03022020 - INSECURITY: Anarchy looms, clerics warn as protests hold nationwide

C 

M 

Y 

K 

External 

reserves to 

drop below 

$37.5bn in 

February 

Northern 

govs decry 

Plateau 

13 

killings 

Life pensions: 

Court grants 

SERAP leave 

compelling 36 

govs to 

disclose 

payment 

10 

Buhari, Anambra, 

Ekiti, others 

mourn Arthur 

Nwankwo 15 

Two Chinese firms win bid to 

build Ibom Deep Seaport 

12 

VOL. 27: NO. 63996 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3 , 2020 

INSECURITY: 

Anarchy looms, clerics warn 

as protests hold nationwide 

•We support CAN’s prayer walks — NSCIA; abducted seminarian killed after 3 weeks 

•Adeboye leads thousands in 2-km prayer walk 

5 

•Delta CAN asks for Amotekun in N/Delta 

•Killed seminarian: Nigeria drifting towards anarchy — Rev Martins 

PRAYER WALK AGAINST INSECURITY... 

Assistant General Overseer of RCCG Northern Zone, Pastor Ezekiel 

Odeyemi leads members of the church in protest against killings in the country 

in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 14. 


The long walk 

to community 

policing 

42 42 

$29.96BN LOAN: 

Buhari to spend 

money on 5 

legacy projects 

— SENATE 

SOBOWALE 26 

8 13 

OWEI 33 

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) 

Kaduna State Chapter, after a 3-Day fasting 

and Inter-denominational Service at the 

Albarka Fellowship Baptist Church, Kaduna, 

yesterday. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi. 

FG moves to sign pact 

on looted assets, as 

8 

Malami departs for US 

Nigeria sitting on 

time bomb — ORTOM 

Mr & Mrs

C 

M 

Y 

K 

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — 3

4— Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye (centre)), 

leading RCCG pastors and members on a prayer walk against rising insecurity in Nigeria, yesterday in 

Lagos. 



By Dayo Johnson, 

Regional Editor, S- 

West, Dapo 

Akinrefon, Sam 

Eyoboka, Festus 

Ahon, Peter Duru, 

Shina Abubakar, 

Olayinka Latona & 

Luminous Jannamike 

NATION — The 

Christian 

community, yesterday, 

held payers and protests 

across the country to 

draw the Federal 

Government’s attention 

to the rising spate of 

killings, banditry and 

insecurity across the 

nation, warning that 

anarchy looms unless the 

worrying situation is 

reined in. 

The prayer walk and 

protests were called by 

the national body of 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, to protest 

the gruesome killing of 

the CAN Chairman in 

Michika Local 

Government Area of 

Adamawa State, Lawan 

Andimi, by Boko Haram 

terrorists, among other 

killings in the nation. 

This came as General 

Overseer of the 

Redeemed Christian 

Church of God, RCCG, 

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, 

called for a total 

overhaul of the security 

infrastructure, 

expressing worry over 

the state of insecurity in 

the country. 

He also led members of 

his church in a peaceful 

street protest to express 

displeasure at the 

gruesome killings of 

innocent people in the 

country. 

Similarly, the Nigerian 

Supreme Council for 

Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, 

has backed the national 

prayer walk declared by 

CAN, to protest the 

country’s palpable state of 

security. 

The NSCIA, under the 

leadership of Sultan of 

Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad 

Abubakar III, described 

the walk as a step in the 

right direction, stressing 

that divine intervention 

was needed to bring the 

reign of terror to an end 

in the country. 

Meanwhile, one of 

the four students of the 

Catholic Good 

Shepherd Major 

Seminary, Kaduna, 

who spent three weeks 

in captivity, has been 

killed by his captors. 

Catholic Archbishop 

of Lagos, Most Revd 

Alfred Adewale 

Martins, who 

condemned the killing 

of seminarian Michael 

Nnadi, said the 

gruesome murder of the 

innocent young man 

was yet another 

indication of the failure 

of the present security 

arrangement of the 

Federal Government to 

address insecurity in 

the nation. 

Overhaul our 

nation’s 

security 

system 

— Adeboye 

Pastor Adeboye told 

the congregation before 

the commencement of the 

walk that it was in 

accordance with the 

three-day fasting and 

prayer organised by the 

national body of CAN. 

He said he decided to 

lead a prayer walk to 

protest the continued 

killings of innocent lives 

in the country by 

insurgents, terrorists, 

bandits, kidnappers, 

armed robbers, militants 

and ritualists in all our 

states. 

He said: “Today 

(yesterday), members of 

RCCG led by me 

embarked on a prayer 

walk that will usher in a 

new dawn in our dear 

country, Nigeria. 

“The prayer walk was 

aimed at offering prayers 

and supplications unto 

God to save Nigeria from 

being consumed by 

insurgents, terrorists, 

bandits, kidnappers, 

armed robbers, militants 

and ritualists in all our 

states. 

“Furthermore, we 

declared that Jesus who 

is the Prince of Peace is 

our Lord and King. We 

carried and displayed 

several placards saying 

‘NO’ to further killings 

and demanding that the 

federal and state 

governments should rise 

to their civic 

responsibility of 

securing the lives and 

properties of her 

citizens. 

“In addition to this, we 

suggest that the security 

infrastructure in our 

nation be overhauled 

and improved 

drastically. It is our 

prayer and burning 

desire that peace will 

reign in our land. It is 

our heart-cry that our 

current security 

challenges will be a 

thing of the past.” 

The protest started 

around 10.45 a.m., 

shortly after the church’s 

monthly thanksgiving 

service. 

Lamenting the state of 

the nation’s economy, he 

prayed for restoration of 

the nation’s economy 

and growth in all areas 

noting that there was a 

time that the Naira was 

equal to a dollar in 

Nigeria. 

Para-Mallam 

hails CAN for 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja & 

Olayinka Latona 

On ban of okada, tricycles in 15 LGAs by LASG (3) 

In as much as I don’t 

support usage of okada 

and tricycles on the 

highways, I urge the 

government to find a lasting 

solution to the rate of 

unemployment in the 

country. 

I studied Business Admin 

in one of the polytechnics 

and I wouldn’t have 

ventured into okada 

business if I was able to get 

a job; but truth be told, this 

business is risky. 

-Olayemi Tola, Okada 

rider 

The govt has 

done well provided 

the restriction is limited to 

the highways and bridges. 

Many of these riders are 

untrained and end up 

endangering the lives of 

others through 

recklessness. The 2012 

Traffic Law has been in 

existence but how many 

riders observe it? Though 

the enforcement will affect 

many people. 

-Ajayi Oluwafemi 

Computer Engineer 

The restriction of 

okada and tricycles on 

major roads in Lagos State 

is a welcome idea because 

many innocent lives have 

been lost through okada 

and tricycles on our 

highways. Some are in the 

hospital as a result of okada 

accident. Although okada 

is helpful but for safety, let 

all riders register their 

names in their CDAs so that 

they can be monitored. 

-Iyabo K. Martins 

Fashion Designer 

Restricting okada and 

tricycles in Lagos State 

is like closing down a major 

means of employment for a 

set of people. I think the state 

government should instill 

sanity and discipline in the 

mode of operation of these 

riders instead of banning 

them from major routes in 

the state. So many families 

will suffer because those 

affected are breadwinners 

of their families 

*Olarewaju Ellen Makeup 

Artist. 

The restriction is 

wicked, barbaric and 

totally against the common 

man whose means of survival 

depends largely on such 

means. What alternative 

source of income has the 

government created for those 

affected? Nothing! 

If this goes through, then 

crime rate will continue to 

increase and the government 

and innocent citizens will 

suffer for the poor and 

thoughtless decision of 

government. 

-Bankole Emanuel 

Lagos State is peculiar 

in the sense that Okada 

is the fastest means of 

transportation. It is a place 

where car owners will have 

to abandon their cars and 

take okada to avoid missing 

an important assignment. I 

take Okada when going to 

purchase spare parts and it 

costs a lot of money but I have 

no choice. The primary 

responsibility of government 

is to deliver good road 

network to its citizens. 

-Oladimeji Folowoselo 

Mechanic 

C 

M 

Y 

K

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 

7 injured in 

fire incidents 

in Onitsha, 

INEC office 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

A 

gas explosion, which 

occurred in the commercial 

city of Onitsha, Anambra State, 

yesterday, injured seven 

persons severely with property 

worth millions of naira 

destroyed. 

This came as another fire, 

yesterday, gutted Independent 

National Electoral Commission, 

INEC, office in Idemili North 

local government area of the 

state. 

It was gathered that the 

explosion, which occurred at 23, 

Emmanuel Church Road, 

Inland Town, Onitsha, was 

caused by a newly acquired gas 

cooker that exploded and 

destroyed two rooms. 

When Vanguard visited the 

scene at about 3 pm, 

sympathisers have vacated the 

place with few stern-looking 

young men, apparently given 

order not to allow visitors into 

the compound. 

The area was also cordoned 

off to prevent hoodlums from 

taking advantage of the situation 

to loot while casualties were 

taken to Boromeo and Minas 

hospitals in Onitsha. 

Confirming the incident, 

yesterday, Police spokesperson 

in the state, Haruna 

Mohammed, said seven 

occupants of the building 

sustained varying degrees of 

injury from the explosion. 

Fire guts INEC office 

In another development, 

INEC office in Idemili North 

Local Government area of the 

state was gutted by fire 

yesterday. 

Haruna, who confirmed the 

incident, said the fire started 

from a nearby bush set ablaze 

by locals. 

He said: “At about 12:30 pm 

of today (yesterday) there was 

another fire incident at INEC 

office, Ogidi in Idemili North 

LGA of Anambra State. 

"Police patrol team led by DPO, 

Ogidi Division rushed to the 

scene and fire service 

department was contacted. The 

scene was cordoned off and 

effort is ongoing to put off the 

fire and prevent it from 

escalating to other adjourning 

buildings." 

BANNED: 

Seized 

motorcycles 

(aka Okada) by 

officials from 

the Department 

of Road Traffic 

Services (DRTs) 

Roving Task 

Team, during 

an operation 

against Okada, 

Keke NAPEP, 

rickety and 

unpainted 

taxicabs on 

restricted route, 

in Abuja, 

yesterday. Photo: 

NAN. 

I should've listened to my daughter, says 

man who lost wife, 6 relatives in car crash 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

& Paul Olayemi 

KOKO —“If I had listened to my 

daughter, I would have been 

saved from this calamity.” These were 

the words of Daniel Burkiti, the 49- 

year-old man, who lost his wife, and 

six relatives, Friday night, in a motor 

accident along Koko community road 

to Koko Junction, Warri North Local 

Government Area, Delta State. 

The seven victims were returning 

from his mother’s burial ceremony 

in a Sienna bus when the bus had a 

head-on collision with an articulated 

vehicle. The vehicle and the trailer 

went up in flames. Eyewitnesses said 

the seven persons in the Sienna but 

were burnt beyond recognition. 

Daniel Burkiti told Vanguard: “On 

Friday morning, my daughter told 

my wife that he had a dream, that in 

that dream my wife had an accident 

and died. When my wife told me on 

phone, I told her to pray against it. 

My daughter also told an aunt of 

hers, who called the mother to pray 

against it.” 

The father of three narrating the 

incident leading to the death of his 

wife of seven years said: “My mother 

died some time ago and on Saturday, 

we all went for her burial just after 

Koko, where we have to board a boat 

to get there. 

"When we were going that 

morning with the casket, the boat 

developed fault and as they were 

trying to fix the fault, we noticed that 

the nails holding the boat had pulled 

off, especially the one with the casket. 

“So, we had to return to Koko and 

look for another boat that took us 

across the river. After the burial, I had 

to wait behind and the rest people 

returned to Koko successfully and it 

was from Koko that they boarded the 

Sienna car that would take them from 

Koko to Sapele before they had that 

accident.” 

Victims to get mass burial 

Meanwhile, the seven victims of 

•Victims to get mass burial 

Chairman, Warri North Local Government Area, Aduge Okorodudu, consoling the survival 

of the accident at a hospital in Oghara. 

the accident will be given mass 

burial since they were burnt beyond 

recognition. 

Press Secretary to the Chairman, 

Warri North Local Government 

Area, Mr Lucky Atu, stated this in 

a statement, adding that families of 

the deceased gave consent for the 

mass burial. 

He said the chairman of the local 

government, Mr Aduge 

Okorodudu, visited the only 

survival of the accident, weekend, 

at a hospital in Oghara, Ethiope 

West Local Government Area. 

Meanwhile, Chairman of Warri 

North Local Government Area, 

Ambassador Aduge Okorodudu, 

has provided financial assistance to 

the only victim in the crash. 

Scene of the accident. 

Okorodudu, who visited the 

scene of the accident before heading 

to see the survivor at an undisclosed 

hospital in Oghara, told Vanguard 

that because the deceased were 

burnt beyond recognition the 

families of the victims have agreed 

for a mass burial. 

Police kill 2 kidnap suspects, rescue 3 victims in Abia 

•Rescue kidnapped 17-year-old secondary school student in Abuja 

ByKingsley Omonobi 

& Ugochukwu Alaribe 

TWO suspected kidnappers 

were, yesterday, killed by 

operatives of Special Anti-Robbery 

Squad, SARS, with three victims 

rescued in Aba, Abia State. 

Also, a 17-year-old secondary 

school student kidnapped last 

week was rescued by operatives 

of the FCT Police Command, 

weekend. 

Confirming the killings of the 

two suspects to Vanguard in 

Umuahia, Abia State 

Commissioner of Police,Mr. Ene 

Okon, said the hoodlums had last 

week abducted three persons, 

including a lady, in the 

commercial city. 

The CP said one Michael 

Maduabuchukwu, 39, was 

kidnapped at Ariaria Junction by 

St. Mary, on Friday while Emeka 

Emeyeonu, 38, and Mercy 

Akuka,30, were both abducted at 

Asa Umudim near Aba, on 

Saturday. 

Okon explained that after the 

incident, the command got 

intelligence that the kidnappers 

moved the victims to their hideout 

at Ekeakpara, Osisioma Ngwa 

council area. 

The CP said he detailed SARS 

Commander in Abia, SP Johnbull 

Obioguru, to fish out the 

hoodlums and rescue the victims. 

In the early hours of yesterday, 

the SARS commander with his 

team stormed the kidnappers’ 

hideout and rescued the victims. 

17-year-old secondary 

school student 

rescued 

In a related development, a 17- 

year-old secondary school student 

kidnapped last week was rescued 

by operatives of the FCT Police 

Command weekend. 

The command said the student, 

Gift Abikor, of Federal 

Government College, Rubochi, 

who was abducted on Tuesday, 

January 28, 2020, has been 

successfully reunited with his 

family. 

A statement by DSP Anjuguri 

Manzah, Public Relations Officer 

said: “The student was rescued 

unhurt at about 8.30 pm on 

January 31, 2020." 

‘While reassuring FCT 

residents of its commitment to 

protecting lives and property in 

the Federal Capital Territory, the 

command wishes to appreciate 

FCT residents for supporting it 

with information.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRAURY 3, 2020 —7 

Housewife beats 5-year-old 

stepson to death in Ogun 

By James Ogunnaike 

ABEOKUTA—OGUN State 

Police Command, yesterday, 

arrested a 30-year- old housewife, 

Shukurat Olufowobi, for allegedly 

beating her five-year-old stepson, 

Azeem Olufowobi, to death. 

The Police Public Relations 

Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, 

who confirmed the arrest in a 

statement in Abeokuta, the Ogun 

State capital, said the suspect, 

who lives in Oshodi Oke area of 

Ogijo in Sagamu Local 

Government Area of Ogun State, 

was accused of using an object to 

hit Azeem's head. 

Oyeyemi said the object gave 

the deceased skull injury that 

eventually led to his death. 

The PPRO added that the nurse, 

who gave the victim first aid 

treatment and informed the 

couple of her observation, was 

pleaded with by the woman and 

her friend to lie about the cause 

of the victim’s death. 

He added that the refusal of the 

nurse led to the arrest of the wife 

and her husband, who were about 

packing from the environment. 

The statement read: “The boy 

was beaten on the head with a 

heavy object, which caused him 

a broken skull resulting in his 

eventual death. 

“The nurse, who gave the victim 

first aid treatment and informed 

the couple of her observation, was 

pleaded with by the woman and 

her friend to lie about the cause 

of the victim's death but she 

refused because it is against the 

ethics of her profession. 

“The couple, Ayuba Olufowobi 

and Shukurat Olufowobi, are 

currently undergoing 

interrogation at Ogijo divisional 

headquarters and are helping the 

police in their investigation." 

Alleged drunk naval personnel shoots 

mother of 2 dead in Bayelsa 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

YENAGOA— A 35-year-old 

mother of two, Mrs Chioma 

Okwuadigbo, was reportedly 

shot dead, Saturday, at the 

Yenizue-Gene suburb of 

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State by an 

alleged ‘drunk’ naval 

operative. 

According to eyewitnesses, 

the mother of two and a food 

vendor met her untimely end in 

the early hours of the day some 

distance from a popular club 

along Baybridge Road in the 

heart of the state capital where 

she was plying her trade. 

Though it could not be 

independently confirmed, a 

source told Vanguard that the 

deceased was locked in a 

heated argument with some 

uniformed men suspected to be 

naval operatives when one of 

them believed to be drunk fired 

a shot. 

The bullet was said to have 

hit the woman, killing her on 

the spot before any assistance 

could be rendered. 

A security source said though 

some persons at the scene of the 

crime were invited by the police 

for interrogation, no arrest had 

been made. 

She, however, added that the 

matter is expected to be 

transferred to the State CID 

today (Monday). 

Meantime, the state chapter 

of Nigeria Association of 

Women Journalists, NAWOJ, 

has condemned what it 

described as “the gruesome 

murder of Mrs Precious 

Okwuadigbo while doing her 

The suspects 

The late Mrs Chioma 

Okwuadigbo. 

Fire incident kills aged woman in 

Osun 

By Shina Abubakar 

OSOGBO—A late-night fire 

outbreak, weekend, claimed 

the life of an aged woman identified 

as Kolade Omolayo in Osun State. 

The incident, which occurred at 

Alapata Street, Modakeke-Ife, 

razed a storey building, where the 

old woman resided. 

It was gathered that the woman 

was burnt to ashes and her remains 

have been packed in a sack for 

burial. 

However, it was also gathered 

that two aged men survived the fire 

incident as their effort to rescued 

the woman was futile. 

Confirming the incident, 

Administrative Officer of Osun 

State Fire Service, Fatai Aremu, said 

legitimate business by alleged 

officers of the Nigerian Navy.” 

NAWOJ in a statement by Mrs 

Maria Olodi-Osumah and 

Grace Koinyan, chairperson 

and secretary respectively, said: 

It is disheartening that Chioma 

Okwuadigbo at 35 years and in 

her prime, life was snuffed out 

of her by security operatives 

who ought to protect her as a 

Nigerian. 

“The pain and sorrow caused 

by the death of Mrs 

Okwuadigbo cannot be 

quantified as she left behind 

two children who still require 

the nurturing and love of a 

mother. 

"Despite the fact that the 

incident had been reported to 

the police, no arrest has been 

made.Chioma’s death should 

not be swept away." 

the fire was reported to have started 

from the room of the deceased. 

He added that preliminary 

investigation revealed that "the old 

woman was using a lantern and 

unknowingly the lamp was 

leaking. One of the foams in the 

room was soaked with kerosene 

which resulted in the fire. When 

she ignorantly stroke a match and 

dropped it on the floor, fire 

enveloped the entire building. 

“The affected house, a storey 

building, was burnt such that 

nothing was salvage.” 

A resident in the area said for the 

prompt intervention of the Osun 

State Fire Service Station at Lagere, 

Ile-Ife, Obafemi Awolowo 

University, Ile-Ife Fire Service 

Station and residents of the area 

who put out the inferno on time, 

the fire could have spread to other 

buildings. 

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shawarma, chicken, fried rice, etc. 

He is TO (Testing Officer) 

... what gonna be ur gain?


FG moves to sign pact 

on looted assets, as 

Malami departs for US 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A BUJA—THE 

Attorney-General 

of the Federation and 

Minister of Justice, Mr. 

Abubakar Malami, SAN, 

yesterday, departed 

Nigeria to attend a 

three-day meeting of the 

United States-Nigeria 

Bi-national Commission 

in Washington DC. 

A statement by his 

media aide, Dr. Umar 

Jibrilu Gwandu, said 

Malami was expected to, 

on behalf of the Federal 

Government, sign a 

tripartite agreement with 

Nigeria, Island of New 

Jersey and United States 

of America for 

repatriation of $321 

million looted assets, as 

part of Federal 

Government’s efforts to 

recover more stolen 

funds stashed abroad. 

The statement said the 

Magu, Dokubo emerge as 

NewsmakersNG 2019 

Persons of the Year 

THE 

acting 

Chairman, 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim 

Magu and the 

Coordinator, Presidential 

Amnesty Programme, 

Prof. Charles Dokubo, 

have emerged as 

NewsmakersNG 2019 

Persons of the Year. 

A statement by 

P u b l i s h e r 

NewsmakersNG, Mr. 

Dipo Kehinde, said Magu 

and Prof. Dokubo were 

selected as the two most 

outstanding heads of 

agencies in Nigeria in 

2019. 

Magu was considered 

worthy of the honour 

based on EFCC’s 

unprecedented 1268 

convictions in its war 

against corruption, fraud 

and economic crimes in 

2019. The anti-graft 

agency also secured from 

corrupt public officials the 

forfeiture of remarkable 

properties to the Federal 

Government and recovered 

billions of naira, millions of 

dollars, pounds sterling 

and other foreign 

currencies last year. 

Dokubo, on his part, 

recorded unprecedented 

achievements in fasttracking 

development and 

deepening peace in the 

Niger Delta region, 

achieving the objectives of 

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

meeting is an annual 

event between Nigeria 

and US aimed at 

reviewing bilateral 

relationship and taking 

necessary steps to 

advance mutual interest 

in all diplomatic areas 

among the two countries. 

“In addition to the AGF, 

Malami, the Nigerian 

government delegation 

expected to be part of the 

meeting include Minister 

of Industry, Trade and 

Investment, Otunba 

Adeniyi Adebayo; 

Minister of Defence, Maj. 

Gen. Bashir Magashi 

(retd); Minister of 

Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey 

Onyeama; National 

Security Adviser; Major 

General Babagana 

Monguno (retd) as well 

as Minister of 

Humanitarian Affairs, 

Disaster Management 

and Social Development, 

Sadiya Faruk,” the 

statement added. 

the master plan in the 

Amnesty Programme 

vision statement, 

contributing to the 

security stabilization in 

the Niger-Delta through 

disarmament, 

demobilization and 

rehabilitation. 

He has sustained plans 

to re-integrate the people 

of the Niger-Delta, 

especially the ex-agitators, 

as a pre-condition for 

medium and long term 

development that yielded 

the desired result and 

contributed to the balance 

of power in the oil sector in 

the world in 2019. 

By Henry Umoru 

ASenate BUJA—DEPUTY 

President, 

Senator Ovie Omo Agege 

(APC, Delta Central), has 

said that litigation seeking 

to disqualify him over his 

alleged conviction by the 

State Bar Court of the State 

of California, Los Angeles, 

USA in case No. 94-C-14401 

in the United States of 

America, USA and plans to 

remove of him from his 

position was part of 2023 

political intrigues. 

In a statement by his 

Special Adviser, Media and 

Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, 

Senator Omo- Agege, 

weekend in Abuja when 

kings, elders and religious 

leaders from Urhobo 

BOND LISTING: From left; Kobby Bentsi-Enehill, Executive Director/Head, Debt Capital Market, 

Stanbic IBTC Capital Ltd; John Maguire, Group Chief Financial Officer, Interswitch Group; Oscar 

Onyema, CEO NSE; Mitchell Elegbe, CEO Interswitch Group; Taiwo Okeowo, CFA, Deputy Managing 

Director, FBN Quest and Chinomso Nwachukwu Group Financial Controller, Interswitch Group during 

the Interswitch Group's Bond listing at the Nigerian Stock Exchange weekend. 

$29.96BN LOAN: Buhari to spend money 

on 5 legacy projects — SENATE 

•‘Borrowing'll not bring hardship on Nigerians' 

By Henry Umoru 

A Senate 

BUJA—THE 

has 

disclosed that President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

would expend the request 

for external loan of $29.96 

billion on the execution of 

five legacy Infrastructural 

projects across the country, 

adding that Nigeria cannot 

stop borrowing. 

Speaking with journalists 

in Abuja weekend, 

Chairman, Senate 

Committee on Finance, 

Senator Solomon Adeola 

(APC, Lagos West), who 

disclosed that Buhari’s 

administration has five 

legacy projects which it 

plans to spend the money 

on, identified the projects 

as the Second Niger 

Bridge, the East-West 

Road, the Lagos-Ibadan 

expressway, the Mambila 

Power project, and the 

Kaduna-Abuja Highway. 

Senate to monitor 

agencies 

Senator Adeola disclosed 

that the Senate will 

monitors the over 300 

revenue generating 

agencies, with a view to 

ensuring that revenues that 

should get to the 

government coffers get 

there and is used for the 

overall interest of the 

country. 

Senator Adeola said, 

“The approval of the loan 

will afford the government, 

an opportunity to achieve 

the completion of the 

projects before the end of 

the 

Buhari’s 

administration. The 

borrowing plan will assist 

the government fulfill its 

promise to Nigerians. The 

plan is not only for one or 

two years, it is for the next 

four years. So, the loan will 

be taken in tranche. For 

instance, what the 

government desire to 

borrow, will be requested 

in 2020. That is why it is 

called a plan. The Senate 

will monitor their utilisation 

as soon as they are coming 

in. 

“The Federal 

Government is not asking 

the National Assembly to 

ALLEGED US CONVICTION: They are fighting 

me because of 2023 — OMO-AGEGE 

Kingdom paid him a 

solidarity visit, recalled that 

last week, Justice Othman 

Musa of the FCT High 

Court in Bwari Abuja, had 

dismissed the suit 

challenging his eligibility 

over an alleged conviction 

in the US. 

“The court held that the 

case against Omo-Agege 

in the US was merely a 

non-criminal trial and 

awarded N1 million fine 

against the claimants, a 

hitherto unknown 

Incorporated Trustees of 

Patriotic Youth Organisation 

of Nigeria, for wasting the 

time of the court.” 

Senator Omo-Agege told 

the Urhobo leaders that 

sponsors of mischief and 

the irritants they used 

against him miscalculated, 

adding, “I am not a 

politician who can be 

intimidated by anybody. For 

those enemies at home, they 

know me very well but I am 

sure that those who 

participated, did so with 

cover from others outside of 

the state who really did not 

know me well. 

“If they knew, like the local 

enemies that I am not easily 

intimidated, I am very sure 

they wouldn’t have gone on 

this fruitless voyage. 

“This is not the first time 

we have been through this. 

I pray it is the last time. But 

to the extent they chose not 

to make it the last time, they 

also have me to contend with 

because I don’t suffer fools 

gladly.'' 

approve the sum of $29.96 

billion loan. This is because 

in the last Senate, about $6 

bilion was approved for 

President Buhari to borrow 

out of the $29.96 billion. It 

is the balance of that figure 

that the government is 

asking us to approve it in 

the borrowing plan, which 

is about $22.6 bilion. The 

Senate Committee on 

Finance will organise a 

public hearing on the issue 

if need be. In the 

alternative, we will engage 

the various agencies of the 

government to give them a 

clearer view of how the 

money would be utilized. 

2nd Niger Bridge, East- 

West Road, Lagos-Ibadan 

expressway, Mambila 

Power, etc, in focus 

“All the money being 

requested for will be 

CORONAVIRUS: Buhari lauds 

Chinese President for being 

proactive 

A 

B 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

U J A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

extended his good wishes 

to President Xi Jinping and 

citizens of the People’s 

Republic of China during 

this trying time of 

Coronavirus outbreak. 

President Buhari in a 

statement by his Senior 

Special Assistant on 

Media and Publicity, 

Mallam Garba Shehu, in 

Abuja, yesterday, said 

that China’s effort to 

contain the spread of the 

coronavirus has been 

exemplary, as well as the 

country’s collaboration 

with international 

agencies and other 

countries on the matter. 

President Buhari noted 

that “China has been 

attached to the execution 

of specific projects. We 

are not going to approve 

any loan plan that is not 

attached to project 

execution because that 

is the only way we can 

monitor 

the 

development and the 

proper utilisation of the 

money. The Buhari 

administration has five 

legacy projects which it 

plans to spend the 

money on. 

“They include the 

Second Niger Bridge, 

the East-West Road, the 

Lagos-Ibadan 

expressway, the 

Mambila Power project, 

and the Kaduna-Abuja 

Highway. The approval of 

the loan would afford the 

government, an 

opportunity to achieve the 

completion of the projects 

before the end of the 

Buhari’s administration. 

The borrowing plan would 

assist the government to 

fulfill its promise to 

Nigerians.'' 

•Says Nigerians're behind them 

exceptionally supportive of 

Nigeria and Africa, and 

even more so in recent 

years; therefore, it is 

important to let China 

know that Nigeria and her 

citizens are also standing 

by them during this 

outbreak. With all the efforts 

being put in, we know that 

it is only a matter of time 

before this nightmare 

passes.” 

He thanked, “Nigerians 

for their hospitality towards 

the Chinese nationals in 

our midst, and for not 

letting the coronavirus 

outbreak create any 

disturbance or disrupt the 

peaceful coexistence 

between us and them.” 

President Buhari also 

prayed that God will 

comfort the Chinese and 

others who have already 

lost family members and 

loved ones to the disease.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — 9 


From left— MD/CEO, Alpha Mead Facilities and Management Services Ltd., Eng Femi Akintunde; Senior 

Lecturer, Lagos Business School, LBS, Dr. Bongo Adi; Vice President, Global Market, Parthian Partners, Ola Eke- 

Oladele; Group MD, Meristem Securities Ltd., Wole Abegunde; MD/CEO, Affinities Capital Management Ltd., 

Professor Olaniyi Ogunbayo, and Deputy Group MD, Meristem Securities Ltd., Sulaiman Adedokun, at the 

Meristem 2020 Annual Outlook report tagged Finding Alpha Amidst the Haze in Lagos. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele. 

