28032019 - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP:All clear for Lawan; fresh crisis brews over Gbaja

C 

M 

Y 

K 

OLU FASAN 

STATE OF THE NATION 

Nigeria's 

endless cycle of 

undemocratic 

elections 

Adamawa APC makes u-turn, 

PRESIDENTIAL POLL: 

to participate in gov re-run 32 

Tribunal orders 

Polls: We’re under pressure to service of Atiku’s 

congratulate Buhari — CAN 

31 

8 petition on Buhari 9 

Analysts dismiss MPR cut as hasty with zero impact on lending 

8 

VOL. 26: NO. 63774 THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP: 

All clear for Lawan; fresh 

crisis brews over Gbaja 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, Henry Umoru 

& Omeiza Ajayi 

•Lawan, our only choice for Senate President — APC 

•Adds: No sharing power with PDP; vows to deal with betrayers 

•Ndume lied; we had consensus on Lawan, says Aliyu Sabi 

FIRST BANK @ 125... 

ABUJA — The 

ruling All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

yesterday, explained 

that its choice of Senator 

Ahmad Lawan as the 

next president of the 

Senate was binding on 

its senators, even as the 

decision on Mr Femi 

Gbajabiamila, as Speaker 

has sparked a crisis in 

unexpected quarters 

within the party. 

The party’s position on 

Continues on Page 5 

From left, MD/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, 

Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Group Chairman, FBN Holdings Plc, Dr. Oba Otudeko; Ambassador of France to Nigeria, 

Jerome Pasquier, Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika; Group Managing Director, FBN 

Holdings Plc, Mr. UK Eke, and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, at the gala 

night to commemorate the 125th anniversary of First Bank in Lagos,yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Shonola 

RIVERS: INEC plans to relocate 

NNPC closes 9 th NASS 

recruitment Leadership: Kalu collation centre — PDP 

portal, as lawyer threatens to resist •It’s not true – Commission 

threatens court marginalisation of 

action over 32 S-East by APC 

Dokpesi narrates ordeal in 

criteria 

34 Immigration custody 

8 

COLUMNISTS IKECHUKWU AMAECHI 44 GAMBO DORI 17 

12 

Naira down 

at N358.5/$ 

in parallel 

market 

45 

Mr & Mrs

2 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

C 

M 

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K 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 — 3

C 

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K 

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

ATIKU'S LAWYERS—From left, Atiku's Lawyers, Mike Ozhekhome, Chris Uche and Gordy Uche, 

answering questions from Journalists at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, yesterday. 

Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. 

All clear for Lawan; fresh cisis brews over 

(PDP, Edo South), 

know you’ basis ahead of 

Gbaja 

yesterday, warned that 

their possible 

Continues from Page 1 

Lawan was also further 

buttressed by Senate 

spokesman, Senator 

Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, 

who, yesterday, 

dismissed Senator Ali 

Ndume’s claim that he, 

Lawan was being 

imposed. 

Explaining its decision 

on the emergence of the 

next presiding officers, 

the APC insisted that it 

would not share any 

offices with the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

saying it would be a 

winner-takes-all affair. 

This came as Senator 

Matthew Uhroghide 

the PDP could again 

determine the 

configuration of the 

National Assembly 

leadership if the ruling 

party repeats the 

mistakes it made in 2015. 

The apparent 

resistance to 

Gbajabiamila 

nonetheless, Vanguard 

has learned that the 

party has obtained the 

commitment of 166 new 

members-elect to push 

forward the party’s 

decision on the issue. 

The resistance to 

Gbajabiamila, Vanguard 

gathered is coming from 

some members of his 

immediate political 

family in Lagos, who 

believe that his 

emergence as Speaker 

would disrupt the 

popular agitation to 

position a female 

senator-elect from the 

same political family as 

deputy Senate President. 

However, competent 

sources yesterday, 

affirmed that 

Gbajabiamila has the 

support of the national 

leader of the APC, 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu 

despite his closeness to 

the senator-elect being 

canvassed for the office 

of Deputy Senate 

President. 

Vanguard further 

gathered yesterday, that 

Gbajabiamila and Lawan 

have met with the 

President in a ‘get to 

enthronement. 

Plans by FG to increase VAT to 7.5% (1) 

Crisis looms 

over Gbaja 

The prospects for 

Gbajabiamila became 

ensnared after some 

members of the APC from 

the South West started 

canvassing for a popular 

female senator-elect 

from the region as 

Deputy Senate 

President. 

However, that 

campaign was directly 

threatened by the fact 

that the office of Speaker 

and DSP which follow 

sequentially in the order 

of protocol cannot be 

taken by the same zone. 

Vanguard could not 

confirm if the alleged 

aspiration of Olusegun 

Odebunmi from Oyo 

State was a fallout of the 

agitation for the DSP for 

the South West. 

Besides the threat from 

Odebunmi, who would 

be going to the House of 

Representatives for a 

third term, Gbajabiamila 

who is going for the fifth 

term was also being 

accused by some 

members as being 

arrogant and proud. 

Vanguard gathered 

that the national 

leadership of the party 

was determined to use 

the forthcoming 

leadership contest to test 

the loyalty of new 

members. 

“APC will use the 

situation to test the 

loyalty of members. But 

as it is now, the new 

members are very loyal, 

and we are only having 

issues with the old 

members. 

“But I pity those that 

will be disloyal to the 

party this time; they will 

have a rough deal in the 

hands of the party,” a 

source told Vanguard. 

While acknowledging 

mutterings concerning 

Gbajabiamila’s personal 

relations with members, 

the high-level source 

said: “Yes, there are 

complaints about him 

being arrogant and 

proud, but he has 

explained that he is not 

that way. The party will 

use the new members 

who are more loyal to 

deliver him. They have 

all pledged loyalty to the 

party.” 

The source was quick to 

dismiss insinuations of 

Tinubu backing away 

from Gbajabiamila, 

saying yesterday: “It is 

Tinubu’s project, it 

cannot be otherwise.” 

It’s party 

business, says 

Issa-Onilu 

Meanwhile, the 

National Publicity 

Secretary of the party, 

Mallam Lanre Issa- 

Onilu also gave 

credence to the party’s 

determination to stamp 

party discipline on its 

legislators in the choice 

of Lawan and 

Gbajabiamila. 

“The party in its 

judgment believes that 

we will not only zone, 

we will go as far as 

Continues on Page 45 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou, 

Yinka Latona, Chiamaka Uba 

& Dickson Omobola 

Any increase in Value 

Added Tax, VAT, can 

only be productive if it is 

part of a broad fiscal 

strategy of rebalancing the 

tax mix in favour of 

consumption, and it will 

entail lowering the 

company income tax. 

Doing otherwise in an 

economy that is grappling 

with double-digit 

inflation, weak growth and 

high rate of 

unemployment, will 

jeopardise government's 

efforts at revamping the 

economy.Miss Muhammad 

Amina, Fashion designer 

Yes, I see a crawling 

increment in the 

prices of goods and 

services because 

producers will want to 

make profit and they will 

take it out on their 

consumers. It would 

lead to shortage in 

demand. It would affect 

all parties. 

Mr. Aturu Samuel 

Student 

It would lead to an 

increase in the price 

of goods and services 

because an increase in 

VAT would in turn lead 

to an increase in the cost 

of production and when 

the cost of production is 

high, the prices of goods 

and services also go up. 

Price mechanism doesn’t 

work in this part of the 

world. 

Miss Alabi Esther 

Student 

Definitely, it should be 

expected and it’s 

inevitable, because 

everybody would want to 

have a fair share of what 

they thought would be an 

increase in every worker’s 

salary, which in my opinion 

would only bring about 

increase in prices of goods 

and services. The 

increment in VAT to me, 

would be a burden to a lot 

of people. 

Mr. Agbabiaka Abiodun, 

Car dealer 

A 

few weeks ago, the 

new minimum 

wage was approved, and 

this cut across all sectors, 

so there is no harm in 

the Federal Government 

increasing VAT. I don't 

think there would be any 

increase whatsoever in 

the prices of goods and 

services. 

Mr. Ojediran Paul 

Student 

Increase in VAT is not bad 

because government 

needs money. Where trust in 

government exists, there 

should be no fear, but the 

purchasing power of 

Nigerians is low so an 

increase in VAT would 

mean increase in prices of 

goods and services, thereby 

nullifying the gains of 

minimum wage. 

Government should increase 

VAT on non-essential goods 

and services like cigarette, 

wine, and luxury cars 

among others. 

Mrs Feyisike Adeoye 

NGO boss

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MACRH 28, 2019 

Sheikh Ahmad 

freed 10 days 

after kidnap 

By Bashir Bello 

K ATSINA—ABDUCTED 

renowned Kano-based 

Quranic reciter, Sheikh 

Ahmad Sulaiman, has been 

reportedly freed by his 

kidnappers in Katsina State. 

Sheikh Sulaiman was freed 

10 days after he was 

kidnapped with five others 

along Sheme-Kankara road, 

on their way back to Kano 

State after attending an 

Islamic event in Kebbi State. 

Speaking shortly after he 

was rescued by men of the 17 

Brigade, Nigerian Army in 

Katsina, Sheikh Sulaiman 

narrated his ordeal in the 

hands of the abductors, 

describing it as a bitter 

experience. 

According to him, “it is a 

bitter experience to be 

kidnapped and stay in the 

hands of these bandits for 

more than 10 days. 

“It is not something easy; 

the experience was bitter but 

I thank Allah I’m free now. I 

want to say a special thanks 

to the Muslim Ummah for 

their tireless efforts, days 

and nights to see me out of 

captivity. I will also like to 

make mention of my 

gratitude to Sheik Yakubu 

Musa, Sheik Bala Lau, 

Sheik Abdullah Pakistan,” 

Sheikh Sulaiman added. 

Briefing newsmen on 

rescue of the Sheikh, the 

Commander, 17 Brigade, 

Nigerian Army, Lt. Lukman 

Omoniyi, said it received a 

marching order from the 

Chief of Army Staff, COAS 

to carry out an immediate 

rescue operation in order to 

rescue the kidnapped 

victims. 

“Instructively, the 

Nigerian Army Directorate of 

Military Intelligence 

provided actionable 

intelligence and constant 

guidance for the Brigade in 

this regard. Sustained 

covert, surveillance as well 

as tactical lines of operations 

were orchestrated in 

concurrency by the Brigade 

in close synchronization 

with relevant security 

agencies. 

“These efforts have finally 

led to the rescue of the 

kidnapped victims by 0058 

hours earlier today. It is of 

great interest that as we speak 

the rescued clerics are intact 

in good health condition as 

ascertained by the medical 

examination already 

conducted on them at 17 

Brigade Medical Centre. 

“Immediately after this 

press briefing, plans have 

been firmed up to convey 

the clerics to the Emir of 

Katsina for onward handing 

over to their families,” Lt. 

Omoniyi said. 

PROTEST: A peaceful protest by citizens of Osun State against the verdict of Osun Election Petition Tribunal, organised 

by Osun Concerned Citizens in Osogbo, the state capital, yesterday. 

Non-payment of fees: School to 

pay 5-yr-old boy flogged blind N25m 

By Henry Ojelu 

ALagos High Court sitting in 

Ikeja, yesterday, ordered the 

Proprietress of Cendom 

International Nursery and Primary 

School, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, Mrs 

Uche Owen, to pay N25 million 

damages to a five-year-old pupil of 

the school, Destiny Kalu, who 

became blind after he was flogged 

for not paying school fees. 

Destiny, suing through his father, 

Inyima Kalu, had in 2013 dragged 

Mrs Owen and his class teacher, 

Miss Uduak Sam, before the court 

for flogging and inflicting severe 

injuries on his right eyes over nonpayment 

of school fees. 

In his statement of claim, Destiny 

alleged that on June 20, 2011 Mrs 

Owen came to his classroom and 

flogged all the pupils that had not 

paid their school fees. 

He stated that the proprietress 

further instructed their class 

teacher, Miss Uduak, to flog them. 

Destiny claimed that while being 

flogged, his right eye was covered 

with blood as a result of cane injury 

inflicted on him by Uduak. 

He said the act left him in pains 

and tears for several hours 

unattended to in the school 

premises. 

Destiny further claimed that 

without administering first aid 

treatment, his class teacher 

neglected him as he bled internally 

and water gushed out of his right 

eye all through the school hours, 

until he was picked up at close of 

school by his father after every staff 

of the school had abandoned him 

and gone home. 

Destiny was subsequently taken 

to Ajeromi General Hospital, Lagos, 

where he was treated and later 

referred to Lagos University 

Teaching Hospital, LUTH. 

At LUTH, the right eye was 

operated without success. Doctor’s 

report revealed that Destiny’s right 

eye was permanently 

damaged and cannot perceive 

light. 

Following the permanent 

injury sustained by Destiny, 

his father demanded N30 

million as compensation from 

the school. 

Teacher's defence 

In her statement to the 

Nigeria Police after the 

incident, Miss Uduak 

admitted that she punished 

the infant by caning him on 

the instruction of Mrs Owen. 

However, in her statement in 

defence of the suit, Uduak 

claimed that Destiny may 

have sustained the injury on 

his right eye during a fight 

with another pupil in the 

school. 

The proprietress also denied 

being responsible for the 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

CALABAR—THE Nigerian 

Medical Association, 

NMA, in Cross River has shut 

down the Divine Favour Clinic 

and Maternity in Ugaga 

village in Yala local 

government area in its 

ongoing fight against medical 

quackery in the state. 

NMA Chairman in the state, 

Dr. Agam Ayuk, disclosed this 

yesterday in Calabar, while 

briefing newsmen after an 

inspection tour of the area on 

March 25. 

Ayuk, who said he led 

members of the association to 

the area, told newsmen that 

the association has received 

incessant complaint over 

injuries sustained by Destiny. 

Ruling 

Delivering judgment in the 

matter after six years of trial, 

Justice Yetunde Idowu held 

the two defendants liable for 

the permanent injury 

sustained by Destiny. 

Justice Idowu held that the 

defendants owe a duty of care 

to Destiny but breached that 

duty by flogging and 

inflicting injury on him. 

She said: “Caning a child 

for non-payment of fees is not 

only wrongful but illegal. It 

is trite and universally 

accepted that caning a child 

does not have positive effect. 

Flogging is an abuse of a 

child and domestic violence 

against a child. It should be 

discouraged completely and 

contrary to all known best 

NMA shuts illegal medical 

facility, arrests one in C-River 

quack medical activities in 

the area and swung into 

action to curb the menace. 

He explained that when 

NMA stormed the facility, 

they met a lady, Mrs. 

Rosemary Erimma-Okwoche, 

who claimed to be a 

Community Health 

Extension Worker, CHEW, 

adding that Erimma- 

Okwoche was central to the 

running of the facility with an 

acclaimed doctor from Benue 

State that was said to have 

been visiting the centre 

periodically. 

His words: “The attention 

of NMA was drawn to the 

illegal medical practices 

carried out by unqualified 

medical personnel in an 

practices and unacceptable. 

“The child was under the 

custody of the first defendant, 

in her school premises. The first 

and second defendants, the 

owner of the school and the 

class teacher owe a duty of care 

to the child. 

“The duty of care was 

breached when the second 

defendant on the instruction of 

the first defendant engaged in 

flogging the child. 

“Vicarious liability basically 

means that employers are liable 

for the torts of their employees, 

committed during the course of 

employment. A tort is a wrongful 

act or an infringement of a right 

(other than under contract) 

leading to legal liability. 

“Damages in the sum of N25 

million is awarded in favour of 

the infant suing by the next of 

kin.” 

unregistered private facility 

named Divine Favour Clinic 

and Maternity in Ugaga village 

in Yala local government. 

“On the spot assessment of the 

facility revealed deplorable and 

substandard state of the centre. 

Two poorly managed patients 

were seen, one of them was 

seen with fresh surgical 

abdominal scars. 

“Further probing revealed a 

lady, Mrs. Rosemary Erimma 

Okwoche, an acclaimed CHEW 

who was central to the running 

of the facility with an acclaimed 

doctor from Benue state that is 

said to have been visiting the 

centre periodically. 

“The lady was apprehended 

by the police and the facility 

closed down indefinitely.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019—7 

Property agents fleece pastor, 

newly-wed of N3.9m in Lagos 

By Esther Onyegbula 

FIVE members of a syndicate 

that defrauded a newly-wed 

couple of N900,000, posing as 

estate agents, have been 

arrested by operatives of Special 

Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, 

attached to the Lagos State 

Police Command. 

The suspects, identified as 

Matthew, 42; Elabor Aruoya, 61; 

Adesina Abegunde, 54; Segun 

Adewale, 42, and Olamide 

Ojajinu, 42, were arrested after 

they defrauded the couple, who 

contacted them after seeing an 

advert they placed as house 

agents. 

It was gathered that the 

fraudsters collected N3 million 

for a duplex at Ikeja, GRA, from 

another victim, who is a pastor 

in Lekki, in the same manner. 

Parading the suspects 

alongside other notorious 

criminals, the Commissioner of 

Police, Lagos State, Muazu 

Zubairu, said on February 15, 

the Police received a complaint 

by a newly-wed couple that they 

saw an advert on a wall by a 

house agent. 

He said: “They called the 

person, who lured and 

brainwashed them after which 

they collected N900,000 from 

them. These same suspects have 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—A High Court 

sitting in Akure, the Ondo 

state capital yesterday 

sentenced Saidu-Shakiru 

Adeyemi, the killer boyfriend 

of the daughter of the former 

deputy governor of the state, 

Khadijat Oluboyo, to death by 

hanging. 

The lovers dated, it was 

gathered for four years before 

the accused person killed and 

buried her in his room, slept 

on her grave for five days 

before he was apprehended by 

police detectives invited by his 

father, Seidu Siyanbola, a 

bricklayer. 

The 27-year-old accused, who 

was brought to court on a one 

count charge of murder, was a 

graduate of Quantity Survey at 

the Federal University of 

Technology, Akure, and did his 

Youth Corp Service at Katsina 

state in 2017 while the 

deceased was a 25 year old 

final year student of the 

Adekunle Ajasin University, 

Akungba Akoko in Ondo state. 

Late Khadijat was buried in 

a shallow grave dug by the 

accused in his room located at 

No 17 Adegbolarin Layout 

Aratunsin, Oke-Aro in Akure 

metropolis. 

Delivering judgement the 

trial Judge, Justice Samuel 

Bola, said the prosecutor had 

defrauded a pastor, who wanted 

to rent a duplex at Ikeja, GRA, of 

N3 million in the same manner.” 

Victim’s account 

Narrating their ordeal, the 

newly-weds said sometime last 

month, they saw an advert by a 

house agent, so they called the 

number and the person that 

answered introduced himself as 

a house agent but claimed to be 

out of Lagos. 

They said: “He later sent the 

phone number of his partner, 

who we called and scheduled a 

meeting with. The next day, we 

met him and he took us to 

Agidingbi area of Ikeja where 

he showed us an empty three 

bedroom flat. 

“Thereafter, he made a call 

and informed us that the 

landlord was in the church 

attending a service. He took us 

to a Catholic Church at Ikeja. 

“Immediately we arrived at 

the church, an elderly man, 

Elabor Aruoya came out of the 

church hall and said to us ‘are 

you the lucky tenant? After 

negotiations, he gave us an 

account number into which we 

paid N900,000. 

“However, trouble started 

when we decided to visit the 

apartment we paid for the next 

day to take possession, but were 

Killer-boyfriend of ex-Ondo Dep 

gov's daughter to die by hanging 

proved the case of murder 

against the accused person 

beyond reasonable doubt. 

Justice Bola said 

circumstantial evidence 

connected the accused to the 

gruesome murder of the 

deceased. 

“The death of the victim 

emanated from the injuries she 

sustained in the hands of the 

accused persons and not a 

natural death. 

“It was the defendant that 

killed the deceased person and 

not two men as he claimed. It 

was an attempt to cover up that 

he claimed that two men invited 

to his room by his girlfriend 

strangulated her. 

“That he was threatened by 

the two men cannot exonerate 

the defendant because he had 

the opportunity to raise alarm 

when he said the two men 

asked him to bring a shovel and 

digger from the house to dig the 

grave where they buried the 

deceased. 

“This court finds it difficult to 

believe his evidence that two 

men invited by the deceased 

murdered her in his room and 

he dug a shallow grave where 

she was buried and he fetched 

cement which was used to 

plaster the grave and he 

covered it with rug” 

“The act of killing the 

deceased was intentional. 

Evidences showed that the 

chased out by the rightful 

landlord. We called the phone 

numbers of the acclaimed 

estate agents and that of the 

landlord. Unfortunately, their 

numbers were switched off.” 

Suspect’s account 

The suspect, 42-year-old 

Olamide Ojajiu, told 

Vanguard: “I was arrested 

when we were having a 

meeting at Oshodi area. I 

was the person that the 

victims called to show them 

the house. I went into this 

business after I had some 

financial issues. 

“This is the second time we 

are doing this kind of 

business. I provided them 

with the account number, 

which they gave to the victim 

who wanted to rent an 

apartment. The first time the 

victim paid N3,000,000 and I 

got N600,000.” 

Denying the allegation, the 

second suspect, 61-year-old 

Elabor Aruoya, who usually 

pose as the fake landlord, said 

he and members of his gang 

are estate agents, who help 

people secure properties. 

“We search for properties 

which are available for sale. 

As agents, we don’t need to 

own a house,” he said. 

deceased was last seen with 

the defendant and she never 

came out of his room alive 

but her decomposing corpse 

recovered after five days. 

“Although there is no direct 

evidence as to who killed the 

deceased but there is no 

doubt that they knew each 

other, that she died in his 

room and she was buried in 

a shallow grave dug in his 

room and that she did not die 

a natural death but as a 

result of the injuries inflicted 

on her by the accused person 

as explained by the 

consultant pathologist, Dr. 

Olumuyiwa Pelemo in his 

evidence. 

Justice Bola, however, after 

reviewing the evidences 

declared that” having found 

you guilty, the sentence of 

this court upon you is that 

you, Sehidu Adeyemi, will 

be hanged until you are 

dead. May God have mercy 

on your soul” 

Efforts to speak with the 

father of the deceased, Alhaji 

Oluboyo or the wife proved 

abortive as they did not pick 

their calls. 

Alhaji Oluboyo had said 

from the day the daughter 

was murdered that he was 

not interested in the court 

case as the outcome would 

not bring back his first 

daughter from the dead. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

I hear they've presented FG with 

10 demands. Na siddon look I dey 

Who cares, as long as he pays the 

bills and gave you a fine kitchen? 

All the drawing of specimen Z 

and looking for the value of X!

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

CONFERENCE: 

From left, 

Representative of 

Director of National 

Mathematical Centre, 

NMC, Prof. Peter 

Onumanyi; Chairman 

of Mathematical 

Analysis and 

Optimization 

Research, Prof. 

Johnson Olaleru and 

Chairman of National 

Mathematical Centre 

(NMC), Governing 

Council, Prof. Buba 

Bajoga, during the 

6th international 

conference on 

mathematical analysis 

and optimization in 

Abuja. Photo: NAN. 

Analysts dismiss MPR cut as hasty, 

with zero impact on lending 

By Babajide 

Komolafe 

FINANCIAL analysts 

have described the 

decision by the Central Bank 

of Nigeria, CBN, to reduce 

the Monetary Policy Rate, 

MPR, to 13.5 per cent as a 

hasty decision with zero 

impact on boosting lending 

to businesses. 

Contrary to analysts’ 

projections, CBN on Tuesday, 

at the end of its two day bimonthly 

Monetary Policy 

Committee, MPC, reduced 

the Monetary Policy Rate, 

MPR, from 14 per cent to 13.5 

percent, citing the need to 

signal a new direction 

towards improved growth. 

Analysts, however, opined 

that the 50 basis points 

reduction in the MPR will 

have little or no effect in 

boosting lending to the 

private sector. 

Citing the looming risk to 

inflation and the fragile state 

of the nation’s economy, 

analysts at Vetiva Capital 

Management Limited, 

described the CBN’s decision 

as ‘hasty own goal,’ which 

would not lead to increased 

lending to the private sector 

as envisaged by the CBN. 

They said: “The decision 

was touted as a key measure 

to stimulate the economy by 

reducing the cost of 

borrowing. Whilst the 

decision will have an 

immediate impact on 

borrowing rates already 

benchmarked to the MPR, we 

are sceptical of a significant 

pass-through to the real 

sector as bank lending rates 

are notoriously sticky going 

down. 

"Also, the decision 

seemingly ignores the 

looming risks to inflation — 

an expected increase in 

liquidity from the frontloading 

of a late 2019 budget, an 

increasingly likely review of 

the multi-year tariff order, 

MYTO, which has an impact 

on electricity prices, and most 

importantly a looming 67 

percent increase in national 

minimum wage —all of 

which are likely to push 

inflation north for the rest of 

the year. 

“Taking a view from recent 

history, where the MPC cut 

rates by 200 basis points in 

2015, before subsequently 

reversing course within the 

space of a year, a rate HIKE 

might not be far off the cards, 

especially given the expected 

rise in inflation and the 

current fragile state of the 

economy. 

“Overall, whilst the cut in 

the rate is a signal from the 

MPC of a stronger progrowth 

focus, we believe this 

decision is ultimately an own 

goal as the rate cut will do 

little to stimulate the economy 

and has the added 

disadvantage of distracting 

from its primary objective – 

price stability.” 

Also commenting, analysts 

at Lagos-based Afrinvest Plc 

said: “We are not distracted 

to believe an easing cycle has 

begun; rather, we think policy 

stance remains intact 

considering global interest 

rate development and the 

desperation to sustain and 

retain flows. 

“The CBN can always 

resort to Open Market 

Operations, OMO, to 

achieve the objective of 

attracting and retaining 

capital flows." 

Analysts at Lagos-based 

Cowry Assets Management 

FGN bonds record N140bn 

over-subscription 

By Emma Ujah, 

Abuja Bureau Chief 

A 

B U J A — 

INVESTORS’ 

appetite for the Federal 

Government Bonds have 

continued to rise with the 

March Auction, conducted 

yesterday, recording a 

N140 billion oversubscription. 

At the exercise, which 

was conducted by Debt 

Management Office, 

DMO, N100 billion bonds 

were offered, but investors 

staked over N240.6 billion. 

The over-subscription of 

the FGN bonds at the 

monthly auctions had been 

consistent since the 

beginning of the 2019 fiscal 

year. 

A statement by DMO, 

yesterday, said it offered 

three instruments at the 

auction for three, seven and 

10-year tenors and 

subscriptions for the three 

instruments were in excess 

of N148bn for competitive 

bids. 

“Non-competitive bids 

valued at N92.6bn were 

also received, taking the 

total subscriptions across 

the 3 tenors to over 

N240.6bn,” it said. 

The trend of investors’ 

preference for the longer 

tenured instrument 

continued, with the 10-year 

bond significantly 

oversubscribed with a bidto-cover 

ratio above five. 

Allotments were made to 

successful bidders at the 

2019 budget: Lawmakers, ministers, others 

review N8.827trn budget estimates 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

A BUJA—CRITICAL 

stakeholders, such as 

National Economic Team, 

leadership of National 

Assembly and a cross 

section of the general 

public, yesterday, 

converged on Abuja to 

deliberate on N8.827 trillion 

budget estimates for 2019 

fiscal year. 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Mr 

Yakubu Dogara, on his 

part, noted that the public 

hearing was aimed at 

ensuring active 

participation of the 

Nigerian public. 

Limited gave a similar 

opinion. They said: “The 

MPC’s decision to cut the 

policy rate by 0.50 percent 

was engendered by the 

feeling of sustainability in the 

level of stability of Nigeria’s 

macroeconomic indices 

which were expected to drive 

growth going forward and 

the signal by US Fed to leave 

Fed rate unchanged in 2019 

which was expected to 

redirect foreign inflows into 

emerging and developing 

economies like Nigeria. 

"We do not expect 

significant growth in credit to 

private businesses given the 

inelastic nature of the 

relationship between credit to 

private sector and reduction 

in MPR.” 

rates of 13.5 percent for the 

five-year, 13.5 percent for 

the seven-year and 

13.5percent for the 10-year 

bonds, which are 

considerably lower than the 

allotment rates for the 

February 2019 Auction. 

The total amount allotted 

to both competitive and 

non-competitive bids for the 

three instruments, 

according to the DMO, was 

N121.95 billion. 

Dogara challenged 

ministers to strive towards 

achieving 70 per cent 

implementation level 

against the current 45 

percent implementation 

level, which he noted was 

what is obtainable now. 

He noted that the 

president has the 

constitutional power to 

initiate budget proposal, 

while the National 

Assembly has the power of 

appropriation. 

He lamented that despite 

the late submission of the 

budget proposal over the 

years, the executive has 

continued to blame the 

Legislature for late passage 

FAAC shares N619.857bn to 

FG, others for February 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA—AT the end of 

its monthly meeting, 

yesterday, the Federation 

Accounts Allocation 

Committee, FAAC, shared 

N619.857billion to the three 

tiers of government as 

revenue generated for the 

month of February 2019, but 

shared in March 2019. 

Acting Accountant 

General of the Federation, 

AGF, Mohammed Usman , 

who briefed newsmen at the 

end of the FAAC meeting in 

Abuja, said the amount was 

lesser that N505.246 billion 

shared in January, which he 

attributed to the persistent 

shut down of oil 

installations within the 

month under review. 

The AGF also disclosed 

that the balance in the 

Excess Crude Account, 

ECA, currently stands at 

$183m, which is less than 

$249 billion recorded in the 

previous month by $66 

of the budget. 

He said: “We are all aware 

of the importance of a wellformulated 

budget for 

effective service delivery by 

government. Indeed, the 

budget represents the main 

bond between the 

government and the people. 

“Today’s exercise forms a 

very important segment in 

the making of the 

Appropriation Act by the 

National Assembly. This 

interactive session is in line 

with the constitutional 

responsibilities and 

Legislative Agenda of the 

National Assembly which is 

aimed at making the budget 

process more inclusive and 

transparent." 

million. 

A communiqué at the 

end of the meeting 

indicates that from the 

N619.857 billion, the 

Federal Government 

received N2223.157bn, the 

states received 

N113.188bn, Local 

Government Councils 

received N187.263 bn. 

The oil producing states 

received N45bn as 13 per 

cent derivation revenue 

and the Revenue 

Generating Agencies 

received N9.725 billion as 

cost of revenue collection. 

Meanwhile, for the 

February 2019, the gross 

revenue of N478.434 bn 

was received in the month 

of February 2019. This is 

lower than the N505.246 bn 

received in the previous 

month by N26.812bn. 

The gross revenue from 

Value Added Tax, VAT, was 

N96.389bn as against 

N104.468bn distributed in 

the previous month, 

resulting in a decrease of 

N8.079 billion. 

Dokpesi narrates ordeal 

in Immigration custody 

By Dirisu 

Yakubu 

A BUJA—MEDIA 

mogul and founding 

chairman of African 

Independent Television, 

AIT, Chief Raymond 

Dokpesi, has blamed the 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari-led administration 

for his ordeal in the hands 

of the nation’s security 

agencies. 

Dokpesi who was, 

yesterday, invited for 

questioning by Nigeria 

Immigration Service, NIS, 

disclosed this to newsmen 

after spending about three 

hours at the NIS 

headquarters in Abuja. 

According to him, 

“definitely, if I had brought 

my passport today, they 

would have impounded it, 

that is what it is. There are 

no two ways about it, but 

the passport is with the 

court. But even if they 

decide to do so, like I said, 

the passport is a property 

of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, so they can 

request for it. 

“I just returned from a 

medical trip overseas on 

March 22, 2019 when I 

was arrested for between 

50 to 55 minutes at the 

airport. I was told that they 

had instructions from above 

to arrest me on my return 

but after a few phone calls 

and contacts, the 

Immigration officer at the 

airport told me that he had 

instructions from above 

that I could leave and he 

gave me back my passport 

and told me that I should 

go, that they would reach 

me subsequently. 

“On Monday, I received 

new information and in 

line with the normal 

process, I returned my 

passport to the Federal 

High Court since I 

travelled under a judicial 

approval or permission. So 

I returned the passport and 

gave notice that I might go 

for a medical check up so 

that they will ensure that 

the operation was 

successful and that all the 

organs and everything are 

properly healed. " 

Dokpesi who was 

interrogated for two and a 

half hours at the 

Comptroller General’s 

Investigation Department 

and allowed to go home 

about 3:10p.m., said he had 

a feeling he would be 

invited again.


FACTS BEHIND THE FIGURES: From left, Company Secretary, Transcorp Plc, Ms Helen 

Iwuchukwu; CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; President/CEO, Valentine 

Ozigbo; Managing Director/CEO, Mrs Owen Omogiafo; and Executive Director, Mr. Christopher 

Ezeafulukwe, all of Transcorp Plc, during the closing gong ceremony at the floor of NSE in Lagos. 

Presidential poll: Tribunal orders 

service of Atiku’s petition on Buhari 

•As 3 presidential candidates file petitions against the president 

A 

B 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

U J A — 

PRESIDENTIAL 

Election Petition Tribunal 

sitting in Abuja, yesterday, 

ordered substituted service of 

the petition challenging the 

outcome of the February 23 

presidential election on 


Buhari. 

The tribunal ordered that 

copies of all the legal 

processes be served on 

Buhari through any senior 

officer at the national 

headquarters of his party, All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, in Abuja. 

The order followed an exparte 

application by 

opposition Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, and its 

presidential candidate, Atiku 

Abubakar. 

Atiku and PDP had applied 

to be allowed to serve the 

petition on Buhari via 

substituted means, decrying 

that retinue of security 

operatives at the Presidential 

Villa made it impossible for 

them to effect personal service 

of the processes on him. 

The Justice Abdul Abokiled 

tribunal, yesterday, 

ordered that Buhari should 

be served with a copy of the 

petition by PDP and its 

candidate, Atiku Abubakar. 

The tribunal directed that 

Buhari should be served with 

all the legal processes 

through any senior officer at 

APC national secretariat in 

Abuja. 

A three-man panel of 

Justices of the Court of Appeal 

led by Justice Abdul Aboki, 

granted the ex-parte motion 

the petitioners moved 

through their lawyers, Mr. 

Chris Uche, SAN. 

The petitioners are in the 

petition praying the tribunal 

to invalidate the declaration 

of President Buhari as 

winner of the presidential 

contest. 

