18022020

INSECURITY: 

No Northern leader 

can be happy, Emir 

Sanusi laments at 

el-Rufai’s 60th 

birthday 

9 

Apologise to 

travellers, 

Olajumoke tells 

British Airways 

•1,500 Nigerians 

stranded in Ghana 

46 

BORDER CLOSURE: 

Nigeria's 

neighbours should 

stop smuggling of 

banned products 

—IMF 

CBN’s forex intervention dampens backward integration — MAN 

46 

50 

19 

VOL. 27: NO. 64007 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

KILLING OF FARMERS BY HERDSMEN: 

8 corpses exhumed in 

Delta for investigation 

•2 victims burnt to ashes, 2 soldiers shot; •UPU frowns on killings 

•Urges Buhari to stop killings; •Military to investigate soldiers’ involvement 

•Nigeria at crossroads, in reverse gear without steering – Anglican Bishop 

•CAN urges Christians to unite; Buhari still popular in Borno – Presidency 

BOOK LAUNCH ON EL-RUFAI @ 60... 

5 

I was 

never 

attacked 

by 

bandits, 

says 9 

Amaechi 

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Mohammadu Sanusi; Minister of Environment, Mohammed Mahmoud; Governor Nasir Elrufai 

of Kaduna State, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; Mr. Dan Okeke with Deputy Senate 

President, Omo-Agege and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, during The 60th birthday and book presentation 

of Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi. 

2nd anniversary of 

Dapchi kidnap: 

Leah’s father begs 

Buhari to fulfil 

pledge 

Court dismisses 

Kano kingmakers’ 

suit challenging 

creation of new 

emirates 

8 13 

ODUMAKIN 17 

We sacked commissioners, 

perm secs, directors over 

corruption – GANDUJE 

Agba Jalingo regains freedom 

after 174 days in detention 

TENIOLA 

18 

13 

12 

See 

inside 

Naira 

depreciates to 

N364.95/$ in 

I&E window 49 

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — 3


Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

INAUGURATION OF ACADEMIC BUILDING — From left: Former Rivers 

State Governor and the Founder, PAMO University of Medical Sciences 

(PUMS), Dr Peter Odili; Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Aminu 

Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar 

(Retd); Gov. Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State and Gov. Bala Mohammed of 

Bauchi State, during the inauguration of Nyesom Wike Academic Building 

at PUMS in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 



By Festus Ahon, 

Perez Brisibe, 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

& Ozioruva Aliu 

UGHELLI — THE 

corpses of eight 

farmers reportedly killed by 

gunmen suspected to be 

herdsmen at Uwheru in 

Ughelli North Local 

Government Area of Delta 

State, last Friday, have been 

exhumed by a search team 

made up of police 

personnel and 

representatives of the 

community for 

investigation. 

Two of the corpses were 

exhumed on Sunday, while 

six others were exhumed 

yesterday afternoon. 

The killings also, 

yesterday, drew the ire of 

Urhobo Progress Union, 

UPU, which did not only 

frown on renewed 

herdsmen attacks on 

Uwheru villages but also 

urged President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

stop the killings of the 

people. 

These came on a day the 

Church of Nigeria 

Anglican Communion, 

Diocese of Ogbaru, 

Anambra State, described 

Nigeria as a country at 

crossroads and in reverse 

gear without steering. 

The exhumation of the 

victims’ corpses came as the 

community also confirmed 

reports that two others 

killed were burnt to ashes 

by the herdsmen. 

One of those burnt to 

ashes, identified as Itoje 

Dennis from Otor-Iyede in 

Isoko North local 

government area of Delta 

State, had since been taken 

to his hometown for burial. 

President-General of the 

the community, Cassidy 

Akpedafe, and the Delta 

State Commissioner of 

Police, Hafiz Inuwa, had 

Sunday, disagreed on the 

reported killings, with the 

police boss claiming the 

killings did not happen and 

that some individuals in the 

state were using the reports 

to cause apprehension in 

the state. 

"If there are any (deaths), 

why are their corpses being 

hidden from the police?" the 

CP had queried. 

The community’s 

President-General, 

however, accused the police 

commissioner of being 

economical with the truth. 

Consequently, the 

community swiftly on 

Sunday afternoon, 

exhumed the corpses of 

two of those killed in the 

attack to prove the police 

wrong. 

The corpses were taken to 

Central Hospital, Ughelli 

for autopsy. 

When Vanguard visited 

the hospital morgue 

yesterday, the 

decomposing corpses of 

the duo were seen, with one 

of them burnt after he was 

said to have been shot 

dead by the assailants. 

The community 

president-general said: “As 

we speak (yesterday 

morning), seven persons 

are lying dead inside the 

bush and we are yet to 

recover their corpses. 

“17 persons have been 

rushed to the hospital for 

medical treatment and I 

want to use this opportunity 

to appeal to the police not 

to cook up reports on this 

matter.” 

Meanwhile, a security 

source from the 222 

battalion, Agbarha-Otor, 

also confirmed yesterday 

that two of its men were shot 

during the attack. 

The source, who spoke on 

condition of anonymity, 

said: “Yes, two soldiers from 

the battalion who are 

stationed at Bomadi and 

drafted to the area 

sustained injuries during 

the incident. 

“They are in stable 

condition and are currently 

receiving medical attention 

for injuries sustained 

during the incident at 

Bomadi General hospital.” 

Stop the killings, UPU 

tells Buhari 

Reacting to the attack 

yesterday, Urhobo Progress 

Union, UPU, frowned on 

renewed herdsmen attack 

on Uwheru villages, 

urging President 

Muhammadu Buhari 


stop the genocidal killings 

of their people. 

UPU in a statement by its 

National Publicity Secretary, 

Mr Abel Oshevire, said: 

"Reports of the renewed 

attacks and killings by 

herdsmen on Agadama 

town and other villages in 

Uwheru Kingdom of 

Ughellli North Local 

Government Area, Delta 

State, where over eight 

persons were brutally 

murdered (two of the 

victims were burnt alive) 

and many displaced from 

their ancestral lands, have 

reached the UPU 

Worldwide. 

"We, again, call on the 

President and 

Commander- in-Chief of 

the Armed Forces, 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, to stop this 

genocidal killings of our 

people in Uwheru 

Kingdom. We are 

particularly worried at the 

allegations that on 

Saturday, February 15, 

2019, men in military 

uniform allegedly on the 

side of the herdsmen, were 

deeply involved in this 

recent saga and shot 

sporadically at harmless 

citizens of Agadama- 

Uwheru, leaving some of 

them dead or gravely 

injured. 

"UPU urges the federal 

and military authorities to 

investigate this allegation, 

with a view to bringing the 

security agents and 

herdsmen involved in this 

dastardly act to book. 

"As we also speak, a whole 

community in Uwheru, 

Avwon, has been taken 

over by these herdsmen, 

while all indigenes have 

fled the place for their lives. 

"A lot of the people have 

become refugees in other 

places, families have been 

displaced and many who 

escaped the killings 

through the bush remain 

missing and unaccounted 

for. 

"Other Uwheru 

communities such as 

Oreba, Owarovwo, 

Ophororo, Ohoro, Urede, 

among others, that 

constantly face attacks, or 

are threatened, by these 

herdsmen, who openly 

boast that they will take 

over these communities 

unchallenged, have since 

been witnessing mass 

exodus of people due to the 

ferocity with which these 

herdsmen perpetrate their 

gruesome activities. 

"These herdsmen are 

known to even demand for 

levies and protection 

money from our people in 

Uwheru, people who are 

Continues on Page 49 

S'Court judgment on Bayelsa election (2) 

By Bose Adelaja, 

Rose Chukwu & 

Olayinka Latona 

Happenings 

in 

Bayelsa are another 

phase in Nigeria’s democratic 

setting. The ruling is right 

legally but wrong 

democratically as Mr. David 

Lyon of APC who is the voice 

of the people having secured 

the highest number of votes, 

was denied the opportunity 

to represent his people. Mr. 

Degi Eremienyo’s costly 

wrong should serve as a 

lesson to all and sundry. 

-Adejumo Olalekan 

Media Practitioner 

The Supreme Court 

verdict on Bayelsa 

elections is a pointer to the 

fact that the ruling party has 

a lot to do by assuring 

Nigerians that we are not 

wasting our precious time. 

APC screening committee 

should be arrested as 

Nigerians demand an open 

apology from the members. 

If they could handle the state 

election haphazardly, only 

God knows what is being 

done at the national level. 

-Adewoyin Omoniyi, 

Clergy 

The judgment of the 

Supreme Court is a 

fair one. The APC should 

have learnt a lesson 

from what happened in 

Rivers and Zamfara 

states but the screening 

committee failed to 

terminate the nomination 

of the deputy 

governorship candidate 

even after they knew that 

his certificate is not real. 

This is a big lesson. 

-Gbadegesin Samuel 

Fashionprenuer 

How on earth can a 

normal human 

being have about five 

different names in about 

five different certificates? 

To me, the Supreme 

Court judgement on the 

Bayelsa 2019 

governorship election is 

appropriate. However, 

other people in the 

corridors of power with 

similar situations should 

be fished out. 

-Akinyele Balogun 

Creative Artist 

The INEC has failed 

us. May be the 

commission should be 

overhauled because it is 

unfit to give us credible 

elections. Again, I think 

a fresh election should 

be conducted in Bayelsa 

as the newly sworn-in 

deputy also has a case of 

certificate forgery 

levelled against him. The 

judgment is an 

indictment on INEC. 

-Abdulwahab Tajudeen. 

Journalist. 

Presentation of a 

forged certificate by 

one who claims to want to 

serve the people is another 

clear indication that some set 

of individuals we call 

leaders aren’t actually 

leaders but gluttons. 

The judgment is an 

accurate one and I don’t want 

to believe that it was also 

politically motivated, but 

according to available 

information, the judgment 

should not be criticised at all. 

-Fafiolu Sam, Analyst

6 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

Court remands 

twin brothers, 

one other over 

alleged 

kidnapping, 

cult 

membership 

By Shina 

Abubakar 

O SOGBO—A 

magistrate's court 

sitting in Osogbo, 

yesterday, remanded twin 

brothers, Taiwo Lateef, 20, 

Kehinde Lateef, 20, and 

Ajani Olalekan, 20, over 

alleged kidnapping of one 

Ayodeji Olatomide. 

They were also said to 

be members of an 

unlawful society, known 

as Aye Confraternity secret 

cult. 

According to the charge 

sheet, “they did conspire 

to wit: kidnapping and 

unlawfully being members 

of a secret court, did 

kidnaped one Ayodeji 

Olatomide.” 

The prosecutor, Kayode, 

said the offence was 

committed on January 6, 

2020 at about 4:55pm at 

Ikirun in Ifelodun Local 

Government Area of Osun 

State. 

The offences, according 

to the charge sheet, 

contravened sections 516, 

364(2) and 64(a) of the 

Criminal Code cap 34 vol 

ll laws of Osun State of 

Nigeria, 2002. 

The three defendants 

pleaded not guilty to the 

three counts bordering on 

conspiracy, kidnapping 

and unlawful membership 

of a secret cult levelled 

against them. 

Defence counsel, S.P 

Ogundari, in his oral bail 

application, charged the 

court to admit the accused 

to bail in the most liberal 

terms. 

However, the prosecutor 

opposed the application 

on the ground that the 

accused cannot provide 

credible, reliable sureties 

and may jump bail if 

granted. 

He added that they 

should be made to serve 

as deterrent to others, as 

cases of cultism has 

become rampant in the 

society nowadays. 

The Presiding 

Magistrate, Adijat 

Oloyade, ordered the 

counsel to file a formal 

bail application, saying 

the three defendants 

should be remanded in 

prison pending the 

application. She then 

adjourned the case till 

March 26, 2020. 

NABBED: Acting Area Controller, Nigeria Customs Services, NCS, Seme Command, Chedi Wadda (3rd 

left) with other senior officers inspecting intercepted kegs of petroleum products to be smuggled out of the 

country at Seme in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

Katsina killings, act of dark civilisation 

— Masari 

By Bashir Bello 

K ATSINA—GOVERNOR 

Aminu Masari of Katsina 

State has described last Friday 

attack in which 30 persons 

were killed in Batsari Local 

Government Area of the state 

as an act of dark civilisation. 

Masari, who was on a 

sympathy visit to the affected 

areas, yesterday, noted with 

dismay that the people of the 

villages were killed and not 

kidnapped just as food items 

were not carted away but burnt 

to ashes. 

The governor told the people 

that he was saddened by the 

occurrence of the calamities 

because he as a governor, will 

be the first to be questioned 

on the day of judgment. 

He told them that he was not 

folding his arms and hoped 

that they will bear with the 

ugly incidence. 

Masari, however, assured 

the residents that relief 

materials were underway for 

the affected persons. 

He announced that ox carts 

would be provided to the 

people for fetching water 

while two to three boreholes 

will be drilled in the village 

and their road given attention 

in the projects designed by 

the World Bank to open up 

rural agrarian communities. 

Earlier while in Tsauwa, Mai 

Unguwa Ibrahim Zangina and 

Liman Bello Tsauwa told 

Masari that 21 people were 

killed in the attacks. 

They narrated that 180 

motorcycles carrying two to 

three bandits entered the 

village while residents were 

saying their Magrib prayers 

and shot sporadically, 

stressing that some were shot 

dead while performing 

ablution. 

They told a gory tales of how 

infants were being evicted from 

their mother’s lap and thrown 

5 killed in Edo road crash 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

BENIN CITY —NO fewer 

than five leaders of Udeni 

community in Uhunmwode 

Local Government Area of Edo 

State, weekend, lost their lives 

in a motor accident, which 

occurred at Egba junction 

along the Benin-Auchi dual 

carriage way. 

The victims were said to be 

returning to the community 

after attending a funeral 

ceremony of an in-law to one 

of the community leaders in 

in to fire. 

They informed Governor 

Masari that food materials 

were set ablaze by the bandits 

adding that animals used by 

the people in fetching water 

from Yau Yau and Dankar 

villages were also killed by the 

Benin City, the state capital. 

Four of the occupants were 

reportedly burnt to death 

while another victim simply 

identified as Jerry died at the 

hospital on Sunday. 

A survivor of the crash, who 

simply identified himself as 

Best, said: “We were heading 

home along Egba junction 

when a saloon car crossed the 

path of our 18-seater Hiace 

bus. 

“In an attempt to avoid 

hitting the vehicle, our driver 

lost control and hit the median 

bandits. 

They dispelled the 

information that the attacks 

was a reprisal as they have no 

previous record of fighting 

with any group or bandits. 

on the road and in the process 

our bus fell and burst into 

flame. “ 

Some other victims with 

varying degrees of injuries are 

said to be receiving medical 

attention at the University of 

Benin Teaching Hospital 

(UBTH) hospital. 

The sector commander of 

Edo State Federal Road Safety 

Corps (FRSC), Mr. Henry 

Benamaisia, confirmed the 

incident. 

He, however, insisted that 

the command recorded three 

deaths while others were 

rushed to the hospital. 

70-yr-old grandma killed by ritualists in Ondo, 

sensitive body parts removed 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—A 70-year-old 

grandmother, Sidikat 

Jimoh, has been murdered by 

suspected ritualists in Ogbagi 

Akoko in Akoko North West 

council area of Ondo State. 

Her body parts were 

reportedly removed by her 

killers when her remains were 

discovered at her Ayetoro 

Street residents, in Ogbagi 

Akoko by neighbours in the 

early hours of yesterday. 

Reports had it that her 

assailants forgot some of the 

victim’s already removed body 

parts. 

Vanguard gathered that her 

killers attempted to set the 

body ablaze to make her death 

looks like she was burnt to 

death as a result of fire 

outbreak. 

Neighbours of the deceased 

described her as a devout 

Muslim. 

She was said to have 

attended the weekly Asalatu 

prayers, Sunday, before she 

was murdered for rituals that 

night. 

One of her neighbours said: 

“She went for the Asalatu 

prayers yesterday (Sunday) at 

the Ansar Ud Deen Society of 

Nigeria Central Mosque with 

enthusiasm not knowing that 

she will be killed by 

undesirable elements at night. 

“We met her in a pool of her 

blood with parts of her body 

removed by the killers. Some 

of the removed body parts 

were even left in the room by 

the killers, who might have 

fled the scene in hurry. It was 

shocking and a sorry sight." 

Contacted, the Police Area 

Commander for Ikare, 

Assistant Commissioner of 

Police Razak Rauf and the 

Divisional Police Officer for 

Ogbagi, 

Chief 

Superintendent of Police, 

Kunle Fabuluje, confirmed the 

incident. 

They said full scale 

investigation had commenced 

by detectives to fish out the 

killers. 

Her corpse, according to the 

police officers, has been 

deposited at state specialist 

hospital Ikare mortuary for 

autopsy.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 —7 

Police shoot man protesting 

takeover of property 

By Onozure Dania & 

Gafar Shittu 

THE Police, yesterday, shot a 

youth in Isheri Oke, Kosofe 

Local Government Area of Lagos 

State, who was protesting the 

takeover of the community by one 

Prince Michael. 

The incident occurred at about 

1 pm, while youths in the area 

attempted to prevent some 

policemen and a court sheriff from 

placing an order allegedly from 

a Lagos High Court. 

In the process, son of the head 

of the market (Iya Loja) in the 

area, simply identified as Seun, 

was shot in his left hand. 

The court sheriff had, yesterday, 

placed a public notice in the area, 

notifying residents that 

possession of the land in Isheri 

Oke and environs, near Olowora, 

had been taken over. 

The notification, which was 

sequel to a judgment in suit No 

Gunmen kidnap professor, Chronicle staff in 

Calabar 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

CALABAR —AN Associate 

Professor with Institute of 

Public Policy & 

Administration,IPPA,University 

of Calabar ,UNICAL,David 

Ugwu, and a staff of Cross 

River Newspaper 

Corporation, Mr Maurice 

Archibong, were, weekend, 

kidnapped in Calabar. 

Vanguard learned that Prof. 

Ugwu was picked up by 

gunmen at his residence, 

Second Transformer, in Atimbo 

while trying to water flowers 

in the evening. 

The gunmen shot 

Seun, victim of gunshot. 

ID/1352/2001, between Prince 

Michael Bakare and two others, 

against O. Asafa and eight others 

was delivered by Justice Candide 

Johnson of the Lagos High Court 

sitting in Ikeja on May 3, 2016. 

Justice Johnson had in the 

judgment granted an enrolment 

order for the consequential relief 

sporadically into the air to 

scare residents of the area 

before whisking away their 

victim. 

An eyewitness, Mrs Iquo 

Etim, said the prof was 

watering his flower in the 

evening when the gunmen 

arrived, shooting sporadically 

before they took him away. 

“They took him through the 

water. It is like they have been 

monitoring him for a while 

because they came in swiftly 

like they knew the area,” she 

said. 

A source close to 

Archibong,who works with 

Cross River State Newspaper 

Corporation, publishers of 

Nigerian and Weekend 

Chronicle, told Vanguard that 

of possession of all the parcel of 

land situated at Isheri Oke and 

environs, near Olowora. 

The public notice said "all 

persons who are on the land 

through unauthorised families 

or entities are warned that their 

actions and or continued stay on 

the land was illegal, unlawful 

and malafide. 

However, residents alleged 

that the police and the court 

sheriff came with some thugs, 

thereby, prompting youths in the 

area to resist the move 

An eye witness, Mrs Temitope 

Shittu, said: “When the court 

sheriff and policemen with the 

thugs were trying to paste the 

notice, youths in the area tried 

to stop them and in the process, 

they(youths) hauled stones and 

bottles at the police. 

“Some shots were fired by the 

Police and a bullet hit Seun, who 

was rushed to Mayflower 

Hospital. But he was rejected 

there and was taken to another 

hospital: Tomade hospital in 

Ojodu Berger where he is at the 

moment.” 

he was picked on his way 

home from an outing near 

Shanahan by Ballantine in 

Calabar South Local 

Government Area on Saturday 

evening . 

Vanguard also gathered that 

nothing has been heard from 

their abductors. 

Contacted, the Police Public 

Relations Officer, DSP Irene 

Ugbo, who confirmed the 

incident. said she was 

informed about the 

kidnapping. 

“I am aware of the matter,we 

are working round the clock 

to make sure they are 

reunited with their families as 

soon as possible.We are doing 

everything possible to make 

that happen,” she said. 

Police arraign 3 Celestial Church leaders 

over alleged N85.9m fraud 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—THREE Celestial 

Church of Christ, CCC, 

Leaders, John Omotosho a.k.a 

Jorotom, Boye Olaniyan and 

Folashade Ogundipe, were 

yesterday, arraigned before a 

Federal High Court, sitting in 

Lagos, over allegation of obtaining 

N85,914,500 million. 

The defendants alongside a 

limited liability company, 

Folafunmi Integrated Limited, 

belonging to the second defendant, 

Folashade, are facing a four-count 

charge of conspiracy, obtaining 

under false pretence and fraud 

preferred against them by the 

police. 

The trio and the company, who 

were arraigned before Justice 

Ayokunle Faji’s court by the men 

of Force Criminal Intelligence and 

Investigation Department (Force 

CIID), Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, were 

accused of defrauding the church’s 

headquarters at Imeko, Ogun 

State, of N85,914,500, under false 

pretence of using the money for the 

church’s development. 

The prosecutor, Mr C. J. Ijeoma, 

a Chief Superintendent of Police, 

told Justice Faji that the defendants 

issued several Zenith Bank Plc 

cheques, which they used in 

withdrawing the money from the 

church’s development project 

account with the bank. 

According to him, the offences are 

contrary to Sections 8 (a),1(1) (a) 

and 1(1) (a) and (b)of the Advanced 

Fee Fraud and other fraud related 

offences Act, Laws of the Federation 

of Nigeria, 2010 and punishable 

under section 1(3) of the same Act. 

Counsel to the defendants, Mr 

Olawale Okenile, told the court 

after the defendants had taken their 

plea, that the charges were served 

on them recently and that he had 

filed their bail applications and had 

served the prosecution. 

They, however, pleaded not 

guilty to the charge. 

Following their not guilty plea, 

CSP Ijeoma asked the court for a 

date for trial and also urged the court 

to remand the defendants. 

Consequently, Justice Faji asked 

the three members of the church 

to file an undertaking affidavit of 

means and to produce bond of 

N350,000 for each, before the 

defendants can be allowed to go 

home, failing which they will be 

remanded. 

Justice Faji held: “These 

members of the church, Adeosun 

Israel Oladipo, Assistant 

Shepherd, CCC, Jerusalem 

Cathedral, Shasha; Afolabi 

Tolorunloju and Surakatu John, 

workers at CCC, Jerusalem 

Cathedral, Shasha, shall file an 

undertaking to produce the 

defendants at the next adjourned 

date. 

“In view of the issue, church and 

personalities in the matter, they 

shall be handed over to the three 

church members, who will also 

produce bond of N350,000 each 

and a means of identification.” 

Justice Faji, adjourned the matter 

to March 6, for a hearing of the 

defendants’ bail applications. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Attend Sunday School, it's is only God 

that accepts our shortcomings 

Results'll soon roll in 

Table shaker, who called you here?


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

WORKSHOP: From left; Chairman, Nigeria Diaspora Voting Council, Prince Ade Omole , representative of the 

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, Speaker, House of Representatives, Rep. Femi 

Gbajabiamila, chairperson, House Committee on Diaspora Matters, Rep.Tolulope Akande-Sadipe & representative 

of the Senate President, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora Matters, Sen. Ajibola 

Basiru at a workshop organised by the Nigeria Diaspora Voting Council in Abuja yesterday. 

2ND ANNIVERSARY OF DAPCHI KIDNAP: 

Leah’s dad pleads with Buhari to fulfill pledge 

•No price is too much to pay for her release — CAN 

By Sam Eyoboka 

FOLLOWING recent 

controversies over 

rejection of ransom by 

Boko Haram to release 

Leah Sharibu, ahead of the 

second anniversary of the 

abduction of Dapchi 

schoolgirls tomorrow, father 

of the lone Christian 

captive, Mr. Nathan 

Sharibu, yesterday 

appealed to President 


ensure the safe return of his 

only daughter, Leah. 

This came as chairman of 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, in the North 

West, Bishop David 

Bakare, said no price was 

too much to pay to secure 

Leah Sharibu’s release. 

Unverified reports 

emerged recently that the 

Federal Government 

acceded to grant the 

request of the Islamic 

fundamentalist group for a 

ransom in exchange for the 

teen Christian girl who was 

abducted on February 19, 

2018 alongside 109 other 

girls from Government 

Girls’ Science and Technical 

College (GGSTC), Dapchi, 

but they later backed off 

from the deal at the last 

moment. 

A top government source 

said senior Presidency 

officials are encouraging 

the Federal Government to 

remain actively engaged 

with the channels of 

communication and the 

negotiators until a positive 

resolution was secured, 

saying “the President has 

set a firm target and resolve 

to ensure the freedom of 

Leah and others by any 

means necessary.” 

In a telephone interview 

yesterday, Mr. Sharibu 

again appealed to 

President Buhari to fulfill 

his pledge to the family to 

ensure the safe rescue of 

his daughter, so she could 

continue her education. 

“As a father and even a 

grand father, I appeal to 


Buhari to have great pity 

on my family and intensify 

efforts to release our 

daughter who has spent 

two years in the captivity of 

strange persons in strange 

environment. 

“President Buhari called 

her mother on telephone in 

October of 2018 and 

pledged that his 

administration will do 

everything to bring our 

daughter safely back home 

and tomorrow will mark the 

second anniversary of the 

nightmare and over 500 

days after the presidential 

pledge. 

“I wish the President who 

is the father of the nation 

would spare no effort to 

appreciate our trauma in 

the last two years of our 

daughter’s absence 

especially as her school 

mates are in their school 

while Leah is in a place we 

don’t even know. 

President, please make 

good your promise to the 

Presidency warns Nigerians against fake 

news •Says Buhari isn’t travelling to UK for 20 days 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A Presidency 

BUJA—THE 

yesterday warned 

Nigerians against fake 

news, debunking report 

that 

President 

Muhammadu Buhari was 

billed to travel to the United 

Kingdom for 20 days and 

then proceed to Saudi 

Arabia and Austria from 

there. 

The Presidency in a 

statement signed by the 

Special Adviser to the 

President on Media and 

Publicity, Chief Femi 

Adesina, described the 

purported traveling plan as 

fake and warned Nigerians 

to beware of marchants of 

fake news which it said was 

on the prowl. 

Adesina said members of 

the first family, ministers, top 

government functionaries 

and even the military had 

become victims of fake 

news. 

He said: “Purveyors of 

fake and concocted 

Information are currently on 

overdrive, and Nigerians 

should be careful what they 

consume as news, and also 

share with others, 

particularly on the social 

media. 

“An unfounded 

information has been 

making the rounds that 


Buhari is billed to travel to 

the United Kingdom for 20 

days, and from there 

proceed to Saudi Arabia, 

and then Austria. Fake. It is 

nothing but falsehood from 

mischievous minds. 

“Members of the First 

Family, Ministers, top 

government officials, the 

military, and other key 

institutions, are also objects 

of this orchestrated 

falsehood from enemies of 

national cohesion. 

“We urge Nigerians to 

be discriminatory about 

what they accept as 

credible information, and 

restrain themselves from 

sharing what they have 

not authenticated as 

genuine. 

“That is how we can all 

collectively beat the 

malevolent minds at their 

pernicious games.” 

There had been news on 

social media that President 

Buhari would proceed on 

vacation to the United 

Kingdom where he would 

stay for about 20 days and 

from there proceed to Saudi 

Arabia and Austria. 

family and free our daughter 

now. 

“The world at large heard 

your promise and rejoiced 

at the commitment but up 

till now we are yet to see or 

hear anything towards the 

fulfillment of that 

presidential pledge. So 

please, as the world is 

praying for the release of 

our daughter, help us to 

reduce our agony,” Mr. 

Sharibu pleaded from Yola. 

Asked if there had been 

any official communication 

to confirm or deny the 

reports that made the 

rounds that his daughter 

was now a mother, he said 

nobody has reached them 

on any issue concerning 

his daughter. 

He said in frsutration: 

“We are completely in the 

dark. Nobody has called us 

on anything concerning 

my daughter. The 

mother and I are in 

complete darkness. 

Nobody! Nobody at all!” 

On his part, the North 

West chairman of CAN, 

Bishop Bakare, affirmed 

that there was a report that 

the insurgent group has 

rejected a ransom offered 

by the Federal Government 

on Leah Sharibu, urging 

the Buhari administration 

not to relent on its 

negotiation because no 

price will be too much to 

pay on Leah Sharibu who 

has spent two years in 

captivity. 

He said: “The Federal 

Government must read the 

mood of the nation, 

especially after the 

gruesome murder of the 

chairman of CAN in 

Michika Local Government 

Area, Rev. Lawan Andimi, 

by the terrorist group, Boko 

Haram, over inability to 

meet their demand for the 

•2 million. 

“It will be one tragedy too 

many if the Federal 

Government plays any 

more politics over the 

rescue of Leah who is 

spending a second year in 

the den her young mind 

can hardly cope with.'' 

Buhari wants NASS to 

exempt aviation agencies 

from taxes, revenue remittances 

•Seeks to impose 5% Tax on flight tickets 

By Tordue Salem 

A 

B U J A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

forwarded to the House of 

Representatives three 

executive bills which seek 

to stop three aviation 

agencies from paying taxes 

to government and 

remitting funds generated 

from their operations to the 

Federation Account. 

The agencies include the 

Federal Airports Authority 

of Nigeria, FAAN; 

Nigerian Airspace 

Management Agency, 

NAMA and Nigerian Civil 

Aviation Authority, NCAA. 

The prayer of the NCAA 

Bill, especially, 

contravenes sections 162 

and 80 of the 1999 

Constitution, which compel 

all aviation agencies of 

government to remit 

revenue generated to the 

Federation Account. 

Copies of the bills 

exclusively obtained by 

Vanguard, as sent to the 

House of Representatives 

and Senate, are to repeal 

Acts setting up the Nigeria 

Civil Aviation Authority, 

NCAA, the Federal 

Airports Authority of 

Nigeria, FAAN and the 

Nigeria Airspace 

Management Authority, 

NAMA and to reenact fresh 

laws to give the agencies 

more regulatory and 

financial powers. 

The bill that seeks to 

repeal the NCAA Act, titled 

“Civil Aviation Bill, 2019”, 

states in section 21(3): 

“Notwithstanding the 

provision of any other law, 

policy or circular in force, 

any fee imposed by or on 

behalf of the Authority, shall 

not be subject to any 

deduction by or remittance 

to any other body.’’ 

It goes ahead section 

22(1) to state: “The 

Authority shall be 

exempted from the 

payment of tenement rates 

and income tax or any other 

tax in force”, adding that in 

section 2, “the provision of 

the law relating to the 

taxation of the income of 

any company or 

contribution to any trust 

fund shall not apply to the 

Authority.” 

The new NCAA law also 

seeks to impose a 5% tax 

on sales of air tickets by 

airlines in the country. 

The proposed law states 

in section 23(1): “There 

shall be a 5% of airfare, 

contract, charter and cargo 

sales charge, payable to the 

Authority which charge 

shall apply on all 

International and domestic 

air transportation 

originating in Nigeria, 

irrespective of place of 

issuance of air ticket or 

execution of the contract 

of carriage.'' 

SERVICE CHIEFS: Buhari’s 

breaking the law — FALANA 

HUMAN 

rights 

lawyer, Femi 

Falana, said yesterday 


Buhari was running foul of 

the law in his decision not 

to terminate the 

appointment of the current 

crop of service chiefs. 

Falana, who appeared on 

Sunrise Daily, argued that 

the laws regulating military 

officers required the 

retirement of military 

officers who have served 

for 35 years or have 

reached the age of 60. 

He vowed to file a lawsuit 

on the matter this week, 

insisting President Buhari 

must be prevailed upon to 

acknowledge the possibility 

of “internal sabotage” 

within the military in the 

war against insurgency. 

Responding to statements 

from the Presidency 

cautioning against public 

protests against the 

government, Falana said 

such comments should be 

“embarrassing” to the 

President who, before he 

took the country’s reins, had 

led public demonstrations. 

He said: “Under the 

public service rule, under 

the harmonised rules for 

military officers in 

Nigeria and under 

Section 6 of the armed 

forces act, which 

empowers the President 

to make rules and 

regulation for the military, 

there is no provision for 

extension of tenure (for 

Service Chiefs) beyond the 

period stipulated by law. 

‘’It has been done in the 

past, but that does not make 

it right. There is equality 

before the law, so you can’t 

extend the service of certain 

officers while you ask others 

to go after 35 years of service 

or the attainment of 60 years 

of age. 

“To the best of my 

knowledge, a suit will be 

filed during the week, in 

respect of this matter. The 

President must be prevailed 

upon to appreciate that we 

may also be undergoing 

what you might describe as 

internal sabotage (in the 

fight against insurgency) by 

many members of the 

armed forces who simply 

feel since these are the 

people who can stop 

insurgency or terrorism, let 

them go ahead. 

‘’This is because the Chief 

of Army Staff himself has 

had an occasion to accuse 

members of the armed 

forces of not doing enough. 

“The Service Chiefs are 

retiring officers who have 

served for 35 years or have 

reached the age of 60 – it is 

their fault not to appeal to 

the President for them to 

go or to resign.’’

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — 9 

BRIEFING ON 

CORONAVIRUS: 

Minister of State for 

Health, Sen. 

Olorunwambe 

Mamora (left); with 

the Director-General 

of the West African 

Health Organisation 

(WAHO), Prof. 

Stanley Okolo, 

during a joint press 

briefing on regional 

preparedness for 

Coronavrus 

Epidemic in Abuja 

yesterday. 

HEALTH TIPS 

By Sola Ogundipe 


State of the Nation: No Northern leader can be happy, 

Emir Sanusi laments at El Rufai’s 60th birthday 

•El Rufai small in size but a mighty engine of ideas, performance — Ooni 

•Nigeria’s at crossroads — Senate President, Lawan 

•El Rufai, a special gift to Nigeria — Oyegun 

•He’s an outstanding public servant — Buhari 

•He’s courageous, fearless, blunt — Oshiomhole 

By Soni Daniel & 

Ibrahim Hassan 

K 

A D U N A — 

NIGERIA’S political 

class converged on Kaduna 

yesterday and poured 

encomiums on Kaduna State 

governor, Mallam Nasir el Rufai, 

who turned 60 on Sunday, 

singling him out as one of the 

selfless public servants who has 

rendered critical public service 

with rare courage, bluntness and 

fearlessness. 

The adulation of the governor, 

however, coincided with the 

lamentation of the Emir of Kano, 

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Muhammadu Sanusi II, who 

cautioned that no Nigerian 

leader of northern extraction had 

any reason to be happy given the 

sorry state of insecurity, 

education, poverty, health care, 

nutrition and almajiri problem in 

that part of the country. 

Similarly, Senate President, 

Ahmed Lawan, sounded a note 

of warning that Nigeria was at 

crossroads and needed the 

support and cooperation of all to 

wriggle out of the woods. 

Sanusi said it was worrisome 

that the North had the largest 

chunk of poverty, out-of-school 

children and beggars in the 

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country and called for immediate 

efforts to reduce the poor statistics 

so as to place the region at par 

with other parts of the country. 

He said: “If the North does not 

change the situation it is 

grappling with today, it will 

destroy itself. We need to get our 

northern youths to study harder, 

get the required educational 

qualifications to compete with 

Nigerians for jobs and other 

positions instead of relying on 

quota allocations. This is because 

the rest of the country may not 

wait for the north forever.’’ 

On the governor, Sanusi 

described him as an enigma who 

understood what the state and 

Nigeria needed by devoting 40 

percent of his state budget to 

education, a vital area that 

required more investments in 

order to take the country out of 

poverty and insecurity. 

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye 

Ogunwusi, who presented a 

symbolic talking drum to el Rufai, 

described the governor as a man 

of the moment who was doing in 

Kaduna what Nigerians really 

wanted to see. 

“We want leaders like you who 

will continue to work for all 

Nigerians. It is obvious that you 

stand out of the crowd, given 

what you are doing and preaching 

in the northern states. 

“You are a drummer and we 

want to hear from you loud and 

clear. We want you to continue 

to beat the positive drum for 

Nigeria,” the monarch said. 


Buhari, who was represented by 

the Minister of Environment, 

Mohammed Mahmoud, 

described el Rufai as a true public 

servant who has served Nigeria 

diligently, dispassionately and 

conscientiously, bringing smiles 

to the people in the process and 

urged him to continue to render 

selfless service to his people. 

Buhari said: “Your service to 

Nigeria and mankind marks you 

out as an outstanding public 

servant and we are very 

proud of your work.” 

Chairman of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, described el Rufai 

as a committed, fearless, blunt 

and courageous public servant 

who was implementing a welfare 

programme for all in Kaduna. 

Oshiomhole said: “El Rufai is 

fearless, blunt and courageous 

and he has succeeded in 

implementing a socialism policy 

in Kaduna catering for the weak, 

the poor and powerful. He is a 

great man with ideas who speaks 

truth to power wherever he finds 

himself and we are very proud of 

him.” 

Senate President, Ahmed 

Lawan, also praised el Rufai, 

saying Nigerian leaders must 

imbibe the story of his rare 

courage and fearlessness in 

dealing with the myriads of 

challenges facing the nation. 

“Nigeria is at the crossroads 

and requires unity and 

cooperation of all to come out of 

the current predicament. 

“I strongly believe that what 

the country really needs now is 

not only infrastructure, but to 

address the educational 

challenges that have afflicted the 

country. Until we solve the 

educational challenges in the 

land, particularly in the north, the 

problem of insecurity would 

persist,” Lawan said. 

Ekiti State governor and 

Chairman of Nigeria’s 

Governors’ Forum, Kayode 

Fayemi, commended el Rufai for 

steadily and successfully 

handling many critical 

assignments for Nigeria, and 

remaining on the side of the 

people all the times. 

Also speaking, the former 

National Chairman of APC, Chief 

John Odigie-Oyegun described 

el Rufai as a special gift to Nigeria, 

adding that at 60, el Rufai had 

achieved more than what other 

Nigerian leaders had achieved 

in their entire lifetime and praised 

the governor for standing for 

what he believed to be right, no 

matter the thinking of others. 

“You are working honestly for 

this country and you are creating 

a name that will go down in the 

annals of Nigeria. We pray God 

helps you to achieve all the 

things you have outlined to do 

I was never attacked by 

bandits — AMAECHI 

By Victoria Ojeme 

MINISTER of Transport, 

Rotimi Amechi, said 

yesterday he was never 

attacked by bandits at Rigasa 

in Kaduna State. 

He also said the provision of 

security by the federal 

government for passengers 

travelling by train from Abuja 

to Kaduna ends at the train 

stations. 

Amaechi, who stated this at 

Rigasa train station on his way 

back to Abuja, insisted there 

was no truth in the report that 

he escaped abduction in the 

hands of bandits when his 

convoy made a detour to Rigasa 

road on Sunday night. 

The Minister said he neither 

heard nor saw any bandit nor 

heard any gunshot, contrary to 

report which said there was an 

for Nigeria,” he prayed. 

The birthday celebration was 

climaxed with the launching of 

two volumes of books, entitled 

These Times: Selected Speeches 

by Nasir El Rufai. 

The event was attended by the 

governors of Ekiti, Lagos, 

Plateau, Jigawa, Edo states 

and former governors of 

Zamfara, as well as the 

Ministers of Transport, Rotimi 

Amaechi, and Finance, Zainab 

Ahmed, among others. 

exchange of fire between 

bandits and some mobile 

policemen and soldiers in an 

armoured car which saved train 

passengers from an ambush 

around Mando area. 