LEADERSHIP TUSSLE: Don't suspend 

us, Chinda begs Speaker 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

Aleader BUJA—CAUCUS 

of the People’s 

Democratic Party, PDP, in 

the House of 

Representatives, Mr 

Kingsley Chinda has 

pleaded with Speaker 

Femi Gbajabimilla not to 

suspend him and three 

others as leaders of the 

main opposition party in 

Green Chambers, saying it 

would be unconstitutional 

to do so. 

Chinda was reacting to 

media reports, yesterday 

that he and three of his 

colleagues had been 

penciled down for 

suspension this week. 

His colleagues include 

Chukwuma Onyeama from 

Anambra State, Ajibola 

Muraino and Yakubu 

Barde from Kaduna State. 

HEALTH TIPS 

By Sola Ogundipe 

Coping with blisters 

FOR a blister that has 

not popped, try not to 

pop or drain it. Leave it 

uncovered or cover loosely 

with a bandage. 

Try not to put pressure on 

the area. If the blister is in 

a pressure area such as the 

bottom of the foot, put a 

donut-shaped moleskin on 

it. 

For a blister that has 

popped wash the area 

with warm water and 

gentle soap. Do not use 

alcohol, hydrogen 

peroxide, or iodine. 

Smooth down the the skin 

flap that remains. 

Apply antibiotic ointment 

to the area. 

Cover the area loosely 

with a sterile bandage or 

gauze. 

To drain a blister that is 

large, painful, or in an 

awkward spot, wash the 

area. 

Sterilize a needle with 

rubbing alcohol and water. 

Make a small hole at the 

edge of the blister. Gently 

It will be recalled that the 

lawmakers formally 

constituted the leadership 

of the caucus shortly after 

they were rejected for the 

minority leadership in June 

last year. 

The Speaker of the House 

had in their place 

announced Ndudi 

Elumelu from Delta State, 

Toby Okechukwu from 

Enugu State and two others 

as leaders for the minority 

caucus as against the 

choice of the PDP which 

had earlier endorsed 

Chinda and company as 

their candidates for the 

minority caucus principal 

offices. 

The development 

prompted some rumpuses 

in the House with each 

faction laying claim to the 

offices. 

Consequently, PDP 

suspended Elumelu and 

squeeze out the fluid. 

Wash the blister again 

and pat dry. Don’t remove 

the skin over the blister. 

Smooth down the skin 

flap. Apply antibiotic 

ointment. 

Cover the area loosely 

with a sterile bandage or 

gauze. 

Blisters can result from an 

ill-fitting shoe, a bug bite, 

or a serious health problem 

like shingles. 

Change the bandage 

daily and whenever it gets 

dirty or wet. 

Avoid wearing shoes or 

doing the activity that 

caused the blister until it 

heals. 

Wear thick socks or work 

gloves for blisters on the 

feet or hands. 

See a doctor for signs of 

infection, including pus, 

fever, red or warm skin 

around the blister, red 

streaks leading away from 

blister, swollen lymph 

glands, or increased pain 

or swelling. 

his colleagues. 

Accepting their fate 

eventually, Chinda’s 

faction settled for the 

leadership of the PDP 

caucus, leaving Elumelu to 

mind the affairs of the 

minority caucus. 

It later culminated into an 

investigation of the 

lawmakers by the Ethics 

and Privileges Committee 

of the House following the 

adoption of a motion by Ben 

Igbakpa, who alleged that 

the quartet were parading 

themselves as leaders of his 

party, PDP thus violating 

the standing rules and 

orders of the House. 

The Committee chaired 

by Kolawole Lawal which 

reportedly sat in camera 

during the investigations is 

expected to turn in their 

reports next week which 

may lead to the suspension 

of Chinda and others. 

Reacting to the reports, 

Chinda who expressed 

surprise said it will be 

unconstitutional to do so. 

My detention by EFCC, breach 

of my rights — SHEHU SANI 

SENATOR 

Shehu 

Sani, has narrated his 

traumatic experience 

during his 30 days 

detention by the Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC. 

Sani was granted bail by 

the court last week 

Thursday. He described 

his incarceration as a clear 

breach of his fundamental 

rights. 

In a statement, weekend, 

the former Kaduna central 

district senator, said the 

EFCC tried to subject him 

to a polygraph lie detector 

tests, blocked his bank 

accounts, searched his 

houses and offices, an 

action he said “was 

traumatising, all in the 

name of fictional $24,000 or 

$25, 000 extortion. 

“My incarceration for 30 

days was unfair, unjust and 

a clear breach of my 

fundamental rights and 

hence stands condemned. 

During my unjust stay in 

the EFCC cell, I was 

subjected to traumatizing 

interrogations – my houses 

and offices were searched. 

“They compelled me to 

declare my assets, my 

accounts were blocked, and 

my phone was seized, all 

in the name of fictional 

$24,000 or $25, 000 

extortion. 

“Any Information 

planted in the media by 

the EFCC spokesperson 

while I was in their 

custody about me is 

outrightly false, typical of 

their style. 

“Our country will 

continue to be at the bottom 

strata of the Transparency 

International index as long 

as our anti-graft agencies 

only use their might and 

arsenal to crush ants while 

lacking the courage, the 

heart, and the liver to 

confront the snakes, the 

vultures and the hyenas of 

the ruling establishment.'' 

We’ll ban road movement of 

some cargoes after completing 

rail projects — AMAECHI 

Obi, Olawepo-Hashim mourn Arthur Nwankwo 

VICE 

presidential 

candidate of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, Mr. Peter Obi has 

described the late Dr. Arthur 

Nwankwo as a unique Igbo 

man and a true Nigerian 

who deployed everything 

available to him to the 

liberation of the people and 

advancement of humanity. 

Obi reacted to the death 

of Dr. Nwankwo on 

Saturday. 

Similarly, former 

presidential candidate, Mr. 

Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim 

has described late Dr. 

Nwankwo as an intellectual 

giant, patriot and crusader 

for democracy, who lived an 

exemplary life for the 

promotion of good 

governance in Nigeria. 

Nwankwo was running 

mate to Olawepo-Hashim 

during the 2019 

presidential election. 

Obi, who said he had 

followed Dr. Nwankwo’s 

L AGOS—MINISTER 

of Transportation, Mr 

Chibuike Amaechi, has said 

that certain types of cargo 

would not be allowed to go 

by road after the completion 

of major rail projects across 

the country. 

Speaking at an economic 

event Deloitte organised in 

Lagos, weekend, Amaechi 

said it was important to 

transfer the movement of 

some goods to rail from road. 

The minister said the 

movement of cargo by rail 

was faster than by road, 

adding that this would 

make the highways last 

longer. 

“As soon as we finish these 

rail projects, there are some 

types of cargo that will not 

go on road, whether you like 

it or not” adding that the 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y Nigeria ENAGOA—A 

Air Force, 

NAF, aircraft, yesterday, 

made a historic touch-down 

at the new Bayelsa 

International Airport, saying 

the facility would enhance 

Niger Delta security. 

It was the first time a 

military aircraft was landing 

at the airport built by 

outgoing Governor Seriake 

Dickaon administration. 

The Beechcraft plane 

marked NAF 204, which 

brought the Air Officer 

Commanding Mobility 

Command, Yenagoa, Air 

Vice Marshal Ibukun 

Ojeyemi, landed on the 

runway at noon. 

AVM Ojeyemi, who spoke 

with newsmen at the airport 

in Amassoma said, the 

facilities at the Bayelsa 

International Airport were 

excellent and of the best 

standards. 

He commended Dickson 

and the state government for 

“literary flowering,” both as 

a publisher and an author 

described him as one of 

those who saw “the pen as 

an instrument against 

abuse of human rights, 

dictatorship and absurdity.” 

Obi who said, he had read 

some of his books, 

especially on the Civil War, 

commended his unique 

ability to explain events and 

ideas in simple and exciting 

terms. 

“One would also dictate 

patriotic zeal in every line 

of his writing, especially 

while condemning bad 

governance and offering 

solutions on how to get the 

business of managing 

Nigeria right by tackling 

corruption and related 

vices,” Obi said. 

He prayed to God to 

grant him eternal rest in his 

kingdom and to all those 

affected by his death, the 

fortitude to bear the loss. 

Olawepo-Hashim in a 

fares for passengers would 

be subsidised. 

“No matter what we 

charge, it will not be the 

same as what we charge 

you on goods. When the FG 

does rail projects, it is the 

job of the state governments 

to do roads to the different 

railway stations.” 

He also said his ministry 

has agreed to construct 

some of the roads that 

would take passengers and 

cargo out of the train 

stations. 

He said the government 

was working towards 

having the capacity to 

construct railways in 10 

years time. 

Amaechi said that about 

150 Nigerians were being 

trained in China on railway 

construction. 

Bayelsa Airport'll enhance Niger 

Delta security — Air Force chief 

...as NAF maiden flight lands at facility 

building such a facility, 

adding that the Air Force 

will utilise it for its 

operations pending its 

clearance for civil and 

commercial operations. 

He noted that the facility 

will also enhance security 

of the area, the state and 

the Niger Delta in general. 

“This airport is an 

excellent facility and the 

runway is very good. It can 

take bigger aircraft like the 

747s. 

“The flight was very 

smooth and hitch-free and 

we want to see how the 

Nigeria Air Force can 

effectively put the facility to 

use towards enhancing our 

operations in the state. This 

maiden flight is to see how 

we can effectively use the 

airport for our activities in 

the state. 

“The facilities here are of 

international standard. The 

3.5 kilometre runway, 

terminal building, safety 

equipment and every other 

facility here is up to 

standard,'' he said. 

statement in Abuja by his 

Chief Press Secretary, 

Hassan Ibrahim, said 

Nigeria would miss 

Nwankwo at a time his 

contributions for the 

furtherance of a progressive 

Nigeria was needed. 

“His contributions 

towards the entrenchment 

and sustenance of 

democracy in Nigeria were 

immeasurable. Together 

with other intellectuals from 

across the county, we spent 

hours at his New Haven 

residence in Enugu few 

days to the 2019 general 

election where we 

discussed the way forward 

for a united Nigeria. 

“My condolence to his 

family and the Enugu State 

government and to all 

those who share in the 

ideals of Dr. Nwankwo 

aptly described as a great 

patriot and crusader of 

Nigerian democracy,” the 

statement added.”


By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—LAGOS State 

Government has said 

that the new state Ferry 

Services, LAGFERRY, 

commercial operations on 

its waterways is expected 

to carry 480, 000 

passengers daily and over 

175 million annually. 

The Managing Director 

and Chief Executive Officer 

of LAGFERRY, Ladi 

Balogun, who disclosed 

this at the weekend, during 

a press briefing on the 

commercial launch of 

LAGFERRY operations, 

held in Alausa, Ikeja, 

added that the water 

transportation outfit would 

be launched tomorrow, 

Tuesday, with the 

commissioning of 14 new 

Ferry boats for public 

transportation. 

Balogun said the state 

Governor, Mr. Babajide 

:Vanguard 

News 

LASG targets 175m passengers 

on waterways annually 

...launches Lagferry mobile app 


Government has 

renewed call for the 

conservation of wetlands 

resources in the state, 

saying they represent a 

critical part of the natural 

environment. 

The state Commissioner 

for the Environment and 

Water Resources, Mr. Tunji 

Bello, stated this in an 

interview, Sunday, as part 

of activities lined up for the 

commemoration of 2020 

World Wetlands Day. 

He added that wetlands 

also help in reducing the 

impacts of flood, absorbing 

pollutant and improving 

water quality. 

Bello said that Lagos 

State, as a coastal state, has 

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

Life pensions: Court grants SERAP leave 

compelling 36 govs to disclose payments 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

ABUJA—A Federal 

High Court, sitting in 

Abuja, has granted leave 

clearing the way for Socio- 

Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project, 

SERAP, to advance its 

case to compel the 36 state 

governors in Nigeria to 

disclose details of payment 

of billions of naira as life 

pensions to former 

governors and other exofficials 

between 1999 and 

2019. 

SERAP had in the suit 

number FHC/ABJ/CS/19/ 

2020 filed last month 

sought: “an order for leave 

to apply for judicial review 

and an order of mandamus 

Presidential aide tasks NGOs, civil society groups 

on skills development 

Folashade Giwa- 

Ogunbanjo of the Federal 

High Court, Abuja, in 

granting the leave last 

week, stated: “After going 

SPECIAL Assistant to 

the President on 

NGOs, in the office of the 

First Lady, Dr. Wole 

Aboderin, has 

admonished Non- 

Governmental 

organisations and civil 

Sanwo-Olu, would also 

launch a LAGFERRY 

operations app to operate 

a schedule for water 

transportation services with 

online/offline ticket 

bookings. 

According to him, “The 

launch is a huge step in the 

integration of inter-modal 

transportation in the state, 

a process which has been 

on since 1999, and that 

technology will play a big 

role in the integration. 

“Being a megacity and 

emerging smart city, it is 

quite obvious that efficient 

traffic management can 

best be experienced in 

Lagos State if the three 

modes of rail, road and 

water transportation are 

effectively integrated to 

complement one another. 

Commuting the over 20 

million people of Lagos 

State largely on the road 

has, thus far, proven 

ineffective.” 

Lagos stresses need for 

conservation of wetlands 

associated with the rest of 

the world in marking the 

2020 World Wetlands Day 

with the theme: 'Wetland 

and Biodiversity'. 

According to him: “This 

year’s theme is an 

opportunity to promote 

actions to reverse its loss, 

as it is now facing 

unprecedented extinction 

rates, threatening 

ecosystems with severe 

consequences for human 

survival. 

“Lagos State is seizing 

the opportunity of the World 

Wetlands Day to sensitize 

Lagosians on the 

importance of wetlands. 

This year’s celebration is 

dwelling more on creating 

awareness against 

encroachment and abuse 

of wetlands." 

society groups to place 

priority on developing the 

country through youth 

skills development. 

Aboderin stated this 

when he received a 

delegation from an NGO, 

Mirror of the Masses 

Initiative in his office in 

Abuja. 

He said government 

alone cannot meet the 

yearnings of all 

Nigerians, hence the call 

for support from relevant 

organisations and the 

private sector to assist in 

growing the nation’s 

economy. 

Aboderin commended the 

organisation (Mirror of the 

Masses) for its contribution 

to the development of the country 

and solicited for more support from 

the organisation and other 

relevant groups. 

The leader of the delegation, 

Mr. John Dunu, congratulated 

Dr. Aboderin, on his appointment 

and expressed the desire of the 

NGO to give him maximum 

support, particularly in the areas 

of youth development and 

peaceful coexistence. 

to direct and/or compel the 

36 state governors to 

publish names and number 

of former governors and 

other officials that have 

received pensions and the 

total amounts received 

between 1999 and 2019 

and have at the same time 

served and/or serving as 

members of the National 

Assembly. 

In a statement by 

SERAP’s Deputy Director, 

Kolawole Oluwadare, on 

Sunday, said, Justice 

Okada ban: Police arrest 40 violators, 

impound 188 Okada, 78 tricycles 

By Esther 

Onyegbula 


Police Command has 

arrested 40 violators and 

impounded 188 

motorcycles and 78 tricycles 

in the on-going 

enforcement of the ban on 

activities of the operators in 

some local government 

areas and routes in the 

state. 

Recall that the state 

government had last 

Monday, announced plans 

to commence total 

enforcement of the ban on 

activities of the operators on 

restricted routes across 15 

Local Government Areas 

and 40 bridges of the state 

starting from February 1st, 

2020. 

The Commissioner of 

through the Application 

filed by SERAP supported 

by 18 paragraphs Affidavit, 

with supporting exhibits, 

statement of facts, and 

verifying affidavits and 

written address in support, 

leave is hereby granted for 

SERAP to pursue its suit.” 

The suit followed 

SERAP’s Freedom of 

Information (FoI) requests 

dated 9th December, 2019 

to the governors, 

expressing concern that: 

“granting pension for life to 

ex-governors and other 

officials represents the use 

of public office to advance 

private interests, suggests 

the misuse of legitimate 

Police, Hakeem Odumosu 

had deployed Area 

Commanders, Divisional 

Police Officers, State Traffic 

Officers, Area Traffic 

Officers, Divisional Traffic 

Officers, Lagos State 

Taskforce 

on 

Environmental Sanitation 

and Special Offences and 

other Police officers across 

the state to ensure full 

enforcement of the 

Transport Sector Reform 

Law, 2018, especially the 

ban on the use of 

motorcycles popularly, 

known as “Okada” and 

tricycles, also known as 

“Keke NAPEP,” in some 

councils across the state. 

Odumosu, who 

monitored the enforcement, 

said he personally arrested 

some of the operators 

caught for contravening the 

AWARD: From left— 

President of Clarion 

Shipping, West 

Africa Limited, 

lnnocent Eloka, in 

congratulatory 

handshake with 

Comptroller General 

of Customs, Col. 

Hameed Ali (retd), 

and Vice President of 

the company, Mrs. 

Bernadine Eloka, 

during the reception 

for the Global Award 

Certificate for 

Exceptional Service 

to the International 

C o m m u n i t y , 

conferred on the 

shipping company, 

by the World Customs 

Organization. 

discretion for improper 

reasons, and has created a 

more cynical public view of 

politics and politicians.” 

Ogunbanjo-Giwa 

granted the order following 

the argument in court on an 

exparte motion by 

SERAP’s counsel, 

Oluwadare. 

According to SERAP, only 

two governors—Delta State 

Governor, Mr Ifeanyi 

Okowa and Kwara State 

Governor, Abdulrahman 

Abdulrazaq—responded to 

its FoI requests. Although, 

Okowa directed his Head 

of Service to send the 

details requested, no 

information was received as 

at the time of filing the suit. 

traffic laws. 

He, however, expressed 

satisfaction with the level of 

compliance across the state 

and thanked residents for 

their cooperation. 

Others arrested by the CP 

included; VIP escort 

vehicles without 

registration numbers, 

vehicles with defaced and 

covered plate numbers and 

vehicles driving against 

traffic. Twenty-two vehicles 

were impounded also 

impounded during the 

operation. 

Odumosu stressed that 

no one is above the law, 

hence, called on residents, 

irrespective of their social 

status to support the Police 

in its quest to provide a safe 

and secured state for 

everyone to live in and to 

carry out their lawful 

businesses.



Ondo LG Polls: Alleged imposition of 

candidates threatens APC primaries 

By Dayo Johnson, 

Akure 

A KURE—THE 

primaries of the All 

Progressive Congress, 

APC, to elect chairmanship 

candidates for the 

18 council areas of Ondo 

state are being threatened 

by allegations of of 

plots to impose candidates. 

No fewer than 101 aspirants 

are jostling for the 

18 seat across the state. 

The exercise would have 

been held today but it 

was postponed, lastnight 

because of logistic challenge. 

Party leaders will 

meet today to decide a 

fresh date. 

Efforts over the weekend 

by leaders to convince 

many of the 101 

aspirants to step down 

and allow for consensus 

candidates failed. 

The party leadership has 

fixed the chairmanship 

primaries for today and 

How we'll fight food scarcity in Ogun —Abiodun 

James Ogunnaike 

A BEOKUTA—THE 

Ogun State Governor, 

Prince Dapo Abiodun 

has promised to give 

necessary support to individuals 

and companies 

that chose to set up agroallied 

industries in the 

state for them to excel 

saying through this, his 

administration would 

fight food insecurity and 

become food basket to 

the nation. 

Abiodun who made the 

promise in his office 

when he received the 

management of Agropark 

Development Company 

Limited, said that his administration 

would continue 

to support individuals 

and companies that 

tomorrow at the state parry 

secretariat in Akure. 

Vanguard gathered that 

some party members are 

accusing some leaders of 

taking steps to disrupt 

the exercise by imposing 

candidates. 

Aggrieved party members 

in lrele council area 

of the state led by Mr. 

Michael Ilelaboye 

vowed that they would 

not tolerate any act of 

indiscipline by some 

Police commence recruitment of 800 

special constables in Ekiti 

By Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

ADO EKITI—IN a 

bid to tackle the rising 

level of insecurity in 

the country, the Ekiti Police 

Command said, yesterday, 

that it has started 

the process for recruiting 

800 special constables. 

The recruitment, according 

to the command is in accordance 

with the directive of 

the Inspector General of Police, 

Mr Mohammed Adamu, 

that all police commands 

should to liaise with 

stakeholders from each 

town and local government 

for the recruitment of the 

special operatives. 

The recruitment is target- 

show a level of commitment 

on how the state 

could create wealth for 

its young people, as well 

as create more agric entrepreneurs. 

Abiodun noted that the 

management of the Company 

couldn't have come 

at a better time because 

his administration is 

deeply committed to reducing 

the rate of unemployment 

in the State 

through agriculture. 

"This administration is 

deeply committed to the 

promotion of the agric 

sector. This administration 

will give everybody 

that shows the level of 

commitment that you 

have shown and demonstrates 

the level of capacity 

that you demonstrated. 

We will give that 

entity as much support 

as we can. We will throw 

our weight behind that 

entity, we will promote 

that entity. Whatever 

that you need us to do for 

you that will help you to 

fully achieve your goal, 

be rest assured that we 

will do that for you," he 

said. 

In his response, the 

managing director, Agropark 

Development Company 

Limited, Sola Olunowo 

said that the company 

focuses basically 

on crop production, adding 

that they plant thyme 

and are also the largest 

commercial producer of 

thyme in the country. 

ANNIVERSARY: L-R; 

National President, ljebu 

Muslim College 

Old Students' Asociation 

(IMCOSA), Mr. 

Kayode Sote; Ogun 

State Governor, Prince 

Dapo Abiodun and 

Chairman, Waltersmith 

Petroman Oil 

Limited, Mr. Abdulrazaq 

lsa Kutepa during 

the inauguration of 

Waltersmith Science 

Laboratory Complex 

donated to Muslim 

College by the Oil 

Company at the 70th 

Anniversary & Luncheon/Awards 

of the 

College organised by 

the Old Students Association 

in ljebu Ode, 

Saturday. 

leaders. 

"Some commissioners 

and appointees in the 

state are scheming to 

impose their candidates 

on the party contrary to 

the wish of the people,'' 

he said. 

It was learned that a commissioner 

from the local 

government came to tell 

the people that Governor 

Akeredolu ordered them 

to support a particular 

candidate for the chairmanship 

position. 

The commissioner reportedly 

summoned "an emergency 

meeting on Saturday 

without other aspirants 

in attendance and 

directed the stakeholders 

to work for the preferred 

candidate. 


the outcome of the meeting 

almost led to violence 

but for the timely intervention 

of some party chieftains. 

ed at reinforcing the security 

personnel, in order to 

mitigate the rising waves of 

killings, kidnappings and 

banditry across the nation. 

A statement by the Police 

Commissioner, Ekiti Command, 

Mr Asuquo Amba, 

said the forms have been 

distributed to all police stations 

across the state where 

interested applicants could 

pick them before presenting 

themselves for screening 

at an appointed date. 

The statement by the Public 

Relations Officer, Mr 

Sunday Abutu, didn't quote 

the exact number of operatives 

to be recruited, but investigation 

revealed that 50 

personnel will be recruited 

in each of the 16 local government 

areas of the state. 

It stated: "This is to inform 

the general public that in 

line with the approval and 

the directives of the federal 

government through the 

inspector General of police, 

Mohammed Adamu, for 

the recruitment of special 

Constables into Nigeria 

police force to enhance the 

community policing policy 

nationwide, the commissioner 

of police, has given 

a directive for the exercise 

to kick off across the 16 local 

government area of Ekiti 

state. 

Appointment of cheifs: 

Kingmakers accuse Olubadan 

of exclusion 

By Ola Ajayi, Ibadan 

I BADAN—KINGMAK 

ERS in Ibadan traditional 

council who are 

also members of the Olubadan-in-Council 

have 

accused the Olubadan of 

Ibadanland, Oba Saliu 

Adetunji of excluding 

them in the appointment 

of chiefs as required by 

the rules guiding the traditional 

institution. 

The rulers complained 

that they are not carried 

along whenever the Olubadan 

wants to fill a 

vacant chieftaincy title. 

Instead of the monarch 

to involve them in the 

selection of who becomes 

a chief, Olubadan 

would only invite them 

when he wants to install 

the chiefs. 

This action, according to 

them, is not in tandem 

with the traditional system 

in the city. 

Saheed Akinade-Fijabi 

Foundation empowers 11 in 

Ibadan 

Makinde tasks religious leaders 

on social values Reverend 

By Naomi Uzor 

I BADAN—GOVERNOR 

of Oyo state, Engr. Oluseyi 

Makinde, weekend, 

urged religious leaders 

across the globe to use their 

scared altar to emphasize 

the need for their followers 

to be honest and law abiding 

in their search for livelihood. 

Speaking at a Special Dinner 

to wrap up 2020 Annual 

General Meeting of 

Cherubim and Seraphim 

Unification, held in Jericho, 

Ibadan, Makinde who was 

represented 

by his Executive Assistant, 

The kings also alleged 

that the palace was playing 

double standard in 

handling and interpretation 

of the consent judgment 

obtained by Osi- 

Olubadan, Sen. Rashidi 

Ladoja late last year. 

The accusation was contained 

in a letter entitled, 

‘Our Grievances’ and 

signed by all the members 

of the Council. The 

kingmakers are led by 

Senator Lekan Balogun, 

the next-in-hierarchy to 

Olubadan. 

They maintained that 

since they had successfully 

completed one of 

their statutory duties as 

kingmakers by the enthronement 

of Oba Adetunji 

as Olubadan of 

Ibadanland, they had 

been sidelined and only 

brought into picture of 

what goes on in the Palace 

after the completion 

and conclusion of all the 

processes. 

IBADAN—NO fewer 

than 11 men and women 

were on Saturday empowered 

on vocational 

training at the maiden Saheed 

Akinade-Fijabi Foundation 

Entrepreneurship 

Scheme at the Leville Hotel, 

Ibadan. 

The former lawmaker, representing 

Ibadan North 

West-South West Federal 

constituency distributed 

empowerment packages 

valued at over million of 

Naira to the beneficiaries of 

the programme. 

According to him, over 100 

applied for the empowerment 

but after weeks of 

careful scrutiny of all the 

proposals by his team of 

Professional Independent 

Judges, they painstakingly 

came up with 23 applicants, 

of which 11 were 

picked for training in different 

skills and empowered. 

They were empowered 

in tailoring, farming, 

ice cream making, shoe 

making among others. The 

recipients got money, materials 

and equipment 

needed in their line of business. 

The former Chairman, 

House Committee on Telecommunication 

said the 

initiative was borne out of 

his desire to give back to 

the people in his own little 

way. 

"We started everything on 

my last birthday where 

over 100 people applied but 

the judges picked the best 

11 which we hare given 

token today (Saturday) to 

go and start their businesses. 

Idowu 

Ogedengbe explained that 

Nigerians find it easier to 

obey their pastors and 

Imams, noting that C and 

S Unification has not relented 

in preaching undiluted 

words of God through 

their hymns, songs and 

way of life. 

Founder of the New Seraphim 

church, Dr Mrs Oluwaseye 

Yomi-Sholoye who 

expressed joy for the successful 

2020 AGM, 

frowned at people who associate 

White garment 

churches with rituals, adding 

that, Cherubim and Seraphim 

Churches believe in 

one Lord, one Baptism and 

God the Father of all.


Tompolo: Sylva, Lyon, others 

should tell Buhari the truth 

—Agitators 

Enough of military attacks on 

Ijaw nation, IEF declares 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

ACOALITION of Ijaw 

concerned groups in 

collaboration with the Ijaw 

Elders Forum, IEF, in Lagos 

State, on Saturday, 

condemned the recent military 

attack on Bilabiri 

community in Ekeremor 

Local Government Area of 

Bayelsa State, describing 

the destruction of lives and 

property of innocent citizens 

as barbaric and unnecessary. 

In a statement jointly 

signed by its Chairman, 

Chief Bukazi Etete, Vice 

Chairman, Atamuno Atamuno, 

Secretary, Pastor 

Minimum wage: NLC dares 

Rivers govt 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT— 

Rivers State Chapter 

of the Nigerian Labour 

Congress, NLC, has 

warned the state government 

against careless attitude 

towards its employee, 

following failure 

of the government to pay 

the new minimum wage 

as agreed to start in January. 

In a statement by the 

Chairperson of the state 

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, 

South-South 

ABUJA—NIGER - 

DELTA agitators 

have called on the Minister 

of State (Petroleum) 

, Chief Timipre Sylva 

and Bayelsa State Governor-Elect, 

Mr. David 

Lyon to summon courage 

and tell President Muhammadu 

Buhari the 

truth about the alleged 

injustice meted to ex-militant 

leader, Government 

Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, 

in the quest to 

make the Federal Government 

establish Nigerian 

Maritime University, 

NMU, Okerenkoko, 

Delta State. 

The campaigners, who 

spoke under the auspices 

of the 21st Century 

Youth for Niger Delta 

and Agitators with Conscience, 

in Abuja, led by 

self-styled "General" 

Izon Ebi, said: "Tompolo 

met with President Buhari 

soon after he assumed 

office in 2015 and 

reassured him that he had 

long accepted amnesty 

and would work with his 

government, but those 

who survive by stoking 

crises in Niger Delta, obviously 

misinformed the 

President thereafter, leading 

to his intimidation and 

trumped- up charges 

against him. 

"You ask me what do we 

want, we want not just 

Sylva and Lyon, but Ijaw 

monarchs and leaders, 

who know the true story 

to meet President Buhari 

and tell him the truth.’’ 

Efiye Bribena, Mr. 

Charles Ambaiowei, 

Former Acting President, 

Ijaw National Congress, 

Ben Okoro, Moderator, 

Ijaw Nation Forum, High 

Chief Denzil Kentebe, a 

Former Executive Secretary, 

NCDMB, Prof. Dauphin 

Moro, Convener, 

Niger Delta Environmental 

Vanguard, the Forum 

noted with dismay the incessant 

attacks on Ijaw 

communities under successive 

governments as 

well as environmental 

degradations they have 

had to grapple with as a 

result of oil exploration. 

NLC, Beatrice Itubo, on 

Sunday, urged the workers 

in the state to remain 

committed to their duty, 

adding that the union 

would not relents in its 

quest for better welfare 

for workers. 

Itubo said: "The Rivers 

State Council of NLC has 

called on the Rivers State 

Government to immediately 

reconvene a meeting 

of the Negotiation 

Committee on the new 

National Minimum Wage 

without further delay. 

