09072019 - We sent poll results to INEC's server — STAFF

ARIBISALA 30 

Bola Tinubu, 

Yemi Osinbajo 

and other APC 

opportunists can 

no longer speak 

for the Yorubas in 

Nigeria 

British Foreign, 

Commonwealth 

office condemns 

8 

persecution of 

Christians in Nigeria 

PRINCIPAL OFFICERS: 

PDP Reps dare 

party, declare 

support for 

8 

Elumelu, others 

JOB LOSSES: 10,733 affected workers get N4.5bn part-pension payment; as pension fund hits N9trn 

19 

VOL. 26: NO. 63849 TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

PRESIDENTIAL TUSSLE: 

We sent poll results to 

INEC's server — STAFF STORY 

ON 

PAGE 5 

• I signed results sheet under duress — WITNESS 

•Why I dumped Buhari for Atiku, by Buba Galadima 

CELEBRATING OSOBA @ 80... 

ASSAULT: 

Abbo in 

court, pleads 

not guilty, 

granted N5m 

bail 

35 

I’ll fix 

refineries, 

end fuel 

import by 

2023 

– Kyari, new 

GMD, NNPC 

9 

Mr & Mrs 

From left: Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor Lagos State;Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Kano State Governor;Mrs Bamidele 

Abiodun,First lady of Ogun State;Prince Dapo Abiodun,Governor of Ogun State;Ahmed Lawan,Senate President;Prof Yemi 

Osinbajo,Vice President;HRH Oba Rilwan Akinolu,Oba of Lagos;General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former Head of State/Chairman 

of the Occasion;his wife, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar;Mrs Derinsola Osoba, wife of the Author;Aremo Olusegun Osoba,Author of 

the Book/Former Governor of Ogun State;Ahmed Idris Wase,Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed 

Tinubu,National Leader APC/Former Governor of Lagos,during the Book Presentation Tittled: "BATTLELINES Adventure in 

journalism and Politics to celebrate his 80th Birthday in Lagos yesterday. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU. More pix on Pgs. 38&39. 

COLUMNISTS 

ODUMAKIN 17 TENIOLA 18 MAILAFIA 31 

See 

Inside

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 — 3


Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

DEPARTURE — First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari walking past the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger, Amb. 

Attahiru Haliru (l) and the Permanent Secretary Foreign Affairs, Amb Suleiman Mustapher as she 

accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari, during departure formalities after the President attended 

the African Union Summit in Niamey, Niger Republic. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida 

PRESIDENTIAL TUSSLE: 

We sent poll results to INEC's server — STAFF 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA — 

Contrary to the 

position of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, three of its officials, 

yesterday, maintained 

that results of the 

February 23 presidential 

election were 

electronically transmitted 

to a central server. 

This is even as a 

witness, Mr. Mohammed 

Tata, alleged that he was 

compelled under duress 

to sign the presidential 

election result in his 

polling unit. 

The three INEC officials, 

who took turns to testify 

before the Presidential 

Election Petition Tribunal 

sitting in Abuja, 

separately, explained that 

information captured with 

the Smart Card Reader 

machines, were 

transmitted to the server, 

using a code they said 

was given to them by the 

electoral body. 

It will be recalled that 

INEC had repeatedly 

debunked claims by the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, and its candidate, 

Atiku Abubakar, that it 

was in possession of a 

central server that was 

used for the presidential 

poll. 

PDP and Atiku had 

applied for an order to 

compel INEC to 

surrender the said server 

for inspection, alleging 

that data they 

independently secured 

from the server revealed 

that President Buhari lost 

the election with over 

1.6million votes. 

They alleged that INEC 

had at various stages of 

the presidential election 

unlawfully allocated votes 

to President Buhari, 

saying they would 

adduce oral and 

documentary evidence to 

show that results of the 

election as announced by 

the electoral body, did not 

represent the lawful valid 

votes cast. 

Atiku and PDP, in their 

joint petition marked CA/ 

PEPC/002/2019, alleged 

that in some states, INEC 

deducted lawful votes that 

accrued to them, in its bid 

to ensure that Buhari was 

returned back to office. 

Determined to prove 

their case, the petitioners 

brought witnesses to 

testify before the five-man 

tribunal headed by Justice 

Mohammed Garba. 

Giving evidence 

In his evidence-in-chief, 

Mr. Peter Uzioma Obi said 

it was wrong for INEC to 

say the results of the 

presidential poll were not 

transmitted electronically. 

Obi, who testified as the 

second witness, said he 

served as Registration 

Area Technician at a Ward 

Level in Rivers State 

during the election, 

adding that INEC duly 

trained him and others on 

how to transmit results of 

the election. 

Answering questions 

from INEC’s lawyer, Mr. 

Usman Yunus, SAN, who 

queried how the witness 

could have been able to 

transmit results when he 

did not function as a 

presiding officer, Mr. Obi 

said: “You are wrong sir. 

INEC trained us to 

transmit results. I was not 

a presiding officer. I was 

not a polling agent. I was 

a registration area 

technician appointed by 

INEC. I was trained by 

INEC.” 

Responding to another 

question from Buhari’s 

lawyer, Chief Wole 

Olanipekun, SAN, the 

witness said though he 

was not aware of 

guidelines INEC used for 

the presidential election, 

he said there was a 

specific booklet handed to 

those that acted as 

Registration Area 

Technicians (RATECH). 

“I was a RATECH in 

charge of the use of card 

reader,” he insisted, 

stressing that he was not 

stationed at any polling 

unit during the election 

but only visited the ones 

where his attention was 

needed. 

Mr. Obi told the tribunal 

that he visited seven 

polling units in the course 

of the election. 

Shortly after he stepped 

down from the witness 

box, another INEC 

official, Mr Adejuyitan 

Olalekan who served as 

a Presiding Officer, took 

over to corroborate his 

testimony. 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja, Olayinka Latona, 

Dickson Omobola, Tolulope Oke, 

Chiamaka Uba, Janet Somoye 

& Anifowose Opeyemi 

Delay in appointment of ministers by President Buhari (1) 

That was the case with 

Mr President’s first 

term in office. It’s either 

he didn’t prepare for 

victory in both cases or 

he is not keeping tabs 

on the best ministerial 

materials in various 

sectors. The irony of it is 

that the more he delays, 

the less the quality of his 

cabinet. 

-Coach Sam Olayiwola 

Clergy 

It’s disgusting and 

embarrassing that the 

President is yet to form 

his cabinet. He could be 

forgiven for his first term 

but this second term, I 

don’t think he has any 

tenable excuse. 

Overall, we don’t have 

parties with ideology and 

people-oriented 

manifestos. Now it’s a 

fight for politicians 

jostling for appointments 

and not people who really 

can fix our challenges. 

-Abayomi Babalola 

Insurance practitioner. 

Well, it’s a no brainer 

as to why he is yet 

to appoint his ministers, 

but what would surprise 

me most is if at the end 

of the day he still went 

ahead to choose people 

that are not 

capable,efficient and 

suitable for the role. I 

would be shocked 

because he’s had a lot of 

time 

-Jeremiah Makinwa 

Economist 

The president’s delay in 

appointing his Cabinet 

members up till now is a 

very bad one. This has 

also led to some 

misinformations as a day 

will not pass without the 

fake news of Buhari 

appointment of ministers 

going around the air. This 

is a very big shame on us 

as Nigerians because it 

damages our reputation 

as a country. 

-Okolie Kingsley Ifeanyi 

Student 

In my own opinion, it is 

not a welcomed idea at 

all. This is because it is 

more than one month 

since he was sworn in for 

his second tenure. The 

absence of Ministers 

over this period in a 

country like this is very 

bad because of the 

economic and security 

challenges the country is 

facing now. 

-Uba .O.Emmanuel 

Corps member 

I 

don't think he can 

make the appointments 

now because there is 

chaos and conflict in the 

country. There is no peace 

in the nation because we 

are not one. 

Before this can be done, 

we need this country to be 

restored to its former state 

because that’s the only 

way we can go about this 

appointment and even at 

that,the President will 

always appoint his own 

people from the same 

tribe. 

-Amaechi Christian 

Student

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

FG wants 

South Africa to 

account for 

murder of Mrs 

Ndubuisi 

Chukwu 

By Victoria Ojeme 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government has charged 

South Africa to ensure that 

those responsible for the 

murder of Mrs Elizabeth 

Ndubuisi-Chukwwu are 

brought to book. 

Mrs Chukwu, Deputy 

Director-General of Chartered 

Insurance Institute of Nigeria 

was in South Africa to attend 

the conference of the African 

Insurance Organisation, AIO, 

but was found dead in her hotel 

room in Johannesburg on June 

13. 

The Federal Government 

said it “condemned in very 

strong terms the unfortunate 

murder of Mrs Elizabeth 

Ndubuisi-Chukwu in South 

Africa.” 

Chairperson of the Nigeria 

Diaspora Commission, 

NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri- 

Erewa in a statement yesterday, 

said: “This is one death too 

many and cannot be swept 

under the carpet.” 

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa called on 

the South African authorities to 

rise up to their responsibilities 

and ensure those behind the 

crime are brought to book. 

She added that she is 

confident of the determination 

of the Nigerian High 

Commission in Pretoria and 

the Consulate General in 

Johannesburg to resolve the 

situation. 

3 policemen 

detained over 

missing rifle 

in Edo 

By Alemma Aliu 

B ENIN—THREE 

policemen in Edo State 

Command, Sergeant Uzor 

Emmanuel, Corporal Michael 

Akharamen and Constable 

Jimoh Aliu, are currently in 

detention over missing two 

service AK-47 rifles. 

It was gathered that a sales 

girl, security personnel and 

manager of the guest house 

from where the guns were 

allegedly stolen, have been 

quizzed and granted bail. 

The guns were officially 

assigned to them as personnel 

of the state-owned security 

outfit code-named Operation 

Wabaizigan, but could not 

return the guns to the armoury. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

two junior officers allegedly 

gave their guns to Sergeant 

Emmanuel, who was said to 

have checked into a guest 

house at Uwasota area, Egor 

Local Government Area. 

Osun NYSC member dies after 

applying sniper on hair to kill lice 

By Shina Abubakar 

SOGBO—A member of 

Othe National Youths 

Service Corps, NYSC, in 

Osogbo Local Government 

Area of Osun State, simply 

identified as Ayomikun, died 

Sunday afternoon after 

applying sniper on her hair to 

kill lice. 

It was gathered that after 

applying the chemical on her 

hair, she reportedly collapsed 

from the effect of the chemical 

and was rushed to the 

hospital. 

By Monsur Olowoopejo 

LAGOS—DEATH toll from the 

Ijegun pipeline explosion in 

Alimosho Local Government, 

Lagos State has increased to 12 

persons, while 12 others admitted 

in three hospitals are in critical 

conditions. 

A commercial driver, identified 

as Austine, and the night watch, 

a citizen of Niger Republic 

identified as Bashir, were burnt 

to death at the scene of the 

incident. 10 others, who had 

sustained burns, died in the 

hospital. 

Vanguard gathered that the 10 

victims suffered over 70 degree 

burns and were receiving 

treatment from the state health 

facilities. 

Though the state government 

did not release the names of the 

deceased, investigation by 

Vanguard revealed that of the 22 

victims, Modiu, Afolabi and 

Adeboye families suffered the 

heaviest blow after the explosion. 

Rescued victims 

In a list of victims rescued and 

admitted at the Burns and Trauma 

Centre, Gbadaga General 

Hospital and Lagos State 

University Teaching Hospital, 

LASUTH, the Modiu family had 

eight members, Afolabi had six, 

while the Adeboyes had four 

Ayomikun 

An eyewitness, who lived in 

the same compound with the 

members. 

The eight members of the 

Modiu family admitted at 

Gbagada Hospital were Idiat 

Modiu, Fasilat Modiu, Jumoke 

Modiu, Oyinkansola Modiu, 

Kehinde Modiu, Taiwo Modiu, 

Zainab Modiu and Jemilat 

Modiu. 

For the Afolabis, four of their 

children admitted at Gbagada 

were Amida Afolabi, Rokibat 

Afolabi, Rilwan Afolabi and Moruf 

Afolabi. Meanwhile, two of their 

children, Afolabi Fatiu and 

Afolabi Rashidat, were at 

LASUTH. 

Also, the Adeboyes had four 

children— Adeboye Waris, 

Adeboye Azizat, Adeboye Taiwo 

and Adeboye Shakiru— rescued 

and admitted at LASUTH. And 

the last victim was Nnwbuife 

Emerokwa. 

We’re doing our best 

—Lagos govt 

Confirming the death toll, the 

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of 

Health, Dr. Titilayo Goncalves, 

yesterday, disclosed the number 

of dead victims during a visit to 

Lagos State University Teaching 

Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja. 

Goncalves explained that out of 

the 22 victims rescued by the 

Lagos State Ambulance Service, 

deceased along Ogo-Oluwa 

area of the state capital, 

disclosed that “when she 

collapsed, a neighbour rushed 

to her aid, but the neighbour 

also collapsed from the effect 

of the chemical and had to be 

rushed to the hospital as well. 

“Unfortunately, Ayomikun 

gave up the ghost before they 

got her to hospital.” 

Ayomikun, an orphan, is a 

graduate of Human Kinetics. 

She lost her mother in June 

when she went home for the 

Eid-el-Fitr break. 

Contacted, NYSC Public 

12 in critical condition, as death toll 

in Ijegun pipeline explosion rises to 12 

LASAMBUS, nine were taken to 

LASUTH, 12 were taken to 

Trauma and Burns Unit, Gbagada 

General Hospital, while one is 

being managed at Alimosho 

General Hospital. 

She noted that three died at 

LASUTH, while seven died at 

Gbagada General Hospital. 

According to Goncalves, 

“unfortunately, due to the high 

degree of burns suffered by these 

victims, which is almost at 100 

percent, we lost 10 of them but 

we are doing everything possible 

to ensure that no other life is lost. 

“We will continue to do all in 

our might to provide intensive 

care for the remaining survivors 

and from reports received they are 

responding to treatment. 

“Treatment of victims with high 

percentage of burns requires 

intensive care and management 

which should follow some 

treatment protocol. This is why I 

am appealing to families of the 

victims to be calm and cooperate 

with our health workers, as they 

care for their loved ones.” 

CMD 

Chief Medical Director, 

LASUTH, Dr. Adetokunbo 

Fabamwo, who spoke in the same 

vein, stated that the teaching 

hospital and its annex, Trauma 

Relations Officer in the state, 

Mrs Funmilayo Okundaye, 

confirmed the incident, but 

added that she is yet to be 

fully briefed. 

It was gathered that when 

NYSC contacted her relatives, 

they were told to bury 

Ayomikun's remains in the 

state to avoid exposing her 

siblings, who are still in junior 

secondary classes, to 

emotional turmoil. 

She was interred, yesterday, 

amidst tears at a burial ground 

in Ede-South Local 

Government Area of the state. 

NNPC pipeline vandals'3,181 units of 25 litres jerricans found by the Navy at Akaraba and Takwa Bay communities, Atlas 

Cove, Lagos. PHOTO: Evelyn Usman. 

•We’re doing our best; treatment’s free—Lagos govt 

and Burns Unit, Gbagada General 

Hospital, had since received the 

patients and are providing the 

necessary care and support 

needed to aid their quick recovery. 

Fabamwo added: “LASUTH 

alone has expended about six 

million naira so far to cover 

laboratory investigations, X- 

rays, consumables and 

medications. In fact, one of the 

patients was treated with silver 

patches costing N350,000.” 

He added that daily on-thespot 

assessments are being 

conducted by specialists in 

burns and trauma to ensure that 

the victims are rehabilitated in 

line with treatment protocol for 

the burns. 

His words: “I want to assure 

families of the victims that their 

loved ones will receive the best 

care possible and we will 

ensure availability of medical 

and other supplies throughout 

the period of their management.” 

He advised families of victims 

not to liaise with any non-hospital 

staff and report any case of 

extortion or ill-treatment by any 

person to his office or better still 

call him on 08037787788 or the 

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of 

Health on 08023049478. 

He stressed that treatment of the 

victims is free.


Customs officer promotes self to 

CG, asks Hameed Ali to hand over 

YESTERDAY, Nura Dahiru, 

over from Hameed Ali, and 

an 

Assistant 

today(yesterday) when we saw 

Superintendent of Customs, 

promoted himself to the rank of 

Deputy Comptroller-General of 

Customs, DCG, claiming he 

him in the new rank, we 

thought, indeed, he has been 

promoted and so directed by the 

President. 

was directed by President 

“He went inside the 

Muhammadu Buhari to assume 

the office of Comptroller- 

General, CG, of Customs. 

However, as an Assistant 

Comptroller General’s office, sat 

in the waiting room, expecting 

the CG to handover to him.” 

Joseph Attah, spokesman of 

Superintendent, Dahiru 

Customs, said Dahiru was not 

needed to be promoted at least 

nine times to rise to the height 

of Comptroller-General. 

in the right frame of mind when 

he took the action. 

He said: “What happened was 

Sources at the Customs 

that an Assistant 

headquarters in Abuja told 

TheCable that Dahiru walked in 

yesterday morning wearing the 

new rank and went into the 

office of Hameed Ali, the 

Comptroller General. 

Superintendent of Customs 

came to the office wearing the 

rank of a Deputy Comptroller 

General. 

“From questions and answers 

that followed, it was obvious 

“As he came in, officers were 

that he was not in the right 

saluting him because he was Nura Dahiru waiting at Hameed frame of mind, so a doctor was 

wearing that rank,” one of the Ali's office for the Comptroller- immediately invited. He is 

sources said. 

General to hand over to him. presently undergoing medical 

The source added: “Sometime 

in May, he had posted on 

Facebook that he had been 

directed by the President to take 

examination at the medical unit 

of the service.” 

Again, truckload of bad 

ponmo impounded in Lagos 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

LAGOS State Government, 

yesterday, confiscated a 

truck-load of contaminated cowhide, 

popularly called Ponmo, 

at Ijegun, a suburb of Lagos in 

the Ikotun-Igando Local 

Council Development Area, old 

Alimosho Local Government 

Area of the state. 

The substance was said to 

have been imported into the 

country by some individuals 

still at large. 

Recall that about 30 tonnes of 

similarly dangerous ponmo 

were seized by the state 

government earlier this year, in 

same axis. 

Permanent Secretary, 

Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. 

Olayiwole Onasanya, who 

disclosed this in Lagos, noted 

that the Police in Ikotun area of 

the state impounded a vehicle 

loaded with ponmo and 

informed officials of the state 

government. 

He added that the cowhide 

had been preserved with 

chemicals for the purpose of 

being used for leather products, 

but are being sold for human 

consumption by some criminals 

before the arrest by the Police 

and subsequent confiscation by 

the state government. 

Onasanya noted that the 

confiscated ponmo has since 

been transported to the 

Ministry’s outstation at 

Johnson Agiri Office Complex, 

Agege, for onward disposal at 

the medical waste dumpsite in 

Ewu Elepe, Ikorodu, area of the 

state. 

Onasanya explained that 

other relevant agencies such as 

the Lagos State Waste 

Management Authority, 

LAWMA, and Environmental 

Health Officers have been duly 

informed of the discovery and 

the disposal exercise. 

Onasanya reiterated the 

commitment of the state 

government to continue to step 

up its monitoring activities with 

a view to further fishing out the 

existence of any bad ponmo 

from Lagos markets. 

He, however, called on 

members of the public to be 

vigilant and report any 

suspected activities and sale of 

unwholesome foods to the 

nearest local government in the 

state or the state’s Ministry of 

Agriculture. 

Navy uncovers vandals' 

island warehouse 

By Evelyn Usman 

OPERATIVES of the 

Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS 

Beecroft, under the Western 

Naval Command of the 

Nigerian Navy, Apapa, Lagos, 

have uncovered an island in 

Akaraba and Takwa Bay 

communities in Atlas Cove, 

Lagos, which vandals used as 

warehouse to store siphoned 

petroleum products from the 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, pipelines. 

Recovered in the makeshift 

warehouses were 3,181 units of 

25 litres jerricans and about 20 

drums filled with the siphoned 

products, which were awaiting 

movement to the high seas, from 

where they would be exported 

outside the country. 

The product was valued at 

Vehicles recovered from the island. 

N11. 5 million. There were also 

over 2,000 empty 25 litres 

jerricans. 

However, no arrest was made. 

The Commander NNS 

Beecroft, Commodore Ibrahim 

Shettima, who led journalists to 

the Island yesterday, for the 

handover of the recovered 

product to officials of NNPC, 

disclosed that the product were 

sourced from several 

vandalised points on NNPC 

pipelines. 

He explained that the 

recovery was made during raids 

at Akaraba areas by NNS 

Beecoft patrol team deployed to 

Atlas Cove Island, on July 4. 

He said: “The discovery of 

such large quantity of PMS is 

as a result of Navy's aggressive 

patrols, which have denied 

vandals the freedom of action. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

The world, including African 

countries, left us behind, bro. 

Oloopaaaaaaaaao! 

Sweet mother


LISTING: From left, Ms. Tinuade Awe, Executive Director, Regulation, Nigeria Stock 

Exchange; Oscar Onyema, CEO, Nigeria Stock Exchange; Segun Ogunsanya, CEO/ 

Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria; Awuneba Ajumogobia, Member, Airtel Africa Board; 

and Krishna Menon, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Airtel Nigeria, at the Airtel Africa Plc 

Fact Before The Listing at NSE building, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau. 

British Foreign, Commonwealth Office 

condemn persecution of Christians in Nigeria 

By Sam Eyoboka 

A 

report of enquiry into the 

plight of Christians 

across the globe recently 

released by the British 

Foreign and Commonwealth 

Office has revealed grave 

evidence that Christians 

constitute by far the most 

widely persecuted religion 

and calls on UN observers to 

monitor necessary security 

measures. 

The report, carried out by 

the Bishop of the Church of 

England Diocese of Truro, Rt. 

Rev. Edward White Benson, 

and published yesterday, 

recorded widespread 

evidence of the kind of 

persecution and 

discrimination that Christians 

face worldwide. 

It also outlined the 

seriousness of the challenge, 

and made recommendations 

on how the Foreign Office 

could better address the 

issue. 

With special reference to 

Nigeria, the report observed 

that the “intensification of 

conflict” in recent years 

comes at a time Christians in 

the country have suffered 

some of the worst atrocities 

inflicted on churchgoers 

anywhere in the world. 

It stated: “Nigeria is one of 

a number of West African 

countries straddling the sub- 

Saharan transition zone 

between majority-Muslim 

regions in the north and 

majority Christian regions in 

the south. 

"Since independence in 

1960, there has been a 

conscious effort to ensure that 

both communities are fairly 

represented at all levels in the 

structures of power in civil 

and military life. 

“But in more recent years, 

this balance appears to have 

been disturbed. In the 

northern and central regions 

of the country, attacks on and 

abductions of unarmed 

civilians by armed groups 

have become increasingly 

frequent. 

“The case study above 

gives full details of one such 

attack in the so-called Middle 

Belt, and cross-references 

others that demonstrate a 

consistent pattern. Members 

of the Independent Review 

Team visited Nigeria in 

March. 

‘’They met with church 

leaders, representatives of 

international civil society, 

FoRB NGO representatives, 

witnesses to persecution and 

attacks in the northern and 

central regions and staff at the 

British High Commission in 

Abuja. 

“This included a round 

table discussion hosted by the 

British High Commission, 

specifically on the farmer/ 

herder clashes in the Middle 

Belt. There was a consensus 

in condemnation of the 

activities of Boko Haram and 

associated groups in the 

northern regions as 

religiously motivated, the 

widely publicised abduction 

of the Chibok schoolgirls 

being but one example of 

these activities,” the report 

maintained. 

“But when it came to the 

numerous attacks by Fulani 

herdsmen on farming 

communities in what is 

known as the Middle Belt, 

where Christian and Muslim 

communities are intermixed, 

there was a divergence of 

view." 

Analysing the Nigerian 

security situation, the report 

averred that since 2009, Boko 

Haram, the Islamist militant 

group in “allegiance” with 

Daesh (ISIS) extremists in 

Iraq and Syria, has “inflicted 

mass terror on civilians, 

killing 20,000 Nigerians, 

kidnapping thousands and 

displacing nearly two 

million”. 

“The kidnapping of 

“mostly Christian girls” from 

a school in Chibok north-east 

Nigeria in April 2014 and the 

forced “conversions” to Islam 

of many of the students, 

demonstrated the anti- 

Christian agenda of the 

militants. Boko Haram’s 

continued detention of 

teenager Leah Sharibu, 

kidnapped in February 19, 

2018, showed that the 

militants were continuing to 

target Christians. 

Principal officers: PDP Reps declare support for 

Elumelu, others 

•Ask party to rescind suspension order 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—THE minority 

caucus of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in the 

House of Representatives has 

declared support for the 

factional minority leader of the 

parliament, Ndudi Elumelu, 

on his emergence. 

The caucus also passed a 

vote of confidence on the newly 

constituted minority 

leadership, saying its decision 

to stand by the principal officers 

was in tandem with House 

Standing Order, i.e Order 7, 

Rule 8, which is a derivative of 

section 60 of the 1999 

constitution as amended. 

Addressing a press 

conference, yesterday, 

members of the caucus, led by 

Legor Idagbo, representing 

Bekwara/Obudu/Obanliku 

Federal Constituency of Cross 

River State, said though they 

had great respect for the party, 

it should also be noted that the 

parliament was an 

independent body that 

couldn’t be coerced by external 

influence to accept any 

leadership not endorsed by 

majority of its members. 

•I ‘m not desperate for position; we’re staying action—Chinda 


Speaker of the House, Femi 

Gbajabiamila, had last 

Wednesday, announced 

Elumelu as the Minority 

Leader; Toby Okechukwu, 

Deputy Minority Leader; 

Gideon Gwadi and Adekoya 

Abdul-Majid as Minority Whip 

and Deputy Whip respectively, 

against the choices preferred 

by the PDP. 

The party had nominated 

Kingsley Chinda as Minority 

Leader; Chukwuka Onyema 

as Deputy Minority Leader; 

Yakubu Barde as Minority 

Whip; and Muraina Ajibola as 

Deputy Minority Whip. 

At Thursday plenary, 

recognition was only given to 

Elumelu’s faction as principal 

officers, a 

development which 

prompted the PDP to summon 

Elumelu’s faction. 

On Friday, the party 

suspended them alongside 

Lynda Ikpeazu and Wole Oke. 

However, the PDP caucus, 

yesterday, appealed to the 

party and the National Working 

Committee, NWC, to rescind 

their decision on Elumelu and 

others. 

Idagbo: “We would like to 

appeal to our party chairman 

and the NWC of our great 

party who we know are 

seasoned and experienced 

politicians that understand 

this dynamics to rescind their 

earlier decision to suspend 

our leaders, who through no 

fault of their own were 

nominated and elected by 

majority of the members of the 

minority parties. 

“Were an offense to have 

been committed in this 

process, the perpetrators 

would be all 111 of us not six 

members as were suspended 

by our great party. 

“We use this opportunity to 

sue for peace and to state that 

we are available for further 

discussions with the NWC of 

our great party on how to 

resolve these issues and move 

our party forward. 

“We call on well meaning 

party leaders, particularly 

those with legislative 

experience to intervene on our 

behalf in order for this matter 

to be laid to rest son as not to 

affect the fortune of our party 

in the future. 

“The minority parties hereby 

CJN to judges: Be impartial, 

uphold rule of law without 

fear 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A BUJA—ACTING 

Chief Justice of 

Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko 

Mohammed, yesterday, 

implored judges across the 

federation not to forget their 

duty as ministers in the 

temple of justice, saying 

they should uphold the rule 

of law impartially and 

without fear. 

He said it was the only 

way the judiciary could 

continue to establish and 

sustain public confidence in 

the judicial process. 

Mohammed spoke at the 

opening ceremony of an 

orientation course for newly 

appointed magistrates, 

held at the National 

Judicial Institute, NJI, 

Abuja. 

He warned that judicial 

officers in the country, 

especially the new 

magistrates, “must live 

above board, shun 

corruption, and avoid 

corrupt practices and 

misconduct” in the 

discharge of their duties. 

He said: “By your 

pass a vote of confidence on 

the newly constituted minority 

leadership. 

I ‘m not desperate 

for position; we’re 

staying action 

—Chinda 

Meanwhile, the PDP-backed 

choice for the minority 

leadership position, Kingsley 

Chinda, told Vanguard that the 

party had called for stay of 

execution on the matter. 

He said: “The party has 

actually asked us to stay action. 

Everybody should stay action 

on the minority leadership 

issue. So, I will obey the party’s 

instruction; we will not take any 

further step until I hear from 

the party.” 

The lawmaker, however, 

expressed worry about some 

media reports which he said 

distorted the fact of the matter. 

According to him, the 

nomination of the minority 

principal officers was 

collectively done by all the 

opposition parties in the House. 

Chinda added that he was 

not desperate to become the 

minority leader of the House. 

appointment to the 

magistracy, you are 

expected, like any other 

judicial officer, to show 

diligence, industry and 

transparency in the 

discharge of your duties. 

“The image of the 

judiciary is determined by 

what we as judicial officers 

do in the performance of 

our duties. 

“As individuals in the 

dispensation of justice, we 

must continue to build the 

ordinary man’s positive 

perception of the judiciary, 

by our conduct within and 

outside the court’s 

premises”. 

He described the 

magistrate's court as the 

entry point to the judiciary, 

saying it was created by 

statute to ensure summary 

and transparent 

administration of Justice. 

In her welcome address, 

Administrator of NJI, 

Justice R. P. I. Bozimo, said 

the theme of the course, 

‘Promoting Judicial 

Excellence in the 

Magistrate Courts’ was apt 

as it captures the need to 

infuse an attitude judicial 

excellence in the new 

magistrates from the onset. 

Sagay faults S-Court over 

Osun verdict 

CHAIRMAN 

of 

Presidential Advisory 

Committee Against 

Corruption, PACAC, Prof. 

Itse Sagay, has said the 

Supreme Court ought to 

have addressed the validity 

of Osun State governorship 

rerun election. 

Sagay said the apex court 

was right to have nullified 

the verdict of the tribunal 

but should have made an 

affirmative pronouncement 

if INEC was right to have 

declared the poll 

inconclusive and 

subsequently held 

supplementary poll. 



INEC, had declared the 

September 2018 

gubernatorial election as 

inconclusive and 

scheduled a rerun after 

which Gboyega Oyetola of 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, was declared winner. 

But Ademola Adeleke, 

candidate of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

challenged the outcome of 

the the election at the 

tribunal. 

The apex court had set 

aside the entire 

proceedings of the tribunal, 

placing technicality over 

the merit of the case. 

He argued that citizens 

should not be 

disenfranchised because of 

violence or other electoral 

misgivings. 

He said: “The lesson 

should be drawn home to 

everybody that all members 

of the tribunal or the court 

should be present before 

they can take part in a 

judgment. 

“When a judge has 

conducted a case 90 

percent, the judge that 

takes his place is not 

allowed to use the records, 

he has to start all over 

again. That is the point the 

Supreme Court is making 

here, and I think I support 

the decision."


DINNER: From left: Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, Publisher of Pharmanews and Vice-President, Nigeria 

Academy of Pharmacy; Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former Minister of Health and President, 

Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy; Professor Cecilia Igwillo, former Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy and 

a Fellow of Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy and Dr Lolu Ojo, MD/CEO, Merit Healthcare Limited 

and Chairman, Drug and Substance abuse committee of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy at the 

the dinner organised to mark the successful completion of the academy's drug abuse activities, in 

Lagos. Photo: Joseph Akintola, Photo Editor. 

I’ll fix refineries, end fuel import by 2023 

— Kyari, new GMD NNPC 

•NNPC in capable hands, Baru assures 

By Michael Eboh 

THE new Group 

Managing Director of 

Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, Mallam Mele 

Kyari, yesterday, 

promised to fix the 

country’s four refineries 

before the end of May 

2023. 

Speaking at the 

valedictory session for the 

former Group Managing 

Director of NNPC, Dr. 

Maikanti Baru, and the 

assumption of office of the 

new Group Managing 

Director, GMD, in Abuja, 

Kyari disclosed that the 

new NNPC management 

would transform the 

country into a net 

exporter of petroleum 

products before the end of 

the tenure of President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

Kyari explained that 

NNPC would encourage 

Public Private Partnership 

in the revamp of the 

refineries and would also 

support involvement of 

private individuals in 

building of conventional 

and modular refineries. 

He noted that under his 

watch, NNPC would 

provide the much needed 

incentives that would 

help the petroleum 

industry grow crude oil 

production to three 

HEALTH TIPS 

By Sola Ogundipe 

Coping with minor cuts 

and scrapes 

Follow these steps to keep 

cuts clean and prevent 

infections and scars. 

Wash your hands. First, 

wash up with soap and 

water so you don’t get 

bacteria into the cut and 

cause an infection. If you’re 

on the go, use hand 

sanitiser. 

Stop the bleeding. Put 

pressure on the cut with a 

gauze pad or clean cloth. 

Keep the pressure on for a 

few minutes. 

Clean the wound. Once 

you’ve stopped the 

bleeding, rinse the cut 

under cool running water 

or use a saline wound 

wash. Clean the area 

around the wound with 

soap and a wet washcloth. 

Don’t get soap in the cut, 

because it can irritate the 

skin. And don’t use 

methylated spirit, hydrogen 

peroxide or iodine. 

Completely avoid use of 

brake fluid or engine oil. 

Remove any dirt or debris. 

Use a pair of tweezers 

cleaned with alcohol to 

gently pick out any dirt, 

gravel, glass, or other 

material in the cut. 

You don’t need to 

bandage every cut and 

scrape. Some heal more 

quickly when left 

uncovered to stay dry. But 

if the cut is on a part of the 

body that might get dirty or 

rub against clothes, put on 

a bandage to protect it. 

Change the bandage every 

day or whenever it gets wet 

or dirty. 

Once a solid scab has 

formed, you can take off the 

bandage. 

Check with your doctor or 

go to the hospital if the cut 

is deep, long, or the edges 

are jagged or if you can’t 

stop the bleeding with 

direct pressure. 

million barrels per day 

and shore up the 

country’s crude oil 

reserves to 40 billion 

barrels. 

He said: “I assure you 

that we will follow up to 

ensure that within the life 

of this administration — 

before President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

tenure ends in 2023 — we 

will deliver on the four 

refineries. 

NNPC’ll be 

accountable, 

transparent 

He promised that the 

NNPC would be 

accountable to all 

Nigerians, meaning that 

every Nigerian would 

have access to all its 

activities, noting that in 

the nearest future, the 

NNPC would make it 

possible for individuals to 

order and pay for 

petroleum products online 

and get it delivered to 

their petrol retail stations. 

Kyari vowed to carry all 

stakeholders along, 

stating that the NNPC 

would work with other 

agencies in the petroleum 

industry to deliver the 

benefits of the petroleum 

industry to the Nigerian 

populace. 

NNPC in capable 

hands, Baru 

assures 

Also speaking, former 

Group Managing 

Director ofNNPC. Dr. 

Baru, expressed optimism 

that he was leaving the 

corporation in better 

hands, stating that Kyari 

and his team were the 

most capable and caring 

leaders that would take 

the NNPC to greater 

heights. 

According to him, 

before now, Kyari had 

effectively managed the 

Crude Oil Marketing 

Division, COMD, and the 

Direct-Sale Direct-Purchase, 

DSDP, scheme 

that enabled the NNPC 

manage the petroleum 

products supply of which 

without this intervention 

it would have been very 

difficult for NNPC and the 

country. 

He noted that Kyari 

possessed the skills and 

temperament to continue 

on the path of moving 

NNPC to better heights. 

He said: “Based on the 

foregoing, I feel highly 

elated and fulfilled that I 

am leaving behind a 

corporation that is stable, 

well aligned to meet its 

objective. My belief is, if 

you continue on the same 

trajectory, we shall surely 

reach our dream of 

building a company that 

meets the expectations of 

our founding fathers. That 

is a world class Energy 

Company playing its part 

in the global energy 

business and meeting the 

expectations of its 

shareholders, the citizens 

of our great Country, 

Nigeria.” 

Baru, therefore, charged 

that new chief executive 

of NNPC to focus on staff 

development, ensure the 

transparency of its 

operations; resolution of 

the liquidity challenges 

and full migration to the 

International Financial 

Reporting Standard, 

IFRS. 

He also advised Kyari 

and his team to ensure 

the resolution of the 

under recovery issues 

through appropriate 

recommendation for the 

provision of subsidy in the 

Medium Term 

Expenditure Framework, 

MTEF, and the 

Federation’s Budget 

Appropriation. 

Baru added that, 

“NNPC should continue 

to lead the way in 

provision of energy 

security as a supplier of 

last resort for petroleum 

products to Nigerians, 

power and other energy 

mix for the country. 

NSCDC summons Kebbi 

officials for barring judge 

from court 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

A 

B U J A — 

FOLLOWING 

the viral video of one of 

its personnel barring a 

senior judge of Kebbi 

State Judiciary from 

accessing her court, 

Commandant-General of 

the Nigeria Security and 

Civil Defence Corps, 

NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana 

Muhammadu, has 

summoned top officials of 

the corps in the state for a 

formal briefing. 

