04042019 - Nigeria 7 other nstions home to world's hungriest - UN

OLU FASAN 

STATE OF THE NATION 

Atiku's 2019 

bid: Between 

the messenger 

and the 

message 

31 

41 

REFUND: NASS approved 

figures sent by Executive for 

Taraba, Delta states —SENATE 

IMF pressures FG to remove fuel subsidy 

19 

OSHIOMHOLE: 

Labour 

activist 

turned 

political 

supremo 

@ 67 

A1 

VOL. 26: NO. 63779 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

Nigeria, 7 other nations home 

to world’s hungriest— UN 

•Let migration flow from aspiration, not desperation —EU 

AIR PEACE-EMBRAER DEAL... 

STORY 

ON 

PAGE 5 

Special 

Election 

Report 

2019 Election with 

an extra-long ballot 

paper – Is the 

registration of 91 

political parties a 

cure or curse? Is it a 

burden? Should 

smaller parties be 

de-registered? How 

many parties are 

desirable for the 

Nigerian system? 

Find out in our 

special report 

beginning tomorrow. 

Uniquely 

Vanguard. 

Air Peace Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Allen Onyema (sitting, left); Embraer Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Arjan Meijer 

(sitting, right); standing from left: Air Peace Embraer Engineer, Mr. Charles Melomney; Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwatoyin 

Olajide; Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs. Ejiro Eghagha; Embraer VP Sales and Marketing, Middle East and Africa, Mr. Raul 

Villaron and Sales Director, Africa, Francisco Moraes, during the signing of a contract for 30 brand new Embaer 195-E2 aircraft 

between Air Peace and Embraer at Embraer Business Meeting with the Aviation World in Port Louis, Mauritius, yesterday. 

Rivers: Wike floors AAC's 

Naira 

depreciates 

to N360.55/ 

$ in I&E 

41 

Mr & Mrs 

Awara, polls 886,264 votes 

FEC okays N3.4trn 

promissory note to 

offset local debts, 

salaries 

41 

COLUMNISTS 

Buhari orders Finance Ministry to sell 

recovered assets within 6 months 

Onnoghen denies EFCC's 

bribery allegation 

GAMBO DORI 

IKECHUKWU AMAECHI 40 17 

12 

14 

•As NJC sends investigative 

report to Buhari 

9 

C 

M 

Y 

K

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 — 3


vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit —The President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote 

(left) with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ojaja 11, at the Kaduna Economic and Investment 

Summit in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi. 

Nigeria, 7 other nations home to 

world’s hungriest—UN 

•Let migration flow from aspiration, not desperation ——EU cautions 

By Soni Daniel 

ABUJA—No fewer 

than 113 million 

people experienced high 

levels of food insecurity 

in the world’s most 

severe food crises in 

2018. The Global Report 

on Food Crisis 2019 has 

found, some of them in 

Nigeria and seven other 

countries. 

The report, which was 

released, yesterday, in 

Brussels, warned that 

these food crises were 

primarily driven by 

conflict and climaterelated 

disasters. 

One of the key findings 

of the report showed that 

nearly two-thirds of 

those facing acute 

hunger live in 

Afghanistan, the 

Democratic Republic of 

Congo, Ethiopia, 

Nigeria, South Sudan, 

Sudan, Syria and Yemen. 

“The worst food crises 

in 2018, in order of 

severity, were: Yemen, 

the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo, 

Afghanistan, Ethiopia, 

the Syrian Arab Republic, 

the Sudan, South Sudan 

and Northern Nigeria. 

“These eight countries 

accounted for two-thirds 

of the total number of 

people facing acute food 

insecurity, amounting to 

nearly 72 million 

people,” the report said. 

Similarly, short-term 

outlook of food 

insecurity for 2019 

showed that “Yemen, the 

Democratic Republic of 

the Congo, Afghanistan, 

Ethiopia, the Syrian Arab 

Republic, the Sudan, 

South Sudan and 

Northern Nigeria are 

expected to remain 

among the world’s most 

severe food crises in 

2019. 

“Large segments of 

populations in most of 

these countries risk 

falling into Emergency 

(IPC/CH Phase 4) levels 

of acute food insecurity. 

“In the 16 states of 

Northern Nigeria and 

the Federal Capital 

Territory, the number of 

people in ‘Crisis’ and 

‘Emergency’ decreased 

by 40 per cent between 

June and August 2017 

and 2018 to 5.3 million. 

“At the peak of the lean 

season, three million 

were acutely food 

insecure in the three 

North Eastern states 

Calls on FG to allocate oil wells to states (3) 

affected by the Boko 

Haram insurgency 

where protracted conflict 

and mass displacement 

disrupted agriculture, 

trade, markets and 

livelihoods, and pushed 

up food prices,” the 

report said.” 

Food and Agriculture 

Organisation, FAO’s 

Director-General, José 

da Silva, said despite a 

slight drop in 2018 in the 

number of people 

experiencing acute food 

insecurity, “the figure is 

still far too high. 

“We must act at scale 

across the humanitariandevelopment-peace 

nexus to build the 

resilience of affected and 

vulnerable populations. 

To save lives, we also 

have to save 

livelihoods,” he added. 

World Food Programme 

Executive Director, 

David Beasley, also said: 

“While critical to saving 

lives and alleviating 

human suffering, 

humanitarian assistance 

does not address the root 

causes of food crises.” 

Beasley highlighted 

the importance of 

“attacking the root 

causes of hunger— 

conflict, instability, the 

impact of climate 

shocks.” 

“Boys and girls need to 

be well-nourished and 

educated; women need 

to be truly empowered. 

Rural infrastructure must 

be strengthened in order 

to meet that ‘Zero 

Hunger’ goal. 

“Programmes that 

make a community 

resilient and more stable 

will also reduce the 

number of hungry 

people,” he said. 

Let migration 

flow from 

aspiration, not 

desperation 

—EU cautions 

This came as the 

European Union 

cautioned individuals 

and nations to allow 

migration to flow from 

genuine personal 

aspirations and not 

through desperation that 

could result in 

exploitation and other 

dire consequences. 

The Head of the EU 

Delegation to Nigeria 

and ECOWAS, 

Ambassador Ketil 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou, 

Yinka Latona, Chiamaka Uba, 

Dickson Omobola&Tolulope Oke 

If the Federal 

Government decides to 

give the oil blocs to state 

governments, it is a 

welcome development. 

The state governments 

should be able to 

manage their allocations 

in such a way that it 

would be for the benefit 

of the entire citizenry. 

Mr. Odeh Ogheneman, 

Analyst 

Iam actually indifferent 

to the issue. 

Whichever way is good. 

However, I am afraid that 

the proceeds from the oil 

blocs may not be used for 

the common man. 

That is the most 

important thing. 

Mr.Aderotimi Adeloye 

Engineer 

I 

think the 

Federal Government 

should grant oil block 

licences to state 

governments. 

The fees for renewal 

would also add to the 

revenue of states. 

They should go ahead 

and give the states the 

licences. 

Mr. Adeosun Quadri 

Student 

I don’t think 

oil licences should be 

granted to state 

governments. I think the 

federal government 

should take full charge to 

avoid problems. States 

will always put their 

interests first but the 

federal government has 

the interest of the nation 

at heart. 

Mr. Oke Mayowa 

Businessman 

It would have been a 

good thing because it 

would boost the 

revenue of state 

governments. It may 

encourage corruption 

and godfatherism. If that 

is the case, it wouldn’t 

benefit the masses. 

Mr. Babawale Ifetobi 

Entrepreneur 

The 

Federal 

G o v e r n m e n t 

should not give oil 

bloc licences to the states. 

Everyone wants to live 

at the expense of the 

state and the state wants 

to live at the expense of 

everyone. The Federal 

Government should not 

make the mistake of 

allowing the states to own 

oil blocs. 

Mr. Oladeji Felix Analyst

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

I jumped from 

two-storey 

building to 

escape 

ritualists 

— Lady 

By Ola Ajayi 

IBADAN—A lady has 

narrated how she 

jumped from a two-storey 

building to escape from 

ritualists, who allegedly 

wanted to use her for 

money making. 

The young lady, who 

preferred anonymity, said 

after she escaped from 

the Yahoo Plus boys, she 

reported the case to a 

security outfit, Operation 

Burst, set up by Governor 

Abiola Ajimobi to combat 

crime in the state. 

According to the lady, 

“we met at the club last 

night and we all went 

back to their apartment to 

sleep over. At some point 

I noticed some funny 

movements and saw them 

with a calabash. 

“That was when I knew 

they were ritualists with 

the intention to use me, 

so I jumped off the twostorey 

building, and off 

the fence. I then reported 

the case to Operation 

Burst.“ 

The suspects, Sanusi 

Azeez Toba and Osho 

Olalekun Michael, were 

arrested, yesterday, at 

Kolapo Ishola, Akobo area 

of Ibadan after one of 

their victims escaped by 

jumping down the twostorey 

building where she 

and others were taken 

hostage. 

After their arrest, the 

Oyo State special security 

outfit handed over two of 

the suspected internet 

fraudsters to the Ibadan 

zonal office of Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC. 

Preliminary 

investigations also 

revealed that the suspects 

have various 

incriminating documents 

stored in laptops and 

phones recovered from 

them at the point of arrest. 

All the suspects, the 

commission said, would 

be charged to court as 

soon as investigations 

were concluded. 

In related development, 

the commission also 

arrested other internet 

fraudsters, popularly 

known asYahoo Yahoo 

Boys. 

According to a 

statement from the 

commission, six of the 

suspects were arrested at 

2nd Pipeline, 

Ologunerun, Ibadan, 

while the other five were 

picked up at a location in 

Ijebu-Remo, Ogun State. 

5 killed, scores injured, houses razed as 

suspected herdsmen invade Benue community 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—AGAIN, 

suspected armed herdsmen, 

late Tuesday night, invaded Mondo 

village in Ukemberagya, Logo Local 

Government Area of Benue State 

killing five persons and sacking the 

entire village. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

invaders, who stormed the village 

from neighbouring Nasarawa State, 

also left scores injured. 

A chief in the area, Joseph Anawa, 

who confirmed the development, said 

the invaders stormed the village at 

about 11 pm when the people had 

gone to bed. 

“They were shooting 

sporadically and burning down 

houses and anyone they caught 

up with was killed but the lucky 

ones escaped with injuries. 

“Those we can confirm dead 

as a result of the attack include 

Celina Tavershima, Sonter 

Tavershima, Torkaa Gbim, 

Ayilaga Tavershima and Terkaa 

Tavershima. 

“As we speak, the entire village 

has been deserted as residents 

fled to seek refuge elsewhere 

while some are heading to Anyii, 

headquarters of Logo Local 

Government Area with their 

families and whatever 

property they could take.” 

Meanwhile, another source 

in the area, Shima Aounduver, 

told Vanguard that apart from 

the five that were confirmed 

dead, several persons were 

still missing and unaccounted 

for while about 25 persons 

sustained injuries in the attack. 

“The casualty figure may 

increase in the coming days 

because we cannot at the 

moment account for several 

persons but we hope and pray 

that they are still alive,” 

OPERATION HEALTHY AFRICA: A nun, Dr. Assumpta Mary Ikenna (left) 

attending to a woman, Mrs Owoyemi Mariam, at the free medical and eye treatment 

tagged, Operation Healthy Africa, facilitated by Dr Ogundare for residents of 

Ilora and Akinmorin in Oyo, Oyo State, at St Lucy Imole Catholic Mission, Ilora. 

Photo: Dare Fasube 

Demolition: My children and I have been 

sleeping in the cold, widow laments 

By Evelyn Usman 

AWIDOW, Mrs Bukola Shitu, 

whose building was demolished 

alongside others at Magboro 

community in Ogun State, has cried 

out to the state government to come 

to her aid, saying she and her 

children have been sleeping in the 

cold. 

The widow’s building, which served 

as a worship centre operated by her 

late husband, Mudashiru Shitu, was 

demolished by the state government 

on the ground that it was built on 

government land. 

But the distraught widow described 

the claim as untrue, stating that her 

late husband had the necessary 

documents and also got approval from 

the necessary government agency 

before construction commenced 10 

years ago. 

Lamenting how her family has been 

rendered homeless by the demolition, 

she said: “ On March 22 , 2019, while 

service was ongoing, officials of Ogun 

State Government came. The leader 

threatened to demolish the building 

on us, if we didn’t go out on time. We 

Remnant of the demolished building 

hurriedly rounded up the 

prayer session. 

“Before the demolition was 

carried out, some officials of the 

Urban and Regional Planning 

from Warewa area had come to 

serve us notice. We were not 

afraid because we had all 

necessary documents 

concerning the land. 

“Before they commenced the 

demolition exercise, I 

approached one of the officials 

to know why they wanted to 

destroy our church and house. 

He said we built on government 

acquired land. I showed them 

our documents. We also charted 

the land from the Ministry of 

Land, where it was certified 

that it was not government 

acquired land. 

“Since the demolition, my 

children and I have been 

sleeping in the cold. I don’t 

know where to start from. 

Everything my late husband 

laboured for has gone down the 

drain because of the unjust 

treatment.” 

The widow is not alone in this 

predicament as other affected 

landlords also claimed they 

had approval from government 

agency to build in the 

community. 

Aounduver said. 

According to him, after the 

attack that lasted about one hour, 

“the invaders crossed the River 

Benue and retreated to Nasarawa 

State.” 

Contacted, Chairman of Logo 

Local Government Area, Richard 

Nyajo, said he reported the matter 

to the Commander of the joint 

military operation in the state, 

code named Operation Whirl 

Stroke, OPWS, Maj. Gen. 

Adeyemi Yekini. 

Confirming the attack, Maj.- 

Gen. Yekini said his troops had 

already moved to the scene of the 

attack to assess the situation. 

3 die in 

Calabar cult 

crash 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

CALABAR— CLASHES 

between Black Axe and 

Klans cult groups in Calabar, 

Cross River State, Tuesday night, 

and early hours of yesterday, 

reportedly claimed three lives 

with many sustaining severe 

injuries. 

An eye witness, who pleaded 

anonymity, told Vanguard that the 

killing of one of the victims at 

about 11pm on Tuesday on Ambo 

Street set the stage for the clashes. 

The source said: “We had just 

finished a church programme at 

about 11 pm and going home 

when some young men accosted 

a youth and began hitting him 

with a plank and later used 

machete to cut the victim who was 

screaming for help. 

“The victim was said to have 

come to visit someone in the 

neighbourhood when he was 

waylaid. Everybody had to run 

from the scene as it appeared rival 

cultists were attacking each other. 

“After about an hour, the police 

from Mbukpa Police Station 

arrived the scene but the culprits 

had escaped immediately they 

finished killing their victim." 

Vanguard learned that a 

reprisal attack, yesterday, on a 

street near Ambo Street also 

resulted in the death of another 

victim. 

Our correspondent also 

gathered that earlier yesterday, 

another victim was said to have 

been killed around Chamley 

Street by Ekondo also in Calabar 

South 

Contacted, Police Public 

Relations Officer, DSP Irene 

Ugbo, confirmed the incidents. 

She said: “Three persons were 

killed when two cult groups, 

Black Axe and Klan, clashed. Four 

suspects have been arrested in 

connection with the incidents and 

they are being interrogated. 

“Our men have been deployed 

everywhere. There is no cause for 

alarm as the situation has been 

brought under control."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019—7 

Pastor defiles teenager, introduces 

her to alcohol in Edo 

By Alemma Aliu 

BENIN CITY – A pastor , 

Kingsley Emeka Mokwunye , 

with a branch of Winners Chapel, in 

Amagba, near Benin City, Edo State 

is currently in the custody of 

Department of State Service, DSS, for 

having carnal knowledge of a 17-year 

old girl (name withheld) who is a 

member of the church. 

The teenager told journalists in 

Benin City, yesterday, that the pastor 

introduced her to alcohol and had sex 

with her severally and on one occasion 

in her father’s house. 

In tears, she said the affair started 

September last year shortly after she 

finished her secondary education. 

How it started 

—Victim 

According to her, “he used to call 

me to advise me to stay away from 

boys, to live a good life and always 

respect my parents. I took it like he 

was my father that I could trust and 

tell him anything I wanted to say. 

“That was how he started calling 

me, talking to me till it got to a time 

he told me that he likes me. I took it 

as a normal thing. He started taking 

advantage of me. He started showing 

me things I have not seen before and 

took me to places I have never been 

to. That was how it started. He was 

the first person to show me how 

condom looks like. He taught me how 

to take alcohol. 

“He told me not to tell my parents. 

He said they would understand what 

he was doing. He slept with me 

many times, including in our house 

when my parents were not at home. 

“Thinking about the thing has 

affected me educationally. I could not 

read. The whole thing was disturbing 

me. When I told his wife, she said I 

was lying and told me to come to their 

house and repeat it before her 

husband. 

“I want Pastor Kingsley to go to jail. 

I was always shocked anytime I am 

in church and see him preaching. I 

was afraid of telling my mother what 

was happening.” 

I want justice 

—Victim's father 

Her father, who is also the Board 

Chairman of the church branch, Mr 

Paul Obidah, said he was shocked 

that a pastor he trusted could destroy 

his only daughter. 

Paul said what pained him was that 

Pastor Kingsley had sex with his 

daughter in his house and even 

when his daughter was having her 

monthly flow. 

He said he wants justice in the 

case. 

His words: “I have been in the 

church for the past 27 years. I 

started the church in Kaduna 

State. Abioye led me to Christ. I 

have been in Kaduna all these 

years. It got to a time, I decided to 

relocate home. 

“We have been in Bénin 

serving God with our heart. 

Many pastors have come to the 

branch and gone. I see the pastors 

as Oyedepo, the founder of Living 

Faith. There was a day Pastor 

Kingsley came to my house, I could 

smell alcohol from his breath.” 

Kwara policeman attacked 

in station by madman dies 

By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN—A 

policeman, 

Sergeant Abu, allegedly 

attacked by a suspected 

madman, Tuesday, at the 

Omu-Aran Police Division in 

Irepodun Local Government 

Area of Kwara State reportedly 

died yesterday. 

Vanguard reliably gathered 

that the deceased was said to 

be inside the station on Tuesday 

when he was allegedly attacked 

by the assailant identified as 

Femi Adefila, who was armed 

with cutlass and other 

dangerous weapons . 

It was gathered that the 

deceased was rushed to a 

private hospital in the town from 

where he was transferred to Ido 

Medical Centre, Ekiti State, 

where he later died yesterday. 

Adefila, according to a source, 

exhibited some form of insanity 

before attacking the policeman 

as he was said to have first 

approached the station with a 

shovel and a stick but was 

disarmed before he later 

reinforced to attack the officer. 

Vanguard gathered from a 

police source that it took the 

combined efforts of some 

commercial motorcyclists and 

police patrol team before 

Adefila, who took to his heel 

after the attack, could be 

apprehended around Taiwo 

area of the town. 

According to the source, 

who craved anonymity: “I 

was on my motorcycle when 

I saw the man running, 

holding cutlass and a wood. 

“He was wearing a red 

attire and we followed him. 

Later, some other 

motorcyclists joined in the 

chase and on getting to Taiwo 

area, he stopped, dropped 

his weapons and raised his 

hands. 

“It was then arrested by the 

police and moved to the 

station.” 

Contacted, the spokesman 

of Kwara State police 

command, Ajayi Okasanmi, 

confirmed the incident, 

saying: “The incident is still 

being investigated." 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

It's all about sugar level 

No crime in looking 

That's what is called wisdom 

CRASHED: Sympathisers at the scene of a crash that involved a Toyota Camry 

car and a Toyota Hilux van where no life was lost at Apostolic Church/LAPS New 

World Hotel, Jabi, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.


COURTERSY VISIT: From left, Acting Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters, 

Rear Admiral Francis Isaac: Indian Defence Adviser to Nigeria, Colonel Sachin Dubey; Chief of Naval 

Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas; Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Abhay Thakur; Chief of 

Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Begroy Ibe-Enwo and a Director at Naval Headquarters, Commodore 

Aminu Hassan, during the visit of Indian High Commissioner to CNS, at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja. 

2019 budget: Reps query Federal Fire Service 

over N60m increase in recurrent expenditure 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—HOUSE of 

Representatives, 

yesterday, demanded 

explanation from the 

Federal Fire Service over 

N60 million increase in 

recurrent expenditure for 

the 2019 budget. 

The House noted that the 

service proposed N473.9 

million for recurrent cost in 

a budget proposal of N9.4 

billion for the 2019 fiscal 

year. 

In 2018, N413.5 million 

was appropriated for 

recurrent expenditure 

while N343.5 million was 

released and the service 

utilised all the N343.5m 

released. 

At a budget defence 

organised by House 

Committee on Interior, 

members queried the 

acting Controller-General, 

CG, Federal Fire Service, 

Mr Liman Ibrahim, on the 

rationale for the increase. 

A member of the 

committee, Shehu Musa 

(APC-Bauchi) said: “I have 

a question which is on 

page 18 of the budget 

document where you have 

your recurrent cost for 2019. 

“In the recurrent 

expenditure, I noticed that 

it jerked from N413 billion 

as at 2018 to N473 billion 

as at 2019, which means 

there is a significant 

increase of N60 million. 

“So I want to know 

whether the CG has a plan 

of widening his scope by 

establishing more stations, 

more outfits, having more 

responsibilities because this 

is what it implies. I really 

want to know what you 

want to do with the 

money?” 

Also speaking, Linda 

Chuba-Ikpeazu (PDP- 

Anambra) expressed 

disappointment that 

Onitsha, a city in Anambra 

State, had no fire fighting 

:Vanguard 

News 

station. She noted that the 

state relied on help from 

Asaba, Delta State during 

emergencies. 

Service to acquire 

44 new trucks 

Responding, the acting 

CG said the increase in the 

budget was to enable them 

acquire 44 fire fighting 

trucks. 

He noted: “And by the 

time they arrive in the 

country, we are going to 

open additional fire stations 

in the zones. Currently, we 

have stations in six zones 

and we want to increase the 

number to 12 zones. 

“So with more stations, we 

need additional hands. So 

those are the three reasons 

for the increase. We are at 

the zones to complement 

the efforts of the state fire 

services. I am sure Onitsha 

falls under Anambra. 

“We gave Anambra zonal 

office and they abandoned 

us and we have to move to 

Enugu. So, currently, our 

zonal office is in Enugu. 

Such international market 

is supposed to have what 

we called fire post and fire 

trucks. If it is not supplied 

by the state government, 

the market association 

should buy.” 

Buratai demands N472.8bn for 

2019 operations 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA—CHIEF of 

Army Staff, Lt-Gen 

Tukur Buratai, yesterday, 

made a request for N472.8 

billion for its 2019 

operations. 

He made the disclosure 

to Rimamande Shawhulu 

(PDP, Taraba) led 

Committee on Army while 

defending the army’s 2019 

budget. 

He also said the 

Nigerian Army and the 

Nigerian Air Force did not 

have any form of conflict as 

being alleged in some 

quarters. 

On the breakdown of the 

budget, he said N350.5 

billion was set aside for 

personnel emoluments, 

N43.6 billion was for 

overhead costs while N78.5 

billion was for its capital 

budget of the Nigerian 

Army in 2019. 

He said: “The clamour for 

an air wing for the army 

had begun before now and 

it has not led to any form of 

conflict between the two 

security agencies. 

"We support ourselves 

with both tactical and 

logistical support and 

having an air wing like the 

Navy, Immigration and the 

police will further 

compliment our operations. 

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

“To adequately fight 

insecurity, we must spend 

money on all fronts as we 

are already recording a 

tremendous progress in 

this regard." 

On the incessant 

abduction of Nigerians on 

Kaduna express road and 

Nasarawa states, COAS 

said: “We need intelligence 

from the indigenes to enable 

us get the perpetrators 

because they live among 

the indigenes. If they 

cooperate with us, before 

you know the issue will be 

a thing of the past.” 

He told the committee 

that the fund budgeted was 

for the prosecution of 

ongoing war against 

insurgency in the North 

East and criminality in the 

North-West as well as other 

parts of the country 

The Army Chief further 

told the House Committee 

that the percentage 

performance of the Army 

personnel emoluments was 

100 percent as well as other 

components of the 2018 

budget. 

PRIMORG launches programme 

for investigative reports 

AS part of its mandate 

to promote citizen’s 

engagement, popular 

participation and 

inclusiveness in 

governance in Nigeria, 

Progressive Impact 

Organisation for 

Community Development, 

PRIMORG, with the 

support from MacArthur 

Foundation has launched 

a radio programme to 

amplify corruption related 

investigative report. 

A statement by the 

organisation’s Executive 

Director, Augustine 

Agbonsuremi, said the 

programme, which will also 

be disseminated using the 

social media, seeks to deemphasize 

unethical 

practices and address lack 

of accountability in 

Nigeria’s public and 

private sector 

Agbonsuremi said the 

project was underscored by 

the fact that corruption was 

identified as one of the 

greatest threats to 

democracy in Nigeria 

today. 

He said: “During the twoyear 

period of the project, 

PRIMORG will produce 

and air the radio 

programme, public 

conscience in select radio 

stations in Nigeria. The 

programmes will also be 

relayed on the various 

social media platforms." 

Presidency clarifies 

status of SEZ company 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—THE Presidency, 

yesterday, explained that 

Nigeria Special Economic 

Zones Company, NZESCO, 

was incorporated as a special 

purpose vehicle to deliver 

Project MINE (Made in 

Nigeria for Exports), a 

presidential initiative. 

A statement by Special 

Adviser to the President on 

Media and Publicity, Chief 

Femi Adesina, explained that 

the Federal Government’s 

Economic Recovery and 

Growth Plan, ERGP, identified 

the development of Special 

Economic Zones as a major 

strategic tool to accelerate the 

implementation of the Nigeria 

Industrial Revolution Plan, 

NIRP. 

According to him, “Project 

MINE was envisioned by the 

Federal Ministry of Industry 

Trade and Investment, MITI, 

to develop SEZs to world-class 

standards and position Nigeria 

as the pre-eminent 

manufacturing hub in sub- 

Saharan Africa and a major 

exporter of made in Nigeria 

goods and services regionally 

and globally. 

“Indeed, Project MINE was 

necessitated by the following 

factors: Lack of operating 

competitiveness that limits the 

growth of the zones, despite 

the presence of generous 

fiscal and regulatory 

incentives.” 

He said Project Mine 

therefore, sought to support 

structural transformation of the 

Nigerian economy by 

increasing the manufacturing 

sector’s contribution to GDP 

to 20 percent by 2029 and 

contribute to sustainable 

inclusive growth by creating 

1.5 million new direct 

manufacturing jobs in the 

initial phase of Project MINE. 

It also seeks to increase and 

diversify foreign exchange 

earnings to at least $30billion 

annually by 2029, by 

increasing manufacturing 

sector exports and create local 

models of global best practice 

in the provision of world class 

infrastructure at competitive 

costs connecting SEZs to 

international and regional 

markets with transport links, 

uninterrupted power, ICT, 

water, sewage and other 

services to ensure smooth and 

efficient operation of SEZ 

businesses. 

More female teachers needed 

in North to help encourage girls’ 

enrolment —UNICEF 

By Joseph 

Erunke 

ABUJA—TO achieve 

considerable 

improvement in girls’ 

enrolment and arrest the 

growing rate of out-of-school 

children in the North, 

government at the state and 

the federal levels in the region 

must step up employment of 

more female teachers, 

United Nations Children’s 

Fund, UNICEF, has said. 

The body, which asked the 

federal and state 

governments to employ more 

female teachers in schools in 

Kidnapping, armed banditry: 

Air Force to provide air 

support to police, DSS, others 

By Joseph 

Erunke 

ABUJA—THE Nigerian 

Air Force, NAF, has 

pledged to provide air assets 

to the Nigeria Police Force, 

Department of State Service, 

DSS, and other security 

agencies to arrest the 

worsening cases of 

kidnapping and armed 

banditry in the country. 

The measure, according to 

NAF, was part of inter-agency 

cooperation to address 

security challenges in the 

country, especially the issue 

of kidnapping and armed 

banditry on the Abuja-Kaduna 

Highway and Kaduna-Birnin 

Gwari axis. 

Chief of Air Staff, Air 

northern Nigeria, said the 

development would no 

doubt raise girls’ enrolment 

in schools and eradicate the 

out-of-school children 

growing population. 

Its two reports on the Effect 

of Female Teachers on girls’ 

Enrolment and Retention in 

Northern Nigeria, and C4D 

Assessment in Basic 

Education, in Abuja, 

UNICEF said the effects of 

female teachers on girls’ 

enrolment and retention in 

Northern Nigeria were 

positive. 

Marshal Sadique Abubakar, 

made the disclosure in a 

statement by NAF 

spokesman, Air Commodore 

Ibikunle Daramola, while 

playing host to the acting 

Inspector-General of Police, 

Mr Mohammed Adamu, 

and DSS Director General, 

Yusuf Bichi, in his office. 

Abubakar reiterated NAF’s 

“commitment to support the 

Nigeria Police, DSS and 

other security agencies with 

real time geospatial and 

imagery intelligence.” 

He assured that NAF will 

make “available its air assets 

for the conduct of tactical air 

support missions and 

increasing the frequency of 

air reconnaissance in the 

affected areas.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019—9 

Onnoghen denies EFCC's bribery allegations 

•As NJC sends investigative report to Buhari 

...declines to reveal outcome 

•CCT fixes April 15 for adoption of final argument 

A 

B 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

U J A — 

SUSPENDED 

Chief Justice of Nigeria, 

CJN, Justice Walter 

Onnoghen, has denied 

allegation by the Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, that 

he collected bribe from 

some lawyers. 

This came as the National 

Judicial Council, NJC, 

yesterday, said it had 

forwarded the outcome of 

its investigation into 

corruption allegations 

against Justice Onnoghen 

and the Acting CJN, Justice 

Tanko Muhammad to 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, for action. 

The council in a statement 

by its Director of 

Information, Mr. Soji Oye, 

said it convened an 

emergency meeting to 

consider the report of the 

five-man committee it 

constituted to investigate 

allegations of misconduct 

that were levelled against 

Justice Onnoghen and 

Justice Muhammad. 

“The NJC reconvened 

today (yesterday) in an 

Emergency Meeting to 

consider the Report of the 

Five-Man Committee 

constituted to investigate 

the allegations of 

misconduct made against 

Justice Onnoghen, and 

Justice Muhammad. 

“Council decided that the 

allegations relating to 

assets declaration that were 

levelled against 

Onnoghen, were subjudice 

and therefore abstained 

from considering them. 

“Council reached a 

decision on the petitions 

:Vanguard 

News 

written by Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC and 

others and conveyed its 

decision to President 

Buhari. 

“Council also resolved 

that, by the nature of the 

decision reached, it would 

be inappropriate to 

publicise it before 

conveying it to Mr. 

President,” the statement 

read. 

EFCC raising 

malicious, 

speculative 

allegations against 

me —Onnoghen 

Meantime, Onnoghen in 

his response to the NJC’s 

queries, challenged the 

competence of two petitions 

the EFCC lodged against 

him. 

Onnoghen, who was 

suspended from office by 

President Buhari on 

January 25, accused the 

EFCC of raising “malicious 

and speculative” 

allegations against him, 

contending that contrary to 

the allegations, he never 

received any Mercedes 

Benz Gl 450, valued at N7 

million, from Mr. Joe Agi, 

SAN. 

He noted that Agi had 

also testified before the NJC 

panel to the effect that he 

was duly paid for the car. 

He insisted that the car 

was never a gift to sway him 

to compromise in the 

discharge of his judicial 

duties. 

According to Onnoghen, 

“Agi, in his appearance as 

a witness, had informed this 

committee that the car issue 

happened in 2008 and that 

His Lordship ordered for 

the car and paid for it by 


VISIT: President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki with the Inspector General of Police, 

Mohammed Adamu, when the latter visited him in Abuja yesterday. 

instalments. 

“The referenced case was 

in December 2010. Joe Agi, 

SAN, also stated that the car 

was neither a bribe nor a 

gift but was purchased by 

His Lordship. 

“He stated that he was the 

one that informed the 

EFCC voluntarily about the 

car His Lordship bought 

through his U.S Company, 

which has a car dealership 

licence in the United States 

so to illustrate his long 

standing relationship with 

His Lordship. Surprisingly, 

the EFCC then turned 

around to label it as a bribe.” 

Onnoghen maintained 

that it was not tenable that 

he could collect a car gift to 

pervert justice in a case that 

was decided by a five-man 

panel of Justices that 

included the immediate 

past CJN, Justice Mahmud 

Mohammed and the 

current acting CJN, Justice 

Muhammad. 

“It is thus malicious to link 

the appearance of Joe Agi, 

SAN, before the Supreme 

Court in the above matter 

to any purported gift to one 

of the Justices who sat on 

the Panel,” Onnoghen 

argued. 

Monetary gifts came 

during my 

daughter's wedding, 

says Onnoghen 

Though the CJN 

admitted that he indeed 

received monetary gifts 

from five lawyers, he 

insisted that it was not a 

bribe, but a goodwill 

gesture and an unsolicited 

support that was extended 

to him during the wedding 

ceremony of his first 

daughter in 2015. 

To substantiate his claim, 

Onnoghen, tendered the 

wedding invitation card in 

evidence before the NJC, 

contending that gifts that 

followed were part and 

parcel of the customs and 

traditions of the people he 

said judicial officers were 

by law, allowed to receive. 

According to 

Onnoghen’s defence team, 

by Rule 13.5(2) of the 

Revised Code of Conduct 

for Judicial officers 

(Published February, 2016), 

a judicial officer is permitted 

to accept: “Personal gifts or 

benefits from relatives or 

personal friends to such 

extent and on such 

occasions as are 

recognized by custom.” 

The CJN argued that 

linking the gift to cases that 

were handled by the 

Supreme Court was 

baseless since he did not 

even sit on one of the cited 

cases. 

He gave names of 

justices that handled the 

case EFCC referred to in its 

petition, as Musa 

Muhammad, (presided), 

Clara Ogunbiyi, Kudirat 

Kekere-Ekun, Ejembi Eko, 

and Sidi Bage. 

More so, Justice 

Onnoghen noted that 

whereas the goodwill 

gesture was extended to his 

daughter in 2015, the said 

case was decided by the 

Supreme Court in 2017. 

CCT fixes April 15 for 

adoption of final 

argument 

Meanwhile, Justice 

Onnoghen, also yesterday, 

shelved his earlier resolve 

to produce three witnesses 

to debunk the allegation 

that he did not declare his 

assets as prescribed by the 

law. 

At the resumed 

proceeding on the sixcount 

charge the Federal 

Government preferred 

against him before the 

NASS leadership: Saraki, 

Dogara scheming to 

frustrate APC’s zoning 

formula —Nabena 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA—A national 

officer of the ruling All 

Progressives Congress 

APC, Yekini Nabena, has 

warned of continued 

scheming by Senate 

President, Dr Bukola Saraki 

and House Speaker, Mr 

Yakubu Dogara to truncate 

the zoning arrangement 

put in place by the party for 

constituting the leadership 

of the 9th National 

Assembly. 

Speaking with journalists, 

yesterday, in Abuja, the 

Bayelsa State, born APC 

chieftain cautioned Saraki 

and Dogara to steer clear 

of the tussle in both 

legislative chambers. 

Nabena also cautioned 

lawmakers on the need to 

abide by the decision of the 

party, saying the party 

remained supreme. 

CCT, he announced his 

decision to close his 

defence with only the 

testimony of his driver. 

Justice Onnoghen’s 

driver, Mr. Lawal Busari, 

had last Monday, testified 

before the tribunal as the 

first defence witness, DW- 

1. 

The witness had in his 

Evidence-In-Chief, told the 

Mr. Danladi Umar-led CCT 

panel that he personally 

drove Onnoghen to Code 

of Conduct Bureau, CCB, 

in 2010, to submit his assets 

declaration form. 

His evidence was 

contrary to the allegation 

that the defendant failed to 

declare his assets between 

2006 and 2016. 

Meantime, despite plea 

by Onnoghen’s lawyer to 

be granted at least 14 days 

to file a final written 

address, the CCT 

Chairman, Mr. Umar, 

declined and slated for 

April 15 for the parties to 

adopt their briefs of 

argument. 

The tribunal said it would 

after the parties have 

adopted their final 

addresses, fix a date for 

judgment and to deliver 

two rulings that are 

pending in the matter. 

Whereas one of the 

pending ruling is 

challenging jurisdiction of 

the tribunal to entertain the 

charge, in his second 

application, Onnoghen, 

asked the CCT Chairman 

to recuse himself from the 

matter, alleging bias. 

Specifically, the 

suspended CJN had 

queried the validity of the 

charge against him, 

contending that FG failed 

to respect established 

judicial precedents by not 

allowing the NJC to firstly 

investigate the allegation 

against him, before it 

rushed the matter to the 

CCT. 

