08082019 - Storm as Kaduna govt lists fresh hurdles for El-Zakzaky

OLU FASAN 

Essentially, Buhari 

has formed a cabinet 

of the most loyal, not 

the best, of people 

who offer merely 

loyalty, not 

technocratic 

competence! 

32 #REVOLUTIONNOW: E-DAILY 11 

How butt 

surgery 

boosted my 

5 self confidence 

— TONTO DIKEH 

Nigerians have 

right to protest 

— OSHIOMHOLE 

Petroleum products imports up 11% to 7.63bn litres 

19 

VOL. 26: NO. 63870 THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 

Storm, as Kaduna govt lists 

fresh hurdles for El-Zakzaky 

•My client'll not comply with orders not covered by order of the Kaduna high court— Falana 

•We’ll disregard KDSG’s conditions – IMN 

•If he gets to India, we can’t stop him from going to Iran – Junaid Muhammed 

•Govt should respect court order, Senator Shehu Sani 

STORY 

ON PAGE 

9 

CONDITIONS EL-ZAKZAKY, WIFE MUST FULFIL BEFORE TRAVELLING 

•Foreign Affairs Ministry to confirm appointments with the Medanta Hospital, India 

•Must undertake to return to Nigeria to continue their trial as soon as they are discharged 

from the hospital, and shall also be responsible for the cost of their travel, treatment and 

living expenses while on their medical leave. 

•Must produce two prominent and reliable persons as sureties, one being a first class chief/ 

emir of national repute and the other a prominent person within Kaduna State 

•FG shall obtain from the government of India an irrevocable guarantee that it will not 

entertain any application for asylum 

•Must undertake in writing, endorsed by their counsel, that while on medical treatment in 

India, they shall do nothing to jeopardize the ongoing trial, the peace and security of Nigeria 

and the laws of the Republic of India in whatever form. 

•Security agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria shall escort El-Zakzaky and wife, 

and remain with them throughout the duration of their treatment in India and, thereafter, 

return with them after their discharge from the hospital. 

•El-Zakzaky 

Naira 

depreciates 

to N358.5 /$ 

in parallel 

41 

market 

Mr & Mrs 

•Nigerian High Commission in India shall undertake prior vetting and grant consent 

before any visitor has access to El-Zakzaky and wife while in the Republic of India 

Nigeria to become 

world capital of 

open defecation 

35 

with over 47m 

persons — UNICEF 

Court stops 

NASS from 

taking over 

Edo 

Assembly 

COLUMNISTS: GAMBO DORI 17 PAT UTOMI 23 AMAECHI 37 

10 

3 Policemen shot dead by 

7 

soldiers in Taraba; as IGP 

orders full scale investigation 

Nigeria collapsing under 

Buhari, PDP alleges 

35 

C 

M 

Y 

K

2 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 —3

4—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

From left, former Military Governor of old Rivers State, Brigadier-General 

Anthony Ukpo, retd; Amanyannabo of Twon Brass, His Majesty, King Alfred 

Diete-Spiff; former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; Bayelsa 

State Governor, Seriake Dickson; his wife, Rachael and former President 

Goodluck Jonathan, jointly cutting the cake shortly after launching the New 

Yenagoa City at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, 

Government House, Yenagoa, yesterday. 

#REVOLUTIONNOW: 

Nigerians have right to 

protest — OSHIOMHOLE 

•S’West conspiring to overthrow Buhari – CNG 

•Adewale Martins, MURIC disagree over necessity 

•It’s an ingredient of democracy – NLC 

•Poly students kick against action 

•Police arraign ASUU member, four others in Osun 

•You’ll regret clampdown on protesters - Sowore’s group tells FG 

By Victor Young, Sam Eyoboka, Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru, Daud Olatunji, Omeiza Ajayi, 

Shina Abubakar, Luminous Jannamike & 

Ezra Ukanwa 

ABUJA—AS mixed 

views continue to 

herald last Monday’s 

#RevolutionNow protests 

in some states of the 

country and security 

agents clampdown on the 

protesters, National 

Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, yesterday, 

said Nigerians have the 

right to protest but they 

must properly articulate 

their grievances. 

Oshiomhole spoke on a 

day that the Muslim Rights 

Concern, MURIC, and 

Catholic Archbishop of 

Lagos Metropolitan See, 

Most Rev. Alfred Adewale 

Martins, disagreed over the 

necessity of the protest. 

While MURIC passed a 

vote of confidence on 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, arguing that the 

proponents of the protest 

have lost touch with reality, 

Most Rev Martins 

admonished the Federal 

Government to see the 

demonstration as a wakeup 

call from the rank of 

suffering Nigerians who 

are asking government for 

protection of their lives and 

properties. 

Meanwhile, the police, 

on account of the protests 

have arraigned nine 

persons including a 

university teacher in Osun 

and Ogun states. 

Also, as the Nigeria 

Labour Congress, NLC, 

endorsed the protest and 

called for the release of 

Sowore, who has been 

detained by the 

Department of State 

Services, DSS, since 

Saturday morning, the 

Coalition of Northern 

Groups, CNG, faulted the 

protests. 

The group, which in 2017 

gave Igbo in the North an 

October 1 ultimatum to 

•Omoyele Sowore 

leave the North, described 

the protest as an 

international conspiracy 

supported by South- 

Westerners to destabilize 

the country, and overthrow 

President Buhari despite 

being the “greatest 

beneficiary” of the same 

administration. 

Consequently, the 

northern coalition called for 

an end to all alliances with 

the South-West. 

You can’t lose an 

election and call for 

revolution 

Oshiomhole, who led 

many protests in the 

country as leader of the 

NLC, while briefing State 

House correspondents after 

a meeting of the APC 

National Working 

Committee, NWC, with 


Buhari at the presidential 

villa, Abuja, condemned 

Omoyele Sowore, the 

convener of the Global 

Coalition for Security and 

Democracy, for 

engineering the protest. 

Oshiomhole said Sowore, 

who was the Presidential 

candidate of the African 

Action Congress, AAC, and 

publisher of Sahara 

Reporters decided to lead 

the protest after failing to 

win the February 23 2019 

presidential election. 

His words: “What was the 

reason for protest? Let’s be 

honest! I have led series of 

protests even to this villa. 

Whoever wants to protest 

should articulate the 

particulars of his grievances 

and make specific demands 

about the solutions that he 

wants. 

“Sowore, the publisher of 

Sahara reporters, a 

presidential candidate, 

cleared by INEC to bid for 

power, had opportunity to 

ask Nigerians to vote for 

him. Now, Nigerians have 

voted, the votes were 

counted and he was not a 

favoured candidate. What 

does he want now? That 

Nigerians must make him 

the president? We all have 

to be careful, nobody 

should talk as if we have 

another country. 

“We have challenges but 

somehow we have all 

resolved as a people that 

the way and route to power 

is the ballot box. Our task 

as a people is to continue 

to work to clean up the 

system so that only 

Nigerians alone shall 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja, Olayinka Latona, 

Dickson Omobola, Tolulope Oke, 

Chiamaka Uba, Deborah Alade 

& Anifowose Opeyemi 

#RevolutionNow: Is Sowore's arrest justified? (1) 

We are trapped in 

history and history 

is trapped in us. 

#RevolutionNow is not 

new to us in this country; 

in fact, we have notable 

faces in our current 

government who were 

once involved in a similar 

scenario (#Occupy). The 

detention of Sowore by the 

FG is against humanity 

and it’s totally appalling. 

When the government is 

not doing what it is 

supposed to do, the masses 

have the right to move the 

motion for a protest and as 

long as it’s a peaceful one, 

I see nothing wrong in that. 

— Ayo Afolabi 

Actor 

Revolution Now is 

Omoyele Sowore's 

opinion. It could have 

been a way to test his 

popularity, unfortunately, 

the FG did not allow it. His 

detention is nothing new. 

He can't be detained 

forever. To an extent, 

the FG has not lived up 

to expectation. 

Revolutions don’t solve 

political problems. The 

kind of revolution we need 

will be one that will shake 

the table and reposition 

Nigeria for better. 

Sowore may have joined 

the elites in Nigeria. They 

can never be trusted when 

they get to power. 

— Julius Adegunna 

Publisher 

I 

support the idea of 

#RevolutionNow. 

Enough is enough! We 

can’t sit down and keep 

watching things moving 

backwards in our 

country. 

We, the Nigerian 

people, must stand 

together in order to bring 

an end to any act of 

tyranny in our nation. 

Nigeria is not a banana 

republic. 

— Abdul Dan-Alhaji 

Journalist 

This is a democratic 

system of 

government. Any 

government that claims 

to have integrity but 

fails to accept 

constructive criticism 

has hoodwinked its 

citizens. The integrity is 

nothing but hoax, 

Sowore should not be 

detained. 

— Dahunsi Olabode 

Student 

I 

think Sowore was 

beclouded by his 

intent that he was not 

meticulous enough 

about the mode of 

execution that would not 

in any way contradict 

the constitution. Peaceful 

revolution is 

oxymoronic. The law 

enforcers would still be 

blamed for not being 

proactive if it had turned 

to a civil unrest. Let the 

law take its course. 

—Olumuyiwa 

O m o w o n u o l a 

Researcher 

C onstitutionally, 

Sowore has done 

nothing wrong. Therefore, 

he doesn’t deserve to be 

treated in that manner. 

Freedom of speech is part 

of democracy. The answer 

to Sowore’s agitation is 

good governance and a 

good government 

doesn’t fear any 

revolution. 

The people will not keep 

quiet on his arrest as well 

as the arrest of comrades 

whose voices this 

oppressive civilian regime 

has tried to silence. 

—Asanlu Duntoye 

Artistic Director

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 

ABOVE: The 29 men arrested by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office, at Akoto Estate, Elebu, Ibadan, Oyo State over internetrelated 

fraud, yesterday. PHOTO: Dare Fasube. 

RIGHT: The 79 suspected kidnappers paraded by Kaduna State Police Command at 

Rijana Police Station along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, yesterday. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi. 

Police detain 

Chief 

Accountant, 

Cashier over 

N11.4m robbery 

in Niger 

By WoleMosadomi 

MINNA—NIGER State 

Police Command has 

detained the Chief Accountant 

and Cashier over the N11.4 

million snatched from them at 

different spots in Minna, the 

state capital, within the last two 

weeks. 

The Chief Accountant 

attached to the Head of Service, 

Niger State, was on Monday 

attacked by robbers at the gate 

of the state secretariat, Minna, 

and carted away N9.5 million. 

The money was said to be 

overhead for the office of the 

Head of Service and other 

expenses for the month of 

August. 

He was trailed from a 

commercial bank to the 

secretariat's gate, where the 

vehicle the Chief Accountant 

was in was blocked and Ghana 

must Go bag in which the 

money was stashed carted 

away. 

In a similar circumstance, 

the Cashier attached to the 

state judiciary was also 

attacked along a major road 

in Minna and N1.9 million 

was carted away from him. 

None of the two persons 

attacked were injured in the 

incidents. 

After the incident on 

Monday, it was learned that 

the Chief Accountant and his 

colleagues were first 

detained at the Tudun-Wada 

Police Station, from where 

they were taken to the State 

Investigation Bureau, SIB, of 

the Command in Minna, 

where they are now being 

held. 

Vanguard also gathered 

that some officials of the 

commercial bank from where 

the money was withdrawn, 

have also been invited by SIB 

for interrogation. 

A reliable source also told 

Vanguard that besides the 

Cashier, five other staff of the 

State Judicial Service 

Commission had also been 

invited to appear before 

operatives of the SIB, 

yesterday. 

Activities grounded at Ekiti varsity, as students 

protest EFCC’s arrest of Yahoo boys on campus 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

A DO-EKITI—ACADEMIC 

and other sundry activities at 

Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, 

were paralysed yesterday, 

following protest by students over 

arrest of their colleagues by 

operatives of the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC. 

It was gathered that officials of 

the anti-graft agency, in the wee 

hours of yesterday, stormed the 

school and arrested no fewer than 

25 students of the school over 

allegation of internet fraud. 

This angered the students, who 

barricaded the Ado-Ekiti-Ifaki 

dual carriage way with logs and 

bonfires, making the busy road 

impassable, forcing motorists to 

take alternative routes to connect 

Ado-Ekiti, Ifaki and Iworoko. 

The main gate of the university 

was also blocked by students, 

By Ben Agande 

KADUNA State Police 

Command, yesterday, 

paraded 79 criminals, including 

suspected kidnappers, robbers 

and other suspects at Rijana, 

along Kaduna-Abuja Highway. 

Among the suspects was a 

dismissed soldier, thrown out of 

the Army for shooting his 

commander. 

The state Commissioner of 

Police, Ali Janga, who paraded 

the suspects before newsmen, 

revealed that during the 

operations that led to the arrest 

of the criminals, 35 guns and 439 

cattle were recovered from the 

suspects. 

He added: “The gallant 

determination of our crack 

operatives such as SARS, AKU, 

IRT and other units have again 

recorded some successes with the 

apprehension of 79 suspects for 

various crimes which includes 

criminal conspiracy, armed 

robbery, kidnapping, cattle 

rustling, culpable homicide, shop 

breaking and theft, impersonation 

and receiving of stolen property. 

“Pursuant to our collective 

resolve, high sense of 

commitment and relentless 

determination, the Command has 

sustained a serious manhunt on 

bandits and other perpetrators of 

locking out academic and nonacademic 

staff of the institution, 

and totally locking down the host 

community, Iworoko-Ekiti. 

According to some of the 

protesters, operatives of EFCC 

allegedly invaded some hostels 

in the early hours and arrested 

about 25 students, describing the 

arrest and incessant harassment 

of their colleagues as unlawful. 

Speaking with Vanguard, one 

of the protesting students said: 

“Specifically, I don’t know the 

number of students they have 

arrested. But I’m sure they 

arrested close to 50 or more.” 

Recalled that a couple of weeks 

ago, over 40 youths, some 

students of higher institutions, 

were arrested in Ado-Ekiti by 

EFCC and ferried to Ibadan, Oyo 

State, on same allegation. 

The protest began at about 

8.15a.m. and lasted till 11.12p.m. 

Addressing the students, 

crime within the state with a view 

to arresting and bringing them to 

book. 

“I am also glad to inform the 

public that we are currently 

reviewing our deployment 

structure along Kaduna-Abuja 

Road, Kaduna-Zaria Road and 

Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road with 

a view to making the highways 

safer for commuters, while the 

efforts to rid the Command off 

banditry and other violent crimes 

continue.” 

Director of Welfare, EKSU 

Students’ Union Government, 

Temitope Aladejare, claimed that 

four of his hostel mates were 

arrested by some operatives. 

According to him, “they just 

came to the hostel in front of the 

EKSU’s main gate and arrested 

four of our members. Two of the 

victims were even naked and 

they were in their rooms when the 

operatives pounced on them. 

“When they came, they 

introduced themselves as 

operatives of EFCC, forcefully 

bundled the victims into a van 

and took them to an unknown 

destination. We are calling on 

government to call them to order.” 

Contacted, EKSU Public 

Relations Officer, Mr. Bode 

Olofinmuagun, said he was not 

on campus and had no firsthand 

information about the arrest and 

subsequent the protest. 

However, the Police Public 

Giving a breakdown of the items 

recovered from the suspected 

criminals, the Police said nine AK- 

47 rifles, one unserviceable LAR 

rifle and 11 locally-made rifles, 

pistols, one pump action, three 

Dane guns, 954 rounds of live 

ammunition of different calibre 

and 24 live cartridges, one knife, 

one hacksaw, N30,000 cash, two 

handsets, one face mask, two pair 

of canvass, bundles of brocade 

(Shadda) materials and 11 caps. 

He added that “we also 

Relations Officer, Ekiti 

Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, 

said he could confirm that 

arrests were made, which 

triggered the students to 

embark on protest. 

He said: “I can confirm to you 

that there was arrest. But the 

Police will continue to be an 

effective security organisation 

that will continually work for the 

peace of our society. 

“The students protested, 

blocked the major highway and 

prevented commuters from 

moving in and out of the state 

capital; this we will never 

condone, because that road is 

not within the confines of the 

university. 

“They obstructed vehicular 

movements for hours. But we 

have been able to remove those 

blockages and restored peace 

and order around the school 

premises.” 

Police nab 79 kidnappers, robbers, rustlers in Kaduna 

THE Mile 2 branch of the 

National Union of Road 

Transport Workers, NURTW, 

yesterday, said it would no longer 

seat and watch armed robbers 

terrorise motorists caught up in 

traffic on Badagry-Oshodi-Apapa 

Expressways. 

Chairman of the Branch, Abeyi 

Ikomodina Abayomi, told 

Vanguard that the union “is 

committed to assisting the 

Presidential Task Force on the 

Apapa Gridlock, headed by Vice 

President Yemi Osibanjo, to 

achieve its mandate of clearing 

the gridlock and allowing easy 

passage of vehicles on the 

expressway. 

“We have held talks with the task 

team and we have agreed to 

deploy our members on the 

expressway to assist security 

operatives working to free up 

traffic.” 

He added that members of the 

union would ensure that the 

service lane from Second 

Rainbow to Berger Suya axis of 

the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway is 

free for commercial and private 

vehicles, as the union will no 

longer allow tanker or container 

trucks park or stop on the service 

lane. 

Ikomodino told Vanguard: “The 

rate at which robbers are 

terrorising innocent motorists 

plying this route is alarming and 

the Mile 2 branch of the NURTW 

can no longer seat and allow it 

continue. 

recovered one black-coloured KIA 

Serato vehicle with number plates 

TT 547 AA; one ash-coloured 

Toyota Corolla S with number 

plates GWA 872 FM, and one 

ash-coloured unregistered 

Mercedes Benz C350. 

“439 cattle, 18 sheep, eight 

donkeys, one tricycle with number 

plates MKA 248 WY, six 

motorcycles, eight television sets, 

one laptop, one power generator 

and four cutlasses were also 

recovered.” 

We'll help secure Mile 2-Apapa Road—NURTW 

“Last week a Naval officer was 

robbed in the traffic, She alerted 

us and we helped her arrest the 

robber who confessed that most 

of the hoodlums terrorising 

motorists on this expressway 

are from Coconut axis and are 

armed. 

“I have passed this 

information to the authorities 

and I hope they would act on 

it. On the traffic jam issue, the 

tankers and trucks can use the 

main expressway, but we will 

ensure that the service lane is 

free for private and commercial 

vehicles. 

“We will no longer allow them 

park containers along the Second 

Rainbow and Berger Suya axis 

of the expressway.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019—7 

MOPOL kills Ironbody, Lagos NURTW 

strongman, for stepping on his boot 

•Ironbody apologised to the officer’s uniform—Eyewitness 

By Monsuru Olowoopejo 

& Esther Onyegbula 

PANDEMONIUM broke out 

at Council Bus Stop along 

Idimu-Ikotun Road, Alimosho 

Local Government Area, Lagos 

State, yesterday, after a man said 

to be a member of the National 

Union of Road Transport Workers, 

NURTW, Mr. Ahmed Segun, 

popularly known as Ironbody, was 

allegedly shot dead by a yet to be 

identified mobile policeman, 

MOPOL. 

The incident, which occurred at 

about 9p.m. on Tuesday within 

the premises of a car mart at the 

Bus Stop, Vanguard gathered, 

threw the community into 

mourning, as many especially 

commercial drivers were yet to 

come to terms with the reality that 

Ironbody, who became popular 

for his boldness and generosity, 

is no more. 

When Vanguard visited the 

scene at about 9a.m. yesterday, it 

was observed that the popular 

Council Market and all 

adjourning shops were shut. 

Also, bonfires were sighted on 

all the roads linking the bus stop, 

especially Powerline and Liasu 

Road, where residents said was 

the major point for the clash that 

ensued after between the youths 

and policemen. 

It was gathered that the 

deceased’s offence was that he 

stepped on the boots of the mobile 

policeman, who alongside his yetto-be 

identified colleague, was 

deployed to provide security for 

the car mart. 

Eyewitness account 

A resident, Abdul-Waheed 

Olayinka, told Vanguard that the 

law enforcement officer accused 

Segun of stepping on his boot 

when the deceased visited the 

premises and demanded to see 

the owner of the car mart. 

Olayinka said: “When he told 

him, Segun apologised. But the 

security officer was not satisfied 

with the deceased’s response, 

demanding that further apology 

must be made. 

“But Segun, being a bold 

person, declined to tender further 

apology, claiming that his 

apology was to the uniform and 

not the man. His refusal angered 

the policeman and he ordered his 

colleague to beat Segun. 

“While the colleague was doing 

that, the senior police officer was 

also kicking the deceased with his 

boots. While trying to force the 

policemen to stop their action, 

Segun dragged the policeman, 

who ordered him beaten, towards 

the gate. 

“It was during this process we 

heard a gunshot. And what we 

saw after that was Segun’s lifeless 

body on the ground. He was shot 

on his forehead.” 

Another resident, Kayode 

Olayiwola, told Vanguard that 

immediately news filtered in that 

a policeman had shot Ironbody, 

youths in the community stormed 

the car mart, attacked the 

policemen and vandalised 

several vehicles. 

Olayiwola added that they also 

attacked traders and vandalised 

several commercial vehicles. 

According to him, passers-by 

were not spared from the attacks 

and several shops were looted by 

the youths, while protesting 

Ironbody’s death. 

The clash between policemen 

from Ikotun Police Station and 

hoodlums, Vanguard gathered, 

intensified when the youths 

demanded to remove Segun’s 

corpse from the scene. 

Eyewitness told Vanguard that 

the Police kicked against their 

request, arguing that an autopsy 

would be conducted. 

It was learned that policemen 

from Ikotun Police Station had to 

be helped by operatives of Rapid 

Response Squad, RRS, to restore 

normalcy. 

Reacting to the incident, Police 

Public Relations Officer, Bala 

Elkana, hinted that the 

Commissioner of Police, Adamu 

Muazu, had ordered 

investigation into the crisis. 

Elkana noted that the 

“whereabouts of the said Mobile 

Policeman is unknown,” 

accussing the deceased and his 

friends of trying to forcefully gain 

access into the car mart. 

3 policemen shot dead 

by soldiers in Taraba, 

free kidnap kingpin 

By Kingsley Omonobi & 

Evelyn Usman 

THE Inspector-General of 

Police Intelligence Response 

Team, IRT, was again hit by 

another tragedy following the 

killing of three of its operatives in 

Taraba State, Tuesday evening, by 

soldiers. 

A civilian with an undisclosed 

identity was also shot dead, while 

other operatives said to have 

sustained gun wounds were 

receiving treatment in the 

hospital. 

The deceased policemen, an 

Inspector and two Sergeants, as 

gathered, had gone to effect the 

arrest of an alleged notorious 

kidnapper (name withheld). 

They were said to have been on 

their way to Jalingo, with the 

suspects when the soldiers 

opened fire on them and set the 

suspect, who was in handcuffs, 

free. 

The Force Public Relations 

officer, DCP Frank Mba, who 

confirmed the incident, said the 

Inspector-General of Police, 

Mohammed Adamu, has ordered 

a full investigation into the 

circumstances surrounding the 

death of the operatives. 

Mba, in a statement issued 

yesterday, said: “The Inspector 

General of Police has ordered fullfledged 

investigations into the 

circumstances surrounding the 

death of three Police operatives 

and one civilian, who were on 

investigation activities to Ibi, 

Taraba State, to arrest a highprofile 

kidnap kingpin indicted in 

a series of incidents in the state. 

“The Police Operatives, led by 

ASP Felix Adolije of the 

Intelligence Response Team, IRT, 

reportedly came under sudden 

attack and serious shooting by 

soldiers of the Nigerian Army, 

along Ibi-Jalingo Road, Taraba 

State.” 

We took them for 

kidnappers—ARMY 

Reacting yesterday, the 

Nigerian Army explained the 

circumstances leading to the 

killing of three Police officers and 

a civilian in Taraba State by its 

men. 

Acting Director, Army Public 

Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, 

in a statement, said: “We read 

Police statement on the 

unfortunate incident that occurred 

on August 6, in which troops of 

93 Battalion, Nigerian Army, 

Takum, pursued and exchanged 

fire with some suspected 

kidnappers, who turned out to be 

an Intelligence Response Team, 

IRT, from the Police Force 

Headquarters, Abuja, on a covert 

assignment from Abuja resulting 

in the death and injury of some 

members of the team. 

“The suspected kidnappers, 

numbering 10 and driving in a 

white bus with number plates 

LAGOS MUS 564 EU, refused to 

stop when they were halted by 

troops at three consecutive 

checkpoints, which led to a hot 

pursuit by the troops. 

“It was in this process that the 

suspected kidnappers, who were 

obviously armed, opened fire at 

the troops sporadically thus 

prompting them to return fire. 

“In the resultant firefight, four 

suspects were shot and died on 

the spot, while four others 

sustained various degrees of 

gunshot wounds and two others 

reportedly missing. 

“It was only after this 

avoidable outcome that one of 

the wounded suspects disclosed 

the fact that they were indeed 

policemen dispatched from 

Nigerian Police, Force 

Headquarters, Abuja, for a 

covert assignment.” 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Funke! Ah! Some holes are 

borrow pit o. You will enter? 

Hiroyuki, tell Yoriko not to stray 

into Nigerian waters. Just last 

week we finished a whale 

Honey, let's start our 

annual fasting and prayers


MEETING: From left, Vice President, Guangdong New South Group Co. Ltd, Deng You; Chief 

Economic Adviser to the Governor, Dapo Okubadejo; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Board 

Director, Guangdong New South Group Co. Ltd, Wei Xiaolin, and Consultant to the Ogun State Governor 

on Commerce, Sola Arobieke, after a meeting on the Free Trade Zone at the governor's residence, in 

Abeokuta. 

Dickson launches New Yenagoa City 

•Presents lands to Jonathan, Abubakar, others 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

YENAGOA—THE New 

Yenagoa City project was, 

yesterday, launched by 

Governor Seriake Dickson 

with the presentation of land 

to former presidents and 

heads of state that had served 

the country, including former 

President Goodluck Jonathan 

and former Head of State, 

General Abdulsalami 

Abubakar (retd). 

Also presented with lands 

and Certificates of Occupancy 

were former state governors, 

state Assembly members and 

the security formations in 

Bayelsa State, including the 

Nigeria Police Force, 

Nigerian Navy and Joint 

Military Task Force code 

named Operation Delta Safe. 

Dickson, at the launch held 

at the Late Chief Diepreye 

Alamieyeseigha Memorial 

Banquet Hall, Government 

House, Yenagoa, said the 

presentation of lands to the 

former heads of state was in 

recognition of their 

contributions to Bayelsa and 

the nation at large. 

The governor noted that his 

administration had, in the last 

seven and half years, built on 

the dreams of past 

administrations in the state, 

adding: “It took a lot of 

hardworking, dreams and 

vision.” 

He called on the people to 

shun divisive rumours being 

peddled about Bayelsa State. 

He said: “Bayelsa State is 

more united for development 

and at peace with itself. We 

encourage investment in real 

estate with the immediate 

signing of Certificate of 

Occupancy despite political 

differences." 

Also speaking, former 

President Jonathan 

commended the governor for 

landmark projects in the state, 

including the New Yenagoa 

City project and said he was 

pleased with the state. 

He said: “Bayelsa has a lot 

of potentials. I am pleased 

with the state government 

new Yenagoa City project. As 

long as leaders have dreams 

and visions, sustainable 

development is a reality. I am 

hopeful that the dream of the 

New Yenagoa City will be a 

reality.” 

In his submission , 

Chairman of the occasion, 

former Head of State, Gen. 

Abubakar (retd), said he was 

delighted that the state had 

developed under the 

administration of Dickson. 

He said: “I can’t believe that 

Yenagoa has developed to 

this level. Yenagoa is one of 

the fastest developing cities 

in the country. The vision of 

the new Yenagoa City is 

laudable.” 

el-Rufai inaugurates commission of 

inquiry into Kajuru killings 

By Ben Agande 

K 

A D U N A — 

GOVERNOR Nasir 

el-Rufai of Kaduna Statehas 

inaugurated a Judicial 

Commission of Inquiry to 

investigate the violent conflict 

and killings in Kajuru and 

Kachia Local Government 

Areas of the state. 

Kajuru has been bedeviled 

by consistent crisis, majorly 

between Hausa/Fulani and 

other tribes in the area with 

several people killed on both 

sides. 

Governor el-Rufai had 

announced the establishment 

of the commission in March 

this year to “assist 

government and the 

communities involved to 

advance peace and justice.” 

Inaugurating the 

commission, yesterday, el- 

Rufai said members of the 

warring communities must 

respect each other, noting 

that community leaders 

should encourage their 

people to live above division, 

embrace a common 

humanity and respect the 

right of everyone to life, liberty 

and legitimate livelihoods. 

He said: “The toll of death 

and suffering does not have 

to continue if everyone does 

his or her duty for peace and 

harmony.” 

el-Rufai also charged 

members of the commission 

not only to establish the facts 

of the conflicts but to also assist 


communities involved to 

advance peace and justice. 

He said members of the 

commission were picked for 

the assignment based on their 

knowledge of the state, 

expertise on the areas of 

security management, conflict 

and peace-building. 

According to him, “the 

government selected the 

members from all parts of the 

country, but with in-depth 

knowledge of Kaduna State, 

because we believe that the 

conflict in Kajuru and 

surrounding areas is of 

interest to the entire nation. 

Every Nigerian has a stake 

in knowing what is 

happening in Kajuru and 

surrounding communities.” 

Terms of reference 

The terms of reference of 

the commission include: “To 

inquire into or investigate, 

ascertain and identify the 

immediate and remote causes 

of all instances of 

disturbances from 2017 to 

date in Kajuru, Kachia, 

Chikun LGAs and 

surrounding communities; 

“Identify individuals, 

traditional and religious 

institutions and other 

associations that might have 

contributed to the build-up of 

the disturbances and 

recommend further action by 

government; 

“Assess and determine the 

extent of loss of lives and 

property and other forms of 

damage caused during the 

disturbances and identify the 

perpetrators of the dastardly 

acts for further action by 

government; 

“Make any other 

recommendations to 

government consequential to 

or related to any or all these 

terms of reference; 

“In the light of the 

commission’s findings, 

recommend appropriate 

legal and other actions to be 

taken against those 

responsible for the 

disturbances.” 

The commission is headed 

by Justice Isa Aliyu, a judge 

of the Kaduna State High 

Court while Edward Andow, 

Director of Commercial Law 

in the Ministry of Justice, 

would serve as secretary and 

Mr. M.I. Aliyu, Director of 

Citizens Right Department, 

will serve as counsel to the 

commission, among other 

members. 

Environmental pollution, major cause of high 

mortality rate in N-Delta—Nnimmo Bassey 

P 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

O R T 

Harcourt— 

Environmental rights 

activists, Nnimmo Bassey, 

has lamented that 

environmental pollution is 

responsible for high 

mortality rate in Niger 

Delta. 

Bassey spoke in Port 

Harcourt, Rivers State, 

yesterday, when 

environmental activists 

across Africa converged to 

deliberate on the 

indiscriminate pollution 

of the ecosystem and the 

continual exploration of 

fossil fuel, organised by 

Oilwatch Africa. 

Bassey said: “Research 

findings tell us that babies 

in Nigeria whose mother 

live near an oil spill site 

before becoming pregnant 

are twice as likely to die in 

the first month of life. 

“One of the studies 

making a link between 

environmental pollution 

and infant mortality rates in 

Niger Delta shows mothers 

living within 10 kilometre 

We've taken 50m people 

out of poverty— Govs 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA— THE 36 state 

governors on the aegis of 

Nigeria Governors’ Forum, 

NGF, yesterday, said they had 

been able to take 50 million 

persons out of poverty across 

the country. 

The governors disclosed this 

in Abuja when they met with 

officials of the African 

Development Bank, AFDB. 

According to the governors, 

the 50 million persons were 

moved out of poverty in 

Nigeria through investment 

in agriculture. 

The AFDB and the 

governors met to discuss 

among others, the 

establishment of Special Agro- 

Industrial Processing Zones 

in the country. 

The meeting, which was at 

the instance of the officials of 

AFDB, was held at the 

secretariat of the NGF in 

Maitama, Abuja and chaired 

by the Vice Chairman of 

Nigeria Governors Forum, 

Governor Aminu Tambuwal 

of Sokoto State, while the 

delegation of the AFDB was 

led by Prof. Oyebanji 

Oyeyinka, Senior Special 

Adviser to the president of 

AFDB. 

Aim of the 

meeting 

The aim of the meeting was 

to bring together the farming 

and the processing 

community of the country to 

add value to the produce, 

which farmers have been 

producing at great cost. 

It is a USD1 billion 

investment in Nigeria over the 

next three years, according to 

the AFDB officials. 

At the meeting, one of the 

governors explained that they 

of an oil spill incident have 

doubled the neonatal 

mortality rates and have the 

health of their surviving 

children severely 

compromised. 

“While the babies have 

no chance of surviving or 

living a healthy life, oil 

barons dance to the bank 

cerebrating their slippery 

loot. 

“In our oilfield 

communities, mothers live 

with oil spills, get pregnant 

and deliver their babies in 

heavily degraded 

environments." 

agreed to enforce the rules 

and do business regularly, as 

well as be able to do business, 

just as they insisted that to 

reduce mass poverty, 

unemployment and hunger 

in Nigeria such projects must 

be encouraged to take firm 

root. 

Chairman of the occasion 

and governor of Sokoto State, 

Aminu Tambuwal, disclosed 

that governors would establish 

full value chain arrangement 

at the sub-national level and 

emphasized that all states of 

the federation were on this to 

give great impetus to states’ 

desire for greater productivity 

and employment among the 

youths. 

On his part, Governor Atiku 

Bagudu of Kebbi State, said: 

“States are keen on taking 

advantage of what you have 

to offer but we must be 

sensitive to the burden that this 

brings and devise ways of 

easing the burden on the 

farmer because. The more you 

generate growth the more 

credit risk drops. 

"Payment with produce 

could lighten the burden on 

the farmer and the country in 

general. It is sensible to seek 

partnerships that can last, 

while making reference to the 

US-China situation where the 

partnership between the two 

countries is gradually 

becoming sour.” 

On his part, Governor 

Akeredolu of Ondo State 

requested that the project took 

cognizance of situations where 

land for the SAPZ between 

two states could be contiguous 

and allow such to be utilized 

seamlessly. 

He also talked about the 

security of the investor, adding: 

“We are ready to ensure that 

all investors in our states are 

secure.” 

A-Ibom sources for N14bn to 

complete Ibom Specialist 

Hospital 

By Harris 

Emmanuel 

UYO—The Akwa Ibom 

State government is 

sourcing for N14 billion to 

complete the state-of-the-art 

Ibom Specialist Hospital in 

Uyo, the state capital. 

The project is a brainchild 

of the previous 

administration of Senator 

Godswill Akpabio. 

State Commissioner for 

Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, 

made the disclosure at the 

on-going ministry’s Second 

Quarter Budget 

Implementation Progress, 

stating that the Akpabio’s 

administration abandoned 

the project as it was never 

completed before handing 

over to the current 


Ukpong decried the 

unqualified health care 

service givers, dilapidated 

health care facilities and 

other unbecoming issues that 

surrounded the health care 

system in the state when he 

took over as Health 

Commissioner. 

He said: ‘’The health of the 

state is the life of the state 

and without it, the state 

cannot work to the optimum 

level. We met the hospitals 

in the state in a very 

dilapidated state."


By Henry 

Umoru, Ben 

Agande, 

Luminous 

Jannamike & 

Henry Ojelu 

KADUNA 

State 

government has given 

new conditions the leader of 

Islamic Movement in 

Nigeria, IMN, Sheikh 

Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and 

his wife, Zeenat, must meet 

to travel to India for treatment. 

But some senior lawyers, 

including Mr. Lawal Pedro, 

SAN; Mike Ozekhome, 

SAN; and former Vice 

President of Nigerian Bar 

Association, NBA, Mr. 

Monday Ubani, said the 

request of Kaduna State 

government was strange. 

El-Zakzaky’s lawyer, Mr. 

Femi Falana, SAN, said last 

night that Kaduna State 

government should have 

appealed the court ruling, 

which granted his client leave 

to travel to India for treatment, 

instead of setting new 

conditions for him to travel. 

However, in a statement in 

Kaduna, yesterday, the state 

Commissioner for Internal 

Security and Home Affairs, 

Samuel Aruwan, said though 

the state government will 

appeal the ruling of Kaduna 

High Court, which allowed 

El-Zakzaky and his wife to 

travel to India for treatment, 

it would not seek a stay of 

execution because it believes 

people should have access to 

treatment. 

Kaduna State government 

is prosecuting El-Zakzaky 

and his wife on an eightcount 

charge, including 

culpable homicide 

punishable by death. 

He was granted leave 

earlier in the week by the 

state high court to travel to 

India for treatment. But in a 

statement in Kaduna, 

yesterday, the statement 

government set new 

conditions to be met by El- 

HEALTH TIPS 

By Sola Ogundipe 

Prevent lower back pain 

Exercise your core. Strong 

core muscles are important 

to provide support for the 

lower back and avoid 

injury. Low-impact 

cardiovascular exercise— 

like exercise walking— 

increases blood flow to the 

spine, which supplies 

healing nutrients and 

hydration to the structures 

in your lower back. 

Correct your posture. 

Poor posture places 

pressure on your back and 

can cause degenerated 

discs to become more 

painful. Support the natural 

curve in your lower spine 

by using an ergonomic 

chair. Make sure to get up 

and walk around at least 

once an hour if you sit most 

of the day. If you can, use a 

stand up desk for at least 

part of the day. 

Lift heavy objects 

correctly. Bend at the knees, 

not at the waist. Stand 

straight. Even if you're 

young and strong, you can 

Zakzaky and his wife before 

they would be allowed to 

travel out of the country. 

Conditions 

Some of the conditions set 

out by the government 

include confirmation of his 

appointment with the 

hospital by the Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs; an 

undertaking by the 

defendants to produce two 

prominent and reliable 

persons as sureties, one of 

whom must be a first class 

chief/emir of national repute, 

while the other must be a 

prominent person within 

Kaduna State, who shall 

undertake to produce the 

defendants whenever they 

were needed. 

The statement read: 

"Malam Ibrahim El-Zakzaky 

is facing criminal trial before 

the Kaduna High Court on 

charges filed in April 2018. 

The government is 

prosecuting Malam Ibrahim 

El-Zakzaky on an eight-count 

charge, including culpable 

homicide punishable by 

death. 

"He and his wife are the first 

and second defendants in 

The State versus Malam 

Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and 

Another (charge no. KDH/ 

KAD/60c/2018), and his plea 

was taken on August 2, 2018. 

His application for bail was 

refused on October 4, 2018, 

and he has since remained 

in the lawful custody of the 

state, and not in unlawful 

detention as being wrongly 

disseminated. 

‘’On Monday, August 5, 

2019, Kaduna High Court 

granted an application for 

medical leave filed by Mr. El- 

Zakzaky and his wife, Mrs. 

