01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Senate Presidency, Speakership: APC lawmakers
move against party
*Say imposition’ll work against party
* Gbajabiamila is Buhari’s project, not Tinubu’s —El-Rufai
By Emman
Ovuakporie
SATURDAY Vanguard
has reliably gathered
that some All Progressives
Congress, APC, Senators,
and members of the House
Representatives have concluded
plans to work
against the party’s candidates
for the positions of
the Senate President and
Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
The move which had
been at its teething stage
before now was said to
have been emboldened by
the party’s loss in Zamfara
State and the recent
validation of the victory of
Senator Peter Nwoboshi.
The twin developments
which increased the number
of Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, lawmakers in
both houses of the National
Assembly, NASS, were
said to have provided the
numeric strength required
to carry out the
plan.
Accordingly, the number
of PDP Senators increased
to 51, while its
members in the House of
Representatives increased
to 129 from 121.
Notwithstanding, Saturday
Vanguard learned
that the primary reason
behind the move against
the preferred choices, Sen
Ahamed Lawan, and Mr.
Femi Gbajabiamila was
borne out of the desire for
a NASS that would be free
from interference by the
executive.
Multiple sources, who
revealed these, said some
of the APC lawmakers in
both houses have commenced
demarketing the
party’s preferred choices
on the suspicions that
they would end up as
stooges.
A ranking Senator, who
pleaded anonymity, noted
that his camp has resolved
for a competitive contest to
allow members to elect the
presiding officers of their
choice.
Another source said
Senators are reaching out
to members of the House
of Representatives from
their states, asking them
to work with a different
candidate for the position
of Speaker.
His words: “Although,
our major concern is the
independence of the National
Assembly, we are
being made to understand
that if imposition is allowed,
our party could
become the biggest loser.
“In politics, it is better
to win some and lose
some, rather than lose all
in an attempt to win all as
it was in 2015 when our
party and its government
at the centre paid dearly
for it.”
Another source in the
House also told Saturday
Vanguard that Gbajabiamila
is underestimating the
influence some outgoing
members wield over their
incoming successors.
The situation, he said,
is making some of them
work against Gbajabiamila’s
ambition.
He cited an example of
an incident involving a
newly elected member
whose trip to Umrah (lesser
Hajj) in Saudi Arabia
was allegedly sponsored
by Gbajabiamila with a
view to gain his support
while his outgoing predecessor
was ignored.
He said the outgoing
lawmaker was also not
hinted by Gbajabiamila of
his speakership ambition
which is why he is working
against it.
“The new lawmaker
whom Gbajabiamila sponsored
to Saudi Arabia is
back in the country, and
today, he, alongside his
predecessor held a meeting
with their Senator
where it was agreed that
there’s a new direction to
follow,” the source disclosed.
It was also gathered that
as a result of these developments,
pro-Umaru Bago
members have reportedly
moved in to consolidate
their support base with
certain incentives and
promises to colleagues
and friendly Senators.
Another factor said to be
working against the party
and its preferred candidates,
a source said, is its
lukewarm attitude towards
state governors,
who worked against its
interest in the just concluded
general election, a
situation which led to the
loss of many states to the
opposition.
“Since the party could
not speak with one voice
at the polls to consolidate
its hold on power from
2015, it shouldn’t impose
NASS leadership on members
as against section
50(1)(b) of the 1999 constitution.
“Members shall elect
from amongst themselves
presiding officers in the
...Gbajabiamila is Buhari’s project, not Tinubu’s — El-Rufai
MEANWHILE, Gov
ernor of Kaduna
State, Nasir el-Rufai has
vowed to lobby Reps-elect
to vote for Femi Gbajabiamila
in the Speakership race
in the ninth House of Representatives.
El-Rufai, who disclosed
this while receiving 121
members-elect, who were
on consultation tour of
Northwest yesterday at the
Government House chamber
in Kaduna said the
President also convinced
Idris Wase to drop his
Speakership ambition for
Gbajabiamila.
He said people might
not know but Gbajabiamila
was not the Asiwaju
Ahmed Tinubu’s projects
but President Buhari’s.
He said he would ensure
that the project came
to fruition with no contest
on 11th June by convincing
fellow governors,
members of the National
Assembly as well as Umaru
Bago who is also contesting
for the same position.
El -Rufai said: “It’s a
misconception that Gbajabiamila
is Asiwaju’s
project, no because it was
President Buhari himself
that has always observed
Femi in the House.
“Even before he became
Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (right) with the Chairman, Enugu State Council of
Traditional Rulers, HRH, Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu (middle) and the Vice Chairman, Enugu North
Senatorial District, HRH Igwe R.S.N Ezeh, during a town hall meeting with all registered traditional
rulers in the state, yesterday.
President, he read newspapers
and watched television
and he followed
Gbajabiamila, his dedication
and contributions on
the floor and he said this
time around I want Femi.
“I’m sure Asiwaju is
happy but this is not his
project, he is not the one
that zeroed in on him.
“The President told me
himself and when I asked
him about Gbajabiamila,
he told me his reasons.
“At Governor’s Forum,
people raised voices but I
told them that as governors,
we sometimes impose,
I am not a hypocrite.
“So I say to them, don’t
let us condemn the President
for picking people he
feels comfortable working
with.
“I don’t care who the
President wants to work
with but in my State I am
very interested.
“So, I told the President
he has to be involved in
this project and I said if
he allows me I’ll talk to
people and get involved
and I demand he gets you
involved too”.
He said, having made
up his mind to support
the President’s wish, he
discovered his first barrier
to the Idris Wase, who
was also contesting for the
same position
“The first obstacle I have
to face was that Wase is
the biggest threat, so I
reached out to him and
took him to the President.
“The President told him
he has already decided
on Femi and he gave his
reasons.
“Wase replied though
he was sure he has a big
chance of winning but as
his elder and President,
the President’s request is
done.
“I reached out to my fellow
Governors and I’m
talking to Bago as well
and by the grave of God
by 11th of June there
won’t be any contest. We
will do our best.
“I have also told my
elected colleagues in Kaduna
state that this is Buhari’s
State, and we will
do 100 percent what he
wants.
“We supported Femi In
2015, only one did not
vote for Femi and my
members suffered for
their party loyalty in 2015
by not getting anything
tangible in the House despite
some of them being
ranking members.
“I assure you that not
only I and other governors
will work on this
project to the end.
On his comment on
god-fatherism, the governor
said it was directed at
Asiwaju Tinubu, adding
that what I said was that
he has a template that was
used to retire some politicians
in Kaduna State.
“That was not an attack
on Asiwaju, it was a generic
statement, but the
whole thing took a media
frenzy because to some
people Asiwaju is a meal
ticket.
“Let me tell you, because
of that, some people
started confessing to
me that Asiwaju should
be dealt with.
“They said Asiwaju
wants to finish you, he has
been abusing you, we
should finish him by finishing
his man, Femi.
“But I told them that this
is not about Asiwaju but
President Buhari and I
will fight it with the last
drop of my blood. I told
them to change their
mind.
“I went to Asiwaju and
told him that we would do
what we can to make this
project a success”.
He however urged Gbajabiamila
and Wase not to
be drawn into ethno-religeous
controversy, saying,
mold of Senate president
and Speaker respectively
provided they possess
cognate legislative experience.
“If this portion of our
constitution is not put into
consideration it may
smirk doom again for the
party, ‘’ the source added.
“Please do not allow people
to draw you into religion
or ethinc controversy”.
Earlier, Gbajabiamila,
who said the visit was strategic
because the governor
has been workiong for the
project adding that the team
is rainbow coalition of several
parties which is the vision
associated with nation
building.
He said he had been
close to el Rufai and “we
have come a long way”.
“His Excellency had to fly
to Lagos to launch a book
for me during my 50th birthday.
“When governor Fashola
was leaving, he also
made a case for me to the
powers that be for me to be
the governor after Fashola.
“It is our intention to take
the legislature to the next
level,” he told the governor.
On his part, the Director
General (DG) of Gbajabiamila/Wase
Campaign organisation,
Abdulmumin
Jibrin told the governor that
the team was capable of
bringing the needed reform
to the National Assembly,
while reiterating that they
were open to negotiation
from other contestants.
Please, use your clout to
convince Bago,” he pleaded.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—3

4—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019

Govs Forum Cash: A-Court okays final
forfeiture of N1.4bn Paris Club refund to FG
*Dismisses consultant’s claim for lack of merit
Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara (M); Deputy Speaker, Republic of
Korea, Hon. Lee Ju Yeol (3rd, R); Senior Special Assistant to the President on National
Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang (2nd, L); Member of Korea Republic Parliament,
Hon Jae Hyun (3rd, L), and others during the visit of the Korean Deputy Speaker
to the speaker’s office at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, yesterday.
By Soni Daniel
THE Court of Appeal in
Lagos on Friday okayed
the request of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission
for the final forfeiture
of N1.4billion which a
firm, Melrose General Services
Limited, obtained from
the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
(NGF) through false
claims.
Melrose is associated with
a powerful politician who lost
election in his state.
Justice Cecilia Olatoregun
of the Federal High Court in
Lagos had on April 27, 2018
ordered the final forfeiture of
the said N1.4billion to the
Federal Government.
Dissatisfied with the verdict
of Justice Olatoregun,
Melrose General Services
approached the appellate
court for redress, asking it to
set aside the pronouncement
of the lower court.
But in its judgement on the
matter on Friday, the Court of
Appeal dismissed the appeal
of Melrose (the appellant)
and resolved the four contentious
issues in favour of the
EFCC (the first respondent).
The appellate court further
held that Melrose appeal
lacked merit and ordered the
firm to pay 100,000 cost to the
EFCC.
The appellate court also
held that Melrose could not
show that the said funds were
lawfully earned by it.
It added that section 17 of the
Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006,
which the EFCC relied on to
seek the forfeiture of the said
funds was constitutional.
According to the Court of
Appeal, Melrose was not denied
fair hearing in the matter.
Justice of the Court of
Appeal (JCA), Justice Tijjani
Abubakar wrote the lead
judgement, Justice E. Tobi
delivered the judgment
while Justice O. A. Obaseki-
Adejumo concurred with the
verdict.
Lawyer to the Melrose, Mr
Olawale Akoni (SAN) argued
the appeal while the
lawyer to the EFCC, Mr
Ekele Iheanacho, appeared
for the commission.
The EFCC had claimed
that Melrose obtained
N3.5bn from the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum by making
false claims.
Listed as defendants in the
final forfeiture application
filed before the Federal High
Court were Melrose General
Services Limited, WASP
Networks Limited and
Thebe Wellness Services.
The firms were accused of
impersonating a consortium
of consulting firms engaged
by the NGF for the “verification,
reconciliation and recovery
of over-deductions on
Paris and London Club Loans
on the accounts of states and
local governments between
1995 and 2002.”
But the EFCC insisted that
the original firms engaged by
the Governors’ Forum were
GSCL Consulting and Bizplus
Consulting Services
Limited.
According to an investigator
with the EFCC, Usman
Zakari, the alter ego of Melrose
General Services Limited,
Robert Mbonu, made a
false representation to the
Governors’ Forum, causing
the forum to pay N3.5bn to his
company on December 14,
2016.
Zakari said the money was
credited into the bank account
of Melrose General
Services Limited, adding that
Melrose and others dissipated
and laundered about
N2.3bn out of the money between
December 15, 2016,
and January 20, 2017, leaving
a balance of N1.2bn.
Zakari said the anti-graft
agency had also recovered
N220m out of the laundered
sum from WASP Networks
Limited and Thebe Wellness
Services.
The EFCC had on October
13, 2017 obtained an interim
order from Justice Mojisola
Olatoregun, placing a “Post
No Debit” order on the accounts
containing the N1.2bn
and N220m.
The judge had made the order
following plea by the lawyer
to the EFCC, Mr Ekene
Iheanacho, that it would best
serve the interest of justice for
Melrose and others to forfeit
the N1.4bn temporarily to
prevent them from dissipating
same.
The judge, after granting
the interim freezing order in
2018, directed the EFCC to
publish the order in a national
daily giving anyone interested
in the funds 14 days to
appear before the court to
show cause why the funds
should not be forfeited permanently.
Subsequently, one Prince
Godwin Maduka and Linas
International Limited showed
up before the court, praying
separately that the funds
should be forfeited to them.
Maduka claimed that his
firm, Udemgaba Maduka &
Associates, had been engaged
in 2011 as a consultant
by Zamfara State Government
to help the state recover
some hanging funds, with
an agreement that it would
be paid 20 per cent of the recovered
funds.
He urged the court to forfeit
the N1.4bn to his company
to cover Zamfara State’s
alleged indebtedness to him.
But the EFCC opposed
Maduka, contending that the
suit was not a debt recovery
suit and that Zamfara State
was not a party to the suit.
In her verdict on the matter,
Justice Olatoregun upheld
the EFCC’s argument
and dismissed Maduka’s
claims.
On its own part, Linas International
Limited said it
was entitled to the payment
of $6m from Nigeria Governors’
Forum.
But Justice Olatoregun also
dismissed its claim, holding
that the suit was not a debt
recovery suit.
Having dismissed both
claims, the judge ordered the
permanent forfeiture of the
N1.4bn to the Federal Government.
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, , 2019 — 5
LASPOTECH student commits suicide after losing girlfriend
*Girlfriend speaks
*Investigation will determine if it’s a case of suicide- Police
By Evelyn Usman
A
HIGHER Nation
al Diploma, HND 2
student of the Lagos
State Polytechnic, Ezekiel
Joseph Mayowa, has
committed suicide by
drinking sniper, an insecticide,
after his girlfriend
of nine years left him for
a rich suitor.
Before committing the
dastardly act, the part
time student of Hotel
Management, went live
on his facebook page,
Thursday night, dangling
a bottle of sniper. From the
video clip, he was seen
crying in his room, at the
Ikorodu campus.
He lamented that he
lost his girlfriend when
she went for her National
Youth Service Corps.
In the video clip, he
stated that his girlfriend
cited an undisclosed incident
that occurred
three years ago, as reason
for quitting the relationship
and that several
pleas for her to forgive
him, fell on deaf ears.
He also advised men in
video clip to ensure they
had money before dating
any girl, since it was obvious
that his girlfriend
left him for a rich man.
He further disclosed
that he had been dating
the unnamed lady for
nine years , three months
and nine days, only for the
relationship to crumble
like a pack of card.
He advised the Federal
Government to scrap the
NYSC scheme and apologized
to his mother for
taking such action. He
also mentioned some
names, saying he would
miss them.
His lifeless body, was
found yesterday morning,
in his room.
Spokesman for the
LASPOTECh, Olarewaju
Kuye, confirmed the incident
but said he had no
APGA re-elects Oye national
chairman
•Names Ojukwu’s son, wife, Obiano,
Soludo, Umeh others as BoT
members
THE All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, yes
terday at its national convention in Awka, reelected
Chief Victor Oye as the national chairman
of the party.
Oye, in turn, appointed the son and widow of the late
Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Emeka and
Bianca, respectively as members of Board of Trustees of
the party.
Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, also
retained his position as the chairman of the party’s BoT.
Others members of the BoT are Senator Victor Umeh,
Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo,
Dame Virgy Etiaba, Dr. Mrs. Ifeyinwa Obegolu, Chief
Raph Igwa, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, Barr. Sola Oyedeji,
Chief Sunday Umeoduagu and Chief Chike Udensi.
Other so are Alhaji Habib Gajo, Chief Romanus
Ezeonwuka, Chief Paul Odenigbo, Hajia Hawa Ibrahim
Funtua, Lugunga Bako, Ahamdi Emmanuel
Nweke, Gen.W.T. Gbor, Dr. Uju Okeke, Alhaji Yusuf
Mohammed, Group Capt. Joe Orji, Alhaji Abubakar
Mohammed, Prof. David Bamgboye, Chief Anthony
Enukeme, Chief Patrick Nwachi Obianwu, Hon. Uche
Okafor, Rt. Hon. Anayo Nebe, Hon. Ben Nwankwo and
Barth Offia.
Oye said the new leadership of APGA would lift the
party to greater height in the next four years such that
it would be the party to beat in any general elections in
future.
He commended the Anambra State governor for his
support and role in lifting APGA from a regional party
to the third largest political party in the country.
He said: “We are robust and healthy as a political
party. We have N1.3bn in tact in the bank as I speak
now. By the the time we round off our tenure in the next
four year, APGA would be the party to beat in any election
in the country.
“I enjoin aggrieved members, maybe for the last time,
to sheathe their swords and come back and join in building
the party.”
In his address, Governor Obiano commended the
leadership of the party for the success it had recorded
so far.
“ Today is our Pentecost day and I charge every member
of the party to begin now to speak in tongues to all
a sundry as fishermen. Tell everybody you see that
APGA is the best,” Obiano stated.
Why we burnt Israeli, US flags
in Abuja— Shi’ites
By Luminous Jannamike
The Islamic Movement
of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise
known as Shiites
have set the national flags
of the United States of
America (USA) and Israeli
on fire during a massive
details on how it happened.
The Lagos State Police
Public Relations Officer,
DSP Elkana Bala, who
also confirmed the incident,
named the girl
friend.
Bala, in a statement issued
yesterday, said, “ On
May 31, 2019 at about
5.30am, Shagamu Road
Police Station, Ikorodu ,
received an information
that one Joseph Mayowa,
34, a part-time Student of
Lagos State Polytechnic,
Ikorodu Campus, Department
of Hospitality
Management Technology,
drank a poisonous
chemical identified as
sniper, following a misunderstanding
between
him and his girlfriend
who was also a graduate
of the same institution.
“He was rushed to hospital
by his neighbours
following an alarm raised
by his girlfriend but eventually
died.
“In the statement from
his girlfriend, she told Police
investigators that she
and the deceased dated
for nine years. She said
that the deceased was
fond of beating her. That
while she was with the
deceased in his room,
they had a quarrel and
he, as usual, resorted to
physical violence. That
she ran into the rest room
and upon return she
found him gasping for
breath with an empty bottle
of sniper beside him.
Homicide detectives from
the State Criminal Investigation
Department,
Yaba visited the scene at
Eyita area, Ikorodu.
Corpse of the said Joseph
Mayowa was deposited at
General hospital mortuary
for autopsy while the
girlfriend was invited for
questioning. Investigation
is ongoing to determine
whether it was actually a
suicide case or murder.
protest in Abuja.
Though the Shi’ites
have been protesting the
continued detention of
their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem
El-Zakyzaky, by the
federal government, the
burning of the flags of the
two nations has nothing to
do with El-Zakzaky’s condition.
Saturday Vanguard
gathered that their action
on Friday was in solidarity
with the people of Palestine
who are allegedly
terrorised by the Israeli
government with support
from the USA.
Abdullahi Musa, the
Secretary of IMN’s Academic
Forum, told our correspondent
that the burning
of the flags was a yearly
ritual by Shi’ites worldwide
on the last Friday of
the Muslim month of Ramadan
as instructed by
the leader of the Islamic
Revolution in Iran, late
Sheikh Khomeini.
He said, “Today is last
Friday of Ramadan and
we burnt the flags in solidarity
with the people of
Palestine.
“The Palestinians are
been killed, their settlements
are been destroyed,
and forcefully occupied by
the Jews.
“So, Imam Khomeini
before he died declared
every last Friday of month
of Ramadan as a demand
to show solidarity to the
people of Palestine.”

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Insecurity: Group drags Buhari to court over
move to withdraw licensed guns
*Seeks order to declare action illegal
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
THE board of Incor
porated Trustees of
Malcolm Omirhobo
Foundation has dragged
President Muhammadu
Buhari before the Federal
High Court in Abuja to
challenge the Executive
Order he gave for all licensed
guns across the
federation to be withdrawn
from their owners.
The group, in the suit
marked FHC/ABJ/CS/
564/2019, asked the
court to declare that
President Buhari has no
power to render law
abiding Nigerian Citizens
with licensed guns
defenceless through
proclamation revoking,
prohibiting and/or banishing
their firearm or
shotgun License Certificate
with effect from
June 1 or any date in future.
Other defendants in
the suit are the Federal
Government of Nigeria,
the Attorney General of
the Federation and the
Inspector General of Police.
The group maintained
that it was illegal for
President Buhari to
make such order in view
of the heightening level
of insecurity in the country
and frequent rampage
by armed herdsmen.
Specifically, the plaintiff,
urged the court to
among other things,
determine; “Whether
by the interpretation
and/ or construction of
Section 1 (1)(3) of the
1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic of
Nigeria (As Amended),
the Nigerian Constitution
is the grund norm
of Nigeria and its provisions
have binding
force on all authorities
and persons throughout
Nigeria including
the Defendants their
servants , agents and/or
privies and that any
other law that is inconsistent
with the provisions
of the Constitution
, the Constitution
shall prevail and that
other law shall to the
extent of the inconsistency
be void?
“Whether by the interpretation
and/ or construction
of Sections
33(1of the 1999 Constitution
of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (as
Amended) Nigerian
Citizens have the inalienable
right to life
except when taken in
execution of the sentence
of a court in respect
of a criminal offence
of which he has
been found guilty in
Nigeria?.
Meantime, the court
had yet to fix a date for
hearing of the matter.
Ogun Assembly nullifies Amosun’s last minute Obas
appointments, financial transactions others
By Daud Olatunji
From left: Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas; representative, Chief of
Defence Staff, AVM Charles Otegbade; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence,
Mrs Nuratu Baragarawa and National President, Naval Officer's Wife's Association
(NOWA), Mrs Theresa Ibas, during the inauguration of 25 Man House Boat built by
Naval Dockyard Ltd, in Lagos, yesterday.
THE Ogun State
House of Assembly
has passed a resolution
nullifying the financial
agreements, employment
and upgrade or appointments
of monarchs
carried out by the former
governor of the state,
Senator Ibikunle Amosun
between 1st of February
and May 28th,
2019.
The nullification was
announced following a
bill and three resolutions
passed by the Assembly
during an emergency
plenary session held on
Friday, canceling the
last minute activities of
the former governor.
The passage of the bill
titled H. B 047/OG/2019-
“Nullification of Irregularities
(Amendment)
Law, 2019” at the plenary
presided over by the
Speaker followed the
suspension of the Assembly’s
standing orders
45 -48 to allow for
the consecutive second
and third readings of the
bill.
Consequently, after the
first reading of the bill on
the floor of the Assembly
by the Deputy Clerk, Mr
Deji Adeyemo, and debate
by other members of
the Assembly during its
second reading, motion
for the third reading was
moved by the new Majority
Leader, Olusola
Sonuga, seconded by
Olawale Alausa and supported
by the Whole
House through a voice
vote.
Meanwhile, the Deputy
Speaker, Olakunle
Oluomo who opened the
debate on issues of the
day noted that the bill
was an amendment to
the one earlier passed
by the Assembly at the
inception of the last administration
to reverse
all irregularities especially
on the employment
of over 2, 000
workers employed by
the then Daniel administration
a few months to
the take off of the Senator
Amosun’s led government.
Earlier in their separate
submissions, members
including the Deputy
Speaker, Olakunle
Oluomo, Hon Akinpelu
Aina, Olusola Bankole,
Olusola Sonuga and
Adebowale Ojuri, said
Eid-il-Fitr: FG declares next Tuesday,
Wednesday Public Holidays
By Omeiza Ajayi
THE Federal Govern
ment has declared
Tuesday 4th and Wednesday
5th June, 2019 as public holidays
to mark the Muslim
Eid-il-Fitr celebration.
The declaration was announced
in a statement
signed by the Director,
Press, and Public Relations
in the Ministry of Interior,
Mohammed Manga.
Mamga said the Permanent
Secretary in the ministry,
Barr. Georgina Ekeoma
Ehuriah, who made the
declaration on behalf of the
Federal Government congratulated
the Muslim
faithful on successful completion
of the Ramadan Fast
and enjoined all Nigerians
to use the occasion of the
celebration to pray for the
peace, unity, prosperity, and
stability of the nation.
“She admonished Nigerians
to shun hate speeches
and divisive tendencies and
join hands with the Administration
of President Muhammadu
Buhari to build a
peaceful, strong and united
Nigeria so as to achieve the
next level of socio-economic
development.
the last-minute appointments,
upgrading
and employment by the
last administration did
not follow due process,
lacked merit, not in
good faith and was lopsided.
However, the Speaker,
House of Assembly,
Suraj Adekunbi during
plenary announced the
appointment of Hon.
Olusola Sonuga as its
new Majority Leader,
after consulting with the
members of the majority
party, All Progressives
Congress.
“Barr. Ehuriah reaffirmed
the determination of the
Federal Government to protect
the lives and property
of Nigerians, adding that
Security Agencies under the
Ministry have been directed
to ensure the provision of
adequate security before,
during and after the Eid-il-
Fitr Celebration.
“The Permanent Secretary
restated the Government’s
desire for all Nigerians to
be inspired by the virtues
gained during the Holy
Month of Ramadan to live a
life of sacrifice, charity, and
love for one another.
B-R-I-E-F-S
Buhari’s refusal to sign NMU
Okerenkoko Act dangerous to
oil sector
By Emma Amaize
IJAW Youth Council, IYC, yesterday, questioned Presi
dent Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Act establishing
the Nigerian Maritime University, NMU, Okerenkoko,
Delta State into law, saying his decision was
“ill conceived and poses grave danger to the oil sector”
President of the group, Pereotubo Oweilaemi in a statement,
said, “if it is true, the refusal of President Buhari to
sign into law the much awaited Nigerian Maritime University
Act is a setback to peace in the Niger Delta. Whatever
must have informed his decision to refuse his assent
is far less important than signing the Bill into law.”
“We beg President Buhari to have a rethink of his inimical
decision. Calling on the National Assembly to veto
his assent may be difficult given the short time the present
members have to stay in office. It seems to us that Buhari
only ambushed us by taking this provocative action at the
dying minutes of the eighth Assembly’s tenure,” he said.
Oweilaemi asserted, “If there are issues the President
may want to contend with, rejecting his assent is not the
best option, especially now that the 8th National Assembly
is about winding up. Mr. President can correct any of
the identified ambiguities even after signing the Bill. There
is room for amendment. His decision simply means that
the school has no enabling law and thus, its survival under
threat.”
Suspected kidnappers kill
tricycle rider in Aba
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
A
GANG of suspected kidnappers on Friday shot dead
a tricycle rider for stopping the abduction of a lady
passenger, in Aba, Abia State.
It was believed that the victim was shot by the suspected
kidnappers who were infuriated by his action which
led to the lady’s escape.
Eyewitnesses told Saturday Vanguard that the suspected
kidnappers later caught up with the tricycle rider at
Park road by George’s junction and shot him on the head,
leaving him in a pool of blood.
According to one of the eyewitnesses, “I saw some young
men inside a tricycle chasing another one that was on
speed. When I turned, I noticed that the other tricycle was
trying to get over the junction when a lady escaped. The
young men in the other tricycle had shot the tricycle rider
who was conveying the lady.
“I saw the tricycle man from distance falling on his tricycle.
They shot him in the head. It was like they wanted
to kidnap the lady and the tricycle rider refused to stop.
When I got closer, there was blood everywhere. The man
died.”
Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State
Command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the incident.
Navy takes 187 civilians on
sea trip
By Esther Onyegbula
S part of activities to celebrate it’s 63rd anniversary
Aand enhance unity in the country, the Nigerian Navy
thrilled no fewer than 187 civilians from different parts of
the country at sea, giving them sea faring experience.
As at 7am, Thursday, civilians thronged the Naval Dockyard
Victoria Island, Lagos , to participate in the sea trip.
The participating Ship, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Unity,
sailed round the Lagos waters and back to the dockyard.
Speaking to journalists on board NNS Unity, the Fleet
Commander, Western Fleet, Commodore Elkana Jaiyeola,
said that the trip was in commemoration of the Navy’s anniversary.
He explained that “The essence of this sea trip is to take
civilians who are stakeholders , to sea so that they can have
the experience of what sailors face on board. On his part,
the Commanding Officer, NNS Unity, Captain Ani Uko,
informed that the trip was aimed among other benefits, to
cement the Civil-Military relations.
He said “ It’s not everyday we have civilians sailing with
us to sea, so it is a good feeling.
“We have made good friends today and such relationship
would be kept to further cement the civil-military relations
we are trying to build.
“We have 187 civilians on board and it is interesting to
know that people want to know what the Navy does and
also appreciate the kind of work we do while at sea, ‘’ Uko
added.
Ogun community installs first King
By Victor Arjiromanus
T was all joy, as members of Idanyi community, in Agbara
IIgbese Local Council Development Area, Ogun State, installed
their first king, Olu of Idanyi Kingdom, His Royal Highness,
Oba Joshua Aminu.
The coronation of Oba Aminu Joshua started with several
traditional rites, before the newly crowned king was presented
to a waiting crowed with roaring drumbeats, dances, and
encomiums.
The ceremony which attracted dignitaries such as Agbara
Local government chairman, Hon. Dele Adeniji, the Eze-Indi
Igbo of Agbara Kingdom, Ezeneto Chris, General Manager,
Topline Leighten Energy Ltd, Albert Soom, title holders, youths
and children brought delight to the community once again.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman, Agbara LGA, Hon.
Dele Adeniji said: “The installation of Oba Joshua is so unique
to us in the sense that it is the first king I am installing as the
Chairman of this local government. Also, Oba Joshua, is the
first among four kings that are meant to be installed, in this
community”.

Corporate governance lapses: SEC bars
Oando CEO for 5 years
...Alleged infractions unsubstantiated — Oando
The residents of Oke Sokori area of Abeokuta ran from one house to another
for safety as a result of a petrol tanker with registration NO GGE293XW loaded
with 33 thousand litre of petroleum product lost control and fell across one side
of the road. By Wunmi Akinola.
By Nkiruka Nnorom
THE Securities and
Exchange Commission,
SEC, has indicted the
Group Chief Executive Officer,
CEO, of Oando Plc,
Mr. Wale Tinubu, and Deputy
GCEO, Omamofe
Boyo, of misconduct in conducting
the affairs of the
company and barred them
from holding the position of
director in any public company
for a period of five
years.
The Commission also directed
the resignation of the
other affected Board members
and mandated the
company to convene an
Extra-ordinary General
meeting, EGM, on or before
July 1, 2019, to appoint
new directors.
SEC had launched an
investigation into the activity
of Oando following the
receipt of two petitions in
2017 from shareholders of
the company, accusing the
company of financial misappropriation.
The Commission said in
a statement by Efe Ebelo,
Head, Corporate Communication,
SEC, that findings
from the forensic audit conducted
by Deloitte & Touche,
revealed certain infractions
of securities and
breach of other relevant
laws such as false disclosures
and market abuses.
SEC said: “Following the
receipt of two petitions by
the Commission in 2017, investigations
were conducted
into the activities of
Oando Plc.
“Certain infractions of securities
and other relevant
laws were observed. The
Commission further engaged
Deloitte & Touche to
conduct a Forensic Audit of
the activities of Oando Plc.
“The findings from the report
revealed serious infractions
such as false disclosures,
market abuses, misstatements
in financial statements,
internal control failures,
and corporate governance
lapses stemming from
poor board oversight, irregular
approval of directors’ remuneration,
unjustified disbursements
to directors and
management of the company,
related party transactions
not conducted at arm’s
length, among others”.
The Commission, therefore,
directed the payment of
monetary penalties by the
company and affected individuals
and directors and
refund of improperly disbursed
remuneration by the
affected Board members.
The Commission stated
that all issues with possible
criminality would be referred
to the appropriate
criminal prosecuting authorities
as required under Section
304 of the Investments
and Securities Act, (ISA)
2007, while other aspects of
the findings would be referred
to the Nigerian Stock
Exchange, NSE, Federal
Inland Revenue Service,
FIRS, and the Corporate
Affairs Commission, CAC,.
“The Commission is confident
that with the implementation
of the above directives
and introduction of
some remedial measures,
such unwholesome practices
by public companies
would be significantly reduced,”
the statement added.
However, in a statement
signed by Ayotola Jagun,
Chief Compliance Officer &
Company Secretary, Oando,
the company said the
infractions cited by SEC are
unsubstantiated and declared
that it would take
necessary steps to protect
its business and the shareholders.
“Oando is of the view
that these alleged infractions
and penalties are unsubstantiated,
ultra vires,
invalid and calculated to
prejudice the business of
the company. The company
has not been given the
opportunity to see, review
and respond to the forensic
audit report and so is
unable to ascertain what
findings (if any) were
made in relation to the alleged
infractions and defend
itself accordingly before
the SEC.
“The company reserves
its rights to take all legal
steps to protect its business
and assets whilst remaining
committed to act in the
best interests of all its
shareholders,” the company
said.
Kola Animasaun, a true journalism Icon — Tinubu
*MPAC, NASFAT mourn
ALL Progressives
Congress National
Leader, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, has described Alhaji
Kola Animasaun who
died on Thursday in Lagos
at 80 as a true icon of
journalism.
He said the late Animasaun
who he fondly called
uncle played vital role in
the development of journalism
in the country and
shaped opinions through
his weekly column in the
Vanguard newspaper,
Voice of Reason.
In a statement by his
Media Officer signed by
Tunde Rahman, the former
Lagos governor charged
Animasaun’s colleagues
in the media to not allow
his ideals of true and purposeful
journalism die
with him in this age of fake
news and hate speech.
The statement titled “Animasaun—A
True Icon of
Journalism” reads: “I’m
deeply saddened by the
death of Uncle Kola Animasaun.
“A true journalism icon, a
columnist of great repute,
Alhaji Animasaun played
important role in the development
of journalism in Nigeria.
He was also a prodemocracy
activist, lover of
humanity and devoted
Muslim.
“With his death, the nation
and the journalism profession
have lost an illustrious
fellow. In this age of fake
news and hate speech, what
his colleagues in the media
can do for the nation and
indeed the profession is to
not allow his ideals of true
and purposeful journalism
die with him.
Meanwhile, Muslim Public
Affairs Centre and Nasrul
Lahi-L-Fatih Society,
NASFAT also commiserate
with the family of the veteran
journalist.
In a separate statement,
both organisations eulogised
the legacies of the late
icon praying Allah to give
the family, all Muslim journalists
and Vanguard
newspapers the serenity to
bear the loss.
According to a release
signed by Director Media
& Strategic Communications,
Muslim Public Affairs
Centre, MPAC Nigeria,
Abdulwarees Solanke:
“Alhaji Animashaun, the
Voice of Reason, was truly
a Muslim in life and death.
He lived Islam to the end,
as a just, fair, forthright,
peace loving, reasonable,
peaceful and humble life.
He affected his world with
his knowledge and commitment
to Islam.
“He used his skills, as a
distinguished journalist, to
stand out in our convoluted
polity, to present the
voice of reason and beamed
light to darkness.
According to the release
signed by the Publicity Secretary,
NASFAT, Alhaji Banji
Busari:
“Alhaji Muslim Kola
Animashaun lived journalism,
breathed journalism
and died as an accomplished
journalist.
Alhaji Animashaun
carved a niche for himself
as one of the few thoroughbred
journalists of
his generation whose column
in the Vanguard
‘Voice of Reason’/enjoyed
vast readership in view of
the lucid and simple
manner of his writing.
As a leading light in
journalism in this country,
late Alhaji Muslim
Kola Animashaun demonstrated
a rare sense of
patriotism in providing intervention
towards a moral
and socio economic stability
in the polity. The
deceased could appropriately
be described as a
mentor of mentors as his
creative and administrative
influence loomed
very large among the upcoming
journalists and
established editors during
his active career.
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 — 7
How PENGASSAN
President, Johnson died
*Buhari, NUPENG mourn
By Victor Ahiuma-Young and
Johnbosco Agbakwuru
DETAILS have emerged on how the President of
P e t r o
leum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of
Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Francis Olabode Johnson, FOJ,
died in the wee hours of yesterday at The National Hospital
,Abuja.
Vanguard gathered that he visited a clinic in Dubai last
week to do a medical check when he alongside some Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, staff were in
Dubai for training.
It was gathered that he returned to the country on Saturday
and was in the office between Monday and Wednesday,
looking healthy and his usual self.
According to sources, he even attended to several pressing
union matters during the week, but only to remain
incommunicado on Thursday.
Investigations revealed that concerned friends, colleagues
and some PENGASSAN members went to his
house where they later discovered that he was indisposed
and had been taken to a private hospital for a running
stomach and vomiting.
He was said to have rushed to the National Hospital,
Abuja from the private hospital where it was alleged that
there was no bed space to admit him.
According to sources, he gave up the ghost before he
could be taken to another private hospital.
A staff of NNPC, until his sudden demise, he was rumoured
to have been anointed to succeed the outgoing
President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Bobboi
Kaigama, in the June delegates conference of TUC.
Confirming his death in a statement, PENGASSAN Deputy
President and General Secretary, Frank Esanubi and
Lumumba Okugbawa, respectively, the association said:
“On behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC),
Central Working Committee (CWC), members and staff
of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of
Nigeria (PENGASSAN), we announce the untimely and
the painful death of Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson,
President, PENGASSAN, in the early hours of yesterday,
May 31, 2019, at National Hospital Abuja, after a
brief illness.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed
deep sadness over the death of Johnson yesterday.
President Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special
Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu
said he joined members of PENGASSAN and all labour
unions in the country in mourning the visionary leader,
whose good nature, understanding and forthrightness
helped in improving the welfare of workers, and contributed
immensely to the stability witnessed in the oil sector.
Reacting to his death, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and
Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, in a statement by its
President and General Secretary, Prince Williams Akporeha
and Olawale Afolabi,respectively, said it was, “deeply
saddened over the shocking and untimely death of Comrade
Olabode Johnson, who until his death was the President
of PENGASSAN and Chairman of NUPENGASAN.”
While noting that “Friday, May 31, 2019, has inflamed
an indelible sore in the minds of Nigerian workers particularly
the Oil and Gas industry,” NUPENG said the death
had created a huge vacuum in the labour movement.
The statement read in part:
“NUPENGASSAN which he meritoriously chaired, kept
united, strong and virile has painfully lost a rare gem in
its folk. The world vividly recollects every moment, every
struggle he championed and flashbacks of sacrifices made
by Comrade Olabode Johnson to keep the trade union in
shape.
“His endearing visions, aimed at holding his members
even at the expense of his immediate family can also not
be overemphasized. His sincere commitments to see his
members and staff successful,move above challenges, stay
productive and fulfilled in tandem with the union’s policy
thrust are memories that will remain unforgettable.”
Late Comrade F.O. Johnson until his death was a staff of
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and was
on his final lap of his eventful and transformational six years
tenure as President PENGASSAN, having been elected to

8— SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
How we kidnapped American, Canadian
expatriates in Kaduna — Suspects
T
wo members of a
notorious Fulani
kidnap gang who took
part in the 2018 kidnap of
two American and two
Canadian expatriates,
working in Kaduna State
and the subsequent killing
of two policemen
providing security escort
for the expatriates, have
been arrested by
operatives of the Inspector
General of Police
Intelligence Response
Team, IRT.
Vanguard gathered that
four other members of the
gang, including the leader
of the gang, identified
simply as Dogo, were
gunned down when
operatives of the IRT
stormed the gang’s camp
located inside a deep
forest in Kuiere near
Kagarko Local
Government Area of
Kaduna State.
Sources disclosed to
Vanguard that the IRT
operatives, led by Deputy
Commissioner of Police,
Abba Kyari, trailed the
suspects, who were also
known to herdsmen, into
the Kagarko forest and
had an exchange of
gunfire with the bandits
when they approached the
camp. Two members of the
gang, Abdulmimini
Adamu and Usmana
Abdulahi, managed to
escape from the scene but
they were later rearrested
by the IRT operatives in
Kano and Kaduna States.
It was gathered that the
operatives trailed Adamu
to Kano State through the
information they gathered
from his camp in Kuiere
area of Kaduna State
while Abdulahi was
apprehended in his farm,
where he had gone to hide
to evade police arrest.
The suspects, in their
interviews narrated their
roles in the kidnap. While
20-yer-old, Adamu, a
native of Igabi Local
Government in Kaduna
State who was married
with a child said he took
active part in the kidnap
of the expatriates and the
killing of the policemen,
Abdulahi, said he was the
person supplying food to
the kidnappers.
According to Adamu; “I
am a farmer and a cattle
rearer, my boss, Dogo, got
me involved in
kidnapping. In my first
operation we killed two
policemen and took away
their rifles. We eventually
kidnapped four white
people, two of them were
Americans but I don’t
know the nationality of the
other two. We attacked the
expatriates along Jere
road in Southern Kaduna
area of the state and it was
an informant who gave us
the information about the
job. Nine of us took part
in the attack, five of us
were armed with Ak-47
rifles, while four others
were holding sticks. I was
holding a stick, while the
people who had guns were
in front. When the vehicle
conveying the expatriates
got to where we were, my
boss and those with guns
started firing and they
MTN makes final payment of N55bn to NCC
By prince Okafor
MTN
Nigeria
Communications
Plc, yesterday said it
has paid the sixth and
final instalment of N55
billion to the Nigerian
Communications Commission,
NCC.
The Information and
Communications Technology,
ICT, company,
also stated that this
completes MTN’s payment
of the N330 billion
negotiated settlement
agreed between
the NCC and the company
in 2016.
The ICT Company
and NCC had reached
•Suspects
forced the vehicle to a stop.
We then killed the
policemen providing
escorts to the expatriates on
the spot before taking the
expatriates into the bush.
We trekked all through the
night until we got to the
camp at Kuiere in Kaduna
State. The expatriates spent
three days with us in the
camp and we fed them with
rice and beans. They ate
three times daily and we
also gave them bottled
water to drink. One of our
gang members who
understood English
language very well
contacted the people who
paid the ransom. I don’t
know the amount he
demanded, but I suspected
it to be around N100
million. I don’t know the
exact amount that was paid
but I got N5million as my
share after the ransom was
paid. I bought some cows
with my share of the
ransom and they are
presently with my brother
in my village. I was
arrested 10 days after the
police burst our camp and
I fled to Kano State. I was
in Kano State to visit my
friend and I didn’t know that
the police were on my trail, I
was shocked they caught me
in my friend’s house.
In his own confession, 26-
year-old Usmana Abdulahi
said “I am married with two
wives, I am from Kagaroko
Local Government Area of
Kaduna State. I am a famer
and I am also into cattle
rearing. I am not a kidnapper
but I supplied food items and
cooking ingredients to the
kidnapper in their camp
a negotiated settlement
in relation to the
fine imposed on them
in 2015 as a result of
a dispute over the disconnection
of unregistered
SIM cards
amongst its subscriber
base.
According to Chief
Corporate Relations
Officer, MTN,
Tobechukwu Okigbo,
“The successful resolution
of the fine was
the outcome of active
collaboration between
the NCC and MTN.
“We are very pleased
to have completed the
payment of the N330
billon negotiated set-
when they kidnapped the
white people. The first time
I took the food to the camp,
they didn’t allow me to see
the white people. They
stopped me at a distance
and took the food items I
brought from me. On the
second day when I took the
food items to the
kidnappers, they brought
out two of the white people
and took them to a section
of the camp where they
could make calls and
contact their relatives for
the ransom. It was
Abdulmumu who
contacted me to supply
food for the kidnappers
and he was the only
member of the gang who
knows me and he gave
me N1million as my
share after the ransom
was paid.
tlement with the
NCC. We are particularly
gratified to be in
a position to have
fully met the terms of
the settlement within
the agreed
timeframes.
“I would like to
thank the NCC for
their constructive
and collaborative
approach to this issue,
and believe that
we emerge from it
with a stronger relationship,
focused on
ensuring maximum
value is delivered to
our people, from a
strong and growing
telecoms sector.”
B-R-I-E-F-S
Jettison Fulani Radio — Taiga
The President General of Urhobo Progress Union,
Olorogun Moses Taiga, has urged the Federal
Government to jettison plans to set up a radio station
devoted solely to broadcast in Fulani language.
In a press statement he personally signed, the UPU
PG said “the Urhobo Nation is appalled by the setting
up of a Fulani Radio. Whatever the argument the
government might put forward, this radio station is ill
timed and insensitive to the feelings of the Urhobo people
and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, whose portions
of land towns and villages the Fulani herdsmen have
forcefully taken over. The UPU appreciates the need to
promote the speaking of indigenous languages, but any
government effort should either be holistic or each ethnic
nationality should be left to preserve its culture and
language. The selective promotion of the Fulani language
has heightened tension among ethnic nationalities in
the country and the project should be jettisoned at once.”
Taiga also lamented “worsening insecurity in Nigeria,
including Urhobo land.
Okunbo, Afolabi, Tein-Jackrich to
lead conversation on modern-day
slavery
Chairman of Ocean Marine Solutions, Capt
Idahosa Okunbo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi, and
Founder of Belemaoil Producing Ltd, Mr. Tein Jack-Rich
would lead a high-level discussion on the need to
address the rising menace of modern-day slavery and
human trafficking in Nigeria.
With the coming on board by these three business
leaders in the fight to end modern slavery, it is expected
that stakeholders in the struggle to end modern slavery,
would join the fight for a human trafficking-free nation.
The conference being convened by the Nigerian Young
Professionals Forum (NYPF) which would hold in Abuja
on June 10, 2019, is expected to feature other prominent
speakers and opinion leaders.
Chairman of the forum, Mr. Moses Siasia said the
speakers would be discussing various options to end
human trafficking in Nigeria and Africa.
Again, Shi’ites, police clash in
Kaduna
Ben Agande, Kaduna
MEMBERS of the Islamic Movement in Nige
ria (IMN), again clashed with the police as the
Islamic sect embarked on their annual Quds Day celebration.
According to eye witness account, members of
the Shiites trooped out in large number around Kano
road\ Ahmadu Bello Way for the procession when the
police swooped on them, firing tear gas canisters to disperse
them. The incidence sparked panic among traders
and other road users who hurriedly moved to avert
being caught in the crossfire.
Three members of the Shiites were said to have been
wounded by the police, and rushed to an undisclosed
hospital for medical attention.
But in a statement, the Spokesman of IMN, Ibrahim
Musa claimed that members of the sect were attacked by
the police.
“A large contingent of the police in battle gear had
been threateningly patrolling the streets of Kaduna even
before the commencement of the march.
“Hardly had the peaceful march started when the armed
policemen opened fire without warning, with tear gas
and live ammunition indiscriminately. This led to pandemonium
on the busy streets of the central area.
Sanwo-Olu appoints Ayinde as Chief
of Staff, Soyannwo as Deputy
LAGOS
State
Governor, Mr.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu on
Friday announced the
appointment of his chief
of staff and deputy chief
of staff.
In a statement signed
by his deputy chief
press secretary, Mr.
Gboyega Akosile,
Sanwo-Olu named Mr.
Tayo Ayinde as his Chief
of Staff and Mr.
Gboyega Soyannwo as
deputy chief of staff.
Ayinde, an alumnus of
Havard Business
School, Boston, USA
and University of
Cambridge, United
Kingdom is a former
security
and
intelligence personnel.
He served as chief
security detail to the
former Governor of
Lagos State, Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
from 1999 to 2007.
Ayinde also served as
the Director General of
the Babajide Sanwo-
Olu Independent
Campaign Group
between 2018 and 2019.
Soyannwo, a
seasoned banker has
worked in various
management capacity
between 2005 to 2009
heading various
strategic units. Until the
present appointment,
Soyannwo was
Managing Consultant
at Cranbrook Financial
Consulting Services.
The appointment
takes immediate effect.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—9

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ON May 29, 2015, history was made in Nigeria when an
opposition political party took over the seat of power from an
incumbent president.
Before the tsunami that swept away the then ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP under the captaincy of President
Goodluck Jonathan, many political analysts had predicted a landslide
victory for the PDP. The argument was that it was unthinkable that the
incumbent government with the control of security apparatus and other
resources could lose to the opposition. For some, even if the number of
votes for the opposition was ‘miraculously’ higher than that of the
incumbent, the power of brute force could be applied to upturn the
situation.
However, the maxim that “God’s time is the best” came to fruition in the
life of the then General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, who had earlier
contested the presidential poll three times without success.
Amid tension, the then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, declared Buhari, who ran on the
plank of the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, the winner of
the 2015 election.
High expectations
There were high expectations from Nigerians that with his military
background and his track record as a military head of state, reprieve had
come to the country especially in the area of security, given the deadly
attacks of the Boko Haram insurgents, who at a time were in control of 14
local councils in Borno State.
His emergence brought some rays of hope among the citizenry especially
those who had witnessed his regime between 1983 to 1985.
To reassure Nigerians that Solomon has come to judgement, the President
told Nigerians when he took the oath of office that he belongs to everybody
and belongs to nobody.
How far after four years?
However, the question on the lips of everyone is, four years after President
Buhari took over the mantle of leadership, how far have Nigerians fared,
has there been any remarkable change both in the security situation and the
economy of the country?
For some Nigerians especially those in the opposition, there is nothing
tangible to celebrate but for loyalists and supporters of the government, it
has been four years of joy and tremendous achievements.
For the opposition, insecurity situation has deteriorated and the economy is in
comatose. This group also believes that the country is more divided now along
ethnic and religious lines than the pre-2015 era.
Four years of waste, lamentations
They contend that it has been four years of waste, hopelessness and
lamentations. There have been hunger, dejection and loss of jobs.
This group believes that the President favours his
kinsmen in terms of appointments and
projects.
The President has been under
heavy attacks for allegedly doing
nothing when herdsmen who are
mainly from his tribe maimed and
attacked people especially farmers
in many parts of the country
especially in Benue, Plateau,
Nasarawa and Taraba.
Critics also accused President
Buhari of not having economic
Blueprint, which they claim was
responsible to the economic
recession the country went into few
months after the government took
over. For them, there is no sector of
the economy that has recorded
cheering news.
Buhari’s remarkable
achievements
But another school of thought
believes that the country has made
remarkable achievements since
Buhari came into power. This group
also believes that the Boko Haram
insurgents that were holding some
local governments before the
emergence of Buhari’s government
has been decimated, while
corruption which had been the bane
of the country is being dealt with.
My achievements,
frustrations – Buhari
For the President, it has been a
work in progress even though there
is more work to be done.
Speaking on a television interview
with the Nigeria Television
Authority, President Buhari
expressed frustration over
bureaucratic hurdles hampering his
Continues from pg 11
FOUR YEARS AFTER:
Buhari in the
eyes of critics,
supporters
My achievements, frustrations – Buhari

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—11
Buhari in the eyes es of critics, supporter
ers
Continues from pg 10
war against corruption.
According to him, “My frustration
is that we cannot move faster in
prosecution. We have made some
progress, we have recovered a
number of fixed assets and money in
banks including Europe and
America but under this system, you
can’t do so much in a hurry. Even if
you use whistle blowers you have to
report to the Police and Police will
rigmarole, this is my biggest
frustration really. The frustration is
taking too long by my own hope.”
On the Boko Haram insurgency, he
said: “They are not holding any
local government, they have
resorted to holding either the Lake
Chad and indoctrinating young
people especially girls giving them
explosives and sending them to soft
targets like churches, mosques,
market places and motor parks. We
have achieved some success in
safeguarding the country.”
President Buhari scored his
administration high on the economy,
saying: “The economy, we are very
lucky the rainy season is in place
and we have made available
fertilizer and some of the inputs. We
have achieved food security.’’
While campaigning for the 2015
elections, President Buhari had
made promises to end Boko Haram
terrorism and secure the country for
it to be efficiently managed; to
restructure the economy, halt its
downward slide, create jobs and to
fight corruption because, as the
president repeatedly said, “if
Nigeria doesn’t kill corruption,
corruption will kill Nigeria.”
Buhari has performed well
– Garba Shehu
The Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and Publicity,
Mallam Garba Shehu
believes that his boss has
lived up to expectations.
Assessing the
government, Shehu said:
“Nobody can question
President Buhari’s
achievements. They are
there for all to see. The
Buhari administration
has established for itself
an anti-corruption
reputation and has been
in office for four years
without a major scandal.
The African Union has on
account of this, selected
the President as the
continent’s anticorruption
champion.
“The Buhari
administration can pat
itself on the back for this
achievement when it is
viewed against the
established culture in
which corruption is the
norm. To win the war
against corruption and
institute transparency in
the affairs of government,
the Buhari administration
introduced a number of fiscal
reforms and plugged several
leakages.
“The administration has
significantly curtailed corruption to
the point of abolishing what is
called “grand corruption.” Given
Treasury Single Account ,TSA , the
Integrated Payroll and Personnel
Information Scheme, IPPS, the Bank
Verification Number, BVN number
and Whistle Blower schemes, it is no
longer possible for people in
authority to, for instance, request
the withdrawal of millions, or
sometimes billions of Naira or US
Dollars to be shared among party
members as was the practice under
the past administrations. To boot, the
Buhari administration has signed
onto the global Open Government
Partnership, OGP.”
He also said that reforms are being
carried out in the justice sector with
a number of domestic legislations
and international agreements to
facilitate the identification, tracing,
freezing, recovery and forfeiture of
ill-gotten assets.
He continued: “The administration’s
primary sectors of agriculture and solid
minerals have experienced growth of
180 and 565 percentage points
respectively. Nigeria has today achieved
near self-sufficiency in rice production.
“Government has launched a series of
funding and capacity development
initiatives to support Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises. The work of the
Presidential Enabling Business
Environment Council (PEBEC),
inaugurated by President Buhari in
August 2016 has resulted in moving
Nigeria up 24 places on the World
Bank’s Ease of Doing Business
rankings, and earning a place on the
list of 10 most improved economies. In
this regard, the administration has
issued a number of Executive Orders on
improving efficiency in the business
environment and promoting local
content.
“The Buhari administration has
also demonstrated a single-minded
commitment to upgrading and
developing Nigeria’s transport,
power and health infrastructure.
“Road projects are ongoing across
every state of the country, with many
of these projects having been
abandoned for many years.
“The country’s narrow-gauge rail
network of 3,500
Km is currently
being upgraded;
Abuja’s light rail
system has been
completed and
commissioned
with a link to the
Abuja-Kaduna
rail line, which
has equally
The Buhari
administration can
pat itself on the
back for this
achievement when
it is viewed against
the established
culture in which
corruption is the
norm
been completed
and launched.
The Ibadan-
Lagos standard
gauge rail is
being test run.
Ibadan-Kano
has been
awarded.
“The
administration
has successfully
reconstructed
the Abuja
Airport runway,
completed and
commissioned
new terminal
buildings in Port
Harcourt and
Abuja with Lagos, Kano, Enugu and
the others soon to be inaugurated.
“Several water supply projects and
dam/irrigation projects have been
completed and many more on the
way to being delivered. About 100
ecological projects have been
awarded and completed in the six
geopolitical zones.”
He further stated that the Buhari
administration has more than
doubled power generation capacity.
“It has increased generation to 8,100
MW and expanded transmission to
more than 7,000 MW capacity, and
has successfully deployed
thousands of solar power systems to
rural and urban households,” he said.
The Presidential aide further said:
“This is an administration that has been
investing in people. It has introduced a
social Investment Programme (SIP),
which so far, has four components.
“These are the N-power employment
scheme that is hitting 500,000 this year,
the home grown school feeding
programme that feeds more than nine
million school children across the
federation, the Government Enterprise
and Empower Program, GEEP giving
out interest-free loans to millions of
market women, traders, artisans and
farmers and the conditional cash
transfer, CCT which pays N5,000
monthly to the poorest and most
vulnerable households in the country.
“In dealing with security, one of the
first major steps by the Buhari
administration was the revitalisation of
the Multi-national Joint Task force ,
MNJTF aimed at combating transborder
crime and the Boko Haram
insurgency. The MNJTF has the support
and participation of neighbouring
countries Niger, Chad, Cameroon and
Benin, in addition to Nigeria.”
He said that the military has since
proclaimed victory over the Boko
Haram terrorists, following the capture
of their operational and spiritual
headquarters, “Camp Zero” in Sambisa
Forest.
“So far, more than one million
displaced persons have returned to their
homes and communities. About 20,000
hostages have been freed. One hundred
and six Chibok Girls, abducted in April
2014 and 105 Dapchi Girls abducted in
February 2018 have been released and
reunited with their families. “
In the area of diplomacy and
international relations, the Buhari
administration, he claimed, has reestablished
Nigeria’s position and influence
in regional and global arena.
“As a political leader, Muhammadu
Buhari enjoys three formidable assets –
his record as a disciplined former Army
General, his reputation as an honest
leader who has not allowed corruption
to flourish under his watch when he
served as a state Military Governor,
Minister of Petroleum and Military
Head of State and the public
perception of his record as one who
stands for and by the truth, Mai
Gaskiya.”
Despite the litany of achievements
as enumerated above, some of the
elite and critics believe that the
country is at the brink of collapse, if
nothing urgent is done to rescue it.
The President on his own has
repeatedly assured Nigerians that he
will not let them down.

Nigeria's disinte
12—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
How Buhari can
By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo
Obong Victor Attah was the civilian governor of Akwa Ibom state from 199
this interview with journalists in Uyo ahead of the 20years anniversary of
and country at large. Excerpts:
•Obong Victor Attah
What is your
assessment of the democratic governance in
Nigeria 20 years after the country returned to civil
rule?
My biggest disappointment, and it remains the
major disappointment for most people who want
to see Nigeria progress is that we have not gone
back to true federalism. I keep insisting; this true
federalism is not something new. It is something
we’ve always had. I think some of you would be
too young to have experienced it. But it was
interrupted during the civil war in 1966. It was
what helped the country to grow because there
was heavy rivalry between the various federating
units. I am going to use federating units to illustrate
what I am talking about. You could see how the
various federating units developed at their own
pace. Salaries were not uniform, growth was not
uniform but opportunities were uniform. Let me
explain what I mean by that. I lived in Kaduna for
so many years and I know Kaduna at one time
had so much money than for instance Cross Rivers
State and they brought their money along with
Cross Rivers State and invested in a plywood
industry. So you could seize an opportunity in
somebody else’s state to grow your own state. That
is how a country should grow. It doesn’t mean that
only what you have is what you should use to
develop yourself. When you have resource you call
in other people, please tell them this resource here
you can benefit from it by supporting me. You can
form a partnership or a corporation.
And you could see that for instance under Awolowo
that particular federating unit which was under
the Western Region was able to give us the first
television station in West Africa, a stadium, Cocoa
House, and so many things. And I know, because
I was a trainee architect working with Nickson
and Borris in Lagos, we built Western House, it
was called Western House because it was built by
the Western Region of Nigeria in Lagos. The Cocoa
House was in Ibadan. So, everybody was able to
use what they have to develop themselves. But
the military could not do that. It’s just not within
the set up of the military to have that kind of
dispersed leadership. So it is understandable that
the Head of State was there and he just appointed
people, go and govern this area for me, go and
govern that area for me and that’s what happened.
So many years after the military have left the scene
and we have got rid of so many of the military
vestiges, why should we keep this particular one
and continue to run a unitary system of distributing
money instead of generating money? That is the
biggest, and I dare say, the only problem with
Nigeria democracy. Recently, former President
Obasanjo wrote about this Fulanisation agenda.
Yes, what is going on in the country is bad, the
killings, but believe me, it would not have
happened if we had federalism. I would like people
to always go back to the root cause of anything. If
we have federalism you would have been able to
conveniently control what’s
happening in your unit, you
would have had your police, you
control your resources, and
anybody who comes and cause
problem in your unit; that would
be an invasion. But because we
don’t have the federal system, we
have this unitary system of
governance, anything goes.
As a former governor of
Akwa Ibom state do you think
the state has fared well in terms
of physical development?
I have to regrettably say that
we are not where I had expected
Akwa Ibom to be at this point
in time. And I will be very blunt
about that because when we
came in, we actually had a
manifesto and in it we spelt
out the things we thought
Akwa Ibom needed to do to
lift it to the next level and
we were convinced that
if we did those things,
we would in fact
very quickly get
there. That’s why
if you look at the
projects we
started, there
were some
interrelationships
between them. If
for instance you
want to do
something on
IT (Information
Technology), I
said it is funny
if you are trying
to do IT
successfully
with a diesel
generator, so
we needed
power. You
want to build
an airport, go
and look at the
problems they
have at Lagos
International
Airport. So, you need
electricity again. We need power in supporting
the IT activity particularly the Airport MRO, to use
in maintaining the Aircrafts. And then if people
are coming here, they will need somewhere decent
to stay, and that’s why we had the 5-star Hotel.
Then, the IT, because that is the sign of the future;
you can see what it is doing to everybody now, so
we put up the Science Park. Then you look at Akwa
Ibom in the regional and national context, you
could see a hub for a lot of things; hence the seaport.
So, we had an integrated system of systematic
development which unfortunately was badly
disrupted immediately after I left office, for
whatever reason. The fact that we even have the
airport completed, I think it is a miracle. The power
plant had been commissioned by former President
Obasanjo before I left office in 2007. The Science
Park still remains unfinished, the University of
Technology which we started has been
bastardized, made into a conventional University
with several campuses. Most of the things we
started were dissipated. And I will tell you this,
because it is no longer a secret. There was a time
people in the Villa, at the time I was governor, were
wondering whether I was thinking of seceding.
They asked, why is Obong Attah building a
Seaport, building an Airport, he is building an
Independent power plant, is he going to secede?
That’s the fear people entertained about the vision
I had, yet, people came and disrupted that. So, I
can say perfectly that I feel disappointed that, that
vision was disrupted. I used the word disrupted
because I believe with the new regime of
Governor Udom Emmanuel, unfettered; because
at the beginning it was very badly fettered by
circumstances surrounding him) I think we are
going to see the state flying again.
The past government said that the Science Park
was not continued because most of the equipment
you imported were moribund and non functional.
How true is that?
If you buy the most up-to-date equipment,
especially in the high tech area, what do you think
would happen to it as the time progresses? Today,
I think have we’ve gone past iPhone 7, because it
started from iPhone 1, 2, 3 and so on. So, it is entirely
possible that he was correct. But at the time we
bought them they were brand new. You know why
I can say so without any hesitation? I’ll tell you.
The three people that gave us our ICT policy are:
Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem who today is the Secretary
to the Akwa Ibom State Government,(SSG). He
could not have directed us to go and buy obsolete
equipment, he couldn’t and he didn’t. Professor
Ntuen who was working for the American
government at NASA, located in North Carolina
in the Science triangle. But today, he is a lecturer
at RITMAN University (in Ikot Ekpene, local
government area and then Dr. Uwaje- three most
eminent ICT people at the time. And you know
what is interesting? When the team I led was
leaving North Carolina, they said they were
expecting another group from Nigeria. On
enquiries, we found out that that was a federal
government group coming to the source three
months after us to get an ICT policy. Akwa Ibom
State Government got ICT policy before the federal
government of Nigeria, three months before. And
look at where we are today. The federal
government has gone far, while our science park
is abandoned.
You have been pursuing the issue of resource
control and currently true federalism. President
Buhari is returning to office for a second term,
what are your expectations from him that would
be beneficial to the Niger Delta?
Those of you that read my reactions to the results
of the 2019 general elections would know that I
set an agenda for Buhari. The first item on my
My biggest
disappointment, and it
remains the major
disappointment for
most people who want
to see Nigeria progress
is that we have not
gone back to true
federalism

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—13
successors. One of the projects you conceived, the
Science Park is yet uncompleted. Do you think
Governor Udom Emmanuel sees the need to
continue with it?
I think it depends on the governor. At one time,
a group of well-meaning Nigerians from the North
and elsewhere came down here and said they
wanted to do a reconciliation between me and
former Governor Godswill Akpabio. I said
reconciliation was a wrong word because I was
not quarrelling with Akpabio. They took us to the
cathedral and mass was celebrated by Bishop,
top agitations for
Joseph Ekuwem. And when we were asked to
speak, I got up and said I have told my Governor
that I was out of office but not out of ideas. The
situation remains so till today- I am out of office
but not out of ideas. But if somebody does not come
and talk to you and seek your ideas, how do you
offer those ideas? I am not the one to be writing
agenda for government. People feel if they come
and complete a project, the person who started it
would be the one to get the credit. Please, let us
get it right that government is a continuum. The
gration — Attah
fact that somebody started something and you
come and complete it does not mean that nobody
would recognize the role you played. So,
completing the Seaport, the Science Park, and reestablishing
the University of Technology is a
continuation of government. We don’t need
another conventional university for goodness sake.
It is a University of Technology that we need. If
you know the programmes that we were going to
put in place in that University, believe me you
would shed tears that it didn’t happen. When you
finish those things, people would say yes, this man
came and built on a foundation that was
established.
-2007. He is also referred to by many as the father of Resource Control. In
Nigeria democracy, he bares his mind on a lot of political issues in the state
agenda for Buhari was that he should make sure
he absolutely, totally and completely stop all forms
of agitations to disintegrate Nigeria. And the only
way President Buhari can do this is if a federal
system is re-enacted for Nigeria so that every
federating unit will have a breathing space, will
feel that they control themselves. I’m not just saying
to him restructure, which is a common word that
everybody uses, I started with the consequence.
The consequence is, if you don’t do this, Nigeria is
going to break up, I say it every day, Nigeria will
certainly and undisputably break up if you do not
allow this unit to exist as they used to in the days
of federalism. So I said please, make sure you do
this so that Nigeria will not break up. And I am
very pleased. Do you know why I am very
pleased?.because if you listened to what President
Buhari said and during the visit of the APC (All
Progressives Congress) governors to him, he said
Nigeria at this stage of development is ready for
true federalism. Those were words out from
President Buhari’s mouth. So, may be this
campaign is being accepted now. So, those people
who said they didn’t want to vote for Buhari because
he has not agreed to restructure the country were
wrong. It’s just a matter of you convincing
somebody, you present an idea strongly enough
and any reasonable human being, a sensible
person who loves this country and wants this
country to stay would agree with you. And Buhari
is beginning to agree with everything we have
said about having a new birth and a new
beginning. But it is not a new concept, we had it
before.
How can Nigerians prepare themselves to
receive this new birth if President Buhari obliges
to it?
The way to prepare ourselves is to accept the
fact that it had worked before. Go back and study
the 1960 constitution, go back and study 1963
constitution. At first, I will say this, in all honesty, I
was not convinced about this idea of returning to a
parliamentary system. But more and more I am
becoming convinced that that is the answer. I will
give few reasons. One, somebody campaigns
across the entire country and wins an election, he
feels that he is on top of the whole country; and
dictatorial tendencies will make him to begin to
act like an emperor and look at the phenomenal
cost of doing that. That’s why quality people are
not coming out, and that’s why you cannot
nominate anybody and say, I want this person to
represent me. It is only the party that can
commandeer the kind of money from their
governors that they need for that kind of campaign
nationwide or even statewide. Whereas if you allow
the parliamentary system today, you and I can sit
down to say, look, we come from this area; who
among us is good to go to whether it is state
assembly or the National Assembly. And nobody
can come and rig it because nobody can come from
outside and tell us who should represent us. We
know better than anybody else outside who should
represent us and we will send the person that
should represent us to that assembly, and he will
do what we want. So, the cost of election will
completely come down because you are only
campaigning within your own area. Then there
will be no rigging because you cannot come from
outside and tell me who should represent me. The
party will not impose anybody on us, we will tell
the party that this is the person we want and if the
party doesn’t accept him, we just put him up as an
independent candidate perhaps, or tell him to join
another party platform. So, we will have true
peoples’ representation, and the possibility of
rigging will be almost zero. Then when they get
there they can say; this person or that person is
good enough to be our prime minister, and we all
will agree because there’ll be no one party. At first,
I used to be very upset that a country like Nigeria
would have about one hundred political parties.
Now we should have two hundred. Which means
almost everybody is being elected on his individual
capability, integrity and ability to represent the
community he comes from. So, there’ll be no one
party that can have overall majority to form a
government. That is when you begin now to form
coalition, talk to people and so on and you would
get a national consensus on what ought to be done.
And if you put up one person who is capable of
making that to happen for all of us, the beauty of
this is that, if he doesn’t perform, the next minute
he goes and we put up somebody else.
You don’t seem to support this idea of
disintegration, but some Nigerians say that, that
could be the best solution to the myriads of
challenges in the country?
Why do they feel so? Because they want a kind
of breathing space. That is what I am saying. Did
anybody ever think about disintegrating the
country when we had federalism? Nobody did.
But when you come and take all my oil, take
somebody else’s gold and give to somebody else,
however benevolent, the person distributing it
cannot be totally fair to everybody. Even if he tries,
somebody would always have cause to complain.
That’s why I said that Nigeria will disintegrate if
you don’t do federalism because there is so much
discontent. But that discontent will be dissipated
completely if you allow federalism.
You said earlier that when you started the
integrated kind of development in Akwa Ibom
State during your administration there were fears
expressed about seceding. Why the suspicion?
Would that have happened if there was true
federalism? It would not. Did anybody suspect
that Awolowo was seceding when he brought the
first television station, free education? Nobody did.
Everybody was now striving to be like Awolowo.
That is the beauty I’m trying to get into young
people’s heads because they have not experienced
these things. But if it was this kind of unitary
system, they would have said; we must stop
Awolowo, why is only the Western children going
to school, children from other areas are not going
to school free. But they could not stop Awolowo
because the federal system allowed that to happen.
And nobody would have a feeling of wanting to
leave the federation if you give them space to do
that.
What do you think should be the best solution
to the increasing insecurity in the country?
Federalism. I will tell you something, even this
oil theft, if Bayelsa knew that it is going to survive
on this oil dues and it has its own police and enforce
the rules against theft, do you think it would allow
anybody to steal that oil? So all these things about
insecurity, killings, before a Fulani person would
come in here, he would apply properly for land to
graze his cattle. Where is the oldest cattle ranch in
Nigeria? Obudu is the oldest and it is in Cross
River State. So, there were no issues because you
had a federal system that allowed that type of thing
to happen. Federalism is what will even bring back
the sense of being one country.
Many Nigerians have advocated several
solutions to the myriads of problems faced by the
country, sadly, some of the things advocated are
not taken into consideration. What is your take
on this?
There is only one solution, federalism. No other
solution. If we just have federalism, all those things
would disappear one after the other.
Why is it that Nigerian leaders are not interested
in returning to federalism?
Because we are not shouting enough. If you have
been shouting enough, Bahari might have reached
that position much earlier. So, begin now to shout
federalism!. Everybody should shout federalism,
and believe me, tomorrow you’ll have federalism.
But many Nigerians have expressed the fear
that in spite of the ongoing agitation for true
federalism, the government may reject it.
Why do they think so? Because they have made
Do you know why I am
very pleased?.because
if you listened to what
President Buhari said
and during the visit of
the APC (All
Progressives Congress)
governors to him, he
said Nigeria at this stage
of development is ready
for true federalism
up their minds that the person sitting there called
President Buhari is not going to do it. It is their
own problem. At one time he said he didn’t
understand it. The manifesto of the party that he is
running, particularly the CPC component, starts
with the fact that there will be federalism. So, people
sitting there and saying Buhari won’t do it, did
Obasanjo do it? Did Jonathan do it? And these are
southerners, they should have laid the true
foundation for democracy and we won’t be talking
about this today. Buhari would have just come into
it. But now we want to blame it on Buhari.
During you tenure as governor, you introduced
parlimantary system of government at the local
government level. How good was that system
then?
One of the problems I had with my party was
that they accused me of being too independent,
that I was doing anti-party and that the party said
we must do presidential system, I went and did
parliamentary system. I challenged the party; ‘you
told me to conduct an election, to elect people you
called councilors for whom their law is made by
the state house of assembly and you don’t allow
them to be selected as supervisory councilor,
education supervisor, works supervisor, none. So,
what is their function? Why have I elected these
people? Is it just to sit down and share money at
the end of the month? That is how stupid and
absolutely idiotic the concept of presidential system
at the local government level is. So, I said it would
not happen in Akwa Ibom. I said if I go to the
trouble of electing people as councilors, I will give
them jobs, that they cannot just be sitting there,
sharing salaries at the end of the month because
they don’t make their own laws. Let somebody sit
down and tell me what are the functions of
councilors? Nothing, unless you give them what
to do. And it is only the parliamentary system that
would give them something to do. The presidential
system doesn’t. So, I ran a parliamentary system
at the local government level. If I was allowed, I
would have ran it at the state level as well. But the
constitution would not allow me.
How would you rate the outcome of the 2019
general elections in Akwa Ibom state?
I am very very happy with the results. I’m not
talking about how it was done, or how it wasn’t
done, but, at least, this time I voted. The last time,
I wasn’t allowed to vote. So, I have to say it was
very good. There is no question about that. People
voted. It was the people who put Governor Udom
Emmanuel there for a second term, and we know
it.. As as far as I am concerned, the results are very
satisfactory to me.
Akwa Ibom residents attest to the fact that you
laid the foundation being built upon by your
Your government started a project that was very
dear to Akwa Ibom people ‘AKWASOL’, but there
was a litigation on it. Will you like to address that?
Yes, I can talk a lot on that. I finished in Columbia
University in 1966. Then at one time, my wife was
heavily pregnant. The airline we were to board
was insisting she had to travel home immediately
because of her condition. And you know there were
rumbles about the war in Nigeria and so on, and
she had never known the place called Nigeria
because she came from the West Indies. So I asked
her to go to her home in Barbados, with the
intention that when the rumblings disappear, I
would go and take her so that we would return to
Nigeria. But it didn’t work out that way because
by the time I went to take her, the war was already
on. My first employment as a qualified Architect
was in Barbados in the West Indies in 1966, that
was where I started. And interestingly enough
that was the year they had independence. I even
entered the competition for the design of their flag.
Then I noticed that every house in that country
used Solar water heater, so that their main power
source was for industry. When I returned here, I
started importing and trying to sell solar water
heaters. I didn’t have the technical backup, so it
wasn’t a successful business. I abandoned it. But I
knew it was something that could happen here.
So, when I had the opportunity as a governor, I
went there, I sat down one-on-one with the Prime
Minister and requested that the technology be
brought to Akwa Ibom State for investment
because we had such a large market. That Prime
Minister agreed to give one million US Dollars to
technical people, while I agreed to provide one
million US Dollars from here. Of course, they came
and set up AKWASOL. It was in production, but
one of the evil things that the next regime did was
to come and accuse me of engaging in money
laundering, that, that money which came from
Barbados was actually my money. So, they shut
down the place. It was just evil mindedness
because they knew the truth. A thriving producing
industry was shut down for evil reasons that were
invented by them for purposes of shutting down
the business.
But is it possible to bring it back?
Yes it is possible. I have discussed it with
Governor Udom Emmanuel. As you know, we are
in the days of solar and renewable energy. I want
to pray and hope that he will do something about
it.
You fought the resource control for the Niger
Delta and people said that fight affected your
interest in the presidential race?
You see to say yes will sound like a very simple
answer. But people actually thought that they
should just stop me because they suspected that I
was planning a secession. So that is a very grievous
thing to charge anybody with and it is still hunting
me. But the problem is that even the Niger Delta
people don’t even appreciate what I did for them .
The then president of Nigeria shouted at me,
shaking his fingers at me in Port-Harcourt, when
people were given party flags, saying you, you
are the cause of militancy in the Niger Delta; you
are the one that went and put resource control in
their head and now they are fighting, they are
breaking our pipelines. I was accused of starting
the militancy in Niger Delta simply because I
preached resource control.
But do you have any regret for taking up that
fight?
If I have any regret it is because the people of
Niger Delta did not appreciate what I went
through. But I am still fighting it to the next level.
And the next level is this federalism thing. But let
me not say that I regret it, but what is regrettable
is that a lot of the people of the Niger Delta don’t
even appreciate what somebody went through to
make them what they are today.
Your successor, Senator Godswill Akpabio lost
his re-election bid. How do you react to that?
Don’t force me to repeat what I have already
said. I said Godswill Akpabio was a very
uncommon governor, who had suffered an
uncommon defeat and rejection at the hands of
the common people of Akwa Ibom state.