“The decision of the 

leadership of the APC on 

the selection and zoning of 

principal offices in the 

incoming 9th National 

Assembly is supreme and 

must be respected by the 

party’s legislative caucus 

and opposition federal 

lawmakers. 

“The APC has learned its 

lesson from the outgoing 

National Assembly when 

impostors masquerading 

as party men sabotaged 

our party and hijacked our 

mandate. Affliction shall not 

rise up the second time. 

“The efforts by the Adams 

Oshiomhole leadership of 

the party are commendable 

in achieving a fair selection 

and zoning arrangement 

that appeals to a greater 

section of the party 

stakeholders." 

Avocats Sans 

Frontières 

France 

condemns 

execution of 

Nigerian 

woman in 

Saudi Arabia 

By Innocent 

Anaba 

LAGOS—Avocats Sans 

Frontières France, ASF 

France, has condemned 

the execution of a Nigerian 

woman by the Saudi 

government for drug 

related offences on 

Monday April 2, 2019. 

ASF France in a statement 

by Angela Uwandu, Head 

of Office, called on the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

to refrain from further 

executions of foreign 

nationals. 

It recalled that drug 

related offences do not fall 

within the ambits of the 

‘most serious offences’ 

under international law and 

urged the Saudi 

government to repeal the 

death penalty from its 

statutes book and especially 

for drug related offences. 

It also urged the 

Nigerian government and 

mission in Saudi to ensure 

full adherence and respect 

of the provisions of the 

Vienna Convention on 

Consular Relations for the 

about 20 Nigerians facing 

the death penalty in Saudi 

Arabia. 

“This is to ensure these 

Nigerians receive effective 

legal representation and 

fair trials accorded them," it 

noted. 

ASF France also called on 

the Nigerian government to 

review its own laws 

prescribing the death 

penalty if other countries 

such as Saudi Arabia are to 

take seriously the call of the 

Nigerian government to 

refrain from executing its 

nationals.

10 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

I fell for Ajudua because I wanted 

to regain freedom — BAMAIYI 

By Henry Ojelu 

L 

A G O S — 

FORMER Chief 

of Army Staff, Gen. 

Ishaya Bamaiyi 

(retd), yesterday, told a 

Lagos High Court sitting 

in Ikeja that he agreed with 

the suggestion by 

Fred Ajudua to bribe 

Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, 

who was then handling his 

trial in 2006, because he 

wanted to regain his 

freedom. 

Bamaiyi stated this while 

been cross-examined by 

c o u n s e l 

to Ajudua, Olalekan Ojo, SAN. 

Ajudua is standing trial 

before Justice Josephine 

Oyefeso for allegedly 

defrauding Bamaiyi of 

$6.4m in 2004 while they 

were both incarcerated at 

the Kirikiri Maximum 

Prisons, Lagos. 

He is being prosecuted by 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC. 

Bamaiyi told the court at 

the continuation of trial, 

yesterday, that he agreed 

with the suggestion 

by Ajudua to reach out to 

Justice Oyewole because he 

was in incarceration and 

wanted to secure his 

freedom at all cost. 

Responding to Ojo’s 

questions, Bamaiyi said: “I 

agreed with his (Ajudua’s) 

suggestion because I 

believed they were truthful. 

He brought the idea to me 

and I agreed because I 

wanted to secure my 

freedom. If anybody is in 

trouble, he will do anything 

to get out of trouble. 

“I know it is wrong to 

compromise a judicial 

official. I don’t see anything 

wrong in reaching out to 

anybody as long as what 

you are sending him for, is 

reasonable. 

“He never suggested to 

me about meeting any 

official of the Lagos State 

Government to secure my 

freedom and I never 

instructed him to meet 

anyone on my behalf.” 

Following the nonavailability 

of copy of the 

statement, Justice Oyefeso 

adjourned the matter till 

May 8, 2019. 

CAN VISIT TO BUHARI: Don’t ridicule 

the Church — Northern Christian 

Elders Forum 

By Sam Eyoboka 

L Northern AGOS—THE 

Christian 

Elders Forum, has 

appealed to the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN, and the Nigerian 

Christian Elders Forum, 

NCEF, to desist from 

ridiculing the church. 

Reacting to a statement by 

CAN’s Director of Legal 

and Public Affairs, Mr. 

Samuel Kwamkur, who 

said NCEF had no moral 

obligation to fault CAN’s 

visit to President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

because it has been 

disbanded since 2018, the 

Public Relations Officer of 

Northern Christian Elders 

Forum, Elder Sunday 

Oibe said wisdom should 

have told the CAN official 

that its un-African to malign 

elders who have made 

invaluable contributions to 

their country. 

Elder Oibe said: “What is 

happening between CAN 

and NCEF is a personality 

:Vanguard 

News 

problem which uninformed 

officials must be careful to 

respond to because its 

deep rooted and unless 

you are fully briefed you 

will just making a mockery 

of our faith. 

"There is no problem 

between the two bodies 

because are playing 

complementary roles in the 

interest of the Church. It’s 

a personality, ego and pride 

problem and it will soon be 

over. I can assure you that 

after July all of these will 

fizzle out. 

“Why are the Christians 

fighting themselves? I am 

in a position to tell you that 

it’s a personality problem. 

"If tomorrow you have a 

different CAN president 

who has understanding 

there will be not fight 

because the role of CAN 

and that of NCEF are 

complementing one 

another. National Christian 

Elders are not looking for 

anything. They are not 

struggling for pulpit to 

preach, because they have 

reached the pinnacle of 

their profession." 


VISIT: From left; Oscar Onyema, CEO, The Nigerian Stock Exchange; Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, MD, Fidson Healthcare 

Plc.; Segun Adebanji, Board Chairman, Fidson Healthcare Plc.; Imokha Ayebae, Head of Finance, Fidson 

Healthcare Plc; Micheal Nzewi, CEO Cardinal stone, during the Fidson Healthcare visit to the Nigerian 

Stock Exchange facts-behind-the-figures presentation in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 

KOLADE JOHNSON’S KILLING: Buhari 

vows to prosecute perpetrators 

A 

B U J A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, expressed regret 

over the recent action of the 

Anti-Cultism Unit of the 

Police Command in Lagos, 

which led to the death of 

Kolade Johnson. 

Johnson had on March 

31, gone to watch a football 

match when he was hit by 

a stray bullet from 

policemen attached to the 

Police Anti-Cultism Unit. 

President Buhari, in a 

statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, Mr. Femi 

Adesina, in Abuja, 

acknowledged the genuine 

outrage regarding the 

activities of the Police Anti- 

Cultism Unit. 

The president reassured 

the public that swift actions 

had already been taken as 

the suspects were in 

custody. 

He said that an orderly 

room trial was set to 

commence immediately, 

following which indicted 

officers would be 

prosecuted in court. 

Buhari, who 

commiserated deeply with 

the family of the deceased, 

said: Government will not 

tolerate, in any way, the 

brutalization of Nigerians or 

the violation of their rights. 

The President said: “Any 

officer of the law 

enforcement agencies or 

any other government 

functionary caught in this 

act will certainly be visited 

with the full weight of the 

law.” 

He recalled that the 

Presidency, in 2018 

directed overhaul of the 

management and activities 

of the Special Anti-Robbery 

Squad, SARS, the 

president said steps were 

taken by the Police 

leadership to restructure 

and reform the squad. 

Buhari however, 

observed that a lot more 

remained to be done and 

Lagos govt to tender fresh evidence 

against Danish murder suspect 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State Government, 

will on May 10, tender a 

fresh DNA, evidence 

against a Danish National 

Peter Nielsen accused of 

killing his wife, Zainab 

and daughter Petra. 

He was arraigned on 

June 13, on a two count 

charge of murder, before 

a Lagos High Court 

sitting at Igbosere. 

The offence committed is 

punishable under Section 

223 of the Criminal Law 

of Lagos State, 2015. 

Five people were 

alleged to have been in 

the apartment on the night 

of the incident: Nielsen, 

Zainab, Petra, Gift and 

Favour Madaki, both of 

whom are Zainab’s stepsisters. 

The government 

accused Nielsen of 

beating and smothering 

Zainab and Petra to 

death on April 5, 2018, 

at about 3:45am at 4, Flat 

17, Bella Vista Tower, 

Banana Island Ikoyi. 

Nielsen, however 

pleaded not guilty to the 

charge. 

On the last adjourned 

date on March 25, the state 

had asked for an 

adjournment to enable it 

secure its final witness, 

a forensic expert, and 

serve other “information 

that is very essential” to 

the defence. 

At the resumed hearing 

of the matter, yesterday, the 

defence counsel, Olasupo 

Shasore SAN, informed the 

sustained. 

The president pledged 

his administration’s 

resolve to ensure that 

the Police and other law 

enforcement agencies 

court that the prosecution 

had not kept to its word 

about the date it promised 

to serve the new 

information. 

Shashore said: “We were 

served, contrary to the 

undertaking, on Friday, 

25th of March, at 3:35pm, 

with a bundle of papers 

containing two new 

documents, and crucially, 

my lord, a brand new DNA 

report. A new report 

containing DNA analysis. 

“The report is styled 

‘Forensic DNA 

superceeding report’. It 

Court to hear suit against 

advertising firm May 8 


LSaliu AGOS—JUSTICE 

Seidu of a 

Federal High Court 

sitting in Lagos, will on 

May 8, 2019, hear 

pending applications in a 

suit filed by a Nigerian 

advertising firm, Media 

Worth against a foreign 

advertising firm, JC 

Decaux over alleged 

hijacking an approved 

outdoor site of the local 

firm. 

In the suit, Mediaworth 

is asking for N1 billion, 

damages for alleged 

disruption of its business. 

Media Worth had 

dragged JC Decaux to 

court, alleging that it had 

illegally trampled on its 

conducted their operations 

in strict adherence to the 

rule of law and with due 

regard to International 

Human Rights and 

Humanitarian Laws. 

concerns matters that 

occurred almost a year ago. 

The defendant was 

arraigned in this court in 

June 2018, a period of 

almost nine months. 

“The state has prepared 

two DNA forensic reports, 

from which we prepared 

our defence. We are greatly 

prejudiced, that on the eve 

of the testimony of a 

forensic expert, the state 

will introduce new 

evidence without 

availing us of the 

opportunity to consider 

expert advice on this." 

rights and is reaping from 

where it did not sow. 

Also joined in the suit are 

the Federal Ministry of 

Works and Lagos State 

Signage 

and 

Advertisement Agency, 

LASAA. 

When the matter came up 

for hearing yesterday, 

Justice Seidu, adjourned 

till May 8 to hear all 

pending applications. 

In a statement of claim, the 

claimant stated that 

sometime in 2012, Media 

Worth went on strategic 

sites hunting and found 

Oworoshoki end of the 

Third Mainland Bridge 

suitable for a proposed 

digital electronic billboard, 

adding that it approached, 

LASAA, the regulatory 

body for approval.


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

ALLEGED CERTIFICATE FORGERY: 

Adeleke appeals court judgment 

•He wasn’t in exam hall — NECO supervisors 

•Court adjourns hearing till June 10 

•Osun deserves better than Adeleke — APC 

By Gbenga Olarinoye 

& Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A 

BUJA—THE 

A d e m o l a 

A d e l e k e 

Campaign Organisation, 

yesterday, vowed to appeal 

the judgement of a Bwari 

High Court in a case of 

forgery against Senator 

Ademola Adeleke and his 

qualification to contest in the 

governorship election of 

Osun State. 

The organisation, in a 

statement issued by Mr 

Niyi Owolade said: “We 

received with bewilderment 

the judgement of a Bwari 

High Court on allegation of 

forgery against Senator 

Ademola Adeleke and his 

qualification to contest the 

governorship election of 

Osun State. The judgment 

subverted justice by 

ignoring four critical 

evidences to rule against 

validated facts and 

submissions. 

“While we are set to 

appeal the judgement, we 

also find it compelling to put 

the records straight by listing 

out the fatal flaws in the 

ruling and why it cannot 

stand before any court. 

“We affirm that the 

judgment is a travesty of 

justice, a purchased ruling 

designed to negatively 

affect the outcome of Osun 

governorship judicial 

process. 

“We 

declare 

unequivocally that the 

ruling being so glaringly 

against tested facts and the 

law cannot stand. It is also 

clear that the ruling cannot 

in anyway stop the reality 

that Senator Ademola 

Adeleke fulfilled 

constitutional requirements 

to be governor of Osun 

State. 

''This is another failed bid 

in the efforts of enemies of 

democracy. Senator Adeleke 

is not only qualified but by 

the grace of God will soon 

be sworn in as the legitimate 

governor of Osun State.” 

Adeleke wasn’t in exam 

hall — NECO supervisors 

This came as the Federal 

High Court sitting in Abuja, 

yesterday, adjourned further 

hearing on the examination 

malpractice charge the 

Nigerian Police Force, 

levelled against Senator 

Adeleke, till June 10. 

The Police, had in a sevencount 

charge entered before 

the court, alleged that 

Adeleke, candidate of the 

PDP, in the last 

governorship election in 

Osun State, fraudulently 

registered and sat for the 

June/July 2017 Senior 

School Certificate 

Examination that held in 

February 2017. 

In the amended charge 

captioned FHC/ABJ/CR/ 

156/2018, and dated 

VISIT: From left; Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State; Chairman, Medical and 

Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Ladoke Akintola University of 

Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapter, Dr. Rasak Akindele; past chairman, 

Dr. Fasanu Adeniyi and former secretary, Dr. Ajayi Wale, during a courtesy visit by 

the executives of MDCAN to the governor in his office, Abere, Osogbo yesterday. 

December 15, 2018, Police, 

maintained that the 

Defendants, committed 

examination malpractices 

by fraudulently, through 

impersonation, registering 

Adeleke and his brother, 

Sikiru, as students of Ojo- 

Aro Community Grammar 

School in Osun State, for the 

National Examination 

Council, NECO, June/July 

2017 SSCE. 

The prosecution 

produced four witnesses to 

testify in the matter. 

Cross examinations 

At the resumed trial, 

yesterday, NECO 

Supervisor, Mr. Odesola 

Emmanuel, who appeared 

as the third prosecution 

witness, PW-3, told the court 

that out of 58 candidates that 

sat for the 2017 exam, he 

did not see the two Adeleke 

brothers (Ademola and 

Sikiru). 

The witness, who told the 

court that he supervised 

candidates that sat for 

Economics, added that 

though Ademola’s name 

appeared in the NECO 

Register as No 057, he was 

not sighted in the 

examination hall. 

While being crossexamined 

by Adeleke’s 

lawyer, Dr. Alex Iziyon, 

SAN, the PW-3, noted that 

in the absence of a photo 

album, he would not be able 

to identify each of the 58 

candidates that sat for the 

NECO exam with identity 

cards that were issued to 

them by the exam body. 

Similarly, the PW-4, Mr. 

Adigun Enoch told the 

court that he never saw the 

PDP flag-bearer in the hall. 

Enoch told the court that 

he was the invigilator that 

supervised the candidates 

in four subjects. 

He identified Sikiru, who 

was in the dock as one of 

the candidates that sat for 

the June/July 2017 SSCE 

examination, saying he 

only knew Ademola as a 

public figure in Osun State, 

not as a candidate for any 

of the subjects he 

supervised. 

Two witnesses that earlier 

testified in the matter, 

Buhari Moshood and 

Isamotu Funmilayo, who 

were equally supervisors 

during the said 

examination, also denied 

seeing the Senator in the 

exam hall. 

Led in evidence by the 

prosecution counsel, Mr. 

Simon Lough, the first 

witness, PW-1, Moshood, 

told the court that on June 

21, 2017, while acting as 

supervisor, he saw five 

matured men among the 

students billed to participate 

in the NECO Exams. 

The PW-1, who identified 

an exam paper bearing the 

name of Adeleke Ademola, 

insisted that he did not see 

the defendant on the seat in 

the exam hall, saying he did 

not challenge the adult 

persons in the examination 

hall because it was not his 

duty to do so. 

While being crossexamined 

Senator 

Adeleke’s lawyer, the 

witness said he would be 

surprised to see NECO 

issuing certificate to 

somebody who did not sit for 

the exams. 

On his part, the PW-2, 

Funmilayo, who claimed to 

have been a teacher for 13 

years, told the court that she 

supervised English 

Literature on July 17, 2017, 

and that she saw two 

matured men in the exam 

hall but could only identify 

Adeleke’s brother as one of 

them. 

Under cross examination, 

the witness also denied 

seeing Senator Adeleke in 

the exam hall. 

She further told the court 

that the result of the exam 

belonging to Senator 

Adeleke, where he scored 

C5, was shown to her by the 

police at the State 

Investigation and 

Intelligence Bureau, 

Oshogbo, Osun State. 

The second witness 

further told the court that 

the authorities of the school 

have the duty to register 

students for the exams. 

Osun deserves better 

than Adeleke — APC 

Meanwhile, the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, in Osun State has 

reacted to the verdict of an 

Abuja High Court which 

disqualified Ademola 

Adeleke from contesting the 

state governorship election 

of 2018. 

The party described the 

“verdict as a victory for the 

state, because Osun 

deserves better than an illeducated 

juvenile as its 

governor.” 

The APC, in a statement 

by its Director of Publicity, 

Research and Strategy 

Kunle Oyatomi said: “Long 

before independence, this 

state has produced 

intellectual giants and 

exceptionally brilliant 

businessmen and 

technocrats including jurists 

of international standard. 

“We’re too civilised to have 

an Ademola Adeleke as 

governor who presented a 

fake statement of results of 

the secondary school he 

attended and is currently 

under investigation for 

another NECO certificate 

forgery allegation. 

“The court judgment 

therefore corroborated what 

we have known all along 

that this young man is best 

suited for the dance floor of 

a discotheque rather than 

the intellectually high 

demand of running 

Government Secretariat at 

Abere. 

“We hope the Appeal 

Court handling Osun 

governorship dispute will 

take judicial notice of this 

judgment that has 

practically disqualified 

Ademola Adeleke from the 

governorship position.” 

Face-off between Olubadan, 

Ibadan chiefs deepens 

By Ola Ajayi 

I appears BADAN—THERE 

to be no end 

in sight to the festering 

crisis between Olubadan of 

Ibadanland, Oba Saliu 

Adetunji and members of 

Olubadan-in-Council, as 

the high chiefs accused the 

monarch of enjoying some 

of the benefits of the review 

of Olubadan chieftaincy 

declaration, which made 

them kings. 

The promoted kings said 

asking them to remove 

their crowns was 

hypocritical because it was 

the same chieftaincy review 

that promoted Olubadan to 

Royal Majesty which 

Olubadan cherishes that 

also made them crown 

wearing kings. 

The monarch’s call, 

according to Otun 

Olubadan, Oba Lekan 

Balogun was tantamount 

to casting aspersion on the 

review of the law 

governing traditional 

institution in Oyo State. 

Oba Adetunji had asked 

the members of the council 

to remove their crowns 

before they would have 

access to the palace. 

However, the Obas 

argued that Olubadan did 

not address any of the 

allegations against him 

like “non-screening of 

prospective Mogajis and 

Baales by the council before 

installation, the cash and 

carry manner by which 

people now get positions of 

Mogaji and Baale.” 

The Ibadan Obas further 

argued that events had 

overtaken the court 

judgment the monarch 

referred to as they had filed 

an appeal and that the 

issue of review of the 

traditional law in the state 

had since been embraced 

by other cities and towns. 

“The same reform which 

conferred on us the new 

titles of His Royal Majesties 

and Highnesses also 

elevated the Olubadan to 

His Imperial Majesty from 

Royal Majesty which the 

Olubadan proudly adorns. 

So, what makes our own 

wrong and his own right?”, 

they asked. 

S’West PDP disowns Adewale 

as Lagos party chairman 

By Dayo Johnson 

A National 

KURE—THE 

Vice 

Chairman South West of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Dr. Eddy 

Olafeso, yesterday, 

disowned Segun Adewale 

as the Lagos State 

chairman of the party. 

Olafeso, in a statement in 

Akure, said Adewale “did 

contest the last Ekiti State 

governorship election on 

the platform of ADP, 

therefore, to that extent, he 

is still a member of that 

party as far as we know. 

“We take due cognisance 

of a statement by Mr. 

Segun Adewale to the effect 

that he is now the chairman 

of PDP in Lagos State and 

thus, declare firmly that he 

is not a member of our Party 

in all ramification, and thus 

cannot in all seriousness be 

our State Chairman in 

Lagos. 

“PDP is a very structured 

Party governed by set down 

laws and not one where 

any upstart can walk into 

and take mantle of 

leadership at will. 

“For the avoidance of 

doubt, Segun Adewale is 

not a member of our Party 

and remains absolutely 

extraneous to us, 

particularly in Lagos State.''

12—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

Delta: Court sacks PDP 

Senator-elect, Nwaoboshi over 

illegal primary election 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—A Federal 

High Court in Abuja, 

yesterday, sacked Senator 

Peter Nwaoboshi, who was 

re-elected on the platform 

of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, to represent 

Delta North Senatorial 

District. 

The court, in a judgment 

by Justice Ahmed 

Mohammed, held that 

Nwaoboshi was not validly 

nominated in the primary 

election the PDP held in 

Delta State on October 2, 

2018. 

The court ordered the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, to immediately 

publish the name of the 

plaintiff, Prince Ned 

Nwoko, declaring him as 

the authentic candidate of 

the PDP for Delta North 

senatorial district. 

Likewise, the court, 

ordered Senator 

Nwaoboshi who was the 

3rd defendant in the case, 

to stop parading himself as 

the candidate of the PDP for 

the senatorial district. 

The plaintiff had in a preelection 

suit alleged that 

PDP leadership, illegally 

submitted Nwaoboshi’s 

name to INEC after he lost 

the primary contest. 

Judgment’ll not 

stand test of time 

—Nwaoboshi 

Reacting to the ruling in 

a statement by his 

Legislative Assistant, Mr. 

Onyeluka Igbonoba, Sen 

Nwoboshi said he will 

appeal the judgment, 

saying it would not stand 

the test of time. 

The statement reads: 

“Arising from the ruling of 

a Federal High court which 

sat April 3, 2019, in Abuja, 

and the very erroneous 

pronouncements made by 

Justice A.R Mohammed, 

Senator Nwaoboshi 

appeals to his teeming 

supporters and the good 

people of Delta North to 

remain calm in the face of 

a judicial rascality that will 

not stand the test of time. 

He noted that while the 

judgment only ordered 

PDP to publish the name 

of Alhaji Nwoko as the 

candidate of PDP, the event 

had been overtaken by time. 

Rivers: Wike wins with 886, 264 

votes as AAC kicks 

•Today marks end of an era in Rivers —State Collation Officer 

•We will study results and take action —AAC 

•Atiku, Okowa, Secondus, Obi, others hail victory 

By Festus Ahon, 

Egufe Yafugborhi & 

Iheanacho Davies 

PORT HARCOURT— 

THE stalemate over the 

governorship election in 

Rivers State came to an end 

with yesterday’s 

declaration of the 

incumbent governor, 

Nyesom Wike by the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commissioner, 

INEC, as the winner of the 

exercise. 

The declaration of Wike, 

who polled 886,264 votes to 

defeat his closest rival, Mr. 

Biokpomabo Awara of the 

African Alliance Congress, 

AAC, who garnered 

173,859 votes, provoked 

divergent reactions from 

interested parties. 

The Collation Officer in 

the state, Prof Teddy Adias 

said the registered voters 

for areas where elections 

were cancelled due to 

violence, including the 

entire Abua Odua and 

Gokana LGAs were 

inconsequential to Wike’s 

winning margin of 712,405 

votes. 

While declaring the 

result, Prof Adias said: 

“Today marks the end of an 

era that commenced on 

March 9, 2019, when 

Rivers people were 

mobilised en-masse to elect 

their governor.” 

We’ll study report 

—AAC 

While the AAC agent, 

Nenye Kocha said his party 

would take a position on 

the outcome, the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

agent and former Speaker 

of House of 

Representatives, Chief 

Austin Opara, urged Awara 

and his supporters to accept 

the result and join in 

building the state. 

Kocha said:”We will study 

the report and come up 

with a position. The 

decision of what to do next 

can’t be mine to determine 

alone. The party will sit and 

take a position.” 

On his part, Opara said: 

“This is a victory for Rivers 

people. The landslide 

victory is a true reflection 

of the wishes of Rivers 

electorate. 

“All we are saying now is 

that it is time Rivers moved 

away from violence during 

elections. This is the time 

to build and we urge the 

opposition to join Governor 

Wike to further move Rivers 

forward” 

Jubilations in Port 

Harcourt 

Meanwhile, jubilation 

had erupted in some parts 

of Port Harcourt as soon as 

the final results and 

declaration of Wike as 

governor-elect filtered into 

town. 

Motorists and residents 

also heaved a sigh of relief 

in expectation that the 

tension that had engulfed 

Port Harcourt and the entire 

state would become a thing 

of the past. 

Earlier, the PDP had 

raised the alarm that the All 


APC, was planning to 

disrupt the collation 

exercise but that was not 

the case as the result was 

declared in an atmosphere 

devoid of hitches. 

It’s victory over 

anti-democratic 

forces —Atiku 

Reacting to the victory, 

presidential candidate of 

the PDP, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar, described Wike’s 

triumph as a victory over 

anti-democratic forces. 

He said: “The PDP is 

blessed to have a political 

gladiator, such as you, 

Wike on our side. The 

indigenes of Rivers State 

are fortunate to have a 

genuine progressive return 

to extend the frontiers of 

progress and development 

for them. 

“And I am favoured to 

count you, Governor Wike, 

as my friend and brother, 

and Rivers State as my 

second home. As your 

victory is savoured by men 

of goodwill all over Nigeria, 

I am sure you will continue 

the pattern of good works 

for which you have become 

known for.” 

Power truly belongs 

to the people 

—Okowa 

Similarly, Delta State 

governor, Sen Ifeanyi 

Okowa said the outcome of 

the poll was a testimony to 

the fact that power belonged 

to the people. 

Okowa in a statement by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Mr. Charles Aniagwu said: 

“Although the Rivers State 

governorship election took 

a long time, at the end the 

will of the people prevailed 

and I must thank INEC, for 

doing the right thing in 

ensuring that the true 

results that emanated from 

the units were duly collated. 

“On behalf of the 

government and people of 

Delta State, I congratulate 

my dear brother and 

colleague, Nyesom Wike 

on his well-deserved 

victory in the just 

concluded election. I also 

congratulate our great 

party in Rivers State and all 

our teeming supporters 

nationwide for this welldeserved 

victory. 

“From the margin of 

victory, it is safe to say that 

power indeed belongs to 

the people and they decide 

who to freely give it to.” 

Wike has democracy 

in his DNA 

—Secondus 

On his part, National 

Chairman of the PDP, 

Prince Uche Secondus said 

Wike’s conduct while the 

stalemate lasted showed 

that he had democracy in 

his DNA. 

He said: “By your 

peaceful conduct in the face 

of provocations, you have 

demonstrated truly that 

democracy is in your DNA 

and this we will continue 

to exhibit until all nondemocrats 

pretending to be 

one are flushed out of our 

polity. 

‘’Nothing underscores 

the desperation of APC 

administration to hang on 

to power at all cost 

irrespective of the 

consequences of such 

actions, like the brazen 

show of force displayed in 

Kano supplementary 

election. 

“All of you elected on the 

platform of this great party 

should hold your heads 

high because you went into 

a contest with APC and 

ended up in a fight with the 

nation’s army and some of 

their commanders. 

“From 11 states when we 

started this journey in 

December 2017 to 13 before 

the election and now 15 

with a very hope for victory 

in Osun, Kaduna, 

Zamfara, Kano and 

Nasarawa. There is hope for 

this party. The strategic 

spread of the PDP victories 

speaks volume on the 

character and strength of 

our party as the only true 

national platform in the 

country.” 

Vice Presidential 

candidate of the PDP, Mr. 

Peter Obi in his reaction, 

hailed what he described as 

the resilience of the people 

of Rivers State. 

Victory reinforces 

confidence in 

WIke —PDP 

Similarly, the PDP in a 

statement by its National 

Publicity Secretary, Mr. 

Kola Ologbodiyan, said the 

victory reinforced the 

confidence of the people in 

WIke. 

PDP said: “The victory 

reinforces the confidence of 

the people in the 

resoluteness of asserting 

their democratic choice of 

leadership as well as 

standing in defence of their 

mandate to the end. 

“It also demonstrated that 

the will of the people will 

always prevail against 

every form of suppression 

as eminently manifested in 

the desperation of the APC 

leaders to forcefully and 

violently take over control 

of the state against the wish 

of the people. 

“The party salutes and 

venerates all compatriots, 

who were killed by agents 

of the oppressors during 

the elections. These 

compatriots did not die in 

vain. 

“The PDP commends 

Governor Wike, the people 

of Rivers State and all 

lovers of democracy across 

the board for standing firm 

until the very end. 

“The PDP congratulates 

all our candidates, who won 

their elections at all levels 

across the country and 

assures those pursuing 

their stolen mandates at the 

tribunals that the party is 

fully behind them.’’ 

The state chairman of the 

party, Mr. Felix Obuah said 

the victory was for all lovers 

of democracy in the state.


14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

Buhari orders Finance Ministry 

to sell recovered assets 

, 08052867023 

Ekaette urges support for 

Buhari 

By Chris Ochayi 

A former BUJA—THE 

Senator representing 

Akwa Ibom 

South senatorial district, 

Senator Eme Ekaette, has 

called on Nigerians to support 


Buhari-led administration 

in order for it to deliver 

on its resolve to revitalize 

the nation’s economy. 

Senator Ekaette, who 

made the call while receiving 

members of the South 

South zone of Institute of 

Chartered Economists of 

Nigeria, ICEN, in Abuja, 

said the administration deserves 

support of all well 

meaning Nigerians, given 

the level of rot that the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, inherited. 

Ekaette, who also extended 

the plea to Nigerians 

in Diaspora, noted that 

the economy was in a near 

ruins with overreaching 

consequences following 

the absence of sustainability 

in planning for uncertainty 

by past administration. 

The Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Akwa Ibom 

South senator between 

2007 and 2011, charged 

Nigerians to believe in the 

government as a way of 

strengthen the system to 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—THE Fed 

eral Government is 

set to sell off all assets recovered 

in the course of the 

anti-corruption war within 

the next 6 months, the 

Minister of Budget and 

National Planning, Senator 

Udo Udoma , has said. 

The implication of this is 

that many Nigerians especially 

in the ruling class 

whose assets had been 

seized by the government 

are likely to lose them. 

Udo Udoma made the 

disclosure before the Joint 

Committees on Finance, 

Appropriation, Planning 

and Economic Development 

of the House of Representatives 

during a budget 

defence. 

He said President Muhammadu 

Buhari, had directed 

the Ministry of Finance 

led by Zainab 

Ahmed to execute the order, 

saying the government 

was determined to 

improve on the revenue 

profile of the country. 

He said: “The Ministry 

of Finance, working with 

all the relevant authorities, 

has been authorized to take 

action to liquidate all recovered, 

unencumbered assets 

within six months.” 

The Minister also said 

that the Department of Petroleum 

Resources, DPR 

had been directed to complete 

the collection of oil 

licences and royalties with 

three months. 

“The Department of Petroleum 

Resources has 

been directed to, within 

three months, complete the 

collection of past-due oil 

license and royalty charges, 

including those due 

from Nigerian Petroleum 

Development Company 

(NPDC) (a subsidiary of 

NNPC), which it had 

agreed to pay since 2017”, 

he said. 

The minister also, noted 

that the President had directed 

that work should be 

concluded on the deployment 

of the National Trade 

Window to enhance customs 

collections efficiency 

from the current 64% to up 

to 90% over the next few 

years, while lamenting the 

inability of the government 

to achieve its target on revenue 

generation in 2018. 

According to the minister, 

the failure was attributable 

to non implementation 

of some one-off items 

which included the N710 

billion from Oil Joint Venture 

Asset restructuring 

and N320 billion from the 

revision of the Oil Production 

Sharing Contract legislation/terms. 

He said that the items 

had been rolled over to 

2019. 

Giving insights into the 

production quota agreed 

on by the Organisation of 

Petroleum Exporting 

Countries, OPEC, Udoma 

informed that President 

Buhari had directed that all 

efforts should be made to 

ensure the realization of 

the 2.3 million per day oil 

production. 

…Says regime on right course 

effectively deliver dividend 

of democracy and to manage 

the evolving dynamics. 

According to her, “Belief 

nurtures determination, 

creating a mindset to deliver 

and to make a reality. 

As a Nigerian, I believe in 

teamwork to make possibility 

achievable through a 

government led by an honest 

leader.” 

In a clear reference to the 

administration’s achievements, 

she identified a 

number of APC led government 

pro-poverty programmes, 

among them 

N-POWER and the ongoing 

Presidential Youth 

Empower scheme (P-Yes), 

which she described as 

successful. 

INVESTITURE: From left; First National Vice President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, TPL Toyin Ayinde; 

Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business Director, Unilever Ghana and Nigeria, Mrs. Soromidayo George; 

The 16th Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners – Lagos Chapter, TPL Adebisi Adedire, FNITP; Chairman, 

Eleganza Group of Companies, Chief Razak Okoya and Director General – Office of Transformation, 

Creativity, and Innovation Lagos State govt; Mr. Toba Otusanya at the Investiture of the 16th Chairman and 

inauguration of executive committee members of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners – Lagos State Chapter. 

Reps C’ttee threatens to issue bench 

warrant on PFAs 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA—THE House 

of Representatives 

ad-hoc panel probing activities 

of National Pension 

Commission, PenCom has 

vowed to issue a bench 

warrant on Pension Fund 

Administrators, PFA, if they 

fail to show up today. 

Chairman of the ad-hoc 

Committee, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma 

(APC, Edo) in 

a briefing, threatened to 

issue a bench warrant to 

compel PFAs to appear before 

the committee, if they 

fail to attend the public 

hearing slated for today. 

The House after a resolution 

passed in February 

2019, had ordered the committee 

to start investigations 

into the activities of Pen- 

Com, since April 2017 over 

allegation of violation of the 

Act establishing the commission 

and the N9trillion 

pension fund. 

Lamenting that the PFAs 

and other stakeholders 

were deliberately avoiding 

the investigative hearing, 

he said, “We would have no 

option than to apply the 

law. That is we would have 

to seek approval to issue 

bench warrant so that they 

can be compelled to appear 

before this ad-hoc committee. 

To the PFAs that refused 

to appear before this 

ad-hoc committee, we 

would do just that to anyone, 

not just PFAs that are 

invited, but also the banks, 

PenCom.” 

The lawmaker displayed 

a letter by the Executive 

Secretary, Pension Fund 

Operators Association of 

Nigeria, Susan Oranye 

and addressed to the adhoc 

committee where it was 

stated that “On behalf of 

the invited Pension Administrators, 

we regretfully 

wish to inform you that they 

would be unable to attend 

the scheduled meeting as 

requested due to prior industry 

engagements slated 

for the same day.” 

Nigeria may close 80 missions over poor 

state of embassies 

By Henry Umoru 

A are BUJA—THERE 

fears that 

based on the 2019 budget 

estimate of the Federal 

Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs, Nigeria may be 

forced to close no fewer 

than 80 foreign missions 

over the bad state of the 

embassies across the 

globe, due to poor funding. 

Nigeria at present has 

110 missions around the 

world, but the budget of 

the ministry of foreign 

Reacting to the development, 

the committee chairman, 

said: “We have been 

having different issues with 

people trying to avoid coming 

to the public hearing. I 

believe some people are 

trying to derail the wheel 

of the progress of our adhoc 

committee. 

“We invited different 

PFAs, we invited the Pen- 

Com, the acting DG, the 

Nigerian Labour Congress, 

NLC, Trade Union 

Congress, TUC and many 

civil societies, who submitted 

documents related to 

the subject matter and we 

never invited (Pension 

Fund Operators Association 

of Nigeria (PenOp), 

they call themselves, but 

Senate’ll pass Police Reform, Trust Fund bills, Saraki assures IGP 


APresident, 

BUJA—SENATE 

Dr. 

Bukola Saraki, yesterday 

told the Acting Inspector- 

General of Police, IGP, 

Mohammed Adamu that 

before the 8th Senate 

rounds off, it would pass 

the Police Reform and the 

Police Trust Fund bills. 

Giving the assurance 

in Abuja when the police 

chief, Adamu and 

his team visited his office 

at the National Assembly, 

Saraki however 

reiterated the National 

Assembly’s commitment 

to strengthen the nation’s 

security architecture. 

Saraki said: “The performance 

of the Nigeria 

Police is key to our nation’s 

security. This is because 

apart from us ensuring 

that the institution 

is well-funded, we need 

to ensure that the Police 

plays its Constitutional 

role in the security of our 

nation. Across party 

lines, the police can be 

reassured of our support 

to strengthen it as an institution. 