Independent National 

Election Commission, INEC, 

Buhari and APC are 

respondents in the petition. 

3 more presidential 

candidates file 

petitions against 

Buhari 

Meanwhile, three more 

presidential candidates have 

separately approached the 

Presidential Election Petition 

Tribunal, asking it to void the 

outcome of the February 23 

presidential election. 

In their various petitions, 

the three presidential 

candidates are urging the 

tribunal to invoke its powers 

and quash the declaration of 

Buhari as the bonafide 

winner of the 2019 


The petitioners separately 

alleged that the election was 

characterised by manifest 

irregularities, adding that 

Electoral Act was not 

substantially complied with 

by INEC. 

Those asking the tribunal 

to sack Buhari and order a 

fresh election are Presidential 

candidate of Hope 

Democratic Party, HDP, Chief 

Ambrose Owuru, while APC 

and INEC are respondents. 

In another petition, the 

presidential candidate of 

Peoples Democratic 

Movement, PDM, Aminchi 

Habu, equally challenged the 

outcome of the presidential 

poll. 

Similarly, Coalition For 

Change, C4C, and its 

presidential candidate, Geff 

Chizee Ojinka, also urged 

the tribunal to nullifyBuhari’s 

election. 

Unlike in all the other 

petitions, C4C, which 

garnered a total of 2,391 votes 

at the presidential poll, cited 

the Vice President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, as the 2nd 

respondent in its case. 

It told the tribunal that its 

candidate, Ojinka, was 

validly nominated to 

participate in the February 23 

election to secure votes to 

occupy the presidential seat. 

“Petitioners contend that 

the above election was 

vitiated by substantial non 

compliance with mandatory 

statutory provisions, which 

irregularity substantially 

affected the election such that 

the 1st respondent was not 

entitled to be returned as the 

winner of the presidential 

election,” the party added. 

We’re under pressure to congratulate 

Buhari — CAN 

By Luminous 

Jannamike 

A BUJA—Christian 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN, has alleged that some 

influential people working 

closely with the Federal 

Government are mounting 

serious pressure on its 

leadership to pay a 

congratulatory visit to 


Buhari, following the 

outcome of the last month’s 


A source in CAN’s national 

executive body, who confided 

in Vanguard, said the 

pressure had now assumed 

the form of a subtle blackmail 

against its leaders. 

He said: “We have seen 

how they are polarising the 

church so that it cannot act as 

a body. The Bible says the 

house divided against itself 

cannot stand. This is where 

we find ourselves today. If 

there’s no unity among us, 

who says the enemy cannot 

attack and go away? It’s very 

unfortunate. 

“If you know the pressure 

mounted on CAN leadership 

that we, as a body, have to go 

and congratulate the 

president. However, the 

church is saying this election 

is controversial and we see 

what is happening. But, they 

are still mounting pressure 

seriously. 

“They are telling us if we 

don’t congratulate him, it 

means we are against him 

and that we are partisan. 

However, we are saying let 

them resolve the issues (in 

court) before we go and 

congratulate whoever wins. 

That’s the situation we find 

ourselves as the Church of 

God.” 

In another development, 

CAN President, Rev Samson 

Ayokunle, has condemned 

the recent abduction of a 

Catholic Priest, Fr. John 

Shekwolo, in Kaduna State. 

He said it was shameful that 

“gunmen,” have continued to 

kidnap and sometimes 

murder innocent citizens in 

cold blood without being 

apprehended 

prosecuted." 

and 

Budget defence: Correct errors in your budget, 

Reps tell AuGF 

A 

MEMBER of the 

committee, Ralph 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA—HOUSE of 

Representatives 

Committee on Public 

Accounts, yesterday, asked 

the Office of Auditor-General 

to the Federation, OAuGF, to 

go and correct errors in its 

2019 budget estimates. 

The committee gave the 

order during the agency’s 

budget presentation when 

discrepancies and 

misrepresentation of facts 

were observed by the 

committee members. 

FEC approves N1.4bn for 

Abuja DPR building design 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Executive Council, FEC, 

yesterday, approved N1.4 

billion contract for the design 

of 12-floor building for 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources, DPR. 

Minister of State for 

Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe 

Kachikwu, disclosed this 

while briefing State House 

correspondents at the end of 

Federal Executive Council, 

FEC, meeting presided over 

by President Muhammadu 

Buhari at the Council 

Chamber, Presidential Villa, 

Abuja. 

He said: “FEC approved 

N1.4 billion for the design of 

DPR Head office in Abuja. 

The contract was awarded to 

Messers Arteck Practice 

Limited to design a 12-floor 

building in the land that is 

already allocated to DPR over 

the years by FCT to enable 

them move their 

headquarters down here." 

He explained that the 

contract was awarded to DPR 

Igbokwe (APC, Imo), had 

noticed that N50.8 million 

paid for an ongoing capital 

project was not appropriately 

captured in the agency’s 

presentation. 

In his response,AuGF, Mr 

Anthony Ayine, told the 

committee that the error was 

not deliberate as it was 

captured in another page in 

the presentation under capital 

expenditure. 

“If you look at the page you 

will notice thatN50.8 million 

was captured.” 

His response did not go 

tenders board and that 

“their bid was the lowest, 

while the highest bid was 

about N3 billion, the next bid 

was N2m+ and then the 

third was about N1.4 billion. 

“The total projected 

potential cost for the 

building when it is done is 

about N35 billion. So if you 

look at that as a percentage 

of the work, it is absolutely 

insignificant, in 

international terms it is very 

justifiable, it is less than two 

per cent.” 

Also briefing journalists, 

Minister of Trade and 

Investment, Okechukwu 

Enelamah, said FEC 

approved the appointment 

of a contract of N1.5 billion 

for consultancy job. 

He said: “We got an 

approval from FEC to award 

a contract to engage a 

Programme Management 

Office Consultant and 

System Provider, for the 

Government Enterprise and 

Empowerment Programme, 

GEEP at the cost of N1.556 

billion.” 

FG sets up c'ttee to harmonise 

oil revenue data, others 

By Michael Eboh 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government, yesterday, 

set up a committee to 

harmonise oil and gas 

revenue and production data, 

government earnings from all 

sectors of the economy, among 

other critical data, across all 

the Ministries, Departments 

and Agencies, MDAs, of 

government. 

Speaking at the inaugural 

meeting of the committee, 

tagged ‘Nigerian Petroleum 

Fiscal Consistency Network,’ 

Technical Adviser to Minister 

of State for Petroleum 

Resources on Petroleum 

Fiscal Strategy, Mr. Tim 

Okon, said the committee was 

saddled with the 

responsibility of ensuring that 

policy makers have access to 

consistent set of data to reach 

enlightened decision. 

Okon said the petroleum 

fiscal consistency network was 

driven by three ministries— 

Federal Ministry of Finance, 

Federal Ministry of 

Petroleum Resources and 

Ministry of Budget and 

National Planning. 

He added that the team 

would work with a number 

of government agencies to 

ensure the collection and 

presentation of accurate fiscal 

data. 

He said: “It will involve the 

different entities that are 

involved in collecting 

information or revenue as the 

case may be and make sure 

that there is a consistent basis 

for the data collected and 

presented. 

“The agencies we are 

dealing with include 

collection agencies such as 

the Federal Inland Revenue 

Service, FIRS; Department of 

Petroleum Resources, DPR; 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, and 

various other entities.” 

down well with the 

lawmakers who bombarded 

him with more questions. 

Igbokwe asked the AuGF 

“Are you not an accountant, 

how can you allow such an 

oversight?” 

Another lawmaker also 

pointed to the fact that “You 

captured a 1000kva generator 

as a 100kva generator and 

you think we will fold hands 

and look at you in the face.” 

At this point, the committee 

Chairman, Mr Kingsley 

Chinda (PDP, Rivers) told 

AuGF: “Next time when you 

are asked a direct question, 

answer in the affirmative."

10 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

UNILAG churns out 271 First Class 

By Dayo Adesulu 

L AGOS—THE 

University of Lagos, 

UNILAG, yesterday, 

disclosed that 271 

students would graduate 

with First Class degree 

honours during its 50th 

convocation ceremony 

slated for April 2nd to 4th, 

2019. 

Speaking during a preconvocation 

press 

conference held at the 

Senate Building, the Vice 

Chancellor, Professor 

Oluwatoyin Temitayo 

Ogundipe also noted that 

the Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo would be 

delivering the 

convocation lecture titled: 

Nigeria Rising: The Path 

to Prosperity. 

Giving a breakdown of 

the graduating students, 

Ogundipe said: “A total of 

12,811 students will 

receive their degrees, 

diplomas and certificates 

at this year’s convocation. 

Of this number, 7,406 

representing (57.8%) will 

receive first degrees for 

diplomas while 5,405 

representing (42.2%) will 

receive postgraduate 

degrees. 

“271 students would be 

awarded First Class 

degrees of which 56 are 

from the Faculty of 

Engineering.” 

Lagos judiciary trains magistrates 

on application of Restorative Justice 

By Henry Ojelu Lagos State by the 

L 

introduction of Restorative 

AGOS—THE Lagos Justice at the Magistrates 

State Judiciary, Courts level. This will 

yesterday, began a two day ensure that restorative 

training for magistrates on justice outcomes are 

the application of applied to many minor 

Restorative Justice system. 

Declaring the training 

open, Chief Judge of Lagos 

State, Justice Opeyemi Oke 

said the training was 

offences. 

“Today in Nigeria, we 

have seen countless cases 

where defendants are 

arrested for minor offences 

necessary to equip - burglary, wandering, two 

magistrates with necessary 

knowledge and skills on 

how to apply the system in 

their various courts. 

fighting and so on. 

"They are locked up in 

our prisons for the flimsiest 

reasons and join the 

Justice Oke said: “We are teeming population 

changing the narrative in awaiting trial.” 

LASG to complete Kirikiri Industrial 

Estate road in six months 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State government has 

said that it will complete 

the rehabilitation of the 

roads at Kirikiri Industrial 

Estate within six months. 

The government 

disclosed this while 

soliciting cooperation from 

the industries and residents 

of the area. 

It stated that it has 

awarded the rehabilitation/ 

upgrading of Happy Home 

Avenue-Alahun Ozumba 

Link Road, which will 

commence by first week in 

April. 

Speaking at the estate’s 

stakeholders meeting, the 

Lagos State Commissioner 

for Works and 

Infrastructure, Mr. Ade 

Akinsanya said that the 

Lagos State government is 

passionate about the 

citizens of the state. 

Akinsanya, who was 

represented by Director 

Road Maintenance and 

Rehabilitation, Lagos 

State Ministry of Works 

and Infrastructure, 

Engineer Somide 

Ayodele, said: “The road 

is about 380 meters long 

and the carriage was is 10 

meters, it can carry 

between three to four 

vehicles, there would be 

drainage system and light 

to illuminate the area." 

ENCROACHMENT ON MKO ABIOLA’S FARMS: 

Ayobo residents send SOS to Ambode, CP 

over threat to lives 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

L AGOS—RESIDENTS 

and occupants on the 

400 acres of Abiola Farms in 

Ayobo, owned by late 

business mogul, Moshood 

Olawale Abiola, have called 

for the immediate 

intervention of Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State and the 

Commissioner of Police 

following invasion of their 

community by scores of 

hoodlums allegedly 

sponsored by a warring 

party in the Abiola’s family. 

The residents have 

expressed fears of possible 

attack from a warring party 

in the Abiola family. 

Fresh crisis ensued in 

MKO Abiola’s family 

following a legal battle on 

the authentic owner of the 

land in Ayobo area of the 

state between Radio 

Communication Nigeria, 

RCN, Limited and some 

sections within the family. 

The land under dispute is 

located at Igbo Ilogbo, 

Ayobo, Ipaja-Ayobo Local 

Council Development Area, 

LCDA, where thousands of 

residents reside. 

Earlier, some members of 

the late Abiola’s family, in 

an attempt to enforce a court 

judgment of March 14, 2019 

that confers ownership of 

the land in dispute on MKO 

Abiola, directed all tenants 

to come forward for 

regularisation of their titles 

or risk ejection. 

However, the Chairman of 

RCN and son of late MKO, 

Kola Abiola, reacting to the 

development, described the 

claim by a section of the 

family as “a fraudulent 

exercise being perpetrated 

by the invaders.” 

Speaking on behalf of the 

residents at a stakeholders’ 

meeting, the solicitor, Tunji 

Adeyemi said: “Kola Abiola, 

Chairman RCM, has given 

his side of the story and this 

is our side of the story. 

“On the morning of March 

14, 2019, some agents, 

acting for yet-to-beidentified 

persons in Igbo- 

Ilogbo, Ayobo, issued a 

threat that they have gotten 

a court judgment and 

moved in to forcefully take 

over the possession of the 

land belonging to RCM, 

the only legal owner of the 

land in dispute. 

“About four Sheriffs of 

High Court of Lagos 

State and police men and 

over a thousand thugs 

invaded Abiola Farms’ 

estate consisting of many 

communities. 

''The Estates also have 

seven Community 

Development Associations, 

CDAs and over 500 

households. They broke 

into peoples’ houses riding 

on bikes, preventing our 

children from going to 

school and traumatised the 

entire community. 

Giving the background to 

the development, he 

recalled that there was a 

High Court judgment 

obtained in the suit no: 

11D155 1986 in favour of 

NRC and that the 

judgment was appealed. 

Another judgment was 

given in appeal no: CA/L/ 

199/1994; these two 

judgments were in favour 

of NRC. Since 2002, NRC 

has taken possession of the 

land. At a point, the Lagos 

State Government took 

over the land and they 

went to court; they got the 

judgment and Lagos State 

Government returned the 

disputed land to NRC while 

they have sold larger 

portion to others, who have 

built houses on them. 

“All of a sudden, some 

people got same judgment 

at the High Court which 

was against the people who 

got the land from NRC.” 

Speaking further, he said: 

“We are ready to defend our 

legal and human rights 

from any group or groups 

of person who may want to 

intimidate us, hence, the 

need for the immediate 

intervention by the 

governor and CP, Subairu 

Muazu. They must nip this 

in the bud to prevent it from 

degenerating into a 

community clash and 

possible loss of lives and 

properties.” 

The lawyer, however, 

presented a petition and an 

affidavit by the RCM 

Chairman. 

On his part, the counsel 

to the other faction of the 

family, Victor Olawale, said: 

“The law says before 

anyone pays for a piece of 

land, there is need to 

survey the land to ensure 

the land has not been 

bought by someone else." 

VISIT: Lagos State deputy governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule (middle) with flanked 

by the widows of the late Olumegbon of Lagos, Abdul Fatai Olumegbon at the 

deceased house, Ado - Langbasa Road, Ajah, Lagos, yesterday. 

ALLEGED N3.6BN FRAUD: Trial of ex-NDDC 

Director, Omatsuli begins 


LAGOS—THE trial of a 

former Director of the 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, Mr 

Tuoyo Omatsuli and three 

others over alleged N3.6 

billion fraud, commenced, 

yesterday, before a Federal 

High Court in Lagos. 

The Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, had 

on November 8, 2018, 

arraigned Omatsuli 

alongside Don Parker 

Properties Ltd, Francis 

Momoh and Building 

Associates Ltd, before 

Justice Saliu Saidu on a 45- 

count charge bordering on 

the alleged offence. At the 

resumed hearing of the 

matter yesterday, the antigraft 

agency called its first 

witness, Eyo Bassey 

Francis, a software 

developer and contractor. 

The witness, while being 

cross examined by EFCC’s 

lawyer, Mr Ekele 

Iheanacho, told the court 

that he had executed 

contracts for NDDC as well 

as Akwa-Ibom, Imo and 

Abia State governments. 

He said: “As a contractor 

with NDDC, in 2014, I came 

in contact with Mr. Tuoyo 

Omatsuli. 

"In the course of our 

discussion, I told him that I 

run an online platform and 

I do a lot of imports. I also 

told him that because of my 

engagement in import, I 

was able to source for 

foreign currencies. 

“He later called me on 

phone and told me that 

some money will be 

transferred into my account. 

I got initial sum of N80 

million transferred into the 

Heritage Bank account of 

one of my firms, Asiladrrin 

Global Consulting Ltd, I 

then converted the money 

into dollars as directed by 

Mr. Tuoyo. 

“I was furnished with an 

account of a firm, 

Greenhouse Investment, 

owned by the Special 

Assistant on Finance to the 

then NDDC’s MD to which 

I transferred N100 million. 

The balance was converted 

to dollars as directed by Mr. 

Tuoyo.” 

The case has been 

adjourned to April 11, for 

continuation of trial. 

Reconcile aggrieved persons, factions in PDP, 

HOSTCOM tells Okowa 

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi 

Okowa of Delta State 

has been called upon to 

urgently reconcile all 

aggrieved stalwarts of the 

Peoples Democratic Party in 

the state, after his reelection 

in the justconcluded 

governorship 

election. 

Host Communities of 

Nigeria Producing Oil and 

Gas (HOSTCOM), Itsekiri 

Chapter made this appeal 

yesterday in Warri in a 

congratulatory message to 

Governor Okowa, signed 

by its Chairman, Engr. 

Tuoyo Woligho, Secretary, 

Pa Otimeyin Tonukarin and 

State Youth Leader, 

Comrade Itse Omajugho. 

They charged him to take 

urgent steps to bring all 

factions of PDP in the state 

together to engender swift 

development. 

Itsekiri HOSTCOM 

stated that the victory of PDP 

and Governor Okowa goes 

to show that Delta is a PDP 

state that cannot be 

upstaged by any other 

political party and 

congratulated Senator 

James Manager, Chief 

Thomas Ereyitomi, House 

of Representatives memberelect, 

Dr. Austin Uroye, Fred 

Martins, Emomotimi Guwor 

and Mathew Opuoru for the 

House of Assembly, 

respectively. 

The group noted that the 

PDP's landslide victory was 

made possible through the 

untiring efforts of party 

stalwarts like Dr. Joseph 

Otumara, Hon. Michael 

Diden, Hon. Godwin Ebosa, 

Mofe Pirah, Benjamin 

Iwetan, and a host of others, 

saying that now that PDP 

has won, efforts must be 

made to bring all hands on 

deck to drive development 

in the state to the next level. 

They urged Okowa to run 

an all-inclusive 

government, with 

HOSTCOM members in 

consideration.


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

MINISTERS' SUMMIT: From left; Apostle Alexander, Chairman, Christian Association 

of Nigeria, CAN, Lagos State; Pastor W.F Kumuyi, General Superintendent, Deeper 

Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) and Bishop Olusola Ore, Chairman, CPFN/PFN Bloc 

and Chairman, Lagos State Pilgrim Welfare Board during the first edition of the Ministers' 

Development and Networking Summit under the aegis of DLCM, CAN and PFN with 

the theme 'Building the Builders held in Lagos. Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 

Osun residents protest tribunal judgment, 

demand justice from Appeal Court 

•They’re paid demonstrators — Adeleke Campaign 

By Gbenga Olarinoye 

O 

S O G B O — 

SCORES of 

residents of Osun State, 

yesterday, staged a 

peaceful protest along the 

major streets in Osogbo 

against the judgment 

given by the Election 

Petition Tribunal sitting in 

Abuja last week Friday 

which declared the Peoples 


candidate in the September 

22, 2018 governorship 

election, Senator Ademola 

Adeleke, the winner. 

The protesters, majority of 

whom were youths, mostly 

students from higher 

institutions and prodemocracy 

activists 

stormed Osogbo, the 

capital of Osun State in 

their numbers and caused 

traffic gridlock within the 

major roads. 

Armed with placards with 

various inscriptions such as 

Oyetola remains our 

Governor, We voted for 

Governor Oyetola, We 

cannot be intimidated, 

among others, the 

demonstrators vowed not to 

rest until true justice is done 

in the final determination 

of all appellate 

proceedings. 

Speaking with journalists 

after the protest, General 

Secretary, Osun 

Concerned Citizens, Yaya 

Ademola said the protest 

becomes imperative 

following what they 

observed as lacuna in the 

ruling of Election Petition 

Tribunal which declared 

Senator Ademola Adeleke 

of PDP the authentic 

winner of the September 22, 

2018 governorship 

election. 

Ademola said: “The said 

verdict, which is a split 

decision by which a 

majority of two of the threemember 

panel, purportedly 

declared Mr. Ademola 

Adeleke of PDP as winner 

of the September, 22 and 

29, 2018 governorship 

election is clearly 

unacceptable to us and the 

overwhelming majority of 

the people of Osun in 

general and the electorate 

in particular. 

“Our concern in this 

matter is not just a partisan 

disavowal of a judgment 

that is unfavourable to our 

preferred candidate, Mr. 

Isiaka Gbeyega Oyetola of 

APC. Our rejection of the 

said verdict is borne out of 

the clear fact that it is a 

thinly disguised attempt at 

clothing the product of a 

black-market judicial heist 

with the garb of legality in 

the hope that it may acquire 

legitimacy. 

''Though a proper legal 

response to this unjust 

verdict has been entered at 

the Court of Appeal, we 

hasten to say that the basis 

with which the majority 

judgment was made is 

strange and baseless. 

“We are concerned and 

indeed alarmed that rather 

than adjudicate in 

accordance with the 

applicable provisions of the 

Electoral Act that 

emphasises substantial 

compliance or lack of it or 

want of it as the basis for 

proving the validity or 

otherwise of the election of 

a candidate, the majority 

decision of the Tribunal 

arbitrarily pitched its tent 

with the formal irregularity 

of the failure of INEC to fill 

certain columns of the result 

sheets even when they do 

not affect the number of 

votes scored by candidates! 

This amounts to a 

disingenuous working to a 

predetermined answer. 

“Under civil rule, 

electorate's votes determine 

who governs the state and 

it is by simple majority. 

Election tribunal cannot 

substitute itself for the 

electorate role vis-a-vis 

voting. 

“Osun Concerned 

Citizens stand for democracy 

and justice. We firmly 

believe that the electorate in 

Osun had spoken and the 

attempt by the majority 

decision to turn the Tribunal 

into a ’Selectotate’ shall be 

resisted. 

“We shall not rest until true 

Justice is done in the final 

determination of all 

appellate proceedings. 

“No to Jankara justice. 

Osun electorates have 

spoken through their 

majority vote!! Attempts to 

obstruct our votes shall be 

vehemently resisted.” 

‘They’re paid 

demonstrators' 

In its reaction, the Adeleke 

Campaign Organisation 

described the group as paid 

demonstrators. 

Speaking through its 

Director of Media, Rasheed 

Olawale, the organisation 

affirmed “that the court 

judgement restoring 

Senator Ademola Adeleke’s 

mandate is valid and lawful 

in law as it flows from 

evidence and cross 

examinations throughout 

the duration of the hearing,” 

noting that “the usurpers 

are jittery and desperate 

over the restoration of 

people’s mandate. 

“We note with confidence 

in God and people that the 

judgement is God given 

based on truth and 

Cross section of worshippers at the summit. 

dispassionate interpretation 

of the law and the 

constitution. We affirm that 

the judgment restored the 

will of the people as 

expressed on September 22, 

2018. 

“The mobilisation of 

exploited O-Yes members to 

rally against a judgment that 

sets Osun people free from 

slave holders is a cowardly 

attempt to hoodwink the 

people. 

“We note that that there is 

nothing within the 

judgment that is not covered 

by law and the constitution. 

The ruling to nullify the 

rerun, the cancellation of 

results of some polling units 

and the declaration of 

Ademola Adleke as the 

winner are all provided for 

by provisions of INEC 

electoral guidelines, 

Electoral Act, the 

constitution of the Federal 

Republic and extant 

judgements of various courts 

in the land.'' 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A 

B U J A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, felicitated with 

the National Leader of All 


APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu 

on his 67th birthday. 

President Buhari, in a 

statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, Chief Femi 

Adesina, described Tinubu 

as one of the strong pillars 

of Nigeria’s democracy. 

In the statement, the 

President said he joined the 

APC family in celebrating 

the Asiwaju of Lagos for his 

selflessness in serving his 

country, and making life 

better for many. 

He also affirmed that 

''Asiwaju’s uncompromising 

posture in the face of 

injustice and refusal to 

follow the path of least 

resistance for personal 

gains stand him out today 

as a rare breed and one of 

the cornerstones of 

Nigeria’s democracy, 

especially with his track 

record of persistence, 

consistency and effective 

leadership.'' 

As the father of modern 

Lagos State, Buhari 

commended what he 

described as “the visionary 

and inclusive leadership 

style that Asiwaju provided 

for the commercial nerve 

centre of Nigeria for eight 

years, laying the foundation 

for a modern and 

technologically driven city, 

and ensuring that every 

successive leader in the 

state sticks with the master 

plan of a greater Lagos.” 

The President prayed that 

God will grant him longer 

life, good health and more 

wisdom to keep serving the 

country he loves so much. 

INEC presents certificate of return to Makinde, 

Olaniyan, others 

By Ola Ajayi 

I Independent 

BADAN—THE 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

yesterday, presented 

Certificates of Return to the 

Oyo State governor elect, 

Engr Seyi Makinde, his 

deputy, Engr Rauf 

Olaniyan and the 32 

legislators who contested 

for seats to the Oyo State 

Buhari felicitates with 

Tinubu at 67 

OYO N30BN CONTRACT: My comments not 

against Ajimobi — MAKINDE 

By Ola Ajayi 

IBADAN—OYO State 

Governor-elect, Mr 

Seyi Makinde has said 

that his recent comments 

on the fresh contracts 

being awarded by the 

state government was 

not meant to attack the 

personality of the 

incumbent governor, 

Abiola Ajimobi. 

Instead, he clarified 

that his comments were 

borne out of the future 

and survival of the state. 

He said this through 

his Director of Media, 

Prince Dotun Oyelade in 

a statement. 

Makinde said he 

accorded Ajimobi due 

respect not only as 

Governor but as his senior. 

The statement reads: 

“But governance being a 

serious business, he, 

Makinde cannot look on 

while direct instructions 

are given to local 

government councils to 

House of Assembly. 

The event attracted 

several politicians who had 

been politically passive in 

the state for eight years. 

The occasion was also 

attended by traditional 

rulers, security chiefs and 

thousands of supporters of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party in the state. 

At the event were the 

wives of former governors 

of Oyo and Ekiti States, 

Mrs Mutiat Ladoja and 

spend all monies in their 

care including Stabilisation 

Accounts which are 

traditionally reserved for 

emergencies and natural 

disasters even when there 

are no cases of emergency 

anywhere in the state.” 

Makinde had raised his 

concerns about how 

contracts were allegedly 

being awarded at the 

twilight of the APC 

administration in the state. 

He promised to beam a 

searchlight on the award of 

the contracts. 

Feyisetan Fayose, Mr 

Azeem Gbolarumi, former 

governor of Oyo, former 

Minister of Power and 

Steel, Elder Wole Oyelese, 

former Speaker, Oyo 

House of Assembly, Mr 

Kehinde Ayoola, former 

Special Adviser on 

Communication and 

Strategy, Prince Dotun 

Oyelade, Senator 

Monsurat Sunmonu, 

former Speaker, Oyo State 

House of Assembly and 

many others.

12— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

Invest more in stopping, 

not fighting corruption, 

Senate tells FG 

Success Adegor: Wadoo makes 

case for conducive learning 

environment in Isoko land 

By Chiamaka Uba 

A 

United States-based 

philanthropic 

organisation, Wadoo 

Progressive Union, has 

warned that the failure to 

create a conducive learning 

environment for children 

could make them 

instruments of insecurity in 

future. 

President of the group, 

Mr. Kenny Ogaga, who 

said this when the 

association donated 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA— THE Sen 

ate, yesterday, 

asked the Federal Government 

to increase its 

investment level if it must 

nip in the bud, the issue 

of corruption, just as it 

said that the government 

should pay serious attention 

to stopping corruption 

and not fighting it. 

According to the Senate, 

it has become imperative 

to invest in ending corruption 

if the government 

must achieve the desired 

results of blocking funds 

leakages and boosting the 

nation’s economy. 

The Senate also picked 

holes in the budgetary 

proposal for 2019 by the 

Federal Government for 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, and wondered why 

the anti graft commission 

should have a budget proposal 

of N22 billion while 

the Office of Auditor-General 

of the Federation, 

AGF has N3 billion. 

Speaking, yesterday, in 

Abuja when the Auditor 

General of the Federation, 

AuGF, Mr. Anthony Ayine, 

appeared before the Senator 

Matthew Urhoghide 

(PDP, Edo South) led Committee 

on Public Accounts 

for 2019 budget defence of 

the OAuGF, Urhoghide 

and his members specifically 

urged the Federal 

Government to ensure adequate 

funding of the Office 

of Auditor General of 

the Federation, if it’s truly 

serious in ending corruption 

in the country. 

Urhoghide maintained 

that it will be difficult for 

the government to 

achieve any meaningful 

result in its fight against 

corruption when the 

AuGF, which should prevent 

the act of indiscipline, 

is underfunded 

while the EFCC has adequate 

funds for its activities. 

learning materials to 

Aradhe Primary School in 

Isoko South Local 

Government Area of Delta 

State, said the creation of a 

conducive learning 

environment for children 

should be prioritised. 

It further urged the state 

government not to relent in 

its efforts at responding to 

the plight of children. 

He said: “If we do not 

care for the children now it 

will lead to insecurity 

tomorrow. I recall the story 

of Success Adegor of 

Okotie-Eboh Primary 

School in Sapele, who was 

driven recently from school 

because of examination 

fees before providence 

smiled on her. There are 

many other children like 

her out there who may not 

be that lucky like baby 

Success. We must act to 

create a conducive learning 

environment because a 

stitch in time saves nine.” 

RIVERS: INEC plans to relocate collation 

centre, PDP alleges 

•It’s not true, says INEC; refuses 

request for fresh election 

PORT HARCOURT— 

The Rivers State 

chapter of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, has 

raised the alarm over an 

alleged plot by the 


Electoral Commission, 

INEC, to relocate the 

collation centre for the 

governorship election from 

Hotel Presidential to an 

undisclosed location. 

It also said the 

commission planned to do 

so at the behest of African 

Action Congress, AAC, and 

some forces. 

State Chairman of the 

party, Mr. Felix Obuah said 

the party had it on good 

authority that INEC was 

acceding to the demands of 

a political party and some 

powerful persons. 

Consequently, he 

cautioned the commission 

not to allow itself to be used 

to ignite a constitutional 

crisis in the state. 

Reacting to the allegation, 

INEC dismissed the claims. 

Chief Press Secretary to 

the INEC Chairman, Rotimi 

Oyekanmi, who reacted on 

behalf of INEC said: “I can 

tell you categorically that 

there is no truth in that 

claim. INEC collation 

centre in Rivers will not be 

moved . Please disregard 

the rumour.” 

Meanwhile, INEC has 

assured that it is going 

ahead with the planned 

collation of results on April 

2. 

INEC’s National 

Commissioner in charge of 

Information and Voter 

Education, Mr. Festus 

LAUNCHING: From left—Amine Djouahra, Senior Sales & Marketing 

Manager - B2C, Canon CNA; TY Bello, Canon influencer; and Omotayo 

Omodia, Country Manager, Canon Nigeria at the launch of new 

products, the EOS R, PIXMA TS9540 and ZoeMini in Lagos. 

Okoye, who said this while 

reacting to a petition by the 

AAC, said it would not stop 

the collation in line with the 

party’s request. 

He declared that political 

parties lacked the power to 

stop INEC from performing 

its constitutional 

responsibility. 

He said: “No party or 

individual can stop us from 

carrying out our 

constitutional 

responsibility. We would 

commence collation of 

election results. We are 

going ahead with that. Our 

advice to all the parties is 

to work with INEC to 

conclude the exercise.” 

AAC governorship 

candidate in the 

state,Biokpomabo Awara, 

had told newsmen in Abuja 

last Tuesday that he had 

submitted a petition to 

INEC demanding the 

stoppage of the collation of 

the governorship election 

results as scheduled. 

Rather than go ahead 

with the collation of the 

results, he urged INEC to 

conduct a fresh 

governorship election in 

Rivers. 

Meanwhile, members of 

85 political parties on 

Wednesday, marched 

through the streets of Port 

Harcourt, celebrating what 

they described as the reelection 

of Rivers State 

Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo 

Wike. 

They urged INEC to 

diligently conclude the 

collation and announce the 

results. 

INEC presents Certificates of Return to Okowa, Otuaro 

...Delta, Edo, Bayelsa lawmakers too 

By Festus Ahon, 

Gabriel 

Enogholase & 

Emem Idio 

A SABA—THE 

Independent 



yesterday presented 

certificates of return to 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, 

his Deputy, Mr. Kingsley 

Otuaro, Speaker of the 

Delta State House of 

Assembly, Chief Sheriff 

Oborevwori and 24 other 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP House of Assembly 

candidates who were 

elected in the March 9, 

2019 governorship and 

State Houses of Assembly 

election. 

INEC, however, refused 

to issue Certificate of Return 

to one PDP and three 

candidates of the All 


APC on the ground of 

pending court cases. 

While receiving his 

certificate of return in 

Asaba, Okowa 

commended Deltans for reelecting 

him, pledging a 

stronger Delta in the next 

four years. 

He further called on 

Deltans to actively 

participate in governance 

in the next four years. 

His words: “We cannot 

do the job alone. With 

collaborative efforts and 

partnership, the job would 

be easier." 

Accompanied by his wife, 

Dame Edith and a retinue 

of aides, Okowa urged 

Nigerians to be committed 

to democracy. He held that 

Nigeria would be better 

when things are done right. 

Similary, INEC 

presented Certificates of 

Return to 23 newly-elected 

House of Assembly 

members in Bayelsa State. 

The certificates were 

presented by the state 

Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, REC, Mr. 

Monday Tom, at the 

Commission’s 

headquarters in Yenagoa. 

The certificates were 

issued to 23 candidates, 

with the Peoples 


having 19, while the All 


APC, has 4. 

He said the remaining 

Constituency Brass 1, was 

yet to be concluded owing 

to a court order restraining 

INEC from doing so. 

In Edo State, the 

commission issued 

certificates to the 24 

candidates who were 

elected into the House of 

Assembly. 

Presenting the 

certificates, state INEC 


Commissioner, REC, Mr. 

Emmanuel Alex - Hart, 

urged aggrieved persons to 

approach the election 

petition tribunal for redress. 