"Arising from a meeting 

of all Public Sector 

Unions affiliated to NLC 

at the state Secretariat 

today (Sunday), the 

Unions resolved that 

what was paid to workers 

as January salary was 

neither a reflection of the 

new National Minimum 

Wage nor a product of the 

principle of collective 

bargaining between the 

government and Labour. 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Two Chinese firms win bid to construct 

Ibom Deep Seaport 

By Harris Emanuel 

UYO—TWO Chinese 

companies have 

won the bid to construct 

the multi billion dollars 

Ibom Deep Sea Port, a 

public-private partnership 

project located in 

Mbo Council of Akwa 

Ibom State. 

The companies are the 

Bollore-PowerChina consortium 

which emerged 

as the preferred bidder 

and China harbor engineering 

company as the 

reserved bidder. 

Chairman of the Ibom 

Deep Seaport Technical 

Committee, Mfon Usoro, 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY—All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Edo State 

chapter, Acting Chairman, 

Col David Imuse (retd) 

weekend, said the State 

Working Committee, SWC, 

of the party removed the 

chairman of the party, Barrister 

Anselm Ojezua because 

he relocated the activities 

of the party to government 

house with decisions 

about the party taken 

even before meetings were 

called. 

Speaking at a rally in 

Opoji, Esan West Local 

Government Area of the 

state where members of the 

disclosed this in Uyo, 

the state capital during a 

meeting with the ministerial 

project development 

committee, stating 

that the next stage would 

be the commencement of 

negotiation with the preferred 

bidder in compliance 

with all extant rules stipulated 

by the committee. 

According to her, the 

committee went through all 

the internationally accepted 

procurement processes 

that will lead to the actualization 

of the port with 

backing from Infrastructure 

Concession Regulatory 

Commission (ICRC), Nigeria 

Port Authority (NPA) and 

the Federal Ministry of 

Transportation (FMOT). 

She said, ‘‘We have also 

completed works in the Full 

Business Case, a part of 

why we convened today 

with the Federal Ministry 

of Finance, ICRC, NPA, 

and the FMOT, was to 

agree on work-plan between 

now and end of first 

quarter of the year, 2020 so 

we can have final approval 

from the Federal Government 

on the project 

which is the Full Business 

Case.’’ 

Secretary to the State 

Government, Dr. Emmanuel 

Ekuwem, who 

represented the governor, 

commended the relevant 

government agencies 

for throwing their 

weights behind the actualization 

of the project. 

He said, “On behalf of 

the Akwa Ibom State Government 

(AKSG), I thank 

the Federal Ministry of 

Transportation (FMOT), 

Nigerian Port Authority 

(NPA) and the Infrastructure 

Concession Regulatory 

Commission (ICRC) 

for giving full and unstinting 

support to the AKSG 

throughout the IDSP PPP 

procurement process, including 

the recently concluded 

RFP bids opening 

and evaluation milestones 

which saw to the selection 

of the Preferred and Reserved 

Bidders.’’ 

Niger Delta: ‘Re-dedicate yourselves to FG's Amnesty 

program, Dokubo urges 3rd Phase beneficiaries 

U YO—PROFESSOR 

Charlse Dokubo, 

the Chairman of the Presidential 

Amnesty Programme, 

weekend, met 

with ex-militant youths 

under the third Phase 

beneficiaries over the crisis 

rocking their fold and 

the incessant protests over 

alleged unpaid allowances 

which had led to blockages 

of the East-West road 

in the past. 

The meeting which was 

convened in Uyo, Akwa 

Ibom, was at the instance 

of the Amnesty Committee 

with the aim to seeks 

ways of healthy communication, 

peaceful conduct 

and partnership between 

the Amnesty office and 

various phases of beneficiaries 

in the Niger Delta 

region. 

Dokubo, during the interactive 

session with the 

third phase beneficiaries, 

said despite the Federal 

Government efforts to 

meet up with its part in 

the amnesty deal and pay 

stipends to beneficiaries 

as at when due, the internal 

crisis rocking the fold 

of the third phase amnesty 

beneficiaries was responsible 

for the rise frivolous 

petitions before him 

GALA NIGHT: Prof 

Charles Dokubo, 

Coordinator, Presidential 

Amnesty 

Programme, in 

handshake with His 

Royal Majesty, Pere 

Frank Okipe, the 

Agadagba of 

Gbaraun Kingdom, 

Bayelsa State, during 

Bradama International 

Skill Works 

Awards/Gala night, 

held in Lagos, 

weekend. 

and unprovoked protest 

against the Federal Government. 

Dokubo, expressed concern 

over the illegal protests 

and actions of some ex-militants 

that were caused by 

the existing carefree and 

non-credible factions in the 

leadership of the third 

phase of amnesty beneficiaries. 

Edo: Why we removed Ojezua as APC 

chairman — Imuse 

• He is a shameless impostor, says Ojezua 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, led by Prince Tony 

Omoaghe, defected to the 

APC, Imuse said the APC 

became a parastatal of government 

and insisted that 

due process was followed 

in his removal and then suspension 

from the party. 

But Ojezua described 

Imuse as a “shameless impostor” 

who he said was 

contracted to do a job and 

did it badly, insisting that 

majority of the members of 

the SWC are with him and 

that he would get justice in 

court. 

Addressing the crowd in 

the rally, Imuse said, “After 

the elections, we knew 

there were a lot of problems 

in the party so at the 

level of SWC under the 

chairmanship of the 

former chairman we called 

a meeting and we decided 

that we must remain 

neutral so that we can 

serve as credible mediators, 

we were to engage all 

our members that were 

aggrieved so that we will 

know their grievances: 

whether it is against the 

party or against an individual 

in the party , 

whether it is against the 

government or an individual 

in the government. 

With what we will gather 

from them, we were going 

to have a template to



PRESENTATION—Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (middle), presenting a trophy 

to Ilorin West Local Government, the overall winner of the 7th Kwara Sports Festival, at the Kwara 

State Stadium, in Ilorin, Saturday. 

Northern govs decry Plateau killings 

By Therese 

Nanlong 

JOS—A delegation of the 

Northern Governors’ 

Forum has paid a solidarity 

visit to the government and 

people of Plateau State over 

the dual killings in Kulben 

community of Mangu local 

government area and 

Kwatas community in 

Bokkos local government 

area of the State, 

expressing sadness over 

the killings. 

The two incidents 

claimed over 30 lives, and 

destroyed properties worth 

hundreds of millions of 

Naira. 

While Lalong is the 

Chairman of the Forum, the 

delegation was led by 

Governor Atiku Bagudu of 

Kebbi State. 

Nigeria sitting on time bomb —Ortom 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI— 

GOVERNOR 

Samuel Ortom has warned 

that Nigeria is sitting on a 

time bomb with its high 

poverty 

and 

unemployment levels, 

economic and social 

malaise, coupled with the 

World Bank report 

indicating that the country 

could be home to 87 million 

destitute. 

He enjoined leaders to 

take the World Bank report 

on Nigeria seriously by 

improving on the 

productive sector as 

advised, and save the 

country from descending 

permanently into the 

position of the poorest 

country in the world. 

The governor spoke, 

...as Lalong insists perpetrators won’t go unpunished 

Those on the entourage 

were the Governor of 

Bauchi State, Bala 

Mohammed and that of 

Jigawa State, Mohammed 

Badaru. 

The Governors according 

to a statement by Lalong’s 

Director of Press and Public 

Affairs, Makut Macham, 

condemned the killings 

and expressed their 

willingness to work with the 

Plateau State Governor in 

ensuring that the peace 

being enjoyed in Plateau 

was not undermined by 

criminals. 

According to the leader of 

the delegation, “We are 

here on behalf of the 

Nigerian Governors Forum 

and the Northern 

Governors Forum which 

you chair, to commiserate 

with you and the entire 

people of the State over this 

unfortunate incident. 

Plateau State has been 

enjoying peace under your 

purposeful leadership and 

we remember that in 2018, 

both President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo were in Plateau 

State and were pleased 

with the steps you adopted 

in ensuring that peace is 

back to Plateau. 

“We are not happy with 

this recent development 

and that is why we are here 

to show you our support. 

Whatever you think we can 

do individually or 

...urges nation's leaders to take World 

Bank report on 87m destitute serious 

yesterday, when he hosted 

a delegation from Feed the 

Future Partnering for 

Innovation, a USAID Agri- 

Business Investment 

Activity led by the Deputy 

Chief of Party, Dr. Farouk 

Lawan. 

He said, “Other people 

may dismiss the World 

Bank report but for me as 

one who is interested in the 

development of my state 

and country, I want us to 

take that report very 

seriously. Instead of 

criticizing it, let’s begin to 

reassess what we have 

done, where we have failed 

and what we can do to 

improve on the productive 

sector of the country 

because we are fast 

becoming the poorest 

country in the world which 

is dangerous. 

“As leaders of this country let’s 

help our people improve 

themselves and not be home to 

over 87 million destitute as 

predicated because we can see 

that happening already. With 

recent developments nobody is 

safe, I cannot go out without 

encountering those who feel that 

except they get something or 

handout from me they would not 

carry on, and this is not peculiar 

to Benue.” 

While expressing delight over 

the intervention of Feed the 

Future in his state Governor 

Ortom assured that his 

government would provide the 

enabling environment for 

organizations to exploit the rich 

agricultural value chain of the 

state. 

collectively to support you, 

we shall do. At the moment, 

we support the steps you 

have taken to deal with the 

situation.” 

He urged citizens of 

Plateau State to rally round 

Governor Lalong whom he 

described as “a man of 

peace and a visionary 

leader that has attracted 

goodwill of many across 

Nigeria hence his election 

as the Chairman of the 

Northern Governors Forum 

and a very strong member 

of the Nigerian Governors 

Forum.” 

Responding, Governor 

Lalong thanked his 

colleagues for the visit and 

solidarity which he said will 

help him deal with the 

situation, noting: “We had 

done a lot to ensure that 

people live in peace. We set 

up the Plateau State Peace 

Building Agency; we have 

the Operation Safe Haven, 

the Operation Rainbow, 

Early Warning Signals and 

also created avenues for 

dialogue and forgiveness. 

“This recent development 

wants to take us back to the 

dark days, but we will 

never allow it. That is why 

I told the community 

leaders and Ardos that 

they cannot say they don’t 

know those who are 

causing trouble. They must 

assist the security agencies 

to fish them out or become 

suspects themselves, since 

it is their domain.” 

Lalong expressed hope 

that the ongoing 

investigation by the security 

agencies would unravel 

those behind the killings 

and also lead to their 

prosecution, hoping that 

this would be the last of 

such ugly incidents in the 

state. 

UNICEF partners 15 states on 

child friendly community initiative 

By Femi Bolaji 

J ALINGO—THE 

United Nation 

Children’s Fund, UNICEF, 

has launched Child 

Friendly Community 

Initiative, CFCI, in Taraba 

and 14 other states. 

The initiative, which 

targets those at the grass 

roots, is aimed at equipping 

communities with requisite 

knowledge to make right 

choices for children. 

UNICEF Chief Field 

Officer of Bauchi Field 

Office, Bhanu Pathak, who 

spoke at the inaugural 

meeting in Jalingo, Taraba 

State capital, weekend, 

expressed dismay over lack 

of behavioural change in 

some communities, where 

it had various 

interventions. 

According to him: “we 

are doing various 

interventions in health, 

nutrition, WASH, Child 

protection among others but 

despite all we have done 

and funds spent, we could 

not see the result on what 

is the outcome in a child. 

This may be due to lack of 

knowledge or some other 

causes, and that is why this 

initiative was devised in 

2019 to make communities 

own some of this initiative 

for the benefit of children. 

“We will start with this one 

in 15 states and Taraba is 

one of the five states under 

Bauchi Field office. The 

knowledge transfer 

approach in select 

communities will 

incorporate WASH, 

Nutrition, Child protection, 

routine immunization and 

others so we can see 

results.” 

Taraba State Planning 

Commission Chairman, 

Helkina Mafindi, who 

noted that 80 per cent 

children reside in 

developing nations, 

charged other children 

oriented NGOs to emulate 

UNICEF by channeling 

their resources to support 

children in developing 

nations. 

ASUU gives Kano govt March 7 

deadline to settle entitlements 

By Bashir Bello 

KANO—THE Academic 

Staff Union of 

Universities, ASUU, Kano 

University of Science and 

Technology, KUST, Wudi, 

has issued a March 7 

deadline to the Kano State 

government to settle 

entitlements of members or 

face industrial unrest. 

The union in a statement 

by its Chairman, and 

Secretary, Muhammad 

Gaya and Murtala 

Muhammad, respectively, 

accused the authorities of 

the University of 

underfunding the 

institution 

In a swift reaction, the 

University through its 

Head of Information and 

Public Relations Unit, 

Sa’idu Abdullahi Nayaya, 

among others, described 

the ASUU leaders as “liars” 

insisting that Governor 

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje 

is steadily making funds 

available for the development 

of the institution 

and welfare of its staff. 

The University management 

will like to categorically 

state that Kano state 

government as proprietor 

of the University has been 

making releases of funds, 

including the provision of 

N774 million for accreditation; 

prompt payment of 

salaries and wages of staff 

amounting to N2.6 billion 

annually.” 

However, ASUU, in the 

statement, said, among 

others: “The union noted 

with growing dismay and 

consternation the persistent 

underfunding of the 

university by Kano State 

government. The union 

noted that for a long time 

the state has virtually left 

the provision of needed 

infrastructure of the 

University to the Tertiary 

Education Trust Fund, 

TETFUND.


ADEBOYE, OTHER CLERICS LEAD PRAYER WALK AGAINST INSECURITY 

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and other clerics 

led thousands of Christians in a prayer walk for peace to reign amidst the insecurity in the country. In Lagos, 

the walk started at the frontage of the RCCG's headquarters, Ebute-Metta, through Redemption Street to 

Cemetery Street and Atan area, Lagos. While similar protests were held across the country. Photos: Joe 

Akintola, Photo Editor, Abayomi Adeshida, Olu Ajayi, Akeem Salau, Shina Abubakar, Olu Ajayi, Gbenga OLamikan and Lamidi Bamidele. 

•Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of 

God, RCCG, during a prayer walk against insecurity in the country in Lagos. 

•Some female members of RCCG, at the prayer Walk 

against insecurity in the country, in Lagos. 

•Members of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Lagos State Chapter, 

at Methodist Cathedral Church, Yaba, Lagos. 

•The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kaduna State Chapter, during 

a 3-Day Fasting and Interdenominational Service at the Albarka Fellowship 

Baptist Church, Kaduna, yesterday. 

•Assistant General Overseer of RCCG Northern Zone, Pastor Ezekiel Odeyemi 

with members of the church in a protest against killing in the country in Abuja. 

•RCCG Lagos Province, Iyana lpaja, during the prayer walk against insecurity 


•Christian faithful marching on the streets of Yenagoa and praying for 

God to stop Boko-Haram killings in Nigeria, during a prayer walk in Yenagao, 

Baylesa State. 

•Members of Redeemed Christian Church of God,at a prayer Walk against 

insecurity in the country in Osogbo.


Igbo leaders deceived into 

PDP protests—Uzodinma 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O 

W E R R I — 

GOVERNOR 

Hope Uzodinma of Imo 

State, yesterday, said Igbo 

leaders have been 

deceived into leading 

protests funded by persons 

trying to cause confusion in 

the country. 

Governor Uzodinma 

spoke in Owerri while 

reacting to the protests by 

members of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

against the Supreme 

Court’s judgment that 

sacked Emeka Ihedioha 

and recognised him 

(Uzodinma) as the duly 

C OORDINATOR, 

Rebuild Imo Media, 

Dr. Amanze Obi, has 

expressed dismay over 

the statement credited to 

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, 

Spiritual Director of 

Adoration Ministeries, 

Enugu. 

In a statement yesterday, 

Amanze Obi said: “We read 

with amusement, the 

tendentious statement 

credited to Rev. Fr. Ejike 

Mbaka to the effect that 

God took his glory from 

Chief Emeka Ihedioha 

because he was 

surrounded by people who 

did not want him to work. 

“Even more laughable is 

Mbaka’s claim that his 

ministry is directed by the 

Holy Spirit in accordance 

with Catholic doctrines.” 

Amanze said he was 

amused because Mbaka 

is the least qualified 

person to talk about the 

Holy Spirit. 

He said: “if there is any 

spirit that dwells in 

Mbaka, it is that of 

elected governor of the 

state. 

According to him, “PDP 

is pretending that the 

Supreme Court’s judgment 

was the main reason for the 

protests. The truth is that 

there is more to it. 

“The protests are scripts; 

they are veiled version of 

Revolution Now agenda, 

to topple the Federal 

Government. It is 

unfortunate that Igbo 

leaders are wittingly and 

unwittingly lending 

themselves to the 

actualisation of this 

perfidious agenda, thereby 

making themselves willing 

sacrificial lambs and also 

endangering the lives of 

sorcery and divination, 

and these are indulgences 

unbecoming of a 

supposed man of God. 

“We are scandalised the 

more by Mbaka’s claim to 

catholicism. It is a well 

known fact that Mbaka is 

innocent Igbo all over the 

country. 

“I think if these Igbo 

leaders should do a sober 

soul search, they would 

realise that the people from 

the North-West, who 

remained calm and law 

abiding when the Supreme 

Court sacked all the elected 

officials, from governor to 

national and state 

assemblies of All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, and gave same to PDP, 

were neither cowards nor 

fools but patriotic Nigerians 

who respect the laws and 

institutions of the land. 

“These Igbo leaders 

should try and look beyond 

their noses and maybe 

a religious pariah who 

has been working hard to 

bring odium and 

disrepute to the Catholic 

Church. 

“But for the fact that 

catholicism is an age-old 

and world-wide faith, 

they will see that they are 

being set up as 

intemperate, volatile, 

lawless group of people, 

who can be used to rock the 

boat, because they can be 

goaded into hasty actions 

and will not play by the 

rules of civility and 

democracy. 

“If they look carefully, 

they will also see that it was 

not by accident that no 

prominent leader from any 

other part of the country 

was marked present at 

those protests. 

“It is an open secret that 

the protests are funded to 

discredit the entire electoral 

process, not because of the 

Imo judgment, but because 

PDP has a grouse to settle 

with the entire 2019 

elections and will do 

everything to bring down 

the Federal Government 

apparatus.” 

VISIT: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (3rd left); former state Chairman of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Engr. Vita Abba (4th left); Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Development 

and Implementation, Engr. Dr. Obiageli Abba (4th right); former Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Patricia Eze 

(3rd right); Parish Priest, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ohom Orba, Udenu LGA, Msgr. Bernard Ngwoke 

(2nd left); Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Emeka Ngwoke (left) and other priests from Ede-Oballa in Nsukka LGA, when 

people of the community paid a thank-you visit to the governor at Government House, Enugu, for the 

ongoing construction of the state secretariat annex and other projects on their land, yesterday. 

Mbaka’s claims laughable—Rebuild Imo Media 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

U MUAHIA— 

RESIDENTS of 

Afaraukwu Ibeku 

community, Umuahia 

North Local Government 

Area of Abia State, the 

home town of leader of 

the Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi 

Kanu, yesterday, 

scampered for safety as 

over 100 soldiers 

invaded the community. 

Meanwhile, the IPOB 

leader’s parents, Eze 

Mbaka would have 

brought it to its knees with 

his indulgences. It is 

common knowledge that 

Mbaka, an ordained 

priest of the Catholic 

Church, has sold himself 

to the devil.” 

Tension, as soldiers invade 

Nnamdi Kanu’s community 

Okwu and Ugoeze Kanu, 

will be laid to rest on 

February 14 at Afaraukwu. 


the situation caused 

tension as residents shut 

their shops, while others 

fled their homes as the 

soldiers patrolled the 

area in their armoured 

personnel carriers, 

APCs. 

A resident said: “The 

soldiers numbering over 

100 in nine military 

vehicles and two 

Armoured Personnel 

Carriers, APCs, have 

been patrolling Bank 

Road to Flo FM. 

“The soldiers have 

blocked the entrance 

street to Eze Kanu’s 

palace, Afaraukwu, 

Umuahia, with their van, 

walking round the 

community on foot. 

Everyone was scared; we 

ran away.” 

Another resident, who 

simply gave his name as 

Abarikwu, said he was 

on his way back from 

church when he got a 

call that soldiers had 

invaded the community. 

Buhari, Anambra, 

Ekiti, others mourn 

Arthur Nwankwo 

By Clifford 

Ndujihe, Vincent 

Ujumadu, 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

P RESIDENT 

Muhammadu 

Buhari, yesterday, 

condoled with the 

government and people of 

Anambra State over the 

death of former Vice 

Chairman of National 

Democratic Coalition, 

NADECO, and prolific 

writer, Dr. Arthur 

Nwankwo. 

President Buhari, in a 

statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, Femi Adesina, 

said the labour and 

sacrifices of the nationalist 

will always be 

remembered by posterity. 

The President also 

commiserated with family, 

friends, professional and 

political associates of Dr 

Nwankwo, urging them to 

find solace in the 

contributions of the writer 

to national and global 

development by 

consistently pursuing and 

projecting values of peace, 

unity and love. 

He affirmed that the late 

writer’s bridge-building 

efforts, such as supporting 

the Handshake Across the 

Niger, and carefully 

picking the themes of his 

many publications to 

reflect national unity, while 

advocating a collective 

vision to serve their 

purpose. 

Anambra 

Also, Anambra State 

government; Nigerian 

Democratic Movement, 

NDM, and Governor 

Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti 

State expressed sadness 

over the death of Dr. 

Nwankwo, who was 

Chancellor of the Eastern 

Mandate Union, EMU. 

In its condolence 

mesage, Anambra 

governemnt described his 

death as a great loss to the 

literary world. 

Late Nwankwo, who 

hailed from Ajali in 

Orumba North Local 


state, died weekend at the 

University of Nigeria 

Teaching Hospital, 

UNTH, Ituku Ozala, 

Enugu State, after a brief 

illness. 

In a statement in Awka, 

Commissioner for 

Information, Mr. Don 

Adinuba, described 

Nwankwo’s passage as 

painful and glorious. 

The statement read in 

part: “His death is 

painful because 

Nwankwo was one of the 

few people in the world 

who should never die. 

“Glorious because he 

was able to achieve so 

much for, not just his 

country, but also 

humanity. He was a most 

accomplished publisher, 

poet, novelist, historian, 

political scientist, pan- 

Africanist, activist and 

fighter for justice.” 

Fayemi, 

Democratic movt 

On his part, Governor 

Fayemi, in a message by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Mr. Yinka Oyebode, 

described Nwankwo as 

one of the country’s 

foremost rights activists 

and a patriot, who defied 

all odds in the battle 

against military 

dictatorship, which led to 

the enthronement of 

democracy in the 

country. 

He described the late 

activist as a man of many 

parts—an intellectual, 

rights activist, prolific 

author, humanist and a 

pan-Nigeria leader, who 

was ever at home with 

ordinary folks. 

Also, in a statement by 

Chief Olawale Okunniyi, 

NDM described 

Nwankwo as one of the 

“veterans of its struggle 

against military rule and 

for the restoration of the 

current fledging 

democracy of Nigeria. 

“Dr. Nwankwo, a 

revolutionary political 

economist and activist 

was a prolific author and 

resourceful publisher 

during his life time, who 

crusaded against social 

injustice of all sorts in 

Nigeria. 

“The demise of Arthur 

Nwankwo, a pan- 

Nigerianist, who was 

one of the initiators and 

leaders of the Nigerian 

Third Force Movement 

in his last days on earth, 

was received as a rude 

shock by Leaders of 

Nigeria’s Democratic 

Movement.” 

Recalling how Arthur 

Nwankwo fought for 

return of democracy, 

Okuniyi said: 

“Nwankwo was arrested 

and detained with five 

other NADECO cadres 

by late maximum ruler, 

Gen Sanni Abacha, who 

died on the day he was 

to pronounce judgment 

on Arthur Nwankwo and 

others in Abuja.”

16—Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 

DEALERS’ MEETING: From left—: Vice President, International Business, Schneider, Mr. Aditya 

Bhargava; Chairman, Bhojsons Plc, Mr. Deepak Dalamal; Ex-Big Brother Naija(BBN) Celebrity 

Housemate, Mr. Tobi Bakre; Group Managing Director, Bhojsons Plc, Mr. Vishant Dalamal and Business 

Unit Head, Bhojsons Powerhub, Mr. Rajneesh Gupta, during the launch of Amaze Power Back Up 

solution at the 2020 Dealers’ Meet in Lagos. 

IMF auditing Nigeria's economy, to give 

report in March 

By Godfrey Bivbere 

L International 

AGOS—THE 

Monetary Fund, IMF, is 

presently auditing the 

nation’s economy as a way 

of focasting it and 

identifying its challenges. 

A team from the IMF led 

by Amine Mati, Mission 

Chief and Senior Resident 

Representative for Nigeria, 

disclosed this weekend, 

when the team visited the 

nation’s seaports. 

Mati noted that the visit 

to Nigeria was part of 

IMF’s annual survey for 

countries globally. 

According to him, “This 

is part of one of our field 

visits, part of our Article 4 

vision which is an annual 

survey mission which we 

Ebonyi govt raises alarm over activities of Ponzi 

scheme operators 

state government 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI— 

EBONYI State 

Government, weekend, 

raised the alarm over new 

tactics adopted by Ponzi 

scheme operators to 

GMD Group unveils apps to help 

manufacturers, retailers boost business 

By Gabriel Olawale 

LAGOS—GDM Group 

has unveiled three 

applications as part of its 

contribution to e-commerce 

space to help both the 

manufacturers and retailers 

stay ahead of their competitors. 

Speaking during the 10th 

anniversary and clients’ 

appreciation in Lagos, the 

Chief Executive Officer of 

GDM Group, Mr Victor 

Afolabi said that the 

introduction of Retailar, 

Retailscope and Alpha 

Geek applications was to 

help manufacturers and 

retailers relate directly and 

transact conveniently. 

“Retailer app helps 

merchants and shop 

owners source their 

products directly from 

manufacturers thereby 

improving the efficiency 

do. 

“This is what we do to 

check up on an economy, 

the challenges and the 

outlook. This (the port) is 

only one of the stakeholders 

that we will meet, we will 

also have meetings with the 

government, we will have 

meetings with the financial 

sector, with other private 

sector operators. 

“This will help us get the 

feel of what is happening 

in the economy and what 

are the constrains to the 

economic wellbeing of the 

country. 

“We are going to go to our 

board March 30, 2020 and 

our report will be published 

a week after that.” 

On his assessment after 

visiting APM Terminal, 

defraud unsuspecting 

members of the public in 

the state. 

In a statement by the state 

Commissioner for Human 

Capital Development and 

Monitoring, Orji Orji, the 

and effectiveness of a 

company’s sales efforts. 

Instead of receiving orders 

using human assets (sales 

reps) manually – by 

telephone or e-mail – 

orders are received 

digitally, reducing 

overhead costs. 

Afolabi explained that, 

“through the Retailar app, the 

retailer can be linked to any 

warehouse or distributor to order 

for goods. The retailer can see 

price slash, see promotions and 

adverts. Today, we have about 

three to five thousand retailers 

on-board, and we have been 

doing transactions in the last 

three months every day on that 

app. This is one of the things we 

have learnt and feel we can use 

that experience to transform the 

landscape. 

“Another initiative is 

Retailscope which is in-house 

audit platform. It help to study 

performance of selected retail 

emphasised “that Ponzi 

scheme in any guise 

whatsoever is outlawed in 

Ebonyi State.” 

According to him, “it has 

come to the notice of the 

Ministry of Human Capital 

Development and 

outlets by brand representatives 

or retail store employees for the 

purpose of collecting data about 

the health of the brand’s 

products." Afolabi said that the 

third application, Alpha Geek was 

subscription based solutions 

platform for enumeration, 

validation and managing point of 

sales material for salesmen 

automation. 

Appreciating GDM Group 

contribution to e-commerce 

space, Special Adviser to the 

Lagos State Governor, Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu on Innovation and 

Technology, Mr. Tubosun Alake 

said that GDM Group has 

successful create local solution to 

solve local problems. 

On his part, the Lagos State 

Commissioner for Information 

and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso 

who was represented by Mr Seyi 

Akintoye said that the state 

government will support the 

company to ensure that the 

project did not fail. 

Greenview Development 

Nigeria Limited and Ports 

and Terminal 

Multipurpose Limited in 

Lagos, he said that 

challenges such as 

inadequate infrastructure. 

Mati noted that the 

condition of the port access 

roads, absence of scanning 

mechines, absence of single 

window and the slow pace of 

Nigeria Customs Service clearing 

procedures were some of the 

challenges that needed to be 

addressed. 

“What we have been hearing 

throughout the tour is the issue 

of logistics, the need to fix the 

roads, the scanners, the single 

window process.” 

Speaking earlier, Executive 

Secretary of the Nigerian 

Shippers Council, Hassan Bello 

said that the review was important 

to Nigeria at a time when 

government is working to change 

the nation’s income from the 

present single revenue source. 

According to Bello, “Your review 

is very important to Nigeria. 

The economic outlook of your 

review is very important, especially 

that Nigeria is facing economic 

challenges of diversification 

of her source of revenue or 

economy. 

“It is important that the 

economy of the port is given 

attention. In West and Central 

Africa, Nigeria controls 40 to 60 

per cent of the cargo in the Subregion. 

“Shippers Council’s mandate 

cut out for it is to make the port 

efficient because we are in 

competition with other ports in 

the region.” 

Monitoring that desperate 

operators of Ponzi scheme 

have now changed their 

operational nomenclature 

and tactics to defraud 

gullible and unsuspecting 

members of the public. 

“In some cases, they 

advertise for employment to 

attract youths and school 

leavers, or they pose as 

distributors of food stuff to 

deceive their victims. 

Notice is hereby given that 

Ponzi scheme in any guise 

whatsoever is outlawed in 

Ebonyi State. 

“Notice is further given 

that all non-governmental 

organisations, NGOs, in 

any nomenclature or 

dimension whatsoever, that 

want to carry out genuine 

empowerment programme 

in Ebonyi State are to first 

seek and obtain clearance 

from the Ministry of 

Human Capital Development 

and Monitoring. 

“All print and electronic 

media houses operating in 

the state are to seize from 

promoting or advertising 

the activities of nongovernmental 

empowerment 

programmes unless 

such NGO presents a 

clearance duly authored in 

the hand and seal of 

Commissioner for Human 

Capital Development and 

Monitoring.” 