Spokesman of the corps, 

Emmanuel Okeh, who 

disclosed this in a 

statement in Abuja, 

yesterday, also explained 

that preliminary findings 

indicated that the court 

room was under lock at 

the time the judge, Justice 

Elizabeth Karatu, went to 

the premises. 

The statement read: 

“Worried by the video in 

circulation on social 

media alleging that the 

corps personnel stopped 

a sitting judge from 

entering the court, the 

Commandant General of 

the corps, Abdullahi 

Muhammadu, has called 

for calm and sued for 

peace in the state. 

“He said the corps is a 

law-abiding agency of 

government meant to 

protect everyone and his 

property and could not do 

otherwise by infringing 

on the fundamental rights 

of the people. 

‘’He said on citing of the 

video on the social media, 

Zamfara LGs reject 

Matawalle’s N5m 

monthly allocation 

By Nasir 

Danfulani 

CHAIRMEN in 14 

local government 

areas of Zamfara State 

have rejected the N5 

million allocated to them 

from the share of federal 

allocation by Governor 

Bello Matawalle. 

The chairmen, who 

addressed the media on 

the issue at the 

secretariat of the state 

Council of Nigeria Union 

of Journalists, NUJ, 

yesterday, said the 

amount was short of the 

N150 million they were 

entitled to from the 

federation account. 

According to the 

council bosses, 

Matawalle only agreed 

to give them N5 million 

as their monthly 

allocation, though the 

Federal Government 

said local governments 

he immediately called in 

the state commandant and 

also constituted a 

committee to look into the 

matter for appropriate 

action. 

“However, the report 

from the state said the 

court was under lock and 

key by the government 

and the personnel was 

assigned to protect the 

environment from being 

vandalised. 

‘’The report stated that 

when the judge came to 

the court premises, the 

personnel approached 

her to inform her of the 

development that she 

cannot gain entrance into 

the chamber as 

everywhere was under 

lock and key but 

unfortunately he was not 

given a listening ear, 

rather he was alleged to 

have prevented the judge 

from entering.’’ 

Gana reiterated that the 

corps, under his watch, 

would never take sides 

but would deliver quality 

services to all and sundry, 

irrespective of class or 

creed. 

He said:‘’Therefore, the 

incident should not be 

misunderstood or given 

different interpretations. 

He said the corps does 

not have any ulterior 

motive towards anyone. 

‘’He called on the 

Executive, Legislative 

and Judiciary for peaceful 

resolution as well as the 

Nigeria Bar Association 

and urged them to be 

calm as the corps respects 

the sanctity of every 

office.” 

should be given their full 

allocation from the 

federation account. 

They said: “It was 

during our usual 

monthly meeting with 

the governor at Ministry 

for Local Government 

and Chieftaincy Affairs 

that the governor 

decided to say that he 

can only give us N5 

million out of the N150 

million allocated to us 

from the federation 

account. 

“We are, therefore, 

calling the attention of 

the Federal Government 

to force the governor to 

give us our full 

allocation. 

“We also urged the 

governor to comply with 

the 

Federal 

Government’s policy of 

granting local 

governments full 

autonomy.”

10 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

By Charles Kumolu, 

Osa Amadi & 

Olayinka Ajayi 

L 

A G O S — 

PROMINENT 

political actors, captains of 

industry, and media 

moguls turned up en 

masse at the public 

presentation of the 

autobiography of former 

governor of Ogun State, 

Chief Segun Osoba. 

At the unveiling of the 

book titled: Battlelines: 

My Adventures in 

Journalism and Politics, 

in Lagos, the attendees 

unanimously described 

Osoba as a patriotic 

Nigerian, who built 

bridges across ethnoreligious 

divides. 

Inferring that Osoba’s 

life in journalism and 

politics, was a lesson in 

tolerance, they were 

undivided in condemning 

the growing division 

along ethnic and religious 

lines in Nigeria. 

At the forum which was 

chaired by former Head 

of State, Gen. 

Abdulsalami Abubakar, 

retd, there was a 

consensus on the need for 

Nigerians to focus on 

unifying issues instead of 

divisive conversations. 

ROLL CALL 

Those at the event 

included Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo; Senate 

President, Sen Ahmad 

Lawan; Speaker of House 

of Representatives, Mr. 

Femi Gbajabiamila, 

represented by his deputy, 

Alhaji Ahmed Wase; 

Lagos State governor, 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu; 

Ogun State governor, Mr. 

Dapo Abiodun; Bayelsa 

State governor, Mr. 

Seriake Dickson; Kano 

State governor, Alhaji 

Abdullahi Ganduje; Ondo 

State governor, Chief 

Rotimi Akeredolu; Ekiti 

State governor, Dr. 

Kayode Fayemi; Deputy 

Governor of Lagos State, 

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; 

former governor of Akwa 

Ibom State, Chief Victor 

Attah; ex-governor of 

Cross River State, Mr. 

Donald Duke; former 

Minister of Transport, Mr. 

Rotimi Amaechi; National 

Leader of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu; former Secretary 

to the Federal 

Government, Ambassador 

Babagana Kingibe; former 

Military Administrator of 

Lagos State, Admiral 

Ndubuisi Kanu, retd; and 

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan 

Akiolu. 

Others were former 

First Lady, Justice Fati 

Abubakar; ex-governor of 

Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi 

Adebayo; former Minister 

of Information, Alhaji Lai 

Mohammed; former 

interim National 

Chairman of APC, Chief 

Bisi Akande; Senator 

Olorunnimbe Mamora; 

ex-National Chairman of 

APC, Chief John Oyegun; 

Publisher of Vanguard 

Newspapers, Mr. Sam 

Amuka; General 

Manager/Editor-in-Chief 

of Vanguard Newspapers, 

Mr. Gbenga Adefaye; 


Thisday Newspapers, 

Mr. Eniola Bello; former 

Commissioner for 

Information in Edo State, 

Mr. Louis Odion; Senator 

Gbenga Ashafa, former 

governor of Ogun State, 

Otunba Gbenga Daniel; 

Prof. Pat Utomi; Mr. Kola 

Abiola, Sen. Anthony 

Adefuye; Chief Ayo 

Opadokun; Chief Rasaq 

Okoya; former First lady 

of Lagos State, Alhaja 

Abimbola Jakande; Gen. 

Alani Akinrinade; Prof. 

Adebayo Williams; and 

Chief Dele Momodu 

among others. 

Osoba’s book is 

historical and 

prosecutorial— 

Olorunyomi 

The Publisher of 

Premium Times, Mr. 

Dapo Olorunyomi, who 

was the book reviewer, 

described the memoir as 

historical and 

prosecutorial. 

He described Osoba as 

an ace reporter and 

impact editor, who has 

done Nigeria a favour 

with the book. 

In 

addition, 

Olorunyomi said the book 

added meaningfully to the 

body of knowledge of 

some historical episodes 

in the country. 

He added that the 341- 

page book employed the 

use of lucid expressions 

which were expected from 

an outstanding reporter 

like Osoba. 

“The book showcases 

the great media manager 

that he was at Daily 

Times, The Daily Sketch 

and Herald and all he has 

done in politics,” he said. 

Stop promoting ethnoreligious 

interest — 

Osinbajo 

On his part, Vice 

President Osinbajo, 

urged Nigerians to stop 

promoting ethnoreligious 

interest over 

national interest, saying 

the trend promotes 

extremism and crime in 

the country. 

He said: “The likes of 

Boko Haram, ISIS, 

Islamic State West Africa 

Province, and many 

Salafist-Jihadist 

ideologies are 

expansionist ideologies 

that feed purely on hate. 

They hate any person or 

group that does not 

belong to their particular 

sect. 

“They have no 

redressible grievances so 

there are no terms of 

reference for peace. They 

are fanatics committed to 

a twisted creed. 

“They exploit the 

ignorance of the tenets of 

Islam, poverty, and 

exclusion, recruit men 

and women and use 

children to perpetrate the 

most heinous atrocities. 

They are motivated by a 

satanic desire to control 

communities by murder 

and terror. 

“Whether it is in Iraq, 

Borno or Syria their 

victims are men, women, 

and children, Muslims 

and Christians. Since they 

do not share their sick 

ideology, they target 

From left; Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, former Ogun State Commissioner of Commerce and Industry; Dapo Abiodun, 

Gov. of Ogun State; Kano State Gov, Abdullahi Ganduje; Aremo Olusegun Osoba; Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Gov, 

Lagos State and ex-Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajumobi at the launch. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 

BOOK LAUNCH: Political gladiators 

turn up for Osoba, preach tolerance 

churches, mosques, 

markets and motor parks 

where people gather, 

using children as human 

bombs to kill randomly, 

regardless of tribe or faith. 

“The challenge for us is 

to recognise this 

extremism for what it is. We 

must form alliances across 

faiths and ethnicities to 

destroy an evil that 

confronts us all.” 

Multi-pronged 

approach 

“The herder and farmer 

conflicts, random killings, 

banditry, and kidnapping 

in different parts of the 

country are extant 

challenges that the army 

has had to intervene in on 

several occasions. 

“I want to reassure all 

Nigerians that these 

issues are being seriously 

tackled by the Federal 

Government, working 

with the states, through a 

multi-pronged approach. 

Nobody will be allowed to 

maim, kill or commit other 

crimes and escape. 

“It is our duty to 

apprehend and punish 

these criminals and we are 

doing and will continue to 

do so,” he said. 

Osinbajo, however, 

described Osoba as a 

patriotic Nigerian, who 

made great impacts in 

journalism and politics. 

He noted that one of the 

remarkable attributes of 

the elder statesman was 

his ‘Pan-Nigerianism.’ 

Continuing, the Vice 

President said Osoba built 

bridges and made friends 

across all parts of the 

country. 

Our diversity should be 

our strength — Sen 

Lawan 

On his part, Senator 

Lawan said Osoba’s 

friendship with people 

across different ethnic 

groups, was a display of 

how well to associate in a 

diverse nation like 

Nigeria. 

He likened the 

bipartisanship displayed 

by lawmakers during the 

National Assembly 

election to the bridges 

Osoba built across ethnic 

boundaries. 

He said: “This book is 

full of lessons for 

Nigerians. Nigeria is a 

country blessed in 

diversity. This diversity is 

meant to be our strength. 

Nigeria today and indeed 

tomorrow will continue to 

need our unity. In the 

National Assembly, we 

have shown what we can 

achieve with unity. You 

will recall by June 11, 

2019, we were elected as 

presiding officers. 

“There was a clear 

demonstration of unity on 

that day. Senators across 

political lines, religious 

and ethnic divides voted 

for us. That show of 

confidence, trust, and 

good judgment are what 

we will continue to 

harness and consolidate. 

Nigeria must unite. 

Suspicion and mistrust 

“We must reduce 

suspicion and mistrust. No 

country has ever 

developed without trust 

among its citizens. We 

cannot be different, we 

must trust ourselves and 

as leaders. We must 

demonstrate a very clear 

sense of leadership to 

earn the trust of the 

people. What Nigerians 

need to do is to trust their 

leaders and the leaders 

must continue to show a 

clear commitment on how 

this country will work. We 

cannot continue to think 

as if we are in a different 

nation. Though tribe and 

tongue may differ in 

brotherhood we must 

continue to stand.” 

We’re promoting strife 

with our diversity 

—Tinubu 

Also speaking, Tinubu 

described Osoba as a 

patriotic Nigerian, who is 

honest. 

He said: “Osoba is very 

honest and very 

straightforward. The story 

you don’t want other 

people to know, don’t tell 

him. I spent more than 

two hours with him during 

his medical challenge, he 

showed me every detail 

on what was wrong with 

him but his concern was 

the struggle for Nigeria. 

He was concerned about 

the APC registration. He 

was one of the main 

contributors to our 

constitution. Party 

discipline is what anyone 

will learn from Osoba. 

There must be party 

discipline. When we talk 

about Nigeria that is what 

we mean. Our unity in 

diversity is symbolised by 

the APC broom. You 

cannot see a single 

broomstick tied together. 

Our problem is, instead of 

using our diversity for 

prosperity, we are using 

it to promote strife. Be it 

ethnicity, religion. The 

broom is strong when it is 

together.” 

All stories in the book 

are correct — Kingibe 

Speaking on the book, 

Kingibe validated most of 

the stories Osoba told 

about the June 12 

presidential election. 

He said: “On all issues 

that he wrote on that I was 

involved, they are all 

correct. We need to 

understand the life of an 

elephant. Nigeria is a 

huge elephant that we 

cannot describe the whole 

elephant from one 

standpoint, you can only 

describe the part of it that 

you can reach. If 200 

Nigerians feel a part of an 

elephant, 10 people 

should not say is not true. 

Everyone speaks their 

truth and no one has the 

monopoly of the whole 

truth. What I learned from 

Chief Osoba is that when 

somebody is telling his 

truth, believe in his truth. 

Don’t be self-righteous by 

saying he is not speaking 

the truth. In Nigeria, we 

also need to understand 

that each part is necessary 

for the elephant function. 

No part is irrelevant.” 

People should stop 

distorting history — 

Osoba 

Osoba, flanked by wife, 

Derinsola, and children, 

said he decided to write 

the book to document his 

experiences both as a 

politician and journalist. 

He said that he wrote 

the book to reveal what 

some people might not 

know about him. 

The former governor 

thanked dignitaries, who 

attended the book launch, 

saying he felt honoured by 

their presence. 

“I particularly thank God 

to be alive after attempts 

to kill me by the military 

failed. I thank my friends 

for being part of my story 

and my family for the 

support,” he said. 

“My major battle was to 

have survived in the 

hands of Sgt Rogers. I 

chose Gen Abdulsalami as 

chairman because he 

knew how I survived and 

how Rogers waited in the 

front of my house to kill 

me. 

“Some people should 

stop distorting history. 

When Obasanjo was 

deceiving us, Tinubu was 

deceiving him also by 

registering many parties. 

Those shouting 

restructuring should 

realise that the power 

rests with the National 

Assembly. “We have to 

rearrange our system. The 

El-rufai report on 

restructuring should be 

sent to the National 

Assembly. If anybody 

thinks Buhari can change 

anything by decree, it is 

not possible”, he said.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 — 11 

ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE: We’ll pursue 

Okorocha’s case to logical conclusion — INEC 

By Clifford 

Ndujihe 

LAGOS—”WE have 

given Rochas Okorocha 

the Certificate of Return as 

ordered by the High 

Court but we are going to 

challenge it even up to 

the Supreme Court. Not 

doing so will not augur 

well for our democracy 

because you don’t need 

to be popular or campaign 

to win election all you 

need to do is storm the 

collation centre with gun 

and force the returning 

officer to declare you as 

Osun State civil servants trooped out emmass and welcomed Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and 

his deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi (left) back to office after his victory at the Supreme Court at the State 

Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo yesterday. 

IJEGUN FIRE: Lagos warns health workers against extorting 

victims 

By Chioma Obinna 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State Government, 

yesterday, advised 

families of the victims of 

the Ijegun pipeline 

explosion to report any 

Don’t outsource VC positions, 

SSANU warns 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—THE Senior 

Staff Association of 

Nigerian Universities, 

SSANU, yesterday, kicked 

against the clamour by Vice 

Chancellor of Universities 

to be outsourced alongside 

other non teaching staff. 

Speaking at the 62nd 

quarterly zonal meeting of 

the Union held at the 

Federal University of 

Technology Akure, FUTA, 

the National Vice President 

of SSANU, South west, 

Alfred Ilesanmi described 

the clamour as satanic. 

Ilesanmi said: “That 

statement was put into their 

satanic verses of their 

Needs Assessment 

documents. 

“I am proud to inform you 

that we did all we could to 

winner.” 

With these words, 

National Chairman of the 



INEC, Professor 

Mahmood Yakubu, 

yesterday, vowed to 

pursue the electoral 

umpire’s quest to stop 

immediate past governor 

of Imo State, Senator 

Okorocha from being a 

senator to a logical 

conclusion. 

Professor Yakubu 

restated INEC’s resolve at 

the commission’s post- 

2019 election review 

case of extortion or illtreatment 

by any person 

to the office of the 


Ministry of Health and 

the Chief Medical 

Director of the Lagos State 

University Teaching 

Hospital, LASUTH. 

They are also advised to 

kill and make that 

submission not too see the 

light of the day, even 

though they are still 

working towards realizing 

it but what we did at that 

time was to come with our 

own document. 

“We also went into 

research, we came out with 

our document debunking 

the fallacy that they put in 

the Needs Assessment that 

there is nowhere in the 

world where non teaching 

staff outnumber academic 

staff in the university 

system. 

“Even in world class 

universities, the ratio of 

academic to non teaching 

is not the same but out of 

selfishness they are saying 

the non teaching staff 

should be outsourced. 

“I want to ask that which 

one is easy to outsource, 

meeting with the media 

in Lagos, yesterday. 

After the 2019 National 

Assembly poll, the INEC 

refused to give Okorocha 

the Certificate of Return as 

Senator-elect for Imo West 

on the platform of the All 


APC, on the ground that 

he allegedly forced the 

returning officer, at gun 

point, to declare him 

winner. 

Okorocha challenged 

the INEC’s position in 

court and an Abuja High 

Court ruled in his favour 

and ordered INEC to give 

log complaints through 

the following telephone 

numbers 08037787788 

and 08023049478 

respectively. 

Meanwhile, the State 

government said it has 

spent over N10 million in 

the care of the victims so 

far. 

Speaking during her 

fact-finding visit to the 

victims at LASUTH, the 

Permanent Secretary of 

the State Ministry of 

Health, Dr. Titilayo 

Goncalves, explained that 

the survivors of the inferno 

are receiving adequate 

and quality care at 

designated government 

facilities free- of- charge. 

Goncalves said: 

“Victims of the inferno are 

being provided with 

adequate and quality care 

in our facilities free of 

charge in line with 

Governor Babajide 

him the certificate of 

return. 

The electoral umpire 

complied but said that the 

battle line had been 

drawn. 

Professor Yakubu 

amplified the decision 

yesterday, lamenting that 

death and threat to lives 

of electoral officers were 

some of the drawbacks of 

the last election that must 

be discouraged. 

Also at the gathering 

were INEC National 

Commissioners, Resident 

Electoral Commissioners, 

and other big shots. 

Sanwo-Olu’s directive 

and they are being closely 

monitored and cared for 

by our specialists to 

ensure their full recovery 

and rehabilitation.” 

Giving insight into the 

number of victims, she 

said 22 victims were 

rescued by the Lagos 

State Ambulance Service, 

LASAMBUS, 9 were 

taken to LASUTH, 12 

were taken to Trauma and 

Burns Unit, Gbagada 

General Hospital while 

one is being managed at 

Alimosho General 

Hospital. 

She said 10 out of the 

patients at LASUTH and 

Gbagada General 

Hospital died due to 

severe and high degrees 

of burns suffered from the 

Inferno and that three 

died at LASUTH while 

seven died at Gbagada 

General Hospital. 

Akeredolu reshuffles cabinet 

•Names Ojogo new Info Comm 

By Dayo Johnson 

A 

K U R E — 

GOVERNOR 

Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo 

State, yesterday, reshuffled 

his cabinet just as he asked 

his commissioners to break 

new grounds. 

Akeredolu noted that “the 

changes effected in the 

State Cabinet, as well as 

the appointments being 

made alongside are 

intended to re-tool the 

system.” 

The governor, in a 

statement by his Chief 

Press Secretary, Segun 

Ajiboye, said the 

reshuffling became 

necessary for optimal 

performance of the present 

administration in the 

state. 

He charged “all members 

of the State Executive 

Council to redouble their 

efforts, not just to 

consolidate on gains, but to 

equally explore fresh 

opportunities in order to 

break new grounds of 

assuring all possibilities to 

take the State to loftier 

heights.” 

He also advised “all 

indigenes of the State to 

take maximum advantage 

of the recent changes in the 

State Cabinet, which 

according to him, were 

done in good faith and in 

the utmost interest of the 

State.” 

In the cabinet shake up, 

the governor named a 

former Associate Editor of 

the Daily Telegraph 

Newspaper, Donald 

Ojogo, formerly of Lands 

and Housing as his new 

Information Commissioner, 

while Mr. Yemi Olowolabi 

has been moved to the 

Culture and Tourism 

ministry. 

The portfolios, according 

to the statement are: Kola 

Olawoye as Attorney 

General 

and 

Commissioner for Justice, 

Wale Akinterinwa 

(Finance), Emmanuel 

Igbasan (Economic 

Planning and Budget) and 

Funso Esan (Environment 

Ministry) among others. 

NOG 2019: Tinubu shares Oando’s 

survival, growth strategies 

LAGOS—GROUP Chief 

Executive of Oando Plc, 

Mr. Wale Tinubu has 

explained how he moved 

Oando from a downstream 

company to an integrated 

energy solutions provider. 

Mr. Tinubu spoke at the 

recently concluded Nigeria 

Oil and Gas Conference, 

2019 themed ‘Driving 

Nigeria’s Oil and Gas 

Industry Towards 

Sustained Economic 

Development and Growth. 

He also highlighted the 

challenges the 

company faced in its 

journey and how through 

determination, focus and 

tenacity they were always 

able to realize their goals. 

His words: “We had a lot 

of support from the NNPC 

when we started out as a 

trading company in 1994. 

We had the opportunity of 

working with NNPC in the 

90s in what was typically 

the golden age in the 

industry when the refineries 

worked to full capacity. The 

refinery was doing so well 

in Kaduna that we had 

excess petroleum products 

and we secured a very 

innovative solution for the 

NNPC to manage the 

excess products.” 

On NNPC’s support he 

said: ”We branched out 

towards infrastructural 

opportunities, once again 

with the NNPC. We built 

the first gas distribution 

network in Lagos. It was 

called Gaslink Lagos, 

NNPC gave out the gas in 

the project and today there 

are about 130 industries 

taking gas from us and we 

have been able to drop, by 

at least 40%, the cost of 

power to those industries 

and in 

the 

process stimulate 

economic growth.” 

Also speaking, the 

erstwhile Group Managing 

Director of the NNPC, Dr. 

Maitanki Baru’s, said: 

“This year’s event comes 

with mixed feelings. Like 

many of you know I’ll be 

retiring from my position as 

GMD, NNPC with effect 

from July 7. This event is 

an opportunity to bid 

goodbye to some of you 

whom I’ve worked with in 

the course of my 

career over the past 30 

decades.” 

Advising IOCs and 

indigenous companies, 

Tinubu said: ”One of the 

key lessons we have learnt 

in terms of managing 

challenges is that never 

confuse a clear line of vision 

with a straight line of 

execution. You have to be 

prepared to be innovative, 

you have to be prepared to 

be quick off your feet, you 

have to be prepared to 

execute and be resilient in 

the way and manner you 

execute your strategies.” 

We’re committed to paying full salaries, offsetting arrears 

— OYETOLA 

By Shina Abubakar 

O 

S O G B O — 

GOVERNOR 

Gboyega Oyetola of Osun 

State, yesterday, reiterated 

his administration’s 

commitment to the 

payment of salary arrears 

owed civil servants in the 

state. 

The Governor disclosed 

this while addressing a 

gathering of civil servants 

to mark his victory at the 

Supreme Court facilitated 

by the office of the Head of 

Service, held at the Local 

Government Service 

commission at the 

Government Secretariat in 

Osogbo. 

He said the litigation 

process took toll on 

government programmes, 

describing it distraction 

affecting planning and also 

slowed down the state 

development plan. 

He said: “I will not only 

sustain the payment of 

your full salary but by the 

grace of God, I’ll pay your 

arrears. I will prioritise your 

welfare. I have no reason 

not to hit the ground 

running, we will deliver on 

our promises. Now the 

battle is over, I call on 

everybody including the 

opponents to support us to 

move the state forward 

because I believe in 

participatory government.”


EVENING OF CONVERSATION: From left, Oluwatoyin Adegbite-Moore, Executive Director, 

West Africa Region, African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, AVPA; Victor Gbenga Afolabi, founder, 

Eko Innovation Centre; Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen; Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor, 

Lagos State; Meghan Curran, West Africa Director, Acumen, and Andrew Nevin, Advisory Partner/ 

Chief Economist, PwC, at an evening of conversation on moral leadership, in Lagos.Photo: Akeem 

Salau. 

Okowa's birthday: Lawan, Tambuwal, Obaseki, 

Ihedioha, Fayemi, Secondus, Ibori storm Asaba 

•As Okowa celebrates 60th birthday with disable persons 

By Festus Ahon 

& Akpokona 

Omafuaire 

A 

S A B A — 

GOVERNORS of 

Sokoto, Imo and Edo 

states, Aminu Tambuwal, 

Emeka Ihedioha and 

Godwin Obaseki 

respectively and National 

Chairman of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

Prince Uche Secondus, 

yesterday, stormed Asaba, 

Delta State to rejoice with 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of 

the state, who celebrated 

his 60th birthday with 

people with disabilities. 

The celebration, which 

was also graced by Deputy 

Governor of Bayelsa State, 

Rear Admiral John Jonah 

(retd), who represented 

Governor Seriake Dickson; 

former Governor James 

Ibori;former deputy 

governors of the state, Prof. 

Amos Utuama, SAN and 

Chief Benjamin Elue, was 

held at the Event Centre 

Asaba, which was 

preceded by a 

thanksgiving service at the 

Government House 

chapel. 

This came as former 

governor of the state and 


APC, leader, Dr. 

Emmanuel Uduaghan, 

yesterday, congratulated 

Okowa on his 60th birthday 

anniversary. 

He said: “I pray that the 

grace and mercy of God will 

deepen the wisdom, critical 

mind, knowledge, patience 

and the spirit of 

discernment you require to 

steer our state to greater 

heights.” 

Meanwhile, Senate 

President, Senator Ahmed 

Lawan and Governor 

Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti 

later flew into Asaba 

International Airport to also 

celebrate with Okowa. 

Lawan, Fayemi, 

Tambuwal, 

Obaseki hail 

Okowa 

Lawan in a chat with 

newsmen said: “Governor 

Okowa is very patriotic, 

purposeful, dedicated and 

committed to issues that 

affect the country. I served 

with him in the Senate and 

I can tell you that he is 

always committed to the 

job he is assigned to do.” 

Congratulating the 

governor for clocking 60 

years, Lawan, who was 

accompanied by Chairman 

of Nigerian Governors 

Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, 

said: “Governor Okowa is 

a man who believes in the 

country despite our 

different political divide.” 

Fayemi on his part said: 

“We, members of the Nigerian 

Governors Forum, are proud 

of you (Okowa), you are a 

committed patriot and a 

bridge builder." 

Tambuwal said: “Governor 

Okowa will remain the 

humble servant of the people; 

he is a good husband and a 

father, a gentleman, very 

honest and unassuming. 

“I congratulate the people 

of Delta for having him as 

governor for a second term, 

and his decision to celebrate 

the birthday with people with 

disabilities is in his 

characteristics of giving hope 

to the hopeless.” 

Obaseki on his part was 

full of praises for Okowa and 

traced his achievements to 

when he (Okowa) was a 

student of the Edo College, 

Benin City, while Governor 

Emeka Ihedioha on his part, 

said: “Governor Okowa is 

calm to a fault but, you can 

only underestimate him to 

your own peril; he is also, a 

very humble man and we 

commend him for celebrating 

his birthday with people with 

disabilities.” 

Okowa, a prayerful 

personality—Ibori 

Also speaking, Ibori 

described Okowa as a 

prayerful personality, who 

believes that he cannot record 

success without God, saying: 

“I congratulate you (Okowa); 

I thank God for your life; I 

thank God for your humility 

and we pray God will 

continue to uplift you because, 

I do know that you do 

everything with a clear 

conscience; continue to take 

decisions in the interest of 

humanity. You can be firm 

when it requires firmness and 

you can be fair when it 

requires fairness.” 

I thank God for 

keeping me alive 

—Okowa 

Okowa in his remarks, 

thanked the organisers for 

making it a pleasant 

surprise, disclosing that his 

intention was to celebrate the 

birthday solely with people 

who are living with 

disabilities, adding: “I want 

to thank God for keeping me 

alive; my mother died at 43 

and growing up to attain 60, 

I thank God.” 

While thanking his wife, 

Dame Edith, and their 

children for their prayers and 

support, he disclosed that he 

decided to celebrate his 60th 

birthday with people with 

disabilities because, it was 

not their making to be 

disabled. 

He assured that his 

administration will continue 

to pay special attention to 

their affairs. 

Odinkalu raises alarm over 

introduction of oath of 

secrecy by NHRC 

FORMER chairman 

of Nigeria’s National 

Human Rights 

Commission, NHRC, 

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, 

has raised the alarm over 

an “Oath of Secrecy” 

document introduced by 

the commission. 

Odinkalu had twitted 

that NHRC, a public 

body bound by the 

Freedom of Information 

Act, FoIA, has in the past 

week ordered all its staff 

to sign and subscribe to 

forms of “Oath of 

Secrecy,” very much like 

a secret cult. 

It was gathered that the 

commission forced its 

staff to sign the document 

which Odinkalu said is 

“very much like a secret 

cult.” 

Odinkalu added that 

the leadership of the 

commission claims that 

the oath of secrecy was 

required by Rule 62 of 

the commission’s 

Standing Orders and 

Rules of Procedure. 

But, Odinkalu insisted 

that the Rule Book of 

commission was not in 

support of Oath of 

Secrecy. 

Every right thinking govt'll 

take priority in her citizens 

—Fr. Aghoja 

THE yearly Saints 

Michael, Rapheal and 

Gabriel (Archangels) 

Catholic Church, Satellite 

Town, Lagos, Mother of 

Perpetual Feast Day has been 

held. 

Delivering his sermon on 

the celebration, Vice 

Provincial Superior of the 

Redemptorist in Nigeria, 

Very Rev Father Joterio 

Aghoja, enjoined all 

Christians to emulate the 

virtue of Christ. 

In his homily entitled “Arise 

and shine, for your light has 

come,” he said: “As a country, 

we must not limit ourselves. 

Our potentials are too great 

that we shouldn’t be where 

we are today.” 

On the state of insecurity 

and other national issues, he 

said: “This is a country, 

where human lives are less 

valued than that of a cattle. 

The present lack of security 

in the country is as a result of 

the failure of governance. 

Every right thinking 

government will take priority 

in her citizens. This 

government has to wake up 

to its responsibilities.” 

On the Ruga settlement 

before its suspension, Aghoja 

said: “Any serious 

government knows that 

ranching is the way out. In 

saner climes, that is what is 

obtainable. If you think Ruga 

is the way forward, then pig 

farmers and others who deal 

in animal husbandry can as 

well demand separate lands 

for their livestock.” 

Asked if Nigerian youths 

have the right opportunity to 

arise and shine, the Catholic 

priest said: “Yes, they can if 

they want to. Take for 

example, this Badagry road, 

if the youths come out and 

block the road for some days, 

the government will hear 

them, but unfortunately, the 

youths don’t have the will 

power to do that.” 

On his part, the Parish 

Priest, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Achu, 

expressed satisfaction over 

the celebration, saying every 

year, Catholic faithful gather 

to pay tribute to the Mother 

of Jesus and venerate her for 

the roles she played in 

redeeming mankind. 

RUGA: Suspension of project 

still dangerous, scary 

—Archbishop Adeleye 

By Ike 

Uchechukwu 

C Archbishop, 

ALABAR—The 

Ecclesiastical Province of 

Niger-Delta (Anglican 

Communion), Most Rev. 

Tunde Adeleye, has said the 

suspension of the 

controversial RUGA 

settlement project was still 

dangerous and scary, 

stressing that the project 

should be cancelled out right. 

Adeleye, yesterday, while 

briefing newsmen on the 2019 

Synod at the Cathedral 

Church of The Holy Trinity, 

Anglican Communion, 

Calabar, Cross River State, 

said the suspension of RUGA 

was a welcome development 

but everyone must note that 

it was only a suspension, 

adding that the project should 

be out rightly cancelled 

because it was still dangerous 

and scary at suspension level. 

He said: “The suspension 

of the controversial RUGA 

settlement project is a 

welcome development. It was 

purely aimed at Islamising 

and Fulanising the country. 

We should note that this has 

only been suspended not out 

rightly cancelled. 

“This is still dangerous and 

scary because the Arewa 

youths have given the 

Federal Government an 

ultimatum to restore it. The 

President of Ohanaeze has 

just ordered the Igbo to be 

prepared to defend 

themselves. 

"The Yoruba leaders have 

insisted that such a thing will 

never be allowed to be 

executed in the West. These 

show that peace has not yet 

come. 

“We are now sure of the 

details of National Livestock 

Transformation Plan, NLTP, 

regarding the movement of 

cattle in the country. Nigeria 

is a multi religious country, 

and no religion should be a 

state religion. Christians 

need to wake up and fight 

against this through prayers. 

“It is common fact that 

Nigeria is now divided along 

religious lines. There is a 

promotion of one religion 

over and above others in 

Nigeria. 

"This explains why 

herdsmen are able to freely 

kill and maim people at will 

and without inhibition and 

the Federal Government 

seems helpless in the matter."


Nigeria ranks 4th, as 4.4m women 

live with breast cancer worldwide 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA—ANAMBRA Statebased 

oncologist, Dr. Brenda 

Nwanmuo, has said no fewer 

than 4.4 million women are living 

with breast cancer globally, with 

Nigeria ranking fourth among 

the endemic nations, according 

to a report by the World Health 

Organisation, WHO. 

Delivering a paper at the 

launch of a mammography 

machine for detecting breast 

cancer at the Eldorado Hospital, 

Awka, a private health facility, 

Nwanmuo said further that a 

projection by WHO had also 

shown that1.7 million additional 

breast cancer cases, mostly in 

developing countries, would be 

diagnosed in 2020. 

According to her, breast 

cancer accounts for over 400,000 

deaths annually and described 

it as the commonest cancer 

among females in Nigeria. 

She attributed the high 

mortality rate to late 

presentation of breast cancer 

cases, adding that men could 

also suffer from breast cancer 

and should, therefore, go for 

routine tests for the disease. 

Her words: “Don’t come to us 

when little or nothing can be 

done; don’t come when it has 

spread to your lungs and liver; 

don’t come after trying 

everything else because we are 

tired of passing the death 

sentence.” 

Manager of Eldorado 

Hospital, Dr. Chinelo Isuh, said 

the decision of management of 

the hospital to acquire the 

mammography machine was 

informed by the high rate of 

breast cancer among women in 

the Eastern part of the country. 

According to her, with the 

availability of the machine in 

Awka, which is the only one 

fully functioning in the state, 

there would be no reason for 

people to suffer breast cancer any 

more if they embarked on 

routine test of their breasts. 

Director of Anambra State 

Health Insurance Agency, Dr. 

Simeon Onyemaechi, who 

commissioned the machine on 

behalf of Governor Willie 

Obiano, explained that the 

state government would partner 

with the hospital in the 

implementation of the health 

insurance scheme in the state. 

OAK HOMES: From left—MD, StanbicIBTC, Mr. Yinka Sanni; CEO, Oak Homes, Mr. Olukayode Olusanya; Mr. 

Adekunle Akinlade; Mrs Yetunde Olusanya; Board Adviser, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, and Mr. Ade Buraimo, at the unveiling 

of Oak Homes in Lagos. 

Tension as Imo community abandons farms for herdsmen 

By Chinonso Alozie 

OWERRI—FARMERS in Imo 

State are said to be operating 

in fear as a result of continued 

invasion of their farmlands by 

herdsmen. 

Vanguard gathered yesterday 

in Owerri that the fear which 

started with the sporadic gunfire 

at Obokofia community in Ohaji/ 

Egbema Local Government Area 

by herdsmen currently occupying 

the area, has escalated to 

neighbouring communities as 

some of them, due to the Obokofia 

incident, have decided to 

abandon farming activities for the 

time being. 

This is coming as the Transition 

Committee chairman of Ohaji/ 

Egbema, Damian Ezeru, has 

scheduled a security council 

meeting to forestall any break 

down of law and order in the 

affected area. 

The security council meeting, 

Vanguard learned, will hold 

tomorrow as many issues will be 

deliberated upon, especially that 

of herders invasion of the 

community. 

The community is said to be 

under intense fear as some of 

them are apprehensive over the 

presence of herdsmen in their 

territory. 

A farmer told Vanguard: “I 

cannot go to my farm any more. 

It is not as if I am afraid of these 

herdsmen. I am waiting for them 

to leave in peace. It is not as if we 

cannot push them away. 

“However, my problem now is 

that they are destroying our crops. 

They want us to go hungry. This 

is very unfair. We are waiting for 

our chairman. He said he will ask 

them to go and we are waiting. 

“It will get to a point that all of us 

will go there and tell them ‘that 

thing that will happen tomorrow, 

let it happen today. We can’t bear 

this anymore.” 

Another villager, who introduced 

himself as Eva, pointed out 

that they are passing through 

pains. 

“Just imagine this kind of thing. 

30 newly-ordained Anglican priests 

vow to fight cultism, gay practices 

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

They must leave. You will hear the 

story. Whether they like it or not, 

they must leave our land. This is 

our land and nobody can intimidate 

us. 

“Our wives cannot go to farms 

again. They are afraid they would 

be killed or raped. Do we keep 

silent? It is not possible. We will 

reclaim 

o u r 

land.” 