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
•Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi
inspecting ongoing
work at one of the rails
By Evelyn Usman
They drove in silence with each lost in
thought as concentration centered on
their divergent imaginations. Some of
them had slept off, leaving the driver whose
eyes were wide open to relish the rhythm of
the music from the car stereo, as he sang along
with the unknown artist.
Then all of a sudden, an incident which
changed the course of the journey occurred,
following the unprecedented appearance of
fierce looking armed men ahead, with the
road barricaded. Time was 8am, on April 15,
2019.
The travelers were plying the Lokoja-Kabba
road, Kogi state and destination was Lokoja.
But the journey was aborted at Obajana –
Kabba road, by the uninvited visitors who
turned out to be kidnappers. The 14
passengers were ordered out of the vehicle
and whisked into the bush, with ransom
demanded for their release.
Kidnappers have virtually taken over major
highways in Nigeria. In Kogi state for instance,
particularly, the Lokoja-Abuja road, Okene-
Lokoja road, Obajana-Kabba road and Itobe-
Anyigba, they carry out their nefarious
activities both during the day and at night,
with helpless and defenceless Nigerians as
targets. While those who were able to pay
ransom were released, others who could not,
were killed.
Other expressways in the country where
Nigerians suffer untold emotional and
psychological torture in the hands of
kidnappers and robbers alike, include; Lagos/
Ibadan expressway, Otukpo-Enugu road,
where the Vicar General of the Catholic
Diocese of Otukpo, Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, was
kidnapped and his decomposing body found
three months later.
The ever- busy Abuja-Keffi expressway,
where the immediate past Chief of Defence
Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh was shot
dead , last December , is not spared in the list
of dangerous highways in the country.
The Benin-Lagos highway is
also among. But the scariest and
one of the seven most dangerous
highways in Nigeria is the
Abuja-Kanuna road, where
robbers and kidnappers alike
operate on daily basis.
Just last month, Governor
Nasir El-Rufai’s convoy, foiled an
attempted abduction of motorists
along that route, while on his way
to Abuja, as security operatives
attached to him, forced the
criminals to run into the bush, to
the relief of motorists some of who
had parked, on hearing that the
criminals were operating ahead.
Daily, the print, electronics and
social media are awash with
shocking and alarming
occurrences along these
corridors.
Railway line to
the rescue
Recently, the Inspector- General of Police,
Mohammed Adamu launched Operation Puff
Adder to tackle kidnapping, banditry and
other criminal activities along the Kaduna-
Abuja expressway and adjourning
communities extending to Kogi, Niger and
Zamfara states.
Several arrests have been made with the
recovery of ammunitions, including a rocket
launcher from suspects since its launch. To
sustain the tempo, the operation was
extended to other states of the Federation.
The Benin-Lagos
highway is also
among. But the
scariest and one of the
seven most
dangerous highways
in Nigeria is the Abuja-
Kanuna road, where
robbers and
kidnappers alike
operate on daily basis
Rail system to
make life easier,
better for Nigerians
— Amaechi
However, in a move to put paid to the
horrendous experience motorists go through
in the hands of criminally minded persons on
the nation’s highways, as well as the bad
roads resulting in perennial gridlocks which
further enhance hoodlums chances of attack,
the previous administration under Dr.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, resuscitated the
collapsed rail system, while the present
administration is on the verge of raising the
bar with to measure up to its counterparts
worldwide , where rail transportation is a
major mode of transportation.
To this effect, Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi, often undertakes rail
inspection across the country to ensure an
inter connectivity from one state to another.
An attestation to the Ameachi’s avowed goal
to take rail transportation to another level,
was the recent directive for double track rail
lines in all rails in the North .
Working rails
One of the rails that has received notable
face lift is the Itakpe-Warri lane,
which was abandoned for over
three decades. The rail takes 20
minutes from Itakpe to Lokoja,
which major benefit is to
connect the two steel
communities in the country—
Delta Steel Company, DSC
Ovwian, Aladja, in Delta State
and Ajaokuta Steel Company,
in Kogi State
Another, is the Rail Village
in Agbor, Delta State, which
was burnt. Owing to its years
of abandonment, its
equipments were stolen,
leaving it skeletally bare, until
its rehabilitation which gulped
about $200 million from the
Federal government.
At the moment, the Itakpe-
Warri conveys 100 passengers
per trip, daily.
Amaechi had informed that
the Warri-Itakpe Standard
Gauge line had commenced operation for
passenger, commercial and freight services.
The train corridors involved Itakpe in Kogi,
Aghenebode in Edo and Agbhor in Delta with
12 railway stations along the corridors.
He also informed of plans to link the Itakpe
Rail to Abuja axis, a project he said would cost
the government $3 billion, adding that if done,
it would include a seaport in Warri.
The Minister said that “it is one rail project
that we did not borrow a dime to complete”,
adding that “President Muhammadu Buhari
was and is still enthusiastic in driving the rail
project in Nigeria as a way of improving the
nation’s economy”.
Commenting on the progress the rail is
bringing to the area, a traditional ruler in the
area, Chief Madu Agboifo, remarked during
the recent rail inspection project in the area
that “life is bound to pick up again in this area
when the rail becomes fully operational.
Already, some of our boys are being offered
some jobs at the Railway yard and at the
Railway village. So, we are looking forward
to a round of robust economy again. We cannot
wait to start enjoying the full benefits of
railway transportation”.
Another operational rail is the Lagos -
Abeokuta Rail, which was completed three
months ago, with its operational cost pegged
at $1.6 billion. Also, the Abuja-Kaduna Rail
has been completed with $500million loan and
has since been running.
Lagos-Ibadan Rail
Very soon, people living in the South West
states will have no reason to be trapped in
the gridlock when coming into or going out
of Lagos, as preparations according to
Amaechi , were on to complete the Lagos-
Ibadan rail. The ongoing work on the rail
which is being executed at the cost of $1.6
billion and funded from the loan from the
Chinese government,is put at 70%.
The Minister, has assured that by next month
, the laying of tracks is expected to be
completed, while the entire rail would start
running from Lagos to Ibadan by December.
The Ibadan-Kano Rail, which will cost
$5.3billion, is however yet to commence
Aside addressing the menace of
kidnapping, robbery and other attacks on
motorists, the rail project , when completed
will also address the incidents of road
mishaps which have sent thousands of
Nigerians to early graves. It is also expected
to address the menace of gridlocks in major
cities, as one significant feature of the project
is that rail lines will be extended to seaports
across the country, from where trucks laden
with containers will ply ,thereby bringing to
an end, the nightmare of containers falling
off trucks and landing on unsuspecting road
users as witnessed several times in Lagos
State.
A vivid instance was two weeks ago, at
Ilasamaja, along the Oshodi- Apapa
expressway, Lagos, where an empty container
which fell off its truck, landed on the motor
boy, in his attempt to jump out of the truck.
The Minister of Transport has repeatedly
emphasized that the only viable solution to
end the gridlock along the Apapa- Oshodi
expressway, orchestrated by the total take
over of the major expressway which leads to
the nation’s number one sea port, was an
efficient rail line along that corridor.
Speaking during one of the meetings
between the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo
and stakeholders, on ways to proffer a lasting
solution to the traffic situation in Lagos,
particularly the Oshodi Apapa expressway,
Ameachi, said, “the problem at the Lagos
seaports is not clearing. This is because goods
are cleared on time. The problem is movement
of those goods out of the port.
“Part of the solution to Lagos seaport is an
efficient rail line. You can argue that the
narrow gauge is there but it is not efficient.
The moment we fix this, those goods will be
transferred to the rail and the logjam will
disappear”.
On how this will be possible, he said that
the Lagos-Ibadan rail line would be extended
to the port once the Iju section in Lagos was
completed, assuring that once that was done,
he would push them to go to the seaport.
Challenges
As the federal government tries to emplace
a rail system in the country, the already
established ones are begging for more
coaches to take the number of passengers who
throng the stations daily.
As part of measures to address the situation
which leaves the stations crowded , Amechi
said plans were under way to move two
additional coaches from the Itakpe Warri
railway corridor to decongest the mounting
pressure on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.
He also admitted during an inspection of
the Lagos-Ibadan rail line, to being aware of
the ongoing racketeering at the Idu and
Rigasa stations where coaches that usually
took 200 passengers now carried 500 persons.
About this he said: “We also discovered that
some people will buy tickets and resell to the
public. Even if you put policemen there, that
won’t solve the problem. The queue is because
the coaches are not enough; people are
standing. The reason for which we bought
those coaches was for people to sit down. So,
I have directed that they should move two
coaches from Itakpe-Warri to Abuja-Kaduna.”
A major significance of railway, is its
economy advantage such as creation of jobs.
At the Lagos-Ibadan railway for instance ,
thousands of Nigerians have gained
employment since it was established.
It has also reduced poverty level in some
homes as food vendors and other petty traders
who attend to the daily yearnings of
passengers and workers at the station have
means of feeding their families.
Commenting on the economic advantage
of rails, Amaechi said, “with the coming
of the rail, there is bound to be improved
economy for those around the rail stations
as there will be food vendors, shop operators
at the train stations, motor parks to offer
connecting road transport service for train
passengers, as well as opening up several
other business corridors in the Nigerian
economy.
And if the promise of the Minister of
transportation, that his commitment to the full
takeoff of rail transportation in Nigeria is
aimed at making life easier and better for
Nigerians, is anything to go by, then,
Nigerians, irrespective of their status in the
society, will one day look back to this
administration, with gratitude and smiles of
satisfaction on their faces.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—15
We lost so
much money in
Zamfara – APC
I lost count of money we spent, says former governor-elect
By Nasir Muhammad Gusau
When the political fire of 1999
started crackling as Nigeria
returned to Democratic
dispensation, Zamfara State was only two
years old. The battle for governorship seat
was fought by only two major strong
contenders, Alhaji Ahmad Sani Yariman
Bakura and Ambassador Muhammad Z.
Anka.
The former contested under the platform
of All People’s Party (APP) while the latter
contested under the umbrella of People
Democratic Party (PDP)
Yariman Bakura who was strongly
supported by the masses eventually
defeated the elites candidate MZ Anka
and he ruled the state for eight years
before handing over to his Deputy, Alhaji
Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi.
Shortly after assuming the mantle of
leadership in 2007, Shinkafi cross
carpeted to People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) as a result of internal strife between
him and his political god father, Alhaji
Sani Yariman Bakura.
In 2011 Yarima engaged Shinkafi in
fierce political battle after anointing his
other political god son, Abdul’aziz Yari
Abubakar who was then a member House
of Representatives.
However, Yarima wrestled power from
PDP after he eventually defeated the
incumbent governor and installed Yari
under the defunct All Nigeria People’s
Party ANPP.
Yari on the other hand, came back to
win election for the second time and
consequently ruled the state for eight
years at the stretch.
Unlike Yarima, who appeared a
compassionate governor, Yari ruled the
state with an iron fist. His administration
was marred with high handedness,
retrenchment of civil servants, and above
all insecurity.
Towards the end of his tenure, he faced
many enemies within the party. He
frequently fought with some top notch
party members, particularly Senator
Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara
central over issues of insecurity.
Yari’s decision to pick his commissioner
of finance Alhaji Mukhtar Idris Gusau to
contest for governorship seat during just
concluded 2019 general elections and
abandoned bigwig politicians including
his loyal Deputy, Malam Ibrahim
Muhammad Wakkala could be seen as
contributing to both the remote and
immediate factors that led to the APC
woes in the state.
In an effort to challenge Yari’s excesses
the aggrieved party members, united and
formed what is called Group of Eight,
popularly known as G8.
The political fiasco between the
factions, was so fierce to the extent that
the party could not even conduct
primaries within the stipulated time.
But Yari, desperately went and
secured a court injunction at
the State higher Court that
primaries were
conducted in state.
The group
appealed the
decision of the
higher Court to
Appeal Court
Sokoto division
where it upheld that
primaries were not
conducted.
However, in
reaction to Appeal
Court judgement,
Abdul’aziz Yari
surreptitiously, ran
to the Supreme
Court but it eventually passed its
judgement on 24 May 2019, voiding all
votes cast for APC in the 2019 general
elections in the state and declared that
the second party with the highest votes
and which had required spread votes as
the winner of the election.
Therefore, the Independent National
Electoral Commission, declared People’s
Democratic party PDP candidates as
winner of Zamfara 2019 general
elections.
Different narratives gathered by
Saturday Vanguard revealed that
members of the APC have spent colossal
amount of money, resources and energy
during the saga.
When he was asked to react on the
calamitous situation, APC gubernatorial
candidate who was purportedly declared
winner by INEC before the Supreme Court
Judgement, Alhaji Mukhtar Idris Gusau,
stated that, he had lost count of the total
amount spent during the campaigns. But he
admitted that the money was enormous.
He described the situation as wretched, fatal,
disastrous and extremely unfortunate.
Adding that, they have done everything
possible to ensure that APC continued to
rule the state.
Gusau maintained that he believed in
the Islamic injunction that what will be
will be and therefore, Allah the most
powerful and all knower already planned
OYO: The tasks before the oil magnate
By Ola Ajayi
FTER losing serially in previous
A elections, Engineer Abiodun Seyi
Makinde, the governorship candidate of
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the
March 9 election recorded an overwhelming
victory against his All Progressives
Congress, APC, counterpart, Chief Adebayo
Adelabu.
His victory at the poll did not come as a
surprise to many residents in the state.
Engineer Seyi Makinde, born at Aigbofa
Compound on 25th December, 1967
in Oja’ba, Ibadan, who is popularly called
‘Omi titun’ (fresh water) has paid his dues
in the politics of the state. Though, some
negligible number of people may see him
as a green horn in politics; careful reflection
on his past efforts at clinching the
most coveted seat in the state, would surely
indicate that at every loss he suffered
before his eventual victory, he was preparing
himself for the office.
Unlike other politicians who would like
to start from the cradle, he refused to join
the bandwagon. He knew exactly what he
wanted and he pursed it with vigour. A
very close associate of the new governor
once told Vanguard that he was offered a
senatorial ticket sometime in 2015 but he
politely declined it.
Like most politicians, he had joined and
decamped from parties that did not share
his gubernatorial vision. He was in the All
Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP with Senator
Abiola Ajimobi, PDP and later Social
Democratic Party, SDP from where he rejoined
the PDP.
After the former Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland,
late Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao,
no other person in the Pacesetter State can
rub shoulder with Engr Makinde when it
comes to his philanthropic gestures. This
singular virtue has endeared him to thousands
of eligible voters in the state. An
impeccable source told Vanguard that he
spent billions of naira in his failed attempt
to govern the state in 2015.
When campaign for the election started,
he showed to everyone that he meant
business this time around. Unlike other
candidates, he made available all logistics
for his loyalists.
Education
After his secondary education at Bishop
Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan, he
gained admission to the University of Lagos
in he was enrolled to Bishop Phillips
Academy, Monatan, Ibadan for his secondary
education. After his secondary
school education, he gained admission in
1985 to the University of Lagos where he
studied Electrical Engineering.
After his compulsory NYSC scheme
with Shell Petroleum Development Company
Nigeria, he was employed as a pupil
engineer and later rose to the position
of a field Manager at Rebold International
Limited.
Having assumed, people of the state
expect much from him. It is no doubt that
former Governor Abiola Ajimobi had
raised the bar of governance in the state
•Alhaji Mukhtar
Idris Gusau
and destined this to happen the way it has
happened.
Anas Hamisu, Zamfara state House of
Assembly candidate under the platform of
APC, explained that, they have suffered a lot
and that so much energy and resources have
been wasted.
He pointed out that what happened to them
in Zamfara was unfortunate and they now
have no option than to pray Allah to give
winners the wisdom to move the state forward.
In his own reaction, the former speaker,
Zamfara State House of Assembly and APC
House of Representative candidate, Alhaji
Sanusi Garba Rikiji, said that he was not
disturbed about what transpired in the state.
He said that they did well for APC but
enemies of the party truncated their efforts.
and for anyone who wants to succeed him,
much is required from him.
Tasks before Makinde
The challenges before the new governor
are enormous. Since he secured victory
with the help of the coalition, pressure
will be much on him to ‘pay back’.
Already, some people are beginning to
grumble about the sharing formula of
political offices.
A source, who spoke with Vanguard,
said they are waiting to see the first four
appointments of the new governor. The
person who is from one of the parties that
teamed up to defeat APC noted with concern
that some people already have their
claws on Engr Makinde and he may find
it difficult to free himself from them because
they believe that without their cooperation,
he would not have become the
governor of the state.
The politician who preferred anonymity
said a senator who is close to the new
governor appears to be dictating too
much to the chagrin of others.

16—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
SECOND TERM: What Okowa must do
urgently in Delta – Mudiada-Odje
By Festus Ahon
TWO prominent Deltans, Dr Akpo
Mudiaga-Odje and Chief Sunny
Onuesoke, have said the state made
giant strides in the last 20 years of democracy
but a lot still needed to be done to improve on
the fortunes of the people of the state.
Dr Akpo Mudiaga-Odje, a human rights
activist and legal practitioner, said:
“Delta State needs unity. We need
to change our primordial aspirations
along ethnic lines and harness the
diversity of potentials given to us by
God.
“Delta has 75 percent of oil and gas
onshore and 25 percent offshore.
These natural endowments need to
be explored with circumspect and
quintessence. So, we as Deltans
need to change our fixated mindset
towards one another and be our
brother’s keeper for us to properly
develop.”
On his part, Chief Sunny
Onuesoke said: “So far so good.
Delta State has made giant strides
in 20 years of democratic experience
beginning from 1999 when
democracy returned to Nigeria.
Although, it is not yet Eldorado one
can attest to the fact that 20 years
after, we are not where we used to be. We have
taken a leap 20 times from where we were
when democracy returned.
“Our democratic experience has been a
story of progress to progress, starting from the
tenure of Chief Jame Onanefe Ibori, 1999-
2017, Delta State has witnessed what can only
By Emmanuel Unah
CALABAR- Professor Ben Ayade,
governor of Cross River State is an
enigma. He is a man of many
feathers: a politician, academic, businessman
and an environmentalist. He holds a Ph.D and
also LLB in Law. His name did not ring a bell
in Cross River State politics until 2007 when
from the blues he took a shot at the Senate
post for the Northern Senatorial district of the
state. He pulled so much stunt in the build
up to the primaries for that contest which
prompted then Governor, Mr Donald Duke
to intervene and save Senator Greg Ngaji,
be described as developmental revolution in
all spheres of life, specifically in education
and infrastructural development. Governor
Ibori through his development master plan
brought about total transformation of the three
senatorial district across the state.
“The endearing legacies of the
Odidigboigbo of Africa, in transforming the
social, political and economic landscape of
Delta state is second to none
among his peers as governors
in the period 1999 – 2007, with
giant strides in education,
infrastructure and human
empowerment which
traversed the length and
breadth of Delta State.
“Building on the success
story of the Ibori
administration, Dr Emmanuel
Uduaghan consolidated the
developmental strides of his
predecessor through his threepoint
agenda of peace and
security, human capital
development and
infrastructural development,
which became the policy thrust
of his government.
“Government is a continuum;
hence what we are seeing today
in terms of developmental
strides since the return of democracy is
continuity in government policies which is a
hallmark of democratic practice. Governor
Ifeanyi Okowa haven taken over the mantle
of leadership has gone beyond the status quo
in the overall social economic growth of the
state through the strategic implementation of
his SMART AGENDA, prosperity for all
Deltans mantra.
“The Okowa government has seen huge
investment in human capital development,
infrastructural development and education.
Through the STEP and YAGEP initiatives, the
Delta State government has created over
20,000 jobs for young men and women
through the wealth creation office. With
over 350 roads constructed and other
infrastructural development taking place
simultaneously, Deltans are indeed
grateful for the return of democracy, for
it has never been this good for the state
before these past 20 years of democratic
sojourn.
What must be change
“The drivers of the biggest economy in the
world is the private sector and I think this is
where we are lacking as a state. The level of
private sector collaboration in our state is
virtually at the point of zero if not negative.
The failure of the private sector to key into
government policies and effort is a major
reason why we are still at where we are today.
“Reaching our full potential as a state
requires the collaborative participation of both
the private and public sectors in major
government policies. To tackle the youth
employment challenges, governments have
put in place a range of different interventions
such as STEP and YAGEP and yet not fully
reaping the fruit it was intended to produce
due to lack of private sector collaboration.
“But at this level, we have not been able to
fully engage the private sector to key into or
fully embrace these intervention, hence the
minimal result we are getting from these
CROSS RIVER: Will Ayade
sustain momentum?
occupant of that post at the time from being
displaced.
From then he became a force to be reckoned
with in the state particularly in Obudu, his
local government of origin where he was able
hoist office holders like council chairmen,
councilors and other political office holders
When in 2011 he threw his hat into the ring to
contest for the senate slot, it was an easy ride
and he won landslide.
During his four years in the Senate he
attracted quite a number of projects to the state
including personal projects like award of
scholarships, rehabilitation of roads, building
of palaces for the kings in his district and
empowerment of youths. These alongside
with the numerous bills he presented on the
floor of the Senate made him the obvious
choice for the state number one position in
2015 as Senator Liyel Imoke was rounding
off his tenure.
These sterling qualities may have prompted
Imoke to overreach other political associates
and aides who jostled for the post and made
him his successor judging from the opinion
of the people and supported him to become
governor in 2015
On assumption of office he initiated projects
OSUN: The three-horse race for the speakership
By Gbenga Olarinoye
The issue of who becomes the
next speaker of Osun State House of
Assembly is now in the front burner in the state
and is generating debate among members of
the public and the All Progressives Congress,
APC, that has the majority in the coming
assembly.
The speakership position will likely go to one
of the three members that are returning to the
assembly. Only Olatunji Babatunde ‘Lekan(Ife
North constituency), Timothy Owoeye (Ilesha
East constituency) and Babatunde Festus
Komolafe (Atakunmosa East/West
constituency) are returning out of the 23 APC
members. The Peoples Democratic Party, has
three memebrs.
From all indications, it is, however, very clear
that Ife/Ijesa which is in Osun East Senatorial
district will produce the next speaker because
the incumbent governor is from Osun Central
and his vice hails from the West. The battle for
the position is mainly between Owoeye and
Olatunji.
Delta state is
second to none
among his peers
as governors in the
period 1999 – 2007,
with giant strides
in education,
infrastructure and
human
empowerment
The APC, being the party with the majority,
has a fourth timer who is the most senior and a
second timer who some people believe is
competent to lead the assembly.
However, Owoeye, who is the present leader
of the House, is likely to emerge considering
the seniority and interest of the former governor,
Rauf Aregbesola, who also hails from Ilesa, the
constituency Owoeye represents. Owoeye is
retuning for the fourth term in the next
dispensation and this has been the reason
some people say that he is qualified to occupy
the seat being the most senior legislator.
But some political gladiators have kicked
against the agitation that seniority should be
considered for a position that is likely to have a
profound effect on the success of the governor.
Those agitating for Olatunji believe that he is
vibrant and talented.
Former governor Aregbesola still has grip of
the party in the state and it would be too early
for Governor Gboyega Oyetola to start having
issues with him.
However, a social political group “Ife
which he called “Signature Projects” meant
to fast track the development of the state.
These projects include 250 kilometre
Superhighway, Bakassi Deep Sea Port, Rice
City, Cocoa Processing Factory Garment
Factory and many others for which he has
visited countries like Sweden, Germany,
Ireland, United Kingdom, China, India and
United States seek for investors and has in
the process signed Memorandum of
Understanding, MOU, with companies and
individuals to raise the needed investment
and leverage to actualize.
The construction of 250 kilometre super
highway linking the new sea port at Bakassi
in the southern part of the state to the northern
part of the state has since started haven
overcome initial obstacles from the Federal
Ministry of Environment which insisted on
Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA,
report before it is started.
The Garment Factory has since been
completed and is currently employing about
one thousand women, particularly widows
completed while the Rice Mill, Cocoa
Processing factory, Calachica, are soon to be
commissioned.
The area the governor has won the loudest
Advancement Agenda” warned
the leadership of APC in the state to
resist the pressure to further alienate
Ife Federal Constituency in the
distribution of political offices.
The group, in a statement by its
convener, David Awotipe, made
specific request for the post of
Speaker of the House of Assembly
to be given to Ife Federal
Constituency to douse the rising
discontent in the ranks of the
ruling party in Ife Federal Constituency.
The statement read: “It is of concern to
us in Ife Federal Constituency that some
people would still be clamouring for the
post of Speaker of the next House of
Assembly, even when that position seems
the last available that should ordinarily be
given to a strategic political enclave like Ife
Federal Constituency.
“In the last general elections, Ife federal
Constituency out of respect for APC rotation
policy, did not field candidate for Ife/Ijesa
•Owoeye
interventions. We need a more vibrant, well
developed and purposed driven private sector
in Delta state to further cement and
consolidate government effort in bringing
about the 100 percent transformation of Delta
Sate, in order to be in comparison with other
states in the federation like Lagos, for
example.
“There is need for a conventional and
potentially viable source of revenue for the
state government, which will be far from oil.
The state is currently benefiting from the 13%
oil derivation proceed and hence should show
serious effort towards state economy
diversification, this can only happen when
there is cohesive synergy between the
government and the private sector.
“Government must begin to approach and
engage the private sector with more
commitment while the private sector must
begin to embrace government policies as a
tool for transforming the state. Only when this
is done can we say we are indeed getting
closer in our journey to Eldorado.”
ovation is the appointment of thousands of
youth into his cabinet and payment of salaries
of civil servants in the state. Soon after
assumption of office, he ordered for the
payment o the backlog of salaries of civil
servants which had accumulated for some
months during the era of his predecessor.
Subsequently, the workers get alert for their
salaries between the 15 th and 20 th of each
month which culminated in his being award
the “Most Labour Friendly Governor” by the
Nigeria Labour Congress NLC in the state
‘My choice of signature projects and actions
are based on the understanding of Cross River
State as a land enormously blessed that has
been tottering for so long which we have to
make a break from the past and articulate our
role in the world through a realisable
business model by reducing all those high
sounding terminologies to simple basic
processes for development,” Ayade often says
He said he sought for elective office to
improve lives and has the energy and verve
to transform the creative ideas he has
accumulated over the years and ensure he
adds value to the lives of the people of the
state and as well develop infrastructure.
His re-election was a forgone conclusion
years before the recent general election. His
appointment of over 7,000 aides served as the
mainstay of his campaign. Many of them, to
retain their jobs, were willing to sacrifice
anything to see him back to office.
The key question now is will the next four
years be as eventful as the past four in the
state? Many are watching.
•Olatunji
Senatorial election. Politically, the Ife federal
constituency has always proved it’s penchant
for progressive politics with it’s unwavering
support for the ruling party as attested in the
last Governorship election and recent House
of Assembly election in the state.
The IAA stressed further that,” Ife Federal
Constituency have quality lawmakers, that
combine length of service and cognate
experience in lawmaking and management
that could fill the position of Speaker of Osun
House of Assembly.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 — 17
•Continues from page 18

18 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Ozokwor: Beyond
playing wicked
roles in movies
•Continued from page 17
continued to endear her to her trimming
fans scattered all over the world.
With no scandal hanging around her neck,
in an industry where it thrives like buying
and selling, it goes without saying that
Mama G is a true queen mother of the big
screen in Nigeria. Many know that the
screen idol has carved out a niche for
herself in the industry, and since making
her acting debut, she has not disappeared
into thin air for one day. Her openness and
non-discriminate attitude towards the
disadvantaged aspiring and young acts are
part of the qualities that stand her out
among her contemporaries.
Like the proverbial golden fish, Mama G
has no hiding place as she's involved in so
many things to put body and soul together.
Few years back, she tried her hand at
music when she released an album which
was a hit at a time. The album contained
songs such as 'Ihe Neme N’uwa, 'Iyo Ngwo
Ngwo', 'Adaeze', 'Make We Jolly' and
'National Moi Moi.' But unfortunately, like
other failed actors-turned- musicians,
including Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola
Jalade-Ekeinde, Tonto Dikeh, Cossy
Orjiakor among others, Mama G could not
sustain her foray into music. But that does
not mean that she has not excelled in other
areas of life. In fact, the most important
thing that is currently happening to her life
is her new found faith. Since she gave her
life to Christ, and has been passionate
about her new life after she was ordained
as an Evangelist, Mama G has been busy,
going about preaching in various churches
•Mama G
and crusades on her life changing
encounter with the Lord.
Notwithstanding this
development, it's believed not to
be the beginning of the end of
Mama G's acting career. There are
indications that her new found
faith may in a way obstruct her
chances of accepting to play her
usual infamous roles in movies.
But then, it's rare for 'a leopard to
change its spots.'
I married my best
friend, Mabel Oboh
confesses
...as she holds quiet court wedding
By BENJAMIN NJOKU
Seasoned actress and broadcaster,Mabel Oboh has
revealed how she met her husband, Michael Udoh,
saying they have been long standing friends.
The beautiful actress made the revelation on Thursday
after she held a quiet court wedding with her new beau, in
Lagos. The couple signed on the dotted line in Eti Osa
West marriage registry, in the midst of selected family
members and friends.
Among them were the bride's brother, Mighty Mouse,
popular ghetto singer, Baba Fyro, ailing rapper, Olusegun
Osaniyi, popularly known as Lord of Ajasa and his wife, marriage
registry, Ayesa Kehinde among other dignitaries.
In a brief chat with NollyNow, Mabel, now Mrs. Udoh described the
day as one of the most eventful moments in life. She confessed that
she was never expecting it, even though they have been long
standing friends. Her words: “Today is one of the most eventful
moments n my life, a day I actually never expected to happen. We
have been friends for quite a long time.”
“He's someone that has always been there for me. He has been on
the background. If I have a need to talk to someone, he 's always the
person I run back to. He knows when I am happy and when I am
not in a good mood.”
“So he has been my best friend for a very long time. I would have
happy if it will remain like that. I think it's very unusual for you to
have somebody that you always run back to when you have
problems,” Mabel said with excitement.
The new bride, however, revealed that in few days time, they would
be jetting out of the country for their honeymoon in Dubai. She also
hinted that their
church wedding will
hold before the end of
the year. Meanwhile,
after the court
wedding, the couple
were hosted by the
bride's brother, former
boxing champion,
Peter Oboh, at their
hotel, in Apapa. The
eldest daughter out of
10 children, Mabel is
the founder of Mabel
Oboh Centre for Save
Our Stars, an NGO
that caters for the
health of the lessprivileged
Nigerian
entertainers.
DStv, GOtv
out with new
channels for
kids
•Martin
Mabutho
In an effort to reach more
children, PBS Distribution
has partnered with
MultiChoice Africa to bring PBS
KIDS’ high-quality educational
children’s content to the DStv
and GOtv platforms available in
all of sub-Saharan Africa.
Viewers have started enjoying
Pinkalicious and Peterrific,
Arthur and other well-known
PBS KIDS series on DStv
channel 313 and GOtv channel
65 since last Wednesday.
“MultiChoice is
always open to
exploring ways to
expand our customer
offering, adding a
children’s channel that
is not only entertaining
but also experiential
and educational adds
value to our DStv and
GOtv packages,” says
Martin Mabutho, Chief
Customer Officer, MultiChoice
Nigeria.
Andrea Downing, Co-President
of PBS Distribution, said: “We
are excited to offer this new
audience the opportunities that
PBS KIDS content offers. PBS
KIDS is the number one
educational media brand for
kids, offering children the
opportunity to explore new ideas
and new worlds. DStv and GOtv
are inviting parents and children
to experience this trusted content
that helps children learn and
grow.”
Among the series included in
the channel are Pinkalicious
andPeterrific, Arthur as well as
WordWorld. Pinkalicious and
Peterrific is based on the beloved
book series by Victoria Kann. It
encourages children to engage in
self-expression and to explore the
arts, including music, dance, and
visual arts. Kids will be inspired
to get creative by Pinkalicious,
Peter, and their friends through
adventures in their neighborhood
of Pinkville. PBS KIDS will also
feature episodes from Postcards
from Buster, Peep and The Big
Wide World and Time Warp Trio.
Knockout:Wale Adenuga’s
Wap expresses gratitude
to audiences
Adenuga Jnr.
•Mabel Oboh and hubby
Wale Adenuga Productions,Wap, has
expressed gratitude to families across
the country for making its comedy
masterpiece, ‘Knockout’, maintain the first
position as the most-watched Nigerian movie
at the cinemas since when it was released, on
the 19th of April, 2019, till date.
According to Wale Adenuga Jnr., “We appreciate
every single person who has gone to see
the movie at the cinemas. Especially those who
have been so blown away that they have
recommended it to their families and friends.
Due to the on-going successful run at the
cinemas, we have already begun getting offers
from other distribution platforms; including
Video-on-Demand, In-Flight Entertainment,
foreign TV Channels, and others.”
He added, “Even before we started writing the
script, we had very clear objectives in addition
to creating a fun comedy experience. Some of
these objectives included; to tell an authentically-Nigerian
story, to impart knowledge through
entertainment, to showcase the beauty of Nigeria
and the integrity of Nigerian people, to
satirically point out some wrongs in the society
thus leading to self-assessment and voluntary
change, and more. We are pleased at the results
thus far as we have received several commendations
from audience members nationwide, as
well as from Government parastatals and
agencies.” The star-studded Knockout is fun for
the whole family, and is still available at cinemas
across Nigeria and Ghana.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—19
By Tolulope Abereoje
08134730794 (sms only)
tolulopeomotayo3179@gmail.com
I smell truckload
of ‘wahala’ coming
— Charly Boy
*Berates Federal
Government for opening
Fulani Radio station
VETERAN entertainer and activist,
Charles Oputa, better known as
Charly Boy has taken to Instagram to
publicly criticize the recent action of the
federal government to open a Fulani radio
station.
According to him, if former presidents
•Charly Boy
Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan
did not establish Oduduwa radio and Niger Delta radio respectively, he sees no reason for
the present administration to have a Fulani radio station. “OBJ was President for 8 years, he
did not set up Oduduwa radio. GEJ was President for 5 years, there was no Niger Delta
radio. Buhari, president, under 4 years has opened Fulani radio. Where do you think all of
this is heading to? My people, these people don enter our 18. Let’s all
adjust ourselves. I smell a truck load of wahala coming,” he wrote.
Recall that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, explained
that the Federal Government acquired an Amplitude Modulation radio
broadcast license in order to reach herdsmen across various locations
in the country as parts of measures to enhance nomadic education.
He added that the establishment of the radio frequency was to end
the perennial farmers-herders crises across the country.
Charly Boy is the convener of “Our Mumu Don Do Movement” and
has been very vocal about his criticism of actions and inaction of the
Nigerian government.
Toke Makinwa blows hot
at those condemning
cosmetic surgery
POPULAR OAP and entrepreneur,
Toke Makinwa, is once again in the
news and this time, she is taking on those
condemning women who go under the
knife to enhance their looks.
The media personality, who might be happy
with the results from her Brazilian Butt Lift
(BBL) surgery, took to her Instagram page to
slam critics of people who perform surgeries
to enhance their body features, making them
feel like they have gone against moral
standards and religious commandments.
“Who are you to tell a grown man/woman
what to do with their body? Why all the fuss?
If you believe in cosmetic surgery, by all
means. If you don’t, that is okay too. Stop trying
to condemn those who do. Live and let others
live too,” she blurted.
This is coming few days after actor, Richard
Mofe-Damijo (RMD) kicked against the act
of enhancing one’s looks with surgery. The
veteran thespian stated that a woman who is
truly secure would not go under the knife to
get validation from others, hinting that it does
not give true happiness.
Although Makinwa did not directly speak to the actor, it appears
that she is alluding to the actor’s submission on the matter.
Davido’s daughter,
Imade launches
new hair care line
NIGERIAN superstar artiste,
Davido’s first daughter, Imade
Adeleke, is set to be a boss, as she is set to
start building her empire with an organic
hair care product called ‘Aurora by Imade’.
The four-year-old who is obviously
following in the footsteps of her billionaire
business magnate grandfather on Wednesday
29th of May, 2019, launched her hair line at Bay
Lounge, Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
As expected, her parents, Davido and Sophia
are excited to go into this wonderful journey
with her as they showed their full support for
their young daughter.
Her hair care line which is made up of most
of the hair products ladies use includes
shampoo, conditioner, detangling spray, hair
butter, Argan hair repair oil, flaxseed gel,
styling gel, leave-in conditioner, and hair
mask.
Veteran Nollywood actor,
Jide Kosoko welcomes
another grandchild
THE arrival of a child is always greeted with joy and
celebration and it was no different in the case of
Nollywood actress, Bidemi Kosoko, daughter of veteran actor,
Prince Jide Kosoko who made her father a new grandfather as
she welcomes her first child with her fiancé in Lagos on May
27th, 2019.
Bidemi who held her marriage introduction ceremony in
December 2018, welcomed a baby boy with her partner on
Children’s Day, to the joy of fans and the colleagues in the
industry, as well as well
wishers who took to
social media to share
the good news.
The new mother took
to her Instagram page to
also announce the birth
of her new born with
baby bump photos, and
thank God for the gift of
a child.
“All thanks to God
Almighty, all I want to
say is thank you Lord for
the special gift.
Oluwaseun. My prince
is here,” she wrote.
Recall that Bidemi’s
elder sister, Sola
Kosoko, also welcomed
her second child five
years after her first
daughter last month and
this new addition is no
doubt a continuation of
the celebration in the
*Bidemi Kosoko
Kosoko clan.
Nollywood screen goddesses reunite at Genevieve Nnaji’s 40th birthday
*Imade Adeleke
Singer, Adekunle
Gold loses father
DEATH has laid its icy
hands on popular
Nigerian highlife
musician, Adekunle Kosoko,
popularly known as Adekunle
Gold’s father after a brief illness.
The singer’s father, Prince
Hakeem Adeyemi Kosoko, who
was recently appointed as the
Permanent Secretary of Education
District 4, died during the night
after suffering from an
undisclosed ailment on May 27,
2019.
Mr. Kosoko who was appointed
as the new permanent secretary
in December 2018, was flown
abroad recently due to the ailment
and his position had to be
temporarily filled by a
replacement. After spending over
a month at the hospital, he
returned to Nigeria and was
gradually recuperating but he
sadly lost the battle to death.
As at the time of filing this
report, Adekunle Gold is yet to
confirm or debunk the news of the
death of his father.
Mr. Kosoko is survived by his
wife, children, including
Adekunle Gold and family
members.
*Genevieve and friends
THE 40th birthday celebration of veteran actress, Genevieve Nnaji
last weekend wasn’t just a celebration of the actress but a
reunion of top Nollywood A-list actresses.
Over the weekend, they decided to have a reunion over one of the
biggest movie of the 2000s ‘GirlsCot’ which was produced in 2006 by
Sylvester Obadigie and they all showed up looking gorgeous.
Ini Edo, Rita Dominic and Uche Jombo that starred in the movie were
accompanied by Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Stephanie Linus as they all
showed up for the celebration of Genevieve’s ruby anniversary in a
quiet birthday bash and were captured having a good time and
celebrating many years of friendship, hard work and fame, and they all
excitedly took photos to commemorate the reunion.
Other celebrities present were superstar musician, DBanj, Nollywood
actress, Osas Ighodaro, Ojy Okpe and few close friends.
*Adekunle Kosoko

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Editcted by
AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215
onikoyi68@gmail.com
How my nude live video
with MC Galaxy affected
me —Etinosa
•Shares lessons from
her failed marriage
•Etinosa
By JULIET EBIRIM
Etinosa Idemudia
is a Nigerian
actress, social
media influencer,
film maker and
internet celebrity.
The beautiful
and playful
engineerturnedactress
became the
topic of social
m e d i a
discussion recently after a video of
her going fully naked on singer, MC
Galaxy’s Instagram live feed filtered
into the internet. In this interview,
Etinosa whose marriage to a
military personnel crashed due
to domestic violence shares her
lessons, challenges, mistakes,
love life and plans.
How has life been
generally?
Life has been filled with ups
and downs, challenges and
victories. Life has been good
to me. My life has been filled
with the grace of God and a
lot of miracles. My life is a
testimony, right from my birth
to my travails. And of course,
my present career has been
nothing but a miracle.
What are you working on at the
moment?
I’m actually working on two
projects at the moment. One is
‘Charlie Charlie’ by Charles
Uwagbai. The other is ‘Game Up’
directed by Okechukwu Oku aka
‘The Oracle’. ‘Charlie Charlie’ is an
action-comedy that seeks to create
awareness on immigration
malpractices, money laundering,
human trafficking and so on. “Game
up” is about a very notorious couple
who scam people for a living, until
they also ended up getting
scammed.
How would you sum up the
journey so far?
The journey has not been without
its challenges. I would say it has
been very fast, which is like a
miracle, like I said earlier. Every
journey is in stages, from the lows
•Etinosa
to the
highs,
probably
w i t h
s o m e
hiccups on
the way,
especially if
the journey is
in Nigeria,
with bad roads
(Laughs), you’ll
experience
gallops here and
there. I thank God
for grace and that
success is not a
destination. It is a
continuous journey
and my journey keeps
getting better and better. I wouldn’t
really say there’s been any setbacks,
I would say mostly lessons learnt.
In terms of challenges, pushing and
promoting a brand is not usually
very easy in Nigeria, because so
many parameters are set for you to
just fail. Unfortunately, bad news
and unfortunate events sell more
and are promoted more. Negativity
is given more push. Pushing a brand
can be really challenging, but with
the grace of God we are able to pull
through.
When did the big break come for
you?
That would definitely be the
release of my movie “The
Washerman” in August last year.
It completely changed my life. It
changed my career status and
promoted me so greatly. I would
say the release of “The
Washerman” did that magic for
me.
What has fame robbed you of?
Fame has robbed me of the chance
or the room to play and be myself
freely in public and even in private.
Because of fame, sometimes I want
to dance in a public place and my
friends will remind me to
“package”. Now I have to think
about how my actions would be
misconstrued and so I just respect
myself and not dance. Normally, I
like to be free, to play and interact
with people, even those I don’t know
from anywhere in a controlled
environment.
What’s the worst rumour you’ve
heard about yourself?
That would have to be me hearing
that when I was in the university, I
had series of abortions and I was like
Haaa! How?! (Laughs) Till now I
have never had an abortion. That
rumour was too crazy, because you
know “In every rumour, there’s an
atom of truth”. But there was no
atom of truth in that at all.
Sometimes, I sit down and ask
myself who sat down to construct
this kind of story. Some people are
jobless oo...
Any regrets?
I don’t have any regrets. I only
have lessons learned. I feel
everything that has happened to me
in life was destined to happen. They
were pre-arranged towards a
certain purpose. I don’t regret
anything. If I were to go back in time,
I don’t think I would change
anything. I would probably change
my bank account balance (Laughs).
What are lessons learnt from your
failed marriage?
Character, attitude, behaviour,
habits that come around to ruin a
marriage, don’t just come from
nowhere in a marriage. They’ve
always been there. We’ve always
known that this person was like this.
We all see the signs before we get
married, but I don’t know if it’s
pressure or the butterflies in the
tummy, that makes us overlook them
and be like “Let me just manage this
one”. You keep managing and then,
one day, you wake up and realise
that you are about to die, you can no
longer manage and you want to
leave. The lesson here is : You see
the traits in a person before getting
married to that person. You know
yourself, what you can take, what you
don’t want and what can kill you. If
you see those traits, it’s best to walk
away before it gets ugly, while
everybody is still in love and friendly
with each other. “Find your level/
square-root”! Don’t go and force
yourself when you’re seeing the bad
characters/things and ugly pictures
of that person and still believe you’ll
make it work. No, you’ll just kill
yourself or end up with a shattered
marriage. “A stitch in time saves
In every rumour,
there’s an atom
of truth”. But
there was no
atom of truth in
that at all
nine”.
My own
is, you walk out
in time saves your body.
Are you in talking terms with your
ex-husband?
No, I’m not in talking terms with
him.
Are you in a relationship at the
moment?
I’m dating at the moment. I won’t
call it a relationship, but yes, I’m
dating.
Regarding the controversial nude
live video with MC Galaxy, how
were you able to handle it and move
on from the scandal?
With the support of friends and
family, I put aside all the noise
around me and negative backlash
and I focused on my work.
Thankfully, I’m a very busy person,
I have a lot of things to keep me busy
and not things to remind me of who
I was, but who I am. Circumstances
around you should never ever define
you. Irrespective of what has
happened, I’m still who I am. I’m
still a great person, a star and a
content producer. So I focused on
doing just that, doing my work and
minding my business.
How did it affect you personally
and your career in general?
Emotionally, yes it affected me.
Psychologically, maybe, yes. It had
positive and negative effects, mostly
positive and I’m happy about that.
Do you still share a cordial
relationship with MC Galaxy?
May 2 nd was his birthday. We are
in touch and I wish him well. We are
good, we are friends. No bad blood.
Moving on, what’s next for you?
Like I said, Charlie Charlie is
going to be released in the cinemas
hopefully in September, so I’m
working very hard with Charles
Uwagbai to make sure this comes
through. I’m also working on my TV
series which has been on the downlow
as well. Also, there are a couple
of brands I represent and work with
closely right now for promotion and
that’s what is going to be taking most
of my time from here on.

By AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215
onikoyi68@gmail.com
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 — 21
Forbes’ Peace Hyde
show goes global
THE leading business talk show on the number
one business magazine platform, ‘Forbes
Africa My Worst Day with Peace Hyde, is set to
launch its third installment and this time, the
program has a lineup of powerhouse
business tycoons from the global business
world. The show which is renowned for
interviewing the African continents
billionaires and millionaires on their most
challenging day ever in business has
raised the bar by venturing into global
business world to assemble a league of
some of the richest and most successful
African American moguls.
Reprising her role as creator, producer
and host of the show that reaches some
60 million homes across 16 countries in
sub Saharan Africa, Peace Hyde is set
to take the award-winning show
global. Successful editions of the
show have been syndicated in
Ghana and South Africa drawing
in an enviable guest list of some of
the most powerful people in
African business.
Some of the guests on this line
up include, Eddie Brown, one of
the wealthiest philanthropists in
Baltimore and founder of Brown
Capital Management investment firm
with over $9 billion of assets under
management; Janice Bryant Howroyd,
founder and CEO of $925 million
ActOne, provider of workforce solutions including temporary staffing;
Cathy Hughes, media mogul and founder of TV One and Urban One
launched in partnership with Comcast with 53 stations across 16
markets and Bishop TD Jakes of TD jakes Enterprises to name a few.
The show has previously featured Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote
alongside other billionaire moguls like Africa’s second richest woman,
Folorunso Alakija, South African millionaire and Mayor of
Johannesburg Herman Mashaba, AFDB President Akinwumi Adesina
and Ghanaian millionaire moguls Paa Kwasi Nduom. The third season
of the show is sponsored by leading real estate company, Nedcomoaks.
Ariya Repete introduces Afro Pop
category as 2019 edition begins June 11
NIGERIA’s foremost talent
hunt competition for
indigenous Yoruba music is back
for yet another edition. The 2019
Edition of Ariya Repete was
announced on the 21st of May at
a media briefing hosted at the
Nigerian Breweries Headquarters
in Lagos.
The day, which also marked the
World cultural & diversity day,
provided the perfect incentive for
Goldberg Lager to unveil the
beloved talent hunt competition.
Moderated by leading on-air
personality - Adebayo Faleke, the
panelists included veterans like
Dr Saheed Osupa, Sir Shina
Peters, Yinka Davis, President of
FUMAN, Alhaji Sikiru Agboola
as well as Tolu Obey,
who is a PMAN
executive and the son of
Legendary Juju artist,
Ebenezer Obey.
The new generation
was ably represented by
the likes of Sound
Sultan and renowned
music producer ID
Cabasa.
The panelists
discussed the evolution
of indigenous Yoruba
genres of music,
highlighting the roles
played by both the older
and younger generation
•Peace Hyde
of artists. The exciting roundtable
conversations was an eye opener
as the artists shared various
insights into the past and
potential future of the industry.
This year’s edition of Ariya
Repete is set to up the ante and
will be the first ever to be aired
on television with the aim to reach
an even wider audience. This is
particularly exciting for fans of
the show as the 2019 Ariya Repete
will be introducing an all-new
category tagged ‘Afro Pop’.
The introduction of Afro-Pop has
already got fans eagerly
anticipating the selection parties
which will be kicking off in
various cities across western
Nigeria on the 11th of June.
Top celebs grace
Wanneka hair
line launch
NIGERIAN hair mogul Nwanneka
Nkuma popularly known as
Mizwanneka launched her new hair
line called Wanneka Super Pack Hair
on the 26th of May, at the Oriental
Hotel Lagos. It was indeed a night of
class and glamour as the theme was,
which had Nigerian favourite celebrities
in attendance. Some of the celebrities
in attendance were Lilian Esoro, Tolu
Bally, Alex Amuche popularly called
Alexunusual, Okuneye Idris properly
known as Bobrisky, Mabel Makun
popularly known as Midasinterior,
Olawunmi Bamike popularly known as
Bambam, Shaffy Bello, amongst others.
Denrele Edun who hosted the red
carpet was not only full of life but also
made sure to thrill the guests on the
red carpet. Nancy Isime and Jimmie
who were the hosts for the night spiced
up the event with their impeccable
hosting skills and dance steps.
Mizwanneka brought her A game to the
L-R- Gladys, Damilola Adegbite, Uriel, Linda Osifo,
Mike Ezeruonye, Nikkyu, Uche Ogbodo, Wofai Fada,
Mabel Makun; D.L - Jimmie; D.R - Nancy Isime
THE Gulder Red Night
Party Series has been a
spectacle ride so far and with
a stop in Onitsha on the 26th
of May, the thrill continued.
Staying consistent in its
mission to inspire Nigerians to
own their journey and have a
grand time doing it, Gulder
welcomed fans and lovers of
the brand in style at Shoprite
in Onitsha.
The Red Night Party started
with a wild electric energy
leaving nobody in doubt as to
what the tempo of the event
was going to be. The party
presented itself as a celebration
of the force that drives Nigerians
to do great things.
Charged with maintaining the
vibe of the party was the energy
god himself Do2dtun and he did
not disappoint as he kept the
attendees in full blown party
mode throughout. There was also
a full host of games and other
entertaining activities to keep
fans on their toes and wanting
every exciting minute to last
even longer.
Eastern favourite, Mr Raw
*L-R - Wanneka & her
Husband, My Nkumah
event as she stepped out in 3
different outfits styled by Swanky
Jerry, Medllinboss and Tolubally.
She is a definition of Class and
Glam as she made a grand
entrance.
Speaking on the goal of the new
hair line, Mizwanneka stated that
the Wanneka Super Pack Hair will
provide affordable and available
hair products to everyone, location
wont be a barrier.
YOLO crooner, Seyishay and
Tclassic thrilled the guests to their
beautiful songs. The GGB dance
crew also entertained the guests
with energetic dance steps.
The launch and unveiling which
was conducted by the hosts
amassed a total sum of 5.7million
niara.
‘Guilder Red Night Party’ rocks Onitsha with
Reekado Banks, Mr Raw, others
Gulder Red Night Party at Onitsha
graced the event with his presence.
No one would have thought the
buzz at the event could be taken
any higher but indeed, it was taken
up a notch when Mr Raw, one of
Nigeria’s most sought after Igbo
rappers performed hit tracks like
“Strong and Mighty”, “Sunset At
Dawn”, “Abia Anthem”, “Forget
Swagger” and most recent hit
single “Obo Bu Igwe”.
The party was in full roar when
popular music artiste, Reekado
Banks took to the stage gifting fans
an exciting performance. With just
a few moments into the
performance, shoprite was in an
energetic frenzy. The exhilaration
was obvious on the faces of
everyone present despite the
heavy downpour. It was truly
something to see as fans sang
along to their favourites
including “Like”, “Easy
(Jeje)”, “Kiss me” and his latest
hit “Yawa”. The fans in
Onitsha were genuinely
elated as they sang and
danced along.
The Red Night Party is an
initiative of Gulder in line with
the brand’s charge to inspire
Nigerians to Own Their
Journeys and bravely pursue
their goals,, creating unique
and fascinating stories of
triumph along the way.

22 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
30th
coronation onation anniver
ersar
sary of Osile Oke-Ona
The entire Ogun
State and
Abeokuta in
particularly was at
standstill when the Osile
of Oke-Ona, Egba, Oba
Adedapo Tejuoso
celebrated his 30 th year
on the throne of his
ancestors. It was an
occasion that saw the
glory of Yoruba land
traditional institution
descending on the
historic town as other
prominent Yoruba
monarchs came calling
to honour the celebrant.
Photos by Wumi
Akinola
L-R: Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle; Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba
Adewale Ajayi; Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; celebrant, Osile Oke-Ona,
Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso; Dep. Gov, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga;
Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Ggbadebo and clergymen.
From om Anambra with love
as Amaka hooks Emeka
Dr. Amaka Adaeze Cassandra, daughter of Sir
Innocent Okafor of Umuochiogu clan,
Obeagu village, in Anambra State and Dr.
Emeka Chukwunwike, son of Chief Patrick Maduka
of Umunri, Agbadana village, also in Anambra
consummated their romantic relationship in holy
matrimony on May 4, 2019 in Enugu.
The couple exchanged their nuptial vows at Our
Lady of Lourdes Parish, Maryland, Enugu while the
reception held at Admiral Resort.
The couple, Dr. Emeka Chukwunwike and Dr.
AmakaCassandra Maduka.
L-R: Oba Dapo Tejuoso and Iyalode of Egba land,
Iyalode Alaba Lawson.
L-R:Olori Omolara, Oba Dapo Tejuoso, Olori
Yetunde and Olori Olabisi Tejuoso.
Induction of Ton
ony Nted as member, , National
Speakers Association
THE presentation of certificate and induction of Comrade Anthony Emmanuel Nted as Professional
member of National Speakers Association, USA and the Global Speakers Federation, GSF, at the School
of Eloquence, Ikeja GRA, Lagos held recently.
The couple, with their parents, the Okafors and the
Madukas.
Comrade Anthony Emmanuel Nted (4th L), his wife,
Evra Nted (3L) and other members of his family.
L-R: Mr. Ubong Essian, Dean School of Eloquence;
Mrs Evra Nted, Comrade Anthony Emmanuel
Nted; Mr. Oluseyi Sowemimo, SAN, and Mrs Patience
Essien, Registrar of the School.
The coupleand the Dep. Gov.of Enugu State, Cecelia
Ezeilo
Comrade Emmanuel Anthony Nted (5L standing),
Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, President-General of
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, (6th L
standing ) and other leaders of the MWUN.
Comrade Anthony Emmanuel Nted and Comrade
Adewale Adeyanju, President General of Maritime
Workers Union of Nigeria
L-R: Onochie Anibeze, Vanguard’s Saturday Editor;
Adol Ezeilo and wife;bride’s mum, Mrs Ezeilo;
the couple; bride’s dad, Innocent Okeke; his wife,
Oby Okafor and Mrs Vivian Iworah.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—23
Lagos boosts family welfare with
compulsory health insurance
Recently, a group of stakeholders
from the National Institute for
Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, in
collaboration with the Development
Research and Project Centre (DRPC)
through Partnership for Advocacy in Child
and Family Health at Scale
(PACFaH@Scale) carried out a study tour
of health facilities in Lagos State.
They had one agenda—to evolve a
realistic and sustainable funding
arrangement for Universal Healthcare
Coverage.
They visited various institutions and had
interaction with key stakeholders and
heads of strategic institutions including the
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital,
LASUTH, and primary healthcare centres
in Palmgrove, Mushin and Lagos Island.
Their mission was clear and justified. The
Acting Director of Studies at the NIPSS, Dr.
Nasirudeen Usman, who led the
delegation remarked that the focus was on
how Nigeria can evolve the best funding
arrangement that can bring about
universal healthcare coverage in the
country.
It is an established fact that
participants in NIPSS
programmes are expected to
embark on national, continental
and intercontinental study tours
on critical issues to the country’s
development aspirations with a
view to making actionable
recommendations on best
practices.
It is also no secret that
Nigerians have not had it
smoothly in healthcare delivery
over the years particularly at the
primary healthcare level even as
the lack of a reliable referral
system has only complicated
matters.
Technical
advisor,
PACFaH@Scale, Dr. Stanley
Ukpai, said the study tour was
meant to help participants to find
out how to strengthen the
primary healthcare system to
achieve Universal Health
Coverage in the state. Through
the tour, the delegation obtained
useful feedback on challenges
and opportunities within the
primary healthcare system
towards realising the goal of
Universal Health Coverage for
the State.
In the views of Dr. Jide Idris,
technology would be the
stronghold of the scheme to ease
the application process for
enrollees. Idris who was the State
Commissioner for Health,
during the launch of the Scheme
in December 2018 by former
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode,
said a lot of awareness was being
created about enrolling people
into the scheme.
The law setting up the Lagos
health Scheme makes it
compulsory regardless of
financial or educational status.
Already, 120,000 persons have
enrolled, however, full
implementation would
commence as soon as the
bottlenecks are sorted out to
avoid pitfalls of the National
Health Insurance Scheme,
NHIS.
The Lagos State health
Scheme is one of a kind. To
avoid the pitfalls of the NHIS,
the Scheme is mandatory for
every resident in accordance
with global practice.
The Lagos health scheme
aims to provide financial
protection against illnesses
and attendant uncertainties
inherent in out-of-pocket
payment system. Besides
being projected to reduce
health issues or mortality rate
in the state by at least 10 per
cent, Ambode said it will
deliver significant economic
benefits to the state.
“Beyond ensuring a
healthy population, the
scheme will foster inclusion
and an increase in the
utilisation of hospital services,
thereby
creating
employment opportunities
for medical professionals.
This will definitely have an
impact on the economy of the
state,” Ambode stated.
The Scheme is specifically
established to meet the gaps
identified from existing
health insurance Schemes in
the country. The main pillars
of accessibility, equity,
quality and financial
protection were taken into
consideration when it was
being put together.
The Scheme came about
through a law enacted in
2015 that makes health
NHIS:A female Doctor attending to family health need
insurance mandatory for
every resident of the State.
The main objective was to
provide quality healthcare
services which is accessible
and affordable to the
residents of the State and in
so doing, reduce, if not
eliminate the financial
catastrophe that arises from
huge medical bills.
The Scheme covers
common ailments that make
people go to the hospital
and that can actually cause
financial burden.
Currently, what is being
pushed forward is a single
health benefit package plan
that cuts across at a
premium of N40,000 per
annum for a family of six,
The main objective
was to provide
quality healthcare
services which is
accessible and
affordable to the
residents of the
State and in so
doing, reduce, if not
eliminate the
financial
catastrophe that
arises from huge
medical bills
that is, the mother, father
and four children under the
age of 18 years.
Enrolling every additional
family member below 18
years attracts N6,000 per
person per year. However, if
the person is above 18 years,
it attracts additional
premium of N8,500 per
person yearly. For single
individuals, it is for N8, 500
per year, but this can be
upgraded any time after
marriage with additional
charges.
For employees in the state
public service, the state takes
care of 75 per cent of the
premium, while each civil
servant pays 25 per cent.
Obioma Obikeze, a
consultant for DRPC,
expressed concern over the
payment arrangement for
civil servants, stressing that
workers at the lowest rung of
the ladder will be
disadvantaged if every state
employee, irrespective of
status, pays 25 per cent
premium.
“We are also meeting the
key stakeholders in the
informal sector, which
constitutes about 65 percent
of the population because if
you don’t enroll these
people, this Scheme will fail.
We know the informal sector
constitutes a huge chunk of
the population, and that’s
where the real work is.
“We have mapping which
has details of everyone in the
informal sector. Luckily, we
have an agency of
government dealing with
them. We have met with the
various union executives,
and they have expressed
interest. We also need to
continuously reach out to them
through persuasion. Some of
them are already on one scheme
or the other, but whether that
scheme is better or not, it’s a
matter of them knowing what we
are offering,” Idris said.
And for the poor who genuinely
may not be able to afford the
premium, the state said an equity
fund has been set aside to cater
for them by subsidising the
premium 100 percent for the
vulnerable. “That is why the law
establishing it says a minimum of
one percent of the consolidated
revenue fund of the state will go
into a pool, which is an equity
fund basically to address people
who cannot afford to pay. That is
to guarantee a financial
protection for them. The
contribution of the poor will be
paid from that equity fund,” he
explained.
According to the Provost, Lagos
State University College of
Medicine (LASUCOM), Prof
Anthonia Ogbera, the Lagos
State health scheme would take
care of common adult and
childhood ailments, maternal and
child services, preventive
healthcare services, selected noncommunicable
diseases and
surgeries.
The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan
Akiolu, who was part of the
delegation, urged government to
improve budgetary allocation to
the health sector in line with
recommendations of the World
Health Organisation (WHO).
Although the failure of the
National health Insurance
Scheme, NHIS, has been largely
attributed to activities of Health
Management Organisations,
HMOs, Lagos State is still
utilising their services in belief
that they have vital role towards
overall success of the Scheme.
In the views of the Chief
Medical Director, Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital
LASUTH, Prof Adetokunbo
Fabamwo, 10 HMOs are to be
engaged, each assigned its
catchment areas.
“Registration is state-wide and
that is why we decided to allocate
HMOs to certain areas for ease of
capture. If an HMO is said to cover
Mushin for example, they will go
out there and capture all the
citizens of the area into the
scheme because the higher the
enrollees, the higher their
capitation fee.
“If you tell people in Mushin to
look for any HMO and join,
enrolment will be slow. For the
formal sector, we gave them a
choice of HMOs to choose, but for
informal sector, we allocated
HMOs to them so as to achieve
100 percent coverage,” he said.

24 —SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Westerhof inspecting the
three bedroom flat being
renovated for him at
Federal Housing Estate,
Gwagwalada.
From right, Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babat
Certificate of House to Former Super Eagle Coach, Cl
Representative of Minister of Sport , Mrs. Oremem
Presentation of Certificate in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga
CLEMEN
A new life with
•Speaks on Fashola, his Abuja
We were returning to Abuja
city from Gwagwalada
when, at a checkpoint,
the police stopped us and
asked us to park beside the road.
One of the policemen got closer to
the car, bent to stare steadily on the
occupants at the back seat. He
looked at the driver and turned his
eyes again on us. He stood erect and
shouted to his colleagues who were
checking on other vehicles few
metres away: “Come and see
Westerhof, yes, Westerhof. Come and
see Westerhof.
The officers left what they were
doing and came to us, hailing the
coach. “Westerhof, Westerhof,” they
shouted excitedly. Warm greetings
followed, and as we were driving off,
one of them said “But we must drink
Pure Water.” Facing me, the
policeman asked “we no go drink
water from Westerhof? I adjusted on
the seat, drew out a note and parted
with it. “Thank you coachee,” the
man said, apparently knowing that I
did that on behalf of the coach.
“Here, you must be nice to the
police, I’ve always known that,”
Westerhof quipped Monday evening,
few hours after the presentation of
the letter of allocation for a threebedroom
flat.
We had gone to inspect the house
at the Federal Housing Estate in
Gwagwalada. It was a house
promised each member of the Tunisia
’94 Eagles squad that won that
year’s Nations Cup for the country.
It was the second Nations Cup
trophy won by Nigeria, and the first
time the cup was won outside the
country.
Honourable Minister of Power,
Works and Housing, Raji Babatunde
Fashola, a sports enthusiast, made it
possible for the government to fulfill
the promise it made to the team 25
years ago.
Few minutes before the
presentation of the allocation letter,
Westerhof had met with Fashola in
his office. It was only then that
Fashola knew that many members of
the team were yet to receive their
allocations. I told him so. It was also
in Westerhof’s letter of acceptance.
Fashola expressed shock. He was
hearing that for the first time.
When, therefore, Shehu Diko,
NFF’s Vice President who
represented his President appealed to
the minister to revisit the case of
players who have not benefited from
the allocation, Fashola
made it clear that such
requests must be made
officially in a document.
Diko had read out the
names of those yet to receive
from a paper jotting. That
didn’t impress Fashola, and
he promptly made it clear,
although subtly. He said that
federations must not only be
concerned about preparations for
tournaments but also the welfare of
their teams and staff.
During his brief stay in Abuja,
Westerhof paid glowing tribute to
Fashola not only for ensuring the
Federal Government fulfilled the
promise made by Sani Abacha, but
also his contributions to sports
development and his performance as
Lagos State governor.
As we walked out of Fashola’s
office, Westerhof said “always a
sportsman,” referring to the
minister’s interest in sports. “Why
was he not governor when I was
here”, he asked?
At 79 Westerhof
still eloquently
discusses football
but his passion
appears more
pronounced in
discussing family
matters. That makes
him happier than
any other thing
now. His humour is
still alive, and he
entertains when he
cracks jokes on
family matters
especially his new
daughters, Lana
who is three, and
Kloe who is one.
“I lived and
worked in South
Africa and
Zimbabwe when I
left Nigeria. From
Zimbabwe, I took
the best of Africa,”
he said of his new wife, Lilian. They
have been married for ten years now
but they have been together for 15
years. “She is the best you can think
of, the best woman from Africa,”
Westerhof repeats all the time. He
has always had an eye for beauty
just as he has an eye for good
players. The wife is a black beauty, a
model.
He longed for a companion and he
got a beautiful one in the
Zimbabwean lady. He had hoped to
share the rest of his life with only
Lilian. But one day, according him,
they were chatting when Lilian
asked ‘what must happen when you
close your eyes and go to heaven?
Who will stay here with me?’. Lilian
wanted children and Westerhof said
to her, ‘you want me to have baby at
this my age? She said yes, and I said,
okay, we must go upstairs and see
how it goes. We go upstairs to begin
preparation. The result is that we
have two beautiful daughters today.
They make me happy. They are
babies, but they are gangsters,” he
joked.
Interestingly Westerhof repeated
this story during the presentation of
his letter of allocation, causing
everybody to burst into laughter as
he thanked Fashola, the Federal
Government, and Nigerians for the
house.
“In Holland, people ask me every
time about my house in Nigeria, the
house the government gave to me. I
tell them I have a house in Nigeria,
but someone else has the keys.”
Fashola and the rest in the new
Conference Hall of the Ministry
laughed hilariously. It was a full
house. The ministry’s directors and
top officials, the media and up to ten
NFF top officials including the
Secretary-General
Dr Sanusi and
spokesman
Demola Olajire.
Westerhof
continued: “But, I
tell you, I’m very
happy now that I
have the house. I
feel more
Nigerian than
before. This is my
second
fatherland, and
now I have a
house here. We
worked hard
when I was here
and throughout
my stay, we won
matches and
never lost at
home. We were
one family. We
took Nigerian
football from 79
in Fifa ranking to
number 5 in the world. When we
qualified for the World Cup, I wanted
to be in USA as African champion,
and we won in Tunisia and came to
the World Cup as African champion.
It is sad that some members of that
team are no more. It was shocking to
lose Keshi, Yekini, Oliha,
Agbonibavre, and Uche Okafor.
May their souls rest in peace”. The
hall chorused ‘amen.’
In Holland people
ask me every time
about my house in
Nigeria, the house
the government
gave to me. I tell
them I have a
house in Nigeria
but someone else
has the keys
HIS DAYS IN EAGLES
t different settings, Westerhof
Arecalled the past and
entertained with stories of the
Eagles. He recalled how he battled
poor administration in his first two
years before he stabilized few things.
Saturday Vanguard columnist, Dr.
Ugoji Egbujo was almost rolling on
the ground, laughing when he met
Westerhof. The Dutch recalled how
the team curator forgot match
jerseys, and they only discovered they
didn’t have jerseys for the game only
in the dressing room, few minutes to
kick off. Yekini advised that they cut
their tracksuits to shorts. They beat
Burkina Faso 7-1 in that match at
the National Stadium in Lagos. He
spoke about rats in NFA offices and
how he made T-Shirts from Holland
and inscribed ‘OK, NO PROBLEM’
on them. Officials always told him
not to worry as his complaints were
being addressed. But the problems
persisted. So, on return from one
vacation, he shared the T-Shirts as
gifts to many, including officials who
failed in their duties to solve the
problems.
The officials even struggled for the
T-Shirts. Westerhof told the story of a
player who had the potential to be
one of the best players from Africa
but who lacked the discipline to
achieve that. “I always told my
players that women and alcohol
could destroy their careers.” The
player (name withheld), Westerhof
said kept two girls in one of the hotel
rooms and had two in his room. The
hotel manager informed the coach.
“We asked the girls in the separate
room, and they named the player
who invited them. We went to his
room, and another two girls were
there with him. I asked him if he was
a sex machine. I sent him out of the
camp. That was how he lost his place
in my team. But he was a good
player, an exceptional player, I tell
you. With me, it’s discipline first.
Keshi begged me to forgive him,
but I said no way. Another regret I
had was Friday Elaho. He did not go
far in Europe as a professional. He
was a very good left attacker, the
best, I tell you. He went to
Brondby in Denmark with Uche
Okechukwu. Uche
Okechukwu remained but
after Elaho’s one-year
contract was over, he was
back. It pained me that
Elaho didn’t go far in
professional football. He was
the best left attacker I saw
in Nigeria.”
He told the story
of Nigeria’s last
USA ’94
World Cup
qualifier in
Algeria
and the
battles he
had with
then
chairman
of the
National
Sports
Commission, Alex Akinyele.
Akinyele had stormed the dressing room
at half time when Eagles were leading 1-0
to tell them that they were not playing
well and that he expected Nigeria to score
four goals.
Westerhof insisted that he was the boss
in that dressing room and asked Akinyele
to excuse them. Akinyele, in Westerhof’s
estimation, knew little about football but
when the man left he did not condemn his
comments before the players. He told
them the man meant well but as they had
one leg already in USA, they didn’t need
to be too adventurous and expose their
defence. Algeria was not in contention for
a World Cup ticket. They had lost
matches. But if Nigeria lost and Ivory
Coast won their home match they would
qualify at the expense of Nigeria. Ivory
Coast had sent officials to Algiers before
the game and Algeria wanted to win for
them. It was a difficult match for Nigeria
but the game ended 1-1 and Nigeria
qualified for their first ever World Cup
finals.
Akinyele tried to stop Westerhof from
leading Nigeria to the World Cup, saying
even on television that “Westerhof is not
the coach that will lead to the World
Cup.” This was after the qualification. On
arrival from vacation Westerhof told me
“I’ll go to World Cup with Nigeria,
Akinyele will not be there, I tell you.” It so
happened. Sylvester Akinwumi was the
National Sports Commission Chairman at
the time of the World Cup.
Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser to
Fashola had the privilege of listening to
some of Westerhof’s stories when he
visited the hotel to say hello to the coach.
He was entertained and left there with
more respect and greater regards for the
Dutch.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—25
unde Fashola presenting
emens Westerhof while
e Tayo looks on during
Olamikan.
From right, Minister of Power, Works and
Housing Babatunde Fashola discussing
with Saturday Vanguard Editor Mr. Onochir
Anibeze while Former Super Eagle Coach,
Clemens Westerhof looks on shortly after
presentation Certificate of House to him in
Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
S WESTERHOF:
From right, Former Super Eagle
Coach, Clemens Westerhof looking
at Certificate of House issued to him
by Federal Government in Abuja.
Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
his best woman from Africa
house, and the tricks he played with players and officials
In another friendly and warm gathering
in Abuja, Westerhof recalled the dummy he
sold to his players while on a training
camp in Papendal Sports Resort in
Holland. He told them he had gifts from
Mercedes which had agreed to give them a
car each in a sponsorship deal. It is a story
that Daniel Amokachi had told this
correspondent before. Amokachi spoke of
how he made plans to ship his own car to
Nigeria while Keshi sent for his wife to
hurry down to Holland from Strassbourg,
France. The camp was full of excitement.
They looked forward to the car. When the
officials of Mercedes arrived it dawned on
the players that their gifts were toy
Mercedes cars which he came with as
souvenirs for them. Outrage. They did not
know what to do with Westerhof. It was
not a laughing matter then. They were
enraged. But they laugh it off these days.
Westerhof was and is today still full of
humour. But he worked very hard and his
watchword was discipline. Once at night,
he took a seat and sat at the entrance of
the hotel’s elevator with a novel. Some of
the players had dressed gorgeously, ready
for a night outing. But each one that
stepped into the elevator to go out quickly
returned to their rooms on sighting him.
He was there till about 3 am. “In one
night a player can destroy the fitness level
it took you one week to achieve”, he says.
In Abuja he recalled the day he paid two
hotel staff to mark the players who would
leave the hotel at night. The players did
not know Westerhof had engaged people
to monitor their movements and actually
report those who would sneak out at
night. “At the morning training, I divided
the team into two. I told Christian
Chukwu to train a set of players while I
took on the ones who went out in the
night. They did not know I knew them
until they started complaining about the
rigorous training. They did 50 metres race
ten times, 100m eight times and
in 400m I
timed them. They must do it in one
minute or you would repeat it. So,
they were repeating the 400m. They
were shocked when I told them the
fitness training would help them
rebuild what they lost in their night
outing.
They were looking at each other,
wondering how I knew. When you
work with players you must work
hard and you must protect your
work otherwise you fail. You protect
your work by insisting on discipline.
Sometimes you allow a player who
breaks the law to remain in the team
but you must penalise him. I fine
them. They lose allowances or
bonuses. But you must be a father.
Every time I told the players ‘I fight
for you but you fight for your
country. It’s a deal. I fight for the
welfare but they fight for their
country on the field. How many
times did I want to resign when they
owed my players and staff? Even
when we qualified for the World Cup,
somebody took the money. I made
war and the government brought
another money to pay the players.
Hayayayaaya, I fight all the time but
the players must fight also on the
field. They must fight for each other
and make a family on and off the
field. That way, you make a good
team”.
In Abuja, he still played the father
that he was to his team. He made a
case for the players who were yet to
receive their allocation papers. He
met Bewarang, one of his assistants
and spoke to Christian Chukwu on
phone. “What are you doing in a
•Lana
London hospital,” he started in a
telephone chat that lasted about five
minutes. He wished Chukwu well
and told him to feel strong and get
well soon.
When he returned home Thursday
he called and put the phone on
speaker.
“There’s a festival here,” he said of
the atmosphere and what Lana and
Kloe had turned the house to. They
were screaming, celebrating his
return. He spoke about them and
•Kloe
•Lana
his wife every time in Abuja.
Certainly, Westerhof has found a new
life in his new family. They make him
happy and talk about them with so
much excitement. He looks good for
his age. But when he walks you
appreciate how time tells on
everyone. That’s the
man Peter Rufai
described his shots
as gunfire. Before
he engaged a
goal keeper
trainer in Gerry
Van Iyke,
Westerhof
handled the
training. His
shots were
terrific. He
would
place
balls on
the 18
yard
•Lilian, his wife
box and his shots were nightmares to
the keepers.
“This is no shooting, it’s release of
gunfire,” Rufai once told Westerhof
of his shots in training.
The great man of Nigerian football
is 79 now and derives joy in talking
about his daughters and beautiful
wife. They matter a lot to him now.
He was happy visiting Nigeria which
he said refreshed memories of his stay
here.
From the airport to the Bon Hotel
in Asokro where he lodged to the
ministry and few other places he
visited people asked for selfies and
pictures. They told him nice things
and how Nigerians still appreciate
him. He felt good.
Below is his letter of acceptance
to the minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Raji Babatunde Fashola
who ensured the promise made to his
team in 1994 was redeemed on May
27, 2019.
The Honourable Minister,
Federal Ministry of Power,
Works and Housing,
Headquarters,
Mabushi, Abuja
Sir,
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
With great gratitude I accept the
allocation of a house at the Federal
Capital Territory by the Federal
Government.
The Federal Government then led
by General Sani Abacha announced
a reward of a house to each member
of the Super Eagles team that won
the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia
in 1994.
The fulfillment of the reward
coming 25 years after our feat in
Tunisia gladdens me because I
thought that it would never be
realised again.
I, therefore, most sincerely thank
the government of President
Mohammadu Buhari for making it
happen. Let me, in a special way,
thank the Honourable Minister of
Power, Works and Housing, Mr
Babatunde Raji Fashola for
making this possible.
Honourable Minister, thank
you very much. I really
appreciate this tremendous
gesture and huge honour. It
makes me feel special. I
have always felt Nigerian.
They call me Dutchgerian.
I am. And giving me a
home here in Nigeria
makes me more Nigerian
than I was. Once again,
thank you.
May I also thank all
Nigerians for their
tremendous support
while I worked here.
Together, we did it.
I’m always proud of
the work we did
here. It feels good
to know that we
have not been
forgotten. I love
you, Nigerians.
Tunisia ’94 was
emotional for me
because it
happened after we
qualified for the
World Cup and I
wanted to be in
USA ’94 as
African
champions. We
made it. We were a
great family. That’s
what my team was.
It therefore feels
very sad that some
members of that
great family have
passed on. I pray for
the souls of Stephen
Keshi, Rashidi Yekini,
Willy Agbonibavre,
Thompson Oliha and
Uche Okafor. May their
souls continue to rest in
peace.
I understand that some of the
players in our team have not
received the award. I strongly
appeal that those yet to be given
their own awards be rewarded too.
The families of those who passed will
appreciate the reward highly.
Thank you President Buhari,
thank you Honourable Minister,
thank you Nigerians. It feels good to
be home, again.
Regards
Clemens Westerhof

26—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
08116759759
Man paralysed after crash to have life
support switched off despite family split
man paralysed for years after
A a motorbike crash is to have
his life support machine switched
off - despite his family being split
over what should happen to him.
Vincent Lambert, 42, has been in
a vegetative state since a motorcycle
accident in 2008.
But Vincent's family - and France
- have been divided over the subject
of his care.
His wife has long asked for the
doctors to withdraw her husband's
feeding tubes but his parents have
insisted he should live on.
There have been a number of judicial
rulings surrounding the case,
as far as the European Court of Hu-
tion and said they felt it was the best
photo to reflect what they are really
like as a couple, as they have "blind
trust in each other".
And while some thought the
snap was "romantic" and "amazing",
there were those who
thought it was "stupid".
One person commented: "This
is how people die. Wouldn't call
this adventure, but stupid. Risking
life for likes on Instagram ."
Another said: "So
dangerous".After seeing all the
negativity around the photo,
Camille opened up about what
really happened when they took
it - and claims they weren't actually
in any danger.
man Rights .
The decision to end Vincent's life
follows a final judicial ruling to
cease the sustenance and fluids
Lambert was receiving, according
to the doctors of the Sebastopol
Ahusband and wife who love
to travel were the topic of
much controversy at the beginning
of May.
Jean and Camille from Brussels,
who post on Instagram under the
name @Backpackdiariez, came
under fire for sharing one of their
recent photos from a holiday in Sri
Lanka.
The breathtaking image showed
the pair sharing a smooch while
leaning out of a moving train - in it
she is holding the hand rails, with
one leg wrapped around her partner,
while worryingly he holds on
with only one hand.
They described the image as one
of their "wildest kisses" in the cap-
Instagram
couple
respond to
backlash
over their
'dangerous'
train
kiss photo
In an interview with The Cut,
she explained: "When we took
the picture, the train was moving
at a walking speed and the
edge was not deep at all.
"We would never risk our lives
or our health to get a good picture.
We care too much for each
other for that."
She went on to reveal that a
third person had helped make
the photo happen - Jean's
brother.
"This train ride is very famous
in Sri Lanka and we had seen many
pictures on social media of people
hanging out of the doors, so we
knew we wanted to try this and prepared
for it in advance.
Hospital in Reims.
A new medical team has been recruited
to stop Lambert's care.
Euthanasia is illegal in the country
but doctors can administer drugs
to intensely sedate terminally ill
patients.
Vincent was a psychiatric nurse
before his accident.
Since his accident, he has been
in a state of paralysis with minimal
consciousness. Vincent has been
kept alive with food and water fed
into a gastric tube by doctors.
He can breathe without a machine
and opens his eyes from time
to time.
By 2013, doctors recommended
care should stop. They had spent
five years trying to improve his condition.
At this time, they consulted his
wife Rachel but not the rest of his
family and due to this the decision
was challenged. The issue divides
his family as his wife and six of his
siblings want his life support to be
switched off. However his deeply
religious parents do not.
A committee within the UN, the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities
asked France to intervene to delay
the withdrawal of life support. They
wished to consider the case further.
However, the French health minister
Agnes Buzya confirmed that
the French government is not bound
by the committee. Legal appeals
have been exhausted and French
medical professionals in Lambert's
case could withhold care.
The parents have not given up
hope, with reports that they will file
three new appeals confirmed by
their lawyers.
"We did some research to find out
what the best time of the day would
be to take it, what side of the train
has better views, what colour the
train would be, etc."
Space experts revealed this week that
Earth’s moon is shrivelling “like a rai
sin” due to seismic activity on the lunar
surface.
The NASA scientific analysis has however
sparked a frenzy amongst doomsayers who
fear the Moon may crack.
Evangelical Christian preacher Paul Begley
has warned the shrinkage could be a sign of
Judgement Day.
He cited Bible passages backing up his
claiming that the end times will begin in
space – and maybe on the Moon.
Begley, from Indiana, made the revelations
on his YouTube livestream as
he said science now backs up the
Bible.
He said: “There was a report out
yesterday the Moon is shrinking.”
“Inside the Moon is like a raisin –
they’re saying that the Moon is starting
to shrink like a raisin shrinks.
“That internally, the core of the
Moon, something is going on in
there. Is the Moon about to collapse?
“What does that mean? The Bible
says there shall be signs in the Sun
In the end, she says it took an hour
and around 500 photos to get the shot
that thousands have liked - now,
that's dedication!
NASA report Moon shrinking is
Biblical sign of END OF DAYS
and the Moon and the stars.”
Begley was referring to doomsday
predictions made in the Book of Luke
in the New Testament.
Luke 21:25-28 reads: “There will be
signs in the Sun, Moon and stars.
“When these things begin to take
place, stand up and lift up your heads
because your redemption is drawing
near.”
The pastor linked the shrinking of
our only orbital body to signs from God
of the end times, rather than mildly interesting
scientific study about the life
cycle of the Moon.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 — 27
Why couples
shouldn’t return
infidelity for
infidelity
— Sex therapist, Ayoola
By Juliet Umeh
If relationship
and Marriage
Counselor,
Mrs. Olatoun
Ayoola were to
be a
Smartphone, her
multitask feature
would have been
second to none.
The Chief Executive Officer
of Our Intimate Secrets,
Ogudu, Lagos, doubles as a
Sex Therapist, Family life
Coach, and Blogger. Meanwhile,
her academic discipline is far
from what she is currently doing
and widely known for.
Ayoola has a Master’s Degree
in Public and International
Affairs from the University of
Lagos but a passion for keeping
marriages alive drove her into
studying and acquiring
Certificate in Counseling from
the Counseling Institute
Scotland, Diploma in Couples
and Family counseling from the
same institute and a Certificate
in Human Sexuality from the
Institute of Sexology, California.
As a counselor, Ayoola
provides skills and tools to help
couples solve problems in their
relationships. She heals the
hurts, restores friendships,
deepens intimacy and
strengthens relationships.
In this interview, she admitted
that many Nigerian marriages
are crashing basically for
unresolved issues of sex,
infidelity, and distrust, among
others. However, she cautioned
that couples who returning
infidelity for infidelity, risk
having irreparable homes,
traumatised partners and
children that will eventually
become a burden to society.
Excerpts:
Is it right for a woman to
cheat because her husband
cheated on her? How
would the law of marriage settle
the issue?
There is nothing like tit for tat
or an eye for an eye in marriage.
Marriage has to do with a lot of
compromises.
I’m not saying this because I
am a counselor or therapist but
from the point of view of what
you want to achieve in your
marriage. If you are a woman
and your husband cheats on
you, you would want to try to
repair your marriage, same goes
for the man.
If your purpose for your
marriage is to stand the test of
time then you won’t want to do
the law of reciprocity with your
partner. It won’t work in
•Mrs. Olatoun Ayoola
marriage because marriage
needs more than that. Also,
there is no law in a marriage
that would settle the issue. You
both have to come together to
make your marriage work.
Sometimes you hear there are
quarrels in homes because
women deny their men sex. Is
sex in marriage at the discretion
of the woman or a right to the
Man?
Let me start by stating an
established fact here that sex in
marriage, is at the discretion of
both partners. The man is not
left with the exclusive duty to
ask for sex neither is the
woman, both can ask for sex
when in the mood. Going by
that, it is very okay to say that in
marriage, no one is supposed to
deny themselves sex as both
husband and wife are meant to
enjoy sex, but if you find out that
your man or woman is turning
down sex from you, then you
need to find out the reason. Sex
is about two people and it takes
two to tango right.
What do you say to the
imbalance, in the treatment of
extramarital affairs between the
man and the woman seeing that
the later is always at the
receiving end?
It has been said that in the
case of extra-marital affairs,
there is a sort of imbalance
making it look like it’s a man’s
world so if he cheats, then it’s
okay. In all of this, the person
who bears the brunt here is the
woman.
Let’s say, a man cheats and he
comes home with any sexually
transmitted disease, the woman
would be the one most affected
because she is at home and
doesn’t know what is going
down with her husband who has
gone out to have unprotected
sex with another woman. Now,
it is important to know that in
most marriages where cheating
happens, it is as a result of the
lack of love and trust and peace
of mind because it is hard for a
man to love his wife and still
cheat on her. Simply put, you
can’t love two or three persons
of the opposite sex equal
because the scale of love tilts to
one end at the end of the day.
However, it will be wrong to say
women are victims because life
is all about choices.
In all of this, I feel women can,
and should be able to make
their marriages work for good
but that doesn’t mean I’m
placing the whole responsibility
on the woman alone, but on both
parties, they have to
deliberately decide to make
their marriage work.
Most marriages have crashed
because of an ordinary peep
into the phones of the wife or
husband. Are there privacy
issues in people going into
their spouses’ phones?
I advise couples to always
respect the individuality of their
spouse. It means that we are
entitled to some sort of privacy
whether we are single or
married. Before you peep into
your spouse’s phone, first ask
yourself what do you intend to
achieve? I don’t subscribe to
clients peeping into their
spouse’s phone. It is better you
talk about anything bothering
you instead of sneaking and
hiding to peep into their
phones. Phones are personal
property so there should be
something called privacy even
in marriage. You have to
You have to determine
what you want to
achieve before going
through your partner’s
phone, whether your
discovery will make you
leave or stay? When you
snoop around, there can
only be two answers,
what you see either
makes you happy or sad
determine what you want to
achieve before going through
your partner’s phone, whether
your discovery will make you
leave or stay? When you snoop
around, there can only be two
answers, what you see either
makes you happy or sad. So, my
advice to couples is to work on
their relationships and
marriages through proper home
management and
communication because
peeping into their phones is
counterproductive, whether your
partner is cheating or not.
If I catch my husband in a
compromising position with
another woman, what is the
right attitude to exhibit?
The right attitude is calmness
and caution. Although, I know
this is very hard for most
women. At times, things might
not seem the way they look. You
need to put your emotions in
check and analyze the situation
properly and find out what’s
really happening.
From experience, most couples
assume a lot and assumptions
kill relationships.
If you are too angry, just walk
away from the situation and
calm your nerves, relax till you
feel sane enough to handle the
situation.
To what extent can a married
woman enforce her human right
and freedom to move about,
spending her money or buying
things for herself without the
express permission of her
husband?
As a married woman, you
don’t need the permission of
anyone to move because you
have your basic human right to
movement and spending your
money. Buying things without
your husband’s permission is
not a crime, neither does your
husband need your permission
to move, or spend his money.
However, both of you need to be
united and be in sync. A man
and a woman united and in sync
with each other will not have
any problem discussing basic
things as where the person is
going or how they spend their
money. They are just normal
things you discuss in marriage
but there is nowhere it is
written that as a woman you
need your spouse’s permission
to, or expressly ask him if you
can go out or spend your money.
Many have attributed
incessant broken marriages
these days to civilization. Are
you from that school?
I don’t know if the incessant
broken marriages of these days
are as a result of civilisation.
From my experience in
counseling so far, civilisation is
not the only problem. I’m not of
the school of thought that
civilisation is the reason for
failed marriages rather I believe
that our basic foundation can
also be a factor that can hinder
marriages from working.
Marriages can be affected by
our roots and family. How we
were brought up is very key,
what we think is the right way
to go about marriage and
relationship can also mend or
break our marriages. That’s the
major reason why we have so
many separations and divorces
in recent times. However, I
would say civilisation, the
advent of the internet or phones
make or contribute to broken
marriages in some cases but it’s
not the determining factor or the
major cause of broken marriages
in recent times.
Nigerian men boast of being
most romantic. What actually do
they do more to support this
claim?
In all of my years as a sex
therapist, I have had so many
complaints from my female
clients that Nigerian men are
not romantic, that they don’t
have an iota of romance in their
bodies.
They are suggesting men
should come and learn how to
be more romantic and please
their women. So, I cannot say
for a fact that Nigerian men are
the most romantic. From the
look of things, things are
getting better and Nigerian men
are coming for sex therapy
classes and counseling sessions,
they want to get better and
please their spouses more
Should friends and family
influence who you will marry?
Friends and family can’t or
should not influence who you
marry because they would not
know where it is hurting, after
the wedding when everyone is
gone, you are going to be alone
with that man or woman
spending the rest of your life
with that person. So they should
have little or no say in who you
marry.
However, they can admonish,
advice, tell you from their
perspective what they think
about certain issues then leave
you to decide whether you take
it or leave it.
Friends and family should not
influence your decision however
we have to be careful because
there are times when we are so
in love and don’t look at some
things categorically or with a
clear mind until someone points
it out to us.
Inter-tribal marriages have
always generated issues. While
some approve of it, others
abhor it. What’s your take?
Of course, intertribal and
interracial marriage is not a
walk in the park. The movement
from one point of the country or
the world to marry someone else
who has a different upbringing
is usually way harder than a
marriage where you both
understand yourselves and
speak the same language.
However, inter-tribal marriages
are not big deals anymore.
There are so many cases of
people coming together from
different tribes and having
amazing marriages. They are
able to communicate
understandably and we all
know that communication does
not only happen because you
speak the same language but
because you love and respect
each other. So, no matter the
issues surrounding inter-tribal
marriages, I don’t abhor it,
instead, I encourage it because
love and marriage don’t have a
name, denomination or tribe
instead it is universal.

