adams
Oshiomhole, warned that
the scenario that sparked
crises between the 8th
National Assembly and the
Muhammadu Buhari
presidency was again
being repeated.
The Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, on its part
warned that choice of
presiding officers of the
National Assembly was the
internal affair of the
National Assembly and not
that of the party.
Meanwhile, APC sources
yesterday, opened up on
why Lawan and Gbajamiala
were chosen to be Senate
President and Speaker of
the House of
Representatives. One
source cited consistency in
party politics as it was
noted that the two men had
never been members of the
PDP.
Vanguard also gathered
that the position of Deputy
Senate President had been
zeroed down to the South-
South, with Senator Francis
Alimikhena (Edo North)
and another senator from
Delta State, being under
consideration. It was
further gathered that the
South-East and the North-
Central zones were being
considered for the position
of deputy speaker.
Ndume was first elected
to the Senate on the
platform of the PDP before
defecting to win re-election
on the platform of the APC
in 2015. Senator Danjuma
Goje was twice elected as
governor of Gombe State on
the platform of the PDP.
The touch of crisis
nonetheless, President
Buhari has urged party
members elected to the
National Assembly not to
follow what he claimed as
the uncooperative
tendencies of the outgoing
National Assembly, which
he claimed formed a habit
of passing the budget
months into the year.
President Buhari had on
December 19, 2018,
presented an N8.83 trillion
budget proposal for the
2019 fiscal year to the
National Assembly.
It’s shocking,
unfortunate,
says Ndume
Reacting to the
endorsement of Lawan and
Gbajabiamila as Senate
President and Speaker
respectively while
speaking with reporters
yesterday, Ndume
described the endorsement
as unconstitutional,
shocking and unfortunate.
He said that there was no
consultation before the
decision was taken, noting
that at least, the APC
national chairman ought to
have discussed with them,
brainstorm with Senators
from the North-East as a
sign of honour, adding that
such endorsements, run
contrary to provisions of
Section 50( 1A ) of the 1999
constitution as amended .
According to Ndume, the
party which ought to be
democratic was
surprisingly toeing the path
of the PDP which it hitherto
accused of impunity.
Noting that Oshiomhole
was causing the party to
repeat the 2015 mistake that
sparked the crisis between
the executive and
legislative branches, he
said that Section 50(1A) of
the Constitution put the
duty of electing presiding
officers of the National
Assembly on its members.
He said that by the
provisions of the
constitution, “neither
Oshiomhole nor President
Buhari or even any party
leader, has the right to force
on elected senators or
members of the House of
Representatives, their
presiding officers.
“What took place at the
presidential dinner in Aso
Rock on Monday night
where Oshiomhole as party
chairman, announced
Senator Lawan and
Gbajabiamila as President
of the 9th Senate and
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
respectively was very
shocking to me and many
of my colleagues.
“Oshiomhole, in making
the announcement or
endorsement did not even
allow me or Senators Goje
(Gombe Central) and
Abdullahi Adamu
(Nasarawa West), widely
known to be in the race for
the position to say
anything.
“More disturbing was the
fact that even Senator
Lawan endorsed for the
position was not allowed to
make any comment in the
form of an acceptance
speech or to solicit for
support from other
interested senators.”
Ndume who noted that
since 1999, there was no
time a leadership was
imposed on any of the
chambers of the National
Assembly without a revolt
said: “For the sake of
cohesion and stability
among party members as
regards aspirations for such
positions, what was
expected from the party
leadership was to zone the
positions and allow
contenders within each of
the zones sort it out either
through consensus or
shadow election.
“The 109 elected senators
and 360 House of
Representatives members
are the constitutional kingmakers
as far as emergence
of presiding officers of both
chambers are concerned
and not national chairman
of a ruling party or even the
President.”
He, nevertheless,
affirmed that his loyalty to
the party and President
Buhari would not be
Continues on Page 41
By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou,
Yinka Latona, Chiamaka Uba
& Dickson Omobola
INEC’s statement that no election is perfect (3)
The Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, said
no election is
perfect which is acceptable
but the outcome of the 2019
general election is
disheartening. Perfection
is not attainable, but if INEC
could chase perfection, they
could have attained
excellence. No election is
perfect but there is no
justification for the voter
apathy and violence
across the country.
Mr.Felix Oladeji
Analyst
To me, the statement
attests to INEC's incompetence.
I am saying this
because they had four
years to prepare for the
elections and they were
fully funded to conduct
successful elections but
the reverse was the case.
They had to put up a defence
for themselves. I am
disappointed.
Miss Olabanji Elizabeth
Student
That was expected
from INEC because that
is the reality. What do
you expect in a country
where politicians are so
desperate and could do
anything to win? The
masses lack political education
and could sell
their votes, not to mention
a porous national
security architecture due
to insufficient personnel
etc.
Mr. William Jimoh
Analyst
INEC under Buhari reminds
me of the days of
Morris Iwu. What we see
is a retrogressive movement
by INEC.
Under the APC-led government,
people elect but
INEC and the party select.
What else can we say
about the inconclusive
elections, vote buying, and
the use of the military to
intimidate political opponents?
These acts are fast
becoming norms in our
electoral process.Mr Olatunbosun
Ojo Analyst
As an individual, I find
it difficult to understand
how a supposedly well
organised body set up to
conduct a credible election
will make such a
statement.
As a body, it was set up
to put in place a perfect
election and not to come
up with needless excuses.
This is so unacceptable
to Nigerians.
Miss Ezemezue
Damilola, Student
Saying that 'no election is
perfect' as a result of
the just-concluded elections
was wrong. Before such a
statement could be
considered at all, the
conduct of an election must
be close to perfection. The
general election was a
playful exercise. With such
hitches as inconclusive
elections, snatching of
ballot boxes, and killings in
some parts of the country, I
wonder what hope is left for
Nigeria
Miss Adebimpe Ogunsola
Student

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MACRH 27, 2019
Woman in viral
nude video
begs for justice
MS Ogochukwu Okafor,
young mother of a sixyear-old
son filmed nude in
Anambra State in a video that
went viral on the internet on
Tuesday has demanded
justice.
Okafor, who spoke to
newsmen in Awka, described
the incident as ‘unfortunate’
adding that the video had
ruined her reputation and
career.
The victim, a widow said she
dropped out of school after
she lost her husband.
She said she holds an
Ordinary National Diploma,
OND, certificate and was
currently unemployed.
Okafor said she could never
be assuaged by any amount
of plea to rescind her decision
to have the suspects
prosecuted.
“I am a single mother, I
lost my husband and I am
just struggling to take care
of my boy who is just six
years.
“I feel terrible, I feel
disorganised; if it is just my
face I would have endured
it but my nakedness all over
the place.
“They have ruined my
career both in Nigeria and
outside the country,” she
lamented.
Nwankwo, who flogged
the victim, said she never
knew her action would
assume this regrettable
dimension.
She said it was a
transferred aggression from
her estranged husband who
left her and took away her
son.
Nwankwo said her
intention was to go to her
sister’s house who had
complained to her about the
relationship between her
husband and the lady to
settle the matter.
“I feel bad. I did not have
it in mind that it will turn
out this way. My plan was
just to go there and settle
the situation.
“The memory of my past
experience with my exhusband
who took away my
son made me to transfer the
whole aggression on her.
“My sister called me for
help that her husband has
been sleeping around with
this lady and that got me
angry.
“When I got there, the lady
ran into the toilet and locked
the door and I asked her to
come out and flogged her, but
I was not the person that sent
out the video,” she said.
Okafor was allegedly lured
to the home of her Facebook
male friend, Mr. Ifeanyi
Azotani, only to be humiliated
by Azotani’s wife and her
friend, who got her naked
and filmed her.
Man robs, kills Taxify driver; nabbed by FSARS
By Onozure Dania
LAGOS—A 29-year-old robbery
suspect, Ikechukwu Ozorumba,
who allegedly escaped after
strangulating a Taxify driver and
stealing his car, has been arrested
by operatives of the Federal Special
Anti-robbery Squad, FSARS, at
Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, Lagos.
Ozorumba, who hails from Obolo
Uku, Delta State and resides at 16
Yaro Street, Okokomaiko, Lagos,
allegedly conspired with his friend
simply called Nkelechi, aka Sun
Shine under false pretence
boarded the Taxify, around 11p.m.
from Bode Thomas in Surulere to
Okokomaiko.
The suspect and his accomplice,
who is now at large, immediately,
they got to their destination
between 12 am and 1 am, robbed
the driver, Ebenezer Olotu, of his
Camry Car with number plate,
SMK 980 FM at Okokomaiko area
of Lagos and allegedly killed him
and drove the car to Imo State for
sale.
The Operatives also arrested one
Chima Chukwuemeka, 38, a palm
oil farmer in Oguta area of Imo
State from Amaraku, Isiala
Mbano, Imo State for allegedly
harbouring the robbery suspect in
his farm to evade Police arrest.
Police alleged that nemesis
caught up with the robbery
suspect after the family of the late
driver petitioned the Deputy
Commissioner of Police, DCP in
charge of FSARS, Lagos Island, Mr
Kola Okunola that the deceased,
who works with Taxify Car hiring
services in Lagos left home for work
on December, 26, 2018 and had
yet to return home.
Following the petition Okunola
directed his team led by SP Festus
Olaniyi to do everything possible
to locate the missing driver.
Meanwhile a Police source
alleged that after days of
intelligence gathering in Lagos
metropolis, the Police team
following a tip off found the corpse
of the late driver dumped at Jimoh
Street, Okokomaiko, Ojo, Lagos.
The Police evacuated the corpse
and deposited it in the mortuary.
The source further alleged that
the Police team later tracked the
robbery suspect through the
phone number of the victim to Imo
State where they arrested the oil
farmer, who led the Police to his
farm in Oguta, Imo State to arrest
the robbery suspect.
After his arrest, the robbery
suspect led the Police to recover
the stolen car at a hideout in Imo
State and they brought the two
suspects and the recovered car to
FSARS office in Lagos.
During investigation, according
to the Police, the robbery suspect
allegedly confessed to the crime
and said that he and his
accomplice, Nkelechi, now on the
run did not intend to kill the
driver, but just to rob him of his
car and that the driver’s
stubbornness led to his death.
In his confession to the Police,
Ozorumba allegedly stated: “We
ordered the driver to surrender his
car key to us, but he refused and
started struggling with us
and in the process, we used
an iron rod to hit him,
strangled him to death and
dump his body at Jimoh
Street, Okokomaiko and
drove the car straight to Imo
State to look for a buyer,” the
suspect told the Police.
He also told the Police that
when he got home, the wife
asked him why he had
bloodstains on his body and
an injury on his finger.
Ozorumba said: “I told my
wife that I was involved in a
fight at a club, where I sustained
the injury and got the
bloodstains on my clothes. So
she didn’t suspect anything.”
However the Police source
said the suspects would be
charged to court after
completion of investigations.
DONATION BY NIPR: From left—General Secretary, Mrs. Thelma Okoh;
Chairman, Olusegun McMedal, both of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Lagos;
representative, Home of Prayer, HOP, Miss Doris Uza; member of Council, NIPR, Mrs.
Nkechi Ali-Balogun, and Ag. Registrar, Mr. Kayode Yeku, both of NIPR, during the
presentation of relieve materials donated by the Institute to victims of the Ita Faji building
collapse in Lagos.
Auchi Poly lecturer
commits suicide
By Alemma Aliu
BENIN—A lecturer in the
Department of Urban and
Regional Planning, Federal
Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State,
identified as Mr. Patrick Okojie,
reportedly committed suicide
three days to his 47th birthday.
It was gathered that he had
made two previous attempts at
committing suicide.
Vanguard gathered,
By Evelyn Usman
AN explosion rocked Orile-
Agege area of Lagos
yesterday, leaving two persons
injured, while buildings and
shops, including property worth
several millions of naira were
destroyed.
Residents said that tragedy
occurred after a high tension
wire snapped and landed on
one of the buildings in which
was a cooking gas. The
explosion was followed by balls
of fire which jolted residents,
some of who were still asleep.
Some residents sustained
varying degrees of injuries in
yesterday, that the
decomposing body of Okojie
was found at his plot of land at
Igbira Camp, along Igarra-
Auchi Road, four days after he
was said to have gone missing.
He was said to have left the
house on the fateful day
without his phone, apparently
to delay any trace of his
whereabouts.
Okojie, who is said to be due
for promotion to Chief
2 injured, buildings razed in Lagos fire
their bid to escape being
caught up in the raging fire
which spread to other rooms.
Residents who were
rendered homeless by the
inferno appealed to the state
government to come to their aid
by providing alternative
accommodation for
them,.pending when they
would get money to rent
accommodation.
One of them, Saidu
Mohammed, lamented that he
lost every thing he had
laboured for since he started
working eight years ago.
He said: “I could not salvage
anything from the fire. The
Instructor by this month ending,
did not leave any note behind to
explain any reason for his action,
but left behind a wife and three
children.
A top management staff of the
institution told Vanguard,
yesterday, that the incident was a
private one as it happened
outside the school environment.
Edo Police spokesman, DSP
Chidi Nwabuzor, said he was yet
to be briefed on the incident.
most painful aspect is that the
money I was supposed to pay into
the bank yesterday (Monday), on
behalf of my company, got burnt.
“I could not pay because the
bank had closed. My intention
was to pay it in today(yesterday),
only for the unthinkable to
happen.”
One of the shop owners, Mrs
Mulikat Shuaib, like others, said
effort to salvage some of her wares
proved abortive.
She said: “I borrowed money
from a friend to stockpile my shop.
Unfortunately, everything is gone.
Two persons, a woman and a boy,
who were severely injured, were
rushed to the hospital.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—7
Ekiti NURTW member to die by
hanging for killing colleague
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
ADO-EKITI—AN Ado-Ekiti
High Court has sentenced
a member of the National Union
of Road Transport Workers,
NURTW, in Ekiti State,
Abednego Ajibola, to death for
killing his colleague during a
disagreement.
In his judgment, Justice Lekan
Ogunmoye held that evidence
before the court found 40-yearold
Ajibola guilty of killing
Ogunsakin, an offence which
according to him, is contrary to
Section 316 of Criminal Code
Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State
2012.
Ajibola was said to have
By Ben Agande
K ADUNA—UNKNOWN
gunmen on Monday
kidnapped a Catholic Priest,
Rev. Father John Bako
Shekwolo , in Kachia Local
Government Area of Kaduna
State.
The kidnap was confirmed by
the Kaduna state police
command which assured that
operatives were already on the
trail of the bandits.
Similarly, the Catholic
Archdiocese of Kaduna, which
also confirmed the kidnap of one
of its priests called on well
wishers to offer prayers for his
release.
Also, the Christian Association
of Nigeria, CAN, Kaduna State
chapter condemned the kidnap
of the cleric and urged the
government to address the issue
of security in the state more
seriously.
In a statement confirming the
kidnap of the priest, the
Chancellor of Kaduna
Archdiocese, Rev. Father
Daniel Kyom appealed to the
kidnappers to release the cleric
unharmed.
“As we ask for prayers of the
faithful of the Archdiocese and
beyond for quick release of
Rev. Shekwolo, we appeal to
the conscience of those who
abducted him to kindly release
him unharmed.”
Police statement
In its statement, the state
Police Command said the
Catholic cleric was kidnapped
by unknown gunmen at about
8p.m.
DSP Yakubu Sabo, the state
Police Public Relations Officer,
who signed the statement, said
the Police authority in the state
had since deployed its
operatives to the village to
comb the area with a view to
rescuing the abducted priest
and arrest the his abductors
“A team of policemen led by
the Kachia Divisional Police
Officer, Police Mobile Force
personnel and operatives from
committed the offence at Akure
Garage along Ikere Road in Ado
Ekiti on March 10, 2017.
In his confessional statement
volunteered to the Police, Ajibola
said argument on loading
arrangement between the
deceased and himself
degenerated into a brawl, which
led to the death of Ogunsakin.
According to Ajibola, the
deceased was the first to attack
him and he had no choice but to
retaliate by hitting Ogunsakin
with a stone which led to his
death as confirmed by other
witnesses.
Prosecution counsel, Mr.
Gbemiga Adaramola, called six
witnesses including the
the command Anti-Kidnapping
Unit were promptly mobilised to
the village with a view to
Investigating Police Officer
(IPO), Sergeant Kamaru
Momoh, the wife of the
deceased, Mrs. Ogunsakin
and Dr. J.A. Omotayo of Ekiti
State University Teaching
Hospital (EKSUTH), who
conducted the post mortem on
the body of the deceased.
Justice Ogunmoye ruled:
“The ingredients of the
offence of murder had been
established against the
accused person and he is
convicted accordingly.
“The accused is hereby
sentenced to death by
hanging till he be dead. May
the Almighty God have mercy
on your soul.”
Catholic priest kidnapped in Kaduna
By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—SIX suspected
internet fraudsters were,
yesterday, arrested by operatives
of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) at
the Kolapo Ishola Estate, Akobo
area of Ibadan, with exotic cars
recovered from them.
It was gathered from reliable
source that the arrest of the
suspects followed series of
petitions to the anti corruption
agency by residents of the
community over alleged illegal
activities of the suspects.
The names of the suspects
whose ages ranged between 24
and 30 years are Tella Adefemi
Ibrahim, Awoniyi Adeseye
combing the general area for
possible rescue of the victim
and arresting the criminals.
EFCC arrests, recovers exotic cars
from internet fraudsters in Ibadan
Abiodun, Oladele Olawale
Wasiu, Olabiti Afeez Ajibola,
Akeredolu Oluwafemi
Temidayo and Oyaremi
Olalekan Olabode.
The EFCC source added
that series of intelligence
gathered on them suggested
that they had been involved
in fraudulent activities
through the internet and
succeeded in obtaining
money from unsuspecting
victims.
Items recovered from the
suspects, according to the
source, included five different
models of exotic cars, laptops,
mobile phones and several
documents containing false
pretences from the suspects.
Man burnt alive, as
cultists clash in Rivers
By Davies Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT—A young
man, identified simply as Ibe,
was yesterday morning burnt to
death in a clash between two cult
groups at Alakahia community,
Ohio/Akpor Local Government
Area of Rivers State.
It was gathered that members
of a cult invaded Alakahia, one
of the communities hosting
University of Port Harcourt
Teaching Hospital, UPTH, in
search of their rivals, where they
caught Ibe.
Ibe was reportedly set ablaze
and burnt to death, while the rival
cult group members watched and
people scampered for safety.
A source said Ibe had been
terrorising the area over a
chieftaincy tussle after the death
of his father, who was the
paramount ruler of the
community.
It was also disclosed that the
cult boys who killed Ibe held
the area hostage after killing
their target, until some Police
officers arrived the area after
a distress call.
A source in the community,
who gave his name simply as
Emmanuel, told Vanguard
that Ibe's cult members, on
hearing the development,
stormed the area and
engaged their opponents,
who were already on the
ground, in gun battle.
Emmanuel further alleged
that some Police officers, who
arrived the area to arrest the
situation, were scared away
from the community following
the shooting spree.
When contacted at press
time, the Public Relations
Officers of the Rivers State
Police Command, DSP.
Nnamd Omoni, confirmed
the incident, but added that
he has not been fully briefed.
... with Emma'nKen (08163121378)
It's no statue. It's Bovi in the
gym. He wants to grow something
Should I go and come back
tomorrow or sleep here?

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
Zamfara: INEC withholds Certificates
of Return to gov, lawmakers-elect
By Omeiza Ajayi
A
B U J A —
Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, has
placed on hold, its earlier
decision to present
Certificates of Return to
Muktar Idris, governorelect
in Zamfara State as
well as state Assembly
members-elect.
The exercise, which
would have taken place
today, was suspended
following a judgment of
the appellate court
regarding the sponsoring
of candidates by All
Progressives Congress,
APC, in the state.
According to the
commission, it has now
been served with a copy
of the court judgment.
INEC said in a
statement on its Facebook
page, yesterday: “INEC
has been served with the
judgment of the Court of
Appeal sitting in Sokoto
concerning the
sponsoring of candidates
by APC in Zamfara and is
studying same.
"Consequently, the
presentation of
Certificates of Return for
Zamfara governorship
and state House of
Assembly scheduled for
Wednesday has been
suspended.”
Senate scores Finance Ministry F9 in budget
releases to FCT in 2018
By Henry Umoru
A BUJA—THE
Senate, yesterday,
scored Ministry of
Finance F9, which is
West African
Examinations Council,
WAEC, standard, in
budget releases to the
Federal Capital
Territory, FCT, in 2018.
Senate in the
assessment gave the
ministry 31.9 per cent for
the releases from N30.4
billion approved in the
budget.
Meanwhile, the Senate
has kicked against what
it described as yearly
drastic reduction in the
capital component of
budgetary allocations to
the territory.
Speaking, yesterday, in
Abuja when Minister of
FCT, Muhammed Bello,
appeared before the
Committee on FCT to
defend the 2019 budget,
Chairman, Senate
Committee on FCT,
Senator Dino Melaye
(PDP Kogi West), said
capital component of
FCT’s budget allocations
has plummeted over the
years from N109 billion
in 2008 to N30 billion in
2019
He said it was even
worrisome that of the
N30.39 billion approved
for capital projects in the
2017 budget of the
territory, only
N12.7billion was
released, which was
about 40.1 per cent.
Melaye noted that the
declining trend
worsened in 2018, when
out of the N30.2 billion
approved as capital
expenditure for the
territory, only N9.6
billion was released,
which was just 31.9
percent.
He said: “This to us by
WAEC standard, is F9
and not acceptable. The
trend, if not reversed, is
a recipe for failure as far
as infrastructural
development is
concerned.”
According to him, the
way out of the yearly
Bauchi'll never bend its back again
for oppressor to ride — Dogara
By Olayinka
Ajayi
SPEAKER of the House
of Representatives, Mr
Yakubu Dogara, has said
Bauchi State has been
emancipated from forces of
retrogression.
In a statement after the
declaration of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
candidate, Sen. Bala
Mohammed, as the winner
of the governorship election,
the speaker advised the
governor-elect not to take the
trust reposed in him by
Bauchi people for granted
and to always remember
Bauchi people's rejection of
the incumbent governor as a
lesson of what awaits them if
they fail to live up to
expectations.
He said: “The victory of PDP
in Bauchi State is the
crowning of the struggle for
the emancipation and
liberation of our people from
the forces of darkness, evil and
poor funding of the FCT
budget was for
government to prioritise
retrogression that had held
the state captive and hostage
for over a decade.
“Indeed, Bauchi and its
people have never been this
challenged throughout our
contemporary history. An
oppressor class led mainly by
people from outside has
chained our dear
impoverished people to
s e r v i t u d e ,
underdevelopment and
penury.
"In their unlettered
arrogance, they have taken
Bauchi people for granted to
the point that they believe the
patience of an oppressed
people will last forever. They,
therefore, sought to
perpetuate themselves in
office again for another four
years through this elections
just to continue feeding their
greed and perfidy.
“Historically, Bauchi people
are known to be brave and
politically savvy. They saw
through the charade and
decided this is the time to
break away from the curse
its spending by getting
more money for FCT to
execute its capital
projects , particularly at
the various satellite
towns.
VISIT: Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr.
Yinka Sanni; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; and Chief
Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, Mrs. Titi
Ogungbesan, at the State House when Stanbic IBTC led a team of
investors on a visit to the Presidency for the opening meeting of
Standard Bank Investors Roadshow 2019 in Abuja, yesterday.
that has afflicted us thus far.
By our collective resolve and
by the results of this election,
we have once again
demonstrated to the world
that no man-made chains can
bind us to servitude. The
chains have come undone
sending a clear message that
Bauchi will never bend its
back again for an oppressor
to ride.
“Today’s victory is ours.
Today’s victory speaks to a
better and brighter future for
ourselves, our children and
generations yet unborn.
“We have proven that
working together, there is no
challenge that we cannot
overcome as a people. I
understand as we all
celebrate this victory because
it came at a cost so many of
us were willing to pay in
order to salvage our state from
the precipice. But we cannot
tarry long on this mountain
of celebrations as what
today’s victory demands of us
is to go to work immediately.”
FG directs MDAs to patronise
SON’s mgt systems
certificate
By Godfrey
Bivbere
THE Federal Government
has directed all its
Ministries, Departments and
Agencies, MDAs, to
henceforth, patronise
internationally accredited
services of Standards
Organisation of Nigeria, SON,
for the certification of their
management systems and
processes in accordance with
international best practices.
A circular from Secretary to
the Government of the
Federation, Boss Mustapha,
informed all MDAs of the
attainment of international
accreditation for SON
Management Systems
Certification, MSC, services.
The scope of the
accreditation, according to the
circular, covers four
International Organisation for
Standardisation, ISO,
standards namely: Quality
Management, Systems,
QMS, Standards;
Environmental Management
Systems, EMS Standards;
Food Safety Management
Systems, FSMS, Standards,
and Occupational Health and
Safety Management
Systems, OHSMS,
Standards.
According to him,
patronage of SON MSC
would lead to huge savings
in foreign exchange hitherto
expended by some MDAs in
procuring such services from
foreign organisations.
On the SGF directive, SON
Director General, Osita
Aboloma disclosed that the
accreditation had brought his
agency at par with its
contemporaries in Europe,
America, Asia and some parts
of Africa.
VAT designed to support
the poor —Fowler
By Emma Ujah,
Abuja Bureau Chief
E XECUTIVE
Chairman, Federal
Inland Revenue Service,
FIRS, Mr. Tunde Fowler,
has said Value Added Tax,
VAT, was designed to
support poor people, and
not to create hardship for
them.
Reacting to concerns that
the proposed increase in
VAT would cause more
hardship for the poor, he
said: “When you don’t
consume certain categories
of goods and services, you
are not liable to pay VAT
charges on those items.
"VAT is not charged on all
medical
and
pharmaceutical products. It
is not charged on basic food
items, books and
educational materials,
baby products, fertilisers,
locally produced
agricultural and veterinary
medicine, farming
machinery and farming
transportation equipment.
“Other services
exempted from VAT are
medical services, devices
rendered by community
banks, People’s Bank and
mortgage institutions,
plays and performances
conducted by educational
institutions as part of
learning and all exported
services are exempted from
VAT.”
Fowler in a statement,
yesterday, noted that the
revenue generated from
VAT was being channelled
towards assisting the poor
by providing basic
amenities.
CSOs to govt: Take action to
curb sufferings of IDPs
By Luminous
Jannamike
ABUJA —CIVIL Society
Organisations, CSOs, in
the North East have called on
the Federal Government to
take necessary steps to
ameliorate the sufferings of
Internally Displaced Persons,
IDPs, in the country.
They made the call,
yesterday, at the end of a
symposium facilitated by
Norwegian Refugees
Council, NRC, in Abuja.
The CSOs stated that the
welfare needs of IDPs would
be addressed by the
government’s domestication
of the Kampala Convention,
which it signed and ratified
in 2016 and renewed in
2019.
Dauda Balami, the
convener of Concern for
Women and Children
Development Foundation,
said: “The Federal
Government has been trying
its best. Of course, we know
resources are scarce but we
are mindful of the fact that
there is more that needs to
be done.
"Currently, IDPs are
treated out of sympathy but
with the domestication of the
Kampala Convention, we
will know that their
protection and welfare is
guaranteed by law.”
NRC’s advocacy
manager, Hilde Jorgensen,
said: “The Kampala
Convention is a legal
framework that protects the
rights of IDPs. What we see
in Nigeria is that the
government has signed and
ratified the convention but
it’s not possible to use it
unless it is domesticated into
law.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—9
CBN reduces MPR to 13.5%
•As Emefiele expresses optimism for accelerated growth
•MPC calls for rebasing of GDP
By Emma Ujah,
Abuja Bureau Chief
THE Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN, has
reduced its Monetary Policy
Rate, MPR, from 14.0 per cent
to 13.5 per cent.
The governor of the bank,
Mr. Godwin Emefiele,
disclosed this, in Abuja,
yesterday, while briefing the
press at the end of the 226th
Monetary Policy Committee,
MPC, meeting.
He said the decision to
loosen the MPR was borne
out of the desire to reduce the
cost of funds and to stimulate
growth in various sectors of
the economy.
The MPR had been
retained at 14 per cent since
July 2016.
He said: “Given the current
macro-economic indicators
and key market variables,
committee (MPC) feels there
is a need to signal a new
direction and in which case
we are talking about
improved growth.
“In its argument, the
committee was convinced that
doing this would further the
bank’s commitment to
improved growth by way of
encouraging credit flow to the
productive sectors of the
economy.
“The MPC also felt that
signalling through
loosening, by a marginal rate,
would serve to manage the
sentiments in capital flows in
the market, owing to the
wider spread in yields in
Emerging Markets and
developing economies
relative to the advanced
economies.
“More over the real interest
rates will still remain positive.
In the light of the above,
MPC decided to reduce the
Monetary Policy Rate by 50
basis points, that is 0.5 per
cent. In summary, MPC
voted to adjust the MPR by
50 basis points from 14 to 13.5
per cent.
“It also retained the
asymmetric corridor of +200
/-500 basis points around the
MPR; retain the CRR at 22.5
per cent and retain the
Liquidity Ratio at 30 per
cent.”
Justification for rate
cut
Justifying the rate cut, the
governor said: “There is a
relationship between lending
to the SMEs and the
manufacturing sectors and
our reducing rate today. We
have decided to signal
loosening of the rate, which
has been retained since July
2016 with a relative stability
in the foreign exchange
market since two and a half
years.
“We feel this is the next
phase to talk of growth,
diversify the economy and
create jobs. In doing this, we
will continue to keep our eyes
on the market, the inflation,
the reserves to ensure
stability in the market.
“We will continue to do what
we have done in the past to
keep the exchange rate
stable, there is no need to
worry in terms of the Naira
coming under pressure.”
Emefiele said the Deposit
Money Banks were already
gradually reducing lending
rates and expressed
optimism that going forward,
the private sector operators
would witness the significant
impact of the new rate cut.
The policy, he explained,
was pro-growth, which had
been long-desired by
operators in the various
sectors of the economy.
On the Cash Reserve Ratio
window for banks to lend to
the SMEs and
manufacturing companies,
the governor insisted that the
provisions were only for
Greenfield projects or
expansion of operations.
The governor who urged
the fiscal authorities to work
towards making growth more
inclusive, said MPC called
for the rebasing of the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product, GDP,
an exercise which was last
carried out in 2010.
He added that addressing
power infrastructure
remained critical to the
success of various
government efforts at
stimulating growth in the
economy.
Elumelu to
add
1,400MW to
national grid
with $2.5bn
investment in
power
PLANS to increase
Nigeria’s national grid by
700 megawatts, MW, may be
taking shape as Tony
Elumelu, chairman of
Transcorp Nigeria Plc has
pledged to invest as much as
$2.5 billion in power projects
across the country.
According to Bloomberg,
Elumelu revealed that
investments in the power
sector will be made through
Transcorp Power Ltd, a
subsidiary company.
Although a time frame was
not given, Elumelu said the
company was ready to
“spend a lot of money” on the
987MW capacity Afam Power
Plant which is up for
privatisation.
On March 15, the company
along with two others
launched a bid for Afam Power
plant, which operates a
natural-gas-fired power
generation facility in Rivers
State.
He said if Transcorp Power
successfully acquires the
facility, the firm’s daily power
output will increase by
700MW, noting that 1400MW
to the national grid.
“We have expressed interest
in the acquisition of Afam
power plant, which we’re
going to spend a lot of money
on. It’ll give us 1,400
megawatts and we can do
more,” he said.
Speaking on a N90 billion
debts owed Transcorp Power,
Elumelu said such has the
tendency to hamper growth
in the sector. If they owe you
that kind of money, it affects
your ability to do more and
more importantly, slows your
enthusiasm,” he said.
Presidential poll: Tribunal
begins hearing on Atiku’s
petition against Buhari today
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
A BUJA—THE
Presidential
Election Petition Tribunal
sitting in Abuja, will
today, commence hearing
of the petition the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, and its candidate,
Atiku Abubakar, filed to
challenge the outcome of
the February 23
presidential election.
The petitioners, are
seeking to invalidate the
declaration of President
Muhammadu Buhari of
the All Progressives
Congress, APC, as
winner of the presidential
contest.
Vanguard learned,
yesterday, that a fiveman
panel of Justices of
the Court of Appeal will
conduct pre-hearing
session on the petition
Atiku and his party
lodged before the
tribunal on March 18.
It was, however, not
clear if the panel will be
headed by the President
of the Court of Appeal,
Justice Zainab
Bulkachuwa or by Justice
Abdul Aboki, who earlier
made preliminary orders
that compelled
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, to grant all the
parties access to electoral
materials that were used
in the conduct of the
election.
Aside INEC, President
Buhari and the APC were
cited as Respondents in
Adamawa APC rejects new
date for supplementary poll
ALL
Progressives
Congress, APC, in
Adamawa State has
rejected the March 28 date
the Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, fixed for the
supplementary
governorship election in
the state.
Ahmed Lawal,
organising secretary of the
party, announced the
party’s decision in an
interview in Yola
Lawal said INEC did not
consult the party before
fixing the new date for the
poll.
He alleged that
information had filtered
out earlier that the election
would be held tomorrow.
He said: “INEC failed to
consult with political
parties involved in this
election before going
ahead to fix a new date for
the petition.
It will be recalled that
the electoral body had on
February 27, declared
that Buhari won the
presidential contest with
15,191,847 votes to
defeat his closest rivalry,
Atiku, who it said polled
a total of 11,262,978
votes.
However, in their joint
petition, Atiku and his
party, insisted that data
they secured from
INEC’s server, revealed
that they defeated
President Buhari with
over 1.6 million votes.
The petitioners alleged
that INEC had at various
stages of the
presidential election,
unlawful allocated votes
to President Buhari,
saying they would
adduce oral and
documentary evidence
to show that result of
the election as
announced by the
electoral body, did not
represent the lawful
valid votes cast
Atiku alleged that in
some states, INEC,
deducted lawful votes
that accrued to him in its
bid to ensure that Buhari
was returned back to
office.
The petitioners said
they would call evidence
of statisticians, forensic
examiners and fingerprint
experts at the
hearing of the petition to
establish that the scores
credited to Buhari were
not the product of actual
votes validly cast at the
polling units.
the re-run.
“We, therefore, became
suspicious due to
rumours in town earlier
that supplementary
election would be
conducted on Thursday
and it turned out to be
true.
“We are not afraid of rerun
election but INEC
should have done the
right thing. How can you
fix an election on a
working day. Are civil
servants not going to
participate in the election.
We are going to forward
our protest on the matter
to INEC.”
An Adamawa high
court sitting in Yola had
earlier vacated an order
restraining INEC from
conducting a
supplementary election
in the state.
INEC, therefore, fixed
March 28 for the election.

