03122019 - Ganduje sends bill for 4 new Kano emirates afresh

MAILAFIA 31 

We must 

plan for 

Nigeria’s 

future, 

otherwise 

we are 

doomed! 

Police discover 

11 corpses in 

abandoned 

boat in Rivers 

•Policeman kills truck 

driver in Ondo over 

N50 bribe 

5m out of work; 450,000 jobs created in 2018 — WORLD BANK 

6 

My father had N7,000 in his 

account when he was killed 

7 

— MURTALA’s son 

13 

Taraba Assembly 

elects speaker, deputy 

41 

VOL. 26: NO. 63953 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

Ganduje sends bill for 4 

new Kano emirates afresh 

•Asks Assembly to okay new emirates in Rano, Gaya, Bichi, Karaye 

•Says new emirates annulled by court existed before Kano 

UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORTATION IN DAURA... 

From left, President Muhammadu Buhari, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Katsina State Governor, Aminu 

Bello Masari; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Ambassador of China to Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingjian and MD CCECC 

Nig. Ltd. Mr Jiang Yigao, shortly after the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina 

State, yesterday. STATE HOUSE PHOTO. 

5 killed as 

Police, IPOB 

members 

clash in 

Anambra 

15 

IKOYI PRISON 

TRAGEDY: 

42 

How 6 

inmates were 

electrocuted 

BORDER 9 

CLOSURE: 

Domestic fuel 

consumption 

down by 30% 

—Buhari 

UBA Group 

emerges African 

Bank of the Year 

again 

19 

•Subsidiaries win Best 

Bank award in 7 countries 

5 

19 

VAT 

revenue 

declines 

to 

N275bn 

in Q3’19 

Naira 

appreciates to 

N362.70 /$ in 

I&E window 41 

Mr & Mrs 

ODUMAKIN17 TENIOLA See inside 

18 

C 

M 

Y 

K

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 , 2019 — 3

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

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

Court orders seizure of Emirates 

Airline’s aircraft over 

judgment debt 

By Henry Ojelu 

LAGOS—A 

Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Lagos has ordered the 

seizure of an aircraft 

belonging to Emirates 

Airline over an N8.1 million 

judgment debt. 

The order was sequel to a 

motion filed by Dr Charles 

Mekwunye, seeking the 

enforcement of a Supreme 

Court judgment in a suit 

between Promise 

Mekwunye and the airline. 

Granting the reliefs 

sought by Mekwunye, 

Justice Mohammed Liman, 

held, “It is accordingly 

ordered that an attachment 

is hereby issued on the 

judgment debtor’s aircraft 

registered as ‘A6 Aircraft 

Type 77W EK: 783/784’, or 

any other aircraft belonging 

to the judgment debtor 

which flies into Nigeria 

Territory, to be arrested and 

detained until the judgment 

debt is fully paid: in default 

after 30 days, the aircraft 

shall be auctioned to satisfy 

the judgment debt.” 

The judge also ordered 

that Emirates Airline shall 

bear the cost of 

maintenance and custody 

of the detained aircraft. 

Miss Mekwunye who 

was then a student of North 

Texas University, Denton, 

Texas, USA, had in 2008 

dragged the airline to court 

for refusal of boarding of her 

two-way flight ticket from 

Dallas to Nigeria and back 

for no reason and for further 

refusing to fully refund the 

cost of the ticket of 

American Airline she 

bought to come back to 

Nigeria. 

She claimed that the 

airline offered no reason for 

its action, leaving her 

stranded for days at the 

airport until she was able 

to secure a more expensive 

flight ticket on a longer 

route to Lagos. 

In a judgment delivered 

on November 15, 2010, the 

Federal High Court held 

that the refusal of Emirates 

Airline to carry Mekwunye 

amounted to a breach of 

contract of carriage. 

Consequently, the court 

ordered full refund of ticket 

without any deduction or 

charge, and further 

granted N2.5 million in 

general damages and 

N250,000 in legal costs 

against the airline. 

I've no regret siting transport 

varsity in Daura — AMAECHI 

•It’ll provide technical skills, 

create jobs — Buhari 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

K Minister 

ATSINA—THE 

for 

Transportation, Mr Rotimi 

Amaechi, said yesterday he 

had no regrets siting the 

transportation University in 

Daura, Katsina State. 

He also said when fully 

operational, the proposed 

university would address 

the country’s railway 

infrastructure demands. 

Amaechi, who stated 

these at the ground 

breaking of the 

Transportation University in 

Daura, said: “When we 

sited the factory at Kajola, 

there was no noise, nobody 

debated about it, nobody 

abused us for it unlike the 

site for the university. 

‘’Daura is in Nigeria, it is 

not in any other part of the 

world. It is not in Niger 

Republic, Biafra or Mali, it 

is in Nigeria. So, what is 

wrong in siting the 

University of Transportation 

in Daura? 

“I have no regret siting 

this university where I have 

sited it, it is not because I 

want to get any gain.’’ 

According to him, the 

establishment of the 

university was an attempt 

at responding to the 

question of how we 

(Nigeria) will maintain the 

infrastructure we are 

building in the country. 

‘’It is my attempt at 

responding to the question 

of how to maintain and 

manage all the 

infrastructure we are 

building and realised that 

education is key. I engaged 

the companies, the first 

engagement was when they 

were constructing Lagos- 

Ibadan railway project. 

“They were not so keen at 

spending their funds to 

build a university for 

Nigeria until I refused to 

sign the contract for the 

Lagos to Ibadan railway. I 

insisted that I will only sign 

if three things were done. 

“The first thing is to take 

our children to China and 

train them by giving them 

first degree in railway 

technology. Today as I 

speak, 60 of our children are 

in their second year and we 

thank CCECC and 90 are 

on their way to China this 

week, making it 150. 

“The second is that, if we 

must sign the purchase of 

locomotives in China, they 

must build a factory where 

we can construct coaches, 

locomotives and wagon and 

today at Kajola, that factory 

is being constructed. 

“Finally, I insisted on the 

University of Transportation 

and today (yesterday), we 

are here for the ground 

breaking of the university.” 

In his remarks, President 

Muhammadu Buhari said 

the university would 

provide technical skills, 

enhance managerial 

capacity and pave way for 

innovation in Nigeria’s 

transport system, while 

creating more job 

opportunities. 

He noted that the 

transport sector was in dire 

need of new thinking, skills 

and investment, assuring 

that the university would 

open up opportunities for 

economic growth. 

COMMISSIONING: From left: Mr. Sherif Idi, co-founder/Chief Marketing Officer, TAJBank; Mr. Ahmed Joda, 

Director; Mr. Norfadelizan Abdul Rahman, MD; Ms. Mariam Ibrahim, Director; Alhaji Tanko Gwamna, Chairman; 

Mr. Kogis Luka, Director; Mr. Hamid Joda, founder/Chief Operating Officer; Mr. Tata Omar, Director; and Mr. 

Habib Alkali, Director, all of TAJBank during the commissioning ceremony of TAJBank in Abuja. 

EFCC: Buhari’s silence fuels plot to unseat 

Magu •CSOs, others plan protest campaign of character 

•Arrowheads want another CP to replace Magu 

•To stage rallies, press conferences, pass vote 

of no confidence in 6 geo-political zones 

By Doni daniel 

ABUJA—THE delay 

by President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

submit the name of current 

Acting Chairman of the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, to the Senate for 

confirmation as widely 

expected, has emboldened 

those working against his 

re-nomination to mobilize 

strongly against him. 

Vanguard gathered 

yesterday that those who 

authored adverse security 

report against him and 

instigated most senators 

against his confirmation 

had regrouped and 

suggested at least four new 

names to the President to 

pick Magu’s replacement 

rather than confirm him. 

It was learned that a 

serving police 

commissioner from one of 

the northern states is the 

preferred candidate of the 

anti-Magu forces being led 

by a former Department of 

State Service, DSS, 

operative who is still close 

to the corridors of power. 

Vanguard also learned 

that the arrowheads had 

begun clandestine moves 

against Magu with the 

sole objective of easing him 

out of the EFCC at all costs. 

They are said to have 

argued that Magu had 

completed his four-year 

tenure even in acting 

capacity and could only be 

reappointed at the behest 

of Buhari, who had not 

done so after the expiration 

of four years last month. 

The protagonists are of 

the view that another four 

years for Magu would 

cause more trouble and 

hardship to those who 

could no longer deal freely 

with their assets. 

A source said the 

protagonists had recruited 

some pliable civil society 

organizations and had 

been holding meetings 

with them in Lagos and 

Abuja to perfect the plans 

against their prime target. 

The source said one of the 

sponsors of the project was 

a high profile defendant in 

money laundering and 

corruption matter in the oil 

and gas sector. 

”The well-heeled player 

in the oil sector who has 

close relationship with a 

former oil minister is 

alleged to have mobilized 

huge funds to fund this 

ALLEGED JOB RACKETEERING IN MDAS: Nothing 

wrong in senators asking for job — SENATE 

By Henry Umoru 

A Senate 

BUJA—THE 

said 

yesterday there was 

nothing wrong in 

lawmakers asking for job 

placements for their 

constituents. 

It also promised to ensure 

that all senatorial districts 

were equally captured in 

whatever arrangement that 

came up. 

Speaking with journalists 

in Abuja, Chairman, 

Senate Committee on 

Federal Character and 

Intergovernmental Affairs, 

Senator Danjuma La’ah, 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, said: “There is 

nothing wrong in senators 

approaching the 

Committee on Federal 

Character and Intergovernmental 

Affairs to 

seek job placement for their 

unemployed constituents. 

“It is normal for 

colleagues to come to our 

committee because it is 

a better way to go about 

it. What our committee 

will do is to ensure that 

all senatorial districts are 

equally captured in 

whatever arrangement 

that comes up. It is not 

as if we are giving out 

letters of employment to 

anyone now. 

“What I’m saying is 

that if any senator 

approaches us and there 

is an opportunity, we 

would help. The 

senators are coming to 

us because we are the 

only committee to 

ensure even spread in 

terms of federal 

appointment.” 

The senator, who 

disclosed that 

Ministries, Departments 

and Agencies, MDAs, 

have been appearing 

before the committee on 

alleged 

job 

racketeering, said: “The 

MDAs have been 

honouring our invitations 

to explain the recruitment 

they carried out. We 

have told them to adhere 

strictly to the federal character 

principles. 

“We have also told them 

to always carry the 

Federal Character 

Commission along before 

they finalise any internal 

recruitment. Many of the 

MDAs have appeared 

before our committee. 

Each of them appeared 

before the FCC, so that 

the FCC will be pointing 

out if any of them is telling 

lies.” 

Recall that strong 

indications had 

emerged in October this 

year that the Senate 

was set for a showdown 

with some federal 

agencies and parastatals 

over alleged secret 

recruitment, just as there 

was palpable disquiet 

in the Upper Chamber 

over the matter. 

assassination and 

misinformation against 

Magu. 

Agenda in the coming 

days: 

*To address a press 

conference where certain 

allegations against EFCC 

under Magu will be 

unfolded. 

*To hold sponsored rallies 

against the commission in 

Abuja and Lagos. 

*To attack the hardearned 

integrity of the 

EFCC Acting Chairman 

and drive a wedge between 

him and his principals in 

government. 

*They have sponsored 

petitions before the House 

of Reps with certain 

allegations against the 

EFCC. (But concerted 

efforts had been put in 

place to tackle the petition 

while the matter is being 

addressed). 

*They are also relying on 

Sections 2 (3) and 3 (1) of 

the EFCC (Establishment) 

Act, 2004 to buttress their 

argument. 

Section 2 (3) states that, 

“The Chairman and 

members of the 

Commission other than exofficio 

members shall be 

appointed by the President 

and appointment shall be 

subject to the confirmation 

of the Senate.” 

Section 3 (1) states that, 

“The Chairman and 


Commission, other than 

ex-officio members, shall 

hold office for a period of 

four years and may be reappointed 

for a further term 

of four years and no more.” 

*But President Buhari 

has conpounded the 

problems of the arrowheads 

and leaders of the plot 

against Magu. 

Though different names 

are being bandied about as 

replacement for Magu in 

the corridors of power, 

President Buhari has 

refused to disclose his 

intention over the status of 

Magu. 

Besides, the President 

is keeping his decision 

on Magu to his chest as 

none of those close to him 

in Aso Rock can actually 

speak authoritatively on 

the matter.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

KADUNA BUDGET 2020—Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State (M); Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza 

Balarabe (2nd, L); Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dr Aminu Shagali (3rd, R) and others, 

during the signing of Kaduna State 2020 Budget into law, at the Government House in Kaduna, yesterday. 

Photo: NAN. 

Ganduje sends bill for 4 new 

Kano emirates afresh 

By Abdulmumin 

Murtala 

KANO—The Kano 

State Governor, 

Abdullahi Ganduje, 

yesterday, sent a fresh bill 

to the state House of 

Assembly to create four 

new emirates in Kano. 

This comes days after a 

high court sacked the 

recently created emirates 

and emirs, saying the 

state House of Assembly 

did not follow due process 

in creating the new 

emirates. 

Ganduje, however, 

appears determined to 

create the new emirates, 

despite the opposition by 

many Kano residents. 

The Commissioner for 

Information, Muhammad 

Garba, who disclosed this 

in a statement yesterday, 

said some of the emirates 

annulled by the court 

existed before the Kano 

emirate. 

According to him, the 

government’s move was 

to revive the emirates 

after several failed attempt 

by previous regimes. 

The statement read: 

‘’Kano State Executive 

Council has approved 

Emirate Council Bill 2019 

which provides for the 

establishment of 

additional Emirates in the 

state. 

‘’To this end, the Council 

has, with this 

development, endorsed 

the establishment of four 

new Emirates namely 

Rano, Gaya, Bichi and 

Karaye and forward same 

to the state Assembly for 

necessary action. 

‘’A press statement 

issued by the 

commissioner for 

Information, Malam 

Muhammad Garba at the 

end of the Council Session 

held at the Council 

Chambers, Government 

House, Kano, yesterday, 

indicated that some of 

these Emirate have even 

pre-dated Kano in ancient 

times, while the effort to 

revive them during the 

Second Republic was 

short-lived.’’ 

He said while the 

Council seriously 

discussed the decadelong 

clamour for the 

establishment of 

additional emirates in the 

state, with a view to 

bringing more 

development to the 

people of the new 

emirates, the exercise was 

also informed by the need 

to bring traditional 

institutions closer to the 

people, in addition to 

facilitating speedy socioeconomic 

development 

and security in the state. 

He indicated further 

that the introduction of the 

free and compulsory 

education at Basic and 

Secondary levels require 

the active participation of 

the community, especially 

the traditional institutions, 

for its successful 

implementation. 

The commissioner 

pointed out that the 

Emirate Council Bill 2019 

was amended in the 

public interest, following 

a Kano High Court action 

that nullified the law on 

the ground that the 

On refusal of DSS to release Sowore, Bakare (3) 

petition was presented to 

the Assembly by a private 

person and not a member 

of the House. 

The Council, according 

to him, therefore, called 

on the state House of 

Assembly to expedite 

action on the passage of 

the bill in the interest of 

the public. 

It would be recalled that 

a state high court 

reversed an earlier 

decision that led to the 

creation of the four 

emirates. 

Police Commission loses suit against IGP 

over recruitment 

ABUJA—A Federal 

High Court sitting 

in Abuja has dismissed 

the suit filed by the Police 

Service Commission, 

PSC, against the 

Inspector General of 

Police, Mohammed 

Adamu. 

The PSC had 

approached the court 

seeking 

a 

pronouncement that it 

was the statutory body 

charged with the 

enlistment of rank and 

file, also known as 

constable recruitment in 

the Nigeria Police Force. 

Delivering judgement 

on the matter yesterday, 

Justice Iyang Ekwo, 

dismissed the suit 

brought by the police 

commission. 

He held that by the 

provision of Section 71 of 

the Police Act, it was the 

Nigeria Police Council 

under the leadership of 

the IGP that was 

empowered with the 


file in the force. 

According to the judge, 

there is nothing in the 

documentary evidence 

placed before the court 

by the PSC to support its 

claims that the IGP has 

usurped the powers of 

the commission in the 


file into the Nigerian 

police. 

In the suit, the PSC 

asked the court to stop 

the ongoing recruitment 

exercise of 10,000 

constables by the 

Nigeria Police Force. 

The court, however, 

insisted that the Police 

Council under the 

control of the IGP was 

the statutory body to 

carry out such an 

exercise. 

By Bose Adelaja & 

Olayinka Latona 

A bad precedent had been 

set in the case of Nnamdi 

Kanu who was granted bail 

but travelled out of the 

country leaving his teaming 

supporters behind and those 

who made a case for his bail 

could not produce him when 

his presence was needed in 

court. If I am related to 

Sowore, I will advise him to 

send emissaries to President 

Buhari. That will likely get 

him out fast. 

—Adinlewa Bode, 

Businessman 

This means the DSS has 

no respect to the rule of law. 

How can they barefacedly 

disregard the orders of the 

court? The DSS represents 

the government and I expect 

them to carry out the court 

order. The federal 

government is simply 

encouraging it security 

agencies to disobey the 

orders of the court and this 

is dangerous for the nation. 

—Oyedele Ebenezer, 

Artist 

When they were 

committing the alleged 

crime, they didn’t think of 

the consequences. 

The lawyers they 

employed to pursue their 

case may believe they have 

a good case but the 

operatives know the 

direction of the ethics of their 

profession. My believe is 

that the DSS know what 

they are doing and should 

be allowed to do their job. 

—Paul Rosanwo, 

Farmer 

Continuous detention of 

Sowore and Bakare is an 

infringement on their 

rights. The DSS that was 

quick to act when it was 

granted an order to detain 

sowore for about 45days, all 

of a sudden decline to obey 

the Order from the same 

court granting him. This act 

of continuous violation of 

the law does not send good 

signal to other countries 

about Nigeria. 

—S. M Olatunji, 

Lawyer 

The only thing I have 

to say is that the 

government should 

pardon Sowore and let 

him go since he has 

fulfilled the bail 

condition. At least he 

has learnt a lesson that 

he has no right to say 

anything he likes or do 

anything he wants. 

They should just let 

him go. 

— Isah Olalekan, 

Civil servant 

Gradually Nigeria is 

tilting towards an autocratic 

rule and we are overlooking 

the pointers. The detention 

of Sowore is something we 

all need to be concerned 

with. DSS has no reason to 

continue the detention of 

Sowore since he has 

already fulfilled his bail 

terms. It clear they have 

other reasons unknown to 

the public for keeping him. 

—Philomena 

Chinenyenwa. 

Researcher.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 


Environmental 

offences: 

LASG 

prosecutes 9, 

nabs fake 

LAGESC officer 

•Sentenced 

to one 

weeek in 

prison or 

N5,000 fine 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

NINE persons arrested 

for violating the 

environmental laws of Lagos 

State have been arraigned 

by Lagos State Environment 

Sanitation Corp, LAGESC. 

The violators were arrested 

during the joint operation 

exercise by LAGESC and 

the Lagos State Waste 

Management Authority, 

LAWMA, in different 

locations for indiscriminate 

dumping of refuse. 

The offenders include 

Gabriel Joel, 25; Segun 

Adekunle, 30; Joel Godwin, 

20; Kabiru Aliu, 44; Aminu 

Lawal, 44; and Christy 

Nwamkama. 

Others are Ochanya 

Ejembi, 20; Mercy Amu, 20, 

and Garuba Kadiri, 20. 

The offenders were 

arraigned before Chief 

Magistrate M. A. Ojo for 

illegally dumping refuse in 

a public place, contrary to 

the Environmental 

Management and 

Protection Law, 2017. 

Judgement 

When their charge was 

read by the court, they 

pleaded guilty and begged 

the magistrate to temper 

justice with mercy. 

The magistrate ruled that 

the offenders be imprisoned 

for one week or pay a fine 

of N5,000. 

However, seven out of the 

offenders fulfilled their bail 

conditions while two others, 

Kabiru Aliyu and Aminu 

Lawal, were remanded 

pending the fulfilment of 

their bail conditions or 

acceptance of option of 

imprisonment. 

Commenting on the 

incident, the Corps Marshal 

of the agency, 

Commissioner of Police 

Akinpelu Gbemisola (retd), 

noted that the present 

administration of Governor 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu is 

passionate about the safety 

of lives and cleanliness of 

the environment and have 

directed LAGESC officials to 

clamp down on all violators 

of environmental sanitation 

laws in the state. 

South African police officer jailed 30 years for killing Nigerian 

A 

South African police 

constable, Austin Luciano 

Reynold, who was found guilty 

of the murder of a Nigerian, 

Ebuka Okoli, has been 

sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

The court sentenced Reynold, 

yesterday, three days after he 

was pronounced guilty of all 

four charges preferred against 

him — one charge of murder 

and three charges of robbery. 

Twenty-four-year-old Reynold 

was accused of killing Okoli, a 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—A policeman, 

yesterday, reportedly shot 

dead a truck driver for 

refusing to part with N50 at a 

checkpoint in Owo, Ondo 

State. 

For fear of being lynched, 

other policemen at the 

checkpoint fled into the bush. 

The identities of both the 

policemen and the deceased 

truck driver could not be 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

PORT 

HARCOURT— 

ELEVEN dead bodies 

reportedly abandoned in a boat 

by suspected pirates at 

Jerusalem Creek, around Ke 

Clan, Degema Local 

Government Area of Rivers 

State, have been discovered by 

security operatives. 

A source, who gave his name 

simply as Emma, alleged that 

the victims were yet to be 

identified at press time. 

The source disclosed that the 

security operatives had sighted 

a boat with some unknown 

person from a distance towing 

another boat that had no 

occupant. 

Emma added that the security 

native of Anambra State, in 

Durban, a coastal city in Kwa 

Zulu-Natal Province in South 

Africa, in 2018. 

The officer shot Okoli at close 

range and robbed him during 

an unauthorised raid on the 

community, where Okoli 

resided. 

Reynold’s accomplice in the 

raid, Brinley Pallo, testified 

against him while giving his 

testimony before Shyam 

Gyanda, the presiding judge, 

ascertained last night, but the 

state police command 

confirmed the incident. 

Vehicular movement was 

halted for hours, as the 

aggrieved trailer and tanker 

drivers union in Owo town 

blocked the highway to protest 

what they called “the 

senseless killing of our 

colleague by policemen at the 

Uso checkpoint.” 

They made bonfires at 

different points in the town, as 

operatives, who had suspected 

the persons in the said boat to 

be pirates, tried to approach 

them, but the occupants fled. 

He said: “Yesterday (Sunday), 

afternoon, government security 

agents, on search operations at 

Jerusalem Creek in Ke 

community, had an encounter 

with suspected pirates 

operating in two speedboats 

and towing another from a 

distance. 

“During the encounter, the 

pirates abandoned the towed 

boat and fled into a nearby 

creek. A further search by the 

security men on the 

abandoned boat revealed 11 

dead bodies and one AK-47 

rifle. 

“It was reported that the 

on Friday. 

Reacting to the news of the 

conviction earlier, Abike Dabiri- 

Erewa, Chairman/CEO of 

Nigerians in Diaspora 

Commission, NIDCOM, 

expressed relief, saying justice 

had been served. 

“We are glad that justice has 

been done,” she said. 

She added: “We had always 

stated that there have to be 

consequences for actions. We 

are glad that this case finally 

commuters were seen 

stranded and held in the 

gridlock. 

An eyewitness told Vanguard 

that the truck driver, who was 

heading towards Okene in a 

green-coloured truck laden 

with a red Tokunbo car, had an 

argument with the policemen 

at the checkpoint over bribe. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

truck driver, who refused to 

offer the bribe to the 

policemen, was subsequently 

11 corpses discovered in 

abandoned boat in Rivers 

incident was a suspected case 

of an attack on seafarers and 

local community members at 

New Jerusalem waterside 

about an hour earlier. 

In a related development, 

security operatives found a 

den of kidnappers around 

Akada area of Elele community 

in Ikwerre council. 

A source disclosed that two 

of the gang members, Chidi 

Amaechi, alais Pepper, and 

Oyenma Aniah, alias Otega, 

were shot dead, while an AK- 

47 and locally-fabricated pistol 

were recovered. 

However, at press time, the 

Public Relations Officer of the 

Rivers State Police Command, 

DSP Nnamdi Omoni, could not 

confirm the reports. 

came to an end and South Africa 

has demonstrated the political 

will to deal with xenophobia.” 

She asked Nigerians in 

South Africa to adhere to 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s admonition to be on 

their best behaviour. 

She also said Nigeria and 

South Africa will work towards 

a united Africa and bring to 

justice perpetrators of 

violence, irrespective of their 

nationality. 

The vessel carrying the largest single piece of equipment (crude distillation column) for Dangote Refinery, Lekki, berthing at 

Dangote Jetty on Sunday, December 1. 

Policeman kills truck driver in Ondo over N50 at checkpoint 

shot in the head and died on 

the spot. 

An attempt by police 

reinforcements to disperse the 

protesting drivers proved 

abortive, even when the 

policemen shot sporadically to 

scare them. 

The protesting drivers 

refused to leave the scene 

despite the shooting, 

following which the policemen 

drove away in a hurry. 

Contacted the police imagemaker, 

Femi Joseph, described 

the killing of the truck driver 

as sad and unfortunate. 

Joseph assured the public 

that the culprit would be 

brought to book. 

He said the development 

“should be treated as an 

isolated case, because it does 

not represent the character of 

the Nigerian police.” 

Joseph pointed out that a 

Deputy Commissioner of 

Police in the command had 

visited the scene of the 

incident and appealed for 

calm. 

He pleaded with members of 

the public to await the outcome 

of the enquiry by the state 

police command. 

According to him, “we will 

ensure that the culprit is 

brought to book. We have 

visited the scene of the 

incident and I can assure that 

the incident will not be swept 

under the carpet, while the 

culprit will be brought to 

book.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019—7 

:Vanguard News 

:@vanguardnews 

I became orphaned at young age—Buhari 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, said he became an 

orphan at a young age and that 

his nine years in boarding school 

and joining the Army shaped his 

life. 

The President also said Nigeria’s 

socio-economic and political 

salvation will come from 

education. 

The President, in a statement 

by his Special Adviser on Media 

and Publicity, Mallam Garba 

Shehu, urged citizens to embrace 

learning as a way of life, while 

the government will do its best to 

provide access. 

He spoke when he was 

By Shina Abubakar 

OSOGBO—SON of the late 

Head of State, Gen. Murtala 

Muhammed, Risqua 

Muhammed, yesterday, 

disclosed that his father had only 

N7,000 in his account when he 

was killed in 1976. 

Speaking after unveiling the 

statue of the late Head of State 

built by students resident at the 

Murtala Muhammed 

postgraduate hall, Obafemi 

Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 

Risqua said: “My father served 

the country wholeheartedly and 

never believed in amassing 

wealth, but in legacies that could 

outlive him. 

“When he was killed, he had 

honoured in his country home, 

Daura, to commemorate the 50th 

anniversary of the founding of 

Community Secondary School, 

Daura. 

The President and five others 

founded the Community 

Secondary School as 

community service. 

Shehu, in the statement quoted 

President Buhari to have said that 

“he became an orphan at a young 

age, but his nine years in 

boarding school and joining the 

Army shaped his life. 

“I spent nine years in the 

boarding school, where the 

teachers showered us with love, 

care and total commitment. 

They treated you like their own 

children. 

“They commended you when 

only N7,000 in his account. This 

is the type of zeal the youth must 

emulate.” 

He said Nigerian youths have 

what it takes to drive the country 

to greatness if they exhibit selfrestraint 

and patriotism. 

His words: “We have a great 

country, with a lot of resources, 

especially human resources and 

a very talented young population, 

if we are desirous of having a 

great country. We should be 

among the top ten countries in 

the world. 

“If we jettison nepotism and 

allow a competitive environment 

meritoriously, Nigeria would be 

a great nation.” 

In his remark, the University’s 

Vice-Chancellor, Professor 

you did well, and flogged you 

on bare buttocks if you 

misbehaved.” 

He praised the current 

management of the school, 

which is now renamed Pilot 

Secondary School, Daura, for 

maintaining high standards. 

President Buhari implored the 

old boys association to carry on 

the good work they were going, 

leading up to the current 

position of the school. 

The leader of the team, Alhaji 

M. T. Bature, Sarkin Kudu of 

Katsina, said the vision of the 

founding fathers, including the 

President, had ensured the 

success of so many sons of the 

state, with many growing up to 

become professors, engineers, 

doctors and military generals. 

My father had N7,000 in his account 

when he was killed—Murtala’s son 

Woman abandoned by her family seeks 

N5m for cancer surgery in India 

By Esther Onyegbula 

A47-year-old woman, Yinka 

Popoola, who has chronic 

facial tumour, has called on the 

Lagos State government and 

Nigerians to help raise five 

million naira to complete her 

medical bill in India. 

According to Popoola, “the total 

expenditure is seven million 

naira, but the foundation which 

is helping me has been able to 

raise two million naira for 

accommodation, feeding, flight 

tickets with two attendants 

inclusive.” 

Explaining further, Popoola, 

who currently resides at Ayobo 

area of Alimosho in Lagos, said: 

“I really can’t explain how the 

sickness started. Before I 

contracted this disease I was a 

trader. Right now I can’t eat 

anything except liquid food.” 

Lamenting, Popoola noted that 

“I have been abandoned by my 

husband and five children. If not 

for the Solomon for Jesus 

Foundation, a non-governmental 

organisation that has been 

supporting me, only God knows 

what would have been my fate.” 

Mrs Popoola’s tumour has made 

her mouth disproportionately 

bigger than her face. 

According to a medical report 

from Lagos University Teaching 

Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, the 

victim was referred to them with 

the report showing malignant 

Gunmen kill 3 in Ondo 

By Dayo Johnson 

A KURE—UNIDENTIFIED 

gunmen, yesterday, went on 

the prowl in two council areas of 

Ondo State killing a retired 

principal and a knight of 

Methodist Church of Nigeria, Sir 

Karigidi C. A. and a 75-year-old 

security guard, Jimoh Teloye. 

A police source said the 

clergyman was murdered in 

coldblood at 3a.m. yesterday, at 

his residence in Ode-Irele, 

while the security guard, 

popularly called Yerepe, was 

killed at about 4a.m., same day. 

Owners of the shop at the 

commercial nerve centre of the 

town behind the central mosque 

popularly called Lagos Line, 

met his corpse yesterday 

morning. 

While it was yet to be 

Eyitope Ogunmodede, described 

the late General Murtala as a 

detribalised Nigerian, whose 

interest was to improve the lots of 

the citizens, as well as to place 

the country in a place of pride 

among the comity of nations. 

He advocated the study of 

history so that Nigerians would 

not just know the exploit of their 

heroes and icons, but also learn 

to celebrate their ideals. 

Coordinator of Murtala 

Muhammed Foundation, 

Solomon Okonkwo, said the 

ideals of the late head of state is 

towards a united and prosperous 

Nigeria, hence the student of OAU 

must be commended for their 

gesture to the family and the 

foundation. 

fibrous histiocytoma of the face. 

It was learned that Mrs Yinka 

Popoola case has been sent to one 

of their partner hospitals called 

FORTIS Memorial Research 

Institute Hospital in India, which 

can carry out corrective surgery. 

ascertained if the killers of the 

Lay President of the Methodist 

Church were armed robbers or 

hired assassins, the killers of the 

security guard reportedly 

burgled all the shops he was 

employed to guard, after he was 

strangulated. 

Eyewitness account said the 

hands of the night guard were 

tied and his mouth stuffed with 

his cloth to prevent him from 

raising alarm, before he was 

murdered. 

Vanguard was informed that 

“after his death, the robbers broke 

the shops with a big hammer and 

other weapons to have access to 

the shops.” 

Ikare Police Area Commander, 

Assistant Commissioner Razak 

Rauf, confirmed the incident, 

saying investigation was on to 

unravel those behind the killings. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Na people like this dey measure 

yam for housegirl. So man cannot 

come and chop smallN1,200? 

I suspect the Online Editor 

Maybe he's an importer of rice. 

Bros try northern borders



BORDER CLOSURE: Domestic fuel 

consumption reduces by 30% — BUHARI 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A 

B U J A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari 

yesterday said that the 

closure of land borders has 

helped to curb smuggling 

activities, especially rice. 

Receiving a delegation of 

Katsina State Elders Forum 

at his country home in 

Daura, Katsina State, 

President Buhari said the 

country’s domestic fuel 

consumption has dropped 

by more than 30 percent, 

following closure of land 

borders. 

The President in a 

statement by his Senior 

Special Assistant on Media 

and Publicity, Mallam 

Garba Shehu, said he 

(Buhari) had not given any 

date for the reopening of 

the land borders until the 

situation improved. 

He commended the 

actions taken by the 

President of Niger 

Republic, Muhammadou 

Youssoufou, including the 

dismissal of officials and a 

ban on use of the country 

as a dumping ground for 

Nigeria-bound smuggled 

goods, adding that the 

measures taken by the 

President of Niger were 

helpful and supportive. 

President Buhari 

acknowledged the 

hardship faced by border 

communities, following the 

ban on sale of fuel at 

stations 20 kilometres to the 

border, a restriction that 

also saw to the closure of 

all fuel stations in his native 

home, Daura. 

‘’Farmers must be 

protected. Dishonesty is 

deep rooted in the country. 

HEALTH TIPS 

By Sola Ogundipe 

How to cope in hot weather 

MOST 

people 

welcome hot 

weather, but when it’s too 

hot for too long, there are 

health risks. 

The main risks posed by 

a heatwave are not having 

enough 

water 

(dehydration), 

overheating, heat 

exhaustion and heatstroke 

A heatwave can affect 

anyone, but the most 

vulnerable people are 

older people, babies and 

young children 

people with a serious 

long-term condition, 

especially heart or 

breathing problems. 

The meteorological office 

has warned that a 

heatwave is likely over the 

next few weeks. 

Knowing how to keep 

cool during long periods of 

hot weather can help save 

lives. 

High temperatures can 

have a significant effect on 

people’s health if they last 

for days and the night in 

between. 

Monitor the weather 

FORUM: From left; Ope Oyinlola, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager, Axxela; Debo Barandao, Director 

General, West African Gas Pipeline; Senam Gbeho, Executive Secretary, The Gas Consortium; and Henry 

Sanyaolu, Regulatory Liaison Manager, Axxela, at the 2019 Ghana Gas Forum on 'Promoting Dynamic 

Policymaking Towards The Optimization of Regional Gas Resources' held in Kempinski Hotel, Accra, Ghana. 

Otherwise, the border 

closure would not have 

been warranted,’’ he said. 

He said the restriction 

was a temporary measure 

as the Nigerian Customs 

Service needed to 

ascertain outlets involved 

in real sale of products and 

those being used for 

smuggling. 

President Buhari told the 

delegation that he had the 

intention to forge ahead 

with poverty alleviation 

schemes and the 

agricultural and livestock 

reforms started by his 

administration in the first 

term, since the election was 

behind him and a 

government now in place. 

He explained that the 

reforms, especially those 

relating to the settlement of 

livestock herders, would 

forecast on the radio, TV or 

social media, or the Met 

Office. If you’re planning 

to travel, check the forecast 

at your destination 

learn how to keep cool at 

home. 

When it comes to keeping 

cool and comfortable, and 

reducing health risks, every 

tip helps. 

In hot weather, keep 

windows that are exposed 

to the sun closed during 

the day, and open at night 

when the temperature has 

dropped. Avoid the heat: 

stay out of the sun as much 

as you can. 

Have cool baths or 

showers, and splash 

yourself with cool water; 

drink plenty of fluids and 

avoid excess alcohol. 

If you have concerns 

about an uncomfortably hot 

house that’s affecting your 

health or someone else’s, 

get medical advice. 

Health risks from a 

prolnged heatwave can 

affect fit and healthy 

people, and not just those 

in high-risk groups. 

take time to accomplish, 

assuring that his deliberate 

choice of tested farmers as 

his past and current 

ministers of agriculture was 

informed by the need to 

carry his vision through. 

Earlier in his remark, 

representative of chairman 

of the Elders Forum, Alhaji 

Aliyu Saulawa, 

commended the 

achievements of President 

Buhari and Governor 

Aminu Masari of Katsina 

State in curbing the menace 

of bandits, kidnappers and 

cattle rustlers. 

He, however, drew a long 

list of requests which 

included a special 

intervention fund to assist 

victims of attacks, 

completion of the 10 

megawatts wind power 

project in the state, setting 

up of a North-West 

Development Commission 

and setting up of Ruga 

farm settlements, stressing 

that the farm settlements 

were urgently needed. 

The Forum also made a 

case for numerous 

infrastructure projects for 

the state, and for keener 

federal government’s 

scrutiny of benefits of social 

investment schemes. 

President Buhari, who 

promised to look at the 

requests, added that his 

constituency was the whole 

country and that he was 

determined to be fair to all, 

including those that voted 

him into office and those 

that did not. 

E-payment channels generate N43trn in Q3’19 

•Banks’ credit to private sector rise to N16.3trn 

By Elizabeth 

Adegbesan 

THE 

National 

Bureau of Statistics, 

NBS, said yesterday that 

electronic payment 

channels in the country 

generated a volume of 

800,201,498 transactions 

valued at N43 trillion in 

third quarter of 2019 

(Q3’19). 

According to the 

bureau, Nigerian Inter 

Bank Settlement System, 

NIBSS, Instant Payments, 

NIP, transactions 

dominated the volume 

and value of transactions 

with 298,988,572 volume 

of transactions valued at 

N26.18 trillion during the 

period. 

The NBS disclosed this 

in its selected banking 

sector data for Q3’19. 

The report stated: “A 

total volume of 

800,201,498 transactions 

valued at N43 trillion 

were recorded in Q3’19 as 

data on Electronic 

Payment Channels in the 

Nigeria Banking Sector 

revealed. 

“NIBSS Instant 

Payments (NIP) 

transactions dominated 

the volume of transactions 

recorded. 298,988,572 

volume of NIP 

transactions valued at 

N26.18 trillion were 

recorded in Q3’19.” 

Meanwhile, the NBS 

report stated that banks’ 

credit to private sector 

quarter-on-quarter grew by 

eight percent to N16.3 

trillion in Q3’19 from 

N15.1 trillion in Q2’19 

with Oil & Gas and 

Manufacturing sectors 

getting the highest 

credit allocation of N3.39 

trillion and N2.57 trillion 

respectively during the 

period under review. 

The report, however, 

showed that the number of 

non performing loans 

dropped by 24 percent to 

1.11 percent in Q3’19 from 

1.44 percent in Q2’19. 

The report stated: “In 

terms of credit to private 

sector, the total value of 

credit allocated by the bank 

stood at N16.25 trillion as 

at Q3 2019. 

“Oil & Gas and 

Manufacturing sectors got 

credit allocation of N3.39 

trillion and N2.57 trillion to 

record the highest credit 

allocation as at the period 

under review. 

“As at Q3 2019, the total 

number of banks’ staff 

decreased by 2.8 percent 

QoQ to 101,435 from 

104,364 in Q2’19". 

Gunmen kill 

two in 

Adamawa 

village 

UNKNOWN gunmen 

attacked Holma 

village in Hong Local 

Government Area of 

Adamawa State Sunday 

night, killing two people 

and injuring one. 

Locals say the attackers 

also burnt “more than 20 

houses and foodstuff.” 

The situation is now calm 

with the deployment of 

security personnel which 

comprise soldiers, the 

police, civil defense, and 

local hunters. 

The chairman, transition 

committee, Hong Local 

Government, Usman 

Waganda, has visited the 

village to sympathise with 

the victims. 

He said security 

operatives have been 

directed to fish out the 

perpetrators. 

“The local government 

will bring urgent relief 

materials to the victims to 

cushion their hardship. 

“Everybody should sleep 

with one eye open, each 

community of the local 

government is to form 

vigilante groups so that 

they can assist security 

personnel in the 

maintenance of law and 

order,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the village 

head of Holma, Michael 

Wayamomni, said the 

attackers stormed the 

village around 11 p.m. on 

Sunday and “fired 

gunshots, before setting 

houses ablaze.” 

He confirmed the killing 

of two people and injuring 

of one. He said four cows 

are missing. 

When contacted, police 

spokesman, Suleiman 

Nguroje, confirmed the 

attack. 

He said: “the details of the 

attack are sketchy. I am to 

be briefed by DPO of the 

area. I will get back to you 

as soon I get the full 

details.’’ 

This is the third time 

the village will be 

coming under attack by 

rampaging gunmen 

suspected to be herders. 

Trump Campaign denies press credentials to 

Bloomberg News 

THE 

Trump 

campaign says it will 

refuse credentials to 

reporters with Bloomberg 

News, the outlet owned by 

Democratic presidential 

hopeful Michael 

Bloomberg. 

After Mr Bloomberg’s 

official entry to the 2020 

race last week, Bloomberg 

said it would stop critically 

covering the Democratic 

candidates. 

But the outlet said it 

would continue to 

investigate US President 

Donald Trump’s 

administration. 

Mr Trump’s campaign 

called the Bloomberg 

decision proof of “bias”. 

“Since they have 

declared their bias openly, 

the Trump campaign will no 

longer credential 

representatives of 

Bloomberg News for rallies 

or other campaign events,” 

said Mr Trump’s campaign 

manager, Brad Parscale, in 

a statement on Monday. 

“We will determine 

whether to engage with 

individual reporters or 

answer inquiries from 

Bloomberg News on a caseby-case 

basis.” 

The president and Mr 

Bloomberg have traded 

barbs ever since the former 

New York mayor began 

weighing his decision to 

run. 

Announcing his 

candidacy, the billionaire 

businessman said he was 

standing in the race to 

“defeat Donald Trump”. 

“The stakes could not be 

higher,” he wrote in a blog. 

“We must win this election.” 