Zeenah Ibrahim. The court 

specifically said it was 

granting the two defendants 

‘leave to travel out of Nigeria 

for urgent medical treatment 

at Medanta Hospital, India, 

under strict supervision of the 

respondent and to return to 

Nigeria (for continuation of 

still injure your lower back 

if you lift a heavy object 

incorrectly. 

Improve your overall 

physical health. Drink lots 

of water, minimize 

excessive alcohol, eating an 

anti-inflammatory diet (or 

less inflammatory), and 

stop smoking/avoid 

nicotine intake. 

Get enough deep, 

restorative sleep, as too little 

sleep can lead to back pain 

and/or worsen an existing 

back condition. Travelling 

in a plane or car can really 

take a toll on your lower 

back. 

A little-known cause of 

low back pain is tight 

hamstrings. Simple 

hamstring stretching 

exercises can help decrease 

the pressure on your pelvis 

and provide relief across 

your low back. Not all 

hamstring stretching 

approaches are good for all 

types of back conditions, so 

check with your physical 

therapist or doctor. 

FUNDING: From left, Managing Director/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo; Deputy 

Governor, Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat; and Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc, 

Ernest Ebi, at the Fidelity SME Funding event organised by the bank, in Lagos, yesterday. 

Kaduna govt gives fresh conditions for 

El-Zakzaky to travel to India for treatment 

•Kaduna govt should have appealed ruling, not set new conditions —Falana 

•We’ll disregard KDSG’s conditions — IMN 

•Govt should respect court order—Shehu Sani 

•As Afenifere, Ohanaeze, lawyers react 

trial) as soon as they are 

discharged from the hospital.’ 

"Kaduna State government 

respects the right of anyone 

to seek treatment anywhere 

in the world, even for malaria 

or common cold, so long as 

they are paying for it. But in 

the case of persons facing trial 

for serious offences, necessary 

safeguards are required to 

ensure that such persons do 

not become fugitives from 

justice or frustrate trial by 

claiming asylum or the status 

of political prisoner in the host 

country. 

Strict supervision of the 

medical leave 

"In compliance with the 

court ruling, Kaduna State 

government has filed at the 

Kaduna High Court terms for 

strict supervision of the 

medical leave, as follows: 

The Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria shall 

confirm the appointments of 

the defendants/applicants 

with the Medanta Hospital, 

India, and undertake all 

necessary diplomatic 

arrangements and protocols 

to ensure compliance with 

the conditions of the medical 

leave. 

‘’Each of the defendants/ 

applicants shall undertake to 

return to Nigeria to continue 

their trial as soon as they are 

discharged from the hospital, 

and shall also be responsible 

for the cost of their travel, 

treatment and living 

expenses while on their 

medical leave. 


applicants shall produce two 

prominent and reliable 

persons as sureties, one 

being a first class chief/emir 

of national repute and the 

other a prominent person 

within Kaduna State who 

shall undertake to produce 

the defendants whenever 

they are needed. The sureties 

must also produce evidence 

of landed property within 

El-Zakzaky. 

Kaduna State. 

‘’The Federal Government of 

Nigeria shall obtain from the 

government of India an 

irrevocable guarantee that it 

will not entertain any 

application by the defendants/ 

applicants or any third party 

seeking asylum under any guise 

or conferring the status of 

political prisoners or any other 

status aside from being medical 

patients on the defendants/ 

applicants and shall also 

restrain the defendants/ 

applicants from any act 

inimical to the corporate 

existence of Nigeria. 


applicants shall undertake in 

writing, endorsed by their 

counsel, that while on medical 

treatment in India, they shall do 

nothing to jeopardise the 

ongoing trial, the peace and 

security of Nigeria and the laws 

of the Republic of India in 

whatever form. 

"Security agents of the Federal 

Government of Nigeria shall 

escort the defendants/applicants 

and remain with them 

throughout the duration of their 

treatment in India and, 

thereafter, return with them after 

their discharge from the 

hospital. 

"The Nigerian High 

Commission in India shall 

undertake prior vetting and 

grant consent before any visitor 

has access to the defendants/ 

applicants while in the Republic 

of India. As is readily evident 

from the above, many of these 

terms of supervision depend for 

their actualization on actions by 

the Federal Government of 

Nigeria which is the sovereign 

power vested with the 

constitutional responsibility for 

foreign affairs. 

Kaduna govt to 

appeal ruling 

‘’While Kaduna State 

government respects the 

court’s ruling on medical 

leave, it disagrees with the 

premises on which it is based. 

Therefore, an appeal will be 

lodged on the matter, but a 

stay of execution will not be 

sought as the state 

government believes that a 

person may choose to travel 

abroad for any medical 

condition at his own cost. 

‘’As stated earlier, El- 

Zakzaky and his wife are 

defendants in a criminal case. 

Given the pendency of this 

case, the proper thing is to 

await its conclusion. 

However, the Kaduna State 

government notes that 

perceptions of this case are 

suffused in a veritable 

avalanche of deliberate 

falsehood, disinformation 

and revisionism, powered by 

vested interests.’’ 

Kaduna govt should 

have appealed ruling, 

not set new conditions 

—Falana 

Reacting, El-Zakzaky’s 

lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, 

SAN, said: "I thought that the 

Kaduna State government 

had planned to appeal 

against the order of 

Honourable Darius Khobo 

granting leave to El- 

Zakzakys to travel to India for 

urgent medical treatment 

under the supervision of the 

government. 

‘’I hope that the plan to 

pursue an appeal in the case 

has been shelved as the Court 

of Appeal has ruled that you 

cannot stay the execution of 

orders of this nature.'' 

That remains the position 

of the law as espoused in the 

case of Mowarin v Nigerian 

Army which was decided 

under a military dictatorship 

in the country. 

‘’The so called agreement 

is totally alien to the penal 

code and the administration 

of criminal justice law of 

Kaduna State, hence the 

agreement is not brought 

under any substantive or 

adjectival law. 

‘’My colleagues in the 

Ministry of Justice are not 

unaware of the position of 

the law that an agreement 

Continues on Page 10

10 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 

Kaduna govt gives fresh 

conditions for El-Zakzaky to 

travel to India for treatment 

Continues from Page 9 

cannot vary or modify the 

order of a competent court. 

It is unfortunate that some 

highly placed public officers 

are so hell bent on abrogating 

the fundamental rights 

which have been fought for 

and won by Nigerians, 

even under the British 

colonial regime. 

‘’For instance, the Prison 

Ordinance was amended in 

1917 to allow the family 

members or friends of prison 

inmate to remove them 

from prison and take them 

out for medical treatment if 

the prison facilities could not 

cater for any terminal illness. 

‘’That provision has been 

incorporated in Regulation 

12 made pursuant to the 

Prisons Act. In this instant 

case, the court did not release 

El-zakzakys to their family 

members but that they 

should be treated in a 

foreign hospital under the 

supervision of the 

government. 

‘Kaduna State government 

has no power to direct me to 

endorse any undertaking. 

So, I am not going to be a 

party to any extrajudicial 

endorsement. Neither will 

my clients comply with 

orders not covered by the 

order of the Kaduna state 

high court." 

We’ll disregard KDSG’s 

conditions— IMN 

Reacting, proscribed 

Islamic Movement in 

Nigeria, IMN, said it will 

disregard the fresh conditions 

set by Kaduna State 

government for El-Zakzaky’s 

treatment abroad. 

According to the Muslim 

group, Governor Nasir el- 

Rufai’s administration cannot 

arbitrarily introduce any 

extraneous conditions to a 

court ruling. 

Describing the conditions 

by KSDG as part of moves 

made out of desperation, the 

Chairman of Free El-Zakzaky 

Campaign Committee of 

IMN, Abdulrahman 

Abubakar, said in a chat with 

Vanguard: “We already 

knew the Kaduna State 

would create some hurdles in 

the move to have Sheikh El- 

Zakzaky and his wife flown 

abroad for medical attention. 

It is not surprising." 

Lawyers react 

On his part, Mike 

Ozekhome, SAN, said: ‘’I 

have never heard of this 

strange procedure at all, that 

a party after arguing an 

application and court grants 

leave, would return to the 

Mrs Ometie’s burial rites start 

Aug 15 

THE Ometie Family 

has announced the 

passage of their wife, 

mother, 

and 

grandmother, Mrs 

Florence Gbemi Ometie. 

Mrs Ometie passed on 5 

June, 2019. She was 69. 

According to the family, 

funeral rites begin 

Thursday, 15th August at 

Ikpeyan Avenue, Ugbeyiyi 

Rd, Sapele, Delta State. 

same court again with the 

request to make terms of the 

leave harder. 

Also, Monday Ubani, 

former 2nd Vice President, 

NBA, said: “The new 

application filed by Kaduna 

State government is entirely 

wrong. That procedure is 

wrong. The issues they are 

raising now should have been 

raised during argument on 

the substantive application. 

If he is allowed to go 

to India, we cann't 

prevent him from 

travelling to Iran – 

Junaid Muhammed 

Second Republic lawmaker, 

Junaid Mohammed, in his 

reaction, maintained that the 

media and the Lagos lawyers 

cannot love him more than 

Kaduna people. 

He said: “El-Zakzaky has 

dual citizenship with Nigeria 

and Iran. Even if he chooses 

not to seek asylum in India 

and Iran decides that he 

should be brought to them, 

what would Nigeria do? 

‘’While he is here, we can 

handle him but if he is 

allowed to go to India, we 

cannot prevent him from 

traveling to Iran”. 

Govt should respect 

court order—Shehu Sani 

Senator Shehu Sani in his 

reaction, called on the Federal 

Government to respect the order 

of the court to allow El-Zakzaky 

and his wife to travel to India for 

medical attention. 

Speaking with Vanguard 

yesterday, Senator Sani said 

allowing El-Zakzaky to travel 

and treat himself was 

paramount, irrespective of other 

conditions that might come after 

that. 

Afenifere, Ohanaeze 

react 

Also flaying the request of 

Kaduna State government, the 

pan-Yoruba socio-political 

orgnisation, Afenifere, warned 

that no court should grant such 

request. 

Afenifere’s National Publicity 

Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin 

said: “When people were 

running around for CHANGE 

in 2015, they never knew change 

can be positive and negative. 

“We have now descended to 

the abyss that government will 

be reviewing court judgement 

and giving conditions to obey 

court rulings." 

Reacting through its 

spokesman, Chuks Ibegbu, 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo said: 

“Government should avoid 

turning the Shi’ites into another 

Boko Haram, if a court of 

competent jurisdiction has 

granted El-Zakzaky bail for 

treatment. 

Late Mrs Ometie. 

DANGOTE'S BAG OF GOODIES: From left; Star prize winner, Ayankale Oluwaseun from Lekki, 

Lagos; Independent Non-Executive Director, Dangote Cement, Dorothy Ufot, SAN; Marketing Director, 

Dangote Cement; Funmi Sanni; Winner of Tricycle, Azeez Olawale Sulaimon from Lekki Lagos and 

National Sales Director, Dangote Cement, Adeyemi Fajobi;at the presentation of the star prize to the 

winner in Lagos State in the "BAG of GOODIES" of Dangote Cement Promotion, yesterday. 

Court stops NASS from taking over Edo 

Assembly 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & 

Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

ABUJA—A Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Abuja has restrained both 

the Senate and the House 

of Representatives from 

taking over legislative 

duties of the Edo State 

House of Assembly. 

Trial judge, Justice Taiwo 

Taiwo, in a short ruling, 

ordered parties in the 

matter to maintain status 

quo, pending the 

determination of a suit filed 

by the embattled speaker of 

Edo House of Assembly, 

Mr. Francis Okiye. 

Justice Taiwo adjourned 

till August 22 to hear the 

case, and directed the 

National Assembly to 

within seven days; respond 

to the suit challenging 

plans by federal lawmakers 

to assume legislative 

functions of Edo State 

Assembly. 

This is as President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, assured that he 

will work with the relevant 

constitutional bodies to 

resolve the crises in the 

Bauchi and Edo States 

Houses of Assembly. 

The President also urged 

the state lawmakers not to 

give up their rights and the 

rights of those who elected 

them, charging them not to 

compromise on their 

individual integrity so as 

not to divide the House and 

the party. 

Okiye had in the joint 

suit, among others, queried 

the legal competence of a 

directive by the National 

Assembly handed to 

Governor Godwin Obaseki, 

to issue a fresh 

proclamation to inaugurate 

Edo State House of 

Assembly. 

The National Assembly 

had threatened to take over 

legislative duties and 

powers of the state House 

of Assembly, should the 

•As Buhari intervenes, says I’ll ensure justice, 

fair play; Bauchi APC Assembly lawmakers renounce 

reconciliation with gov 

governor fail to make the 

fresh proclamation within 

three weeks. 

Determined to abort the 

plan, Okiye approached 

the court. 

Though he applied for an 

interim injunction against 

the National Assembly, 

Justice Taiwo said he was 

minded to hear the 

substantive matter on the 

adjourned date. 

Other defendants in the 

matter are Clerk of the 

National Assembly, Mr. 

Mohammed Sani-Omolori 

and the National Assembly. 

I’ll ensure justice, 

fair play; — BUHARI 


Buhari, in assuring that he 

will work with the relevant 

constitutional bodies to 

resolve the crises in the 

Bauchi and Edo States 

Houses of Assembly also 

urged the state lawmakers 

not to give up their rights 

and the rights of those who 

elected them, charging 

them not to compromise on 

their individual integrity so 

as not to divide the House 

and the party. 

This came on a day the 

Federal High Court, sitting 

in Abuja, restrained the 

National Assembly from 

taking over legislative 

duties of Edo State House 

of Assembly, even as the 17 

aggrieved All Progressives 

Congress, APC, members 

of Bauchi State House of 

Assembly who were 

inaugurated last Friday, 

following a reconciliation 

with their colleagues, made 

u-turn yesterday, 

renouncing their 

inauguration after meeting 

with the President at State 

House, Abuja. 

Receiving the lawmakers 

as well as other 

stakeholders from the state, 

President Buhari told them 

that he was aware of the 

crisis in the state. 

The President, in a 

statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, Chief Femi 

Adesina, said: “I am aware 

of the problem in Edo and 

Bauchi States and I try to 

appreciate my position as 

the President, the political 

situation vis-a-vis the 

constitution of our country, 

the role of the 

Commissioners of Police 

and the party. I always like 

to be on the side of the 

constitution.” 

He promised to liaise 

with the Minister of Justice 

when sworn in, and the 

Inspector General of Police 

to ensure that the rights of 

the constituencies and 

individuals were not 

abused in any form. 

Buhari advised them to 

stay firm, bearing in mind 

their responsibilities to their 

constituencies and always 

keep the party in the state 

and at the centre informed. 

The party members, led 

by the chairman, Adams 

Oshiomhole, had briefed 

the President on events that 

led to the crisis in the 

House. 

Bauchi APC Assembly 

lawmakers renounce 

reconciliation with gov 

Meanwhile, the 17 

aggrieved APC members of 

Bauchi State House of 

Assembly, who were sworn 

into office last Friday 

following reconciliation 

with their colleagues, have 

made u-turn, renouncing 

their inauguration after 

meeting with President 

Buhari. 

The lawmakers were led 

to the meeting with the 

President by Kawuwa 

Shehu Damina, who had 

earlier laid claim to the 

speakership of the State 

Assembly until he and his 

aggrieved colleagues 

accepted Abubakar 

Suleiman who was elected 

by 11 members at a 

previous inauguration of 

the House as speaker. 

The 31 member Bauchi 

Assembly comprises 22 

APC members; eight 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, members and one 

New Nigeria Peoples Party, 

NNPP, member. 

Speaking with State 

House correspondents after 

meeting with the 

President, the lawmakers 

said they no longer abide 

by the reconciliation they 

reached with their 

colleagues and the state 

governor five days earlier. 

Spokesman of the 

lawmakers, Damina, said 

they now demand a fresh 

proclamation for another 

inauguration of the State 

Assembly, so that a new 

speaker could be elected. 

Damina said: “The 

purpose of our coming to 

see Mr. President is at the 

instance of our party. So we 

came to brief him on what 

is happening in Bauchi 

State House of Assembly 

since the purported 

inauguration which 

produced two leaderships.” 

Asked what the true 

situation was, having been 

inaugurated earlier, he said 

“the situation is as it is now 

because in arithmetic, there 

is nothing that will make 11 

to be greater than 20; and 

later that 11 grew to 13. So 

that is the position.” 

On how they intend to 

resolve this issue, he said: 

“Let me clearly state that 

this is not about any 

individual. All we are 

saying is that the right thing 

based on constitutional 

provisions be done, with a 

proclamation issued, 

specifying date, time and 

venue. Once that is done, 

election should be 

conducted and whoever 

emerges as leader will be 

accepted.”


How butt surgery 

boosted my self 

confidence 

— Tonto Dikeh 

Stories by Rotimi Agbana 

and Tolulope Abereoje 

When controversial Nollywood 

actress, Tonto Dikeh, a.k.a 

King Tonto, went under the 

surgeon’s knife to enhance her 

butt, she came under heavy 

criticism for taking such a 

decision which many described 

as ‘fake life.’ 

However, the actress who is 

never afraid to air her opinion 

whenever the need arises has 

revealed that undergoing butt 

surgery boosted her self confidence. 

“The major thing I disliked about 

my body before was my tummy. It was 

so big, and I love to put on high waist 

cloths. So, when I dress up the dress 

would be folding because of my big tummy. 

But since I did my butt surgery, my confidence 

has increased. I no longer put on my clothes at 

home; even people at home are tired of me. I’m 

always happy with my new look”, she said in an 

interview with BBC Pidgin. 

Speaking further, she explained why she now 

flaunts her big butts a lot. “Men run after butts •Tonto Dike 

too much; once you have a big butt that’s how 

they would be running after you like something 

else. Who doesn’t know before that I have a good 

shape; if I don’t flaunt it now people would still 

criticize me so why don’t I just flaunt it?” 

She added that as against African mentality, she 

would continue to talk about her sensuality to 

anybody who cares to listen. “Based on African 

mentality, people still haven’t come to terms with butt 

surgery. But why would I be ashamed to say I did butt 

surgery? I have broken away from that stereotyped 

norm that African women need to be silent about some things about 

their body.” 

Buhari silent on many 

issues — Illbliss 

Indigenous Nigerian rapper/ He added that because of 

hip-hop recording artiste, President Buhari’s continuous 

Tochukwu Melvin Ejiofor, better silence on delicate matters, 

known by his stage name as Nigerians have begun to feel 

Illbliss, but fondly called ‘Oga like there is no government in 

Boss’, is not one Nigerian singer power anymore. “We all feel 

to meddle in political issues on like a ship with no captain, no 

social media except in his music. direction”, he lamented. 

But he seems to have changed his Speaking further, while 

position as he has expressed his reminding President Buhari 

disappointment with the Buhariled 

government on his twitter advised him to show some 

how powerful Nigeria is, he 

handle. 

level of empathy by proving 

According to the ’40-feet himself a true leader. 

container’ rapper, besides being “This is a powerful country 

confused if President Buhari is you have been installed to rule. 

still in control of the Nigerian Can you really just rule and 

government, he is also silent on show any level of empathy? 

so many issues, which is not Can you sir”, he said. 

meant to be so. 

“Mr. Buhari, are you still ruling 

us? You are mute on a lot of 

issues, I really don’t get you”, he 

said. 

Nigerian stand up comedian, 

Efe Warri Boy is set to hold 

the maiden edition of his 

comedy show tagged ‘They 

think I’m joking’. 

Efe Warri boy who has a large 

fan base on social media has 

promised to give his fans 

undiluted, rib cracking jokes 

at the much anticipated 

comedy show slated to hold 

on Sunday at the Muson 

Center. 

Recall that in 2018, the 

fast-rising comedian hosted 

his first comedy hangout 

event in Ajah, an event 

which attracted a huge 

audience. 

However, he is mostly featured 

•Efe Warri Boy 

•Illbliss 

What to expect at my show 

— Comedian, Efe Warri Boy 

on DSTV hit series, ‘Flatmates’, as 

Officer Nosa and on BOVI’s ‘Back 

to school’ as Osio; with over a 

hundred comedy stage appearances 

which include AY Live, Laugh- 

Out-Loud, 

Forever Funny with 

Forever, to name a few. 

Efe is also a highlevel 

social media 

influencer and a 

comedy show anchor 

on Radio (City 105.1 

FM) Lagos. He has 

shared the stage 

with the likes of Ay, 

Basket Mouth, 

Kenny Blaq, Bovi 

and many other A- 

list comedians. 

LaughUp, 

•Toke 

I’ll quit again if I’m 

unhappy in my next 

marriage 

— Toke Makinwa 

After walking out of her marriage to 

popular fitness expert, Maje 

Ayida, over infidelity issues, media 

personality, Toke Makinwa became an 

advocate for female independence 

among other feminism related issues. 

However, the daring radio personality 

who recently revealed plans to remarry 

if she finds a man after her heart has 

stated that she would not hesitate to opt 

out again if she doesn’t find happiness 

in the union. 

According to her, though tolerance is 

important in marriage, there should be 

a limit to which a woman should 

accommodate a man’s excesses, 

which is why she would dump her 

next marriage if she is unhappy in it 

. 

“If tolerating bull shit is what you 

guys call happy marriage, please 

count me out. I am not afraid of 

being alone. If I give it another 

chance and I am unhappy I will 

leave again. Call me crazy or 

whatever but I am not your 

average and I will always 

choose me first. Yes! Tolerance 

is prime shouldn’t mean there 

should be no limit to the bull 

shit one should take. If you men 

really love the tolerance of our 

mothers I suggest that you all go 

marry them and God forbid our 

daughters end up like us or our 

mothers. A woman unafraid of walking 

alone is a dangerous one, her level of 

freedom will intimidate many but will also 

inspire the right energy, she is clothed in 

strength and dignity”, she said. 

Olamide, Pasuma, 

others for Ariya 

Repete grand finale 

The Trans Amusement Park, Ibadan on 

Friday 2nd August played host 

to the Ariya Repete 2019 semi-final 

showpiece. There was no margin for errors 

as the successful semi-finalists slugged it out 

for a place at the grand finale in Lagos. In 

what doubled as both a competition and a 

cultural fiesta, lovers of indigenous and 

contemporary entertainment witnessed 

outstanding 5-star performances from the 

contestants and guest acts. 

The show’s second visit to the city of Ibadan 

in the ongoing 2019 edition upped the ante 

with the inclusion of guest performers such as 

veteran musician and Afro-Juju maestro, Shina 

Peters, as well as renowned fuji act, Taye 

currency, who delivered a stunning musical 

performance. Nollywood star actor, Odunlade 

Adekola was the host of the night and the 

audience loved every minute of his time on 

stage. 

However, the show stopper was indigenous 

rapper and Zanku exponent, Zlatan Ibile, who 

got guests off their seats with an energetic 

musical performance. 

At the end of the contest, nine contestants out 

of 15 semifinalists were selected as finalists for 

the grand finale slated for Friday, August 

9, 2019 at the Ikeja City Mall, Lagos. 

The grand finale would play host to 

King Sunny Ade, Taye Currency, 

Odunlade Adekola, Cool FM OAP, 

Dotun, and Pasuma; while Olamide 

would headlining the final concert. 

The other contestants whose 

•Olamide 

journeys came to an end were 

encouraged to keep on believing in 

themselves and continually pursue 

their dreams while they were 

rewarded with consolation prizes. 

Ariya Repete which is in its 7th 

edition is proudly sponsored by 

Goldberg Lager.


Present yourselves for inauguration, APC 

chieftain tells 12 Edo Assembly members-elect 

By Ephraim 

Oseji 

A 

chieftain of All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, in Akoko-Edo, Edo 

State, Segun Ajayi has 

urged the 12 remaining 

members-elect of the Edo 

State House of Assembly, 

who are yet to be sworn in 

as members of the House to 

do so without further delay. 

In a statement yesterday, 

he said: ‘’I implore you all to 

emulate your counterparts in 

Bauchi State, who shared 

similar view and 

circumstances upon the 

proclamation of the House 

by their governor, Alhaji Bala 

Mohamed like you, and 

have since made themselves 

available for inauguration in 

the interest of peace, 

development and general 

well-being of the state. 

"The quarrel and infighting 

amongst you against our 

amiable governor, Godwin 

Obaseki, is very unnecessary 

and uncalled for in the first 

instance. 

"You were all voted to 

represent your people 

(constituency) by making 

laws that will impact their 

lives and not to go there to 

fight over the seat of the 

speakership or other 

principal offices. 

"As it stands, your 

constituents are being 

denied a voice and 

representation in the 

Assembly because of your 

decisions to deny them the 

opportunity of being well 

represented on the floor of 

the House. 

"You must all excuse 

yourselves from all undue 

influences that suggest 

fighting the interest of our 

dear Governor Obaseki, 

whose track record since 

assumption of office have 

been progressive and 

people-oriented. 

“I urge you all 12 

members-elect to do the 

needful as a matter of 

urgency and put yourselves 

forward to be sworn in as 

members of the 7th House 

of Assembly.” 

AAU LAW WEEK. From left, Ahmed Ekene Evans, Treasurer; Samuel Titim, HOP member; Omonhe 

Jennifer, Student-Judge; Okoro Rex, LAWSA President, AAU; Osaheni Ekunwe, Chief Judge of the 

Jurial Court; Elvis Omorose, Speaker of House of Parliament, HOP; and Justice Boroni, Secretary- 

General of LAWSA, AAU Chapter, during Ambrose Alli University Law Week. 

Constituency projects: Lawyer writes EFCC, ICPC, Sagay 

•Faults SERAP’s allegations against Akpabio 

By Clifford 

Ndujihe 

A 

lawyer, Mr Leo 

Ekpenyong, has picked 

holes in the allegations of 

Socio-Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project, 

SERAP, against ministerdesignate, 

Senator Godswill 

Akpabio, over mishandling 

of constituency projects. 

SERAP had on Sunday, 

petitioned Independent 

Corrupt Practices 

Commission, ICPC, and 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

to “jointly and urgently 

invite senators Godswill 

Akpabio and Isa Misau for 

interrogation and further 

questioning over alleged 

diversion of constituency 

projects for personal use.” 

The ICPC had last week 

stated that it recovered from 

the premises and farmland 

allegedly belonging to the 

senators, equipment meant 

for constituency projects in 

some local government 

areas of Akwa Ibom and 

Bauchi states. 

Countering SERAP, 

Ekpenyong, in a letter to 

EFCC, ICPC, and Professor 

Itse Sagay, SAN, chairman 

of Presidential Advisory 

Committee Against 

Corruption, PACAC, said the 

group’s allegations were 

mischievous and politicallymotivated. 

Enumerating Akpabio’s 

projects in the three 

senatorial districts of Akwa 

Ibom State between 2015 and 

2019, he argued that the 

senator was not the 

contractor that handled the 

projects. 

He cautioned SERAP "to 

refrain from allowing itself to 

be used as a willing tool in 

the hands of attentionseeking, 

desperate 

politicians. 

“We challenge SERAP, 

therefore, to prove its claim 

without which we will be 

compelled to seek lawful 

redress against their 

spurious, irrational and 

irritating tissue of blatant 

lies.” 

Ekpenyong, who is also 

the Managing Director, Debongos 

Media, said 

incessant calls and smear 

campaigns against Akpabio 

started shortly before his 

nomination by President 

Muhammadu Buhari for 

ministerial appointment and 

was amplified immediately 

thereafter. 

Igbinedion varsity VC stresses need for 

academia/industrial collaboration 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

BENIN – VICE - 

CHANCELLOR of 

Igbinedion University, IUO, 

Okada, Edo State, Prof. 

Lawrence Ezemonye, has 

stressed the need for 

academia and industry 

collaboration, saying it was a 

critical component of efficient 

national innovation strategy. 

Speaking during the 

institution’s Research Day 

and Conference with theme, 

“Greening Academia/ 

Industry Research Synergy: 

To Promote Sustainable 

Development Goals in 

Nigeria,” yesterday in 

Okada, he said the 

collaboration was very 

germane for skills 

development, knowledge 

exchange, promotion of startups 

and spin offs through 

eco-innovation. 

He said Igbinedion 

University had played a 

pioneering role in greening 

the academia-industry 

synergy, which stems from 

the need to mainstream SDGs 

into higher education. 

Ezemonye, who 

emphasised the urgency to 

foster academia-industry 

collaboration, said ecoinnovation 

as a model was a 

veritable strategy for attaining 

a successful academiaindustry 

engagement 

towards equitable 

sustainable economic growth 

and development. 

He said: “This approach 

provides a pragmatic 

framework for the infusion of 

business partnership and 

enterprise into research and 

innovation." 

In his remarks, keynote 

speaker and Director General 

of National Office for 

Technology Acquisition and 

Promotion, NOTAP, Prof. 

Dan’Azumi Ibrahim, said 

research and technology 

driven strategy was key in 

driving sustainable economic 

development goals in the 

country. 

On his part, former Vicechancellor 

of Abubakar 

Tafawa Balewa University, 

Prof. Abubakar Sambo, who 

was chairman of the 

institution’s research day and 

conference ceremony, 

commended the institution for 

its unique vision in 

identifying a central national 

problem and providing a 

platform to generate 

knowledge about it. 

A-Ibom flour mill to produce 

24,000 bags of wheat daily 

By Chioma 

Onuegbu 

UYO —THE Kings Flour 

Mill in Onna Local 

Government Area of Akwa 

Ibom State will produce 

about 24,000 bags of wheat 

and 400 metric tons of flour 

on daily basis. 

The Project Manager, Mr. 

Alper Yilmaz, disclosed this 

yesterday, when the state 

Commissioner for 

Commerce and Investment, 

Prince Ukpong Akpabio, 

toured the facility ahead of 

its commissioning slated for 

September. 

According to Yilmaz, 

“Kings Flour Mill has a fixed 

production line to process 

flour and Semolina. We will 

on Thursday (today) 

commence a test-run to 

ascertain the level of 

readiness of the machines for 

production. 

“The flour mill can produce 

24,000 bags of wheat (500 

Delta monarch to place 

Ndokwa widows on monthly 

salary 

By Etop Ekanem 

THE monarch of 

U m u k w a t a 

Kingdom, Ukwauni 

Local Government Area 

of Delta State, Chief 

Friday Abaja, has 

concluded arrangement 

to alleviate the plight of 

Ndokwa widows by 

placing them on monthly 

salary. 

A total of 240 widows 

from Ndokwa East, West 

and Ukwuani Local 

Government Areas of 

Delta State will benefit 

from the gesture. 

To be eligible for the 

gesture, the widows are 

expected to obtain form 

free of charge from the 

publisher of Ndokwa 

metric tons) and 400 tons of 

flour daily.” 

Speaking after the tour, 

Akpabio expressed 

satisfaction with the level of 

job done in preparedness for 

the commissioning of the 

project. 

Akpabio explained that 

the flour mill would not only 

push up Nigeria’s wheat 

production which had been 

stagnant at 60,000 tons in the 

last three years but also 

provide massive job 

opportunities for Nigerians. 

“With the commencement 

of production at Kings Flour 

Mill, we will witness a boost 

in wheat production and this 

will surely have a positive 

impact not just on Akwa Ibom 

state economy but also on the 

nation’s economy,” he said. 

It was gathered that the 

flour mill built on a Public- 

Private Partnership, PPP, 

model, will provide about 

600 direct jobs when it starts 

production. 

NMA tasks Wike to complete 

implementation of RIVCHIPP 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT— 

Rivers State Chapter of 

Nigerian Medical 

Association, NMA, has 

appealed to the governor of 

the state, Nyesom Wike, to 

complete 

the 

implementation process of 

the proposed Rivers State 

Government Contributory 

Health Insurance 

Protection Programme, 

RIVCHIPP. 

NMA said RIVCHIPP, if 

implemented, will help 

ensure an improved 

healthcare delivery, which 

falls in line with the vision 

of the governor. 

Chairman of the state 

chapter of NMA, Dr. 

Adebiyi Obelebra, made 

the call in Port Harcourt, 

yesterday, during a press 

conference as part of the 

activities lined up to mark 

the 59th Annual General 

Meeting of the body with 

theme, ‘Leveraging Social 

Environmental 

Determinants of Health.’ 

Obelebra noted that 

quality healthcare could not 

be achieved without proper 

financing, adding that the 

health insurance scheme as 

proposed by the governor 

would cushion the 

sufferings citizens go 

through to access better 

health care. 

Obelebra said: “Health 

for all cannot be achieved 

without proper health care 

financing. The health of 

citizens is too vital to be 

allowed to run in its current 

state, where health can only 

be accessed by those who 

can pay." 

Vanguard, they must not 

be above 35 years old, 

must be resident in 

Ndokwa land, mothers 

and married to Ndokwa 

men among other 

requirements. 

The business mogul 

and philanthropist in a 

statement said he asked 

God to bless him so that 

he could impact on the 

widows and the less 

privileged. 

On why he pegged the 

age limit at 35 years, he 

said: “It will be difficult 

to manage if all the 

widows in the three 

councils are allowed to 

participate. Those within 

the age limit of 35 years 

need assistance more 

than those in their 50s 

and above.”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 — 13 


NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

PRESENTATION—From left: Tinuade Awe, Executive Director, Regulation, The Nigerian Stock Exchange, 

NSE; Bola Adeeko, Head, Shared Services Division, NSE; Innocent Ujah Idibia (Tuface), internationally 

renowned award-winning musician; Oscar N. Onyema (OON), Chief Executive Officer, NSE, and 

Olumide Bolumole, Divisional Head, Listing Business, NSE, during the presentation of the replica of 

the closing gong at the unveiling ceremony of Tuface Idibia as 'NSE Good Cause Ambassador' today in 

Lagos. Photo: AKEEM SALAU 

Kogi Assembly moves to impeach Dep 

Gov Achuba 

By Boluwaji Obahopo 

LOKOJA—KOGI State 

House of Assembly, 

yesterday, initiated 

moves to impeach the 

state's Deputy Governor, 

Elder Simon Achuba. 

The impeachment 

move was sequel to a 

petition by 21 out of the 

25 lawmakers. 

The deputy governor 

had been at logger-heads 

with the Governor, 

Yahaya Bello, for a 

while. 

Reading the petition on 

the floor, Majority leader 

of the House, Hassan 

Bello (Ajaokuta APC) 

hinged the petition on 

three grounds of criminal 

indulgence, financial 

misappropriation and 

non-performance. 

The petition also 

alleged that the 

committee, set-up by the 

Kogi State Government 

to look into the Iyano 

crises in Ibaji local 

government (Achuba’s 

Council area), made 

some findings that 

indicted the deputy 

governor over his actions 

in relation to the 

escalation of the crisis. 

The majority leader 

said the allegations, 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Capital Territory 

Administration, FCTA 

yesterday said more houses 

would be demolished on 

waterways in EFAB Estate, 

Lokogoma and other parts 

of the nation’s capital, 

Abuja. 

According to the FCTA, 

this would put an end to the 

increasing cases of flooding 

in the FCT, that led to the 

deaths and loss of property. 

Meanwhile, the FCTA 

actions and utterances of 

the deputy governor in 

recent weeks amounted 

to gross misconduct, 

citing Section 188 of 1999 

Constitution to back up 

the stand of the 

Assembly to commence 

the impeachment 

process. 

He prayed the House 

to commence 

investigation towards the 

impeachment move 

against the deputy 

governor. 

The Speaker, Kolawole 

Matthew, first called out 

the name of the 

petitioners to affirm if the 

signatures were truly 

theirs, and all the 21 

members present 

answered in the 

affirmative, one after the 

other. 

Kolawole, thereafter, 

agreed to the prayers in 

the petition and directed 

that it be served on the 

deputy governor, for him 

to respond within the 14 

days time frame of the 

law. 

The petition 

The Petition read in 

parts: “We the members 

of the Kogi State House 

of Assembly have, in the 

has vowed that more 

buildings in Abuja 

would be demolished 

to open up the waterways 

that had constricted the 

waterways and ease the 

flow of water, just as 150 

buildings have so far been 

demolished in flood prone 

areas of Abuja. 

Speaking at the 

stakeholders’ forum on 

flood mitigation and 

response coordination in 

Abuja, the FCT 

past few weeks and days, 

watched keenly the 

actions and utterances of 

the Deputy Governor of 

Kogi State, Elder Simon 

Achuba, both in public 

and national television 

with regards to the 

government of Kogi 

State, the governor of 

Kogi State and other key 

officials of the state 

government especially 

the allegations of crimes, 

f i n a n c i a l 

misappropriation and 

non performance 

levelled against them. 

“It is our belief that 

these actions and 

utterances of the Deputy 

Governor amounts to 

gross misconduct in the 

performance of the 

functions of his office 

Particulars of the 

actions and utterances: 

Abdication of 

official duties 

The deputy governor 

has not been in his office 

or performed any official 

duties since about May 

2018. He has also not 

attended any official 

functions including the 

State Executive Council 

meeting of the state 

since then. Apart from 

the notification dated 19 

November, 2018, signed 

by one of his aides 

informing the executive 

ABUJA FLOODING: 150 houses pulled down 

already, more to go — FCTA 

Permanent Secretary, 

Christian Ohaa said, “The 

FCT Administration will 

continue to remove 

structures constructed in 

violation of relevant laws 

and further complicate our 

flood risk. So far, 150 of 

such structures have 

been removed in 

furtherance of the on - 

going exercise to clear 

obstructions of 

waterways, in line with 

the Abuja city plan.” 

governor of Kogi State of 

his intention to proceed 

on leave from November 

26, 2018 to January 26, 

2019, there is no 

communication 

whatsoever from the 

deputy governor 

indicating why he has 

abdicated his duties 

including attendance at 

his office. Members have 

enquired severally at his 

office for the purpose of 

official visits to his office 

but have always been 

informed of his absence 

without 

explanations. 

Allegations of 

crimes, non 

performance 

any 

“It is our view that the 

Deputy Governor is 

guilty of gross 

misconduct and he 

ought to answer to and 

or substantiate all these 

allegations and explain 

his role in relation to the 

above heads and his 

public utterances on 

these issues. We as 

members see the 

enumerated allegations 

and attached evidence as 

constituting gross 

misconduct on the part 

of the deputy governor 

in the performance of the 

functions of his office. 

We also believed that the 

deputy governor is guilty 

of other grave violations 

of the provisions of the 

1999 constitution (as 

amended). 

"We hereby pray that 

Mr. Speaker immediately 

cause the service of this 

notice on the deputy 

governor, Elder Simon 

Achuba and every other 

member of the House of 

Assembly and commence 

the process of 

investigating the said 

allegations in 

accordance with Section 

188 of the 1999 

constitution (as 

amended)." 

Kaduna govt sues Odinkalu, 

accuses him of ‘inciting 

disturbance’ 

KADUNA 

State 

government has 

filed a suit against Chidi 

Odinkalu, a former 

chairman of the National 

Human Rights 

Commission, NHRC. 

In the suit dated 

March 18, 2019, the 

government accused the 

human rights lawyer of 

inciting disturbance and 

furnishing false 

information punishable 

under the state’s penal 

codes. 