C’River: Ayade seeks FG’s 

support on construction of dams 

By Ike 

Uchechukwu 

C ALABAR—Governor 

of Cross River, Prof 

Ben Ayade has called on the 

Federal Government to 

support its quest in the 

construction of dams across 

the state in order to achieve 

a viable agro sector. 

Ayade solicited the 

support yesterday in 

Calabar when he received 

the Permanent Secretary of 

the Federal Ministry of 

Water Resources, Mrs. 

Comfort Ekaro, who was on 

a maiden tour of Nigeria’s 

12 basin development 

authorities. 

His words: “There is a 

relationship between water 

abundance and 

hospitality. If you don’t 

have adequate water, you 

can’t provide that kind of 

hospitality that is 

expected. 

“Cross River is the 

cleanest and the neatest 

state and you can’t do that 

in the absence of water. 

“Cross River is 

participating under the 

accelerated development 

programme, we are also 

actively involved in so 

many value chains 

particularly maize, yellow 

maize, soya bean; cocoa, 

banana and rice. 

“We have built industries 

that will give full start-toend 

process application and 

value addition."


Gov Abubakar, Abdulrazaq, Zulum, 

others get certificates of return 

By Demola 

Akinyem, Aliyu 

Dangida & Ndahi 

Marama 

G OVERNOR 

Muhammad Badaru 

Abubakar of Jigawa State, 

Kwara State governor-elect, 

Alhaji Abdulrahman 

Abdulrazaq and his Borno 

State counterpart, Professor 

Babagana Zulum, were, 

yesterday, given their 

certificates of return by 



INEC. 

Their deputies and elected 

members of the state Houses 

of Assembly equally 

received their certificates of 

return from INEC. 

In Jigawa, Governor 

Abubakar’s deputy, Umar 

Namadi, and 30 members of 

the state House of Assembly, 

got their certificates of return. 

The 30 members of Jigawa 

State Assembly were elected 

on the platform of All 


APC, across the 27 existing 

local government with three 

local government areas, 

having additional 

constituencies making 30 

members. 

Of the 30 members, 21 

were returned, while nine 

were newly elected. 

Two of the members 

(Kaugama and Bulangu) 

who were denied automatic 

ticket and decamped to 

Social Democratic Party, SDP, 

were defeated by APC 

candidates. 



Kano, Katsina and Jigawa 

states, Abubakar Nahuce, 

presented the certificates of 

return to the governor and 

his deputy, while Resident 

Electoral Commissioner, 

Mahmud Isah, presented to 

30 members of the state 

Assembly. 

Speaking after he received 

his certificate, Governor 

Abubakar said 2019 elections 

were far better than that of 

2015 as Nigerians 

witnessed free rancour and 

hitch-free elections. 

Kwara belongs to 

all—Abdulrazaq, govelect 

In Ilorin, the governorelect, 

after receiving his 

certificate of return, at the 

INEC office in Ilorin, said: 

“This state belongs to all. We 

don’t see anybody as 

opposition. It is Kwara for all. 

All hands must be on deck 

to rebuild the state. This is a 

poor state and a lot of work 

has to be done. We will 

embrace everybody. 

"When you record a 

winning margin of 75 per 

cent, as we did, it means that 

even those on the side of 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, also voted for us. So we 

are going to ensure that we 

all work together. We are not 

going to label anybody. There 

are good people on the other 

side too.” 

In his address, a National 

Electoral Commissioner at 

the event, Mohammed 

Haruna, who commended 

the peaceful nature of the 

election, advised the new 

administration to emulate 

political maturity of the 

Senate President, Dr. Bukola 

Saraki, who he said on 

behalf of all others that lost 

in the election, that the 

winners were not his 

enemies. 

Borno gov-elect 

unfolds10-point 

agenda 

Similarly, in Borno, the 

governor-elect unfolded a10- 

point transformation agenda 

to “rebuild and safe return” 

of people to insurgency 

affected communities. 

Zulum, after receiving his 

certificate of return alongside 

his running mate, Alhaji 

Usman Kadafur, said: "We 

shall include all insurgency 

ravaged communities; with 

a view to retuning IDPs to 

their ancestral homes. We 

shall address the root causes 

of Boko Haram, which 

include strengthening the 

security system, creating 

jobs, inculcating discipline in 

our society, among others.” 

GLOIN60SECONDS: One of the runners up in Gloin60seconds 

contest, Mr. Braine Nwogwugwu (2nd right), receiving his dummy 

cheque from Queen Oyeledu, Brand Specialist; Oluwakemi Akinyele 

of Customer Care, and Sarat Danjuma, Brand Specialist, all of 

Globacom, during the presentation ceremony at the company’s 

headquarters in Lagos. 

Nasarawa Assembly speaker solicits 

support for new Emir of Lafia, others 

By David Odama 

LAFIA— SPEAKER of 

Nasarawa State House 

of Assembly, Ibrahim 

Abdullahi, has urged the 

people of the state to 

support the new Emir of 

Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage 

(retd), to enable him 

succeed not only as a 

traditional ruler but to bring 

peace, unity and 

development among the 

diverse ethnic groups in 

the state. 

Abdullahi spoke, 

yesterday, while reacting to 

the appointment of the new 

Emir of Lafia, Emir of Awe, 

and Osu Kadoko of 

Kadarko by Governor 

Tanko Al-Makura. 

According to the speaker, 

the lawmakers would 

ensure that a level play 

ground was provided 

through legislative actions 

that would make traditional 

rulers in the state function 

well for the benefits of 

citizens and the state. 

He said: “As leadership 

comes from God at any 

given time, what is 

required of us as a people 

is to support the leaders by 

providing them with an 

enabling environment at all 

levels.We must see the 

appointments of Bage and 

other traditional rulers as 

an act of God.” 

The speaker, while 

felicitating with the new 

Emir of Lafia, admonished 

him to bring his wealth of 

experience in the law 

profession to bear in his new 

assignment as a custodian 

of tradition and customs of 

the people for the overall 

growth and development 

of the state. 

He said: “I want to use 

this medium to 

congratulate the new Emir 

of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage; 

the new Emir of Awe, Alhaji 

Isa Abubakar Umar, and 

Umar Dodo as the new Osu 

Kadoko of Kadarko, a third 

class traditional ruler in 

Keana Local Government 

Area. 

“I want to assure the new 

emir of the lawmakers’ 

readiness to collaborate 

with the traditional council 

to promote peace, unity as 

well as strengthening the 

traditional institutions in 

the state. 

“The legislators will work 

to strengthen the traditional 

institutions by enacting 

laws and passing 

resolutions that would 

provide enabling 

environment to have direct 

bearing on lives of the 

people of the state.” 

Kogi NSCDC trains personnel on national assets protection, 

forensic investigations 

By Boluwaji 

Obahopo 

LOKOJA — KOGI 

State Command of 

Nigeria Security Civil 

Defence Corps, NSCDC, 

has commenced training on 

critical national asset and 

infrastructure protection 

The training, which is 

being carried out in 

conjunction with 

Timewealth Capacity 

Limited has 100 of the corps 

men drawn from CNAI 

Department trained in 

forensic investigation. 

Speaking, yesterday, at 

the training, Managing 

Director, Timewealth 

Capacity Limited, Mr. 

Frank Ohurofa, said 

Nigeria was currently faced 

with asymmetric threats, 

Plateau guber: We've 

overwhelming evidence, 

shall fight to the end— Useni 

PEOPLES Democratic 

Party, PDP, governorship 

candidate in Plateau State 

during the just concluded 

general election, Senator 

Jerry Useni, has claimed the 

party has “overwhelming 

evidence” to ensure success 

in its fight to “recover” the 

mandate it got at the polls. 

It will be recalled that 

Governor Simon Lalong of All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

was declared winner of the 

Plateau governorship race on 

Sunday, after the 

supplementary election that 

took place on Saturday. 

However, Useni, in a speech 

at the expanded meeting of 

the campaign council, 

yesterday, in Jos, vowed to 

give the legal fight “all it takes” 

to ensure that votes given to 

his party were not wasted. 

He advised supporters and 

officials of PDP to remain 

calm, prayerful and 

supportive as the battle for the 

governorship seat moved 

from the ballot box to the 

hence the need to engage 

the corps members in 

constant and new method 

of combating crimes. 

Ohurofa said the training 

would enhance the capacity 

of the corps members and 

impart on them a more 

advance way of carrying out 

investigation 

He said: “Nigeria is faced 

with asymmetric threats, the 

security personnel must 

adopt new strategy in 

tribunal. 

The candidate said hope 

was not lost, and promised 

that he would continue to 

give effective leadership to 

the party toward achieving 

the task of “rescuing” Plateau 

from hunger and poor 

leadership. 

“I will not allow the party 

to disintegrate just because 

we are not in government. 

We have a duty to make 

Plateau better than it is. I will 

always give purposeful 

guidance,” he said. 

Similarly, Senator Jonah 

Jang, former Plateau 

governor, advised PDP 

members to intensify prayers 

and not be discouraged. He 

expressed support for the 

decision to challenge the 

outcome of the election in 

court and urged members to 

be supportive of one another. 

Also speaking, former 

Deputy Senate President, 

Alhaji Nasiru Mantu, called 

for unity of purpose among 

party members. 

6 Gloin60seconds promo 

finalists receive prizes 

SIX grand finale winners 

of Globacom online 

talent hunt competition, 

GLOIN60SECONDS have 

received their prizes, with an 

actor and musician from 

Benue State, Ejembi Simon 

Inass, getting the grand 

prize of N1 million. 

Five others, who won the 

consolation prize of 

N200,000 each, included 

Nwogwugwu Brainie, a Law 

graduate of Nnamdi Azikwe 

University, Awka. He 

currently manages ‘Jimmy’s 

Play House’, a dance, photo 

and music studio in Owerri, 

Imo State, and Doyin 

Hafeezah Salau, a 400-Level 

female Law student of 

University of Lagos, who 

hails from Kwara State. 

Others are 23-year-old 

Biochemistry graduate of 

Michael Okpara University 

of Agriculture, Umudike, 

Abia State; Emeh Emmanuel 

Okwun; 17-year-old 

Ehimare Aaleeyah Shaka, 

an aspiring music star from 

Edo State, and John Sunday 

Peter, a graduate of Apa 

College of Education, 

Benue State. 

The ceremony, which took 

place at Mike Adenuga 

Towers’ headquarters of 

n a t i o n a l 

telecommunications 

company, Globacom, was 

full of excitement. 

Speaking earlier, 

Globacom’s Regional 

Manager, Lagos and Ogun, 

Mr. Olufolahan Faseyitan, 

said, GLOIN60SECONDS 

competition was one of the 

company’s numerous 

customer appreciation offers 

conceived to engage and 

showcase budding talents 

as well as reward young 

creative people in Nigeria’s 

social media space. 

He assured that 

Globacom would continue 

to introduce more valueadding 

and life-enhancing 

products and services 

designed to enrich the 

lifestyle of its subscribers 

and their experience on the 

network. 

combating crime to change 

the narrative. Investigation 

is key to combating crime, 

and forensic investigation 

is necessary and the surest 

part in combating crime.” 

Speaking, State 

Commandant, NSCDC, 

Ayodele Philips, said: “We 

are now better equipped on 

how to protect critical 

national assets and 

Infrastructure as well as 

human protection.”


FIRSTBANK'S 125TH ANNIVERSARY 

Nigeria's foremost bank, FirstBank held a Grand Gala Evening to commemorate its 125th anniversary 

at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday. PHOTOS: KEHINDE SHONOLA. 

From left; Gov-elect, Ogun State, Mr. Dapo Abiodun; Mr. UK Eke, Group MD, FBN Holdings Plc; 

Dr. Oba Otudeko, Group Chairman, FBN Holdings Plc; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Mrs. Ibukun 

Awosika, Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria; Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, First Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji 

Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano & keynote speaker; a guest; Alhaji Umaru AbdulMutallab, 

former Chairman, First Bank and Moyo Ajekigbe, former MD, First Bank. 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister 

of Finance. 

From left; Gani Adeniran; Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank; Alhaji Muhammad 

Sanusi II, Emir of Kano & Keynote Speaker and Mr. Jacob Ajekigbe, former MD of FirstBank. 

From left; Dr. Ije Jidenma; Prince Dapo Abiodun, Governor-elect, 

Ogun State and Mr Jim Ovia, Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc. 

From left; Dame Abimbola Fashola, former First Lady of Lagos State; Dr. Nike Akande, former 

Minister of Industry and Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, Publisher, Guardian newspaper. 

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji 

and Olori Rashidat. 

From left; Mrs Shade Okoya; her husband, Chief Razaq Akanni Okoya and 

Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman, Forte Oil Plc. 

From left; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere; Gen. Tunde Ogbeha 

(retd.) and Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora.


Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu, Ihedioha, others 

receive Certificates of Return 

•Ihedioha promises to revive LG administration in Imo 

•I'll address issues raised by those who didn't vote for me —Ikpeazu 

By Anayo Okoli, 

Chinonso Alozie 

& Chinedu Adonu 

E 

N U G U — 

INDEPENDENT 



yesterday issued 

Certificates of Return to 

governors-elect in the 

southeast geo-political 

zone. These included 

Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; 

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu 

of Abia State; Governor 

Dave Umahi of Ebonyi 

State and Chief Emeka 

Ihedioha of Imo State. 

House of Assembly 

members-elect across the 

five states in the southeast 

also got their Certificates of 

Return. 

In Enugu,the certificate 

of return was presented to 

Ugwuanyi by INEC 

National Commissioner, 

Festus Okoye. 

Others who received 

Certificates of Return in 

Enugu were the Deputy 

Governor-elect, Cecilia 

Ezeilo, and all the 24 

members-elect of the State 

House of Assembly in the 

March 9th election. 

The commission had 

earlier on 10th March, 

2019, declared Governor 

Ugwuanyi, candidate of 


Party, PDP, winner of the 

2019 governorship election 

in the state. 

Speaking at the event, 

Ugwuanyi assured the 

people of Enugu that they 

would continue to enjoy 

peace and unity in the state 

during his second tenure. 

Ugwuanyi also pledged 

to continue to engage all 

parties as his 

administration would 

continue to operate 

transparent government for 

the general progress of the 

state. 

He also vowed to 

continue to serve with fear 

of God, adding that 

“Enugu State would 

continue to be in hand of 

God.” 

Ihedioha promises 

to revive LG 

administration in 

Imo 

In Owerri, Imo State 

governor-elect, Emeka 

Ihedioha, yesterday 

assured the people of the 

state that he would revive 

the local government 

system in the state. 

Ihedioha spoke at the 

state office of the 



INEC, in Owerri, while 

receiving his certificate of 

return from the National 

Commissioner supervising 

Imo, Abia and Ebonyi, 

Okey Ibeanu. 

Speaking after he 

received his certificate of 

return, Ihedioha said that 

as part of his plan for the 

state, the local government 

would be given maximum 

attention to allow rural 

dwellers participate in 

governance. 

He also said that in the 

discharge of his policies 

and programmes, he would 

ensure that peace is 

maintained. 

The governor-elect also 

promised to work with the 

judiciary system to achieve 

justice for the oppressed in 

the state. 

According to him, “I want 

to put it on record that we 

had a good election in our 

state. I salute the INEC 

officials and security 

agencies because you acted 

with a sense of courage 

and discipline. 

“For all intents and 

purposes, the Imo State 

election recorded huge 

success. I want to thank you 

for doing a great job. For 

my brothers and sisters who 

have been elected along 

with me, I want to assure 

you that under our watch, 

we shall run a responsible 

government. Under our 

watch, we shall observe an 

independent legislative 

arm of the government. 

“Under our watch, 

democracy shall be 

practised as enshrined in 

the constitution of the 

Federal Republic of 

Nigeria. We shall work 

hand in hand with the 

judiciary to ensure that 

justice is practised in our 

dear state.” 

I'll address issues 

raised by those who 

didnt vote for me 

—Ikpeazu 

Also in Umuahia, 



INEC, yesterday, issued 


Abia Governor, Dr. Okezie 

Ikpeazu, his Deputy, Ude 

Okechukwu and all the 

members- elect of the Abia 

State House of Assembly 

following their victory in the 

last elections. 

Giving them the 

certificates at the INEC 

headquarters in Umuahia, 

INEC National 

Commissioner, in charge of 

18-year old girl raped to death in Enugu 

Emeka Mamah 

ENUGU—AN 18 year 

old girl, Miss Ngozi 

Eze, has been raped to 

death by unknown persons 

in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze 

North Local Government 

Area of Enugu State. 

The deceased’s body was 

found in a bush behind 

Community Secondary 

School, Imufu, several 

hours after her family 

declared her wanted. 

Ngozi’s father, Jonathan 

Eze-Eze told the crowd 

which gathered in the bush 

where her daughter’s 

corpse was found that he 

took her on his motorcycle 

to the Township School, 

Ogrute, Enugu Ezike, 

where she went for JAMB 

lessons on Tuesday 

evening and went back 

later to pick her only to be 

informed that somebody 

had given her a lift. 

“I left Township School, 

Ogrute and went home 

straight, hoping to see her 

but she wasn’t there. We 

waited till 8 pm and started 

looking for her. 

“She was not the type that 

normally socialises. We did 

not sleep as her telephone 

number was switched off. 

It was only this morning 

(Wednesday) that we got 

information that her corpse 

was found here. 

“She was to enter the 

university last year when 

she completed her 

secondary education but we 

prevailed on her to exercise 

patience for her elder 

brother to graduate, 

because we cannot afford to 

train two persons in the 

university. Since then, she 

has been working hard to 

gain admission this year, 

but this is what has now 

happened.” 

Rev Father Johnson 

Nwanonenyi, who said a 

short prayer for the repose 

of her soul at the scene 

amid wailing and sobbing 

by sympathisers, shortly 

before a team of police 

detectives took the body 

away for further 

investigations, said that 

human beings would 

always reap the bad seed 

they sowed while on earth. 

“The perpetrators of this 

heinous crime will be 

exposed. God will not allow 

His creation to be 

humiliated this way, 

without punishing them 

adequately,” 

Nwanonenenyi said. 

One of the detectives told 

Vanguard at the scene that 

a close observation of her 

corpse showed lacerations 

on around her neck and 

ankles, suggesting that she 

must have been 

strangulated by her rapists, 

even as some of her books, 

pens, handkerchief and 

shreds of her clothings were 

scattered around the scene. 

South East, Prof. 

Okechukwu Ibeanu 

congratulated the electorate 

in Abia for chosing their 

preferred candidates and 

congratulated the winners. 

In his remarks, Governor 

Okezie Ikpeazu said he 

dedicated their victory to 

God and thanked Abians 

for the privilege given them 

to serve them for the next 

four years and assured that 

he would not disappoint 

Abians. 

Ikpeazu promised to look 

at the issues raised by those 

who did not vote for him in 

order to give Abians the best 

and restated his 

commitment to serve the 

people of the state 

especially the common 

people and work hard to 

leave the state better. 

He commended INEC in 

the state for conducting 

what he called the freest 

election in the country and 

the security agencies for 

ensuring peace throughout 

the polls and after. 

ELECTIONS: PDP scores self 

high, says it'll take Anambra 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N Anambra 

NEWI—THE 

State 

branch of the Peoples 


yesterday described as 

outstanding, it’s 

performance in the just 

concluded general 

elections. 

This was disclosed by the 

state Publicity Secretary of 

the party, Mr Nnamdi 

Nwangwu while speaking 

with newsmen in Nnewi on 

the party’s performance in 

the elections. 

Nwangwu attributed the 

performance of the party to 

quality leadership offered 

by Chief Ndubuisi Nwobuled 

executive committee. 

While agreeing that PDP 

in the state had always 

been bedeviled by factional 

and divisional tendencies 

before any major election in 

the past, he said that it was 

not the case under the 

watch of Chief Nwobu. 

The PDP image maker in 

the state noted that "for the 

first time since 1998, the 

party worked together 

under one umbrella and as 

a family and that was a 

major factor in our 

impressive outing at the 

polls.” 

According to Nwangwu, 

PDP under the present 

dispensation was able to 

produce two senators and 

sixty percent of members of 

House of Representatives 

as well as improving the 

membership of PDP 

lawmakers in the State 

House of Assembly from 

two to six members. 

“We are optimistic that 

PDP Anambra State will 

soon produce the nation’s 

vice president. It is a matter 

of time and our stolen 

mandate will be recovered. 

“The PDP family in 

Anambra State is 

particularly impressed with 

our performance because 

we did well in the face of 

stiff opposition from other 

political parties 

accompanied with vote 

buying and intimidation. 

We therefore thanked the 

people of Anambra State for 

keeping faith with PDP. We 

assure you that all the 

elected PDP lawmakers in 

the State and National 

Assembly will not let the 

people of the state down, 

especially now we are 

working to take the 

governorship seat in the 

next Anambra 

governorship election.”

16 — Vanguard THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

BRIEFING: From left— Mr Williams Uzomba, Media Consultant, Connect Nigeria; Mr Emeka Okafor, 

Founder/MD, Connect Nigeria; Ophylia Temi Ibekwe, Lead Strategist, Phyllion and Jumoke Lawoyin, 

CMO, Lucy.ng, at the Connect Nigeria Pre-Business fair briefing in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele. 

Come let's build Abia together, Ikpeazu tells 

Otti, Ogah 

U MUAHIA—THE 

incumbent Governor 

of Abia State and the Governor-Elect, 

Dr Okezie 

Ikpeazu has extended an 

olive branch to his opponents 

at the just concluded 

governorship election, Dr 

Uche Ogah of All Progressive 

Congress, APC, and Dr 

Alex Otti of All Progressive 

Grand Alliance (APGA), 

calling on them to join him 

in building Abia. 

Governor Ikpeazu, who 

made the call when he collected 

his Certificate of Re- 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

A SABA—THE 

Commissioner for 

Basic and Secondary Education, 

Mr Chiedu Ebie 

has inaugurated a 7-man 

Board of Enquiry to investigate 

the allegations of the 

collection of unauthorised 

levies in public primary and 

secondary schools in Delta 

State. 

Mr Ebie while inaugurating 

the board in his office 

in Asaba stated that the 

board became necessary 

after a video of one Miss 

Success Adegor, a primary 

three pupil of Okotie-Ebor 

Primary School 1, Sapele 

who was allegedly sent 

home for failing to pay 

school fees went viral. 

turn as Governor-Elect of 

Abia State from the Independent 


Commission (INEC) at the 

Commission’s headquarters 

in Umuahia, said that such 

collaboration is the only way 

to build the Abia. 

The governor, while extending 

the olive branch, 

also called on his opponents 

to bring their ideas to the 

table and participate in the 

development of Abia State. 

“I call on my brothers and 

those who lost in the election 

to join us to build the 

Delta gets 7-man board to probe illegal 

collection of levies in public schools 

The education Commissioner 

stated that terms of 

reference for the board include 

to authenticate the 

claim of collection of unauthorised 

levies from pupils 

of Okotie-Ebor Primary 

School 1, Sapele and the 

Healthcare bill passes 3rd reading in 

Delta Assembly 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE Delta 

State Private 

HealthCare Registration, 

Operations and Prohibition 

Bill has been read the third 

time and passed by the 

Delta State House of Assembly 

at plenary presided 

over by the Speaker, Rt 

Hon Sheriff Oborevwori. 

The bill sponsored by the 

member representing 

Ukwuani Constituency 

and Chairman, House 

Committee on Health, Dr 

Alphonsus Ojo and five 

others, seeks to curb unhealthy 

practices in the 

Foundation trains 500 entrepreneurs 

on fashion design 

By Prince Okafor 

L AGOS—GMYT 

Foundation, a Lagosbased 

foundation that is 

into training of fashion designers 

and entrepreneurs, 

has commenced training of 

over 500 Nigerian Small 

and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs 

(SMEs) in the 

country on fashion design. 

The Foundation recently 

moved up from training 

over 200 of its students to 

500. 

The training is being 

sponsored by GMYT Fashion 

Academy, a section of 

the foundation that trains 

potential fashion designers 

and entrepreneurs. 

The Fashion Academy/ 

GMYT Foundation will 

also induct over 92 students 

and as well empower 11 

GMYT Fashion Academy 

students each with an industrial 

machine serving as 

their first form of empowerment 

for their homework 

and to also start their business. 

The foundation’s Chief 

Executive Officer, Princess 

Kelechi Oghene, made 

this known during the unveiling 

of the academy’s 

new students in Lagos. 

She stated that the foundation 

has spent over 

N200 million on the training 

of 200 women without 

external support and also 

help them start their own 

business. 

Abia of our dreams. This is 

the only way to go because 

in every election or contest, 

there must be a winner and 

losers. For us, this is a victory 

for Abia and since all 

of us that participated in 

the election are all Abians, 

it then means there is no 

loser in the actual sense. 

We must collaborate for the 

good of our state and our 

people.” 

He described as a privilege, 

the opportunity to 

serve Abians again for the 

next four years while reaffirming 

his commitment to 

the all round development 

of the state. 

Ikpeazu further reiterated 

his administration's commitment 

to job creation for 

the teeming Abia youth in 

the next four years, adding 

that he is poised to leave 

Abia better than he met it. 

Governor Ikpeazu who 

also dedicated his victory to 

God for perfecting all his 

efforts and that of the campaign 

teams with success 

said the Lord gives Power 

to whoever He wills. 

nature of such levies, to 

identify the officer/individuals/ 

organizations who 

are behind the collection of 

unauthorised levies (if 

any) at Okotie-Eboh Primary 

School 1, Sapele and 

the extent of their involvement 

and to determine why 

Miss Success Adegor of 

Okotie-Eboh Primary 

School1, Sapele was sent 

out of school. 

The committee was giving 

two weeks to submit 

their report to the state government. 

health sector in Delta State. 

The proposed law, according 

to the sponsor, Dr 

Alphonsus Ojo, is being 

enacted to comprehensively 

regulate all facets of 

the state's health sector in 

order to adhere strictly to 

international best practices 

and reduce the incidence 

of quackery in the sector. 

"It is for a law to regulate 

the registration, establishment, 

operations, conduct, 

monitoring and inspection 

of private healthcare facilities 

in the state and for 

other matters incidental 

thereto". 

Speaking after the third 

reading of the bill, Ojo emphasized 

that the main intent 

is to safeguard the 

health of all Deltans, stressing 

that the bill when 

signed into law and fully 

implemented, will end 

quakery in the medical 

profession in Delta State. 

S/African mining firms seek charter 

changes over past black ownership 

deals 

Mining companies have requested a judicial 

review of South Africa’s 2018 mining charter 

to change clauses related to transactions made in 

the past to increase black ownership, an industry 

body said on Wednesday. 

In a bid to rectify the wealth disparities of apartheid 

more than two decades after the end of white 

minority rule, South Africa has demanded that a 

proportion of a mining company’s shares are owned 

by black investors. 

Originally set at 26 percent, the black ownership 

level was raised to 30 percent in 2017, although 

companies that had already achieved 26 percent 

were not required to meet the higher target. 

Mining companies have argued that, while they 

accept the need to raise black ownership to the 

required level, they should not be required to 

maintain that level should black investors sell any 

of their shares later. 

The Minerals Council, which represents mining 

companies, said most aspects of the new charter 

unveiled in 2018 were “reasonable and workable” 

but said it should be changed to ensure it recognised 

past deals related to black empowerment. 

Nigeria aims to borrow at home and 

abroad to fund 2019 budget –Minister 

Nigeria plans to tap concessionary long-term 

loans to finance its 2019 budget in addition to 

borrowing at home, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed 

said on Wednesday. 

“We intend to fund the 2019 budget through 

borrowing locally and internationally with a spread 

of 50:50. Our focus is on concessionary long-term 

loans,” said a National Assembly tweet quoting the 

finance minister. 

Nigeria, which has Africa’s biggest economy, has 

borrowed abroad and at home over the past three 

years to help to finance its budgets and to fund 

infrastructure projects but debt servicing cost is also 

rising. 

Ahmed said there were challenges generating 

revenue but that the 2018 budget has performed 

well. She said the government had put in place 

strategies on how to finance the 2019 budget of 8.83 

trillion naira ($28.9 billion). 

Nigerian bond yields drop op after er CBN 

rate cut 

Nigerian bond yields fell slightly on Wednesday, 

a day after the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN 

unexpectedly announced an interest rate cut aimed 

at stimulating growth in Africa’s biggest economy, 

traders said. 

CBN cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis 

points to 13.5 percent on Tuesday, its first reduction 

in four years. The rate has been held at 14 percent 

since July 2016 to support the naira and curb 

inflation. 

Bond yields dropped to around 13 percent across 

maturities on Wednesday on minor buying interest, 

traders said. They later recovered to 14.15 percent. 

The most liquid one-year treasury yield fell 15 basis 

points to 12.75 percent. 

“The markets opened lower but no one is buying as 

investors adjust their bids,” one trader said.

Re: The judiciary: Matters arising 

AS is customary with this page, 

we occasionally pause to 

listen to our readers, and engage 

with them where possible. The twopart 

article on the judiciary, March 

7 and 14, elicited a number of 

responses. The responses were, as 

usual, of two kinds: reasoned and 

reasonable, and unreasoned 

(sometimes abusive) and 

unreasonable. I ignored the latter 

and have the former published 

below: 

Muhd Lawan Usman: You are 

surely on course Mr. Dori. What a 

paradox! Justice Onnoghen, the 

supreme custodian of justice and its 

chief deliverer in Nigeria is fighting 

hard to deny himself what he has 

been giving to others!! To the utter 

dismay and disenchantment of 

Nigerians, the Bar and the Bench, 

seem to be wavering, sitting on the 

fence or sleeping. Please Mr. 

Gambo wake them up!! 

Rabi’u Yahaya: Your write-up on 

the Judiciary and Acting Chief 

Justice Tanko is nothing more than 

the truth. His quality and 

straightforwardness is known only 

to his mates and those close enough 

to understand his mode of 

operations and conduct of his 

personal life. As a mate in the 

university, he associated with 

selected few just to preserve his 

virtues. The noises by the so-called 

senior lawyers on the issue was to 

ensure continuity in reaping from 

the corrupt system. May Allah be 

with the righteous people to serve 

the society. 

Ngozika Ihuoma: "The 

Judiciary: Matters Arising 2". 

Brilliant submission except the 

pronouncement of guilt against 

Chief Justice Onnoghen when no 

court, including the CCT, has 

convicted him. Opinion should 

reflect all sides and obedience to 

the 1999 Constitution should be 

paramount. Desecration of 

institution of state for personal gains 

don’t foster development. 

Joseph Iyoha: You are one 

columnist I respect but I don’t 

understand it when you papered 

over so many double standards. The 

CCT Chair is himself charged with 

a N10 million bribe case yet to be 

concluded. How can he be trying 

somebody else? All the PDP 

members with cases pending for 

corruption charges, by the EFCC, 

who decamped to APC when are 

they going to be tried? What of wellknown 

cases such Maina, NHIS 

Exe Sec, ex-NIA DG and many 

others too numerous to mention. 

Why are they not on trial? You see 

partiality in applying punishment 

is corruption in itself. 

Still on the Judiciary article, 

many readers have contacted me 

to ask why I referred to Abdullahi 

Bayero College, one of the 

institutional forerunners of 

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), 

Zaria and Bayero University, 

Kano (BUK), as Ahmadu Bello 

College. Actually the majority of 

us that passed through ABU in the 

1960s and 70s had always assumed 

that the earlier name of the Kano 

campus had been Abdullahi 

Bayero College which in 1976 

became BUK. Not so. And this 

deserves some explanation. 

When in the late 1950s the 

Northern Nigerian Government 

decided to have a university it 

started with establishing a college 

in Kano in 1960. The regional 

Minister of Education, Isa Kaita 

had in May 1960 told the members 

of the Legislature that the Kano 

college was being named after the 

Premier, Ahmadu Bello, ‘in 

His quality is known 

only to his mates and 

those close enough to 

understand his mode 

of operations and 

conduct of his 

personal life 

appreciation of the good work he 

had done for the region’. The 

college, according to the Minister 

would ultimately become a 

University, ‘the first in the North,’ 

and when this happened, it would 

be known as ‘Ahmadu Bello 

University’. 

Coincidentally, just before 

independence, there were 

discussions also going on at the 

Federal level to push for more 

investments in higher education. 

The Ashby Commission 

established at the behest of the 

Federal Government had decided 

to recommend for the 

establishment of four regional 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 —17 

17 

universities in the East, West, the 

North and Lagos, to complement 

the federal university in Ibadan. 

The Eastern Region had 

everything ready and were able to 

start the University of Nigeria 

Nsukka immediately in 1960, 

while ABU, University of Lagos and 

University of Ife took off in 1962. 

When the Northern Nigerian 

Government came to establish its 

own it found it more convenient to 

settle on Zaria because of the 

number of institutions already 

domiciled there that could be 

drawn into it – Institute of 

Administration, Kongo, the 

Institute of Agricultural Research, 

Samaru and more importantly the 

Zaria branch of the old Nigerian 

College. Since the name of the 

university had earlier been decided 

to be Ahmadu Bello, another name 

had to be found for the Kano 

college which was to be an integral 

part of the new university. It was 

then decided to name it after the 

illustrious Kano Emir, Abdullahi 

Bayero. 

There is no better corroboration 

to this narrative than the interview 

given by the Emir of Suleja, Awwal 

Ibrahim, the former Governor of 

Niger State and published by Daily 

Trust last Sunday. He said: ‘I left 

(Bida) in 1961 and went to Kano 

to attend the Ahmadu Bello 

College which was changed to 

Abdullahi Bayero College. When 

the name, Ahmadu Bello College 

was adopted for the first university 

in the Northern Region, the present 

ABU, Zaria, we continued there.’ 

The other piece that evoked 

reactions was the one published 

last week, "The CP in Kano – Man 

of the moment". CP Mohammed 

Wakili who had overall security 

supervision in Kano during the 

gubernatorial elections became an 

overnight media sensation for the 

sterling role he played to douse 

tension in the city. It is not just the 

role he played but the way and 

manner he performed it. Anyone 

associated with theatre arts will 

know what this means. The social 

media as well as the traditional 

ones have discussed nothing more 

than CP Wakili these last two 

weeks. I have had my own share of 

respondents also: 

Buhari Hassan: While we 

eagerly await the final results of the 

inconclusive election outcome of 

some states the case of the role 

played by the CP Kano makes me a 

little queasy. The speed with which 

tributes are paid complete with in 

depth family history and photo 

album smacks of Kannywood 

choreography. 