Just prior to Mr 

Bloomberg’s official entry, 

Mr Trump taunted “little 

Michael”, calling him a 

“nothing” and saying he 

“doesn’t have the magic” to 

make it to the White House. 

The Trump campaign’s 

decision to revoke 

Bloomberg News’ press 

credential highlights the 

potential challenges faced 

by the outlet as its owner 

runs for president. 

After the announcement 

from the Trump campaign 

the chairwoman of the 

Republican National 

Committee said the 

president’s own party 

would take similar action.

10 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

Truck Transit Park‘ll end 

Apapa gridlock —FRSC 

By Godfrey Bivbere 

& Funmi Ologunde 

L Federal 

AGOS—THE 

Road 

Safety Corps, FRSC, 

yesterday, tasked the 

leadership of the 

National Union of Road 

Transport Workers, 

NURTW, to consider the 

construction of the Truck 

Transit Park, TTP, which 

remains the panacea to 

the traffic gridlock in 

Lagos. 

Speaking with 

Vanguard at the 

Sensitisation workshop 

with the theme: Truck 

Transit Parks: A Panacea 

for Crash Free Haulage 

Operations, organized 

by the Nigerian Shippers 

Council, NSC and 

Federal Road Safety 

Commission, FRSC, 

Lagos Sector 

Commander, Corps 

Commander Hyginus 

Omeje, said the TTP 

should be established to 

reduce traffic challenges 

involving haulage 

operations in Nigeria. 

Omeje said: “There are 

opportunities given to 

private investors. It is not 

just a government thing. 

It is something private 

sectors should be very 

interested in. 

“I do not see the reason 

NURTW officials would 

not take it up upon 

themselves and build 

one or two of such parks 

and run it themselves. 

“I am challenging 

private investors to key 

By Gabriel 

Olawale 

into this opportunity and 

see how they can benefit 

from it. 

“It is important that we 

get it right because this 

is the way to go. All over 

the world, you will see 

truck transit parks. 

As a rule, truckers 

don’t pass without 

entering them; you need 

to come down, workaround, 

do circulation, 

eat and ease yourself. 

“One of the risk factors 

on the side of drivers is 

that some of them always 

have an ulcer because 

they don’t eat when they 

supposed to eat. 

“But with this transit 

parks, you’ll be 

compelled to eat and 

take a nap if need be, so 

that you don’t see a 

situation where you 

sleep off while driving. 

“There is a regulatory 

policy that said that 

when you drive up to 

four hours, you need to 

take a rest, and I don’t 

see why truck drivers 

should not abide by it. 

“TTP is one way to go 

concerning Apapa 

gridlock. If we have our 

ports automated, and 

have the truck transit 

park established, from 

there they will generate 

a call up to enter the 

port. 

“We need to have 

transit parks at; Ijebode 

axis, Ibadan axis and 

with each having the 

capacity of taking up to 

10,000-20,000 trucks, you 

can then link it up 

electronically with the 

ports.” 

Activist lauds Sanwo-Olu over 

minimum wage commitment 

LAGOS—A 

Lagos 

based right activist, 

and Convener, 

Campaign for Dignity in 

Governance, CDG, 

Comrade Razaq Olokoba 

has commended 

Governor Babajide 

Olusola Sanwo-Olu of 

Lagos State for his 

commitment to pay 

N35,000 minimum wage 

for the state workers. 

In a statement in 

Lagos, Razaq said 

Sanwo-Olu’s stand on 

the minimum wage is a 

testimony of that he is 

fulfilling his campaign 

promises made before 

assumption of office, 

stressing that, “this latest 

development would 

further boost the morale 

of the workforce and 

thereby put the state on 

good footing to move to 

the next level of 

economic growth. 

Olokoba said: “It is a 

testimony that Lagos 

electorate never made a 

wrong choice when they 

gave him their mandate 

to be at the saddle, the 

governor is acting out of the 

box to convince the people 

that they have not 

made a wrong choice in 

him. 

“There is no doubting 

the fact that his 

willingness to pay more 

than the N30, 000 

stipulated minimum 

wages for the state 

workers saying it is also 

an indication that his 

love for workers’ welfare 

can never be over 

emphasised. 

“A state that has about 20 

million population, which is 

more than the population of 

several countries around the 

world, would surely have its 

glaring limitations when the 

issue of solving the state’s 

problems arises.” 

CONDOLENCE VISIT: From left—Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola; Deputy Governor, Dr. 

Obafemi Hamzat, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, with the family members of late LASTMA 

official, Mr. Ola Oyeshina, during a condolence visit to the officer’s family at their residence in 

Surulere, Lagos, yesterday. 

ONE YEAR IN DETENTION: Court grants 

Navy Captain, Labinjo, N10m bailail 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—A Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Lagos, yesterday, 

granted N10million bail 

to a Navy captain, Dada 

Labinjo, who has been in 

naval underground 

detention for one year 

and three months. 

Labinjo has been in the 

custody of the Nigerian 

Navy since September 

2018. 

Justice Muslim Hassan 

ordered Labinjo to 

produce one surety who 

must own a landed 

property in Lagos and 

must show evidence of 

three-year tax payment. 

The judge also ordered 

that Labinjo should be 

released to his lawyer, 

Mr. Jerry Omoregie, 

pending when he would 

be able to perfect his bail 

conditions within 15 

days. 

Justice Hassan 

directed Labinjo’s lawyer 

to submit his Certificate 

of Call to the bar to the 

court’s registrar as a 

guarantee that he would 

produce his client for 

trial. 

Earlier, Labinjo was 

arraigned alongside 

others on two counts of 

dealing in petroleum 

products without lawful 

authority. 

Among the other 

defendants was Labinjo’s 

wife, Bola Labinjo, a 

Lieutenant Commander 

in the Navy. 

The Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, told 

the court that the 

defendants conspired 

among themselves 

between August and 

October 2018 to deal in 

Automobile Gas Oil 

(diesel), without the 

appropriate licence. 

EFCC said the 

defendants committed 

the offence within the 

Nigerian maritime 

domain and the Gulf of 

Guinea. 


Commission, the offence 

committed is contrary to 

sections 3(6) and 

1((19)(a)(b) of the 

Miscellaneous Offences 

Act Cap. M17 Laws of 

the Federation of Nigeria 

(Revised Edition) 2004, 

and were liable to be 

punished under Section 

1(17) of the same Act. 

However, the 

defendants pleaded not 

guilty to the charge 

against them. 

The other defendants 

were admitted to bail in 

terms similar to 

Labinjo’s. 

Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat visit family of 

slain LASTMA officer 


Akoni 

L 

A 

G O S — 

GOVERNOR 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu of 

Lagos State, his deputy, 

Dr. Femi Hamzat and 

state cabinet members, 

yesterday, visited the 

family of the late Mr. Ola 

Oyeshina Ganiu, Lagos 

State 

Traffic 


LASTMA, officer, who 

was killed by a mob 

around Apapa/Iganmu 

area while on duty last 

Friday. 

The late Oyeshina, 34, 

hailed from Osun State 

and was said to be an 

orphan. 

The governor and his 

entourage arrived the 

residence at Oni Street, 

Surulere, at about 5.30 

....Vows to deal with perpetrators 

pm to commiserate with 

widow and other 


deceased. 

Sanwo-Olu, who 

condemned the act, 

described it as 

“unfortunate,” vowing 

that the suspects would 

all be brought to book to 

serve as deterrent to 

others. 

The Governor, who 

expressed his 

displeasure over the 

gruesome killing of 

Oyeshina, said the 

incident of his 

unfortunate death is a 

wake-up call to all 

Lagosians, describing 

the attack on the 

LASTMA officer as 

“mindless and callous”. 

Seek career in profession with job opportunity, ICAN advises 

By Providence 

Emmanuel 

L President AGOS—FORMER 

of the 

Institute of Chartered 

Accountants of Nigeria, 

ICAN, Dr. Richard Uche, 

yesterday, advised 

individuals to seek 

career in professions that 

have ability to thrive 

when the economy takes 

a downturn. 

He said this during 

ICAN’s 64th induction 

ceremony for new 

members in Lagos. 

Uche said: “It is 

important to steer 

individuals towards 

careers in which they 

possess the necessary 

skills and aptitude 

required for success. 

However, from a practical 

standpoint, individuals 

should seek careers in 

professions in which the 

promise of ample job 

opportunities beckon. 

More importantly, 

individuals should seek 

careers in professions 

that have the ability to 

thrive even when the 

economy takes a 

downturn. 

“It is no longer news 

that there is high 

unemployment in the 

country but the comment 

from a respected 

international 

organization like the 

African Development 

Bank is ominous and 

foreboding. The bank 

recently expressed concerns 

about the lack of 

decent job opportunities for 

Nigeria’s teeming young population. 

“Accountancy is one of the 

most recession-proof and 

resilient professions during 

periods of economic lull.” 

Also speaking, President of 

ICAN, Mazi Nnamdi 

Okwuadigbo, said to stand 

out as accountants, the new 

members must take the 

institutes Code of Ethics as a 

guiding principle. 

He said his 

administration would 

“thoroughly prosecute” 

the arrested culprits to 

send a clear signal to 

those who have penchant 

for attacking law 

enforcement agents in 

the line of duty. 

His words: “In the last 

48 hours, we’ve had 

heavy brutality on men of 

LASTMA who were 

doing their work. We’ve 

had people whose legs 

have been amputated in 

the last 48hours whilst on 

the assignment that was 

given to them to bring 

about enforcement of our 

laws and orders. 

“I think this is the level 

at which we need to 

make this very stern 

warning that we will not 

stop at ensuring that we 

implement and enforce 

our laws not minding 

which force is involved. 

Lagos will not condone 

people that will not obey 

our laws. 

“We cannot be 

condoning reckless 

killing and sending our 

young men to early 

grave. This government 

certainly will not stand 

for that. 

“We are using this 

opportunity to tell people that 

Lagos wants to remain 

secured and safe for all of us.”

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 — 11 

Court orders forfeiture of two Saraki’s houses 

•EFCC’s action’s abuse of court process, says Saraki 

LAGOS—A Federal 

High Court in Lagos 

has ordered the forfeiture 

of two houses of Bukola 

Saraki, former senate 

president, in Ilorin, Kwara 

state capital. 

Rilwan Aikawa, a judge, 

gave the order based on an 

application filed by the 


Crimes Commission, 

EFCC. 

The houses are located at 

plots 10 and 11 Abdulkadir 

Road, GRA, Ilorin. 

However, reacting to the 

ruling last night, Saraki 

reiterated his position that 

the application to the 

Federal High Court, 

Lagos, for interim forfeiture 

order on his Ilorin home by 

the Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, was 

an abuse of the court 

process and a violation of a 

subsisting order of the 

Federal High Court, 

Abuja. 

Saraki, a two-term 

governor of Kwara, is being 

investigated by the antigraft 

agency, which alleged 

that while serving as 

governor of Kwara between 

2003 and 2011, he 

withdrew over N12 billion 

cash from the account of the 

Kwara government and 

paid same into his accounts 

domiciled in Access and 

Zenith Banks through one 

Xiaomi hits market with 4 phones 

XIAOMI Corporation, 

manufacturers of the 

Xiaomi brand has unveiled 

four phones into the market. 

The phones; Redmi Note 8 

Pro, Redmi Note 8, Redmi 

8 and Redmi 8A. 

Speaking during the 

unveiling in Lagos, 

Marketing Director of the 

company, Habib Shomoye, 

while describing capabilities 

of the phones said Redmi 

8 Pro is the brand’s first ever 

64 mega pixel camera 

smartphone, featuring a 

quad camera setup with 

liquidcool system, making it 

an ideal companion for 

photograpers and anyone 


seeking an accessible 

quality experience. 

He stated that the Redmi 

Note 8 sports a quad 

camera setup on the rear, 

has 48mega pixel ultra 

high resolution primary 

camera featuring a ½ inch 

sensor with f/1.7aperture. 

On the Redmi 8 and 8A, 

Shomoye said both 

promises an immersive 

experience and overall 

engonomics. 

He said both phones 

feature a 12mega pixel 

camerawith 18watts fast 

charging support on the 

Type-C port and 10watts 

fast charge inside the box. 

of his personal assistant, 

Abdul Adama. 

The EFCC told the court 

it uncovered monumental 

fraud in the treasury of 

Kwara when Saraki 

governed the state. 

In an affidavit filed in 

support of an ex parte 

application, Olamide 

Sadiq, an operative of the 

EFCC, said the move for the 

forfeiture of the houses 

followed the findings of the 

EFCC after investigation. 

He said: “Whilst the 

investigation was ongoing 

several fraudulent 

transactions were 

discovered. I know for a fact 

and verily believe that our 

investigation has revealed 

the following mindboggling 

findings, among 

others: 

“That between 2003 and 

2011, Dr Olubukola Saraki 

was the Governor of Kwara 

State. That whilst he held 

the aforementioned position, 

the common pattern was 

that after payment of 

monthly allocation by the 

Federal Government to the 

Kwara State Government, a 

cumulative sum of not less 

than N100 million will be 

deposited into the Kwara 

Government House 

account.'' 

The EFCC said it believed 

that Saraki acquired the two 

properties with proceeds of 

unlawful activities. 

Saraki reacts 

Saraki, in a statement by 

his Special Adviser on Media 

and Publicity, Yusuph 

Olaniyonu, noted that the 

Federal High Court in Abuja, 

presided by Justice Taiwo 

Taiwo, had given an order 

“restraining the respondents 

by themselves, 

their agents, or privies howsoever, 

from seizing, impounding, 

taking over, confiscating 

or otherwise forfeiting 

the Applicant’s (Saraki) 

right to own and 

peacefully enjoy any of his 

assets and properties. 

“The EFCC’s claim that 

the Ilorin property was built 

by any proceed of fraud is 

outrightly false. The fact is 

that the Ilorin property was 

built partly by the Kwara 

State Government pursuant 

to the Third Schedule of the 

Governor and Deputy 

Governor (Payment of 

Pension) Law 2010 while 

Dr. Saraki personally 

funded the remaining cost 

of the building. There are 

existing letters from the 

Office of the Head of Service 

of Kwara State notifying the 

former Governor (Saraki) of 

the State Government’s 

compliance with the State 

Pension for Governor’s law 

and the one indicating his 

intention to bear the cost of 

the additional expenditure 

that will arise from building 

the property to his desired 

taste dated 25th January 

2012 and 8th February 2012 

respectively. 

OML42: Oluba cautions 

against unfavourable GMoU 

PROMINENT youth 

leader in Gbaramatu 

kingdom, Warri South West 

Local Government Area, 

Delta State, Comrade Timi 

Oluba has advised 

chairmen and leaders of host 

communities in OML42 to 

be mindful and not to 

hurriedly sign a Global 

Memorandum of 

Understanding with oil 

companies that will not be 

favourable to the host 

communities. 

Oluba in a statement 

yesterday in Benin City, also 

identified what he described 

as unfavourable GMoUs 

signed by host communities 

and multinationals as 

responsible for the 

underdevelopment of host 

communities in Niger Delta 

region. 

He said: “I am not against 

host communities in 

OML42 signing GMoU 

with Neconde Energy 

Limited, but all stakeholders 

and host communities 

should be actively involved 

in the negotiation and 

drafting of the GMoU. The 

drafted GMoU should be 

made available to all host 

communities in OML42 for 

deliberations and inputs to 

ensure that all terms 

provided in the GMoU are 

fully agreed to and accepted 

by generality of the entire 

host communities before 

such a GMoU is signed.” 

New pain relief product hits market 

A 

new pain relief 

product, Real Time, 

from the stable of 

Naturesrejuvenate 

Limited, has increased 

the number of pain relief 

products in the market. 

Speaking at the 

presentation of the 

product in Lagos, Chief 

Executive Officer of the 

company, Pharm Jason 

Maduka, said the product 

which is in lotion form is 

an alternative to tablets and 

comprises of 17 natural 

ingredients which include 

Aloe Barbadensis leaf, 

Antieimis nobilis 

extract, Aruica Montana 

among others. 

He said: ''The product 

relieves pain from 

arthritis, backache, 

muscle strains, sprains, 

bruises and cramps and is 

a fast action pain reliever, 

working within minutes. 

'This product is highly 

effective.'' 

The Chairman of the 

company, Pastor Michael 

Abaribe said that, “Real 

Time Pain Relief Product 

is a product that is in a 

class of its own. It is a 

tropical analgesic, 

meaning, it is an 

analgesic that comes in 

form of cream which can 

be applied on a targeted 

area of the body. 

NIGHT OF TRIBUTES FOR BRIG-GEN MOBOLAJI JOHNSON 

The night of tribute in honour of Late Brigadier General Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson, first military governor 

of Lagos State held at Darlington Hall, Ilupeju, Lagos yesterday. PHOTOS: AKEEM SALAU. 

From left: Mrs Tobi Odunaya; Mrs Merit Ofulue, Oti Eden 

and Sarah Daniel. 

From left; Mr Seyi Johnson, Mrs Omobola Johnson, Mr Deji Johnson, Dr Lanre Johnson, 

Mrs Oreoluwa Johnson, Mrs Abayomi Johnson, Mr omotayo Johnson, Mrs Josephine 

Johnson, Peter Johnson and Ms Abimbola Johnson, all family members of the deceased. 

From left: Tunde Coker, Jide Coker and Fred Coker. 

(RIGHT): From 

left: Mrs Kemi 

Durosinmi-Etti, 

Permanent 

Secretary Cabinet 

Office; Mrs Shuli 

A d e b o l u , 

Commissioner 

for Tourism, Arts 

& Culture and 

Mrs Folashade 

Jail, SSG, all 

representing 

Governor of 

Lagos State. 

From left: Arch Segun Olubode, Mrs Remi Olubode; Ms Dupe 

Aganga-Williams and Mrs Titi Tunde-Johnson.


:Vanguard 

News 

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

Cross section of the participants, at the Vanguard Newspapers Executive Master 

class with Prof. Ndubuisi Ekekwe, of Harvard Business Review, in Lagos, yesterday. 

Photos: KEHINDE SHONOLA. 

20,835 nursing mothers still trapped 

in Benue IDPs camps 

By Peter Duru 

MAKURDI — Indi 

cations have emer 

ged that over 20,835 nursing 

mothers are still 

trapped in 28 official and 

unofficial Internally Displaced 

Persons, IDPs, 

camps located in seven 

Local Government Areas 

of Benue State. 

Vanguard gathered that 

the nursing mothers are 

among the over 483,692 

persons who were sacked 

from their destroyed 

homes at the peak of the 

herdsmen crisis in the 

state. 

According to figures obtained 

from the Benue 

State Emergency Management 

Agency, SEMA, 

there are over 5,192 of the 

nursing mothers in various 

camps in Makurdi 

and adjoining communities. 

Guma LGA which 

suffered severe attacks 

Border closure has curtailed violent crimes 

in North-West — FG 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

THE Minister of In 

formation and Culture, 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, 

says the ongoing 

border drill in four of the 

country's six geo-political 

zones has drastically reduced 

incidents of cattle 

rustling, kidnapping, 

armed banditry and other 

forms of insecurity in 

the North-West. 

The Minister stated this 

at the Customs Border 

Station in Magama Jibia, 

Katsina State, yesterday 

when he led a Federal 

Government delegation 

on a visit to Sector Four 

(North-West) of the Bor- 

during the crisis is home 

to 6,034 of the nursing 

mothers who are located 

in five different camps 

while Okpokwu and 

Kwande LGAs are hosts to 

173 and 335 respectively. 

Logo LGA which was 

also badly affected by the 

crisis is home to 3,700 of 

the nursing mothers, who 

are sheltered in six different 

locations, while Agatu 

LGA harbours 2,293 of the 

women and their babies. 

UNN: Ugwuanyi inaugurates 200-seater 

e-library donated by Rep Asadu 

GOVERNER Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi of Enugu 

State has inaugurated 

a 200-seater e-library furnished 

and donated to the 

University of Nigeria Nsukka, 

UNN, by the member 

representing Nsukka/ 

Igbo-Eze South Federal 

Constituency, Dr. Pat 

Asadu. 

Inaugurating the e-library 

amid jubilation, Ugwuanyi 

commended Hon. 

Asadu for the bold initiative 

aimed at improving 

the standard of education 

in the university. 

The e-library, which is 

located at Professor Paul 

Akubue Building, Faculty 

of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 

comprises 200 computers 

fully installed with 

internet facilities and office 

furniture. 

Speaking at the event, 

the Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical 

Sciences, Prof. 

A. A. Attamah described 

the donation as “marvellous 

and “unexpected”, 

adding the gesture has 

uplifted the university’s 

quest for educational excellence. 

The university’s 

Vice Chancellor, Prof. 

Charles Igwe, who was 

represented by the Deputy 

Vice Chancellor, Administration, 

Prof. Patrick 

Uchenna Okpoko, 

thanked the parliamentarian 

for “the wonderful 

gesture”, and commended 

Gov. Ugwuanyi for his 

good works in the state. 

Shortly after the event, 

Hon. Asadu was honoured 

with a grand reception 

by his community, 

Ovoko in Igbo-Eze South 

Local Government Area 

alongside the member 

representing Igbo-Eze 

South Constituency, Hon. 

Emeka Madu. 

The reception, which 

was attended by Gov. 

Ugwuanyi and other dignitaries, 

according to the 

people of Ovoko, was in 

recognition of the numerous 

contributions of their 

two illustrious sons towards 

the development of 

their community, the state 

and the country. 

The community also honoured 

Gov. Ugwuanyi 

with the chieftaincy title of 

“Ebubedike of Ovoko for 

his support and participations 

of their sons in active 

politics. 

Speaking, Dr. Pat 

Asadu, described Gov. 

Ugwuanyi as a worthy 

leader and great achiever 

with human-milk of 

kindness, whose positive 

disposition cuts across all 

segments of humanity. 

Earlier, the council 

chairman, Hon. Dr. Fidelis 

Odo, disclosed that the 

governor’s recruitment of 

forest guards and members 

of the neighbourhood 

watch has given succour 

to many families and 

provided security for the 

people of the state. 

der Drill, code-named 'Exercise 

Swift Response'. 

“The drill has drastically 

curtailed the inflow of 

arms and ammunition. 

Bandits and terrorists are 

finding it hard to procure 

arms and ammunition, 

hence we have recorded 

reduction in cases of cattle 

rustling, kidnapping 

and armed banditry, 

which were predominant 

in the North-West Region,” 

he said. 

Alhaji Mohammed said 

the arms and ammunition 

being used by violent extremists 

and criminal elements 

no longer make 

their way into the country 

through the land borders. 

He also disclosed that 

2,364 of the mothers are 

also taking refuge in Gwer 

West LGA and in dire 

need of assistance and 

intervention by wellmeaning 

Nigerians to 

enable cater for their newborn. 

Speaking on the condition 

of the nursing mothers, 

the Special Assistant 

to the Executive Secretary 

of SEMA, on IDPs, Mr. 

Chia Alexander, said the 

state government had 

been catering for them but 

explained that it was too 

much of a burden for the 

state government to handle 

given dwindling resources 

at the disposal of 

the government. 

“These IDPs are all over 

the place in the communities 

where they are located. 

Most of them are 

eager to return to their 

ancestral homes but those 

homes were destroyed by 

the invaders and have not 

been rebuilt so they simply 

have no homes to return 

to. 

“We are pleading with 

the federal government to 

act fast by keeping the 

promise of rebuilding the 

destroyed homes so that 

the IDPs can go back 

home to live normal lives 

because they are tired of 

living in camps,” he added. 

the smuggling of petroleum 

products, which has 

also been prominent 

through the borders in 

the North-West, has been 

curtailed due to the closure 

of filling stations 

along the border. 

“There are hundreds of 

filling stations along the 

border. We counted many 

as we drove to the border 

this morning. They were 

set up purposely for 

smuggling. They don’t 

sell the fuel consignment 

they receive to the public, 

plus 50% of them are 

owned by foreigners. Now 

that they are closed, we 

have recorded over 30% 

reduction in domestic fuel 

consumption,” the Minister 

said. 

From left — Funmike Sojinuga, Joel Edionwe and Gloria 

Gowal, at the Vanguard Newspapers Executive Master class in 

Lagos. 

Lagos Guber: AD goes 

to Supreme Court 

By Ishola Balogun 

THE ALLIANCE for 

Democracy, AD, and 

its governorship candidate 

in the March 9, 2019 

governorship election in 

Lagos State, Chief Owolabi 

Salis have approached 

the Supreme 

Court seeking the nullification 

of the victory of 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, insisting 

the governor was 

not elected by majority of 

valid votes. 

Chief Salis described 

the decisions of the Governorship 

Election Petition 

Tribunal and Court of 

Appeal dismissing his 

petition against Governor 

Sanwo-Olu’s election as 

“corruption of justice.” 

The election petition tribunal 

and the Appellate 

Court dismissed Salis’ 

petition for lacking in 

merit. Dissatisfied by both 

verdicts, the AD candidate 

approached the Supreme 

Court in suit 

number SC:1421/2019 

seeking the nullification 

of Sanwo-olu’s election on 

various grounds. 

He said the Sanwo-Olu 

was not elected by majority 

of valid votes even as 

he claimed that the voter’s 

card used by the governor 

was “cloned,” noting 

that he got the fact 

when he called for Sanwo-Olu’s 

forms at INEC. 

In the notice of appeal, 

the AD candidate raised 

seven issues for determination 

by the apex court. 

He also prayed the court 

to declare him as the duly 

elected governor. 

He said the election was 

marred by many irregularities, 

vote buying and 

politicking, adding that 

the result was doctored to 

reflect zero votes for AD 

in Ifako Ijaiye Local 

Council. 

The AD candidate said: 

"There is a difference between 

judicial corruption 

and corruption of justice. 

Corruption of justice is all 

embracing and it includes 

putting technicalities 

above justice, not looking 

at the details and judicial 

maneuvering to favour 

special interest among 

others. "We presented 

thousands of pages before 

the tribunal and the court 

of appeal. Arguments 

were heard and decision 

was rendered in about 

three days. The question 

is has the judiciary gone 

through the details?” 

"The issues that were 

laid before the tribunal 

were whether Sanwo-Olu 

and APC scored majority 

of the valid votes in twothird 

of the local governments 

and whether he is 

qualified to contest. The 

emphasis here is on the 

valid votes not the allocated 

or written votes. The 

results as announced 

were allocated. 

"Sanwo-Olu and APC in 

collusion with INEC had 

free ops to manipulate 

everything and targeting 

particularly Chief Owolabi 

Salis possibly because 

of the Channels debate.'' 

Clement 

Omatsola 

is dead 

PRINCE Clement 

Omatsola died on 

November 3, 2019 in Warri 

after brief illness at 81 

years. He retired in Jos 

Hanson Nigeria Limited 

where he excelled in various 

managerial posts in 

Lagos and Ogun States. 

A devoted member of 

the Mens Missionary Unit 

of First Baptist Church, 

Sapele. He is survived by 

a wife, 8 children, brothers 

and sisters. 

*Clement Omatsola 

C 

M 

Y 

K


SEMINAR: From left—Soji Awogbade, Partner, Aelex; Mrs. Janet Omisore, Director, Togetes Integrated 

Ltd.; Oladapo Abiodun, Chairman, SME Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI; 

Ms Shade Bembamtoum-Young, Council member, LCCI; Chinedu Ezenwa, Head, Chemical 

Technology, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and a representative of the Regional Coordinator, 

Nigerian Export Promotion Council, at the LCCI SME Group 2019 Annual Seminar, in Lagos, 

Wednesday. 

Shinkafi accuses ex-gov, NASS of 

plans to cause chaos in Zamfara 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

A 

B U J A — 

GOVERNORSHIP 

candidate of the All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, in the 

2019 general elections 

in Zamfara State, Alhaji 

Sani Shinkafi, yesterday, 

accused a former 

Governor of the state, 

Abdulaziz Yari, of 

plotting to set the state 

on the edge, by using 

the leadership of the 9th 

National Assembly. 

Shinkafi, a secretary of 

APGA’s Board of 

Trustees, however, 

pledged the readiness of 

the people of Zamfara to 

resist any attempt by 

Gov Sule begs indigenes 

to drive devt in Nasarawa 

By David Odama 

L AFIA—GOVERNOR 

Abdullahi Sule of 

Nasarawa State, 

yesterday, appealed to 

indigenes of the state to 

join him and support his 

administration to further 

develop the state. 

Sule said this while 

speaking as Special 

Guest of Honour at a 

one-day conference on 

harnessing the economic 

potentials of Nasarawa 

State for development, 

organized by indigenes 

of the state working and 

residing in the Federal 

Capital Territory, FCT, 

which held at the Nicon 

Luxury Hotel in Abuja. 

The Governor said 

indigenes of the state 

must not wait until they 

are as rich as Alhaji Aliko 

Dangote or Bill Gates 

before they could lend 

their hands of support 

towards 

the 

development of the state. 

He said: “You don’t 

have to be as rich as 

Aliko Dangote or Bill 

Gates to help in the 

development of 

Nasarawa State. Once 

you have the heart of 

these individuals, you 

can be able to contribute 

towards developing 

Nasarawa State.” 

The Governor 

highlighted the strategy 

adopted by his 

administration, the 

Nasarawa Economic 

•Allegations baseless —APC 

Development Strategy, NEDS, 

which encapsulates the 

mission and vision of his 

administration for developing 

the state. 

Making particular 

reference to the mining sector, 

with Nasarawa being the 

“Home of Solid Minerals,” 

Engr. Sule called on indigenes 

of the state to go beyond 

criticizing the government but 

to join in and participate 

towards solving the inherent 

problems in the state. 

He disclosed that as a result 

of the agitation, the Federal 

Government has agreed to set 

up a committee comprising 

governors, Ministry for Solid 

Minerals Development, 

miners’ association and other 

major stakeholders, to find a 

new template on how 

concession should be given. 

By Femi Bolaji 

J 

A L I N G O — 

LESS than 24 

hours after the 

resignation of Abel Diah 

as speaker of the Taraba 

State House of Assembly, 

a new Speaker of the 

Assembly has emerged. 

A new deputy speaker 

was also elected after 

Charles Maijankai 

representing Karim 

Lamido 1 constituency 

resigned his position as 

Deputy Speaker. 

Maijankai was the 

Deputy Speaker two 

months ago after 

anyone to bring back the 

days of lawlessness and 

criminality to the state. 

His words: “It was with 

a great shock that I saw 

the letter written by the 

Senate Committee 

Chairman on Police 

Affairs, Senator Haliru 

Dauda Jika, inviting the 

Commissioner of Police 

in Zamfara State, to 

initiate peace by using 

conflict management 

mechanism. 

“Now, Zamfara is 

enjoying a breath of 

fresh air. For the past 

eight years, Zamfara has 

been under captivity, 

under bondage. Zamfara 

has been held to ransom 

by cattle rustlers and 

armed robbers were the 

business of the day, 

daylight robbery and 

bandits took over all the 

local governments in the 

state. 

“Killings and 

destruction of lives and 

property were a daily 

occurrence, and 14 local 

government areas were 

taken over by these 

miscreants. 

“More than 278,000 

people were displaced 

from their historical 

homes and communities 

while more than 198 

properties, including 

houses, commercial 

shops and food storage 

facilities were burnt 

down and destroyed by 

the activities of the 

armed bandits in all the 

147 electoral wards in 

Zamfara State cutting 

across the 14 local 

governments of the 

state.” 

He warned those 

allegedly fomenting 

trouble to recall that “On 

May 24th, 2019, the apex 

court of the land made a 

pronouncement, which 

voided the election of 

Mukhta Idris along with 

the members of the 

National and State 

Assembly and all the 

votes cast on the ballot 

for the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, were 

declared wasted votes. 

Responding to the 

allegations, Chairman, 

Publicity Committee of 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in 

Zamfara State, Alhaji 

Ibrahim Birnin Magaji, 

urged the public to 

dismiss same, with a 

wave of the hand. 

Magaji said: “The 

allegations are baseless 

and unfounded and 

should be dismissed as 

such.” 

Taraba Assembly elects new Speaker, Deputy 

Mohammed Gwampo, 

representing Yorro 

constituency, was 

impeached. 

The sitting which 

brought in the new 

leadership of the 

Assembly took place 

early Monday morning 

and had 16 of the 24 

members present. 

Albasu Kunini, 

representing Lau 

constituency, was 

elected new Speaker, 

while the member 

representing Bali 2 

constituency, 

Hammanadama 

Abdullahi, emerged as 

deputy speaker. 

In his acceptance 

speech, the new speaker 

called on the lawmakers 

to set aside their 

differences and work for 

the interest of the state. 

Kunini said: “Taraba is 

greater than all of us 

and we must work 

collectively to move the 

state forward.” 

Meanwhile, Governor 

Darius Ishaku has 

submitted the names of 

21 Commissioner 

nominees for screening 

and confirmation to the 

state House of Assembly. 

Tambuwal to distribute N4bn 

micro-business fund 

S 

O K O T O — 

GOVERNOR 

Aminu Tambuwal of 

Sokoto State, yesterday, 

inaugurated the 

distribution of N4 billion 

micro-business 

incentives for the people 

of the state. 

A statement by Special 

Adviser, Media and 

Publicity to the governor, 

Malam Muhammad 

Bello, disclosed that the 

incentive would run for 

the next four years. 

According to Bello, 

the governor flagged off 

the distribution at Balle 

and Tureta towns in 

Gudu and Tureta local 

government areas of the 

state respectively on 

Sunday. 

He said: “The gesture 

is aimed at assisting 

less-privileged persons 

and small scale 

entrepreneurs in the 

state to improve their 

businesses. 

“The distribution will 

not be discriminatory as 

both males and females 

will benefit from the programme 

in equal measure, 

as such I urge the 

beneficiaries to use the 

money judiciously.” 

In a related 

development, Tambuwal 

also flagged off the 

construction of a 1.5 

million litre capacity 

water scheme in Tureta 

town, headquarters of 

Tureta Local 

Government. 

The governor said that 

the project was part of 

the state government’s 

determination to ensure 

adequate potable water 

supply to nooks and 

crannies of the state, 

which would cost 

government N400 

million. 

In the same vein, 

Tambuwal had laid the 

foundation for the 

construction of 

classroom blocks for the 

Junior Secondary 

School, Tsamiya in 

Tureta Local Government 

to be executed at the cost 

of N86 million. 

Niger govt hails drop in HIV 

prevalence 

By Wole 

Mosadomi 

M INNA—THE 

Niger State 

government, yesterday, 

hailed the sharp drop in 

the prevalence of the 

Persons Living with HIV, 

PLWHIV, describing it as 

a good development. 

Addressing newsmen 

in Minna, the State 

Commissioner for 

Health, Dr. Makusidi 

Muhammedm, said the 

prevalence has dropped 

to 0.7 percent making it 

the lowest in the North 

Central region 

presently. 

He, however, said that 

despite the cheering 

news, the target of the 

state government is to 

bring the prevalence rate 

to zero percent by the 

year 2030. 

He disclosed that out 

of the 67,137 pregnant 

women that were tested 

in the state recently, 

only 698 were HIV 

positive. 

He said: “The Nigeria 

AIDS Indicator and impact 

survey for 2018 revealed that 

the prevalence of HIV in 

Niger State currently stands 

at 0.7 per cent, the lowest in 

the North Central zone. 

“The joint assessment of 

prevention of mother to child 

transmission of HIV/AIDS 

services carried out by the 

state's Ministry of Health and 

state's Agency for the Control 

of AIDS, SACA, in 

collaboration with partners for 

the year 2019 confirmed that 

out of the 67,136 pregnant 

women that received 

counseling and testing across 

the 25 facilities, only 698 

clients were positive and they 

have all been linked to 

treatment.”


UNVEILING: From 

right—Prof Eyitope 

Ogunbodede, Vice 

Chancellor, 

Obafemi Awolowo 

University; Risqua 

M u r t a l a - 

Muhammed and 

Solomon Okonkwo, 

Coordinator, 

M u r t a l a 

M u h a m m e d 

Foundation, MMF, 

at the unveiling of 

the statue of 

General Murtala 

Muhammed, at the 

u n i v e r s i t y , 

yesterday. 

:Vanguard 

News 

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

160 YEARS OF JOURNALISM: Abiodun 

rejects death penalty for hate speech 

By James 

Ogunnaike 

A GOVERNOR BEOKUTA— 

Dapo 

Abiodun of Ogun State, 

yesterday, disagreed 

with calls for death 

sentence for those who 

abuse the use of social 

media, as a tool for 

i n f o r m a t i o n 

dissemination, saying 

the call is uncalled for. 

Rather, the Governor 

said that the proposed 

social media law before 

the National Assembly 

should not be seen as 

targeting or gagging the 

media or free speech. 

Abiodun bemoaned the 

rise of malicious and 

d e l i b e r a t e 

misinformation by some 

unethical social media 

users. 

The governor said this 

at the 160th celebration 

of the birth of journalism 

in Abeokuta with the 

theme: Re-inventing 

the practice of 

journalism in Nigeria 

with emphasis on the 

influence of social 

media. 

His words: “We have to 

find a win-win situation. 

The idea is not to gag the 

media in any form or 

manner, but to ensure 

that the media is held 

responsible for carrying 

out their responsibility 

and, of course, the issue 

of the death penalty is 

uncalled for. “This has 

prompted a lot of 

reactions from different 

quarters with some even 

calling for death penalty 

for people who are found 

guilty of what has now 

become popularly 

referred to as the Hate 

Speech.” 

He urged veteran 

journalists to use the 

celebration to appraise 

the influence of social 

media on journalism 

practice. 

“As elders, he said 

older journalists should 

play their role as elders 

“by monitoring the 

....As Osoba backs digital journalism 

activities of the younger 

professionals, this will 

go a long way in 

repositioning the penpushing 

as truly the 

fourth estate of the realm 

in the democratic 

system,” he said. 

Besides, he said: “It is 

therefore imperative that 

journalists as 

professionals should 

always be on their guard 

against forces that seek 

to take advantage of the 

formidable power of the 

NAUS flays outrageous fees in 

varsities, threatens nationwide 

protests 

By Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

Aby DO-EKITI—IRKED 

the outrageous 

fees charged by 

universities across the 

country, the National 

Association of 

Universities’ Students, 

NAUS, yesterday, 

threatened nationwide 

protests, saying the 

measure could increase 

the level of dropouts in 

no distant time. 

The students warned 

the management of 

universities to stop 

putting the burdens of 

underfunding by 

governments on 

students, saying rights to 

education is a sacrosanct 

obligation of 

governments to every 

citizen of any nation. 

A statement by the 

union’s National Vice 

President, Southwest, 

Comrade Aridiogo 

Aruson, said it was 

pathetic that universities’ 

managements now hide 

under the facade of 

underfunding, to 

introduce all manners of 

fees that can deprive 

children of the poor the 

required education. 

profession for their 

selfish aims. It has even 

become more important 

that the profession 

divests itself from 

partisanship, ensure 

objectivity in reportage 

and inculcate 

investigative 

journalism.” 

Osoba backs digital 

journalism 

Also speaking, a former 

governor of the state, 

Chief Olusegun Osoba, 

said the era of hardcopy 

The statement reads: 

“To mention but a few, 

the Federal University, 

Oye-Ekiti, FUOYE, has 

got involved in this sad 

development with 

acceptance fee 

increasing from N40,000 

to N50,000 and also 

increased an alien 

medical fee from N5,000 

to N10,000 while it also 

introduced N1,000 as 

stamp fee for school fee 

receipt. 

“Also in Ekiti State 

University, acceptance 

fee has increased from 

N70, 000 to N100,000. 

The students’ medical 

and law students are to 

pay a sum of N150, 000 

respectively. 

“Beyond governmental 

newspaper circulation 

is gone not only in Nigeria 

but across the 

world adding that digital 

journalism and e- 

vending have taken over 

the media world. 

Osoba said: “I want to 

appeal to you all to imbibe 

modern-day technologies in 

our profession, as any 

journalist that does not know 

how to use the internet or is 

not verse with the use of 

modern technologies is not a 

journalist." 

inefficiency, the management 

of various Universities 

in the country, 

most especially in Ekiti 

State are involving a rise 

in evil activities with the 

introduction of levies and 

fees that are far outside their 

scope all in the name of 

sourcing funds even though 

it is expected of government 

to fund Universities. 

“We condemn in totality 

these trends in our 

universities and we demand 

the abolition of alien fees in 

our universities, proper 

funding of the education 

sector by the governments, 

democratisation of University 

administration and reversal of 

the increment in school fees 

in our Universities." 

Lagos lost 250 doctors in 2018 —Medical Guild 

By Chioma Obinna 

L AGOS—MEDICAL 

doctors, under the 

employ of Lagos State 

Government, yesterday, 

decried acute shortage 

of medical doctors in 

hospitals across the 

state, disclosing that in 

2018 alone, a total of 250 

doctors left the country, 

even as they appealed to 

the State government to 

urgently replace exited 

medical doctors. 

Addressing a press 

conference in Lagos on their 

upcoming Scientific 

Conference themed: 'Lagos 

State Health Scheme: The 

facts, the myths', the 

Chairman of Medical Guild, 

Dr Saheed Babajide said: 

“This exit replacement of staff 

should be done in phases, 

with about 25 percent being 

done by the end of 2019, 

another 25 percent in 

January 2020. The remaining 

50 percent should be 

completed within the first 

ARMS PROLIFERATION: 

Senator urges FG to intensify 

border security 

By Shina 

Abubakar 

O l SOGBO—THE 

a w m a k e r 

representing Osun East 

Senatorial District, 

Senator Francis 

Fadahunsi, yesterday, 

urged the Federal 

Government to tighten 

the security at borders to 

check the proliferation of 

arms and ammunition in 

the country. 

Fadahunsi, in a 

statement by his Media 

Adviser, Sam Segun- 

Progress, said the 

government needs to 

take bold steps to check 

the rise of arms 

proliferation in the 

country noting that the 

land border closure has 

little or no impact on the 

smuggling of arms and 

ammunition into the 

country. 