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
AGF asks court to quash suit
filed by MTN
By Innocent Anaba
L Attorney AGOS—THE
General of
the Federation, AGF,
yesterday, asked a Federal
High Court sitting in Lagos
to strike out the suit by
MTN, challenging the
legality of his (AGF)
assessment of MTN import
duties, withholding tax and
value added tax in the
sums of N242 billion and
$1.3 billion.
At the resumed hearing
in the matter, yesterday,
counsel to the AGF, Mr
Tijani Gazali urged that the
court to strike out the suit
by MTN alleging that the
case was instituted outside
the time prescribed by law.
Trial judge in the matter
is Justice Chukwujeku
Aneke.
MTN through its counsel
led by Chief Wole
Olanipekun, SAN,
contended that the object of
AGF was unfounded.
Olanipekun contended
that the era of statute bar
$406.7m oil shipment suit against
Shell: Court resumes trial June 6
LAGOS—A Federal
High Court sitting in
Lagos, will on June 6
resume trial in a suit filed
by the Federal Government
against Shell Western
Supply and Trading Ltd.
over alleged $406.7 million
deprivation in crude oil
shipment.
The suit was filed by Prof.
Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, on
behalf of the Federal
Government.
Shell Petroleum
Development Company of
Nig. Ltd. and its subsidiary,
Shell Western Supply &
Trading Ltd., are
defendants in the suit
before Justice Mojisola
Olatoregun.
The trial was stalled,
yesterday, following
absence of the judge who
is said to be on another
official assignment.
In the suit, the Federal
Bradgate opens NTEL store in
Agungi, Lekki
By Kingsley
Adegboye
Land AGOS—AGUNGI
its environs along
Lekki-Epe Expressway,
Lagos, are poised to enjoy
the extraordinarily high
internet access speed
provided by ntel
Telecommunications
Company, with the launch
of ntel store in the area
believed to be viable for
telecoms services.
The opening of the
addition to the list of ntel
stores across Lagos
metropolis, was informed
by the partnership deal
between Bradgate Limited,
a new Nigerian company
that is into communications
services and ntel, Nigeria’s
most revolutionary
telecommunications
company which provides
has been abolished in the
country’s jurisprudence,
citing Order 29 Rule 4,
adding that the preliminary
objection was invalid and
since there was no
application for extension of
time, the objection must fail
because there was no
competent motion before
the court.
Urging the court to
dismiss the suit, Gazali
argued “MTN filed this
case as a result of letter
written by AGF asking
MTN to pay tax to the
Federal Government of
Nigeria over the past 10
years, but rather than
responding to this directive
they institute this case.
MTN, through its
counsel led chief Wole
Olanipekun SAN, Damia
Dodo SAN and Professor
Fabian Ajogwu, told justice
Aneke that the object of
AGF was unfounded.
Olanipekun in his reply,
argued that the court cannot
at this stage dismiss or
strike out the suit without
the evidence of parties.
Government is claiming the
sum of $406.7m from the
defendants as shortfall of
money paid by them into the
Federal Government
account.
The money was said to be
for crude oil lifted by the
defendants in 2013 and
2014.
The government said the
Anglo-Dutch company did
not declare or underdeclared
crude oil
shipments during the
period.
It alleged that forensic
analysis of bills of laden and
shipping documents
showed that Shell cheated
Nigeria with regard to the
revenue.
The Federal Government
said that the tracking also
revealed discrepancies in
the export records from
Nigeria with the import
records at U.S. ports.
4G LTE advanced network
that delivers super fast callconnect
times, crystal clear
voice over LTE and
extraordinarily high
internet access speed.
Speaking at the official
launch of the store,
yesterday, , a director at
ntel, Mr. Olujimi Tella said
the launch of the store in
the axis was long overdue
because of the potentials of
the area to telecoms services
to be viable and lucrative.
Tella said: “This event is
long in coming because
this is a highbrow area
befitting of Lekki. We
render standard service that
befits our customers. We
apply professionalism in
everything we do just to
satisfy our customers. This
partnership between
Bradgate and NTEL will
be given all necessary
support from NTEL.”
LECTURE: From left: Mr Ade Adefeko, Vice President, Corporate & Government Relations, Olam
Nigeria; Prof Benedict Oramah, President of African Export-Import Bank, Cairo, Egypt/Guest Speaker;
Dr Uche Olowu, President/Chairman of Council, The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and Mr
Muda Yusuf, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the 2019 Bullion Lecture
organised by Centre for Financial Journalism with the Theme: Leveraging the African Continental Free
Trade Agreement for Nigeria's Economic Development held in Lagos yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.
Police, most corrupt institution
in Nigeria — SERAP REPORT
By Henry Ojelu
LAGOS—A corruption
assessment survey
conducted by the Socio-
Economic Rights and
Accountability Project,
SERAP, yesterday, revealed
that the Nigeria Police is the
most corrupt public
institution in country.
The survey, which
highlighted a high level of
corruption in public
institutions in Nigeria for
the past 5 year, was officially
launched in Lagos.
According to the 57 page
report, the Nigeria Police
ranks top as the most
corrupt institution in the
country followed by the
power sector, the judiciary,
education and health sector.
The report stated that
Collapse: Experts, stakeholders task LASG
on enforcement of building regulations
L
A
By Olasunkanmi
Akoni
G O S —
PROFESSIONALS
and stakeholders in the built
sector have stressed the
need for collaboration with
relevant government
agencies in ensuring
enforcement of all building
regulations in order to
eliminate incidences of
building collapse in Lagos
State.
The stakeholders made
the remarks, yesterday,
during
various
presentations at a public
hearing on the collapsed
building at Ita-Faaji, Lagos
Island, organised by
Ministry of Physical
Planning and Urban
Development, in Alausa,
Ikeja.
Besides relevant
government agencies, like
Lagos State Building
“The police were the most
adversely ranked on this
indicator. For every 100
police interactions reported
by the respondents, there
was a bribe paid in 54
interactions. The
prevalence levels stood at
37% in the power sector and
18% in education, 17.7% in
the judiciary and 14% in the
health sector.
“51 percent of the
individuals, who paid
bribes to the police and 35
percent to the power sector,
believed this was the only
way to access the services
sought from the institutions.
The ranking of the
education sector and the
judiciary was less adverse
with 16 percent perceiving
bribery as the main avenue
of accessing services in the
institutions, and health
Control Agency, LABSCA,
other institutes at the event
include: Nigerian Society of
Engineers, NSE, Nigerian
Institute of Architects, NIA,
Nigerian Institute of Town
Planners, NITP, Nigerian
Institute of Building,
NIOB, Nigerian Institution
of Estate Surveyors and
Valuers, NIESV, Nigerian
Institute of Quantity
Surveyors, NIQS, and
Nigerian Institute of
Surveyors, NIS.
Co-convener of Antidemolition
Movement, Ayo
Ademiluyi, called for
Coroner’s Inquest into the
Ita-Faaji collapse, where
16 children and four adults
lost their lives to determine
the number of the dead and
injured adding that there
would be prosecution of
government officials found
negligent in their duty as
regards timely demolition
of the building.
services recording 13
percent.
“The police and judiciary
had the largest proportion
of total bribes paid at 33
percent and 31 percent
respectively. Bribes paid for
education, power and
health services accounted
for 19 percent, 10.9 and 5
percent respectively of all
bribes reported.”
The report further
revealed that the judiciary
received the largest amount
of bribe paid out in the last
five years.
It said: “The average
amount of bribe paid by the
respondents was highest
among those who paid to
the judiciary at about N108,
000 ($298). All the other
institutions ranked lower on
this variable with N12,253
and N11,566 reportedly
He also said there would
be investigation into the
quality of building
materials by developers
and prosecution of the
developer.
In his remarks, chairman
of the occasion, Engineer
Wasiu Olokunola who is
chairman of the ad-hoc
committee on Ita-Faaji
building collapse, said the
committee would look into
the submissions and report
of all previous committees
on building collapse in the
state and come up with a
recommendation to the
government to tackle the
menace.
Also, General Manager
LASEMA, Tiammiyu
Adeshina said government
has begun accommodation
of displaced persons from
collapsed and marked
buildings at its resettlement
centre, Igando, Alimosho
area of the state.
paid to the police and
education sectors, and
N6,462 and N5,143 paid
for health and power
services respectively.”
The report also
indentified various issues
hindering the fight against
corruption in the country.
“From the analysis of the
anti-corruption legal and
institutional framework in
Nigeria, the following
cross-cutting issues
emerged: there is lack of
political goodwill to
consistently enforce the
different anti-corruption
laws; inadequate funding
for the various anticorruption
agencies; weak
public support and/or
ownership of anticorruption
initiatives; poor
clarity of roles between
various anti-corruption
agencies; and public
perceptions of politicization
of corruption arrests and
prosecutions,” the report
read.
In his remarks, Chairman
of the panel, Professor Akin
Oyebode, commended the
report saying that it has put
Nigeria’s fight against
corruption on the spotlight.
Oyebode said: “With
this report, SERAP has
put the country on the
spotlight. Nigeria is
looked upon as a giant of
Africa. Yet Nigeria could
not conduct free, fair and
credible elections. I
''t is a smear on the image
of Nigeria. If we do away
with selective enforcement
and condoning of
corruption, we will build
and live in a better society.
I strongly recommend that
this report be put in a
layman language so that it
gets to everybody.”
On his part, Executive
Director, SERAP, Mr.
Adetokunbo Mumuni,
said that his organization
has set up an online
portal to take reactions
and recommendations on
the report.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019— 11
GALA NIGHT: Managing Director, International Breweries Plc, Annabelle Degroot, Winner of IB’s distributors
National Award and Managing Director, Mac-Den Ltd, Dennis Okorie, Mrs. Adaobi Okorie and National Sales
Director, Godwin Oche, at IB’s distributors’ gala night held at Sheraton Hotels, Lagos, recently.
20 years of uninterrupted democracy, our
politicians've learned nothing — AARE ADAMS
By Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS—THE Aare
Onakakanfo of Yoruba
land, Iba Gani Adams,
yesterday, expressed
disappointment over the
conduct of politicians
during the 2019 general
elections, saying they have
not learned anything from
the country’s 20 years of
uninterrupted democracy.
Speaking at the 2019
edition of Eledumare
Festival, Adams said:
“When the journey for
democracy began in 1999
they believed there were
hopes for Nigeria and took
the risk, “the long years of
the military were our poor
past and all that
we wanted then was
democracy. But sadly, our
democracy today
is gradually becoming a
different thing entirely.”
Lampooning politicians,
he accused them of turning
Nigeria into a directionless
country.
His words: “Politicians
have become our nemesis.
I think one of the problems
of this country is the weak
institution. No social
structure, no health or
welfare packages for the
poor and the old as it is
done in the developed
world. In Nigeria, little
children going to school are
usually traumatized on
daily basis, yet we churn
out graduates across all our
universities every year,
only for many of them to
face the raging
unemployment and
societal stigma.
“For instance, nothing
exemplifies the utter chaos,
the seemingly irreversible
entropy that has percolated
the very being of the entity
called Nigeria over the
years than the attitudes of
our politicians. Our
politicians lose focus so
easily and they turn
Nigeria into a directionless
country.
“If you want to know why
Nigeria has never worked,
why Nigeria is a higgledypiggledy
scrap yard of
unadulterated confusion,
just take a look at the
attitudes of our politicians,
especially, before, during
and after the just
concluded general
elections. Their attitudes
present a perfect picture
of what a democracy
should never be.
“They illustrate the
absolute befuddlement that
Nigeria has descended
into. It is sad that after 20
years of uninterrupted
democracy, our political
class is yet to learn their
lessons that the voice of the
people is the voice of God.
In an ideal world,
democracy offers the best
opportunity for people to
choose their leaders. They
should be leaders who are
ready to serve, leaders that
have the interest of the
country at heart. We need
leaders, who are ready to
build strong institutions for
Nigeria, to attain its
potentials. These are the
kind of leaders Nigerians
need most as we journey
through the next
dispensation.
“As Nigerians, we must
set forth a future we want
not only for ourselves, but
for the generations yet
unborn; so, that the future
of our children and that of
the next generation can be
secured and guaranteed.”
On the just-concluded
Eledumare Festival,
Adams said the idea of
celebrating Eledumare
Festival and other festivals
across Yorubaland is borne
out of the desire to promote
heritage and the cultural
identity of the Yoruba race
and to also provide the best
platform for the restoration
of the lost glory.
Akinlade, APM seek Tribunal’s order to inspect
INEC’s documents
By Dayo Johnson
& Daud Olatunji
Agovernorship
BEOKUTA—THE
candidate of the Allied
Peoples Movement, APM,
in Ogun State, Adekunle
Akinlade and his party,
yesterday, filed a motion ex
parte before the
Governorship Election
Petition Tribunal, seeking
an order mandating the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, to grant them access
to the documents used for
conduct of March 9 election
in the state.
In the petition marked
EPT/06/GOV/01/2019, the
petitioners said the
inspection became
imperative to allow them
institute a petition before
the Tribunal.
The winner of the election
and governorship
candidate of the All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Mr. Dapo Abiodun
and his party, APC, were
joined as second and third
respondents in the
application.
In the March 9 election,
Abiodun scored 241,670
votes to defeat his arch-rival
•As Ondo Election Tribunal gets 4 petitions
and candidate of APM,
Akinlade who had 222,153
votes.
While filing the
application on 11 grounds,
the petitioners submitted
that without a formal order
from the Tribunal, the
respondents would not
avail them the required
documents for the purpose
of instituting their petition.
The documents sought to
be inspected, they said,
“are indispensable for the
purpose of instituting and
maintaining the said
petition.”
The petitioners seek “An
order directing the 1st
Respondent to forthwith
grant access to the
Petitioners/Applicants and
their Solicitors, agents,
experts and other staff to
inspect, photocopy, scan,
pay for and obtain certified
copies of all documents
used by the 1st Respondent
for the conduct of the Ogun
State Governorship
Election held on 9th of
March, 2019, for the
purpose of instituting and
maintaining Election
Petition; the said documents
being the ones contained in
the schedule attached to the
Supporting Affidavit to this
application; among others.
Meanwhile, the Election
Petition Tribunal sitting in
Akure, yesterday, disclosed
that it has so far received
four petitions.
Headed by Justice Nuhu
Adi and has as members
Justices V.U. Okorie and
K.M. Alabo, the tribunal is
to address complaints
emanating from the
National and State Houses
of Assembly elections in the
state
The Secretary of the
Tribunal, Mr Livinus Ugwu
said this in Akure.
Ugwu said the first
petition received was from
Mr. Donald Ojogo of the All
Progressives Congress,
APC, challenging the
declaration of Mr. Kolade
Akinjo sponsored by the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP as the winner of the
Ilaje/Eseodo Federal
Constituency in the
February 23rd General
elections.
The Tribunal Secretary,
Ugwu said: “that the court
has granted interlocutory
applications for an order
directing INEC to present
for inspection materials
used for the conduct of the
elections and to make
certified true copies
available to the petitioners.
OSUN TRIBUNAL VERDICT:
APC, Oyetola plan to
blackmail judiciary — PDP
...We won’t engage PDP in needless fight—APC
By Gbenga Olarinoye for the ignoble exercise.
In addition, the PDP
O Peoples SOGBO—THE accused Oyetola of
Democratic directing Local
Party, PDP, yesterday, Government chairmen in
accused Governor the state to release various
Gboyega Oyetola of Osun sums of money to sponsor
State and the All write-up in the Print
Progressives Congress, Media and facilitate
APC, of plans to sponsor Television appearances
rallies and demonstrations where the integrity of the
to discredit the judgement judges who delivered the
of the Osun State Election majority judgement will be
Petition Tribunal which questioned by sponsored
returned Senator writers.But the APC in a
Nurudeen Ademola swift reaction by the
Adeleke as the winner of Director of Research and
the September 22nd 2018 publicity, Mr. Kunle
Governorship election. Oyatomi said it will not
Addressing newsmen in engage with the PDP in
Osogbo, the Osun State Osun State in “useless
chairman of the party, Mr. and toothless conversation,
Soji Adagunodo alleged especially so, because 95%
that top officials of the state of the time that they speak,
government held several it’s all fabrication and this
meetings with Students one is even fatuous, they
Union leaders and pseudo have brought into the
activists who will hold political arena in Osun
rallies in Osogbo and since January 2019.”
Abuja to express Oyatomi said: “The good
displeasure at the people of Osun and our
judgement and blackmail knowledgeable security
the judiciary.
agencies should completely
Adagunodo alleged that discountenance those
a sum of N500 million has allegations because they
been allegedly earmarked have no foundation in facts
by the government to and figures. The PDP is
mobilise demonstrators looking for a roforofo fight,
from Osun, Lagos and but we in APC do not
some neighbouring states belong in the gutters.”
Focus on devt issues, not campaign
of calumny, Ajimobi tells opposition
I B A D A N —
GOVERNOR
Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday,
advised the incoming
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, administration to focus
on developmental issues
instead of its renewed
campaign of calumny
against his person, family
and administration which is
aimed at tarnishing his
image and rubbishing his
eight-year rule in the state.
The governor said this in
a statement by his Special
Adviser, Communication
and Strategy, Mr. Bolaji
Tunji, yesterday.
Ajimobi said that he was
appalled by the unprovoked
media attacks by the
opposition parties,
especially sympathizers of
the PDP and its
governorship candidate,
who were still practicing
politics of bitterness that
Oyo state, under his tenure,
has since left behind.
Ajimobi said: “It is
disheartening that more
than two weeks after the
election, the opposition
parties, especially the PDP
have carried on as if they
are still campaigning.
“Now that elections have
been won and lost, there
should be an end to
acrimonious and incendiary
comments. Political
discussion has moved from
the pre-2011 era. Our focus
is on politics of issues and
development.
Ondo makes birth certificate
mandatory for school enrolment
By Dayo Johnson
A ONDO
KURE—THE
State
Government, yesterday,
said Birth Certificate has
become mandatory for
enrolment of pupils into
primary schools and for
children under the age of
five to access free medical
treatment in the state.
Governor Rotimi
Akeredolu said this at
stakeholders meeting on
Accelerated Birth
Registration, an initiative of
his wife, Betty Anyanwu
Akeredolu in Akure.
Akeredolu said the steps
became necessary to assist
the state in planning for the
future of the children.
He said: “We will provide
policy statements to ensure
effective registration of
children so that they can
have better lives.”
He said apart from this,
the birth certificate would
provide documentary
evidence required for
relevant occasion, such as
school enrolment, voting
and graduation, saying this
will give right of identity to
the children.
Wife of the governor,
Betty Akeredolu said little
attention was being paid to
birth registration in the
country, noting that; ''It is
very sad to note that in
Nigeria, the birth of more
than half of children under
age five are not registered.''

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
C’RIVER/EBONYI CRISIS:
Ayade raises alarm over
renewed killings, arson
By Ike
Uchechukwu
CALABAR —Cross
River State Governor,
Prof Ben Ayade has raised
the alarm over renewed
killings in warring Ukelle
and Izzi communities in
Cross River and Ebonyi
states respectively over a
perennial boundary
dispute.
Ayade expressed
concerns yesterday and
called on the Nigerian Air
Force to join hands with the
state to restore peace in the
affected communities.
The Governor who was
addressing the Air Officer
commanding Mobility
Command, Peter Uzezi, at
Government House
Calabar said there was a
war between Cross River
and Ebonyi.
His words: “I received a
text message that there is a
war between Cross River
and Ebonyi around Izzi,
Pandemonium at FHC as ‘APC
lawyers’ invade judge’s
chambers in Bayelsa
By Emem Idio
Y ENAGOA—THERE
was commotion at the
Federal High Court
complex Yenagoa, Bayelsa
State, yesterday as two
lawyers representing the
All Progressives Congress,
APC, in the state attempted
to invade the chambers of
Justice Jane Inyang.
The two lawyers (names
withheld) according to an
eyewitness account,
invaded the chambers of
the judge, demanding to
see her but were denied
access to her office.
A court Registrar, who
pleaded anonymity, told
our reporter that the two
lawyers came to demand
copies of the court order and
ruling issued by the judge
which stopped the
supplementary elections in
Brass Constituency 1, last
Saturday.
Ebonyi and Ukelle, Cross
River area. They are firing
and killing. Arson is also
taking place there right
now.”
He also said there was a
reported crisis between
Osupong community in
Obubra, Cross River and its
neighbours in Ebonyi.
Ayade called on the Chief
of Air Staff, Air Vice
Marshall Sadiq Abubakar,
to provide one helicopter in
Cross River to give the
needed air cover.
The governor said the
plea was critical, adding it
would check the lingering
crisis involving Cross River
and neighbouring states
including international
communities who share
boundaries with the state.
On his part, Uzezi
assured that he would
contact Air Force
Headquarters to bring in
surveillance airplane to fly
and see what exactly the
situation on the ground is.
The Registrar explained
that he had told the lawyers
to come back the following
day to enable the judge to
conclude the typing of the
document but the lawyers
stormed out of his office and
went to the chambers of the
Judge, demanding to
forcefully gain access.
His words: “ Two lawyers
who said they are
representing the APC in
Bayelsa State came to get
copies of the interlocutory
order issued by the Court
last Friday in respect of the
supplementary elections in
Brass Constituency One.
“I told them to come back
the following day as my
Lordship said he was still
typing the ruling and it was
not ready yet, but they
dashed out of my office and
went to the chambers of the
judge attempting to
forcefully gain access to his
Lordship."
DEFECTION: You yielded to stomach
infrastructure, APC tells Yeeh
By Clifford
Ndujihe & Egufe
Yafugborhi
PORT HARCOURT -
ALL Progressives
Congress, APC, in Rivers
state yesterday alleged that
Monday’s defection, by
Akpo Bomba Yeeh, Rivers
African Action Congress,
AAC, deputy governorship
candidate, to the Peoples
Democratic Candidate,
PDP, was as a result of
financial inducement.
Spokesman of Transport
Minister, Rotimi Amaechi’s
faction of Rivers APC,
Chris Finebone, in a
statement also said Yeeh
lied about the scathing
allegations against the
minister, in the public
declaration of his defection
and withdrawal as running
mate to AAC’s candidate,
Biokpomabo Awara.
Finebone said: “We (APC)
are not surprised at the
news that the Deputy
Governorship candidate of
the AAC has resigned
membership of his party to
join (Governor Nyesom)
Wike. We are only reacting
to his decision because we
adopted his principal,
AAC’s governorship
candidate, Awara and the
PANDEF mourns Okara
By Emma Amaize
PAN Niger Delta Forum,
PANDEF, yesterday,
expressed shock at the exit
of literary giant, Pa Gabriel
Okara .
National Secretary of the
South-South regional
group, Dr Alfred Mulade,
in a statement, said: “The
Executive Committee of the
Pan Niger Delta Forum,
PANDEF, received with
great trepidation, the
demise of the great literary
icon, Pa Gabriel Imomotimi
Okara on Monday 25,
March, 2019. “
“Until his death, he
served as the beacon of
hope and a representation
of the ideals that have held
us together in Niger Delta.
“Pa Okara did not only
represent the link between
the transitional and
modernist phases of African
literature, but interpreted
the artistic worldview of the
people of the Niger Delta.
“He was an award
winning poet. He was the
winner of the Best All-
Round Entry in Poetry at
the Nigerian Festival of
Arts, for his poem, “The Call
of the River Nun” in 1979,
He won the NLNG Prize
for his “The Dreamer, His
Vision” in 2009.
“His poem “The
Fisherman’s Invocation”
2005 won him the
commonwealth Poetry
Prize.
fact that Mr. Akpo for want
of justification for his action
is struggling to lie about the
Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi.
“Even the retarded of the
house knows Mr. Akpo
simply responded to
demands of stomach
infrastructure. We wish him
well, but only want to
inform Mr. Akpo that even
as he struggled to read from
a script written by others,
that in the few days he
came close, he had no
opportunity to know or
associate with the Minister,
as to be in a position to say
what he said.”
VISIT: From left—Chief Executive Officer, Cars45, Etop Ikpe;
Commissioner of Police, Lagos, Zubairu Muazu; and VP Trading,
Cars45, Mohammed Iyamu, during a visit by Cars45 executives to the
Lagos State Police Command HQ, Ikeja GRA, yesterday.
Niger Delta records 40m litres oil spill
annually —Dickson
Samuel
Oyadongha
Y ENAGOA—
BAYELSA State
Governor, Mr. Seriake
Dickson has lamented the
environmental despoliation
in the Niger Delta saying
the region records about 40
million litres of oil spill
annually as against 4
million litres recorded
annually in the United
States.
Dickson in a statement
issued in Yenagoa ahead of
the formal inauguration of
Bayelsa State Oil and
Environmental
Commission slated for DSP
Alamieyeseigha Banquet
Hall, today, said the state
has suffered vast
environmental and human
damage in spite of her
contribution to the socioeconomic
growth of the
country.
He said:”The Niger Delta
region records about 40
million litres of oil spill
annually as against 4
million litres being
recorded annually in the
United States.
“Bayelsa State accounts
for forty percent of Nigeria’s
oil wealth and hosts the
operations of all the major
multinational oil
companies.
“Oil companies operating
in the state have for
decades acted with
Among other allegations,
Akpo in the declaration of
his withdrawal from the
AAC, had accused Amaechi
of boasting that he had
perfected plans, including
engagement of the military
to rig AAC to victory in the
2019 governorship while
also forcing him Yeeh to
sign an undertaken to,
upon swearing in, resign
his position as deputy
governor.
Speaking in like manner,
another chieftain of the
APC, Mr. Ibinabo Green,
who hails from Obio-Akpor,
said with the backing of the
APC, the AAC candidate
was trouncing Wike at the
poll before its suspension
by the INEC.
His words: ‘’Governor
Nyesom Wike stated that
‘the AAC candidate is a
nobody and therefore
cannot win the Rivers State
election.’ Does the success
of a political candidate
depend on his/her
perceived credibility or
popularity? It is common
knowledge that elections
are won not just by the
individual candidate, but
by the machinery behind
the candidate.
Wike forgets that AAC
was adopted by APC, and
APC put its complete
strength and weight
behind AAC.
‘’Evidently, the people of
Rivers State have
expressed their frustration
with the incumbent
government and its lack of
good governance through
their choice of candidate.
Why was the collation of
results suspended if Wike
was not losing?
impunity and with little
regard for the environment
and people, causing
multiple oil spills and
leading to environmental
degradation and loss of
human life.”
On the danger posed by
the oil spill, the governor
while citing the 2011
United Nations
Environment Programme
report, disclosed that life
expectancy in the Niger
Delta is around 10 years
lower than that of the
national average.
He posited further that “oil
spills in the Niger Delta can
lead to as much as a 60
percent reduction in
household food security,
reduce the ascorbic acid
content of vegetables by as
much as 36 percent, and
can decrease the crude
protein content by up to 40
percent.”
Dickson said the
commission investigate the
environmental and human
damage caused by
operations of oil companies.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—13
Court frees 73 persons in Imo
By Chidi
Nkwopara
OWERRI—AN Imo
State High Court
presided over by Justice
Benjamin C. Iheka
yesterday, discharged and
acquitted 73 persons
accused in suit number
HOW/166C/2018, of
“conspiracy and unlawful
possession of firearm,
contrary to Section 6(b) (a)
of the Robbery and
Firearms (Special
Provisions) Act, Laws of the
Federation 2004, as
applicable in Imo State “.
The same suspects were
also charged for armed
robbery and membership
of secret cults in suit
number HOW/167C/2018.
The suspects charged to
court included Egwim
Chinenye, Godspower
Kinagbara, Bright Osita
Ezihe, Benjamin Nyeohia,
John Chiamaka, Miriam
Frank and 67 others.
According to Justice
Iheka, when the two
charges came up on
November 13, 2018, they
were consolidated for
disposal in a single
proceedings, on an
unopposed application of
the Defence Counsel, Mr.
G. O. Tamuno.
While recalling that
before closing it’s case, the
prosecution called evidence
of two persons, Sergeant
Dimkpa Michael and
Corporal Nwagbo Patrick,
the Court also recalled that
the Defence Counsel
elected to make a no case
submission.
Delivering his judgment
yesterday, Justice Iheka
held that the evidence
adduced by the
prosecution did not link the
accused persons to the
offences charged and that
none of the ingredients of
the offences charged, was
proved by the evidence of
the prosecution.
Iheka also held that since
the Prosecuting Counsel
conceded to the Defence
Counsel’s no case
submission, in respect of
the charge of armed
robbery, being the only
charge in suit number
HOW/167C/2018, the
matter was thrown out.
On the issue of illegal
possession of firearms, the
judge held that the alleged
recovery of two pistols in
two vehicles, was not linked
to any of the accused
persons.
“Again, while the first
prosecution witness
testified that the firearms
were recovered in a search
conducted at the Police
Headquarters, where the
people intercepted were
taken to after their arrest at
Bank Road Owerri, the
second prosecution witness
said that the search was
conducted at the point of
arrest and the two pistols
were recovered.
“This conflict in the
evidence of the two
witnesses, on the material
fact of the alleged recovery
of firearms is very
fundamental and fatal to
the case of the prosecution”,
Justice Iheka said.
The Court then held that
“on the evidence of the
prosecution before me, I
hold that the prosecution
failed to make out a case to
lead the accused with
criminal answerability to
the charges against them in
this case”.
While agreeing with the
Defence Counsel in his no
case submission, Justice
Iheka also said: “I therefore
find each of the accused
persons not guilty of the
offences charged, and I
hereby discharge and
acquit each of them
accordingly.”
From left—Mr Obong Idiong, Managing Director/CEO; Mrs Eniola Fadayomi, Chairman; Mr
Joseph Jibunoh, Company Secretary; and Mr Peter Elumelu, Director, all of Africa Prudential
Plc, during the 6th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau
Treason: I was tortured to confess, Kanu’s
co-defendant tells court
•As court orders trial-within-trial
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
ABUJA—THE Federal
High Court in Abuja,
yesterday, commenced a
trial-within-trial, to
ascertain the veracity of an
allegation that the
Department of State
Services, DSS, tortured a
pro-Biafra agitator,
Chidiebere Onwudiwe,
and forced him to sign an
incriminating confessional
statement.
Onwudiwe, hitherto faced
treasonable felony charge
alongside the leader of the
proscribed Indigenous
People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr.
Nnamdi Kanu.
The Federal Government
had shortly after the IPOB
leader was declared
“missing”, applied to
separately try him and
three-other pro-Biafra
activists, Bright Chimezie,
Benjamin Madubugwu
and David Nwawuisi.
In an amended threecount
treasonable felony
charge it filed before the
court, FG, alleged that the
quartet, acting with Kanu
(now at large) and others
at large, “on diverse dates
in 2014 and 2015 in
Nigeria and London,
United Kingdom, did
conspire amongst
yourselves to broadcast on
Radio Biafra monitored in
Enugu and other areas
within the jurisdiction of
this honourable court,
preparations being made
by you and others at large,
for states in the South-East
and South-South zones
and other communities in
Kogi and Benue States to
secede from the Federal
Republic of Nigeria with a
view to constituting same
into a Republic of Biafra and
you thereby committed an
offence punishable under
section 516 of the Criminal
Code Act, Cap C77, Laws
of the Federation of
Nigeria, 2004”.
FG further alleged in the
charge marked FHC/ABJ/
CR/383/2015, that
Chimezie and Kanu, had
between the months of
March and April, 2015,
imported into Nigeria and
kept in Ubulu-Isiuzor in
Ihiala Local Government
Area of Anambra State, a
Radio transmitter known as
TRAM 50L, which they
concealed in a container
that was declared as used
household items, contrary
to section 47(2) (a) of the
Criminal Code Act, Cap
C77, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria,
2004.
Meanwhile, at the
resumed hearing of the
matter yesterday,
Onwudiwe who is the 2nd
defendant, maintained that
he was compelled under
duress by operatives of the
DSS, to write incriminating
statements.
Onwudiwe’s lawyer, Mr.
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told the
court that his client was
blindfolded and was
repeatedly struck with a
gun.
Consequently, Ejiofor
challenged the
admissibility of five
separate statements of the
defendant, which FG
sought to tender into
evidence before the court.
Gabriel Okara: Africa has
lost a literary giant —Obi
VICE
Presidential
Candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in the February 23,
2019 election, Mr. Peter
Obi, yesterday mourned
the passage of renowned
poet, writer and
administrator, Dr. Gabriel
Okara, describing it as the
loss of an African literary
giant.
“Gabriel Okara was not
just a celebrated poet but,
indeed, one of the greatest
writers ever to come out of
Africa. With his death, the
continent has lost a literary
giant,” Obi said in a
statement issued by his
media office.
He described Okara, who
died on Sunday in
Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at
the age of 97 as a rare breed.
“Pa Okara was not just a
poet and writer but also an
accomplished
administrator of men and
resources. As Life Patron of
the Association of Nigerian
Authors, ANA, he played a
critical role in molding the
present and future
generations of Nigerian
writers,” Obi said.
He also praised the late
Okara’s exemplary life of
contentment and
incorruptibility, noting that
these are qualities needed
to be imbibed by present
generation of Nigerians to
get Nigeria out of the
doldrums.
The former Anambra State
governor condoled Okara’s
family, the Bayelsa State
government, the Ijaw
nation and the Nigerian
literary community, urging
them to take solace in his
rich legacies of hard work,
excellence and probity.
Ifeanyi Ubah denies
defection to APC
By Dennis Agbo
ENUGU—OIL magnet,
publisher and winner
of Anambra South
Senatorial District election,
Dr Ifeanyi Ubah has
denied stories making the
rounds that he has defected
to the All Progressives
Congress, APC.
Ubah has recently been
fraternising and
conducting Senate leader,
Senator Ahmad Lawan and
other senators round Igbo
communities and
establishments in Lagos in
the wake of the Auto Spare
Parts and Machinery
Dealers Association,
ASPAMDA market crisis in
Lagos, which elicited
rumours that Ubah may
have defected to the APC.
But reacting to the
allegation via social and
traditional media,
yesterday, Ubah who won
election under the Young
Progressives Party, YPP,
said he would be stupid
defecting to the APC now
when his election is still
being challenged at the
tribunal by his rivals.
Ubah said: “Caucusing is
a parliamentary term that
means if you’re a minor in
the parliament; either you
caucus with the opposition
or with the ruling party.
Now, I’m caucusing with
the APC because I will
stand a good chance of
getting some positions that
will help me deliver my
promises to my
constituency. Let me
emphasise that I wouldn’t
be that stupid to join APC
when I still have
outstanding cases in court.
Am I going to challenge
those people as APC
member?
“If I join APC, will I be
able to achieve my aim of
vying for those committees
that are exclusively kept for
opposition party? It will be
very sensible for me to
remain in the YPP because
when there are two things
to share for the two
opposition parties, PDP will
take one and I will take one
for YPP and my
constituency of Anambra
South,” he explained.
9 LGA chairmen of AA in
Imo suspended
By Chinonso
Alozie
OWERRI—NINE local
government party
chairmen of the Imo State
Action Alliance, AA, have
been suspended.
The Imo State chairman
of AA, Anthony Uchendu
Ahaneku confirmed this to
Vanguard yesterday in
Owerri.
According to Ahaneku,
the reason for their
suspension was because of
their anti-party activities
during the election,
especially that of the
supplementary elections.
The affected local government
as mentioned to
Vanguard by Ahaneku included
Ohaji/Egbema
with Igwe Peter who he
described as their leader.
Others LGAs included
Ideato North; Ngor Okpala;
Mbaitoli; Abom Mbaise;
Njaba; Nwangele; Oru
West and Owerri
Municipal.
The Imo AA chairman
warned that, “nobody
should have anything to do
with them until the
disciplinary committee
concludes it investigation.
Meanwhile we have
instructed that the second
in rank should take charge
of the party activities.”

14 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA—THE probe
panel set up by the
Minister
of
Education,Mallam Adamu
Adamu, to investigate allegations
of sodomy, cannibalism,
missing children
among others in the FCT
School for the Deaf, has
dismissed all the allegations
in its report.
This came as another investigative
report from the
police confirmed that a
child whose mother raised
the alarm that necessitated
the minister’s action,
was actually molested by a
senior student of the
school.
But in a swift response,
the petitioner and mother
of the allegedly abused
children, Dr Hannatu Usman
Ayuba, who failed to
appear before the committee
during its assignment,
dismissed the report.
According to her, “When
the committee invited me
to appear before them, I
wrote to them that the police
already conducted a
comprehensive interrogation
and that asking me and
my son to appear before
the committee is subjecting
me and my son to further
trauma.
“He is just trying to cast
me in black light. To be honest,
my son has been denied.
My son has been
cheated. He has post- traumatic
disorder. God knows
best. They don’t want to
use police report because
it has everything. They prefer
to use sentiments and
discourage other parents
who might want to speak
out in future.
“Yes, they sent me a letter
through my work place
during the police investigation.
Yes I declined because
police were investigating
and I didn’t want
them trapped. Enough
complications had arisen
when the principal told us
not to involve the police. So
what was the point when
the police was already investigating?
“I told the committee to
collaborate with the police
because the police had interrogated
the boy. The
police sent him to their clinic
and it was confirmed he
was molested and there
are reports. They also saw
the fresh scars on his body
and they read out the reports
for us.
“The principal attached
the PTA chairman to us
when we went to report
the case. I have never met
him before this case. The
principal was the one who
advised that whatever we
wanted to do should be
done through the PTA
chairman and he gave us
his number. I never solicited
for fund in the name of
the PTA”
“The chairman, FCT Secretariat
told us to our faces
in front of the police that
why are we making such a
hype; that homosexuality
and lesbianism are in every
home nowadays and
that even in his home, he
will not be surprised if homosexualism
and lesbianism
are going on.
“He said the school is
directly under them and
Committee dismisses allegations of sodomy,
cannibalism, missing children in Abuja school
•Police report confirms molestation of student
•Why I didn’t appear before committee — Petitioner
they are in charge of the
school. When he told us all
that and was ranting saying
‘who are we that we are
trying to make noise?’ So for
God’s sake, will you want
to go into dialogue with
such persons? So I will prefer
to stay with the police
and finish the investigation.”
But Adamu, after receiving
the report, said the report
was inconclusive given
that the petitioner, Dr
Hannatu Ayuba who is the
mother of the boy, Imran
Kanun, allegedly abused,
refused to turn up to give
evidence to the committee
throughout the period it
carried out its assignment.
According to him:”The
Committee could not therefore
confirm whether or not
the boy was molested. However,
the police report to the
committee stated that they
were able to obtain a confession
from Sani Isah Filo,
the alleged abuser of Imran.
The police said Filo admitted
abusing the child. The
police have since commenced
prosecution and
remanded Sani Isah Filo in
Keffi prison.
“Early in January 2018, I
received a petition from Dr.
Hannatu Usman Ayuba alleging,
among others, the
sodomisation of her child,
Muhammad Imran Kanun,
at the School for the Deaf,
Kuje, a special school
owned and managed by the
FCT Administration.
“Based on her claim that
she had written letters to
governmental and nongovernmental
agencies, I
directed the Permanent Secretary
of this Ministry to investigate
and to ensure that
adequate corrective measures
are taken if any of her
claims are found to be true.
“In their report, the committee
indicated that all efforts
to get the petitioner to
appear before it failed, as
she kept citing various excuses,
including attending
a course and travelling out
of Abuja.
“The committee however
debunked most of her
claims of poor feeding, poor
sanitation, missing children
and cannibalism in the vicinity
of the school in Kuje.
Shortly, after the submission
of this report, Dr. Hannatu
appeared in the Federal
Ministry of Education and
she was told that the committee
had submitted their
report.
‘’Last Friday March 22,
the Committee submitted its
report to me. Here are highlights
of its findings: ”On
sodomisation of Muhammad
Imran Kanun: The
Committee sent several invitations
both orally and in
writing to Dr. Hannatu, the
petitioner to appear before
it and to bring her son, who
she alleged was sodomised
by an older student of the
school in primary five, Sani
Isah Filo, who also serves
BUDGET DEFENSE: From left: MD, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engr. Fidet Okhiria; Senator Victor Umeh;
Sen Osinakachukwu Ideozu; Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen Gbenga Ashafa; Minister of
Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; Sen Lanre Tejuosho and Sen Issac Alfa after the budget defense session of
the Ministry of Transportation, before the Senate Committee on Land Transport yesterday.
as the school father of Imran.
But all efforts proved
fruitless.
“No parent reported any
missing child or of children
dying in the school at least
for the past five years. The
medical team I had mentioned
earlier which comprised
12 doctors from both
the public and private sectors,
carried out a random
medical examination on
170 out of the 630 children
of the school and did not
find any evidence to support
this claim. There was
also no evidence of blood
extraction found. These allegations
are, therefore, unfounded
and baseless.”
“That CCTV should be
installed in all special
schools to help in monitoring
activities in those places.
Parents should be allowed
access to hostels of
special schools on visiting
days or designated days to
assess the living conditions
of their children because of
their circumstances.
“The school should establish
and equip a vocational
centre and make it functional
in order to meaningfully
engage the students after
their lessons.”
He said the committee
“observed that some of the
hostels of the Kuje School
for the Deaf are congested
and that there is no steady
electricity supply, especially
in the hostels after lessons
for the day and recommended
a total renovation
of the hostels and regular
maintenance of electricity
supply to the students as
the deaf especially need
light to effectively communicate.”
It also recommended
that: ”Government should
re-examine the policy of
admitting children in boarding
house below nine years
of age. In line with the goal
of education for all by the
year 2030 and the Ministerial
Strategic Plan, efforts
should be intensified to promote
inclusive education
including making all
schools friendly for all categories
of children.”
Adamu said from the
report,”there was no attempt
on the part of anyone
to influence the work
of these noble men and
women who were carefully
selected and tasked
to establish the veracity
or otherwise of a set of
allegations that brought
tears to the eyes of wellmeaning
parents and
relevant stakeholders
who first heard the shocking
claims.
“Dr. Hannatu Usman
Ayuba, the petitioner, upon
reporting the incidence to
the school authorities in
December 2018, wrote 12
different organisations, including
banks and donor
agencies, seeking financial
assistance in the name of
the PTA ostensibly for the
school.”
“The chairman of the PTA
informed the Committee
that Dr. Hannatu got those
letter headed papers under
false pretence and
signed on his behalf
without his knowledge
and consent. It is therefore
difficult to establish
the motive of Dr. Hannatu
in making these allegations
beyond her care
and concern or her child.’’
‘’This underscores the
need for Dr. Hannatu to
come forward and shed
more light on her allegations.
I find it difficult that
despite the audience and
warm reception I personally
granted the petitioner,
Dr. Hannatu, she failed to
cooperate with the investigative
committee. However,
the doors are still
open for her to come forward
and testify.’’
FG sets up c’ttee on building collapse
By Emmanuel
Elebeke
Agovernment BUJA—FEDERAL
yesterday
inaugurated an interministerial
committee to investigate
the causes of
building collapse in the
country with a view to arresting
it.
Inaugurating the committee,
the minister of Science
and Technology, Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu, said
the Federal Government
was deeply concerned
about the incessant cases
of building collapse in the
country and its attendant
implications.
By Victor Young
A DENT BUJA—PRESI-
Muhammadu
Buhari will tomorrow
at the State House,
Abuja, launch the Micro
Pension Plan, MPP,
as part of the initiatives
to bring financial inclusion
to all working Nigerians.
The plan which is an
initiative of the National
Pension Commission,
PenCom, is aimed at
providing pension services
to self-employed
persons in the informal
Recalling many painful
stories of building collapse
across the country, the minister
said the administration
would do everything
humanly possible to stop
building collapse because
of its toll on human life.
According to him “The
recent building collapse in
Lagos was one that
shocked the nation, where
children in classroom died
in such an unfortunate incident.
No parent ever
wishes to have the dead
body of his or her children,
adding that the government
is taking necessary
steps to find permanent
solution to this recurring
sector and employees of
organisations with less
than three staff.
According to a release
by PenCom’s Head, Corporate
Communications,
Peter Aghahowa,
“The informal sector
constitutes an estimated
69 million work force in
the country and represents
an estimated 88
per cent of Nigerian
workers that lack pensions
and safety nets for
their old age.
‘’The goal of the Commission
is to achieve
coverage of 30 million
disaster. We read the painful
story where a woman
lost two kids she had after
painful circumstances and
decided to take her life.
“Though, we can’t stop it
overnight, but we will stop
at nothing to finding permanent
solution to this
scourge by working together
with government at all
levels.”
He commended the Nigerian
Building and Road
Research Institute, an
agency of the Ministry
for its research and investigation
which has
helped to reduce the cases
of collapsed buildings
in the country.
.... As Buhari launches Micro Pension Plan
people in the informal
sector by 2024. The formal
launch is the official
flag-off of the plan and
attests to the objective of
the current administration
to provide ample
opportunities for financial
inclusion and economic
stability for more
Nigerians in the informal
sector.
‘’This initiative gives
the self-employed Professionals,
Entertainers,
lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs,
artisans, casual
workers etc opportunity
to save for pension.’’