NNEWI—THIRTY newly-ordained Anglican priests, yesterday in 

Onitsha, Anambra State, made a public vow not only to shun cultism 

and homosexual/bi-sexual practises, but also to wage war against such 

and similar vices. 

The priests also absolved themselves of being members of any secret 

cult or homosexual group and vowed that they would never join any secret 

cult or encourage gay practice as long as they remain in the service of 

God. 

Taking the group vow and oath of allegiance during their diaconate 

ordination at the Basilica of St Andrews, Onitsha, in the presence of the 

Bishop, Diocese on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo, the priests pledged 

to serve God in sincerity and in truth without diluting the dictates of God. 

According to them, “if after this oath, I am involved, found to be or 

profess to be a homosexual/bi-sexual, against the teachings of the scriptures 

as contained in the Bible, I bring upon myself the full wrath of God. 

“We subject ourselves to canonical discipline as enshrined in the Constitution 

of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.” 

Ugwuanyi 

appoints Jay Jay 

Okocha, ex-NBC 

boss, others as 

reform c’ttee 

members 

FORMER Super Eagles 

Captain, Austin Jay Jay 

Okocha and former Director- 

General of Nigerian 

Broadcasting Commission, 

NBC, Mr. Emeka Mbah, are 

among professionals, 

technocrats and experts, 

inaugurated yesterday by 

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of 

Enugu State as members of the 

last batch of the sectoral ad hoc 

committees to review various 

sectors and design roadmaps 

for optimised service delivery 

and advancement of good 

governance. 

Governor Ugwuanyi 

recently inaugurated the first 

batch of seven ad hoc 

committees in education, 

health, public service reform, 

security, justice, water and 

chieftaincy/community matters 

sectors. 

Inaugurating the remaining 

five 

sectoral 

committees(agriculture and 

rural development, finance, 

review of internally-generated 

revenue and international 

development partners’ 

funding, lands, housing and 

transport, sustainable 

environmental and urban 

management, and youths and 

sports development) the 

governor listed Jay Jay 

Okocha as Technical Adviser 

of Youths and Sports 

Committee, with Mr. Mbah as 

chairman. 

He added that the strategy 

was also in keeping with 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s call on state 

governors to prioritise their 

IGR drive for the wellbeing of 

their people, stating that “the 

economic viability of states in 

Nigeria is benchmarked on 

the parity between their IGR 

and their share of federal 

account allocations.”


GOVERNOR IFEANYI OKOWA @ 60 

A thanksgiving service and reception to mark the 60th birthday of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State held at Event Centre, Asaba, yesterday. PHOTOS: NATH ONOJAKE 

From left; Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; his wife, Dame Edith with family members. 

From left; Governor Okowa; his wife, Edith and the father of 

the governor, Chief Arthur Okowa. 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (2nd left); his wife, Dame Edith (right); former From left; Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki; Governor of Sokoto State, 

Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori (left); father of the governor, Chief Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha. 

Arthur Okowa, behind and others. 

Governor Okowa (3rd left); his wife, Edith (middle); Delta State Deputy Gove, Mr. Kingsley 

Otuaro (right); immediate past Deputy Gov, Prof. Amos Utuama (2nd right), his wife, Nelly (3rd 

right); former Deputy Gov of Delta State, Chief Banjamin Elue (2nd left) and his wife, Mrs. Esther. 

Okowa and PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus. 

From left; Chief Lawrence Osheigbu; Ross Uredi; former Secretary to the State Government, 

Hon. Ovie Agas and his wife, Mrs. Kevwe. 

Governor Okowa and his wife cutting his birthday cake.

GOV IFEANYI OKOWA @ 60 

A thanksgiving service and reception to mark the 60th birthday of 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State held at Event Centre, Asaba, 

yesterday. PHOTOS: NATH ONOJAKE 

From left; Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Rev. and 

Mrs. Chris Eruemulor. 

Governor Okowa (right); Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, 

Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (left) and the Chief Judge of Delta 

State, Justice Marshall Umukoro. 

Governor Okowa (right) exchanging pleasantries with 

former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Chief Benjamin Elue. 

The Governor with persons living with disabilities. 


DPR seals Petrocam, Gasland, LPG 

plants over illegal operations 

By Prince Okafor 

L Department 

AGOS—THE 

of 

Petroleum Resources, DPR, 

has sealed two Liquefied 

Petroleum Gas, LPG, 

plants, also known as 

cooking gas, over non 

compliance to safety and 

illegal operation in Lagos. 

The petroleum regulatory 

agency sealed Petrocam in 

Ayobo, Alimosho Local 

Government Area of Lagos, 

built under the 

Transmission Company of 

Nigeria, TCN’s 33KVA, for 

operating without license, 

while Gasland Nig Ltd was 

sealed for operating 

NBC withdraws contaminated Eva Water 

L 

A 

By Princewill 

Ekwujuru 

G O S — 

FOLLOWING 

the public alert issued on 

two batches of its Eva 

Water (75cl) brands by the 

National Agency for Food 

and Drug Administration 

and Control, NAFDAC, the 

Nigerian Bottling 

Company, NBC, has 

commenced withdrawal of 

the affected batches which 

were produced on 

220519.14.27 AC4 and 

230519.15.15 AC4 

respectively. 

NAFDAC had issued a 

public alert on the said 

batches of water, and had 

directed NBC to recall 

them over suspected 

contamination. 


company, prior to the 

NAFDAC announcement, 

it has commenced 

withdrawal of the batches 

and is cooperating with the 

Agency in its investigation. 

In a statement by NBC’s 

P u b l i c 

Affairs and Communications 

Director, Ekuma Eze, the 

bottling company said: 

“We regret the 

inconvenience the issue 

may have caused 

our consumers, and we 

request consumers in 

possession of products 

with the stated batch 

numbers to return them to 

our nearest offices or 

distributors/dealers for 

replacement. 

“We confirm that there 

De’Norsemen to build secretariat 

By Providence 

Emmanue 

L Norsemen AGOS—De 

Kclub of 

Nigeria Inc. in Lagos State 

has announced plans to 

build its secretariat in order 

to improve its activities. 

Also, the Kclub awarded 

a philanthropist, Hon. 

Uduak Effiong, in 

recognition of his support 

and concern for humanity 

when it paid a courtesy visit 

to his office in Lagos. 

Responding to the award, 

Effiong, who doubles as the 

Managing Director, 

EFKON Ventures Limited, 

said: “An award like this, 

going to an individual on 

humanitarian and social 

services is something I 

without due safety 

procedure, and failure to 

renew operating licence. 

Speaking on the 

development, DPR’s 

Manager, Services in 

Lagos, Mr. George Ene-ita 

who led the team said: 

“Earlier in March, 2019, 

when our investigative 

team brought the 

development to our office, 

our team came to seal this 

place (Petrocam). But 

Petrocam violated our 

mandate and reopened the 

plant. We are here again to 

effect another closure to 

ensure this time they cease 

to operate. 

“Not only that they are 

operating illegally here, but 

are no issues with other 

batches of our premium 

Eva Water and reassure 

our consumers of our 

commitment to highest 

quality standards, 

product safety and 

consumer satisfaction.” 

Lagos, private sector collaborate 

to end environmental degradation 

By Nkiruka 

Nnorom 

LAGOS—GOVERNOR 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu of 

Lagos State has reiterated 

the commitment of the state 

government to collaborate 

with private sector 

operators, especially major 

industrial establishment 

whose activities impact 

more on the environment to 

seek innovative ways of 

ending the menace of 

environmental degradation 

and denudation. 

Sanwo-Olu spoke at the 

PAC Holdings Green 

Finance and Environment 

Forum, in Lagos, noting 

that the state government 

would support businesses 

ready to harness 

technological solutions in a 

bid to be environmentally 

friendly through legislation 

would describe as a 

deserving honour. 

“Anything that has to do 

with humanitarian services 

is something every right 

thinking person would 

want to be part of because 

reaching out to people is 

not only when you become 

a governor or president, in 

your own little way, you can 

try as much as possible to 

reach as many people as 

you can." 

Also, Guv’nor of 

De’Norsemen Kclub of 

Lagos State, Mr. Jubril 

Babatunde, said that the 

Kclub chose to award the 

philanthropist in 

recognition of his track 

record in terms of giving to 

humanity. 

also the fact that they built 

a gas plant under a high 

tension wire, which is very 

risky to the community. 

“Today, we are on 

surveillance inspection of 

gas facilities and what we 

have seen is very unsafe. 

We realised that Petrocam 

is an illegal entity. The site 

is unsuitable for operation, 

so we effected the closure." 

On his part, the team 

leader, Gas Operations, 

DPR Lagos Zonal Office, 

Williams Ateukudoh said: 

“Through the inspection 

and surveillance routine on 

gas stations, DPR has been 

able to stop illegal 

operators to the detriment 

of the general public." 

and provision of financial 

support. 

He said: “The challenges 

we face today is about 

developing new business 

models that is 

environmentally friendly, 

yet profitable. It calls for an 

appraisal of the production 

chain or process, 

identifying those aspects 

that are harmful to the 

environment, and 

developing appropriate 

innovative technological 

solutions that can effectively 

address these challenges 

and achieve our 

environmental goal of 

sustaining the earth planet 

while also ensuring that the 

vulnerable population are 

saved the agonies and 

pains of global warming. 

“As a responsive 

government, this is the 

focus of our environmental 

agenda. We are willing 

and prepared to support 

businesses ready to 

harness the lasts 

technological solutions in a 

bid to be environmentally 

friendly. 

“In addition, we will give 

the required financial 

support to young 

businesses showing 

willingness to key into this 

new model as well as some 

technological innovators 

creating new solutions to 

making businesses 

profitable and 

environmentally friendly.” 

Also speaking at the 

event, Chairman, PA 

Holdings Plc, Mr. Dolapo, 

stressed the need for the 

use of green finance and 

increasing the level of 

financial flows from both the 

public and private sectors 

to promote sustainable 

environmental projects.


VISIT: From left— 

President, University 

of Jos chapter of 

Junior Chambers 

International, JCI, 

Amarachi Iheanacho; 

Deputy Vice 

Chancellor, 

Administration, 

UNIJOS, Prof. Grey 

Ejikeme; National 

President, JCI 

Nigeria, Adetola 

Juyitan, and Collegiate 

Chairman, JCI 

Nigeria, Elizabeth 

Bassey, during the 

courtesy visit by JCI to 

the management of 

UNIJOS, in Jos, 

Plateau State. 

NCC partners NACCIMA to develop youth 

entrepreneur directory 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE Nigerian 

Communications 

Commission, NCC is to 

develop a Youth 

Entrepreneur Directory 

that will provide 

information on Young 

People in Business in 

Nigeria and various 

industries they are in. 

This is part of 

collaboration between the 

Commission and the 

Edo communities task lawmakers on adequate 

representation 

Alemma Aliu 

BENIN CITY—THE 

people of Owan East 

and West local government 

areas of Edo State, 

weekend, tasked 

lawmakers particularly 

those in the House of 

Representatives on proper 

representation of the 

interest of their people 

urging them to always go 

for people-friendly 

legislation and policies. 

The people made this call 

in Otuo when they hosted 

the immediate Deputy Chief 

Whip of the House of 

Representatives, Hon Pally 

Iriase after eight years in 

the green chamber where 

he represented the Owan 

federal Constituency 

describing him as true son 

who did not let them down. 

At the well attended 

ceremony, chairman of the 

“Committee of Friends” a 

Asaba Metropolitan Rotary Club to embark 

on people-oriented projects 


ASABA—THE new 

President of Rotary 

Club of Asaba 

Metropolitan, Rotarian 

Austin Ekpewu, has vowed 

that his administration 

would embark on people 

oriented projects. 

Ekpewu who made the 

assurance after his 

installation, said he would 

continue with the tree 

planting project of his 

predecessor, adding that 

his administration would 

Nigerian Association of 

Chambers of Commerce, 

Industry, Mines and Agriculture, 

NACCIMA, Youth 

Enterprise, Abuja aimed at 

empowering Nigerian 

youths on ICT related skills 

and innovative ventures. 

The Executive Vice Chairman 

of the Commission, 

Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed 

this on Monday 

when the Executive Council 

of NACCIMA visited 

the Commission’s headquarters 

in Abuja. 

non-partisan group that 

organised the reception, 

Hon Ambrose Imoode 

described Iriase as rare son 

of Owan adding that 

“Owan had hitherto been 

faced with leadership 

problems and this has 

always affected our 

development. It is a jinx 

that has been broken; 

kudos to Hon Isumafe 

Obohkuaime Pally Iriase 

whose contribution to the 

We'll fund any concept to impact 

10 million Nigerians 

By Gabriel 

Olawale 

LAGOS—FOUNDER of 

Eko Innovation Centre, 

Mr. Victor Afolabi has 

expressed his Centre's 

readiness to support any 

ideas or concepts that have 

the capacity to impact at 

donate furnitures to 100 

students and teachers. 

He said the Rotary Club 

of Asaba Metropolitan 

under his watch would also 

give support to indigent 

and expectant mothers, 

saying they would donate 

delivery kits to expectant 

mothers and give micro 

credit in form of soft loans 

to petty traders. 

Saying they would take 

medical outreach to 

communities, Ekpewu said 

"the task ahead is a call to 

The EVC, who was represented 

by the Director of 

Consumer Affairs Bureau of 

the Commission, Felicia 

Onwuegbuchulam, said 

the Commission agreed to 

partner with NACCIMA to 

empower the youth with 

ICT skills because the youths are 

the greatest resource the country 

has and need to channel their 

productive energy into profitable 

ventures. 

Danbatta noted that ICT is the 

in-thing worldwide and rather 

than the youths channelling their 

energies and intelligence into 

development of Owan as 

seen from the various wards 

and projects is 

immeasurable and 

laudable” 

On his part, chairman of 

the occasion, Solomon said 

within the time Iraise was 

in the house, he attracted 

numerous projects in terms 

of roads, health, water, 

electricity, education, 

security and empowerment. 

Iraise while appreciating 

his people for the reception 

described his journey at the 

least 10 million people. 

Afolabi who disclosed this in 

Lagos during ‘An Evening of 

Conversation on Moral 

Leadership’ said that they are 

committed to incubating, 

accelerate, mentorship, funding 

innovation and technologic start 

up. 

“For you to be admitted into the 

action". He added that he 

would strive to surpass the 

achievements of his 

predecessor. 

He said: "I wish to affirm 

that next year, I will hand 

over first position to the 

President coming after me. 

My predecessor have left a 

very big footprint for me to 

follow but I am challenged; 

I will surpass them". 

The outgone President, Nneka 

Enwelu, in her validatory speech, 

said; "we took up the challenge to 

lead the club in good faith." 

negative things, if they are 

harnessed, trained and empowered 

with ICT skills they 

could put them to more useful 

things that will benefit them 

and the nation at large. 

‘‘NACCIMA is here to seek 

collaboration with the Commission 

for laudable projects 

they have put for the benefits 

of the youth of Nigeria. The 

youths are the greatest resource 

the country has and 

need to channel their productive 

energy into profitable ventures." 

National Assembly as “very 

successful and that is why 

they are celebrating me. I 

feel great, I feel happy, they 

didn’t wait for me to die 

before they write all these 

on my tomb I am still alive 

and they are celebrating 

what I have done, I feel 

highly fulfilled.” 

On his advice for his 

successor, he said “The new 

people should take this as a 

standard, they should take this 

performance as a standard, take 

it as record that you must break." 

Centre, your idea and concept 

must have ability to touch 10 

million people and also have 

commercial viability, strong social 

impact among other things. 

He explained that the idea 

behind the Centre was to use 

innovation and technology in 

solving the major issues inLagos 

State economy and Nigeria as a 

whole, “We intend to bridge many 

gaps in our society around 

mentoring and funding. 

“We also have business clinic, 

faculties where people can spend 

minimum of 18 months to 3 years 

to acquire addition knowledge 

such as tax management, 

procurement, finance, 

administration. The idea is that 

any companies that come into 

incubation, their chance of 

survival is very strong because of 

strong handholding mentorship 

we are going to be providing. 

On his part, the Lagos State 

Governor, BabajideSanwo-Olu 

said his administration would 

build innovation and technology 

centres across the state to address 

the problem of youth 

unemployment. 

Afreximbank announces $1-billion Adjustment 

Facility, Others 

AFREXIMBANK announces $1-billion 

Adjustment Facility, Other AfCFTA Support 

Measures as African Leaders Meet 

Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of the African 

Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), yesterday in 

Niamey, addressed the 12th Extraordinary Summit 

of African Union (AU) Heads of State, announcing 

a series of initiatives to support the implementation 

of the Agreement for the African Continental Free 

Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

Prof. Oramah told the heads of state, who were 

gathered to mark the start of the operational phase 

of the AfCFTA, that Afreximbank was instituting a 

$1-billion AfCFTA Adjustment Facility to enable 

countries adjust in an orderly manner to sudden 

significant tariff revenue losses as a result of the 

implementation of the agreement. 

"This facility will help countries to accelerate the 

ratification of the AfCFTA," he said, telling the heads 

of state that, by starting the operational phase of 

the AfCFTA, "you have started a movement." 

"You must not look back," continued the President. 

"This movement is now unstoppable." 

He added that, as part of its support for the implementation 

of the AfCFTA, the Bank had provided 

support to aid the work being done by the African 

Regional Standards Organisation and the AU in 

implementing the Agreement. 

German diplomat to US, EU: don't use 

agriculture to block trade deal 

THE United States and European Union should 

use common sense to move forward with formal 

negotiations about a trade agreement, instead of 

allowing disagreements over agriculture to block 

progress, a senior German diplomat has said. 

Peter Beyer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's 

conservatives and the German government's transatlantic 

coordinator, said both sides should back away 

from their rigid positions. 

"The appeal is directed at both negotiating partners: 

not to use or abuse this issue of agriculture that is 

hanging over everything as a blockade," Beyer said in 

Washington. 

“It looks like an unsolvable situation, but it can be 

solved through common sense,” Beyer said. “We can 

at least start the formal process by excluding the topic 

for now, and then harvest some low-hanging fruit ... 

Then we’ll see what happens.” 

Beyer said France, Germany and other European 

states might ultimately have to subordinate their 

national interests for the sake of a broader deal for 

Europe. 

Seven Energy warns stakeholders over 

fraudulent job offers 

ENERGY International Ltd ("Seven Energy"), an 

integrated gas company yesterday, disowned a recruitment 

advertisement purportedly by the company, being driven 

by Princewill Ince Ltd. 

In a statement by the company's Senior Manager, Human 

Resources, Shared Business Support, Patricia Akinlotan, it 

stated that, "We have received notice of a recruitment drive 

by Princewill Ince Ltd purporting to be acting on behalf of 

Seven Energy by offering employment opportunities. 

"Please be advised that any such recruitment drive by 

Princewill Ince Ltd is fraudulent. Princewill Ince ltd is not 

acting and is not authorised to act on behalf of seven energy 

in any capacity. 

"Seven Energy hereby disassociates itself from this company 

and its activities and further states that it has no 

relationship whatsoever with this company or any of its 

agents or affiliates. 

"Seven Energy does not and will not require applicants to 

make payment towards processing any job application. 

Recruitment advertisements requesting candidates to pay 

money, at any point during the recruitment process, are not 

from Seven Energy. 

"We do not solicit job applications or initiate recruitment 

processes through emails, posters, handbills, text messages, 

social media or phone calls. Seven Energy will not 

respond to enquiries about fraudulent advertisements and 

job offers," the statement added. 

Seven Energy, founded in 2004, has is midstream gas 

infrastructure assets, focused in the south east Niger Delta, 

include the 200 MMcfpd Uquo gas processing facility and 

a gas pipeline network of 260 km with distribution capacity 

of 600 MMcfpd. Its upstream assets include licence interests 

in the Uquo Field and the Stubb Creek Field. The Group 

has its main offices located in Lagos and London. 

Some stories credited to Reuters

Of Ruga and Taqqyiya 

ONLY those who operate 

in crude faith and are not 

aware of Taqqyiya (deception) 

would operate on trust with fellow 

Nigerians on agenda-based 

issues and not regret it. 

Deception is an art that runs 

through many Shakespeare's 

plays. In Macbeth we mainly 

have Macbeth deceiving himself. 

He convinces himself that he can 

control fate when he is told by the 

witches that he will become king; 

he deludes himself that no man 

could harm him. He also deludes 

himself into believing that the 

witches are on his side and not 

agents of his destruction. The 

results of the self-deception are 

that everyone in McDuff’s family 

is killed and that both Macbeth 

and Lady Macbeth die. 

In Othello, Iago deceives 

Othello into believing that 

Desdemona is having an affair 

with Cassio; Iago plants a 

handkerchief on Cassio to frame 

him; Iago tricks Roderigo into 

killing Cassio. The results of the 

deception are that Othello kills 

Desdemona and later commits 

suicide over that act. Roderigo, 

Cassio and Emilia all die and 

Iago is imprisoned. 

Deception and 

manipulation 

One could examine every play 

to see how deception acts as its 

main building block. But taking 

just one, Julius Caesar, a play that 

depicts the worst aspects of 

Ancient Rome, with its 

conspiracies, treacheries and 

bloody battles, has deception as 

its main building block. The 

device that moves the plot 

forward, is deception - the power 

of deception and manipulation is 

crucial to the development of the 

narrative. Brutus joins the 

conspiracy as a result of the 

anonymous letters Cassius sends 

him. They are a big step towards 

the assassination of Caesar. 

Moreover, without the use of 

deception Cassius would not 

have gained power over Brutus 

and induced him to kill Caesar. 

Chief Obafemi Awolowo 

remains one of the most cerebrally 

gifted and capacity-endowed 

politicians Nigeria ever 

produced. But with all his 

fecundity, he was caught 

unaware in 1962 when he 

operated on the basis of trustful 

relationship. The Federal House 

was in session and Awo had made 

all the powerful submissions a 

man of his gifted faculty could do. 

At a stage he felt it was important 

he confronts the Prime Minister 

Tafawa Balewa on some sinister 

plot he heard was afoot about 

events in the Western Region. He 

scribbled some note to the PM. 

"Dear PM, can we meet 

sometime?" Balewa responded in 

a jiffy: "Why not now?" 

Awo packed his documents 

together, adjusted his agbada 

and headed to the PM chambers. 

They exchanged pleasantries 

and Awo opened the 

conversations: "Mr. Prime 

Minister, I have been hearing 

some unpleasant rumours that I 

The government 

should stop 

pursuing any 

domination and 

conquest agenda 

under the guise of 

cattle business; the 

owners of cattle are 

billionaires who can 

afford to build world 

class ranches 

think we should discuss one-onone. 

I learnt there are plans to 

declare emergency rule in 

Western Region which I think will 

not augur well for the country. I 

want to appeal that such a plan 

should be shelved if there was 

any." 

Balewa smiled wryly and looked 

Awo straight in the face: "Chief 

Awolowo, I thought it was 

something serious. You are a 

seasoned lawyer and know all the 

processes involved before such 

could take place. Why would 

anybody contemplate that? Any 

other thing for us to discuss?" Awo 

said that was all he came for. They 

shook hands and departed. A 

state of emergency was declared 

in Western Region that night. 

Chief Anthony Enahoro was 

another victim of Taqqiya. He 

was a strong pillar of the Action 

Group, AG, and is well 

remembered for moving the 

motion for Nigeria's 

independence. As the Second 

Republic dawned, top operatives 

of what became the National Party 

of Nigeria, NPN, approached 

him with a deal that they would 

be comfortable with him as 

president instead of Awolowo. He 

swallowed the hook and joined 

the NPN where he could not even 

lead the Bendel chapter of the 

party not to talk of becoming 

president. 

Ikemba Nnewi, Dim 

Odimegwu Ojukwu, was a 

brilliant man and a gutsy officer 

who engaged Nigeria in a threeyear 

war. But when he faced 

Taqqiya he fell like a recruit. He 

had fled the country after the war 

and the NPN approached him to 

return from exile towards 1983 to 

join the party with a deal that he 

would be made Senate president 

once he won the seat in his 

district. 

He returned home and 

campaigned vigorously. All the 

top leaders of NPN stormed 

Anambra to campaign for his 

victory one afternoon but in the 

night held nocturnal meetings 

where they distributed money for 

his defeat. He lost the elections 

woefully. 

Those who have learnt useful 

lessons from all the above and 

more are, therefore, not likely to 

fall for the latest Taqqiya about 

the suspension of the 

controversial Ruga policy of the 

Federal Government. Such eyes 

are likely to read inquisitively a 

purported memo from the office 

of the chief of staff to the president 

to the permanent secretary, 

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural 

Development which I reproduce 

below: 

"The Ruga Model Settlement 

Project 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 9 2019 —17 

"Mr President has directed the stock. Then the indigenes 

immediate suspension of the planned and strategised for their 

current unilateral own reaction. One night, they 

implementation of the Ruga launched an attack and killed 

Model Settlement Programme by hundreds of soldiers guarding the 

the Ministry of Agriculture and president with dane guns and 

Rural Development as it is not in matchetes. Some accounts say 

accordance with the designs they butchered the soldiers like 

approved by: 

cows and goats. 

a) the National Economic The president fled the country 

Council, NEC; 

and a civil war broke out during 

b) the National Food Security which over 80 per cent of the 

Council, NFSC; 

Fulani fled CAR. Those that 

c) the Federal Executive remained and their cows were 

Council FEC 

slaughtered and their lands given 

2. An Implementation to the rightful people. It is 

Committee of the National suspected that a lot of these 

Livestock Transformation people might be among those 

troubling Nigeria since 2015. 

This is why it is not a good thing 

for a government to be profiling 

the Fulani in Nigeria for 

antagonism of other nationalities 

the way this government has 

been doing with the pampering 

of Miyetti Allah, Fulani Radio 

and now Ruga settlements. The 

government should stop 

pursuing any domination and 

conquest agenda under the guise 

of cattle business. The owners of 

cattle are billionaires who can 

afford to build world class 

ranches. 

Programme comprising of 

representatives from NEC, NFSC 

and the Hon. Minister of 

Agriculture and Rural 

Development will be inaugurated 

in due course to oversee the 

Delivery of the project. Please 

accept the assurance of my 

highest esteem. 

Abba Kyari 

Chief of Staff to the President". 

(All emphasis mine) 

This memo (which has not been 

disowned as I write this) has made 

it clear that the suspension of 

Ruga is doubtful as it is only the 

unilateral implementation that 

was suspended. In essence, only 

what the Agriculture Ministry is 

doing solely is suspended until 

an Implementation Committee 

will be inaugurated for the 

delivery of Ruga. 

Another revelation from this 

memo is that Garba Shehu was 

right when he put a lie to Pastor 

Yemi Osinbajo's claim that Ruga 

is different from his NLTP. Shehu 

said his talk was all semantics and 

the memo has said also that the 

Ruga being implemented has not 

been in accordance with NLTP 

design! 


should know that people are wiser 

now and there is no way Ruga is 

dressed that it would ever be 

acceptable. It is already been 

seen for what it is: an expansionist 

agenda meant for ethnic conquest 

and domination. And people are 

guided by recent history. It is not 

lost on people that the civil war 

in Central African Republic 

started because the Fulani who 

were less than six per cent of the 

population did a coup to seize 

power. 

The president then began 

installing Fulanis in top 

government positions in the 

country. All business, economic, 

military positions were held by 

Fulanis. Churches were attacked 

and ransacked. Lands belonging 

to other tribes were taken and 

grabbed by the Fulani ethnic 

FEEDBACK 

Owners 

of cattle 

Re: The true meaning of Ruga 

Dear Mr. Odumakin, 

THAT the governable space 

in Nigeria is shrinking.... 

I will say it shrunk long ago! 

We are daily looking like a 

failed state... I will say we are 

already a failed state!! 

Then about their "in-your-face" 

attitude, there are just too many. 

Simply take a look at their 

appointment lists. Before it was 

into all sensitive and financially 

lucrative posts within the 

Nigerian federation; but now 

We must heed the warning of 

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole 

Soyinka, at this crucial moment: 

“Ruga is going to be an explosion 

if not handled with care. But why 

do we not take our policies from 

good models? This is not the way 

people and countries deal with 

issues of cattle. I travel 

everywhere. It has to be handled 

in a way that is logical, 

comprehensible to the 

environment. When a cow walks 

up to the window of my house in 

Abeokuta, a house which is 

located in a residential area, then 

there’s a problem. 

“When a cow goes to Ijebu Ode 

and eats up their seedlings and 

so on and you expect people to 

be quiet? People have been killed 

in hundreds just because of the 

failure of leadership at a critical 

time. And the cattle herders have 

been given a sense of impunity. 

They kill without any 

compunction, they drive away the 

farmers who have been 

contributing to the food solutions 

in the country, the cattle eat their 

crops and then you come up with 

Ruga. 

"I think there is going to be 

trouble in this country if this Ruga 

is not handled imaginatively and 

with humanity as priority." 

not so lucrative postings are for 

their ethnic nationality! 

Which also means they have 

no sense of patriotism and care 

for the well-being of other 

Nigerians whatsoever! The 

polity has already been 

overheated and there is 

definitely tension in the land! 

The honest truth right now is 

how to "box" our ways out of this 

tight corner. 

A.Akintola. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari 

was invited by former Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos to 

commission some of his landmark 

projects before he left office on May 

29, 2019. 

Among the projects commissioned 

on April 24 were the Oshodi 

Interchange, the Airport Road 

expansion project, and new facilities 

five-star Specialist Hospital in Benin, 

at the Lagos State University Teaching 

Edo State, which was envisaged to end 

Hospital, LASUTH. 

the spate of medical tourism abroad 

The fact is that besides the facilities 

by Nigeria’s upper class. 

in LASUTH and the Airport Road 

While commissioning it, the 

(which only became functional a few 

President had said that it was the best 

days later) virtually every other 

thing that the government at that time 

project was still under construction at 

could have done for the people. Till 

the point of commissioning. To date, 

date, the hospital is yet to be put to 

the Oshodi Interchange remains a 

use. 

construction site with no visible 

Also, a bus terminal Buhari 

indication of when an otherwise 

commissioned in Ikeja on May 29, 

laudable project would be put to use. 

2018 is still under construction with 

Earlier on November 7, 2016, 

no date of actual use in sight. 

President Buhari had also 

Similarly, the Governor Godswill 

commissioned what was described as 

Akpabio administration in Akwa 

Commission only completed projects, please 

Ibom State before it left office in May 

2015, commissioned what was 

described as a “world-class” Ibom 

Specialist Hospital. 

Remarkably, when a few weeks out 

of power the former governor was 

involved in a motor accident in Abuja, 

he flew abroad for treatment. It has 

since emerged that just one floor of 

the four floors was ready as only the 

façade was painted over to portray a 

completed project. 

All over Nigeria, public officials have 

been taking the populace for a ride 

with the commissioning of 

uncompleted projects. In most cases, 

this politically-motivated 

commissioning mania brings about 

poor quality execution. The Lagos - 

Abeokuta Expressway in Lagos 

commissioned five months ago by the 

Ambode administration while still 

under construction has already 

developed a rash of potholes! 

It is especially reprehensible that the 

Office of the President of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria allows itself to be 

mixed up with this unwholesome 

practice. By doing this the President 

is dragging his reputation in the mud. 

We advise the President not to allow 

himself to be used by governors or 

even his own ministers to play politics 

with public amenities which are 

supposedly meant to lift the standard 

of living of the people. 

When a project is commissioned it 

means it is ready for use by the public. 

Many fraudulently commissioned 

projects have ended up being 

abandoned. This is unacceptable. 

AFEW years ago those in the central 

government in Abuja would tell you that 

fear of the due process mechanism is the 

beginning of wisdom. The policy was like the 

import licence policy carried out by the then 

Ministry of Trade which began during the era 

of General Murtala Muhammed/General 

Olusegun Obasanjo. The due process 

mechanism was as crucial as the import 

licence policy. While being implemented many 

were concluding at that time that the era of 

accountability in government has at last 

arrived. But now we hear less about the due 

process mechanism and its implementation. 

Due Process is a mechanism for ensuring 

strict compliance with openness, competition 

and cost accuracy rules and procedures that 

should guide contract award within the Federal 

Government of Nigeria. It has become the 

popularly adopted short term for the Budget 

Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit 

(BMPIU) which is the unit tasked with 

implementing Nigeria’s Public Procurement 

Reform Programme. The BMPIU was 

established by President Olusegun Obasanjo 

in 2001 in fulfilment of tenacious commitment 

to ensuring transparency and accountability 

in the management of Nigeria’s public 

resources. 

The unit was then headed by Dr. Obiageli 

Katryn Ezekwesili (56) popularly known as 

Oby Ezekwesili. Dr. Ezekwesili came into the 

government as special assistant (projects) 

under President Obasanjo. Unlike Bodunde 

Adeyanju, Andy Uba, Handei Okoli, Tunde 

Olusunle or Dr. Doyin Okupe, Dr. Ezekwesili 

was not a pioneer staff of President Olusegun 

Obasanjo in 1999. She came in 2000. Unlike 

most pioneer staff in 1999, Dr. Ezekwesili from 

Anambra state had known General Obasanjo 

as far back as 1991 while she was working in 

OPINION 

Whither the due process 

mechanism? 

the Centre for International Development, 

Harvard University. She used to attend many 

activities of the African Leadership Forum in 

Ota, Ogun state as far back as 1991. Her 

contributions to lectures and seminars at the 

African Leadership Forum were outstanding 

then. That was before General Obasanjo was 

sent to prison by General Sanni Abacha. 

Before 1999 only few people had worked 

under General Olusegun Obasanjo who later 

worked under President Obasanjo in the Villa 

in Abuja. They are Major General Abdullahi 

Muhammed, the military governor of Benue/ 

Plateau state in 1975, who became chief of 

staff to President Obasanjo, Chief Phillip 

Asiodu, who served as permanent secretary 

under General Obasanjo and later became 

chief economic adviser to President Obasanjo, 

Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju from Ado-Ekiti who 

worked in the African Leadership Forum since 

1994 and later became personal assistant 

(domestic) to President Obasanjo; Taiwo Ojo, 

who first joined the African leadership Forum 

right from high school in 1991 until he had his 

master’s degree in 1997 and later became a 

trusted private secretary under President 

Obasanjo and Dr. Ezekwesili. 

Ambassador A.O. Esan, Gbolade 

Osinowo and Chief (Mrs) J.O. 

Ayo should be mentioned also. 

Two other people who were 

prominent in the African 

Leadership Forum in Ota 

between 1993 and 1998 but who 

did not serve under President 

Obasanjo were Prince Adebiyi 

Adegboye Adesida (1950-2013), 

who later became the Deji of 

Akure and Ambassador Segun 

Apata from Oka in Akoko South 

Local Government in Ondo 

State, who is at present the chairman of the 

Nigerian Bottling Company Limited. 

Ambassador Apata was to be the chief of staff 

to President Obasanjo in 1999 but at that time 

he was engaged in Nigeria’s Diplomatic 

Service as Nigeria’s ambassador and deputy 

representative in the United Nations in New 

York. 

When the due process unit took 

off in 2001, it took over functions 

and powers of the directors of 

finance and supplies of the 

various ministries 

When Dr. Ezekwesili came to government at 

36 then, she had the backing and confidence 

of President Obasanjo and with that confidence 

and influence, she was able to put through most 

of her programmes. She was not just a special 

assistant to the president but a powerful special 

assistant who had the eyes and ears of the 

president. She was bold and assertive. No doubt 

the due process mechanism was her first 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

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project. She implemented the project along 

with Mr. Steve Osagiede Oronsaye (68) from 

Edo state. Etubom Anthony Ani (82) as Minister 

of Finance in 1995 brought Mr. Oronsaye from 

Peat Marwick Cassleton Elliot, an accounting 

firm, to government as director special duties. 

He graduated as special assistant under 

President Obasanjo in 1999 to principal 

secretary and later became permanent 

secretary. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua 

appointed him head of service of the 

Federation in 2009. 

A diagnostic study conducted in 2001 into 

the state of Federal Government public 

procurement process claimed that Nigeria 

may have lost hundreds of billions of naira 

because of flagrant abuse of procedures for 

award of public contracts costs, lack of 

transparency, competence-based competition 

and merit as the fundamental criteria for 

award of public contracts. The findings of the 

study made it imperative that the country 

urgently needed to reform the procurement 

system if it was to reduce the large scale 

corruption and waste that had reduced the 

efficiency of the Nigerian public sector. 

When the unit took off in 2001, it took over 

the function and powers of the directors of 

finance and supplies of the various ministries. 

Those directors felt jittery and threatened. 

Several times they took their complaints to 

the then head of service, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed. 

The mission of the unit was to use the Due 

Process Mechanism to re-establish and sustain 

an open, transparent and competitive Federal 

Procurement System that is “integrity-driven, 

upholds spending within Budget and ensures 

speedy implementation of Projects in order to 

achieve value-for-money outcomes without 

sacrificing quality and standards”. 

To be continued

JOB LOSSES: 10,733 affected workers 

get N4.5b part pension payment 

•As pension fund assets hit N9trn 

By Rosemary Onuoha 

As the gale of job losses 

continue due to weak 

economy, a total of 10,733 

Retirement Savings Account, 

RSA, holders who lost their jobs 

were paid the sum of N4.5 billion 

as 25 percent of their pension 

contributions in the first quarter 

of 2019. 