His words: “The routes 

through which arms and 

lethal weapons come into 

Nigeria remain 

unchecked and free 

because there is no one 

looking in the direction.” 

He revealed that the 

animal market in 

Portiskum, Yobe State is 

a cover-up route through 

which weapons are 

smuggled into the 

country “in bits but large 

quantities.” 

“Who checks the 

camels, donkeys and 

other animals being 

moved in through our 

borders up North? 

Which papers do the 

importers of this 

livestock possess?.” 

He urged the Federal 

Government to look 

inward and beam its 

searchlight on foreigners 

from war-torn countries 

to check the 

consequences of illegal 

ammunition in Nigeria. 

“These External 

Supplies can only 

survive when there are 

strong internal 

collaborators. External 

Supplies of small arms 

could be traced to all the 

porous land and water 

borders. 

“The Malabo routes are 

still unmanned, Efforts 

by the Navy is on rice 

and petroleum products, 

nobody is talking of arms 

smuggling which is also 

prevalent on water 

routes, from Badagry to 

Epe, to Warri, to Patani, 

Sapele, Port Harcourt, 

Eket, Oron to Lokoja, 

down to Adamawa and 

Kebbi inland waterways, 

which all have weak 

security” 

Several rebels run away 

with ammunitions from their 

camps looking for a ready 

market, and Nigeria through 

our generosity appears to be 

the best destination for 

them,” the lawmaker said. 

Gbajabiamila seeks support 

for lawmakers 

By James 

Ogunnaike 

A SPEAKER BEOKUTA— 

of the 

House 

of 

Representatives, Mr. 

Femi Gbajabiamila, 

yesterday, called on 

Nigerians to support to 

their elected lawmakers 

towards achieving better 

representation. 

Gbajabiamila spoke in 

Sagamu, Ogun State at 

the inauguration of 

constituency office of the 

lawmaker representing 

Remo Federal 

Constituency, Mr. 

Adewunmi Onanuga. 

Apart from the 

constituency office, 

Onanuga, who is a 

quarter of next year. 

“Our members are angry 

and agitating. Many of the 

doctors are falling ill. Some 

are down with stroke. A 

doctor in Lagos sees between 

50 to 100 doctors daily 

depending on his or her base. 

Our belief is that an 

improvement in welfare will 

go a long way in stemming 

the current brain –drain that 

the service is experiencing. 

By the end of December if 

nothing is done, members will 

take a decision." 

member of the All Progressives 

Congress, 

APC, and Chairman, 

House Committee on 

Women Affairs and 

Social Development, also 

donated multi-million 

Naira empowerment 

items to her constituents. 

Items donated by the 

lawmaker include 

tricycles, deep freezers, 

and sterilizers, 

generating sets, 

grinding machines, gas 

cookers, wall clocks, 

hair-dryers, mattresses 

and standing fans. 

While handing over the 

empowerment items to 

some beneficiaries, 

Gbajabiamila urged APC 

members in the federal 

constituency to increase 

their support for 

Onanuga to deliver more 

dividends of democracy 

to the people. 

The Speaker, who 

congratulated the 

beneficiaries, assured that 

the APC-led administration 

remains committed to 

improving a lot of Nigerians. 

He said: “Ijaya (Onanuga) 

has spent just six months at 

the House of 

Representatives and she is 

doing very well. I am sure she 

will do more if you 

(constituents) support her 

and vote for her so that she 

can stay for a much longer 

period at the House, just like 

me.”


VISIT: From left— Area Manager, Lagos Area Office, Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, 

Engr. Sarat Braimah; Managing Director, Lagos Ferry Services, LAGFERRY, Abdulbaq Balogun; Comander, 

Police NIWA, CSP Usman Tahir, and Director, Admnistration and Human Resources, Mrs Taiwo Abiodun, 

at a courtesy visit by the management of LAGFERRY to NIWA at Marina, Lagos. 

5 dead, as police clash with IPOB 

in Anambra 

By Anayo Okoli & 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

LEADER of the 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, 

alleged that the police in 

Anambra State invaded the 

house of his lawyer, Mr. 

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in Ifite 

Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local 

Government Area and 

killed three people, while 

many were wounded. 

He added that two IPOB 

members were earlier 

killed on Sunday. 

He said this in a 

statement he signed, 

entitled “Nigerian Police 

invaded the home of my 

lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi 

Ejiofor, in Anambra State 

and two people were killed 

and many injured.” 

However, a source from 

Oraifite claimed that the 

problem was between two 

cult groups (Eke and Afor 

groups) that have been 

fighting in Oraifite and 

recently had another clash 

at a burial ceremony in the 

community, where many 

people from one of the 

groups sustained injuries, 

leading to the other group 

reporting to the police. 

Meanwhile, according to 

Mazi Kanu, the IPOB 

leader, “confirmed reports 

indicate that a combined 

team of police and the 

Military assassination 

squad invaded the home of 

my lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor 

in Oraifite Anambra State, 

this morning (yesterday) in 

a bid to kill him and his 

family. 

“Sadly, three innocent 

Biafrans were killed by this 

invading force at his 

residence. This comes on 

the heel of yet another 

killing of two IPOB family 

members, who were 

peacefully gathered in 

Arondizuogu 

yesterday(Sunday). Their 

bodies are still in the 

morgue. 

“The police and Army 

must know that the time is 

fast approaching when 

British diplomatic clout and 

protection may not be 

enough to shield them from 

the consequences of their 

daily crimes against 

innocent Biafrans. 

“Attacking the home of 

my lawyer is a step too far 

and the only effect it will 

have is to hasten the 

disintegration of Nigeria. 

“The United Nations 

Mission, US Embassy, 

British High Commission 

and other highbrow foreign 

diplomatic presence in 

Nigeria, should take note 

of these ugly development 

and convey same to their 

home countries. 

“It is their responsibility 

to ensure this wanton 

brutality and anarchy 

engineered by the government 

against the people of 

Biafra is duly noted for what 

it is— an act of war. 

“Those responsible for 

this deadly assault know 

they will pay dearly for it. 

They know it is only a 

matter of time.” 

Eyewitness account 

However, an eyewitness 

told Vanguard that the 

police actually shot and 

killed two people in the 

house of Mr. Ejiofor in 

Oraifite, but in retaliation 

the youth in the community 

killed two policemen and 

burnt them at the Nkwo 

area of Oraifite. 

Vanguard source 

disclosed that the police 

may have gone to Ejiofor’s 

house in error, thinking that 

the people they were 

looking for were the ones 

that gathered in the IPOB’s 

lawyer house. 

•2 policemen killed in 

retaliation 

—Eyewitness 

The source said that the 

policemen, on reaching the 

lawyer’s house, had an 

altercation with the IPOB 

members in his house, 

which led to the police 

shooting on the IPOB 

members and in reaction, 

the angry youths of Oraifite 

mobilised and attacked the 

policemen and in the 

process, two police men 

were killed. 

The source said the 

incident does not have 

anything to do with either 

Mr. Ejiofor or members of 

IPOB, but it was 

unfortunate the police went 

to Ejiofor’s house and in an 

attempt to arrest IPOB 

members crisis ensured 

and police opened fire on 

the IPOB members, who 

are not members of any of 

the cult groups. 

Vanguard also gathered 

that at about 1.10p.m., the 

atmosphere inthe entire 

community was charged 

and the bodies of the 

policemen were seen lying 

in their operation vehicle as 

at 1.30p.m. 

They wanted to 

kill me—Ejiofor 

Reacting to the invasion 

of his house, Ejiofor said he 

was the target of the attack. 

The IPOB lawyer told 

By Peter Okutu 

GOVERNOR David 

Umahi of Ebonyi 

State, yesterday, said he 

remains in support of the 

closure of land border as 

directed by President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

The governor, who stated 

this during the Central 

Bank Opening Week, 

Vanguard: “They came for 

me. They wanted to kill me. 

I came to see my mother 

briefly and told her that I 

was going to see the Area 

Commander, who had 

come to look for me in the 

morning. 

“Immediately I left, they 

came and opened fire on 

unarmed men in my 

house. They came to kill 

me; they thought I was still 

in the house,” adding that 

his house was burnt down. 

“As we speak, they have 

completely burnt down my 

house and wanted to kill 

me,” he added. 

He accused a billionaire 

businessman from his 

community of being the 

mastermind of the attack.. 

The traditional ruler of 

Oraifite, Igwe Dan Ugorji, 

confirmed the incident, but 

said he does not have the 

details as he was in an 

occasion when report of the 

incident was sent to him 

through a text message. 

He expressed 

disappointment at such 

senseless loss of lives in the 

present day Nigeria. 

His words: “It is very 

unfortunate that some 

people can be very quick 

with guns to kill. Why did 

they not arrest the culprits 

instead of shooting them?” 

AOW, at Onueke Township 

Stadium, Ezza South Local 

Government Area of the 

state, added that the 

closure of the borders 

would boost the economic 

capacity of farmers, curtail 

the influx of foreign 

herdsmen into the country 

and minimise illegal 

dealings in the petroleum 

sector. 

Airport: Ebonyi family, 

govt at loggerheads over 

seizure of farmland 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

AFAMILY of six based 

in Abakaliki, the 

Ebonyi State capital, has 

cried out over the seizure 

of their farmland allegedly 

on the orders of the state 

governor, Dave Umahi, 

without any form of 

agreement or 

compensation from the 

state government. 

Head of the family, Mr. 

Nwantinti Christopher 

Eze in suit filed at the 

Federal High Court 

Abakaliki, against the 

seizure of their ancestral 

land, claimed that they 

have not only been 

harassed, but received 

death threats from 

unknown persons who are 

uncomfortable with their 

position. 

The family, through their 

counsel, Mr. Gerald 

Abonyi, in a statement 

made available to 

Vanguard in Abuja 

yesterday, argued that the 

decision of the state 

government ran contrary to 

the provisions of the Land 

Use Act, which provides for 

compensation in the event 

of acquisition of land for 

public interest. 

The statement said: “Our 

attention has been drawn 

to the continuous attack 

and physical assaults been 

meted out to the applicants 

(residents) in the suit and 

members of their family by 

the agents, assigns and 

representatives of 

Governor Dave Umahi of 

Ebonyi State. 

“The reason is only the 

fact that they filed actions 

at the Federal High Court, 

Abakaliki, complaining 

about their imminent 

extinction and destructions 

of property and farmland 

without any form of 

agreement or 

compensation from the 

State Government. 

“It is taken as trite that 

the Land Use Act makes 

provision for compensation 

in event of acquisition of 

land for public interest and 

our clients have neither 

taken the law into their 

hands but filed actions in 

Buhari right on border closure— Umahi 

Flagging off the exercise, 

Umahi added: “You might 

not know the amount of 

poison that is being 

smuggled into this country 

in the name of foreign rice. 

“Ebonyi has keyed into 

the programmes of CBN. I 

stand with the President on 

the closure of the border. 

“The influx of foreign 

herdsmen into Nigeria will 

court seeking justiciable 

remedy. 

“The current situation 

in Ebonyi State remains 

critical as the applicants 

in the aforereferred case 

are been haunted, 

harassed with the employ 

and deployment of 

armed thugs, who in one 

instance threatened to 

burn down the entire 

house of Eze.” 


statement, armed thugs 

also threatened to kill all 

the occupants therein. 

It added that “we 

concede that the airport 

project in Ebonyi State is 

a laudable one, but also 

one that shall also benefit 

the living. 

“Being a matter now 

subjudice as in above, 

we insist that the rule of 

law must be respected by 

Ebonyi government and 

its assigns and agents, 

while we await the just 

decision of the court.” 

Contacted, the Ebonyi 

State Commissioner for 

Information, Uchenna 

Orji, faulted the claims by 

the family, arguing they 

lacked the moral latitude 

to 

demand 

compensation for the 

land. 

Orji insisted that the 

family was only making 

an issue “where there is 

no case.” 

He said: “The people 

within the place did 

(gave) it consensually 

even without the 

prompting of 

government through the 

traditional leadership. 

The airport, when 

constructed, will be one 

of the best in Nigeria. It 

is going to be an 

international airport and 

it will create jobs. 

“If you read your law 

very well, compensation 

is for economic trees, or 

developed property. 

Where such arises, 

government does not 

hesitate in doing that. 

The remuneration has 

been made on such 

property, developed 

property and economic 

trees.” 

be restricted. By the 

closure, our farmer’s are 

happy.” 

The account opening 

week is an initiative of the 

Bankers Committee, 

financial services 

providers and all financial 

inclusion stakeholders in 

the state. 

The idea behind AOW is 

to drive activities towards 

achieving the set target of 

financial inclusion for 2019.

16 — Vanguard TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

PRESENTATION: 

From left— Zonal Head, 

Owerri, First City 

Monument Bank, FCMB, 

Mr. Cyprian Fredrick; 

winner of grand prize at 

the South-East & South- 

South regional draw of 

‘’FCMB Millionaire 

Promo Season 6,’, Mr. 

Nwachukwu Chigozie 

and Manager, Owerri 

branch of the bank, Mr. 

Henry Ogu, during the 

cheque presentation to 

the winner in Owerri. 

2020: How gunmen attacked my house, 

by Edo APC chieftain 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY—THE 

race to Edo State 2020 

governorship election got 

messier over the weekend 

as the residence of 

a chieftain of the All 

Progressives Congress 

(APC) and former member 

of the House of Representatives 

Hon Isaac 

Osahon was attacked by 

suspected hoodlums and 

in the process destroyed 

properties worth several 

millions of naira. The 

house is situated off 

Uwelu Road in Egor local 

government area. 

Narrating the incident 

to Vanguard yesterday, 

Osahon alleged that the 

suspected thugs were 

sent by the chairman of 

Allow constituted NDDC board to assume duties, 

APC leader begs Buhari 

By Elizabeth Uwandu 

ABUJA—A Chieftain of 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in Edo 

State, Hon. Washington 

Osifo, has written to 


Buhari and raised the 

alarm over what he 

described as the 

prevailing pains and 

neglect being suffered by 

the people of the Niger 

Delta due to the inability 

of members of the newly 

constituted board of the 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission (NDDC) led 

by Dr Pius Odubu to 

commence operations. 

In a letter addressed to 

the President, Osifo who 

is one of the members 

elect in the Edo State 

House of Assembly, 

appealed to the President 

to critically look at the 

issues regarding the 

constitution of the Interim 

Management Committee 

by the Minister of Niger 

Delta, Godswill Akpabio 

and use his good offices 

to uphold the constitution 

by ensuring that the 

legally constituted board 

of the NDDC assume 

duties. 

The letter recalled that, 

"Your government 

recently took some critical 

steps consecutively, 

APC in Ovia North East, 

Mr Etiosa Ighodaro. 

He said: “As a former member 

of the House of Representatives, 

I am a stakeholder 

in the party and I am also an 

elder, I have had series of meetings 

before in my house. On 

this fateful day, I got a call from 

the chairman of my Adolor 

Ward Peter Omoruyi and the 

party chairman, Etiosa 

Ighodaro has directed him to 

warn me not to have the meeting 

otherwise I should be 

ready for the consequences. 

“However, I went ahead 

with the meeting which we 

usually have. It was while the 

meeting was going that I first 

heard a gunshot outside my 

house which was followed by 

several gunshots and when I 

looked outside, I saw them 

already climbing the fence 

aimed supposedly at 

repositioning the NDDC. 

These steps include but 

not limited to the 

nomination of the 

Chairman and members 

of a new NDDC 

governing board, the 

inauguration of a forensic 

audit panel to look into the 

books of the organization 

since inception, the 

consideration and 

L AGOS—PASTOR 

Olaitan Aromolaran 

has joined the rest of 

Nigerians to support the 

border closure by 


Buhari's led Federal 

Government, saying, "it 

is the best thing that has 

happened to the country 

in recent times." 

Aromolaran, Senior 

Pastor, Joy Cometh 

Ministries in Ikorodu 

said the closure of the 

border was long overdue 

and that he aligns with 

former President 

Olusegun Obasanjo's 

support for the closure of 

the border. 

Speaking at a news 

into my house and I even saw 

one of them struggling with 

the mobile policeman in my 

gate. Some of them also entered 

through the backdoor 

and attacked my aged mother, 

destroyed her television set 

and other things. They destroyed 

all the vehicles they 

found inside the compound 

including my own and of 

those who came to attend the 

meeting. They destroyed my 

windows and police recovered 

more than 30 used catridges 

inside my compound.” 

This attack came barely a 

month when a similar incident 

happened in Ivbiaro, Owan 

East local government area 

where a planned meeting of 

some APC members was disrupted, 

properties were destroyed 

and some persons 

sustained serious injuries. 

He alleged that the attack 

could not be far from the current 

crisis rocking APC in the 

state. 

But when contacted yesterday, 

Ighodaro denied the allegation 

saying he has not 

spoken to Osahon since the 

beginning of this year neither 

did he send anybody to his 

house. 

He said “I don’t know anything 

about it, I don’t know 

whether he was holding any 

meeting, if he has issues with 

people, he should sort them out 

and don’t drag me into it. I am 

the chairman of Ovia North East 

and not Egor where his residence 

is where he is claiming was 

attacked. I have passed through 

many things in the hands of these 

people and I don’t know why he 

is dragging me into it.” 

Osahon said a formal report 

has been lodged with the police. 

Cleric backs Buhari on border closure 


Akoni 

forwarding of names of 

the nominated members 

and Chairman of the 

Board to the Senate for 

screening and the 

subsequent screening 

and confirmation of the 

nominees by the Senate of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria. 

"The Nigerian public, 

particularly, the people of 

the Niger Delta welcomed 

conference in Ikeja, 

Lagos, to announce its 

coming programme, 

tagged:"365 Hallelujah/ 

World Hallelujah Day" to 

hold on December 6, at 

the Ikorodu Town Hall, 

Ikorodu, the cleric 

asserted: "Until we know 

where we are going, we 

will never get there. 

There is need for us to 

go through some 

processes, that is what 

you are seeing now on 

the border closure." 

The senior pastor also 

expressed optimism that 

Nigeria will walk again 

despite series of 

challenges, saying that 

"God has started with 

Nigeria and we have 

government that believes 

in the welfare of the 

people. We believe that 

the more we pray and 

these sequence of events 

with great hope and 

excitement, but feel sorely 

irked by the oddity of setting 

up an Interim Management 

Committee to manage the 

affairs of the NDDC until the 

forensic audit of the 

Commission is completed. This 

fact was superciliously made 

public by Mr. Godswill Akpabio, 

the Minister of Niger Delta 

Affairs." 

work harder, the more 

we become better." 

According to him, 

"Hallelujah is 

synonymous with good 

news, anything that had 

not worked, but suddenly 

begins to work is greeted 

with Hallelujah. As we 

declare Hallelujah Day, 

we are prophesying that 

Nigeria will work again, 

peace will reign in the 

world again and 

prosperity will be ours 

again," he said. 

Aromolaran explained 

that the first Hallelujah 

day was held in 2012 

and that it was directed 

by God, saying that 

since everyone believes 

that Hallelujah is a 

universal language, a 

day should be set aside 

to celebrate World 

Hallelujah Day. 

US EXIM Bank likely to triple future funds to 

Egypt reaching $6bn 

THE Export–Import Bank of the United States (US 

EXIM Bank) is expected to triple its pipeline 

projects in Egypt to reach $6bn in the next years. 

Judith Pryor, member of the board of US EXIM Bank, 

said that the current commitment of the bank for future 

cooperation is $2bn. 

“EXIM Bank has financed projects in Egypt with $5bn 

over the past 10 years. We are interested in supporting 

several economic sectors in Egypt including aviation, 

agriculture, information and communication technology 

(ICT), as well as infrastructure, agribusiness, and women 

in businesses,” Pryor added. 

DNE interviewed Pryor on the side-lines of her recent 

visit to Egypt to participate at the US-Egypt Future Prosperity 

Forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce 

in Egypt (AmCham) on 18 November. 

Wall Street falls after U.S. tariffs on 

metal imports, soft PMI data 

U 

.S. stocks fell on Monday after President Donald Trump 

said he would restore tariffs on metal imports from Brazil 

and Argentina, while weak domestic manufacturing data fanned 

worries of a slowing economy due to a prolonged trade war with 

China. 

The U.S. economy’s manufacturing sector contracted for 

a fourth straight month in November, as new order volumes 

slid back to around their lowest level since 2012. Construction 

spending also unexpectedly fell in October. 

The figures were in sharp contrast to recent economic 

indicators that had reassured investors of a resilient domestic 

economy. Global markets had also cheered an unexpected 

rebound in Chinese manufacturing earlier in the day. 

[MKTS/GLOB] 

However, Trump’s tweet about restoring tariffs on U.S. 

steel and aluminum imports dampened sentiment. The news 

sent shares of U.S. steel makers including U.S. Steel Corp 

(X.N) and AK Steel Holding Corp (AKS.N) up 3.9% and 

6.9%, respectively. 

5G roll-out: Huawei assures on fastest internet, 

mobile interconnectivity 

HUAWEI Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, 

weekend, disclosed that with the planned roll-out of 

5G network technology, Nigeria would soon begin to enjoy 

fastest internet and mobile technology. 

In a statement on the trial launch of 5G network technology 

with MTN, Managing Director of Huawei Technologies 

Company, Mr. Zhang Lulu, with 5G, users in Nigeria 

and the rest of Africa can now experience mmWave 800M 

which increases the amount of bandwidth available, noting 

that this was also capable of delivering extreme data speeds 

and capacity as the first of its kind in Africa. 

He explained that 5G also now makes it possible for subscribers 

in Africa to make voice over NR (VoNR) calls, noting 

that VoNR is a voice and video solution using the 5G 

SA network architecture, which makes it possible to place 

multiple voice and video calls with 100 per cent clarity and 

no interruption. 

Lulu said, "5G which had been popularly referred to as 

the future is now here. 

LandWey launches CrowdOwnership, an online 

investment platform for real estate business 

IN a bid to create a profitable, vibrant and viable entry 

into real estate investment by pooling intending real 

estate investors together to collectively own size allotments 

of real estate, LandWey has launched 'CrowdOwnership'. 

CrowdOwnership, with office headquarters in Lagos Nigeria, 

is an online platform geared towards providing investors 

access to wealth by bringing a carefully curated crowd 

mix of investment savvy folks, and affording them a myriad 

of real estate investment options. Leveraging on specialized 

knowledge in real estate value investment strategy, 

while giving key insight to investors, CrowdOwnership 

grants the most profitable edge in the real estate market. 

Speaking on the launch of this new initiative, Olawale 

Ayilara, CEO/Founder of LandWey as well as CrowdOwnership 

explained: “Real Estate investment remains the surest 

path to creating true and lasting wealth. Many are often 

put away by the huge capital investment required to participate 

in the real estate space. Alot of investors are forced to 

place their focus on low-hanging investments. To bridge 

this gap, we at Landwey have an launched an initiative that 

makes room for flexible and easy access to real estate investment 

through crowd ownership." 

Expatiating more on the initiative, Olamide Opadiran, 

Financial Controller LandWey explained: “This initiative is 

an offshoot of the company’s commitment to make real estate 

investment readily accessible and available to all.

Ogomudia prophecy 

IN a season when Nigerian 

seers and prophets are 

either not hearing from God or 

are afraid of maximum rule to 

declare "thus sayeth the Lord" 

over the country, the spirit of 

prophecy came over Alexander 

the son of Ogomudia who made 

undiluted pronouncement over 

a country driving carelessly to 

the edge of the precipice on the 

first day of December. 

The former chief of defence 

staff who was the keynote 

speaker at the Good 

Governance Lecture organised 

by the Catholic Church of 

Warri’s Justice Development 

and Peace Commission, JDPC, 

warned that the continued 

suppression of agitations for the 

restructuring of the country 

could lead to a violent break up 

of the country. 

He implored those opposed to 

restructuring to borrow a leaf 

from the break up of Yugoslavia 

and Sudan saying that even in 

Spain the Catalonians want to 

break away and that in Britain, 

Scotland seeks autonomy. He 

added that restructuring was a 

global trend which every rightthinking 

government should 

embrace for national integration 

and development especially in 

a country like Nigeria, where 

he said we practice “a fake 

federal system.” 

Fractured 

politics 

Ogomudia equally criticised 

the barbaric death penalty for 

the hate speech bill before the 

rubber stamp Senate. He was 

reported to have created a mild 

drama in the hall when he 

paused to ask anyone who can 

define hate speech to come 

forward. When no one came out, 

Ogomudia said “something that 

no one can truly define, they 

want to impose death penalty 

for? Where is this country 

headed?” 

He described the type of 

politics practised in Nigeria 

today as toxic and detrimental 

to national development, 

saying “we have a fractured 

politics and everyone is doing 

things that will hurt the 

country.” He said Nigeria 

needed true federalism to 

advance like other nations, 

stressing that Nigeria is the 

only country where states share 

money coming from only one 

source monthly. 

He argued that Nigeria was 

overdue for change saying that 

restructuring the country would 

guarantee ethnic harmony, 

accountability, freedom of 

speech, independence of the 

judiciary and a fair electoral 

process. 

•Map of Nigeria 

Ogomudia expressed his fear 

for the future of the country and 

the present security situation 

saying “a country where a 

former chief of defence staff, Air 

Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, 

was killed in the streets like an 

urchin, and nothing happened, 

is a sign that the nation is not 

Let the defenders of 

Nigeria give just one 

example of a 

contraption with the 

unresolved 

contradictions that we 

face that has survived 

and we will ask 

Ogomudia to take back 

his words 

moving in the right direction” 

But Mallam Garba Shehu, a 

few hours after the words of 

Ogomudia came out with the 

usual trite of those living in 

denial and declared the soulsearching 

declarations of 

Ogomudia as "vituperations of 

someone who is yet to accept 

democracy as a form of 

government." Shehu said: “It is 

very important to stress that we 

as a nation, are a constitutional 

democracy and changes to the 

country in structure, its systems, 

policy and politics must abide 

by the norms of democracy 

otherwise they would be 

extrajudicial and, therefore, 

unconstitutional.” 

Can we move on to serious 

things please? Any country that 

is not destined for perdition 

should reflect seriously on the 

warnings of Ogomudia as he 

stands on the side of history. 

Leaders who stopped teaching 

of history in schools are not 

likely to have a sense of it 

anyway. The truth, however, is 

that from time immemorial, any 

constitution that does not bend 

is bound to break! 

So it was that Israel came and 

pleaded with King Rehoboam 

to restructure the heavy yoke his 

father had placed on them. He 

asked them to return on the 

third day during which time he 

consulted the Arewa 

Consultative Forum, ACF, and 

their anti-reforms likes. When 

Israel returned, King 

Rehoboam did not ask Deacon 

Femi Adesina or Mallam Garba 

Shehu to issue a statement on 

his behalf. He spoke in his own 

words: my father chastised you 

with whips my own next level 

is scorpion. When the people 

listened to his foolish 

declaration ,they chorused in 

unison: to your tents o Israel. 

USSR was one of the mightiest 

empires in modern history 

forged after the Bolshevik 

Revolution of 1917. It soon fell 

into the grip of bureaucrats who 

ran a unitary and totalitarian 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 

regime that was deaf to 

restructuring calls. 

The dissolution of the Soviet 

Union was the process of 

internal disintegration within 

the Union of Soviet Socialist 

Republics, USSR, also referred 

to as the Soviet Union, which 

began in the second half of the 

1980s with growing unrest in 

the national republics and 

ended on December 26, 1991, 

when the USSR itself was voted 

out of existence by the Supreme 

Soviet, following the Belavezha 

Accords. Declaration number 

142-H by the Supreme Soviet 

resulted in self-governing 

independence to the Republics 

of the USSR, formally 

dissolving the USSR. 

Ratified 

signatories 

The 

declaration 

acknowledged 

the 

independence of the former 

Soviet republics and created the 

Commonwealth 

of 

Independent States, CIS, 

although five of the signatories 

ratified it much later or did not 

do so at all. On the previous 

day, December 25, Soviet 

President Mikhail Gorbachev, 

the eighth and final leader of 

the USSR, resigned, declared 

his office extinct and handed 

over its powers - including 

control of the Soviet nuclear 

missile launching codes - to 

Russian President Boris Yeltsin. 

That evening at 7:32 p.m., the 

Soviet flag was lowered from the 

Kremlin for the last time and 

replaced with the prerevolutionary 

Russian flag. If 

they still read in the Villa, I will 

supply a few copies of Brian 

Hall's The Imposable Country: 

A Journey Through The Last 

Days of Yugoslavia. It was a 

book by American freelance 

journalist who was the last 

permitted on official tour of the 

country that has now 

disappeared from the map of 

the world. 

This is a privileged glimpse 

of the former Yugoslavia from 

within, one that gets behind 

journalistic accounts to present 

the intimate hatreds, 

prejudices, aspirations, and 

fears of its citizens. Hall spent 

the spring and summer of 1991 

traveling through Yugoslavia, 

even as the nation was 

crumbling in his footsteps. 

••Bailout crises:No solution 

THOSE of us who have 

deep insight into the 

Nigerian crises are often pained 

when we are proved right. The 

latest is the new crisis states have 

been thrown into with the recent 

deductions from their bailout 

allocations (a fraction of the 

resources Federal Government 

appropriated from their land) that 

they were granted in 2015. 

Writing under "Minister Lai: 

How now, bailout?" on February 

6, 2016; I made the following 

submissions: "However if you are 

made of steel you go on expressing 

your conviction knowing that 

whosoever wants to lead the 

orchestra must be ready to back 

the crowd. A few months ago, the 

company of simpletons were all 

over the place hailing the illthought 

out bail out for the states 

as a great feat. The then 

spokesman of APC, Alhaji Lai 

Mohammed now Information and 

Culture minister was pounding the 

ground over the package. 

Said he: “Also, the President has 

approved a debt relief programme 

that will help states restructure 

their commercial loans currently 

put at over N660 billion. The 

implication is that the life span of 

such loans will be extended, while 

reducing the states’ debt-servicing 

expenditures, thus leaving the 

states with enough resources - 

which otherwise would have been 

removed at source by the banks - 

to meet their monthly salary 

obligations, among others.” 

History is repeating itself before 

our very eyes. Some 31 years ago, 

Buhari, then as a military head of 

state, also inherited a huge 

national rot similar to what has 

been bequeathed to it by the PDP, 

DECEMBER 3, 2019 — 17 

Having arrived a week after the 

catalytic May 2 massacre at 

Borovo Selo, he watched as 

political solutions were 

abandoned with dizzying 

speed, and as Yugoslavia 's 

various ethnicities, which had 

managed to reach a point of 

tolerant coexistence went for the 

daggers. The country collapsed 

while the book was still in the 

press. 

From the years 1938 to 1945, 

Nazi Germany occupied 

Czechoslovakia. Hitler claimed 

that the invasion was necessary 

in order to protect the ethnic 

German populations that were 

living in Czechoslovakia. In 

what was widely considered an 

act of appeasement, the Munich 

Agreement was signed, which 

allowed Nazi Germany to 

annex parts of Czechoslovakia 

known as the Sudetenland. 

The Sudetenland was known 

for its ethnic German residents. 

Although the Munich 

Agreement was created by 

Germany, France, the United 

States, and Italy, as a way of 

maintaining peace, looked back 

on it as a great failure. German 

troops completely took over 

Bohemia, and forced a 

protectorate state over Slovakia. 

The occupation only ended in 

1945 with the end of the World 

War II. 

On January 1,1993, 

Czechoslovakia split into the 

nations of Slovakia and the 

Czech Republic. The separation 

was peaceful and came as a 

result of nationalist sentiment 

in the country. The decision to 

split was decided by the 

Federal Assembly who voted on 

the matter. 

There was a deep disconnect 

between those living in Czech 

territories and the Slovaks. The 

Slovaks, notably, did not fully 

embrace the idea of 

Czechslovakianism. The act of 

tying the country together was 

considered to be too expensive 

a burden. 

Sudan is close to us in Africa 

for the story of its split not to be 

known to us like the reasons 

Nigeria fought a civil war in 

from 1967-70. 

Let the defenders of Nigeria 

give just one example of a 

contraption with the unresolved 

contradictions that we face that 

has survived and we will ask 

Ogomudia to take back his 

words. If they cannot, a Brian 

Hall may just be on tour. 

and had to approve N480 million 

for the payment of arrears of 

workers’ salaries. Truly, the 

President is a man of destiny.” 

This column was not scared to 

call the bail out exactly what it was 

- fiscal irresponsibility. I 

particularly don’t like quoting 

myself but I have to do it often now 

in our season of peculiar mess in 

Nigeria. 

Writing under “Fiscal 

Irresponsibility as bailout” on 

September 8, 2015, this column 

submitted as follows: "There was 

no legislative approval for these 

loans which were packaged under 

the table in the most brazen 

violation of fiscal responsibility. 

Shorn of all pretenses, the states 

drawing these loans are 

technically under receivership!" 

It is a terminal crisis unless we 

embrace federalism. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


THIS year’s World AIDS Day was 

marked on Sunday, December 1, 2019 

with the theme: “Communities Make 

The Difference”. 

It focused attention on the roles that 

communities have played and will 

continue to play in ensuring that this 

deadly disease is contained. 

It is estimated that about 37.9 million 

However, the current picture of things 

people are infected by the Human 

in Nigeria is something to cheer about. 

Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired 

The National Action for the Control of 

Immune Deficiency Syndrome, HIV/ 

HIV/AIDS, NACA, has disclosed that 

AIDS, with about 770,000 AIDS deaths 

prevalence has dropped from 2.8 per 

recorded in 2018. 

cent in previous years to 1.4 per cent, 

Two-thirds of the cases were 

representing roughly 1.9 million 

documented in Africa and the Middle 

people. 

East, mostly because of lack of adequate 

According to Mrs. Akudo Ikpeazu, a 

education and access to care. 

Director of NACA in a television 

Due to the subsisting stigma attached 

programme, about 800,000 Nigerians 

to this scourge in these parts of the 

are still outside the treatment basket, 

world, many people are still afraid to 

and this is where the bulk of the AIDS 

submit themselves to HIV/AIDS tests. 

fatalities usually comes from. 

The tragedy of this is that most people 

It would appear that the most 

only get to know their status when they 

daunting challenge to the arrest of the 

fall sick and can no longer be helped. 

spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria is 

HIV/AIDS is still a serious danger 

getting people to voluntarily go for 

tests. Volition is emphasised, since it is 

a universally-approved practice never 

to force anyone to get tested. 

Once a case is established after a test, 

NACA assures that it has established a 

grassroots-based mechanism for 

plugging those who need treatment into 

immediate care, which is free and 

generally available. 

Unfortunately, despite strenuous 

efforts by researches all over the world, 

the cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS has 

not been found. 

However, early detection and use of 

approved anti-retroviral drugs have 

succeeded in sustaining so many 

infected persons that almost everybody 

has come to the realisation that HIV 

infection is no longer a “death 

sentence”. 

This is why this year’s theme is so 

central and relevant. The greatest 

weapons against the spread of HIV/ 

AIDS are in awareness, testing and 

getting on the anti-retroviral 

medication. 

There is a need for the community to 

mobilise its organs, such as the 

religious leaders, traditional rulers, the 

schools, media and advocacy groups 

to put more effort in getting people to 

embrace voluntary testing. 

One way of ensuring success is to do 

away with the stigma associated with 

being infected. 

Once the community closes ranks 

against this scourge, it can be contained 

even before a cure or vaccine is 

perfected. 

AT present the Nigeria Customs 

Service is run by the comptrollergeneral 

who oversees the work of six 

deputy comptroller generals in the 

following departments: Corporate 

Support Services; Tariff and Trade; 

Enforcement, Investigation, and 

Inspection; Modernization, Research 

and Economic Relations; Excise, 

Industrial Incentives and Free Trade 

Zone; and Human Resource 

Development. 

The circular is talking about the sale 

of petroleum products along the border. 

The circular is not talking about the 

closure of border, an issue that must 

have been discussed at the Federal 

Executive Council presided over by the 

President and I am sure the President 

must have seen the merits and demerits 

on the need to close our borders. 

Even if the President gave such a 

directive to Colonel Hameed Alli, to 

execute, we all know how he is extremely 

close to the President for he is among 

the untouchables around now, the 

circular did not say so and there is 

nothing negative in the circular saying 

so. I am aware that the untouchables in 

Nigeria of today get away with anything 

and nothing will happen to them. 

A pronouncement in the circular that 

Colonel Hameed Alli was carrying out 

the directive of the President could have 

given the circular more weight. We are 

discussing about the powers of the 

Comptroller-General of the Nigeria 

Customs. 

OPINION 

Customs boss overflexing 

his muscles (2) 

The sale of petroleum products is still 

under the NNPC and no law has taken 

that responsibility from the NNPC. 

According to the Nigerian constitution, 

all minerals, gas, and oil the country 

possesses are legally the property of the 

Nigerian federal government. The 

The sale of petroleum 

products is still under the 

NNPC and no law has taken 

that responsibility from the 

NNPC 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, is the oil 

corporation through which the Federal 

Government of Nigeria regulates and 

participates in the country’s petroleum 

industry. 

The Nigeria Customs Service was 

formerly under the Ministry of Finance 

before 1985. General 

Ibrahim Babangida, 

GCFR, placed it 

directly under the 

Ministry of Internal 

Affairs and that lasted 

from 1985 till 1992. He 

later transferred the 

Customs back to the 

Ministry of Finance in 

1992 and that 

arrangement is still on 

till date. 

I have read and 

reread the decrees of 

the Nigeria Customs Service especially 

the post of the comptroller general, I 

never came across in the decrees where 

the comptroller general of Customs will 

execute the directive in that circular. 

I am equally not undermining the 

success of Colonel Hameed Alli. Since 

he became the comptroller-general of 

Customs, for example, the Nigeria 

Customs Service, NCS, has generated 

about N1.002 trillion from January to 

September. The service recorded the 

highest revenue of N123.6 billion in July, 

followed by N118.6 billion in May. 

Let’s take a look at the legal framework 

of the Nigeria Customs Service. The 

Customs and Excise Management Act, 

CEMA, Cap 45, Law of the Federation 

of Nigeria, 2004 vests legal authority in 

the Nigeria Customs Service to act on 

behalf of the Federal Government of 

Nigeria in all Customs matters. This is 

supported by various supplementary 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

legislations including: Customs and 

Excise (Special Panel and other 

Provisions) Cap 45, Laws of the 

Federation of Nigeria, 2004; Customs 

Duties (Dumped and Subsidized Goods) 

Act Cap 87 Laws of the Federation of 

Nigeria; Nigeria Pre-shipment 

Inspection Decree No. 36 of November, 

1979 further amended by Decree No. 11 

of April 19, 1996; Decree No. 45 of June 

1, 1992 as amended by Decree No, 77 of 

August 29, 1993; Customs and Excise 

Management (Amendment) Act No. 20 

of 2003; Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria. 

The law relating to Customs agents is 

contained in the Customs and Excise 

Management Act, CEMA, Cap 45, Laws 

of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and 

the Customs and Excise Agents 

(Licensing) Regulations 1968 (Legal 

Notice 95/1968 as amended). Nowhere 

did I come across the power of the 

comptroller-general to execute the 

November 6 circular. 

By virtue of delegated authority, the 

comptroller-general is authorized to 

issue guidelines and prescribe internal 

instructions to Customs personnel in 

accordance with the governments’ rules 

and regulations as they affect the 

statutory functions of the Customs 

Service. 

Executive usurpation of powers 

because one is close to the President is 

very dangerous. An enlightened and 

civilized society is guided by rules and 

regulations. 

To be concluded

VAT revenue declines to N275bn in Q3’19 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE National Bureau Sta 

tistics (NBS) said the federal 

government generated 

N275.12 billion Value Added 

Tax (VAT) in the third quarter 

of the year (Q3’19). 

This represents a 12 percent 

quarter-on-quarter decline 

when compared to N311.94 billion 

generated in Q2’19. 

The Bureau disclosed this in 

its latest Sectoral Distribution of 

VAT report. 

According to NBS, Professional 

Services sector recorded 

the highest amount of VAT with 

N32.1billion generated followed 

by Other Manufacturing 

sector with N30.3billion. 

The report stated: “Sectoral 

distribution of VAT data for 

Q3’19 reflected that the sum of 

N275.12 billion was generated 

as VAT in Q3’19 as against 

N311.94 billion generated in 

Q2’19 and N273.50bn generated 

in Q3 2018 representing 

Olumide Orojimi (middle), Head, Corporate Communications, The Nigerian Stock Exchange 

(NSE) and winner of the “CSR Practitioner of The Year Award” at the 13th SERAS Awards. With 

him are Mr. Ken Egbas (left), Founder of TruContact CSR organizers of SERAS Awards and 

Mrs. Oyetola Oduyemi (right), Regional Adviser on Public Affairs, End Fund. 

FG’s $30bn loan: Private sector groups highlight dangers ahead 

By Peter Egwuatu, Nkiruka 

Nnorom & Naomi Uzor 

THE Lagos Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry, 

LCCI and the Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria (MAN), 

have faulted the moves by the 

Federal Government to raise 

fresh foreign loan amounting 

to $30 billion. 

Reacting to the President 

Mohammadu Buhari’s loan request 

already placed before 

the National Assembly for ap- 

11.81 percent decrease Quarteron-Quarter 

and 0.59 percent increase 

Year-on-Year. 