In February, Odinkalu 

had accused Nasir el- 

Rufai, governor of Kaduna, 

of lying about the number 

of casualties and the timing 

of the attacks on Kajuru 

local government area of 

the state where the 

governor had pegged 

casualties at 66. 

The governor had 

described the killings as 

deliberate and designed to 

attract reprisals and 

destabilise the local 

government during the 

election. 

Odinkalu negated the 

claim saying he 

contacted many sources 

in the state including 

residents, traditional and 

religious rulers and he 

could confirm that casualties 

Katsina issues Aug 30 deadline 

to ban unregistered tricycles, 

motorcycles 

By Bashir Bello 

K Katsina 

ATSINA—THE 

State 

Government, yesterday, 

issued an August 30, 

2019 deadline to effect 

ban on unregistered 

tricycles and commercial 

motorcycles, popularly 

known as Okada, in the 

state. 

The Katsina State 

Sector Commander of the 

Federal Road Safety 

Commission, FRSC, Ali 

Tanimu, disclosed this 

when he led members of 

his entourage on a 

familiarization visit to 

the members of the 

Correspondents Chapel 

of the Nigeria Union of 

Journalists, NUJ, in the 

state. 

Tanimu said the 

decision followed the 

worrisome situation of 

were about 11. 

The government, in the 

suit filed at the chief 

magistrate’s court of 

Kaduna State, said 

Odinkalu committed an 

offence with his 

comments. 

The government 

further asked that a 

cause of criminal 

summons be issued 

against Odinkalu for 

“inciting disturbance, 

injurious falsehood, public 

nuisance, and furnishing 

false information 

punishable under section 

77, 373, 104, and 150 

respectively of the Penal 

Code Law of Kaduna state, 

2017”. 

R e s p o n d i n g , 

Odinkalu said he had 

been invited previously 

by the police and treated 

politely, saying “The 

police have statutory 

powers to investigate 

allegations of crime. It is 

a responsible 

organisation. When they 

do their work, we have a 

duty to cooperate with 

them. They have invited 

me previously. They 

treated me courteously. I 

have made a statement. 

In the end, truth, like 

pregnancy, can’t be 

hidden. Hopefully, the 

police will get to the 

truth in this matter.” 

insecurity in the country, 

a situation where the 

commercial motorcycle 

operators had become 

easy means of 

perpetrating crimes and 

making it difficult for 

security operatives to 

apprehend or trace the 

perpetrators or culprits. 

The Sector commander 

said at the end of the 

expiration of the 

deadline, it would 

commence enforcement 

of the ban. 

According to him: 

“There was a directive to 

clamp down on the 

operators of Tricycles 

and Okada riders, and 

other unregistered 

vehicles. The date was 

extended, as a result of 

the joint task board 

meeting, and that’s why 

we have not started 

enforcement."


RCCG 67TH CONVENTION 

Why I don’t reply my enemies 

— ADEBOYE 

By Sam Eyoboka & 

Olayinka Latona 

GENERAL Overseer 

of The Redeemed 

Christian Church of God, 

RCCG, Pastor Enoch 

Adejare Adeboye who has 

come under various 

criticisms for keeping quiet 

over national challenges, 

Tuesday night gave reason 

why he does not respond to 

criticisms from his enemies. 

Speaking in his first 

message at the ongoing 

national convention of the 

church at the Redemption 

Camp on Kilometre 46 

along Lagos-Ibadan 

Expressway Adeboye told 

the crowd at the Old 

Auditorium that there was 

no need to reply his 

critics because the Lord 

promised to cause his 

enemies that rise up 

against him to be smitten 

before his face if we 

hearken diligently to his 

commandments. 

According to the General 

Overseer, “some people 

often ask me why I don’t 

reply my enemies and I tell 

them there is no need to 

reply all my enemies 

RCBC graduates 5,443 students 

THE training wing of 

the Redeemed 


RCCG, the Redeemed 

Christian Bible College, 

RCBC, yesterday churned 

out a total of 5,443 

graduands slightly lower 

than the figure of 5,670 who 

graduated in 2018. 

The event started at 8:00 

a.m. as the Provost of the 

college presented the 

candidates who have 

completed their academic 

works in different categories 

with Certificate, Diploma, 

Bachelor, Master and 

Doctoral degrees. 

The General Overseer 

told the RCBC graduates 

to remain good 

ambassadors of the college 

anywhere they find 

themselves. 

“You will go and do 

valiantly and gallantly as 

genuine soldiers of 

Christ succeeding where 

others might have 

failed. God will use you 

to do things, break new 

frontiers of the gospel, 

claiming and reclaiming 

for the master. You will 

fulfill destiny. Heaven 

investment in and on you 

shall not be a waste. You 

will do excellently: not a 

disappointment. In all, you 

will finish well and finish 

strong in Jesus name.'' 

because He has promised 

to smite all enemies that 

rise up against me one way, 

and they will flee before me 

seven ways.” 

Continuing, he said 

people often say if you are 

a Christian you should be 

poor, stressing that it’s a lie 

of the devil. 

“If you read that 

passage you will find out 

that that the doctrine is not 

of God because He 

promised that if we 

hearken diligently to His 

commandment we will lend 

to nations and not borrow. I 

refuse to die poor,” he 

chorused and the crowd of 

worshippers re-echoed. 

According to Adeboye, 

when you hearken 

diligently to the word of 

God, healing, prosperity, 

victory, abundance will be 

your portion. 

He asserted that many 

people miss God’s plan 

and purpose for their lives 

when they fail to hearken 

to God’s words as God’s 

blessing always comes with 

the condition of obedience 

to his words. 

Adeboye challenged 

Christian Leaders to 

continue to preach the 

gospel of Jesus and equip 

themselves with sound 

biblical teaching and 

training for them to excel 

in the call of God upon 

their lives. 

The Welcome service 

RCCG 67TH CONVENTION 

From right; Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian 

Church of God, his wife and Mother in Israel, Pastor Folu Adeboye with 

some elders of the church at tee congress. Photos: Lamidi Bamidele. 

Pastor Folu Adeboye (right) exchanging pleasantries with wife of the 

Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo. 

BUSINESSDAY'S BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARDS 

Business Leadership Awards by Businessday newspaper held in Lagos weekend. Photos: Kehinde Shonola. 

From left: Emmanuel Orororo, Sales Manager, Inlaks; Adewale Babayemi, Technical Head, 

Financial Business, Inlaks; Adetokunbo Ayo-Ogunsanya, Group Head, Human Resources, Inlaks; 

Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, Businessday Media Limited; Chioma Iloeje, Brand and Marketing 

Communications Manager, Inlaks and Olusegun Ajakaiye, Executive Assistant to the 

MD/CEO, Inlaks receiving the award for Technology Solutions Company of the Year. 

From left; Yinka Sanni, presenting lifetime achievement award 

to Pascal Dozie, founder/chairman, Kunoch Limited, and Frank 

Aigbogun, Publisher, Businessday Newspaper. 

From left; Yinka Sanni, CEO, Stanbic IBTC Holding, presenting Lifetime Achievement 

Award to Haresh Keswani, GMD, Artee Group, and Frank Aigbogun. 

From left: Henry Efe of Amni International Petroleum Development Company 

Limited; Didi Akinyelure and Thelma Osadebay, Nigeria lead/ Chief 

Operating Officer, Spac Initiative.


Enugu govt begins housing projects for civil servants 

By Anayo Okoli 

ENUGU—ENUGU State 

Housing Development 

Corporation, ESHDC, said it has 

embarked on provision of 

houses for low income earners 

in the state. 

Already, the corporation has 

acquired over five sites in Enugu 

metropolis and outskirts of the city 

for housing estates, just as it said 

there are also provisions for 

houses for the medium and high 

income earners. 

Among the sites currently 

being developed, according the 

General Manager of the 

corporation, 

Mr. 

Chukwuemelie Agu, are 

Ugwuoba Housing, meant for 

civil servants who shuttle 

between Enugu and Anambra 

States; Coal City View at Agu 

Abor and Rangers Estate at 

Akagbe Ugwu. 

Agu said the corporation 

decided to develop estates in 

the outskirts of Enugu 

metropolis in order to de- 

By Nwabueze 

Okonkwo 

ONITSHA—A civil society 

group, International Society 

for Civil Liberties and the Rule of 

Law, INTERSOCIETY, has 

charged the Federal Government 

to order the Director-General, DG 

of Department of State Services, 

DSS, to release detained 

Publisher of Sahara Reporters, 

Omoyele Sowore and others with 

immediate effect, in the interest 

of democracy. 

INTERSOCIETY, in a statement 

yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra 

State, “regrets that the same 

government that is sponsoring 

by proxy, anti-Amnesty 

International protests can turn 

around to declare dissenting 

street protesters as persona non 

grata in Nigeria and their protests 

as ‘terrorism’ or ‘treason’.” 

In the statement, entitled 

Unchecked Killings & Shrinking 

of Civil Space: DSS, Army & 

Police Now Official Enemies of 

Democracy in Nigeria, by the 

society’s leader, Emeka 

Umeagbalasi, INTERSOCIETY 

contended that by constantly 

shrinking the civil space, the 

Police, Army and DSS are 

pushing Nigerians not only 

congest the metropolis and 

accommodate the rapid 

expansion which the city is 

witnessing as the capital of the 

dangerously to the wall but also 

to the point of radical self-help or 

underground radicalisation, 

capable of quadrupling and 

escalating the country’s criminal 

enterprises or industries. 

It further contended that by 

treating Nigerian criminals and 

their entities with kid gloves and 

treating the law-abiding citizens 

the hard way, the Police, Army and 

DSS are licensing all Nigerians 

to become criminals and lawless, 

thereby turning the country into 

South-East region. 

He said that to achieve this, 

the corporation is talking with 

the Federal Mortgage Bank and 

Intersociety to FG: Release Sowore 

or Nigeria becomes a jungle 

THE Board of Trustees, BoT, 

Amalgamated Markets 

Traders Association of Anambra 

State, AMATAS, the umbrella 

body of major markets in 

Anambra State, which was 

suspended by the state 

government and replaced with 

Anambra State Markets 

Amalgamated Traders 

Association, ASMATA, has 

questioned the legality of 

government's action. 

Chairman, AMATAS BoT, 

Chief Emma Udegbunam, 

while addressing newsmen 

a jungle where only the fittest 

survives. 

“If this is allowed,” it said, “ then 

rifles in the possession of these 

daft security agencies will become 

toys or mere boxes of fire 

matches.” 

According to INTERSOCIETY, 

“the Nigerian democracy has 

speedily moved from its daily 

deterioration and degeneration in 

present time to hourly same, with 

what remains as its infinitesimal 

semblances disappearing without 

AMATAS BoT questions Anambra 

govt’s take over of its secretariat 

yesterday, said the association 

was not formed or owned by the 

state government and not all the 

markets in Anambra State are 

members or have a stake in the 

association. 

He said the BoT of AMATAS 

did not want to confront 

Anambra State government 

over the issue because of its 

relationship with Governor 

Willie Obiano and has therefore 

written a petition to South-East 

Markets Amalgamated Traders 

Association, SEMATA, against 

the Anambra State government 

funding sources to partner and 

provide the houses to the low 

income earners on good and 

affordable conditions. 

HANDOVER: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (in white); the state’s Chief 

Judge, Justice Ngozi Emehelu (middle); Justice R. N. Onuora of Enugu State High Court (3rd 

right); Justice Chiemelie Onaga of Customary Court of Appeal, Enugu (2nd right); Chief Driver, 

Government House, Enugu, Mr. Mathias Enejere (left), at the handing over of keys of the new 

judges’ official vehicles to the Deputy Chief Registrar (1), Osondu Chukwuani, yesterday. 

traces. 

“To add salt to injury, the Army, 

the Police and the DSS have now 

unveiled themselves as official 

enemies of democracy in Nigeria. 

“This they now share in 

common with the country’s 

malevolent and conscienceless 

political actors and the earthly 

paradised religious leaders as 

well as their foot-soldiers in the 

civil society including lawyers, 

activists, mainstream media 

practitioners and bloggers.” 

over their suspension. 

The AMATAS BoT, it will be 

recalled suspended the 

immediate past President- 

General of the association, 

Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, 

for allegedly hob-nobbing with 

the state government, which the 

BoT said prepared grounds for 

the government’s suspension of 

the body. 

Chief Udegbunam addressed 

newsmen in company of 

AMATAS BoT Secretary, Chief 

Chuma Eruchalu and other 

members of the board. 

UK-DFID seeks partnership with Imo on devt 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

OWERRI—THE United Kingdom’s Department of International Development, 

DFID, has arrived Imo State to look at areas of mutual cooperation and support, 

with a view to promoting sustainable development and eliminating poverty. 

The team, led by the DFID Regional Coordinator for South-East and South-South, 

Ms. O. C. Ronnie, is expected to identify priority areas for partnership and assistance. 

Ronnie informed Governor Emeka Ihedioha that DFID had been trying to partner 

with Imo State Government since 2016, stressing that the state had not been 

responsive. 

She expressed regret that Imo was the only state that did not sign on to the British 

Government’s Open Government Partnership Programme. 

Imo: A’ Court 

sacks Buhari’s 

minister, 

Nwajiuba, 

declares Okafor 

winner 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Court of 

Appeal sitting in Abuja, 

yesterday, sacked President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

minister-designate, Emeka 

Nwajiuba, as the duly elected 

member of the House of 

Representatives for Ehime 

Mbano /Obowo/Ihitte Uboma 

federal constituency of Imo 

State. 

The appellate court, in a 

unanimous judgment by a 

three-man panel of justices, 

ordered the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, to issue 

Certificate of Return to Chike 

Okafor as the valid winner of 

the legislative seat. 

The panel, which comprised 

justices Adamu Jauro, Stephen 

Adah and Justice Wilson 

Akomolafe, vacated an order 

of an Abuja High Court in 

Kubwa, which had on April 29, 

directed INEC to recognise 

Nwajiuba. 

It equally set aside a ruling 

by trial Justice Bello Kawau of 

the High Court delivered on 

May 10, declaring the suit a 

nullity. 

Consequently, Justice Jauro 

who delivered the lead 

judgment, accordingly 

allowed Okafor and All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

lodged against decisions of the 

trial court for being 

meritorious. 

Okafor and APC had in 

separate appeals, challenged 

the decision of the trial 

court, which had barred INEC 

from accepting or listing the 

candidate of APC in the rescheduled 

National Assembly 

election. 

Reading the lead 

judgments, Justice Jauro had, 

after he analysed the evidence 

and issues that were 

canvassed in the matter, held 

that the appeals deserved to 

be allowed. 

In the first judgment, which 

was on Chike’s appeal, Justice 

Jauro held: “In the final 

analysis, I find that the lower 

court had jurisdiction to revisit 

its ruling which bordered on 

the fundamental rights of the 

appellant. 

“Consequently, the appeal is 

meritorious and is hereby 

allowed only on reliefs one 

and two.” 

Similarly, he allowed APC’s 

appeal and set aside the April 

29 order of the trial court. 

The appellate court earlier 

dismissed notice of 

preliminary objection 

Nwajiuba raised against the 

appeals, saying it would hear 

the matter on its merit.


VISIT: From left— 

Oyo State Governor, 

Mr Seyi Makinde, Mr. 

Ray Atelly, Deputy 

Chairman, Nigeria 

British Chamber of 

Commerce, Mr Allan 

Davies and President 

of the chamber, Mr 

Kayode Falowo, 

during the chamber's 

visit to the governor in 

Ibadan, yesterday. 

Poly students kick against Sowore’s 

#RevolutionNow 

By Omeiza Ajayi & 

Ezra Ukanwa 

A N BUJA—THE 

a t i o n a l 

Association of Polytechnic 

Students NAPS has kicked 

against 

the 

#RevolutionNow 

movement spearheaded by 

the detained Sahara 

Reporters Publisher and 

activist-politician, Omoyele 

Sowore, saying it would 

never support any 

unconstitutional change of 

government. 

“NAPS uses this medium 

to distance itself from the 

said revolution as being 

championed by Omoyele 

Sowore and his allies. We 

believe in the pragmatic 

enthusiasm of seeking 

Flood: Yingi warns Delta residents over blocked 

drains 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE Special 

Adviser to the Delta 

State Governor on 

Environment and Marine 

Transportation, Hon Daniel 

Yingi has decried the 

nonchalant attitude of some 

residents of the state 

towards the environment. 

Yingi, who spoke with 

Correspondents after accompanying 

the State Commissioner 

for Environment, 

Mr Chris Onogba on visits 

to some flood prone areas 

in the state, said it was unfortunate 

for residents to 

turn their eyes against 

blocked drains in their 

neighborhoods. 

positive governance 

through peaceful protest 

but do not believe in the 

moral pedigree of 

Omoyele Sowore to lead 

such movement. 

Furthermore, NAPS as a 

body subscribes to the 

usage of tenets of 

democracy in changing a 

democratically elected 

government not through 

usage of civil unrest”, the 

association said yesterday 

in a communique issued at 

the end of its 44th Senate 

Meeting and Pre- 

Convention held between 

August 2nd and 4th at the 

Federal Polytechnic, Bida, 

Niger State. 

The communiqué was 

Edo communities benefit from cement 

company's scholarship fund, water projects 

By Alemma Aliu 

BENIN CITY—NOT 

less than six 

communities in Okpella, 

Etsako East local 

government area of Edo 

state has benefited from a 

fruit drink riding on the three 

unique selling propositions of 

“Healthy, Nutritious and Great 

Taste”. 

The fruit drink is targeted at 

children who require all the 

beneficial nutrients they can get 

to grow and function optimally. 

The brand comes in three 

variants, Orange, Watermelon 

and Mango and is fortified with 

key nutrients such as Vitamin-C 

and Glucose that improve 

immunity and give energy. 

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony 

in Lagos, Chief 

Harkishin Aswani, Managing 

Director, Tolaram Group, assured 

that the company would 

maintain the reputation of 

signed by Collins Ozele 

and Abdulmalik Usman, 

Chairman and Secretary of 

the Communiqué Drafting 

Committee respectively. 

On insecurity, NAPS 

called on the federal 

government to be more 

vigorous in “checkmating 

decadence and criminal 

activities of bandits across 

the states that have tremendously 

put our lives at risk”. 

The association also urged 

government to be 

diplomatic in handling issues 

on the Shi’ites Movement 

and implored the Federal 

Government “to respect 

court orders not peculiar 

only to the Islamic Movement 

in Nigeria IMN leaders 

but also the former National 

Security NSA and others 

in their category”. 

The Special Adviser to the 

Governor warned of the 

impending flooding as observed 

by the National Emergency 

Management Agency, NEMA, 

stressing that there was the need 

to mobilize towards ensuring that 

all water channels were opened 

up for free flow of waters whenever 

it rains. 

Hon Yingi explained that 

government can not be clearing 

drainages but will only 

come in when the drainages 

were not properly linked to 

collections points. 

He maintained that some 

flooded areas could not have 

experienced such but for the 

blocked drains, pointing out 

that it was sad for residents to 

be throwing debris into the 

drains. 

Yingi said, with the heavy 

water scheme by BUA 

Cement Company which it 

is providing as part of its 

corporate social 

responsibility to its host 

communities. 

Besides, the company also 

Tolaram Group introduces Goodlife Magic fruit 

drink 

By Nkiruka 

Nnorom 

LGroup AGOS—TOLARAM 

has made its 

entrance into the fruit drink 

market with the launch of 

“GoodLife Magik” fruit 

drink. 

The Tolaram Group is one 

of the largest 

conglomerates in West 

Africa which has over the 

years laid an indelible 

footprint especially in the 

Nigerian market with the 

introduction of numerous 

successful brands. 

GoodLife Magik is a healthy 

unwavering quality, which the 

group has established over the 

years. 

He said: “Tolaram Group is one 

of the largest manufacturers in 

Nigeria and the group has 

consistently produced strong 

household brands keeping in 

mind the consumers’ needs." 

Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, wife of 

the Executive Governor, Ogun 

State, speaking at the event, 

commended the group for its 

unflinching marketing efforts in 

putting smiles on the faces of 

Nigerians through the 

introduction of numerous brands, 

which are actively topping the 

charts in their respective 

categories. 

While it frowned at the 

Federal Government’s 

“epileptic approach to the 

full implementation of the 

Degree Awarding status of 

the already selected 

Polytechnics while swiftly 

implementing same Status 

for College of Agriculture 

Zuru Kebbi State without 

putting into consideration 

alongside the earlier 

selected Polytechnics 

whose bills have spent 

almost a decade at the 

National Assembly”. 

The National Association 

of Polytechnic Students 

NAPS is an umbrella body 

that encompasses students 

of Polytechnics, 

Monotechnics, Colleges of 

Technology and other 

Allied in Nigeria. 

rains, flooding was inevitable, 

stressing that when the 

drains were properly disilted, 

the water would find its way 

to the nearby collection 

points. 

He also restated the commitment 

of the state government 

at ensuring that the effect 

of any natural disasters 

in the state was minimal on 

the people. 

yesterday inaugurated a 

scholarship board to select 

beneficiaries of the 

company's scholarship 

program for the 

communities. 

Manager in charge of 

administration of the 

company, Mr Richard 

Gidado, said the company 

has observed that the six 

communities in Okpella 

are in dire need of portable 

water supply for their daily 

domestic need thus 

necessitating the projects be 

sited in the communities. 

The six communities are Iddo, 

Imiakuri, Awuyemi, Ogute, 

Okhuonmunyio and Imiegiele. 

He said; "We identified the 

need in this environment and 

know that they have poor water 

supply in this place and our 

company has taken it as a priority 

among many other projects that 

we are going to run in the 

community to solve their water 

need and that is why we have 

come here today. 

World’s biggest hydroelectric project 

inches closer to reality in Congo 

Adream of building the world’s biggest hydroelectric 

project in the heart of Africa may be inching closer to 

reality. 

For decades, plans have been made and discarded to construct 

a series of hydroelectric power stations on Africa’s second-longest 

river that would generate almost twice the power 

of the Three Gorges Dam in China, the world’s largest. If 

completed, a Grand Inga Dam could go a long way to addressing 

one of the most debilitating obstacles to development 

across Africa from Nigeria to South Africa: electricity 

shortages. 

Late last year there was a sudden burst of activity around 

Grand Inga. Then-President Joseph Kabila signed an accord 

in October with two groups of Chinese and Spanish investors, 

who committed to funding technical studies before building 

and running an 11,050-megawatt facility called Inga III at 

a cost of $14 billion. The consortia, which include AEE Power 

Holdings SL and China Three Gorges Corp., also pledged to 

attract lenders and find buyers of the electricity elsewhere in 

Africa. 

That could be news of revolutionary import to Congo’s 80 

million people, who make do with about 1,500 megawatts, 

about as much as typically needed for a city of 1 million in 

industrialized nations. Grand Inga could single-handedly 

generate more than 40,000 megawatts upon completion. 

Wall Street drops as bond market 

stokes recession fears 

U 

.S. stocks slipped on Wednesday, as investors reeling 

from rising trade tensions fled riskier assets for 

perceived safer havens, leading the bond market to price in 

a slide into recession. 

U.S. Treasury yields took another dramatic drop and 

the premium on three-month bill rates above 10-year 

note yields was at its most elevated levels since March 

2007. This so-called inversion between the two maturities 

has preceded every U.S. recession in the past 50 years. 

The drop in yields also reflected a jump in expectations 

that the Federal Reserve would cut key borrowing 

costs three more times by year-end, with markets fully 

pricing in a reduction in September. [MMT/] 

“Whether the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand 

the next phase of a trade war is giving people concern 

right now,” said Mike Loewengart, vice-president 

of investment strategy at E*Trade Financial in New York. 

Sahara lauds Investment opportunities 

in Angola’s downstream 

CURRENT efforts by the Angolan government to 

restructure the oil and gas sector offer opportunities for 

collaborations between local and international companies 

along the value chain in the industry, Wale Ajibade, Executive 

Director of Sahara Group, has said. 

These opportunities exist in local capacity development, 

infrastructure development as well as funding, Ajibade said 

while discussing African oil and gas market trends with a 

trade delegation from Southern Africa. 

Angola is the second largest oil producing country in sub- 

Saharan Africa and an OPEC member with output of 

approximately 1.55 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) and 

an estimated 17,904.5 million cubic feet of natural gas 

production. The nation also holds 9 billion barrels of proven 

oil resources and 11 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas 

reserves, which represent great potential for further 

economic development and significant business 

opportunities. 

UNDP seeks inclusion in natural 

resources decisions 

THE United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, 

has advocated increased role for Nigerian women 

especially in the areas of decision making, planning and 

allocation of land and other critical natural resources in 

the country. 

Speaking at the Youth Leadership Entrepreneurship 

Access and Development, YOULEAD, Project’s Learning 

and Sharing Forum in Abuja, National Coordinator of 

the Global Environment Facility, GEF, Small Grant 

Programme of the UNDP, Mrs. Ibironke Olubamise, also 

emphasized more involvement of women in business. 

She also called for a national plan for women and youth 

entrepreneurship, with emphasis on environmental 

management, as this would ensure that all the resources 

needed are available. 

She said, “We are advocating more emphasis for women, 

not only to get engaged in sustainably doing business, 

but also to become part of decision makers in land and 

natural resources planning and distribution.” 

Olubamise noted that the UNDP GEF Small Grant 

programme had been playing a major role in the area of 

women empowerment. 

She said, “We start right from the policy, project 

development and right from the programme development’ 

we emphasise women. 

All stories credited to Reuters

My Boko Haram experience 

THIS week marks the tenth 

year when the nation woke up 

to the bruising clashes in some 

parts of the Northern states with a 

religious group that was hardly 

known then. 

The group which became better 

known as the Boko Haram went 

into a sustained campaign during 

the stretch of the last ten years, 

leading to wanton destruction and 

thousands of deaths in many parts 

of the country. For many of us who 

have survived, there is always one 

gruesome story or the other to tell. 

I was affected the very first day the 

notorious group struck. 

July 26, 2009 - the day the Boko 

Haram saga unfurled 

simultaneously in Bauchi and 

Maiduguri, my wife and children 

were on their way, driving from 

Abuja through Jos to Bauchi. Their 

final destination was Maiduguri. 

They were blissfully unaware of the 

impending skirmishes to occur 

that day between security men and 

the Boko Haram elements in 

Bauchi on their route, and also at 

their destination, Maiduguri. 

My wife was going back to 

Maiduguri where she was the head 

of the Ministry of Women Affairs. 

She had been on a weekend visit 

to the family’s homestead in Abuja 

and was taking some of the 

children who were on holiday with 

her. Both my wife and I were born 

and raised in Maiduguri and had 

been civil servants there. 

We had moved to Abuja at the 

turn of the millennium. I came on 

transfer to the Federal Civil 

Service and she tagged along to 

work in the Borno State governor’s 

lodge, Asokoro. When eventually 

she was promoted, she moved back 

to Maiduguri, thus setting the 

stage for our constant shuttle. 

The infamous day was a Sunday 

and I was holed up in my office 

somewhere in the administrative 

wing of the Presidential Villa, my 

place of posting, poring over files 

to prepare for the week ahead. I 

was, also, keenly following the 

movement of my family on phone, 

through the route they took: Abuja- 

Keffi-Barde-GidanWaya-Forest- 

Vom-Jos-Bauchi, etc. As regular 

travellers it was always frightful 

being on that route, particularly 

the stretch from the vicinity of 

Vom to Kuru, through Bukuru and 

traversing the length of Jos city, 

where many innocent lives were 

lost due to the communal 

disturbances prevalent to the area 

in that period. 

When eventually I heard that they 

were at the tip of Tilden Fulani, a 

Bauchi State town, just a few 

kilometres out of Jos, I heaved a 

sigh of relief. I thought the worst 

part of the journey was over. I lost 

concentration on their movement 

until I heard a report, an hour or 

two after, over the BBC Hausa 

afternoon service, about an ongoing 

fight between security forces 

and religious fanatics in Bauchi. 

I immediately became alarmed 

because I knew the ramifications 

of such fights. We had once lived 

through the Maitatsine bloody 

clashes in Bulumkuttu, Maiduguri, 

in 1982, and could vividly recall 

the carnage we witnessed. The 

Maitatsine goup, a fanatical gang 

took over that strategic settlement 

linking the town with the airport, 

including the only highway linked 

to the rest of the country. When the 

police were overwhelmed the 

military had to be called in. It was 

after days of heavy fighting and 

untold trauma on Maiduguri 

citizens that the fanatics were 

subdued. 

I tried getting my wife on the 

phone to put her on the alert but 

there was no contact. I looked for 

information from all the usual 

sources and they all confirmed my 

fears that a serious fight was going 

on in Bauchi and indeed it was 

with religious fanatics. I became 

frantic, phoning intermittently 

until after what seemed like a very 

long time my wife called to say they 

My wife was 

constantly on the 

phone relating the 

boom-boom 

sounds they were 

hearing from all 

directions 

were getting out of Potiskum which 

is some 200 kilometres away from 

Bauchi. I enquired from her if she 

noticed anything unusual when 

they were passing through Bauchi 

she replied in the negative. I heaved 

another sigh of relief and went 

back to my files. 

That was after 4.00 pm. Some 

moments before the call for the 

maghrib prayers when I was 

preparing to leave the office, I had 

a call from Maiduguri coming 

from a friend living in the State 

low-cost estate intimating that a 

confrontation was going on 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 —17 

17 

between one of the influential 

Mallams and security men. 

Mohammed Yusuf, the mallam 

was well-known for incendiary 

sermons, denouncing Western 

education and its influence. He 

had carved out an enclave for 

himself in Galadima ward, near 

the railway station, adjacent to the 

State low-cost estate,where he built 

his palatial residence and a 

mosque with a string of homes for 

his numerous acolytes. The whole 

area was known as Markaz, an 

Arabic word denoting 

headquarters. 

I had recently seen a 

congregation of his followers in 

the night in the vicinity of Mai 

Saje’s mosque near the zoo in the 

GRA. I cannot recall details of the 

occasion but I remember seeing 

them milling around, most of them 

on motor cycles, all in similar 

gears meant to intimidate: white 

dresses, distinctive short trousers, 

donning weird turbans and 

sporting grassy long beards. I have 

heard of their encounters with the 

police, always embellished to 

enhance their group's 

unassailability. 

I became more worried and 

rushed to inform my wife but they 

were probably getting to the end 

of their journey driving through 

Jakana, Mainok and Auno, the 

string of villages in the outskirts of 

Maiduguri, where phone services 

were very poor. By the time we 

spoke, they were already crossing 

Bulumkutu, and I realised they 

were still not aware of the enormity 

of what had happened in their 

wake or what was developing in 

Maiduguri. 

By the time they drove into the 

GRA where our home was situated, 

the conflagration that was raging 

in the railway/low-cost estate zone 

had engulfed much of the northern 

parts of Maiduguri and security 

forces had decreed a curfew on the 

whole city, restricting movements, 

so as to give them enough space to 

deal with the situation that was 

almost overwhelming them. When 

my family settled at home they 

found that they could not go out 

again. There was confusion 

everywhere as people were running 

helter-skelter. My wife was 

constantly on the phone relating 

the boom-boom sounds they were 

hearing from all directions. 

As reported later, it was probably 

about that time that the fanatics 

were fanning out of their enclave 

and were attacking to kill anyone 

in uniform. Their first port of call 

was the nearby police station 

which they reduced to rubble, 

killing all the policemen they 

could find. Next, was the New 

Prison, situated adjacent to the 

State low-cost estate, where they 

attacked and killed all the prison 

staff they could find. They also 

opened the gates of the prison to 

let the inmates to escape. 

The mayhem had just begun and 

would continue for most of the 

week, taking its toll mainly on the 

people living in the Lamisula and 

Gamboru areas. The marauding 

fanatics would even become so 

emboldened as to take the fight to 

the Police in their homes, attacking 

the Mobile Police Training College 

and murdering its second in 

command. In their misguided fury 

the fanatics set fire to the homes of 

the policemen and killed a number 

of them undergoing promotional 

training courses. The Nigerian 

Army had to be finally called in 

and it would take a sustained fight 

of some gruesome five days to 

subdue them and capture their 

leaders. 

For me, that Sunday was one 

long day of stress and trauma. And 

this went on for all the week. One 

could do nothing but wait. 

Fortunately, the situation 

stabilised at the weekend. The 

curfew was lifted and we celebrated 

the end of the skirmishes thinking 

that the nightmare was over, and 

we could carry on our lives as it 

were. We didn’t know that the 

nightmare was just beginning.... 

APC and its uncertain future 

By Suleiman Adamu Usman 

IT is undoubtedly a growing point of 

profound concern for those who genuinely 

care about the fortunes and future of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, that the party is 

unstoppably collapsing into a precipitous 

abyss. It is indeed the overwhelming position 

of the crucial majority of the APC members 

that the current National Working Committee 

of the party is not by any means working for 

the evolvement of APC into a formidable massbased 

party. 

In fact, a considerable number of strategic 

APC leaders hold the hardly incontrovertible 

view that the working committee is grossly 

deficit in the capacity to work effectively and 

nourish the party into electoral viability with 

organisational superiority. 

This is not the time for continuing deception 

and diversion in the false narrative of APC’s 

performance in the 2019 presidential and 

general election. 

Honour demands that the Adams 

Oshiomhole-led committee must be prepared 

to subject itself to an internal earnest review 

for retrospective accountability. It is only with 

such show of humility and honesty that our 

party can navigate the path forward for growth 

and future victories. If the party hierarchy and 

the membership continue to tolerate barefaced 

lies such as the fabrication that the working 

committee played a stimulating role in the 

campaigns for President Buhari’s victory, then 

APC would have become hostage to perpetual 

deceit and domestic abuse by its national 

chairman. The party will consequently suffer 

internal decline presaging its decay and 

ultimate annihilation. 

How can the leaders of APC not be cognisant 

of the recent ignoble and despicable history of 

the party that once described itself as the 

largest party in Africa with a vow that it would 

hold national leadership for six decades (sixty 

years). The organisation in reference, the 

Peoples Democratic Party, which boasted of its 

infallibility approximating immortality, was 

at some point displaying the same kind of 

syndrome that Oshiomhole’s NWC is now 

exhibiting in the health of the APC. 

There were few PDP leaders and other 

Nigerians who warned the party then that the 

PDP was suffering from internal dictatorship, 

especially in the way it conducted its primary 

elections. The counsel that the apex leadership 

had lost touch with the grassroots of the PDP 

was not heeded. The irrevocable lesson of 

Who would have imagined 

that the APC national 

working committee will so 

recklessly proceed to ask the 

Supreme Court, just a few 

weeks ago, to review its 

decision regarding the 

Zamfara State governorship 

election? 

history is that arrogance, hubris and impunity 

by political party leaders, especially at the level 

of national working committees, will 

irreversibly end with damnation, decline and 

defeat. 

May the fate of PDP not be visited on the 

APC; the progressive congress should definitely 

avoid this road of death because the party 

should soon vanquish itself from an emperorlike 

siege. What further humiliation would the 

APC membership allow under its current 

national working committee? Oshiomhole’s 

pitiful performance at the helms of APC’s 

affairs has made such a potentially 

magnificent political party the laughing stock 

of the opposition and a source of depression 

among APC membership. 

The portrait of APC now is an organisation 

that is characterized by grave tactical errors 

and fatal strategic blunders. Consequently, the 

hopes of APC members nation-wide that the 

party would serve as catalyzing agency for 

President Buhari’s second term agenda is 

diminishing. The APC national chairman is 

making the party to constantly dance naked 

in the market place. APC is becoming a subject 

of hurtful derision and public stigmatisation. 

The party today stands very feebly before the 

jury of history. 

For instance, who would have imagined that 

the APC national working committee will so 

recklessly proceed to ask the Supreme Court, 

just a few weeks ago, to review its decision 

regarding the Zamfara State governorship 

election? T 

he outcome of utter dismissal that was 

unequivocally handed down by the apex court 

was definitely the expected result that most 

conscientious party members envisaged. 

Indeed anyone with minimum familiarity 

with the primary election disaster, created by 

the national working committee in Zamfara 

State, had no doubt that the wounds suffered 

by APC were unquestionably self-inflicted. The 

legal gamble was a simultaneous squander of 

the party’s funds to give the impression that 

APC was the victim of a judicial decision. 

Truth must be told for an unvarnished 

testimony for history: the fact that APC 

woefully and totally lost such a valuable APC 

Northwest State in the 2019 general elections 

was due to the dubious game in which the 

party’s national chairman was engaged during 

the primaries in Zamfara State. 

The painful consequence of that conduct has 

caused a situation where APC does not have a 

single member of the Zamfara House of 

Assembly, none in the House of Representatives, 

no senator and of course, the party lost the 

governorship seat. 

The party won only the presidential election 

in the state because of the mass attraction and 

personal charisma of President Buhari. With 

the organisational failure of the APC national 

working committee, the opposition Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in Zamfara State 

literally harvested where they did not sow. Up 

till date, the national working committee has 

not cared to offer the membership of the party 

a modicum of remorse or an explanation as to 

why APC members in Zamfara State were disenfranchised 

as a consequence of the conduct 

of the party’s chairman. 

Will the APC be re-awakened to ensure the 

investigation of the Zamfara political tragedy? 

But more troubling for the APC is the exigent 

fact that even as this article is being written, 

the leadership of the party is still engaging in 

actions capable of further fracturing and 

slashing the soulful fabric of APC solidarity. 

While grassroots APC party leaders are 

ashamed of the fact that there are currently 

about 900 APC primary election-related cases 

in the courts, our chairman is already creating 

arenas for fresh crisis in locations where he 

intends to impose his will on the people in 

varieties of questionable political scenarios. 

In fact, the last place where one would have 

thought that he will engender crisis would have 

been the only APC state in the South-South 

region. But the only principal consideration 

that seems to matter to him is his personal 

interest. 

The emergence of APC as a political party 

was a historic phenomenon for Africa’s giant 

nation. Supposed party leaders with 

diminished vision of momentous chronicles 

of times cannot, therefore, be allowed to 

decimate the optimism that APC represents. 

The progressive congress will ultimately 

emerge stronger without an emperor-like 

national chairman. 

•Usman, ‘a concerned member of APC’, 

wrote from Abuja 

C 

M 

Y 

K


THE first and overriding article of 

public interest in governance is the 

security of the citizens. Section 14(2b) 

of the 1999 Constitution states: “It is 

hereby accordingly declared that: the 

security and welfare of the people shall 

be the primary purpose of 

government”. 

We have three tiers of government – 

the Governors are described as the 

Federal, State and Local Government. 

“Chief Security Officers” of their states, 

For the security architecture of the 

yet they do not have the power to deploy 

country to be arranged in such a way 

either the Nigeria Police or possess a 

that only the Federal Government feels 

State Police they can deploy when the 

entitled to usurp the exclusive power 

security of the citizens in their state is 

to command the apparatuses of security 

threatened. 

in the country is asynchronous with our 

The danger is that whenever the 

constitutional democracy. 

