29042019 - Economy bleeds as power system collapses

INSIDE 

Insurance 

claims rise 

faster than 

premium 

income 

UTME: We’ve 

uncovered new 

scam to defraud 

candidates 

8 

—JAMB 

EFCC arraigns Bauchi 

gov-elect for alleged 

bribe-taking today 9 

We won’t surrender Benue 

to criminals —Ortom 13 

VOL. 26: NO. 63796 

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

Economy bleeds as 

power system collapses 

•Generation drops to 2,039 MW; homes, factories suffer outages 

•NGC, TCN yet to complete maintenance of Escravos-Lagos pipeline 

FG’s new 

pay roll 

system 

dubious 

—ASUU 

11 

I have no 

regret 

joining APC 

—Sen 

Akpabio 41 

Honorary Doctorate Degree for Dangote... 

From left: Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Ibrahim Garba; 

Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Adamu Fika; Chairman/Founder, Aliko Dangote 

Foundation, Aliko Dangote and Chancellor and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe 

Nnaemeka Achebe, during the Conferment of Honorary degree on Aliko 

Dangote at the 41st convocation ceremony of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 

Saturday. 

UBA'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY... 

From left: Ogun State Governor-elect, Prince 

Dapo Abiodun; his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Group Managing Director/ 

CEO, United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, Mr. 

Kennedy Uzoka and Chairman, UBA Group, Mr. 

Tony Elumelu ,during the 70th year anniversary 

ceremony dinner of the bank at Eko Hotels and 

Suites, Lagos, Saturday. 

New Cabinet: Hope rises for 

8 

Enang, as Akpabio opts for NASS 

OPERATION PUFF ADDER: 

Police arrest 18 suspected 

kidnappers, recover 22 

AK47 rifles, others 

8 

SERAP writes Dickson, asks him to 

reject life pension for Bayelsa 

lawmakers 12 

COLUMNISTS OWEI LAKEMFA 27 SOBOWALE 25 HENRY BOYO 26 

By Udeme Akpan, 

Olasunkanmi Akoni 

& Ediri Ejoh 

THE economy of 

Nigeria, over the 

w e e k e n d 

witnessed a major 

setback as consumers – 

individuals, households, 

companies and others 

experienced prolonged 

power outages, following 

a huge drop of power 

supply from 4,000 

megawatts to 2,039 mw. 

An authoritative report 

obtained by Vanguard 

from the office of Vice 

President Yemi Osinbajo 

stated: “On April 23rd, 

2019, average power sent 

out was 87,061.8 MWh/ 

Continues from Page 5 

KOKORI: 

Labour 

issues 

Ngige May 

1 ultimatum 

on NSITF 

Board 

9 

Mr & Mrs

2—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —3

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —41 

Economy bleeds as 

power system collapses 


must be strictly 

monitored to ensure 

revenues collected for 

electricity supplied is 

remitted. This is the link 

to infrastructure 

development and future 

investment along the 

power chain.” 

Labour 

In a telephone inter 

view with Vanguard, 

yesterday, General 

Secretary, National 

Union of Electricity 

Employees, NUEE, Mr. 

Joe Ajaero, said: “The 

sector was privatised 

wrongly and that is the 

reason for these crisis. 

The generation 

companies privatised 

have not moved beyond 

the capacity given to 

them. They are not 

maintaining the 

installed capacity giving 

to them as at take over. 

They have not built 

additional unit at the 

power unit in the station. 

“TCN has been able to 

wheel what they have. 

As it stands, the DISCOs 

cannot wheel more than 

expected because of 

weak distribution 

transformers and lines. 

“The system is not 

working or refused to 

work. The Federal 

Government has issued 

intervention funds and 

yet not to delivering to 

expectations. The sector 

needs to be reviewed. If 

the quality is working, 

we will continue and if 

not working, we would 

review it. However, after 

the review, every 

stakeholder should come 

up with ideas on how to 

make it work.” 

However, Minister of 

Works, Power and 

Housing, Babatunde 

Fashola, said yesterday 

that maintenance was 

ongoing and that the 

situation would improve 

on completion. 

Senior Special 

Assistant to the Minister, 

Media, Hakeem Bello, 

told Vanguard last night 

that part of the 

maintenance on TCN 

facility had been 

completed, resulting in 

improvement in supply. 

According to him, work 

was ongoing to complete 

the remaining segment of 

the work. 

Others 

Other important 

stakeholders, including 

the NNPC and Minister 

of Power, Works, and 

Housing, Babatunde 

Fashola, did not make 

any comments yesterday. 

Impact 

Reacting to the 

development, yesterday, 

Director General, Lagos 

Chambers of Commerce 

and Industry, LCCI, Mr 

Muda Yusuf, said the 

poor state of power has 

affected the nation’s 

economy in many ways. 

He said: “Most of the 

members have all 

resorted to alternative 

sources of power supply. 

Some of the big 

companies have 

completely cut off from 

the national grid to 

private gas supply as 

means of providing 

power for their operation. 

“This is because some 

of their operations and 

productions cannot work 

with the epileptic power 

we are experiencing in 

the country. All the 

multinationals are 

generating their power 

themselves right now. 

“Those that suffer most 

now are the SMEs and 

the micro operators that 

rely on generators, more 

so now that the fuel is not 

even available, their 

problems have been 

compounded. 

“I think something has 

to be done if this country 

is to move forward. We 

cannot continue this way 

as a nation. Where on 

earth have you seen 

manufacturers running 

generators as major 

source of energy supply? 

Government should see 

to the plight of the 

manufacturers in the 

country before all the 

industries relocate to 

Ghana as we are 

experiencing today.” 

The President of 

Manufacturing 

Association of Nigeria, 

MAN, Mr. Frank Jacobs, 

also stated that there 

has been cut down in 

production, job losses, 

as well as outright 

closure 

of 

manufacturing concerns 

or relocation to other 

countries. 

He said: “When you 

are producing and 

power is taken unannounced, 

goods in line 

of production would be 

destroyed. As a result, 

many members of MAN 

have resorted to 

generating power 

privately and completely 

cut off their operations 

from the national grid. 

“Most companies, like 

CocaCola, Wempco, 

Nigeria Flour Mills and 

especially the multi 

nationals selfgenerate 

their power. They don’t 

rely on the national grid. 

And for the last three 

years, our study showed 

that our members spent 

averagely in a month 

N20.8 billion.” 

Apo transmission 

station fire 

Meanwhile, a major fire 

outbreak occured at the 

Apo transmission station 

in Abuja yesterday, which 

I have no regret joining APC —Senator Akpabio 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

UYO —The Senator 

representing Ikot 

Ekpene Senatorial 

district and former 

governor of Akwa Ibom 

state, Senator Godswill 

Akpabio has said he has 

no regrets for dumping 

his former party, the 

People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP and joining 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

Akpabio at his 

hometown, Essien Udim 

Local Government Area 

of Akwa Ibom State, 

while fielding questions 

from newsmen after the 

burial of his nephew 

weekend, said if he were 

to take the decision 

today, he would go to the 

APC. 

He said he also had no 

regret for bringing 

Governor Udom 

Emmanuel as his 

successor, noting that 

what he did in 2015 was 

to ensure that he brought 

somebody who was 

presentable. 

His words: “I have no 

regret bringing 

Emmanuel. You know like 

I always say, in 2015, I 

wasn’t looking for a 

governor for Godswill, I 

was looking for a 

governor for Akwa Ibom. 

So if Akwa Ibom is happy 

with him, why not? I will 

be satisfied. You Know it 

is always good that you 

bring out somebody who 

is presentable. 

“Even if you want to go 

to a football match, you 

must look for good 

players. So for me I don’t 

have any regret over 

Emmanuel. I pray that 

he does well for the 

state. And I also pray 

that God gives him the 

wisdom as long as he 

has the opportunity to pilot 

the affairs of the state, he 

should do well for the 

happiness of our people. I 

have no regret at all. 

“I have no regret equally 

for my joining the APC. I 

have no single regret. If I 

were to take the decision 

today, I will go to the APC. 

I am happy in the APC.” 

Akpabio, who dumped 

the PDP for the APC in 

2018, dismissed 

speculations in some 

quarters that he would 

return to the PDP, 

describing such 

speculations as the 

handiwork of mischief 

makers. 

“Why are you people 

listening to mischief when 

I am getting entrenched in 

APC? I am very happy to 

be in APC. I am excited 

and I thank God that the 

President won the election 

resoundingly all over the 

country.” 

He expressed 

confidence that he would 

reclaim his stolen mandate 

in the Tribunal and return 

to Senate, saying, “I am a 

believer in the Lord. That 

is why I believe in due 

process and that is why I 

Fire Power Demonstration —Nigerian Army vehicle Manufacturing 

Company displays their weapons during the Fire Power demonstrations at 

Jaji in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

have taken the option of 

due process and said let’s 

go to the Tribunal and 

ensure that we fight for our 

right. There is no protest, 

no shouting. 

“And by the grace of God, 

I will succeed in the 

Tribunal and then I will 

continue in the Senate. But 

even if it is not on June 9th 

when my first term in the 

senate will terminate, any 

day at all that I succeed at 

the Tribunal, I will continue 

from there, because I do 

know and you know that I 

won the election. I have 

always said so, I never 

stopped saying it and I will 

never stop saying it 

because that is the truth. 

“But that is not the most 

may worsen the nation’s 

power situation. 

The Head, Corporate 

Communications, Abuja 

Electricity Distribution 

Company (AEDC), Mr. 

Oyebode Fadipe, stated: 

“Our technical team is 

right now working with 

the TCN engineers to see 

how to absorb the load on 

the 45MVA transformer 

that was affected by the 

fire.” 

The Minister of Power 

Works and Housing, 

important thing. The 

reason why I feel confident 

is because my tomorrow is 

greater than my today. 

Like I said today, we have 

only one opportunity to 

make our life better but 

tomorrow, we have three 

opportunities. You know we 

have three ‘O’s in 

tomorrow, but you have 

only one ‘O’ in today. And 

yesterday is gone, so you 

don’t have any single ‘O’ 

there.” 

On the perception that 

losing his reelection bid 

that his political career was 

finished, Akpabio said: “If 

anybody expects that I will 

feel bad, I will never feel 

bad. Sometimes people 

don’t understand that life 

is full of ups and downs. 

Babatunde Fashola was 

said to have remarked 

that: “I am aware of the 

Apo Fire incident which 

occurred today (Sunday) 

affecting the Transmission 

Transformer and our staff 

are at site & on ground. 

The fire has been put out. 

Damages are being 

assessed and plans 

underway to redistribute 

Power to communities 

served by the burnt/ 

damaged transformer at 

Apo Transmission Sub 

Station." 

Life is not a straight line. If 

it is a straight line, it means 

you are dead. 

“For me, I will always wish 

my people in Akwa Ibom 

well. I will always pray for 

Akwa Ibom State, and I will 

always work for Akwa Ibom 

till I die. I am already a 

senator, and I have been a 

governor for eight years and 

I have had the privilege of 

serving them as a 

commissioner. 

“I believe in peaceful 

politics and that is the 

reason I chose the path of 

peace to also pursue any 

wrong that I feel that could 

have been done to me, not 

by Akwa Ibom people but 

done by the INEC,” 

Akpabio said. 

I wasn’t given any SUV by NSITF—Ngige 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A Minister BUJA—THE 

of Labour 

and Productivity, Dr. 

Chris Ngige, yesterday 

denied being given any 

SUV, describing the 

allegations by the 

Nigerian Labour 

Congress, NLC, as cock 

and bull story. 

A source close to the 

Minister said: “The 

minister set up a nineman 

administrative panel 

with the approval of Mr. 

President. 

‘’This panel deemed it 

necessary after the EFCC 

had submitted its report to 

the President and the 

ministry on the issue of 

missing N45 billion 

made by the government 

and private people. The 

panel was to look into 

how N5 billion was taken 

out one day without 

voucher. 

“If the N18 million will 

be spent in terms of 

sitting of the members of 

the administrative panel’s 

travels to the 12 regional 

offices of the agency 

through out Nigeria, it is 

then money well spent. 

“It was not true that the 

minister received any 

cash monetization or any 

SUV from the NSITF, 

rather when the Minister 

of State was appointed to 

the ministry and there was 

no vehicle for him to use 

as the previous vehicle to 

the late Minister of State 

was damaged in an 

accident, the NSITF 

assisted and loaned a 

vehicle to the ministry to 

be assigned to the office of 

the Minister of State for 

Labour. 

“Comrade Frank Kokori’s 

name was never sent to the 

Presidency by the Minister 

of Labour for appointment 

of chairman in conformity 

with the act setting up the 

NSITF."


Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

2019 NAF Day —From second left: Chief of Information and Communication, Nigerian Air Force 

headquarters, AVM Maxwell Nnaji; Chief of Training and Operations, AVM Oladayo Amao; Chief of 

Administration, AVM Kinsley Lar and representative of the Chief of the Air Staff, AVM Emmanuel 

Anebi, at the 2019 NAF Day Interdenominational Service at Saint Anthony Padua Catholic Chaplaincy 

Air Force Base in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

Economy bleeds as power 

system collapses 


day. The reported gas 

constraint was 2,039.5 

MW.” 

“The reported line 

constraint was 0 MW. 

The reported frequency 

management constraint 

due to loss of DISCO 

feeders was 1,963 MW. 

The water management 

constraint was 150 MW. 

The power sector lost an 

estimated 2,048, mw due 

to constraints on this 

day.” 

Investigation by 

Vanguard in all parts of 

the nation, yesterday, 

showed that the situation 

has not improved 

because the Nigerian 

Gas Company, NGC, a 

subsidiary of the 

Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, was not able to 

complete the 

rehabilitation of the 

Escravos-Lagos Gas 

Pipeline System. 

Consequently, Egbin, 

Omotosho, Olorunsogo 

and Papalanto Power 

stations were not able to 

generate power for 

transmission and 

distribution, thus forcing 

many Electricity 

Distribution Companies, 

DISCOs to express their 

helplessness to 

consumers. 

TCN 

In its statement sent to 

Vanguard, the 

Transmission Company 

of Nigeria, TCN, had 

stated: “The National 

Grid is experiencing 

reduced power 

generation due mainly to 

emergency maintenance 

by NGC of its gas 

pipeline supplying gas 

to Egbin, Omotosho, 

Olorunsogo and Paras 

Power Stations. 

“This was reportedly 

caused by leakage on the 

Escravos-Lagos gas 

pipeline, necessitating 

the total shutdown of the 

four power generating 

plants on 25th April, 

2019.” 

In a statement signed 

by the General Manager 

Public Affairs, TCN 

stated that prior to the 

incident, Omotosho 

NIPP and Olorunsogo 

NIPP had already been 

out due to gas supply 

issues. 

According to the 

statement, NGC worked 

hard to repair the gas 

pipeline so that normal 

gas supply can be 

restored to the affected 

power plants. 

Presently, repairs have 

been completed and the 

pipeline is currently 

being pressured prior to 

resumption of gas supply 

to the affected power 

stations 

TCN further noted that 

it has diverted about 

312MW load from the 

Benin-Egbin 330kV 

transmission line which 

tripped off at 23.14hours 

on Tuesday, 23rd April, 

2019, to Omotosho – 

Ikeja West and Ayede- 

Ikeja 330kV transmission 

lines, due to on-going 

repair works on the 

Benin-Egbin 330kV 

transmission line. 

It stated: “The tripping 

was caused by a line cut 

between Ofosu and 

Okada towns; however 

TCN engineers are 

making concerted efforts 

to complete repair work 

on the transmission line, 

despite the very difficult 

terrain at that location. 

“Due to the diversion of 

the load from this line to 

the two transmission 

lines equally feeding 

Lagos axis, load 

shedding in Lagos axis 

was minimised to about 

280MW at the first 

instance. However with 

the attendant gas supply 

issues and sudden gas 

leakage problem, load 

shedding increased 

considerably.” 

GENCOs report 

In its latest report 

obtained by Vanguard, 

the Electricity 

Generation Companies, 

GENCOs, indicated that 

power generation 

increased as follows: 

4,214.32 (2013); 

6,154.05 (2014); 6,616.28 

(2015); 7,183.59 (2016); 

6,993.14 (2017) and 

7,383.04 (2018). 

But investigation 

showed that it has not 

been possible to transmit 

and distribute the current 

unstable generated 

power to consumers. 

Executive secretary, 

Association of Power 

Generation Companies, 

Dr. Joy Ogaji said: 

“Unless the challenges 

in the power chain are 

tackled, power output 

will continue to be poor. 

The generation 

companies are ready and 

willing to generate 

power that will sustain 

the country on a daily 

basis but they are being 

constrained by factors 

beyond their control. 

If power output must 

improve, the 

transmission and 

distribution arm of the 

power chain must be 

strictly regulated. The 

transmission grid must 

be upgraded to ensure 

8,000MW available 

capacity from GENCOs is 

put on the grid. The 

distributors (DISCOS) 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja,Yinka Latona, 

Dickson Omobola, Tolulope 

Oke&Erinfolami Abdulkudus 

What kind of people should Buhari appoint as ministers? (1) 

We 

need 

entrepreneurs 

with great insight on 

how to resurrect a dying 

economy. Furthermore, 

young ministers that 

would not be suffering 

from dementia in 

proffering solutions to 

the country’s problems 

should be appointed. 

Mr. Jerry Matthew 

Student 

The ministers should 

not be picked based 

on politics or party 

loyalty. It should be based 

on credibility, capability 

and reliability. Nigeria 

needs capable hands that 

would take her from the 

murky waters she has 

been thrown into by 

unqualified individuals. 

Miss Oladosu Jumai 

Student 

There is always a right 

person for every job. Mr. 

President should use his 

discretion to appoint the 

right persons irrespective of 

their tribe or religion. If a 

Delta man or woman is 

qualified, then he or she 

should be appointed. The 

past achievements of these 

people would prove their 

eligibility for the positions. 

Miss Ngozi Leonard 

Corps member 

The President should 

appoint men and 

women of vision on merit. 

They should be people 

who truly have the interest 

of this nation at heart. 

Gone are the days of 

using ministerial seat as 

compensation for 

politicians who were 

found unpopular with 

their people. 

Mr. William Jimoh 

Life Coach 

Mr. President should 

do away with 

tribalism, politics and 

religion in choosing 

members of his cabinet. 

He should go for those who 

have excelled in their 

fields. For example, if he 

wants to nominate the 

Minister of Health, the 

candidate must have 

excelled in the medical 

profession and not just 

picking someone randomly 

because he is a loyalist or an 

ardent acolyte. 

Mr.Olanrewaju Ibitoye 

Analyst 

The kind of persons to be 

appointed as ministers 

will be determined by the vision 

of the President. He must 

clearly define this within the 

context of his party’s manifesto. 

For instance, he can only 

appoint a finance minister who 

believes in IMF or World 

Bank's neo-liberal economic 

death pills if his government 

thinks that is the best way to 

go. On education, a minister 

who believes in 

commercialisation of pubic 

education should not be 

the option. 

Mr. Adeola Soetan 

Activist

C 

M 

Y 

K 

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

Pipeline task 

force arrests 9 

bunkering 

suspects in 

Delta 

NINE persons were 

arrested at Oteghele 

and Ugbodede 

communities by operatives 

of Special Task Force on 

Pipeline Vandalisation 

attached to PPMC depot in 

Warri, Delta State. 

During the raids, about 

15,000 litres of refined 

diesel about to be loaded 

into wooden boats in sacks 

were impounded just as 

over 50 illegal refineries 

were also destroyed. 

Speaking on the arrest in 

Warri, yesterday, 

Commander, Special Task 

Force Anti-Pipeline 

Vandalisation on Petroleum 

and Illegal Bunkering, SP 

Mohammed Yakubu, said 

the arrest was made 

possible based on the 

intelligence gathering 

efforts of his men and 

officers. 

He disclosed that while 

Ugbodede community 

camp harbours 13 illegal 

refineries, Oteghele 

community end controls the 

largest with about 37 

refineries operating at full 

capacity in the area. 

The commander 

disclosed that the nine 

arrested suspects will still 

be detained for further 

interrogations and would 

be charged to court, while 

the seized product would 

be handed over to the 

appropriate agency. 

According to him, “It 

may interest you to know 

that this breakthrough was 

made possible through the 

cooperation of some good 

citizens who provided the 

information that led to the 

arrests.” 

26 suspected cultists, 64 miscreants arrested 

in Lagos 

By Bose Adelaja 

NO fewer than 26 cultists 

suspected to be members 

of the dreaded cult group 

known as Awawa Boys have 

been arrested in Agege by 

operatives of Lagos State 

Environmental Sanitation and 

Special 

Offences 

(Enforcement). Sixty four 

miscreants were also arrested at 

Oshodi areas of Lagos State by 

the enforcement team weekend. 

Chairman of the agency, CSP 

Olayinka Egbeyemi, disclosed 

that the 26 suspected cultists 

were arrested during an overnight 

enforcement operations 

tagged Operation Restore 

Sanity to Lagos around Isaleoja, 

Funmilayo, Ile-pako at 

Amoo, Orile by cannal, Papa- 

Ashafa, Dopemu and Old Okooba 

in Agege. 

He said criminal activities 

perpetuated by the Awawa boys 

have become a serious threat 

to the lives of residents and 

innocent members of the public 

around the area. 

He stated that it was an eyesore 

seeing the miscreants and 

cultists robbing, raping and 

freely smoking Indian hemp 

with underage boys and girls. 

The chairman stated further 

that the 64 miscreants and 

hoodlums, including three 

Suspected Awawa cult gang and (BELOW) items recovered from the cult gang. 

female teenagers, were 

arrested during an over-night 

raid around Oshodi, saying 

dangerous weapons and 

substance suspected to be 

Indian hemp were recovered 

from them. 

The Lagos State 

Commissioner of Police, CP 

Zubairu Muazu, has 

however, directed that all 

those arrested be charged to 

court for prosecution. 

10 die in Ogun, Edo auto crashes 

TEN people were, yesterday, 

confirmed dead in separate 

accidents around Olorunsogo 

village, Kobape-Siun axis on 

Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway, 

Ogun State and Auchi-Okene 

highway, Edo State. 

Five persons died in the 

Murder of 18-yr-old girl in Imo: 

Family wants suspect punished 

By Chinonso Alozie 

OWERRI —THE family 

members of the 18-year-old 

girl, Ulumma Ekwebelem, from 

Ikpem in Ehime Mbano Local 

Government Area of Imo State, 

allegedly killed by her fiancé, 

Chibuzor Alaneme, said they 

have remained in pains since her 

death. 

One of the uncles, Theo 

Ekwebelem, said, yesterday, in 

Owerri, the Imo State capital: 

“This boy called Chibuzor has put 

us in pains and we want him 

punished. I have not said 

anywhere that he should be 

released. He must pay for the 

crime . 

“He must face the 

consequences of what he did to 

that girl. We are in serious pains 

to watch our daughter just go like 

that.” 

Recall, Ulumma was said to be 

preparing for her West Africa 

Examinations Council, WAEC, 

exams before the tragic incident 

as the story of her murder was 

weaved round the issue of 

Ulumma Ekwebelem, the 

deceased 

sexuality and relationship. 

Vanguard reported that the 

incident has continued to cause stir 

in the village of the suspect, 

Chibuzor, in Umuohunma, 

Ezuofoke community of Umunna in 

Onuimo local government area of 

Imo state, where police reportedly 

arrested no fewer than ten persons. 

However, at the time of filling this 

report it was gathered that those 

arrested had been released while 

the suspect is said to be in police 

custody. 

accident involving a Primera car 

and a Volvo truck around 

Olorunsogo village, Kobape- 

Siun axis on Abeokuta-Sagamu 

expressway. 

Spokesperson, Traffic 

Compliance and Enforcement 

Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde 

Akinbiyi, who confirmed the 

incident in Abeokuta, explained 

that the accident occurred about 

1:37pm, saying it was caused by 

excessive speeding and loss of 

control on the part of the Primera 

car. 

He said: “According to an 

6 nabbed for cultism, murder 

in Lagos 

By Esther 

Onyegbula 

SIX suspected cultists are 

currently being investigated 

by operatives of the Homicide 

section of the State Criminal 

Investigation and Intelligence 

Department, Lagos State police 

command over the alleged 

murder of four persons during 

a cult clash in Ajah area of 

Lagos. 

According to the police, the 

suspects were arrested in 

connection with the clash 

between Eye 

and Aiye cult 

groups, which 

left four persons 

dead on April 14 

at General Paint, 

Ajah. 

The six 

suspects 

arrested on April 

27, 2019 by 

policemen 

attached to Area 

J Command 

The suspects. 

were identified as Babatunde 

Wasiu ,30 ; Bolaji Elijah ,25; 

Joseph Timothy ,32; Bolaji 

Olayiwola ,22; Saheed Lateef ,22 

and Julius Augele , 20. 

Also the police recovered the 

axes and jack knives which they 

used during the clash. 

Confirming the arrest the 

spokesperson Lagos State Police 

Command, DSP Bala Elkana, said 

apart from these six suspects, four 

suspects were earlier arrested and 

charged to court in connection with 

the incident, bringing the number 

of suspects arrested to 10. 

eyewitness, the car with number 

plate, KTU 875 DP, lost control, 

somersaulted and rammed into a 

stationary Volvo truck with 

number plate, LAR 119 YD, 

parked off road. 

“The accident involved five 

persons, three of them were males 

and two females. 

“We learned the Primera car is 

commercial, used in running 

shuttle from Sagamu to 

Abeokuta. All the five casualties 

involved in the accident were in 

the car when the accident 

happened." 

Akinbiyi noted that the corpses 

of the dead had been deposited 

at the morgue of General 

Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta . 

He appealed to motorists to 

desist from excessive speeding 

and reckless driving because of 

its attendant consequences. 

Also, five lives were lost in a 

multiple road accident along 

Auchi-Okene highway, Federal 

Road Safety Commission, FRSC, 

in Edo Sttae has confirmed. 

The FRSC Sector Commander 

in Edo, Mr Anthony Oko, who 

confirmed the incident in Auchi, 

said the accident happened at 

about 11 a.m. at Jattu junction in 

Etsako West Local Government 

Area of the state. 

According to Oko, five persons 

died on the spot, while six others 

sustained various degrees of 

injury. 

“I can confirm to you that five 

persons have been killed in a 

multiple accident at Jattu junction 

along the Auchi-Okene- 

Highyway. 

“The dead included three males 

and two females,” Oko said.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Forget school, do your home work 

NABBED: 18 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers arrested by Police detectives 

attached to Operation Puff Adder at different times and places across the country as 

paraded by Police in Abuja. 

4 arrested with freezer loaded 

with Indian hemp in Ogun 

By Daud Olatunji 

ABEOKUTA—Men of Ogun 

State Police Command, 

weekend, arrested four persons 

with a deep freezer loaded with 

weeds suspected to be marijuana 

at Iperin black spots in Agbara. 

It was gathered that the suspects 

pretended to be using the deep 

freezer for sales of soft drinks. 

Police Public Relations Officer in 

the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who 

disclosed this in Abeokuta, said 

when the freezer was opened, 

“behold, it was loaded with weeds 

suspected to be marijuana, hence 

they were promptly apprehended. 

He said the discovery was made 

while carrying out raids on 

criminal hideouts and black spots 

by a team of policemen led by the 

DPO, SP Adegbite Omotayo, and 

he gave the names of those 

arrested as Opeyemi Wahab , 22; 

Kabirat Ahmed, 21; Yusuf 

Rasaki,20 and Saheed 

Mustapha,32. 

“On interrogation, they confessed 

being the major distributor of the 

The suspects. 

substance in Agbara area and 

that they always use the freezer 

to distribute it around so as to 

deceive the security agents and 

prevent them from arrest. 

“Meanwhile, the 

Commissioner of Police, Bashir 

Makama, has ordered the 

immediate transfer of the 

suspects to State Criminal 


Department for discreet 

investigation. 

“He also warned that sales of 

illicit drugs. which is a catalyst for 

crime commission, will not be 

tolerated in the state any longer.” 

Parents of boy found dead inside freezer 

demand corpse •As govt seals 6 shops over incident 

By Evelyn Usman & 

Bose Adelaja 

PARENTS of late Treasure 

Akinsohun, the six-yearold 

boy found dead inside a 

refrigerator, hours after he was 

declared missing, late 

Wednesday, in Ketu, Alapere 

area of Lagos, have demanded 

his corpse for burial. 

This is just as six shops on 

the same line with that which 

the freezer was have been 

sealed by government. 

Recall that the late Treasure 

had gone to spend the Easter 

break at his aunt’s place last 

Tuesday. The aunt, as 

gathered, took him and her 

biological children to her shop 

at 12, Orile-Orisigun Street, 

Iyana-School, off Mile 12- 

Ikorodu Road. 

However, at the end of the 

day, Treasure was discovered 

to be missing, only for his 

corpse to be found next day, 

inside a deep freezer in one of 

the shops on the same line with 

his aunty’s. 

During a telephone 

The shops. 

conversation with the 

bereaved father, Mr Ojo 

Akinsohun, he simply stated 

that the family had taken a 

decision to bury late 

Treasure’s remains. 

“We want him to go and 

rest. We leave everything to 

God,” he said, and declined 

further discussion, 

promising to get back to 

Vanguard. 

M e a n w h i l e , 

whenVanguard arrived the 

affected shop, located on the 

ground floor of a storey 

building used for residential 

and commercial purpose, six 

shops were still sealed. 

The entrance to the building 

was opened but deserted. 

Residents described the incident 

as a mystery as they claimed 

that the shop was not opened 

for sales on the day late Treasure 

went missing. 

Lagos State Police spokesman, 

DSP Elkana Bala, said 

detectives at the Homicide 

section of the State Criminal 


Department, SCIID, were still 

investigating the matter. 

Olodo! just go, you are right 

With a whiff of money, the dead can 

come alive again

C 

M 

Y 

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29 , 2019 

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

AGM: From left, Non-Executive Director, Charles Umolu; Chairman, Board of Directors, 

Ernest Ebi; Executive Director, South, Aku Odinkemelu; Managing Director/Chief Executive 

Officer, Nnamdi Okonkwo, all of Fidelity Bank Plc, at the 31st Annual General Meeting of the 

bank, in Lagos. 

New cabinet: Hope rises for Enang, as 

Akpabio opts for NASS 

•Akpabio confident he’ll retrieve ‘stolen mandate’ in court 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor 

AS 

President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

constitutes a new cabinet to 

run the machinery of 

government for his second 

tenure, the coast appears to 

be clearing for the emergence 

of his current National 

Assembly aide as a full-fledge 

minister from Akwa Ibom State 

in the new set up. 

Competent party leaders 

told Vanguard, yesterday, that 

there was a gentleman’s 

understanding that Buhari’s 

Senior Special Assistant on 

National Assembly Matters, 

Senator Ita Enang, should 

take the ministerial slot 

should All Progressives 

Congress, APC, win the 

presidential contest. 

A source conversant with 

the development said having 

spearheaded and remained 

the face of APC in Akwa Ibom 

State for over three years 

before other gladiators joined, 

Enang merited the attention 

he was getting from the 

president. 

Akpabio confident 

he’ll retrieve ‘stolen 

mandate’ 

in court 

The slot is believed to have 

shifted in his favour, 

following information that the 

former governor of the state, 

Godswill Akpabio, who was 

also being considered for the 

post, appears to have hinted 

that he would reclaim his 

mandate and return to the 

Senate. 

A top party official in Akwa 

Ibom State said, yesterday, 

that Akpabio had told close 

associates that he would win 

his petition at the tribunal and 

reclaim his mandate from 

former deputy governor, Dr. 

Chris Ekpenyong, who was 

declared winner last month. 

The top APC official 

said:“The former governor is 

convinced that he has 

concrete evidence to prove 

that INEC connived with PDP 

to rob him of a well deserved 

victory by refusing to add the 

result of the votes in his key 

strongholds of Essien Udim 

Local Government Area and 

other places where he won. 

“Akpabio intends to fight the 

injustice meted out to him 

and win to remain in the 

National Assembly and 

contribute his quota to 

national development and 

Akwa Ibom State, given the 

massive support he enjoyed 

from them during the poll.’’ 

The current minister from 

Akwa Ibom in the cabinet, 

Udoma Udo Udoma, is said 

to have hinted that he would 

opt of the political post after 

May 29, despite a preference 

by the Presidency for him to 

be retained. 