28 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Delegation of Parental roles
By Ebunoluwa Sessou,
Florence Amagiya and
Elizabeth Uwandu
WHEN baby Tire was
born three months
ago, there was
enthusiasm. Everybody was
happy. Even the baby herself felt
the joy. Her mother was always
there for her. When she cries, her
mother was there to cuddle her.
From cradle, she could
experience the love. Mummy
was always around to take care
of her and attend to her needs.
For her, the poem, “Who sat
and watched my infant head
When sleeping on my cradle
bed, And tears of sweet affection
shed? My Mother”, comes freely
as the day goes by.
Unfortunately, baby Tire could
no longer get the attention of her
mother. It is because; her mother
had to resume work after three
months of her maternity leave.
Tire was now left in the care of
the crèche manager and the
house help. She stays in the
crèche for nine hours and then in
the hands of the house help for
six hours. So, between 7 am and
9 pm, baby Tire is never with her
mother.
She lives her life depending on
external forces. She only feels
the touch of her mother between
10pm and 6am. This is the story
of an average Nigerian child.
This scenario simply pictured
that a Nigerian child suffers
quality parenting care.
Whereas the relationship that
is supposed to exist between the
child and the mother as
described by Child Protection
Specialist, UNICEF, Nigeria
Sharon Oladiji, is such that is
embeded with love and care.
Speaking in a phone interview
with WW, Oladiji explained that,
“There are mothers and there are
mothers. There are mothers who
give birth to children and
abandon them. There are
mothers that give birth to
children and do not care for the
child. There are mothers that do
not have the capacity to take care
of the child. And there are
mothers who are from very poor
community that are illiterate that
do not know what it takes to take
care of a child and we have good
mothers, kind mothers who will
do anything to raise their
children and everything we are
talking about start from the
beginning.
“For me, we have seen lots of
mothers who are less concerned
about their children. I have a
mother that taught me
everything as a child. Every
mother should ensure that she
becomes good mother to her
child. Every mother should
aspire to be a role model to her
child.
“Although, we know that every
mother cannot total care due to
the situation at hand. Or, how do
you explain a woman who gives
birth to a child and yet throw the
her away not knowing what
would happen to that child?
Unfortunately, children are not
given quality time and care and
it is a big issue. This affected the
up bring of the child. Today,
there are cases of suicide
attempts, depression, drug
abuse, and irrational behaviour
among children.
Perhaps, from cradle, the life of
a child is dependent on whether
she is raised in a conducive or
unconducive environment. It
also depends on whether the
child is raised within a loving or
hostile environment.
According to the Child
Protection Specialist, whatever
children see affect them. “Some
of the things around affect the
child. Some of the things that
happen in the family are
generational”, she said
She explained that, a child that
is raised by a single parent
already made up his or her mind
that it is not necessary to have
both parents around you.
“What children are faced with
has a longtime effect in making
up that they would become
tomorrow. Any child from a
loving family cannot behave
irrational and any child from a
dysfunctional family cannot
behave otherwise. The best thing
to do is to make sure we raise
our children in a loving and
conducive environment.
“As mother, we must ensure
that we are re-oriented to be
able to take care of our children.
We should make up our minds to
raise these children better. We
must understand our children.
Today’s children should be
empowered. Every woman
should be empowered.
“Women should empower
themselves. Women have all the
capacity, potentials therefore
they must make use of their
potentials and bring the best out
of their children. We should not
emotionally abuse them.
“We must be able to
understand each child. Some
mothers abuse their children
emotionally. Some mother
transfer aggression on their
children, it is very wrong. I am
talking to women and every
caregiver. How you will rise your
children depend on your
environment. Some of us leave
our children in the care of the so
called god-pastors. No one
should be able to correct our
children more than us”, she
advised.
One of the keynotes for this
year children’s day is the ability
to nurture of our children very
well and make the best out of
them. This assertion was
supported by the child specialist.
Millions of children, many of
whom are unaccompanied or
separated from their families are
being displaced by armed
conflict. These children are at a
high risk of grave violations in
their environment.
Violence against
children
According to the United
Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child, “The right of
As mother, we must
ensure that we are
re-oriented to be
able to take care of
our children. We
should make up
our minds to raise
these children
better. We must
understand our
children
children to protection from
violence is enshrined in the
Convention on the Rights of the
Child and yet still one billion
children experience some form
of emotional, physical or sexual
violence every year; and one
child dies from violence every
five minutes.
Violence against children
knows no boundaries of culture,
class or education. It takes place
against children in institutions,
in schools, and at home. Peer
violence is also a concern, as is
the growth in cyber-bullying.
Children exposed to violence
live in isolation, loneliness and
fear, not knowing where to turn
for help, especially when the
perpetrator is someone close.
Children’s gender, disability,
poverty, nationality or religious
origin may all increase the risk
of violence with the youngest
being especially vulnerable as
they are less able to speak up
and seek support.
State of the
World’s Children
Every child has the right to
health, education and protection,
and every society has a stake in
expanding children’s
opportunities in life. Yet, around
the world, millions of children
are denied a fair chance for no
reason other than the country,
gender or circumstances into
which they are born.
The four core principles of the
Convention are nondiscrimination;
devotion to the
best interests of the child; the
right to life, survival and
development; and respect for the
views of the child. Every right
spelled out in the CRC is
inherent to human dignity and
harmonious development of
every child.
Children’s rights includes their
right to association with both
parents, human identity as well
as the basic needs for physical
protection, food, universal statepaid
education, health care, and
criminal laws appropriate for the
age and development of the
child, equal protection of the
child’s civil rights, and freedom.
The Right to a Stable, Loving
and Nurturing Environment. The
Right to Healthcare and
Nutrition. The Right to Clean
Water, Electrical Power, and Safe
Environment. The Right to a
Quality Education. The Right to
Equal Opportunities. The Right
to Guidance from a Caring Adult
are all what the child should
enjoy.
In Nigeria signed the
Convention on the Rights of the
Child in 1991, and with support
from the UNICEF, took steps to
domesticate the UNCRC into a
national law, the Child Rights
Act 2003. The Act consolidated
all laws (including national and
international laws) relating to
children into a single piece of
legislation that specified the
rights and responsibilities of
children, as well as the duties
and obligations of government,
parents and other authorities,
organizations and bodies
towards children. The Act
defines a child as one who has
not attained the age of 18 years,
and the best interests of such a
child shall remain paramount in
all considerations. The Act also
provides that a child shall be
given such protection and care
as is necessary for his or her
wellbeing, and retain the right to
survival and development and to
a name and nationality at birth.
“While celebrating Children’s
Day, we must look ahead to the
future of childhood in this
country, and re-commit to
urgent, specific actions to protect
the rights of every child, now,
and in future generations.”
For founder, Children and the
Environment, CATE foundation,
Adesola Alamutun, said “that it
does not matter if both parents
were working class, provided
both are able to manage their
time.
Her words, “Both of my parents
worked full time and I don’t
believe that it had any negative
effect on me. Children must go to
school and get good education.
“I also grew up having 2
maids, a cook and steward at any
point in time which was very
helpful for my parents. And at no
point in time did I feel neglected
by my parents.
“It’s up to the parents to make
time out for their children -they
might need to get home early for
homework and lunch and go
back to work and take time out
at weekends to spend time
together. Sometimes my father
came home early and then went
back to work.” She said.
The child advocate added that
rather than have a home without
adequate capacity, parents
should make out time to visit
their children schools.
According to environmentalist,
“Parents should find time to go
to schools of their children and
discuss their wellbeing and
welfare issues with their
teachers
“Teachers can also check up
homes of children that are not
performing properly or have
behavioural problems.
She noted that no parent
should be idle. I don’t believe
Continues on page 29

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 —29
Continues from page 28
that any adult should be idle
and unproductive just because
you have children. Children
should be encouraged to work
as early as possible for instance,
Bob a Job during school
holidays or even at weekends
after their homework. As
parenting in today’s world has
its challenges, especially with
the disruptions of the workplace
and other commitments parents
are involved with.” she
explained.
A parent and founder, Total
ChildwithauntyTk initiative,
said, “It was a shame that
working class parents have
delegated their roles to teachers
and house helps. The childcare
personnel reiterated that,
“Unfortunately parenting cannot
be delegated.
“Today’s parents no longer
spend time with their children;
they are busy working hard to
make ends meet. Making
money is good, but factual truth
remains being a parent is not
only about bills payment,
buying gift or touring round the
world.
“Caregivers, internet, Tv and
schools can only try within their
limited time spent with the
child, but quality timing and
real training comes from the
parents.
“Unfortunately today’s parents
have left their children into the
hands of outside world to teach
and shape them, forgetting the
world have their different
undefined and wrong views,
behavior and ideologies
“School and teachers are
really trying, but time restriction
has drawn the limit. House
maid will do better with the
chores but little or nothing in
modeling good character
suitable for a child to pattern
after
Today’s parents are leaving
out this vacuum unfilled
“Correction of wrong views,
giving a child identity;
modeling good character,
monitoring child s growth
among others should fill up this
vacuum. Unfortunately
parenting cannot be delegated”,
she said.
Buttressing the point, Founder,
Moncoeur Global Concept,
Francisca Okwulehie reiterated
that no matter the engagement
of parents, spending quality
time cannot be over-emphasised
She said that, “Parenting in
today’s world has its challenges,
especially with the disruptions
of the workplace and other
commitments parents are
involved with.
“As an educator and one who
spends ample time with young
people, I have come to discover
that most kids who lack parental
availability suffer this because
their parents do not create time
for them.
“Due to the busy schedules of
these parents, they tend to
forget to create time for their
children in their schedules. It is
not just about providing for their
wards, it knows what these
children do in their absence and
how they manage the resources
they make available to them.
“The maids or helpers cannot
be parent oriented enough, to
Delegation of Parental roles
*Favour •Stella •Sharon
know what the children need or
should do.
Absence of parental guidance
makes children susceptible to
certain exposures that can harm
them, physically,
psychologically, sexually,
emotionally and spiritually.
“For instance most children
these days find it hard to read.
Not because they would not
read if they are told to, but
because there is a lack of zeal to
take on this activity. This is
primarily as a result of the fact
that there is no reading culture
in their homes. It is said ‘charity
begins at home’, so if they don’t
see the habit of reading from the
home, how possible do you
think it would be inculcated
easily in the children’s lifestyle.
“The school cannot do the
moral instruction alone, the
parents play a vital role in
laying the foundation of ethical
values and standards in their
children’s lives.
“The panacea to this is that
parents no matter how busy they
maybe, should factor in their
children in their schedules.
When their child or children are
a part of their daily routine, they
become a significant part of
their lives.”
On her part, Founder, Impact
HER Initiative Chioma
Uwandu, has this to say, “ It is a
sad reality today that the
amount of quality time parents
spend with their children is
gradually reducing. Some of the
factors that lead to this trend are
economic hardship and the need
•Esther
for both parents to work to make
ends meet.
“And the impacts include
children becoming irresponsible,
hooligans, and turning to other
vices. Today, since parents
hardly spend time with their
children, the maids and teachers
do their job. What happens is
that proper home training that
shapes children from infancy is
absent and the children are left
at the mercy of whatever they
learn outside their home.” she
said
Suggesting ways to curb this
trend, the University of Lagos,
Doctoral student said, “ To
ameliorate this, parents should
negotiate between themselves
how to create time for their
children. They should provide
moral instructions at home for
their children at home. Mothers
should top their games. Nothing
should take the place of good
*Mother
and child
home training and mothers
must create time to monitor
their children growth.”
“There are impacts and
mostly negative. For one, kids
no longer bond well with their
parents. Teachers and maids
spend more time with kids
nowadays. Parents must be able
to strive for balance.” Onome
Onwah, Treasured Thoughts
Academy.
Stella Peters, WEWIN,
Women empowerment
initiative, said, “A child who
was not taken care of by a
mother especially; because the
mother is always out of the
home looking for money to take
care of her children well into
the night.
“Perhaps because the father is
also not around or not capable
of taking care of his home may
run into untold hazard like
having depression, peer
pressure influence and advise
from wrong sectors which they
may implement and land into
untold trouble and just to hide
from these troubles they may
get into bigger troubles that
would lead them to do the
impossible.
“I have a situation in hand of
a child whose parents are very
busy with their lives and
relationship.
“These children which were
just two found themselves in
wrong relationships. The girl
found out that she prefers
dating a girl instead of a boy;
whereas the boy took to buying
and taking hard drugs which he
couldn’t eventually pay for. He
began stealing to pay his debts
and when he couldn’t steal
enough and was still threaten
by the drug gang nearly took his
life because that was the only
alternative out as his parents
were very busy with their lives”,
she said.
Favour, a business Woman
explained that, “Some children
are sometimes pushed to the
wall because the parents are
always out of the home looking
for money.
“These children eventually
would make wrong friends that
are not good for them and they
would start engaging on stuff
that cannot be explained and
since they are checked by their
parents.
“They get into trouble; like
getting pregnant and taking
medicine to terminate these
pregnancies that cause over
bleeding and eventual death if
they are not discovered on time.
“There is a case of a single
mother of two in my
neighbourhood; these two are
girls children and are very
young. The oldest is only 10
years old while the youngest is
only 5 years old. This single
mother leaves these children by
themselves well into the night
and sometimes returns in the
mid night.
“These young children would
stay alone even when there is
light well into the night. Of
course, she started noticing DAT
her children were already
stealing money to indulge with
other children. Who knows what
would have happened if she
hasn’t discovered this?
Pastor Justice Shaye in her
reasoning summed that, “This
issue is a pathetic case as we
are all casualties even the
church. The last case of suicide
happened to a member of a
believing church. It means it
can happen to anybody if we are
not more careful.
“Depression is a serious
matter hence if someone looks
depressed; help should given to
that person and fast because the
depressed person feels nobody
loves them and hears a voice
that tells them to take their
lives. I want to use this
opportunity to solicit that we
take this issue very seriously
and prayers alone cannot help
because the needful needs to be
done also.
Sharon however warned that,
“We cannot sit in the media and
continue to say things against
women. According to her, “It is
the way the society has
designed things for women. It is
very wrong to pass judgment on
mothers. We can support one
another. We should encourage
one another. But, every woman
should only strive to become
good mother.
“The simple truth about Child
Right Act is for us to aspire to
have good parenting care. We
should must not abuse our
children. We should expose
them to the right materials. We
should give good counsel.
Endeavour to hear their opinion.
That is what inspires children.
As women, we must be eager to
make sure that our children
achieve greatness.

30—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, , 2019
bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk
Having an affair with expectant father!
WE’VE all failed at one
project or the other and
learnt to move on. But a lot of
people have received such
mighty failures that they’re
just not able to shake off... and
the depth of despair they feel
is difficult to bear. A few years
back, Remi, 24, got married.
“Adam and I had been
together since I was 19,” she
explained. “We met at the
university. He was a couple of
years older and as soon as I
finished my youth service, we
got married in a lavish
ceremony paid for by my
parents. His parents did what
they could as their finances
were limited but I didn’t mind.
Money had never been an
issue with us.
“After the wedding, I was
looking forward to starting a
family, but after just 18
months, my new husband told
me he wasn’t happy. He stayed
out late most of the time—it
was as if he was scared to come
home. Our dreams of having
children obviously meant
nothing to him as he wasn’t
around to make it happen.
“In the end, he said he didn’t
love me anymore and moved
back with his parents. He had
the decency to tell me he’d met
someone else. You can
imagine how devastated I was.
Our signatures were not yet
dry on the marriage certificate
when the union hit the
proverbial rocks. Most of our
wedding presents were still
intact, and when I asked him
to take some of them, he
refused. To this day, a few of
them are still unwrapped. What
would have been the purpose?
After he left, I felt such a
failure as a woman and couldn’t
face meeting people for
months. I thought I’d let down
my parents and wasted their
money.
“But worse, I felt like a
failure, I tortured myself by
thinking if I’d been slimmer,
more adventurous or prettier,
he’d never have strayed. For a
long time, I was incredibly
depressed but I’m gradually
rebuilding my life. I’m still
wary of men and I don’t think
I’ll ever be the confident
person I once was. I’ve had a
When you’ve
failed to keep
the man you
love, you’re
scared to love
again for fear
of history
repeating
itself
few relationships one of which resulted in the birth of
my lovely son who is now two years old. I can’t imagine
marrying again though. When you’ve failed to keep the
man you love, you’re scared to love again for fear of
history repeating itself.”
While to some, passing exams is a breeze, to Ibi, its’
become a nightmare. “In my secondary school years, I
was more interested in boys at school,” she explained.
“So, it was no surprise when I failed all the subjects in
my WAEC exams. I had extra lessons as the years went
by for re-sits but despite working hard, I failed again...
. I felt I’d let down my parents as my other siblings
didn’t experience any failure in their exams. I dreamt
of being a nurse, but needed to pass my WAEC or GCE
O levels. The best I got out of my efforts were a ‘C’ in
English and Religious Studies. I’ve no idea why.
“I’ve started countless evening classes to try and
pass the exams but I never managed to complete the
course for varied reasons. Now I’m married with two
young children and my studies are at the back burner.
Maybe I’m scared of failing again, but the worst feeling
is of regret—I wonder what my life could have been
like if I’d passed my exams and got the job I wanted.
Now I involve myself in the retail business and I’m
not doing badly. Sadly, I might never be able to help
my children with their homework when they start
proper school.”
“Later that evening, a staff who lived on Paul’s block
asked for a lift home. As soon as I dropped her, out
raced Anita, she was heavily-pregnant and was yelling
at me to stop the car. She was furious too. ‘You’ve
been sleeping with my husband,’ she yelled. ‘He’s just
a friend,’ I stammered.
How much did she know?
Then Paul rushed out to
meet her, ‘I’ve told her
everything,’ he said,
giving me a blank look, no
word in my defence. ‘You
cheap prostitute,’ Anita
bellowed at me.
Frantically, I reversed
and sped off. I was
ashamed of what I’d done
to that poor girl. My
selfish lust had led me to
betray another woman. I
prayed they’d patch
things up in spite of the
fact I was really hurting.
“A month on, I was
getting supper for my two
kids when the eldest ran
into the kitchen. ‘Mum,
someone’s attacking your
car,’ he screamed. I ran to
the window and there was
Anita in front of the house,
heavily-pregnant. She was
swinging an iron rod into
my car’s side window,
smashing it and crying
hysterically. It was then
the full horror of what I’d
done hit me. I knew what
it was like to be pregnant
and hormonal. How must
it feel to know your young
husband has cheated on
you? ‘Come in and let’s
talk,’ I tried to persuade
her. ‘Prostitute!’ she
howled, hurting the rod
through the windscreen.
‘You bedded my
husband! By this time, a
few of the neighbours
were out, taking in the
little drama.
Instead of anger, I felt
such sympathy, I’d have
done the same in her
shoes. As I raced
towards my car, she
rushed at me and
punched me in the
stomach. A neighbour
ran over and pulled her
away. She jumped into
her car, and rushed off,
sobbing. My neighbour
urged me to go to the
police but I shook my
head sadly. I deserved
what I got, I slept with her
husband at her most
vulnerable.... Yet, it takes
two to tango. Paul was to
blame as much as I. That
incident killed whatever
love or respect I must
have felt for him. He was
just a pathetic little man
who’d cheated on his
pregnant wife and used
me for sex. He was as
guilty as I was, if not
moire.”
Would you lie to net a lover?
A
person desperate to have a relationship would swallow any
lies dished out by an opportunist out to have a good time and
nothing else. Often times, you get trapped in the web of lies you
weave and what happens? “Towards the end of last year, I put
myself in a bit of trouble,” recalled Boye, a technician with a big IT
company that specialises in installations of highly-sophisticated
satellite products. “One of our highly-valued technicians had a
minor mishap and I was sent to replace him. The Saturday I got to
this new location, there was this big society wedding and I was one
of the crew that assembled the plasma television sets used to relay
the event to the huge audience. I had never seen so much food and
booze in my life! After installation, a couple of us settled on one of
the tables as soon as the boss left. Mingling with the guests with
well-chilled champagne glass in my hand, I found myself socialising
with a couple of giggly ladies who were obviously tipsy.
“As the evening wore on, I latched on to this lovely girl who
obviously found me attractive. As we chatted, the booze must
have played with imagination as I started giving this girl glowing
accounts of my status. I lied about a lot of things because I thought
it was going to be an out-of-station fling. I’d never given a thought
to seeing her again, so I told her I ran the company that installed
the entire electronics gadget. I pretended I drove a fancy car when
I don’t even own one. I also gave the impression I lived in a big flat
when all I have are two rooms in a sprawling building. My lies
seemed harmless at the time and the two weeks I spent with her
was fun.
“We continued phoning and texting with me lying I was too busy
to travel down, the more we chatted on the phone the more I
realised I really liked her. Then, she told me the ‘exciting’ news
she would soon be in Lagos for another friend’s weeding. It was
then I wished I’d let on I was bragging, but I was worried that if I
did, she’d go off me. But once she gets here, she’ll realise none of
what I’ve told her is true.
She’ll see the real me and realize I’m not rich or a big shot and
won’t be interested. I’m just hoping that if I entertained her
lavishly, she would overlook all my whoppers!”
Boye won’t be the first guy to beef up his personality, especially
when out of station and he wouldn’t be the first to have to admit he
may have exaggerated things a little or a lot. He was in a posh
setting and had to justify his being there by presenting himself as
a glossed-up version of himself or who he wished he was. The irony
of it all is that this girl too could have painted a rosier picture of
her life. Unfortunately, she’ll be the one visiting and Boye would
be the one who’s going to be found out first!
A few decades back, when travelling abroad was like winning the
lottery, many hopeful men, relying on photograph, only when
seeking future brides were almost shocked out of their skin at the
flesh version of their intended when they eventually arrived; whilst
the arranged brides wondered how on earth they were going to
relate to their husbands who’d bought such wives lock stock end
barrel. The best way of handling being found out telling a whopper
is to come clean either on the phone, by e-mail or a letter confessing
what you did and why (you wanted to impress them and were
worried they wouldn’t like you as you are). Tell them you’ve taken
to them big time and this is why you haven’t come clean before
now. You’re scared the “real” you wouldn’t be quite a catch.
You then list all the things you can offer in future: Honestly,
affection, love, security and someone who’s willing to work hard
to earn back the trust you have lost by lying. I told Boye his girl
might be shocked and suspicious at first, but if her feelings are
genuine, she won’t care less if he’s not rolling in that much dough
(and if she does, good riddance!).

Vanguard, SATURDAY, JUNE 1 , 2019—31
Yetunde Arebi
Twitter: @yetundearebi
yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk
08054700825
Hi,
Reunion with an old friend can be
quite interesting, especially if it
is someone you have always
longed to see again. And so it was for
Gbenga and I upper week when I ran
into him at a wedding reception of a
friend’s son. I had not seen him in close
to 20 years, after his divorce from his
wife, Ade. Gbenga was the wild one,
he’d come to school a full grown man
after returning to the country from
London, and had everything going for
him. When he chose Ade, no one gave
them a chance because they were exact
opposite of each other. But they got
married anyways and we thought they
had overcome the teething problems
of their union, they suddenly parted
ways. The gist from Ade was that she
could no longer cope with his
overbearing attitude, especially after
he beat her up during an argument.
So, I couldn’t resist an opportunity to
scold him for disappointing our angel
after everything she went through for
him. However, Gbenga had his version
of the story to tell. In a long winding
story which I will be sharing with you
in two parts with his permission,
Gbenga insists that Ade turned out a
monster rather than the angel he
thought he married, recalling many
instances to back up his claims.
Indeed, there are two sides to every
story. It is an interesting piece.
“The dissolution of my seven years
marriage can be attributed to two
fundamental problems, Ade and her
parents. This is a woman I practically
‘opened her eyes’, only for her to
become wiser than me. The most
ridiculous past was that she had her
parents’ support. My experience has
taught me never to trust anyone, no
matter how old the person might be or
how religious they appear. I already
have enough children and as for sex,
there are many willing partners out
there.
When I met Ade, she did not fit into
the profile of my usual babes, she was
a real fresher in every sense of it. Shy,
almost to the point of timidity. Though
she was not a member of the scripture
union society, she easily passed for
one because of her dressing and
appearance. However, anyone with a
good eye would readily see her beauty.
She was alluring with all the right
potentials waiting to be tapped. My
friends could not understand what I
saw in her but I was hooked.
Yetunde, you know now. I was a
formidable personality of recon back
in those days. Being the first born of
my parents, I had all the support I
wanted from them, especially from my
father who thought the world of me. I
owned a barbeque joint which I ran
with another friend, so the girls flocked
around. Everyone wanted to hang out
with me. In fact, you would thank your
stars if I asked you out. There was
money, fame and looks, but what was
supposed to be a walk over became a
challenge as Ade proved very difficult.
Apart from the fact that both old and
new students tried to discourage her,
her Apostolic Christian background
was a confirmation that we were from
different worlds. But after great
persistence, Ade finally agreed and
the relationship began. I soon
confirmed that she was a virgin and
this made me more committed to her. I
wanted to do everything I could for
her. Ade’s background was not very
comfortable. Her father owned a small
bungalow where they lived with their
mother. Ade was also the first child of
five children who were all so scared of
their father, whom I later discovered
was not even as strict as they thought.
He never allowed anyone visit them,
but he had to bend the rules because
of my consistent disturbance. Earlier,
Ade had informed me that she was not
allowed to have visitors. She never
went out except to church which she
A Chance Meeting
However,
anyone with a
good eye would
readily see her
beauty
did in the company of her other
siblings. You needed to see how this
man screened me on my first meeting
with him.
Ade’s mother ran a small provisions
shop in front of their house while her
father had a plumbing business. He
was really impressed by my
background and personality, much so
that he would have given his consent
to our dating if I had asked. Of course,
we’d only informed him that we were
course mates and I had been drafted
to assist her. You know, I had to be
patient with all of them. However, I
must confess that Ade influenced me
greatly and I began to slow things
down. I had impregnated a girlfriend
during my brief stay in London. She
had tried to trap me into marriage with
the pregnancy, but when I refused, she
followed me back to Nigeria and
dumped the child for me.
So, I was already a father.
The child, a girl, was being
cared for by my parents.
You know a bit of that story
now? I nodded yes.
Ade did not mind on
learning about the child
and took to her much to
everyone’s surprise. But
she begged me that it must
be kept a secret between
us as her parents and
other members of her
family must not know about
it if I truly wanted to marry
her. I accepted at the time
because I thought it was a
wise thing to do
considering the opposition
we were facing from
almost everyone on her
side.
It is needless to say that I
was the first guy with Ade
and she remained glued to
me ever since. I don’t
know how other men feel,
but for me, it was a big
deal. I was happy to be her
first and believed I would
be her only lover ever.
Besides, once we did it, she
ensured to constantly
remind me that I had
ruined her life and must
marry her. It was trouble
whenever she caught me
with another girl. Ade
would go back to archives,
digging up how she had
been warned by everyone
not to have anything to do
with me. I used to feel very
sorry for her because she did
not seem to understand
much. By the time we got
married it was not as if I was
really ready but there now
nothing I could do to
convince her otherwise.
Ade got pregnant
immediately after graduation
and could not go to her
NYSC posting because she was so ill. She
had refused to have it terminated and a
baby out of wedlock was impossible with
her parents. Above all, Ade was convinced
that I would renege on my promise to
marry her and end the relationship if she
terminated the pregnancy. You know, I lost
my father shortly after my graduation so I
was already heading the family business
and trying to take care of my mother and
siblings. So, Ade and I had to live in our
family house with my mother, daughter
and two sisters. We moved into my father’s
apartment and Ade took over the care of
my daughter who also moved in with us.
She gave birth to a baby boy who was
named after me and my father, becoming
the third generation with the name.
Ade had studied education, but we both
agreed that she would go into private
business so she could have more time for
the children. Besides, she hated waking
up early in the morning to go anywhere.
She decided to take up fashion designing
and enrolled in a school somewhere on
the mainland. She had our second boy two
years later and finished from her fashion
school. I rented a shop, equipped it for her
and she settled down to business. Only
after that did I begin to see the real Ade.
Yetunde, you remember how I met Ade
now? I tushed her up. She no longer that
Ade you all knew before she became my
girl now. Ade who used to condemn people
who partied or clubbed now enjoyed
partying so much, especially owambe. She
became so addicted that she started
attending parties without me. All these did
not bother me because I did not suspect
her of any foul play, not even in my wildest
dreams at the time. I knew she had made
a lot of friends over the years, many of
whom she claimed were her customers at
the shop. At other times, she went with my
cousins and some of our family friends.
The fact that Ade knew no man before me,
coupled with her somewhat strict
Christian background must have
hoodwinked me for a long time.
Ade first parked out of our home after a
quarrel over her attitude towards the care
of the children. This had in fact become a
regular source of heated arguments
between us by then. Ade only woke up to
go to the shop and returned late in the
night, sometimes after I would have
returned around after 10.00pm. Right
from the beginning, Ade had insisted
that she could not do school runs. It
was not a big deal as I was already
doing it for my daughter. One would
not expect too much if Ade had taken
up that responsibility after the
wedding, after all, she promised to take
care of the girl for me. But the fact that
she did not have a car at the time and
I was already doing it made it okay.
But after she started the shop and I
got her a car, the responsible thing was
for her to take over the school run, but
my wife refused, making up several
frivolous excuses including the fact
that she did not like the proprietress who
happened to be a relative. So, I would
leave the office in the afternoon to go and
pick the children from school even when
she had nothing to do at the shop. To even
have one of her girls to pick them was a
problem. They were always busy too
according to her.
Being so busy all the time, one would
not be wrong to assume that business
was booming and money was rolling
in, but that was hardly the case with
Ade. She sold fashion accessories as
well as children and ladies wears but
her accounts were never balanced. She
was always running into debts at the
end of the year. Goods obtained from
other people were never paid for. Many
a time, I had to offset some of the debts.
It is only natural that you begin to
wonder how she manages to incur
such huge debts when she was always
busy in the shop.
Hmmm! Please keep a date with us for
the concluding part of this story. Do
have a wonderful weekend!!

C
M
Y
K
32—SATURDAY Vanguard,JUNE 1, 2019
Beyond the excitement of
hearing the buzz of fast cars
as they zoom around snake-like
curves at incredible speeds, I have
not been able to understand the
technicalities behind the Formula1
as a sport. But because of a certain
Lewis Hamilton whose career I
have followed since one magazine
introduced him as a prodigious kid
many years ago, I know about the
circuits. I know for example, that
last week was the Monaco Grand
Prix which he won through sheer
grit, brain and brawn. However, as
he and the other contestants lined
up for the race, I remembered that
I had the luck last month, of seeing
the tracks being laid. We were
encouraged to feel the excitement
by walking the tracks and visiting
the stands. The knowledge that I
was privy to the preparation of such
an important event, was exciting
in itself. The race track was one of
the tourist attractions. Others were
the casinos, the opera house, the
museum, the palace and of course
the beautiful ‘view’ which you
would get if you climbed any of the
hilly tops.
Monaco has the highest GDP in
the world. It is also one of the
world’s smallest sovereign states.
It is a home for the rich. A
whopping three out of ten residents
are said to be millionaires.
Technically, Residency and
Citizenship are easy to acquire. All
you need is to own a property or
lease one for at least a year. Apart
from the cost —a studio flat costs
about 3000 euros a month to
lease— properties are not that easy
to get. As our coach inched along
the narrow roads from Nice to
Monaco and Monte-Carlo, we were
shown the many apartments of
international stars who have taken
advantage of the easy residency
and tax laws. Monaco is a tax
haven. This means the stupendous
income of the likes of Djokovic who
has a house there will not be
subject to tax. It is also a haven in
many other ways. The air is crisp
and fresh, especially on the
mountain side. The coastal
temperature is relatively warm all
At the onset of the first term of
the Muhammadu Buhari
civilian dispensation four years
ago, the inclination was to blame
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
which held the reins of the country
in the preceding 16 years for all the
problems in the country.
However, after four years of
Buhari on the saddle, the question
as to his responsibility in the
critical areas of governance cannot
be prevented by the emotional
attachment many have used in
fending off the attacks on his
personae.
One excuse that had been used
to the point of becoming a cliché
was that the president is a man of
integrity but that he does not know
what his aides are doing.
While the critical issue of his
performance in the critical areas of
economy, security, and corruption
remain debatable, one area that he
has been rarely assessed is in his
stewardship of the ruling party, All
Progressives Congress, APC.
A female acquittance of your
correspondent who four years ago
mobilized for Buhari but changed
track in 2019, called last
Wednesday as the 29 new
governors were being inaugurated
to remind me that the PDP had 15
of the new governors being
inaugurated. That left the party
that had control of the Federal
Government with 14!
That was a departure from the
situation in 2015, when the APC
had 20 and the PDP nine!
In 2019, the party lost among
others, Imo, Adamawa, Oyo,
Benue, Sokoto and Zamfara States
to the PDP. With contentions in
Kano and Kaduna, it could be
worse.
A religious experience
year round. The whole place reeks
of luxury –from the yachts that dot
the seas, the cars on the streets, the
gleaming casinos, to the architecture
of the buildings. No wonder the
South of France had been the resort
of European aristocracy and
playground of the rich from time
immemorial.
It is tempting to continue exploring
temporal pleasures and resorts of the
rich. But my task today is actually
on one of the spiritual resorts of the
faithful. One of the more famous
ones is Lourdes. Each time I talk
about pilgrimages or religious
experiences, I get asked if I have
been to Lourdes. There is a friend of
mine who celebrates her birthday
there every year. She calls it her
renewal. Last month, I visited
Lourdes for the first time. It was
fortuitously, during the Holy Week,
the last week of lent. Lourdes is a
small town where there are more
hotels than residential apartments
because there are more pilgrims or
religious tourists than residents. The
whole town is built around the
religious experience of a peasant girl
who in 1858, saw the apparition of
the Virgin Mary 18 times! She had
gone to collect firewood with her
sister and a friend when a ‘little lady
dressed in white with a white veil
and blue girdle and a golden rose
on each foot’ first appeared to her.
Her sister didn’t see the apparition
and her mother who was told by the
sister didn’t believe her. She was
beaten for her efforts and forbidden
to go to the cave. Her father
eventually allowed her to go again
and the same figure appeared to her.
It took the persistence of the
apparitions and the genuineness of
the peasant girl’s convictions to
convince a sceptical community
which even doubted her sanity at
some point. From three onlookers to
a thousand witnesses over several
visits, the community eventually
became aware that something
unique was happening. It wasn’t
until the 16 th apparition and upon the
insistence of the priest that the lady
referred to herself as ‘the Immaculate
Conception.’ She made several
requests to Bernadette Soubirous
which were personal to the 14 yearold-girl
and people respond to that
by making the grotto of
Massabielle—the cave where the
visitations took place—a place of
silent contemplations and prayer.
But the public requests to Bernadette
have formed the precepts of Lourdes
which adherents have followed
faithfully after the initial scepticism.
When the ‘Immaculate Conception’
or ‘Lady of Lourdes’ instructed the
peasant girl as ‘a call to penitence
and conversion of sinners’ to ‘go and
drink from the spring and wash in it
and eat of the grass that is there’
there was no spring. Obedient
Bernadette had to claw a hole which
was filled with muddy water to wash
with. It took a couple more attempts
before she could drink from it. Three
days later, a clear spring had sprung
forth. Today, covered by a glass
screen, it is one of the attractions to
the sanctuary because of its
How will Buhari manage the coming
APC conflicts?
So, when Senator Lawali Shuaibu,
the deputy national chairman of the
APC asked Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole to resign as national
chairman on account of the depletion,
he only raised a red flag that is
indicative of the coming battle that
will unsettle the ruling party.
As with the governance of the
country, Shuaibu, like many APC
partisans, did not bring the president
into the fray.
However, in the days and months
ahead as President Buhari
progresses in office, his aim of
leaving a worthy legacy would
largely depend on how he addresses
himself to the cohesion in his party.
It was the failure of the president
to act decisively that led to the losses
in many of the states where the APC
was humiliated.
Take Rivers State for example.
What would it have cost the
president to have summoned a
meeting at the party secretariat
between Rotimi Amaechi and
Magnus Abe and allowed for a
decisive interrogation of the issues
between the two tendencies in the
state chapter?
It is now said that a Third Force
We are indeed, in the world to
help and light one another’s
world irrespective of race
perceived healing powers. Every
pilgrim is encouraged to drink and have
a bath—there are 17 stone baths and
several drinking fountains. Speaking of
the sick, there is a huge, two winged,
six floor building where infirm people
from all over the world are attended to,
cared for and some, hopefully, healed.
Many of the carers are volunteers from
all over the world. The Catholic Church
is usually reticent about miracles but
over seven thousand unexplained
healings have been recorded.
Another request was made on the 13 th
visit when the lady asked that ‘the
priests should allow people to come in
procession and let a church be built.’
Today, there are 22 places of worship at
the sanctuary or the ‘Domain.’ The
‘Marian procession’ is one of the most
beautiful sights you can ever see. The
lights of candles of thousands of people
shining in the darkness of night as a
procession goes through town can create
a powerful image. And for me, a lesson
was learnt. Because of a strong night
breeze, every candle went out at least
three times during the procession. You
simply turned to your side to relight
your candle irrespective of the gender
or colour of the person. It could be your
turn to help that person relight their
candle minutes later. More than once,
that phrase ‘what does a candle lose
when used to light another candle’ came
to mind. We are indeed, in the world to
help and light one another’s world
irrespective of race.
Lourdes is built round the tenets of
prayer, penitence and poverty. It is a
serene place that is devoid of any form
of mercantilism. Like my friend who
goes there every year says: ‘it is a place
of renewal.’
So, when Senator Lawali Shuaibu, the deputy
national chairman of the APC asked Comrade
Adams Oshiomhole to resign as national
chairman on account of the depletion, he only
raised a red flag that is indicative of the coming
battle that will unsettle the ruling party
within the APC allowed the crisis in
Rivers to burgeon for the purpose of
enabling Amaechi to be humiliated
and cut to size ahead of the hustle
for 2023. It is common political gossip
that Amaechi is known not to flow
along with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, the leading 2023 political
aspirant from the Southwest.
Besides Rivers, the president’s
seeming passiveness to the tantrums
of former Governor Abdulazziz Yari
in Zamfara was seemingly
indefensible.
In Imo State, Rochas Okorocha’s
plot to build a family dynasty seemed
to escape the famed anti-corruption
concept of the president. The rot in
Imo was worsened by the fact that it
was regularly alleged that Okorocha
was encouraged by some of the
president’s enforcers within the
presidency who may have been
compromised.
Despite perceptions of the First
Lady’s objections to Senator Jibrilla
Bindow in Adamawa, the president
could still have intervened by
strolling over to the other room and
ensuring that his spouse and his
party came out the better.
But in all of these instances there
was an apparent lack of leadership
that allowed merchants of politics to
prevail to the doom of the APC.
Well, some have said that it serves
the party right and that the president
and the APC should continue to fumble
in such a way that would lead the party
to disintegration. But is that necessarily
right for the polity?
The unfolding developments in the
National Assembly provides an
opportunity for redirection.
Some party leaders having agreed
among themselves on Senator Ahmad
Lawan for Senate President and Femi
Gbajabiamila for Speaker are
attempting to force it down on other
APC legislators as the decision of the
party. But where and when the party
met and took a decision on the two men
has not been said.
It is now said that because of the
perceived influence of Asiwaju Tinubu
on the two men that other party
interests are now mobilizing against
them endangering their aspirations.
President Buhari need not stand up
and proclaim anyone as a presiding
officer. As a responsible father, it is his
duty to ensure that every one of his
children is given the opportunity to
harness his or her abilities. If he does
that, it could well mean a turning
around for the country as it would allow
the best from his party into taking
driving positions in government. But
will he?