W Jasper: More of his kind in all 

sectors! We must celebrate bravery, 

dedication, and honesty. Well done 

CP. 

Eyes Justice: The Nigeria Police 

Force, that’s the official name. A 

colonial appendage and left over. 

Thus, sophisticated and highly 

educated gentlemen like Wakili 

have no place in it. It is fashioned 

in the image of the Adewusis, 

Baloguns, Ehindaros and the 

Kpotun Idris. The incompetents and 

mediocre cadres always trump 

excellence. Mr. Wakili, do your best. 

Posterity will appreciate you if we 

don’t. 

FBN: I would rate this post 5 stars. 

God bless CP Wakili. God bless the 

institution that produced him, NPF. 

God bless Nigeria. 

Phibby: I doff my hat for the 

amiable CP who never allowed 

anyone to lord him. A man of the 

moment indeed. 

Oghenena: CP Wakilis! CP 

Wakilis! CP Wakilis! We love you. 

You have given us hope that Nigeria 

can be great again. 

Sunny: In agreeing with yours, I 

also doff my hat for the Kano CP, a 

real thoroughbred professional, 

same with the present Ag IG. 

Cyclone in Africa: Going to Afghanistan 

By Banji Ojewale 

IN 1984, when we all stood in awe of 

Decree Four, to differ from officialdom 

as represented by Nigeria’s military junta 

headed by Muhammadu Buhari was a 

perilous path to perdition. The soldiers 

brooked no dissent as they waved the 

draconian law before all, notably newsmen. 

The law, the most outrageous and 

pernicious by any military dictator in 

Nigeria, forbade reporters from publishing 

or broadcasting what the authorities 

"calculated to bring the Federal Military 

Government or the Government of a State 

or a public officer to ridicule or disrepute." 

Then this scary one: The martial ruler 

was given the power to prohibit the 

circulation of an "offending" newspaper for 

one year. He was also at liberty to revoke 

the licence granted any broadcast medium 

or order its closure or forfeiture to the 

government if he was satisfied that its 

untrammeled existence was "detrimental 

to the interest of the Federation” or any 

part of the country. Still more frightening 

and utterly alien to jurisprudential 

convention, this: "the burden of 

proving…the charge is true…shall, 

notwithstanding anything to the contrary 

in any enactment or rule of law, lie on the 

person charged”. There was no escape if 

this law caught up with you. 

One of the two journalists of The 

Guardian newspaper jailed under Decree 

4, Tunde Thompson, would later write in 

his book, Power and the Press: "...those 

charged under the decree were first to be 

regarded as guilty and to prove they were 

not, whatever the odds against them”. 

Thereafter journalists were shy to write 

on local issues. You didn’t know when 

Buhari’s Procrustean-bed law could make 

you lie in it, regardless of your size. It was 

an elastic contraption that took in 

everyone, fat, skinny, tall or short, or 

averagely formed. So, Nigerian journalists, 

columnists especially, would opt for farflung 

foreign events. And the Soviet and 

US proxy war in Afghanistan was the talk 

of the day. The writers suddenly became 

experts in global conflict resolution, 

leaving the larger domestic challenges 

unattended to. Their own home was on 

Our governments are not 

anchored on vision that 

looks into the next century; 

they live to exhaust the perks 

of office of the moment 

fire; but what sweet relief they got on flights 

away from hell. If you wrote on such issues 

in order to dodge the radar of the military, 

you were said to have gone Afghanistan. 

I also want to go Afghanistan today. Not 

because home issues are too hot to handle. 

No. I think running from them would keep 

them hot and make them hotter. But then 

we need to discuss something close home: 

the visit of a devastating cyclone to 

Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi last 

week. It’s a week after Cyclone Idai struck 

Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, all 

in Southern Africa, leaving hundreds 

confirmed dead and levelling communities 

and sending hundreds of thousands into 

refugee camps. A Mozambican 

government spokesman declared that 

human casualties could go up with the 

records indicating that 15,000 persons are 

missing. Even the military struggle waged 

to liberate Mozambique and Zimbabwe 

did not throw up such statistics of fatalities 

and destruction at a go. But this did. 

There are also security and grave health 

concerns. Those displaced are diseased 

and hungry and revolting. There are food 

and fuel shortages in the three countries. 

The United Nations World Food 

Programme coordinating food flights says 

it needs to sustain supplies over the next 

three months to stabilise the situation in 

Zimbabwe. In Mozambique where Idai 

began its march of death, the director of a 

Christian charity has warned Africans to 

prepare for a long recovery. 

“This is a catastrophe,” Edgar Jone of 

Tearfund, a charity body laments. He adds: 

"Cyclone Idai has destroyed so much in 

an instance and it will take years for people 

to recover what they have lost.” And a 

couple of international aid agencies have 

sent an SOS saying they are "racing against 

time” to rescue the perishing, because they 

can’t reach survivors trapped in areas of 

Mozambique where some villages are 

buried in floods. 

We should not be consoled by the flood 

of aid stuff and messages from African 

leaders commiserating with their 

counterparts in Southern Africa. Nor 

should we be unduly stirred by the 

presence of US military teams joining the 

cyclone rescue effort in Mozambique. We 

should be more elated to see African 

nations and the African Union with the 

other regional bodies on the continent rise 

to the occasion to supply the needed 

succour to our brothers and sisters in the 

afflicted areas. 

This is an international humanitarian 

crisis brought about by nature, requiring 

all humanity to come together to battle. But 

our leaders go to sleep and expect the 

outside world to seize the initiative from 

them. It is a disease of lethargy that has 

bedevilled our leaders continent-wide. 

Even Cyclone Idai we are all demonising 

didn’t spring on us. For instance, BBC’s 

reporters Jack Goodman and Christopher 

Giles have quoted the Zimbabwe Minister 

of Defence Oppah Muchinguri as saying 

her government was alerted by the 

meteorologists on the imminence of Idai 

and its route, but the authorities "failed to 

anticipate its strength”, and that 

undermined the level of preparations for 

evacuation of those in the trajectory of the 

cyclone. 

That is what we are saddled with in 

Africa. Our governments are not anchored 

on vision that looks into the next century. 

They live to exhaust the perks of office of 

the moment. Our town planning strategies 

are for urban centres that don’t see beyond 

five years or so. We are compromised such 

that we approve buildings put together that 

wouldn’t withstand sharply inclement 

weather. 

Years ago, while shooting a documentary 

in Delta State, I was stupefied at the 

shapely sight of the General Hospital, 

Ughelli. There were no cracks. Our guide 

told me it had been in that pristine state 

over the decades. The plaque corroborated 

him: it was built in the days of Obafemi 

Awolowo, first premier of the old Western 

Nigeria that stretched from Ikeja to the 

banks of the Niger. The hospital block and 

wards with the steel beds were as though 

they were commissioned yesterday by 

Awolowo. 

Only leaders with an agenda set for the 

next century and beyond deliver a citizenry 

and monuments that stand against the 

treacherous elements of misgovernance 

and nature. 

•Ojewale, a social commentator, wrote from 

Lagos 

C 

M 

Y 

K

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

TEN years into the war against the 

Boko Haram Islamic insurgency 

group in the North East, our country 

might face a new phase of threats with 

the final defeat of the self-styled 

Islamic State, IS, in Baghuz, its last 

stand in Syria last week. 

The BBC recently quoted the Head 

of the United States military’s Central 

Command, General Joseph Votel, as 

warning of the need to maintain “a 

vigilant offensive against the now 

grossly dispersed and disaggregated 

IS that retains leaders, fighters, 

facilitators, resources and the profane 

ideology that fuels their efforts”. 

The IS at the height of its bravado 

under its leader, Sheikh Abu Bakr al 

Baghdadi, once controlled a 

“caliphate” spanning 88,000 square 

kilometres of territory in Iraq and 

Syria. These areas are rich in mineral 

(including oil) and water resources, 

agricultural lands and factories that 

Danger for Nigeria after IS defeat in Syria 

help to sustain the economies of both 

Middle Eastern countries. 

Nigeria has so many reasons to be 

nervous that the IS terrorists might 

want to increase their presence in the 

West African sub-region where it had 

already established links with the Abu 

Musab Al Barnawi faction of Boko 

Haram. Like the Levant in the Middle 

East, the Lake Chad area is also 

believed to be oil-rich. 

It certainly controls a lot of water 

and agricultural resources, apart from 

being an ancient watershed of Islam. 

These are factors that attract Islamists. 

In addition, our anti-Boko Haram 

war in the North East has shown 

serious vulnerability in recent months. 

As President Muhammadu Buhari 

prepares for a new term of office from 

May 29, this year, we hope he is finally 

ready to bring on board a new crop 

of military chiefs as well as a 

recharged agenda to neutralise 

whatever intentions the IS network 

and its local agents might have in the 

North East. We must send clear signals 

that no inch of our country will be a 

comfort zone for the IS, Al Qaeda and 

other Islamic terror groups that might 

be contemplating evil thoughts about 

our country. 

One sure way of fortifying our 

defence and security in the North East 

is to approach it as the international 

threat that it really is. The victory in 

Iraq and Syria would not have been 

possible if not for the roles played by 

such countries as the US, Turkey, 

Russia, the Kurds and, of course, the 

local forces in both countries. 

We must revive the Multi-National 

Joint Task Force, MNJTF, and reenlist 

the support of the Lake Chad 

countries such as Niger, Chad, 

Cameroon and even Mali and 

Burkina Faso. More importantly, the 

world must also send fighters and 

technology to ward off the virus of 

terror before it plants deep roots in 

the Sahara and the Sahel. 

By Akunna Sophia Ofili 

WITH the evolving changes 

emanating from climate and 

environmental issues in all parts of the 

world, man has been saddled with the 

responsibility of finding lasting solutions 

to these problems. Nigeria as the most 

densely populated black nation in the 

world has been faced with serious energy 

deficit which have adversely affected the 

growth of the Micro Small and Medium 

Enterprises, MSMEs. In the quest to 

meet up with the increasing demands 

on performance and the need to 

maximise cost for profit, alternative local 

and cheap measures have always been 

the major energy source adopted to 

enhance products and services in 

Nigeria. 

Many homes and restaurants resort to 

the use of firewood and kerosene for 

cooking, especially for larger families, 

groups, parties, etc., mainly due to the 

availability, inexpensive nature of 

firewood and lack of access to modern 

cooking fuels, However, a great number 

of households are not aware of the 

health implications and hazards that 

are associated with cooking with 

firewood. Also not knowing a better 

alternative, many users of kerosene do 

not only know the health hazards which 

include indoor air pollution and high 

volatility of the product when it is 

adulterated, but also don’t know that 

kerosene is more expensive to buy. 

Fire wood is considered as the oldest 

OPINION 

Revolutionalisng Nigeria’s MSMEs with off grid renewable energy 

form of cooking energy. The vast 

majority of households in rural areas 

cook with firewood, which is known to 

produce various airborne toxins. 

Traditional open fire and stoves which 

are mainly fueled by fire wood and 

kerosene come in handy for domestic 

cooking and heating. The use of these 

methods of cooking in the rural areas 

has continued to dominate the region. 

The smoke and toxins emitted can lead 

to an endless list of health problems such 

as heart diseases, lung cancer, low birth 

weight, impaired vision, increased 

respiratory symptoms, such as irritation 

of the airways, coughing, or difficulty 

breathing, decreased lung function, 

aggravated asthma, development of 

chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat, 

non-fatal heart attacks andpremature 

death in people with heart or lung 

disease. 

This impact is larger for women and 

children than for men due to the known 

fact that they are more familiar with the 

harvest and usage of these dirty energy 

sources. The use of locally made 

lanterns is also a major source of concern, 

especially because, they provide poor 

visual light that result in very serious 

eye defect and damage. These health 

problems are a great threat to human 

existence. Hence, it is important to 

provide MSMEs unlimited access to 

clean, safe and affordable cooking 

options. The success of many SMEs 

can be linked strongly with the method 

of energy used to run the businesses. 

Availability of electricity is usually a 

major restriction, especially at night and 

as such, limits the time for business 

operations. Using renewable energy to 

power street light will boost activities 

during night hours. In the rural areas 

many SMEs still make use of locally 

made lanterns for illumination, 

especially when it is dark or at evening 

hours. To reduce the ongoing damage 

caused by the use of dirty sources, time 

is now to provide MSMEs increased 

access to clean, safe and affordable 

Renewable energy facilities 

generally require less 

maintenance because as the 

name sounds, its sources 

which include the sun, wind, 

hydro, etc., renew themselves 

energy options, because they are nonpollutant 

and non-contributor to 

greenhouse gas that contribute to global 

warming. Renewable energy plays a 

major role in the reduction of the health 

and environmental problems, 

experienced in most areas. 

Renewable energy fuels are derived 

from natural and available resources and 

this makes it easy to harness. One major 

advantage of renewable energy is that, 

it is sustainable and will not run out and 

this increases the efficiency of the 

activities of MSME. Renewable energy 

facilities generally require less 

maintenance because as the name 

sounds, its sources which include the 

sun, wind, hydro etc. renew themselves. 

To provide sustainable businesses 

that can improve the economy of Nigeria, 

the government and other charitable 

organisations should see the need to 

provide grants, low interest finance, tax 

havens and other financial options to 

help them run these businesses 

effectively. Local governments can lead 

by example by generating energy onsite, 

purchasing green power, or 

purchasing renewable energy. Using a 

combination of renewable energy 

options can help meet local 

governments’ goals, especially in some 

regions where availability and quality 

of renewable resources vary. 

Manufacturers and wholesalers of 

these products and services should 

endeavor to provide energy options at 

rates that the MSMES can afford and 

have confidence in. This will go a long 

way in encouraging their businesses, 

increase capacity level and curbing the 

health and environment hazards that 

have been a threat to the human 

existence for a long time. Educational 

programmes should be organized to 

inform and educate rural dwellers on the 

negative implications of using these 

traditional and local forms of energy. 

They should also be provided with ample 

information on the advantages of 

renewable energy over other forms of 

energy, and how it can be used to 

overturn their lives and businesses. 

•Mrs. Ofili is of the Climate 

Transformation and Energy 

Remediation Society, Abuja.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28 , 2019 — 19 

Economic activities on upward swing 

—CBN report 

technical 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

The level of economic 

activities in Nigeria may 

have returned to expansion, 

though marginally, in March 

2019 after a dip recorded last 

month. 

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), 

reporting its Purchasing 

Managers Index (PMI) for the 

current month said the indicator 

rose to 57.4 points as against 57.1 

points last month. The indicator 

was 58.5 points in January 2019. 

Similarly, the Non 

Manufacturing PMI grew to 58.5 

percent in March from 58.4 

percent in February. 

The report showed that out of 

the 31 subsectors surveyed, 25 

subsectors recorded growth while 

four subsectors contracted. 

The report stated: “The 

Manufacturing PMI in the 

month of March stood at 57.4 

index points, indicating 

expansion in the manufacturing 

sector for the twenty-fourth 

consecutive month. 

“The index grew at a faster rate 

when compared to the index in 

the previous month. Eleven of the 

14 subsectors surveyed reported 

growth in the review month in the 

following order: cement; food, 

beverage & tobacco products; 

fabricated metal products; 

furniture & related products; 

paper products; chemical & 

pharmaceutical products; plastics 

& rubber products; electrical 

equipment; printing & related 

support activities; transportation 

equipment and non-metallic 

mineral products. The Textile, 

apparel, leather & footwear; 

Petroleum & coal products and 

primary metal subsectors 

recorded decline in the review 

period. 

“The composite PMI for the 

non-manufacturing sector stood 

at 58.5 points in March 2019, 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$93.80 -1.55 

2,247.00 10.00 

$12.59 0.0 

$67.82 -0.15 

$59.36 -0.58 

305.95 306.45 306.95 

404.5271 405.1882 405.8493 

345.1422 345.7062 346.2703 

307.7968 308.2998 308.8028 

2.77 2.7746 2.7791 

0.5075 0.5175 0.5275 

425.4544 426.1497 426.845 

45.4983 45.5731 45.6479 

81.578 81.7113 81.8446 

426.1578 426.8542 427.5507 

46.2153 46.2908 46.3664 

. 20.8919 20.9261 20.9602 

CBN Exchange rate as at 27/03/2019 

indicating expansion in the Nonmanufacturing 

PMI for the 

twenty-third consecutive month. 

The index grew at a faster rate 

when compared to that in 

February 2019. 

“Fourteen of the 17 surveyed 

subsectors recorded growth in the 

following order: utilities; health 

care & social assistance; 

agriculture; information & 

communication; real estate, rental 

& leasing; repair, maintenance/ 

washing of motor vehicles; 

construction; educational services; 

wholesale trade; finance & 

insurance; electricity, gas, steam 

& air conditioning supply; 

professional, scientific, & 

services; 

accommodation & food services 

and water supply, sewage & 

waste management. The 

transportation & warehousing 

remained unchanged while 

management of companies and 

arts, entertainment & recreation 

declined.” 

From left, Bukola Oluyadi, Head, Enterprise Transformation, Ebun Alozie, MD/CEO, Care 

Organisation Public Enlightenment, COPE, Cancer-focussed NGO, Kehinde Gbelee, VP, COPE, 

Bola Adesanoye, Head, Sustainability & Tutu Aliu and Head, Corporate Banking (Oil & Gas) at 

the presentation of Prosthetic breast, bras and books to cancer survivors by Polaris Bank in 

Lagos . 

VAT: MAN urges FG to harmonize taxes, levies 

to attract more investment 

By Naomi Uzor 

The 

Manufacturers 


MAN, yesterday, advised the 

Federal Government to harmonize 

taxes/levies/fees payable by 

businesses in the country so as to 

attract more 

investments that would 

translate to higher 

productivity and more 

tax revenue for the 

government in the 

medium and long 

term. 

The Director General 

of MAN, Mr. Segun 

Ajayi-Kadir, in a 

statement referencing 

hints on the possible 

increase in Value 

Added Tax (VAT) rate 

by the federal 

government of Nigeria, 

said on economic front, 

Nigeria should ideally 

be compared with the 

emerging economies 

and not just any 

country in Africa, 

adding, therefore, that 

comparative economic 

policies should be 

predicated on what 

obtains in this economic frontier. 

He noted that in terms of misery 

index rating, low per capita 

income, heavily lopsided income 

distribution pattern, the Nigerian 

economy will be in a more 

vulnerable state if VAT is 

increased. 

He stated: “No controversy, the 

burden of the tax would be shifted 

to the Nigerian consumers that are 

already struggling, the economy 

would certainly experience 

demand crunch, inventory of 

unsold items would soar, 

profitability of manufacturing 

concerns would be negatively 

impacted, many factories will 

witness serious downturn or wind 

down operations.” 

According to him, this would 

also worsen the already high 

unemployment position of the 

country which is above 23 per cent 

as Nigerians currently employed 

by manufacturing concerns and 

other businesses may join the 

army of unemployed and further 

bloat the unemployment rate in 

the country. 

El-Rufai, Enelamah open Kaduna International Trade 

Fair tomorrow 

By Naomi Uzor 

The Kaduna Chamber of 

Commerce Industry, Mines 

and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) has 

disclosed that the Governor of Kaduna 

state, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and the 

Minister of Industry, Trade and 

Investment, Mr. Okechukwu 

Enelamah are amongst the special 

guests to declare the 40th anniversary 

of the Kaduna International Trade Fair 

open tomorrow. A statement by the 

Director General, KADCCIMA, Mal. 

Usman Saulawa, said dignitaries 

also expected to be at the opening 

ceremony includes other governors 

and ministers as well as members of 

the diplomatic community in Nigeria. 

Saulawa said the theme for this 

year’s edition, ‘Consolidating 

Interface between Industry and 

Agriculture for Sustainable Economic 

Development’, was deliberately 

chosen to compliment the efforts of 

the government in its attempt to 

promote Agriculture and Industrial 

development for the socio economic 

transformation of the nation. 

The fair will hold at the Kaduna 

International Trade and Investment 

Centre, from Friday 29th March to 

Sunday 7th April 2019 and the official 

African 

Prudential 

diversifies 

income base to 

boost 

stakeholders’ 

value 

By Peter Egwuatu 

African Prudential Plc has 

disclosed that it has diversified 

its income stream in order to boost 

stakeholders’ value. 

Speaking at the African Prudential 

Plc Annual General Meeting, AGM 

in Lagos, the Chairman of the 

Company, Chief (Mrs) Eniola 

Fadayomi said: “ Despite the 

challenging operating environment 

in 2018, our Company ended the 

year with an impressive performance. 

The company recorded a turnover of 

N4.485 billion, a growth of 35 percent 

over the previous fiscal financial year 

and a profit before tax of N2.39 billion 

which represents an increase of 16 

percent over the previous year. As a 

result of the impressive performance 

and in line with our dividend policy, 

the Board is pleased to recommend 

for your approval 50 kobo per ordinary 

share.” 

Continuing she said” The 

Company continued to improve 

on the quality of its core business of 

registrar services through 

deployment of its Greenpole software 

and a range of other value adding 

products and services to facilitate the 

ease of its clients in carrying out 

transactions on their share accounts. 

These include, E- Accredit for 

accreditation of meeting attendees, the 

Personal Register USSD 4018# 

which enables shareholders to make 

routine share enquiries using their 

mobile phones, e dividend which 

allows direct crediting of investors’ 

bank accounts, e -Offer etc.” 

She further said:” In a conscious 

effort to diversify its income base and 

insulate the Company from 

uncertainties and risks of depending 

on a single line if business income, 

the Company took measured steps to 

grow its business solution segment. 

In view of the disruptive effects of new 

technologies and fast tempo transition 

to digital economy, the Company also 

took strategic measures aggressively 

developing new business segments 

covering innovative e- business 

solution, e-commerce etc. 

opening will be held on Saturday 30th 

March 2019. 

“This year, apart from the local 

participants, we have companies 

from countries like India, Pakistan, 

Cameroon, Egypt, China, Iran, Niger 

Republic and Bangladesh that have 

indicated their interests to participate 

at the Fair. Apart from the traditional 

flagship events that we use to organise 

during our Trade Fair such as Quiz 

competition for Senior Secondary 

School Students, Trade Far Seminar, 

Business Roundtable, there are other 

activities that will be organised to mark 

the 40th Anniversary of our Trade Fair” 

he disclosed.


Benedict Oramah, President, 

AFREXIM Bank 

AFCFTA critical to Nigeria's economic potential 

— AFREXIM Bank 


AFRICAN Export-Import (AFR 

EXIM) Bank has said that Nigeria 

signing the African Continental 

Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) treaty 

is critical to maximum utilisation 

of of Nigeria's economic potentials including 

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 non-tariff 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. 

He said: “The challenge we have is 

in terms of Polarization between those 

who are industrialist and those who 

are in the other sectors of the economy 

and what we find in Nigeria is that, 

the industrialists are very strong in 

advocacy. So they are able to influence 

the government a lot more even 

Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister 

of Industry, Trade and Investments 

though the contribution of Manufacturing 

to GDP in Nigeria is less than 10 

percent. So, most times policies win in 

their favour.” 

Oramah noted belief in colonialism 

is limiting regional integrations 

through trade adding that Nigeria 

needs to tackle constraints to access the 

potentials of AfCFTA. 

He said: “Today, Africans regard foreigners 

and not their neighbours as 

their saviours why? The Colonial strategy 

was by some basic principles : 

Divide and rule ; Dependence on commodities, 

no industrialization/value 

industrialization/ value addition; direction 

of trade was structured to connect 

the colonies solely to their colonial 

masters. The limited infrastructure that 

was developed by the colonial masters 

was designed for resource extraction 

and hence followed the mines -to -coast 

path in colonies; and Education was 

biased towards humanities rather than 

science and technology.” 

According to him, a 

survey of the business 

community by the 

Nigerian government 

showed that 69 

percent of Nigerian 

businesses believe 

AFCFTA would be 

advantageous to the 

country. The top three 

advantages identified 

were better business 

environment, 

promotion of local 

business and business 

growth and expansion 

Constraints limiting Nigeria 

“Current macroeconomic policies may 

need to be tweaked towards supporting 

increased regional trade. At the 

sectoral level, there will be a need to 

introduce policies that encourage FDI 

flows to sectors that have the highest 

potential for regional trade, namely 

light manufacturing and agriculture. 

“Some complain that government officials 

negotiate international trade 

treaties and make trade and investment 

policies without consulting those (the 

private sector) whom those treaties and 

Ernest Ebi, Chairman, Centre for 

Financial Journalism 

policies are supposed to serve; Some 

Nigerian manufacturers worry that the 

AfCFTA will create an opportunity for 

certain goods produced outside of 

Africa to enter the Nigerian market 

from smaller African countries. 

“Another constraint identified is 

that today, up to 50 percent of intra- 

African trade is conducted informally. 

Some have argued that unless 

these are formalized, government 

policies to boost Nigeria-Africa trade 

through the AfCTA would be blunted. 

“Inadequate infrastructure is another 

important constraint many 

companies face. Domestically, infrastructure 

levels are poor, making 

export competitiveness hard. Due to 

colonial history that balkanized the 

continent, regional connectivity by 

road, sea, rail and even air is inadequate. 

“The bank is creating a digital ecosystem 

that will eliminate major 

bottlenecks to trade and financial 

flows within the continent. We estimate 

that when completed, the platforms 

could triple the share of Intra-African 

trade in Africa’s total 

trade and formalise significant proportions 

of the over us$60 billion 

annual informal cross border trade 

in Africa. The ecosystem will include: 

a Pan-African payment and 

settlement platform, a customer due 

diligence repository platform also 

known as Mansa platform, a trade 

information portal, a regulatory platform, 

an interstate transit guarantee 

platform and an Afrexim Bank 

credit application platform.” 

According to him, a survey of the 

business community by the Nigerian 

government showed that 69 percent 

of Nigerian businesses believe 

AFCFTA would be advantageous to 

the country. The top three advantages 

identified were better business 

environment, promotion of local 

business and business growth and 

expansion; overall , 78 percent of 

firms believe that AfCFTA will make 

a positive impact on local businesses; 

56 percent of the polled respondents 

believe the country does not 

have the infrastructure necessary 

to reap those benefits and gains 

However , there is an understanding 

among business leaders that the 

country should not wait until the in- 

Muda Yusuf, Director General, LCCI 

frastructure gap is fully closed before 

participating in the AfCFTA. 

Oramah noted that the study revealed 

65 percent of businesses expect 

AfCFTA to help them overcome 

their top challenges, namely: Improvement 

in the ease of doing business 

across borders that they expect 

to accompany the trade agreement; 

expected improvement in infrastructure; 

and enlargement of markets for 

Nigerian producers. 

Among exporting companies, 84 

percent expect AfCFTA to increase 

their volume of exports; the enthusiasm 

is shared by 91 percent of small 

companies and 100 percent of agriculture 

and trade businesses. 

Oramah further highlighted solutions 

to these constraints adding that 

it would help leverage AfCFTA for Nigeria’s 

economic development. 

He said: “An environment of low tariffs, 

and significant reduction in nontariff 

barriers envisaged under the 

AfCFTA, will require maintaining the 

Real Exchange Rate of the naira at 

an appropriate level. This will mean 

appropriate management of the nominal 

exchange rate of the Naira, implementation 

of policies that promote 

improved productivity, appropriate 

monetary policies and so on. 

“Since financing is a critical success 

factor in exporting and trading generally, 

it is important that the Nigerian 

Government develops a comprehensive 

solution to make Nigeria’s 

participation in intra-regional trade 

beneficial. In this regard, 

NEXIM should be better capitalized 

to a level that can make it a serious 

ECA. NEXIM should be equipped to 

develop an arrangement for offering 

risk-bearing facilities to enable it support 

exports to riskier regional markets. 

“The CBN should develop arrangements 

to offer reasonably priced 

Naira-based export credit lines to 

NEXIM for on-lending to exporters; 

Government should provide counter 

guarantee to NEXIM and Bank of 

Industry to enable the moffer medium 

term financing for retooling factories 

and creating export production 

capacities. 

“Our view is that the financing challenges 

for cross border investment can 

be ameliorated if the AFC and NSIA 

are encouraged and resourced to support 

such investments by Nigerians"".

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019—21 

2019 BULLION LECTURE ORGANISED BY CENTRE FOR FINANCIAL JOURNALISM 

From left—Mr Ade Adefeko,Vice President, Corporate & Govt Relations, Olam Nigeria; 

Prof Benedict Oramah, President of African Export-Import Bank, Cairo, Egypt/Guest 

Speaker; Dr Uche Olowu, President/Chairman of Council, 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, Tuesday. Photos: Akeem Salau. 

From left:Ray Echebiri,Editor-in-chief/CEO,Business 

world newspaper and Mrs Nkechi Ali-Balogun. 

From left—Dr Sylva 

Ashimole,Executive 

Director,Capital 

Express Asset and 

Trust Limited;Prof 

Akpan Ekpo,Member 

of Board, Centre for 

Financial Journalism; 

Dr Oladimeji Israel 

Alo; Board Member 

and Akugbe Ozigbo, 

Vice President/COO, 

Cat Construction 

Group Limited. 

From left—Dr Fredick Igbinedion; Mr Emeka Ugwu- 

Oju, President South East, South-South Professionals; 

and Dr Uche Olowu, President/Chairman of Council 

Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.

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08152060944 

NBA must t stop op acting like e labour unions 

----Sofola, SAN 


Mr. Olusina Abdulrafiu 

Sofola, SAN, is the 

first son of the late 

renowned legal luminary, 

Chief Idowu Shotayo Sofola, 

SAN. In this interview, he 

shares his view on what the 

APC government should 

focus on in the next four 

years. He also spoke on law 

reforms, remedy for election 

violence victims, 

independence of the 

judiciary amongst other 

issues. 

Excerpt: 

How would you assess the 

performance of INEC in the 

last election? 

The truth of the matter is that 

they did reasonably well but I 

was expecting more. Having 

practised democracy for quite 

a while now, there should be 

an improvement and we 

should practise things the way 

it should be done in the 21st 

Century. There are a lot of 

instances that are quite 

unpalatable and should not be 

happening. I will give you an 

example. On the day of the 

Presidential and National 

Assembly elections, I left my 

house with my wife and 

children and we were just 

going for a leisure walk 

around the neighbourhood to 

see how everything is going 

on. This was about 8:45am and 

we saw a bus with some 

occupants. They introduced 

themselves as the 


Electoral Commission, INEC 

staff and said they were 

looking for where the polling 

station should be, where they 

were meant to erect their 

polling booth. I think that was 

not good enough, especially 

with the postponement of the 

elections. I expected more 

from them in terms of logistics 

and preparations for the 

elections. There were a few 

things I asked myself like 

when shall we get there, 

considering this permanent 

voter’s card and everything 

that goes with it, like the 

biometrics. Why must you only 

be able to vote in the place 

where you registered? I think 

the truth of the matter is that 

INEC would have done a bit 

better. 

There has been a lot of 

disagreements among 

lawyers over the use of the 

Military during the general 

elections. What is your 

reaction? 

We all know what the job of 

the Military is. They are meant 

to protect the country from 

external forces. That is their 

primary duty. In certain cases, 

they can also get themselves 

involved in protecting the 

citizens against themselves, 

*Mr Olusina Abdulrafiu Sofola, SAN 

within the country but in such 

cases there has to be a clear 

need for that. The truth of the 

matter is that I am not sure (as 

far as the election was 

concerned), there was need for 

the Military to be actively 

involved with the elections. It 

does seem sometimes that they 

could appear to be exacting 

force, or to be putting people 

under pressure, or to be 

making people uncomfortable. 

Honestly, I’m not sure that it 

was necessary to have the 

Military out the way we did. I 

would have preferred a 

situation where the police are 

allowed to do their job while 

the Military is kept on standby 

so that if the need arises, they 

would be able to approach 

them within a short notice. But 

to have them going around 

even before any obvious 

trouble, is wrong in my view. 

There were cases of violence 

in some parts of the country 

during the last election. What 

are the provisions for victims 

of election violence? 

The law makes provisions for 

how to treat election violence, 

vis-à-vis the persons involved 

in such violence and 

prescribes custodian sentences 

if they are actually found 

guilty of such violence. If I 

understand your question 

properly, to the best of my 

knowledge, the Electoral Act 

does not make specific 

provisions for victims of 

election violence. Obviously, 

the law generally tries to 

protect the victims and also, 

the Government has the duty 

and responsibility to take care 

of the victims of such 

violence. The truth of the 

matter is that if we had a good 

system and if we were in a 

country where the hospital is 

working properly, anyone that 

is a victim of election violence 

should be able to get 

treatment from state hospitals. 

I do not know of any particular 

law that makes any specific 

provisions as to how to treat 

victims of election violence. 

Do you believe that the NBA 

is playing its role effectively 

on the issues of governance? 

I believe that they are moving 

in the right direction. We have 

not gotten to where we want 

to be, but I believe that we are 

moving in the right direction. 

I am not one of 

those who believe 

that the NBA 

should be radical, 

and should be 

going on strikes; I 

believe that they 

should make 

positive comments 

and take positive 

actions in relation 

to events as they 

arise 

I noticed that from the time of 

Austin Aleghe, SAN, when 

any major matter arises, the 

president of the NBA will 

meet with his executives and 

they will state their positions 

on such issues. That has 

continued up till now. When 

issues arise that the general 

community of people are not 

comfortable with, you see the 

NBA coming up with their own 

communiqué on such issues. 

I believe that is certainly a 

step in the right direction. The 

NBA is beginning to realise 

that it should not be looked at 

as a labour union of some sort. 

The NBA is meant to be 

interested in trying to protect 

the Judiciary and ensuring 

that the rule of law is 

maintained and that the 

warfare of their members is 

also taken care of. 

I am not one of those who 

believe that the NBA should 

be radical, and should be 

going on strikes. I believe that 

they should make positive 

comments and take positive 

actions in relation to events as 

they arise. I believe that the 

present president, Mr Paul 

Usoro, SAN is working in the 

right direction. I will like to 

believe that as time goes on, 

he will be able to perfect it and 

give us the NBA that we 

would all be proud of. 

Some months ago when the 

former CJN, Onnoghen was 

accused of not declaring all 

his assets, the NBA asked 

lawyers to boycott the courts. 