He 

said: 

“Nothing happened, I came 

down here, entered my car and 

went to the hotel. I don’t know 

if anybody was attacked but 

me, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, 

wasn’t attacked. I didn’t hear 

any gunshot; I didn’t see 

anybody. 

“If people were attacked after 

I left, I have no idea. If I was 

attacked, why should I hide it; I 

should be proud to say I was 

attacked and they were repelled 

by soldiers or policemen and then 

advise the state government. 

“Whether its true or not, they 

still need to put security on the 

road because when I passed 

yesterday, I didn’t see soldiers.” 

However, an unidentified 

person who was with the minister 

at the time, interjected, saying 

there was a bandit attack which 

was repelled by security agents. 

“They (soldiers) were around, 

they are the ones that replied 

the bandits. They attacked 

passengers but didn’t kill 

anybody. They attacked around 

past 8 : 15 pm,’’ he said. 

But Amaechi responded, 

saying the attacks must have 

happened after he left the 

premises of the train station, but 

advised passengers to stop 

following shorter route out of the 

train station. 

Protesters storm APC hqtrs, 

demand Oshiomhole’s sack 

• Call for 

Oshiomhole’s sack 

mischievous – Edo 

APC chieftain 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

A 

group of protesters 

yesterday stormed the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

secretariat in Abuja, demanding 

the removal of the national 

chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. 

The protesters, under the aegis 

of Concerned APC Youths, said 

their demand was based on the 

fact that the party has lost more 

states under him, the most recent 

being Bayelsa State. 

But former Edo State Publicity 

Secretary of APC, Godwin 

Erahon, described call for 

Oshiomhole’s removal as 

mischievous. 

However, the protesters carried 

various placards with inscriptions 

calling for Oshiomhole’s sack. 

One of the leaders of the 

protesters, Agricola Ejembi, said 

the group was appealing to 

President Muhuammadu Buhari 

to intervene in the affairs of the 

party in order to arrest what they 

claimed to be the dwindling 

fortunes of the party under 

Oshiomhole as National 

Chairman. 

The Independent National 

Electoral Commission (INEC) 

had on Friday declared the 

candidate of Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP), Senator Duoye Diri, 

as the winner of the Bayelsa 

election issuing the certificate of 

return to him immediately. 

This was after the Supreme 

Court ruling which sacked David 

Lyon of the APC. 

Justice Ejembi Ekwo, who read 

•North has lost its 

privilege in APC 

under Oshiomhole 

– Babachir Lawal 

the lead judgment on Thursday 

made the orders after disqualifying 

the APC’s deputy governorship 

candidate, Degi-Eremienyo, as a 

candidate in the election for 

submitting forged certificates to 

INEC. 

In a swift reaction yesterday, 

Erahon, described call for 

Oshiomhole’s removal as 

mischievous, saying: “It is never 

the responsibility of the national 

chairman to screen candidates for 

election.'' 

Meanwhile, former Secretary to 

Government of the Federation, 

SGF, Babachir Lawal, has 

described the APC, as a “funny” 

organisation. 

Speaking with journalists in 

Abuja at the weekend, Lawal said 

Oshiomhole and his loyalists, 

suspended Lawal Shaibu, deputy 

vice-chairman (north), and Inuwa 

Abdulkadir, vice-chairman (northwest). 

Shaibu and Oshiomhole were 

at loggerheads before his 

suspension, while Abdulkadir was 

accused of anti-party activities 

before he was suspended. 

He said Oshiomhole’s action 

has disenfranchised members of 

the party from the north. 

He said: “This APC is funny, 

For more than one year or so, a 

very substantial part of the 

country is not represented in the 

decision making. The national 

vice-chairman (North West) 

which is the largest geographical 

zone with seven states has been 

suspended and no longer 

attending NWC meeting.


AMOTEKUN: Ondo 

lawmakers call off recess 

....As Osun Bill scales first reading 

By Dayo Johnson & 

Shina Abubakar 

Aof KURE—MEMBERS 

the Ondo State 

House of Assembly will 

today reconvene to 

deliberate on the South 

West Security Network bill 

codenamed Amotekun. 

This came as the bill 

passed through first 

reading when the Osun 

State House of Assembly 

debated the bill, yesterday. 

A public hearing on the 

State security bill will hold 

tomorrow at the House of 

Assembly complex. 

A statement by the 

Director of Information 

Services for the Assembly, 

Sehinde Fanokun, said 

that the recall of the 

members was sequel to the 

importance of the bill. 

Fanokun said: “The 

Executive arm having 

forwarded the Ondo State 

Security bill code name 

Amotekun to the House of 

Assembly, the Speaker, Mr. 

Oleyelogun Bamidele 

requested other lawmakers 

to cut short their recess to 

attend to this important 

legislative assignment. 

“Lawmakers of the Ondo 


will resume for legislative 

business on Tuesday 18th 

February 2020. 

“This is to enable them to 

deliberate on the security 

bill code name 

Amotekun meant to 

ensure security across the 

nooks and crannies of the 

state. 

“The lawmakers, who are 

currently on recess, are 

supposed to resume on 24th 

February.” 

Amotekun Bill scales 

first reading in Osun 

M e a n w h i l e , 

the Amotekun Corps Bill 

Principals should 

be products of 

the school 

—YESSOSSA 

A SECONDARY 

BEOKUTA— 

schools’ principals should 

be old students of the 

school they head, so they 

can take issues concerning 

the schools personal. 

This was the position of 

Yewa Secondary School 

Old Students Association, 

YESSOSSA, Lagos 

Chapter, during its New 

Year and award 

presentation party held at 

Senior Police Officers’ 

Mess, Ikeja in Lagos. 

YESSOSSA President, 

Mr. Niyi Ojekunle said: 

“We are working on it as a 

mission. If school principals 

are old students of the 

school they head, they 

would make a more 

positive impact. What’s 

happening right now is 

school heads taking their 

jobs as businesses." 


2020 has passed through 

first reading as the Osun 


debated the bill, yesterday. 

The bill was presented to 

the lawmakers at plenary by 

the Speaker, Mr. Timothy 

Owoeye. 

Owoeye stated that while 

Governor Adegboyega 

Oyetola forwarded the bill 

to the house, he (Governor) 

requested that the bill is 

given accelerated hearing. 

Owoeye said: “We also 

agreed that all the 

Southwest Assemblies 

should conduct a public 

hearing on Monday, 

February 24 on the bill so 

that stakeholders will have 

a say and make 

contributions." 

ROYAL RUMBLE: 15 Osun monarchs demand 

Oluwo’s suspension 

By Shina 

Abubakar 

O SOGBO—FIFTEEN 

members of Iwo 

Traditional Council, 

yesterday, demanded the 

suspension of the Oluwo of 

Iwoland, Oba 

Abdulrosheed Adewale 

over what they described as 

an “unbecoming attitude of 

a monarch.” 

This came on a day some 

residents of Ayedire, 

Olaoluwa and Iwo 

communities in Osun State, 

stormed the streets of 

Osogbo, to protest the 

alleged assault on the 

Agbowu of Ogbaagba, 

Dhikrulahi Akinropo, by the 

Oluwo of Iwo. 

The state government 

also described the fisticuff 

between the two monarchs 

as unfortunate. 

Also, the embattled 

traditional ruler faulted the 

protest against him, 

describing it as an attempt 

to silence him. 

It was, however, 

gathered that the monarch 

had left the country in a bid 

to reduce attacks on his 

person. 

But when contacted, his 

Media Aide, Alli Ibrahim, 

said Oluwo is in the country 

but travelled to Lagos to 

attend to some salient 

issues. 

15 Osun monarchs 

demand Oluwo’s 

suspension 

The monarchs, who were 

from communities in Ola- 

Oluwa and Ayedire Local 

Government Areas of the 

state, also accused the 

monarch of creating 

problems for the area rather 

than resolving disputes. 

The angry protesters 

PROTEST—Residents of Ayedire, Olaoluwa and Iwo communities, in Osun State, protesting against 

the Oluwo's alleged highhandedness, yesterday. 

called for the monarch’s 

suspension as both Oluwo 

and Chairman Iwo 

Traditional Council. 

A communiqué dated 

February 16 issued at the 

end of their meeting, 

addressed to the State 

Governor, Adegboyega 

Oyetola and copies made 

available to journalists in 

Osogbo, demanded that 

the Oluwo’s conduct 

should be investigated by 

police and be prosecuted 

accordingly for attacking 

another monarch before 

government officials. 

The monarchs that 

signed the communiqué 

are Oba Dirkrullahi 

Akinropo, Agbowu of 

Ogbaagbaa, Oba Abibu 

Adetoyese, Olu of Ile- 

Ogbo, Oba Adekunle 

Oyelude, Olowu of Kuta, 

Oba Oyeleso Oyebamiji, 

Olupo of Oluponna, Oba 

Abioye Oyewale, Olubode 

of Bode-Osi, Oba Ismaila 

Gbadamosi, Ola of 

Ajagunlase. 

Others are; Oba Abdul 

Kadiri Olatunji, Oluwo of 

Iwo-Oke, Oba Kaseem 

Orioye, Onigege of Igege, 

Oba Sikirulahi Ogunleye, 

Olowu of Ilemowu, Oba 

Tajudeen Adewale, Oloke 

of Obamoro, Oba Hafeez 

Adigun, Onikoyi of Ikoyi, 

Oba Asimiyu Sodiq, 

Ologburo of Ogburo, Oba 

Oye Alajide, Oloja of 

Agberire, Oba Alamu 

Oparonke, Onisara of 

Feesu and Oba Solomon 

Oyewo, Onifin of Ikonifin. 

The document was also 

sent to the Assistant 

Inspector General of Police 

Zone XI, the Director, 

Department of State 

Security, the state Ministry 

of Justice, Ministry of Local 

Government and 

•Protesters flay Oluwo’s action 

•Protest an attempt to silence me —Monarch 

•Fight unfortunate — Osun govt 

Chieftaincy Affairs and the 

Ooni of Ife. 

It, therefore, called for the 

creation of a separate 

traditional rulers’ council in 

Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa 

local governments, in the 

interest of peace in the 

communities and the state. 

The communiqué reads: 

“We call upon Governor 

Adegboyega Oyetola of 

Osun State to immediately 

suspend Oba Adewale 

Akanbi from office as the 

Oluwo of Iwo and 

Chairman Iwo Traditional 

Council for engaging in 

physical assault in public 

place, more so against a 

fellow Oba, an act 

unbecoming of the exalted 

office of an Oba. 

“That the Police should be 

encouraged to conclude 

their investigation and 

arraign Oba Adewale 

Akanbi in the appropriate 

Court immediately 

“That Government 

should create separate 

Traditional Councils for 

Ayedire Local Government 

Council and Ola-Oluwa 

Local Government.” 

Protesters flay 

Oluwo’s action 

But expressing 

displeasure over the 

monarch’s action, the 

Asiwaju of Ile-Ogbo, Chief 

Akanmu Nafiu, while 

presenting the position of 

the protesting residents of 

the communities to the 

representative of the state 

government, Special 

Adviser to the Governor on 

Local Government and 

Chieftaincy Affairs, Rasak 

Adeosun; the 

Commissioner for 

Information and Civic 

Orientation, Funke 

Egbemode, the 

communities berated the 

Oluwo for asking other 

monarchs in the area to get 

a receipt from him before 

they can sell lands in their 

domain. 

He said: “It was an 

abomination for a king to 

beat or punch the other 

king, not to talk of raising 

his hand to beat his fellow 

king. 

“It is a very shameful act 

for Oluwo to have done 

that, and that is why he and 

his fellow chiefs rose to 

protest. 

How can Oba Akanbi say 

whenever other monarchs 

want to sell any land in 

their domain, they should 

report to him with the 

receipt. But I told him that 

no such has been 

requested by other kings, 

after all, they were only 

bounded by government 

administration.” 

Also speaking, an angry 

protester, Mr. Sikiru Araoye 

demanded a separate 

traditional council to avoid 

regular breakdown of law 

and order in the area. 

Meanwhile, youths, 

chiefs and residents of 

Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa 

local governments stormed 

the state secretariat to 

protest the Oba’s regular 

public harassment of their 

monarchs, with Agbowu of 

Ogbaagbaa, being the 

latest victim. 

The protesters displayed 

placards with different 

inscriptions, such as 

“Justice must prevail”, 

“Oluwo is calling for 

communal war”, “Oluwo 

has bastardised Yoruba 

culture”, “Suspend Oluwo 

Now”, among many 

others. 

Oluwo, Agbowu fight 

unfortunate 

—Osun govt 

Reacting to the crisis, the 


Information and Civic 

Orientation, Mrs. Funke 

Egbemode, described the 

Oluwo, Agbowu fight as 

unfortunate 

The government, in a 

statement, said it is aware 

that the State Traditional 

Council is looking into the 

matter. 

Egbemode said: “We 

believe in the dignity of 

traditional stools and 

sacredness of royalty. We 

will continue to preach 

peace among all our 

citizens and harmonious 

relationship among our 

traditional rulers. 

“Government is aware 

that the State Council of 

Traditional Rulers has 

stepped into the matter and 

we are confident that the 

council will take 

appropriate steps to 

preserve peaceful 

coexistence among the 

Obas in the state. We do not 

want any crisis in any part 

of the State.” 

Protest, an attempt to 

silence me —Oluwo 

Meanwhile, the 

embattled Iwo monarch has 

described public outcry 

against him as an attempt 

to incapacitate his resolve 

to defend peasants in 

Iwoland and its environs. 

Continues on Page 11


By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

L AGOS—GOVERNOR 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu of 

Lagos State, yesterday, 

tasked other state 

governments to look for 

other sources to generate 

more revenue rather than 

:Vanguard 

News 

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

RETREAT: From left—Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Umar Nnamadi; representative of 

Lagos State Governor, Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry 

of Finance, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, and Lagos Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, 

during the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee retreat, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria 

Island, yesterday. 

SANWO-OLU TO GOVERNORS: We must reduce 

our dependence on federal allocations 

I BADAN—THE 

announcement of a 

former Chairman of the 

banned National Union of 

Road Transport Workers, 

NURTW, Alhaji Lamidi 

Mukaila aka Auxiliary as 

the head of Motor Park 

Managers in Oyo State has 

triggered some violent 

reactions. 

relying on federal 

allocations to fund huge 

responsibilities in their 

states. 

Sanwo-Olu said this at 

the opening ceremony of 

the Federation Account 

Allocation Committee, 

FAAC, retreat, held in 

Lagos. 

The retreat was 

themed: Efficient 

Federation Revenue 

Allocation as a Nexus for 

National Economic 

Diversification. 

Sanwo-Olu, represented 

by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi 

Hamzat, stressed that the 

era of relying entirely on 

Panic trails appointment of Auxiliary as motor 

parks head 

By Ola Ajayi 

By Etop Ekanem 

LAGOS—THE Food 

and Beverages 

Recycling Alliance, FBRA, 

yesterday, threw its weight 

behind the launch of the 

Waterways Clean-up 

campaign by the Lagos 

State Waterways Authority, 

LASWA. 

FBRA comprises nine 

member companies, 

including Nigerian Bottling 

Company Limited, NBC, 

Nigerian Breweries Plc, 

Nestle Nigeria Plc, Seven- 

Up Bottling Company 

PLC, Guinness, AB Inbev, 

Intercontinental 

Distilleries, Prima 

Corporation and Tulip 

Processing. 

Speaking at the event, 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of 

Lagos State, who was 

represented by the Commissioner 

At Iwo Road interchange, 

the newly inaugurated 

head of motor park 

managers, Auxiliary was 

sighted trekking on the 

highway with scores of his 

loyalists in the NURTW. 

This caused panic as 

hundreds of people ran 

helter-skelter when they 

saw the former NURTW 

state boss. 

Iwo Road interchange 

was the same place where 

FBRA supports LASWA on Lagos 

Waterways Clean-up campaign 

for Transportation, Dr. Frederick 

Oladeinde, commended LASWA, 

FBRA and other stakeholders for 

coming together to work towards 

a better environment for Lagos. 

The Chairman of the Food and 

Beverages Recycling Alliance, 

Matthieu Seguin, who doubles 

as the Managing Director, 

Nigerian Bottling Company 

Limited, NBC, in his speech said: 

“The vision of the FBRA is to 

pioneer the establishment of a 

world-class industry compliance 

model on the Extended Producer 

Responsibility, EPR, programme 

in Nigeria. FBRA has the 

mandate to enable the recovery 

of post-consumer packaging 

waste, especially plastics, from the 

environment through industryled 

thought-leadership, policy 

drive and sustainable 

partnerships with various 

stakeholders in the waste 

management value chain in 

Nigeria.” 

a medical student from 

Ahmadu Bello University, 

Zaria was killed some years 

ago during the mayhem 

caused by NURTW 

factions. 

Meanwhile, a man was 

attacked by some members 

of the banned union at Iwo 

leaving him injured. 

He had bloodstains all 

over his body. According to 

him, he was attacked when 

the former NURTW boss 

was passing by. 

Auxiliary was seen 

wearing dark eyeglasses 

with his supporters hailing 

him. 

Reacting to the alleged 

violence, the State Police 

Public Relations Officer, SP 

Gbenga Fadeyi said people 

were just panicking for no 

reason. 

He said: “People just 

panicked but there was no 

violence." 

Yes, Auxiliary was indeed 

at Iwo road, but he was 

calm. Our men are there to 

ensure others is no 

breakdown of law and 

order”. 

Earlier, while 

inaugurating him, the state 

Commissioner for Public 

Works, Infrastructure and 

Transport, Professor 

Raphael Afonja, advised 

Auxiliary and other 

managers to discharge their 

duties without any fear. 

federal allocation was over 

in the country. 

He said: “The Nigerian 

government needs to 

diversify its source of 

revenue. We must do 

anything we can to boost 

revenue along the line of 

manufacturing. It is 

important every state first 

look for ways to diversify. 

We must reduce our 

dependence on federal 

allocation. 

“To make revenue 

sharing formula fairer, 

equitable, and more 

development-oriented, 

there is the need to attach 

increased value to 

population density as a 

critical factor, in addition 

to the nominal population 

figure.” 

In her address, the 

Minister of Finance, 

Budget and National 

Planning, Hajiya Zainab 

Ahmed, who was 

represented by the 

Permanent Secretary in 

the Ministry, Mahmud 

Dutse, said the Federal 

Government had 

embarked on “policies 

and measures to improve 

the fiscal health of the 

federal government and 

states.” 

The minister said: “For 

the states, these measures 

included various 

financing options made 

available in the form of 

bailout funds, budget 

support facility, and 

relaxation of conditions for 

borrowing and ease of 

doing business. Over the 

years, governments have 

been committed to the 

efficiency of our common 

resources through fair, 

just and equitable 

distribution of the 

federation revenue to the three 

tiers of government as monthly 

statutory allocations.” 

ROYAL RUMBLE: Osun monarchs 

demand Oluwo’s suspension 

Continues from Page 10 

THE monarch, in a 

statement, disclosed 

that his frosty relationship 

with monarchs within his 

domain was borne out of his 

refusal to allow them to 

continue to torment their 

subjects. 

Oba Adewale said: 

“Critics should leave him to 

God and stop judging him 

on the social media. 

Nigerians, outside 

Iwoland, are ignorant of the 

true situation of things and 

the hardship some 

monarchs in their domains 

are inflicting on their 

subjects. 

“For those, who care to 

know the background to 

Ologbagba’s arrogant 

attitude at the AIG zone 11 

peace meeting, I have 

decided to break my 

silence. What played out at 

peace meeting was a gang 

up to twist my hands 

backward and prevent me 

from defending these poor 

PROFESSOR Kings 

ley Moghalu, former 

deputy governor of the 

Central Bank of Nigeria 

and 2019 presidential 

candidate of the Young 

Progressive Party, YPP, 

will be part of a high-level 

panel of international 

economists, convened by 

the United Nations Development 

Program, 

UNDP, and the Brookings 

Institution, to discuss 

solutions to the 

challenge of poverty and 

inequality in Africa. 

The event: 'Understanding 

the Drivers of 

Inequality in Africa and 

Implications for Human 

Development', which 

holds at the Brookings 

Institution in Washington 

DC on Thursday, 

February 20, 2020, is part 

of a series of events in 

global capitals to launch 

L 

A G O S — 

FOLLOWING the 

under-development of 

Nigeria as a result of the 

failure of the public sector, 

the Managing Director and 

Chief Executive Officer of 

Chapel Hill Denham, Mr. 

Bolaji Balogun, has said 

that the future of the country 

belongs to the private 

sector. 

Balogun, who said this in 

Lagos, urged company 

secretaries to entrench 

corporate governance in 

their organisations to bring 

about the expected 

development of the nation. 

According to Chapel Hill 

Denham boss, 

people they have 

continued to oppress with 

impunity. It was a case of 

the oppressor fighting back 

against the defender of the 

oppressed, their victims. 

“In the course of the 

meeting, the Ologbagba 

tried to play out their orchestrated 

plan when he tried to poke his 

walking stick in my eyes and I 

quickly responded to prevent him 

from achieving their plan, to turn 

me to a blind king. 

“These monarchs are lording 

themselves over their subjects, 

taking their family lands and 

selling their inheritance with 

impunity. 

“They have gone as far as 

arresting and imprisoning 

anyone in these families, who 

tried to obstruct them from selling 

their heritage. 

“My palace is inundated with 

complaints of how their innocent 

subjects are sent to prison 

because these monarchs do 

influence cases against their 

people through their 

accomplices." 

Moghalu, other global experts 

for high-level UNDP panel on 

inequality 

‘Why Nigeria’s future lies in private 

sector’ 

By Kingsley 

Adegboye 

the 2019 edition of the 

Human Development 

Report, authored by the 

UNDP. 

Co-hosted by the 

UNDP and Brookings 

Institution, one of the 

world’s leading think 

tanks, the event, according 

to an announcement 

by Brookings, will feature 

a high-level panel 

of experts in inequality 

and African economic 

development to discuss 

the economic, governance 

and security implications 

of the diverse 

and evolving inequalities 

across the continent. 

“High rates of economic 

growth in Africa over 

the past two decades have 

failed to make an appreciable 

dent on inequality across the 

continent. Though it varies 

in size across the region, the 

chasm between the rich and 

the poor remains widespread 

and entrenched. 

conglomerates such as 

Dangote Cement, Lafarge 

Cement, MTN and others 

which are private 

companies can fix the huge 

infrastructure gap in the 

country because they have 

the capacity and 

equipment to do it, 

reiterating that the private 

is the answer to the 

development of Nigeria. 

Speaking on the theme, 

Executive Director, 

Regulation, The Nigerian 

Stock Exchange, Tinuade 

Awe, said: “Before the 

launch of the code, there 

were several sector-specific 

codes of corporate governance in 

certain sectors of the economy. 

These earlier codes were limited 

to their specific industries and 

could not be applied across other 

sectors of the economy.



COURTESY VISIT: First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu (Middle); Group Public Relations 

and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr Tope Ashiwaju (Left); National Coordinator, Indomie 

Fan Club, Mrs Faith Joshua (Right) with members of the Indomie Fan Club, during the Indomie team 

courtesy visit to the First Lady. 

Bayelsa: Police extends curfew till Sunday 

....As Bayelsans count losses over S’Court sacking of Lyon 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA—BAYEL 

SA State Police Command 

has extended the 

three days dusk to dawn 

curfew imposed in the state 

over weekend's violent protest 

following the Supreme 

Court judgment on Thursday. 

The state Commissioner 

of Police, Uche Anozie, yesterday 

in Yenagoa, said the 

extension was necessitated 

by the prevailing situation 

in the state. 

His words, "On the other 

hand, in the light of credible 

intelligence available to 

the command vis-a-vis the 

prevailing security situation 

in Bayelsa State, the 

command has seemed it 

necessary to review and extend 

the curfew to February 

23, 2020, with effect from 

February 17, 2020, from 

10p.m., to 6a.m. 

"Members of the public 

are advised to remain indoors 

as security agencies 

will put to arrest anyone 

who violates the curfew and 

such outlaws will be prosecuted.” 

Residents count losses 

Meanwhile, residents of 

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State are 

yet to get over the shock 

after the Friday looting of 

shops and invasion of residence 

of some political bigwigs 

by suspected hoodlums 

after the declaration 

of Governor Douye Diri of 

the Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, as the 4th democratically 

elected governor 

of Bayelsa State by the Supreme 

Court. 

The declaration by the 

apex court, which nullified 

the election of APC governor 

elect, David Lyon few 

hours to the inauguration 

threw the entire state into 

confusion, as suspected 

thugs threw decorum to the 

wind during the protest by 

members of the APC and 

went on looting spree. 

The protesters mostly the 

youths within the age 

range of 12 and 45 years 

took off from major Ekeki 

park to the state owned 

Broadcasting Corporation, 

where no fewer than 15 cars 

that belonged to the staff 

and clients were vandalized. 

The entire complex was 

ransacked and stripped 

bare in an orgy of violence 

and looting that rocked the 

capital city. 

Some of the studio equipment 

were destroyed, making 

it difficult for the station 

to broadcast to the outside 

world for the better part of 

the day. 

According to an eyewitness, 

Mr Davie Alaowei, 

“The pillaging of the radio 

station lasted some time 

while security personnel at 

the Ekeki police station did 

little or nothing and 

watched the looting and 

destruction go on.” 

The residence of the immediate 

past and present 

governors of the state, Mr 

Seriake Dickson and Senator 

Diri were not spared as 

property worth millions of 

naira were destroyed and 

looted by the rampaging 

hoodlums. 

Agba Jalingo regains freedom after 174 days in 

custody 

CALABAR — PUB 

LISHER of CrossRiverWatch, 

Agba Jalingo, has 

been released from custody 

after spending about 

five months in detention. 

Jalingo had spent 174 

days in detention. He was 

granted bail by a high 

court, but was freed yesterday. 

It will be recalled that 

Justice Sule Shuaibu, had 

last week, set the bail bond 

at N10 million with one 

surety in like sum. 

Justice Shuaibu took over 

the case from Justice Simon 

Amobeda, who recused 

himself from the matter, following 

condemnations that 

trailed his refusal to grant 

the journalist bail on three 

occasions. 

Justice Amobeda, was 

also was caught in a leaked 

audio saying the journalist’s 

life was in the court’s 

hands. 

After the recording was 

made public, Jalingo asked 

the Chief Judge of the Federal 

High Court to reassign 

his case to another judge. 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

BENIN—AS the All Pro 

gressives Congress, 

APC, continues to rue the 

loss of the Bayelsa State 

governorship election to 

the Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, party chieftains and 

leaders in Edo State have 

called on the Presidency 

and the party's National 

Executive Council, NEC, to 

rein in the embattled National 

Chairman of the 

APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole 

to avert a repeat of the 

sad development in Edo 

State. 

The party chieftains, who 

spoke in separate interviews 

in Benin City, Edo 

State, said the bulk of the 

Jalingo was first arraigned 

on August 22, 2019 

after he published a story 

on how Governor Ben Ayade, 

of Cross River State, 

allegedly approved and 

diverted N500 million 

meant for the state’s microfinance 

bank. 

Following an outcry, 

Ayade had denied involvement 

in the trial of 

Jalingo, but said the 

Federal Government was 

behind the journalist’s 

case over his involvement 

in the #RevolutionNow 

protest led by 

Omoyele Sowore. 

Jalingo was charged 

with conspiracy, terrorism, 

treasonable felony 

and an attempt to topple 

the state government. 

We don't want Zamfara, Bayelsa, others 

experience — Edo APC chieftains 

blame should fall on the 

feet of Oshiomhole, whose 

recklessness and choice of 

personal preference over 

established conventions 

and regulations had 

brought woes on the party. 

Calling for the sack of 

Oshiomhole by the APC 

leadership to forestall a reoccurrence 

of the avoidable 

loss, the worried party 

members specifically 

warned that the APC may 

lose Edo, like Zamfara, Rivers 

and Bayelsa, if nothing 

was urgently done to check 

the excesses of the National 

Chairman. 

According to Prince Austin 

Eweka, an APC Chieftain 

in Edo South, "The 

damage done by Oshiomhole 

is incalculable. As in 

Bayelsa, so it was in Taraba, 

in Zamfara and in Rivers 

because top officials of 

the party subverted established 

norms for personal 

interest." 

He said Oshiomhole was 

manipulating the party's 

National Working Committee, 

NWC, to do the party 

grave disservice. 

Another party leader in 

Edo Central, Theo Okoh 

noted, "It is quite saddening 

that our party, the APC 

lost Bayelsa State to the 

PDP. But if the truth must 

be told, Oshiomhole as the 

National Chairman of the 

party is the architect of this 

present predicament and 

must be held accountable 

for this failure.‘‘ 

Odinkalu raises the alarm, as 

Rivers Court refuses him 

copy of judgment 

PORT HARCOURT — 

Almost three weeks after 

it delivered judgment 

against a former Chairman 

of the Governing Council 

of the National Human 

Rights Commission, Dr 

Chidi Odinkalu in a libel 

suit, Rivers State High 

Court has refused to release 

a copy of the judgment 

to enable him file his 

appeal. 

Justice Augustina Kingsley-Chuku 

of a Rivers State 

High Court in Port Harcourt 

had on January 27, 2020, 

slammed a sum of 

N250million as cost 

against Odinkalu for allegedly 

publishing defamatory 

materials 

against a former governor 

of Rivers State, Dr. 

Peter Odili. 

However, on the February 

7, 2020, Odinkalu's 

counsel, Mr. I.C.Opi applied 

for a copy of the 

judgment to enable him 

prepare an appeal on 

behalf of his client. 

At press time, the lawyer 

said that the court refused 

to give him a copy 

of the judgment. 

On February 17, Mr 

Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, 

SAN, who had since 

taken over as Odinkalu's 

lead counsel wrote another 

letter to the court 

requesting for an authenticated 

copy of the 

judgement. 

A copy of his letter obtained 

by our correspondent 

reads: "I now lead 

a team of lawyers acting 

for the defendants (Chidi 

Odinkalu and Ayisha 

Osori) in the suit in the 

above caption which was 

determined before his 

Lordship, the Justice 

Knigsley-Chuku.‘‘ 

NNPC, JV partners release 

$360m for Ogoni clean up 

By Michael Eboh 

ABUJA — THE Nigeri 

an National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, 

disclosed that together 

with its Joint Venture, 

JV, partners, Shell Petroleum 

Development 

Company, SPDC, Total Exploration 

and Production of 

Nigeria, TEPNG, and Nigerian 

Agip Oil Company, 

NAOC, it had disbursed 

$360 million for the cleanup 

of Ogoniland. 

In a statement in Abuja, 

NNPC explained that the 

disbursement of the fund 

followed the recommendations 

of the United Nations 

Environment Programme, 

UNEP. 

Group Managing Director 

of NNPC, Mallam Mele 

Kyari, who stated this at the 

National Assembly, during 

a presentation to the House 

of Representatives Committee 

on Environment and 

Habitat, noted that funding 

was not a challenge 

to clean-up of Ogoniland. 

Kyari, who was represented 

by NNPC Chief 

Operating Officer, Upstream, 

Mr. Roland 

Ewubare, stressed that 

NNPC and its JV partners 

were up to date in their 

financial remittance to the 

clean-up project fund 

based on the UNEP, 

framework. 

He said, “Ogoni cleanup 

is a massive issue and 

NNPC and its JV partners 

are ready to fund the 

project as prescribed by 

the UNEP report. We have 

so far disbursed $360million 

out of the $90million 

recommended. The disbursement 

was based on 

the standards set which 

required that we release 

funds based on the implementation 

parameters of 

the clean-up exercise." 

ALAT by Wema beautifies 

Murtala Muhammed Airport 

LAGOS — WEMA 

Bank’s ALAT, Africa’s 

first fully digital bank went 

all out to excite travelers flying 

out of Lagos with the 

ALAT airport mural. The 

ALAT mural sprang out of 

an understanding of how 

traveling evokes different 

emotions in different people 

– excitement, paranoia, 

fear, anxiety, to list a few, 

and the need for them to 

hold on to the memories 

that matter to them. 

The ALAT brand has positioned 

itself and been 

known to be the brand that 

no only offers Nigerians 

convenient banking services 

but that also supports 

their lifestyle. In the word’s 

the bank’s Chief Communications 

Officer, Funmilayo 

Falola, for ALAT and 

Wema Bank, marketing is 

more than just the direct 

sale of a product or service, 

it is about creating an experience 

for the customer. 

She stated that infusing 

conversations and storytelling 

into advertising and 

marketing communications 

was one of the strategies 

the bank is applying to engage 

existing customers 

and gain new ones.



COURTESY VISIT: From left—Mrs. Adenike Olufade, Fellow, National Institute of Marketing of 

Nigeria, NIMN; Dickson Usoroh, council member; Aare Ganiyu Koledoye, immediate past president; 

Tony Agenmonmen, President, NIMN; Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Representatives; 

Prince Femi Oyewole, 2nd Vice President, NIMN; Ibrahim Yusufu, council member, and Sidney 

Ogodo, Registrar, during a courtesy visit to the speaker, in Abuja. 

Court dismisses Kano kingmakers’ suit 

challenging creation of new emirates 


KANO—A High Court 

sitting in Kano, 

yesterday, dismissed a suit 

filed by Kano kingmakers 

challenging the creation of 

four new emirates and the 

appointment of first-class 

emirs. 

Delivering the judgment, 

the judge, Ahmad 

Badamasi, said the suit had 

been overtaken by events 

as the law creating the 

emirates had been 

quashed with the 

judgment of Justice Usman 

Na’Abba on November 21, 

which nullified the creation 

of the emirates. 

According to him “the 

judgment of my brother 

Justice Usman Na’aba in 

suit number K/192/2019 

which is a judgment in rem, 

renders this suit mere 

academic exercise. That 

been the case, the suit 

deserves nothing order 

than to be struck out and 

same is accordingly hereby 

struck out.” 

The four Kingmakers who 

instituted the suit are, 

....Says suit overtaken by events 

District head of 

Dawakintofa, Yusuf 

Nabahani (Madakin 

Kano); District head of 

Wudil, Abdullahi Sarki- 

Ibrahim (Makaman Kano); 

District head of Gabasawa, 

Bello Abubakar(Sarkin 

Dawaki Mai Tuta) and 

District head of Dambatta, 

Mukhtar Adnan (Sarkin 

Ban Kano). 

All the kingmakers have 

We sacked commissioner, perm secs, 

directors over corruption —Ganduje 


K ANO—GOVERNOR 

Abdullahi Umar 

Ganduje of Kano State, 

yesterday, hinted that a 

serving commissioner, 

some permanent 

secretaries and directors 

have been sacked by his 

administration, for 

corruption. 

Though the governor did 

not give names of the 

been relieved of their 

district heads title by the 

new emirs, and new ones 

have been appointed. 

The defendants in the suit 

are Kano State 

Government, the governor, 

the Speaker of the Kano 

House of Assembly, the 

Kano House of Assembly 

and the Attorney General 

of Kano State. 

Also included are the new 

affected individuals or other 

details, but informed that 

they were relieved of their 

duties by the state Anti- 

Corruption Commission. 

Ganduje spoke while 

receiving the visiting 

Executive Secretary, 

National Human Rights 

Commission, NHRC, Mr. 

Tony Ojukwu, and other 

members of the 

Commission’s Special 

Investigation Panel on 

Tension grips Love Mates, as nominations begin on 

Ultimate Love TV Reality Show 

AFTER a series of 

speed dating 

sessions, nominations have 

begun in the on-going 

MultiChoice’s Ultimate 

Love Reality TV show, 

which was launched on 

February 9. 

In a live studio session 

and in the full view of 

millions of viewers 

watching across Africa, on 

February 16, 2020, Aunty 

handed a list of seemingly 

compatible couples to 

Dakore Akande, co-host of 

the show, who openly 

revealed the couples to 

viewers and fans of the 

Love Guests. 

The couples revealed are 

Bolanle and Arnold, Iyke 

and Theresa, Cherry and 

Michael, Presh and David, 

Obichukwu and Ebiteinye, 

Nkechi and Jay, Louis and 

Jenny Koko while Jerry 

and Sylvia, Chris and 

Uche, Kachi and Rosie, 

were asked to either 

couple up or be eliminated 

from the Love Pad. 

Shortly after the pairing, 

Dakore instructed the 

couples to create a team 

name by which they will 

be referred to by their fans. 

But celebration quickly 

turned to anxiety, as the 

newly coupled Love Guests 

publicly nominated two 

couples they believe 

should go up for the public 

vote and potentially get 

checked out next week. 

Ultimate Love follows 

the journey of 10 single 

men and women living 

together in the Love Pad in 

their quest to find life-long 

love and build a 

relationship as a couple 

that could culminate in 

marriage. 

emirs: Aminu-Ado Bayero 

(Emir of Bichi), Ibrahim 

Abubakar (Emir of Karaye), 

Tafida Abubakar (Emir of 

Rano) and Ibrahim 

Abdulkadir (Emir of Gaya). 

Kano Concerned Citizens 

Initiative, under the 

leadership of Bashir Tofa, 

also challenged the 

creation of the new emirates 

in the High Court before 

the state chief judge, Nura 

Sagir, arguing that, it would 

divide the people. 

Sexual and Gender Based 

Violence, in Kano. 

The Governor said the 

state Anti-Corruption 

Commission led by 

Muhuyi Rimingado, 

enjoyed free hands to 

operate without 

interference hence the 

successes recorded. 

According to him “While 

we appreciate his good 

work and that of his staff, 

we also give the 

Commission free hand to 

operate. It is as a result of 

this approach that a serving 

Commissioner then lost his 

job, as a result of 

investigation conducted by 

the Commission. Some 

Permanent Secretaries, 

Directors among others 

also followed suit to lose 

their jobs due to 

Commission’s 

investigation. 

“Of the over 7,000 cases 

that were treated by the 

state Anti-Corruption 

Commission, over 30 

percent of them were 

human rights related cases. 

“We have offices of the 

state Anti-Corruption body 

in all our 44 local 

governments. 

2020 JAMB registration 

ends, as candidates hit 2.1m 

•FG threatens to sanction varsities, 

others involved in illegal admissions 

By Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—AS the 2020 

Unified Tertiary 

Matriculation Examination, 

UTME and the Direct 

Entry, DE, registrations 

ended yesterday, the Joint 

Admissions and 

Matriculation 

Board,JAMB, said over 2.1 

million candidates were 

registered. 

JAMB’s Registrar, 

Professor Ishaq Oloyede, 

who disclosed the number, 

yesterday in Abuja on the 

sideline of the 

commissioning of 

the General Services 

Department complex at the 

board’s headquarters in 

Abuja by the Minister of 

Education, Mallam Adamu 

Adamu, said out of the 1.9 

million candidates 

registered for UTME, about 

200,000 candidates 

registered for the Direct 

Entry. 

He insisted that there 

would be no extension of 

deadline for registrations 

even as many intending 

candidates who could not 

meet deadline begged for 

a one- week extension to 

enable them register. 

Speaking, Adamu 

threatened that institutions 

found wanting in illegal 

admission would be 

severely punished insisting 

that all admission must go 

through JAMB’s 

procedures. 

Shinkafi writes US, UK, EU, others, 

demands revocation of Yari’s visa 

By Innocent 

Anaba 

G USAU—THE 

governorship 

candidate of the All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA in Zamfara 

State, in the 2019 general 

elections, Alhaji Sani 

Shinkafi, has called on the 

embassies of the United 

States, US, United 

Kingdom, UK, and the 

European Union, EU, to 

revoke the visa of the former 

Governor of Zamfara State, 

Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, over 

his alleged trouble making 

in the state. 