The report stated further: “Out 

of the total amounted generated 

in Q3’19, N150.74 billion was generated 

as Non-Import VAT locally 

while N63 billion was generated 

*Risks a full blown debt crisis — LCCI 

*Debt servicing ration to worsen — MAN 

*Complete financial recklessness — Highcap Securities boss 

*Debt ration further deteriorates — FSL Securities 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$ 120.00 1.45 

$2,590.00 -27.00 

12.83 -0.11 

$12.73 -0.03 

$61.01 0.52 

$55.89 0.72 

306 306.5 307 

394.9236 395.5689 396.2142 

336.6306 337.1807 337.7307 

305.9388 306.4387 306.9386 

2.7925 2.797 2.8016 

0.4944 0.5044 0.5144 

419.4232 420.1086 420.7939 

43.5584 43.6301 43.7017 

81.5956 81.729 81.8623 

420.1074 420.7939 421.4803 

45.055 45.1286 45.2022 

20.8879 20.9221 20.9562 

CBN Exchange rate as at 02/12/2019 

proval, Director General of 

LCCI, Mr. Muda Yusuf, said the 

growing national debt is a 

cause for concern as the debt 

profile since inception of the 

present government has ballooned 

from N12.6 trillion in 

2015 to N25.7 trillion in as at 

second quarter of 2019, an increase 

of 104 per cent. 

“There is also the bigger 

worry about the capacity to service 

the debt. For instance, 

the debt service provision in the 

2019 budget was a whooping 

N2 trillion; whereas the total 

capital budget was N2.9 trillion; 

this implies that the debt 

service commitment 

was 70 percent of 

capital budget allocation. 

“In the 2020 budget, 

debt service 

commitment and recurrent 

spending are 

beginning to crowd 

out capital expenditure. 

This trajectory 

is not consistent 

with our national aspiration 

to build infrastructure 

and a 

competitive 

economy. Debt 

service of N2.45 trillion 

is more than the 

capital budget of 

N2.14 trillion in 2020 

budget. That is 

114 percent of capital 

budget. It is 

against this background 

that the new 

request for $30 billion 

is troubling. 

Care should be taken 

to avoid a full blown debt crisis. 

“As the currency depreciates, 

the burden of servicing 

foreign debt would intensify. 

This is a major problem with 

increasing the stock of foreign 

debt. 

“This underlines the need for 

appropriate policy choices to 

attract domestic and foreign 

private sector capital for infrastructure 

financing. The 

government needs to look beyond 

tax credit in its quest for 

more complimentary funding 

sources for infrastructure. 

We should be looking more in 

the direction of equity financing. 

But for this to happen 

the policy and regulatory environment 

must be right. It is 

also critical to review the 

spending structure of government 

sand the cost of gover- 


as Non-Import VAT for foreign. 

The balance of N61.37 billion was 

generated as Nigeria Custom Service 

(NCS)-Import VAT.” 

nance. The ballooning recurrent 

expenditure, in the 

face of declining revenue is a 

cause for concern.” 

Commenting on the loan request 

the Director General of 

MAN, Mr. Segun Kadiri, 

stated: “On the face of it and in 

my opinion, the 39 emergency 

projects in the Power, Agriculture, 

Transport & Mining sectors 

of the Nigerian economy 

alluded to by Mr. President 

should redress some of our infrastructure 

and sectoral performance/linkage 

deficits. To 

this extent, the projects are 

needful and their successful 

completion would boost the 

productive capacity of the Nigerian 

economy.” 

However, he added: The rising 

debt profile of Nigeria continues 

to be a cause for concern, 

especially the capacity of Government 

to effectively service it 

and at the same time, meet the 

bursting needs and aspiration 

of the citizenry going forward. 

“Already, our budget projection 

for 2020 anticipates a debt 

service sum of N2.45trillion, 

an amount higher than the 

N2.14 trillion earmarked for 

capital expenditure. Also, 

our total external debt stands 

at $27.16 billion, while Domestic 

debt has climbed to 

$56.72 billion. Nigeria’s 

debt stock increased by 3.11 

percent from $81.27 billion 

recorded in the first quarter of 

2019 to $83.88 billion (N25.70 

trillion) at the end of June 

2019. This is almost 13 percent 

increase year-on-year from 

the $73.21 billion at the end of 

June 2018. And even though 

our debt-to-Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP) ratio, which 

currently stands at 28 per 

cent, is still below the average 

in Africa, our revenue-to-GDP 

ratio remains low” he lamented. 

Commenting on the loan request, 

Mr. David Adonri, 

Managing Director/CEO, 

Highcap Securities and Investment, 

described the plan 

as a complete financial recklessness 

and a calculated attempt 

to mortgage the future 

of the country and throw the 

nation back into another debt 

crisis. 

“It is very dangerous move; 

it’s unwarranted. In fact, it’s 

like over trading. 

It may be difficult to repay 

and then we would go back to 

the debt crisis, which former 

president, Olusegun 

Obasanjo and Ngozi Oknojo- 

UBA Group emerges 

African Bank of the 

Year again 

*Subsidiaries win Best 

Bank in 7 countries 

THE Banker Magazine has once 

again selected United Bank for 

Africa (UBA) Plc as the “African Bank 

of the Year 2019”. 

This is the second time UBA has 

clinched the award, having been 

named Best African Bank of 2017 by 

The Banker magazine. This year, UBA 

also won best bank category in six of 

its subsidiaries: UBA Benin, UBA 

Tchad, UBA Gabon, UBA Congo, UBA 

Cote D’Ivoire and UBA Sierra Leone. 

This marks the first time ever in the 

history of the banker awards, that any 

one bank will be given as many as six 

wins including the grand regional 

award. 

Expressing delight over the award, 

UBA’s Group Managing Director/ 

Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kennedy 

Uzoka, stated: “The recognitions 

come as a reassurance that we are on 

track in consolidating our leadership 

position in Africa, as we continue to 

create superior value for all our stakeholders,” 

“UBA must be doing something 

right, and for us, these awards mark 

another milestone for the Group. It is 

a testament of the diligent execution 

of the bank’s strategic initiatives 

geared towards customer service. Being 

recognised as Africa’s best bank 

complements positive feedback from 

customers and is a recognition of our 

improving efficiencies, service quality 

and innovation.” 

UBA was represented by its CEO, 

UBA Africa, Mr. Victor Osadolor, who 

added: “UBA group will continue to 

innovate and lead in all our business 

segments, whilst delivering top-notch 

operational efficiencies and best-inclass 

customer service. We are beginning 

to realise early gains from our 

ongoing transformation programme 

and I am excited about the days 

ahead.” 

Iweala rescued us from,” 

he said. 

“The federal government 

should not establish a big 

government that will use 

its own money to finance 

its development activities. 

The world, today, has 

gone beyond that. The engine 

room of any economy 

is organized around the 

private sector.” 

“Instead of the government 

taking it upon itself 

to undertake those economic 

and commercial 

ventures, they should 

look for a way of coming up 

with appropriate policies 

and incentives to encourage 

the private sector to 

handle all those economic 

and commercial development 

projects.” 

Reacting as well, Head of 

Research and Investment, 

FSL Securities Limited, Mr. 

Victor Chiazor said: “The 

idea of borrowing $30 billion 

for critical infrastructure 

projects remains a 

laudable one but we have 

to look beyond the reasons 

for the borrowing and look 

at the country’s ability to 

pay back this loan without 

crippling the economy. 

“Despite the country decent 

Debt to GDP ratio, its 

debt service to revenue ratio 

remains a ticking time 

bomb which may explode 

in our faces if not properly 

managed. At a debt service 

to actual revenue ratio of 

above 60 percent, a further 

increase to this ratio will 

leave very little or no resources 

for the government 

to use for other recurrent 

expenditure and other 

capital projects.


Stories by 

Cynthia Alo 

The Contributory 

Pension scheme, 

CPS, has run into 

brick wall in 11 states 

following resistance from 

labour unions and state 

executives to the 

implementation of the 

scheme in the states. 

The Head, States 

Operations Department, 

PenCom, Mr. Babatunde 

Phillips, disclosed at the 

2019 Journalists’ 

workshop organised by 

the Commission in Benin, 

Edo state, adding that 

only 25 states have 

enacted the pension law 

of the scheme. 

He also noted that only 

nine states including 

FCT have commenced 

implementation and 

remittance of both 

employer and employee 

pension contributions 

According to the CPS , 

while five states have 

employees retiring under 

the CPS and drawing 

pensions, even as four 

states have enacted Laws 

on the Defined Benefit 

scheme,( DBS). 

DBS is the pension 

scheme that was in effect 

in Nigeria until 2007 

when it was replaced with 

the CPS as stipulated in 

the Pension Reform Act 

(PFA) 2004 and 2014. 

Despite the 25 states 

announced by the 

commission only Lagos, 

Kaduna, FCT, Ondo, Edo, 

Anambra, Ekiti, Osun, 

and Delta state are actively 

implementing the 

scheme. 

In his presentation at 

the workshop, he stated 

that, "Inadequate funding 

of the CPS in some states 

that had implemented the 

scheme had negatively 

impacted on the smooth 


scheme. 

"Resistance to the 


scheme by state officials 

and labour unions due to 

poor understanding of the 

scheme has delayed the 

adoption of the scheme by 

states not on the scheme. 

''Partial implementation 

where deduction and 

From lefft: Mr Abisola Onigbogi (ED Technical, ARM Pension Managers), Mr Babatunde Phillips (Head, 

States Operations Department, PenCom), Mr Peter Aghahowa (Head, Corporate Communications 

Department, PenCom), Mrs Carol Alex-Uzomah (AGM, Corporate Communications Department), Mr Kunle 

Odebiyi (Head, Micro Pensions Department, PenCom), Mrs Eniola Adebulehin (SM, National Databank 

Management Department), Mr Sola Adeseun (Acting Zonal Head, South-West Zonal Office, PenCom), Mr 

Elochukwu Nwankwo (Legal Department, PenCom) at the 2019 Journalists workshop in Benin. 

New pension scheme runs into 

brick wall in 11 states 

remittances of only 

employee portion, 

deduction and non/ 

incomplete remittances 

among others by some 

states leads to wide 

dissatisfaction and 

resistance of the CPS.'' 

Consolidated Hallmark to raise share capital to N10bn 

hareholders of Consoli 

Sdated Hallmark Insurance 

Plc have given approval 

to directors of the company 

to increase the share capital 

from N7.5 billion to N10 billion. 

The shareholders who gave 

the approval at an Extra-Ordinary 

General Meeting, 

EGM, of the company in Lagos, 

also authorized the creation 

of additional five billion 

ordinary shares of 50 Kobo 

each. 

The approval stated: "That 

members hereby approve 

that the company’s authorised 

share capital be and is 

hereby increased from 

N7,500,000, 000.00 divided 

into 15,000,000,000 ordinary 

shares of 50 Kobo each to 

N10,000,000,000 divided 

into 20,000,000,000 ordinary 

shares of 50 Kobo each with 

the creation of additional 

5,000,000,000 ordinary 

•labour, state executives resist implementation 

Customer satisfaction critical to driving insurance 

growth —Expert 

Efforts to boost growth in the 

insurance industry must be 

focussed on enhancing 

customer satisfaction. 

An insurance consultant, Mr. 

Adebayo Raji stated this at the 

2019 insurance consumers' 

forum organized by Almond 

Productions Limited in Lagos. 

Raji, who spoke on the theme 

, 'Creating and sustaining 

positive customer experience: 

Key to insurance growth in 

Nigeria,' said: ''Insurance is 

relevant in our society today 

as it plays a vital role in the 

management of individual, 

household, organization and 

government risk exposures. 

''In terms of regulation, 

supervision, education and 

insurance awareness, the 

market has come of age with 

the following institutions 

playing significant role: the 

National Insurance 

He also stated that, 

Kwara, Plateau, Cross 

River, Borno, Akwa Ibom, 

Bauchi and Katsina, are at 

the bill stage of the 

scheme, while only nine 

states are remitting both 

employer and employee 

Commission (NAICOM), 

Nigerian Insurers Association 

(NIA), the Chartered Insurance 

Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and 

the Nigerian Council of 

Registered Insurance Brokers 

(NCRIB) among others. 

“However, the crawling 

growth of the insurance 

industry requires urgent 

attention of these key 

stakeholders especially in the 

area of achieving appreciable 

growth in real terms in the 

years ahead by creating and 

sustaining positive customer 

experience as a critical factor 

for insurance growth in 

Nigeria. This is because 

businesses cannot exist without 

their customers and as such 

companies should focus on 

growing their businesses by 


experience. 

“As institutions, ministries, 

shares of 50 Kobo each. 

"That members hereby approve 

that the company’s 

Memorandum and Articles 

of Association be amended as 

follows: by amending Clause 

6 of the Memorandum and 

Articles of Association to read 

“The Capital of the company 

is N10,000,000,000.00 (ten 

billion naira only) divided in 

20,000,000,000.00 (twenty 

billion) ordinary shares of 50 

Kobo each with the power to 

increase and with the power 

from time to time to issue any 

shares of any new capital with 

preference or priority in the 

payment of dividends or distribution 

of assets or otherwise 

over any other shares 

whether ordinary or preference 

or whether issued or not 

and to vary regulations of the 

company as far as necessary 

to give effect to any such preference 

or priority. 


that the directors be and 

are hereby authorised to raise 

additional capital of up to 

N1,056,900,000 (one billion 

fifty six million nine hundred 

thousand naira only) through 

a right issue of 2,032,500,000 

(two billion and thirty-two 

million five hundred thousand) 

units to the ratio of 1:4 

at N0.52 per share, on such 

terms and conditions and on 

such dates as may be determined 

by the directors, subject 

to obtaining the approvals 

of the relevant regulatory 

authorities. 


that the directors be and 

hereby authorised to raise, 

whether by way of private/ 

public, special offering, right 

issue or a combination or any 

other method(s) they deem fit, 

additional capital of up to 

N4,500,000,000 (four billion 

five hundred million naira 

only) or its equivalent 

pension. 

He said: ''The right of 

states to enact their own 

pension laws (pension is 

not on Federal 

Government exclusive 

list) had been a clog in the 

wheel of progress as some 

departments, and agencies, 

MDAs, of government as 

policyholders should not only 

ensure that appropriate policy 

is in place to protect their 

interest but must also ensure 

that premium is paid as at 

when due. 

“Governmental institutions 

functioning in some area or the 

other should protect the diverse 

interest of stakeholders as 

insurance customers, while the 

insurance industry and players 

should be up and doing in the 

interest of the insuring public. 

According to him, in 


experience, industry players 

must assess the needs of the 

consumers, monitor changes 

in their needs and leverage 

technologies to ensure the 

impact of the changes. 

He said: ''In today’s rapidly 

changing environment, the 

most successful companies are 

those that put their customers 

whether locally or internationally 

or a combination of 

both, through the issuance of 

shares, long term debt, preference 

shares (redeemable or 

irredeemable), convertible 

and non-convertible securities 

or depository receipts or 

any other instrument(s), 

whether as a standalone 

transaction, or a combination 

which may be determined by 

the directors for such consideration 

and upon such terms 

and conditions as the directors 

may deem fit; subject to 

obtaining the approvals of 

relevant regulatory authorities. 


that the directors are 

hereby authorised to commence 

discussion on possible 

mergers and acquisition as 

the directors deem fit; subject 

to obtaining the approval of 

the shareholders and relevant 

regulatory authorities." 

states delay in enactment 

of their laws and/or enact 

laws at variance with PRA 

2014 and CPS principles. 

''Also, lack of political 

will by some state 

executive governors had 

been a hindrance to the 


CPS by states as the 

decision more or less 

depends on the state 

governors, " Philip added. 

at the center of their strategy 

and treat the experiences 

being delivered as a critical 

business function. 

Organizations with leading 

customer experiences decline 

less in the downturns and 

bounce back faster when the 

economic cycle improves. 

''By defining the ideal 

customer experience, building 

a sustainable process and 

leveraging new technologies, 

companies can differentiate 

themselves from their 

competitors and position them 

for growth.'' 

FBN Insurance Limited 

said it paid N5.4 billion 

claims settlements to 

its clients in the nine months 

ended September 2019. 

The company said it had 

paid N4.8 billion claims in the 

corresponding period of 2018 

despite the unpredictable 

economic situation in the 

country occasioned by the 

preparation for the general 

election at that time. 

In a statement, Managing 

Director and Chief Executive 

Officer of the company, Mr. 

Val Ojumah said that the focus 

of the company is to maintain 

the indisputable leadership 

position in the life insurance 

sub-sector by paying claims 

promptly and at the same time 

protect the interest of its 

various corporate and 

individual clients. 

According to him, “Ours is a 

business of trust and as part of 

our efforts geared towards 

maintaining irrefutable 

leadership in the life insurance 

sub-sector, we have built a solid 

foundation where our clients 

can insure their trust by 

Guinea 

Insurance 

to raise 

N8bn 

capital 

Guinea Insurance Plc 

said it would raise N8 

billion additional capital, 

following shareholders’ 

approval to increase the 

company’s share capital 

from N4 billion to N12 

billion. 

The underwriting firm 

said it hopes to achieve this 

by raising N8 billion by 

offering 16 billion ordinary 

shares of 50 kobo each 

ranking in all respect paripasu 

with the existing shares 

of the Company. 

Speaking at the 61st 

annual general meeting of 

the company in Akwa Ibom, 

Chairman, Mr. Godson 

Ugochukwu said: “The 

approval, as given by our 

perceptive shareholders, 

brings to the table, 

penetrating insights and 

sustainable fair shakes that 

will bolster our get-up-andgo 

capital structure reorganisation 

action plans, 

“Options available to us are 

either to: approach the 

capital market by way of a 

public offer, private 

placements, rights issue, 

book building process or 

other methods; inject funds 

into the company or consider 

the possibility of a merger 

with another company 

operating in the general 

insurance business portfolio, 

“In any case, the board had 

engaged the services of 

professional parties and 

advisors to provide matter-offact 

counsel that will engender 

accuracy and timely decision 

making especially, as we are 

materially mindful of the 

stipulated time frame given by 

the regulator,” he added. 

The shareholders also 

approved the re-election of 

Ugochukwu as the 

company’s chairman, 

Samuel Onukwue and 

Simon Bolaji as nonexecutive 

directors 

Q3’19: FBN Insurance pays 

N5.4bn claims in 9mths 

promptly paying their claims. 

We have also deepened our 

footprints across Nigeria in 

our quest to serving our 

customers and shareholders 

even better than we have done 

in previous years.” 

He stated further, 

“Customer satisfaction is the 

fulcrum of insurance business 

and this inevitably builds 

customer loyalty and we will 

not fail to ensure this. We 

believe once FBN Insurance 

is able to pay customers’ 

claims as they arise, numerous 

customers and the general 

public will have faith to take 

up more life policies because 

they are convinced that should 

a claim/loss arise, FBN 

Insurance will be able to meet 

its financial obligations to 

them” 

FBN Insurance is an FBN 

Holdings company 

associated with the Sanlam 

Group SA and was 

incorporated in 2010 to 

transact life insurance 

business in Nigeria and 

currently operates out of over 

40 sales outlets and two 

branches nationwide.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 , 2019 — 21 

Nigeria conveniently controlling HIV/AIDS epidemic 

— Dr Aliyu Gambo, Director General, NACA 

*Says stigma is biggest enemy of prevention efforts 

By Sola Ogundpe & 

Chioma Obinna 

OVER the years, the HIV/ 

AIDS epidemic in Nigeria 

has been described as one of the 

largest in the world and one of 

the highest rates of new HIV 

infections in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Many people living with HIV in 

Nigeria are unaware of their 

status while a large percentage 

of those diagnosed are not on 

Antiretroviral (ARV) drug 

treatment. Worse still, the 

country continues to fall short of 

providing the recommended 

number of HIV testing and 

counseling sites. 

But since the release of the report 

of the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS 

Indicator and Impact Survey, 

NAIIS, it has become clear that 

the country has made significant 

advances in the campaign 

against the epidemic despite the 

lingering challenges. 

The Director General of the 

National Agency for the Control 

of AIDs, NACA, Dr. Aliyu Gambo, 

in this interview with Sola 

Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna, 

gives a rundown of the current 

state of the national HIV/AIDS 

response. He also sheds light on 

the way forward in the drive 

towards HIV elimination by 

2030. Excerpts: 

Situation of HIV/AIDS fight in 

Nigeria 

In terms of the situation of HIV/ 

AIDS fight in Nigeria, we will 

say the situation is good at the 

moment. We never knew that in 

the last 15 years we have done 

so well in terms of fighting HIV 

in Nigeria until 2018 when we 

did the NAIIS survey. The 

survey revealed to us whatever 

strategy we have in place is 

working and has been very 

impactful, in the sense that it has 

reduced the prevalence from 4.4 

percent to 1.4 percent. It was 

4.4 percent in 2005 and 2018 it 

was 1.4 percent. And it has 

reduced the estimated number 

of people we think has HIV in 

Nigeria from 3.5 million in 2005 

to 1.9 million in 2018. So 1.4 

prevalence in 2018 and 1.9 

million as estimated number of 

people living with HIV is good 

What the new NAIIS report 

means for Nigeria 

The new NAIIS report means 

that Nigeria has done well and 

can conveniently control HIV 

epidemic. And that is what we 

are calling the last mile push. 

When President Buhari released 

the NAIIS report earlier in the 

year, he urged stakeholders and 

NACA to push for the last mile. 

The last mile means we should 

push hard to control HIV 

epidemic in Nigeria and that is 

exactly what we are doing at the 

moment. We are pushing hard 

to see that we fight stigma and 

discrimination. We are pushing 

hard to make HIV testing 

attractive, we are pushing hard 

for people to know the benefits 

of knowing their HIV status and 

Dr. Aliyu Gamb 

taking action. 

How NAIIS has shaped 

NACA's future response 

As I said earlier, the NAIIS 

report has shaped our response 

because we now know that we 

are dealing with an epidemic that 

is not as large as we knew before. 

We also know that we are 

dealing with a number of 

estimated people that is less than 

what we were thinking before. 

So in terms of planning we now 

have enough capacity to plan for 

1.9 million as against 3.5 million 

in the past. We have enough 

energy to fight an epidemic that 

is shrinking obviously, and that 

from all indications that our 

measures in place is working and 

it is working well. All we need to 

do is to make sure that is working 

very well, and making it work 

well includes using data we 

generate to form our decision. We 

have launched in states like 

Rivers and Akwa Ibom and soon 

we will launch in Lagos. 

Can Nigeria meet the 2030 

targets? 

Yes, Nigeria can meet the 

global targets by 2030 as long as 

we keep the momentum at the 

moment that we have, If we keep 

it for the next 10 years we are very 

confident that we will meet the 

target. We will reach that level 

where we have negligible or zero 

death level for HIV. We will beat 

our chest and say yes, we did it. 

How NACA is addressing 

challenge of stigma 

Stigma is our biggest enemy. It 

has been preventing people from 

testing and coming forward and 

when they test positive, doing 

something about it. This is why 

we are planning and 

decentralising NACA offices 

from one to six - one office in each 

Come to us to 

deactivate 

HIV in you. 

We will 

ensure that it 

does not give 

you bad looks 

as in the past 

geopolitical zone. The purpose 

is to be vigorous in terms of our 

campaign against stigma and 

discrimination. In terms of 

. 

getting people to understand the 

benefit of HIV treatment and 

testing, vigorous in terms of 

getting people to come out and 

demand for HIV testing so that 

we end AIDS by 2030. 

On employers asking 

employees to go for HIV test 

This is why we are embarking 

on sensitisation of employers and 

employees. HIV situation has 

changed. It has changed from 

disease that kills to a chronic 

illness that you can manage, just 

like we are managing 

hypertension and diabetes. As 

long as you take your drugs, as 

long as the drugs are 

suppressing the virus and 

wiping it out from your blood, 

HIV cannot lead you to infect 

another person. It cannot 

continue to destroy your immune 

system or body defences, 

definitely it cannot give you the 

bad outlook that it gave in the 

past. It will not show on your face, 

or your body. If it does not do that 

why discriminate? Why prevent 

somebody from being a 

productive employer. Some of 

them are very intelligent, some 

maybe the best staff that you 

have, why push them away? 

NACA's distribution of rapid 

self test kits to enable Nigerians 

know their status 

We are planning to deploy 

rapid self-test kits to Nigerians. 

We are planning to start with 

some special communities and 

then we expand. We want also 

to make sure that the test kits are 

available, accessible and 

affordable for people who want 

to know their status in the comfort 

of their rooms and then do 

something about their status. The 

essence of knowing your status 

is to help yourself. Once you 

realise that you don't have HIV, 

then we will help you remain 

HIV-free for the rest of your life. 

Once you realise that you have 

HIV, we will help you control the 

HIV in you in such a manner that 

it doesn't show on your face or 

your body and affect your loved 

ones. Technically, we deactivate 

HIV in your body. 

Efforts on getting more 

Nigerians to go for HIV test 

We are going out and working 

at community level, getting 

opinion leaders, community 

leaders, religious leaders, 

volunteers and health workers 

and people affected by HIV and 

young people to make sure that 

people in their communities are 

mobilised to know their status 

and make sure they are doing 

something about their status. 

Does Nigeria still heavily 

depend on donor agencies? 

Yes, we still depend heavily on 

donor agencies. As we are talking 

the donors still pick about 80 

percent of the bills. What the 

government is planning, going 

forward, beginning from 2020, 

where Nigeria will begin to 

absorb more in terms of funding 

of HIV and more in terms of 

putting more people on 

treatment and sustaining them on 

treatment. 

On non-availability of ARVs in 

some government institutions 

Those ones we aren't sure that 

treatment is not available. Every 

facility that has been tagged as 

ARV facilities at the moment has 

the drugs and at the moment 

treatment is being given 

uninterrupted. If there is any 

facility that is lacking of drugs or 

services are interrupted, we have 

to be alerted, either directly or 

indirectly and we will find out 

what is going on there. Certainly, 

sometimes there may be some 

kind of delay in commodity 

delivery but definitely not 

interruption. 

Challenges encountered in 

addressing HIV /AIDS in 

Nigeria The challenges are 

always there. The challenges are 

stigma and discrimination. The 

challenges are people accepting 

to test to know their status and 

doing something about it. The 

challenges of funding - funding 

that is shrinking; funding that 

needs to come as much as we 

need it, funding that will be able 

to sustain our activities going 

forward. 

On allocation to HIV in 2020 

health budget 

The allocation to HIV in the 

2020 budget has never been that 

good, but it is very encouraging. 

The President approved 

increment from the money NACA 

receives. Going from 2020 

NACA will now put additional 

50,000 people living with HIV on 

treatment on the bill of Nigerian 

government. By next year 

Nigeria will be treating 100,000 

instead of the current 50,000, so 

kudos to the country, kudos to the 

government of Nigeria. 

How many people living with 

HIV on treatment currently? 

Our record is showing a 

million people. Our estimates 

show 1,800.000 or 1, 900,000 are 

living with HIV in Nigeria. You 

can say close to 55 percent of 

people living with HIV are 

currently on treatment. 

On HIV cure claims in 

Nigeria 

The world has passed the age 

where you wake up one day and 

push something to the people 

with the aim of using them as 

guinea pigs to show how their 

body reacts to it or how it reacts 

in their bodies. The thing globally 

now is that when you use human 

beings as guineapigs, you have 

to respect treaty, principle of 

autonomy, it has to be voluntary. 

When you use them, they have 

to know what you are using them 

for and they have to know the 

implication. And there must be 

benefits, what are they going to 

get out of it. There has to be 

justice. Justice meaning that 

there must be justification of 

whatever you are going to do. 

And you are not exploiting or 

harming them. There must not 

be harm or exploitation, that is 

why products are now tested on 

animals before they are tested in 

human beings. So if you have 

cure claims, come, we will help 

you. We will set up things for 

you. We will make sure you 

verify your cure claim. If there is 

any cure claim in Nigeria, and 

now found to be a cure globally, 

that will be a plus to Nigeria. It 

is also going to be an economic 

advantage to Nigeria. That will 

put Nigeria on the global scale 

and take Nigeria to the highest 

level. And that is what we are 

looking for from Nigerian 

scientists. 

Currently, we did a survey, we 

have seen the situation in prisons 

and we are reaching out to 

correction centres and prison 

management working together to 

make sure that people in the 

correction centres have access to 

HIV services, they have access 

to knowing their status, if they 

are HIV positive, they have 

uninterrupted access to medical 

services. 

Take home message: The take 

home message is that every 

Nigeria should know his or her 

HIV status and do something 

about it. You test yourself, you 

are negative, remain negative for 

the rest of your life. You test 

yourself, you are positive; a new 

journey begins. Come to us to 

deactivate HIV in you. We will 

ensure that it does not give you 

bad looks as in the past and we 

will make sure that it does not 

affect your loved ones.


*L-R:: Pharm Nnamdi Okafor, Managing Director, May&Baker Nigeria Plc, Pharm Folake Odediran, General 

Manager/ Country Chair, Sanofi Nigeria Ghana, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, President, Pharmaceutical Society of 

Nigeria, [PSN], and Dr Monica Eimunjeze, Director, Registration&Regulatory Affairs Directorate, NAFDAC, during 

the Formal Signing of Local Manufacturing Contract Medicine in Nigeria, between Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited 

and May&Baker Nigeria Plc, last week in Lagos PHOTO; Kehinde Gbadamosi 

WAHO strengthens capacity for accurate lab diagnosis 


WORRIED about the 

rate 

of 

misdiagnosis and poor 

detection of infectious 

diseases across the West 

African region, the West 

African Health 

Organisation, WAHO, is 

currently building the 

capacity of medical 

laboratory professionals 

in the region to ensure 

correct diagnosis as one 

of the fundamental 

principles of healthcare. 

The project was part of 

strategies to ensure that 

laboratory systems are 

improved in the 15 

ECOWAS countries as 

well as ensuring the 

countries have effective 

and accredited 

laboratories across the 

region by 2021". 

At a five -day Laboratory 

Mentorship and 

Coaching Training 

Workshop for Medical 

Laboratory Professionals 

in ECOWAS member 

countries, held in Lagos, 

the Programme Officer of 

Region Wide Laboratory 

Services, for WAHO, 

Abdulrahaaman Sow 

explained that the 

objective was to provide 

them with all the skills 

and competence to 

improve the health system 

in the region. 

He said WAHO has 

established a regional 

programme for 

accreditation of 

laboratories from the 15 

countries of ECOWAS 

and trained 24 mentors 

from the 15 countries of 

ECOWAS for onward 

cascading the training to 

different levels in their 

countries. 

"If we have good 

laboratories, we can detect 

very rapidly epidemic 

prone diseases and we 

can put in place some 

strategies to control those 

epidemics and also 

prevent them." 

Other objectives of the 

training he listed include; 

providing participants 

with knowledge and skills 

on the requirements of 

ISO standards (ISO 

15189: 2012 and ISO 

90001:2015), strengthen 

national and regional 

capacities to improve 

medical laboratory quality 

systems among others. 

Speaking, the State 

Commissioner for Health, 

Prof Akin Abayomi who 

noted that a doctor or a 

healthcare provider was 

dependent on diagnostic 

capabilities of the 

environment to make 

correct diagnosis and 

also based on the direct 

You can't just set 

up your laboratory 

and start pushing 

out results. You 

have to meet 

certain very strict 

criteria which are 

set by international 

bodies like the 

WHO 

diagnosis to give the 

correct treatment. 

Abayomi said: "WAHO 

is ensuring that all our 

laboratories go through 

the process of 

accreditation and these 

coaches and mentors that 

they have trained can go 

back to their respective 

institutions and fast track 

the process of acquiring 

an accreditation. 

"What we have done in 

the last five days was to 

promote the use of 

laboratories, ensure the 

results that are coming 

Sanofi, May & Baker sign pact 

for local production of safe 

medicines 

By Chioma Obinna & 

Chinelo Azike 

In line with the policy 

direction by the Federal 

Government to ensure 

national drug security 

through self-sufficiency in 

the supply of essential 

medicines, two 

pharmaceutical giants, 

Sanofi and May & Baker 

Nigeria. Plc weekend 

signed a contract for local 

production of Sanofi’s 

products in Nigeria by 

May & Baker. 

Speaking during the 

signing ceremony, the 

General Manager Rx and 

Country Chair, Sanofi 

Nigeria – Ghana, Ms 

Folake Odediran, said 

they understand that local 

sourcing of essential 

out from the laboratories 

are accurate. What we call 

quality management and 

for us to do that, we need 

to go through a process 

of accreditation. 

There are standards 

that laboratories must 

utilize. You can't just set 

up your laboratory and 

start pushing out results. 

You have to meet certain 

very strict criteria which 

are set by international 

bodies like the WHO, to 

make sure that what you 

release from the 

laboratory is not only 

Hypertension: Expert calls for urgent attention to traffic 

lockjams …As LUTH graduates 392 from 8 medical schools 

By Chioma Obinna & 

Chinelo Azike 

renowned 

Acardiologist at the 

Lagos University 

Teaching Hospital, LUTH, 

Prof. Janet Ajuluchukwu 

has raised the alarm over 

increasing incidences of 

hypertension in 

Nigerians even as she 

called for attention on 

what she described as 

"epidemic of severe, 

chronic traffic lock-jams" 

that stretch for hours 

during intra-city trips. 

Delivering a lecture 

entitled: "My Heart, Your 

Heart, Our Heart", during 

LUTH's 2019 graduation 

ceremony weekend in 

Lagos, Ajuluchukwu said 

the current traffic situation 

was a definite health 

hazard which is 

incubating other risk 

factors like stasis. 

"The resultant 

prolonged sitting in 

gridlock traffic is already 

fueling other risk factors 

of different non - 

communicable disease, 

hypertension makes a 

mockery of progressive 

knowledge and research 

as it is currently " she said. 

Throwing light into the 

burden of hypertension 

in Nigeria, she explained 

that the current statistics 

makes a mockery of 

progressive knowledge 

and research as it is 

currently the leading 

cause of morbidity and 

mortality globally 

contributing directly or 

indirectly 45 percent of all 

heart disease deaths in 

the African Region, 57 

percent of all strokes. 

"In mid-1990s, the 

Federal Ministry of 

Health data on noncommunicable 

disease 

showed that 8 million 

Nigerians aged 15 years 

and above have 

hypertension, the 

previous demographic 

prevalence was 9 percent 

for rural 11 percent for the 

urban population in 

Nigeria. There is a need 

for new ways of thinking 

and tackling 

hypertension." 

She, urged the 

graduands to be LUTH 

ambassadors wherever 

they go even as she 

urged them to continue to 

develop professionally. 

"Ensure that there is 

opportunity and equity 

for all others in things 

concerning health and 

professionalism. For 

instance, your Danfo 

driver's heart and health 

should be your concern. 

The Chief Medical 

Director, LUTH, Prof 

Chris Bode noted that 

LUTH has objectives to 

teach, patient care and 

research pledged that the 

management of the 

hospital would continue 

to ensure that the 

standard at LUTH does 

not go down. Bode who 

was represented by the 

By Naomi Uzor 

ANTHONY Emerald 

Lions clubs has said 

that globally, at least 2.2 

billion people have vision 

impairment or blindness 

but that 80 per cent of visual 

impairment is avoidable. 

At a fundraising and 

investiture ceremony of 

Lion Adebimpe Bello, Dr. 

Abiola Oyeleye said 

cataract is the leading 

cause of blindness which 

is totally reversible but 

glaucoma which is the 

Chairman, Medical 

Advisory Board of LUTH, 

Prof Wasiu Adeyemo, said 

the 392 graduands were 

part of their teaching 

responsibility. "Till date, 

we have been able to set 

up 10 schools. We have 

produced manpower for 

healthcare. I sincerely 

hope they will stay but we 

are going to retain some 

here. We produce them 

every year but 

unfortunately only a few 

will stay. 

second most common cause 

of blindness is irreversible. 

"In Nigeria, 4.25 million 

adults who are 40 years 

and above have vision 

impairment. 

Speaking during her 

acceptance speech, Lion 

Adebimpe Bello disclosed 

that the board of directors 

have approved sponsoring 

50 Cataract surgeries for 

patients identified at their 

free screenings in 

partnership with various 

eye hospitals in Lagos, at 

the cost of N50,000 each, 

medicines was central to 

achieving the 

government’s objectives, 

and remain committed to 

the noble aspiration of 

Nigeria’s dream. 

“The formal signing of a 

manufacturing agreement 

with May & Baker is proof 

of the commitment to 

localisation. We will 

continue to contribute our 

quota toward the 

availability of very 

efficacious, high-quality 

made-in-Nigeria 

medicines. 

She said the agreement 

would increase availability 

and more importantly, 

quality. It is critical that we 

are producing with our 

water, under our 

temperature and 

environment; that way 

quality is monitored and 

assured. 

Odediran further called 

on all stakeholders to 

collaborate with 

governments to develop a 

robust and fully-functional 

local drug manufacturing 

ecosystem. 

Speaking, Managing 

Director and Chief 

Executive Officer, May & 

Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr 

Nnamdi Okafor who 

expressed joy at the formal 

signing of the agreement, 

noted that the decision 

portends a great 

opportunity for the 

company and represents a 

major achievement in the 

national quest to increase 

local content and capacity 

in the pharmaceutical 

sector. 

“Today’s contract-signing 

will bring so many benefits 

to health and the economy. 

The benefits include 

capacity building, 

empowerment, selfreliance.’’ 

On his part, the 

Chairman of the occasion 

and also the President, 

Pharmaceutical Society of 

Nigeria, PSN, Mazi Sam 

Ohuabunwa, said that the 

contract-signing was in line 

with the mantra of selfsufficiency. 

He charged 

the companies to target at 

least 50 percent local 

manufacturing by 2023. 

80% of visual impairment avoidable ‘80% of 

visual impairment avoidable — Lions Club 

adding that, they have also 

identified 11 patients for 

eye surgery from the St. 

Raphael's medical fare. 

"We have already done 10 

and I encourage everyone 

today to choose to sponsor 

some or the rest. We also 

plan to donate 200 hospital 

bed sheets to 3 public 

hospitals where patients lay 

on bare mattresses and 

build, in collaboration with 

our community, two 

modern toilets with steady 

supply of water, among 

others.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 , 2019 — 23 

Experts urge FG to prioritise care 

of elderly 

*As Seagreen Pharma, OOUTH hold free health mission 


UNIVERSITY dons 

and other health 

professionals have called 

on the Federal 

Government to prioritise 

the care of the elderly by 

building more old 

people’s home as part of 

strategies for addressing 

their current plights. 

The experts including 

Prof. Bolanle Fatuga, 

dean, Faculty of Clinical 

Sciences, Olabisi 

Onabanjo University 

(OOU), Sagamu Campus; 

Prof. Adewale Sule-Odu, 

a professor of obstetrics 

and gynaecology, 

OOUTH; Dr Olubukola 

Jeminusi, a lecturer in the 

Department of 

Community Medicine, 

OOUTH, among others 

made the call during a 

community health 

outreach held at the Palace 

of the Akarigbo of 

Remoland, Oba 

Babatunde Adewale 

Ajayi, to kick-off this year’s 

Faculty of Clinical 

Sciences Week of the 

college. 

In his lecture titled “The 

Care of the Elderly”, Dr 

Olubukola Jeminusi said 

aside from the 

establishment of old 

people’s home and 

recreation centres, social 

and economic policies 

should equally be put in 

place to support the 

capabilities, wellbeing 

and autonomy of older 

persons. 

Jeminusi said Nigeria’s 

ageing population of 65 

years and above is 

gradually decreasing, 

adding that there are 

roughly 6 million elderly 

people (65 years and 

above) in the country, 

which represented 3 per 

cent of the total 

population. 

He listed challenges 

such as lack of affordable 

healthcare provision, lack 

of household help, 

weakness, arthritis, 

failing vision, hearing 

problem, low libido, the 

challenge 

you goi 

with bone 

density, memory loss, and 

wrinkles as some of the 

challenges associated 

with ageing. 

Receiving the experts in 

his palace, the Akarigbo 

of Remoland, Oba 

Babatunde Adewale Ajayi 

appreciated them for their 

good gestures in bringing 

the health awareness 

advocacy to his domain, 

in order to enlighten his 

chiefs and offer free 

medical screening to 

them. 

Earlier, the duo of Prof. 

Fatuga and Prof. Sule- 

Odu noted that the 

programme was part of the 

faculty’s community effort 

at reaching out to the 

people for the purpose of 

rendering community 

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL) 

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The Head, Sales, and 

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Mr. Adelodun Adeniyi 

Wasiu, disclosed that as 

part of its corporate social 

responsibility (CSR), 

Seagreen is committed to 

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that the company long to 

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everyone has access to 

basic essential medicines 

regardless of their socioeconomic 

status. 

By Olaide Jejelola 

SIX winners weekend 

emerged for the 6th 

edition of the Cussons 

Baby Moments 

Competition, organised by 

PZ Cussons in Lagos. The 

winners were crowned 

Baby of the Year at the 

grand finale which held at 

Radisson Blu,Ikeja, Lagos. 

Following tough 

deliberations by the 

independent panel of 

judges, comprising veteran 

Nollywood actress, Ufuoma 

McDermott;fast-rising 

Nollywood actor, Deyemi 

Okanlawon; and food and 

lifestyle blogger Yemisi 

Odusanya, popularly 

known as Sisi Yemmie, 

Baby Nathaniel Adeoye 

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that also gets the job done in more ways than one. All 

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Last but not the least is yet another new orgasm gel 

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L-R: Prof Adewale Sule-Odu; Chief. Adeyemi Salami, Lisa of Sagamu; HRM, the 

Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi; and Prof. Bolanle Fatuga, 

dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Sagamu, 

during a courtesy call on the royal father recently 

New winners emerge in Cussons baby moments competition 

was crowned the Cussons 

Baby of the Year 2019, 

winning the grand prize of 

N1 million and a year's 

supply of Cussons Baby 

products. 

The 1st runner-up was 

Baby Lewis Grant, who 

won a prize of N750, 000 

and a year's of Cussons 

Baby products while the 

2nd runner-up was Baby 

Einstein Durosimi, who 

won N500, 000 and a year's 


products. In the Special 

Categories,OluwadarasimiOlaniyanwon 

the prize forBest Concept 

and Composition; Louisa 

Fabiyi won the prize for 

Best Candid Shot, 

andPraise Nsed- 

Ogarwalked away with 

theBest Toothy Smile prize. 