Do you think that was 

necessary? 

Whether it was necessary or 

not, I will not want to go into 

that right now because there 

are obviously divergent views 

on it. But as a lawyer and a 

member of the NBA, I believe 

that whatever decisions the 

NBA, as a body reaches, 

should be complied with by 

members of the association 

because if it is not, then the 

association would be rendered 

ineffective. Once the body 

makes a decision, as a 

member of that association, I 

believe that it is our duty to 

comply with whatever 

directions that our parent body 

has given except of course, if 

it is something that is illegal. 

Provided that it is not illegal, 

I think that we should support 

our association to the best of 

our ability. If I remember 

clearly, it wasn’t just the 

meeting of the executives, the 

ex- officials of NBA was called 

and it was the decision of that 

enlarged body that lawyers 

should not attend court. I am 

of the opinion that every 

lawyer should set aside their 

personal beliefs and comply 

with the decisions of the NBA. 

From the look of things, the 

judiciary appears to have 

been muzzled by other arms 

of government. Do you 

believe the judiciary can ever 

be truly independent? 

I think it is very important that 

there should be independence 

of the Judiciary and I cannot 

overstress this. The Judiciary 

is the last hope of the common 

man and they should be 

allowed to do their job. The 

executive should restrict 

themselves to their own job. 

Legislators should make the 

laws, the executive should 

give the policies and the 

judiciary should be allowed to 

adjudicate because there is the 

need for separation of powers 

and the independence of the 

judiciary cannot be 

overemphasised. I think that 

the onus is on the executive 

not to be overbearing. The 

executive may not necessarily 

be happy with the way things 

are going in the judiciary 

sometimes, but the truth of the 

matter is that the Constitution 

that we subscribe to must be 

followed to the letter. I believe 

that the executive should 

respect the Constitution. They 

should respect the judiciary 

and give it that which has been 

so stated in the Constitution. 

As the 9th Assembly prepares 

to take over legislative 

sessions, what aspects of the 

law do you think they should 

consider reviewing? 

One thing that continues to 

bother me every year is our 

budget. For one reason or the 

other, our budget is never 

passed on time. We are now 

in the month of March and the 

budget has not been passed 

and this is for a country that 

the economy to a large extent, 

depends on the Government. 

It’s dominated by the public 

sector, so it obviously leaves a 

lot to be desired that as of 

March, which will end next 

week, the budget has not been 

passed. This is something that 

is of immense importance for 

everybody. Let us put this 

budget in place so that the 

economy can move forward 

because there is a lot of 

uncertainty all over the place. 

Once it is passed, everybody 

will know where they are 

going and then we would be 

able to move forward. It also 

be nice if the issue of the 

minimum wage for the 

workers is resolved so that we 

don’t have cases of strikes 

every now and then. If these 

two things are resolved, then 

we are on to a good start. 

What are your expectations in 

the second coming of Buhari’s 

administration? 

Honestly, I pray that the APC 

Continues on page 25 

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 — 29 

NBA-SBL launches banking & finance academy for lawyers with help of ILFA 

By Innocent Anaba 

The Nigerian Bar 

Association Section on 

Business Law, NBA-SBL, in 

partnership with International 

Lawyers For Africa, ILFA, has 

launched the Banking & 

Finance Academy - a 

programme designed to help 

young lawyers hone their skills 

and expertise in the field of 

banking and finance. 

Speaking at this event which 

took place at the Four Points 

by Sheraton, Victoria Island, 

Lagos, the Chairman of the 

NBA Section on Business Law, 

Mr Seni Adio, SAN informed 

guests at the opening 

ceremony that the initiative 

was in line with the Section’s 

objectives to build capacity for 

Nigerian lawyers across 

various specialisations and 

sectors of the economy. 

He said: “The programme is 

made up of practical and 

interactive modules, with a 

comprehensive introduction to 

the fundamentals of banking 

and finance law and will thus 

keep young lawyers in tune 

with the modern practice of 

NBA must stop acting like labour 

unions ---- Sofola, SAN 

Continued from Page 24 

government would move 

Nigeria to a higher level. I 

know their campaign slogan 

was next level, but I actually 

preferred Better level. I hope 

and I pray that they move us to 

the next level. As far as I am 

concerned, it is very important 

that the economy is fixed. 

I understand that election 

petitions have been filed, and 

we do not know the conclusion 

yet. But whoever is there, I 

believe that it is only God that 

can make you a leader. I pray 

that whoever God has put in 

that position will be somebody 

that will have the interest of the 

people at heart and be able to 

move us all together to a higher 

level. 

The economy needs to be 

improved; you can see 

improvement in the energy 

sector in certain areas. 

I can speak for myself, the place 

where I live, electricity supply 

has improved substantially but 

not so much in my office. But 

that is one area that would be 

law as it relates to banking and 

finance. 

“As business lawyers, it is 

important to enhance the 

capacity of our young lawyers 

in the area of commercial law 

practice, to ensure they 

become specialists and not just 

generalists,” the NBA-SBL 

Chairman said. 

The academy opened with a 

three-day specialised training 

for over 100 young Nigerian 

good if we can improve on. 

The other area that gladdens my 

heart is the issue of the rail. Part 

of the problem in Nigeria is that 

after we started road 

transportation, we more or less 

skipped rail travel, and we 

went to air, without perfecting 

rail travel. All over the world, 

in the developed countries, 

there are those options of the 

rail, the road, the sea and the 

air. 

One area that I think Nigeria 

certainly needs to improve on 

is the rail. I ask myself everyday 

and I do not understand why 

there is no fast train that goes 

from Lagos to Abuja. That is 

from the commercial centre of 

the country, to the capital. I 

would have thought that by now, 

we would have had fast trains 

that will just take you straight 

to Abuja non-stop. I hope and 

pray that whoever God says will 

be there, would be able to make 

such improvements in the 

country generally. 

lawyers with interests in 

banking and finance practice. 

In his opening remarks, the 

Chairman of the NBA-SBL 

Banking & Finance committee, 

Dr Tominiyi Owolabi, made a 

case for legal expertise in 

banking and financing 

processes, stating that there 

was need to ensure the 

younger generation of lawyers 

in Nigeria were equipped with 

the requisite skills for purposes 

*From left: Dr Adeoye Adefulu, NBA-SBL Secretary; Cynthia 

Lareine, Executive Director, ILFA; Theodora Kio-Lawson, Chair, 

NBA-SBL Committee on Media & Communication; Mr Seni Adio, 

SAN, Chairman, NBA Section on Business Law and Mr Tominiyi 

Owolabi, Chair, NBA-SBL Committee on Banking & Finance. 

of financing. The market 

involves massive structuring 

skills and the panacea for 

these projects are foreign 

lenders. We do recognise the 

gaps in our training system 

and note that the average 

young lawyer does not having 

the key exposure or the 

sophistication in financing 

which the “market” requires,” 

he said. 

In her remarks, ILFA’s 

executive director, Cynthia 

Lareine expressed excitement 

at the collaboration with the 

NBA-SBL, stating that both 

organisations have had a long 

and rich history of 

partnerships, with Nigerian 

lawyers being the largest 

beneficiaries of all ILFA 

programmes within African 

jurisdictions. According to 

her, these benefits include, 

internships and programmes 

for secondment. 

She said: “When my 

predecessor sought to launch 

the Intra Africa secondment 

programme in 2016, it was to 

Nigeria that she initially 

looked and we had six 

Nigerian law firms hosting 

lawyers from various West 

Africa jurisdictions. We 

have hopes of replicating 

this programme in future. 

“I am personally very 

excited about the Academy 

and about our blossoming 

relationship with the NBA- 

SBL which also extends to 

our online legal education 

platform called Angaza 

Africa law training. The 

partnership model we have 

with the NBA-SBL is a 

template for what we want 

to achieve in other parts of 

Africa. I believe that 

through relationships like 

this one, ILFA really is well 

positioned to build legal 

excellence & strengthen the 

rule of law across Africa,” 

Lareine added. 

In closing, the ILFA director 

described Nigeria as a 

fantastic place with some of 

the most established and 

sophisticated law firms 

across Africa, which 

according to her, has 

continued to attract 

international interest. 

NEC should do more to ensure future peace Nigerian elections —AFBA 

The African Bar Association, 

AFBA, has called for more 

to be done by Independent 


Commission, INEC, to ensure 

that future elections in the 

country are credible, noting 

that preliminary observations 

indicate that the 2019 general 

elections experienced 

difficulties from the very 

beginning, led by the arson 

attack on three of the offices of 

INEC, and concluded with the 

postponement of the elections. 

Team Leader, Afba Election 

Observers, Justice Mama 

Singhateh in a report on the 

poll, said: “Despite the 

complications observed, in 

many instances peaceful and 

problem-free voting were 

reported.” 

On the way forward, he said: 

“INEC should plan far ahead 

of the next general elections 

to address those problems that 

are easily addressable. Such 

problems include the network 

problems on the card readers, 

updating the register of voters 

and design the voting booth in 

a manner that would ensure 

privacy. 

*INEC must also provide 

sufficient ballot boxes for all 

polling units, in order to avoid 

a situation where one ballot 

box is used for different 

categories of offices. 

*The INEC premises at the 

state and local government 

should be properly secured in 

the months leading to the 

election period to avoid arson 

or any other attack on the 

property and electoral 

materials. 

*INEC should recruit staff with 

requisite knowledge and provide 

extensive training to same in 

order to ensure an effective and 

efficient delivery of service for the 

next cycle of elections. 

*INEC should also ensure an 

extensive and effective training 

for its ad hoc staff well in advance 

of the election cycle to ensure an 

efficient service delivery and 

avoid many of the confusions 

some staff in some polling units 

exhibited. It must be noted 

however that this does not apply 

to all ad hoc staff as in most cases, 

many of them performed 

admirably well. 

*INEC must also provide a better 

way of locating polling units. 

Many of the voters complained 

about being unable to locate their 

polling units on election day. 

“On security agents, only 

accredited security agents on 

election duties must be allowed 

near the polling and collation 

centers. 

*All stakeholders must ensure 

that members of the armed forces 

are kept away from civilians and 

around polling units. Many 

incidences were reported of 

personnel of the military 

interfering with the voting process 

and with the ballot boxes. 

Citizens and Voters 

The responsible use of social 

media platforms must be strongly 

encouraged in order to avoid 

heated political rhetoric and 

related violence. 

The foregoing consists of our 

observations thus far. Bearing in 

mind that INEC had declared 

inconclusive results in the 

gubernatorial elections in some 

states, AFBA will publish a final 

report which would contain full 

analysis and recommendations 

after the conclusion of all the 

elections. 

EDITORIAL 

Innocent Anaba 

( Head) 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

Contributors: 

Henry Ojelu, 

Onozure Dania 

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Nigeria’s endless cycle of 

undemocratic elections 

ernment: the consent of the people, 

as expressed by votes in 

free, fair, transparent and 

peaceful elections. If someone 

secures power by electoral 

fraud, the fundamental 

doctrine of consent of the 

governed is breached, and the 

emergent government 

lacks the legitimacy and 

moral right to govern. 

But election-rigging 

is also damaging. 

It impairs democratic, 

political and economic development. 

Economists and 

other social scientists have argued 

that electoral 

fraud erodes political and policy 

accountability and, ultimately, 

leads to bad public 

policies. Surely, if a politician 

becomes governor 

by handing over the most 

cash to electoral officers or 

voters, or by causing the 

most violence, he would, as we 

have seen in Nigeria, turn his 

state into a personal fief and 

amass fortunes, rather 

than govern in the interests of 

the people. He is not beholden 

to the electorate! And, of 

course, he can secure re-election, 

regardless of performance, 

by using his incumbency power 

and state resources to buy 

votes, co-opt the security agencies 

and influence electoral officers. 

No serious electoral 

democracy should be 

so dependent on 

judicial interventions, 

yet, the judicialisation 

of Nigerian 

elections is inevitable 

because of many 

flaws 

So, electoral fraud is legally 

and morally repugnant, and 

politically, economically and 

socially malignant. Which is 

why civilised nations 

have zero-tolerance 

for election malpractices. 

But, not in this country. 

Here, in Nigeria, with politics 

so broken and rotten, rigging 

is integral to elections, 

and hardly any politician can 


LAST year, Ibrahim Man 

tu, a former Deputy Senate 

President, told Channel 

TV how he helped rig elections. 

Apparently incredulous, 

the interviewer, Esther Ogun- 

Yusuf, repeated what she heard. 

“Can I just clarify one thing”, 

she said, “Did I hear you say 

you helped to rig elections before 

now?” Mantu replied: “Yes, 

I did, I am now confessing the 

truth”, adding he was now a 

“born-again politician”. The 

rigging, he explained, 

didn’t always involve 

tampering with ballot 

boxes, but “giving money to 

INEC boys to help if they can 

see any chance that they can 

favour you and providing 

money to security agencies”. 

In case anyone found his 

confession shocking, Mantu 

said that “all our elections 

in the past” had involved rigging, 

adding for good measure: 

“I’ve been in this game 

for about 20 years.” Heaven 

rejoices over a repentant sinner, 

but there is a special place 

in hell for the unrepentant reprobate. 

Sadly, Nigeria is infested 

with too many election 

riggers, past and present, who, 

l i k e M a n - 

tu, should publicly confess 

their heinous crime. Did I 

say”heinous crime”? Yes, because 

ballot fraud is iniquitous; 

it’s illegal, immoral and 

deleterious! Of course, rigging 

is illegal because it violates 

all conceivable constitutional 

and electoral rules and 

norms. And it’s immoral, because 

it undermines the key requirement 

for legitimate govcast 

the first stone at Mantu! 

Nigeria, of course, has a long 

history of election-rigging. In 

the1960s, violence and ballotbox 

stuffing were the 

norm. Under the military, elections 

were steered in favour of 

preferred candidates, as in 1979 

and 1999. Take the 1999 general 

elections. In his book, Vindication 

of a General, Ishaya 

Bamaiyi, former chief of army 

staff, said that General Abdulsalami 

Abubakar, then head of 

state, entered 

a 

pact with Generals Ibrahim 

Babangida, T Y Danjuma and 

Aliyu Gusau to hand over 

to General Olusegun Obasanjo. 

Put simply, if Bamaiyi was 

right, the 1999 presidential 

poll was a sham because 

it was fixed! Of course, the two 

elections conducted by 

Obasanjo himself, in 2003 and 

2007, were massively rigged. I 

mean, in 2003, Obasanjo got 

99.9% of the votes cast in his 

home state, Ogun; it was so outlandish 

the courts later annulled 

the entire results. 

The 2007 presidential election 

was described by international 

observers as “a charade”; 

even Obasanjo’s hand-picked 

beneficiary of the election, 

Umaru Yar’Adua, admitted 

it “had shortcomings”. 

In 1999, all the 36 governorship 

elections were conducted 

in one day, but in this year’s 

elections only 29 were held simultaneously. 

Why? Well, because 

the courts later annulled 

the elections of nine of the state 

governors for various electoral 

malpractices, leading subsequently 

to staggered elections. 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

Two weeks ago, an election tribunal 

nullified the election of 

Gboyega Oyetola as governor 

of Osun State, declaring illegal 

the so-called inconclusive election 

that denied Ademola 

Adeleke, 

the 

frontrunner,victory. How many 

of the 29 state governors elected 

in this year’s elections 

would survive the election petitions 

kicking off across the 

country? Or, indeed, what 

would the court say about the 

re-election of President Buhari, 

which Atiku Abubakar, his main 

rival, described as a “sham”, 

and is challenging in court? 

But no serious electoral democracy 

should be so dependent 

on judicial interventions. 

Yet, the judicialisation of Nigerian 

elections is inevitable because 

of many flaws. For instance, 

why are elections still 

militarised in Nigeria when the 

courts have declared the militarisation 

of elections illegal? 

Why must elections be declared 

inconclusive because of rejected 

votes when this would incentivise 

disruptions to force 

unnecessary reruns? What 

about vote-buying? In the UK 

“treating” is an offence, defined 

as “directly or indirectly 

providing any food, drink, entertainment 

or provision to corruptly 

influence any voter to 

vote or refrain from voting”. 

Why is Nigeria’s law on voter 

inducement so lax? 

The cycle of sham elections 

will certainly continue until Nigeria’s 

electoral laws are fit for 

the purpose, and the politicians 

and state agencies are accountable 

for their actions. 

9th Assembly and the speakership contest 

By Imran Muhammad Halilu 

AS Nigerians get set to usher in 

the Ninth National Assembly, 

especially in the House of 

Representatives, in June this year, the 

quest for who emerges as Speaker has 

rightly dominated discourse in the 

polity. 

Majority of Nigerians would want to 

see a speaker who would ensure a 

harmonious working relationship 

between the Legislative and the 

Executive arms to achieve the ideals of 

the APC-led government in the next four 

years, beginning from May 29. 

The All Progressives Congress, APC, 

with the support of the Presidency, is set 

to zone the various leadership positions 

in the National Assembly. But truth be 

told, that zoning should be done based 

on certain considerations. In spite of this, 

the quest should not be extended too far 

as there are several candidates who 

easily fit the bill. 

First, the party should consider zoning 

the positions, especially that of speaker, 

to a region where it has lawmakers-elect 

with popular support. The second 

consideration should be to zone the 

position to a region that has never 

produced the number four citizen, which 

obviously is the North Central. 

One of the candidates of note is Ahmed 

Idris Wase, who has represented Wase 

Federal Constituency of Plateau State in 

the Green Chamber since 2007. He not 

only possesses leadership qualities, 

including leading the House, but also 

has the prowess and finesse to handle 

every situation that may present itself as 

speaker. 

After obtaining a National Diploma in 

Civil Engineering from the Plateau State 

Polytechnic in 1986, the 55-year-old 

legislator later obtained the Higher 

National Diploma in Civil Engineering 

from Kaduna Polytechnic in 1995. In 

2005, he was appointed the Executive 

Secretary of the Plateau State Muslim 

Pilgrims Welfare Board, a position he 

held up to 2006 before his election to the 

Green Chamber by his constituents 

under the defunct Action Congress of 

Nigeria, ACN, in 2007. A committed 

member of the APC after the merger that 

gave birth to the party, he understands 

the dynamics of good governance and 

positive social change. He later bagged 

an Executive Certificate in Strategic 

Governance in 2016 from the Harvard 

Kennedy School of Government in the 

United States. 

Wase has demonstrated to his 

constituents that good governance and 

quality representation are possible, 

hence his many programmes that have 

had positive impact on the people. His 

key areas of interest have been in 

education, health, youth empowerment, 

infrastructural development and quality 

representation of the interest of his state 

at the national stage. 

Nicknamed Maje by his associates, he 

was appointed chairman of the House 

Committee on Federal Character in the 

seventh assembly, and retained the 

position in the current assembly until his 

elevation to the position of deputy house 

leader late last year. 

As chairman of the Federal Character 

Committee, he fought to bridge the 

disparity and imbalances in various 

states and regions in terms of 

The party should consider 

zoning the positions, 

especially that of speaker, to a 

region where it has 

lawmakers-elect with popular 

support 

employment and infrastructural 

distribution to bring them in line with the 

constitutional requirement of federal 

character. He thus distinguished himself 

as a man keen on justice, equity and 

fairness; as a result, he became known 

as a go-getter for employment 

opportunities for members and staff of 

the National Assembly. 

His Committee became the most active 

committee in the seventh and eighth 

assemblies, recording an unprecedented 

number of interactive meetings with 

MDAs exceeding 150 sessions per 

assembly. On his contributions on the 

floor of the House during debates on 

major bills and motions, Wase exuded 

diligence and experience in his 

contributions which were always laced 

with wisdom from a man that has it in 

abundance. 

In the last 12 years that he has served 

as a lawmaker, no scandal has cropped 

up around him. He served as member of 

several committees during the sixth and 

seventh assemblies, including 

committees on emergency and disaster 

(2007-2011); public service and federal 

character (2007-2011); environment 

(2007-2011); area councils (2011-2015); 

capital market (2011-2015); public 

accounts (2011-2015); poverty 

alleviation (2011-2015); housing and 

habitat (2011-2015). 

Between 2015 and 2018, Wase has 

served as member of the governing board 

of the National Institute for Legislative 

and Democratic Studies, NILDS. He was 

a member of the Federal Government 

delegation to the 89th Session of the 

United Nations General Assembly in 

New York and had been appointed 

regional representative for West Africa to 

serve on the executive committee of the 

Commonwealth parliamentary 

Association International, CPA. 

Given his profile, it is sufficient to state 

that Wase is one of those that should be 

considered for the speakership of the 

House. 

•Halilu, a political commentator, wrote from 

Abuja


TRAINING: From left—Head, Planning, Research and Strategic, BPP, Mr. Adebowale Adedokun; 

Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Civil Service Commission, Mr. Onuh Yunusa; Director, 

Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Caiafas, and Director, Energy 

Infrastructure, BPP, Engr. Babatunde Kuye, at the first batch of procurement conversion training for 

procurement officers in ministries, departments, agencies and commissions, at the Digital Bridge Institute, 

Ikeja, Lagos State. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

Adamawa APC makes U-turn, 

to participate in gov re-run 

THE ruling All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, in 

Adamawa State, has called 

on its supporters in the 

state to prepare for and 

participate in the 


supplementary election 

slated for today. 

Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, 

state Organising Secretary 

of the party, gave the 

directive in Yola, yesterday. 

Lawal said the party 

reviewed its earlier decision 

to boycott the poll and had 

By Michael Eboh, 

with agency report 

A BUJA—NIGERIAN 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, 

yesterday, said the first 

phase of its ongoing 

recruitment exercise had 

been concluded with the 

shutting down of the 

application portal, while the 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

C ALABAR— 

INDUSTRIAL 

Training Fund, ITF, has 

revealed that owing to lack 

of requisite technical and 

soft skills, about 925 trades 

were difficult to fill in the 

country’s labour market. 

Director General/Chief 

Executive Officer of the 

Fund, Sir. Joseph Ari, 

made this known while 

briefing newsmen, 

yesterday, during the 

interface with Cross River 

State Council of Nigeria 

Union of Journalists, NUJ, 

in Calabar. 

Ari said: “Despite our 

resolved to fully participate. 

He, however, said in spite 

of the Independent 


INEC’s refusal to heed 

their call to re-schedule, 

APC would still win the 

election. 

He appealed to the APC 

family and supporters not 

to be deterred by INEC’s 

action, but to go out en 

mass to vote for the 

candidate of the party. 

According to him, 

“having consulted all the 

party stakeholders, we 

efforts and those of the 

Federal Government, the 

National Bureau of 

Statistics, NBS, report of the 

third quarter of 2018 

revealed that just as the 

number of the 

economically-active 

working age (15 to 64 

years) grew from 110.3 

million to 111 million, the 

number of unemployed 

equally appreciated from 

11.9 in the first quarter to 

15.99 in the third quarter. 

“Despite the fact that a 

skills gap assessment in six 

priority sectors of the 

Nigerian economy, which 

was conducted by ITF in 

conjunction with United 

have resolved to participate 

in the supplementary 

election fixed for 

tomorrow(today). 

“Our earlier boycott threat 

was not out of fear, but to 

encourage participation by 

other political parties who 

had been taken unawares 

by the date. 

“To us, we will participate 

and win the re-run even as 

INEC has refused to 

rescind its decision to hold 

the re-run tomorrow 

(today). 

“We appeal to APC 

No tech skill to fill 1,000 vacancies—ITF 

Nations Industrial 

Development 

Organisation, UNIDO, that 

was presented to 

stakeholders in Abuja, 

2018, showed that 

although vacancies existed 

in all sectors surveyed, they 

are being filled by persons 

other than Nigerians, 

because of lack of requisite 

skills. 

“The report noted that 

15.7 percent of all hard to 

fill vacancies were due to 

lack of technical skills; 11.8, 

lack of basic IT skills; 9.2, 

lack of advanced IT skills, 

between 9.2 and 7.5percent 

of the vacancies were due 

to lack of soft skills.” 

supporters to come out and 

vote for APC massively so 

as to ensure victory in the 

election. Adamawa is an 

APC state and with the 

development strides 

recorded by Governor 

Mohammed Bindow, it is 

a sure qualification for 

winning an election." 

The re-reun was fixed for 

today sequel to the vacation 

of a court order restraining 

INEC from conducting a 


supplementary election in 

the state. 

NNPC closes recruitment portal, as 

lawyer threatens court action over criteria 

second phase commenced 

immediately. 

This came as an Abujabased 

lawyer, Mr. Pelumi 

Olajengbesi, has 

threatened to drag NNPC 

management to court 

following what he 

described 

as 

“discriminatory” 

recruitment process. 

Olajengbesi, in a letter 

addressed to the Group 

Managing Director, NNPC, 

Dr. Maikanti Baru, on 

March 26, vowed to 

approach the court to 

ensure protection of the 

fundamental rights of 

Nigerians who were 

qualified to apply, but 

were barred from 

participating because of 

age criteria. 

Olajengbesi, however, 

pointed out that the 

criteria and process 

violated Section 3(e)(iv) of 

the Fundamental Rights 

(Enforcement Procedure), 

2009 which protected the 

public interest of 

Nigerians. 

On the closure, a 

statement in Abuja by 

NNPC's Group General 

Manager, Group Public 

Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu 

Ughamadu, disclosed 

that the second phase of 

the exercise involved 

short listing of qualified 

candidates. 

He explained that the 

qualified candidates 

among the applicants 

would be invited to 

participate in computerbased 

aptitude tests. 

According to 

Ughamadu, the tests 

would be administered in 

about 50 centres across the 

country, while noting that 

those who emerged 

successful in the tests would 

subsequently be invited for 

oral interviews for final 

selection. 

Ajobena faulted over 

outburst on Kachikwu 

By Perez Brisibe 

UGHELLI— THE 

4+4 Niger Delta 

Believer’s Council, a 

pressure group within 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, has 

taken a swipe at a 

chieftain of the party in 

Delta State, AVM Frank 

Ajobene, for accusing the 

Minister of State for 

Petroleum, Dr. Ibe 

Kachikwu, of being a 

“mole” in the party. 

National Coordinator 

of the group, Sir Fred 

Magada, described his 

comments as 

“unguarded outburst,” 

stating that Ajobena, like 

an elder statesman that 

he is, should not portray 

himself as a political 

stooge. 

Magada, in a 

Freight forwarders suspend 

strike, engage CRFFN 

FREIGHT forwarders, 

yesterday, agreed to 

suspend their planned 

shutdown of ports across 

the country. 

Speaking on behalf of 

the freight forwarders, 

Mr. Ndubisi Uzoegbu, 

outlined their grievances 

to include multiple 

customs checkpoints, 

bad road network leading 

to high cost of 

transportation, high cost 

of demurrage making 

the 24 hours cargo 

clearance a mirage. 

He also lamented that 

the recent deployment of 

a special team from 

Abuja to inspect third 

party cargo at the ports 

was worrisome. 

However, in a 

statement in Abuja, 

Council for Regulation 

of Freight Forwarding in 

Nigeria, CRFFN, 

P 

R O J E C T 

management 

and consultancy firm, 

Best Charter Limited, 

will hold a summit for 

leaders and executives 

this year. 

Managing Director of 

the firm, Mr. Felix 

Ugbechie, said in a 

statement that the 

summit will be a 

gathering of 500 select 

leaders and executives 

in the public space and 

top establishment as well 

as up and coming 

organisations, to discuss 

Nigeria’s economy, 

opportunities and risks. 

Ugbechie added that 

the CEO summit will 

also be an opportunity 

statement yesterday, 

pointed out that it was Dr. 

Kachikwu, as the 

arrowhead of the party, 

that acted as the uniting 

factor with the series of 

meetings he conveyed at 

his country home that 

resulted in the prevailing 

peace currently being 

experienced in the party. 

He said: “Rather than 

consolidate on the gains of 

the past election as a 

statesman, Ajobena is 

calling leaders of the party 

names. 

"He should note that 

while the crisis within the 

party lingered, Kachikwu 

was practically in Delta 

every weekend to unite 

warring factions. 

“If not for the efforts of 

Kachikwu, APC in Delta 

State would have been like 

a fatherless baby.” 

disclosed that the group 

suspended the planned 

strike after meeting with 

the Registrar of CRFFN, 

Mr. Samuel Nwakohu, 

and gave CRFFN 14 days 

to resolve the impasse. 

Nwakohu expressed 

appreciation to the group 

for honouring the 

invitation and resolved to 

make the appropriate 

representation on the 

issue to appropriate 

quarters with a view of 

finding a lasting solution. 

He further enjoined all 

aggrieved freight 

forwarders not to 

contemplate acts that 

could affect the economy 

adversely without 

recourse to the Council, 

and called for their support 

and co-operation to reposition 

the sub-sector. 

Nwakohu reiterated the 

resolve of his regime to 

Firm plans summit for 

leaders, executives 

for engagement between 

the executives, legislature, 

CEOs, investors, 

entrepreneurs and top 

executives of businesses. 

A major feature of the 

summit will be the public 

presentation of a 

compendium on 250 of 

Nigeria’s best performing 

companies and their 

CEOs. 

He added that the 

summit will be rounded off 

with a gala night which 

will feature the 

Distinguished Persons 

and Good Governance 

Award, to celebrate some 

outstanding individuals of 

African descent who had 

impacted on humanity in 

the course of their career.


Oba of Benin advocates tough sanctions 

for human traffickers 

By Alemma Aliu 

BENIN—THE Benin 

monarch, Oba Ewuare 

II, has called for a global 

sanction on syndicates that 

are still involved in human 

trafficking as well as the 

receiver-countries. 

He made the call when 

he received the United 

States Charge d’ Affairs, 

David Young, in his palace, 

saying there seems to be 

high demand for trafficked 

persons in Europe, which 

he said has been 

responsible for the boom in 

the illegal business. 

Oba Ewuare II urged the 

United States Agency for 

International Development, 

USAID, to step into the fight 

against human trafficking 

and the rehabilitation of 

victims, just as he called for 

support in the form of 

grants to enable the Oba 

Ewuare II Foundation 

rehabilitate victims of 

human trafficking. 

The monarch also urged 

the United States Charge 

d’Affairs to support his call 

for the return of Benin 

artefacts, adding that they 

would be used to establish 

Palace Museum in Benin 

Kingdom. 

Earlier, Young said they 

were at the palace to 

appreciate the monarch for 

his pronouncement against 

illegal migration and 

human trafficking. 

He described human 

trafficking as the most 

horrific human rights 

violation all over the world, 

pointing out that Oba 

Ewuare 

II’s 

pronouncement has had 

great impact in bringing 

freedom to the victims. 

Young explained that 

those who perpetrate the 

crime must be brought to 

justice, just as he said that 

American government had 

already adopted an 

approach of prevention, 

protection and prosecution 

in the fight against human 

trafficking. 

COMMISSIONING: From left— Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Law Enforcement Training 

Insititute, Prince Adewale Ojora; Vice Chairman, Lagos Island Local Government, Wajud Bashorun; 

Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr, Kweku Tandoh; Chief Operating Officer, Axxela Limited, 

Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, and Director-General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Babatunde Bank- 

Anthony, at the commissioning of Axxela’s Greater Lagos IV, GLIV, gas pipeline and the refurbished 

Elegbata Sports Complex, Lagos Island, yesterday. 

Army, thugs killed over 35 

at Abonnema—Wike’s aide 

By Egufe 

Yafugborhi 


SPECIAL Adviser to 

the Governor of Rivers 

State on Infrastructure, . 

Otonye Briggs, has said 

over 35 lives were lost to the 

Presidential election day 

killings involving the 

Nigerian Army and thugs 

in Abonnema, Akuku Toru 

Local Government Area of 

the state. 

Briggs was apprehended 

by soldiers about 7a.m., 

from his Abonnema Hotel 

place before he could cast 

his vote on the March 9 

governorship election and 

has been through military 

and Police detentions, but 

was released last week on 

the orders of a court. 

The Army, which lost a 

Lieutenant in the 

Abonnema election 

violence, declared killing 

six persons in the incidence. 

But Briggs in a statement 

alleged that the soldiers 

“with a known criminal 

collaborator killed more 

than 35 indigenes and 

strangers living in the 

community. 

“Abonnema was in such 

mourning that the people 

and chiefs had to hold a 

memorial service which 

took place on March 6, at 

the Nyemoni Lutheran 

Church, Abonnema. 

“It is sad that the 

Amayanabo of Abonnema 

and the Council of Chiefs 

were compelled to summon 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, and Peoples 


politicians on March 7 to a 

peace pact against repeat 

of February 23 mayhem, 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 


THE amalgamation of 

Civil Society Organisations, 

CSOs, has described as 

unnecessary and 

misguided the indictment 

by the Independent 


Commission, INEC, and 

allegations of professional 

misconducts on the 

Nigerian Army during the 

suspended polls in Rivers 

State. 

The coalition also 

apologised on behalf of 

people of the state to the 

Army “over the unguided 

and only PDP attended and 

signed the peace pact. 

“APC bluntly refused, 

maybe because they were 

planning more evil.” 

On his ordeal in military 

and Police custody over his 

arrest, Briggs said: “I was 

moved to 130 Battalion, 

Harry’s Town, Degema 

LGA, before being whisked 

to the 6 Division Nigeria 

Army, Port Harcourt. 

“I was detained till the 

statements against it by 

some politicians in the 

state,” presenting a letter 

to the GOC, 6 Division. 

Col. A.D Abubakar, who 

received the solidarity 

letter for the GOC, 6 

Division, noted that the 

document would be 

forwarded to the 

appropriate office. 

Chancellor of 

International Society for 

Social Justice and Human 

Rights, ISSJHR, Dr. 

Jackson Omenazu, 

yesterday, in Port 

Harcourt, during a 

solidarity walk to the 6 

Division Headquarters 

with placards, said: “We 

following day, deprived of 

voting and duty as collation/ 

returning agent of PDP for 

the governorship. 

“The following day, being 

March 10, the military 

moved me to the 6 Division, 

Bori Camp, detained me in 

their dungeon till March 19, 

when I was bundled to the 

Special Anti-Robbery 

Squad, SARS, Port 

Harcourt, without 

justification.” 

Indictments of Army on 

Rivers polls misguided—CSOs 

are here to condole and 

commend the 6 Division, 

Nigerian Army for being 

professional in your 

conduct during the polls 

and for the loss of your 

officers. 