In a letter copied the 

Embassies of Saudi Arabia 

and United Arab Emirates, 

UAE, Shinkafi claimed, 

among others, “I am writing 

to demand for the 

prudential revocation visa 

of Yari for stoking the 

embers of violence. Since 

his ouster as governor of 

Zamfara State, he has been 

heard making some 

unguarded and 

provocative statements 

He said: “The Central 

Admission Processing 

System ensures due 

process, fairness, discipline 

and equity in the process. 

It is through automated 

system that ordinary 

Nigerians are now hopeful 

of not being denied their 

rightful place in the 

admission exercise.” 

“It is also instructive that 

CAPS protects the 

traditional right of Senate 

or Academic Board of 

institutions since CAPS 

does not allow anyone other 

than the admission officer 

and vice-chancellor, rector 

or provost to initiate, 

propose or recommend any 

candidate for admission, 

but it also requires the 

documentation and 

tracking of any deviation by 

the institution from the 

approved policy on 

admission. 

“I therefore, urge all 

institutions to play 

according to the rules by 

conducting all the 

admission processes only 

through CAPS. The 

leadership of any higher 

institution found to be 

involved in admitting any 

candidate without prior 

approval of the Board or 

outside the established 

platform- Central 

Admission Processing 

System-would be 

considered and treated as 

corrupting the admission 

system.” 

inciting members of his 

faction of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, not to cooperate with 

the state government . 

“It is on record that about 

8500 private militia 

popularly called Yansakai 

were recruited illegally by 

the past administration of 

Yari in all the 17 local 

government areas of the 

state through the former 

commissioner for Local and 

Chieftaincy affairs, without 

the Bill being passed by 

state House Assembly 

establishing the vigilante 

service group and assent 

by the former governor as 

a law governing 

recruitment and operations 

of Yansakai. 

“Yari has been seen 

publicly urging his factional 

APC members not to 

recognise the 

administration of Governor 

Bello Matawalle, and 

insisted they call him a sole 

administrator. Severally, he 

has rejected the May 24, 

2019, judgment of the 

Supreme Court, calling the 

eminent jurists of the apex 

court all kinds of names.


Alleged fraud: Court orders arrest of 

ex-Customs CG, Dikko 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Abuja, yesterday, issued 

a bench warrant for the 

arrest of a former 

Comptroller General of 

the Nigeria Customs 

Service, NCS, Abdullahi 

Inde Dikko, following his 

repeated failure to appear 

for his arraignment. 

Trial Justice Ijeoma 

Ojukwu noted that the 

erstwhile Customs boss 

had on various occasions, 

refused to appear before 

the court to answer to a 

fraud charge the 

Independent Corrupt 

Practices and other 

related offences 

Commission, ICPC, 

preferred against him and 

two others. 

She recalled that 

Dikko’s lawyer, Solomon 

Akuma, SAN, had at the 

last adjourned date, 

undertook to ensure his 

availability for trial. 

However, Justice 

Ojukwu observed that 

rather than appearing 

before the court as slated, 

the ex-Customs boss, filed 

a medical report claiming 

to be critically ill and on 

admission in London. 

Besides, the trial Judge 

noted Dikko’s address 

given as No: N6 Amhed 

Musa Crescent Jabi, 

Abuja, in the medical 

report, contradicted his 

lawyer’s claim that he was 

hospitalised in London. 

Consequently, she 

ordered that the 

defendant should be 

arrested and produced 

before the court to stand 

trial. 

Justice Ojukwu 

however held that 

execution of the bench 

warrant should be 

suspended in the event 

that the prosecution 

confirmed that Dikko was 

ill and on admission in a 

London hospital as he 

claimed. 

The court subsequently 

adjourned the matter till 

March 16 for arraignment 

of the defendants. 

Other defendants in the 

charge marked: FHC/ 

ABJ/CR/21/2019, are a 

former Assistant 

Comptroller-General of 

Customs in charge of 

Finance, Administration 

and Technical Services, 

Garba Makarfi and a 

lawyer, Umar Hussaini. 

ICPC had among other 

things, alleged that 

Dikko and his codefendants, 

induced the 

Managing Director of 

Cambial Limited, Yemi 

Obadeyi, to pay over 

N1.1 billion into the 

account of Capital Law 

Office owned by the 3rd 

defendant, as a 

refundable “completion 

security deposit” for the 

purchase of 120 units of 

duplexes as residential 

accommodation for 

officers of the Nigeria 

Customs Service. 

It alleged that Hussaini 

subsequently distributed 

the money into various 

other. 

YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP: From left—Head, SME Funds, Bank of Industry, Michael Oye; Group Head, 

Creative Industry, Bank of Industry, Mrs. Uche C. Nwuka; Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo 

Sanya; MD/CEO, Crown Natures Nig. Plc, Mrs. Omolara O. Aromolaran; Group Head, SME Credit, Bank of 

Industry, Festus Taiwo Oyenola and Senior Manager, Program Implementation, MTN Foundation, Abasi-Ekong 

Udobang during the first day of the pitch for MTN Foundation's Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme, 

YEDP, in Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: AKEEM SALAU. 

Kano CJ recommends stiff f penalty for sexual offender 

enders 

By Abdulmumin 

Murtala 

KANO—KANO State 

Chief Judge, Justice 


Umar Sagir, yesterday 

recommended stiff penalty 

for sexual offenders 

while decrying the 

alarming rate of cases of 

sexual and genderbased 

Violence, SGBV, 

ravaging the country. 

Sagir stated this in a 

goodwill message at the 

flag-off of the sitting 

of the special investigation 

panel on SGBV 

North West zone, in 

Kano. 

He said reported cases 

of SGBV were growing 

at alarming rate, noting 

that there was immediate 

need for judicial action to 

stem the tide. 

According to him, in 

the year 2018, a total of 

1,142 reported SGBV 

cases were recorded in 

Kano and 741 in 2019. 

The Chief Judge, represented 

at the occasion 

by Chief Magistrate, 

Mariam Ahmed declared 

that the judiciary would 

continue to expedite action 

on cases of gender 

based violence. 

He stated “stiffer punishments 

would be meted 

out on those found 

guilty and such measures 

would serve as deterrent 

to those nursing 

similar evil intent. A special 

medical facility has 

been established at Murtala 

Muhammad Specialist 

Hospital to cater 

for the medical needs of 

SGBV victims” 

In his goodwill message, 

the chairman, 

Kano State Public Complaint 

and Anti Corruption, 

Muhyi Magaji dis- 

closed that reported 

cases of SGBV in North 

West Nigeria has a distinct 

dimension from 

those recorded in other 

parts of the country. 

He appealed to the 

panel to note that most 

victims in the North- 

West not only suffered 

from physical violations, 

they also suffered 

psychological 

trauma, urging the panel 

to recommend solutions 

that would check 

the rampant genderbased 

violence, describing 

the situation as 

“disturbing and alarming. 

Reported cases of 

SGBV are growing at 

alarming rate and there 

is immediate need for 

judicial action to stem 

the tide” he said. 

Ganduje appoints 3 

special assistants on 

streetlights 

K ANO—GOVER 

NOR Umar Ganduje 

of Kano State, has appointed 

three senior special 

assistants to handle 

issues on streetlights in 

the state. 

In a letter dated February 

13, the secretary to 

the state government informed 

Anwalu Salihu of 

his appointment as the 

senior special assistant, 

streetlights III. 

According to the letter, 

the appointment was 

based on his “dedication 

to duty, patriotic disposition 

and loyalty. This is 

to formally convey to you 

that His Excellency, the 

Executive Governor of 

Kano State Dr. Abdullahi 

Umar Ganduje, has 

approved your appointment 

as Senior Special 

Assistant, Street Lights 

III with effect from 10th 

February, 2020,” it read. 

“Your appointment into 

L AGOS—EMERGING 

Markets Telecommunication 

Services Limited, 

EMTS, trading as 9mobile, 

has announced the appointment 

of SBI Media Limited 

as its official media agency. 

SBI Media, whose appointment 

starts with immediate 

effect, emerged as a result of 

its vibrancy, creativity, teamwork 

and resilience. With this 

appointment, SBI Media 

now takes responsibility for 

charting all media-related 

this position of trust and 

confidence was made 

upon careful assessment 

of your credentials, competence, 

tracks record of 

performance, dedication 

to duty, vast experience, 

patriotic disposition and 

expressed loyalty. It is 

hoped that you will employ 

these qualities to 

bear towards ensuring 

effective discharge of 

your assigned duties. 

“As we move the state 

to the Next Level of development, 

it is my sincere 

hope that you will 

live above board and justify 

the confidence reposed 

in you by the Government. 

I pray God in 

his infinite mercy accord 

you the wisdom and determination 

to execute 

the assignment diligently 

and to the expectation 

of the administration. 

Accept my congratulations, 

please.” 

Diezani stole not less than 

$2.5bn—Magu 

•Says generation of lookers backing her 

KChairman ADUNA—ACTING 

of the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, 

yesterday reiterated his 

plea to the United 

Kingdom to extradite 

former Minister of 

Petroleum Resources, 

Diezani Alison- 

Madueke. 

EFCC has filed charges 

of alleged money 

laundering against the 

former minister who left 

the country for the UK 

shortly before the 

inception of the President 

Muhammad Buhari’s 

administration. 

The anti-graft agency 

began a process to 

extradite the former 

minister in November 

2018 but Magu later said 

the agency had been 

having challenges 

effecting the former 

minister’s extradition. 

Speaking at a briefing in 

Kaduna, Magu alleged 

that Alison-Madueke 

stole not less than $2.5 

billion. 

According to him “I was 

in London this year, we did 

investigation together with 

the UK team, and 

anywhere I go I always call 

for extradition of corrupt 

Nigerians to return back 

the money. This woman has 

stolen so much, not less 

than 2.5 billion dollars, but 

unfortunately she has 

generation of looters who 

are supporting her. This is 

not good. 

“We are in touch with the 

international community, 

she is under protective 

custody, otherwise, we 

would have arrested her, 

return her to Nigeria. We 

will not allow corruption to 

work here in Nigeria 

because it is destructive and 

disastrous. We blocked 

several accounts.” 

In 2017, a federal high 

court in Lagos ordered the 

forfeiture of N7.6 billion 

allegedly linked to her to 

the federal government. 

A federal high court in 

Abuja had later threatened 

to strike out fraud charges 

brought against Alison- 

Madueke over the 

continued absence of the 

accused. 

SBI Media emerges 9Mobile’s 

Media—gency 

creative of planning, buying 

and other relevant activities 

for 9mobile. 

•Bankole

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020—15 

By Clifford 

Ndujihe & Dirisu 

Yakubu 

WITH the Supreme 

Court set to begin 

hearing of the appeal filed by 

former Imo State Governor, 

Emeka Ihedioha, 

challenging the nullification 

of his election, today, the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, yesterday, charged the 

Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, 

Mohammed Tanko, to 

constitute a new panel in the 

spirit of fairness and justice. 

In a letter jointly signed by 

the national chairman of the 

party, Prince Uche Secondus, 

and national secretary, 

Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, PDP 

said only a new panel would 

guarantee non-partisanship 

in the matter at hand. 

This came as fresh facts 

showed that Governor 

Uzodinma of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, did not score 25 per 

cent of votes cast in at least 

18 of the 27 local councils 

(two-third) required to be 

declared governor contrary to 

the ruling of the Supreme 

Court. 

Former Deputy Speaker of 

the House of 

Representatives, Emeka 

Ihedioha, who ran on the 

card of the PDP was declared 

winner of the governorship 

election. In the result first 

announced by the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, Ihedioha polled 

273,404 ahead of his closest 

rival and candidate of the 

Action Alliance, Uche Nwosu, 

who polled 190,364 votes. 

The candidate of the All 

Progressive Grand Alliance, 

APGA, Ifeanyi Ararume, 

came third with 114,676 votes 

ahead of Hope Uzondinma, 

who came fourth with 96,458 

votes. No fewer than 70 

candidates took part in the 

election. 

Announcing the results, the 

state’s returning officer and 

Vice-Chancellor of the 

Federal University of 

Agriculture, Umudike, Abia 

State, Francis Otunta, gave 

the total registered voters 

across the state as 2,221,008 

and the total accredited voters 

as 823,743. 

He said 25,130 votes were 

cancelled across the state with 

total valid votes as 714,355 

while the total votes cast were 

739,485. 

However, Uzodinma 

challenged the declaration of 

Ihedioha as winner, arguing 

that INEC excluded results 

from 388 polling units, which, 

if added, he would be the 

winner. He lost at the tribunal 

and Court of Appeal but had 

the upper hand at the apex 

court. 

The Supreme Court, in the 

unanimous judgment 

delivered by Justice Kudirat 

Kekere-Ekun, held that the 

case of the appellants had 

merit and consequently, 

granted the reliefs as prayed 

by Uzodinma and APC. 

According to the apex 

court, the concurrent 

judgment of the lower court 

erred in law when it excluded 

votes totalling 213,295 from 

DONATION: From left, Grace Udu, Public Relations Officer, Passport Office, Ikoyi; Mac 

Atom, Group Head, Enterprise Business Resources, Access Bank Plc; Manir Yari, Deputy 

Comptroller of Immigration and Passport Control Officer, Passport Office, Ikoyi; Adaeze 

Okonkwo, Head, Travels and Protocol, Access Bank Plc; and Yahaya Momodu, Assistant 

Comptroller, Passport Office, Ikoyi at the presentation of equipment donated by Access Bank 

Plc to the Nigerian Immigration Service, Ikoyi Office, Lagos. 

Replace panel on Ihedioha/ 

Uzodinma’s case, PDP tells CJN 

•As fresh issues before apex court emerge 

388 polling units from the 

total scores at the election. 

‘’It is hereby declared that 

the first appellant, Senator 

Hope Uzodinma, polled a 

majority of lawful votes cast 

at the governorship held in 

Imo State on March 9, 2019 

and satisfied the mandatory 

constitutional threshold and 

spread across the state,’’ the 

apex ruled. 

Fresh issues before 

apex court 

However, Vanguard checks 

yesterday, showed that from 

the results Uzodinma 

tendered, he did not meet the 

25 per cent score in 18 local 

councils, which is two-third 

of 27 local councils in Imo. 

In the first result, he scored 

25 per cent and above in two 

LGAs (Oru West, Oru East). 

In the second result, which 

did not have scores for the 

other 68 parties, Uzodinma 

had 25 per cent and above in 

17 councils, one shy of the 

required 18. If the scores of 

the other parties were added, 

it would be less than 17. 

The 17 councils are Obowo, 

Ehime Mbano, Ngor 

Okpala, Isiala Mbano, 

Owerri West, Njaba, Oru 

East, Oru West, Orlu, Oguta, 

Ohaji-Egbema, Mbaitoli, 

Orsu, Ikeduru, Nkwere, 

Ideato North and Isu. 

CSOs urge S- 

Court to reverse 

itself 

Indeed, a group, National 

Leaders of Thoughts in the 

Nigerian Civil Society and 

Third Force Movement have 

picked holes in the judgment 

and urged the apex court to 

reverse itself. 

In a joint statement issued 

following consultative 

meetings held in Abuja, Imo 

and Lagos respectively, and 

signed by their 

spokesperson, Dr. Olusegun 

Awe Obe, the leaders said the 

errors of the lordships at the 

apex court were capable of 

throwing the state into major 

political upheaval and 

anarchy. 

The group said the 

contradictions inherent in the 

judgment were very glaring, 

making it clearly erroneous 

and faulty in foisting a 

candidate that came fourth in 

an election on the people of 

the state. 

The civil society leaders 

argued that the apex court 

jettisoned the precedence it 

set in Abubakar Atiku vs 

Muhammadu Buhari that 

the petitioner ought to call 

witnesses in all the polling 

units he claimed he was 

rigged out to prove his case. 

The body also averred that 

apart from the fact that the total 

valid votes, which the 

Supreme Court based its 

ruling on erroneously 

exceeded the total accredited 

voters by INEC for the 

elections, Uzodinma also did 

not fulfill the constitutional 

requirements for a validly 

elected governor of having to 

score at least one-quarter of 

all the votes cast in each of at 

least two-thirds of all the local 

government areas in the 

state. 

The group also faulted the 

PW54, a Deputy 

Commissioner of Police, 

Rabiu Hussein, whose 

subpoena was lodged with 

the Inspector General of Police 

and kept secret from the 

respondent. 

PDP’s letter 

The PDP letter dated 

February 14, 2020, and 

entitled: “Demand for recusal 

of justices that heard the 

earlier case and request for a 

different panel to hear the 

application to set aside the 

judgement,” noted that 

having earlier made same 

demand in the past, the PDP 

was constrained to repeat its 

demand given the 

significance of the case. 

The party, which had earlier 

asked the seven learned 

jurists to recuse themselves, 

stated in the letter: “As a follow 

up to our earlier call on all 

members of the panel to 

recuse themselves, we have 

now sought to formalise that 

request or demand. We, 

hereby, request that the seven 

persons that heard the case 

earlier recuse themselves 

from participating in the 

consideration of this new 

application. 

"We are not unmindful of 

the fact that a litigant cannot 

dictate to the court the panel 

that should hear its case. 

However, due to the 

extraordinary circumstances 

and the nature of this case, 

we think that our request is a 

fair one that meets the justice 

of the case. 

“Consequently, we feel it as 

our patriotic duty to hereby 

humbly request that your 

Lordship constitute a different 

panel of this great court (other 

than the one that delivered 

the judgment) for the purpose 

of hearing this application.” 

Members of the panel the 

PDP does to want to hear the 

case are Justice Ibrahim 

Tanko Muhammad, CJN; the 

Hon. Justice Nwah Sylvester 

Ngwuta JSC; the Hon. 

Justice Olukayode Ariwola, 

JSC; the Hon. Justice Kudirat 

Kekere-Ekun, JSC; the Hon 

Justice Amina Adamu Augie, 

JSC and the Hon Justice 

Uwani Musa Abba Aji, JSC. 

The letter obtained by our 

correspondent read in part: 

“Your Lordship, would recall 

that a panel of Hon. Justices 

of the Supreme Court 

presided by your good self on 

Tuesday the 14th day of 

January 2020 delivered 

judgment on the above 

appeal. Your Lordship may 

further recall that on 

February 5, 2020 the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, filed 

an application praying that 

the judgment of 14th January 

2020 be set aside on grounds 

of nullity of the judgment, 

among other grounds. 

“The judgment sought to 

be set aside has generated so 

much misgiving not only 

among lawyers but in the 

general polity as a whole 

because of the uncertainty 

it has introduced into our 

electoral jurisprudence, its 

potential for crisis in our 

democracy, the 

irreconcilability of the 

calculations contained 

therein and their resultant 

effect. 

“My Lord, our request is 

founded on Section 36(1) of 

the Constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria, 

which guarantees fair 

hearing to every citizen or 

entity in the determination of 

his rights or obligations. 

Furthermore, the time 

honoured and tested 

principles of natural justice, 

particularly that no man shall 

be a judge in his own cause 

is particularly relevant to this 

solemn request.” 

The place of 

fear hearing 

“Allegation of bias or 

likelihood of bias goes to the 

root of fair hearing. Denial of 

right to fair hearing is a logical 

consequence of bias in any 

proceeding before a court or 

a tribunal. The constitution of 

the federal republic of 

Nigeria, 1999 as amended 

guarantees the right of an 

individual to fair hearing. An 

individual’s right to fair 

hearing includes the right to 

have his/her rights and 

obligations determined by an 

independent and impartial 

tribunal. The above is clearly 

enshrined in Section 36 (1) 

of the Constitution, which 

provides as follows: “In the 

determination of his civil 

rights and obligations, 

including any question or 

determination by or against 

any government or authority, 

a person shall be entitled to a 

fair hearing within a 

reasonable time by a court or 

other tribunal established by 

law and constituted in such 

manner as to secure its 

independence and 

impartiality… 

“The right to an 

independent and impartial 

tribunal is a major factor in 

determining if fair hearing 

has been observed by a 

Court.” 

Herdsmen 

are 

terrorists 

—IPOB 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N NEWI—The 

Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB, 

yesterday, condemned 

the alleged killings of 

innocent people in Delta 

State by Miyetti Alllah 

Cattle Breeders 

Association of Nigeria, 

MACBAN, saying the 

only thriving and 

booming industry in the 

present administration 

is terrorism industry by 

herdsmen. 

IPOB also said with 

what the MACBAN is 

currently doing in Delta 

State, only the actions of 

IPOB and its leader's 

counsel will save the 

people from being 

slaughtered like fowls in 

the state. 

In a statement by 

IPOB’s Media and 

Publicity Secretary, 

Emma Powerful, the 

group, while 

commending the 

bravery of Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State, in condemning 

the alleged Nigerian 

Army involvement in the 

killing, asked him not to 

relent in saving his 

people by encouraging 

them on the need for self 

defence. 

IPOB said: “What is 

unfolding before our very 

eyes today in Nigeria, with 

soldiers working hand in 

hand with known terrorists 

and Miyetti Allah bandits to 

broaden the theatre of 

endless cycle of slaughter 

and mayhem especially in 

Biafraland, particularly with 

recent killings in Delta State 

is confirmation that only 

the action of IPOB and 

the divine words of our 

leader, Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu can save the 

people. 

“Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa’s brave 

condemnation of 

Nigerian Army’s 

involvement in the orgy of 

violence unleashed by five 

different terror groups 

against innocent 

populations, should drive 

home the importance of 

survivors of these 

premeditated slaughter of 

the defenseless to coalesce 

around IPOB’s message 

of freedom as the only 

way out of the present 

trouble in the fight against 

terrorism in Nigeria. 

“It is now as clear as 

broad daylight that Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu has been 

right all along and those 

that mischievously 

accused him of hate 

speech are themselves the 

beneficiaries of the 

booming terror industry in 

Nigeria.”

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

COMMISSIONING: 

From left— Representative 

of President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

Minister of Industry, 

Trade and Investment, 

Otunba Adeniyi 

Adebayo; President of 

Abuja Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry, 

ACCI, Prince 

Adetokunbo Kayode; 

and Group Country 

Director, Machine and 

Equipment Corporation 

Africa, MECA, Iliyasu 

Gashinbaki, during the 

commissioning of ACCI 

Complex and MECA- 

ACCI Industrial Park in 

Abuja. 

Misplaced priorities, bane of Nigeria's 

underdevelopment—Rosicrucian Order 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY—THE 

Rosicrucian Order 

popularly called ARMOC 

yesterday said the inability 

of Nigerian leaders to get 

their priorities right have 

contributed greatly to her 

level of underdevelopment. 

Besides, it said electricity 

or energy is number one 

priority that would help take 

care of education, security 

and infrastructural development 

saying all forms of 

development needs energy 

to thrive. 

The Grand Administrator 

and Director Supreme 

Board of the Order, Dr. 

Kenneth U. Idiodi at the 

opening session of Edo/ 

Delta Regional Rotational 

Conclave: Benin 2020, with 

the theme: "Human Duties 

and Well-being," 

He said corruption has 

continued to be a factor that 

must be tackled but not 

much has been achieved in 

fighting corruption. 

Idiodi said in Nigeria, 

religion has been 

politicized, and then 

religion and politics 

commercialized. 

He said: “Nigeria has the 

brightest ideas in the world 

but the weakest capacity to 

implement these ideas. I 

think we are not as 

responsible as we should 

be. If we decide to be 

By Emmanuel 

Okogba 

L AGOS—BUSINESS 

mogul, Chief 

Kessington Adebutu, has 

been described as an 

Enigma that has remained 

irrepressible in the face of 

the ‘pull-him-down’ syndrome 

that is prevalent in 

the business world. 

Professor Olusegun 

Awonusi of the University 

of Lagos, in a piece he 

titled: ‘Kessington 

Adebutu’s Social 

Irrepressibility in the Face 

of the ‘Pull Him Down’ 

Syndrome’, described 

Kessington as an untiring 

philanthropist, saying he is 

always helping the needy 

responsible by being serious 

at least for once ,we will 

go places. 

“We once visited the Head 

of State in 1998 and I said 

Tony Blair as Prime 

Minister of the United 

Kingdom was asked what 

his first three priorities were 

and he said priority number 

one was education, priority 

number two education and 

priority number three 

education and he asked me 

what should be his first 

three priorities and I said if 

Tony Blair, the Prime 

Minister whose country 

colonised us can still be 

RECTEM committed to national devt 

—Adeboye 

By Olayinka 

Latona 

L Proprietor 

AGOS—THE 

of 

Redeemer’s College of 

Technology and 

Management, RECTEM, 

Pastor Enoch Adejare 

Adeboye has reiterated the 

institution's commitment to 

raising men and women 

who will rather be 

employers of labour, 

innovators and inventors 

that will contribute to the 

nation's development and 

growth. 

Speaking at the second 

talking of education, it 

means we have not even 

started. I said priority 

number one for Nigeria 

should be electricity or 

energy, priority number 

two, electricity or energy, 

priority number three, 

electricity or energy because 

today’s education 

is energy based. Without 

electricity, you can’t 

guarantee anything, you 

can’t guarantee education, 

you can also not 

guarantee security. Security 

today is not carrying 

arms all about, you 

can be in Aso Rock and 

matriculation ceremony of 

the college at the RCCG 

Redemption Camp, 

Lagos- Ibadan 

Expressway, Adeboye said 

the institution will produce 

champions to uphold the 

innovation and 

development in Sciences 

and Technology 

management in the 

country. 

Adeboye, who was 

represented by the 

National Overseer of the 

church, Pastor Joseph 

Obayemi, said: "We trust 

God that in the next years 

Adebutu, an enigma—Prof Awonusi 

in a society, where philanthropists 

are in great demand 

or needed, but 

hardly available. 

He said: “Nigeria is 

blessed with many people 

in the rich and propertied 

class who think all they 

have is for them and their 

families, friends and 

cronies alone and, 

therefore, social conscience, 

if at all such is found in 

them, is never activated 

and, therefore, means little 

or nothing. 

Earlier, Sir Kessington said his 

was motivated by God’s favour to 

help the needy, that He had 

endowed him with old age and 

resources to continue. “I, 

therefore, felt compelled to give 

back to the society that nurtured 

me, some of the blessings God 

had showered on me.” 

Chief Adebutu had served as 

the Chairman of the stateowned 

Olabisi Onabanjo University 

Endowment Fund (a 

position he still occupies till today). 

When former governor 

Gboyega Daniel established an 

additional polytechnics, and he 

appointed Chief Adebutu as 

the Chairman of the Governing 

Council of Sapaade Polytechnic 

in Remoland, Chief 

Adebutu mobilized and encouraged 

most of the members of 

the council and ensured that 

they contributed to the physical 

structures to the new institution. 

see what is happening 

here and vice-versa, with 

electricity, you can be here 

and know what is happening 

in Sambisa forest or 

any forest . This is a fact 

not fiction so electricity today 

is priority one, two and 

three for this country. 

“Many years ago, I said 

the aircraft for the 21st 

Century has taken off and 

Nigeria is not on board on 

another occasion, I said 

even the train that has 

been waiting has taken off 

to the 21st Century and 

Nigeria is still not on 

board." 

to come, great innovators 

and inventors will emerge 

among them. The college 

will also produce great 

business tycoons that will 

not run to companies, 

writing applications but 

will rather be employers of 

labour. 

"Not those who will do 

business in a dubious way. 

They will be men and 

women of integrity", he 

said. 

Similarly, Chairman of 

the college Governing 

Council , Pastor Funsho 

Odesola said, RECTEM 

exists to be a trailblazer in 

raising champions to 

become professionals in the 

field of Science, Technology 

and Management. 

In his words: "As an 

institution of higher 

learning, RECTEM 

provides a good learning 

environment and learning 

administration, 

educational, supervising 

and service team that can 

deliver to the society young 

men and women that will 

become trailblazers in the 

areas of human endeavors. 

Dr. Stella Mofunanya, 

the school Rector in her 

speech said RECTEM is 

not just a reality but an 

embodiment of academic 

excellence that has 

continued to wax stronger 

by the day. 

She called on the parents 

to cooperate with the 

school management in 

achieving its vison. 

Euro struggles near three-year low as 

traders fret about economic slowdown 

THE euro struggled near 3-year lows on Monday 

as investors worried about weakening growth 

in the region, while Chinese efforts to limit the 

damage from a coronavirus outbreak appeared to 

calm markets, with the yuan and Australian dollar 

gaining. 

Monday is light on economic data but traders are 

looking to a German business sentiment indicator 

due on Tuesday and purchasing managers index 

flash data on Friday for further evidence on the 

state of the euro zone economy. 

Last week data showed in particular that 

momentum in Germany, the region’s powerhouse 

economy, was struggling. 

Norway's 2020 headline inflation seen 

easing to 1.5%: wage commission 

NORWEGIAN headline inflation rate is 

forecast to ease in 2020 to 1.5 percent for 

the year from 2.2% in 2019, a publicly appointed 

commission said on Monday. 

With members from labor unions, employers’ 

federations and Statistics Norway, the 

commission’s conclusions will influence the 

outcome of Norway’s annual round of collective 

bargaining, which is set to start next month. 

By forging a common understanding of historical 

pay data and forward-looking inflation forecasts, 

unions and employers can more easily come to 

an agreement on wage deals under Norway’s 

closely regulated bargaining system. 

Core inflation, which excludes changes in taxes 

and energy prices, is expected to rise to 2.5 

percent from 2.2 percent in 2019, exceeding the 

central bank’s long-term target of 2.0 percent, the 

wage commission predicted. 

DP World returns to full state ownership, 

takes on $8.1 billion debt 

DUBAI is to take full control of port operator 

DP World (DPW.DI) in a deal with a $13.9 

billion valuation that will help the company at the 

center of the emirate’s 2009 debt crisis to repay 

some of its borrowings. 

DP World, which operates ports around the world 

from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires, will take on 

$8.1 billion in debt to finance the deal in which 

Port and Free Zone World, part of state investment 

vehicle Dubai World, will acquire the 19.55% of 

Nasdaq Dubai listed shares for $2.7 billion. 

Port and Free Zone World already owns 80.55% of 

DP World ordinary share capital. It will also pay 

Dubai World $5.15 billion, helping it to meet 

outstanding obligations to lenders so that DP 

World can implement its strategy without 

restrictions. 

Dubai World subsidiaries face certain restrictions 

due to agreements with creditors but DP World 

had been exempt from those restrictions as long 

as it was listed. 

Rand slumps as Moody's lowers SA 

growth forecast 

S 

OUTH Africa’s rand weakened and bond yields 

rose after Moody’s Investors Service lowered 

its forecasts for economic growth, raising the risk 

the country may lose its last investment-level 

credit rating. 

The rand declined as much as 0.7% to trade above 

15 per dollar for the first time in a week. Yields 

on benchmark 2030 government bonds rose four 

basis points to 8.9%. 

Moody’s, which is scheduled to review South 

Africa’s Baa3 credit rating in March, said the 

country’s lackluster economic performance was 

due to domestic challenges rather than external 

factors such as the coronavirus. A downgrade by 

Moody’s would see South Africa lose its place in 

investment-grade indexes, sparking outflows from 

its bond and stock markets.“Markets are betting 

that this could be a precursor to a downgrade into 

junk at the March review, which follows next 

week’s budget,” said Christopher Shiells, an 

analyst at Informa Global markets in London.

Memo to Senate Committee on Constitution (2) 

ISTARTED this series last 

week with a plea to the 

Constitution Review 

Committee to consider the 

2014 National Conference 

reports as the solutions to the 

myriad of problems 

confronting Nigeria are 

contained therein. 

We have made some 

progress between last week 

and now as the committee has 

openly declared that it would 

look at the report as well as 

that of el-Rufai. 

Once the committee studied 

the 2014 confab report, it can 

as well take that of el-Rufai as 

well since most of the pages 

are so similar. The only 

difference is that of 2014 is 

much more detailed. 

A fundamental issue the 

committee will be confronted 

with is the issue of 

productivity in a country 

bogged down by the problem 

of reaping without sowing. 

It is all the reason we have 

Revenue Mobilisation and 

Fiscal Allocation Committee 

whose only job is sharing 

money to all tiers of 

government. All it mobilises for 

is oil resources and VAT. 

Its sharing indices kills 

productivity and promotes idle 

living. 

Elementary 

economics 

It is taught in elementary 

economics that there are 

factors of production. Instead 

of using these factors to 

generate wealth and build 

prosperity, Nigeria uses them 

to share available few 

proceeds of natural resources 

which inevitably lead to 

poverty, while we are 

deceiving ourselves because 

elites have frivolous cash to 

blow around the world. 

A large population is 

massive labour. You can see 

what China is doing with its 

1.4 billion people. Most of 

them are skilled and are 

spread all over the world 

generating wealth. A large 

chunk of our 200 million 

population is made up of outof-school 

children, almajiris, 

untrained and untraceable, 

predatory elite whose only 

contribution to the society is 

marrying wives and bearing 

children like rats. 

The numbers are only useful 

for sharing revenue in Abuja 

as population is one of the 

indices for harvesting free 

booty monthly at the 

•Nigeria's revenue allocation formula 

Federation Account Committee 

instead of putting those 

citizens to work. 

Land is another factor of 

production globally, but it is a 

sharing formula in Nigeria. 

Niger State is bigger than a 

country called Netherlands. 

But while Netherlands is the 

fourth largest exporter of 

agricultural produce in the 

Outside the 

majority threshold 

for voting which 

almost brought 

the conference to 

an end at the 

beginning, 

resource issue was 

the next one that 

threatened the 

conference 

world, the land in Niger is a 

factor of sharing more cash in 

Abuja, Nigeria's capital. 

Outside the majority 

threshold for voting which 

almost brought the conference 

to an end at the beginning, 

resource issue was one that 

also threatened the 

conference. But eventually we 

arrived at far-reaching 

consensus, except on how do 

we continue to share while we 

embark on productivity. The 

President was asked to set up 

a technical committee on it. 

5.4.3 Resolutions on fiscal 

federalism 

1. After extensive 

deliberations, Conference 

decided as follows: 

i. The creation of the Office 

of the Accountant-General 

(Director-General) of the 

Federation as a distinct and 

separate office from the Office 

of the Accountant General of 

the Federal Government. 

The Committee recommends 

that the functions of both 

offices shall be clearly outlined 

and demarcated. The 

Committee, however, noted 

that any name could be 

designated to the offices 

provided that their functions 

are clearly spelt out. 

Accruals of 

revenue 

The Office of Accountant 

General (Director-General) of 

the Federation shall oversee 

the accruals of revenue into 

and disbursement from the 

Federation Account as and 

when due; and shall 

administer these funds as 

required by the Constitution, 

while the Office of the 

Accountant General of the 

Federal Government shall 

oversee the accounts of the 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 

Federal Government; and listed hereunder be added to 

ii. That the power of the the existing sharing formula to 

Federal Government under enhance economic, 

section 162(3) of the 1999 infrastructural and human 

Constitution (as amended) to development in the country: 

prescribe the terms and 1. Inverse Primary School 

manner of sharing national Enrolment 

revenue (Federation Account) 2. Federal Presence, and 

shall be exercised through the 3. Unemployment 

Revenue Mobilisation 3. That the “technical” 

Allocation and Fiscal aspects and details of revenue 

Commission and state sharing formula shall be 

governments before referred to the Revenue 

presenting a draft bill on the Mobilisation, Allocation and 

matter to the National Fiscal Commission and the 

Assembly for enactment into National Assembly for final 

determination. The proposed 

sharing formula by 

Conference is based on; 

i. Diminished emphasis on 

principles of equality of states 

and population; 

ii. Increased emphasis on 

Social Development Factor; 

and iii. Internally Generated 

Revenue effort. 

5.4.6 Resource control 

1. Having critically 

examined the issues in 

contention, Conference 

recognizes the need to: 

i. Review the percentage of 

revenue allocation to States 

producing oil (and other 

resources); 

ii. Reconstruct and 

rehabilitate areas affected by 

problems of insurgency and 

internal conflicts; and 

iii. Diversify the Nigerian 

economy by fast-tracking the 

development of the solid 

minerals sector. 

2. The Conference also notes 

that assigning percentages for 

the increase in derivation 

principle, and setting up 

special intervention funds to 

address issues of 

law. 

5.4.4 Revenue sharing 

(vertical allocation) 

Conference accordingly 

decided as follows: That the 

sharing of the funds accruing 

to the Federation Account, 

among the three tiers of 

government, should be done 

in the following manner: 

i. Federal Government- 

42.5% ii. State Governments- 

35% iii. Local Governments- 

22.5% 

To replace the existing 

formulae of: 

1. Federal Government- 

52.68% 

2. StateGovernments-26.72% 

3. Local Governments-20.60% 

Conference agreed that 

Local Government Areas 

should be stripped of their 

status as the third tier of public 

administration. However, 

Conference did not make any 

specific decision to delete 

LGAs from the sharing 

formula. 

5.4.5 Sharing formula 

(horizontal allocation) 

Conference decided as 

follows: 

1. That the percentages 

given to population and 

equality of states in the 

existing sharing formula be 

reduced while that assigned to 

social development factor be 

increased to a much higher 

percentage so as to ensure 

accelerated development of all 

parts of the country; 

2. That three new principles 

FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — 17 

reconstruction and 

rehabilitation of areas ravaged 

by insurgency and internal 

conflicts as well as solid 

minerals development, require 

some technical details and 

considerations; and 

Appropriate 

percentages 

3. Conference, therefore, 

recommends that government 

should set up a technical 

committee to determine the 

appropriate percentages on 

the three (3) issues and advise 

government accordingly. 

5.4.7 Establishment of a 

special fund for the 

development of mineral 

resources 

Conference decided as 

follows: 

1. That there should be a 

constitutional provision for the 

establishment of a special fund 

for the development of mineral 

resources in the country; 

2. That a competent body be 

established to administer the 

Fund according to guidelines 

that shall be specified by the 

National Assembly. 

5.4.8 Sovereign wealth fund 

The Sovereign Wealth Fund 

as is currently operating as 

Nigeria Sovereign Investment 

Authority, NSIA, 2011, be 

enshrined in the Constitution 

of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria. 

5.4.7 is key for a productive 

Nigeria. 

...To be concluded 

C 

M 

Y 

K


SINCE he assumed power some 

eight months ago, Professor 

Babagana Umara Zulum, the 

Governor of embattled Borno State, 

has continued to strike the posture of 

a leader on a messianic mission. 

He has put the interests of the 

common man above partisan niceties 

and often found himself at odds with 

the Federal Government and the 

military over the handling of the war 

on terrorism in the North East. 

It is unwise to openly sing the 

praises of Nigerian politicians because 

of their penchant to ride on the 

crest of their populist waves into a 

second term and then unfold their real 

hidden agenda. Many of the former 

governors facing prosecution for theft 

and money laundering were once 

populist politicians. 

Prof. Zulum recently provoked 

national excitement after his encounter 

with a class teacher, Mrs. Obiageli 

Gov Zulum and the good teacher 

Mazi. Zulum had paid a surprise visit 

to the Shehu Sanda Kyarimi Primary 

School, Maiduguri at around 6.30 am 

on Friday, February 7, 2020 and 

found the Abia State-born Mazi as the 

only staff who had reported for work. 

Zulum, after engaging her in a 

conversation, ordered her promotion 

from Level 12 to the post of Assistant 

Headmistress and gifted her N100,000 

cash. A group of Borno State 

indigenes who were inspired by the 

deed of their governor also raised 

another one million for the teacher 

who is a Christian of the Igbo ethnic 

group. 