The only concern that 

natives of the state have about 

the presidential aide is that 

he has been representing the 

state at the National 

Assembly since the return to 

democracy in 1999. 

Besides, some ethnic 

groups outside Ibibio nation 

where Enang hails from, 

may also want to take a shot 

at the ministerial post, having 

not been represented for 

many years. 

UTME: We've uncovered new scam 

to defraud candidates — JAMB 

By Joseph 

Erunke 

ABUJA—AS candidates, 

who sat for the 2019 Unified 

Tertiary Matriculation 

Examination, UTME, await 

release of their results, Joint 

Admissions and Matriculation 

Board, JAMB, has alerted 

of fresh plots being deployed 

by fraudsters to dupe 

unsuspecting candidates. 

To this end, the 

board,which said this in a 

weekly news bulletin, released 

to the media, yesterday, 

by its Head of Media,Dr 

Fabian Benjamin, has advised 

candidates to jealously 

guard their UTME registration 

numbers and profile 

codes to avoid falling victims 

of this latest scam. 

It also said over 200 candidates, 

drawn from seven 

countries, participated in its 

UTME conducted on Saturday. 

Mode of 

operation 

JAMB stated: "Candidates 

should know that what these 

fraudsters do is to take advantage 

of their naivety and, subsequently, 

obtain their registration 

numbers with which 

they print their examination 

notification slips, which contain 

the candidates’ phone 

number and other vital data. 

“These fraudsters then use 

this information to send messages 

to same candidates disguising 

as officials of the 

board or persons who have 

special information, access 

and capacity to inflate the candidates’ 

scores among other 

things. 

“Their strategy is akin to that 

of a police officer who is unmindful 

of the fact that he is 

wearing his name tag on his 

uniform and when you address 

him by his name, he is 

surprised that you know his 

name. 

“The board urges candidates 

to see their registration 

numbers and profile codes as 

security data similar to the Automated 

Teller Machine, 

ATM, pin numbers, which 

admit them to make withdrawal 

from their accounts. 

“The fraudsters use the information 

derived from the 

examination notification slip 

printed using the candidates’ 

registration number to open 

up a line of communication 

with candidates to dangle the 

enticing offer of awarding 

them higher scores in the yetto-be 

released 2019 UTME 

results among other mouth 

watering promises. 

“ This is fraudulent as they 

lack the capacity to do any of 

such. Candidates are, therefore, 

enjoined to disregard 

messages or calls from anybody 

claiming to have access 

to the board’s classified information. 

“The board wishes to state 

emphatically that the results 

of the 2019 UTME have not 

been released.” 

Conducts UTME for 

200 candidates 

in 7 countries 

Meanwhile, JAMB has 

said over 200 candidates, 

drawn from seven countries, 

participated in its UTME conducted 

last Saturday. 

The board said the exercise, 

which took place in the United 

Kingdom, 

Ghana,Cameroon, Benin 

Republic, Cote d’Ivoire,South 

Africa and the Kingdom of 

Saudi Arabia, was successful. 

Why I was detained by 

Buhari’s military regime 

— Lamido of Adamawa 

THE Lamido of Adamawa, 

Aliyu Mustapha, said, 

weekend, that he was 

detained by the military 

administration of 

Muhammadu Buhari after it 

toppled the civilian 

administration led by 

President Shehu Shagari in 

1983 because he was a 

commissioner in the civilian 

government of the then 

Gongola State. 

Mustapha gave the 

explanation while receiving 

the Programme Manager of 

Wadata Communication 

Limited, Zubair Idris, who 

paid him a courtesy visit after 

an event in Yola. 

He recalled that the new 

military regime ordered the 

detention of all the politicians 

in government at the time for 

investigation for alleged 

corruption, adding: “I was 

investigated and found to be 

Reps speakership: Open ballot 

system won’t work 

— Lawmakers 

ABUJA—AMID calls for 

the adoption of open 

ballot system in the election 

of presiding officers of the 9th 

National Assembly, two 

lawmakers in the House of 

Representatives said, 

yesterday, that the lower 

chamber’s laid down rules 

could not be disregarded. 

The lawmakers, Rimamnde 

Shawulu (PDP-Taraba) and 

Kehinde Agboola (PDP- 

Ekiti), made the remarks in 

separate interviews with 

News Agency of Nigeria in 

Abuja. 

According to Shawulu, any 

attempt to change the House 

of Representatives’ Standing 

Orders in the 9th Assembly 

election without following 

due process will be an 

aberration to the practice. 

The lawmaker, who got reelected 

in the February 23 

National Assembly polls, said 

promoters of open ballot 

election were not well 

informed. 

He said: “Let them come 

from outside and amend the 

rules. President 

OPERATION PUFF ADDER: 

Police arrest 18 suspected 

kidnappers, recover 22 AK-47 

rifles, others 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi & 

Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—THE police 

authorities have said 

detectives attached to 

Operation Puff Adder have 

arrested 18 more notorious 

kidnap suspects across the 

country. 

The police in a statement 

by Force Public Relations 

Officer, DCP Frank Mba, also 

said the detectives 

clean and subsequently 

released.” 

The traditional ruler 

declared his full support for 

the fight against corruption 

and lauded the Buhari 

administration for its 

commitment to check 

corruption. 

Idris was in Yola to organise 

a town hall meeting on the 

anti-corruption campaign, 

with support from US-based 

MacArthur Foundation. 

Earlier, Idris informed the 

monarch of the town hall 

meeting, which attracted 

traditional and religious 

leaders, civil society 

organisations, educationists, 

media practitioners and other 

stakeholders. 

He commended the 

monarch for establishing 

Pulaku FM that has been 

partnering with the firm in 

the fight against corruption, 

using the local languages. 

Muhammadu Buhari said 

he could not assent to the 

Electoral Act because it was 

too close to the 2019 general 

elections. 

“Now, we have some weeks 

to the election and you want 

to amend how leadership is 

elected. That is double 

standard; it doesn’t make 

sense.” 

The lawmaker, who is the 

Chairman, House 

Committee on Army, 

however, said the rules would 

have to be amended at the 

lower chamber before anyone 

could talk about open ballot. 

“The rules are already set; 

any member, who wants the 

rules amended, can bring the 

motion to the floor of the 

house. And if it is passed, it 

becomes law but now, the 

rules of the house have been 

there since 2011. 

Corroborating Shawulu’s 

remark, Agboola said 

adopting open ballot “will 

amount to shifting a goal post 

at the middle of a football 

match. We have never voted 

in the house on open ballot. 

So we will not take that; they 

can’t dictate to us." 

recovered a total of 22 AK- 

47 rifles, five locally-made 

pistols and a cache of live 

ammunition. 

The statement read: 

“Sequel to the arrest of the 

‘spiritual father’ of 

kidnappers and armed 

bandits operating in the 

northern part of the country, 

one Mallam Salisu Abubakar, 

Police detectives attached to 

Operation Puff Adder, 

through a series of detailed, 

intensive and sustained 

investigative operations, 

successfully arrested 18 more 

notorious kidnappers and 

armed robbers at different 

times and places across the 

country. 

“A total of 22 AK-47 rifles, 

five locally fabricated pistols 

and a cache of live 

ammunition were recovered 

from the bandits. 

“The combined team of 

crack detectives from IRT, TIU 

and other operatives, using 

actionable intelligence 

obtained from the spiritual 

godfather of the kidnappers 

and other multiple sources, 

tactically ‘smoked out’ the 


bandits from their hide-outs 

in Birnin Gwari, Rijana, 

Katari, Mai Daro and Buruku 

forests in Kaduna State before 

they were eventually arrested 

at different locations and 

times in Kaduna, Katsina, 

Niger and Kogi states 

respectively. 

“Police investigations have 

positively linked the arrested 

suspects to some of the most 

heinous crimes committed in 

Kaduna State and its environs 

in recent times."


PENSION: Officials of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, attending to 

pensioners, during the on-going parastatals pensioner’s verification exercise in Lagos, yesterday. 

Photo: NAN 

Abuja-Kaduna Road kidnappings create 

chaos at Idu, Kubwa train stations 

•Military top brass abandon road for train journey 

By Emma Ujah, 

Abuja Bureau Chief 

& Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE rising 

incidents of 

kidnapping along the 

Abuja-Kaduna highway 

has created a chaotic 

situation at Idu and Kubwa 

train stations in Abuja, the 

nation’s capital. 

Vanguard gathered that 

the activities of the dreaded 


robbers, operating with 

sophisticated weapons now 

make even some of the top 

brass of the military and 

security organisations to 

park their cars and take 

trains between the two 

cities. 

The insecurity on the 

Abuja-Kaduna road, has 

forced a lot of travellers to 

abandon the road, thereby 

exerting pressure on the 

train service, with 

unprecedented large 

number of passengers 

moving to the stations, 

leaving a rowdy ticketing 

process. 

Our investigations have 

shown that although the 

Abuja-Kaduna journey 

takes an average of about 

two hours, travellers who 

want to ride on the trains 

could spend more than 

those two hours to obtain 

tickets. 

It was gathered that 

obtaining train tickets has 

become so difficult that a 

would-be traveller needs to 

know an official of the 

station at Idu, Kubwa of 

Rigasa, the Terminal point 

in Kaduna, to get a ticket. 

The alternative has been 

to stay at the train stations 

for several hours or buy 

tickets from corrupt station 

officials and their 

collaborators, touts for 

prices twice or thrice the 

fare. 

Tickets racketeering 

Operatives of the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, arrested eight of 

such people early this 

month, specifically on April 

7 2019, following 

intelligence reports on their 

activities. 

According to the EFCC, 

those arrested and 

questioned include 

Clement Zakka, Udim 

Sunday Samson, Adams 

Danladi, Otitomoni 

Omobolanle and Hassan 

Dauda. 

Their mode of operation 

is to deny travelers tickets, 

saying tickets for the next 

train had been sold out. 

Later they would 

surreptitiously approach 

desperate would-be 

travelers and tell them they 

could arrange tickets for 

them, if they would pay 

more than the face value. 

Officially, the Economy 

ticket costs N1, 300 but the 

racketeers sell it at between 

N2,000 and N5,000, while 

the First Class tick which 

goes for N2,500 is sold 

between N7,000 and 

N15,000. 

In spite of the EFCC raids 

on the stations, it was 

learned that in less than 

one month, the touts are 

back, conniving with 

ticketing officers to reserve 

tickets for the highest 

bidder. 

Train passengers 

want ticketing 

automated 

Commuters who spoke to 

Vanguard, suggested that 

the ticketing process be 

automated, reminiscent of 

what obtains in the aviation 

industry. 

They complained that 

there was currently huge 

loss of man-hours, with 

some travelling back and 

forth between Kubwa and 

Idu in order to obtain 

tickets. 

Nyaku A. B, a 

businessman, said of his 

experience: "My 

experience about the 

journey has been a 

pleasant one, it is 

comfortable from the train 

station to the point of 

arrival, I can say it is very 

satisfactory. 

‘’However, the process of 

obtaining the train ticket 

and sometimes the 

boarding, is where the 

issue is. Coming to 

ticketing process, I find it 

so disappointing and 

embarrassing that in this 

period of technological 

development, the ticketing 

system being practised is 

shameful. 

‘’Today I sent somebody 

to queue and buy ticket for 

me, he went there about 11 

o’clock in Kaduna for a train 

of 2 o’clock. They told him 

they would not sell ticket to 

him until around 12 

o’clock. 

Reason for choosing 

rail travel 

‘’It is for obvious reasons, 

the insecurity on the Abuja- 

Kaduna route, even though 

there are issues of 

insecurity everywhere, the 

Abuja-Kaduna route in 

particular has become 

notorious for kidnapping. 

Army generals 

abandon road, join 

the train 

—Commuters 

‘’Even the Generals and 

security officials are also 

parking their cars to join the 

train in order to avoid the 

risk. So that is why we are 

joining the route to 

minimise the risk. 

Reacting, Haida 

Mahmoud, a student in 

Kaduna, said: ‘’This is my 

first time of coming to Idu 

train station. In other 

stations one has to suffer 

before getting ticket 

compared to Kubwa and 

Kaduna. At Kubwa I could 

not get ticket since 12 o’ 

clock, that is why I came 

here. 

‘’I chose train because it 

is safer, unlike the road 

which is not safe, with 

robbery and kidnapping. 

The train is better. 

There should be 

improvement on the 

ticketing process. At 

Kubwa, we had to write our 

names and queue just to 

get ticket, I do not think it 

is ideal for us to queue and 

pass through the rigour 

people are currently going 

through. 

Buhari, APC out to cover 

corruption, incompetence —PDP 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

ADemocratic BUJA—PEOPLES 

Party, PDP, 

has accused the President 

Muhammadu Buhari-led 

Presidency and the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, of desperation to 

remain in power at all costs, 

to continue to exploit 

Nigerians, protect corrupt 

leaders in its fold, cover 

their incompetence and 

conceal the humongous 

sleazes in the 

administration. 

According to PDP, this is 

the reason APC and the 

cabal at the Presidency 

resorted to violence, 

intimidation as well as 

manipulations and 

alteration of results at the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, to rig the February 

23, Presidential election. 

In a statement issued by 

the National Publicity 

Secretary, Kola 

Ologbondiyan, the party 

maintained that the 

desperation informed the 

reason APC agents and 

certain Presidential aides 

have been making 

desperate efforts to distract 

the Presidential Election 

Petitions Tribunal and derail 

the course of justice by 

making and promoting 

baseless judicial 

interpretations and 

externalizing the 

proceedings of the court. 

The statement read: “The 

President Buhari-led APC 

administration wants to 

remain in power to prevent 

Kokori: Labour issues 

May 1 ultimatum to 

Ngige on NSITF Board 

By Victor Young & 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

L AGOS—ORGANISED 

Labour has given the 

Minister of Labour and 

Employment, Chris Ngige, 

up to Wednesday May 1, 

to inaugurate the board of 

the Nigeria Social 

Insurance Trust, NSITF, 

with Chief Frank Ovie 

Kokori, as chairman, or face 

its wrath. 

Labour also warned 

Ngige against the 

dropping of the name of 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari in the substitution 

of Chief Frank Kokori as 

chairman of the board and 

accused the Minister of 

employing delayed tactics, 

while remaining the ‘sole 

administrator’ of the Fund. 

Efforts to reach the 

minister last night for his 

reaction proved abortive, as 

he was said to be in the 

church and could, 

therefore, not react. 

But Labour in a statement 

yesterday by President of 

Nigeria Labour Congress, 

NLC, Ayuba Wabba, 

accused Ngige of turning 

NSITF into personal estate, 

perpetrating several 

illegalities, including 

unapproved recruitment. 

It equally accused Ngige 

of not only being 

economical with the truth, 

but also lying to remain sole 

administrator of NSITF, 

warning that after May 

Day, if Ngige failed to 

inaugurate the board with 

Kokori as chairman of the 

board, labour would make 

public some of the 

infractions of the minister at 

NSITF. 

The NLC in a four-page 

statement decried the 

statement by the ministry 

calling labour leaders that 

attended the botched 

inauguration thugs. 

NLC stated: “The 

statement, which was filled 

with many unbelievable 

barefaced lies and uncouth 

language, alleged, among 

other things, that the 

inauguration had to be 

postponed …to avoid the 

degeneration of the 

situation where thugs were 

already manhandling 

some officers of the ministry 

and policemen attached to 

the office of the minister. 

“The Minister’s 

statement asserted that the 

violent gate crashing and 

the illegal forceful seizure 

of the conference room of 

the Honourable Minister by 

thugs numbering 

hundreds and persons who 

clearly had no business 

with the inauguration of the 

board is totally 

unacceptable.’’ 

Wabba accused Ngige of 

several infractions at 

NSITF, saying “unknown to 

the Presidency, the 

Minister had within this 

period that he was the sole 

manager of NSITF, 

recruited hundreds of 

people, majority of whom 

are from his community. 

EFCC arraigns Bauchi gov-elect 

for alleged bribe-taking 

By Soni Daniel 

A Economic 

BUJA—THE 

and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission will today 

slam six criminal charges 

against Bauchi State 

governor-elect, Senator 

Bala Mohammed, at the 

High Court of the Federal 

Capital Territory. 

The charges marked CR/ 

177/17 border on accepting 

gratification and acquisition 

of landed property. 

Specifically, the former 

FCT minister is charged 

with accepting gratification 

in the form of a house 

valued at N550 million on 

No 2599 and 2600 

Cadastral Zone, AO4 

Asokoro District, Abuja, 

from Aso Savings and 

Loans Plc in 2014. 

The commission, 

through its prosecuting 

counsel Mr. Wahab Shittu, 

said the alleged 

gratification was accepted 

as reward by Mohammed 

“for performing your official 

duties”. 

The alleged offence, 

according to the 

commission, is contrary to 

Section 18 (b) of the 

Independent Corrupt Practices 

and Other Related 

Offences Act 2000 and 

punishable under Section 

18 (d). 

He is also accused of 

making a false statement 

to an EFCC investigating 

officer, Ishaya Dauda, that 

he acquired the Cadastral 

Zone property through a 

mortgage facility from Aso 

Savings and Loans. 

Mohammed is also 

accused of failing to make 

full disclosure of his 

property on 54, Mike 

Akhigbe Street, Jabi, Abuja 

in the course of filing his 

asset declaration form at 

the EFCC. 

The commission said the 

offence is contrary to 

Section 27 (3) (a) of the 

EFCC (Establishment) Act 

2004 and punishable under 

Section 27 (3) (c). 

The prosecution also 

accused Mohammed of 

failing to declare a property 

on Agwan Sarki Kaduna in 

Kaduna State. 

The anti-graft agency also 

said thst the governor-elect 

made a false declaration 

that a property on CITEC 

Kwara House 5, AP Street, 

Mbora, Abuja belongs to 

him.

C 

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10 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

2019 POLL: Fulani elders flay 

Miyetti Allah official over Tinubu 

L Concerned AGOS—THE 

Fulani 

Leaders Forum, CFLF, 

yesterday, distanced itself 

from one Alhaji Bello 

Bodejo who claimed to be 

President of Miyetti Allah 

Kautal Hore, saying he 

lacked the mandate and 

moral standing to speak for 

the Fulani. 

Bodejo, in an interview 

with a national newspaper, 

had moved to whittle down 

the alleged 2019 

presidential bid of All 


APC, National Leader, 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. 

But in a statement, 

spokesperson for 

CFLF, Muhammad 

Musa Bawa said Bodejo 

made the statement to serve 

some dubious interests. 

The statement reads: “We 

note with dismay a 

publication in The Sun 

Newspaper of Saturday 

April 27, 2019 

and attributed to 

one Alhaji Bello Bodejo, 

the self- acclaimed 

President of Miyetti 

Allah Kautal Hore, an 

association mischievously conceived 

to serve some 

dubious interests. In the 

p u b l i c a t i o n , 

Bello Bodejo was 

quoted as casting 

aspersions on the person 

of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, National 

Leader, Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu. 

“Bello Bodejo’s statement is 

u n f o r t u n a t e 

and repulsive in all 

ramifications. Such a 

person cannot be taken 

s e r i o u s l y o r 

be highly regarded as to 

speak for others. 

“Bello Bodejo stands for 

everything unethical. 

His questionable antecedents 

speak volumes about him 

and his ways. When 

he realised he cannot 

actualize his nefarious 

activities under any decent 

association, he resorted to 

desperate moves, 

contacting prominent 

politicians, soliciting for 

patronage and claiming 

to be a leader of the Fulani 

under Kautal Hore, a 

handbag association where 

he is law unto himself. 

"He does not command 

any decent followership as 

his criminal records speak 

volumes about him. He is 

a 

fraudster 

with questionable background 

who derives pleasure in 

intimidating people using 

his clandestine activities. 

“On the issue of 2019 he 

raised, no one can arrogate 

to himself the power to 

decide who should lead or 

aspire to lead the 

country. The generality of 

the Nigerian people will 

take that crucial decision. 

Only a charlatan like 

Bello Bodejo, masquerading 

as a leader would make 

such sweeping 

statements credited to 

him." 

Tinubu remains a visionary 

leader — Akinyelure 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—A 

former 

National Vice 

Chairman of the All 


APC, South West, Chief 

Pius Akinyelure has 

expressed confidence in the 

leadership quality of 

National Leader of the 

party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, 

saying, “Tinubu remains a 

leader to be reckoned with 

in Nigeria.” 

He also expressed 

confidence in Lagos State 

Governor-elect, Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, 

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat to 

transform the state and 

position it among 

developed states in the 

international community. 

Akinyelure said this, 

weekend, during an 

Appreciation Dinner and 

victory party, organised by 

supporters of Sanwo- 

Olu to express gratitude to 

residents for electing the 

governor-elect and his 

running mate. 

Akinyelure said: “Tinubu 

remains a leader to be 

reckoned with. He is a 

great political strategist 

and a visionary leader who 

can read and 

understand issues and see 

things ahead. His ability to 

see things ahead had 

helped to promote 

governance in the state. We 

will continue to follow him. 

“With his vision and 

service to the people, he 

has helped to promote the 

development of the state.” 

3 arrested over sale of poisonous 

ponmo 

By Chioma Obinna 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State Government, 

yesterday, arrested three 

persons in connection 

with the sale of toxic cowskin 

popularly known as 

Ponmo in Ojo Local 

Government area and Iba 

Local Council 

Development Area of the 

State even as it warned 

Lagosians to desist from 

consuming unwholesome 

food product. 

The State Commissioner 

for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, 

who made the disclosure, 

noted that the 

government has 

confiscated a large 

amount of the poisonous 

cow-skin following 

preliminary investigation 

and enforcement carried 

out in the areas. 

Idris said the three 

persons involved have 

been charged to court while 

samples of the confiscated 

Ponmo had been sent to the 

National Agency for Food 

and Drug Administration 

and 

Control, 

NAFDAC, laboratory for 

suitability test analysis for 

human consumption. 

He said: “The attention of 

the Lagos State 

Government was drawn to 

•As LASG warns against consumption of poisonous foods 

the activities of traders who 

deal in the sale of the 

poisonous cow-skin at odd 

hours in different locations 

in Ojo and Iba local 

government areas of the 

state. 

"Preliminary 

investigations and suspects 

tracing revealed that the 

traders were very active 

between 4:00am and 

6:00am at various locations 

such as Volkswagen bus 

stop, Iyana Iba, Afolabi Ege 

Markets, all within Ojo and 

Iba local council areas of the 

State. 

“A company, said to be 

located at Ijedodo area of 

Iba LCDA, was indicted as 

the source of supply of this 

toxic Ponmo and has 

subsequently been put 

under surveillance.” 

The Commissioner, 

however, called on the 

public to be vigilant and 

report suspected activities 

and sale of unwholesome 

foods and food products to 

an environmental health 

officer in their nearest local 

government or to the 

Ministry of Health or the 

Ministry of Agriculture. 

He also advised 

Lagosians against 

purchase and consumption 

of foods perceived to be 

hazardous to human 

health. 

GLO WINS ICT AWARDS: Chairman, Association of Licensed 

Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, 

speaking at the induction of Globacom into the ICT Hall of Fame at the Beacon 

of ICT Awards held in Lagos at the weekend. The company also won the “Most 

Innovative Mobile Player of the Year” at the event. Applauding are Mr Eric Uwaoma 

and Mrs Oluwakemi Akinyele, who represented the company at the event. 

ExxonMobil laments frequent attacks on facilities 

by Akwa Ibom youths 

By Harris-Okon 

Emmanuel 

U MANAGEMENT 

Y O — 

of Mobil Producing Nigeria 

Unlimited, Eket, Akwa 

Ibom State has lamented 

the frequent attacks on its 

facilities, saying that it had 

recorded over 25 cases in 

the past four months. 

General Manager, Joint 

Venture Operations, Tom 

Benjaminsen disclosed this 

at the NNPC/MPC joint 

venture community 

investment meeting 

weekend in Eket, the 

commercial nerve centre of 

the state. 

He said: “The 

unprecedented 

harassment, badge seizure 

and attacks on our 

contractors by a handful of 

individual in the 

communities are 

constituting a major 

impediment to the 

continuous survival of our 

business. We have 

recorded more than 25 such 

cases, and counting, from 

January 2019 to date. 

“I appeal to the 

community leaders to 

continue to monitor the 

youths to always explore 

peaceful avenues for 

resolution of issues rather 

than adopt violent 

confrontation as the only 

mode of engagement. 

“The NNPC/MPN joint 

venture is for the long haul 

and is repositioning to 

deliver greater value to the 

community, the state and 

the nation.” 

In his address, chairman 

of the ceremony, Brig. 

General Anthony Etukudo 

(retd) commended the oil 

firm for the programmes 

and called on the youths to 

desist from using violence 

as a mean to resolve 

conflict, but should follow 

the path of peace. 

Glo shines at BoICT Awards Night 

Lsecond 

AGOS—NIGERIA’S 

largest 

telecom operator, 

Globacom, was at the 

weekend awarded and 

inducted into the 

Information and 

Communication 

Technology, ICT, Hall of 

Fame for its unwavering 

support for the telecom 

industry. 

It took place at the 10th 

anniversary of the Beacon 

of Information and 

Communication 

Technology (BoICT) 

Awards held in Lagos. 

Globacom got the ‘Most 

Innovative Mobile Player 

of the Year’ award at the 

colourful ceremony 

attended by distinguished 

Nigerians from all walks of 

life. In addition, Globacom 

was inducted into the ICT 

Hall of Fame for its 

remarkable contributions to 

the growth of Nigeria’s 

telecommunications 

He said: “The 

Community Investment 

Programmes, CIP, initiated 

by NNPC/MPN joint 

venture for the 

development of the four 

neighbouring communities 

of Eket, Esit Eket, Onna and 

Ibeno is a very welcome 

development though long 

overdue. 

“It must be noted that we 

will no longer tolerate youth 

restiveness through street 

protests and blocking of 

roads. Dialogue is cheaper 

industry. Globacom’s 

representatives, Head, 

Enterprise Solutions, Eric 

Uwaoma; Training 

Development Unit, 

Oluwakemi Akinyele and 

Head, Mobile Money, Raj 

Narayan received the 

award on behalf of the 

company. 

The Chairman, 

Association of Licensed 

Telecom Operators of 

Nigeria, ALTON, Mr. 

Gbenga Adebayo described 

Globacom as the game 

changer of the telecom 

industry. 

Adebayo said the 

innovation of Per Second 

Billing (PSB) system 

introduced by Globacom 

fast-tracked telecom growth 

in the country. 

He said: “For that unique 

innovation and many more 

others it has introduced 

since then, Globacom 

deserved this award.” 

The ALTON chairman 

and globally accepted to 

violence.” 

Commissioner for 

Transport and Petroleum 

Resources, Mr Orman 

Esin, who represented the 

state government urged the 

management of the firm to 

review the budgetary 

provision for CIP. 

”We are calling on 

MPN to review the CIP 

upward because the 

results you get from the 

programme, money 

cannot buy,” he said. 

described the telecom 

sector as the “most reliable” 

sector in the country and a 

“major driver” of the 

economy. 

Adebayo urged the 

government to look into the 

issue of multiple taxation in 

the industry and make 

conscious efforts to protect 

the industry’s critical 

infrastructure; just as he 

described the threat by the 

Nigerian Airspace 

Management Authority to 

close down operators’ base 

stations as a threat to 

national security which will 

have grave consequences 

for the country. 

Founder and CEO of 

Communication Week 

Media Limited and 

organisers of the BoICT 

Award Series, Ken Nwogbo 

described the Beacon of ICT 

Awards series as the last 

most prestigious annual 

event available in the ICT 

industry in Nigeria.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 11 


COMMISSIONING: Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State (2nd left) unveiling the utra-modern 

mosque built by Hon. Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji at Ikire on Saturday. 

FG’s new payroll system dubious — ASUU 

By Ola Ajayi 

I Academic BADAN—THE 

Staff Union 

of Universities, ASUU, 

yesterday, described a 

move by the Federal 

Government to use the 

2019 personnel verification 

exercise to incorporate 

lecturers into the Integrated 

Personnel Payroll System, 

IPPS, as unacceptable. 

Subsequently, the union 

has directed its members to 

ignore the 2019 Personnel 

Data Verification forms 

being distributed by the 

Budget Office of the 

federation. 

ASUU President, 

Professor Biodun 

Ogunyemi gave the 

directive in a letter sent to 

chairmen of the union in 

universities. 

Ogunyemi described the 

verification form as 

dubious. 

He said: “The attention of 

the leadership of the ASUU 

has been drawn to a circular 

from the budget office of the 

federation directing 

members of our union to 

participate in a Personnel 

Verification Exercise 

designed for selected 

ministries, departments 

and agencies. An item on 

the form requires the 

supply of IPPIS number. 

“This suggests that the 

so-called exercise is a 

disguised way of bringing 

back the Integrated Payroll 

and Personnel Information 

System, IPPIS, which our 

union rejected in the past 

with informed arguments. 

“All chairpersons are 

advised against falling into 

the trap of forceful migration 

to the IPPIS. All 

chairpersons are strongly 

Mrs Fayemi, Otedola, two 

govs, ex-Ghanaian President 

win Zik Leadership prize 

LAGOS—WIFE 

of 

Ekiti State governor, 

Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has won 

the 2018 Zik Leadership 

Prize for humanitarian 

Leadership. This was 

disclosed by the organisers 

of the annual prize in 

Lagos. 

Her husband, Dr Kayode 

Fayemi had earlier in 2013 

won the Zik Leadership 

Prize in the political 

leadership category. 

Other winners of the 2018 

Zik prize in leadership, 

include former Ghanaian 

President, John Mahama, 

immediate past national 

chairman of the All 


APC, Chief John 

Odigie-Oyegun, who 

won in the political 

leadership category. 

advised to discourage their 

members from completing 

the form under reference 

until the union reviews its 

position on the IPPS.” 

Speaking further on the 

Directive, Professor Omole 

said the “current IPPIS 

programme does not 

accommodate the 

peculiarities of the job of 

university lecturers. 

“The current state of 

IPPIS cannot accommodate 

the peculiarities of our job 

as scholars. Members 

should equally recall that 

the union has been 

engaging the federal 

government with a view to 

making relevant authorities 

to appreciate the 

implications and position of 

ASUU on the matter since 

2014. 

“Pending the resolution of 

the matter evidence of 

which shall be 

communicated to all 

members, no member of the 

union is allowed to enlist 

in the IPPIS.'' 

Ekiti Oba returns six months after 

abdicating throne 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

A DO-EKITI—THE 

people of Ilogbo Ekiti 

in Ido/Osi Local 

Government Area of Ekiti 

State, yesterday, pardoned 

their monarch, the 

Owalogbo, Oba Edward 

Ajayi, after chasing him out 

of his kingdom for six 

months. 

This was after a peace 

parley brokered by Ekiti 

State government. 

The monarch was evicted 

from the palace and chased 

away from the town during 

Also, governors Udom 

Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom 

State and Abubakar Sanni- 

Bello of Niger State 

emerged winners in the 

good governance award 

category, while business 

mogul, Femi Otedola also 

won the prize for the 

business leadership 

category. 

Announcing the winners 

at a news conference in 

Lagos, executive Secretary 

of the Public Policy 

Research and Analysis 

Centre, PPRAC, Emeka 

Obasi and a member of the 

advisory board of the 

Centre, Prof Pat Utomi, 

disclosed that the winners 

were carefully selected after 

an exhaustive appraisal 

of nominees in the various 

award categories. 

a violent protest by 

indigenes on 21st October, 

2018 during which one 

person was killed and 

properties worth millions of 

Naira destroyed. 

A Memorandum of 

Understanding (MoU), 

supervised by the Deputy 

Governor, Otunba Bisi 

Egbeyemi, was signed by 

the two parties after series 

of peace meetings to 

reconcile the embattled 

traditional ruler with his 

estranged subjects. 

The Deputy Governor, in 

a statement signed by his 

Special Assistant (Media), 

Odunayo Ogunmola, on 

Sunday, said the Owalogbo 

is now free to come back to 

the throne and assume his 

royal duties. 

He said the traditional 

ruler has learnt his lesson 

after spending six months 

in exile urging indigenes 

still aggrieved with him to 

bury the hatchet and allow 

peace to reign in the town. 