China to inject $174bn of liquidity 

today as markets reopen 

CHINESE authorities have pledged to use various 

monetary policy tools to ensure liquidity remains reasonably 

ample and to support firms affected by the virus 

epidemic, which has so far claimed 305 lives, all but one in 

China. 

The People’s Bank of China made the announcement in 

a statement on Sunday, adding the total liquidity in the 

banking system will be 900 billion yuan higher than the 

same period in 2019 after the injection. 

According to Reuters calculations based on official central 

bank data, 1.05 trillion yuan worth of reverse repos are 

set to mature on Monday, meaning that 150 billion yuan in 

net cash will be injected. 

Investors are bracing for a volatile session in Chinese 

markets when onshore trades resume on Monday after a 

break for the Lunar New Year which was extended by the 

government. 

China’s stock, currency and bond markets have all been 

closed since Jan. 23 and had been due to re-open last 

Friday. 

There will be no further delays to the reopening, the 

securities market regulator said in an interview in the People’s 

Daily newspaper yesterday. 

Honda plans to resume Wuhan plant 

production with Dongfeng on February 

14 

J 

APANESE automaker Honda Motor Company plans 

to resume car production at its China venture with 

Dongfeng Automobile on Feb, 14, according to current government 

guidance, a company spokesman said yesterday. 

The venture is based in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, 

the epicenter of the outbreak of a new flu-like virus. 

Hubei’s government has extended the Lunar New Year 

holiday break to Feb. 13 as it seeks to contain the coronavirus 

outbreak. 

UAE allocates $2bn to Mauritania 

projects 

UNITED Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin 

Zayed al-Nahyan on Sunday allocated $2 billion for 

investment and development projects in Mauritania, as 

well as loans, UAE state news agency (WAM) said. 

Brazilian education firm Cogna to raise up 

to $645m in share offering 

Brazilian for-profit education company Cogna Educacao 

SA may raise up to 2.7 billion reais ($645.5 million) with a 

share offering expected to price on Feb. 11, the company 

said in a securities filing last week. 

The offering was approved in a board meeting on Friday. 

Cogna said it has hired the investment banking units 

of Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Banco BTG Pactual SA, Morgan 

Stanley, Banco Bradesco SA, Credit Suisse Group AG, 

JPMorgan Chase & Co and Banco Santander Brasil SA to 

manage the offering. 

Considering Friday’s closing price of Cogna shares, 11.62 

reais, the company may raise up to 2.7 billion reais with 

the offering if all over-allotments are sold. 

Cogna will use the proceeds to fund potential acquisitions, 

the filing said. 

Experts to X-ray potentials of 

Nnewi as Nigeria’s industrial hub 

FORD Foundation and a group of experts and in 

dustrialists have come together to X-ray the potentials 

of Nnewi as Nigeria’s industrial hub as they organize 

and sponsor an investment summit as a manufacturing 

hub in South-eastern part of Nigeria. 

Pioneered by marketing communications agencies, 

TBWA\Concept Unit and C & F Porter Novelli, the Investment 

Summit, themed; Revitalizing the Manufacturing 

Hub of Africa, is designed to leverage the already thriving 

industrial and commercial activities in Nnewi and harness 

them for the wider economic development of Nigeria. 

Expected to lead the conversations at the inaugural edition 

of the summit, which will hold on February 6 and 7 

2020 in Nnewi, Anambra State Nigeria include: former 

Presidential candidate and Development Economist, Prof. 

Kingsley Moghalu; Ike Chioke, CEO Afrinvest Ltd and 

Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, West Africa Regional Director, 

Ford Foundation. 

Speaking on the Summit, CE O, TBWA\Concept Unit, 

Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, said the Nnewi Industrial hub should 

further developed and should bepromoted as a model for 

economic growth in Anambra state andNigeria in general. 

Some stories credited to Reuters

C 

M 

Y 



THE good times are here – at last! – 

for Nigeria’s Eastern ports. The 

Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, 

shipping companies, stakeholders in 

our maritime sector and the economy 

at large have had enough of the 

choking situation in the Lagos ports 

and have decided to look eastwards 

for relief. 

In January 2020 international 

shipping giant, Maersk Line, announced 

that its Far East shipping 

services covering China, Vietnam, 

Malaysia and Singapore would no 

longer make calls at the Lagos Ports 

but would shift all their activities to 

the Eastern port of Onne in Rivers 

State, thus reducing transit and 

waiting time for cargo owners. 

Within the same period, the 

Managing Director of NPA, Hajiya 

Hadiza Bala Usman, took far-reaching 

measures to enable the erstwhile 

neglected Eastern ports absorb excess 

load off Lagos to make life easier for 

all. The Authority imposed a 10 per 

New deal for the Eastern ports 

cent discount on harbour dues in all 

terminals in the Eastern Ports for 

certain classes of vessels. 

NPA has also completed the $44.861 

million (N16.150bn) dredging of the 

Warri port. Added to the $30 million 

dredging which had earlier been done 

on the Onne port (which made it 

possible for Maersk Line and other 

shippers to start operating from 

there) life is gradually returning to the 

eastward maritime theatre of the 

Nigerian economy. 

The NPA MD, in a recent interview 

with Vanguard, explained that these 

measures, including the deliberate 

diversion of excess cargo from the Lagos 

to the Eastern ports of Port 

Harcourt, Onne, Warri and Calabar, 

were aimed at easing the congestion 

of the Lagos ports, the traffic gridlock 

of Apapa and the expensive delays 

which our dependence on Apapa had 

inflicted on stakeholders. 

We welcome these new 

developments which clearly represent 

a patriotic rethink in the nation’s 

maritime administration. As a 

newspaper, we have written volumes 

calling for the diversification of our 

port services by enabling the Eastern 

ports to take up the excess load from 

Apapa, but they fell on deaf ears until 

now. 

Shippers were forced to prefer the 

Lagos ports because they complained 

that the channels into the Eastern 

ports were too shallow to take big 

vessels. In addition, there were too 

many security risks from pirates and 

militants. All of these rendered the 

Eastern ports too expensive and risky 

for operators. 

That these anomalies were allowed 

to go on for so long simply meant 

failure of governance. We hope that, 

apart from the dredging, slashing of 

harbour charges and deliberate 

diversion of vessels, the security 

situation will also be addressed to 

make shipping in the eastern flank 

faster, safer and cheaper. 

We believe that the full activation of 

the Eastern ports will balance the 

economy, revive the Apapa business 

district, increase prosperity and reduce 

unemployment and crime. 

We hope these measures have come 

to stay. 

Dramatisation of absurdity 

By AMANZE OBI 

AFTER two weeks of stultifying ennui, I 

have finally experienced the much 

anticipated release. The mental blockade 

which held me hostage has given way. I can 

now confront the oddity that tried to force a 

sense of inertia on me. I can confidently say at 

this moment that I have come to put myself 

together to deal with one of the most 

unconscionable absurdities of our time, which 

is the Supreme Court ruling of January 14, 

2020 on Imo governorship election. 

The Supreme Court of Nigeria had, on this 

day, done the unthinkable. It violated our 

peace. It assaulted our sobriety. The event of 

the day reminded me of John Milton’s account 

of the fall of man in which Earth felt the wound, 

and in which Nature from its entrails heaved 

sighs of woe that all was lost. For men and 

women of goodwill, the verdict of the apex 

court signposted a huge loss. The disruption 

was epochal. It has, for me, been like a long 

night of drudgery. 

What is at issue here? The Supreme Court 

had, on that dark day, annulled the election of 

Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State. 

In his place, Hope Uzodinma was announced 

as the new governor. The development, from 

what is easily discernible, has all the trappings 

of choreography. It was a well rehearsed 

melodrama which had as one of its dramatis 

personae a priest called Ejike Mbaka. I will 

not waste valuable time on this necromancer 

who masquerades as a priest. I will simply 

note that at the conclusion of the plot, Mbaka 

was recruited to play the role of the messenger 

of doom. As a willing tool in the hands of the 

plotters, he stepped forward with his so-called 

prophesy. It is only a nitwit that can associate 

Mbaka with prophesy. 

Having used Mbaka to test the waters, the 

conspirators then set sail. That eventuated in 

the infamous verdict of January 14 that has 

set the public space ablaze. The world would 

have understood and moved on if the 

judgement had any iota of credibility. But the 

quaint and quixotic rubric which is being made 

to pass as justice is too scandalous to be 

overlooked. Tongues are wagging. The world 

is simply bewildered by the violent rape that 

has been inflicted on justice. 

Before now, we had thought that the Supreme 

Court was insulated from the judicial rascality 

that has infiltrated our court rooms. But the 

open air injustice oozing forth from the apex 

court on the Imo State electoral debacle shows 

that the rot is total. So, who will bell the cat? 

Since this judicial assault took place, the public 

sphere has been awash with all manner of 

commentaries and analyses. Significantly, one 

common thread runs through them. Everybody 

agrees with the fact that the judgment cannot 

stand logical scrutiny. 

The Supreme Court glossed over unhidden 

errors and entered a wrong judgment in spite 

of them. Even the not-so-lettered easily spot 

the illogic that went into the judgment. The 

verdict is not even supported by commonsense. 

And so, people are asking why. So far, the 

conclusion is that the Supreme Court was 

working towards a predetermined answer and 

would not, therefore, be bothered about logic 

and commonsense. 

Even though I have been too stupefied to 

join the rave reviews that have been trailing 

the outrage, a lawyer-friend called me about a 

week ago to sympathise with me as a member 

of the Ihedioha administration. In the course 

of our discussion, I could not but raise a few 

issues about the judgement which I find very 

confounding. Let us look at a few of them. 

First, is the issue of Hope Uzodinma’s 

candidature. The Supreme Court had, a few 

weeks before the infamous January 14 

OPINION 

judgment ruled that Uche Nwosu, one of the 

candidates in the March 9, 2019 governorship 

election in Imo State, was the candidate of 

both the All Progressives Congress, APC and 

the Action Alliance, AA. His double nomination 

was considered an infraction. It was not 

supported by law. Consequently, he was 

disqualified from the election. His 

participation in that election was, therefore, a 

nullity. The logical outcome of this judgement 

is that Uzodinma who contested the election 

on the platform of the APC merely wasted his 

time because he was not a candidate in that 

election. 

Since Nwosu held APC’s ticket, it means 

In the case of Ihedioha versus 

Uzodinma, the Supreme Court 

swallowed its own vomit; it did 

exactly what it said it has no 

powers to do 

that Uzodinma cannot at the same time hold 

the same ticket. In other words, Nwosu’s 

disqualification was supposed to affect 

Uzodinma in an adverse way. But curiously it 

did not. The Supreme Court maintained a 

studied silence on the matter. As we dissected 

this matter, my lawyer-friend suggested that I 

should wait to see the text of the judgment to 

know the position of the court on the issue. 

Interestingly, the document has since been 

released but the Supreme Court had no 

explanation for recognising Uzodinma as the 

candidate of the APC. It was silent on that. 

The second point we looked at bordered on 

the so-called 388 polling units. Again, I relied 

on an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court. 

In ruling on a similar petition brought before 

it by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential 

candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

in the 2019 elections against Muhammadu 

Buhari of the APC, the Supreme Court held 

that all the witnesses in the polling units in an 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

election must appear one after the other to 

account for what happened in their polling 

units. Atiku did not produce all the witnesses 

in the polling units where results were being 

disputed. Consequently, the court declared his 

claims deficient and dismissed it accordingly. 

In the case under review, Uzodinma, like 

Atiku, did not produce witnesses to give account 

of what happened in all the 388 polling units 

where he claimed his results were excluded. 

Yet, the apex court upheld his claim. By so doing, 

the Supreme Court contradicted itself. This is 

double standards at play. In trying to 

pigeonhole what the apex court did with 

Uzodinma’s claim on 388 polling units, we 

went further afield to cite decided cases where 

the Supreme Court said in the case of the 

Sokoto State election petition that it has no 

powers to count or allocate votes. 

The relevant aspect of that judgment reads 

in part: “It is not the duty of the court to sift 

through documents tendered by parties which 

have not been demonstrated in the open court. 

It is also not the duty of the court to sort out the 

various documents, the figures and do the 

calculations in chambers to arrive at a figure 

given in a final judgment, especially in an 

election petition challenging the number of 

various votes polled by the candidate declared 

and returned as winner of the election.” 

Curiously, in the case of Ihedioha versus 

Uzodinma, the Supreme Court swallowed its 

own vomit. It did exactly what it said it has no 

powers to do. Again, this is another case of 

double standards. I read the quoted aspect of 

the aforementioned judgement out to my 

interlocutor. I needed his expert opinion on 

the matter. But he did not have one. He simply 

asked me to wait for the text of the judgement. 

Now, I am in possession of the judgement. But 

the Supreme Court did not tell us why it went 

against its own declared rules. 

Continues online 

•Obi, a social commentator, wrote from 

Abuja

Banks’ borrowing from CBN rises 215% to N19.5trn 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

BANKS’ borrowing from 

the Central Bank of 

Nigeria’s, CBN, rose by 215 

percent year-on-year (y/y) to 

N19 trillion in 2019 from N6.2 

trillion in 2018. 

Banks borrow from the CBN 

through its Standing Lending 

Facility, SLF, while they use 

the Standing Deposit Facility 

of the regulator for deposit 

placement. 

Financial Vanguard 

analysis of the activities of the 

•Pay N776bn as interest 

SLF and SDF in 2019 as 

contained in the CBN’s 

Quarterly Economic Reports 

showed that banks borrowed 

N8.4 trillion in the first 

quarter of 2019 (Q1’19), 

representing 127 percent 

increase when compared with 

N3.7 trillion borrowed in 

Q4’18 

However, banks’ borrowing 

from the CBN dropped by 

N4.8 trillion or 57 percent to 

N3.6 trillion in Q2’19 from 

where it ticked up by N2.6 

trillion or 72 percent to N6.2 

trillion in Q3’19. 

This trend was reversed in 

Q4’19, when banks’ 

borrowing fell by N4.9 trillion 

or 377 percent to N1.3 

trillion. 

Meanwhile, the CBN 

earned N776.51 billion 

interest payment from banks 

in 2019, indicating 8,866 

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 —19 

The upward trend 

continued in Q4’19 where 

the regulators interest 

percent increase when earning from the SLF rose 

compared to N8.9 billion by 18,121 percent to N767.13 

earned as interest in 2018. billion. 

Analysis of the report On the other hand, banks’ 

showed that in Q1’19, deposit placement with the 

CBN’s interest earning from CBN through the SDF fell to 

the SLF rose by 310 percent N11.88 trillion in 2019, while 

to N2.54 billion from N62 the interest payment by 

million in Q4’18. 

the apex bank on deposits 

Similarly, in Q2’19, the dropped to N1.93 billion.. 

apex bank’s interest earning Financial Vanguard 

from SLF rose slightly by four analysis of the activities of 

percent to N2.63 billion and SDF in 2019 showed 

up by 36 percent to N4.21 that deposit placement by 

billion in Q3’19. 

Continues on page 21 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 

By Babajide Komolafe & 

Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE nation’s external 

reserves are expected 

to continue the seven months 

downward trend to drop 

below $37.5 billion by the end 

of this month. 

Last month, the reserves 

dropped to the lowest level 

since October 2017 (24- 

months), falling further by 

1.4 percent or $539 million to 

$38.056 billion as at January 

30 from $38.595 billion at the 

end of December 2019. 

Recall that the reserves, 

after falling persistently for 

seven months, from peak of 

$47.989 billion on July 5, 

2018, to $42.296 billion 

February 28, 2019, 

commenced steady upward 

trend which peaked at 

$45.175 billion on June 10, 

2019. 

External reserves to drop 

below $37.5bn in February 

•Dollars traded in I&E rise 7% to $5.6bn in January 

•CBN supports naira with $34bn in 2019 

Decline in 

dollar inflows 

But, after four weeks 

fluctuation which ended on 

July 5 at $45.149 billion, the 

reserves commenced a six 

months downward trend 

which resulted to $6.83 

billion or 8.4 percent decline 

as at January 9, 2020. 

The sharp decline in 

reserves was due to decline 

in dollar inflows from 

Continues on page 20 

BANK NEWS 

Manufacturing PMI drops to 

59.2 index points in January 

—CBN 

P.22 

Macro-Economy Update 

Revenue challenges to persist 

despite increase in VAT 

– Afrinvest 

P.27 

C 

M 

Y 

K


FINANCIAL VANGUARD 

Continues from page 19 

Foreign Portfolio Investors, 

FPIs, and increased dollar 

sales by the CBN in order to 

defend the naira. 

External reserves to drop below 

$37.5bn in February 

COVER 

CBN supports naira with 

$34bn in 2019 


analysis shows that the CBN 

supported the naira with 

$34.3 billion injection into the 

foreign exchange market in 

2019. This however 

represents 14 percent, yearon-year 

(y/y) decline when 

compared with the $39.9 

billion injected in 2018. 

Further analysis showed 

that dollar sales to bureaux 

de change, BDCs, 

dominated CBN invention in 

2019 accounting for $12.65 

billion or 36.8 billion. Dollar 

sales in the I&E window 

came second with $5.55 

billion or 16 percent. 

Quarterly analysis showed 

that the CBN injected $6.9 

billion in the first quarter 

(Q1’19), up by 25 percent 

from $9.18 billion in Q4’18. 

Dollar injection by the apex 

bank, however, dropped 

marginally by 6.2 percent to 

$7.33 billion in Q2’19, but 

rose by 37 percent in Q3’19 

before falling by 1.2 percent 

to $9.98 billion in Q4’19. 

Naira appreciates as CBN 

sustains forex intervention 


analysis showed that the 

$539 decline recorded in 

January was about half 

the average monthly decline 

of $1.11 billion in the second 

half of 2019 (H1’19). This 

was due to the $53 million 

week-on-week increase 

recorded in the third week of 

January, the first in six 

months, a development 

prompted the upsurge 

in oil revenue triggered by 

6.3 percent rise in crude oil 

price, in the first seven days 

of the month, courtesy of the 

tension generated by the US 

killing of Iran’s General 

Qasem Soleimani, and the 

latter’s retaliation with 

missile strikes on two US 

military bases in Iraq. 

Weak dollar 

inflow 

However, the reserves 

resumed downward trend 

last week, resulting to w/w 

decline of $197 million 

between Thursday, January 

23 and Thursday, January 30, 

as oil prices receded amidst 

weak dollar inflow from 

foreign portfolio 

investors, while the Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

resumed intervention in the 

foreign exchange market to 

curtail the seven weeks 

depreciation of the naira in 

the parallel market and in the 

Investors and Exporters, I&E, 

window. 

As a result of the apex 

bank’s intervention, the naira 

appreciated by N2 in the 

parallel market in January as 

the exchange rate of the 

market dropped to N358 per 

dollar on January 31, from 

N360 per dollar on December 

31, 2019. 

The naira similarly gained 

54 kobo in the I&E window 

in January, as the indicative 

exchange rate of the window 

dropped to N363.9 per dollar 

on January 31 from N364.51 

Nigeria is an 

importdependent 

nation, thus a 

stable exchange 

rate would 

foster economic 

activities. This 

would also 

encourage 

foreign trade 

and import of 

goods with little 

or no local 

substitutes 

per dollar on December 31, 

2019. 

Analysts’ projections 

In their various projections, 

analysts opined that the 

decline in reserves will 

continue though the naira is 

expected to remain stable as 

the CBN sustain its dollar 

injection into the foreign 

exchange market. 

According to analysts at 

Financial Derivatives 

Company Limited, “The 

depletion in the external 

reserves is expected to 

continue, due to the full 

resumption of business 

activities and the CBN’s 

interventions in the foreign 

exchange market 

“As the CBN resumes its 

intervention activities in the 

foreign exchange market, we 

expect the naira to remain 

stable in the near term. 

However, this would be at the 

expense of the depleting 

external reserves. 

“Nigeria is an importdependent 

nation, thus a 

stable exchange rate would 

foster economic activities. 

This would also encourage 

foreign trade and import of 

goods with little or no local 

substitutes.” 

Analysts at United Capital 

Plc similarly stated: “Overall, 

we expect pressure on the 

foreign reserves to continue 

in the near term as apex bank 

sustains it’s intervene in a bid 

to stabilize the naira” 

On their part, analysts at 

Cordros Securities stated: 

“Despite the rate of decline 

in foreign exchange reserves, 

which has heightened fears 

regarding the possibility of 

currency devaluation, we 

estimate that the CBN will be 

able to sustain its naira 

defence through H1-20, at 

least.” 

I&E turnover rises seven 

per cent to $5.6bn 

Meanwhile, the volume of 

dollars traded (turnover) in 

•Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor 

the I&E window rose by 7.0 

per cent, month-on-month, to 

$5.6 billion last month from 

$5.3 billion in December, 

2019. 

This represents the second 

consecutive monthly rise in 

the volume of dollars traded 

(turnover) in the window 

since August 2019. 

Turnover in the window 

rose by 75 percent to $7 

billion in August 2019, 

courtesy of increased inflow 

from FPIs. The monthly 

turnover dropped by 44 

percent to $4.4 billion in 

September from where it 

nosedived to $4.2 billion in 

October. In November, the 

turnover rose by 26 percent 

to $5.3 billion while it was 

stable at $5.3 in December. 


analysis of weekly turnover 

in January showed that 

$354.19 million was traded 

in the first week of January. 

Turnover rose by 352 

percent to $1.6 billion in the 

second week and up by 38 

percent to $2.2 billion in 

the third week. 

Turnover fell in the fourth 

week by 76 percent to 

$519.5 million and up by 

70 percent to $882.5 

million in the fifth week of 

January.



Banks’ borrowing from CBN rises 215% to N19.5trn 


the banks declined by N8.4 trillion or 

41 percent to N11.88 trillion from 

N20.28 trillion in 2018. 

Quarterly analysis showed that 

deposit placement dropped by N1.4 

trillion or 34 percent to N2.92 trillion 

in Q1’19 from N4.4 trillion in Q4’18. 

It, however, spiked by N2.06 trillion 

or 71 percent to N4.98 trillion in Q2’19 

but dropped by N2.88 trillion or 58 

percent to N2.1 trillion in Q3’19. 

The downward trend continued in 

Q4’19 when deposit placement by the 

banks fell by N200 billion or 10 percent 

to N1.9 trillion. 

However, the interest paid by CBN 

dropped by N5.6 billion or 78 percent 

to N1.93 billion in 2019 from N7.15 

billion in 2018. 

Quarterly analysis showed that in 

Q1’19 interest paid by the CBN 

dropped by 37 percent to N99 million 

from N1.56 billion in Q4’18. 

In Q2’19, interest paid by the apex 

bank rose by 72 percent to N1.7 billion 

and down in Q3’19 by 63 percent to 

N63 million. 

The downward trend however 

reversed in Q4’19 as the interest 

payment incurred increased by five 

percent to N66 million. 

According to the CBN Q4’19 report: 

“The banks continued to access the 

CBN’s Standing Facilities to square 

up their positions either by borrowing 

from the standing lending facility 

(SLF) or depositing their excess 

liquidity at the standing deposit 

facility (SDF) of the CBN at the end 

of each business day. 

“Total request for the Standing 

Lending Facility (SLF), inclusive of 

direct SLF (N949.91 billion) and Intraday 

lending facilities -ILF (N352.64 

billion) that were converted to 

overnight during the review quarter, 

stood at N1.3 trillion, compared with 

N6.2 trillion in the preceding quarter. 

“Daily average transaction value 

amounted to N23.26 billion in 56 

transaction days, with total interest 

earned at N767.13 billion, compared 

with the daily average of N100.05 

billion in 62 transaction days, with a 

total of N4.21 billion, as interest 

earned at the end of the preceding 

quarter. 

“Total standing deposit facility 

(SDF) granted during the review 

period was N1.9 trillion, with daily 

average of N32.20 billion, compared 

with N2.1 trillion, in the third quarter 

of 2019. The cost incurred on SDF in 

the review quarter amounted to N66 

million, compared with N63 million 

in the preceding quarter.” 

•Forex & TB rates 

•Interbank lending rates 

•Yields on FGN bonds



ABCON restates commitment 

to compliance, capacity devt 

From Left: Union Bank’s Chief Risk Officer, Kandolo Kasongo; Board Chair, Beatrice Hamza 

Bassey; Chief Executive Officer, Emeka Emuwa; Head Retail Bank and Digital, Lola Cardoso 

and Head, Corporate Banking Group, Emeka Okonkwo at the launch of Alpher, the Bank’s 

women proposition in Lagos. 

Manufacturing PMI drops to 59.2 index points 

in January — CBN 

By Babajide Komolafe 

THE Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, said that 

the Manufacturing Purchasing 

Managers Index, PMI, dropped 

marginally to 59.2 index points 

in January though activities in 

sector expanded for the 34th 

consecutive months. The 

January Manufacturing PMI 

represents 1.6 index points 

decline when compared to the 

60.2 index points recorded in 

December 2019. 

Similarly, the Non 

Manufacturing PMI dropped by 

2.5 index points to 59.6 index 

points in January from 62.1 

index points in December. 

A PMI reading above 50 points 

indicates expansion in economic 

activity, while PMI reading 

below 50 points indicates 

contraction in economic 

activities. 

Disclosing this in its PMI report 

from January, the CBN said that 

11 out of the 14 sectors surveyed 

in the manufacturing sector 

recorded expansion while all the 

17 non manufacturing sectors 

surveyed recorded expansion. 

The report stated: “The 

Manufacturing PMI in the 

month of January stood at 59.2 

index points, indicating 

expansion in the manufacturing 

sector for the thirty-fourth 

consecutive month. The index 

grew at a slower rate when 

compared to the index in 

December. 

“Of the 14 surveyed subsectors, 

11 reported growth in the review 

month in the following order: 

petroleum and coal products; 

transportation equipment; Paper 

products; Furniture and related 

products; plastics and rubber 

products; primary metal; food, 

beverage and tobacco products; 

chemical and pharmaceutical 

products; fabricated metal 

products; textile, apparel, leather 

and footwear and cement. 

Electrical equipment subsector 

remained unchanged while 

Printing and related support 

FIDELITY Bank Plc has 

brought succor to 

physically challenged Chemical 

Engineering graduate, Mr. 

Michael Sowunmi who is 

fondly referred to as “the world’s 

greatest teacher” on account of 

his love for teaching. 

Mr. Sowunmi has been offered 

employment by top lender 

NDIC establishes new unit on fintech and innovation 

THE Nigeria Deposit 

Insurance Corporation, 

NDIC, has responded to 

technological innovations and 

applications in financial services 

with the establishment of a new 

unit named “Fintech and 

Innovations unit”. 

The corporation in a statement 

signed by Mohammed Kudu 

Ibrahim, on behalf of the Director, 

Communications and Public 

Affairs, said the unit was 

established to align with 

contemporary trends in 

advanced economies. 

It stated: “The development is 

also in consonance with the 

Corporation’s Strategic Vision, 

which is to become one of the 

best deposit insurers by the year 

2020. 

First Bank organises business 

clinic for SMEs 

FIRST Bank of Nigeria 

Limited has organised its 

first business clinic for small 

and medium enterprises, 

SMEs, in 2020 inaugural SME 

Business Clinic. 

The event themed “Positioning 

your business to thrive in 2020”, 

featured Abayomi Adewumi, 

CEO of the Global Leadership 

Institute, an industry expert 

and business growth consultant 

with vast experience working 

with Small & Medium 

Enterprises. He engaged 

participants on the FirstBank 

SME diagnostic tool, designed 

for SMEs to check the health of 

their business, better 

understand it and drive 

profitability. In the course of the 

year, the FirstBank SME Clinic 

will be held across all geopolitical 

zones in Nigeria, 

thereby deepening the bank’s 

impact at bolstering the 

efficiency of entrepreneurs in 

the country. 

By Babajide Komolafe 

THE Association of 

Bureaux De Change 

Operators of Nigeria, ABCON, 

has its restated its commitment 

to capacity development and 

compliance with regulatory 

requirements by bureaux de 

change, BDC, operators. 

Speaking with journalists at 

the sidelines of a capacity 

building and sensitisation 

programme for BDCs in the 

south west zone, ABCON 

President, Aminu Gwadabe said 

that the objectives of ABCON 

in 2020 includes increased 

capacity development for BDC 

operators to enhance 

compliance with regulatory 

activities and non-metallic 

mineral products recorded 

declines. 

“The composite PMI for the 

nonmanufacturing sector stood 

at 59.6 points in January 2020, 

indicating expansion in nonmanufacturing 

PMI for the 

thirty-third consecutive month. 

requirements, stressing that it 

was the aim of the sensitisation 

programme. 

He said: “The meeting is about 

enhancing the capacity of 

Bureau De Change operations 

and to also evaluate the outcome 

of the assessment of the 

Financial Action Task Force, 

Inter Governmental Action 

Group Against Money 

Laundering in West Africa, 

GIABA, and the Central Bank 

of Nigeria, CBN, examination. 

“The submission of our 

audited accounts that have 

improved tremendously; a lot of 

members now known the 

implications of not rendering 

their audited accounts to the 

Centra Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

and the Federal Inland 

Revenue Service, FIRS, 

especially now that the drive of 

the government is revenue 

generation. So this is one aspect 

we want emphasise for 

members to ensure they belong 

to the tax net, that they comply 

with the necessary regulation. 

Also we have automated our 

operations; our members are 

now on our platform which is 

www.abcon.ng.org where they 

render their returns to the CBN 

from the comfort of their 

offices.” 

Fidelity Bank employs ‘World’s Greatest Maths’ 

teacher 

“The new Unit, which is 

domiciled in the Insurance & 

Surveillance Department of the 

Corporation, is expected to 

engage and collaborate with 

innovators in the financial and 

non-financial sectors of the 

economy to identify, develop and 

promote technology-driven 

solutions that would protect 

depositors and improve the 

safety and soundness of Insured 

Financial Institutions. 

“The Unit is expected to enable 

the corporation identify 

disruptions and associated risks 

of Fintech and Innovations on 

deposit insurance; articulate the 

use of Fintech for Early Warning 

Signals (EWS) and Prompt 

Corrective Action (PAC); Identify 

other digital currency deposits 

for the purpose of insurance 

coverage; evolve supervisory 

measures for digital banks; and 

enhance existing consumer 

protection measures as they 

relate to digital deposits in 

collaboration with other safety net 

players.” 

Fidelity Bank as a facilitator at 

the bank’s training academy 

known as CREST Academy. 