For the teacher to already be on 

ground in spite of the bitter harmattan 

cold showed great dedication to her 

duties. 

Also, being a Christian in a Muslimmajority 

state seriously besieged by 

Islamist terrorists thousands of 

kilometres away from her native state, 

with such a long pedigree of living 

and working in Borno State (31 years) 

shows that her faith in the oneness of 

this country remains unshaken. 

It takes a dedicated public servant 

with an enquiring mind like 

Professor Zulum to seek to know what 

manner of a Nigerian the teacher was, 

and to reward her the way he did. 

This encounter holds great lessons 

for the rest of Nigerians at this 

juncture when the faith of the ordinary 

Nigerian has virtually been eroded to 

the foundations. 

We are thus inspired to continue to 

serve this country with all our strength 

irrespective of the disappointments we 

face from the failure of leadership and 

breakdown of the collective patriotic 

spirit. 

Zulum’s gesture shows that Nigeria 

only lacks good leaders because we 

have failed to assiduously search for 

them. 

He represents a ray of hope for a 

better tomorrow when Nigeria might 

rediscover a model of leadership that 

is no longer blinded by partisan, 

ethnic, religious, regional and 

clannish bigotry. 

We hope the vicissitudes of politics 

do not derail him. 

SINCE 2000 every President in 

Nigeria has been unfair to Ondo and 

Imo states in terms of appointments of 

chairman/managing director/executive 

director in the Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC. It does not matter 

the quantum of oil produced in those two 

states as long as they are still members of 

the NDDC, the rotation formula as 

contained in the NDDC Act should be 

applied. Why do I say so? 

On August 27, 1991, General Ibrahim 

Babangida, GCFR, created Delta State 

along with other states. He then named 

Asaba as the state capital, a decision that 

is still regarded as crucial even till today. 

A few months later on June 25, 1992, 

General Babangida established the Oil 

Mineral Producing Areas Development 

Commission, OMPADEC. On July 9, 1992, 

General Babangida signed into law the 

OMPADEC Decree. 

Covered by OMPADEC were Rivers, 

Delta, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Edo, Ondo and 

Abia states. Port-Harcourt was named as 

the headquarters of OMPADEC in the 

decree. The decree states, among others, 

that the chairman and all other members 

of the Commission shall be appointed by 

the President, Commander-in-Chief of the 

Armed Forces. 

The chairman and all members of the 

Commission shall be full-time members; 

the chairman shall be the chief executive 

of the Commission and the supplementary 

provisions contained in the Schedule to 

the Decree shall have effect with respect 

to the proceedings of the Commission and 

the other matters contained therein. In 

establishing OMPADEC, General 

Babangida took a cue from Section 159 of 

OPINION 

The imbalance in NDDC as it 

affects Imo and Ondo states 

the 1963 Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria. General Babangida 

should be commended for establishing 

OMPADEC. From 1966 till 1992 nothing 

was done by the Central Government to 

cater for the plight of the people from that 

region. Section 159 of the 1963 

Constitution of the Federal Republic of 

General Babangida 

should be commended 

for establishing 

OMPADEC 

Nigeria states that - (1) There shall be a 

board for the Niger Delta which shall be 

styled the Niger Delta Development 

Board. (2) The members of the Board shall 

be - (a) a person appointed by the 

President, who shall be chairman (b) a 

person appointed by the Governor of 

Eastern Nigeria; (c) a person appointed 

by the Governor of Mid-Western Nigeria; 

and such other persons may be appointed 

in such manner as may be prescribed by 

Parliament to represent 

the inhabitants of the 

Niger Delta. (3) A 

member of the board 

shall vacate his office in 

such circumstances as 

may be prescribed by 

Parliament. 

(4) The Board shall be 

responsible for advising 

the Government of the 

Federation and the 

Governments of Eastern 

Nigeria and Mid- 

Western Nigeria with 

respect to the physical development of the 

Niger Delta, and in order to discharge that 

responsibility the Board shall— (a) cause 

the Niger Delta to be surveyed in order to 

ascertain what measures are required to 

promote its physical development; (b) 

prepare schemes designed to promote the 

physical development of the Niger Delta , 

together with estimates of the costs of 

putting the schemes into effect; (c) submit 

to the Government of the Federation and 

the Governments of Eastern Nigeria and 

Mid-Western annual reports describing the 

work of the Board and the measures taken 

in pursuance of its advice. 

(5) Parliament may make such provision 

as it considers expedient for enabling the 

Board to discharge its functions under this 

section; (6) In this section, “the Niger 

Delta” means the area specified in the 

Proclamation relating to the Board which 

was made on the twenty-sixth day of 

August, 1959; (7) this section shall cease 

to have effect on the first day of July, 1969, 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

or such later date as may be prescribed by 

Parliament. 

The objectives of the Niger Delta 

Development Board are the same as that 

of OMPADEC which are to (a) to receive 

and administer the monthly sums from the 

allocation of the Federation Account in 

accordance with confirmed ratio of oil 

production in each State - (i) for the 

rehabilitation and development of oil 

mineral producing areas, (ii) for tackling 

ecological problems that have arisen from 

the exploration of oil minerals; (b) to 

determine and identify, through the 

Commission and the respective oil mineral 

producing States, the actual oil mineral 

producing areas and embark on the 

development of projects properly agreed 

upon with the local communities of the oil 

mineral producing areas; 

(c) to consult with the relevant Federal 

and State Government authorities on the 

control and effective methods of tackling 

the problem of oil pollution and spillages; 

(d) to consult with the relevant Federal 

and State Government authorities on the 

control and effective methods of tackling 

the problem of oil pollution and 

spillages;(e) to liaise with the various oil 

companies on matters of pollution control 

(f) to obtain from the Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation the proper formula 

for actual oil mineral production of each 

State, Local Government Area and 

community and to ensure the fair and 

equitable distribution of projects, services 

and employment of personnel in 

accordance with recognised percentage 

production. 

To be concluded

CBN’s forex intervention dampens 

backward integration — MAN 

•Negative effects can’t be overemphasized, says ASBON 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$ 108.65 4.20 

$2,885.00 103.00 

$15.01 -0.15 

$57.34 0.02 

$52.10 0.05 

305.95 306.45 306.95 

398.3163 398.9673 399.6182 

331.6498 332.1918 332.7338 

311.558 312.0672 312.5764 

2.7839 2.7884 2.793 

0.4865 0.4965 0.5065 

417.7081 418.3908 419.0734 

43.8202 43.8922 43.9643 

81.5714 81.7047 81.8381 

418.9912 419.6761 420.3609 

44.6687 44.7417 44.8147 

20.5272 20.5608 20.5943 

CBN Exchange rate as at 17/02/2020 

By Yinka Kolawole 

The Manufacturers Associa 

tion of Nigeria (MAN) has 

linked the low utilization of local 

raw materials in the manufacturing 

sector to policy intervention 

in the official foreign exchange 

(forex) market by Central Bank 

of Nigeria (CBN). 

In its 2019 half-year (H1’19) 

report, MAN hinted that the use 

of local raw-materials in the sector 

has maintained downward 

trends since CBN commenced 

intervention in the official forex 

market in 2017. In the halfyear 

review, MAN stated: “The 

relatively more available forex resulting 

from the intervention may 

have been rubbing off negatively 

on backward integration agenda 

as firms prefer to import rawmaterials 

as against inward looking. 

“In the first half of 2019, local 

sourcing of raw-materials in the 

manufacturing sector increased 

marginally to 57.0 percent from 

56.87 percent recorded in the corresponding 

half of 2018, representing 

0.13 percentage point 

increase over the period. It however 

declined by of 6.7 percentage 

point when compared with 

63.7 percent recorded in the preceding 

half.” 

Corroborating MAN’s position, 

National President, Association 

of Small Business Owners 

of Nigeria (ASBON), Dr. 

Femi Egbesola, agreed that forex 

availability has encouraged more 

influx of raw materials into the 

country. 

Egbesola, in an exclusive chat 

with Vanguard, stated: “Though 

there is relative stability in the 

forex market largely due to the 

continued intervention of CBN, 

the impact has been double-sided 

as rightly expressed by MAN. 

“Availability of forex has in no 

small way, encouraged more influx 

of raw materials into the country 

that hitherto could have been 

produced locally here. The negative 

effects of this cannot be overemphasized. 

“However, we cannot get it perfectly 

right in just one day. I am 

sure CBN must have also noticed 

this anomaly and are already 

on the drawing table to 

arrest the negative trend. 

“For the local industries to 

survive effectively and competitively 

in producing the 


needed raw materials for our local 

industries, more needs to be done 

by government beyond the issue of 

forex. If our economy is to grow, this 

sector needs more direct intervention 

from government to be able to 

produce standard, quality, price 

competitive and manufacturers’ 

friendly raw materials for local use.” 

From left: Chief Operating Officer, Chapel Hill Denham, Mr. Bolaji Balogun; Ag. Director 

General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Mary Uduk; Seminar Chairman/ 

CEO, Global Mandate Consulting Ltd, Dr. Suleyman Abdul Ndanusa, and Dr Joseph Meikiluwa 

of FMDQ Group at the SEC’s Budget Seminar in Lagos. 

Nigeria risks losing $2.7bn to delays in deepwater 

oil field projects 

By Ediri Ejoh with Agency 

report 

There are indications that Ni 

geria may lose $2.7 billion revenue 

from three deep offshore 

fields due to changes in tax and 

royalty laws as well as other uncertainties 

in the petroleum industry. 

A research conducted 

by a United Kingdom 

based oil and gas 

consultancy firm, Wood 

Mackenzie, indicated 

that rising production 

cost and uncertainty in 

the country’s energy sector 

could lead to a 35 percent 

decline in oil output 

over 10 years as companies 

delay investments in 

key oilfields. 

In findings shared with 

Reuters, the company 

warned that three deep 

offshore fields, which 

would generate $2.7 billion 

a year for the government 

at peak production, 

are likely to be delayed 

as companies put 

their money in regions 

with better and clearer 

terms. 

Koch, principal analyst 

of sub-Saharan Africa 

upstream with Wood 

Mackenzie, said, “Nigeria 

is going to enter quite 

a steep decline in production. 

In order to keep its 

revenue up, it needs to develop 

additional fields.” 

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil 

exporter, with output close to 

two million barrels per day 

(bpd), but it needs continual 

investment to maintain output 

as fields naturally decline. Oil 

accounts for 90 per cent of 

Nigeria’s foreign currency 

earnings. 

Wood Mackenzie delayed 

its projected start-ups for the 

deepwater projects Bonga 

Southwest Aparo, operated by Shell, 

and Preowei, operated by Total, by 

two years to 2027 and 2025 respectively, 

and for ExxonMobil’s 

Owowo by four years to 2029. 

Total said Preowei is under study 

with a final investment decision 

scheduled for 2020 or a year later. 

Exxon did not immediately respond 

to a request for comment, 

while Shell declined to immediately 

comment. 

Together, the deepwater fields 

hold an estimated 1.5 billion barrels 

of oil, and could add 300,000 

bpd of oil. 

Finance Act will lift insurance sector’s contribution 

to GDP — NIA boss 

By Cynthia Alo 

Director General of the 

Nigerian Insurers Association 

(NIA) Mrs. 

Yetunde Ilori, has said that 

the new Finance Act 2020 

will improve the insurance 

industry contribution to the 

Gross Domestic Product, 

GDP, in Nigeria. 

Insurance industry contribution 

to the GDP currently 

stands at 0.32 percent. 

Ilori stated: “The Act 

would promote reform of tax 

laws to align with global 

best practice and it is expected 

that it will enhance 

the industry contribution to 

GDP and encourage investors 

whilst entrenching 

Ease of Doing Business. This will 

help the insurance business to 

thrive and attain its full potentials”. 

Ilori, who commended President 

Buhari for the speedy assent 

to the new Finance Act, said the 

move would usher in a new lease 

of life in insurance companies. 

In a statement signed by Head, 

Corporate Communications, Human 

Resources & Administration, 

Mr. Davis Iyasere, Ilori said that 

insurance companies had endured 

years of excruciating tax 

burden under CITA 2007 which 

did not place insurance companies 

at a level playing field with 

companies in other sectors of the 

Nigerian economy. 

According to her, “Sections 5 

and 6 of the Finance Act, 2020 

SON warns 

electronic 

dealers over 

sub-standard 

products 

By Providence Adeyinka 

The Standard Organisation 

of Nigeria, SON, has cautioned 

electronic dealers on 

the dangers of importing substandard 

electrical items into 

the country. 

Director-General, SON, Mr 

Osita Aboloma, gave the warning 

while receiving the electronics 

dealers and members 

of the Association of National 

Licensed Customs Agents 

(ANLCA), Alaba International 

Market, who paid a courtesy 

visit to the agency in Lagos. 

Aboloma said that it is imperative 

for dealers to adhere 

to quality standards due to the 

hazards associated with electronic 

items which is life 

threatening and drain to any 

economy. 

He stated: “Your section is 

critical to us as one of the biggest 

in West Africa. Nigerians 

and SON in particular, consider 

the electrical items that 

you deal in to be life threatening. 

It means that it is hazardous. 

When we describe a product 

to be life threatening, it 

means that the adherence to 

quality would be stricter than 

others and we cannot do it 

alone because we know the 

effect of sub-standard electronics 

to the health of Nigerians 

and drain to our economy. 

“As part of our mandate, we 

want to make sure we have 

zero tolerance on the influx of 

sub-standard electronics into 

Nigeria. Your place is a strategic 

entry point of these materials 

into Nigeria, so we must 

work together as Nigerians 

first, then as regulators and 

stakeholders to make sure we 

reduce the unwholesome practice 

that most of you embark on 

in this sector. 

“The challenge we have with 

you is the deliberate importation 

of unbranded products 

and deliberate attempt to mislead 

unsuspecting buyers. 

These are the things we must 

avoid and we cannot be bringing 

in unbranded products 

waiting to take advantage of 

successful products.” 

Also speaking, Executive 

Chairman, Alaba Electronics, 

Mr. Paulinus Ugochukwu, said 

that his administration is working 

hard to eradicate sub-standard 

products from the market, 

pledging to work with the SON 

to protect the image of Alaba 

International Market and Nigeria. 

repeals the punitive and outdated 

provisions of Section 16 

of the CITA on the taxation of 

insurance companies thus resolving 

significantly tax issues 

identified in the insurance industry 

taxation. 

“The new Act has eliminated 

among other things, restriction 

of tax-deductible claims and 

outgoings to the percentage of 

the total premium, restriction 

of the period to carry forward 

tax losses to four years, the 

special punitive deemed profit 

as the basis for minimum tax 

computation and the Finance 

Act also resolved the issue of 

computation of deductible unexpired 

risk by adopting the 

use of a time apportionment 

basis in line with the Insurance 

Act.”






— Dr Taiwo Sheikh 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 , 2020 — 25 

Suicide: Nigeria needs to set up 

national prevention strategy 

— Dr Taiwo Sheikh 


THE absence of a 

National suicide 

prevention plan has 

continued to fuel death by 

suicide in Nigeria. 

A Consultant 

Psychiatrist Dr Taiwo 

Lateef Sheikh, said the 

implementation and 

evaluation of a 

comprehensive, 

sustainable multi-sectoral 

national suicide 

prevention strategy is 

fundamental for elevating 

suicide prevention on the 

political agenda as 

recommended by the 

World Health 

Organisation, WHO. 

Sheikh, who is the 

President of the 

Association of Psychiatrists 

in Nigeria, APN, 

lamented the incidences 

of suicide in Nigeria, even 

as he called on the Federal 

government to take the 

lead in developing a 

comprehensive strategy 

for Nigerians as a whole 

and vulnerable persons in 

particular. 

Such national strategy 

and associated action plan, 

he said, are necessary to 

push forward the 

implementation of suicide 

prevention, without which 

efforts are likely to abate 

and suicide prevention 

will remain neglected. . 

“The target is to reduce 

premature mortality from 

noncommunicable 

diseases by one third by 

2030 through prevention 

and treatment and the 

promotion of mental 

health and well-being. 

“These targets are unlikely 

to be achieved except the 

government actively 

engage in efforts to 

prevent suicide,” he said. 

Lamenting the 

incidences of suicide in 

Nigeria, Sheikh, described 

suicidality as a major 

societal and health care 

problem and should 

should be given a high 

priority. 

He said the Association 

of Psychiatrists in Nigeria 

in partnership with the 

Suicide Research and 

Prevention Initiative, 

SURPIN, found that about 

one-fifth of suicide cases 

seen at its affiliated 

institution involve persons 

aged 13-19 years, and that 

the majority of the callers 

were aged 20- 39 years, 

with 63.5 percent of them 

having thoughts of suicide 

at the time of calling. 

He said there is always 

tendency to trivialise 

suicide and attempted 

suicide, the temptation of 

being judgmental, 

stereotypical, hostile and 

negative criticism is very 

high and this leads stigma. 

According to Sheikh: 

"Prevention means 

community awareness 

programmes. These 

usually imbed helplines 

and public education at 

workplaces and schools to 

increase knowledge and 

reduce stigma. 

“Programmes draw on 

lay gatekeepers such as 

clergy, teachers, and firstline 

responders who 

receive special training. 

Along these lines, 

involving and training 

laypersons or nonspecialised 

health 

By Chioma Obinna 

THE National Agency 

for Food and Drug 

Administration and 

Control, NAFDAC, has 

debunked a purported 

online recruitment exercise 

by the Agency, describing 

“it as fake news”. 

Meanwhile, the Agency 

has expressed worry over 

Nigeria’s drug selfsufficiency 

level following 

the outbreak of novel 

Coronavirus in China 

where most of the drugs in 

the country are imported 

from. 

The Director-General, 

Prof Mojisola Adeyeye 

who spoke in Lagos 

advised Nigerian job 

seekers to be wary of 

professionals is an 

important means of suicide 

prevention, assessment, 

and management.” 

Sheikh said 

professionals in primary 

care should be trained. "It 

has been shown in high 

income countries that most 

A national 

strategy and 

associated 

action plan 

are necessary 

to push 

forward the 

implementation 

of suicide 

prevention 

individuals who demand 

money to offer them jobs in 

NAFDAC. 

“Are we employing right 

now? The answer is no. We 

are not employing 

anybody right now and we 

are not recruiting and it is 

also on our website that we 

are not recruiting; whoever 

is doing that is playing 

pranks, possibly exploiting 

people.” 

We don’t collect money 

for recruitment. We are still 

in February we have to get 

approval from Federal 

Character, Budget office 

before we can think of 

recruiting. The report is 

just fake news. 

She said some 

unscrupulous individuals 

individuals who later 

completed suicide had 

seen a physician of mental 

health professional during 

the 12 months prior to their 

deaths. 

He said a special aspect 

of primary prevention refers 

to the internet and 

especially social media, 

which provide a multitude 

of information. Helpseekers 

will find abundant 

information and addresses 

of lay and professional 

support, which is certainly 

sensible. 

On secondary 

prevention, he said the 

health care system is of 

utmost importance. “Every 

health worker or gatekeeper 

should be aware of the fact 

and be trained to react 

adequately. 

No ongoing recruitment at NAFDAC, says Adeyeye 

•Worries over Nigeria’s drug insecurity as COVID-19 outbreak rages 

are even collecting money, 

explaining that NAFDAC 

does not collect money 

from anybody for 

employment. 

“We hope to recruit this 

year but we have to get 

approval from Head of 

Service, federal character 

and the budget office 

before we can even think 

of recruiting.” 

Speaking on the need 

for drug sufficiency in the 

country, Adeyeye said selfsufficiency 

in drugs would 

reduce fake and 

adulterated medicines in 

circulation. 

She disclosed that 

Nigeria still imports about 

70 percent of its drug 

making the nation 

Scientists breakthrough 

in cerebral malaria 

SCIENTISTS have identified a key molecule 

involved in the development of cerebral malaria, 

a deadly form of the tropical disease. The study 

identifies a potential drug target and way forward 

toward alleviating this condition for which few targeted 

treatments are available. 

In studies with mice, investigators discovered that 

the EphA2 protein is important for onset of leaky brain, 

a hallmark symptom of cerebral malaria. The team 

also demonstrated that blocking EphA2 with different 

drugs prevented this dangerous symptom from 

occurring. According to the researchers, the findings 

indicate that a similar therapeutic strategy could 

potentially prevent the disease in humans. 

"The advance is really significant," says Tracey Lamb, 

senior author of the study and associate professor in 

Pathology at University of Utah Health. 

"New targets to block a leaky brain in malaria are 

urgently needed to prevent mortality from cerebral 

malaria." 

The research, led by scientists at University of Utah 

Health in collaboration with Centre Pasteur du 

Cameroun in Cameroon, is published in the journal 

PLOS Pathogens. 

Cerebral malaria strikes more than 575,000 each 

year, disproportionately affecting young children in 

sub-Saharan Africa. 

Researchers took note of EphA2 when they saw that 

the molecule became activated at the site of the blood 

brain barrier just prior to its breakdown. Further 

investigation showed that EphA2 disrupts the blood 

brain barrier by loosening the tight junctions between 

cells, removing the glue that keeps these cells bound 

to each other. 

With a key player identified, the scientists wondered 

whether blocking EphA2 would protect the blood brain 

barrier during infection. Treating infected mice with 

two different agents showed this seems to be the case. 

One agent was a repurposed cancer drug, Nilotinib, 

that inhibits several molecules including EphA2. The 

second was an engineered protein that specifically 

blocked molecules called ephrin ligands that will 

interact with EphA2 and prevent its activation. 

"Usually children are not brought in to the clinic 

until they're already experiencing symptoms of 

malaria," says Thayer Darling, who carried out the 

research as a graduate student with Lamb. "We're 

hopeful that therapeutics that target EphA2 may be 

able to prevent cerebral malaria in children after the 

onset of those initial symptoms." 

vulnerable to emergencies 

or outbreaks. 

She said the coronavirus 

would send a clear 

message about drug 

security to Nigeria. 

“At the height of the 

Human Immunodeficiency 

Virus (HIV) Acquired 

Immunodeficiency 

Syndrome (AIDS) more 

than 33 million Africans 

died because there were no 

drugs. We do not want that 

to happen, right now we 

ship about 70 percent of 

drugs from China and 

India. 

So what is going to 

happen, God forbid if it 

becomes bigger than what 

it is right now? It means we 

will not be able to get 

materials from China aside 

for us working to get 

medicines that are effective 

to some extent ready, we 

have to think of 

sustainability 

“It should not get bigger 

than this. We have to think 

of sustainability, what could 

happen to us as a country 

because we import about 

70 percent and make about 

30 percent. It is time for us 

to think and apply the 

necessary measures to 

achieve drug security,” she 

stated. 

Adeyeye disclosed that 

NAFDAC would be 

issuing a statement of fact 

on the coronavirus and 

what the Agency is doing 

about it."


How 9Ja Girls creates safe haven for 

adolescent girls 


ELIZABETH Joseph is 

only 16, but her 

intellect belies her age. 

“Nigeria's future is bright 

and I'm a part of Nigeria's 

future, so my future is 

bright,” she remarked 

enthusiastically. 

“We experience fun. Here 

we are taught various skills; 

we learn to be healthy and 

to look healthy, and how to 

communicate with others. I 

have been coming here 

regularly and I have 

learned a number of skills. 

Among these are beadmaking, 

gele tying and 

ankara craft. But the main 

lesson for me is being 

taught how to stand up for 

myself and not fall into the 

wrong hands to be taken 

advantage of.“ 

Solape Olutoye, another 

adolescent girl, is a 

frequent visitor to the PHC. 

”I come here regularly and 

I learn something new 

each time. I have made 

friends and learned how to 

make good use of my 

hands. I make some 

handcraft and other things 

which I have been able to 

sell in order to make some 

money. For me, the key 

lesson from the 9Ja Girls 

experience is that it has 

enabled me to be more 

mentally mature. And that 

means a lot in this 

environment.” 

Elizabeth and Solape are 

among the dozens of girls 

aged 15-19 who gather 

daily at the Agbelekale 

Olota PHC to access the 

youth-friendly services 

provided there, courtesy of 

the Adolescent Girls 360 

9Ja Girls project. 

Girls at the Centre are 

united by a common 

aspiration. The spoke 

recently during an open 

house at the Primary 

Health Centre in Alimoso 

Local Government 

Authority in Lagos. 

Growing up as a girl in 

Nigeria is a challenge 

which gets tougher in 

adolescence. Barriers 

ranging from marriage and 

economic independence 

force many girls in this age 

bracket to drop out of 

school. Many adolescent 

girls are disadvantaged 

when compared to their 

male counterparts. 

It is in the effort to 

address these issues that 

the 9Ja Girls initiative was 

born. It is an innovative 

approach to improve the 

sexual and reproductive 

health of adolescent girls 

aged 15 – 19. In the 9Ja 

Girls space, there is 

freedom of expression and 

boldness. In these spaces, 

young girls have clear 

vision for their future. The 

platform is helping them to 

The girls during a session at the Agbelekale Primary Health Centre 

cope with the economic, 

social, and contextual 

barriers towards achieving 

these dreams. 

The Adolescent Girls 360 

project is being catered for 

by the Society For Family 

Health, SFH, under the 

Adolescent 360 (A360) 

Project led by Population 

Services International, PSI. 

9ja Girls is a trusted 

system that empowers and 

supports girls and their 

communities towards 

improving adolescent 

sexual and reproductive 

health, through social and 

economic development that 

centers on supporting girls’ 

knowledge, skills and 

confidence to aspire and 

achieve their life goals,” 

said Ms. Fatima 

Mohammed the Project 

Director, Adolescent 360. It 

aims to create safe spaces 

where girls can speak their 

mind and get the support 

from people they trust. 

“One of the aims of the 

9Ja Girls is to revolutionise 

how unmarried adolescent 

girls access sexual and 

reproductive health 

services, and this is done 

by providing them with an 

appropriate platform to 

acquire the right skills for 

life, love, and health and 

knowledge through a 

network of youth-friendly 

service providers. All these 

are integrated into the 

primary health care centres 

to make youth friendly 

services available and 

accessible to the girls.” 

Mohammed says the 

9jaGirls spacet is personal 

and personalised for each 

girl, and offers a sense of 

safety and freedom. There, 

the girls learn about their 

bodies and sexual health 

with trust. Part of the 

agenda is to increase the 

uptake of modern 

contraceptives and reduce 

unintended pregnancies 

so the girls have access to 

modern contraception 

The 9ja Girls Skills classes 

S 

are where teenage girls are 

offered a wide variety of 

classes to learn skills for life, 

love and health. The 9ja 

Girls Clinic is a girls-only 

safe space, where girls take 

vocational skills classes, 

learn about topics related to 

love, dating, relationships 

and sexual and 

reproductive health, have 

private one-on-one 

counselling and receive 

health services from trained 

counsellors and providers. 

“We counsel them for 

skills for life, love and 

health, to enable them to 

know the difference 

between love and life, by 

giving them negotiation 

skills,” said Peace Anya, a 

provider that counsels girls 

of age 15-19 and talks to 

them about their skills, love 

and health. 

“In skills for health we talk 

about menstruation, 

personal health and 

everything they need to 

know as young adolescent 

girls, they have questions 

they want to relay to us and 

we explain in details to 

them. We tell them what it 

takes to be a girl and what 

it means to be growing up 

as a girl child. 

“Other than Saturdays, 

there is a programme held 

Monday to Friday called 

“The Working Section” 

during which the girls 

approach the counsellors 

One of the 

aims is to 

revolutionise 

how 

unmarried 

adolescent 

girls access 

sexual and 

reproductive 

health 

services 

and talk about things 

bothering them. They 

relate life experiences 

generally including their 

studies and academics. “ 

Peace who said the 9Ja 

Girls generally talk about 

their health and 

relationships, remarked 

that working with the girls 

has been a revelation. 

“When they come for 

counselling, we are not 

biased. We let them know 

that adolescence is a time 

that you get to like people 

a lot but you have to know 

what you really want. You 

have to ask yourself, would 

this relationship help you 

to achieve your personal 

goals or would it distract or 

lead you astray? If you are 

not ready to be sexually 

active and a boy keeps 

pressuring or forcing you, 

talk to him and inform him 

that you are not ready. 

The Centre runs a 

monthly interactive 

programme called ‘The 

Mum Section’, during 

which mobilisers invite 

mothers to the programme 

where they are informed 

about how to relate with 

their adolescent girls. 

“The girl child these days 

are very delicate, you need 

to pay attention to them. It 

is an interactive session 

where we talk to them in 

detail on issues bothering 

their children. This is 

because they might have 

instilled fear in them and 

have made them scared of 

explaining themselves to 

their mothers, they come to 

us and are free to tell us 

their problems because we 

are young and are almost 

of the same age range.” 

The Principal Nursing 

Officer in charge of the 

Agbelekale PHC and 9Ja 

girls facility, Mrs. Isiolaotan 

Olubanke Ajoke, noted that 

major concerns of the girls 

vary but all of them need 

someone to confide in, as 

most cannot confide in their 

parents. 

COVID-19 UPDATE 

Total deaths: 1,776 (1,772 in China, 1 each 

in Phillippines, Hong Kong, France) 

Confirmed cases: 71,449 (11,326 critical) 

Total recovered: 11,425 

No. of affected countries: 29 

Confirmed cases/deaths by Country 

(as of 8pm on 17/02/2020) 

Mainland China: 

70,553 

Singapore : 77 

Japan: 66 

Hong Kong: 60 

Thailand: 35 

South Korea: 30 

Taiwan: 22 

Malaysia : 18 

Germany: 16 

Australia: 15 

Vietnam: 14 

Macau: 10 

France: 12 

US: 12 

UK: 9 

UAE: 9 

Canada: 8 

India: 3 

Italy: 3 

Philippines: 3 

Russia: 2 

Spain: 2 

Cambodia: 1 

Finland: 1 

Sweden: 1 

Nepal: 1 

Sri Lanka: 1 

Belgium: 1 

Egypt: 1 

DRC, 3 others licence Ebola 

vaccine 

THE Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, Burundi, 

Ghana and Zambia have licensed an Ebola vaccine, just 

90 days after prequalification by the WHO. The vaccines 

will be registered in more countries in the coming weeks. 

With this development, the manufacturer can stockpile 

and widely distribute this vaccine to African countries at 

risk of Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks. This will make 

clinical trials or other research protocols unnecessary. 

"The approval of the Ebola vaccine by these countries is 

another milestone in the fight against this unforgiving 

disease," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros. “Africa 

has rallied to cement hard-fought progress to keep its 

people safe from Ebola." 

The injectable Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, is manufactured 

by Merck and preliminary study results have shown a 

97.5 percent vaccine efficacy. Data also suggests that 

vaccinating people who are already infected reduces their 

chances of dying. 

WHO accelerated the licensing and roll-out of the Ebola 

vaccine by certifying that it met the organisation’s 

standards for quality, safety and efficacy in its fastest 

vaccine prequalification process ever, announced in 

November 2019. 

“The rapid approval of the Ebola vaccine by countries in 

the Africa Region helps ensure this critical prevention 

tool will be available when and where it is needed most,” 

said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for 

Africa. “This kind of collaboration and innovation is a 

model for other health priorities.” 

HYPO kicks off nationwide 

campaign against Lassa fever 

HYPO Hygiene Products Limited, makers of Hypo 

bleach, formally launched a nationwide sanitisation 

campaign in open markets against Lassa fever, especially 

in the most affected states in Nigeria. 

The campaign is in collaboration with the Nigeria 

Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, involves visits to 

major open markets across 11 states to enlighten market 

women and the entire public on the Lassa fever epidemic 

and steps to keep their environment clean and 

effectively sanitized towards curbing the spread. 

Speaking at the event at Oke Arin Market, Ms. 

Omotunde Bamigbaiye, Brand Manager Hypo Bleach, 

said women are custodians of the family and managers 

of house affairs, and catching up with them at the market 

square remains a strategic touch point to disseminate 

the message. 

“It is not just coincidental that Hypo Sanitisation 

Campaign against Lassa is officially launched in two cities 

today, because Thursdays have been earmarked specially 

for environmental sanitation exercise across most major 

open markets in Nigeria. 

The idea is to have the public incorporate effective 

sanitisation approach into their regular cleaning while at 

the same time taking them through step by step processes 

to prevent the spread of Lassa fever both at their shops 

and at home” she said. 

Omotayo Abiodun, Public Relations Manager, Tolaram 

Group, reiterated that the campaign kicked off 

simultaneously at Oke Arin Market and Oja Oba Market, 

Akure South LG, Ondo State.


Expert worries over high rate of HBP, 

diabetes among market women 

...As Amal Outreach conducts screening exercise 

By Chioma Obinna 

IT was a shocking 

revelation last week 

when 90 percent of over 

1000 market women in 

Lagos were diagnosed with 

High Blood Pressure. 

None of the women knew 

they were hypertensive. 

The revelation came to 

light during a four-day 

community free medical 

screening for hypertension 

and blood sugar/diabetes 

organised by Amal 

Outreach for over 1,000 

market women in Lagos 

Island West, particularly 

those in Oke-Arin; 

Olowogbowo and Balogun 

axis. 

Dr. Kofoworola Sadiq, a 

medical practitioner who 

attended to the market 

women from the Paediatric 

Department, Mother and 

Child Centre, Eti Osa, 

Lagos, noted that the 

majority of the people 

screened have HBP, with 

some in a pre-hypertensive 

state, and if neglected, 

could develop severe 

complications. 

Sadiq said while about 90 

percent of the people 

screened have high blood 

pressure, a few have severe 

diabetes that requires 

urgent admission in the 

hospital to avoid any grave 

complications. 

“About 90 percent of them 

have high blood pressure; 

just few of them have 

diabetes. The unfortunate 

thing is that the few that 

have diabetes, the values 

are quite outrageous. If it 

were to be in a proper 

hospital setting, we would 

have admitted some of 

them," she said. 

Common causes of the 

two non-communicable 

diseases are stress, family 

history, poor living 

conditions, poor lifestyle, 

lack of exercise, bad eating 

habit, poor drug 

noncompliance, when 

given medication to 

regulate their health after 

visiting the doctor, use it 

just once and them because 

they no longer feel the 

symptoms they used to, 

they stop taking the drugs." 

Earlier, the Co-founder, 

Amal Outreach, Dr. Folake 

Lawal, said from research 

conducted, hypertension is 

more common among the 

people, as it is double the 

amount of diabetes, noting 

that both diseases are the 

top most common noncommunicable 

diseases in 

the world and are called 

silent killers. 

Lawal who is also an 

Infectious Disease expert 

explained that the free 

medical outreach was in 

line with the United 

Nations' Sustainable 

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL) 

IF a man has sex with a woman who has 

Coronavirus, what will happen? – Ephraim 

Oh you will definitely get it from them. You don’t even 

need to have sex with the person to get it because it is 

an air borne disease. Just being around them is 

dangerous enough. Luckily, the coronavirus has not 

had the same impact here that it has had in China 

where it originated from so I wouldn’t worry too much 

about it. Just be careful in general. As far as I know, it 

is not in Nigeria yet – Uche 

I had a baby late last year after trying for so long. I 

think I must have gone into a depression afterwards 

because I don’t quite feel the same. My hunger for 

sex is not there like before and I want to be tighter 

down there too - Sarah 

Well, congratulations first on the baby. That is big news. 

It is not always easy for life to go back to what it used 

to be because you are drained emotionally and 

physically and the baby gets most of the attention 

anyway. But I am glad both of you are working on 

restoring the love and romance you have always had 

for each other. That is what adults do. For a start, you 

need to be doing your kegel exercises. That is the only 

way to restore vaginal tightness after child birth. You 

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Development Goal (SDG) 

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follow up kit and post 

health fair community 

support. 

P HARMACEUTICAL 

and other corporate 

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The Chairman and Chief 

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Pharma, Mr Akinjide 

Adeosun who spoke in 

Lagos at the Quarter 1, 

2020 “St Racheal’s 

Business for Life' discourse 

organised by the company 

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Pharma, healthcare companies 

should outlive founders — ADEOSUN 


Head of Wuhan Hospital dies of 

Coronavirus 

THE Director of 

Wuchang Hospital 

Liu Zhiming,in Wuhan on 

Monday has died of 

coronavirus, according to 

a Chinese media. 

He is the first hospital 

leader to have ‘sacrificed’ 

in the fight against 

coronavirus, reported Red 

Star News. 

The news comes after a 59- 

year-old nurse in the same 

hospital was killed by the 

virus last Friday. Nearly 

1,800 people across the 

world have now died from 

the killer coronavirus that is 

rapidly sweeping the 

planet. 

Red Star News, a news 

outlet based in Chongqing, 

said it had confirmed the 

news from multiple sources. 

Red Star News also spoke 

to an unnamed doctor at 

Wuchang Hospital, who 

told the newspaper that he 

was saddened by Dr Liu's 

passing. 

Another insider said Liu 

had always been a 

healthy man and that he 

was surprised by the news 

of his death. 

and decision makers", 

regretted that most 

healthcare companies in 

Nigeria often collapse as 

soon as their founders die, 

a development that 

prevented growth of the 

industry and expansion 

beyond the boundaries of 

the country. 

"Of course, we have few 

exceptions like St. 

Nicholas Hospital that is 

still running excellently 

even after the demise of the 

founder. But the number 

of such institutions is too 

few, compared with 

multinationals like 

GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, or 

even Shell and Total which 

have been running for 

over 100 years. 

“The difference between 

the way multinationals are 

run and the way local 

companies here operate is 

that governance, 

institutionalising of policies 

and processes, talent 

management, succession 

planning and all those soft 

skills that are required to 

ensure that the companies 

exist way beyond their 

founders are lacking in the 

Nigerian eco-system. 

"That is why we have 

taken it upon ourselves to 

organise the ‘St Racheal’s 

Business for Life” initiative. 

We recognise that we will 

not be achieving our 

mission of improving life 

expectancy in Africa 

through the availability of 

top-quality affordable 

drugs alone, so we are 

looking at the business that 

will take care of the patient. 

"We want to help local 

healthcare companies with 

soft infrastructure that they 

require to be 

institutionalized and be 

able to run for a very long 

time." 

Adeosun noted that the 

theme for the discourse : 

“Excellence in Customer 

Care", has been designed 

in line with previous 

lectures in the ‘Business for 

Life’ series which focused 

on Business values, 

etiquette, running a 

profitable enterprise and 

human resources. 

In her presentation, the 

Head, Contact Centre of 

First City Monument Bank 

(FCMB) Miss. Vivien Agu, 

noted that healthcare 

companies, like, any other 

business, could grow and 

sustain their business by 

delivering services 

exceptionally beyond 

customers’ expectations. 

“Customers are the 

lifeblood of any business 

and without them, there will 

be no business,” she said, 

stressing the need for 

companies to make 

customers happy and turn 

them to advocates to sell 

the company’s products 

instead of placing 

advertisements.

28 —Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, , 2020 

VOL. 1: NO. 225 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

IJAW LEADERS TO BUHARI: 

Stop NIMASA from relocating Maritime 

University, Okerenkoko floating dock 

DELTA... THE BIG 

HEART OF THE NATION 

WARRI — IJAW leaders 

in Delta State have 

appealed to President 


intervene and halt the 

Nigerian Maritime 

Administration and Safety 

Agency, NIMASA, from 

removing the Floating Dock, 

designed and custom-built for 

the Nigerian Maritime 

University, NMU, 

Okerenkoko, Delta State, to 

an unknown place for 

unacceptable reason. 