Funding is a 

major issue, and I know 

that a lot of work has been 

done to ensure that the 

Police Trust Fund Bill get 

to its current stage in the 

House. Before the end of 

the 8th Senate, I want to 

assure you that we will 

pass this Bill. 

“Another critical issue is 

the Police Reform Bill 

which has gone through 

Public Hearing with major 

input from stakeholders. 

We started this process before 

your tenure, but we 

can still allow a few more 

days before it is laid, so that 

you too can make your contributions. 

‘’We would like you to 

take a close look at this Bill 

alongside the Committee, 

so that by next week, we 

can lay the report of the Bill 

and pass it.’’ 

we are surprised to be receiving 

letters; the first one 

we received before our 

public hearing telling us 

that the PFAs will not be 

able to attend under the 

umbrella of PenOp. 

“There was no time this 

ad-hoc committee wrote 

PenOp. They have been 

representing the various 

PFAs we had invited, the 

administrators, some of the 

banks and the custodians 

of the funds. 

“To our greatest surprise 

and dismay, we also received 

another letter on 

Wednesday, informing us 

that the Pension operators 

will not be able to attend 

the investigative hearing 

slated for tomorrow.” 

affairs for this fiscal year 

will only focus attention 

on 30. 

This came as reports 

said many of the Nigerian 

ambassadors were 

unable to pay their children 

school fees, rent, 

electricity, medical and 

other utility bills with the 

headquarters of the federal 

ministry of foreign 

affairs owing both volunteers 

and its staff over 

N4.9 billion entitlements. 

The shocking revelations 

of the pitiable situations of 

Nigeria’s foreign embassies 

and High Commissions 

across the world 

were exposed yesterday 

to the Senators during 

the 2019 budget defence 

by the Federal Ministry 

of Foreign Affairs with 

the Senate Committee 

on Foreign Affairs. 

According to report, 

the Embassies have been 

facing inadequate 

funding over the years. 

Speaking yesterday 

during the 2019 budget 

defense, the Permanent 

Secretary, Federal Ministry 

of Foreign 

Affairs, Ambassador 

Mustapha Suleiman, 

said discussions were 

ongoing over possibilities 

of shutting down 

some foreign missions. 

The Directorate of 

Technical Aid Corps 

(TAC), Foreign Service 

Academy (FSA), Institute 

for Peace and Conflict 

Resolution (IPCR), 

National Institute for International 

Affairs 

(NIIA) and Directorate 

for Technical Cooperation 

in Africa (DTCA) 

are all under the supervision 

of the ministry of 

foreign affairs which is 

owing its staff over N4.9 

billion.

HONOUR: Enugu State Governor and Governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi with the State 

Chairmen of Labour Party, Dr. Gerald Abonyi (left); Hope Democratic Party, Adonys Igwe 

(right); United Progressive Party, Ken Onyekaonwu (2nd right) and Action Democratic Party 

, Chinyere Madike, when leaders of political parties in the state under the auspices of 

Alliance Parties for Democratic Dividend conferred on him “The Best Democratic Dividend 

Governor in Nigeria and Africa Award,” yesterday. 

Why we're backing Onyejeocha for Reps 

Speaker —S-East APC spokespersons 

By Dennis Agbo 

E NUGU—THE 

Conference of APC 

Publicity Secretaries, CAP, 

southeast zone, has thrown 

its weight behind Nkeiruka 

Onyejeocha to emerge as 

Speaker of the 9th House 

of Representatives 

assembly. 

In a press conference at 

APC secretariat in Enugu 

yesterday, the party 

spokespersons said there 

were many factors in favour 

of Onyejeocha to emerge as 

the speaker of the next 

assembly. 

They gave her edge over 

others to include gender 

equality; ranking in the 

law-making; caucussing 

among the two dominating 

political parties; experience 

as an executive and a 

legislator at the three tiers 

of government. 

“We have therefore 

decided to throw our 

weight and support her 

because she is a woman of 

substance. We think that the 

South East needs to come 

to equity with the other six 

geopolitical zones in power 

equation. 

“She knows the 

relationship between the 

executive and the 

legislature because she has 

done both jobs; the south 

east increased their votes 

for APC in the last elections 

and her elevation to 

become speaker will 

automatically turn the zone 

into APC dominance. 

“She will represent the 

aspiration of women, youth 

and the entire Nigerians 

Our votes were stolen —Moghalu 

stepped down for the two 

front-runners. 

“I was the only 

presidential candidate 

targeted with such fake 

news campaign a few days 

to the election,” he said. 

“The campaigns depressed 

our votes because many 

people in the northern 

states (Buhari’s voting 

base) and the southern 

states (Atiku’s voting base) 

believed it.” 

He, however, indicated 

that he would not 

challenge the result of the 

election in court, saying, 

“the question of going to 

court is neither here nor 

there,” and might have 

made sense if YPP came 

second. 

He said his focus will be 

to campaign for electoral 

reforms, adding that even 

though he was 

disappointed by the result 

of the election, it was a 

reflection of the mindset of 

Nigerians. 

“Anyone that complains,” 

he said, “should first look 

in the mirror. Did you vote? 

If so, for who? The status 

quo or for something new, 

different and bold?” 

He also spoke on the 

lessons he learnt from the 

campaign, the highs and 

the lows, and the 

endorsement he received 

from Noble Laureate, 

Professor Wole Soyinka. 

because she is committed 

to the progress of the 

country. However you look 

at it, she is the most 

qualified, being a fourth 

term legislator who has 

served as a commissioner 

and a local government 

chairman,” the group said. 

The APC Publicity 

Secretaries included Okelo 

Madukaife from Anambra; 

Mrs Kate Offor from 

Enugu; Mr. Chika Nwoba 

from Ebonyi and Benedict 

Godson from Abia State. 

Prevail on FG to let Biafra go, ex-N-Delta agitators 

beg UN, int’l community 


EX-NIGER 

Delta 

agitators under the 

aegis of Niger Delta Ken 

Saro Wiwa Adaka Boro 

Biafra Freedom Fighters, 

have called on the United 

Nations and the 

international community to 

mount pressure on the 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

P RESIDENTIAL 

candidate of the Youth 

Progressive Party, YPP, 

Professor Kingsley 

Moghalu has said the 

party’s votes were “stolen, 

suppressed and diverted 

on February 23. 

In his first major postelection 

press interview, 

Moghalu told The 

Interview that his party had 

“many credible indications” 

of the electoral fraud. 

He said he was targeted 

by those who felt 

threatened by his message, 

as a result of which they 

launched a wave of fake 

news attacks that he had 

:Vanguard 

News 

Nigerian government for 

the actualisation of Biafra 

Republic. 

The group said the only 

way to stop the agitation for 

Biafra was to allow Ndigbo 

have their own republic. 

Leader of the group, 

Chief Jasper Emmanuel, 

who stated this in Yenagoa, 

Bayelsa State said, the 

actualisation of Biafra 

Republic could not be 

suppressed or denied as 

everybody had right to 

freely express his mind on 

where to belong. 

He called on all ex 

agitators and militants to 

come together to support 

and agitate for the 

actualisation of Biafra 

Republic as that would give 

the Niger Delta region the 

tonic for rapid socio 

economic development 

which had eluded the 

region for decades. 

Emmanuel said: "We are 

seriously working with all 

necessary stakeholders 

and Biafra agitation groups 

within and outside the 

country to actualise the 

dream of a Biafra Republic 

where the people can be 

free in a country they can 

call their own. 

"The actualisation of 

Biafra Republic will 

happen shortly as the 

people can no longer 

remain in a federation that 

is politically and 

economically favourable to 

only some sections, while 

other parts of the country 

that lay the golden egg live 

in abject poverty and under 

development." 

Emmanuel said the battle 

for the actualisation of a 

sovereign state of Biafra 

must be fought and won on 

all fronts for the benefit of 

all as the political imbalance 

of Nigeria has thrown 

under development to 

some sections while 

political power had 

remained the exclusive 

preserve of a few ethnic and 

religious groups. 

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019—15 


Osinbajo, Obiano, Nwodo, 

others to honour late Ikedife 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N 

N E W I — 

ARRANGEMENTS have 

been concluded for a Day 

of Tributes in honour of 

former President-General 

of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, late 

Dr Dozie Ikedife who died 

on December 11, 2018 and 

was buried on December 12 

according to his wishes. 

Addressing newsmen in 

Nnewi on the family’s plan 

for the occasion, first son of 

late Ikedife, Mr. Dozie 

Ikedife Jnr. said President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

his Vice, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo are expected in 

Nnewi for the occasion. 

He said one of the only 

surviving members of the 

Zikist Movement and First 

Republic Aviation Minister, 

Chief Mbazulike Amaechi 

is going to be the chairman 

of the occasion scheduled 

to hold in Nnewi 

tomorrow. 

Other dignitaries 

expected in Nnewi for the 

ceremony are Minister of 

Science and Technology, 

Ogbonnaya Onu; 

Governor Willie Obiano of 

Anambra State; the 

People’s Democratic Party, 

PDP, Vice Presidential 

candidate, Peter Obi; 

President-General of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief 

John Nnia Nwodo and 

other well meaning sons 

and daughters of South 

East Nigeria. 

Political parties honour 

Ugwuanyi with best gov award 

CHAIRMEN 

of 

political parties in 

Enugu State under the 

auspices of Alliance Parties 

for Democratic Dividend 

yesterday conferred on 

Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi and Governorelect 

, an award as “The 

Best Democratic Dividend 

Governor in Nigeria and 

Africa”. 

Leaders of the political 

parties, who presented the 

award to Gov. Ugwuanyi at 

the Government House, 

Enugu, when they paid 

him a visit, said they came 

“to honour a man who is 

deserving of great honours 

and accolades”. 

Speaking on behalf of the 

party chairmen, the leader 

of the group, Dr. Gerald 

Abonyi, stated that the 

governor “has completely 

demystified governance 

and uplifted the living 

standard of the masses 

through good governance, 

provision of basic 

infrastructure such as good 

roads, basic health facilities 

and potable drinking 

water”. 

Commending 

Ugwuanyi’s style of 

governance, Abonyi said: 

“Never have we seen a 

compassionate man of the 

people as a serving 

governor of a state.” 

According to him, “this is 

the only governor who 

challenges the various 

communities in Enugu 

State to list their most basic 

and necessary 

infrastructural demands 

and needs on a regular 

basis." 

Abakaliki: FG approves 

renaming of FETHA to Alex 

Ekwueme University Teaching 

Hospital 

By Peter Okutu 

Afederal BAKALIKI—THE 

government 

through the Federal 

Ministry of Health has 

approved the renaming of 

the Federal Teaching 

Hospital, Abakaliki, 

FETHA, to Alex Ekwueme 

University Teaching 

Hospital, Abakaliki with 

immediate effect. 

The Governing Board 

Chairman of the Health 

Institution, Alhaji Tijani 

Ramalan who announced 

this during its first meeting 

for the year 2019 said: 

“This development is a 

blessing from God the 

Almighty as a lot of 

benefits will come to the 

hospital in the areas of 

funding infrastructural 

developments by 

TETFUND and 

manpower capacity 

building of staff by the 

PTDF. 

"May I seize this 

opportunity to thank the 

Board, Chief Medical 

Director, management 

team and staff of Alex 

Ekwueme University 

Teaching Hospital,


NEWS HOTLINES: 

08052867023, 08052867058 

SUMMIT: From left— Chief Executive Officer, Wellness, Mrs. Yomi Anenih; Brand Strategist, Mrs. 

Kemi Ogunleye; CEO, Human Capacity Development Consultant, Mrs. Abisola Longe; Lead, Strategy, 

Skillsultant Ltd, Mrs Toyin Ademola and Creative Director, Needle Point Shop Ltd, Mrs. Theresa Onwuka, 

during the 1st annual Productivity Plus Summit in Lagos. 

Police retirees allege underpayment of 

gratuity by PENCOM 

•They got what was due to them in compliance with our regulations—PENCOM 


BENIN CITY—SEVEN 

police personnel who 

retired in various ranks have 

threatened to drag the 

National Pension 

Commission and the police 

authorities to court over 

underpayment of their 

gratuities after 35 years in 

service. 

They claimed they were 

grossly underpaid 

compared to their 

counterparts who had the 

same rank with them, 

enrolled into the police force 

and retired the same time. 

They are Monday Iguma, 

Michael Ezuem, John 

Ogodo, Onwuzuruike 

Godwin, Ocheni Friday, 

Abakar Friday Edokpolo 

and Augustine Dibie. 

A letter to the Head, 

National Databank 

Management Department 

of the National Pension 

Commission by their 

counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi 

had given them seven days 

Infant mortality: COWLSO hands over ultra 

mordern facilitits to 13 public hospitals 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—AS part of 

efforts geared toward 

reducing infant and child 

mortality rate in the state, 

Committee of Wives of 

Lagos State Officials, 

COWLSO, yesterday, 

donated 32 neo-natal 

incubators to 13 government 

hospitals in the state. 

Out of the 13 hospitals, the 

committee handed-over six 

birthing suites to Lagos 

Island Maternity, Amuwo 

Maternal and Child Centre, 

as well as Epe General 

Hospital. 

Chairman of COWLSO 

and wife of the incumbent 

Governor of Lagos State, 

Bolanle Ambode, 

accompanied by wife of the 

State Governor-elect, Dr. 

Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, led the 

committee’s project team on 

inspection and handingover 

of the items, stating 

that their vision for pregnant 

women in the state was 

for them to have access to 

world class delivery 

facilities in public hospitals. 

Birthing suites donated 

are: Stand-alone delivery 

units, where all three stages 

of a woman’s labour and 

delivery take place. They 

have their own private 

conveniences for patient 

privacy and fitted with 

automated birthing beds, 

ultra-modern vital signs 

monitors for mother and 

baby; as well as specialized 

machines for monitoring the 

heartbeat of mother and 

baby and post delivery care. 

The incubators would regulate 

the body temperature of preterm 

babies and avail them the right 

environment to be nurtured, till 

Polls: Ogboru has reached his ‘political 

terminus' —Alatsha 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

WARRI—DELTA State 

House of Assembly 

candidate for the Warri 

North Constituency under 

the platform of All 


APC, Wilson Alatsha has 

said that the failure of the 

party's governorship candidate, 

Chief Great Ogboru in 

the just concluded 2019 general 

elections, has shown 

that he has truly come to his 

political terminus. 

He expressed regret that 

Chief Ogboru’s poor 

performance has given the 

negative impression that the 

APC is not on ground in the 

state, saying “that the APC 

is very much on ground. 

What happened in the last 

election is that God does not 

support the injustice 

represented by the Chief in 

coming to hijack the 

leadership of the party in the 

state”. 

According to him, “like a 

thief, Ogboru can never go 

too far. So he has got to his 

terminus entirely with his 

failure physically, socially 

for the anomalies to be corrected 

or risk legal action. 

He said the latest letter 

was a follow up to the one 

he had earlier written. 

He said the affected 

officer’s counterparts got 

not less than N4 million 

while they were paid less 

than N2 million each. “We 

hereby use this medium to 

demand for the payment of 

our clients’ accurate 

entitlement within seven 

days of the receipt of this 

they are fit to go home, thereby 

reducing infant mortality in the 

State. 

Speaking, Ambode stressed 

that, ideal child birth was that 

which ensured the best outcome 

and morally.” 

The APC chieftain who 

is currently in court over 

alleged substitution of his 

name as the rightful 

winner of the party primary 

for the position for Warri 

North constituency by the 

Prophet Jones Erue-led 

faction noted that Chief 

LAGOS—FIRST City 

Monument Bank, 

FCMB, has taken another 

major leap in the retail and 

mobile banking segments 

of the Nigerian financial 

services industry with the 

launch of a new product 

called FCMB Easy 

Account. Described as 

banking made accessible 

to all, a significant and 

value-added feature of this 

product is that the 

telephone numbers of the 

customers, without the first 

digit, serve as their 

respective account 

numbers. 

The Account is an 

enhanced version of its 

*329# Unstructured 

Supplementary Service 

letter. 

But a letter from the NPF 

Pensions Ltd dated March 

6, 2019 addressed to 

Afolabi and signed by 

Mustapha Suleiman and 

Abdulkareem Gezuwa who 

are Heads, Benefit 

Administration and 

Executive Director in 

charge of operations said 

the retried personnel got 

what was due to them in 

compliance with 

PENCOM regulations. 

for the mother and baby, in a safe 

environment that guaranteed 

quick recovery from birthing 

process, and allowed early and 

optimum bonding of the baby 

with its mother. 

Ogboru cannot also enjoy 

the privilege of taking the 

Governorship slot come 

2023 on behalf of the 

Urhobo dominated Delta 

Central Senatorial district in line 

with the power rotation principle 

because he does not believe in 

equity, saying that “all he is 

interested in is “after Ogboru, for 

Ogboru and in Ogboru.” 

FCMB launches Easy Account 

Data, USSD, platform. 

In a statement, the bank 

explained that FCMB Easy 

Account has been 

designed to make banking 

accessible to all Nigerians 

and will help to achieve the 

laudable goal of financial 

inclusion for most Nigerians 

as set by the Central Bank 

of Nigeria, CBN. It is a 

product open to all, 

particularly to meet the 

needs of low-income 

earners and the unbanked 

segment of the society. 

The bank explained that 

it enables the account 

holders have access to 

convenient and secured 

financial services, 

irrespective of their 

locations. 

Escalating US, China trade war would 

hit manufacturing, agricultural jobs 

— IMF 

AN escalation of the United States and China trade 

war would drive manufacturing away from both 

countries and likely cause job losses, but would not 

change their total trade balances, an International 

Monetary Fund (IMF) report showed yesterday. 

The United States and China would see “sizable” 

losses in manufacturing as capacity moves toward 

Mexico, Canada, and East Asia if tariffs were hiked to 

25 percent on all goods flowing between the two countries, 

the IMF said in its April World Economic Outlook. 

That would escalate a tit-for-tat tariff battle between 

the two economic giants that has gripped global financial 

markets since mid-2018. The United States 

already has tariffs of 25 percent on $50 billion worth of 

Chinese goods and levies of 10 percent on another 

$200 billion. China has retaliated with duties on U.S. 

products, including key agricultural crops. 

Japan display to supply OLED 

screens for Apple Watch, Sources 

JAPAN Display Inc will begin to supply organic 

light-emitting diode (OLED) screens for the Apple 

Watch later this year, two sources said, a breakthrough 

for the cash-strapped company whose late 

shift to OLED has cost it orders from Apple. 

The supply deal would mark Japan Display’s foray 

into the OLED display market, the two sources familiar 

with the matter said, declining to be identified because 

they are not authorized to speak to the media. 

A spokesman for Japan Display said he could not 

comment on specific customers. 

Japan Display’s mainstay liquid crystal display 

(LCD) business has been slumping due to Apple Inc’s 

recent shift away from LCD, and disappointing sales 

of the iPhone XR, the only LCD model in Apple’s 2018 

line-up. 

Wall Street rises as trade hopes build; 

chip index hits record 

United States stocks rose yesterday, extending a 

strong start to the quarter as rising hopes of a 

trade deal with Beijing and bullish reports lifted the 

semiconductor index to a record high. Advanced Micro 

Devices Inc jumped 10.9percent, the biggest gainer 

on the S&P 500, and Intel Corp rose 2.6percent after 

Nomura Instinet started coverage of both the stocks 

with “buy” ratings. 

Semiconductor stocks, which are heavily reliant on 

China for their revenue, have surged more than 25 percent 

this year on optimism about trade and recovering 

demand for chips. The Philadelphia Semiconductor 

index jumped 2.9percent to a record high. 

The rally came as White House economic adviser 

Larry Kudlow sounded upbeat about the trade talks, 

adding that Beijing and Washington hope to get closer 

to a deal this week. 

Viacom signs content distribution deal 

with T-Mobile 

VIACOM Inc signed a content distribution agree 

ment with T-Mobile US Inc, under which the media 

company’s brands including MTV and Nickelodeon 

would be available to the wireless carrier’s 80million 

customers, the companies said on Wednesday. 

The deal enables T-Mobile to bring together live feeds 

of Viacom’s channels as well as a broad range of ondemand 

content to T-Mobile’s customers. Last month, 

Viacom renewed its carriage contract with AT&T Inc, 

avoiding a blackout of MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy 

Central for users of the telecom carrier’s pay TV 

service DirecTV. Viacom needed to resolve the AT&T 

contract before considering any other strategic moves, 

including a potential tie-up with CBS Corp, sources 

had told Reuters. All stories credited to Reuters.

After the elections: The next level 

MERCIFULLY the elections 

are over. Phew! Huge sigh 

of relief. Now we can settle down 

to the humdrum of our daily lives 

and let those who have won the 

elections do the needful by 

carrying on to fulfil their promises. 

One can only congratulate the 

winners and commiserate with the 

losers. One also hopes that the 

politicking activities that have 

taken over our lives in the last 

many months will now be 

consigned to the back burner, 

where they truly belong. And 

serious governance should start. 

At the federal level the promise 

is to take the country to the next 

level. And all aspects of 

governance must be geared 

towards that. The President who 

has won a second term must be 

aware that the beginning of his last 

outing was a disappointment to 

many. He let go the crucial 

appointments of the principal 

officers of the National Assembly 

to the naïve attitude of non 

interference in their affairs. In the 

end some scheming interlopers 

hijacked the process and installed 

themselves at the helm of affairs 

and went ahead to have a 

successful tenure of unbridled 

spoilage to his entire budgetary 

plans and caused untold delays to 

his vital appointments. 

He could do nothing to the 

National Assembly but sit around 

the Villa sulking. The president’s 

By Tony Ademiluyi 

THE war time British Prime Minister, Sir 

Winston Churchill, reached his peak in 

1940 when at 66 he replaced the weak Neville 

Chamberlain as the British prime minister. He 

rallied round the Brits to fight against the 

malevolent forces of the axis alliance led by 

the Nazi Germany under the murderous Adolf 

Hitler. The public praised him to the high 

heavens and the academically slow, bashful 

lad became a public hero. 

In 1945, general elections were held and to 

the amazement of political pundits, Churchill 

lost to Labour leader, Clement Attlee, in one of 

the greatest electoral upsets in the history of 

electioneering. The 2019 elections in Nigeria 

have come and gone, but as historians, it is 

necessary to critically examine them and see 

what lessons can be learned by state and nonstate 

actors as well as the citizens. 

There were many upsets this year. The O toge 

movement in Kwara State ended the decadesold 

Saraki dynasty in that state. How did the 

Senate president, Bukola Saraki, lose out 

totally in the scheme of things? Some analysts 

opine that the people were tired of him and 

wanted a change. They had served the father 

for decades with nothing tangible to show for 

it and they were tired of also serving his son 

and if care wasn’t taken his grandson. They 

came together under the O to ge banner which 

had the imprimatur of several politicians like 

the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji 

Lai Mohammed, the senator-elect for Kwara 

Central, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, his estranged 

sister, Gbemi Saraki, amongst many others, 

to retire him. 

Many politicians in the APC didn’t also 

forgive him for ceding the deputy Senate 

presidency to Ike Ekweremadu. In the current 

American presidential system of government, 

it’s the winner takes all syndrome. It was 

suicidal to concede a key position to the 

opposition. That was a sin that was mortal, 

apologies to the Roman Catholic Church. 

What do you make of the deployment of Bola 

knack for delays to take crucial 

decisions at the right moment and 

making key appointments whether 

it is to the cabinet or some vital 

parastatal became a legend of 

sorts. On top of all that, the country 

had the bad luck of the sharp fall 

in oil prices at the start of the 

president’s tenure and the 

repercussions that followed, 

particularly the run on the Naira. 

However, like many Nigerians 

who had some knowledge of the 

science of economics, I had the 

nagging feeling that the run on the 

Naira could have been handled 

better. As a consequence, the entire 

nation has been left to suffer the 

after-effects of a horribly devalued 

currency. I doubt it very much if 

what happened was due to lack of 

good professional advice, 

considering the number of 

economists dotting offices in the 

Presidential Villa. To worsen 

matters, President Muhammadu 

Buhari periodically fell ill and at 

a point in 2017 was away for three 

months attending to health issues 

in Britain. 

Somehow he bounced back and 

by the time the campaigns started 

last year there were obvious signs 

that with his renewed physical 

vigour, and a national economy 

that was showing signs of redound, 

he would give any challenger a 

good fight. Probably far more than 

all that, the president’s personal 

integrity seems unscathed and he 

2019 elections: A post-mortem 

Tinubu’s erstwhile chief security officer as the 

Kwara State Commissioner of Police? Why 

Kwara after the public outcry when he was 

first deployed to Lagos? Some analysts opine 

that the hubris of pride was his undoing. He 

devoted more time to coordinate Atiku’s 

campaign and took his home turf for granted. 

Others say his decamping to the PDP was his 

greatest undoing. I beg to disagree. What do 

you have to say about the likes of Dino Melaye, 

Samuel Ortom and Abubakar Tambuwal who 

defected from the APC to the PDP and still won? 

Oil magnate, Ifeanyi Ubah got his first 

Anambra State has the 

highest number of female 

senators in the country which 

is a victory for gender parity in 

the polity 

electoral victory at long last under the platform 

of the obscure Young Peoples Party. To have 

defeated Senator Andy Uba and his younger 

brother, Chief Chris Uba, was no mean feat. 

He has already begun hobnobbing with the 

ruling APC, though he debunked rumours of 

his defection to the party. Time will tell if he 

stays glued to the YPP. With the re-election of 

Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife, Anambra 

State has the highest number of female 

senators in the country which is a victory for 

gender parity in the polity. 

Dino Melaye proved to be a dogged fighter 

as he once again beat the former Nigeria Union 

of Journalists president, Senator Smart 

Adeyemi, in a largely APC-controlled state. He 

is indeed a cat with nine lives as he battled his 

state governor, Yahaya Bello, surviving a recall 

by his constituency and the Federal 

Government which led to his brief 

incarceration. 

Ortom proved to be an adept risk taker as he 

read the mood of the people of Benue who 

wanted a change of parties as the APC proved 

went through the campaigns with 

a popularity rating that was even 

higher than when he was initially 

elected. His party, the APC, was 

able to build on that crucial selling 

point- his integrity- and garnished 

it with his other accomplishments, 

particularly on security, to win. 

We now expect the president to 

draw many lesson from that 

disastrous outing in the first term 

and focus on those things that 

could derail his plans for the 

second term. Obviously one of the 

first items in the list should be who 

emerge as leaders in the next 

National Assembly. We must all 

bear in mind that whatever the 

president has in stock for the 

nation, the realisation of that must 

be consequent to the kind of 

leadership that hold sway in the 

Whatever the 

President has in stock 

for the nation, the 

realisation of that 

must be consequent to 

the kind of leadership 

that hold sway in the 

National Assembly 

National Assembly. Both the 

president and the leadership of the 

National Assembly must be able 

to work in tandem. Or we shall have 

a repeat of the disaster that was 

the eighth assembly where the 

leadership of the National 

Assembly and the president were 

hardly on speaking terms. 

It, therefore, behoves on the 

president and the leadership of the 

APC to save us from the agony of 

another round of raucous 

relationship between the Executive 

and the National Assembly. To do 

that, we expect a close meeting of 

minds between the party leaders 

(symbolised by Adams 

Oshiomhole or is there anyone else 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 —17 

17 

really left in the party 

headquarters?), the aspirants and 

the general membership of the 

party in the National Assembly to 

avoid a situation whereby the 

majority gained by the party in the 

elections is rendered futile and 

sterile. 

Fortunately, the struggle for the 

prime positions in the National 

Assembly has begun in earnest. As 

there is a zoning formula at work, 

there may be less frictions when 

the selection comes to be made in 

the National Assembly. There 

seems to be unanimity in the party 

to lease the position of Senate 

president to the North-East, and 

already, prominent ranking 

senators, Ahmed Lawan and 

Mohammed Ali Ndume, are out 

on the hustings cajoling votes for 

the plum seat. Both are highly 

qualified, top-ranked in the 

peculiar pecking order of the 

National Assembly, where the two 

have paid their dues to their 

colleagues in many ways. 

Both are great academics. 

Ahmed Lawan has a Ph.D in 

Remote Sensing and Geographic 

Information Service, GIS and had 

been teaching in the University of 

Maiduguri before harkening to 

the call of his people in Gashua. 

He first served for two terms in the 

House of Representatives before 

moving to the Senate when the late 

Usman Albishir who represented 

that constituency left in 2007 to 

stand in the Yobe State 

gubernatorial election. At the 

resumed sitting of the Senate in 

2015, Lawan was touted by the 

party to the eigh th assembly as 

Senate president but the process 

was overwhelmed by other 

determined forces. Despite the 

disappointment of being passed 

over as Senate president and the 

ranking offices that followed, 

Lawan kept faith with his 

colleagues in the assembly, making 

himself a rallying point and 

always making sound 

incapable of effectively protecting them from 

the murderous herdsmen. He smartly defected 

to the opposition PDP and was handed the 

second term ticket as a reward. George 

Akume’s re-election bid was stopped by a 

coalition of powerful forces. David Mark was 

succeeded by Abba Moro, the former interior 

minister. In a decent country, Moro would have 

faced a trial for the deaths of the applicants for 

the immigration jobs who died in the 

stampede. Alas, this is Nigeria where we have 

a collective amnesia as well as being a nation 

where anything goes. 

Mark left a ‘legacy’ by getting his daughter 

to be a member of the incoming nin th National 

Assembly in the Federal House of 

Representatives. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo 

was demystified as his open support of his 

former deputy didn’t make him win. This is the 

first time a candidate he backed lost. 

The O toge movement didn’t sweep Lagos as 

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fondly called 

Jagaban, is still in charge. He christened his 

own movement ‘Otope’ and threw his weight 

behind the candidacy of his anointed son, 

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu who won with a 

landslide. Jimi Agbaje was forced to 

congratulate him, meaning that he won’t be 

presenting his case before the elections petitions 

tribunal. 

Omoyele Sowore presented his party - the 

African Action Congress with its campaign 

slogan ‘Take it back’ as the third force. However, 

he didn’t even emerge third in the elections, 

forcing him to scream blue murder of a 

massive rigging against him. His party is being 

used by Rotimi Amaechi to battle Nyesom Wike 

for the Rivers State gubernatorial elections 

after the suspension of the APC gubernatorial 

candidate, Tonye Cole. The question on the 

lips of some pundits is why AAC? 

Some Sowore critics contend that the 

Sahara Reporters founder is surreptitiously 

working for Tinubu having allegedly worked 

for Buhari in 2015. The New York based activist 

has denied any link with APC. Even after the 

contributions to debates. He 

patiently bided his time, until two 

years into their tenure when he was 

crowned House Leader. 

Mohammed Ali Ndume came to 

the National Assembly following 

the self-same route. A brilliant 

student who shone in every school 

he attended, Ndume clinched the 

B.Ed and M.Ed from the University 

of Toledo, USA, where he was 

awarded the Magna Cum Laude 

academic honour and was thus 

admitted into Phi Kappa Phi 

academic society for outstanding 

performance. He was teaching in 

Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri 

when his people in the Chibok/ 

Damboa/Gwoza Federal 

Constituency called him in 2003 

to represent them. He was elected. 

In his second tenure in the House 

of Representatives he was elected 

the House Minority Leader. In 

2011 he got into the Senate by 

dislodging an incumbent and went 

on to have a very colourful and 

eventful time in his first term. He 

first got enmeshed in a Boko 

Haram controversy which he 

fought to a standstill. At the start 

of the eigh th assembly he was one 

of the key APC senators who 

supported and made Saraki the 

Senate president against the 

wishes of the party and was 

rewarded with the position of 

Senate leader. In due course 

Ndume found himself on the 

wrong side of Saraki and got 

himself suspended for a whole 

year. Nevertheless, he fought his 

suspension with characteristic grit, 

never apologised when asked to 

and eventually lost the Senate 

leader's seat to Ahmed Lawan. 

Is it not a good coincidence that 

these two brilliant men whose 

paths have crossed a number of 

times are today competing for the 

number one seat in the National 

Assembly. Whoever wins will in my 

estimation be an asset to the flight 

taking us to the next level. We can 

only wish them luck. 

defection of the running mate to the PDP, the 

gubernatorial candidate, Awari, told the world 

how he turned down a N3 billion offer from 

Wike to step down for him. The question is why 

AAC? What is the special interest in this 

supposed third force by Amaechi and Wike? 

Time, the ultimate revealer will tell. 

Dr. Oby Ezekwesili disappointed her 

numerous supporters and fans by pulling out 

a few days to the elections to support the socalled 

third force coalition. She has been silent 

since then and may not be taken seriously in 

future elections or even in the general political 

discourse in the country. 

Oyo State has the distinction of being the 

only PDP state in the South-West. Analysts posit 

that it was the bad policies of the Senator 

Abiola Ajimobi-led government that led to 

their electoral loss. He also suffered a 

senatorial loss as the Ibadan people were hellbent 

on dealing with him as a result of some 

anti-people policies that he implemented 

which included the abrupt demolitions of 

properties which included the studio of the 

popular musician, Yinka Ayefele and the 

arrogance he displayed towards the students 

in the Lautech crisis. The votes of the masses 

truly counted in the pace setter state. 

There were pockets of violence in some states 

which led to re-runs in the affected places. 

Foreign observers were divided in their verdict. 

While some gave the elections a pass mark, 

others dismissed it as a sham which didn’t truly 

reflect the will of the people. The emergence of 

the principal officers of the ninth Senate will 

be of keen interest to all Nigerians. Adams 

Oshiomhole already said that there won’t be 

sharing of power by the APC with any other 

party - a tacit condemnation of what Saraki 

did. 

The next four years will be filled with drama 

and intrigues. We hope that the Man on the 

Clapham Omnibus gets the full dividends of 

democracy as every revolution must begin with 

a breakfast. 

•Ademiluyi, a political analyst, wrote from 

Lagos. 

C 

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IT is no longer news that our forests 

have become home to all sorts of 

criminals such as insurgents, 

terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed 

herdsmen, cattle rustlers, ritual 

murderers, armed robbers and other 

felons. 

Human beings who should live in 

human habits and leave the forests for 

wild animals have now taken up 

abode in the bushes to wage war on 

the rest of law-abiding citizenry. 

Years of wrong-headed leadership 

which lacked the capacity to harness 

the riches of the Nigerian 

commonwealth for the benefit of the 

citizens have forced a situation of 

virtual anarchy on the people. 

No one feels adequately protected 

when travelling the highways 

nationwide. 

Perhaps waking up to the menace at 

last, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. 

General Yusuf Buratai, has announced 

plans to “flush out” the criminals from 

no less than 14 forests in continuation 

Ridding our forests of criminals 

of its series of Operation Harbin 

Kunama. Buratai, outlining the 

challenges of combating insecurity in 

forests and protected areas, named 

some of the forests. They include 

Koyan Bana, Dan Sadau and Sububu 

(Zamfara); Pandogari and Kagara 

(Niger); Allagarno, Sambisa and 

Chingurmi (Borno); Gujba (Yobe), 

Rugu (Katsina), Lame Bura and Balmo 

(Bauchi). 

Buratai said apart from restoring 

sanity to these forests, the military 

operations are aimed at preserving the 

ecosystems upset by the forceful 

cohabitation of humans with wild 

animals which presents in form of 

deforestation, destruction of historical 

sites and despoilation of valuable 

tourism potentials. 

He even promised that the famous 

Sambisa Forest (which the Boko 

Haram Islamic terrorists have long 

made their abode) would be turned 

into a “historical site for tourism”. 

The most pressing task before us 

now is to remove these criminals from 

the forests. That is the primary job of 

the Army and the rest of the lawenforcement 

agencies. This initiative 

should actually be led by the President, 

rallying the support of the National 

Assembly, the various state 

governments and all our armed forces 

and the citizenry. It is only a combined 

effort ably led from the very top that 

can produce results. 

Such an ambitious plan must also 

contain strategies for providing soft 

landing for those who return to lawabiding 

humanity. Otherwise, we will 

spend valuable national resources 

chasing criminals from one forest to 

the other and getting nowhere. 

More importantly, we must 

persuade the nomads who live in the 

forests to settle down and ranch their 

animals for their own good and that 

of their animals. 

Leaving human beings to live in the 

wild and unaffected by the benefits of 

governance only helps breed violent 

criminals among them. Sanitising the 

forests cannot be a mere blind grab. 

It must be carefully planned and 

comprehensively implemented for it 

to bear positive results. 

Elections as soap opera 

By Emeka Odikpo 

“Let us uncover the Room, else the 

Holy Ghost will never get at us.” 