This is against a total of 13,609 

RSA holders who were paid the 

sum of N5.14 billion in the fourth 

quarter of 2018. 

A recent report released by the 

National Pension Commission, 

PenCom, which gave the 

statistics, stated, “Approval was 

granted for payment of N4.51 

billion to 10,733 RSA holders 

who were under the age of 50 

years and were disengaged from 

work and unable to secure 

another job within four months 

of disengagement. 

“The cumulative total number 

of RSA holders who were paid 

benefits for temporary loss of job 

was 313,468 and were paid a 

total of N107.93 billion being 25 

percent of the balances of their 

RSAs as prescribed by the 

Pension Reform Act 2014. 

“A further analysis showed that 

the private sector accounted for 

95.38 percent of those who 

benefitted from these payments 

while the public sector accounted 

for 4.62 percent.” 

PenCom also stated that total 

value of pension fund assets 

based on unaudited valuation 

reports grew from N8.64 trillion 

as at the end of December, 2018 

to N9.03 trillion as at March, 

2019, representing a growth of 

4.55 percent. 

“The growth indicates an 

increase in the quarterly growth 

rate compared to the 3.49 percent 

for the previous quarter,” the 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$105.50 - 3.95 

2,488.00 0.00 

$12.43 0.07 

$64.56 0.33 

$57.95 0.44 

305.95 306.45 306.95 

382.927 385.5528 384.1786 

343.8572 344.4192 344.9811 

308.4795 308.9837 309.4878 

2.8206 2.8252 2.8298 

0.5076 0.5176 0.5276 

423.2704 423.9622 424.6539 

44.4666 44.5398 44.6129 

81.5736 81.7069 81.8402 

423.9549 424.6478 425.3406 

46.3154 46.3911 46.4667 

. 21.8633 21.899 21.9347 

CBN Exchange rate as at 08/07/2019 

report added. 

PenCom also said that the total 

number of retirees currently 

receiving their pensions under 

the Programmed Withdrawal 

(PW) contracts increased by 6.87 

percent from 200,747 as at the 

end of the fourth quarter of 2018 

to 214,538 as at the end of the 

first quarter of 2019. 

“A sectorial breakdown shows 

that 65.75 percent of those that 

received pension under the PW 

were from the public sector 

while retirees from the private 

sector accounted for the 

remaining 34.25 percent. 

“During the quarter under 

review, the sum of N39.40 billion 

was paid to 13,791 retirees as 

lump sum and N522.48 million 

as monthly programmed 

withdrawals. From inception 

to date, the sum of N559.48 

billion has been paid as lump 

sum and the monthly 

Programmed Withdrawals 

amounted to N9.14 billion. 

“The Commission approved a 

total of 4,264 applications for 

retirement under life annuity 

during the quarter, bringing the 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 — 19 

BATNF partners 

BoA to promote 

sustainable 

agriculture in 

Nigeria 

total number of retirees 

receiving their retirement 

benefits through the annuity 

plan to 65,916 from inception. 

The 4,264 retirees received 

N9.83 billion as lump sum 

payment and paid premium of 

N24.81 billion to insurance 

companies and monthly annuity 

of N257.26 million. This 

resulted in total lumps sum 

payment of N86.60 billion, 

premium of N353.69 billion and 

monthly annuity payments of 

N3.52 billion as at the end of 

first quarter, 2019,” the report 

stated. 

From left: Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); 

Mr. Austin Anni, Stanbic IBTC, (overall winner 2019 NSE Corporate Challenge); Mr. Yinka 

Sanni, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings; Mrs. Folakemi Akinboye, Manager 

ATS Travels and Mr. Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank during the awards 

presentation at 2019 NSE Corporate Challenge held at Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, 

Lagos. 

FG should complement CBN’s 5yr agenda with 

fiscal actions —FSDH 

By Babajide Komolafe 

FSDH 

Merchant 

Bank has called on 

the federal government 

to introduce 

appropriate fiscal 

measures to 

complement the fiveyear 

policy trust of the 

Central Bank of 

Nigeria (CBN). 

The bank made this 

call in its Monthly 

Economic and 

Financial Outlook 

report stressing, 

however, that the policy 

trust recently 

announced by the 

CBN will stimulate 

increased lending to 

the economy which 

may trigger increased 

non-performing loans 

in the banking industry 

in the absence of 

complementary fiscal 

policy measures by the 

federal government. 

Following his 

appointment for a second term 

as CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin 

Emefiele, rolled out the five-year 

policy trust of the apex bank 

aimed at enhancing growth and 

development of the Nigerian 

economy. 

The policy trust is anchored on 

five key priorities, namely: 

Preserve domestic 

macroeconomic and financial 

stability; Create robust 

payment system infrastructure; 

Work with the Deposit Money 

Banks to improve access to credit 

for smallholder farmers, Micro, 

Small & Medium Enterprises, 

(MSMEs); Consumer credit 

and mortgage facilities for bank 

customers; Grow external 

reserves; And support efforts at 

diversifying the economy 

through intervention 

programmes in the agricultural 

and manufacturing sectors. 

Listing the possible impact of 

these measures while speaking 

at the media presentation of the 

report, Head of Research, 

FSDH Merchant Bank, Mr. Ayo 

Akinwunmi, said: “With the 

implementation of these 

priorities, more funds will be 

available to finance non-oil 

export-led sectors. This should 

create new businesses, reduce 

import dependency, grow 

foreign exchange earnings, 

ensure stable exchange rate 

and possibly cause the value of 

the currency to remain stable to 

appreciate. 

“We expect growth in non-oil 

exports from Nigeria and 

reduction in the cost of 

exporting goods from Nigeria, 

therefore making exportation 

more profitable than before. 

“There may be a reduction in 

the country’s import bill, a 

reduction in the cost of inputs 

for manufacturing companies 

and the development of agroallied 

industries. 

“There may also be a boost to 

the development of commodity 

exchange and opportunities in 

logistics business as a result of 

the growth of agriculture and 

related businesses.” 

He, however, stressed that 

CBN policy trust requires 

complementary fiscal policies to 

produce the expected impact. 

By Gabriel Olawale 

British 

American 

Tobacco Nigeria 

Foundation, BATNF, has teamup 

with Bank of Agriculture, 

BoA, to promote sustainable 

agriculture development in 

Nigeria. 

Speaking during the signing 

of the Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, 

Executive Director of BATNF, 

Abimbola Okoya, said that 

Nigeria future is threatened by 

food insecurity, unemployment 

among other socio-economic 

challenges. 

“Today, we are collaborating 

with Bank of Agriculture to 

implement our ‘Wealth is Here 

Initiative’ which aimed to 

revive hope and patriotism in 

the Nigerian youth about their 

nation and most importantly 

inspire entrepreneurial interest 

in the Agricultural sector. 

“Through this initiative, we 

will be exposing young people 

to 

entrepreneurial 

opportunities, advocate for 

policies that affect farmers, 

provide access to finance, 

markets and technical support 

to encourage the establishment 

of viable enterprises.” 

Corroborating her view, the 

Executive Director of BoA, Mr 

Olabode Abikoye, said that the 

bank will support the initiative 

in all ways to ensure success. 

“Our mandate is to give hope 

to Nigeria teaming youth so as 

to assure them that they don’t 

need to go elsewhere, there is 

hope and a better future for 

them here in Nigeria. 

Modular 

refineries’ll not 

solve Nigeria’s fuel 

supply challenges 

— Aiteo 

By Ediri Ejoh 

Managing Director of Aiteo 

Energy Resources, Mr. 

Ewariezi Useh, has warned 

against over-reliance on 

modular refineries, stating that 

the country’s fuel supply 

challenges cannot be addressed 

by modular refineries alone. 

Speaking at the just concluded 

2019 Nigerian Oil and Gas, 

NOG, Conference and 

Exhibition, Useh disclosed that 

most modular refineries produce 

only diesel, adding that 

significant investments are 

required before a modular 

refinery can begin to produce 

Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also 

known as petrol. 

He stated: “Modular refinery is 

not a permanent solution to our 

import crisis. The capacity of a 

modular refinery is about 5,000 

and 10,000 barrels per day, bpd. 

The product gotten from it is a 

desolated unit. The first product 

you get from the modular refinery 

is diesel and then kerosene. The 

big question to ask is, ‘in Nigeria 

today, how many cars are running 

on diesel? It is only used on 

generators and some commercial 

buses. You would get more of 

diesel from modular refineries. 

“However, if you are to get 

petrol from a modular refinery, 

you would need to have Fluid 

Catalytic Cracking, FCC, unit 

attached to it, which is way 

expensive and only a few people 

can put that kind of fund today.”






Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 — A1

A2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019







Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 —25 

MPR, NNPC move to stabilise oil output 

*Price, revenue essential for development — GMD, NNPC 

By Udeme Akpan 

MINISTRY of Petroleum 

Resources, MPR, and 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, have embarked 

on measures targeted at 

stabilising output at 2.3 million 

barrels per day, bpd, to generate 

adequate funds for development. 

In an interview with Vanguard 

at the just concluded 

Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference 

and Exhibition, NOG, in 

Abuja, a source in the MPR, 

who preferred not to be named 

because he was not permitted 

to speak, said: “The MPR and 

NNPC have agreed that there 

is a great need to maintain a 

minimum output of 2.3 million 

bpd, including condensates as 

stated in the nation’s 2019 budget. 

“We have also up scaled assets 

as well as provided adequate 

security backup to protect 

strategic oil and gas producing 

facilities that are essential 

to enabling us realise set 

target. Although, pipeline vandalism 

and oil theft cannot be 

completely ruled out in the Niger 

Delta, the government 

should be able to stabilise output 

and by extension revenue.” 

Meanwhile, a look at the volatile 

oil market showed that 

Bonny Light, Nigeria’s premium 

oil grade, rose from $64.00 

to $65.07 per barrel, Friday, as 

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting 

Countries, OPEC, and 

others continue to eliminate 

excess oil from the market. 

Speaking at the sidelines of 

the just concluded OPEC meeting 

in Vienna, Austria, the newly 

appointed Group Managing 

Director of the NNPC, Mr Mele 

Kyari, said crude oil pricing 

and volume of production were 

key factors in ensuring sustainable 

revenue generation for the 

country. 

He had said: “Through the 

Declaration of Cooperation, 

greater stability is restored globally. 

Nigeria believes that having 

the right price and volume 

can support our aspiration and 

ensure a sustainable revenue 

generation. 

“So, a nine-month extension 

is the way to go considering the 

objective of the declaration that 

is why Nigeria supports the initiative 

and is also grateful that 

big nations are committed to it. 

“Nigeria’s objective at today 

and tomorrow’s OPEC is to 

support the declaration of cooperation 

that has so far succeeded 

in restoration of global 

oil markets stability Further to 

this; Nigeria’s hope is to secure 

appropriate quota for it cause 

export and optimal price.” 

Similarly, Nigeria has reaffirmed 

its strong support for the 

nine-month extension in oil 

production cut under the ‘’Declaration 

of Cooperation,” which 

seeks to improve global oil market 

stability among OPEC members. 

Permanent Secretary, Ministry 

of Petroleum Resources, Dr. 

Folashade Yemi-Esan, said: 

‘’Nigeria strongly endorses this 

commendable commitment and 

support this position, we believe 

that an extension of nine 

months is preferable to six 

months, as it offers greater certainty 

to the market, thereby reducing 

market volatility.” 

Oilserv intensifies effort to complete East-West 

Gas Pipeline project 

OILSERVE Limited, an 

indigenous company 

has intensified efforts to complete 

the East-West Gas Pipeline 

project, popularly called 

OB3. 

In a statement sent to Vanguard, 

the company stated 

that work is currently progressing 

at site, adding: “The 

On-going East-West Gas Pipeline 

project popularly called 

OB3, which the company is 

currently working on, is a key 

national project. 

“The 130km by 48inch which 

is the biggest ever built in 

Nigeria, will transmit gas from 

the East West to meet the demand 

for power generation 

and other industrial purpose. 

“The 67km Lot B part of the 

project begins from the intermediate 

pigging station (IPS) 

Nestoil makes case for complete deregulation of gas sector 

Nigeria Crude Oil 

Production 

GROUP Managing Direc 

tor of Nestoil Group, Dr 

Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, has 

called on the Federal Government 

to allow market forces determine 

the price of gas in Nigeria. 

Azudialu-Obiejesi, who was a 

guest speaker at the just concluded 

Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference 

, NOG, Summit said it was 

a regrettable that Nigeria continues 

to generate less than 4,000 

megawatts of power on the average 

despite having the 9th largest 

proven gas reserves in the 

world. 

The GMD said it was rather sad 

to note that a country like South 

Africa without Nigeria’s natural 

gas reserves produces over 40,000 

megawatts of electricity for a population 

of only 57 million people. 

THE average price 

of Organisation of 

Petroleum Exporting 

Countries, OPEC’s 

basket of 14 crudes in 

the past one week 

averaged $63.87 

compared with $65.33 

recorded the previous 

week. According to 

OPEC’s calculation, the 

highest price of crude 

was recorded on July 1, 

2019, which averaged 

$65.71 per barrel, while 

the lowest price for the 

period under review 

averaged $62.69 

Source: OPEC 

at Umukwata in Delta State 

and terminates at the Oben 

Node in Edo State.” 

It stated: “In April 2019, top 

management of the Nigerian 

National Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, led by the chief 

operating officer, COO, Gas 

and Power; Engr. Saidu Mohammed 

and managing director, 

NGC, Mr. Babatunde 

Bakare visited the site for inspection.” 

He said the Nigerian power 

deficit would not improve if the 

government does not take the 

drastic step of completely allowing 

market forces to determine 

price. 

He said a willing-buyer-willingseller 

scenario that allows gas 

producers to sell to off takers at 

commercially viable rates was 

what would encourage investments 

in the gas sector. 

Azudialu said the successful 

deregulation of the telecommunications 

sector in Nigeria was a 

good case study that the oil and 

gas industry should emulate to 

stimulate exponential growth in 

that sector. 

According to the Nestoil Group 

managing director, the telecoms 

sector is growing in Nigeria because 

government regulations are 

relaxed enough to allow competition 

to drive pricing and product 

offerings. 

He also called on Nigeria to invest 

more in gas infrastructure 

rather than crude oil, which, according 

to him, will continue to 

decline in long term economic 

relevance as the world continues 

to embrace cleaner forms of energy 

Ḣe said: “Many countries in 

Europe are at the forefront of this 

energy revolution, and with time, 

African countries, including Nigeria, 

will be dragged along. It is 

time now to embrace a paradigm 

shift, and change Nigeria’s energy 

focus squarely from crude oil 

to gas.” 

NOG Reports 

OML 11: 

Green Energy 

gets $350m 

financing for 

second phase 

devt 

By Michael Eboh 

GREEN Energy Interna 

tional Limited (GEIL), 

has secured a $350 million financing 

package for the development 

of the second phase of 

the Otakikpo Marginal Field in 

Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 in 

Rivers State. 

In a statement, Director, Corporate 

Affairs of the Green Energy, 

Mr. Olusegun Ilori, said 

the financing package was secured 

after it signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding 

(MoU), with the financiers, 

comprising a consortium of international 

companies including 

an oil services giant, London 

based international bank, 

a prominent crude oil off-taker 

and EPIC contractor. 

He explained that the deal, 

which would make the Otakikpo 

field a crude processing and 

exporting hub in the Eastern 

Niger Delta, was conceived to 

unlock the potential of other 

commercially stranded marginal 

fields in the area. 

He noted that the second 

phase development involves 

the drilling of additional wells 

at Otakikpo Marginal Fields, 

which will significantly increase 

the field production from 

the present 6,000 barrels of oil 

per day, bopd, to 20,000 bopd 

and the expansion of the processing 

facilities from 12,000 to 

50,000 bopd to adequately handle 

production from the other 

fields. 

He said, “The project also involves 

the construction of 1.3 

million barrels onshore terminal 

and a 20 kilometers export pipeline 

and crude oil loading system 

for efficient export of the expected 

production. 

“It is to be noted that the GEIL 

has already secured the approval 

to construct (APC) for the onshore 

terminal and the associated 

export infrastructures. The 

onshore terminal will significantly 

reduce the field production 

OPEX, increase operational 

efficiency, improve security 

and contribute tremendously to 

the economy of the local communities. 

“The onshore terminal will be 

located in the Atlantic Industrial 

Park- Ikuru Town, being also 

facilitated by GEIL, as a gaspowered 

commercial and highvalue 

proposition anchored on 

the power to be generated from 

the field’s gas production. GEIL 

has recently obtained a 40 

megawatts power generation license 

from the NERC for the 

power generation that will service 

the industrial park.” 

Commenting on the conclusion 

of the MoU, the Chairman 

of Green Energy International 

Limited, Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, 

described the deal as 

a major milestone in the oil and 

gas industry.” 

C 

M 

Y 

K

26— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

LAGOS: Megacity in dire need of 

improved sanitation 

Chioma Obinna & 

Gabriel Olawale 

LAGOS prides itself as 

the centre of 

excelllence. The Oxford 

dictionary defines 

exellence as the quality 

of being “outstanding or 

extremely good”. 

But can the people at the 

centre in Lagos claim to 

be living in excellent 

environment? 

From the slums of 

Makoko, Maracana, 

Amukoko, Itire, Badiya, 

Ketu, Agege, Oyingbo, 

Ajegunle, Ijeshatedo, 

Mushin, Iwaya, Somolu, 

Ikorodu, Bariga to the 

‘highbrow’areas of Ikoyi, 

Victoria Island and Lekki 

among others, the 

environement is 

anything but excellent. 

A first time caller to these 

communities would not be 

in doubt that residing in 

these areas a health 

hazard. 

Whenever it rains in 

Lagos, the true picture of 

a mega city in dire need of 

an improved sanitation 

becomes obvious. It gets 

so bad that some of the 

communities are 

submerged by flood 

following overflowing of 

drainage systems that 

have been blocked by 

heaps of refuse. 

A visit by Good Health 

Weekly to Makoko, 

Maracana and Itire where 

the State Government 

recently identified cases of 

polio virus, revealed a 

harbinger of infectious 

diseases. 

Right in a middle of 

canal that runs through the 

Makoko slum, a woman 

was seen hawking rice in 

a locally fabricated canoe. 

Next to her parked canoe 

was a makeshift toilet built 

on the canal. 

In Makoko, living in 

makeshift huts built on the 

canal is commonplace. The 

day begins very early in 

the area. As early as 6:00 

AM when our reporter 

arrived the place, different 

activities were in full 

swing. 

The local fishermen were 

not left out. Despite the 

early morning downpour, 

it was brisk business for 

women selling all kinds of 

acoholic drinks on the 

refuse -filled canal. When 

Good Health Weekly 

sought the views of some 

of some of the residents, it 

Poor sanitation in Maracana, Makoko and Itire communties in Lagos State 

was like opening a can of 

worms. “We eat, bathe, 

sleep and do most of our 

busineses on this canal,” a 

female food vendor 

popularly known 

“Mamaput” told Good 

Health Weekly. 

Mama Bola, as she 

identified herself, operates 

a loating bukateria inside 

her canoe. This unhygenic 

situation leaves much to be 

desired as her paddle 

consistently splashes the 

contaminated canal water 

into the pots containing the 

cooked food that is for sale. 

Makoko residents carry 

out their daily activities on 

this dirty and smelly body 

of water without appearing 

to mind. They bathe, 

urinate, wash clothes and 

other belongings there and 

then. 

For this reporter, it was a 

shocking sight to behold. 

Makoko is a community 

with a population of 

around 150,000 while an 

average of six to 10 people 

live in each of the floating 

houses. Majority of the 

residents are fishermen or 

wood sellers. 

Water, water everywhere 

in Makoko, but none to 

drink (apologies to 

Cooleridge, author of 

Rhyme of the Ancient 

Mariner), potable water 

eludes these 150,000 

residents. 

Makoko is sourrounded 

by water, but the residents 

lack access to safe water. 

How residents of the 

community obtain drinking 

water is unbefitting for a 

mega city like Lagos. 

One of the biggest 

challenges in this 

community remain water 

and poor sanitation. 

Further investigations 

revealed that although 

there few boreholes are 

built mainly for 

commercial purposes , the 

water is not safe for 

drinking. 

“The water from the 

borehole is only good for 

washing. Some people 

who cannot afford to buy 

potable water, have no 

option than to drink the 

bad water, but we don’t 

drink water from the 

borehole. We use it m to 

wash our dishes and 

clothes,” Sadiyat, 12, told 

Good Health Weekly. 

She confirmed that some 

people from Iyana- Oworo 

and Lagos Island regularly 

visit the community in 

their canoes to sell potable 

water. 

“A keg of water is sold 

for between N50 and 

N100. Sadiyat also told our 

reporter that due to lack of 

water and poor sanitation, 

These 

communities 

are 

surrounded 

by water, but 

residents lack 

access to safe 

drinking 

water 

the community continues to 

experience frequent 

incidences of cholera and 

diarrhea among children. 

“Only last week, there was 

an outbreak of cholera in 

the slums. Sadly, many 

people here are not 

educated. Sometimes 

these children die due to 

lack of prompt treatment,” 

she lamented. 

The poor sanitation in the 

community may have led 

to the recent discovery of a 

case of polio virus in the 

community. 

Just like Makoko, 

Maracana, in Ajegunle by 

Boundary roundabout also 

in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local 

Government Area, is 

another community where 

polio thrives due to poor 

sanitation. 

Overcrowded and 

undercared for, Ajegunle is 

described as the worst 

slum in the city of Lagos. 

Ajegunle, in Yoruba 

language, means “wealth 

has come”, but the situation 

on ground is opposite 

considering the high level 

of stark poverty in the area. 

Coupled with activities of 

hoodlums and drug users, 

Ajegunle is one community 

most Lagosians dread to be 

associated with. 

Surrounded by the 

Nigeria’s biggest seaports, 

Apapa Wharf and Tin Can, 

Maracana community lacks 

all sense of decency. 

Poverty is a cloud that still 

swirls over it. 

As early as 6:30 am when 

Good Health Weekly 

visited the area, many 

residents were seen 

dumping refuse from their 

houses on the road. Some 

of the older youths were 

busy smoking Indian 

Hemp among other 

dangerous substances. 

Stagnant water, clogged 

drains, narrow lanes, 

cramped houses, heaps of 

garbage are commonplace. 

Maracana community 

with a population of over 

100,000, built on canal. A 

newcomer needs no 

soothsayer to be aware of 

the deprivation being 

suffered by the residents. 

There is no access to 

functional improved 

latrines. Open defecation 

remain is a way of life. 

One pathethic case is the 

situation of Great Leader 

Nursery and Primary 

School within the area. The 

pupils of the school aged 

7-10 years were seen 

defecating inside a 

makeshift shed and 

throwing the feaces into the 

canal adjacent to the 

school. 

Another irritating sight 

are the makeshifts built 

right on the canal. 

Investigations by Good 

Health Weekly revealed 

that these makeshifts serve 

as toilet facilities. A unique 

thing about the makeshifts 

is that they cover the 

person defecating inside 

the canal. 

These makeshifts called 

toilet are far from what the 

United Nations describes 

as improved latrines. With 

this kind of arrangement, 

health watchers are of the 

veiw that the Federal 

Government campaign on 

use of modern toilets and 

its dream of ending open 

defecation by 2025 may be 

a mere dream. 

But despite the poor 

environmental situation of 

Maracana, food vendors 

were busy selling their 

wares to their customers. 

The scenario at Itire 

Coker Aguda canal, was 

no different. From Pako 

Aguda bus stop down to 

Sanya local market, there 

was nothing to cheer. 

Majority of the houses 

there have no toilet 

facilities. The canal is the 

common toilet even in this 

modern times. 

Further investigations 

show that some houses 

around Pako bus stop, 

Oluwalose mosque to 

Olufemi Shokan Street 

channelled their sewage 

into the canal. Their 

argument is that it saves 

them money and stress of 

constructing soakaway. 

According to the 2018 

WASH National Outcome 

Routine Mapping, (WASH 

NORM) Survey, Lagos, 

and other states in the 

South West, contribute over 

28 percent in open 

defecation. While these 

helpless communities pray 

for urgent intervention, the 

Sustainable Development 

Goal, SDG, 6 is aimed at 

ensuring availability and 

sustainable management 

of water and sanitation for 

all by 2030.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 —27 

MeCure SmartBuy Mobile App 

healthcare hits 34,000 

By Chioma Obinna 

IN less than 3 months 

after going live, 

MeCure SmartBuy - a 

complete healthcare mobile 

app that offers free 

teleconsultation with 

doctors along with home 

delivery of medicines and 

healthcare products 

anywhere in Lagos, has hit 

more than 34,000 

registrations. 

The app which is available 

on both Android and iOS 

smartphones is designed to 

offehealthcare to 

Nigerians. 

Launched in March, the 

SmartBuy offers 

teleconsultations with its 

panel of doctors completely 

free of cost. 

Speaking, the Chief 

Medical Officer of the 

company, Dr. Adekunle 

Megbuwawon, said their 

vision was to provide 

access to primary 

healthcare services in the 

most affordable and 

convenient way possible. 

“Traditionally, access to 

top quality doctors has been 

the very first problem for all 

of us. We are resolving this 

by removing barriers using 

technology. If you are sick 

today, just download the 

app and book a 

teleconsultation with our 

panel of qualified doctors. 

They will give you a call, 

assess your health 

condition and advise on the 

way forward. In case a 

physical examination is 

needed, they will refer you 

to a qualified doctor closest 

to you. For simple ailments 

that can be treated with 

over-the-counter 

medication, consumers can 

get it home delivered 

within 2-3 hours anywhere 

in Lagos." 

With 1000+ 

teleconsultations booked 

and 1200+ medicine 

orders already placed by 

users on the platform, the 

traction it has gathered is 

very interesting indeed. 

On his part, elated Chief 

Technology Officer at 

MeCure SmartBuy, Adil 

Shaikh noted that they 

never expect the kind of 

interest they have received 

so far. 

“It is quite overwhelming 

considering the fact that we 

have not spent a Naira yet 

on marketing the product. 

All credit goes to the 

doctors, in-house 

pharmacists and delivery 

agents who are working 

very hard to ensure quality 

consultation is provided 

and the required 

medicines are delivered 

within the shortest possible 

timeframe to our 

customers." 

Shaikh explained that 

apart from the free doctor 

teleconsultation, the app 

also offers heavy discounts 

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Irede Foundation, Nivea seek more supports for child 

amputees 

By Sola Ogundipe 

THE Irede Foundation, 

TIF, and the world's 

number one personal-care 

company, Nivea have 

called on Nigerians to 

support a child with 

disabilities by creating an 

enabling environment for 

them to access quality 

education. 

The two organizations 

recently made the plea 

after the commemoration of 

the 2019 global limb 

awareness month and the 

‘Out on a Limb’ annual 

awareness walk organized 

by The Irede Foundation. 

The annual walk which 

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L-R: Founder, Irede Foundation, Mrs Crystal Chigbu and General Manager, Nivea 

Nigeria, Godwin Harrison at the presentation of a cheque during the annual 

Limb walk held recently in Lagos State, Nigeria. 

was graced by Governor of 

Lagos State, Mr Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu had in 

attendance over 100 

Lagosians across the state. 

In his remark, Governor 

Sanwo-Olu charged 

affluent Nigerians and 

companies to provide 

support for limbless 

children. “To build a better 

world, we all need to 

support one another. The 

Irede Foundation and 

Nivea Nigeria have 

demonstrated that 

together, we can all do 

more. I hope more 

companies and individuals 

can also join this social 

course”, he said. 

To raise mass awareness 

on the campaign, Nivea 

recently organized a digital 

campaign – for every 

sensitization video posted, 

the company donated the 

sum of ?1000 to support 

limbless children. A total of 

?1,802,659 was raised from 

the campaign to provide 

two prosthetic limbs for two 

indigent children who have 

both lost a limb. 

Nivea has since received 

commendations from many 

Nigerians for its 

unwavering support for 

socially disadvantaged 

children in the country. 

“We are very happy with 

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28—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JULY 9, , 2019 

CROSS RIVER… 

THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE 

Calabar-Odukpani 

Highway: 

Motorists, 

residents cry out 

over dilapidation 

VOL. 1: NO. 199 TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

*Images of Calabar-Odukplani highway. 

Local firm chased Shell from OML 25 

with militants— Rivers LG councillors 

RIVERS… 

TREASURE BASE OF THE 

NATION 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

PORT HARCOURT— 

TWO councillors of Akuru- 

Tolu Local Government 

Area, Rivers State, Nelson 

Whoknows and Victor Sam, aka 

Flenjo, have accused an 

indigenous oil company of 

sponsoring militants 

from neighbouring states to 

attack assets of rival oil firms at 

Oil Mining Lease, OML, 25. 

They said the local oil firm 

wanted to scare away Shell 

Petroleum Development 

•Belema Oil, Kula monarchs deny accusation 

•Wike intervenes; parallel leaders threaten peace accord 

Company, SPDC, to pave way for 

its takeover of operations at the 

said OML. 

Belemaoil Producing Limited, 

the fingered indigenous oil firm 

and Kula Supreme Council of 

Traditional Rulers, KSCTR, 

however, vehemently denied the 

allegation 

They spoke at a peace meeting 

convened by Governor Nyesom 

Wike to resolve the dispute 

between Shell and host 

communities over OML 25, 

which led to shut down of oil 

production for two years, even as 

Federal Government’s attempts 

to settle the rift in the past ended 

in a stalemate. 

The councillors said: “We have 

been informed by community 

members in the two wards that 

Tein Jack-Rich Jr has hired thugs 

and militants from neighbouring 

states to disrupt operations and 

production of SPDC following the 

renewal of the company’s licence 

to operate OML 25. 

“The thugs have taken over 

OML25, resorted to terrorising 

the sea routes and vandalising 

pipelines belonging to SPDC and 

AITEO. A meeting was held by 

some persons in the area where 

they also agreed to shut down the 

operations of Newcross 

Exploration and Production.” 

LG chair corroborates 

councillors 

Chair of the local government, 

Mr. Roland Sekibo, who spoke 

earlier, noted that even if the 

communities had justifications to 

protest and demand improved 

development benefits from Shell, 

Continues on Page 29 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

C 

A L A B A R — 

MOTORISTS in 

Calabar, Cross River State, have 

expressed concern over the 

worsening condition of Calabar- 

Odukpani Road occasioned by 

the rainy season. 

Some motorists, who spoke to 

NDV, described the road as a 

deathtrap, adding that they 

have never had it this bad, even 

during the administrations of 

former governors, Donald Duke 

and Senator Liyel Imoke. 

Commercial bus driver, Mr. 

Michael Asuquo, said: “The 

road is terrible, especially now 

that the rainy season is 

intensifying. Incidentally, the 

contractors are hardly there 

these days. Even before the rains 

where were they? 

“The road had damaged my 

car on several occasions. If not 

for my business, I would have 

stopped plying the road. One 

takes a lot of unnecessary risks 

because government has 

neglected its responsibilities.” 

Another driver, Mr. Egbelo 

Ubi, said: “All my shock 

absorbers have gone bad 

because of this road. Also, my 

bearings and other parts have 

gone bad. I repair them each time 

I pass through the road. 

“To make matters worse, one 

cannot say exactly what the 

contractor handling the road is 

doing. Today you see them here, 

tomorrow they are nowhere to 

be found.” 

A resident of the area, Johnson 

Ita, asserted that “the other day, 

a tanker fell and caused 

explosion that killed many of our 

people. After that, we have 

witnessed more fatal accidents 

because of the bad condition of 

the road.” 

A 

commercial 

motorcycle(Alalok) rider, Ikot 

Ekpo, said: “The Skanoble Petrol 

Station side used to be cut off 

during heavy rain; this is very 

dangerous. The state 

government awarded contract 

for the rehabilitation of about 10 

kilometres of the road for over a 

year now.” 

Contacted, Chief Press 

Secretary to Governor Ayade, 

Mr. Christian Ita, said: “The 

contractor handling the job is 

Semartech and we know their 

record. 

“They are doing the right thing 

because there are so many hills 

and valleys on the path that need 

to be filled and graded properly. 

We know the people need to use 

the roads, but quality job must 

be done. 

“We are not relenting in 

making sure that the project is 

completed. The road is being 

expanded, not just mere 

rehabilitation, so the people 

must understand the enormity 

of work going on.”

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JULY 9, , 2019—29 

Local firm chases Shell from OML 25 

with militants— Rivers LG councillors 

Continues from Page 28 

alleged meddlesomeness by 

Shell’s competitor, Belema Oil, 

smacked of a corporate malice, 

which inflamed the communities’ 

anger and prolonged occupation. 

Sekibo said Belema Oil 

management created the false 

impression that they bought 

OML 25 from Shell and the 

assumed seller refused transfer of 

operational rights. 

He pointed out that it was at a 

meeting with stakeholders at 

NNPC, Abuja, that it was 

discovered, apparently by 

community stakeholders, that 

OML 25 licence was still under 

ownership of Shell. 

The LG boss said though the 

owner of Belema Oil hails from 

the area, it was illegal to 

shutdown production on the 

facility in order to armtwist the 

system to sell the assets to Belema 

Oil, adding that such action, if 

condoned, 

could 

negatively affect other Rivers 

business people with operating 

licences in other states. 

He added that in the Global 

Memorandum of Understanding, 

GMoU, between the operator and 

hosts, Shell had already 

deposited N960 million in 

dedicated account for 

development of the communities, 

convinced that the fund, if 

judiciously deployed, would 

transform the host communities. 

Amanyanabo of Opu-Kula, 

Hope Opusingi, also said people 

were misled to shut down OML 

25, and that after some 

stakeholders discovered the 

reality, which is that the operating 

licence of SPDC had been 

renewed, they toed the path of 

peaceful coexistence and 

development with the operator. 

Belema Oil denies allegation 

Acting Managing Director, 

Belema Oil, Mufa Welch, denied 

involvement of the company in 

the closure of OML 25, alleging 

that the host communities rather 

prefer Belema Oil to take over. He 

acknowledged SPDC as the 

licensed operators of OML 25 with 

Belema Oil holding a paltry three 

per cent stakes in the bargain. 

“With the way we operate, the 

communities are bent towards us. 

THE TEAM 

Emma Amaize - Editor 

Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa 

Jimitota Onoyume- Warri 

Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City 

Festus Ahon- Asaba 

Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt 

Emmanuel Una- Calabar 

Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri 

Paul Olayemi- Sapele 

Harri Emmanuel- Uyo 

Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo 

Ike Uchechukwu-Calabar 

Davies Iheamnachor-P’Harcourt 

Emem Idio- Yenagoa 

Brisibe Perez- Ughelli 

Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor 

Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh 

Chancel Sunday - Bomadi 

Alemma Aliu- Benin City 

Nath Onajoke- Asaba 

Chijioke Nwankpa- P'Harcourt 

*SSG, Rivers State, Dr. Tammy Danagogo (3rd left) among 

security chiefs and other stakeholders, moderating one of the 

peace meetings on behalf Governor Wike. 

That OML has been closed for 

almost two years, we have 

nothing in the shutdown of the 

OML 25,” he stated. 

It is a smear campaign 

— Kula royal fathers 

In defence of the company 

owned by a son of the soil, Kula 

Supreme Council of Traditional 

Rulers, KSCTR, had also faulted 

the accusation by Whonknows 

and Sam, calling on the public to 

disregard their petition. 

The KSCTR said: “The 

misguided actions of these young 

men portray them as persons 

morally bankrupt and bereft of 

proper reasoning, otherwise how 

can Jack Rich Tein Jr arrange for 

vandalisation of SPDC pipeline, 

which also conveys the crude oil 

of his company to the Bonny 

Export Terminal for sale? 

“We condemn, in the strongest 

term, the attempt to tarnish the 

image of our illustrious son in the 

ongoing smear campaign being 

orchestrated by the paymasters of 

Whoknows Nelson and Victor 

Sam, aka Flenjo. These purveyors 

of the fake news are well known 

foot soldiers of two brothers from 

Kula, who are the main detractors 

of Jack-Rich Tein Jr. 

“Their frivolous announcement 

is diversionary and intended to 

deceive and mislead the public 

and the security agencies who 

have been duly informed of the 

clandestine move by SPDC to 

cause communal crisis by 

promoting militancy and high 

level of insecurity in the host 

communities of OML-25.” 

Why we waded in—Wike 

Governor Wike had activated a 

conflict resolution process, June 

22, when he convened a key 

stakeholders’ meeting where 

OML 25 host communities and 

assets operator, Shell, tabled 

their differences over the 

lingering dispute. Security 

services commanders were in 

attendance. 

Within 10 days of the 

governor’s mediation, the 

disputing host communities and 

Shell agreed on terms and 

signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, for reopening 

of the oil facility, but it 

was not without dissenting voices. 

The opening meeting, 

convened by Secretary to the 

Rivers State Government, Dr 

Tammy Danagogo, turned out to 

be a revealing truth and 

reconciliation forum, which 

outcome exposed critical 

compromises, greed, deceit and 

sundry pettiness that had 

inflamed the crisis. 