Federal-controlled Police decides to 

It is an enduring offshoot of our 

play their roles in a partisan manner 

military past which we have continued 

the security of a section of the citizenry 

to practice to the detriment of the 

is compromised. 

security of lives and property of our 

Many state governments have 

people. The same warped thinking is 

struggled against the odds to create 

responsible for the situation whereby 

security outfits through the legislative 

Governors can do more about security (2) 

instruments of the state assemblies to 

tackle security threats. In Abia and 

Anambra states, the Bakassi Boys 

(which grew out of communal efforts) 

were transformed into vigilante 

services and went far in curbing crimes. 

In Kano, the Hisbah outfit was created 

to implement the Sharia Laws enacted 

by the State Assembly. Also in the 

North East (especially Borno State), the 

Civilian Task Force (Civilian JTF) was 

created to assist the military in the anti- 

Boko Haram war. 

In the South Western states, 

governments have quietly worked with 

non-formal organisations to provide 

security. 

All these efforts were attempts by proactive 

governors to take primary hold 

on the security of their states pending 

the intervention of the Nigeria Police 

(and sometimes the Army). 

We would like to see more such 

efforts being made across board. 

The ultimate goal before us all, 

however, is to amend the Constitution 

to redefine and share security powers 

among the federal, state and communal 

entities, not forgetting specifying the 

individual’s power and right to selfpreservation. 

This is what security in a democratic 

society is all about. This is the only way 

that Nigeria can truly be secured. 

The governors should continue to 

lead this agitation, and the Nigerian 

people are right behind them. 

Childhoods cut short 

By Yusuf Hassan Wada 

IN Northern Nigeria, a massive push is 

underway to bring the chance to learn 

to millions of out-of-school children through 

the Northern Nigeria’s 

#GiveNorthEducation movement hashtags 

on social media platforms. Nigeria is said 

to have the highest number of out of school 

children in the world. 

Estimated number of the out-of-school 

children in Nigeria is in the range of 10.5 - 

13.2 million aged 5-14 years with 60 per 

cent being girls. About 69 per cent of out of 

these school children are from the North, 

according to UNESCO, UNICEF, NBS, 

UBEC and the Federal Minstry of 

Education. This is truly a national and a 

regional emergency. 

The United Nations Educational, 

Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 

UNESCO, describes out-of-school children 

as those within the primary school age who 

have had no primary school education or 

didn’t complete it. 

Where are we going? Quite a mundane 

question, you would say. But such common 

questions when addressed by uncommon 

minds often yield profound discoveries and 

insights. 

For millions of young people, these are 

the years they should be spending in the 

classroom, learning not just how to read, 

write and count but also how to inquire, 

assess, debate and calculate; how to look 

after themselves and others; how to stand 

on their own two feet. Yet these millions are 

being robbed of that time. 

While the free education for children in 

almost every state has been a step in the 

right direction, there are other factors that 

hinder children’s access to education and a 

healthy environment such as parents’ ability 

to provide healthcare and nutrition for their 

children as well as their ability to provide 

their children with school uniforms and 

materials for school. In this instance, the 

quality of the basic school system must not 

in anyway be sacrificed for its free nature. 

And, unfortunately, this is the sad reality the 

public basic education system is faced with. 

The Nigerian system of education faces 

additional challenges such as decline in our 

enrollments and performance indicators in 

the form of inadequately prepared teachers; 

a lack of quality teaching and learning 

materials; insufficient funding; and 

ambivalent support from some parents and 

communities. 

However, poor quality education is 

tantamount to no education! A visit to any 

public primary school will readily reveal 

the inadequacies and the neglect of 

depreciating facilities. Yet, students are 

enrolled beyond the capacity of these 

structures, without a corresponding increase 

in the number of teachers employed for 

effective teaching and learning. 

Also, so many policies and laws have been 

left unimplemented or hurriedly 

implemented by sucessive governments. We 

have the Almajiri programme, National 

Policy on Education, the Child Right Act, 

Compulsory free Universal Basic Education 

Act, the Teacher’s Education policies, etc. 

The social costs of these hurriedly 

implemented policies are yet to bear fruit. 

This is a knee-jerk response to a complex 

and multi-faceted problem which is a core 

driver of our continued 

underdevelopment. 

These are useful policies no doubt, but 

where is the integrity of that wisdom that 

gives the people in villages, Almajiris and 

the rest to rise to their full potentials. The 

contradictions are as numerous and endless, 

OPINION 

just as they are heartbreaking for those who 

care and know the sort of booby traps and 

time-bombs we are planting for ourselves. 

Thus, for the region to avert these negative 

statistics, current and future governments 

must be focused, realistic and disciplined in 

the way and manner they take decisions, 

review and implement those decisions. This 

is because this entails their recognising their 

duties to the society. 

Over time, the government in whatever 

form in Northern Nigeria has failed to 

mitigate or address the most critical issues 

affecting us. Specifically to the Almajiri 

There should be constant 

supervision and monitoring 

of the Almajiri schools’ 

programmes and curriculum 

to check negative 

instructions and orientation 

menace, they have refused to make critical 

laws to stop parents from sending children 

to unknown destinations. 

Our leaders need to push a bill to their 

various state assemblies with the aim of 

banning selfish people from sending their 

kids to the street. 

However, despite the involvement of past 

governments in resolving the issue through 

integration of the Almajiri model system into 

the main stream educational system of the 

country, much more still needs to be done as 

infrastructure in some states are neglected 

and left in dilapidation by state 

governments. There is need to 

also integrate Science, Technology, 

Engineering and Maths, STEM, 

programmes into the system. 

Funding has also been a problem in the 

education sector with Nigeria’s national 

budget not rising above eight per cent in 

recent times. According to the 2018 report 

of UBEC, none of the 36 states accessed the 

UBE intervention fund in 2018, while 24 of 

them didn’t acess the fund in 2017. 

The fundamental requirement of good 

governance is transparency, and the least 

form of transparency is the availability of 

public finance information. Public 

awareness and campaigns aimed at 

influencing government to create platforms 

that would support public private 

partnership with relevant stakeholders to 

influence government and NGOs on policy 

making coupled with tracking of public 

funds. Public funds must also work for the 

people through open governance and 

transparency. All forms of street-begging 

and parental neglect should be criminalised 

by the government while poverty reduction 

programmes should be implemented to 

reduce the juvenile delinquency of the 

Almajiri in Northern Nigeria. 

There should also be constant supervision 

and monitoring of the Almajiri school 

programmes and curriculum to check 

negative instructions and orientation. 

We have little choice now. Our region’s 

falling educational standard indicates grave 

dangers for the supposed leaders of 

tomorrow. The way the North utilises her 

population, knowledge and experiences 

from these repeated educational reforms 

outside the political lens, will determine the 

extent to which education and economic 

developments will connect. 

We can provide quality education that 

would serve thousands of families well. We 

must, therefore, prepare for the storm to 

develop just like our brothers and sisters 

down South. And this should happen soon 

and not later. 

•Yusuf, a public affairs analyst, wrote from 

Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto.

Petroleum products imports up 

by 11% in Q2’19 

•As PETAN says no more high oil prices 

By Ediri Ejoh & Elizabeth 

Adegbesan 

Nigeria’s petroleum products 

import rose by 11.4 percent 

to 7.63 billion litres in the second 

quarter of 2019, (Q2’19) from 

6.85 billion litres in the first 

quarter, Q1’19. 

In the “Petroleum Products 

Imports and Consumption (Truck 

out) Statistics” for Q2’19 released 

yesterday, the National Bureau 

of Statistics (NBS) stated that 

6.96 billion litres out of the 7.63 

billion imported were distributed 

(truck-out) across the 36 states 

during the period. 

The statistics also show that the 

volume of petroleum products 

distributed nationwide dropped 

by two percent to 6.5 billion litres 

in Q2’19 from 6.6 billion litres in 

Q1’19. 

In details of the imports are, 

5.61 billion litres of premium 

motor spirit (PMS), 1.38 billion 

litres of automotive gas oil 

(AGO), 12.22 million litres of 

Household kerosene (HHK), 

131.36 million litres of aviation 

turbine kerosene (ATK), 77.24 

million litres of base oil, 41.79 

million litres of bitumen, 27.68 

million litres of low pour fuel oil 

(LPFO) and 354.70 million liters 

of Liquefied Petroleum Gas 

(LPG). 

Crude oil price 

In another development, the 

Petroleum Technology 

Association of Nigerian, PETAN, 

said that the current drops in 

crude oil price at the 

international market may not 

witness possible rebound 

anytime soon. 

This, according to PETAN, is 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$96.70 -0.35 

2,226.00 -26.00 

$11.39 -0.34 

$56.42 -2.52 

$51.19 -2.44 

305.9 306.4 306.9 

371.1179 371.7245 372.2311 

342.5162 343.0761 343.6359 

313.3258 313.838 314.3501 

2.888 2.8927 2.8975 

0.5026 0.5126 0.5226 

420.3028 420.9898 421.6768 

43.3812 43.4525 43.5239 

81.5472 81.6805 81.8138 

420.9796 421.6677 422.3558 

45.882 45.957 46.032 

20.4513 20.4847 20.5181 

CBN Exchange rate as at 07/08/2019 

tied to excess competition in the 

industry as well as lower cost of 

production. 

Speaking at the ongoing 

Society of Petroleum Engineers 

(SPE) Nigerian Annual 

International Conference and 

Exhibition, NAICE, Publicity 

Secretary, PETAN, Ranti Omole, 

said operators should brace up for 

the new development of low oil 

prices and embrace low cost of 

operation. 

According to him, “The good old 

days of $100 or $120 per barrel 

has passed and will never be 

recorded again because of 

excess competition in the 

industry as well as lower cost of 

production. 

“The availability of cleaner 

alternative power sources, 

coupled with new frontiers 

coming on board into the 

Industry creates an environment 

of surplus, hence possibilities 

are that crude oil prices may 

never increase again. 


“It is time for Nigeria to begin 

to maximise whatever is left, as 

countries like Kuwait are even 

devising means to deplete their 

oil reserves early enough to invest 

into gas, the new path.” 

In his remarks, Chairman, 

Ghana National Petroleum 

Commission (GNPC), Prof. 

Wumi Iledare, said that the 

oil industry in Nigeria is not 

positioned for the best global 

practices and that is why the sector 

needs to allow young minds who 

can function under the 

environment of artificial 

intelligence. 

From left, Executive Governor, Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai presenting the Award of 

Excellence to MD/CEO, Development Bank of Nigeria, Tony Okpanachi as outstanding MSME 

Clinic Partner at the 2nd National MSME Awards 2019 held recently at Aso Rock, Abuja. 

NSE records N12.5trn debt instruments in 58yrs 

By Peter Egwuatu 

THE Nigerian Stock Ex 

change, NSE, has revealed 

that it has listed N12.47 trillion 

debt instruments since its inception 

in 1961. 

The Chief Executive Officer of 

the NSE, Mr Osacr Onyenma, 

disclosed this at the sideline of a 

retail bond workshop organised 

in collaboration with Debt Man- 

agement Office, DMO 

and Stanbic IBTC Bank 

in Lagos. 

According to him: 

“From our humble beginnings 

of listing and 

trading Federal Republic 

of Nigeria (FGN) Development 

Stocks in 

1961, the Exchange is 

delighted to have revolutionized 

into a multiasset 

hub with a 

N12.47trillion debt market 

providing investors 

access to a wide range of 

investment opportunities 

in the domestic and international 

capital market 

through the listing of 

sovereign, sub-national, 

corporates and supranational 

debt instruments.” 

However, he expressed 

dismay at the low participation 

of local investors 

in the debt market. 

He stated: “Despite these efforts, 

only about three percent 

of Nigeria’s adult population 

currently participate in the Nigerian 

capital market, an indication 

that there is need for increased 

collaborative efforts in 

promoting higher levels of financial 

inclusion in Nigeria. 

In achieving our strategic vision 

to become the preferred Exchange 

hub in Africa, we will 

continue to pursue initiatives that 

seeks to increase domestic participation 

in capital market 

through increased access to investment 

solutions, as well as 

support government to achieve 

inclusive growth and sustainable 

development.” 

Credit scores 

now available in 

Nigeria 

FAIR Isaac Corporation 

(FICO) has introduced 

CRC Score in Nigeria for lenders 

and individuals. 

The CRC score was developed 

in collaboration with Fair 

Isaac Corporation (FICO), an 

American company with over 

50 years of experience in data 

and analytics 

According to Mr. Tunde 

Popoola, Managing Director/ 

CEO, CRC Credit Bureau, 

credit scoring is a method of 

allocating scores to customers, 

to determine their level of risk 

in extending them loans or 

credit facilities, adding that 

credit scores help lenders make 

quick and informed credit decisions 

on who to extend credit 

facilities or loans to. 

He said CRC Score powered 

by FICO is a statistical number 

that defines how risky it is 

for lenders to do business with 

an individual, stressing that it 

is generated using data from 

the individual’s credit history 

detailed in their credit report. 

Popoola disclosed that CRC 

Score is a three digit (3) number 

that indicates if your status 

is; excellent, good, fair or 

poor pointing out that the 

score ranges from 300-850, 

with 300 being the lowest score 

and 850 the highest. 

“As a lender, the CRC Score 

can be used to profile and 

make quick lending decisions 

on new and existing credit customers 

to know their level of 

risk prior to approving their 

loan or post-paid product applications. 

“As an individual, the CRC 

Score is a number that shows 

the level of risk associated with 

doing business with you or the 

quality of your credit status. 

Your CRC score can encourage 

or discourage credit providers 

at the point of making credit 

decisions on your application. 

“The CRC Score is easily accessible 

to everyone and can 

be bought via the CRC Credit 

Bureau website for just Four 

Hundred Naira only 

(N400.00). Individuals can 

pay for and obtain their credit 

score online”, Credit Bureau 

boss noted. 

FCMB revamps agro-commodity trade finance facility 

By Peter Egwuatu 

FIRST City Monument Bank 

(FCMB), has introduced an 

enhanced agro-commodity trade 

finance facility for agribusiness 

operators. 

The development marks another 

bold step by the Bank to 

expand and deepen its support 

to the agricultural sector, its valuechain 

and the overall growth of 

the Nigerian economy. 

The revamped facility is designed 

for agro-commodity merchants 

with supply contracts to 

multinationals, large corporates 

and processors of agro-commodities. 

Targeted commodities are cocoa, 

cashew nut, sesame, ginger, 

palm Oil, grains (maize, sorghum, 

soya beans, paddy rice). 

Under this new FCMB trade finance 

facility which is structured 

in the form of a working capital, 

the minimum amount that can be 

accessed by a qualified customer is 

N100 million, while the maximum 

is N2billion. 

Explaining the rationale behind 

the introduction of the facility in an 

enhanced form, the Divisional 

Head, Agribusiness of FCMB, Mr. 

Kudzai Gumunyu, said the Bank 

recognises the gap that exists in 

agribusiness financing as well as 

other challenges faced by operators, 

including farmers, in the sector. 

According to him, ‘’we realise 

there are millions of agro-traders 

and processors across the country 

that need credit at convenient and 

affordable rates, considering the 

level of attraction the agric sector 

has garnered. Our decision to introduce 

a revamped agro-commodity 

trade finance facility is part of 

our intervention in the agribusiness 

space to ensure agribusinesses and 

other stakeholders are empowered 

with the requisite funds and 

enablers to boost production and 

marketing of agricultural commodities. 

Commodity producers and 

traders stand to immensely benefit 

from this facility, because it is a veritable 

and convenient opportunity 

to access funds that ensure cash 

flow is available for maximum output. 

We urge all to take advantage 

of this offering”. 

He assured that FCMB is focused 

on being a strategic partner 

in the agric sector to drive 

the diversification of the Nigerian 

economy, food self-sufficiency, 

employment and export 

earnings. 

Highlighting FCMB’s contributions 

to agribusiness, Mr. 

Gumunyu said the Bank had 

sustained the tempo of support 

through numerous cutting-edge 

initiatives through innovative 

products. He said FCMB in 

2018, provided lines of credit that 

peaked at 8 percent of the Bank’s 

total loan book to the agric sector 

with the intention to improve on 

this milestone.


Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 — 21


1,100 years of servitude 

By Pat Utomi 

WHY write a book? Having 

written a few, could this just 

be a habit? Each time I think book I 

think of the motive of the author, his 

view of the nature of man in society 

and the force of idea and 

explanation of nature or society. 

When you are the author, thinking 

about motive involves peculiar 

psycho-exploration in introspection. 

For me, the purpose of the excursion 

captured in this book derives from 

early embrace of a Pan Africanist 

view of the world. 

Those pan-African credentials 

took form with a sense for a 

Nigerian purpose that has the 

redemption of the dignity of black 

and African people, as the central 

essence. This was manifested early 

when as a 19-year-old student leader 

at the University of Nigeria I caused 

a major debate on how Nigeria, as a 

‘frontline state’ was driving the 

liberation of still colonised and 

apartheid parts of Africa in 1975. 

That conversation led by then 

Foreign Minister Joseph Nanven 

Garba in a time of crisis during 

which plotters of an abortive coup 

d’etat which claimed the head of 

state, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, 

were still at large, signposts the 

golden era of Students Unions at 

UNN after the civil war. A book on 

SUG at UNN which gave me more 

than due prominence seems to 

highlight that. 

And Nigeria rose to the occasion 

during those liberation struggle 

moments. CBS star reporter, Mike 

Wallace, would recall in a telephone 

conversation with me in 1996 when 

I challenged his report on Nigeria 

and interview with Louis Farrakhan, 

where he cited Nigeria as the most 

corrupt country in the world, that he 

had interviewed General Gowon 25 

years earlier and hailed Nigeria as 

the first Black power. But he 

regretted that in those 25 years 

Nigeria had disappointed 

incredibly. 

So, as I enter the autumn of my 

time of being, nearly 25 years after 

the Wallace encounter, and 45 years 

after I pulled off the impossible by 

getting Joe Garba to honour my 

PROF OF PAT T UTOMI 

invitation at that crisis moment, I 

am pained as Nigeria stutters and 

fumbles, wondering whether 

Kaplan’s Coming Anarchy had 

come true or we had entered the 

Road to Somalia. It is hard for a 

true patriot to play dumb in such 

times. 

Has Nigeria shirked its historic 

raison d’etre by becoming the 

source of shame to the Black man 

rather than the fountain of a 

redemptive essence of the Negro 

race? My personal fear is that 

Nigeria’s failure to live its promise 

may actually result in 1,100 years 

of servitude for the Black man. If 

that is not good enough reason to 

write a book I don’t know what will 

be. So, how did we get here? Having 

experienced Nigeria as a student 

activist, technocrat in the Federal 

Government, executive in industry, 

entrepreneur, public intellectual and 

academic, journalist, civil society 

champion, and politician, it seemed 

an imperative of being engaged, to 

offer reflections on how and where 

things went wrong, for the benefit 

of the future. 

It is clear to me that the southward 

journey of our ship of state and walk 

of progress can be domiciled at the 

doorsteps of a collapse of culture 

which is largely the effect 

of challenged citizenship 

behaviour, state capture, creeping 

fascism and a criminal hijack of 

politics. It is not so clear what a 

patriot's call should be, in this kind 

of circumstance, when the nature of 

the process assures prolonged 

servitude. In a time when the 

triumph of politics means that the 

day after one election the struggles 

for the next elections begin, whether 

they be democratic, legitimate or 

plain criminal in nature, the key 

question must be Quo Vadis 

Nigeria. Surely the politics is toxic 

and progress hard to imagine. 

As one former chief economic 

adviser to the Federal Government 

said to me in a phone call last week, 

how do you explain that the central 

challenge facing a country in grave 

economic crisis producing 

unemployment, poverty, and 

insecurity and you name a cabinet 

in which not one person can 

seriously claim to understand how 

economics work? My response was 

simple: the triumph of politics. Can 

politics continue to triumph over 

service to the people and the will of 

citizens; even the common good? 

In such times a patriot who has 

lived a life of struggle pushing for 

the common good and shared 

prosperity can make several 

choices. If you have risked so much, 

including a few assassination 

attempts, like me, you may say I 

have done my best, so let me find 

peace and comfort in the suburbia 

of a foreign land. You may decide 

not to see your life dream come 

unraveling, and like Paul Kagame, 

exchange ties for fatigues and start 

the next liberation Bush War. Or you 

can travel the world speaking up 

and calling for international 

sanctions against the country as the 

new NADECO trying to liberate the 

country from the mess made by the 

NADECO wannabes of old who 

claimed the prize of democracy won 

by the patriots of yesteryears. But 

the patriot can immerse himself in 

the challenged system and use 

stealth to locate well and disrupt 

from within. 

When is a good time to say I have 

done my bit? It may not have been 

good enough but I have done my 

bit, its time for another track. These 

days I think a lot like this. But I 

watched the paradox of the youth of 

Hong Kong fighting for the vision 

of the future they want, pouring out 

to the street in protest. And I watch 

the youth of Nigeria whose future is 

all but sacrificed already by the 

politics of Nigeria, and I see those 

who can, head for Canada, those 

who really cannot, head for Libya 

and the dreaded Mediterranean 

drowning, or is it crossing? But 

those not sure whether they can or 

cannot either wait for Wole Soyinka 

to march in protest on their behalf, 

or go to work on Twitter and 

Facebook warring in words against 

real and imagined enemies. 

I feel my bones and they are more 

brittle, and my heart is much weaker 

and my soul wearied of a life of 

struggle that has brought 

exhaustion to those close by who 

know that it has cost them 

emotionally and materially to live 

with one whose nature is struggling 

for the good of all, and the good of 

neighbour, sometimes with not 

enough attention to the cost on self 

•Chinua Achebe and Nelson Mandela 

and those close enough, and I 

wonder if personal peace means 

surrender. There comes a moment 

when you ask yourself whether it is 

wise to continue down a track that is 

not bringing the desired results. At 

that time what matters for a person 

who has a sense, of and for, history, is 

to document experience for future 

generations so they do not repeat the 

same mistakes. 

This is what I begin, with this three 

and half volume series of 

which Why Not is the first. I shall 

say little about the writing of this 

volume which is already 

significantly in the public domain. If 

anything I will share just a little of 

the emotions it has set off which for 

me in recent weeks has involved 

regular conversations with two men 

who have gone to be with the ages; 

Chinua Achebe and Nelson 

Mandela. These conversations have 

been largely triggered by my fear that 

the failure of our politics and our 

times have grave implications for the 

future of the black race. I have even 

dared to begin writing early drafts 

the fourth volume 1,100 Years of 

Servitude, on the many years of 

slavery for the Negro race because 

Nigeria failed to claim its promise. 

The conversations with the departed 

heroes past started in Singapore. 

Singapore, my old development 

The Black 

man can ill 

afford 1,100 

years of 

servitude 

observation post from the 1980s and 

90s has a way of affecting my mood. 

I was there again less than two 

months ago, in June. I found that I 

was not sleeping too well, and would 

wake up and find myself in 

conversation. Two of the men I found 

I was spending the most time 

talking with were Chinua and 

Nelson Mandela. A little peculiar 

because even I would expect that if 

in Singapore my mind was to play 

games of being linked in chats with 

men long departed, it would be Lee 

Kuan Yew, perhaps a throwback 

from my being there the day he 

stepped down as Prime Minister in 

1990, caught between his speech to 

parliament and Cameroon’s great 

run at the World Cup in Italy. 

The conversations with Achebe 

were strange. I recalled to him his 

last visit to Nigeria to give what was 

evidently his farewell reflection and 

how I enjoyed him listening to the 

lecture I gave on him before he gave 

his lecture. Ugonabo, I asked of 

him, “what did the ancestors say to 

you when you arrived the village 

square in the sky. Did they frown at 

the fact your last breath as a mortal 

was offered up in a foreign land? I 

ask, Ugonabo because I worry for 

myself. For a generation, I have 

warned that anarchy was on the way 

if we do not do more building a just 

society. Now its possibilities look us 

in the face everywhere. Long 

stretches of territory from Kaduna 

and Niger states to Zamfara and 

Sokoto are outside the control of 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 , 2019 — 23 

the music of collapse of 

culture that could I not 

hear, even though 

deafness does not run in 

my line. Then I turned to 

Madiba. And I reminded 

him of the banter at 

Obasanjo’s farm in Otta 

when he just got out of 

prison. How when the 

General who nearly 

recommended witches 

for the Army of liberaton 

and witchcraft as worthy 

Artillery introduced me 

as an executive from 

Volkswagen of Nigeria 

you chimed ‘Ah Winnie 

drives a Gulf, and Winne 

smiled, talking about 

constituted Authority. The North how good a drive that car gets in. 

East has been hardly part of Nigeria But you would become, so angry 

from when you still were on this side. about what so-called leaders in 

With killings the norm in most parts Nigeria are doing instead of serving 

of the country you can see why I fear their people that your blazed into a 

I could breath my last too in a rage when you met Dr. Baba Ahmed. 

strange land and the maggots of the Madiba, the matter is more serious 

land of our people not get the duty than that. I fear that Nigeria’s failure 

of being the ones that hasten the to lead may send down the Negro 

return of my body to dust. 

race to 1,100 years of servitude, a 

I hope I can reduce those new slavery worse than what Willam 

conversations to a book of faction Wilberforce combated so doggedly 

in the future. A flavour for the kind several generations ago. The 

of conversations I have been having Madiba wore an unfamiliar scowl. 

at the moments of And I heard no answer. But his gait 

“sleepingmulanya”, the twilight spoke to the urgency of now, saving 

zone between dreaming and positive Nigeria from Nigerian politicians. 

hallucination can spice Let us leave the conversations 

understanding. That first night in between the dead and the living for 

Singapore, I was just walking that now and finish with why this volume 

hazy maze between fantasy and is only a forerunner of a three and 

reality and found Chinua Achebe half or four-volume effort. This 

getting out of the same Mercury volume, written literally as the 

Monarch he used to drive in my events were occurring is an 

freshman year at UNN, shortly after incomplete account. A part two of 

the Civil War. “Uganabo”, I hailed volume one of Why Not will be 

him. I have been meaning to ask more complete. The third book is 

light of you. Light of truth about the designed to be more academic and 

ancestors. Since there does not seem focused on locating phenomena 

to be as big a chasm between you here in economic development and 

who have embraced the ages, and comparative politics theories. The 

us who still breath and feel pain; a fourth volume speaks to fixes that 

divide still, but not as Father can help avert 1,100 years of 

Abraham said to the Rich man about servitudes. 

where he was and the distance that I believe that the thoughts in these 

is not bridgeable to the Bossom of books will help our democracy 

the Father of many Nations, permit grow. Political parties are important 

me to ask this question. 

for modern democracies to thrive. 

"When you took your last breath As Roberto Michels pointed out in 

and rushed into the embrace of the that 1911 treatise on political 

ancestors, did they quarrel that your parties which gives the young 

last exhale was in a foreign land? political science student the chant: 

Pardon my impudence, Ugonabo. ‘He who says organization says 

You recall I told you in that lecture I oligarchy’ the so-called iron law of 

gave of you as you listened, just oligarchy. In our experience, 

before you gave your valedictory, political parties have become cults 

that Ahajaku lecture in Owerri that preventing even an internal 

would be your last homecoming, conversation about direction of 

that there had been a collapse of travel for the country. The complicit 

culture in Nigeria. You will recall I middle, the educated, younger, 

got laughs and chuckles and even middle-class people must develop 

some applause when I turned to you a new consciousness that sees future 

and illustrated this collapse of ruin the conduct of now, just like I 

culture with what I called the tyranny think the men of commerce ought 

of drivers who make you listen to to see beyond regulatory capture as 

the music they prefer when you get means for managing uncertainty. 

into your own car. And then their Combing the state capture we are 

favourite Radio Station serves you living with, regularity capture, and 

this collapse of culture with the political parties as cults, may 

intrusion of music that sums up a provide momentary or instant 

society lost in lust for money when gratification, to the temporarily 

your ride to work is assaulted with advantaged, but these constitute a 

the music that says “Osi na nwata compass to the Road to Serfdom, 

bulu ogalanya”. 

apologies to Friedrich Von Hayek. 

"You may think it is the mangled Ironically, this Road to Serfdom is 

values of the times that make me not proved by a collectivist vision of 

ask whether the ancestors rebuked man in society but rather by a 

you for the location where your pulse narcissistic view of the world ruled 

ceased, so far away from where their by obsessive self-love and desire to 

spirits and masquerades knew well completely dominate others by a 

enough to escort you through the group of politicians as citizen 

many rivers and mountains of the wannabes act like a conquered and 

road to eternity. Ugonabo, I ask captured people. 

because the fact that there was a Maybe this is good enough reason 

country makes it possible that we for me to seek to be chairman of the 

may shut our eyes, forever, in APC. Much good can be done for 

stranger lands than the place from shaping a party to have an ideology, 

which you passed on. And we need internal democracy, and platforms 

to know how angry the ancients may for internal discussions, 

be with us so we can make ready to disagreements, and consensus. The 

pour libation of the strength of a black man can ill afford 1,100 years 

waterfall so we can appease them. of servitude. 

There is no shortage of local gin that 

we may go down to Hades without •Utomi, Political Economist and 

due appeasement." 

Professor of Entrepreneurship, is 

Achebe said nothing to me. Or my Founder of the Centre for Values in 

eardrums had suffered enough from 

Leadership


08152060944 

Mixed reactions trail 

#RevolutionNow protest, arrests 

#RevolutionNow Protester being attacked by Security agents in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Monday 

By Innocent Anaba, Henry 

Ojelu and Onozure Dania 

The #RevolutionNow, 

which started in some 

parts of the country on 

Monday, came despite 

warning by the police, that the 

act was treasonable ab initio. 

The Monday's protest in 

Lagos, Osun, Ondo and Cross 

River states was characterised 

by mass arrest of the 

protesters by the police, who 

were combat ready. 

In this edition of Law and 

Human Rights, we sought the 

views of lawyers on the way 

security agents descended on 

the protesters and the position 

of the police that such a protest 

was treasonable. 

Those who spoke 

include,Chief Solomon 

Akuma SAN, Prof Ernest 

Ojukwu, SAN; Labour activist 

and lawyer, Femi Aborisade; 

lawyer and Executive Director, 

Campaign for the 

Advancement of Justice, CAJ, 

Israel Mbaebie; Gideon 

Okebu; Kabir Akingbolu, 

member, Ekiti State Judicial 

Commission; Dele 

Igbinedion; Emmanuel Ochai; 

Chijioke Nlebedim; Ogu 

Ogedi; Olanrewaju Ajanaku; 

Chief Morah Ekwunoh and 

David Fadile. 

Excerpt: 

Chief Akuma, SAN 

What Police did on Monday 

by descending on harmless 

Nigerians was an infringement 

of the fundamental rights of 

Nigeria to freedom of 

movement. The protest was not 

treasonable as alleged by the 

Police. The Police tagged the 

protest treasonable in order to 

find sufficient reason to 

truncate the protest. 

Prof Ojukwu, SAN 

The Nigeria Police got it 

wrong to stop civil protests 

whether dubbed revolutionary 

protests or not. The Nigerian 

Constitution and our laws 

guarantees our freedoms 

including the right to assemble 

to protest and express 

ourselves. 

The reality is that anti 

democratic forces still control 

our Nigeria Police and the 

Police itself are an offshoot of 

Nigerians steeped in 

sycophantic amnesia and 

always trying to please their 

appointor. They must 

understand that they serve the 

people. 

I have sympathy for the Police 

that has failed woefully to 

tackle the massive security 

challenges facing the country 

now but their energy should be 

focused on these security 

challenges and not dissipate 

energy on chasing and 

harassing law abiding citizens 

whose only call is for peaceful 

protests. Our democracy and 

governance and in fact the 

existence of the Nation will be 

challenged if the Police is not 

pulled back from this their 

journey on a road to nowhere. 

Femi Aborisade 

I condemn the police attack 

on the protesters with all the 

veins in me. I am sad that the 

exercise of democratic and 

fundamental right to protest 

peacefully is being 

criminalized and protesters are 

being brutalized in ways that 

did not happen even under 

military dictatorship. I am sad 

because those of us who made 

modest contributions and 

sacrifices to terminate military 

dictatorship did not make such 

sacrifices only to have the worst 

form of government, worse 

than the most vicious military 

regime. We are not slaves in 

Nigeria. Those in control of this 

government must be ready to 

pay for crimes against 

humanity at the appropriate 

time. 

Section 37 and 41 of the 

criminal code that provide for 

the offences of treason and 

treasonable felony, 

respectively, do not categorise 

peaceful protest as offences. 

Sections 39, 40 and 41 provide 

for the right of freedom of 

expression, right of association 

and free movement as 

fundamental rights. This 

regime must be compelled to 

resign through peaceful 

constitutional right. Apart from 

We are not 

slaves in 

Nigeria Those 

in control of 

this 

government 

must be ready 

to pay for 

crimes against 

humanity at the 

appropriate 

time 

the right to life, the next most 

important right is the right to 

peaceful protest. Criminalizing 

freedom of peaceful protest is 

akin to deprivation of life. We 

reject it. 

Israel Mbaebie 

The way and manner the 

Nigerian Police Force 

descended on the unarmed 

“RevolutionNow” Protesters on 

Monday is bereft of any logical 

reasoning or explanation. Or, 

how else could one attempt to 

explain the despicable 

conduct. For one, the actions 

of the Police must have sent a 

very wrong signal to the 

international community that 

what we have in place today 

in Nigeria under the watch of 

General Muhammad Buhari is 

nothing short of a glorified 

military junta. For starters, 

Section 39 (1) of the 1999 

Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria (as 

amended) provides thus; 

“Every person shall be entitled 

to freedom of expression, 

including freedom to hold 

opinions and to receive and 

impart ideas and information 

without interference.”On the 

other hand, section 40 of the 

same Constitution goes further 

to provide as follows; “Every 

person shall be entitled to 

assemble freely and associate 

with other persons, and in 

particular he may form or 

belong to any political party, 

trade union or any other 

association for the protection of 

his interests.” 

It therefore, goes without 

saying that the combined effect 

of the two above mentioned 

constitutional provisions entitle 

every Nigerian not only to 

speak out but also speak up 

both in favour or against the 

government. They are also 

entitled to hold and organise 

protests as it were. So, it beats 

all imagination and or common 

sense on what basis the Police 

acted as unashamedly as it did 

on August 5, 2019. 

The action of the police is 

unlawful, illegal, ultra vires 

and of course, condemnable. It 

paints the picture of Nigeria as 

a banana republic. It evokes the 

thoughts of the classic satiric 

novel Animal Farm where 

some “animals were equal but 

some are more equal than 

others.” Or how else can one 

also possibly explain the fact 

that while some of the antigovernment 

Protesters were 

allegedly being manhandled 

by the police at National 

Stadium, Lagos and other 

places, the same Police were 

offering shelter and protection 

to pro-government protesters 

at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. 

How does one describe this? 

Is the Nigerian Police APC or 

PDP Police? Are they no longer 

Nigerian Police? Should they 

be known to be this manifestly 

biased? What differentiates 

them from the colonial police 

or the police under Buhari’s 

very good friend Sani Abacha? 

Nigeria is fast descending into 

a pariah state status. 

Incidentally, we have been 

recently observing protests in 

other saner climes like Hong 

Kong and France. At no point 

have the police in those 

countries demonstrated any 

biases whatsoever. It is really 

worrying times for our hard 

fought and hard earned 

democracy under the watch of 

General Buhari. Things are 

truly falling apart. Not too late 

to beat a retreat though. 

On the assertion of the police 

that the protest called by 

members of the 

“RevolutionNow” group is 

treasonable; nothing could 

have been further from the 

truth. In fact, it is a laughable 

and pedestrian argument of the 

basest order. It is lacking in 

logic and knowledge and 

understanding of our extant 

laws. 

In the Court of Appeal Case 

in THE INSPECTOR 

GENERAL OF POLICE V ALL 

NIGERIA PEOPLE’S PARTY & 

ORS reportedin (2007) 18 

NWLR (Pt.1066) 457 

C.A;(2007) LPELR- 

8932(CA)while delivering 

judgment relating to the 

propriety or otherwise of a 

police permit prior to a 

demonstration has this to say 

as per ADEKEYE, JCA; “Since 

the Federal Government has 

publicly conceded the right of 

Nigerians to hold public 

meetings or protest peacefully 

against the government, the 

defendant/appellant cannot be 

permitted to request this court 

to sanction the violation of the 

freedom of assembly of 

Nigerians.” 

Continues on page 25 

C 

M 

Y 

K

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019—25 

Continued from page 24 

In this case, the Court of 

Appeal did not only empower 

Nigerians to hold protests, but 

goes further to state in very 

unequivocal terms that no 

Nigerian need any Police 

Permit before such protests are 

held. This is of course in 

consonance with the 

constitutional provisions of 

Sections 39 & 40 of the 1999 

Constitution (as amended). 

What makes the above 

pronouncement more 

intriguing and interesting was 

that it emanated from a protest 

march in which Buhari as the 

then Presidential candidate of 

the defunct ANPP was 

involved. Today, the same 

Buhari is attempting to scuttle 

the same process that paved 

the way for his emergence as 

the President of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria. 

If therefore, protest marches 

are duly recognised by both 

the Constitution and our law 

courts, from where do the 

police import or how do they 

tend to justify their claim that 

the action of the protesters 

amounted to treasonable 

felony? It is laughable to say 

the least. 

Gideon Okebu 

While every Nigerian has a 

right to peaceful assembly and 

freedom of expression under 

sections 40 and 39 of the 

constitution, respectively, 

which includes the right to 

peaceable protests, those 

rights are limited by Section 

45(a) of the constitution and do 

not cover associations or 

expressions which are capable 

of or intended to breach public 

order and safety. 

In particular, actions or 

conduct which incite or entreat 

an insurrection or call for 

mutiny are illegal and 

treasonable and are grounds 

for which a citizen’s life may 

be lawfully taken (Section 

33(2) (c) of the constitution). 

The call for a revolution now 

is also not coterminous with 

Section 1(2) of the constitution 

which provides that no person 

or group shall take control of 

Nigeria or any part thereof 

except in accordance with the 

constitution- (elections).The 

actions of the protesting 

youths and Sowore are ill 

advised and have no 

constitutional backing, as the 

intendment of the protest is to 

spark a revolution. 

Kabir Akingbolu 

The arrest of Sowore has 

different dimensions. One, if 

the arrest is based on the call 

for revolution in governance, 

revolution against corruption, 

EDITORIAL 

Innocent Anaba 

( Editor) 

Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

Henry Ojelu, 

Onozure Dania 

Mixed reactions trail #RevolutionNow protest, arrests 

incompetence and so on, I 

don’t think the government is 

right. This is because everyone 

has the right under the law to 

protest against a bad leader 

and against incompetence of 

the president and the soaring 

corruption in the country under 

this government. The call for 

revolution is not peculiar to 

Nigeria. We have heard of 

Cuba Revolution, China 

Revolution, British and 

American Revolutions and so 

on. So it is within the 

competence of an individual to 

protest against the government 

for any perceived wrong. The 

right for individual to criticise 

the government has been 

recognised by our Superior 

Court long ago when Justice 

Olatawura declared that every 

person has a right to criticise 

the government on any bad 

policy and any leader who does 

not want to be criticised should 

get a scab of wool and block his 

ears so as not to listen to 

criticism because as long as the 

leaders continue to take 

decisions that affect the people, 

the people must criticise them. 