WITH these famous words 

Cardinal John of Toledo served 

the death knell of the longest running 

election in the history of the world. The 

papal election that happened from 

November 1268 to September 1271 

gained notoriety as the longest election 

ever witnessed by mankind. Just two 

months short of three years was what it 

took 19 cardinals to finally elect Pope 

Gregory X. 

After two years of “inconclusive” 

elections, Cardinal John suggested the 

above mentioned action of removing the 

roof over the head of the electors. On 

their realising that cold weather alone 

might not do the trick, they added 

another measure; they reduced the diet 

of the Cardinals to bread and water. 

Finally the 16 remaining Cardinals 

(two had died of natural causes during 

the election and one had elected to flee) 

decided to appoint a committee of six of 

them to conclude the election. The 

appointed six completed the election 

within days of their appointment and all 

lived happily ever after. 

It must be a great relief to Prof. 

Mahmood Yakubu to know that he is still 

a long way from conducting the longest 

running election in the history of the 

world. Definitely, Mahmood’s INEC hold 

the record in modern times. They have 

been at this election(s) since February 

16, 2019 and at a point there appears to 

be no end in sight. Many states are yet 

to have senators-elect that ordinarily 

should have emerged in the evening of 

February 16. 

Even House of Representatives 

elections remained inconclusive in 

several states. Of course Rivers State 

takes the Oscar in this drama. Rivers 

State voters waited for one and a half 

months after the elections were 

supposed to have been concluded, to 

know who their three senators-elect 

were. I love soap operas; especially the 

so called dreary Mexican ones. You can 

skip editions for six months and still meet 

the characters exactly where you left 

them. 

Sometimes, when they raise a knife to 

stab, be rest assured that the knife will 

remain in motion for the next six 

episodes before missing target. The restab 

will take another few months. It’s a 

sure fire way of engaging house wives 

in-between their chores. Our “lazy 

youths” who do no chores unfortunately 

join in watching for eternity these never 

ending series. 

Nollywood’s version of these soap 

operas are their Part one to Part six “epic 

films”. The flash back in Part four can 

show half of the entire Part one. An 

unusually dreary act that clearly indicate 

OPINION 

that their target audience are idle 

people. But somehow, it entertains those 

that make it their staple. 

Mahmood Yakubu’s mimic of 

Nollywood could have been 

entertaining if it was not so tragic. 

Valuable lives have been lost at the altar 

of contrived incompetence. The 

authorities, including the Army, Police 

and even INEC itself pretend to be 

ignorant of even the vilest of actions. 

Until INEC senior staff 

realise that they owe a 

sacred duty to God and 

their community to be 

above aboard and be 

impartial arbiters, our 

elections will remain 

theatres of the absurd 

Starting from Lagos, on to Kano and 

finally Rivers State, human blood was 

splattered live on social media. 

Those who are paid to protect human 

lives, either participate openly in 

abridging the lives of innocent Nigerians 

or watch arms akimbo whilst thugs skin 

innocent Nigerians. That’s macabre 

entertainment. INEC somehow 

contrived a total show of shame in Kano. 

The social media is filled with vile tapes 

of alleged INEC staff and party officials 

discussing how many votes they will 

allocate to other parties. Despite these 

vile tapes, INEC of course did not deem 

it necessary to even make a rudimentary 

commentary on the allegations. 

The painful part is that INEC and the 

other agencies of government can so 

easily prevent all the bloodshed that 

happened. They can easily spare 

Nigerians the untoward drama. All they 

had to do was be impartial and let the 

party with the highest vote win the 

election. 

All they had to do was be firm and 

arrest and prosecute those that attacked 

innocent Nigerians and even more 

importantly arrest and prosecute their 

sponsors. Until these agencies get 

serious enough to know that protection 

of lives of innocent Nigerians is their 

primary duty and that collusion with 

petty tin gods for filthy lucre is the worst 

form of evil, innocent lives will continue 

to be wasted in Nigerian elections. 

Until INEC senior staff realise that they 

owe a sacred duty to God and their 

community to be above aboard and be 

impartial arbiters, our elections will 

remain theatres of the absurd. Affecting 

contrived helplessness by INEC and the 

agencies may well serve the powers that 

be, but the effect of these actions are felt 

by widows of the slain and orphans who 

lost their parents needlessly in what 

ought to be routine elections. 

•Odikpo is a legal practitioner

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4 , 2019 — 19 

IMF pressures FG to remove fuel subsidy 

•Urges increased social spending 

•Calls for banking recapitalization 

•Phasing out of AMCON 

Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau 

Chief 

The Executive Board of the 

International Monetary 

Fund (IMF) has concluded its 

Article IV consultation with Nigeria 

and called for a removal of fuel 

subsidy. 

The Fund advocated that in place 

of fuel subsidy, the federal 

government should increase its 

spending on the poor, as a means 

of reducing poverty in the country. 

In a statement yesterday the IMF 

said “phasing out implicit fuel 

subsidies while strengthening 

social safety nets to mitigate the 

impact on the most vulnerable 

would help reduce the poverty gap 

and free up additional fiscal space.” 

They welcomed Nigeria’s 

ongoing economic recovery, 

accompanied by reduced inflation 

and strengthened reserve buffers 

but noted that “the medium-term 

outlook remains muted, with risks 

tilted to the downside.” 

The board members said that 

Monetary policy focused on 

exchange rate stability would help 

contain inflation but worsen 

competitiveness if greater flexibility 

was not accommodated when 

needed. 

“High financing costs, on the back 

of little fiscal adjustment, would 

continue to constrain private sector 

credit, and the interest-to-revenue 

ratio would remain high,” they said 

Poverty reduction 

The directors pointed out that 

“long standing structural and policy 

challenges needed to be tackled 

more decisively to reduce 

vulnerabilities, raise per capita 

growth, and bring down poverty.” 

They, therefore, urged the 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$94.70 3.05 

2,374.00 18.00 

$12.44 -0.07 

$69.28 -0.09 

$62.39 -0.22 

306 306.5 307 

403.155 403.8138 404.4725 

343.9746 344.5367 345.0987 

307.1364 307.6383 308.1401 

2.7446 2.7491 2.7536 

0.5033 0.5133 0.5233 

423.4222 424.114 424.8059 

45.5775 45.6525 45.7274 

81.5913 81.7246 81.8579 

424.116 424.809 425.502 

46.0809 46.1562 46.2315 

. 21.5908 21.6261 21.6614 

CBN Exchange rate as at 03/04/2019 

authorities to redouble their reform 

efforts in this regard. 

Eliminate Tax incentives 

On tax, they welcomed the 

authorities’ tax reform plan to 

increase non-oil revenue, including 

through tax policy and 

administration measures. The 

Directors stressed the importance 

of strengthening domestic revenue 

mobilization, including through 

additional excises, a 

comprehensive VAT reform, and 

elimination of tax incentives. 

“Securing oil revenues through 

reforms of state owned enterprises 

and measures to improve the 

governance of the oil sector will also 

be crucial,” they added. 

Exchange rates 

The IMF Directors urged ending 

direct Central Bank of Nigeria’s 

intervention in the economy to 

allow focus on the central bank’s 

price stability mandate. 

The Fund said, “Directors 

commended the authorities’ 

commitment to unify the exchange 

rate and welcomed the increasing 

convergence of foreign exchange 

windows. 

“They noted that a unified market 

based exchange rate and a more 

flexible exchange rate regime 

would support inflation targeting. 

Directors also stressed that 

elimination of exchange restrictions 

and multiple currency practices 

would remove distortions and 

facilitate economic diversification.” 

Banks recapitalization 

Directors welcomed the decline 

in nonperforming loans and the 

improved prudential banking ratios 

but noted that restructured loans 

and undercapitalized banks 

continue to weigh on financial 

sector performance. 

From left: Mr. Temitope Aladenusi, Chief Strategy Officer & Cyber Risk Services Leader, 

Deloitte West Africa; Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities 

Clearing System (CSCS) Plc; Mr. Adetokunbo Omotosho, Managing Consultant, Infoprive 

Group and Mr. Ayokunle Adaralegbe, Chief Risk Officer, CSCS Plc during the maiden edition 

of Cyber Security Workshop organized by CSCS in Lagos. 

FSDH advocates strategies to raise VAT 

revenue by 218% 

By Babajide Komolafe 

FSDH Merchant Bank, 

yesterday, cautioned the 

federal government against the 

proposed hike in Value 

Added Tax (VAT) rate, 

even as it 

recommended 

measures for increasing 

VAT revenue by 218 

percent. 

The bank, in its 

monthly Economic and 

Financial Market 

Outlook, stressed that 

the proposed increase 

in VAT rate to 10 

percent from five 

percent will reduce 

h o u s e h o l d 

consumption and 

compliance with tax 

payments. 

Speaking at a media 

presentation of the 

outlook, Head of 

Research, FSDH 

Merchant Bank, Ayo 

Akinwunmi, said: 

“FSDH Research’s 

analysis shows that 

government can earn more 

revenue from the Value Added 

Tax (VAT) in Nigeria by 

developing strategies to 

increase household 

consumption and increase VAT 

compliance 

“The consumption data and 

revenue from VAT in the 

Federation Account Allocation 

Committee (FAAC) shows that 

the ratio of VAT revenue to 

household consumption 

averaged 1.07 percent between 

2014 and 2018. The highest of 

1.15 percent was recorded in 

2014. This is significantly lower 

than the actual VAT rate of five 

percent 

“It is important to note 

however, that some household 

consumption items are exempt 

from VAT. Therefore, the ratio of 

VAT revenue to household that 

government may not necessarily 

be equal to the VAT rate of five 

percent. 

Union Bank grows pre-tax profit to N18.5bn 

By Nkiruka Nnorom 

Union Bank of Nigeria Plc 

has recorded 33 percent 

growth in profit before tax (PBT) to 

N18.5 billion for the year ended 

December 31, 2018. 

The bank’s financial report for the 

period released yesterday on the 

Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, 

showed that gross earnings fell to 

N145 billion from N168 billion in 

2017, representing 11 percent decline 

over the one year period. 

Other highlights of the result 

showed that the Non-Performing 

Loan, NPL, ratio was down eight 

percent from 20.8 percent as at 

December 2017, while operating 

expenses grew by 12.4 percent to 

N75.0 billion from N66.7 billion in 

2017. 

The bank’s customer deposit also 

rose to N857.6 billion compared to 

N802.4 billion in the previous year. 

The managing director, Emeka 

Emuwa, speaking on the result, said: 

“Our priorities in 2018 were three 

pronged: enhancing our productivity 

across board; tightening up our loan 

Oil prices: 

Supply, 

demand 

factors hinder 

upsurge 

— Analyst 

By Prince Okafor 

Despite crude oil 

production cut by the 

Organisation of Petroleum 

Exporting Countries, OPEC, to 

boost the prices of crude oil, fresh 

indications have emerged that the 

combination of supply and 

demand side factors are muting 

crude oil price rise to the target of 

$80 per barrel. 

This came as crude oil prices in 

the international market declined 

after hitting an all time high 

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 to $69.22 

per barrel. 

Available statistics showed that 

Brent futures were down 15 cents 

to $69.22 after reaching $69.96, 

the highest since November 12, 

2018, when they last traded above 

$70, while the U.S. West Texas 

Intermediate crude fell 15 cents 

to $62.43, having hit $62.99, the 

highest since November 7, 2018. 

This development might further 

affect the nation’s savings in the 

Excess Crude Account, ECA, as 

between January and February, 

2019, the nation has continued to 

record negative growth in the 

ECA, with just $250 million in the 

account. 

Commenting on the 

development, a Cyprus-based 

FXTM research analyst, Lukman 

Otunuga, told Vanguard that, 

“While global growth worries are 

stimulating concerns over a fall in 

demand for crude oil, rising 

production from US Shale 

continues to fuel oversupply 

fears.” 

Lukman maintained that the 

ECA has the potential to rebound 

if Nigeria is able to achieve the 

2.3 million barrels per day 

production volume target for the 

2019 budget. 

“While the drop has been 

attributed to last-minute spending 

for election activities, it does leave 

the economy vulnerable to 

downside shocks. If Nigeria is able 

to diversify away from oil reliance 

to more sustainable sources of 

growth, the nation will be less 

prone to oil shocks.” 

portfolio (especially resolving key 

large exposures which drove NPLs 

up significantly at the end of 2017); 

and optimizing the bank’s capital and 

funding base. 

“I am pleased to report that we 

made significant strides in each focus 

area. Notwithstanding a depressed 

economic environment and a 

challenging operating landscape, 

our efforts to optimise productivity 

delivered results. Union Bank’s 

Group Profit Before Tax (PBT) is up 

33% to ¦ 18.5 billion in 2018 from¦ 

13.9 billion in 2017.”



22 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019



C 

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 — A1

C 

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A2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019




A6— Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019












By Ema Clark 

Recently, a tweet posted by a 

Canadian-based, Nigerian-born 

entrepreneur called Taiwo, relating how 

a job seeker had praised her after she 

interviewed him for a job, in her 

company, Twinex, caught the attention 

of many in Nigeria. The man had said 

to her: “you smell nice!”Taiwo rebuked 

the candidate and later tweeted the 

following comment, deleted later, when 

all hell broke loose on her page. 

This tweet and a subsequent barrage 

of others from Taiwo produced over 

50,000 comments on Twitter, 

immediately setting off what soon 

became visible as the Taiwo Hashtag. 

There were many who felt 

complimenting a female interviewer 

about her fragrance was familiar, 

sensory, sexual and inappropriate 

while there were others who did not 

think that was the case. There were also 

several who were offended at Taiwo’s 

lowering of the job seeker’s self-esteem. 

At first, it seemed that it was the men 

who were not going to let her get away 

with bruising the male ego but soon, 

women also began to criticize her for 

what they alleged was her nastiness. 

These women claimed gender was not 

the issue here. 

Not surprisingly, there were some 

who accused her of being constrained 

by an opaque Nigerian/African 

upbringing. To these contributors, 

there was nothing wrong or sensual 

about candidates complimenting 

interviewers, even in a gender diverse 

context. Many said both were 

offenders, as the man shouldn’t have 

complimented her, and neither for that 

matter, should Taiwo have posted her 

thoughts about this event publicly. 

Indeed, many of these comments were 

less than friendly, with a few of the 

contributors suggesting that the young 

man had been doing Taiwo a favour by 

complimenting her. The same started 

By Elizabeth Uwandu 

The beauty and joy of seeing 

women exchange 

banter, discuss business and 

network filled the air at Rite 

Foods Limited’s Foods, drinks 

and her event held at the Ball 

Room, Oriental Hotel, Victoria 

Island last weekend. 

The gathering which saw 

women - both young and old 

in entrepreneurship - share 

their experiences, challenges, 

and success stories in what is 

perceived as a male-dominated 

world, had in attendance 

students from various 

institutions, youths, men and 

women, including children. 

According to Mr Seleem 

Adegunwa, MD, Rite Foods 

Limited, the event which had 

over 2000 participants, 35 

exhibitors and panel discussions 

on gender balance; the 

future of food industry in Nigeria, 

and the need for mentoring 

and collaboration 

amongst women; was aimed 

at gathering and celebrating 

women who have blazed the 

trail in becoming success 

stories to tell their stories and 

at the same time serve as 

sources of hope and inspiration 

to others. 

Adegunwa reiterated that 

Smelling nice and 

the Hilary Clinton 

syndrome 

•A professional analysis of a tweeter debate 

body shaming both her and her twin, 

who had also jumped into the fray in 

support of her sister and business 

partner. Of course, this also gave birth 

to the Kehinde hashtag. 

As events continued to unfold, it 

seemed like the trolls had taken over 

the conversation, with someone 

commenting that Twitter’s “children of 

Wobe” had come out in full force! The 

two hashtags then led to another called 

#HRinNigeria, where users vented their 

spleen about the harshness of 

interviews, difficulties with securing 

jobs, and the arrogance of HR in 

Nigeria. These statements were not 

surprising given that Nigeria’s 

unemployment rate is currently 23.1 per 

cent, third on the Sub Saharan African 

Continent only to Djibouti’s 44 per cent 

and South Africa’s 27 per cent. 

People on social media platforms 

began to debate on whether it was 

appropriate for job seekers to praise 

interviewers and on the propriety of 

Taiwo’s behaviour. As is usual with these 

sorts of things, the incident spawned 

memes, T-shirts and comedic videos 

with one of these videos coming from 

the stable of no one less famous than 

the great comedian, Frank Donga. 

Variabless connect with each other 

For example, in the case under review, 

several people theorized that personal 

compliments should elicit positive 

responses from an interviewer. In other 

words, while the male candidate’s 

personal compliment was the 

independent variable, Taiwo’s 

response was the dependent factor. 

Unfortunately, in pandering to this line 

of thinking, these commentators failed 

to consider the concept of context as a 

moderating factor which can weaken 

or strengthen the link between 

variables. So, a better way of analysing 

a situation like this would be to say 

personal compliments should elicit 

positive responses from an 

interviewer, subject to the context in 

which those compliments are made. 

And it is this subject of context that I 

will now like us to focus on. 

In psychology, context is a complex 

multidimensional stimulus that has an 

impact on people’s perception of 

events. In other words, context is a 

hydra which we all need to pay 

attention to if we want to get ahead in 

IWD: Women mingle and network at Rite food’s Food, Drinks and Her” 

empowering women has a 

great economic impact on a 

nation's growth and development. 

"Many societies still 

have a long way to go in the 

appreciation of women empowerment 

and the impact on 

society. It cannot be over emphasized 

that what women 

teach has a positive impact 

and where they fail to teach 

results in a negative impact on 

the society, the country and 

generations at large. 

"Of course, as a food and beverage 

company, it was natural 

that our thoughts gravitated 

towards the idea of recognising, 

celebrating and ultimately, 

empowering female food 

and drinks entrepreneurs by 

providing a platform where 

they can showcase their entrepreneurial 

spirit, network 

among themselves for positive 

alignments for future successes 

and most importantly, have 

fun while doing it. That is why 

it is heart lifting for me, seeing 

this hall filled with a fine mix 

of established names and fastrising 

female entrepreneurs, all 

set and ready to unleash. We 

do hope that dreams come true 

for you all." 

Continuing, he added: "I 

thank the panelists who 

selflessly attended this event, 

to share from their wealth of 

knowledge and personal experiences. 

I am certain; 

many here will get new information 

for the next step 

in their business. 

" This March edition with 

the theme: Food, Drinks & 

Her, is first of its kind in the 

industry and done in celebration 

of 2019 International 

Women's Day, tagged: 

Balance for Better, is not just 

about exhibiting products 

and services, buying, selling 

and talking business; it is 

about having fun as well because 

at the heart of empowerment 

of women is also the 

need for women to enjoy a 

support system," the CEO 

stated. 

The panelists included 

Pharmacist Mercy Obiakor, 

life. Accordingly, though many contexts 

were at play in this case study, there 

was a unique circumstance impacting 

on the interviewer’s response. This was 

the situation of female leadership, 

which has birthed a plethora of 

research around the globe. 

Importantly, studies have shown that 

in most cultures in the world, women 

are often perceived to be neither 

congruent with leadership nor 

competent for this role and 

interestingly, these negative 

perceptions about female leadership, 

can emanate from both sexes. While 

congruence refers to suitability, 

competence refers to ability. These 

circumstances exist because of gender 

stereotyping, which drives the 

socialisation of the sexes, making males 

imbibe the agentic traits of dominance, 

competence, strength and toughness 

and women communal attributes of 

niceness, motherliness, warmth and 

kindness. Research has also shown how 

these socialisation practices are deeply 

ingrained into our psychosociological 

makeup, such that it is not uncommon 

to hear boys in various societies being 

continues on page 44 

CEO, Naturelle Cocktails 

and Cuisine; Nancy Nnadi, 

Author & motivational speaker; 

Uganze Ude Kalu, Restaurant 

visibility builder and 

Lawyer; Monsunmola Akinwamide, 

CEO, IPC events; 

Mrs Kemi Akintilo, 2018/2019 

president, the Inner Wheel 

Club, Gbagada, D911, Nigeria 

and Mrs Tairat Tijani, 

TBA services. 

C 

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Vanguard IWD: Women harp on 

collaboration, mentoring and inclusion in 

politics 

Lucy Folashade Kudirat Okikiola 

By Ebunoluwa Sessou & 

Elizabeth Uwandu 

Participants at this year’s Vanguard 

International Women’s Day 

Roundtable have tasked women in Nigeria 

to be more involved in active politics 

as well as channel their energies towards 

economic empowerment rather 

than singing praises of politicians. 

Speaking on the theme: Redirecting Nigeria’s 

Future; the role of women, held in 

commemoration of 2019 International 

Women’s Day with women drawn from 

various sectors including politics, 

business, manufacturing, maritime among 

others, it was agreed that there is need to 

harp more on active participation in policymaking 

by Nigerian women in a way to 

ensure growth and development of Nigeria 

as well as stabilising the economy 

of the country for a better Nigeria. 

The participants also agreed that the 

nation had not yet reached its potentials 

due to its patriarchal nature. They highlighted 

a 10-point agenda including 

mentoring the younger girls, sponsoring 

women programmes, maximum collaboration 

of women, improved education 

system, political participation, 75 per 

cent appointment of women into positions 

of power, removal of complexity, alleviating 

poverty in the country, taking 

politics to the grassroots as well as leadership 

relationship for women, housing, 

and social development. 

Although they had divergent views on 

how to redirect the future of the country 

for a better Nigeria, yet, they all believe 

that nothing can be done without collaboration, 

mentoring as well as cooperation 

by women at all levels. 

Women should be role models—Lucy 

Omosefe-Ajayi, Executive Director, Lagos 

International Trade Fair Complex 

Women should be role models to their 

generation. You train a woman and you 

train a nation, therefore, it is what you 

imbibe in the woman that she gives out 

to either her male or female child. Some 

people became politicians because of 

Lucy Ajayi because they believe I am a 

politician with a difference. They see 

other politicians but they feel they have 

not achieved results. They believe I am 

a unique politician and they are ready 

to support the right person. 

On the Lagos International Trade Fair, 

*Angela 

I have been able to tackle the issues by 

50 per cent therefore, there is no issue 

whatsoever. I understand the ease of 

doing business and I believe that the 

president is also committed to ensuring 

that things are done properly in LITFC. 

One thing I will say about my party, 

APC, is that it gives women all the space 

in electoral positions as it is free to take a 

form and that is a lot of encouragement. 

But I think what I found out at the 

grassroots level is that some of the women 

have phobia which we are trying to take 

out of them; phobia in the sense that they 

say it is a male-dominated thing, we do 

not have financial muscle and others. I 

say well, but we have the warmth which 

we do not know exists. Most times, I have 

been in all-male politics and I am asked 

if I am not afraid to be there, I answer no 

because when the ego thing comes up 

then the warmth comes in. You bring the 

brotherly warmth, the sisterly warmth and 

you see that at the end of the day, you 

are the one controlling them. I told them 

because they did not go to school does 

not mean they can’t aspire for greatness 

and that you did not go to school does 

not mean you are not intelligent. 

What needs to change to drive women 

forward—Folashade Ambrose 

Medebem, Director Lafarge, Africa Plc 

Let’s take some action. It should not be 

a talk show. We should list three things to 

do including collaboration, prioritise, 

what are the key areas we should leverage 

on, where we can achieve skills and 

impact. Thirdly, there is a sense of urgency, 

let us make sure we work together and 

make it happen. What needs to change to 

drive women forward? We know in Nigeria, 

there is a dearth of data. Data legislature; 

collaboration among women. The question 

we should ask ourselves is if we are 

doing enough to pressure people to make 

legislation that allows affirmative action 

for women. We must be given opportunities 

to be able to redirect the future of this 

country. We do not need to beg. 

There is urgent need to focus on the 

youths—Kudirat Fashola, CEO, Kuddy 

Cosmetics 

The focus of redirecting the future of 

Nigeria is for everybody to focus on the 

youths. Bringing them up in the way of 

the Lord as well as ensuring that they 

are built up with integrity because it is 

important. Whatever position we find ourselves, 

we should know that integrity is 

important and we should live an exemplary 

lifestyle. Youths, especially 

Nigerian youths, must be encouraged in 

whatever way we believe we can encourage 

them. We should also pay attention 

to their plight, aspirations and make them 

feel important in the society. The youth 

we build today becomes important 

personality tomorrow. I have workers 

whom I have nurtured to believing in 

themselves and that is why we should 

come in as an institution. Most of us are 

gifted, we are a body with eye,nose, ears 

hands, legs with different functions, so 

we must be interested in how the children 

become better and how to help them. 

Okikiola Taiwo Jalupon, aspirant, African 

Action Congress, AAC, who contested 

for Lagos State House of 

Assembly in the 2019 general elections. 

Redirecting the future of this country is 

to orientate the youths. We must stop 

living a fantasy and be realistic. We talk 

about so many things and we are not 

being realistic. I believe by the time we 

start changing the face of education, 

health, among others, we will move to 

the next level. 

My experience was a great one. I had 

so many challenges but I was born an 

overcomer. I have so many things I want 

to change and that is why I founded a 

foundation where I help children to build 

*Ifeyinwa 

the country. 

We should take it to the world—Erefa 

Coker, Founder, HR, Expo Africa 

I believe it is more than talking. We 

should come together, form a pressure 

group and we should not limit the talk to 

the corridor of Radisson Blu, we should 

take it to the world. We should actively 

look out for something we can give birth 

to so as to build a better Nigeria. 

Women need to lobby, be aggressive— 

Ifeyinwa Okafor, Politician. 

Women have to lobby more and be aggressive. 

Women have to show interest 

in the affairs of the country and we have 

to rally around and collaborate around 

issues that affect our children including 

education and housing. Women should 

be saddled with the responsibility of encouraging 

one another and the men 

should also see issues beyond the gender 

perspective. It is important that 

women begin to look into the political 

leadership of the country. At least, 75 per 

cent of the appointive positions should 

be given to women in order to balance 

the elective position gaps. If we are talking 

about balance for better, in the political 

leadership women should consider 

it as a matter of urgency. We should 

finish the election now and what would 

be on the front burner is appointment of 

political leaders, so, we should give 75 

per cent positions to women to balance 

continues on page 27


continues from page 26 

Vanguard IWD: Women harp on 

collaboration, mentoring and inclusion in 

politics 

*Erefa *Uju *Helen Fausat 

*Foluke 

the political gaps. 

We need to take this issue to the grassroots—Uju 

Uzo-Ojinnaka, CEO, TOFA, 

Traders of Africa 

Interesting! good narrative! Awesome 

women with divergent views. I am looking 

forward to us implementing some, if 

not all that we have enumerated. I am 

to be part of the people who are saddled 

with the responsibility of redirecting the 

future of Nigeria. We need to take this 

issue to the grassroots and the enlightenment 

must begin in earnest. 

Women are not magnanimous 

politically—Mrs. Helen 

Ominiabohs, representing former 

First Lady, Lagos State, Dame 

Abimbola Fashola. 

I always say if you want to go to 

Ibadan and you enter a bus going to 

Port Harcourt, there is no amount of 

fasting that will get you to Ibadan. So it 

is important we begin to hold discussions, 

serious ones. My vision for 

Nigeria is the opposite of where we are 

now. We can take this country to the 

standard of the countries we visit on 

vacations. 

Take the bull by the horn—- Foluke 

Adebisi, Head HR, Wartsila marine and 

Power Services Nig. Ltd. 

The opportunities should be for everybody 

and women should take the bull 

by the horn. They should not be treated 

as second class citizens. They should 

be competent and bold to take concerted 

decisions capable of moving the 

nation forward. 

Women suffer if they fail to 

change the narrative— Fausat 

Ibrahim 

Women need to stand up to their responsibilities. 

We do not need to sit and 

fold our hands. If we do not do something, 

nobody will do anything for us. 

We will suffer if we fail to change the 

narrative and do the needful to make 

Nigeria work again. 

Every woman should register under 

a particular political party—Faoziah 

Shade Gamu, Lecturer/Chartered 

Estate Surveyor and 

Valuer, University og Lagos 

We need to act as women and own 

our world. Every woman should reg- 

Faoziah 

ister under a particular political party 

to make a statement. Men are not running 

this country very well and that is 

why I said God made this country to be 

the woman’s affair. We need everybody’s 

contribution to move this country 

forward. 

We have to continuously expand 

our mind—Angela Okafor Chika, 

MD, Parkview Astoria Hotel, PAH 

We have to continuosly seek for 

ways to expand our minds. When 

you put a woman to task, naturally, 

she does better than the man. May 

be that is how we are wired. 

Nestle to step up stakeholder engagement towards 

building sustainability 

The recent refurbishment of two 

primary schools by Nestle Nigeria 

in its Ogun operational base is only 

part of a larger strategy to build an 

ecosystem around its businesses. 

Disclosing this to the media recently, 

MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Mauricio 

Alarcon said the organization believes 

that the long term success of its business 

is dependent on nurturing thriving 

communities closest to its operations. 

“We therefore work with our partners to 

enhance living conditions in the 

localities where most of our staff, 

suppliers and host communities reside. 

This is one of the ways we ensure that 

everyone connected to our business 

derives a benefit. We call this Creating 

Shared Value.” 

The recent handover of the refurbished 

facilities in two schools close to the 

company’s Abaji and Flowergate 

factories underlines its efforts towards 

impacting its factory communities 

positively. The two schools, LEA 

Primary School Manderegi and NUD 

Primary School, Owode Egba are part 

of Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK), a 

school-based nutrition education 

initiative supported by the Federal 

Ministry of Health and the Federal 

Ministry of Education. N4HK achieves 

its objectives by teaching and 

promoting healthy nutrition, healthy 

hydration, hygiene and an active 

lifestyle. The training and coaching is 

implemented in collaboration with State 

Universal Basic Education Board 

(UBEB) in Ogun State and Universal 

Basic Education Board in the Federal 

Capital Territory (FCT). The program is 

reaching over 17,000 children and 350 

teachers in 30 primary schools. “It would 

be difficult for children to imbibe healthy 

nutrition and hygiene practices if the 

environment is not conducive for putting 

what they learn into practice,” said 

Nestlé Nigeria’s Corporate 

Communications and Public Affairs 

Manager, Mrs Victoria Uwadoka. “It was 

therefore important to ensure that the 

children and teachers have access to 

good classrooms, safe clean water, toilets 

and handwashing facilities.” At the 

handover ceremony of LEA Primary 

School project which includes a 

refurbished classroom block, two new 

blocks of water system toilets, a fully 

equipped playground, a borehole and 

two water fetching points in January, the 

children and teachers expressed their 

delight with the improvement to their 

facilities. “Our classrooms used to have 

holes in the roof where water leaked in 

during classes,” said Onyekachi, a pupil 

of LEA Primary School. “We put buckets 

under the leaking roof to prevent 

flooding. Sometimes we used the water 

to wash our hands. We are very happy to 

have new toilets and water because, 

before we had to go to the bush to ease 

ourselves. We are very, very happy with 

Nestlé. “ 

The NUD Primary School project, which 

includes a refurbished classroom block, 

two new water system toilet facilities and 

a borehole with water fetching bays as 

well as a fully furnished playground, was 

commissioned in March. In his welcome 

address at the handover ceremony, Mr. 

K. I. Keefa, Head Teacher of NUD 

Primary school said the project has 

contributed immensely to the overall 

development of education in Obafemi 

Owode Local Government Area as the 

school has been transformed into a 

standard and model primary school in 

the community. He added that the 

project has also provided a befitting and 

conducive learning environment for the 

teachers and learners. The Executive 

Chairman, Ogun SUBEB, Alhaji 

Olatunde Okewole urged the 

beneficiaries of the projects to appreciate 

Nestlé Nigeria’s laudable gesture by 

utilizing the facilities judiciously and 

ensure that they are secured and 

preserved for continuous use. Towards 

the ecosystem objective, other initiatives 

include the endowment of a prize by 

Nestle Nigeria, with the Diamond 

Awards for Media Excellence, DAME, 

awards; as well as collaboration with the 

Lagos Business School for training 

Nutrition writers.


Mr Festus Ogwuche is a 

senior legal practitioner 

based in Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State. In this 

interview, he gives insight 

into the issues of 

suspension of electoral 

process by the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, and 

role of the military during 

the 2019 polls. 

Excerpts: 

From a legal perspective, 

how would you describe the 

recent elections conducted 

by INEC? 

I will describe the 2019 

elections in one word - 

bizarre. Yes, bizarre in the 

sense that it came with 

certain features which one 

considers incomprehensible. 

As a third world country and 

yet a fledgling democracy, it 

is not within anybody’s 

expectation that we blaze 

trails in elections, at least for 

now. But the idea of 

postponing elections on the 

very day of the polls is 

jolting. This is not 

withstanding the cogency of 

the factors responsible for 

that because under no 

circumstance can an election 

be postponed in the US. Then 

we have the umpire 

scheduling supplementary 

elections after it had declared 

a winner and issued him with 

a certificate of return. 

Within the purview of law 

and the Electoral Act, is 

supplementary election 

permissible? 

Supplementary elections are 

the product of the 

imagination of INEC officials 

who engaged it as subterfuge 

to manipulate the process 

and swing the electoral 

pendulum in the direction 

that suits them at any 

material time. It is tagged 

with inconclusive elections 

and this has become 

somewhat the tradition from 

the death of Prince Abubakar 

Audu, when it first reared its 

ugly head in our political 

terrain. But now, we have a 

better understanding of what 

it entails and where it targets. 

Some of us boldly challenge 

the legality of this coinage. 

The issue thereby becomes 

whether or not our 

jurisprudence allows for the 

introduction of extraneous 

considerations in the 

implementation of laws. 

There is nothing in the law 

envisaging the possibility of 

a supplement in the polls. 

Then again the challenge 

becomes the distinct features 

in the process that would 

make it require a supplement 

beyond the declaration of its 

twin coinage in inconclusive 

elections. 

What specific part of the 

electoral act do you think 

should be amended? 

The issue here is not about 

amendments per se, but 

rather about wholesome 

08152060944 

Uwais C’ttee recommendations best roadmap for 

free, fair elections -----Ogwuche 

By Davies Iheamnacho 

•Ogwuche 

reforms to bring our electoral 

system in tandem with 

international best practices 

and to reduce fraud, 

malfeasance and violence in 

the system. Several attempts 

were made in the past in this 

direction but the obviously 

genuine efforts were all 

frustrated. For instance our 

very dear late President 

Musa Yar'adua took one look 

at the process that enthroned 

him in the saddle and was not 

quite comfortable with it. He 

knew that the process of his 

emergence was faulty and 

unacceptable, and he 

constituted an electoral 

reform committee headed by 

the venerable retired Justice 

Uwais. The committee did 

tremendous work on this 

mandate, received 

tremendous inputs from the 

vast array of our national 

diversity and came up with 

compelling recommendations 

that should have nailed the 

hiccups and loopholes in our 

elections directly on the 

head. 

As far as I am concerned, the 

Uwais committee 

recommendations are the 

road map to the guarantee of 

free, fair and credible 

elections in Nigeria. It made 

far reaching prescriptions 

that would have transmuted 

our electoral misfortunes to 

platforms of civility and 

decency. It sought for an all 

encompassing composition of 

INEC that would guarantee 

the integrity of polls and 

sanctity of the ballot in this 

country. We have seen clearly 

that all the recourse to 

academic citadels for 

appointments particularly of 

the INEC chair, is merely 

cosmetic and does not solve 

any problem. Elections are 

not academic ventures and 

do not require any scholarly 

exertion. 

Then again, the issue of 

unbundling INEC by the 

creation of the Political 

Parties Registration and 

Regulation Commission, the 

Electoral Offence 

Commission and the 

Constituency Delimitation 

Commission as a measure of 

injecting life and efficiency 

into the electoral system. The 

issue of independent 

candidacy was amply 

recommended and this is in 

the face of the current global 

trends in democracy with its 

gradual shift from party 

systems. And it is also to 

bring the system within 

Nigeria’s international 

obligations particularly in the 

face of the recent 

pronouncement of the 

African Court of Human 

Rights in the case of Mtilika 

and Law Society of 

Tanganyika vs Republic of 

Tanzania - wherein the court 

You cannot talk 

about a proper 

remedy for 

victims in this 

circumstance 

when the 

monsters of 

violence still 

bestride the 

political 

landscape like 

colossus and are 

ravaging the 

land 

in construing Article 13 of 

the African Charter, stated 

emphatically that to deny 

independent candidates the 

right to participate as 

candidates in an election 

contravenes Article 13 of the 

Charter and is an 

infringement on fundamental 

rights. 

The Uwais panel strongly 

prescribed the amendment of 

the constitution on the issue 

of independent candidature 

to bring it in conformity with 

international law, 

particularly the African 

Charter on Democracy, 

Governance and Elections 

and the ECOWAS Protocol 

on Democracy and Elections. 