Chief Executive Officer, 

Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi 

Okonkwo disclosed this during 

the bank’s 2019-year end/ 

customer appreciation party 

which took place at the weekend 

in Lagos. 

Okonkwo said the move was 

consistent with the Corporate 

Social Responsibility, CSR, 

policy of the bank aimed 

specifically at uplifting the less 

privileged members of society. 

According to him, the theme 

of the party ‘Give them wings’ 

was crafted to underscore the 

UNION Bank has 

launched Alpher, its 

women’s banking proposition 

targeted at enabling women to 

attain success. 

The launch event, themed 

‘Take Your Best Shot’ featured 

special guests including the 

bank’s board Chair, Beatrice 

Hamza Bassey, Chief Executive 

Officer, Emeka Emuwa and the 

Head of Retail Bank and 

Digital, Lola Cardoso, along 

with other executives of the 

Bank. 

Alpher was initially unveiled 

at the bank’s 2019 International 

Women’s Day celebration, and 

bank’s CSR initiatives and 

interventions. “Sowunmi’s case 

is not an isolated one, we have 

indeed demonstrated our 

passion for lifting people in 

several ways as you have seen 

tonight with the case of Tim 

Godfrey and DJ Slim V and the 

Fidelity Youth Empowerment 

Academy”, he explained. 

Chairman of the Board of 

Directors, Ernest Ebi, also gave 

lucid insights into the 

philosophy behind the bank’s 

Youth Empowerment Academy 

(YEA), which he described as a 

veritable platform to make 

beneficiaries financially 

independent and self-reliant. 

Union Bank’s Alpher set to enable 

success for women 

has since then been developed 

into a fully-fledged proposition, 

set to change the face of banking 

for Nigerian women. 

The Alpher platform 

provides tailored support for the 

individual woman, womenowned 

and women-led 

businesses. Women can benefit 

from a wide range of financial 

services, business and career 

development opportunities and 

lifestyle discounts. 

Addressing the audience at 

the event, the CEO of the Bank, 

Emeka Emuwa, said: “Gender 

equality and women 

empowerment are important to 

us at Union Bank.




26 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 


The poverty level of the North is 80 per cent; while in the South, the percentage is 

20 per cent, simply because of the culture of marrying many wives and producing 

many children who, at the end, are left on the streets to beg for what to eat — The Emir of 

Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II. PUNCH, January 27, 2020. 

IFEEL sorry for Emir Sanusi. That would appear to some as funny. How can a poor 

pen-pusher feel sorry for a 

billionaire? The reason is simple. 

One of the founding fathers of 

Economics, Alfred Marshall, 

1842-1924, enjoined us that: “The 

Poverty of goods is easily cured; 

economist, like anyone else, must 

insubordination. 

poverty of soul impossible — 

concern himself with the ultimate 

Michael De Montaigne, 1533- 

aims of man.” (VBQ p 45). Sad 

1592, VBQ, p 194. 

and frightening as it is to say, the 

Eradication of poverty will 

fate of Nigeria is inextricably tied 

remain an impossible task in 

to how we address the grave 

Nigeria as long as there is poverty 

matter of deepening poverty – 

of soul defined by French essayist 

especially in the North. 

Montaigne as “continuing to 

Sanusi has my sympathy 

engage in the activities which will 

because like the only half-blind 

lead to poverty.” Most Nigerians, 

man in the country of the totally 

and especially Northerners, 

blind and those with 20-20 vision, 

exhibit this tendency as one real 

he is an odd individual. He had 

story will illustrate. I made three 

spoken on many of the problems 

personal pledges when the job was 

of the North which are tied to 

offered to me in 1980. First, I will 

traditions which unfortunately the 

remain in the region until my 

politicians and the people 

retirement. Second, given the 

themselves are reluctant to 

relative comfort which 

relinquish. As someone who lived 

employment in brewery conferred, 

in the North for ten years and who 

I would not concentrate on the 

had been touring the region since 

“rat race” – for which young 

1974, I have had opportunity to 

executives were known at the time. 

be directly involved in some 

I was by far the youngest of the 

efforts to eradicate poverty in the 

three Marketing Managers of the 

area. It has invariably turned out 

three largest breweries. I was well 

to be like pouring water into a 

ahead of my generation of 

basket. You return to the “basket” 

managers. Third, I was going to 

after discharging a bucket full of 

tackle poverty privately by taking 

water only to find nothing in it. It 

under my wings families living in 

is frustrating. 

poverty and bring them up. 

From 1980 to 1990, I worked 

The chance came to start my 

and lived mostly in Kano – with 

private poverty alleviation 

frequent trips to all the Northern 

programme about three months 

states as required by my position 

after my resumption in Kano. The 

as the Marketing Manager, MM, 

man who gave me hope and later 

of a brewery - the largest employer 

dashed it was one late Yinusa Idi. 

of labour in Kano. Later in my 

He had already been engaged as 

final years, when General Buhari’s 

the supervisor in charge of 

regime insisted that food and 

loading and off-loading cartons 

beverage companies must 

of beer. Heading a labour staff 

compulsorily go into farming, I 

300-man strong, he was the heart 

found myself in Karu, then part of 

and soul of the business despite 

Plateau, but now part of 

his low education – he had gone 

Nasarawa State. North Brewery 

as far as primary two and spoke 

and Norbru Farms exposed me to 

very little English. But, with none 

the problems Sanusi talks about 

of the others ever going to school, 

and how they combine to make 

he was the link man between 

eradication of poverty a mission 

managers and the crowd. He was 

almost impossible – without a 

conscious of his power and 

revolutionary change in traditions 

frequently was guilty of 

and culture. 


LAPO debuts with ‘My Pikin & I’ to boost savings, capital base 

By Providence Adeyinka 

LAPO Microfinance Bank, 

MfB Limited has introduced 

a savings account product, ‘My 

Pikin & I’ to encourage savings 

culture among existing and 

potential customers. 

Speaking in Lagos, Managing 

Director, LAPO MfB, Mr. Godwin 

Ehigiamusoe, explained that the 

product was designed in 

realization of the bank’s 

corporate objective tied to six 

operating assumptions. 

These assumptions, he said 

include the fact that women and 

children are relatively more 

neglected, and that ordinary 

people are usually disadvantaged 

when it comes to access to loan, 

among others. 

Ehigiamusoe said that the 

objectives behind the product was 

to help savers build up capital, 

especially women who face the 

challenge of slim capital base in 

terms of building up their savings, 

adding the it would enable women 

Perpetual curse of poverty in Nigeria 

not only to save for themselves but 

also save on behalf of their 

children. 

He stated: “It is a product we put 

together in realization of our 

corporate objective and to enable 

our women who make savings to 

also save on behalf of their 

children. Before we started giving 

out loan in LAPO, I designed six 

operating assumptions that would 

guide what we do in LAPO. 

“Those assumptions are still very 

useful today. One of them is that 

women and children are relatively 

more neglected. My first 

assumption is that ordinary people 

are usually disadvantaged when it 

comes to access to loan. We are a 

family focused organization in 

LAPO, especially women and 

children. 

“We came up with ‘My Pickin 

and I’ savings product when we 

decided to also look at other 

members of the family, we 

considered the child. When 

children realize they have a 

savings account such as this, it 

His 

confrontation with his direct boss 

- the Distribution Manager, DM, 

who reported to me - brought us 

face to face for the first time. It 

was literally “love at first sight”. 

Having been briefed about him 

by the DM, I was prepared for the 

worst. Instead what followed was 

almost miraculous. He was 

ushered in by my secretary with a 

strong warning not to be rude to 

Oga - otherwise he would get 

sacked. He entered the office; took 

one look at me and went back to 

my secretary saying in Hausa “but 

he is a small boy!!!” He was 

Per capita 

income, or 

income per 

person, is the 

basic metric 

economists use 

to measure 

financial welfare 

or poverty 

pushed back in. I offered him a 

seat. But, he declined saying he 

can never seat in his Oga’s office 

– even if he is Yaro (small boy). I 

insisted. I had been told he 

smoked. So, I offered him a 

cigarette from the packs we kept 

for visitors and lit it for him. In 

less than ten minutes, the DM was 

called in and Yinusa did what he 

never did before – he sincerely 

apologised. The news was all over 

the yard within hours. 

More important, Yinusa and I 

had an appointment after closing 

helps them inculcate the culture of 

saving. One of the problems we 

have is that we do not have savings 

culture. 

“The two objectives behind any 

savings product is to assist the 

savers to build up capital because 

we realize that the challenge of 

most people especially women is 

that they have very slim capital 

base in terms of building up their 

savings. The second is that we have 

to build up our capital base. 

“We see that if we are able to 

mobilize enough deposit it could 

translate to lower interest rate for 

our customers,” he said. 

Giving a breakdown of the 

account, Head, Corporate 

Planning, Mrs. Dorcas Thorpe, 

explained that customers can open 

the account with as low as N200, 

and save daily, weekly or monthly 

to qualify for a free one year 

insurance cover; scholarship 

through primary and secondary 

school for beneficiaries ward and 

two percent additional interest to 

the existing 4.05 per cent interest 

hours. We talked. He informed me 

he was living in a community near 

Gezawa – about 25 kilometres 

from Kano with two wives and 

seven children – six girls and one 

boy. We were going into business 

as Cattle Breeders and Owners – I 

was going to provide the capital 

and he was in charge of recruiting 

the herdsmen and negotiating the 

remuneration packages as well as 

other conditions of service. The 

business was literarily a gold mine 

– except the reserves in gold mine 

get diminished but a well 

managed cattle business 

increases its reserves. Yinusa was 

an exceptional manager of our 

resources – while I, as an 

economist, provided the mental as 

well as financial capital. We were 

already making money in two 

years. So, in addition to his 

income from the brewery, he was 

also receiving monthly stipends 

from me. It was eventually agreed 

that he would send his son to 

school. He adamantly refused to 

send any of the girls – two of who 

were nine and eight when we met. 

I paid for the boy’s education; he 

eventually became a teacher when 

last I saw him in Kano. 

While all these good 

developments were unfolding and 

I was tactfully advising Yinusa 

about limiting the number of 

children he had, other forces – the 

poverties of the soul – were at 

work. The two wives were in hot 

competition with regard to 

having more kids. Furthermore, 

with his new status as a “Cattle 

Owner”, friends and neighbours 

were after him with young girls. 

My friend, he really was a friend, 

had two weaknesses – smoking 

and women. Although he worked 

in a brewery, he never touched 

alcohol. The combination of all 

these pressures led to a great 

per annum. 

Thorpe explained further that the 

account which can be opened for 

children between ages 0-18 years 

secures the future of the child, 

reduce child rearing cost, instill 

savings culture; among others. 

tragedy in the fourth year. 

I was seconded to one of our 

sister breweries in Lagos for five 

months. I returned to receive the 

good/bad news - depending on 

whether you are an economist or 

traditionalist. Yinusa’s two wives 

had delivered babies, one of them 

twins; and he had married a new 

wife who was in the family way. 

One other girl of thirteen claimed 

that Yinusa was responsible for 

her pregnancy and Yinusa was 

getting ready to accept 

responsibilities. To everyone in his 

community, especially his friends, 

this was good news. I could not 

hold back the tears – for the same 

reason why I know that Buhari can 

never lead us out of poverty – given 

his own mindset and those closest 

to him – unlike those of the Emir 

of Kano. 

Per capita income, or income 

per person, is the basic metric 

economists use to measure 

financial welfare or poverty. 

Countries which enjoy increasing 

income invariably have adopted 

strong birth control measures. The 

nation’s or community’s or 

family’s income must grow faster 

that the number of people sharing 

it. 

China’s population had been 

growing at less than one per cent 

while its Gross Domestic Product, 

GDP, grew at over nine per cent 

for two decades. That was how 

China got over 100 million out of 

poverty in ten years. Nigeria, as a 

whole, is like Yinusa. We still cling 

to the notion that parents can have 

five or six kids and still prosper. 

The poverty of soul hinders us 

always. 

LAST LINE: Yinusa died in a 

car accident about seven months 

after leaving behind all the rest. 

His first wife became a greatgrandmother 

at 40. 

MICRO-FINANCE 

“This savings account is an 

opportunity for women to save 

towards the welfare of their 

children and dependants and 

provide all range of financial 

services to both women and 

children. The account allows you 

secure the child’s future till he/she 

attains adulthood,” she said. 

From left: Ms. Josephine Nwachukwu, Executive Director, 

Corporate Planning & Strategy; Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe, 

MD/CEO; Mrs. Cynthia Ikponmwosa, Managing Director 

Designate; Mrs. Dorcas Thorpe, Head Corporate Planning, 

all of LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited during the launch of 

My Pikin & I savings account in Lagos.


Stories by Peter Egwuatu Miracle of Federal 

A 

Government’s Special 

NALYSTS at Afrinvest Accounts’ said: “In line with 

Research have stated our recently published 2020 

that the revenue challenges of 


would persist despite the 

increase in Value Added Tax, 

VAT. 

The analysts at Afrinvest in 

their weekly report titled, 

outlook, we believe the 

revenue challenges of the 

Federal Government would 

persist in the near-term. The 

reprieve expected from the 

increase in VAT rate to 7.5 

percent from 5.0 percent 

‘2019 Budget would only be marginal given 

Implementation: Beyond the the Federal Government’s 

COWRY 

Asset 

Management Limited 

has projected that the year 

2020 would be favourable for 

the equities market. 

According to its weekly 

financial markets review and 

outlook obtained by Financial 

Vanguard: “We expect the 

year 2020 to be a favourable 

year for equities against the 

backdrop of low interest rate 

environment. This is because 

companies would be able to 

access funds at cheaper cost, 

thus reducing their interest 

expense and positively 

impacting their bottom lines. 

Also, investors are expected to 

make a switch from fixed 

income securities yielding 

negative real returns to 

equities presenting positive 

real returns both in terms of 

dividend yields as well as 

possible capital appreciation 

especially in the first quarter 

of 2020. 

Nevertheless, for short-term 

securities such as treasury 

bills, we expect slight 

improvement as it retraces to 

trade within the band of five 

percent and eight percent. 

The long-term securities are 

expected to dangle within the 

band of nine percent to 12 

percent. More so, we see the 

recent move by CBN, 

increasing the cash reserve 

paltry share of 15.0 percent. 

“Similarly, current 

evidence does not support 

the claim that land border 

closure would result in a 

significant revenue boost. 

Although revenue from 

special accounts provided a 

cosmetic lift in 2019, the 

sustainability of such an 

account is in doubt. 

Accordingly, we expect 

revenue collection to proceed 

at a moderate pace in 2020. 

“The monetisation of deficit 

by the Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, although likely 

to be sustained, continues to 

contravene the CBN Act 

(2007) with potentially serious 

implications for the economy 

if its growth continues at the 

current pace.” 

Buttressing its view on the 

budget, the report states: “In 

the light of recently released 

data by the CBN (Q4:2019 

quarterly report), we turn our 

attention to the fiscal 

performance of Nigeria in 

2019. While we note that the 

data provided by CBN are 

provisional, history shows 

that actual numbers do not 

significantly deviate from the 

Bank’s estimates. 

The CBN’s report shows 

that federally collected 

Cowry Asset expects favourable equities 

market in 2020 

ratio, as a calculated move to 

curb the excess-liquidity 

which induced rising inflation 

rate. At the same time, we feel 

the move should impact 

positively on the exchange 

rate as speculative attack on 

the greenback will be eased. 

In addition, FPIs will 

continue to benefit from the 

higher Open Market 

Operation, OMO yields as 

CBN mops up the Deposit 

Money Banks, DMBs, excess 

liquidity via the rise in CRR 

by 500 bases points, bps.” 

The analysts at Cowry Asset 

stated: “We opine that 

investors should play more in 

Macro-Economy Update 

Revenue challenges to persist despite 

increase in VAT – Afrinvest 

•Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning 

equities market and focus on 

high dividend yielding 

stocks.However, we advise to 

trade shares of banks 

cautiously in 2020 due to 

dwindling capacity of banks to 

generate income amid low 

yield environment and lower 

non-interest bank charges. 

“For risk-averse investors, 

who prefer capital 

preservation and wish to 

invest in fixed income 

securities, we advise they play 

at the short end of T-bills 

maturities to avoid interest rate 

risk given our projection of 

rebound in T-bills rate later in 

the year.” 


revenues, which are shared 

among the FG, States and 

Local governments, rose 7.3 

percent Year on Year, YoY to 

N10.2trillion in 2019. While 

this represents only a 

marginal boost on the surface, 

there is noticeable progress 

when revenue is 

deconstructed.” 

Continuing the report reads: 

“Oil revenue continues to 

struggle, contracting 0.2 

percent to N5.5trillion with a 

reduced share of total 

revenue at 54.2 percent from 

58.2 percent in 2018. We 

suspect that the 10.0 percent 

contraction in oil prices to 

US$64.0/bbl. in 2019 more 

than offset the 5.1 percent 

expansion in oil production to 

2.0mb/d as well as the 

performance from other 

sources. 

“Meanwhile, non-oil 

revenue expanded 17.7 

percent to N4.7trillon, with a 

higher share of revenue at 

45.8 percent. Although this 

suggests that the 

government’s revenue drive 

SSA debt profile: 

2019 review and 2020 

outlook —United Capital 

UNITED 

Securities 

Research has projected 

that sub Saharan Africa, SSA, 

region borrowing spree in 

2020 is expected to get wider. 

According to its weekly Pan- 

African Monitor SSA Debt 

Profile: 2019 Review and 2020 

Outlook: “In 2020, the 

borrowing spree is expected 

to pick as we anticipate a 

wider fiscal deficit – spurred 

by continued rise in overall 

expenditures during the 

period. 

Specifically, we expect the 

implementation of an upward 

review of national minimum 

wage to add further pressure 

on Nigeria and Ghana’s 

government financing needs. 

Also, we expect the currently 

is on track, we believe this 

may be attributed to 

continuous economic 

recovery. The strong 

performance was broad-based 

across core revenue lines, as 

Corporate Income Tax (CIT) 

rose 14.5 percent to 

N1.6trillion, Value-added Tax 

(VAT) expanded slightly by 

7.2 percent to N1.2trillion 

while customs and excise 

duties grew fastest at 18.7 

percent to N837.4 billion.” 

Seeing behind the mask 

“Moving on to the 

performance of FG’s 2019 

budget, we notice that 

implementation was stronger 

than expected despite a huge 

revenue shortfall. The CBN 

reported total expenditure of 

N9.4 trillion, the highest on 

record, although total 

revenue of 4.8trillion 

underperformed budget by 

31.4 percent. The implication 

was a record-high deficit of 

N4.6 trillion, against the 

budget of N1.9trillion. We 

have reasons to doubt the 

expenditure estimate given 

that the Budget Office put 

spending at N5.8trillion as at 

third quarter, Q3:2019" the 

reported stated. 

low interest rates 

environment in the 

developed market to spur 

commercial borrowings by 

SSA countries. However, the 

increased magnitude of 

market-based borrowings has 

a higher risk content, as 

captured by greater 

vulnerability to commodity 

prices, global interest rates, 

and currency movements.” 

Continuing, the report 

states: “Accordingly, to make 

these external borrowings 

sustainable, we expect 

government to implement 

policies and reforms that 

could build resilience to these 

risks and use foreign capital 

to raise medium-term 

potential growth.”





C 

M 

Y 


How the Federal Republic of Nigeria runs 

SENATOR Ali Ndume, the 

Chairman, Senate 

Committee on Army, who was a 

darling of the opposition when he 

was in the House of Representatives 

has been embroiled in controversies. 

But perhaps because he was once 

accused by the Federal Government 

of sponsoring the Boko Haram 

terrorists, he has been like a 

missionary fighting for the army, 

overdoing it to the extent that the 

army challenged his claims on 

casualties and the manner its 

casualties are buried. 

Ndume claims so much 

knowledge of the army, security and 

the terrorist insurgency that four 

years ago, he announced that the war 

was practically over. Despite his 

hyperactive proclivities and 

sycophantic prayers that the service 

chiefs who have been at their post 

for half a decade should continue in 

office despite the results from the 

battle field, his campaigns for the 

army cannot be denied. 

His current campaign is that Boko 

Haram cannot be defeated unless the 

twin challenges of the army which 

he claims are “lack of resources and 

inadequate personnel” are 

addressed. He says of the war against 

Boko Haram: “In an operation like 

this, we have only 30, 000 soldiers 

on ground which is grossly 

90 

inadequate.” 

However, those of us who may 

believe him are confused because the 

army insist on programmes like 

Operation Positive Identification, 

OPI, in which it wants to get all 

Nigerians identify themselves when 

stopped by soldiers on the road. How 

can an army which is said to lack 

funds and personnel for its basic 

duties, want to do core police duties? 

The Police has similar tales as the 

army, but rather than carry out its 

basic functions, it does the work of 

Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIOs, 

and the Federal Road Safety 

Commission, FRSC, checking 

vehicle particulars for expiry dates. 

That is how we roll in the Federal 

Republic and those who do not 

accept that a carpenter is qualified 

to be a surgeon, are bound to learn 

bitter lessons. That seems to be what 

Borno State Governor, Babagana 

Zulum, is learning. 

An academic who should be in the 

classroom theorising, descends into 

the arena of partisan politics talking 

about the need for leaders to be 

truthful and accountable. 

He found on January 6, that he was 

carrying his campaign for the truth 

too far when he visited the 

Maiduguri-Damaturu highway 

where thousands of travellers were 

stranded for hours because soldiers 

Today, the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria 

is run on 10 

percent truth, 20 

percent half-truth, 

and 70 percent 

untruth 

Civil War: Disclosures and Closure 

By ISSA AREMU 

THE quantity and quality of spoken and 

written commentaries on Nigeria’s civil 

war (note: not Biafra war!) once again point to 

the groundswell of an emerging national 

consensus. It’s time for some forms of closure to 

the grim stories of the national tragedy of the 

dark years of 1966 to 1970. Any war brings scars 

which can hardly be obliterated. 

Closure is not meant to forget but to learn 

how to build a nation without another round of 

human wastage. “Never Again Conference” 

organised in Lagos on Monday, January 13, 

particularly captured my imagination. Many 

thanks to the organisers and participants for their 

patriotism, commitment, inclusiveness 

and constructive proposals on how to make 

peace and development sustainable. It would be 

recorded to their credit that some compatriots 

truly rose to obey “Nigeria’s call” and “serve 

our fatherland with love and strength and faith”. 

They commendably chose not to forget. On 

the contrary, they audaciously came to terms 

with our combustible past. Thanks also to 

democratic dispensation and citizens’ 

democratic impulses, which promoted open and 

deep reflections without intimidation. It would 

have been unthinkable that in 1995, (25th 

anniversary of the end of the war!), some 

compatriots would dare to contemplate a Never- 

Again -kind-Conference on Nigeria’s civil war. 

1990s was the decade of the worst military 

dictatorship. Nigerians suffocated under the 

military jackboots. It was a decade of uncivil 

wars with suspended civil liberties, ouster feverish 

cowardly military decrees and suppressed 

freedom of expressions. In a singular assault on 

August 18, 1994, Abacha dictatorship responded 

to the labour resistance and workers’ strike by 

sacking the Executive Council of NUPENG and 

PENGASSAN, and NLC, closed down three 

newspapers: the ‘canvass political ideas’ but not 

to ‘form political parties for now’. 

Politics without political parties! Lest we forget: 

there was once a country! By November 1994: 

Professor Soyinka, key speaker at “Never Again 

conference” fled into exile due threat to life. On 

October 1, 1994: the dictatorship arrested and 

detained the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi for 

audaciously launching a political party, the 

National Conscience Party, NCP, in Lagos. There 

What debt is 

more 

debilitating that 

squandered 

wealth of 

humans in 

millions? 

can only be closure to civil and uncivil wars, if 

there are unfettered full disclosures about the 

causes and effects of these wars. 

Today it seems politically correct for the 

chieftains of military regimes to repeat the 

mantra: that military fought to keep Nigeria one! 

But the point cannot be overstated that it was the 

senseless military coup of January 1966 that 

killed nascent democracy, sowed the first seed of 

disunity and subsequent serial carnage that 

followed. The late Alhaji M D Yusuf, (the third 

Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force, 

from 1975 to 1979) commendably documented 

what he called “Havoc of Military Rule” (1999). 

He rightly observed that the military was 

responsible for the civil war (“they plunged us 

into a bitter civil war with great cost to lives, 

property and natural resources’). No thanks to 

subsequent addictive military coups 

with attendant negative impact on military 

professionalism itself. 

The military (in his words!) “...had to be saved 

manning the highway locked it 

down, allegedly collecting bribes of 

N1000 from travellers who do not 

have national identity cards. 

He took the fight to the soldiers 

speaking on top of his voice: “How 

can you subject people to this kind of 

torture all in the name of National 

ID card? And you are all here 

collecting N500 and N1,000 from 

poor travellers who don’t have 

national ID card.” 

A man of action, Zulum, called the 

Theatre Commander of the war 

against Boko Haram, General 

Olusegun Adeniyi on phone: 

“Theatre Commander where are 

you?…Right now I’m at the 

checkpoint near state university and 

we have thousands of people 

stranded and your people are here 

collecting money from people 

because they don’t have National ID 

Card. Why?” 

When General Adeniyi arrived at 

the scene and denied the traffic jam 

was caused by extorting soldiers, 

Zulum retorted: “I saw them with 

my eyes, I spoke with people that 

were asked to give money…You must 

know that the government and 

people of Borno State are behind you 

and your men, but you must call your 

soldiers to order, you must check 

their excesses.” 

The Nigeria army reacted angrily 

in a statement by Aminu Iliyasu, the 

army operations media coordinator. 


It said the army is a professional and 

disciplined institution which views 

such allegations seriously and that 

they would be thoroughly 

investigated and those found guilty, 

punished. Then it went after Zulum: 

“However, it is important to 

unequivocally observe that public 

outburst particularly by eminent 

personalities such as a State 

Executive could be 

counterproductive and indeed 

capable of reversing the gains 

recorded so far in the ongoing fight 

against insurgents and other 

criminal elements across the nation.” 

While still carrying out the 

promised investigations, Boko 

Haram returned in full force on the 

highway, killing and kidnapping. 

From these incidents, I have an 

hypothesis that I call ‘The Zulum 

Theory’ which states: It is better to 

have bribe-taking soldiers on the 

highway than life-taking Boko 

Haram. In mathematical terms, it 

will be known as ‘The Zulum 

Equation: >:


FOUNDERS' DAY: From Left— Sir Kehinde Smith, Chairman, Board 

of Governors, Rt. Rev. S. Victor Adegbite, Mr. Olumuyiwa Kinoshi, 

President, ICOBA and Rt. Rev. B. Akinpelu Johnson, during the 

Igbobi College Old Boys' Association to mark 88th Founders' day 

Anniversary, held in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: KEHINDE 

SHONOLA. 

CONDOLENCE VISIT: From left—Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral 

Ibok- Ete Ibas, commiserating with Mrs Margaret Koshoni and 

Patrick Koshoni Junior,widow and son respectively of late former 

CNS, Vice Admiral Patrick Koshoni who passed away recently, in 

Lagos. Photo: KEHINDE SHONOLA 

CERTIFICATE OF 

RETURN: From left— 

Princess Mariam 

Onuoha, House of 

Reps member 

representing Isiala 

Mbano, Onuimo and 

Okigwe Federal 

Constituency of Imo 

State, presenting 

her Certificate of 

Return to the 

National Chairman 

of the APC, Comrade 

Adams Oshiomhole 

in Abuja yesterday. 

SENSITIZATION: From left— Sudan Balogun Ishola, youth leader, 

First Abattoir Youth Butchers Association, Lagos State; Omotayo 

Abiodun, Public Relations Manager, Tolaram Group; Risikat Salau, 

Iya Oloja general, Ojokoro LCDA, and Omotunde Bamigbaye, 

brand manager, Hypo Bleach, during the public sensitization 

program in promotion of hygiene at Agege Abattoir, Lagos.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020—35


OSA MBONU-AMADI 

08070524223 

osaamadi@yahoo.com 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

Never seen an art exhibition 

lasting for twelve solid months? 

It is rare but one of Nigeria’s finest 

artists, Isaac Emokpae, has just 

unveiled one, at the offices of R&B 

Communications, Ikoyi, Lagos. 

Themed “The Idea Loom”, the 

unveiling of Emokpae’s art held 

recently as part of R&B 

Communications’ 2020 Creative 

Partnership which in turn declares the 

space open for more future 

collaborations. 

Initiated as first in a series of annual 

collaborations between R&B 

Communications and Nigeria’s 

foremost creatives, ‘The Idea Loom’ is 

Emokpae’s interpretation of the 

synergy between R&B 

Communications and its publics; a 

unique call for unison, harmony and 

sustainability in business. 

The collaboration between the artist 

and the communications’ outfit is an 

eloquent indication of how well 

corporate organisations are beginning 

to see the promotion of artists and their 

works as a course worth investing into 

owing to pivotal roles art plays in the 

country’s economic development. 

R&B Communications which is parent 

of R&B ACE, supporting Arts, Culture 

& Entertainment with 

Communications, Ghost RB, a world 

class creative Agency; and many 

others, seems, with the launch of “The 

Idea Loom”, ready to help the 

Nigerian art market expand its 

visibility and ranking in the global art 

space. 

Isaac Emokpae is a visual artist who 

uses the simplest application of varied 

media to evoke deep psychological 

reflection. As a constant student of 

duality, the question of how human 

souls interact, forms the basis of his 

works. In this exhibition, he creatively 

turned virtually every available space 

The Idea Loom opens 

Emokpae’s creative synergy 

•Work by Isaac Emokpae now showing at R&B Communications offices in 

Ikoyi, Lagos. 

Men as victims in Owhoko’s Feminism: The Agony of Men 

By Chukwuma Ajakah 

The concept of feminism as a 

discourse along with its 

attendant controversies has gained 

traction in academic, religious, and 

sociopolitical circles with the 

argument often tilted in favour of 

women, but Michael Owhoko 

presents the other side of the coin 

in his book titled, Feminism: The 

Agony of Men which portrays men 

as the real victims. 

The plot of Feminism: The Agony 

of Men revolves around God’s idea 

of marriage as an institution where 

both men and women have clearly 

defined roles. The author argues 

that marriages today are fraught 

with heated agitations for equality 

due to the pervasive representation 

of the divinely ordained roles by 

proponents of the feministic 

movement. There is a reversal of 

roles in many marriages as the men 

have either lost or are at the brinks 

of losing their divinely ordained 

leadership position to aggressive 

feminists whose audacious 

campaigns for equality threaten the 

serenity that once reigned in such 

homes. 