“Without your presence 

and intervention, the 

election would have been 

characterised by killings, 

just like what we had in 

2015 when the state was 

described as a theatre of 

war. 

“We are standing by the 

General Officer 

Commanding, GOC, 6 

Division for providing 

adequate security during 

the election in the state.” 

Asaba Int'l Airport has best 

runway in Nigeria—Delta govt 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—DELTA 

State government, 

yesterday, said Asaba 

International Airport has 

the best runway and 

landing equipment in 

the country. 

Special Project Director 

in charge of the airport, 

Mr. Austin Ayemidejor, 

who stated this at the 

airport to bid the 

Egyptian football team 

farewell, said: “The 

airport is strategically 

located to cater for the 

travel needs of a lot of 

people.” 

Reiterating that work 

had already commenced 

at the cargo portion of the 

airport, he said: “With all 

the facilities in working 

condition, its strategic 

location in a serene 

environment, as air 

travel will become so 

Akpabio'll reclaim 

mandate—Umoren 

By Harris 

Emmanuel 

U YO—FORMER 

Secretary to Akwa 

Ibom State Government, 

Sir Etekamba Umoren, 

has expressed optimism 

that Senator Godswill 

Akpabio will reclaim the 

Akwa Ibom North-West 

Senatorial seat at the 

tribunal. 

Umoeren, a close ally 

of the former governor, 

said: “Everybody is 

saying that Senator 

Akpabio won the 

election, except INEC. 

There 

are 

incontrovertible 

evidence to prove that 

Akpabio won the 

Ogboru faulted on claims of 

rigging, violence in Delta gov polls 

By Agbonkhese Oboh 

TEAM Hilary for 

Okowa has faulted 

claims by Chief Great 

Ogboru, Delta State All 


APC, governorship 

candidate, that the 

election in the state was 

marred by malpractices, 

killings and maiming of 

members of the party. 

In a statement by 

Director General of the 

group, Daniel Ossai, 

Team Hilary said the 

allegations were far from 

the true reflection of what 

transpired on the day of 

the election, as voters 

willingly re-elected 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

for a second term. 

Ossai said: “Chief 

Great Ogboru and his 

much easier for travellers 

as well as tourists” 

The Commissioner for 

Information, Mr. Patrick 

Ukah, who also spoke, 

described the successful 

landing and take-off of 

international flights from 

the Asaba International 

Airport as clear attestation 

of the success story of 

Governor Okowa’s 

administration. 

Meanwhile, the pilot of 

EgyptAir Boeing 737, Mr. 

Ramy Mansour, who flew 

into Asaba about 7:57a.m., 

to pick the players, said it 

was a wonderful experience 

landing at the airport. 

Mansour said: “We had 

a nice experience landing 

at the airport. The runway 

is very good and the 

greenery was a very nice 

view from up. It is six 

hours from Asaba to Cairo 

and we will like to land 

here again.” 

election. 

“Results collated from 

the field clearly showed 

that Akpabio won in all the 

11 wards of the Essien 

Udim Local Government. 

But where APC won 

results were cancelled.” 

Ekpenyong, in his 

reaction, said he would not 

lose sleep over Akpabio’s 

petition, as he is ready to 

defend the mandate given 

to him by the people of the 

district. 

He urged his supporters 

to “remain calm as your 

mandate has been 

rescued by the divine 

arrangement for peace, 

development and even 

spread of the dividends of 

democracy to thrive.” 

party are wrong. The reelection 

of Okowa for a 

second term in office was 

a clean, clear and fair 

process that involved 

Deltans across the 25 

local government areas 

of the state. 

“It was a pan-Delta 

affair and to bring it 

down to the level of 

malpractice is cheap 

blackmail coming from 

those who will not accept 

the truth that Deltans 

went for what they 

considered appropriate. 

“Deltans have, once 

more, expressed their 

love for a proactive 

approach to governance 

in contrast to the lip 

service and mediocrity 

that the opposition 

wanted to plunge the 

state into.”


Enugu elections 

exceptional, says INEC 

ENUGU—THE national 

leadership of the 



INEC, has commended the 

peaceful and successful 

conduct of the just 

concluded general 

elections in Enugu State, 

describing it as exceptional, 

one of the best in the 

country and a 

demonstration of “good 

electoral behaviour”. 

The electoral umpire 

added that the exercise in 

Enugu State, unlike in 

some states, witnessed no 

case of “violence, snatching 

of ballot boxes or all sorts of 

electoral malpractices”. 

The INEC commendation 

was made by the National 


Information and Voter 

Education, Festus Okoye, 

during the presentation of 


Ugwuanyi the governorelect, 

his deputy and the 

Deputy Governor-elect, 

Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo and the 

elected members of the 

State Assembly led by the 

current Speaker of the 

House, Edward Ubosi. 

Okoye, who 

congratulated the 

recipients, on behalf of the 

chairman of INEC, Prof. 

Mahmood Yakubu, for 

their victory at the polls, 

explained that the exercise 

“is a formal statutory and 

confirmatory process that 

you have won an election 

in accordance with the 

constitution and electoral 

dictates”. 

He also congratulated “in 

a very big way, the people 

of Enugu State for taking 

ownership of the electoral 

process and driving it in a 

very peaceful and 

conducive atmosphere that 

fused power and 

sovereignty back to them”. 

He said: “The sealed 

Certificate of Return that 

will be presented to you is 

not a trophy that marks the 

conclusion of your service. 

Rather it marks the 

beginning of your service 

to the people. 

"The validity of the 

certificate rests with the 

people of Enugu State. It 

is within their constitutional 

mandate to renew, 

withdraw and or elevate it. 

The key word is service to 

the people”. 

Earlier in his opening 

speech, the INEC State 


Commissioner, Dr. Emeka 

Ononamadu, who rated the 

peaceful conduct of the 

elections in Enugu State 

high, “with all the promises 

of fairness, openness and 

neutrality intact”, 

maintained that the 

exercise “was a tortuous 

journey that did not come 

at zero cost, but it is also a 

journey that the entire 

nation is poised to learn 

from Enugu.” 

Rights group queries EFCC’s 

arrest of EEDC staff 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU—A human 

rights group, Civil 

Rights Realisation and 

Advancement Network, 

CRRAN, has threatened to 

commence legal 

proceedings against the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, for wrongful arrest 

and detention of a staff of 

Enugu Electricity 

Distribution Company, 

EEDC, Mrs Ifeoma 

Igbogbahaka. 

Igbogbahaka, an 

Engineer with the EEDC 

was arrested in a bank in 

Enugu where she went to 

withdraw money on the 

allegation that her 

telephone number was 

being used by one William 

Uchemba who is still at 

large, to perpetuate USA 

visa fraud. 

Whereas no 

incriminating evidence has 

been pressed on Mrs. 

Igbogbahaka, she has 

become a regular visitor in 

EFCC with her account 

frozen and her employer 

threatening her with 

possible sack. 

President of CRRAN, Mr 

Olu Omotayo in a 

statement yesterday said he 

has given the EFCC seven 

days to free and restore 

Igbogbahaka’s account or 

face litigation. 

Omotayo contended that 

the MTN was supposed to 

protect Mrs Igbogbahaka’s 

telephone line from 

interference, noting also 

that the EFCC was 

supposed to have diligently 

concluded investigation on 

the alleged crime before 

making arrest of their 

female victim. 

Omotayo said: “MTN 

Nigeria's response to us that 

Mrs. Igbogbahaka is the 

rightful owner of the phone 

line does not in any way 

tackle the issue raised via 

intelligence report that the 

same line is being used by 

the said notorious fraudster. 

“We submit without 

equivocation that the 

intelligence report that the 

same phone line in 

question was being used by 

the said fraudster cannot be 

lightly waved by MTN 

Nigeria as the company 

owes this subscriber a duty 

to protect her line from the 

interference. 

“We believe that there is 

an infraction on the rights 

of Mrs. Igbogbahaka and 

somebody must be held 

responsible.” 

9th NASS leadership: Kalu threatens to 

resist marginalisation of S-East by APC 

By Lawani 

Mikairu 

L AGOS—SENATOR- 

ELECT for Abia North 

senatorial district and 

former governor of Abia 

State, Chief Orji Uzor 

Kalu, yesterday threatened 

to defy his party, the All 


APC, if the principal 

positions of the 9th 

National Assembly are not 

equitably distributed 

among the six geo-political 

zones of the country. 

Kalu made the threat 

while fielding questions 

from journalists at the 

Muritala Muhammed 

International Airport, 

Lagos. He said it will be 

unfair not to give the 

position of Deputy Senate 

President to the South East 

zone since the party has 

decided to zone the Senate 

President position to the 

North East. While 

signifying his interest to 

contest for the position of 

Deputy Senate President, 

he however threatened to 

go for the Senate President 

position and defy his party 

that has already zoned the 

position to North East. 

He said: “Well, I am a 

very loyal party member, 

the party has zoned the 

senate president position 

to the North-East and I am 

bound to respect the party’s 

will .The second position is 

what we are not going to 

allow for the party. As far 

as I am concerned, in the 

south east, I am going to 

run openly on the floor of 

the House for the Deputy 

Senate President. I am not 

going to listen to the party, 

neither will I listen to 

anybody. Nobody who is 

going to be the Deputy 

Senate President is more 

loyal than I am to the party. 

I have suffered for the party 

and I want the party to 

respect the will of every 

other person and I am 

committed to democracy. 

“We are going to be 

seeing votes on the floor of 

the House because Section 

50 of the constitution made 

it very clear that the 

members of the national 

assembly will elect their 

leadership and I am going 

to use that section of the 

constitution to vie for the 

position. I learnt they ceded 

the DSP to the North West, 

but it is not right to do 

anything like that. We are 

going to contest this 

vehemently on the floor of 

the House. I have the 

backing of my colleagues. 

I am going to be 

withdrawing from the 

senate presidency to run for 

DSP because the party is 

supreme. 

“ Whether they gave it to 

an individual, that is left for 

the party at the national 

assembly to decide, but for 

the DSP, I will contest with 

any candidate on the floor 

of the House”. 

When asked if he has 

made his intention known 

to the party, he said: “ I just 

told you that the party is 

supreme. I know our 

chairman, Comrade 

Adams Oshiomhole is a 

listening chairman and 


Buhari is a man of justice. 

So, if justice must prevail, 

you bring the Senate 

President to the North East 

and DSP to the South East." 

CELEBRATION: From left—Head of Operations, Emmanuel Musa; Team Lead, Strategic 

Communications, Mukhtar Oyewo; Landscape Architect, Maimuna Suleiman; CEO, Olayinka 

Braimoh; and Head of Architecture, all of Hall 7 Real Estate, Ibrahim Ashafa, during the 

company’s tree planting exercise for International Day of Forests celebration, yesterday. 

Deproscribe IPOB now, HURIWA tells Buhari 

H 

U 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

M A N 

RightsWriters 


HURIWA, has asked 


Buhari to adopt measures 

to calm the tensed 

atmosphere in Nigeria and 

bridge the divides created 

by many of his policies and 

pronouncements in his first 

tenure. 

The policies, according to 

HURIWA, include his 

proscription of the 

unarmed self 

determination group, 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, and its 

labelling as a terror group; 

his heavily lopsided top 

level security appointments 

skewed to favour his 

Hausa/Fulani Muslim 

kinsmen and his failure to 

rein in armed herdsmen 

who have destroyed many 

largely Christian 

communities in the North 

Central and have 

slaughtered women, 

children and old men 

including youths in their 

thousands, with none of 

these killers being 

prosecuted and sanctioned 

in accordance with the law. 

In a statement by the 

group yesterday, HURIWA 

said it has always faulted 

the misuse of state power 

by the Federal Government 

officials, including Mr. 

President, which resulted 

in the illegal proscription of 

an unarmed group, such 

as IPOB and its labelling 

as a terror group, even as 

the same administration 

went about dialoguing with 

the violent armed 

herdsmen killer gangs and 

failing to declare their 

leaders known as Miyetti 

Allah Cattle Owners 

Association, a terror 

organisation. 

HURIWA also 

condemned the killings of 

unarmed demonstrators in 

Onitsha, Aba and Umuahia 

prior to and during the illfated 

Operation Python 

Dance II, which targeted 

the destruction of the 

civilians and members of 

IPOB. 

The group said the 

government encouraged 

impunity and lawlessness 

by not charging indicted 

operatives of armed security 

forces to court for unlawful 

killings of IPOB members 

as recorded in a science 

and evidence based reports 

by such credible groups 

like the Amnesty 

International. 

HURIWA recalled that a 

statement signed by 

the Director of Defence 

Information, DDI, (as he 

then was) Major General 

John Enenche in Abuja, 

listed reasons the group 

was declared a terrorist 

organisation to include the 

formation of a Biafra Secret 

Service; formation of Biafra 

National Guard; 

unauthorised blocking of 

public access roads; and 

extortion of money from 

innocent civilians at illegal 

road blocks. 

HURIWA contended that 

the claims by the Army 

were absolutely untrue, 

spurious, unconstitutional 

and had demonstrated a 

plot to demonise the group 

only because the members 

are mostly from the Igbo 

speaking South-East of 

Nigeria that has in the last 

four years of President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

administration suffered 

systemic marginalisation 

and has not been given her 

due place in terms of 

appointments at the top 

most security level to depict 

the federal character 

principles.


C 

M 

Y 

K

C 

M 

Y 

K 


C 

M 

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08052202308(sms only) 

Choose between industrial peace, or unrest — PENGASSAN 

tells employers •Says it 'll no longer tolerate impunity, abuse of workers' rights 

Stories by Victor Young 

FOR sometime now, 

unions in the Petroleum 

industry have been complaining 

and agitating 

against perceived 

impunity and cases of 

rights abuses or denials 

and other forms of unfair 

Labour practices by 

employers in the sector 

without government rising 

up to the occasion to 

address the issue. 

Petroleum and Natural 

Gas Senior Staff 


PENGASSAN leaders few 

days ago at their National 

Executive Council, NEC, 

meeting in Lagos, 

sounded a note of 

warning that now that the 

elections are over, they are 

going to squarely confront 

employers who have a 

penchant for unfair 

Labour practices. 

In a communique 

issued at the end of the 

meeting by PENGASSAN 

President and General 

Secretary, Francis Johnson 

and Lumumba 

Okugbawa, respectively, 

the body called on the 

government to channel 

the human capital 

potential of Nigerian 

citizens towards 

optimising productivity 

and economic growth of 

the nation that we all crave 

for. The NEC-In-Session 

vows to confront all 

industrial issues with 

utmost seriousness now 

that the elections are over 

and all recalcitrant 

companies who think they 

are above Nigerian laws, 

should brace up for a rude 

awakening, as the Association 

will explore all 

possible means to ensure 

no organisation 

undermines any provisions 

of the country's laws. 

"NEC-In-Session 

observes with dismay the 

attitudes of some 

organisations such as 

CISCON, SDF, Petrobras 

and Sterling Oil who are 

engaged in modern day 

enslavement of workers; 

hence it urges the Federal 

Government through the 

Ministry of Labour and 

Employment to call these 

organisations to order to 

avoid an imminent 

industrial crisis in the 

sector." 

Thumbs up 

NNPC 

According to the communique, 

members of 

NEC among others, also 

commended the "Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC management 

for rehabilitating 

and restoring some of its 

key assets such as the tank 

expansion at Atlas Cove 

Depot, re-opening of 

Depot facilities at Mosimi, 

Ibadan, Enugu, Aba and 

Kano, Aba-Port Harcourt 

projects, among others. 

NEC also appreciates the 

Crude Oil Tracking 

initiatives which has 

blocked leakages and 

reduced crude oil theft. 

However, NEC-In-Session 

craves for the adoption 

of the same technology 

to the Pipelines monitoring 

activities using the 

Saudi Arabian models. 

"NEC-In-Session is 

pleased with the flag-off 

and official commencement 

of crude oil search 

in the Kolmani Well Riverll, 

located near Barambu, 

Alkaleri Local Government 

Area of Bauchi State. 

NEC believes this gesture 

has shown this administration's 

commitment to 

grow Nigeria's economy, 

boost capacity and provide 

energy sufficiency, 

strengthen Nigeria's oil 

and gas industry. The initiative 

will also go a long 

way in galvanizing the 

current government's national 

drive for job creation, 

youth empowerment 

and human capital development. 

"NEC-In-Session 

commends NNPC management 

for their efforts in 

recruiting fresh graduate 

trainees and experienced 

hires, but appeals strongly 

that more emphasis 

should be given to inhouse 

and qualified staff 

to also participate without 

hindrance in the recruitment. 

NEC believes that 

this gesture will reduce 

the high rate of unemployed 

graduates in the 

country. 

"However, NEC-In-Session 

urges NNPC management 

to extend the recruitment 

to cover support 

staff and backup staff who 

are currently engaged 

with various contractors 

working for NNPC as well 

as employ artisans 

needed as lower cadre 

workers, and all agitations 

from various groups 

should be addressed."

40—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

japhdave@yahoo.com 

08066625505 

Cultural revival: Owerri West monarchs rebrand 

Igbatu Oba ji festival 

By Benjamin Njoku 

It will be a colourful 

showcase of culture, 

tradition and heritage of 

the people of Owerri-West Local 

Government Area, in Imo 

State, as plans are on top gear to 

host the 2nd edition of the repackaged 

“Igbatu Oba Ji (Unlocking 

of Yam barn)” cultural festival. 

“Igbatu Oba Ji(Unlocking of 

Yam barn)” cultural festival is as 

old as the people even before 

their forefathers knew how to 

read and write. The festival was 

there to serve them for the purposes 

of celebrating the unlocking 

of the yam barn from the farm 

yields before the commencement 

of the farming season. 

The festival, which has gone into 

extinction following the adverse 

effects of the civil war was revived 

last year after the President Generals 

of the 21 communities that 

make up the Owerri-West hosted 

the maiden edition at the 

Headquarters of the local government 

in Umuguma. 

Interestingly, following the successful 

outing of last year, the traditional 

rulers under the aegis of 

Owerri-West Council of Traditional 

Rulers are taking it upon themselves 

to headline this year’s 

edition also holding in Umuguma, 

later next month. 

The festival planning committee, 

chaired by His Royal High- 

ness, Eze Lucky Okoro of Eziobodo 

is working tirelessly to put 

the festival on the cultural map 

of the country. 

Speaking to Vanguard Art, 

during one of their meetings at 

the palace of HRH G.I Ejimogu, 

Eze of Umuanunu Autonomous 

community in Obinze last 

week, Eze Okoro said the essence 

of the festival is to showcase 

the culture and tradition of 

the people in terms of their 

agricultural activities to the 

world. 

The royal father described 

Owerri-West as ‘an agrarian 

zone’, adding that “We have 

arable land, fertile land and we 

are interested in commercializing 

our agricultural activities.” 

According to him, activities 

lined up for the two-day events 

include talk show which will be 

aired in some local radio and 

television stations, road show 

to showcase the people’s farm 

implement and other agricultural 

products to the world. 

The festival will kick off on 

Friday, with the preparation of 

the yam barn that will be unveiled 

on the grand finale. It will 

also witness different cultural 

dances and displays to be facilitated 

by the 21 communities in 

the area in addition to featuring 

the Omenimo dance troupe. 

Also, speaking in the same 

ARDA celebrates women with J P Clark's 

The Wives Revolt 

By Japhet Alakam 

As the world 

c e l e b r a t e s 

International Women’s 

Month and reflects on its 

theme of #Balanceforbetter, 

one of the high points of it is 

projection of women and what 

they can do in times of neglect. 

And one of such moves is the 

presentation of The Wives’ 

Revolt, a stage play by the literary 

icon, Prof. John Pepper 

Clark. 

The play which is about the 

marginalisation of women and 

the injustices they face in life, 

and what happens when women 

in one community decide 

to stand up against their oppressors 

and oppression with 

the support of a few good men 

will hit the theatre stands from 

29th of March with a command 

performance and later on 31st 

at Agip Recital Hall of MU- 

SON Centre, Lagos. 

Packaged by a foremost development 

communication 

non-governmental organisation, 

which has over 20 years 

experience of changing norms 

and behaviours through drama 

and entertainment and 

produced by Oxygen Concepts. 

In the play, the women’s 

complaints are silenced in a ridiculous 

way involving accusations 

of witchcraft. When these 

*Traditional rulers deliberate on the way forward 

*A typical Yam barn 

vein, HRH, Eze A.H Ekocha of 

Olaukwu, in Oforola said the 

festival will forestall love, unity 

and togetherness among the 

people. “We want to show our 

children what they have not seen 

before so that they can always 

continue it when we are no longer 

there. It is very important to 

sustain our culture because we 

inherited it from our forefathers. 

That is why we are eager to ensure 

that we have a successful 

outing this year. It was hosted 

* Scene from a previous performance of J P Clark’s The 

Wives Revolt 

accusations lead to further 

hardships on them, including 

loss of their livelihoods, the 

women in “one might and 

mind” say enough is enough 

and take action in a most unorthodox 

way. 

According to the producer 

and Executive Director of 

ARDA, Data Phido, “The 

play seeks to highlight the ignorance 

and unconsciousness 

behaviour of men on 

certain issues that remain 

important to women, and 

calls attention to them with 

empathy in an emphatic 

way.” 

Even though nearly four 

decades have passed since 

The Wives’ Revolt was first 

staged, the themes of gender 

inequality and misogyny remain 

relevant today. Some 

things have changed for the 

better, but there is still a lot of 

work to be done, and we hope 

this production by ARDA inspires 

a positive revolution 

towards more gender equality 

in our day-to-day lives. 

The play features a stellar 

cast comprising some of Nigeria’s 

finest theatre exports, Toyin 

Oshinaike (who plays Okoro), 

Zara Udofia Ejoh (as 

Koko), Albert Akaeze (as 

Idama), and Oladotun Olagbadebo 

is the Stage Manager 

while Toritseju Ejoh is director. 

It opens on March 29, 

2019 at Agip Recital Hall of 

MUSON Centre, Lagos with a 

command performance and two 

public showings at 3pm and 

7pm on March 31, 2019. 

in a low keg last year but this 

year, we are planning to make 

it big and once we put on fire, 

it can never be quenched by 

How to protect your child 

from child abuse 

By Japhet Alakam 

CAN we have a world 

where rape and other 

forms of sexual abuse are not 

place? This was how it was when 

God created the world and everything 

was in order until 

Adam and Eve fell into the 

hands of the devil and things fell 

apart. Ever since then, rape and 

other forms of sexual abuse has 

been prevalent in the society, but 

the rate at which it is increasing 

daily calls for a holistic approach 

to tackle as if nothing is done 

the society will at a great loss. It 

was on he basis of this that Bisi 

Adewale, a seasoned family 

coach and marriage counsellor 

came out with a new book titled 

Protecting Your Children From 

Sexual Abuse. 

The 163 page book of 23 chapters 

published by Living Home 

Ventures Ikeja, Lagos seeks to 

open the eyes of parents on the 

need to protect the lives of their 

children from paedophiles in our 

society. 

The author opens in Chapter 

one with 51 heartbreaking and 

real-life stories of past sexual 

abuse victims. Many of these victims, 

now adults, shared stories 

of what happened to them when 

they were younger. Some were 

as young as four years old. 

Chapter two and three reveals 

what sexual abuse is, how a 

child can be abused and indicators 

of sexual abuse. 

The factors that increase the 

possibility of sex abuse and 30 

myths and facts about child 

abuse are treated in chapters 

four and five, while chapter six 

tells the reader possible reasons 

why adults sexually abuse a 

child. 

The prolific writer who has 

written over 92 bestselling books 

on family life in chapters seven, 

eight and nine looks at the long 

term effects of child sexual 

abuse, mistakes parents make 

about sexual abuse and practical 

ways to protect a child from 

abuse. 

The next three chapters examines 

how and when children tell 

about sexual abuse, 14 ways to 

handle child sexual abuse and 

the differences between sex education 

and sexualisation. 

The dangers of not training 

anybody again,” the royal father 

added. 

For Eze G.I Ejimogu, Chairman, 

Council of Owerri-West Traditional 

Rulers and Chairman, 

Owerri Zone Traditional Rulers, 

the revive of the festival will help 

to encourage the people to go 

back to farming. 

Other members of the festival 

planning committee include, 

HRH Eze Sir Lucky Ajoku of Ihiagwa 

kingdom, HRH Eze E,C 

Ekwelibe of Irete kingdom and 

HRH Eze R.N Osuji of Eziokele 

kingdom. Meanwhile, the traditional 

rulers said they are ready 

to partner with corporate bodies 

and individuals to make this 

year’s festival a huge success. 

your child about sex education 

and sexual predators are closer 

than you think formed chapter 12 

and 13. According to the author, 

recent statistics on child sexual 

abuses shows reasons why parents 

should be careful about people 

they trust with their children’s 

upkeep. A study revealed that 

about 80% of sexually abused 

children have been abused by 

people known closely to them 

(Uncles, Cousins, Aunties, 

Teachers, spiritual leaders, 

Neighbours, Nannies, baby sitters 

etc.)” 

Indicators or signs that a child 

is being sexually abused are also 

revealed in the book while factors 

that predispose a child to 

sexual abuse are also mentioned. 

In the book, readers will be exposed 

to mistakes parents make 

that exposes their children to sexual 

abuse; what to do when a 

child is sexually abused; how to 

prevent abuse and how to protect 

children from abusers. It also 

outlines some of the benefits of 

sex education. 

The latter chapters focuses on 

how to give an age-grade sexual 

education by giving a practical 

guide on how to educate toddlers, 

pre-scholars, grade-scholars, 

pre-teens and teenagers 

formed the latter chapters. 

They need to learn how to identify 

predators and paedophiles, 

know when their children are 

been sexually abused and what 

to do are also discussed. The 

book which is available on several 

books outlets is a well researched 

book that is recommended 

for every family. 

Protecting Your Children 

From Sexual Abuse; Bisi Adewale; 

Living Home Ventures 

Ikeja, Lagos; 2019; PP. 163


Why Nigerian leaders should 

champion emancipation of 

women — Bode Adediji 

Mr. Bode Adediji is the immediate past President of the Nigerian 

Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers. In this interview, he 

speaks on the need for government at all levels as well as other 

organisations to champion the cause for the emancipation of the 

Nigerian woman. He also x-rays some of the grey areas mitigating 

against emancipation of women in Nigeria and how to redirect Nigeria’s 

future towards integrating women into all spheres of life so that the 

country can be better for it. 

By Ebunoluwa Sessou 

Real Estate is not a woman’s world, 

why is that? 

That is correct. Despite all efforts in the 

past to bring more women on board in 

this profession, it has been a major 

challenge. It is more tragic in the sense 

that most ladies who have gotten the 

education as certified Estate Management 

and Property professionals opt out in most 

cases. They rather venture into other 

things and as much as we (leaders) are 

struggling to integrate women into this 

profession, it appears that we have not 

succeeded. But all hope is not lost because 

there are certain aspects of the profession 

that are women-friendly. For instance, 

there are more women in Property and 

Facility Management, Maintenance of 

Property among others. 

But when it comes to the area of 

aggressive Estate Agency where it is 

expected that women and men should be 

competing, the environment is not 

conducive for them to thrive. I am certain 

that women do not want to be used as 

marketing tools to source for clients and 

that is the area I also frown at. I am an 

advocate of allowing women and men to 

compete on a level playing ground and 


ONE of the keypoints of the 15 th 

annual lecture of Women in 

Management, Business and Public Service, 

WIMBIZ, which held last week was the fact 

that there is not enough funding for women 

to venture into bigger businesses in the 

country. 

This particular issue as explained has 

hindered thousands of women who 

probably might have become employers 

of labour still seen doing petty businesses 

that could not sustain them. 

In her opening remark, Olubunmi 

Aboderin-Talabi, the current Chairperson 

of WIMBIZ Executive Council 

advocated for a more balanced and 

diverse society. She congratulated the 

first female deputy governor of Kaduna 

State, Her Excellency, Hadiza Balarabe, 

as she also stated that WIMBIZ will 

continue to advocate for the inclusion 

of women in management, business and 

public service. 

Aboderin-Talabi pointed out that the 

topic for this year’s edition was designed 

to encourage women to overcome 

doubts. “The lecture was aimed at 

addressing gender balance issues in 

Nigeria and the limitations that 

currently exist towards achieving it with 

solutions on how to overcome them. The 

lecture also seeks to equip delegates with 

insight into the advantages of a balanced 

society, outlining its necessity and the 

role each individual plays towards a 

brighter and better future,” she said. 

once that is done with special protection, 

education and enlightenment expected to 

be given to them, you will find out that 

women succeed more than men. It is a 

known fact that women are more vibrant 

and successful in companies than men. 

Open doors 

But, majority of women are not open to 

opportunities in the areas of physical 

construction and property development, 

technical issues among others. Again, I 

must say that women are not risk takers. 

They always want to be within their 

comfort zone rather than pursuing new 

challenges. 

With my 40 years of experience in this 

profession, I would say that what we have 

failed to do is create a special platform, 

infrastructure, to bring more women into 

the Real Estate industry. And 

government on its own, at all levels, has not 

seen the need to put up such thoughts in 

encouraging, supporting and defending 

women to venture into the Real Estate 

industry. 

What we were 30 years ago was not 

what we were 10 years ago and what we 

are going to be in 10 years to come is 

certainly different from what we are now, 

which simply means we should develop 

policies that would help Nigerian women 

to thrive in all spheres of human endeavour 

especially industries that appear to be maledominated. 

We must know that it is 

practicable and not only be seen as theory. 

It is not difficult to attain because other 

countries have done it successfully. 

Do you think it is the duty of Nigerian 

leaders to champion the cause of women? 

WIMBIZ 15th annual lecture: 

Stakeholders harp on funding for women 

The keynote speaker at this year’s 

annual lecture, Bolanle Austen-Peters, 

Founder & CEO, Bolanle Austen-Peters 

Productions & Terra Kulture, said most 

women have settled for less hence unable to 

make a difference in their world. 

Speaking to over 500 high profile women 

in management, business and public service 

on the theme: Balance for Better, Who said 

so?, Austen-Peters explained that: “Women 

are more averse to borrowing; we are more 

careful and that poses a challenge in some 

cases because men go 

for the bigger pile. So, 

a lot of women end up 

doing petty businesses 

as opposed to big 

businesses. I think we 

need to break out of 

our shell. I think we 

are fearful by nature 

and we need to 

overcome that. 

“It is tough to raise 

funds 

but 

institutions like the 

Bank of Industry are 

supportive and I 

advocate that 

women approach 

the likes of the BoI 

and other 

development 

institutions for 

funding,” she said. 

She urged women 

to be bolder, saying 

although more 

could be done for 

*Bode Adediji 

women, they still owed it to themselves to do 

what was good for them regardless of what life 

or society throws at them. 

Sharing her experience and how she has 

broken through the gender balance issues to 

be successful in business, she said: “Women 

need to come together and support themselves. 

We need more enlightenment programmes and 

initiatives for women and to support each other. 

“Challenge is a gender trait and it is quite 

difficult for women. Women are more averse to 

borrowing, so lots of women end up doing petty 

*From left:WIMBIZ Annual Lecture Moderator, Didi Akinyelure; 

founding member, Board of Trustees, Ifeoma Idigbe; Chairman, Board 

of Trustees, Funmi Roberts, keynote speaker and Founder, Bolanle 

Austen-Peters Production and Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austin-Peters; 

founding member, Board of Trustees (WIMBIZ) & Partner, TLCOM 

Capital, Dr. Omobola Johnson; founding member, Board of Trustees 

(WIMBIZ) & CEO, DO.II Designs, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo at the WIMBIZ 

15 th Annual Lecture held at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. 

No reason for any leader in any 

sector of Nigeria to attempt to 

shun policies and programmes 

that would bring women into the 

Real Estate and Property sector. 

We have been to other countries 

and seen how women dominate 

the sectors. In Russia, you hardly 

find a company without women. 

In Germany, one of the most 

successful leaders is a woman in 

politics, German Chancellor 

Angela Merkel and she has done 

that successfully. In Britain, with all 

their powers, a woman has been 

in charge. Therefore, if any 

Nigerian leader thinks that the 

understanding of women 20 years 

ago which is ratio 10 per cent 

women to 90 per cent men, is still 

the same in this computer age, 

that leader does not know what he 

is doing. 

In the family line, I have three 

daughters and one son and I have 

brought them up in a way that 

none of them would feel inferior to 

another. There is no difference in 

their disciplines and I tried to 

emphasise that to my wife on how 

important it is to train both the 

female and male equally and 

encourage, support and invest the 

same resources and energy in the 

girl-child so as to be able to stand 

shoulder to shoulder with the boychild. 

Is there any special way to 

train the girl-child? 

There are some fundamental 

things every parent should learn 

when training the girl-child. Beginning from 

the kind of programmes your children 

watch on television, to the type of course 

you persuade them to study in higher 

institution. For instance, it is not out of 

place to allow your children learn both 

Science and Art courses so that they can 

stand the test of time. The truth is that many 

of these girls are better in Science courses 

Continues on page 43 

business. Men go for bigger 

businesses. Women are more 

careful such that they would not 

want to take the risk.” 

Speaking on politics, Austen- 

Peters said: “Women are the 

majority in Nigeria, there is no 

reason they cannot be involved in 

politics. Some of us have decided 

to stay by the side. They should 

start getting involved. We need to 

do a lot more and we believe 

nobody is capable of stopping us. 

We need to support ourselves,” she 

advised. 

Concluding her lecture, Bolanle 

Austen-Peters shared some key 

guidelines that would help every 

woman in the room to achieve 

success in their various 

endeavours. They include: 

persistence, consistency, 

innovation, and allowing one’s 

dreams to evolve. The lecture 

ended with a question and answer 

session moderated by Didi 

Akinyelure, Business 

Correspondent at Thomson 

Reuters. 

The chairperson of the 

occasion, Foluso Gbadamosi, 

said the speaker was able to pass 

on the message to women by 

using her experience. 

“I believe we should learn to 

keep pushing against all odds. 

She had so many experiences 

that helped her through her 

journey. I love the point that she 

used real life experiences to 

explain her points. When you 

have a vision, you should learn 

to keep pushing, even if the 

society is not supporting you, you 

should learn to be tolerant,” she 

said. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


How INTELS empowers over 

1000 women — Freeborn 

Women training and empowerment is one of the areas Nigerian women are 

expected to make a difference in life. Based on this, Nancy Freeborn, the Project 

Head, Women Empowerment Programme Scheme Synergy, WEPSS, a Corporate 

Social Responsibility Project of Nigeria’s oil and gas logistics giant, INTELS Nigeria 

Limited, speaks on the duties of the company especially as it relates to the issue of 

Nigerian women. 