But in spite of the noble 

objectives for the setting up 

of the panel, the National 

Assembly which was then 

composed more of the 

beneficiaries of the 

monumental sham Professor 

Iwu called the 2007 elections, 

took one look at the 

document and threw it 

overboard. Reason is that it 

could upturn their positions 

which from every of its intent 

and purpose, is parochial 

and self- serving. These are 

the same people who now 

find themselves in the 

opposition and are crying 

foul. They forgot that what 

goes round comes round. My 

group has employed all 

available means to make 

case for the full 

implementation of the Uwais 

report. Unfortunately, it has 

not yielded any result that’s 

fruitful. What we saw was a 

semblance of it in the setting 

up of another panel headed 

by Senator Ken Nnamani. We 

expressed some misgivings 

and scepticism over the 

panel’s capacity in terms of 

whether it will do a better job 

than that of Hon. Justice 

Uwais. Today, we are 

vindicated as the Nnamani 

group did not turn out 

anything that is superior to 

Uwais'. And so it has become 

somewhat a merry go round 

affair until the National 

Assembly gave its nod to the 

amended electoral act which 

should have brought 

innovations that would 

enhance the electoral 

process. President Buhari 

declined his assent as 

required and the polarisation 

of members of the National 

Assembly along party lines 

made it an uphill task for the 

requisite constitutional 

consensus that would 

overrule the President. 

Before he became President, 

Buhari was very vocal on 

electoral reforms, and what 

we see now is a complete 

volte face with his earlier 

position when he was 

struggling for the position. 

That’s how bad it is. 

In the last election, several 

persons were victims of 

election violence. What 

remedies do you think are 

available for them? 

In defining what should be 

remedy for victims of 

electoral violence, one should 

start from the point of view 

of the extent to which 

perpetrators are brought to 

book. People who perpetrate 

violence during elections are 

seldom apprehended and 

prosecuted and the reason for 

this is not farfetched - they 

are paid servants of political 

big wigs who are always 

disposed to shielding them 

from the long arms of the law. 

The unfortunate thing is that 

this has somewhat buoyed up 

their activities that violence 

appears to be accepted as 

part of our elections. You 

cannot talk about a proper 

remedy for victims in this 

circumstance when the 

monsters of violence still 

bestride the political 

landscape like colossus and 

are ravaging the land. 

Somebody once suggested 

the enactment of an Electoral 

Offences Act. Again, one 

may find it difficult to 

articulate a proper remedy for 

a victim of election violence 

in the face of the mounting 

involvement of the state in 

the said violence as we 

recently witnessed in the last 

elections, particularly in 

Rivers State and Kano. Until 

the warfare element is 

expunged from our electoral 

process, people will still look 

forward to elections with 

anxiety, fear and trepidation, 

and when that becomes the 

case, then no remedy 

contained either in the law or 

prescribed as an interim 

recourse can assuage the 

feelings of the victim. 

For instance, no attempt has 

been made for a data for 

victims of electoral violence. 

Politicians are only interested 

in the collation of votes and 

declaration of results but 

none appears to be interested 

to find out who and who were 

killed or maimed at the end 

of the day. Each election and 

everything that came with it 

are forgotten as soon as the 

results are announced and no 

measures are put in place to 

curtail whatever vice that 

crystallised thereby. So, it is 

doubtful if the National Office 

of Statistics or the Human 

Rights Commission has any 

figure or data on the victims 

of electoral violence. Note 

again that in construing 

victims in the sense of 

elections, it must be seen 

from the perspective also of 

pre- and post-elections such 

as those who died or suffered 

injuries at political campaign 

rallies as in Rivers and Kano, 

and those attacked in the 

aftermath of the polls as in 

Zamfara, Adamawa and 

Southern Kaduna. Well, the 

families of dead victims 

should be compensated and 

those lucky to be alive may 

approach the courts for 

preservation of their 

fundamental rights and may 

also take advantage of 

measures available under the 

canopy of some international 

organisations such as the UN 

to abide by its obligations to 

Continues on page 29 

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Experts seeks strict implementation of STM Act 

The Secured Transactions in 

Movable Assets Act, 

STMA, 2017 was the talking 

point of a workshop organised 

by Conference of Western 

Attorneys-General Africa 

Alliance Partnership (CWAG 

AAP) in conjunction with the 

National Collateral Registry as 

stakeholders brainstormed on 

how the act can be used to 

boost the micro, small and 

medium scale enterprises, 

MSMEs in Nigeria. 

Speaking at the workshop, 

Cross River Attorney-General 

CLP Legal announces new managing partner 

By Innocent Anaba 

CLP Legal, formerly known 

as Ukpong & Omotoso 

has announced the 

appointment of Mr. Okey 

Egbuchu as the firm’s new 

Managing Partner. 

Mr. Okey Egbuchu succeeds 

Mr. Edo Ukpong, who 

stepped down as Managing 

Partner after serving with 

distinction in that capacity 

since the establishment of the 

firm in 1990. 

Egbuchu until his 

appointment, was a partner in 

the firm. He is a commercial 

lawyer with extensive 

experience in corporate law 

and restructuring, corporate 

and project finance, 

construction and 

Continued from Page 28 

protect the citizenry. 

Joe Abang said STMA’s main 

objective was to enhance 

financial inclusion in Nigeria 

and stimulate responsible 

lending to MSMEs. He noted 

that to stimulate the economy, 

the Act establishes a regime 

that guarantees access to 

credit secured by moveable 

properties. 

“In addition to the general 

objective of providing and 

developing a framework 

guaranteeing access to credit 

secured by moveable assets, 

the specific objectives of the 

infrastructure, and energy law. 

His experience in these fields 

covers banking, and other 

financial institutions, 

automobile manufacturing, 

conglomerates, hospitality, 

insurance and property. 

Earlier on in his career, he 

practised mainly as a civil and 

commercial litigator, and still 

handles a portfolio of such 

cases. 

Egbuchu, a pioneer in gas 

pollution litigation in Nigeria, 

joined the law firm of Ukpong 

& Omotoso (now CLP Legal) 

in 1994 as an Associate and 

rose to become a Partner in 

2001. Admitted to the 

Nigerian Bar in 1992; Okey 

Egbuchu worked briefly as a 

Federal Prosecutor at the 

Federal Ministry of Justice 

Act include establishing a 

National Collateral Registry, 

stimulating affordable lending 

to MSMEs, facilitating the 

perfection and realisation of 

security interests in moveable 

assets and enhancing financial 

inclusion in Nigeria. 

“It is hoped that the passage 

of the Act would facilitate the 

achievement of the goals of the 

Presidential Enabling 

Business Environment 

Council, PEBEC set up by the 

President to progressively 

make Nigeria an easier place 

between 1992 and 1993. He, 

thereafter joined the Law Firm 

of Ukpong and Omotoso in 

1994 as an Associate and rose 

to become a Partner in 2001. 

He is a Member of Council of 

the Nigerian Bar Association 

Section on Business Law, past 

Chairman of the Travel, 

Tourism and Hospitality 

Committee of the Section on 

Business Law of the Nigerian 

Bar Association; and a regular 

resource person at the annual 

conference of the Section on 

Business Law. 

Briefing newsmen on the 

appointment of Egbuchu as 

the firm’s new Managing 

Partner at the Ikoyi, Lagos 

office, Mr. Ukpong, who 

jointly founded the firm with 

Mr. Ayodeji Omotoso in 1990, 

Uwais C’ttee recommendations best roadmap for free, 

fair elections -----Ogwuche 

How optimistic are you that 

the election petition 

tribunals will do justice to 

the petitions before them? 

I am convinced that the 

tribunals will do ample 

justice to petitions brought 

before them pursuant to the 

elections. Indeed, the whole 

world is watching and they 

are very much aware of 

everything that happened 

prior to, during and after the 

elections including the 

unconstitutional and forceful 

removal from office of the 

CJN. But then, there must be 

a radical departure from 

former modes of adjudication 

to ones that are quite in tune 

with current realities and 

trends, away from 

technicalities as to the 

legality or functionality of 

card reader or whether a 

party was duly nominated or 

filed a petition this way or 

that way and at what time 

and in what manner. The 

prime focus of every electoral 

adjudication is who won the 

mandate of the voters and 

nothing more. Technicalities 

have no place in electoral 

adjudications as their 

application is in itself a 

subversion of justice and 

could get a popular 

candidate into an elective 

position outside the will of 

the people. 

The UNDP Accra 

Declarations on the 

Principles of Electoral Justice 

captures in succinct form the 

ingredients and criteria for 

justice and recognises that it 

is ultimately for the voters 

and not necessarily the vying 

candidates. 

I presume that should be the 

focal point of adjudication for 

the tribunals and courts for 

the 2019 elections. 

What is the stand of the 

Electoral Act on suspension 

of the electoral process? 

Neither the provisions of the 

Constitution, the Electoral 

Act, nor the INEC guidelines 

and 

regulations 

contemplated the 

inconclusiveness of an 

electoral process. It is not 

simply a matter of semantics 

but the words suspension 

and cancellation are not 

synonyms and cannot be 

equated with each other. 

for businesses to start and 

thrive,” he said. 

In her contribution, NCR 

Assistant Registrar, Mrs Bisi 

Toro-Popoola, said the law has 

made it possible for people to 

get loans using moveable 

assets such as farm produce, 

wrappers, household utensils, 

intellectual property, 

motorcycle, among others, as 

collateral. 

She, however, said the NCR 

is faced with lack of funds to 

implement nationwide 

awareness campaign strategy. 

described his successor as 

“astute, creative, and versatile; 

someone who has been of 

immense value to the firm in 

providing practical, costeffective 

solutions to clients’ 

issues. 

For Mr. Omotoso, there could 

have not been a better successor 

to Ukpong as the Managing 

Partner than Egbuchu because 

he is the bridge between the old 

and the new, the analog and 

the digital, and all that is 

needed to move the firm to the 

next level. 

Present at the briefing were 

other partners of the firm - 

Bankole Ogunrinde, the firm’s 

Administrative Partner, Oluseye 

Banjoko and Solomon 

Afahokor. 

Besides, she said there had 

been low usage of NCR portal 

due to financial institutions’ 

reluctance to appreciate the 

benefits of moveable assetbased 

lending. 

Despite the challenges, Toro- 

Popoola said the NCR is 

gradually building the 

confidence of banks and other 

financial institutions in 

moveable assets financing. 

According to her, over 600 

financial institutions have 

registered and are leveraging 

the NCR infrastructure to 

advance credit to individuals 

and businesses. 

Punuka Attorneys and 

Solicitors’ Senior Partner, 

Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, 

said stakeholders, including 

lawyers, have a role to play in 

ensuring that market forces 

determine the grant of loans 

rather than the current 

monopolistic practice that is 

filled with hurdles for small 

businesses. 

Responding to a question on 

the role of lawyers, he 

regretted that the report of the 

Legal Practitioners Reform 

Committee, which he chaired, 

was gathering dust due to lack 

of implementation. 

Other speakers at the 

workshop were a senior staff 

attorney at the Northeast New 

Jersey Legal Services, Inc, 

John Ukegbu, i-naira.com 

founder, Hilary Nwaukor and 

Mr Obinna Nwankwo of CBN 

Principal Legal Services 

Department. 

•From left: Attorney, Punuka Attorneys &Solicitors, Tobenna 

Nnamani; Assistant Registry, National Collateral Registry, Bisi 

Toro-Popoola; Attorney, Northeast New Jersey, Legal Services 

Inc, John Ukegbu and Coordinator, Conference of Western 

Attoerneys-General-Africa Alliance Partnership (CWAG\APP)- 

Punuka Attorneys &Solicitors, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Enedah, at 

the opening ceremony of a one day workshop on the Role of 

Secured Transactions in Moveable Assets Act in Financing 

MSME in Nigeria held in Lagos. 

EDITORIAL 

Innocent Anaba 

( Head) 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

Contributors: 

Henry Ojelu, 

Onozure Dania 

C 

M 

Y 

K



PRESENTATION: From left— Desk Officer, Ministry of Education, District 4, Sabo Yaba, Obajimi Rilwan; 

Independent Non-Executive Director, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd, SCBN, Opunimi Akinkugbe; 

Chairman, Board of Directors, SCBN, Sola Adepetun; Chief Executive Officer, SCBN, Bola Adesola; 

laptop recipient from Surulere Junior Secondary School, Adeoti Islamiat; Executive Secretary, Youth 

Empowerment Foundation, Iwalola Akin-Jimoh and Independent Non-Executive Director, SCBN, Kyari 

Abba Bukar, at the laptop presentation ceremony for girls under the bank’s Girl Empowerment, GOAL at 

the SCBN's Head Office in Lagos. 

INEC presents certificates of return to 

Ganduje, others 

•As PDP state Assembly members-elect shun ceremony 

By Abdulmumin 

Murtala with agency 

report 

K ANO—THE 

Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

yesterday presented 

certificate of return to 

Kano State Governorelect, 

Abdullahi 

Ganduje. 

Similarly, the state 

deputy governor-elect, 

Nasiru Gawuna and 23 

state Assembly memberselect 

were also 

presented with the 

certificates of return. 

The 13 state Assembly 

members-elect of the 

People's Democratic 

Party were conspicuously 

absent during the 

occasion which was held 

at the Sani Abacha 

Indoor sports Complex in 

Kano. 

The PDP state 

constituency memberselect 

that were absent 

are for Dala, Nasarawa, 

Kano Municipal, Gwale, 

Fagge and Tarauni 

constituencies. 

Others are for Kibiya, 

Kumbotso, Dawakin 

Kudu, Gezawa, 

Ungoggo, Bebeji and 

Rogo constituencies. 

Speaking after 

receiving the certificate, 

Ganduje promised to lay 

a solid foundation for the 

social and economic 

development of the state 

through the provision of 

quality education. 

According to him, the 

state government would 

soon unveil its plans for 

partners and private 

investors to enable them 

come to the state and 

invest. 

Ganduje said the state 

government would 

provide incentives to 

enable investors wishing 

to establish their 

businesses to do so with 

ease. 

Acoording to him, 

“Over the next few 

weeks, I will be 

unveiling series of plans 

to ensure every child 

from Kano receives 

quality education, 

including computer and 

technology education, to 

ensure that in 15 years, 

Kano is the most 

educated state in subsahara 

Africa, and the 

most attractive 

destination for the 

world’s leading 

technology driven 

businesses. 

“Our government 

cannot do this alone. We 

will also unveil 

extensive plans and 

incentives for partners 

and private investors to 

come build businesses in 

Kano. If you want to 

setup innovative 

businesses or 

educational institutions, 

Kano is waiting to 

welcome you.We will 

also unveil a plan to 

partner with our local 

communities to ensure 

even the poorest of our 

communities have access 

to schools to educate 

their children. We will all 

grow together. Whether 

you are rich, middle 

class, or in our most local 

locations, Kano will 

welcome you and 

together build a 

collective wealth of the 

future". 

“I call on every citizen 

of Kano State, every 

resident and supporter, 

the time to build the 

future is now. Let us do 

this together" 

Rumpus in Adamawa Assembly; 

gov, speaker escape impeachment 

By Umar Yusuf 

YOLA—THERE was 

pandemonium 

yesterday at Adamawa 

State House of Assembly, as 

irate members threatened to 

impeach the outgoing 

Governor Mohammed 

Jibrilla and the Assembly 

Speaker, Mijinyawa Kabir. 

Most members who were 

defeated in the last general 

elections attacked one 

another verbally with harsh 

words.However, 

intervention by security 

operatives attached to the 

house saved the situation 

from degenerating into 

physical assault. 

The mace of the house 

was hurriedly smuggled 

out of the assembly complex 

to avert unpleasant action 

against the governor and 

Speaker. 

The assembly had 

reconvened after the 

general elections to 

consider an executive letter 

from Governor Jibrilla that 

he was proceeding on two 

weeks leave. 

However, the 

proceedings turned sour 

when several members 

questioned the propriety of 

the governor going on 

leave at the period when he 

ought to stay in office to 

attend to crucial issues and 

decisions he took in the last 

four years. 

They also accused him of 

trying to abscond from 

office because of some 

issues. 

The situation however 

degenerated when the 

member representing 

Hong constituency, Hassan 

Barguma, accused the 

Speaker, Kabiru 

Mijinyawa, of over 

protecting Governor Jibrilla 

and requested he stepped 

aside so that appropriate 

actions could be taken 

against the governor. 

The Speaker with the 

assistance of the Sergeantat-arms, 

however quickly 

exited the chamber with the 

mace amidst rancour,. 

The aggrieved members 

chased the speaker and 

Sergeant-at-arms, to the 

Speaker’s office, but were 

denied entry by security 

men attached to the 

Speaker. 

The deputy speaker, 

Lamsambani Dili, declined 

to comment on the 

commotion stating that the 

assembly adjourned 

hurriedly for two months 

because the management 

was preparing an induction 

course for newly elected 

members. 

Kogi leaders warn against 

plot to sack Justice Ajanah 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

K OGI—LEADERSand 

stakeholders in Kogi 

State have advised the 

State House of Assembly 

not to allow it to be used 

in the attempt to remove 

the Chief Judge of the 

State, Justice Nasir 

Ajanah. 

The stakeholders on the 

auspices of Kogi State 

Leaders Forum, gave the 

warning yesterday in a 

statement signed by its 

secretary, Suleiman 

Abdullahi even as it 

described the alleged plot 

as illegal, and against the 

provision of the 1999 

Constitution as amended. 

The statement read in 

part: “The proper 

processes for the removal 

of the Chief Judge of Kogi 

State, or any Chief Judge 

for that matter, can only be 

activated after the 

National Judicial Council, 

NJC, has investigated 

reported infractions 

against such a judge, and 

found him wanting. 

“Recent attempts to 

sidetrack due process and 

rule of law in the removal 

of Chief Judges in Kwara 

and Abia States, 

respectively, for instance, 

were nullified by courts. 

Justice Raliat Elelu- 

Habeeb of Kwara State, 

who 

was 

unceremoniously 

removed from office in 

2009, was reinstated by 

the Supreme Court of 

Nigeria, in a unanimous 

ruling in February 2012. 

The apex court ruled that 

the governor of Kwara 

State at the time did not 

have the power to sack 

her without recourse to 

and the approval of the 

NJC. 

Kwara gov-elect appoints 

transition c'ttee 


K WARA—STATE 

governor-elect Alhaji 

Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, 

has named an 80-member 

Transition Committee to 

facilitate a smooth takeover 

from the outgoing 

administration. 

The governor-elect made 

the announcement in a 

statement issued in Ilorin, 

the state capital, yesterday 

by his spokesman, Rafiu 

Ajakaye. 

The Chairman of the 80- 

member Transition 

Committee is Aminu 

Adisa Logun, an alumnus 

of the National Institute for 

Policy and Strategic 

Studies,NIPPS, Kuru. 

James Ayeni is the 

Deputy Chairman, while a 

one-time Permanent 

Secretary and former Clerk, 

Kwara State House of 

Assembly, Muhammad 

Razaq Umar, will serve as 

the Transition committee 

Secretary. 

Other members of the 

committee, according to the 

statement include the APC 

Chairman in the State, 

Bashir Bolarinwa; the three 

Senatorial District Party 

Chairmen; former 

governorship aspirants or 

representatives; party 

chieftains and elders. 

Also included in the 

committee are 

representatives of youth, 

women, labour, experts 

and professionals in 

different fields of human 

endeavour, including 

retired military and security 

officers. 

The statement noted that 

the broad representation 

reflected in the selection of 

the committee members 

demonstrated the avowed 

commitment of the Governorelect 

to fulfil his promise of an allinclusive 

government under the 

new APC administration in the 

state. 

Govt urged to partner stakeholders 

to provide potable water 


K WARA—FEDERAL 

and other tiers of 

governments have been 

called upon to partner with 

stakeholders to urgently 

address the problem of 

acute shortage of potable 

water across the country. 

The Executive Director of 

Kwara State based Springs 

Health Initiative, 

Bamigboye James, who 

spoke while addressing 

stakeholders at the 

celebration of the General 

Assembly on Water 

Sanitation and Hygiene in 

collaboration with United 

Nations, UN, International 

World Water Day, 

expressed concern that 

over 120million Nigerians 

had no access to decent 

means of defecation. 

He contended that recent 

reports and data of near or 

absence of portable water 

for citizens had caused 

untimely and avoidable 

deaths to many innocent 

Nigerians due to no fault 

of theirs, describing the 

situation as unacceptable.

EMINENT statesmen from 

the North and South of 

Nigeria publicly endorsed the 

candidature of Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar in this year’s 

presidential election. Leaders 

of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, 

the Northern Elders Forum, the 

Middle Belt Forum, Afenifere 

and Ohanaeze Ndigbo came 

together under the umbrella of 

the Leaders and Elders Forum 

of Nigeria and gave their 

collective backing to the 

presidential candidate of the 

Peoples Democratic Party. They 

said Atiku “demonstrated the 

deep understanding of the 

critical needs of the country at 

this time and possesses the 

capacity to proffer clear 

solutions in that respect.” The 

former vice president, the 

elders concluded, was the only 

candidate who could "retool 

Nigeria on the path of 

development as a true federal 

entity”. 

They were right. I too warmed 

to Atiku’s candidacy. Over 

many years of contributing to 

public discourse on Nigeria, I 

have advocated three main 

ideas - political restructuring, 

free market economy and wider 

institutional reforms - as the way 

forward. So for me, only the 

candidate with credible 

intellectual and policy 

commitments to root-andbranch 

economic, political and 

institutional reforms could lead 

Nigeria. Well, Atiku ticked the 

boxes. His manifesto document, 

entitled “My plan to get 

Nigeria working again,” was a 

masterpiece in policy reform 

ideas. In a country where policy 

Atiku’s 2019 bid: Between the 

messenger and the message 

analysis is shallow, Atiku put 

intellectual rigour into 

analysing and proffering 

solutions to what he rightly 

described as Nigeria’s 

“economic and political 

structural fault lines.” His 

economic vision was radical, as 

was his agenda for political and 

wider institutional 

transformation. 

Without a doubt, I preferred 

Atiku to President Muhammadu 

Buhari, whose socialist 

economic policies and stubborn 

resistance to political 

restructuring hindered Nigeria 

economically, politically and 

socially in his first term, and 

whose re-election “Next Level” 

manifesto was a road to more of 

the same. Unsurprisingly, Atiku 

was also the choice of 

international investors, who 

preferred his bold market-based 

economic reform agenda to 

Buhari’s dirigiste and antibusiness 

policies and actions. 

The Buhari government is 

arguably more hostile to 

businesses than any previous 

government in Nigeria - think 

of the arbitrary, 

disproportionate and punitive 

actions taken against foreign 

investors, such as MTN! At 

every international business 

event that I attended in Europe, 

the vibes and mood music were 

certainly in favour of Atiku, 

whose commitment to economic 

liberalisation, including 

privatisation, was 

Nigeria cannot be 

united and stable 

unless it's politically 

restructured; it cannot 

prosper unless it 

becomes a private 

sector-driven, open and 

competitive economy 

overwhelmingly preferred to 

Buhari’s statist and often 

ruthless interventionism. 

But I wasn’t starry-eyed about 

Atiku. I shared widespread 

concerns about his personal 

reputation. However, the bigger 

picture mattered more. For me, 

if Atiku could implement his 

wide-ranging and far-reaching 


institutional reform plans and 

set Nigeria on the path of true 


market economy and 

federalism, that would offset his 

alleged past misdeeds, which I 

hoped he wouldn’t repeat in 

office. Surely, Atiku was not a 

saint, but, compared with 

Buhari, he was, as I wrote in 

this column, “the lesser of two 

evils”! 

Well, the election has come 

and gone. Of course, the 

outcome remains controversial. 

The contest was widely 

predicted to be close. Few 

thought Buhari could wallop 

Atiku in the North or beat him 

by over four million votes across 

the country. To be sure, the poll 

was marred by serious 

irregularities, including the 

abuse of incumbency, and some 

have argued that Buhari’s 

massive votes in the North were 

inflated. But, as I once wrote, 

while there were significant 

irregularities in the presidential 

election, they did not materially 

alter the outcome, although 

there might have been some 

vote inflation. That said, the 

matter is now in court and we 

must await the verdict of the 

judges, who, in the interests of 

Nigeria’s democratic and 

political development, must do 

the right thing! 

Yet, here’s the point. Even if 

Atiku finally lost in court, he 

should be proud that he 

represented a real choice, a real 

alternative, in this year’s 

presidential election. He set an 

agenda for retooling and 

transforming Nigeria that 

cannot be ignored. Truth is, 

Nigeria cannot be united and 

stable unless it's politically 

restructured; it cannot prosper 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

unless it becomes a private 

sector-driven, open and 

competitive economy; and it 

cannot be an effective state, and 

make real progress, unless it 

transforms its bureaucratic 

institutions and tackle 

corruption through robust 

institutional means rather than 

a personalised rule. These were 

the reform programmes that 

Atiku set out in granular detail 

in his election manifesto. 

A long-standing advocate of 

political restructuring, Atiku 

argued, rightly, that “the 

Nigerian states have been 

reduced to parastatals of the 

Federal Government” and 

promised to devolve powers, 

responsibilities and resources to 

the country’s sub-units. On 

market reform, he promised “to 

pursue with vigour the 

deregulation and liberalisation 

of the economy”, including the 

privatisation of state-owned 

enterprises, notably NNPC. He 

set out an elaborate agenda for 

public-sector reform, and a 

robust institutionally-driven 

anti-graft strategy, including a 

set of “first 100 days in office” 

immediate actions. 

Let’s face it, Atiku lost the 

election largely because of 

negative perceptions about his 

integrity. But Nigeria must not 

throw away the baby with the 

bath water; it must separate the 

message from the messenger. 

For this country needs Atiku’s 


institutional reform ideas to 

prosper. What’s more, the ideas, 

particularly political 

restructuring, simply won’t go 

away! 

Importance of citizen participation in fixing Nigeria 

By Ndidi Uwechue 

In the face of all that is ailing Nigeria, 

It is so much easier to just sit and watch, and 

do nothing. 

It is so much easier to just sit and complain, 

and do nothing. 

It is so much easier to just sit and dream, and 

do nothing. 

It is so much easier to just sit, kneel or prostrate 

in prayer, and do nothing. 

HOWEVER it is citizen participation (or 

lack of), that shapes the current state 

and the future of any nation, including Nigeria. 

Clearly Nigeria has reached crisis point. What 

we, the people do now, or do not do now, will 

determine the kind of future we will have, and 

that our children and grandchildren will have. 

Even though we are from different 

backgrounds, have different educational 

standards, have different economic statuses, 

one major thing connects us all, and that is 

that we are Nigerians and, therefore, the state 

of the nation will affect us all one way or 

another. 

Citizen participation means that every one 

of us, even our children, can get involved in 

doing something that will make the living 

conditions better for all of us. In a democracy 

the power to change things is actually more 

with the people, and less with the politicians. 

However, most Nigerians do not know this! 

We think the power is with politicians because 

we have not been taking citizen participation 

seriously. But we can change that. 

Citizen participation gives every individual 

an opportunity to influence and change 

political, social, economic and public decisions 

and allows us to be an important part of the 

democratic decision-making in Nigeria. By 

citizen participation the people become part 

of the governance structure and can through 

the strength of people power actually direct 

governance! 

Nigeria’s democracy is still relatively young 

and still developing. We now need to add 

citizen participation into our lives, and this 

will make us use our power and our 

responsibility as citizens. 

There are many ways to effect citizen 

participation and it involves using some of 

your time in a cause that will benefit you, your 

family, your community and your country. 

Everything needs to be improved so we have a 

lot of citizen participation to do so that our 

children and their children can inherit a better 

country, and have a better quality of life. 

Our citizen participation does not end at 

voting for public officers but is an ongoing 

activity. After elections we then help in the 

governance of our country by things such as 

pushing for new laws that will improve our 

lives and our society, by forming pressure 

groups, by recalling lawmakers who are inept, 

by campaigning for policies and services that 

will make our future better, safer and more 

secure. 

We can look around us at our environment 

and public services to apply our citizen 

participation for the improvement of our 

country. We can use social media, 

communication media eg. WhatsApp, our 

phone videos and camera, newspapers, 

magazines, newsletters, the internet, town hall 

meetings, mass gatherings, etc to assist us in 

our citizen participation activities. 

In Nigeria our young democracy was 

hijacked early on by people who were 

unpatriotic, who had no concern for the people, 

but whose aim was to steal public money and 

spend it on themselves, their families and their 

friends. Although Nigeria has now become 

severely disabled by these corrupt leaders 

(politicians and civil servants) we still have the 

means to reverse the damage that was done to 

our people and our nation. However it will 

take our collective and determined effort 

through citizen participation. 

“...Ensuring that government actually works 

for the public good requires informed, 

organized, active and peaceful citizen 

participation. Citizens must, therefore, 

understand ideas about citizenship, politics 

and government. They need knowledge to 

Citizen participation is a 

pillar of democracy and is 

necessary for a 

sustainable democracy 

make decisions about policy choices and the 

proper use of authority, along with the skills to 

voice their concerns, act collectively and hold 

public officials (i.e., elected representatives, 

civil servants, and appointed leaders) 

accountable. ..” (National Democratic 

Institute, Washington DC) 

It has become the norm in Nigeria to talk 

about the three arms of government. These 

are the Executive (the Cabinet), the Legislative 

(the National Assembly), and the Judiciary (the 

Courts). 

However, in a properly functioning 

democracy there should be a fourth arm, and 

that is the people power through citizen 

participation activities. In order to fix Nigeria, 

this fourth arm of governance needs to bring 

itself out and become properly effective. 

Elections come around every four years and 

if the leader is bad too much damage will be 

done in that time, so voting power is just not 

powerful enough. 

This is why citizen participation which is an 

ongoing people power is essential for creating 

a pleasant country. Thus, every Nigerian 

(starting from secondary school age) should 

regularly contemplate these questions: 

•What is purpose of the government? 

•How important are my and others’ human 

rights? 

•How satisfied am I with the way the 

government is working? 

Every Nigerian (starting from secondary 

school age) should know at least in principle 

Clause 14 of the Constitution which states: 

(1) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be 

a State based on the principles of democracy 

and social justice. 

(2) It is hereby, accordingly, declared that: 

(a) Sovereignty belongs to the people of 

Nigeria from whom government through this 

Constitution derives all its powers and 

authority; 

(b) The security and welfare of the people 

shall be the primary purpose of government; 

and 

(c) The participation by the people in their 

government shall be ensured in accordance 

with the provisions of this Constitution. 

Citizen participation is a pillar of democracy 

and is necessary for a sustainable democracy. 

It means citizens performing their social 

responsibility of participation in governance 

as part of their civic duties. 

Citizen participation is both a duty and an 

honour. Nigeria is at crisis point, and our 

people are now ready for action through citizen 

participation. 

•Uwechue, a retired London Police Officer 

and a pro-social advocate, wrote from Ogwashi- 

Uku, Delta State

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY APRIL 4, 2019 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

ARIES; Better opportunities indicated for those of you willing 

to be as self assertive as possible, and it could turn out 

to be a happy day to be remembered by real lovers. 

TAURUS; Although you will need to keep your secrets for 

the next few days that is not to say you should not pursue 

your financial interest. Take care of your health. 

GEMINI; Don’t wait till tomorrow before you make an 

important move because good luck and success are closer 

to you today than you can imagine. Be hopeful. 

CANCER; Professional advice may be needed over your 

finances but if you are sure of what you are doing you can 

go ahead. Be more family minded. 

LEO; Some of you who are travelling purposely for love 

are in for a rewarding day. All of you will need to take your 

social life more seriously. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how 

far you can you fly.” -Take Heart Quotes- 

It takes more force to get an object moving than it does to 

keep it moving. Our lives are the same way. The most 

difficult part of making a change is to first get started. 

Once we do that, the momentum begins to build naturally, 

and it becomes a matter of time and patience. 

-Ella Randle- 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

When a king 

has good 

counselors, 

his reign is 

peaceful. 

~Ashanti proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

VIRGO; Unusual co-operation may come your way today 

but if you are carried away by this the whole thing may 

change soonest. Respect your spouse. 

LIBRA; Tomorrow will prove more rewarding financially 

but you will have good opportunity to do things rightly 

within your working arena. Be loving. 

SCORPIO; Although tomorrow may be your best day good 

opportunity to enhance your financial prospects will come 

your way even today. Try to be more practical however. 

SAGITTARIUS; This is your day when both your personal 

efforts and element of good luck will bring you much desired 

result. The more self assertive you are today the better 

for you. 

CAPRICORN; Tomorrow is your day; although there will 

be some challenges within your base of operation today, 

eventual success will be yours. Be more family minded. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

AQUARIUS; Even if friends have failed to live up to expectation 

in the recent days you will need to leave the past 

behind you and forge ahead. Lovers are fairly favoured. 

PISCES; Business challenges of yesterday notwithstanding 

pleasant surprises are possible. The more financially 

ambitious you are today the better for your cause. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

Who am I? 

Dear Joshua, 

Please keep my birth data secret, but I want you to analyse 

my horoscope bluntly so that I can know who am I; talking 

about my personality. Who am I ? 

Mike, Kano. 

Dear Mike, 

What you will find here under will prove useful if you 

take them seriously and utilise them. 

ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA/PLAN- 

ETARY PLACEMENT 

Aries that hosted the most important heavenly body (the 

Sun) together with indicator of mental focus lens-Mercury, 

is known for special leadership quality and higher 

degree of positive aggressiveness. Yes you were endowed 

with leadership talents which can manifest either in the 

business world or POLITICS and probably both. 

It is true that Aries can be very aggressive, but with many 

planets placed in more mild Star signs, with less than 

50% of push-full influence, loving Venus as most influential 

planet when you were born, certainly aggression of 

Aries is greatly water down to the minimum . That is not 

to say you are the timid type but yours is a balanced 

personality. You are gentle, honest and straight forward 

person. Preponderance of fixed and earth in your chart 

are pointers to the fact that you are the careful type who 

will not change his mind just for the fun of it. Then as 

peace loving Venus was the most influential planet when 

you were born, peace and harmony will always come 

first whenever you want to take any (important and/or) 

decisive action. 

Placement of mighty Sun (indicator of basic-self hood) 

the Moon (indicator of sub-conscious self/emotion) and 

the Stallion (that is more than two planets in one Star 

sign} in Aries, Pisces and Taurus respectively meant that 

basic characteristics of the three Star signs stated in this 

paragraph are highly pronounced in your inner-self.. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



GENERAL POLLS: Akwa Ibom APC, INEC 

in war of words 

NYSC boss visits Bayelsa, solicits security for Corp 

members 

Urhobo leaders pass vote of 

confidence on Emerhor, Adjogbe 

that he works under a accident on Oku-Abak 

“Strict, responsible and Highway. These lie 

knowledgeable Resident spinners had alleged in a 

By Festus Ahon 

By Harris-Okon evident through his Electoral Commissioner paid advert that they 

Emmanuel conduct of the election as whose public records are ‘’interviewed,” INEC 

A FORUM S A of B Urhobo 

A — 

evidenced in the collusion known nationwide.” drivers involved in the 

U 

Leaders of Thought, has 

YO—THE war of and connivance of INEC INEC in a statement said accident who were 

passed a vote of 

words between staff and ad hoc staff with said, “The allegations critically ill and 

confidence on Olorogun 

Akwa Ibom State chapter the PDP. 

are baseless and outright unconscious in the 

O’Tega Emerhor and 

of All Progressives ‘’Why is INEC being falsehood from the pit of hospital, who never 

acting Director of Projects, 

Congress, APC and asked to work on elections hell. The objective of these spoke to anyone and the 

EDP on the board of the 

Independent National materials weeks after the lies and their sponsors is to said drivers ‘’confessed 

Niger Delta Development 

Electoral Commission, results were declared and dent the image of the ‘’to tampering with ballot 

Commission, NDDC, Sam 

INEC, over the conduct of days after a petition against commission and cast papers of a particular 

Adjogbe, insisting that 

the 2019 general poll in the the results have been aspersion on my person party in the state. These 

both have made the 

state, still rages on. filed?” 

and office as the were also a pack of lies. 