Iwas not there; I saw the video like
many others. The narrative said it
happened in Kilo, Ikate, Surulere,
Lagos. A newly-wed man walked out
on his wife during their wedding
reception; saying “I no dey do again”
(I am not marrying her anymore),while
putting both hands at the back of his
neck/head (a sign of despair). His wife
was running after him, throwing
herself on the ground, but the guy
insisted he was done. At a point, he
almost went physical with the wife.
What could have gone wrong between
the time they exchanged marital vows
and the reception? Was there a verbal
exchange between them? Did he get
information revealing earth-shaking
secrets? What went wrong? The video
did not have any details.But somebody
in the background was saying,
“something is wrong somewhere.”
I believe the video is real, so I am
just going to give my take on the whole
incidents, which someone in the video
described as, “the thing when we dey
see for film naim be this; this is real.”
One, the incident brings to fore the
essence of courtship. Courtship is a
period when you scrutinise and get to
know your potential spouse better. The
objective is to be able to say after a
while that “I feel I can spend the rest
of my life with this person,” or you opt
out if you feel you are with the wrong
person. To be able to do this, you need
to have all your senses and bearings
in place; no sentiments. But the
problem with many courtships is that
in no time, fleshy lust takes over and
sense of judgment becomes blurred.
When you take decisions with blurred
vision, the probability of making wrong
decisions is higher. How did they
conduct their courtship that their
marriage is over before starting?
Two, marriage is not a contract, so
the doctrine of “buyers beware,” which
operates in the law of contracts, does
not operate in marriage. Christian
marriage is covenantal and the
doctrine of uberrima fides (utmost good
t is amazing the amount of acrimoni
Ious, malicious and vindictive argument
that came in the wake of former President
Olusegun Obasanjo’s outcry that Islamic
Jihadists/terrorists have deliberately
marked out a large swat of African land
from Mali to Nigeria for the establishment
of an Islamic State after their failure to defend
the Islamic state that they had declared
around Iraq and Syria. The bitterly
spiteful debate shows the nature of the
ruling party and its supporters; they are
not ready to take corrections or criticisms
as though the All Progressives Congress
is a religion and not a political party and
President Mohammadu Buhari has become
a god who can do no wrong.
If we were engaged in a debate about a
less severe matter here, I would have left
the insecurity of life and property in Nigeria,
to mock Obasanjo, after all, he played
totally personal and dastardly politics instead
of addressing the beginnings of Islamic
arms slinging in Nigeria, when the
chance came. Pan back to 2004 please.
THE KANO DEBACLE
President Obasanjo, acting under an ultimatum
by the Council of Ulamma to
‘deal’ with Plateau State, tried to rationalize
his declaration of State of Emergency
there in 2004 when he unconstitutionally
suspended Joshau Dariye, the Governor.
Obasanjo even went to the extent of justifying
the riotous decimation of Christians
in Kano (yet again) where about many
Christians were slaughtered as a reprisal
killing in reply to the killings in Plateau
state within the same time frame. Then,
he suspended Dariye for failing to keep
his state peaceful…but he failed to lift a
finger against the Governor of Kano state…
after all, he too failed to maintain peace in
his state. But Obasanjo forgot that he had
the duty to maintain peace in any part of
Nigeria—as he controlled the Police and
the Armed Forces as well as the Department
of State Security, etc.
Obasanjo said that the situation in Yelwa
threatened peace in Nigeria, forgetting that
Kano had by then acquired the reputation
as the fertile state for frequent ethno-religious
strife. Really violent clashes had been
taking place in Kano in the three years preceding
the Plateau State riots, and those
were three out of Obasanjo’s then four years
in Aso Rock Presidential Villa. In those
three years Kano people killed Christians,
After wedding drama
faith) is what operates here. During
courtship, courting parties must
exercise utmost good faith. There must
be full disclosure.”Courtship bears
some similarities to insurance. In
insurance a buyer of the insurance
product (the insured) has a
responsibility to disclose to the
insurance company (the underwriter)
any information that aggravates or
alters the usual nature of the risk the
company is about to assume
(underwrite). Also during courtship,
parties should disclose fully any
condition that will make the other
party have a second thought about
continuing with the relationship.”(You
can read more inLife Lessons from
Mudipapa).Did the young man hear
something about his new wife, hitherto
hidden from him,that made him to
have a second thought about the
marriage between the time he
exchanged vows and during the
reception? Did he hear something
new that made him to feel betrayed
by his few-hours-old wife? I do not
know, but there is a possibility.
The other thing in the video that
made me feel gutted was the wife
running after her husband in the
streets and hitting herself on the
ground. Where were her family
members? I could only see the chief
bridesmaid consoling and running
after her. When the incident
happened, her family should have
How the Nor
orth became a killing field
burnt their churches and houses and
looted their property while protesting the
staging of ‘Miss World’ beauty pageant
in Nigeria, American invasion of Afghanistan,
in support of Osama bin Laden, and
against American attack on Iraq.
Indeed, the particular Kano killing
Obasanjo had pretended to be a reprisal
killing for the Yelwa crisis in Plateau state,
was in protest against American continuous
presence in Iraq; according to newspaper
reports of the violent demonstration
and the setting on fire of the Kano
branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Acknowledging the problems posed by
Kano, The President wrote in a letter to
the Sultan of Sokoto:”You will agree with
me that what we have in Kano is a chronic
situation whereby when there is an ethnic
dispute or clash anywhere bordering
on religion...Muslims of any sect and at
any level in other parts of Nigeria, but
particularly in Kano take it upon themselves
to slaughter innocent people from
other parts of the country based on their
ethnicity, religion and social situation as
reprisal.”
Obasanjo did not ensure that any participant
in the killing orgies in Yelwa or
Kano was charged to court. Blood-letting
had become a normal thing in the North.
It is like the present situation where rampaging
Fulani herdsmen attack and wipe
out whole communities, and the Kaduna
Governor, Nasir el-Rufai would joke that
the Fulani never forgets a wrong—as
though the Fulani has the right to kill at
will to avenge any evil—real or imagined.
In that same lackadaisical way, even the
President has called upon the people of
Benue to be more accommodating to their
rallied round her immediately.
They should have consoled her
and given her some words of
comfort: “don’t worry; we are
going to sit down and resolve
the matter.” Running after the
guy in the streets was not classy.
At that point, nothing would
have changed; the guy was in a
rage. Tempers need tocool down
before you resolve issues of this
nature. Moreover, their church
and families would have to be
involved. In some
denominations, like the Catholic
Church, they will have
sponsors whose duty it is to
resolve such issues.
Three, did the young man
contemplate and really ponder
the vows he took earlier? All too
often, exchange of marital vows
is a hollow ritual that many
about-to-wed people want to get
out of the way so that they can
move on to mundane stuff like
their reception, their wellchoreographed
dance, after
wedding dress, etc. Someone
who pondered the vows he took
earlier could not have been
shouting,”I no do again,” the
way the young man
did.Moreover, as I watched the
video over and over again, I kept
asking whether the guy actually
loved the lady before going into
the marriage or he acted
neighbours just when 77 dead
Benue people killed by suspected
herdsmen were being buried.
Obasanjo who suspended Dariye,
set up a State of Emergency in Plateau,
failed to release a report on
the Yelwa killings over which he suspended
Dariye.
Dariye was punished for national
crises which Obasanjo as the President
should have been held responsible
for. In fact, Dariye was punished
for his anti-Obasanjo and pro-
Atiku Abubakar politics; he was one
of the James Ibori-led PDP Governors
who openly opposed
Obasanjo’s re-election in 2003. The
core leaders of that opposition—
Dariye, Bayelsa’s Dipreye
Alamieyesigha, Abia’s Uzor Orji
Kalu, Adamawa’s Boni Haruna,
Benue’s George Akume and Delta’s
James Onanefe Ibori would be
relentlessly pursued, some weeded
out of PDP or even impeached by
Abuja-manipulated kangaroo
panels. Alamieyeseigha suffered
the worst fate; he was murdered
when he was not allowed to receive
adequate medical treatment for the
surgery he had in Germany.
The second leg of this article is
that crime, random crime as
opposed to religious-induced one,
has long made Nigeria unsafe. As
David Kaplan wrote in “The
Coming Anarchy: How scarcity,
crime, overpopulation, tribalism,
and disease are rapidly destroying
the social fabric of our planet” in
SATURDAY Vanguard, , JUNE 1, 2019—33
perfunctorily. You do not treat somebody you
love and deeply care
for the way he did.
The scriptures will help us here. Mary,
mother of Jesus, was betrothed to Joseph.
Before they could start living together as
husband and wife, he found out she was
pregnant and he was not responsible for the
pregnancy.If Joseph were like this our young
man, he would have surrendered Mary to
the Jews to be stoned to death in line with
the Jewish customs and traditions of the time.
But Joseph, being a man of honour and
desiring to spare Mary the public shame
because he cared for her inspite of what
happened, decided to divorce her quietly
Matthew 1:18-19). The rest of the story you
know.
Where do they go from here? Both of them
agreed to get married before going ahead,
both of them must also sit down to decide
the way forward. They will need help because
both of them seem to be consumed by
emotions, not reason,right now. Their church
and families will be very useful, especially if
the family members can look at the issue
dispassionately. If it is just a
misunderstanding of issues, they might be
able to resolve it amicably and they can go
and live happily (I hope) thereafter. But if it
is an issue of fundamental condition (like
hiding a previous marriage, child or critical
health condition from the man), then the
young man has sufficient grounds to ask for
the annulment of the marriage. Annulment
is different from divorce. Divorce means that
a marriage was valid, but it was dissolved.
Annulment means the marriage is regarded
as invalid from the beginning because it was
based on falsehood.
Finally, the marriage, as it is, is invalid
because it was not consummated. They just
left the church for reception when the guy
opted out. For a marriage to be valid, husband
and wife must engage in sexual intercourse
after the wedding. This has not taken place
in this instant.
Readers interested in getting a copy of Life
Lessons from Mudipapa (referred to
above) can contact us on
mudipapa65@gmail.com or 08186535360
the Atlantic Monthly of November February 1994,
“The cities of West Africa at night are some of the
unsafest places in the world. Streets are unlit; the
police often lack gasoline for their vehicles; armed
burglars, carjackers, and muggers proliferate”
Kaplan wrote: “In cities in six West African countries
I saw similar young men everywhere—
hordes of them. They were like loose molecules
in a very unstable social fluid, a fluid that was
clearly on the verge of igniting. He argued that
in the villages of Africa it is perfectly natural to
feed at any table and lodge in any hut. But in the
cities this communal existence no longer holds.
You must pay for lodging and be invited for food.
When young men find out that their relations cannot
put them up, they become lost. They join other
migrants and slip gradually into the criminal process.
In the poor quarters of Arab North Africa,” he
continued, “there is much less crime, because
Islam provides a social anchor: of education and
indoctrination. Here in West Africa, we have a lot
superficial Islam and superficial Christianity. That
is why there is less crime, especially riotous killing
in the Islamic country of Turkey than in Northern
Nigeria.
Martin van Creveld, a military historian at the
Hebrew University in Jerusalem, in The Transformation
of War, stated: “so fighting in many ways
is not a means but an end. Kaplan wrote a far
back as 1994: “When I asked Pentagon officials
about the nature of war in the 21 century, the
answer I frequently got was “Read Van Creveld.”
The top brass are enamored of this historian not
because his writings justify their existence but,
rather, the opposite: Van Creveld warns them that
huge state military machines like the Pentagon’s
are dinosaurs about to go extinct and that something
far more terrible awaits us.”
Debunking the great military strategist Carl von
Clausewitz, Van Creveld, who may be the most
original thinker on war since that early-nineteenthcentury
Prussian, writes, “Clausewitz’s ideas...
the period of the “threefold division into government,
army, and people” which state-directed wars
enforce is ending. Now, political, social, economic,
and religious motives were hopelessly entangled
and the new armies consist of mercenaries, all
were also attended by swarms of military entrepreneurs
(who buy guns for the herdsmen, for
example). They robbed the countryside on their
own behalf”... like the herdsmen and bandits or
kidnappers
David Kaplan’s article appeared in 1994. Martin
van Crevid wrote even before that, but the
Nigerian military was unprepared when Boko
Haram or Zamfara Bandits appeared decades
later.

34—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
President Muhammadu Buhari on
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 took
oath of office and oath of allegiance as
stipulated by the 1999 Constitution, to
signal the commencement of his
second term in office. Buhari’s political
re-embodiment no doubt has tasked
and would continue to sap his sagging
energetic and unflagging enthusiasm
in politics and governance for the eight
year period he has mandate with
Nigeria, the covenantee. The authority
bestowed on his government by the
electoral victory, effectively
authorizes it to carry out the policies
for which it campaigned i.e. security,
anti corruption and the economy.
What is up his sleeve as he settles for
his final term in office is the guess of
every Nigerian that feels he should
remove the Baba-go-slow toga in his
leadership? As he keeps his cards close
to his chest on who makes his cabinet,
it ill behooves him to rev his patriotic
zeal in his last lap of governance of
corporate Nigeria that is in dire straits.
President Buhari has one more chance
to write his name in gold for posterity
otherwise, throw it in the garbage can
of history.
President Buhari exercised a span of
control as Petroleum Minister in his
first term in office. He took up the
substantive ministerial portfolio
casted doubt whether he got someone
with a zealous devotion to love
Nigeria’s interests in the petroleum
ministry. Buhari’s thought was
probably anchored on patriotism. Is
Buhari indeed, a patriot? Yes, he is! A
patriot is a proud supporter or
defender of his or her country, and its
way of life. Was he proud about our
way of life? Obviously not! His anti
corruption and patriotism crusade
coupled with an ailing search
prompted his taking up the substantive
petroleum ministerial portfolio four
years ago. Don’t blame the President!
ar is indeed, a series of
W surprises even as yesterday
marked 52 years since the
declaration of Biafra which
culminated in a bloody war that took
the lives of three service chiefs.
We should all learn from history.
War is no respecter of rank or title.
Nigeria lost a chief of Army staff and
also lost an Air chief. Both died in a
flight. The Biafran Chief of Air Staff did
not die flying, he was killed while
attending a briefing just as Federal
troops continued to push across the
Niger.
Lt.Col. Joseph Ityowa Ronald
Akahan was made Chief of Army Staff
by Lt. Col Yakubu Gowon in
November 1966. It was when the
country was in crisis and soldiers
from the North did not trust their
Southern colleagues.
At that time, there were at least four
officers outside the North who
identified with Gowon and were
superior to Akahan. There was also a
Fulani Prince ahead of the new Army
Chief.
Col. Akahan led the Nigeria Army
to war against Biafra. On a certain day
in 1967, he flew in a chopper to his
hometown, Gboko, in the Tiv area of
the Middle Belt. It was getting dark
and some of his friends advised
against flying. Akahan took off and
was gone.
The helicopter went down in flames
killing all on board. The pilot and copilot
were identified as George Ozieh
with service number 232 and Olawale
Lawal [233]. Both were officers of the
Nigerian Air Force.
Ozieh was Igbo and hailed from
Ogwashi Uku in the Mid-West. His
brother-in-law, Flt. Lt. Gabriel Ebube,
was fighting on the Biafran side. One
of his buddies, Flt. Lt. Lanky Ogbolu,
had lost a brother in-law, Lt. Col.
Gabriel Okonweze, in the July 1966
coup to troops under Akahan.
Lt. Col. Chude Luis Sokei was at
Sandhurst at the same time as two
cadets who later emerged as leaders
in Ghana: Okatakye Afrifa and Fred
Buhari’s quest for patriotic petroleum
minister
His office on assumption of duty was
awash with complaints that the
national oil company was riddled
with corruption and needed iron
brooms for clean sweep of the
corruption rubbish. Some hard
critics also hit out at him as a
potentate with a pontificate
posturing that in six months he
found no capable hand as Petroleum
Minister. President Buhari’s quest
now for a patriotic Minister should
equally not be on the premise of
loyalty alone. Alexander Pope on
patriotism is: He serves me most
who serves his country best. That
should be the attitude.
In the words of Theodore
Roosevelt, the 26 th president of the
United States:”Patriotism means to
stand by the country. It does not
mean to stand by the president or
any other public official, save
exactly to the degree in which he
himself stands by the country. It is
patriotic to support him insofar as
he efficiently serves the country. It
is unpatriotic not to oppose him to
the exact extent that by inefficiency
or otherwise he fails in his duty to
stand by the country. In either
event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the
truth, whether about the president
or anyone else.” On the first
anniversary of the September 11,
2001, terrorist attacks against the
United States, Tamim Ansary, an
author and columnist wrote that
the concept of patriotism gets
tricky in a democracy, as loyalty
to your country does not mean
President Buhari has
one more chance to
write his name in gold
for posterity otherwise,
throw it in the
garbage can of history
loyalty to any particular ethnic,
cultural, or political group, and it
must go beyond ‘soil.’ At its core
is a set of ideas.
What ideas? Ideas that remind
the President that petroleum is
the main foreign exchange earner
for the country. That it provides
the working capital for corporate
Biafra a consumed three service chief
hiefs
Akuffo. Another Course mate,
Alphonsus Keshi, an Igbo from the
Mid-West, felt more comfortable
living in Nigeria.
Sokei knew about the January 1966
coup and was to lead operations in
Enugu. Unfortunately, he was sent to
India on course shortly before D Day.
He was moved to the Air Force just
like some of his Army colleagues.
Sokei became Chief of Biafran Air
Force after Col. George
Tamunoiyowunam Kurubo defected
to Nigeria. The former’s first job was
to Head the Task Force that planned
the successful hijack of a Nigeria
Airways flight from Benin to Enugu.
On March 15, 1968, senior Biafran
officers gathered under a tree at Afor
Igwe market ,Ogidi. Federal soldiers
were advancing in full force and
something had to be done.
The meeting did not end well.
Shrapnel from mortar fire penetrated
Sokei’s heart. He was gone. Two other
senior Biafran officers were lucky.
Though wounded, they lived to fight
again.
The Nigerian Air Chief, Col. Shittu
Alao, also did not survive the war.
He died in a crash. His light aircraft
was flying to Enugu but ended up in
Uzebba, Mid-West. That was on
October, 19, 1969.
Alao, a bulky Ogbomosho, Yoruba
man, born to a Shendam mother, had
also trained at Sandhurst as an Army
Cadet.
All three Service Chiefs were
Sandhurst products. In a space of two
years, between 1967 and 1969, they
were all dead. None of them clocked
40 years and none spent up to 10
years as a commissioned officer.
Akahan’s death created a
vacuum which could be filled by
officers who were senior but were
overlooked earlier. Col.
Wellington Bassey, Col Adeyinka
Adebayo, Lt. Col David Ejoor,
Lt.Col Eyo Ekpo and Lt. Col.
Hassan Katsina were available.
Ekpo was ruled out because he was
Chief of Staff, Supreme
Headquarters.
Again, Gowon who had been
promoted Major General,
overlooked all of them and picked
Col. Iliya Bisalla who no doubt,
was a very bright officer. His
Sandhurst course mates, Cols
Murtala Mohammed and
Mohammed Shuwa were out
fighting as General Officers
Commanding [GOC] of the first
and second division respectively.
Bisalla and Gowon were quite
close and hailed from the
Pankshin area of the Middle Belt.
Much later, when the Nigerian
leader got married to, Victoria
Zakari, in 1969, Bisalla was the
Military Coordinator. His wife,
Mildred, was one of the four
ladies-in-waiting.
The Fulani did not welcome
Bisalla’s appointment. Katsina was
commissioned in 1958. Bisalla
received his, in 1961. Gowon knew
something had to be done.
Katsina was made Army Chief
while Bisalla ended the war as a
GOC.
Sokei’s death saw Biafra
Nigeria. That the President would not
gloss over the issue of our wholly owned
refineries those have not been
rehabilitated in a quarter of a century
and should work. That cumulative effect
has afflicted Nigeria with what
economists call Dutch Disease. That in an
afflicted economy, a resource boom
attracts large inflows of foreign capital,
which leads to an appreciation of the local
currency and a boost for imports that are
comparatively cheaper. That it sucks
labour and capital away from other
sectors of the economy, such as
agriculture and manufacturing, which
are very important for growth and
competitiveness. That as these labourintensive
export industries flag,
unemployment rises and the economy
develops an unhealthy dependence on
the export of natural resources.
Petroleum would continue to be an
instrument of politics, tact and security
globally. Our monomaniacal case has left
local oil production to foreign drillers
only to export crude. Our economy has
become highly vulnerable to
unpredictable swings in global energy
prices and capital flight. Refining
ordinarily adds value to petroleum which
is the most important commodity nature
has provided mankind with as many as
6000 byproducts and derivatives when
a barrel of crude is refined. Rehabilitation
now will complement the Dangote
refining facility coming on stream in
2020, to guarantee products stability
and availability with no import of refined
products in years to come. This will
indeed, remove subsidy claims. It would
also mitigate the pervasive security
concerns in our land. The multiplier
effect of local refining and ancillary
businesses thereof will employ millions
of distressed Nigerians, increase the gross
domestic product, GDP as well as
generate revenue for government. A
patriotic Petroleum Minister is needed to
harness all these for Nigeria.
Col. Akahan led the Nigeria Army to war
against Biafra
appointing Wing Commander Godwin
Ezeilo as replacement. The import was
that he was the only trained pilot to lead
the Air Force during the war.
The man who replaced Alao,
Emmannuel Ebije Ikwue, was not a pilot.
He was an Army officer who passed out
from Sandhurst alongside his
predecessor, Okpo Isong, Musa Usman
and Godwin Ally.
It was in the bid to become a pilot that
Alao lost his life. The boss did not feel
quite comfortable commanding people
who could fly fighter jets and bombers.
In that group were young officers like
John Yisa Doko, Gbadamasi King,
Abdullahi Bello, George Musa Jebak,
Ibrahim Alfa, Salaudeen Latinwo, Usman
Jibrin and Anthony Okpere.
Col. Alao began with light aircraft. That
fateful day in 1969, he flew solo, with
Enugu as destination. Somewhere around
the River Niger, he lost bearing and
planned to return to Benin. That never
happened. The plane crash landed on a
football field in Uzebba.
Alao’s son, Lawal, joined the Air Force
as a graduate in 1984. I met him in 1989
as he was introduced as Aide de Camp to
Air Chief, Ibrahim Alfa. I guess, Lawal is
still serving as an Air Vice Marshal.
Like the Air Force, the Nigerian Navy
was not commanded by a combatant
seaman. Rear Admiral Edet Wey was a
Marine Engineer. The job was done by
Nelson Soroh, Mike Adelanwa and Akin
Aduwo.
The Biafran Navy was led by a grounded
seaman, Captain Wilfred Anuku, from the
Mid-West. He was at Dartmouth with
Adelanwa. Anuku also fought as an Army
Officer.

Lamido Sanusi came to national
lime light in 2009. He had been a
banker. President Yaradua appointed him
Central Bank Governor. He met a banking
industry seized by sleaze and drowning in
systemic arbitrariness. He found dubious
book keeping everywhere. He took
implicated bank executives by the scruff
of the neck and dragged them and their
filth out of their banks into the streets and
into the arms of the law.
Many said he saved the banking system
from perdition by picking out the
cankerworms and dressing the sores that
could have become gangrenous. Others
said he was an overzealous petty vindictive
regulator who used a sledge hammer to
smash when he could have used a scalpel
to tease.
His tenure as CBN governor is still being
judged.
He instituted reforms to banish
arbitrariness in corporate governance. But
some said he was a garrulous hypocrite.
They said he went about dislodging the
specks in the eyes of others while the logs
in his own eyes multiplied. They said he
cleaned the commercial banks with
ruthlessness but littered the CBN with
telling mismanagement.
He was outspokenly critical of the
Jonathan government and its profligacy.
But towards the end of his time as CBN
governor, it was the same Jonathan
government, through the Financial
Reporting Council, that leveled serious
allegations of financial improprieties
against the reformer, Lamido Sanusi.
Sanusi denied the charges. And called them
desperate acts of witch-hunt.
When he ascended the Kano Emirate
throne, many were hopeful. They said the
traditional institution had looked away
while the society became filled with
millions of out- of-school children, poverty
and disease. The North was particularly
afflicted. A revolutionary king, they
thought, could instigate a cultural
revolution from within. But others said that
a hounded Lamido Sanusi only took
refuge in the palace to avoid being
prosecuted.
Controversies, it appears, followed him
into the palace.
From the throne, he spoke against
retrogressive cultural practices that had
blighted the North and the country. He
highlighted the ill treatment of girl child
in the north. He warmed against child
marriages. He spoke vociferously against
the reckless population explosion in the
north and wanted birth rate controlled. He
Lamido Sanusi : An Emir on the ropes
wondered what the politicians were
doing with public resources while
jobless youths roamed the streets. He
was bound to ruffle feathers. His
opponents said he was desecrating the
hallowed throne by dabbling into
radical politics. But it was, again, the
charges of hypocrisy that were the most
pointed blows he received.
Many wondered why a social crusader
for the girl child would marry a 19-year
old girl as a third wife. It was well
within his legal, religious and cultural
rights so to do, but it didn’t enhance
his credibility as a revolutionary
against the retrogressive institutional
practices against the girl child he
wanted dismantled. It is probably, this
perception of lack of commitment to
lead by personal examples that has left
room for his opponents to take rampant
shots at him. So when he is not
explaining frolicking with a teenage
girl, he is explaining moving around in
the symbol of sybaritism—the Rolls
Royce.
The Emir should have known. An
Emir who chooses to disrupt the system
fundamentally must brace for impact.
The least he could have done was to
gird his loins and rid himself of all
flabbiness. Because the fight he had
chosen could not be won if he came to
it heavy with even mere suspicions of
moral or financial improprieties.
The Emir had barely started when a
certain Hawk, the Kano Anti
Corruption Commission, came out
from nowhere and started circling over
the palace. The allegations then was
that certain sums of money had been
misappropriated or wastefully spent by
the emirate. The Emir had seemed
rattled. The figures peddled seemed
outrageous. His opponents chuckled.
A few persons ran around and pleaded
for mercy. The hawk glided,
retreated, flew away.
The Emir denied all wrong doings
in public. But his opponents pointed
out that his denials were tepid, lacked
the fervency of his customary
righteous posturing. They said it was
true the Kano Anti Corruption
Commission could be acting the script
of an angry governor, the way the FRC
was acting the script of an angry
president. But they explained that in
both cases vindictiveness was only
secondary, secondary to the existence
of reasonable suspicions of financial
malfeasance where immaculate
purity should have existed.
Before the 2019 elections a scandal
broke in Kano. The Kano governor
was seen on tape collecting bribe
money and stuffing his ‘babanriga.’
The nation was stupefied. The
governor denied the allegations and
dismissed the video recordings as
doctored. The Kano House of
Assembly moved in to investigate. A
court injunction emerged and stopped
the legislature that had seemed bent
on initiating an impeachment
process. The Emir was not heard. But
he must have felt thoroughly
embarrassed. Some said the Emir
mourned in private. The governor
must have noticed. That set the stage
for another round of turbulence.
The 2019 elections came. Kano was
hotly contested. The governor
survived by a hair’s breath after a
supplementary election that was
widely dismissed as unfree. After the
elections, rumours sprouted and
spread: the governor was unhappy
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE1, 2019—35
Many wondered why a social crusader
for the girl child would marry a 19-year
old girl as a third wife
with the Emir whom he suspected had
supported his opponents, his ouster.
And once the Kano governor got angry
with the Kano emir we knew that hawk—the
Kano Anti Corruption Commission—would
return again. But the governor didn’t wait
for the hawk. He took his sword and
balkanized the Kano emirates.
The Emir of Kano was left with 20% of his
weight. Four new kings and kingdoms were
created from his kingdom. Many said the
governor was playing dangerous politics of
bitterness. And that whatever his grouse with
the emir he shouldn’t destroy an important
historical institution with his tantrums.
Others said that the heedless head that
picked a wasp should be stung by it. They
said the Emir had allowed his ego and
political recklessness bring division and
misfortune rather than unity to his emirate.
The battle has shifted to the courts. But the
hawk that appears only when the governor is
angry with the Emir has started circling
again.
The Emir has declared his innocence like
a mother hen threatened by shadows above.
This time some of those who seem him as a
beacon of light in a benighted society have
urged him to abdicate the whittled throne
and seek higher effectual political grounds.
His opponents are singing: ‘we told you so.’
They say that the Emir has the right sermons.
But sermons are not enough. Because as it
was in the CBN with the FRC so it is now
with the Kano Anti corruption Commission.
They want to see the Emir live what he
preaches. They want to see him submit
himself to all investigations and not take
refuge in court injunctions. They want to see
him live, not a life of opulence but, the a life
of a man stricken by the disease and poverty
and illiteracy swirling around him.
The Emir is on the ropes. I pray he ‘rope-adope’s
his way to a higher political calling.
Perhaps, then, he would circumcise his heart
and help redeem the nation.
Night operations now possible at Benin Airport
In opening up sub-national economies for facilities at the Benin Airport.
growth, there are a number of parameters Governor Obaseki said his administration
to ensure that the successes are not kneejerk
or short-lived. Much as states adopt different a plan that ensures the Airport space was
would work with FAAN and NAMA to develop
methods to suit their peculiar needs, expanded. He noted that state intends to
development economists argue that among effectively utilise assets and resources within
other things, growth is mostly achieved through the state for the benefit of the people, which
expansion of the space for economic activities, necessitated the inspection tour of the Benin
with emphasis on freeing up markets and Airport.
providing the environment to attract and keep According to him, “We have approached the
private investments.
Federal Authority to kindly come to our aid
It was in keeping faith with this reasoning regarding the airport. The plan is to first improve
that the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin the facilities in this airport and ensure that we
Obaseki decided that if truly his vision to have night landing facilities. This will enable
industrialise the state was to materialise and the airport embark on 24 hours operation. With
the successes sustained, there was need to more airplanes coming in, we will see a lot more
leverage whatever arteries through which passenger traffic coming into our state.”
private investors access the state, especially the The MD of FAAN, Dunoma, noted that
Benin Airport, from which high net-worth though the Federal Government had the
engage with their partners in the state. responsibility to improve facilities at the Benin
The plan was to ensure that the Benin Airport Airport, he was excited by the commitment
becomes more viable and able to handle higher coming from the Edo State government to
air passenger traffic. This line of thought was upgrade the airport.
anchored on the need to upgrade the He said. “I want to thank the governor for
infrastructure so it could handle more activities, coming to our aid and with his assistance we
especially night operations, which will create can do a lot more. We have inspected the
the room for private investors to do business in facilities here and we will submit a report on
the state.
what we need to do to improve the safety and
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (2nd right); Minister of State,
Though a Federal Government facility, the facilities at this Airport.”
Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika (middle); Captain HosaOkunbor (2nd left), and
state government’s intention to upgrade the Capt. Akinkuotu of NAMA commended the
Senator representing Edo North, Senator Francis Alimikhena (right), at the
Airport caused them to take part responsibility joint effort being made both by the state and
commissioning of night landing equipment at the Benin Airport.
for the job, which culminated in expenses Federal Government on the upgrade, noting
running into about N169 million to facilitate that the approach was the way to go to drive
the revamp of the Airport while relevant Federal
us that the lights will arrive before the end of
meaningful development across the country. He Vice President Osinbajo jets off from Benin
Government agencies provided needed
this month, February. We will launch it and have
said the agency would collaborate with the Edo at 7pm
infrastructure, among which are high-end air
our inaugural night flight to Benin City,” he
State government to ensure passengers do not One year after the inspection by the big wigs
navigation equipment.
said.
only feel safe, but have good reasons to fly to the from the Federal Government, some of the
Benin Airport.
equipment for night operations were installed
How the Plan was hatched
NIMET station, Agro-allied Cargo Terminal
He added, “We can’t but thank the Governor and the Vice President, Prof. YemiOsinbajo did
During a visit by top aviation actors in the
to follow – Aviation Minister
Obaseki for coming out to show support. The the honours of flying from the Airport at about
country to the state in September 2017,
Last week, the Federal and Edo State
country belongs to all of us. He has 7pm, a development that was unheard of at the
Governor Obaseki was quick to relay his desire
Governments eventually commissioned night
demonstrated great leadership, and by working airport in the last couple of years.
to improve infrastructure at the Airport and said
landing equipment at the Benin Airport, officially
together, we can move the state forward.” Speaking after the number two citizen had
as much to the delegation from the Federal
reviving night operations at the 63-year old
After the inspection, work commenced taken off, Governor Obaseki, assured that the
Government, which had the mandate for
Airport.
properly and the state government constructed Benin Airport would commence full night-time
aviation in the country.
Minister of State for Aviation, Sen.
three security watchtowers; supplied and built flight operations after the installation of
The delegation included top officials of the
HadiSirika, who was elated at the development,
houses for 2 20KVA generators; provided 3 necessary facilities, which are being received in
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
commended the doggedness and tenacity of
hiluxes to FAAN; facilitated the installation of batches.
and the Nigerian Airspace Management
Governor Godwin Obaseki in facilitating the
CAT II Instrument Landing System/Distance According to the governor, the landing
Agency (NAMA).
commencement of night operations at the
measuring equipment by NAMA.
facilities at the Benin Airport were already
The then Managing Director of FAAN, Engr.
Airport.
The Federal Government through Nigeria functioning which enabled the Vice President
SalehDunoma was with the Managing Director
“The operational capacity of the Benin City
Meteorological Agency (NIMET) provided to depart Benin City through the Airport few
of NAMA, Capt. FolaAkinkuotu, both of whom
Airport has tremendously improved as we can
Thunder and Lighting System; Met Enclosure minutes to 7pm on Thursday.
Governor Godwin Obaseki vehemently
now guarantee safe landing in reduced visibility
and Secure Aviation Date Information System ” We are expecting more night landing
convinced on the need to strengthen partnership
and in bad weather condition. Aircraft can now
while FAAN provided Enhanced Simple equipment to be installed at the Benin Airport
to refurbish the airport after the trio inspected
land in Benin Airport at night. No more closure
Approach Landing System.
especially the lights. The contractor has assured of the Airport by 6 pm.