Former Minister of Police 

Affairs, Alaowei 

Broderick Bozimo, who 

spoke for Ijaw leaders, 

told NDV in an interview: 

“We appeal to the 

President to save the soul 

of the university, for floating 

dock is the hub of the 

Maritime University and the 


approved it for the purpose.” 

EXCERPTS: 

Ijaw royal fathers, 

chiefs,leaders and youths 

from all walks of life met 

recently, what were the crucial 

decisions? 

Several meetings of the 

Forum were held in Warri 

between 2018 and 2019. The 

most nagging issue was the 

rumoured relocation of the Dry 

Dock. It was decided that visits 

be made to the Delta State 

Government and the 

Presidency to register our 

concern that the dock should 

remain at the Maritime 

University as planned. The 

Forum similarly protested to 

the Delta State Government. 

Forum is aware that the Delta 

State Government is doing its 

best to convince NIMASA that 

relocation is ill- advised. Our 

application since 2018 to visit 

the Presidency to present the 

Forum's position is yet to 

receive attention. We will 

continue to seek a meeting 

with Mr. President. Other 

matters included modular 

refineries to arrest the 

indiscriminate pollution of the 

Alaowei Broderick Bozimo 

environment as well as 

relocation of oil and gas 

prospecting multinationals to 

be present at their areas of 

CROSS RIVER… 

THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE 

operation to boost youth 

employment. 

They are very concerned 

about the unconfirmed 

relocation of the Floating 

Dock from the Nigerian 

Maritime University, 

Okerenkoko, why and did 

Ijaw leaders confirm such 

plan from NIMASA 

authorities? 

NIMASA's recent publication 

on the relocation confirmed 

Forum's fears that indeed, the 

Maritime University could lose 

its main asset and thereby 

further impoverish the region. 

Ijaw people want President 

Buhari to prevail on Shell to 

return to Warri, although it was 

not him that asked Shell to 

leave Warri in the first 

instance. However, the Pan- 

Niger-Delta Forum, PANDEF, 

our umbrella organisation, 

was able to persuade the 

proactive Vice- President to 

order their relocation. That 

order remains ignored by the 

multinationals. We believe that 

the economic outlook will 

certainly improve with such 

relocation. 

What stops Ijaw leaders 

from taking the case of the 

abandoned Gbaregolor- 

Ogulagha roads and others to 

the NDDC management 

instead of calling on 

President Buhari to direct 

them? 

It is a notorious fact that in 

many years of its existence, 

NDDC remains a toddler. The 

Presidency has quite rightly 

continued to intervene in its 

affairs. We believe that nothing 

short of a presidential order or 

directive can bring about the 

radical intervention on these 

crucial infrastructure that will 

lift us from the sorry state we 

find ourselves. 

Why did Ijaw not table the 

demands you are making 

now under former President 

Goodluck Jonathan and if 

you did, why were they not 

handled then? 

The Ijaws did not spare our 

son, President Jonathan. At 

different fora, ljaws and 

indeed, Niger-Deltans, made 

demands. He recognised he 

had many children not only 

Niger- Deltans. He answered 

some of our demands 

significant amongst which was 

Nigeria Maritime University 

Okerenkoko and the EPZ at 

Ogidigben located in Itsekiri 

territory. These projects are 

crying for attention 

particularly the Dry dock, the 

soul of the Maritime 

University now threatened 

with relocation. We appeal to 

Mr. President to save the soul 

of the university. 

Cross River community where trade by barter still thrives 

By Emmanuel Una 

IKOT EDEM: THE Esuk 

Mba market in Akpabuyo 

Local Government Area of Cross 

River State is still practising 

trade by barter. 

The market, which is at Ikot 

Edem Odo, a remote Efik 

community, about 30 kilometres 

east of Calabar, the state capital, 

starts from 7am and ends at 

noon every Saturday to allow 

the villagers go to farm. Items 

for exchange are mainly food 

stuff such as cassava, 

periwinkle, palm oil, cocoyam, 

plantain, crayfish, smoked fish, 

vegetables, salt and pepper. 

“Most of the people you see 

here are farmers so they have 

to come here early and 

exchange whatever they have 

with what they need before 

heading to their farms. The 

items for exchange are loaded 

in containers and placed on the 

bare floor while those seeking 

to barter their own items bring 

theirs for the owner to select 

from,” said an elderly woman, 

Deacon Makamba Edem Odo, 

who claimed to be the great 

granddaughter of the founder 

of the market. 

How it started 

According to her, “there was a 

time the nearest market was in 

Calabar and considering the 

distance, people who had some 

items they could part with simply 

went round the village 

announcing what they had and 

what they needed and anyone 

who needed what was being 

advertised would call on the 

announcer to come forth with the 

product and strike a bargain and 

exchanged the items.” 

She said gradually, people 

started converging at the junction 

and anyone who had some items 

he or she could exchange will 

come with such items and others 

too will come with theirs and they 

exchanged. “You can see the 

market is a T-junction. People 

converged there at dawn and 

exchanged what they had and 

gradually, the market evolved to 

a Saturday morning market,” she 

added. 

One of the 

women seen 

trading cassava 

for crayfish, who 

simply gave her 

name as Ubong 

said: “It is only 

recently that 

people started 

buying items like 

palm oil, 

vegetables and 

even at that, the 

prices are so low that people 

prefer exchange to selling.” The 

only government presence in 

the market are the toll collectors 

who tie a rope across the major 

entrance to the market. 

Mr. Oliver Orok, the Cross 

River Commissioner for Social 

Welfare said: “The market has 

been in existence long before I 

was born and so long as it is 

helping the people, so be it.” 

•Market in full swing 

Delta 

school 

where 

students 

learn on 

bare floor 

—PAGE 29


30 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, , 2020 

Delta community agog as 

centenarian emerges king 

DELTA... THE BIG 

HEART OF THE NATION 

By Ochuko Akuopha 

EMEVOR – THE se 

rene agrarian settlement 

of Emevor in Isoko 

North Local Government 

Area of Delta State came 

alive recently with canon 

boom, cultural display, 

dances and wild jubilation 

over the emergence of Chief 

Johnson Ologho, as the 

new Odion (traditional ruler) 

of Emevor Kingdom. 

The selection and presentation 

of the 102-year-old 

ruler, with the Ophor (authority 

of power) was performed 

by the Adjerhe 

(Chief priest) amidst pomp 

and pageantry. 

The last Odion, HRM 

Francis Onovughakpo 

Ekama, joined his ancestors 

three years ago. After 

a period of interregnum, the 

centenarian, who had 

served as a member of the 

Odion-in-council, emerged 

as his successor, having 

been adjudged as the oldest 

among other contestants 

for the exalted stool. 

NDV reports that the se- 

THE TEAM 

Emma Amaize - Editor 

Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa 

Jimitota Onoyume- Warri 

Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City 

Festus Ahon- Asaba 

Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt 

Emmanuel Una- Calabar 

Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri 

Paul Olayemi- Sapele 

Harri-Okon Emmanuel- Uyo 

Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo 

Ike Uchechukwu- Calabar 

Davies Iheamnachor- P/Harcourt 

Emem Idio- Yenagoa 

Brisibe Perez- Ughelli 

Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor 

Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh 

Chancel Bomadi Sunday - Bomadi 

Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu- Benin City 

Nath Onajoke, Asaba 

Chijioke Nwankpa, Port Harcourt 

Barnabas Uzosike, Benin City 

•The new Odion flanked 

by his jubilant subjects 

lection process which was 

held in three stages on 

three successive market 

days reached a climax following 

the final burial rites 

of the late Francis Onovughakpo 

Ekama. The royal 

father called for the support 

and cooperation of the 

people of the kingdom. 

HOW HE EMERGED 

Speaking with NDV on 

the emergence of the Odion, 

President-General of 

Emevor Kingdom, Chief 

Moses Agboro said: “For 

one to qualify to become an 

Odion, he must enter the 

age grade and when it is 

time for the age grade to 

produce the Odion, members 

of the group contest for 

who is the most senior 

among them. “With today’s 

event, many people are witnessing 

a part of our tradition 

because they have 

seen the procedure right 

from the selection process. 

This is the climax of the traditional 

aspect of crowning 

the Odion of Emevor. The 

next stage we are going to 

move to is government’s 

recognition. 

“The tradition has been 

established and we will 

ensure that we honour our 

traditional institution. Every 

Emevor indigene must 

hold the Odion in high esteem. 

No traditional ruler 

is higher than the other, so 

we must value our Odion 

and have respect for him.” 

The commissioner representing 

the Isoko ethnic 

nationality on the board of 

the Delta State Oil-Producing 

Areas Development 

Commission, DESOPA- 

DEC, Dr. Paul Oweh said: 

“The entire community is 

happy that this has come 

to pass peacefully and we 

are grateful to God for giving 

us our king.” 

Delta school where students learn on bare floor 

ernment to transform 

the physical infrastructure 

in the 

school. 

Student’s travails 

Though the principal 

of the school declined 

comment on 

the level of infrastructural 

decay in the 

school, the students 

who seemed thrilled 

by NDV's visit decried 

the alleged insensitivity 

of the state 

government to their 

plight. 

By Perez Brisibe 

E RUEMUKOHWAR 

IEN – DESPITE being 

host to the Transcorp 

Power Station, Beta Glass 

Company, the OML30 and 

34 and a Tank Farm known 

as the Ughelli Pumping 

Station, UPS owned by ND- 

Western/Shoreline/NPDC 

joint ventures, Adagwe 

Grammar School in Eruemukohwarien 

community 

is in a sorry state of neglect. 

The school, founded in 

1980, which also plays host 

to hundreds of potential 

students from neighbouring 

Ekrokpe and Ekakpamre 

communities in Ughelli 


Area, lacks furniture for students 

who literally take lessons 

sitting on the bare 

floor. 

NDV’s discovery 

However, a visit to the 

school last Friday by Niger 

Delta Voice reveals that 

things are going from bad 

to worse despite previous 

assurances of the state gov- 

According to Am- 

rore Faith, a 12-year-old 

JSS 1 student: “We need 

chairs in our school, and we 

don’t have blackboards in 

our classes. Our ceilings 

are leaking and we get 

soaked during the rainy 

season. We are pleading 

with the government to 

help and bring desks and 

chairs.” 

On his part, Senior Prefect 

of the school, Atumrigho 

Matthew, said: 

“Since we have no chairs 

in our classes, we 

have to move to the 

empty laboratory and 

call in teachers to 

teach. Students find it 

difficult to cope with 

their studies because 

right from SS 1 till 

now, we have not 

been taught practicals 

in the laboratory. I am 

appealing to the state 

government and the 


Education to please 

come and assist our 

school by providing 

us chairs and improving 

our learning environment.” 

Efforts to draw 

government attention 

•Students 

sitting on 

bare floor 

On efforts taken to draw 

government attention to the 

plight of students, the Parent 

Teachers Association, 

PTA chairman of the school, 

Prince Felix Ogbobore, 

said: “We have written several 

times to the local and 

state governments, all to no 

avail and even resolved that 

parents pay N2,500 in order 

to construct desks but 

the principal refused claiming 

that the government 

said it’s illegal to levy parents.” 

Govt accuses communities 

of destroying furniture 

Contacted, the state Commissioner 

for Basic and Secondary 

Education, Patrick 

Ukah while accusing the host 

communities of failing to 

maintain and manage furniture 

provided for learning in 

schools in the state, urged 

them to ensure they use government 

property properly. 

He said: “Go to the schools 

and see how many chairs are 

being destroyed and ask what 

is destroying these chairs? 

However, we have just given 

four contract awards for 

the supply of chairs again and 

we have done the needs assessment 

and already know 

how many schools do not 

have the needed furniture.”


Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

A conversation with 

Chief Obafemi Awolowo 

CHIEF, you are looking 

resplendent in your heavenly 

regalia. The aura around you is 

radiant and glorious. I am 

overwhelmed Sir! 

Smiling triumphantly, the avatar 

replies: “Well, thank you much for 

your kind compliments. But my 

appearance should not surprise you. 

Jesus told the Apostles that in His 

Father’s house there are many 

mansions; were it not so He would 

have told them. I am here with 

Hannah Idowu Dideolu, my 

priceless jewel of inestimable value. 

It is joy inexpressible to be reunited 

with her and with Segun, Wole, and 

Ayo.” 

Chief, why did you appear to me in 

a vision on the eve of your departure 

from this earthly plane on May 9 

1987? I was just a young lad in my 

twenties, newly married and recently 

appointed a Fellow of the National 

Institute for Policy and Strategic 

Studies, Kuru. I never was part of the 

Awo cult. But you have always been 

my model of what a leader and 

statesman should be. 

“Obadiah, my son, you still have a 

long way to go to understand some 

of these mysteries. Only deep calls 

on to deep. In the spiritual realm we 

are all electrical transmission 

stations. Those who radiate similar 

vibrations will find each other. 

Distance has no meaning in our 

intergalactic universe. When the 

prophet Elijah was caught up by the 

chariots of fire, he had to let go his 

mantle. The Creator sent me to 

Nigeria on a mission to help the 

country fulfil her destiny as one of 

the greatest nations on the earth. 

Unfortunately, my enemies thwarted 

me at every turn. That mission has 

been passed to people like you. I can 

only wish you well.” 

But I feel unworthy Sir. 

“God is no respecter of persons. He 

can raise even donkeys to do his 

work if the workmen are unwilling. 

I see that you are making progress. 

But there is room for improvement. 

Always remember that only the pure 

in heart shall see God. And only those 

who conquer the fear of death can 

begin truly to live. The only thing to 

fear is fear itself. Without moral 

courage you cannot achieve 

greatness. I recommend to you my 

philosophy of mental magnitude. 

You must learn to be master of your 

brief”. 

Sir, Nigeria is dying. The drums of 

war have filled the air while vultures 

circle over an overcast sky. Is there 

any hope? 

Looking visibly troubled, the Orisa 

sighed: “Yes, some people seem hellbent 

on plunging the country into 

another civil war. No country can 

survive two civil wars. Biafra was a 

tragedy that consumed two million 

souls. I was General Yakubu 

Gowon’s deputy and finance 

minister. We had to keep this country 

together because of our innate 

conviction about its high and noble 

destiny. What is happening today, 

however, is unprecedented in the 

annals of our republic. The state has 

become a Leviathan that sucks the 

blood of its citizens. And they are 

using the murderous herdsmen to 

provoke a religious war. No country 

could endure that kind of trauma for 

long without something giving in.” 

But, Sir, how did we get to this sorry 

state of affairs? 

“The roots of the current crisis go 

back a long way - as far back as 1960. 

The perfidious British bequeathed us 

a monstrous behemoth that was 

programmed to fail. And they 

handed over power to people that 

patently never believed in the very 

concept of Nigerian nationhood. 

We need no more 

than five regions: 

North, Middle Belt, 

West, East and 

South-South 

They were planted there as agents of 

informal empire. Many of our socalled 

leaders have actually been 

agents of foreign powers. It may 

surprise you to know that the real 

masterminds of the assassination of 

Murtala Muhammed were neither 

Dimka nor Bisalla. Murtala was 

killed by his inner circles on the 

orders of foreign powers. They came 

to power as renegades and they 

continue to this day as Fifth 

Columnists, lording it over our 

benighted peoples. The Jihadist 

tendencies of these brigands have 

gained the upper hand and it is these 

people that want to drive our country 

into the abyss.” 

Sir, who are the enemies of our 

people today? 

“The enemies of Nigeria are both 

internal and external. The internal 

are the financiers and backers of 

Boko Haram and the herdsmen 

militia bandits. They are to be found 

in government, the armed forces, 

security services and the private 

sector. Their aim is to reinvent our 

country in the image of the Caliphate 

and to destroy the secular ethos that 

defines our constitutional 

federalism. The 1999 Constitution 

that they forged through the 

backdoor is an illegitimate 

contraption. It has neither moral nor 

political legitimacy because it never 

emanated from the collective will of 

“We, the people”. Let me make it 

abundantly clear: Muslims are not 

our enemies. They are our brothers 

and sisters. They too have been 

victims of the genocidal violence 

visited on an unarmed and 

defenceless people. You must reach 

out to them and, together, build a 

new coalition against the evil that 

struts the land like the old whore of 

Babylon. Nigeria’s foreign enemies 

include international terrorist 

organisations such as the Islamic 

Brotherhood, Hezbollah, Al-Qaida 

and ISWA. 

They also include foreign powers 

such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, 

and Turkey. France is one of our 

deadliest foes. The country thrives 

in being a parasite and scavenger 

on our continent. They see Nigeria 

as the big elephant standing on their 

path to conquest and hegemony. And 

they are using our neighbours as 

staging posts for armed bandits that 

are seeking to destroy our country. 

The USA is also not a friend. Their 

game plan under the New American 

Century is to dismember large 

countries such as Russia, Iraq, Iran, 

DRC and Nigeria; countries with 

vast natural resources which they 

covet. This military doctrine largely 

informs current NATO thinking and 

strategic action. They will stop at 

nothing, including deployment of 

bacteriological warfare. I prophesy 

that the century we are in will prove 

to be a Century of anti-Humanism 

and anti-Enlightenment. To be 

forewarned is to be fore-armed!” 

So, what can we do? 

“You see, what you call your leader 

today is a holographic counterfeit 

that is a hostage to fortune. He is no 

longer in-charge. Our best hope is 

for a new constitutional settlement 

where power is devolved to the 

regions. We need no more than five 

regions: North, Middle Belt, West, 

East and South-South. We need a 

decentralised federation in which the 

regions have relative autonomy to 

develop according to their pace and 

temperament and on the basis of 

ethno-religious self-determination. 

Meanwhile, communities that face 

an existential threat must be allowed 

to put in place security arrangements 

to protect themselves. This is why we 

the ancient Orishas, from Obatala 

and Yemowo to Erinle, Olokun and 

Yemoja, fully endorse Amotekun. 

The shedding of innocent blood is 

an abomination for our ancestors 

and the immortal deities. Both 

municipal and international law 

give people who face a threat to their 

very survival the right - and duty - to 

defend themselves. It is also a 

sacrosanct principle of natural 

justice and universal ethics. You 

know that I am a patriot and a 

nationalist at heart. But if the forces 

of reaction totally resist political 

reforms to redress our egregious 

inequities, then we have no choice 

but to end the fraud entirely. If all 

else fails, we would insist on an 

independent Oduduwa Republic for 

the Yoruba. 

All who desire to leave the 

contraption must be allowed to go. 

A forced marriage has never worked 

in real life. It will not work in the 

21st century. Forcing couples to 

remain together is the surest path to 

tragedy. On your frail shoulders lies 

the life-chances of 200 million 

people. Get to work at once, before 

darkness eclipses the land!” 

Revisiting the corruption theory of a departed journalist 

By BANJI OJEWALE 

The decibel of an average Nigerian’s public 

outcry (against government incompetence and 

corruption) is directly proportional to his 

distance from the opportunity to do exactly what 

he condemns — Pini Jason Onyegbaduo 

(1948-2013) Nigerian columnist 

WHEN one of Nigeria’s most celebrated 

columnists, Pini Jason, died on 

Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 65, he was mourned 

as a writer who emblazoned our journalism 

with a rarity of language that surprised the 

reader with a simplicity of presentation. Pini 

Jason would pick a hot button issue. Turning 

it inside out, he would lay its entrails bare to 

reveal a promising feast. Then as you 

wondered where all this seemingly complex 

exposition of innards would take you, Pini 

Jason would build back the dismembered 

components into a new frame. He would have 

succeeded in giving you a delicacy, a diet of 

words, in just a couple of minutes. 

This astonishing language command wasn’t 

only the strength of our illustrious columnist. 

He also possessed the ability to refrain from 

interpreting events of the day merely from his 

point of view. That’s to say he wasn’t afflicted 

with the plague that is the bane of most of us. 

We would attempt to force, by subtle means, 

our stand on others. 

Pini Jason wouldn’t. He might guide you to 

arrive at your own independent position on 

any given matter, even if it flew off at a tangent. 

It was a strange form of reticence that enabled 

Pini Jason to undertake a shrewd lifelong study 

of his country’s problems. He wasn’t afraid to 

declare his findings and convictions, most of 

which were considered unpopular by those in 

power. So if we hail the departed columnist 

for his pen power and intrepidity, we must 

salute him more for bequeathing to us a badly 

needed Law of Corruption to help us exorcise 

the imp threatening to destroy us if we don’t 

kill it. He propounded it in 1988 in his column 

in a now rested weekly magazine. Jason wrote: 

"The decibel of an average Nigerian’s public 

outcry is directly proportional to his distance 

from the opportunity to do exactly what he 

condemns…The difference between many a 

vociferous, sanctimonious and pontificating 

Nigerian and the villainous, itchy-fingered 

kleptomaniac is probably the absence of the 

opportunity to steal…In all probability, should 

the opportunity occur, yesterday’s moral 

crusader is likely to crumble and disappear 

under the weight of corruption.” 

Twenty four years after the columnist gave 

his country the theory, he discovered nothing 

had changed under a civilian government. 

Therefore, he came again in his Vanguard 

newspaper column on July 7, 2012. Under the 

title, "Corruption and Nigerian hypocrisy", Pini 

Jason wrote: "… I have hinted at what I call 

the ambivalence of Nigerians about 

corruption. Indeed, what I mean is that we are 

all hypocrites about our concern over 

corruption. 

Otherwise how is it that very often those who 

are ostensibly in pursuit of transparency or 

those fighting corruption are invariably 

caught in the very act of corruption? What I 

see most times are people who are incensed 

that someone else is doing the stealing, and 

not them. Given half a chance, they out-steal 

the people they were criticizing yesterday.” 

It was a disliked proposition. It remains so. 

However, with graft, nepotism, cronyism and 

other variants of corruption on the rise to 

warrant a dismal outing for Nigeria in the just 

published Corruption Perception Index, CPI, 

issued by Transparency International, TI, there 

is exigent need to draw on all fronts, popular 

or unorthodox, to rescue the country from its 

perennial nether ranking in the global log of 

probity. For their part, some concerned 

Nigerian journalists: Bisi Abidoye, Olugbenga 

Odulaja and a third compatriot, have in the 

past few days been drawing our attention to 

Pini Jason’s Law on Corruption. They have 

retrieved the columnist and his theory from 

his grave to be part of the conversation on how 

to outlaw corruption. The Social Media is 

brimming with their message. 

We all must be interested in this conjecture 

from a man who held his own as an unflagging 

journalist and an uncompromising patriot till 

he breathed his last. His hypothesis addresses 

the sociology of corruption, albeit at its 

empirically verifiable plane. The main point 

of the Law is that all Nigerians in government 

are thieves; that those not in government are 

not better either; that they are only biding their 

We must salute Pini Jason 

more for bequeathing to us a 

badly needed Law of Corruption 

to help us exorcise the imp 

threatening to destroy us if we 

don’t kill it 

time, waiting to displace those in power, so 

they can ‘out-steal’ them. It appears to be the 

sorry story of a sadist, a pessimist who sees 

nothing good about Nigeria and its 

government. The Theory seems certain that 

the country’s doomed destiny is in the hands 

of looters who have struck a pact with another 

incoming government of co-looters. The 

question is not if they would succeed those in 

power for the stealing spree to continue; it is 

when. 

Is that all we can see in Pini Jason’s Law of 

Corruption? We must look beyond the declared 

gloom, beyond the dark clouds, beyond the 

dense mass, and step into the obliging goal of 

the Law. Its objective is to warn against the evil 

effect of our winner-takes-it-all politics. That’s 

what leads to the embezzling craze. When the 

defeated are battered on Election Day they 

don’t pine away for long. The next ballot will 

turn the tables for more fleecing of the nation 

by their camp, pushing us deeper into an 

endless binge by the political class and those 

associated with them. By a simple 

extrapolation from Pini Jason’s assumption, 

you get the pith: as long as a sitting government 

lives only for its members and their families 

and hangers-on, all of whom are perceived to 

have exclusive and unrestricted access to the 

public treasury, there won’t be a death blow to 

corruption. 

Still more: The politicians and those in 

government stamp their image on the larger 

society, turning us into unpatriotic reprobates 

interested only in acquiring political power 

solely to loot and re-loot public funds. In the 

process the state is unable to meet its statutory 

responsibilities to the people. 

Recent reports of the Independent Corrupt 

Practices and Other Related Offences 

Corruption and the National Bureau of 

Statistics have identified lawmakers and the 

executives of the centre and the states as 

"conduits for embezzling funds”. This is money, 

running into tens of billions of naira, meant 

for education, health, potable water, 

agriculture, roads, railway, scientific research, 

etc. Corruption, poverty and insecurity follow 

when we don’t adequately meet these simple 

needs of our people. 

An understanding of Jason’s Law of 

Corruption, therefore, teaches that to tackle 

official and unofficial corruption and earn us 

an honourable place in the league of nations, 

we must halt the graft competition sparked by 

a government that runs an insular philosophy. 

We must have policies that accommodate every 

citizen in the spread of society’s boon. When 

we are all close to the wealth of the nation and 

generously exposed to what will keep body and 

soul together, no one will complain or resort 

to corruption to make ends meet. Conversely, 

when we are placed far away from the scene of 

prosperity, "the decibel of our outcry” 

outmatches that of the loudest disco music. 

•Ojewale, a public affairs analyst, wrote from 

Lagos 

C 

M 

Y 

K


SMS only: 08088693107 

Email: ebellistic@yahoo.co.uk 

Flying , for me, isn't a job but a way of life 

—Mary Ombugadu 

By Ebele Orakpo 

Mary Abye Ombugadu 

is a commercial pilot, 

one of the few Nigerian female 

pilots, and the very first 

female pilot from Nasarawa 

State, North-Central Nigeria. 

In this chat with Vanguard, 

Mary who works for a 

corporate airline, providing 

scheduled and charter services 

across Nigeria, speaks on her 

life as a pilot, working in a 

male-dominated field, among 

other issues. 

Excerpts: 

Educational background 

After my primary education at 

Eliztor Private School, Barkin 

Ladi, Plateau State, I went on 

to St. Louis College, Jos, also 

in Plateau State for my 

secondary school education. 

Thereafter, I enrolled into the 

Standard Pilot course, SP-25 at 

the prestigious and foremost 

Nigerian College of Aviation 

Technology, Zaria, Kaduna 

State. I also went for further 

training in the Finnish Aviation 

Academy, Finland; Flight 

Safety in the USA; South Africa 

and CAE in the UK. 

What made you decide to 

become a pilot? 

I like to say flying chose or 

found me. Growing up and 

watching my father have a 

remarkable career as an 

engineer, all I wanted to be was 

an engineer. 

I had wanted to apply for an 

engineering course when my 

mother picked up my form from 

the Aviation College but 

because there was no 

engineering course selection 

exercise scheduled at the time, 

I was advised to try the 

Standard Pilot Course exam 

and I did. I was selected, I went 

for the week-long medicals and 

evaluation exercise, got the 

admission and here we are 

today. 

What was it like training and 

working in a male-dominated 

environment? 

Training was very exciting, I 

was going into something I 

hadn’t dreamed of but the 

opportunity availed itself and 

I caught the flying dream right 

after resuming as a flying 

student. I made up my mind to 

give it my all and excel. 

No bias 

There was no bias 

whatsoever. We all wore the 

same uniform, black pants, 

white shirts, black ties, and the 

school provided the same 

schoolbags. We were given 

•Mary Abye Ombugadu...We live in a world of opportunities and infinite supply; the only 

limit to what you can achieve is you 

equal opportunity and I didn’t 

feel less simply because I am 

female as much as there were 

more males than females. 

Coming into the industry fresh 

from school, I didn’t know what 

to expect but all the men I have 

come across so far are 

encouraging, supportive and I 

am grateful. I see everyone at 

work first as a colleague whom 

I need to work with to achieve 

a common goal, irrespective of 

gender. There may be conflict 

of interest at some point and 

that comes with living and 

sharing the world with other 

humans. 

What have been the high 

points and low points of your 

career so far? 

High points for me have 

always been passing my check 

rides, the adrenaline rush I get 

when the check airman debriefs 

me and says I passed, is heartwarming, 

not like I ever 

imagine otherwise though. 

Another one is when the 

esteemed passengers say 

Thank you to show their 

satisfaction, because I believe 

in giving them more value than 

they paid for. Low point I 

remember was after I 

graduated, and was told at a 

job interview that I didn’t have 

High points for 

me have always 

been passing my 

check rides, the 

adrenaline rush 

I get when the 

check airman 

debriefs me and 

says I passed, is 

heart-warming; 

another one is 

when the 

esteemed 

passengers say 

Thank you to 

show their 

satisfaction 

the minimum experience 

required for their kind of 

operation, and I wondered 

“how do I get any experience 

if you do not employ me?” That 

did not deter me, I kept 

applying to airlines and 

general aviation flyers until I 

got my first job. 

What’s a typical day at work 

like? 

I work with a corporate airline 

at the moment. You show up 

ready and fit, report at the 

operations control center where 

your flight dispatcher gives you 

all relevant information 

pertaining your flight, from 

weather to serviceability of your 

aircraft, to any route changes, 

and gives you a briefing pack 

containing all the paper work. 

The captain briefs the entire 

team also. You then proceed to 

your aircraft, do your external 

and internal checks; set up the 

aircraft and ensure the cabin is 

comfortable and ready. Checks 

are done by professional cabin 

crew. 

You call for boarding of your 

esteemed passengers, fly the 

aircraft safely and efficiently 

from point A to point B, and 

repeat again until you have 

completed your assigned 

flights for the day. 

I promise you, no two flights 

are the same even if you fly 

between Abuja and Lagos six 

times a day, that makes each 

trip unique and exciting. 

What was the biggest 

challenge you faced in your 

career? 

It is unfavourable weather 

condition. That was my biggest 

challenge in flying school 

because when you are ready 

for a check ride and is 

grounded for a couple of days 

due to bad weather, it almost 

always meant you would do a 

review flight with your flying 

instructor before eventually 

going because it is believed that 

the waiting may have gotten 

you rusty so this extends your 

training period. However, I 

overcame that by using the 

waiting period to study my 

course handbooks. 

Have you ever felt like 

quitting and why? 

Since the first day I started 

line flying in school, I told 

myself there is no going back. 

Some of the flight training 

exercises were tougher than 

others but we had a chance to 

repeat before moving onto the 

next. 

I have never felt like quitting. 

Thankfully, my instructor, 

Instructor Shettima Abba Jato, 

was very kind and patient. 

What has kept you going? 

I have come to love and 

enjoy flying, it is not just a job 

but a way of life for me. I intend 

flying until retirement. I 

suppose my ever growing 

passion for what I do has kept 

me going. 

How long have you been 

flying? 

I have been in the commercial 

aviation industry for six years 

now and counting. 

What is your philosophy of 

life? 

I believe one can be anything 

he wants and achieve all his 

dreams. You just have to decide 

what you want early in life, go 

for it and you can have it. I also 

believe it is never too late to 

start over again if you fall out 

of love with what you are 

doing currently. 

This world is full of 

opportunities. You own your 

vision, so don't get upset when 

people don't see things your 

way. Explain to them patiently 

and help them to understand 

so they can invest in you. 

Again,you cannot change 

where you have been (the 

past), but you can change 

where you are going (the 

future). 

Advice to young ladies 

To all the young ladies out 

there, yes, you can. We live in 

a world of opportunities and 

infinite supply. The only limit 

to what you can achieve is you. 

There are different career 

opportunities in the aviation 

industry for pilots, from airline 

to general aviation. After your 

initial flight training, you 

decide early what you want out 

of it and go on to have a 

rewarding and fulfilling career.



DONATION: From left — Supervisor, Holy family Home for the elderly, Regina Mundi Catholic Church; 

Mrs Tola Adebowale, Seniors of Holy family Home for the elderly ; Mr Oladipupo Akerele and Madam 

Benedicta Ashade and Group Public Relations and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc; Tope Ashiwaju 

during the Indomie Donation of Gift items to Holy family Home for the elderly, Regina Mundi Catholic 

Church in Lagos. 

Delta monarch raises alarm over herdsmen, 

hoodlums attack in Olomu kingdom 

....As Rep condemns attack 

Rivers govt uncovers 11,000 civil servants using 

false age, arrests seven 

By Davies 

Iheamnacho 

PORT HARCOURT— 

THE Rivers State Government, 

yesterday, said it 

had uncovered over 11,000 

civil servants who are working 

in the different ministries 

of the government with 

falsified age declaration, 

adding that the discovery 

was made possible through 

the regular biometrics and 

physical verifications exercises. 

By Festus Ahon & 

Onozure Dania 

UGHELLI — THE tra 

ditional ruler of Olomu 

Kingdom in Ughelli South 

Local Government Area of 

Delta State, HRM Richard 

Ogbon, Ogoni-Oghoro I of 

Olomu Kingdom, has 

raised the alarm over the 

incessant herdsmen and 

hoodlums attacks on his 

subjects. 

He called for urgent intervention 

by government to 

save the people of the kingdom 

from being annihilated. 

The over 103years old monarch 

made the call at his 

palace during an emergency 

security meeting of Olomu 

Kingdom. 

The Chairman of Ukoko 

R’Ivie R’Urhobo listed some 

of the incidents in Olomu 

Kingdom in 2020 alone to 

include the murder of 

Okpe-Olomu born PDP 

Chairman, Olomu Ward I, 

Mr Paul Onomuakpokpo, 

at Ogoni-Olomu on January 

8, 2020; the Kidnap of 

Mrs Angelina Atiku at 

Oguname-Olomu on January 

12, 2020, and he later 

regained freedom; kidnap 

of another man at Izigwe 

community in Olomu on 

February 3, 2020, and he 

regained freedom after paying 

ransom; while on February 

5, 2020, bandits shot 

Ovwor-Olomu born Engr. 

Akpephren at Ogoni/ 

Oguname-Olomu Road 

and is responding to treatment 

and the murder of 

another man on Ovwor/ 

Ophorigbala-Olomu Road. 

HRM Ogbon Ogoni-said, 

it had been observed that 

some perpetuator of the hideous 

crime struck and disappear 

into the bush while 

others use vehicle. He noted 

that the incursion of the 

herdsmen has caused unrest 

with their incessant attacks 

forcing some resident 

of Olomu, who are predominantly 

farmers out of 

their farms. 

The Olomu monarch said 

the entire Olomu people are 

calling on the state Commissioner 

of Police, Army, 

the Nigeria Security and 

Civil Defence Corps, the 

Vigilante Group of Nigeria 

and other security outfits to 

come to the aid of the kingdom 

to restore peace in Olomu. 

He commended the swift 

respond of the Area Command, 

Ughelli, DPO and 

Army stationed at Agbarha 

and other security outfits 

that visited the area. 

On his part Chief Macaulay 

Ovbagbedia, the Otota 

of Olomu Kingdom, condemn 

in entirety the recent 

happenings in Olomu 

Kingdom, adding that the 

entire kingdom is crying for 

the urgent intervention of 

the Federal and Delta State 

Governments, and local 

government while the monarch 

and the entire kingdom 

are still working assiduously 

to restore peace and 

security. 

Rep condemns attack 

Meanwhile, A member of 

House of Representatives, 

Mr Francis Waive, yesterday, 

condemned the suspected 

herdsmen attack on 

Uwheru villages, Ughelli 


Area of Delta State. 

Waive, who represents 

Ughelli North, Ughelli 

South and Udu Federal 

constituency in a statement, 

said he was in touch 

with relevant authorities, 

including security agencies 

with a view to bringing the 

situation under control. 

He said: "Permit me to condemn 

in the strongest possible 

terms the renewed 

herdsmen attacks on Avwon, 

Agadama, Ohoror 

and other communities of 

Uwheru Kingdom, Ughelli 


Area of my constituency. 

"When reports of the onslaught 

reached me from 

community leaders and 

party faithful, I immediately 

got in touch with Heads 

of security agencies including 

the Commander 222 

Battalion of the Nigerian 

Army, especially with allegations 

of involvement of 

the military on the side of 

the herdsmen. 

"It is sad that valuable lives 

and property, including 

farms, had been lost to the 

herdsmen attacks. I call on 

our people to remain calm 

while we continue to dialogue 

with the authorities 

to ensure lasting peace, as 

we will ensure that no 

more live is lost and that 

this perennial menace is 

brought to an end." 

It added that seven civil 

servants had been arrested 

for alleged sharp practices 

in service, while over 

5000 pensioners have refused 

to turn up for verifications 

because of alleged 

involvement in falsification 

of their ages. 

Senior Special Assistant to 

Governor Nyesom Wike on 

Information and Communications 

Technology, Asawo 

Ibifuro, spoke when he 

addressed newsmen on the 

efforts of the state government 

to reposition ICT 

and build capacity in the 

state. 

Ibifuro, who in the lead 

consultant in the state ICT 

office, noted that the essence 

of the biometrics 

and physical verifications 

was to end sharp practices 

among the civil servants 

and directors of government 

ministries, departments 

and agencies. 

He noted that the 11,000 

people were discovered 

during biometrics and 

physical verifications for 

workers in the state, adding 

that the intention of the 

suspects was to mislead the 

state and work beyond their 

retirement age. 

Ibifuro said: "Biometrics and 

physical verifications have 

been conducted for both 

serving and retired public 

in the state and we noticed 

that huge amount 

has been saved for the 

government. 

"We discovered over 

11,000 persons who reduced 

their age while in 

service. When we regularised 

this, the government 

saved a lot of money.‘‘ 

Expert tasks ex-Presidents on 

New Nigeria 

AS the security situa 

tion in the country continues 

to degenerate, a 

security expert and chief 

executive, Scutarii Advisory, 

Mr Hilly Cookey-Gam 

has urged ex-Nigerian 

leaders to chart ways for a 

new nation, devoid of rising 

insecurity threats and 

social disorder. 

Cookey-Gam, who underscored 

the importance of a 

properly-structured and cohesive 

nation, laced with 

genuine national interest, 

noted that the growing insecurity 

in the country has 

brought to the fore, urgent 

need for an advanced form 

of statecraft, hence past and 

present leaders were expected 

to champion the 

course for a greater nation. 

Noting the emergence of 

Amotekun, Indigenous 

Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, 

and other agitations, he disclosed 

that a new national 

security strategy has been 

formulated to check significant 

threats such as terrorism, 

illegal oil-bunkering, 

crude oil theft as well as illegal 

fishing. 

Other threats, according to 

him, include kidnapping, 

hostage-taking, armed robbery, 

cyber-crime and 

smuggling. 

According to him, the most 

significant threat to any 

nation is that which threatens 

its existence and in the 

case of Nigeria, “There is 

no threat as significant as 

the current political order, 

which places personal, ethnic, 

religious and sectional 

interests above national interest.” 

He said, there was no national 

strategy to counter 

these existential threats, 

stressing that more independent 

research was required 

to determine the 

correlation between it and 

other threats listed in the 

new national security strategy 

document. 

A possible strategy to combat 

this existential threat, he 

added, is the utilization of 

secret intelligence to prevent 

any individual or 

group from exploiting any 

organ of government to promote 

personal, religious or 

ethnic interests. 

Cookey-Gam however, 

agreed that Nigeria is a 

complex society, noting that 

complexities existing in 

other nations have successfully 

degraded the threats 

such complexities pose. 

Ijaw group to Diri: Focus on devt, 

empowerment 

By Emem Idio 

YENAGOA—A sociopolitical 

group in 

Bayelsa State, Ijaw Political 

Frontiers, IPF, has 

charged the new governor 

of Bayelsa State, Senator 

Douye Diri to focus on the 

development of the state 

and empowerment of the 

people, particularly youths. 