At the maiden reconciliation 

meeting at the Government 

House, Port Harcourt, 

managements of SPDC, Belema 

Oil Limited, host community 

leaders and security services 

commanders, traditional rulers, 

political office holders from the 

locality, youth leaders, chairs of 

community development 

committees, CDCs, from Kula, 

Belema, Offoin-Ama, Opu-Kula 

and Ibiame, all attended. 

Urging the disputants to resolve 

the issues speedily, Wike stressed 

that “OML 25 has been shut for 

one reason or the other. 

Some persons in the 

communities are hauling insults 

at me. No matter the insult, 

nothing will make me not 

perform my duty to the area. 

Federal, state and the local 

governments are losing funds to 

continued closure of the OML 

25. 

“If Shell is behaving 

wrongly, tell them, if Belema Oil 

is behaving wrongly, tell them. 

It is wrong for anyone to say 

Federal Government is 

handling the matter. When 

conflicts of this nature affect 

communities, it is for the state 

and affected local government to 

resolve them.” 

The governor said he had no 

personal interest in the drilling 

of oil or issuance of licences, but 

rather committed to peace and 

security in communities for the 

development of the state, warning 

against politicisation of the 

economic development of the host 

communities, Rivers and 

Nigeria. 

Shell states claim 

Managing Director, SPDC, 

Osagie Okunbor, revealed that 

the Federal Government had 

since renewed OML 25 operating 

licence for the company for 

another 20 years after Shell paid 

all necessary fees in October 2018. 

Okunbor said: “We operated in 

cordial environment until August 

10, 2017 when some 

community people entered the 

facility. Information given us was 

that they were unhappy over 

issues of social amenities and 

employment. We listened and 

were keen to address these 

issues, but at some point, another 

element entered the 

equation, that we should 

relinquish and hand over to 

Belema Oil, that is from the 

community. 

“We have made all the 

payments and it is our 

facility. We are keen to 

return and operate for the 

benefit of all. I have made myself 

available to talk to stakeholders 

from the communities to try and 

understand what the issues are 

and how we will go about 

resolving them.” 

He welcomed Wike's 

intervention, pledging Shell’s 

preparedness to address the 

social amenities, empowerment 

and sundry grievances of the 

communities. 

Terms of settlement 

Terms reached on the eventual 

resolution of the conflict involved 

halts to host communities’ 

occupation of the assets for reopening 

of the Belema Flow 

Station and payment of 

outstanding funds owed the 

communities under the extant 

Global Memorandum of 

Understanding, GMoU. 

Other terms include a mandate 

on Shell to pay N1.36 billion into 

a dedicated account within two 

weeks for the development of the 

communities. 

The GMoU was signed on 

behalf of the communities by 

traditional rulers, youth 

presidents, chairmen of CDC 

among other opinion leaders 

from Kula, Belema, Offoin-Ama, 

Ibie-Ama, Boro and Opu-Kula 

communities located in Akuku 

Toru Local Government Area. 

The governor's representative, 

Secretary to the State 

Government, Dr Tammy 

Danagogo; Solicitor-General of 

Rivers State, Mrs Florence 

Fiberesima; Permanent 

Secretary, Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. 

Felix Odungweru superintended 

over the signing at the 

Government House, Port 

Harcourt. 

Danagogo said on the occasion: 

“The fundamental reason for the 

meeting was to sign the 

agreement, without prejudice to 

who holds different positions in 

the communities, to 

resolve issues between Shell and 

our people. 

“After this agreement, other 

meetings would be convened to 

determine issues of 

employment, community 

development and contracts. For 

now, the aim is for Shell to pay 

the funds that have accrued and 

for the flow station 

to be opened for 

further development in the 

communities.” 

Govt commended 

Also speaking, General 

Manager, External Relations, 

SPDC, Igo Weli, stated: “This is 

good model and template; best 

practice. We came here to find 

solutions because we want the 

best for our communities. There 

are always constructive and 

peaceful ways of resolving 

conflicts.” 

Amanyanabo of Kula, King 

Kroma Eleki called for peace 

across Kula communities to 

pave way for the peaceful 

operation of OML 25. He 

commended the Rivers State 

Government for ensuring the 

peaceful resolution of issues in 

the area. 

Amanyanabo of Belema, King 

Ibinabo Kalaoriye, who also 

signed the agreement, thanked 

Rivers Government for the 

peaceful resolution, expressing 

happiness with the terms of 

agreement, adding: “Those who 

occupied the flow station would 

leave.” 

Chair of Akuku-Toru, Sekibo, 

said the development was a 

genuine progress and would 

help the development of the area 

as going forward, Shell would 

have learned her lessons and 

work in the interest of the host 

communities. 

Head of Ngeje 

community, Chief Ibinabo Kiliya, 

also thanked the Rivers 

Government for involving the 

community in the settlement. He 

signed the agreement on behalf 

of his people. 

Rivers Government explained 

that it based its actions on the 

renewal of SPDC's operating 

licence. It said should NNPC 

transfer the licence to Belema, it 

would ensure implementation. 

“We want our people to own oil 

block, not that they take away 

operating licences of others in our 

state illegally, this is because 

Rivers people are operating in 

other states. Let us 

approach these issues in peace 

to achieve progress,” Danagogo 

said. 

Dissenting leaders threaten 

peace accord 

With the mission of the Wike 

peace accord accomplished, crisis 

still looms as parallel leaders in 

Belema, Offoin-Ama and Ngeje 

host communities reject the MoU 

facilitated by the state 

government. 

The dissenting community 

voices expressed their 

disapproval in a statement in Port 

Harcourt by Prince Opunabo 

Ekine, His Royal Highness, Sibia 

Aaron Sukubo, Offo XIII, Chief 

Ibiosia Nath-Sukubo, Chief 

Ibinabo Daniel Kiliya, Chief-elect 

Mpakaboari Welsch, Chief-elect 

Oputuboye Walter, and Chief 

Wapakaboari Gaga. 

The statement read: “Our 

attention has been drawn to a false 

and misleading statement by the 

Rivers State Government 

claiming that host communities of 

OML25 have agreed to sign a 

Memorandum of Understanding 

with SPDC on July 1, with a view 

to re-opening the flow station. 

“It is most unfortunate that a 

state government that is supposed 

to concern itself with good 

governance would be this 

desperate to champion an illegal 

course to forcefully re-open an oil 

platform that was peacefully 

shutdown based on the legitimate 

grievances of the host 

communities.” 

Meanwhile, according to the 

company, while the disruption of 

operations lingered, the host 

communities of OML 25, Belema 

and Offoin-Ama, enjoyed contract 

awards, employment of unskilled 

labour and SPDC’s social 

investment programmes, 

including yearly award of regular 

and special scholarships to 

eligible candidates from the area.

Who speaks for the Yorubas in the 

killing fields of Nigeria today? (2) 


PRESIDENT Muhammadu 

Buhari cares for his 

people. But although he is 

president of Nigeria, his people 

are not the people of Nigeria. His 

people are the Fulanis in 

particular, and Northern 

Nigerians in general. That is the 

token of a “good politician.” A 

good politician promotes the 

interests of his people. 

But what happens to members 

of the president’s party who are 

neither Fulani nor Northern 

Nigerians? Can they also care for 

their people as the president does 

for his, and at the same time be 

in alliance with Mr. President? 

The evidence suggests they 

cannot and do not. They have 

watched in silence, without 

complaining, as the president 

•Map of Nigeria 

filled major posts with his own 

people and ignored theirs. They 

have “siddon looked” as the 

entire security architecture of 

Nigeria was placed virtually 

exclusively in the hands of 

Northerners. 

They said nothing when the 

president illegally appointed his 

sister’s in-law, Amina Zakari, as 

acting chairman of INEC, flouting 

statutory regulations and without 

the required approval of the 

National Council of State. Cat 

caught their tongue when the 

president illegally appointed 

Ahmed Lawan Kuru as the 

managing director of Asset 

Management Company of 

Nigeria, AMCON, and 

named its executive directors 

without requisite Senate 

confirmation. They were missing 

in action when he removed 

illegally Nigeria’s Southern Chief 

Justice of the Supreme Court and 

replaced him with a Northerner. 

Deafening silence 

Men like Bola Tinubu who were 

loud in calling for the 

restructuring the Nigerian polity, 

which is one of the cardinal 

demands of South, dropped their 

demand like a hot potato once 

they entered into an alliance with 

Buhari. In APC, they are now 

required to implement 

programmes and policies whose 

primary objective is to benefit the 

agenda of the president’s 

people. 

Rotimi Amaechi pitched the 

idea of building a University of 

Transportation in Nigeria. He 

believes, in his own words, that 

“charity begins at home”. 

Nevertheless, he claims in this 

case that his charity “must begin 

abroad”. The reason is that he is 

a member of the APC. Therefore, 

the proposed university has to be 

based in Daura, President 

Buhari’s hometown in Katsina 

State. 

This is what happens when you 

join Buhari’s APC. You deny 

C 

M 

Y 

your interests and rationalise that 

of Mr. President. Buhari is a 

former military general, and once 

a general, you are always a 

general. In the army, footsoldiers 

have no interest. They are 

required to sacrifice themselves 

for the general. They do the 

general’s bidding, no questions 

asked, even at the cost of their 

life. In effect, Southern politicians 

in the APC are conscripted to 

promote the president’s Northern 

agenda. This makes them, in 

effect, traitors to their own 

people. 

Betrayal of the Yorubas 

This is the predicament of 

Yoruba APC leaders. They are 

politicians, but in bed with a 

military president with a Northern 

agenda. In order to ingratiate 

themselves to the president, they 

are forced to be ambassadors of 

his many chauvinistically 

Northern schemes. If you are a 

Yoruba man, once you join APC, 

you lose your voice. Otherwise, 

why has Bola Tinubu said 

nothing publicly about Fulani 

herdsmen killing Yoruba farmers 

in their farms? Why has Vicepresident 

Yemi Osinbajo kept 

mum on the rape and plunder of 

his kith and kin by the Fulani 

militia? Why has he not resigned 

in protest? 

On the contrary, their silence 

has been bought. Their silence 

is the price they have had to pay 

for being in the APC and for 

collecting scraps from the 

master’s table. Things have now 

come home to the roost. The 

marauding herders have shifted 

their raping, kidnapping and 

pogroms from the Middle Belt 

progressively southward. They 

are now attacking people in 

Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo 

states. What are the Yoruba allies 

of Buhari going to do or say about 

this? 

The first bombshell came from 

Femi Adesina, the president’s 

Yoruba special adviser on media 

and publicity. Adesina’s selfserving 

advice is that, rather than 

resist and be killed, Nigerians 

should surrender their ancestral 

homelands to the 

Fulanis. “Ancestral attachment?” 

he asked. You can only have 

ancestral attachment when you 

are alive. If you are talking about 

ancestral attachment, if you are 

dead, how does the attachment 

matter?” 

Hogwash of Bola Tinubu 

But Femi Adeshina is a small 

fry. What about Bola Tinubu, the 

so-called leader of the 

APC. Tinubu has also dodged 

the issue. He went with a fake 

Afenifere group to congratulate 

Buhari on his famous reelection. 

However, he could not 

broach the issue of insecurity in 

the Southwest frontally. Instead, 

he suggested that the president 

should endeavor to base police 

recruitment according to the 774 

local government areas of the 

country. 

He said: “The essence of the 

meeting is to thank the President, 

congratulate him on the election 

and the first step on the security 

of the country to really see a way 

out to stem any hate speech; 

intolerance across the nation and 

look at the problem of security 

holistically and from the 

grassroots level; including the 

fact there is a shortage of police 

personnel.” 

Wow! So the insecurity 

problem is as a result of hate 

speech. What nonsense! The 

truth is that Bola Tinubu was not 

honest. He cannot tell the 

president the truth. Listen to this 

putative Yoruba leader. He 

implies that the menace of Fulani 

herdsmen in the Southwest (since 

he came with only Southwest 

representatives) is caused by 

intolerance and hate speech. 

Who, we may well ask the APC 

leader, is intolerant? Obviously, 

Tinubu is not talking about the 

herdsmen. After all, they are the 

ones violating other people’s 

rights, so they can hardly be 

classified as tolerant. The only 

people that could be said to be 

intolerant are those whose land 

and property they are violating. 

So, appearing before a Fulani 

president, Tinubu cannot present 

a case about the pillaging and 

killings of his people by Fulani 

herdsmen. Instead, he implies 

that those whose land they 

violate, and who they kidnap, 

rape and murder, are intolerant. 

Prescription of a genius 

What is the Jagaban’s solution 

to this problem? Instead of 

insisting that the president needs 

to get proactive by arresting these 

murderers and by defending 

those they attack, he comes up 

with a vague namby-pamby 

suggestion. He says the 

president needs to take “a holistic 

approach” to the problem and 

address it from “a grassroots 

level.” 

This is just vain platitudes. 

What exactly does he mean about 

addressing the security problem 

holistically from a grassroots 

level? What rubbish! 

Tinubu then implied that the 

answer to the problem of 

murderous Fulani herdsmen was 

because of some inadequacy in 

police recruitment. How does 

Tinubu propose to address this? 

Hear him: “There is the need to 

look at the recruitment from 774 

local governments and be able to 

effectively have information; it 

takes time to train people; you 

equally create employment from 

such an action; I mean 

employment for the people and 

Bola Tinubu, 

Yemi Osinbajo 

and other APC 

opportunists 

can no longer 

speak for the 

Yorubas in 

Nigeria 

strengthen security intelligence 

from the grassroots.” 

This is a load of malarkey. How 

can recruitment according to the 

country’s 774 local governments 

address the issue? Tinubu is 

coming from Lagos, although he 

is not really from Lagos. Lagos 

is a megacity with over 20 million 

people. But it has only 20 local 

government areas. Kano has 

double that at 44. Even Jigawa 

has more than Lagos: 27. 

When Tinubu was Governor of 

Lagos State, he had an epic fight 

with Obasanjo, a Yoruba 

president, over this very issue of 

a lopsided local government 

system. His position then was 

that the local government 

structure was inadequate. But 

now confronted with a Fulani 

president, Tinubu becomes a 

traitor to himself. He now 

presents police recruitment 

according to this allegedly 

inadequate structure as the 

panacea for the continued 

slaughter of his people by Fulani 

herdsmen within the framework 

of a Fulani presidency. 

The simple conclusion here is 

that Tinubu has abandoned his 

people. Bola Tinubu has sold out 

his people for the sake of 

ingratiating himself to President 

Buhari, whose support he 

probably requires for a futile 

future run for the 

presidency. Clearly, Tinubu can 

no longer be trusted to speak for 

the Yorubas in Nigeria. When he 

speaks today, he is only speaking 

for himself. 

Tinubu wants to have his cake 

and eat it, but this cannot 

wash. The problem of murderous 

herdsmen has reached crisis 

proportions in the Southwest. He 

is a member of APC, the ruling 

party that can put a stop to this 

but refuses to do so. He has to be 

seen to be doing something about 

this even though he cannot; for 

self-interested reasons. 

So what does Tinubu do? He 

goes to see the president with a 

collection of fake Yoruba leaders 

who call themselves Afenifere but 

are not. We know who the real 

Afenifere are. They are led by 

Pa Reuben Fasoranti. Their 

spokesman is Yinka 

Odumakin. The real Afenifere 

has already concluded that 

Tinubu is not serving the interest 

of Yoruba. 

When Tinubu gets to the 

president, he is unable to tell him 

the truth about the security 

situation in the Southwest or to 

offer any serious suggestions 

about the need to address them. 

All he went there for was just a 

photo-up. But nobody should be 

fooled by this. 

Yemi Osinbajo 

The real Afenifere has also 

identified Vice-president Yemi 

Osinbajo as a sell-out. In a 

communiqué, signed by its 

leaders, they said: “Osinbajo is 

hanging on the Fulani to work 

against Yoruba interest. When our 

people are getting killed in their 

farms by Fulani herdsmen 

Osinbajo did not say anything.” 

On his recent visit to the United 

States, Osinbajo downplayed the 

incidence of the marauding 

herdsmen, because he dared not 

admit the truth. He said: “With 

respect to general kidnapping 

which we have seen in parts of 

the country, again, this is not 

entirely new. In fact, some of the 

kidnapping stories you read or 

listen to are simply not true 

anyway, some are fueled by 

politics.” 

Replied the Afenifere: “(We are 

scandalized) by the opportunistic 

and provocative utterances of 

Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo in 

NewYork dismissing the danger 

we are faced in Yorubaland as 

well as by other zones in Nigeria 

as being ‘politically motivated.’” 

In effect, Yoruba politicians in 

the APC are on the horns of a 

dilemma. How can they continue 

to be members of a party and 

government that practically turns 

a blind eye to the kidnapping, 

raping, maiming and killing of 

their people? Is the trade-off of 

declaring June 12 as Democracy 

Day sufficient for them to 

acquiesce in forfeiting part of their 

homeland to Fulani herdsmen? 

Make no mistake about it. Bola 

Tinubu, Yemi Osinbajo and other 

APC opportunists can no longer 

speak for the Yorubas in Nigeria.

Political Earth Tremor in Ethiopia 

IT was a big relief to all 

democratic forces in Africa 

when the Ethiopian military 

putsch of Saturday, June 22, 

was crushed by the government 

of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. 

It all began ominously enough 

with the assassination of 

Amhara regional president, 

Ambachew Mekonnen, whilst at 

a security meeting with key 

officials in the city of Bahir Dar. 

Almost simultaneously, in 

Addis Ababa, the Chief of the 

General Staff, Se’are 

Mekonnen, was gunned down 

by his own orderly. The alleged 

mastermind, Brigadier-General 

Asamnew Tsige, had apparently 

intended to instigate 

simultaneous attacks on 

prominent political and military 

leaders across the country so as 

to bring down the government. 

Coming out in full military 

combat fatigues, Prime Minister 

Abiy rallied all Ethiopians to 

unite “against the forces of evil”. 

Flags were flown at half mast 

while internet access was 

temporarily shut down. More 

than 250 arrests were made. 

Monday, June 24, was declared 

a national day of mourning 

By Edet Okpo 

AFTER many years of disappointment 

and failed promises, the dreams of 

cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria 

having the recommended mandatory sea 

time experience and other related exposures 

as part of their statutory training 

programme will in a matter of months be 

realised. This cheering prospect was as good 

as sealed with the visit of the newly elected 

president of Ship Owners Association of 

Nigeria, SOAN, Dr. MkGeorge Onyung, to 

the academy on a facility tour on Friday, 

June 5, 2019. 

This is yet another proof of renewed 

interest and attraction the academy has 

gained in recent times from stakeholders 

and affiliate organisations following the 

rapid restructuring Commodore Duja 

Emmanuel Effedua-led management has 

brought about. Although the academy has 

been in existence for 42 years, this is the first 

time a deal of this nature has been secured 

by the academy’s management. 

Stressing the importance of this, the Rector 

of the Academy, Commodore Duja Effedua, 

had explained that the benefiting cadets will 

become exposed to real and practical life 

on sea, an experience which they never had 

but which is primarily designed to boost 

their competence and make them 

marketable across the world in line with 

international best practices for cadets from 

maritime Academies. 

Commodore Effedua stated that exposure 

of cadets to seatime on a vessel has become 

necessary as part of the current strategic 

agenda of restructuring and repositioning 

of the academy into a world class institution. 

The rector said the situation he met on 

ground on resumption of duty was 

disheartening, considering the years of 

existence of the academy. He said they were 

many abandoned projects and inadequate 

while the casualties were given 

a befitting state burial. 

These events underline the 

Carthaginian Peace that has 

haunted Ethiopia for decades 

like a dark phantom that would 

not go away. A few years ago, 

while attending an AU Summit, 

I caught up with old friends at 

an upmarket café in Addis. In 

the course of our conversation I 

asked if it’s ever foreseeable for 

Ethiopia to have a constitutional 

monarchy as obtains in 

England, Belgium, Norway, 

Spain or the Netherlands. You 

could hear a pin drop. My 

friends were from the old 

Amhara aristocracy. Their 

silence spoke volumes. 

Ethiopia is an old society 

seemingly trapped in the 

Middle Ages until recently. It 

is yet to fully come to terms, in 

a manner of speaking, with 

modernity. Emperor Haile 

Selassie reigned as absolute 

monarch - Negus Negusa - 

from 1930 until his ouster in a 

military coup in 1974. Despite 

his foibles, he was a moderniser 

who invested in education and 

infrastructures; a champion of 

pan-Africanism who fought for 

the liberation of our continent 

and the dignity of black people 

throughout the world. But he 

was also a medieval despot who 

inflexibly believed in the Divine 

Right of Kings. During his 

almost sixty-year reign, he left 

the feudal lords pretty much to 

their own devices whilst his 

country was ravaged by famine. 

And that is why, when the 

revolution came, it was so brutal 

and so violent. 

Ethiopia is the second most 

populous nation in Africa, with 

a population of 100 million, 

comprising some 80 odd tribes. 

The dominant ones are: the 

Oromo 34.4 per cent, Amhara 

27 per cent, Somali 6.2 per cent, 

Tigrinya 6.1 per cent, Sidama 4 

per cent, Gurage 2.5 per cent 

and Welaita 2.3 percent. For 

centuries the ruling elite were 

drawn predominantly from the 

The path to Ethiopia’s 

modernisation has been 

fraught with pitfalls; its 

1994 constitution 

abolished the 

centralised unitary state 

and replaced it with a 

confederation 

fair-skinned, Semitic Amhara 

northern highlanders. The 

Amhara language remains the 

national lingua franca. The 

violent revolution that overthrew 

the monarchy in 1974 led to 

massive ethnic cleansing of the 

Amhara ruling elite. 

The overthrow of the 

Mengistu Derg military- 


Stalinist dictatorship in 1987 

ushered in a new era of hope. 

Meles Zenawi and the Tigrean 

People’s Liberation Front, TPLF, 

in coalition with the Ethiopian 

Peoples Revolutionary 

Democratic Front, EPRDF, 

instituted modernisation 

programmes that set the country 

on a new path. But Meles was 

also an authoritarian. He 

waged a savage border war 

with his former comrade, Isaias 

Afeworki, in neighbouring 

Eritrea. His development 

programmes nonetheless won 

him enormous respect. He was 

genuinely mourned when he 

passed away in 2012. I had the 

honour of meeting his successor 

Hailemariam Desalegn; a mildmannered 

statesman far from 

the image of the repressive 

autocrat that was projected by 

some media groups. 

The path to Ethiopia’s 

modernisation has been fraught 

with pitfalls. The 1994 

constitution abolished the 

centralised unitary state and 

replaced it with a confederation 

of nine regions defined by 

ethnicity rather than 

citizenship. 

The regions reserve a 

constitutional right to declare 

independence from the rest of 

the country should they choose 

to do so. Ethnic federalism has 

reinforced the power struggle 

between the Big Three - 

Tigrinya, Amhara and Oromo. 

Although the ruling EPRDF is 

a coalition of four parties, the 

minority Tigrinya have always 

called the shots at the expense 

of the others. Ethiopia reminds 

Actualising maritime academy’s dreams through partnership with ship owners 

infrastructure, poor quality of cadets and 

lack of teaching staff in professional areas. 

Other challenges he listed were over-bloated 

cadets population, old and insufficient 

equipment and general low orientation. 

However, the earnest efforts of his 

management team have changed all these 

into positives, because he realised that one 

of the major problems of the Academy was 

leadership that has a sense of direction and 

passion. 

He noted:“To truly merit the name of 

seafarers as well as meet their professional 

expectations, cadets must be given proper 

training in line with international standards. 

This involves undergoing the compulsory 

seatime training. And because the present 

management of the academy is after 

excellence and professionalism of cadets, 

we went into action to make sure everything 

possible was done to actualize dreams and 

ensure that our products can stand any test 

in any part of the world. That is why we are 

grateful to the Ship Owners Association of 

Nigeria for its consistent support and the 

current assurances by the new leadership. 

Let me mention that the academy has 

moved from where it was previously and is 

gaining respect and recognition”. 

According to the rector, practical steps 

already taken include rapid infrastructural 

renaissance, employment of core 

professionals to handle courses, change of 

mental orientation for cadets; procurement 

of modern equipment in line with 

International Maritime Organisation, 

IMO, standards, reduction of cadets’ 

population to enhance quality, provision of 

new hostels, modern and functional survival 

pool and others as well as robust partnership 

with affiliate bodies on staff capacitybuilding, 

etc. 

He noted that, like some other projects, 

the survival pool that has just been 

remodelled and completed had been 

abandoned for 19 years. His dream is to 

have foreign cadets and other maritime 

professionals in the academy. 

Earlier in his speech, the SOAN President, 

Dr. MkGeorge Onyung, emphasized that 

the decision by the organization to visit and 

also support the academy in critical areas 

of needs was motivated by the commitment 

of the present management and the rapid 

transformation that the academy has 

witnessed recently. In his words, “We have 

heard so much about your unflinching 

commitment towards the repositioning and 

restructuring of the academy. This is my first 

time in this place since the establishment of 

this institution more than 40 years ago; but 

The academy has moved 

from where it was 

previously and is gaining 

respect and recognition 

as I arrived here, I was first captured by the 

ambience of the academy’s environment 

that tells the story from the gate.” 

As part of the facility tour, the SOAN boss 

visited the 1000 capacity auditorium 

complex equipped with sophisticated 

facilities, simulation centre, library complex 

and resource centre all remodelled to 

modern taste and completed by the Effedua 

administration. Other places visited 

include an ICT centre, academic block and 

computerised lecture theatres, twin survival 

pool and a medical centre. 

Addressing the management after the 

facility tour, Dr. Onyung noted that he was 

impressed by what he saw, compared to what 

he used to hear previously. He said the newly 

completed structures and ongoing ones were 

bold signatures of the present management. 

“Let me first commend the rector and his 

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me in many ways of Russia, with 

which it shares the Orthodox 

faith and a leadership tradition 

steeped in what the Marxist 

political philosopher Perry 

Anderson terms “the lineages 

of the absolutist state”. Some 

ethnic leaders have bitterly 

complained that the hegemony 

of the relatively small Tigrinya 

political elite has come at the 

expense of the bigger groups, 

notably the Oromo and the 

Amhara. Over the last few 

years, ethnic militias have been 

growing in strength and 

audacity. In June last year 

Prime Minister Abiy narrowly 

escaped a grenade attack that 

left two members of his 

entourage dead. In October 

soldiers mutinied over pay and 

invaded the prime minister’s 

office. It was only his adroit 

handling of a potentially 

explosive situation that saved 

the day. 

All the regions jealously 

guard against encroachments 

on their territories and 

prerogatives. In 2015, when the 

federal government wanted to 

expand some projects from 

Addis Ababa into neighbouring 

Oromo territory, there were, 

surprisingly, rather wild howls 

among the Oromian people. 

Everywhere across the country, 

there are strident demands for 

more human rights, greater 

freedoms and more 

representation at the federal 

centre. The reflex response by 

succeeding governments has 

been more and more repression, 

and more brutal force, thereby 

compounding a bad situation. 

management team for their vision, 

commitment and taste for quality. What I 

have seen is a sharp contrast to the previous 

stories of poor management, obsolete or 

complete lack of quality infrastructure, 

dearth of modern training equipment, halfbaked 

cadets and inadequate professionals 

to handle core maritime courses. I can now 

say that the academy has a future. It is on 

course. I am quite satisfied. This is what 

gives us the courage and incentive to 

encourage this institution the more. It all 

points to the fact that with the right person 

in the right place, things can work in this 

country”, he said. 

With this impression, Dr. Onyung 

promised on behalf of SOAN that the level 

of collaboration and support for the 

academy will be increased to sustain the 

tempo of the current transformation and 

futuristic plans for the academy, especially 

in the area of seatime training. He pledged 

that modalities will quickly be developed to 

strike a strong partnership with other 

affiliate groups towards ensuring that 

qualified cadets from the academy have 

seatime on vessels and exposure to the wider 

world. 

Onyung noted that what has taken place 

in the academy since Commodore Duja 

Effedua’s arrival has been phenomenal. He 

said, "It has become a centre of attraction 

for observers near and far in recent times. It 

would be recalled that two months ago, the 

immediate past Minister for 

Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi 

also visited the Academy for the first time 

and commissioned more than 10 projects 

undertaken by the Effedua administration. 

Like the rector always says: “I am in the 

academy to prove a point. I am here to give 

hope to the maritime industry in Nigeria. 

This academy must launch into the global 

market”. 

•Okpo, a journalist and maritime 

commentator, wrote from Uyo 

C 

M 

Y 

K


SMS only: 08088693107 

Email: ebellistic@yahoo.co.uk 

Mr. Chima Obinna 

Ejimofor is an 

architect, producer, singer 

and song writer. He spent 

most of his growing years in 

Imo State, and has moved 

from one part of Nigeria to 

the other in search of 

opportunities, experiences 

and all. In this chat with 

Vanguard, he said nobody, no 

matter his religion, would want 

an insecure environment. 

Excerpts: 

By Ebele Orakpo 

Is this the Nigeria you grew up in? 

The Nigeria I grew up in was 

different and my aspirations for 

Nigeria kept changing as I grew. 

If you grew in one part of Nigeria, 

you are only left with stories to 

judge the other parts, so my dream 

Nigeria would be one in which we 

avoid concentrating on our 

differences and see ourselves as 

individuals who come from the 

same struggle, this way, we might 

be able to create a working force 

because I have seen how a lot of 

Nigerians have developed 

themselves in other countries. We 

come from a passion of wanting 

to be great so if that is already 

embedded in us, we always want 

some good for our individual 

selves so with a population of 

about 200m, I think with that 

mindset, the Nigeria of the future 

can turn into anything we decide. 

It is not one of those situations 

where our resources determine 

what we become. What will 

determine what Nigeria becomes 

depends on mindset. There are a 

lot of brilliant people who want 

to do good just as there are a lot of 

people who want to bring the 

country down but if we focus our 

attention on the positive which is 

building good infrastructural and 

healthcare systems by the people 

we put in there to guide and 

regulate the laws of the land, I 

think we can avert a lot of terrible 

things that have been going on 

with us for the past 53 years and 

make something out of the 

country. 

We're divided along religious 

and ethnic lines, how can we get 

out of that? 

That’s my point exactly. Our 

religious system is just as good as 

the educational system because 

without education, you will not be 

able to understand religion. 

Religion is not something you just 

grow into and understand; you 

need to be educated to understand 

it so I think before we place 

religion (one of the destroying 

factors in the country), we should 

place education first. 

We all want the same thing 

If you ask a Christian, a Moslem 

and a traditional religion 

practitioner what they want for 

their children, the kind of 

environment they want them to 

grow up in; we all say the same 

thing – free, secure, peaceful 

environment. So without religion, 

we all have one particular thing 

we want and if we concentrate on 

that, then we have already 

conquered our religious 

differences. The fact is that many 

people are suffering and when you 

suffer psychologically, you are 

only left with your back against 

the wall and in that vulnerable 

situation, you only want to survive 

and when you think of surviving, 

you think only of yourself or your 

kinsmen; but when you ask 

Our mindset will determine 

what Nigeria becomes 

– Chima Ejimofor 

•Chima Ejimofor 

yourself the question: ‘Why are we 

suffering?’ If we solve why we are 

suffering, then we can solve why 

we are actually fighting because I 

feel it’s not just a Nigerian 

situation, so many countries, even 

the great USA, have some 

religious problems too; you see 

people go into public buildings 

and shoot them up. 

Mindset 

It boils down to our mindset, our 

psychological backgrounds and 

how we treat each other basically. 

Would you want to walk into a 

public building and get shot? 

Would you want a situation where 

your neighbourhood is run by 

armed robbers every night? 

Nobody, no matter your religion, 

would want that. We can decide to 

say ‘fine, we are going to secure 

the environment where your 

church or mosque is so that you 

can pray as long as you want.’ But 

if it is not secure and you are 

supposed to go for prayers, you 

won't go, so the state of the nation 

depends greatly on how we secure 

ourselves and how we actually 

think. We call ourselves the giant 

of Africa; it’s not really because of 

what we have achieved, I think it's 

because of what we believe we can 

do. You might be sleeping and 

people will look at you and say 

‘ah, she can’t do anything!’ But 

once you wake up, you are active 

so it’s almost like Nigeria, at a 

point, went to sleep and if we come 

to recognise our force as one, not 

as different tribes, we would 

understand how countries like US 

and China have grown to where 

they are now. You will never see 

them divide themselves just for 

reasons that have nothing to do 

with their economic growth. 

We can’t be fighting a war with 

ourselves when nobody knows the 

reason. My children come in and 

join the war which I didn’t start. 

It’s a waste of time, we can actually 

say ‘enough of this. If you want a 

good Nigeria, raise your hands 

and if you don’t want a good 

Nigeria, go over there,' then work 

with people who want a great 

Nigeria and make it what it 

should be. Differences are not 

going to take us forward. 

How did we get here? 

It was a gradual thing, even 

diseases in our body start with 

a pinch or something as little 

as a pimple. For instance, we 

have people who are 80 

years now and when 

Nigeria was a beautiful 

place, they were in their 

20s so may be at that 

point, a couple of corrupt 

individuals or practices 

were not checked. Where 

you have a bad little 

child and you just 

ignore the fact that this 

character is bad and 

allow the child grow 

into an adult with the bad 

character, you end up dealing with 

a bad adult and you start asking 

questions like: ‘how did this adult 

become a bad person?’ No, it 

started way back and you did not 

take care of it. So it’s negligence 

and ignorance that got us to the 

point where we feel religion will 

solve all our problems. God has 

given us the gift of wisdom so when 

you have already been given the 

The only reason I 

feel we have 

government is 

because as human 

beings, we are wired 

to need hierarchy, 

even animals; it’s 

not for power tussle 

gift of wisdom, I don’t think you 

should go to God every night and 

morning to ask; you can thank 

Him for what you have been given 

and the more you give thanks and 

praises, it’s like gratitude, it 

multiplies and makes you feel 

good, but when you just keep 

asking and asking, it’s a problem 

but when we feel like, 'hey, we are 

the ones that messed things up a 

while ago, so let’s fix this.' I know 

there are bad people around and 

the only reason why there are bad 

people is so that the good people 

can do something about them. 

That’s how I see it. 

What about the economy? 

You will realise that a lot of 

countries that are not doing so 

well are not very populated so it 

has a lot to do with workforce. If 

the economy of a country is bad, 

it is the people because economy 

is just abstract, it is me and you 

deciding to make something work 

out for us; what we buy, what we 

sell and how we improve our 

trade. So the Nigerian economy 

is dependent on the people. For 

instance, if we stop relying on 

government to provide everything 

for us, we would be able to create 

a sustainable economy that can 

take care of you and your 

household without you going to 

your neighbour like how it used 

to be in the past - trade by barter 

system where what you reap is 

from what you sow. If you want to 

eat, you have to give something 

and if you don’t have something 

to give, you will starve so it will 

only create this cycle where you 

ask yourself: ‘what can I do? and 

that’s the question a lot of great 

people have advised people to ask. 

If we have 100 people in Nigeria 

and 100 of them are trying to do 

good, every one person that is 

around 99 people, will only gain 

99 times as much as he is giving 

but when you have one person who 

is docile and doesn’t really care 

but focusing on other people and 

saying: ‘let the government give 

me money for the oil under my 

land; I own this,' things like that 

don’t help. When you have an 

economy like that, you tend to 

have people who come in to take 

advantage of it because they see 

the citizens don’t want to do 

anything so they capitalise on 

their laziness and sell to them 

what they already have. 

Everything in this world, I believe, 

is information and if you have 

information, you can transform 

anything to benefit you. 

So we shouldn't expect the 

government to do anything? 

It’s not like we shouldn’t expect 

them to do something. The only 

reason I feel we have government 

is because as human beings, we 

are wired to need hierarchy, even 

animals. It’s not for power tussle, 

it’s more like 'ok, we have a leader 

so if you want to pay for whatever, 

pay it into the leader’s account, 

the leader would take care of it.' 

It’s like regulation, making sure 

everyone is doing what he is 

supposed to do. It’s not someone 

who is going to lord it over others. 

If you see a leader like a father 

and those being led as the 

children, then you are already 

putting yourself in a situation 

where you are not responsible 

enough to take care of yourself but 

when you see the leader as a father 

and others as his bothers, you 

know why he has you. A 

government is as good or as bad 

as the people and when we talk of 

Nigeria, we talk of democracy. It 

means the leader is whoever we 

elect. We are saying: ‘Hey, this is 

what we want to do, this is what 

we can do on our own but we just 

want you to be the one to 

spearhead this idea.' It’s not 'please 

tell us what to do, we have no idea.' 

We are intelligent enough to say: 

“Ok you have the tendency to 

carry the crowd, some have 

leadership qualities, some 

probably like to stay at the 

background; we just ask those 

with leadership qualities to speak 

for us, be our voice, things like that 

just like in the church or mosque 

where we have a pastor or an 

imam. So I feel that’s really what 

government should be about and 

not that if there is no government, 

then we are nobody. I don’t believe 

in having a leader that tells you 

what to do and that is why we have 

the National Assembly, they go 

through everything that is said 

and ask if you are ok with it, what 

you think and what your people 

are saying about it? Everybody 

makes an input and the President 

signs. 

That’s in an ideal situation... 

That is why we are having this 

conversation. There's no 

government without the people. 

