24022020

Banks' 

lending rates 

defy crash 

in TB 

yields 

Oshiomhole, 

Obaseki’s feud 

48 

worsens, as APC financial 

14 

leaders differ on crisis 

NDIC 

liquidates 425 

institutions 

VOL. 27: NO. 64011 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 

Why Presidency should return 

to South in 2023, by El-Rufai 

OMO-AGEGE THANKSGIVING... 

•Says no justification for Northerner to take over after Buhari’s 8 years 

CONVOCATION LECTURE... 

From left: Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, II; Alh. Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto; Alhaji Umar Namadi, 

Deputy Governor of Jigawa State; Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President, as the 

Vice President delivers the convocation lecture *Facing the New Decade* at the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State. 

5 

Ash 

Wednesday: 

Christians to 

dress in black 

to protest 

insecurity in 

Nigeria 9 

Dangote 

Group 

invests 

N63bn in 

S-East 

economy 

—NNEJI 

15 

Mr & Mrs 

Troops grumble as 

non-release of 

N600bn stalls 

payment of 

8 

allowances to military 

personnel 

Niger gov takes case 

to God, as 10,000 

are sacked from 

ancestral homes 

due to insecurity 9 

OWEI LAKEMFA 31 

APC no longer a 

functional political 

Zenith crosses N200bn 

mark, post after tax 

profit of N208.8bn 

49 

party — DG, APC GOVS FORUM 

24

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — 3


Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

... 

OMO-AGEGE THANKSGIVING—From left: Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Secretary to the 

Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo; Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and wife Rosemary, during the thanksgiving 

mass held by the deputy senate president at Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church in Effurun, Delta 

State, yesterday. 

Why Presidency should return to 

South in 2023 — EL-RUFAI 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor 

ABUJA — As the 

permutations for 

the 2023 

Presidency begin to 

dominate political 

discourse nationwide, 

Kaduna State governor, 

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, 

has said the Presidency 

should rightly return to 

the Southern part of the 

country. 

Although the governor, 

acclaimed to be a major 

strategist of the ruling 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, did not 

specify which of the 

southern geopolitical 

zones should take the 

Presidency in 2023, he 

argued that it would be 

unjustified for the North 

to seek to retain the 

Presidency after 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari might have 

completed his eight 

years. 

El-Rufai, who headed 

the APC’s Restructuring 

Committee, pointed out 

that although the party’s 

constitution does not 

make provision for 

rotational presidency, 

like the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, it 

was a general 

understanding that the 

Presidency should rotate 

between the two political 

zones of Nigeria for the 

sake of justice, equity 

and fair play. 

The governor said: "The 

general political 

consensus in Nigeria is 

that the Presidency 

should rotate between 

the North and the South. 

It is not written but 

everyone understands it. 

"In some of the parties, 

like the PDP, it is even 

written down in their 

constitution but it was 

breached in 2015. I think 

that every politician of 

honour should 

understand and abide by 

that consensus except 

there is an extenuating 

circumstance compelling 

it to be set aside. What 

could this be? 

"President Yar’Adua 

died in office and it was 

compulsory for Jonathan 

to continue but when 

2011 election came, there 

were many people who 

insisted that Jonathan 

should step aside for a 

northerner to complete 

the tenure of Yar’Adua 

but I opposed it 

because I didn’t think it 

was proper for an 

incumbent that got there 

not by his own design 

should be stopped from 

contesting when the 

constitution has not 

barred him from 

running. 

"In the APC, we 

deliberately omitted 

rotational Presidency in 

our constitution and the 

emergence of a 

presidential candidate 

does not take into 

account zoning and that 

was why in 2015, Rochas 

Okorocha from the East 

contested, Sam Nda- 

Isaiah contested, 

Buhari, Kwankwaso and 

others contested. 

"I can say that as 

distinct from the PDP, 

APC has no rotational 

Presidency but 

candidates are selected 

strictly on the basis of 

political merit and the 

general acceptability of 

the candidate. 

"I want to say that those 

of us from Northern 

Nigeria honour 

agreements. We do not 

violate unwritten 

political agreements and 

I will be the last person 

to lead in violating that 

agreement. I may have a 

personal view but that 

should be the basis. I 

don’t care where you 

come from but I look for 

merit. 

"But as a group, the 

Northern APC will have 

to sit down and endorse 

someone, most likely 

someone from the South, 

because after eight years 

of Buhari, I don’t think 

the Presidency should 

remain in the north 

unless there is some 

e x t e n u a t i n g 

circumstances. But all 

things being equal, we 

will honour our 

agreement and we keep 

our words.’’ 