Urhobo nation proud in 

For the umpteenth time, However, INEC Administrative Secretary, “I wish to state 

their various areas of 

APC has accused the dismissed the claims as by their cheap campaign of unequivocally again that 

endeavour. 

commission of tampering baseless and a cheap calumny. 

these allegations are false 

The forum in a statement 

with electoral materials campaign of calumny, ‘’It will be recalled that and should be disregarded 

by its Secretary, Alhaji 

ahead of the tribunal which aimed at casting the same lies were as the materials of the 

Mumakai-Unagha Aru, 

is expected to be aspersion on the person concocted when the commission have never 

said; “These two Urhobo 

inaugurated this Friday. of the Administrative commission’s vehicle been tampered with and 

sons have made the 

Specifically, APC accused Secretary, who has never carrying out a nationally are open for inspection if 

Urhobo nation proud in 

INEC’s Administrative been found wanting in authorized reverse logistics and when authorized by a 

their various areas of 

Secretary, Anthony Patta of the discharge of duty and duty was involved in an competent authority.” 

endeavour. 

being the originator of the 

“Emerhor has 

text message which ordered 

influenced the 

staff to report for duty on 

government of President 

Sunday for the purpose of 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

‘’cleaning up” the materials. 

appoint Urhobo sons 

The party spokesman 

and daughters in 

Eyongekere Nkereuwem 

strategic positions in 

said, “In the months 

the All Progressives 

leading to the elections, 

Congress, APC-led 

many notable Akwa Ibom 

administration. Emerhor 

people including APC 

is a boardroom guru 

itself had written to INEC 

with inestimable value. 

Chairman, Prof Mahmud 

Yakubu, requesting the 

redeployment of Mike 

Igini, the REC in the state 

allegedly because he is a 

deeply compromised 

electoral officer. The letter 

cited several cases of 

Igini’s actions and 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

statements which gave 

him away as being 

sympathetic and partial to 

W State 

ARRI—DELTA 

Chief 

Governor Udom 

Emmanuel and the RAFFLE DRAW: From left; Kolawole Ogunwunmi,Marketing manager redington 

Peoples Democratic Party, (Telco West Africa); Gift moses Eluwah, Store Manager, Slot Systems Limited, 

PDP. However, the request Citymall, Ikeja; Fayaz Ahammed, Sales Head, Retail, Nigeria, Redington-Apple 

was not granted. 

Business and Niyi Adeleke, Assistant Head, Enforcement Unit, National Lottery 

‘’The bias of Igini in Regulatory Commission during the 3rd SLOT-Phone-a-Car raffle draw in Lagos. 

favour of the PDP, was 

By Emem Idio 

Y ENAGOA— 

DIRECTOR 

General of the National 

Youth Service Corps, 

NYSC, Maj-Gen Suleiman 

Kazaure has described 

Bayelsa State as one of the 

volatile states in terms of 

security in the country. 

Kazaure spoke yesterday 

during his courtesy visit to 

16 Brigade of the Nigerian 

Army and the Bayelsa State 

Command of the Nigerian 

Police Force. 

According to him, the 

essence of the visit was to 

solicit more cooperation 

from critical stakeholders in 

Why PFN was neutral during 

2019 elections — EKWOK 

By Emma Una 

C PENTECOSTAL 

ALABAR— 

Fellowship of Nigeria, 

PFN, will continue to 

speak out against acts of 

injustice, ethnic conflicts 

and societal ills but will not 

adopt a political party as its 

chosen platform for 

members to contest or vote 

for during elections which 

was the reason it remained 

neutral during the just 

concluded elections. 

Dr. Lawrence Ekwok, 

Chairman of the Cross 

River State chapter of PFN, 

who stated this, yesterday, 

after his inauguration for a 

second tenure said PFN 

was an umbrella that 

accommodates diverse 

Christian churches whose 

members spread across all 

the political parties, 

therefore, it can only advise 

members to vote for those 

with the fear of God and 

proven integrity and not on 

party basis. 

“The last elections fell 

short of the standard of 

elections we have seen in 

this country in recent times. 

It may not be in all places 

but in most places and 

since the election matters 

are now in the tribunals, I 

cannot speak much on 

what I think the elections 

were until the cases have 

been decided,'' he said. 

the state, in order to ensure 

adequate safety of corps 

members, who are on 

national assignment. 

Recalled that hoodlums 

had on March 20, invaded 

a corps members’ lodge in 

Yenagoa, the state capital 

and killed two corps 

members and left several 

others injured. 

His words: “We want your 

cooperation to ensure the 

safety of these corps 

members and their lodges. 

Why I am saying this is 

because you are critical 

stakeholders when it comes 

to security. 

“Please, look after our 

children, there are our 

national assets. We 

discovered that Bayelsa 

State is volatile when it 

comes to security,” the DG 

said. 

In his remark, Major 

General Obinna Onubogu, 

Commander of the 16 

Brigade, represented by Lt- 

Col. Suleiman Abdullahi, 

Commander of the Brigade 

Garrison described NYSC as 

critical to national 

development. 

Onubogu commended 

the NYSC DG on his tour 

and pledged more support 

in order to improve the 

safety of corps members in 

the state. 

Mr Shola David, Police 

Commissioner in the state 

also assured the NYSC DG 

of Police commitment to the 

safety of corps members. 

“I assure you that cult 

attacking corps members 

will come to an end. In this 

state, cultism and drug 

related crimes are problem 

but we will get to the end 

of them,” he stated. 

“Engr Adjogbe, acting 

EDP of NDDC, has 

impacted lives of Niger 

Deltans and equally 

transformed the socioeconomic 

life of the area 

through the various 

developmental projects 

embarked upon by the 

commission. 

“All the communities in 

the Niger Delta are 

currently linked up with 

accessible roads, water, 

schools, electricity etc. 

With the EDP 

determination of making 

huge impact, we are 

confident that in the 

nearest future, the 

complain of the people 

will be a thing of the past. 

“We therefore, call on all 

to give the commission a 

peaceful environment to 

implement the policy of 

the commission so as to 

deliver the goal of 

democracy and President 

Muhammadu’s Buhari 

agenda for the Niger 

Delta people. 

“We as the Urhobo 

Leaders of Thoughts 

hereby, pass this implicate 

vote on these worthy 

Urhobo sons.” 

112 Delta Prisons inmates 

regain freedom 

Judge, Justice Marshal 

Umukoro, has released a 

total of 112 inmates from 

the Sapele, Kwale and 

Ogwashi-Uku prisons, 

saying the state 

government had set aside 

the sum of N7. 4 million to 

liquidate fines of convicted 

inmates. 

Among the inmates 

released was an alleged 

cancer patient. Justice 

Umukoro said he was 

touched by the pitiable 

condition of the patient, 

adding that it was 

improper to continue to 

detain the patient when 

he cannot be tried 

because of ill health. 

He also expressed worry 

over the way youths of 

between ages of 25 and 30 

years are involved in vice, 

blaming it on desperation 

for quick money. He 

appealed to youths to shun 

temptations to indulge in 

vice. 

His words: “The purpose 

of the prison visit is to 

reiterate government 

desire to ensure that 

persons awaiting trials do 

not spend their whole lives 

here. We must ensure that 

those here are remanded by 

court of competent 

jurisdiction have allegedly 

committed an offence 

known to law. 

“We shall also look at 

your health status, 

because it is the living we 

shall try. We shall also 

look at the ages of 

inmates because we do 

not want to support or be 

part of the process where 

juveniles are brought 

here. If we find such 

persons here, we shall 

release such persons or 

make an appropriate order 

for such individuals to be 

remanded in the remand 

home in Sapele,” he said. 

PDP candidate accuses elected Edo Assemblyman of 

certificate forgery...‘He should take his defeat in good faith' 


BENIN CITY—THE 

newly elected 

lawmaker representing 

Ovia North East 

Constituency I of the Edo 

State House of Assembly, 

Dumez Onaiwu Ugiagbe 

has been accused by his 

opponent, Nosa Omoregie 

of forging his Secondary 

School Leaving Certificate, 

alleging that he was not the 

person that sat for the 

examination. 

Omoregie, a Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

member alleged at a 

briefing in Benin City, that 

Ugiagbe of the All 


APC, was frustrating police 

investigation by writing a 

counter petition to the 

Inspector General of Police 

while he was yet to appear 

before the police in Edo 

State to respond to the 

allegation of forgery. 

But reacting, Ugiagbe 

denied the allegation, 

saying that Omoregie was 

a bad loser in the election. 

He said: “I own my 

certificate and the matter is 

already in court. He went 

to police and influenced 

one Blessing to write 

petition against me and as 

the matter is going on, they 

have not taken my 

statement, they say they 

have concluded their 

investigation. I don’t have 

confidence in the police 

here in Benin anymore, 

hence I told my lawyer to 

write to Abuja, so that the 

matter can be investigated 

properly. All he is saying is 

not true. The matter is in 

court and my lawyer is 

handling it. Since he has lost 

election, he should take it 

in good faith than raising 

issue of forged certificate.”


Police arraign herdsman 

over attempted murder 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

ABA—THE Abia State 

Police Command has 

arraigned a Fulani 

herdsman, Salisu Garuba, 

for the attempted murder of 

a woman, Esther Ibemecha. 

Garuba was arrested for 

cutting off Ibemecha’s four 

fingers at No 1 Pepples 

Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba, 

over alleged disagreement. 

According to Ibemecha, 

trouble started when she 

asked the suspect to move 

his cattle away from her 

business premises where 

she sells drinks. 

Confirming the 

arraignment of the suspect, 

Police Public Relations 

Officer, Abia State 

Command, SP Geoffrey 

Ogbonna said he was 

arraigned for murder and 

was later remanded. 

Ibemecha, who is 

currently receiving 

treatment at the Abia State 

University Teaching, 

ABSUTH, Aba, said she 

runs a beer parlour and 

hails from Asaga in Ohafia 

council area of Abia State. 

She pleaded for justice to 

be done and urged the 

government to come to her 

aid to offset her hospital 

bills. 

Abia election tribunal gets 

32 petitions 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—AT 

LEAST, 32 petitions 

have so far been filed at the 

Abia State election petition 

tribunal challenging the 

results of the various 

elections conducted in the 

State on February 23 and 

March 9, 2019. 

Four of the petitions are 

challenging the declaration 

of Governor Okezie 

Ikpeazu as the winner of 

the March 9 election. The 

petitions were from Alex 

Otti of the All Progressive 

Grand Alliance, APGA and 

Uche Ogah of the All 


Narrating how she 

cheated death in the hands 

of the herdsman at the 

hospital, Ibemecha said: 

“On Sunday March 31, at 

4:37pm, I was going to my 

shop at No.1 Peoples Road, 

Ogbor Hill. 

“I couldn’t pass or enter 

my shop because a 

herdsman with his cows 

blocked the way. I asked the 

herdsman to move the cows 

out of the shop area but the 

herdsman threatened to cut 

off my head. I thought it 

was a joke and insisted that 

the herdsman move his 

cow, but without a word, the 

herdsman hit me with a 

stick. As if that was not 

enough, he brought out a 

machete, trying to cut off my 

head. I defended it with my 

hand and it cut off my four 

fingers. People were not 

around. 

“When the herdsman saw 

that my cry has attracted 

attention, he ran away. I 

pursued him with blood 

flowing from my fingers 

and was shouting. I ran to 

the military checkpoint near 

the area and reported the 

incident and the soldiers 

went after him and arrested 

him and later handed him 

to the police.” 

APC. The others were from 

Kelechi Ogbonna and the 

candidate of Action Peoples 

Party. 

A further breakdown of 

the petitions showed that 13 

of the petitions are 

challenging the results of 

the national assembly, 

senate and House of 

Representatives, while 15 

are challenging the 

outcome of the House of 

Assembly election. 

Prominent among them 

is the one filed by Senator 

Mao Ohuabunwa 

challenging the declaration 

of former Abia State 

Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu as 

the winner of the Abia 

North Senatorial seat. 

Election Petition: SDP disowns its 

NASS candidate in Anambra 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—THE Social 

Democratic Party, SDP, 

has disowned the 

candidate of the party for 

Anambra Central 

senatorial zone, Mr. Tony 

Chukwuelue, who filed a 

petition against the 

declaration of Senator Uche 

Ekwunife as the winner of 

the February 23 poll, saying 

that Chukwuelue was not 

a member of the party. 

At a press conference 

addressed by officials of the 

seven local government 

chairmen in the zone, the 

party said Chukwuelue 

was not a candidate of SDP 

for the 2019 election and 

wondered why he should 

By Dennis Agbo 

E NUGU—ALL 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, senatorial 

candidate for Ebonyi South 

constituency, Prince 

file a petition in the name 

of the party against the 

winner of the election, 

Senator Ekwunife. 

SDP vice chairman for 

Anambra Central, Mrs. 

Angela Nwaneme, who 

spoke on behalf of the local 

government chairmen, said 

the party had previously 

obtained a court order 

restraining those who 

nominated Chukwuelue 

from parading themselves 

as officials of the party. 

The statement by the SDP 

officials read: “Our 

attention has been drawn 

to the purported election 

petition No. EPT/AW/01/ 

2019) filed against Senator 

Uche Ekwunife, by 

Chukwuelue through his 

lawyer, Mr. C. N. Nwagbo. 

Nwaeze Onu has 

petitioned the Inspector 

General of Police and the 

Chief of Army Staff over an 

alleged assassination 

attempt on him during the 

last National Assembly 

Two dead, 2 hospitalised after taking Indian hemp in Imo 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O WERRI—TWO 

persons suspected to 

be students of Federal 

University of Technology, 

Owerri, FUTO, 

Ugochukwu Kingsley and 

Aka Uche, both male, 

yesterday were confirmed 

dead after the police 

recovered India hemp and 

tramadol in their room. 

The incident was said to 

have happened at 

Sunshine Lodge in 

Ihiagwa in Owerri West 

Local Government Area in 

Imo State. 


Vanguard was told that 

the incident which 

happened on Tuesday, at 

about 10:30pm was 

reported to the nearest 

police division around 

12:00pm by the caretaker of 

the affected lodge. 

The other two persons 

whose names were given 

as Onyinyechi Okafor 

(female) and Richard 

(male) found in the said 

room have been 

hospitalised. 

When Vanguard called 

the Imo state Police Public 

Relations Officer, PPRO, 

Orlando Ikeokwu, he 

said: “This incident 

happened in their hostel 

and the person who 

reported the matter is their 

caretaker. Two boys were 

confirmed dead at the 

hospital. 

“However, there is 

unconfirmed report that the 

girl has died. The one I can 

confirm to you is that two 

were confirmed dead and 

that is the information from 

the DPO. 

“The two dead were 

Ugochukwu Kingsley and 

Aka Uche, both male, while 

others said to have been 

hospitalised are 

Onyinyechi Okafor 

(female) and one Richard 

(male).” 

However, when 

contacted, the Public 

Relations Officer, PRO, of 

the FUTO, Uche Enwelue 

said the institution had not 

confirmed whether the 

deceased were bonafide 

students of FUTO. 

Enwelue said: “We have 

heard the story but we are 

yet to confirm whether they 

are actually our students 

because we do have 

students from other areas 

coming to stay with their 

friends here. We will 

investigate to ascertain 

whether they are our 

students.” 

“In the said petition, 

which was filed at the 

National Assembly/ 

Legislative Houses Election 

Petition Tribunal, Awka, 

Tony Chukwuelue purports 

to be the SDP candidate for 

the Anambra Central 

Senatorial election in the 

2019 general elections held 

on the 23rd day of February, 

2019. 

“As local government 

chairmen and state vice 

chairman, central, of SDP 

in all the seven LGAs of 

Anambra Central, and 

knowing fully well what 

transpired in our party in 

the period leading to this 

election, we feel a sense of 

duty and obligation to set 

the record straight and 

correct the false claim by 

NEWS HOTLINES 

01-8773962, 

08052867058 

Tony Chukwuelue that he 

was a candidate of SDP for 


senatorial zone. 

“The truth is that Tony 

Chukwuelue was never a 

candidate of SDP in the 


senatorial election and he 

knows it. 

“He was never a member 

of SDP in Anambra and as 

a non member, he cannot 

be a candidate of our party 

as provided in our party 

constitution. 

“SDP never registered 

Tony Chukwuelue as a 

member; neither did it 

conduct any primary 

election to elect him to fly 

the flag of the party for the 

2019 Anambra Central 

senatorial District election." 

TRAINING: From left—Head, Legal and Regulatory, Ikeja Electric, Babatunde Osadare; Beneficiary, Miss 

Oni Timilehin; Head, HR/Sales Slot System Ltd., Ebenezer Okeowo; Another Beneficiary, Abi Peter; and 

Head, Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electrics, Felix Ofulue, during the commencement of a youth 

empowerment training, a CSR collaboration between Ikeja Electric and Slot Foundation, in Lagos, yesterday 

. 

Ebonyi APC NASS candidate, Onu petitions IGP, 

Buratai over alleged assassination attempt 

elections. 

In the petition, Onu 

accused Governor Dave 

Umahi of using fake and 

real security personnel, 

including thugs to unleash 

mayhem on him which 

almost resulted to his death. 

Onu contended that both 

the police and army 

deployed to Ebonyi State 

for the election failed to 

protect him from harm 

which he alleged the 

governor unleashed on 

him. 

He said the governor’s 

aides rained blows on him, 

just like “the governor also 

ordered his thugs in the 

following words- ‘kill him, 

nothing will happen, even 

the army is in my pocket.” 

Onu urged both security 

institutions to treat the 

matter with all seriousness 

it deserves, since he had 

before the incident written 

to the Commissioner of 

Police in Ebonyi State 

without any result. 

Onu lied —Umahi's 

aide 

Reacting to the allegation 

in the petition, the Chief 

Press Secretary to Governor 

Umahi, Mr. Emmanuel 

Uzor said: “The governor 

was on routine inspection 

during the day when 

suddenly, a gunshot was 

heard around the area. He 

was with the DPO of Uburu, 

his security details and 

some soldiers and they 

decided to find out what 

was happening. 

“On getting there, they 

discovered that he (Onu) 

was held hostage by some 

thugs who apparently 

wanted money from him 

over the failed election. 

“So, they decided to 

rescue him and took him to 

the police station. It has 

nothing to do with the 

governor. It is unfortunate 

that he is now claiming that 

he was attacked by the 

same people that rescued 

him.”


FINANCIAL LITERACY DAY: From left: Zonal Head, Operations, North Central, Ecobank, Sadiq 

Opeyemi; award winning students, Umar Ayatullah, Samuel Okoye, Zion Terlumun; Head, Corporate 

Banking, FCT/North, Ecobank, Salifu Isa; Area Manager, FCT 1, Ecobank, Ugwo Nkiru, and Officer, 

Development Finance Department, Ecobank, Awodola Oyeleye, during the Financial Literacy Day at 

Ahmadu Bahago Secondary School, Minna, Niger State. 

60% of N-West, N-East live in extreme 

poverty —Dangote •Kaduna attracts $500m in 

KADUNA— AFRICA’S 

richest man and 

President of Dangote Group, 

Aliko Dangote, yesterday, 

challenged leaders of the 

northern part of Nigeria to 

wake up from their 

sluggishness and provide 

leadership to lift the region out 

of extreme poverty and wants. 

Speaking at the fourth 

edition of Kaduna Economic 

and Investment Summit, in 

Kaduna, Dangote lamented 

that over 60 per cent of people 

of North-West and North-East 

live in extreme poverty. 

This came as Governor 

Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State 

said despite challenges the 

state faced in the last four years, 

it had been able to attract over 

$500 million investment. 

According to Dangote, if 19 

northern states had 10 

governors like Nasir el-Rufai, 

the region would be on the 

path to greatness. 

He said with the right 

investment in agriculture, the 

north would be an oasis of 

prosperity, noting that there 

was no country with such 

fertile and arable land with the 

level of poverty witnessed in 

the north. 

Dangote said: “Nigeria is 

bedeviled with many 

developmental challenges but 

with abundant capital,human 

and natural resources. Our 

country human 

developmental indicators rank 

poorly when compared with 

global averages. Nigeria is 

ranked 157 out of 189 

countries in the areas of 

human development index. 

“While the overall social 

economic consideration in the 

country is a cause for concern, 

the regional imperative is in 

fact very alarming. In the 

north western and North 

eastern parts of Nigeria, more 

than 60 per cent of the 

population live in extreme 

poverty. 

"It is instructive to know that 

the 19 northern states, which 

account for over 54 per cent of 

the country’s population and 

70 per cent of its landmass 

collectively generated only 21 

:Vanguard 

News 

per cent of the total sub national 

Internally Generated 

Revenue in 2017. 

“Northern Nigeria will 

continue to fall behind if 

respective state governments 

do not move to close the 

development gap and that is 

why we are always saying that 

the biggest challenge we have 

and what we are always 

praying for is to have 10 

governors like Mallam Nasir 

el-Rufai. 

“Closing this gap requires 

multi layer investment and 

government will not be able 

to muster the needed funds. 

Only private sector can raise 

the amount of capital required 

to find the kind of investment 

required. 

"Government must create a 

conducive environment that 

will trigger a huge inflow of 

private capital into the private 

sector of the economy. 

"Private investment will 

create jobs and will go a long 

way to erase the challenge of 

unemployment and poverty. 

"As more people get 

employed, you will notice a 

sharp decline in some of the 

social vices now prevalent in 

our society. Kaduna State is a 

shining example of this. While 

several states are taking steps 

4 years —el-Rufai 

in this direction, only a few like 

Kaduna are making visible 

progress. 

Kaduna attracts 

$500m in 4 

years—el-Rufai 

Also speaking, el-Rufai said 

the state was able to attract such 

investment because all the 

bottlenecks associated with 

doing business in the state 

had been removed. 

The governor said the state 

judiciary played a key role in 

removing obnoxious laws, 

which made investment in the 

state almost impossible, 

adding: “We are now number 

one in the ease of doing 

business in the country. Our 

agenda is anchored around 

providing a conducive 

environment for private sector 

investment, the economy and 

create jobs. 

"Kaduna is the third largest 

state in the country in terms of 

population. We have a 

population of about 10 million 

people. Over 80 per cent of 

the population is below the 

age of 34. So the biggest 

challenge as a government 

and as a state, is job creation. 

“We, therefore ,embarked on 

Accept terms of scholarship or quit, 

Amnesty Office tells Admiralty varsity 

BENEFICIARIES of 

Presidential Amnesty 

Programme deployed in 

Admiralty University, Ibusa, 

Delta State for educational 

programmes have been 

urged to accept the terms of 

scholarship as applicable to 

the institution or vacate its 

premises. 

Special Assistant (Media) to 

Special Adviser to the 

President on Niger Delta in a 

statement, yesterday said: 

“This followed the rejection of 

sponsorship letters by some 

delegates offered admission 

by the university for the 

current academic session on 

the grounds that the 

centralised feeding 

:@vanguardnews 

arrangement by the institution 

is unacceptable to them. 

“Part of the conditions for 

offer of admission to its 

prospective students is 

compulsory provision of 

feeding by the institution for 

which the Amnesty Office 

agreed to pay N45,000 

monthly for their feeding out 

of N70,000 entitled to each 

delegate as In-Training 

Allowance, ITA. 

“Consequently, delegates of 

the Amnesty Programme on 

sponsorship at Admiralty 

University are to receive 

N25,000 monthly being the 

balance on their ITA, along 

with other entitlements. 

:@vanguardnews 

several policies and reforms 

that will make Kaduna the first 

choice for investment. We 

believe that while the 

government can provide the 

enabling environment for 

investment to thrive, it is only 

the private sector that can 

provide the jobs that our 

young people in Kaduna 

need. 

“In the last three and a half 

years of KADINVEST, we 

have attracted investments of 

over $500 million in local and 

foreign investments. 

"These investments have 

created directly or indirectly 

more than 100,000 jobs. It is 

still a drop in the ocean, but 

we have made some 

progress." 

In his remarks, President 

Muhammadu Buhari said his 

administration would accord 

priority to the implementation 

of the national economic plan 

to attract private sector to create 

jobs for the people. 

He noted that the business 

mogul and investor, Aliko 

Dangote, and other investors 

were already investing in 

agricultural sector “in line with 

our efforts to diversify the 

economy away from undue 

reliance on oil and gas.” 

“However, despite 

communicating and clarifying 

the development to our 

delegates at the institution 

during an orientation exercise, 

some of them decided not to 

accept the sponsorship letters 

offered them by the Amnesty 

Programme. 

“The Amnesty Office hereby 

advises its delegates at 

Admiralty University opposed 

to the institution’s feeding 

policy and rejected the 

sponsorship letters to vacate 

the school premises and apply 

in writing to the Presidential 

Amnesty Programme for 

redeployment to other 

universities for the next 

academic session." 

8th NASS urged to make 

tobacco regulations a legacy 

By Agbonkhese 

Oboh 

AS the 8th National 

Assembly, NASS, winds 

down, the lawmakers have 

been urged to be on the side 

of the people by approving 

and ensuring full 

implementation of National 

Tobacco Control, NTC, Act, 

2015. 

This will be a legacy they 

will leave behind, which will 

be a benchmark for the quality 

of their interventions and their 

stand on matters of national 

importance in the last four 

years. 

A rights activist and public 

commentator, Emmanuel 

Odinaka, threw the challenge 

in a statement, noting that “for 

the average Nigerian, the 

physical and mental health of 

the citizens come first, which 

is why the public health 

community has, in the last 

four years, championed 

strong advocacy for the full 

enforcement of the NTC Act, 

to regulate the manufacture, 

advertisement, distribution 

and consumption of tobacco 

products in Nigeria. 

Recall that NTC Act 

domesticates the World 

Health Organisation’s 

Framework Convention on 

Tobacco Control, WHO- 

FCTC, which Nigeria signed 

in 2003, ratified in 2004 and 

was eventually signed into 

law by former President, Dr. 

Goodluck Jonathan, on May 

28, 2015. 

Meanwhile, in his 

statement, Odinaka said: 

“The more technical aspects 

of the law, which would close 

loopholes currently being 

exploited by tobacco 

corporations to incorporate 

innovations in marketing 

their lethal products to 

minors, provide frameworks 

for effective warning 

messages on tobacco packs 

and provide details for the full 

implementation of the Act in 

the enforcement of position 

of smoking in public places 

among others, are still 

awaiting the approval of the 

National Assembly. 

“The Regulations, when 

passed, will provide 

technical and operational 

guides that ensure the 

effective implementation of 

the tobacco control Act. It will 

clear all ambiguities and 

provide details for rules and 

procedures. 

Group lauds el-Rufai over 

appointment of Usman as School 

of Health Sciences provost 

By Chioma Obinna 

PRESIDENT 

of 

Environmental Health 

Officers Association of 

Nigeria, EHOAN, Mr. 

Samuel Akingbehin, has 

lauded Governor Nasir el- 

Rufai on the appointment of 

Dr Suleiman Usman as the 

new provost of Shehu Idris 

School of Health Sciences 

and Technology, describing 

it as “a bold step towards 

better health service 

delivery in the state.” 

Akingbehin said the 

governor had demonstrated 

his belief in merit and 

competence in sustaining 

his achievements in 

governance.. 

According to him, “the 

appointment of Usman, 

Chairman of Kaduna State 

branch of EHOAN, is a 

commendable decision by 

the governor of Kaduna 

State, Malam el-Rufai, to 

encourage the availability 

of quality health personnel 

for the state and the nation. 

"Usman is a rare breed 

environmental health 

professional. He is a round 

peg in a round hole. It 

shows the sincerity of the 

governor in ensuring high 

productivity through the 

appointment of qualified 

and competent hands in 

important positions." 

Edo College 1966-70 set elects 

Momodu president 

PROFESSOR Momodu 

Momodu has been 

elected President of Edo 

College, Benin Class of 

1966-70. 

Professor Momodu who is 

the Dean of College of Law, 

Crescent University, 

Abeokuta, was unanimously 

elected at the Class reunion 

in Benin. 

Also elected were Dr. 

Emmanuel Odigie, Vice 

President; Mr. Pascal 

Osigbemhe, General 

Sceretary; Mr. Chris 

Ighodalo, Assistant General 

Secretary; Prof Benjamin 

Igbinosa, a former Deputy 

Vice Chancellor, Ambrose 

Alli University, Ekpoma as 

NEWS HOTLINES: 

08052867023, 08052867058 

Treasurer; Mr. Gbenga 

Oni-Olusola, Social and 

Publicity Secretary, and 

Professor Gabriel 

Egharevba, a Professor of 

Chemistry as Assistant 

Social and Publicity 

Secretary. 

Mr. Sunny Okunzuwa, a 

retired Director of Accounts 

at the University of Benin 

Teaching Hospital, UBTH, 

was elected auditor. 

The elected executive 

will hold office for two 

years. 

The exco had been 

charged with organising 

the 50th anniversary of the 

class graduating from Edo 

College in 1970.



08052202308 (sms only) 

Workers reject private sector takeover of 

public healthcare system 

•As MHWUN re-elects Biobelemoye President 

Stories by Victor Young 

FEW days ago, members of 

Medical and Health Workers 

Union of Nigeria, 

MHWUN, through their delegates 

across the country, 

gathered in Abuja, the Federal 

Capital Territory, for the 10th 

National Delegates' Conference, 

NDC, to take stocks on 

the state of the union in the 

past four years. 

One of the high points of the 

conference was the re-election 

of Josiah Biobelemoye, as 

president of the union for the 

second term of four years. 

He was unanimously reelected 

by the members 

alongside 25 other national 

officers. 

Accepting the new challenge, 

Biobelemoye pledged 

to move the union to a greater 

height, and also to pursue 

only the needs and legitimate 

aspirations of members, while 

galvanizing all the resources 

and efforts to move the union 

to the next level. 

No to privatisation 

Earlier, addressing guests 

and delegates, Biobelemoya 

said: “The nose-diving 

healthcare delivery system has 

deteriorated to the extent that 

it is embarrassing to look with 

nostalgia how Nigeria was 

once the hub of healthcare 

where neighbouring countries 

once considered the Mecca for 

health pilgrimage. What obtains 

at the moment is massive 

health tourism of those who 

can afford better healthcare 

delivery outside the shores of 

this country. 

“This embarrassing state of 

the once celebrated health sector 

has been bedeviled by poor 

management that the country 

is witnessing high level of 

brain drain of personnel to 

other countries where the environment 

of operation is attractive. 

Many factors have 

conspired to cast a very 

gloomy and dark cloud on the 

horizon in the Nigerian health 

care delivery system, prominent 

among which is the attempt 

by government to lean 

towards the policy of the capitalist 

west to privatise health 

institutions, especially Tertiary 

Health Institutions. 

“The privatisation train has 

made efforts to justify its implementation 

by insisting that 

privatisation, Public Private 

Partnership, PPP, and all its 

corollaries in commercialisation 

and concessioning as well 

as outsourcing, are necessary 

to curb incessant strikes in the 

health sector which they erroneously 

believe remains the 

*President of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, Josiah Biobelemoye, 

President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and another member of the 

union at the conference 

bane of good health care delivery 

in Nigeria. If the business 

of government is to provide 

for security and the welfare 

and well being of its 

citizenry, then privatisation of 

the health industry as being 

saliently canvassed by the 

managers of the health systems 

in Nigeria, would not 

provide the answer.” 

Destruction of health system 

Biobelemoye advised 


Buhari to look beyond medical 

doctors and appoint 

technocrats in health 

administration as Ministers of 

Health in his second tenure. 

According to him: “What has 

destroyed the health system in 

Nigeria is the government’s 

mistake of handing over the 

management of the health 

system to a powerful minority 

of the health team to the exclusion 

of the large majority of the 

team members. When a Minister 

of Health, Minister of State 

for Health and until recently, 

Permanent Secretary of Health 

and almost all departments are 

managed by one profession to 

the exclusion of other professionals 

in the health care delivery 

system, there can be no 

FG assures of decent work environment 

THE Federal Government 

has pledged continuous 

promotion of decent work environment 

in line with the 

provisions of the International 

Labour Organisation, ILO. 

The Permanent Secretary, 

Ministry of Labour and Employment, 

William Alo, stated 

this in Abuja when he received 

the National Women Commission 

of the Nigeria Labour 

Congress, NLC, led by Mercy 

Okezie, on an advocacy visit 

to the Ministry on the adoption 

of the ILO Convention on 

harmony; turbulence and inefficiency 

shall continue to thrive. 

“As an immediate action to put 

confidence into Nigerians, the 

appointment of Ministers of 

Health must not necessarily be 

to only health professionals to 

halt politics of exclusion that has 

taken tap roots in the ministry. 

We believe the appointment of 

non-health professionals as 

ministers, or the mixing of 

appointments of both doctors 

and other health professionals 

as ministers will boost the confidence 

of stakeholders that this 

present administration has come 

to terms with the problems of the 

sector and is determined to proffer 

solutions to them. 

“In the long run, we advise the 

revitalisation of the healthcare 

delivery system by returning the 

management of health 

institutions to hospital 

administrators who have not only 

been trained for such functions 

but also possess the professional 

attitude to manage these 

institutions without fear or favour 

of any professional group.” 

Widening inequality 

Declaring the conference open, 

President of Nigeria Labour 

Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, 

faulted Federal Government's 

Violence and Harassment in 

the World of Work. 

He said Nigeria had always 

eschewed all forms of discrimination 

and negative attitudes 

in the work place, with adequate 

laws forestalling such 

practices, and had always 

keyed into the ILO provisions. 

According to him: “Nigeria 

is ready, willing and determined 

to show more commitment 

to making the work environment 

conducive for every 

Nigerian worker. If the work 

environment is conducive, 

plans to reduce the salaries of 

certain categories of public 

workers, insisting that it was the 

bogus pay package of the 

political class that should be 

reduced. 

He lamented that the “inequality 

gap between the rich and the 

poor in Nigerians is getting 

expanded. Whereas in other 

countries, it is the rich that 

subsidise for the poor but in our 

case, it is the poor that subsidise 

for the rich. Every month before 

we are paid, our salary is 

deducted and we pay the commensurate 

tax. What is central is 

for our system to bring about 

equity and fairness. 

“When I hear them say that 

they will review the salary of 

workers that are earning high, 

the right thing to do is to review 

the bogus salaries of politicians 

so that we can be at the same 

level. In other climes, the 

increase of salary to all classes of 

workers in the society is done 

based on certain indices, either 

inflation or cost of living index. 

If you are increasing the salary 

of political office holders, you 

must also look at the same percentage 

for the salary of workers. 

We generate the wealth of 

our nation and must be partakers 

of the wealth we create.” 

friendly, accommodating and 

protective, it brings peace, love 

and understanding. So, the 

advocacy is timely because we 

need to do more.” 

He pledged the commitment 

of government to supporting 

the ILO Convention on Stopping 

Gender-based Violence 

and Harassment of Women 

and Men in the World of Work, 

emphasizing the relationship 

between an enabling work 

environment, productivity, 

and economic growth. 

NUPENG 

confirms Afolabi 

Gen-Sec, names 

3 dep scribes 

NIGERIA Union of 

Petroleum and Natural Gas 

Workers, NUPENG, has confirmed 

Olawale Afolabi as its substantive 

General Secretary with 

immediate effect, having acted 

for three months. 

This came as it equally elevated 

three of its Principal General 

Secretaries to Deputy General 

Secretaries effective April 1, 2019. 

They are Otite Precious 

Onohwohwo, Deputy General 

Secretary (Operations), Anthony 

Chukwu, Deputy General Secretary 

(Finance/Accounts) and 

Christopher Akpede, Deputy 

General Secretary 

(Administration). 

A statement by the union's President, 

Williams Akporeha, said 

Afolabi confirmation and promotions 

of Onohwohwo, Chukwu 

and Akpede, were done by the 

National Administrative Council, 

NAC, of the Union. 

According to the statement, 

"Afolabi is a seasoned unionist 

and technocrat who has been in 

active service for over two decades 

in NUPENG, in the areas of 

management, training/education, 

alternative dispute resolution, 

and negotiations. He is very 

replete with the creation, development 

and launch of existing viable 

operations with robust, deep 

and ingenious ideas. 

"His skills in Industrial Relations, 

general management and 

organizational development were 

acquired and nurtured over the 

years in various roles since he 

pitched tent with NUPENG, 

where he spent bulk of his career. 

Before this latest milestone in the 

Union, Afolabi was diligent in handling 

the Education and Training 

of the rank and file of the Union 

and was a founding member of 

Nigerian Labour Movement 

Educators Forum. Also to his 

credit, many Union leaders and 

branch officials cut their trade 

union teeth through his numerous 

training and workshops." 

The statement added that "there 

is no doubt absolutely that these 

men will bring their wealth of 

experiences and knowledge to 

bear in these new tasks." 

*Olawale Afolabi, now 

NUPENG' s substantive General 

Secretary.


japhdave@yahoo.com 

08066625505 

*A scene from the play 

How obnoxious law against 

women led to The Wives Revolt 

By Japhet Alakam 

THE venue was Agip Recital 

Hall, MUSON Centre, 

Onikan and as expected, as 

early as 2.00 pm, theatre lovers 

were already seated at the 

purveyor of the hall waiting for 

the 3.00 pm, time for opening of 

the gates for the play, Our Wives 

Revolt, a drama piece by Prof. J 

P Clark that took the audience 

back to the good old days when 

men were the lord in their 

homes and the women were just 

there. 

The play which had a 

command performance on 29th, 

and later two sessions on 31st 

was performed as part of the 

activities marking the monthlong 

celebration of Women and 

was put together by African 

Radio Drama Association, 

ARDA. 