When you say ‘they,’ 'they' is just 

one man or one woman. If the 

people decide that from now on, 

this is what this country is going 

to be about; when we go to the 

filling station, we will be orderly; 

we are going to park our cars well 

in public places. In the last 

election, there were many videos 

of election malpractice so it’s not 

just the government, it’s the 

people! 

When you say the powers-thatbe, 

who gave those people the 

power? It’s back to the people. 

Nigeria is not an ideal place, no 

doubt but I am trying to take the 

blame from an individual or a 

group of 10 or 20 people and put 

it on the 200 million people. So 

many times, a lot of revolutions 

have happened in countries where 

the people decide to say no, 

'enough of that.' So I think 200m 

people should be able to say 'we 

don’t want this for ourselves 

again, we'll change this. We're not 

coming out to vote, our votes don’t 

count the way you claim they do,' 

and everybody stays at home, even 

those who were promised N20m 

to go and vote, will say: ‘It’s not 

about the money, it’s about change.' 

If we can stop being greedy because 

one greedy Judas in your crew is 

already a loophole, he has no 

principles or dignity so he can 

always cave in. 

Education 

Education starts from the home not 

from the school but most of the time, 

we have children basically being 

raised and even nurtured by 

teachers, even worse, by their fellow 

students. If they all have good 

backgrounds, I think our 

educational system will be way 

better than it is now. I always 

congratulate every single teacher 

out there who took time to impart 

knowledge. That’s the best job ever, 

apart from being a mother. 

Doing business in Nigeria 

For a sole proprietor, someone who 

has a dream and wants to achieve 

the best, business here depends on 

two factors. First, capital; there is 

no capital and even if you have to 

go to the bank, you already have to 

be established which is basically 

what you are trying to do so if you 

could be established, why do you 

need to go to the bank in the first 

place? If our dreams are being 

funded by people who believe in us, 

it’s a risk. If you feel you have to be 

a rich man to be able to achieve 

your dream, you’ve already started 

losing, your dream will never be 

achieved so capital is one. Two, 

people you associate with. A lot of 

people have great ideas but they are 

always around people who are there 

for the short term, those who just 

look for what they can gain, you 

may be thinking of 20 years and 

someone is thinking of 20 mins, 

what they can just get out of you 

now. So it takes us back to mindset.


Govs, Senators to bag award for 

development of N Delta 

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

By Jimitota Onoyume 

W 

A R R I — 

GOVERNORS, four 

senators and prominent 

industrialists have been 

nominated for various 

categories of awards in the 

Niger Delta. 

Mr Edun Ariyor of 

Mayorkings Agency said, 

the award is to spur 

government officials and 

others to aggressively 

pursue development of 

Niger Delta, adding that a 

Miss Oil City Nigeria, will 

also be organised alongside 

the award ceremony. 

Also speaking, Miss 

Natasha Aagbowa said, 

winner of the beauty 

pageant will join 

government and 

BAYELSA 2019: N’Delta women 

brainstorm on non-violent poll 

By Emma Amaize 

Y ENAGOA— 

WOMEN from the 

six states of South-South 

region will storm Yenagoa, 

Bayelsa State, from today 

for the 13th Niger Delta 

Dialouge, NDD, to 

brainstorm with principal 

political actors and critical 

stakeholders on how to 

avert violence in November 

2 gubernatorial election in 

the state. 

Following recent 

experiences in Niger Delta, 

women of the region, who 

held their 12th Dialogue in 

Rivers State, resolved to 

meet in Bayelsa before the 

election to build confidence 

in the formal organs that 

will administer election in 

the state and engage them 

impartially on the process. 

Facilitated by Academic 

Peaceworks and funded by 

the European Union, EU, 

NDD, has evolved as a 

space for Niger Delta 

women to discuss matters 

that affect women and the 

OML42: Host communities, 

leaders tackles Neconde over 

GMoU, operations 

By Ediri Ejoh 

HOST communities 

and leaders in 

OML42, Gbaramatu 

Kingdom, Warri South West 

Local Government Area, 

Delta State, have criticised 

Neconde Energy Limited 

for refusing to sign a Global 

Memorandum of 

Understanding, GMoU, 

with the host communities 

since 2011. 

Chairman, Akpata- 

Egbegbe oil producing 

community, Jones Creek, in 

OML42, Mr. Isaac Oluba, 

yesterday, in Warri, said, “It 

is regrettable and 

unfortunate that the 

Federal Government 

allowed Neconde Energy 

Limited to acquired 45 

percent equity shares in 

OML42, because the 

company has not shown 

any commitment to the 

international groups to 

campaign against oil spill, 

oil theft and pipeline 

vandalism in the Niger 

Delta region. 

They said awards would 

be given to deserving 

Deltans and Nigerians in 

various categories, adding 

that the award is to “ 

strengthen democratic 

framework in Niger Delta.” 


Mayorkings Agency, Mr 

Temisan Louis said 

government officials, 

community and various 

interest groups will be part 

of this year’s event, adding 

that the two events will 

come up in August this 

year in Warri South Local 

Government Area, Delta 

State. 

region. 

A statement by the 

organisers, said “In 

furtherance of the above, 

the 13th NDD is bringing 

together Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, local 

government chairmen, 

political parties, legislators, 

security operatives, civil 

society organisation, CSO 

leaders, traditional and 

religious leaders, media, 

women, youth and men 

into a dialogue on how we 

can rebuild trust in the 

outcomes of elections and 

disavow violence. 

“In terms of concrete 

steps, the dialogue will 

seek to influence and 

shape the processes 

surrounding the election in 

order to make things safer. 

Furthermore, the dialogue 

will set out the basis for a 

future peace accord by all 

the critical stakeholders as 

they navigate the path to 

peaceful, credible and 

inclusive primaries and 

elections.” 

growth and development 

of the host communities 

which can only be achieved 

by a valid GMoU. 

“Neconde Energy 

Limited, despite being an 

indigenous oil exploration 

company has operated in 

total disregard and breach 

of the Nigerian Local 

Content Act, therefore, it is 

time the Federal 

Government, Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC and 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources, DPR a probe 

the activities of Neconde in 

OML42.” 

In same vein, Ijaw Youth 

Leader from the 

community, in Gbaramatu 

Kingdom, Timi Oluba has 

appealed to President 

Muhammadu Buhari not to 

renew the OML42 licence 

until Neconde Energy 

Limited has signed a 

GMoU with the affected 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and Mrs Flora Alanta, newly sworn-in commissioner for Women 

Affairs Delta State at Unity Hall, Govt House, Asaba. Photo: Nath Onojake. 

Tribunal confirms Wike’ election, 

dismisses AAC, candidate’s petition 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

THE Rivers State 

Governorship 

Election Tribunal has 

dismissed the petition by 

the African Action 

Congress, AAC, 

governorship candidate 

in the 2019 general 

election, Biokpomabo 

Awara, against 



INEC, Governor 

Nyesom Wike and 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP. 

The Tribunal presided 

A-Ibom monarchs, religious leaders demand 

end to Ruga settlement policy 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

UYO—AKWA IBOM 

State traditional and 

religious leaders have 

called on the Federal 

Government to abort its plan 

to establish cattle colony or 

Ruga’ settlement in each 

state of the federation under 

the National Livestock 

Transformation policy. 

The leaders who spoke 

during a meeting held at the 

palace of the Oku Ibom of 

Ibibio nation, Ntenyin 

Solomon Etuk, noted that 

the decision of the Federal 

Government to suspend the 

proposed ‘Ruga settlement’ 

was not enough as there 

may be plan to bring it up 

again in future under 

another name. 

Speaking, Etuk who is also 

the Paramount Ruler of Nsit 

Ubium Local Government 

Area of the state, said that 

Akwa Ibom people would 

never support the Ruga’ 

settlement’ policy. 

His words, “On the issue 

of Ruga’ settlement, I want 

to say that the position of 

Akwa Ibom State is very 

clear. The people of Akwa 

Ibom say ‘No’ to Ruga 

settlement. 

“And I want those who feel 

over by Justice K. A. 

Orjiako dismissed the 

petition on the ground that 

it was deemed 

abandoned on the 

ground of Paragraph 4 

of the First Schedule of 

the Electoral Act. 


Tribunal, the petition 

was deemed to have been 

technically abandoned 

because the AAC and its 

candidate failed to meet 

key procedural 

requirements as to 

applying for pre-hearing 

information. 

The three man panel led 

by Justice K. A Orjiakor 

that Nigeria belongs to 

them alone to listen to the 

voice of conscience. We all 

belong to Nigeria, and no 

particular section of this 

country is greater than the 

other.” 

The royal father also 

declared that the petition 

was incompetent and 

therefore, dismissed it. 

Earlier, the tribunal struck 

out applications by the AAC 

governorship candidate, 

seeking that he be 

separated from all joint 

applications previously 

made with the party. 

Recall that the AAC 

recently adopted Mr 

Henry Bello to represent 

it at the tribunal after the 

former counsel, Tawo 

Tawo, SAN, withdrew 

from the matter, with a 

notice of change of 

counsel filed before the 

tribunal. 

This application came 

in after the AAC brought 

in another counsel to 

handle its matter at the 

tribunal. 

The three man panel led 

by Justice K. A Ojiako, after 

going through arguments 

in the Awara, AAC suit 

against Wike ruled that 

all applications filed by the 

1st petitioner (Tawo Tawo, 

former AAC counsel) are 

struck out. 

Ojiako noted that the 

application by the petitioner 

(counsel for Awara; 

Mustafa Ibrahim) has been 

found to be an abuse of 

court process). 

Vessel owners fault FG, Police, India govt’s claim 

on freed victims 


Aof SABA—OWNERS 

the Vessel, ‘MT 

APECUS’ have said the 

Federal Government, the 

Nigerian Navy, the Police 

as well as the Indian 

Government did nothing to 

secure the release of six of 

their crew members who 

were kidnapped by 

gunmen. 

Calling for the immediate 

release of Mr Charles 

Marccathy, a Ghanaian 

national, who was 

kidnapped by the hijackers 

while attempting to deliver 

the ransom, and 17 Crew 

members allegedly being 

detained by the Nigerian 

Navy, they frowned at 

the nonchalant attitude 

of the Federal 

Government, the Indian 

condemned the spate of 

killings in the country , 

especially the killing of 

Christians in different parts 

of the country. 

He equally advised 


Buhari on the need to 

Government and the 

security agencies to plight 

of their staffers who were 

kidnapped. 

Recall that the seafarers 

from the Vessel, ‘MT 

APECUS’ were kidnapped 

and taken ashore from 

the vessel in the outer 

anchorage in Nigeria on 

April 19, 2019 and 

regained their freedom 

after two months. 


and the High Commission 

of India, Abuja had 

claimed that through the 

sustained efforts of 

various stakeholders, 

including the Ministry of 

Shipping, the Directorate 

General of Shipping and 

the High Commission of 

India, Abuja, the 

kidnapped victims were 

successfully released and 

have reached the safe 

spread his appointments to 

accommodate people from 

all the sections of the 

country so that peace and 

harmony would reign.'' 

“I don’t know how many 

of us leaders go to sleep 

when their people are 

being slain in cold blood. 

It bothers us.'' 

custody of the authorities 

on June 27. 

But reacting, the owners 

of the Vessel, ‘MT 

APECUS’ said that the 

kidnapped seafarers 

regained their freedom 

after two months in 

captivity as a result of their 

sole efforts, adding that 

little or nothing was done 

by those claiming credit for 

their release. 

The spokesman for the 

Vessel owners, Mr Koffi 

Bue said that; “The 

Nigerian Government, the 

Navy and the Indian 

Government did nothing 

towards securing their 

release from captivity or if 

they did anything at all, 

the impact was not felt 

because the Vessel Owners 

did everything possible to 

ensure that the victims were 

reunited with their families.''


July 20 for demolition of 

structures near A'Ibiam Airport 

By Anayo Okoli 

ENUGU 

State 

Government has said 

it would commence 

demolition of all property 

that encroached on Akanu 

Ibiam International Airport 

and its run way, appealing 

to people who have any 

property that encroached 

on the designated areas of 

the airport to remove them 

before the commencement 

of the demolition exercise 

on July 20. 

The state government 

which stated that the 

demolition would also 

include clearing remnants 

By Nwabueze 

Okonkwo 

O NITSHA—CIVIL 

L i b e r t i e s 

Organisation, CLO, 

Anambra State chapter, 

has tasked the state House 

of Assembly to legislate for 

the allocation of funds to 

the state Independent 


ANSIEC, for the conduct 

of local government and 

councillorship elections in 

the state, which it said was 

long overdue. 

CLO also tasked the 

legislators to resist the 

temptation of continued 

extension of tenures of 

transition committee 

chairman and members for 

local government 

administration in the state 

every three months. 

In a statement in 

Onitsha yesterday by its 

chairman, Vincent 

Ezekwueme; Secretary, 

of the closed Oye Emene 

Market, sought the 

support, cooperation and 

sacrifice from the people 

to ensure the success of 

its effort to make Akanu 

Ibiam International 

Airport fully realise its 

international status. 

It also notified 

property owners in the 

area of the intention to 

begin demolition. 

A statement by the 


General Administration, 

called for understanding 

of the people over the 

decision as it was taken 

in the state's best interest. 

CLO tasks Anambra 

legislators on LG polls 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—THE people 

of Abba community in 

Njikoka Local 

Government Area of 

Anambra State have made 

an appeal to President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

intervene in their ordeal in 

the hands of the Police over 

a land dispute between 

them and their Ukpo, 

Dunukofia Local 

Government Area 

neighbours. 

In the letter, which was 

also copied to the Police 

Service Commission, 

National Security Adviser, 

Chief Justice of the 

Federation and other 

relevant bodies, the 

community fingered the 

Inspector General of Police 

as being responsible for 

Chidi Mba, and PRO, 

Nicholas Amoke, CLO 

noted that a situation 

where the legislators 

extend the tenures of 

transition chairmen and 

their members in all 21 

local government areas 

of the state after every 

tenure of three months, 

at the request of the 

governor, would not 

augur well for the 

development of the state 

at the grassroots level. 

According to them, 

“the local government 

transition arrangement 

in the state was started 

by former governor 

Chris Ngige and 

continued by his 

successor, Peter Obi, 

until two months to the 

end of his eight-year 

tenure, when Obi 

conducted a selection 

kind of election and still 

controlled the local 

government funds.” 

Anambra community appeals 

to Buhari over land dispute 

the restricted movement 

of the people of the area 

in the past two weeks. 


community, the IGP 

should direct his efforts 

towards fighting the 

security challenges 

facing the country, such 

as kidnapping, 

assassinations, Boko 

Haram insurgence, 

among other security 

challenges, rather than 

engage in illegal 

boundary demarcation in 

Anambra communities. 

A statement by 

President-General of 

Abba, Mr. B. C. 

Anaekwe, and 

Secretary-General, Mr. 

Elias Udedibia, regretted 

what it described as 

the biased actions of the 

Police and urged the 

President to save them. 

Probe c’ttees: 

Abia House won’t witch-hunt 

anyone, but...—Majority Leader 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

A BA—MAJORITY 

Leader of Abia State 

House of Assembly, Chief 

Solomon Akpulonu, has 

said the committees set up 

by the House to investigate 

some government 

parastatals, agencies and 

abandoned housing estate 

projects in the state are not 

meant to witch-hunt 

anyone. 

The House had set up 

committees to investigate 

Abia State Polytechnic, Aba; 

Broadcasting Corporation 

of Abia State; Abia State 

College of Education, 

Technical, Arochukwu; 

College of Health 

Technology, Aba; Abia State 

Environmental Protection 

Agency, ASEPA, among 

others. 

It also set up a committee 

to investigate abandoned 

housing estates in the state. 

Akpulonu told Vanguard 

in Aba that the House 

resolved to set up 

committees to investigate 

why the affected agencies 

and parastatals owe their 

workers despite generating 

revenue and receiving 

subventions from 

government and also 

ascertain why some 

housing estates were 

abandoned across the state. 

He said: “The House 

would like to assure Abia 

people that the investigations 

are not being carried 

out to witch-hunt anyone. 

“The committee on 

estates was set up to 

ascertain the circumstances 

surrounding the 

abandonment of the estates. 

“The House is not happy 

that communities may have 

donated their land for 

development projects only 

for them to be abandoned 

and turned to hideouts for 

criminals. 

“As for the committees set 

up on parastatals and 

agencies, our interest is to 

ascertain why they cannot 

pay their workers despite 

generating revenue and 

receiving subventions from 

the government. 

“As a pro-people House, 

the interest of the state is 

our motivating factor in 

conducting these probes. 

“Every stakeholder would 

be happy with our findings 

and report. People should 

be assured that there are no 

plans to witch-hunt 

anyone. 

“However, the House will 

be bold. We will not hesitate 

to recommend sanctions 

for any erring parastatal or 

agency to serve as deterrent 

to others.” 

MONEYBAG.NG: From left—Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Lanre Fadayomi; Managing Director, 

Mr. Uchenna Okezie, both of Nuture Technology; Moneybag Brand Ambassador, Mr. Omololu Somuyiwa, 

and Chairman, Nuture Technology, Dr. Amechukwu Okezie, at the media launch of MONEYBAG.NG in Lagos, 

yesterday. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

RUGA: CAN challenges FG on preferential 

treatment to herdsmen 

By Dennis Agbo 

E NUGU—CHRISTIAN 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN, in Southern part of 

Nigeria, has challenged the 

Federal Government to 

explain why it gives 

preferential treatment to 

cattle rearers and turns its 

back against other farmers. 

CAN issued the query in 

a statement, against the 

background of concerns 

raised by the suspended 

RUGA settlement project. 

It, however, cautioned the 

people of southern Nigeria 

to remain cautious even 

with the suspension of the 

controversial RUGA 

settlement for herdsmen. 

In a statement by 

Secretary of CAN in the 17 

southern states, Dr. Joseph 

Ajujungwa, the body of 

clergy said the suspension 

of the programme by 


Buhari may not be the end 

of the matter. 

CAN suspected that 

underground work was still 

going on over the RUGA 

Project. 

He called on every 

southerner to be watchful, 

stressing that even as the 

… as Bobor hails FG on RUGA suspension 

By Simon Adewale 

AN All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

stalwart and former Delta 

State Commissioner for 

Housing, Engr Abraham 

Bobor, has lauded the 

Federal Government, 

particularly President 

Muhammadu Buhari, for 

the suspension of the 

RUGA agenda, saying “its 

suspension was a right step 

in the right direction.” 

Speaking in his Mosogar 

country home, Ethiope 

churches pray, they don’t 

need to keep quiet on such 

matters. 

Ajujungwa said: “We do 

not have land to give to 

anybody as a grazing field 

or colony and we call on the 

South-East governors to 

maintain their stand that 

they do not have such a 

place. Do you know what it 

means to give 10 hectares 

West council of the state, 

Chief Bobor commended 

President Buhari’s decision 

to suspend RUGA, saying 

“it shows that Mr. President 

has listening ears and 

wants peace and unity of 

this country.” 

While faulting those 

castigating the deputy 

president of the Senate, 

Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta 

Central), over his kneeling 

to greet President Buhari, 

he said: “Those castigating 

Senator Omo-Agege for 

kneeling to greet the 

of land to herdsmen? We 

say no to that. 

“As CAN, we will preach 

it from our pulpit. Every 

Imam should preach from 

the mosque and the 

traditionalists should stand 

against it; nobody should 

relent; no land should be 

given. Any traditional ruler 

that does that should be 

dethroned.” 

President are enemies of 

Urhobo and its culture and 

by extension, enemies of 

Nigeria and Africa 's 

culture.” 

Bobor said had Omo- 

Agege not knelt to greet 

Buhari in the President’s 

private apartment, he 

(Omo-Agege) would have 

been fined by Urhobo, 

particularly his Orogun 

elders on his return from 

Abuja, as “it is the culture 

in Urhoboland that a 

younger person greets his 

elder on his knees.”


AWARD: Group Managing Director, GMD, Aiteo Eastern E&P Co. Ltd, Victor Okoronkwo; 

NNPC (new- Group Managing Director, GMD, Mele Kyari and MD, NCTL, Tunde Akinpelu, 

at the just concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference, NOG Gala night award, in Abuja. 

Assassination: Suspects name Ogembe 

as sponsor 

By Boluwaji 

Obahopo 

LOKOJA 

—FOUR 

suspected killers of Yusuf 

Onivehu, a masquerade 

custodian from Governor 

Yahaya Bello’s clan, in 

Okene, Kogi State, have 

fingered the immediate past 

senator who represented 

Kogi Central Senatorial 

District, Ahmed Ogembe, as 

their sponsor. 

Onivehu, was assassinated 

on November 16, 2018 in 

what some people linked to 

part of politically motivated 

killings in the state. 

The four suspects were on 

Sunday evening paraded in 

Okene, headquarters of Kogi 

Central senatorial axis by 

Kogi State Commissioner of 

Police, Hakeem Busari, and 

further interrogated at the 

parade by the state governor, 

Yahaya Bello. 

The four suspects—Yusuf 

Abdulmumin, Aliyu Abona, 

26; Yusuf Abdulkarim, 29, and 

Yusuf Tijani, 25, claimed 

Ogembe contracted them to 

kill the deceased. 

The four suspects were led 

by 32-year-old Yusuf 

Abdulmumin, who claimed to 

have anchored the entire 

operation, including 

surveillance and the killing 

with the support of the other 

suspects 

Confession 

According to Abdulmumin, 

another suspect, Abdullahi 

Momohjimoh, now at large, 

who he served a jail term in 

Okene Maximum Prison 

with but later escaped from 

prison, was the main person 

contracted for the operation. 

He said: “On that fateful 

day after tracing the 

deceased’s movement and 

we were certain of his 

whereabouts, we waylaid 

and kidnapped him with the 

intent to kill.” 

The suspect claimed that 

after they shot at the deceased 

and the bullet did not 

penetrate, they then resorted 

to a grenade to blow off his 

head. 

•As Ogembe dismisses allegation, says Gov Bello 

after him 

According to him, 

“Momohjimoh informed us 

that the contract was a big one 

and was being financed by 

Senator Ogembe and 

warned us to keep the 

information within our circle 

not to be revealed to any other 

soul.” 

He also alleged that 

Momohjimoh’s gang was 

responsible for the prison 

break that led to his escape, 

and that after escape, his 

‘benefactor’ retained his 

services at gunpoint, and 

forced him into committing 

several other heinous crimes, 

including the murder of 

Onivehu. 

Another suspect, Aliyu 

Jafaru Abona, claimed he was 

a commercial motorcycle 

operator in Auchi, but was 

contacted by the gang to ferry 

the explosives, guns and 

other weapons for the 

operation, but denied 

knowledge of the content of 

the bag handed to him at the 

time. 

The other two brothers in the 

crime, Yusuf Abdulkarim and 

Yusuf Tijani confessed they 

acted as surveillance agents 

in the operation, but denied 

knowledge of why they were 

asked to monitor the 

deceased. 

Ogembe dismisses 

allegation, says Gov 

Bello after him 

But reacting, Ogembe 

dismissed the allegation 

linking him to the 

assassination, alleging that 

Governor Yahaya Bello of 

Kogi State was after him, 

insisting that it was an 

orchestrated plot to rope him 

in 

Ḣe said: “I urged the people 

of Kogi Central and Kogi 

State to keep hope alive in the 

face of laughable exhibition of 

ignorance and uncivilised 

ways of doing things by 

Governor Bello. I am aware 

of the absurdity being pulled 

together by the governor to 

cause confusion and 

misinform the public. When 

an opportunist is at the helm 

of affairs, he thinks every 

other person is a fool. An 

Ebira adage says 'When a 

fool talks he thinks people 

listening are also fools'. 

“My word of advice to 

Yahaya Bello is to devote 

more time to governance by 

uplifting the welfare of the 

people and prompt payment 

of salaries/pension than 

engaging in cheap blackmail 

and frivolous propaganda." 

Meanwhile, Governor 

Bello has assured the people 

of the state of his 

commitment to ensuring 

security of lives and property 

by smoking out criminals 

wherever they may hide. 

Oshiomhole’s ex-aide, 19 APC gov 

aspirants reject indirect primary in Kogi 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA—NO fewer 

than 20 governorship 

aspirants of All 


APC, in Kogi State, 

yesterday, rejected the 

decision of the National 

Working Committee, NWC, 

of the party to use indirect 

method for its governorship 

primary election ahead of 

the November 

gubernatorial polls. 

Among the signatories 

was Alhaji Yusuf Haruna, 

a former Aide dè Camp, 

ADC, to National 

Chairman of the party, 

Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, when he was 

Edo State governor. 

The aspirants, who were 

at the national secretariat of 

the party to submit a 

petition to that effect, said 

they were not consulted 

before the decision was 

taken. 

Those who signed the 

petition were Aliyu Zakari- 

Jiya, Dr. Tim Diche, Alhaji 

Yusuf Haruna. Admiral 

Usman Jibrin (retd), Alhaji 

Mohammed Audu, Alhaji 

Mohammed Ali, Alhaji Sani 

Lulu Abdullahi, Alhaji 

Jibrin Haruna Mohammed, 

AIhaji Yakubu Mohammed, 

Sheik Ibrahim Jibril, Chief 

Momoh Obaro, Prince Sani 

Shuaibu, Gowon Egbunu, 

Prince Sanni Shuaibu, 

Prince Mustapha Mona 

Audu, Alhaji Ahmed 

Aruwa, Akpa Patrick, 

Sunday Edibo, Khalid 

Adams and Yusuf Ali. 

The APC NWC had 

recently announced that 

indirect primary would be 

used to select its 

governorship candidate in 

Kogi State, attracting 

commendation from the 

state chapter of the party 

and other forces believed to 

be sympathetic to Governor 

Yahaya Bello. 

Recall that some 

stakeholders of the party in 

the state and the state 

party executives had earlier 

passed a resolution 

and forwarded same to 

NWC asking it to approve 

indirect primary method for 

the forthcoming primaries 

in the state. 

However, spokesman of 

the aspirants and one of the 

governorship aspirants, 

who read the letter, Ali, 

warned that the planned 

adoption of the indirect 

party primary “is inherent 

with serious negative 

consequences for the 

fortunes of the party in Kogi 

State.” 

He said: “We regret to 

observe that such decision 

was taken without 

adequate consultations 

with critical stakeholders of 

the party in the state, 

especially the 

governorship aspirants on 

the platform of the party 

and other contending 

groups in the polarised 

structure of the party in the 

state." 

Assault: Abbo in court, pleads 

not guilty, granted N5m bail 

THE 

Chief 

Magistrate’s Court 

in Zuba has granted N5 

million bail to Elisha 

Abbo, hours after the 

police arraigned the 

senator on a two-count 

charge of criminal 

assault. 

The magistrate also 

said the senator must 

present two competent 

sureties to the court to 

secure his appearance in 

subsequent hearings on 

the criminal charges. 

Abbo pleaded not 

guilty to both charges, 

sidestepping his 

admission of 

wrongdoing and an 

apology to both the 

victims and Nigerians 

last Wednesday. 

The police filed two 

counts of criminal use of 

force and criminal 

APC chieftain lauds Mustapha, 

Kyari's reappointment 

A 

chieftain and one of the 

South-South Leaders of 


APC, Tare Amatare, has 

congratulated Mr Boss 

Mustapha, Secretary to the 

Government of the 

Federation, and Abba 

Kyari, Chief of Staff to the 

President, on their 

reappointment by President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

Amatare, in a statement, 

described the duo as “pan 

Nigerians who always 

believe and place the 

interest of Nigeria first in the 

course of discharging their 

duties to their fatherland 

assault against Abbo 

yesterday morning, days 

after he was caught on 

video assaulting a 

woman in Abuja. 

PREMIUM TIMES 

published the exclusive 

video of the May 11 

assault on Tuesday, 

drawing nationwide 

condemnation and calls 

for the senator’s arrest 

and prosecution. 

Abbo, Nigeria’s 

youngest senator and 

member of the opposition 

PDP, spent the night in 

custody after responding 

to police summons on 

Thursday. 

The senator is expected 

to immediately meet the 

bail conditions and go 

home from the court 

rather than being hauled 

to prison, police sources 

said. 

Shinkafi threatens court action 

to compel EFCC to probe Yari 

administration 

By Onozure 

Dania 

THE 

governorship 

candidate of All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, in Zamfara 

State, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, 

has threatened court action 

to obtain an order of 

mandamus to compel the 

acting Chairman of 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, 

and the commission to 

commence an investigation 

into alleged wanton looting 

by the former 

administration of the state 

to tune of over N251 billion. 


Shinkafi had in a petition, 

accused the former 

administration headed by 

Abdulaziz Yari of leaving 

the state in huge debts. 

In the petition to the 

commission, Shinkafi 

accused the administration 

of Yari of financial 

recklessness, wanton 

looting and stealing of 

Zamfara State funds, 

saying: “I, the 

undersigned, hereby forward 

additional petition 

for the investigation and 

prosecution of the former 

administration for 

misappropriation, 

diversion and 

embezzlement of funds 

belonging to the Zamfara 

State Government. 

“I call on the commission 

as a matter of urgency to 

invite officials of the 

government involved in 

the financial recklessness, 

fraudulent practices in the 

looting of the funds 

belonging to the good 

people of Zamfara State.” 

He accused the former 

government of unduly 

awarding rural 

electrification contracts to 

the tune of N25million to a 

company (name withheld). 

He claimed the contract 

was awarded and funded 

jointly between state 

government and 14 local 

government councils 

without due process to the 

company in total violation 

of provision of the public 

procurement act 2007. 

and above all great patriots, 

who believe in unity, peace 

and progress of Nigeria.” 

While commending 

President Buhari for 

deeming it fit to reappiont 

them, he expressed 

confidence that both men 

would make Nigerians 

proud in discharging their 

duties. 

Amatarewished them well 

in the course of discharging 

their duties and urged 

Nigerians to continue to 

give them and the 

President the needed 

support to move Nigeria to 

the next level.


Afe Babalola tasks Judiciary, masses 

on entrenchment of true democracy 

By Tunde Olofintila 

IN his famous work titled 

“The Politics”, Aristotle, 

one of the often cited and 

quoted Philosophers, 

emphasized the place and 

import of the concept of 

Separation of powers as one 

of the strong pillars of 

democracy with emphasis 

on the independence of the 

Judiciary. And that was 

some 300 years before 

Christ.As it were, the 

independence of the 

Judiciary as enshrined in 

the principle of separation 

of powers implies that the 

Judiciary should be 

independent of the two 

other Arms of Government 

i.e. the Executive and the 

Legislature. 

The whole essence of this 

is to ensure that those who 

man the Judiciary i.e. the 

Judges at all levels from the 

Magistrates to the Justices 

of the Appellate Courts 

would be able to carry out 

their duties without fear or 

favour, affection or ill-will, 

to enable them deliver 

judgments in all matters 

before them. 

But in reality, has this 

been so in Nigeria? Legal 

Juggernaut, Aare Afe 

Babalola, CON, SAN, 

thinks otherwise.In his 

usual brutally frank, firm, 

fair but friendly persona, the 

frontline legal icon and 

Educationist has lamented 

that “unfortunately, Nigeria 

has not been able to achieve 

sustainable democracy 

since her independence, 

owing to an array of factors 

that “held her back” and 

prevented the consolidation 

of democracy in Nigeria”. 

For him, The Nigerian 

state has been enmeshed in 

different kinds of 

authoritarianism right from 

the colonial era to this 

present day. Nigerian state 

is engaged in fierce struggle 

to break loose from all forms 

of undemocratic 

governance”. 

Speaking in a Lecture 

titled “Relevance of 

Separation of Powers and its 

application to Nigeria” at the 

Annual Law Week of Ado- 

Ekiti Branch of the NBA 

over the weekend, Babalola 

attributed the failure of 

democratic experience in 

Nigeria to the failure of the 

people, the electorate, the 

Bar and the Bench as well 

as the government to stand 

in their positions. 

Taking on the people and 

the electorate, Babalola said: 

“When we look at our 

political system of 

government, the 

performance of the three 

arms of government, the 

electoral crisis and the post 

electoral crisis in Nigeria, 

one will arrive at the 

reluctant and bitter 

•Afe Babalola 

realization that the masses 

and electorates are not 

strong enough, united 

enough, courageous 

enough, or enlightened 

enough to cause the three 

arms of government to 

adhere strictly to the agelong 

principle of separation 

of power”. 

On the role of Lawyers in 

maintaining the 

Independence of Judiciary, 

which is critical to the 

maintenance of the rule of 

law, Babalola counselled 

that Lawyers should see 

themselves as the defenders 

of the rule of law, instead of 

being transactional with 

their overriding interest 

being materialism, stressing 

that Legal Advisers to 

different levels of 

government and political 

parties are duty bound to 

demonstrate high level of 

professional candour and 

ethical rectitude expected 

of their office. 

To buttress his position, he 

recalled the good old days 

when late Kehinde Sofola, 

SAN, resigned as Attorney 

General of the Federation 

because the government 

refused to accept his 

opinion and legal advice. 

This, according to Babalola 

was not only commendable 

but a rare demonstration of 

a high degree of 

professional uprightness 

and ethical rectitude. 

Commending members of 

the Bar to the warning of 

Francis Bacon that: “If 

we do not maintain justice, 

justice will not maintain 

us”, he equally recalled 

with relish that Dr. Tai 

Solarin, the Chairman of 

Public Complaints 

Commission in 1970s 

resigned because he was 

unable to produce his 

vehicle license after he was 

stopped by the police on 

routine check. He felt that 

we should live by example. 

In his view, “democracy 

cannot survive, let alone 

thrive, in any country 

without lawyers, 

particularly those in 

government and those 

serving political parties, 

upholding the sanctity of 

rule of law”. 

Panacea to executive 

lawlessness 

He added: “A proactive 

Bar that is alive to its 

inherent responsibilities as 

a watchdog is a panacea to 

executive lawlessness. 

Unfortunately, we seemed 

to have a paucity of that 

kind of lawyers these days. 

Rather, we now seem to 

have transactional lawyers 

whose main motive and 

sole motivation is 

materialism. This is in line 

with the thought of Caroline 

Kennedy that ‘the bedrock 

of our democracy is the rule 

of law and that means we 

have an independent 

judiciary, judges who can 

make decision independent 

of the political winds that 

are blowing’. 

“Whether you are a 

private practitioner of law or 

a political party adviser or 

you are holding any 

political post, please see 

yourself first as a lawyer and 

a watchdog of the 


judiciary. That is the only 

way to prevent any of the 

three arms of government 

from trampling on the 

powers of the other arms 

and indeed the only way to 

guarantee the 


Judiciary”. 

Speaking on the uniquely 

important role of the Bench 

and the government in 

ensuring unfettered 


Judiciary, Babalola recalled 

the mercurial words of Ray 

Ekpu wherein he 

said:”When you look at the 

courts today and you find 

judges who are willing to 

turn the law topsy-turvy in 

order to serve interests other 

than those of justice, then 

the courage of the few, who 

realise that they are sitting 

on the throne of God and 

that the only expectation is 

that they should do justice 

to all manner of men, strikes 

you deeply. For indeed 

the seat of a judge is the 

Throne of God”. 

“If a man has the power 

of life and death over 

another man, what more 

can he ask for except the 

humility to approach his job 

with reverence, and if one 

may borrow the lingo of the 

law, to do justice to all who 

bow before the throne, 

without fear or favour, 

Judges ought to 

earn respect from 

all corners – from 

the men at the Bar, 

from those on the 

Bench, from the 

parties that bow 

before them and 

from those who 

watch from the 

sidelines 

affection or ill-will. 

“Judges ought to earn 

respect from all corners – 

from the men at the Bar, 

from those on the Bench, 

from the parties that bow 

before them and from 

those who watch from the 

sidelines. They ought to be 

able, in their interpretation 

of the law, to remedy 

equities that have been 

wronged, and to strive to 

make inequality equal. 

They ought to carry 

themselves with grace, 

dignity and integrity for 

those are the ornaments of 

their hallowed office, 

knowing full well that one 

false sentence can do great 

harm to a nation or a 

generation”. 

A cursory look at the 

conditions under which 

our judges serve today, 

would reveal that they 

may not be able to give 

judgmentsagainst the 

President, members of the 

National Assembly, the 

Police, the Army without 

fear or favour, affection or 

ill-will. 

To reverse the trend, he 

advised that the 

conditions of service 

including salaries, 

provision of vehicle, 

maintenance and fuel, 

personal assistant, 

hardship allowance, 

domestic staff, 

entertainment, utilities, 

outfit, leave allowance and 

newspapers, must be 

attractive and satisfactory. 

His words: “Today, there 

are judges and 

magistrates living in 

rented apartments, there 

are also others or those 

without personal/ official 

car as a result of which they 

are compelled to use 

public transport. Imagine 

the case of a chief 

magistrate who wanted to 

board a public transport, a 

passenger in the same 

vehicle told him “sorry my 

Lord, I have paid your 

transport fare”. However, 

it turned out that the 

generous passenger was 

in fact standing trial 

before him. The 

embarrassment could have 

been avoided if the Judge 

had his personal car”. 

A judge was living in 

a rented house 

He added: “Imagine 

another case where a 

judge was living in a 

rented house owned by an 

absentee Landlord. A case 

came before him where his 

absentee landlord was 

charged with a criminal 

matter. In the course of 

proceeding, he found out 

that the person charged 

was infact his Landlord. 