The decision of Supreme 

Court outlawed law of sedition 

in Nigeria. In this case, 

however, the question to ask is, 

are the elements of treason 

present? I think so, because 

looking at the law, especially 

sections 40 and 41 of the 

Criminal Code, one will see 

that except one applies 

emotions and sentiments, 

Sowore was not right. His 

choice of word is too strong and 

too direct that no reasonable 

and sensible government will 

fold its arms and watch the 

country burn in flames. Worse 

still, he threatened that all the 

security agencies likeDSS will 

cease to exist. 

This is a serious threat to the 

unity of Nigeria especially at 

this time that Nigeria is faced 

with internal strife, so if the 

government folds its arms in 

such a situation, it’s at their 

own peril. Although, when 

President Buhari himself lost 

election in 2011, he said 

Nigerians should learn from 

the Egyptian revolution. In 

Egypt then, people were on the 

streets for 18 days and they 

succeeded. Now that he is not 

allowing the revolution he once 

preached, your guesses are as 

good as mine. 

Emmanuel Ochai 

The 1999 Constitution as 

amended of Nigeria 

guarantees the freedom of 

association and freedom of 

expression. 

The #RevolutionNow 

members were demonstrating 

against bad governance, which 

is their right under the law. 

There is absolutely nothing 

treasonable about their 

actions. 

The Nigerian Police and other 

security agencies in their 

characteristic manner, 

descended on peaceful and 

unarmed civilians who were 

exercising their constitutional 

rights. 

The security agencies have 

not shown where and how the 

protesters committed treason. 

The members of the 

#RevolutionNow group are 

also entitled to their right to 

dignity of human person 

guaranteed under Section 34 of 

the Constitution. 

But the actions of the police 

and other security agencies in 

manhandling them shows that 

the security agencies have no 

respect for human rights at all. 

Chijioke Nlebedim 

Showore, the convener of the 

protest should have been more 

circumspect on the choice of the 

name. 

Revolution in its 

ordinary meaning suggest violent 

abrupt change. Even though 

his intention are good and 

resonates with Nigeria’s who 

are suffering under PMB. 

He was not tactful. I do not 

think any government any 

where will folds its hands and 

allow a protest under that 

name. 

Recall that Sowore contested 

the elections with the 

incumbent which is a being 

litigated on. One can speculate 

that the opposition party maybe 

behind this protest. 

The protest is a welcome one 

but done under a wrong harsh 

tag. 

Dele Igbinedion 

I think the so called 

#RevolutionNow group is 

totally misguided, their position 

is utterly irrelevant and their 

modus operandi is abysmally 

irritating to me and all well 

meaning Nigerians. In this 

context, I condemn their whole 

idea of a revolution now or at 

any time. 

Having said that, I would 

have expected that the security 

agents should have ignored the 

rantings of Mr. Sowore. He 

should have been allowed to let 

off steam and then disappear 

into his House. For me, I 

seriously doubt whether Sowore 

can do more than to pontificate, 

speak a lot of English and then 

rest, to wait for another day. 

Hence, arresting his cohorts 

only makes them to get 

relevance. 

In the circumstances, I urge 

the Police to soft pedal on the 

characterisation of the protest 

as treasonable, and to see it as 

the expression of 

constitutionally guaranteed 

free speech, though the speech 

signifies nothing actually. 

However, the law remains that 

mere words, unaccompanied by 

no overt acts, cannot amount to 

treason. To desire a better 

society, though they adopted 

pedestrian tactics, is 

nonetheless, not condemnable. 

Ogu Ogedi 

Protest is one of the ways to 

press home a demand in 

democratic settings. 

And in so doing, the citizens 

can conduct peaceful 

procession which is termed 

protest. So in so far the such 

protest remains peaceful, the 

law permits that. 

So if people are moving about 

carrying placards and it is 

peaceful, the police should 

respect the rights of such 

citizens and accord them 

necessary protection during 

such protest and safeguard 

lives and properties during 

such protests. 

Olanrewaju Ajanaku 

My take is that Sowore 

brought the ugly situation upon 

himself and by extension, on 

his 

followers/ 

RevolutionNowProtest{ers}. 

I know or understand 

revolution to be an unplanned, 

spontaneous or instantaneous 

uproar against a government 

at any level. I bet that the 

reason why the government 

descended on the 

#RevolutionProtest{ers} is 

simple, their leader, Sowore 

said he would shut down the 

government and there was an 

intention between him and his 

followers where common minds 

met. Sowore had said earlier 

that by Monday {05/08/19}, 

there won’t be any Department 

of State Security called “DSS' 

Lagos State is a volatile state. 

If the so-called protesters were 

allowed a field day, the 

‘protests’ might get out of hand 

and spread to other locations 

which may be difficult to 

contain. 

All in all, catastrophe was 

held in check. 

You don’t carry your liberty too 

far. Certain issues can arise that 

would curtail that liberty 

temporarily as it has happened. 

By the way, are you aware that 

some of the ‘protesters’ were 

arraigned before an Ebute- 

Metta Magistrate Court this 

morning? We shall see how it 

fans out. 

David Fadile 

Nigerian Police is a creation 

of the constitution. The roles of 

the police force are contained 

in the constitution and The 

Police Act. The right to peaceful 

assembly is a recognised right 

under the constitution. There is 

no evidence to suggest that the 

protesting Nigerians protesting 

against bad governance were 

armed with weapons to have 

raised a presumption that the 

protesters are out to unleash 

terrors on the hapless 

N i g e r i a n s . 

Nigeria police should live up 

to their constitutional mandate 

and stop dancing gallery. 

The energy dissipated on the 

protesters should have been 

geared towards curbing the 

menace of Fulani herdsmen, 

banditry, kidnappers etc rather 

than this show of shame. 

Morah Ekwunoh 

It's utterly laughable and 

ridiculous to classify mere 

sloganism 

of 

‘#RevolutionNow’, and public 

assembly by innocent, harmless 

and armless Nigerians flowing 

there from,without more, as 

acts of treason. 

This is because mere 

adoption of the sloganeering 

harshtag “Revolution Now,” as 

a protest theme and road-show 

associated with same, as done 

in such innocent, harmless and 

armless manners by the 

protesters, do not even provide 

any iota, semblance or 

modicum of the twin cardinal 

elements and ingredients of 

any crime, whatsoever, 

namely, mens rea and actus 

reus, which must crystallise 

and synthesise together to 

constitute any crime, 

whatsoever, talk less of treason, 

as known to law. 

Obviously, it was in 

recognition of the police 

admission, acknowledgement 

and, acquisance to this crystal 

clear and unmistakable legal 

position that the arrested and 

charged six were merely 

arraigned for “unlawful 

assembly and conducts likely to 

cause a breach of the peace,” 

which are mere 

misdemeanour offences, in the 

stead of the much-touted 

treason. Still, the present police 

charge, being built on the 

foundation of quick-sands, as 

stated above, will, certainly 

fall and collapse like a pack of 

light cards, to the police shame 

and opprobrium. 

Certainly, the threats of 

thunder and brimstone of 

treasonable classification is 

nothing but high -falluting 

sounds and furry, signifying 

nothing, other than 

demonstration of the 

government’s notorious 

aversion to plurality of views, 

and its continued deployment 

of sledgehammer on the flies 

of dissent and opposition, no 

matter how patriotic and wellintentioned 

they may be.

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 

FIRST PERSON 

Why Kogi women still shun exclusive 

breastfeeding 

By Boluwaji Obahopo 

IMPORTANCE of exclusive 

breastfeeding cannot be 

overemphasised in babies, young 

children and even their mother. 

It protects infants against 

infections, decreases the risk of 

obesity and disease, reduces 

healthcare costs and protects 

nursing mothers against ovarian 

cancer and breast cancer. The 

benefits of breastfeeding for 

children and mothers are wide 

spread. Yet, policies that support 

breastfeeding – such as paid 

parental leave and breastfeeding 

breaks – are not yet available to 

most mothers worldwide. 

“The health, social and economic 

benefits of breastfeeding – for 

mother and child – are wellestablished 

and accepted 

throughout the world. Yet, nearly 

60 per cent of the world’s infants 

are missing out on the 

recommended six months of 

exclusive breastfeeding,” said 

UNICEF. “In spite of the benefits 

of breastfeeding, workplaces 

worldwide are denying mothers 

much needed support”. 

UNICEF said 4 out of 10 babies 

are exclusively breastfed, 

representing 40% globally. This 

disheartening ratio is worse in Kogi 

State. 

Vanguard gathered that only 54% 

breastfed their babies up to 22 

months in Kogi, 84percent 

breastfed exclusively for up to 2 

months before introducing 

artificial supplements, while 45% 

managed to reach 4 months, with 

less than 30 percent getting to the 

recommended 6 months. 

More worrisome is the fact that 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

ABUJA — A hospital operating 

in the Federal Capital 

Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nisa Premier 

Hospital, last weekend disclosed 

first recorded kidney transplant 

carried out on a woman. 

This was made known by the 

Founder and Chief Executive 

Officer, Nisa Group, Dr Ibrahim 

Wada, OON, while addressing 

journalists on the successful kidney 

transplant achieved by a team of 

surgeons from the United States of 

America in collaboration with the 

hospital. 

Wada who is also a Chief 

Consultant Obstetrician/ 

Gynaecologist and Chief IVF 

Specialist, explained that Nisa 

means woman and the hospital has 

been pursuing women health 

related matters for over 20 years. 

It would be recalled that the 

hospital had the nation’s first 

breakthrough in In-Vitro 

Fertilisation, IVF, on February 11, 

1998, the first test tube baby 

authenticated by the Federal 

Government. Nigeria’s first ever 

‘deep freeze’ baby was born in Nisa 

Premier Hospital on 12th October 

2001. 

He said: “Nisa means women 

and Nisa has been pursuing women 

health-related matters for long 

Best way to breatfeed your baby 

not up to 40% makes adequate 

provision to feed their wards up to 

the 2 years recommendation by 

WHO. 

August 1 to 7, being Breastfeeding 

week, Vanguard took a trip to 

Kabba, headquarters of Kabba/ 

Bunu council area of the state to 

find out from mothers aged between 

20 -35 on their responsiveness to 

exclusive breastfeeding. 

For Mrs. Titi Olorunfemi, 25, 

said it was a task she couldn’t 

accomplished because of the 

daunting difficulties. She averred 

that by month 3, her breast milk 

could no longer satisfied her baby; 

a development which make her 

time, and also concentrated on 

developing an environment that 

allows us to tap from the wealth of 

experience and abilities of 

resorted to adding man - make food. 

Also, Mrs Dami Aiyenigba, 32, 

said only her first child out of three 

enjoyed the luxury of being 

exclusively breastfed. She said she, 

like other mothers became less 

enthusiastic about giving her baby 

milk for six months without any other 

man made supports. She also said, 

her other two babies did not get to 

two years before they were waned. 

She attributed her situation to 

mockery from the society, less 

economic potential and work load 

from her business. 

But for Mrs Kehinde 

Olorunmosunle, 33, she did not 

compromise the ideal of exclusive 

Nigerians and friends outside this 

country. 

“We are here to confirm a major 

development at Nisa, whereby for 

breastfeeding because of her deep 

knowledge about the benefits for 

her child who just reached 8 

months. 

However, Mrs Funmi Owoyomi, 

30, said she would have done 

exclusive for her baby girl but for 

the fact that she has to resumed 

back at her teaching job, which 

limited her time with the baby and 

the natural milk nutrition as well. 

But Mrs Dora Abanida, 35, said 

her joy to breastfed her baby was 

cut short when her breast ‘refused’ 

to produce milk in the first seven 

days after she gave birth; a 

development which make her find 


Abuja hospital records first successful kidney 

transplant on woman 

… had Nigeria’s first in-vitro fertilization in 1998 

...says health of the family is contingent on the mother 

L-R: Ms Mary Brown, Dr. Ibrahim Wada OON, CEO Nisa Premier Hospital, 

and Dr Obi Davies Ekwenna, Transplant Surgeon (University of Toledo 

Medical Center, Ohio, USA. 

Team of surgeons from USA and Nisa Premier Hospital performing the first 

kidney transplant in the hospital 

the first time on this soil bringing 

together a home and Diaspora 

team. We were able to achieve 

seamless kidney transplantation. 

Nigeria can, African can is my 

belief and philosophy in 

possibilities we can record here in 

our country and continent.” 

He also lamented the rise of 

kidney diseases in the country, but 

said the only way out is kidney 

transplant. “As you known kidney 

diseases are on the rise in this 

country and a lot of dialysis places 

springing up, but the final solution 

for end state kidney disease is 

kidney transplantation. 

“This is an area nobody can do 

anything about except we create 

the environment to allow experts 

to do the job they can do, and we 

are very pleased to announce that 

Nisa has recorded the very first case 

of kidney transplantation by a 

team led by Dr Obi Ekwenna and 

our own local resources”, he said. 

Speaking with joy over a 

successful kidney transplant on 

Friday last week, a United States 

of America, USA, based transplant 

surgeon and neurologist, Obi 

Ekwenna, said it was memorable 

that the successful first kidney 

transplant at Nisa Premier 

Hospital was done on a woman, 

because the “health of the family 

is contingent on the mother.” 


Women should 

define why 

they want to 

be part of 

governance — 

WIMPOL 

By Ebunoluwa Sessou 

IMBIZ’ Women in Politics, 

WWIMPOL, has called for more 

participation of women in politics 

while challenging them to be 

resillient in getting their rightful 

positions in politics. 

Speaking during a one day training 

of women in politics which held in 

Lagos and across the country, the 

committee chairperson, Mrs, Chizor 

Malize said women should not relent 

in ensuring inclusion of women in 

politics. 

Also speaking, Mrs Mufuliat Fijabi 

of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, who 

spoke on Resource Mobilization 

Strategy for women in politics, urged 

that women to have clear 

understanding going into politics so 

as to be able to make positive impact. 

According to her, “Women should 

be able to define what they are going 

into, why they want to be part of the 

governance process, so as to be able 

to navigate all other steps including 

creating feasibility for their reasons 

and also mobilising resources that 

would help them to advance her 

political career. 

“Defining the purpose is a critical 

question for anyone to answer. If you 

do not have a purpose in politics, you 

are not there yet. 

“Involving more women in politics 

calls for political will and deliberately 

ensuring that there is an inclusion in 

governance which is to encourage 

more women. 

“Nigerian women should show 

more interest in governance either 

elective or appointive positions. 

Politics is not for men alone, but for 

both men and women. We all have 

to bring on board our experiences to 

the advancement of Nigeria”, she 

said. 

In his contribution, Mr. Emmanuel 

Dania, National Chairman Alliance 

for New Nigeria, ANN, said, “I think, 

it is disappointing to see that even 

though, the women have constantly 

cry out, they have not been heard. 

We have seen in the corporate world, 

the strives that women have taken. 

In our party, the ANN, women enjoy 

the 50:50 balance. In our party, the 

national party secretary, 

“With what women have done in 

the economic sector, we believe they 

can do well in the political clan. It is a 

sad thing for governance in Nigeria 

where women are not given 

adeqaute positions in decision 

making. 

“One of the things that formed the 

ANN is to need to develop a new 

ideology with a new mindset and we 

cannot achieve that with the old party 

system. We realized that women are 

not given the opportunity to express 

themselves politically. We are saying 

that there is need to create a party 

platform for women to have access to 

come to politics positions and feel 

comfortable. 

The party Secretary, Khadija 

Abdullahi-iya, the Vice Presidential 

aspirant, Alliance for New Nigeria, 

ANN, and the National Party 

Secretary, ANN, said, “As women, we 

should take along all the principles 

and strategies that have been 

enumerated in the training. We need 

to do more research and training to 

be able to understand where we are 

going. 

“When people like us started, there 

was no understanding, wd should 

deep our heads in deep sea without 

having background or 

understanding of politics. But, we are 

getting experience and training on 

how to do it better. 

” Women need to understand their 

Why; why you are doing what you 

are doing so as to understand the 

How and What. You need to know 

yourselves personally and then infuse 

who you are to why you are doing 

what you are doing and why you 

need to be in politics. It is not enough 

to want a position, what count is, 

what service you are ready to 

render”, she added.


By Ebunoluwa Sessou 

As part of efforts to reduce 

joblesses among the youths, 

SOS Children Villages Nigeria 

and Johnson and Johnson 

limited recently entered into a 

partnership arrangements to 

empower 100 Nigerian youths 

on skill aquisition. 

Speaking on the partnership, 

the National Director, SOS 

Children Villages Nigeria, Mr 

Eghosa Erhumwunse, disclosed 

50 girls and 50 boys between the 

ages of 15 and 25 years have 

been designed to benefit from 

the empowerment programme. 

According to him, “This 

programme was organised to 

empower young people under 

our ‘Youth Can Initiative’, by 

building synergy to ensure that 

young people are empowered to 

be able to have the right skills to 

employeability and to become 

truly independent and become a 

good member in the society. 

“We have signed up 

partnership with several 

corporate organisations 

including Johnson and Johnson 

to see how we can work together 

to empower young people within 

our space and our way of 

contributing to the project of 

helping government to reduce 

youth unemployment which is 

increasing by the day. 

“This partnership is unique 

and the brain behind is to 

support young people to build 

the resillient and set skills that 

is required by employers they 

will need to set up their own 

business. What we are doing to 

preparing them for the 

workplace and to be in the 

labour market. 

“This will help identify mentors 

who will mentor them, train 

them. Our educational system is 

SOS, Johnson and Johnson partner on job creation for 100 youths 

L-r: Gabriel Ogunyemi, Country Manager, Janssen Pharmaceutical 

Companies of Johnson and Johnson and National Director, SOS 

Childern Villages Nigeria, during the partnership launch in Lagos. 

such that does not really 

encourage young people for job 

placement and that is why 

different stakeholders are 

Abuja hospital records first successful 

kidney transplant on woman 


“We just performed a kidney 

transplant yesterday. We did a 

laposcopic on gentleman who 

donated to his sister-in-law. I can 

confirm that both the donor and 

recipient are doing very well, and 

the donor today is leaving the 

hospital. He had a surgery 

yesterday and will walk out of here 

today. “We are very pleased to do 

this and it takes the whole hospital 

to make this happen. I am here with 

my team. Like what Dr Wada said 

transplant is very high risk and 

requires care for patients who want 

to get out of dialysis. It requires a 

lot of planning, coordination, 

calling for the review of the 

university curriculum to be able 

tk prepare young. 

“Unfortunately, most young 

testing and a lot of things. I am very 

proud of this hospital and that we 

were able to achieve this here. 

“A few days ago I asked Dr Wada 

what Nisa means he said it means 

women. The first transplant is for 

women as the name of the Hospital 

implies and as we all know we have 

mothers, sisters and daughters. The 

health of the family is contingent 

on the mother. 

“We are proud of this hospital 

they went beyond to make sure we 

had all we wanted to have to deliver 

the same care that I would deliver 

to patients in the United States, and 

we were able to deliver that here”, 

Ekwenna stated. 

people do not have the needed 

skills to survive in the workplace. 

And that is why we have decided 

that 50 boys 50 girls will benefit 

from this partnership to be able 

to imbibe in them the set skills 

tlso that they can thrive in 

whatever they are doing. 

Why Kogi women still shun 

exclusive breastfeeding 


solace in artificial supplements for 

the baby. She said she didn’t bother 

to engage in exclusive 

breastfeeding even after the breast 

produced the milk. 

Kogi is a typically civil service 

state whose economic and family 

potentials depends solely on salary 

earned. With the dwindling nature 

in revenue allocation and 

staggering salary payments, 

mothers in the state tend to have 

pushed breastfeeding hitherto, 

exclusive breastfeeding out of their 

minds. 

Mrs. Ovayoza Ajaikaye, State 

Project Manager, Save One 

Million Lives (SOML) who spoke 

with vanguard on the issue also 

highlighted some of the reasons 

why mothers in the state shunned 

exclusive breastfeeding and place 

less importance on breastfeeding 

their babies up to two years as 

recommended by WHO. 

She said breastfeeding at work 

was a problem as the state no 

longer practice the Mothers 

Friendly Working Office Scheme; 

where in the past, mothers were 

encouraged in their respective 

offices to breastfed, with supports 

of nutritious items for the mother. 

She called for regular lactation 

breaks during working hours to 

“Our organization is gender 

sensitive, we believe in creating 

enabling environment for both 

gender and the age range is 15 

and 25 years. We are currently 

with children and young people 

who have lost parental care and 

those who are dosadvantaged. 

accommodate breastfeeding, and 

a supportive breastfeeding 

environment including adequate 

facilities that will enable mothers 

to continue exclusive breastfeeding 

for six months, followed by ageappropriate 

complementary 

breastfeeding. 

Mrs Ajakaiye said its 

disheartening that mothers in the 

state now felt that their breast is part 

of their fashion sense and are afraid 

that breastfeeding their babies will 

make it sag; and them less 

attractive, “No need to breastfeed 

a child with animal feed when the 

natural milk is there. There is no 

alternative to exclusive 

breastfeeding. 

“ But our mothers in the state are 

shunning exclusive breastfeeding. 

Some said the water or milk 

content is not enough for the baby, 

which is not true because the water 

and milk nutrients is enough. 

“Most mothers don’t know the 

importance of exclusive 

breastfeeding. Issues of working 

class mothers make them resort to 

haphazard breast feeding 

“Mothers in the state introduce 

herbs, cereals even for child under 

2 months, while these Young’s 

mother see their breast has meant 

for fashion and so breastfeeding 

will make it flabby", she said.


08052202308 (sms only) 

*From Left : NLC President , Ayuba Wabba, Director General, DG, International 

Labour Organization, ILO, Mr. Guy Ryder and National Chairman of All Progressive 

Congress, APC , and former President of NLC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, 

chatting during a welcome dinner for ILO DG in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. 

How Nigeria, others can tackle 

employment crisis ----ILO DG 

Stories by Victor Ahiuma-Young, 

THE Director General, DG, 

of International Labour Organisation, 

Guy Ryder , was in 

Nigeria for the Global Youth 

Employment Forum. During the 

visit, the DG had an interaction 

with a cross section of journalists 

on challenges of unemployment 

among others 

Excerpts. 

Job creation 

I have been very pleased 

with the relationship between 

Nigeria government and the 

ILO. Our cooperation has 

been good in the past and 

we have already completed 

two programmes of the ILO. 

We call them decent work 

country programmes. The 

last one was completed last 

year .We have a joint agreement 

with our Nigeria partners 

that we must settle the negotiations 

of the third of the 

programme when a new 

Minister is designated so that 

we can have that programme 

get started. 

Nigeria’ story 

The country with a very 

large and fast growing population 

as is the case of Nigeria 

clearly has the challenge to 

create enough jobs to absorb 

its ever expanding labour 

force. I think the challenge of 

employment stands right on 

top of the very thing that we 

must do. But overall imperative, 

there are a couple of 

challenges that came out very 

clearly in our conversations 

with the employers community. 

Which is, there is a strong 

wish to improve the conditions 

of doing business in Nigeria. 

This is in relation to regulatory 

environment, infrastructure, 

basic issues of governance. 

Basically this community 

is asking the ILO for its 

assistance in trying to establish 

the best possible climate 

for private sector enterprises 

which must all be the dynamic 

of employment creation. 

On the workers side, there is 

strong insistence on the need 

to make a reality of tripartite 

cooperation. In the interaction 

among government, 

trade unions and employers, 

there was a strong call for the 

reactivation of the National 

Labour Advisory Council 

(NLAC) which I think in the 

estimation of both trade unions 

and employers, has not 

been active in recent years and 

that there would be benefits 

in reactivating it. Clearly, this 

is another issue that might be 

brought to the attention of the 

new Minister when she or he 

is designated. The negotiation 

of the new minimum wage 

which has consumed a great 

deal of time and energy in Nigeria, 

in recent weeks and 

months, has reached a satisfactory 

and acceptable conclusion. 

Although, there are 

some consequential issues 

that need to be resolved before 

that is finally close. 

Youth Employment Forum 

The Global Youths Employment 

Forum has a remarkable 

gathering. We have in addition 

to a large number of 

Nigerian participants, a lot of 

youth representatives of employers 

organisations, representatives 

from workers, as 

well as from government 

backgrounds. There is representatives 

from over 60 countries 

in all the regions of the 

world and they are taking part 

in what I think is high quality 

and insightful discussion 

about what needs to be done 

to overcome the global crisis 

of youth unemployment. 

We have a global crisis of 

youth’s unemployment. The 

fact of the matter is that youth 

unemployment tends to be 

double or three times the rate 

of over adult unemployment. 

Young people are the most 

badly affected by unemployment. 

The ratio in Nigeria is 

five to one ( 5:1) that is to say 

young people are five times 

more likely to be unemployed 

as other adults. 

Perhaps the most startling 

statistics of all is that the rate 

of needs of young people who 

are neither in training nor in 

employment, who are really 

marginalised in our society, 

that figure is in excess of 21% 

of young people both in Nigeria 

and in Africa. So, we are 

right to talk about this crisis 

of youth unemployment. 

Around the world if you add 

up those numbers, there are 

255 million young people 

who are neither in employment 

or training. When you 

go beyond that figure of unemployment 

we have to look 

at the terms upon which 

young people who are at 

work are included in labour 

market. In Africa, 95% 

of young workers are in informal 

employment, they can’t 

find a place in the formal labour 

market. Although the informal 

market economy is a 

variant phenomena, but the 

fact is, this is unprotected 

work. It is a vulnerable 

work, this is not a quality work, 

It falls below the ambitions of 

the ILO to include people in 

what we refer to as decent 

work. 

Ending the crisis 

In 2012 when the global financial 

crisis was raging, the 

ILO made a call for action for 

youth employment which basically 

has five components 

which we still think are relevant 

to the fight against global 

youth unemployment. 

At this level we need micro 

economy policies, the right 

type of taxation which are pro 

unemployment and this 

means that the fight against 

youth employment is not just 

a matter for labour ministries, 

it is not just a matter to youth 

and sports industries, it is also 

a matter for finance ministries, 

Industry ministries as 

well. It is a whole government 

approach which is required to 

be successful in addressing the 

crisis of youth unemployment. 

The second dimension of 

our call to action concerns 

employability and this means 

endowing young people with 

the education and the skills 

that they need, that is required 

by the labour market. It is 

quite a paradox that even in 

the situation of very high unemployment 

and youth unemployment, 

employers continue 

to complain that they 

cannot find skilled people that 

they need to fill vacant spaces 

and this leads to the conclusion 

that there is a mismatch 

between the skills and capability 

of our educational systems 

and endowed young 

people with those required by 

the labour market. So, we 

need to close that gap between 

the supply and the demand 

skills. 

This is easily stated but it is 

quite a difficult thing to do 

and more and more as the 

world of work changes and 

new technologies comes in, 

we are aware that education 

is the life long process. So, we 

believe that we need to put 

emphasis on lifelong learning. 

The third element of our call 

for action in youth employment 

has to do with labour 

market policies. There are 

arguments in favour of wage 

subsidies, that supporting financially 

enterprises, employers 

will go in taking care 

of trading and employment 

opportunities to young people. 

We need to improve in this, 

making public employment 

services to direct young people 

to the right types of job. 

Igho Goes to Farm as metaphor 

for Ase Creek as tourism 

destination 

By Japhet Davidson 

AUTHOR of increasingly 

popular children’s storybook 

Igho Goes to Farm and 

editor with The Guardian, 

Mr. Anote Ajeluorou, has 

canvassed the need for Nigerians 

to look inwards and 

exploit the vast tourism potential 

and destination 

points in the country for the 

benefit of local communities 

and the country’s economy. 

He condemned the penchant 

of rich Nigerians for 

always travelling abroad to 

enjoy the things that could 

be developed here at home, 

but which continue to abandoned 

and left undeveloped. 

He lamented the amount of 

job loss Nigerians’ unpatriotic 

attitude continue to exact 

and the attendant social 

menace it poses. 

He said Ibedeni, an 

Ndokwa East LGA community 

in Delta State, where he 

set his children’s book is one 

such local tourism destination 

points in the country 

waiting to be tapped on account 

of the Ase Creek that 

flows along its banks and 

other communities and 

empties into the River Niger. 

He therefore called on Delta 

State Government and 

other business minded individuals 

to invest in local tourism 

to help boost economy 

of the state. 

Ajeluorou made these submissions 

on the sidelines of 

the Book Party 2019 organised 

by Committee for Relevant 

Art (CORA), in conjunction 

with Nigeria Liquified 

Natural Gas (NLNG), 

sponsors of The Nigeria 

Prize for Literature. This 

year’s edition centres on 

children’s literature. His 

children’s storybook, Igho 

Goes to Farm, is among the 

11 books longlisted vying 

for the USD$100,000 prize 

money on offer for the eventual 

winning work. 

Ase Creek, Ajeluorou said, 

is comparable in stature to 

other internationally recognised 

and acclaimed water 

bodies like the Suez Canal 

in Egypt, River Thames in 

London, the Rhine River in 

Germany, and the Danube 

in Central and Eastern Europe. 

He added that Ase 

Creek deserves to be treated 

with the respect accorded 

these other rivers that attract 

millions of visitors every 

year. Ajeluorou noted that 

Ase Creek has a peculiarity 

that other water bodies do 

not have, noting that the 

river has two major seasonal 

offerings that make it 

unique. First are its numerous 

sandy beaches during 

dry season that makes it apt 

destination for beach sports 

of all kinds, from football, 

basketball, volleyball to 

many others. 

*Mr. Anote Ajeluorou presenting a copy of his children’s 

storybook ‘Igho Goes to Farm’ to Child Ambassador, Miss 

Treasure Obi, shortly after the Committee for Relevant Art 

(CORA)-Book Party, in honour of the 11 longlisted writers 

for Children’s Literature 2019 in Lagos. 

Secondly, according to the 

author, is the river’s flood 

season that starts in June 

and lasts through till November, 

when the floodwater 

sometimes overruns 

Ibedeni and neighbouring 

communities as it happened 

in 2012 and 2018. While this 

season is not good for outdoor 

sports, it offers mouthwatering 

boat rides up and 

down the river from the 

Ndokwa upland to its last 

point at Asaba Ase where it 

meets the River Niger. 

What is, however, common 

to the two seasons, Ajeluorou 

noted, is the incredible 

amount of fresh water fish 

harvested from Ase Creek 

and its hundreds of streams, 

lakes, and ponds and also 

right on the creek by local 

fishermen, women, and children. 

Ajeluorou said a major 

stream that flows into and 

out of the river, depending 

on the season, is Utekere that 

perhaps holds the largest 

and seemingly inexhaustible 

number of fish. Also 

swimming in the open river, 

as Ajeluorou rightly documents 

in Igho Goes to Farm, 

is a popular pastime for everyone 

irrespective of the season. 

But Ajeluorou noted that 

while Ibedeni and its Ase 

Creek are so endowed with 

fish and games, what is lacking, 

however, is how to develop 

the river and the community 

to a modern tourism 

destination point so they 

could attract more tourists 

to the trickle that come only 

for the fish the town offers. 

He, therefore, called on 

Delta State governor, Senator 

Ifeanyi Okowa to urgently 

pay attention to 

Ibedeni and other destination 

points in the state and 

develop them to world 

standards so tourists could 

visit to boost the state’s 

economy and help in the 

employment drive of the 

government. He said other 

destination points awaiting 

government and private investors’ 

attention in the state 

include Cable Point, 

Forcados, Excravos, River 

Nun, Abraka, and Koko to 

mention a few. 

Ajeluorou further added 

that he chose to set Igho Goes 

to Farm in Ibedeni, a sleepy 

community situated on the 

bank of Ase Creek, as a way 

of returning to his childhood 

and dredging up unforgettable 

memories of his idyllic 

growing up years. He regretted 

the neglect the community 

continues to suffer as 

it still has no electricity and 

other social amenities to 

make life meaningful for the 

inhabitants. 

He charged politicians 

representing Ibedeni and 

other Ndokwa and Isoko 

communities on that axis 

that include Asafo, Egbeme, 

Ase, Ekregbesi, Ivrogbo, 

Asaba Ase, and Epe to sit up 

and take the welfare of the 

people seriously by developing 

the communities so as to 

make the area a tourism destination, 

saying it was the 

only way the dividends of democracy 

could be delivered 

to the people. 

Benin receives $20m loan for new museum 

to show restituted heritage 

BENIN is preparing a new home in the 

city of Abomey for 26 objects of art 

and cultural heritage looted by French 

troops in 1894, which France’s President 

Emmanuel Macron pledged last November 

to return to the West African country. 

The institution is due to open in 2021, on 

the 116-acre Unesco World Heritage site 

of the royal palaces of the former Kingdom 

of Dahomey, the AFP reports. 

The French Development Agency, the public 

funding group that supports the United 

Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, 

will loan €20m towards construction. 

Gabin Djimass, Abomey’s tourism chief, 

told the AFP that the objects, which include 

a throne from the kingdom and 

bronzes, “are a chance for the survival of 

the site. 

They will allow us to build a new museum 

and make the royal palaces more 

economically sustainable.” France is still 

working with Benin on the restitution, the 

French minister of culture Franck Riester 

said recently, and there still is no set date 

for parliament to discuss and approve the 

initiative. The objects are currently in 

France’s national collection—which has 

around 5,000 objects from the Kingdom 

of Dahomey—and are held at the Musée 

du quai Branly in Paris.





MOST presidents use 

their second and final 

term in office to focus on their 

legacy. As such, while they 

may fill their first-term cabinet 

with politicians and acolytes, 

their second-term cabinet is 

usually dominated by 

seasoned technocrats, with 

first-class technical expertise. 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo did exactly that. His 

first-term cabinet from 1999 to 

2003 was largely made up of 

‘recycled’ politicians and old 

military chums. However, in 

his second term, from 2003 to 

2007, he brought in world 

renowned experts and young 

but able technocrats to turbocharge 

the delivery of his 

vision and reform agenda. 

For example, Obasanjo 

brought in Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- 

Iweala from the World Bank, 

Ambassador Olu Adeniji from 

the United Nations and 

Professor Eyitayo Lambo from 

the World Health 

Organisation. 

He also drew from the home 

talent pool and brought into his 

cabinet young and clever 

technocrats like Dr. Obiageli 

Ezekwesili. Several other 

bright technocrats, such as Dr. 

Mansur Muktar and Professor 

Charles Soludo, later a 

reformist Central Bank 

governor, were also recruited 

into the government. 

The truth is that Obasanjo’s 

greatest achievements as 

president happened, 

unquestionably,during his 

action-packed second term. 

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala details 

these achievements, 

particularly the far-reaching 

economic and other structural 

reforms, including debt relief, 

in her widely acclaimed book, 

Reforming the Unreformable. 

Surely, Obasanjo couldn’t 

Buhari’s cabinet of party zealots 

can’t serve Nigeria well 

have had the significant 

achievements of his second 

term with the predominantly 

political cabinet of his first. 

He needed a technocratic 

cabinet, consisting of people 

with technical expertise, bright 

ideas and world-class 

knowledge of the institutions 

and policies needed to deliver 

workable reforms. 

And it was his ability to 

assemble such talented 

Nigerians from home and 

abroad, and his willingness to 

give them sufficient authority 

and political support to perform 

their technocratic roles, 

underpinned by his leadership 

and vision, that made 

Obasanjo’s second term 

certainly the most successful 

presidential term since 

Nigeria returned to civil rule 

in 1999. 

But President Muhammadu 

Buhari has rejected the 

principle of a more 

technocratic second-term 

cabinet. His first-term cabinet, 

from 2015 to 2019, was 

lacklustre and mediocre. 

Yet, although he said he 

would work harder in his 

second term, being, as he put 

it, his “last lap,” he has formed 

a second-term cabinet that 

looks likely to be the worst in 

Nigeria’s history, for it’s made 

up wholly of loyal associates, 

campaign hacks and party 

apologists. Essentially, Buhari 

has formed a cabinet of the 

most loyal, not the best, of 

people who offer merely 

loyalty, not technocratic 

Essentially, 

Buhari has formed 

a cabinet of the 

most loyal, not 

the best, of people 

who offer merely 

loyalty, not 

technocratic 

competence! 

competence! 

Before unveiling his 

ministerial list on July 23, 

President Buhari told 

Nigerians he would not 

appoint unknown persons into 

his new cabinet. “This time 

around,” Buhari said, “I am 

going to be quite me.” 

But how? Well, he added: 

“Me in the sense that I will pick 

people I personally know”! 

That was a strange thing for 

any president to say, but 

particularly curious in Buhari’s 

case. 

As a Chatham House report 

once said, President Buhari is 

“an aloof and disengaged 

leader, ‘walled off’ from most 

Nigerians”. 

So, given his reclusive 

personality and considering 

that he should, in the national 

interest, form a cabinet made 

up of some of Nigeria’s best 

and brightest, the question, 

having insisted on appointing 

only people he personally 

knew, was: how many talented 

Nigerians, world-class 

technocrats, did he personally 

know? 

Certainly, no president that 

wants to attract some of his 

country’s best talents into his 

government would say that he 

would only appoint as 

ministers those he personally 

knows. 

But Buhari did, and the 

result, sadly, is a shockingly 

political cabinet, devoid of any 

credible technocratic element. 

So, when President Buhari 

said he would only appoint 

people “I personally know”, it 

turned out that he really meant 

career politicians and political 

jobbers! Indeed, so determined 

was he to fill his cabinet with 

political hacks that he refused 

to reappoint anyone who 

remotely looked like a 

technocrat in his first cabinet. 

For instance, of the 36 

ministers in Buhari’s first term, 

only 14 were reappointed, and 

all are politicians. 

Among the returning 

ministers are former governors 

Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi 

Amaechi, Chris Ngige and 

Ogbonnaya Onu. These 

politicians held very important 

portfolios, such as power, 

housing, transport, 

employment and science and 

technology, but failed woefully 

to distinguish themselves, to 

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make any significant impact. 

But they are people Buhari 

personally knows! 

Those President Buhari 

personally knows who will be 

in his second-term cabinet 

include those who, as he once 

said, had been with him 

“through trying times,” 

particular who supported his 

presidential ambitions under 

his old party, Congress for 

Change, CPC, or played 

active roles in his successful 

2015 presidential election 

campaign under his new party, 

the All Progressives Congress, 

APC. 

Others are politicians and 

campaign hacks who 

contributed to his re-election 

earlier this year. 

They include dyed-in-thewool 

Buharists like Festus 

Keyamo and former governors 

such as Godswill Akpabio and 

Rauf Aregbesola. 

If, as speculated, Keyamo, 

who, like Buhari, believes 

national security trumps the 

rule of law, becomes minister 

of justice and Aregbesola, 

who, as governor, couldn’t pay 

workers for months, becomes 

budget and national planning 

minister, you can’t have a worst 

cabinet. 