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 15

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
MEETING:
Osun State
Governor, Mr.
Adegboyega
Oyetola (2nd
left), Lagos State
Governor, Mr.
Akinwumi
Ambode (3rd
left), Senator
Oluremi Tinubu
(3rd right) and
others , during
President
Buhari's dinner
with APC NWC
members, returning
and newly
elected senators
at the Presidential
Banquet Hall,
Abuja.
Why we're adopting TV White in rural
connectivity —FG
By Emmanuel
Elebeke
ABUJA—THE Federal
Government says it
approved the use of TV
White Space, TVWS, as a
new technology in a bid to
extend broadband internet
coverage, especially to rural
communities and other farflung
communities.
The minister of
Communications, Barr.
Adebayo Shittu, stated this
while delivering an address
Igarra gets Area Command, pledges
collaboration with security agencies
By Alemma Aliu
BENIN CITY—THE
people of Igarra, Akoko-
Edo local government area of
Edo State, yesterday,
commended the Inspector
General of Police, Mohammed
Adam for establishing an area
command in the community to
take care of three local
government areas where they
promised to give the new
command needed support to
ensure security of the area.
The Otaru of Igarra, HRH Oba
Adeche Saiki stated this when
he presented some quality
furniture donated by the Ezi
International Association in the
United States of America to the
new Area Command of the
Nigerian police which would
cover three local government
areas made up of Akoko-Edo,
Owan East and Owan West
councils.
Represented by the Palace
Secretary, Chief Folorunsho
Dania, he said the community
would complement the efforts of
the police in checking crime in the
area.
"We also appreciate Governor
Godwin Obaseki who has been
very instrumental to the
unprecedented era of peace,
tranquillity and progressive
Ashafa hails Buhari, Amaechi on
infrastructure devt in power sector
By Olasunkanmi
Akoni
LAGOS—THE Chairman
Senate Committee on
Land Transport, Senator
Gbenga Ashafa,
representing Lagos East
Senatorial District has
commended President
development in Igarra and Edo
State in general. Achievements
we never thought we can attain
have been surpassed in these
few years of your administration
in collaboration with your chief
of staff, Taiwo Akerele."
On his part, chairman of Opoze
(community administrator),
Ibukun Dogo said they would
work with the police to fight
crime and criminality in the area.
Constituents lauded over Delta Assembly
deputy majority leader's re-election
By Chancel Sunday
BOMADI—WIFE of
deputy majority leader,
Delta State House of
Assembly, Mrs Campaign
Preyor, has sent warm
greetings to the people of
Bomadi Constituency for
coming out en masse to
return her husband, Hon.
Oboro Preyor, to the State
Assembly at the just concluded
general elections in
the state.
Mrs Preyor sent the greetings
during a visit to her
country home at
at the commencement of the
2019 Stakeholders Forum
on rural connectivity using
TV White Spaces & Global
conference for rural
communications in Africa,
GCRCA-19.
TV White Space is an
opportunistic technology,
that takes advantage of the
portion of the spectrum that
the primary service is not
using at a particular point
in time.
He said federal
government is eager for the
Kpakiama, Bomadi council
area of the state, weekend.
She said that Bomadi constituents
overwhelmed her
in their ardent support for
her husband’s bid to return
to the House to continue his
unfinished legislative
business.
She thanked Bomadians
for the gesture, promising
that her husband would
make the constituency
proud in discharging his
legislative duties.
“I am so excited that the
people of Bomadi
constituency came out en
use of TV White Space to
increase broadband
penetration in Nigeria,
noting that the use of TV
White space will drive
spectrum efficiency in the
country.
‘‘The use of TV White
Space, TVWS, is now an
emerging trend to further
bridge the digital divide,
to transmit data over long
distances and reach
underserved rural
communities. This would
drive up spectrum
efficiency, and I hope other
Muhammadu Buhari
and the Minister of
Transport Rotimi
Amaechi on their
achievements in the land
transport sector of the
country over the past three
and half years.
Ashafa made the remark,
masse and voted Hon.
Preyor, our dear governor,
Ifeanyi Okowa, Hon.
Nicholas Mutu and Sen.
James Manager.
“I thank them for their
unflinching support for
their representatives and
the Peoples Democratic
Party; I give them kudos!
“I assure Bomadians that
my husband will make the
constituency proud in
discharging his legislative
duties and will continue to
deliver democratic
dividends to the
constituency,” she said.
countries would learn from
our move too.
‘‘Long before the
adoption of the United
Nation-MDGs in 2000,
Nigeria understood the
importance of solving this
matter. And ever since, we
have adopted a national
broadband plan and
worked relentlessly to
attain our objectives.
He, however, pointed out
that achieving effective
coverage across rural areas
is a matter that requires the
right transmission
technology.
On his part, chairman of the
Council, Hon Don Umoru who
presented the furniture
commended the state
government and the traditional
ruler of Igarra on their
proactivenes on issues of security.
The Area Commander, Salisu
Muhammed while promising
efficient policing said the
furniture would be put to
adequate use.
yesterday during the 2019
budget Defence session of
the Senate Committee of the
Land Transport, at the
Senate of the National
Assembly.
He said: “In the past
three years and some
months, the Muhammadu
Buhari administration has
achieved substantially
more than all other
administrations in the area
of land transportation,
construction and
rehabilitation of railways,
commencement of brand
new standard gauge lines
that will ultimately connect
every state capital in the
country as well as the
development of indigenous
man power in that regard.”
He attributed this
achievement to the strategic
partnership between his
committee and the Ministry
of Transport and their
commitment to the
actualization of President
Buhari’s change agenda.
IMF to consider financial
assistance for Mozambique
T
HE International Monetary Fund said on
Tuesday it will consider emergency financial
assistance in Mozambique under an IMF Rapid
Credit Facility after Cyclone Idai ripped through
three southern African countries killing at least
686 people.
“While it is still early to precisely assess the
macroeconomic effects of Cyclone Idai and
reconstruction costs, these will be very
significant,” the IMF said in a statement.
Pound gains on hints of support
for PM May's Brexit deal
STERLING bounced against the euro on
Tuesday after two eurosceptic lawmakers
indicated they might agree to support British
Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU withdrawal
deal rather than risk the UK parliament cancelling
Brexit.
The comments follow parliament’s move to take
control of the Brexit process, raising expectations
that lawmakers can end an impasse on Britain’s
European Union exit, with the possibility of a
longer Brexit delay or a second referendum.
Lawmakers will now vote on Wednesday on a
range of options, giving parliament a chance to
indicate whether it can agree on a deal with closer
ties to Brussels — and then try to push the
government in that direction.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of a eurosceptic faction
of May’s Conservative Party, hinted that he could
scale back opposition to May’s deal, which has
twice received crushing rejections from
lawmakers. Passing the deal would rule out the
risk of leaving the EU without any transition
arrangements.
Another Conservative lawmaker, Michael
Fabricant, said he had arrived at the same
conclusion as Rees-Mogg.
“A no-deal exit does look like quite a low
probability outcome, but beyond that there’s a
wide range of potential paths we could take,” said
Paul O’Connor, head of the multi-asset team at
Janus Henderson Investors.
Algeria's oil, gas production
unaffected by unrest: IEA
ALGERIA’S oil and gas production appears
to be unaffected so far by the political unrest
gripping the country, an International Energy
Agency (IEA) official said on Tuesday.
A major oil and gas producer and OPEC
member, Algeria has seen a wave of mass protests
over President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s 20-year
rule since Feb. 22.
“There are as yet no signs that (Algeria’s) actual
production and exports have been affected, but
it’s a situation that we will watch and see how it
develops,” Neil Atkinson, head of the IEA oil
industry and market division, told Reuters.
Industry sources said last week that talks
between Exxon Mobil and Algeria to develop a
natural gas field in the North African country
had stalled because of unrest.
Separately, Atkinson said oil production in
Venezuela could be further hit if U.S. citizens
working in the oil industry have to leave the Latin
American country due to U.S. sanctions.
“That could have a huge impact depending on
the ability of the projects to recruit Venezuelans
to do the job ... It’s yet another potential factor
in the ongoing decline of the oil industry,” he
said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 17

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
IT is no longer news that Nigeria
holds the unenviable world record in
the number of out-of-school children.
In 2013, the United Nations
Educational, Cultural and Social
Organisation, UNESCO’s Education
for All Monitoring Report, EAGMR,
unveiled the shaming report that
Nigeria, with about 10.5 million
children out-of-school, accounted for
47 per cent of the world’s total.
Other countries mentioned included:
Pakistan (5.1m), Ethiopia (2.4m), India
(2.3m), the Philippines (1.5m), Cote
d’Ivoire (1.2m), Burkina Faso (1m) and
Niger (1m). The report in 2018
indicated that the situation in Nigeria
worsened as our school-age children
who were not in school rose to over 13
million. There is nothing in the horizon
indicative of the possible reversal of the
trend in the nearest future.
Perhaps, responding to this
Jail for parents of out-of-school children?
embarrassing situation, the Minister of
Education and veteran journalist,
Mallam Adamu Adamu, resorted to
typical government speak. He disclosed
on Monday last week that the Federal
Government was working on a policy
to ensure that parents who do not send
their children to school will be
prosecuted and jailed!
The Minister needs to be reminded
that policies which lack common sense
and logic cannot be implemented. If all
parents of out-of-school children are
rounded up, tried and jailed, which
prisons will contain them? What good
does it do to the affected children who,
in addition to being deprived of
education will also be deprived of
parental care?
It looks like the tail is wagging the
dog here. Several military governors
issued this threat (especially in the
North where over 80 per cent of outof-school
children are found) in the
past. The fact that the trend continued
to mount shows just how “successful”
they were.
This problem needs to be tackled at
the root. That is the function of sound
policy. Two major factors are
responsible for the out-of-school
syndrome. The first is poverty (Nigeria
is the poverty capital of the world!) The
second is culture.
It is the primary duty of government
to lift the people out of poverty and
grant free and compulsory education
to all children up to JSS III level.
Government, working with religious
leaders and traditional rulers, can also
reorient the illiterate masses to see
education as a sure ticket out of poverty
and not as something against any
religion.
It is only when these major
impediments have been cleared that
sanctions for recalcitrant parents can
be sensibly considered. Rescuing our
children from the clutches of poverty,
ignorance, disease and destitution is the
primary call of leadership and
government. Minister Adamu should
use the opportunity at his disposal to
make a positive difference in
eradicating Nigeria’s out-of-school
syndrome.
The bane of winner takes it all
By Sunny Ikhioya
ONE of the beautiful things about
democracy is the carnival-like
atmosphere characterising the
campaigns. For once in a while, the
electorate will be seeing their leaders
coming to them, cap in hand, begging for
their votes. The people are happy and the
politicians are excited by the thrills and
expectations.
Once in a while, the electorate are
empowered and they brag about it in any
environment that they find themselves:
buses, beer parlours, cinema houses,
viewing centres, churches, mosques,
village meetings, in fact any gathering
they find themselves.
What an atmosphere to behold during
elections! That is the spirit and that is how
it is supposed to be; a game thing, that
winners will emerge. Winners that will
embrace the losers magnanimously as
gallant losers.
All will now put heads together and see
how things can be propelled to move the
nation forward. The losers would accept
defeat gallantly and embrace the true
winners and after election parties,
rebuilding will go on. That is the ideal
thing to do but in Nigeria, it appears that
the ideal is an aberration. Politics is a do
or die affair and the winner must have it
all.
That is why results of elections that took
place in the early days of March would
not be released until April, some wonder
whether it will ever be released. That is
why no single loser in the results
announced has accepted defeat without
excuses.
Elections are conducted to select leaders
that will determine the path a nation
would go through, that will manage the
affairs of a country and it is not a small
responsibility. It is an opportunity for the
people to select the best amongst us to
pilot our affairs, people that will see it as
opportunity to serve rather than to grab
and that is where the Nigerian situation
has gone sour, we see it more of the latter
than the former.
We must begin to see elections both as
contests and entertainments that will result
in a win-win situation for everybody.
Winners that must acknowledge that the
position that they hold is in trust for the
people and must be ready to accept the
opposition as part of them. Our winner
takes it all syndrome is killing the country.
That is why cost of conducting election is
always going up, that is why killings are
on the increase and also; why elections
are becoming increasingly difficult to
conduct in these part of our world.
As I am writing this piece, news just
filtered in that the governor of Cross River
State, Professor Emmanuel Ayade has
decided to include his opposition rival in
his new cabinet. If the information is true,
it is a good development. That is the spirit
and also why when you look at the entire
South south region today, Cross River
State elections seem to be the least
antagonistic, because of the governor’s
willingness to accommodate all parties.
In the North, when you look at the way
Nasir El-Rufai has behaved recently, you
will not dig too far to discover the cause
of the escalating killings in Kaduna State.
It is all about leadership. We should have
made more progress in this country if the
OPINION
ruling parties had chosen to embrace
everyone after elections are over. It is only
an opposing member that will tell you the
truth without sentiments.
If you do not factor in all parties, you
will be creating rooms for opposition and
sabotage to your government. When you
continue to persecute and hunt down
perceived opposition elements, the
situation is made worse. The Holy book
admonishes us to always forgive our
We must throw away the
winner takes it all
syndrome and begin to
factor in roles that the
opposition group will play
in any government
enemies and this is a universally accepted
norm. When you do not forgive your
enemies, there is no way you can be a good
leader because you will be ruling with
bias. We must throw away the winner takes
it all syndrome and begin to factor in roles
that the opposition group will play in any
government. Government is a continuum
and should have a role for everybody to
partake in.
It is also, not good to abandon or run
down projects executed by your
predecessors because you do not want
them to take credit for it. Lagos state
moved forward progressively when Tunde
Fashola choose to follow the programs
and paths left behind by his predecessor,
but the current government did not. By all
indices, Nigeria had retrogressed, no
matter how they want to play it.
If the naira was 180 to the dollar, four
years ago when the current government
took over and today it is 350, it is clear
that the government has failed on the
economic front. You cannot window dress
it, we must look at the over all interest of
our country first. It is as if this country
has never enjoyed prosperity before. We
must go back to our history to examine
the issue of shared prosperity.
As recently as the fifties, sixties and
seventies, there was prosperity in the land.
You can hardly find a home that could not
feed itself, even before the oil boom era.
There might be little challenges here and
there regarding the payment of school fees
or buying of luxury items but with feeding,
no way, except the family was an extremely
lazy one. Then, even school fees at the
primary level were virtually free and at
the tertiary levels, heavily subsidised by
various bursary and scholarship awards.
Do we still have them today? If we do,
who are the beneficiaries? People cannot
feed, so they are trooping into the streets
to beg and these are able bodied men and
women, comprising mainly youths in their
prime. We must go back to our history and
find out where we got it all wrong. Let us
find out what made things to work then
and why we are failing now. How were the
farm plantations maintained and
sustained?
The distribution of products both within
and abroad, different research institutions
and general management. At what point
did we get things so wrong? How can we
still in year 2019 be conducting very
flawed elections? Let us re examine
ourselves.
•Ikhioya, www.southsouthecho.com,
Twitter: @SunnyIkhioya

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 , 2019 — 19
Bonny Light price leaps to $68.01
•Saudi Arabia cuts supply, targets $70
By Udeme Akpan
THE price of Bonny Light,
Nigeria’s premium oil
grade, yesterday, leaped to
$68.00 per barrel in the
international market as Saudi
Arabia cuts supply in order to
realise a target price of $70 per
barrel. The oil grade opened the
week’s trading at $67.00.
The price of other oil grades –
Brent, WTI and the Organisation
of Petroleum Exporting
Countries, OPEC Basket – also
stood at $67.48, $59.98 and
$66.67 per barrel respectively in
the market.
Consequently, OPEC which
Joint Ministerial Monitoring
Committee (JMMC) rose from a
recent meeting to review the
market stated: “The JMMC
reiterated the critical role that the
“Declaration of Cooperation” has
played in supporting oil market
stability since December 2016
and took note of the expressed
commitment of all participating
countries to ensure that such
stability continues on a
sustainable basis, as overall
conformity reached almost 90%
for the month of February 2019,
which is up from 83% in the
month of January.
“The Committee recognized
the current, critical uncertainties
surrounding the global oil
market throughout 2019, and
stressed on the shared
responsibility of all participating
countries to restore market
stability and prevent the
recurrence of any market
imbalance.
“All participating countries
present at the meeting,
individually and collectively,
assured the Committee that they
will exceed their voluntary
production adjustments over the
coming months. To this end, the
CURRENCY BUYING SELLING
US DOLLAR
POUNDS
EURO
FRANC
YEN
CFA
WAUA
RENMINBI
RIYAL
SDR
DANISH
RAND
$94.85 0.60
2,247.00 31.00
$12.51 0.03
$67.89 0.68
$60.05 1.23
305.95 306.45 306.95
404.2211 404.8817 405.5423
346.3048 346.8708 347.4367
307.9827 308.486 308.9893
2.7786 2.7831 2.7877
0.5079 0.5179 0.5279
425.0246 425.7192 426.4138
45.5687 45.6437 45.7186
81.5801 81.7135 81.8468
425.7906 426.4865 427.1823
46.3785 46.4543 46.5301
. 21.1771 21.2117 21.2463
CBN Exchange rate as at 26/03/2019
JMMC also urged all
participating countries, including
those not present at today’s
meeting, to achieve full and
timely conformity with their
voluntary production
adjustments under the decisions
of the 175th Meeting of the
OPEC Conference, 6 December
2018, and the 5th OPEC and
non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting,
7 December 2018.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has
started pushing towards the
realisation of $70.00 through its
oil cut policy.
Oil price.com stated: “Saudi
Arabia has been signalling for
weeks that it is and will be doing
whatever it takes to rebalance the
oil market by slashing exports
and pumping well below its
quota under the OPEC+ deal—
despite US shale’s persistence.
“Yet, while neither the Saudis
nor OPEC would officially admit
that they are aiming for higher
oil prices or a specific price of
oil, the combined efforts of the
OPEC/non-OPEC group to
withhold 1.2 million bpd of
supply are targeting a tighter
market—and higher oil prices.”
LOCAL CONTENT: From Left, Representative of NNPC GMD and Chief Operating Officer,
Gas & Power, Engr. Saidu Mohammed; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the
Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Mr. Tony Attah; and Executive Secretary, Nigerian
Content Development & Monitoring Board,Mr. SimbiWabote, at the signing of the Local Content
component of the Train 7 Project of the NLNG in Abuja.
Transcorp Hotels set strategies for cost
minimisation
By Peter Egwuatu
THE President/Chief Executive
Officer Transcorp Hotels
Plc, Mr Valentine Ozigbo
yesterday said that management
has mapped out strategies
to minimise cost and improve
profitability given the
challenging business environment.
He also disclosed that the
Company has already
rolled up its sleeves and set
strategies in motion to
ensure marked
improvement in the 2019
financial year.
Ozigbo , who stated this at
the fact behind the figures
presentation of Transcorp
Hotels held at the Lagos
Floor of the Nigerian Stock
Exchange, NSE said: “
The year end 2018 results
released recently were
very impressive and the
conglomerate has
announced its
determination to focus on
cost management
initiatives, which is
expected to catapult the
returns on its investments
especially in the hospitality
business.”
Ozigbo, noted that the diversified
company with vested interests and
investments in hospitality; Power,
Oil and Gas and others, remains
committed to deliver superior
value to its wide clientele base.
On the Company’s financial
performance for the year ended
December 31, 2018 he said: “We
delivered an exemplary result of
9.4 percent growth in Profit After
Tax, PAT. In fact our revue grew by
30 percent to N104.2 billion from
N80.3 billion in 2017; Gross profit
up by 32 percent to N48.3 billion
from N36.4 billion in 2017;
Operating profit grew by 33
percent to N34.6 billion from N26.0
billion in 2017, Profit Before Tax,
PBT grew by 82 percent to N22.4
billion from N12.3 billion in 2017
while Profit After Tax, PAT
appreciated by 94 percent to N20.6
billion from N10.6 billion in 2017.”
Commenting on the power sector,
he said: “Nigerian power sector is
in a very poor state, stressing that
84.8 million Nigerians do not have
access to electric power, a far cry
from other Africa oil producing
states’ scores.”
FG at FBN anniversary laments infrastructure gap,
calls for real investments
By Cynthia Alo
President Mohammadu
Buhari has lamented the
huge gap in Nigeria’s
infrastructure supply and called for
concerted private sector
investments both foreign and local
to bridge the gap.
He also said the country needs
real investments to mitigate the
risks arising from globalisation.
Buhari, represented by the
Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab
Ahmed, at the 125th anniversary
ceremony of the First Bank of
Nigeria Holdings, said in his
presentation titled, ‘The global
interdependencies as catalyst for
Africa’s Ascendancy’, “We must as
government ensure that we are
providing enough policy incentives
that will attract capital both locally
and international, and we are not
worried about Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) where foreign
companies are directly involved
with day-to-day operations in our
country but we will prefer to have
real investments coming into the
Nigeria’s signing
of AFCFTA to
unlock economic
potential
—AFREXIM Bank
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
African
Export-Import
(AFREXIM) Bank yesterday
said that Nigeria signing the African
Continental Free Trade Agreement
(AFCFTA) treaty will unlock various
economic potentials including
Nigeria taking over from China as
the world’s manufacturing hub.
President, AFREXIM Bank, Cairo,
Egypt, Professor Benedict Oramah,
disclosed this at the Centre for
Financial Journalism’s fourth edition
‘Bullion Lecture’, held in Lagos.
Speaking on the theme:
“Leveraging the AFCFTA for
Nigeria’s economic development”,
Oramah said: “Increasing intra
African trade does not mean doing
less business in the world. As you
know the ACFTA implies a
progressive reduction in tariffs,
progressive elimination of nontariff
barriers, and progressive
trade in services, harmonization
of standards and son and so forth.
“The ACFTA increases the
opportunity for economies
including Nigeria to take over
from China as the world’s
manufacturing hub. Also Nigeria
stands a great access of enlarging
Foreign Direct Investment flows by
joining the ACFTA as the largest
economy and the most populous
in Africa. It will help them reduce
other challenges majorly the ease
of doing business across borders.
We also expect the agreement to
improve infrastructure, we also
expect it to enlarge the market
beyond Nigeria.”
According to him, “The study
that was done on the government
shows that AFCFTA will create
jobs, grow exports and also boost
economic growth.”
Commenting on the lecture,
Director General, Lagos Chamber
of Commerce and Industry,
Muda Yussuff, explained that in
order to achieve such benefits,
stakeholders in the economy
should among other issues
address the challenges of
Polarization in the Manufacturing
sector.
country.”
He added: “We must do more
than we are doing now in terms of
enabling the business environment
and improving security, both
physical security and security of
capital.”
Also speaking, the guest speaker,
Daron Acemoglu, a Professor of
Economics at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, MIT,
United States of America, noted that
high quality growth is only feasible
with inclusive institutions, adding
that democracy gives people a
voice which he noted is vital for
inclusive institutions.

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

Boosting brand equity with ambassadors
Stories by Princewill
Ekwujuru
With a market share
of 9 per cent, Nigeria’s
beer market has
been rated one of the 10
fastest growing beer
markets in the world.
Having explored all the
marketing strategies to
create brand loyalty,
promoters of the leading
brands in the nation’s
beer market have now
resorted to low blows to
outsmart one another.
Guinness and Nigerian
Breweries, two leading
alcoholic and nonalcoholic
beverage makers
are long-standing rivals.
Although the feud
between the two companies
heightened with the
launch of Legend Extra
Stout in 1992 by Nigerian
Breweries, the truth
is that the brand war
could be dated back to
1962, when Guinness
Brewery was established
in Lagos. Before
then, the NBC (which
became the Nigeria
Brewing Limited, NBL,
and now the Nigeria
Breweries Plc was the
major manufacturer in
the beer sector, while a
company was formed to
import Guinness Extra
Stout into the country
from Ireland.
But since 2011, when
AbInBev Nigeria, acquired
majority share in
the International Breweries
Ilesa, manufacturers
of Trophy Larger and
took control of the ownership
of Hero, a popular
brand in the Eastern
market, the game has
changed.
Within three years of
the acquisition, top strikers
in the nation’s beer
market were not only
tackled by Trophy and
Hero, the two brands
assumed good positions
among the middle class
consumers. A development,
which sent handlers
of the existing market
leaders back to the
drawing board to come
out with strategies that
could help them control
their dwindling fortune
*From Left: Joseph Yobo,former Supers Eagles player, Falz,a musician,
Brand ambassadors of Trophy lager beer, Managing Director, Culture Communications,
Yomi Benson and Femi Adebayo, another Trohpy beer
ambassador during their unveiling in Lagos state.
GOLDBERG lager
from the stable of
Nigeria Breweries Plc,
says it will for the next
10 weeks tour 20 major
cities across Nigeria
with its entertainment
event, Ita Faaji.
The platform which
aims at highlighting and
celebrating Goldberg’s
consumers’ experiences,
will host events in
major cities like Abuja,
Lagos, Warri, Benin,
amongst others, as it did
in 2018.
Ita Faaji as the name
implies, will be a night
of pure bliss, providing
an unforgettable experience
filled with energy,
excitement and entertainment
for all. The
great spectacle of arts
and culture will involve
great music and comedy.
Lucky consumers would
also be given the opportunity
to walk away with
OMD gets Global Media Agency
award for 2019
OMD Worldwide, an
Omnicom Media
Group Agency, has been
named Global Media Agency
of the Year by Adweek, a
leading media and advertising
industry publication.
In selecting OMD, Adweek
cited the company’s impressive
turnaround performance
following a very challenging
2017 that saw the historically
dominant agency fall
to the bottom of all major media
analyst rankings.
Adweek’s story details the
comeback that took place during
2018 – a journey that saw
OMD win to retain over
and market share. To
this end, industry watchers
have consistently argued
that the threat
posed by these challengers
led to recent decision
by the giants in the industry
to focus on brands
that will appeal to middle
class consumers.
Since AbInBev‘s entry,
NB and Guinness
have had to tighten their
belts, re-strategize, and
launch series of campaigns
to remain relevant
in the market. Obviously,
it is no longer
a two-horse race between
the two leading
brands.
However, one major
strategy that has helped
the Trophy brand was
the early understanding
of the market dynamics,
which informed why the
company hired a Nigerian
agency, Culture
Communications, to
help navigate the market.
Of course, the new owner
also hired experiential
and Public Relations
agencies for provision of
other support roles.
According to inside
source, it was through
the agency that the company
mapped out fresh
strategies for Trophy
growth in the market, including
appointment of a
brand ambassador few
years ago.
Goldberg’s Ita Faaji back, to tour 20 cities
$2.6billion business.
On the award, the Global
Chief Executive Officer,
OMD Worldwide, Florian
Adamski said: “It is a great
honour to be named Adweek’s
Global Media Agency of the
Year. Not only did we win more
than 300 pitches across all geographies
last year, but at the
same time we more than doubled
our retention rate and improved
our client ratings four
consecutive times throughout
2018. We also remained the
most medaled agency at the
Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
When you put all this
together it is simply astonishing.”
fantastic prizes.
Speaking on the return
of Ita Faaji for 2019,
Brand Manager, Goldberg,
Olufunmilayo
Ogunbodede, had this to
say: “Goldberg is passionate
about bringing
premium experiences to
its consumers across Nigeria.
Ita Faaji is a gem
for us, as it allows us
connect with consumers
across the country, giving
them an experience
they’ll never forget. We
can’t wait to tour all the
several cities in the coming
weeks as we urge
everyone to come out
and have fun with us.”
Goldberg has, of recent,
brought fun-filled
nights to consumers
through its Unlimited
Faaji series from December
2018 to January 2019
and its major music platform,
Ariya Repete.
Goldberg is a premium
quality lager beer that is
brewed to golden standards
by the master
brewers, Nigerian Breweries
Plc.
M ULTICHOICE
Nigeria said it has
launched a Pop-Up channel
for the fourth season of the
Big Brother Nigeria, BBN
show on DSTV and GOtv.
The pop-up channel according
to a press statement
from Multichoice, opened
on March 1, 2019 and will
run till March 31, 2019, the
channels are on DStv channel
198 and GOtv channel
29, with feature highlights
MultiChoice launches Pop-Up
channel for BBNaija
from the previous two seasons
– See Gobbe and Double
Wahala.
The excitement goes a
notch higher with a special
reunion show which will air
from Monday, 18 March to
Sunday, 31 March and features
the stars of the BBNaija
Double Wahala season. The
BBNaija pop-up channel is
available to active customers
on DStv Premium, Compact
Plus, Compact, Family, Access
and GOtv Max and
Plus.
PCl to host CIO Meeting
Phillips Consulting
(pcl.) is set to host
its Chief Information
officers, CIO's Breakfast
Meeting. The meeting,
which will hold in Lagos,
is a cross-industry event
for innovative digital
and business leaders
seeking to identify and
exploit opportunities to
drive organisational performance.
This year, the breakfast
meeting will be focusing
on emerging trends and
opportunities at the intersection
of digital
transformation and
cybersecurity. Slated to
speak are top-level subject
matter experts from
Microsoft and the Nigerian
government.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 21
Star Lager unveils new TVC featuring
Burna Boy
Nigerian Breweries
Plc's Star lager
has unveiled a new commercial
featuring the
afro-pop artist, Burna
Boy.
Speaking on the release
of the commercial,
Portfolio Manager, National
Premium brands,
Sarah Agha, expressed
her delight on the commercial
saying: ”Burna
Boy is an amazing talent
with a very likable
personality, It’s no surprise
he’s been so successful
in the entertainment
scene. It was interesting
to have him star
in our TVC as we prepare
our consumers for
what is to come in 2019.
As you can see, his performance
was full of joy
and energy, and we look
forward to unveiling big-
Chi Limited, manufacturers
of Chivita
Ice Tea said the brand’s
new pack has influenced
patronage from
customers.
The company stated that
it discovered that the
brand’s new packaging got
consumers' commendation
thereby leading to increased
sales profile.
A statement from the
company said: “A crosssection
of consumers who
offered their perspective
on the new look Chivita Ice
Tea noted that they were
excited by the brand’s new
positioning under the Chivita
Masterbrand.
ger and brighter content
with Burna Boy.”
The commercial follows
Burna through a photo
shoot as he poses with
the Star bottle and cans,
and also features a very
catchy hook which plays
as a jingle all through
the commercial.
Over the years, Star
has been unrelenting in
its efforts at encouraging
Nigerians who are aspirational
in their ambitions.
The new theme: Celebrate
the brighter side, is referenced
in the new ad as
Star continues with this
brand messaging across
various forms of media
and touchpoints.
The Star brand has been
known for iconic commercials
all through its illustrious
years in the Nigerian
beer industry.
Chivita IceTea’s refreshed pack
boosts patronage, Chi
Eat ’N’Go to expand footprint
in Nigeria
Eat’N’Go Limited, a
franchisee for Pizza-making
company,
Domino’s Pizza says it
will add 16 new stores
across several cities in
Nigeria as part of its
expansion project in
2019 from its existing 84
stores in Lagos.
The launch of new
stores at new locations
nationwide reinforces
the brand’s dedication
to bringing the best global
food brands and concepts
to Nigeria and Africa
at large.
Chief Executive Officer
of Eat’N’Go Limited,
Patrick McMichael
said: “We are on a mission
to keep providing
mouth-watering treats to
lovers of Pizza, Ice
Cream and Frozen Yoghurt
all over Nigeria. It
is such a great opportunity
for us to be able to
deliver our products and
services to yet more and
more states nationwide.
Our goal is to keep investing
profoundly in
opening new stores in
different locations so
that everyone everywhere
can have easy
access to all the yummy
treats we have to offer.
Its new package design is
a bold statement of its premium
quality, health benefits
and consumers’ benefits
that has made the product visually
appealing to consumers
as it maintains its front
shelf space and preference.”
Marketing Director of Chi
Limited, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya
stated that it was
pleasing to see consumers
resonate with the product’s
fresh visual identity, which
keys it into the Chivita Masterbrand.
The new design
also reinforces its promise of
rejuvenation through more
appealing elements that
evoke its refreshingly natural
goodness.
We believe that this expansion
process is a key
step that reaffirms our
position as the leading
player in the Quick Service
Restaurant Industry
in Nigeria.”
“The Eat’N’Go brand
looks forward to increasing
its network of consumer
touch points while
still delivering first-rate
quality products and services.
We are excited
about the level of growth
the brand has seen so far
in Nigeria as a result of
how well the members of
our host communities
have welcomed and patronised
our delicious
foods and snacks. By the
end of the first quarter of
the year, Eat’N’Go will
have opened a total of
100 stores across Nigeria,
which is a very huge
deal for us. We owe all
of these milestones to
our wonderful customers.”
he added. The CEO
said the launch of the
new outlets are in line
with the company’s
plans to further expand
its physical outlets by 50
per cent a year over the
next five years, and significantly
grow its
workforce in Nigeria.