He could have been saved 

the embarrassment if he 

was living in a government 

quarters. 

“Again salary wise, the 

total emolument of Judges 

of Supreme Court in 

Nigeria is N10,899,284.00 

while that of his 

counterpart in England is 

£257,121 which is 

equivalent to 

N128,560,500. That 

translates to the fact that 

the Nigerian Supreme 

Court Justice earns less 

than 10% of what his 

counterpart in England 

earns”. 

It is without any iota of 

doubt reasonable to say 

that no one is safe in a 

state where all powers are 

fused into one arm of 

government or where an 

arm of government is so 

much empowered to deal 

with another arm of 

government without 

recourse to the rule of law. 

This type of system will 

breed tyranny and destroy 

the fabrics of democracy. 

And so not until the 

tenets of separation of 

powers as entrenched in 

the 1999 constitution of the 

Federal Republic of 

Nigeria(as amended) are 

tenaciously and 

religiously obeyed, 

followed and complied 

with, the dividends of 

democracy will continue to 

elude many Nigerians. 

Olofintila writes in from 

Ado-Ekiti


As AfCFTA enters into force: What should Nigeria do now? 

By Ayo Olukanni 

THE entry into force of the Afri 

ca Continental Free Trade 

Area, AfCFTA, Agreement on the 

May 30, 2019, is indeed a historic 

event in the long march for economic 

integration in Africa. The AfCF- 

TA seeks to create a single unified 

market, thereby boosting Intra-African 

trade from 17 per cent to 52 

per cent by 2022, and increasing the 

gross domestic product of the African 

continent from USD2.5trillion 

to USD25trillion by 2050. 

The question on everyone’s lips 

now is, “what should Nigeria do, 

now that the AfCFTA has entered 

into force and the train is gradually 

pulling out of the station”. In answering 

this question, let us leave 

out the issues of why Nigeria did not 

sign and why we dithered till now 

over this Agreement. The hope is that 

we would sign before the high profile 

ceremonial launch of the AfCF- 

TA in Niamey in July 2019 which 

will usher in the operational phase 

of the of the AfCFTA. For now let us 

concentrate on what needs to be 

done and start preparing for implementation 

when we eventually accede 

to the Agreement. 

As Africa gears up for the implementation 

of this landmark agreement, 

a few issues deserve our attention. 

The AfCFTA is designed for 

the economic integration of Africa 

along the lines of what is evident 

within the European Union, EU, the 

North American Free Trade Agreement, 

NAFTA, and the Association 

of Southeast Asian Nations, 

ASEAN. The AfCFTA Framework 

agreement, of course, still requires 

fleshing up in various parts, such as 

the operational modalities of the 

Rules of Origin, Tariff Schedules, 

Tariff Concessions, Services, and Investment 

Rules, just to mention a few. 

Single and unified 

market 

The reality is that the AfCFTA is 

finally here, and the recent stakeholders’ 

meeting organised by the 

Coalition for Dialogue on Africa, 

CoDA, in Addis-Ababa is a clear indication 

that we are on the margins 

of history on the emergence of Africa 

as a single and unified market 

and only those who prepare for it 

will harness the full potentials. The 

Stakeholder Dialogue on Continental 

Trade and Strengthening Implementation 

of the African Continental 

Free Trade Agreement, organised 

by Coalition for Dialogue on 

Africa, CoDA, was held from May 

27 to 28,s 2019 in Addis- Ababa. The 

event was a policy dialogue meeting 

chaired by former President 

Olusegun Obasanjo in his capacity 

as Chair of CoDA. 

The dialogue brought together African 

policy makers, Regional Economic 

Communities, RECs, and a 

cross section of representatives from 

Regional Economic Groupings, 

Regional Financial Institutions, 

Chambers of Commerce, African 

Business Leaders, and other members 

of the Organized Private Sector. 

The meeting deliberated on 

strategies for the successful implementation 

of the AfCFTA in pursuit 

of AU agenda 2063, the Africa We 

Want. While the stakeholder dialogue 

was going on, another meeting 

was also held at the African 

Union, AU, headquarters in Addis 

Ababa. This was the 15th meeting 

of the Plenary Negotiations Forum 

of the Trade Negotiators. 

It was dealing with the specifics 

•President Muhammadu Buhari 

The AfCFTA is 

perhaps the fastest 

among all the 

array of negotiated 

Agreements 

in the history of 

the OAU/AU 

issues of the Agreement while the 

quiet diplomatic maneouverings of 

who will host the secretariat of the 

AfCFTA was going on among seven 

states who are angling to host the 

Secretariat: Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, 

Kenya, Ghana, Madagascar 

and Senegal. Both meetings were 

of immense significance because 

they focused on “implementation” 

which is the real challenge in ensuring 

that this continent-wide Trade 

Agreement is not mere talk but 

achieves its purpose of positively 

boosting intra-African trade. Both 

meetings concluded that implementation 

is key now and African countries, 

especially the private sector 

should start getting themselves 

ready and put their house in order 

to be able to benefit. Before I continue, 

let’s go back a bit into history. 

While the May 30, 2019 is truly 

worth marking, the dream of a pan- 

African single market goes as far 

back as the formation of the Organisation 

of African Unity, OAU, in 

1963. An economically integrated 

Africa was part of the vision of 

pan-Africanism from an envisioned 

United States of Africa. This was the 

dream of our forebears and pioneer 

African leaders close on the heels of 

political independence in the 1960s. 

Visionary leaders, including the late 

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President 

of Ghana and our very own 

golden voice of Africa, Prime Minister 

Tafewa Balewa alluded to it. 

This they did at the formation of the 

OAU, now African Union, on May 

25, 1963. They forcefully argued 

that the independence of African 

countries will not be meaningful 

without economic independence of 

the new African States. 

In addition, they spoke about an 

African-continent-wide economic 

grouping. The journey to the AfCF- 

TA thus started as far back as the 

1960s. That vision inspired regional 

economic communities such as 

the Economic Community of West 

African States, ECOWAS, the East 

African Community, ECA, the 

Southern African Development 

Community, SADC, and others, as 

building blocks. There was also the 

the Lagos Plan of Action (April, 

1980), the Abuja Economic Treaty 

adopted on June 3, 1991, and the 

establishment of an African Central 

Bank which began in May, 2015 and 

is due to be completed by 2020. 

With the commencement of the negotiations 

of the AfCFTA in 2014, 

our very own Ambassador Chiedu 

Osakwe became the chief negotiator 

and presided over the negotiating 

forum at the Technical Working 

Group level, while the Minister for 

Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. 

Okechukwu Enelamah was the 

chair at the ministerial level. This 

was in sync with our leadership role 

in Africa which has seen Nigeria’s 

involvement in the struggle against 

apartheid, the fight for independence 

of African countries under colonial 

rule, and the promotion of economic 

integration. So, it was only natural 

for Mr. President to head for Kigali 

for the signing of the AfCFTA 

in June 2018. However, concerns 

over the lack of stakeholder consultations 

as well as the lack of empirical 

studies on the impact of the 

AfCFTA on the local economy led 

to the decision that it was not yet 

time for Nigeria to sign. This also 

led to nation-wide consultations, 

and the consensus later emerged 

that Nigeria cannot afford to be excluded 

from of a continent-wide single 

market for reasons too well 

known to start listing here, and 

should sign. Our signing is only a 

matter of time because Nigeria has 

come too far to be missing in action 

and certainly not on the AfCFTA! 

The AfCFTA is perhaps the fastest 

among all the array of negotiated 

agreements in the history of the OAU/ 

AU. From the decision by the Heads 

of State to commence negotiation, 

to the conclusion of the Framework 

Agreement and its entry into force, 

the entire process took about 24 

months. This is a reflection of the 

political commitment to this particular 

agreement and the decision 

to continue that trajectory. Hence 

the decision to ramp up activities, 

especially the deposition of instruments 

of ratification towards entry 

into force which has now taken 

place. 

The conclusions and outcomes of 

the CoDA meeting in Addis-Ababa 

on May 27 and 28, 2019, is that 

member states must now gear up 

for implementation and set up their 

respective National Implementation 

Committees. This is to enable 

them identify the challenges to an 

efficient unified single African market. 

The committees are also expected 

to drive the process for private 

sector engagement, free movement 

of persons, industrialization, value 

chain development, gender equality, 

strengthening of regional economic 

communities, and promoting 

cross border trade. 

While noting that the AfCFTA has 

taken off, we must accept the fact 

that work has just started, especially 

at the national levels. This is the 

heart of the matter now, hence the 

recommendation for a strong National 

Implementation Committee 

with the focus on the private sector 

on whom implementation will devolve. 

Each African country has the 

responsibility for the success of the 

agreement. So on our part, in our 

dear nation, Nigeria, how do we 

translate this vision to reality. There 

is no silver bullet in this case. Hard 

work is the answer. In addition to 

an efficient National Implementation 

Committee, private sector buyin 

is necessary. The private sector 

should be assisted to ensure a proper 

understanding of this agreement 

as part of the efforts to prepare them 

to harness the opportunities provided 

by the agreement. 

At the CoDA meeting in Addis- 

Ababa there was understandably the 

question of why Nigeria has not 

signed and when will Nigeria sign. 

There was also a sense of anticipation 

of Nigeria coming on board to 

give concrete meaning to the agreement 

because there is the notion that 

the AfCFTA will be a hollow Continental 

Trade Agreement without 

Nigeria. While this may be far 

fetched there is some truth in that. 

Rules of origin, 

services, tariffs 

The meeting of July 2019 in Niamey 

is the official launch and we 

should indeed hop on board this 

train which is gradually rolling out 

of the station. The hope is that we 

will sign and our team will now focus 

and start preparation for key issues 

such as the Rules of origin, Services, 

Tariffs and so on. Already we 

have lost out in the competition to 

host the secretariat of the AfCFTA. 

There is the likelihood that our sister 

state of Ghana has secured the 

right to host the headquarters. We 

must act now, especially those of us 

in the Organised Private Sector. 

It is also pertinent to draw attention 

to the fact that indeed, already 

Nigerian private sector operators 

and indigenous companies are already 

defacto operating intra-Africa. 

One of Nigeria’s conglomerate 

is operating in 18 African countries. 

Nigerian banks dominate the banking 

and financial sectors. We practically 

dominate the entertainment 

and creativity sectors. The video and 

films of Nollywood are ubiquitous 

and worth billions of dollars, creating 

jobs and employment at home 

and abroad. The Nigerian airline 

operators, despite the tough terrain 

of the domestic aviation sectors, are 

now providing services across the 

west and other parts of Africa. So 

what are we afraid of? Now is the 

time for the private sector to wake 

up and start to get ready to harness 

the potentials of the agreement. 

The core issue here is how does 

the private sector take advantage 

of the AfCFTA. There is need for 

stakeholders to study the Agreement 

with a fine comb for a proper understanding 

of its nitty gritty. This 

will be part of the activities to start 

preparation for implementation. 

Nigerian banks which are already 

operating in West Africa and the rest 

of Africa, as well as operators in key 

sectors of the economy must be invited 

to stakeholders meetings to 

deliberate also work with the National 

Implementation Committee 

to be set up by government. Now is 

the time to act. We can no longer 

delay. 

*Ambassador Olukanni is the 

Director General of the Nigerian 

Association of Chambers of 

Commerce Industry Mined and 

Agriculture, NACCIMA. 

Group asks 

Gbagi to 

contest Delta 

2023 gov seat 

By Emma Amaize 

OGINIBU—DELTA Equity 

Group in the three senatorial 

districts of Delta State, has visited 

former Minister of State for 

Education, Olorogun Kenneth 

Gbagi, at his Oginibu country 

home in Ughelli South Local 

Government Area of the state, 

demanding that he contest for 

governor in 2023. 

An influential politician, who 

led the group, Dr. Nelson 

Ejakpovi, said: “We are here today 

to call on you to consider the idea 

of contesting the 2023 

gubernatorial election in line with 

the equitable senatorial rotation 

of leadership representation of 

our people. 

“We have conducted our search 

and after due and careful 

considerations of our general 

interest, especially the need for 

sustainable development efforts 

of our current governor, Senator 

Ifeanyi Okowa, our conclusion is 

that you, Olorogun Gbagi, is 

better placed to deliver on these 

values given your pedigree. 

“You are not only a detribalised 

Deltan, you are the biggest 

industrialist in Delta State, who 

has recorded success in the 

private sector as an entrepreneur 

per excellence, you are not a 

corrupt person and you have the 

Midas touch, which is why we 

call on you to contest the 2023 

gubernatorial election,” he said. 

Delta 

distributes 45 

motorcycles to 

Agric extension 

workers 


ASABA—DELTA Agricultural 

and Rural Development 

Authority, DARDA, has 

commissioned and distributed 45 

units of Yamaha CRUX 

motorcycles to its Agric Extension 

Officers as part of effort to boost 

agricultural activities in the state. 

In his remarks at the 

presentation ceremony, 

Chairman of DARDA board, Dr. 

Emmanuel Tibi said the 

distribution was in line with 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s 

agriculture vision of providing 

safe and affordable food for 

Deltans and taking agriculture to 

the next level in the state. 

Tibi said the motorcycles were 

meant to assist the Agric 

Extension Officers improve on 

their service delivery to farmers 

across the state, adding that 

agriculture was essentially a rural 

affair. 

According to him, the Agric 

Extension Officers are expected 

“to reach out to local farmers in 

all the 25 local government areas 

of the state, find out their 

challenges, prospects and report 

back to the headquarters for 

necessary solutions if they are 

unable to address such issues 

instantly."


AREMO OLUSEGUN OSOBA'S BOOK LAUNCH 

The launch of the autobiography of former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, titled: Battlelines: My Adventures 

in Journalism and Politics held at Eko Hotel, Lagos yesterday. PHOTOS: JOE AKINTOLA, PHOTO EDITOR & AKEEM SALAU. 

Aremo Olusegun Osoba (3rd left(; his wife, Derinsola, with children and in-laws. 

Former governor Abiola Ajimobi ofOyo State; Aremo Olusegun 

Osoba and Mr Segun Awolowo. 

From left: Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor 

of Kano State and Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State. 

From left: Wife of Ogun State Governor, Bamidele; her husband, 

Governor Dapo Abiodun; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. 

From left: Hon Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transpotation; 

Muyiwa Oladapo, former Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and 

Tourism and Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora. 

Vanguard Publisher, Mr Sam Amuka (middle) and ThisDay Publisher, Prince 

Nduka Obaigbena during a pleasant moment at the event. 

From left; Prince Olusegun Oniru; Mr. Kola Abisola; Chief Dele Momodu, 

Publisher of Ovation Magazine and Senator Gbenga Ashafa. 

From left: Chief Herry Ajomale, former Information Minister, Alhaji Lai 

Mohamed and Chief Mutiu Aare.


AREMO OLUSEGUN OSOBA'S BOOK LAUNCH 

The launch of the autobiography of former governor of Ogun State, 

Aremo Olusegun Osoba, titled: Battlelines: My Adventures in Journalism 

and Politics held at Eko Hotel, Lagos yesterday. 

PHOTOS: JOE AKINTOLA, PHOTO EDITOR & AKEEM SALAU. 

Lady Maiden Ibru, Guardian Newspaper Publisher presenting a birthday 

card to Aremo Olusegun Oshoba, while his wife, Derisola watches. 

From left: Obong Victor Attah; former Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Mr. 

Donald Duke, former Governor of Cross River State; his wife, Onari and 

Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State. 

From left: Prof Akin Osuntokun; Mr Gbenga Adefaye, GM/Editor-in-Chief, 

Vanguard Newspaper and Mr Eze Anaba,Editor, Vanguard Newspaper. 

From left: Mrs Modele Sarafa-Yusuf; Dr Doyin Abiola and Chief Femi 

Majekodunmi.


Conservative leader Mitsotakis becomes 

Greek PM, picks cabinet 

CONSERVATIVE pol 

itician Kyriakos Mitsotakis 

took office as 

Greece’s new prime minister 

and named his cabinet 

on Monday, after 

storming to victory on a 

pledge to create jobs and 

lure investment to the economically 

stricken nation. 

Mitsotakis’s New Democracy 

party won an outright 

majority with 158 

seats in the 300-seat legislature. 

His pledges for 

more investments, wellpaid 

jobs and fewer taxes 

won over Greeks worn out 

by years of EU-prescribed 

austerity and the euro 

zone’s highest unemployment. 

“Today we get started on 

the hard work. I have absolute 

confidence in our 

abilities to rise to the occasion,” 

Mitsotakis said after 

he was sworn in at a 

ceremony officiated by 

Greek Orthodox clergy at 

the presidential palace in 

Athens. 

He was later welcomed 

by outgoing premier Alexis 

Tsipras, a leftist who 

steered Greece out of bailouts, 

but was blamed for 

botching negotiations with 

international lenders and 

saddling the nation with 

more debt after he took over 

in 2015. 

Mitsotakis appointed 

economist Christos Staikouras 

as his government’s finance 

minister. Staikouras, 

46, was New Democracy’s 

Congolese rebel leader 'terminator' 

convicted of war crimes 

A 

FORMER Congo 

lese rebel leader has 

been found guilty of war 

crimes and crimes against 

humanity. 

Fighters loyal to Bosco 

Ntaganda carried out gruesome 

massacres of civilians, 

said judges at the International 

Criminal Court 

(ICC). 

Ntaganda, nicknamed 

“Terminator”, was convicted 

on 18 counts including 

murder, rape, sexual 

slavery and using child 

soldiers. 

He becomes the first 

person convicted of sexual 

slavery by the ICC. 

Ntaganda, who will be 

sentenced at a later hearing, 

is the fourth person 

convicted by the ICC 

since its creation in 2002. 

He has 30 days to appeal 

against the convictions. 

The 46-year-old former 

rebel has been involved 

in numerous armed conflicts 

in both Rwanda and 

the Democratic Republic 

of Congo. 

Analysts said it was an 

act of self-preservation, 

motivated by the danger 

he was in after losing a 

power-struggle within 

coordinator of economic affairs 

and a lawmaker since 

2007. 

Mitsotakis also named lawyer 

Nikos Dendias to head 

the foreign ministry. Dendias, 

60, has served as justice and 

defense minister in previous 

conservative governments. 

Greeks hope the new government 

can make the economy 

work better after the 

country emerged from the 

close surveillance of its international 

lenders last year. 

The economy is now growing 

at a moderate clip, expanding 

by 1.3% on an annual 

basis in the first quarter. 

The change of guard was 

greeted with profit-taking on 

the Athens stock exchange 

after a strong rally in previous 

days. The blue chip share 

index .ATF shed 2.15%, led 

by bank shares. 

“It’s mostly a ‘buy the rumor, 

sell the news’ session. 

Stocks had a strong run, anticipating 

the election result. 

Short-term traders are now 

closing positions, locking in 

profits,” said investment adviser 

Theodore Mouratidis. 

Billionaire American faces child sex-trafficking charge 

*Mitsotakis 

BILLIONAIRE finan 

cier Jeffrey Epstein 

appears in court on Monday 

charged with sex trafficking 

by US prosecutors who accused 

him of abusing dozens 

of underage girls, some as 

young as 14. 

Epstein, a 66-year-old US 

national and former hedge 

fund manager who once hobnobbed 

with some of the 

world’s most powerful people, 

was arrested at an airport 

in New Jersey over the 

weekend. 

He was charged in an indictment 

unsealed on Monday 

with one count of sex 

trafficking and one count of 

conspiracy. The charges, 

which cover a period from 

2002 to 2005, carry up to 

life in prison if he’s convicted. 

Epstein was accused of 

paying underage girls hundreds 

of dollars in cash for 

massages and then molesting 

them at his homes in Florida 

and New York. 

He “intentionally sought 

out minors and knew that 

many of his victims were in 

fact under the age of 18”, prosecutors 

said. He also paid 

some of his victims to “recruit 

additional girls to be similarly 

abused by Epstein”, the indictment 

said. 

Federal agents found “nude 

photographs of what appeared 

to be underage girls” while 

searching his Manhattan 

mansion, said prosecutors, 

who were expected to argue he 

is a flight risk and should remain 

in jail instead of being 

released on bail to await trial. 

Epstein’s lawyer, Jack Goldberger, 

said before the indictment 

was made public that his 

client will plead not guilty, Reuters 

News Agency reported. 

A decade ago, Epstein avoided 

similar charges in Florida 

in a plea deal. 

By 2007, Epstein had been 

facing a potential federal indictment 

for sexually abusing 

dozens of girls between 1999 

and 2007, directing others to 

abuse them and paying employees 

to bring victims to him, 

according to court filings. 

Epstein said at the time his 

his M23 rebel group. 

A three-judge bench 

found Ntaganda guilty 

on all 18 counts of war 

crimes and crimes 

against humanity committed 

in the mineral-rich 

north-eastern region of 

Ituri between 2002 and 

2003. 

Ntaganda was a “key 

leader” who gave orders 

to “target and kill civilians” 

judge Robert Fremr 

said in the ruling. 

encounters with alleged victims 

were consensual and 

he believed they were 18 

when they occurred. 

He struck a deal and 

pleaded guilty to a lesser 

Florida state felony prostitution 

charge. He served a 13- 

month sentence in county 

jail, during which he was 

allowed to leave during the 

day to go to his office. 

UAE reducing troops in Yemen in ‘peace 

strategy 

THE United Arab Emir 

ates announced it will 

reduce its troop presence 

throughout war-torn Yemen, 

moving from a “military 

first” to a “peace first” 

strategy. 

The Gulf state pulled out 

some of its forces from areas 

including the southern port 

of Aden and the western 

coast, an unnamed UAE official 

was quoted by news 

agencies as saying on Monday. 

“We do have troop levels 

that are down for reasons that 

are strategic in [the Red Sea 

city] of Hodeidah and reasons 

that are tactical,” the official 

said. “It is very much 

to do with moving from what 

I would call a military-first 

strategy to a peace first strategy.” 

An unnamed Yemeni military 

official confirmed UAE 

soldiers “totally vacated” the 

military base in Khokha, 

about 130km south of the key 

port of Hodeidah. 

Troops’ movements in other 

areas of Yemen are “tactical 

and based on our needs”, 

the UAE official said. 

“We are not worried about 

a vacuum in Yemen, because 

we have trained a total of 

90,000 Yemeni forces,” he 

said. “This is one of our major 

successes in Yemen.” 

The conflict in Yemen 

broke out in late 2014 when 

Houthi rebels seized much 

of the country, including the 

capital, Sanaa. 

The war escalated in 

March 2015 when a military 

coalition led by Saudi Arabia 

and the UAE launched a 

fierce air campaign against 

the rebels in a bid to restore 

the internationally recognised 

government of President 

Abd-Rabbu Mansour 

Hadi. 

UN says Yemen conflict is 

worsening (2:02) 

Trump attacks British ambassador, 

takes swipe at May 

U 

.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he 

“will no longer deal” with the British ambassador 

to the United States, after a weekend news report 

that the UK diplomat had described Trump’s administration 

as dysfunctional, clumsy and inept. 

“I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or 

well thought of within the U.S. We will no longer deal 

with him,” Trump said in a Twitter post that also criticized 

outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May. 

“What a mess she and her representatives have created. 

I told her how it should be done, but she decided to 

go another way,” he said. “The good news for the wonderful 

United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new 

Prime Minister. While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent 

State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was 

most impressed with!” he wrote 

Trump attacked Ambassador Kim Darroch on Twitter 

a day after the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported he 

had made the critical comments, citing a series of confidential 

memos. 

In memos to the British government which date from 

2017 to the present, Darroch said Trump “radiates insecurity” 

and advises officials in London that to deal with 

him effectively “you need to make your points simple, 

even blunt.” 

Trump also dismissed the ambassador on Sunday as 

not having “served the UK well.” Britain’s government 

has told Washington that leaks of the memos were a 

matter of regret, May’s spokesman said on Monday. 

Saudi princess on trial in 

France over bodyguard beating 

SAUDI Arabia’s Princess Hassa bint Salman will go 

on trial in absentia on Tuesday on charges of complicity 

to violence with a weapon and complicity to kidnap 

an Egyptian-born artisan who was carrying out repairs 

at her father’s residence on Paris’ exclusive Avenue 

Foch in September 2016. 

According to the indictment, seen by Reuters News 

Agency, workman Ashraf Eid told police the bodyguard 

bound his hands, punched and kicked him and forced 

him to kiss the princess’ feet after she accused him of 

filming her on his mobile phone. 

The bodyguard was placed under formal investigation 

on suspicion of armed violence, theft and holding a person 

against their will and denied bail on October 1, 2016. 

Eid told police that, as he was being beaten, Princess 

Hassa treated him like a dog and said to him “You’ll see 

how you speak to a princess; how you speak to the royal 

family.” 

The princess, 43, the sister of Crown Prince Mohammed 

bin Salman (MBS), denies any wrongdoing. 

Her French lawyer Emmanuel Moyne said the investigation 

was based on falsehoods and he said she had never 

made such remarks. 

“The princess is a caring, humble, approachable and 

cultured woman,” Moyne said. “Saudi law, and ensuring 

the princess’ security, prohibits taking any image of 

the princess.” 

The Saudi government communications office did not 

immediately respond to a request for comment. 

An international arrest warrant for the princess was 

issued in November, 2017. 

France has nurtured close ties with Saudi Arabia but 

relations have been tested by President Emmanuel Macron’s 

determination to salvage Iran’s nuclear accord, 

which Saudi Arabia, alongside the United States, adamantly 

opposes. 

Georgians defiant as Russia’s 

ban on flights comes into effect 

RUSSIA’s ban on flights to neighbouring Georgia 

has come into effect, posing a serious economic challenge 

for the Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, which 

annually hosts more than one million Russian tourists. 

The travel blockade, which affects all Russian and Georgian 

airlines operating between the two countries, was activated 

on Monday, in the middle of the high tourist season 

and about two weeks since it was announced in response 

to anti-Kremlin protests in Tbilisi. 

The demonstrations were rooted in anger at a visit of a 

Russian legislator, Sergei Gavrilov, who gave an address 

from the Georgian parliamentary speaker’s chair. 

Along with the ban, Moscow imposed tight controls on 

Georgian wine imports, recommended travel companies to 

stop selling holiday packages to Georgia and advised Russian 

tourists visiting the country to return home, claiming 

that “Russophobic hysteria” made the country dangerous 

for citizens. 

Ghia Nodia, political analyst in Tbilisi, told Al Jazeera that 

the move was completely inadequate as Russian tourists were 

not in “any danger at all”, saying Moscow wanted to impose a 

sanction over the protests and used the security pretext as an 

excuse. 

“It thinks that it is a painful punishment. In Russia, it’s a prevalent 

idea that Russian tourists are a very important source of 

income for the Georgian economy. It might be a certain challenge, 

but I don’t think that it is a very hard one,” said Nodia. 

He said it was still unclear how effective the measure would be 

because Russian tourists could still reach Georgia via indirect 

flights and by land. 

“Moscow might be hoping that a certain part of the Georgian 

society will go against the [anti-Kremlin] demonstrators, blaming 

them for the loss of a source of income. Maybe they are after 

prompting the cultivation of pro-Russian sentiments this way, 

but I don’t think this hope will come to fruition,” he added.


UNFPA 50TH ANNIVERSARY — UN Resident Coordinator, Nigeria, Dr Edward Kallon (4th L); Regional 

Ambassador, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Stephanie Linus (2nd L); Country Representative, 

UN Women, Comfort Lamptey (4th R) and other dignitaries cutting a cake, during the UNFPA 50th anniversary 

and International Conference on Population and Development in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

I signed poll result under duress, says witness 

Continues from Page 5 

Olalekan said the 

electoral body provided a 

code that was used to 

transmit the election 

results to the server. 

Asked by Buhari’s 

lawyer if he personally 

transmitted votes to the 

sever, the witness said: “I 

did it myself as a presiding 

officer. We transmitted 

result to INEC server 

through a code that was 

provided by INEC.” 

Maintaining that the 

server was connected to 

the Smart Card Reader, 

the witness said he could 

not remember details of 

the server. He added that 

though he could not 

recollect the code offhand, 

he said he could 

easily retrieve it from his 

phone if allowed by the 

tribunal. 

Fielding questions from 

APC’s lawyer, Akin 

Olujinmi, SAN, the 

witness said, “Without the 

code, you cannot make 

any transmission of 

results.” 

He further maintained 

that INEC did not direct 

Presiding Officers to allow 

voters who could not be 

authenticated by the Card 

Reader Machine to vote 

manually after their 

pictures were captured. 

He said: “No, we were 

not directed to allow 

people to vote manually. 

The card reader worked 

for every voter who came 

to my polling unit.” 

Similarly, the fourth 

witness, Mr. Adedokun 

Adeoye, also claimed that 

as an Assistant Presiding 

Officer, he electronically 

transmitted results of the 

presidential poll. 

Asked if he was aware 

that under INEC 

guidelines, only the 

Presiding Officer could 

transmit results, the 

witness said it was not 

true. 

I signed result 

under duress 

— Witness 

Meantime, the fifth 

witness, Mr. Mohammed 

Tata alleged that he was 

compelled under duress 

to sign result of the 

presidential election in 

his polling unit. 

The witness, who served 

as an agent of the PDP in 

Jigawa State told the 

tribunal that he was 

threatened to sign a copy 

of the result or have his 

Naira depreciates to N 

360.89/$ in I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, depreciated to N360.89 

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

window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the I&E window rose to N360.89 

per dollar yesterday from N360.82 per dollar on 

Friday, translating to seven kobo depreciation for 

the Naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded on the 

window dropped by 13 per cent to $84.39 million 

from $98.03million traded on Friday. 

However, the Naira was stable at N359.2 per dollar 

in the parallel market. 

name removed as a 

beneficiary in the N- 

Power Scheme. 

Answering a question 

from INEC’s lawyer, the 

witness said: “I was 

harassed and intimidated 

to sign the result sheet 

under duress. I was told 

that if I refuse to sign, my 

name will be removed 

from the N-Power 

Programme.” 

Asked if he was 

dissatisfied that President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

the APC scored over 700 

votes in his polling unit, 

the witness said: “There 

was no score because 

there was no election.” 

Continuing he said: “I 

am a Muslim. I believe in 

destiny and what God 

decides will happen. 

Whether PDP wins or the 

APC, I don’t have a 

problem with that. All I 

want is that I need justice 

in my country. I don’t care 

whether my party won or 

lost, but I am not happy 

about what happened.” 

Asked how many parties 

participated in the 

election in his polling 

unit, Mr. Tata said: “I 

don’t know because there 

was no election.” 

Asked if he was given a 

copy of the result, he said: 

“No, I was not given 

because there was no 

peace.” 

He decried that though 

he “followed due process” 

by reporting how he was 

harassed to sign the 

result, he said the culprits 

were neither arrested nor 

prosecuted. 

Asked by APC’s lawyer, 

Prince Lateef Fagbemi, 

SAN, why he did not 

mention names of those 

that harassed him in his 

statement on oath, the 

witness said it was “for 

security reasons.” 

“I am still working with 

the N-Power because I 

signed the result. It is 

because I did what they 

wanted me to do,” he 

added. 

The sixth witness, Mr. 

Mustapha Bello, who 

served as both polling 

agent and Ward Collation 

Officer of the PDP in 

Borno State, said he 

refused to sign a blurred 

copy of the presidential 

result that was presented 

to him by INEC officials. 

Why I dumped 

Buhari for Atiku 

— Galadima 

Earlier, former ally of 

President Buhari, Alhaji 

Buba Galadima testified 

against him as Atiku’s 

first witness. 

Galadima, who was 

reportedly arrested by the 

Department of State 

Services, DSS, before the 

presidential poll, equally 

gave reasons why he 

refused to support Buhari. 

He told the tribunal that 

he fell out with Buhari 

because of the injustice in 

his administration, lack of 

inclusiveness and his 

failure to secure the 

country. 

Noting that he 

supported Buhari in the 

2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 

election cycles, Galadima 

said he switched camp to 

support Atiku since his 

former friend failed to 

keep his campaign 

promises to Nigerians. 

Under crossexamination, 

Galadima 

denied allegation by 

Buhari’s lawyer that he 

was aggrieved because he 

was not made a minister 

under the APC 

administration. 

“You fell out with the 2nd 

respondent (Buhari) 

because he did not make 

you a minister in 2015,” 

Olanipekun asked him. 

In his response, 

Galadima said: “No. You 

should know that I fought 

all the previous 

governments since 1999 

because of injustice. 

“We made good 

promises to Nigerians, 

including justice, 

inclusiveness and to 

secure the country, which 

he has failed to do. 

“It has always been part 

of my characteristics to 

fight injustice.” 

When he was crossexamined 

by counsel to 

the APC, Galadima 

admitted that the 

Reformed APC which he 

spearheaded before the 

presidential campaigns 

started, was not a 

registered political 

association. 

Insisting that he 

remained the Chairman 

of the group, the PW-1 

said he was never sacked 

by the APC, saying he 

remained a member of 

ruling party. 

“I am still a member of 

the APC. I have not been 

sacked. We are in court. I 

don’t want sub-judice. 

“I am not a member of 

PDP, but we have a 

memorandum of 

understanding with the 

PDP to produce Godfearing, 

good and 

ABUJA—A Federal 

High Court sitting 

in Lagos has granted 

leave to Oando Plc to file 

a motion for a judicial 

review of the Securities 

and Exchange 

Commission, SEC, 

decision imposing a fine 

of N89,675,000 on it. 

Trial judge, Justice 

Ayokunle Faji, on Friday, 

granted “an order of 

certiorari bringing up to 

the Federal High Court 

for the purpose of being 

quashed, the decision of 

the first respondent (SEC) 

contained in its letter 

dated May 31, 2019.” 

SEC Acting Director- 

General Mary Uduk, 

SEC and Mutiu Sumonu, 

who was appointed as 

Oando’s interim head, 

are the first to third 

respondents. 

The court also granted 

an order of certiorari for 

the quashing of SEC’s 

directive to Oando to 

convene an extraordinary 

general meeting 

on or before July 1 to 

appoint new directors and 

articulate remedial 

measures for the alleged 

corporate governance 

lapses. 

Justice Faji further 

granted an order 

certiorari for the quashing 

of a press release by SEC 

on June 1 appointing an 

interim management 

team to be headed by Mr 

Mutiu Sunmonu (the 

third respondent) to 

oversee Oando’s affairs. 

The judge granted “an 

order of prohibition and/ 

or an injunction 

educated leaders,” he 

added. 

Before the tribunal 

adjourned its proceedings 

till Tuesday, it admitted 

into evidence 31 exhibits 

tendered by the 

petitioners. 

Among the exhibits 

included the Form CF 001 

that contained the 

affidavit and bio data 

President Buhari 

submitted to INEC for the 

purpose of the 

presidential poll. 

Though President 

Buhari, INEC and APC, 

challenged admissibility 

of the Form, in line with 

agreement the parties 

reached during the prehearing 

stage, all the 

Respondents said they 

would give reasons 

behind their objection in 

written addresses they 

would file later. 

Other exhibits the 

tribunal admitted in 

evidence included a 

document that contained 

the total number of all the 

registered voters and the 

collected Permanent 

Voters Card for the 2019 

election by INEC. 

N89,675,000 fine: 

Oando gets court's leave 

for judicial review of SEC 

decision 

restraining and 

preventing the first and 

second respondents by 

themselves, agents, 

servants or whomsoever, 

howsoever from enforcing 

or seeking to enforce the 

decision contained in the 

letter dated May 31, 

2019.” 

Justice Faji also granted 

“an order of prohibition 

and/or an injunction 

restraining and 

preventing the second 

respondent from 

enforcing or seeking to 

enforce the decision of the 

first respondent contained 

in the press release made 

on 2 June, 2019 

appointing an interim 

management team to be 

headed by the third 

respondent to oversee the 

affairs of the applicant.” 

The court made “a 

declaration that the first 

and second respondents 

acted ultra vires and 

without jurisdiction in 

making the decision 

contained in the letter of 

May 31, 2019 which 

conveyed the imposition 

of a fine of N89,675,000 

on the applicant.” 

Also granted was “an 

order directing that the 

leave sought herein if 

granted shall operate as 

a suspension and or stay 

of the decision of the first 

respondent contained 

aforesaid in its letter of 31 

May 2019 as it relates to 

the applicant and as 

contained in the press 

release made on June 2, 

2019 appointing an 

interim management 

team to be headed by the 

third respondent.”


Stories by 

Rosemary Onuoha 

A 

report from Swiss 

Re has said that 

global insurance 

premiums passed $5 

trillion for the first time 

ever in 2018, a figure 

which represents six 

percent of world gross 

domestic product 

(GDP). 

Swiss Re says this 

landmark figure was 

based mostly on solid 

growth in the non-life 

sector, particularly in 

China and other 

countries in emerging 

Asia. 

Looking forward, 

Swiss Re says life 

premiums will rise by 

2.9 percent, well 

beyond the 0.6 percent 

annual average of the 

previous 10-years, with 

a bounce back in China, 

as the main driver. 

In non-life, global 

premiums are projected 

to grow by three 

percent, with emerging 

Asia playing a lead part 

in that growth, 

supported by solid 

growth in advanced 

markets. 