Oba Ajayi was accused by 

his subjects of alleged 

highhandedness, autocratic 

tendencies, withholding of 

monthly allowances of his 

chiefs, failure to control his 

children whom they accused 

of involvement in cultism 

and bringing suspected 

cultists to their community 

to unleash terror. 

Egbeyemi said: “Our 

government is a 

government of peace; we 

don’t want crisis or 

breakdown of law and order 

in any part of the state. 

Kabiyesi, you can now go 

back to your domain 

anytime you wish. 

“Let us all agree that the 

crisis is over because we 

have all signed the MoU, 

and that you will all allow 

peace to reign and 

everybody will go about his 

normal business.” 

Responding, the 

monarch commended the 

Deputy Governor for the 

intervention and successful 

resolution of the crisis. 

Nigerian leaders 

of thought 

for 12th The 

Platform confab 

NIGERIAN thought 

leaders from all 

spheres of life will on 

Wednesday grace the 12th 

edition of The Platform 

Nigeria programme 

designed to facilitate 

personal growth, capacity 

and productivity as well as 

foster national 

development within the 

country. 

The biannual conference 

powered by Covenant 

Christian Centre is billed to 

hold on May 1 in Lagos 

would be graced, among 

other speakers, by the 

Chairman, Board of 

Directors, First Bank of 

Nigeria, Mrs. Ibukun 

Awosika, Chairman of the 

Editorial Board of Thisday 

Newspaper, Olusegun 

Adeniyi, Founder, Editorin-chief 

of PandoDaily, 

Sarah Lacy and President 

of the African Institution of 

Technology, Dr. Ndubuisi 

Ekekwe. 

By Henry Ojelu 

L AGOS—HUMAN 

Rights lawyer, Mr. 

Femi Falana, SAN, 

yesterday, asked the 

Attorney General of the 

Federation, AGF, Mr. 

Malami Abubakar, SAN, to 

charge some naval officials 

responsible for torturing 

and illegally detaining 15 

Nigerian citizens including 

military personnel in a 

military detention facilities. 

In a statement, Falana 

stated that since September 

2018, the Nigerian Navy 

arrested the 15 citizens 

including Group Captain 

Dada Labinjo, Lt. 

Commander Sherifat Ibe 

Lambert (also known as 

Mrs Bola Labinjo) and 

Benjamin Gold for an 

undisclosed offence. 

Falana noted that Navy 

authorities have continued 

to detain the victims and 

deny them access to family 

members, medical doctors 

and lawyers despite the 

orders of a Magistrate’s 

Court which ruled that 

they should be released 

from illegal detention. 

He said: “In utter 

contempt of the valid order 

of the Magistrate Court the 

Authorities of the Nigerian 

Navy transferred the 

detainees to another 

military detention facility in 

Abuja. 

“Following the 

application by Lt. 

Commander Bola Labinjo 

filed for the enforcement of 

her fundamental right to 

personal liberty, the 

Federal High Court 

directed the Naval 

Authorities to release her 

from illegal custody. 

“But the valid order of the 

Federal High Court has 

equally been ignored by 

HEALTH TIPS 

One glass of wine daily lowers 

risk of depression — STUDY 

By Sola Ogundipe 

IT used to be said that 

an apple a day keeps 

the doctor away, but now 

Swedish researchers have 

found that people who 

drink a glass of wine a day 

appeared to have a lower 

risk of depression than 

those who abstain or over 

indulge. 

The researchers who 

tracked the lifestyle habits 

of more than 5,000 people 

for 12 years, found the 

people with the best mental 

health drank up to 14 units 

of alcohol a week - the 

equivalent of 10 pints of 

beer, and a little less than 

10 glasses of wine. 

Those who never drank 

alcohol had a 70-percent 

higher risk of depression, 

and hazardous bingedrinkers 

were 80 percent 

more likely to suffer. 

The new study, 

published in Acta 

Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 

found that alcohol at least 

seemed to be tied to good 

mental health. 

While alcohol - 

particularly excessive 

drinking - is a risk factor for 

depression, plenty of 

studies have shown there 

can be a sweet spot. 

It is not a secret that in 

many parts of the world 

with the best health and 

longest life expectancy, 

most people have a drink a 

day. 

While not universally 

beneficial; women, 

particularly younger 

women, have higher risks 

than men of developing 

heart disease, cancer, and 

other health issues from 

drinking alcohol. There 

have also been reports that 

a glass of wine a night 

raises the risk of a stroke. 

However, another recent 

study found that, while the 

risks for younger women 

are underestimated, the 

risks for older women 

may be overestimated. In 

fact, the study found 

alcohol was protective 

past retirement age. 

Charge naval personnel for torture, 

contempt, Falana tells AGF 

the Naval Authorities 

without any legal 

justification. Even though 

the civilians among the 

detainees are not subject to 

service law the Naval 

Authorities have continued 

to detain them in military 

detention facilities. 

“Furthermore, the 

fundamental right of the 

detainees to dignity has 

been violated as they are 

being held incommunicado 

in solitary confinement 

while they are subjected to 

physical, mental and 

psychological torture in total 

contravention of section 3(2) 

of the Anti Torture Act, 2017 

which provides that “secret 

detention places, solitary 

c o n f i n e m e n t , 

incommunicado or other 

similar forms of detention 

where torture is carried out 

are prohibited. 

“As the prolonged 

incarceration of the 

detainees cannot be justified 

under the Constitution of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, 1999 as amended 

or the Armed Forces Act 

they should be released from 

custody or arraigned before 

a competent court of law if 

there is reasonable 

suspicion that they have 

committed any criminal 

offence whatsoever. 

“However, to curb the 

growing culture of official 

impunity in the country we 

are compelled to call on the 

Attorney-General of the 

Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Mr. Abubakar 

Malami SAN to charge the 

naval personnel responsible 

for the violations of the 

fundamental rights of the 

detainees with contempt 

of court and acts of 

torture under the 

Criminal Code Act and 

the Anti Torture Act.” 

C 

M 

Y 

K

12—VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

Delta monarch denies warning 

Agip, others against dealing 

with community's leaders 

THE Okpala-Ukwu of 

Umusadege –Ogbe, in 

Ndokwa West Local 

Government Area of Delta 

State, His Highness, 

Andrew Chibogu, has 

denied media report that the 

community handed a 

warning to oil companies 

operating in the community, 

particularly Nigerian Agip 

Oil Company Limited, 

NAOC, to desist from 

dealing with the leadership 

of the community. 

Chibogu in a statement, 

weekend, said: “To put the 

records straight on the 

allegations, we decided to 

respond to stop them from 

exhibiting their primitive 

education in the public, as 

well as to advise them to 

desist from giving false 

information to the public and 

threatening oil companies 

operating in our peaceful 

community. 

“The leadership of 

Umusadege-Ogbe 

community expired on June 

1, 2018, and was 

reconstituted on July 21, 

2018, at the Okpala-Uku's 

Palace after a peaceful 

transition and letters of 

introduction of community 

accredited contact men 

committee and community 

development committee 

(CDC) chairman was written 

and signed by the Chief, 

community secretary general 

and the seven family heads 

to various oil companies on 

July 30, 2018, including the 

impostors. 

“It is noteworthy that after 

the introduction of CACCs, 

one chief conspired with 

some chiefs, met at Lococcon 

Hotels and formed a parallel 

government without the 

knowledge of the community 

and has no blessings of the 

Otu-Olile age grade." 

Black weekend in Borno as Boko 

Haram attacks military, police formations, 

clinic in Borno villages 

By Ndahi Marama, 

Maiduguri 

SUSPECTED members 

of Boko Haram terrorists 

weekend wreaked havoc 

by attacking a military 

formation in Kimba village 

of Big Local Government 

Area of Borno State. 

Sources said the armed 

insurgents invaded the 

Kimba community which is 

about 35km away from Biu 

and confronted the soldiers 

at their duty post, leading 

to the the dislocation of the 

troops on Friday. 

Unconfirmed report indicated 

that the insurgents 

overwhelmed the soldiers at 

their duty post and chased 

them away from the community 

which shares border 

with Sambisa Forest. 

A resident, Aliyu Isa, told 

our correspondent that after 

the attack on Kimba village 

on Friday, another 

group of insurgents 

stormed Sabin Gari village 

of Damboa Local Government 

Area which is about 

5km away to Kimba and 

razed down a Police station, 

clinic and dislodged 

one of the military formations 

in the area. 

Isa said, Sabon Gari village 

had been with no military 

presence for almost 

two years when the military 

formation in the area 

was attacked, causing the 

authorities to withdraw 

troops until recently when 

they were redeployed. 

Rivers gov: Fingesi drags INEC, Wike to tribunal 

By Egufe 

Yafugborhi 

PORT HARCOURT - 

CANDIDATE of Action 

Democratic Party, ADP, in 

2019 governorship election 

in Rivers State, Victor 

Fingesi has dragged the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, Governor Nyesom 

Wike, winner of the 

election, and the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

before the election tribunal, 

seeking the conduct of a 

fresh governorship election 

in the state. 

Fingesi weekend in Port 

Harcourt, said he was 

challenging INEC’s return 

of incumbent Wike as 

governor-elect in the 

election despite 

“Substantial 

noncompliance with the 

electoral Act,” by the 

electoral body. 

He said: “We are asking 

the tribunal to nullify the 

election of Wike and order 

fresh election because 

anybody who is the 

governor in a democratic 

dispensation carries the 

sacred mandate of the 

people. No matter the 

expediency, he must have 

majority of lawful votes and 

the process and procedure 

must comply with the laws 

of the land. 

“No attempt should be 

made in any guise to turn 

election exercise to mere 

filling of a vacuum and 

impose anybody on Rivers 

people as governor. 

“Our stand on this matter 

is even corroborated by a 

statement from INEC that 

the election was marred by 

wide spread irregularities 

and we wonder why INEC 

would consequently volteface 

and return Wike as the 

governor in such an 

election.” 

Dickson, Okowa praise N’Delta monarchs for 

relative peace •As Ibori, others extol HM Ayemi-Botu 

By Emma Amaize 

& Festus Ahon 

O GOVERNORS 

KPOKUNU— 

Seriake Dickson and Ifeanyi 

Okowa of Bayelsa and Delta 

States respectively, weekend, 

commended traditional rulers 

for the relative peace in the 

Niger Delta region and 

promised to collaborate more 

with them. 

The governors made the 

commendation in their 

separate remarks at the silver 

jubilee anniversary and lunch 

of the biography of the 

paramount ruler of the 

Seimbiri Kingdom, Burutu 

Local Government Area, 

Delta State, His Majesty, 

King Charles Ayemi-Botu, 

aka Lion of the Niger. 

Former governor of Delta 

State, Chief James Ibori, who 

presided over the ceremony 

and the Chairman, Delta 

State Traditional Rulers 

Council, Obi of Owa 

Kingdom, Dr. Emmanuel 

Efeizomor, led other 

dignitaries to Okpokunu 

town, the country home of 

HM Ayemi-Butu for the 

anniversary. 

Dickson praised the 

monarch for his dogged 

efforts towards the liberation 

of the Ijaw nation even at the 

risk of his life and comfort of 

his family, saying, “You are a 

leading light in Ijaw nation. 

You have remained very 

outspoken on issues of great 

concern to our people. You are 

a king that is not only to serve, 

but also to speak up for the 

oppressed. 

“You do not fear to speak out 

on matters of interest to the 

Niger Delta region even in the 

face of troubles. I commend 

you for being a strong voice 

in the struggle for true 

emancipation of our people.” 

Also speaking, Okowa, 

represented by the Speaker of 

the Delta State House of 

Assembly, Chief Sheriff 

Oborevwori, explained that 

the traditional institutions have 

been an integral part of the 

success stories of his 

administration and solicited for 

continued support of the royal 

fathers. 

Congratulating King 

Ayemi-Botu for his 25 years 

coronation anniversary, 

Okowa enjoined communities 

across the state to remain at 

peace with one another for 

more development to thrive in 

the state. Former governor, 

Chief Ibori, in his address, 

recalled the contributions of 

King Ayemi-Botu in the trying 

times of his administration, 

especially during the struggle 

for resource control and 

commended the Seimbiri 

monarch for what he 

described as ‘royal 

leadership’ in resolving crisis. 

King Ayemi-Botu while 

thanking God for mercies 

upon his life and the lives of 

his subjects, appealed to 

federal and state 

governments, companies 

operating in the locality and 

other development partners to 

attract people oriented projects 

to the area as well as 

establishment of tertiary 

institutions in his kingdom. 

The Seimbiri monarch, who 

promised to remain committed 

to the struggle for the 

development of the Niger 

Delta region, said the region 

should be adequately catered 

for because it contributes 

largely to nation’s economy. 

SERAP writes Dickson, asks him to reject 

life pension for Bayelsa lawmakers 

S 

O 

C I O - 

ECONOMIC 

Rights and Accountability 

Project, SERAP, has sent an 

open letter to Governor 

Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa 

State, urging him to use his 

“good offices as trustee of the 

state’s resources, and be 

Babs Alasa sues DAAR Communication 

MEDIA consultant, 

Chief Babs Alasa, 

has dragged DAAR Communication 

Plc, AIT and two of its 

senior officials before a Lagos 

State High Court sitting in Ikeja 

over the alleged embarrassment 

caused him by the withdrawal 

of the Governor of the 

Year Award bestowed on his 

client, the Akwa Ibom State 

governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel 

by the media organisation. 

Alasa in the suit, is asking for 

unreserved public apology to 

him to be published in three 

major newspapers for the unwarranted 

embarrassment 

caused him and the governor 

of Akwa Ibom State. 

consistent with your 

constitutional oath of office, to 

reject the proposed life 

pension bill by the leader of 

the House of Assembly, Peter 

Akpe, and to prevail upon the 

House to immediately 

withdraw the self-serving bill.” 

The House had last week 

passed a bill that would grant 

life pensions to speakers, 

deputy speakers and other 

members. Under the bill, 

speakers will go home with 

N500,000 monthly, while 

deputy speakers will receive 

N200,000. The 24 other 

members will each get 

N100,000. The House is 

seeking life pensions for 

members similar to those 

From left—Mr ken 

Nwogbo, Founder, 

N i g e r i a 

Communications 

Week; Mr John 

Obaro, 

MD, 

SystemSpecs Ltd 

receiving 

the 

"Índigeneous 

Software Provider of 

the Decade" award 

from 

Gbenga 

Adebayo, Chairman of 

the Occassion at the 

2019 Beacon of 

Information and 

Communication 

Technology, Award 

ceremony in Lagos on 

Saturday. Photo 

Lamidi Bamidele 

“applicable to former presidents, 

vice-presidents, governors 

and deputy governors 

across the country.” 

In the letter dated April 26, 

2019 and signed by SERAP’s 

Deputy Director, Kolawole 

Oluwadare, the organisation 

said: “Public officials have a 

legal commitment to 

discharge a public duty 

truthfully and faithfully. 

Should you assent to the bill 

as proposed, SERAP will 

institute legal proceedings to 

challenge the legality of the 

legislation and ensure full 

compliance with constitutional 

provisions and Nigeria’s 

international anti-corruption 

obligations."



CELEBRATION:From 

left —Funsho Ibrahim, 

Chairman Governing 

council Federal College 

of Education,Technical, 

Asaba, Dr. Nwanze 

Ignatius Ezoem Outgoing 

Provost, Federal 

College of Education of 

Education, Technical, 

Asaba, and Mr. Bashir 

M u h a m m a d 

representative of 

Federal Ministry of 

Education, during the 

activities marking the 

end of 8 year tenure of 

Dr. Ezoem as the 

Provost of Federal 

College of Education, 

Technical , Asaba. Photo: 

Nath Onojake 

We'll not surrender Benue to criminals 

— Ortom ...Blames Katsina/Ala crisis on criminals 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI— 

GOVERNOR 

Samuel Ortom has 

blamed the bloody 

conflict in Katsina/Ala 

local government area of 

the Benue State between 

Shitile and Ikurav clans 

where 11 persons were r 

killed on Good Friday, 

on criminals operating 

in the area. 

This came as the 

governor insisted that 

the state would not be 

surrendered to 

criminals. 

The Governor who 

disclosed this while 

interacting with 

newsmen in Makurdi, 

assured that with the 

support of stakeholders 

from the affected areas, 

an end to the crisis was 

in sight. 

He said, “on Thursday 

I held a meeting with 

stakeholders from the 

area that lasted about 

eight hours where 

everyone spoke frankly 

on the matter and all the 

root causes of the conflict 

was made known. It was 

obvious that some 

persons entrusted with 

responsibilities are 

failing in their duties 

and government will not 

hesitate to wield the big 

stick to met out sanctions 

but beyond that what we 

see happening in 

Katsina/Ala is pure 

criminality. 

“Regrettably all efforts 

in the past to have the 

matter resolved was 

resisted by the people 

themselves but today 

they have resolved to 

end it with government’s 

intervention because as 

we speak no activity both 

social and economic is 

going on there. I have 

met with security chiefs 

and I must appreciate 

personnel of Operation 

Whirl Stroke for their 

decisive efforts to end the 

conflict. After our 

meetings we resolved to 

take action to stop the 

kidnappings, robberies 

and killings and restore 

peace in the area. 

“I must reiterate that I 

will not surrender my 

government to criminals. 

We will continue to liaise 

with security agencies to 

ensure peace in the state 

which is paramount to 

the government and 

people of Benue state.” 

On the possible review 

of the curfew imposed on 

Katsina/Ala town 

following the crisis, 

Governor Ortom said his 

government was 

studying the situation 

before reaching a 

decision. 

Dangote donates multi-billion naira hostel to 

ABU •Bags Doctorate Degree 

Kforemost ADUNA—AFRICA’S 

businessman 

and Chairman of Aliko 

Dangote Foundation, 

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has 

made another critical 

intervention in the 

educational sector when he 

weekend donated fully 

equipped 2,160 bed space 

hostel complex to the 

Ahmadu 

Bello 

University,ABU, Zaria. 

The students’ halls of 

residence comprising of 10 

blocks of 360 rooms built 

with a total cost of 

N1.2billion came after 

similar gestures to Bayero 

University, Kano and 

University of Ibadan, where 

the business mogul 

donated multi-billion Naira 

business school complexes 

respectively as part of his 

contribution to the 

educational development 

in the country. 

The new students’ hall of 

residence 

was 

commissioned to 

commemorate the 41st 

convocation of the 

University during which 

the university authorities 

reciprocated the act of 

philanthropy by conferring 

on him and the renowned 

labour leader, Hassan 

Sumonu, honourary 

Doctorate Degree. 

Also 15,787 graduating 

students were also awarded 

various degrees. 

Speaking at the occasion, 

the President Dangote 

Group explained that he 

was moved to build the 

structure having realized 

that the student population 

at the university have 

recorded significant 

increase without a 

corresponding growth in 

terms of infrastructure 

lamenting that the situation 

has remained a subsisting 

and growing major 

challenge as Nigerian 

public universities continue 

to grapple with under 

funding. 

“Thus, I will like to use 

this opportunity to enjoin 

the Federal Government to 

consider allocating special 

funds to the universities to 

enable them to improve on 

research and upgrade their 

infrastructure. Such special 

intervention has become 

imperative given the 

perennial funding 

challenges facing our 

universities”, he stated. 

Dangote posited that the 

Federal Government alone 

could not shoulder the 

entire burden of funding 

tertiary education due to 

competing needs of other 

sectors that also demand 

priority attention. This is 

where Public Private 

Partnership, PPP, can and 

should come in to fill the 

gap. 

...as Textile union 

salutes Sunmonu, 

Dangote on awards 

Meanwhile, the National 

Union of Textile, Garment 

and Tailoring Workers of 

Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has 

congratulated the pioneer 

President, of Nigeria 

Labour Congress, NLC, 

Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu 

and Alhaji Aliko Dangote 

on the conferment of 

Honorary Doctorate 

Degrees on them by 

ABU. 

In the congratulatory 

message to the awardees, 

General Secretary of 

NUTGTWN, Issa Aremu 

recalled the outstanding 

leadership of Sunmonu as 

the founding President of 

NLC from 1978 to 1984. 

Aremu who is also 

member of National 

Executive Council, NEC, of 

NLC, said “Remarkably, 

NLC under his leadership 

fought and won the battle 

to make May 1st a public 

holiday, fought and won the 

struggle for a new 

minimum wage of N125 

($240) in 1981 under 

President Shehu Shagari’s 

administration. 

Notwithstanding the 

divisive strategy of the 

second Republic politicians 

aimed at splitting the NLC, 

Aremu observed that 

Sunmonu commendably 

sustained the unity of the 

trade union movement 

through all inclusive 

ideologically driven 

movement. As Secretary 

General of the Organisation 

of Africa Trade Unions Unity 

(OATUU) he also ensured that 

the voice of African workers are 

heard and respected in the global 

arena. 

The labour leader who is also 

the Vice President of Industrial 

Global Union based in Geneva, 

Switzerland also said the 

honouring of Aliko Dangote as a 

leading African investor and 

industrialist was well deserved 

given his globally acknowledged 

contribution to industrialisation 

and mass job creation in the 

continent of Africa. 

1st Gold refinery to add 

N53bn to GDP —Minister 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

ABUJA—MINISTER of 

State for Mines and 

Steel Development, 

Abubakar Bwari, has said 

the first Gold refinery will 

add N53 billion to the 

nation’s Gross Domestic 

Product, GDP, in the first 

year of production. 

Bwari stated this while 

speaking on efforts of the 

Buhari-led administration 

to ensure Nigeria becomes 

a major exporter of gold 

products from 2019, saying 

the refinery will produce 

175, 000 ounces (5, 468. 75 

kilogrammes) of Gold 

bullion bars. 

According to him the 

company granted the 

country’s first Gold refinery 

license has the capacity to 

operate gold refinery, 

following critical 

assessment to ascertain the 

technical know-how and 

other requirements. 

He said: “The National 

Gold Purchase Scheme is 

aimed at promoting the 

production, aggregation 

and refining of Nigerian 

gold purchase through the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, under a Federal 

Gold Reserve Treasury 

Scheme. 

“The Scheme is 

administered under two 

platforms which include 

provision of access to 

equipment through a 

lease/hire loan facility to 

registered miners. We have 

authorized off-takers. 

“Our projection on the 

production of the Gold 

refinery in the first year is 

175, 000 ounces (5, 468.75 

kilogrammes) of 99.99 per 

cent Gold bullion bars. The 

earnings in the sector will 

be increased by N53 billion 

in the first year. It would 

also boost the sector’s 

contribution to the national 

Gross Domestic Product, 

GDP, by 80 per cent. 

“On the Gold Refinery 

License, the Ministry 

granting the first ever 

license in Nigeria to Kian 

Smith Trade Co. Ltd, a 

private sector operator. The 

ground breaking ceremony 

for the plant was held on 

the 13th of December 2018.” 

“The refinery will 

commence production of 

99.99 per cent bullion bars 

and coins in the third 

quarter of 2019. For the 

market platform, the Gold 

produced and procured 

shall be refined in bullion 

bars.” 

The Minister added that 

over the years Nigeria’s 

Gold had been largely 

traded illegally, seizures 

made of the commodity at 

the nation’s airports had 

been worrisome. 

ICC condemns Fulani 

killing of Christians in 

Adamawa 

By Sam Eyoboka 

K 

A D U N A — 

INTERNATIONAL 

Christian Concern, ICC, a 

non-partisan, charitable 

organization focused on 

human rights, religious 

freedom and assisting the 

persecuted Christian 

Church around the world 

has condemned recent 

killing of four Christians 

and injuring of six others 

in Demsa Local 

Government of Adamawa 

State. 

A statement by ICC 

Communications 

Coordinator, Olivia Miller, 

lamented that Fulani 

militants launched an attack 

on Bolon village, a 

predominantly Christian 

village in Demsa Local 

Council Area of Adamawa 

State, Nigeria, saying “the 

attackers struck at 

approximately 10:30 p.m., 

firing gunshots 

sporadically. When the dust 

settled, four people were 

killed and another six were 

injured by gunfire.” 

Continuing, the ICC 

quoted a local resident as 

saying: “An older man 

went to his backyard… and 

saw the attackers coming. 

The old man quickly went 

back and alerted the 

villagers of imminent 

danger while the attackers 

advanced very fast. Some 

of the villagers were able 

to flee, while some of the 

brave men tried to resist 

and repel the attackers. 

“An 89-year-old man and 

his wife were killed in their 

home when it burned down 

around them. Among the four 

victims were Nathan Maduwuri 

(89), Mirdiya Nathan (70), Demto 

Lord (13), and Emiko David (10). 

Kalla Lord Dennis, a 48-year-old 

father, was shot in the hand and 

leg. The bullet that was lodged in 

his leg was finally removed 

several days after the attack. 

Kalla’s 13-year-old daughter 

Demto was killed, while his 10- 

year-old was shot in the leg.

14 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

Akeredolu didn’t fund my 

election, Abayomi insists 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—THE Ondo 

North Senatorial 

candidate for Action 

Alliance, AA, Dr. Tunji 

Abayomi, has denied 

that Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu funded his 

campaigns. 

Akeredolu was accused of 

anti party activities for 

allegedly supporting 

candidates of AA in the 

National Assembly 

election. 

Refuting claims that he 

was sponsored by the 

governor, Abayomi said: “I 

never received any money 

from Akeredolu to finance 

my election.” 

Abayomi denied the 

claims of some leaders of 

the party in the state that 

Akeredolu diverted 

money meant for the APC 

to AA. 

He said: “The truth is that 

I am too busy right now with 

my professional and 

personal life to engage in 

all the nonsensical 

dialogue going on with 

regard to Ondo State 

politics. 

“I am a successful lawyer 

and no successful lawyer 

has anything to fear in 

victory or defeat. 

“I want to correct the false 

impression and 

representation that the 

governor used what they 

call APC money to sponsor 

AA during the election. 

“For me, I sold a very 

valuable plot of land in 

Lekki to finance my 

campaign. I also know one 

House of Representatives 

AA candidate who sold his 

House abroad to do the 

same. 

“I am only correcting 

the false representation 

but it’s not yet time to 

talk and I will talk when 

the right time comes.” 

OSUN GOV DISPUTE: Lawmaker warns 

against harassment of Adeleke 

By Gbenga Olarinoye 

OSOGBO—A House 

of Representatives 

elect for Ede South, Ede 

North, Ejigbo and Egbedore 

federal constituency in 

Osun State, Mr. Bamidele 

Salam has expressed grave 

concern and deep fear for 

the peace and stability of the 

state over what he perceived 

as “continued harassment 

and assault on Senator 

Ademola Adeleke, using 

security apparatus and other 

instruments 

of 

Government.” 

Salam, in a statement in 

Osogbo yesterday, said: 

“This act, while being 

totally uncalled for and 

barbaric, is also putting our 

already fragile democracy 

on a needless test.” 

The statement reads: 

“Understanding that 

Senator Adeleke is on the 

brink of retrieving his 

governorship mandate 

freely given by the people 

of Osun State, antidemocracy 

elements within 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, have 

resorted to some of the most 

vicious, crude and 

desperate mudslinging 

and proxy wars to embarrass 

his person, discredit 

him in the eye of the unsuspecting 

public and keep 

him away from pursuing his 

legitimate rights as a lawabiding 

citizen of Nigeria. 

“It must be put on record 

that even though litigations 

are before courts 

challenging his 

qualification to contest for 

the post of governor, these 

elements are determined to 

demoralise PDP candidate 

through various acts of 

psychological torture on 

him and his supporters.'' 

CONFERMENT OF HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE ON NED NWOKO BY FUPRE 

Prince Ned Nwoko received Doctor of Science Degree (Honoris Causa) at Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, 

Delta State, FUPRE convocation weekend. 

Prince Ned Nwoko receiving his honorary doctorate degree from FUPRE Chancellor 

and Emir of Anka, Zamfara State, HRM Attahiru Mohammad Ahmad, CON. 

Prince Ned Nwoko (2nd right) with (from left) Prof Prekeyi Tawari- 

Fufeyin, DVC (Admin), HRM Mohammad Ahmad and Regina Daniels. 

Prince Nwoko being congratulated for the special award. 

Prince Nwoko. 

Prince Ned Nwoko and Princess Regina Daniels. 

Prince Ned Nwoko, his brother, Dr Michael Nwoko (left) and Alhaji B. 

Mohammed (right.) 

Prince Nwoko with some Anioma traditional rulers, who graced the convocation 

ceremony.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—15 

Alleged N7.6bn fraud: PDP, rights lawyers 

seek speedy trial of Kalu after A-Court ruling 

By Joseph Erunke 

A Wednesday’s BUJA—LAST 

Appeal 

Court ruling dismissing 

the no-case submission 

filed by the former Abia 

State Governor, Orji Uzor 

Kalu over the alleged 

N7.65 billion fraud charges 

levelled against him by the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, has triggered fresh 

demand for the speedy trial 

of the former governor. 

The Abia State chapter of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party,PDP; Abia leaders 

and a coalition of human 

rights lawyers,while 

hailing the ruling, have 

also called for speedy 

dispensation of the case. 

At a joint press 

conference weekend in 

Abuja, the groups said the 

ruling of the Justice M. L. 

Garba-led Appeal Court 

which held that the former 

Abia governor has case to 

answer had vindicated 

their earlier position that 

the former governor be 

made to face the law for the 

alleged fraud linked to him 

by the nation’s anti-graft 

agency. 

Speaking on behalf of the 

group,Abia North 

chairman of PDP, Hon. 

Mathew Ibe and the 

national coordinator of 

Human Rights Lawyers in 

the state, Mr Uche Nna, 

appealed to the court to 

quicken the trial of the 

former governor . 

“The former governor has 

been parading himself as 

a sacred cow and President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

political godson for South 

East. 

“It was even strange to 

have allowed such a 

person with such high 

profile fraud allegation to 

have contested the last 

national assembly election. 

“We hail the ruling of the 

court and we demand 

quick trial of the former 

governor because our state 

is yet to recover from the 

alleged wide- spread 

financial fraud that 

characterised his 

government,” they said in 

a prepared text given to 

reporters at the conference. 

Speaking further, the 

Abia North PDP boss, 

Matthew Ibe said:”The 

appeal court ruling on 

Wednesday has further 

vindicated us and other 

Nigerians who have been 

insisting that the former 

governor has a case to answer 

in the said N7.65 billion 

fraud filed against him 

by the antigraft agency. 

“We support the ruling of 

the Appeal Court and we 

therefore renew our 

demand for the speedy trial 

of Chief Kalu as the only 

way to restore public 

confidence in the anticorruption 

agenda of 


Buhari.” 

Recall that Justice M.L. 

Garba of the Court of 

Appeal sitting in Lagos had 

in a lead judgement on 

Wednesday ruled that the 

Justice Mohammed Idris, 

then of the Federal High 

Court in Lagos,was right to 

have on July 31, 2018 

dismissed Kalu’s no-case 

RETREAT: From left—Nasiru Garo, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement; 

Mr Mamman Ahmadu, DG, Bureau of Public Procurement; Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Head 

of Service, Lagos State representing Gov Akinwunmi Ambode; Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of 

Civil Service of the Federation; Senator Andrew Ochedu, Chairman, Senate Committee on 

Public Procurement; and Dr Musa Abubakar, Secretary, Independent Corrupt Practices and 

Other Related Offences, ICPC, during the 2019 Procurement Retreat for Federal Permanent 

Secretaries held in Lagos on Friday. 

Disquiet in Obiano’s community over traditional stool 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—THERE is 

disquiet in Governor 

Willie Obiano’s community 

of Aguleri in Anambra East 

local government area of 

Anambra State after the 

recent demise of the 

traditional ruler of the area, 

Igwe Christopher Idigo as 

two persons are laying 

claim to the traditional stool. 

Despite the fact that the 

state government had 

already recognized a 

member of the royal family, 

Dr. Michael Idigo as a 

successor to the late 

monarch and presented 

him with a certificate, 

another member of the 

royal family, Chief Chuka 

Idigo has started laying 

claim to the throne. 

The development had 

brought a division in the 

community, forcing the 

state government to issue 

a stern warning to those 

supporting another person 

not recognized by 

government. 

In a statement by the 

commissioner for 

information and public 

enlightenment, Don 

Adinuba, the state 

government said it had 

noted with dismay the 

strange trend by some 

people to lay claim to the 

leadership of traditional 

institutions in some 

communities in utter 

violation of the customs and 

traditions of the 

communities and in total 

disregard of the laws 

governing the selection and 

recognition of traditional 

rulers in the state. 