These special category 

winners each received 

N50,000 and a 3-month 


products. This year's 

edition of the muchanticipated 

Cussons Baby 

Moments 6 competition 

witnessed a number of 

changes to the mechanics 

of the competition in a bid 

to ease the stress on the 

participants. These 

changes included the 

introduction of a multiple 

entry system in which 

participants were entitled 

to enter for the competition 

multiple times; as well as 

more opportunities for 

rewards. 

Speaking, Group Brand 

Development and 

Activation Manager, PZ 

Cussons Consumer SBU, 

Charity Ilevbare-Adeniji, 

said this year's event 

provided a unique 

opportunity for the 

CussonsBaby Moments 

Competition to further 

establish itself as the 

quintessential Nigerian 

baby competition. 

Also sharing her 

excitement, Yosola 

Nwachuckwu, Brand 

Manager, Cussons Baby, 

congratulated all the 

winners and participants 

involved. "I am particularly 

pleased with the outcome 

of this year's edition of 

Cussons Baby Moments 

because we set out to 

deliver on a transcendent 

competition and we 

achieved that.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 , 2019 

*L-R: Opeyemi Awojobi, Sponsorship manager, Tolaram Group, Dr. Bola Alonge, 

Head of Dentistry & Oral Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Evelyn Eshikena, 

President, Nigerian Dental Association, Mrs. Omotayo Abiodun, Public Relations 

Manager, Tolaram group and the pupils of Gidan Salihu Model Pry School, Gidan 

Igwai, Sokoto during the Awareness Campaign on NOMA Disease in Sokoto. 

Despite reduction in malaria prevalence, 

it is still over-diagnosed — Prof. Oyibo 

By Elizabeth Uwandu, 

Esther Oyeniyi & 

Onyinye Onyekwe 

THE 

Coordinator, 

ANDI Centre of 

Excellence for Malaria 

Diagnosis, Prof Wellington, 

has said that despite the 

reduction of malaria 

prevalence in Africa, the 

illness remained over 

diagnosed, a move he 

described being 

responsible for many 

needless deaths and waste 

of money and resources. 

Oyibo revealed this at the 

maiden edition of the 

international Malaria 

Microscopy Course, held at 

the Dr D.K Olukoya Central 

Research Laboratories at 

the University of Lagos, 

which had participants 

from Nigeria and the 

Republic of Congo. 

According to him, "The 

12-day course is to address 

the issue of malaria over 

diagnosis and help medical 

practitioners garner proper 

skill for proper diagnosis. 

Without this special skill 

you are likely going to 

confuse patients that 

present with fever to be 

malaria and we have seen 

this in different settings, 

both in the private and the 

public sectors. 

"All over Africa malaria 

misdiagnosis is a big 

challenge. And we can't 

continue with that anymore 

because the epidemiology 

of malaria is changing. We 

are seeing reduction in the 

prevalence of malaria 

across countries and in 

Nigeria. The question now 

is , how come we still 

assume that every fever is 

malaria? The reason is that 

diagnosis is weak. 

"In 2010, data provided by 

the College of Medicine, 

University of Lagos, 

UNILAG, to the Federal 

Ministry of Health, showed 

that Malaria among 

children below age five was 

at 42 percent. In 2015, it 

dropped to 27 percent and 

in 2018, the national 

demographic and health 

survey conduced by the 

Federal Government 

revealed that Malaria had 

dropped to 23 percent. In 

fact Lagos is one of the 

states with the lowest 

burden of malaria. 

" What people don't know 

is that there are over 300 

diseases that come with 

fever. Therefore, proper 

diagnosis do not only save 

the patient from spending 

money on drugs, but also 

saves the patient' s life." 

Earlie,the Provost, 

College of Medicine 

University of Lagos 

(CMUL), Prof. Afolabi Lesi, 

while declaring the 

workshop opened, noted 

that, " I think there is a lot 

of ignorance on malaria in 

our society. 

DIABETES: Lions Club empowers 

Ikorodu residents on 

lifestyle chioces 

By Juliet Umeha 

WORRIED 

about 

increasing deaths 

from complications of 

diabetes, a medical 

practitioner, Dr. Emmanuel 

Effiong has called on 

Nigerians to engage in a 

moderate lifestyle and also 

form the habit of visiting a 

healthcare facility to 

prevent or manage 

diabetes. Effiong said with 

proper management, 

anyone with diabetes can 

live a full and healthy life. 

He gave the advice when 

the Lions Club 

International, Distinct 404 

A1, Nigeria, sponsored by 

Lions Clubs International 

Foundation, LCIF, 

screened no fewer than 

1000 residents of Ikorodu, 

Lagos for diabetes last 

week. The screening took 

place at Ita Elewa and 

Igbogbo/Rayeku Primary 

Healthcare Centers, both in 

Ikorodu. 

Effiong advised 

Nigerians to always 

engage in regular glucose 

monitoring to either prevent 

or manage diabetes. "When 

you check your sugar level 

constantly and also follow 

your doctor's advice, you 

will live a full and healthy 

life. Lifestyle modification 

also plays a key role in the 

management of diabetes. 

So, we need to eat in 

moderation, take a lot of 

fruits and vegetables and 

exercise moderately. 

"If you know that your 

parents have diabetes, you 

need to put yourself in 

check to ensure that your 

diet is right, you don't have 

to live sedentary lifestyle 

or exhibit harmful lifestyle 

like smoking and drinking 

harmfully," he advised. 

Speaking, Coordinate of 

the programme, Mrs 

Funmi Alabi, said the 

screening was important 

because a lot of people are 

dying of diabetes 

ignorantly, including 

children. 

Alabi said: "After the 

screening, anybody that is 

required to be transferred 

to hospital for further 

treatment will be sent. We 

also intend to give people 

with mild diabetes 

something to suppress it. 

Also, those that have high 

blood pressure will be 

given some treatment."

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 — 25 

SMS only: 08088693107 

Email: ebellistic@yahoo.co.uk 

Everyday problems: How UNIZiK offers simple solutions 

—Dr Stephen Ufoaroh 

By Ebele Orakpo 

Peter Ferdinand Drucker 

, an Austrian-born 

American management 

consultant, educator, and 

author once made the 

famous quote: 'Innovate or 

die.' This is very true in this 

age of rapid technological 

advancements including 

Artificial Intelligence and 

machine learning. Any 

nation that fails to move with 

the times, would, for sure, be 

consigned to the dustbin of 

history. 

Nigeria cannot afford to be 

left behind and so the nation's 

institutions of higher 

learning are working very 

hard to help the nation move 

with the times. In this chat 

with Vanguard, Engr. (Dr) 

Stephen Ufoaroh speaks on 

some of the projects 

completed by the 

Department of Electronic and 

Computer Engineering, 

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, 

Awka. 

Excerpts: 

IOT-based patient 

monitoring system 

The IOT-based patient 

monotoring system is 

designed to monitor patient’s 

vital signs such as 

temperature, blood pressure 

and heart rate. This kind of 

monitoring devices that 

display the patient’s vital 

signs are commonly present 

in the critical care units in 

operating rooms . 

This system employs 

sensors such as 

temperature, blood pressure 

and heart rate sensors to 

provide an accurate value of 

the patient’s vital signs. 

The incorporation of 

Internet of Things, IoT, 

makes it possible to remotely 

update the status to the 

remote server continuously 

so that the doctors would not 

need to check up their 

patient personally. A webbased 

server is used and 

upon connection of the 

wireless module to an access 

point, the data is transmitted 

serially to the web page or 

cloud. 

The collected sensor data 

contains information 

indicating the patient’s 

blood pressure, body 

temperature, and heart rate. 

A graphical interface is 

designed to show real time 

plots of the measure 

parameters. If any parameter 

goes abnormal, the system 

will automatically send an 

alert message to the doctors 

•IOT-based Patient monitoring system 

•Smart Waste Management System 

A graphical 

interface is 

designed to show 

real time plots of 

the measure 

parameters; if 

any parameter 

goes abnormal, 

the system will 

automatically 

send an alert 

message to the 

doctors and 

relatives to take 

the necessary 

actions 

and relatives to take the 

necessary actions. 

This IOT-based health 

monitoring system is 

provided with centralized 

storage and processing of 

data collected from various 

locations (no boundaries as 

long as connectivity to 

internet is available ) which 

increases the convenience of 

data management. 

•Engr. (Dr) Stephen Ufoaroh 

Smart 

Waste 

Management System 

The smart waste 

management system is 

designed to monitor the 

amount of waste contained in 

a waste bin. A threshold is 

set for the amount of waste 

the container would hold. 

The system automatically 

opens the moment someone 

comes close to the waste bin 

so as to enable the person to 

cast in the waste. Once the 

waste is cast into the waste 

bin, the waste bin closes 

automatically. 

As waste is being thrown 

into the waste bin, it will 

keep accommodating the 

waste until it gets to the set 

threshold at which point the 

system will stop opening and 

won’t allow further intake of 

waste. 

•Students' Trainer Kit 

•Solar-based Pure Sine wave Inverter 

The system sounds an 

alarm to inform the person 

that the garbage bin is filled. 

The system is also designed 

to automatically send a 

message to an authorised 

person to come and collect 

the garbage from the 

particular area. 

This would also enable the 

authorised person to notify 

the waste management 

agency of the need to come 

and clear the garbage in the 

area. This will help to 

reduce the overflow of the 

garbage bin and thus keep 

the environment clean. 

Students' Trainer Kit 

The trainer is designed to 

serve as an aid for students 

in carrying out electronic 

practicals. The model 

designed has three main 

parts namely: breadboard for 

applied experiments, PIC 

microcontroller simulator, 

and an inter-facing board to 

a computer. The trainer is 

powered by a 9VDC battery 

source. 

The main circuit connecting 

the board in standalone form 

contains the following parts: 

Passive Infra Red (PIR) 

Sensor, Liquid Crystal 

Display (LCD), Seven 

segment display, Switches, 

LEDs,etc. The system 

contains ports to transfer 

instructions written in the 

programming environment 

to the onboard PIC 

microcontroller. The PIC 

simulator is supplied 5VDC 

from the battery and then 

connected to the USB cable 

through a PC. The 

experiment software is 

installed on-board via USB 

through the PIC simulator. 

Solar-powered Pure Sine 

Wave Inverter 

This project presents a solar 

and battery-powered pure 

sine wave DC-AC inverter 

that supplies 230VAC at 50 

Hz. The design is based on 

the oscillator chip - SG 3524 

and employs a ferrite core 

transformer which has been 

designed according to the 

requirements. The PWM 

signal which are generated 

for the MOSFETs driver was 

constructed using the IR2110 

and LM 339. The PWM 

signals are run into the 

MOSFET drivers that perform 

level translation to drive four 

N-channel MOSFETs in an 

H-Bridge configuration. The 

signal is sent through a lowpass 

LC filter so that the 

output delivers a pure sine 

wave. About four solar panels 

(each of 320 Watts) are 

cascaded to supply the energy 

source for the system. The 

inverter capacity is 2.5KVA 

and runs on a 24V battery 

system. The solar panels 

helps in charging the battery 

pack.


Immediate past President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), 

Mr Obafemi Onashile in a handshake with the new NIQS President, Alhaji 

Mohammed Abba Tor, weekend. 

Lagos reiterates zero tolerance for land grabbing, 

commends 5th WAPI summit 

By Gabriel Olawale 

Lagos 

state 

government has 

reiterated its zero 

tolerance for land 

grabbing and other illegal 

activities being 

perpetrated by land 

owners in the state, 

saying land grabbers 

have no hiding place in 

the state any more as the 

government is fully 

prepared for them. 

The government which 

gave the warning at the 

just concluded 5th West 

Africa Property 

Investment summit in 

Lagos, commended the 

organisers of the event, 

pointing out that the real 

estate environment needs 

to be regulated with the 

aim of ensuring that only 

qualified, competent and 

certified practitioners are 

allowed to operate in line 

with global best practice 

and standard. 

The theme of the summit 

was “Uncovering the next 

Real Estate Investment 

Cycles”. 

While assuring 

investors of deployment of 

cutting edge technology 

in the land management 

and administration system 

in the state, Lagos state 

Governor, Mr. Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu, who was 

represented by the state 

Commissioner for 

Housing, Mr. Moruf 

Akinderu-Fatai, said that 

properly regulated real 

estate sector will be in the 

best interest of investors 

and general public. 

According to Sanwo- 

Olu, “As a testament to our 

determination to put in 

check fraudulent and 

unprofessional practices 

that are already putting 

the sector’s integrity to 

question, we have 

recently developed a 

technology driven 

solution with the launch 

of a Real Estate 

Transaction portal which 

also ensures security of 

investments in the 

property market”. 

On his part, the 

Managing Director, 

FilmoRealty, organisers of 

the summit, Mr. Luqman 

Edu, said His company is 

committed to accelerating 

and investing in the 

development of 

technology-driven 

solutions necessary to 

better serve clients and 

The Nigerian Institute 

of Quantity 

Surveyors NIQS, 

rounded off its 28th 

Biennial Conference and 

General Meeting in 

Lagos weekend, with the 

inauguration of Alhaji 

Mohammed Abba Tor as 

the 25th President of the 

construction cost 

profession. 

Alhaji Abba Tor 

succeeds Mr. Obafemi 

Onashile, who piloted the 

affairs of the institute in 

the last two years. 

Speaking after his 

investiture, Abba Tor 

pledged to build upon the 

lofty legacies left behind 

by his predecessor. 

Other officers elected 

into the NIQS executive 

council include a former 

Lagos State Chairman of 

the institute, Mr. Olayemi 

Shonubi, who is the 

President –elect (Deputy 

President), Mr. Kene 

Nzekwe, Vice President 

and Aminu Bashir 

Mohammed, Secretary 

General. 

Abba Tor who noted that 

the quantity surveying 

profession has undergone 

tremendous 

evolution in the last 

drive forward the 

evolution of real estate 

services. 

“FilmoRealty is a 

leading PropTech and 

real estate services 

company with a focus on 

easy living and facilities 

optimization. With over 25 

years of industry 

experience, we now stand 

at the forefront of 

PropTech in Nigeria”, Edu 

noted. 

Chief Executive Officer 

of Agility Africa, Geoffrey 

White, said that they are 

closing Africa’s 

infrastructure gap 

through the provision of 

three decades due to 

globalisation, 

technological 

advancement and 

changing needs of 

employers in both the 

public and private sectors, 

explained that “It is 

imperative for the 

profession to continue 

adapting to the emerging 

challenges in order for us 

to remain relevant in 

today’s market place”. 

He observed that 

despite all the efforts 

made towards promoting 

quantity surveying in 

Nigeria, “We still have a 

long way to go in 

projecting the functions 

and duties of a quantity 

surveyor beyond just 

producing bill of 

quantities, preparing 

valuation of works done 

and final accounts”. 

He promised to embark 

upon an aggressive 

marketing strategy to 

make the profession better 

known to all Nigerians. 

“Marketing efforts shall 

be customized to target 

each segment of our 

market and 

stakeholders. Advocacy 

visits to government 

agencies, organised 

Real estate firm launches residential 

estate to reduce travel time to Lagos 

By Kingsley Adegboye 

4point Real Estate 

Investment Ltd, a 

renowned property 

development company 

that is leading the move 

for the development of 

residential estates and 

creation of safe haven for 

individuals and families 

across Lagos, has 

commenced the 

development of its 

premium estate called 

Rose Gardens Bungalow 

located in Asese, Ogun 

state, a few minutes drive 

from Lagos-Ibadan 

Expressway. 

Mrs. Omolola Philips, 

Chief Operations Officer 

of 4point, while sharing 

insight on the 

development stated that 

parks. “Agility Logistics 

Parks delivers essential 

infrastructure for 

companies operating in 

Africa, reducing their 

capital costs and 

shortening operational 

lead times”, White stated. 

In his presentation, 

Chief Executive Officer 

Alaro City, Mr Odunayo 

Ojo, who disclosed that 

Alaro City offers the only 

residential property in the 

Lekki Free Zone, said 

“Live near your place of 

work and benefit from 

everything that comes 

from living in a free trade 

zone”. 

private establishments 

and media houses will be 

pursued with vigour. We 

will continue to re-skill 

our competencies to offer 

total cost management 

and other ancillary 

services beginning from 

project initiation through 

p l a n n i n g , 

implementation, 

monitoring and closure”, 

he said. 

The new NIQS boss 

also promised to re-brand 

the Institute for 

sustainable growth and 

development, “It is 

necessary to revisit the 

entire brand architecture 

of the institute. The whole 

gamut of the 

institute’s brand will be 

reviewed and made a 

brand of choice when it 

comes to costing and cost 

management of 

construction projects,” he 

said. 

Continuing, Abba Tor 

said: “The objective of the 

marketing effort is to 

stimulate demand as well 

as deepen and expand 

sales opportunities. We 

will continuously retrain 

our members to guarantee 

total customer satisfaction 

to our clients”. 

Rose Gardens project was 

positioned to attract 

investors that will bring 

development to Asese 

community, as the 

community is strategically 

located about 30 minutes 

drive to central Ikeja, 

thereby significantly 

reducing daily commute 

for the estate’s residents 

working in the city’s 

capital. 

She also stated that the 

company is taking a step 

further in its drive to 

intelligently defeat the 

current housing crisis in 

the economy by 

introducing 100 housing 

units of Rose Gardens 

Bungalow. The 

bungalows are designed 

as a choice of affordable 

property that will feature 

a spacious modern living 

room with all rooms 

ensuite, kitchen, pantry, 

adequate parking spaces 

for up to three cars and 

many more interesting 

features. 

Rose Gardens 

Bungalow is in close 

proximity to Christ 

Embassy Camp and the 

new RCCG Auditorium. 

The estate is about seven 

minutes drive from Punch 

Place and is strategically 

situated to allow access to 

three major towns such as 

Sagamu, Asese and 

Ikorodu. 


developers and promoters 

of the estate, “Each 

subscriber of Rose 

Gardens Bungalow will 

be given a Deed of 

Assignment”. 

The Chief Executive 

Officer, Mr Wale 

Olayanju, while speaking 

The NIQS president 

promised to collaborate 

with international sister 

organizations in the areas 

of capacity building, 

knowledge sharing and 

technological transfer. 

Similarly, Abba Tor pledged 

to collaborate with other 

built environment 

professions to develop the 

nation’s construction 

on the development said 

that the company offers an 

innovative real estatebased 

investment 

solutions that intelligently 

and ethically leverage 

the current crisis in the 

economy, to empower 

investors and enable high 

actualized returns in a 

short time with low-risk 

exposure. 

Olayanju added that the 

estate will be a reference 

point for future residential 

developments in the 

property market, pointing 

out that investors should 

expect a complete 

exterior, quality windows, 

pipework, roofing, 

conduit electricals and 

doors all fixed. 

He said Rose Gardens 

is open to individuals, 

cooperative societies, 

government institutions 

and private companies 

looking for quality 

developments and 

attractive returns on their 

investments through 

rental income. 

Explaining that the 

company has created 

flexible payment plans for 

investors, allowing them 

to spread payment for up 

to 12 months, Olayanju 

said a three-bedroom 

bungalow is currently 

available for N10. 5 

million only. 

“The investment is a 

convenient buy and 

reside plan which gives 

every investor instant 

allocation along with all 

necessary documents 

required to allow 

immediate access to their 

property”, he said. 

Abba Tor, new NIQS president pledges to sustain legacies 

ertinence Limited, a real 

Pestate firm recently 

sponsored 47 members of 

its marketing team on allexpense-paid 

vacation to 

Dubai in the UAE. 

According to the General 

Manager, Mr. Jeffery 

Ehikioya, the trip is one of 

the ways that the company 

rewards productivity 

amongst her market force. 

He said that Pertinence 

being a people 

empowerment and 

enterprise development 

company; was committed to 

many ways of exciting her 

resourceful team members. 

He said, “One of our core 

values is reward for 

productivity; so amongst 

others, we treat our top 

industry. 

Chairman of the occasion, 

Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu- 

Deen, who lamented the 

huge infrastructural deficit 

in the country, called on 

quantity surveyors to ensure 

that scarce resources 

available to bridge the gap 

are carefully and efficiently 

managed. 

Firm takes marketers on all-expensepaid 

to Dubai 

performing team members 

to exotic travel experience to 

Dubai. We have done this for 

six consecutive years and it’s 

impressive that the tally of 

participants keeps 

increasing annually. We had 

47 people on the trip. That’s 

an investment of tens of 

millions of naira; it’s our 

utmost joy to refresh a great 

team like ours. 

“To make this year’s trip 

really unforgettable, we had 

our team on a yacht cruise, 

daily buffet, desert ride 

among other eventful 

experiences. We just got 

everyone to completely 

unwind and refuel to reach 

greater goals in the in 

coming year.”

BBNaija: Tacha's fans 

slam Ceec for showing 

solidarity to Uti 

Nwachukwu 

There was a war of words on Twitter yesterday, 

between BBNaija’s Tacha’s fans popularly 

called the ‘Titans’ and BBNaija’s Ceec. 

Recall that some Twitter users, mostly Tacha’s 

fans,called for actor, Uti Nwachukwu, to be 

dropped by a European Association which he 

represents, after comedian Basketmouth was 

dropped by the Union for his jokes about raping 

women. 

According to them , Uti is in the habit of trolling 

women and should not be affiliated to such an 

organization. They accused Uti of attacking their 

favorite BBNaija pepper dem housemate, Tacha, 

while in the house and even when she was 

disqualified. 

Ceec who got a lot of support from Uti 

while she was in the BBNaija ‘’Double 

Wahala’’ house, took to her Twitter handle 

to show solidarity to Uti in the wake of 

the recent developments. 

Tacha’s fans did not like her position 

and swam into her timeline to attack her 

and she responded to some of them. 

Marriage crash: Gbenro Ajibade reacts to 

claims he got married to get US passport 

Gbenro Ajibade 

and Osas Ighodaro 

EbonyLife Films, producer of Fifty, 

The Wedding Party and Chief 

Daddy is set for its latest feature 

film, the social-media-driven political 

satire, Your Excellency. As expected, there 

is huge interest in how Funke Akindele- 

Bello managed to both direct and star 

in such a major project, especially as this 

was her directorial debut. 

Funke Akindele-Bello was ecstatic 

when she spoke to E-daily about the 

movie “As the release draws closer, it’s 

great to feel the excitement building 

within the audience. I think this film 

captures how much fun we had making 

it, and how much joy and laughter we 

want to spread this holiday season.” she 

enthused. 

Your Excellency tells the story of a 

bumbling, billionaire businessman and 

failed presidential candidate, who 

becomes a credible contenderwhen his 

dance moves and gaffes ignite social 

media.Coulda three-time loserpose a 

*Tacha 

a 

Nollywood actor Gbenro Ajibade has 

refuted claims that he got married to 

fellow actor, Osas Ighodaro for a green 

card. Gbenro who was a guest on Rubbing Minds 

with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, a programme on 

Channels TV, revealed they are currently divorced. 

According to him, he wouldn’t have gone through all 

the various processes of getting married to his ex-wife 

who is an American citizen just to get a blue passport. 

“Well, I know some people believed the marriage was 

arranged by me, so I can get a blue passport (American 

passport). But people are entitled to their opinions. They 

believed I have gotten what I wanted and opted out of the 

marriage. We were married for four years and now officially 

divorced. If it was about the passport, believe me I wouldn’t 

go through all that processes. Did traditional marriage, 

involved families, had a white wedding in New York. Do you 

know how much I spent? So, my intentions were way above 

the passport and all of that...” 

Speculations about their marriage crisis hit the Internet 

after Gbenro dragged Osas on Instagram over her parental 

skills. Recall that in February this year, Gbenro took to his 

Instagram handle to call out Osas, accusing her of neglecting 

their child a number of times, so she can be out all night 

partying and hanging out with friends. 

In the interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, 

Gbenro revealed they are fully divorced and 

are co-parenting. When asked what is the 

situation with his marriage to Osas, he 

replied “We are not together anymore’’. 

The couple had their wedding in New 

York in July 2015 and welcomed their 

child, Azariah, in 2016. 

Funke Akindele-Bello makes directorial debut 

in Ebonylife’s Your Excellency 

serious challenge for the 

presidency?Directed by Funke 

Akindele-Bello, the movie is funny 

and touching, as it showshow politics 

and social media are shaping 

Nigerian society in equal measure. 

The star-studded movie which will 

be in cinemas from December 13th, 

2019, features Kemi ‘Lala’Akindoju, 

Shaffy Bello, Kunle Coker, Eku 

Edewor, Emmanuel ‘EmmaOMG’ 

Edunjobi, Alex Ekubo, Oreka Godis, 

Osas Ighodaro, Seyi Law, Bimbo 

Manuel, Deyemi Okanlawon, Ini 

Dima-Okojie, Chioma ‘Chigul’ 

Omeruah, Ikechukwu Onunaku, 

Helen Paul, Toni Tones among others. 

Also, it seems that a cameo from Falz 

is in store, as he reprises his ‘AK 

Famzy’ role from last year’s megahit, 

Chief Daddy. Your Excellency will 

be premiered on Sunday 8th 

December, 2019. 

*Ceec 

•Funke 

*Princess 

Shyngle 

Vanguard,TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 — 27 

I don’t think I can ever 

forgive myself for 

accusing my man wrongly 

—Princess Shyngle 

Though Princess Shyngle has apologized to her 

fiance Frederic Badji who she blasted weeks 

ago for cheating on and betraying her, after giving 

her heart to him, the Gambian-born actress has however 

revealed that she might never forgive herself for 

accusing him wrongly. 

Princess Shyngle who admitted she was 

wrong for publicly embarrass her Senegalese 

fiance, also apologized for posting a video of 

him crying and threatening to kill himself, just 

to embarrass and ridicule him. She went on 

to reassure Frederic of her love and also 

described him as the first and last man she 

will fall in love with. 

She wrote “A while ago I did something very 

stupid and extremely wrong just because I was 

angry, mad, bad temper and was simply not 

thinking. I got it all wrong and accused him 

wrongly then posted a video of him 

crying and threatening himself just 

to embarrass him and ridicule him, 

that was childish of me and I don’t 

think I can ever forgive myself for 

doing that. “I am here today to 

apologize to my man, my family , 

my followers and friends for my 

actions, from the bottom of my 

heart I’m sorry, even though my 

for 

my life 

Frederic 

chocolate... “ 

man said he doesn’t care I 

know that I was wrong and 

I’m owning up to it. To 

everyone that called, and 

messaged me to put the 

video down I want to say 

thank you. “To my husband 

I want to let you know that 

I love you with every bit of 

my heart and soul, I meant 

it when I said you’re the first 

man I ever fell in love with 

and you’ll be my last, thanks 

fighting for us, thanks for never 

giving up and thanks for 

choosing me. You’re literally 

Tukura 

and I live for you. I love you 

Badji my tall, dark, sexy 

Senegalese hot 

This was my childhood dream 

– Newly crowned Miss Nigeria 

Newly crowned Miss Nigeria, Beauty 

Etsanyi Tukura has revealed that 

emerging queen has been her dream 

since childhood. The beauty queen who 

represented Taraba State beat eighteen other 

finalists to emerge the ultimate winner of the 

2019 edition of the pageant. 

The grand finale of the 43rd edition of the 

beauty pageant held at the Eko Convention 

Center of the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria 

Island, Lagos on Saturday November 30, 2019. 

The pageantry which was attended by Lagos state 

first lady Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, as well as other 

dignitaries, had Nollywood diva Rita Dominic, 

former BBNaija housemate Ike Onyema, Lanre 

Da Silva Ajayi, and beauty entrepreneur Tara 

Durotoye as its judges. 

Tukura, a lawyer took over the crown from 

Chidimma Aaron, received a luxury apartment 

and a car as prizes. She enthused “I can't believe 

it. This was actually a childhood dream and I'm 

so excited that after many years of doubt, I took 

the bold step to register, audition and go through 

all the processes. I'm grateful to God and 

everyone for their support. I can't go on the 

journey without you all.”

28—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, , 2019 

VOL. 1: NO. 218 

18 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

Coastal erosion threatens road 

linking 50 communities in Bayelsa 

By Samuel Oyadongha 

S AGBAMA—VILLAGERS 

have cried out as 

rampaging seaside erosion 

threatens to cut off the 

Sagbama-Ekeremor Road, 

which links over 50 

communities in West 

Senatorial district of Bayelsa 

State. 

The progressive wearing 

away caused by perennial 

flooding has seriously 

endangered the road project, 

which had been on the 

Federal Government drawing 

board for over five decades, 

but currently under 

construction by the Bayelsa 

State government. 

This year’s high flood did 

not help matters as the surging 

waters swept through 

obstacles on its path, 

including the road. 

Bridge needed to solve 

problem—Residents 

NDV learned that past 

attempts by the government to 

tackle the erosion menace by 

rehabilitating the troubled 

spot ended in fiasco when the 

mass of rock used in 

protecting the shoulder 

collapsed due to intense water 

current and further washed 

away road. 

This was again the scenario, 

penultimate week, when the 

charging flood nearly tore 

through the road. 

We reliably gathered that the 

control measure failed 

because the relevant 

authorities did not carry out 

proper environmental impact 

assessment before doing the 

job. The troubled area, 

according to natives, required 

a bridge to avert future 

occurrences. 

Though a construction 

company has commenced 

temporary maintenance of the 

yet-to-be completed road 

project, expected to open up 

communities in the hinterland 

of the western axis of the state, 

indigenes of the area have 

called on governments and the 

relevant authorities to find a 

lasting solution to the erosion 

menace. 

This, according to them, 

would save the area from 

being isolated from the rest the 

state and country. 

Sagbama-Ekeremor Road(top) and ongoing temporary maintenance(above). 

Agbedi, lawmaker 

pleads with FG 

The lawmaker representing 

Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal 

Constituency in the National 

Assembly, Fred Agbedi, who 

visited the distressed area last 

week, called on the Federal 

Government to construct 

bridges to deal with the 

perennial problem 

threatening the road, which is 

the gateway to several 

communities in the western 

flank of the state. 

He said: “We contribute to 

the revenue of this nation and 

for one federal road that 

crisscrosses the two local 

governments of my federal 

constituency to be cut off is not 

good. So we are appealing to 

Mr. President and the 

Minister of Works and the 

Federal Government to 

quickly intervene. 

“There is need to construct 

bridges across the troubled 

spots and the Federal 

Government need to come and 

proffer permanent solution.” 

A resident, Sunday Ebiowei, 

said: “If a permanent solution 

is not found for this perennial 

problem, we will one day wake 

to find out that we are cut off 

from the rest of the country. 

What is been done now by 

way of maintenance is a 

stopgap measure. 

“There is need for proper 

environmental impact 

assessment study of the road 

with a view to finding lasting 

solution to the erosion 

menace.” 

Govt should halt fire 

brigade approach 

—Morris, ERA 

Also speaking on the erosion 

menace, renowned 

environmentalist, Alagoa 

Morris said: “Although every 

problem is unique and should 

be tackled accordingly, the 

lack of maintenance culture in 

our public life is responsible 

and very unfortunate. This is 

not just a state government 

sickness; it is affecting the 

Federal Government too. 

“Instead of addressing 

problems early enough, 

government always want to 

act only when the problem has 

reached a stage where billions 

of naira would be spent and 

when lives must have been 

lost and so much discomfort to 

the public. 

“So, instead of fire brigade 

approach to issues; there 

should be an effective public 

complaint unit in the relevant 

departments of government 

and the direct labour unit 

should be resuscitated to 

identify and respond promptly 

to such maintenance issues. 

With such special bodies in 

place, citizens would easily 

report cases and attract 

response from the agency. 

“As you know, the 

Environmental Rights Action, 

ERA, had recommended the 

establishment of a Special 

Intervention Agency or 

Commission for Flood and 

Erosion in the state. It is left 

for the present or incoming 

government to do the 

needful,” he added.

BAD ROADS: We park our cars, trek 

home, Ekpan residents grumble 

By Jimiota Onoyume 

EKPAN—RESIDENTS of 

some streets at New Layout, 

Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government 

Area, Delta State, have decried 

out over the deplorable state of 

their roads, saying they park their 

cars miles away from their houses 

and march home because of the 

ramshackle roads. 

Speaking to journalists on the 

awful state of the roads causing 

heavy flood in the area, Messrs 

Tietie Uvietobore and Victor 

Ejumudo, both residents of the 

area, listed Onwugbonu 

By Alemma Aliu 

UKHIRI—THERE 

is 

conspicuous apprehension 

between Ukhiri and Ulegun, two 

Bini communities in Ikpoba-Okha 

Local Government Area, Edo 

State, following alleged invasion 

of the former by over 200 armed 

youths, who tore down farms, 

shrine and economic trees with 

bulldozer. 

Sources said the suspected 

hooligans attacked the palace of 

the Enogie (Duke) of Ukhiri 

community, Godwin Aigbe Esq., 

destroying trees planted by the 

World Bank. 

Reports claimed the attackers 

killed a man in the process, raped 

a woman and vandalised the 

Emma Amaize - Editor 

Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa 

Jimitota Onoyume- Warri 

Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City 

Festus Ahon- Asaba 

Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt 

Emmanuel Una- Calabar 

Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri 

Paul Olayemi- Sapele 

Harri Emmanuel- Uyo 

Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo 

Ike Uchechukwu-Calabar 

Davies Iheamnachor-P’Harcourt 

Emem Idio- Yenagoa 

Brisibe Perez- Ughelli 

Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor 

Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh 

Chancel Sunday - Bomadi 

Alemma Aliu- Benin City 

Nath Onajoke- Asaba 

Chijioke Nwankpa- P'Harcourt 

Crescent, Erukaye, Sam Okaka 

and Agofure-Ejumudo streets, 

calling on the Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

NDDC, to fix same. 

Other residents, who also spoke 

were Mr. Clement Onwugbonu, 

Charles Uvietobore and Captain 

Mike Timiyan. They recalled tht 

NDDC awarded construction of 

the roads over 10 years ago, 

saying only the gutters were 

completed. 

They said despite the noise, 

when the projects were awarded 

by the commission over 10 years 

ago, only the gutters were 

constructed, while the roads are 

still in bad shape. 

Accoring to them, “the 

condition of our roads is very 

horrible and too bad that we park 

our cars and walk the distance to 

our homes. 

“We have written several 

correspondences to the NDDC to 

prevail on their contractors to 

complete the roads, but nothing 

concrete has come out. 

“We are again appealing to the 

commission to come and complete 

the construction work. They 

should help us so that we can 

drive into our compounds.” 

2 Edo communities at each other’s throats over land 

community’s borehole. NDV 

could not authenticate the 

purported killing and rape at 

press time. 

The traditional head, Aigbe, 

who alerted the police, had to 

evacuate his family from the 

palace on the orders of the Area 

Commander of Police. 

Enogie Aigbe, who spoke to 

NDV, asserted that Ulegun 

people marched into his 

community, claiming that they 

were executing a Supreme Court 

judgment that ceded Ukhiriland 

to it, even when a stay of 

execution was on. 

He wondered why Ulegun 

unleashed mayhem on Ukhiri, 

saying, “Ukhiri community has 

been here since the time of Oba 

Ewuare I (over 500 years ago) 

because the deities we have here 

were those from Oba Ewuare I; 

his close servants, who did not 

have children and are now seen 

as deities. They do not have 

deities in Ulegun, there are no 

original things that brought them 

together.” 

He said the Oba of Benin had 

made a statement on October 8, 

regarding the dispute, but that 

the people of Ulegun insisted they 

would rather obey the court order, 

an action he said was an 

abomination in Benin land. 

His words: “They used 

caterpillar to clear people’s farms 

and started buildings. I went to 

the palace to report and messages 

were sent to them, but they did 

not obey. 

“The Area Commander came 

and met the crowd of armed 

youths chanting war songs. When 

he saw the crowd, he advised that 

I should leave the house; I 

evacuated my children and 

decided to wait to witness what 

they were planning to do. 

“They came with caterpillar and 

started destroying things in my 

premises. One of the most 

expensive things they destroyed 

was a demonstration garden of 

trees planted by the World Bank 

in my palace; beautiful trees 

almost at maturity. I do not know 

the value, I have asked experts 

to come and cost those trees. 

“Economic crops, including 

mangoes, pears, shrine of our 

deity and farms were destroyed, 

all in the pretence of making 

layout because they are urgently 

selling land at alarming rate in 

spite of the court order that there 

should be stay of execution. That 

is my ordeal.” 

He further alleged that Ulegun 

still operates the banned 

Community Development 

Association, CDA, which he 

alleged they used to harass 

people, adding that many years 

ago the Council of Enigie agreed 

that the Benin-Abraka Road 

should be the boundary between 

the two communities, though 

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, , 2019—29 

Delta-born lawyer battles Abuja 

hospital over wife’s demise 

DELTA... THE BIG 

HEART OF THE 

NATION 

By Perez Brisibe 

UGHELLI—AN Abuja-based 

lawyer, who hails from Delta 

State, Tony Ejumejowo, has 

dragged the management of 

Nisa Garki Hospital, Abuja, 

before the Medical and Dental 

Council of Nigeria, MDCN, 

Minister of Health and Minister 

of the Federal Capital Territory, 

accusing doctors and 

management of the hospital of 

negligence, which led to the 

death of his wife, Esther 

Ejumejowo. 

The legal practitioner, in a 

statement made available to NDV, 

asked the MDCN to order an 

investigation into the death of his 

wife, who he said died October 5 

because of gross negligence on 

the part of doctors and 

management of the hospital. 

According to him, his late wife, 

a patient in the hospital for the 

past nine years, had registered 

in the ante-natal clinic of the 

hospital where she gave birth to 

their third child, a baby girl on 

September 12. 

He explained that two days 

after the death of his wife, he 

visited the hospital and met with 

the medical director over the 

demise of his wife and 

subsequently requested for the 

medical report of treatment given 

to her, commencing from the 

period she registered for antenatal 

until her last visit to the 

hospital. 

Ukhiri never shared boundary 

with Ulegun. 

Ulegun natives never 

invaded Ukhiri—Pa Edgebe 

Reacting to the allegations 

against Ulegun, a community 

leader, Pa Felix Edegbe, 

dismissed them as tissue of lies, 

saying Aigbe and his followers 

were trespassers on their land, 

which ownership the court had 

validated. 

He stated an Edo State High 

Court and the Benin monarch in 

2014, gave judgements to 

Ulegun, wondering why the 

Enogie of Ukhiri was yet to obey 

the courts order. 

Pa Edegbe contended further 

that on November 19, 2018, an 

Edo State High Court perpetually 

restrained the Enogie of Ukhiri, 

his agents, servants, and privies 

from further entering, selling or 

alienating, building and/or doing 

anything whatsoever that is 

adverse to the rights of Ulegun 

on the land, measuring 225.47 

hectares of land situated in 

Ulegun. 

Pa. Edegbe disclosed that as 

customary to the people of 

Ulegun, they only carried out 

maintenance of their existing 

roads in the village and did not 

invade Ukhiri as alleged by 

Aigbe, just as he advised the 

Enogie not to drag Ulegun into 

alleged dispute with his people. 

Supposed discrepancy 

He said: “I attended another 

meeting with the Medical 

Director on October 8 in company 

of the hospital’s consultant 

cardiologist, who while condoling 

with me expressed shock at the 

death of my wife. He informed me 

that given the treatment 

administered to her and his 

examination of her on September 

27, he was shocked she died 

under the circumstances she did. 

“In the said meeting on October 

8, I was issued a formal medical 

report by the Medical Director of 

the hospital. 

“My perusal of the said medical 

report issued by the hospital 

revealed that the said medical 

report is replete with falsehoods 

and half-truths and that the said 

medical report issued by the 

hospital does not reflect the true 

state of the medical history of my 

wife and the events leading to her 

delivery and resulting to her 

death. 

“I strongly suspect there is a 

deliberate attempt to cover up 

negligence by the doctors and 

management of the hospital by 

the management of the hospital. 

“I have requested the conduct 

of an autopsy, as I strongly 

suspect that the death of my wife 

was avoidable and was caused by 

the negligence of the doctors of 

the Nisa Garki Hospital, Abuja.” 

We weren't negligent in 

our duty—Dr. Odu, MD 

Contacted, the hospital’s 

Medical Director, Dr. Adamu 

Onu, who admitted that the 

MDCN was already handling the 

matter, debunked the claims by 

the husband of the deceased that 

she died because of negligence 

on the part of doctors and 

management of the hospital. 

He said: “The MDCN is already 

on the matter. Our policy in the 

hospital is not to comment on 

patient’s management issue, at 

least not in this sort of 

circumstances. 

“However, the only thing I will 

say on this matter is that the 

hospital fulfilled its duty of care 

to his wife and treated her and 

did everything, according to the 

best ethical principles. But since 

he has already petitioned the 

MDCN on this matter, we prefer 

for the council to do its job.” 

Esther Ejumejowo


A distressed media: Impact on government, 

governance and society •Fighting off the throes of death... 

Continues from yesterday 

THE print not only 

struggles as business 

entities, the print runs, 

are running out. The 

membership of the NPAN 

says volume to the attrition 

rate of the print media. 

Our leading brands, like 

Nigerian Tribune, The 

Punch, The Guardian, 

Vanguard, Daily Trust, 

ThisDay, BusinesDay, The 

Nation, SUN, Telegraph, 

Peoples Daily, Blueprint, 

being publications of record 

remain powerful, influential to 

the extent of their shrinking 

reach. 

Generally, operating as 

undercapitalised, small 

businesses, many of our brand 

leaders may really not be 

bigger than some micro 

finance houses. There is no 

economy of scale in this 

import-dependent business 

where the only variable being 

controlled is salary and 

wages. 

Although, the survival 

strategy of collaboration 

through multi plant 

operations, is in view for some, 

the challenges of logistics for 

delivery of expensively 

produced products are still 

unnerving. Poor trade, low 

capacity precipitate a weak 

media environment. 