The youth group, which 

welcomed the Supreme 

Court verdict, noted that 

development of the young 

state should be the topmost 

priority of the new administration 

as the state was in 

dire need of infrastructural 

and human capital development, 

adding that 

young people should be 

appointed into positions of 

trust. 

In a statement by the Director 

General and Secretary 

of the group, Ken Okorodas 

and Tare Bumotu, 

they commended the immediate 

past governor of 

the state, Mr Seriake Dickson 

for contributing his 

enormous quota to the development 

of the state and 

charged the governor to 

build on the successes of 

the immediate past administration 

and continue from 

where he stopped. 

They said: "We wish to commend 

the immediate past 

governor, Dickson for a job 

well done, we agree with 

him that he has done well 

and has contributed his 

quota to the development 

of the state.‘‘ 

No theft, vandalisation at our 

firm — PSML 

By Oboh 

Agbonkhese 

WARRI — GENERAL 

Manager, Public Affairs 

of Premium Steel and 

Mines Limited, PSML, 

Mr Emmanuel Etaghene, 

has said there has been 

no theft or vandalisation 

of assets on the company 

premises, noting that reports 

on seizure of trucks 

conveying pieces of obsolete 

materials were designed 

to embarrass the 

company and not for public 

good. 

He made the clarifications 

in a statement, 

stressing that the argument 

that some assets of 

the company were stolen, 

vandalised and carted 

away was the height of mischief 

and designed to paint 

the company in bad light. 

Etaghene disclosed that the 

management had approved 

evacuation of moribund 

materials, pieces of 

metals, rods and other 

items that littered the company's 

premises and that 

those materials seized by 

the police were dully approved 

for evacuation and 

never stolen. 

He said, "Some community 

leaders who are not satisfied 

with the process over 

non-inclusion are responsible 

for the false alarm. 

They are crying foul because 

the contract for evacuation 

of the debris was not 

given to them.‘‘

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

SALES CONFERENCE: From left, Managing Director, D-Bimps Stores/recipient of 2019 Nigerian 

Bottling Company Limited, NBC, Regional Top Trade Partner Award, Mrs. Adebimpe Nyamida; Managing 

Director, All Seasons Caravan Trading Venture/recipient of 2019 NBC Regional Top Trade Partner 

Award, Alhaja Muyibat Quadri; Sales Director (Greater Lagos), NBC, Goran Sladic; Managing Director, 

Vicmart MDP/recipient of 2019 NBC Regional Top Trade Partner Award, Mrs. Bunmi Adenola; and MD 

Sapphires and Garnet Consult/recipient of 2019 NBC Regional Top Trade Partner Award, Mrs. Deborah 

Situ, at NBC's Greater Lagos Sales Conference, in Lagos 

IMO: Due process wasn’t observed 

in govt contracts — Witness 

By Chidi 

Nkwopara 

OWERRI— The Judicial 

Commission of Inquiry 

on the Award of Contracts 

has been told that due 

process was not followed in 

the award of government 

contracts between June 2011 

and May 2019. 

The commission’s Official 

Witness Number 8, who also 

doubles as acting Permanent 

Secretary, Ministry of Works, 

Egbuka Edwin, stated this 

when he gave evidence 

from the witness box. 

“I am aware of the 

procedure for the award of 

government contracts, but 

due process was not 

followed. Most of the 

contractors from 2011 till we 

submitted the list to this 

commission, were 

nominated by government. 

Although adverts were 

published, government did 

not adhere to other 

procedures for award of 

contract,” the Permanent 

Secretary said. 

On the dualisation of 

roads, the witness said the 

Ikedi Ohakim 

administration dualised the 

roads and the Ministry of 

Works was involved, but the 

Rochas Okorocha 

administration said it 

expanded the same roads, 

stressing that the ministry 

was not involved in the 

expansion project. 

Egbuka admitted that “the 

engineers in the ministry 

were rendered redundant 

under the Rochas Okorocha 

administration.” 

Answering a question on 

the flyovers, the permanent 

secretary explained that the 

ministry started the project, 

but when Ohakim left office, 

the Okorocha administration 

took it over without the 

involvement of the ministry’s 

engineers. 

Explaining the monies 

attached to the projects, 

Egbuka said: “The amount 

of money paid, as shown in 

the documents, is not 

necessarily based on the 

actual work certified by the 

ministry but what the 

government on its own paid 

and sent for documentation. 

The government wanted us 

to document and raise a 

certificate of execution to the 

effect, but we could not do 

that.” 

He further explained that 

where a certificate of 

execution was issued, it 

believed that the company 

had given Advanced 

Payment Guarantee, APG, 

“but not that it covered any 

work done and we took it as 

money given in advance for 

a job that is to be done, 

because we are not in the 

position to certify the job 

done for the payment.” 

Egbuka further told the 

commission that his “stoic 

stand against the 

irregularities and apparent 

lack of due process, 

subjected me to great 

disadvantage that I was 

Mbaka denies alleged Bayelsa 

governorship prophesy 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU— THE Founder 

and Director of Adoration 

Ministry, Emene, Enugu, 

AMEN, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka, 

has refuted a purported 

prophesy reported in the 

social media, alleging that he 

predicted that the new 

Bayelsa governor will stay 

only two months in office. 

The Enugu fiery priest 

denied the rumour during his 

Sunday Sermon at the 

Adoration ground, Emene, 

Enugu. 

Mbaka maintained that he 

never at any time, place or 

circumstance made any 

prophecy about Bayelsa or 

who becomes the governor of 

the state or his duration in 

office. 

Describing the report as a 

89 successful in army's 

Lieutenant to Captain promotion 

exams 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N NEWI—The 

Nigerian Army has 

disclosed that 89 of 92 

eligible candidates it 

shortlisted, who 

participated in the 

Nigerian Army Lieutenant 

to Captain Practical 

Promotion Examination, 

LCPPE, 2020 hosted by the 

82 Division, Nigerian 

Army passed the 

examination. 

A statement in Onitsha 

by Deputy Director, Army 

Public Relations, 82 

Division, Colonel Aliyu 

Yusuf, also disclosed that 

three candidates out of the 

92 shortlisted did not 

report for the LCPPE 

2020 due to official reasons. 

The examination, 

according to Yusuf, was 

conducted from Monday, 

February 10 to Friday, 

February 14, 2020 and it 

recorded 100 percent 

success, even as the 

participants were 

rigorously tested in 

Tactics, Map Reading, 

Administration in the 

Field, Driving/ 

Maintenance and French 

Language. 

He also disclosed that 

“as part of new innovation, 

physical fitness test, 

which involved 3.2 km 

combat race, press-ups, 

step-up, sit-up, beam 

heaving, obstacle test and 

13 km combat walk was 

successfully carried out.” 

perpetuated in acting 

capacity, while my 

colleagues were promoted 

permanent secretaries.” 

Before the commission rose 

for the day, the Chairman, 

Justice Benjamin Iheka, 

ordered the witness to 

furnish the commission with 

full particulars of the 

contractors and projects not 

captured in the list from the 

Ministry of Works on or 

before the next adjourned 

date. 

malicious handwork of 

mischief makers and wicked 

individuals who are on 

demonic and satanic 

assignment to damage his 

reputation, Mbaka warned 

them to desist, else they 

would attract the wrath of God 

upon themselves. 

According to a statement 

signed by the Media and 

Publicity Secretary of 

Adoration Ministry, Ike 

Ugwuoke, “Our attention has 

been drawn to a report in a 

section of the media that the 

Spiritual Director of Adoration 

Ministry, Fr. Mbaka, has 

prophesied that the newly 

sworn-in governor of Bayelsa 

State, Diri Douye, will stay in 

office as governor for only two 

months. 

“The report alleged that he 

predicted this in “Delta State 

at the ceremony to celebrate 

his friend and colleague who 

clocked 68 years. 

“For the sake of justice and 

fairness, we challenge the 

originators of this false and 

mendacious report to 

mention the name of the socalled 

Fr Mbaka’s friend and 

colleague whose ceremony 

he attended in Delta State. 

The truth is that Fr Mbaka 

has not even been in Delta 

since this year. 

“During Fr Mbaka’s 

Sunday mass, he refuted this 

report publicly on the altar. 

Those who impersonate Fr 

Mbaka in the media should 

be careful, else they attract 

the wrath of God upon 

themselves.” 

Imo Police ban protests 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

OWERRI—BARELY 24 

hours to the planned 

review of the January 14, 

2020 Supreme Court 

judgment, Imo State Police 

Command, yesterday, 

banned all protests linked 

to the judgment. 

The warning was 

announced by the state 

Police Public Relations 

Officer, PPRO, Orlando 

Ikeokwu, in Owerri. 

The reason was that 

hoodlums have concluded 

plans to use such protests 

to unleash mayhem on Imo 

people and their property. 

Just as the people of Imo 

State await the review of 

the judgment, the police 

have issued a statement 

saying that : “some 

hoodlums are planning to 

Great Minds donates pipe 

borne water to Delta 

community 

AS part of its annual 

humanitarian gesture, 

Great Minds International 

has donated a mono-pump 

water machine to the people 

of Okpara-Inland in Ethiope 

East Local Government Area 

of Delta State. 

Making the presentation, 

weekend to the community, 

President of the group, 

Onwuenwosi Chidubem, 

said the exercise was part of 

the group’s palliative effort in 

complementing the 

developmental drive of the 

state government. 

He said the group, which 

is apolitical, it normally 

embarks on such gestures 

like prison visits and 

presentation of gift items to 

old people’s home every 

February 14 to better the lives 

hide under the protests/ 

rallies as witnessed in the 

last few weeks to cause 

mayhem in the state. 

“In view of the above 

therefore, the command 

wishes to inform the 

general public that all 

protests/rallies of any kind 

are hereby banned 

forthwith, especially as they 

affect the Supreme Court 

ruling of January 14, 2020. 

“Also, it is important to 

note that since the Supreme 

Court has acknowledged 

an application for the 

review of the judgment and 

as such fixed a date for the 

review, this has rendered 

the matter subjudice. 

"It is therefore pertinent 

that both parties should 

remain calm pending the 

outcome of the review." 

World Bank intervention: 

21 GVGs receive over N53m 

in Enugu 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

ENUGU— ENUGU State 

Community and Social 

Development Project, CSDP, 

has disbursed World Bank 

intervention fund of 

N53,603,963.58 to 21 Gender 

and Vulnerable Groups, 

GVGs, in seven local 

government areas of the state 

for the execution of microprojects 

as contained in the 

World Bank approved 

Community Development 

Plans. 

General Manager of the 

CSDP in the state, Dr 

Maximus Asogwa disclosed 

this yesterday, during the 

formal presentation of 

cheque of the first tranche of 

the World Bank fund to the 

GVGs from the benefitting 

communities in the state. 

Asogwa also used the 

opportunity to explain to the 

beneficiaries the requisite 

knowledge and skills needed 

for the implementation of the 

World Bank-assisted 

projects, reiterating that the 

authorities have zero tolerance 

for corruption and misappropriation 

of funds 

meant for the projects. 

While calling on the 

communities within the 

benefiting local government 

areas to follow strictly the laid 

down rules to beef-up their 

infrastructure, Asogwa 

assured of their readiness 

towards supporting them 

with funding and technical 

assistance immediately they 

completed the first phase of 

the projects. 

He said: “The money is 

there and once you complete 

your projects, the second 

tranche will be disbursed to 

you. It is pertinent you finish 

the project in time so that we 

cannot have abandoned 

projects. Once the money 

with World Bank is finished, 

there is nothing we can do 

because other states in the 

country that are interested in 

World Bank assisted projects 

are also accessing the 

money." 

of rural dwellers in the 

various communities. 

According to him, “Great 

Minds International is a 

group with branches all 

around the world and we 

have embarked on this drive 

for the past couple of years to 

act as a pointer to the 

government on what it needs 

to do for the people rather 

than just carrying placards in 

protest against the 

government. 

“We see ourselves as a 

pressure group that puts 

government on its toes on the 

need to provide 

infrastructural amenities for 

its people rather than just 

talking and tasking the 

government on this. We have 

decided to live by example, 

hence the establishment of 

this project here in the 

community.”



HANDING-OVER: From left: Eben Amstrong, Director of Biomedical Training & Technical Services, 

MedShare; Mr Clem Ugorji, Director, Public Affairs and Communication, West African Coca-Cola; 

Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable 

Development Goals (SDGs); Mrs Folashade Jaji, SSG to Lagos State Government and Prof Akin Abayomi, 

Commissioner for Health, Lagos State during the handing over ceremony of Biomedical Equipment & 

Consumables donated by Medshare in collaboration with Coca-Cola Company in Lagos. 

I'll send 2020 budget proposal to 

Bayelsa Assembly soon — DIRI 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha & 

Emem Idio 

Y 

E N A G O A — 

GOVERNOR Douye 

Diri of Bayelsa State, has said that 

he would soon forward the 2020 

budget proposal to the state 

House of Assembly for 

consideration. 

Diri, made the disclose 

yesterday, when he met with 

all the 24 members of the 

state House of Assembly. 

It will be recalled that the 

immediate past governor, Seriake 

Dickaon, had said he would not 

forward the appropriation bill as 

a mark of honour since a new 

Emmanuel tasks NPC on conduct of credible census 

By Harris Emannuel 

UGOVERNOR Y O Udom 

— 

Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom 

State, has urged the 

National Population 

Commission, NPC, to rise 

to the occasion by ensuring 

that the next population 

census is devoid of what he 

described as acrimony and 

ethnic euphemism. 

government was coming in place. 

Diri said: “We don’t have time. 

We want to hit the ground 

running, hence this meeting with 

you all. Let me assure you that 

the document (budget) will come 

in no distant time. This is the 

synergy we need to ensure 

development of the state.” 

He called for the co-operation 

and support of the lawmakers in 

the new order to meet the 

aspirations of the people. 

“Let us join hands to build 

Bayelsa State. We must leave 

a legacy of development, love 

and hope for our people. Our 

state is in dire need of 

development in all facets. 

Education for instance is the 

The governor stated this 

in a welcome address at a 

five-day 2020 National 

Population Commission 

Executive Retreat held in 

Uyo. 

Represented by his 

deputy, Moses Ekpo, he 

said: “Nigerians expect the 

best from you, pecked in the 

moles of best international 

practices and standards. 

The nation awaits the 

Okomu Oil Palm MD laments 

death of 6 staff in auto crash 

By Ayo Onikoyi 

M Director 

ANAGING 

of 

Okomu Oil Palm Company 

Plc, has expressed sadness 

over the death of six of his 

workers in a ghastly auto 

crash last week, and 

condoled with the families 

of the deceased. 

It will be recalled that on 

February 14, 2020, on the 

Siluko public road, a 

minibus carrying six 

Okomu Plc employees was 

involved in a head-on 

collision with a tipper lorry, 

leading to their demise. 

Managing Director of 

Okomu Plc, Dr Graham 

Hefer, lamented that 

contrary to five earlier 

reported in the media, six 

of his staff lost their lives in 

the tragic accident. 

According to him, three 

other workers were 

seriously injured in the 

accident and the 

company Doctor had met 

the three employees 

injured at the hospital and 

is already working with his 

team to provide them with 

support until they fully 

recovered. 

He added, “I am in shock 

and dismayed at the 

needless loss of lives. The 

board, management, staff, 

and all stakeholders of the 

company join in their 

thoughts and prayers in 

sending their heartfelt 

condolences and sympathy 

to the families for the loss 

of their dearest loved ones. 

May God grant them the 

fortitude to bear their losses 

and the comfort and peace 

to get through the days 

ahead.” 

bedrock and foundation of any 

society. We will invest more in 

critical infrastructure.” 

Diri added that he would be the 

servant and not master to the 

people of the state. 

The governor urged the people 

to eschew violence and work for 

peace in the state, noting “We 

cannot use our hands to destroy 

the state we have. All the feuds 

should stop and let us see 

ourselves as brothers and sisters. 

Then, focus on things that will 

bring us together. That is when 

we can experience development.” 

He called for genuine 

reconciliation, noting that he is 

governor to all Bayelsans and not 

a PDP governor. 

outcome of the next census 

with all hopes of 

nationalistic excellence. 

“It is very important to 

understand that 

knowledge of all 

population related issues 

will to a large extent help 

in effective national 

planning. 

''It has the capacity to 

mitigate and address the 

main causes of unrest and 

violence particularly in the 

area of employment and 

provision of basic social 

services in our country. 

“We note the Federal 

Government’s 

Five lucky winners: 

Tella Motolani, 

Tolulope Walters, Williams 

Johnson, Ndubisi Precious, 

and Ogbuani Daniel 

together with their partners 

received gift prize of N200, 

000 Swarovski vouchers 

which they used to 

purchase beautiful jewelries 

from Swarovski store plus 

N100, 000 valuables gift 

box packaged courtesy of 

Infinix Mobility for publicly 

expressing their love to 

their partners through the 

Social Media platforms. 

The campaign tagged: 

‘’Love with Infinix” was 

organized by Smartphone 

Speaker of the state House of 

Assembly, Mr Monday Bubou- 

Obolo, said they were in 

Government House to formally 

congratulate the governor and 

the deputy governor, Sen. 

Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, on the 

Supreme Court declaration and 

subsequent inauguration. 

The Speaker, who said all 

members of the Assembly 

made up of both the ruling 

PDP and opposition APC, 

were ready to work closely 

with the executive arm for the 

development of the state, 

added that “members have 

confidence in the governor and 

deputy governor to deliver on 

their mandate.” 

genuineness and 

commitment towards 

generation of data for 

national planning for the 

benefits of our people. 

''We have decided to 

partner specifically the 

National Population 

Commission, supporting 

all their efforts and 

believing that the 

collaboration will help 

effectively in the execution 

of the completion agenda 

of my administration. With 

this, an expansive road map 

has efficiently been put in 

place to ensure sustainable 

development.” 

brand, Infinix Mobility in 

collaboration with 

world’s premier jewelry 

and accessory brand, 

Swarovsky, to give couples 

an awesome valentine’s 

experience. 

While 16 other customers, 

across several Social 

Media platforms, including 

Facebook, Twitter, 

Instagram, Vskit and of 

course, the home of Infinix 

super fans – Xclub, also 

won gift items worth 

N100,000 each. 

According to Infinix, the 

couples were asked to post 

a picture sharing a kiss 

along with a beautiful 

caption proclaiming their 

Delta commences move to 

end flood menace in Uvwie 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

W 

A R R I — 

DIRECTOR 

General, Warri/Uvwie and 

Environs Development 

Agency, WUEDA, Mr 

Ovuzorie Macaulay, has 

said the agency was set to 

commence construction of 

drain in Uvwie Local 

Government Area of the 

state, pleading that 

contractors should be 

encouraged to achieve the 

18 months target date for 

completion of the project. 

Flanked by the 

Chairman, Uvwie council, 

Mr Ramson Onoyake and 

some principal officers of 

the agency at a meeting 

with youth leaders of 

various parts of the council, 

the Director General, Mr 

Macaulay said, the state 

government awarded the 

drainage contract to two 

construction firms, adding 

that they were to 

commence work this week. 

He assured that youths 

from various parts of the 

council would be part of the 

project, stressing that 

compensation would be 

paid for fences marked for 

demolition. 

He said some existing 

drains would be tampered 

with going by the new 

design from the contractors, 

adding that it was part of 

efforts to address the flood 

problem in the council. 

“We want your support to 

complete this project within 

the 18 months target period. 

Whatever will make us stop 

work we have to stop it now. 

We will work with the 

various youth leaders to 

supply the category of 

workers that should come 

from the various 

communities.'' 

Steer clear of security matters, 

A-Ibom leaders caution Enang 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

U Y O — 

PROMINENT 

leaders of Akwa Ibom State 

have cautioned, Senior 

Special Assistant to the 

President on Niger Delta 

Affairs, Senator Ita Enang 

against getting involved in 

security issues in the 

country. 

The leaders, who spoke to 

Vanguard yesterday, in 

Uyo were reacting to recent 

statement by Enang that 

regional security outfit was 

a threat to Nigeria’s security 

and cautioned those 

planning for it to be careful 

because their actions and 

reactions could affect 

national integration. 

A former military 

administrator of Akwa Ibom 

State, Air Commodore 

Idongesit Nkanga 

Pamo University of Medical Sciences 

commissions Wike Academic building 

IN recognition of the 

outstanding 

contributions of Governor 

Nyesom Wike of Rivers 

State to the rapid 

development of Pamo 

University of Medical 

Sciences, PUMS, the 

institution, yesterday, 

Infinix splashes N.3m each on 5 couples on Valentine’s Day 

love for their partner, tag 

their loved ones and 

@Infinixnigeria in the post 

while using the hashtag 

#LoveWithInfinix and 

#LoveKissWithInfinix to 

stand a chance of winning 

gift items worth N300, 000. 

Commenting, PR 

Manager, Infinix Mobility, 

Seyi Ajibogere, said 

“Infinix is all about creating 

beautiful life experiences, 

and that was exactly what 

we sought to achieve with 

this thematic campaign. 

These lucky lovers are 

having a delightful 

experience and we are 

happy to be a part of it” 

wondered why Enang 

should be making 

statements on security 

matters which are outside 

his area of responsibility 

instead of concentrating on 

his area of responsibility. 

The National Chairman 

of Pan Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, said: “He is not 

qualified to talk about 

security issues in this 

country. Let him not get 

involved in issues that he 

has no right to talk about 

so that he does not get 

himself into trouble. 

“He is the SSA to the 

president on Niger Delta 

Affairs and we have lots of 

issues, and challenges in 

the Niger Delta region, let 

him concentrate on how to 

resolve those challenges, 

let him concentrate on his 

area of responsibility.” 

commissioned the Nyesom 

Wike Academic Building. 

The commissioning, 

which was performed by 

Governor Aminu 

Tambuwal of Sokoto State 

was witnessed by former 

Head of State, Gen 

Abdulsalami Abubakar 

(retd); Adamawa State 

governor, Umaru Fintiri; 

Bauchi State governor, 

Bala Mohammed; 

founder of PUMS and 

former Rivers State 

governor, Dr Peter Odili, 

the First Lady of Niger 

State, Hajia Amina Bello, 

officials of National 

Universities Commission 

and Minister of Labour, Dr 

Chris Ngige. 

Commissioning the 

building, Tambuwal 

commended Wike for his 

commitment to the 

infrastructural 

development of the state. 

He lauded Wike for his 

investment and support to 

the varsity, which he said 

would help in the 

grooming of quality 

medical professionals.



EL-RUFAI'S 60TH BIRTHDAY & BOOK PRESENTATION IN KADUNA 

The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai celebrated his 60th Birthday with presentation of 

books on Writings and Speeches on El-Rufai, in Kaduna yesterday. Photos: Olu Ajayi 

•From left: Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, Minister of Environment, Hon,Mohammed 

Mahmoud, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-rufai ( celebrant) and his wife Hajia Hadiza. 

•From left: Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Vanguard 

Regional Editor North, Soni Daniel and GM/Editor-in-Chief, 

Vanguard Media Limited, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye at the event. 

•From left: Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong; 

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; the celebrant, 

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu and Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin 

Obaseki. 

•Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja-II, 

(right), presenting a plague to El-Rufai. 

•Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammad Sanusi (left) and 

Oni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja-II.









Gas flaring: Nigeria loses $2.5bn yearly 

• Losses to hit $9trn in 10 years 

• Experts call for appropriate pricing 

By Udeme Akpan 

DESPITE efforts of the 


and operators, Nigeria is 

currently losing $2.5 billion 

yearly because of severe gas 

flaring from 178 flare sites 

nationwide, a development 

expected to hit $9 trillion in the 

next 10 years. 

The relatively high flaring, 

indicating an increase of 300 

percent has been attributed to 

many factors, including lack of 

infrastructure at some oil fields, 

limited number of reservoirs 

suitable for gas re-injection, 

expensive nature of developing 

and installing of pipeline 

network, limited local, regional 

and international market and 

difficult terrain of the Niger 

Delta, which hinder the 

harnessing of the product for 

positive uses. 

Consultant (Oil and Gas), 

Private Design Engineering, Dr. 

Wisdom Patrick Enang, who 

made the disclosure in his 

presentation - Natural Gas: 

Nigeria's Next Big Thing – at the 

just concluded Nigeria 

International Petroleum Summit, 

NIPS, in Abuja, said many 

investment opportunities exist in 

the different sub sectors, 

especially Compressed Natural 

Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas 

and Liquefied Natural Gas. 

Incentives 

He noted that the Federal 

Government has already 

provided some incentives - Tax 

rate under petroleum profit tax 

(PPT) act to be at the same rate 

as company tax which is 

currently at 30 per cent, Capital 

allowance at the rate of 20 per 

cent yearly in the first 4 years, 

19 per cent in the 5th year and 

the remaining 1 per cent in the 

books, Investment tax credit at 

the current rate of 50 per cent; 

Royalty at the rate of 7 per cent 

onshore and 5per cent offshore 

– as incentives to attract and 

retain serious investors in the 

sector. 

He called for the development 

of central gas gathering and 

processing facilities in Delta, 

Rivers and Akwa Ibom State, for 

•Revenue Performance 

treating wet gas, extracting 

Liquefied Petroleum Gas/ 

Natural Gas Liquids, and 

exporting lean gas into 

transmission systems. 

Dr. Enang further called for the 

establishment of pipeline 

infrastructure to tie-in most 

shallow to medium depth 

offshore gas resources to 

efficiently distribute gas to areas 

of need in-country, the use of 

scalable containerised skid 

mounted barge, establishment of 

virtual pipeline, compressed 

natural gas (CNG) trucks and 

functional Gas Aggregators with 

storage facilities where oil and 

gas companies can send their 

gas directly to users. 

However, Nigeria’s plans to 

end its long era of gas flaring 

has received a boost as the 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources, DPR is set to host the 

Nigeria gas flare 

commercialisation program 

bidders conference on 17th 

February 2020 in Lagos. 

He added: “Most of the gas 

produced in Nigeria are 

associated and derived whilst in 

the conscious pursuit of oil 

exploration and production. 

Nonetheless, the produced 

volumes are very competitive. 

“Good fiscals alone cannot 

attract the much-needed 

investments into the country’s 

gas sector (specifically as 

regards Gas-to-power, where 

the general consensus indicates 

limited investment potentials). 

More markets and policy reforms 

are required to promote bankable 

investment opportunities for 

Investors.” 

Problems 

In his recent presentation, 

‘Disincentives in Current Gas 

Pricing Strategies, obtained by 

Vanguard, Managing Director, 

Lopacoil Limited, Dr. Lawrence 

Ijebor, had stated: “There are 

underlying problems in the 

industry, particularly gaps in the 

price of both export and local gas. 

There is no significant change 

in the relationship between the 

export and local gas and this 

means that suppliers or 

producers will tend towards 

exportation because that is 

THE average price 

of Organisation of 

Petroleum Exporting 

countries, OPEC’s basket 

of fourteen crudes in the 

past one week averaged 

$60.72 compared with 

$59.34 recorded the 

previous week. 

According to OPEC’s 

calculation, the highest 

price of crude was 

recorded on January 21, 

2018, which averaged 

$61.49 per barrel, while 

the lowest price for the 

period under review 

averaged $60.22 

Source: DPR 

where maximum returns are 

made. This is why the Federal 

Government made it an 

obligation to forcefully withhold 

some gas in the local market. 

“About 60 per cent of the gas 

left in the local market is used 

for power generation and the 

balance for industrialization and 

this has a significant impact on 

the economy. Some industry 

commentators focus on flared 

gas and believed that converting 

flared gas into products will 

eliminate the problems. The 

actual gas needed for power and 

industrialization cannot be 

generated through flared gas 

but through Non Associated Gas. 

There is need to invest in 

reducing Non Associated Gas to 

achieve the goals and plans of 

the nation. 

“From the findings, one of the 

shortcomings identified is sectorbased 

pricing. The government’s 

decision to conclude that the 

easiest way to deliver gas to the 

market is by breaking industries 

into various sectors. The 

problem, however, with this 

decision is that gas will only be 

provided to sectors that pay the 

most. 

“Investment is structured in a 

way that investors don’t get 

returns from their investments 

and this will discourage current 

and intending investors. The 

implication of this is that it will 

slow down development. There 

is the absence of formal 

consultation with the gas 

industry. This element is critical 

in ensuring that all stakeholders 

work collaboratively to achieve a 

common goal.” 

Suggestion 

In his submission, Managing 

Director, Lopacoil Limited, 

Lawrence Ijebor, had also said: 

“The goal of the FGN must be to 

release the industry from the 

shackles of pricing controls which 

have inhibited the growth of the 

industry in Nigeria. Government 

cannot afford to flinch in the task 

of deregulation because the 

long-term consequences of price 

control in the sectors will subvert 

the rise of Nigeria in the 21st 

century. The net rise of the 

electricity tariff will be 

ameliorated by improving the 

transmission efficiency and 

metering coverage. 

“Policy changes will need to be 

proposed in enough time to 

engage all stakeholders and for 

legislative considerations. The 

price of gas leaving any 

processing plant into the 

National Transmission pipelines 

will be fixed at an ex-facility price 

without regard for its source. 

“Federal Government, with its 

partners (in the JVs and PSCs), 

will utilise the model already in 

place and established for the 

NLNG supply price to the 

domestic market. The Grid will 

not include any pipeline 

connecting the Gas Field to the 

facility for processing gas or any 

pipeline used for the purposes 

of transporting “wet gas”. It will 

not include pipelines used for 

local distribution and for transfer 

to storage facilities.” 

LPG penetration to hit 10 million cylinders yearly—NLPGA President 

T 

HE President, Nigeria LPG 

Association (NLPGA), Mr. 

Nuhu Yakubu, has stated that 

LPG penetration will increase 

from the current 7.5 million 

cylinders to 10 million cylinders 

yearly in line with the Federal 

Government’s LPG penetration 

initiatives. 

Speaking at a recent stakeholder 

engagement between the 

Department of Petroleum 

Resources (DPR) and the 

Executive Committee of NLPGA 

at the DPR head office in Lagos, 

Yakubu thanked the DPR for 

collaborating with the association 

over the years. 

He observed that a lot of progress 

has been made in the LPG sector 

while advocating for new growth 

opportunities, which will explore 

LPG for transport and industrial 

applications. 

The NLPGA President reassured 

DPR of the association’s 

commitment towards achieving 

government’s plans in the sector, 

such as the promotion of 

legislation and policy programs 

that set timelines for the transition 

of domestic fuels, including 

kerosene to LPG at all levels. 

He also observed that, in the last 

decade Government’s policy 

interventions and incentives had 

generated considerable success 

in investments in LPG 

infrastructure. 

Yakubu provided updates on the 

status of the Nigerian Gas Flare 

Commercialisation Programme 

(NGFCP), which is at the 

Request for Proposal (RFP), stage 

and the introduction of LPG and 

CNG as alternatives to PMS. 

The President of NLPGA also 

presented a copy of a 

recommended Self-Assessment 

Safety Audit checklist across the 

LPG value-chain for all LPG 

stakeholders to the DPR. 

Responding on behalf of the 

Director/CEO, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, 

the Deputy Director & Head Gas 

Monitoring and Regulations 

Division, Mr. Olusanya Bajomo, 

welcomed the visiting delegation 

on behalf of DPR Management. 

He reiterated Federal 

Government’s plans on domestic 

gas utilisation, Gas to Power 

initiatives, LPG Penetration and 

launch of the Nigeria Gas 

Transportation Network Code. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


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British Airways plane in flight. File photo. 

Diversion of flight to Ghana: Apologise to 

passengers, Olajumoke tells British Airways 

*Recounts experience 

By Charles Kumolu 

& Olamide Ogunjimi 

LAGOS — ELDER states 

man, Senator Bode Olajumoke, 

has recounted his 

experience aboard British 

Airways, BA, 075 Flight that 

was diverted to Ghana after 

failing to land at the 

Murtala Muhammed International 

Airport,MMIA, 

Lagos last Tuesday, saying 

the passengers were made 

to go through a harrowing 

experience. 

Olajumoke, who said the 

airline cared little about 

them while in Ghana, lamented 

that they had no 

choice but to make alternative 

arrangements for their 

return to Nigeria after waiting 

in vain for BA to fly them 

back to Lagos. 

He explained that the 

passengers were left to their 

fate in Ghana, saying their 

luggage was dropped at 

Kotoka Airport Terminal 2 

without any security personnel 

in sight. 

Ill-treatment 

In an exclusive chat 

with Vanguard yesterday 

in Lagos, Sen. Olajumoke 

said apart from the ill-treatment, 

he was particularly 

concerned about passengers, 

who couldn’t have afforded 

an alternative flight 

back to Nigeria. 

Continuing, he condemned 

Nigeria's response 

to the incident, saying it 

was shameful that MMIA 

lacked modern lighting 

equipment. 

Olajumoke, who was on 

his way back from Russia, 

described the incident as a 

horrible experience, adding 

that his health was adversely 

affected. He was on the 

flight with his wife, Princess 

Remi Olajumoke. 

Consequently, he urged 

BA to apologise to all passengers 

aboard for 

the manner it handled the 

incident. 

His words: “We were almost 

landing when I heard 

the pilot telling the cabin 

crew to prepare for landing. 

As I was talking to my wife, 

there was an announcement. 

When I heard landing, 

I quickly went for my 

briefcase but I didn’t see 

people standing up. I asked 

why it was so and was told 

we landed in Accra, Ghana. 

Fourth day 

"There was an announcement 

that we should leave 

our luggage behind. They 

said there was free duty. 

After spending three 

nights, on the fourth day, 

they said we would be leaving 

at 1 pm. I was going to 

town to buy a charger because 

my phone batteries 

were down when they said 

I should come back, insisting 

that we were going at 1 

pm. By the time we got 

back, there were massages 

in our email stating that 

British Airways would not 

be able to go back to Lagos. 

They said we should find 

the means of getting to our 

destination. In the message, 

it was stated that if we 

wanted to go back to London, 

there were limited 

seats. I had to call my agent 

to book me on Air Peace 

because Air Peace was coming 

and leaving while we 

were there. We even heard 

that Virgin was also coming 

and leaving. 

Shoddy and unde 

serving 

“The treatment was shoddy 

and undeserving. If I could organise 

my ticket on another airline, 

how many passengers could have 

afforded that? Many could have 

been stranded. People were so 

frustrated and disenchanted. 

Some even said they were going 

to write a petition. Everybody was 

shocked. I am more concerned 

about those people who could not 

have been able to afford transportation 

by road. It is not a proper 

way to treat people. There is a 

board meeting I would be attending, 

I am supposed to use British 

Airways but I have canceled it. 

When I am in Europe I would fly 

British Airways because they do 

not treat passengers like that in 

Europe. It has affected my health. 

I have aches all over my body. I 

am disillusioned and have not 

recovered. Why would they be 

able to land in Ghana and not 

Nigeria because it is almost the 

same weather ‘’ 

Spokesperson of the Federal 

Airport Authority of Nigeria 

,FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, had 

said the flight was not diverted to 

Ghana over lack of basic navigation 

and landing equipment at 

MMIA, but due to poor weather 

condition in Lagos after the aircraft 

had arrived the country. 

The BA075 while regretting 

the incident promised to convey 

the passengers safely to Nigeria 

last Wednesday but failed to do 

so. 

Over 1,500 Nigerian British 

Airways passengers 

stranded in Ghana 

By Lawani Mikairu 

LAGOS — MORE than 

1,500 Nigerians are 

currently stranded in Kotoko 

International Airport, 

Accra, Ghana, after they 

were dumped there by British 

Airways, Delta Air, and 

other foreign airlines. Their 

flights were diverted to 

Ghana due to the inclement 

weather in Lagos and 

poor visibility at the Muritala 

Muhammed International 

Airport, Lagos. 

Instead of thinking of alternate 

airport within Nigeria 

where visibility is good 

for landing, the foreign carriers 

took the unilateral decision 

of diverting their 

flights to Ghana and subject 

Nigerians who had urgent 

engagements in Nigeria 

to untold hardship. 

British Airways is reported 

to have told some of the 

stranded Nigerians who 

could not get airlines from 

Ghana to bring them to Nigeria 

that they would take 

them back to Britain, if they 

could no longer endure 

their hardship at Accra airport 

in Ghana. 

In their advisory, British 

Airways said: “ We would 

like to sincerely apologise 

for the disruption to your 

journey to Lagos. Due to 

adverse weather at the airport, 

we were unable to safely 

land into Lagos Airport. 

''We regret to inform that 

due to operational constraints, 

we have had to 

cancel this flight. We recommend 

you make your own 

travel arrangements to Lagos 

as we are unable to 

operate safely in the coming 

days. 

Border closure: Nigeria's neighbours should stop smuggling 

banned products —IMF *Calls for major reforms to FG’s fiscal deficit 

By Babajide 

Komolafe 

LAGOS — THE International 

Monetary Fund, 

IMF, yesterday called on 

Nigeria’s neighbour to stop 

smuggling of banned 

goods into the country as 

part of measures necessary 

to resolve issues that led to 

the ongoing border closure. 

Making this call in a 

statement issued at the conclusion 

of the IMF Staff Article 

four consultation to 

Nigeria, Amine Mati, Senior 

Resident Representative 

and Mission Chief for 

Nigeria, IMF, said: “Nigeria’s 

border closure will continue 

to have significant 

economic consequences on 

the country’s neighbours. It 

is important that all involved 

parties quickly resolve 

the issues keeping the 

borders closed—including 

stopping the smuggling of 

banned products.” 

On the other hand Mati 

Senator Bode Olajumoke. 

called on the federal government 

to implement major 

policy adjustments, including 

further tightening 

of monetary policy by the 

Central Bank of Nigeria 

(CBN), to contain shortterm 

vulnerabilities and 

unlock Nigeria’s growth 

potential. 

He said: “The pace of 

economic recovery remains 

slow, as declining real incomes 

and weak investment 

continue to weigh on 

economic activity. Inflation—driven 

by higher food 

prices—has risen, marking 

the end of the disinflationary 

trend seen in 2019. External 

vulnerabilities are 

increasing, reflecting a 

higher current account deficit 

and declining reserves 

that remain highly vulnerable 

to capital flow reversals. 

The exchange rate has 

remained stable, helped by 

steady sales of foreign exchange 

in various windows. 

“High fiscal deficits are 

complicating monetary policy. 

Weak non-oil revenue 

mobilization led to further 

deterioration of the fiscal 

deficit, which was mostly 

financed by Central Bank 

of Nigeria (CBN) overdrafts. 

The interest payments 

to revenue ratio remain 

high at about 60 percent. 

“Under current policies, 

the outlook is challenging. 

The mission’s growth forecast 

for 2020 was revised 

down to 2 percent to reflect 

the impact of lower international 

oil prices. Inflation is 

expected to pick up, while 

deteriorating terms of trade 

and capital outflows will 

weaken the country’s external 

position. 

“Recognizing these vulnerabilities, 

the authorities 

have taken a number of 

welcome steps. These include 

measures to boost revenue 

through the adoption 

of the Finance Bill and 

“If you wish to travel from 

Accra to London, Heathrow, 

there are a limited availability 

of seats to book on. 

Please speak with our colleagues 

at the airport to adjust 

your ticket, subject to 

availability. BAO78 Accra to 

London Heathrow is schedule 

to depart at 23.00 local 

time,” it added. The advisory 

further said,“ We understand 

this is not what you 

expect when you travel 

with us …..” 

The Minister of Aviation, 

Senator Hadi Sirika, while 

expressing concern over the 

diversion, noted that the 

flight diversions and, in 

many cases, outright cancellations, 

due to the inclement 

weather conditions 

were regrettable. 

He, however, decried the 

diversion of flights to another 

country, stating that the 

Nnamdi Azikiwe International 

Airport, Abuja, could 

have conveniently handled 

those flights. 