In this interview, she x-rays how INTELS trained and empowered over 1000 

women as well as areas in which INTELS has concluded plans to impact more 

Nigerian women, especially those in the Niger-Delta region. 


WEPSS clocked five recently. Would 

you say its objectives have been 

achieved? 

Yes, they have. This centre was set up in 

2013 to empower community women in host 

communities where INTELS operates. It is 

a corporate social responsibility of INTELS, 

so it is their way of giving back to their host 

communities and the Niger-Delta region at 

large. The goal from the beginning was to 

empower 5,000 women over a 20-year 

period through the acquisition of tailoring 

skills. So far, we have been able to empower 

more than 1,000 women, and I would say 

we are doing great. We try to reach out to 

people from the grassroots so we go into 

the communities so that those who really 

need the skill can apply. Our criteria are 

that you don’t need so much education. Just 

be able to read and write. It is like coming 

from the farm to factory; these are the people 

we are looking to empower. Every year, we 

have two training sessions, which last for 

four and a half months each. The age range 

for the trainees is between 17 and 45 years. 

Prior to this time, we used to take in 50 

trainees per session; that is 100 trainees in a 

year. Currently, we take a minimum of 200 

trainees every year and that has been 

ongoing for some years now. 

The day-to-day running of WEPSS is 

solely funded by INTELS, down to the 

smallest needle and the materials we use to 

train our students. Once the trainees come 

to WEPSS, they are not only taught the 

practical aspects of tailoring, there are some 

theoretical aspects, which they learn. For 

example, a common part of tailoring that is 

popping up lately is garment illustration 

and how to sketch fashion figures. We teach 

them that here and the basics of sewing; 

how to use a measuring tape and even get 

them to run on paper before they begin to 

sew on actual fabric. The women are taught 

machine handling; they learn how to use 

different specialised machines. They are 

able to sew four basic garments; cut and 

sew before they leave here. The kind of 

training our trainees receive here is 

comparable to international standards. 

They also get soft skills training on personal 

hygiene, how to handle their business better 

when they leave here, social ethics and 

responsibility. When some of them come 

here, the way they dress and look isn’t good 

but at the end of the training, they leave as 

distinguished ladies who know how to carry 

themselves. This is because we take the extra 

time to teach them how to carry themselves. 

If you do not represent your brand well as a 

tailor, people will not come and make 

clothes with you. You have to make nice 

looking clothes for me to be interested; that 

is where it starts. When the women have 

completed their training, we still keep in 

touch through regular follow-ups. Anytime 

there is a graduation ceremony, we invite 

our alumni to come over. We know the 

progress that they have made and we know 

who to invite and who to showcase. 

How would you describe WEPSS’ 

journey so far? 

As one of the members of the pioneer set, 

I got to see this place grow. I came in 2013 

as a trainee. At the time we started, this 

place was practically under construction. I 

have seen it evolve and grow from being a 

little training centre to a garment 

manufacturing factory and then back to a 

training centre again. About 300 rural 

women were taken in the pioneer set for 

the training. We came in several batches 

because we were many in number. We were 

trained and retained, all 300 of us, as factory 

hands to work in our garment producing 

factory here. Back then, we produced as 

much as 300 garments daily. These 

garments - for instance coveralls - were 

being produced for companies at the Onne 

Oil and Gas Free Zone. Most of my trainers 

and cutters were also part of those 300 rural 

women. When this project started, we were 

being trained by Indians and Italians. We 

had a consultant from India. They came, 

introduced the program to us and left when 

they were done. INTELS ensured that the 

knowledge was handed down from the 

expatriates to us; it is now a core community 

project because it is handled by people who 

are from the Niger-Delta region. After I was 

through with my training; my performance 

was very good so I had more opportunities 

for growth. I started as a trainee, became a 

trainer, then head trainer, production 

supervisor, head production supervisor, 

before I finally became project head. I have 

*Nancy Freeborn 

learned so much in the process. Every other 

person you see working at the WEPSS 

centre was trained here, including the 

technicians. INTELS has not just only given 

to the trainees who come here for four and 

a half months but also to the people who 

work here. 

What has your experience as WEPSS 

Project Head been like? 

I have worked here as Project Head for 

seven months. It has been fun; it is just 

added responsibility, which is fun to 

handle. It has its ups and downs but that is 

the beauty of life. Every batch comes with 

its own peculiarities. Some come here very 

heady but at the end of the day, we still get 

them to learn and they leave here happy. At 

the end of the day, the training is about 

moulding them in character and in learning. 

With this particular set of trainees, the 

biggest challenge was their dressing because 

we had so many young girls among them. 

You tell them not to wear something, the 

very next day; they will do that exact same 

thing. It was pretty challenging getting them 

to understand that they were no longer 

children but ladies who have to carry 

themselves in such a manner that they can 

handle a business of their own when they 

are done with this training. 

How many sets of trainees has 

WEPSS graduated since its 

inception? 

A total of six; the second set for 

2018 graduated a few weeks ago. 

This set just like the one before it, 

was very competitive. We have this 

star chart we create for every 

assessment; there is a trainee who 

is the star of that assessment. We 

can tell how competitive each set 

has been by looking at how many 

times a trainee gets to appear as a 

star on the chart. In this set, we 

had just one person appear more 

than once. The rest were knocked 

off after just one appearance. The 

best graduating trainee in this last 

set is 18 years old but we have had 

a winner in the past that was 

younger than her. I noticed that 

this time around, we had a lot of 

young trainees. Perhaps it is the 

success of the project that is 

attracting young women from 

their various communities to 

WEPSS. They get to hear of other 

women who have acquired the 

skill and are able to do something 

with it. So many young girls who 

ordinarily would not have 

considered the program as 

something they want to do, are 

now interested in getting the 

skill. 

When our trainees leave here, it 

doesn’t end there. We keep in 

touch with them to know how they 

are doing; we always find a couple 

of them using the skills to better 

their lives. A few of the WEPSS 

alumni came for the last graduation 

ceremony. I am particularly excited about 

one of them who graduated in 2017 because 

she now sews Ankara shoes, bags and 

accessories with the help of the sewing 

machine she was given by INTELS. Most of 

the women would normally focus on clothes 

but she decided to do something very 

different. We have also received requests 

from other fashion designers who ask for 

some of our trainees to come work for them 

when they graduate. A friend of mine 

contacted me recently about starting a 

garment factory that would produce men’s 

shirts in Rivers State. He was asking to see 

if he could hire some of the women here 

when they complete their training. When 

such opportunities come, we make them 

open to our trainees. The younger trainees 

might still have some aspirations; we don’t 

discourage them from aspiring for other 

things but we always encourage them to use 

the skills they have acquired from WEPSS. 

Some of them might want to further their 

education but they don’t have the funds. 

However, having been trained on fashion 

designing and tailoring, they can use the 

skills to fund their education. 

Family planning does not cause infertility, fibroid — Dr Farouk Jega 

By Chioma Obinna 

WORRIED about the myths 

and misconception 

surrounding family planning, 

Country Director of Pathfinder 

International Nigeria, Dr. Farouk 

Jega has dismissed insinuation 

that adopting family planning may 

cause the development of fibroid 

and infertility, saying it is safe for 

all women. 

The Country Director who threw 

light on the raging issue during a 

three-day capacity building 

workshop on Investigative 

Journalism organised by the 

organisation in Lagos said there is 

no link between them. 

According to him, family 

planning does not suggest in any 

way that a woman should 

absolutely not have children, 

rather, it helps a woman space and 

limit birth to the number of 

children she can cater for. 

“There are several studies that 

have shown that birth spacing for 

a number of years, at least for a 

minimum of two years between 

one pregnancy and the next have 

a lot of health benefits and none of 

the studies has shown any 

relationship with any disease or 

disorder including fibroid. 

“What we know is that there is a 

definite correlation between 

fibroid developing in the womb 

and some forms of infertility but 

that is not to say that it is because 

the woman refused to have 

children that the fibroid arose. 

“It may be the same genetic 

factors that are responsible for 

the woman not having children 

that are also the same factors 

that are responsible for the 

fibroid to grow” he stated. 

Jega explained that millions 

of women that have taken up 

family planning never 

developed fibroid as long as 

they have had children before 

and are using family planning 

either to space or limit the 

number of children they were 

having. 

“There is a strong relationship 

between fibroid and infertility 

but there isn’t any correlation 

between limiting or spacing of 

children and fibroid,” he 

argued. 

Decrying attitude of family 

planning providers in the 

country, he said a 

knowledgeable family 

planning service provider 

would make a lot of difference 

in family planning services. 

According to him, wellinformed 

service providers will 

bring about enormous change 

towards building trust in the 

adoption of family planning 

uptakes in Nigeria. 

Jega stated that every woman, 

especially in developing 

economies like Nigeria 

deserves quality family 

planning information 

irrespective of her age in order 

to make an informed decision. 

He said: “Pathfinder 

International Nigeria believes 

in provision of quality family 

planning information for 

families, and mostly women and 

there is no coercion on the part 

of women as far as issues on 

family planning is concerned.” 

Jega further encouraged 

women to have children early in 

order to avoid having babies 

with congenital deformities.


Why Nigerian leaders 

should champion 

emancipation of women 

Continues from page 41 

than men. When it comes to 

education, those who top the class 

in the last 10 years have been the 

girls. 

So, if we have that kind of 

phenomenon, I do not see reason 

for any government of the day 

not to explore various avenues of 

involving more women in 

different helms of affairs. 

Government should be able to 

shun gender discrimination and 

involve more women. Government 

should invest in resources to give 

special incentives for girls to go 

into the mainstream. We have 

heard the story of Irene Koki 

Mutungi, Airline Captain who is a 

professional pilot in Kenya. 

The largest economy in the 

East African Community is 

Kenya. She was the first female 

on the African continent to 

become certified as a captain of 

the Boeing 787. We also heard 

about the story of the Nigerian 

girl, Adeola Ogunmola 

Sowemimo, the first Nigerian 

female pilot at Qatar Airways 

and the first Nigerian female 

pilot to fly the Boeing 787 

Dreamliner. She was a graduate 

of Ladoke Akintola University of 

Technology, Lautech. Stories like 

these tell you that no one should 

despise the female. 

I think government should 

encourage women to venture 

into all the sectors and not only 

in active politics. 

Special avenues and factors 

mitigating against women 

Special avenues should be 

created for women rather than 

allowing a few opportunistic 

women who have nothing to offer 

in the helm of affairs. Women 

have talents and they are 

intellectual naturally, and as such, 

they would have taken the country 

to greater heights. Unfortunately, 

Nigerian mentality has trivialised 

the talents on the platform of 

populism. We must ensure that we 

engage women who have been 

tested and trusted in other fields 

including engineering, 

journalism, Medicine among 

others. 

Unfortunately, the set of 

women in political affairs are 

those who have not been proven, 

only that they answer the father’s 

name and you should expect that 

the outcome of such political 

atmosphere would be failure. 

Where a nation encourages women 

who have been proven in all 

aspects of life, you have sanitised 

the political landscape and such 

women would be role models. 

But, as long as you popularise 

female participation in key areas 

of development without 

reference to their backgrounds, 

the nation is the worse for it. 

March 8 was celebrated as 

International Women’s Day 

and the theme was 

#BalanceforBetter. You just 

mentioned some factors 

mitigating against women 

emancipation. How would you 

advise government in ensuring 

women are balanced? 

Let me say what worries me 

about Nigeria. As at today, people 

who are educated, who have 

daughters, who are exposed and 

intelligent are in government and 

without mentioning a particular 

name, they know those 

fundamental things that hinder the 

*Bode Adediji 

progress of women. Yet, they have 

not consciously created 

programmes, policies, facilities 

that counter those hindrances. 

Nigeria is the only place in the 

world that has no facility to help 

the disabled. My daughters work 

abroad and I have been opportune 

to visit them and find out that every 

major employer of labour has 

creche facilities for nursing 

mothers. 

In Nigeria, you hardly see 

companies with facilities to 

encourage nursing mothers. 

Secondly, there is no other 

campaign aside the annual 

International Women’s Day 

created by government for fathers 

to consciously develop awareness 

on how to shower love on women 

and the girl-child. 

Our love should 

metamorphose into a global 

campaign for women. There 

should be a synergy between the 

religious clans and the 

government as well as agencies in 

funding programmes and policies 

to take women to higher ground. 

The truth is that the largest 

number of attendees in churches 

and mosques are women. The 

minute we are able to utilise their 

thinking into practical horizon, 

By Prince Okafor 

BASF West Africa, a hair and skin care 

company in Nigeria, has said that it is 

targeting Nigerian women with its introduction 

of an ultra-modern application technology 

laboratory in the country. 

Speaking during the official launch in Lagos, 

the Managing Director, BASF West Africa, Jean 

Marc Ricca, said that BASF is not prevented by 

Nigeria’s harsh economic climate, having 

survived the storms for over 53 years in the 

country, howbeit, 

He urged the incoming administration to 

consider economic wellbeing of the people as 

foremost by providing an enabling business 

environment for economic activities to thrive. 

“Since Africa’s hair is unique and typified by 

kinks and coils along the hair shaft, an oblique 

cross- section and fewer cuticle layers than other 

hair types, making the natural African hair 

difficult to comb through, and prone to breakage. 

the nation will benefit. If we do not 

do that, the country will not only 

be stagnant but also retrogress. 

If there is emancipation of 

women, there will be progress in 

all spheres of life. Where there is 

oppression, suppression and 

depression daily inflicted on 

women, the result is retrogression. 

We need women in those areas to 

transform a country. 

On March 29, Vanguard will be 

holding its International 

Women’s Day Round Table and 

the theme is “#Redirecting 

Nigeria’s Future, the Role of 

Women”. If you would respond to 

this theme, how do you think 

Nigeria’s future can be 

redirected? 

Women possess hidden powers 

which they themselves do not 

know. Therefore, I believe, the 

question should be directed to 

women themselves. 

There are basic questions 

including who is a Nigerian 

woman today? What does she 

stand for? Where is she coming 

from? Where is she now and 

where is is she going? Until you 

are willing to reform yourself 

through your knowledge and 

identity, strength, weakness, 

opportunity and threat and then 

begin to organise your life to use 

what you have positively to get 

what you want, there is no other 

person that can make it happen. 

The other aspect is that there 

are things that women must 

increase their energy and 

advocacy upon. There are 

cultural tragedies and 

peculiarities in Nigeria and until 

they are broken, women would be 

making piecemeal progress that 

are intangible. We must address 

that. Although, women are already 

doing that and I believe that men 

must collaborate with them on 

that aspect, there are so many parts 

of this country that women are 

treated as chattels. If they were like 

that hundred years ago, why must 

they continue on that terrain 

today? 

There is another thing that is an 

epidemic in Nigeria and I do not 

see women championing that 

cause. And it is the gap between 

the rich and the poor. I have not 

seen any programme in the last 

three regimes that can claim to 

have bridged the gap between the 

rich and the poor. That is why 

wealth does not transit from the 

parent to the next generation. 

Therefore, if women can 

participate in the struggle to bridge 

the gap between the rich and the 

poor, the country will be better off. 

The other area is that we need to 

create shock absorber for the less 

privileged. Today, the kind of shock 

absorber that Nigerian leaders 

claim to have created is not real. 

We should know that businesses 

collapse in America on a daily 

basis and other ones are created. 

But, Nigerians would rather 

castigate anyone whose business 

collapses in this country. People 

would call you all sorts of names 

because you can no longer run 

your business. Nigerians also call 

someone who borrows and is 

unable to pay a criminal. So, 

women must look in this 

direction such that those women 

who venture into entrepreneurship 

can thrive. 

If we continue to change 

political parties ten thousand 

times without addressing the 

fundamentals, there would be no 

progress. The other area is the 

failure of men to join hands for 

the emancipation of Nigerian 

In the last 15 

years, I have not 

seen any policy or 

programme by 

government that 

promotes 

emancipation of 

women and that is 

a dangerous 

BASF targets Nigeria women with hair, skin technology 

Customers’ satisfaction, our 

goal — Aderenle Edwards 

By Chris Onuoha 

Anew styling boutique and 

one stop salon and spa for 

women, men and children, ‘Nzuri 

Indulge’ has berthed. The posh 

and luxurious salon situated on 

a serene and cozy environment at 

73 Omon Ebhomenye Street, Lekki 

Phase 1, Lagos was unveiled 

weekend. 

The new place of indulge for 

discerning personalities was 

declared open by the founder and 

Chief Executive Officer, Aderenle 

Edwards who personally took 

guests around the penthouse 

“These challenges has necessitated a tailored care 

regimen to maintain healthy hairs with specialty 

products such as polymers, emollients, surfactants, 

emulsifiers, protein products, lipid layer enhancer 

and others. 

“As a supplier of chemical products, we remain 

resolute and auspicious to our commitment in working 

with all our stakeholders in the supply value chain to 

take care of African hairs and skins especially Nigeria, 

thus; we look forward to better economic environment 

to thrive,” Ricca added. 

Also, the vice president, BASF West Africa, Mr. Dirk 

Mampe, said: “Customised solutions meeting the 

specific requirements of consumers in different markets 

are key for business growth. 

“With our broadened presence and the investment 

in a new Application Laboratory in sub-Saharan 

Africa, we can provide on-site technical expertise and 

market insights to our customers and support the local 

development of tailor-made products for the specific 

needs of African hair and skin,” he said. 

woman. A sincere government 

must create a transition period to 

achieve that. They must be able to 

set aside an agenda for women in 

the next four years which 

everybody must champion. It must 

be a collective effort by all and 

sundry. 

In the last 15 years, I have not 

seen any policy or programme by 

government that promotes 

emancipation of women and that 

is a dangerous. 

Thirdly, I believe there are 

organisations that should play a 

major role in the emancipation 

of women but I doubt if we have 

many of them focusing in that 

direction. I believe there are 

many foundations in Nigeria. 

Therefore, it is pertinent to know 

the percentage of their resources 

committed to the emancipation 

of women. And we need a leader 

that can drive these organisations 

for the emancipation of women so 

that young girls in primary and 

secondary schools can begin to 

have a rethink on the need to be 

relevant in their worlds. These 

children would understand the 

importance of becoming great in 

life and be responsible. 

Today, the only persons you see 

on the front pages of newspapers 

are the politicians and that is the 

degree to which our media has 

degenerated. 

*Pamela Shodipo, Aderenle Edwards, Mrs Rita Unuigboje of UBA, Mrs 

Teni Giwa Osagie. 

facility center housing the spa. 

Guests comprising influential 

personalities, captains of 

industry and look good indulgers 

were treated to a refreshing 

outing with surplus wine and 

small chops, while some had a 

feel of the spa, makeup and hair 

styling touch. Children were not 

left out as some had their hair 

treated. The new spa center 

houses many segments that 

include hair dressing and 

styling, nail care, makeup, 

children salon, barbing salon, 

facial and body treatment 

segments. 

Speaking, the founder, 

Aderenle Edwards said: “At 

Nzuri, we are passionate about 

providing our guests with the 

ultimate indulgent experience 

and are committed to promoting 

a wholesome lifestyle with 

harmony and balance. We have 

carefully chosen our products to 

offer only professional ranges at 

the salon and at the spa we use 

and sell only pure, high quality, 

result-oriented, high 

performance and freshly 

blended products that are 100 

per cent natural made by our inhouse 

consultant and skin care 

formulator. We are just as 

careful in choosing our stylists, 

technicians and therapists, 

hiring only those who are 

competent, eager to serve and 

are passionate about their craft 

to be a part of our team. Our 

services are focused upon 

nurturance and health as well as 

beauty and pampering”, 

concludes Edwards.


A president and the poverty 

red herring 

P 

R E S I D E N T 

Muhammadu 

Buhari’s friends promote the 

narrative that he is poor, and 

he himself is enamoured with 

an “accolade” that holds him 

up as a clean man in the land 

of treasury thieves. They see 

virtue in his poverty, an idea 

which sits perfectly well with 

the hackneyed tale of 

integrity. 

“Prior to being sworn in on 

May 29 … Buhari had less than 

N30 million to his name. He 

also had only one bank 

account, with the Union Bank. 

“[He] had no foreign account, 

no factory and no enterprises. 

He also had no registered 

company and no oil wells.” 

Garba Shehu, the president’s 

media aide, pitched this 

statement to the public on 

September 3, 2015. It was a 

deliberate attempt to 

criminalise wealth and 

weaponise poverty by making 

the storyline of not owning a 

factory, registered company or 

thriving enterprises feed into 

the tale of an anti-corruption 

czar. 

Poverty 

narrative 

Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo’s recent claim that 

four years of the Buhari 

Presidency has made him 

poorer escalates this cliché as 

his principal gets ready for his 

second term. It is not a 

coincidence. At a dinner in 

honour of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, volunteer 

supporters on March 14, 

Osinbajo said Buhari may even 

be poorer today than four years 

ago. 

“When I looked at his assets 

declaration form; I was 

checking it in 2015, I said to 

him, ‘Mr. President, I am so 

much richer than you, it is an 

embarrassment',” Osinbajo 

recalled. “I can tell you that he 

is, perhaps, even poorer than 

he was in 2015 when I saw his 

declaration of assets form.” 

Buhari’s reported riposte is 

equally instructive. “I am only 

a soldier, you are a big lawyer, 

so you should have more 

money than me,” he told his 

deputy. 

Osinbajo describing Buhari 

as being poorer today is a 

nuanced attempt to sustain the 

poverty narrative. But it also 

makes it imperative that 

Nigerians interrogate it. If 

“poverty is about not having 

enough money to meet basic 

needs, including food, 

clothing and shelter,” can 

anyone say that Buhari has 

ever been poor since he 

enlisted in the army in the early 

1960s? 

The World Bank says: 

“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is 

lack of shelter. Poverty is being 

sick and not being able to see 

a doctor. Poverty is not having 

access to school and not 

knowing how to read. Poverty 

is not having a job, is fear for 

the future, living one day at a 

time.” 

How does Buhari fit into any 

of these scenarios? 

Put differently, has Buhari 

ever been poor? If yes, how 

poor and relative to whose 

wealth? If no, then why are his 

confederates willfully pushing 

the narrative? 

For Buhari to be poorer today 

as Osinbajo claims, it would 

mean that his poverty net worth 

has shrunk since he became 

president. 

There is need to revisit 

Buhari’s asset declaration and 

For Buhari to be 

poorer today as 

Osinbajo claims, 

it would mean 

that his poverty 

net worth has 

shrunk since he 

became president 

his refusal to make it public 

despite his promise to do so 

within 100 days if elected 

president. 

In a 2014 document titled, 

“My 100 days covenant with 

Nigerians,” the then APC 

presidential candidate said: “I 

pledge to publicly declare my 

assets and liabilities, 

encourage all my appointees 

to publicly declare their assets 

and liabilities as a precondition 

for appointment.” 

It was a clear personal 

commitment delivered in first 

person pronoun – I. But after 

Buhari assumed office, Aso 

Rock disowned the document 

without any qualms. When 

Nigerians insisted he kept the 

promise, the Presidency said 

Buhari and Osinbajo had 

submitted their assets 

declaration forms to the Code 

of Conduct Bureau, CCB, in 

compliance with the 

Constitution. 

Not even Shehu’s statement 

on June 7, 2015 that details of 

the assets would be made 

public once the CCB 

concluded verification was 

enough to calm frayed 

nerves. Shehu said Buhari’s 

“declared assets and those of 

… Osinbajo will be released 

to the public upon the 

completion of their verification 

by the Code of Conduct 

Bureau.” 

He promised that the 

verification “will be completed 

before the expiry of the 100- 

day deadline within which 

they said they would do this.” 

Shehu put ice on “some 

suggestions that [Buhari] and 

[Osinbajo] may not, after all, 

declare their assets publicly,” 

a suggestion he ridiculed as 

“a little precipitate”. 

He added: “There is no 

question at all that [Buhari] 

and [Osinbajo] are committed 

to public declaration of their 

assets within the 100 days that 

they pledged during the 

presidential campaign.” 

The promise was not kept. 

Instead, Buhari mounted his 

high horse of intransigence 

u n t i l 

September 

3, 2015 

when he 

grudgingly 

released 

what he 

claimed was 

his declared 

assets, 

which many 

disagree 

with. 

“Prior to 

being sworn 

in on May 

29, President 

Buhari had 

less than 

N30 million 

to his name 

... had only 

one bank 

account, with 

the Union 

Bank … had 

no foreign 

account, no 

factory and 

n o 

enterprises. 

He also had 

n o 

registered 

company 

and no oil 

wells,” a 

statement by 

G a r b a 

S h e h u 

claimed. 

Shehu had 

proclaimed 

that prior to 

his swearing 

in on May 

29, 2015, “… 

Buhari had 

shares in 

B e r g e r 

Paints, Union Bank and Skye 

Bank … had a total of five 

homes, and two mud houses 

in Daura … two homes in 

Kaduna, one each in Kano, 

Daura and in Abuja. 

“One of the mud houses in 

Daura was inherited from his 

late older sister, another from 

his late father. He borrowed 

money from the old Barclays 

Bank to build two of his 

homes. “... Buhari also has 

two undeveloped plots of land, 

one in Kano and the other in 

Port Harcourt. He is still trying 

to trace the location of the Port 

Harcourt land. 

Assets declaration 

ghost 

“In addition to the homes in 

Daura, he has farms, an 

orchard and a ranch. The total 

number of his holdings in the 

farm include 270 heads of 

cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a 

variety of birds and a number 

of economic trees.” 

The documents finally 

claimed that Buhari “uses a 

number of cars, two of which 

he bought from his savings 

and the others supplied to him 

by the Federal Government in 

his capacity as former head of 

state. 

“The rest were donated to 

him by well-wishers after his 

jeep was damaged in a Boko 

Haram bomb attack on his 

convoy in July 2014.” 

Even Buhari himself knew 

that what he did was not the 

public declaration of assets 

because he still promised that 

“As soon as the CCB is through 

with the process, the 

documents will be released to 

the Nigerian public and people 

can see for themselves.” 

That pledge is yet to be 

fulfilled two months to the end 

of his four-year tenure. So, 

why would Osinbajo resurrect 

Buhari’s assets declaration 

ghost on the eve of his second 

term? Is it a coincidence or a 

carefully choreographed alibi 

to achieve a pre-determined 

goal? 

Most importantly, is it true 

that Buhari is poorer today 

than four years ago? 

How can a man who did his 

medicals in Europe, whose 

children were in top of the 

range schools in Europe and 

America, had a fleet of choice 

cars when he had no factory, 

no enterprises, no registered 

company, no oil wells and lived 

on his pension become poorer 

when all his bills are picked 

up by the Nigerian state and 

his teenage son can afford a 

multi-million naira power 

bike? 

To agree that Buhari is poorer 

today than in 2015, Nigerians 

need to know what he claimed 

were his assets prior to his 

Presidency. 

Anything short of that is 

sheer red herring, a 

smokescreen.


THE Naira, yesterday depreciated to N359.5 per 

dollar in the parallel market for the first time 

in one month since February 2019. 

According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate 

platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change 

Operators (ABCON), the parallel market exchange 

rose to N359.5 per dollar from N358.5 on Tuesday, 

translating to N1.50 kobo depreciation of the naira. 

Similarly, the naira yesterday depreciated by 43 

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

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window rose to N360.68 per 

dollar from N360.25 per dollar on Tuesday, 

translating to 43 kobo depreciation of the naira. 

The volume of dollars traded on the window 

dropped by 62 percent to $ 116.29 million from 

$307.05 million traded on Tuesday. 

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

All clear for Lawan; fresh cisis 

brews over Gbaja 

Continues from Page 5 

identifying who from a 

particular zone is fit and 

proper as the Senate 

President. From every 

zone of this country, we 

have ranking members 

in the National Assembly 

all eminently qualified to 

be Senate President, but 

we cannot have two 

Senate presidents. So, in 

this case, considering 

other factors, the party, 

and when I say the party, 

I am not just referring to 

the NWC because there 

was a wide consultation 

across the country, the 

party leaders, governors, 

and Mr. President. So, 

this is not just something 

coming from the 

Chairman, Mr Adams 

Oshiomhole or NWC; it 

is the position of the 

ruling party. So, the idea 

of taking the thing to the 

zone is an option we had 

also considered before 

now arriving at a 

particular individual 

from the North-East,” 

Issa-Onilu said. 

‘Winner-takesall 

season is here’ 

He added that the 

position of the party on 

taking charge of the 

leadership of the 

National Assembly was 

not a threat, but in line 

with democratic norms as 

obtained in advanced 

democracies. 

“I have listened to the 

PDP react to this, and in 

their usual style, they 

exhibited gross 

ignorance. What we 

practise in Nigeria is 

called the Presidential 

System of Government, 

and in such a system, it 

is winner-takes-all. 

Once you win, you take 

whatever you won. 

There is no room for 

power sharing. We do 

not need it because we 

do not need them (PDP) 

to run this government. 

We have enough 

number to run this 

government, and in any 

case, when we were 

campaigning, we never 

told Nigerians that we 

were going to share 

power with any other 

party. We told them, 

‘please, entrust power to 

us fully.’ And Nigerians 

have graciously assented 

to that. It would be a 

betrayal of that trust to go 

ahead and start sharing 

power with a party, 

particularly the PDP that 

has been rejected by 

Nigerians. 

“We are smarting from 

the experience of the last 

four years, precisely 

what happened in 2015 

when some traitors in the 

APC fold sold our 

birthright to an 

opposition party and 

some people now 

considered that to be the 

new normal. It is not. 

That was undemocratic. 

It was treachery, and we 

thank God also that 

Nigerians have 

punished the people that 

were involved. They 

were rejected. Many of 

them are now on 

compulsory retirement 

from politics. That is the 

verdict of the people of 

this country for those 

who dared to 

compromise basic 

democratic principles 

which say that in a 

presidential system of 

government when you 

have the majority, you 

have the trust of the 

people to form a 

government without 

conceding anything to 

the people they have 

rejected. 

“If they wanted PDP, 

they would have voted 

for the PDP. We 

patterned our 

Presidential system of 

government after the 

Naira down at N358.5/$ in 

parallel market 

United States of America 

USA. When last did you 

see them go to the floor 

to elect the Speaker? 

Any party that has the 

majority automatically 

has the speaker. If you 

remember, Pelosi was the 

Speaker of the US House 

of Representatives. 

Immediately, the 

Republicans got the 

majority; she became the 

Minority Leader. It is 

automatic except where 

you have traitors; people 

who do not have a 

commitment to values 

whose only interest is to 

fester their selfish 

desires. In the last 

election in the US, when 

Democrats became the 

majority, Pelosi reverted 

and became the 

Speaker,” he explained. 

We don’t 

envisage an 

election 

“All the Principal 

Officers are determined 

by simple majority, and 

because Nigerians have 

given us more than what 

we had even in the 

outgoing dispensation, 

we have enough to elect 

all our officers. So, we do 

not need a single vote 

from the PDP and in any 

case, we don’t actually 

envisage any election on 

that day because we are 

going to present to our 

members to occupy these 

positions and it is the 

collective position of the 

party and all our 

members are very 

experienced politicians 

who understand what 

this means. When they 

get to the floor, they are 

going to read out the 

names, and if the PDP so 

desire, they can bring a 

candidate and follow that 

candidate with the 

number they have got. 

So, it will be an exercise 

in futility for PDP to 

nurse the ambition to 

share from what 

Nigerians have taken 

from them. 

“It is not the party that 

will determine whether 

there will be an election 

or not. By the time we 

announce these names, 

having a clear majority 

on the floor, anyone that 

wants to oppose would 

have to present his 

candidates, backing 

them up with numbers. 

So, there is only one 

person being put 

forward, and then you 

have a consensus. So, 

even if there is going to 

be an election, it would 

just be a mere formality. 

We do not envisage a 

situation where two APC 

senators would stand as 

candidates for a position. 

That would only happen 

if this party has not done 

its homework,” Issa- 

Onilu added. 

‘Ndume knows 

what to do’ 

He said Sen. Ali 

Ndume who has been 

reported as expressing 

interest in contesting 

against Lawan was 

merely expressing his 

democratic rights, but 

“the day he subscribed to 

be a member of the APC, 

he signed off to abide by 

the dictates of the party, 

and we take what has 

happened in the last 24 

hours as an expression 

of how badly the news 

hit him, but we are also 

conscious of the fact that 

Sen. Ali Ndume is a 

respected member of the 

APC. He is a leader in 

this party and we know 

he knows the right thing 

to do and on whose side 

he rightly belongs and 

that also includes any 

other person who has 

such grievances.” 

Okorocha 

remained 

suspended 

Noting that the party 

was helpless in 

intervening on behalf of 

Governor Rochas 

Okorocha over the refusal 

of the Independent 


Commission, INEC to 

issue him a certificate of 

return, he said: “This 

party cannot take any 

action. Do not forget that 

Okorocha is on 

suspension. So, as far as 

this party is concerned, 

that situation remains. In 

any case, he also has not 

come forward to say this 

is the problem he has 

because he also realises 

that he is on suspension. 

So, until that is vacated 

before the party can now 

step in and say we have a 

dull member who has 

issues that we need to 

resolve.” 


Ndume lied, 

says Sabi 

Abdulahi 

Dismissing Senator 

Ndume’s claim that 

Lawan was being 

imposed, Senate 

spokesman, Senator Aliyu 

Abdullahi said, that on the 

contrary, that senatorselect 

warmly welcomed 

the proposal of 

Oshiomhole to have 

Lawan as Senate 

President when the issue 

came up at their dinner 

with the president on 

Monday. 

Fielding questions from 

journalists in Abuja, 

Senator Abdullahi said: 

“It is not good for people 

to peddle lies, I was at the 

dinner along with other 

APC senators-elect, the 

national chairman of our 

party, Oshiomhole, never 

made any announcement 

or submission that can be 

described by anybody as 

an imposition. 

“The recommendation 

was spontaneously and 

instantaneously, 

applauded by all the APC 

senators-elect in 

attendance without 

anybody dissenting. 