The Internet and the 

Social Media 

Disruption 

While we are at it, our media 

space has experienced a 

grand disruption by the 

Internet and the Social media 

with significant consequences 

for the traditional media. 

While brand leaders in the 

traditional media are gasping, 

attempting to acquire assets 

on the internet through digital 

convergence, emerging 

brands not necessarily in 

printed format but on the 

Internet are signposting a new 

era of robust engagement for 

freedom and independence; 

putting the state in check. 

Brands like PremiumTimes, 

TheCable are tops. We 

cannot talk about their 

profitability yet, but they bring 

robust engagement to the 

media space. 

There are also NewsGuru, 

Naija newspaper, Nigeria 

World, National Mirror, 

Authority, The Nigerian 

Observer, Daily Times,Osun 

Defender, National Daily, The 

Tide, Daily Post Nigeria, The 

Peoples Daily, Daily 

Newswatch, National Accord, 

Champion, ,The Abuja Voice, 

Nigeria 24 News, 36Naija, 

Puo News Aba, The 

Summary, Abuja, Daily Post; 

Channels Television; Sahara 

Reporters ; News Agency of 

Nigeria (NAN); Eagle Online; 

All Nigeria Soccer; The Will, 

Nigeria (thewillnigeria.com; 

Legit.ng; Ripples 

Nigeria;Morejara; 

Studydriller; Independent 

Nigeria; Desert Herald; 

News Journal; Fresh Fact; 

Eye Witness 101 News; 

N15.8 

N16.5 

N15.4 

Nigeria Masterweb; Urhobo 

Times; Newswatch 

Times; All Nigeria Soccer; 

Fresh Angle; Advocate 

(Enugu, South-East 

Nigeria); African Herald 

Express(Abuja); 

BusinessWorld(Lagos); 

Naijaleaks; Nigeria 24 

N e w s ; N i g e r i a 

Communications 

Week(Lagos); Orient 

News(Lagos); Pointer; 

Entertainment Express; 

Premier(Ogba ;Royal Times 

of Nigeria; Nigerian 

NewsDirect; Nigerian 

Alert; View Nigeria; 

Union; Eagle Online; 

Herald Newspaper; 

National Networkk; 

National Daily; Nigeria 

Communications Week 

(Lagos); The Point; 

Pointer;Champion 

Newspapers; Fresh 

Angle; Desert Herald; 

Neighbourhood; Abuja 

Times; Royal Times of 

Nigeria; Abuja Inquirer; 

News 

Journal; 

Thinkers;Port Harcourt 

Microscope;Naija News; 

Nigerian Gists; 

TheNigerianVoice.com; 

YNaija; Naija Loaded 

News; Nigerian Monitor; 

AIT; NigeriaNews.net; 

Stears Business; Voice of 

Nigeria; TheCitizen; 

247ureports.com; Galaxy 

TV; Business News; 

Pulse; Today; Concise 

News; Tori; Daily 

Nigerian; Ripples Nigeria; 

Nigerian Bulletin; Daily 

Advent Nigeria; Nigeria 

World; Nigerian Eye; 

Okay.ng; Amala; Hallmark 

News; Daylight; 

Information Nigeria; 

ionigeria.com; Freedom 

Radio Federal Radio 

Corporation of Nigeria 

(FRCN); hynaija.com; 

Nigerian Watch ;Google 

News – Nigeria; Complete 

Sports who take advantage of 

the reach and breadth of the 

Internet to deliver news 

breaks and analysis. 

Many are doing the 

explainers, offering insights 

and taking the traffic away 

N9.0 

N18.5 

from the printed word. 

The authentic global village 

or virtual village square has 

birthed on the Internet and the 

social media and this has 

become the ultimate media: 

affordable, accessible and 

democratic. And if you 

consider that the Global State 

of Digital in 2019 discovered 

98.39million internet users in 

Nigeria, four million more 

than 2018, with 54 per cent 

access the internet on a daily 

basis while 24million (12 per 

cent) have active social media 

account, then you can 

appreciate the value of the 

Internet/ Social media 

disruption. 

It is the reason for the 

sudden rise of the state against 

media freedom. 

N25.5 

N23.7 

The authentic 

global village or 

virtual village 

square has 

birthed on the Internet 

and the social 

media and 

this has become 

the ultimate media: 

affordable, 

accessible and 

democratic 

What can we do? 

Like Repucci said, of power 

abuse especially against the 

media is inevitable in all 

societies. Nigeria manifest 

own strand in the rash of 

attacks and the current 

legislative onslaught like the 

Hate Speech and Social 

Media Bills. What is required 

of us all is eternal vigilance 

and rally for ourselves and the 

society we seek to protect 

while we try to be as 

N18.1 

N17.6 

N20.8 

professional as we can be. 

The Google Recipe: 

On September 25, 2019, 

Google the monster search 

engine announced on Twitter 

that it was releasing its 

September core update. The 

updates or what is called 

Algorithm change impact how 

Google ranks web sites and 

how Google determines what 

is the most relevant web page 

for specific query. 

This core update came with 

an advisory to publishers and 

I think some aspects of this 

are good for setting the rules 

of engagement on the virtual 

village square of the internet 

and the social media. They are 

very useful for the traditional 

media operators. Perhaps, 

they may help burnish our 

professionalism: 

They are a set of questions: 

•Does the content provide 

original information, 

reporting, research or 

analysis? 

•Does the content provide a 

substantial, complete or 

comprehensive description of 

the topic? 

•Does the content provide 

insightful analysis or 

interesting information that is 

beyond obvious? 

•If the content draws on 

other sources, does it avoid 

simply copying or rewriting 

those sources and instead 

provide substantial additional 

value and originality? 

•Does the headline and/or 

page title provide a 

descriptive, helpful summary 

of the content? 

•Does the headline and/or 

page title avoid being 

exaggerating or shocking in 

nature? Is this the sort of page 

you’d want to bookmark, 

share with a friend, or 

recommend? 

•Would you expect to see 

this content in or referenced 

by a printed magazine, 

encyclopedia or book? 

•Does the content present 

information in a way that 

makes you want to trust it, 

such as clear sourcing, 

evidence of the expertise 

involved, background about 

the author or the site that 

publishes it, such as through 

links to an author page or a 

site’s About page? 

•If you researched the site 

producing the content, would 

you come away with an 

impression that it is welltrusted 

or widely-recognized 

as an authority on its topic? 

•Is this content written by 

an expert or enthusiast who 

demonstrably knows the topic 

well? 

•Is the content free from 

easily-verified factual errors? 

Would you feel comfortable 

trusting this content for issues 

relating to your money or your 

life? 

Google’s motive is 

profitability of our business. 

But the recipe is good for 

diligence and good 

journalism- the insurance we 

require for prosperity and 

defense against the ruthless 

state and its operators. They 

might be useful for building 

trust, truth and conscience; 

adaptable as the rules of 

engagement in our virtual 

village square on the web. 

And with it maybe, stem the 

nuisance of fake news as 

well as hate speech? I don’t 

know, but it may probably 

minimize the control streak 

of NBC and make the 

incohoate 

NPC 

unnecessary and irrelevant. 

It might even blunt the 

sword of an excitable 

legislature trying to take 

Nigeria back into the cave. 

Conclusion: 

For me, ours is a 

landscape of growth in 

number, despite harsh 

economic indicators. There 

may be variances in the 

spread of fortunes of the 

media, the increasing 

number of electronic media 

and new media signifies 

confidence in media 

development. We just must 

perfect our act of 

competition that is fair, 

equitable and serves public 

good. 

Two, the global village is 

real and virtual. However, 

the virtual Village Square 

meeting can define and 

refine own rules of 

engagement, using the 

Google key above. Then we 

can defend Free Speech 

with responsibility. We 

must build capacity and 

bring our credibility to bear 

on the use of new media to 

probably crowd out the 

unprofessional, unskilled, 

dangerous social media 

engagement. 

We are in a democracy, 

where there is no other 

choice than Constitutional 

Order. It is only a strong, 

free and independent media 

that can check 

inefficiency, corruption and 

lack of accountability of 

state actors. 

The media must 

collaborate and cooperate 

to survive. That’s the lead 

from the marketplace. The 

experience from history 

tells me that the current 

travails notwithstanding, we 

will survive to tell the stories 

and write the history. That’s 

what is the 

media. 

DNA of our 

•Being the concluding part of 

the Keynote Adress delivered by 

Mr Gbenga Adefaye, GM/Editorin-Chief 

Vanguard Media Ltd at 

the 15th All Nigeria Editors' 

Conference (ANEC), held in 

Sokoto on 29/11/2019.

Why is it that Africans never 

plan for the future? 

A 

FEW weeks ago a dear 

American friend and former 

colleague sent me an email. Permit 

me to quote him verbatim: “Hello 

brother Obed. I trust that you are 

fruitfully engaged these days. I read 

an article earlier today that 

immediately brought you to mind. I 

want to share its contents with you, 

as attached. 

"My point in sending it to you is 

not about the article itself, which 

concerns the potential number of 

Africans who may emigrate to 

Europe in the years to come, but the 

statistics quoted on Nigerian 

demographics. You are no doubt 

already aware of this. My question 

is, who in Nigeria is thinking about 

the future of the country and what it 

may look like, if indeed Nigeria 

becomes a country of 410 million 

(or even ‘just’ 310 million)? 

"What does Lagos need and how 

does it prepare in order to become a 

megalopolis of 40+ million? I think 

these are questions that you are very 

capable of analyzing and writing 

about. Perhaps this could be the 

subject of one or more of your 

newspaper columns?” 

My friend is a distinguished 

agricultural economist who spent 

nearly 30 years of his professional 

career at the African Development 

Bank Group. We became more than 

just friends and colleagues. We 

became brothers. I must say I was 

deeply touched by his concern. Let’s 

The ordeal of getting national ID card 

By ADEWALE KUPOLUYI 

AFEW days ago, I attempted to obtain a 

reprinted copy of my national identity 

card, which I could not trace, but what I 

experienced was disturbing. I have decided to 

share the ordeal with the hope that those 

concerned will do something urgently to 

redress to the plight of Nigerians. Initially, I 

had reported at one of the closest collection 

centres on obtaining relevant information on 

what it takes to get the national identity card 

reprinted but could not complete the exercise 

because I needed to make an online payment 

and thereafter come along with the printout 

for further processing. 

After making the online payment and 

returning to the same collection centre, it was 

practically impossible for me to gain an entry 

as a result of the mammoth crowd of people, 

mostly students, waiting to obtain copies of 

the national identity cards for registration for 

examinations conducted by the West African 

Examinations Council, WAEC, and Joint 

Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, 

which has now been made compulsory. 

According to the examining bodies, the policy 

was introduced mainly to curb impersonation 

and malpractices. 

The truth is that examination malpractice 

not only breeds corruption, but it also lowers 

educational standards, encourages social 

vices, and eroding of moral values, integrity, 

and ideals. This is the reason that legitimate 

and concerted efforts should be geared 

towards stamping out any form of moral 

turpitude from our national life. As laudable 

as this idea may look like, the unnecessary 

burden placed on students to acquire the 

national identity cards before their 

registration for the examinations should be 

reconsidered. Back to the ordeal of the 

students, they thronged the collection centres 

in large numbers struggling to gain an entry 

into the premises of the National Identity 

face it: What kind of country would 

we be living in when our population 

exceeds the 400 million mark? How 

are we going to provide jobs, 

housing, education, electricity and 

health for our teeming millions of 

people? 

As I drive round Abuja, I ask myself 

what kind of transport management 

nightmare we would face when our 

federal capital becomes a mega city 

of 20 million? Is it possible to operate 

a city of 40 million without an 

adequate rail network, as is likely to 

be in the case of Lagos? What are the 

prospects for electricity and 

infrastructure? And what are the 

implications for public 

management in the twenty-first 

century? When I begin to reflect 

deeply upon the future, I become 

afraid. I had to be honest with my 

brother. There is nobody out there 

seriously thinking and planning for 

Nigeria’s future – neither the 

intelligentsia nor the political 

leaders or bureaucratic elite. 

It is a truism that, at current pathdependence, 

Nigeria cannot survive 

as a corporate entity by 2050. From 

a purely systems-analytic point of 

view, our system cannot absorb the 

relentless pressures of geometric 

population growth, slow growth, 

massive unemployment, 

uncontrolled urbanisation, 

mounting slums, deepening poverty 

and inequality, widespread 

insecurity, violence, criminality and 

Management Commission, NIMC. At the 

commission’s office that I went to, there was 

only one gate where the candidates were being 

screened before they were allowed to go inside 

the building. 

Apart from the youths, I saw elderly persons 

probably trying to obtain the cards for their 

children and wards. I felt bad seeing such 

elderly people being maltreated inside the 

harsh weather condition. Some students were 

seen fighting and scuffling in an attempt to be 

called and allowed inside the office ahead of 

others. After watching the melee from afar, I 

eventually spotted two persons that were trying 

to penetrate the crowd to gain an entry, I sensed 

that they could be officials of NIMC and 

quickly joined them in maneouvering ourselves 

inside the centre. After gaining an entry, I saw 

another set of candidates seated without much 

attention given to them. Surprising, when I 

got inside, I stood for almost one hour before I 

could be attended to while none of the students 

that I met already seated was ever accorded 

any attention, despite their waiting in the stuffy 

room that they were crammed into. 

As I was leaving the jam-packed office, I saw 

another group of loitering students looking 

confused, tired, exhausted and frustrated. It 

was revealed that the candidates had been at 

the centre as early as 4.00 a.m to get enrolled 

but were left stranded due to poor network, 

faulty working tools, and power failure. Many 

of them complained of preferential treatment 

by officials of the commission, who allegedly 

attended to enrollees based on their 

relationships. 

Exiting the compound was another tug of 

war. Already, the small gate that served as the 

entry point had almost become blocked 

because of the huge crowd, while the second 

gate had to be opened for me to move out. By 

the time I got out, the number of students 

struggling to move inside had almost doubled 

under the intense heat. My pity for the students 

egregious social injustice in the 

context of purposeless leadership and 

widespread abuses of civil liberties. 

In addition, the impact of climate 

change and the forces of accelerated 

urbanisation in the context of 

dwindling public revenues, a weak 

naira, rising debt, terrorism, 

lawlessness and divisive politics are 

leading us down a dangerous road. 

I say this not as a pessimist but as a 

patriot and believer in the Nigeria 

Project. It seems self-evident to me 

that no human system can survive 

overbearing pressures that its 

institutions are unable to manage 

or process into positive-sum 

outcomes for the good of the 

common people. In our own case, 

system failure is inevitable if we do 

not act with wisdom and collective 

purpose in the years ahead. If there 

We must plan 

for Nigeria’s 

future 

otherwise we 

are doomed! 

is one area where Africans have 

failed woefully, it is in thinking and 

planning for their own future. The 

Chinese, for example, with their 

history of statehood dating back to 

millennia, often think in long-term 

centennial cycles. So do the Indians, 

Koreans, Indonesians, Malaysians 

and Singaporeans. The Gulf 

Cooperation Countries have made 

giant strides in economic 

development by thinking long-term 

and thinking big. 

The nations of the Western Atlantic 

have always thought in long-term 

geostrategic terms. Many spurious 

pseudo-scientific theories have been 

propagated about race and 

underdevelopment. The so-called 

Bell Curve theory places black 

Africans at the bottom of the human 

intelligence quotient. James Watson, 

the biochemist who shared the 

Nobel Prize with Francis Crick for 


their discovery of the double helix, 

told a British journalist in 2007 that 

he was “inherently gloomy about the 

prospect of Africa” because “all our 

social policies are based on the fact 

that their intelligence is the same as 

ours, whereas all the testing says, not 

really.” The late Nobel laureate who 

passed early this year, claimed that 

although he wished everyone was 

equal, “people who have to deal with 

black employees find this not true.” 

It would seem that the overrated 

founding-father of Singapore, Lee 

Kuan Yew, was, unfortunately, not 

immune to the disease. In his 

autobiographical work, From Third 

World to First: The Singapore Story 

1965-2000, he made reference to 

“genetics” being the problem 

explaining Africa’s backwardness. 

Racist theories are easy and cheap. 

But they are also very wounding and 

injurious to the self-esteem and 

collective psyche of the African 

people. They only serve to reinforce 

what the late Kenyan political 

scientist Ali Mazrui termed “Global 

Apartheid”. Centuries of 

enslavement, colonisation and cruel 

discrimination have undermined the 

self-esteem of most Africans, both at 

home and in the Diaspora. As a 

consequence, we have lost the 

capacity to believe in ourselves and 

to plan ahead. 

But we cannot continue to blame 

others for all our problems. I believe 

that we are the prime architects of 

our own collective destiny. Africa’s 

weak performance in the 

competitive advantage of nations lies 

outside simplistic and wicked racial 

theories. In our day and age, nations 

thrive and flourish when they make 

the right policy choices; when their 

ruling elite share a consensus on 

progressive market reforms that 

unleash the entrepreneurial energy 

of their people within the context of 

strong institutions, political stability, 

the rule of law and respect for 

property rights. 

Africa is the cradle of human 

civilisation. Through the great 

Pharaonic and Cushitic 

increased as I was driving out of the street only 

to see many students still approaching the 

main road leading to the commission’s office. 

I left the place annoyed, sad and disappointed 

that fellow citizens’ time was being wasted 

while they were being subjected to unnecessary 

punishment; all in the name of obtaining a 

national identity card. 

To begin with, why the sudden recognition 

and acceptability accorded the identity card? 

I remembered that about four years ago when 

I first obtained mine, the identity card was never 

officially recognised as a means of 

identification in banks and other places. I had 

to ask some stakeholders then that what had 

gone wrong with our institutions that they 

should reject what is supposed to be valid 

means of identification, just like the 

international passport, driver’s licence and 

voter’s card. For me, the national identity card 

If due recognition had been 

accorded the identity card at its 

inception, the mad rush that 

we are seeing today would 

probably have been averted 

should be accorded more credibility than the 

others. Suddenly, the disposition changed and 

hence, the sudden prominence and rush for 

the acquisition of NIMC cards said to have 

captured only about 37 million people, which 

is less than 20 percent of Nigerians. Out of this 

number, more than 700,000 cards are said to 

be uncollected. If due recognition had been 

accorded the identity card at its inception, the 

mad rush that we are seeing today would 

probably have been averted. This is the 

Gestapo manner that we usually run state 

affairs in the country. 

As a way forward, NIMC would have to 

harmonise all existing databases sitting in 

silos into a single database, where information, 

data of individuals and companies operating 

in Nigeria, could be accessed. The National 

Identity Number, NIN, which is generated, is 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

civilisations, we were the first 

teachers of the human race. Many 

of the autochthonous communities 

of Nigeria – from the ancient Nok 

culture of my own Southern Kaduna 

to ancient Ile-Ife and the Benin 

Kingdom – all trace their ancestry 

to ancient Egypt. And yet, two billion 

black people on this earth have been 

consigned to a status described by 

the immortal Franz Fanon as “the 

wretched of the earth”. Our beloved 

Nigeria, as the most populous black 

nation on earth, is the model and 

signifier of Africa’s collective destiny. 

The biggest danger facing a free 

people is when they lose their innate 

confidence as a sovereign and innerdirected 

national community. As a 

consequence, Africans lack The 

Courage to Be as understood by the 

theologian and philosopher Paul 

Tillich. 

The late Chinua Achebe warned 

us long ago that, “Unless the lion 

learns to tell his own story, his history 

will always be written by the 

hunters”. Let it be known to the 

whole world: Africans are neither 

inferior nor superior to anyone. I 

believe in Humanity. But I also take 

pride in the dignity and indomitable 

courage of the African people. I 

believe in Kwame Nkrumah’s vision 

of “The African Personality”. I am 

not one of those who blame outsiders 

for all our misfortunes. I believe in 

the role and potency of human 

agency in history. And I believe that 

we as a people must take 

responsibility for our own future and 

for our collective destiny. 

Economic science conclusively 

establishes that nations thrive best 

when they make the right policy 

choices; when leaders share a 

consensus on progressive reforms 

that unleash the entrepreneurial 

energy of their people within the 

context of strong institutions, 

political stability, the rule of law, 

human rights and respect for 

property rights. We must plan for 

Nigeria’s future otherwise we are 

doomed! 

unique with social security numbers that can 

be used for health care, education, and 

pensions, among others. NIN ties together all 

records such as demographic data, 

fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial pictures, 

biometric data, and digital signature. By an 

Executive Order signed by President 

Muhammadu Buhari, one cannot obtain a 

passport or driver’s licence without the 

National ID Card. 

The Federal Government also approved 

September 16 of every year as National 

Identity Day, also called 16.9 and the Identity 

Day, ID-Day, to create more awareness and 

acceptability. To abate the continued 

punishment being meted out to innocent 

students, the activities of NIMC should be 

decentralised with immediate effect. More 

issuance and collection centres should be 

opened across the country such that students 

would no longer be made to suffer for the 

deficiencies of our public administrators. 

Students should be allowed to obtain identity 

cards at the point of purchase of the forms. 

There is a need for public-private partnerships 

in tackling this problem as NIMC could be 

seriously handicaped in carrying out its duties 

effectively and efficiently. 

The current challenge being experienced is 

not limited to NIMC, as most state institutions 

in Nigeria provide poor services, lack the 

discipline to accord customers due respect and 

value for their hard-earned resources. This 

ugly trend has also crept into the business 

sectors such as banks, insurance, and 

manufacturing industries where people are 

treated shabbily. It is rather unfortunate that 

offices such as the Service Compact with All 

Nigerians, SERVICOM, and Consumer 

Protection Council, CPC, appear to have 

neglected the people and are not seen as doing 

enough to protect the people when it comes to 

quality service. For now, the burden placed on 

students should be removed. 

•Kupoluyi, a social commentator, wrote 

from the Federal University of Agriculture, 

Abeokuta (FUNAAB) 

C 

M 

Y 

K


YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

AQUARIUS; If what you’re doing today’ll depend on 

tomorrow’s event it’s better you’re more careful now. Even 

things may not go according to your personal plans today. 

Yet it’s important you plan both your immediate and far 

future carefully now 

PISCES; If you take to aggression, your ego would be 

deflated by your superior colleagues, but your being cooperative 

in a civilised way’ll prevent trouble 

ARIES; Those willing to put you to shame one way or the 

other’ll be disappointed with the turn of things today. It’s 

good to secure support of your spouse 

TAURUS; You’ve had enough of fun in the recent times 

and it’s now time you settle down for hard work in order to 

prevent avoidable trouble. Be patient please. 

GEMINI; Your concentration level and determination 

are the pillars of your success today. Yet you’ll need to respect 

your senior colleagues and protect your image 

CANCER; It’s true you’re willing to work harder but you 

just have to drop both aggression and mental arrogance to 

allow things to roll accordingly. Then, you’re accident prone 

within your working arena. Respect the law and its agents 

today. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then 

when you know better, do better” 

— Maya Angelou- 

When we have new information about a prior plan it 

enables for a review of things. Take note and observe 

your efforts, reflect on your choices, revise the plan. 

Life is a series of process and experiences. You’ll learn 

a bit more about how you’re doing, what’s the driving 

force in your motivation and what bust your enthusiasm 

and how you can improve it. — Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

If you are 

ugly you 

must either 

learn to 

dance or 

make love. ~ 

Zimbabwean 

Proverp 

By Kola Fayemi 

LEO; Serious thought may be giving to matters of the 

heart but it’s better you tarry a while. Joint ventures of short 

duration today may be an invitation to avoidable trouble 

VIRGO; If you back your financial plans with concrete 

and positive actions things’ll go according to your desire. If 

you fail to realise importance of your spouse you would 

work your way into avoidable trouble; aren’t you tired of 

crisis? 

LIBRA; Your intelligence, competence and level of concentration 

may today bring you envy, which you don’t deserve 

within your working arena in a negative form but, 

you’ll succeed.. Entertain no fear, and take advantage of 

your sex-appeal for love. 

SCORPIO;. The Moon in Sagittarius highlights your 

Solar second house of money which is good but, if you try to 

buy true love with money, you’ll be disappointed 

SAGITTARIUS; The. Moon in your Star sign’ll gives you 

new confidence and with new supports from the powersthat-be, 

it’s like you are now un-stop-able. But be cautious, 

especially with the veterans within your base of operation 

CAPRICORN; Tomorrow is your better day. But you will 

today need to do away with non-productive argument and/ 

or agreement. Try to be more diplomatic now. 

ASTROLOGICAL ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

COUNSELLING 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” 

“HOT” 

By A.O.OLAIDE 

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

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SAGITTARIUS 

Sagittarius is a mutable sign by its quality. It ‘s element is 

fire, symbolised by half horse half man and/or an Archer aiming 

at the sky. Mutable means changes and experimentation, 

while fire is all about enthusiasm, taking of the initiative 

and leadership ability. Thus, you are the type that will 

exhibit strong interest in an important project that catches 

your fancy and you will not mind to experiment with ideas 

just to achieve your objectives and aims. Sagittarius is 9th of 

the twelve Zodiac signs that rules philosophy, RELIGION, 

law, foreign land, higher mind/higher institutions, lawyer, 

long (distance) travelling, in-laws, future, optimism and bluntness. 

Major problem or weak points of Sagittarians are excessive 

openness/bluntness and sometimes fanatical approach 

to religion. 

Being a born adventurer, you are not afraid of exploration 

and new beginning. Sagittarians are incurable optimists and 

ever ready to listen to and eager to believe others. Honesty is 

truly in your inner self You are a tolerant person but you are 

not ready to compromise your FREEDOM 

Sagittarius as a fire sign can make you a quick tempered 

person. Half horse half man as the symbol, of Sagittarius 

indicates dual (double) personalities known in different 

circles with different personalities. Yet, you are not a pretender. 

As the Archer aims arrow into the sky so also 

Sagittarians have many lofty ideas and ambitions. But sometimes 

their ideas and/or ideals are not practical enough for 

realisation. Many times, they start too many things at the 

same time only to .either forget or lose view of their original 

target. 

Development of practical approach is more important for 

Sagittarians this is in order to make success of many of their 

brilliant ideas, otherwise they tend to become dreamers. 

In reality, Sagittarians are dreamers (by this 1 mean real 

dream many use to have at night when sleeping) and many 

of their dreams usually come to pass. Sometimes their dreams 

are vividly prophetic. 

Sagittarians are born philosophers. That is why they have 

well developed minds indispensable to rare wisdom, Then, 

they are humorous, lively, sports loving out going, energetic, 

good hearted, in love with change/experimentation, ever willing 

to co-operate, socially inclined, enthusiastic and highly 

intelligent. Ironically as intelligent as they are, they can surprisingly 

appear fanatical about their convinction and/or 

views. 

VIRGINIA 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

HOME & ABROAD 

By Lawrence Akapa


Court dismisses ADP’s appeal 

against Wike’s re-election victory 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT— 

COURT of Appeal 

sitting in Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State, has dismissed 

the appeal filed by 

governorship candidate of 

Action Democratic Party, 

ADP, Victor Fingesi, against 

the re-election of Governor 

Nyesom Wike and Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, for 

lack of proof. 

The five-man appeal 

panel affirmed the decision 

of the Governorship 

Election Petition Tribunal, 

which held that Wike was 

duly elected as declared by 

the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC. 

The lead judge of the 

panel, Justice H. N. 

Ogunwimiji, disclosed that 

the lower court erred by not 

allowing the petitioner to 

amend certain paragraphs 

in his petition. 

He held that the lower 

court was right when it 

ruled that INEC had the 

right to suspend electoral 

process even in the middle 

of the elections. 

Ogunwimiji said the 

petitioner failed to prove 

his case in other issues 

raised and hence agreed 

with the ruling of the court, 

which affirmed Wike's 

victory. 

However, counsel for the 

ADP candidate, Dalakpo 

Anthony, regretted the 

decision, adding that he 

would consult his client for 

further steps. 

On his part, counsel for 

Wike and PDP, Ike Udenna, 

described the judgement as 

well deserved, and a victory 

for INEC, Wike, PDP as 

well as Rivers people. 

From left—Chairman, BoT, Don Edozien; Secretary, BoT, Funmi Ashaolu; Global President, Mr. Akinyemi 

Omoyeni; Chairman, EOY, Abiodun Ogidan, and Global Vice President, Mr. Tony Akara, all of Federal 

Government College, Ogbomoso, Old Students Association, FEGOCOOSA. 

UPF faults Onuesoke on PSML probe by Reps 

COORDINATOR of 

Udu Positive Force, 

UPF, a social-economic 

development group of 

Udu sons and daughters 

led by Chief Galaxy 

Udukparobo, has taken a 

swipe at Chief Sunny 

Onuesoke, a peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

chieftain from Delta 

State over his comments 

on the committee set up 

by the House of 

Representatives to probe 

activities of Premium 

Steel and Mines 

Limited, PSML, over the 

resuscitation of the plant 

for production. 

UPF warned Chief 

Onuesoke to stop 

meddling in affairs of the 

company, as the Udu 

people, who are host to 

PSML, the former Delta 

Steel Company, DSC, 

are in a better position to 

know what the company 

was doing or not doing 

well. 

Addressing newsmen 

in Ovwian, Udukparobo 

faulted Onuesoke for 

“meddling in matters 

outside his brief, 

warning that as a 

contractor to PSML, he 

should allow Udu 

handle their relationship 

with the company. 

He stressed that Chief 

Ben Igbakpa, who 

moved the motion on the 

floor of the National 

Assembly expressing 

concern over the state of 

the plant, was more 

knowledgeable in the 

affairs of the company 

than Chief Onuesoke. 

He commended 

Igbakpa for the courage 

in moving the motion, 

adding “let Onuesoke 

tell the world how many 

years it takes to turn 

around a steel smelting 

shop. 

“Let him tell the media 

from his supposed 

‘knowledgeable standpoint’ 

how many times 

steel products or rods 

have been sold by his 

employers since they 

took over years ago.” 

The group also 

commended Francis 

Waive for supporting 

Igbakpa, urging them to 

continue with “the probe 

to unravel the 

transactions, so 

Nigerians will not be 

ripped off, thereby 

making nonsense of the 

Federal Government’s 

efforts towards industrial 

revolution through DSC, 

an integrated steel plant. 

“We use this medium to 

call on all men of 

goodwill to support this 

effort so that we can get 

our company back to 

production ways.” 

FEGOCOOSA holds re-union 

FEDERAL Government 

College, Ogbomoso, 

Old Students Association, 

FEGOCOOSA, founded 

since 1977, concluded 

plans for its annual end of 

the year reunion party, 

which will be held on 

December 14 in Lagos. 

Speaking at a briefing on 

the event in Lagos, Global 

President of the 

association, Mr. Akinyemi 

41 inmates on death 

row in Akwa Ibom 

By Harris Emmanuel 

UYO—NO fewer than 

41 inmates, including 

two females and 39 males, 

are on deathrow in the Uyo 

detention centre of Nigeria 

Correctional Service, the 

State Controller, Alex 

Oditah, has said. 

The Controller made the 

disclosure while fielding 

questions from reporters as 

part of activities to mark a 

week-long first Inmates 

Rehabilitation Concert 

with the theme “Effective 

Leadership: A Recipe for 

Peace, Security and 

National Development.” 

Omoyeni, informed that 

this year’s reunion, with 

the theme “CHANGING 

TEMPOS,” is aimed to 

propagate the history of 

the school. 

He also explained that 

the black tie event will lay 

emphasis on integrations 

and mentorship, 

especially for the 

younger old students 

and networking. 

Oditah, who was 

flanked by some senior 

officers, said the nine 

inmates who were on 

death sentence in Eket 

were moved to Port 

Harcourt, while Ikot 

Abasi and Ikot Ekpene 

have none facing the 

hangman’s noose. 

He noted that 70 

percent of inmates in the 

four facilities across the 

state were those awaiting 

trials, so it was difficult to 

engage them in skills 

acquisition and 

educational programmes 

because of the flexibility 

of their stay. 

CP warns C-River youths 

against bearing firearms 

By Ike 

Uchechukwu 

C ALABAR—CROSS 

River State 

Commissioner of Police, 

Nkerewem Akpan, has 

called on youths in the 

state to embrace peace and 

stop carrying illegal arms 

to attack one another. 

Akpan made the call 

yesterday, in Boki council 

during a meeting 

organised by the police to 

meditate peace between 

the warring communities 

of Boje, Isobendeghe and 

Nsadop. 

The meeting was 

sequel to the November 

By Ike 

Uchechukwu 

CALABAR—A forest 

conservation 

organisation, 

Nigeria Conservation 

Foundation, NCF, has 

restated its committment to 

established a 25 percent 

forest cover to mitigate the 

effect of climate change in 

Nigeria. 

The Foundation made 

this known yesterday, in 

Calabar during the 

flagging off ceremony to 

mark the global climate 

strike week for awareness 

creation on climate 

change in Cross River 

21 communal clash 

between the 

communities in Boki. 

During the clash, 

several property worth 

millions of naira were 

destroyed, while some 

persons were allegedly 

killed and others alleged 

to be missing. 

Akpan said the law will 

not spare any youth, who 

is caught with illegal 

arms. 

He told the chiefs from 

the warring 

communities to call 

their subjects to order 

and stop the incessant 

attacks on one another 

over a parcel of land. 

Foundation restates 

commitment to climate 

State. 

NCF Projects Manager 

in the state, Emmanuel 

Owan, said the exercise 

was aimed at 

addressing the problem 

posed by climate change 

and associated with 

environmental challenges 

in the country. 

Owan said the 

awareness was pivotal for 

the people of Cross River 

State, to enable them 

contribute their quota 

towards the mitigation of 

climate change effect, 

which has resulted to 

harsh weather condition 

in Nigeria and other 

parts of the world.


We’ll build Nigeria's Silicon 

Valley, says Jim Ovia 

ZENITH Bank has 

supported and 

sponsored various 

technology start-ups and 

innovative ideas at its 

Zenith Tech Fair held in 

Lagos, on the theme 

Future Forward, which 

showcased leading 

technology innovation 

across every aspect of life. 

Speaking at the event, 

Jim Ovia, Chairman, 

Zenith Bank Plc, said the 

bank has always had some 

form of technology summit 

over the years, but that the 

tech fair was different, as 

so many Nigerian youths 

were innovating. 

According to him, “we 

want to support them in 

the area of disruptive 

innovations and 

technologies and we all 

know what disruptive 

innovations will do to our 

economy. 

“We believe in the years 

to come that we will build 

our own Silicon Valley as 

By Chinonso Alozie 

O 

W E R R I — 

GOVERNOR 

Emeka Ihedioha of Imo 

state, yesterday, said that 

with the launching of Imo 

Sports Festival, talents from 

the state will be exported 

outside the country. 

Ihedioha spoke in 

Owerri, while lighting the 

torch for the 13th Imo Sports 

we sponsor more 

innovations and 

creativities. 

“That is why we will 

encourage our youths to 

come up with various 

technologies and 

innovations that they 

have that is disruptive 

and will change the old 

ways of doing things to 

embrace new ways, 

such as artificial 

intelligence, which is the 

direction of the world 

economy.” 

Ebenezer Onyeagwu, 

MD/CEO, Zenith Bank, 

who was pleased, 

acknowledged that 

virtually every 

stakeholder in the digital 

ecosystem was 

represented at the event. 

He added: “We had 

presentations from 

Google, IBM, Oracle 

and several others and 

every one of them talked 

about the huge 

potentials in Nigeria.” 

Benikrukru to FG: Pay 

13% oil derivation to us 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE people 

of Benikrukru in Warri 

South-West Local 

Government Area, Delta 

State, have urged 


Buhari to, in accordance 

with the Constitution, start 

paying 13% oil derivation 

fund to them directly. 

The people, in a letter 

addressed to President 

Buhari and made 

available to newsmen, 

noted that the impact of the 

ones paid to the state 

government in past years 

was not being felt by them. 

Benikrukru, which is a 

community in Gbaramatu 

Kingdom, hosts the 

Abiteye Flow Station. The 

people, in the letter, which 

was signed by Chief 

Godwin Olufemi, Prince 

Isaiah Gbenekama and Pa 

Ogio Okirika, who are 

Chairman, Secretary and 

Amakosuwei (oldest man) 

of Benikrukru, 

respectively, insisted that 

the 1999 Constitution of the 

Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, as amended, 

has prescribed that 13% 

of the proceeds made 

from Abiteye Flow 

Station be given directly 

to the community. 

Saying the payment of 

the fund was envisaged 

by the Constitution to be 

in lieu of the losses that 

oil-producing 

communities would 

suffer in terms of their 

environmental and 

economic livelihoods, 

the community lamented 

that the system that had 

paid the fund through 

the state governments 

had defeated the motive. 

They said: “It is, 

therefore, clear, 

constitutionally and 

legally, that 13% 

derivation fund belongs 

exclusively to the oil and 

gas producing 

communities as 

compensation for loss of 

fishing rights and farm 

lands as a result of oil 

exploitation and 

production activities.” 

Festival with Chinasa Duru 

as the torch bearer for this 

year’s festival. 

He said the sports festival 

was part of his plan to return 

the state to the part of glory. 


governor, “it is about 

determination, mission, 

vision, commitment and 

confidence. These are all, 

indeed, what the Imo man 

and woman are known for. 

Umuada Igbo alarmed at extinction of mother 

tongues, deprivation of widows’ rights 

By Ikechukwu Odu 

THE President and 

Founder of Umuada 

Igbo Nigeria and in the 

Diaspora, Dr. Kate 

Ezeofor, has called on 

parents to speak mother 

tongues to their children 

to save the indigenous 

languages from 

extinction. 

She equally frowned at 

the practice of depriving 

widows of their late 

husbands’ inheritance by 

their in-laws, and 

commended Federal 

Government for initiating 

a law that protects the 

right of the widows. 

Ezeofor spoke at the 

Holy Trinity Parish, 

Independence Layout, 

Enugu, shortly after her 

73rd birthday 

thanksgiving Mass/ 

unveiling of her four 

books on African culture. 

She blamed parents, 

who choose to teach their 

children English 

Language instead of 

mother tongues, for the 

near extinction of our 

indigenous languages, 

and charged them “to 

promote our culture by 

teaching their children 

our native languages.” 

MALTINA 1000 SMILES: From left—Portfolio Manager, Non-Alcoholic Brands, Nigerian 

Breweries Plc, Ngozi Nkwoji; celebrity style influencer, Noble Igwe, and Beat FM 99.9 OAP, Segun Emdin, 

at the Maltina 1000 Smiles media rounds in Lagos. PHOTO: Oscar Ochiogu. 

MASSOB didn’t beg Uwazuruike 

for forgiveness— Madu 

By Chinonso Alozie 

THE leadership of 

Movement for the 

Actualisation of the 

Sovereign State of Biafra, 

MASSOB, led by Uchenna 

Madu, yesterday, said 

there was never a time the 

group begged Chief Ralph 

Uwazuruike for forgiveness 

after he was sacked from 

MASSOB. 

By Henry Umoru 

A BUJA—VICE 

Chairman, Senate 

Committee on Petroleum 

Resources Upstream, 

Ifeanyi Ubah(Young 

Progressives Party, YPP/ 

Anambra South) has said 

with the machinery being 

Imo'll export sports talents— Ihedioha 

Making the claim in a 

statement in Owerri, 

MASSOB’s National 

Director of Information, 

Edeson Samuel, added 

that since Uwazuruike 

formed the Biafra 

Independent Movement, 

BIM, MASSOB has either 

through a physical contact 

or phone call solicited 

anything and that they 

were surprised to read a 

put in place, the party will 

soon grow to become a 

ruling party not only in 

Anambra, but in other 

states. 

The Senator said this 

while speaking with YPP 

stakeholders, members and 

leaders at a meeting in 

Nnewi. 

According to a statement 

from his Media Office, 

report saying MASSOB 

was begging Uwazuruike 

for forgiveness. 

The statement read in 

part: “The leadership of 

Movement for the 

Actualisation of the 

Sovereign State of Biafra 

has denied ever having 

any direct or physical 

meeting with Ralph 

Uwazuruike. 

“Our leader, Uchenna 

YPP’ll soon dominate in Nigeria 

—Ubah 

“We promise to return 

glory back to our state. We 

promise to return Imo as 

one of the celebrated states. 

This is obviously one of 

such. 

“We hope, as a 

government, that the 

recommencement of 

sports festival within the 

state will lead to several 

things; one, keep our 

body healthy again, help 

in our mental alertness 

and Imo will remain 

number one academic 

state in the country. 

“It will also open more 

ways for more laurels by 

our young people and 

make our local 

government areas to be 

hunting grounds for 

talents that will be 

exported to different parts 

of the world to earn and 

enhance revenue 

generation.” 

Senator Ubah urged party 

members, leaders and 

stakeholders to remain 

steadfast, resolute and 

focused in the affairs of the 

party. 

The statement read in 

part: “Senator Ubah, who 

was the first politicallyelected 

member of the 

party, has charged party 

members to be committed 

to building and 

consolidating the party’s 

core values, activities, 

vision and mission. 

“He reminded them that 

as emerging third force, 

YPP will in no distant time 

be the ruling party in 

Anambra State, and grow 

to become a large party in 

Nigeria. 

“He re-affirmed his 

commitment towards 

supporting the party and 

raising a generation of 

young dynamic leaders.” 

Madu, has never called, 

texted or chatted with 

Ralph Uwazuruike directly 

or through someone’s 

phone since 2014 when 

MASSOB separated from 

him. 

“MASSOB received the 

report that our leader is 

begging or appealing for 

forgiveness from Ralph 

Uwazuruike with shock. 

“The executive officials of 

MASSOB under the 

leadership of Uchenna 

Madu are aware that 

Colman Emejuru (Ikemba 

Ndigbo) as a selfless pro- 

Biafra activist, called our 

leader for a solidarity 

meeting, which was 

scheduled in Enugu two 

weeks ago. 