He revealed that Qatar 

Airways was already diverting 

Lagos-bound 

flights to Abuja. 

Sirika said: “On the diversion 

of incoming international 

flights to neighbouring 

countries, we wish to 

reiterate that the decisions 

are purely those of the airlines 

which we have no control 

over. 

''However, it should be 

noted that those flights 

could, and should have 

been rerouted to the Nnamdi 

Azikiwe International 

Airport Abuja which is 

shorter or equidistant from 

Lagos to the foreign airports 

to which some of the flights 

have been diverted”. 

Deep Offshore Basin Act 

and; and improve budget 

execution by adopting the 

2020 budget by end-December 

2019. The tightening 

of monetary policy in 

January 2020 through 

higher cash reserve requirements 

to respond to 

looming inflationary pressures 

is welcome. Progress 

on structural reforms—particularly 

in Doing Business, 

finalizing power sector reforms, 

and strengthening 

governance—is commendable. 

“Major policy adjustments 

remain necessary to 

contain short-term vulnerabilities, 

build resilience, 

and unlock growth potential. 

“Non-oil revenue mobilization—including 

through 

tax policy and administration 

improvements—remains 

urgent to ensure financing 

constraints are contained 

and the interest payments 

to revenue ratio sustainable. 

Recourse to central 

bank overdrafts should 

be limited and the mission 

supports the authorities’ 

plans to use the low domestic 

yield environment to 

front load their financing 

requirements. 

“Further tightening of 

monetary policy—albeit 

through more conventional 

methods—is needed to 

contain domestic and external 

pressures arising from 

large amounts of maturing 

CBN bills. The mission reiterated 

its advice on ending 

direct central bank interventions, 

securitizing 

overdrafts to introduce longer-term 

government instruments 

to mop up excess liquidity 

and moving towards 

a uniform and more 

flexible exchange rate. Removing 

restrictions on access 

to foreign exchange for 

the 42 categories of imported 

goods would be needed 

to encourage long-term investment."


BUSINESS GROWTH: From left, Regional Programmes Coordinator, The Leadership Project, 

Piboere Okukulabe; Regional Coordinator, West and Central Africa, Global Leadership Network; 

Francis Olubambi; Convener, The Leadership Project, Godman Akinlabi; Client Service 

Manager, Zenera Consulting, Idongesit Edet and General Manager, Sales, The Leadership 

Project,Olusola Oyawale at a press conference announcing the maiden edition of The 

West African Business Leaders’ Summit in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele 

2020 Outlook: SEC mulls tax, other 

incentives to drive investments 

By Emeka Anaeto, Business 

Editor 

There are indications that 

the Securities and 

Exchange Commission, SEC, 

is working on tax incentives for 

capital market investments 

against an unsatisfactory 

provisions in the 2020 Finance 

Bill. 

The Acting Director General 

of the Commission, Mary 

Uduk, had commended the 

new initiative of an annual 

Finance Bill as a way of bypassing 

the long and winding 

process of legislation for policy 

changes, but indicated that the 

SEC’s expectations on tax as 

well as the overall incentives 

and cost reduction in the capital 

market were not met by the 

2020 Finance Bill. 

She stated: “There are a 

number of initiatives that is in 

support of the capital market 

in the Finance Bill. But we 

had expected more because 

we had been working on some 

of these initiatives for many 

years with FIRS (Federal 

Inland Revenue Service) and 

other relevant stakeholders. 

“The government has 

through the Finance Bill 

answered some of our 

prayers, but there are others 

we thought that should have 

been done, for instance the 

issue of taxes. 

“We had thought that the 

taxes would have been more 

far reaching, but we will 

continue to push for more tax 

reductions in different areas. 

“We also expected that 

government would give us 

some other palliatives, maybe 

to some companies to 

encourage them to come to the 

market. But we are still 

working with government to 

ensure that those are done. 

LBS, Jnr Achievement prepare NYSC 

members for work-life 

Junior Achievement Nigeria, in 

partnership with the Lagos 

Business School (LBS), has organized 

a capacity building for 

selected 50 members of the National 

Youth Service Corps, 

NYSC, in a bid to prepare them 

for successful entry into work-life. 

The programme, in its 20th 

edition, sponsored by African 

Capital Alliance Foundation and 

Total E&P Nigeria Staff Multipurpose 

Cooperative Society Limited, 

is aimed at introducing the Corp 

members to the different facets of 

managing a business, making 

crucial business decisions and 

developing skills for management. 

The week-long programme 

prepares future world business 

leaders for the responsibilities, opportunities 

and demands of tomorrows 

business world. 

Mr Uchenna Uzo, Academic 

Director, Venture and Management 

Programme, LBS, said one 

of the distinguished things about 

the programme is that it helps 

people starting or running their 

own business to acquire basic 

skills that would help them succeed 

and also think beyond themselves 

and think about the impact 

on society and immediate community. 

Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, Executive 

Director, FATE Foundation, 

said that the Venture in Management 

Program, VIMP, experience 

is a lifetime investment that keeps 

yielding. 

“This is just the beginning, 

because if we have to wait for 

the government, to go to 

National Assembly to amend 

or repeal certain bills or come 

up with new ones, it will take 

years. But the Finance Bill, if 

we have to do this every year, 

now we know what they have 

done, we will start again to 

work towards next year.” 

Fielding questions on the 

outlook for the capital 

development in 2020, SEC 

boss added: “We should focus 

on in terms of driving 

investments and for us to drive 

investments you ought to 

bring capital into key areas. 

The issue of tax is very critical, 

infrastructure funds; 

government can’t fund 

infrastructure, so the private 

sector will do that. 

“So we should be able to 

have infrastructure funds and 

the investment vehicles should 

enjoy tax incentives. “We have 

private equity funds that also 

drive investments in SMEs 

and things like that. These are 

critical areas, and the 

government can look at 

private equity funds and 

operators who invest in certain 

core areas like mining 

agriculture, and others, and 

also grant them certain 

incentives. 

“So these incentives would 

drive inflows of capital into 

those areas. These are the 

kind of things that should be 

done, having more incentives 

for more investors to come into 

the market, enlarge the 

market, SMEs and all of that. 

“So we need to consider that 

area of tax because the issue 

is that you want to bring in 

more people into the tax base 

and just tax them.” 

Local Milk Production: CBN, 3 

coys in deal for Abuja plants 

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau 

Chief 

The local milk produc 

tion policy of the Central 

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) 

received a boost yesterday as 

the Minister of the Federal 

Capital Territory, 

Mohammed Bello, promised 

to provide land for the establishment 

of three diary 

companies in Abuja. 

This followed the meeting 

with the Governor of the 

CBN, Mr. Godwin Elefiele, 

who led a delegation of the 

Chief Executive Officers of 

Nestle Nigeria Plc, 

FrieslandCampina WAMCO 

Nigeria Plc and L- AND-Z 

Integrated Farms Nigeria 

Ltd to the Minister in Abuja. 

To demonstrate commitment 

to granting the companies’ 

request Bello immediately 

set up a committee to 

work with the CBN and the 

companies on how to make 

the land available with a directive 

to submit a report 

within a week. 

Emefiele told the minister 

that the companies submitted 

land applications to the 

appropriate departments of 

the Ministry but that the 

meeting became necessary 

in order to facilitate the process 

of land allocation, as 

funds were already available 

for them to establish milk 

processing plants, under the 

Anchor Borrowers 

Programme (ABP). 

According to the governor, 

“Nestle Plc and Friesland 

Campina Plc have signified 

interest to establish Milk 

processing factories in the 

FCT and the CBN is ready 

to work with them to actualize 

the deliverable of these 

projects. We therefore request 

you to please assist in 

the allocation of land in FCT 

NASD advises investors to 

go for unquoted stocks 

By Peter Egwuatu 

Amid the sustained 

bearish market, the 

Nigerian Association of Securities 

Dealers Over-the- 

Counter (NASD-OTC) has 

advised investors to go for 

unquoted stocks that have 

recorded significant returns 

of not less than 70 percent 

in the last two years. 

In a statement made available 

to Vanguard, NASD- 

OTC said: “Amid the bearish 

equity market over the past 

two years, the shares of Central 

Securities Clearing System, 

CSCS rallied strongly, 

gaining over 70 percent over 

the past two years, delivering 

stellar return to its shareholders. 

The performance of 

the stock partly reflects the 

steady dividend payment 

culture of the Company. 

“Beyond the steady cash 

flow that the CSCS dividend 

provides to investors, the 

expeditiously. 

“We have come today to 

engage you on two key areas 

vis laying before you 

some key initiatives of the 

Bank that will help create 

jobs and to fastrack the processes 

leading to the allocation 

of land to some investors 

in dairy and agric 

sector whose request have 

been submitted to relevant 

offices in your office” 

He added, “It is CBN’s 

desire to make states selfsustaining 

and economically 

viable entities by supporting 

projects and 

programmes that will help 

realize this, including the 

Federal Capital Territory. 

“As you are aware the 

CBN has rolled out a series 

of intervention initiatives 

such as the Anchor Borrowers 

Programme that addresses 

the credit needs of 

farmers at the bottom of the 

production ladder. We have 

the accelerated agricultural 

development scheme. 

“We are all residents of 

the FCT. We move around 

the Suburbs and we see that 

there are potentials for us 

to partner your administration 

in engaging our able 

body youths and other entrepreneurs 

in agriculture 

and processing activities.” 

Mr. Emefiele said that the 

CBN programmes, if embraced 

by the minister, 

would boost investments 

and drive rapid economic 

development of the capital 

territory. 

He added that the partnership 

with milk importing 

companies was to develop 

the local dairy sector 

and harness its potentials in 

the interest of the nation, 

through the backward integration. 

strong fundamentals of the 

company has been a compelling 

attraction to investors.” 

Reacting on its performance, 

the CSCS said: “We 

posted N6.1 billion profit 

before tax in 2018 and 

poised for growth in 2019 

full year, FY based on the 

quarterly performance, our 

diversification strategy has 

proven effective. Renowned 

for our strong governance, 

stable profitability and increasing 

earnings diversification, 

CSCS remains a 

prime toast of investors. Despite 

being unlisted, the 

stock attracts notable liquidity 

on the NASD Over-the- 

Counter.” 

Meanwhile, following two 

consecutive years of bearish 

performance, the Nigerian 

equity market is recovering 

fast in recent times, with the 

Nigerian All Share Index 

rallying four percent Year-to- 

Date, YtD.


Members of emergency services help families leave flooded houses by rescue boat in Nantgarw as Storm 

Dennis sweeps across the UK 

US Democrats face internal strife ahead 

of Nevada, S’Carolina primaries 

US presidential hopeful 

Bernie Sanders should be 

taking a victory lap or two 

following back-to-back 

wins in the 2020 election’s 

first votes. Instead, both 

Sanders and the party he 

wants to lead find themselves 

bogged down in a 

struggle between the progressive 

and moderate 

wings of the Democratic 

party. 

Establishment Democrats 

are terrified of Sanders’ 

momentum after his popular-vote 

victories in both 

Iowa and New Hampshire. 

They see the independent 

Vermont senator, a selfavowed 

democratic socialist, 

as potentially off-putting 

to the moderates and 

independents they need to 

corral to defeat President 

Donald Trump in the general 

election in November. 

Sanders’ sweeping policy 

proposals, including 

nationalisation of the 

healthcare system and free 

university tuition, enjoy 

wide support among his 

base of mainly younger 

voters. And national polls 

suggest that support for 

him and his policies may 

be broadening, with Sanders 

opening up a doubledigit 

lead over former Vice 

President Joe Biden, his 

closest competitor, in national 

polls taken after 

the New Hampshire 

vote. 

In many ways, the 

Democratic party in 2020 

faces the same issue that 

the Republicans faced in 

2016. A charismatic outlier 

popular with the 

fringes of the party but 

disliked by its traditional 

base has, for the moment 

at least, a better chance 

of securing the nomination 

than any of his establishment 

challengers. 

James Carville, an architect 

of former President 

Bill Clinton’s victories 

three decades ago, 

echoed the sentiments of 

many in the party when 

he described himself in 

an interview on MSNBC 

as “not very impressed” 

with the Democratic field 

and singled out Sanders 

for particular scorn. 

“I’m scared to death. I 

really am,” Carville said. 

“If we go the way of the 

British Labour party, if we 

nominate Jeremy Corbyn, 

it’s going to be the end of 

days.” 

Most voters, he added, 

“are looking for somebody 

who can come in and not 

just excite them, but talk 

about things that really 

matter and everyday life. 

They are not interested in 

socialism and revolution.” 

Moderate Democrats in 

Congress, especially those 

elected in 2018 in districts 

carried by the president two 

years earlier, are said to be 

worried that the presence 

of Sanders at the top of the 

ticket could be costly to the 

party come November. 

“There is a growing concern 

among especially 

those of us on the front lines 

that we will not only lose 

the White House but the 

House of Representatives,” 

one of them told the New 

York Times anonymously. 

The Sanders campaign, 

however, says it is expanding 

the electorate and motivating 

new groups of voters 

to come to the polls. 

SYRIA CONFLICT: 900,000 people displaced 

since December — UN 

A Russian-backed regime 

offensive in northwest Syria 

has displaced 900,000 

people since the start of December, 

and babies are dying 

of cold because aid camps 

are full, the UN said Monday. 

That figure is 100,000 

more than the United Nations 

had previously recorded. 

“The crisis in northwest 

Syria has reached a horrifying 

new level,” said Mark 

Lowcock, the UN head of 

humanitarian affairs and 

emergency relief. 

He said the displaced 

were overwhelmingly 

women and children who 

are “traumatized and forced 

to sleep outside in freezing 

temperatures because 

camps are full. Mothers burn 

plastic to keep children 

warm. Babies and small children 

are dying because of 

the cold.” 

The Idlib region, including 

parts of neighboring Aleppo 

province, is home to some 

three million people, half of 

them already displaced from 

other parts of the country. 

The offensive that began 

late last year has caused the 

biggest single displacement 

of people since the conflict 

began in 2011. The war has 

killed more than 380,000 

people since it erupted almost 

nine years ago, following 

the brutal repression of 

popular demonstrations demanding 

regime change. 

Lowcock warned Monday 

that the violence in the northwest 

was “indiscriminate.” 

“Health facilities, schools, 

residential areas, mosques 

and markets have been hit. 

Schools are suspended, 

many health facilities have 

closed. There is a serious risk 

of disease outbreaks. Basic 

infrastructure is falling 

apart,” he said in a statement. 

“We are now receiving reports 

that settlements for displaced 

people are being hit, 

resulting in deaths, injuries 

and further displacement.” 

He said that a massive relief 

operation underway from 

the Turkish border is has been 

“overwhelmed. The equipment 

and facilities being 

used by aid workers are being 

damaged. Humanitarian 

workers themselves are being 

displaced and killed.” 

US President Donald 

Trump on Sunday called for 

Russia to end its support for 

the Syrian regime’s “atrocities” 

in the Idlib region, the 

White House said. 

Israeli soldiers duped by Hamas ‘fake women’ phone ruse 

Dozens of Israeli soldiers 

have had their smartphones 

hacked by the Hamas militant 

group posing as women 

seeking attention, Israel’s 

military says. A spokesman 

said the soldiers were sent 

fake photos of young females 

and lured into downloading 

an app without knowing it 

could access their handsets. 

He said there was no “significant 

breach of information” 

before the scam was 

foiled. 

Hamas, which controls 

Gaza, and Israel view each 

other as mortal enemies. It 

is the third such attempt in 

recent years by Hamas to 

infiltrate Israeli soldiers’ 

phones, but was the most sophisticated 

yet, according to 

Lt Col Jonathan Conricus. 

“We see that they’re of course 

learning and upping their 

game,” he said. 

Col Conricus said the 

24 killed in Burkina Faso church 

attack 

GUNMEN have killed 24 people and wounded 18 in 

an attack on a Protestant church in a village in northern 

Burkina Faso, the regional governor said yesterday. 

A group of “armed terrorists” burst into the village of Pansi, 

in Yagha province “and attacked the peaceful local population 

after having identified them and separated them from 

non-residents”, Colonel Salfo Kabore said in a statement 

sent to AFP. 

The assault occurred on Sunday during a weekly service, 

security officials said. 

“The provisional toll is 24 killed, including the pastor… 18 

wounded and individuals who were kidnapped,” Kabore 

said. A resident of the nearby town of Sebba said Pansi villagers 

had fled there for safety. 

One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso is 

on the front line of a jihadist insurgency advancing in the 

Sahel. 

Since 2015, around 750 people have been killed in Burkina 

and around 600,000 people have fled their homes. Christians 

and churches have become frequent targets in the north 

of the country. 

On February 10, suspected jihadists in Sebba seized seven 

people at the home of a pastor. Five bodies were found three 

days later, including the pastor, according to the local governor. 

According to UN figures, jihadist attacks in Burkina and 

neighbouring Mali and Niger left nearly 4,000 people dead 

last year. Their armed forces are weak, struggling with poor 

equipment and lack of training and funding. 

Bulgaria seeks gambling tycoon’s 

extradition from UAE 

BULGARIA has asked the United Arab Emirates to ex 

tradite gambling tycoon Vasil Bozhkov, charged in 

absentia with extortion, influence peddling and money laundering 

among other offences, the justice ministry said on 

Monday. 

Bozhkov, one of Bulgaria’s richest men, has denied wrongdoing. 

He has refused to return to the Balkan country, saying 

he fears for his life. 

Consecutive governments in the European Union’s poorest 

member state have pledged to combat organized crime 

and uproot endemic graft, with little success. 

The justice ministry said it had sent the extradition request 

and more than 200 pages of documents translated in 

Arabic to the Bulgarian embassy in the UAE to be handed to 

the authorities. 

Prosecutors have said Bozhkov, 63, owner of several gambling 

companies, a popular soccer club and a foundation 

that holds a rich collection of Thracian antiques, was detained 

in the United Arab Emirates at the end of January. 

On Sunday, Bulgarian National Television, citing unnamed 

sources, said he was released from custody but was banned 

from leaving the country and his passport was taken. 

Bulgaria does not have an extradition agreement with the 

UAE, but hopes that its request will be respected. 

“We want him returned to Bulgaria to be brought before 

the Bulgarian court,” Bulgarian chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev 

said. 

Libya conflict: EU agrees new patrols to 

stop arms flow 

EU states have agreed to launch a new military mission 

off the Libyan coast to enforce a shaky UN arms embargo. 

The 27 governments still have to draft a legal text for the 

mission, after agreeing it in principle in Brussels. 

“The main objective is the arms embargo,” said Luxembourg 

Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn. 

The UN-recognised government in Tripoli is under attack 

from the forces of Gen Khalifa Haftar, which control most of 

eastern and southern Libya. 

The EU’s new naval and air mission is to operate in the 

eastern Mediterranean, away from the migrant-smuggling 

routes from Libya which have caused bitter divisions in the 

EU. Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that if the 

EU ships proved to be a “pull factor” for migrants desperate 

to reach Europe “the mission will be stopped”. 

hackers had masqueraded 

as young women with imperfect 

Hebrew, claiming to 

be immigrants or to have 

visual or hearing impairments, 

in order to appear 

convincing. After striking 

up friendships, the 

“women” would send links 

which they said would enable 

them to exchange photos, 

but which in reality 

caused the soldiers to 

download malware - 

programmes that can attack 

smartphones or computer 

devices. 

Once the link was opened, 

the programme would install 

a virus which would give the 

hacker access to the phone’s 

data, including location, pictures 

and contacts. 

It could also remotely manipulate 

the phone, using it 

to take photos and recordings 

without the owner’s knowledge.




Continues from page 5 

pursuing their legitimate 

livelihood of fishing and 

farming on their ancestral 

lands. Those who resists 

these demands have been 

known to be attacked, 

raped, maimed or killed by 

the herdsmen. 

“We find it ridiculous, 

insulting, offensive, 

unacceptable, 

unimaginable and 

disgusting that strangers 

we took in and 

accommodated as part of 

us, and as fellow 

Nigerians, should turn 

around to become our 

tormentors and killers? God 

forbid. We will no longer 

condone this. 

“For too long, we have 

chosen the path of peace 

which, unfortunately, has 

become our greatest 

undoing. The enemies we 

took in as friends, have 

taken us for cowards. 

“Let it be made 

categorically clear that the 

Urhobo nation cannot be 

conquered. We are a 

people with a history of 

independence. In the 

prevailing circumstances, 

we might be forced to 

defend ourselves and our 

lands if this unprovoked 

harassment and killings of 

our people is not halted 

forthwith. 

“The Urhobo people are 

peace-loving, whether at 

home or wherever they 

dwell. Therefore, we will no 

longer tolerate the nuisance 

of any unfriendly and 

troublesome stranger in our 

midst. 

“We want to plead with 

those who own or are 

supporting these 

rampaging herdsmen to 

call them to order. We are 

saying unequivocally that 

the Urhobo Nation will 

never, ever surrender or 

cede an inch of her territory 

to any stranger, no matter 

the situation. 

“The strangers in our 

land remain strangers and 

they must respect and obey 

the laws of the land. We 

shall no more condone 

these acts of unprovoked 

attacks on our people. 

“We want to warn trouble 

makers in our land to toe 

the line of peace and be 

reminded that our people 

have the capacity to defend 

themselves against any 

invaders. We shall not be 

cowed or intimidated by any 

group of strangers in our 

own land. We have 

remained patient over the 

years and our patience is 

fast running out.’’ 

Nigeria on reverse gear 

without steering 

— Anglican Bishop 

Meanwhile, the Church 

of Nigeria, Anglican 

Communion, Diocese of 

Ogbaru, Anambra State, 

yesterday described 

Nigeria as a country at 

crossroads, in reverse gear 

without steering. 

Addressing newsmen at 

the Basilica of St James 

Cathedral, Atani, Ogbaru 

Local Government, the 

Bishop, Diocese of Ogbaru, 

Rt. Rev. Prosper Amah, said 

what Nigeria needed now 

was divine and 

international intervention to 

save it from collapse. 

Bishop Amah, who 

expressed shock over the 

crumbling security situation 

in Nigeria, called on the 

Federal Government to 

listen to the cries of the 

masses by reshuffling the 

security apparatus in the 

country and make the 

necessary changes on the 

composition of service 

chiefs. 

"Nigeria, I must say, is 

gradually being consumed 

by insecurity, we are at 

crossroad, not just 

crossroad, but a dark one, 

that is in a reverse gear 

without steering. We do not 

know who is leading us 

now, we are confused, that 

is where we are now," he 

said. 

Bishop Amah said 

Nigeria’s frightening 

security situation has led to 

non-functionality of any 

sector in the country, 

adding that from the 

Executive, Legislature to 

the Judiciary, all seemed 

not to be working but 

comatose. 

He added: "No sector is 

working in Nigeria. 

Judiciary seems to be 

gambling and is no longer 

Naira depreciates to N364.95/$ in 

I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

The naira yesterday depreciated to N364.95 per 

dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window rose to N364.95 per 

dollar yesterday from N364.76 per dollar last week 

Friday, translating to 19 kobo depreciation of the 

naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded in the 

window yesterday dropped by 82 percent to $50.84 

million from $282.33 million last week Friday. 

However, the naira, yesterday, was stable at 

N358.2 per dollar in the parallel. 

independent, Legislature 

is now rubber-stamp and 

the executive is busy 

fighting and calling those 

who are criticizing it or 

suggesting the way forward 

all sorts of names, with 

Presidential media aides 

castigating whoever that 

has different views from 

theirs. 

"What Nigeria needs now 

is divine and international 

intervention. God needs to 

intervene and then the 

international community 

must intervene in the 

unfolding events in 

Nigeria. 

"Nigerians have 

demanded the removal of 

service chiefs, following the 

crumbling security situation 

of the country and instead 

of the government to do the 

needful, it is busy issuing 

threats to people, while 

their media aides are 

attacking anybody or any 

group with different views. 

“The service chiefs have 

overstayed and Mr 

President must learn how 

to listen to the masses and 

not deceitful advisers by 

removing them. They must 

go before the country is 

finally consumed." 

CAN calls for unity 

among Christians 

Similarly, the National 

President, Christian 


CAN, Rev Peter Ayokunle, 

yesterday called for unity 

among Christians in the 

midst of attacks from 

suspected terrorists, armed 

bandits and other violent 

crimes against Christians. 

He stated this in Benin 

City, Edo State capital, 

when he supervised the 

conduct of elections into the 

executive committee of the 

state chapter of the 

association which had been 

in crisis over the second 

term ambition of its 

chairman, Bishop 

Oyonnude Kure. 

Represented by a 

National Director from the 

headquarters, Bishop 

Stephen Adegbite, who 

was accompanied by other 

national officers, including 

the South-South chairman 

of the association, 

Archbishop Ige Israel, 

Ayokunle said Christians 

had no option but to remain 

united. 

He said: “The body of 

Christ must remain one, 

unity is not negotiable 

because God has been 

faithful. The leadership of 

CAN is always under threat 

but it must ensure unity 

because we have our 

members all over the 

country. 

"We were going to 

Maiduguri last week with 

our president, but God 

designed it to save us. Our 

vehicle broke down on the 

road and we had to take 

three taxis to our 

ON CORONAVIRUS—Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe 

Mamora (L); with the Director-General of the West African Health 

Organisation (WAHO), Prof. Stanley Okolo, during a joint press briefing on 

regional preparedness for Coronavrus Epidemic in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: 

NAN. 

destination. They 

(terrorists) laid ambush, 

expecting to see CAN 

vehicles and then attack, 

only for them to hear that 

we had arrived our 

destination. 

"They killed 31 people 

that night for missing their 

target, so what else do we 

need than remain united 

and work together?” 

Buhari still popular in 

Borno — Presidency 

In a similar development, 

The Presidency has said 

President Buhari’s recent 

visit to Borno State showed 

that he was still very 

popular and accepted. 

The President was booed 

by some residents of 

Maiduguri, while he was 

on a sympathy visit to 

Borno State, following the 

killing of travellers at Auno 

by Boko Haram insurgents. 

However, the Presidency 

said on Sunday night that 

the residents appreciated 

what he had done in 

tackling insurgency in the 

North-East. 

Special Adviser to the 

President on Media and 

Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, 

who was on Channels 

Television politics 

programme on Sunday 

night, said the crowd that 

received President Buhari 

was huge, stressing that 

the few dissenting voices 

didn’t call for worry. 

"We don’t see it as a 

rejection; if you look at 

those who came to 

welcome the President 

from the airport to the 

palace of the Shehu of 

Borno, it was a huge crowd. 

“Some 90 to 95 per cent 

were waving brooms and 

welcomed the President; 

some dissenting voices in 

a large crowd like that do 

not call for worry, its normal 

in a democracy. 

“The President really, is 

still very accepted, still very 

popular and the people of 

Borno know what he has 

done; they appreciate what 

he has done in terms of 

tackling the insurgency,” 

he stated. 

On the war on 

insurgency, Mr Adesina 

explained that President 

Buhari was concerned 

because he took an oath to 

protect lives and property 

in the country. 

"There may be some 

reversals of the gains 

made, but then those gains 

can always be made again. 

"The President should be 

worried, he took an oath to 

protect the country so if we 

see lives and property 

being lost wantonly, the 

President must be 

concerned and he is,’’ 

Adesina said. 

President Buhari had 

expressed surprise that 

Boko Haram insurgents 

have continued to launch 

attacks on communities, 

despite the huge budgets 

expended on the counterinsurgency 

operations in 

the North-East. 

According to the 

President, operations 

against the insurgents will 

not be successful if the 

people do not cooperate 

with the military and other 

security agencies. 

We need to unite to 

address our challenges 

— Lawan 

President of the Senate, 

Ahmad Lawan, has said for 

Nigeria to surmount the 

challenges bedeviling it, all 

leaders in the country must 

as a matter of urgency, 

come together to ensure that 

the security and welfare 

needs of the people are 

adequately met. 

According to Lawan, 

Nigeria is at a point where 

the provision of 

infrastructure alone by 

government cannot 

sufficiently address the 

underlying cause of 

growing insecurity and 

illiteracy in the country. 

The Senate President 

made this known in a 

speech delivered at the 60th 

birthday celebration of 

Governor Nasir El-rufai and 

Presentation of the book 

“These Times: Selected 

Writings and Speeches by 

Nasir El-rufai” in Kaduna 

on Monday. 

"Those of us in leadership 

positions, we know what we 

need to do. We need to 

have the courage and 

commitment and sustain 

them. 

"Nigeria is at a crossroads, 

and more than ever now 

require the unity of the 

people. The issues 

bedeviling Nigeria today 

requires that all leaders, at 

all levels and in all parts of 

Nigeria need to come 

together. 

"What we need is not only 

infrastructure, but we need 

the capacity building of the 

people. In this part of the 

country, this report has been 

consistent and apparently, 

little has been done to 

reverse it”, the Senate 

President lamented. 

Lawan, therefore, called 

on the Federal 

Government to 

immediately introduce 

policies that would return 

the over thirteen million 

(13m) out-of-schoolchildren 

back to school, so 

as to curb the rising number 

of illiteracy in Nigeria. 

The Senate President said 

the report of 13 million or 

14 million out-of-school 

children mostly in the north 

is dangerous for the 

country. 

"Until we are able to 

reverse this kind of trend, 

no matter how much 

infrastructure you put, you 

will still have that social 

angle that will actually lead 

to serious insecurity, the 

kind that we experience or 

even worse, God forbid. So, 

we need to look at the 

people.” 

The Senate President 

further admonished 

leaders in the country to 

live up to the 

responsibilities of their 

respective offices by 

demonstrating courage and 

acting expeditiously to 

guarantee the protection of 

lives and properties of 

citizens. 

"Today, we are 

challenged by insecurity, 

sadly it is all over the 

country. This requires that 

all of us at every level of 

government come together 

and work to ensure that lives 

and properties of citizens 

are protected. 

"The story is bad, 

everyday it is either 

kidnapping, assassination 

or some kind of banditry 

that leaves our people and 

communities shattered and 

destroyed."

50— Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

2023 POLLS: 

Igbo presidency 

will clear Nigeria's 

mess 

— ODIMEGWU 

Yesterday, we ran the first part of an engaging interview 

with former Chairman of the National Population 

Commission, NPC, Eze Festus Odimegwu, on the raging 

flames of insecurity and the way out. Today, we serve you the 

concluding part covering how denying the Igbo the presidency 

has hurt Nigeria, his assessment of the presidents 

Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan administrations 

and why their wives would have done better as presidents 

among others. 

ON the chances of educated 

and well-informed leaders 

emerging in Nigeria 

What you see in Nigeria is 

darkness, not in the religious 

way, but physical, real 

darkness. And to pull it back 

and lift it up and bring 

Nigerians out of Plato’s cave 

and put them in the sun to see 

the beauty of existence, its 

radiance, you need Philosopher 

Kings – people with 

knowledge. 

I can solve all the problems 

of Nigeria in one year. All! And 

I can solve it in one year 

without salary. You make me 

the president today, and I sign 

an agreement with Nigerians 

that after one year, all these 

problems will disappear and 

don’t pay me, I will pay myself. 

And I will make it happen in 

reality, not storytelling. But you 

have to go and get Nigerians 

who are fire-eaters, who 

understand the situation, 

Nigerians who know what 

existence means, who 

understand the cosmos, who 

know what being a human 

being means, who understand 

the power of knowledge. 

A man running 100 metres 

does not look at his belly button. 

Amotekun is looking at your 

belly button. It is like 

MASSOB. But the beauty of it 

is that the people who are 

originating the idea are APC 

and they are Buhari’s people. 

So let us see how it plays out, 

whether they will play politics. 

Security is not Buhari’s to 

give. He cannot determine 

whether people should be alive 

or not. He is not God. It is not 

his to give. Going to him to 

lobby for approval of 

“Operation Amotekun” is 

stupidity. It means that the 

people don’t even understand 

the issue. You should rather 

challenge your politicians to go 

and make sure that Nigeria is 

restructured or they do not 

come home again in all the six 

regions. 

A school of thought believes 

that for equity, fairness and 

justice, there must be a 

Nigerian president of Igbo 

extraction come 2023. But 

there is also a countervailing 

school of thought mainly from 

the North that insists that 2023 

is not the right time. What is 

your take? 

Igbo man has not been 

president of Nigerian from 

1960 till date, so, how is 

Nigeria? That is why you have 

the mess you have. Are you 

proud of the Nigeria you have 

now? So, those who have been 

presidents without the Igbo, 

what have they achieved? 

Presidency is not for people 

to go and steal. Presidency is 

to develop Nigeria. 

Secondly, when you know the 

characteristics of the six main 

regional blocks of Nigeria, their 

cultural characteristics, social 

characteristics, their justicial 

system and political economy, 

their aesthetics and axiological 

foundations, 

their 

technological foundations, and 

their system of perfection, and 

eternity, only the Igbo culture 

has the ingredients to make 

Nigeria great. 

The Igbo are very exceptional 

people and there is nothing 

you can do about a matter of 

fact. That is why they are 

envied. But the Igbo should 

not lower their standards or 

themselves because people are 

envying them. They should just 

be who they are. And if Nigeria 

wants to go to blazes, let it go. 

But the day Nigerians are 

tired of fiddling, and they want 

to start the march to greatness, 

convergence and eternity, they 

know what to do. 

And one of the major things 

to do is to look for an Igbo and 

hand him over the presidency. 

I told you if I am president in 

one year, I will change Nigeria. 

I said that to Obasanjo once. 

People who can look into that 

singularity and unveil it do 

things others cannot do. People 

who are representative of that 

singularity do things others 

cannot do. 

There are many people with 

this type of stories that are 

Nigerians. If those people take 

charge of Nigeria, in one year 

you will not recognize that you 

are in Nigeria. Lee Kuan Yew 

did it in Singapore. I will do it 

better in Nigeria. But I am not 

going to run around begging 

to help save Nigeria. If people 

want to save Nigeria, they 

know those who can do it. I will 

never run around for it. 

•Odimegwu 

Will those people ever get 

the opportunity? 

We are saying the same 

thing. Igbo have not been 

president, and so what? Are 

you not reading me correctly? 

Do I look like I am looking for 

what to do? Do I look hungry 

to you? I have earned my life 

permanently. I have actually 

discovered that the best time of 

one’s life is when he has leisure 

time. 

When I was a child, I thought 

it was the best period of my life 

growing up in Aba. We were 

fighting every day, jumping 

inside gutter and jumping out, 

I thought it was fantastic. We 

were the famous Aba Boys. 

When I was in school, I thought 

it was the best. 

When I was in the Nigerian 

Igbo man has not 

been president of 

Nigerian from 1960 

till date, so, how is 

Nigeria? That is 

why you have the 

mess you have. Are 

you proud of the 

Nigeria you have 

now? So, those who 

have been 

presidents without 

the Igbo, what have 

they achieved? 

Breweries, I thought it was the 

best. In Nigerian Breweries, 

you had so much fun and at the 

end of the month they still paid 

you and I was surprised they 

were paying us after all the fun 

we had. 

In my more mature age now, 

I think the best time of one’s 

life is his leisure time. 

I will write 10 books. My 80th 

birthday, I will celebrate it with 

10 books. I will launch all of 

them at the same time. That 

will be my gift to humanity to 

plot the path to immortality. 

Shortly after the 2015 

elections, you said you were 

confident that the then 

president-elect, General 

Muhammadu Buhari, would 

deliver as president. Do you 

still hold that view? 

It is still good that President 

Goodluck Jonathan was voted 

out of office because he underperformed 

and he was a big 

disappointment. 

I have seen people trying to 

ask, was it right or wrong? It 

was good that he was voted out 

because as somebody who 

claimed to be educated up to 

PhD level, when he had the 

opportunity to use that 

knowledge to transform 

Nigeria to a modern nationstate, 

he failed woefully. 

He was busy playing cheap 

politics the third world 

mentality way. So, it was good 

he was voted out. 

And of all the people then 

who were running with him, 

current 

President 

Muhammadu Buhari came 

across as somebody who was 

very serious minded and who 

had this desire, persistent 

desire to do something for 

Nigeria as we saw it then. 

And not just because of this 

image, the people around him 

also were people that had the 

credentials of progressive 

politics. People who you could 

say are egalitarian in their 

outlook. And their manifesto 

also had content that made 

sense. 

So, putting these three things 

together, it was appropriate to 

support him. It was logical to 

support him. The possibilities 

that he would do well were 

there if you analyse it properly. 

But on assuming office, 

Buhari has been an 

unmitigated disaster and a 

complete failure to put it mildly. 

In fact, he has failed to the level 

that he has become a security 

risk to Nigeria. 

Some people say it is those 

around him that are the 

problem, but leadership makes 

you to be responsible for what 

is happening. And the failure 

of his leadership is 

comprehensive. He has not 

shown any element of capacity 

in any department of 

leadership and it is very 

unfortunate. 

And all the people around 

him, as far as I can see are not 

there to help him. All of them 

are there to run their own 

personal agenda and he 

doesn’t even know what is 

happening to begin to control 

these people. 

So, everybody around him is 

a power unto himself. That is 

why you see all this confusion 

and disorder in his 

administration and then they 

transfer it to the country. 

The only person around 

him who means well for him 

is his wife, Aisha. And in fact, 

the only person around him 

who shows any element of 

intelligence, sense of 

responsibility, is the wife, the 

First Lady. Outside her, every 

other person around Buhari is 

as disappointing as Buhari 

himself. 

Why did you single out the 

First Lady? What has she 

done in particular? 

Leadership has three 

main dimensions that you 

can analyse to infinite 

dimensions. And the core 

of those three dimensions 

is the intention of the 

leader which is 

encapsulated in the value 

and visions of leadership. 

That is what holds what 

any leadership is doing 

together. 

Aisha has come across as 

somebody who has conscience, 

not conscience in the religious 

sense, the way Nigerian 

hypocrites would always bring 

religion and talk nonsense but 

conscience in ethical sense. 

Somebody who knows the right 

things to do. She has that sense 

and she gives advice and when 

they don’t take her advice or 

even allow her to give that 

advice, she has enough 

conviction herself to explode 

and come to the public and 

criticise the husband’s 

administration and people 

around him. 

And in the Nigerian set-up 

particularly in northern 

Nigeria where she, Buhari and 

all the people around him come 

from, it is exemplary for a lady 

to do that. 

So, I think from her 

intentions, from the things she 

says, if she is the president of 

Nigeria herself, this 

administration will do better 

just like if Patience Jonathan 

had been the president and 

Jonathan was the First Man, 

that administration would have 

also done better. And I can say 

a lot more about that in terms 

of leadership meaning to do 

what is right from the basic 

intentions. She is a very good 

lady by my estimation. 

You were a member of the 

Buhari Transition Committee 

prior to his inauguration in 

2015. Many thought you were 

going to be appointed a 

minister. At what point did 

you realise that Nigerians may 

have had a bad deal in electing 

him president? 

The question itself implies 

that or has an undertone that I 

supported Buhari so that I 

could be made a minister. I 

mean, you are in my house, if 

you look around, you will see 

that I am not looking for a job. 

It would be demeaning of my 

person, who I am to think I 

would do something because I 

will get a job. I am an employer 

of labour. I am not looking for 

a job. So, I didn’t get a bad deal 

from Buhari. 

I am not talking about you 

as a person. The question is, 

at what point did you realise 

that Nigerians may have made 

a mistake in electing Buhari 

Continues on page 51

Vanguard, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — 51 

Continued from page 50 

President? 

You spoke about a bad deal 

after talking about my not being 

appointed a minister. If Buhari 

had made me a minister, I 

would not have accepted it. 