According to the state 

government, there were 

laws protecting the dignity 

of the royal institution and 

those who occupy it, 

adding that government 

resolved long ago not to 

brook any act from any 

quarters which could bring 

the royal institution to 

odium or public ridicule 

and disgrace. 

The statement read: “It is 

intolerable that one Chuka 

Idigo has in the last few 

days been posting on the 

social media, pictures 

depicting him as a traditional 

ruler. The pictures 

were taken in his living 

room, making the action 

look like a comic relief." 

ABSU sacks 3 senior lecturers 

for sexual harassment 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—THE 

Management of Abia 

State University, Uturu, 

ABSU, has sacked three 

academic and four nonteaching 

staff for what the 

institution called gross 

misconduct. 

The three sacked senior 

academic staff who were 

from the Department of 

Economics were said to 

have been engaged in 

misconducts ranging from 

sexual harassment and 

extortion. 

Also, another senior staff 

of the department was 

placed on suspension 

without salary for one 

academic session because 

he was a first offender. 

The University equally 

dismissed four nonacademic 

staff for 

falsification of bursary 

receipts and carting away 

properties of the university. 

A statement signed by the 

University’s registrar, Dr. 

Evelyn Iheukwumere said 

the dismissal of the staff 

and the suspension was 

approved by the 

university’s council at its 

140th regular meeting held 

recently. 

The statement also said 

the council ratified the 

promotion of some 

academic staff to the ranks 

of professors, readers and 

senior lecturers. 

The chairman of the 

university’s council, former 

Senate President, Chief 

Adolphus Wabara was also 

quoted by the statement as 

admonishing the students 

of the institution “to take 

their studies serious and 

avoid social distraction and 

cultism that may truncate 

their academic activities”. 

Congestion of prison caused 

by police, FG's inability to 

fund pro bono lawyers —NGO 

By Peter Okutu 

ABAKALIKI—A non 

governmental 

organization, Good 

Leadership and Peace 

Advocates of Nigeria, 

GOLEPAN, weekend, 

stated that the inability of 

the Nigeria Police to 

exercise discretion as to 

which case should be 

charged to court and 

limited sponsorship of Pro 

Bono lawyers by the 

Federal Government were 

some of the factors 

responsible for prisons 

congestion in the country. 

It further decried the low 

access to justice in Nigeria 

especially among the 

indigent citizens, adding 

that most prison inmates 

are individuals who cannot 

afford legal fees and 

representation in court. 

Founder of the group and 

principal partner of 

ZEADA Attorneys, Barr. 

Adaeze Nwaji who 

expressed concern over the 

situation said justice in 

Nigeria is now basically 

reserved for the rich. 

Nwaji, a British-trained 

lawyer spoke at a one day 

workshop on pro bono legal 

service delivery organized 

by Ebonyi State University 

Law Clinic in partnership 

with GOLEPAN, ZEADA 

Attorneys & Lead Trust as 

well as Network of 

University Legal Aid 

Institutions. 

With the theme: “The role 

of pro bono Lawyers in our 

criminal legal system, legal 

aid council guidelines for 

pro bono lawyers, 

professional ethics and 

skills needed for effective 

pro bono service delivery”, 

Barr. Nwaji advocated for 

funding of pro bono 

lawyers to offer legal 

services to indigent 

citizens. 

She explained that due 

to limited lawyers willing to 

undertake pro bono services 

for indigent citizens, the 

issue of congestion in 

Nigeria prisons has 

continued to persist. 

Turnout of Biafra agitators to 

welcome Kanu in Germany, 

morale booster —IPOB 

BASKING in the 

euphoria of the large 

turnout of Biafran agitators 

and their sympathisers in 

Munich, Bavaria Germany 

on Saturday to welcome 

leader of the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB, 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the 

country, the group said it 

was more resolved, 

committed and determined 

to continue its agitation to 

actualise Biafra freedom. 

IPOB in a message from 

its leader, Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu made available 

through its media and 

Publicity Secretary, 

Comrade Emma Powerful, 

said “Biafrans in Munich, 

Bavaria Germany on April 

27, 2019 has shown the 

world that the agitation for 

Biafra freedom is not only 

IPOB affairs, but every 

good and right thinking 

Igbo man who knows that 

the interest of the Igbo is 

not in the agenda of the 

current and past Nigerian 

governments, particularly 

the current All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

government. 

According to Mazi 

Kanu’s message, “I thank 

the good people of IPOB 

for the huge turnout 

yesterday on Saturday in 

Bavaria, Munich Germany. 

In spite of the short notice, 

you proved your 

determination to restore 

Biafra so that we can all 

return to our beloved 

homeland. 

“The world is aware that 

we IPOB are the most 

organised, peaceful and 

largest freedom movement 

on this earth. Biafra shall 

be free. Our victory over the 

multitude of the forces of 

darkness is assured. We are 

relentless, resolute and 

determined. The collapse of 

the government of our 

persecutors is imminent as 

the rise of the nation of 

Biafra is inevitable. All 

enemies within and 

without shall be put to 

shame. 

“IPOB is committed to 

ensuring that the long 

persecution, 

marginalisation, 

discrimination, killings and 

destruction of Igbo business 

men's outfits must stop with 

the actualisation of Biafra." 

Burial 

•Late Pa Windapo 

PA Adesoye Windapo, is 

dead, aged 84. 

His burial rites have since 

begun on April 19 with a 

Service of Songs at the 

RCCG House of Praise, 

Moravia Park Drive, 

Baltimore, United States. 

There will a Christian 

Wake on May 9, at Bishop 

Adelakun Howells 

Memorial Church, Hogan 

Bassey Crescent, Surulere, 

Lagos, while funeral 

service holds at 10a.m. 

Internment will hold Vaults 

and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos.

16 — Vanguard MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

AGM: From left: Group Chief Executive, FCMB Group Plc, Mr. Ladi Balogun; Chairman, Mr. 

Oladipupo Jadesimi; Company Secretary/General Counsel, Mrs. Funmi Adedibu; Founder, FCMB Group, 

Otunba Olasubomi Balogun and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Peter Obaseki, during the 6th Annual 

General Meeting of the Group in Lagos. 

New Delta secretariat to accommodate all MDAs, ICT 

Centre, others—Okowa's aide 

By Gabriel Olawale 

AAssistant SABA—EXECUTIVE 

(Communications) 

to the Governor of 

Delta State, Dr Fred 

Oghenesivbe has said that 

the multi-billion Naira secretariat 

under construction 

in the state capital is 

another deliberate effort of 

the Okowa administration 

to block financial leakages, 

create conducive 

work environment for civil 

servants and save huge 

funds spent on rented 

buildings and facilities for 

the conduct of government 

business. 

He noted in a statement 

that the leadership ingenuity 

and good governance 

initiative of Gov. 

Okowa is further revealed 

in his strong desire to 

widen the scope of 

infrastructural development 

and place Delta 

State, far ahead of other 

states in terms of suitable 

facilities to enhance performance 

of civil servants. 

According to him, government 

will save huge 

sums of money as a result 

of the new secretariat 

which is capable of accommodating 

all Ministries, 

Departments and 

Agencies, MDA, adding 

that those doing business 

with government will no 

longer travel from one 

location to another because 

all the MDAs shall 

be in one secretariat, 

sharing same internet/ 

ICT and power facilities 

as projected by the governor. 

He said: "The modern Secretariat 

near completion is an 

integral part of the SMART 

Agenda, one of the star 

projects dear to the heart of 

the governor. The state government 

under this administration 

is determined to cut 

down, to the barest minimum, 

the cost of governance; and 

one of such strategies is to 

move all MDA to one location. 

"Gov Okowa being a prudent 

manager of the state resources 

is mindful of the cost implication 

of rented buildings presently 

occupied by MDA and 

felt that it is more prudent and 

cost effective for government 

to build a large secretariat; 

well equipped with the state 

of the art facilities linked to a 

central ICT, power generator 

and other facilities that enable 

civil servants to perform their 

assigned official responsibilities 

with ease while those doing 

business with government 

can do so in one stop location. 

"Gov Okowa deserves commendation 

for his political willpower 

to save the state from 

the inherited poor work environment." 

Israel’s Delek says made offer 

for Chevron’s North Sea oilfields 

ISRAEL’s Delek Group 

confirmed yesterday it 

submitted a proposal through 

its Ithaca unit to buy Chevron’s 

oil and gas fields in the 

British North Sea. 

Last week Reuters reported 

that Delek was close to clinching 

Chevron’s oil and gas 

fields in the British North Sea, 

which have a price tag of about 

$2 billion. 

Delek, in a regulatory filing 

in Tel Aviv, said it was in discussions 

to buy Chevron’s gas 

fields as part of its strategy to 

expand its international operations 

but did not provide 

financial details. It said the 

discussions centered on 

Chevron’s natural gas and 

oil fields in Britain’s North 

Sea — Alba, Alder and Britannia, 

as well as a number 

of satellites. 

Delek said it believed that 

if deal is reached, it could be 

completed in 2019 and 

would be financed through 

bank loans and its own resources. 

Arabian Centres to raise up to 

$836 million in Saudi’s biggest 

IPO since 2014 

SAUDI Arabian mall op 

erator Arabian Centres 

Co could raise up to $836 million 

at the top end of the price 

range for its initial public offering 

(IPO), the sale prospectus 

showed yesterday. 

The IPO would be the country’s 

biggest since Saudi lender 

National Commercial 

Bank raised $6 billion in 

2014, according to Refintiv 

data. 

Arabian Centres plans to 

sell 95 million shares at 26 

riyals to 33 riyals per share, 

the document showed, implying 

a market capitalization 

of between 12.4 billion riyals 

and 15.7 billion riyals ($3.3 

billion and $4.2 billion) on 

listing. 

Owned by Fawaz Alhokair 

Group, the offering will be 

the first in the kingdom under 

Rule 144a, which allows 

the sale of securities primarily 

to qualified institutional 

buyers in the United States. 

It will also be the first major 

Saudi IPO this year as the 

kingdom tries to move past 

the international fallout following 

last year’s murder of 

journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 

Riyadh has been encouraging 

more family-owned 

companies to list in a bid to 

deepen its capital markets as 

part of reforms aimed at reducing 

reliance on oil revenue. 

China urges UK not to discriminate 

against Huawei in 5G development 

CHINA on Sunday warned 

Britain not to discriminate 

against companies involved in developing 

the 5G network and to 

resist pressure from other countries 

over whether it should work 

with Huawei Technologies. 

Huawei, the world’s biggest telecoms 

equipment maker, is under 

intense scrutiny after the United 

States told allies not to use the company’s 

technology because of fears 

it could be a vehicle for Chinese 

spying. Huawei has denied this. 

Sources told Reuters that Britain’s 

National Security Council 

(NSC) had decided to bar Huawei 

from all core parts of the 

country’s 5G network and restrict 

its access to non-core parts. 

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, 

China’s ambassador to 

Britain Liu Xiaoming defended 

Huawei as having a good track 

record on security and said Britain 

should “make decisions independently 

and in accordance 

with their national interests”. 

Pilots demand better training if Boeing 

wants to rebuild trust in 737 MAX 

AMERICAN Airlines pi 

lots have warned that 

Boeing Co’s draft training proposals 

for the troubled 737 

MAX do not go far enough to 

address their concerns, according 

to written comments submitted 

to the U.S. Federal Aviation 

Administration. 

The comments were made by 

the Allied Pilots Association 

(APA), which represents pilots at 

American Airlines Group Inc, 

the world’s largest airline and 

one of the biggest 737 MAX 

operators in the United States. 

Their support is important 

because Boeing has said pilots’ 

confidence in the 737 MAX will 

play a critical role in convincing 

the public that the aircraft 

is safe to fly again. 

Boeing’s fast-selling 737 

MAX was grounded worldwide 

in March following a fatal 

Ethiopian Airlines crash 

that killed all 157 on board just 

five months after a similar crash 

on a Lion Air flight that killed 

all 189 passengers and crew.. 

All stories credited to Reuters


18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

THE overwhelming importance of 

estimated electricity billing, otherwise 

known as “crazy bills”, was 

demonstrated when a bill sponsored by 

the Majority Leader of the House of 

Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, 

received the unanimous support of 

lawmakers across party lines at its third 

reading in the House of 

Representatives. It was later forwarded 

to the Senate for further legislative 

input. 

Known as The Electricity Power 

Reform Act (Amendment Bill) 2018, it 

prohibits estimated billing by the Power 

Distribution Companies, DISCOs. 

It mandates them to provide 

consumers with meters within 30 days 

of extending their services to them, 

failing which fines of between N500,000 

to one million naira are prescribed, or 

a six-month jail term or both. It also 

protects the consumers from arbitrary 

disconnection. The original intention of 

privatising the downstream of the 

War against energy crazy bills 

Power sector for more efficient service 

provision almost five years ago, rather 

than being a dream come true, has 

resulted to nightmares for hapless 

consumers. The service providers have 

proved their incompetence and lack of 

financial capacity to re-enact the 

revolution in the telecom sector which 

had prompted the sale of the assets of 

the defunct Power Holding Company 

of Nigeria, PHCN, to private investors. 

The DISCOs have continued the 

inefficiency, impunity, callousness, 

corruption and predatory reflexes of 

the defunct PCHN. They deliberately 

foot-drag in the provision of meters. 

Instead, they prefer to issue baseless 

crazy bills even when they fail to 

deliver the electricity. 

It is unfortunate that the industry 

regulator, the Nigerian Electricity 

Regulatory Agency, NERC, which had 

failed to respond to the distress calls 

of exploited consumers, has taken up 

the battle against this customer 

protection Bill. 

NERC appears more interested in 

protecting the interests of the power 

service providers. 

We must make it abundantly clear 

that there will be no electricity without 

the service providers and paying 

consumers. Both sides deserve 

adequate protection. The only sensible 

and just way of carrying both sides along 

is to ensure that every power consumer 

is metered as soon as they become 

customers. Anyone who steals power 

must be punished according to the law, 

and no power provider should issue bills 

except through metering. 

This is the work of government 

regulators which the NERC and other 

authorities have failed to do, leaving the 

consumers at the mercy of corrupt and 

incompetent power companies and their 

often cruel staff. We call on the National 

Assembly, NERC and other concerned 

bodies to close ranks and end estimated 

billing in the power industry. 

Every power consumer has the right 

to be metered; they also have an 

obligation to pay their bills promptly to 

enable the power companies survive and 

thrive. Perhaps, it is time to 

comprehensively reassess the power 

sector and address all concerns 

hampering its growth. 

OPINION 

Towards reforming Nigeria’s policing system 

By Kehinde Akinfenwa 

THE primary institution in the 

frontline of combating security 

challenges in the country is the Nigeria 

Police Force, NPF, which according to the 

Constitution has exclusive jurisdiction to 

protect lives and property by fighting crime 

and maintaining law and order. 

Regrettably, however, of all public 

institutions whose record of ineptitude is 

prominent across the country, the NPF remains 

a customary point of reference. 

There is no crime that is alien to the police 

force: from extortion, to rape, to 

murder, to kidnapping, to conspiracy; they 

are never far away from any atrocities one 

can think of. An average police officer is 

perceived more as a merchant of 

oppression than the protector of law and 

order with penchant to commit crime than 

to prevent it. Pitifully, these uncivilised 

demeanours are well acknowledged even 

within the force fraternity. 

Sadly, all these unruly acts have 

witnessed an upward trajectory in recent 

years. According to Segun Adeniyi, what 

we have now are assassins in police 

uniform who are passionate to dispense 

bullets on innocent citizens. 

The quantum of impunity that exists in 

the policing system is capable of instigating 

civil revolt as such dastardly experiences 

are becoming unbearable. It is rather 

disheartening that the force has plummeted 

from being one of the pillars of grace 

and service to a cathedral of dishonesty as 

it is fast becoming a citadel of illegality 

and institutional dissipation. 

However, we will be hallucinating not to 

admit that this perplexing situation is the 

product of the infirmity in our nation. The 

endemic maladministration in governance 

has been a springboard to the menace of 

this institution. 

Criminogenic problems like 

unemployment, poor education and ethnic 

tensions have significant implications for 

social disorder and crime as the force 

struggles to contend with the realities of 

the emerging security challenges. It is 

absurd that a 21st Century police force is 

still battling with mundane challenges of 

improper training and skills, inadequate 

work force, lack of modern gadgets, 

political intrusion, poor working 

conditions, incompetence, poor 

remuneration, to mention a few. 

Presently, the vast rate of armed 

muggings, burglaries, homicide, roadblock 

robberies and armed break-ins, local 

and international swindles, kidnapping, 

terrorism, hooliganism, militancy, drug 

peddling and the likes are the outgrowth 

of our unconscious society. 

Lamentably, however, the police cannot 

really ensure effective security as it 

commands only about 371,800 official 

personnel out of which over 70 per cent 

are providing personal security for 

prominent individuals. In a nation of over 

190 million people with associated socioeconomic 

and cultural problems, having 

an underfunded, ill-equipped and 

understaffed policing system is already an 

invitation to a lawless society. 

Globally, the potent parameters used to 

assess the proficiency and effectiveness of 

any police force is to consider its ability 

to fight crime, resources at its disposal, 

equipment and apparatus available to it 

in the discharge of its duties, fewest shots 

fired by them in a year and fewest persons 

beaten, shot and killed, strides taken in 

public protection and its efforts towards 

the protection of vulnerable persons. 

The NPF is in dire need of fundamental 

reforms where its operational and 

intelligence structure will be engaged in 

contemporary discourse. Policing is today 

a multi-faceted phenomenon where the 

responsibility of the state and the right of 

citizenry are effectively managed. This 

has brought about an instigating shift 

The nucleus of the 

proposed reforms should be 

on recharging the rectitude 

of policing system by 

calling to the fore the 

patriotic value and heroic 

quality that those donning 

the police uniform must 

possess 

from the traditional model of law enforcing 

to crime preventing and community 

safety in order to play a key part in the 

renewal of social democratic level. 

Referencing the Police Reform Bill 

which has just passed second reading in 

the National Assembly, modernising the 

institution towards aligning with global 

practice is a logical step in the rebuilding 

process. But for it not to be a mere cosmetic 

proposition there is compelling need to 

address the organic disorder that is abetting 

the viscous abuse that has characterised the 

law enforcement agency. The police force 

is a service to humanity but the sordid reality 

in this part of the world is that many of those 

individuals donning our force attire have 

taken up the responsibility by default, 

thereby lacking the right attitude and the 

needed character that dignifies the 

profession worldwide. 

Therefore, the nucleus of the proposed 

reforms should be on recharging the 

rectitude of policing system by calling to 

the fore the patriotic value and heroic quality 

that those donning the police uniform 

must possess. In ensuring the system is amenable 

to 21st Century codes of policing, officers 

must be trained to think beyond the 

gun-belt in their attempt to build a crimefree 

society. 

Building an affable and emblazoned policing 

system requires ardent involvement 

of every sector of the society because public 

security is a symbiotic project that promotes 

socio-economic development. Hence, as 

individuals, organisations, groups and communities, 

we must establish a participatory 

platform on social security through which 

we can hold the police force accountable 

for their action against the society. That patriotic, 

responsible, selfless, incorruptible, 

committed and courageous police officer 

we all desire is an invention of shared responsibility. 

God bless Nigeria. 

•Akinfenwa is of the Ministry of 

Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja


CBN to sustain liquidity mop up as N172bn hits interbank market 

•To unveil clean notes policy tomorrow 

•Economic expansion persists in April-PMI report 

By Babajide Komolafe 

THE Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, is expected to sustain its 

liquidity mop up activities this week in 

response to inflow of N172 billion into the 

interbank money market. 

Last week, the apex bank mopped up 

N166 billion by issuing secondary market 

(Open Market Operations, OMO) 

treasury bills (TBs). The resulting outflow, 

which offset inflow of N46.25 billion from 

matured TBs occasioned 660 basis points 

(bpts) increase in average short term cost 

of funds in the interbank money market 

last week. 

Data from FMDQ showed that interest 

rate on Collateralised (Open Buy Back, 

OBB) lending rose by 643 bpts to 16.29 

percent last week from 9.86 percent the 

previous week. Similarly, interest rate on 

Overnight lending rose by 672 bpts to 

17.29 percent last week from 10.57 percent 

the previous week. 

Analysts at Lagos based investment firm, 

Afrinvest projected that this trend might 

persist this week due to expectation that 

the apex bank will conduct OMO auction 

to mop up N172 billion inflow from 

maturing TBs. 

They said: “In the coming week, we 

expect instruments worth a combined 

N172.5 billion to mature on the 1st (N109.7 

billion) and 2nd (N62.8 billion) of May, 

which should enhance system liquidity in 

the shortened week. Hence, we anticipate 

an OMO auction from the CBN at the 

start of the week, given the long position 

of the system, as well as another auction 

when the financial market re-opens on the 

2nd of May to manage system liquidity.” 

Continues on page 21 

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

Insurance claims rise faster 

than premium income 

•Operators point to reckless competition 

By Rosemary Onuoha 

THERE are indications that 

insurance companies are 

groaning under the weight of a 

surging claims portfolio as more risks 

crystallize, despite efforts to stem the 

tide. 

The latest financial reports of 

leading insurers show an escalation 

of claims volume, rising faster and 

overshadowing the growth recorded 

in premium income. 

The industry’s total Gross Premium 

Written, GPW, grew by 12.4 percent 

to N226.8 billion against N201.7 

billion recorded in 2017. 

But the total claims expenses on the 

other hand went up by 16.5 percent 

to N98.9 billion from N84.9 billion 

recorded in 2017. 

The same trend was recorded in the 

previous year when GPW grew by 9.7 

percent while claims expenses went 

up by 30.3 percent. 

Industry operators have expressed 

worry that the trend would pose 

threat to the industry’s survival in the 

medium term if not checked. 

According to some stakeholders, 

the greed to take up some particular 

businesses, contrary to actuarial 

advise, contributed to the situation. 

Consequently, some operators have 

resolved to avoid risks that the 

actuarial reports may have flagged. 

Others, on the other hand have said 

that they can only take up such risk 

if the price is right because 

inadequate pricing have been part of 

the problem generated by 

competition for customer 

acquisitions. 

According to the Managing 

Director of Consolidated Hallmark 

Insurance Plc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, 

“The industry paid a very huge claim 

for a particular business in the course 

of the year. Clearly, if the premium for 

that business is inadequate, in the next 

thirty years the claim cannot be paid.” 

Companies’ performance 

A breakdown of individual company 

performance shows that Prestige 

Assurance had it tough in terms of 

claims payment where GPW grew by 

26.3 percent to N4.8 billion from 

N3.8 billion, while claims expenses 

went up by a whopping 83 percent 

to N1.2 billion from N655.7 million. 

Sovereign Trust grew its GPW by 

23.5 percent to N10.5 billion against 

Continues on page 20 

CBN introduces special 

intervention fund 

for MFBs 

22 

Bargain hunting to lift 

equities this week 

23 

INFLATION: The invisible 

super terrorist 

26 

C 

M 

Y 

K


FINANCIAL VANGUARD 

Insurance claims rise faster than premium income 

COVER 

Continues from page 19 

N8.5 billion, but its claims 

expenses went up by 46.2 

percent to N1.9 billion from 

N1.3 billion. 

Consolidated Hallmark 

Insurance had GPW 

increased by 21.1 percent 

to N6.9 billion from N5.7 

billion, while claims 

expenses climbed by 28.6 

percent to N1.8 billion from 

N1.4 billion. 

Leadway Assurance grew 

its GPW by 3.9 percent to 

N87.5 billion from N84.2 


expenses escalated by 23.7 

percent to N33.9 billion 

from N27.4 billion. 

Regency Alliance GPW 

went up by 3.6 percent to 



expenses increased by 10.5 


against N1.9 billion. 

However, some 

companies recorded a 

positive balancing of the 

claims with the premium. 

AIICO Insurance GPW 

went up by 17.4 percent to 



expenses rose by 14.9 


against N20.8. 

Custodian and Allied 

Insurance GPW climbed by 

15 percent to N36.7 billion 

from N31.9 billion, while 

claims expenses went up by 

10.1 percent to N15.3 

billion against N13.9 

billion. 

AXA Mansard GPW 

increased by 26.5 percent 

to N33.9 billion from N26.8 


expenses went up by just 

4.4 percent to N16.5 billion 

from N15.8 billion. 

Operators’ perspective 

Although some insurers 

recorded modest growth on 

the GPW, some operators 

believe it could have been 

better if not for huge claims 

settlement. 

Efekoha said, “We grew 

our premium modestly and 

we were profitable which 

were enhanced by some tax 

savings that we had. 

Insurance should be 

looking up in some 

respect.” 

Managing directors of the 

companies that had adverse 

claims portfolio preferring 

to speak on the condition of 

anonymity said that underpricing 

of risks have been 

the undoing of many 

insurance operators and the 

slow growth in premium 

Inadequate 

pricing of 

risks goes on 

in this 

industry, 

unfortunately, 

when the big 

claims come, 

not 

everybody 

responds as 

expected 

income. 

He stated: “Many insurers 

have undone and keep 

shooting themselves on the 

foot by under-pricing the 

risk they carry, which they 

are still doing. 

“Some companies 

recently went to the capital 

•Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari 

market to raise funds. So 

after struggling to raise 

funds, they will then give it 

to some companies that are 

richer than them in the 

name of settlement of 

claims, without any ‘thank 

you.’ 

“For me, I don’t know the 

broker who will change our 

mindset here. I cannot 

enrich someone who is 

already the richest man in 

Nigeria or Africa because I 

sweated for this money. 

“If everybody will price a 

product wrongly, I will not. 

I believe in underwriting 

which teaches that when you 

have a good risk, you lower 

your premium, when you 

have a bad risk, you increase 

your premium. But what I 

see today is completely 

different. Unfortunately, 

after under-pricing a risk 

and paying huge claims, 

during renewal, a lower 

premium is charged. 

“In insurance, if a risk 

becomes certain, you 

remove it, you don’t cover 

it. It is uncertainty that the 

insurance industry is made 

to cover, it is not made for 

certainty. Unfortunately, by 

our action and inaction, we 

have contributed to the poor 

state of the sector.” 

Speaking on the issue, 

former President of the 

Nigerian Council of 

Registered Insurance 

Brokers, Mrs. Laide Osijo, 

said that the concentration 

on corporate business to the 

detriment of the retail market 

has contributed to the 

marginal growth in GPW 

over the years. 

She stated: “We have done 

the corporate businesses to 

their limits, unfortunately 

the corporate businesses can 

no longer increase in terms 

of insurance budget and that 

is why the premium income 

for the industry is not 

growing astronomically.” 

Another top executive of an 

insurance firm who spoke on 

the condition of anonymity 

also attributed the slow 

growth in premium income 

to inadequate pricing of 

risks. 

He said, “Inadequate 

pricing of risks goes on in 

this industry, unfortunately, 

when the big claims come, 

not everybody responds as 

expected. Why is it so? 

Because liquidity is not 

there. 

“You have not built enough 

capacity and the claims 

keep coming, there will be 

nothing left afterwards.” 

Also speaking on 

condition of anonymity, an 

operator blamed the 

National Insurance 

Commission, NAICOM, for 

the under-pricing in the 

industry saying that it is the 

duty of the Commission to 

sanitise the sector. 

He said, “I believe that 

there is enough 

ammunition in the 

Insurance Act for the 

regulator to use to sanction 

companies. If as a company 

I can’t settle genuine 

claims and the regulator 

finds out that I don’t have 

capacity, it can stop me 

from writing those classes 

of business that will 

embarrass this market. 

Anybody who trades with 

you in that class, I equally 

prohibit them or sanction 

them, so that others can 

learn. 

NAICOM has the power 

to sack the MD and say ‘we 

no longer recognize you as 

the CEO’.”


Continues from page 19 

... to launch clean note 

policy tomorrow 

Meanwhile the CBN will 

tomorrow launch the Clean 

Note policy and the Bank 

Fitness guidelines. 

In a statement 

announcing the launch, 

the CBN said: “The Clean 

Note Policy provides a 

uniform standard for 

circulation of only clean 

and fit notes; while the 

Banknote Fitness 

Guidelines provide the 

industry with clear and 

acceptable criteria for 

determining the quality of 

bank notes in circulation.” 

The CBN also said that 

it has developed a 

mechanism to ensure full 

compliance with the 

documents by 

stakeholders adding that 

complaint channels such as 

phone and emails would 

be provided to enable the 

general public provide 

information on infractions 

of the two documents. 

Naira in mixed 

performance as I&E 

turnover fall by 63% 

The naira last week 

recorded mixed 

performance in the foreign 

exchange market even as 

the volume of dollars traded 

in the Investors and 

Exporters (I&E) window 

fell by 63 percent. Though 

the naira appreciated 30 

kobo in the parallel market, 

it however depreciated by 

35 kobo in the I&E window. 

According to the 

naijabdcs.com, the 

exchange rate platform of 

the Association of Bureaux 

De Change Operators of 

Nigeria (ABCON), the 

parallel market exchange 

rate dropped to N359 per 

dollar last week from 

N359.3 per dollar the 

previous week, indicating 

30 kobo appreciation for 

the naira. 

Data from FMDQ, 

however, showed that the 

indicative exchange rate of 

the I&E window rose to 

N360.64 per dollar last 

week from N360.29 per 

dollar the previous week, 

indicating 35 kobo 

depreciation for the naira. 

The depreciation might not 

be unconnected with the 

sharp decline in the 

volume of dollars traded in 

the window last week, 

which fell by 63 percent to 

$700 million from $1.9 

billion the previous week. 

The sharp drop in level of 

activities might be due to 

the Easter holidays 

which reduced the number 

of days available for 

trading. 

Meanwhile, the CBN 

sustained its weekly dollars 

sales of $210 million in the 

interbank foreign 

exchange market. The 

apex bank allocated $100 

million to the wholesale 

segment of the market 

while the Small and 

Medium Enterprises 

(SMEs) segment received 

$55 million. Similarly, 

customers requiring 

foreign exchange for 

invisibles such as tuition 

fees, medical payments 

and Basic Travel Allowance 

(BTA), among others, were 

also allocated $55 million. 

Expansion in 

economic activities persist 

in April-PMI report 

In another development, 

the CBN on Friday 

released its Purchasing 

Managers Index (PMI) 

report for April which 

indicated that expansion in 

economic activities 

persisted during the 

month. The report showed 

that 31 subsectors recorded 

growth while two 

subsectors contracted in 

April. 

The report also showed 

that the Manufacturing 

sector PMI rose higher to 

57.7 index points in April 

from 57.4 index points in 

March. The Non- 

Manufacturing PMI also 

rose higher to 58.7 index 

points in April from 58.5 

index points in March. 

The report stated: “The 

Manufacturing PMI in the 

month of April stood at 57.7 

index points, indicating 

expansion in the 

manufacturing sector for 

the twenty-fifth consecutive 

month. The index grew at 

a faster rate when 

compared to the index in 

the previous month. 

“Twelve of the 14 

subsectors surveyed 

reported growth in the 

review month in the 

following order: electrical 

equipment; plastics & 

rubber products; cement; 

petroleum & coal products; 

transportation equipment; 

food, beverage & tobacco 

products; nonmetallic 

mineral products; 

chemical & pharmaceutical 

products; furniture & 

related products; textile, 

apparel, leather & footwear; 

printing & related support 

activities and fabricated 

metal products. The paper 

products and primary 

metal subsectors recorded 

decline in the review 

period. 

“The composite PMI for 

the nonmanufacturing 

sector stood at 58.7 points 

in April 2019, indicating 

expansion in the Nonmanufacturing 

PMI for the 

twenty-fourth consecutive 

month. The index grew at 

a faster rate when 

compared to its level in 

March 2019. 

“All the 17 subsectors 

surveyed recorded 

growth in the following 

order: management of 

companies; real estate 

rental & leasing; 

construction; wholesale/ 

retail trade; agriculture; 

health care & social 

assistance; finance & 

insurance; professional, 

scientific, & technical 

services; educational 

services; water supply, 

sewage & waste 

management; information 

& communication; 

accommodation & food 

services; repair, 

maintenance/washing of 

motor vehicles; arts, 

entertainment & recreation; 

electricity, gas, steam & air 

conditioning supply; 

transportation & 

warehousing and utilities.” 