5yr old girl loses
36—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
*Praise on hospital bed
fingers to explosive
•When will I go to school, she asks from
By Victor Arjiromanus
It was an atmosphere of gloom and
despondency for Mr and Mrs Aremu,
as they watched their five-year-old
daughter, Praise Aremu, lying on one
of the beds at the Orthopaedic Hospital,
Igbobi, in Fadeyi area of Lagos, with both
hands in Plaster of Paris, POP.
The smile on Praise’s face that usually
greeted visitors at their Ogijo abode, in
Shagamu area of Ogun State, has been
replaced with a visible expression of
excruciating pains, as she groaned
intermittently, in a bid to change her position
on the bed.
On sighting this reporter, she asked her
parents, “When will I return to school”, with
tears running down her cheeks.
Only time and mainly, money, will
determine that, as Crime Guard was informed
that the pupil of Tender Care Nursery and
Primary School, Sagamu, who usually
emerged the overall best in class, needed to
undergo three stages of surgeries which will
cost about N10 million.
Tragedy
Her father, Akeem Aremu, who spoke with
a tone mixed with sorrow and anger, told Crime
Guard at the hospital that, “we were jolted
from sleep on May 22, 2019, at about 11.15
p.m, by our daughter’s scream. To our greatest
shock, we saw blood everywhere on the floor,
with a very big strange iron that was emitting
smoke, pinning her hand deep into the floor.
On closer observation, we discovered that her
left hand had been severed with two fingers
cut off too. It was like a nightmare.
“To avoid further waste of time, we couldn’t
check exactly what the object was or where it
came from. I quickly put on my clothes and
drove to the Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital LUTH. But she was rejected because
the case was severe. We went to St. Nicholas
Medical Centre, from where we were referred
to the Orthopaedic hospital at about 12
midnight.
Further
Findings
“I called my neighbours and members of
the landlord association to inform them of
the situation on ground, and asked them to go
round and check where the object came from.
“Next day,( May, 22) the landlord
association gathered to investigate the case
by going round to check several factories
located in that area and to confirm if there
was an explosion the previous night.
“They informed me that they found a
company called Phonix, where people buy iron
*Her affected left hand
*Her ripped fingers
Murder of welder at Redeemer’s University:
By Evelyn Usman
This is certainly not the best of
time for the Zumuratu Mumuni
family, in Ede North Local
Government Area, of Osun state,
following the murder of their son,
Olaiya Ibrahim, last Sunday.
Late Ibrahim, a father of three, who
worked as a welder at the Redeemer’s
University, Ede, was allegedly beaten
to death by some members of the
Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC who
worked as private guards for the
university. He was accused of stealing
some iron rods belonging to the
University. But so far, Crime Guard
gathered that the iron rods he was
accused of stealing were yet to be
presented to the Police.
Report further had it that a
commercial bus driver who conveyed
the deceased to the scene was also
beaten to a state of coma, by the OPC
members allegedly led by one Waliki.
Twist
While the University’s Head,
•Our son’s killers are moving freely- Family cries out
•Says deceased’s phone still with killers
Directorate of Public Affairs, Mr.
Adetunji Adeleye claimed that Ibrahim
did not die within the university
premises and that the school’s security
vehicle was not used to convey him to
the hospital, it was discovered that the
vehicle in question, conveyed dying
Ibrahim to Oke-Iresi Police Division,
accompanied by some private guards
attached to the university.
In an interview with Crime Guard,
spokes person for the family, Mr
Ahmad Alaiya, said, “I received a call
on Sunday, as I was about leaving the
house, that my brother’s phone was
found at Orita Cottage and that I
should rush down to Oke-Iresi. When
I asked what happened to him, I was
told that he was hit by an okada. When
I got there, the caller said I should
come to the police station.
“On reaching the station, behold, I
saw my brother in the pool of his blood,
on the floor, with one of his legs
damaged. He had matchet cuts all over
his body and was badly beaten.
“When I looked round, I saw
Redeemer’s University vehicle with
some of the institution’s guards there
in front of the station. I was asked to
go and get new clothes for him to wear
to the hospital. I did as I was told but
he died before reaching the hospital.
“When we discovered he was dead,
I started shouting. But I was advised
to go and lodge a complaint at the
police station which I did. In my
statement, I said I saw him with
Redeemer’s University private guards
and that from all indications, he was
beaten to death.
“Policemen at Oke-Iresi Division said
•Late Olaiya Ibrahim

hand,
device
hospital bed
and metal scraps, to produce iron rods and
other weapons. When they asked those living
in that area, they were informed that, an
explosion occurred there at about 11: pm, the
previous night. This is not the first time
something like this will be happening in this
area. In the past four weeks, about nine people
were killed, after an explosion occurred in that
same company. We are not safe in this area at
all.”
Object discovered
to be explosive
Although, it has not been completely
ascertained what the object was, but a video
released by the Police at Ogijo Division, to the
Aremus and to this reporter, revealed that the
object was an explosive!
On steps taken to determine that, Aremu
said, “I told my wife and my brother to go to
Ogijo Police station to report the matter. Before
then, we had informed the Army at 174
Battalion at Shagamu. So, some soldiers and
policemen followed us to the house to check
it. When they arrived at my house, they saw
that the object was still pinned to the ground,
but they closed the door and left.
“They came back on the 24th of May with
the Anti-Bomb Squad of the Military and
Police to remove it. Thereafter, they took it to
a bushy area at Shagamu, where they
detonated it ‘’
In the video clip made available to Crime
Guard, it showed a group of Military and
Police personnel in a bushy area, with a wirelike
object stretched out from the object found
in Mr. Aremu’s house and attached to an Army
vehicle. Suddenly, the object exploded twice,
releasing thick smoke in the atmosphere.
Thereafter, the operatives were seen moving
towards the object to pick it up.
Unfortunately for the family, they said
nothing had been heard from either the Police
or Army, since the incident occurred.
When the Divisional Police Officer in-charge
of Ogijo division was contacted, he declined
speaking , referring this reporter to spokesman
for the Command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi.
But when the latter was contacted, he said he
was not aware of the incident, promising to
reach the DPO for details.
So far, a major surgery, according Aremu,
had been carried out on his five-year-old
the case was more than what they
could handle and directed us to the
State’s Police Command in Oshogbo,
where we met a Deputy Commissioner
of Police, who said that the case file
should have read murder instead of
stealing as was indicated, since the
person in question was dead. He
turned the policeman who brought the
case file back, to change the offence
to murder”.
Corpse buried
Information at Crime Guard’s disposal
revealed that the corpse was released to
the family, on its insistence on Wednesday,
for burial according to Islamic rites,
Frowning at the accusation that the
deceased stole, the family’s spokesman,
Adeleye said, “We suspect something
fishy over his death. He worked for the
Redeemer’s university, and those who
accused him of stealing some iron rods
and beat him to death right in the
university premises were members of
OPC. But the question on members of
the family’s lips is: If indeed the
deceased stole as they claimed, was it
*Her affected left hand
*The weapons of destruction
daughter.
He said, “The surgery cost over N1 million.
Doctors said she still has to undergo three
more which will cost close to N10 million.
The worst part is that there has not been any
support from the company. At the moment,
our daughter is in pains. Every time, she keeps
asking if she could still write with her hand
again.
“Our prayer is for this write-up to reach the
appropriate quarter so that thorough
investigation will be carried out to unravel what
type of explosive tore through our apartment
and inflicted such magnitude of injury on our
daughter”.
While he was speaking, his wife kept adjusting
Praise’s position on the bed as she wiped out
tears from her face apparently imagining the
pains her little girl was going through.
enough to have killed him? Why was
he not handed over to the police for
prosecution? Why did they have to
delay him at the station before taking
him to the station?
Killers walking freely
Adeleye, who alleged that that those
who killed his brother were still
walking the streets freely, without any
arrest made so far, called on the Police
High Command to carry out thorough
investigation to unearth the exact
circumstances surrounding Ibrahim’s
murder.
He said, “Everyone knows the name of
the person who led the group that killed
our son. Yet, he has not been arrested. Our
son was brought up from a Muslim home,
being the son of a Chief Imam”.
Police response
In response to these posers, the Osun
State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs
Folashade Odoro , when contacted,
confirmed the incident. She simply
said, “ we are investigating the
matter”.
By Evelyn Usman
The sudden disappearance two weeks ago of
a 26-year-old female chartered accountant,
Adediwura Latifat Bello, in Egbeda area of Lagos
trended on both social and traditional media for
several days before her bloated body was
discovered last Sunday, in its decomposing state,
at the shore of a canal in Ipaja area of the state.
Late Adediwura, a graduate of Accounting, from
the University of Lagos,UNILAG), left her place
of work in Ikeja for home on May 15, 2019. But
she never got home, as her family later raised the
alarm of her disappearance.
During the long wait for her return, prayers
were offered from different quarters for her safety.
But the family’s hope for her possible return
was dashed last Sunday, when news filtered in
that a corpse which looked like hers was
discovered at the shore of the canal, at about
9am.
Although the Lagos State Police Command
could not immediately ascertain if the corpse
was hers, on the day it was discovered, her family
did, next day, through a birth mark on one of her
feet.
As you read this piece, the remains of the
promising young chattered accountant was
released to her family Monday for internment,
according to Islamic rites.
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—37
How Adediwura was swept
by flood — Motorcyclist
•Late
Adewura
Bello
How flood swept me and my passenger——
Motorcyclist
The commercial motorcyclist who conveyed
late Adediwura that fateful night has however
given a graphic detail of how the unfortunate incident happened. According to 51-yearold
Jairus Onwe, a native of Ogoja, Cross River, the deceased, flagged him down
at about 9pm, at Customs bus-stop, in Gowon estate, informing him that she
was heading to Federal junction, along Ipaja road.
Late Adediwura, as gathered, mounted the Bajaj motorcycle with plate number JGB
638 QA, heading for her destination, until the unimaginable occured.
Explaining, Onwe, who retired from the Nigerian textile company, said, “I took
Mosan road because of the heavy downpour. Suddenly, on reaching Mosan bus-stop, a
strong erosion from the other side of the road swept off my motorbike causing us to fall.
“I struggled to come out of the flood and I tried searching for my passenger but I did
not see her because everywhere was dark. I managed to find my motorcycle but its seat
had been swept off by flood.
“I did not know the passenger’s name neither did I have any information about her,
aside the fact that she asked me to take her to Federal bus-stop. Some people then took
me to the police station where I reported what happened”
Crime Guard gathered that the motorcyclist was detained for three days before he
was released.
Discovery of the corpse
Following an uproar which greeted news of the female passenger being swept away
by flood, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA and
policemen, were said to have conducted search around the water ways without any
sight of her.
In the process, LASEMA officials reportedly opened the canal, point to point. This
action, was said to have facilitated the discovery of the body, at the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, NNPC pipeline run way, in Peace Estate, in Baruwa, Ipaja area
of the state, 11 days after late Adediwura’s disappearance.
As at the time the corpse was recovered, the Police said no mark of violence was on it
and therefore ruled out earlier insinuation that late Adediwura was kidnapped and
murdered for ritual purpose.
Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, DSP Elkana Bala, confirmed that
the corpse had been released to the family.
Political thugs attacked my family,
burnt my house—— Father of three
By Esther Onyegbula
s the nation, Wednesday, witnessed the inauguration of President Muhammadu
ABuhari for a second term in office, some persons were still nursing the bitter
experience they had during the 2015 general elections that ushered in a new government
in the country.
One of them was 30-year-old Aighodefeyi Osariemen Destiny whose shop and house
were allegedly set ablaze by political thugs in Edo State during a crisis that erupted
between two opposition parties.
As if that was not enough, he alleged that his assailants were still after his life years
after the incident.
According to him: “My ordeal began just before the 2015 presidential election. I was
the youth leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Evboisi ward in Orhionmwon
local government area of Edo state. However, trouble started when some members of
the opposition party had a clash with members of our party during one of the political
rallies held on March 28, 2015.
“On that fateful day, when we got to the venue of the political campaign, members of
our political party had an altercation with those of the opposition party who invaded
the venue. This degenerated into a fight even before the rally ended. Some party members
lost their lives in the process. Luckily, I narrowly escaped with injuries on my back.
“But two days later, precisely on the day of the Presidential and National Assembly
elections, Youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Igie Osayande, was
hacked to death and his body set ablaze by suspected hoodlums who invaded Ward 9,
Units 9, 10 and 11 in Obagienevbosa Community, off Sapele Road, in Ikpoba Okha
Local Government Area
“Angered by his demise, his loyalists who concluded it was a reprisal attack of the
incident that happened in our community two days earlier, invaded my community at
midnight burning down houses. Property worth millions of naira were lost. My property
was affected as well. We reported the case to the police and some suspects who were
initially arrested in connection with the case were later released.
“Unfortunately after the attack I became a target as people in the community claimed
I was responsible for why their community was attacked. Despite all entries to sue for
peace, they threatened to kill me and members of my family. When the threat became
unbearable I had to flee with my family”.

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
•Justice Mary Odili
•Justice Atinuke Ige
•Justice Fati Abubakar
•Justice Bulkachuwa
Female judges and
gender stereotypes
By Richard Akinnola
The first salvo was fired last year
by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC)
when the anti-graft body sent a letter
to the Chief Judge of the Federal High
court, Abdul Kafarati.
In the said letter, the Chairman of
EFCC asked the Chief Judge to
reassign all corruption cases being
prosecuted by the
EFCC, from the court
of Justice Nyako. Not
because the judge
had been found
wanting in the
discharge of her
j u d i c i a l
responsibilities but
because of her marital
connection.
Justice Nyako is one
of the wives of
Murtala Nyako, a
former Governor of
Adamawa State,
currently undergoing
trial, along with two
of his sons for alleged
corruption.
On the basis of the
trial of her husband,
the EFCC felt that
corruption cases were
For me, l think it
is rather unfair
to subject female
judges to this
sort of
discrimination
just because of
the vocation of
their husband’s
as politicians
not safe in the court of Justice Nyako.
To me, l find this premise
preposterous. Does it mean that if the
judge’s husband was standing trial for
any other alleged offence, her wife
would also be divested of any case
relating to such an offence.
It is against that background that l
view the application of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP), asking the
president of the Court of Appeal,
Justice Bulkachuwa to recuse herself
from the election petition case of Atiku
Abubakar, which though the court
dismissed but the judge
acceded to the PDP’s
request.
For me, l think it is
rather unfair to subject
female judges to this sort
of discrimination just
because of the vocation
of their husband’s as
politicians. Why not the
other way round, that is,
male judges being
subjected to this sort of
discrimination because
their spouses are
politicians?
The perception that
these female judges
would be compromised
based on the political
standing of their
husbands, to me, is illconceived.
After the 2015
Governorship elections,
Mr Dakuku Peterside, the Rivers State
Governorship candidate on the
platform of APC, challenged the
election of Nyesom Wike of the PDP.
The sitting of the Tribunal was moved
from Port Harcourt to Abuja for
security reasons.
Wike kicked against it. He
challenged the relocation in court, up
to the Supreme Court.
Justice Mary Odili, wife of Wike’s
political leader in Rivers State, was
on the Supreme Court panel and she
dismissed Wike’s appeal. Similarly,
while Justice Odili was at the Court of
Appeal and the appeal of Charles Soludo,
Anambra PDP governorship candidate
came before the court, she gave judgment
against Soludo.
Also, few years ago, Justice Fati
Abubakar, wife of former Head of State,
General Abdulsalami Abubakar, as the
Chief Judge of Niger State, had to swearin
her Son in-law as the Governor of Niger
State. In other words, there was a
situation in Niger State where the mother
in-law of Governor was the Chief Judge
and the First Lady, was the daughter of
the Chief Judge.
The fact that her son in-law was the
Governor did not affect her job as Chief
Judge of the State because she swore to
a Judicial oath.
I’m also not aware that Justice
Atinuke Ige (of blessed memory),
recused herself from political cases
involving the Unity party of
Nigeria(UPN) /Alliance for
Democracy(AD) when she was a Judge
and her husband, Bola Ige was a
Governor in Oyo State and later a
Minister under Obasanjo. As a matter
of fact, it is on record that when Justice
Odili’s husband became governor of
Rivers State, Justice Atinuke Ige, who
was like her mentor, went to meet her
in Port Harcourt and admonished her
not to quit the Bench but to concentrate
on her Judicial duties, irrespective of
the new status of her husband,
particularly since she had been on the
Bench before her husband’s foray into
politics, of which he has retired.
Justice Mrs Pedro was also a Judge of
Lagos Judiciary when her husband,
Olufemi Pedro was the Deputy Governor
of Lagos State. The husband even had a
momentary bitter fued with the then
Governor, Ahmed Tinubu, while his wife
was still in the Bench of Lagos Judiciary
and that never affected her job.
Today, Justice Mrs Ogala is a judge of
Lagos Judiciary, an APC state, while her
husband is the National legal Adviser of
the APC. Would Justice Ogala be asked
to recuse herself from cases involving
Lagos State? I think the objection of PDP
in the Atiku case on Justice Bulckachawa
is misplaced.
I don’t think a female Judicial Officer
should put her Judicial career on hold just
because her spouse is a top politician or
recuse herself in polical cases.
Justice Umaru Abdulahi, then
president, Court of Appeal, was a
classmate of General Buhari. But
when Buhari’s appeal on Yar’adua’s
election came before the court, he
didn’t recuse himself. In fact, he ruled
in favour of Yar’adua.
Judges are human beings, not
spirits. They interact with people.
They have old students and belong to
village associations. If we continue to
raise objections either on the basis of
consanguinity or marital relationships,
no judge would hear any case.
While working on the biography of
Justice Yaya Jinadu in 1988, he told me
that his wife, a lawyer, sometimes
appeared before him and they NEVER
discussed official matters at home.
Every judge, particularly whose
spouse is a politician should be true
to her conscience and oath of office.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—39
How Delta community
seized Agip station
By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor,
South-South and Chancel Sunday
FOR 48 hours between last Friday
and Sunday, the people of Tuomo,
a federated riverine community in
Burutu Local Government Area, Delta
State, took over the Field Station of the
Italian oil giant, Nigeria Agip Oil
Company, NAOC, in the community, citing
the firm’s alleged refusal to build a flow
station in the area.
Astonishingly, traditional ruler of the
community, Chief Gimba Tamani led the
siege and with elders, women and youths of
the town, they occupied the
station, not only sleeping,
cooking and eating their
meals there, but also
conducting their Sunday
worship inside the facility.
Sources in the community,
who spoke to Saturday
Vanguard, said the people
were tired of the antics of the
oil form, which reportedly
promised to build a flow
station in the town, but
purportedly abandoned the
project over the years, while
pumping oil from the
community to Ogbonibiri
Flow Station in Bayelsa state.
“NAOC officials hardly
want to negotiate with their
host communities, especially
those outside the immediate
catchment of their Port-
Harcourt office in Rivers state.
That is the strategy it had been
using to avoid the Tuomo flow
station project for a long time,
but the people decided that
enough is enough when they embarked on
the make or mar demonstration,” a
community leader hinted.
The youth leader, Gabriel Bekesuoyeibo
initiated the revolution when they stormed
the company’s field station in the
community over supposed ill-treatment for
Astonishingly,
traditional ruler of
the community,
Chief Gimba
Tamani led the
siege and with
elders, women and
youths of the town,
they occupied the
station, not only
sleeping, cooking
and eating their
many years, which propelled the entire
community to besiege the station.
The monarch, Chief Tamani and his
cabinet, Community Development
Committee, CDC chair, Hon. Timi Andaye
and his executive members, elders and
women joined.
The protesters, who occupied the
company for three days first locked its
wellhead from where it pipes crude oil to
Ogboinbiri flow station, Bayelsa state with
padlocks and chains.
Knowing that NAOC scarcely bow to such
agitation by host communities, the
community rolled out conditions among
which were that they would not leave the
station except Agip
dispatched officials to the
town for proper negotiation.
Chief Tamani, who insisted
that the company had
deceived the community for
so long with noting to show
in the last 40 years, stated,
“This is a peaceful protest
against Agip over neglect for
the past forty years; we are
here because we have been
taken for granted by Agip.”
“We have come to stay at
Agip here and we will not
leave until Agip will come
down personally to Tuomo
community for negotiation.
They told that this is gas
field, but now we have
discovered that it is oil field
and no single benefit has
accrued to this community.
“We want Agip to
commence the long-awaited
flow station project; we want
jobs for our youths; we want
internal roads, potable water and a Global
Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU),
which Agip has failed to fulfill”, he stated.
Acting on intelligence that the passive
people of Tuomo were dead serious and not
ready to quit unless the firm took decisive
action, the management of Agip sent a
• Tuomo indigenes
protesting at Agip station
over alleged neglect.
delegation to the community the next day,
Saturday, for negotiation.
Elders of the community, who also
participated the protest, vowed that they
would sleep at the site and would not go
back to their houses until Agip was ready to
address them.
Speaking for the elders, Chief Akpola
Ekperi stated they were not ready to go to
either Port-Harcourt or any other place for
negotiation, noting, “Agip must come to us
here.”
Agip sends first delegation
A top official, Mr Owuga, who led the
delegation, said the company mandated the
team to dialogue with the community on
the way forward and for amicable
settlement of the issues between the
company and Agip.
He absolved the community of blame in
the events that led to their protest.
Presenting the community’s position, the
traditional ruler, Chief Tamani said Agip
should kickoff the proposed flow station
project in the town. He also demanded that
the company enter into a GMoU with the
community, which it had failed to do since
its operation in the community.
He recalled that the management did not
respond to appeals and letters previously
sent to its head office in Port-Harcourt the
community, asking for what the people
expended on daily basis during the protest.
Mr Owuga, however, said the delegation
noted all the demands of the community
and would present them before the
company’s executive in Port-Harcourt.
The people ignored the company’s plea
to unlock the wellhead, maintaining the
signing of all agreements before heeding
the entreaty.
Not even the intervention of the
Commander, 222 Battalion, Bomadi
Division, could save the situation that
Friday.
Villagers cook, sleep and hold Sunday
service
On Sunday, the second day of the siege,
the protesters organized a Church service
in the morning hours with processions,
dancing, singing and preaching of the word
of God.
Community chair, Hon Andaye, speaking
with Saturday Vanguard, said that it
became imperative to hold a Sunday service
at the station because most community folk
had decided to stay back at the station to
press home their demands.
“We cook, eat and sleep here day and
night, according to our vow. If Agip think
they can deceive us to leave this place, this
time around, they will wait in vain.
“We have decided to thank and glorify
God here being Sunday morning for the
strength given us to embark on this task,”
he said.
Second delegation/unlocking of
wellhead
Agip, again, sent a second delegation on
Sunday morning to continue negotiation.
The state government sent a team led by
the Burutu council chair, Hon. Godknows
Angele.
At the end of a closed-door meeting, both
parties miraculously agreed to move to Port-
Harcourt, Rivers state to finalize issues,
especially the flow station and the GMoU
undertakings.
A source, who was part of the meeting,
disclosed that the community also yielded
to the plea to unlock the wellhead before
their departure to Port-Harcourt.
He revealed, “We discussed and agreed
that we will unlock the wellhead when Hon.
Godknows Angele stood out to volunteer
for the company.”
“We had a verbal agreement that if Agip
at the end of negotiations refused to attend
to our demands we will carry out a more
serious action which both parties agreed”,
he added
My vow for Agip, Hon Angele, Burutu
LG chair
Responding, the council boss, Hon.
Angele, confirmed that he actually vouched
for the company on the issue of unlocking
the wellhead with the belief that Agip would
do the right thing.
“Yes, I vouched for Agip as chairman of
Burutu local government council that the
people unlock the wellhead believing the
company would do the needful for peace to
reign in the council area,” he said.
As at the time of filing this report, the
villagers had unlocked the wellhead and
vacated the premises, leaving the men of
the 222 Battalion, who are the regular
security guarding the facility.
What came to light at Port Harcourt
The community leaders moved to Port-
Harcourt on Tuesday. Disclosing outcome
of the meeting in Port-Harcourt, chair of
Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Tuomo Clan,
Comrade Osuwo Port-Harcourt, said,
“Agip has agreed to sign GMoU with us
and we have already presented our own
GMoU to them and they promised to crosscheck
it for possible corrections.”
“They also promised to delegate officials
to Tuomo community, Monday, next week
to ask the community leadership to provide
a land to implement some items in the
document presented to them,” he disclosed.
•Chief Akpola Ekperi

40—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
TRIBUTE
ALHAJI KOLA
ANIMASAUN:
1939
For 19 years Alhaji Kola Animasaun
held sway in Vanguard first as Chief
Sub-edtor and later as Chairman of
the Editorial Board.
He was variously in Tribune,
Sketch and was already an editor
with Daily Express as far back as 1964. Alhaji
Animasaun passed on Thursday morning. He
was 79 and would have been 80 in July. He
was an exceptional journalist who mentored
many people in the profession. As part of our
tribute we bring you excerpts from his book, 1939.
He told part of his story this way:
August 28, Saturday 2004:
I had wished I never had to perform the duty
I performed on this day. It was an
environmental sanitation day in Lagos and
immediately it was 10 o’clock I jumped into
the car and headed to the Anthony Village
home of a man I had come to regard as an
elder brother; my colleague and senior.
Samson Oruru Amuka Pemu, is the substantial
owner and publisher of Vanguard titles. We
fondly address him as Uncle Sam because of
the special place we hold him. He is a very
remarkable man - in his disposition to people
generally and to his friends especially. A man
of solid loyalty, he would not hurt a fly if he has
his way. He does get angry no doubt but his
anger never lasts than seconds. When he had
occasion to get angry with his editorial staff
they were occasioned by professional lapses.
He would be angry with space wastage; even
with economizing the same space where
pictures demanding attention, were used
miserly. A man with the mastery of the English
language; in his time he was known for his
short but precise language, even then they were
picaresque. He gained his spurs mostly from
his immortal column - Sad Sam - in the Times.
That solid reputation he has carried with him
till today. In 19 years of work, Uncle Sam was
angry with me, not directly, once. And even
that was vicariously. Sam Tsewina, a sub-editor
under me had used a picture badly - and it is
easier to get the red of his eye
doing that than wanting to
steal a kiss from his girl. He
came into the sub-desk
smoking - he would not find
me and left instructions for
me to see him. I rode into the
storm of his anger: “Kola,”
he asked, “you mean you do
not know how to crop a
picture?” He hardly allowed
me to explain it was my
lieutenant before the
expletives came “fxxx you, fxxx
you”. Even when I got him
angry with my columns, he
would call me as he did on an
occasion: “You are costing
me some of my friends,” he
would quietly lament.
Uncle Sam has been most
generous to me. He had given
me all sorts of gifts -
impromptu. He had given me
sandals in the wake of my
automobile accident in 1998
when he thought closed shoes
were not appropriate. He had
given me native caps. On an
occasion he had given me a
gold plated rotary wrist-watch. On the occasion
of my accident referred to above he had visited
me in the house, so did his adorable daughter,
Omasan. This is not to count his presence at
the occasion of my birthday celebration in
1999 and weddings of my children. He and his
friends aborted their journey at Aiyede-Ekiti
for bad road on the occasion of the conferment
on me of a Chieftaincy title of Sootofaiye by
the Attah of Aiyede-Ekiti in 1995.
I should have been warned of the goodnaturedness
of Samson Oruru Amuka Pemu.
When I took the letter of introduction from
Alhaji Lai Mabinuori to him, he treated me
like a friend he had known for some time, not
as a job seeker. My wife has never ceased to
wonder: She would say: “If you are a woman”
meaning she would have suspected
assignation.
As I drove to his residence, some of these
thoughts raced in my head. I was about to
severe nearly two decades of professional
association and personal contact. But it is a
duty I had to do. Greetings and preliminaries
over, I broached the object of my mission. I
rarely paid him visits. I went to him when
summoned or when it was necessary to do so.
Each of such visits, Uncle Sam always
appreciated. Naturally, he asked what brought
me. I thanked him for taking me as a kid
brother; I told him that in reality it has been
my pleasure to be his kid brother. I might have
been an established writer but the Vanguard
platform made it more; that his name and his
personal and professional standing helped.
Modest man that he has always been, he
thanked me in return and said our
contributions helped the paper’s standing. But
I know that the medium can be the message
just as name makes news. Sam Amuka and
the Vanguard are veritable selling points of
columnists.
When I came to work for Vanguard I had
planned to be there for a minimum of 9 years
and a maximum of 10. I was 46 then. That·
decision overtook an earlier one that I would
knock off work at 45
to go and learn more
about Islam - not as a
means of livelihood
but as a means of
He is a very
remarkable man
- in his
disposition to
people generally
and to his
friends
especially
spiritual selfenhancement
in the
service of Allah. I had
intended, at the end of
it, to go back to full
employment. I had
intended to go to Cairo
to study Arabic for
about nine months to
a year.
I was down and out
when I came to work
for Uncle Sam. It was
a matter of choice. I
ceased to enjoy the
atmosphere of the
place where I worked
as a Projects Director. I
could not function in a
situation where an
extraneous body
influenced our
collective decisions. I
left the place
functioning but with my peace of mind.
As is usual with me, I left the place without a
nest-egg and so I needed immediate
employment. Providence directed my steps to
Olu Adekoya, my friend of over 20 years as at
that time. Olu was a generous man to his
friends and colleagues. But we met by accident
in 1964. Olu was a stringer for the Middle-
East News Agency and I was a reporter for the
Sketch. We were together at an assignment at
the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island,
Lagos. I cannot now recall what led to it; we
quarrelled and settled and became lasting
friends.
When I moved to the Daily Express and the
Federal Ministry of Information, Olu, who had
moved finally into PR and Publicity, would give
me assignments - writing and designing for
his clients and would pay up-front - good
money at the time - £5.5.0d.
When somebody suggested I bought a piece
of land in 1970 and I was wondering where
the hell he wanted me to find the money for the
land and the building, Olu came to my rescue.
He convinced me to buy the land saying he
himself had bought two and was putting by
two, three blocks as occasions permitted. He
loaned me £57=0s=0d which I did not settle
in full till four years after! In the course of my
travail, Olu would share with me whatever he
had - N20 or more depending on how buoyant
he was. Bless his good soul.
My fifth child - a girl - Olusola had just
entered the University in 1984 and things
were getting more difficult. One day the 16-
year-old asked if I would not go back to my
profession. It was not as if I left journalism. I
never did but I was doing it practically for free
as columnist, adviser or consultant. I took the
young girl’s advice and a day or so later I
resolved to go back.
I told Olu I wanted to go back to full-time
journalism and I wanted to go and work for
the Sketch in Ibadan. He noted I would not be
useful to him if I went to work in Ibadan. My
reason for wanting to go to Sketch: Peter Ajayi
was my boy at the Tribune and my friend. I
contributed a column - Inside Scandinaviafor
his paper when he was Editor of the Herald,
we were close. He was the only one of my friends
- outside my family circle - who calls me by my
native Islamic name - Musulumi.
I was going to phone Peter (Peteru) at Ibadan,
he had become the Managing Director. I
thought it was going to be just a press button
affair. Peter worked for me as a reporter on the
Tribune when I was the Production News Editor.
Then late Ayo Ojewunmi was the Deputy Editor.
Mr. Eniola, now a Professor of Law, was the
Editor. It was in the turbulent times of political
upheaval in the Western Region. Tribune
(Tetebunia) was the political paper to beat, the
Times was seen as either sitting on the fence or
playing brinkmanship. The political travail
ensured that we did not get much business
Continues on page 41

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—41
Lest I forget Mr President, Engr. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola will not disappoint
Asense of a new dawn beckons as
I write this piece, about the
immediate past Governor of the
State of Osun, Engr. Ogbeni Rauf Olusoji
Aregbesola.
My resolve to write about this humble
man of the people, whom I
have known for a reasonable
length of time and trusted.
He is an impeccable man
of immutable candour, he is
urbane and ethical, he is
not given for pretence by
any measure, or
grandstanding on any
issue a cultured, relatable
and accessible personality
of note.
A alumnus of the
Prestigious Ibadan
Polytechnic, one of the
foremost tertiary
institutions of higher
learning in the country,
where he majored in
Mechanical Engineering,
and graduated with flying
colours.
He was one of the most
luminous member of the
cabinet, during his tenure
as commissioner of Works in Lagos State.
The legacy of his stewardship, remains
the benchmark, on which successive
Commissioners of Works in Lagos State,
draws inspirations of an indelible
proportion.
Then enters his tenure, as the Governor
of the State of Osun, where his incredible
Alhaji Kola Animasaun: 1939
Continues from page 40
we sold copies and the beneficiaries were
the vendors selling a copy for as much as 10
(ten) shillings equivalent of today’s N 1,000.00
or more. The Tribune, in those hard times could
not pay salaries. I worked for one and half
months and got paid £6.00 of the £63=00 they
owed me. I got it on Chief Awolowo’s birthday,
March 6 of 1964. I spent it at Palm Tree Club, a
stone’s throw from the Chief’s Oke-Bola
House, in jollification. That was a measure of
how much we loved him (Awo).
I returned to the country from England after
studies at the London Institute of World Affairs
(one year of a two-year Diploma in World
Affairs Course) and a Diploma Course at the
Regent Street Polytechnic. Regent has since
metamorphosed into The Polytechnic of Central
London and the University of Westminster. It
was a College that was recognized by the
Commonwealth and it was a privilege to attend
it.
Before me, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Chief Dapo
Fatogun, Dapo Fafiade, Chief Olu Adebanjo,
Alhaji Alade Odunewu, Michael Otedola,
Otunba Kunle Ojora and a host of other
Nigerians had attended it. It was therefore a
privilege for me to be numbered among them.
When I was Chief Sub-Editor of the Daily
Express 1964 to 1965, Otunba Ojora was, I
think, at the time the Public Relations Adviser
of the UAC. He was a handsome man. I
think he still is. He would walk down from
his Old Niger House (I think) to
Apongbon where the Daily Express was
located to speak with me. The same was
with Chief Michael Otedola, who later
became a Governor of Lagos. He was also
the Public Relations Adviser of Mobil. The
company (or his office) was housed at J.
Allen on Broad Street; sharing the
accommodation which faced Broad Street
and sided Kakawa and Kirkesten Hall
(Darocha’s house). He, at one time, mooted
the need to float a Regent Street Alumni
Association which never materialized.
At the time, I was turning to Peter Ajayi,
I had been Cub Sub reporter, Foreign
News Editor (Liberian Listener), Chief
Sub-Editor, Senior Information Officer and
columnist of note. Apart from the column,
I wrote for him while he was Editor of the
Herald (Inside Scandinavia), I had written
‘Take it or leave it’ for another of my
lifelong friends and colleagues, Ben
Lawrence. Ben was then the editor of
Evening Times. I wrote ‘Rhyme and
vision and passion for a greater Osun
State, remains stronger by the day.
His acknowledged achievements index
in the State of Osun, speaks volume. So
let me be consistent.
On education, it was reasonably
possible to state that
education ranks as a key
signature flagship along
with other factors, that
anchored
his
administration on a high
successful note during his
tenure as the Governor of
the State.
The massive
infrastructural
development focus of his
administration during his
tenure, and the deliberate
attempt at expanding the
state schools space at all
levels, prompted an
unprecedented enrolment
of the citizens of school
age, to register into the
various schools of choice.
The pioneering drive of
the schools feeding
programme by his
administration, in all the
schools, the intervention
truly deserves commendation, as it was
the first of its kind in the country, and it
became an instant milestone of hope for
many.
The training of more qualified school
teachers to handle the envisaged high
influx of new school entrants, is to be
commended, it bears testimony for the
The pioneering
drive of the
schools feeding
programme by his
administration, in
all the schools,
the intervention
truly deserves
commendation
Reason’ for second or third time coming
Daily Express when Tayo Adigun
(popularly called Perry Adigun) was the
Editor.
By the way, I knew Perry Adigun way
back in 1961 when he came to replace his
brother, Ray Adigun, who later became a
Commonwealth boxing champion. In the
days of the teleprinter you needed a copy
boy to man the teleprinter. The duty fell
on Ray. He probably introduced his
brother, Perry, when he was becoming busy
and prominent. Perry turned out to be a fast
learner and I had the singular honour to offer
him his first job as an Editor. Parade was
patterned after a Paris gloss and the aim was
to use big hold pictures. If you like, you could
compare it to the ‘South African Drum’ which
later became ‘West African Drum,’ it was first
a subsidiary and finally a Nigerian magazine.
Famous Editors of the Drum included Cameron
Duodu, inimitable Nelson Ottah, my senior
and colleague, Olu Adetule, my friend, Dayo
Duyile. I was either a consultant or an adviser
to one magazine or the other before my
sound calculation metrics of his
administration that encouraged
and supervised peaceful
bonding of all the categories
of schools of different
religious faiths for the first
time in the State of Osun.
The introduction of e-learning
tablets concept (OPON IMO),
was truly an insightful strategy by
his administration during his
tenure, it was a bold attempt at
simplifying the mode of the
learning process, and also, for a
faster articulation of the core
subjects of learning, and
more importantly, it was
for the facilitation of
the intellectual
development of
the final year
high school students of the state.
The success recorded since it’s
introduction, remains very encouraging
indeed.
He introduced the free uniforms to
pupils in all public schools in the state.
The setting up of the school garment
manufacturing company, also employed
a sizeable number of workers in the state.
He set up a strong cadet force, known
as the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme
(OYES) during his tenure, and they have
remained ever so diligently focused, and
a great source of pride. It was set up to
help stem the high number of youth
unemployment in the state.
The Agricultural sector of the state,
received a boost. During his tenure, roads
were constructed into the hinterlands,
application to Peter Ajayi for work. I advised
in the setting up of the Social Reformer, behind
which were Chief Kola Balogun, the eminent
politician, lawyer, and diplomat from Otan
Aiyegbaju; S. B. Bakare, the top Nigerian
money bag who bankrolled the enterprise; T.
O. S. Benson, SAN and Alhaji Fashola of the
West African Travel Agency. They were all
friends and backers of the aspiration of
Adeyinka Oyekan who finally made it to the
throne as Oyekan II after Oba Musendiku
Adeniji-Adele died. Businessman Abimbola
Gbolade was the proprietor of the Parade to
which I appointed Perry Adigun. My young
compatriot Victor Dapo Adebiyi, I took on as a
reporter and that was where he cut his teeth.
Chief Odebiyi went on not only to become an
accomplished journalist; he became also an
accomplished author and publisher.
I was editorial adviser to Focus newspaper
published and edited by Nuru
Owo one of my younger
colleagues. The Baba Adinni
of Nigeria, Wahab Iyanda
Folawiyo bankrolled the
equipment, I think, as an act
of charity. Some of the columns
I wrote are contained in the
first edition of my book ‘Voice
of Reason’. I took no stipend
for the work. I even reported
for it when I travelled to the
United States of America in
the summer of 1982. Kunle
Oyatomi, a long serving Editor
of Sunday Vanguard, was
Editor of the Focus.
All these were very known
facts to Peter Ajayi. However, I
called him to let him know that
things were not moving as I
had thought and that I would
like to get back to full
professional practice with his
newspaper. He asked after my
wife who was very popular with my friends
and wondered how it was going to be with my
family in Lagos and me working away in
Ibadan. I told him the business of keeping the
body and soul together was foreign to that of
romantic sentiment. Particularly for a wife
whom one has lived with for 23 years - the
eldest of our children was 22. But I submitted:
if she had to come to Ibadan, I bet she would.
My wife hails from Ibadan. On her father’s
side she is from Oranyan and her people were
politicians, they belonged to the Action Group
side (as opposed to the Mabolaje Grand
Alliance) which happened to be the main
where most farmers cultivated their
farm produce. The construction of
various roads by his administration,
helped in the transportation of the
farm produce, from the farms to
the end consumers.
The massive roads and bridges
construction initiative drive in the
state, received a big
commendation from the good
people of the state of Osun.
In the state of Osun, under Engr.
Rauf Olasoji Aregbesola, during his
tenure as Governor, I cannot
remember in the recent past,
any Government that
filled me with so much
positives, in terms of
•Aregbesola
I advised in the
setting up of the Social
Reformer, behind
which were Chief Kola
Balogun, the eminent
politician, lawyer, and
diplomat from Otan
Aiyegbaju; S. B.
Bakare, the top
Nigerian money bag
who bankrolled the
enterprise
developmental
achievements on
the side of the
state and its
citizens.
Engr. Ogbeni
Olasoji Aregbesola, political odyssey,
travails, successes, et al, remains edifying
all round.
In the circumstances, Mr. President, I
hereby attest to the fact that Engr. Ogbeni
Rauf Aregbesola, the immediate past
Governor of the state of Osun, is very focused
and cerebral.
An amazing workaholic phenomenon, he
will no doubt be a formidable asset if you
graciously approve of his appointment in your
esteemed cabinet in your second term journey
as our beloved President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
He will certainly not disappoint your
Excellency.
I thank you most profoundly for your
time and attention.
•Roy Gregory, Public Affairs,
Commentator.
stream then of Ibadan politics. Ironically her
relatives were the lions of the Ibadan politics -
Adegoke Adelabu and S. Ade Bello. On her
maternal side, she hails from the famous
Ajimobi family of Oja-Oba. Her Uncle
(maternal) Abdul-Azeez Adeyemi Ajimobi was
a blue eyed boy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Abdul-Azeez also ran against the grains of
main stream Ibadan politics. Chief Awolowo
believed in his bravado but I doubt if he did in
his boast that he would wrest the impending
contest of 1959 from the opponents Mabolaje
which was in Grand Alliance with the NCNC.
At that historic election, he won his seat and as
a mark of respect, Chief Awolowo presented
him with an Opel Kapitan. My wife’s uncle on
his father side, Alhaji Adeyemi Lawal, also an
Action Group candidate lost.
The Ajimobis have since become a political
dynasty in Ibadan.
Abdul-Azeez’s immediate
brother, Abdul-Ganiyu was a
staunch member of the NCNC.
He however, in apparent revolt
against a politics that would use
any instrument against any
member, decamped to the other
side. Abdul-Azeez had been
slated for rough treatment
without any regard for the
feeling of his younger brother
and a member of their own
party. As his brother was being
assailed brutally, he joined him
in repelling his aggressors.
Abdul-Ganiyu became one of
the most colourful politicians
that Ibadan has produced.
Handsome, a gifted orator and
a power dresser, he went on to
win local government and state
House of Assembly elections.
He was a right-hand man of
Chief Bola Ige until he died at
69 and Chief Ige wept at his
passing.
In the moribund era of Sani Abacha, one
of Abdul-Ganiyu’s sons, Wasiu won a House
of Representatives’ seat on the platform of
the UNCP. Of course, the opportunity was
aborted by events. To continue the dynasty
is Ishaq Abiola Akanji Adeyemi Ajimobi, a
split image of his father (and the eldest child).
Abiola, as he is popularly addressed, was a
Senator; in fact was the only one on the
platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) from
Oyo State. He also became a governor of Oyo
state on the platform of ACN.