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
•Military officers chasing away INEC officials and policemen from a collation centre in Port Harcourt
Militarisation of electoral process
is an ill-wind
—Sunday Oibe, NCEF PRO
By Sam Eyoboka
IN the considered opinion of the Public
Relations Officer of Northern Christian
Elders Forum, Elder Sunday Oibe,
militarisation of the electoral process is an
ill-wind that has seriously undermined our
democratic culture. According to him,
involvement of military in our electoral
process has actually aborted what we call
democracy. He added that it was unfortunate
that this will be happening given the fact
that we are operating a democratic system
modelled after that of the Americans; a
system whereby people are expected to cast
their votes and go back to their normal
businesses.
He said: "What we have now is a mockery
of democracy. As far as some of us are
concerned, we are not yet practising
democracy in Nigeria. Is it not curious that
when people in this same government were
in opposition they went to the court and the
court made a pronouncement that military
should not be involved in electoral process.
What is the duty of the Police, Civil Defence?
But today military is the one the government
is using everywhere to harass people.
The military should know that they are
Nigerians and after 35 years of service they
would come back to civil life. If they destroy
the system today, where will their children
be? That you are a soldier does not mean
that your wife, children or mother are also
soldiers. That is why we must allow civil
thinking to guide our electoral process.
Monopoly
of violence
What has happened in the 2019 elections
is nothing but gangsterism using military.
It is worse than armed robbery because they
use guns to harass the people, thwart the
people and seize their mandate. I have been
around for a while and have witnessed
elections in this country; there is no
presidential election in this country that
people turned out like the just concluded
one but yet the wish of the people was
subverted.
When you come to the gubernatorial/state
assembly elections, the same thing
happened all over the place. The same
INEC that promised that they will conduct
free, fair, credible elections failed us; the
only one in INEC deserving of our praise
is the Resident Electoral Commissioner of
Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, who told
the whole world that he went to Akwa Ibom
to count votes and not money.
Can the rest also come out and make such
declaration? Those who claimed to have
won by forcing the military on us, are not
having peace, because they did not win
freely, transparently. They did not follow
due process of democratic norms. They are
in confusion right now. As we have read in
the newspapers, some elder statesmen are
counseling Atiku Abubakar not to go to
court; they know if he goes to court he
would win. Others are threatening to
unleash terror on Nigeria if they don't have
their way.
The question is: Who has monopoly of
violence? Do they sell violence in a market?
If it is sold in an open
market, anybody can
do that; but we are
not praying for
violence. If
somebody steals your
watch, the best thing
to do is to tell the
fellow to return the
watch to you. To tell
the person to keep
away and not go to
the police or court is
not acceptable. It is
What we have
now is a
mockery of
democracy; as
far as some of us
are concerned,
we are not yet
practising
democracy in
Nigeria
unfortunate what is
happening in Nigeria. The people who said
they are fighting corruption, who believe that
they are transparent have questions to
answer themselves. The worst form of
corruption is to subvert the will of the people
through the ballot box. It is to say that the
vote of the people should not speak. The
worst form of corruption is to bribe, harass,
intimidate INEC officials so that they will
do your bidding by giving you the vote. To
us we see it as a tactical way of intimidating
the electoral umpire. What Nigeria should
be asking for now is that we did not want
any electoral umpire who would be appointed
by a President.
INEC chairman should evolve through
political parties or the National Assembly
should bring somebody who will do the
needful because he who pays the piper
dictates the tune. That is why there is no
celebration anywhere. People are not happy
as evidenced by the fact that when the
gubernatorial and state house of assembly
elections were conducted there was voter
apathy.
People openly said that it was a waste of
their time to vote when their votes would
not count, and that is what we saw all over
the place. Imagine the number of people
that came out to vote during the presidential
election; they are the same Nigerians, they
did not travel, they did not come out because
they knew their votes would not count.
Military should be kept in the barracks
and do their military work. When you take
them to the polling units where they will
hijack ballot boxes and using guns to harass
people, that is armed robbery and they
should be tried for that. They should be tried
if they are found culpable of committing
electoral crimes.
We condemn what INEC is doing.
Elections were conducted and then you
introduce the language of inconclusiveness.
What does that mean? In some states, the
difference between the leading candidates
is less than the voided votes and INEC did
not declare such results as inconclusive.
Thumb printing by
underaged children
In some places, you see underaged
children thumb-printing, voting and such
elections were not cancelled. Some places
did not use card reader because I happened
to be one of the election observers who went
round and I saw what happened. Majority
of the places here in the North, they did
not use card reader. But INEC said
anywhere there is no card reader, they
should not vote but they voted and INEC
did not cancel such results; while places
where people did legitimate voting were
declared inconclusive.
Declaring inconclusive elections in places
like Benue, Sokoto, Plateau, Adamawa,
Bauchi, Kano is not acceptable. INEC has
a lot of questions to answer. The reason why
it is so painful is that their children are
watching. The painful part is that most of
these people have families and they see
what they are doing: the younger
generation definitely is in trouble.
But we congratulate the Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai for
the success recorded by his troops during
the election.
He should be reminded that there is a
bigger battle after this waiting for him and
his troops at the North East where Boko
Haram is still killing people and holding
Leah Sharibu and several other girls
captive. Same in Zamfara where hoodlums
are still terrorizing innocent persons;
Plateau and Benue states where armed
herdsmen have resumed their activities and
of course in Southern Kaduna which has
become a full theatre of war for some time
now.

C
M
Y
K
Menacing cyber plague scares Nigerian organisations
… As GidiNerd secures EC-Council’s partnership to remedy threat
By Prince Osuagwu
Alot of Nigerian organisations
are under serious panic as
cyber plague hovers over their
operations with menacing speed.
However, marketing and
technology company, Gidinerd
Limited, says it has plans to
provide services capable of
remedying the threat, if not nip the
menace in the bud.
This is as it joined forces with one
of the world’s largest
cybersecurity technical
certification body, EC-Council, to
help Nigerian organisations take
pre-emptive measures against
malicious attacks.
The partnership will help
Gidinerd provide services which
will enable organisations and
individuals learn how to identify
and defend the weaknesses in
their own networks.
EC-Council is a frontline IT and
e-Business certificate-awarding
body and the creator of the famous
Certified Ethical Hacker and
Computer Hacking Forensics
Investigator. The council has
trained over 80,000 individuals
from organisations such as the US
Army, the FBI, Microsoft, IBM
and the United Nations.
Explaining why the collaboration
was necessary, Co-Founder and
Enterprise Solutions Architect,
GidiNerd, Confidence Staveley
says: “It is no longer a question of
if a company can be hacked, it is
now about dedicating resources to
the mitigation and remediation of
the cyber plague that is menacing
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—23
Computer Hacking Forensic
Investigator (C|HFI) and
Certified Network Defender
(C|ND); which are highly valued
the world today. Consequently, by employers in Nigeria, as it is
EC-Council’s e-Learning courses globally.”
are designed to help This partnership will make it
organisations and individuals easier for organisations to enrol
take pre-emptive measures IT personnels, Auditors, Security
against malicious attacks by Professionals, Network and Site
learning how to identify and administrators through GidiNerd
defend the weaknesses in their own for any EC-Council certification
network.”
program thereby empowering
EC-Council said: “This them with the skills needed for
partnership allows Gidinerd to the industry.
provide industry leading, Gidinerd is EC-Council’s only
globally recognised credentials authorised re-seller and exclusive
such as ANSI, Accredited Certified iWeek Business partner in
Ethical Hacker (C|EH), Nigeria.”
By Prince Osuagwu
(Hi-Tech Editor)
Nigeria’s inability to take
broadband services to the,
hinterlands and virtually its
teeming underserved
population, despite massive
investments in submarine
broadband cable by private
companies, may not only be
seen as an irony but also a
national embarrassment.
This is moreso, as several
studies predict that the future
of internet growth for homes
and businesses will need a
minimum of 100 megabytes
per second of capacity within
the next few years and will
need greater capacity even
going forward.
While several countries
including Japan, are
preparing for this future,
announcing a national
commitment to build fibre
networks for every home and
business, exorbitant right of
way charges are threatening to
cut a larger part of the
Nigerian population off from
this digital right.
Operators who have made
multimillion dollar
investment in landing
submarine cables from all
parts of the world, suffer the
frustration of not being able
to take capacity beyond few
distances from the seashores
where their cables landed
several years back.
Between submarine
broadband cable investors,
Mainone, Glo 1, West African
Cable System,WACS and
NITEL’s Sat 3, there are
volumes of terabytes lying
fallow on the shores of Lagos
while the country struggles
fruitlessly to achieve last mile
deployment. Many
Information
and
Communications Technology,
ICT, industry practitioners
have always heaped the
blame at the doorsteps of the
government, pointing out
that the inability of the federal
and state governments to
harmonise the Right of Way,
RoW levies that give operators
access to deploy services, is the
reason Nigerians may not be
part of the “broadband for all”
concept catching on globally.
The National Economic
Council, NEC RoW guideline
stipulates N145 per metre for
laying fibre network in
Last mile broadband deployment:
FG to aid pervasive internet
with over N28b subsidy
*Get serious or forfeit the money, NCC warns InfraCos
*Plans to double Nigeria’s 33% broadband penetration in five years
every part of the country.
How, it is observed that states
have arbitrarily fixed their
own charges which range
from N1,500 to N6000.While
states like Rivers and Abia,
charge between N1,500 and
N2,000 respectively, others
like Lagos, Delta and Ogun
charge up to N5,840, N4,600
and N6,500 respectively.
The result of this situation is
that only a paltry 38,000 km
fibre out of about 120,000 km
of fibre network required for
pervasive coverage, has been
deployed in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, some
stakeholders have also
accused operators of
developing cold feet to take
services to underserved and
unserved areas due to low
business prospects
experienced in such areas.
However, the Federal
Government, through the
Nigerian Communications
Commission, NCC,
eventually intervened by
creating a subsidy regime to
NCC has also
made it clear that
the money is not for
those who did not
show evidence of
substantial
deployments, so far
made in these less
business prospect
areas
attract investors into
deploying services in rural
areas. It also licensed
operators called Infrastructure
Companies, InfraCos whose
specific tasks would be to take
broadband services across the
length and breadth of the
country.
To show seriousness, the
NCC earmarks six per cent
out of its annual budget to
fund the subsidy project
calling it part of the
transformation agenda of the
government.
However, even with the
subsidy regime, broadband
activity in the hinterlands still
remains dumb, fuelling
suspicions that the operators
may be doubting
government's sincerity to
fulfil its promises.
Interestingly, the Executive
Vice-Chairman of the NCC,
Prof. Umar Danbatta, has just
disclosed that the subsidy
money is ready for
disbursement.
Hi-Tech gathered exclusively
that operators which include
MainOne Limited which
serves the Lagos zone,
Raeana Nigeria Limited for
South-South zone, O’dua
Infraco Resources Limited
for South-West Zone, Fleek
Networks Limited for North-
West Zone, Brinks
Integrated Solutions for
North-East Zone, and Zinox
Technologies Limited for the
South-East Zone, could share
the subsidy money of up to
N28 billion.
However, NCC has also
made it clear that the money
is not for those who did not
Continues on Page .........

24—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
IXPN guns for single-connected
Africa…becomes West Africa regional exchange
By Prince Osuagwu
Internet Exchange Point of
Nigeria, IXPN, has for
several years advocated that
internet traffics generated
within Africa should be kept
in Africa.
This position has over the
years, endeared it to African
internet services
practitioners.
However, today, that
recognition has been
extended to full honour as the
African Union Commission,
AUC just named the company
regional internet exchange.
In 2016, the IXPN was
awarded a grant to enable it
grow into a regional Internet
Exchange for West Africa.
Project Manager, African
Internet Exchange System,
AU Commission, Mr. Moses
Bayingana said with many
IXPs in Africa currently
exchanging intra-country
traffic locally and intraregional
traffic exchanged
regionally; this will reduce
the latency and save costs by
eliminating the international
transit through overseas
carriers.
He added that through AUC’s
African Internet Exchange
System, AXIS, countries in
Africa with internet exchange
points have increased from 18
to 35.
CEO of IXPN, Mr.
Muhammed Rudman, said
with the new status as the
Regional Internet Exchange
Point for West Africa, IXPN
would seek strategic
alliances with other IXPs,
regional carriers and service
providers towards a
connected West Africa. He
also said that the AXIS
initiative has now positioned
IXPN to champion a more
regional connectivity drive
that will ultimately lead to a
one-connected Africa.
Rudman noted that localising
the Internet within the
African continent will
improve quality of service as
traffic will no longer travel
abroad as was the case, and
enjoined African countries,
especially in the West Africa
region, to embrace this
concept of AXIS for a better
and improved connectivity
for the continent.
He revealed that in
consonance with its new
*From Left: CEO IXPN, Mr. Muhammed Rudman, AXIS
project manager, Mr. Moses Bayingana, and Jacob
Dagunduro of IXPN .
status, it has upgraded its
infrastructure to ensure a
more resilient operation in the
By Prince Osuagwu
Technology platform, Uber,
recently, launched a new
package called Uber Lite, saying
it would offer its teeming
customers simpler and faster
connectivity.
Uber described the new package
as ‘the new, lighter way to Uber.’
It said the redesigned Uber app
will use less storage space and
quicker in connectivity when
booking rides and will be
available to all android devices.
General Manager Uber, West
Africa, Lola Kassim, said: “At
Uber, we believe anyone,
anywhere should be able to get a
ride and after in-depth research,
users expressed a need for a
lighter app, which uses less data
and requires less storage space.
Thus, I’m pleased to announce
Uber Lite, which we believe will
provide broad access to Uber
while creating greater
opportunity for everyone.”
She explained that the new app
interfaces were designed to make
function of connecting other
foreign IXPs and ISPs.
New Uber app to offer
customers easier connectivity
booking rides quicker and lighter
in low connectivity, on basic
Android phones, and for people
with limited data plans.
Kassim listed unique features of
the new app to include: Light on
your phone: Uber Lite is less than
5MB to download. A smaller app
frees up space for actual selfies
and other apps. With a 300-
millisecond response time,
literally the blink of the eye, the
booking process is fast even in low
connectivity.
Guided pickups: Uber Lite guides
users through the request
experience by detecting their
current location, so minimal
typing is required. If it can’t detect
your location because of GPS or
network issues, it guides you to
choose popular landmarks nearby
like the Tafawa Balewa Square in
Lagos, or Millenium Park in
Abuja.
Tap over type: Uber Lite makes
picking a rider destination as
easy as a tap of a button. Instead
of the rider typing where he or she
is, he or she can choose a nearby
point of interest. Additionally, the
app stores the city’s top places so
that even when a user is offline,
no network is needed to download
the map.
Maps on demand: To keep the app
light and fast, maps in Uber Lite
are not loaded by default, but are
available with a tap when you
need them.
She added that Uber Lite has inapp
support, critical safety
features and retains the core
functionality of the rider app
Canon expands photographic
possibilities with new printers,
cameras
By Juliet Umeh
Imaging
Solutions
Technology company,
Canon Central and North
Africa, CCNA, recently,
introduced three new
innovative products– the EOS
R System, PIXMA TS9540
and the ZOEMINI.
The new printers and the
camera are poised to expand
Canon’s imagery range in
Nigeria and help customers
manage productivity.
The company said: “The
EOS R System is redefining
the frontiers of photography
and filmmaking. Over 30
years on from the original,
era-defining EOS launch, the
bold, new EOS R System
once again expands
photographic possibilities in
countless ways. The new RF
lens mount has been
engineered with a blend of
optical, mechanical and
electronic design to capture
unique moments previously
seen as very challenging.
A pioneering lens mount
built from the best of EOS
legacy takes the EOS platform
to new heights, incorporating
the best from the existing
system, with even greater
levels of performance, lens
design possibilities and
creative flexibility.
The Canon PIXMA,
according to the company, is
a compact all-in-one inkjet
printer that is capable of A3
printing, with a comparable
A4 printer footprint.
The ZOE MINI is Canon’s
smallest and lightest Mini
Photo Printer, the perfect
accessory for those who enjoy
snapping and sharing
treasured moments with
family and friends.
Senior Manager Sales &
Marketing- B2C, Canon
Central & North Africa, Mr.
Amine Djouahra, said: “We
are very proud to have
officially launched and
announced the availability of
our EOS R System today
here in Lagos, Nigeria.
This market plays a
significant role in our growth
plans and we hope that
today’s local launch event
will further cement our
position as innovators in
imaging technology.”
Health workers tip ICT to revolutionise healthcare delivery in Nigeria
By Naomi Uzor
The Nigerian Medical
Association, NMA, has urged
Nigerians to adopt health
information technology system in
driving health care delivery in
Nigeria.
National President, Nigeria
Medical Association, NMA, Dr.
Francis Faduyile who made the
call at a recent Breakfast meeting
of the Nigerian-American
Chamber of Commerce, NACC,
themed: Improving Quality
Outcomes through Health
Information Technology, said
IXPN was named WA’s
regional exchange recently.
health information technology
system in Nigeria’s health care
delivery and medical curricula, at
all levels was important.
He said: “There is need for
collaboration between relevant
agencies and professional
associations such as information
technology, health and NMA, and
other stakeholders to ensure the
full deployment of information
technology in the health sector in
Nigeria. We must encourage local
capacity-building in the
deployment of information
technology in the health sector.
This will enhance the development
access and maintenance of the
system” he said
“Today, Health Information
Management and Technology,
HIMT, professionals must have a
deep understanding of not only
the management of health data,
but also the software and systems
needed to manage and analyse
data. There are many demerits of
using dated tecnhiques for health
care delivery since we must
continue to ensure patients''
confidentiality and safety,” he
stated.
He said there is need to have a
scrupulous and detailed
Last mile broadband deployment
Continued from Page
show evidence of substantial
deployments, so far made in
these less business prospect
areas.
Danbatta, who disclosed the
plan recently when he
received a delegation from the
United States Trade and
Development Agency, USTDA
at the Commission’s
headquarters said: “The
licensees are expected to play
some roles and NCC too is to
play some roles to encourage
broadband infrastructure
deployment by the licensees.
Currently, we have seen and
negotiated the licensees’
capital expenditure, CAPEX,
and we have arrived at
percentage of subsidies
based on the negotiation that
we have agreed with them.
However, the subsidy will be
paid to them by the
Commission upon
attainment of reasonable
milestones in their zones of
deployment,” he added.
NCC also believes that these
legislation to control in Nigeria.
President of NACC, Oluwatoyin
Akomolafe said the topic was
significant in many ways as it is
becoming increasingly clear that
the traditional way of solving
health problems is dangerous so
there is the need for quality
investment in information
technology in the health care
sector to improve healthcare
delivery.
“Effective use of communication
technology by health care and
public health professionals can
bring about an age of patient- and
public-centred health information
milestones will help to boost
and surpass double the
broadband penetration level
which is put at 33 per cent in
the next five years.
Reliable sources at the NCC
disclosed that six per cent of
the 2017 and that of 2018
budgets are ready to be
disbursed. The source said
the InfraCos could also get
that of 2019 if the National
Assembly approves the
budget while the
disbursement is going on.
The NCC budget for 2017 was
N110 billion while that of 2018
and 2019 are N161 billion and
N204 billion respectively. A
quick calculation puts the
total money to N475 billion
and six per cent of that is
approximately N28.5 billion.
Whether the over N28 billion
subsidy would be enough to
make the operators move with
the lightening speed Nigeria
requires now to achieve
pervasive broadband
deployment in the country, is
left to be seen in the coming
days.
and services in Nigeria. There is
the potential to: improve health
care quality and safety, increase
the efficiency of health care and
public health service delivery,
improve the public health
information infrastructure,
support care in the community
and at home, facilitate clinical and
consumer decision-making and
build health skills and
knowledge,” he said.

New ITU database to assist
harmonisation of intelligent transport
standards
By Emmnauel Elebeke
ITU has established a
new standards database
to assist the harmonisation
of standards
for intelligent transport
systems, ITS.
ITS standards developed
by ITU are the first
to enter the database.
Standards developed by
other bodies will follow,
providing a reference to
all standards supporting
connected vehicles and
automated driving.
ITU says ITS shows
great potential to improve
road safety and
reduce traffic congestion.
International standards
provide guidance on
when and how to integrate
new technologies
into transportation systems
and the associated
formulation of strategies
to support the interoperability
of ITS solutions.
Standards bodies active
in the ITS field coordinate
their work on
the neutral platform offered
by the collaboration
on ITS communication
standards, CITS.
This coordination supports
coherence and
compatibility among ITS
standards, an objective
growing in importance
as the deployment of ITS
solutions accelerates
worldwide.
International standards
for ITS are developed by
standards bodies including
the International
Telecommunication
Union, ITU, the International
Organisation for
Standardisation, ISO,
the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers,
IEEE, and the Society
of Automotive Engineers,
SAE International.
CITS meets twice or
three times each year to
ensure that dialogue
among relevant standards
bodies maintains
strong momentum.
The March 2019 meeting
of CITS held in conjunction
with the Future
Networked CarSymposium
within the Geneva
International Motor
Show, hosted by representatives
of bodies including
ISO, TC204
and TC22, IEEE, VTS
standards and IEEE
802.11 TGbd, the Internet
Engineering Task
Force, IETF among others.
By Juliet Umeh
Despite pressures
from all quarters
clamouring for equality,
women inclusion and
gender parity, women all
over the world are still
relegated to the background,
and in work
places too.
Study by IBM’s Institute
for Business Value,
IBV, on Women, Leadership,
and the Priority
Paradox, polled 2,300
executives, professionals
and revealed that the
leadership gender gap
in the global workplace
Comercio becomes Huawei cloud partner
of the year
An indigenous cloud
computing company,
Comercio Cloud
Computing Limited, has
been announced the winner
of Huawei EBG:
Cloud Solutions Partner
of the year award at Huawei
Nigeria Eco-Connect
2019.
CTO of Comercio
Cloud, Mr. Aderemi
Adejumo, said the prestigious
award further endorses
the company’s
success in delivering
top-rated cloud solutions
within the Nigerian local
cloud ecosystem.
He said: “The cloud
company has in only two
years proven to be a force
to be reckoned with, providing
infrastructure as a
service, IaaS, Storage as
a Service, SaaS, backup
as a service, BaaS, and
disaster recovery, DR, as
well as providing industry
specific solutions to
support their clients'
needs in their Tier III
infrastructure built by
construction data center
and certified by the Uptime
Institute.
He stated that there is
a greater peace of mind
when it comes to sitting
on a local cloud platform
such as the Comercio
platform.
“Our platform has a
lower latency than offshore
platforms. We have
a number of advantages
over the notable foreign
cloud platforms. It takes
on average less than 25
per cent of the time to
retrieve data from an offshore
cloud platform.”
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY 27 , MARCH, 2019 — 25
79% of organisations globally not
prioritising women advancement
— IBM continues to persist because
organisations are
yet to make women a formal
business priority.
The IBV in cooperation
with Oxford Economics
surveyed an equal number
of women and men
from organisations worldwide
across multiple industries
to better understand
why a large gender
disparity in the leadership
ranks persists and
what can be done to drive
progress toward gender
equality.
In addition to the qualitative
survey, IBV conducted
a series of one-onone
interviews with executives
and professionals
across six global regions.
The study revealed that
within those organisations
surveyed, only 18
per cent of senior leadership
positions are held by
women.
This is due to three key
factors: Organisations
are not sold on the business
value. “Seventynine
percent of respondents
indicated that they
have not formally prioritised
fostering gender
equality in leadership
within their organisations,
even though ample
evidence correlates gender
equity with improved
financial success and
competitive advantage.
“Men underestimate
the magnitude of gender
bias in their workplaces.
65 per cent of
male executives reported
it is just as likely they
would have been promoted
to a top leadership
role even if they had
been women, despite the
low number of women
that currently hold those
roles.
Few organisations display
a sense of urgency
or ownership about this
issue. Organisations are
over-relying on “good
intentions” and applying
a laissez-faire approach
to diversity, rather than
applying the disciplined
focus on operational execution
they apply to other
aspects of organisational
performance.”
Senior Vice-President
of Digital Sales and
Chief Marketing Officer,
Michelle Peluso, said:
“The past year has underscored
the world’s focus
on diversity, and the
business benefits of inclusive
teams are now
well-documented.
“The opportunity now
is to move from inclusion
being interesting to being
imperative - just like
we treat other top business
priorities,” he said.

26—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
I send hubby’s pal sexy texts!
Dear Bunmi,
My husband and I have
been together for 10 years,
married for six. We have two
lovely sons of seven years
and six months.
Before I got pregnant with
my second child, I’d started
text-flirting with one of my
husband’s friends. When I got
pregnant, it stopped, but now
I have started again.
I love my husband very
much, but we do have some
issues. I wonder if this is the
reason I have become
attracted to his friend.
This is not the first time I
have had a relationship with
someone else, but it has
never been anything
physical. It’s almost as
though I just need someone
to pay me attention.
My husband has a lot of
hobbies and rarely spends
time alone with me. Could it
be that which is causing me
to become attracted to other
men? I don’t want to cheat on
him, but I feel like I’m
behaving the way I do in case
it satisfies whatever it is I’m
looking for.
Please help as I don’t know
what to do.
Fadeke, by e-mail.
Dear Fadeke,
You really need to talk to
your husband and let him
know you are feeling
neglected. Ask him if it’s
possible for him to take a little
time out of his day to remind
you how much he cares for
you.
If you keep this texting
going, then it’s very likely to
lead to something else. That
something else might sound
good right now, but you need
to think about your children
and how your decisions will
affect their lives in the long
run.
It may not be easy with two
young children to look after,
but maybe you could get some
hobbies as well — ideally,
the same one as your
husband’s. If you’re busy,
you may not feel neglected.
It feels like I’m married to a different
woman
Dear Bunmi,
My wife was plump when I
met her. After we got married
and had two kids, she became
fat, and more ashamed of her
body. A friend encouraged her
to join a gym, got her some diet
shakes and the weight fell off
her.
Now she looks amazing and
I know I should be happy, but
she’s changed so much
personality-wise. It feels like
I’m married to a different
person.
I’ve always been quite active
and we used to have quite good
sex. But now I’m not good
enough for her.
She says I don’t satisfy her
and has brought back from her
trips abroad all those sex books
she wants me to read. She’s
hinted we might even try sex
out-doors when next we travel
and I’m not even sure if that’s
legal.
I’ve noticed other men
looking at her and I’ve seen her
smile back at a few of them. I’m
worried I’ll lose her but I also
worry I’ve already lost the girl
I fell in love with.
I don’t know how to handle
the situation at all.
Folu, By e-mail.
Dear Folu,
When people lose a lot of
weight, their personality also
changes. Life as a ‘fat’ person
is very different from life as a
‘thin’ person. People treat you
differently. You treat yourself
differently. This is particularly
true of women who are more
likely to define themselves by
their looks and more
susceptible to the media’s
message that being thin is
everything.
Never is this attitude more
evident than in the bedroom
because if thin equals
attractive, it definitely equals
sexy. With her new, slim body,
is it any wonder that your wife
suddenly feels more desirable
and is taking more interest in
sex — and is demanding more?
If she never felt she looked
good enough, she probably
never felt she could complain
about anything. Admittedly
she’s gone a little too far in the
bossy direction but let her
admire herself for a little while,
load on the compliments —
especially those about her
body— and instead of
Become a little
more
adventurous
yourself! Read
the sex books
with her, ask her
to give you
guidance on
exactly what she
likes and
doesn’t like, buy
her some great
new
underwears,
lavish her with
attention and
affection and let
her know all
that hard work
she’s put into
her new figure
hasn’t gone
unnoticed
punishing her for this new
interest in sex, applaud her for
it.
Become a little more
adventurous yourself! Read the
sex books with her, ask her to
give you guidance on exactly
what she likes and doesn’t like,
buy her some great new
underwears, lavish her with
attention and affection and let
her know all that hard work
she’s put into her new figure
hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Naturally, this will have
changed the situation you once
were. Previously, you were the
fit, attractive one and she was
your loved but overweight wife.
Now she feels good about
herself and considers herself
an equal. She’s changed. You
need to as well.
Are these supplements
good for him?
Dear Bunmi,
My boyfriend says he’s too
busy to find time for regular
exercise, instead, he goes for
all these supplements that
promise wonder benefits.
His latest find is a protein
milkshake he believes will
help him build up muscle. On
the jar it says it’s for body
builders and athletes, but he’s
neither, he hardly exercises at
all!
He also takes multivitamins.
Are all these supplements
harmful if taken in such large
doses?
Monica, By e-mail.
Dear Monica,
You’re right to suspect your
boyfriend is only fooling
himself. Without regular
exercise, all he’ll get from
drinking too much protein
milk-shakes is a bit of tummy!
He says men get nothing
from marriage
Dear Bunmi,
My current partner and I
have been in a relationship
for 12 years. We love each
other and have a three-yearold
daughter.
In spite of this, he’s not
keen on getting married. He
says it’s because marriage is
for ‘women’ and ‘men get
nothing from it.’ I don’t think
this is true. So who’s right?
Tonia,bye-mail.
Dear Tonia,
There is an alarming amount
of evidence that says men
Athletes who are training
hard do need protein to build
muscles but usually there’s
plenty in ordinary food, so no
one’s really sure whether
protein supplements make
any difference. The same is
true for multivitamins, there
should be plenty in food.
Your boyfriend must stick to
the recommended dose of
vitamins as an overdose can
be harmful. The protein
supplements shouldn’t
actually do any harm unless
his kidneys aren’t working
properly in which case there’s
a danger of permanent kidney
damage.
benefit much more than
women from marriage. So you
are right and he is wrong. But
if you truly believe he’s right,
why are you so keen to rush
down the aisle, let alone with
someone who is a sexist?
A current research, which
was done by a Canadian team,
found women are much more
likely to become bored in a
marriage than men are.
And unmarried men are
more likely to be bored than
unmarried women. Think
about this the next time you’re
begging him to put a ring on
your finger.
He has little respect for me
Dear Bunmi,
I recently moved in with my
boyfriend of almost a year.
He’s much older than I am
and has a teenage son.
Although I love him dearly
and consider myself a strong
and out-spoken person, I
can’t help but feel I’m being
taken for granted.
We have no house-help and
I currently do most of the jobs
around the house, which is
fine. Unfortunately, they seem
so ungrateful and critical of
everything I do.
I’ve spoken to my partner
about it but it seems to fall on
deaf ears. I’m beginning to
get really depressed about it.
Am I just being silly?
Darling, by e-mail
Dear Darling,
You need to stand up to him
and tell him, ‘No more!’ If he
continues to ignore you, then
let him hear the sound of
your feet as you walk away
and don’t turn back.
His parental care is not up
to scratch either or he
wouldn’t have allowed his son
to disrespect you.
Life is too short to be
anyone’s door-mat. Maybe he
expects you to measure up to
his previous relationship and
that’s not fair. Sort things out
with him, and if you can’t,
leave.
Should I make a comeback?
Dear Bunmi,
My ex-boyfriend has an
older girlfriend who is
pressuring him to move in
with her. A few weeks ago, he
came to my flat and we had
fantastic love-making.
Unfortunately, the condom
split and he saw how anxious
I was as it was during my
ovulation.
Thank God I wasn’t
pregnant but I was devastated
when he didn’t even phone
to check if I was okay when
my period was due. He said
he was too scared to speak to
me and that he didn’t feel he
could give me what I wanted.
We were great together
when we were an item and I
won’t want to lose him again
but can a leopard really
change his spots?
Selina, by e-maiL
Dear Selina,
You will lose this man again
because you don’t have him
in the first place. If you’re
smart, you will retreat and let
his current girlfriend be the
one to pressure him. But I
doubt if she’ll get him either.
His behaviour is trying to tell
you what he hasn’t the nerve
to say outright — that he is
not ready or willing to commit
to relationship with anyone
right now.
Despite the old saying, spots
do change and maybe his will
someday. In the meantime,
change yours. Find other
leopards to play with until this
one grows up.
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

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 —27
Tribute
Ihunnaya: A thank you note to Ambassador Abiodun Bashua:
Mum, my teacher
A quinessential diplomat
By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
It was sometime in late
1991. Uniformed
soldiers were still in power
in Nigeria. Somewhere in
Orlu, in the then Imo State,
kinsmen called a meeting
with a rather curious
agenda. They were worried
that one of their sons, a
young lawyer, was wasting
his talents on opposing
military rule and taking
government to court, when
soldiers wielded power
through the gun. It sounded
dangerous. This meeting
was called so the kinsmen
would decide on how to get
him to become a more
responsible lawyer. If he
refused, they told his father,
they would make
arrangements to remove
him from the far-away city
where he resided and get
him closer to home where
he could be prevailed upon
to listen to his elders.
At the back of the room,
unseen by all the men, a
woman had eavesdropped
on much of the
conversation. The young
lawyer whose work was the
reason for the meeting was
her former student.
Convinced the meeting was
pointless, she decided to
take matters into her hands.
In seconds, she drifted
quietly into the meeting
room with some
refreshments for the men.
In an audible whisper,
dropped with just the right
dose of deference that the
society required women to
reserve for such gatherings,
she asked the men whether
they had considered that the
person that they were
discussing about was an
adult who could take
decisions for himself.
Before they could notice
her, she had disappeared,
leaving behind the
refreshments that she knew
they desired. The question
was probably not designed
to elicit an answer. After all,
this was a meeting of
kinsmen to which married
women were not allowed.
But it had exactly the effect
that she desired it to have –
the meeting was practically
over.
A quietly effective
advocate
Over a lifetime of living
with patriarchy in the southeast
of Nigeria, this female
teacher, school manager
and mother had become a
quietly effective advocate
against some of its most
extreme tendencies with a
mix of subtlety,
stubbornness and
calculated risk-taking.
She was born in March
1945 in the old Orlu
Division of what would
later become the Eastern
Region of Nigeria, the first
child of a Warrant Chief,
Ogueze Agha, who named
her Ihunnaya, meaning
“the face of her father”. Her
father, a produce trader,
who had received no
formal education, desired
to redress that deficiency
with his children. It was an
era in which young girls
were taught that their most
elevated ambitions were to
be wives and mothers. In
primary school, she
Late Ihunnaya
excelled, skipping the first
year and being admitted as
an eight year-old into the
second. After four years, her
local girls-only school run
by Catholic Missionaries
had no more classes left.
Young girls were not
supposed, it seemed, to go
beyond four years of basic
education. The few who
desired to had to transfer to
another girls-only school a
considerable distance
away.
12 year-old Ihunnaya had
some decisions to make.
Some comfortable traders
were already interested in
her as a wife. Child
marriage was rife and real.
She told them where to get
off. In the same year, 1957,
she became baptized as a
Catholic, taking the name
Anthonia (after Saint
Anthony of Padua, the
Patron Saint of lost items).
But there was the small
matter of her education.
She convinced her father to
accompany her to the local
boys-only school where
they persuaded the school
management to turn the
school co-educational and
admit her to complete the
last two years of primary
Ihunnaya built a
career in
education as a
teacher, schools
manager and
social justice and
reproductive
health advocate
for women
education. At the new
school, the boys taunted her,
telling her repeatedly that
her place was in the kitchen
not in school. As their
punishment, she became
the best student in the
school, leaving primary
school as the valedictorian.
Over two decades
beginning from 1962 and
lasting through a civil war,
post-war reconstruction
and mothering ten of her
own children, Ihunnaya
built a career in education
as a teacher, schools
manager and social justice
and reproductive health
advocate for women.
Her primary concern was
with patriarchy and
equipping women to create
safe spaces for themselves
in contexts in which such
spaces were rare and
opportunities for leisure
and renewal for women did
not exist. When she got
married in 1964, she
recalled, the leadership of
the local Christian
Women’s Organisation
(CWO), was in the hands of
two men as if the women
were children, incapable of
organizing or leading
themselves. To make it a
women’s organization, she
led the women to organize
and wrest leadership from
the men.
It was a concern that
would inform her life-long
investment in reproductive
health education for rural
women. She traveled long
distances teaching women
the importance of having
the skills to manage the
burdens of family sizes,
child spacing, and
numbers. This commitment
came from hard lessons
learnt from her brutal
experience from having had
and raised 10 children of
her own.
Patriarchy, she argued,
did not invent or replicate
itself. It was enabled by
family systems that made
boys entitled to expect
service from girls and
women happy to see
themselves as vassals and
vessels for reproduction.
So, she decided that all her
children would receive life
skills in cooking, cleaning,
home management and
child-minding. A roster for
domestic chores ensured
that all her children took
turns in doing all of these.
As a teacher, she said, the
first test of her skills was
with her children. All of
them would also become
her pupils or students
through school.
One final class to teach
Diagnosed with illness
that would ultimately prove
terminal a little over five
years ago, Ihunnaya
decided to defer her own
treatment in order to nurse
her husband who was then
ailing. By the time of his
burial in January 2016 her
own diagnosis turned out to
be a malignant metastasis.
Given less than one year to
survive, she said she had one
final class to teach and set
about writing the story of
her life with patriarchy. In
the event, she beat the
doctors’ prognosis by well
over two years.
It all began really over a
pivotal eight-year period
from 1957 to 1964, when
Ihunnaya became in
succession a Christian, a
teacher, a wife and a
mother. To her, these roles
were all part of a coherent
system of values formation,
which only made sense if
they were placed at the
disposal of serving others
and making the world
better for those whom we
meet along the way.
I was one of the most
privileged whom she met
along the way: Ihunnaya
was my mother, my teacher
and my most committed
advocate. On 19 February,
I kissed her forehead and
her feet, knowing that
would be the last time I saw
her alive. The following day,
she received the final rites
from my brother, Obinna, a
Catholic Priest. Within 36
hours, on 22 February, she
breathed her last. On 29
March 2019, her mortal
remains will be committed
to earth.
By Akin Fayomi, Yemi
Dipeolu & Ayo Olukanni
FIRST, we heard of
the crash. Then we
were told that there was
no Nigerian onboard.
Then we heard that there
was one Nigerian, only
to learn to our great
sorrow that there were
two of them and that our
Egbon
and
quintessential diplomat,
Ambassador Abiodun
Olufemi Bashua, was
one of the Nigerian
victims. Our beloved
“Brother Biodun”, as we
all fondly refer to him, is
no more with us. He was
one of the victims of the
ill-fated Ethiopian
Airlines jet that crashed
a few minutes after takeoff
outside Addis Ababa
that fateful Sunday, 10th
of March 2019, a day that
will live in infamy. Death
came calling, in its usual
surreptitious manner,
and took Brother Biodun
and 156 loving souls.
Life of the Foreign
Service Officer
Such is the life of the
Foreign Service Officer
that very few of our
compatriots knew about
Ambassador Bashua.
Some were even
wondering whether he
was a Nigerian, until
reminded that Bashua is
a proud Lagos name.
Those who have lived in
Surulere, Lagos certainly
know of Adisa Bashua
Street.
For those of us writing
this tribute, he was a big
brother, a mentor and,
above all, a good friend.
Ambassador Bashua
joined the Nigerian
Foreign Service in 1974
after studying at the
University of Lagos and
serving in the pioneer
set of the NYSC. He
served in Tehran, Iran
during the revolution
that overthrew Shah
Reva Palavi and had a
very good understanding
of Iran and its proud
history as well as of the
Iranian people and the
causes of the revolution.
Ambassador Bashua
went on to serve in
Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
and later on in Vienna,
Austria from where he
was seconded to serve at
the International Atomic
Energy Agency, also in
that city.
It was, however,
through his stint at the
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Headquarters that
most of us came to know
him. He served in the
International Economic
Cooperation Directorate
under the inimitable
Ambassador Ade
Adekuoye, fondly called
‘Headmaster’. If
Ambassador Adekuoye
was Headmaster, Brother
Biodun was Senior
Prefect. He was then
Counsellor but related
very well with all the
Amb Abiodun Bashua
First, Second and Third
Secretaries serving in the
Department. He also
served as Director in the
Permanent Secretary’s
Office under Ambassador
Judith Attah which, in
those days, was the
powerhouse of the
Ministry, especially
relating to administrative
matters. The junior
officers who served with
him then testify to his
calm, unruffled
demeanour in the face of
the extreme pressure of
work in that Office. Our
relationship with
Ambassador Bashua was
that of a guardian and
his wards. He it was who
helped us to navigate
and make sense of the
maze the Ministry was,
and still is. For us rookie
diplomats then, Brother
A fitting tribute
to his memory is
the continuous
search, through
robust and
e f f e c t i v e
diplomacy, for a
peaceful and just
world...
Biodun was a welcome
sight. He was our
advisor, confidante,
teacher, big brother and,
most importantly, a
friend.
Ambassador Bashua’s
leadership was unique in
several ways. He guided
and mentored junior
officers from across the
length and breadth of the
country, too numerous to
mention including now
retired Ambassadors. He
patiently taught junior
officers how to draft
d i p l o m a t i c
correspondence,
including the allimportant
Note Verbale.
He also taught them the
essence of diplomacy,
patience, tact, and
discernment which were
essential prerequisites for
successful negotiations.
Above all, he insisted on
self-improvement and
thinking analytically.
Brother Biodun was so
bright that he was one of
the few senior officers at
that time to gain
admission to the Harvard
MPA programme on his
own merits. He was
unable to go mainly due
to financial constraints
but he polished his
knowledge through
extensive reading and
application of the mind to
professional situation
and challenges.
Such was his versatility
that after he joined the
United Nations, he
worked in agencies with
very different and quite
complicated mandates
like the International
Atomic Energy Agency,
the United Nations
Framework Convention
on Climate Change, and
in various peacekeeping
assignments. He became
a talented multilateralist,
well-respected by his
peers and colleagues. He
jaw-jawed with warlords
in Sierra Leone and
parlayed with Janjaweed
militias in Darfur.
Notably, he rose to
become the Deputy Joint
Representative of the UN
and AU in Darfur, Sudan
from where he retired.
He was much admired
and in such great
demand by UN and AU
authorities that he was
often called upon to
assist in several
assignments after
retirement. Indeed, it
was on one of such that
he perished. Brother
Biodun was not just a
distinguished Nigerian
diplomat, he was a
diplomat of global
reckoning, a peacemaker
and a peacekeeper.
Developments in the
domestic and
international arena
For those of us penning
this piece in his honour,
Brother Biodun was
special because
whenever he came to
Headquarters while still
in active service, he
would bring us together
for a social evening in
which the discussion was
always serious and
centred around recent
developments in the
domestic
and
international arena.
There was never a dull
moment with him, as he
was extremely humorous
and able to douse
tensions through witty
remarks. He was a good
man, and he will be
sorely missed.
We commiserate with
his wife and children, the
immediate and extended
Bashua family, his former
colleagues in the
Nigerian Foreign
Service, in the United
Nations system, at the
African Union, and
across the globe. A fitting
tribute to his memory is
the continuous search,
through robust and
effective diplomacy, for a
peaceful and just world,
to which he dedicated his
entire life.
Good night, Brother
Biodun.
Akin Fayomi, Yemi
Dipeolu, Ph.D & Ayo
Olukanni are Diplomats
and retired career
Ambassadors of Nigeria.

28— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
VOL. 2 NO. 45
Communal clashes: 88 refugees/displaced
widows, youths in Ebonyi get succour from FG
By Peter Okutu
ABAKALIKI – It was all
happiness and joy as 88
displaced persons in Ebonyi State
weekend received succour from
the Federal government through
the National Commission for
Refugees, Migrants and
Internally displaced persons .
These category of persons
including widows and youths
were drawn from l1 villages
including Ekpomaka, Alike
Ikwo and Inyimagu in Ikwo
Local Government Area of the
state who were displaced
following the menace of inter and
intra communal clashes between
Ebonyi and other neighbouring
states.
They were given N10, 000 cash
each and equipment ranging
from Grain destoner, precleaner,
rice hauller, safety kits,
fertilizers to layers mash to enable
them become self reliant and
settled to face the challenges of
the present economic situation in
the country.
Before the distribution of the
empowerment kits and cash,
these displaced persons were
trained for 5 days in the area of
rice processing and fertilizer
production by experts in the State.
In a chat with South East Voice
during a 5 day Skill Acquisition
and Empowerment training on
Rice Processing and Fertilizer
Production for the displaced
persons which took place at
College of Education, Ikwo, the
zonal Coordinator, South East
Zone of the National
Commission for Refugees,
Migrants and Internally
displaced persons, Barr. Jane
Molokwu who spoke on behalf
of the Hon. Commissioner of the
Commission, Hajiya Sadiya
Umar Farouq stated that the
essence of the initiative was to
give a sense of belonging to the
affected persons and make them
economically empowered to
become self reliant not minding
their present social status.
She called on the beneficiaries
to make judicious use of the
trainings and empowerment they
had received as the federal
government remains committed
towards enhancing and
improving the living standards of
all Nigerians irrespective of State
of origin and political affiliation.
X-raying the impact of the
Federal government gesture, the
Head of State Emergency
Management Agency, SEMA,
Pastor Ken Oziomaeze stated that
the initiative would go beyond
cushioning the negative impact of
the crisis on the displaced persons
as it has been designed to restore
both hope and economic future of
these rural dwellers.
“The Commission came as a
result of the activities we carried
out on the outbreak of crisis. We
carried out a joint assessment of
the crisis. Afikpo South, Ikwo
and Izzi are the worst hit. Today
is for Ikwo LGA. In Amagu
community we have some
villages, Ekpomaka, Alike
Ikwo and Inyimagu.
“They are doing it through
SEMA. Am particularly pleased
with what is happening here.
Other empowerment only
cushion the effect but this
initiative of the Federal
government goes beyond that.
These displaced persons were
trained in Organic Fertilizer
production and Rice processing.
They placed in different groups as
a result of the training.
“We will set up Mimi rice
processing clusters. We want it to
be sustained. 12 communities in
8 LGA in Ebonyi are suffering
similar fate. In Abakaliki, Izzi,
Ikwo and Afikpo South LGAs, we
have disturbing cases of refugees.
Am also concerned about those in
Izzi and Abakaliki. I believe that
very soon, they will receive
succour. So we commend both
Ebonyi state and federal
government for the success of this
exercise.
Supervising the distribution of
the empowerment items, the
Chief Executive officer of the
Commission, Mr. Ifeanyi
Dennis who explained that the
husbands of the women died
during the crisis appreciated the
displaced persons for their
cooperation and commitment
during the 5 day programme.
“Because of the communal
clashes, their husbands and
wives dead. 88 of them are
displayed. We want to make sure
that only the affected persons
received the package. We want
them to take the empowerment
seriously. FG is working and
doesn’t believe in laziness.”
The displaced persons were
filled with joy and appreciation
for the federal government
gesture.
•Refugees and widows at the distribution centre for the Federal Government's largesse.
Tension over bomb that scared Imo
communities
By Chinonso Alozie
OWERRI — Tension has now
enveloped the people of
Ikeduru local government area,
following the inability of law
enforcement agencies to
apprehend the brain behind three
suspects who allegedly tried to
bomb the local government
collation center during the last
governorship / house of assembly
elections in the state.
It incident happened at Iho, the
collation center for Ikeduru local
government area.
South East Voice gathered in
Owerri, that the three suspected
bombers were arrested by the
military while in possession of
improvised explosive devices,
IED. at the collation center as they
were reportedly waiting to be
given an order to blow it up the
center and in the process, kill
their targets before they were
discovered and subsequently
apprehended.
Ikeduru which is one of the nine
local government areas in Imo
East Senatorial district, can boast
of prominent personalities like
like the former governor of the
state between 1992 and 1993, late
Chief Evan Enwerem and an elder
statesman, Chief Emmanuel
Iwuanyanwu among others.
However, investigations carried
out by South East Voice revealed
that the indigenous people of
Ikeduru now live in fear of the
unknown amid the calls on the
police to arrest the sponsor of the
planned bomb attack whose
name was said to have been
Protesting youths from Ikeduru local government area, demanding
for the prosecution of suspected bombers and their sponsors, during
the governorship/House of Assembly elections, at collation center, Iho.
mentioned repeatedly at the
time the suspects were arrested
by the military.
Eyewitnesses at the collation
center had told the South East
Voice that, “While all of us were
at the collation center waiting for
the arrival of results from the
various polling units, we noticed
some strange faces of some huge
and tall boys around the area. They
were always going into the center
and coming out of the premises.
“A lot of people became
apprehensive because due to
their suspicious movements.
Initially, some of us thought that
they came to the center to scatter
the process and destroy the result
sheets and other electoral
materials.
“By the time the military noticed
their strange movements and
accosted them, it was then
discovered that one of them had
some IED in his possession. My
brother, that was how we were
saved from the tragedy of being
blown up.”
It was learned that the delay in
charging the suspects to court or
unmasking their godfather had
resulted in the deluge of protests
by the people calling on the
security to expedient action over
the matter.
At the Imo State police
command headquarters in
Owerri, last week, some
Continues on page 29

Building Collapse:
Ikpeazu bans schools in flats
•Warns that school building must have strong foundation
BY ANAYO OKOLI
UMUAHIA-WORRIED by
the recent spate of building
collapse across the country,
especially the one on Lagos
Island, that involved school
children, where scores of them
lost their lives, Governor Okezie
Ikpeazu made out last week to
visit some schools in the state on
an oversight tour.
The visit, SEV learned was for
overall assessment of the schools
in terms the structure,
environment, academic standard,
among other qualities, and
warned that the Government
would clamp down on
substandard schools in the State.
Ikpeazu insisted that all the
schools in the must meet
minimum standards. In particular,
warned that schools cannot be
allowed to run on flats in the
State. He said his government is
very serious about the quality of
schools and their out puts.
SEV observed that many private
schools operate from flats in both
Umuahia and Aba and in smaller
towns, the environment is worse
with thousands of children
clamped in small rooms,
•Ikpeazu visits school
THE TEAM
SUPERVISING EDITOR:
Chioma Gabriel, Lagos
(08052201257)
EDITOR:
Emeka Mamah, Enugu
email:
emekemamah@yahoo.com
Anayo Okoli, Umuahia
Vincent Ujumadu, Awka
Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri
Peter Okutu, Abakaliki
Chimaobi Nwaiwu,
Nnewi
Nwabueze Okonkwo,
Onitsha
Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba
Denis Agbo, Enugu
Ikpeazu also directed private
school proprietors to ensure that
school their buildings must be
solidly constructed with sporting
facilities.
He has therefore directed the
Ministry of Education to
collaborate with Ministries of
Science, Land/Planning to ensure
that all school buildings in the
state have strong foundations and
are safe for school children.
According to the Governor, any
school that is not good enough for
his child cannot be good for
others that is why, he said his
administration has built four
model schools with solar
powered e libraries,
laboratories, staff quarters, with
the aim to create a semblance of
an academic environment in the
schools.
On security around public and
private schools in the state, the
governor directed security
agencies to ensure the protection
of all public schools in order to
avoid miscreants using the
facilities as hideouts and places
for their nefarious activities. He
also hinted that the Government
would explore the possibility of
deploying operatives of the State
vigilante group to be permanently
stationed in the schools.
protesting youths demanded for
further arrests of those behind the
act.
The youths led by their leaders
insisted that a name has been
mentioned to that effect adding
that they were troubled by the fact
that the suspects were yet to be
arrested and prosecute.
But, one of the leaders of the
protesting youths, Samuel
Nwokocha, said, “We also note
with dismay, pain and regret that
the hoodlums were hired with a
clear mandate to bomb the
collation center at Central School
Iho, in a bid to kill as many people
as possible.
“After being arrested, the
suspects revealed the identity of
their sponsor and he is still
moving freely along the streets of
Owerri, unchallenged.
“We also heard that the bombers
have been released even as
recorded videos of their
confessional statements have
saturated the social media.”
Another youth leader, Bright
Ahamefule, who spoke to South
East Voice at the venue of their
protest, called for the arrest and
prosecution of the alleged
financier of the aborted bomb
attack.
Ahamefule said: “We are here
to call on the police to arrest the
sponsor of suspected bombers
who came to take away many lives
of Ikeduru people that came out
to vote.
“How can somebody’s name be
mentioned by the arrested
suspects and the police allowed
the person to be moving about as
if he did not do anything.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 29
Abia, CBN collaborate to empower SMEs
BY ANAYO OKOLI
UMUAHIA-IN an effort to
encourage self reliant
and less dependent on
Government, Abia State has
decided to encourage farmers,
both rural and urban, and
artisans by exposing them to
easy and better ways to source
for funds to grow their trades.
To this end, the Government
is partnering the Central Bank
of Nigeria, CBN, to expose
them on how to have access to
various soft loans available with
the CBN to help them
modernize and improve their
various trades.
And to educate the farmers
and artisans, the Government
and CBN jointly organized an
enlightenment workshop in
Umuahia where various
cooperative groups involved in
various trades, including
farmers, handicrafts and other
artisans were exposed to the
various finance windows
available for them at the CBN
and how they could obtain
them in form of soft loans.
With the theme “commercial
Agriculture Credit Scheme and
Micro Financing”, the
participants included small
holders farmers
cooperative societies
engaged in various aspect of
farming such as yam, cassava,
rice, piggery, fishery, poultry as
well as palm oil producers.
At the workshop which was
anchored by the Abia State
Ministry of Small
and Medium
Enterprises
Development, the
Commissioner, Mr.
Gab Igboko
explained that its
aim was to expose
the small and
m e d i u m
enterprises “to into
the programmes of
the CBN by
creating awareness
for
the
entrepreneurs on
how to access
funding for their
businesses”.
Governor Okezie
Ikpeazu who was
represented by his
deputy, Ude Oko
Chukwu, restated the
importance his Government
places on Small and medium
enterprise businesses.
Addressing the workshop,
Umuahia branch comptroller of
CBN, Dr. Malashiru Olaitan
explained that Commercial
Agriculture Credit Scheme of
the bank is one of the
intervention programmes of
CBN to help SMEs have access
to finance as a way of helping
to fast track the development of
the agriculture sector.
Represented by Mrs.
Veronica Akpan, Olaitan
disclosed that CBN has set
aside N22 billion, covering
2009 to 2025, which SMEs can
avail themselves of a maximum
of 9% interest. He further
explained that commercial
agriculture credit scheme
programme that the maximum
limit for medium and large
scale private sector
entrepreneurs is N2 billion
while State Governments are
limited to N1 billion.
Tension over bomb that scared Imo communities
Contines from page 28
“What we also need is total
security of the areas concerned...”
A known community leader in
Ikeduru, Vitalis Ajumbe, did not
hide his impression about the
development. According to
Ajumbe, he was the target, of the
suspected bombers.
He expressed disenchantment
on the outcome of that incident
and wondered why somebody
would think of plotting to cause
mayhem on Ikeduru sons and
daughters who have innocently
came out to exercise their
legitimate rights.
“I wonder why they are doing
this, I have not snatched ballot
boxes before. At a point sucide
bombers were at Ikeduru
collation centers and I know that
I am the target. I was told that
they were eleven, three of them
were arrested.
The fund he also explained is
available for medium or large
scale commercial farmers
engaged in crops cultivation,
livestock rearing, and fishery,
among others. The interesting
thing is that CBN programmes
accommodates particularly
women entrepreneurs as up to
60% of them are being targeted
to benefit from the N220 billion
agriculture scheme
programme.
Throwing more light on the
importance of the CBN
agriculture credit scheme, Mr.
Anla Celsus, a manager in the
bank, noted the challenges of
SMEs to include infrastructural
deficits, entrepreneurial skills
and access to funds but
disclosed that the SMEs funds
which attracts low interest rate
the participation of women and
people living with disability.
Celsus also said that people
engaged in agriculture value
chain, services suc as schools
and hotels and artisans are
qualified to access the fund.
Deputy gov, Udeoho Chukwu flanked by former NGE DG, Chuku
Wachuku, the the commissioner, Gab Igboko
Abia State SSG, Dr. Eme Okoro addressing the SMEs workshop
“The videos is going round now
that an Ikeduru son was
mentioned to have sponsored
them to come and kill Ikeduru
sons and daughters. This has gone
beyond election otherwise other
elections in the state may take the
same shape.”
The Imo state Police Public
Relation Officer, PPRO, Orlando
Ikeokwu, had confirmed the
arrests of the suspects, informing
that the suspects were with the
military, even as arrangements
were on for the military to hand
them over to the police.
Photos of protesting youths from
Ikeduru local government area,
demanding for the prosecution of
suspected bombers and their
sponsors, during the
governorship/House of Assembly
elections, at collation center,
Iho.

30—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
AGM: From left, Uzoamaka Oshogwe, Chief Executive Director; Emmanuel Nnorom,
Chairman; Funmilayo Suleiman, Company Secretary; Olayinka Ogunsulire, Non-Executive
Director, and Agatha Obiekwugo, Non-Executive Director, all of Afriland Properties Plc
during the 6th Annual General Meeting of the company, in Lagos, yesterday.
Court asks INEC to proceed with
Adamawa supplementary election
•As INEC holds supplementary poll tomorrow
By Umar Yusuf
YOLA —ADAMAWA
State High Court sitting
in Yola, presided over by
Justice Abdulazeez Waziri,
yesterday vacated its earlier
order restraining the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, from conducting
governorship
supplementary election in
Adamawa State.
This came as INEC fixed
tomorrow for the conduct of
the supplementary election
spread across 44 polling
units in 14 local government
area of the state.
The court, which sat amidst
tight security, also ruled that
it had jurisdiction to
adjudicate on the case filed
before it by Movement for
the Restoration and Defence
of Democracy, MRDD,
against INEC over the
omission of its logo on the
ballot paper during the
governorship election of
Mach 9.
Ruling on the interlocutory
order, the presiding judge,
Justice Waziri stated that
section 37 of the Electoral Act
and section 51 of the Nigeria
Constitution provided for
state and federal high courts
to have equal responsibility
to adjudicate on matters
brought before them.
Reacting to the judgment,
Mustpha Ibrahim, counsel
to MRDD, said the ruling
was perfect as there was no
point granting accelerated
hearing and at the same time
granting an order to restrain
conduct of elections.
According to him, “the
main substances to our case
is the removal of the MRDD
party logo from ballot papers,
which constitutes the
disqualification from the
entire election. To clear the
course for every party to
argue freely, the judge
directed that we should come
tomorrow and argue our
point and the judgement
would be passed before
Friday, that is square
enough."
Stephen Ibian, INEC
counsel, said the
commission was happy with
the judgement vacating the
earlier order for the
commission to stop the
conduct of the
supplementary election in
the state.
Meanwhile, Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, and
its governorship candidate,
Ahmadu Fintiri, have been
joined as second and third
defendants in the suit.
Counsel to Fintiri, Joe
Gadzama, SAN, said:
“Fortunately, we have today
(yesterday) been made
parties. Specifically, PDP
governorship candidate,
Ahmadu Fintiri, is now the
second defendant while
PDP is third defendant in the
suit. This ruling came in late,
it is a swift victory, but at the
same time we are going to
be vigilant, it is not yet over.”
Meantime, Resident
Electoral Commissioner,
REC, for Adamawa State, Mr
Kassim Gaidam has
informed that the
supplementary election will
hold tomorrow, March 28,
2019 .
At a briefing, he said: “All
the election materials are on
ground and all things being
equal, we will call a
stakeholders’ meeting,
update our card readers and
go into the election on
Thursday.”
He assured that INEC in
collaboration with the
security agencies would
conduct a free, fair, credible
and
accepted
supplementary election.
Domestic observers urge INEC to begin
processes of improving on electoral process
By Marie-
Therese Nanlong
JOS— AS Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC,
concludes the 2019 general
elections, a coalition of
domestic observers who
monitored the initial and
supplementary elections in
Plateau State, have asked
INEC to immediately
commence all processes of
improving on the electoral
process to avoid a repeat of
the pitfall observed in the next
general election.
The observers who are
members of Civil Society
Organisations, CSOs, also
recommended further
delineation of voting points
across the state to make
polling units more accessible
to the electorate.
Speaking with journalists in
Jos, the group, through its
leader, Godwin Okoko,
raised some concerns about
the conduct of the
supplementary election and
recommended how to
improve on the electoral
processes for the
development of the nation.
According to him, “the
concluded election is a call for
provision of good
governance and democratic
dividends. We observed the
election across the nine local
government areas where the
supplementary election was
held and our members were
stationed in all the 40 polling
units.
“Based on reports from the
field and general
observations on the conduct
of the supplementary
election, we observed that the
conduct of the supplementary
election was generally
peaceful and orderly; less
presence of armed soldiers
compared to the inconclusive
election conducted on March
9, 2019.
“We are concerned about
the poor voters’ education in
the state despite concerted
efforts by CSOs and other
state actors. We appeal to
INEC to immediately
commence all processes of
improving the electoral
process and appeal to INEC
and all key stakeholders to
commence immediately the
processes of voters’
education.”
Okoko called on the state
government to ensure the
strengthening of peace and
security structures through
the promotion of community
cohesion, provision of good
governance, inclusive
participation, accountability,
increase youths
empowerment programmes,
employment opportunities
and women development.
Nasarawa guber poll: Allow PDP, PDM inspect
electoral materials, tribunal orders INEC
By David Odama
L AFIA—THE
Governorship
Election Petition Tribunal
sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa
State capital, yesterday,
ordered Independent
National Electoral
Commission INEC, to
allow the governorship
candidates of People's
Democratic Movement,
PDM, Musa Nagogo, and
David Ombugadu, of
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, to inspect the electoral
materials used during the
March 9 governorship
election in the state.
Abnormalities of 8th NASS
won't happen in 9th assembly
—Senator-elect
By Demola
Akinyemi
ILORIN—AN
All
Progressives Congress,
APC, senator-elect in Kwara
South, Lola Ashiru, has said
the abnormalities that led to
the emergence of minority as
the leadership of the National
Assembly during the outgoing
8th legislative assembly will
not happen in the incoming
9th legislative assembly.
Ashiru, who spoke with
journalists in his Offa country
home, headquarters of Offa
Local Government Area of
Kwara State, contended that
in view of consultations
among the stakeholders in the
party, the incoming National
Assembly would witness a
cohesive and acceptable
leadership that would support
President Muhammadu
Buhari in his efforts to better
the lots of Nigerians.
According to him, “with my
interactions with other
It will be recalled that
while the PDP candidate
approached the tribunal
challenging INEC
declaration of Abdullahi
Sule of All Progressives
Congress, APC, as winner
of the election, PDM
candidate is challenging
the omission of his name
and his party's logo in the
election.
Ruling on the ex-parte
motion, Chairman of the
tribunal, Abba Mohammed,
directed INEC to avail the
candidates access to all the
materials used in the
election.
Earlier, Ahmed Adamu,
senators-elect in APC, we
have common mind of one
Nigeria devoid of parochial
interest that will make the
nation move ahead. Few of
our members have signified
intentions to take a slot at the
Senate presidency and they
are credible members to take
the leadership.
"I believe that politics is
about competition and I know
that the incoming 9th
assembly would not be like
that of the 8th assembly
because there is no more
room for political
abnormalities as experienced
during the 8th assembly."
According to Ashiru, the
struggle for political freedom
in Kwara State, which lasted
for 40 years would not be
wasted, saying: “We went
through political hell in the
last 20 years and thank God,
we are finally out of it. We
will never go back to that era
again. We won’t return to
Egypt.”
Arrest, prosecute masterminds
of violent crimes in Benue
— APGA guber candidate
By Peter Duru
M AKURDI—BENUE
State gubernatorial
candidate of All Progressive
Grand Alliance, APGA, Mr.
John Tseayo, has called on
security agencies to arrest
and prosecute the
masterminds of violent
crimes and crisis during the
just concluded general
election in the state.
The governorship
candidate, who made the
call, yesterday, in Makurdi,
said the action would serve
as deterrent to other
criminally minded persons.
Tseayo, who cautioned
against the repeat of such
acts in future elections said:
“My thoughts are with the
families of those who lost
loved ones in the course of
the election.
“To those who lost their
lives due to their
involvement in violent
activities during the
elections, we call on our
security agents to be more
professional, arrest
offenders in such
situations and bring them
to book. This will serve as
deterrent to those who
harbour such thoughts.
Others that were caught by
violent actions in the
course of the polls and are
recuperating, may God
heal them.”
The gubernatorial
candidate who said he
joined the governorship
race in 2018, after due
consultations, said his
quest which was on the
crest of “Benue Rescue
Mission” would be kept
alive till the next general
elections
counsel to PDM
candidate, had appealed to
the tribunal to compel
INEC to allow his client
access to all the electorial
materials used to
substantiate his claim.
The counsel, who hailed
the ruling of the tribunal,
said the ruling had shown
that the judiciary was
indeed the last hope of the
common man.
Similarly, the tribunal
also ordered INEC to
allow the candidate of PDP,
David Umbugadum
inspect the materials used
for the March 9
governorship election.

President Buhari, our mumu neva do
HOURS before Nigerians
across 18 states of the
federation returned to the polls to
conclude the unfinished business of
the last presidential and
governorship elections in a so-called
supplementary elections, a
spokesperson of the President, Garba
Shehu, let out word that President
Muhammadu Buhari had promised
not to impose on Nigerians persons
they don’t want as their leaders.
This pitch from the Presidency had
a paternal ring to it, and it was clearly
meant to reinforce the even more
familiar representation of President
Buhari as a man of integrity, Mai
Gaskiya, in the earthy parlance of
the talakawa of the North. President
Buhari might indeed be honest in the
peculiar manner he has chosen to
be.
That’s if we discount the part that
pertains to the way he manages to
surround himself almost entirely
with Nigerians from the close circle
of his kith and kin. In short, if we
could look beyond the aspects of the
president’s ways that reek of
nepotism and sectarianism, he
might just pass the difficult test of
qualifying as a man of integrity.
From a distant remove, it could
also be said that there is something
about Buhari that suggests a level of
decorous conduct that might be very
difficult to encounter in many
Nigerian politicians who have held
high office in the manner the
president had. This appears to set
him apart from the unconscionable
wheeler-dealers in the corridors of
power that are ready to do anything
in the pursuit of power and wealth.
That is, again, looking beyond or
outside his sectarian or nepotistic
side. But it’s always a difficult thing
to remain a person of integrity and
still be a successful politician in our
part of the world.
In this sense, I define political
success in terms of electoral mileage
and ascendancy. With the kind of
pessimism that decades of massive
corruption, grinding poverty and
astonishing failure have induced in
the ordinary Nigerian, it would be
difficult to find that politician that
can enter the realm of politics,
achieve electoral success and still be
expected to stand without soiled
hands. If they are not directly stained,
then there is a fall guy somewhere
doing for them the dirty job that
undermines the integrity of many a
politician.
It is in this sense that many would
find the repeated yarn about
President Buhari’s integrity amid
massive corruption not only cloying
but at once sanctimonious and selfrighteous.
It might be argued, for
example, that after the president had
already secured the commitment of
some of the major stakeholders in
his party in his re-election bid, it was
somewhat convenient for him to
affect indifference to events in his
own party, especially as they affect
the electoral fortune of others. We
saw how close allies of the president
like Ibikunle Amosun and Rochas
Okorocha promoted candidates of
rival parties to the All Progressives
It would be
difficult to find that
politician that can
enter the realm of
politics, achieve
electoral success
and still be expected
to stand without
soiled hands
Congress, APC, while holding the
tickets of the APC for the National
Assembly. Both Amosun and
Okorocha made clear they would
support the president even while
openly involved in adulterous
relationship with other parties. It was
this same attitude to events in his
party that led to the emergence of
the voice of Jacob-and-hand-of-
Esau Bukola Saraki and Yakubu
Dogara-led National Assembly
leadership since 2015.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—31
Send Opinions & Letters to:
opinions1234@yahoo.com
Once Buhari had his position
firmly secure, he stood outside the
leadership fray in the National
Assembly. Had it been his office that
was up for grabs would Buhari, it
can be argued, have chosen to watch
from the sidelines as his supposed
integrity would suggest?
Why did the president not fold his
hand akimbo and remain
unperturbed when campaigns
opened for his re-election? Indeed,
why did he run back to the same set
of individuals that he had apparently
abandoned after they helped to elect
him in 2015? The truth is that Buhari
needed the services of these
individuals who were ready to soil
their hands, if needs be, in order to
see the president re-elected for
whatever reasons.
My point, therefore, is that for
Buhari to appear to rise above the
fray and quotidian politicking that
goes into winning and retaining
power in Nigeria, the dirty work that
undermines integrity has to be
undertaken by other persons or
groups while he looks away. Which
then makes the notion of the president
being a person of integrity a moot
one.
Nigerians would recall the outcry
that greeted the images of bullion
vans in the residence of the National
Leader of the APC, on the eve of the
February 23 elections? In a country
where money makes almost all the
difference in an election nobody
needed to be told what was in the
bullion vans or for what they were
needed. If sections of the country were
overran with violence in the build
up to and during the elections,
certainly members and supporters
of the APC like members and
supporters of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, and others, could not have
been impervious to the use and threat
of violence.
These were aspects of the dirty job
of politicking and vote-getting that
had to be undertaken by supporters
of the president as were those of other
office seekers. The so-called Charles
Oputa aka Charly Boy-led
“Ourmumudon do” lobby that has
been torn apart by allegations of
bribery running into scores of
millions of naira is yet another face
of the kind of dirty job that supporters
of the president have to execute to
help keep his white babanriga
spotless.
In this unfolding narrative of
“Ourmumudondo”, a spokesperson
of the Buhari re-election campaign
and supposed human rights lawyer,
Festus Keyamo, is alleged to have
offered millions of naira disguised
as payment for a song in support of
Buhari’s presidential election to
Charly Boy.
The money is now the bone of
contention in the reported face-off
between the musician-turned
political agitator and Deji Adeyanju,
his former comrade. Adeyanju, who
has just been released from Kano
prison, reportedly accused Charly
Boy of betrayal.
Keyamo who is apparently
enjoying the outcome of his firefighting
job on “Ourmumudondo”
and rubbing his hands in selfcongratulations,
wants the world to
believe that his is a volunteer’s
errand and that there is no iota of
truth to what the two leaders of the
mumu-deceiving-mumu movement
have admitted to.
What this episode tells us again is
that for Buhari to keep clean some
people must necessarily get dirtyvery
dirty at that.
Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria’s future
By Maimuna Salami
THE greatest challenge facing the
democratic process in Nigeria, as in most
developing nations, has to do with
management of the post-election transition
process. The political tension and acrimony
between parties and politicians peaks at the
polls and tends to escalate during collation
and announcement of results, giving
electioneering a “do-or-die” tendency. This
situation impacts negatively on the democratic
process as election-related violence often
takes a heavy toll on lives and property, disrupts
elections and ultimately threatens national
stability.
Those who predicted the chaotic demise of
the Nigerian state in 2015 based their
pessimism on the high level of political
antagonism and general insecurity. They
expected the elections to ignite the explosive
situation with the usual winner takes all-bad
loser outcome that unleashes deadly ethnoreligious
mayhem across the land. Though
political leaders routinely preach against
political intolerance and vandalism, their
sermons do little to prevent election-related
violence, necessitating increased deployment
of military forces to effectively restore and law
and order.
It took the historic telephone call by
incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to
General Muhammadu Buhari, victorious
winner of the 2015, conceding defeat and
congratulating him even before the full results
were released by INEC, to dramatically turn
the tide from high tension and imminent civil
disturbances to unprecedented peaceful
transition of power from an incumbent
government to an opposition party.
Instructively, this welcome departure from
do-or-die politics of uncompromising
competition for power at the expense of
national stability and safety of lives and
property, was predicated on the profound
pronouncement by the former President that
his “political ambition was not worth the blood
of any Nigerian”. This he eloquently
demonstrated by voluntarily conceding defeat
rather than rejecting results, alleging rigging,
stoking political tension and eventually
resorting to protracted court action that could
provoke more post-election crises.
The victorious President Buhari was equally
instrumental to the peaceful transition by
accepting the unexpected gesture with
reciprocal espirt de corps, commending his
erstwhile rival in the tradition of good
sportsmanship thereby projecting the principle
of no victor-no vanquished to douse the
potentially provocative celebrations among
his elated supporters. With the benefit of
hindsight, it was all a matter of two statesmen,
then Jonathan and Buhari magnanimously
rising above the fray of competing political
interests and conscientiously relegating their
individual self-esteem in favour of preserving
the divine dignity of life of their respective
supporters as well as the peace and stability of
their fatherland. Such basic humane thoughts
and actions by two leaders brought profound,
inestimable and indelible spiritual dividends
for themselves, their people, their country and,
indeed, humanity as a whole! By the same
token, Nigerians have proved to the world that
they cannot be perpetually predictable as a
failed nation state.
Nigeria has not only survived 2015 intact
and consolidated as a viable democratic
nation with exemplary statesmen as leaders
who cherish their citizens, it has also endured
the political strains of another general election
without “falling”. The country has also
admirably managed its election-related
trauma though not without the inevitable
skirmishes here and there. These instances
further testify to the resilience of the political
fabric of the country and the citizens’ collective
commitment to sustain the integrity of the
federation and viability of the democratic
dispensation against all odds. This patriotic
trait has always been a timely intervention and
saving grace in desperate times, notably
deployed as pragmatic approach to unforeseen
eventualities, such as ending the civil war, June
12 crisis, Abiola’s death and the memorable
“doctrine of necessity” during the Yar’Adua
health crisis.
However, Nigerians are still apprehensive
about the prospects for achieving the much
desired lasting post-election political
reconciliation to effectively bury the hatchet
between the two leading parties and their
political leaderships as the surest anti-dote
against election-related antagonism and
outbreaks of civil disturbances. With
simmering challenges to national security like
the Boko Haram terrorist insurgency,
resurgent skirmishes between herdsmen and
farmers as well as the deadly sporadic attacks
on rural communities by gunmen still
engaging our combined defense and security
forces, we cannot afford any prolongation of
The option of seeking judicial
review of the results remains
the most civilized and lawful
alternative to unleashing
violent unrest or making
Nigeria ‘ungovernable’
no less calamitous post-election turbulence.
Unlike former President Jonathan, former
VP Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential
candidate in the just concluded presidential
elections, has chosen to challenge the outcome
at the election petitions tribunal. Obviously,
not only are the personalities different, the
circumstances surrounding the elections are
not the same. Besides, the option of seeking
judicial review of the results remains the most
civilized and lawful alternative to unleashing
violent unrest or making Nigeria
“ungovernable”. Nevertheless, seeking judicial
review of presidential election results does not
preclude exploring promising possibilities for
adding Atiku to the roll of honourable, selfless,
patriotic, people-oriented and, above all, Godfearing
Nigerian political leaders who share
Jonathan’s noble political principle that his
“political ambition was not worth the blood of
any Nigerian”. This motivated Jonathan, even
as an incumbent President, to magnanimously
pre-empt the conclusive declaration of his
election loss by summarily calling his rival to
concede defeat and extend congratulations.
Atiku surely will, as a God-fearing, peopleoriented
patriot and political leader, find
greater fulfillment in this post-election
attainment!
Remarkably, President Buhari has not lost
touch with the glorious inspiration he gained
from his noble predecessor’s “call to honour
humanity”. Even as an incumbent President,
savouring the revalidation of his momentous
2015 election, he has found the humility to
promise to run an inclusive administration that
will be willing to partner with all patriotic
stakeholders in the Nigerian Project to keep
the country on the track of progress and
development. He had earlier dissuaded his
exuberant supporters from subjecting the
opposition to humiliation while celebrating.
He thus emphasized that after electioneering,
all hands should be on deck in the national
interest, irrespective of party affiliation.
Clearly there is an enabling environment for
enthronement of the much-anticipated novictor-no-vanquished
spirit of post-election
goodwill, cooperation and common
commitment to national unity and stability
waiting to be fully exploited. Just as in 2015, it
is essentially a matter requiring the focused
commitment of both President Buhari and
Atiku respectively, to heroically rise above the
fray of competing political interests and
consciously suppress their self-interest to
prioritise preserving the dignity of human life
and promoting the peace and stability of
Nigeria. They both must actively adopt
constructive engagement to create avenues for
political reconciliation and ultimately resist
the pressure of hawks to be
uncompromising. Atiku has certainly attained
the age and national stature to think more
about leaving a living legacy that will preserve
his patriotic value to the progress and
development of our democratic dispensation.
He will leave behind a more befitting
recourse after his unsuccessful presidential bid
than the acrimonious judicial challenge of
election result that has rarely, if ever, reversed
the expressed will of the people.
•Salami, a political analyst, wrote from
Ilorin
C
M
Y
K