The author observes that “This 

feminist philosophy has left man 

groaning in pains as his spouse 

believes they are partners in the 

marriage…until the philosophy 

behind feminism is curbed, men will 

continue to experience pains under 

cold relationships that will 

eventually lead to the collapse of 

their marriages.” 

Michael calls for restraint and 

implores the agitators to allow the 

in the building into canvases for his 

artistic exploration. Fascinatingly, 

each art piece has its own peculiar 

message ranging from comical to more 

serious issues. The first piece that 

greets viewers on entering the 

building for instance, asks the 

question, “Does jolof please God? 

One’s imagination is likely to begin 

running haywire at first as to what the 

artist is driving at. Wondering what 

natural order to prevail. He asserts 

that “The role of the woman was 

biblically put into proper perspective 

to avoid crisis… In a relationship 

where there are two masters 

overseeing one responsibility, there 

is bound to be a rift”. He avers that 

“A woman is supposed to be 

submissive and keep the home in line 

with the vision of the man, without 

plotting to undermine the man’s 

authority under the illusion of 

jolof represents, Emokpae explained 

that, it could mean different things to 

different individuals adding that it 

could actually represent something 

either positive or negative. 

Gold and black colour metallic 

enamel paint which the artist said is 

very good for wear and tear, 

inscriptions, forms and ‘aso oke’ 

designs are employed to buttress the 

point in ‘The Idea Loom’. “It will fade 

equality.” 

The author reveals that women’s 

attempt to redefine their traditional 

roles violates the natural order of 

things and makes them vulnerable 

to unhealthy rivalry with the men. 

Consequently, he poses the question, 

“What does the woman want?” He 

observes that the agitation for equal 

recognition is a common 

phenomenon among women in both 

urban and rural areas, irrespective 

of their social status except that the 

urbane women are more disposed to 

open confrontation due to their 

exposure to industrialization. 

Michael aptly captures the 

contemporary man’s pathetic 

disposition thus, “The situation has 

pushed men to the extreme. They 

have become completely inured to 

shock as they struggle to adjust to 

realities just to ensure there is peace 

in the home, particularly men with a 

dwindling income stream, prompting 

them to absorb all excesses of their 

wives.” He adds that “In some 

homes, men have been compelled to 

become economically prostrate 

because of either a loss of job or 

business, to take on roles at the 

domestic front. In homes where this 

is the situation, men do the cooking, 

babysit, do school runs, and general 

domestic work”. 

Although such role reversals ought 

to be temporary, the author discloses 

that many women seize such 

opportunity to wreck the man 

psychologically by portraying him as 

an excess financial burden. He posits 

that the tendency to usurp the man’s 

position is a common trait with 

women globally. This observation 

over time, but it would hold. But then, 

that is the whole idea. The works are 

not meant to be permanent. The works 

are semi abstract...some pieces are 

more relatable, while most others are 

like puzzles…”, he explained. 

“The Idea Loom” according to the 

artist serves as homage to ideas, which 

is more of a celebration of thought 

and its power, stressing that when it is 

properly weaved and harnessed, can 

achieve great and far-reaching 

results. He added that “The chord that 

runs through every organisation is an 

idea, an idea that if people of like mind 

and a common ideal unite- no journey 

is too perilous and no odds are too 

steep. Even if all hope is gone, it’s 

better to be lost with kindred spirits 

than to wander the either alone” 

Executive Director R&B 

Communications, Adeoye Omotayo, 

explained that his organisation has 

enjoyed a very long, deep and 

meaningful relationship with 

Nigerian arts, culture, film, music and 

entertainment over the years adding 

that “We are therefore honoured to 

have top talent from this growing 

sector treat our walls and our space as 

canvas for showcasing the incredible 

work that they do.” 

Also, Remi Okunlola, Partner Chair 

of R&B Communications, explained 

that “The Idea Loom will adorn the 

walls of our HQ for the next 12 months, 

when another of the nation’s foremost 

creatives will be invited to shine their 

creative floodlights on the next 12 

months of our collaborative 

endeavours”. 

prompts him to wonder whether the 

female chromosomes are 

intertwined as “They bear a 

resemblance to one another, 

notwithstanding their complexion, 

size, status, and 

background…They have the same 

template when it comes to the 

management of their homes”. 

The author stresses that the book 

“attempts to highlight the pain the 

man goes through in his lonely 

world when his empire crumbles, 

coupled with the fact that his wife, 

who is supposed to demonstrate 

support for him, is the first to 

demonize him and in extreme cases, 

abandon him to his fate”. 

Conversely, he debunks the notion 

that women are the oppressed lot, 

describing it as a fallacy painted to 

look real by feminists. 

The book consists seven chapters 

with subtitles such as “Marriage”, 

“Pillars of Marriage”, “Feminism, 

Natural Responsibilities and the 

New Role Order”, “Feminism, 

Women’s Right Organizations, and 

Gender Crises”, “Feminism, 

Divorce and the Law of Alimony”, 

“The Woman as an Enigma-Take 

Your Place-Drop Your Maiden 

Name” and “Man Heal Your Pain 

and Save Yourself, , 95 pages and a 

conclusion that pleads for action 

against a potential threat to the 

marriage institution “Humankind 

must be rescued from feminism. Its 

philosophy promotes not peace and 

harmony in marriage, but 

discontent…Let the world move to 

save the marriage institution from 

the raging scourge of feminism.”


OSA MBONU-AMADI 

08070524223 

osaamadi@yahoo.com 

Ex-raying Nwabueze’s Act of Leadership 

& Success Principle 

By Chukwuma Ajakah 

In a new book that is sure 

to spur readers to aspire to 

maximize their leadership 

potentials, Nigeria’s prolific 

writer and filmmaker, 

Ambassador John Nwabueze 

reveals some cardinal 

principles for all round success 

in leadership. The book titled 

The Act of Leadership & 

Success Principle is a 2019 

publication of JNP Classic 

Publishers.com edited by Isaac 

Dachen. The Act of Leadership 

& Success Principle is a 

Christian leadership master 

piece that applies to personal 

development, business, 

family, interpersonal 

relationship, the work place, 

etc. The book is designed to 

expose readers to some 

hidden truths about success in 

leadership with emphasis on 

the indispensability of the God 

factor in any human endeavor. 

In a pretext missive titled, 

“Dear Reader”, John gives an 

insight into what The Act of 

Leadership & Success 

Principle holds for prospective 

readers, “Your future as a 

leader is created by what you 

do today not tomorrow…learn 

to trust and obey God’s 

instructions no matter the 

circumstances. If you are not 

experiencing the best and 

most exciting values of good 

leadership, this book is 

designed to offer workable 

suggestions for reaching your 

objectives. If difficulties and 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

Issues surrounding impact of 

climate change and the 

urgent need to find measures that 

would ensure environmental 

sustainability, was the focal point 

of an event held recently at the 

Alliance Francaise/Mike 

Adenuga Centre, Lagos. 

It was the fourth edition of the 

monthly talks, “Point of view”, 

themed, “Art as a Driver for 

Environmental sustainability”, 

organised by the Ben Enwonwu 

Foundation in collaboration with 

the Society of Nigerian Artists and 

supported by Alliance Francaise/ 

Mike Adenuga Centre. 

The event featured presentation 

and panel discussion sessions that 

examined how creatives have 

begun utilising their talents to 

deal with threats of climate 

change, and more importantly, 

sustainable ways to ensure art 

becomes a major driver of 

environmental sustainability. 

Opening up the floor with his 

detailed presentation was 

Chairman, Lagos State Urban 

Forest and Animal Shelter 

Initiative, Desmond 

Majekodunmi who prefers to be 

addressed as the Chief Gardener. 

His presentation, titled, “Art as a 

Driver for Environmental 

Sustainability: The Intersection 

of Culture”, preceded by an eyeopening 

documentary on how 

much the earth has been affected 

problems are weighing you 

down and your confidence as 

a leader is shaky, it is my hope 

that this book will make you 

realize that you can indeed 

handle it very well.” 

The book provides practical 

suggestions to help readers 

handle difficulties and 

problems that may inhibit their 

potentials. The author also 

implores the reader on the 

need to include the God factor 

in the pursuit of excellence in 

any endeavor, “When your 

mind is focused on God, the 

devil will not succeed in 

corrupting your heart with evil 

desires. One of the basic truths 

about life is that you cannot 

achieve anything meaningful 

as a leader when your mind is 

corrupted against God who is 

the giver of all gifts. Another 

basic truth is that you can’t be 

in a relationship and 

fellowship with God as a 

leader when your mind is not 

right with Him.” John asserts 

that success in leadership 

depends on the proper 

positioning of the leader’s 

mind, “The truth remains that 

the way you position your 

mind sometimes contributes to 

your success or failure.” 

The author also explores the 

subject matter of sin, its 

consequences and 

repentance, with biblical 

allusions and illustrations 

meant to prime the reader’s 

mind to have preference for 

righteous living over a lifestyle 

riddled with corruption. John 

How art can save earth 

Founder and Director, SMO Contemporary Art, Sandra Mbanefo- 

Obiago during her presentation at event in Lagos. 

by climate change, showcased 

efforts towards keeping the 

environment safer through music 

and other art genres. 

It addressed our rapidly 

deteriorating environment, and 

the urgent need to work 

collectively towards preserving 

Nwabueze seeks to establish 

the understanding that 

genuine success emanates 

from God. Conversely, he 

admonishes the reader to 

embrace this fact, “When God 

created you, He filled you 

with His spirit because you are 

made in His own image. 

Always remember that you are 

it. According to him due to climate 

change, a factual prediction 

indicated that “rising sea may wipe 

off Lagos by 2050. Lagos is at risk 

of being partially submerged and 

if we don’t start doing the right 

things, we will be under water.” 

Citing examples of works by 

God’s chosen general here on 

earth. You must do everything 

humanly possible to let people 

see Christ through you in 

character and actions.” John’s 

motivation for writing is also 

reader centered as he reveals 

that “the only way my purpose 

of writing this book can be 

fulfilled is by you leading the 

artistes such as late American pop 

musician Michael Jackson’s ‘Earth 

Song’ and those of other singers 

as well as songs he did with his 

wife Sheila before she passed on, 

Majekodunmi called on more 

artists to join the Ben Enwonwu 

Foundation to continue in the 

business of saving the earth. 

Several artistic expressions 

advocating for climate protection 

through music, visual art, and his 

contributions were highlighted. In 

other to douse the tension created 

by some of the startling predictions 

he referenced, Majekodunmi 

ended his presentation with a 

performance of a sing along of his 

yet to be released song, “Let us 

plant a tree today, make the rain 

fall, keep the desert away…” 

Chairman, Lagos State Council 

for Arts and Culture, Polly Alakija 

who was the last speaker among 

the three presenters, had her 

contribution centered on the role 

her initiative, “Five Cowries”, an 

Arts Education Initiative, has been 

playing in the area of using arts 

education to provide educators 

with an inclusive means of 

conveying complex issues 

ranging from conservation, 

citizenship, health and migration, 

to pollution. According to Alakija 

who noted that the organisation 

was looking at using art to make a 

difference, “My Story of Water”, a 

visual art project, is “one of our 

flagship projects aimed at 

educating and raising awareness 

about water pollution crisis 

multitudes behind you 

according to the will and 

purpose of God.” 

Exploring the topic, “Potential 

is the Key to Success”, the 

author explains that the 

journey to the winners’ circle 

begins with the identification 

of one’s potential saying: 

“Great speed of 

accomplishment accompanies 

those who identify their 

potentials, every man or 

woman is born with 

extraordinary potential and 

until he or she discovers this 

and puts it into maximum use, 

his or her life cannot be 

dynamic”. However, he 

cautions that potential must be 

couched in pragmatic contexts 

beyond daydreaming warning 

that “Many people recognize 

their potentials but choose to 

bury them like the biblical 

unprofitable servants.” He 

stresses that record breakers 

are those who value their 

talents, discover, develop and 

maximize their potentials. 

The 391 paged book contains 

21 chapters with subtitles such 

as “Divine Leadership”, “The 

Attributes that Made God the 

Father-God of All”, “Human 

Leadership”, “Teachings of the 

Holy Trinity”, “Consequences 

of Sin”, “Wisdom is a Great 

Asset to Man”, “Potential is the 

Key to Success”, “The Power of 

the Mind”, “Potential Without 

a Vision is Waste”, “Faith 

Works Wonders”, “Delay is Not 

Denial” and “Divine 

Connection”. 

affecting the environment, 

waterways, climate and the need 

to protect them.” 

Speaking on the sub theme, 

“Waste to Wealth: The Growing 

Market for Recycled Art”, award 

winning film maker, Founder and 

Director, SMO Contemporary Art, 

Mrs Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago said 

one crucial area to look at was how 

art can bring us close to wealth 

through recycled materials. In 

recent times she noted, African art 

has done well in the global art 

market with Professor El Anatsui, 

the king of recycled art, taking the 

lead adding that most Nigerian 

artists doing well in the global art 

market are using recycled 

materials. Prof Bruce Onabrakpeya 

who was also present at the event 

according to Mrs Mbanefo- 

Obiago, has used recycled objects 

from the environment to 

revolutionise the art. Others in the 

pack are Olumide Onadipe, 

Nnenna Okore, Ben Enwonwu, 

Yusuf Grillo, Biodun Olaku Peju 

Alatise, Kainebi O, Kolade 

Oshinowo, etc. Also, artists such 

as Junkman, Nnenna Okore etc, 

have been involved in beach 

cleanups through their art. She 

posited that the country needs 

interdisciplinary approach that 

engages the youth, research, good 

governance and political will 

without which, there would be no 

head way. “We can’t leave arts in 

galleries; they must be taken to 

public spaces.” She intoned.


Enforcement of Okada, Keke ban: 

Mixed feelings of 

sadness, joy 

*Operators count losses, bemoan their fate 

*40 violators arrested; 188 motorcycles and 78 

tricycles impounded 

By Mike Ebonugwo, Bose 

Adelaja, Esther Onyegbula 

and Samuel Ameh 

*Some Okada operators who have chosen to leave Lagos loading 

their bikes on a trailer 

WHILE relevant agencies of 

government are 

celebrating the relative success of 

the enforcement of the ban on 

commercial motorcycles and 

tricycles popularly known as 

Okada and Keke Marwa, respectively, 

which commenced last 

Friday February 1, many on the 

receiving end of the action have 

since been counting their losses. 

The success of the on-going 

enforcement is underlined by the 

fact that the Lagos State Police 

Command has at the last count arrested 

40 violators and impounded 

188 motorcycles and 78 tricycles 

belonging to those who flouted the 

restriction order. 

The Commissioner of Police, 

Hakeem Odumosu had deployed 

Area Commanders, Divisional 

Police Officers, State Traffic 

Officers, Area Traffic Officers, 

Divisional Traffic Officers, Lagos 

State Taskforce on Environmental 

Sanitation and Special Offences 

and other Police officers across the 

state to ensure full enforcement of 

the Transport Sector Reform Law, 

2018, especially the ban on the use 

of Okada and Keke Marwa in some 

councils across the state. 

Odumosu, who monitored the enforcement, 

said he personally 

arrested some of the operators 

caught for contravening the traffic 

laws. He expressed satisfaction 

with the level of compliance across 

the state and thanked residents for 

their cooperation. 

The state government had on 

Monday January 27, 2020 

announced plans to on February 1 

commence total enforcement of 

the Reform Traffic Law of 2018 

which seeks to curtail the activities 

of the operators by restricting them 

from plying designated routes in 

15 local government areas and 40 

bridges in the state. 

Specifically, Okada and Keke 

operators were not to be seen 

plying the Lagos-Ibadan 

Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi 

Expressway, Oworonshoki-Oshodi 

Expressway, Lagos-Ikorodu 

Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta 

Expressway, Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe 

Expressway, Lagos-Badagry 

Expressway, Funsho Williams 

Avenue, Agege Motor Road, Eti- 

Osa Lekki Coastal Road. 

In the same vein they are barred 

from 40 bridges in the state. 

According Vanguard correspondents 

who monitored the 

enforcement on Saturday and 

yesterday, there was substantial 

compliance as most Okada and 

Keke operators stayed off the designated 

areas, obviously out of fear 

of arrest and prosecution by law 

enforcement agents. Our correspondent 

reported that most of 

them stayed off roads in Costain, 

*LNSC operatives who were part of the enforcenment team 

Oyingbo, Yaba, Oju Elegba, 

Mushin, Bode Thomas and Aguda 

as enforcement officials patrolled 

the areas. This was similarly the 

case in Ikeja, Oregun/Alausa, 

Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikorodu 

areas of the state. But the story was 

different in some other areas 

where compliance was partial like 

Majidun/Ogolonto as well as 

Oregun Road where some 

commercial motorcycles and 

tricycles plying Oregun/Alausa 

and Ikeja were seen on queue 

picking passengers. 

But noticeable was the fact that 

the absence of Okada and Keke 

Marwa from their familiar routes 

triggered off a hike in transport 

fares. The commercial bus 

operators have since the 

enforcement began taking advantage 

of the situation to charge 

exorbitant fares. For instance, 

places like Costain, Ojuelegba, 

Ikeja and Fadeyi recorded 100 per 

cent increase in fares as were other 

places where the enforcement took 

effect, with fares rising from N100 

to N150 and N200 to N300. Most 

of those who could not afford it 

resorted to trekking to their 

destinations. It was on account of 

this that a commuter, Mr. 

Akinwale Abiodun, who spoke to 

Vanguard, condemned the total 

ban on the operators, particularly, 

Keke Marwa, saying ”it’s going to 

bring a lot of hardship on the 

masses who don’t own a car. I’m 

sure by next week the situation will 

become worse. Government should 

have left Keke out of this ban”. 

More vocal in their complaints 

were Okada and Keke riders in the 

affected areas who have since been 

counting their losses. A cross section 

of them who spoke with our 

correspondent in Apapa, Ajegunle- 

Boundary, Ijora and Mile Two 

areas of the state complained 

bitterly that the ban has left them 

economically stranded. They said 

the action was the least they expected 

from the Lagos State governor. 

“We didn’t expect this from 

him because when he first came 

he spoke like someone who cares 

for the less privileged, somebody 

For us, riding Okada 

is not really our 

choice but a necessity 

if we must survive; 

we thought that government 

will only 

regulate us not to ban 

us outright; this is 

very unfair 

who understands that for us riding 

Okada is not really our choice but 

a necessity if we will survive. We 

thought that government will 

regulate us not to ban us outright. 

This is very unfair,” submitted 

Adamu Musa, an Okada operator 

in Apapa. Bringing a political dimension 

to this, some of Musa’s 

colleagues informed that a couple 

of months ago, Okada and Keke 

Marwa riders across the state “took 

to the road to campaign for the 

present governor in the bid to 

uphold the continuity of the APCled 

administration. Even some of 

our people got bruised and injured 

from rallies and campaign but 

what we got in exchange for our 

loyalty is a ban”. 

The ban has also attracted stiff 

criticisms from several other 

quarters, both political and nonpolitical. 

For instance, a press 

statement issued by Comrade 

Rufus Olusesan and Shoyombo 

Monsuru, Chairperson and Publicity 

Secretary of the Socialist 

Party of Nigeria, SPN, categorically 

faulted the rationale behind 

the ban. The statement observed 

that Okada has become a means 

of survival for vast number of 

young people, including unemployed 

graduates who have to 

make daily ends meet at the face 

of the collapse of industries and 

absence of provision of electricity 

and other basic amenities by the 

ruling elite in Nigeria. 

The statement said the fact that 

the new Law will affect majorly 

commercial operators who use virtual 

applications such as Opay, 

Gokada and Maxkada shows the 

insensitivity of the ruling elite as 

this new trend is putting food on 

the table of many young unemployed 

graduates. 

It also argued that: “What is 

needed today is a comprehensive 

solution that prioritises industrialisation 

that absorbs the legion 

of unemployed youths and massive 

investment on integrated transportation 

system that combines rail, 

water and road transportation”. 

But the Lagos State government 

remains unrelenting in its 

conviction that for sanity to prevail 

in Lagos, the ban on Okada 

must take effect in accordance 

with extant laws. It anchors its 

position these considerations: 

“The ban is simply in consonance 

with the Lagos State Transport 

Reform Law of 2018; The measures 

were taken due to the ‘scary 

figures’ of fatal accidents between 

2016 and 2019; Disregard for the 

law and the impermissible 

movements of the commercial 

transport operators on highways 

contributed to traffic congestion 

across Lagos; From 2016 to 2019, 

over 1000 accidents were reported 

in Lagos State General Hospitals, 

excluding unreported cases in 

non-government medical facilities; 

A total number of 600 deaths 

of innocent passengers resulting 

from recklessness of Okada riders 

have been reported; The rate of 

crimes aided by Okada and Keke 

Napep keeps rising just as they 

have served as getaway means for 

criminals”. 

For many Okada operators, it is 

obviously a no win situation for 

them. Some of them from the 

Northern part of the country have 

since decided return to their states. 

According to Suleiman 

Mohammed from Adamawa State 

who stridently condemned the ban, 

“many okada riders from Sokoto 

and Katsina states have started 

loading their motorcycles back to 

their states due to fear. They chose 

to go back home than risk bring 

arrested. Some of these riders own 

their motorcycles while some are 

delivered to them on hire 

purchase. Those who collected 

on hire purchase, pay on weekly 

basis.”

Coronavirus: First death outside 

China reported in Philippines 

A 

man has died of the 

coronavirus in the 

Philippines, the first confirmed 

fatality outside China. 

The patient was a 44- 

year-old Chinese man from 

Wuhan, in Hubei province, 

where the virus was first 

detected. 

He appeared to have 

been infected before arriving 

in the Philippines, the 

World Health Organization 

(WHO) said. 

More than 300 people 

have died in the outbreak 

so far, the vast majority 

from Hubei. More than 

14,000 people have been 

infected. 

The US, Australia and an 

increasing number of other 

countries have barred 

the arrival of foreigners 

from China and are requiring 

their own citizens to be 

quarantined. 

The number of coronavirus 

cases worldwide has 

overtaken that of the similar 

Sars epidemic, which 

spread to more than two 

dozen countries in 2003. 

But the mortality rate of the 

new virus is much lower, 

suggesting it is not as 

deadly. 

The man travelled to the 

Philippines from Wuhan, 

via Hong Kong, with a 38- 

year-old Chinese woman 

who also tested positive last 

week, the Philippines Department 

of Health said. 

Officials said he was admitted 

to a hospital in the 

capital, Manila, where he 

developed severe pneumonia. 

The man is thought to 

have had other pre-existing 

health conditions. 

Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the 

WHO representative to the 

Philippines, urged people 

to remain calm: “This is the 

first reported death outside 

China. However, we need 

to take into mind that this 

is not a locally acquired 

case. This patient came 

from the epicentre of this 

outbreak.” 

According to local news 

outlet Rappler, Health Secretary 

Francisco Duque III 

said the patient was “stable 

and showed signs of 

improvement”, but his condition 

deteriorated rapidly 

over 24 hours. 

VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — 39 

UK will not align with EU rules, says Raab 

BRITAIN began an un 

certain future outside 

the European Union at the 

weekend as it gears up for 

likely gruelling negotiations 

on future relations with the 

EU after the historic end to 

almost half a century of membership. 

There was joy and sadness 

on Friday night as the EU’s 

often reluctant member became 

the first to leave an organisation 

set up to forge 

unity among nations after the 

horrors of World War II. 

Little has changed yet as 

the UK is now in an 11- 

month transition period 

agreed as part of the divorce. 

Britons will be able to work 

in the EU and trade freely 

— and vice versa — until 

December 31, although the 

UK will no longer be represented 

in the bloc’s institutions. 

But legally Britain is out, 

with attention now turning 

to what are set to be tough 

talks with Brussels this year 

on the future relationship. 

British newspapers reported 

late Saturday that the 

government was readying 

for a bruising battle. 

The eurosceptic Sunday 

Telegraph said Prime Minister 

Boris Johnson had already 

become “privately infuriated” 

at perceived EU 

attempts “to frustrate a comprehensive 

free trade deal”. 

A leaked memo from Foreign 

Secretary Dominic 

Raab orders UK diplomats 

to make an immediate break 

Police shoot man dead after 

London stabbing attack 

POLICE shot a man 

dead on a busy south 

London street on Sunday 

after three people were 

wounded, one critically, in 

a stabbing attack that police 

called terrorism-related. 

Some witnesses said the 

man had been armed with 

a machete. One described 

him as wearing silver canisters 

on his chest. Police 

said the man they had shot 

had been pronounced 

dead. 

The London ambulance 

service said three people 

were wounded and had 

been taken to hospital after 

the attack in Streatham, 

a residential district south 

of the River Thames. It was 

with former European allies, 

in ways such as not sitting 

alongside them at international 

summits, the Sunday 

Times said. 

It instructed them to “adopt 

a stance as a confident independent 

country,” the 

paper added. 

British voters backed 

Brexit by a narrow margin 

in a 2016 referendum, 

sparking several years of 

domestic political gridlock 

about how, or even whether, 

to deliver it. 

not clear if all three suffered 

stab wounds. 

Police said the scene of 

the incident was now fully 

contained. “The circumstances 

are being assessed; 

the incident has 

been declared as terroristrelated,” 

the police said on 

Twitter. 

They said one of the 

wounded was in a lifethreatening 

condition. A 

Western security source 

said the incident was related 

to Islamist militancy. 

Another security source 

said it was being treated 

as terrorism as the man 

was thought to have been 

wearing a fake explosive 

device. 

Police were still looking 

into whether he had been 

under surveillance by security 

services, the source 

said. The local member of 

parliament, Bell Ribeiro- 

Addy, said one of the 

wounded was seriously 

hurt. 

Sky News quoted Gulled 

Bulhan, a 19-year-old student 

from Streatham, as 

saying he witnessed the 

shooting in front of a shop. 

“I was crossing the road 

when I saw a man with a 

machete and silver canisters 

on his chest being 

chased by what I assume 

was an undercover police 

officer - as they were in civilian 

clothing,” Bulhan 

said.


No suspected Coronavirus case in Lagos 

Total deaths: 305 (304 in China, 1 in 

— LASG 

.Urges China returnees to observe self quarantine 

By Sola Ogundipe & 

Chioma Obinna 

CONTRARY to a media 

report on alleged 

suspected case of the 

coronavirus in a hospital in 

Lekki area of Lagos, facts 

yesterday emerged that 

the person just arrived from 

China and needed to be 

monitored as part of the 

response mechanisms in 

the state. 

In the report it was claimed 

that a suspected case of a 

patient with the 

Coronavirus had been 

quarantined at a hospital 

in Lekki, Lagos. 

When contacted, the State 

Commissioner for Health, 

Prof Akin Abayomi 

dismissed the report, 

describing it as fake news. 

Giving an update on the 

suspected Coronavirus 

case in Lagos on Saturday 

1/02/2020 on his twitter 

h a n d l e 

@ProfAkinAbayomi, the 

Comissioner for Health 

wrote: 

"The attention of 

@followlasg and 

@LSMOH has been 

drawn to a story of a query 

suspected case of 

#2019nCoV infection 

which presented at a 

particular private hospital 

in Lekki on 29/01/2020. 

"The subject in question is 

an adult male Nigerian 

who arrived from China 4 

days ago. He was in 

Shanghai throughout his 

A traveller being screened at the airport 

stay in China and during 

his stay he did not have any 

contact with anyone who 

was ill or from Wuhan 

region. 

"On his return to Lagos he 

has followed our 

instructions from 

@LSMOH and like a 

responsible member of the 

society has chosen to self 

quarantine. He presented 

to a hospital for a check up 

just to be sure but was 

found to be perfectly well 

and asked to return home 

to continue his self 

quarantine. He is therefore 

clinically not a suspected 

case of #2019-nCoV as he 

is not exhibiting any 

symptoms. 

"As of 2:38pm today when 

I called the epidemiology 

officers of @LSMOH and 

the doctor that attended to 

him at the hospital in Lekki, 

he remains in perfect health 

with no symptoms of 

#nCoV2019. 

"Nevertheless @LSMOH 

will continue to monitor his 

welfare till the end of his 

self quarantine period. As 

of now there is no 

suspected or confirmed 

case of #nCoV2019 in 

Lagos. 

"I urge you all to be vigilant 

and call +234 802 316 9485 

for any suspected case of 

infections, " he concluded. 

In a related development, 

the Lagos State 

WHO warns against stoking fear as FG 

raids another Chinese restaurant 

By Victoria Ojeme 

THE World Health 

Organisation, WHO, 

has cautioned against 

stirring-up unhealthy fear 

in the populace over the 

outbreak of coronavirus in 

China. 

The Director General of 

the WHO, Dr Tedros 

Adhanom Ghebreyesus 

said China's measures at 

containing the virus spread 

are not only protecting its 

people, but also protecting 

the people of the world. 

His words: "It's important 

to not install too much fear 

into people and to have 

them lead a normal life as 

good as possible in these 

circumstances,” while 

calling for a rational 

approach to the 

management of the 

coronavirus. 

According to SUN 

Saixiong, spokesperson of 

the Embassy of China in 

Nigeria: “On the Chinese 

mainland, the total number 

of confirmed cases of the 

novel coronavirus climbed 

to 11,791 as of midnight of 

31st January, including 259 

deaths and 243 who had 

recovered and been 

discharged from the 

hospital, according to the 

China’s National Health 

Commission,” Saixiong 

said. 

Meanwhile, the Federal 

government of Nigeria has 

apprehended another 

Chinese supermarket, 

known as the Haopeng 

Hotel and Restaurant 

limited, in Jabi, Abuja 24 

hours after it raided Panda 

Supermarket. 

The government said its 

investigations showed that 

Panda Supermarket was 

"selling frozen imported 

seafood, animals like frogs 

and snakes under 

suspicious conditions with 

no packaging raising 

serious concerns, 

especially when origin is 

China because of 

coronavirus. 

Discriminating against 

Nigerian nationals in access 

to displays is also wrong." 

The Chief Executive of 

the Federal Competition 

and Consumer Protection 

Commission, FCCPC, 

Babatunde Irukera, said 

what the Agency has done 

is to closedown Haopeng 

Hoel and Restaurant like it 

did with the Panda 

supermarket. 