Overall, Swiss Re’s 

report states that China 

Global insurance premium hit $5trn 

From Left: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FBNInsurance, Mr. Val Ojumah; Head, 

Operations FBN General Insurance, Mr. Tunde Mimiko; Human Resources, FBNInsurance, Mrs. 

Olatoke Alawonde; Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FBNInsurance, Mrs. 

Elizabeth Agugoh; General Manager, Pizza Hut Africa, Mr. Davenport Ewan; Head, Human 

Resources, FBNInsurance, Mrs. Cathy Sanni; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FBN 

General Insurance, Mr. Bode Opadokun during the presentation of the award for 'Best in Corporate 

Social Responsibility in the Medium Sized Organisation Category' to FBNInsurance at the Great 

Place to Work Awards in Lagos. 

will contribute most to 

life and non-life 

premium growth over 

the next two years, and 

AXA Mansard 

creates awareness 

on climate risks 

AXA 

Mansard 

Insurance Plc, a 

member of AXA, has said 

that insurance companies 

are in a privileged position 

to enhance knowledge on 

climate risks. 

Chief Strategy and 

Marketing Officer at AXA 

Mansard, Mr. Kola Oni, 

disclosed this at a parley 

organised by Lagos State 

Parks and Gardens 

Agency, LASPARK, at its 

head office in Ikeja. 

Oni said, “Insurance 

companies are in a 

privileged position to 

enhance knowledge on 

climate risks in order to 

better understand and 

tackle climate change. 

AXA Mansard is also 

aware of the role it can 

play in promoting 

environmental protection 

awareness amongst its 

stakeholders, contributing 

to improving the 

understanding of global 

and local environmental 

risks, and committing to 

addressing climate 

change.” 

Accordingly, Axa 

Mansard announced its 

partnership with the 

Lagos State Government 

as it prepares to conduct 

the 2019 tree planting 

exercise. 

LASPARK has 

announced that the 2019 

tree planting exercise 

would hold on Sunday, 

July 14, 2019 with the 

theme, “Clean and green is 

our perfect dream”. The 

event will hold across all 

the 20 Local Government 

Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local 

Council Development 

Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos. 

The Lagos State 

Government in 2012, 

committed to an 

internationally recognized 

tree planting programme 

to plant 10 million trees by 

2020. This commitment is 

based on the fact that tree 

planting remains one of the 

most effective ways of 

absorbing greenhouse 

gases such as carbon 

dioxide and methane that 

are harmful to the 

environment from the 

atmosphere. The initiative 

is therefore aimed at 

improving environmental 

sustainability in Nigeria. 

In her remarks, the 

General Manager of 

LASPARK, Mrs. Bilikiss 

Adebiyi-Abiola noted that 

it is a universally 

progressive idea to 

integrate private bodies to 

government policies and 

programmes in order to 

achieve a broadband and 

enduring legacy, adding 

that tree is a significant 

accessory of mental and 

physical comfort. 

its share of global 

premiums will reach 20 

percent by 2029, up 

from around 11 percent 

currently. 

Furthermore, Swiss 

Re says China remains 

on course to surpass 

the US as the largest 

Anchor Insurance 

Company Limited 

has grown its gross 

premium written by 54.4 

percent for the 2018 

financial year, at N3.43 

billion against N2.22 

billion of the previous 

year. 

The company’s 

Managing Director/ 

Chief Executive Officer, 

Mr. Ebose Augustine 

who disclosed this, 

noted that the National 

Insurance Commission 

(NAICOM) has 

approved its audited 

financial statement for 

the year ended 31st 

December, 2018. 

Ebose said that the 

total assets of the 

company during the 

period grew from N6.2 

billion in 2017 to N6.6 

billion in 2018 while 

shareholders’ funds 

moved from N5.07 

billion in 2017 to N5.2 

billion with the 

company’s solvency 

margin standing at N4.8 

billion. 

He noted that the 

company paid a gross 

claim of N756.8 million 

to its various affected 

genuine policyholders 

during the period as 

against the N540.3 

million in 2017. “It 

demonstrates our 

strength 

to 

insurance market by 

the mid-2030s. 

With the growing 

importance of the 

market in China, Swiss 

Re has also announced 

the opening of its Swiss 

Re Institute China 

Centre in Beijing. 

Anchor Insurance grows 

GPW by 54% 

accommodate any 

volume of genuine 

claims reported and by 

direct implication, our 

ability and readiness to 

handle any quantum of 

general insurance 

business anytime”, he 

said. 

Ebose quoted 

NAICOM’s letter which 

conveyed the approval 

details and dated 3rd 

July, 2019 as stating in 

part that, “The 

Commission has no 

objection to the 

publication of your 

audited financial 

President of the Chartered Insurance 

Institute of Nigeria, CIIN, Mr. Eddie 

Efekoha has appealed to insurance 

operators to settle genuine claims 

promptly because one dissatisfied 

customer is enough to discourage 

thousands from buying insurance. 

Efekoha who is also the Managing 

Director of Consolidated Hallmark 

Insurance Plc, made the appeal at a media 

retreat for journalists in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun 

State. 

According to him, the reoccurring trend 

of non-payment of genuine claims is 

robbing off negatively on the whole 

industry. 

Efekoha said, “A lot of people out there 

believe that the insurance industry is not 

doing very well. This is so because few 

companies owe claims. Unfortunately, one 

dissatisfied customer is enough to 

discourage thousands from buying 

“The establishment of 

Swiss Re Institute 

China Centre will 

support our group’s 

growth ambitions in 

China,” said John 

Chen, Head Swiss Re 

China. 

statements for the year 

ended 31st December, 

2018 as submitted. 

Approval was granted 

after a confirmation that 

you have substantially 

complied with our 

r e g u l a t o r y 

requirements.” 

He explained that the 

company’s financial 

statement was approved 

without any official query 

from the regulatory 

body, stating “This 

outcome was a fallout of 

the company’s culture of 

getting things right the 

first time.” 

Africa Re 

records 

$1.1bn 

premium in 

2018 

By Cynthia Alo 

African Reinsurance 

Corporation, Africa Re, 

has posted gross premium 

of $1.05 billion for the 2018 

financial year. 

This was disclosed by 

Chairman of the Board of 

Directors and General 

Assembly, Mr. Hassan 

Boubrik at the 41st annual 

ordinary meeting of the 

general assembly in 

Tunisia. 

In a statement signed by 

Acting Corporate 

Secretary, Roger Bong 

Bekondo, Boubrik stated 

that Africa Re has been a 

major reinsurance player 

in the Tunisian market by 

contributing to the 

building of the human 

capital of the Tunisian 

insurance and reinsurance 

companies through the 

transfer of expertise and 

sharing of knowledge. 

He said, “African Re 

intends to sustain its 

market leadership of the 

reinsurance industry by 

growing at an annual 

growth of 6.2 percent to a 

gross premium of $1.05 

billion whilst maintaining 

an average target 

combined ratio of 91 

percent, a management 

expense ratio of 7.1 

percent, an investment 

return of 3.6 percent and a 

return on equity of 9.4 

percent.” 

Also speaking, Minister 

of Finance of the Republic 

of Tunisia, Mr. Mohamed 

Ridha Chalghoum, 

represented by Mr. 

Abderrahmen Khochtali 

stressed the importance of 

joint African action and a 

strategic option to develop 

the insurance sector in the 

continent. 

Africa Re is an 

international financial 

institution comprising 

41member states of African 

Union, the African 

Development Bank, 114 

insurance and reinsurance 

companies from all over 

Africa and three leading 

global insurance 

companies. 

CIIN President charges insurers on prompt 

claims settlement 

insurance.” 

Speaking on the mandate given to insurance 

companies by the National Insurance 

Commission, NAICOM, to recapitalize, 

Efekoha said that a recapitalized insurance 

sector will lead to proper underwriting of risks. 

He said, “There are fears that the 

recapitalization will lead to loss of jobs but 

those that will be left will work better and will 

be better remunerated. Employees will be 

paid on time, foreign direct investment can 

still come in, and we will all pay our claims 

and dividend regularly. The future is bright.” 

On the mandate to banks to also recapitalize, 

Efekoha said, “Banks are already out there 

looking for additional capital as well as 

insurance companies. I pray and wish that 

both of them will not happen at the same time. 

The mere pronouncement of one means that 

people will conserve money to wait for the 

banks. Why is this so? The returns on our 

investment have not been encouraging.”

FINANCIAL VANGUARD 


BANKING FEATURE 

By Babajide Komolafe 

The Central Bank of 

Nigeria (CBN) since 

2014 when has ramped 

up its efforts to use monetary 

policy to boost enhance job 

creation and economic 

growth. 

The new impetus was 

driven by the inaugural 

speech of Mr. Godwin 

Emefiele, as CBN Governor, 

in which he articulated his 

vision for a people-focussed 

central bank. This vision according 

to Emefiele was 

based on his conviction that 

central banks of developing 

countries should go beyond 

their traditional roles to embrace 

developmental with 

the aim of fiscal policies in 

the quest to enhance employment 

generation and boost 

economic growth. 

This vision led to the introduction 

of policy measures 

like the Anchor Borrowers 

Programme (ABP), the foreign 

exchange restrictions on 

43 items, and the Investors 

and Exporters (I&E) window. 

Stakeholders’ engagements 

The impact of the CBN’s efforts 

in this regard have been 

commended by trade unions 

and Non-Government 

(NGOs) especially for their 

job creating impact attracted 

commendations from 

Speaking at a recent 

stakeholders’ forum organised 

by the apex bank, they 

noted that efforts by the central 

bank had been geared 

towards promoting the welfare 

of Nigerians through job 

creation and increased local 

productivity, stressing that 

these policies are visible in 

the agriculture and textile 

industries. 

They also noted that a bailout 

fund to states initiated by 

Emefiele in 2015, played a 

major role in offsetting backlog 

of workers’ salary and in 

reflating the economy. 

In addition, they noted that 

the removal of 43 items from 

the official forex market also 

contributed in boosting local 

production. 

During the interactive sessions 

which took place in 

Owerri, Imo State, Lagos and 

others, there were representatives 

from the National 

Union of Textile, Garment 

and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria 

(NUTGTWN) and other 

private sector unions affiliated 

to the Nigeria Labour 

Congress (NLC). 

The organised labour itself, 

which comprised the NLC, 

Trade Union Congress (TUC) 

and United Labour Congress 

(ULC), all together, had their 

representatives present. 

Speaking, General Secretary 

of the National Union of 

Textile Garment and Tailoring 

Workers of Nigeria 

(NUTGWTN), Comrade Issa 

Aremu said the current CBN 

has done well through its numerous 

interventions in the 

various sectors of the 

economy. 

He, however, advised that 

the country, through CBN 

should work towards a single-digit 

inflation rate, saying 

the CBN should be sup- 

In pursuit of a people-oriented 

central bank agenda 

•Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor 

ported to revive the comatose 

manufacturing sector of Nigeria. 

“I must say that the re-appointment 

of the CBN Governor 

for second term is commendable. 

From the day he 

assumed office as the governor 

of CBN, his goal has been 

to have a monetary policy 

that will improve production 

and create jobs. 

“For us, you can agree with 

me that if there are no companies, 

there will be no workers 

and if there are no workers 

there cannot be a union. 

And if there are no unions, 

there cannot be leaders of 

unions that are here. 

“So, I think we should partner 

with CBN as organised 

labour to realise its objectives 

especially in the area of development 

financing. There 

was a time Nigeria was a 

workers’ destination for Africans 

and other nationals.” 

Aremu further noted that at 

a point in country’s history, 

the country survived on revenues 

from the non-oil sector, 

to the extent that it became 

a dominant exporter of 

agricultural produce into the 

global market. Some of these 

products include cocoa, 

groundnut, cotton and palm 

oil. 

Nigeria’s focus in agriculture 

supported the raw material 

needs of the industrial 

sector and created employment 

opportunities for millions 

of Nigerians, he added. 

Aremu stated: “There is 

availability of local rice in Nigeria. 

The argument of CBN 

concerning the 43 items is 

tenable. Why should we 

make scarce foreign exchange 

available for people 

to import products that we 

can produce within the country? 

For us today, that has protected 

a lot of jobs. 

“I think we should commend 

the CBN and encourage 

the apex bank to continue 

in its good job. We have 

to support CBN because if 

Nigeria can produce those 43 

items locally, our factories 

will recover. Already, about 

2.8million jobs have been created 

through the CBN ABP 

interventions. You can imagine 

if we replicate that in 

other sectors like Textile and 

others. 

“Emefiele has a way of interacting 

with stakeholders 

and taking ideas from such 

interactions into consideration, 

so he is a comrade,” 

Aremu concluded. 

Protecting purchasing 

power 

Speaking further, the CBN 

Governor who recently assumed 

office for a second 

term of five years, said the 

policies of the apex bank in 

the past five years had been 

We should 

partner with 

CBN as organised 

labour 

to realise 

its objectives 

especially in 

the area of 

development 

financing. 

focused on protecting the 

purchasing power of the poor 

and vulnerable persons in the 

country. 

According to Emefiele, the 

apex bank is very comfortable 

staying on the side of 

the weak, vulnerable, and 

poor masses and protecting 

their purchasing power. 

He argued the central 

bank’s development finance 

initiatives and foreign exchange 

intervention are targeted 

at supporting vulnerable 

persons in the society. 

“Sadly, while most people 

in this room may be spared 

the brutal consequences of inflation, 

the majority of Nigerian 

masses and fixed income 

earners are not. 

“The poor masses are the 

ones that bear the brunt of 

losing purchasing power of 

the meagre salaries they receive, 

ever so infrequently. 

“Indeed, given the current 

resistance to pay increased 

minimum wage of N30,000, 

one wonders how the fixed 

income earner would survive 

the consequences of inflationary 

pressure arising from 

the passthrough from exchange 

rate depreciation being 

proposed by the 

naysayers,” he told his audience. 

Building a stronger 

economy 

Emefiele said the task of 

building a stronger economy 

was far from complete; with 

the pace of Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP) growth still 

very fragile and badly lagging 

behind population 

growth rate of 2.7 per cent. 

He reiterated the fact that the 

level of credit to the private 

sector by financial institutions 

was still very low. 

According to the CBN Governor, 

domestic industries 

particularly high employment 

generating sectors like 

textile and garment sectors 

have continued to deal with 

rampant smuggling and 

dumping of materials 

through our borders. 

“These challenges no doubt 

call for action by the monetary 

and fiscal policies through 

the implementation of policies; 

the spirit and letter of 

which must be respected by 

all,” he added. 

He maintained that the 

bank would continue to defend 

the naira, saying that 

the CBN Act demands that 

the Bank “defend” the naira 

using the foreign exchange 

reserves. 

“In effect, the CBN would 

be disobeying the law establishing 

it, if it sits idly by and 

allow the naira to be determined 

wholly by the socalled 

market forces. 

“Second, those who call for 

floating of the currency betray 

their wilful ignorance of the 

effects of significant depreciation, 

however short-lived, 

on inflation. 

“Several empirical analyses 

have shown that the passthrough 

of changes in the exchange 

rate on consumer 

prices is almost one-tonne. 

“This implies that for every 

percentage point depreciation 

in the naira, there is almost 

the same rise in inflation. 

“I have also heard a lot of 

people suggest that all they 

want is for the CBN to reduce 

interest rates. In fact, for us 

at the CBN, achieving a low 

interest rate regime will give 

us a great sense of accomplishment. 

“Indeed, given our determination 

to stimulate economic 

growth, it is obvious 

that we would want to pursue 

a policy of moderating 

interest rates. “Yet, in an environment 

where inflation 

recently was a high as 18.72 

percent, it would be counterproductive 

to reduce interest 

rates because any attempt to 

ease interest rates under a 

high inflationary environment 

will no doubt retard 

growth. 

“While we are delighted 

that we have been able to 

fight inflation down to very 

low double digits, we believe 

it is still too high for the Nigerian 

economy. Our goal is 

to moderate it down to single 

digits.” 

Tackling importation 

Speaking at the 

stakeholders forum held in 

Lagos on June 22 nd , the 

CBN Director of Corporate 

Communications, Mr Isaac 

Okoroafor, the CBN Governor 

is called a comrade because, 

“the first day he took 

office, his vision was titled: 

‘a people focused central 

bank.’ 

“It means that all the policies 

from the central bank 

were to be underpinned and 

dictated by the welfare of the 

people. 

“Following from that, he 

initiated the Anchor Borrowers’ 

Programme which was 

targeted at the people within 

the base of the pyramid; the 

farmers. He looked at millions 

of Nigerian workers 

who have been rendered jobless 

for years because the 

elite conspired among themselves 

to be exporting our 

jobs abroad by massive importation. 

“They imported tooth 

paste, tomato, garri, palm 

oil, Nigerian print made in 

China, eggs from South Africa,” 

Okoroafor said. 

“At a time, about 20 million 

eggs were being imported 

into the country every day. 

“We depended on wheat 

from Zambia. We imported 

Fish from Norway. They import 

toothpick. Aswani market 

in Lagos used to be the 

largest textile market in Africa. 

People from Togo, Mali, 

Niger, Ghana Sierra Leon 

and even central Africa used 

to come there to buy Nigeria 

prints. Today, Aswani is a 

shadow of itself,” Okoroafor 

added. 

He explained that all these 

were imported using Nigeria’s 

foreign exchange. Inflation 

which was the greatest 

enemy of the workers was 

high and the CBN looked at 

all these and said ‹why 

should we keep importing?’”

44 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

CANCER; It does not matter who initiates creative idea 

that lead to success what is important is you should not be 

left in the cold all alone. The more co-operative you are 

the better for you. Don’t ignore your magnetic self-appeal. 

LEO; Good luck and happiness indicated for you today. 

But then, the scope of your success’ll depend on how cooperative 

and creative you are both with your loved one 

and at work. Prepare to take good advice especially from 

younger person(s). 

VIRGO.; Happenings within your working arena’ll give 

genuine cause to smile and with efforts on your part you’re 

in for a rewarding day. Take advantage of your sex-appeal 

to enhance your love life. Experiment with ideas creatively. 

LIBRA; Creativity may take front in what’s happening 

within your base of operation and the best for you is to join 

them. Lovers are fairly favoured. 

SCORPIO : Your being creative today can earn you unexpected 

good result at the end of the day. Be family 

minded now. 

SAGITTARIUS; Needed solution to challenges along 

your career/business lines will come through your being 

creative. Prepare to take good advice on your finances. 

CAPRICORN ; If you take unusual ideas coming to 

your mind today more seriously, things’ll work favourably 

for you. The more financially ambitious you’re the better. 

AQUARIUS; Moon’s placement favours aggressive 

approach in a favourable way. Here is a day Artist among 

you can create master piece. Be stead-fast. 

PISCES; You’ll have much to gain if you’re more cooperative 

and embrace creative ideas of your close associates. 

And it’s good to be friendly, loving and caring. 

ARIES; Aggressive approach is not what you need at 

work now, but creative approach. You’ve got nothing to 

lose if you take good advice from your friends. 

TAURUS; Whatever anybody says about your ambition 

and desire success will crown your efforts today. The more 

creative you are the better for your cause. And lovers can 

make it an exciting and happy day. Show your sex appeal 

and be loving. 

GEMINI; Your ideas are brilliant and if you blend them 

creatively the sky’ll be the limit. Let people within your 

home base know that you truly care for them. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom” 

— Aristotle- 

Take time to learn more about youself. This first aspect 

is fundamental. Each one of us is limited edition. Learning 

about one’s strengths and weaknesses will help us 

know how to figure out where to invest more time and 

energy. Life is not static, and we are constantly changing 

and discovering new things about ourselves. 

—Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

When two 

elephants 

fight, it is the 

grass that 

gets 

trampled. ~ 

Swahili saying 

By Kola Fayemi 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date e and place of birth th to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CAPRICORN 

Because they rarely day dream, Capricorn natives are 

set of practical people. This is because Capricorn is 

ruled by Saturn - the planet of career, l and material 

things. Although, the spirit of pessimism often times 

tempt the Capricorn born people, to succeed they will 

need to develop strong will that is indispensable to 

achievements of higher order because, series of challenges 

will come his/her way before he/she finally makes 

it to the top. Most natives of Capricorn are forced to 

shoulder many responsibilities early in life. Career 

building comes first in their priority lists which often 

leads to enviable career achievements that guarantee 

recognition. And another name for Capricorn is PA- 

TIENCE. Yet, he/she can appear mean in the business 

circle. And tell you that seriousness and business are 

synonymous. Above all, they are endowed with leadership 

capacity. 

Capricorn‘s quality is cardinal, element is the earth. 

The cardinal aspect makes a natural leader with strong 

ability for hard work. Natives of cardinal signs crave 

for action and strongly desire prominence and often 

times make success of their love of action and desire 

for importance through relentless efforts. 

The earthly connection with Capricorn further confirms 

innate ability for hard work and practicality . 

Saturn is the planet of hard task, delay, depression, 

frustration, frustration but great reward after so much 

struggles. Being a difficult teacher, Saturn usually takes 

its natives through many different tasks, challenges and 

delay. All these are meant to teach them virtues of patience 

and hard work. However, Saturn usually brings 

its natives recognition and reward. 

The cautious side of Saturn always manifest in all 

Capricorn born people thus, but it is necessary for them 

to watch that side of their characteristics as they often 

push their cautious side too far and most of the time it 

results to black mood. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

De Ligt agrees Juventus 

personal terms 

Ajax defender Matthijs de 

Ligt has agreed personal 

terms with Juventus, his agent 

Mino Raiola has confirmed. 

Sky in Italy understand that 

the agreement is worth £10.8m 

(•12m) per year - which 

equates to around £230,000 per 

week - but the clubs must now 

agree a transfer fee, with Ajax 

asking for £67.3m (•75m). 

Juventus are so far offering to 

pay £49.3m (•55m) plus £9m in 

bonuses (•10m) as negotiations 

continue for the highly-rated 

19-year-old Netherlands 

international, who was 

previously linked with 

Barcelona 

•de Ligt 

“Matthijs has a g r e e d 

personal terms with Juve,” 

Tite criticises Messi after 

‘corruption’ comments 

•Messi 

Brazil coach Tite has criticised Lionel 

Messi for his complaints against the 

Copa America refereeing. 

Brazil ended a 12-year trophy drought 

with Copa America victory on home soil 

after beating Peru 3-1 in the final. 

Tite’s side knocked out Argentina in 

the semi-finals and Messi was 

subsequently sent-off in the third-place 

play-off with Peru. After the game he 

claimed Argentina were treated 

unfairly at the Copa America and 

boycotted the medal ceremony to 

protest the refereeing and “corruption”. 

“He has to have more respect and 

needs to accept when he loses,” said Tite, 

who had praised the Argentine 

playmaker ahead of the semi-finals. 

Tite said he did not think 

Messi should have been sent 

off against Chile, and that a 

yellow card would have 

been enough. 

Still, he said Messi 

should have been “more 

careful” with his words. 

Man Utd want Vinicius Junior in 

Pogba deal 

Manchester United will 

reportedly consider selling 

Paul Pogba to Real Madrid if Vinicius 

Junior is included as part of the 

transfer. 

Pogba has travelled to Australia 

with his Red Devils teammates for 

the start of pre-season, despite his 

agent reiterating on Friday that the 

midfielder is keen to leave Old 

Trafford. 

Juventus have been tipped to make 

a move for their former player, but 

Madrid are widely considered to be 

leading the race for his signature. 

Los Blancos have so far been 

reluctant to match United’s hefty 

valuation, though Spanish outlet 

Diario Gol suggests that a playerplus-cash 

deal is a possibility. 

However, it is claimed that Ole 

•Vinicius 

Gunnar Solskjaer is not interested 

in signing the likes of Toni Kroos, 

Gareth Bale, Isco or Marco Asensio 

- he instead wants young forward 

Vinicius, who appeared regularly for 

Madrid last season. 

Dembele returns one week early 

Barcelona are looking to strengthen their 

team significantly this summer and 

Ousmane Dembele is acutely aware that 

competition for a place in the starting XI will 

be greater than ever before, so he is out to 

prove himself this pre-season. 

Antoine Griezmann and Neymar have 

both been linked with moves to the Camp 

Nou, which would leave Dembele with an 

almost impossible task of breaking into the 

team on a regular basis. 

As such, Dembele is looking to put all 

thoughts of him being unprofessional into the 

past and he emerged alone at the Joan 

Gamper Sport City complex on Monday 

morning to begin his training regime a week 

earlier than officially required, according to 

•Dembele Cadena Ser. 

Raiola told Dutch paper De 

Telegraaf. “We’re waiting for 

them to complete the 

agreement with Ajax soon. 

“An arbitration case is out of 

the question for us, I advised 

Matthijs (on this), because it 

does not suit his style. 

“The player only hopes 

that Juventus and Ajax will 

show the will to get out and 

that the deal is completed 

quickly.” 

Terry second 

favourite to 

become new 

Newcastle boss 

JOHN TERRY has catapulted 

from a 50/1 outsider to 6/1 

second favourite to become 

Newcastle boss. 

The Chelsea legend and Aston 

Villa assistant chief trails only 5/ 

2 tip Mikel Arteta, the 

Manchester City No 2, in the race 

to succeed Rafa Benitez. 

Terry’s odds have tumbled 

dramatically since former Blues 

team-mate Frank Lampard 

returned to Stamford Bridge as 

manager. 

But the duo’s ex-England 

colleague Steven Gerrard has 

slipped out to 16/1 after 

reportedly rejecting Newcastle to 

stay as Rangers boss. 

Italy and former Etihad chief 

Roberto Mancini is third 

favourite at 9/1, ahead of 10/1 tip 

Roberto Martinez, who guided 

Belgium to last summer’s World 

Cup semi-finals after bossing 

Everton. 

Ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid 

manager Jose Mourinho is rated 

at 12/1 for the Toon to be his first 

job since Manchester United 

sacked him last December. 

Alves named best 

player of 2019 Copa 

America 

Dani Alves was named player 

of the tournament as 

Brazil won the Copa America 

at the Maracana. 

The right-back is a free agent 

this summer after leaving Paris 

Saint-Germain and there will 

certainly be no shortage of 

suitors after his decisive 

performances in a Brazil shirt. 

Everton was named man of 

the match for the final, scoring a 

goal and winning a penalty 

against Peru, as well as picking 

up the golden boot. 

Alisson, meanwhile, was 

awarded the golden glove after 

his heroics in the previous 

rounds. 

•Alves 

•Serena 


WIMBLEDON OPEN... WIMBLEDON OPEN... 

Coco’s dream is over! 

Gauff is OUT of Wimbledon 

Teenage tennis sensation Coco 

Gauff’s magical Grand Slam 

debut ended today as the 15-yearold 

went out after losing to a 

former world number one while 

suffering from stomach cramps. 

Coco valiantly lost to Simona 

Halep on Court 1 in two sets, both 

6-3, as her mother Candi and 

father Corey Gauff watched on 

from the stands. 

She was believed to be 

suffering from abdominal pains 

during her second set, with a 

doctor coming onto Court 1 to help. 

He could be seen passing Coco a 

pill and telling her: ‘Put this 

between your lip and your gum, 

don’t swallow it.’ 

Coco, ranked 313 in the world at the start of the tournament in 

London, got to the last 16 by beating her idol Venus Williams then 

fighting back from the brink of defeat to see off Polona Hercog. 

But despite the defeat, she is guaranteed prize money of at least 

£176,000 - tripling her career earnings. 

And she has won an army of celebrity fans including former First 

Lady Michelle Obama, rapper Snoop Dogg and Friends star Matthew 

Perry, who tweeted today: Congratulations Coco Gauff, you have 

made your mark.’ 

Halep said after her victory: ‘I am really happy I can play in the 

quarter-finals again, it’s one of my favourite tournaments. I enjoyed 

the crowd, the energy. I felt it really well and I felt the public enjoyed 

the match. I want to win every match I play.’ 

Australia’s world number one 

Ashleigh Barty has been 

knocked out of Wimbledon, losing 

her fourth-round match against 

American Alison Riske. 

World number 55 Riske fought 

back from a set down to win 3-6 6- 

2 6-3 in one hour 36 minutes on 

court two to reach a first Grand 

Slam quarter-final. 

French Open champion Barty, 

23, had not dropped a set at the 

tournament. 

Riske will face seven-time 

Serena dominates Suarez to reach 

Wimbledon q-final 

S Wimbledon 

even-time 

singles champion 

Serena Williams 

reached the 

quarterfinals 

at 

S W 1 9 

with a 

dominant 

display 

against 

Spain’s 

Carla Suarez 

Navarro. 

The American 11th 

seed, 37, raced to a 6- 

2 6-2 victory against 

•Coco 

Nadal marches past Sousa in 

less than two hours 

Joao Sousa was no match for Rafael Nadal, who is into the 

Wimbledon quarter-finals thanks to his 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over the 

Portuguese. 

The match on centre court 

only lasted one hour and 45 

minutes, with the Spaniard 

racing through all three sets. 

This was his 52nd victory in 

the men’s singles tournament 

at Wimbledon, meaning he 

has moved ahead of grass court 

legend Bjorn Borg in the alltime 

Wimbledon wins list. 

This year’s edition of the 

competition has been going 

perfectly so far for Nadal, 

with the only real challenge so 

far coming from second-round 

opponent Nick Kyrgios. 

•Nadal 

Barty knocked out of by Riske 

•Barty 

champion Serena Williams after she beat Spain’s Carla Suarez 

Navarro. 

“I couldn’t begin to say what it means to me. To have overcome the 

matches the way I have is what I’m most excited about,” said Riske, 

29. 

“Getting to the quarter-finals is amazing but what’s most exciting 

for me is the way I’ve been fighting.” 

the 30-year-old world 

number 31. 

Williams will play 

compatriot Alison Riske in 

the last eight after she upset 

world number one Ashleigh 

Barty. 

In another unexpected 

result, Karolina Muchova 

beat third seed Karolina 

Pliskova 4-6 7-5 13-11. 

The all-Czech encounter 

was a game away from 

becoming the first 

Wimbledon match decided 

by the new rule which sees a 

tie-break played if it reaches 

12-12 in the final set.

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

ALLOY AGU: 

Eagles can beat 

South Africa 

SUPER Eagles goalkeeper 

trainer, Alloy Agu insists 

that the Nigeria team must be 

at their best to beat South Africa 

in the quarter-final of the 2019 

Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 

in Egypt. 

Bafana Bafana defeated the 

hosts Egypt on Saturday to 

silence many football punters 

who believed the Pharaohs 

were destined to beat South 

Africa and meet the Eagles at 

the Cairo International Stadium 

on Wednesday. 

Agu noted that the Eagles must 

be willing to give all they have 

just as they did against Cameroon 

to advance to the semi-final and 

past results against Bafana will 

have no bearing on the outcome. 

“Football has gone beyond what 

it used to be before,” Agu said. 

“Before it was predictable to tell 

the outcome of some matches 

before they come up but it is not 

the same today. It is the side with 

better preparations, 

Algeria’s Belmadi 

dreams AFCON title 

ALGERIA coach Djamel 

Belmadi believes his team 

can win the Africa Cup of Nations 

title. 

While many coaches shy away 

from declaring their team to be 

favourites, preferring the old 

cliche that they will take each 

match as it comes, Belmadi has 

boldly declared that his side have 

set their sights on a first title since 

1990. 

Their 3-0 demolition of Guinea 

on Sunday, arguably the best 

performance by any team at the 

tournament, fully justified the 43- 

year-old’s confidence. 

determination and tactics 

along with hard work that gets 

to win. 

“Yes we lost to Madagascar 

but we are through to the 

quarter-final now. We tried out 

a few new things against them 

but it didn’t work out well. 

“We knew what was at stake 

against Cameroon and can see 

the result yourself. The players 

came all out to play and they 

gave their best to ensure that 

the defending champion is 

eliminated.” 

The former Eagles 

goalkeeper stressed that the 

unexpected results in Egypt do 

not surprise him and that 

Nigeria must show the 

willingness to advance 

beyond this stage. 

We know Super Eagles very well 

•Furman 

“We have been saying for a while 

that we are here to achieve what 

nobody believes we can do,” 

Belmadi said. “But we believe in 

it. It does not cost anything to be 

ambitious, even if the bar is very 

high. “We may not reach our target 

but will do our best to get there.” 

“Everyone is studying 

everyone,” said Belmadi, who is 

credited with restoring stability to 

the team. “Favourites, or not being 

favourites, does not mean 

anything. We will not repeat 

where we have come from — it has 

been a delicate period since 2014. 

We do not hide.” 

•Mahrez 

— Bafana Bafana star 

FORMER Chelsea midfielder Dean Furman fancies South 

Africa’s chances of beating Nigeria when the two 

regional powerhouses trade tackles in the quarterfinal of the 

2019 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Wednesday night heralds the rematch of Super Eagles against 

Bafana Bafana, less than eight months after both teams played 

out a 1-1 draw in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in 

Johannesburg. 

Furman was absent from that meeting because of a shoulder 

injury but went the distance in their 2-0 victory against Nigeria 

in June 2017. 

‘’Tonight some of our forward play was outstanding and it was 

one goal, we could have scored two or three more so we are 

very, very happy with the victory and excited for the next round,’’ 

Furman said in the mixed zone after the round of 16 clash vs 

Egypt. Asked on how he will prepare for the next game against 

Nigeria, the SuperSport United star said : ‘’It is going to be 

tough, we had Nigeria in our qualification group, we beat them 

away and we drew with them at home. 

Nigerian envoy urges 

Eagles to play as a team 

*Thanks supporters club for motivating team 

NIGERIA’s Ambassador to Egypt, Prof Abdulkadir Dantata, has 

urged the Super Eagles to avoid being selfish on the pitch to 

secure success in their matches. 

The Ambassador who was speaking while receiving a delegation of 

the Nigeria Football Supporters Club in his office in Lagos said the 

attitude if a player trying to score when he is not in a position to do so 

was detrimental to the progress of the team. 

“You should talk to the players to always play as a team. Any player 

who is not in a position to score should always look out for another who 

can score,” he said as he commended the supporters club who was led 

by their President General, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo.. 

On how he would have felt if Nigeria was facing his country in the 

quarter finals Prof Dantata retorted “ don’t let us wake up the sleeping 

dog, leave them since they have lost, let us see how we can overcome 

South Africa. I believe, Insha Allah, that we will defeat them on 

Wednesday”. 

Rohr welcomes VAR 

introduction in Q/finals 

SUPER Eagles coach Gernot Rohr said yesterday that the 

introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) from the quarterfinals 

of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, is a welcomed development. 

He argued that the games will be better officiated 

with the VAR. 

“The Video Assistant Referee will come into 

play in the quarter-final stage. On the goal 

we conceded, I am not sure there was a foul, 

Ighalo was pushed in the back and the foul 

was against us. 

“It is good for the football and referee we 

have VAR, the only problem is the hand in 

the box. 

“It will help everybody especially for the 

•Rohr 

offside,” the German said. 

Tanzania sacks Amuneke 

THE Tanzanian Football Federation sacked their national team 

coach Emmanuel Amunike on Monday after exiting the 2019 

Nations Cup in Egypt at the group stage. 

The Nigerian trainer was notified of the decision on Monday morning 

after the Taifa Stars bombed out of the first stage of the tournament in 

Egypt last week. 

The Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) 

issued a formal statement on its official 

website announcing an agreement with 

coach Amunike to terminate the contract 

between the two sides. 

The TFF thanked the former Nigeria 

international for taking the side back 

to Africa’s flagship football tournament 

and said they will begin the process of 

getting a new coach immediately. 

•Amuneke 

“We will return to our country and 

evaluate the situation with the Football 

Federation, because there are many things that need 

hard work to put in place,” he said. 

Sacked Uganda coach 

gets new job 24 hours after 

FOR the sacked Uganda’s coach, Sebastien Desabre, it was a case 

of one door closing and another one opening. 

Barely 24 hours after being relieved of his position by the Uganda FA 

after the team crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations, the French 

manager has secured a new job. 

He has been officially unveiled as 

Pyramids FC’s newest manager on 

Monday. 

After guiding Uganda to the round 

of 16 of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, 

Desabre has made a name for himself 

as a reputable manager in the African 

football landscape and as a result, has 

been linked to some of the top jobs on 

the continent, including Cairo giants Al 

Ahly. 

•Desabre 

However, the Frenchman became 

Pyramids FC’s latest manager one day after 

mutually terminating his contract with the Ugandan national team.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019—47

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

1 Grief (6) 

4 Covered walk with 

shops (6) 

8 Metric unit of capacity 

(5) 

9 Beneficiary of a will (7) 

10 Deep red (7) 

11 Concise, pithy (5) 

12 Helper (9) 

17 Civilian dress (5) 

19 Move forward (7) 

21 Rotating shaft (7) 

22 Of the country (5) 

23 Knife for stabbing (6) 

24 Aviators (6) 

DOWN 

1 Consolation (6) 

2 Greek wine (7) 

3 Portents (5) 

5 Race-meeting for boats (7) 

6 Following (5) 

7 Football or cricket 

team (6) 

9 Scenic picture (9) 

13 Cheat, defraud (7) 

14 Fit of ill-temper (7) 

15 Diverted (6) 

16 King Arthur's magician 

(6) 

18 Throw (5) 

20 Italian operatic 

composer (5) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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09072019 - We sent poll results to INEC's server — STAFF

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