“His primary massage to 

our leader, Madu, and his 

executive officials is that he 

personally initiated a peace 

and harmonisation move to 

unite Ralph Uwazuruike, 

Nnamdi Kanu and 

Uchenna Madu for the 

sole purpose of merging 

forces to enable a quicker 

restoration of Biafra. 

“He, as well, told us that 

Ralph Uwazuruike is 

aware of his meeting with 

us and that he, 

Uwazuruike is equally 

happy for the peace and 

harmonisation meeting. 

The meeting was pulsed 

after Ralph Uwazuruike’s 

Ojukwu memorial lecture 

and has not reopened yet.”


DONATION: Wife of Delta State governor, Dame Edith Okowa in a symbolic 

presentation to the Controller Delta Correctional Services, Mr Sam Iyakorogha, 

during the annual donation of medications to five correctional centres in the state. 

BAYELSA POLLS: Apologise to Bayelsa 

people, Dickson tells INEC, security 

agencies, APC 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor 

Y BAYELSA 

E N A G O State 

A — 

Governor, Seriake Dickson, 

has lampooned security 

agencies, the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission and the All 

Progressives Congress for 

describing what happened 

in the state on November 

16, 2019 as an election. 

The governor said 

yesterday that what 

transpired on that date in 

the name of election was a 

well organized massacre of 

innocent persons by agents 

of state and the writing of 

results and announcement 

of same by INEC in favour 

of the ruling APC. 

For that reason, the 

governor has asked the 

electoral commission, the 

security agencies and the 

ruling party to apologize to 

the traumatized people of 

the state and to stop 

celebrating stolen mandate 

from the People’s 

•Says 93 critical injured, 12 killed in Nembe 

Democratic Party, PDP. 

Governor Dickson said a 

panel raised by him to 

examine the high level of 

violence in Nembe, one of 

the local government areas 

of the state confirmed that 

no fewer than 93 persons 

were critically injured and 

12 killed by militiamen 

By Emma Amaize 

A Youth SABA—IJAW 

Council, IYC, 

has accused President 

Muhammadu Buhari of 

waging a political war 

against South -South and 

South-East regions with 

horribly bad roads. 

President of IYC, 

Pereotubo Oweilami, in a 

statement, yesterday, 

said, “President Buhari 

despite spending four 

years in government is 

still hitting some parts of 

the country below the 

belt. His policies and 

Tecno unveils Spark 4 

smartphone with AI camera 

AFRICA’S 

most 

preferred 

smartphone brand, Tecno 

Mobile has announced the 

release of the 4th 

generation device under its 

Spark smartphone series, 

the Spark 4, setting a new 

pace of commercialising 

access to high-end 

technology and delivering 

same to more young 

Nigerian mobile users 

nationwide. 

Jesse Oguntimehin, PR 

and Strategic Partnership 

Manager at Tecno Nigeria 

said the new Spark 

smartphone comes with a 

lot of visible upgrades 

informed by consumer 

insight and research, a 

validation of Tecno 

understanding of the 

evolving choices of mobile 

during the poll. 

He lamented that while 

security agents assisted the 

APC to write and declare 

results, almost all the 

collation officers were 

shipped from the 

University of Benin and 

ordered to work in favour 

of the party. 

Buhari punishing S’South, S’East with bad 

roads — IYC 

consumers in Nigeria, and 

the active steps taken to 

produce devices that are for 

Nigerians. 

He said: “The Spark 4 is 

yet another evidence that 

Tecno has more for its users. 

The device comes with 

advanced features that 

would help users achieve 

the desired output from their 

mobile device. Ranging 

from its dot notch screen 

which is currently the 

biggest phone display in 

the market within its 

category, to its AI triple rear 

camera, the Spark 4 is a 

perfect choice. 

“This device gives 

users an amazing mobile 

experience at an 

impressive price range – 

the more reason to be on 

the Spark 4 train.” 

programmes are not for 

the benefit of the South 

South and the South East 

parts of the country.’ 

“It seems Buhari is still 

ruling this country along 

voters dichotomy. Just 

recently on Wednesday the 

27th of November, 2019, 

the Federal Executive 

Council (FEC) approved 

the sum of N19b to construct 

roads in northern and 

western parts of the 

Country. 

“Despite the deplorable 

states of federal roads in the 

Niger Delta region, none 

was considered by FEC. 

East-West road, Warri- 

Benin road, Benin Asaba 

road among many others 

are now death traps to road 

users. 

“ In fact, movement from 

Warri to Benin federal 

highway has been cut off as 

the road is completely 

damaged. Similarly, the 

East- West road is no longer 

motorable as some portions 

of the road, especially from 

Bayelsa to Rivers State axis 

have been damaged. 

“Regrettably, these are 

the only roads that connect 

the Niger Delta to other 

regions. Even the 

Minister of Works is 

paying lip service to our 

plight as commuters are 

undergoing excruciating 

pains and agonies in 

plying these roads. 

Babatunde Fashola’s 

reference to the deplorable 

state of the Warri-Benin 

road as a mere media 

hype, is an insult to the 

Niger Delta people. 

“If the South South or the 

Nigeria commits to OPEC agreements 

ahead Vienna meeting 

NIGERIA 

is 

committed to full 

implementation of 

agreements among OPEC 

and non-OPEC members, 

Minister of State for 

Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, 

has said ahead of an OPEC 

meeting in Vienna. 

Sylva said he had told 

Saudi Energy Minister 

bin Salman that Nigeria’s 

compliance had improved 

substantially since August. 

Prince Abdulaziz serves as 

chairman of OPEC and 

non-OPEC joint 

ministerial monitoring 

committee. 

OPEC ministers meet in 

Vienna on December 5, and 

then meet non-OPEC 

members on December 6, to 

decide what to do about the 

Dickson said: ”There was 

no election in Bayelsa on 

November 16; what they 

claim as election on that day 

is an insult to our people. 

As we speak, Nembe is 

under siege by security 

agencies. The brutality they 

visited on the people on 

that day is unprecedented.” 

Niger Delta region is part 

of Nigeria, then President 

Buhari, his Minister of 

Works, Raji Babatunde 

Fashola, SAN, and other 

top government 

functionaries should take a 

visit to the roads in the 

region from Cross River 

State down to Edo State 

and see things for 

themselves. From the way 

and manner the present 

government implements 

its policies and 

programmes, it appears 

that Buhari did not see 

Niger Delta region as part 

of Nigeria.’’ 

current agreement to limit 

output, which expires in 

March, Sylva’s ministry said 

in a statement. 

The meeting in Vienna 

would also review the 

outlook for the oil market for 

the first half of 2020. 

The statement said 

demand was set to ease 

next year while production 

from non-members could 

rise, confronting OPEC 

with a decision about 

whether to cut output harder 

to support prices. 

HEALTHCARE: Okowa's wife 

donates medications to NCS 

A SABA—STAYING 

focused on her 

passion of giving succour to 

the needy and less 

privileged in the society, 

wife of Delta Governor, 

Dame Edith Okowa and 

Founder, O5 Initiative has 

donated another set of 

medications worth millions 

of naira to the State 

Command of the Nigerian 

Correctional Service 

(NCS). 

Mrs Okowa, who made 

the donation at her office, 

Government House, Asaba, 

yesterday charged the 

Service to judiciously use 

the medications for the well 

being of the inmates. 

She stated that visits by 05 

Initiative to the Five 

Correctional centres in the 

State (previously known as 

Prisons), revealed that 

Inmates needed regular 

medical care which led to 

the periodic donations of all 

free expense medications to 

the Service by O5 Initiative. 

She said: “We noticed that 

the Inmates were sick. I 

reached out to the State 

Sylva said OPEC member 

countries had consistently 

met and exceeded their 

targets for production cuts, 

and that Nigeria had 

achieved 100% compliance 

in November, adding that 

this had brought stability to 

oil markets. 

Nigeria’s crude 

production in the third 

quarter stood at 2.04 million 

barrels per day, its highest 

since the first quarter of 

2016, which helped its 

economy grow 2.28% in the 

three months to September, 

its statistics office said. 

GCUOBA Lagos branch holds 

luncheon party 

THE Old Boys 

Association of 

Government College 

Ughelli, Lagos branch will 

celebrate with eminent 

personalities from all walks 

Why we are deploying satellite 

imagery for EAD — NPC 

W N ARRI—THE 

a t i o n a l 

Population Commission, 

NPC, has said that it is 

deploying High Resolution 

Satellite Imagery for the 

Enumeration Area 

Demarcation, EAD, to 

ensure that no area is left 

un-demarcated or a place 

duplicated as well as to 

detect human errors and 

prevent manipulations. 

The Federal 

Commissioner of NPC, 

Delta State, Sir Richard 

Odibo, spoke in Warri 

during a stakeholders’ 

meeting for the 9A Phase 

of the Enumeration Area 

Demarcation on Sunday. 

He said: “The 

methodology adopted will 

not allow for the creation of 

imaginary EAs and any 

attempt to include nonexistent 

households and 

buildings in the EAs, will 

be detected through 

satellite imagery and 

quality assurance unit.” 

Sir Odibo, who was 

represented by Mr. Daniel 

Tadafe, stated that ‘’At the 

end of the EAD Phase 9A, 

NPC would have 

successfully demarcated 

five local government areas 

in Delta State and the 

remaining 20 local 

government areas will be 

covered under the 

subsequent phases of the 

EAD. 

“EAD exercise is not the 

enumeration of persons or 

persons living in the 

country and its outcomes 

will not in any way 

determine the population of 

any community, local 

government or state.” 

Drug Revolving Fund to 

know how we could get free 

medications for the inmates. 

I wrote to several 

pharmaceutical 

companies and here are 

their supplies. 

“As these medications 

leave here, I pray that they 

get to the end users and I 

hope that more drugs will 

be supplied by the 

pharmaceutical 

companies in due time.” 

While commending the 

pharmaceutical companies, 

Delta State Drug Revolving 

Fund and all those who 

contributed towards the 

provision of the 

medications, Okowa 

appreciated the only 

Medical Doctor in-charge 

of the Five Correctional 

centers Dr Elliot Ogumbor 

for his commitment to the 

well being of the inmates. 

Dame Edith Okowa 

noted that the act of charity 

by O5 Initiative was rooted 

in the biblical charge in 

Matthew 25: 35-36 to reach 

out to people going through 

difficult times. 

of life on December 8, 2019 

at its annual end of year 

luncheon party at the Grand 

Ball Room, Eko Hotels & 

Suites, Victoria Island 

Lagos. 

The luncheon party has 

always served as a time for 

members reflection on the 

state of their alma mater and 

efforts being made by the 

Lagos branch of the Old 

Boys Association to assist 

the institution in its 

development and growth. 

So far, the Association has 

carried out renovation 

works on various facilities at 

the School while a number 

of other projects have been 

slated for execution in the 

coming months. 

Dr Sam Omatseye, 

President, GCUOBA Lagos 

branch, in a statement said 

highlights of the annual 

puncheon party include the 

award of the S.B. Agodo 

Medal for Distinguished 

Service to Chief G.T.S. 

Adokpaye; award of the 

Lagos Branch, OBA merit 

award to three illustrious 

Old Boys; Col. D.J. Binitie 

(retd), Olorogun Clement 

Djebah and Mr. Gordons 

Egbedi (all past presidents 

of the branch) and the 

mariners of promise award.


How Delta is championing comprehensive 

contributory health insurance 

BY PIUS MORDI 

Speaking on September 23, 2019 

when United Nations memberstates 

adopted a high-level political declaration 

to protect people from suffering 

financial ruin due to health costs, 

António Guterres, its Secretary-General, 

said high cost of healthcare impoverished 

approximately 100 million 

people globally. He stated that the right 

to accessible, high-quality, affordable 

care, including during conflict and humanitarian 

crises is also an inalienable 

right. Of the 100 million impoverished 

annually while seeking quality medical 

care, 95 per cent are in developing 

countries where effective contributory 

health insurance scheme is lacking or 

does not exist at all. 

For Nigeria, many people have been 

driven to financial ruin while seeking 

quality orthodox medical care. Many 

more have been forced to patronise unorthodox 

or traditional health care that 

often lead to complications that ultimately 

prove fatal. The statistics could have 

been much worse until 2014 when 

Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, a medical doctor 

and then Senator, representing Delta 

North in the 7th Senate, sponsored 

and ensured the passage and signing 

into law of the country’s venture into 

nationwide health insurance. The National 

Health Act sets out a legal framework 

for the provision of health services 

which is a strong potential to transforming 

health care provision in Nigeria 

through the Basic Health Care Provision 

Fund (BHCPF) by extending 

primary health care to all Nigerians. 

The Act is the roadmap to Universal 

Health Coverage (UHC), which is expected 

to be domesticated at state level. 

On becoming the governor of Delta 

State on May 29, 2015, Okowa leveraged 

on his experience as the author of 

the National Health Act to fast-track the 

process of making Delta the first state 

in the country to adopt BHCPF and 

UHC. Barely three weeks after taking 

office, precisely on June 22, 2015, he 

transmitted the Bill to establish Delta 

State Contributory Health Commission 

(DSCHC), 

Delta State Contributory Health 

Scheme and other Matters Connected 

Thereto as well as a Governing Board 

for the Commission, which will regulate, 

supervise, implement and ensure 

effective administration of a Mandatory 

Delta State Contributory Health 

Scheme for all residents of the state to 

the House of Assembly. The Bill scaled 

the legislative hurdle on December 9, 

2015 and was signed into law on February 

4, 2016. 

Generally acknowledged as the biggest 

mandatory health insurance 

scheme in Nigeria at the moment, the 

DSCHS has enrolled no fewer than 

670,000 subscribers, and has a mandate 

to enroll all residents of the state into 

the scheme in no time. It is a drive that 

has captured more than 30 per cent of 

the state’s adult population, an achievement 

that even the governor’s critics 

have acknowledged as spectacular given 

the fact that the commission began 

running the scheme only in 2017. 

Prior to beginning enrolment into the 

scheme, the DSCHC undertook a 

baseline survey to determine the key 

household demography and health 

seeking behaviour of Deltans to guide 

planning for expanded health insurance 

*Ifeanyi Okowa 

coverage. The survey also determined 

current household spending on health, 

health insurance coverage needs and 

willingness to pay for health insurance 

in the state. In addition, the survey addressed 

the proportion of Delta residents 

in the lowest socio-economic category, 

to guide decisions on subsidy and 

or exemptions from payment. This enabled 

the commission to assess the availability, 

capacity and readiness of health 

delivery facilities in the state to deliver 

the proposed health insurance services 

across all 25 local government areas in 

the state. 

According to Dr. Ben Nkechika, Director-General/Chief 

Executive Officer, 

DSCHC, the Commission also undertook 

a statewide health service quality 

improvement initiative with visits to 

healthcare facilities across the state and 

held advocacy meetings with the Hospital 

Management Board, Primary 

Healthcare Development Agency, Private 

Healthcare Providers Association, 

local government chairmen and coordinators 

of Primary Health Centres in 

all the local government councils as well 

as various formal and informal sector 

associations and relevant stakeholders. 

G e n e r a l l y 

acknowledged as the biggest 

mandatory health 

insurance scheme in Nigeria 

at the moment, the 

DSCHS has enrolled no 

fewer than 670,000 

subscribers 

The commission began the enrolment 

with pregnant women and children 

under-five years of age that belong to 

the vulnerable group as approved by 

the state Executive Council as part of 

the Equity Health Plan. The formal sector 

group comprises the organised private 

sector and the public sector through 

collection of their contribution and enrolment 

into the scheme. The informal 

sector groups were enrolled after paying 

their premium. 

Given the fact that the informal sector 

constitutes over 60 per cent of the population, 

and Okowa’s desire to broaden 

the reach of the programme and further 

stem the burden associated with 

out-of-pocket payment for medical care, 

he approved an annual premium of 

N7,000 per individual. With this highly 

subsidised premium, enrollees in the 

informal sector now enjoy quality, affordable 

and accessible healthcare 

while family registrations are further 

given at a discounted rate. 

To drive efficiency of the programme, increase 

fund availability, spur creativity and 

ensure visible health impact, the state government 

sought the collaboration of the 

private sector. Consequently, PharmAccess 

Foundation, a private sector organisation 

and the Bank of Industry (BOI) partnered 

the government to revitalise 25 defunct primary 

healthcare facilities as part of efforts 

to ensure that the growing number of en- 

rollees in the scheme is able to access healthcare 

through a memorandum of 

understanding.“With this agreement, the 

private sector will have access to funds at a 

single digit interest loan from the Bank of 

Industry to fix and run the abandoned health 

centres. 

“This innovative product will ensure 

availability of 24 hours quality healthcare 

services across Delta for the state contributory 

health scheme, ensure continuity of 

healthcare services during strikes and other 

industrial disputes as well as provide 

more healthcare service options for residents 

of Delta,” Nkechika explained. 

So far, a total of 267 primary health centres 

have been upgraded for the scheme. 

There are 23 facilities under the access-tofinance 

programme, 66 government clinics, 

one federal facility, seven mission hospitals, 

59 private hospitals and five clinics. 

They are supported by PharmAccess Foundation 

and BoI. The goal, according to 

Nkechika, is to ensure that such private facilities 

can be run as world standard clinics. 

He also said that DSCHC also has the 

additional mandate to run cottage hospitals 

in hard-to-reach rural and riverside 

areas and enroll residents of such communities 

in the health insurance scheme. On a 

visit to the Umuagu Health Centre in Asaba 

the state capital, we spoke with the following 

beneficiaries of the informal sector 

enrollees. 

Some informal enrollees of the programme 

lauded Okowa’s administration 

for the initiative, describing as “highly humanitarian 

and demonstrating a government 

with human face. 

According to Mrs Blessing Nkedinma, 

who resides behind NTA in Asaba, Okowa 

has relieved me of the stress of looking for 

where and how to treat my children. “The 

major benefit of this programme is that we 

no longer have to rack our brains on how to 

raise money to take the children to the 

hospital for treatment whenever they fall 

ill. I am delighted to say that my family 

and I are beneficiaries of this good initiative 

of universal health coverage by the 

Okowa government,” she said. 

For Delight Okonji Delight, it is a lifeline 

to many families, especially the downtrodden. 

She said “let me say without any equivocation 

that this programme is very laudable 

because we are now being attended to 

at the health centre promptly and at no cost. 

I thank the state government for this gesture 

which will go a long way in improving 

the health and wellbeing of the people.” 

Mrs Blessing Ngugu of Umuonyia Street, 

Asaba, who was delivered of a bouncing 

baby boy on Sunday, said she was discharged 

without paying a dime. 

“I am excited at the fact that this delivery, 

which didn’t cost me a dime, could have 

cost me a fortune if I had gone to a private 

health facility. I commend the Okowa-led 

Delta State Government for this laudable 

initiative. Everybody, every family is enjoying 

it and praying for him,” she said. 

Those in the mainstream public service 

were also appreciative of the scheme. For 

instance, Mrs Ona Iyeh, a Confidential 

Secretary in the Directorate of Government 

House and Protocol, Asaba, was one of the 

first members of staff to activate her enrolment 

and utilise the insurance scheme. According 

to her, since I enrolled, I’ve not had 

to pay for health services. When my husband 

took ill some time ago, my hospital 

rendered prompt services at no cost. My 

children are also covered. 

Similarly, Isaac Ogerugba, an Information 

Officer in state Ministry of Information, 

has been enjoying comprehensive 

healthcare with his young family. “It’s a 

fantastic package. For a little deduction 

from my salary, the insurance scheme has 

taken the burden of paying hospital bills 

away. It’s what every family needs and I 

can affirm that it is working,” Ogerugba 

stated. In spite of the impressive increase in 

the number of enrollees within the public 

and organized private sectors, the commission 

is looking to enroll every household 

into the scheme. That is in keeping with the 

injunction of the governor to the commission, 

and having already achieved nearly 

100 per cent enrolment with the organised 

sectors, individual private adults are the 

target as the state hopes to sign on every 

household into the scheme. 

The primary goal of the DSHCS as the 

trail blazer in the country is to have a healthcare 

service financing system that ensures 

that any resident of Delta, irrespective of 

socio-economic status or geographical location, 

is able to visit a healthcare facility 

when in need of quality service and obtain 

such service seamlessly and promptly.


Between Fowler and new VAT 

increase 

cate that only 

about twenty 

percent (14 

million) pay 

income tax. 

That is largely 

due to the PAY- 

EE system that 

makes tax deductible 

up 

front from 

workers in 

public sector. 

With 

almost 

Unlike in the 

past, taxpayers do 

not have to wait or 

bribe anyone to 

obtain tax 

certificate as such 

can now be 

generated almost 

immediately after 

payment 

200 million 

population, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio 

is regarded as one of the lowest in the 

world. 

There is a good news, however. The 

statistics above are increasingly becoming 

jaded. By the end of this year (2019), 

an impressive 45 million individual and 

corporate citizens are expected to be 

captured in the tax net. Many thanks 

to the aggressive implementation of the 

Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) 

mounted by FIRS management under 

Fowler. When the current management 

took charge in 2015, the total figure in 

the tax net was far less than 20 million. 

Incidentally, the four-year tenure of 

Fowler-led management is coming to 

end. Experts are agreed that the bouquet 

of reforms currently being pursued 

need to be sustained in order to sustain 

the momentum of the nation’s quest for 

a sustainable taxation system outside oil 

By AYO BALOGUN 

THE quest to deepen Nigeria’s nonoil 

revenue base has received a big 

boost with the passage of the bill raising 

Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5 percent 

to 7.5 percent. In a move quite unprecedented 

in recent times in executive/legislative 

relations, both the senate 

and the house of reps passed the 

Buhari administration’s bill in good time 

without the usual the legislative “stonewalling” 

or “foot-dragging”. 

The idea is one of the proposals earlier 

tabled by Babatunde Fowler of Federal 

Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to 

prepare the nation for a post-oil life. 

Expectedly, the initiative was criticized 

in some quarters as “punitive”. But 

what is populist may not always be reasonable. 

The same people who are quick 

to criticize the increase are often the first 

to deplore infrastructural deficits in the 

country. The question then: how else is 

the government supposed to generate 

funds to meet such challenges if not by 

taxation? 

In any case, Nigeria’s existing 5 percent 

is regarded as one of the lowest 

not just on the African continent but in 

the entire world. In South Africa, for 

instance, standard rate for VAT is 15 

percent. In Ghana, it is 12.5 percent. In 

United Kingdom, it is 20 percent. In 

Norway, people pay VAT as high as 25 

percent on some goods and services 

purchased. Little surprise then that 

Norway is sometimes dubbed a “nanny 

state” on account of the fact that it ranks 

high among the most “livable places” 

on earth because of massive welfare 

packages citizens enjoy. 

By conservative estimates, additional 

N2trillion is expected to be generated 

by Nigeria from the increase in the VAT. 

Out of this, 85 percent (N1.7 trillion) 

will be shared among the 36 states and 

Abuja, while the Federal Government 

retains 15 percent (N300 billion). For 

states already agonizing on how to pay 

the new minimum wage of N30,000, that 

must be good news. Just like it must be 

for the Federal Government that is proposing 

a record N10 trillion budget for 

2020. 

But beyond the increase in VAT, Nigeria 

surely still has a lot of grounds to 

cover to be fully weaned off over-dependence 

on oil receipt as source of 

budget funding. According to Nigeria’s 

National Bureau of Statistics, the 

country has a taxable workforce of close 

to 77 million, but official records indireceipt. 

The recent recertification of Nigeria 

as one of the most vastly improved 

economies in terms of the “ease of doing 

business” is substantially attributed 

to sweeping, investment-friendly reforms 

initiated by FIRS under Fowler. 

Unlike in the past when the processes 

were opaque and therefore prone to 

abuses, automation is now the order of 

the day between the service and the 

public. For instance, with the Integrated 

Tax Administration System (ITAS), 

all core tax administrative processes like 

registration, filing, audit and payment 

have been eased. Unlike in the past, 

taxpayers do not have to wait or bribe 

anyone to obtain tax certificate as such 

can now be generated almost immediately 

after payment. 

For the 2020 budget, FIRS has already 

been given a staggering N8.5 trillion 

target, representing 85 percent of a N10 

trillion national budget. With global forecast 

not favorable for any significant rise 

in oil price next year or foreseeable future, 

the nation will definitely be relying 

on taxation to fund such humongous 

budget, outside the window of borrowing 

- both internal and external. Hence, 

the popular expectation is that Fowler’s 

mandate will be renewed to sustain the 

drive. 

For the first quarter of 2019, records 

show that more than N1.5 trillion was 

recorded as revenue by FIRS. Experts 

project the gross for the year will likely 

exceed N6 trillion by the time the 2019 

books are finally computed and closed. 

This would mean a doubling of nation’s 

tax revenue within four years under the 

management of Fowler. At the inception 

of the Buhari administration in 2015, the 

total tax revenue was N3 trillion. The 

figures had grown from N3.3 trillion in 

2016 to N4.02 in 2017 and N5.3 trillion 

in 2018. Why these figures are considered 

quite remarkable is because they 

were recorded at a time the nation experienced 

an economic recession considered 

perhaps the worse in a generation, 

with crude oil price tumbling to less 

than $30 between 2015 and 2016 from 

the Olympian height of $100 in the preceding 

years. Of course, the logic is that, 

in recession, the economy would contract 

and tax returns crumble. 

Nigeria’s own survival is perhaps better 

appreciated when compared to a 

country like Venezuela which is also 

heavily dependent on oil to run her 

economy. With the steep and sustained 

crash in commodity prices from 2014 to 

2015, the Latin American country has 

more or less degenerated to a basket 

case today with a vast majority of the 

people reduced to destitution and 

pains. But in Nigeria, the tax graph 

grew when the present management 

took over due to creativity, innovation 

and dedication. 

For Fowler, it was no doubt an opportunity 

to reenact the magic earlier performed 

in Lagos. At the outset of the 

Tinubu administration in 1999, Lagos’ 

IGR was an abysmal N600 million. But 

with Fowler headhunted from the private 

sector and made the head of the 

state revenue service, the story changed 

overnight. Within eight years, Lagos’ 

revenue grew to N8 billion. Recognizing 

his ingenuity in this regards, the 

succeeding Babatunde Fashola administration 

promptly retained his services. 

The results were amazing again. By 

2015, Lagos’ IGR had risen to N20 billion, 

effectively positioning and confirming 

Lagos as economically viable without 

the monthly allocation from Abuja. 

Today, in terms of GDP, Lagos is ranked 

the fifth largest economy on the African 

continent. 

Overall, even more significant in FIRS’ 

report card is the steady rise in the nonoil 

receipt in the last four years of the 

Buhari administration. The N2.852 trillion 

generated from non-oil sector in 

2018 represents 54 percent of the total 

N5.3 trillion recorded for the year. The 

figure for 2016 was N2.149 trillion, while 

that of 2017 was N2.5 trillion. 

*Mr. Ayo Balogun, a financial journalist, 

is based in Lagos.


BY BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU 

WE gather here today not to 

mourn but to celebrate a 

distinguished life, the life of Brigadier-General 

Mobolaji Johnson, 

a great patriot, an accomplished 

administrator, one of the 

makers of modern Lagos who, 

sadly, will never share this physical 

space with us again. 

In whatever role we knew him, 

the first and longest serving military 

administrator of Lagos State 

stood out as a special person for 

his leadership and charismatic 

personality. If anyone was qualified 

to be addressed as “an officer 

and a gentleman”, it was General 

Johnson. Despite his imposing 

frame, he was as gentle as a dove. 

He never threw his weight around, 

even though he was a man of power. 

He was a man of authority, but 

he was never authoritarian. 

Though a soldier, he never ruled 

with an iron hand; he was compassionate. 

Gen. Johnson was a gentleman 

in the true sense of the word. 

A prince among soldiers, he had 

the common touch. 

This occasion, despite its somber 

nature, is an opportunity to sing 

the praise of this great Lagosian, 

thank him for his service to our 

dear state and say a final bye to 

him. So it is my hope that today’s 

event will help to reaffirm our resolve 

to pursue our journey to a 

Greater Lagos that he envisioned 

and my administration is committed 

to delivering. I thank you all 

for responding to our invitation to 

honour a goal-oriented leader 

who did great things for Lagos 

State and and the nation. 

I must also thank the family of 

our beloved pathfinder for allowing 

us to honour him. I say this because 

a funeral is first and foremost 

a family affair. But in our life’s 

journey, men and women renounce 

their personal space to undertake 

the noble calling of public service. 

When this happens, many things 

change, not only in life, but also in 

death. One of the changes is that 

their private lives are shared with 

the public who they serve, and it is 

often difficult to inter them privately 

when they fulfill their mortal 

covenant. 

Many people will share with you 

their experiences about this great 

man of many parts, Gen. Johnson. 

They will speak of the great things 

he did as governor. 

It is hard to eulogize any man - 

to capture in words not just the facts 

and the dates that make a life, but 

the essential essence of a person, 

his private joy and sorrow, the 

unique qualities that illuminate 

someone’s soul. How much harder 

to do so for a giant of history, such 

as our own Gen. Mobolaji Johnson. 

Given the sweep of his life, the 

scope of his accomplishments, the 

acclaim that he so rightly earned, 

it is apt to remember Sir Mobolaji 

as an iconic figure, smiling and serene, 

detached from the tawdry preoccupations 

of lesser men. A quintessential 

manager of resources, 

Gen. Johnson touched and transformed 

thousands of lives through 

his foresight, service and industry. 

He was a symbol of decency, humility 

and integrity, fairness and 

justice. Our illustrious and now departed 

son of Lagos was a constant 

source of support and inspiration 

to successive governors of Lagos 

State, especially from 1999 till 

date. 

He was always willing to offer 

his wise counsel and experience 

whenever the need arose. Even 

while it was obvious that his health 

TRIBUTE 

When it all ends... 

A tribute to Brigadier General Mobolaji 

Johnson ((retd), first military administrator 

of Lagos State 

could not really withstand rigorous 

endeavours, Gen. Johnson was 

a regular feature at every major 

Lagos State Government ground 

breaking events. Such was his unbelievable 

and unswerving commitment 

to the cause of Lagos 

State. How then are we not going 

to miss him sorely? 

As the First Military Governor 

of Lagos State, he discharged his 

mandate equitably - with remarkable 

dignity. His indelible record 

of service remains intact. The “Centre 

of Excellence” that we proudly 

proclaim today is a product of his 

vision for Lagos State when he conceived 

several landmark programmes 

and projects for the newly 

created state from 1967. Even in 

death, the story of the development 

of Lagos to a model megacity cannot 

be told without a mention of 

this unassuming and worthy leader. 

Some of the impactful projects 

he executed as governor are still 

visible. 

In the realisation that Lagos 

State is the most populous and leading 

state in the federation, 

Mobolaji Johnson was determined 

to turn the state into the pride of 

the nation. The policy thrust of his 

administration was shaped by his 

faith in the creative capabilities 

and boundless energies of the people, 

especially the masses. Thus, his 

early days in office clearly showed 

him as a man who brought resourcefulness, 

experience and dynamism 

to the task of solving some 

In the realisation 

that Lagos State is 

the most populous 

and leading state in 

the federation, 

Mobolaji Johnson 

was determined to 

turn the state into the 

pride of the nation 

of the teething problems of our 

dear state. 

His biography is a story of inspiration. 

Mobolaji Johnson was 

first appointed the Administrator 

of the Federal Territory of Lagos 

on January 15, 1966 and later as 

Military Governor at the creation 

of the State on May 27, 1967. His 

regime witnessed an increase in 

the state’s revenue from N36.7m 

to N99.7m. The increase was 

largely due to the revenue allocation 

formula that had just been 

introduced and increased revenue 

from crude oil, which was partly 

shared out to the State Governments 

Under his leadership, the state 

government generated the larger 

proportion of its earnings from 

Internally Generated Revenue 

(IGR). According to the government 

then, the IGR was known as 

“sources under the control of the 

Lagos State Government”. 

The Mobolaji Johnson administration 

began the construction 

of Ikorodu and Mushin General 

Hospitals. It also modernized the 

General Hospital, Lagos, by building 

the new mortuary block, physical 

medicine department, sewage 

treatment plant and installation 

of a standby generator. The administration 

also commissioned 

the nurses hostel, doctors flat at 

Marina, Isolo and Harvey Road 

Health Centres. 

*Mobolaji Johnson 

His Administration also built the 

maternity annex at Onikan Health 

Centre and an additional ward at 

Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital. It 

equally opened five new Government 

Colleges in each of the five 

divisions of the state. The Gen. 

Johnson administration also introduced 

the harmonized teachers’ 

salaries and conditions of service 

to enhance the status of the profession 

and commenced the implementation 

of the Universal Primary 

Education (UPE). 

It also completed projects under 

the Lagos Water Supply Phase 1 

Expansion Programme and designed 

the Owo Water Works as an 

alternative to Iju Water Works to 

serve Ojo and environs. Other 

strides of the administration are: 

Construction of the Victoria Island 

Sewage Scheme for Ikoyi, Lagos 

Island etc.; introduction of the regulations 

for motorcyclists to wear 

crash helmets; introduction of Traffic 

Courts; establishment of Agricultural 

Extension Works Stations; 

construction and commissioning 

of the Government Printing Press 

at Isheri road in Ikeja; and so on. 

Many recollect with nostalgia 

the young officer who commanded 

the parade at the Race Course 

when the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe 

became Nigeria’s first and only 

indigenous governor-general in 

1960 before she became a republic. 

On horseback, Gen. Johnson 

was dashing and professional. He 

added so much colour to that landmark 

ceremony. 

Mobolaji Johnson began his 

military career at the Zaria Military 

Depot in 1958. Two years later, 

he served a member of the United 

Nations Peace Keeping Troops, 

Congo between 1960 and 1961. He 

was promoted as 2nd Lieutenant 

in the Nigeria Army in 1961. He 

became a Captain in October 

1962. He was Deputy Commander, 

Federal Guards, Commander, 

Federal Guards, Deputy Adjutant 

and Quartermaster-General Headquarters, 

2nd Brigade, Apapa, Lagos, 

Station Commander, Benin, 

Midwest (old Bendel State), Second 

in command, 4th Battalion, 

Ibadan, among others. 

Gen. Johnson, needless to say, 

earned his epaulettes. He set Lagos 

on a course and a race of an 

unending quest for improvement, 

innovation and development. 

We remain inspired and grateful 

as we celebrate the life and times 

of this great man, and more importantly 

his service to our people, 

borne out of deep conviction, and 

executed with grace and without 

blemish. We will miss him, even as 

we keep in our minds the lesson of 

his enviable life - that hard work 

pays and the power of vision cannot 

be blighted by human inadequacies. 

In the end, “beauty fades and riches 

take up wings for themselves and 

fly away, but the last quality of a 

human being is character”. Gen. 

Johnson was a man of character. 

May The Almighty smoothen his 

path to eternity and bless his family 

Ṙest in Peace, Brigadier General 

Mobolaji Johnson, the people’s 

General. God bless Nigeria, God 

bless Lagos and God bless you all. 

We're creating environment for 

diditized industry —NCC chair 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE Chairman of 

the board of the Nigerian 

Communications Commission, 

Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye says the 

commission is creating a 

comfortable environment for 

people who want to work in the 

digitized industry which is the 

real driving force in the world 

today. 

Sen. Durojauye made this 

known in his message to the staff 

of the Commission during their 

fellowship's annual thanksgiving 

and carol service held at the 

Commission's headquarters, 

Abuja. 

He tasked the staff to be 

transparent and disciplined in all 

that they do, adding that Nigeria 

is a blessed country with 

intellectual talents from 

everywhere in the world. 

"NCC is creating a comfortable 

environment for people who want 

to work in the digitized industry 

which is the real driving force in 

the world today. 

“The whole world is going 

through the fourth industrial 

FirstBank partners Linda Ikeji's 

TV show, First Class Material 

LAGOS—FIRSTBANK of 

Nigeria Limited has thrown 

its weight behind Linda Ikeji, the 

blogger in projecting the good 

images of Nigeria, through its 

Television programmes, First 

Class Material that hits the screen 

during the week. 

Speaking at a media conference 

where the partnership was 

unveiled, Folake Ani-Mumuney, 

Group Head, Marketing and 

Corporate Communications of 

FirstBank of Nigeria Ltd, said the 

financial institution backed the 

initiative because the project 

projects the true image of Nigeria. 

“FirstBank of Nigeria Limited 

partnered Linda Ikeji TV for the 

broadcast of the TV programme, 

First Class Material. This is 

because apart telling our story as 

a country, First Class Material 

also aims to make education, 

vocational training and skill 

acquisition trendy, attractive and 

fashionable to the nation’s human 

capital by celebrating and 

rewarding exceptional Nigerians 

Film: MUNA to hit cinemas 

December 

By Gabriel Olawale 

LAGOS—MUNA, a film with 

story line of love, secrets, 

betrayal, vengeance, and 

forgiveness will on Friday, 

December 6, hit cinemas across 

Nigeria, Liberia and Ghana. 

The insightful movie, which 

features Nigeria’s screen diva – 

Adesuwa Etomi-Wellington – as 

the lead actor explores tactical 

means yet romanticism to expose 

the ills crippling the Nigerian 

boarders which have become 

porous to human and sex 

trafficking. 

The story of MUNA is ironical. 

The protagonist, who set out to 

:Vanguard News 

revolution and it is digitalization 

and it is our determination to be 

in the forefront as a nation. 

Already ICT contributes 10 

percent to national GDP and we 

intend to do more. Nigeria is 

stepping into the leagues of the 

5G nations of the world," he said. 

On his part, President of NCC 

Christian Staff Fellowship, 

Yakubu Gontor, said the purpose 

for the celebration is to thank God 

in recognition of the fact that God 

has been faithful. 

“God has been faithful to us as 

an institution and a nation we are 

here to celebrate and to reverence 

God as our foundation and stand. 

“We admonish our staff on 

issues of integrity, hard work, and 

diligence to duty, we preach 

religious tolerance and extend 

hands of friendship. The theme 

for this year's celebration is faithful 

God because God has been 

faithful. Although we as humans 

are not faithful but God is and we 

just want to acknowledge it”. 

The event featured choir 

ministration, Christmas carols and 

performances from gospel artists 

amongst other presentations. 

that have made an indelible mark 

in their chosen endeavours, 

irrespective of where they are, 

thereby inspiring the next 

generation”, she said. 

While urging the government, 

individuals and corporate 

organisations to emulate the idea, 

Ani-mumuney said, there are lots 

of talent in the country waiting to 

be celebrated 

Explaining the reason behind 

the project, the blogger explained 

that she was moved by the 

negative narratives being spread 

about Nigeria, saying in spite of 

the challenges the nation is going 

through, there are lots of First 

Class Materials among us. 

Two of Nigerians who would be 

showcased in the TV programme 

include Abdulhakim Bashir, the 

founder of CHINIKI Guard, 

which provides updates on 

activities going in retail stores by 

analysing video feed from CCTV 

and Sipasi Olalekan; L’Afrika 

Integrated Farms. 

revenge the mischief done to her 

– got entangled in a romantic 

relationship with her 

archenemy’s son. Love or 

vengeance, which would she 

dare embrace? 

Directed and produced by 

Nigerian-born award-winning 

writer cum producer, Kevin 

Nwankwor, enthused that, “If you 

watch the news daily, you will see 

it. It’s sad. Although we are doing 

something about it, we are not 

really doing much”. 

Hence, MUNA has come to 

create awareness. “Human and 

sex trafficking is most rampant in 

poor communities. They get 

sweet promises dashed against 

rocks”, Nwankwor added.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 , 2019 — 39



Buhari’s aide, minister 

disagree over exit plans 

for N-Power beneficiaries 

THE Special Adviser 

to President 

Muhammadu Buhari on 

Social Investments, 

Maryam Uwais, has 

denied the claim by the 

Minister of Humanitarian 

Affairs, Disaster 

Management and Social 

Development, Sadiya 

Farouq, that the National 

Social Investment Office 

(NSIO) had no exit plan for 

N-Power beneficiaries. 

Mrs Uwais said the 

administrators had made 

exit plans which have not 

been implemented as 

discussions were still 

ongoing on many fronts. 

She also said she had 

briefed Mrs Farouq on 

those plans. 

Mrs Uwais was reacting 

to a statement by the 

minister of the newlycreated 

ministry, Mrs 

Farouq. 

In her statement earlier 

yesterday, Mrs Farouq had 

said the retention of N- 

Power beneficiaries who 

should have exited was 

responsible for the delay of 

payment of the stipends of 

the beneficiaries for October 

and November. 

Her comment was against 

the backdrop of rumours 

that the delay in the 

monthly payments to N- 

Power beneficiaries was 

because the government 

plans to drop them without 

an appropriate 

disengagement package 

for them. 

The N-Power programme 

kicked off in 2016 with over 

200,000 young Nigerians 

selected in the first phase. 

The beneficiaries were to 

have dropped out of the 

scheme after two years of 

internship. 

In a press briefing, 

yesterday, the minister 

lamented that the 

administrators of the 

scheme did not make an 

exit plan for the 

beneficiaries who ought to 

have “exited the 

programme 16 months” 

ago. 

“N-Power beneficiaries 

enrolled in 2016 are yet to 

be exited 16 months after 

Naira appreciates to 

N362.70 /$ in I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

the elapse of their contract; 

they are supposed to have 

been graduated to a more 

productive venture; the 

Ministry is currently 

making efforts to develop 

an exit strategy, which is 

non-existent,” Mrs Farouq 

said. 

But Mrs Uwais, 

yesterday, itemised the 

various efforts made by the 

office of the Social 

Investment Programmes 

(SIPs) before and after the 

programme was moved to 

the new ministry under the 

leadership of Ms Farouq. 

President Buhari in his 

Independence Day speech 

had announced the transfer 

of the NSIPs from the office 

of Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo to the newlycreated 

Ministry of 

Humanitarian Affairs, 

Disaster Management and 

Social Development. 