CBN to sustain liquidity mop up as N172bn hits interbank market 

Annual Inflation rate 

Foreign Exchange rate 

Interbank Interest rates 

Yields on FGN bonds



From Left: Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan; Founder/CEO, 

PricePointe Wholesale Club, Tayo Williams and Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Ecobank 

Nigeria, Biyi Olagbami during the launch of PricePointe flagship warehouse in Ilupeju, Lagos. 

CBN introduces special intervention 

fund for MFBs 

•Seeks 20% microcredit ratio by 2020 

•New MFB policy in the offing 

By Babajide Komolafe 

and Emma Ujah 

THE Central Bank of 

Nigeria (CBN) has 

introduced a special 

intervention fund for 

microfinance banks (MFBs) in 

the country, even as it assured 

that it will soon issue a new MFB 

policy. 

Meanwhile the apex bank 

said it aims to increase the 

share of micro credit as 

percentage of total credit to at 

least 20 percent by 2020 from 

the current ratio of five percent. 

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin 

Emefiele, disclosed this in a 

keynote address delivered at 

the just concluded seminar 

organised by the apex bank for 

finance correspondents and 

business editors held in 

Gombe State. 

Emefiele said that while the 

apex bank recognises the 

challenges of the MFBs, it is 

also aware of their 

contributions to extending 

credit to the economically 

active poor. 

He said: “Data from the 

licensed credit bureaus 

indicate that the operations of 

microfinance banks have 

helped to improve financial 

inclusion amongst smallholder 

peasant farmers, artisans and 

other small business operators. 

As at December 2018, 

aggregate loans granted by 

MFBs was N482.896 billion. Of 

this amount loan sizes below 

N 1.4 million accounted for 72 

percent. We equally observed 

that small businesses have 

been more successful in securing 

credit from the microfinance 

institutions rather than 

conventional deposit money 

banks (DMBs). 

“There are challenges, 

nevertheless. They include; 

inadequate spread in the 

location of the MFBs in relation 

to their target beneficiaries, 

demand for immoveable 

collaterals for loans, high 

interest rate, and absence of a 

credit reporting system. We are 

committed and working 

assiduously to address these 

limitations.” 

Reiterating the apex bank 

commitment to increasing 

FBNQuest 

Merchant 

Bank, a subsidiary of 

FBN Holdings Plc has 

recorded 56 percent growth 

in profit before tax to N16.4 

billion for the financial year 

ended December 2018. 

Chairman of the bank, 

Mallam Bello Maccido, 

disclosed this at the bank’s 

annual general meeting held 

in Lagos last week. 

Noting that the operating 

environment in 2018 was 

particularly challenging for the 

business, he said: “The year 

was characterised by 

contracting spreads in the 

fixed income market, a 

sluggish equity/mergers and 

acquisition (M&A) market, 

fewer transactions, and a 

competitive landscape that has 

access to financial services for 

the economically active poor, 

Emefiele said: “The target is to 

increase the share of micro credit 

as percentage of total credit to 

at least 20 percent by 2020. “The 

bank remains committed to the 

economic empowerment of 

disadvantaged groups including 

women and actively seeks to 

achieve this through the 

instrumentality of microfinance 

amongst other initiatives.” 

Speaking earlier in a 

presentation on entitled, 

“Appraisal of the new 

microfinance policy framework,” 

Director, Other Financial 

Institutions Supervision 

FBNQuest Merchant Bank raises 

profitability by 56% to N16.4bn 

become more intense. 

“Nonetheless, the 

investment and banking group 

(IBAM) business group 

maintained profitability and 

recorded steady growth in 

certain business lines. 

RAND Merchant Bank 

Nigeria (RMBN) has 

launched RMBN Digital, a 

banking solution aimed at 

enhancing the transactional 

banking experience of clients. 

Speaking on the features of the 

platform, Taiwo Shote, “Head of 

Corporate Banking, RMBN, said: 

“RMNB is living up to its slogan 

of being “an innovative and 

solutions-driven bank. We are 

Fidelity Bank grows profit 

by 34% in Q1’19 

•Shareholders commend 2018 performance 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

FIDELITY Bank Plc’s profit 

before tax rose 34 percent 

to N6.7 billion in the first 

quarter ending March 2019 

(Q1’19). 

Meanwhile, shareholders who 

spoke at the bank’s annual 

general meeting (AGM) held 

on Friday, commended the 

bank for its efficient cost 

management strategy as 

growth in its total operating 

expenses remained below the 

average headline inflation rate 

in 2018. The shareholders, 

however, seek for a higher 

dividend for the next financial 

year, even as they applauded 

its Board of Directors for 

declaring 11kobo dividend per 

share for the financial year 

Department, CBN, Mrs. 

Tokunbo Martins disclosed that 

the apex bank has introduced a 

special intervention fund for 

MFBs adding that the CBN is 

currently reviewing the 

microfinance bank policy with 

the aim of releasing the third 

edition of the policy which was 

first introduced in 2005. 

Lamenting the poor 

performance of MFBs in 

deposit mobilisation, Martins 

said: “The CBN has approved 

a special intervention framework 

for qualified micro finance banks 

and our hope is that it will 

incentivise other microfinance 

banks to get their house in order 

so they can also qualify to access 

these funds. The CBN is 

working tirelessly so that the 

banks that are doing well can 

grow and multiply.” 

Speaking further, Martins said 

that, “The SMEs are making 

great contributions to the gross 

domestic product (GDP) but 

they don’t have access to credit 

such that would boost their 

operations in the massive way 

needed by the economy. 

“We have had two earlier 

Microfinance Policy 

Frameworks: in 2005, 2011 and 

the current one.” 

ended December 31, 2018. 

In a statement announcing 

the unaudited financial 

statement of the bank for 

Q1’19, the bank said: “Gross 

earnings rose by 11.8 percent 

from N43.3 billion in 2018 to 

N48.4 billion in the period 

under review, whilst profits 

surged by 34.0 percent from 

N5.0 billion in Q1 2018 to N6.7 

billion in 2019. Similarly, the 

bank recorded growth in 

deposits, loans and other 

performance indices during 

the period.” 

Speaking on the financial 

results, the Fidelity Bank 

CEO, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo 

said the double digit growth 

in earnings and profits further 

demonstrates a positive start 

for the new financial year. “We 

remain focused on the 

execution of our medium-term 

strategic objectives and 

targets for the 2019 full year 

while we look forward to 

sustaining the momentum and 

delivering another strong set 

of audited results for half year 

2019 (H1 2019FY)”, Okonkwo 

stated. 

He further revealed that the 

bank’s earnings grew by 11 

percent on the back of growth 

in fund and fee-based income. 

“We recorded double digit 

growth across key income 

lines: FX income (334.4 

percent), digital banking 

income (34.6 percent), account 

maintenance charge (25.5 

percent) and interest income 

on liquid assets (10.1 percent)” 

he disclosed. 

According to the Okonkwo, 

digitalization and the bank’s 

retail strategy continues to 

positively impact on its 

fortunes with “43 percent of 

customers are now enrolled on 

the mobile/internet banking 

products and more than 81 

percent of total transactions 

done on digital platforms, 

resulting in 25 percent in feebased 

income, coming from 

digital banking. 

“Savings deposits which now 

accounts for 24 percent of total 

deposits in the period 

increased by 6.2 percent to 

N242.1 billion indicating that 

the bank is on a steady march 

to achieving the 6th 

consecutive year of doubledigit 

savings growth.” 

RMB Nigeria launches online transactional banking platform 

ensuring that our clients enjoy a 

seamless and secure digital 

banking experience. 

“RMBN’s online banking 

offering is aimed at efficient cash 

management through adequate 

and accurate financial reporting as 

well as the timely processing of 

transactions. 

“We understand the desires of our 

clients, top of which is to be able to 

access and activate banking 

transactions on the go while having 

a full view of transactions as they 

do business across different sectors 

and markets. 

“Understanding the needs of our 

clients enables us to partner with 

them across the entire value chain, 

enabling us to provide the 

appropriate corporate banking, 

advisory, financing, trading and 

risk management solutions”.


Bargain hunting to lift equities this week 

*Profit taking still looms 

By Nkiruka Nnorom 

AFTER closing in the red, 

analysts have said that 

the equities market will trend 

up this week following 

bargain hunting activities by 

investors. 

Though the outcome of 

trading last week was at 

variance with expectations, 

they noted that investors 

would take advantage of low 

prices of some stocks to 

access the market, while not 

discounting the possibility of 

profit taking. 

According to analysts at 

Cowry Asset Management, 

the Nigerian Stock 

Exchange, NSE, All Share 

Index, ASI, will increase 

marginally as investors 

digest the “mixed-bag” of 

first quarter 2019 (Q1’19) 

financial results released by 

corporates. 

“Hence, we feel investors 

would take advantage of the 

low share prices to raise the 

local bourse upwards,” they 

said. 

Also, analysts at Vetiva 

Securities, said: “We expect 

to see a mixed open to the 

new week as investors hunt 

for bargains on some of the 

counters like Tier 1 banks 

and Dangote Cement Plc, 

which is scheduled to release 

its Q1’19 results on Tuesday. 

However, we do not rule out 

the possibility of continuous 

profit taking on some names 

as seen this week.” 

However, analysts at 

Afrinvest Securities said that 

the negative mood will 

persist. They said: “Given the 

sluggish recovery of the 

economy, we anticipate that 

the lingering bearish 

sentiments will remain in the 

near term as foreign investors 


THE Nigerian Stock 

Exchange, NSE, has 

revealed that about 70 percent 

of Dealing Member Firms 

(DMFs) in the capital market 

do not have adequate controls 

in place to mitigate key risks 

arising from their operations. 

The Exchange disclosed this 

in its “Supervision Priorities for 

2019/2020”, saying that this 

was the outcome of the special 

examination conducted on109 

broker dealers, 27 

stockbrokers and one dealer. 

According to the NSE, the 

supervision priorities would 

continue to stay on the 

sidelines.” 

Meanwhile, profit taking 

and sell pressures persisted 

across most trading sessions 

last week as the ASI posted 

losses on two of the four 

trading days. Consequently, 

the NSE ASI declined 1.15 

percent to settle at 29,740.41 

points, while market 

capitalisation declined by 

N123.7 billion to close at 

N11.2 trillion. 

Amid investors’ negative 

sentiments, most of the sectors 

closed in negative territory. 

The banking, insurance, 

consumer goods and industrial 

goods sectors declined by 0.09 

percent, 0.90 percent, 2.58 

percent and 0.71 percent to 

385.87 points, 119.18 points, 

673.00 points and 1,148.47 

points respectively, while the 

oil/gas sector rose by 0.43 

percent to 279.64 points. 

NSE releases key priority areas for 

supervision of operators 

•70% of dealing membersfirms lack capacity to mitigate risk 

help DMFs to build appropriate 

risk management programmes, 

which could possibly mitigate 

the risks in order to support the 

Exchange’s regulatory objective 

of protecting investors and 

maintaining a fair, orderly and 

efficient market. 

It said that besides key risk 

areas highlighted in 2017/2018 

document, emerging risk areas 

in technology and identified 

market activities such as 

Securities Lending and Margin 

Trading will also be focused on. 

“The 2019 to 2020 priorities 

are set by the Exchange to 

highlight material areas of 

SAHCOL targets offshore expansion, double digit growth 


FOLLOWING the 

successful listing of its shares 

on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, 

NSE, Skyway Aviation Handling 

Company Plc (SAHCOL), has 

said that it plans to expand its 

operations beyond the shores of 

this country to other West African 

markets and is targeting double 

digit growth in the next five years. 

The Managing Director/CEO, 

SAHCOL, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, 

disclosed this at the company’s 

Fact behind Listing on the NSE, 

saying the plan would enable it 

add value to shareholders in a 

consistent manner. 

SAHCOL, which is the first 

company under the Bureau of 

Public Enterprises (BPE) 

privatization programme to 

successfully finalize an Initial 

Public Offering (IPO), listed 1.35 

billion shares worth N6.29 billion 

on the Exchange at N4.65 per 

shares. 

Recall that following the federal 

government’s decision to identify 

key state-owned enterprises from 

which to extract value and open to 

private sector expertise, SAHCOL 

was 100 percent privatized by the 

Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) 

and transferred to the Sifax Group 

in 2009. Agboarumi said the listing 

followed the need to give 

Nigerians opportunity to benefit 

from the company’s success story 

as well as make it more feasible. 

“SAHCOL’s future strategy 

seeks to create long term 

shareholder value through 

profitable operation and expansion 

of its business beyond Nigeria into 

other West African markets with a 

vision to become the leading 

provider of passenger, ramp and 

cargo handling services in the West 

African region,” he said. 

“We have a plan in place for 

strategic alliance of partnership, 

expansion of our offerings and 

increasing our visibility in Nigeria 

and beyond. We will begin to look 

at cost management and we are 

projecting 15 percent growth within 

the next five years,” he added. 

He said the firm is strategically 

positioned to take advantage of 

growth opportunities in the 

Nigerian aviation industry, 

leveraging its established brand 

and reputation, strategic alliances, 

technical capacity, state of the art 

technology and equipment, and 

fully-trained and experienced staff. 

Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief 

Executive Officer, NSE, speaking 

at the event said the listing is a 

promising development in the 

country, being that SAHCOL is the 

first company under the BPE 

privatization programme to 

successfully finalize an Initial 

Public Offering and list its shares 

on a securities exchange. 


regulatory concern, discuss 

ongoing areas of noncompliance, 

prevent fraud, 

communicate policies, monitor 

firm-wide and systemic risk, 

and ultimately to improve 

investors’ confidence in the 

market. 

“Each DMF is expected to 

have a risk framework to 

adequately dimension the risks 

it faces and take appropriate 

action to mitigate or eliminate 

such risks. While the 

Exchange plans to allocate a 

significant portion of its 

resources in 2019 and 2020 

through a risk based approach 

to the supervision of the risk 

areas, additional examinations 

will be conducted during the 

year at the discretion of the 

Exchange on emerging and 

exigent risk areas to control 

weaknesses and policy matters 

that are not addressed in this 

document,” the NSE said. 

Among other things, the 

NSE said it would focus on 

monitoring the overall risk 

governance framework that 

DMFs have in place to 

manage conflicts and would be 

reviewed on an on-going basis. 

It added that it would also 

focus on monitoring insider 

trading, guaranteed return 

investment/pooling, fraud 

detection and prevention as 

well market manipulation. 

Access Bank 

to go after 

Diamond Bank 

debtors 

•Intensifies effort to 

reduce unclaimed 

dividend 

ACCESS Bank Plc has 

pledged to map out 

strategies aimed at reducing the 

N14.6 billion shareholders’ 

unclaimed dividend standing in 

its books as at the financial year 

ended December 31, 2018, even 

as it vows to go after debtors 

owing the defunct Diamond Bank 

it merged with recently. 

Group Managing Director/ 

CEO, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, 

disclosed this at the bank’s 

30 th Annual General Meeting, 

AGM, in Lagos, while admitting 

that the rising unclaimed 

dividend was worrisome. 

He said: “We are going to 

consider ways to reduce 

shareholders’ unclaimed 

dividend henceforth as we admit 

that it is a huge amount of money 

yet to be claimed.” 

Wigwe, further said that Access 

Bank will intensify effort to ensure 

that it recovers the debt owed to 

Diamond Bank, saying: “We will 

go out for Diamond Bank’ debtors 

and if they are not ready to redeem 

their debt, we will publish their 

names in the newspapers.” 

Meanwhile, the shareholders 

approved all the resolutions put 

before it at the meeting, while 

supporting the bank’s drive to 

recover its debt, saying that the 

N2.2 billion recovered in the year 

under review was quite 

commendable. 

The shareholders, however, 

demanded that with the enlarged 

bank’s status it should be able to 

pay higher dividend of N1.00 per 

share. 

In her welcome address, the 

Chairman, Access Bank Plc, 

Mosun Bello-Olusoga, who was 

represented by Dr (Mrs) 

Ajoritsedere Awosika, highlighted 

the performance of the bank 

stating: “The group recorded a 

profit before tax of N103.2 billion 

for the year. 

“Total assets grew by 21 percent 

to N4.95 trillion from N4.1 trillion 

in 2017.”



We will grow to tier-1 organically, but... 

— Fidelity Bank boss 

deepening our digital platforms. 

By Emeka Anaeto, Business 

Editor 

BEGINNING from last 

year, Fidelity Bank, 

began to drive a fiveyear 

strategic plan that 

would see it migrating to 

Tier-1 bank status in the 

country by 2022, growing 

organically but with an eye 

on inorganic growth opportunity. 

In his sixth year as Chief 

Executive of the bank, 

Nnamdi Okonkwo, in this interview, 

said the bank is driving 

the plan and the numbers 

show that it is making steady 

progress, year-on-year, in 

terms of balance sheet size, 

deposit and profitability. He 

also spoke on other industry 

and economy issues. 

Excerpts. 

What plans do you have 

to grow the bank organically 

and inorganically? 

A company’s strategic initiative 

for growth might be 

driven by either organic 

growth or inorganic growth. 

Our five-year plan was crafted 

to be based on organic 

growth, based on the projections 

we made. We also purposefully 

decided that we 

will not expand outside Nigeria 

until after 2022. So, 

our plans are based on organic 

growth. 

We also left a window that 

allows us to take advantage 

of emergent opportunities 

though. When these happens, 

we will sit down and 

look at them and go back to 

our Board to see if we need 

to alter anything to take 

advantage of such opportunities 

or to continue with on 

the organic growth path. 

What measures have you 

put in place to ensure that 

your bank is not threatened 

as you grow to become 

a Tier-1 Bank? 

We are keeping our eyes on 

our capital, on risk management, 

on governance and 

sustained profitability. This 

explains why, for instance 

we had enough buffers to 

absorb the impact of implementation 

of IFRS9. 

Do you plan to raise Eurobond 

to support capital? 

We do not plan an immediate 

increase in Eurobond. 

We are not doing any Eurobond 

this year but we may 

consider local bond issue if 

Nnamdi Okonkwo, MD/CEO Fidelity Bank Plc 

necessary as part of Tier-2 

capital but no size yet. 

Fidelity Bank recorded 

about 28 per cent growth 

in deposit base in 2018, 

what was responsible for 

this? 

The deposits came from a 

combination of growth in 

savings, growth in current 

and domiciliary accounts. 

We have a new product 

where you can transfer foreign 

exchange with your 

mobile phone up to the regulatory 

limit. It means that 

we have also seen growth in 

our domiciliary accounts 

because people built up 

funds so that when they 

want to transfer they can 

easily use it. We also have 

corporates that are in foreign 

currencies earning 

businesses. The increase in 

oil prices also impacted on 

our deposit growth as it 

favoured our oil and gas 

upstream customers. 

What are you doing to 

sustain loans and advances 

above 10 percent? 

The environment is so 

challenging that growing 

loans double digit as we 

have done have prompted 

some people to ask us: How 

come we grew double digit. 

In 2018, we took advantage 

of opportunities in some sectors 

to grow loans. For this 

year we are guiding for between 

7.5% to 9%. Still talking 

about last year, a lot of 

those were to the real sector 

of the economy which encourages 

growth and creates 

employment. 

We do not plan an 

immediate increase 

in Eurobond, we 

are not doing any 

Eurobond this year 

but we may consider 

local bond issue 

if necessary as part 

of Tier-2 capital but 

no size yet 

porate Banking and that 

should tell you how seriously 

we take Corporate Banking. 

Fidelity Bank used to be 

Fidelity Union Merchant 

Bank and that was why 

most multinational companies 

in the country have 

continued to bank with us. 

Supporting business in this 

niche segment comes at is 

at huge costs. Therefore, 

building up low cost deposits 

from the lower end of the 

market helps support lending 

to the corporate segment 

at rates lower that higher 

risk segments. We have 

grown our savings deposit 

You were a leading investment 

bank before the consolidation 

in the banking 

industry, but are you deemphasising 

corporate 

banking for retail banking? 

We have just appointed a 

new Executive Director, Coraccount 

base from N75 billion 

when I became CEO on 

January 1, 2014, to N226 

billion at present. 

What is your take on 

cyber security in the industry 

and what is your 

bank doing to tackle it? 

The entire industry is as 

strong as a bank with the 

weakest security measures. 

Therefore, no bank should 

toy with cyber security measures 

because there is a contagion 

effect, if fraudsters 

can penetrate one bank. 

What it means is that they 

can also affect other banks. 

At the Bankers Committee, 

we have discussed this several 

times. Therefore, even 

at regulatory level, there are 

certain measures you are 

compelled to take. For instance, 

building a Security 

Operations Centre and appointing 

people with certain 

qualifications and executive 

level personnel as Heads of 

IT Security. 

What is your take on payment 

service banks 

You know it has been a 

prolonged push by the Telcos 

to come into the banking 

space. We don’t have a 

problem with that. Let them 

be subjected to the same 

regulatory conditions that 

we have, because you are 

talking about depositors’ 

money. So, once all of us are 

subject to regulatory control, 

we will all do banking 

together. I think the sky is 

big enough and as banks, 

we are not sleeping, that is 

why you see some of us 

Nigerian stock market is 

still experiencing heavy 

foreign capital outflows 

post-election, what is your 

opinion on this? 

We just got back from London 

on a no-deal roadshow 

and the outlook on Nigeria 

is quite positive. Indeed, 

based on some of the sentiments, 

we were being advised 

to raise Eurobonds 

because they want to increase 

their emerging markets 

investments especially 

the fixed income managers. 

On the flows, you know 

European Central Bank 

raised rates. With the increase 

in rates, capital will 

always follow where margins 

have just popped up. 

People generally move money 

to those areas just the 

same way when we had our 

treasury bills going for 

about 20 percent, everybody 

rushed in. So, that is the 

constant dynamics of inflows 

and outflows. 

How is Fidelity Bank leveraging 

Fintech to grow 

its franchise? 

Under our five-year plan 

which was crafted in 2017 

and commenced on January 

1, 2018, we got one of the 

big four consulting firms to 

do a full global analysis of 

Fintechs and how we can 

collaborate with them. 

Part of our engagement 

strategy is partnership. This 

partnership has been on several 

fronts including the deployment 

of a solution for a 

major customer of ours; an 

airline. We are bankers to 

an airline that controls 

about 40 percent of the industry. 

Initially, they had 

challenges with ticketing on 

the electronic system they 

were using, and they came 

to us. Through collaborating 

with a Fintech, we 

migrated their entire transactions 

to the cloud. This 

has worked so efficiently 

well in the last one and half 

years without fail. 

Aside from partnering with 

Fintechs, we then decided 

that there was need for us 

to develop our internal capacities 

as well. We decided 

to build a digital lab as part 

of the outcomes of the strategic 

studies we had done 

with the consulting firm in 

the last six years. Today we 

have several millennials 

that are IT savvy, working at 

solving problems with innovative 

solutions, under flexible 

hours and work environment, 

at our digital lab.



It was beautiful and simple as all truly great swindles are — O. Henry, 1862- 

1910 

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Minimum Wage Bill 

passed by an equally cynical National Assembly, NASS, whose leaders are 

still smarting from the 

shellacking they individually 

and collectively received from 

voters in February. It is still a 

bad dream for one or two of 

them who had assumed they 

had their states in the palm of 

their hands to do as they wished 

with them. 

Suddenly, they discovered too 

Chairman of Congress for 

Progressive Change, CPC. 

Tony Momoh was with Buhari 

since the ANPP days and is still 

a loyal supporter of the 

President. But, Senior Momoh 

late that going home is also a patriotic Nigerian and 

occasionally to give crumbs 

from their tables to the masses 

of hungry fellow Nigerians in 

exchange for robbing them of 

billions of naira in corrupt 

practices was no longer a 

winning strategy. They have 

sought to start rebuilding their 

ruined political structure by 

joining with the President to 

enact a so-called Minimum 

Wage bill for the “masses.” It 

was a swindle of which the 

President and NASS should be 

ashamed of themselves for 

several reasons. 

if it becomes a choice between 

party loyalty and being faithful 

to our country, there is no doubt 

that he will stand by Nigeria. 

He has demonstrated it with 

that publicised warning to 

Buhari. The obvious question is: 

why would Buhari sign a bill 

which has all the potentials of 

creating chaos in the country he 

is now getting ready to govern 

for four more years given the 

heightened insecurity in the 

land? The answer remains the 

same today as it was last year 

and will be the same next year 

We start with Buhari whose – unless a miracle of 

scavenging Buhari Support 

Group declared the signing as 

“a promise fulfilled”. If it was, 

transformation occurs. 

A man cannot gradually 

enlarge his mind as he does 

it was one promise which his house —Alexis de 

should not have been made; let 

alone being fulfilled. But, just 

before those who expect to be 

compensated for hailing what 

was an ill-advised piece of 

Tocqueville, 1805-1859 

Even Aisha Buhari must 

admit that her husband does 

not understand a word of 

economics or finance. He 

legislation dismiss my cannot comprehend the 

objections as bad belle politics, 

permit me to draw their 

attention to the views of one of 

the earliest supporters of 

President Buhari. 

“My prediction is that the 

N30,000 Minimum Wage will 

cause chaos because many state 

governments that were paying 

N7500 before N18000 was 

introduced could not pay them. 

A lot of them are currently 

finding it difficult to pay now. 

They are already saying they 

can’t pay, and this would lead 

to strikes. When that happens, 

the nation will be in trouble— 

Prince Tony Momoh, former 

economic consequences of 

decisions made now. He acts on 

instincts; but they are the 

instincts of a highly placed 

economic illiterate. His closest 

advisers, if they are any better 

(and most are not), are too afraid 

to tell him the truth for fear of 

losing their jobs. So they adopt 

two postures - “sidon look” 

(apologies to late Chef Bola Ige) 

or they pretend that the 

President is right. For them 

none of their unpatriotic 

positions will jeopardise their 

advantages within the corridors 

of power. In Aso Rock, real or 

pretended ignorance is bliss. 



SHAREHOLDERS of 

FCMB Group Plc have 

approved a cash dividend of 

N2.77 billion earlier 

recommended by the Board of 

Directors for year ended 

December 31, 2018. 

This translates to 14kobo per 

ordinary share of 50kobo each. 

Speaking at the bank’s 

Annual General Meeting, 

AGM, in Lagos, Alhaji 

Mukhtar Mukhtar, Chairman, 

Trusted Shareholders 

Association of Nigeria, 

expressed delight on the 

dividend payment, saying: 

“This is an excellent result 

achieved by FCMB Group in 

a period of low economic 

activities in the country. I am 

The minimum wage swindle 

Buhari has signed the bill 

purely with a short-term political 

advantage in mind. He will, 

before December, unleash 

serious upheavals in many of 

the states which will find it 

impossible to pay. In fact, for 

Osun State, implementation of 

the new law will mean that 

whoever is governor will go to 

Abuja monthly to collect the 

allocation, hand the funds to the 

state’s workers and go home. 

There will be nothing left for any 

other function of government. 

satraps always fighting the last 

war, he has conveniently 

forgotten that every governor 

must present the Bill to the State 

House of Assembly for their 

assent before it can be 

implemented. No governor, 

unless an incorrigible law 

breaker, can start 

implementation before the Bill 

had been domesticated. 

Deliberately or inadvertently, 

Buhari has set the governors 

and workers on several collision 

courses nationwide by that 

announcement. Ignorant or 

mischievous labour leaders, 

might call the workers out on 

strike based on Buhari’s 

unconstitutional directives. The 

disturbances might be great or 

small, but they will increase 

tension in a country which 

needs to have it reduced 

seriously – otherwise, the 

already over-stretched security 

forces will have to add 

restoration of peace at states’ 

secretariats to their list of 

concerns. Is this leadership? 

Every government is run by 

liars and nothing they say 

should be believed—I.F. Stone, 

1907-1989 

Nothing has re-confirmed 

Stone’s broad condemnation of 

government officials more than 

the new Minimum Wage 

Bill. The Laour leaders who 

expressed appreciation for the 

President’s gesture are living in 

a paradise inhabited solely by 

fools. They, like Buhari said the 

bill was in the interest of the 

masses. That is a bold-faced 

lie. Explicitly, the Bill excludes 

workers employed by Small and 

Medium Scale Enterprises 

employing less than twenty-five 

people. That is the vast majority 

of workers are discriminated 

against by this so called “masses 

Shareholders approve FCMB’s N2.77bn dividend 

highly impressed with the 

Group’s balance sheet quality 

which witnessed a high 

growth. This shows vigorous 

policies that have positively 

impacted on and optimised the 

balance sheet. Another 

significant aspect of the 


CADBURY Nigeria Plc has 

announced revenue of 

N9.28 billion for the three 

months ended March 31, 2019, 

representing an increase of 12.7 

percent over N8.24 billion 

realised within the same period 

in 2018. 

The company also recorded 

gross profit of N2.38 billion, an 

Ignorant or 

mischievous 

labour leaders, 

might call the 

workers out on 

strike based on 

Buhari’s 

unconstitutional 

directives 

In fact, what he receives from 

Abuja might not cover the new 

wage bill. He will be called upon 

to go and borrow to pay public 

servants. What happens to the 

98 per cent of Osun residents 

who are not public servants is 

apparently no concern of 

President Buhari. Osun State 

might be an extreme case; but 

at least thirty states will not be 

able to pay the new wage and 

meet any other obligations of 

government to all residents – 

young and old. That is 

invitation to chaos written boldly 

by Buhari and the irresponsible 

NASS. 

The President, in his infinite 

misunderstanding of the 

constitution he swore to uphold 

even gratuitously ordered that 

implementation should start 

immediately. Like all old 

performance of FCMB is the 

growing contributions of the 

subsidiaries in the profit 

margin. The 14kobo dividend 

declaration signals FCMB’s 

commitment to improving the 

lots of shareholders”. 

On his part, Mr. Boniface 

Okezie, National Chairman, 

Progressive Shareholders 

Association of Nigeria, said, 

“FCMB and its subsidiaries 

have done very well in terms 

of dividend payment and the 

overall performance, including 

the loans portfolio which is also 

Cadbury Nigeria’s revenue hits N9.3bn in Q1 2019 

increase of 32 percent over the 

N1.8 billion reported in the 

corresponding period in 2018. 

Cadbury Nigeria’s profit for the 

period stood at N506.75 million, 

which translates to 2,201 

percent growth, when 

compared to N22.03 million 

realised in the first quarter of 

last year. 

Commenting, Mrs. 

Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing 

Director, Cadbury Nigeria, said: 

“Our first quarter result reflects 

a sustained positive trend in our 

company’s performance. In its 

full year result for 2018, profit 

before tax surged by 242.9 

percent to N1.2billion from N350 

million in 2017. We also reported 

an increase of 174 percent in 

profit after tax from N299.9 

million to N823 million within 

the same period.” 

bill”. 

The millions of Nigerians, 

female and male working in 

thousands of filling stations, 

hotels and guest houses, 

supermarkets, private nursery 

schools and clinics, POS 

stations, pharmacists, etc., are 

discriminated against by this 

heartless bill. It is heartless 

because when the inflationary 

impact of this bill is felt the 

favoured few as well as those 

neglected, who provided 

Buhari’s winning votes, will 

suffer the impact. They all shop 

in the same markets, pay rent 

to the same landlords, buy 

medicine from the same 

chemists, board the same buses. 

All workers will be charged the 

same – the beneficiaries of 

Buhari’s largesse and those left 

behind. 

“Unworthy to be called a 

Father.” Title of my article when 

Obasanjo enacted his own 

Minimum Wage Bill with 

groups of workers excluded. 

What sort of a “Father of the 

Nation” is that who feeds two 

children well and leaves 98 to 

fend for themselves? Buhari is 

always very quick to want to 

paint himself as a different 

President from his PDP 

predecessors. Yes, in some ways 

he is different. He took over 

from a Ph.D holder; who also 

succeeded somebody with 

Masters Degree. We are still not 

sure if he has School Certificate 

and in what grade. But, the 

difference on education is clear. 

Not even Adesina and Garba 

Shehu can bluff on that one. 

By global standards we have 

a grossly under-educated 

President. He needs our help 

to overcome his deficiencies for 

everybody’s sake. This is one 

occasion those who really love 

Buhari should advise him to 

step down on promoting that 

bogus bill. 

A word is enough… 

ECONOMY 

encouraging. The fact that the 

bank has been able to increase 

its branch network is an 

indication that it is expanding. 