32—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
YOUR LUCK TODAY
By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139
ARIES: The more self assertive you are the better but
then it is important you don=t take things and people
for granted. Be wise.
TAURUS: ALTHOUGH there seem to be an air of understanding
within your working arena today, tomorrow
may turn the whole thing the other way.
GEMINI: HERE is an exciting day that will climax tomorrow.
After a long time, others will see how passionate
you can be even in love. Don’t gamble, please.
CANCER: IF your desire is to make money today, you
will need to be less emotional and prepare for domestic
challenges tomorrow. Enjoy your love life.
LEO: GOOD relationship between the Moon and other
Planets will bring you good opportunities. Be less argumentative
and take your love life more seriously.
L E I S U R E
TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE
The best things in life are often waiting for you at the
exit ramp of your comfort zone.”-Karen Salmansohn-
When you develop a firm confidence from within, you
build a trust in yourself, which makes it easier to step
outside one’s comfort zone, because when we get too
comfortable it can lead to a stalemate. Going beyond the
everyday familiar routine allows us to move beyond our
comfort zone in living a more exciting, adventurous and
inspired life. Ella Randle
TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”
SAYINGS OF
OUR PEOPLE
Because he
lost his reputation,
he lost
a kingdom. ~
Ethiopian
proverb
By Kola Fayemi
VIRGO: THIS is your day when things will go according
to your plans. Financial success indicated but if you
wait till tomorrow, opposition’ll bring disappointment.
LIBRA: THE Moon encourages you to be as assertive as
possible but you will need to expect certain level of opposition.
Try to be more friendly.
SCORPIO: HAPPENINGS within your working arena
should be taken more seriously now or else, avoidable
trouble would start tomorrow. Again, it’s important you
are more practical about your health. Be more loving.
SAGITTARIUS: EVEN, if friends and others are helpful
and pledging loyalty today, they may be forced and
get on your nerve tomorrow. Be graceful in your expression.
CAPRICORN: WHATEVER can lead to avoidable
trouble tomorrow, either at home or along your career/
business lines, should be well taken care of today. Be
very open.
DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE
AQUARIUS: YOUR best bet today is to seek important
co-operation of influential people and that of your
spouse/partner. The more legal conscious you are, the
better for you.
PISCES: IF others want you to conclude an important
financial transactions that can possibly be done today,
you’ll need to say no and go ahead as tomorrow may
not be as conducive as today.
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
WHAT,S MY IMMEDIATE FUTURE?
Dear Joshua,
I am interested in what you are doing. Please
tell me what I should expect concerning my immediate
future. Would I succeed in business?
Obi, Lagos.
Dear Obi,
Few years back you have started a very longer
(years) great cycle of success and happiness, and
this year you will be moving closer to the peak
of the said cycle.. Good opportunities to assert
yourself will come your way but the Stars are
saying tarry a while.
That is not to say the business world have to be
avoided but whatever will need higher degrees
of positive luck should be delayed till next month
when the heavens will smile broadly at you. During
this period you will have more to gain if you
take your younger subordinates seriously so also
your personal new ideas on the best ways to successfully
forge ahead in the business world, especially
during the last two weeks of the period
Ironically the same last two weeks called for carefulness
while handling spiritual related issues,
so also behind-the-scene-activities. Then a particular
member of your opposite sex may be looking
for a man she would like to lure into secret
affairs; it is better for her to get such elsewhere
so that one will not run into avoidable troubles.
VIRGINIA
HOME & ABROAD
dadadekola@yahoo.com
By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—33
TOM-TOM: From left—Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Amir Shamsi; singer and Brand
Ambassador, Teniola Teni Apata; incoming Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Oyeyimika Adeboye;
another singer and Brand Ambassador, Chibuzor Phyno Azubuike, and Marketing Manager, Gum and
Candy, Cadbury, Olumide Aruleba, during the launch of Tom-Tom Power of Cool and official signing of
Phyno and Teni as brand ambassadors, in Lagos.
Success’ viral video exposes failure
of governance in Delta—Utomi
By Perez Brisibe
U GHELLI—
RENOWNED
Economist and chieftain of
All Progressives Congress,
APC, in Delta State,
Professor Pat Utomi, has
come hard on the state
government over the viral
video of seven-year-old
Success Adegor, who was
sent home from school over
her inability to pay her
examination fees.
Utomi, in a statement
yesterday, while also
carpeting the state
government over the poor
condition of some public
schools in the state, noted
that the actions of little
Success should propel
Deltans to cast off the yoke
of bad government.
He said: “They (Delta
government) have become
numb to shame or unable
to understand the
implication of the face-off
Success had come to
symbolise.
“That all is not well with
how Delta is governed has
become clear with
Success’s resistance video;
that story of the little girl,
who bravely said no more,
with a steely determination.
“A little girl with gusto
and sharp wit decided
enough was enough. She
had it with the collapsed
education in Delta State.
“She was ready to be
flogged till she was blue
rather than be scammed yet
again by the public school
system in Delta State. You
would expect shame to
overcome the machinery of
government in Delta for
being incompetent to
manage the school system
as exposed by Success, but
not the Delta government.
“Government officials,
instead, saw it as a
Nollywood moment. As if
it was one of those comedy
skits filmed in Asaba, they
began to fall over each other
offering car gifts to the
person who recorded
Success’s moment of rage.
“What Success stands for
By Emma Amaize,
Regional Editor,
South-South,
Samuel Oyadongha
GOVERNOR Seriake
Dickson of Bayelsa
State has reiterated his
administration's focus on
investing in critical
infrastructure that drives
economic growth to attract
investors to the state.
He also said wellintended
plan of Bayelsa,
Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross
River, Edo and Delta states
to invest in oil blocs under
the BRACED Commission,
a regional institution, was
marred by politics.
He spoke at the Africa
CEO Forum in Kigali,
Rwanda, where business
and political leaders from
across Africa and other parts
of the world gathered for a
two-day conference.
Dickson, according to his
Special Adviser on Public
Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah,
said: “We have made major
strides. I keep saying that
investment in education is
the ultimate.
“We have built a lot of
schools, from primary to
secondary. We have also
built two universities— the
University of Africa and the
Bayelsa Medical
University— as well as a
state polytechnic and
college of education.
“We have done a lot also
today is like what Rosa Parks
stood for in Alabama in
1955. Deltans have a moral
obligation to hoist Success
as a rallying icon to ask for
accountability and a reordering
of priorities in
Delta State.
in the area of healthcare,
because you must keep the
people healthy to enable
them participate in what
you are doing.
“We have provided
wonderful health facilities
and policies. For instance,
our health insurance
scheme is covering over
150,000 persons. We have
a special programme for
pregnant women to be able
to address the issue of
infant and maternal
mortality.
“This is what it means to
invest in the people. When
you do that, you are
investing in stability and
peace.
“We have invested in
agriculture, infrastructure
and roads. We have
dualised many roads in our
very difficult terrain. We are
not just building for the
present, but also for the
future. Now people are
talking about the airport
that we built.
“It is because we want to
provide the necessary
infrastructure that will drive
economic growth that can
make people to come and
invest and do business in
Bayelsa. Now we are
working on the deep
seaport.
“All we are doing is to
open up the state so we can
bring the world to Bayelsa,”
he said.
Dickson, who had a joint
“Even if the state
government is too blinded
to shame to realise the
meaning of the Success
moment, it would seem that
shame has been lost in the
extant governing team in
Delta State.”
We built infrastructure to attract
investment to Bayelsa— Dickson
session with his Ekiti State
counterpart, Dr. Kayode
Fayemi, also spoke on the
BRACED Commission,
saying the South-South
regional bloc was not dead
but that more work needed
to be done.
His words: “In the South-
South, we have the
BRACED Commission
comprising Bayelsa,
Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross
River, Edo and Delta. The
reason for such a regional
bloc is that if the states
come together, those things
we cannot do individually,
we may do collectively.
“For instance, we had the
regional body encouraging
all our states to invest in the
power sector when Nigeria
introduced privatisation.
Now we have the 4Power
Consortium Limited, which
is jointly owned by Akwa
Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River
and Rivers states.
“We used the company to
acquire assets in the
biggest power company in
the region, the Port
Harcourt Electricity
Distribution Company,
which we jointly own.
“I listened to the
President of Rwanda
explain his country’s
current relationship with
neighbouring Uganda and
it struck a chord. Unfortunately,
politics sometimes get
in the way of most laudable
programmes.”
Traditional rulers helped with
peace for devt—Okowa
By Festus Ahon
A
S A B A —
GOVERNOR
Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta
State has attributed the
success story of his
administration to the
existing peace in
kingdoms, which
provided the enabling
environment for his
administration to deliver
democratic dividends to
the people of the state.
Speaking when
traditional rulers in the
state paid him a courtesy
visit, Okowa
commended the
traditional rulers for
creating the enabling
environment in their
kingdoms for his
administration to
execute projects that
endeared him to Deltans.
Thanking the
traditional rulers who
came from different parts
of the state to celebrate
with him, he said: “You
... as APC chieftain calls for
expulsion of Emerhor, Ogodo
By Omobola
Dickson
A
chieftain of All
Progressives
Congress, APC, in Delta
State, Chief Isaac
Emetitiri, has called for
the expulsion of a former
governorship aspirant,
Chief O’tega Emerhor,
Chief Cyril Ogodo and
their supporters over
alleged anti-party
activities.
He accused Emerhor
and his supporters of
working against the
fortunes of the party in
the state, stressing that
their membership would
continue to set the party
backward.
NGO lauds A-Ibom over
N4.6bn for health devt agency
By Chioma
Onuegbu
UYO—A
nongovernmental
organisation, Policy Alert,
has applauded Akwa
Ibom State government
for the N4.6 billion
earmarked for the takeoff
of the Primary Health
Care Development
Agency.
The Communications
and Stakeholder
Engagement Officer of
Policy Alert, Mrs. Utibe
Archibong, in a
statement yesterday in
Uyo said the vote to the
new health agency in the
2019 budget was
have given us peace and
the enabling environment
which made us to work.
"Your positive message
to our people over the
years made victory at the
elections easy and made
the elections peaceful as
the people came out with
the sole purpose of voting
for us.
"I appreciate you, I
appreciate our people,
Deltans. It is a thing of
joy that the state was
peaceful before the
elections and when the
results were announced,
they took to the streets to
celebrate their victory,
our victory.”
Earlier in his remarks,
Chairman of the State
Traditional Rulers Council,
Obi of Owa, HRM
Emmanuel Efeizomor II,
commended the governor
for the good works he is
doing in the state.
He said their visit is to
rejoice with the governor
on his victory at the polls.
Emetitiri, who
addressed newsmen
yesterday in Warri, said
the role of the duo and their
supporters would further
lead to a crisis in Delta
State chapter of APC.
He said: “I wish to call
on the National Working
Committee of APC to
take drastic steps to
rescue the party from the
grips of Mr. O’tega and
Ogodo as well as their
followers.
“If the party must
succeed in Delta State,
those people must be
shown the way out and
allow us to manage the
party to enable us
experience the benefits of
democracy.”
expected to improve
management of the state’s
health sector.
Archibong said: “It is an
indication that
government is actually
listening. The newlyestablished
Akwa Ibom
State Primary Healthcare
Development Agency is a
welcome response to
years of advocacy for
quality primary health
care for the state’s
citizens.”
Archibong, also
expressed the
determination of the
organisation to ensure
that the money allocated
to the state’s health sector
was accounted for.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
APC didn’t lose, Okorocha
did —Madumere
By Chidi
Nkwopara
OWERRI—IMO State
Deputy Governor,
Prince Eze Madumere, has
called on loyalists of the All
Progressives Congress,
APC, to remain united,
stressing that “the party did
not lose in the last elections,
but Governor Rochas
Okorocha was the grand
loser”.
Madumere who made
the assertion while
addressing APC faithful
from Mbaitoli local
government area in his
Lake Malinda country
home yesterday, also
charged them to join hands
to rebuild and reposition
the party.
While commending his
party members for being
resolute to rid the party of
unpatriotic elements,
including Rochas
Okorocha, Madumere
insisted that the party was
more interested in
Death
producing a leadership
that will stand for the
people, empathize with
the people and ultimately
change their situation from
worse to better.
“The truth is that we did
not lose any election.
Posterity will remember us
well because we said no to
bad leadership. We are on
the side of the people. Our
people surely will be
appreciative of our effort in
the journey to liberate our
state from the hands of an
Emperor.
“It is true that we are not
on the saddle today, but we
are rest assured that our
people would always
remember what we had to
do to ensure they are not
perennially enslaved and
that their spirits are
conquered by whims and
caprices of just one man
with his family”,
Madumere said.
Calling on their members
not to leave the party, the
Deputy Governor said that
the party won the
presidency and is also in
strong control of the
National Assembly.
Coalition of Igbo groups task Buhari
on S-East roads
...demand office of SGF
By Anayo Okoli
U MUAHIA—A
COALITION of
some Igbo groups have
tasked President
Muhammadu Buhari to
use his second term in
office to complete all the
ongoing road projects in
the South East and initiate
more as a way of disproving
the belief that he hates
Ndigbo.
The groups which
included World Igbo Youth
Council, Southeast Women
Professionals and Igbo
Students’ Movement,
however commended
Buhari for the increased
pace of work on the federal
roads in the South East,
particularly the Enugu/PH
Express Road and
Onitsha/Enugu Express
Road and called for their
early completion.
The groups which visited
the deputy national
chairman of All Nigeria
Ethnic Nationalities Youth
Leaders Forum, Mazi
Okechukwu Isiguzoro in
Umuahia, also urged
President Buhari not to
listen to comments by some
Igbo leaders who did not
support him, saying that as
the father of the nation, not
everybody must support
him.
The coalition also
congratulated the
governors-elect in the
South-East and advised
them to support and
collaborate with President
Buhari to bring more
development to the zone.
The group told them that
elections are over and
irrespective different
political platforms, they
should now focus on the
provision of good
governance to the people.
The coalition also called
on the President to appoint
an Igbo person into the
office of Secretary to the
Federal Government, SGF,
as well as Deputy Senate
President. They also
suggested that the Senate
President should go to
North East.
According to them, with
the ecological funds
attached to the office of the
SGF, the problems of
erosion devastating Abia,
Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and
Anambra states would be
tackled adequately.
In his response, Mazi
Okechukwu Isiguzoro
lauded them for the visit
and said that Ethnic Youth
Leaders Forum is grateful
to South East Governors
and Secretary General of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Barr
Uche Okwukwu for
ensuring that Ndigbo
continues to support
Buhari and hoped that the
support would bring
reasonable dividends of
democracy to Igbo land.
“We expect that the
Presidency should ensure
that 2nd Niger Bridge is
completed and revamp the
Enugu Coal Mine which
has been closed for over 46
years as well as all the
federal roads being worked
on."
Passage
•Late Ichie Okolo
ICHIE Paul Okolo is
dead, aged 78.
His burial rites begin
April 12, 2019 with a
Christian wake at his
country home, Umueke,
Inama, Uvuru in Uzo-
Uwani LGA, Enugu State.
Funeral mass will take
place next day at St. Patrick
Catholic church, Uvuru.
Interment follows
immediately at the family
house in Umueke, Inama,
Uvuru.
Burial
• Late Madam
Adadumeye
THE remains of late
Madam Janet Oribe
Adadumeye (nee Egede),
69, will be buried Friday, at
Agbor-Obi end of UBE
Road, Ika South LGA, Delta
State.
Service of songs holds
tomorrow at Obi Road, Off
Uromi Junction, Agbor.
She is survived by
children, grand children
and other relatives.
•Late HRH Udoekpe
HER
Royal
Highness,
Obonganwan Ikwo Okon
Udoekpe, who died,
September 19, 2018 at the
age of 93 years will be
buried on Saturday, March
30, 2019.
She will be buried at Chief
Okon Udo Ekpe’s
compound at Idu Uruan in
Uruan LGA of Akwa Ibom
State after a funeral service
at the same venue.
Burial
LATE Madam Agnes
Omoleme, 87, will be
buried in her home town,
Eguare/Uzogholo Ewu in
Esan Central LGA, Edo
State on June 23, 2019. She
is survived by many
children and relations.
•Late Madam
Omoleme
MEETING: From left—Second Vice President, Redeemers Men's Fellowship, Tonye Briggs;
Zonal Pastor and Guest Speaker, Pastor Kunle Taiwo; Chief Consultant, B. Adedipe Associates
Ltd, Dr Biodun Adedipe; Pastor-In-Charge, Lagos Province 21, Pastor Bayo Olugbemi; his
wife, Fadeke; President, Redeemers Men's Fellowship, Daniel Adebola; and 1st Vice President,
Ladi Arowa, during their breakfast meeting on Economic Empowerment & Financial Leadership,
at RCCG Victory Chapel, Magodo, Lagos.
Ugwuanyi clears 2017 arrears of salary of four LGAs
By Chinenyeh
Ozor
E NUGU—ENUGU
State Government has
cleared 2017 arrears of
salary owed local
government workers in four
local government areas of
the state.
The permanent secretary,
Ministry of Financé, Mr.
Firm seeks support for women
S MARTPHONE
maker, Tecno Mobile
in conjunction with The
University of Lagos's Radio
Station, Unilag 103.1 FM
and the Mass
Communication
Department, University of
Lagos, organised a
workshop to celebrate this
year’s International
Women’s Day which was
held at the Afe Babalola
Hall, University of Lagos,
recently.
With the theme, ‘Balance
for Better,’ the women’s
celebration seeks to
encourage gender balance
around the world and put
in place social innovations
Ezema Benedict disclosed
this in an interview with
journalists in Nsukka Local
Government council during
the payment of the arrears
of the council workers on
Tuesday.
He said four local
government councils out of
the 17 local government
councils were unable to
cope with 2017 salary in
to achieve gender equality
as a focal point. The day is
held on March 8 every year
worldwide
In her speech, Temitope
Akinniyi, HR, Employee
Relations at TECNO
Mobile, said: ‘’As Africa's
biggest smartphone
manufacturer; we at Techno
Mobile recognise women
across the globe and
acknowledge the struggles
they face in balancing work
and personal life. We do
whatever we can to ease
these struggles by ensuring
that we provide a working
environment free of
discrimination against
women."
their areas and Gov. Ifeanyi
Ugwuanyi in his
magnanimity waded in to
save the devastating
situation of the four local
government areas of
Nsukka, Isi-Uzo, Enugu
South and Uzo-Uwani
LGAs.
Ezema urged workers
across the 17 local
government areas of the
state to be dedicated to
duty to reciprocate the
gesture of the workersfriendly
governor of the
state.
He said that Nsukka was
owed November,
December and June 2017
salaries while Uzo-Uwani
and Enugu South were
owed one month arrears of
2017 salary respectively.
The permanent secretary
said that workers in Enugu
State receive alert of salary
at the 25th of every month,
adding that the governor
with the robust
infrastructure and human
capital development still
clears arrears of salaries in
local government councils
to strike balance and equity
in the local government
system.
“ It was the good and
exemplary governance in
the state that made him
score 95 per cent votes in
the just concluded
governorship and state
assembly elections in the
country."
Ezema recalled that in
2017, the governor paid
several months arrears of
salaries inherited from past
administrations to local
government workers across
the 17 local government
areas.
“In 2017, the governor
paid nine months arrears of
salary to Nsukka local
government council and
with the current payment of
four months, we have
cleared all arrears of
Nsukka LGA,” he noted.
Reacting to the payment,
the chairman National
Union of Local Government
Workers, NULGE, George
Ngwu expressed
excitement in the windfall
of the state government
decision to clear the backlog
arrears of 2017/salaries.
Ngwu changed workers
of the council to show
commitment
dedication to duty.
and

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019—35
Prisons decongestion: 84 inmates paroled in Edo
By Gabriel
Enogholase
BENIN—EDO State
Government, in line
with the Federal
Government’s policy to
decongest prisons across
the country, has granted
clemency and paroled 84
inmates in various prison
formations across the state.
Edo State Attorney-
General
and
Commissioner for Justice,
Professor Yinka Omorogbe,
said the move has the
backing of Attorney-
General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Mr.
Abubakar Malami(SAN),
with the aim of tackling
overcrowding in Nigerian
prisons.
Omorogbe said the state
government in conjunction
with Malami and a donor
agency, raised N9 million
to secure the release of the
prisoners, who could not
meet their bail conditions.
According to her, “the
high number of inmates
awaiting trial for crimes
ranging from stealing,
breaking and entering to
other minor offences, are
the major causes of
overcrowding.
“The state government is
working to decongest and
improve the living
condition of prisoners and
ensure proper rehabilitation
of the inmates.”
Edo State Controller of
Prisons, Mr. Joseph
Usendiah, said 23 inmates
were released from Benin
prisons, while 61 inmates
are to be released from
other prisons across the
state, bringing the
number to 84.
One of the affected
inmates, identified as Mr.
Efosa, who had been in
prison since 2016, thanked
the Edo State Government
for coming to their rescue.
NBC MARKS WORLD WATER DAY: From left—Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry
of the Environment, Bamgboye Abiodun; Public Affairs Manager, Lagos/West, Ifeoma Okoye; Plant
Manager, Ikeja, Aderemi Adewoye, both Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, Limited, and Chief Executive
Officer, Lagos Water Corporation, Muminu Badmus, during the event organised by NBC to mark
International World Water Day in Lagos.
Supreme Court judge, Bage,
emerges Emir of Lafia
By David Odama
L AFIA—GOVERNOR
Umaru Al-Makura of
Nasarawa State and the
Council of Chiefs in the
state have approved the
selection of a Supreme
Court Judge, Justice Sidi
Dauda Bage, as the new
Emir of Lafia.
This followed the demise
of late Emir of Lafia, Dr. Isa
Mustapha Agwai, who
passed on in January.
State Commissioner for
Local Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs, Haruna
Osegba, announced the
approval, yesterday, in
government house, after a
meeting between the
governor and the council of
chiefs.
According to the
commissioner, from the
votes of the five king
makers, Justice Bage, who
is from the Dalla Dunama
ruling house, got four votes
while the son of the late
Emir, Musa Isa Mustapha
Agwai, who is from the Ari
Dunama ruling house, got
only one vote.
Justice Bage was born on
June 22, 1956 in Lafia.
He attended Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria,
from 1977 to 1980, and
proceeded to Nigerian Law
School, Lagos, in 1980 and
was called to bar in 1981.
Bage rose through the
ranks to become a judge in
the supreme Court.
Announcing the
approval, Governor Al-
Makura also approved the
selection of Isa Abubakar
Umar as the new Emir of
Awe, a first class chief, to
succeed his father who
died earlier in the year.
VAT increment will slow down
Nigeria economy—ACTIONAID
By Boluwaji
Obahopo & Ezra
Ukanwa
ACTIONAID Nigeria
has called on the
Federal Government to
forget the idea of increasing
Value Added Tax, VAT,
warning that it will slow
down the economy, urging
government to discontinue
payment of subsidy on
petroleum products
instead.
In a statement by its
Country Communication
Coordinator, Niniola
Ayanda, yesterday, the
group said: ”Rather than
an increase in VAT at this
time, other avenues could
be explored in the short
term such as the removal
of petroleum subsidy,
which many have argued
does not benefit the
Nigerian populace.
“The plugging of fiscal
leakages, a move which is
currently being enforced by
the present administration,
can also be further
strengthened.
”If VAT increase were to
be implemented by the
government, several
measures should be taken
to ensure that the objective
of the increase is realised.
“An instance is the
provision of the relevant
technology to ensure
proper monitoring,
Also approving the
selection of a third class
chief, Osu Kadoko of
Kardoroko, Umar Usman
Dodo, the governor noted
that with the selection of the
traditional rulers, the unity
of the state would be more
strengthened.
collection and elimination
of leakages.
“The VAT increase could
be varied relative to the
kind of goods/services
being purchased, since the
effect on the poor would be
greater than on the rich.”
A y a n d a
further commended the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, for its efforts in the
elections, noting that the
Electoral Act and other
related laws needed a total
review ahead the 2023
general elections.
She stated that as much
as possible, the country’s
electoral process needed to
be automated.
Okowa, PDP’s victory a
milestone—Abala monarch
By Emmanuel
Okogba
THE Igwe of Abala
Kingdom, Obi
Frederick Egbunkonye,
has lauded the leadership
qualities of
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
of Delta State, which he
said earned him reelection.
In a statement, the
monarch also hailed
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi,
Nicholas Ossai and
Friday Osanebi on their
victory at the polls.
According to the
monarch, Okowa's
performance earned him
a second term, adding
that his kingdom
By Davies
Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT—
THE Nigerian Army
has vowed to punish
those found culpable in
the killing of its men and
other civilians in
Abonnema during the
elections.
The Army disclosed this
yesterday in Abonnema,
Akuku-Toru Local
Government Area of
Rivers State when a factfinding
team, led by
Major-Gen. Taritimiye
Gagariga, visited the
Amanyanabo of the
town, HRM King Disrael
Bob-Manuel.
Gagariga stated that
the military would
remain fair in its
judgment on the
Delta Perm Sec lists secrets
of academic success
W ARRI—THE
Permanent
Secretary, Delta State
Ministry of Higher
Education, Dr. R. J. A.
Agbaike, has said the
secrets to success are
determination, discipline
and diligence, which he
termed 3Ds.
Speaking at the
maiden matriculation of
Rolof Computer
Academy, Warri, Dr.
Agbaike charged the
students to be
ambassadors, saying “I
encourage you to
embrace the 3Ds of
success, which are
determination, discipline
and diligence, as these
will distinguish in this
Academy.”
On his part,
Chairman, Governing
Council of the Academy,
Mr. Lucky Ofuafor, said
the academy’s vision is
observed his visible
achievements with keen
interest, especially the
projects he attracted
through Niger Delta
Development Commission,
NDDC, as Senate
Committee Chairman.
He said: “On behalf of
the entire people of Abala
Kingdom, comprising
Abala-Uno, Abala-Obodo
and Abala Oshimili, in
Ndokwa East Local
Government Area, I
congratulate you on your
well-deserved re-election.
“This is a milestone for
you and for Abala
Kingdom and Delta North
constituency. Be assured of
our solidarity and
cooperation.”
Army vows to punish culprits
of Abonnema killings
incident, adding that
anyone found culpable
would be punished.
Gagariga, who was
addressing the
Amanyanabo and youths
of the area said: “Don’t
worry, those who caused
the problems in
Abonnema would be
apprehended and
punished for justice to take
its cause.
"If you have any
information that will help
us unravel this, please let
us know.”
Responding, the
Amanyanabo sued for
calm among youths of the
area, saying “I know that
this incident is saddening.
But continue to trust the
military and I know that
those who are guilty will
definitely be punished.”
to produce “bold,
confident, honest, descent,
articulate, innovative,
smart, professional and
entrepreneurial graduate
with a good dosage of high
social, moral, ethical and
spiritual values.”
Ofuafor charged the
new students to stand out
in the pursuit of their
dreams, adding that the
institution is determined to
produce graduates
capable of proffering
solutions to societal
problems.
Rector of the school, Mrs
Josephine Ofuafor,
disclosed that five
programmes—Computer
Hardware Engineering
Technology, Computer
Software Engineering,
Multimedia Technology
and Networking, and
System Security— have
been approved for the
school.

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
WITH CHARLES KUMOLU
midweekpersonality@gmail.com
08052140865 (sms only)
PERSONALITY ETHICS
I decided not to
live a substandard
life
Big deals do not
come to a dishonest
person
The only
limitations we have
are the ones we
create
I believe in giving
life to my dreams
inspirational things:
My upbringing has so much
to do with who I am today. My
parents did everything within
their means to ensure I got
a good education. My mother
did a full-time job but ran
a couple of businesses too.
She showed me that I could
do and be successful at the
same time. My parents are
very hard working people
and this set a great foundation
for me to build upon. My
parents allowed me to fly
high and were extremely
supportive of all my dreams
and aspirations. They encouraged
me to start every
business that I sought to start
and write every professional
examination I wanted to
write, even when it wasn’t
exactly financially comfortable
for them. I’m a lawyer
with MBA from the Imperial
College London. I obtained
my Law degree (LLB) from
the University of Lagos and
was thereafter called to the
Nigerian Bar. I am a certified
member of the Institute of
Chartered Secretaries and
Administrators (ICSA) UK,
and the Chartered Institute of
Arbitrators (CIArb) UK.
Sold-out in one night
Many things contributed to
who I am today but I will talk
about my first major foray
into retail when I was in the
University of Lagos. A friend
had introduced me to an older
friend who travelled
abroad to get clothes to sell
and I was able to convince
her to give me fashion merchandise
of about N200,000
on credit, so I could sell in
school. The first day I took
the clothes to Moremi Hall
was an amazing experience
for me. I got many people to
to shop and I saw all the items
I brought get sold-out in one
night. I was happy and surprised
but that event built my
confidence in my ability to
sell fashion wares and also
make a good living from the
business of retailing.
Not to live a
substandard life
I won’t say that I took a decision
to be a woman of many
parts. It was simply just me
deciding first not to live a substandard
life. Hence I ensured
I worked hard to build a
strong career in my profession
which is law. My passion and
love for fashion and retail led
me into starting my jewelry
SEYI BANIGBE:
From N200,000 credit
facility to chains of
businesses
Founder of many successful businesses, Seyi Banigbe, is the
appropriate definition of a serial entrepreneur. Ever since she
obtained a N200,000 credit facility to start a retail business as
an undergraduate, she has been creating successful brands.
Banigbe speaks on her life, explaining how she got the story of
Bland2Glam (a top-notch jewellery brand), Deterge Nigeria
Management Company and Nibo & Tac Legal Practitioners,
started.
brand, Bland2Glam. I recognised
the need to make top
quality jewelry more affordable
and accessible to Nigerian
women and I made that
our mission at Bland2Glam.
Today, people buy
Bland2Glam jewelry from
across Nigeria and even Europe
and USA via our online
store and we are present in
most major retail stores nationwide
such as SPAR,
Greyvelvet, Mobos, and many
others.
Things can
actually work
I believe so much in giving
life to my dreams and passion
as there is a certain type
of fulfillment in living one's
dreams. Such fulfillment can't
be derived anywhere. My
facility management company,
Deterge, was borne out of me
wanting to solve a problem
around the ease of getting
water dispensers cleaned in
my society. The same could
be said of my talk show, Binging
with Gamechangers. I felt
the need to showcase people
that have worked hard at
their craft and have attained
success through replicable
means. I believe that people
eventually become what they
watch consistently and Nigerians
need to see that things
can actually work if we put
our minds to it.
Emerging heroes
My story gives credence to
the fact that one can become
anything they choose to become.
The only limitations we
have are the ones we create
in our minds. Once you decide
to attain a career or business
goal, develop a plan and
work passionately with that
plan every day and don’t give
up even in the face of setbacks.
I’ will also say that the
ability to keep going even in
the face of all odds, is a key
nugget. I have had reason to
give up on every business I’m
involved in today but once I
confirmed that my idea or
goal is valid and scalable, I
simply remained committed
to the idea every day.
More than one project
I worked in the tax and corporate
advisory unit of PwC.
I am a talk show host and entrepreneur.
I take things one
day at a time. Though I oversee
all these entities I am involved
in. I work with an
amazing team of people that
are involved in the daily administration
of my businesses.
I usually don’t have more
than one project consuming
my attention but I have built
structures around each business
to ensure that even when
a business is not getting my
direct attention, I have capable
hands on the ground to
ensure smooth service delivery
to all our clients. I also
ensure that I outsource some
tasks that can be outsourced.
This is particularly essential
with tasks that are timebound
as it enables us to keep
our payroll as light as possible.
Thoughts and
perspectives of
successful brands
What I have found consistent
with most of my entrepreneur
guests is their ability to
stay dedicated to their vision.
They remain hard working
and give 150 percent energy
to achieving their set goals.
They all have that "possibility
mindset”, believing that anything
is possible in Nigeria
irrespective of the limitations
that surround them. There is
always so much to learn from
the business people that come
on the show and I would actually
like to encourage everyone
to watch so we can all
learn together. The show airs
on Africa Magic Family on
Sundays at 6 pm; STV on Saturdays
at 1.30pm; LTV on
Sundays at 9 pm; NTA Network
on Saturdays at 10 am
and NTA2 on Sundays at
5.30pm. The show is also on
our Youtube channel @
B2Gnetwork. I established
Bland2Glam because I was
appalled at how expensive
fashion accessories were
priced and sold in Nigeria
and thought to disrupt the
market by sourcing good factories
and suppliers in order
to make top quality fashion
jewelry and accessories available
across Nigeria at guiltfree
prices. I love solving corporate
problems and I am
quite enthused by the workings
of corporate transactions
and entities, hence my passion
to support both small and
large businesses with my
wealth of knowledge acquired
through the years.
Mind of successful
people
Binging with GameChangers
doesn’t only spotlight exceptional
brands and entrepreneurs
but we also celebrate
high-flyers from corporate
Nigeria as we believe that
both entrepreneurs and employees
need to be inspired
to be their best in order for
our country to blossom allround.
One thing consistent
with the successful career
folks featured on the show is
their ability to be deliberate
on what they want from each
job and where they are going
to. Even though these individuals
work for organisations,
they are mindful of
what they seek to get from
their organisation, what they
seek to give their employer
and where their current role
should lead them to. Such a
strategy is essential for consistent
career growth.
Everything is possible
My strong faith in God fuels
me from the inside; gives me
a lot of strength, confidence
and hope to embark on
projects.
Read full interview on
www.vanguardngr.com