Buhari has formed a bloated 

government of 43 politicians he 

personally knows, his kindred 

spirits. But, as the Financial 

Times recently wrote: 

“Surrounding yourself with 

ministerial doormats and 

excluding those ready to make 

opposing arguments is not 

sound politics”. 

Truth is, as the Senate’s 

subservient performance 

during its “take-a-bow-andgo” 

screening shows, a cabinet 

of political chums can’t serve 

Nigeria’s best interests! 

Need to enforce the NFIU directives on local government 

By Lucky Ofodu 

THERE is the urgent need to 

enforce the directive of the 

National Financial Intelligence Unit, 

NFIU, which stipulated that local 

government councils should start 

getting their allocation directly from the 

Federal Government effective from 

June 1, 2019. 

This appeal has become necessary 

against the backdrop of reports that 

many of the states are kicking against 

it. 

The Federal Government and 

Nigerians should ensure they comply. 

This is not about politics; it is about 

the survival of the local government 

system of governance which the 

Nigerian Constitution recognises as 

the third tier of government. 

The action of the states is not 

unexpected. Since the return of 

democratic rule in 1999, governors 

have hidden under the States/Local 

Government Joint Account to usurp the 

powers of councils rendering them 

ineffective and redundant by siphoning 

the monies meant for their 

development. 

In fact, it had become a conduit pipe 

for embezzlement. Before 1999, local 

government councils in many states 

were functional and effective. They 

could build roads, markets, schools, 

health centres and so on because they 

had the financial muscle to do so. 

But in recent times, the narrative has 

changed. They cannot even pay 

workers salaries let alone take care of 

sanitation in their domain. 

No thanks to governors and States 

House of Assembly because they had 

connived to frustrate all attempts to 

grant the councils financial autonomy. 

The importance of this tier of 

government in the lives of Nigerians, 

especially those in the rural areas 

cannot be overemphasized. 

They are the closest to the people; 

but the benefits that ought to accrue to 

the masses have been seriously 

undermined as they are held hostage 

by the states. 

One of the ways is through caretaker 

administrations. Even in states where 

elections are held, they ensure their 

cronies emerge winners so that 

business would be as usual. 

For our towns and villages to witness 

rapid development, local government 

councils must have financial autonomy. 

The interest of a few should not 

override the will of the overwhelming 

majority. 

According to the National Bureau of 

Statistics sometime ago, over the last 

12 years, federal allocation to local 

government councils through the 

states have gulped trillions and 

trillions of naira. Had this staggering 

amount been utilized for the councils, 

For our towns and 

villages to witness rapid 

development, local 

government councils must 

have financial autonomy; 

the interest of a few 

should not override the 

will of the overwhelming 

majority 

the unemployment and insecurity 

challenges bedeviling the country 

today would not have reached this 

almost insurmountable magnitude. 

Another of the NFIU guideline which 

stipulated that only democratically 

constituted councils would enjoy the 

direct allocation is equally 

commendable. 

It would help deepen democracy in 

the grassroots. The continued 

enslavement of the local government 

system of administration must stop. 

Financial autonomy is their only source 

of freedom. 

However, we should not be carried 

away by this new lease of life. There 

should be checks and balances for the 

monies allocated, otherwise the 

chairmen and councilors would not live 

up to their responsibilities. 

The implication of the autonomy is 

that states would hands off some of the 

responsibilities they had assumed to 

justify the usurpation. 

A mechanism must be in place to 

ensure that the benefits of the direct 

allocation is seen and felt by the 

people, otherwise it would once again 

seem like pouring water into a basket. 

The masses on their part should also 

act as watchdogs; since the 

government is closer to them, they can 

hold those in authority accountable. 

*Ofodu, a public policy analyst, 

wrote from Lagos


Okowa urged to reject 

call to amend Delta State 

Child Rights Law 2008 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

W 

A R R I — 

GOVEROR 

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State has been told not to 

be misled into amending 

the Delta State Child 

Right Law 2008 by child 

traffickers operating 

under the name of non 

governmental 

organisations, NGOs. 

A child rights activist, 

Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho 

gave the advice in Warri, 

Delta State, stressing that 

the Delta State House of 

Assembly lack powers to 

amend the law. 

“Governor Okowa 

should not allow his 

administration to be 

misled in attempting to 

amend the Delta State 

Child Right Law 2008 by 

child thieves/traffickers 

who hide under the name 

of NGOs and politicians 

in the state. 

“The Delta State Child 

Right Law 2008 cannot be 

amended by the Delta 

State House of Assembly 

NURTW chief faults Lagos 

chairman on endorsement 

of successor 

By Onozure Dania 

A 

senior member of 

National Executive 

Council of the National 

Union of Road Transport 

Workers, NURTW, 

representing Lagos State, 

Chief Alamu Otegbeye, 

has picked hole with the 

endorsement of a new 

chairman for the state, 

outside the union. 

Briefing newsmen in 

Lagos, he said that it was 

the sole responsibility of 

the NURTW’s National 

Administrative Council 

in collaboration with 

other members of the 

union to decide who 

becomes the next 

chairman of NURTW 

Lagos State Council, as 

no one can assume the 

office through the back 

door. 

Otegbeye, also one of the 

founding members of 

Elders’ Forum, Lagos 

State Council of the union, 

described as laughable, 

efforts by the outgoing 

Lagos State Chairman of 

NURTW, Tajudeen 

Agbede, who recently 

endorsed one Michael 

Odugunle, Alias Ajilo, to 

take over from him. 

He urged some factional 

members peddling the 

rumours that Musiliu 

Akinsanya, Alias MC 

Oluomo was planning to 

cause mayhem in the state 

to desist from such 

character assassination. 

He said the allegations 

were unfounded and sheer 

products of imagination by 

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

as it lacks jurisdiction to 

do so as stated in section 

274(1) of the Child Right 

Act 2003 and the Section 

12 of the 1999 constitution 

(as amended. 

“For the record, the 

Delta State Ministry of 

Women Affairs has no 

business in the adoption 

of children in the state 

and as such, all officials 

of the ministry who had 

benefitted from adoption 

racketeering in the state 

between 2008 and 2019 

including NGOs, 

orphanages and 

individuals among others 

should be brought to 

book.'' 

“Again, for record 

purposes, the Delta State 

Government should abide 

by the Delta State Child 

Right Law 2008 which 

flows from the Child Right 

Act 2003 as it serves as the 

agreement/treaty from the 

International Convention 

on the Right of the Child 

1989 where Nigeria is a 

signatory which now 

has led to stand in Delta 

State.” 

those who are hell-bent on 

tearing the union apart, 

with ulterior and selfish 

motives. 

“Without the dissolution 

of the State Executive 

Council, no one has the 

right to take over the 

office. No state chairman 

has the right to choose 

incoming chairman 

because the present state 

executive’s tenure will 

expire by the end of 

August. 

“MC Oluomo is one of 

the respected members of 

NURTW, who has been 

positively promoting the 

union within and outside 

the state. He is someone 

who has the welfare of the 

members at heart, so, 

there is no way such a 

person will be plotting evil 

against same members.” 

He added that no elder 

of the union in Lagos was 

in support of Agbede’s 

move to install a stooge as 

the next chairman. 

EXHIBITION: From left; MD/CEO, AOS Orwell, Femi Omotayo; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content 

Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote; Managing Director, Prime Atlantic, 

Ayo Otuyalo, and Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, AOS Orwell, Charlotte Essiet, during 

the 2019 Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition in Lagos. 

‘FG spends N5bn on social investments 

programmes in Bayelsa’ 

By Emem Idio 

Y Federal ENAGOA—THE 

Government 

says it has spent over N5 

billion on various social 

intervention investment 

programmes, including N- 

Power, Trader Moni and 

Market Moni in Bayelsa 

State. 

Special Adviser to the 

President on Special 

Investments, Hajia 

Maryam Uwais, disclosed 

CDHR decries Police illegal arrest, detention, brutality 

By Festus Ahon 

A 

S A B A — 

CHAIRMAN of 

Delta State Committee for 

the Defense of Human 

Rights, CDHR, Prince 

Kehinde Taiga, has decried 

the alleged illegal arrest, 

detention and brutality of 

this yesterday, in Yenagoa 

during the official exiting 

ceremony for N-Power 

beneficiaries and flag-off 

ceremony for the Market 

Moni and Trader Moni 

Programmes of the 


Buhari-led government. 

According to Uwais, the 

N-Power programme was 

introduced for youths to 

serve in public institutions, 

adding that over 10,000 

youths have been engaged 

innocent Nigerians by the 

Police. 

Taiga who spoke during 

a courtesy visit to the state 

Attorney General and 

Commissioner for Justice, 

Mr Peter Mrakpor, told 

victims of violation of their 

fundamental rights to seek 

legal redress in court. 

Renewed desperation to force through RUGA 

programme worrisome — ESSIEN 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

UYO—A 

former 

member of the House 

of Representatives from 

Akwa Ibom State, Chief 

Nduese Essien, has said that 

the renewed desperation to 

force through the RUGA 

project was becoming more 

worrisome to informed 

Nigerians. 

Essien was reacting in a 

statement yesterday, in Uyo 

to statement by the Senior 

Special Assistant to the 

President on National 

Assembly Matters, Senator 

Ita Enang, urging 

governors from the 

Clark to Wike: Support Belema people to take OML 

25 from Shell 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

O R T 

P HARCOURT— 

IJAW Leader, Chief Edwin 

Clark has appealed to 

Governor Nyesom Wike to 

support the faction of 

Belema and neighboring 

communities in their 

relentless protest aimed at 

evicting Shell Petroleum 

Development Company, 

SPDC, from Oil Mining 

Lease, OML, 25 in Akuku 

Toru Local Government 

Area of River state. 

The protesters among the 

host communities have 

occupied OML 25 key 

assets and shut in 

production for over two 

years running, but 

Governor Wike in a truce 

initiated June this year 

brought other key leaders 

of the communities and 

Shell to a roundtable, 

resulting in an agreement 

signed July 1 by parties to 

reopen the shut assets. 

Reacting to the 

governor’s move as the 

occupation of the assets 

continues, Chief Clark 

urged Wike to rather 

support the eviction SPDC 

which only recently won 

Federal Government’s 

renewal of its operator-ship 

of the OML 25. 

Clark said, “Belema 

people are his (Wike) own 

people. If his people are 

still agitating, it is not in his 

place to fight the people or 

cajole them. You can’t 

threaten the people. Look 

after them. So I am 

appealing now that 

Governor Wike should take 

it easy with the people. 

in the programmes across 

the state, and pointed out 

that the idea behind the 

Trader Moni and Market 

Moni was to support petty 

traders to grow their 

businesses and take 

ownership of their lives. 

Her words: “When we 

started this programmes, 

we had four programmes 

and so far and we have 

spent N5 billion in Bayelsa 

on N-Power, Trader Moni 

and Market Moni, and for 

He pleaded with the 

Attorney General to 

accelerate the process of 

rendering legal opinion 

when duplicate files of 

defendants are forwarded 

to the Ministry from the 

Magistrates courts. 

While appealing to 

Mrakpor to address the 

Southern part of the country 

to support the RUGA 

project by making lands 

available for its 

implementation. 

His words, “When we 

were thinking that the 

Federal Government has 

suspended the RUGA 

project, Senior Special 

Assistant to the President on 

National Assembly Matters, 

Enang has just alerted the 

nation that a provision of 

N2.2billion had already 

been made in the 2019 

Federal Government 

Budget for the scheme and 

that money had always 

been spent on RUGA. 

“The renewed 

desperation to force through 

this programme is 

becoming more worrisome 

to ardent followers of 

Nigeria history, 

development and politics. 

Firstly, why the sudden 

interest in cattle rearing in 

Nigeria when it is only an 

occupation to individuals in 

a section of the country?'' 

the Trader Moni/Market 

Moni, it wasn’t enough 

and we have come to do 

more. For the school 

feeding, we have not 

started but we have come 

to start it. 

“For the Trader Moni and 

Market Moni, it appears as 

if we are just dashing 

people money in the 

market but we have a 

backup end technology 

because for every person 

we give N10,000, we get 

his or her picture, trade, 

history and profile is 

hosted on the Bank of 

Industry, BOI.” 

issue of prison congestion 

and poor detention facilities, 

Taiga told him to prevail on 

the Chief Judge of the state 

to set up a panel of 

Magistrates to regularly 

visit detention facilities in 

order to checkmate the 

excesses of law 

enforcement agents. 

In his remarks, Mrakpor, 

said legal opinions were 

not stalled at the ministry, 

adding that the 

Administration of Criminal 

Justice Law which had 

been domesticated by the 

state has drastically 

reduced the time for 

rendering of legal advice by 

the Department of Public 

Prosecution, DPP to 30 

days. 

Mrakpor said the 

Ministry has been 

complying with the 

provision of the law and 

told the CDHR team that 

visitation by Magistrates to 

Police cells was a statutory 

provision which does not 

require the consent of the 

Chief Judge before 

embarking on such an 

exercise. 

Disclosing that the 

Ministry receives an 

average of 60 case files 

weekly to render legal 

advice, Mrakpor pointed 

out that the 

Administration of 

Criminal Justice law was 

meant to fast track justice 

delivery and an efficient 

justice system in the state.


Burial plans begin for victims 

of Enugu septic tank tragedy 

By Ikechukwu 

Odu 

NSUKKA—THE eight 

victims killed by 

generator fumes inside a 

septic tank at Igogoro 

community, Igbo-Eze 

North Local Government 

Area of Enugu State two 

weeks ago, will be buried 

on the 28th of this month. 

Speaking to Vanguard 

on the burial 

arrangements, father of the 

owner of the building site 

where the labourers died, 

Alfred Mamah, said the 

families of the victims have 

demanded N100,000 each 

and eight caskets for the 

burial of the victims. 

The 76-year-old man, 

who is a security personnel 

at a bank, said his family 

has also been asked to take 

care of the mortuary bills 

and movement of the 

Police investigate death 

of UNN final year student 

By Christian Odu 

THE Enugu State 

Police Command has 

commenced investigation 

into the alleged murder of 

a 400 Level student of 

Public Administration of 

the University of Nigeria, 

Nsukka, UNN, by a 

colleague in 200 Level. 

It was gathered that on 

July 31, one 23-year-old 

Nnamdi, alias Tiny, a 

second year student of 

UNN, stabbed one 

Chukwudi Mba, said to 

be a 400 Level student of 

Public Administration, 

By Ikechukwu 

Odu 

N SUKKA—NSUKKA 

Chamber of 

Commerce, Industry, 

Mines and Agriculture, 

NSCCIMA, has revealed 

plans to launch its first ever 

Enugu State Business 

Directory. 

The Directory, which will 

provide contact 

information for businesses, 

artisans and professionals 

in the state, is part of 

activities marking the 

commemoration of the 

28th anniversary of Enugu 

State. 

Speaking at Onuiyi 

Nsukka yesterday, during 

a sensitisation 

programme, Director- 

General of NSCCIMA, 

Dr. Daniel Ochi, said the 

aim of the directory is to 

help companies and 

organisations in the state 

promote their businesses 

corpses to their villages 

for interment. 

He said the families of 

the victims, knowing that 

he is an easy-going 

person, have accepted 

the tragic incident as the 

will of God and are not 

interested in making 

troubles with him, 

adding that he will write 

the state government for 

financial assistance. 

However, there were 

mixed reactions from the 

families of the deceased 

when Vanguard visited. 

While Caroline Eze, a 

mother of one the victims 

believed that the incident 

is not natural, John Onu, 

father of one of the 

victims, Ejike Onu, said 

all he wanted is for his 

deceased son to be 

buried peacefully, 

adding that he is not 

interested in cases. 

which led to Mba’s 

death, at their Alfred’s 

Lodge over a yet to be 

established issue. 

It was further gathered 

that the victim was 

rushed to a nearby 

hospital where he was 

later confirmed dead. 

Meanwhile, the state 

Commissioner of Police, 

Suleiman Balarabe, has 

ordered a full scale 

investigation, just as the 

suspect is helping the 

operatives in their 

investigations and the 

corpse deposited in a 

mortuary. 

Nsukka Chamber of Commerce 

plans local directory 

locally and 

internationally, 

document information for 

marketing, research and 

investment purposes. 

According to the 

Director-General, it is the 

first business directory in 

Nigeria to be in mobile 

app and the second in 

African continent and 

would also be in hard 

and soft copies. 

By Simon Adewale 

ALL 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

Mosogar Division, Ethiope 

West LGA, Delta State, has 

commended the national 

chairman of the party, 

Adams Oshiomhole, “for 

bringing the party out from 

several crises and making 

it a peaceful and 

governable party.” 

Leader of APC in the area 

I’ve rationalised absurd 31 

ministries to 18—Ihedioha 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

O 

W E R R I — 

GOVERNOR 

Emeka Ihedioha of Imo 

State has said he needed 

time to rationalise the 31 

ministries he inherited from 

the Rochas Okorocha 

administration to 18. 

Speaking yesterday, 

while charging the newly 

sworn in members of the 

State Executive Council to 

“remember at all times that 

the expectations of the 

people are very high,” 

Ihedioha said: “We needed 

to rationalise the 31 

By Prince Okafor 

& Salome Uloko 

FINDINGS 

have 

revealed that Imo, 

Zamfara, Bayelsa and other 

states have no official 

website. 

This is coming as the 

Centre for International 

Advanced and Professional 

Studies, CIAPS, ranked 

Kaduna, Delta and 

Anambra States as the best 

in e-governance. 

The ranking, which was 

a joint project by the 

and former Commissioner 

for Housing, Engr. Chief 

Abraham Babor, who gave 

the commendation, said: 

“Before Oshiomhole 

assummed office, APC had 

been engulfed in major 

crises in many states, but 

the national chairman has 

used his wealth of 

experience to navigate the 

party from the murky 

waters of political crisis to 

its present position, where 

ministries we inherited from 

the last administration, 

which ranged from the 

necessary to the absurd. 

Today, we have successfully 

reduced the ministries to 

18.” 

While urging the 

commissioners to “quickly 

fit into the Rebuild Imo 

programme,” Chief 

Ihedioha also directed them 

to lead by example and 

precision. 

His words: “You must lead 

by example, be team 

players and realise that 

whatever you do will rub off 

positively or negatively on 

students of media and 

journalism of digital media 

of CIAPS puts Kaduna 

State as the best in e- 

governance, with 73 

percent, followed by Delta, 

70, and Anambra, 65.5. 

Other states without 

website are Adamawa, 

Bauchi, Cross River and 

Niger. 

In terms of interactivity, all 

the 36 states across the 

federation scored zero, 

which according to the 

institution, showed a bit of 

backwardness in terms of 

‘Oshiomhole brought peace to APC’ 

peace, equity and 

transparency have come to 

stay. 

“In Delta State, for 

instance, where pockets of 

PDP stooges had caused 

so many crises, 

Oshiomhole used his 

magnanimity and 

experience to bring peace. 

“The party also got 

majority seats in both 

houses of parliament as 

well as their leadership.” 

this administration.” 

Continuing, the Governor 

said he has established key 

performance indicators to 

closely monitor the 

activities of the new 

appointees, warning that 

“anybody that falls short of 

expectations will be shown 

the way out.” 

Chief Ihedioha also 

reminded Imo people that 

he is not perturbed by the 

huge rot he inherited, but 

appealed for patience and 

understanding. 

“Government has 

started to work again. We 

have commenced the 

Imo, Bayelsa, others 

have no website—Report 

aligning with other 

continents on e- 

governance. 

Speaking on the 

development in Lagos, 

CIAPS Director, Professor 

Anthony Kila, said the 

research was carried out 

after thorough observations 

on e-governance across 

three continents: Asia, 

Europe and Africa. 

According to him, “the 

research was necessary so 

that states may be aware of 

how poorly their websites 

are and take steps to 

improve on them, because 

very soon, only the dead 

will not be active online. 

“We once in a while check 

those who are supposed to 

govern us to see if they are 

doing what they should be 

doing and we hold them 

accountable. 

“We are very interested in 

grading performance of 

states. We conducted this 

ranking, because we are 

research people, but we 

think the result can 

influence states' input and 

encourage others.” 

processes for the award of 

contracts for the 

rehabilitation and 

reconstruction of our 

failed roads, as soon as 

the weather permits.” 

Responding on behalf of 

her colleagues, Professor 

Viola Onwuliri(Education), 

commended the governor 

for giving them the 

opportunity to serve. 

She said: “We are 

grateful for being called to 

be part of the rebuilding 

process. We are aware that 

the decay in Imo State is 

great and we must assist 

the governor to rebuild it.” 

OSADEBE FEST: From left— Son of late Sir Osita Osadebe, Onyeka Osadebe; Convener, Afam 

Dozie; Ezechimeleze, Eze-Ndigbo of Mushin, Lagos, HRH Igwe John Nwosu; Mr. Steve Yaw Onu, and 

Oranu Ikechukwu, both conveners, at the brand unveiling of the Osadebe Fest in Lagos. 

West Africa 

Innovation 

honours 

achievers 

RGANISERS of the 

O2019 edition of the 

West Africa Innovation 

Awards has concluded 

plans to honour outstanding 

brands and chief 

executive officers across 

West Africa, in Lagos. 

A statement by 

Adesanya Abidemi, 

Project Director of the 

programme, said some of 

the CEOs to be honoured 

are MD/CEO, Africa 

Report International, Dr. 

Francis Jonathan; MD/ 

CEO of Electricity 

Distribution Company, 

Engineer Adeoye 

Fadeyibi; former Outdoor 

Advertising Association of 

Nigeria President, and 

MD/CEO of Mediaviews 

Limited, Mr. Babatunde 

Adedoyin. 

Others are MD, Ghana 

Water Company Limited, 

Dr. Clifford A. Braimah; 

CEO, Beta Media Cameroun, 

Clarrise Ndinge; 

MD, FHA Mortgage 

Bank, Hayatuddeen 

Awwal, among others.


FORUM: From left, Executive Director, Pharma Sales & Marketing, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr 

Chukuka Chukutem; Managing Director, Audion Pharmacy, Lagos, Edith Nwachukwu; Managing 

Director, Daruchi Products Ltd, Nkeiru Omenyi; Managing Director, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Nnamdi 

Okafor, and Managing Director, Chuphil Industries Ltd, Onitsha, Chukwudi Diji, at the 2019 customers 

forum of May & Baker Nigeria, in Lagos. 

Nigeria to become world capital of open 

defecation with over 47m persons — UNICEF 

•Says 59.9% of open defecators live in N-Central 

•As FG approves N10bn to fight menace in 2019 

By Peter Duru, 

Victoria Ojeme & 

Vincent Ujumadu 

M INDICATIONS 

AKURDI— 

emerged, yesterday, that in 

less than two months, 

Nigerian could emerge the 

capital of open defecation in 

the world with over 47 

million still engage in the 

practice in the country. 

Currently, the country 

occupies the second position, 

after India, which is currently 

the number one in the world. 

United Nations Children’s 

Fund, UNICEF, Water, 

Sanitation and Hygiene, 

WASH, specialist, Mr. Bioye 

Ogunjobi, disclosed this, 

yesterday, while doing an 

overview of the ‘Clean 

Nigeria: Use the Toilet 

Campaign’ at a media 

dialogue on sanitation 

organised by UNICEF, 

yesterday. 

Ogunjobi explained that 

India, which at the moment 

held that position, would quit 

it for Nigeria in October 

when open defecation would 

be outlawed in that country. 

He said: “By October 1, 

2019, India which at present 

occupies that position will 

ban open defecation and 

Nigeria, which currently 

occupies the second position, 

will take over from India as 

the number one open 

defecation country.” 

FG approves 

N10bn to fight 

menace in 2019 

In her presentation, Chief 

Scientific Officer, Federal 

Ministry of Water Resources, 

Mrs. Yemi Akpa, stated that 

the Federal Government 

approved N10 billion to fight 

the menace of open 

defecation across the country 

in 2019. 

Speaking on the topic, 

‘’Clean Nigeria: Use the 

Toilet Campaign - the 

Journey so far,’’ Akpa said it 

was expected that the 

Federal Government would 

release the said sum 

annually till the year 2025 

when it was elected that the 

country would be free of the 

practice. 

She said: “This will sustain 

the campaign against the 

practice and for the campaign 

to be successful in Nigeria, 

everyone must be involved. 

"If India can take over 550 

million people out of open 

defecation in four years, 

Nigeria can also take 47 

million people out of it 

between now and 2025.” 

Speaking on behalf of the 

private sector, Mr. Nicholas 

Igwe, who spoke on the topic, 

"The link between the rural 

sanitation and urban 

sanitation: What can the 

private sector do?" said the 

fight against open defecation 

must take a multi-sectoral 

approach to succeed. 

59.9% of open 

defecators live in 

N-Central 

Meanwhile, UNICEF said 

new data on percentage of 

Nigerian population 

practising open defecation 

across the geopolitical zones 

showed that the North 

Central zone top the chart 

with 59.9 per cent. 

Of the 47 million Nigerians 

that practise open defecation, 

16 million live in the North 

Central. 

The report released by 

UNICEF in Calabar at a 

dialogue and partnership 

meeting with the media to 

achieve Open Defecation 

Free Nigeria by 2025, 

showed that one in four 

Nigerian (24.4 per cent) 

defecates in the open, while 

one in two persons in the 

North Central defecates in the 

open. 

According to report, the 

South-West region came 

second with 28.0 per cent, 

followed by the South-East, 

22.4 per cent; North-East, 

21.8; South-South, 17.9; and 

North-West, 10.3 per cent. 

According to Chief of 

UNICEF, Enugu Field 

Office, Dr Ibrahim Conteh, 

who was represented by 

Doutimiye Kiakubu, 

eliminating open defecation 

will meet the overall 

sanitation mandate of the 

Sustainable Development 

Goals, SDGs. 

Conteh said what this 

meant was that all 

households, institutions 

(schools, health centres, etc) 

and public places, such as 

markets and motor parks, 

must have and use an 

improved sanitation facility. 

On his part, Olumide 

Osanyinpeju, a Deputy 

Director and Head of Child 

Rights Information Bureau at 

the Federal Ministry of 

Information and Culture, 

Abuja, said the “Clean 

Nigeria: Use the Toilet” 

campaign was one of the most 

ambitious behaviour-change 

campaigns in Nigeria with a 

strong citizen / public 

engagement component. 

He said: “The campaign 

to end open defecation is a 

key initiative that will reach 

many unserved populations. 

Leveraging on what is 

currently working in the 

states with local government 

areas’ certified ODF, this 

campaign mode will create a 

national movement with 

elements of policy advocacy, 

public advocacy, grassroots 

mobilization, and private 

sector engagement." 

Prepare for more flooding, FG tells Nigerians 

By Gabriel 

Ewepu 

ABUJA—THE Nigerian 

Hydrological Services 

Agency, NIHSA, warned, 

yesterday, that more 

flooding would pound states 

in weeks ahead, asking 

states to be prepared for the 

phenomenon. 

Director-General of the 

agency, Clement Nze, who 

gave the warning at a 

briefing, also predicted that 

more rivers would overflow 

their banks from September, 

adding that there would be 

increase in water from 

Rivers Niger and Benue. 

According to him, the 

current flooding is just the 

beginning of devastation 

ahead, since most states 

and communities have 

failed to heed the various 

flood alerts and predictions 

made on April 30, which 

indicated that over 353 local 

government areas in 30 

states would be affected by 

severe flooding. 

NIHSA had classified its 

predictions for low flood risk 

areas as highly probable and 

probable. 

He decried the attitude 

often shown towards flood 

alerts, lamenting that this 

had been responsible for the 

heavy flooding in some 

parts of the country, which 

had led to attendant loss of 

lives and property. 

He said: “Nigeria 

Hydrological Service 

Agency, NIHSA, has closely 

been monitoring the many 

flooding incidents taking 

place across the country, 

with the attendant loss of 

lives and property. 

“The localised urban 

flooding incidents being 

witnessed in some cities 

and communities are 

expected to continue due to 

high rainfall intensity of long 

duration, rainstorm, 

blockage of drainage system 

and poor urban planning, 

resulting in erection of 

structures within 

floodplains and waterways." 

Nigeria collapsing under 

Buhari, PDP alleges 

•Laments 43% FDI flight 

By Dirisu 

Yakubu 

ABUJA—The leadership 

of Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, has said the 

escalating insecurity, rising 

political uncertainties, biting 

economic hardship and 

prevailing tension in all parts 

of the country indicate that 

the nation was collapsing 

under President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 


In a statement by National 

Publicity Secretary, Kola 

Ologbondiyan, yesterday, 

the party said it was deeply 

worried that Nigeria, which 

was a prosperity hub and a 

reference point for 

democracy, personal 

freedom and good 

governance, now had all the 

trappings of a failed state, 

with government, under 


Buhari, unable to guarantee 

any of its fundamental duties 

to the Nigerians. 

The National Working 

Committee of the party, at the 

end of a crucial meeting, 

yesterday, said the red flag 

had become urgent, 

following the manifest total 

loss of faith by Nigerians 

across board, in the ability of 

Buhari-led Presidency to 

provide a democratic 

leadership that could 

engender a peaceful and 

secure nation. 

The statement read: “It is 

clear that the APC and the 

Presidency have held 

Nigerians hostage. 

Nigerians are now being 

treated like a conquered 

people. They can no longer 

freely exercise their 

constitutionally guaranteed 

rights; executive highhandedness 

have become a 

state policy just as the APC 

government, burdened by 

challenges of illegitimacy, 

has lost direction and is only 

thriving in vindictiveness. 

“The PDP notes that due 

to the prevailing antidemocratic 

proclivities of the 

Presidency, our once 

cohesive and economically 

thriving nation has come 

under distress on all fronts. 

Never in the history of our 

nation has our fault lines 

become so visible. 

Uncertainty now envelopes 

our nation; citizens are 

nervous and agitated as 

ominous hopelessness sets 

in. 

“Our party has also noticed 

that since the defence of the 

APC and President Buhari 

collapsed at the Presidential 

Election Petition Tribunal, 

the APC and its government 

have taken to harassment 

and repression of Nigerians 

by surreptitiously 

suspending constitutional 

provisions of freedom of 

speech and association in 

our country." 

AfCFTA: MAN urges member 

companies to brace up for 

competition 

By Nkiruka 

Nnorom 

FOLLOWING 

the 

signing of African 

Continental Free Trade 

Area, AfCFTA, agreement by 

the Federal Government, 

Manufacturers Association of 

Nigeria, MAN, has urged 

manufacturing companies in 

the nation to upscale their 

processes and innovate to 

compete effectively with their 

counter-parts in other 

countries. 

MAN President, Mansur 

Ahmed, made the call at the 

52nd Annual General 

Meeting of MAN Ikeja 

branch in Lagos, saying the 

association is poised to 

enhance the capacity of the 

member companies to help 

them take advantage of the 

opportunities inherent in the 

continental free trade area as 

well as mitigate the 

multifarious risks. 

He assured that MAN 

would work together to 

prevail on the government 

to do its own bit by providing 

the conducive atmosphere 

that would enable the 

companies to take full 

advantage of opportunities 

in the continental free trade 

area, while also expressing 

optimism that MAN would 

be part of the national 

structures and processes that 

would be put in place by the 

Federal Government to 

manage the process going 

forward. 

Ahmed also advised the 

government to jettison the 

idea of increasing Value 

Added Tax, VAT, by 50 per 

cent, saying any attempt to 

further increase VAT would 

be counterproductive, 

especially in the light of the 

still awaited minimum wage. 

“We have also had 

discussions with the Federal 

Inland Revenue Service 

with a view to addressing the 

numerous challenges in the 

tax system and the results of 

that engagement is been felt 

in the business environment 

today.” 

Delivering a keynote 

address at the event, 

Governor Babajide Sanwo- 

Olu of Lagos State said 

theme of the AGM, 

“Restructuring the Nation’s 

Educational Curriculum: An 

important Contributory 

Factor to the Manufacturing 

Sector’s Growth” is another 

wake-up call by MAN to the 

government and all 

stakeholders in industrial 

development towards 

ensuring that Nigeria’s 

manufacturing capacity is 

increased through the 

engagement of qualitative, 

innovative and efficient 

workforce.



Buhari’s Nigeria: One day, 

many troubles 

GROWING up, I read Professor Anezi 

Okoro’s seminal 112-page book, One 

Week, One Trouble, in which the author, one of 

the country’s finest fiction writers of his 

generation, regaled the reader with the 

protagonist, Wilson Tagbo’s weekly troubles 

which were majorly run-ins with his secondary 

school authorities. I have had cause in recent 

times to reflect again and again on the 1972 

book. Replace the protagonist with President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s Nigeria and what you 

get is ‘one day, many troubles’. The similarities 

are too uncanny to be ignored by any 

perceptible mind. 

The state of affairs - socially, politically, 

economically - in Nigeria under Buhari’s 

watch has become desperate. Scarier is the 

hint from the famed body-language of the 

president, aloof as ever, that even these 

desperate times are early days. And the 

president seems to be savouring every minute 

of the bedlam, indubitably on top of his game, 

comfortable in the Machiavellian assurance 

that the end will always justify the means no 

matter how duplicitous and nasty. 

Buhari’s Nigeria is in dire straits. Death 

walks on all fours with a taunting swagger 

that leaves in its wake a haunting nimbus. In 

Buhari’s Nigeria, negative stories break at the 

speed of light. Journalists are exasperated and 

it is almost impossible, no matter how diligent, 

for anyone to keep track, leaving many inured 

to the sadism that has become our collective 

lot. Take for instance in the last couple of 

weeks. A protest by members of the Islamic 

Movement in Nigeria, IMN, in Abuja on 

Monday, July 22, turned violent as the 

protesters clashed with security agencies, who 

used brute force to quell the otherwise civil 

protest. When the dust settled, a deputy 

commissioner of police in charge of 

operations at the Federal Capital Territory 

Police Command, Usman Umar, a National 

Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member who 

works as a cub reporter with the Channels 

Television, Precious Owolabi, 11 Shiites 

members were killed, and 54 members of the 

Islamic sect were arrested. Tuesday was 

another day of rage as the sect members 

trooped out again to protest the continued 

detention of their leader, Ibrahim el-Zakzaky 

and his wife, despite court order that granted 

them bail. On Friday, July 26, the Federal 

Government obtained an Abuja Federal 

High Court order to proscribe the Shiites’ 

movement in Nigeria. The presiding judge, 

Justice Nkeonye Maha, not only ordered the 

proscription of the group as requested by the 

Buhari government but also designated the 

activities of the group in any part of Nigeria 

“acts of terrorism and illegality”. 

On Thursday, August 1, five people, including 

a magistrate and a deaconess of the Redeemed 

Christian Church of God, RCCG, Mrs. 

Chidinma Ibelegbo, were abducted around 

the J3 forest on Ogbere Road, in Ijebu-East 

Local Government Area of Ogun State. 

Instructively, Mrs. Ibelegbo, the only female 

among the five victims, who was travelling 

from Asaba, Delta State, identified the 

kidnappers as Fulani. Her co-victim, 

Chiemela James-Iroha, son of the late 

comedian, James Iroha, popularly called, 

Giringori, corroborated her claim. Narrating 

their experience at the police officers mess in 

Abeokuta after their rescue on Saturday, Iroha 

who said they were made to walk some 30 

kilometres into the forest, stated categorically 

when asked of the ethnic identity of the 

marauders: “Well from their looks, there are 

some things I can’t say because it is a bit 

sensitive because the police are on the matter 

now for the sake of not destroying the 

evidence. From the language they spoke they 

are pure Fulani herdsmen no doubt about it; I 

wouldn’t want to go further than that.” 

The same Thursday, gunmen killed another 

Catholic priest, Paul Offu, in Enugu State. The 

Catholic Diocese of Enugu lamented on its 

Facebook page that the reverend father was 

shot dead by “some hoodlums suspected to be 

the notorious and murderous Fulani 

herdsmen, along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu 

Local Government Area of the state”. Yet, those 

adept at playing the ostrich by living in denial 

claim that the Fulani are being falsely profiled. 

On Sunday, August 4, gunmen killed the 

resident pastor of the Living Faith Church, 

Romi New Extension, Kaduna State, Jeremiah 

in the 2019 budget. In making 

the announcement, the Presidency doubled 

down on its false claim that the policy was 

discussed and agreed at the National 

Economic Council, NEC, with state governors 

in attendance, wondering why some governors 

would deny knowledge of the decision. 

Yet, this is a dubious claim that no less a 

person than Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who 

chairs theNEC, had repudiated with every iota 

of emphasis at his command. But hosting Akwa 

Ibom State students of the Nigerian Law 

School in Abuja over the weekend, Senator Ita 

Enang, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on 

National Assembly Matters, admonished state 

governors, particularly from the South to 

embrace the programme by making lands 

available for its implementation because it is 

a fait accompli. For Buhari, it does not matter 

that the policy has been overwhelmingly 

rejected by most people in Southern Nigeria. 

The new slave masters want RUGA settlements 

across the country, and settlements they must 

have willy-nilly. The impunity is insufferable, 

reckless and repulsive. 

Those who claim to be supporters of the 

president tell us that violence is a global 

phenomenon. That is true. They insist that 

Nigeria had always contended with insecurity, 

particularly since after the civil war. That may 

well be true also. But what is new is the fact 

that today, we have a provincial and insular 

In 

Nigeria, 

negative 

stories 

break at 

the speed 

of light 

Omolara, along the notorious 

Kaduna-Abuja Road and 

abducted his wife who was 

travelling with him. Their son 

was lucky to escape. Then, on 

the eve of a nation-wide protest 

called by the RevolutionNow 

Movement, the Presidency 

chose to announce that despite 

the national outcry against the 

RUGA settlements policy, the 

Federal Government had 

actually earmarked N2.258 

billion for its implementation 

president who is actively 

and deliberately fanning 

the embers of national 

discord; a president who is 

busy and assiduously 

promoting an ethnic 

agenda over and above 

national interest. What 

Buhari’s supporters have 

disingenuously refused to 

accept is the fact that as a 

nation, despite the obvious 

challenges and difficulties of nationhood, we 

have never had it so bad and the president’s 

actions and inactions are at the heart of the 

matter. 

Buhari’s supporters who claim that 

Nigerians are being prejudicial against the 

Fulani because of the ethnicity of the president 

also miss the point. For the umpteenth time, 

let me reiterate that Buhari is not the first 

Nigerian president of Fulani extraction. Alhaji 

Shehu Shagari who became president in 1979, 

just nine years after the civil war, was Fulani. 

Shagari ran an inclusive government, built 

coalitions with opposition parties, elevated 

national reconciliation paradigm by granting 

pardon to Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu, the 

Biafran leader. 

President Umaru Yar’Adua who brought 

peace to the restive Niger Delta, was Fulani. 