I believe that FCMB will build 

on this performance.” 

Presenting the financial 

results to the shareholders, Mr. 

Oladipupo Jadesimi, 

Chairman, FCMB Group, 

said, “In 2018, we continued 

to move forward on the path 

of good governance, 

strengthening and improving 

our corporate governance 

structure and bringing it into 

line with our long-term 

strategy and the highest 

international standards. This 

was in order to increase the 

confidence of our shareholders, 

investors and other 

stakeholders in an 

environment that is 

demanding even more 

transparency.”


(08052201997) 

NIGERIANS know too 

well, that sinking 

feeling when all items on the 

household shopping list cannot 

be covered by the usual 

monthly budget. The options 

invariably become whether to 

cut down or do without some 

basic items, or alternatively 

make do with less preferred 

but cheaper substitutes. The 

depressive impact of a 

continuous price spiral on the 

average family’s welfare is, 

therefore, a very familiar 

theme. 

Even though the distortional 

impact of Inflation is 

boundless, it is also recognized 

that a little rise in price level 

may sometimes be necessary to 

stimulate economic growth; it 

however, becomes an albatross 

when the general price level 

remains above five per cent 

annually! In progressive 

economies, the Authorities 

target inflation rates below two 

per cent to stabilize purchasing 

power of income earners and 

preserve social welfare and the 

value of pension 

funds. Disturbingly, however, 

the price level in our case has 

often remained above 10 per 

cent annually, while inflation 

rates for food items have 

generally been much higher! 

Nonetheless, wherever 

prices of goods and services 

rise above 10 per cent annually, 

a static nominal income of 

N100,000, for example, may be 

just enough to purchase goods 

that just N10,000 bought 

barely ten years earlier; 

consequently, a family’s 

income must also grow by at 

least 10 per cent annually in 

order to maintain their usual 

lifestyle. Indeed, in 

progressive economies, the 

general wage structure is 

intrinsically tied to prevailing 

inflation rates, so as to sustain 

consumer demand and prevent 

an oppressive meltdown of 

citizen’s welfare. 

Conversely, Nigeria’s 

inflation rates often outstrips 

static incomes for several years 

INFLATION: The invisible super terrorist 

before any attempt to remediate 

the disparity. Evidently, the net 

product of this mismatch is 

grinding poverty; for example, 

the N200/month (over $150) 

minimum wage in the 1980s 

commanded much more value 

than the latest increase to 

N18,000, or $100 in 2011. 

The pertinent question, 

however, is why Nigeria’s 

inflation rate has become a 

primary instigator of 

deepening poverty, such that, 

despite fortuitously increasing 

export revenue and best-ever 

external reserves for several 

years, Nigeria is now listed 

amongst the world’s poorest 

nations. Instructively, the 

classical definition for inflation 

is ‘too much money chasing 

fewer and fewer goods and 

services’. Thus, inflation is an 

expression of the market 

dynamics of Product/service 

supply and the available 

spendable cash. 

Unfortunately, the general 

notion, is that Nigeria’s high 

inflation rate is caused by lack 

of productivity; i.e. we do not 

produce enough goods and 

services, while the supply 

shortfall is simultaneously 

confronted with surplus funds 

in the money market. It is 

clearly not appropriate to 

suggest that less and less 

goods are produced now than 

25 years ago, but, it will be 

more correct to admit that the 

increasing output falls below 

the rate of expansion in money 

supply. So, the problem is 

really that of money supply 

always outstripping 

production!! 

The critical question, 

therefore, relates to the major 

cause of increasing money 

supply, such that so much 

money is, seemingly 

unavoidably, always available 

to chase more, but relatively 

fewer goods? The Nigerian 

Monetary Authorities 

invariably are mischievous, 

when their answer to the 

challenge of inflation is that 

the three tiers of government 

are spending too much money; 

instructively, nonetheless, best 

practice antidote to flagging 

consumer demand, rising 

unemployment, and industrial 

contraction is in contrast, fiscal 

expansion i.e. increased 

government spending! 

However, our monetary 

authorities, inexplicably, 

impulsively, resolve to hold 

back inflation by discouraging 

access to the increased money 

supply allegedly induced by 

expansion in government 

spending. 

In its attempt to reduce the 

inflationary threat of excess 

It is obvious that the 

potential increase in 

bank credit 

expansion instigated 

by monthly deposits 

of billions of Naira 

allocations, also 

induces a supply 

and demand 

relationship 

money supply, CBN would 

deliberately, increase domestic 

cost of borrowing with 

Monetary Policy Rates that 

restrain bank from aggressively 

extending credit. Ultimately, 

as readily admitted, in CBN’s 

Monetary Policy Committee 

Communiqué No. 76 of 24/05/ 

2011, Government, therefore, 

becomes the major customer of 

banks and unexpectedly, 

borrows and sterilizes trillions 

of Naira from public or private 

use annually, in order to avert 

the threat of inflation. 

Disturbingly, nonetheless, over 

N500bn has been earmarked 

for servicing such 

counterproductive, and idle 

government loans in 

2011. Ultimately, a reduction 

in aggregate demand, 

industrial contraction, 

increasing unemployment all 

of which deepen poverty, will 

unfortunately become the 

horrid collaterals of such forced 

credit restriction with higher 

cost of loans for the 

Government, CBN and the 

private sector. 

Consequently, the anomaly of 

the perennial claim of too much 

money (Excess) liquidity, 

despite the real sectors’ poor 

access to cheap funds will, 

evolve. A little sincerity will, 

however, reveal that CBN’s 

eternal lamentation of 

oppressive systemic cash 

surplus, usually follows the 

payment of bloated monthly 

allocations to the three tiers of 

government; sadly, the same 

CBN, would inexplicably 

proceed, soon after, these 

allocations, to borrow back and 

sterilize a large chunk of the 

distributed funds, in order to 

reduce the threat of surplus 

cash and inflation. 

Consequently, the greater the 

size of monthly revenue 

allocations, the greater also 

would be the threat of inflation, 

and a rising national debt with 

related oppressive service 

charges; ultimately our 

industrial subsector would 

sadly also become more 

challenged and uncompetitive. 

Furthermore, it is obvious 

that the potential increase in 

bank credit expansion 

instigated by monthly deposits 

of billions of Naira allocations, 

also induces a supply and 

demand relationship, that 

ensures that the dollar will 

always emerge stronger in the 

in the forex market; worse still, 

CBN’s subsequent auctions of 

dollar rations, inadvertently, 

creates a seeming dollar 

scarcity vis-a-vis the subsisting 

huge Naira surplus and the 

related expanded credit 

capacity of banks! Ultimately, 

the increasing Naira ‘surplus’ 

will, compulsively also induce 

higher and uncompetitive 

production costs, even when 

comparatively less goods and 

services are on offer. 

But, the table can be turned 

on the dollar and the 

destructive cycle of persistent 

excess liquidity and inflation, 

if government musters the will 

to change the demand and 

supply relationship between 

Naira and dollar earnings, by 

stopping CBN’s hoarding and 

monopoly of dollar sales. 

Arguably, the Naira will, 

conversely become favored, if 

dollar component of 

distributable monthly revenue 

is paid with negotiable dollar 

certificates rather than the 

current practice in which dollar 

revenue is, first, substituted 

with Naira allocations by 

CBN. Predictably, with such 

reform, the erstwhile everpresent 

ghost of excess 

liquidity will disappear; 

furthermore, government’s 

debt and service charges will 

significantly also reduce; 

interest rates will also fall to 

single-digit, so that industries 

will borrow and expand and, 

thereby drastically reduce 

unemployment, while the 

deadly plague of inflation, and 

weak consumer demand will 

become tamed to induce 

significant improvement in 

mass social welfare.” 

POSTSCRIPT 2019: The 

above article was first 

published on 13/06/2011, as 

“Inflation: The Silent Plague” 

when the inflation rate 

averaged 10%. 

Inflation has, however, 

receded from about 18% to 

11.25% lately; nonetheless, the 

Naira rate has distressfully 

collapsed, despite celebrated 

increases in foreign reserves, 

and we have since ultimately 

become the World’s Poverty 

Capital; tragically, the worst is 

yet to come!! 


Heritage Bank, Magodo residents promote cultural diversity 

HERITAGE Bank Plc has 

partnered with Magodo 

Residents Association, MRA, to 

promote cultural diversity and 

ensure the success of the maiden 

edition of Magodo Cultural Day 

2019. 

The two-day event held between 

Friday and Saturday with a 

Business Dinner held at Radisson 

Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. 

Addressing the organizers at the 

dinner, Abiodun Agbaje, Regional 

Head, Lagos Island, Heritage 

Bank, said his management was 

impressed with the response and 

participation of the residents and 

others in the cultural exhibition and 

celebrations. 

Agbaje disclosed that, at 

inception, the Heritage Bank 

management opted to focus at 

those areas that other banks had 

neglected with a view to making a 

difference and impacting positively 

on the financial needs of its 

prospective customers and the 

society. His words: “Things that 

are difficult for bigger banks, 

Heritage Bank has done it 

successfully. We are open to 

assisting any investor that share 

vision and mission with us.” 

He said that in line with its 

mission to create, preserve and 

transfer wealth across generations, 

Heritage Bank decided to support 

this year’s Magodo Cultural Day 

with the belief that a diverse 

community promotes creativity, 

networking and success. 

Agbaje, therefore, assured the 

audience at the event that as long 

as the MRA members were ready 

to patronize Heritage Bank, his 

management would be glad to 

support the cause again next year 

and beyond. 

Impressed by the success of the 

outing, Jade Niboro, Chairman, 

MRA, noted that for the first time, 

residents were able to come 

together and to connect, adding 

that the cultural exposition created 

the avenue for different families 

living in the estate to publicly 

interface with diverse cultures. 

His words: “Our culture outlines 

our identity and influences our 

behaviour. Celebrating our 

cultural diversity will better make 

us acknowledge, incorporate and 

relate with others in the estate. We 

used the recently concluded 

ECONOMY 

Cultural Day event to embrace our 

diversity. With this celebration, our 

interaction level will increase, 

there would be more exchange of 

ideas, beliefs and cultural traits et 

al. We are extending an open arm 

to other cultures and encouraging 

a healthy exchange of cultures and 

our residents. We are learning to 

understand our beliefs and values 

better.” 

Niboro disclosed that the MRA 

had concluded plans to make the 

event more elaborate next year, as 

residents from other estates like 

Banana, Magodo Phase 1 and 

others would be invited to grace 

the occasion.


Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

Nigeria and May Day in the 

Centenary of the ILO 

THE 2019 May Day is on 

Wednesday. May Day is both a 

distress call and a battle cry by 

workers. This year’s 

commemoration also marks the 

centenary of the International 

Labour Organisation, ILO, which 

has become the universal symbol of 

Labour. But just as May Day was 

born in the quite bloody 

circumstances of the 1886 state 

murder of American labour leaders, 

so was ILO born in the bloody peace 

treaty of the First World War; a war 

with 40 million casualties, including 

19 million deaths. 

The world was in turmoil and in 

November 1917, the Russian 

Revolution sprouted, threatening to 

trigger workers' revolts in many 

countries. On June 28, 1919, the 

Versailles Peace Treaty ending World 

War I was signed. Thirteen of its 15 

parts punished defeated Germany. 

The Treaty forced the disarmament 

of Germany, imposed on it heavy 

reparations, seized some of its 

territories and gave them to Poland, 

Czechosolovakia and Belgium, and 

confiscated (instead of granting 

independence) Germany’s colonies 

in China, the Pacific and Africa. 

These included Togo, Cameroun, 

Namibia, Tangayika (now part of 

Tanzania) and Botswana. 

However, the first part of the Treaty 

was the Covenant which established 

the League of Nations, while the 13th 

part established the ILO in the name 

of universal peace based on social 

justice. The ILO constitution stated 

that the prevailing conditions of 

injustice, hardship and privation in 

which millions of workers exist, is 

capable of producing “unrest so 

great that the peace and harmony of 

the world are imperiled” and, 

therefore, called for urgent 

improvement. 

It argued that the establishment of 

the ILO is essential because “the 

failure of any nation to adopt humane 

conditions of labour is an obstacle 

in the way of other nations which 

desire to improve the conditions in 

their own countries.” 

On May 10, 1944, the Declaration 

of Philadelphia was made as an 

annex to the ILO Constitution. It 

emphasized the centrality of human 

rights to social policy and the need 

for international economic 

planning. Amongst other issues the 

Declaration stated that “labour is not 

a commodity,” and that “all human 

beings, irrespective of race, creed or 

sex, have the right to pursue both 

their material well-being and their 

spiritual development in conditions 

of freedom and dignity, of economic 

security and equal opportunity." It 

also famously declared that “poverty 

anywhere constitutes a danger to 

prosperity everywhere.” In 1946, the 

ILO was made a specialised agency 

of the United Nations. 

Although the ILO could neither 

stop the bloodier Second World War 

nor other wars, including those that 

today engulf a fifth of the African 

continent, it has introduced 

Standards and Conventions which 

have helped to regulate Labour 

Relations in most countries. One of 

the major challenges of the ILO, is 

the rich Western countries lording it 

over the rest of humanity. However, 

it was at the ILO Nigeria scored one 

of its most stunning diplomatic 

victories in the interest of the African 

people and to the glory of humanity. 

Nigeria became independent on 

October 1, 1960. At its first 

attendance of the ILO Conference in 

It was at the ILO 

Nigeria scored one 

of its most 

stunning 

diplomatic 

victories in the 

interest of the 

African people and 

to the glory of 

humanity 

Geneva nine months later, Chief 

Joseph Modupe Johnson (JMJ) as 

Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and 

Head of the Nigerian Delegation 

personally moved a motion that 

Apartheid South Africa should be 

thrown out of the ILO. 

He stood up at the ILO Conference 

and pronounced that the resolution 

was in the name of the Government 

of Nigeria and that “of the 40 million 

people of Nigeria”. He said the 

Nigerian people “have good will, 

love and affection towards other 

people irrespective of the colour of 

their skin, (and) believes in the 

equality of all races, abhor racial 

discrimination in all its forms and 

with all its trappings, wherever and 

by whomever it is practised.” 

The motion by Johnson and some 

amendments made on the floor read: 

“Whereas the International Labour 

Organisation, dedicated to the 

pursuit of lasting peace based on 

social justice, has stressed the need 

for freedom of expression and of 

association, and the right of all 

human beings irrespective of race, 

creed or sex to pursue both their 

material well-being and their 

spiritual development in conditions 

of economic security and equal 

opportunity, as fundamental to the 

attainment of the aims and purposes 

of the organisation. 

"Whereas the organisation has 

adopted a series of Conventions and 

Recommendations calculated to 

implement these aims and purposes, 

especially as regards the promotion 

of freedom of association, the 

abolition of forced labour, the 

elimination of discrimination, the 

free choice of employment, and just 

and favourable conditions of 

employment. Whereas the 

Government of the Republic of South 

Africa, in spite of its long association 

with the International Labour 

Organisation, accepts and practices 

the policy of apartheid, which said 

policy subjects indigenous African 

citizens to racial discrimination to 

their economic and social 

disadvantage, in contravention of the 

principles, aims and purposes of the 

International Labour Organisation. 

"Now, therefore, this General 

Conference of the International 

Labour Organisation, meeting in its 

Forty-Fifth Session in Geneva, this 

day of June in the year nineteen 

hundred and sixty-one, hereby - '1. 

Condemns the racial policies of the 

Government of the Republic of South 

Africa. 2. Expresses the utmost 

sympathy with those people of South 

Africa whose fundamental rights are 

suppressed by the apartheid policy 

of the Government of the Republic 

of South Africa as well as those 

courageous people who irrespective 

of race and colour, are opposing 

apartheid. 

“ '3. Declares that the continued 

membership of the Republic of South 

Africa in the International Labour 

Organisation is not consistent with 

the aims and purposes of the 

Organisation. 4. Resolves that the 

Governing Body of the International 

Labour Office is requested to advise 

the Republic of South Africa to 

withdraw from membership of the 

Organisation until such time as the 

Government of the said Republic 

abandons apartheid which is against 

the declared principles embodied in 

the constitution of the International 

Labour Organisation, and further 

requests the Governing Body to 

ensure speedy implementation of 

this resolution.'" 

Most European government and 

employer delegates including those 

of the United Kingdom, France, 

Belgium, Australia, Italy and Spain 

abstained as did the United States 

and of course, South Africa. The 

claim was that Nigeria was 

introducing politics into the ILO 

which is a non-partisan UN agency. 

Despite this opposition, the motion 

received an overwhelming 

endorsement. The other Nigerian 

delegates to that momentous ILO 

Conference were Messrs Tom 

Edogbeji, Aitkins Salubi, Tijani. M. 

Yusuf (Government), Mrs. Moore 

(Employers) and Comrade 

Lawrence Borha (Workers). 

Twenty nine years after Nigeria 

moved that motion, Nelson 

Mandela, newly freed from 

apartheid jail after 27 years, stood 

before the ILO Conference on Friday 

June 8, 1990 to thank the 

international body for that decision. 

The struggle continues. 

Africa and the opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative 

By Charles Onunaiju 

THE second international forum of the 

China-initiated Belt and Road, which 

Nigeria and about 35 other African countries 

are partners, held in Beijing, April 25 and 26. 

The meeting came six years since the initiative 

was announced by the Chinese President, XI 

Jinping in 2013, and offers Africa a unique 

opportunity of closing the historical gap that 

has challenged the pan-Africanist vision and 

agenda of regional integration. It also seeks 

the construction of economies of scale for 

efficient and competitive integration into the 

global value chain through procuring the 

enabling physical and institutional 

infrastructural connectivity. 

Because of the deficit, African countries trade 

more with others than among themselves. The 

cost of shipping from one country in Africa to 

another, for instance, is prohibitively 

outrageous and hampers the core value of 

economies of scale and opportunities of 

comparative advantage among countries 

within the region. Equally because of shortages 

in enabling infrastructural connectivity, 

funding and competent personnel, the struggle 

of African countries to overcome bottlenecks 

and build long-term sustainable and inclusive 

economies have suffered hiccups. 

However, within the context of the Forum 

On China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC, 

established in 2000, African countries have 

through joint efforts with China, begun to 

overcome some of the structural gridlocks that 

have hindered economic development. 

In the past two decades since the 

establishment of the Forum On China-Africa 

Cooperation which gave practical expression 

to the historic solidarity that have traditionally 

existed between the two sides, after the 

founding of modern China and decolonisation 

of Africa, the strategic partnership have nudged 

vital and formidable footprints in the struggle 

for sustainable development and improved 

living conditions for people in Africa. 

The Belt and Road Initiative, China’s 

enigmatic contemporary contributions to 

global governance and inclusive development, 

through the re-founding of the spirit of the 

ancient Silk Road through which mutual 

exchanges in trade, culture and people-topeople 

contacts facilitated over two millennia 

ago, has been brought to drive a new framework 

of international cooperation anchored on 

consultations, inclusion and participation. 

As a global public good, Belt and Road has 

already enjoyed global acceptance, though in 

some quarters, doubts and outright 

misrepresentation of its essence and 

significance remain. However, Belt and Road 

Initiative, a process of international 

cooperation that is still unfolding and a work 

in process, is, however, not a geo-political 

strategy to advance grand hegemony and 

project national chauvinism. China maintains 

consistently that the success of the Belt and 

Road Initiative would depend so much on 

global ownership through extensive 

consultations, joint contributions and shared 

benefits among partners. 

Highways, railways and other overland 

transport arteries that would transverse the 

economic Belt across the world would 

synergize with the maritime road network that 

would criss-cross the world through ports 

upgrade, integrated maritime and digital 

network. Across nations and within nations, 

the Belt and Road Initiative would enhance 

connectivity and create industrial clusters 

along the routes dotted by power plants and 

other major facility connectivities. 

These unique global public goods that Belt 

and Road Initiatives offers are also at the heart 

of the crucibles that Africa need to sustain the 

momentum of her contemporary renaissance, 

especially in the sector of amassing and 

harnessing the critical infrastructure 

conducive to long-term sustainable and 

inclusive economic development. 

At the September summit of the FOCAC in 

Beijing, President Xi Jinping told his 

counterparts from Africa that: “We could both 

seize the opportunity created by the 

complementarity between our respective 

development strategies and the major 

opportunities presented by the Belt and Road 

Initiative,” and noted that: "The Belt and Road 

Initiative and Africa Union, AU, agenda 2063, 

the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable 

development and development programmes 

of African countries complement each other.” 

Against the background of the foregoing, 

President Xi Jinping is hopeful that China and 

The Belt and Road Initiative 

would enhance connectivity 

and create industrial clusters 

along the routes dotted by 

power plants and other major 

facility connectivities 

Africa can “expand areas of cooperation, unlock 

new cooperation potential, and consolidate our 

traditional areas of cooperation and foster new 

highlights of cooperation in the new economy”. 

In the historic Beijing declaration of the 

summit, the two sides affirmed that: “Africa, being 

part of the historical and natural extension of the 

Belt and Road, has been an important participant 

in this initiative. The cooperation between China 

and Africa under the Belt and Road Initiative 

will generate more resources and means, expand 

the market and space for African development, 

and broaden its development prospects.” 

Going forward, the two sides agreed “to form 

a strong synergy between the Belt and Road 

Initiative, and the 2030 agenda for Sustainable 

Development of the United Nations, Agenda 

2063 of African Union, AU, as well as the 

development strategies of Africa", and expressed 

the firm belief that: “The closer connectivity in 

policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and peopleto-people 

ties, strengthened industrial capacity 

cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative 

and greater cooperation in the planning of 

African infrastructure and industrial 

development will lend new impetus to the winwin 

cooperation and development between 

China and Africa.” 

As Africa and China deepen cooperation 

through such strategic framework as the Belt 

and Road Initiative, traditional distractions 

originating from quarters that have historically 

lacked faith in Africa’s renaissance and future, 

are busy with outlandish innuendoes, about 

“China’s neo-colonialist intentions” and “debt 

burden”. The interesting part is only that Africa 

and China seem too busy and focused with the 

work at hand and certainly appears to pay no 

attention. 

China-Africa cooperation spanning nearly 

seven decades since colonial domination were 

overcome on both sides have never claimed to 

be an Eldorado without twists, turns or even 

setbacks but mutual respect, common 

aspirations and now determined efforts on both 

sides to drive the Belt and Road Initiative and 

become pacesetters in the building of a 

community of shared future for all mankind; 

has been the enabling driver of the steady and 

stable growth of cooperation between China and 

Africa. 

•Onunaiju, Director of the Centre for 

China Studies, wrote from Abuja. 

C 

M 

Y

28 — Vanguard, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019 

STATE OF THE NATION: 

We’re back to 

NADECO days 

•Says Bucknor-Akerele 

•Buhari fighting war against PDP, not graft 

•It’s time to make National Assembly part-time 

Senator Kofoworola Louisa Bucknor-Akerele will be 80 

tomorrow, having been born on April 30, 1939. The 

journalist, lawyer, politician, botched Third Republic 

senator, and former deputy governor of Lagos, played a 

crucial role in the battle to return Nigeria to the democratic 

path in 1999 through the National Democratic Coalition, 

NADECO. In this interview at her Ikoyi, Lagos home, the 

octogenarian, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, spoke on the state of the nation and lamented that 

Nigeria is back to the NADECO days. She also spoke on why 

the PDP lost the governorship election in Lagos, why cost of 

running the National Assembly should be cut down and the 

legislature made part-time among others. Excerpts: 

By Clifford Ndujihe, Acting Political Editor 

On why the PDP lost the 

L a g o s 

governorship election 

Well, we thought we should 

have got it this time around but 

Jimi Agbaje did not relate with 

the party. And then he was on his 

own. I think that was what 

happened and we lost. 

The loss seems to be creating 

more crisis in Lagos PDP... 

There is no crisis in the party. 

What about chairmanship 

crisis? 

There is no chairmanship 

crisis; we have one chap (Segun 

Adewale) who was previously a 

member of our party, he left, 

went to his state, which is Ekiti 

to contest governorship election. 

He failed and now, mysteriously, 

he is coming back to say he is 

the chairman of the party. I don’t 

know whether he is all right. 

What are the elders doing 

about that? 

We have brought the police to 

clear the boys he put in the 

party’s secretariat and we are 

fully back in control of the party. 

What is your assessment of 

the 2019 general elections? 

I am really disappointed in the 

last election because there was 

gross intimidation of voters, 

open buying of votes, election 

was rigged in many places, 

figures were just written and 

handed over to the Independent 

National Electoral Commission, 

INEC, to announce as results. 

Where did this happen? Is it 

in all the states? 

In virtually all the states 

especially in Lagos. I had the 

experience because I was on the 

field. It was open. In my ward, 

there was a car that was brought 

with money and people were 

going to take money openly and 

the security agents stood by and 

watched. 

Which ward was that? 

Ward H2 in Victoria Island. 

What is your advice to INEC 

to ensure better polls in future? 

I think this INEC should be 

dissolved and sent packing. So, 

I can’t give them any advice. 

They claimed they were using 

card readers so that people could 

not vote more than once but 

people were voting more than 

Highlights 

once. 

On the high number of 

petitions, 776, filed in 2019, the 

second highest since 1999 after 

the 1,290 petitions that were 

filed after the 2007 polls 

It goes to show what happened 

during the elections. If the 

elections were free and fair there 

won’t be petitions. 

Her take on the PDP 

presidential candidate, Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar’s petition 

against President Muhammadu 

Buhari at the tribunal 

It is an excellent petition. I just 

pray that the judges will have the 

courage to do the right thing. 

What is the right thing? 

The right thing is to pronounce 

Atiku Abubakar the winner of the 

election. It is obvious that he 

won that election but the election 

was rigged. 

Her take on the All 

Progressives Congress, APC’s 

claim at the tribunal that Atiku 

Abubakar is not a Nigerian 

That is utterly ridiculous. How 

can a man who is not a Nigerian 

join the Customs Service, rise to 

the highest rank in that service, 

contest for the presidency several 

times, and became vice president 

of the country and it is now they 

discovered he is not a Nigerian. 

•We are back to the NADECO days 

•Buhari fighting war against PDP, not corruption 

• National Assembly should be part-time, running cost too high 

•Agbaje let the party down and lost Lagos gov poll 

• Segun Adewale is not Lagos PDP chairman 

• 2019 polls were militarised, rigged 

• INEC should be dissolved 

• It’s ridiculous to say Atiku is not a Nigerian 

• APC can’t dictate to NASS how to choose their leaders 

• How government can recognise June 12 

• Buhari’s performance is dismal 

• How we can save our democracy 

I don't know 

which APC leader 

performed well in 

Lagos State. 

Babatunde 

Fashola was there, 

he planted 

flowers. Ambode 

did his little bit, at 

least he cleared 

Oshodi of the 

mess that was 

there and built a 

few roads 

In any case, I think in his reply 

to that he has given them the 

relevant answer. The APC likes 

to play to the gallery and this is 

•Bucknor-Akerele 

one of their gambits. 

On comments that the 2019 

polls were militarised 

yes, it was militarised because 

it was done in my ward also. The 

soldiers came, obviously, to 

intimidate people and some of 

us faced up to them and didn’t 

allow them to get away with it. 

How can we end 

militarisation of elections? 

The military should not be 

involved in our elections at all. 

Their job is to ensure the 

integrity of the country and not 

to be involved in election. 

On the APC adoption of 

Senator Ahmad Lawan as 

Senate President and Mr Femi 

Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the 

Ninth National Assembly 

I don’t know whether their 

rules have changed since I was 

in the Senate but normally, the 

National Assembly chooses its 

own leaders and that is done by 

all the concerned parties in the 

National Assembly. It is not the 

party that dictates who should 

be their leaders. 

Could you recall some of the 

good things the Third National 

Assembly you belonged to did 

in 1993? 

We stood firm on June 12 

election and some of us gathered 

ourselves and tabled a 

resolution asking that the results 

be announced and Chief M.K.O 

Abiola declared the winner. 

Some of us were arrested as a 

result of that as you are well 

aware. 

What is your take on President 

Bhari’s recognition of June 12 

as Democracy Day? 

Have they declared Abiola as 

the winner of the June 12, 1993 

presidential election? 

Recognising June 12 as 

democracy day is a different 

thing. What they should do is to 

announce the result and 

apologise to the country for the 

annulment. 

On the exchanges among 

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed 

Tinubu, Senate President 

Bukola Saraki and 

House 

of 

Representatives 

S p e a k e r , 

Y a k u b u 

Dogara on 

allegations 

that the Eight 

National 

Assembly 

hampered 

President 

Buhari’s 

projects and 

plans for the 

country 

I don’t see how they 

hampered the progress of 

the 

President’s 

administration. I think the 

President Buhari hampered 

his own progress by not 

delivering his promises to the 

people. 

Tinubu accused them of 

delaying and padding 

budgets 

He should 

prove where 

and how they 

p a d d e d 

budgets. He 

should not 

m a k e 

allegations 

without proof. 

Really, can 

the National 

Assembly 

pad budgets? 

I don’t think 

so. 

As a lawyer, 

what is your 

take on the 

Justice Walter Onnoghen’s 

saga? 

It was obvious that some 

elements wanted Justice 

Onnoghen out of the way. So far, 

they seem to have succeeded 

although Justice Onnoghen has 

appealed and we await the result 

of his appeal. Not only that, the 

person who was sentencing 

Onnoghen has accusations to 

answer. I don’t see how a man 

who is being accused of 

corruption is sitting in judgement 

against another man. 

The Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

has cleared him... 

I am not aware of that. 

So far, how would you assess 

the performance of President 

Buhari? 

Dismal. Absolutely dismal. 

Personally, I would have thought 

that having done one term, 

especially with his health issues, 

he would quietly retire and 

allow another healthier and 

more dynamic person run for the 

presidency but he is there. 

You think he has not 

performed in tacking 

insecurity? 

Certainly not, giving the way 

people are being killed every 

day. They said they had defeated 

Boko Haram but there is 

bombing all the time, there is 

kidnapping, which we did not 

have before. The security issue 

has deteriorated considerably. 

What about the economy? 

We all know that the economy 

is in doldrums. Go and look at 

all the industrial estates and see 

the number of factories that have 

closed. 

What about the war against 

corruption? 

I don’t think he has done well 

in the war against corruption. I 

think it is war against the PDP. 

That is how I see it. Why is it that 

you are fighting war against 

Continues on page

Vanguard, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019 — 29 

We’re back to NADECO days 

Continued from page 

corruption and people who are 

obviously corrupt are part of 

your administration? So, who are 

you deceiving? Who is fooling 

who? 

What is your advice to 

President Buhari on his new 

cabinet? 

I will not give any advice to the 

APC 

Why? 

Because I don’t believe that 

legitimately they won the 

election. 

On the WAEC certificate 

issue around Senator Ademola 

Adeleke, the PDP governorship 

candidate, who the tribunal 

declared as the winner of the 

Osun State governorship 

election 

I don’t know what the issues 

around it are. The WAEC has 

come out to show that he has 

their certificate. As usual, it is the 

APC that does not want to accept 

defeat. 

Do you think Adeleke and 

PDP will make it at the end of 

the day? 

Yes, by the grace of God he will 

make it. 

How would you assess 

Governor Akinwunmi 

Ambode’s performance in 

Lagos? 

He performed in certain 

respects and poorly in others. 

He did well in maintaining 

some roads. As for anything else, 

I don’t think he has done well. 

Look at the state of our hospitals, 

and state of our schools, they 

leave much to be desired. 

So, do you think the APC 

leaders in Lagos were right in 

denying him second term? 

I would not say that it was 

because he did not perform 

because I don’t know which APC 

leader performed well in Lagos 

State. Babatunde Fashola was 

there, he planted flowers. 

Ambode did his little bit, at least 

he cleared Oshodi of the mess 

that was there and built a few 

roads. 

Based on these, don’t you 

think it is a matter of regret that 

the PDP did not take advantage 

of the flaws to win the 

governorship election? 

I think the full blame has to go 

to the candidate because he was 

a let down. He let the party down. 

Otherwise, we should have 

captured Lagos State because 

the people of Lagos were fed up 

with the APC government. 

Going forward, what is the 

PDP doing to ensure this does 

not recur? 

There was a lot interference in 

the choice of a candidate from 

the national level. What we in 

Lagos State are saying to the 

national level is leave us alone. 