The presidential adviser 

said before the initiative 

was moved to the new 

ministry, she and the vice 

president met with the 

Ministry of Finance and 

requested for loans as a 

package for the 

beneficiaries. 

“On the exit plan for the 

N Power beneficiaries, we 

have written the governors 

to see if they could employ 

some of them. We have got 

By Henry Ojelu 

THE immediate-past 

Attorney-General of 

the Federation (AGF) and 

Minister of Justice, 

Mohammed Bello Adoke 

SAN, yesterday, decried 

what he termed “his 

continuous illegal 

detention” by the 

INTERPOL in Dubai, 

United Arab Emirates. 

The former AGF, through 

his counsel, Chief Mike 

Ozekhome SAN, told the 

High Court of the Federal 

Capital Territory (FCT) that 

he was still being held in 

Dubai despite the valid 

order made by the court on 

October 25 vacating its 

earlier arrest warrant 

issued against him. 

THE Naira, yesterday, appreciated to N362.70 

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

the window recorded 57 percent decline in the 

volume of dollars traded. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window dropped to N362.81 

per dollar yesterday from N362.70 per dollar last 

week Friday, translating to 11 kobo appreciation of 

the naira. 

The volume of dollars traded on the window 

yesterday dropped by 57 percent to $162.07 million 

from $346.91 million last week Friday. 

However, the naira yesterday was stable at N358.5 

per dollar in the parallel market. 

PETROLEUM PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION —From left, Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed 

Adamu; Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari and Minister of Works and Housing, 

Babatunde Fashola, briefing journalists after the stakeholders meeting on Petroleum Products distribution 

at the end of the year at State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

a lot of discussions with a 

lot of government agencies 

on the prospect. We even 

had discussions with IBM 

and they were planning to 

train them online.” 

Mrs Uwais, a lawyer, also 

said she had briefed Mrs 

Farouq concerning the 

prospect of a meeting with 

the Ministry of Finance and 

that the minister had 

agreed to the plan. 

She also said the NSIO 

had sent reminders but is 

yet to get feedback from the 

5m people entered labour market, 450,000 

jobs created in 2018 — World Bank 

By Emma 

Ujah,Abuja Bureau 

Chief 

A BUJA—The 

unemployment 

situation in Nigeria has 

remained challenging as 

five million entered the 

labour market last year 

alone. 

The World Bank which 

disclosed this in a report, 

yesterday, said only 450, 

000 jobs were created in 

the country in 2018. 

The bank stated that 

Nigeria risks becoming 

home to a quarter of the 

world’s destitute people 

in a decade unless 

policymakers act to 

revive economic growth 

and lift employment. 

The report launched in 

Abuja was titled: 

minister. 

“We have had a meeting 

with the Ministry of 

Finance in the presence of 

the vice president and 

asked for a certain amount 

as capital funding as loans 

just to exist them (N-Power 

beneficiaries) through the 

GEEP programme. 

“Soon after that meeting, 

we were relocated to the 

new Ministry of 

Humanitarian Affairs. So I 

had briefed her of that 

possibility that we need to 

‘Jumpstarting Inclusive 

Growth: Unlocking the 

Growth Potentials of 

Nigeria’s People and 

Resource endowments.’ 

According to the report, 

Nigeria has the 

opportunity to achieve 

reforms to mitigate 

unemployment risks 

amid growing public 

demand for greater 

economic opportunities. 

The bank noted that 

700, 000 jobs were lost in 

2017. 

The Country Director 

for Nigeria, Shubham 

Chaudhuri, said, “going 

forward, we recommend 

actions in priority areas 

including fiscal 

revenues, growing 

quality of spending to 

manage oil-sector 

meet with the Ministry of 

Finance for this purpose 

and she agreed.’ And I 

reminded her again last 

week. 

“Unfortunately, nothing 

yet. I have not got a 

response from her. She is 

the minister, I have told her 

to get us an appointment 

with the finance ministry so 

we can finalise the issue of 

the exit plan because time 

is going. 

“We are stalled because 

Adoke cries out over detention in Dubai 

Ozekhome stated this 

yesterday at the resumed 

hearing of a fresh suit he 

instituted against the 

EFCC on November 6, on 

behalf of Adoke, praying 

the court to strike out 

Adoke’s name from earlier 

charges filed against the 

former AGF, Shell 

Production Limited and 

nine others by the 


Crimes Commission 

(EFCC). 

The anti-corruption 

commission had in 2017 

filed charges against Adoke 

and the others, in a case 

marked FCT/HC/CR/124/ 

17, bordering on fraudulent 

allocation of the Oil 

Prospecting Licence 245 

and other forms of offences 

involving the sum of about 

$1.2 billion, forgery of bank 

documents, bribery and 

corruption. 

The alleged $1.2 billion 

scam involved the transfer 

of the OPL 245 purportedly 

from Malabu Oil and Gas 

Limited to Shell Nigeria 

Exploration Production Co. 

Limited and Nigeria Agip 

Exploration Limited. 

Justice Danladi Senchi, 

sitting at Jabi, Abuja, had 

on April 17 issued a bench 

warrant for the arrest of 

Adoke and other 

defendants in the case. 

The judge, however, 

vacated by the arrest 

warrant on October 25 

volatility, investing in 

much-needed human 

capital 

and 

infrastructure.” 

The bank noted efforts 

of four states in job 

creation in the period 

under review. 

They were: Enugu, 

Lagos, Ondo and Rivers. 

Nigeria risks becoming 

home to a quarter of the 

world’s destitute people 

in a decade unless 

policymakers act to 

revive economic growth 

and lift employment, the 

World Bank said. 

The economy of Africa’s 

top oil producer is 

expected to expand 2.1 

percent in 2020 and 

2021, the bank also said. 

That’s below the nation’s 

2.6 per cent population 

growth rate. 

we do not know what the 

package is that we are 

going to give them,” she 

said. 

“So we have everything 

wrapped up. Except the 

conclusion of our 

appointment with the 

finance ministry, we cannot 

do much. So it is a bit 

surprising to me that she 

said we do not have any 

exit plans because I have 

briefed her that we did,” 

she said. 

following an application 

made by Ozekhome before 

the court to that effect. 

At yesterday’s hearing, 

Ozekhome informed the 

court that the former AGF 

had filed an application 

seeking the removal of his 

name from the charge 

sheet. According to the 

senior advocate, the 

application was filed on 

November 5 but was served 

on the prosecution by the 

court bailiff on Nov. 27. 

The bank urged 


Buhari to increase 

domestic revenue, 

remove trade restrictions 

and improve the 

predictability of 

economic policy. It also 

called on the government 

to remove expensive fuel 

subsidies and reduce 

central bank lending to 

targeted sectors those 

crowds out banks. 

“The cost of inaction is 

significant,” the bank 

said. “Under a businessas-usual 

scenario, where 

Nigeria maintains the 

current pace of growth 

and employment levels, 

by 2030 the number of 

Nigerians living in 

extreme poverty could 

increase by more than 30 

million” the bank added.



By Emma Nnadozie,Crime Editor, Onozure 

Dania & Esther Onyegbula 

L AGOS—SIX 

inmates serving 

various prison terms at 

Ikoyi Correctional 

Center, Lagos, 

yesterday, reportedly 

died of electrocution, 

following electricity 

surge that led to 

explosion of cables. 

But the Minister of 

Interior, Ogbeni Rauf 

Aregbesola, confirmed 

the death of five and 

seven inmates with 

injuries, while inside 

sources said several 

other inmates at the 

center were seriously 

wounded. 

Unconfirmed reports 

said those injured were 

still unconscious as 

doctors were said to be 

are battling to revive 

them. 

The inmates were 

electrocuted in their 

cells, following a power 

surge at about 7 am. 

Conflicting casualties 

There were various 

accounts of how the 

inmates were 

electrocuted. 

The Comptroller 

General of Prisons, Mr. 

Ja’afaru Ahmed, who 

spoke to newsmen over 

the incident, gave the 

number of casualties as 

five, while seven others 

were injured. 

H o w e v e r , 

eyewitnesses, who 

spoke with Vanguard, 

said six dead bodies 

were removed from the 

center after the 

explosion while many of 

the injured were taken 

to an unknown hospital 

for treatment. 

How inmates were 

electrocuted 

Also, one account said 

the explosion occurred 

when one of the inmates 

tried to charge a phone 

through a faulty 

charging port. 

The connecting cables 

reportedly went up in 

flames after a deafening 

explosion which nearly 

set the entire center on 

fire. 

However, another 

account said one of the 

live wires, abandoned 

after warders carried out 

searches inside the cell, 

Sunday morning, fell on 

one of the beds from the 

ceiling and electrocuted 

the inmates. 

It was gathered that 

before the incident, 

yesterday, warders had 

conducted thorough 

searches inside the 

general cell to sanitize it 

based on reports that 

some of the inmates had 

been making use of 

prohibited gadgets such 

as phones, lap tops as 

well as drugs. 

Sources at the center 

told Vanguard that 

during the search, the 

warders ransacked the 

the cells and in the 

process, many of the 

electrical cables were 

either destroyed or 

disconnected. 


source, both the ceiling 

and rooftops were torn 

apart in their search for 

prohibited items in the 

cell. 

He said at the end of 

the search, the warders 

left the whole place 

disorganized. 

Overcrowded cell 

The source said: “The 

general cell, which 

ought to contain only 20 

inmates, was housing no 

fewer than 150 inmates 

and they are packed like 

sardine inside the cell. 

“More casualties would 

have been recorded but 

for the fact that it was 

still early in the morning 

when about 100 of the 

inmates were taken out 

of the cell to various 

courts. 

The live wire was said 

to have fallen on one of 

the beds inside the cell, 

following which the 

inmates were 

electrocuted one after 

the other. 

18 inmates are still 

in coma 

“No fewer than 18 of 

the inmates, who were 

also affected, are still 

unconscious in the 

health center inside the 

Correctional Center,” 

the source said. 

Five dead, seven 

injured — Minister 

Meanwhile, the 

Minister of Interior 

Ogbeni Aregbesola, 

yesterday confirmed the 

death of five inmates, 

adding that seven 

others were injured. 

Aregbesola, who 

visited the facility for an 

on-the-spot assessment, 

declined to name the 

affected inmates, since 

their families were yet to 

be notified. 

The minister said he 

would probe the 

incident and that a 

coroner’s inquest report 

would confirm the exact 

cause of death. 

He commiserated with 

the families and 

pledged to work towards 

averting a recurrence. 

Aregbesola said: “The 

government of the 

federation deeply 

regrets the unfortunate 

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle), during his visit to the Ikoyi 

Correctional Centre, after six inmates were electrocuted, yesterday. 

IKOYI CORRECTIONAL CENTRE TRAGEDY: 

How 6 inmates were electrocuted 

•18 inmates still in coma; only five dead, seven injured — Minister 

incident. It happened 

this morning 

(yesterday) at about 7 

am. 

“I have gone round to 

see the cell where this 

incident occurred and I 

want to express to 

Nigerians the deep 

sympathy of the Federal 

Government and all of 

us about the 

circumstances of the 

accident that led to some 

loss of lives in one of the 

cells. 

We’ll probe the 

incident 

“I’m going to put 

together a team that will 

go into the root of how 

the accident occurred to 

ensure that no such 

thing happens again. 

“This is quite sad 

distressing and 

disturbing; we pray for 

the repose of the soul of 

the deceased. We 

equally pray that God 

gives the families of the 

bereaved the fortitude to 

bear the loss. The 

victims’ identities would 

be publicised after their 

families are notified. 

“We have not yet 

informed the families of 

the deceased but that 

will be done before we 

make it public. 

“The law recommends 

in this instance a 

coroner’s inquest which 

will reveal what the 

exact cause of the deaths 

was, but beyond that, we 

will look into everything 

about it, the 

circumstances, the how, 

why, and generally, 

cause of this.” 

He said President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

was” quite disturbed” 

about the incident and 

that “it is highly 

regretted.” 

We have overcrowded 

facility— Controller- 

General of Corrections 

Controller-General of 

Corrections, Ja’afaru 

Ahmed, who also 

confirmed the incident 

yesterday, said the 

facility was overcrowded 

but noted that he could 

not speculate as to 

whether overcrowding 

was a reason for the 

incident. 

Ahmed said: “Our 

primary responsibility 

as a Service is safe, 

secure, humane custody, 

that’s what I’ve been 

doing over the years but 

incidents do happen, 

even in our homes 

“However, because it 

happened in a 

government facility, 

there’s always that 

perception that the right 

things are not being 

done. But these are 

incidents that always 

happen in the house. , 

“There was an 

electricity surge, the 

cause of which we don’t 

know yet, we still have 

to investigate and 

investigation will reveal 

the when, how and why 

it happened. “As I speak 

to you, we have five 

inmates that died and 

seven are in the 

hospital. I gave you this 

number because I want 

to avoid speculation and 

everybody knows that 

there is overcrowding in 

this facility.” 

Facility meant for 800 

inmates 

“This facility was 

established in 1955 for 

just 800 inmates but it 

currently accommodates 

3113 and out of this 

number, 2680 are 

awaiting trial. So, it’s 

just barely about 400 

plus that are convicted 

felons which the 

correctional or custodial 

centre needs. 

“We need convicts not 

awaiting trial persons; 

we have other facilities 

where we can move 

these people to if they 

had been convicted. We 

can move them to other 

centres that are less 

congested just like the 

soul prison which has 

about one. 

“As the minister has 

said, there is a 

concerted effort on the 

part of the government, 

and especially this 

present administration, 

to turn around the 

fortunes of the Nigerian 

Correctional Services 

now, starting with a 

change of name and 

then, the custodial and 

non-custodial. 

“It is an unfortunate 

incident, we do not want 

to lose any more life, we 

want to return life, even 

for those who are 

condemned.” 

Centers are 

headquarters of 

corruption 

Speaking about the 

tragedy, the National 

President of Path of 

Peace Initiative, Lagos, 

Dandy Eze, stated that 

Nigerian prisons, 

which they now call 

Correctional Centers 

were not correctional 

centers. 

Eze said: “The 

centers are the 

headquarters of 

corruption in Nigeria. 

Everything about that 

place is money. For you 

to sleep, money, if you 

are sick, you will have 

to pay to be taken to 

hospital. 

“Inmates pay double 

for items and services 

more than what is 

obtainable outside the 

center. So, corruption is 

rooted there and that is 

the root cause of such a 

tragedy. 

“How can you rename 

such a place without 

correcting the anomalies 

there? Most of the cells 

there are overcrowded 

and the inmates enjoy a 

lot of liberty. Thank God, 

most of the inmates 

inside the general cell 

were taken to court 

before the ugly incident 

took place; otherwise, it 

would have been a 

massacre.”



Law against overloading: Oyo govt 

goes tough against commercial 

motorists, cyclists 

The Ikoyi Prison, where some inmtes were electrocuted yesterday. 

E-VOTING: Secondus charges INEC to 

lead initiative 

heeding the party’s 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

A 

B U J A — 

NATIONAL 

Chairman of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

Prince Uche Secondus, 

yesterday, called on the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, to lead the 

initiative for the adoption 

of electronic voting in the 

country. 

The PDP chair stated 

this while playing host to 

a delegation from INEC 

drawn from the 

department of Election 

and Party Monitoring, 

EPM. 

Secondus while chiding 

INEC on the conduct of 

the 2019 general elections 

particularly scored the 

commission low on the 

recently concluded 

Bayelsa and Kogi states 

governorship elections, 

describing them as the 

worst in the nation’s 

PDP, APC in verbal war over LG caretaker 

chairmen 

and partisan ends.” 

By Ola Ajayi 

IBADAN—THE All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, in Oyo State, 

yesterday, called on 


Buhari and the leadership 

of the National Assembly, 

to prevent Governor Seyi 

Makinde to stay action on 

setting up of caretaker 

chairmen in the 33 local 

government areas of the 

state. 

The party, in a statement 

by its Assistant Publicity 

Secretary, Mr. Ayobami 

Adejumo, said: “In the 

history of our dear 

country, there has never 

been anywhere in all the 

36 states and the FCT 

where the executive 

offices in all the local 

political history. 

Tracing 

the 

electioneering history of 

the country back to 1959, 

Secondus lamented the 

outing of the umpire in 

2019 describing the 

conduct as “easily the 

height of electoral 

impunity that set the 

nation’s electoral 

d e v e l o p m e n t 

progressively 

backwards.” 

Accusing the ruling 

party of undermining 

democracy, he said: “On 

our side as an opposition 

party, it has not been easy 

operating under a ruling 

party 

whose 

understanding of 

democracy is impunity, 

intimidation and 

coercion,” noting that in 

recent times, party leaders 

have been intimidated 

and harassed simply for 

expressing their position 

on issues of governance. 

His words: “I urge your 

commission to move 

government councils 

were locked for more than 

six months simply 

because a governor would 

order the sack of elected 

officials. But this 

happened in our own Oyo 

State when the PDP 

Governor began to 

manifest flagrant 

disregard to the Oath of 

Office he swore to right 

from the day of his 

inauguration. Gov. 

Makinde ordered a 

prospective appointee to 

announce the withdrawal 

of the mandate of 

hundreds of validly 

elected council officials 

and this was without any 

reasonable justification.” 

This action alone raises 

both moral and legal 

questions as to why the 

reckless use of tax payers’ 

money for illegal, selfish 

quickly and initiate 

Electoral Act amendment 

that will legalize 

electronic voting and 

remove the influence of 

the military as primary 

security on election day. 

“The survival and 

sustenance of our 

democracy rest squarely 

on the integrity of the 

electoral commission 

which will derive from the 

character and the 

impartiality of its 

operatives. 

“The effect of bad 

elections in our polity has 

been far reaching, 

stagnating the political 

and economic 

development and 

permanently hoisting on 

the people unpopular and 

incompetent leaders. The 

tension and uncertainty in 

the country today is 

clearly a fallout of election 

mishap in February. 

“Free, fair and credible 

election is exactly what 

PDP and indeed global 

democracy demand and 

expect from INEC.” 

Chiding INEC for not 

You need to be tutored 

on democratic norms— 

PDP 

Reacting to the APC’s 

call, the PDP, in a 

statement by its Publicity 

Secretary, Mr. Akeem 

Olatunji, said the 

opposition party needed 

to be tutored on 

democratic norms. 

The party said: “It is 

appalling that a party that 

has led this state, the 

Pacesetter State for good 

eight years, could still 

harbour undemocratic 

tenets, such that it could 

be calling for invocation of 

extra-constitutional 

means for the resolution 

of issues relating to the 

management of Local 

Government Councils in 

the state." 

earlier warnings, 

Secondus added that the 

conduct of elections in 

Ekiti and Osun states and 

latter in Bayelsa and Kogi 

states have clearly 

vindicated the position of 

By Adeola Badru 

IBADAN—THE Oyo 

State Government, 

yesterday, vowed to arrest 

and prosecute commercial 

drivers and cyclists, who 

engage in overloading in 

the state. 

Chairman, Oyo State 

Road Transport 


OYRTMA, Mogaji Akin 

Fagbemi, said this while 

addressing journalists in 

Ibadan. 

Fagbemi said the 

number of accidents 

attributed to overloading 

in the recent times has 

risen, calling on all 

motorists to comply with 

the State Road Traffic Law 

(2019) that compelled 

motorists not to take more 

than a passenger at the 

front while commercial 

motorcyclists were also to 

take a passenger with 

compulsory use of crash 

helmet. 

He said: “Owing to the 

significant number of 

motorcycle-related road 

crashes recorded in the 

State in the last two 

quarters of the year, it has 

become imperative and 

expedient to fully and 

strictly implement the 

portion of the State Road 

Traffic Law 2019, which 

clearly stipulates that all 

motorists and motorcycles 

operating within the State 

should not at any point in 

time carry more than one 

passenger and must as 

well utilize the crash 

helmet. 

“In the best interest of 

citizens of Oyo State, 

particularly as the 

Governor Seyi Makindeled 

administration is 

committed to the security 

of lives and properties of 

the people, the governor 

has directed, through 

OYRTMA that all 

commercial motorists and 

motorcycles must adhere 

strictly to the traffic law on 

the number of passengers 

to load, so as to avoid 

accident.”

44 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

Members of the public attend a vigil at the Guildhall in central London to pay tribute to the victims of 

the London Bridge attack on December 2, 2019 [Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP] 

Democrats set stage for Trump impeachment 

with key hearing 

DEMOCRATIC law 

makers in Congress 

will take a big step this 

week in what appears to be 

a now inexorable march 

toward impeaching U.S. 

President Donald Trump, 

with the start of hearings 

seen as a precursor to formal 

charges being announced 

within weeks. 

As opinion polls show 

Americans bitterly divided 

over whether to impeach 

Trump, the Judiciary Committee 

in the Democraticcontrolled 

House of Representatives 

will hold a 

hearing on Wednesday to 

explain to the public what 

constitutes an impeachable 

offense. 

It will also receive a report 

from the House Intelligence 

Committee laying 

out the evidence Democrats 

say shows Trump 

abused his office for personal 

political gain. 

Democrats have been 

looking into the Republican 

president’s efforts to 

pressure Ukraine to investigate 

political rival Joe 

Biden, a former Democratic 

vice president who 

is seeking his party’s nomination 

to face Trump in 

the 2020 presidential election, 

and his son Hunter 

Biden, who was a board 

member of a Ukrainian 

energy company. 

China sanctions US, NGOs over Hong Kong unrest 

CHINA suspended 

US warship visits 

and sanctioned American 

NGOs on Monday in 

retaliation for the passage 

of a bill backing 

pro-democracy protesters 

in Hong Kong. 

The financial hub has 

been rocked by nearly 

six months of increasingly 

violent unrest demanding 

greater autonomy, 

which Beijing has 

frequently blamed on 

foreign influence. 

Last week US President 

Donald Trump 

signed the Hong Kong 

Human Rights and Democracy 

Act, which requires 

the president to 

annually review the 

city’s favourable trade 

status and threatens to 

revoke it if the semi-autonomous 

territory’s 

freedoms are quashed. 

The move came as the 

world’s two biggest 

economies have been 

striving to finalise a 

“phase one” deal in 

their protracted trade 

war. 

“In response to the 

unreasonable behaviour 

of the US side, the Chinese 

government has 

decided to suspend reviewing 

the applications 

for US warships to 

go to Hong Kong for 

(rest and) recuperation 

as of today,” foreign 

ministry spokeswoman 

Hua Chunying said at a 

regular press briefing. 

China had already denied 

requests for two US 

Navy ships to dock in 

Hong Kong in August, 

without specifying a 

reason why. 

“Operationally, from 

a military point of 

view, it doesn’t really 

make a difference for 

the US, as they can 

use many naval bases 

in the region,” Michael 

Raska, a security 

researcher at Singapore’s 

Nanyang 

Technological University, 

told AFP. 

However, it “sends a 

signal that US-China 

tensions will continue 

to deepen,” Raska 

said. 

The last US Navy 

ship to visit Hong 

Kong was the USS 

Blue Ridge in April. 

J. Michael Cole, a 

Taipei-based senior 

fellow with the Global 

Taiwan Institute, said 

the move was “mostly 

symbolic” but yet another 

sign of the “titfor-tat 

escalation 

which is poisoning the 

bilateral relationship.” 

Putin, Xi oversee launch of landmark 

Russian gas pipeline to China 

RUSSIAN President 

Vladimir Putin and 

his Chinese counterpart Xi 

Jinping on Monday oversaw 

the launch of a landmark 

pipeline that will 

transport natural gas from 

Siberia to northeast China, 

an economic and political 

boost to ties between 

Moscow and 

Beijing. 

The start of gas flows via 

the Power of Siberia pipeline 

reflects Moscow’s attempts 

to pivot to the East 

to try to mitigate pain 

from Western financial 

sanctions imposed over its 

2014 annexation of 

Ukraine’s Crimea. 

The move cements China’s 

spot as Russia’s top 

export market and gives 

Russia a potentially enormous 

new market outside 

Europe. It also comes as 

Moscow is hoping to 

launch two other major 

energy projects — the Nord 

Steam 2 undersea Baltic 

gas pipeline to Germany 

and the TurkStream pipeline 

to Turkey and southern 

Europe. 

The 3,000-km-long 

(1,865 mile) Power of Siberia 

pipeline will transport 

gas from the Chayandinskoye 

and Kovytka 

fields in eastern Siberia, a 

project expected to last for 

three decades and to generate 

$400 billion for Russian 

state coffers. 

“This is a genuinely historical 

event not only for 

the global energy market 

but above all for us, for 

Russia and China,” said 

Putin, who watched the 

launch via video link from 

the Russian Black Sea resort 

of Sochi. 

“This step takes Russo- 

Chinese strategic cooperation 

in energy to a qualitative 

new level and brings 

us closer to (fulfilling) the 

task, set together with Chinese 

leader Xi Jinping, of 

taking bilateral trade to 

$200 billion by 2024.” 

The new pipeline emerges 

in Heilongjiang, which 

borders Russia, and goes 

onto Jilin and Liaoning, 

China’s top grain hub. 

Xi told Putin via a video 

link on Monday that the 

newly launched gas pipeline 

is “a landmark project 

of bilateral energy cooperation” 

and an “example of 

deep integration and mutually 

beneficial cooperation”. 

Flows via the pipeline 

are expected to gradually 

rise to 38 billion cubic 

metres (bcm) per year in 

2025, possibly making 

China Russia’s secondlargest 

gas customer after 

Germany, which bought 

58.50 bcm of gas from 

Russia last year. 

Moscow began supplying 

natural gas to western 

and central Europe in the 

1950s and Europe has 

long been Russia’s major 

consumer of gas, supplied 

by Kremlin-controlled energy 

giant Gazprom 

(GAZP.MM), with total 

annual supplies of around 

200 bcm. 

The price China is paying 

for Russian gas in the 

new pipeline remains a 

closely kept secret with 

various industry sources 

saying it is tied to the price 

of an oil products basket. 

Neither Putin, nor Xi 

commented on Monday 

on the gas price Beijing is 

set to pay under the contract. 

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria 

hosts highest populations of IDPS 

in W/Africa 

By Victoria Ojeme & Glory Odizuru 

ABUJA: The findings of the joint ECOWAS Parlia 

ment, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UN- 

HCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross 

(ICRC) have shown that Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and 

Nigeria host the largest populations of internally displaced 

persons across West Africa region. 

The document presented at the workshop jointly organized 

by parliament and ICRC and UNHCR on the situation 

of internally displaced persons in the North-East of 

Nigeria, highlighted that internally displaced persons in 

the Region lacks adequate healthcare and other necessities 

for those hosted in the camps. 

It stated that understanding internal displacement in West 

Africa, as in other region, is an important step in both preventing 

further displacement and in finding solutions for 

those who are already displaced. 

Stating the efforts of UNHCR in regarding to IDPs, Roger 

Hollo, Deputy Representative in Nigeria said that UNHCR 

assumes a coordination and operational delivery role in 

IDP situations to ensure protection is central in order to 

prevent further displacement. 

Succeeding the large number of displaced, the ICRC- 

UNHCR in partnership with the ECOWAS Parliament is to 

hold a joint study on Legislation, Policy, and Practices Protecting 

Access to Healthcare for internally Displaced Persons 

in the ECOWAS Region. 

The joint study stems from an assessment of IDP camps 

by the ECOWAS Parliament and UNHCR, conducted in 

January 2018, as part of a series of joint fact-finding missions. 

Philippines evacuates scores ahead 

of typhoon, to shut main airport 

THE Philippines evacuated 200,000 people in 

coastal and mountainous areas due to fears 

of flooding and landslides and said it would also 

shut its main international airport as a powerful 

typhoon was set to make landfall on Monday. 

Typhoon Kammuri, the 20th typhoon to hit the 

country this year, was expected to make landfall 

on the Philippines’ main Luzon island, packing 

165 kph wind speeds and gusts of up to 230 kph, 

the weather bureau said. 

Airport authorities said all four terminals of the 

Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital 

Manila would be closed from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 

p.m. (0300 GMT to 1500 GMT) on Tuesday as a 

precaution. 

To give priority to those flights affected by the 

shutdown, regular runaway maintenance will be 

suspended for three days after normal service resumes, 

they said. 

Authorities raised the tropical cyclone warning 

level for 35 provinces and told people in areas in 

the path of the Category 3 typhoon to be on alert 

for possible landslides, storm surges and floods 

triggered by heavy winds and rain. 

The disaster agency said 200,000 people had 

been evacuated from dozens of provinces in southern 

Luzon. The Philippines is playing host to the 

30th Southeast Asia Games which will run through 

Dec. 11. 

It has suspended canoeing and windsurfing 

competitions scheduled for Dec. 3. 

The country is hit by an average 20 typhoons 

each year. 

Amnesty says at least 208 killed 

in Iran protests 

A 

T least 208 people are believed to have been killed 

in Iran during a security crackdown on protests 

that came after a surprise petrol price hike, Amnesty 

International has said. 

In a statement on Monday, the United Kingdom-based 

rights group said the “alarming” death toll was based 

“on credible reports” it had received, adding that the 

actual figure was likely to be higher. 

Amnesty said there have been “dozens of deaths” in 

Shahriar city in Tehran province. It did not provide a 

location breakdown for the number of people killed in 

other parts of the country. 

Iran, which has not given a definitive death toll, has 

previously rejected Amnesty’s figures. 

Demonstrations broke out in mid-November following 

an abrupt decision by authorities to roll out a petrolrationing 

scheme and slash subsidies as part of efforts to 

offset the effect of punishing US sanctions. The move 

sent prices by at least 50 percent. 

Iran has accused “thugs” linked to its rivals for the 

unrest, which it described as the work a “very dangerous 

conspiracy”. Some 200,000 people took part in the 

protests, according to officials, while hundreds of banks 

and government sites were torched. A lawmaker was 

quoted as saying this week that 7,000 people were arrested 

by authorities, who also shut down the internet 

for almost a week.


VISIT—Courtesy visit of Miteda Wellness Initiative executive team to the 

office of Ganiu Sanni Okanlawon, Chairman, Lagos House Committee on 

Commerce and Industry (left), representing Kosofe Constituency I, with 

them is Babatunde Sofola (2nd right), Executive Chairman, Kosofe Local 

Government Area, to discuss collaboration with Kosofe Constituency 1 

and Kosofe LGA, on the delivery of free medical programmes to people of 

the area. The event will come up on March 2020, ahead of the World 

Glaucoma Day. 

NBB of C urges support for AJ 

The Nigerian Boxing 

Board of Control, 

South South Area 

Council has urged 

Nigerians both at home and 

in the diaspora to rally 

round Anthony Joshua as 

he seeks to reclaim his 

multiple titles from 

Mexican Andy Ruiz in New 

York this weekend. 

The Vice President of the 

NBB of C and Chairman, 

South South Area Council, 

Elder Sonny Omo- 

Egharevba said in a 

statement in Benin City 

that the AJ-Ruiz rematch 

would mark a watershed in 

the annals of world boxing, 

Elder Omo-Egharevba said 

the Mexican stunned the 

world boxing community 

when he dethroned Joshua in 

their first encounter, adding 

that it was unbelievable that 

the Nigerian with his 

incredible boxing finesse lost 

to the Mexican. 

‘’Now Anthony Joshua 

has a golden opportunity to 

redeem himself and his 

teeming fans across the 

world this weekend. 

‘’We at the NBB of C South 

South Area Council and the 

entire boxing fraternity in 

Nigeria and beyond are 

solidly behind AJ, and we 

are confident that the 

Nigerian blood and the 

warrior spirit in him would 

be rekindled this weekend 

in a most remarkable 

fashion. 

‘’Nigerians in diaspora, 

especially those resident in 

Saudi Arabia should have 

a patriotic duty to be at the 

ringside to cheer Anthony 

Joshua to victory”, he 

stressed. 

The only thing that is .left 

for Joshua to do to reclaim 

his World title belts is for 

him to get slim and throw 

punches directly on his 

oppenent. The organisers 

have said that they would 

axe ring girls because of the 

traditions of Saudi Ariabia 

in not allowing women to 

expose their bodies 

Ihedioha flags off Imo Sports Festival 

•As Torch Tour Commences Across 27 LGAs 

LAUNCHING—From left: The Founder/CEO, Arise Women, Siju 

Iluyomade, and Mrs. Grace Akpoyibo, as they launch Arise Skills 

Acquisition and Empowerment Academy, at Dafara, Abuja, weekend. 

PRESS BRIEFING—From left: Blogger, Linda Ikeji, and Folake Ani- 

Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, 

First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., at the Press briefing unveiling FirstBank's 

partnership with Ikeji, on the production of TV Pprogramme, 'First 

Class Material', in Lagos. 

ANNUAL DINNER—From left: Temitayo Pitan, Secretary, IADC Nigeria; 

Valentine Iheasirim, Vice-Chairman, IADC; Hisham Zebian, IADC 

Regional Representative, Middle East & Africa; Mrs. Abioye Omoseni, 

Treasurer, IADC; Chuks Enwereji, Chairman, IADC; Tokunbo Akinuli, 

Ex Secretary, IADC, and Ote Enaibe, Ex-Chairman, IADC, during 

IADC's Annual Dinner in Lagos. 

Gov. Emeka Ihedioha with the festival Tturch 

The 13th Imo State development”, Ndubuoke 

Sports Festival is stated. 

underway as His The Sports boss further 

Excellency Rt Hon Emeka 

hinted that, “The Torch Tour 

has been scheduled in 

Ihedioha (CON) lights the phases. It will run from 

Unity Torch inside the Monday to Friday across 

Douglas House, Owerri the Local Government 

yesterday. 

Councils which have been 

The Torch is already on zoned based on their 

tour of the 27 LGAs across proximity and easy access 

the state with the Chairmen to all Imolites”. 

of the Interim Management The Sports Festival kicks 

Committees standing by to 

receive it. 

According to the Executive 

Chairman of Imo Sports 

Commission, Chief Fan 

Ndubuoke, a famous and out The long anticipated 

accomplished athlete or 

sports personality from each 

book on Nigeria’s lead 

of the LGAs is expected to sports brand, the Super 

receive the Unity Torch from Eagles, will be available to 

his or her Local Government the public later this month. 

boss before the Torch moves The book titled: “Super 

to the next LGA. 

Eagles @70…Soaring on the 

“Our plan is to sensitise Wings”, is written by Kunle 

Imolites and create Solaja and it is endorsed by 

awareness for the Festival. 

We want the people to be 

the Nigeria Football 

part of the whole exercise. Federation (NFF) which also 

The exercise of rebuilding acquired the title rights. 

Imo through sports. We The book is a compendium 

want them to feel the impact and is written in lucid and 

of His Excellency’s passion infographic manner offering 

for sports and it’s virtually every information 

Messi wins 6th Ballon d’Or 

B arcelona 

Lionel Messi forward 

has won 

his sixth Ballon d’Or. 

The 32-year-old beat 

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk 

and Juventus’ Cristiano 

Ronaldo to the award and 

picked up the trophy in a 

ceremony in Paris last night. 

Messi becomes the first 

player to win the award on 

six occasions, having been 

tied with Ronaldo on five. 

The Argentine and the 

Portuguese dominated the 

Ballon d’Or for a decade 

between 2008 and 2017, 

winning five apiece in that time. 

off on the 5th and will run 

till 17th of December. It is 

to enable Imo Sports 

Commission select athletes 

for the forthcoming Edo 

2020 National Sports 

Festival (NSF). Gov. 

Ihedioha has made it clear 

that Imo will attend the NSF 

in style which will be a clear 

departure from the past 

when they merely attend 

just for the fun of it. 

Landmark book on Super Eagles 

•Megan Rapinoe wins Women’s Ballon d’Or 

•Alisson is first ever winner of the Yachine Trophy 

Their duopoly was broken 

last year as Real Madrid 

midfielder Luka Modric 

claimed the prestigious prize, 

but the Barca forward has 

now collected a record sixth 

Golden Ball 

Messi won four Ballons d’Or 

between 2009 and 2012 after 

starring in the great Barcelona 

team under Pep Guardiola and 

claimed the prize again in 

2015 after leading the Catalan 

club to a treble of La Liga, Copa 

del Rey and Champions 

League crowns with Luis 

Enrique in charge. 

He was the favourite to win 

that a football follower, 

researcher or reader may 

desire about the Nigeria’s 

national football team since 

its inception through the 

composition of the famed 

“UK Tourists” in 1949. 

The book expectedly 

traced the history of the team 

from the days of UK Tourists 

through the Red Devils, to the 

Green Eagles and then to 

Super Eagles. It is a literary 

celebration of 70 years of the 

Nigeria’s senior football 

squad. 

the Ballon d’Or this year, 

having beaten Van Dijk to 

FIFA’s The Best trophy in 

September. 

The Argentine attacker hit 

51 goals in 50 appearances 

in 2018-19 as Barcelona won 

LaLiga, but lost out to 

Liverpool in the Champions 

League semi-finals. 

Ernesto Valverde’s side 

also lost the Copa del Rey 

final to Valencia, having 

been just three games from a 

treble, and Messi’s Argentina 

team were beaten by 

eventual champions Brazil 

in the semi-finals of the Copa 

America in July.


Iheanacho must 

prove his worth, 

says Amuneke 

Leicester City benefited 

from Kelechi 

Iheancho’s resurgence last 

Sunday when he scored one 

goal and made the other in 

their 2-1 defeat of Everton 

in the English Premier 

League. 

It was Iheanacho’s first 

goal for the Foxes in almost 

one year, after being frozen 

out from the first team due 

to dwindling performances. 

Following his brilliant 

performance from the 

bench last Sunday, former 

Golden Eaglets coach 

Emmanuel Amuneke has 

called on the player not to 

rest on his oars but prove 

his worth. 

“Kelechi’s is a fantastic 

footballer, we know his 

quality and what he’s 

capable of,” Amunike told 

www.brila.net. 

“He has not been playing 

but when he got his chance 

he took it, that’s the Kelechi 

we know. He can punish 

you with the slightest 

chance. 

“What he needs now id to 

work hard. He needs 

hunger to push himself. He 

has a lot of technical ability, 

there’s no doubt about that 

but he must compliment his 

talent with his movement off 

the ball. 

•Ogba •Gusau •Dare 

CAF Confederation Cup: 

Enyimba have learnt lessons 

in Morocco — coach 

Following their 2-0 loss 

to Hassania Agadir of 

Morocco in the CAF 

Confederation Cup last 

Sunday, Enyimba coach, 

Usaman Abdallah submitted 

that his team have learnt some 

hard lessons that would be 

useful in their next game. 

Enyimba who are romancing 

Fireworks as AFN board meeting holds in Abuja 

*Ogba resigns amidst fresh $150,000 scandal 

*CAA top shots in town for Gasau’s congress 

By Ben Efe 

Far reaching decisions are 

expected to be taken today 

by the Athletics Federation of 

Nigeria board members as they 

gather at the Moshood Abiola 

National Stadium in Abuja to 

deliberate on the way forward for 

the Federation that has been 

rocked by crisis since June 13, 

2017. 

This is just as former president 

of the federation, Solomon Ogba 

resigned his membership of the 

AFN board in the wake of 

allegations that the 

Confederation of Africa Athletics 

paid $150,000 to aid the 

organization of the 2018 African 

Championships in Asaba and the 

funds have not been accounted 

for. 

Ogba cited interference by the 

sports ministry as his main 

reason for quitting his position 

as “sponsor’s representative” on 

the board. However, members 

are determined to find out from 

him and embattled president of 

the AFN, Ibrahim Gusau on the 

$150,000 and other sundry 

matters. 

It was gathered yesterday that 

CAA president, Kalkaba 

Malboum and other officials are 

already in town for the December 

3-5 AFN congress called by 

Gasau. It is doubtful if that 

congress would hold as the AFN 

secretary-general has passed a 

circular round to all the States 

Athletics Association chairmen 

to stay away as the congress was 

not appropriately conveyed. 

“We want to find out from the 

AFN president what has 

happened to the $150,000. And 

also from the IAAF and CAA 

whether it was appropriate for 

the money to be wired into the 

account of the Local Organising 

Committee or the AFN account. 

the bottom of the group D 

table have another game 

against San Pedro of Cote d’ 

Ivoire next Sunday, and 

according to coach Abdallah 

his team will make amends 

based on the lesson they 

gathered in Morocco. 

“We learnt a lot from the 

game in Morocco, and we 

intend to return home to study 

the game, and see where we 

went wrong. We will also look 

at our strengths in order to 

build on them for the next 

match and others,” Abdallah 

said. 

He lamented that despite 

his team preparations and 

determination to start well in 

the group stage, they lost the 

game away to HUSA. 

“We made elaborate plans 

for this match, and we wanted 

to win it, but we eventually 

lost. , I had the full confidence 

that I am going to come out 

victorious in this match which 

turned out to be that we lost 

but that is football. 

“That is not the end, 

though, because we have 

other matches to play. We lost, 

but all is in the past. I have 

seen a lot of things that we 

did right and many that we 

didn’t do right. So that’s the 

only way to gain more 

experience so that we can 

apply it elsewhere.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 — 47

Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Waggish (4) 

3 Loyal (8) 

9 At ease (7) 

10 Domain (5) 

11 Dry Spanish wine (5) 

12 Receding (6) 

14 More corpulent (6) 

16 Stableman at an inn (6) 

19 Remember (6) 

21 Labyrinths (5) 

24 Minimum (5) 

25 Quiver (7) 

26 Seductive (8) 

27 Homer Simpson's son (4) 

DOWN 

1 Planes (8) 

2 String quartet member (5) 

4 Patron saint of 

Scotland (6) 

5 Pulsate (5) 

6 Face-cloth (7) 

7 Floppy (4) 

8 Breathe out (6) 

13 Outlook (8) 

15 Elation (anagram) (7) 

17 Boil slowly (6) 

18 Protein present in 

wheat (6) 

20 Later on (5) 

22 Striped animal (5) 

23 Supplication (4) 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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03122019 - Ganduje sends bill for 4 new Kano emirates afresh

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