Despite his incapacitation due to ill-health, 

his very brief tenure was peaceful. But since 

Buhari became president, it has been one 

trouble, too many on daily basis. Most, if not 

all, of the crises rocking Nigeria today are 

traceable to him - his utterances, nepotistic 

inclinations, anti-democratic tendencies and 

ethnic bias. Right now, Nigeria has a president 

who unabashedly traffics in bigotry and 

prejudice, whose nepotism hinders 

inclusiveness, promotes bitter ethnic strife and 

the attendant violence, a president who 

whimsically labels every dissention, no matter 

how benign, as a felonious act. Nigeria has a 

president whose anti-democratic reflex is very 

contemptuous and disruptive of the basic 

values of democratic political systems - liberty, 

equality, justice. 

In Buhari’s Nigeria, there is no fairness, 

reasonableness and integrity. There is neither 

equal opportunity nor impartiality. In Buhari’s 

Nigeria, liberty is a scarce commodity. Buhari 

craves power absolutism, which he has almost 

acquired having reduced the judiciary and 

legislature, otherwise independent arms of 

government, to mere appendages of the 

presidency. President Buhari behaves as if he 

is not the president of Nigeria, as if he is on a 

mission to conquer the country at the behest of 

non-citizens. The thought of that bizarre state 

of affairs, an uncanny situation of a president 

who treats outsiders much more 

sympathetically and friendly that his own 

citizens, is eerie. But that is the reality of 

Buhari’s Nigeria. And that explains why we 

have become a country of one day, many 

troubles.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


Primary education 

suffers as states 

fail to access 

UBEC's N51.6bn 

By Adesina Wahab 

STATE governments in 

the country have over 

N56.5 billion lying fallow in 

the coffers of the Universal 

Basic Education Commission 

(UBEC) in Abuja, Vanguard 

has learnt. 

The money accrued due to 

the inability of the affected 

state governments to pay 

their counterpart funds to 

match UBEC’s grants for 

projects to be executed in 

primary schools in such states. 

The development has left 

primary education gasping 

for breath in many states as 

poor facilities, shortage of 

teaching materials, poorlytrained 

personnel among 

others, dog the primary 

education sector. 

According to data from 

UBEC’s portal, as at July 22, 

2019, no state has accessed 

its matching grant for the 

2019 year. Each of the 36 

states, including FCT, is 

entitled to a sum of 

N614,097,018.83 million for 

the year 2019. For all the 

states, and for 2019, a total 

of N22.72 billion is 

outstanding. As of July 22, a 

grand total of N51.6 billion 

remain unaccessed, lying 

fallow in UBEC’s coffers. 

By the end of 2018, only 

Borno, Cross River, Delta, 

Ebonyi, and Gombe states 

paid their matching grants 

and accessed the UBEC fund. 

Other states are Imo, 

Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, 

Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Ondo, 

Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe 

and FCT, all of whom 

accessed their grants for 2018. 

Executive Secretary of the 

Commission, Hamid Bobboyi, 

said the sum of N76 billion 

was released to it in 2017, but 

not many states accessed the 

fund. 

Kwara State leads the states 

that are yet to access their 

UBEC funds, with a 

whopping N6.245 billion 

waiting to be accessed. 

Trailing Kwara are Ekiti with 

N4.47 billion, Enugu, with 

N3.464 billion, Abia with 

N2.98 billion, Adamawa with 

N2.087 billion, Plateau with 

N2.29 billion, and Oyo with 

N2.087 billion. 

Why states can’t 

access grants 

States are unable to access 

UBEC’s grants when they fail 

to pay their counterpart funds 

to match the grants. 

UBEC and States’ Universal 

Basic Education Boards 

(SUBEBs) also monitor the 

projects to be executed with 

the funds. An official who 

declined to be named said 

that initially, UBEC paid the 

grants into designated state 

government accounts and 

hoped that state governments 

have done same. It then came 

to light that some states only 

take UBEC’s grants, refused 

to match same, and in many 

instances diverted the money 

to other uses. UBEC then 

refused releasing further 

grants to such states until 

matching grants are paid.. 

Apart from leading to 

Nigeria having the highest 

figure of out-of-school 

children in the world, which 

is put at over 13 million, the 

development is an 

infringement on the right of 

the child to education. 

A teacher of over 30 years, 

Mr Femi Michael, is of the 

view that there should be 

severe penalty for states which 

fail to accord due priority to 

primary education, as it is the 

bedrock on which other tiers 

of education rest. 

“In fact, states’ 

contributions to UBEC grants 

should be deducted from 

source, I mean from statutory 

allocations, so as not to give 

room for any excuse. Also, 

any state that diverts funds 

meant for primary education 

should have its allocations 

stopped until there is a redress 

of the situation. 

“If the foundation is shaky 

and faulty, on what are we 

building? Nothing put on top 

of a faulty foundation will 

stand the test of time. Some 

states are only paying lip 

service to education sector as 

a whole. One can see that in 

the little budgetary 

allocations and even the 

mismanagement of the few 

resources allocated to the 

sector. Something urgent 

must be done to correct the 

situation,” he said. 

A private school owner, 

Ajibade Oyeniran, said it was 

criminal for any state 

governor to divert funds 

meant for primary education 

to another use 

“We usually experience 

such ugly development when 

elections are approaching. 

Then our leaders are ready to 

take money from anywhere to 

prosecute the elections. If they 

say they are serving the 

people, must they keep them 

in darkness by not allowing 

them access to quality 

education? 

“ We can surely do better in 

the way and manner with 

which we handle issues 

relating to education in the 

country. Educated people are 

liberated people. 

“If we say education is the 

best legacy, then we must pay 

adequate attention to primary 

education upon which other 

levels rest, or it would be like 

building something on 

nothing,” he noted. 

Oyo State, which has 

N2.087 billion funds not 

accessed from 2015-2019, is 

already taking steps to rectify 

the situation. 

According to the Chief Press 

Secretary to Governor Seyi 

Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, 

since the new administration 

came on board, it has been 

striving to correct the wrongs 

of the past. He said that was 

why appointment of the 

Executive Chairman of the 

State Universal Basic 

Education Board was among 

the first to be made. Dr Nureni 

Akanbi is Executive 

Chairman, Oyo SUBEB. 

The Makinde administration, 

it was gathered, has made the 

payment of the counterpart 

funds a top priority so as to be 

able to access grants from 

UBEC. 

Exam fraud: Mixed reactions trail burning of handsets at Ibadan poly 

By Adesina Wahab 

THE decision of the 

management of The 

Polytechnic, Ibadan to 

publicly burn hand sets seized 

from students who allegedly 

engaged in examination 

malpractices has elicited 

mixed reactions from the 

public. 

While some lauded the 

action, others condemned it, 

saying it was a primitive step. 

According to some 

respondents, seizing the 

phones ought to be enough. 

According to a student of the 

institution, Mr Wasiu Rabiu, 

the authorities of the school 

should blame those 

supervising examinations for 

their inability to detect 

students going into exam halls 

with phones. 

“It is like what we experience 

DATA: UBEC. INFOGRAPHICS: PRINCE OKAFOR 

BURNT: 

Composite 

photo 

shows fuel 

being 

poured on 

the seized 

handsets 

(left); the 

devices 

aflame 

(right). 

every now and then 

concerning our Customs 

Service. They will abandon the 

borders only to be chasing 

smugglers in cities and towns 

and sometimes shooting 

sporadically. If we say the 

students were culpable, what 

about those sent to monitor or 

invigilate the examinations,” 

he noted. 

Rabiu also described 

burning the phones as an 

economic waste, bearing in 

mind what their monetary 

values would be. 

However, a teacher, Mr 

Akinleye Samson, said the 

action of the school 

management was in order. 

Samson opined that some 

students could be desperate 

and cunning in their bids to 

cheat during examinations. 

“The invigilators or those 

sent to supervise the 

examinations did well by 

fishing out those who 

smuggled those phones into 

the exam halls. It might 

probably be that female 

students were the ones used 

mostly to perpetrate the act. 

Also, there is a limit to how 

female students can be 

screened, even by a female 

supervisor, before being 

allowed into the exam halls. 

“Those condemning the 

action of the school authorities 


LDS graduates 40 from Pathway Connect 

By Elizabeth Nwandu 

Forty students have 

graduated from Pathway 

Connect, a one-year foundation 

educational program of the 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday 

Saints, affiliated to Brigham 

Young University, BYU, United 

States. 

At the 2019 graduation 

ceremony held at the church 

auditorium in Ikeja, keynote 

speaker, Professor Joseph Igwe, 

a lecturer at the University of 

Lagos, said the aim of the 

program was to equip students 

with practical entrepreneurial, 

life, social, family and 

communication skills. 

He said many people take the 

JAMB exam and qualify yet, 

fail to gain admission into the 

university because of shortage 

of space and this can be 

frustrating. 

“A program like Pathway 

Connect takes away this 

frustration. It takes students 

through acquisition of 

entrepreneurship, life, social, 

family and communication skills. 

"Education is continuous; while 

rejoicing over what you have 

now, think about the future. 

Success is dependent more on 

skills than certificates. 

“With acquired skills, you aim 

to be self-reliant and 

Navy Sec School, Ojo, graduates 337 

By Tony Nwankwo 

The Nigerian Navy 

Secondary School, Ojo, 

recently graduated 337 students. 

In a valedictory service organised 

by the school on its 37th 

graduation ceremony of SS3 

students 2018/2019 session, the 

Commandant of the School, 

subsequently, an employer of 

labour,” he pointed out. 

Elder Christian Chigbundu, a 

member of the Church, 

explained that the knowledge 

acquired during the program 

was life changing. “Beyond 

classroom lessons, the students 

learn skills and how to be selfreliant. 

I implore the students to 

apply all they have been 

taught.” 

Olakunle Emmanuel, one of 

the best graduating students in 

his valedictory speech told his 

fellow students that they made 

a good choice enrolling in the 

program. 

“Pathway is rich. It teaches you 

to be an asset rather than a 

burden. We were taught 

valuable lessons like what it 

means to be self-reliant, to plan 

Mixed reactions trail burning 

of handsets at Ibadan poly 


did not take into consideration 

the backlash that might result 

from the phones being 

returned to their owners or 

being sold. If you return the 

phones to their owners, that 

would not be a deterrent. If 

Commander Hassan Salihu 

asked the graduating students to 

be good ambassadors of the 

institution as they enter the real 

world. He further warned them 

to be careful as they would be 

exposed to different kinds of 

people with different characters. 

He, however, asked them to be 

and live within our income and 

to save no matter how little. We 

were taught to live in chastity and 

to avoid pre-marital sex." 

Onifade Abosede, a nonmember 

of the church currently 

undergoing the program added 

that the classes though 

interesting, kept students on their 

toes. 

“When we learn and gain 

knowledge, we are better able to 

manage our lives, relate with 

others and be independent,” she 

said. 

Some of the dignitaries present 

were Clement Okoye, the 

Program supervisor, Wole 

Oyedeji, 1st Councillor, Lagos- 

Ikeja Stake Presidency and, other 

stake-presidents and ward 

leaders. 

you sell them, there would be 

outcry and you cannot keep the 

phones perpetually,” he noted. 

Samson therefore appealed to 

students to face their studies 

squarely and ensure that they 

can defend whatever certificates 

they are given at the end of their 

studies. 

mindful of the institution and the 

discipline and good characters they 

have been exposed to in the 

school. 

The Flag Officer, Commanding 

Western Naval Command, FOC, 

was represented by Commander 

C.O. Dick-Ubi, among other 

guests. 

*Cross 

section of 

graduands 

and staff at 

the 

Valedictory 

service of 

Nigerian 

Navy 

Secondary 

School, 

Ojo. 

*A cross section of staff, students and guests at the 2019 Valedictory and Prize-giving ceremony of 

Chrisland HIgh Schools. 


Educators, parents urged to 

help special needs persons 

develop talents 

By Ebele Orakpo 

THE days when parents 

with special needs 

children are ashamed to identify 

with them are over. More 

awareness is being created by 

professionals in the field of 

special education who are 

saying that there’s ability in 

disability! Today, some state 

governments have structured 

their school system in such a 

way that special needs children 

can attend regular schools 

because the needed materials 

and professionals are made 

available. Regular teachers are 

also trained to handle special 

needs students. 

Speaking at a one-day seminar 

organised by the Redeemed 


Liberation Parish in 

collaboration with Inclusive 

Education and Individualised 

Educational Plans Centre, 

IEIEPC recently, Prof. Olufemi 

Fakolade of University of 

Ibadan's Special Education 

Dept., said children are God’s 

gift to men and each child has 

some abilities; "it is left for us to 

discover and help them develop 

the gifts for the benefit of all.” 

Mr. Oyeyinka Oluwawumi 

while speaking on the topic: 

Know the child’s IEP-Assistive 

technology for special needs 

children, noted that IEP is like 

doing a SWOT analysis of a 

child. “What are his strengths 

and weaknesses? How can you 

help him improve? He has 

abilities but you need patience 

to discover, nurture and 

improve his level of 

performance.” 

On how to support special 

needs children/persons with 

learning disabilities, Dr Kelechi 

Lazarus, a senior lecturer at the 

University of Ibadan defined 

learning disability as “a 

disorder related to processing 

information that leads to 

difficulties in reading, 

writing, spelling, speaking, 

thinking, listening and 

m a t h e m a t i c a l 

calculation. According to Data 

Accountability Center, 2012: 

“Approximately 41 per cent of all 

students receiving special 

education services in public 

schools in 2011–2012 had a 

learning disability. Learning 

disability has a wide variety of 

characteristics ranging from 

academic difficulties to cognitive 

and social-emotional problems. 

However, unexpected 

underachievement is the 

defining characteristic of 

learning disabilities.” 

Dr. John Oyundoyin on his part 

said that special needs persons 

must be supported to live 

independently, noting that 

“constant stimulation, though 

painful, will help both the muscles 

and the part of the brain 

responsible for their action reorient 

towards the training it receives. 

“Social stories and social 

gatherings can help them develop 

their emotions and achieve 

independence in psycho-social 

skills,” he said. 

Prof. Olufemi Fakolade while 

speaking on Supporting special 

needs children/persons to 

discover their strengths said: 

“Concentrate on their abilities, 

using strength-based learning 

strategy. Be a positive role model. 

The basic premise is that there is 

no ‘Normal’ brain to which all 

other brains are compared. Thus, 

we should look at special needs 

children not in terms of their 

deficits, but primarily in terms of 

their strengths. By focusing on 

their assets, educators in both 

regular and special education can 

then develop better ways of 

helping all special needs persons 

to discover their strength.” 

On Nutrition for special needs 

children, Mrs Ijeoma Ugwu said: 

“Feeding problems in individuals 

with neurological impairments 

include low interest in eating, 

long mealtimes (over 30 minutes), 

preferring liquids over solids, 

and food refusals. Nutritionrelated 

conditions in persons with 

neurological impairments include 

food allergies and 

intolerance, developmental 

delays, diarrhoea, failure to thrive 

and obesity." 

Fielding questions from 

journalists, host pastor, Pastor 

Tony Egbe said the parish holds 

Corporate Social Responsibility, 

CSR program once every three 

months but once a year, it holds a 

major CSR program which 

reaches a wider audience. “In the 

last couple of years, we had 

concentrated on free musical 

training for adults and children 

but this year, while thinking of 

what to do, we heard about the 

IEP and we felt this will be far 

more impactful than the musical 

training. 

“In order to get it right, we got 

some professors and lecturers 

from the universities of Ibadan and 

Lagos, as well as other 

professional bodies. Working with 

this NGO, the concept was to link 

the professionals with the parents 

and children so parents know 

where to get help when needed. 

“Our first measure of success 

was to identify and bring these 

children out of the closet. Our 

responsibility as a parish is for the 

totality of the wellbeing of the child 

– spirit, soul and body. 

Outside the spiritual, how can 

we take care of these children?" 

Chrisland School holds prize-giving 

ceremony 

THE 2019 joint valedictory and prize-giving ceremony of 

Chrisland High Schools took place recently in Lagos. The 

three schools that took part in the valedictory service and 

prize-giving ceremony were Chrisland High School, Ikeja; 

Chrisland High School,VGC and Chrisland College Idimu. 

Speaking at the event, wife of the Lagos State governor, 

Dr. (Mrs ) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said she was delighted to be 

part of this year’s celebration. 

"I must say that I am so proud of you for your achievement," 

she said. 

In his sermon, Rt. Rev (Dr) Sola Akanbi praised the vision 

of the founder and also encouraged the graduating students 

to go out to the world and impact lives positively.


AMAPETU OBASHIP CRISIS: 

Don't install new monarch, 

royal family warns Ondo govt 

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

By Dayo Johnson and Akinyomi as 

defendants. 

A KURE—THE 

Obaship crisis over 

the installation of Amapetu 

of Mahin in Ilaje council 

area of Ondo State 

worsened, yesterday, as 

the Osuma Royal Family 

accused the state 

government of plans to 

install Prince Olusegun 

Akinyomi as the Amapetu 

despite the pendency of 

a suit in court. 

The Osuma Royal Family 

in a suit filed by their 

counsel, Olusola Oke, 

yesterday, said the 

government planned to 

give the staff of office and 

instrument 

of 

appointment despite the 

assurance given by the 


Commissioner of Justice 

that it would obey the rule 

of law. 

The Royal House said it 

was its turn to produce the 

new monarch of the town 

and filed a suit to 

challenge 

the 

government’s action to 

violate their right. 

The suit, which has Chief 

Thompson Adepiti, Yemi 

Saanumi, Chief Omolebi 

Adepiti and Folorunso 

Obebe as claimants, 

also has Governor Rotimi 

A k e r e d o l u , 

Commissioner for Local 

Government and 

Chieftaincy Affairs, 


Commissioner for Justice 

The claimants, in their 

originating summons, 

sought for a declaration 

that it is wrong and 

unlawful for the first to 

third being members and 

representatives of the 

State Executive Council 

to have appointed 

Akinyomi as the Amapetu 

of Mahin Kingdom. 

Also, the Royal Family 

said it is wrong for 

Akinyomi to present 

himself to be appointed as 

Amapetu of Mahin 

Kingdom in defiance of 

pending suit HOK/73/ 

2018: High Chief 

Thompson Adepiti and 

three others versus High 

Chief Godwin Balogun 

and seven others. 

The claimants sought “for 

an order of perpetual 

injunction restraining the 

State Government either by 

themselves or by their 

agents, assigns, privies, 

officers and/or anyone 

however called but acting 

for or at the instance of the 

defendants from further 

interfering with or 

engaging in any conduct or 

performing any duty that is 

capable of wrongfully, 

improperly and unlawfully 

interfering with the 

claimants suit HOK/73/ 

2018: High Chief 

Thompson Adepiti and 

three others versus High 

Chief Godwin Balogun 

and seven others.” 

Osun APC leaders fight over 

Commissioner-nominees’ list 

By Shina Abubakar Adebisi, while the 

OSOGBO—THE All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, in Osun 

State is engulfed in crisis as 

the process of selecting 

Commissioner-nominees 

has set factions in the party 

against each other. 

The APC chairman, Mr. 

Gboyega Famodun 

instructed stakeholders from 

each federal constituency to 

submit three names of 

nominees out of which the 

governor would pick a 

name. 

It was gathered that some 

local government areas 

could not agree on who to 

pick and had to resort to an 

election to pick, while in 

some areas thugs harassed 

party leaders, forcing them 

to abandon the process. 

In Olorunda local 

government, while 26 out of 

the 35 stakeholders in the 

council settled for a former 

lawmaker, Mr. Waseeu 

Adebayo, others sent the 

name of Engr. Shola 

Oladepo to the media as its 

nominee. 

Similarly, in Irepodun 

local government the 

party leadership is stuck 

between Messrs Kolapo 

Alimi and Adejare 

situation is similar in Odo- 

Otin local government, 

where party elders 

abandoned the process as 

they were divided over who 

to pick as a potential 

cabinet member. 

The situation is not 

different in Ife, as members 

of the APC have vowed to 

make sure that Senator 

Iyiola Omisore did not have 

all the slot as allegedly 

agreed in an agreement 

reached with him by the 

party before the September 

27, 2018 re-run election in 

the state. 

Also in Iwo, the party 

could not reach an 

agreement on a particular 

candidate, as the process is 

enmeshed with bribery 

allegation among the 

potential nominees. 

There is no crisis 

— Osun APC 

However, the party’s 

Director of Media and Strategy, 

Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said there 

was no crisis over the issue 

saying some areas have 

conducted it successfully. 

He said: “A process like this 

would not be carried out without 

some hitches and the party has 

the machinery to resolve the 

misunderstanding internally.” 

TURNING OF SOD: Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State (4th right); his wife, Kafayat (3rd 

right); Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi (3rd left); Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, 

Honourable Timothy Owoeye (2nd left); Comrade Amitolu Shittu (left); Supervisor, Ministry of Works, 

Mr Remi Owowaiye (2nd right) and others, during the turning of sod for the construction of a 120-bed 

ward and doctors’ quarters at the State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo. 

INSECURITY: IGP to deploy special 

anti-kidnapping squad to S’West 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—THE Force 

Headquarters, 

yesterday, resolved to 

deploy a Special Anti- 

Kidnapping Squad to the 

six southwest states to 

address security 

challenges in the region. 

The Deputy Inspector 

General Police in Charge of 

Operations, Abdulmajid Ali 

said this during a courtesy 

call to Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu of Ondo State in 

Akure. 

Ali, who disclosed that the 

plan was in top gear, said: 

“The squad members are 

currently undergoing 

training in Abuja and will 

STUDENT’S RAPE: No attempt to sweep case 

under carpet — Ondo Police •Vows to arrest bank robbers 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—THE Ondo 

State Police 

Command, yesterday, 

dispelled insinuations 

that security agencies in 

the state planned to 

sweep the rape case 

against soldiers under the 

carpet. 

Some soldiers were 

alleged to have raped a 

300 level student of 

Adekunle Ajasin University, 

Akungba Akoko at a military 

checkpoint. 

Spokesperson of the 

Ondo Police Command, 

Mr. Femi Joseph, in a 

statement, said: “The Ondo 

State Police Command 

wishes to announce to the 

general public that the 

alleged rape case against a 

soldier attached to the 32 

Artillery Brigade Akure is 

currently under 

investigation. 

“The command in 

synergy with our military 

counterparts will leave no 

stone unturned to ensure 

soon be dispatched to 

Ondo and other southwest 

states to curb crimes.” 

Ali was accompanied by 

the Assistant Inspector 

General, AIG, in charge of 

zone 11, Leye Oyebade and 

the State Commissioner of 

Police, Undie Adie. 

He said: “I am sent by the 

Inspector General of Police 

not only to Ondo State but 

to other southwest states to 

see the security architecture 

on ground and as well as 

to see how to redesign the 

security apparatus 

“I decided to start with 

Ondo before I go to Ekiti 

and Osun because Ondo 

being one of the focus 

states of recent, I believe 

that justice is served in this 

case. 

“We, therefore, wish to 

inform Nigerians that there 

is no attempt whatsoever to 

sweep the case under the 

carpet as being insinuated 

by some people.” 

Speaking on the Tuesday 

bank robbery in Iju, Akure 

North council area of the 

state, the Police 

spokesperson said that the 

timely intervention of police 

we need to sit down with 

my officers here and see 

how we can merge ahead. 

“I want to let you know 

that the Inspector General 

of Police is mindful of what 

has been happening 

particularly along the road 

as well as some of these 

miscreants disturbing the 

peace of the people. 

“I also want you to know 

that security is one of the 

first pillars of any 

government in doing any 

service to the people. If 

security is not provided, 

there won’t be peace in that 

area and the governor too 

will find it difficult to 

operate. 

“We are aware of our 

detectives foiled the 

robbery. 

Joseph said: “The 

robbers who used 

dynamites to force their way 

into the bank succumbed to 

the superior firepower of 

our men by escaping into 

the bush with some of them 

suffering bullet wounds. 

“Our men are on the trail 

of the suspects who were 

forced to abandon the two 

vehicles they came with.” 

responsibility. The 

Inspector-General has put 

in place a very strong team 

that is on training now and 

in the next two weeks, they 

will be out and Ondo and 

other southwest states have 

been the place of focus. 

“We are deploying them 

here to take charge of 

security and work with our 

men on the ground. I can 

assure you that there will 

be a change when 

members of the Special 

Squad are around. I assure 

you that peace will reign 

again in Ondo State and 

other southwest states.” 

Receiving the DIG on 

behalf of the governor, the 

state deputy governor, 

Agboola Ajayi said the 

recent insecurity in the 

state and other states in the 

region was worrisome. 

He said the police must 

map out strategies to secure 

the boundaries and other 

flashpoints in the state. 

Ajayi said: “Ondo State 

was not known to be a 

dumping ground for crime. 

The police must also 

engage the community. 

This is very important. 

Even if you have 200,000 

policemen in a community, 

you need the corporation of 

the people in that 

community for you to be 

able to carry out your job 

effectively.” 

GOMERM celebrates 20th Anniversary/Power 

confab 

L 

AGOS— GOD’S 

Mercy Revival 

Ministries, GOMERM, 

will celebrate its 

20th anniversary and 

annual power conference 

in Lagos between August 

12 and 18, 2019. 

The week-long power 

conference, themed: ZION 

2019: Awakening giants: 

Releasing dominion and 

radical destinies will 

feature an impartation 

service during which the 

General Overseer of the 

ministry, Dr. James Akanbi, 

would be ministering at the 

church’s Mercy Revival 

Centre, 25/33 Alake Lakoko 

Street, Ile Epo Bus stop, 

Idimu-Ikotun Road, Ikotun, 

by 9am. 

In a statement by 

G O M E R M ’ s 

Communications and 

Public Relations Manager, 

Pastor O’Femi Kolawole, 

Assistant General 

Overseer, the Redeemed 


RCCG, Pastor J.F Odesola; 

President, Kingdom Life 

Global Christian 

Ministries; Bishop 

Matthew Olubusuyi, 

Provost of LIFE 

Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, 

Dr. Cletus Orgu; and 

General Superintendent, 

Christ Redemption Bible 

Church, Prophet John 

Ogundare, will also be ministering 

at the conference. 

Also ministering at the 

power conference are 

Pastor Bola Akin John, 

Pastor Tony Akinyemi, Dr. 

Emmanuel Falodun and 

relationship expert, Pastor 

Bisi Adewale while Guest 

Artistes like Praise 

Machine, Bidemi Olaoba 

and Tosin Bee would be 

leading praise sessions.


determine who governs 

them at all levels. That I 

believe is a legitimate thing 

to fight for. 

“But if you want to 

overthrow, if you want 

revolution, then, he should 

have spared us the trouble 

of INEC putting him on 

the ballot paper. 

“I don’t want to talk about 

this but I believe Nigerians 

have a right to protest, I 

believe people have a right 

to contest issues, people 

have the right to disagree. 

I have often said the 

government doesn’t have 

the right to dictate to people 

how to protest, but you must 

state exactly what you want. 

“I ask you to name any 

country in the world where 

somebody stands up and 

says after the election that 

I contested and lost, I now 

want revolution. 

“Go and check the 

dictionary and political 

meaning of a revolution. If 

it comes it will be like the 

Christmas turkey, nobody 

knows which one will be 

slaughtered first on 

Christmas. 

“I think we need to take 

things seriously. We have 

serious issues in this 

country. I have my 

reservations about many 

things but we have 

submitted to this process 

and we must work hard to 

make it work. Nigeria must 

deliver to the poor, APC 

government must deliver." 

Oshiomhole explained 

that they were at the Villa 

to congratulate the 

President as it was the first 

time after the elections that 

the National Working 

Committee of the party was 

officially coming to 

congratulate him at the 

State House. He said the 

party leaders assured the 

president of their support 

and commitment to build 

institute for progressive 

studies for people to 

understand the essence of 

progressive politics and 

social democracy. 

“So our party must be 

seen to be pro-poor, putting 

Naira depreciates to N358.5 

/$ in parallel market 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, depreciated to N358.5 per 

dollar in the parallel market. 

According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate 

platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change 

Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the parallel market 

exchange rate rose to N358.5 per dollar yesterday 

from N358 per dollar on Tuesday, translating to 50 

kobo depreciation of the Naira. 

On the other hand, the naira yesterday appreciated 

by nine kobo in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) 

window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the I&E window dropped to 

N362.83 per dollar from N362.92 per dollar on 

Tuesday, translating to nine kobo appreciation for 

the naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded on the 

window rose by 79 percent to $302.96 million from 

$169.75 million traded on Tuesday. 


Nigerians have right to protest 


policies in place that will lift 

our people out of poverty 

and recreate the Nigeria 

middle class. Unless you 

recreate the Nigeria middle 

class, you are not going to 

have a stable and a 

peaceful society." 

Prodded further on the 

protests, Oshiomhole, who 

acknowledged that we 

have challenges, said there 

is no part of the world 

where revolution is created. 

He said: “Have you 

monitored what is 

happening in France, that 

yellow jacket people, who 

were organizing those 

protests? Initially, they were 

asking for labour reforms 

that President Macron 

introduced but from there 

they went into something 

else, you must have seen 

on your television how the 

French authorities dealt 

with that. 

“I think we have to be 

clear. I am a believer that 

the rights to protest is a 

fundamental human right 

but it does not include the 

right to suggest that you 

want to overthrow a 

constituted order. No, there 

is a difference. 

“As NLC president when 

we were organizing 

protests, we had put down 

the head of the then 

President after one week 

protest. I think it was late 

Gani Fawehinmi that said 

instead of pushing him out 

we should raise the head 

again. And I said, our 

purpose is to defeat a set of 

anti-people policies that we 

have seen but recognizing 

that we are in a democracy 

and that the president was 

elected, our mission was 

not to remove him from 

office. There is a difference 

between the two. 

“So, you cannot go and 

contest election and when 

you lose, you say you want 

revolution. It is not about 

this president, it is not about 

APC, it is recognizing that 

we have challenges. Are 

we prepared to allow use 

of undemocratic means to 

effect a change? Nobody 

knows the value of 

democracy more than the 

media because once upon 

a time two of your 

colleagues were convicted 

for allegedly plotting coup 

with a pen.” 

S/West conspiring to 

overthrow Buhari – 

CNG 

Speaking on the issue, 

CNG explained its decision 

not to be part of the botched 

#RevolutionNow marches 

across the nation, because 

"the North will not be part 

of any international 

conspiracy supported by 

South Westerners to 

destabilize the country." 

While it specifically 

accused the South-West of 

being in the forefront of 

agitations to overthrow the 

Buhari administration in 

spite of being the “greatest 

beneficiary” of the same 

administration, the 

northern coalition called for 

an end to all alliances with 

the South-West. 

“It is quite unfortunate 

that the South-West which 

has been the single major 

beneficiary of the Buhari 

administration should also 

be in the forefront of efforts 

to discredit and bring him 

down by all means. This 

can be seen in the manner 

in which the bulk of 

political, cultural, religious 

and traditional leadership 

is standing solidly against 

the government with its 

open support for call for 

violent overthrow of the 

Buhari government by the 

#Revolutionow organizers. 

“In particular, such 

individual beneficiaries of 

the government as Bola 

Tinubu, Fashola, Fayemi, 

Aregbesola, and others 

largely from the South- 

West were nowhere to be 

seen when their people 

and the southern-based 

media ignited tensions 

over the government’s 

Ruga initiative. 

“These same 

beneficiaries appear today 

in implicit support of the 

proposed insurrection by 

maintaining 

a 

conspiratorial neutrality 

while other southern 

influencers like Wole 

Soyinka, Bisi Akande, 

Falana, etc explicitly back 

the organizers”, the 

northern coalition stated. 

End Yoruba, Northern 

alliance 

“We also wish to ask the 

president if in all honesty 

he still considers the South 

Western players as true 

friends who are genuinely 

desirous of his success. He 

should ask himself if the 

treatment he is receiving 

from them is worth the 

attention he had given the 

South West which involved 

colliding with his northern 

brethren to the point of 

elevating the status of June 

12 as appeasement. 

“To the entire northern 

leaders and elite, we 

categorically say that the 

current political alignment 

with the South-West is not 

paying and it never will. 

"The vital task at this point 

is for the northern political 

leadership to renegotiate its 

current alliance with the 

South-West which has 

never been North’s political 

ally. The alliance is already 

turning out to be 

unhealthy. 

"We are calling on the 

northern elders and leaders 

to review the region’s 

position by realigning with 

our traditional political 

friends which had served 

the whole nation for 

decades before the coming 

of this unholy and 

unprofitable union with the 

South-Western block. 

“This has become 

necessary with the way the 

South-West is going about 

the current friendship by 

being more openly 

antagonistic to northern 

interests even while they 

are the major beneficiaries 

of the Buhari 

administration. They, at the 

slightest of pretenses, 

openly denigrate the 

North, its people, its 

leadership and culture 

which must not be allowed 

to continue. 

“The CNG, therefore, 

calls on the current 

leadership of the Northern 

Elders Forum under 

Professor Ango Abdullahi 

to mobilize relevant 

stakeholders towards 

bringing an end to the 

political partnership with 

the South-West and 

embracing the North’s 

initial political allies”, CNG 

added. 

The coalition was 

however quick to concede 

that the President Buhari 

administration has not lived 

up to expectations and 

should as a matter of 

urgency apologize to the 

nation. 

“We submit that instead 

of just sitting back to thank 

Nigerians for not joining 

the overthrow plan, 

President Buhari should 

rather sincerely apologize 

to the nation by reflecting 

on how he dragged the 

country into such a 

desperate situation, own 

up to his inadequacies and 

take genuine steps to 

address the mounting 

national grievances. 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 —41 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

APC—President Muhammadu Buhari (2nd right), welcoming the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, 

while from left, the APC National Women Leader, Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma; 

Deputy National Chairman South, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; National Disabled 

Leader, Alhaji Misbahu Didi, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo watched during a 

meeting the President held with the APC National Working Committee at the 

State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

"Unless this is done, with 

the growing angry mood 

that pervades the entire 

country, the likelihood of a 

more serious dissent 

remains imminent”, the 

coalition warned. 

You’ll regret 

clampdown on 

protesters — Sowore’s 

group tells FG 

However, activists under 

the ‘#RevolutionNow’ 

movement have said the 

federal government will 

regret its decision to 

clampdown on organised 

protests, if it persists in 

silencing dissenting voices. 

According to them, 

Nigerians are frustrated by 

several anti-policies of 


structured protests by civil 

activists provide healthy 

outlets for pent-up tensions 

within the ranks of the 

masses to be released. 

They expressed fears that 

if the federal government 

persists in silencing those 

speaking up through 

organised civil actions, the 

masses may be left with no 

other choice but to fight for 

survival by rising against 

the authorities in crude 

ways. 

Speaking with Vanguard 

last night, a key coordinator 

of the movement in Abuja, 

Mr. Ariyo Atoye, said: “The 

government should know 

it cannot stop people from 

thinking, speaking and 

demonstrating against its 

bad policies. We want the 

government to put it on 

record that if it does not 

allow structured agitations 

and protests, time is coming 

when the tsunami will hit 

this country, and it is going 

to come from the fringes 

and localities such that it 

will be begging activists to 

help curtail it and we will 

say ‘no.” 

MURIC gives Buhari 

vote of confidence 

Kicking against the 

protest, the Muslim Rights 

Concern, MURIC, in a 

statement by its Director/ 

Founder, Professor Ishaq 

Akintola, pooh-poohed the 

protesters. 

It said: “While it is on 

record that we have called 

for the release or 

arraignment of Omoyele 

Sowore, we affirm that the 

#RevolutionNow camp has 

lost touch with reality. How 

do you judge an 

administration which is yet 

to take off in its second 

term? What are the criteria 

the #RevolutionNow group 

used to arrive at its 

hardline position? 

“This is an administration 

that was ambushed, 

strangulated and 

Sarakitised from the first 

day of its inauguration in 

May 2015. Are they blind 

to history? Today was born 

from the wombs of 

yesterday. Why can’t they 

take a glance at where this 

administration is coming 

from? 

"Have they forgotten how 

the 8th National Assembly 

held the Buhari 

administration by the 

jugular for four good years? 

“So what has changed 

since then? How much time 

has Buhari spent in his 

second term? He has not 

even taken off. Wednesday, 

August 21, has just been 

fixed for the swearing-in of 

ministers. Why won’t they 

allow this government to 

settle down? Who is afraid 

of Buhari? Whose 

cupboard is full of 

skeletons? Why are they in 

so much haste? 

“Does it mean that both 

the leaders and supporters 

of #RevolutionNow were 

pleased with the 

Sarakitisation of Buhari’s 

first term? Where really do 

they stand in the war 

against corruption? Where 

were they when the 8th 

Senate delayed budget for 

seven whole months? 

“We put it to 

#RevolutionNow that it 

has misplaced its priorities 

and failed to identify the 

true enemies of Nigeria. 

#RevolutionNow should 

have organized its uprising 

against the 8th NASS. By 

the way, where were they 

during the general 

elections that brought 

Buhari to power? 


42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 —43


YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

LEO: Many of you will be in sentimental mood and exhibit 

strong romantic desire openly. But then, if care is 

not taken, you may be carried away to the detriment of 

your finances. Serious minded lovers are in for happy 

day. 

VIRGO: Whatever anybody says or does, you will have 

both your say and way. Venus and Jupiter may tempt 

some of you to embrace illicit (or secret) romance within 

your base of operation. 

LIBRA: Venus and Jupiter at positive angles may 

tempt you to join some of your friends who are already 

onboard of merry making train. Watch your health. 

SCORPIO: Minor financial success you record today can 

lead to something bigger and good in the near future; 

as good luck will smile at many and induce love of luxury, 

merry, making and romantic association. Genuine lovers 

will need to be on guard against deceit from new 

admirers. 

SAGITTARIUS: Both financial success and emotional 

satisfaction are closed to you than before. Those of you 

travelling because of maters-of-the-heart are in for an 

exciting romantic day Those ambitious career-wise will 

succeed after few struggles. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“You always gain by giving love” 

— Reese Witherspoon - 

The path to unconditional love is a beautiful journey. 

Walk it with people who reflect the love you see 

in yourself. You are likely to look around at some point 

and realize that not everyone among your family and 

friends is in sync with your aspirations. Without rejecting 

them, you have the right to find people who 

understand the path you’re walking on. Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

One who 

causes others 

misfortune 

also teaches 

them wisdom. 

~ African 

proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

CAPRICORN: Many members of your opposite sex may 

go out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. 

This is the wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument. 

Been your lucky day you are expected to take 

good advantage today. 

AQUARIUS: If your priority is love, much of it would 

come your way as desired. But here is a better day for 

more ambitious in the business world. Don’t allow anybody 

to deceive you over money. 

PISCES: Those of you with secret admirers within your 

working area will have the needed opportunities to make 

the needed moves. Resist the temptation to deceive 

others. 

ARIES: Although matters-of-the-heart may give you 

cause to smile broadly, if care is not taken, you would 

cause friction that can’t help your case at work. This is 

the wrong time for unnecessary scheming within your 

working arena. 

TAURUS: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance 

may have an exciting and satisfying day. Happenings 

within your social circles must be taken more seriously. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

GEMINI: Confrontation may come your way in the circle 

but the heavens are working favourably for you. 