Why? 

Because it was very clear and 

I actually made that known to 

former President Obasanjo 

when some of these issues 

started emerging, I also made 

that clear to somebody like 

Ahmed Joda and the current 

Minister of Education, Adamu 

Adamu. 

If Buhari had made me a 

minister after he started doing 

certain things, I wouldn’t have 

stayed. First, I would not have 

accepted the appointment 

because if I do, and he 

continues doing the things he 

has been doing since then, 

when we are in FEC meeting, 

I will challenge him and when 

I do that, if he continues doing 

what he is doing, I will resign. 

I will not stay to be a witness to 

the nonsenses that have been 

happening since then. And if I 

challenge him also, he may 

decide to sack me himself since 

he is the one who would 

appoint. 

So, in order not to face the 

same story of what made me 

resign as chairman of the 

National Populations 

Commission, NPC, I didn’t just 

want to bother myself, messing 

around when people are not 

serious to do what is right. 

And it was very early that 

Buhari showed his hand that 

he didn’t really mean to do 

anything serious when he 

started talking about people 

who voted 97 per cent and 5 

per cent for him. When he 

started making his first few 

appointments, and everyone 

on the list are from the North, 

Northwest in particular, all 

Muslims. When he started 

marginalizing some people in 

his own party who helped him 

to come to power, and then 

instead of getting his kitchen 

cabinet from his party, the 

APC, who helped him to come 

to power, he decided to go back 

to family and friends. That type 

of nonsense, I mean I 

shouldn’t be party to such 

things. 

The level of decisions and 

actions was very primitive to 

say the least. Some people will 

say provincial or nepotistic. No 

modern person like me would 

think that such a thing is good. 

So, he failed from the very first 

day he started up till today. 

How would you rate 

Jonathan and Buhari’s failure 

on a scale of 1 to 10? Who, in 

your estimation, failed most? 

Two of them are failures. 

Failure is failure. There is no 

comparative analysis for 

failure. When you are a leader, 

you are there to improve the 

situation. Once you are not able 

to improve the situation, either 

incrementally or dramatically, 

depending on who you are, 

your capabilities, you have 

failed. 

So, if two of them were to be 

working for Nigerian 

Breweries when I was the MD/ 

CEO and I was going to write 

their appraisal, I will give two 

of them D, that means they 

didn’t do well. You cannot 

compare failure. Jonathan 

failed and Buhari has failed in 

terms of making Nigeria a 

Igbo presidency will clear 

Nigeria's mess — Odimegwu 

better place. 

That will be the top level 

assessment I will give. But 

when you dig down and you 

want to cherry pick to say who 

is better than the other, 

Jonathan was better in the 

sense that he didn’t do the right 

things that he was supposed to 

do but he was not malicious. 

And he was not reckless in a 

sense that can bring security 

problems to the country. 

Buhari also is not doing the 

right things like Jonathan 

didn’t do the right things, but 

he is reckless and he has this 

impunity that could set the 

country ablaze. And when 

people do things without 

thinking of the consequences, 

it can be very dangerous 

indeed. 

So at that level, Jonathan is 

far better than Buhari but that 

doesn’t mean that Jonathan 

shouldn’t have been voted out. 

It is good that he was voted out 

just like if the last election was 

free and fair, Buhari would 

have been voted out as well. 

There was no election. If there 

was, there was no way he 

would have won a second term. 

Supporters of Buhari, and 

there are many of them, will 

disagree with your assessment. 

Even the President insists he 

has done well in the three core 

areas –economy, fight against 

corruption and improvement 

of security – he promised 

Nigerians. 

You know, sometimes you read 

in the newspapers that this 

person said this, that person 

said that, Buhari said this and 

this person around him said 

that, the question is, who are 

those people, what do they 

know? 

You know the worst thing in 

this world is ignorance. The 

major problem in Nigeria is 

ignorance. The leadership 

failure in Nigeria from the first 

day is caused by ignorance. 

People who do not know and 

who do not know that they do 

not know, and they are 

behaving as if they know, the 

•Odimegwu 

Nigeria is more 

corrupt today than 

ever. I am a 

business man and 

you are a Nigerian, 

you know that 

Nigeria is more 

corrupt today than 

ever 

result is the Nigeria you have. 

So, people around him can 

say what they like, Buhari 

himself can say what he likes, 

but the empirical evidence of 

the state of Nigeria today in the 

three areas you have 

mentioned are worse than they 

were in 2015 on an objective 

analysis. 

Governance by the way has 

nothing to do with cherry 

picking – corruption, security, 

economy. When you start cherry 

picking like that, you don’t 

even understand the issues. 

If Buhari, for example, when 

he was inaugurated as the 

president of Nigeria consulted 

his own party, he has people 

in his party that have brain, the 

people who wrote the 

manifesto of his party, the 

people who wrote the speeches 

that he gave during the 

election, they are there. If he 

consulted only those people or 

if he used what we told him 

from the transition committee, 

and for instance, if he comes to 

say on his inauguration day in 

a two-paragraph speech that: 

“I thank you Nigerians for 

electing me president. This 

country is in a position it 

should not be and as I 

promised, I will make sure that 

Nigeria starts on the road to 

greatness and to kick that, from 

tomorrow morning, my first day 

in office, we will start the 

process to restructure Nigeria.” 

Full stop. And he signs his 

name Buhari. 

This short statement which 

has a loaded intention that 

represents what leadership 

means at that level, the moment 

he starts to restructure Nigeria, 

every problem in this country 

will disappear. 

There is what you call the 

fulcrum of an issue. For every 

problem, when you are a 

professional, when you 

understand the issues, when 

you look at every problem and 

you analyse it, you can see 

where the problems is tied. But 

maybe it has millions of 

ramifications. 

If you start dealing with those 

ramifications, you do not 

understand the issue. You are 

ignorant. But if you go to that 

place it is tied and untie it, 

everything will unfold and 

become beautiful again. That is 

the magic of informed 

leadership. 

And what Buhari should have 

done, on being elected the 

president of Nigeria, the first 

act according to the manifesto 

of his own party is to start the 

immediate restructuring of 

Nigeria. That would have 

exponentially exploded the 

economy because all the 

regions would take 

responsibility for their people. 

And then everybody will get 

busy. 

Economics is creating an 

environment where everybody 

will be useful to himself and his 

environment. That is the 

simple definition of economics. 

And when you start 

restructuring and every region 

takes responsibility for their 

people, enable them with 

education, skills, environment, 

infrastructure, security, and 

then point them in directions 

where they have comparative 

advantage, the economy will 

burst. 

The government itself doesn’t 

have to do anything. 

Governments don’t create the 

economy. Governments don’t 

create jobs, governments 

create the environment for 

people to be busy. 

So, by focusing on the 

economy the way he is saying 

it, what do they know, all the 

things they have been doing 

where has it led the country? 

There is more unemployment 

today than ever. More people 

are out of school than ever. 

So, the people who are 

talking don’t understand the 

issues. 

Nigeria is more corrupt today 

than ever. I am a business man 

and you are a Nigerian, you 

know that Nigeria is more 

corrupt today than ever. People 

around Buhari are more 

corrupt than people around 

Jonathan. They are even 

corrupt with impunity. 

Jonathan had only one or two 

people around him that were 

corrupt with impunity but 

everybody around Buhari is 

corrupt with impunity. 

They claim that they own the 

land, they own Nigeria. So, 

who is fighting corruption? If 

you want to fight corruption, 

maybe 10 people who stole 90 

per cent of the money we are 

looking for, everybody knows 

them, has he arrested any of 

them? If he is fighting 

corruption, he should arrest 

them because nobody is above 

the law. 

I have books in my library 

where some people listed those 

who stole Nigeria’s money, has 

he arrested any of them? So, 

there is no anti-corruption 

fight. What is happening is just 

semantics, what they use to 

pursue political enemies and 

things like that. 

Security, are you safe? 

Insecurity has gotten worse. It 

has gone beyond Boko Haram, 

which has become a business 

for some northern elites and 

their military collaborators. 

They use it to steal money and 

say they are fighting Boko 

Haram. Fulani herdsmen have 

become empowered by the 

Federal Government to take 

people’s lands in North 

Central, South East and South 

West. 

And one day, they will 

overreach themselves. And 

Nigeria will unravel. 

Kidnapping and rape are 

everywhere. Assault, banditry, 

youths out of school are on 

drugs. Is this the Nigeria of 

your dream? 

So, he cannot lay claim to any 

parametres since he became 

president that has improved in 

Nigeria. 

In Nigeria, people talk for the 

sake of talking. But truth 

matters. And for every issue 

there is only one truth. You 

don’t have alternative truths. 

Truth matters. That is the 

fundamental basis of 

epistemology – knowledge. 

And because truth matters, you 

see when a chemist – I am one, 

I am a scientist – when a 

chemist comes here to say, I will 

make water out of hydrogen 

and oxygen under these 

conditions, you say do it let me 

see, and he will do it and you 

will have water. Everywhere he 

goes in the entire cosmos, not 

only on planet earth, and 

recreates those conditions, 

hydrogen and oxygen will 

become water because truth is 

one, truth matters. 

You need knowledge to speak 

about truth. Truth is not 

alternate truth or emotional 

truth, or because Buhari said 

it, it is true, then Festus said it 

and because Festus is not 

President, then it is not true. 

Culled from TheNiche


Real estate firm assures prospective buyers of quality housing, commissions new estate 

By Destiny Eseaga 

A 

Lagos-based real 

e s t a t e 

development firm, REFin 

Homes, has assured 

prospective subscribers to 

its housing units of quality 

housing types across its 

estates. 

The company gave the 

assurance recently while 

handing over newly 

completed apartments at 

‘Anchor Grounds’ to their 

owners, and laying of 

foundation of a new 

housing project called 

Chelsea Court in Lagos. 

The company stated this 

while unveiling its newly 

completed estate, Anchor 

Grounds and its next 

project, Chelsea Court 

which has already been 

endorsed by their 

stakeholders and is 

currently on sale. 

Anchor Grounds, which 

is located in Lafiaji, Lekki, 

already has all its 

apartments sold out, while 

Chelsea Court, which is 

now selling, is located in 

Ikate, Lekki. Both estates 

are situated on a 2900sqm 

and 4752sqm land area 

respectively, offering ultramodern 

and up-scale 

amenities with exclusive 

and commercial spaces in 

close proximity. 

At the handing over 

ceremony, REFin Homes 

Managing Director, Mr. 

Olatunde Macaulay, said 

“We are excited to add this 

new project to our 

development pipeline. 

This aligns with our 

strategy of building our 

presence in the country’s 

leading real estate market 

and will add momentum to 

our plans to grow market 

share overtime. We look 

forward to delivering 

outstanding projects across 

Lagos and beyond.” 

In his remark, Group 

Principal Consultant of 

ADSTRAT BMC, the 

Brand Management 

Consulting firm in charge 

of Strategy for the 

company, Charles O’Tudor 

stated: “REFin Homes is 

one brand with a very 

unique model and 

everyone that has bought 

into the brand can attest to 

the fact that it has one of 

the most flexible and 

seamless processes where 

home acquisition is 

concerned. It truly is a 

brand worth buying into.” 

Also speaking at the 

ceremony, one of the 

beneficiaries in the scheme, 

Miss Chinelo 

Umeugochukwu, 

described the company’s 

initiative as one of the best 

things that has ever 

happened to her. “Perhaps 

if I had known REFin 

before our paths crossed, I 

would have gotten my own 

house long ago. 

Insecurity scaring inventors, foreign partners 

in real estate sector — NIESV 

By Chris Ochayi 

The 

Nigerian 

Institution of 

Estate Surveyors and 

Valuers, NIESV, weekend, 

lamented that the 

heightening insecurity 

situation in the country 

has impacted negatively 

on its trade as available 

investors and foreign 

partners are scared of 

investing in the real estate 

sector of the economy. 

President of NIESV, Mr. 

Rowland Abonta, who 

expressed the concerns 

while speaking at the 

valedictory council 

meeting for this Council 

year and tenure of his 

Presidency in Abuja, said 

the sector which was 

picking up last year after 

the economic downturn in 

the previous year, 

lamented that the gain got 

shattered by recent 

heightening security 

threats in the country. 

According to Abonta, 

“We are not exempted 

from the economic crisis 

that is facing our nation 

but the real estate sector 

has always had a hitch 

over inflation because 

investments in real estate 

sector are not the type that 

can be eroded by inflation 

and economic down turn 

in a nation. 

“We are affected because 

the services we provide or 

the products of the sector 

are used by Nigerians and 

because it is a capital 

intensive product we 

deliver to the public. 

When the public don’t 

have the funding, of 

course the market will be 

affected and of course our 

professional practices are 

affected. What ever you 

are observing in other 

aspects of the economy 

also has impact in the real 

estate”. 

He recalled that, “Last 

year was not totally bad but 

judging from what we are 

seeing in the first few 

weeks and months, the 

heightening insecurity in 

our land is now scaring 

every available investor. 

There were investments 

that were supposed to be 

made in the sector but 

those foreign partners and 

others are now waiting to 

know when next an attack 

will take place and who 

will be involved. 

“So, they are watching, 

they want to see how 

stable this economy will 

be, how stable the security 

in our nation will be before 

anybody can really come 

to invest in the 

sector.Everybody is 

involved in the challenges 

we are facing.” 

On NIESV’s activities, 

the President recalled that, 

“From inception of the 

body, we have always 

partnered with the press 

in order to make the public 

know who the estate 

surveyors and valuers are 

and to a great extent, we 

have accomplished that. 

“In the area of 

discipline, we have been 

able to manage ourselves 

well and we have been 

able to cut off all the 

excesses that used to be the 

order of the day before 

now. Now, as an estate 

surveyor and valuer, 

before you speak, you try 

to make sure you are 

speaking the truth and 

you try to make sure you 

are complying with the 

code of ethics and 

conducts of the 

profession”. 

Commending the 

housing policies of the 

nation, he said “If we are 

only able to implement 20 

Mortgage Bankers’ 

Association of 

Nigeria MBAN, has said 

the establishment of 

MBAN Professional 

Mortgage Centre, will 

address the dearth of 

manpower in mortgage 

brokerage business. 

The training centre will 

provide individuals in the 

mortgage sector with the 

necessary skills that would 

assist efforts of government 

and the private sector to 

Eko Atlantic secures first 

IFC EDGE certification 

As the roles of 

resource efficiency 

and sustainability become 

more apparent in 

preserving our planet, Eko 

Atlantic City has secured its 

first ever EDGE 

certification from the 

International Finance 

Corporation (IFC), a 

member of the World Bank 

Group. 

The certification was 

awarded to Alpha1 Towers, 

Eko Atlantic City’s pioneer 

office building completed 

in 2016, following its 

fulfilment of IFC’s criteria 

or 30 percent of the 

policies, our problems of 

housing would have been 

solved, and it is like that 

with all sectors of our 

economy 

“The issue of having 

good policy has never 

been the problem, the 

problem we have is the 

political will to drive and 

implement those policies. 

to reach the minimum 

standard of using 20% less 

resource intensity in 

energy, water, and 

embodied energy in 

materials. 

EDGE certification has 

become a worldwide trend 

with nearly 9 million 

square meters of floor 

space certified to date. The 

estimated energy savings 

are over 360,000 MWh per 

year, with over 9.5 million 

m 3 of water per year and 

over 206,000 tCO 2 

of 

carbon dioxide per year, 

among other benefits. 

Ronald Chagoury, Jr, 

Vice Chairman, South 

Energyx Nigeria Ltd, who 

are the city planners and 

developers of Eko Atlantic, 

said, “At Eko Atlantic, we 

are determined to build a 

green city, one that is 

future-ready. 

“By encouraging 

developers to construct 

resource-efficient buildings 

such as Alpha1 has done, 

we have a unique 

opportunity to create an 

eco-friendly city that will 

have a high percentage of 

green buildings that have 

been certified to standards 

such as EDGE. 

MBAN professional mortgage centre 

to address dearth of manpower in 

mortgage business 

bridge housing deficit in 

the country, just as the 

training centre will help to 

build carrier path and 

confidence of mortgage 

banks/ mortgage brokerage 

firms and their personnel 

to withstand the rigours of 

the industry. 

The President of 

Mortgage Bankers’ 


MBAN, Mr. Adeniyi 

Akinlusi, said in a 

statement in Lagos that 

membership of the MPMC 

is opened to interested 

individuals and enjoined 

employees in the subsector 

to get registered and 

avail themselves of this 

capacity enhancing 

training. 

Akinlusi said “With the 

establishment of the 

training centre, the MCPC 

becomes a job hub as the 

first point of call for 

institutions seeking 

qualified workforce.

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18) Similar to yesterday, emphasis 

will remain on friendship and cooperation. Although you 

can assert yourself, the more cooperative you are the better. 

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 19) It is good to be as ambitious as 

you are. However you will need to be as practical as necessary. 

Pm periods may bring good assistance from your friends. 

ARIES ( Mar 21 – Apr 19) You will have more to gain if you 

take your tried and trusted friends more seriously. Very soon 

your business affairs will take much of your time than before. 

TAURUS ( Apr 20 – May 20) Don’t wait till tomorrow before 

you take needed actions because there will be much more pressure 

on you tomorrow. Think about your future. 

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) You may be in for unexpected 

pleasant surprise as those you wrongly tag as your opponents 

will give you much needed support. Be friendly. 

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) You can make it a successful day 

with your cooperative approach at work. Let others see the talented 

side of your personality. Don’t ignore your love life. 

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — 53 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

“There are no vacuum. When something takes 

away, something comes back. And when we ride 

with the tide. Gratitude opens the heart to more 

blessings.”-Take Heart Quotes- 

Life happens for us, and when you think about it. 

Its like a paradox. But there comes a time when 

the turning point is the plus factor. That which we 

lose comes back another way. - Ella Randle- 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

You always 

learn a lot 

more when 

you lose than 

when you win. 

~ African 

proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22) You were born with higher degree of 

confidence, this your inborn talent will earn you much deserved 

success. Take your love life more seriously more than before. 

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22) The next few days will see you 

becoming more enterprising along your career/business line, 

that is why you will need to make practical plans ahead. Be 

more loving. 

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 22) Family (both personal and extended) 

issues should be settled now or else, they may go out of 

hands if you allow such to linger on unnecessarily. Be more 

loving. 

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21) It is one thing to make money 

another thing is the determination to hold on to your profits/ 

gains. Even if others are calling you names, hold firmly to your 

money. 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec21) It is good to be as positively 

self assertive as you are. However, you will need to think 

about new way to manage your finances. Take your love life 

seriously. 

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19) The Moon will join Mars in 

Capricorn and make you unstoppable. To be successful is to 

ignore critics who are ignorant of the forces behind your actions. 

ASTROLOGICAL ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

COUNSELLING 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” 

“HOT” 

By A.O.OLAIDE 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, Apapa, Lagos 

Which day of the week? 

Dear Joshua, 

I am a lady in my mid-age. People say I am rich but I can tell 

you that I am fairly comfortable. Please I want you to let me 

know how the planets lined up when I was born and what they 

mean to me. And which day of the week was I born ? I don’t want 

my full date published. Thank you Sir. Comfort. Lagos 

Dear Comfort. 

HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT 

DAY OF BIRTH= WEDNESDAY. 

SUN SIGN = TAURUS;SUN IN 5TH DEGREE OF TAU- 

RUS. 

MOON SIGN = VIRGO ;MOON IN 15TH DEGREE OF 

VIRGO 

STALLION SIGN=ARIES;MERCURY&VENUS IN ARIES 

MERCURY IN 28TH DEGREE OF ARIES*** 

VENUS IN 13TH DEGREE OF ARIES*** 

MARS IN 24TH DEGREE OF CANCER. 

JUPITER IN 5TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS. 

SATURN IN 29TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN. 

URANUS IN 21ST DEGREE OF LEO. 

NEPTUNE IN 10TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

PLUTO IN 5TH DEGREE OF VIRGO. 

NORTH NODE IN 4TH DEGREE OF VIRGO. 

SOUTH NODE IN 4TH DEGREE OF PISCES. 

NUMBERS OF PLANET HOSTED BY GROUP OF STAR 

SIGNS (ACCORDING TO QUALITY & ELEMENT) ARE; 

CARDINAL=4, FIXED=4,MUTABLE=2.FIRE =3, EARTH 

=4, AIR =1 WATER =2. 

PUSH-FULL INFLUENCE =40% 

NON-PUSH-FULL INFLUENCE=60% 

FINAL DISPOSITOR (PLANET AT HOME) = NONE. 

ANALYSIS OF THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY 

PLACEMENT 

This is a supper intelligent woman with brilliant ideas competing 

for prominence in her head and mind. Yes influence of 

Taurus indicates a patient person so also many planets in fixed/ 

earth/60% of not-push-full influence Star Signs, however aggressive 

Aries as The Stallion of the horoscope says you can not 

be taken for granted, and whoever does will know he or she is 

wrong. Combination of heavenly bodies placement points to 

you as a person with balanced personality with ambition and 

capacity to become very prominent. Placement of the Sun (the 

indicator of your inner-self/your consciousness self), the Moon 

(your emotion/your sub-conscious self) and Stallion (part of 

your Characteristics) in Taurus, Virgo and Aries respectively are 

indications of your being mainly a Taurus lady and partly Virgo/ 

Aries person. Characteristics of these three Star signs are 

highly pronounced in your inner-self. 

VIRGINIA 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

HOME & ABROAD 

By Lawrence Akapa


Painful moment Zidane 

gets booted in the mouth 

ZINEDINE ZIDANE was 

taken out with a painfullooking 

kick to the face in 

Real Madrid’s draw with Celta 

Vigo Sunday night. 

The Bernabeu boss 

had emerged from his 

dugout to bark some 

orders with the score at 

1-1 when the 

unfortunate incident 

happened. 

Celta Vigo defender 

Joseph Aidoo was 

battling for the ball with 

Toni Kross in the 61st 

minute. 

But he slipped as he 

went to put his foot on 

top of the ball and 

tumbled backwards 

into the technical area 

where Zidane stood. 

Aidoo’s legs went up 

as he rolled over, 

bringing the France 

legend into contact with 

KEVIN DE BRUYNE could miss out on up to 

£2.5million a season in add-ons after Man 

City’s Champions League ban. The Etihad club 

have been excluded from Europe’s top competition 

for two years for breaking Financial Fair Play rules. 

Reports have claimed that boss Pep Guardiola 

and Raheem Sterling are willing to stay at the club 

despite their exile. De Bruyne, 28, is another player 

who has been linked with leaving amid their crisis. 

But even if the Belgian stays, he is set to miss out 

on a load of cash as a consequence of not playing 

in the Champions League. 

Respected journalist Kristof Terreur quoted 

Football Leaks numbers detailing the breakdown 

of De Bruyne’s additional payments. 

It is believed that the two-time Premier League 

winner gets £1.25m-£1.5m per season for 

Champions League qualification on top of his basic 

wages. 

his boot. 

Photos showed the exact moment 

of the collision - you could actually 

see Zidane’s skin ripple with the 

FEELING DE PINCH 

De Bruyne to lose £2.5m 

after Man City’s ban 

impact. 

It was his second coming 

together in the space of a few days 

after he crashed his car on the way 

to training. 

But at least the World Cup 

legend took it like a champ. 

Zidane, 47, quickly got back up 

to his feet courtesy of a helping 

hand from Ghana star Aidoo. 

Tokyo marathon cancels mass 

race over coronavirus scare 

THE mass participation race at the Tokyo 

marathon, which was due to have 38,000 

people taking part, has become the latest sporting 

casualty of the coronavirus. In a statement 

organisers confirmed that the event on 1 March 

will now be limited to the elite field of 176 athletes 

and 30 wheelchair athletes. 

“We have been preparing for the Tokyo marathon 

2020 while implementing preventive safety 

measures, however, now that a case of COVID-19 

(coronavirus) has been confirmed within Tokyo, we 

cannot continue to launch the event within the scale 

we originally anticipated,” they added. 

Organisers said that all registered runners would 

be allowed to defer their entry until next year – 

however they would have to pay again and would 

also not get their money back from this year’s race. 

Lacazette warns Arsenal 

not to rely on Man City’s ban to 

qualify for Champions League 

ALEXANDRE Lacazette 

insists Arsenal cannot 

rely on Manchester City’s 

European ban in their pursuit of 

Champions League football 

because it would come as no 

surprise if the decision was 

overturned. 

City were last week banned from 

European competitions for the 

next two seasons over breaches of 

Financial Fair Play regulations, a 

UEFA decision which could open 

the door to the Premier League’s 

chasing pack. 

Arsenal are now only six points 

off fifth after Sunday’s 4-0 win 

over Newcastle, which saw 

Lacazette end his nine-game wait 

for a goal. 

But the Frenchman says 10thplace 

Arsenal must worry only 

about what they can control. 

On whether City’s ban has the Gunners squad discussing a potential 

Champions League return, he said: ‘I think it is early to talk because 

they can do an appeal and often it happens in football that, what do 

they say, it gets cancelled. 

Costa trains for Liverpool clash 

ATLETICO Madrid striker Diego 

Costa has returned from injury 

and could be available for today’s 

Champions League match against 

Liverpool. 

Costa, who won the Premier League 

with Chelsea during a three-year 

spell, trained with his team-mates on 

Monday after recovering from 

surgery to correct a slipped disc in 

his back in November last year. 

Atletico could also be boosted by 

the return of Uruguay defender Jose 

Gimenez, who was on the bench for 

Friday’s 2-2 draw with Valencia, for 

the match at the Wanda 

Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. 

However, two of the club’s summer 

signings, Joao Felix and Kieran 

Trippier, are set to miss out for Atletico. 

Felix, who was signed from Benfica for a club-record fee of £113m, 

has been struggling with injury in recent weeks, missing Atletico’s 

last three matches. 

Liverpool set to earn 

£175m for winning EPL 

L 

IVERPOOL’s 

second place finish last season 

saw them earn more money from the Premier 

League than any other team, even title winners 

Manchester City. 

The £152.4million scooped by Jurgen Klopp’s 

side was just shy of £1.5million more than City, 

thanks to Liverpool’s popularity with domestic 

broadcasters. 

In a nutshell, the more times a team appears on 

a UK channel the more they earn, around 

£1.15million per game. 

With 29 games broadcast live on UK TV from a 

possible 38, Liverpool banked £33.5million from 

the Premier League in so-called ‘facility fees’ - 

more than £3million more than City earned 

through this channel following 26 live games. 

GUARD OF HONOUR 

Pep tells Man City squad ‘I will be here next 

season even in League Two’ 

PEP GUARDIOLA has reassured his players that he 

will not be leaving - even if Man City were are 

demoted to LEAGUE TWO. 

Manchester City chief Ferran Soriano urged the squad 

to trust him as he insisted the two-year Champions League 

ban will be dropped. Guardiola was odds-on to leave the 

2018/19 Premier League champions before the start of next 

season following the ban. 

Klitschko wants Joshua to 

become world’s no 1 

WLADIMIR Klitschko wants Anthony Joshua to become the 

world’s no 1 but admits he must face the Deontay Wilder-Tyson 

Fury winner to achieve that status. 

Joshua is set to make the next defence of his WBA ‘super’, IBF and 

WBO heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev in 

June, while Wilder puts his WBC belt at stake in 

a rematch with Fury in Las Vegas this weekend. 

Klitschko has been retired since 2017 after an 

epic Wembley defeat to Joshua and believes the 

fellow Olympic gold medallist has the necessary 

attributes to emerge as the sole heavyweight 

champion. 

Speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards, 

Klitschko said: “I wish that’s going to be Joshua, 

because I think all around, he’s a superior 

athlete, Olympic champion, great guy for the 

sport and being an ambassador for the sport. I 

think he’s got it all.

Enyimba overrun Abia Warriors in derby 

Enyimba Football Club produced 

a clinical performance to outclass 

Abia Warriors 4-1 in a thrilling 

Nigeria Professional Football League 

fixture at the Okigwe Stadium 

yesterday morning. 

The fixture, which began at the 

Umuahia Township Stadium on 

Sunday evening but was called off 

following crowd violence; turned into 

an exciting five-goal spectacle upon 

resumption in Okigwe. 

Stanley Dimgba kept his feet on the 

pedals of his fine scoring form, 

controlling Cyril Olisema's chipped 

pass to send in a low strike and give 

Enyimba the lead four minutes before 

the interval. 

Three minutes later, youngster 

Anayo Iwuala spearheaded a swift 

break to set up Victor Mbaoma, who 

picked his spot from the edge of the 

Ighalo can get 

permanent 

deal, says 

Solskjaer 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said 

‘there’s a chance’ that 

Manchester United could make 

the loan signing of Odion Ighalo 

permanent. 

Ighalo joined the club on deadline 

day from Chinese Super League 

side Shanghai Shenhua, joining 

on a loan deal until the end of the 

season as the club looked to bolster 

their attacking options. 

“It’s a loan, but when you’re in the 

door and if you impress it gives 

you a chance,” Solskjaer said 

“That’s exactly the same for 

everyone who signs if it’s 

permanent or it’s a loan. If you 

impress as a player, if you impress 

as a person, if you can help this 

group improve, then of course 

there’s a chance that we’ll look at 

extending things. 

“That doesn’t just go for Odion, but 

since you asked, yes, of course his 

incentive is to play as well as he 

can. And it’s up to us to make sure 

that he’d want to stay if we wanted 

him. 

“I think he’s probably pinching 

himself at times, because he’s 

now at his favourite club at the age 

of 30. 

“Hopefully he’ll prove to you what 

I think he will. He’s a proven 

goalscorer, so he’ll do all right.” 

•Sols 

box, handing Fatai Osho's side a two-goal lead 

at the break. 

The visitors were made to weather sustained 

pressure at the restart - with Timothy Danladi 

and Abiodun Adebayo holding strong 

at center-back - but looked lethal 

on the break, and it was from one 

of such that Iwuala squashed 

hopes of a comeback when he 

finished off Olisema's 

•Alozie 

exquisite pass for his first 

goal since joining the 

People's Elephant this 

season. 

Dimgba then 

netted his brace six 

minutes later with 

a calm finish from 

Dare Olatunji’s 

long ball. 

Yakub 

Hammed 

pulled 

one back 

for the 

hosts, but 

it proved too little to put any dent 

on Enyimba’s fourth straight 

league win. 

•Ighalo 

Nwankwo Kanu: Ighalo can fill 

Lukaku void at ManUtd 

Nwankwo Kanu has backed 

Nigerian compatriot Odion 

Ighalo to be a success at 

Manchester United. 

Due to an injury to Marcus 

Rashford, Ighalo has been brought 

in on loan from Shanghai 

Shenhua for the rest of the season. 

While the deal has received 

criticism, Kanu feels that former 

Watford man Ighalo possesses the 

qualities to spend a prolonged 

period at Old Trafford, acting as a 

long-term replacement for Romelu 

Lukaku. 

The ex-Arsenal frontman told 

Goal.com: "Yes he can replace him. 

If you watch him play, you'd find 

out that he is strong and can score 

goals. 

"What he needs is the service. In 

this team, I am sure his game will 

improve because the team has 

great players. Despite playing in 

the Chinese league, Ighalo is not 

a player you would look down on 

and say he is not a good player. 

"I believe in him and I know he 

can deliver if given the chance. 

Bringing him to Old Trafford 

means that those in the club 

Edo 2020: 186 Athletes to 

represent Adamawa 

Acting Director, Adamawa State Sports Council, Mrs Esther Dominic 

has said that no fewer than 186 Athletes will represent the state in 

the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Edo. 

Dominic said that the state government had prepared for the festival 

tagged; “Edo 2020’’, when the Torch of Unity arrived Yola, on Monday. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the festival is 

scheduled to hold between March 21 and April 10, in Benin City. 

The director said that the government had invited many athletes to 

the camp in preparation for the games. 

“So far, Adamawa has prepared for about 186 Athletes who will 

participate in about 30 different sports. 

“The state government has given its assurance of maximum support 

for the contingent so that at the end of the festival, our athletes will 

return home with many medals,’’ Dominic said. 

In his remark, Alhaji Faruq Sanusi, Commissioner for Youths and 

Sports, said that government had prepared well in the selection of the 

athletes to represent the state. 

According to Sanusi, government has also prepared an attractive 

welfare package for athletes and officials. 

believe in his ability, and we have 

to respect that. I don't think he will 

not disappoint because he will 

give them value for their money." 

Igahlo is expected to feature in 

the United squad for Monday 

night's Premier League encounter 

at Chelsea. 

Former Flying Eagles coach 

Tunde Disu has said it would 

be nice to have Odion Ighalo back 

into the national team, from which 

he retired after the 2019 Africa 

Cup of Nations. 

Disu, who was speaking against 

the back drop of Ighalo's move to 

Manchester United, stressed that 

the Nigerian striker still have 

more to give, adding that he would 

do well at Old Trafford. 

Disu said Manchester United 

could not have made a mistake in 

acquiring Ighalo, adding that his 

successful spell at various clubs 

was a testimony of his impressive 

career. 

“Ighalo should have meant 

something to a great club like 

Manchester United before they 

can move for him. He is a good 

(penalty) box player with a lot of 

energy. 

“I really didn’t like it when he 

retired from the national team and 

I hope he will rescind his decision 

if he gets a call for the coach, 

Gernot Rohr. 

“For Manchester United, he is 

the type of striker they need and I 

hope that he will justify the faith 

they have in him. Also, for 

Nigeria, he is our type of player,’’ 

he said. 

“He is a type of player that does 

not miss a scoring opportunity, a 

penalty box player with 

proficiency like the late Rashidi 

Yekini and he is not an injuryprone 

player. 


Tokyo 2020 Olympics: 

Alozie's experience could count, 

says AFN technical director 

Olympics 2000 silver medalist 

in the women 100m hurdles, 

Gloria Alozie is on the wish list 

of Athletics Federation of Nigeria 

(AFN) technical director, Brown 

Ebewele for coaches that 

will make the team to the 

2020 Games in Tokyo, 

Japan. 

Alozie's 12.44 

seconds remains 

the African and 

national 

record in the 

event and 

based on 

the fact 

that Tobi 

Amusan 

is in the 

top five 

contenders 

for medals in Tokyo, 2020, 

Ebewele said it would be wise 

to have Alozie in the coaching crew 

to give useful tips to the up and 

coming Amusan who finished fourth 

at the World Championships in 

Doha, Qatar. 

“Alozie's contribution would be 

useful. She was in the final of the 

Olympics and won a silver in the 

100m hurdles. 

"This is an Olympic year, therefore, 

all hands must be harnessed to 

achieve the desired goal”, Ebewele 

said. 

On the All-Comers meet at the 

weekend in Akure Ondo State, the 

AFN technical director said athletes 

turn-out was impressive and they 

enjoyed the first competition of the 

year. 

He reiterated the need for all 

athletes to bond together, stressing 

that as head of the technical 

committee, he would ensure that 

justice prevails in the federation. 

Rangers lodge appeal against 

ref's decisions against Akwa 

By Tomiwa Ajobola 

The management of Rangers 

International has made an 

official appeal to the League 

Management Company to 

investigate the decisions of 

referee, Jacob Gwatsa over his 

controversial handling of match 

day 20 with Akwa United in 

Enugu where the referee ignored 

two clear penalty calls against the 

visiting side that won 2-1. 

Rangers management wondered 

why the same referee that had his 

red card decision against its 

player, Pascal Seka in a 

rescheduled match day 8 fixture 

against host, Bendel Insurance in 

Benin last season, rescinded by the 

league organizers would be at the 

centre of controversial calls barely 

a year after. 

According to the letter signed by 

Rangers team manager , Barrister 

Amobi Ezeaku, the club noted that 

''this same Jacob Gwatsa issued a 

red card in the match day 8, match 

number 045A rescheduled 

between Bendel Insurance F.C 

and Rangers International F.C, 

Enugu. The LMC reversed the red 

card decision. 

Disu wants Ighalo back into 

Super Eagles squad 

The 30-year old Ighalo had 

previously played for Julius 

Berger of Lagos in 2006, where he 

started his professional career. 

Disu who coached the Flying 

Eagles to a second place finish at 

the 1989 World Youth 

Championship in Saudi Arabia 

however said he was hopeful 

Ighalo would return to the Super 

Eagles. 

•Disu 

“Besides the numerous 

questionable calls made by referee 

Jacob Gwatsa, in the match day 20 

fixture, the height of it was the 

penalty appeals which the said 

referee waved off to the chagrin of 

even his co-officials in the game. 

''On two occasions, the opposing 

defenders handled the ball in the 

penalty box and a Rangers striker 

(Seka Pascal) was hacked down 

inside the box and the referee 

waved play on\\, noted Ezeaku. 

Rangers International appealed 

to the LMC to ensure justice was 

done so as to serve as a deterrence 

to other referees who may plot to 

bring the game to disrepute 

through biased officiating. 

Blue House 

wins Estaport 

School Inter 

House 

competition 

By Jacob Ajom 

Adeniji Timileyin and Rhema 

Benjamin of Red and Blue 

Houses have emerged the 2020 

fastest boy and girl of Estaport 

Schools Gbagada. 

The duo achieved the feats after 

emerging winners of the boys and 

girls 100 metres races in this year's 

Estaport Schools Inter House 

Sports competition concluded 

Saturday in Gbagada, Lagos. 

Due to his 5-star performance, 

Adeniji Timileyin was also named 

the best male athlete of the 

competition while Olamide Akanni 

of Green House was named Best 

Female Athlete. 

In the overall standing, Blue 

House topped the table with 24 

gold, 17 silver and 14 bronze 

medals. 

They were followed by Red House 

with 17 gold, 22 silver and 11 

bronze medals, while Green House 

with 13 gold, 13 silver and 18 

bronze medals placed third.. Yellow 

House took the rear with 10 gold, 

12 silver and 19 bronze medals. 

Speaking after the games, 

Proprietress of Estaport Schools 

Mrs Biola Awote praised the pupils 

for putting up outstanding 

performances and observed that 

with the way they were going, the 

sky would be their limit. 

Awote said the school believes in 

the total development of the child 

through academics and extra 

corricular activities. 

Wale Adewunmi, Chairman of the 

Parents Teachers Association said 

he was impressed by the 

performances of the pupils and 

pledged the PTA's continuos 

support to the school for greater 

performance.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

ACROSS 

1 Uninteresting (4) 

3 Cooked egg dish (8) 

9 Spoken (7) 

10 Punctuation mark (5) 

11 Latin-American dance (5) 

12 Farmed fish (6) 

14 Cricket arbiter (6) 

16 Raffia (anag.) (6) 

19 Beer producer (6) 

21 Cosa Nostra (5) 

24 Snapshot (5) 

25 Fuel for a Christmas fire (4,3) 

26 Back and forth (2,3,3,) 

27 Write, using a keyboard (4) 

Down 

1 Dubious (8) 

2 Allowed to enter (3,2) 

4 Unassuming (6) 

5 Neighbourbood pub (5) 

6 Lottery (7) 

7 Dutch cheese (4) 

8 Fervour (6) 

13 Three-sided figure (8) 

15 Framework for climbing plants (7) 

17 kin (6) 

18 Petition to a deity (6) 

20 Courted (5) 

22 Young mare (5) 

23 Petty quarrel (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. 

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri-Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Hotline: 

08027767834; 01-4544821. Abuja office: 7, Dambata Close, Area 7, Garki, 09-2921024. Ikeja office: 73, Awolowo Way. V.I. Office: Murplus Plaza, 27, Sanusi Fafunwa Street. Asaba: 21, Anwai 

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news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01-4548355. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

18022020

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