As one entered the hall, the 

setting spoke volumes of its 

originality as carved chairs, mud 

houses, moderated lights and a 

makeshift acting area 

constituted the homely theatre 

ambience for the play. The local 

voice of the women of the city 

set the mood for the play which 

begins with the appearance of 

Okoro, Koko’s husband. Okoro, 

equipped with the gong, 

announces the enforcement of a 

new law banishing goats in the 

oil-rich Erhuwaren village. 

That law sparks a feud in the 

community between the men 

and the women as the latter are 

the owners of these forbidden 

domestic animals. The law is 

considered repressive by the 

women. Already, the sharing 

formula for the oil wealth has 

been in three parts namely: the 

elders, men of particular agegroup 

and women. The women 

reason that the elders are the 

men and the implication is that 

the menfolk hold the two-thirds 

of the oil revenue. Hence, the 

women plan to make men their 

“domestic animals.” In their bid 

to be heard, they deserted their 

homes and their children, 

leaving their husbands to do the 

domestic chores such as cooking, 

sweeping and other menial 

tasks that the men would 

otherwise treat as abomination 

for the masculine gender. The 

women travelled all the way to 

Eyara while expecting to be 

quickly recalled by their lonely 

husbands. But their husbands 

who felt a bit of what women 

do at home are prepared for the 

worst. At Eyara, the women are 

accommodated and cared for 

by Ighodayen, a notorious 

prostitute where they contacted 

a disease. 

There are only three major 

characters in this drama, 

making the story easy to follow 

from the outset. It clearly 

dramatises the injustice the 

women suffer at the hands of 

their men. Unlike in traditional 

times, when the fairer sex had 

to swallow whatever males 

gave them, the wives (and 

even the mothers of the men) 

of the Erhuwaren don’t take 

‘no’ for an answer. They know 

how to fight for their rights. 

Okoro represents the deepest 

kinds of misogyny: when men 

don’t help their women to do 

the chores, don’t give their 

wives enough money for food 

and yet complain the soup isn’t 

tasty. Or those who beat up 

their partners in a drunken 

state and cap it all by accusing 

them of crimes they haven’t 

committed (Chinelo Oputa). 

Koko, the wife of Okoro, 

conveys female dynamism: the 

living version of the saying, ‘as 

you make your bed, so you will 

lie on it’. If you want peace, 

they’ll give you peace. But if 

you want trouble, they’ll neither 

spare you nor themselves. 

Idama, the friend and peer of 

Okoro, is the human conscience 

struggling to create a balance 

between a man’s longing to 

satisfy himself and the need to 

do so without offending anyone. 

Speaking after the play, ARDA 

executive director and the 

executive producer of the play, 

Alison Data Phido who stated 

that the play demonstrated the 

fact that an idea by the women 

can change the society, however, 

said that the choice of the play 

was first to honour men and 

women who have been fighting 

inequality in the society and to 

honour an icon of literature, J P 

Clark now that he is alive for his 

contributions to the literary 

world. 

Ikorodu, Lagos, Oladele 

Medaiyese exposes the 

intrigues, pains and struggles 

of a nine-year-old Julia Aleem 

whose bright life abruptly 

becomes blank due to the 

constant molestation from her 

stepfather. 

She calls him daddy, a 107- 

page non-fiction novel reveals 

the reality of the modern times 

where quest for survival by 

parents more often than not, 

leaves the children to sexual 

abuse and molestation by 

pedophiles who most times are 

close relations. 

Julia, once the bright and 

cheerful Basic five pupil had her 

life turn upside down the 

moment her mom left her in the 

care of her stepfather, having 

gotten a job two years after her 

husband’s demise in an 

accident. 

Chapter one titled: Julia 

carries a burden, captures the 

readers’ curiosity of two 

opposite lives; that of Olivia 

Ighodalo and Julia. While the 

former feels a sense of trust, 

‘Africans must tell their own 

story’ — Prof Eghagha 

Medaiyese’s She calls him daddy exposes pains of an abused child 

W 


hat happens when that 

once vibrant child 

becomes moody, unassuming 

and detached? What happens 

when a cheerful baby becomes 

melancholic, deviant and 

lonely?“ These and other 

issues are what Oladele 

Medaiyese interrogates in his 

new book titled: She calls him 

daddy. 

In the small coffee table book 

published by Elim 

Pharmaceutical Limited, 


NIGERIANS have been called 

upon to promote Africa’s 

dexterity, peculiarities and diversity 

in whatever way they choose, for 

the development of the nation. This 

was the submission of scholars who 

spoke during the presentation of 

the book, International Sisi Eko, a 

collection of short stories put 

together by staff and students of 

English Department, University of 

Lagos. 

Speaking at the launch held in 

the Board room, Faculty of Arts last 

week, Prof. Hope Eghagha, HOD, 

English Department, who 

alongside Prof. Karen King- 

Aribisala edited the book, pointed 

out that the need for Africans to tell 

their stories informed the writing of 

the book published by Kachifo 

Limited, under its Prestige Imprint. 

On his part, veteran writer 

and poet, Odia Ofeimum, congratulated 

the students especially 

the women who contributed 

to the literary work. According 

to him, “the women 

who managed to contribute are 

in the first class, they managed 

to sit down to write despite the 

distractions. They should be celebrated.” 

Odia who cautioned 

them not to let their efforts be a 

one-off thing but a life time 

enterprise, stated that what the 

English department is doing is 

filling the gap that some publishing 

organisations are not filling. 

“Maybe we are not writing 

enough. We have a culture to 

enjoy something and not pay for 

it. A contributor to a book is 

entitled to an honorarium,” he 

added. 

At the event that also had the likes 

of Dr Rebeun Abati among others, 

former Commissioner for 

Education in Delta State 

noted that “ The truth is 

that Africans must tell 

their story. We should not 

allow another man tell our 

story. And we should not 

enter our house through 

another man’s door. *Prof. Hope Eghagha(l), Odia Ofemum(m) 

“When you tell your and others during the presentation. 

security and independence 

due to her liberal family 

lifestyle of shared value and 

love through communication, 

the latter reveals that of a 

broken, timid and insecure 

child caused by collapse in 

communication, lack of 

affection and bond in the 

family. Worse still, Julia’s 

deviant actions to draw her 

mother’s attention to her 

suffering proved abortive. 

Other chapters: An adventure 

with strangers; Lost but found; 

A storm gathers; Will this trap 

work? Trouble brews for Mr 

Akume; Stepfather in hot water; 

and Police cell gets new inmate; 

all take one into the life of an 

abused child’s desire for escape 

from a pedophile, the inherent 

lack of trust and lack of the will 

to live due to perceived fear of 

threats from the molester; the 

power of friendship and 

communication in the form of 

Julia being able to overcome her 

fears and intimidation through 

the efforts of little Olivia with the 

help of her family. 

story, you convey your pains, joy and 

celebration and you do not just 

communicate your weakness, but 

your strength as well. So what we 

have done is tell the the story of 

Lagos as we have experienced it as 

it has been said that Lagos has a 

spirit, a mystic that holds and seizes 

you. We have looked at Lagos from 

different perspectives. And having 

students and staff collaborate to write 

this piece is a thing of joy. We are 

happy with the calibre of people that 

came to grace the occasion and the 

success it recorded,“ he explained. 

The piece of art, a collection of 16 

stories has the following titles: I fixed 

it by Lola Akande; The Long Night 

by Paschal Nwankwo; Lucky by 

Chris Anyoku; Gabriel in Egbeda 

by Sola Ogunbayo; Mamman the 

Party Man by Hope Eghagha; The 

Thin Line Between by Bosede 

Afolayan; Two face by Tope 

Larayetan; and Two-Way Streets by 

Abayomi Folaranmi and others. 

Prof. Eghagha who expressed joy 

that the book has become a reality, 

said call for entries were poor as 

people did not believe that 

publication of International Sisi Eko 

was possible. 

“As I said earlier, the book arose 

from a class workshop and it took 

six to nine months to get it published. 

We provided themes and the 

contributors perfected their art 

during series of workshops and 

meetings before the final draft was 

approved. Hopefully, we are going 

to have volume two soon. 

“So what we have done is to look 

at Lagos from the international 

perspective through the eyes of 

locals. Surprisingly , we had more 

female entries and the response was 

poor as people did not believe we 

can publish.” 

In addition, the role of 

education and counselling come 

into play as displayed by Mrs 

Efe George, class teacher to 

both Olivia and Julia, whose 

teaching on body parts ignited 

Olivia’s passion to help her 

friend. 

For the author, parents 

especially mothers’ 

watchfulness and close 

observation would do a lot in 

saving their children and help 

them to break the silence. This 

can be achieved through 

building up communication, 

friendship and trust as seen in 

the family of little Olivia. This 

is not forgetting the place of 

sex education in the life of 

growing children who 

normally ought to start at home. 

She calls him daddy apart 

from few typographical errors, 

is an engaging book for 

everyone as its language is 

simple, clear and concise. And 

the inclusion of appendix add 

to the beauty of the work of art 

as readers especially children, 

get the opportunity of learning 

new words.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 —39 

My son thinks his father 

is dead - Tonto Dikeh 

Following the severe attacks controversial 

Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has been under ever 

since she changed her son, Andre’s surname from 

Churchill to her maiden name, Dikeh, she has publicly 

revealed that the child believes his father, her 

estranged husband, Olakunle Churchill, is dead. 

Reacting to a critic who condemned her decision to 

change her son’s surname, Tonto, who has in recent 

times been taking bold swipes at her now estranged 

husband, Olakunle Churchill, because according to 

her, she has been performing both motherly and 

fatherly duties all by herself, without any form of 

support from Churchill, noted that their son doesn’t 

even know his father is still alive. 

“The fact remains that he still has Churchill’s 

blood running in his veins”, the critic simply 

identified as Prime Godswill attacked Tonto, to 

which she responded saying; “The fact remains 

he thinks his father is dead.” 

This revelation from Tonto has sparked off 

speculations that the actress may be doing quite 

a bad job as both mother and father to her son, 

as she has since denied his father access to his 

son ever since their unfortunate separation. 

Why I 

celebrate 

women with 

an annual 

concert 

- Aramide 

In commemoration 

of 

the 

International 

Women’s Day, the 

celebration of 

women who have 

done exploits in 

their professional 

fields and have in 

one way or the other 

given back to society, 

afro-soul/Jazz singer, 

Aramide thrilled delighted 

guests to a night of 

musical conversation at 

the 2019 edition of 

‘Songversation with 

Aramide’ which recently took 

place at Terra Kulture. 

At the event which was also 

sponsored by Wema Bank and 

top brands such as Mouka Foam, LIRS, 

MTV Base and many more, Aramide told 

E-Daily why she decided to celebrate 

women with an annual concert. 

“I started Songversation With Aramide 

to support and celebrate women. There 

was a time, women were unappreciated, 

our voices were silenced and our actions 

were ignored even when we tried but 

today the narrative is gradually 

changing. Women can successfully fill 

strategic positions without questioning; 

attain positions in politics and other 

spheres of life. We are finally getting the 

appreciation we deserve. And we can 

only do this by holding each other’s 

hands and genuinely support each 

other. Songversation With Aramide is 

my own quota in supporting and 

celebrating women. That’s why it 

holds in March, the month that 

celebrates women all around the 

world. Songversation is having 

conversations through songs. Sharing 

experiences written about especially 

since I’m a story teller. Also, discussing 

topics that help push women forward 

as well”, she noted. 

•Aramide 

Aba women’s riot resonates 

in movie ‘1929’ 

Film One distributions and 

Viensa Productions have 

teamed up on a new film titled 

1929 which is set to hit cinemas 

from April 2019. 

The historic drama movie which 

has received positive response and 

engagements from cinema lovers 

is based on the true life story of the 

historic travails and riot in the 

eastern region of Nigeria in 1929. 

The movie stars Nollywood 

veterans; Sola Sobowale, Ireti 

Doyle, Sam Dede, others include 

Becky Odungide, Ndy Akan, Lois 

Ikpaha, Uduak Odungide, 

KedianaAbasi Kam, Emman 

Etukudo, Emmanuel Owuala, 

Nancy Bassey, Enobong Ekwere 

and many more. 

The movie chronicles the story 

of the Ikot Abasi, Opobo women 

unrest of 1929, which claimed the 

lives of many women protesters 

across the eastern part of Nigeria. 

The women; mostly traders and 

farmers, protested against the law 

that made it compulsory for all the 

women in the Opobo division to 

pay a percentage of their worth as 

taxes to the colonial government 

in the division. This protest against 

the law, escalated into a full blown 

violence that claimed many lives. 

Speaking with the producer, Ndy 

Akan on the decision to make this film, 

she said; “Many people believe that 

the 1929 women’s riot took place only 

in Aba. This movie will help shed light 

on the fact that women from different 

provinces in the eastern region of 

Nigeria played a very important role 

to put a stop to the imposition of tax 

on women. This is a film that will take 

you back in time and as such help you 

think, feel, laugh and learn. It will also 

serve as a point of reference for research 

and broaden people’s knowledge on 

the historical event of the year 1929. 

•Casts of the movie 

•Tonto Dikeh 

•Ruggedman 

Ruggedman to lead 

protest against SARS 

brutality tomorrow 

Sequel to the alleged brutal killing of one Kolade 

Johnson, an innocent young man reported to have 

been indiscriminately shot dead by men of the Nigeria 

Police Anti-Cultism squad, veteran rapper, 

Ruggedman, has announced that on Friday, April 5, 

he would lead a protest aimed at putting a stop to 

police brutality on innocent citizens. 

“As we push for a better Nigeria where all citizens 

are safe to move around without feeling 

threatened by supposed security personnel, we will 

be having a walk in Ibadan on Friday by 8:30am, 

join us. Lend your voice to end SARS”, he said. 

Hopefully, the walk which is scheduled to take 

place in Ibadan, beginning from J Allen Junction, 

beside Zenith Bank, Dugbe, Ibadan, at 8:30am, 

will force the Inspector General of Police’s hand to 

wade into the matter as soon as possible. 

Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer, 

Lagos State, DSP Bala Elkana, has 

assured that perpetrators of the 

dastardly act will be brought to 

book. 

“Police team led by 

Commissioner of Police, Lagos 

State, CP Zubairu Muazu, 

MNI, on Monday, paid 

condolence visit to the family 

of Kolade Johnson, 

reassured his family that 

justice must prevail.” 

In his remarks, the 

Commissioner of Police 

condemned the action of 

the members of the Anti- 

Cultism team suspected to 

have carried out the 

shooting and reiterated 

his commitment in 

ensuring that justice is 

done in the matter. He 

stated that the men 

suspected to have carried out 

the shooting have been 

apprehended and subjected to 

internal disciplinary 

procedures. He revealed their 

names as Inspector Ogunyemi 

Olalekan and Sgt. Godwin Orji, both attached to Anti-Cultism Squad. 

Singer, Bankole Wellington, a.k.a Banky W, expressed gratitude to the 

police force for swinging into action and equally informing the public of 

their actions. 

“Thank you for keeping the public informed. Please also keep us 

informed as to what those internal disciplinary procedures are”, he said. 

Nollywood actor, Oliver 

dies in car accident 

Barely a few days after the 

sudden death of 

Nollywood actress, Ishola 

Monsurat Olabisi, a.k.a 

Bisket, another Nollywood 

actor, LinChung Oliver, a.k.a. 

Silvanus, a popular actor in 

the Basorge Tariah produced 

sitcom, ‘Do Good’, has died 

after a fatal car accident on 

his way back to Lagos from 

Akwa-Ibom, where he went to 

bury his mother. 

Basorge Tariah, announced 

the actor’s death yesterday 

on his Instagram page. 

“My Heart is so heavy right 

now. I am in a dark and 

painful place. Tragedy is a 

euphemism. We just lost 

Silvanus of ‘Do Good’. My 

dear brother was returning 

from the burial of his 

mother when death 

added my friend to 

his mean account. 

RIP. These 

tears won’t 

stop flowing. 

I’m so 

speechless and so 

sad. You were such a lovely 

soul. You smile, you play and 

never complained. You leave 

a vacuum that most of the 

world cannot fill. I will miss 

you so much, it burns my 

heart. Sleep! Sleep great and 

awesome Talent. Sleep.” 

Oliver is widely referred to 

as LinChung and Sylvanus 

for his role in Basorge Tariah 

Jnr produced series, ‘Do 

Good’. He once worked at 

Star FM on a radio program 

alongside a few 

other comedians. 

His death makes 

it the eighth in 

Nollywood 

since January 

2019. 

•Oliver


NASS leadership: There 

we go again! 

HERE he goes again’’ 

‘Twas the defining phrase 

of the 1980 U.S. presidential 

election. Ronald Reagan, 

governor of California and the 

Republican presidential 

candidate deployed it 

dexterously in gibing his 

Democratic opponent, 

incumbent President Jimmy 

Carter. 

But it is a political phrase that 

concentrates my mind today as 

the national chairman of the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Comrade Adam 

Oshiomhole, huffs and puffs 

about the leadership of the 

nintth Senate. It is déjà vu 

because Nigerians have lived 

through the present situation 

where the executive arm of 

government arrogates to itself 

the exclusive right of deciding 

who gets what in the system. 

We will come back to the 

meat of the matter shortly. 

Suffice it to say that 

democracy is a universal 

concept and Nigerians didn’t 

have to reinvent the wheel 

when they threw away the 

yoke of military rule in 1999 

and once again embraced 

Abraham Lincoln’s 

government of the people, by 

the people, for the people. 

In Montesquieu, the 18th 

century French political 

philosopher’s separation of 

powers concept espoused in 

his magnum opus, “Spirit of 

the Laws,” the need for the 

political authority of the state 

to be divided into legislative, 

executive and judicial powers, 

acting separately and 

independently, was brought 

into sharp focus. 

To limit the chances of any 

one branch usurping the core 

functions of another and to 

promote the liberty of the 

citizenry, Montesquieu said 

government responsibilities 

must be divided into distinct 

branches. Preventing power 

concentration limits the 

prospects of dictatorship and 

tyranny. 

John Adams, second U.S. 

President agrees. “It is by 

balancing each of these 

powers against the other two, 

that the efforts in human 

nature toward tyranny can 

alone be checked and 

restrained, and any degree of 

freedom preserved in the 

constitution,” he wrote. 

So, while the legislative 

branch is responsible for 

enacting laws and 

appropriating the money 

needed to run government, the 

executive is responsible for 

implementing the laws and 

the judiciary is responsible for 

interpreting the constitution 

and the laws. 

To avoid anarchy which will 

be the consequence of absolute 

separation of powers, 

Montesquieu moderated his 

view with the principle of 

checks and balances which 

creates a healthy balance 

when each arm acts as a check 

on the powers of the other two. 

Back to the issue at hand, the 

endless quest by the executive 

arm of government since the 

era of President Olusegun 

Obasanjo to foist leaderships 

on the National Assembly 

affronts the principles of 

separation of powers and 

checks and balances. 

In his desperate bid to 

dominate the political 

landscape, Obasanjo 

deviously manipulated the 

election of the president of the 

4th Senate in 1999 leading to 

the dramatic upstage of Chuba 

Okadigbo by Evan Enwerem, 

former Imo State governor. But 

it was a pyrrhic victory. 

Enwerem was in office for only 

It is sheer 

power grab and 

a recipe for 

crisis for the 

executive 

branch to 

unilaterally foist 

leaders on the 

legislature 

six months before stepping on 

the axiomatic banana peels. 

But Okadigbo's ascendancy 

did not deter Obasanjo who 

wilfully reduced the Senate 

presidency to a game of 

musical chairs as he himself 

was sacked in August 2000 by 

81 to 14 votes following an 

internal investigation into 

contracts awarded by the 

Senate leadership instigated 

by the presidency. 

In eight years of Obasanjo’s 

presidency, five Senate 

presidents - Enwerem (Imo), 

Okadigbo (Anambra), Pius 

Anyim (Ebonyi), Adolphus 

Wabara (Abia), Ken Nnamani 

(Enugu) - emerged from the 

South-East. With the 

exception of Okadigbo, the 

other four were foisted on the 

Senate by the executive. Most 

of them were also pulled 

down from their high perch by 

the machinations of the master 

puppeteer. The National 

Assembly suffered grievous 

instability. Nigeria was the 

worse for it. 

The House of 

Representatives did not fare 

better though the lawmakers 

in the Green Chamber were 

more robust in their rejection 

of such impositions. At the 

state level, governors reduced 

the state Houses of Assembly 

to mere rubber stamps. 

After winning the 2015 

polls, APC decided to follow 

in the foolhardy steps of the 

PDP. But their imposition 

gambit backfired when the two 

chambers revolted by electing 

Bukola Saraki and Ike 

Ekweremadu president and 

deputy president of the Senate 

respectively while the lower 

chamber elected Yakubu 

Dogara and Yusuf Lasun 

speaker and deputy speaker. 

That revolt is what the APC 

apparatchik refer to as the 

2015 mistake which they have 

vowed not to repeat in 2019; 

the most trenchant voice being 

Adams Oshiomhole, the 

national chairman. “This time 

around we must ensure that 

we have a 

leadership 

of the 

National 

Assembly 

that shares 

the vision of 

t h e 

executive,” 

Oshiomhole 

told newly 

elected 

members of 

the House of 

Representatives 

at the Shehu 

Yar’adua 

Centre, 

Abuja last 

week. 

“Although 

we speak of 

separation of 

powers, 

there is only 

o n e 

government 

and unless 

the various 

arms pursue 

the same 

agenda it is 

difficult for 

t h e 

executive to 

realise its 

purpose 

because 

legislative 

backing is 

o f t e n 

required for 

t h e 

executive 

actions,” he 

added. 

Oshiomhole 

then spelt 

out in clear 

terms what 

the lawmakers must do to be 

considered loyal party men 

and women. “We have the 

numbers to produce the 

speaker and we will produce 

the speaker, who must be a 

member of the APC. We have 

the numbers to produce the 

deputy speaker and we will use 

the numbers to produce the 

deputy speaker, who must be 

a member of the APC. We have 

the number and we must use 

the numbers to elect a House 

leader who must be a member 

of APC. We have the numbers 

and we will use the numbers 

to produce a chief whip and a 

deputy whip who must be 

members of the APC.” 

There is nothing wrong with 

that position. Even in the socalled 

mistake of 2015, with the 

exception of Ekweremadu, 

whose election as Deputy 

Senate president was an 

'aberration', all other principal 

officers of the 8th Senate and 

even the House of 

Representatives were APC 

members. 

In spite of the constitutional 

provision that lawmakers shall 

elect from amongst themselves 

their presiding officers, the 

global norm is that the 

responsibility falls on the party 

with the majority. But the 

lawmakers must be allowed to 

choose such officers. It is 

insulting for the party 

leadership in the name of party 

supremacy or the executive to 

whimsically appropriate such 

responsibility. 

That can only lead to 

resentment and revolt as it is 

the case in the Ali Ndume 

challenge. APC’s penchant for 

politics of exclusion is the real 

mistake. It is sheer power grab 

and a recipe for crisis for the 

executive branch to unilaterally 

foist leaders on the legislature. 

APC’s 2015 mistake is not the 

fact that Saraki and Dogara 

emerged Senate president and 

House of Representatives 

speaker respectively. No! That 

was the necessary outcome of 

the real mistake – the incessant 

appetite to impose the National 

Assembly leadership from 

outside. Those who are 

favoured by such impositions 

will gloat but those holding the 

wrong end of the leadership 

recruitment stick will always 

kick as Ndume is doing now. 

Since APC has near absolute 

majority in both chambers, the 

wise thing would have been to 

allow the lawmakers to elect 

their leaders on the floor using 

their rules and regulations as 

a compass. If the party had 

allowed a free and fair contest 

in 2015, devoid of arbitrary 

exclusions, Saraki and Dogara 

may well have lost. 

APC under Oshiomhole is 

making the same mistake John 

Oyegun made in 2015 and the 

result may not be different. 

Even if the party succeeds this 

time in coercing the 

lawmakers to toe the nebulous 

party line, the victory may be 

pyrrhic.



NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

REFUND: NASS approved 

figures sent by Executive for 

Taraba, Delta states —SENATE 

ABUJA—The Senate 

has said that the 

letter by President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

the Red chamber in 

which he claimed that 

National Assembly’s 

approval for refunds to 

Delta and Taraba state 

governments through 

the issuance of 

Promissory Notes, for 

projects executed on 

behalf of the Federal 

Government was 

different from what the 

Federal Executive 

Council, FEC, approved 

and the reports in the 

media over the issue 

were wrong and must 

have resulted from 

misinformation to the 

President by his aides. 

Yusuph Olaniyonu, 

Special Adviser (Media 

and Publicity) to Senate 

President in a statement, 

yesterday, said that the 

“Senate approved the 

exact figures for Taraba 

and Delta states that was 

submitted to it by the 

Executive through the 

Ministry of Finance as 

stated on page 402 of a 

document entitled 

“Federal Ministry of 

Finance Submission of 

Federal Government of 

Nigeria Outstanding 

Liabilities to National 

Assembly, May, 2018. 

“The President had 

claimed in his letter to 

the National Assembly 

dated March 5, 2019 that 

“while FEC approved a 

total sum of N78, 601, 

631, 430.16 as 

reimbursement to Delta 

and Taraba state 

governments, the 


approved N90, 236,461, 

031.36, which is higher 

than the amount 

approved by the FEC. 

“The Senate will like to 

clarify that the 

breakdown which the 

Executive through the 

Ministry of Finance 

submitted to the 


showed that the 

outstanding liability due 

to Taraba State is N22, 

254,062,330.08 while 

that of Delta is N67, 982, 

Naira depreciates to 

N360.55/$ in I&E 

398, 701. 28 while the 

total for the two states is 

N90, 236, 461, 031. 36. 

“Therefore, the 


approved the figures 

submitted to it by the 

Ministry of Finance as 

approved by FEC for 

projects executed on 

behalf of the Federal 

Government. At no time 

did the executive 

forwarded the figure of 

N78, 601, 631, 430, 16 to 

us and we do not know 

where the President got 

that figure from. 

“We have decided to 

make this clarification in 

order to set the records 

straight and disabuse 

the minds of the general 

public. We believe the 

President must have 

been misinformed and 

misadvised by his aides 

while writing the letter 

he sent on this issue to 

the National Assembly,” 

the Senate stated. 

The naira yesterday depreciated to N360.55 

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

window due to a 59 percent drop in the 

volume of dollars traded. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window rose to N360.55 per 

dollar from N360.30 per dollar on Tuesday, 

translating to 25 kobo depreciation for the naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded yesterday 

dropped by 59 percent to $165.84 million from 

$405.12million sold on Tuesday. 

The naira, however, was stable at N359 per dollar 

in the parallel market. 

FEC okays N3.4trn promissory note 

to offset local debts, salaries 

•Approves N5.5b for 60,000 job creation programmme 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA —THE 

F e d e r a l 

Executive 

Council, FEC, yesterday, 

approved the 

establishment of a 

Promissory Note 

Programme worth 

N3.4trillion for the 

settlement of inherited 

local debts and 

contractual obligations of 

the Federal Government. 

Minister of Finance, 

Zainab Ahmed, disclosed 

this while briefing State 

House correspondents at 

the end of the weekly 

FEC presided over by 


Buhari at the Council 

Chamber, Presidential 

Suspended Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen (left) appearing as his legal 

team closed the defence of his case before the Code of Conduct Tribunal at Jabi, Abuja, yesterday. 

Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

Villa, Abuja. 

She said: “Today 

(yesterday), at FEC, I 

presented a memo 

seeking the approval of 

council for additional 

financing, the sum of 

$6.8 million sought as a 

loan from AfDB to 

finance inclusive basic 

service delivery and 

livelihood empowerment 

integrated programme 

for the rebuilding of the 

North-East. 

“There was a previous 

facility which included 

coverage of Adamawa, 

Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, 

Taraba and Yobe states, 

and some specific 

institutions were 

beneficiaries. But there 

is a Federal Science and 

Technology College in 

Lassa, Borno State that 

was one of the 

beneficiaries. But 

because of insurgency, it 

suffered severely. It 

could not be carried out 

because of the activities 

of insurgents. 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan “Now, what we are Continues from Page 5 

trying to do is to go back 

to the projects, to this 

particular institution to 

make sure we are able to 

rehabilitate the 

institution and also 

undertake a complete 

skill, training and 

educational project that 

will mitigate against the 

challenges that the 

institution has had. The 

facility is a concessionary 

loan. 

“It has an interest rate 

of one per cent and it is 

payable over a 30-year 

period and it has five 

years moratorium.” 

Also at the briefing, 

Minister of Budget and 

National Planning, 

Senator Udoma Udo 

Udoma said “One of the 

projects approved by 

FEC is the N-Power 

knowledge Multitrack 

Youths Empowerment 

Programme. Now, this 

programme targets 

12,000 young Nigerians 

between the ages of 18- 

25 years. It is meant to 

give them trainings as 

well as devices. 

“It will deliver to each 

of the 12,000 young 

Nigerians informed 

trainings which will 

enable beneficiaries 

build and imbibe 

Nigeria, 7 other nations home to 

world’s hungriest—UN 

Karlsen, made the 

remark in a statement, 

yesterday. 

He said: “Saving and 

protecting the lives of 

migrants and refugees, 

breaking the business 

model of smugglers and 

traffickers and providing 

legal pathways, while 

addressing the root 

causes of irregular 

migration and forced 

technical proficiency 

such as assembling, 

repairs, maintenance as 

well as technology skills 

and digital literacy 

across a wide range of 

electronic brands, 

products and technology 

which can be grouped 

into three areas namely, 

mobile devices, 

computing devices and 

commonly used 

electronic devices.” 

“It’s a programme that 

is open to all 

unemployed youths 

across the six 

geopolitical zones 

irrespective of the socioeconomic 

or educational 

background. It has a 

great to engage and train 

12,000 youths across the 

six geopolitical zones of 

the country. 

“The contract for this 

displacement are at the 

very heart of the EU’s 

policy.” 

Karlsen statement 

followed shortly in Lagos 

after the 64th chartered 

flights bringing back 

voluntary Nigerian 

returnees, arrived in the 

county. 

Insisting that the EU 

does not want to stop 

migration, he said: 

“What we want to stop is 

dangerous, unprotected, 

was awarded to Messrs 

Softcam Limited working 

with the officials of Social 

Investment Programme. 

It is a nine month 

duration. It will cost 

N259,000 per youth for 

the training and 

N207,000 for the work 

tools, the kits, the 

equipment. 

The total sum of the 

ecology projects was 

N15.3 billion. 

On his own, the 

Minister of State for 

Power, Works and 

Housing, Mustapha 

Shehuri said the council 

approved N6.17 billion 

for augmentation of the 

contract for the 

construction of Ikot 

Ekpene border in Akwa 

Ibom State, Aba-Owerri 

Road, Section 1, Phase 1. 

Shehuri, said that the 

contract was awarded in 

2012, but the 

augmentation had to 

come following some 

observations by the 

contractor. 

and exploitative forms of 

migration. Migration 

should happen out of 

aspiration, not 

desperation.” 

He noted that the EU 

was working in all areas 

of migration in Nigeria, 

including migration 

management, labour 

migration, irregular 

migration, return and 

reintegration, mobility 

and international 

protection.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


CONVOCATION: From left, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), 

Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe,Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Chairman 

of the Occasion, Chief Arthur Mbanefo and Pro-Chancellor of UNILAG, Dr. Wale 

Babalakin (SAN), during UNILAG’s 50th Convocation Lecture in Lagos. 

New curriculum needed for 

STEAM learning — OSINBAJO 

By Dayo Adesulu 

THE Vice President, 

Professor Yemi 

Osinbajo has called for 

the development of a new 

educational curriculum that 

emphasizes Science, 

Technology, Engineering, Arts 

and Mathematics. 

Speaking during UNILAG's 

50 th Convocation Lecture in 

Lagos, Osinbajo said: ‘’It was 

clear to us that we needed to 

devise an economic plan that 

prioritize developing a new 

educational curriculum that 

emphasizes Science, 

Technology, Engineering, 

Arts and Maths.’’ 

He said: ‘’Our technology 

agenda is premised on our 

new educational curriculum 

which emphasizes STEAM — 

Science, Technology, 

Engineering, Arts and 

Mathematics. We are currently 

developing that curriculum 

with the support of global 

players like MIT, Cisco, IBM 

and Oracle, a nationwide 

curriculum that incorporates 

21st century STEAM thinking: 

coding, design skills, digital 

arts, robotics, machine 

learning, and so on. The 

curriculum will cover primary 

to secondary education with 

the skills to thrive in 

technology.’’ 

The President, he disclosed, 

has directed that the Ministry 

of Education establish a 

technology and creativity 

advisory group, to work on and 

formulate policies, adding that 

he had held about three 

meetings so far. 

The Professor of Law also 

posited that providing and 

equipping the enabling 

environment for Learning is 

pivotal. He said: ‘’Conducive 

learning environments are 

crucial to motivate students 

and enhance learning. 

Classrooms, schools and other 

learning areas must be 

remodelled to reflect our 

national aspiration of growing 

a knowledge economy. ‘’The 

individualistic sitting models 

will need to give way to more 

collaborative models that 

inspire thought, creativity and 

teamwork. 

‘’There must be investment 

in the hardware, content and 

technology that will transform 

our classrooms to laboratories 

and workshops to give 

expression to STEAM.’’ 

To actualize the national 

objective of lifting Nigerian 

students’ skills quotient, he 

said, quality teaching is key, 

Our technology 

agenda is 

premised on our 

new educational 

curriculum 

which 

emphasizes 

STEAM — 

Science, 

Technology, 

Engineering, 

Arts and 

Mathematics. 

We are currently 

developing 

that curriculum 

with the support 

of global players 

adding, ‘’ Teachers need to be 

retrained and equipped with 

the skills and confidence to 

support digital literacy, 

functional skills training and 

STEAM learning.’’ 

According to him, the future 

for job creation and efficient 

and profitable businesses lies 

in innovation and technology. 

Speaking on what the 

administration of 

Mohammadu Buhari has done 

in that regard, Osinbajo said: 

‘’We have partnered with local 

and international tech 

companies and innovators, in 

the building of tech hubs, and 

promoting innovation. Our 

aim is to completely 

democratize access to 

innovation and cyber 

commerce and create jobs. 

‘’We have established hubs 

in collaboration with the World 

Bank and Lagos Business 

School, LBS on the climate 

change innovation hub . ‘’In 

Yola, the North East 

Humanitarian Hub. We are 

also in collaboration with Civic 

Hub promoted technology and 

innovation in universities with 

the students innovation 

challenge in the six 

geopolitical zones, and 

technology hubs in three. 

‘’Just this morning (Monday) 

I inspected the status of work 

going on on the Unilag hub. 

‘’BOI in response to the 

direction set by the 

government has launched a 

ten billion Naira tech fund.’’ 

He continues, ‘’I have 

personally visited several 

technology hubs across the 

country and several new 

technology businesses. Let me 

give you a few examples. 

Paystack is a safe payment 

system, which offers seamless 

money transactions between 

businesses and their 

customers. It was established 

in 2016 by two young 

Nigerian alumni of Babcock 

University; Sola Akinlade and 

Ezra Olubi. 

‘’Within the first three 

months of 2018 they have 

processed over N3billion and 

generate about 40billion 

annually for Nigerian 

businesses. ‘’The company is 

today powering over 9000 

How education alleviates Down's 

Syndrome in children — SCOLLARD 

By Ogbenefego 

Obaebor 

IN marking the World 

Down's Syndrome 

Day, Anthos House, 

Greensprings School 

authorities, teachers and 

parents celebrated with the 

children living with down 

syndrome. 

It was a common sight during 

the celebration held at Anthos 

House, Lekki, as participants 

wore colourful sucks to explain 

better the down syndrome. 

Speaking during the 

occasion, The Director, 

Greensprings School, Mrs Lai 

Koiki said it would be difficult 

to minimise people with down 

syndrome in the society, adding 

that down syndrome is got to 

do with the genes. She said,'It 

is a chromosome disorder and 

really it’s something that 

nobody is responsible for.' 

She urged the society living 

with people with down 

syndrome to show love by 

identifying with them and never 

lock them up. On her part, the 

Head of School, Anthos House, 

Lekki, Dr. Kimberley Scollard 

said to ensure that this kind of 

people are not neglected in the 

society, people need education 

to understand that the down 

syndrome society is a 

foundation all over the world. 

Explaining the significant of 

sucks wearing to mark the World 

Down Syndrome Day, Dr 

Scollard said sucks wearing are 

being use globally to convey the 

message. She said: ‘’You can 

wear identical sucks, you could 

wear different sucks, you can 

wear them inside you can wear 

them backward, you can wear 

them on your hands but at the 

end of the day, they are sucks. 