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 37
FOR LATE PROF ADESANMI: From left; CEO, CNG Communications, Mr
Chris Adetayo; CEO,Tiny Beating Hearts, Mrs Petra Onyegbule; Editor-in-Chief,
African Economy Magazine, Mr Kelechi Deca; Client Sector Manager, Craneburg
Construction, Mrs Olufunmi Odunaike; MD/CEO, Daffodils Corporate Image
Limited, Mr Abimbola Olujide; and CEO, Style Savvy, Mrs Kikelomo Akin-Davies;
during the day of tribute for late Prof Pius Adesanmi in Lagos.
PRESENTATION: Commandant of the Naval War College, Calabar, Cross
River State, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (right) presenting a souvenir to the
Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, who was a Guest of Honour
at the inauguration of Naval Warfare Course 3, at the college, Monday.
TRAINING:
Olubunmi Odufuwa,
Chief Compliance
Officer, Rand Merchant
Bank Ltd (left)
receiving her certificate,
having successfully
fulfilled the requirements
for the
one-week training
and examination program
leading to the
award of Certified
Compliance Profession
(CCP) from MD
of DataPro Limited,
Mr. Abimbola
Adeseyoju.
MOTHERS DAY: From left: Alaba Adesokun, Producer of Yeye Cabaret, Ogundipe
Ayodele, Creator and Executive Producer and Rotimi Babalogbon, Visual Director,
during the press briefing on the forthcoming Yeye Cabaret Concert to celebrate
Mothers' Day 2019, at Surulere, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
Tinubu as nightmare of
reactionaries
To be great is to be misunderstood’—Ralph Waldo
Emerson in: Self Reliance & Other Essays.
By Mobolaji Sanusi
There is an invigorating
conundrum that many politicians
currently in and out of power
across the country have found a hard
row to hoe. That riddle is Senator
Bola Ahmed Tinubu - the Jagaban
of Borgu land, Asiwaju of black
man’s continent and former governor
of Lagos State, the centre of excellence.
Tomorrow, March 29th,
the enigma adds another year. Despite
his being misunderstood by
fickle minded reactionaries, his
greatness continues to soar, limitlessly.
The reality- Jagaban continues
to wax stronger within the nation’s
political firmament.
Expectedly so, this is because he remains
an astute political strategist
and an unfaltering torchbearer of
true progressive politics.
Without sounding immodest, the
reality today is that he remains the
most-sought-after politician and
perhaps, one of the few, if not, the
most noteworthy of the progressive
hue in modern-day Nigeria. At a
point in the history of this country,
the late sage, Pa Obafemi Awolowo,
was the issue. Even after the great
man’s death 32 years ago, most politicians
in the southwestern part of
the country still use his name to
cuckold the electorate during electioneering
season. Momentarily,
Bashorun MKO Abiola appeared on
the political horizon, but his attempted
reign was short-lived by
the feudal military oligarchy that denied
him his electoral mandate by
sending him into a contrived grave.
Most politicians in contemporary
Nigeria deploy the Tinubu political
brand name to win grassroots support
during election campaign period.
Whether in the north, east or
south, the touted Tinubu support for
any political candidate is a big endorsement
for realising political
dreams. For those that show contempt
for the brand name, they remain
consigned to the limbo of political
abyss. For sure, Asiwaju has
become such a significant issue in
the nation’s political firmament that
a mere mention of his name
amongst friends and even political
foes sends a soul riveting impact.
Political emancipation of his
people
Since the passage of Awo and,
perhaps Abiola, one doubts if there
is any Nigerian that has taken the
political emancipation of his people
from the yoke of democratic tyranny
and bottom-top governance seriously
as much as Tinubu has been
doing. The political ignoramuses
might deride him; the grovelers of
centrist conservative elements and
the reactionaries in our midst are
used to impugning his character,
but that is the man still standing like
the rock of Gibraltar. Asiwaju has the
uncanny power of political liberation;
he is imbued with an unusual
economic skill, being a shrewd accountant
with vast international and
public service experience. This man
of indefinable propensity for philanthropy
has this creepy nerve for discerning
a talent. This was reflected
in the membership quality of his
mostly well-endowed cabinet team
that he assembled during his eightyear
rein as governor of Lagos State.
Asiwaju’s gift of seeing greatness in
others when such people never give
greatness a thought and guiding
them to enviable heights is legendary.
The man adds another year tomorrow,
but many people prefer to
criticise him, out of sheer envy of his
result oriented political track
record; others do simply because
they could not rival his steadfast
commitment to finding solutions to
political and other challenges facing
the country. Tinubu thinks Nigeria,
dreams Nigeria; he lives Nigeria
and sleeps Nigeria. From the
north, east, west and south, people
call him at random to seek his help
or input on intractable political
quagmire.
The reactionaries, out of steep
spite of his large-heart and enormous
goodwill, will query his
source of wealth: And simply because
the man is doing what they
cannot ever do or are not privileged
to do since they are not in a position
to do it, they harbour the ache
in their bellies. Some see him as
being immoderate.
There are empirical examples of
Nigerians, irrespective of tribes and
especially among the Yoruba, the
man’s cradle, that have benefited
immensely from his political endorsements
and large-heartedness.
But sadly, these same people still
hypocritically relish speaking ill of
him or futilely try to bring him
down. In the past or now, they has
failed and even in the future, their
evil plots against Asiwaju will fail.
Surprisingly, Tinubu relishes welcoming
such backstabbers back to
his fold. Most of us see this as a
weakness but he sees that to be one
sacrifice of greatness that he must
pay. One can only hope that this inclination
of taking back
backstabbers would not turn to be
his undoing later in life. Whoever
doubts Asiwaju’s progressive
credentials needs to embark on historical
excursion. At a time that the
Yoruba states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun,
Osun and Ekiti were falling to the
gangsterism of dethroned People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003 and
2007, it was only Asiwaju’s Lagos
that stood to absorb the heat of conservatism
before eventually launching,
single-handedly, the worthwhile
battle that liberated the
former western region but Ondo,
from the grips of rampaging
agents of reactionary politics. The
giant progressive strides that the
nation is witnessing today are a
Despite his being
misunderstood by
fickle minded reactionaries,
his greatness
continues to
soar, limitlessly
consequence of Asiwaju’s political
acuity. This gives credence to
Walt Whitman’s statement: ‘Produce
great men, the rest follows.’
Progressivism is indeed taking
firm root in the country today because
of the great political mind
possessed by Asiwaju. Indeed,
Charles de Gaulle was right by
saying: ‘Nothing great will ever
be achieved without great men
and men are great only if they are
determined to be so.’
Tinubu is indeed and always
politically determined to succeed.
And it is this uncommon
determination to be great and to
politically liberate the masses
from the yoke of reactionary politics
that compelled him to take
with zeal, progressive politics,
since year 2014’s merger of Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
with other opposition parties - far
beyond the west and to all parts
of the country. This gave birth to
All Progressives Congress (APC)
•Bola Ahmed Tinubu
that today controls the seat of
power in Abuja. The move at that
time generated spite, covetousness
as much as cynicism from
those who always see impossibility
rather than possibility in
Tinubu’s laudable political initiatives.
His often-talked-about
political superiority complex
does not mean haughtiness, although
it might appear to be so
in the eyes of the mischievous
among politicians and political
watchers who want to see it so.
Tinubu feels a higher esteem over
the obstacles he desires to surmount
and he is blessed with the
rare courage of overcoming them,
with enough energy reserved for
any eventuality. The outcome of
the 2019 general elections underscored
this fact.
The positive roles of Tinubu in the
successful political merger of the
opposition parties; the outcome of
the 2015 that sent the ruling party
out of power and the consolidating
2019 general elections that cemented
the ouster of the People’s
Democratic Party(PDP), and the fact
that a precedent has been set that
makes it impossible for a ruling
party, especially at the centre, to
take others for granted in the political
space have become a burden
of envy in the minds of most politicians
that see Tinubu as a threat.
Rejection of Tinubu’s political ingenuity
is nothing but a deliberate
creation of avoidable amphitheatre
of perfidious hypocrisy.
Sleaze of political mudslinging
Despite the sleaze of political
mudslinging by mostly beneficiaries
of his political largeheartedness,
Tinubu’s democratic
scorecard remains very glittering
and unassailable. The current firm
control of the centre by erstwhile
opposition, hitherto considered as
impossible, and the invaluable role
played by the Jagaban of Borgu
land in bringing it to fruition
merely confirmed him as the definitive
contemporary political leader
of the progressives in the country.
Like Awolowo during his lifetime,
Tinubu has, in contemporary Nigerian
politics, become a thorn in the
flesh of conservative/reactionary/
progressive politicians with lesser
candour. This unjustifiable
kvetching syndrome by some of the
current political elite class against
Tinubu has become a catalyst that
gives him more inspiration to surpass
his present enviable feat. But
for a politician like Tinubu, it would
most likely have been impossible
for Nigerians to have the golden opportunity
of looking back and saying
today: We are free at long last
from the shackles of democratic feudal
that see power at the centre as
their birth right! This writer
wholeheartedly wishes Asiwaju,
the hubby of adorable Yeye-
Asiwaju/Senator Oluremi Tinubu,
plenteous happy returns of today
in sound health and continuing political
relevance. Happy birthday to
you sir. And as the Yoruba would
pray: Igba Odun, Odun kan!
Sanusi is MD/CEO of LASAA.
Why I joined speakership
race —Onyejiocha
By Levinus
Nwabughiogu
ABUJA—THE
member
representing Isikwuato/
Umunneochi Federal
Constituency of Abia State in the
House of Representatives, Nkiru
Onyejiocha has declared her
intention for vie for the
speakership of the 9th House.
Onyejiocha, a female lawmaker,
was re-elected in the last general
elections on the platform of All
Progressives Congress, APC to
represent her people for the 4th
time.
She has been the Chairman of
the House Committee on Aviation
for two consecutive times
spanning the 8 years of the 7th
and 8th assembly.
While declaring her interest in
the office in Abuja, Onyejiocha
said she possessed the legislative
prerequisites to speak for the 9th
House.
She said: “I believe I possess
$12bn NLNG Train 7: ‘Bonny
ready to execute project'
By Ediri Ejoh
THE $12 billion Train 7
project got a boost as Bonny
Entrepreneurs and Contractors
Forum has assured the Nigeria
LNG and the Federal
Government that Bonny is ready
for the project.
The forum's Chairman
Idawarifagha Benstowe, who
spoke to newsmen after the
forum’s inaugural meeting said:
“We are hopeful that the Final
Investment Decision, FID, for the
NLNG Train 7 project would be
signed before the end of the third
quarter (Q3) of this year, as all
stakeholders are committed to
see to the addition of the seventh
train to boost gas revenue of the
country.”
In a statement signed by all
indigenous entrepreneurs and
contractors, they demanded that
B7 JV Consortium led by the KBR
Group should be given the right
of first refusal for the construction
of the LNG T7 project.
“The B7 JV consortium having
constructed the six trains
effortlessly in line with global
practice, with little or no loss time
injury, safety of the environment,
and above all an enviable
community friendliness, should
be awarded the T7 project by
Nigeria LNG.
“B7 JV Consortium has the
experience, the expertise and has
demonstrated it six consecutive
times in six trains, and would
therefore have no difficulties
constructing a seventh train.
NLNG should know, that nobody
changes a winning team. We
therefore appeal to Nigeria LNG
to speedily sign the T7 project
with B7 JV Consortium”.
Benstowe, further, hinted that
the forum is a pool of indigenous
entrepreneurs and contractors
from Bonny Kingdom; the host
community of Nigeria LNG.
“Bonny is ready for Train 7, our
people have gained experience
in virtually all aspects of the
construction of LNG trains,
having worked in six of such
trains.
Father of 5 wins N5m in 9mobile
promo
By Emmanuel Elebeke
FORTUNE smiled at a
father of five, Faruk
Muhammed in Abuja at the
weekend when he received his
N5 million cash prize in the
ongoing 9mobile Magic promo.
Mohammed, a small scale
businessman expressed delight
at being singled out of the
millions of subscribers who
participated in the promo daily.
The excited father said: “I have
not even seen N500,000 in my
life before, let alone N5 million.
It sounded unbelievable at first
when I was told. I have always
made 9mobile my network of
choice any time, any day; for
me, this is more than a reward.
When this promo started, I tried
to load up to N100 everyday so
the requisite legislative skills,
knowledge, experience and
temperament to be Speaker of this
great House.
“I served as Chairman, House
Committee on Aviation for two
consecutive terms- throughout the
life of the 7th and 8th House of
Representatives and sponsored a
number of key bills and motions
and effectively accomplished over
fifteen monumental projects for
my beloved constituency.”
The lawmaker promised to
improve communications with
Nigerians, maintain a healthy
relationship with the executive
and judicial arms of government,
embark on constitutional and
electoral reforms, tackle insecurity
with necessary legislative charter
and strengthen the oversight
functions of the legislature if
elected speaker.
She said: “As Speaker, I will
serve you to the best of my ability
and would strive with your
support to achieve the goals.”
that I could at least win
something, but this prize
completely blew my mind!”
Meanwhile, a new set of
winners emerged in and around
Abuja in the ‘Magic Hour Promo’
and went home with handsome
prizes.
The event was in continuation
of the prize redemption events of
the promo, organised by 9mobile,
which featured customers
grabbing mouth watering
prizes in the Magic Hour promo.
The prize redemption, which
took place at the Mall Atrium,
Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja, also
witnessed a surprise Shopping
spree in which many
participants, who had
accompanied the promo winners
to the event as friends and loved
ones, went home with amazing
items which they purchased from
the mall free of charge courtesy
of 9mobile.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 39
CAADP Biennial Review will strengthen
capacity for agriculture data
generation — Ruzindaza
*Cotton field
The Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture
Development Programme,
CAADP Team
Leader, Department of
Rural Economy and Agriculture,
at the African
Union Commission,
Ernest Ruzindaza, has
said that the Biennial
Review Reporting Tools
put in place to strengthen
national and regional
institutional capacity for
agriculture data generation
and knowledge management.
Speaking at the training
of African Union, AU
member- states on how to
report on the progress
made in the Malabo Declaration
in Accra, Ghana,
Ruzindaza noted that the
reporting system also
aimed at fostering alignment,
harmonisation and
Bt cotton‘ll revolutionise 250 ailing
textile firms, boost economy — Dr Akpa
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA — THE Director-General
of
National Biotechnology
Development Agency,
NABDA, Prof. Alex Akpa,
has assured that the release
of Bt cotton will revolutionise
the nation’s ailing
250 textile firms and
also boost the economy.
Apka who was speaking
on the economic benefits
of two Bt Cotton varieties
known as MRC 7377 BG
11 and MRC7361 BG11
expressed concern over
the state of the textile industry
in the country,
which he described as being
comatose and lying
prostrate for over three
decades. He further stated
that the two varieties
will bring succour to farmers
and the industries following
the development
of the varieties that are
genetically modified cotton
by Mahyco Nigeria
Pet. Limited in collaboration
with the Institute for
coordination among
multi-sectoral efforts in all
Africa member-states.
The Malabo Declaration
was a result of a special
session of the African
Union that took place in
2014 in Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea which aimed
at transforming agriculture
on the continent for
both economic and livelihood
gains.
The AUC was tasked to
conduct a review on a biennial
basis, the progress
achieved by its memberstates
in securing their
CAADP and Malabo Declaration
commitments.
A country-led inclusive
data collection, data analysis
and reporting process
built on 43 indicators of
the seven Malabo thematic
areas together with the
instruments was conducted.
And to monitor the
progress and challenges
in implementing the Malabo
Declaration, a reporting
system called Biennial
Review was put in
place.
Ruzindaza added that
reporting system will not
only support improved
evidence-based planning,
implementation, monitoring
and evaluation, and
learning; but also set basis
and paths for triggering
continental action programmes
to collectively
drive agriculture transformation
in Africa.
The five-day meeting
focused on training AU
member-states on the new
CAADP Biennial Review
Technical Guidelines; on
the new online Data Entry
Tool of the “e-BR” and
to agree on the Coordination
Mechanism and Continental
Roadmap for submitting
the second Biennial
Report to the AU Assembly
in January 2020.
The findings and recommendations
of the Biennial
Report allow AU
leaders to appreciate the
amount of efforts required
to strive towards the set
targets for 2025 in the
Malabo Declaration, and
then endorse the appropriate
collective actions to
accelerate agricultural
growth and transformation.
Every two years, the report
highlights the inclusive
nature of the process
and methodological approach
that was used to
collect and analyse data
and develop the report.
Furthermore, the report
also presents the key findings
at continental and
regional levels, the detailed
profiles and scorecards
of individual countries,
and sets of recommendations
for individual
countries, regional bodies
and continental institutions.
Agricultural Research,
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria.
According to him, the
new variety has been officially
registered, which
has the potential of being
adopted in all the cotton
growing zones of the
country with maturity period
of 150 -160 days, and
resistant to Bollworm
complex including high
seed cotton yield, early
maturity, tolerant to suckling
insect pest, and has
a fibre length ranging
from 30.0 to 30.5mm.
It would be recalled earlier
this year, the DG disclosed
that Nigeria’s first
Bt Cowpea was set to be
released in 2019 to farmers
and will close the gap
of over 500,000 metric
tonnes of beans production
deficit at a media conference
on the Approved
PBR Cowpea, held in
Abuja.
He said: “I’m happy to
inform you that the National
Committee on Naming,
Registration and Release
of Crop Materials at
its 26th meeting in Ibadan
approved the official registration
of 2 Bt Cotton varieties
known as MRC
7377 BG 11 and MRC7361
BG11. “As was mentioned
by the Chairman of the
committee during the release,
the registration of
GM cotton is revolutionary
to agricultural development
in Nigeria leading
to commercialisation
of GM technology.
“I count this development
as a milestone considering
the state of our
textile industry which
hitherto used to be the
second highest employer
of labour in the country
around the 60’s and the
70’s. The textile industry
has been comatose due to
the absence of viable raw
materials hence Nigeria
became dependent on
other countries for textiles,
leaving over 250 industries
under lock and
key."
After Vanguard report: Sacked Kwara
Hotel workers, govt bicker over
unpaid benefits
•We have paid over 80% of their
benefits — Govt
•It's absolute lie,
sacked workers
By Demola Akinyemi
We stage several
peaceful protests,
and in the process,
one of us received a
call that his son has
died because he had
no money to buy the
required drugs so
no amount of money
the management
can pay now can
measure up to the
evils that had happened
to our people
because of this
development
titute 22 months after.
During this period, one
of the victims, Bamidele
Williams, lost his son because
there was no money
to buy the required
drugs to keep him alive.
He received the sad call
that his son has passed on
while he was at KH premises
with others on a
peaceful protest against
non-payment of their entitlements.
Our offence
Recall that the chairman
of the National Union of
Hotel and Personal Servic-
*Gov Abdulfatah Ahmed
FOLLOWING Van
guard report on the
plight of workers that
were thrown out of their
jobs by the management
of Kwara State-owned
Kwara Hotel, KH, over
20 months ago without
even termination letters,
has triggered off another
controversy between the
aggrieved former workers
and the Kwara State Government,
owners of KH.
This time around, the
two parties are now trading
words over what has
been paid and what is left.
Recall that 85 workers
were identified by the
management of the hotel
to be leading the agitation
for refurbishment and upgrading
of the standard of
the hotel as well as improvement
of the welfare
of the staff, and they were
crudely turned back at
the gate on May 25, 2017
without sack letters .
Not only that, their entitlements
were said to
have remained unpaid,
while they were not allowed
to return to work till
date.
As days went by, 25 of
them moved on as they
found one thing or the
other to keep body and
soul together, while 60
others are still roaming
the streets, living as deses
Employees, Kwara Hotel
chapter, Mr Mohammed
Ochennica had said:
”It was in the cause of informing
the state government
that KH needed renovations
because the infrastructure
were seriously
dilapidating that they
planned to sack us. When
I got the hint that they had
already compiled list and
were about sharing the
sack letters, I approached
the management to find
out the veracity of the report,
but they denied it. It
was the following day that
we met the gate of KH
closed against us by a detachment
of six vehicles of
anti-riot mobile police officers.
They compiled list
and only those on the list
were allowed inside; 85 of
us were not allowed inside
and till today, no sack letter
has been given to us.
“We stage several peaceful
protests, and in the process,
one of us received a
call that his son has died
because he had no money
to buy the required drugs
so no amount of money
the management can pay
now can measure up to the
evils that had happened to
our people because of this
development.”
Spokesman of Harmony
Holdings, Managing Director
of Kwara Hotels, Mr
Tunde Abodunde, in a
statement on payment of
entitlements of the sacked
staff said: “Contrary to the
claims contained in a recent
newspaper publication
to the effect that some
staff of Kwara Hotel were
laid off since May, 2017
without benefits or termination
letters, Harmony
Holdings Ltd has affirmed
that more than 80 per cent
of the agreed severance
benefits of the affected
workers has been paid by
the Kwara State Government.”
The statement also
claimed that a joint reconciliation
and verification
carried out by the Kwara
State Government with
both the local and national
unions of the hotel
workers, agreed on final
settlement of obligations
on claims/benefits due to
staff of Kwara Hotel totalingN202,
401, 966.00 million
being direct benefits
due to them.
According to him: “This
was backed up by an
agreement duly signed by
all the parties in June,
2017. Out of this, a sum in
excess of N162 million has
been paid to the staff. This
amount includes gratuity
(N89million), and other
direct staff benefits. It will
be recalled that the Kwara
State Government, had in
its magnanimity, committed
to pay the outstanding
entitlements of the affected
staff when it became
obvious that the
former employer of the affected
staff was not forthcoming
in meeting its obligations
to the disengaged
staff.
Kwarans can at least
see that the present government
has demonstrated
empathy and humanity
as far as the retrenched
staff of Kwara Hotel are
concerned, and the apparent
renovation and upgrade
of the hotel recently
carried out by Harmony
Holdings Ltd, is a true
testament that Kwara Hotel
is on an upward trajectory
for the benefit of all
Kwarans and the general
public.
But reacting, the branch
chairman of the National
Union of Hotel and Personal
Services, Kwara
Hotel chapter, Mr Mohammed
Ochennica explained
that the total
amount owed the distressed
staff which included
pension, employees'
contributions deducted
but not remitted, unremitted
cooperative deductions,
National Housing
Fund deductions, union
service charge among
others totalling N301,006,
538.1, adding that the
state government only
paid N89,804,675.97 and
N33,327,14.58 at different
intervals, so our balance
now is N198,002,180.55.
This amount is outside
of N26 million they demanded
from the union
which we agreed to because
they claimed they
needed to pay back the
interest on the loan they
would obtain to pay us
and we agreed and they
started the payment.
“We were getting our
money through Harmony
Holdings. So we agreed
with them to share the
payment of interest on the
loans they took to pay our
money because they
couldnt additionally incure
any debt in the cause
of the payment.”
Speaking on the state of
payment, he stressed:
“Not even up to 50 per
cent of our entitlements
has been paid whereas
they are claiming that
about 80 per cent has
been paid. That is not
true. It is a blatant lie.”

40 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
“The solutions to many of the
issues highlighted above and
more lie in an urgent amendment
to the Electoral Act. Happily there
is already in place an
Amendment Act which
unfortunately failed to receive the
assent of President Buhari
ostensibly on the ground that it
was passed and presented too
close to the holding of the last
elections”.
THE 2019 elections have
come and gone and
winners and losers have emerged
and have equally been informed
of the decision of the electorate
concerning their ambitions.
Hopes and aspirations have been
achieved and dashed. The
electorate depending on their
choice of candidate have
welcomed and in some other
instances condemned the
outcome of the election.
I, therefore, congratulate all the
winners at the various levels of
election, from the State to the
Federal level. I also congratulate
those who after losing the
election have been quick to
concede defeat and congratulate
the winners of same. Such
conduct signifies that some
members of the Nigerian political
class are prepared to emulate the
best of political practices as
obtains in many developed
countries of the world. However
as I will subsequently discuss,
the conduct of this election has
thrown up many issues which
indicate that there is so much
more to be done if the election of
transformational leaders, which
ideally should be the objective of
any democratic system, is to be
achieved.
Violence and
voter apathy
Firstly, the last elections were
preceded by incidents of violence
which unfortunately became
more pronounced on the day of
the election and even after results
were announced. While outbreak
of violence is not entirely new, it
is still a sad commentary on the
lack of political development
which continues to trouble our
country. Secondly, the election
witnessed a worrying degree of
voter apathy which many have
attributed to the huge
militarisation of the entire
process. Writing on this subject,
the International Centre for
Investigative Reporting (ICIR)
stated as follows:
The just concluded presidential
and national assembly elections
in Nigeria witnessed a voter
turnout of just over 35.6 per cent,
the lowest in the country since
the return to democracy in 1999.
According to figures by the
Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, the total
number of accredited voters in
the election held on Saturday,
February 23, 2019, was
29,364,209, out of the 82,344,107
registered voters in Nigeria.
In 1999, the voter turnout was
put at 52 per cent, in 2003 it was
69 per cent, in 2007, 57 per cent
of voters came out to vote, and in
INEC under 1999 Constitution:
Need to amend the electoral
law for election of
transformational leaders
2011, the figure was 54 per cent.
In 2015, despite the serious
security challenges posed by the
Boko
Haram
insurgency, approximately 44
per cent of voters turned out to
vote.
Why was the 2019 election
different? Especially at a time
when the federal government
claimed that security has been
boosted as Boko Haram had been
“technically defeated” and no
longer hold a single local
government in Borno State, as
opposed to 2015 when the
insurgent group controlled
several local government areas in
Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe
States.”
Many reasons, ranging from
the last minute postponement of
the polls, general sense of
insecurity and the militarisation
of the process have been
identified as having contributed
to this development. Whichever
is the main reason, it cannot be
disputed that voter apathy
What gives serious
cause for concern is
the high incidence of
cancelled votes or
inability to conduct
elections recorded in
the just concluded
elections
signifies a loss of voter confidence
in the electoral process. Without
such confidence, little or nothing
can be achieved. A feeling by the
voting public that their votes may
not eventually count or that they
may come to some form of harm
while performing their civic duty
is one that portends grave and
imminent danger to any
democracy.
Inconclusive
elections
Thirdly, the elections witnessed
for the first time, a worrying
number of elections declared as
inconclusive by the Independent
National Electoral Commission,
INEC. In several of those cases,
the declaration was made owing
to the fact that the margin of
victory between the leading
contenders was lesser that the
number of cancelled votes or
number of registered voters in
areas where elections did not
hold. To be certain, the law does
require that in such instances no
declaration be made so that an
opportunity can be afforded for
disenfranchised voters to have a
say in the election of their leaders.
However what gives serious
cause for concern is the high
incidence of cancelled votes or
inability to conduct elections
recorded in the just concluded
elections. In many instances,
cancellations occurred owing to
violence orchestrated by
politicians and their supporters.
It is alleged that in order to deny
the candidate who may be
leading at the polls a clear
victory, some unscrupulous
politicians have realised that by
fomenting trouble in the
stronghold of their opponent and
either preventing voting from
taking place or getting INEC to
cancel votes cast in such areas,
they may be able to bring about
a situation contemplated by the
Electoral Act and thereby afford
themselves another opportunity
at the rescheduled elections.
High number
of political parties
Also this election witnessed for
the very first time, an
embarrassingly large number of
parties contesting elections in
Nigeria. At the moment, there are
over 90 political parties while 73
of them fielded candidates at the
presidential election. If this is not
alarming, I doubt if anything else
will. In an article titled “Too many
parties can spoil politics” The
Economist stated as follows:
“Having too many parties is often
unwieldy. Coalitions become
harder to form and often include
strange bedfellows. In Greece
the far-left Syriza party governs
with the far-right Independent
Greeks; in Denmark the centreright
government needs the
support of the Liberal Alliance,
which wants to cut social
spending, and the Danish
People’s Party, which wants to
raise it. Such oddball pairings
rarely act decisively and fall apart
easily.
"They also take longer to form,
distracting politicians from the
business of governing. Spain’s
recent shift from two major
parties to four produced a standoff
that left it without a
government for most of last year.
Its citizens had more choices
when they voted, but then spent
ten months under the rule of
unelected caretakers - not a clear
gain in democracy. Small parties
may render government
incoherent by seizing control of
the policy areas they care about.
"In Israel tiny right-wing parties
in effect write the rules for West
Bank settlements. Splintering
can also foster graft. In Brazil
politicians form new parties to get
public subsidies and then
demand more goodies to join
coalitions. Far from increasing
real choice, multiplying parties
can allow politicians to hide the
fact that what matters is
patronage. Voters may be
bewildered when confronted with
the People’s Front of Judea and
the Judean People’s Front - or
with National Liberals,
Democratic Liberals and Liberal
Reformists, as they were in
Romania in 2014.”
The situation described in
Romania is particularly
reminiscent of the current
situation here in Nigeria in which
many parties have names that
sound so similar. How the
electorate which cuts across
different degrees of political
sophistication and educational
exposure is expected to navigate
such a quagmire of political
parties and ideologies is better
left for the imagination.
Furthermore, the huge number
of political parties must obviously
have presented a logistical
nightmare to the Electoral Body
as it is by law required to have
representatives present at the
primaries of these parties.
On election day, all parties are
also entitled to have agents
present at every step of the
electoral process from voting at
the units to collation at the Ward,
Local Government, State and
Federal levels depending on the
particular election in question.
Was this not bound to present an
ideal situation for breakdown of
law and order as was eventually
the case in many states of the
Federation contributing to
inconclusive elections as stated
earlier? Has the high number of
political parties also not
contributed to the very high cost
of conducting the 2019 Elections
which is reported to be the most
expensive in the history of the
country and costing 69 Billion
Naira more than the 2015
elections?
The solutions to many of the
issues highlighted above and
more lie in an urgent amendment
to the Electoral Act. Happily there
is already in place an
Amendment Act which
unfortunately failed to receive the
assent of President Buhari
ostensibly on the ground that it
was passed and presented too
close to the holding of the last
elections. How far the proposed
amendments will go to
strengthening our electoral
process and whether more needs
to be done will be discussed next
week.
To be continued.
OKOWA’S
VICTORY: Warri
S-West made
me proud
—Otuaro
DEPUTY Governor of Delta
State, Kingsley Otuaro, has
said he appreciates all Deltans for
re-electing Ifeanyi Okowa/
Kingsley Otuaro gubernatorial
ticket, stressing, however, that the
people of Warri South-West Local
Government Area made him
proud.
Otuaro spoke at his Warri
residence where he hosted a
thanksgiving/victory
party
organised by Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, stakeholders in Warri
South-West Local Government
Area, led by Itsekiri-born Mr
Blexon Omadoye and Chief
Favour Izoukumor, Commissioner
representing Ijaw Ethnic
Nationality in DESOPADEC, who
served as chairman and secretary
respectively of the organising
commitee.
Otuaro, who appreciated God
Almighty, royal fathers and the
clergy for their time and prayers
for peace during the election, said:
“It turned out to be the most
peaceful election in the history of
Warri South-West Local
Government Area.
“I want to particularly appreciate
the Ijaw and Itsekiri for coming
together as one indivisible entity
and for heeding our call to come
out en masse despite fears of
harassment by the military who
turned out to be very professional
in their conduct."
Emerhor has no
right to claim
being
senator-elect
— Ajobena
By Perez Brisibe
A
FORMER Military
Administrator of Abia State,
AVM Frank Ajobena (retd), has
asked Olorogun O’tega Emerhor
to jettison the idea of being senatorelect
for Delta Central senatorial
district following the ruling by a
Federal High Court, Asaba
upholding Chief Cyril Ogodo led-
EXCO as the legitimate executive
of All Progressives Congress, APC,
in Delta State.
Ajobene while speaking on
recent happenings in the party,
also accused Emerhor of
pretending to be in support of a
candidate from Delta North
senatorial district of the state as APC
governorship candidate during the
build up to the 2019 gubernatorial
election.
The former MILAD said: “He
created confusion among that
group (Delta North) to the extent
that they could not even come up
with a candidate.
“He didn’t want any of them to
emerge. Yet, the Ogodo-led
executive was to be the platform to
present a Delta North candidate
for the party with all the northern
candidates, including Chief Okotie
Osiobe except Chief Great Ogboru
being on the mainstream Delta
APC platform, which was being
championed by Emerhor.
“But Emerhor made sure he
created confusion among these
people to make sure none of them
emerges."

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 —41
NEWS HOTLINES
018773962,
08052867058
APC SENATORS-ELECT—The All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole (middle); flanked by YPP Senator-elect, Chief Ifeanyi Ubah (right) and others, while briefing
journalists after the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and APC Senators-Elect at the
State House, Abuja, Monday night. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.
War over NASS leadership as Ndume,
course.”
PDP blast Oshiomhole
Continues from Page 5
affected by what he
described as the
unfortunate decision of
Oshiomhole.
“I don’t even believe that
President Buhari was in the
know of what Oshiomhole
did because he didn’t make
any comment on leadership
of the 9th Assembly at the
dinner.
“We all left the place in
shock and disbelief, but my
commitment and loyalty to
the party remain.”
PDP aligns with Ndume
Senator Ndume’s
disenchantment was also
echoed by the PDP which
in a reaction agreed with the
senator that election of
presiding officers of the
National Assembly was the
sole responsibility of the two
chambers and not the
preserve of any party.
The party in a statement
by its National Publicity
Secretary, Kola
Ologbondiyan, yesterday,
while taking a swipe at
Oshiomhole, said: “It is
laughable and amounts to
empty grandstanding and
self-delusion for President
Buhari and the national
chairman of the APC,
Oshiomhole, to posture as
if the presiding offices and
c o m m i t t e e s ’
chairmanships in the
National Assembly are
exclusive rights of the
APC.
“President Buhari and
Oshiomhole should wake
up to the fact that the
National Assembly
belongs to no political
party but to all Nigerians,
who exercise their control
through their elected
representatives.
“For emphasis, Section
50 of the 1999 Constitution
(as amended) is clear in
providing that ‘There shall
be: - (a) a President and a
Deputy President of the
Senate, who shall be
elected by the members of
that House from among
themselves; and (b) a
Speaker and a Deputy
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, who
shall be elected by the
members of that House
from among themselves.
Section 92 (1) makes the
same provision for the
election of the Speaker and
Naira down at N358.5/$ in
parallel market
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
The naira yesterday depreciated to N358.5 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 N358.5 per dollar from N358.2 on Monday,
translating to 30 kobo depreciation of the naira.
However, the naira yesterday appreciated by 14
kobo in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative
exchange rate for the window dropped to N360.25
per dollar from N360.39 per dollar on Monday,
translating to 14 kobo appreciation of the naira.
The volume of dollars traded on the window rose
slightly by 37 percent to $307.05 million from
$224.85 million traded on Monday.
Deputy Speaker of State
House of Assembly.
“The PDP, therefore, does
not only have a constitutional
say in the process of the
emergence of the
leadership of the 9th
National Assembly but will,
as a matter of constitutional
right, field candidates into
presiding offices of both
chambers, if need be.
“The PDP wishes to
remind President Buhari
and Oshiomhole that the
APC had in the past
benefited from the
provisions of Section 50,
with the defection of then
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr Aminu
Tambuwal from the PDP to
the APC, in October 2014,
without relinquishing
speakership of the House to
the PDP; a development that
was applauded by President
Buhari, as then opposition
leader as well as the APC,
through it’s then National
Publicity Secretary, Lai
Mohammed.
“The former Minority
Leader of the House,
Gbajabiamila echoed the
Constitutional provision that
“the constitution requires
only that the Speaker or
Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives
shall be elected by members
of that House from among
themselves.”
The statement also noted
that “in June 2015, Terkimbi
Ikyange and Peter Azi, both
of APC, were elected
Speakers of Benue and
Plateau State Houses of
Assembly respectively,
though their party, the APC,
was the minority in both
Houses.
“The PDP notes that the
party offices in the
legislature are the Majority
and Minority Leaders and
Deputy Leaders as well as
Majority and Minority
Whips and Deputy Whips,
and our party will take
decisions on this in due
‘Ndume must toe party
line’
Meanwhile, APC party
sources have given
reasons why Lawan and
Gbajabiamila were
selected by the party to be
Senate President and
speaker.
A top party source also
dismissed the objections of
Ndume as he urged him
to follow the party
decision and not rock the
boat.
D e f e n d i n g
Oshiomhole’s
endorsement, the party
source observed that the
two men were chosen on
account of party loyalty
as he observed that
neither Lawan nor
Gbajabiamila had been a
member of the PDP.
He said: “Ndume has
a right to run, but if the
party speaks he has to
follow the party’s
direction.”
On why the party
chose the duo, he said,
“The party now wants to
go back to the zoning
which didn’t work
before. The two of them
believe in the party, and
the party does not want
those who will be
influenced from outside
negatively.
“We want people who
have been consistent
with the party, people
who are ready to work
with the party to realise
its objectives. They
(Lawan
and
Gbajabiamila) are tested
and trusted. Ndume is
also good, but when
leaders decide, there is
nothing anyone can do,
and now everyone has to
follow the guidelines
and bury their ambitions
within the purposes and
plans of the party.”
Noting that the two
men have steadfastly
been with the party, he
observed that neither of
the two had belonged to
the PDP.
“These people are
people that the party can
rely on and they have
shown commitment and
consistency to the party.
The party has spoken,
and everyone has to obey
the decision of the party,
it is not like the last
time,” the source said.
Buhari advices
Senators-Elect not to
follow Saraki’s pattern
Meanwhile, President
Buhari has advised
senators-elect not to
follow what he described
as the confrontational
example of the Bukola
Sarak Senate.
Speaking during the
dinner organised for the
senators-elect on
Monday night, he said:
“This is my fifth and last
time of standing for an
election – for that reason,
I’ll like to leave
something behind and
what I want to leave
cannot be successfully
done without your
support.
“So, that is why I’m
appealing for your
support. What happened
in the last Senate and so
on is regrettable because
I still feel it shouldn’t
take seven months to
pass a budget. You have
a very, very serious job
ahead of you.
“So, what I’m
appealing is that any
major decision you are
going to take, please
reflect more on the
country than yourself as
a person – what effect
will it have on the
country.”
In his remarks at the
dinner, Oshiomhole
boasted that the party
would not share any of
the presiding officer
positions with the PDP as
was the case in the 8th
assembly.
Leave Saraki out of
your schemes — PDP
caucus
However, the PDP
Senate caucus yesterday
called on their
counterparts in the APC
to stop dragging the
name of Senate
President Bukola Saraki,
into the schemes and
plots by Senators-elect of
the ruling party over who
and who gets elected
into the leadership of the
Ninth Senate.
In a statement signed
by Senate Minority
Leader, Senator Biodun
Olujimi, and Chairman,
Senate Committee on
Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), Sen. Dino
Melaye, the PDP caucus
stated that it had
observed closely as the
contenders for the
various Senate
leadership posts in the
APC sponsor various
publications in the
media to make it appear
that Dr. Saraki is seeking
to play a role in who
occupies the various
leadership posts in the
next Senate.
The PDP Senate caucus
warned that such
surreptitious attempts to
drag Saraki into issues
that do not concern him
would not augur well for
the smooth take-off of the
next Senate and could
only create suspicion
and ill-will among the
incumbent Senators and
the incoming ones.
“We have noted with
regret and surprise how
some Senators who are
interested in becoming
the next Senate
President and those
seeking to occupy
various leadership
positions in the next
Senate have been busy
dragging the name of
the Senate President, Dr.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki,
into their schemes for
fulfilling their ambitions.
We believe those
involved in this dirty
game are only afraid of
the shadow of the Senate
President.
“It is obvious that many
Senators and even
Senators-elect still defer
to Saraki. And this is
understandable because
he is a national leader of
the PDP. He is a
respected Senator who
has also provided solid
leadership for the
Senate. So, those who
are afraid of his
influence should find a
positive way to deal with
that, not sponsoring
falsehood in the media.
“Last week, PDP
Senators paid Dr. Saraki
a visit in his home as a
way of encouraging him
and in recognition of the
personal sacrifice that he
has had to make for
providing strong and
purposeful leadership to
the National Assembly,
for protecting the
independence of the
legislature and judiciary,
separation of powers,
inclusiveness in a multiethnic
and multireligious
Nigeria and
working for the creation
of a conducive
environment for business
to thrive. Those who are
not sure of their grounds
in their quest for Senate
leadership are busy
putting a spin on that
visit.
“Let it be known that no
matter the mischief
being sponsored by these
spineless people, Dr.
Saraki knows that it is
the duty of all Senators
in the Ninth Senate to
elect their Senate
President and other
leaders. Nobody from
outside the Senate has
such powers. It is also
the right of every Senator
to aspire to that position as
stated by the constitution.
He has benefitted from this
practice of Senators within
the chambers exercising the
right. He is conscious of
this fact and will not be a
party to any plan to seize
or interfere with the
process of evolving the
leadership of the Ninth
Senate.”