You played a prominent role 

in NADECO to return the 

country to civil rule. Giving the 

way things are in the country, 

do you agree with comments 

that we are almost back to the 

NADECO days? 

It is not that we are almost 

back to the NADECO days, we 

are right back to the NADECO 

days. It is unfortunate because 

thinking of the sacrifices of 

which some of us lost their lives 

and yet we are back to square 

one. 

How can we get out of this? 

I am sorry to say so, Nigerians 

are very docile. That is the 

problem. I don’t believe in 

violence, I believe in peaceful 

demonstrations. I believe that by 

now we should be 

demonstrating and asking for 

our rights but we seem to have 

been cowed into silence. 

How can we get the people to 

act? 

It is for the people themselves 

to fight for their rights. If they 

are not ready to fight for their 

rights they will always be 

trampled over by as Fela put it 

vagabonds in power or military. 

On calls for restructuring 

I support restructuring. I don’t 

believe we can carry on with this 

• Adewale 

MANY things have happened in 

the Lagos chapter of the PDP, 

especially as far as you are 

concerned, you even left at a point to 

contest the governorship of Ekiti State 

on another platform, but now you are 

back claiming chairmanship of the Lagos 

PDP, what is going on? 

This is my letter dated February 26, 

2016 confirming my position and that of 

my executives, signed by Ali Modu- 

Sheriff and Prof. Wale Oladipo. The 

letter was addressed to the Commissioner 

of Police, Director of DSS and INEC, so 

there is no confusion about it. This letter 

states that I am supposed to be the 

chairman from May 2016 to 2020, but 

then there were challenges everywhere. 

People went to court and we also got 

judgement from the court and my name 

was also there too. But during that crisis, 

because this time there were two 

opposing groups in Lagos, when we did 

our congress, Chief Bode George also did 

a congress on his own and appointed a 

chairman. 

We also did our own and I became the 

chairman because I didn’t come from 

Chief Bode George he will not allow and 

for a year and half we kept fighting and 

when the election was getting closer, the 

national leadership of the party, through 

Uche Secondus, called us to order and 

said we should reconcile. So when we 

reconciled they said give it Bode George 

as the leader, who has been in the 

corridors of power for so long, he knows 

these people and because of that they 

will always say let us give it to Chief 

Bode George and once that happens, it 

means that year we are going to fail 

again. I knew we were going to lose the 

present unitary structure. If you 

look back when we gained 

independence, there was real 

progress in all parts of the 

country but now there is no 

progress. When they say we are 

going to the next level, I say the 

next level is going down, not up. 

How do you think the country 

should be restructured? 

In a restructured Nigeria, the 

states should have more powers. 

I was part of the constitutional 

conference. We made farreaching 

recommendations. 

Those recommendations should 

be implemented. Part of the 

problems we are having with the 

herdsmen, insecurity, etc,will be 

solved if the country is 

restructured. 

Do you think the current 

National Assembly has 

performed? 

I think they have, they have 

passed a lot of bills. They 

performed their role as a 

supervisory body and they did 

not allow themselves to be 

bullied by the executive. 

On comments that the cost of 

running the National Assembly 

is huge 

I agree with that. The running 

cost is on a very high side. When 

we were in the Senate, what we 

were paid was level 17. 

So, you support cutting down 

the cost of running the National 

Assembly? 

Yes, I think the cost should be 

My claim to Lagos PDP chairmanship 

is to save party from Olabode George 

— Adewale 

By Patrick Azamosa 

Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland, is not a stranger to crisis, especially when it 

has to do with the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party. PDP. He earlier had a running 

battle over the chairmanship of the party but had to step aside to allow Hon. Adegoke Salvador ascend the 

position following the intervention of the national leadership of the party. However, with the defection of 

Salvador to the All Progressives Congress, APC, just before the 2019 election, Adewale is back again laying 

claim to the chairmanship position. When Vanguard met him, he spoke about his motivation, noting that his 

interest is to see things done right. Excerpts: 

2019 election, but if I kept fighting and we 

lose the election they will blame it on me, so 

I had to step aside and they said they wanted 

Adegoke Salvador, who never won any 

congress.But George started having 

problems again with Salvador, because 

Salvador too wants to win election, 

so Salvador was forced out of 

the party, he had to go to 

APC. 

Was it Salvador’s exit that 

created the current 

problem? 

In a way yes, with that there was a vacuum 

again and the constitution in section 46, 47 

states that if the chairman of the PDP leaves, 

the only way to fill that vacant position is by 

Congress or the state executive committee 

comes together and vote for a new chairman 

from the same Senatorial District as the last 

one that left. But Chief Bode George and 

the National Vice Chairman, South West, Dr. 

Eddy Olafeso did not follow our constitution, 

they jettisoned the constitution and said 

Dominic you are the chairman, without 

election, no congress, no ratification by the 

state executive committee. 

But that happened before the election and 

you did nothing then, what happened now? 

I was supposed to start fighting again, but 

it was about three months to election, so I 

decided to hold my peace and allow the 

decision of Olabode George and Olafeso. 

We want to win election. A lot of the South- 

South, South-East people are dying for us, 

every four years they go and vote for us, let 

us go and win, but because it was just three 

months to election I allowed them, but I was 

We had about 11 House of 

Representatives candidates 

that won election, but none 

of you heard about it, INEC 

had to ask for a rerun, there 

was not a single statement 

from the PDP to say this is 

cheating 

cut down. Again, when you 

watch the sitting of the National 

Assembly on television, most of 

them are not there. When we were 

in the National Assembly, we 

were there every day. I think it 

should be made part time rather 

than treated as a full time 

occupation because those who 

are there now are not treating it 

as a full time occupation. 

What is the way forward for 

Nigeria? 

Nigerians have to learn to fight 

for their right. Until they do that 

we will constantly be trampled 

upon by all sorts of dubious 

people who because they have 

money or have connections 

become our leaders. 

fighting indirectly. Dominic had 90 

days to end his tenure, so after 

election there was vacancy again. The 

constitution does not allow acting 

chairman, it must be chairman, after 

that George wanted to field another 

chairman and we said fine go 

through the constitution of the party, 

but he refused. So I said if that is the 

case me too I am a chairman, that is 

what happened. So, I am claiming 

the chairman because if he can on 

his own be doing that every four 

years without recourse to the 

constitution, I can also lay claim to 

the position. I have documents and 

judgement that confirm that I am 

also the chairman because sometimes 

to solve a problem you have to create 

another problem. 

So, I am trying to create a problem 

for that problem that Bode George 

causes to be solved, otherwise we 

have already lost 2023 in advance 

because Dominic did not even win 

his polling booth, and Bode George 

did not win his polling booth. 

We had about 11 House of 

Representatives candidates that won 

election, but none of you heard about 

it, INEC had to ask for a rerun, there 

was not a single statement from the 

PDP to say this is cheating. Rita in 

Ajeromi Ifelodun did a second rerun, 

at the week end. Rita won, we won 

in Ojo, we won in Surulere, Oshodi 

Isolo, another one in Ikorodu, 

Somolu, but there was nobody in PDP 

to even write a statement 

condemning the act of INEC, rather 

PDP executive are now supporting 

APC that took our positions, saying 

that those claiming to have won 

election on PDP platform are not even 

members of the PDP. We are now the 

ones testifying against our own, we 

can’t continue that way, that is why I 

am fighting. 

I am not fighting because of me, I 

don’t need any chairmanship, I am 

busy, I have over 100 staff, over 18 

branches I don’t have time, I have a 

lot of challenges on my neck, but our 

generation is dying, we can’t allow 

somebody with one leg in PDP and 

another leg in APC.


Terra Kulture 

stages Moremi the 

Musical for Ooni 

of Ife, other 

royalty 

When Kien and 

Friends entertained 

with classical 

music 

173 authors 

compete for 2019 

NLNG Prize for 

Literature 

Pg 35 Pg 35 Pg 36


OSA MBONU-AMADI 

08070524223 

osaamadi@yahoo.com 

When Kien and Friends entertained with classical music 

Stories by 

Osa Mbonu-Amadi, 

Arts Editor. 

Saturday April 27, 2019 

marked another 

important milestone in the 

progress of the yearly Kien 

and Friends classical music 

concert which debuted in 

2013. The venue as usual was 

the prestigious Agip Recital 

Hall, MUSON Centre, 

Onikan, Lagos. 

By 3.00 p.m., the reception 

area of the Agip hall was 

busy with the polished 

guests which usually 

constitute lovers of classical 

music. They were there to feed on small 

chops and cocktail which the organisers 

provided in abundance. The air from the 

giant air-conditioner was cold and lighting 

was mild. 

Soon the guests moved into the hall and 

the performers came to the stage after the 

keynote address by Prof. Barclays 

Ayakoroma, former Executive Secretary/ 

CEO, National Institute for Cultural 

Orientation, NICO. 

Kiendigi Doibo (Kien) opened the 

performance in a violin duet with Mr. 

Theophilus Okang. They performed Twin 

brothers by Coreli which was followed by 

Damilare Ojekele on saxophone 

accompanied by Mr. Adeosun. They 

performed A Kwela for Caitlin by Richard 

Michael and Nocturne by Alan Haughton. 

Kien returned to perform Robert 

Schumann’s Frohlicher Landmann, a short 

piece with a waltz rhythm. She was followed 

immediately by Ebunoluwa Olaopa who 

performed two piano pieces: The Reef No. 

5 from the southern seas and Holiday in Paris 

by Walter Carroll and William Gillock 

respectively. 

Kien, like the dominant in a major scale, 

returned with Mr. Okang in a four-hand 

duet on the piano. They performed Johann 

Strauss’ An der Schonen Blasen Donau – an 

emotionally laden piece, full of ‘sunshine’, 

Last Easter Monday, on April 22, 2019, 

the play, Moremi the Musical, was once 

again staged at Terra Kulture, Victoria 

Island, Lagos. This time, His Imperial 

Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan 

Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and other royalty from 

Yorubaland were part of the audience who 

watched the stage re-enactment of the heroic 

deed of Queen Moremi Ajasoro. 

At the end of the play, Princess Ronke 

Ademiluyi, Global Ambassador of Queen 

Moremi Ajasoro, invited to the stage, all 

the royal entourage and other important 

personalities who watched it. The Ooni of 

Ife spoke extensively and glowingly about 

the play, and of all those who made it 

possible. He reaffirmed his firmly held 

conviction that African history must be told, 

and correctly too, by Africans themselves: 

“Today indeed is a great day for our 

heritage, for our culture, and for our 

tradition. This is a history of who we are. I 

want to thank each and every one of us here 

present today, particularly the crew, and 

the entire family of Terra Kulture. 

“Last December, we were here. And we 

have a very short cycle of this initiative. A 

lot of people didn’t have the opportunity to 

watch it (late last year). There was a very 

major request hence (for another showing) 

and here we are today. 

“I will not but say a very special thanks 

and show tremendous appreciation to the 

living legend, Moremi of our time, Her 

Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Olufunsho Amosun. 

She has been there right from the very first 

day. She has sacrificed her time and other 

things she could sacrifice. She was taken 

by people from Ogun State. She is from 

Osogbo in Osun State but she belongs to 

each and every one of us. She has never 

shut her doors to us. I want to thank you for 

the work you started. Don’t think because 

you are leaving office now (you will no 

longer be needed here). This is a perpetual 

•Kiendigi Doibo and Theophilus Okang 

evoking happiness and nostalgia at the 

same time. 

Next, God’s Abundance Chiadika took 

the stage. He did four pieces: Chanson de 

matin (morning Song), op. 15 No.2, by 

Edward Elgar; Sonatina in A minor by 

George Benda; German Dance in B flat No. 

06 by Ludwig Van Beethoven; and Rondo 

by Anthon Andre. The morning song 

actually evoked feelings of freshness, cool 

and calm, while the Sonatina in A minor 

turned out to be hot, loud and fast in contrast 

to the morning song. 

Kien (on violin) and Okang took the stage 

again as they did J.F Mazas’ Pranks before 

Feranmi Olaitan on his clarinet, 

accompanied by Mr. Adeosun, went on a 

marathon of hymnals, all of which 

connected with the audience as familiar 

church songs. He sang with his clarinet: 

Great is thy faithfulness, O God our help in 

ages past, Old rugged cross and Jolly Good 

Fellow. 

As one of the most spectacular 

performances of the evening, Adetoke 

Adeosun (violin) and her father, Mr. 

Adeosun (on the piano) did the only 

traditional song of the evening – Iseoluwa 

a traditional Yoruba song. True to African 

songs, the danceable Iseoluwa would have 

brought the audience up on their feet if it 

had not been uncustomary to do so in 

classical music concerts. 

Kien (on violin) and Okang (on piano) 

doing Take Five by Paul Desmond appeared 

to have introduced perhaps the youngest 

performer in the concert, Owoturufa 

Taisosa who did violin pieces, May Song 

(folk), Go tell Aunty Rhody (folk); Ecossaise 

by Beethoven; Elenke (a Bulgarian 

traditional song) and My Invention by 

Nancy & Randal Faber. 

The ‘dominant’ Kien and probably ‘subdominant’ 

Theophilus Okang returned to 

perform Grand after the scotch humor by 

Nichol Matteis (piano and violin) and At 

the race by Pleyel (two violins). The duet 

with two violins by Kien and Theophilus 

turned out to be the proverbial best wine 

which was reserved for the tail end of the 

event. The music, At the race was actually 

a race between Kien and Okang – to the 

end of a hilarious evening of classical music 

performances. 

Fielding questions from journalists after 

the event, Mrs. Albertine Doibo, mother of 

Kien and convener of the Kien and Friends 

annual classical music concert said: “Every 

year has been an improvement from the last, 

even in terms of presentation. The quality 

of the music the children play has improved 

a lot. So there is some kind of upward 

progression in the performances.” 

On what inspired the Kien and Friends 

Terra Kulture stages Moremi the Musical for 

ooni of Ife, other royalty 

office for you. It is not easy to be a living 

legend; Moremi of our time. We still need 

your input. We still need your time. We still 

need more of your energy because this 

initiative is going global. We will let the 

world know our history without the Western 

world telling us our history. 

“For many centuries, they have told us 

we are pagans; that we don’t revere the 

creator. You can look deeply and see this 

play that still revere the almighty, the 

creator of everything. And we Yorubas call 

that almighty Orisa Oke. They have 

distorted our history, our heritage, our 

culture and tradition. But (we have had) 

enough of them telling us our story. We 

have to tell our story ourselves. And our 

story is very rich and very intact. 

“I thank God almighty for my brother 

king, Kabiyesi, Oba Saheed Elegushi. We 

have been friends for many years. He 

•Some of the performers at the concert 

•His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and other royalty 

became a king before my humble self. But 

to the glory of God, the way destiny would 

design the whole thing, he is still my 

brother and he will ever be my brother. 

“Thank God for Moremi. Thank God for 

what Moremi did for us many centuries 

ago. Maybe we wouldn’t have had Lagos 

today (without her). It is a generation of 

Olofin, the Ekate people. They are one of 

the Idejos, from Aworis. It was immediately 

after the Moremi issue happened in Ife that 

everybody now decided to spread to start 

different kingdoms. Thank God for 

Moremi. Maybe we wouldn’t have had 

Kusenla III (without Moremi). But thank 

God we have him now. He is still very 

active, agile and able. 

“Also to the same story of Moremi; 

honestly speaking, the Moremi story is 

deeper than what we all thought. At one 

point we all converged in Ife. All of us 

classical music concert, Mrs. Doibo said it 

was the lack of meanings and messages in 

what is called popular music nowadays 

that inspired her into the initiative. “There 

is too much noise and shouting (in pop 

music of today) and that made me to look 

back at where I was coming from when I 

was growing up. My father used to have 

the LPs (Long Plates) of classical music 

records. So I decided to go back to that.” 

She said if children have no opportunities 

to exhibit their talents after learning songs 

and practising, they may be discouraged 

and begin to question why they have to do 

all that. It is like a reward to the children 

for their efforts and perseverance.” 

On how she has been able to sustain the 

concert given the huge financial 

commitment it requires, Mrs. Doibo said 

the concert has been her yearly Christmas 

give-back to society. “Last year we couldn’t 

get enough kids to perform, so we moved 

it to Easter.” 

She appealed that more people should 

come to see the children perform and also 

for more children to come and perform. She 

said whoever finds it in his or her heart to 

support the concert in any way, can do so. 

“But what is more important to me is that 

more children should practise and come 

and perform.” 

Yorubas at one point were called Ife 

descendants. There is nobody in Yorubaland 

that did not come out from Ife. There is no 

way you can tell the story. 

“So today, if Moremi had not put 

together that God-given boldness, maybe 

we wouldn’t have had what we have today. 

I want to thank all our leaders that are 

present here, most especially Aro Asiwaju 

of Ile-Ife. He has been there for many years. 

And Baba is still very active, very agile, 

young-at-heart. He is always very 

supportive. 

“Also we can see our ever radiant Erelu 

Dosumu, the mother of all the kings of 

Lagos. God will continue to strengthen you. 

Whenever you hear of anything happening 

about our culture, you are always there. I 

want to thank the representatives of Olofa. 

There is a very strong link between Moremi 

and Ofa Kingdom. Before they finally 

moved to where they were, we still have a 

community of people in Ife who are all 

descendants of Ofa people. They like to 

wrestle a lot; they are fighters. So she came 

from that section within Ife. 

“So today, you can see all our links in 

Yorubaland, and you can see all the efforts 

we are putting together to tell our story. 

“Again, I want to reiterate this: Dr. (Mrs.) 

Omotosho – very energetic, very on point 

in everything she does – had to cut her 

journey short to make it today. We have 

actually launched an initiative to celebrate 

women in leadership and women that are 

doing very well in Nigeria. We’ve had 

enough of letting them to be our handbags. 

Anytime you want to go to a party; that’s 

the only time you remember your wives – 

anytime you want to show the world that 

you are a family man. But they have some 

leadership roles they play. We need to honour 

them. We need to adore them. We need to 

give them a pride and sense of place. 

“So this initiative will be like a Hall of 

Fame; it is an offshoot of Moremi initiative 

to celebrate women all over our country. 

And she is going to be the driver.” 

The Ooni also praised the crew members, 

saying: “they have actually made us proud.”


OSA MBONU-AMADI 

08070524223 

osaamadi@yahoo.com 

IRIRI: A solo exhibition of paintings 

•Where buying artworks helps humanity 

•Work by Oluwole Olufemi 

By Osa Mbonu-Amadi 

Iriri (experience) is a debut 

solo exhibition of paintings 

by Oluwole Omofemi, a 

contemporary Nigerian 

artist. The exhibition opens 

on Saturday, May 4 to May 

11, 2019, at Alexis Galleries, 

off Idowu Martins, Victoria 

Island. 

Omofemi's artistic 

imagination is fed by 

childhood experiences in the 

back street of Ibadan. His 

works betray a soft spot for 

women and children and 

genuine concern for the 

underprivileged children in 

the society. 

For this exhibition, Alexis 

Galleries is partnering with 

Braille Book Production 

Centre, a place that provides 

educational services for 

blind and visually impaired 

pupils and adults and equip 

them for an independent life 

via educational services for 

the blind with the aim of 

assisting blind persons to 

become self-sufficient adults 

in the communities in which 

they live and work. 

The centre was set up by 

Nigerwives, a not-for-profit 

association of non-Nigerian 

women married to Nigerian 

men who reside in Nigeria 

in 1995, and has pioneered 

the computer production of 

brailed textbooks in Nigeria. 

Braille Book Production 

Centre was founded by Jean 

Obi, a British by birth. In 

1962, she moved to Lagos 

and joined the West African 

Examinations Council, 

WAEC where she taught 

herself Braille. 

Part of the proceeds from 

this exhibition will be 

donated to the centre. It is at 

this point that buying 

artworks saves humanity. 

Oluwole Omofemi's works 

frequently resonate with a 

deep appreciation of African 

fashion, rediscovery of 

forgotten hairstyle and 

Afrocentric pride. He enjoys 

expression in acrylic and oil 

paint, which are his media 

for vibrant expressive 

creativity. He is interested in 

historical themes and early 

childhood experiences. 

"Iriri (experience) is an art 

exhibition that focuses on the 

different life stages such as 

childhood, adolescent stage, 

adulthood and old age. The 

works which will be on 

display will mostly show the 

basic life stages in the female 

gender (adolescent/puberty 

stage precisely). The stages 

in the life of a female gender 

is quite interesting. Right 

from infancy to the 

adolescent and puberty 

stage, then to adulthood, 

which helps them into 

motherhood. This stage is 

quite an interesting and 

intense stage. She begins to 

develop into a woman and 

becomes more conscious of 

her physical appearance, 

starting with her hair and 

outfits," says the artist. 

Omofemi's works depict 

everyday occurrences and 

seek to correct social vices 

that are vast spreading in the 

society and he aims to 

deploy the influence of visual 

art to better the lot of 

children and revive the 

neglected beauty of African 

fashion. 

"The Afro is a symbol of 

the black beauty and a 

neglected hair fashion of 

Africans. It dates back to the 

50s and 60s when African 

women wore their natural 

hair gorgeously. The 

unstretched Afro (kinky) 

hair was a way to celebrate 

the culture and uniqueness 

of the black race. No wonder 

women feel their hair is a 

"crowning glory" as this 

phrase dates back to the 

Biblical times. 

A woman's hair is the first 

most noticeable part of her 

beauty. Thus, this helps us to 

understand the mystery 

behind every woman's 

beauty and to further 

understand the interest of the 

artist in this regard and why 

he decided to be so emphatic 

on this. Ejire (twins) is a 

perfect example of this. The 

twins are seen wearing their 

Afro gorgeously. Their 

choice of outfits and colours 

also depicts their 

temperament and lifestyle," 

he adds. 

Born in the late eighties 

among the rusty-roofed 

dwelling of the ancient city 

of Ibadan, he had his 

National Diploma and 

Higher National Diploma 

in Fine Art at the Polytechnic 

Ibadan. He is a member of 

the world touring art group 

'Coure de Diona' based in 

Italy and his works are 

widely collected in Nigeria 

and outside Nigeria. 

Omofemi has participated 

in many group exhibitions 

both at home and 

internationally. 

Iriri is sponsored by Tiger, 

Pepsi, Mikano, Delta 

Airline, Wazobia TV, 

Nederburg, Cobranet 

Internet Service Provider, 

Cool FM, Art Café and the 

Homestores Limited. 

173 authors compete for 2019 NLNG 

Prize for Literature 

The adjudication process 

for the 2019 edition of the 

Nigeria Prize for Literature 

sponsored by Nigeria LNG 

Limited, NLNG, began on 

11th April 2019, with the 

handover of entries received, 

to the Advisory Board of the 

Prize. 

A total of 173 entries 

received by the NLNG were 

handed over to the Advisory 

Board which in turn were 

handed over to the panel of 

judges at a handing over 

ceremony in Lagos. 

This year’s prize focuses on 

children’s literature and it’s 

heart-warming to note that in 

spite of the fact that no winner 

emerged in 2015 when the 

genre was last up for 

competition, there’s an 

increase in the number of 

entries this year which shows 

a 59% increase as against the 

total number of entries 

received in 2015. 

The company also received 

10 entries for the Literary 

Criticism Prize. The 

Literature Prize, which is now 

in its 15th year, has a cash prize 

of $100, 000 while the Literary 

Criticism Prize has a prize 

money of N1 million. 

While handing over the 

entries to the Advisory Board, 

chaired by Professor Emeritus 

Ayo Banjo, NLNG’s Manager, 

Corporate Communications 

and Public Affairs, Andy Odeh, 

said: “As we deliver these 173 

books for your vetting, we 

eagerly look forward to the 

discovery of yet another 

literary gem that will open up 

possibilities for millions of 

children not only in Nigeria, 

but all over Africa. 

“We can confidently say that 

the Nigeria Prize for Literature 

has brought some previously 

unknown Nigerian writers to 

public attention. Our 

generation and those after us 

are becoming familiar with 

not just legends like Wole 

Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, 

Gabriel Okara, Elechi Amadi, 

Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, 

Mabel Segun and other 

writers of longstanding 

acclaim that, perhaps, some 

of us had the opportunity of 

*From left: Professor Jerry Agada, Advisory Board member 

of NLNG-sponsored The Nigeria Prize for Literature; 

Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, Chair, Advisory Board; Andy 

Odeh, NLNG’s Corporate Communication and Public Affairs 

Manager; Professor Obododinma Oha, Chair, Panel of Judges 

and Professor Asabe Usman Kabir , a judge, during the 

handover of 173 entries for 2019 prize cycle to the judges. 

reading as children, but also a 

new cadre of writers like Kaine 

Agary, Adeleke Adeyemi, Tade 

Ipadeola, Ikeogu Oke, Soji 

Cole and others.” 

During the handover, 

Chairman of the Advisory 

Board, Professor Ayo Banjo 

recalled it was exactly 15 years 

after the first handover event 

was held. He stated that at the 

start of this year’s cycle, the 

board was a bit jittery over the 

prize not being awarded in 

2015 and writers being 

discouraged to send in their 

entries. 

“When the call for entries 

was made, entries trickled in 

at the beginning but towards 

the deadline, it picked up and 

crossed the 100 mark.” 

Professor Banjo said further 

that the board is hopeful that 

the numeric strength of the 

entries will be matched by 

strength in quality of the 

submissions.” 

He commended NLNG for 

having the vision to create the 

literature prize and The 

Nigeria Prize for Science, 

saying: “the prizes have raised 

the creativity in the country, 

whether you are writing poetry 

or trying to solve the problem 

of electricity in the country. 

“NLNG has done its share 

of work in promoting 

innovation and creativity in the 

society. The company is 

contributing to the emergence 

of original thinkers and highly 

creative people in the society. 

It has managed to do that in 

the space of 15 years.” 

The entries, which came in 

response to a call for entries 

published in the national 

media in February 2018, will 

be examined on their merits of 

excellence in language, 

creativity and book quality. 

The entries were further 

handed over to the panel of 

judges led by Professor 

Obododinma Oha. Professor 

Oha is a professor of Cultural 

Semiotics and Stylistics in the 

Department of English, 

University of Ibadan with great 

interest in technology and 

language. He currently 

teaches in the Department of 

English and Centre for Peace 

and Conflict Studies, now a 

unit of the Institute for Peace 

and Strategic Studies, where 

he teaches Disaster Semiotics. 

While receiving the entries, 

Oha said: “We have been 

saddled with a big 

responsibility and we will 

discharge our assignment 

credibly.” 

Other members of the panel 

include Prof. Asabe Usman 

Kabir and Dr. Patrick Okolo. 

Kabir is a professor of Oral and 

African Literature at Usmanu 

Danfodiyo University Sokoto. 

Dr. Okolo, a senior lecturer at 

the University of Lagos, 

specializes in African postcolonial 

literature, gender and 

cultural studies.


1.4b Facebook members 

predicted to die by 2100 

One of the operating theatres in the new Ayinke House 

MNCH: Lagos raises bar with 170- 

bed Ayinke House facility 

By Chioma Obinna 

THE joy that comes with 

safe delivery will soon 

become a commonplace 

across communities in 

Lagos State and pregnancy 

will no longer be seen as a 

death sentence with the 

return of Ayinke House, the 

popular baby factory in the 

state. 

Interestingly, the new 

facility is back and better 

with 170-bed space and 

equipped with all facilities 

to cater for newborns. 

There are fears that the new 

Ayinke House now known 

as Institute of Maternal 

and Child Healthcare 

facility, may draw even 

women who have stopped 

childbearing to go back to 

the labour ward. 

Lagos State has maternal 

death ratio of 450 per 

100,000 as well as newborn 

death ratio of 37 per 1000 

according to 2013 National 

Health and Demographic 

Survey, NDHS, and the 

newly commissioned 

Institute is geared towards 

promoting the health of the 

mother and child during 

pregnancy, childbirth and 

after delivery. It will also 

offer family planning and 

assisted reproduction. 

The digitalized Institute 

of Maternal and Child 

Health under its 

emergency department has 

16 – bed capacity Acute 

Care ward, five Operation 

Theatres, 8 Labour/Delivery 

Suites, and side 

Laboratory, with three- 

Organ Support Capability, 

30 Special care baby Unit 

spaces, 5 Neonatal 

Intensive Care Units, Main 

Laboratory with 3 

additional Side 

Laboratories, Blood Bank, 

30 incubators with 

automatic oxygen delivery 

capacity and neonatal life 

support. 

It also parades special 

care unit with 30 incubators 

28-bed posts natal ward 

and five Transport 

Incubators with Oxygen 

delivery system, blood 

bank, mobile digitalized X- 

ray bay among others. 

To ensure safe deliveries 

of mothers, already, a total 

of 21 Consultant 

Obstetricians and 

Gynaecologists, 45 

Resident doctors, 5 

Neonatologists, 10 Resident 

Pediatricians, and two 

Anesthetists, among others 

have been recruited. 

Prior to the upgrade and 

expansion of the facility, 

Ayinke house was built by 

Late Chief Mobolaji Bank- 

Anthony in 1990 in honour 

of his mother, Madam 

Ayinke and donated to 

Lagos State Government. 

Before now, the old 

Ayinke House had 80-bed 

capacity with just one 

theatre with equipment at 

the facility old and obsolete. 

However, to sustain the 

philanthropy of Sir 

Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, 

the State Government 

during the administration 

of Mr. Babatunde Raji 

Fashola, awarded the 

contract for the expansion 

and reconstruction of the 

facility. The project was 

completed nine years after, 

courtesy of Governor, 

Akinwunmi Ambode. 

Governor Ambode said 

beyond the significance of 

the facility for the health 

sector, the Institute is a 

major contribution to the 

education sector as it 

becomes a veritable 

platform for medical 

students in the State 

University to enhance their 

exposure and experience 

with the top-class medical 

equipment provided. 

Ambode said the new 

Ayinke House is 

completely digitalised with 

state-of-the-art medical 

equipment as well as 

information technology 

services supported by the 

State Ministry of Science 

and Technology. 

By Sola Ogundipe 

AT least 1.4 billion 

Facebook members 

have been 

predicted to die before 

2100, as a result of which 

dead members on the 

social media platform 

could outnumber the 

living members by 2070. 

A new analysis 

conducted by researchers 

from the Oxford Internet 

Institute (part of the 

University of Oxford, 

England) said the dead 

may outnumber the living 

on Facebook within 50 

years - a trend that it said 

will have grave 

implications for the world's 

digital heritage in the 

future. 

From their analysis, the 

researchers said if 

Facebook continues to 

expand at current rates, 

the number of deceased 

members could reach as 

high as 4.9 billion before 

the end of the century. 

With an estimated 2.32 

billion monthly active 

users as of the fourth 

quarter of 2018, Facebook 

is currently rated the 

world's largest social 

network. 

The predictions are 

based on data from the UN, 

which provide the 

expected number of 

mortalities and total 

populations for every 

country in the world 

distributed by age, and 

Facebook data scraped 

from the company's 

Audience Insights feature. 

Nigeria is ranked as 

African’s highest internet 

using country, making up 

27.4 percent of the 

continent's total usage. 

According to statcounter 

GlobalStats, Nigeria had 

79.25 percent Facebook 

users between March 2018 

and March 2019. 

Statistics also predict that 

the number of Facebook 

users in Nigeria is 

expected to reach 30.4 

million, up from 22.4 

million in 2018. 

Lead author of the 

analysis, Carl Ohman, a 

doctoral candidate at the 

Oxford Internet Institute 

said the statistics give rise 

to new and difficult 

questions around who has 

the right to all this data, 

how should it be managed 

in the best interests of the 

families and friends of the 

deceased and its use by 

future historians to 

understand the past. 

"On a societal level, we 

have just begun asking 

these questions and we 

have a long way to go. The 

management of our digital 

remains will eventually 

affect everyone who uses 

social media, since all of 

us will one day pass away 

and leave our data behind. 

“But the totality of the 

deceased user profiles also 

amounts to something 

larger than the sum of its 

parts. It is, or will at least 

become, part of our global 

digital heritage," Ohman 

stated.


Cyclone Kenneth: 

‘We are losing 

everything’ 

— Mozambicans 

RESCUERS raced to 

help people caught in 

fast-rising floodwaters in 

Mozambique’s cyclone-hit 

city of Pemba on Sunday, as 

houses collapsed in one 

neighbourhood and heavy 

rain raised fears of worse to 

come. 