The same goes to children. We 

have a lot of children who are 

the same, look the same, act the 

same, children come in 

different shape and sizes, 

children comes with ability and 

businesses that did not exist 

two years ago, creating over 

25000 jobs. Paystack has over 

50 employees all under 35 

years old. 

‘’There is also Andela , a 

multinational company 

specializing in training 

softwar 

developers, co-founded by 

Nigerian born, Iyin Aboyeji. 

The company estimates that in 

the next 10 years, there will 

be 1.3million software 

development jobs and only 

40,000 computer science 

graduates to fill them. The 

company’s vision is to change 

the future of Nigeria and the 

African continent by 

developing talent and 

potential in Nigeria. The 

company today has 1000 

employees world wide.’’ 

Osinbajo, who described the 

number of out-of-school 

children in our country as 

massive, also decried its 

massive deficiency in girl 

child education. 

He said: ‘’Many of the 

problems especially of primary 

and secondary level vary in 

size from State to State. 

‘’Education at those levels are 

State matters. While the 

proportion of children out of 

school in the total population 

of the State is just 1.83% in 

Lagos, that of Gombe in the 

North East is 24.12%. ‘’In 

Anambra State, the proportion 

of children of school age out 

of school is 6.22% while it is 

55.59% in Bauchi State. These 

disparities also reflect to some 

extent the attention that the 

states pay to these issues.’’ 

disability but at the end of the 

day they are all children. 

In celebrating the World 

Down Syndrome Day, Mrs 

Dupe Ojo mother of 

Omobolanle Eri-ife Oluwa Ojo 

born with down syndrome said: 

‘’Omobolanle was born on the 

25th of June 2004 on a Friday 

at about 11.55 PM. Weight 2.2 

kg but dropped to 1.6 within 

3days of her birth. 

She was born like every child 

but she didn’t grow like every 

child. I knew something was 

wrong with her within 3days of 

giving birth to her but what it was, 

I didn’t know. But at 8months I 

was so sure all was not well with 

her. 

She never sucked the natural 

milk, didn’t sit until she was 

8months with lots of support 

because she was literally 

boneless. I mean you can fold 

her into two. She started crawling 

at almost two and didn’t walk 

Continues on page 43


Group Executive, Digital and Consumer Banking, United Bank for 

Africa(UBA), Anant Rao (Middle), with the 2019 UBA Campus 

Ambassadors during their Unveiling at the UBA Head Office in 

Lagos at the weekend. 

How education alleviates Down's Syndrome 

in children — SCOLLARD 

Continues from page 

42 

until almost three, so she 

could not start school. 

Thank God for my 

husband because he wasn’t 

seeing what I was seeing. 

He kept saying nothing is 

wrong with her. 

Oh! Yes! She is 

beautifully and wonderfully 

made. She is my God given 

princess. Being the only 

girl in the family. 

But she wasn’t just 

growing. Long story cut 

short as soon as she started 

walking I took her to school 

and when she eventually 

started, it was at her own 

pace. 

She is so pleasant, kind, 

caring and courteous. 

Bless God who made that 

out of her. 

She also had a 

challenge with her sight. 

She was always raising 

her head up before she 

could see a cup that is 

right on the floor. She 

couldn’t control her neck. 

Talking was also a 

challenge for her, words 

would not just come out 

of her cute mouth even 

when she tried hard! 

When she finally began 

to talk, it was not clear. I 

will say, En? “Say it again” 

this was to encourage her 

and God encouraged me 

too. 

I was fervent in prayer 

and anointed her 

regularly. I trusted God 

for a change in her life 

believing that God will 

improve her in her 

physique, health and 

mental. 

God has been faithful, 

Eri-ifeoluwa is an 

e x c e p t i o n a l 

child...perfectly made! 

Uniquely created and a 

testimony. 

Today she is a testimony 

I use to encourage every 

mother who birth such an 

exceptional child. 

One day my husband’s 

uncle invited me to his 

house at Omole phase 

one with Bolanle. When 

we got there, he took us 

to his next door 

neighbour who has a 

challenged child. I 

instantly became a 

motivational speaker. I 

encountered the woman 

to celebrate her child 

Oluwamayowa. Meaning 

God has brought me joy, 

to enrol him in school and 

always give glory to God 

for having him. Thank 

God Mayowa is doing 

great now. 

PRESIDENT 

of 

Azikel Group, Dr 

Azibapu Eruani has been 

honoured by the 

University of Port 

Harcourt, Rivers State for 

contributing towards a 

better society, bridging 

unemployment gap and 

for accelerating industrial 

growth in the state, the 

Niger Delta and Nigeria. 

Eruani, an alumnus, 

bagged 

the 

‘’Distinguished Alumnus 

Award” in Port Harcourt, 

alongside former MD of 

Diamond Bank, Dr Alex 

Otti and Ezinne Mrs. Joy 

Akate Lale. 

Presenting the award at 

32nd Convocation 

Ceremony/5th 

Chancellor’s Dinner and 

Award Night 2019 at the 

University of Port Harcourt 

Auditorium, the Vice 

Chancellor, Prof. Ndowa 

Lale said Eruani has 

made the institution 

proud by improving the 

lives of the people of the 

Niger Delta and Nigeria. 

Lale added: 

“Though not many 

would return to improve 

infrastructure as worthy 

alumni of their 

institutions, but Dr 

Eruani, a distinguished 

alumnus has continued to 

support the growth of the 

institution. 

“Dr Eruani, upon 

completion of MBBS 

degree in the University 

of Port Harcourt, further 

Here we are today 

Bolanle is not doing so 

badly, she is doing all 

thing through Christ who 

strengthens her. 

She can do a lot of 

things by herself now. 

She can read and write. 

She can see with the aid 

of her glasses. When she 

talks now, I ponder at her 

words with laughter. She 

is well mannered.’’ 

Eruani gets UNIPORT's 

Distinguished Alumnus 

Award 

•Dr Azibapu Eruani 

trained in the United 

States of America and 

became a member of the 

American Society of 

Family Medicine 

Practitioners.” 

Responding, Dr Eruani, 

thanked the Vice 

Chancellor and the 

management of the 

University for the 

recognition and honour, 

noting that as a product 

of society, “we must strive 

to contribute and make it 

a lot much better, even as 

he submitted that it is 

attainable with 

commitment, technology 

and the right 

individuals.” 

Eruani added that he is 

irrevocably committed to 

developing humanity, 

growth of industries and 

re-invention of a better 

Nigerian state that would 

grow her economy and 

remain self-reliant to 

guarantee the well-being 

and welfare of its citizenry. 

Blessing Omosebi, Sarah Onabanjo, Uchechukwu Fedricks and Emmanuel 

Anyanwu are producers of mobile solar traffic light, who also emerged best 

in Africa among the Junior Achievers African contestants 

4 Ajegunle students produce 

mobile solar traffic light 

•Emerge first in JAN Africa contest 

By Dayo Adesulu 

FOUR secondary 

school students 

from Caro 

Favoured Schools, 

Ajegunle, a remote area of 

Lagos State have produced 

mobile solar traffic lights to 

ease off traffic congestion 

on our roads. 

By this, the SS3 

students,Blessing 

Omosebi, Sarah Onabanjo, 

Uchechukwu Fedricks and 

Emmanuel Anyanwu have 

written their names among 

achievers. 

The quartet, three girls 

and one boy said the 

inspiration to produce the 

device was borne out of the 

incessant traffic congestion 

experience by motorists and 

commuters while going 

and coming from school. 

According to them, after 

they conceived the idea, 

there was practically 

nothing they could do to 

actualised their dream until 

they heard about the Junior 

Achievers of Nigeria. JAN 

is a non governmental 

organisation saddled with 

the vision of empowering 

students with ideas on how 

they can be useful to 

themselves and the 

community. 

Part of the functions of 

JAN, they noted was to 

financially empower the 

youth with ideas and also 

assist financially where 

necessary. 

They said: ‘’Having 

enrolled with JAN, the 

organisation was able to 

disclosed how we could 

generate and effectively 

manage wealth and create 

jobs for our communities. To 

our amazement, we were 

taught how to apply 

entrepreneurial thinking to 

the workplace and the 

necessary skills in securing 

our financial future. 

Speakingwith Vanguard 

in Lagos,Emmanuel 

Anyanwu said:‘’The 

problem of Africa is sum up 

by one word, 

transportation. Many 

people all over the world 

are looking for how the 

problem of transportation 

could be removed. That 

was why we created the 

mobile traffic light to ease 

off traffic and allow our 

society to be more proactive. 

Lamenting the untold 

hardship traffic congestion 

could bring to road users, 

she asked: ‘’How would 

you feel if you spend five 

hours on one hour journey 

all in the name of traffic 

congestion. ‘’How would 

you feel also if you hear that 

your child was involved in 

an accident all because of 

reckless driving? These 

problems could be solved 

Our 

product is 

powered by 

solar 

energy, 

such that it 

does not 

need 

electricity 

supply to 

function 

with functional traffic light. 

‘’Our product is powered 

by solar energy, such that 

it does not need electricity 

supply to function. Once 

there is sunlight, our 

product stores its energy 

which could serve the users 

for days depending on the 

usage. 

‘’After the creation of the 

device, we had contested 

with our fellow JAN in 

Africa Continent and came 

first. We are also looking 

forward to when we shall 

contest with other JAN 

globally. JAN which started 

in the United States of 

America is 100 years old, 

while in Nigeria we are just 

20 years today.’’ 

Meanwhile, the 

Executive Director of JAN, 

Simi Nwogugu who spoke 

during the unveiling of the 

product and announcing 

its 20 th Anniversary 

decried the uncertain 

future of our youth. 

She said: ‘’Every year , 

over one million would-be 

university students enter 

the workforce without 

tertiary education or 

appropriate training. 

‘’The inability of many 

young men and women to 

obtain the requisite STEM 

skills that are in high 

demand has rendered 

them unattractive to the 

21 st century employer. 

‘’This is why some of our 

programme will focus on 

digital to unlock its 

potential for the benefit of 

the country. ‘’We are more 

committed than ever to our 

mission of ensuring our 

youth have the 

values, skills and 

confidence to secure their 

financial future.

44 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

Ethiopian Airlines pilots followed Boeing’s 

emergency procedures before crash — Report 

PILOTS flying Ethio 

pian Airlines Flight 

302 initially followed emergency 

procedures that 

were laid out by Boeing before 

the plane nose-dived 

into the ground, according 

to preliminary findings 

reported in the Wall 

Street Journal. 

Citing unnamed sources 

familiar with the investigation, 

the WSJ reported that 

despite following the 

steps, which included 

turning off an automated 

flight-control system, pilots 

could not regain control of 

the Boeing 737 MAX 8. 

Earlier this month, the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

agency grounded 

all Boeing 737 Max planes, 

saying it had identified 

similarities between the 

Ethiopian Airlines crash 

and the Lion Air crash in 

Indonesia six months earlier. 

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 

302 crashed the morning 

of March 10 after taking off 

from Addis Ababa on its 

way to Nairobi, Kenya, killing 

all 157 people on board. 

Lion Air Flight 610 

crashed into the Java Sea 

in Indonesia on October 29 

People celebrate on the streets after Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika 

submitted his resignation, in Algiers, Algeria. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina 

after taking off from Jakarta. 

All 189 people on board 

died. Following the Lion 

Air crash, Boeing issued an 

“Operations Manual Bulletin” 

advising airline operatorshow 

to address incorrect 

cockpit readings. It 

pointed airlines “to existing 

flight crew procedures 

to address circumstances 

where there is erroneous 

input from an AOA (angle 

of attack) sensor,” a Boeing 

statement said. 

If confirmed, the findings 

reported in the Wall Street 

Journal suggest that following 

emergency procedures 

in the Boeing handbook 

may not have been 

sufficient enough to prevent 

a crash. The reported 

findings come from a preliminary 

report that’s required 

by the investigating 

authority to be produced 

within 30 days of an incident. 

The findings are not 

final and subject to change 

as the investigation continues. 

Other reported preliminary 

findings from data 

retrieved from the Ethiopian 

Airlines jet’s black box 

suggest that the flight-control 

feature, called the Maneuvering 

Characteristics 

Augmentation System 

(MCAS), automatically activated 

before the crash. 

The MCAS is a system 

that automatically lowers 

the nose of the plane when 

it receives information from 

its external angle of attack 

(AOA) sensors that the aircraft 

is flying too slowly or 

steeply, and at risk of stalling. 

Meanwhile, the main 

report of the crash would 

be out today. 

Algeria’s interim rulers 

under pressure for more 

change as Bouteflika goes 

*Ex-President asks for forgiveness 

ALGERIA’s caretaker government faces the pros 

pect of persistent popular demands for the removal 

of a scletoric ruling elite and wholesale reforms 

after ailing 82-year-old President Abdelaziz 

Bouteflika quit in the face of mass protests. 

“We want a president who understands what we 

want,” 25-year old Bouzid Abdoun, an engineer at 

state-owned energy concern Sonelgaz, told Reuters 

on Wednesday. “We want to live here, not to migrate 

to Europe.” 

Bouteflika ended 20 years in power on Tuesday 

after a final nudge by the military following six 

weeks of protests calling for democratic reforms after 

almost 60 years of monolithic rule by veterans of 

the 1954-62 independence war against France. 

That leaves Algeria extraordinarily in the hands 

of a caretaker government until elections in three 

months and with no successor in sight. 

However, protesters made quickly clear that they 

would accept no new president from “le pouvoir”, 

the popular nickname for the entrenched establishment 

of elderly veterans, business tycoons and National 

Liberation Front (FLN) party functionaries. 

“What is important to us is that we do not accept 

the (caretaker) government,” Mustapha Bouchachi, 

a lawyer and protest leader, told Reuters just before 

Bouteflika stepped down. “Peaceful protests will 

continue.” 

Ali Benflis, a former head of the ruling FLN party, 

said other leading figures should also quit, naming 

Abdelkader Bensalah, chairman of the upper house 

who is standing in for Bouteflika for 90 days, interim 

premier Noureddine Bedoui and constitutional 

council head Tayeb Belai. 

“The Algerian people have just closed one of the 

darkest chapters in the history of our country,” he 

said in a statement, calling the protest a “peaceful 

popular revolution” 

Protesters have brushed aside especially Bedoui, 

whom Bouteflika appointed on Sunday as his grip 

on power was fading. Bedoui is seen by many in 

the street as a stalwart of the ruling circles - as interior 

minister he oversaw elections which the opposition 

said were not free or fair. 

Algeria’s streets were quiet on Wednesday but the 

next test for the interim rulers looms on Friday, the 

day of the weekly mass marches since Feb. 22. 

Bouteflika’s exit is seen only as a first gesture for 

young Algerians demanding jobs in a country where 

one in every four under the age of 30 is unemployed 

in a highly statist, undiversified economy dependent 

on oil and gas exports. 

Meanwhile, Bouteflika has asked his country for 

forgiveness in a letter published by the Algerian 

Press Service. 

The ex- president said he was “proud” of his contributions 

but realised he had “failed in his duty.” 

Mozambique: Woman gives birth on 

mango tree during floods 

A 

woman gave birth 

on a mango tree 

while escaping floods in 

central Mozambique 

caused by Cyclone Idai. 

Single mother Amélia 

delivered her daughter, 

Sara, whilst clinging to the 

branches with her twoyear-old 

son. 

The family was rescued 

two days later by neighbours, 

following storms that 

have killed more than 700 

people. 

It comes nearly 20 years 

after another miracle baby, 

Rosita Mabuiango, was 

born up a tree during 

flooding in southern 

Mozambique. 

“I was at home with my 

two-year-old son when 

suddenly, without warning, 

the water began to 

enter the house,” she told 

the UN children’s agency 

Unicef. 

“I had no choice but to 

climb a tree, I was alone 

with my son.” 

*Amélia, who delivered 

her daughter, Sara, is 

seen here with the child 

Amélia and her newly 

extended family are now 

staying at temporary accommodation 

in nearby 

Dombe, and are reportedly 

in good health. 

Rosita Mabuiango, now 

aged 19, made international 

headlines after she 

and her mother Sofia were 

rescued by helicopter 

from a tree surrounded by 

floodwater. 

Speaking with local 

newspaper Mail and 

Guardian, Sofia said the 

birth was “very, very painful.” 

“I was crying, screaming. 

Sometimes I thought 

the baby was coming, but 

other times I thought it 

was because of hunger.” 

Biden vows to respect ‘personal 

space’ after allegations 

RESPONDING to complaints that he made 

s o m e 

women uncomfortable by touching them at 

political events, former Vice President Joe Biden 

on Wednesday released a video in which he 

pledged to be “more mindful about respecting 

personal space in the future.” 

Biden has not yet announced whether he will join 

the 2020 Democratic presidential field, but is widely 

expected to mount a bid in the coming weeks.

Vanguard, THURSDAY APRIL 4, 2019 — 45 

Raging battle for Ninth NASS 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

THE Ninth National Assembly 

will be inaugurated in exactly 

two months time but the tussle and 

jostle for the various positions in 

both chambers, especially the 

principal offices, are going on at a 

dizzying pace. While the 

leadership of the ruling All 

SENATE PRESIDENCY: PDP's plan to snatch majority status 


ABUJA-AHEAD of the 

inauguration of the 9th Senate, 

there are strong permutations by the 

opposition Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, to snatch the majority 

status from the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, APC. 

The PDP Senators as alleged are 

planning to replay the 2015 scenario 

by poaching 13 APC returning and 

new senators to forestall the 

emergence of Senator Ahmad 

Lawan as the President of the 9th 

Senate. 

It was gathered that the 

information leaked when two 

senators approached to be arrow 

heads of the plans felt uncomfortable 

and alerted both the party hierarchy 

and the campaign team of Senator 

Ahmad Lawan. 

According to a source, the two 

senators, a returning member and a 

fresher, are to lead PDP to their 

unnamed colleagues from 

Adamawa, Taraba, Ekiti, Bauchi, 

Gombe, Kano and Kebbi for their 

buy-in and subsequent 

implementation of the plan. 

Part of the plans as gathered is 

that PDP has designed a blueprint 

for their members to back a 

returning APC Senator from Gombe 

for the Senate Presidency with the 

support of the 13 APC Senators 

already pencilled down, with alleged 

mouth-watering monetary rewards 

that would see them through the 

resultant party blacklist while in 

office as well as their lives in 

retirement would be offered. 

It was further gathered that the 

two Senators said that although 

they were doubtful of the success of 

the PDP plans this time because most 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu 

BUJA-Erstwhile members of the 

AHouse of Representatives have 

asked political parties and other 

influential individuals to keep away 

from the leadership tussles between 

the lawmakers, saying it was their 

exclusive right to choose their 

leaders. 

The members, who spoke under 

the aegis of 'Faculty Board of 

Initiative', a group made up of 

serving and former members to 

promote core values of the 

legislature said that all external 

interferences in the House leadership 

election process would be 

resisted.“Briefing National Assembly 

correspondent on Wednesday, the 

Dean of the Initiative, Hon. Eseme 

Eyibo, former Chairman, House 

Committee on Media and Publicity 

in the 6th assembly said that the 

concept of the separation of powers 

and independence of the legislature 

must be upheld. 

He said that elections marked the 

end for party politics, stressing that 

governance has set in. 

Going down memory lane, Eyibo 

applauded the process that produced 

former Speakers Ghali N'abba, 

Dimeji Bankole, Aminu Tambuwal 

and Yakubu Dogara, saying it 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

appears to foot-drag on zoning the 

various offices, having emerged as 

the majority party, the opposition 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

seems to be waiting for a slip to 

make a kill from any commission 

or omission that could re-enact 

what happened in 2015 when the 

APC leadership's preferred 

•Lawan 

APC senators have made up their 

minds to support Senator Lawan for 

the position of Senate President and 

Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, 

Edo North for the position of Deputy 

Senate President. 

It is said that based on this 

development, the opposition camp 

is divided as a sizeable number was 

candidates did not win the Senate 

Presidency and House of 

Representatives speakership. Some 

of the aspirants have vowed to 

contest for the senate presidency 

and speakership regardless of the 

zoning arrangement of the APC 

leadership. 

Currently, no fewer than 17 

members-elect are angling to 

ready to support their candidate. 

On why he refused the offer and 

his readiness to support Senator 

Ahmad Lawan, the ranking Senator 

said: "At the moment, Lawan is the 

candidate to beat using well known 

international parliamentary best 

practices and parameters. All odds 

Keep off Reps' leadership tussle – 

Lawmakers warn APC, PDP, others 

typified the independence of the 

legislature. 

He insisted that members of the 

House of Representatives of the 9th 

National Assembly must be given 

the free land to elect their leaders, 

adding that Nigerians want a House 

leadership that must reflect the 

wishes of the people. 

He said: "There has to be a 

leadership recruitment process 

premised on certain qualities and 

these qualities must be the issues of 

the core values of the institution, 

acceptability and ability to galvanize 

the overall interest of the membership 

of the House of Representatives as 

represented by powers vested in it in 

according accordance with section 

4(1) of the Constitution. 

"We request the media to kindly let 

all the parties know that what we 

are saying from this end is that 

whoever desires to be or whoever is 

sponsored or whoever in the 

circumstance may become the 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, the leader or any of 

the leadership positions should be be 

able to the following. 

"Democracy is the issue of the rule 

of law and because it is so, whoever 

is expected to be the first among 

equals in the preservation and 

protection of the rule of law via the 

legislature must be somebody who 

is acceptable, who has a standard 

of behaviour, that will be able to 

carve a nexus between the governed 

and government, that will also 

become a bridge where there will be 

less conflict within and without. 

"Our responsibility and that of the 

constitution is to make sure that the 

legislature is not given a cloned 

leadership, something which bares 

the semblance of its true legislative 

identity is what we seek. 

"But to ensure that leaders are 

chosen by members from among 

themselves by themselves without 

any encumbrances of external 

interference. This essentially 

guarantees the principle of 

separation of powers which created 

the tripod upon which the three Arms 

of government rests. 

"The history of the leadership of the 

House is clear and unambiguous. 

So, whoever is coming into it newly 

must be able to know that regardless 

that time has changed yesterday, 

today still remains the flourishing 

future if this country and this 

country will ever be great if and only 

we allow this path of the 

independence of the legislature, the 

stability of the legislature and of 

course , separation of powers should 

be allowed to stay. 

become the next speaker just as 

Senator Ali Ndume is kicking 

against the party's decision to 

endorse Senator Ahmad Lawan as 

Senate President. 

Early in the week, Senate 

President Bukola Saraki and 

Speaker Yakubu Dogara said the 

independence of the legislature 

was non-negotiable adding that 

are in his favour in terms of 

experience in the administration of 

the legislature in this country. He has 

been in the National Assembly in 

the last 20 years. His achievements 

at the Committee level are 

unassailable. Remember the engine 

room of legislation is the Committee 

stage. Don’t forget he has a Ph.D.” 

According to the Senator- elect, 

the candidacy of Senator Lawan 

should not be opposed because “in 

all parliaments, be it in the 

Presidential System or 

Parliamentary System the world over, 

leadership or presiding officers 

emerge based on their experiences 

as leaders of the caucuses. Thus, 

when a party gains a majority after 

a general election into Parliament, 

the leader of the caucus of such a 

party in the legislature transforms to 

be the President or Speaker of such 

parliament in a seamless process. It 

is an established practice and all 

stakeholders should make sure we 

Hon Mohammed Umar Bago, 

45, APC, Chachanga Federal 

Constituency of Niger State, is a 

third timer in the House of 

Representatives. In this chat, he 

spoke on his ambition and why the 

North Central zone of Nigeria must 

produce the next speaker. He said 

on Tuesday that if the APC had 

zoned the speaker's position to the 

South-East he would not have 

bothered to run for the office. Bago 

disclosed this at a cocktail he 

hosted for new and returning 

House members in Abuja. "I won't 

be in this race in the first place if 

this position was zoned to the 

South- East because I will see 

equity in it but for it to be zoned to 

South-West there is no equity at 

all. 

"The vice president is from South 

West and you want the speaker too 

to come from Lagos, no that's not 

equity. "I am in this race because 

of this inequity that the North- 

Central has suffered for over 20 

years.'' While receiving leaders of 

the National Association of 

Nigerian Students NANS led by its 

President, Comrade Bamidele 

Danielson Akpan in his campaign 

secretariat in Abuja, yesterday, 

Bago said nothing will stop him 

from contesting for the seat."There 

is no retreat, no surrender. 

Honestly speaking, we are in for 

this game and it is nonnegotiable.” 

By Emman Ovuakporie 

What is your legislative agenda 

for the 9th House, if elected 

speaker? 

I have what I code named the Bago 

plan which covers virtually all the 

segments of government. 

My first strategy is to promote and 

deepen a robust relationship with all 

arms of government and stake 

holders. 

Secondly, there is going to be 

concerted effort to tangibly impact 

our constituents and constituencies. 

the lawmakers would choose their 

leaders, themselves, at the 

appropriate time. Below are the 

plans of some of the aspirants for 

the speakership position, and 

PDP's moves to get the upper hand 

in the National Assembly among 

other issues dotting permutations 

and posturing for the leadership of 

the Ninth federal legislature. 

act in conformity with the 

international standard in this 

respect." 

The Senator- elect, who has, 

however, called on other senators to 

engage topmost leaders of their 

parties on the need to allow 

international best parliamentary 

practices and the Rule of Senate 

guide the process of emergence of the 

Principal Officers, said: "They also 

discussed with us the revival of the 

“Like Minds Group” of 2015 and 

their various social media campaign 

of calumny, most especially their 

deliberate attempt to link a national 

leader of APC to the emergence of 

Senator Ahmad." 

The source said that PDP falsely 

maintained at the meeting that 

Ahmad Lawan would turnout to be 

a stooge of the APC national leader 

and that disinformation would turn 

the tide against the candidature of 

Senator Ahmad Lawan. 

REPS: I am aspiring to ensure 

equity, justice – Bago 

I will equally work towards an 

independent legislature free from 

rancour. I will promote an open and 

transparent legislature with 

legislative support for the fight 

against corruption, insecurity and 

revamping of economy. 

What are you going to do about 

obsolete laws that are fast 

rubbishing our democracy? 

That is also part of what we will 

look into and it is part of the Bago 

plan. Our electoral laws will be 

adequately overhauled to avoid 

inconclusive elections in future 

electoral processes. I will also ensure 

a harmonious working relationship 

with the National Assembly 

bureaucracy at all levels. 

It is said that your zone has been 

massively marginalised in the 

House of Representatives since 

1999, could this be the reason you 

are contesting? 

As you can see I do not have a 

godfather so I am going to operate 

from bottom to top. 

As for the marginalisation of my 

zone, the facts are there for you to 

see. We have never produced a 

speaker for 20years and in the last 

election we are rated third in terms 

of votes garnered for the party. 

If the position of speaker is zoned 

out of our zone then it is a glaring 

injustice to us. We have worked hard 

for our party. 

•Hon Mohammed Umar Bago

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

ONE CHANCE: 

Sarri begs Chelsea 

for one more 

chance to 

deliver title 

MAURIZIO SARRI has 

told Chelsea and his 

critical fans he will deliver a 

title challenging side if he is 

given one pre-season to work 

with them. 

Sarri’s future at Stamford 

Bridge is in doubt amid 

growing unrest among 

supporters who have turned 

on their manager this season. 

The 60-year-old has to 

deliver Champions League 

football next season or face 

the axe - with the club looking 

at Nuno Espirito Santo or 

Frank Lampard as potential 

replacements. 

But the Italian insists he 

CAN get the Chelsea squad 

firing - if he is finally given 

the chance to impose his 

methods on them on the 

training ground over one preseason. 

Chelsea’s bungling last 

summer in deciding the fate 

of ex-boss Antonio Conte 

meant their new manager 

had just two weeks with his 

players before the start of the 

season. 

He insists that was not long 

enough to overhaul the 

cautious tactics his stars were 

used to playing under Conte. 

And he is convinced he has 

the players to be able to fight 

for major honours. 

Sarri said: “I need to work, 

I think. And in the first 

season, it was impossible to 

work. 

“I think that, at the 

moment, we are not playing 

very well our football. We 

need to improve playing our 

way of football. So we are 

trying to do this, but it’s not 

easy. 

Juventus 

forward 

Cristiano Ronaldo has 

hailed the man 

management skills of his 

former coach at Real 

Madrid, Zinedine 

Zidane.Under the 

Frenchman, the Portugal 

international won three 

consecutive Champions 

League trophies, before 

departing to The Old Lady 

last summer.”I think Zidane 

knows how to handle the 

team in an intelligent way,” 

Ronaldo said in the 

documentary called ‘Zidane, 

Realement Madrid’ that 

RMC Sport 1 will broadcast 

on Wednesday.”it’s not an 

easy situation because all 

“It’s not easy, especially in 

the first season because we 

started to work only in the 

middle of July. 

“At the beginning of 

August, we played the first 

official match. Then we 

worked for a couple of weeks 

and then we started to play 

every three days. 

“So it’s not easy for me to 

play my football. 

“I think this squad can fight 

for honours next season, 

Pele, 78, admitted 

to hospital 

in Paris 

BRAZILIAN legend Pele 

was admitted to a 

hospital in Paris last night 

after he attended a 

promotional event 

with Kylian Mbappe. 

According to RMC 

Sport, the 78-year-old 

was taken to hospital 

with a strong fever 

“as a precaution”, 

but his condition 

is not believed to 

•Pele & Mbappe 

be lifethreatening. 

They state that he will continue to 

be observed by doctors over the next 

few hours. 

Both Pele and Mbappe were 

speaking in the French capital at an 

event organised by Swiss watchmaker 

Hublot. 

Pele is widely regarded as one of the 

best footballer’s of all time - helping 

Brazil win three World Cups between 

1958-1970. It’s not the first time the 

Ronaldo: Zidane knows 

how to handle Madrid in 

an intelligent way 

the players like to play a lot, 

but he knows how to work 

intelligently and he 

manages to involve all the 

team.”Sergio Ramos is 

another player that praised 

his current coach in the 

documentary, highlighting 

Zidane’s success over the 

years.”Zidane’s career 

speaks for itself, both what 

he did as a player and what 

he does as a coach,” he 

noted.”He found a way to 

transfer the talent he had as 

a player to his role as coach 

and manage a dressing 

room.”He does a fantastic 

and unique job, and the 

results are not a 

coincidence.” 

Super Falcons in Spain for two games 

A 

delegation of the Super Falcons of Nigeria, including 

24 players, have fully settled down in Spain as the 

African champions continue their preparations for the 8th 

FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Spain this summer. A 

number of the players left on Monday night while the rest 

of the delegation departed Nigeria on Tuesday. 

Having already taken in two matches at the China 

Tournament in Meizhou in January and four matches at 

the Cyprus Women’s Cup in February, the Falcons will play 

two matches in Spain, including a high-profile clash with 

the Canada Women National Team. 

They first play a first division club, UMF Selfoss today 

before the potentially –explosive encounter with the 

Canadians on Monday, 8th April. The matches will hold 

in the city of Murcia. 

•Sarri 

Santos 

icon has 

h a d 

health 

scares, 

after he 

w a s 

•Hazard 

because we have a lot of 

young players who can 

improve a lot in the future. 

“Callum, Ruben, 

Christensen... and so if they 

are able to improve, we will 

be able to improve as a team. 

•Pele 

placed in intensive care 

in 2014 after picking a 

urinary tract infection 

following surgery to 

remove kidney stones. 

While he was also forced to withdraw from 

the opening of the Rio Olympics in 2016 over 

his health, as well as collapsing through 

exhaustion in 2017 ahead of the Football 

Writers’ Association dinner in London. 

Speaking of Mbappe at the social function, 

Pele - who netted over 1,000 goals in his 

career - joked that the Paris Saint-Germain 

winner is trying to emulate him. 

He quipped: “I think he is envying me, 

that’s why he is trying to emulate me. 

“His style, the way he is playing, is Latino. 

Even Brazilian I would say. It’s a shame he 

did not play for Santos. But it’s not too late.” 

While Mbappe said of Pele: “Even with the 

goals in the playgrounds, goals on the 

PlayStation, I could never equal 1,250 (sic) 

goals. 

“It’s really a long way off. I’ll try and get 

as close as I can, but I think it’ll still be a 

long way off by the end of my career.” 

•Paul Bassey, receiving the Fair Play award at 

the NFF Awards Night. 

Messi leads 

Golden Shoe race 

with 64 points 

Following his brace against Espanyol last 

Saturday, Lionel Messi has reached 32 

LaLiga Santander goals and tops the Golden 

Shoe rankings with 64 points.The Argentine 

has netted five 

times more than 

Paris Saint- 

Germain’s 

forward Kylian 

Mbappe, who is 

placed second in 

the race for the 

European topscorer 

award.The 

Frenchman and 

the Barcelona 

captain are 

followed by 

Sampdoria’s 

striker Fabio 

Quagliarella, who •Messi 

has sent the ball 

into the back of 

the net 21 times in the Serie A this season. 

Rohr: My Eagles’re Nigeria’s 

most talented squad 

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr 

has said that the present bunch 

of players in the Super Eagles team 

for the Africa Cup of Nations are 

about the most talented to have 

come out of Nigeria in the past few 

years. 

Since his appointment as coach, 

Rohr has twice qualified the Super 

Eagles of Nigeria for two major 

tournaments with a game to spare 

although many will argue that the 

•Rohr 

team should have done well at World Cup in Russia. 

So far the Super Eagles have been beaten once by an 

African team under coach Gernot Rohr and that was the 

0-2 loss against South Africa in their first AFCON 2019 

Qualifiers, a little over a year ago. 

They presently boast of an unbeaten run since after the 

World Cup with back to back wins against Libya and 

Seychelles in the AFCON Qualifiers and a draw against 

South Africa. They also defeated Egypt 1-0 in an 

international friendly ahead of the Cup of Nations. 

Speaking on the talent at his disposal, Rohr said they 

are about the most talented to have come out of Nigeria 

but adviced that they should continue to work hard for 

club and country in order to fufill their potentials. 

“We all know that Nigeria once had big stars like Kanu 

Nwankwo and Austin Okocha. Since they retired, Nigeria 

has not found a replacement. But I can assure you that we 

have very talented players among the young people who 

are currently playing, but there is still a lot to be done to 

make the Eagles become stars. This team has quality, but 

you have to work on it to become big stars”, Rohr said. 

2019 AFCON: Amuneke dreams 

Taifa Stars, Super Eagles clash 

Former Super Eagles winger and now coach of 

Tanzania’s Taifa Stars, Emmanuel Amuneke hinted 

that his team would not be pushovers if they cross paths 

with the Super Eagles at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations 

billed for June in Egypt. 

Amuneke spear-headed Tanzania’s qualification for the 

AFCON tournament after a 39-year absence and now he 

says the Taifa Stars will not be intimidated by the top 

rated teams. 

‘If Tanzania is paired along side alongside Nigeria, then 

we would play Nigeria,” Amuneke told www.brila.net. 

‘If Tanzania can qualify for the Nation’s Cup, that means 

we are capable of playing any team in the continent of 

Africa,’ he said. 

Odemwingie retires from football 

Former West Brom and Stoke striker Peter Odemwingie 

announced his retirement from football at UEFA’s Equal 

Game conference at Wembley yesterday. 

The 37-year-old was capped for Nigeria more than 60 

times, scoring at the 2014 World Cup, and scored 36 goals 

in 129 Premier League appearances between 2010 and 

2016. 

Odemwingie was the subject of a peculiar story on 

Deadline Day in January 2013. 

Believing he was moving to QPR from West Brom, the 

striker drove to Loftus Road, only to be refused entry to 

the stadium after both clubs said that no fee had been 

agreed. 

On his retirement, Odemwingie said: “It’s an emotional 

day, so many memories go through your head. 

“I didn’t know how to do it or where to do it, but I think 

this is the right place to do it. 

“Wembley is a place with a lot of history in football.” 

Odemwingie, whose last professional appearances came 

for Indonesian side Madura United in 2017, said he 

intends to embark on a coaching career.


Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

7 Star-gazers (11) 

8 Seat of power (6) 

9 Business magnate (6) 

10 Bracelet (6) 

12 Frank (6) 

13 Burnt remains (3) 

14 Need for food (6) 

16 Indifference (6) 

18 The East (6) 

20 Missive (6) 

22 Not corroborated (11) 

DOWN 

1 Eruption on the skin (4) 

2 Powerful (6) 

3 Ancestor (8) 

4 Room or space under roof (4) 

5 Warning light (6) 

6 Amaze (8) 

11 Zodiac sign (8) 

12 Padre (8) 

15 European country 

(6) 

17 Harvest season (6) 

19 Very small (4) 

21 Concludes (4) 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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04042019 - Nigeria 7 other nstions home to world's hungriest - UN

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