His words: “This another 

location of an ethnic 

restaurant and 

supermarket that restricts 

access, what you’ve seen 

here is we had 

uncooperative operatives 

and we had to force the 

place open, the entire 

building you see here the 

multiple stores and multiple 

floors and those stores have 

all kind of food items that 

are expired and what 

seems to be behind doors 

which is a make shift, which 

is an additional 

construction that is 

completely concealed is the 

supermarket. 

government has advised 

all travelers returning from 

China or exposed to a 

traveler from China or any 

country where cases of 

novel coronavirus has been 

reported to observe selfquarantine 

on arrival in 

Lagos. 

The advise which was 

contained in the Lagos 

State government public 

advisory issued on Sunday 

through the State 

Commissioner for Health, 

noted that unsupervised 

self-quarantine for travelers 

is the first step in 

containing coronavirus in 

the State. 

"Self-quarantine is a public 

health strategy used to 

separate and isolate 

individuals who may have 

been exposed to a 

communicable disease. 

The aim is to protect 

individuals who may have 

been exposed and the 

general public. 

“During unsupervised selfquarantine, 

we expect 

persons concerned to 

respond to the State advise 

and act like responsible 

citizens. 

" You are required to restrict 

your movement to your 

home, monitor yourself 

closely, report any 

symptoms that may 

develop to the Ministry of 

Health on the contact 

numbers provided and 

engage in good personal 

hygiene”, Abayomi said. 

Continuing, Abayomi 

explained that persons 

observing self-quarantine 

must stay at home during 

the whole duration of the 

self-quarantine, and must 

avoid workplace, minimise 

contact with family 

members, ensure no contact 

with visitors, refrain from 

attending or going to public 

or social functions and must 

not ride or fly in any mode 

of public transportation. 

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

Philippines) 

Confirmed cases: 14,677 

Total recovered: Over 370 

No. of affected countries: 27 

Confirmed cases by Country/Region 

(as of 7pm on 02/02/2020) 

Mainland China: 

14,497 

Japan: 20 

Hong Kong: 19 

Thailand: 19 

Singapore : 18 

South Korea: 15 

Australia: 12 

Taiwan: 10 

Germany: 10 

Macau: 8 

Malaysia : 8 

Vietnam: 7 

France: 6 

US: 5 

UAE: 5 

Canada: 3 

India: 2 

Italy: 2 

Philippines: 2 

Russia: 2 

UK: 2 

Cambodia: 1 

Finland: 1 

Sweden: 1 

Nepal: 1 

Spain: 1 

Sri Lanka: 1 

More countries issue travel 

ban to China 

M 

ORE countries have banned travel to China in the 

wake of the outbreak of the novel corona virus 

As the death toll rose above 300 in China, more countries 

have issued travel warnings and bans. 

Vietnam has barred all flights from and to China. Over 

all, nearly 10,000 flights have been canceled since the 

outbreak. 

Australia is temporarily denying entry to non-citizens 

who have recently traveled to the country. Japan also 

said it would bar foreigners who had recently been in the 

Chinese province at the centre of the outbreak, or whose 

passports were issued there. 

Previously, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, 

Japan, Hong Kong, France, New Zealand, India, Egypt, 

Gemany and a host of others had issues travel warnings 

or bans to the Asian country. 

African airlines have cancelled scheduled flights to 

China except Ethiopian Airlines. Last week, Nigeria 

issued a travel warning to China even as Nigerians in 

China were urged to tread with caution. 

Several countries have barred flights from and to China 

and some countries are temporarily denying entry to 

noncitizens who have recently traveled to China. 

Some of the countries are barring foreigners who had 

recently been in the Chinese province at the centre of the 

outbreak, or whose passports were issued there. 

Lassa fever: Delta State 

confirms 1 death, 8 cases 

By Perez Brisibe 

THE Delta State government said it has recorded 

eight cases with one death while at least 120 are 

currently under surveillance for Lassa fever. 

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi 

Anonye disclosed this weekend on a Pidgin English 

public enlightenment programme, “How Una See Am” 

on the state owned radio station. 

“So far, we have recorded eight cases of Lassa Fever 

in the state with one death which was properly buried 

by the medical team. The seven persons are currently 

receiving and responding very well to treatment at the 

Irrua specialist hospital in Edo State. 

“For now, we have over 120 persons under 

surveillance for the ailment and we have stationed 

trained personnel for at the Special Lassa Fever Ward 

at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba. 

“The government has also supplied Personal 

Protective Equipments, PPE to every hospital, health 

centres and local government council health officers 

called Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer. 

“Also, health workers are being trained on how to 

handle patients for infection and prevention control as 

regards high index of suspicion cases and also 

enlighten the people on how food should be preserved 

and protected to avoid being contaminated.”

C 

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the protest 

A Nigerian-born 

Continental Church and 

Mission Leader, Peace 

and Social Justice 

Advocate, Rev. Gideon 

Para-Mallam, has hailed 

the CAN Prayer/Peace 

Protests Marches, saying 

the decision by the 

leadership of CAN at the 

national level and 

supported by the states, 

to call Christians to fast 

and pray for three days 

was not only a step in the 

right direction but highly 

commendable. 

“The massive support 

from church leaders and 

followers across the 

nation and the 

denominational divide 

also signifies our 

commitment to 

collectively unite in the 

face of evil. By uniting in 

this way, we are also 

making a powerful 

statement both locally 

and globally. 

“I am pleased that the 

world is listening in 

practical ways and giving 

attention to what is 

happening in Nigeria 

and the plight of 

Christians in what they 

are going through. More 

global voices from high 

places will continue to 

speak out against the 

many faces of social 

injustice and religious 

persecution plaguing our 

country. That is definite. 

The Church will do well 

to commit itself to being 

salt and light to the 

world. 

“This should reassure 

and encourage our 

hearts. We need to both 

believe and live as 

counter-cultural agents 

against corruption in the 

Church and country.” 

Enough of the 

killings 

– Lagos CAN 

Chairman, Lagos State 

chapter of CAN, Apostle 

Alexander Bamgbola, 

who called on 

government at all levels 

to rise to the occasion, 

said “enough is enough.” 

The national body of 

CAN had earlier called 

on all Christians across 

the country to embark on 

a ‘prayer walk’ yesterday 

to protest the gruesome 

killing of the CAN 

Chairman in Michika 

Local Government Area 

of Adamawa State, 

Lawan Andimi, by Boko 

Haram terrorists. 

Addressing journalists 

after the peaceful walk, 

Apostle Bamgbola called 

on 

President 

Muhammed Buhari to 

overhaul the security 

apparatus in the country 

to curb the killings. 

Maintain Nigeria’s 

status as secular state, 

RCCG tells FG 

Members of RCCG, 

Abuja, yesterday, 

during the protest urged 


to ensure that Nigeria is 

not exclusively allied 

with any religion, saying 

no religious group 

should be supported 

above the others. 

Speaking during the 

prayer walk, Pastor 

Ezekiel Odeyemi, 

RCCG’s Assistant 

General Overseer incharge 

of Northern 

Region, said the protest 

was to demonstrate the 

church’s disapproval of 

the killings and 

bloodshed. 

Odeyemi said: “The 

Church is coming out to 

condemn the frequent 

killings in the country. 

Nigeria is a secular 

state, and everybody has 

right to worship God in 

whatever way he 

chooses. 

“Our advice to the 

leadership of the 

country is for them to 

ensure that no religion 

is supported above the 

other. They must 

ensure the secularity of 

Nigeria is maintained. 

So long as this is done, 

there will be no 

problems and peace will 

reign across the country. 

“We grew up in this 

country loving and 

tolerating one another. 

Our differences, 

especially in religion 

didn’t matter. But all 

that have suddenly 

changed. That’s why we 

are having all these 

bloodshed,” he said. 

Delta CAN 

asks for 

Amotekun in 

N’Delta 

In Delta State, the 

state CAN chapter 

decried the high rate of 

killings, kidnapping, 

banditry and other forms 

of crime in the country, 

urging South-South 

governors to come 

together and put up a 

formidable security 

outfit like Amotekun to 

complement the effort of 

the Police and other 

security agencies in the 

region. 

Speaking during a 

press briefing after a 

three-day fasting and 

prayer rally declared by 

the association, Senior 

Apostle Sylvanus 

Okorote said recent 

security developments 

in Nigeria call for worry 

and expressed 

displeasure with the 

Federal Government’s 

handling of matters 

concerning the security 

of lives and property of 

Nigerians. 

Okorote said: “Federal 

Government and 

Presidency should 

accept, encourage and 

support other 

geopolitical zones to 

design their version of 

‘Amotekun’, a security 

apparatus which I 

believe will best match 

the security challenges of 

states within each region. 

“The Federal 

Government should give 

all ethnic nationalities 

the right of security 

which is the primary 

responsibility of the 

government. Give all 

regions freedom and 

protection to practice 

their faith peacefully. 

Stop by all means, the 

killing of Christians and 

overthrowing of 

Christian communities by 

armed militia.” 

Calling on President 

Buhari to review the 

performance of his 

service chiefs, he said, 

“the President should 

honourably retire them 

for fresh hands to man 

the country’s security 

outfits.” 

Okorote told the 

Federal Government to 

restore the dignity and 

independence of the 

judiciary by obeying 

court orders, urging the 

National Assembly to 

speedily legislate on the 

“total ban on open 

grazing.” 

We’ve lost faith 

in the 

leadership 

— Benue CAN 

Benue State chapter of 

CAN, yesterday, said it 

has lost faith in the 

leadership of the country 

and appealed to the 

international community 

to intervene in the spate 

of killings in the country. 

Chairman of Benue 

CAN, Rev. Akpen Leva 

said, “Enough is enough, 

the bloodshed has 

become too much. We are 

in a country where the 

life of a cow is more 

important than that of a 

human. 

“What a nation! We now 

live in fear. Nigerians are 

killed and their killers 

walk around freely 

without the authorities 

arresting them, our 

hearts bleed and we 

cannot continue like this. 

“Our leaders must be 

alive to their 

responsibilities and save 

our country the 

bloodshed and killings of 

Christians which is 

perpetrated on a daily 

basis. 

“We are also appealing 

to the international 

community to step into 

the Nigerian situation 

WORLD CANCER DAY —Chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc 

Committee on Abandoned Projects by NDDC, Rep. Nicholas Ossai (3rd, L); 

Founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation (MCF) and the First Lady of Kebbi 

State, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu (4th, L); acting Executive Director, Project 

Pink Blue, Mr Emeka Nwagboso (2nd,L); Executive Director, Transcorp Hotel 

PLC., Okaima Ohizua (3rd, R); General Manager of the hotel, Kevin Brett 

(2nd, R) and other participants, during an 'Awareness Walk Against Cancer' 

to commemorate the 2020 World Cancer Day in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

and stop the ceaseless 

killings of Christians 

before we are totally 

wiped out,” Rev. Leva 

said. 

Earlier, Vice Chairman 

of CAN and Benue 

Chairman of Pentecostal 

Fellowship on Nigeria, 

PFN, Bishop Mike 

Angou in a sermon titled 

“Be a Prepared 

Christian” charged 

Christians to be vigilant. 

RCCG marches 

in Osun 

Members of RCCG, 

yesterday, joined other 

members of the church 

nationwide to protest 

against insecurity and 

killings of Christians 

across the nation, 

especially in the 

Northern part of the 

country. 

The protest was led by 

the presiding Pastor, 

RCCG, The Breakforth 

Parish, Osogbo, 

Olagunju Abioye. 

The protesters started 

by 11:10a.m., shortly 

after the Sunday service 

at Odi-Olowo Street, 

Osogbo and marched 

through the streets to 

the popular Ola-Iya 

junction in the state 

capital. 

Members of the 

church carried placards 

with several inscriptions 

such as, “We say no to 

terrorism,” “All Souls are 

precious to God,” 

“RCCG/CAN say Every 

life matters,” “Stop 

killing now,” and many 

more. 

The pastor and 

members prayed 

fervently at Ola-Iya 

junction before they 

terminated the protest in 

the church. 

Protests 

against 

insecurity in 

Akure 

Christians in Ondo 

State under CAN, joined 

in the protest against the 

incessant killings in the 

country. 

For over two hours, 

Akure, the Ondo State 

capital stood still as the 

protests lasted. 

Speaking during the 

prayer, the Bishop of 

Ondo Catholic Diocese, 

Bishop 

Jude 

Arogundade, lambasted 


for folding its arms while 

citizens of the country are 

being slaughtered on 

daily basis by terrorists, 

herdsmen and other 

criminals. 

Arogundade said: “The 

Prayer protest” became 

necessary to call on God 

to deliver the nation from 

the bondage of terrorists, 

while the government 

had failed to defend the 

people of the county. 

“We are here because 

for so long and for too 

long, we have seen a 

government that is 

playing the ostrich, that 

will want to give 

audience 

to 

organizations such as 

Miyetti Allah. 

“This is time for us to 

speak out clearly; if the 

government can no 

longer defend the 

Christians in this country, 

we will defend 

ourselves, it is our right 

and duty, especially 

when we can see and can 

see clearly that 

government is no longer 

defending the lawabiding 

and hardworking 

Nigerians any 

more. 

“Every country in the 

world will defend the 

defenceless, the 

hardworking, honest and 

ordinary people but our 

government continues to 

look the other way. They 

prefer to arrest those who 

are protesting against the 

system rather than those 

who are destroying the 

system. 

“We have come to pray 

for you, to see the truth 

and the truth to set you 

free. We pray for our 

government that they 

may uphold the truth 

and justice.” 

Nasarawa 

begins 3-day 

prayers 

The Nasarawa State 

Chapter of CAN, 

commenced three days 

intense prayer over the 

spate of insecurity 

across the country. 

Bishop Joseph Masin, 

the state’s CAN 

chairman at beginning of 

the prayers held at the 

Evangelical Reformed 

Church of Christ, ERCC, 

Lafia-Central, said that 

divine intervention was 

needed to address the 

increasing insecurity in 

the country. 

Masin said that as 

religious leaders, they 

were not happy with the 

way citizens were killed 

carelessly in parts of the 

country. 

The bishop called on 

the government to be 

proactive and prioritize 

the security of its citizens 

irrespective of their 

religious affiliations. 

He urged Nigerians to 

shelve their differences 

and unite in order defeat 

the terrorists and other 

criminal elements 

threatening the survival 

of the nation. 

The leaders and other 

members of the 

Christians body in the 

state gathered in Lafia, 

the state capital and 

other Local Government 

Areas for the prayers 

that would be concluded 

on Wednesday. 

The programme 

featured prayers for 

peace, unity, 

development and 

continued integration of 

the country by different 

Continues on Page 43



The long walk 

to Community 

Policing 

•How far will outfit go? 

•Lessons from OPC, Egbesu boys, Bakassi 

boys, Operation Zaki, others 

•South-West insists on Amotekun 

•Other zones eye Amotekun arrangement 

By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Evelyn Usman & 

Henry Ojelu 

IN April 2019, at the Forum of 

Northern Traditional Rulers in 

Kaduna, President Muhammadu 

Buhari, approved the adoption of 

Community Policing to tackle the 

upsurge of crime in Nigeria. 

Before now, Community Policing 

has been on the front burner of security 

discourse with many stakeholders 

clamouring for it on the assumption 

that it is the long awaited solution 

to stem the tide of insecurity. 

With the prevailing security challenges 

evidenced in the escalation 

of violent conflicts and crimes: from 

herdsmen-farmers clashes, insurgency 

in North-East, resurgence of 

militancy in the Niger Delta and 

kidnapping for ransom in the South 

West and other regions, the need for 

a strategic policing approach has 

become expedient. 

Origin of community policing 

The concept which started decades 

back in the United Kingdom and 

United States, did not come to Nigeria 

until 2004. The main aim for 

launching the pilot scheme in the 

country then, was to make the Police 

closer to members of the public 

and by extension, get prompt information 

that could help them to be 

proactive. 

The earlier concept of this initiative 

resulted in the formation of vigilante 

groups in every nook and 

cranny of the country. Ethnic militias 

as vigilante groups emerged in 

communities and cities across the 

country ostensibly to combat rising 

crime waves in the face of the inability 

of the Police to effectively deal 

with armed robbery and other violent 

crimes. 

Operation Sunlight 

The very first of such operations 

began around 1988 during the tenure 

of the military governor of Borno 

State, Lt Col Abdul One Muhammed, 

who introduced what he 

called ‘Operation Sunlight.” The 

operation was made up of detectives 

and vigilante groups with mandate 

to arrest and prosecute robbery suspects. 

Apparently, the government 

found the judicial process rather 

slow and boring. 

The government later reconstituted 

the squad to form another outfit 

code-named “Operation Damisa” 

(Hausa name for leopard) made up 

of men drawn from the army, the 

Police and civil defence groups who 

acted as informants. 

Operation Zaki 

“Operation Zaki” was the codename 

assigned to a brutal hit squad 

comprised of the army and civilian 

vigilante groups set up by the military 

government of Borno State in 

response to the menace of armed 

robbery in the state. Its mandate 

was to shoot at sight any person 

(rightly or wrongly) suspected to be 

a robber. 

A spine chilling account of the 

activities of the squad as given by a 

nurse who witnessed the killing of 

seven suspects at Damagun General 

Hospital Maiduguri read thus: 

“They (referring to the Zaki Squad) 

came here (the hospital), late last 

year with about six suspects, in a 

pick-up van. They ordered everybody 

around to stay away. Soon the 

suspects were told to lie face down 

and I was horrified to watch the 

bodies wriggle to the numerous bullets 

that are being pumped into them 

by soldiers (about four of them).” 

The mass killing of people in the 

name of Operation Zaki continued 

in spite of the protest from human 

rights organizations and other concerned 

members of the public. 

O’dua People Congress, OPC 

The OPC was formed during the 

dark and brutal era of repressive 

military dictatorship presided over 

by General Sani Abacha. It was an 

ethnic response to the perceived persecution 

of Yoruba people under the 

military regime. This persecution 

was believed to have culminated in 

the annulment of the June 12, 1993 

presidential election apparently 

won by late Chief M.K. O. Abiola. 

Core to the formation of OPC, 

was the demand for a Sovereign 

National Conference, SNC, to address 

issues of marginalization and 

oppression. Over time OPC began 

to meddle into vigilante activities 

and became effective in using unorthodox 

means to fish out and eliminate 

criminals. For this reason, the 

group often clashed with the Police, 

who believed that the OPC was 

usurping their constitutional functions. 

The Police also accuse the 

OPC of excesses of resorting to lawless 

methods and killing innocent 

people. 

On the other hand, the OPC accuse 

the Police of colluding with and 

aiding criminals. They allege that 

when suspects are arrested and handed 

over to the Police, they take bribe 

from the suspects, release them and 

the criminals turn on their captors 

with a vengeance. There were regular 

bitter and bloody clashes between 

the OPC and the Police on the 

one hand and the Police and civil 

society on the other hand. The bitter 

encounters resulted in enormous 

casualties on both sides. 

The Bakassi boys 

Historically, Bakassi was a child 

of necessity. When armed robbery 

rose to a level unprecedented in history 

of Aba, Abia State and another 

group of young vandals who call 

themselves the Mafia, held Aba hostage, 

the Police was unable to protect 

lives and property in that commercial 

town. The traders who were 

the worst victims then set up a resistance 

force which countered the 

armed robbers and the Mafia. They 

triumphed. That was the birth of 

Bakassi boys. 

Bakassi Boys was a group made 

up of artisans (mainly shoe makers) 

and traders in Ariaria Market extension, 

Aba (called Bakassi). They 

organized themselves into a citizeninitiated 

vigilante group called the 

Bakassi Boys. Suspected criminals 

who hitherto freely menaced the city 

and its environs were fished out, 

“tried in the Bakassi “Court” and 

those convicted had their arms, legs 

and head chopped off with machetes 

before being burnt. 

One month after the Bakassi operation 

started, calm and normalcy 

were reported to have returned to 

the city. The Bakassi Boys pursued 

The concept 

which started 

decades back in 

the United 

Kingdom and 

United States, 

did not come to 

Nigeria until 2004 

suspects who reportedly fled to 

neighbouring cities and villages, 

apprehended and brought them 

back to Aba to face ‘trial’ 

Onitsha and Nnewi in Anambra 

State, on the other hand became 

uninhabitable, as a result of the 

menace of armed robbers and liability 

of the Nigerian Police Force 

to live up to their constitutional duty. 

Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, the governor 

quickly extended an invitation 

to the crime bursting outfit. The 

governor who declared himself as 

the commander-in-chief of the 

Bakassi Boys observed thus: “We 

heard of the exploits of Bakassi Boys 

in Aba, we went and invited them. 

Within three to four weeks, things 

changed. Rather than the armed 

robbers chasing us around, we 

found ourselves on the offensive. 

Now the robbers are on the run.” 

The Egbesu boys 

The Egbesu boys were the first real 

attempt at community policing in 

the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. 

Before the formation of the group, 

Niger-Delta area witnessed a lot of 

crises. These crises centered on effects 

of oil exploration and exploitation 

and demand for resource control 

and compensation by the people 

of the Niger-Delta. Then issues 

were accompanied with a lot of 

youth restiveness manifesting in cases 

of kidnapping and hostage taking 

of oil workers. The causes of 

youth restiveness in the Niger Delta 

included lack of youth development 

programmes by government, activities 

of multinational companies; 

lack of youth participation in policy 

and decision making; poverty, 

unemployment, oppression and 

marginalization; insensitively of 

government to demands of the 

youth; mistrust of elders; environmental 

pollution; domination by 

major ethnic groups, unitary nature 

of Nigeria’s political system and 

lack of control of natural resources. 

With the above problems facing the 

Niger Delta, it necessitated the birth 

of the Egbesu Boys. 

The new phase 

With the exception of few, most of 

the community policing outfits fizzled 

out. As time progressed, the 

concept was reviewed, with Commissioners 

of Police meeting with 

members of the public on monthly 

basis to get report of their peculiar 

security challenges and the way out. 

In Lagos, armed policemen were 

attached to members of these vigilante 

groups, who carry out surveillance 

of crime-prone areas. With the 

•President Buhari 

symbiotic relationship, the Police 

gradually began to win the confidence 

of members of the public in 

information gathering. A vivid instance 

to this attestation was ending 

the reign of terror of the Badoo 

cult group in Lagos State. 

There were also establishment of 

state-owned security outfits to drive 

home the debate on Community 

Policing, with retired senior security 

personnel assigned to head them. 

The Neighborhood Watch which 

has been in existence in Lagos was 

upgraded to the Lagos Neighborhood 

Safety Corps, LNSC, where 

residents of a particular area were 

mandated to watch over the area, 

make arrest when necessary and 

hand culprits over to Police divisions 

in their localities. 

A similar outfit ‘The Rivers State 

Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency 

RIVNESCA, had 3,000 persons 

recruited into it, with a charge to 

bridge the security gap in the state. 

Plateau state, established Operation 

Rainbow, among others. 

The new community policing 

idea 

Meanwhile, President Buhari’s 

Community Policing, which was 

reiterated by the Inspector-General 

of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, 

Tuesday, introduced a new policy 

and modern pattern to the concept. 

It is expected to align with the existing 

traditional security structure in 

Northern Nigeria. 

To this effect, 40,000 Nigerians 

under this new concept will be addressed 

as Special Constables. They 

will be drawn from communities 

where they reside: be it their states 

of origin or not. In this case, they are 

expected to carry out same functions 

and duties of the conventional Police, 

including wearing the regular 

police uniforms and are expected to 

be paid allowances by the Federal 

Government. 

The Special Constables Model 

according to the Inspector General 

of Police was mirrored after the Police 

Community Support Officers 

Standard in the United Kingdom 

policing architecture. 

To kick start this phase; Commissioners 

of Police have begun to meet 

with security stake holders in their 

respective commands. 

In Lagos, the Commissioner of 

Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, met 

with members of the screening committee, 

comprising Local Government 

Chairmen, Traditional Rulers 

Continues on Page 37

C 

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Y 

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The long walk to Community Policing 

Continues from Page 36 

and members of the Police 

Community Relations Committee, 

PCRC, Wednesday, to 

sensitize them on the concept. 

Modalities for screening 

Members of the screening 

committee are expected to 

recruit volunteers from their 

communities as Community 

Policing Officers, CPOs otherwise 

known as Constabulary 

Police. One of the major 

qualifications for recruitment 

is one devoid of criminal 

records. After selection, volunteers 

are expected to be 

taken to the nearest police 

stations for character checks 

before undergoing training 

with the Police. 

At the meeting, traditional 

leaders from different ethnic 

groups raised concern over 

the possibility of the screening 

process being ethnicised. 

Some also stressed the need 

for members of the screening 

committee to put their feet 

down, and prevent politicians 

from hijacking the process. 

The committee was also cautioned 

to be fair in the recruitment. 

Briefing journalists at the 

end of the meeting, CP Odumosu 

said: “ We are highly 

elated because they (Constabulary 

Police) are coming in 

to assist us. Police can’t work 

without information. They 

will serve as our eyes and informants 

. 

“The meeting is about practicality 

of community policing. 

It is a sensitization step 

towards actualizing the federal 

government’s decision to 

bring in community policing 

on board, through the IGP. It 

is going to reduce shortage 

of manpower in the police but 

more importantly it is going 

to be a symbiotic one. “The 

modalities for recruitment 

and their duties are stated in 

sections 49 and 50 of the Police 

Acts and Regulations. 

They (CPOs) are unlike the 

SPY Police because they are 

going to be working in police 

stations, like regular policemen. 

They have same rights 

and privileges as the conventional 

police. So they may be 

deployed to work at the 

counter, or be sent to invite 

somebody to the station. 

“Part of the qualifications 

is age, as stated in the Police 

Act. The age requirement is 

between 21 years and 50 

years. There may be variations 

in other areas, for instance, 

a Police Constable 

must have at least Secondary 

School Certificate Examination, 

whereas they (CPOs) 

may not require such because 

it is a voluntary service. 

“Their services will be restricted 

to the communities 

they reside. Unlike regular 

Police that will be transferred, 

they will not be transferred 

outside their communities. If 

they leave the communities 

they were recruited, they can 

not work from their new locations, 

as their services are 

not transferable. They will 

have to undergo training with 

us after the screening committee 

recruits them.” 

Project long overdue 

Describing the new move as 

a welcome development, 

Chairman of Idu Victoria Island 

Local Development 

Council, Princess Basirat 

Abiodun, said that the project 

was long overdue, adding that 

security was the duty of all 

and not strictly the Police. 

•Rotimi Akeredolu 

She noted that recruitment 

of people with good characters 

as CPOs would be better 

done by community leaders, 

since they were closer to the 

people . 

She also ruled out the possibility 

of the recruitment being 

hijacked by politicians or 

being characterized with favoritism. 

She said: “Lagos, 

being a metropolitan state, 

will accommodate those 

qualified.” 

Asked the difference between 

CPOs and Amotekun, 

she replied, “ The issue of 

Amotekun is about South 

West only and it has its own 

segment. But this one is a 

Federal thing. These two can 

work together for peace and 

security because security is 

germane , so, everybody must 

key in.” 

The Amotekun, 

others challenge 

Given past experience, the 

questions on the lips of some 

observers are: will community 

policing meet the security 

needs of the country? Since 

it will be under the police, will 

it not suffer the fate of the regular 

police? Will it not face 

the problems of funding, and 

logistics among others? 

Indeed, the Pan-Yoruba Soc 

io-Political Organization, 

Afenifere, last week, the 

South-West would resist attempts 

to make Amotekun 

part of the community policing 

programme of the Federal 

Government Afenifere 

Spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin, 

said the regional security 

outfit, which had been 

widely accepted, should be 

allowed to have its own independence 

and not tied to the 

Inspector-General of Police 

He said: “We rejected any 

attempt to subsume 

Amotekun under any community 

policing scheme of 

the Federal Government to 

be mere informants to the 

police. Amotekun should be 

independent in carrying out 

the security of residents of 

South-West with defined operational 

cooperation with 

the police but not function as 

its subordinate. 

“While Amotekun has now 

come to stay, there must be 

no let or hindrance in the pursuit 

of a federal state so we 

can revert to the multi-level 

policing status of Nigeria of 

the past.” 

Indeed, South-West leaders 

are exploring all angles including 

legal to make 

Amotekun functional. One of 

the legal teeth is getting the 

six houses of assembly in the 

South-West to pass the 

Amotekun Law so that the 

outfit can begin operation, 

this month. 

As expected, other regions 

of the country have started 

copying the Amotekun model. 

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, the umbrella 

body of monarchs, leaders 

•IGP Adamu 

and stakeholders in the Niger 

Delta, at an expanded 

National Executive Committee, 

NEC, meeting, weekend, 

urged the six South-South 

governors to urgently put in 

place a regional security outfit 

similar to Amotekun. 

In like manner, governors 

of the five South-East states 

have concluded plans to establish 

a security outfit similar 

to Operation Amotekun. 

Last year, most of the governors 

sanctioned the establishment 

of Forest Guards, 

which was implemented by 

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi 

of Enugu State. 

Chairman of the South- 

East Governors Forum and 

Ebonyi State Governor, David 

Umahi, weekend, while 

hosting the General Officer 

Commanding 82 Division of 

the Nigerian Army, Lasisi 

Adegboye, in Abakaliki, the 

State Capital, said the governors 

had written the Federal 

Government, and met with 

military authorities on their 

plan to establish the South- 

East regional security outfit.. 

Origins of Amotekun 

Western Nigeria Security 

Network, WNSN, codenamed 

Operation Amotekun 

(Leopard)was established on 

January 9, 2020 by the six 

state governments of the 

South-West – Lagos, Oyo, 

Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti 

following the decision of the 

six governors at a regional 

security summit held in 

Ibadan, Oyo State, in June 

2019 through the Development 

Agenda for Western Nigeria 

Commission, DAWN. 

In support of the outfit, all 

the six state governors contributed 

20 vehicles each, except 

Oyo that contributed 33 

vehicles, making 133 vehicles 

for the start-up. They also 

procured 100 units of motorcycles 

each, making a total 

of 600 motorcycles. The 

members of the outfit were 

drawn from local hunters, 

Oodua Peoples Congress, 

OPC, Agbekoya, Nigeria Security 

and Civil Defence 

Corps, NSCDC, and vigilante 

group. 

Amotekun, the first regional 

security outfit initiated by 

a geopolitical zone in Nigeria, 

will be based in all the six 

states of the South-West, and 

responsible for curbing insecurity 

in the region. 