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Govt needs to invest in
manpower, healthcare
to develop economy
—Medsaf Boss
Stories by Moses Nosike
ivian Nwakah is the founder of Medsaf, a tech-enabled
Vmedication supply chain management solution for
hospitals and pharmacies. She grew up in Chicago where
she started a chain of home healthcare agencies that
expanded across the Midwest. Nwakah has
travelled several countries of the world before
before settling in Nigeria full time.
In this interview with Nosike Moses, she
revealed how the challenges of widespread
fake medication and fake malaria drug killed
her friend made her found Medsaf to reduce
preventable death and streamline the
pharmaceutical industry. Excerpts:
Nigerians would like to
know the vision of Medsaf
and its focus?
Yes! I spent most of life in Chicago,
US and I got the chance to open
home healthcare agencies across
Illinois and Indiana. That exposed
me to the business side of
healthcare. Afterwards I entered a
business school program where I
studied at IAE, Sorbonne in Paris,
France, the Federal University of
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and J. Mack
Robinson College, Georgia Atlanta.
I was traveling around the world,
thinking about the world with
business mindset before connecting
back to my roots in Nigeria because
I wanted to give back in some way.
My parents left Nigeria in the
1970s.
So I came back to Lagos to do an
internship and that is how I got
here. While doing my internship, a
friend of mine died while taking a
fake malaria pill and that opened
my eyes to see some of the
challenges in the Nigerian
healthcare system. I felt a calling
to help and be a part of the solutions
to fix these problems.
How long have you been in this
business of healthcare
management and the impacts so
far?
I started working on this concept
about four years ago, trying to
understand different ways I can
make the concept work. It stemmed
from the idea that quality
medication is a fundamental
human right and it is not fair that
anyone should have to worry about
receiving poor healthcare. We saw
that pharmaceutical distribution
was a huge challenge, an area that
could be fixed with technology. Two
and half years ago, we launched
Medsaf as a service provider to
hospitals for quality control along
with other services like inventory
management planning as well as
providing them with quality
medication at an affordable price.
The impact on Nigeria so far has
been huge. We brought this idea of
quality medication back into
spotlight. Our team is going to the
hospitals and pharmacies talking
about the need to have good quality
medications and streamline
procurement. We want to ensure
that those hospitals working with
us have good medications and that
imparts on the patient.
Considering the cost of financing
healthcare, are you into partnership
to actualise this dream?
This concept that quality
medication is a fundamental
human right speaks to everybody.
Everybody knows somebody who
has been impacted by medication
or the healthcare industry and it
touches you and your family. So
when we go to hospitals, we tell
them what we want to achieve and
help them gain access to quality
medication at an affordable price.
So the pharmaceutical
manufacturers would like to do the
right thing for the operation by
manufacturing quality medication
and making sure that it gets to the
patients to save lives. For the
hospitals, pharmacies and
manufacturers, it is always a winwin.
How can you describe health
sector in Nigeria?
The Nigerian health sector suffers
the same challenges other sectors
of the economy suffer. It suffers from
silo efforts where you have the
people trying to do the right thing
all on their own, like an island.
There is no collaboration in the
system. Everybody tries to do the
best they can, but don’t realize
collaboration is the key to push the
sector to a higher level. There is a
billion dollar medical tourism
industry of people leaving Nigeria
every year getting healthcare
elsewhere and many are dying there
in China, India, and other places.
Whereas Nigeria could be the gold
standard of healthcare in the world.
If you go to the United States, every
single top hospital there is a
Nigerian doctor working there. I
come from a family of healthcare
providers where the whole hospital
is Nigerian. Imagine the potential
that Nigerians have, to be the
smartest, greatest and the most
successful in other countries. Yet you
come to Nigeria and see a
healthcare system where people are
running away. Nigeria could be the
gold standard of the world and I see
the potential for Nigeria. Maybe not
in my lifetime, but in my grand-kids
lifetime. But I want to spread the
word that if everybody works
together in partnership, this country
could be the best.
Government role...
It wasn’t the government who
created the railroads, it wasn’t the
government who created the
infrastructure, it was the
entrepreneurs of the time. If you
look at JP Morgan Chase, he was
an entrepreneur and he built and
institutionalized and became
something that was adopted by the
government. So if you look at other
countries, if you look at history,
there’s a clear indication that the
government needs to work with
entrepreneurs. Government needs
to work with people who are
motivated who are building things
efficiently fast and effectively and
adopt those as policies. So until the
government starts to do that it will
be difficult to advance. I said
because that is if you look at Silicon
valley, we have Silicon Valley
investors. Silicon Valley was built
by the US government. The US
government pumped billions of
dollars into entrepreneurs in
Silicon Valley to create the army
technology of the time. Now Silicon
Valley start-ups are the Unicorns of
the world today. You got Uber in
Nigeria, you got Paypal, Facebook,
name any company that has taken
over the entire world came from
Silicon Valley because the US
government put the money there.
So Nigeria has all the answers, all
the resources, all the brilliant minds
around the entire world. It’s up to
the government to say we’re going
to invest money into the people to
make this country great again.
Eradicating poverty among
Nigerian women...
If I look back in history, women
especially in some cultures that
pertain to Nigeria, women are the
backbone of everything. In the
Nigerian family, women are in
position of power and women are
important to making things work.
More importantly women need a
chance to fly. If I look at myself, I’m
where I am because some people
believe in me and gave me a chance
to fly without any question, without
any strings attached to it. They said,
there is a potential in you, the way
you think and do things and they
invested on me. If you look at your
family, can your mum do what your
dad is doing, yes she can. Women
are powerful, they are running
businesses.
The recent introduction of
Hollandia Evaporated
Milk’s 120g pack size
affectionately referred to as
“Pere” has been met with
commendation from
consumers. The new “Pere”
pack is being seen as an
irresistible way to deliver
wholesome nutritious
evaporated milk in a
distinctive packaging.
At a N100 price point,
Hollandia Evap 120g “Pere”
pack has endeared itself to
millions of consumers across
Nigeria for its unique
creamy taste and nourishing
value in a convenient pack.
It is tailored to fit specific
consumer needs with
quantity benefits and
AYE’s $180 per applicant targets
ts
one million entrepreneurs
Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE) has launched the Mission 1
Million Entrepreneurs (M1ME), a flagship training and
development initiative, valued at $180 per applicant, to
intellectually equip and provide knowledge driven support
systems to one million African entrepreneurs. The initiative, funded
by Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs, is set to run for the next seven
years, and will be completed in 2025.
The Press Secretary and the Regional Manager of A.Y.E, Mrs.
Joy Michael said: “The initiative is in line with key integral
elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal,
and is poised to address the crucial subject of human capital deficit
which has plagued the continent for years and stifled its economic
projections.
“The M1ME initiative has been in the works in the last two years,
and has been subjected to extensive research and global
consultations. The initiative, which was approved by the Board of
the Organisation in April 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa, will
be piloted in five countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana
and Rwanda.”
AYE President Summy Smart Francis said: “Given the ambitions
of African countries on moving towards knowledge-based
economies, the introduction of this initiative is timely. The African
continent is decades behind in admirably competing with
emerging economies across the world”.
Peak Milk commences breakfast
culture
P
eak Milk, Nigeria’s supreme dairy brand has begun a crusade on the
importance of a healthy breakfast – and why it is the ideal tool enabling
your day to start and end well. The campaign is aimed at creating a
counterculture through series of experiential and media-led activities
which reinforces the breakfast custom.
As a part of awareness campaign and build up to 2019 World Milk Day
today, the flagship product from dairy giant, FrieslandCampina WAMCO
stormed key cities in Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, Abuja, and Oyo states,
where children were surprised and served with sumptuous breakfast
banquets during the Childrens Day parades across the country.
Speaking, the Marketing Manager for Peak Milk, Maureen Ifada said,
“A lot of working-class Nigerians do not bother about having breakfast
and most of those who do often do not find the time. Therefore, in our
steadfastness to supporting Nigerians to be unstoppable, our brand is
committed to cultivating a breakfast tradition which sets the tone of your
day, from start to finish.
Also, as a tribute to the local dairy farmers whose raw milk is purchase
and used in the production of Peak Milk, executives from
FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN)
visited and served breakfast to dairy farmers and pastoralists in Iseyin
and neighbouring communities in Oyo State. Being pioneers of the Dairy
Development Programme (DDP) in Nigeria, the Peak Brand prides itself
as a product being sourced through an initiative which emphasises gender
inclusion and is significantly improving food and nutrition security in
the country.
According to Ifada, by choosing a balanced breakfast, people can get
off to the right start and fill-in the gaps likely to be missing in their diet.
“Milk is a perfect breakfast complement, as it remains one of the richest
natural sources of vitamins and minerals; enhancing growth and
development of mental and physical performance. So, enjoy a Peak
breakfast today – your guaranteed enabler to start well and end well,
Ifada concluded.
16 Interns graduate from Interswitch
developer academy
S
ixteen interns have graduated from the first cohort of the Interswitch
Developer Academy in Lagos. The interns were drawn from various
tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
As part of its commitment to promote STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) in Nigeria, Interswitch recruited a number
of software engineers to participate in the six-month internship programme
which held at the company’s headquarters.
According to Interswitch, the vision draws inspiration from the
renaissance that Nigeria has witnessed in its entertainment sector which
have witnessed a great boom in recent years owing to the enterprising
spirit of Nigerians, and with very little dependence on government
intervention. The Academy, which took the form of an internship
programme, began in December 2018.
These fresh graduates from the Interswitch internship programme were
selected through a careful process.
The six-month intensive training was focused on basic engineering
theories as well as real-life applications. Some of the interns will be retained
as Interswitch staff, while the others will be prepped to join the wider
Nigeria workforce.
Speaking at the conclusion of the training, Interswitch’s Chief
Information Officer (Technology), Babafemi Ogungbamila, said that it was
really an amazing experience with the interns, noting that their
commitment, readiness to learn and determination eventually paid off.
“It is amazing seeing young people show passion about STEM.
Certificates were also presented to all the participants.
Hollandia new pack ‘Pere’ gaining consumers interest
reasonably connects with an
affordable price point.
Across neighbourhood shops and
departmental stores, the “Pere”
pack has grown increasingly
popular as more consumers
consider it a favourite for its high
quality, convenience and
affordability, whenever they desire
a creamy addition to their cup of tea,
coffee, or meals.
Mr. Oluseyi Adeniyi, a brand
consultant with MarketingPlus said
that while Hollandia Evap is
already a household name in
Nigeria for its product quality,
affordability and satisfaction, its
new 120g “Pere” pack size is a
packaging innovation that is
making inroads with its convenient
portion size.
“The Hollandia Evap 120g “Pere”
pack size is an innovative pack that
offers a good on-shelf presentation
and delivers fresh appeal in addition
to its creamy goodness. The pack’s
increasing popularity is driven by
consumer trends and desire for
convenient portion size, more
personal choice and affordability”.
For Ezekiel Usman, a student of
University of Ibadan, “Hollandia
Evap is a creamy and highly
nutritious milk. He noted that as
students, it was imperative to settle
for value adding products that are
pocket friendly, and the new “Pere”
pack fits the bill for his daily use.
Chi Limited’s Managing Director,
Mr. Roy Deepanjan, expressed
delight on the feedback received so
far from consumers. He stressed that
the Hollandia Evap 120g “Pere”
pack size has captured consumer
affection by being value
maximizing and innovative.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 — 43
APC Crisis: More state chapters back Oshiomhole
•Demand apology from Shuaibu
•Say his letter a personal opinion
BY OMEIZA AJAYI
AMID
divergent
positions over call for
the resignation of the
National Chairman of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole, party
chairmen from the South-
South geopolitical zone
have passed a vote of
confidence in him.
The chairmen described
the demand by the Deputy
National Chairman of the
party, Sen Lawali Shuabi as
his personal opinion.
They noted that having
looked into the allegations
made by the Deputy
National Chairman, nothing
questionable was found
about the stewardship of
Oshiomhole.
Apologise to the party
Consequently, Shauibu
was asked to apologise to
the National Chairman or
face disciplinary actions.
These were contained in
a communiqué issued after
an investigation into the
issues raised by Shuaibu in
his letter which demanded
the resignation of the
national chairman over
sundry allegations.
The Deputy National
Chairman had in the May
27, 2019 letter titled: APC: It’s
Fortune and Misfortune,
Time to Act,” accused
Oshiomhole of polarising the
party and lacking the
requisite capacity to effectively
run its affairs.
However, the state
chairmen said the issues in
the letter did not reflect the
views of the generality of
party stakeholders.
The communiqué issued to
that effect after a meeting in
Abuja yesterday was signed
by Mr. Ini Okopido, Akwa
Ibom; Mr. Amos Lalabunafa,
Bayelsa State; Mr. John
Ochalla, Cross River, and
Prophet Jones Erue; Delta
State.
Others are Mr. Aslem
Ojezua, Edo State; and
Ojukaye Flag-Amachree,
Rivers State.
Personal opinion
The statement reads: “The
state chairmen rising from an
emergency meeting in Abuja
which was called to review
the content of the said letter
and to critically evaluate the
situation, came to the view
that the Deputy National
Chairman North, merely
expressed his personal
opinion on perceived issues
which is not a reflection of the
views of the generality of
party stakeholders who are
yet to find anything
untoward in the stewardship
of the party’s National
Chairman, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole.
“It was the landmines
created by his predecessor,
who was bent on destroying
the party before departing
that fueled the unfortunate
situation. We wonder why
Sen Shuaibu is just realising
the issues he raised barely a
few days after the national
Working Committee,NWC,
set up a committee to look
into petitions against highly
placed party stakeholders
who were glaringly involved
in anti-party activities which
were responsible for the loss
of the number of states
mentioned in his letter visa-viz
the depletion in the
numbers of elected Senators
in the just concluded 2019
elections.
“We debunk the
allegations of highhandedness
against the
National Chairman with
particular reference to the
altering of National Working
Committee decisions as a
plot to crucify the National
Chairman over his
uncompromising stance on
truth.
Unprovoked attacks
“We call for restraint on
the part of Senator Lawal
Shuaibu asking him to
employ more civilised
ways of expressing
whatever private grievance
he has against the
National Chairman
instead of playing to the
gallery by granting
interviews to launch
unprovoked attacks on the
National Chairman and by
extension, the very party
he claims to love.
“The state chairmen
wondered whose interest
the media outburst seeks
to serve and its original
intention. The National
Chairman cannot be
removed on the pages of
newspapers because the
constitution of the party
which Senator Lawal
Shuaibu subscribed to, as
a member of the NWC,
clearly guarantees the
tenure of office of the
party’s National
Chairman and the
processes of removing him
from office.
“The Deputy National
Chairman North is hereby
given seven days to
apologise to the National
Chairman in order not to
receive the wrath of party
members in the South-
South.
“The state chairmen also
frowned on the
intermittent and most
unjustifiable attacks on the
National Chairman who
have maintained
unblemished records since
joining active politics and
has ensured internal
democratic norms are
entrenched in the party
since his assumption of
office.
“What the Deputy
National Chairman, North
has done is tantamount to
creating disaffection
amongst party faithful. This
is very offensive to the
constitution of our great
party.
“We hereby pass a vote of
confidence in the National
Chairman and vowed to
resist any attempt to
blackmail him out of office
for standing against the
injustice that had hitherto
been the hallmark of his
predecessor’s leadership.’’
These came on the heels
of support from the party’s
chapters in
Oyo, Osun, Akwa Ibom,
Katsina, Osun, Enugu,
and Abia states.
Its chapters in Imo and
Sokoto states, however,
backed the call by Sen
Shuaibu.
Reject cultists, ungodly politicians,
Dickson tells Bayelsa people
By Samuel Oyadongha
GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, has
called on the people of the state to reject cultists
and ungodly politicians aspiring to govern the state after
his tenure in 2020.
A statement by his Special Adviser, Media Relations,
Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as having made
the comment during the monthly Praise Night for May,
in Yenagoa on Thursday night.
Dickson also called on the people to be vigilant and
supportive to the party, and to await the discovery of the
leader God Himself had picked to rule the state after
him. He stressed that the person anointed to lead the
state was known to God and waiting to be discovered.
Dickson predicted that the contest of the governorship
of the state would be characterised by a lot of trials,
temptations and fierceness because of the high price of
the state. He said, “You should be vigilant and support
your party and government. Pray for God’s direction.
This earth has no power to give what God has not given.
The leader God has anointed is there. He is waiting to
be discovered.

44 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
UCL final: African stars
take centre stage
The power of African football
will be on display today, when
Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur
in the final of the UEFA
Champions League (UCL), the
world’s most prestigious club
competition.
The match billed for Atletico
Madrid’s 67,000-capacity Wanda
Metropolitano Stadium and
scheduled for live broadcast on all
DStv packages as well as GOtv
Max and Plus packages, will see
Africa’s biggest soccer exports on
both sides.
Liverpool boast the trio of Egypt’s
Mohamed ‘Mo’ Salah, Senegal’s
Sadio Mane and Cameroon’s Joel
Matip, who will lead the charge
for what will be the Reds’ sixth
victory in the competition and the
Liverpool in
Champions
League
Liverpool have reached the final
of the Champions League (or
European Cup as it was previously
known) a total of eight times,
emerging victorious on five occasions.
They were in last year’s final
but lost to a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired
Real Madrid side.
That makes them one of the most
successful teams in the history of
the competition, putting them level
with Bayern Munich and Barcelona
in terms of titles won. Only
AC Milan (seven) and Real Madrid
(12) can claim to be more successful
than the English club.
In a British context they are the
undisputed European kings,
boasting two more titles than bitter
rivals Manchester United and
three more than Nottingham Forest.
The Reds’ first ever European
title came in 1977 when they defeated
Borussia Monchengladbach
in Rome and they defended
the title the following year by overcoming
Club Brugge in Wembley.
Who wins 2018/
Champions Leag
Liverpool: Starting line-up
against Tottenham (4-3-3)
• Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk,
Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum,
Mane, Salah, Firmino
Jurgen Klopp will be able to
call upon a near fully fit squad
for Liverpool’s Champions
League final meeting with
Tottenham.
Naby Keita is set to be the only
absentee for the Reds, having
failed to recover from an adductor
injury he sustained during the
semi-final first-leg defeat to
Barcelona.
Klopp revealed that the Guinean
has “no chance” of featuring in
Madrid, though fears he will also
miss the Africa Cup of Nations
have eased of late.
“No chance for Naby,” Klopp
said. “He’s really progressing
well. We will see how it will work
out for him for the African Cup of
Nations.”
Liverpool’s attacking options
have received a significant boost
with the news that Roberto
Firmino will be fit enough to
feature.
However, he resumed full training
during a week-long training camp
in Marbella and is widely
expected to return to the starting
line-up against Spurs on
Saturday.
Klopp continued: “Bobby was
part of
training
last
week, really
good, everything
looked
fine.
He will be
fine, I
am pretty sure.”
That leaves midfield as Klopp’s
biggest selection headache ahead
of the trip to the Spanish capital.
The German is set to name his
customary three-man midfield,
meaning one of Gini Wijnaldum,
James Milner, Fabinho and
Jordan Henderson will miss out
on the starting line-up.
Secret behind Liverpool, Tottenham’s UCL success
It is difficult enough to face
Barcelona and Manchester
City in the late stages of the
UEFA Champions League, with
both sides desperate for success
in a tournament in which victory
would define them for an era. To
not only face them while missing
your talismanic forwards, as
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur
did, but to overcome them, is
second since being renamed the
UEFA Champions League.
Mane and Salah, who both got 22
Premier League goals, form twothirds
of Liverpool’s dreaded front
three, while Matip is the other half
of the much vaunted central defensive
partnership with Holland’s
Virgil van Dijk.
Salah will hope to banish the hurt
suffered in last year’s final, when
he suffered a shoulder injury early
in the game, a development that
affected his performance at the
2018 World Cup with Pharaohs in
Russia.
therefore a feat for the ages. When
Spurs beat City without the aid of
Harry Kane, and Liverpool came
back at Anfield even though
Mohamed Salah and Roberto
Firmino were not in the lineup,
they taught us something
important about these teams: that
the philosophy guiding them is
more important than any
individual player.
This seems like a
straightforward-enough point, but
until recently we have not been
living in straightforward times.
We are slowly emerging from a
decade dominated by Cristiano
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,
individuals around whom entire
teams have been built; a period
we could almost call The Age of
The 2018-19 Champions
League has now been
whittled down to the final
two, with Premier League rivals
Tottenham and Liverpool set to
battle it out for continental glory
in Madrid tonight.
There have been some
spectacular ties thus far, with some
astonishing upsets and
sensational turnarounds
occurring.
Early favourites Real Madrid and
Juventus were knocked out by
dark horses Ajax in the last 16
stage and quarter-finals respectively,
while Tottenham then managed
to overcome the Eredivisie
champions to book their slot in the
final two.
Meanwhile, Liverpool overcame
the steepest of odds to knock
Barcelona out 4-3 on aggregate,
after losing the first away leg of
the semi-finals 3-0. They returned
to the Champions League for the
second successive season after
losing out on last year’s final in
Kiev to Real Madrid.
Liverpool were never considered
particularly strong favourites to
win the competition outright, with
the likes of Paris Saint-Germain,
Juventus, Man City and Barcelona
thought to have been frontrunners,
but they truly made their
case when they eliminated the La
Liga giant 4-3 in the semi-finals
on home soil.
The Reds barely made it out of a
‘Group of Death’ that consisted of
PSG and Napoli only to knock out
Bayern in the round of 16, but even
then weren’t given great odds to
win the competition outright.
Jurgen Klopp’s side cruised past
Porto 6-1 on aggregate to set up a
tie against Barcelona, and things
looked bleak for the Merseysiders
when they lost the first leg 3-0
away at the Camp Nou. They man-
No Plan B,
where the Plan A
of using Ronaldo or Messi to best
effect was so successful that no
alternative was needed.
The arrival of Spurs and Liverpool,
whose coaches both had to
make sharp tactical adjustments,
in the Champions League final
thus feels strongly symbolic.
aged to defy expectation, however, with a 4-
0 return leg win at Anfield, therefore booting
the Catalan giants out of the European
competition – seen as overwhelming favourites
at the start of the tournament to win it
all – to book their place in the Champions
League final for the second year in a row.
They are now 6/11 favourites according to
bet365 to win the Champions League this
season ahead of Tottenham, though relatively
speaking, both teams were never considered
‘favourites’ at the start of the competition.
The Reds’ Premier League form, however,
has been far superior than the North Londoners’,
and they managed to beat Spurs in
both of their domestic meetings, making
them considerable favourites against their

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 — 45
History of Tottenham
Hotspurs
Founded in 1882,
Tottenham won the FA
Cup for the first time in
1901, the only non-
League club to do so
since the formation of the
Football League in 1888.
Tottenham were the first
club in the 20th century
to achieve the League and
FA Cup Double, winning
both competitions in the
1960–61 season.
9
ue?
Premier League rivals.
Though Klopp’s men finished 26 points ahead
of Tottenham in the league, circumstances
change entirely for a final – and Spurs could
very well cause another upset to put a dent to
the Reds’ quest for a fifth Champions League
trophy.
Tottenham were never expected to make it
very far in the Champions League, but their
elimination of Man City in the quarter-finals
saw their odds of winning the whole competition
improve. Against Liverpool, they are valued
as underdogs once again.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men changed the
course of the entire competition when they
managed to see off Guardiola’s side in an incredible
4-4 aggregate victory, including a 4-
Tottenham: Expected line-up
against Liverpool(4-2-3-1)
•Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose,
Sissoko, Eriksen, Alli, Son, Kane, Moura
Mauricio Pochettino
has a few injury
issues to contend
with as Tottenham
travel to
Madrid in search
of a Champions
League title.
Jurgen Klopp’s formidable Liverpool
side stand in their way in
an all-English final in the Spanish
capital.
Conscious of the pace of the Liverpool
attack, Pochettino will be
hoping his Spurs defence can
see off the sizeable threat
posed by Sadio Mane, Mohamed
Salah and Roberto
Firmino.
He will be buoyed by the
fact that star striker Harry
Kane has returned to
full training, following
his ankle injury sustained
against Manchester
City in the
quarter finals of the
competition.
Club captain
3 return leg at the Etihad that
saw them progress to the
semi-finals based on goal difference.
The quarter-final tie between
the two Premier
League sides had everything
– VAR controversy, disallowed
goals, free-scoring
mayhem – and if Tottenham
have anything, it’s heart and
willpower, which could potentially
lead to them clinching
full European glory in
June.
They managed to defy expectation
once again when
they overturned a 1-0 firstleg
defeat in the semi-finals
to Ajax to win the tie 3-3 on
aggregate, going through on
away goals, and are now 12/
7 to lift the trophy.
Lilywhites hero Lucas
Moura scored a hat-trick in
the second leg and netted in
extra-time to clinch the victory
for the North Londoners,
breaking the hearts of the
Dutch side at the death. This
year’s European competition
has been one of the most
thrilling and captivating in
history, and Tottenham have
every chance of lifting their
first ever European trophy
when they meet Liverpool in
Madrid.
Hugo Lloris will start in goal, as will the first-choice
Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose.
Ben Davies is ruled out entirely due to a hernia operation.
There is some debate over whether Serge Aurier or
Kieran Trippier should start, with both right-backs
linked with moves away from the club during patchy
form. The Englishman may start the final.
Depending on whether Pochettino feels he needs
more stability in midfield, Victor Wanyama could
feature, especially considering good late-season
performances. However, he will probably
only do so from the bench.
He and other holding options Moussa Sissoko,
Eric Dier and Harry Winks have all
been named in the squad. If Winks is fully fit to
play, he may start, although it is between he and
Moussa Sissoko for the starting role in a midfield
trio alongside Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
The big news for Pochettino is that Harry Kane
has trained and is fit to play. Given the heroics of
Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura in his absence,
the three could form a potent attacking line.
Fernando Llorente is named in the squad for the
final round and could also play a role, probably
from the bench if he is needed to change the dynamic
of the match – as he did to great effect
against City and Ajax in the quarter-finals and
semi-finals respectively.
Mane: Premier League
title miss ‘ll fuel us
Sadio Mane claimed missing out on the Premier
League title by a single point can spur Liverpool
on to European glory.
Jurgen Klopp’s side amassed 97 points while running
Manchester City to the final day but attention turns to
Saturday’s Champions League final against Tottenham
in Madrid.
While Mane insisted there is no lingering disappointment,
he believes that can serve as motivation and
reckons the experience of last year’s defeat by Real
Madrid can calm nerves.
‘Of course we would have loved to win it, but we have
to take a positive and sure it will give us some incentive
as well,’ Mane said. ‘Let’s get together and win
this hard trophy.
‘We expect a very difficult game because Tottenham
are a very good team. But we are also good so that’s an
exciting game.
‘(Real Madrid) will help with this one. That’s part of
football. It’s positive because many people, even you,
didn’t expect us to play this final. We did it and I think
we learned a lot from this. Now we can use our experience
this season to get what we want.
‘Every time it makes it easier. We know we have targets
- we want to win the league and the Champions
League.
‘We didn’t win the league but we still have one trophy
to play for so we are going to try to give everything
to win it.’
Klopp took his squad to Marbella for a mini pre-season
last week and Mane is reinvigorated after the
change of scenery.
‘It refreshed everyone,’ he added.
31C heatwave set
to sizzle Madrid
over weekend
SPURS and Liverpool players
will be forced to prepare for
nightmare conditions in sunny
Spain at the Champions League
final.
Madrid is about to be hit by a
heatwave over the weekend
meaning temperatures are
expected to rocket to 31C an hour
before kick-off on Saturday night.
Even after sunset and throughout
the rest of the game, the
temperature is not expected to dip
below 26C.
In contrast, Spurs and Liverpool’s
players would not only dealt with
a maximum 20C heat had the game
been played last night.
Last week, Jurgen Klopp took his
team to a training camp in
Marbella to get used to hotter conditions.
UCL final: Heineken ready to thrill
Lagos fans
International premium beer
brand and Champions League
sponsor, Heineken has announced
an exclusive viewing of the UCL
Finals for fans in Lagos, at the
upgraded Heineken House. The
brand is hoping to host hundreds
of fans on June 1st when Liverpool
and Tottenham will line up against
each other in the first all-English
UCL final since 2008.
The match viewing which will
be the biggest the brand has hosted
this year is expected to hold at
the all-new Heineken House,
with a small welcome event starting
at 6pm.
The Heineken House which has
been undergoing some upgrades,
has for years, been the hub for the
top-notch parties that Heineken is
known for. The Lagos Heineken
House was first opened in 2016 as
the first Heineken Champions
Champions League final on
Dstv, GOtv
The much awaited UEFA
Champions League final
clash between Tottenham Hotspur
and Liverpool, scheduled for Saturday,
will be broadcast live on
DStv and GOtv.
The live telecast of the match,
the second-ever final appearance
of two Premier League
sides, will offer fans match
build-up programming, including
highlights of past the
two finalists’ games. Subscribers
will have access to an
array of pre-match programming,
including half hour
highlights of the four
semi-final games;
official UEFA
Champions
League preview
show at
6pm; the studio build up
including crossings from
Madrid at 6:30pm before the
match kick-off at 8pm. These will
be available on various Super-
Sport channels and Select 2 on
GOtv channel 32.
“The Champions League is Europe’s
most prestigious competi-
Planet in Africa and later gave way
for smaller pop-up experience
centers across the nation in December
of that year.
This year’s final will pitch two
of the most charismatic coaches in
the UEFA Champions League
against each other, with both of
them hoping to win their first trophy
for the season despite having
a really impressive run. Jurgen
Klopp and his Liverpool side will
seem to be the side who want it
most having already lost out on
league glory by just 1 point, with
memories of last year’s final where
they lost out to Real Madrid still
fresh. On the other hand, Mauricio
Pochettino will be looking to
complete what he has already described
as a dream, winning Tottenham
Hotspur, their first ever
Champions League trophy.
tion and one that football fans all
over the world follow passionately.
This season has seen spectacular
comebacks and will have two
English teams facing off in the final
for only the second time in history.
We are indeed glad to be on
the right side of history as the finale
will be broadcast live for our
customers on all DStv packages,
GOtv Max and GOtv Plus,” said
Mr. John Ugbe, Chief Executive
Officer for MultiChoice Nigeria.
Both English teams made astonishing
recoveries in their semi-final
clashes, with Spurs overcoming
the exciting, youthful AFC
Ajax of the Netherlands, while
Liverpool had a legendary triumph
over Spanish champions
Barcelona.It’s a milestone match
for Spurs who are appearing in
their first Champions League final
ever, with coach, Mauricio
Pochettino masterminding an
incredible campaign which has
seen come through arguably the
toughest group and knockout ties
against Borussia Dortmund,
Manchester City and Ajax.

46—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Pinnick fights back:
We are being
victimised
President of the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF)
Amaju Pinnick says he and
four other top officials are being
"victimised".
Pinnick was reacting to the court
summons to top NFF officials who
were ordered to appear in court on
1 July to face charges over the
alleged misappropriation of funds.
The case has been brought by the
Special Presidential Investigation
Panel (SPIP) for the recovery of
public property.
"The motive for this media trial is
purely destructive, it's a deepseated
emotional, obsessional and
delusional hatred," Pinnick insisted.
"This is not the first time, we
believe all the false allegations are
aimed at destroying our credibility
and what we've built."
He went on to explain that none
of the officials have been personally
informed of the court summons and
feels that the country's Attorney
General should be involved.
"The prosecution lawyer claimed
he couldn't serve the NFF officials
and was given permission to serve
at the NFF office, while the case was
adjourned to 1 July," Pinnick added.
"We are not ordered to appear
before a court in a case that is before
the Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) for an
independent review."
Pinnick alongside NFF vice
presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and
Shehu Dikko, general secretary
Mohammed Sanusi and board
member Ahmed Yusuf have denied
all the charges and that they have
no case to answer.
In the last two weeks, Nigerian
Athletics has trended, albeit for the
wrong reasons. What makes this
development really frustrating is
the fact that the issues that have
brought about this international
embarrassment could have been
avoided if better handled by those at
the helm of affairs of Sports in
this country.
Two weeks ago it was revealed
that the International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF) had
given Nigeria an ultimatum of
two weeks to refund a sum of
$135,000 which was paid in error to
Nigeria
in May 2017. In the process of
paying a $15,000 grant to Nigeria,
an extra zero was added in error, thus
a sum of $150,000 was credited to
Nigeria instead of the $15,000
initially intended.
It is said that two months later, the
IAAF notified the Athletics
Federation of Nigeria (AFN) of the
error
and ever since, it’s been a game of
hide and seek as it concerns
refunding the balance of the money.
The
IAAF had to resort to sending the
now much publicized letter a few
weeks ago, threatening to sanction
Nigeria if the money wasn’t
refunded within two weeks.
Well, it’s past the deadline now but
I understand that the AFN board has
written to the IAAF to plead for
more time to pay the money.
Going by the controversy this issue
has generated, I do not think that
the
AFN was left with much of a choice
in this issue. However, knowing what
obtains in this country, it is
highly unlikely that the real
culprits that diverted and
mismanaged these funds will be held
accountable
for their actions. It won’t be a
surprise if this issue eventually gets
swept under the carpet as it is wont
The charges being pursued by the
SPIP include failure to declare their
assets, the alleged disappearance of
US$8.4 million paid by Fifa to
Nigeria for participation in the 2014
World Cup and arranging
international friendly matches that
do not take place.
Prosecution lawyer Celsius
Ukpong, from the SPIP insisted on
Thursday: "We are expecting the
accused persons, the defendants, to
come to court and take their plea."
When two
Elephants fight,
the grass suffers
to in a place like Nigeria, and life
goes on as usual.
It sounded incredulous to hear the
immediate past Minister of Sports,
Solomon Dalung accuse the IAAF
of blackmail while speaking with
members of the press last weekend
at the Okpekpe 10km International
Race.
According to Dalung, “I think
Nigeria has been unfairly treated
because the issue has been promoted
as
if there was any wrongdoing on
the side of Nigeria; certainly not.
Grants were released to Nigeria on
the
17th of May 2017; IAAF on the
19th confirmed the transaction. Just
for IAAF after two months to turn
round and cry foul, that it was a
mistake. I mean a transaction that
was done and confirmed suddenly
turned mistake. I smell a rat in the
whole thing and I believe the whole
thing has been orchestrated and
is an attempt just to blackmail
Pinnick is adamant that
the problems away from
the pitch will not affect
Nigeria's preparations for
the Africa Cup of Nations.
"We don't want to lose
focus. Their plan is to get
us distracted and get us
destroyed but we are
resilient," Pinnick added.
"We are not telling you we
are saints, we are
humans and we can
make mistakes.
But the good
news about us
is that our
mistakes we
turn to
learning
process.
"It's human
to be
intelligent to
learn from mistakes and be
resurgent enough to bounce back.
That's what we'll do."
It is not the first time officials of
the NFF will be involved in
corruption allegations.
Back in 2010, four former officials
were arrested amid accusations that
some $8m went missing during the
World Cup finals in South Africa.
It took eight years for the quartet
to be acquitted by the anti-graft
agency.
Chukwueze: I'm flattered by
Liverpool links
illarreal winger Samuel
VChukwueze has admitted
that he is flattered to be linked with
a big-money move to Liverpool.
The Nigeria international was far
from a household name 12 months
ago but he has emerged as one of
Europe’s most coveted young
attackers after an excellent
breakthrough campaign in La
Liga.
Chukwueze scored ten goals in
total for Villarreal, including one
in a 4-4 draw with Barcelona in
which he tore the champions’
defence to shreds with his rapid
pace and direct dribbling.
According to The Mail,
Liverpool have identified a player
compared to Bayern Munich
legend Arjen Robben as a
potential summer signing –
despite the eye-watering £54
million release clause in his
Villarreal contract.
Chukwueze has made it clear
that he is thrilled to be linked with
a club of Liverpool’s stature though
he is happy with life at the Estadio
de la Ceramica.
“It’s good that I am linked to
great clubs, because that shows
that hard work has its reward,” the
20-year-old said when quizzed
about Liverpool’s interest.
“I do not want to rush to go to
another club. But if I ever had to
leave, I should make sure I go to a
club where I’m going to play.”
A
Nigeria.
“I made a mistake in transferring
money and I realized within 10
minutes and I called my bank and
retrieved the money. Why did it
take the IAAF two months to realize
a mistake? An international
organization, highly reputable. I
think it is not about money
erroneously credited to Nigeria but
there is
a calculated attempt just to
diminish and destroy Nigerian
Athletics, otherwise I don’t see where
they
call it mistake. We didn’t apply for
grant.
“What has Nigeria done? What is
the crime? They are asking for the
balance. Did we steal any money
from them? Did we ask them to
send any money to us? They
transferred money to us and after
two
months they woke up from
slumber. Is IAAF telling us that they
as disorganized as that? We are even
F/Eagles barred from media interviews
embers and technical staff of
Mthe junior national team, the
Flying Eagles have been barred from
speaking to the media apart from the
mandatory news conference ahead of
each game.
The Eagles coached by former
Enyimba gaffer Paul Aigbogun played
out a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in their
last Group D game on Thursday
evening after a 4-0 win and 2-0 defeat
to Qatar and USA respectively which
ensured they qualified as one of the
four best group losers.
The general performance of the team
has generated widespread criticisms
from Nigerians who have called the
...as BEFL kicked off with a bang
he much anticipated Bet9ja
TEkiti Football League (
BEFL), kicked off yesterday at
the Oluyemi Kayode stadium,
Ado-Ekiti with lots of
excitement and goals to the
delight of the impressive crowd
that included Ekiti State
Commissioner for Youths and
Sports Development, Hon.
Michael Awopetu; HRH, Oba
Ganiyu Obasoyin, the Olukere
of Ikere; the Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Youths
and Sports Development, Mr
Yemi Owoseni and a host of
other dignataries.
Declaring the competition
open, Governor John Kayode
Fayemi who spoke through
Hon. Awopetu, reiterated the
commitment of his
administration towards the
development of Ekiti youths
and the provision of sports
facilities.
"My government shall
Ikpeba donates to Fregene
member of the Delta State Football
Association (DFA), Victor Ikpeba
has made a cash donation of two
hundred thousand (#200,000) to
embattled coach Peter Fregene who is
bed ridden and seeking for help in
medications and otherwise.
Ikpeba, an ex international and one
time African Footballer of the year sent
the cash through another ex
international and Acting chairman of
DFA Edema Fuludu.
not
convinced that it is a mistake.
Return what?
“If it is $15,000 why did they send
150,000? The difference between
15,000 and $150,000 is so large,
how did they make that kind of
mistake? I think those crying blue
murder and promoting this are
enemies of this country. We should
ask questions. We have not done
anything wrong. We will want IAAF
to convince us what the crime of
Nigeria is that they want to ban us.”
How does a Minister of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria so
blatantly justify the spending of
money that
wasn’t ours to spend in the first
place? When Nigeria was credited
with a sum of $150,000, why wasn’t
any effort made to find out what
the money was meant for, seeing
that it wasn’t normal to receive a
sum of that magnitude from the
IAAF?
Going by Dalungs’s response, one
Flying Eagles as the worst U-20
national team in recent times.
This, and the fact that the ages of the
players have been called into question
have made the team less receptive to
the idea of granting interviews.
"We have been told not to speak with
the media. I am sorry I cannot respond
to your questions," a camp source said.
"Surely we know that it won't be easy
now going into the knockout stages. I
cannot speak with you on any other
thing, please, I hope you understand,"
came the polite response.
The Flying Eagles will face Italy or
Senegal in the Round of 16 stages on
Monday.
Fayemi assures Ekiti on sports development
The Acting Chairman said in their
last meeting in Asaba Ikpeba said he
has read so much about the plight of
ex international Peter Fregene and
decided to make this personal
donation to assist him. Speaking at the
presentation, Edema Fuludu said
Ikpeba has a heart to help and it is not
about how much money one has. There
are people who are so poor that all they
have is money (Bob Marley).Victor
Ikpeba had his growing up in Sapele
continue to support sports and
particularly, the development of
youths in this state. I am also
impressed with what is
ongoing in Ekiti football and I
want to assure you of the
continued support and
encouragement of this
administration," Fayemi stated.
The competition swung into
action immediately after the
kick off by Oba Ganiyu
Obasoyin. The first match of the
day, saw Moyero fc defeated
Paul Omotosho fc 3-0. And it
was quickly followed by the
most exciting game of the day,
as the youngsters of Phoenix
ASC Center of Excellence, Ado
branch annihilated their bigger
opponents Clever Companion
fc 6-0.
In the other games of the day,
Golden Light fc narrowly lost to
Felix fc 2-3; as Ekiti East fc also
defeated Ayedun United 1-0.
And earlier, Ikole United
walked over Amilano fc who
did not turn up for the game.
•Ikpeba
and Peter Fregene is also from Sapele
and a football icon he looked up to.
would think that it took the IAAF
two years to realize their mistake.
The IAAF alleged that they had
been in talks with the AFN and
Sports Ministry for two years now,
and
even had a meeting with the
Minister last year during the African
Senior Athletics Championships
held in
Asaba in August, where he
allegedly recommitted to paying the
money. Why turn around and
suddenly
begin to act like the victim?
To add insult to injury, he more or
less dared the IAAF to do their worst.
How convenient, seeing that he
would no longer be on seat should
Nigeria be sanctioned, which makes
me question his interest in
sports development in the first
place. Because at the end of the day,
when two elephants fight, it is the
grass that suffers, which in this
case, would be the Nigerian athletes.

SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—47

C
M
Y
K
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
ACROSS
1)Croatian Town (9)
5)Ivory Coast “Elephants” Striker, Giovanni – (3)
7)Greek Alphabet (3)
8)L.G.A in Kogi State (9)
10)Former Director-General, Bureau of Public
Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin – (5)
11)Tunisian Premier League Club (9)
14)American Mountain Range (6)
15)Former Director-General, News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Ima – (6)
17)Quadrilateral (9)
20)Delta State Capital (5)
21)Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices &
other related offences Commission (ICPC),
Professor Bolaji – (9)
23)L.G.A in Delta State (3)
24)Prosecute (3)
25)Head of Online Banking, Zenith Bank Nigeria
Plc, Mr. Augustine – (9)
DOWN
1)Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police
Command, Mr. Chike – (3)
2)German Association Football Club (5)
3)National Commissioner, Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC),
Professor Okechukwu – (6)
4)Portuguese Second Division Club-Side (9)
5)Denmark Super-League Club (9)
6)National Chairman, All Progressives
Congress (APC), Mr. Adams – (9)
9)Vapour
11)Planet Saturn’s Satellite 99)
12)Philippines City (9)
13)Algerian City (9)
16)Former Cameroon “Indomitable Lions” Full-
Back, Bill – (6)
18)Brazilians Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr.
Aloysio – (5)
19)Ordinary (3)
22)State in Nigeria known as “The Heartbeat
of the Nation”? (3)
CROSS WORD PUZZLE
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 46
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