More than 160,000 people 

have been affected in the 

largely rural region, many 

left exposed and hungry. 

“Help us, we are losing 

everything!” residents of the 

northern city shouted at passing 

cars as the rushing waters 

flooded their homes. 

Women and girls with buckets 

and pots tried to scoop 

away the torrent. But in vain 

, the water poured into 

doorways. 

In the worst-affected 

neighbourhood of Natite, 

homes have begun to collapse, 

the UN’s Office for 

the Coordination of Humanitarian 

Affairs (OCHA) said 

in a tweet. 

“We are unfortunately expecting 

devastating floods,” 

it said. 

Cyclone Kenneth arrived 

just six weeks after Cyclone 

Idai ripped into central 

Mozambique and killed 

more than 600 people in the 

flooding. The new storm’s 

remnants could dump twice 

as much rain as Idai, the UN 

said. 

As much as 250 millimetres, 

or about one-quarter of 

the average annual rainfall for 

the region, has been forecast 

over the next few days. 

“I have never seen such 

rains in my life,” said one 

Pemba resident, 35-year-old 

Michael Fernando. 

This was the first time in 

recorded history that the 

southern African nation has 

been hit by two cyclones in 

one season, again raising 

concerns about climate 

change. 

Rescue workers evacuated 

at least 130 people to centres 

elsewhere in the city on 

Sunday, mostly by boat, said 

Salviano Abreu, spokesman 

for OCHA. 

Some Pemba residents 

tried to pile up tyres and 

sandbags outside their 

homes to keep the rising 

water out, while elsewhere 

small, rapid rivers formed, 

carving trenches into the 

streets. 

Children took refuge in a 

bus that appeared to be stuck 

as vehicles struggled on the 

streets. One woman stood, 

seemingly stunned, as the 

rain pounded down. 

“We will keep moving until 

we get somewhere safe,” 

one man said, as people fled 

carrying belongings in plastic 

bags. 

In the city’s Mahate neighbourhood, 

a large crack had 

formed in the ground, 

prompting OCHA to warn of 

landslides. 

Spain Socialists win but no 

majority 

THE Socialist party has 

won Spain’s third 

general election in four 

years, but may struggle to 

form a government, a postvote 

survey suggests. 

The governing party is 

set for 28.1%, well ahead 

of its rivals, while the conservative 

Popular Party is 

heading for its worst ever 

result, on 17.8%. 

Centrist and radical leftist 

parties are close behind. 

For the first time since 

military rule ended in the 

1970s, a far-right party is 

set to win seats in parliament. 

Vox, which opposes multiculturalism, 

feminism and 

unrestricted migration, is 

predicted to take 12.1% of 

the vote. 

The Socialist Prime Minister, 

Pedro Sánchez, has 

presented himself as a bulwark 

against the far right’s 

advance. 

The telephone survey, 

revealed as polls closed, 

was carried out instead of 

an exit poll. Exit polls have 

been inaccurate in the past. 

VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 35 

Sri Lanka Attacks: 

Relatives of key suspect 

Zahran, killed 

*More attacks likely— MPs 

THE sister of the sus 

pected ringleader of 

Sri Lanka’s deadly Easter 

Sunday bombings has told 

CNN up to 18 of her family 

members are missing and 

feared dead since the attacks 

and subsequent raids. 

More than 250 people 

were killed and at least 500 

injured in a series of coordinated 

suicide bombings at 

churches and hotels across 

the island April 21. 

A week on, the country is 

still on high alert with warnings 

there could be more attacks 

in the coming days, 

MPs said Sunday. 

Mohamed Hashim 

Mathaniya is the sister of 

Mohamed Zahran Hashim, 

the man Sri Lankan authorities 

believe was one of 

the leaders of the attacks. 

He appeared in a video 

released by an ISIS-linked 

news agency before blowing 

himself up on Easter Sunday. 

Speaking to CNN on Saturday, 

Mathaniya said she 

identified her brother from 

photographs of his body 

parts at the police station earlier 

in the week. 

“Five men went missing 

after the attacks (on Sunday). 

They were my three 

brothers, my father, and 

my sister’s husband,” she 

said. 

On Friday night, 10 civilians 

including six children 

were killed along 

with six suspected terrorists 

after a shootout between 

police and alleged 

militants in the town of 

Sainthamaruthu on Sri 

Lanka’s eastern coast. 

At daybreak Saturday, a 

gruesome scene was revealed 

at the raided house 

charred bodies and a roof 

blown off during three explosions. 

One of the militants 

killed in that raid has been 

identified as Mohamed 

Niyas, a prominent member 

of the local extremist 

group National Tawheed 

Jamath and Mathaniya’s 

brother-in-law. 

“It did not hit me until I 

saw the bodies of the men 

and women. When they 

said six children, I thought 

whether they could be the 

people related to me,” 

Mathaniya told CNN.


EWARAWON 

I, formerly known as 

Ewarawon Omowunmi 

Oluwatoyin, now wish to be 

known as Abdullahi-ewarawon 

Omowunmi Oluwatoyin. All 

former documents remain 

valid and general public take 

note. 

OLABISI 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Saka Shakirat Olabisi, now 

wish to be known as Mrs 

Salako Shakirat Olabisi. All 



note. 

ONWUEYI 


Vivian Nkeiru Onwueyi, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Vivian Nkeiru Olumba. All 

former documents remains 

valid, general public please 

take note. 

AGBODO 

I, formerly known as Agbodo 

Endurance and Agbodo Endurance 

Eyene, now wish to be known as 

Agbodo Gloria. Any documents 

bearing my former name still remain 

Valid. General public, Diamond 

Bank (now Access Bank) and all 

relevant authorities please take note. 

UGODO 


Ugodo Charity Blessing, now 


Chijioke Blessing Okechukwu. 

Former documents remain 

valid. General public please 

take note. 

PRINCE 

I, formerly known as Prince 

V Etuwede, now wish to be 

known as Etuwede Lucky 

Oghenerobo. Former 

documents remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

WISDOM 


Aimionkhoria Emmanuel 

Wisdom, now wish to be 

known as Aimionkhoria 

Emmanuel Azimoborior. 



take note. 

IYOMU 


Iyomu Grace Aghogho, now 


Addy Grace Aghogho. Former 



note. 

BALOGUN 


Balogun Adesola Grace, now 

wishes to be known as Mrs 

Arichoke, Adesola Grace. All 


valid, general public take note. 

OBIEFULE 

I hereby confirm that the 

name, Obiefule Juliet Tochi and 

Obiefule Juliet Stephanie, refer 

to one and the same me. I now 

wish to be known as Obiefule 

Juliet Tochi. All former 

documents remain valid and 

general public take note. 

EGHWEREE 


Eghweree Ivie, now wish to 

be known as Mrs Umukoro 

Ivie Excel. All former 

documents remain valid and 

general public take note. 

OKWUKA 


Adaobi Chinwe Okwuka, now 


Adaobi Chinwe Chioloji. All 

former documents remains 

valid, general public please 

take note. 

TOBORE 

I, formerly known as Oneya 

Tobore Samson, now wish to 

be known as Oneya 

Samson. All former 


General public take note. 

EKPAN 

I, formerly known as Ekpan 

Ehi, now wish to be known 

as Timeyin Otikpere. 


valid. General public 

please take note. 

GENSIS 


Joy Gensis, now wish to 

be known as Mrs Joy 

Elumah. Former 



note. 

OBOITE 

I, formerly known as Oboite 

Onosemudiana Alero, now 


Otasowie Onosemudiana 

Alero Daisy. Former 



note. 

AMADI 


Amadi Chioma Eberechukwu, 

now wish to be known as Mrs 

Paul Chioma Eberechukwu. All 


valid. The general public should 


LATEEF 

I, formerly known as Lateef 

Kafayat, now wish to be 

known as Kafayat Bola 

Jimoh. All former 


General public take note. 

OKON 

I, formerly known as Patience 

Okon, now wish to be known 

as Peter Patience Okon. All 



note. 

ONYEGBULA 

I, formerly Known as Miss 

Onyegbula Peace Chinwendu, 

now wish to be known as Mrs 

Obuma Peace Chinwendu. All 



take note. 

ORIFAMA 


Ibibia Orifama, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Ibibia 

Orifama - Orupabo. All 



take note. 

ADAMAH 


Adamah Elohor, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Ikyaigba 

Elohor. All former documents 

remain valid. General public 


AGHWARITEFE 


Aghwaritefe Inaye Patience, 

now wish to be known as 

Mrs Patience Inaye Ejior. 



take note. 

AKPEVWE 


Akpevwe Sylvia Kosin, now 

wish to be known as 

Akpevwe Praise _ Joy 

Kosin. Former documents 



OTITE 


Otemu Otite and also known 

as Miss Otemu Joy Otite, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. Oyibo 

Otite. All former documents 


take note. 

FILANI 


Filani Oluwaseun Esther, 

now wish to be known as 

Mrs Onipede Oluwaseun 

Esther. Former documents 



SPACE 

FOR 

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BANK BALOGUN BUS STOP, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO WAY, IKEJA, 

OR MURPHIS PLAZA, SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, VICTORIA 

ISLAND LAGOS 

MBA 


Mba Obianuju Ngozi, now 


Areh Obianuju Ngozi. All 



note. 

NWOSU 


Nwosu Chibuzor Charity, now 


Chibuzor Charity David 

Onophovwa. All former 



note. 

OPUENE 


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now wish to be known 

as Mrs. Gift C. Onumaegbu. 

All former documents remain 


take note. 

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I, formerly known as Stella 

Ejiro Macauley, now wish to 

be known as Stella Ejiro 

Eboye. Former documents 



EMOAVWODIA 


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Mamuyovwi, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Loveth 

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Tega Orovwohwo, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Tega 

Adedayo Ayejuni. All former 


General public, banks and all 

concerned institutions should 


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I, formerly known as Talatu 

Sabo Awu, now wish to be 

known as Queen B. Garba. All 


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Security Limited and general 

public please take note. 

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I hereby confirm that the 

name; Ayemoba Fidelis and 

Ayemoba Fidelis Momodu refer 

to one and the same me. I now 

wish to be known as Ayemoba 

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General public please take note. 

Stop factionalising S-East 

APC, Stakeholders warn 

outside forces 

By Dennis Agbo 

E 

N U G U — 

STAKEHOLDERS of the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC in the South- 

East have warned forces 

outside the zone to stop 

causing divisions among 

members of the party in 

Igboland. 

The party members 

have also risen in support 

of all members of 

the party from the zone, 

contesting for leadership 

of the ninth National Assembly. 

They equally want 


Buhari to use his second 

term to resist all pressures 

and do more Infrastructural 

and human 

empowerment projects in 

the zone. 

The party zonal stakeholders 

made the resolutions 

when it met in 

Enugu on Saturday. 

Among those who attended 

the meeting were 

Minister for Labour, Dr 

Chris Ngige; Minister 

for Science and Technology, 

Dr Ogbonnaya 

Onu; former Governor 

Orji Uzor Kalu; Senators 

Chris Adighije, Chris 

Nwankwo, Anthony 

Agbo and Andy Ubah. 

Also in attendance 

were Hon Nkeiruka 

Onyejeocha, Nze Chidi 

Duru, Osita Okechukwu, 

Prof. Ben Odoh, Hon 

Chike Okafor, among 

others. 

In its communique, the 

National Vice Chairman 

of APC in the zone, 

Emma Enukwu said 

“The South East APC 

condemn in strong 

terms, undue interference 

and unwholesome 

meddlesome by forces 

outside the zone on the 

affairs of the zone of our 

great party aimed at factionalising 

the party. 

“We call on members of 

our party from the zone to 

resist such and those causing 

divisions should understand 

the negative implication 

on the party.” 

MACBAN cries out over 

killing of members in 

Bauchi 

BAUCHI 

STATE 

branch of Miyetti 

Allah Cattle Breeders 

Association, MACBAN, 

Bauchi state chapter, has 

called on security 

agents to check the activities 

of a group, 

known as ‘Yan Ba Belli’ 

that had allegedly 

been killing its members 

across the State. 

Alhaji Sadiq 

Ahmed, Secretary of the 

association in the state, 

made the call in Bauchi 

yesterday at the funeral 

of two members allegedly 

killed by the 

group. 

He warned that unless 

the activities of the 

group was checked, the 

situation might get out 

of control and pose 

threat to peace and security 

in the state. 

“If they are attacking 

people in the rural areas 

and they are not 

stopped, they may start 

attacking people in urban 

areas,” he warned. 

He said so far about 

10 members of their association 

had been 

killed in various locations 

within the state in 

the last two weeks. 

Ahmed disclosed that 

the latest victims were 

the former chairman of 

Bauchi Local Government 

Area of the association, 

Jafaru Shanka , 

and Musa Mokawu, 

both of them residents 

of Yolan Bayara, a community 

few kilometres 

from Bauchi metropolis. 

The Secretary said the 

two people were abducted 

and their 

corpses recovered later 

in the bush, with gunshot 

wounds and 

machete cuts. 

Ahmed said members 

of the group operated 

on no fewer than 100 

motorcycles, invading 

communities, abducting 

and killing people in 

broad daylight. 

He expressed the desire 

of MACBAN to cooperate 

with government 

and security agencies 

to maintain peace. 

Contacted on the issue, 

Bauchi Police comm 

a n d ’ s 

spokesperson,DSP 

Kamal Datti, said he 

was not aware of the incidents 

referred to by 

MACBAN. 

He however said 

there were reported cases 

of the activities of the 

group and the police 

had been making arrests 

and charging them 

to court.


38—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

CHIEFTAINCY:Conferment of title of Akpeli Ugo Fufu 1 of Ebu Kingdom 

on Chief Mrs. Shimite Bello by HRH Onu Paul Odilile Opili , the Onu of 

Ebu Kingdom, Delta state. Photo: Nath Onojake 

Nigeria's justice system has failed 

women —BFF 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA—A 

nongovernmental 

organization, Breath of 

Freedom Foundation, BFF 

has accused the Nigerian 

justice system as being 

unfair to the women folk. 

The foundation made the 

assertion at the weekend 

during an outreach 

programme at Suleja 

prison. 

The Founder of the 

foundation, Tony Ekoaba, 

who decried the nation's 

justice system expressed 

concern over the manner in 

which widows in the 

country are sent to prison 

for trying to assert authority 

over properties willed to 

them by their late 

husbands. A situation he 

said is supported by some 

traditions and culture in the 

country. 

This he said is injustice 

to women and should be 

condemned in totality, 

especially widows who 

lawfully seek what rightfully 

belong to them 

Ekoaba, who was 

represented by other 

management team of the 

foundation called for total 

overhaul of the entire 

justice system in the 

country to address the 

injustice in the land, 

especially as it concerns 

women and the will left 

behind by their late 

husbands. 

‘‘I think the laws need to 

be changed, they need to 

be in black and white and 

straight forward. If a person 

puts one as next of kin, that 

person should be next of 

kin. There should just be a 

standard justice system that 

would just be there based 

on if you are not as 

powerful as the opposition 

party, then you have to be 

on the receiving end. 

Aduwak’s 

“Heaven’s 

Hell" the 

Movie for 

launch May 

By Gabriel 

Olawale 

LAGOS—ONE 

of 

Nigeria’s leading 

media experts, Katung 

Aduwak, popular for being 

the winner of the first-ever 

Big Brother Nigeria, is set 

to release his first 

blockbuster movie, titled 

“Heaven’s Hell”; a 

psychological drama, based 

on true life story that tells 

the story of two friends, 

Alice Henshaw and Tsola 

Aliu and their husbands 

Edward Henshaw and Jeff 

Aliu. 

Set to be released in a few 

weeks; the movie is packed 

with Nollywood greats 

such as Nse Ikpe-Etim, 

Bimbo Akintola, Damilola 

Adegbite, OC Ukeje, 

Gideon Okeke, Linda 

Ejiofor, Chet Anekwe, Kalu 

Ikeagwu, Bimbo Manuel, 

Katherine Obiang, Femi 

Jacobs, Waje (singer), and 

Fabian Lojede. 

Speaking on this 

accomplishment and the 

expected impact “Heavens 

Hell” will have on 

Nollywood, the director - 

Katung Aduwak, reveals 

that it has been all about 

hard work and 

determination, for him to 

finally release this movie 

that was shot as far back as 

2012. He stated that: “I am 

very happy that we are now 

ready to release this piece, 

It is not my first movie but I 

am particularly happy 

about this; I owe this to 

every member of the crew 

and the entire staff of One 

O Eight Media, also the 

members of Hashtag 

Media for being more than 

a reliable partner; this is a 

win for us and I am very 

sure that Nigerians can’t 

wait for it to get to the 

cinemas” 

Aduwak is currently the CEO 

One O Eight Media & African 

Partner for Campfire Media, a 

position he now holds after 

serving for years as Senior 

Channel Manager at MTV Base, 

Senior Creative Director at 

VIACOM International and 

Executive Director at Chocolate 

City. He has also sat as a media 

panelist at the Harvard Africa 

Business School Forum where he 

presented a paper titled “Using 

the media to tell African stories 

the African way”


40 —Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

TAURUS; Take note that others may break promises made 

before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not 

take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.. 

GEMINI; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances 

may not allow complete help as expected. 

9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive. 

CANCER; Emphasis will continue to be on career related 

issues. However you will not be wrong if you take matters 

of the heart more seriously now. Be more loving. 

LEO; Mid morning till early afternoon period may bring 

more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever 

will see you through. Be very practical. 

VIRGO; Continue to attach necessary importance to your 

family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring 

you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“My faith helps me understand that my circumstances 

don’t dictate my happiness, my inner 

peace.” -Denzel Washington- 

Being fully present in the moment is the way to internal 

peace and happiness. Learning to be aware is how we resolve 

and transform into internal peace we are all looking for. 

It is a gradual process. Taking time to practice conscious 

breathing is a great way to calm ourselves and stay in the 

present moment. -- Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

Man is like a 

pepper, till you 

have chewed 

it you do not 

know how hot 

it is. ~Haussa 

Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LIBRA; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; 

that is to say you will need to be as co operative as 

reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am & 12.43pm 

SCORPIO; You will be in good position to consolidate on 

progress made yesterday. However you will need to watch 

your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm. 

SAGITTARIUS; It is important you don’t take things for 

granted around mid morning and early afternoon period 

so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments. 

CAPRICORN; If you are in position to control your actions 

you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm 

before you make an important move. Be family minded. 

AQUARIUS; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects 

but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially 

during mid morning and early afternoon periods. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

PISCES; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like 

yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope 

of your success will be wider. 

ARIES; Although things may be happening around you, 

you are the right person to make things happen and give 

others opportunities.. Be wise. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, Apapa, Lagos 

Are they compatible? 

Dear Joshua, 

My daughter seems to be seriously committed to a boy. And from the 

look of things they may be willing to marry each other. And before it is too 

late I want to know if they are compatible or not. However publish not 

their names and birthday. 

Olusegun, Plateau. 

Dear Olusegun, 

What will follow here under are analyses of two horoscopes of two 

willing heart, so 

that you will know them very well vis à vis strong and weak points of each 

other. By this you will decide if actually what you are looking for is in the 

relationship. 

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE 

LADY 

SUN SIGN = AQUARIUS; SUN IN 13TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS. 

MOON SIGN = CANCER ; MOON IN 3RD DEGREE OF CAN- 

CER 

MERCURY IN IST DEGREE OF AQUARIUS 

VENUS IN ZERO DEGREE OF ARIES 

MARS IN 29TH DEGREE OF PISCES 

JUPITER IN 29TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN 

SATURN IN 27TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

URANUS IN 16TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS. 

NEPTUNE IN 2ND DEGREE OF CAPRICORN 

PLUTO IN 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

NORTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF TAURUS. 

SOUTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF HER CHART 

Here is a gentle person who cares so much for both her extended family 

(especially her mother) and her personal family. She can be highly 

emotional, although highly intelligent too 

THE WEAK POINT 

She can unexpectedly burst into tears whenever she fails to control her 

husband. And if she does not result to weeping she can many times force 

this man to turn violent to the detriment of too many things. She in 

particular will many times become jealous for no reason and can be 

difficult to manage by this man. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



C 

M 

Y 

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FALCONS: Oluehi, Okoronkwo head 

Dennerby’s invitees for Women’s WAFU Cup 

•Oluehi, 

Okoronkwo 

Goalkeeper Tochukwu 

Oluehi, defender 

Glory Ogbonna, 

midfielder Amarachi 

Okoronkwo and forward 

Alice Ogebe are among 26 

players that Super Falcons’ 

Head Coach Thomas 

Dennerby has invited to camp 

Emery switches 

Arsenal focus to 

Europa League 

Arsenal boss Unai Emery 

has told the Gunners to 

refocus and salvage their 

season against Valencia after 

Leicester dealt a hammer 

blow to their Champions 

League hopes. 

The 10-man Gunners 

slipped to a third straight 

defeat after the dominant 

Foxes ran out 3-0 winners. 

Jamie Vardy’s late brace 

took his tally to eight goals in 

his last nine games against 

the Gunners after Youri 

Tielemans’ opener at the King 

Power Stadium. 

Ainsley Maitland-Niles 

was sent off for the first time 

in his career before the break 

as Arsenal turned in a limp 

display. 

It left them fifth in the 

Premier League but they face 

Valencia in the Europa 

League semi-final first leg on 

Thursday. The winners of the 

competition qualify for the 

Champions League. 

Emery said: “We have two 

things – next week against 

Valencia in the Europa 

League, we have big 

ambition and motivation in 

this competition. 

“It’s a semi-final and it’s 

going to be difficult also, then 

we play Brighton and we 

want to win this match. 

“At the beginning of the 

season we knew it was going 

to be very difficult (to finish 

in the top four). 

“We will continue, we will 

not look at the table, the 

Europa League is a big 

motivation for us. 

“We wanted to take the 

opportunity to win and be 

competitive in 90 

minutes. 

The players 

worked very 

well and I 

am proud of 

them.” 

•Emery 

ahead of 

next month’s WAFU 

Women’s Cup Tournament in 

Abidjan, capital of Cote 

Conte waits for Man United job 

U-17 Africa Cup of Nations: Cameroon 

beat Guinea on penalties to lift trophy 

ameroon won the 2019 

CU-17 Africa Cup of 

Nations yesterday after they 

defeated Guinea 5-4 on 

penalties in the final at the 

National Stadium in Dar es 

Salaam, Tanzania. 

The two teams created 

decent chances but failed to 

score as the match ended 0-0 

in normal time. 

Both semi-finals also went 

to penalty shootouts. 

It is Cameroon’s second U- 

17 Nations Cup title having 

previously been African 

Champions in 2003. 

Cameroon were sharper 

during the decisive penaltykicks 

and benefitted when 

Guinea substitute Mohamed 

Youssouf Sack had his penalty 

saved by goalkeeper 

Manfred Mekumba Ekoi. 

“I am happy that we have 

achieved all our goals of 

qualifying for the World Cup 

and winning the Afcon title,” 

said Cameroon coach Thomas 

Libih. 

Cameroon, who also 

defeated the Syli Cadets of 

Guinea 2-0 in the group stage, 

are the only team to complete 

the tournament unbeaten. 

They began with a group 

win over Guinea before 

defeating Morocco 2-1 and 

ended the group phase with 

a goalless draw against 

Senegal. 

Cameroon went on to win 

4-3 on penalties against 

Angola at the semi final stage, 

despite being down to 10- 

men. 

Amongst those watching 

Cameroon’s triumph was 

head coach of Tanzania’s 

senior team, Emmanuel 

d’Ivoire. 

All invited players have 

been asked to report at the 

Serob Legacy Hotel, 

Wuye, Abuja as training 

sessions commence 

today. 

Veteran midfielder 

Osarenoma Igbinovia 

and forward Chioma 

Wogu have also been 

called, as well as former 

captain Evelyn 

Nwabuoku. 

Goalkeepers Alaba 

Jonathan, Christy 

Ohiaeriaku and 

Chiamaka Nnadozie will 

contest for the number 

one position with Oluehi, 

who maintained her place 

among the sticks as the 

Falcons won a ninth 

African title in Ghana last 

year, and has kept the position 

ever since. 

•Conte 

Amuneke, one of the 

members of the 

Confederation of African 

Football’s (Caf) technical 

team. 

Amuneke, who coached 

Nigeria’s U-17 team to World 

Cup success in 2015, was 

impressed with the overall 

standard of play at the 

tournament. 

“I think standards have 

improved generally and this 

Nigerian Breweries throws weight behind Okpekpe race again 

igerian Breweries Plc 

Nhas once again thrown 

its weight behind the 

Okpekpe international 10km 

road race. 

Last year the company 

joined the cast of corporate 

organisations who made 

history with the race as the 

first ever and only IAAF silver 

label road running event to 

hold in Nigeria nay West 

Africa. 

‘This year,Nigerian 

Breweries Plc has elected to 

continue to partner with us as 

a friend of the race,’says Zack 

Defender Maryam Ibrahim 

and midfielder Cynthia Aku, 

as well as former junior 

internationals Peace Efih, 

Ugochi Emenayo, Joy Jerry 

and Joy Bokiri will also get 

another look-in as Dennerby 

prepares to compile his final 

list for the 8th FIFA 

Women’s World Cup 

finals in France. 

The WAFU Women’s 

Cup Tournament will 

take place in Abidjan 

8th – 18th May 2019, 

with the Super Falcons 

to play in Group B alongside 

Burkina Faso, Niger Republic 

and Mali. Host nation Cote 

d’Ivoire will tackle Senegal, 

Togo and Ghana in Group A. 

26 Falcons invited for 

WAFU Women’s Cup 

Mary-Magdalene Anjor, 

Peace Efih, Ugochi Emenayo, 

Osarenoma Igbinovia, Alaba 

Jonathan, Glory Ogbonna, 

Christy Ohiaeriaku, 

Amarachi Okoronkwo, 

Tochukwu Oluehi, Chidinma 

Okeke, Alice Ogebe, 

Chiamaka Nnadozie, 

Uchenna Kanu, Joy Jerry, 

Chioma Wogu, Maryam 

Ibrahim, Cynthia Aku, Rita 

Okoro, Adebisi Saheed, 

Evelyn Nwabuoku, Rofiat 

Sule, Joy Bokiri, Mary 

Ologbosere, Esther Sunday, 

Antionette Payne, Rofiat 

Imuran. 

ormer Chelsea manager 

F Antonio Conte is 

reportedly interested in 

becoming the next 

Manchester United boss amid 

growing speculation over the 

future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

Solskjaer was initially handed the 

United reins on a temporary basis 

until the end of the season after Jose 

Mourinho’s sacking in December, 

but 14 wins from his first 17 games 

at the helm earned him a permanent 

deal until 2022. 

However, the Red Devils have now 

lost seven of their last nine games 

across all competitions, leading to 

questions being asked of the Norwegian 

just a month after putting pen to paper. 

Conte is delaying taking a new job as he 

waits to see the situation at United, who are 

understood to have considered the Italian as 

an option after initially sacking Mourinho. 

Both Roma and Inter Milan are eager to 

appoint Conte during the summer, but he is 

hesitant to commit and would reportedly be 

more interested in the United job. 

is good for Africa because it 

shows that we have players 

for the future,” the former 

Nigeria international said. 

This was Guinea’s best 

showing at the continent’s U- 

17 showpiece event, finishing 

as runners-up for the first 

time. Guinea will join 

Cameroon and the losing 

semi-finalists Nigeria and 

Angola at this year’s U-17 

World Cup in Brazil. 

Amodu,the race’s director of 

organisation. 

‘The largest and biggest 

brewing firm in Nigeria 

wants to continue to be a part 

of history as we strive to bring 

the first IAAF gold label race 

to Nigeria and West Africa as 

well as the second in the 

entire continent of Africa after 

the Sanlam Cape Town 

Marathon in South 

Africa’,further said Amodu 

who confirmed Nigerian 

Breweries Plc will support the 

race with cash and some of 

their products. 

Ogunbote: 16 Enugu Rangers 

players injured 

nugu Rangers coach Gbenga Ogunbote has revealed that 

Ehis team are battling with fatigue and a long list of injuries. 

Ogunbote‘s disclosure is coming ahead of the highlyanticipated 

Oriental Derby clash between the Flying 

Antelopes and their fierce rivals Enyimba in Aba next weekend. 

Speaking after his team qualified for the final of the Enugu 

State FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Nigeria National League 

side, Lamrey United, Ogunbote confessed that injured players 

are now being used for matches. 

“We were affected by fatigue as we have played a lot of 

matches this week and my 16 players are down at the 

moment... 

“I was forced to introduce some of my players who are 

nursing injuries... We want to win the trophy as we are hungry 

for it, so the players will 

still play with knocks,” 

Ogunbote told the 

club’s official site. 

Rangers are the 

defending champions 

of the FA Cup and they 

are also leading Group 

A of the Nigeria 

•Ogunbote and players 

African stars celebrate Renne’s 

Cup triumph 

ight African stars are 

Ecelebrating 2019 French 

Cup success with Rennes after 

the club stunned Paris St- 

Germain to win the final on 

Saturday. 

Hamari Traore (Mali), 

Abdoulaye Diallo, M’baye 

Niang and Ismaila Sarr 

(Senegal), Edson Mexer 

(Mozambique), Ramy 

Bensebaini and Mehdi 

Zeffane (Algeria) and 

Souleyman Doumbia (Ivory 

Coast) all played a part in the 

‘Nigerian Breweries is a 

major player in sports 

sponsorship and promotion in 

Nigeria.We are indeed 

thrilled that such a socially 

responsible corporate 

organization has thrown its 

weight behind us for the 

second year running.This is a 

testimony to the growing 

popularity of the Okpekpe 

race. 

In 2015 Okpekpe 10km 

road race became the first 

road race in Nigeria nay West 

Africa to be granted an IAAF 

label status which means the 

Professional Football 

League (NPFL). 

run. 

Traore, Niang, Sarr, 

Bensebaini and Mexer 

starred as Rennes edged their 

illustrious rivals 6-5 on 

penalties to win their first 

French Cup since 1971. 

“To win your first 

professional trophy against 

PSG at the Stade de France is 

a dream come true,” Mali star 

Traore told BBC Sport. 

“It’s unbelievable, but we 

deserve this after all the hard 

work and dedication from 

everyone connected to Stade 

Rennes.” 

Neville:Liverpool, City form make 

the rest of the top six look stupid 

n what has become one of the best Premier League title 

Iraces in years, Manchester City and Liverpool have each 

been on an impressive run of form. 

Manchester City have won their last 11 matches in the league, 

while Liverpool have won their last seven. 

Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit Gary Neville has called 

their form ‘absolutely ridiculous,’ and it’s making the rest of 

the top six look ‘a little stupid.’ 

‘The top two are making them look a little stupid, they’re 20 

points in front of them,’ said Neville. 

‘What the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth teams are doing is, 

they’ve probably got a decent points tally in any other season. 

But the top two are so consistent they’re making the others 

look ridiculous.’ 

When asked about the race for the title, Neville said: ‘I just 

can’t believe we’re not doing to see a mistake. They’d have to 

win 14 games on the bounce. I can’t believe it, it’s absolutely 

ridiculous. 

race is regarded as one of the 

world’s leading road running 

events. 

‘A label certifies the global 

sporting significance of the 

race, the organisational 

quality and the compliance 

with relevant IAAF 

competition rules,’explains 

Amodu who restated the 

organisers resolve to use a 

gold label template to 

organise this year’s event next 

month in rustic and hilly town 

of Okpekpe in Etsako East 

local government area of Edo 

state.


C 

M 

Y 

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Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Tongue (8) 

6 Rotter (3) 

9 Enticed (5) 

10 Small waves (7) 

11 Car frame (7) 

13 Possessed (5) 

14 Shout loudly (6) 

15 Vest desert of North 

Africa (6) 

18 Religious observances 

(5) 

20 Chic (7) 

21 Make better (7) 

22 Strap (5) 

23 Utter (3) 

24 Ponder (4,4) 

DOWN 

2 Letters sent by plane (7) 

3 Deity (3) 

4 Horizontally (6) 

5 Spying (9) 

6 Punctuation mark (5) 

7 Handicap (12) 

8 Bramble fruit (12) 

12 Blizzard (9) 

16 Fashionable (1,2,4) 

17 Expose (6 

19 Slightly drunk (5) 

22 Excessively (3) 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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29042019 - Economy bleeds as power system collapses

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