The operatives of the security 

outfit will assist the police, 

other security agencies 

and traditional rulers in combating 

terrorism, banditry, 

armed robbery, kidnapping 

and also help in settling 

herdsmen and farmers contentions 

in the region. For the 

start-up, Lagos, Osun and 

Ekiti states, recruited 1,320 

operatives for the operation, 

while they will carry daneguns 

like local hunters, operating 

in about 52 deadly black 

spots all over the region. 



Continues from Page 41 

clerics. 

Nothing wrong 

in CAN’s 

prayer walk 

— NSCIA 

Meanwhile, the 

National Supreme 

Council for Islamic 

Affairs, NSCIA, has 

backed the national 

prayer walk declared by 

CAN, to protest the 

country’s palpable state 

of security. 

NSCIA, under the 

leadership of Sultan of 

Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad 

Abubakar III, described 

the walk as a step in the 

right direction, stressing 

that divine intervention 

is needed to bring the 

reign of terror to an end 


Ibrahim Aselemi, 

spokesman of the 

Council, said in a chat 

with Vanguard, 

yesterday that “as a 

religious body, NSCIA is 

not opposed to any 

constitutional means that 

aims at bring Nigeria’s 

palpable insecurity to an 

end. 

“If CAN has decided to 

go to God in prayer, we 

think it is a step in the 

right direction. We have 

also been praying, 

though not as a corporate 

body, for God to 

intervene in our 

situation. As much as the 

military are in the field 

fighting insurgency, we 

need divine intervention 

to bring an end to terror 


“We commend the 

action of CAN, especially 

at a time when some 

people think the 

Christian body is 

conducting itself like an 

opposition party going 

by some of its recent 

utterances. 

“We all need to go to 

God in prayers to seek 

for his forgiveness and 

intervention. So, we 

support the nationwide 

prayer walk. There is 

nothing wrong in that.” 

Bandits kill 

seminarian 

after 3 weeks in 

captivity 

On a sad note, one of 

the four students of 

Catholic Good Shepherd 

Major Seminary, 

Kaduna, who spent three 

weeks in captivity, has 

been killed by his 

captors. 

The victim identified as 

Nnadi Michael was 

abducted alongside three 

others when gunmen 

invaded the seminary 

located at Kakau on the 

Kaduna-Abuja road in 

Chikun Local 


state on January 9. 

The others were 

reportedly released 

following the payment of 

an undisclosed ransom. 

In a statement, Joel 

Usman, registrar of the 

seminary, confirmed the 

killing of Michael. 

“This is to inform all 

our friends and wellwishers 

that the 

remaining abducted 

seminarian has been 

found dead. 

“Thank you very much 

for your prayerful 

support. Let us keep 

praying for Nigeria in 

great distress. Please let 

us remain faithful in the 

Risen Lord. May the soul 

of our brother, Nnadi 

Michael and the souls of 

all the faithful departed 

rest in peace with the 

Lord.” 

Yakubu Sabo, 

spokesman of the 

Kaduna State Police 

Command, could not be 

reached for reaction as 

his phone was switched 

off at the time this report 

was filed. 

The killing came after 

Bola Ataga, wife of a 

medical doctor based in 

Kaduna, was murdered. 

Gunmen had broken 

into their house, seizing 

the woman and two of her 

children. They later 

demanded a ransom of 

N150 million which the 

family could not raise, 

resulting in her death. 

After killing her, the 

suspected bandits 

demanded N20 million 

ransom for the release of 

the deceased’s two 

children who are still in 

captivity. 

Nigeria drifting 

towards 

anarchy, Rev 

Martins warns 

Catholic Archbishop of 

Lagos, Most Rev Alfred 

Adewale Martins in a 

statement by the Director 

of 

Social 

Communications, Rev. Fr. 

Anthony Godonu, warned 

that the persistent cases of 

inability of the Federal 

Government to safeguard 

the lives of innocent 

Nigerians was capable of 

breeding a state of 

anarchy in the land as the 

people cannot just fold 

their hands and watch 

themselves slaughtered 

like animals. 

His words: “I received 

with great sadness the 

news of the murder of the 

fourth seminarian, Mr. 

Michael Nnadi, who was 

kidnapped recently in 

Kaduna. This was a 

young man who 

abandoned all with the 

desire to serve His 

Creator and humanity, 

now murdered for no just 

cause. This is just one of 

several cases of innocent 

Nigerians being killed on 

daily basis by gunmen 

while our security services 

and their chiefs watch as 

if they were helpless. 

“Only recently, we had 

the case of the CAN 

Chairman in Adamawa 

State who was executed 

and before that the murder 

of 11 innocent people by 

so-called ISWAP and the 

execution of the two 

students returning to their 

studies in Maiduguri. We 

have also had situations 

of suicide bombers going 

into mosques to murder 

people who had simply 

gone to worship God as 

they know Him. This 

appalling situation must 

come to an end. We cannot 

just fold our arms and 

allow these monstrous 

activities to continue to 

thrive. The consequences 

of the dastardly acts on the 

psyche of Nigerians can 

only be imagined. The 

Federal Government must 

act now before things get 

out of hand. 

“For a while now, many 

Nigerians from different 

walks of life have been 

calling for a revamping of 

the security arrangements 

in the nation even if it 

means the replacement of 

the heads of the various 

security agencies in order 

to give room for new ideas. 

It is beyond doubt that the 

gains of the past few years 

are being lost because those 

at the helm of affairs and 

the soldiers in the thick of 

the war are tired and need 

to be replaced. The strategy 

for executing the war needs 

to be reexamined to 

determine its effectiveness.” 

He condoled with the 

families of the slain 

seminarian, the Bishop of 

Sokoto, the priests and 

faithful of the Diocese as 

well as the staff and 

seminarians of the Good 

Shepherd Seminary and 

indeed all the people of 

Nigeria and Catholics in 

particular. 

He urged them to remain 

calm and prayerful, 

assuring them that light 

would eventually prevail 

over darkness. 

Archbishop Martins, 

while warning that no 

group of people should be 

allowed to continue to 

operate outside the law 

said that the kids’ glove 

approach being utilized by 

the security agencies in 

addressing insecurity in 

the land was not yielding 

the desired result. 

He insisted that the only 

way the Federal 

Government can reassure 

the people that they are 

committed to their welfare 

by ensuring mass arrest 

of the perpetrators and 

bringing an end to the 

menace of kidnapping 

across the land.


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YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

SCORPIO: Some of you will wake up from slumber 

and realise mistakes about your finances early enough 

and make amendment but those who are reckless will 

commit more blunder. Beware of joint venture. 

SAGITTARIUS: Although erratic people from unexpected 

quarters may oppose you openly, your being self 

assertive will earn you both victory and financial success. 

Then tomorrow will prove more successful. 

CAPRICORN: Yes! It’s your day again. The more ambitious 

you are the better for you. Then you will need to 

ignore those with queer characteristics within your working 

arena.. 

AQUARIUS: Mixed trends are indicated. If you take 

good advice from your cool headed friends, you will 

benefit more than you imagine, but if you take to unpredictable 

attitude, you will today start fire that will burn 

with great intensity tomorrow. 

PISCES: If you take the veterans within your base for 

granted, they will fail you painfully. Yet here is a lucky 

day for you when your being secretive and self reliant 

will earn you success. Be more ambitious. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 


“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it 

empties today of its strength.” -Corrie Ten Boom- 

Do not allow the sad things and worries of life steal 

your joy. So smile and brighten up your day. Enjoy 

art, ideas, music, read uplifting books. Even more, 

cultivate a heart full of love, compassion, patience, 

joy, laughter, gratitude, and understanding. These 

are the virtues that makes life worth living. Ella 

Randle 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

The poor 

man and the 

rich man do 

not play together. 

~ 

Ashanti 

By Kola Fayemi 

ARIES: Some of the people around you may get on 

your nerve via careless remarks, you must not allow them 

to disorganise your plans. The closer you are to the influential 

people the better for you. 

TAURUS: A Money is the root of all evils, says an 

adage. And if care is not taken, money may set you and 

some other people fiercely against each other to the detriment 

of your cause. Be cautious. 

GEMINI: Opposition between the Moon and Venus 

may induce personality clashes you don=t need at lest 

for now. What can help you now is love and your being 

persuasive. Think of the future. 

CANCER: Positive events that started yesterday will 

continue today. Rely more on your ability to be as bold 

as necessary so that you can get things done your own 

way at work. 

LEO: Romantic interlude that started late yesterday 

may become excitingly louder and melodious to the satisfaction 

of your soul. 

VIRGO: If you allow domestic pressure to affect your 

working pattern, your senior colleagues may not understand 

and make things a bit more difficult. IF you’re 

stable, you will have more to gain financially. 

LIBRA: After snappy aggressive approach exhibited 

by you yesterday ,you are back at your being pleasant 

self to the admiration of others. This is the wrong time 

to take law and it’s agents for granted. Young-at-heart 

are favoured so also commercial activities. 

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 LIBRA 

TIME SCOPE= FEB 17 B FEB 20 

RULER = LOVE/PARTNERSHIP AND MONEY RELATED 

VENUS 

QUALITY =CARDINAL . 

ELEMENT = AIR. 

SYMBOL =THE SCALE OF JUSTICE. 

GROUP = MASCULINE. 

ZODIACAL POSITION = 2ND. 

Libra is the related to public spiritedness partnership, marriage, 

rival, close associates, open opponents, justice harmony 

and/or care for peace and concord. 

Through Venus, Librans are artistic inclined and as Venus 

rules money, money and comfort are truly important to all Librans 

and you are not an exception. Libra is a cardinal star sign which 

induces it=s natives to desire action and importance. Things 

ruled by Libra as stated above must be taken seriously by you. 

You see, if a Libran makes mistakes while trying to make a 

partnership choice either of business or emotional type, it will 

profoundly affect many other areas of his/her life. Equally, business 

rival and/or open opponents must not be treated with levity. 

Element of Libra is air. Natives of air signs are naturally intelligent 

and must think twice of their ideas before trying to discard 

them. Because their ideas are truly brilliant and most of them 

can lead to success both for themselves and others. 

Libra is the social butterfly of the Zodiac and the issues of 

justice, fair-play and equity are very important to the natives of 

Venus ruled Libra. Some people who need to know better erroneously 

believe that Librans’ love of peace makes them a weak set 

of people but Librans can revolt, if and when injustice is done to 

them. 

Some other times however, the desire for peace in your innerself 

at times get the better of you to the point that you seek others’ 

approval before you do anything. And this your weak point can 

be taken advantage of by some dubious people who will not 

hesitate to do so. But as peace loving as Librans are if a Libran 

discovers real or imaginary injustice against self he/she will feel 

cheated especially, if the matter at hand concerns relationship, 

few of them will then react violently but many will sulk. 

Yet, influence of Libra makes you a socially developed person 

and if you care, you can commercialise your sparkling personality. 

Social activities management courses and/or workshop on 

such w ill help bring out your ability along this line. 

VIRGINIA 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

HOME & ABROAD 

By Lawrence Akapa


Jaap Stam: Ighalo has nothing 

to lose at Man United 

Former Manchester United centre-back Jaap Stam said 

Odion Ighalo’s signing is an opportunity for the 

forward to score more goals in the Premier League. 

The 28-year-old completed a late six-month loan deal 

from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua to 

Old Trafford on Friday, three years after he left Vicarage 

Road. 

Ighalo is the first Nigerian player to join the Red Devils, 

and he is expected to boost their attacking options with 

Marcus Rashford ruled out for a couple of weeks with a 

back injury. 

In his reaction to the transfer, Stam – 

who spent three years in Manchester 

before departing for Italy – admitted 

that the ex-Watford star will be inspired 

to score more goals and add to his tally 

of 31 goals in the Premier League. 

“He’s got nothing to lose because 

nobody thought he would be a United 

player,” Stam told SkySports. 

“United have the confidence in 

him. We’re all a bit surprised, but 

he can just go in there and do his 

thing. We all want to see United 

get back up there. 

“Like all former players and 

United supporters, we wish him 

well. He’s joining a big family. 

Everybody within the club hopes 

that every player will do well 

and is going to perform. 

“I’m sure he’ll feel welcome 

and hopefully he’s going to 

produce. 

“He’s now playing with 

better players than he was 

at Watford, so he will get 

more opportunities to score 

than at Watford. 

•Zakari 

Lille hail Osimhen 

after 16th goal 

Victor Osimhen 

continued his 

banner season in the 

colours of Lille 

weekend, scoring in a 

come-from-behind 2-1 

victory over Strasbourg 

in a Ligue 1 game at 

the Stade de la Meinau. 

Les Dogues had lost 

their last two games in 

all competitions, and 

looked on course for 

another hangover 

when Adrien 

Thomasson gave their 

hosts a 12th minute 

lead. 

In their official match 

report of the game on 

their website, Lille 

noted that Osimhen’s 

usual great ball control 

was instrumental for 

the team in the final 

third and which nearly 

led to an equaliser in 

•Ighalo 

Rio Ferdinand begs 

Ighalo to score goals 

Rio Ferdinand has sent a 

message to new Manchester 

United forward Odion Ighalo 

while on a sponsorship visit to 

Nigeria. 

Ighalo signed for United on 

loan from Shanghai Shenhua 

until the end of the season in a 

surprise transfer deadline day 

move. 

And Ferdinand says he 

hopes the new man can 

provide the goals United 

desperately need. 

“I just hope, I really 

want him to do well, 

to come in and help 

the guys,” 

Ferdinand told 

Real Betis 

sign Zakari 

La Liga side Real Betis have 

announced that Lukman Zakari 

was added to their roster before the 

close of the January transfer window. 

The 2015 U17 World Cup-winning 

defender has joined the Andalusian 

outfit on loan with an option to buy 

from Latvian club FS Metta. 

Zakari had penned a deal with 

Real Betis since August 2019 but the 

the 29th minute, writing, 

“The pressure 

increases on the goals 

of Sels with attempts by 

Bamba (27th) and Xeka 

(29th) but especially by 

Victor Osimhen (29th), 

very close to equalizing. 

His usual control 

oriented - instant strike 

crashes on the bar of 

the Alsatian porter.” 

However, the Lille No. 

7 gave his team all three 

points ten minutes from 

time when he stepped 

up and converted from 

the spot after Luiz 

Araujo was fouled in 

the area. 

The strike thus, took 

his goal tally to 16 in all 

tournaments for 

Christophe Galtier’s 

team this season, while 

he has also laid on three 

assists. 

•Osimhen 

his YouTube channel while on 

location in Lagos. 

“He’s got great experience and 

the lads like Greenwood need 

that, Martial needs that, Daniel 

James needs that. 

“At the same time a lot of 

people are saying we’ve gone 

from Cavani, Mandzukic, 

Dzeko people like that. Yes, 

experienced players but 

the level of the name is a 

lot less than what 

they’ve ended up with 

in Ighalo. 

“A lot of work 

was done on the 

last day, it 

was 

rushed. 

transfer was held up for several 

months due to paperwork. 

He was an ever-present in 

the Golden Eaglets squad that 

won the World Cup five years 

ago, going the distance in all 

their seven matches during the 

tournament in Chile and 

helping the team keep four 

clean sheets. 

Finidi George, Nosa Igiebor 

and Victor Ikpeba previously 

played for the first team of Real 

Betis, and Zakari will be 

hoping to follow in their 

footsteps. 

•Omeruo 

•Solskjaer 

Ighalo will 

succeed at 

Old Trafford 

— Solskjaer 

United boss Ole 

Gunnar Solskjaer 

is confident Ighalo will 

thrive at the club, 

having scored 16 goals 

in 55 Premier League 

games during his time 

at Watford. 

“Odion is an 

experienced player,” 

Solskjaer said. 

“He will come in and 

give us an option of a 

different type of centreforward 

for the short 

spell he’s staying with 

us. “A great lad and very 

professional, he will 

make the most of his time 

here.” 

Former United striker 

Mark Hughes believes 

Ighalo offers the team 

something they are 

desperately lacking at 

the moment. 

“He’s the type that 

United need, whether or 

not that’s a long-term 

view Ole has in terms of 

where he wants to take 

the team,” he said. 

“I’ve watched them on 

a number of occasions 

and I always feel they 

lack that physicality at 

the top end of the pitch, 

just to relieve pressure. 

“When United won at 

City and were getting 

pressed hard, they 

needed an outlet to 

knock it up to a big man 

who could retain 

possession and resist 

challenges. 

Amuneke 

admits 

tough task 

in new club 

Former Nigeria 

international 

Emmanuel Amuneke 

says he faces a “big 

task” after taking over 

at struggling Egyptian 

Premier League side 

El-Makkasa on a deal 

until the end of the 

season. 

The 49-year-old was 

confirmed as Ahmed 

Hossam Mido’s 

successor on Saturday 

to become El- 

Makkasa’s fourth 

manager in three years. 

The Faiyum-based 

outfit have struggled 

for form, sitting 15th in 

the table, just outside 

the relegation zone on 

goal difference. 

“We have a big job on 

our hands and we 

cannot pretend that 

isn’t true,” Amuneke 

told BBC Sport. 

“But no matter the 

task, we must give it 

everything we have.” 

“I’ve been given this 

opportunity because of 

the situation but if we 

all drive in the same 

direction I believe 

things will gradually 

improve.” 

It is a return to the 

North African nation 

where the former 

Barcelona and Sporting 

CP winger first 

achieved professional 

success outside of his 

native country. 

He joined giants 

Zamalek from Julius 

Berger of Lagos in 1991 

and his three-year spell 

saw him claim two 

domestic league titles 

and the 1993 African 

Champions League 

trophy. 

•Amuneke 

Omeruo opens goal 

account for Leganes 

Super Eagles defender 

Kenneth Omeruo 

opened his goal account in 

the colours of Leganes in 

breathtaking fashion on 

Sunday afternoon, scoring in 

an important 2-1 win over 

Real Sociedad in a La Liga 

game. 

With 49 minutes on the 

clock, the former Chelsea man 

rifled home a powerful effort 

from the centre of the box to 

the bottom left corner after he 

was set up by teammate 

Martin Braithwaite following 

a corner, thus bringing the 

score to 1-1. 

In doing so, he became the 

20th player capped by Nigeria 

to score in the Spanish topflight 

after illustrious 

names such as 

Ikechukwu Uche, 

Christopher Ohenhen, 

Kalu Uche, Finidi 

George, Mutiu Adepoju, 

Odion Ighalo, Samuel 

Chukwueze, Isaac 

Success and Obafemi 

Martins. 

Other past and present 

Super Eagles players to 

have found the net in La 

Liga include Victor 

Obinna, Ramon Azeez, 

Bartholomew Ogbeche, 

Rasheed Yekini, Nosa 

Igiebor, Moses Simon, 

Emmanuel Amunike, 

Nduka Ugbade, Brown 

Ideye and Elderson 

Echiejile.

Novak Djokovic captured a 

record-extending eighth 

Australian Open title on 

Sunday to guarantee his return to 

No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. 

The Serbian star fought back to 

beat fifth-seeded Austrian 

Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 

6-4 over three hours and 59 

minutes in Sunday’s final for his 

17th Grand Slam championship 

crown. Only Roger Federer (20) 

and Rafael Nadal (19) have won 

more major singles titles in the 

sport’s history. The Big Three has 

now won 13 consecutive majors 

and 56 of the past 67. 

“I would like to start by saying 

congratulations to Dominic for an 

amazing tournament,” said 

Djokovic, during the on-court 

ceremony. “It wasn’t meant to be 

tonight. Tough luck and it was 

a tough match, but you 

were very close to 

winning it and 

y o u 

definitely 

have a lot 

more time 

in your 

career 

and I’m 

sure that 

you will get 

one of the 

Grand Slam 

trophies. More than 

one.” 

Djokovic extended his match 

record to a perfect 13-0 in the 2020 

ATP Tour season, which includes 

helping Team Serbia clinch the 

inaugural ATP Cup trophy, with 

victory in his 26th major final (17- 

9). He had earned the 900th tourlevel 

match win of his career 

against Jan-Lennard Struff in the 

first round at Melbourne Park. 

Djokovic capitalised on early 

nerves to win the first set against 

Thiem, who had won four of their 

past five ATP Head2Head 

meetings, but at 4-4 in the second 

set, Djokovic was first warned by 

the chair umpire for a service time 

violation. It shook the 

Arsenal escape Burnley 

with a point 

Arsenal were made to pay for 

their profligacy in front of goal 

after being held to a goalless draw 

by Burnley at Turf Moor. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 

returned from suspension 

following his red card against 

Crystal Palace and started up front, 

with Mesut Ozil making his 250th 

appearance for the Gunners. 

And it was Aubameyang who 

created the first chance of the 

game inside two minutes, crossing 

for Alexandre Lacazette who was 

waiting on the six-yard box only 

to glance his header wide. 

On the quarter-hour mark, it was 

Aubameyang’s turn to have a pop 

at goal but the striker, put through 

on goal after a superb pass from 

David Luiz, somehow dragged his 

shot wide. 

After Arsenal’s bright start, 

Burnley began to create chances 

themselves with Jay Rodriguez 

Nigerian champions, Enyimba 

have qualified for the 

quarterfinal stage of the CAF 

Confederation Cup, following a 5-2 

spanking of San Pedro in Ivory 

Coast. 

Enyimba finished on second 

position of Group C with 10 points, 

one less than Hassania Agadir of 

Morocco, who lost 3-0 to Paradou 

of Algeria, who ended up with eight 

points and missed out of a ticket to 

the next round. 

Even before the first kick of the ball 

was played, Enyimba knew they 

needed to avoid defeat but instead 

of living their fate in the hands of 

others to decide, the two-time CAF 

Djokovic 

Djokovic wins 8th 

Australian Open crown, 

returns to No. 1 

concentration of the Serbian. He 

received a shot clock time violation 

for a second time that resulted in 

him forfeiting a first serve. 

Djokovic struck an 85 miles per 

hour second serve, then mis-timed 

a forehand to give Thiem the break. 

The Austrian stretched the lead to 

forcing Bernd Leno into a decent 

stop from 20 yards out. 

Aubameyang showed good 

intiative to make a run in behind 

and Xhaka found him, but Burnley 

goalkeeper Nick Pope came 

quickly off his line to block the 30- 

year-old’s lob attempt. 

Arsenal’s injury problems at leftback 

worsened when makeshift 

full-back Bukayo Saka came off at 

the break, forcing Granit Xhaka to 

deputise in defence. 

Liverpool might be cruising 

towards the title but the 

runaway Premier League 

leaders could still face a crucial 

fight in the near future. 

According to a new report, star 

centre-back Virgil van Dijk has 

4-0 in the third set, with Djokovic 

needing treatment from a doctor 

and trainer to hydrate. 

Thiem looked to have the 

measure of Djokovic, but at 3-4 in 

the fourth set, the momentum 

swung again. 

Juve to make record bid for 

Van Dijk 

Enyimba qualify for Confed Cup q/final stage 

By John Egbokhan 

Champions League winners took their 

destiny into their own hands, going 

all out blazing and netting five times 

to make qualification double sure. 

Striker Abdulrahman Bashir got the 

Enyimba party going with a second 

minute strike and 60 seconds later, 

Victor Mbaoma increased the 

Nigerian’s lead but not wanting to 

trampled upon by the Elephants, 

Sherif Jimoh cut the deficit as he fired 

in a goal for the hosts on six minutes. 

Augustine Oladapo restored 

Enyimba’s two-goal cushion with a 

fine finish on 25 minutes but Irie Zan 

netted San Pedro’s second goal of the 

evening, as the Ivorians kept within 

torching distance of their Nigerian 

adversaries. 

become a top target for Italian 

giants Juventus. With the defender 

having made such an impact at 

The Reds, it is hardly surprising 

that other top clubs would want to 

prise him away, and Juve have 

some form in this regard. 

Could a record-breaking transfer 

to Turin appeal to the Netherlands 

international? Some believe so.. 

Maurizio Sarri’s Juve have 

identified Reds defender Van 

Dijk as the man to help achieve 

their Champions League dream, 

according to The Sun - therefore 

not a story likely to be read on 

Merseyside - although this is yet 

to be supported by other sources. 

The Bianconeri are said to be 

preparing a €178.5million (£150m) 

offer in an attempt to entice 

Liverpool to consider parting 

company with the 28-year-old, 

who swapped Southampton for 

Anfield in a £75m move in 

January 2018. 

The report claims Van Dijk “may 

be open to a move abroad” if he 

wins the Premier League this term, 

which now appears a mere 

formality. 


Neymar goes berserk at ref 

PSG thump Montpellier 5-0 

PSG star Neymar 

blasted referee 

Jerome Brisard for 

booking him following an 

outrageous piece of skill 

against Montpellier. 

The 27-year-old was 

cautioned for dissent just 

moments after the rainbow 

flick, which had allowed 

Neymar to win a throw-in 

when being closed down 

in the Ligue 1 champions’ 

5-0 victory. 

But the match official was 

unhappy with Neymar’s 

showboating - and after a 

heated conversation with 

the superstar, showed him 

a yellow card for dissent. 

Tensions continued to 

mount in the tunnel at halftime, 

with the Brazil 

international venting his 

anger in a conversation 

with team-mate Marco 

Verratti. 

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 

50th goal for Juventus in their 

victory over Fiorentina yesterday 

afternoon at the Juventus 

Stadium. 

The Portuguese star managed to 

twice find the net in the 3-0 win, 

with both goals coming from the 

Neymar can be heard telling 

Verratti: ‘I play football and he 

shows me a yellow card. Tell him 

he can’t give me a yellow.’ 

But the referee simply responded 

by instructing Neymar to ‘calm 

down’, further infuriating the 

forward. 

Montpellier were reduced to ten 

men early in the clash at the Parc 

des Princes, with Neymar often 

targeted by the visitors, and the 

former Barcelona attacker visibly 

grew irate over a lack of 

protection. 

But the mercurial talent exacted 

his revenge in the form of 

revealing his impressive range of 

skills. 

Neymar reacted to being fouled 

by springing to his feet and 

dribbling straight beyond 

defender Taji Sevanier, who had 

impeded his opponent. 

And the highly-coveted star later 

took to Instagram to hit back at 

the referee, telling his 132million 

followers: ‘I just play football.’ 

Ronaldo marks 50th goal for Juve 

Ronaldo 

By John Egbokhan 

The Nigerian Professional 

Football League continues to be 

a ding-dong affair as Plateau United 

pipped Rivers United 1-0 to reclaim 

the top spot from Lobi Stars, who lost 

1-0 to Jigawa Golden Stars a day 

earlier at the Sani Abacha Stadium, 

Kano. 

In their week 18 fixture decided in 

front of a capacity crowd at the New 

Jos Stadium , the Tin City side only 

needed a third minute strike from 

Ibrahim Mustapha to displace Lobi 

Stars from the summit and continue 

their chase for the top-flight title. 

Yesterday’s win means Plateau 

United have racked up nine victories 

, five draws and four defeats, taking 

their points tally to 32, one more than 

Lobi Stars, who however have an 

outstanding match to play. Rivers 

United remain in third position with 

29 points and they must feel harddone 

by to come up with the short 

end of the stick from their trip to the 

north central city of Jos for the star 

game of the weekend. 

Dakkada are fourth on the table, 

following an eventful 1-1 draw with 

Wikki Tourist at the Abubarkar 

Neymar & Mbappe 

penalty spot. His 49th Juve goal 

was struck in the 40th minute, as 

the 34-year-old buried his spot 

kick into the bottom left corner to 

open the scoring. 

Then in the 80th minute, the home 

side were awarded another 

penalty after Rodrigo Bentancur 

was taken down in the box by 

Fiorentina centre back, Federico 

Ceccherini. 

Fiorentino goalkeeper Bartlomiej 

Dragowski had claimed to have 

“studied” Ronaldo’s penalties in 

an interview ahead of the game. 

And while he did almost get a 

hand to the first penalty, this time 

the Juve forward sent him 

completely the wrong way, 

drilling the ball into the net to 

reach his half-century tally. 

Eleven minutes later, Dutch 

central defender Matthijs de Ligt 

headed home from a pinpoint 

Dybala cross to make it 3-0, 

sending Juventus six points clear 

of Inter Milan at the top of the 

table. 

NPFL: Plateau Utd dislodge Lobi from top spot 

•Pillars beat Adamawa 2-0 

Tafawe Balewa Stadiumn in Bauchi. 

Daniel Jackson had edged the homers 

in front on 68 minute but after 

mounting series of offensive play in 

the second half, Dakkada eventually 

got reward for their persistence when 

Femi Ajayi netted the equaliser three 

minutes from regulation time. 

Former champions, Kano Pillars 

gave their football-loving Kano fans 

something to sing about as they 

trounced Adamawa United 2-0, with 

goals coming from Auwalu Ali on 41 

minutes and Achibi Ewenike on 54 

minutes. The victory sees Kano Pillars 

move to the eight position on the table 

with 24 points as they close in on a 

continental ticket place. 

Another big winners at the weekend 

were Nasarawa United, who defeated 

Abia Warriors 3-1 , with goals coming 

from Abdallah Mohammed on 28 

minutes, Chidi Solomon on 43 

minutes, Haggai Katoh on 74 

minutes. Remarkably, Abia Warriors 

scored the opening goal of the 

encounter through Emmanuel 

Ugwuka on 3 minutes and in 

hindsight, it seemed the goal jolted 

Nasarawa United to life as they netted 

thrice to silence their opponents from 

Umuahia.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

Across 

1 Compassion (4) 

3 Slaughterhouse (8) 

9 Die down (7) 

10 Fracture (5) 

11 Small edible crustacean (5) 

12 Root vegetable (6) 

14 Observe (6) 

16 Clergyman (6) 

19 Preliminary drawing (6) 

21 Large book size (5) 

24 Embellish (5) 

25 Abridge (anag.) (7) 

26 Incidentally (2,3,3) 

27 Nautical unit of speed (4) 

Down 

1 Put off, defer (8) 

2 Shin bone (5) 

4 Whitening chemical (6) 

5 Rome’s river (5) 

6 Burdensome (7) 

7 Gardening tool (4) 

8 Alfresco meal (6) 

13 Blameless (8) 

15 Extract (4,3) 

17 Fully informed (2,4) 

18 Morbid fear (6) 

20 Metric weight (5) 

22 Gain knowledge (5) 

23 Raiment (4) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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03022020 - INSECURITY: Anarchy looms, clerics warn as protests hold nationwide

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