“So for Senator Ndume 

to later tell a story of 

imposition and shock to 

Nigerians through his 

media briefing, is nothing 

but being economical with 

the truth.” 

Urhoghide 

warns APC 

leaders 

However, Senator 

Matthew Urhoghide 

(PDP, Edo South) 

yesterday, warned the 

APC leadership against 

making the same 

mistakes of 2015 that led 

to the strained 

relationship between the 

legislative and executive 

branches of government. 

He said that no party, 

not even the APC should 

tell senators what to do. 

“I am just afraid that the 

statements can lay the 

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08052867058 

OKOWA'S CERTIFICATE OF RETURN—Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State displaying his Certificate of Return, yesterday. Photo: Nath Onojake. 

foundation of hatred and 

lack of co-operation 

between the executive 

and the legislators. 

“I want to say that 

whoever becomes the 

presiding officer as we 

have in the provision of 

the Constitution (Section 

50 of the Constitution, is 

very clear that Section 50 

(1a, b) is very clear who 

becomes the Senate 

President and the Deputy 

Senate President). This 

section does not have the 

majority of any party, but 

the party that has the 

highest number of 

senators that has been 

elected or members of the 

House of Representatives. 

“It is for the members of 

the House or the Senate 

to decide who becomes 

the Senate President and 

the Speaker or the Deputy 

Presiding Officer. If they 

are not careful, by the time 

they put premium on one 

of their members or one 

of us who is elected on the 

platform of the APC, you 

will be surprised that the 

support will go the other 

way; that will be the 

beginning of trouble 

again. 

“On this pronouncement 

that we are not going to 

share power, which power 

are we sharing? Every 

senator has equal status, 

and if anybody wants to 

be the presiding officer, 

that will be determined by 

the membership on the 

day you are elected. 

“No party should tell us 

what to do, and they 

should please allow us to 

make our careful choice of 

who becomes the Senate 

President. 

“If the party decides, 

you will be surprised that 

what happened in 2015 

will also happen. We want 

to say that this issue of 

chairmanship of 

committees, in National 

Assembly is not given to 

parties, it is given to 

people that have relative 

experiences to chair 

these committees.”

C 

M 

Y 

K 


C 

M 

Y 

K 


C 

M 

Y 

K 


By Dayo Adesulu 

AS the 2019 Unified 

T e r t i a r y 

Matriculation 

Examination, UTME begins 

April 11, no fewer than 1.99 

million candidates will be 

jostling for the available 

750,000 carrying capacity in 

our tertiary institutions. 

What this portends is that 

at the end of the admission 

exercise, only 750,000 would 

be admitted leaving 1.240 

million candidates to repeat 

the recurring decimal next 

year. 

Capacity of institutions 

refer to the maximum 

number of students that an 

institution can absorb and 

sustain for quality education 

available based on human 

and material resources. 

Stakeholders are calling for 

upgrade of our tertiary 

carrying capacity in both 

federal and state universities 

to alleviate their suffering. 

Founded in 1978, JAMB 

has never recorded massive 

candidates’ applications like 

this year. The increment in 

the number of people who 

registered for UTME 

revealed that whereas our 

national population among 

the youth grow yearly, the 

corresponding growth in the 

carrying capacity or 

establishment of more 

institutions of higher 

learning remain static. Also, 

the increase may not be 

unconnected with the 

spillover of the over one 

million candidates who failed 

to secure admission in 2018. 

The only significant 

infrastructural growth we can 

point at over the last few 

years that has directly or 

indirectly increased the 

carrying capacity is the 

approval of operational 

licences to private school 

owners. While some 

stakeholders believe that the 

approval of private 

universities in Nigeria has 

further worsen our academic 

problems, many are in the 

opinion that more private 

universities approvals have 

enhance more admission 

spaces for our populated 

youth. 

From 1999 when the Federal 

Government gave operational 

licences to owners of the first 

three private universities; 

Igbinedion University, 

Madonna University and 

Babcock University, it has 

rose to 77 in 2019 and still 

counting. Sad enough, while 

there are available spaces for 

admission in these private 

universities, many JAMB 

candidates do not patronise 

them, not because they 

cannot deliver academically, 

Cross section of JAMB candidates during CBT examination 

UTME: 1.99m candidates 

jostle for 750,000 spaces 

but because many parents 

cannot afford the fees. 

On the flip side, private 

universities have not been 

able to fill the quota allotted 

to them by the Joint 

Admission 

and 

Matriculations Board 

(JAMB). According to NUC 

data of 2103, private 

universities admitted 19,254 

candidates as against 67,009 

allotted quota in 2013. The 

reason for this underenrollment 

is not 

unconnected with the 

exorbitant nature of the 

STAKEHOLDERS in the 

nation’s education 

s e c t o r 

have lauded Promasidor Nigeria 

Limited for consistently 

promoting the study of 

Mathematics, the result of 

which is reflected in a record 

participation in this year’s 

Cowbellpedia Secondary 

Schools Mathematics TV Quiz 

Show. 

A total of 56,073 students sat 

for Stage One examination of the 

competition, sponsored by 

Cowbell milk, the flagship brand 

from the company.This marks a 

34 per cent increase over the 

41,730 students who took part in 

the examination last year, when 

the registration format became 

strictly online. 

tuition fees of private 

universities. 

Asides, when JAMB uses its 

discretion in posting 

candidates to some private 

universities, they still ended up 

forfeiting the provisional 

admission for lack of fund. Our 

research into the fees parents 

pay in private universities 

shows that the minimum 

amount for the lowest course 

cost is N350,000. 

Even at that, the carrying 

capacity for each of these 

private universities when they 

started was between 100 and 

500 based on National 

Universities Commission 

(NUC) approval. While some 

of the private universities 

have increased their 

admission slots over the 

years, many find it difficult to 

get five UTME candidates who 

voluntarily made their 

institutions first choice. I have 

attended some institutions’ 

matriculations where 

between 40 to 45 students 

matriculated. 

Meanwhile, the federal 

universities which have 

Maths: Stakeholders laud Promasidor as 

56,073 students contest stage One exam 

By Oghenefego Obaebor 

The competition has witnessed 

progressive increase in 

participation in the last four years, 

during which period 195,474 

students hadfeatured in the Stage 

One examinations. 

Mrs.Yinka Ogunde, Managing 

Partner of Edumark Consult and 

Co-ordinator of Concerned 

ParentsNetwork, saluted the 

efforts of the company in 

nurturing young talents through 

the Cowbellpedia initiatives. She 

enjoined other corporate 

organisations to emulate the 

brand’s noble gesture, which has 

been of great benefit to the society. 

Speaking in the same vein, Mr. 

Agboola Alphonso, an education 

psychologist based in Ibadan, Oyo 

State said that the 

Cowbellpediaprojectshave been 

wonderful in stimulating the 

interest of young students in 

Science, Technology, 

Engineering and Mathematics 

(STEM) subjects. “I move round 

the state, from Ibadan to Iseyin 

and even to Abeokuta, OgunState 

in the course of my work, and 

what I have seen about the 

Cowbellpedia effects have been 

wonderful. I salute the efforts and 

pray for more strength for the 

company and Cowbell milk,” he 

said. 

On her part, 

Mrs.MorenikejiSowemimo, 

whose son participated in the 

examination in Ogun State 

centre, also commended the 

initiatives and its impact on her 

child. She explained that the 

competition fired up the interest 

of her child in the subject and it 

eventually paid off in his West 

African Examination Council 

(WAEC) and JAMB. 

become a toast for 

admission seekers are just 43 

across the country. Many 

times, those who scored high 

marks yet could not secure a 

slot missed out because 

authorities of those federal 

institutions admitted based 

on catchment area. 

For instance, in 2011/ 

2012, University of Lagos 

(UNILAG)’s admission quota 

was 6,500 but admitted 7,572; 

Ahmadu Bello University 

(ABU) was given 6,688 but 

admitted 7,397, just as 

University of Nigeria, Nsukka 

(UNN) was given 5,970 but 

admitted 8,267.University of 

Ilorin (UNILORIN) in the 

same year was supposed to 

admit 5,514 but ended up 

admitting 7,098 while 

University of Maiduguri 

(UNIMAID) which was given 

5,600, admitted 5,699. Also 

Federal University of 

Agriculture, Makurdi which 

ought to admit just 2,133 

ended up admitting 3,350 

students. In a nutshell, the 

admission capacity of all 

universities in 2013 was 

approximately 400,000. 

However, in last five years, the 

carrying capacity has risen to 

750,000. Speaking with 

Vanguard on this issue is the 

President of Eden Global 

Business School (EGBS), Mr 

Tunji Adepoju, who averred 

that there is a significant 

problem with the carrying 

capacity of tertiary education 

system. According to him, for 

the past 5 years, we have had 

about 1.7 million students 

sitting for JAMB, adding: 

“the carrying capacity of our 

tertiary education system, 

including the polytechnic 

and colleges of education is 

around 500, 000.” He 

explained that the innovation 

enterprise institutions, 

vocational enterprises, NBT 

have additional 250,000. All 

in all the total carrying 

capacity is about 750,000. He 

said: “Every year, we have 

about 1.1 million students 

actually qualified; they have 

passed JAMB, met the 

minimum cut off point, and 

here we are, the unified 

carrying capacity is 

750,000; the polytechnics, 

colleges of education, federal 

and state institutions, is 

about 500, 000. The 

innovation enterprise is 

about 250, 000, so we have 

a shortfall every year of 

about 500, 000 students 

that would be qualified and 

competent but would not get 

admission.” Lamenting the 

fate of the over one million 

admission seekers, he said 

that over the years, they 

have fallen into the hands of 

crooks and charlatans.

L-R: Former Super Eagles midfielder/Director, Headmaster Sports Academy 

Limited, Mr. Mutiu Adepoju, Director, Headmaster Sports Academy Limited, 

Mr. Bola Adebanjo, Principal, Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Mrs. Chinedum 

Oluwadamilola and Head Medical Unit, Corona Seccondary School, Mr. Musa 

Rasheed, during signing of MoU between Corona and Headmaster on the 

forthcoming Easter Soccer Camp , held at the school premises in Agbara. 

Missing Children:Committee 

dismisses allegations of sodomy, 

cannibalism 

*Police report confirm molestation of a student 

By Joseph Erunke 

THE probe panel 

set up by the 

Minister of 

Education,Mallam 

Adamu Adamu,over 

allegations of sodomy, 

cannibalism, missing 

children among others in 

the FCT School for the 

Deaf,has dismissed all 

the allegations in its 

report. 

This was even 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 one of the 

alleged abused 

children,Dr Hannatu 

Usman Ayuba, who 

failed to appear before 

the committee during 

its assignment, 

dismissed the report. 

The committee, 

tagged:”Special 

Committee of 

Investigations on 

Allegations of Sexual 

Abuse of Vulnerable 

Minors at the FCT 

School For the Deaf ”,in 

the report submitted to 

the minister, Tuesday,in 

Abuja,insisted that the 

allegations of 

cannibalism,sexual 

abuse, sucking of human 

blood and existence of 

cult in the among others 

were not only 

unfounded but also 

baseless. 

But Adamu, while 

addressing the media 

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 

given 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.” 

Committee 

h o w e v e r 

debunked most 

of her claims of 

poor feeding, 

poor sanitation, 

m i s s i n g 

children and 

cannibalism in 

the vicinity of 

the school in 

Kuje 

“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,”he 

said. 

The minister 

said:”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 non-governmental 

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.” 

By Buhari Abuh 

IN a record breaking 

achievement, 

Universal School of 

Aviation, popularly known 

as USA becomes the first 

approved aviation school in 

Nigeria to have an 

approved satellite campus 

in the history of aviation 

training in the country. 

The satellite campus is 

located in the heart of 

Nigeria, Abuja. 

According to the MD/ 

CEO of USA, Mr. Onifade 

Adekunle Eedris,”this is a 

great achievement among 

other milestones that has 

been achieved by the 

school; we have use the 

school as a platform to 

THE entries for the 

16 th Mike Okonkwo 

National Essay 

Competition for Secondary 

School Students in Nigeria 

is now open from March 

18th to June7th, 2019. 

The topic for this year’s 

competition is “Justice as 

an Instrument of 

Enduring Peace in 

Nation Building”. 

For participation in the 

16 th Mike Okonkwo 


Competition for Secondary 

School Students, the entry 

requirements include: 

Essay of maximum of 2000 

words, a Passport 

Photograph of the Student, 

Full Name, Address, 

Contact Telephone 

Number, Class, School and 

Name and Telephone 

contact of the Principal. 

Essay could be submitted 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019— 49 

Holistic education is beyond 

certification ----- Mrs Obaro 

Says, we offer only Canadian curriculum 

By Elizabeth Uwandu 

MRS Ebi Obaro, 

president of 

M a p l e 

Education College, who 

double as the president of 

the newly Maple Canadian 

College. MCC, the 

institution is set to run 

exclusive Canadian 

curriculum. 

Obaro a certified 

Canadian Immigration 

Consultant in an exclusive 

interview with Vanguard 

explained aside running 

an exclusively Canadian 

curriculum for its ten 

months Diploma 

programme, her students 

get exempted from taking 

A’LEVELS examination to 

gain admission into any 

Canadian universities or 

other universities of the 

world. 

According to her, the 

college set to commence 

academic activities in 

Nigeria come September 

this year basically aimed to 

allow students obtain the 

Ontario secondary school 

diploma that would 

facilitate admission into any 

Canadian universities or 

other universities in the 

world. 

According to the 

Canadian citizen who is 

also a Canadian 

Immigration Consultant,” 

MCC is the college that 

promotes Canadian 

education and Canadian 

curriculum. We teach only 

Canadian curriculum up to 

college while other colleges 

teach British curriculum 

and /or Nigerian 

curriculum. The beauty of 

USA gets NCAA approval to operates 

satellite campus in Abuja 

create awareness in the 

existence of numerous 

opportunities that the 

aviation industry has to 

offer the Nigerian youths. 

Coming to Abuja will give 

the northern part of the 

country access to benefit 

what the southern part of 

the country has been 

enjoying through the 

school‘s campus in Lagos. 

The variation in the school 

approval by the Nigerian 

Civil Aviation Authority 

(NCAA) that led to the 

Abuja campus also came 

along with newly approved 

courses for the school 

which includes; Dangerous 

Goods Regulations, 

this curriculum is that when 

our students get there, 

Ontario Secondary School, 

Diploma or Canadian High 

School Secondary School, 

Diploma, they are able to 

study anywhere in the 

world. For instance, in the 

United Kingdom, UK, if 

you have their O’LEVELS, 

you need their A’LEVELS 

to go into their universities. 

But with our diploma, you 

can go to British university 

without the A’LEVELS 

because the Ontario 

secondary diploma is 

equivalent to the British 

A’LEVELS. You can take 

our students to Canadian 

universities, American 

universities and others in 

the world. That is our 

caption is,’ start here, go 

anywhere in the world.’ 

Helicopter Landing 

Officers Course, Radio 

Telephony, Crew Resource 

Management and Weight 

and Balance (Load 

Control). 

Earlier in the year, 

Universal School of 

Aviation was awarded as 

West Africa‘s Most 

Impactful Aviation School, 

the school has also been 

nominated for several 

awards within and outside 

the country which will hold 

later in the year. 

“This new campus 

among other achievements 

is dedicated to God and all 

staffs of USA” The Director 

said. 

Entries for 2019 Mike Okonkwo 

Essay begins 

through email to 

essay@trem.org or by post 

to The Redeemed 

Evangelical Mission 

(TREM) International 

Headquarters, Obanikoro/ 

Anthony Oke Bus Lagos. 

Like previous years, the 

star winner school gets 

three set of desktop 

computers and a printer, 

while the student goes 

home with a trophy, 

Laptop, N100,000.00 cash 

and a plaque. The first 

runner up school gets two 

set of desktop computers 

and a printer and the 

student goes home with a 

cash prize of N75,000.00 

with a plaque. The second 

runner up school gets a 

desktop computer, while 

the student gets N50,000.00 

cash prize and a plaque. 

The competition is one of 

Dr. Mike Okonkwo’s 

Corporate Social 

Responsibility activities 

aimed at raising the 

standard in the educational 

sector in the country and at 

the same time sensitize the 

students by making them 

analytically minded so as 

to excel in their world by 

developing their ability to 

think through issues. Also, 

as part of the activities lined 

up to mark the 74 th 

Birthday of Dr. Mike 

Okonkwo, The Presiding 

Bishop of The Redeemed 

Evangelical Mission 

(TREM). 

Over the years the 

competition has been very 

successful in reshaping the 

thought pattern of the 

students to develop 

problem-solving skills. 

The Mike Okonkwo 


Competition spans over a 

decade of developing and 

rewarding the writing skills 

of Nigerian youths.

50— VANGUARD, THURSDAY MARCH 28, 2019 

By Umar Yusuf 

ANYTHING that has a 

beginning, as the old 

adage goes, must have an 

end. This is the situation in 

Adamawa State today as 

the Independent National 


INEC conducts the long 

awaited supplementary 

governorship election. 

The first election on 

March 9 was declared 

inconclusive by the 

electoral umpire because 


Party, PDP, Candidate, 

Ahmadu Fintiri’s 32,476 

votes lead were 8,512 votes 

less than the 49,377 

cancelled votes in 44 

polling units across 29 

wards in 14 local councils of 

the state. 

While Fintiri got 367,471 

votes in the first election, 

his closest rival and the 

sitting Governor, 

Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow 

scored 334 ,995 votes. 

Apart from Rivers, the 

governorship elections have 

been concluded in the other 

29 states. The Adamawa 

supplementary poll was 

stalled by a court order, 

which was vacated on 

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu 

What is your take on the 

jostling for the Senate 

leadership and your 

suggestions to the APC 

leadership to avoid what 

happened the last time to your 

party in the Eight Senate? 

One thing I am grateful for is 

that many of them that are 

going back served in the 

Seventh assembly and they saw 

the collaboration and the peace 

that existed and how the 

government of Goodluck 

Jonathan then could manoeuvre 

and navigate a lot of issues 

without running into crises. 

The 8th assembly did not have 

that benefit. So, it is an 

experience to them that when 

the legislature is not together, it 

becomes practically impossible, 

one, for government to run 

smoothly, secondly, even they 

themselves to have anything to 

show in their various 

constituencies. 

So, my advice to them is that 

they should cooperate and 

collaborate with the government 

so that it can run smoothly so 

that both the executive and 

legislature can work together in 

a way that the common people 

could feel the impact of 

governance. 

The party does not need to be 

advised because the people 

running the party now know 

what it is for the leadership of 

the party not to be in tandem 

with the leadership of the 

executive but we are all going 

to work together by the grace of 

God. Zoning will be done 

properly and those who do not 

have business contesting for a 

•Fintiri 

•Bindow 

ADAMAWA MAKE-UP POLL: 

Will Bindow surmount the 

Fintiri hurdle today? 

Tuesday. 

Will Governor Bindow 

overcome the 32,476 votes 

deficit in today’s make-up 

poll? That is the question in 

the lips of many observers. 

Will the position of the APC 

on the poll not hurt his 

chances? 

The Adamawa APC, on 

Tuesday, rejected today’s 

date for the supplementary 

What we expect 

from the next 

Senate – Obende 

SENATOR Domingo Obende represented 

Edo North Senatorial District from 2011 

to 2014. He was a member of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC Presidential 

Campaign Council that mid-wived the reelection 

of President Muhammadu 

Buhari. In this interview, he spoke on 

his expectations of the Ninth Senate 

and the 2019 polls and politics of Edo 

State among others. 

specific position will not even 

apply for it. 

One of the issues Nigerians 

complained about in President 

Buhari’s first term was economic 

hardship. What advice do you 

have for the president now that 

he has won second term? 

If you remembered his 

speech, he said 

that things are 

going to be 

tougher. That 

things are going to 

be tougher does 

not mean the 

economy. He is 

looking at it this 

way: It is time for 

us to give our best 

since it is the last 

lap of this 

administration. 

Obviously, he is 

going to commit 

his time to doing 

much more and 

harder than what 

So, my advice to 

them is that they 

should cooperate 

and collaborate 

with the 

government so that 

it can run smoothly 

so that both the 

executive and 

legislature can 

work together in a 

way that the 

common people 

could feel the 

impact of 

governance 

he did 

before 

and if 

you are 

doing much 

more and harder than 

what you did before, obviously, 

there will be respite in the 

economy and I believe that the 

people will smile 

at the end of the 

day. 

And looking at 

that, economy is 

one issue. The 

government must 

have the 

responsibility of 

providing the 

e n a b l i n g 

environment, and 

our youths and 

women must be 

engaged. Skilled 

men and women 

must be 

encouraged and 

by the time all 

election. Ahmed Lawal, its 

organising secretary, said 

the INEC did not consult 

the APC and other parties 

before fixing the new date 

for the election. 

•Senator Domingo 

Obende 

these things are flowing, no 

matter how small, the ripple 

effects will bring comfort to the 

people. 

What is your reaction to the 

recent total victory of the APC 

in the Edo State House of 

Assembly election? 

I want to say that we give all 

the glory to God because there 

are a lot of people who probably 

worked harder than us and they 

did not get even one or two seats. 

Then having given glory to God, 

we will also look at the 

leadership structure of the state, 

vis-a-vis the governor himself, 

Mr. Godwin Obaseki and our 

National Chairman, Comrade 

Adams Oshiomhole who is also 

providing a backup leadership. 

‘’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..We 

became suspicious due to 

rumours in town earlier 

that supplementary election 

would be conducted on 

Thursday and it turned out 

to be true,’’ Lawal said. 

Regardless of the APC’s 

complaints, some analysts 

have predicted a win for the 

PDP candidate because of 

the margin between him 

and Governor Bindow of 

the APC. 

Apart from the gap, it is 

argued that most of the 

disputed polling units are 

strongholds of the PDP 

candidate. However, other 

analysts said the APC 

candidate could pull a 

surprise and cancel the 

votes gap between him and 

Fintiri and go ahead to win 

on account the giant strides 

of his administration in the 

state. 

Will Bindow succeed? The 

question will be answered 

today. 

So, I believe that because of this 

collaboration we did well and 

are doing well. The governor is 

delivering on his promises and 

people naturally would want to 

vote for APC for one reason or 

other, you either because of 

Godwin Obaseki or because of 

Adams Oshiomhole and a few 

people like us that are in the 

party. We have personal 

relationship with the people 

and the the party is doing well 

because of the leadership 

structure. 

On fears that a one-party 

house of assembly will be a 

rubber stamp for the executive 

There is usually a legislative 

tension whether it is one, two or 

many political parties-house. 

The moment the tension starts, 

it becomes an issue of 

deliverables and the issue 

becomes, now that I have been 

voted in what am I going to show 

to my people? 

What is the way forward for 

the APC in Edo State ahead of 

next year’s governorship 

election? 

I think addressing community 

challenges, individual 

complains and reaching out to 

so many people by way of 

engaging them will solve the 

problem and that is why I am 

happy. We have almost a year to 

go before the election and we 

have a lot of job to do. The 

leadership of APC in Edo State 

will obviously do the job. 

Yes we have 24 over 24 in the 

House of Assembly. It is a 

reflection of the will of the 

people but like what you said, 

working against ourselves, that 

is where the challenge is but I 

think that will be resolved.

Vanguard, THURSDAY MARCH 28, 2019 — 51 

9th Senate: Coalition warns 

against imposition of leadership 

•Don’t allow external bodies influence your 

choice, it tells senators-elect 

By Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA — A 

COALITION of 

civil society and youth 

groups under the aegis 

of Partners for Legislative 

Agenda 

for 

Nigeria,PLAN, has 

asked senators-elect not 

to allow external bodies 

influence their decision 

as they prepare to elect 

the new leadership of the 

9th Senate. 

This was as it said the 

North Central 

geopolitical zone should 

be completely out of the 

race for the Senate 

Presidency. 

PLAN,a t a press 

conference, Wednesday, 

in Abuja, by its chairman, 

Charles Ibiang, hailed 

the ruling All Progressives 

Congress,APC, “for 

looking in the direction 

of the North-East.” 

It, however, warned 

against imposition of any 

particular candidate on 

the upper legislative 

chamber. 

”We are concerned 

about the need to avoid 

the unnecessary 

rancorous politicking that 

led to the emergence of 

Senator Abubakar 

Bukola Saraki and the 

subsequent psychological 

and physical combat that 

followed. This issue as we 

all know, affected 

governance negatively. 

“The North-Central 

should be totally out of 

the race for the sake of 

equity. If we must sustain 

this political consensus 

which is historic and very 

politically healthy, we 

strongly support the 

zoning of the Senate 

Presidency to the North- 

East,” it insisted. 

”PLAN therefore 

sincerely commends the 

APC for looking in the 

direction of the North- 

East. It is the right thing 

to do. But we equally 

disagree and warn 

against any attempt to 

impose a candidate. 

“ While it is imperative 

for a ruling political party 

to introduce a semblance 

of order and political 

stability in the leadership 

choice, historical 

antecedent has shown 

that imposition through 

influence peddling and 

invoking the name of the 

President had led to 

instability in leadership 

succession in the National 

Assembly in the past,”it 

said. 

The group, in a speech 

•Oshiomhole, APC 

Chairman 

read to newsmen, said: 

”There are a number of 

experienced, exposed, 

versatile, cosmopolitan 

and broad-minded 

ranking Senators from 

the Northeast. The 

search for a Senate 

President must be 

broadened to get for 

Nigeria, the very best. 

The idea of a handpicked 

Senate President is as 

undemocratic as it is 

undesirable. 

“The Senate must rise 

to the occasion. It is 

incumbent on it, on 

behalf of Nigerians who 

elected them, to choose 

a Senate President that 

can build bipartisan and 

nationalistic bridges 

which will contribute in 

stabilizing the polity and 

bridging the unity gap. 

“We are also shocked 

and disturbed that in 

order to impose a 

candidate, the name of 


Buhari is being dragged 

into the agenda of a few, 

under the guise of the 

vague term, Presidency. 

BENUE: Why Ortom is 

extending hand of fellowship 

to his opponents — Akase 

By Peter Duru 

Mr. Terver Akase, 

the Chief Press 

Secretary, CPS, to the 

Governor Samuel 

Ortom of Benue State, 

in this chat spoke on 

Governor Ortom’s 

victory in the 2019 

governorship election 

and the decision of the 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

governorship candidate 

to challenge the victory 

at the tribunal and tasks 

before Ortom in his 

second term. 

His take on the decision 

of the APC to challenge 

the victory of Governor 

Ortom at the tribunal? 

Everyone has the right 

to seek redress in court 

if he or she is not satisfied 

with any issue. So on that 

basis one cannot blame 

or fault the APC 

candidate’s decision to 

go to court. 

Beyond that, Governor 

Samuel Ortom has 

already extended a hand 

of fellowship to all those 

who contested against 

him and he made it clear 

that this is our state, the 

victory is for all and not 

for Samuel Ortom as a 

person in particular, not 

for the PDP but for the 

entire state. And he also 

said he is the Governor 

of all political parties, that 

means that he is not 

going to discriminate 

against any Benue 

person, and he went on 

to promise that he would 

set up a Truth and 

Reconciliation 

Commission to find ways 

of bringing Benue people 

•Akase 

together to reason as one 

family. 

So with the posture of 

the Governor there 

wouldn’t have been any 

need for anyone to say 

they want to go to court, 

but the constitution of 

Nigeria confers on the 

people the right to 

express their opinion, the 

right to live, the right to 

do whatever they desire 

as far as it falls within the 

ambit of the law. 

Hence we will not stop 

the APC from going to 

court because our victory 

was clean and the 

Governor overwhelmingly 

won the election in both 

the first and second 

ballots. 

You can’t fault such a 

victory. If there was any 

case of electoral 

malpractice it was 

perpetrated by the APC. 

Even on the day of the 

supplementary election 

their supporters went to 

one of the wards in Ukum 

local government and 

other places and 

disrupted the elections. 

So if anyone must 

complain we should be the 

ones complaining but we 

didn’t complain because 

we knew that we were 

cruising home to victory. 

UK PM vows to quit once 

Brexit deal passes 

THERESA May has 

promised Tory 

MPs she will stand down 

if they back her deal. She 

told backbench Tories: “I 

am prepared to leave 

this job earlier than I intended 

in order to do 

what is right for our 

country and our party.” 

The PM said she knew 

that Tory MPs did not 

want her to lead the next 

phase of Brexit negotiations 

“and I won’t stand 

in the way of that”. 

Boris Johnson has said 

he will now back the 

prime minister’s deal. 

Mrs May did not name 

a departure date at a 

packed meeting of the 

1922 committee. 

But Laura Kuenssberg 

said a Tory leadership 

contest could be expected 

in May. 

Downing Street said it 

would be a “different 

ball game” if the deal 

was not passed by Parliament. 

It comes as MPs seize 

control of the Commons 

agenda to hold votes on 

alternatives to the deal. 

Mrs May told the 300 

or so Tory MPs at the 

meeting “we need to 

get the deal through 

and deliver Brexit”. 

“I ask everyone in this 

room to back the deal so 

we can complete our 

historic duty - to deliver 

on the decision of the 

British people and leave 

the European Union 

Trump tells Russia to get its 

troops out of Venezuela 

US 

President 

Donald Trump 

has called on Russia to 

pull its troops from Venezuela 

and warned that 

“all options” were open 

to make that happen. 

The arrival of two Russian 

air force planes carrying 

nearly 100 Russian 

troops outside Caracas 

on Saturday has escalated 

the political crisis in 

Venezuela. 

Russia and China have 

backed President Nicolas 

Maduro, while the 

United States and most 

Western countries support 

opposition leader 

Juan Guaido. In January, 

Guaido invoked the 

constitution to declare 

himself interim president, 

arguing Maduro’s 

2018 re-election was illegitimate. 

The US government 

EU recalls ships helping in 

Mediterranean refugee rescues 

THE 

European 

Union has announced 

it will suspend 

maritime patrols that 

have rescued thousands 

of refugees and asylum 

seekers attempting the 

perilous crossing of the 

Mediterranean Sea. 

The decision on 

Wednesday followed deep 

resistance from Italy, 

where the anti-migrant 

government said it would 

no longer receive those 

rescued at sea. 

Instead, the new agreement 

on Operation 

Sophia, the EU mission 

to reduce people-smuggling 

in the Mediterranean, 

will rely on extended 

air patrols and close coordination 

with Libya, 

the main point of departure 

by sea for refugees 

and migrants seeking to 

cross from North Africa to 

Europe. 

Sophia’s mandate was 

due to expire on Sunday 

but will now continue for 

another six months with 

the same aim of deterring 

human traffickers in the 

Mediterranean, according 

to the new deal. 

“Member States have 

decided to extend the 

mandate of Operation 

Sophia for six months 

with a temporary suspension 

of its naval assets 

while member states continue 

working on a solution 

related to disembarkation,” 

said Maja Kocijancic, 

EU spokeswoman. 

However, Sophia “is 

a maritime operation and 

it is clear that without naval 

resources, it will not 

be able to carry out its 

mandate effectively”, she 

added. 

with a smooth and orderly 

exit.” 

“I ask everyone in this 

room to back the deal so 

we can complete our 

historic duty - to deliver 

on the decision of the 

British people and leave 

the European Union 

with a smooth and orderly 

exit.” 

Labour leader Jeremy 

Corbyn tweeted that 

Mrs May’s announcement 

“shows once and 

for all that her chaotic 

Brexit negotiations have 

been about party management, 

not principles 

or the public interest”. 

He added: “A change of 

government can’t be a 

Tory stitch-up, the people 

must decide.” 

believes the Russian 

troops include special 

forces and cybersecurity 

personnel. 

“They’ve got a lot of 

pressure right now. They 

have no money, they 

have no oil, they have no 

nothing. They’ve got 

plenty of pressure right 

now. They have no electricity,” 

Trump said. 

“Other than military 

you can’t get any more 

pressure than they have. 

All options are open,” he 

added. 

"'Russia has bilateral 

relations and agreements 

with Venezuela, 

which it plans to honour, 

Russian Deputy UN Ambassador 

Dmitry Polyanskiy 

said, in response to 

Trump’s comments. 

“It’s not up to US to 

decide actions and fate 

of other countries. It’s 

only up to the people of 

Venezuela and its only 

legitimate president 

Nicolas Maduro,” Polyanskiy 

said on Twitter. 

Entebbe pilot who stayed with 

hostages dies 

MICHEL Bacos, 

the Air France 

captain hailed as a hero 

for refusing to abandon 

his passengers when 

Palestinian and German 

hijackers seized 

the plane in 1976, has 

died in France aged 95. 

The plane, carrying 

some 260 people from 

Tel Aviv to Paris, had 

stopped off in Athens, 

where the hijackers got 

on board and demanded 

it change course. 

The hostage drama 

ended six days later at 

Entebbe airport in 

Uganda, when Israeli 

commandos stormed 

the terminal. 

Bacos died in the 

French city of Nice. 

Awarded France’s 

highest civilian accolade, 

the Légion 

d’Honneur, he told the 

BBC in 2016 that as captain 

“it would be impossible 

for me to leave my 

passengers, unimaginable”. 

The youngest of the 

Entebbe survivors, Benny 

Davidson, said Bacos 

was a role model and 

had taken a leading position 

on behalf of all of 

the hostages. 

Nice Mayor Christian 

Estrosi said: “Michel 

was a hero. By bravely 

refusing to give in to 

anti-Semitism and barbarity 

he brought honour 

to France.”


Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019—53

C 

M 

Y 

K 

54— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

C 

M 

Y 

K 


Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Brought up (6) 

4 Go aboard (6) 

8 Frown angrily (5) 

9 Alien (7) 

10 Airman (7) 

11 Glasgow’s river (5) 

12 Pre-decimal British coin 

(4,5) 

17 Stage-player (5) 

19 Exhibition centre in 

London (7) 

21 Stuffy (7) 

22 Customary (5) 

23 For ever (6) 

24 Drinker’s toast (6) 

DOWN 

1 Scamp (6) 

2 Do away with (7) 

3 Brilliant success (5) 

5 North African country (7) 

6 Friendship (5) 

7 Dog-house (6) 

9 Savage (9) 

13 Theft (7) 

14 Roman sea god (7) 

15 Cuban cigar (6) 

16 Flaws, defects (6) 

18 Hurl (5) 

20 Early part of life (5) 

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

28032019 - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP:All clear for Lawan; fresh crisis brews over Gbaja

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