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MARCH 27, 2019
BY: Chioma Onuegbu
Many had feared
that the elections
in Akwa Ibom
would be violent, but it
turned out not to be?
Akwa Ibom State was
nearly was a major
flashpoint, but with the
studied management and
manoeuvring of the
leadership of this state, it
was not.
You were also aware that
there were hired thugs, we
got them arrested by our
youths and on the strong
advise and the direction of
the governor who is forever
law abiding. They were
even lucky if they were left
in the hands of some of us
they would have had their
bodies floating in our
rivers. You see the damning
thing about it is that some
of them said they were
coming for burial. I wish
the governor had allowed
them to go for the burial.
Are you not worried
about the delay in
announcing the Rivers
State 2019 election
results?
To use the term worry is a
gross understatement of
the disgrace and depth of
rot which the federal
authorities have displayed
to seize the authority to
govern the oil-rich South-
South states. This is
particularly displayed by
their incompetence and
fumbling in the Rivers
State matter. If they
exposed anything like
brilliance in their attempt
to force another
government on the people,
it would have been
tolerable. And the belief
that sheer crude force will
earn them the theft and
custody of the mandate of
the people leaves us and
every self-discerning
person completely aghast.
The management of the
entire 2019 election of this
country has been a source
of major embarrassment.
When you look at the
population of this country
and the number of credible
intellectuals which have
been produced by the
various systems of
education, it is a source of
utter embarrassment; the
level of incompetence, lack
of brilliance and obvious
discrepancies in the
character of those that
purported to have managed
this election. And you want
to compare the election
with other smaller
countries even along the
West coast of Africa. At the
same time, we had the
elections; there were
elections in Senegal. Before
then there had been
elections in two other
countries, and also our
closest sister country
Ghana. And Ghana today is
a shining example of a
seamless transition from
one government to another.
So for us, it has been a
This election has
embarrassed Nigeria
—Sen. Okon
Senator Anietie Okon, is the pioneer publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic
Party, PDP and a prominent voice of the party in Akwa Ibom State and the South-
South region In this interview, he opens up on how the 2015 General Election in
his view turned into an embarrassment for him.
Excerpts:
major embarrassment. And
for us to find ourselves
below those standards of
third world countries is the
worst form of
embarrassment to the sea
of intellectuals, brilliant
minds that populate
Nigeria. And it is no thanks
to the pre-meditated and
global headed attempts to
rig the elections and for
people who stand up and
trumpet integrity and
transparency.
But with the situation, do
you see your party, the
PDP winning at the end?
No matter how long and
whatever they tried to do
the resolve the people is
very clear. And I think right
now there is the remaining
shrank of integrity and
credibility left to INEC,
and that is why they are
grabbing at it with all
claws.
As a concerned
stakeholder and elder
statesman, what would be
your advice to INEC on
The British
themselves never
supported our
independence, so
it is only a matter
of time. They
either be part of
it or lose
completely.
Restructuring is
the only answer
to problems of
this country.
the situation?
I have no advise. Our
position is very clear that
the mandate given to Wike
must be reinstated and
reinforced. That could be
the beginning and end of
this country, and we know
it. It is tottering on its
•Senator Anietie Okon
borders. It was clear when
they had some miscreants
and pretenders, people who
had plundered their
mandate by the blasphemy
they exhibited and brought
to bear on the
commonwealth of their
people, those who boasted
that in three hours they
would deliver the entire
South-South to the
opposition APC.
Do you see the actions in
Rivers State as an act of
desperation by the APC
led federal government to
get the oil-rich states at all
cost?
It is obvious. It is more
than desperation if as
reported they found it
possible to move over 600
soldiers from Zamfara
which is a hotbed for
insecurity and banditry to
Rivers to inflict disaster on
the people of Rivers State.
In the first place, the law is
very clear, that the army
had no role in the
management and conduct
of elections. And then we
saw live reports on their
interference, the unlawful
breach of privacy of
individuals and the attempt
to weave some stupid
stories about some
commissioners they found
with money. And what is
N200,000 or N250,000?
And you see the president
is beginning to wash his
hands off the carnage,
otherwise, why will Army
suddenly set up an
investigation, why will
INEC distance itself from
the entire confusion that
was generated by their
muddled approach to
managing the Rivers State
thing. They thought they
could use guns and harass
the people. These are
people who are ready to
fight and defend their right,
the endowment God has
given to them. What they
want is to lay their hands
on the oil resources of this
region. But they forget that
normal human
reasonableness, in the
management of people who
are better exposed and
intellectually better
endowed than those who by
British malfeasance were
given the majority number
in this country. And they
have failed to learn from it.
How else do you explain
that the NNPC is building
four power stations in the
north and not bothered
about it? We shall see. That
is why restructuring must
come to be.
But the APC led- federal
government that has been
re-elected does not
support the restructuring
this region is clamouring
for. Do you think it will
see the light of the day?
The British themselves
never supported our
independence, so it is only
a matter of time. They
either be part of it or lose
completely. Restructuring
is the only answer to
problems of this country,
and it is not as if it is a
strange thing. In the days
of our fathers, there was
true federalism in which
the centre was sustained by
the determined
contribution from the parts,
and that is what it is all
about.
Whether President Buhari
likes it or not, it will come
through. And the electoral
battle is not over. We are
heading to as far as the
Supreme Court, to regain
the mandate of the people.
There will be sanctions on
them because the
arithmetic did not add up.
It is so obvious, and that is
why they are finding it
difficult to authenticate the
results because in the first
place these are things they
sat down and wrote. It is
like they are in complete
variance with the real
figures. And that is why the
president refused to sign
the amendment to the
Electoral Bill which would
have completely digitalized
and upgraded the
management of the results.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY MARCH 27, 2019 — 43
SUSPENDED POLLS: PDP, APC
tango over security threats, fraud
By Clifford Ndujihe
& Egufe Yafugborhi
FIVE days to the resumption
of electoral processes by
the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC,
to conclude the governorship
and state assembly polls in
Rivers State, the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, and All
Progressives Congress, APC,
are at each other's throat over
alleged threats to peace and
credible elections.
Although, the APC is not
taking part in the governorship
election, the party has adopted
the African Action Congress,
AAC Candidate, Biokpomabo
Awara and considers itself a
major participant in the poll.
Midway into the elections on
March 9, the Independent
National Electoral Commission,
INEC, suspended the exercise
citing snatching of electoral
materials and violence among
others.
However, last week, the
electoral umpire, fixed between
April 2 and April 5 for the
resumption of collation and
announcement of the polls
results, and between April 13
and 15 for supplementary poll
and April 15 and
announcement of all results.
Ahead of the resumption of
the electoral activities, the
Rivers PDP, yesterday, alerted
security agencies over alleged
''fresh threat to law and order''
being incubated by the APC.
APC countered the PDP and
also flayed Mr. Akpo Bomba
Yeeh, the AAC deputy
governorship candidate, who
on Monday defected to the
PDP.
How APC is inciting violence –
PDP
State chairman of the PDP, Mr.
Felix Obuah, in a statement by
his Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity, Mr. Jerry
Needam, said: ''The Rivers
State chapter of the Peoples
Democratic Party has again
raised alarm and wants the
security agencies to take note
of inciting statements to cause
breach of the law and order in
the State by card carrying
members of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, under the guise
of civil society organizations.''
PDP said its renewed alarm
was against the backdrop of
fresh threats by one Jackson
Omenazu, a close ally of the
Transportation Minister, Rotimi
Amaechi and staunch APC
member during Monday,
March 25, 2019 protest by the
so called International Society
of Social Justice and ‘Human
Rights and Advocate for Justice’
at the office of the Director for
State Services (DSS) and the
police in Port Harcourt.
The statement described as
worrisome the penchant to set
the state on fire by APC
•Amaechi
members and surrogates, and
more shocking, ''the effrontery
to boast before the security
agencies of their intentions, yet
the law enforcement officers
tend to turn deaf ears to such
threats.''
The State PDP recalled
similar alarms over pre-election
''APC’s macabre songs and
beating of war drums to which
the PDP also raised alarm but
were not followed up, the result
of which were the avoidable
killings and destruction of
properties of Rivers people in
parts of the State during the
2019 general elections.
''We are calling on the security
agencies for the umpteenth
time, the PDP noted, that
Jackson Omenazu is only
fronting for Mr. Amaechi and
the APC using the claimed
‘civic society organization’ as an
umbrella and should be put
under watch and better still,
investigated over inciting
statements against the peace of
the state.''
PDP crying wolf where there is
none – APC leaders
Countering, APC leaders
displayed what they described
as ''Rivers State Election fraud-
Facts, Questions and Answers''
arguing that the PDP allegedly
militarised the 2015 election
compared to what is happening
now.
According to them, ''in spite of
the huge Military involvement
in that election (2015), no
soldier was reported shot dead
by armed political thugs
because the then opposition
APC, unlike the then ruling
PDP did not recruit and arm our
youths with lethal weapons
during the elections to shoot at
sight anyone who tried to stop
them from snatching election
materials.''
They added that in 2015,
•Wike
''armed militants recruited by
PDP, openly enjoyed the
protection of the police and
military terrorized and chased
away both opponents and
voters into hiding, hijacked
sensitive election materials,
wrote millions of ghost votes for
themselves'' got the INEC to
declare PDP winner.
They continued:
''Comparatively in the 2019
elections, the APC controls the
Federal Government, PDP is in
opposition. The roles reversed.
Military involved also in the
elections but this time more as
a repelling force against the
activities of armed political
thugs, to create the enabling
environment for citizens to vote
than as a participant in the
elections.
''At least four military
personnel were shot dead and
two lying in critical conditions
in various parts of the state
including Abonnema, Khana,
Obio Akpor by thugs with
illegal arms procured for then
by the political actors.''
Questions for INEC
Ahead of the resumption of
electoral activities, the APC
leaders asked if it was possible
to have election results in 17
local councils since the INEC
said it's reasons for suspending
the polls were widespread
violence, and disruption of the
electoral process across the 23
local councils. ''How could the
electoral process have
overcome the purported
massive violence and
disruption to produce over 70
per cent return of results from
the field?''
Alleging that the PDP and
INEC were colluding, the APC
leaders claimed that in 15 of the
23 local councils most of the
adhoc staff were PDP members.
''Knowing what we all know
about the INEC -Wike joint
venture, can anyone in good
conscience hold the view that if
indeed the incoming results
were in favour of the incumbent
PDP candidate, this INEC team
would have stampeded the
INEC headquarters into the
suspension decision using the
clearly false alarm of
widespread violence as they
did? Rather they would rush to
announce the results instead of
holding back the results for
weeks with the high probability
of releasing them
contaminated,'' they added.
Indeed, a chieftain of the
APC, Mr. Ibinabo Green, who
hails from Obio-Akpor, said
with the backing of the APC, the
AAC candidate was trouncing
Wike at the poll before it was
suspended by the INEC.
His words: ''Governor Wike
stated that 'the AAC candidate
is a nobody and therefore
cannot win the Rivers State
election.' Wike forgets that AAC
was adopted by APC, and APC
put its complete strength and
weight behind AAC.
''As the polls rose in favour of
the AAC candidate, to the shock
and dismay of Wike, INEC in
collaboration with the Governor
Wike resorted to suspending
the collation of results. This
sudden suspension as
intended, gave rise to
fraudulent malpractices and
the falsification of results.
''However, seven LGA's had
already collated and
announced results that
frightened the governor. Wike
claims that the military
disrupted the elections. This is
purely the statement of a sore
loser. He should be
commending the military like
the rest of Rivers State for
maintaining the peace and
keeping the casualties of
elections in Rivers State at its
barest minimum compared to
2015.
''Wike and INEC claim that
collation is under way and
results will be released
accordingly. This begs the
questions: On the day collation
was unlawfully suspended,
which INEC staff/officials
stayed back to gather results
and materials? Exactly which
results are being collated now?
Which party agents are present
during this so called collation?
Which security agencies are
securing this process? Where
exactly is this so called collation
taking place?'
DEFECTION TO PDP: You
yielded to stomach
infrastructure, APC tells Yeeh
The APC alleged that
Monday’s defection, by Akpo
Bomba Yeeh, Rivers African
Action Congress, AAC, deputy
governorship candidate, to the
Peoples Democratic Candidate,
PDP, was in sheer response to
financial inducement.
Spokesman of Transport
Minister, Rotimi Amaechi’s
faction of Rivers APC, Chris
Finebone, in statement also
said Akpo lied about the
scathing allegations against the
minister, in the public
declaration of his defection and
withdrawal as running mate to
AAC’s candidate, Biokpomabo
Awara.
Finebone said: "We (APC) are
not surprised at the news that
the Deputy Governorship
candidate of the AAC has
resigned membership of his
party to join (Governor Nyesom)
Wike...We are only reacting to
his decision because we
adopted his principal, AAC's
governorship candidate, Awara
and the fact that Mr Akpo for
want of justification for his
action is struggling to lie about
the Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi.
"Even the retarded of the
house knows Mr. Akpo simply
responded to demands of his
sedimentary canal, which many
now referred to as stomach
infrastructure...We wish him
well, but only want to inform Mr.
Akpo that even as he struggled
to read from a script written by
others, that in the few days he
came close, he had no
opportunity to know or
associate with the Minister, as
to be in position to say what he's
claiming."
Among other allegations,
Akpo in the declaration of his
withdrawal from the AAC, had
accused Amaechi of boasting
that he had perfected plans,
including engagement of the
military to rig AAC to victory in
the 2019 governorship while
also forcing him (Akpo) to sign
an undertaken to, upon
swearing in, resign his position
as deputy governor.

44 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) walks from a Democratic Caucus meeting after Special Counsel
Robert Mueller found no evidence of collusion between U.S. President Donald Trump s campaign and
Russia
Algeria army urges removal of President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Algeria’s army chief
of staff has demanded
President Abdelaziz
Bouteflika be declared
unfit to rule after
weeks of protests against
him. Speaking on television,
Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed
Salah said: “We must find
a way out of this crisis immediately,
within the constitutional
framework.”
The president has already
agreed not to stand
for a fifth term in upcoming
elections, which have
been delayed. Demonstrators
accuse the 82-
year-old of a ploy to prolong
his 20-year rule.
Talks have been set up
to oversee the country’s
political transition, draft a
new constitution and set
the date for elections. But
they do not yet have a
date to start. Protests
against Mr Bouteflika
began last month after
the president, who has
rarely been seen in public
since suffering a stroke
in 2013, said he planned
to stand for another term.
But people have continued
to march even after
he agreed not to stand,
U
.S. President Don
ald Trump’s decision
to recognise Israel’s
sovereignty over the Golan
Heights united Washington’s
Gulf Arab allies
and regional foe Iran in
condemnation on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia, the United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
Qatar and Kuwait
criticised Monday’s
move to recognise Israel’s
1981 annexation and
said the territory was occupied
Arab land. Riyadh
and Abu Dhabi said it
was an impediment to
peace.
Iran echoed the com-
instead demanding immediate
change.
Lt Gen Gaed Salah -
who is also deputy defence
minister and seen
as loyal to Mr Bouteflika
had previously said the
military and the people
had a united vision of the
future, hinting at the
US House fails to override Trump
veto on border wall
THE U.S. House of
Representatives on
Tuesday failed to override
President Donald
Trump’s first veto, leaving
in place the “national
emergency” he declared
last month to build a U.S.-
Mexico border wall that
Congress has not funded.
Democrats who control
the House did not attract
enough Republican support
to reach the twothirds
majority vote needed
to overturn Trump’s
veto. Just 14 Republicans
joined 234 Democrats in
voting to override, one
more Republican than
had bucked Trump in a
previous House vote on
the border wall emergency.
One Democrat and
two Republicans did not
vote. With the 248-181 tally,
Trump is now likely to
continue scouring federal
accounts for money he
wants redirected to building
a border wall, his signature
issue.
However, House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
vowed lawmakers would
keep trying to block
Trump’s move through
the regular congressional
process of appropriat-
Gulf Arabs, Iran reject recognition of
Golan Heights as Israeli
ments, describing
Trump’s decision as unprecedented
this century.
“No one could imagine
that a person in America
comes and gives land of
a nation to another occupying
country, against
international laws and
conventions,” President
Hassan Rouhani was
quoted as saying by state
news agency IRNA.
Trump, with visiting Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu looking
over his shoulder during
a visit to Washington,
signed a proclamation on
Monday officially granting
U.S. recognition of the
armed forces’ support for
the demonstrators.
Lt Gen Gaed Salah said
the constitution was “the
only guarantee to preserve
a stable political situation”,
and called for the
use of Article 102, which
allows the Constitutional
Council to declare the
position of president vacant
if the leader is unfit
Golan Heights as Israeli
territory.
Israel captured the Golan
Heights from Syria in
a 1967 war and annexed
it in 1981, in a move the
U.N. Security Council
declared unlawful.
“It will have significant
negative effects on the
peace process in the Middle
East and the security
and stability of the region,”
said a statement on
Saudi state news agency
SPA.
It described the declaration
as a clear violation
of the United Nations
Charter and of international
law.
to rule.
“This solution achieves
consensus and must be
accepted by all,” he said
to the applause of officers
watching the speech.
Under the constitution,
the head of the Senate,
Abdelkhader Bansallah,
would become the acting
head of state until an
election could be held.
ing funds, as well as reviewing
his declaration of
emergency again six
months from now.
The battle over Trump’s
emergency declaration
also shifts to the courts,
with various legal challenges
already underway.
A coalition of 16
states sued in February to
block Trump’s move.
Trump declared the national
emergency on Feb.
15 in an attempt to bypass
Congress and move taxpayer
funds for the wall
away from other uses already
approved by the
legislature. Bipartisan
majorities of both the
House and Senate rejected
his move, voting to
terminate the emergency
before the president vetoed
their resolution on
March 15.
Democrats argued the
Republican president
had overstepped his authority
by going around
Congress, because the
legislature has the power
to control spending
under the U.S. Constitution.
We take an oath to
the Constitution, not to
the president of the United
States,” Pelosi said on
the House floor.
But Republicans insisted
Trump had acted legally
under a 1976 law
known as the National
Emergencies Act, under
which previous presidents
had declared dozens
of emergencies.
Around 1.85 mln people
affected by cyclone in
Mozambique — UN
About 1.85 million people have now been affect
ed by Cyclone Idai and its aftermath in Mozambique
alone, U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA said
on Tuesday, as aid workers raced to fathom the scale
of the disaster and determine what help is most urgently
needed. “Some will be in critical, life threatening
situations. Some will sadly have lost their livelihoods,
which whilst an appalling tragedy is not immediately
life threatening,” OCHA coordinator Sebastian
Rhodes Stampa said.
Idai flattened homes and provoked widespread
flooding when it made landfall near the Mozambique
port city of Beira on March 14. It then ripped through
neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi.
At least 686 people have been killed by the storm
and its aftermath across the three countries, a figure
that could rise as relief workers prepare for what they
say are inevitable outbreaks of diseases including
malaria and cholera.
Mozambique remains the hardest hit by the humanitarian
crisis with tens of thousands of homes destroyed
and hundreds of thousands displaced across
an area of some 3,000 square km - roughly the size of
Luxembourg. “We can determine the size, we can’t
determine the circumstance. So we’re now going out
on the ground, dropping people off from helicopters
to determine what the critical needs are,” Stampa said.
U.S. top court backs Sudan
over American sailors in USS
Cole bombing case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday prevented
American sailors injured in the deadly 2000 al
Qaeda bombing of the Navy destroyer USS Cole from
collecting $314.7 million in damages from the government
of Sudan for its alleged role in the attack.
In a 8-1 ruling, the justices overturned a lower court’s
decision that had allowed the sailors to collect the
damages from certain banks that held Sudanese assets.
The decision represented a major victory for
Sudan, which denies that it provided any support to
al Qaeda for the attack in Yemen.
Sudan was backed by President Donald Trump’s
administration in the case. In the ruling, the justices
agreed with Sudan that the lawsuit had not been properly
initiated in violation of U.S. law because the
claims were delivered in 2010 to the African country’s
embassy in Washington rather than to its minister of
foreign affairs in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
“Sudan is pleased with the decision,” said Christopher
Curran, who represented Sudan’s government
in the case. “No one disputes that the sailors on the
Cole were the victims of a brutal terrorist attack. But
Sudan vehemently disputes any culpability in that
attack, and is determined to clear its name.”
Burundi releases schoolgirls
held for scribbling on
president's portrait
Burundi has released three schoolgirls whose de
tention over accusations of scribbling on President
Pierre Nkurunziza’s picture in textbooks had led
to an international outcry.
The three girls were the last still being held from a
group of seven children arrested earlier this month in
Kirundo province, in Burundi’s northeast some 200
kilometres from the commercial capital Bujumbura.
All were accused of insulting Nkurunziza by defacing
his image.
A regional court in Kirundo had decided last
Wednesday to proceed with a full trial against the
three. But Aimée Laurentine Kanyana, the minister
for justice, told state broadcaster RTNB that the girls
had been given provisional release. Future cases would
result in prosecutions, she said.
“We call on parents to strengthen the education of
their children. We remind children that they have to
respect authorities, that the age of criminal responsibility
is 15,” she said.
Zuma’s flamboyant son
tried for culpable homicide
A
flamboyant son of South Africa’s scandal-hit
former President Jacob Zuma has gone on trial
on a charge of culpable homicide. Duduzane Zuma is
being prosecuted over the death of Zimbabwean national
Phumzile Dube, who was killed when his Porsche
collided with a minibus taxi in 2014 on a major
highway in South Africa’s economic heartland of Gauteng.
He has pleaded not guilty.
The state withdrew a second culpable homicide
charge related to the death Nanki Jeanette, another
passenger in the taxi. A South African journalist has
tweeted a photo of Duduzane Zuma in court: Duduzane
Zuma first gained notoriety over his business
relationship with the controversial Gupta family.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 45
editor@yahoo.com
Just concluded 2019
Presidential and NASS
elections
The Presidential and National Assembly
elections has come and gone,
as expected in a democracy setting ,
Nigerians have made their choices,
winners and losers have since been
announced by the electoral umpire.
The process was generally peaceful
with large turnout of voters, one
must condemn in strong terms the
violence exhibited in some states
leading to the untimely death of
innocent citizens. Independent
National Electoral Commission,
INEC did its best but the politicians
sabotage her effort. No elections in
the world is one hundred percent
perfect otherwise the Americans
would not be investigating the
election that brought President
Donald Trump to power three years
into his four years term. I appeal to
all Nigerians to desist from violence
and any aggrieved candidates should
approached the appropriate elections
petition tribunal for redress as stipulated
by extant laws.
Barr Ayo Olalere, writes from
Apete Ibadan, Oyo state
08060782216
Atiku’s comments on pres-
idential elections
I totally disagree with Atiku
Abubakar on 23rd February 2019
election. The election was free, fair
and credible as confirmed by both
local and international observers,
even PDP leaders knew that the
election was credible. The People
Democratic Party, PDP just wanted
to deceived Nigerians to achieved
their selfish interests. The worst
elections in the history of Nigeria
were that of 2003 and 2007, all the
electroal frauds committed during
the 16years of PDP misrule is still
fresh in our minds.
Usman Hassan 08131822223
On restructuring of Nigeria
My fear is since President Buhari
rejected restructuring now that he
has won again how does he intend
to achieve equity, fairness and justice?
How does President Buhari
intend to sincerely wholeheartedly
unite Nigerians? Because attacking
the IPOB and Niger Delta militants
can never unite Nigeria.
Romanus
Ndehigwo
08024209181
Crashed VP’s helicopter
Is the economy so bad that the Federal
Government is using a second
handed helicopter? There are no
parking space in the air. Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo should please
called off his helicopters shuttle, Nigerians
has already made up their
minds on who and who to vote for.
This is not America where a last
minute campaign can swing vote in
favour. The crowd at campaign venue
can be deceptive.
Barr. Ayo Olalere 08060782216
President Buhari’s led APC
administration and the next
level slogan
Hungry and poverty in the land!
Everything under this APC government
has gone from bad to worse, a
government that tell Nigerians the
choice they have is either to lose your
land to Fulani herdsmen or lose your
lives! A national government that
watches while Nigerians is been
murdered in their homes, farms,
mosques and churches, what a
shame and total failure. Now, the
APC government has changed it slogan
from change to next level , how
would a nation progress without
change? Enough for all of this, what
Nigerians demands is better governance
that will carter for their needs
not this magic been displayed.
Prince Oki Churchill
08056126016
INEC registering 91 polit-
ical parties in Nigeria
The Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC said to have
registered a total of 91 political
parties in Nigeria, a country with
over 250 ethnic groups and is poised
to continue doing so. Is the political
party a forum for sharing money in
Nigeria? If that is so what becomes
of those Nigerians that shone politics?
Why registering 91 political parties?
Any number more than 5 is a
mess of the political landscape of Nigeria.
There is urgent need to restructure
INEC and the political landscape.
Barr Anthony Obi 08056009586
Activities of smugglers in
Nigeria’s borders
The Nigeria Customs Service
should confiscate and seize all the
assets of smugglers in order to serve
as deterrent to others. Economic
criminals must be prosecuted and
jailed for life or 21 years imprisonment.
President Buhari can not revive
our economy without crushing
economic sabotage. National Assembly
should please make relevant laws
to that effect.
Dalha Usman 08024970065
Postponement of general
elections by INEC
It would be misnomer to single out
INEC for our culture of incompetence.
The logistics challenges INEC
faced was mostly about our entire
national failure. Hoped that all hands
would be on deck to ensure that we
mitigate this embarrassment on the
rescheduled day. The truth is we
need to get to the foundation of our
problem and address our structural
challenges to get Nigeria working
again.
Solo Aloba 07052624455
SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS
Disappointments were not meant to destroy you. They were meant to
strengthen you & give you fortitude to accomplish your God-given
destiny.
- Hausa proverb
Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings
or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable.
Address your sayings to: wwwsimade@yahoo.co.uk
Ronaldo’s
injury minor
Juventus have announced that Cris
tiano Ronaldo picked up a ‘minor’
thigh injury while playing for Portugal.
Ronaldo’s involvement in the first leg
of Juve’s Champions League quarter-final
against Ajax was thrown into doubt after
he hobbled off with a suspected hamstring
problem during Portugal’s 1-1 draw with
Serbia on Monday.
However, a medical report on Juve’s official
website confirmed tests only
showed ‘an apparent minor injury’ to his
right thigh flexor, suggesting he should
be fit in time for the trip to Amsterdam.
TOWERING above all the players on the
pitch Super Eagles, new comer Paul
Onuachu scored an eight seconds goal in
the international friendly between Nigeria
and Egypt at the Stephen Keshi Stadium
Asaba, Delta State yesterday.
Onuachu who made his debut as a sub
...to play more friendlies before AFCON
Nigeria Football Federation will arrange two more
friendly games for the Super Eagles before the Africa
Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The Super Eagles squared up with the AFCON hosts,
Egypt yesterday in Asaba, and according to a communique
released by the NFF executive committee, the next
FIFA window of June 3 and June 11 will be used to arrange
matches for the Eagles. The 32nd edition of the
AFCON in Egypt will hold from June 15 to July 13.
Hazard in pole position
to sign for Madrid
WITH each passing day another
name is linked with a move to Real
Madrid, but one always remains
Eden Hazard continues to be the bestplaced
player to join Zinedine Zidane’s
squad for next season. The move has been on
the cards for quite a while now and it won’t
come as much of a surprise if he leaves London
for the Spanish capital this summer.
Chelsea are currently trying to convince
their main man to extend his contract, which
will expire in 2020, and with UEFA’s transfer
ban they will do their best to hold on to Hazard.
Mbappé ready to ask
for Madrid move
Real Madrid are targeting the sum
mer signing of Kylian Mbappé
and, according to a report on Spanish TV, the
Frenchman is eager to make the move happen.
Speaking on the programme ‘El Chiringuito,
the journalist Eduardo Inda claimed
that Mbappé, 20, has already spoken to
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, and has told
his compatriot that he’s prepared to ask Paris
Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi
for a transfer. Inda also reported that
Madrid could look to persuade Al-Khelaifi
to do business by including two players,
James Rodríguez and Isco, in a deal for the
striker.
•Ronaldo
Onuachu strikes down Pharaohs
of Egypt in Asaba
•Mbappé
when the Super Eagles beat Seychelles 3-
1 in the African Cup of Nations qualifier
last Friday, raced on to a pass from John
Ogu, outwitted Egyptian defender
Mahmoud Trezeguet, picked his spot and
fired home from outside the box.
After that 8 th seconds goal the Eagles
pushed on and Alex Iwobi was almost
getting the second but was denied by
•Hazard
keeper Genesh
Mahmoud.
Iwobi was on hand
again for a second try
after a solo effort from
Henry Onyekuru,
however, the Arsenal
winger’s shot was
blocked by Tarek
Hamed.
In the second half the
Egyptians came strongly
into the game and
Ikechukwu Ezenwa who
came for Daniel Akpeyi
was brilliant making a
flying save from a long
range shot and then
closing down the
rebound by Amr Wada.
UEFA charges
Montenegro
over Sterling
abuse
UEFA
has
charged Montenegro
with racist behaviour
following the
abuse suffered by England
players in their
Euro 2020 qualifier in
Podgorica on Monday.
England won 5-1 but
the match was overshadowed
by racist
chanting from some
home fans directed at
several England players,
including Danny
Rose.
Uefa said “disciplinary
proceedings” had
been opened against
Montenegro with one
charge for “racist behaviour”.
•Sterling

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
•Aguirre
•Okechukwu
anchester United forward Marcus
MRashford is a summer transfer
target for Barcelona as the Spanish
champions look for a long-term Luis
Suarez replacement.
Suarez has scored 21 times in 39
appearances for his club during the 2018-
19 season, but the Uruguay international
will be 33 in the early stages of next year.
A new centre-forward is believed to be
a priority for Barca in this summer’s
transfer window, although it is understood
that Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann
is not under consideration.
Pogba wants to leave Man United
Why I dropped Salah
— Pharaohs’ coach, Aguirre
By Solomon Nwoke, Asaba
Pharaohs of Egypt head coach,
Javier Aguirre has given
reason why the Liverpool
henchman, Mohammed Salah was not
in the squad that played against the
Super Eagles in the friendly match
saying that he’s trying to use the
match to sample out other
upcoming players in his team.
The Pharaohs coach told
journalists at the Stephen
Keshi Stadium in Asaba that
apart from Salah, there are
other players like West Brom’s
central defender Ahmed
Hegazi and Aston Villa’s
winger Ahmed Elmohamady
who didn’t make it to Asaba.
He said, “I decided not to
bring Salah and other players
because I want to watch other
U-23 captain, Okechukwu praises team-mates
•Assures of AFCON qualification
By Solomon Nwoke, Asaba
kipper of the National
SU-23 team and Rizespor
midfielder, Azubuike
Okechukwu has expressed
deep feelings for his side
after they thrashed their
Libyan counterparts 4 - 0
Monday evening at the
Stephen Keshi
Stadium, Asaba to
book their place in
the third and final
round of the 2019
Africa Cup of
Nations qualifiers.
The U-23 skipper
maintained that
they were not under
pressure to cancel
out their 2-0 loss in
the first leg
stressing that the
team boast of
young and talented
players.
He said after their initial
set back at Tunisia, they
(players) held series of
meetings to up their game
a little bit before the
reverse leg.
Okechukwu said shortly
after the crucial encounter,
‘’We were not under
pressure actually, coming
Barcelona eye Rashford swoop
According to Mundo Deportivo, Rashford
is on the list, though, with the Spanish
champions keen to explore the possibility of
signing the 21-year-old at the end of the 2018-
19 campaign.
Rashford is yet to sign a new long-term
contract with United, but the Red Devils have
the option to extend the England
international’s deal until the summer of 2021.
This season, the attacker has scored 12
times and registered nine assists in 38
appearances in all
competitions for the 20-time
English champions.
aul Pogba has reportedly decided that he wants
Pto secure a move away from Manchester United
this summer.
The France international has enjoyed a positive
few months under caretaker boss Ole Gunnar •Rashford
Solskjaer, and it appeared that the 26-yearold
was content with life at Old Trafford.
However, Pogba recently described Real
Madrid as ‘a dream club’ and it has been
suggested over the past week that it was a
calculated approach to show that he did not
see his long-term future in England.
According to AS, Pogba is keen to take on
a new challenge elsewhere and
representative Mino Raiola is making an attempt
to secure this player a deal at another club.
Real are likely to be in competition with Pogba’s
former club Juventus, with both clubs hoping to
capitalise on Pogba having just over two years
remaining on his contract.
•Walker
back home we knew we were
going to have the fans just like
the 12th man in the team.
‘’We knew we were going to
do better, we had enough time
traveling from the first game.
We came back and we trained
with the players coming in.
‘’So basically we are fine and
going forward I think these
crop of players are wonderful,
we had several meetings
before the game on our own
and then we had to do so. Going
forward will be better than
this.’’
He urged Nigerians to be
calm and remain supportive of
the team as they look forward
to third round of qualifiers.
‘’I have been in this
situation before, with the last
U-23. Every game is difficult. I
think with the crop of players
in the team, if we come together
and continue to train like we
did for the last three days,
going forward I think we’ll do
better than we’ve done today’’,
he said.
It would be recalled that
Okechukwu was a member of
the team that won the U-23
Africa Cup of Nations in 2015
and represented the country at
the Olympic Games in Brazil a
year later.
new players. I just want to use these friendlies with
Niger Republic and Nigeria to watch new players
I am looking forward to including in my squad for
the 2019 AFCON.
“Salah is an important player no doubt but it
was my decision to leave him out in order to watch
other upcoming players. I have about six to seven
players from the local league in the squad to let
them know that it’s a big responsibility to be in
the national team. And also, sometimes the young
players need exposure to the players that are more
experienced. To be honest, the guys so far are doing
very well in and out the team and I’m happy for
them”.
•Drogba
•Pogba
Walker quits Manchester United
anchester United coach Gary Walker has announced he is
Mleaving the club.
Walker has been the Red Devils’ head of strength and
conditioning for the past 11 years and will move to the
MLS, where he has secured a job as Director
of Sports Performance at FC Cincinnati.
The coach joined the Old Trafford club all
the way back in March 2008 before he was
promoted in July 2010.
Walker announced he is leaving on Twitter, where
he thanked all five of the managers he has worked
under while at Manchester United and wished Ole
Gunnar Solskjaer all the best for the future.
The coach wrote: “All good things must come to
an end. After 11 years, the time has come to leave
this great club.
“I’ve had some amazing experiences at Man Utd
and made some incredible friends and memories.
“A huge thank you to all of the managers, staff
and players that I have worked with.
Drogba back at the Bridge!
helsea legend Didier
CDrogba will make an
emotional playing return to
Stamford Bridge this summer
as part of Soccer Aid 2019.
The Blues hero, who won 12
major honours with Chelsea, is
set to be confirmed as one of
the former professionals to
play in the annual charity
match, scheduled to take place
on June 16.
It will be the first time
Drogba, 41, has played at his
spiritual home since leaving his
second spell at the club back
in 2015.
Drogba, who scored 164
goals during his two spells at
the club, is sure to receive a
hero’s reception back at the
Bridge when he turns out for
the Rest of the World to play
against England given his
legendary status among
Chelsea supporters.
The game at Stamford Bridge
is the first time Soccer Aid has
•Omeruo
U-23 AFCON:
Sudan’s final
qualification
hurdle for Eagles
Sudan will be the last hurdle for
the Nigerian U-23 Super Eagles
in their quest to qualify for the Under-
23 African Cup of Nations billed for
Egypt from November 8-22.
The first leg qualification tie is slated
for June 5 in Khartoum, Sudan and the
reverse leg will come up on June 9 in
Asaba, Delta State tentatively.
Nigeria beat Libya on Monday on 4-
2 goals aggregate to set up the date
with the Sudanese, Nigerian football
fans will not forget how they denied
the Golden Eaglets the chance to
defend their title at the 2017 U-17 FIFA
World Cup in India.
Libya provided a scare for the
Nigerian team after they won the first
leg 2-0. But in the second leg the
introduction of Victor Osimhen and
Samuel Chukwueze proved decisive
for the team coached by Imama
Amapakabo
“We knew nothing about the Libyans
in the first leg and paid for it,”
Amapakabo told media after the game.
“The players came out stronger in
this game especially in the second half
against a defensive team.”
been played at a club stadium
other than Old Trafford in its
13-year history.
In recent months, the
former striker’s foundation
has helped pay for a new
mobile heart clinic, opened a
new school as well as
providing computer facilities
for various educational
projects.
‘I am very excited to be
coming back to Stamford
Bridge to play in Soccer Aid
for Unicef,’ Drogba said.
‘I am passionate about all
children having access to
healthcare and education,
which is key to Unicef’s work
around the world. I’m
delighted that my foundation
and UNICEF are planning a
project together in Cote
D’Ivoire. Together we can
help make a real difference to
so many children’s lives, and
have a greater impact than
ever before.’
Omeruo keen on
Leganes stay
enneth Omeruo would like to make a
Kpermanent move to Spanish side
Leganes when his current loan ends.
Omeruo, who joined the La Liga side in
August for a seventh loan move away from
Chelsea since he joined them in 2012, is due
to return in July.
The 25-year-old has made 24 appearances
since moving to the Spanish side.
“The football here suits my style and the
club provides a stable platform for me,” he
told BBC Sport.
“The opportunity to play against the best
players in the world is massive for my career.
“There is an option for Leganes to sign
me on a permanent basis and hopefully
that will happen.”
Omeruo, who is yet to play a competitive
game for Chelsea where he has a deal until
2020, spent a second spell at Turkish side
Kas1mpasa last season.
A 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner with
Nigeria, he has also been loaned to Dutch
side ADO Den Haag, Middlesbrough
in England for two seasons and
another Turkish side Alanyaspor.
Back in 2017, Omeruo who played
for Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 World
Cups admitted he may have to leave
Chelsea in his quest for first-team
football on a regular basis.
He now admits hopes of making his
stay at Leganes a permanent one will
be decided by the Spanish outfit and
his parent club.
“The Chelsea management have
never stopped me from making
important career decisions and they’ve
been very supportive,” he added.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 — 47

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
TODAY’S PUZZLE
Sudoku
FRIDAY’S ANSWER
TODAY’S CROSSWORD
QUICK CROSSWORD
THURSDAY’S SOLUTION
How to Play Sudoku
ACROSS
1 Young horse (4)
3 Castigate (8)
9 Disappointment (3-4)
10 Tosca, for example (5)
11 Alluring woman (6)
12 Distant (6)
14 Finally (4,3,3,3)
17 Burning fiercely (6)
19 Easily digested (5)
22 Scallywag (5)
23 Authentic (7)
24 Cooked egg dish (8)
25 Charitable donations
(4)
DOWN
1 Punctuation mark (4,4)
2 Modify (5)
4 112 pounds (13)
5 Tempest (5)
6 Reluctance to move (7)
7 Dutch cheese (4)
8 Part of the eye (6)
13 Conspirators (8)
15 Leaf vegetable (7)
16 Rectangle (6)
18 iPod manufacturer (5)
20 Interrogate (5)
21 Scandinavian 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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