Some doses of romance is not too much for you on a day 

like this. 

CANCER: Provided you don’t allow your innate ability 

to be as diplomatic as necessary desert you, things will 

work favourably for you to the betterment of your finances. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

What’s my Horoscope? 

Dear Joshua, 

What my special gift is. Which day of the week was I born? 

Where were my natal planets and their meanings ? 

S.A, Lagos 

Dear S. A, 

There is no space for comprehensive horoscope but what 

you’ll have here -under is answer to your questions/ You 

were born on a Monday and your special gift is LEADER- 

SHIP quality. 

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA 

Day Of Birth: Monday 

Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo 

Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces 

Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra 

Venus in 5th Degree of Scorpio 

Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer 

Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces 

Saturn in 5th Degree of Aquarius 

Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo 

Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio 

Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo 

North Node in 6th Degree of Leo 

South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius 

Quality and Element 

Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed 

and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and 

water star signs hosted five planets each. 

Push-full influence = 20% 

Non- push-full element = 80% 

Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter 

General Analysis 

Just 20 per cent of push-full influence in your chart can 

deceptively present you to others as a soft (or even timid) 

person but practical Virgo that hosted nothing less than 

three heavenly bodies when you were born and Astrological 

aspects between Mercury (mental focus) and aggressive 

Mars in your chart are pointers to the contrary. 

Yes! You are highly intelligent and your mind works the 

same way detective’s minds do. It is true, there are little 

contradictions between your inner self and your emotional 

being 

One moment, you can be very emotional, exhibiting 

temper with stinging tongue but a few hour later you are 

amiable, easy going, friendly and compassionate. You are 

the adaptable type who will see changes as sources of good 


LEADERSHIP quality is one of your greatest gifts from 

God. placement of your natal sun (basic-selfhood) and moon 

(your emotional being) in Virgo and Pisces respectively 

mean that characteristics of both Virgo and Pisces are highly 

pronounced in your inner-self. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

TRIBUTE 

Ngige: The giant returns on his birthday 

By Pat Anyaduba 

DR Chris Nwabueze Ngige, a medical 

doctor, politician, former Governor of 

Anambra State, Senator and Minister of 

Federal Republic of Nigeria, a humanist, 

philanthropist, political strategist is a giant 

in many strides. 

Ngige retired from the Ministry of Health 

as Deputy Director in 1998 and joined politics. 

He was elected as Assistant Secretary (South 

Zone) of People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P) 

which he served up on till 2003. 

In 2003, as a result of the dismal 

performance of the then governor of 

Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, 

it was obvious that there was a need to stop 

him from going for a second term. His party 

PDP denied him a ticket for a second term 

hence the need to seek for his replacement. 

Fate threw up Ngige as the gubernatorial 

candidate of PDP in 2003 election against 

all political permutations and Independent 

National Electoral Commission (INEC) 

declared him winner of the election. He was 

sworn in on May 29, 2003. 

The same forces of political vampires that 

frustrated Mbadinuju came with full force 

on Ngige; however, Ngige demonstrated the 

giant in him by stoutly resisting the political 

vampires who wanted to empty the state for 

their selfish interest. 

His resistance and insistence that the public 

funds should be for the public good and 

interest knew no bounds. 

The political vampires descended heavily 

on him and with the connivance of the 

leadership of the then Federal government, 

the state suffered casualties. The state’s public 

institutions were set ablaze and Ngige himself 

was kidnapped. 

Prof. Chinua Achebe, a renowned writer and 

poet alluded to this in his open letter to the 

Federal Government wherein, he rejected the 

honour bestowed on him by the Federal 

authorities.“ 

Notwithstanding, the acrimonious 

situation and the subterranean moves by his 

political detractors to decapitate his 

government, the giant in Ngige came to the 

fore because, he did not take it as an alibi not 

to perform. 

He revolutionised governance and for the 

first time in the history of the Anambra State, 

the people felt good governance. 

The roads were opened up and paved. The 

roads are still there today while the roads 

built by his successors are now replete with 

potholes and devastation. 

The accumulated salaries were paid 

including pension 

arrears.“The 

pensioners that 

were once 

described as “dead 

w o o d s ” 

transmuted into 

“living wood” 

because they 

received enhanced 

salaries. 

As development 

strategist, Ngige 

saw the need to 

unbundle Onitsha, 

a city that prides 

itself as the haven 

Though it is 

not yet Uhuru, 

however, it must 

be admitted that 

Ngige has no 

doubt made a 

positive impact, 

an indelible 

presence in the 

u s u a l l y 

controversial 

ministry 

for the largest market in West Africa. 

He relocated markets to other adjoining 

towns like Ogidi, Oba and Ogbunike. Today 

these areas are now springing up as beautiful 

cities to behold. Thanks also to the enhanced 

good road network. 

As a selfless giant, he was prepared to 

sacrifice his exalted position instead of 

allowing political scavengers to steal the 

public funds meant for the good of the people. 

I recall that he was once advised by one of the 

party chieftains to settle the political vampires 

and remain in power as governor or he might 

lose his governorship seat. He retorted to him 

that he would not mind since he was not born 

a governor. 

Ngige remains the only governor of a state 

who governed without security because 

during the political brouhaha that bedevilled 

the state, the Federal Government withdrew 

his security detail and left him vulnerable. 

He remained undaunted and maintained law 

Dr. Chris Ngige 

and order in the state. 

It was not, therefore, surprising that Ngige 

lost his governorship seat in March 2006. 

The people mourned and wept. In 

appreciation of his good governance, the 

masses gave him delectable sobriquets such 

as Igbo leader, Ozoigbondu, Onwa, 

Onyilimagba. 

He felt, however, he had laid the foundation 

for good governance in the state. No doubt, 

his successors – Peter Obi and Willy Obiano 

had no choice than to perform. It is true that 

they have not matched his performance, 

however, credit should be given to them that 

they have tried to build on his foundation. 

To his political detractors, who taunted him 

that he did not win 2003 governorship 

election, Ngige demonstrated the giant in 

him in subsequent elections he contested. He 

won the Anambra Central Senatorial ticket 

in 2011 defeating a very popular candidate – 

Prof. Dora Akunyili who had the strong 

backing of the sitting Governor Peter Obi. 

As a strategist, Ngige could read the 

political pendulum; he did that in 2015 when 

he advised his people not to put their political 

choice on one candidate and that the political 

pendulum was swinging to the North. Some 

of his people did not listen to him. True to his 

political permutations, All Progressives 

Congress won the presidential election 

vindicating him. 

He was later appointed a Minister of 

Labour and Productivity where he discharged 

the job creditably. He is presently one of the 

ministerial nominees. 

Ngige presided over and ensured that the 

long agitation of the workers for enhanced 

wages came into fruition with the increase in 

minimum wages. 

The Ministry of Labour and Productivity 

came alive with activities that enhanced 

workers welfare, improved employees/ 

employer relationship and creation of 

employment. 

Though it is not yet Uhuru, however, it must 

be admitted that Ngige has no doubt made a 

positive impact, an indelible presence in the 

usually controversial ministry. It was, 

therefore, not unexpected that Ngige at the 

twilight of his tenure as the Minister of Labour 

and Productivity had issues with one of the 

trade union labour centres. What does one 

expect when one is relating with an 

organisation whose cardinal credo is “Aluta 

Continua” (The struggle continues). 

Even though this piece is not meant to delve 

into the issues between Ngige and the trade 

union, suffice it to state that it is ultra vires of 

the trade union to question the appointment 

of chairmanship of a parastatal by the 

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 

who has the statutory right to do so. The trade 

union did not quarrel with Ngige over the 

minimum wage that benefitted all the 

workers. One needs not say more! 

Today, Ngige has been re-appointed a 

Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria to 

the cheering of the good of people of Nigeria 

and admirers of good performance. 

One congratulates Ngige, one 

congratulates him also as he marks August 

8, 2019 his birthday anniversary. We need to 

celebrate our leaders especially those of them 

who have distinguished themselves in 

ensuring good governance and qualitative 

leadership. 

Onwa, you are celebrated and urged to keep 

up with the good work. Bravo! Ngige the 

Giant! 

Mr. Anyadubalu a lawyer, writes from 

129, Okota Road, Okota Lagos Nigeria. 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 , 2019—45 

RUGA settlements' controversy pushing 

divisions in the country to near-breaking point (2) 

This is the concluding part of the essay 

by Prof. Ben Nwabueze. The first part was 

published yesterday. 

WHILE using the dung to generate power 

in addition to using it as manure for crop 

farming. The era of cattle roaming around 

is over across the world. Nigeria cannot be 

an exception. Our target is to eliminate 

roaming and the attendant conflicts 

between herders and crop farmers. We want 

to stop rustling and kidnappings by young 

Fulanis who wander around in the guise of 

herdsmen. We want to improve the breed of 

cattle through artificial insemination. This 

has been done successfully in Brazil, 

Argentina, Tanzania, Pakistan. Even Ghana 

started it last year. That is the way to go.” 

These are evident advantages which it 

would be idle to deny. 

Pernicious implications and 

consequences of Ruga settlements in 

every state of the federation: The evident 

advantages of ranching can be pursued 

without integrating it with the settlement 

of Fulani herdsmen on lands belonging to 

other ethnic nationalities and their 

constituent villages and families; these are 

mostly lands passed on from generation to 

generation, and regarded as an inviolable 

inheritance, jealously guarded against 

encroachment by outsiders; any such 

encroachment excites the deepest 

sensibilities of the indigenous owners. 

The settlement of Fulani herdsmen on 

such lands is bound to give rise to conflicts 

in the political, social, cultural and 

economic relations between the Fulani 

settler groups and the host indigenous 

communities, especially given the 

hegemonic tendencies of the Fulanis or, as 

Yinka Odumakin puts it in an article in the 

Vanguard of July 9, 2019, given the Fulani’s 

“expansionist agenda meant for ethnic 

conquest and domination.” It is monstrous 

that any one, who means well for the 

country, should ever 

have conceived the 

idea of Fulani 

settlements on lands 

owned and settled by 

other ethnic nations 

comprised in the 

country. It is simply 

a monstrous idea 

which should never 

have been conceived 

by anyone, even with 

the consent of the 

No solution 

to our 

problems can 

come out of 

the proposed 

national 

dialogue 

indigenous owners of the lands in which 

the Fulani herdsmen are to be settled. There 

should be no objection to the establishment 

of Ruga Settlements in areas of the country 

settled by the Fulanis as their traditional 

habitat, so long as this is not funded from 

money belonging in common to all of us. 

Way forward: A National Dialogue has 

been suggested, no doubt with good 

intentions, by former President, Dr. 

Olusegun Obasanjo as the way forward, but 

I, for one, do not see how a national dialogue 

can provide a solution to our problems. It 

cannot, because President Buhari, as the 

person to convene the dialogue, organize it 

and perhaps preside over it is himself the 

problem facing the country; so he cannot 

be the solution. Here is a man who contested 

election for the presidency of Nigeria four 

consecutive times, winning on the fourth 

occasion. 

What drove him to contest the election 

four consecutive times? Was it the ordinary 

ambition to become President? The 

explanation is provided in a speech 

delivered before an audience of exclusively 

prominent Northern Moslem leaders on 

May 2, 2015 at Queen Amina Hall, 

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. 

He said: “I charge you to join me as we 

build a new Northern Nigeria in a 

generation.....the best investment we can 

make in the North is not finding oil in the 

Chad Basin....we will start with one local 

government in each state until we get to 

every school in all of Northern Nigeria.....To 

achieve this, I have secured a Northern 

rehabilitation fund.....to rebuild the North 

after the devastation of Boko Haram 

insurgency.....Join me my brothers and 

sisters and let us finish the work our 

forefather, Ahmadu Bello, started.” 

The speech portrays the picture of 

someone driven by something more than 

the ordinary ambition to become President 

of Nigeria. It requires something more than 

that to drive a person to contest presidential 

election for four consecutive times. Buhari 

was driven by a passion, the passion of a 

religious zealot, a passion to enthrone 

Fulani hegemony; a passion to become 

President of Nigeria in order to carry on 

and finish the work started by his forebear, 

Sir Ahmadu Bello. 

According to Sheikh Gumi, in his book 

on Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna’s wellknown 

agenda of consolidating and 

perpetuating the idea of Northern Nigeria 

as one united entity “was conceived as a 

personal mission” handed down to him by 

his forebear, Sheikh dan Fodio. The agenda 

had an accompanying ideology whose 

object, as articulated by the Sardauna, was 

to maintain Northern Nigeria as a 

theocracy ruled by a Moslem claiming to 

be divinely directed, with utter disdain for 

democracy, and with the Sharia as the 

supreme governing law; the non-Moslem 

minority ethnic groups in the North are to 

be used as “willing tools”, and the South is 

to be subjugated and reduced to “a 

conquered territory”, which is not to be 

allowed to “have control over their future.” 

Marauding armed 

militia and herdsmen 

The Sardauna had conceived a kind of 

jihad for the pursuit and possible 

accomplishment of his agenda, an agenda 

which President Buhari had now vowed to 

carry on to a “finish”, and is doing 

everything possible to do so, as by the 

northernisation, islamisation and 

fulanisation of most strategic or key 

positions in the government, particularly 

positions in the security agencies, the 

unleashing of Fulani marauding armed 

militia and herdsmen on the country to 

terrorise, maim and kill innocent and 

defenceless Nigerians, men, women and 

children, driving thousands from their 

ancestral homes to a life of wretched 

existence as internally displaced persons 

in IDP Camps; to the designing of schemes 

and projects for the establishment of cattle 

colonies and now Ruga settlements in every 

State of the Federation. Like the Sardauna, 

President Buhari conceives the 

Northernisation, Islamisation and 

Fulanisation Agenda as “a personal 

mission” that must be accomplished 

whatever the costs. 

It does not seem to me realistic that a 

president with this kind of agenda and who 

has embarked on schemes and projects to 

actualise the agenda should be asked to 

organise and preside over a national 

dialogue aimed at liquidating or 

dismantling a deeply-embeded, if sinister 

agenda. No solution to our problems can 

come out of the proposed national dialogue. 

The implementation of the 

Recommendations of the 2014 National 

Conference, as suggested by former 

President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, provides 

a better prospect of a solution. The 2014 

National Conference was organised and 

took place more than one year before 

President Buhari came into power with his 

northernisation, Islamisation and 

Fulanisation Agenda, and in circumstances 

completely different from those existing 

today. Needless to say, the implementation 

of the Recommendations should be subject 

to such modifications and changes as may 

be necessary or desirable. 

•Nwabueze, a distinguished professor of 

law and elder statesman, wrote from 

Lagos


vanguardnews 

Continues on Page 41 

@vanguardnews 

@vanguardnews 

NEWS 

HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Nigerians have right to protest 


“We submit that 

#RevolutionNow is 

fighting a proxy war for 

looters. It has allowed itself 

to become a willing tool in 

the hands of corrupt 

politicians and bad losers. 

By the way, what 

alternative do the 

champions 

of 

#RevolutionNow have for 

Nigerians as they seek 

violent regime change? 

Whether they call their 

#RevolutionNow violent or 

nonviolent, is it time yet for 

another election? Have 

they forgotten Libya? Can’t 

they see what is happening 

in Syria and Iraq? Real 

activists respect democratic 

ideals but the reverse is the 

case with our friends." 

See protest as wakeup 

call, Martins urges 

Buhari 

Reacting to the the 

development, Archbishop 

Adewale Martins, in a 

statement by the Acting 

Director of Social 

Communications, Rev. Fr. 

Anthony Godonu, urged 

the Buhari-led government 

to see the agitation as an 

opportunity to directly hear 

the complaints of Nigerians 

and redouble its efforts 

towards fulfilling her 

constitutional role of 

securing the lives and 

properties of the people. 

Archbishop Martins, 

while expressing his 

displeasure over the rising 

cases of insecurity across 

the country, particularly the 

kidnapping and killing of 

innocent Nigerians by 

armed bandits, warned that 

except urgent and concrete 

measures are taken to 

reassure Nigerians of the 

safety of their lives and 

properties across the 

country, things may soon 

get out of hand. 

“People may be forced to 

resort to self-help if the 


security agencies continue 

to fail them. The on-going 

protest by some groups is a 

reflection of the growing 

decay in the land and 

should be a wake-up call for 

President Buhari to be 

more creative and decisive 

in addressing the various 

agitations bothering the 

minds of Nigerians,” he 

stressed, adding that 

clamping down on the 

protesters will not make the 

problems disappear. 

“Rather, I would urge 

him, as the father of the 

nation, to pay attention to 

the issues that bother the 

citizens. President Buhari 

needs to address the nation 

on these issues and give 

people the much-needed 

reassurance and hope. If 

this is not forthcoming, 

people feel free to interpret 

events as they wish,” he 

cautioned. 

The Prelate, while calling 

for a speedy arraignment of 

those arrested in 

connection with the protest 

in the court of law, if there 

are enough grounds to do 

so, warned that the 

continuous detention of the 

protesters without trial may 

further paint the 

government as only paying 

lip service to the tenets of 

democracy. 

The Archbishop noted 

that the proper and real 

dividends of democracy 

include freedom of 

expression and assembly, 

including the freedom to 

protest. 

NLC demands 

immediate release of 

Sowore, other 

protesters 

Demanding for the 

immediate release of 

Sowore and other 

protesters, the NLC in a 

statement in Abuja insisted 

that peaceful protest against 

bad governance or 

perceived anti-people 

government policies is one 

of the critical fundamental 

rights that expanded the 

entrenchment and growth 

of democracy. It said the 

security agencies must not 

be allowed to continue to 

portray themselves as antidemocracy 

forces. 

NLC in the statement by 

its General Secretary, Dr 

Peter Ozo-Eson, said: “It is 

with deep consternation 

that we view the attacks 

and arrests of peaceful 

protesters in some parts of 

the country by security 

agencies and military 

personnel on Monday 

during a protest by some 

Nigerians in Lagos, 

Osogbo, Ibadan, Abuja and 

other cities. There is 

nowhere in our constitution 

or laws that the security 

agencies are empowered to 

so brazenly attack peaceful 

protests and hound its 

organisers into detention as 

the right to peaceful 

protests, assembly and 

association is fully 

guaranteed by the 

Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria under 

sections 39 and 40. 

“We view the violent 

attack on the peaceful 

protesters by security forces 

as a total violation of the 

fundamental rights of not 

just the protesters but all 

Nigerian citizens as 

guaranteed by the 

constitution as well as 

various reported 

judgements of our Courts. 

Police arraign ASUU 

member, four others 

in Osun 

The Police, yesterday, 

arraigned five men 

allegedly involved in the 

#RevolutionNow protest 

before an Osogbo 

magistrate court. 

One of the suspects was 

said to be a member of the 

Academic Staff Union of 

Osun State University. 

They are: Owolabi 

Olawale, 32; Fagunwa 

Temitope, 29; Oluwafemi 

Johnson, 26; Owoeye 

Olaoluwa, 22; and 

Omoloye Stephen, 21. 

They pleaded not guilty 

to the three-count charge 

preferred against them 

bordering on conspiracy, 

unlawful assembly and 

breach of public peace. 

The prosecutor, DSP Felix 

Okafor said: “The accused 

persons assembled 

themselves in a manner 

capable of causing persons 

in the neighbourhood to 

fear and disturb the peace 

of the community.” 

He said they committed 

the offence at the Olaiya 

area of the state capital on 

August 5, 2019 around 1:30 

pm. 

Okafor said the offence 

was contrary to section 517, 

249(D) and 69 punishable 

under section 70. 

The counsel to the 

accused, A.O. Adegoke 

while praying the court to 

commit to bail in the most 

liberal terms, said one of the 

accused persons is a 

member of the Academic 

Staff Union of Osun State 

University and was 

randomly picked at the 

scene. 

The magistrate, A. O 

Ajanaku admitted the 

accused persons to bail in 

the sum of N50,000 with a 

surety each in like sum and 

adjourned the matter to 

October 16 for hearing. 

Ogun Police arraign 

four protesters 

In like manner, Ogun 

State Police command 

arraigned four protesters 

before an Abeokuta 

Magistrate court for alleged 

unlawful assembly . 

The accused persons, 

Daniel Abraham, 29; 

Afofun Festus ,18; Kolawole 

Seun, 25; and Okoro 

Romeo, 38, were charged 

for conspiracy, unlawful 

assembly and conduct 

likely to cause breach of 

public peace. 

They, however, pleaded 

not guilty to the three- count 

charge. 

The prosecutor, Benson 

Emenike, told the court that 

the accused persons had on 

August 5, 2019 at Abeokuta 

unlawfully assembled and 

engaged in a conduct 

likely to cause breach of 

public peace. 

He said the action is 

contrary to and punishable 

under section 516 of the 

criminal code laws of Ogun 

state (Revised edition ) 

2006. 

Counsel for the accused, 

Bumni Adelabu, during an 

oral bail application, 

prayed the court to grant 

the accused persons bail on 

liberal terms. 

The magistrate, 

Olarenwaju Onagoruwa 

granted the accused 

persons bail in the sum of 

N100,000 each and two 

sureties in like sum. 

Onagoruwa ordered that 

the accused be remanded 

in prison until they perfect 

their bail application and 

adjourned the case till 

August 15 for definite 

hearing. 

Tokyo Olympics 2020 

Dennerby invites 30 Falcons for Algeria 

Ahead of the first round of 

the African qualifying race 

for the Women’s Football 

Tournament of next year’s 

Olympic Games in Tokyo, 

Super Falcons’ Head Coach, 

Thomas Dennerby has invited 

30 players to start a camping 

programme in Abuja as from 

Thursday, 8th August. 

Nigeria has been drawn to 

face Algeria in the first round 

of the qualifying fixtures, with 

CAF declares 

Esperance 

Champions 

League 

Tunisian club Esperance de 

Tunis have been 

declared African Champions 

League winners after the 

Confederation of African 

Football’s disciplinary 

committee yesterday found 

opponents Wydad 

Casablanca guilty of 

abandoning the second leg of 

the final in May. 

This reverses an earlier 

decision by the CAF executive 

committee to order a replay of 

the second leg, in which 

the Moroccan side refused to 

play on after a VAR 

controversy. 

Both clubs had appealed to 

the Court of Arbitration in 

Sport, which last week found 

that the CAF executive 

committee’s decision was 

wrong and ordered the case to 

be heard by CAF’s disciplinary 

committee. 

Both clubs were also 

fined after a hearing in Cairo 

yesterday. 

BetBonanza for 

unveiling today 

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new Sports betting 

company BetBonanza is 

set to hit the market today with 

innovations that will give 

customers value for money. 

According to the Managing 

Director of BetBonanza Kunle 

Adeniji "We are coming to the 

market with a new identity 

and mission that offers 

customers better bet to change 

their fortunes for good 

We are ready to compete for 

our share of the betting 

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have a very strong team that 

understands customers needs 

and ready to offer them the best 

odds. We are coming from a 

very rich background with 

foreign partners that make our 

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Adeniyi affirmed that "We are 

offering our stackers the best 

odds and career opportunities 

for our agents and youths. 

Rather than waste their 

talents,we want our customers 

to commercialize their 

excellence. We want them to 

be exceptional, hence our pay 

off is Be Better.BetBonanza is 

the sure way to go as we 

provide high quality betting 


both legs of the fixture to be 

concluded between 

26th August and 

3rd September 2019. 

The Nigeria Football 

Federation has announced 

that the return leg of fixture, 

which first leg will be in 

Algeria, will take place at the 

Agege Stadium, Lagos – one 

of the venues inspected by a 

FIFA team on Tuesday as 

possible host venue of the 

10th FIFA U20 Women’s 

World Cup that Nigeria is 

bidding to host next year. 

All invited players are 

expected to arrive at the Chida 

Hotel, Abuja on Thursday, 

8th August. 

Goalkeepers: Jonathan 

Alaba (Bayelsa Queens); 

Christy Ohiaeriaku (Delta 

Queens); Tochukwu Oluehi 

(Rivers Angels); Chiamaka 

Nnadozie (Rivers Angels) 

Defenders: Glory Ogbonna 

(Ibom Angels); Chidinma 

Okeke (FC Robo); Abidemi 

Ibe (Bayelsa Queens); Ugochi 

Emenayo (Nasarawa 

Amazons); Margaret Etim 

(Rivers Angels); Maryam 

Ibrahim (Nasarawa 

Amazons); Maureen Okpala 

(Confluence Queens); Joy 

Duru (Nasarawa Amazons) 

Midfielders: Peace Efih 

(Rivers Angels); Osarenoma 

Igbinovia (Bayelsa Queens); 

Amarachi Okoronkwo 

(Nasarawa Amazons); Cecilia 

Nku (Rivers Angels); Adebisi 

Saheed (Bayelsa Queens); 

Cynthia Aku (Rivers Angels); 

Regina Otu (Pelican Stars); 

Celine Ottah (Bayelsa 

Queens) 

Forward: Adejoke Ejalonibu 

(Nasarawa Amazons); Rafiat 

Sule (Rivers Angels); Joy 

Bokiri (Bayelsa Queens); Alice 

Ogebe (Rivers Angels); Nneka 

Julius (Edo Queens); Tessy 

Biahwo (Bayelsa Queens); 

Lola Phillip (Nasarawa 

Amazons); Celine Ottah 

(Bayelsa Queens); Rofiat 

Imuran (Sunshine Queens); 

Joy Jerry (Bayelsa Queens). 

ITTF Nigeria Open: Aruna 

hopes to defend his title 

By Solomon Nwoke 

After his failed bid to win 

the ITTF Africa cup 

qualifier in Lagos, top seed, 

Quadri Aruna bounces back 

to the 2019 ITTF Challenge 

Plus Nigeria Open also in 

Lagos, which commenced 

yesterday with high 

expectations of retaining his 

title 

Aruna starts his quest on the 

third day of action, Friday 9th 

August, the day that marks 

his 31st birthday; he will want 

to make sure that this 

weekend he enjoys more 

than just one celebration! 

Speaking Wednesday in 

Lagos, he said, “last weekend 

was not as expected, but 

that's what the game is all 

about. Nothing is really for 

sure. However, I promise to 

be a good ambassador and 

P 

Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki has 

inaugurated the Local Organising 

Committee (LOC) for the 20th National 

Sports Festival (NSF) billed for March 20- 

April 20, 2020. 

The governor, while inaugurating the 

committee at the Government House, 

Benin, charged the members to organise the 

Games in a way that would attract sponsors. 

Obaseki said that the festival would have 

about 15,000 athletes and team officials in 

attendance and was big enough to attract 

resident of the West African 

Boxing Union (WABU), 

Mr. Remi Aboderin, has 

advised young Nigerian 

boxers aspiring to turn 

professional to take 

advantage of GOtv Boxing 

NextGen Search 5, as it 

represents the surest way into 

the paid ranks. 

Aboderin, who is also the 

Secretary-General of the 

Nigerian Boxing Board of 

Control (NBB of C), offered 

the advice while speaking at 

the NBB of C Secretariat in 

Lagos yesterday. 

According to the boxing 

administrator, GOtv Boxing 

NextGen Search 5, scheduled 

to hold on 29 and 30 August 

at the Kwara Stadium 

Complex, Ilorin, will provide 

young boxers around the 

country the opportunity to be 

assessed and selected by the 

will strive to defend my title 

and make my fans happy 

once again”. 

At the Africa Cup, Quadri 

Aruna experienced a real 

battle on his way to the last 

four, at the quarter-final stage 

against Senegal’s Ibrahima 

Diaw he needed the full seven 

games to ensure victory, only 

emerging successful by the 

minimal two point margin in 

the decider (9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 

7-11, 11-2, 7-11, 12-10). 

The name of Ibrahima Diaw 

also appears on the entry list 

for the 2019 ITTF Challenge 

Plus Nigeria Open, the two 

could well experience 

another epic battle but first of 

all the 27 year old, who has 

honed his skills in France, 

must qualify. Results 

achieved this year, notably 

reaching the third round in 

Thailand, suggests that the 

initial target will be achieved. 

WABU president advises young 

boxers on GOtv boxing 

country’s best coaches for 

nurturing and guidance that 

will elevate their craft. He also 

stated that boxers selected 

during the programme will 

have their professional 

licences and comprehensive 

medical examination paid for 

by the sponsors, GOtv. 

“My honest advice to talented 

boxers between the ages of 18 

and 25 is to seize the 

opportunity offered by this 

programme. The benefits are 

numerous. Aside from having 

the licences and medical 

examinations paid for by the 

sponsors, such boxers also 

stand a good chance of 

featuring at coming editions 

of GOtv Boxing Night, which 

exposes them to promoters 

around the continent because 

it is shown live on television 

across Africa. They cannot ask 

for more,” he said. 

EDO 2020: Obaseki inaugurates organising 

committee 

sponsorship from private corporations. 

“We are appealing to private corporations within 

and outside the country to leverage on the Games 

for the promotion of their goods and services. 

“This is also as a way of promoting their social 

corporate responsibility of giving back to the 

society,” he said. 

He said the sport festival would serve as a catalyst 

for youth engagement in Edo, boost the economy, 

fast-track infrastructural development, promote 

sports and position the state as a tourism 

destination.

Arsenal reject 

Everton’s £30m 

bid for Iwobi 

Arsenal have rejected a £30m bid from 

Everton for midfielder Alex Iwobi, 

Sky Sports News has said. 

The 23-year-old is under contract 

at the Emirates until 2022 and 

made 35 Premier League 

•Iwobi 

appearances last season, 

scoring three goals and 

assisting seven. 

However, Sky sources 

understand Everton are 

expected to return with an improved offer before the transfer window closes at 

5pm today 

Meanwhile, Everton have ended efforts to sign Watford midfielder Abdoulaye 

Doucoure. 

It is understood Everton are now considering alternative targets after their 

second bid of £36.7m was turned down on Tuesday. 

However, one midfielder who is expected to be on the move is James 

McCarthy after Crystal Palace agreed of a fee of £8.5m with Everton for his 

services. 

Coutinho rejects 

Tottenham loan 

move 

Philippe Coutinho has rejected a loan move to 

Tottenham, making a return to the Premier 

League unlikely before today’s transfer window 

shuts. 

Both Barcelona and the player would 

prefer a permanent deal but it is 

unlikely any Premier League team 

will match the £80m price tag. 

Tottenham boss Mauricio •Coutinho 

Pochettino phoned 

Coutinho in an 

effort to 

convince him 

to return to 

England, 

Sky Sports 

N e w s 

understands. 

But the 27-year-old, who enjoyed a successful six-month loan under 

Pochettino at Espanyol in 2012, will not be reunited with his old boss. 

It is understood few teams can match Barcelona’s valuation of the Brazil 

international, who they signed for £142m from Liverpool in January 2018. 

Coutinho has made 76 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 21 goals, but 

has fallen down the pecking order at the Nou Camp. 

Klopp influences 

Awoniyi’s move to 

Mainz 05 

It has been uncovered that the decision by Nigeria 

youth international, Taiwo Awoniyi to join 

Bundesliga side Mainz O5 on loan, instead 

of French Ligue 1 side Nice was not 

entirely the player’s. 

Awoniyi had his heart set on a move to 

•Awoniyi 

the French side but a meeting with 

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp made the 

21 year old to have a change of heart 

and instead joined Mainz 05 on loan 

two days ago. 

Klopp was not opposed to the striker 

who scored 11 league goals for 

Mouscron in a six months spell at 

the club in the second half of last 

season after struggling to make his 

mark at fellow Belgium side Gent. 

The Liverpool boss who played and later managed Mainz 05 convinced 

Awoniyi that he will get regular playing time in Germany at the club and his 

development is best suited to the environment of the modest team. 

Furthermore Klopp tasked him to maintain his goal scoring form at Mouscron 

in Germany to force his way into the senior national team of Nigeria as that 

will help his chances of securing a work permit which will make him eligible 

to play for Liverpool. 

•Omeruo 

•Lukaku 

Conte intensifies chase for Victor Moses 

Former Super Eagles winger, 

Victor Moses could still be signed 

by Inter Milan as the team manager, 

Antonio Conte has renewed his interest 

in the Nigerian international. 

Moses played an integral part in 

Conte’s formation during his 

managerial spell at Chelsea in 2016/17 

season, where the former Wigan star 

played as a wing-back. 

He played just 23 times for the club 

before Conte’s appointment at Stamford 

Bridge and he was expected to be sold 

in the Italian’s first summer in charge. 

However, the Nigerian was an 

unexpected beneficiary of Conte’s 

decision to move to a back three just 

weeks into his tenure at Chelsea and 


Omeruo goes for Chelsea 5m euros 

Spanish journalist Javier Martin, a writer for AS, has reported that Keneth 

Omeruo’s transfer to Leganes is all but completed, lacking only the final details, 

and will be completed “in days”, and he will cost “close to 5 million euros” in Spanish 

in a Tweet. 

The defender spent last season on loan at the Spanish club and really 

impressed. He followed that up with a good showing at the Africa Cup 

of Nations with his country, Nigeria. That will have boosted up his 

price a fair bit. 

Still, €5m seems a good deal for a promising talent, and after 

years playing for us on loan we can only wish him the best in 

Spain. Leganes play a defensive and structured style of football 

that should help him shine, and we wouldn’t be surprised to 

see him get a better move soon. 

We have a lot of options at centre back at the moment, 

and it’s been clear for some time that we won’t ever play 

f o r 

our first team. It’s a deal that suits all parties. 

Romelu Lukaku’s agent Federico Pastorello is in the UK for 

crucial talks with Manchester United over the Belgian’s 

future at the club. 

Lukaku remains in Belgium, where he has trained with former 

side Anderlecht despite United expecting him to report back to 

their Carrington training base on Tuesday. 

The club are furious at him for leaking private training data via 

Twitter last week and told him to delete the tweet via Pastorello. 

•Modric 

Zaha hands in transfer 

request at Palace 

Wilfried Zaha has handed in a transfer 

request at Crystal Palace, Sky Sports 

News understands. 

Arsenal and Everton have been 

•Zaha 

interested in signing the Ivory Coast 

international winger this summer. 

Everton have seen a £70m plus 

James McCarthy and Cenk Tosun 

bid for Zaha rejected. 

Palace are looking for at least 

£80m for Zaha and the player is 

understood to be very disappointed and disillusioned about the 

situation, according to Sky sources. 

Arsenal had been keen on signing Zaha before they signed his 

compatriot Nicolas Pepe from Lille for £72m. 

Lukaku’s agent in UK for Man Utd talks 

Madrid offer 

120m euros 

plus Modric 

for Neymar 

Real Madrid 

have offered 

€120 million 

(£111m/$135m) plus 

•Neymar Luka Modric for PSG 

star Neymar, 

according to Sport. 

Barcelona are also making a push for the Brazilian, 

but they must first offload Philippe Coutinho before they 

can bring their former star back. 

Meanwhile, Madrid president Florentino Perez is 

moving ahead with everything he has to steal a march 

on his side's biggest rivals. 

Mikel in Trabzonspor 

Europa squad 

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel is in 

line to make his competitive debut for Trabzonspor 

when they face Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League 

third qualifying round on Thursday, August 8. 

The central midfielder was among the twenty 

players that landed in the Czech Republic 

capital with Turkish Airlines on Tuesday. 

Nigerian striker Anthony Nwakaeme was 

•Mikel part of the traveling party but Eddy Onazi 

has stayed back in Turkey as he is still 

undergoing rehabilitation from a long 

term injury he suffered last season. 

Trabzonspor are returning to the 

Europa League after four years of 

absence and they failed to make it to the 

group stage during the 2015-2016 

season. 

Moses thrived as a right wing-back. 

Having come under criticism by his 

manager at Fernabache in the Turkish 

League, Ersun Yanal due to his lack of 

productivity, Moses ‘ place in the starting 

may be under threat. 

Antonio Conte needed someone to fill 

in at right-wing-back, and Moses ticked 

all the boxes. Throughout his career, 

though, he has never been a prolific 

wing-man. 

Four goals in 14 appearances are 

about what we have come to expect from 

Moses. Perhaps Yanal ought to adjust 

his expectations, rather than setting the 

Nigerian up to fail. 

The winger has 12 months left on his 

loan deal at Fenerbahce and Inter would 

have to negotiate with the Turkish side, 

as well as Chelsea, to agree to the deal. 

The 26-year-old is keen to leave Old Trafford in 

this window without having played a minute of preseason 

for Solskjaer’s side and feels he has been 

treated unfairly regarding losing his place when Ole 

Gunnar Solskjaer took charge in December. 

Serie A giants Juventus and Inter Milan have both 

been interested in the 26-year-old this summer but 

neither have been successful with their approaches, 

with United valuing him at £79m. 

StarTimes 

bags 

broadcast 

rights of 

Euro 2020, 

European 

Qualifiers 

Africa’s leading pay-TV operator 

StarTimes has acquired the 

UEFA National Team Football 

broadcasting rights between 2019 and 

2022. 

The company said it secured 

transmission rights for exploitation in 

all countries across sub-Saharan 

Africa, excluding South Africa, and on 

all media platforms. 

Football events include UEFA 

EURO 2020 which will be played from 

12th June to 12th July next year, as 

well as Qualifiers to EURO 2020, 

UEFA Nations League 2020/21 and 

European Qualifiers to FIFA World 

Cup 2022. All national friendlies are 

also part of the contract. 

StarTimes Sport Director Shi 

Maochu said that “StarTimes is proud 

to announce the acquisition of UEFA 

National Team Football rights. Euro 

2020 will be the No.1 football 

competition next year;it will feature 

some of the best teams in the world, 

including both finalists of last World 

Cup, France and Croatia. And to make 

sure fans get fully ready, we’ll 

broadcast all European qualifiers 

matches starting from the coming 

match day on September 5th.” 

StarTimes will broadcast European 

Qualifiers on its five sports channels, 

as well as on StarTimes ON streaming 

application, live and in HD in all Sub- 

Saharan Africa. 

“We always seek to bring the best 

sport content to our subscribers like 

the Copa America, which we 

broadcast last month and the ICC 

which is airing at the moment. And by 

acquiring all UEFA national team 

football events, we make sure our 

subscribers can enjoy the best matches 

up to next FIFA World Cup.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

1 Doesn't play fair (6) 

4 Sagacity (6) 

8 Spiny yellow-flowered 

shrub (5) 

9 Come down (7) 

10 Deer horns (7) 

11 Pastimes (5) 

12 Finished (9) 

17 Ire (5) 

19 Three score and ten (7) 

21 Discoloured (7) 

22 Discolour (5) 

23 Nonsensical (6) 

24 Fraudulent scheme (6) 

DOWN 

1 French brandy (6) 

2 Haphazard (7) 

3 Subject, topic (5) 

5 Visible (2,5) 

6 Sleeper's vision (5) 

7 Fashionable (6) 

9 Revealed (9) 

13 Sailor (7) 

14 Scandinavian country (7) 

15 Sickness (6) 

16 Young swan (6) 

18 Common herbage (5) 

20 View (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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08082019 - Storm as Kaduna govt lists fresh hurdles for El-Zakzaky

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