It will be recalled that 

some northern leaders 

have lately begun to 

canvass for the retention 

of the Presidency in the 

region, arguing that the 

south had done more 

years than them since 

President Umaru 

Yar’Adua died and his 

vice, Goodluck Jonathan, 

took over and did 

another term in place of 

the north. 

Others have even 

argued that since the 

PDP jettisoned the well 

established rotational 

Presidency, which the 

party put in place to 

ensure orderly sharing 

of power, power sharing 

between the north and 

the south should no 

longer be on agreement 

but on merit. 

N35m Camry 2020 model for NASS (3) 

By Bose Adelaja, 

Olayinka Latona 

& Rose Chukwu 

We are really funny 

in this country. 

Despite the unpleasant 

living conditions of most 

Nigerians, insecurity amidst 

other urgent issues that need 

to be attended to, what our 

NASS members could 

clamour for is Camry 2020 

model, what a joke! Despite 

the gigantic salary they get, 

in my opinion, these people 

should be dismissed. They 

obviously don’t know what 

they are there for. 

-Adebayo Muheez 

Content creator 

Buying new cars for 

members is not wrong if only 

the cost would be deducted 

from their allowances but of 

course, we all know that 

won’t be the case. 

If the billions of naira used 

in securing super 

expensive luxurious cars 

and SUVs for NASS 

members since 2012 had 

been used to better the 

economy and security, then 

Nigeria would have been 

one of the best in the world. 

-Sinabio Abraham 

Analyst 

This isn’t in any way 

new to Nigerians, 

the honourable members 

would argue they need 

mobility and it’s an 

entitlement. However, 

it’s important NASS 

begins to reconsider the 

way they allocate funds 

for personal benefit. The 

state of our economy 

doesn’t deserve to incur 

more liabilities. Sadly, 

it’s a tradition that has 

come to stay. 

-Jude Oseh 

Youth Advocate 

THIS is a way of 

laundering money. 

Some members of the 

NASS are returning and 

I see no need for you to 

get them a car and it’s not 

even ideal because the 

nation isn’t financially 

buoyant. 

Even if they want to, 

they should take a 

cheaper one that 

wouldn’t disturb the 

nation’s finances. 

-Afolayan Toyosi 

Entrepreneur 

PERSONALLY, I 

think it is an 

illegality and everyone 

with a good heart should 

condemn it. So this 

National Assembly can 

back President Buhari on 

border closure but not 

importation of cars? Rice 

is contraband but car is 

not. This brings us to the 

level of competency of 

this NASS members 

-Owoso Tomiwa 

Businessman 

This APC government 

promised to deliver 

economic growth to Nigerians. 

The party produced majority 

of the NASS members, 

including the Senate president. 

How do they intend to deliver 

economic growth when they 

are not patronizing our local 

products? The legislature is not 

ready for our economic 

development. Buying N35m 

car for 109 senators from a 

company with no production 

factory in Nigeria is nothing but 

wickedness and cluelessness. 

-Olamide Abbas, Youth 

Leader

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—NO fewer than five 

persons were reportedly killed 

and several others injured 

following a bloody clash between 

men of the Nigerian Navy and 

youths in the riverine communities 

of Ilaje Local Government Area of 

Ondo State over the recovery of 

arms. 

Men of the Nigerian Navy, 

Forward Operating Base, 

Igbokoda, Ilaje council area of the 

state, reportedly invaded some 

communities in Ugbo kingdom in 

an attempt to recover arms 

allegedly in the possession of some 

youths. 

Recall that four Naval ratings 

were allegedly killed by youths in 

the community while trying to free 

three foreigners that were 

abducted. 

In a swift reaction, Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu, waded in by 

appealing to the Nigerian Navy 

to de-escalate tension by engaging 

the communities in a manner that 

will engender a friendly approach 

to achieve positive results. 

Governor Akeredolu, however, 

said: “Confirmed reports of 

collaboration between community 

leaders and criminals will not be 

overlooked as government will 

leave no stone unturned to bring 

perpetrators to face the full wrath 

of the Law. 

Meanwhile, in a statement, the 

Ugbo Central Working Committee, 

LGA polls: 

Umahi sacks 

aide for 

shooting staff 

of Fed Poly in 

Ebonyi 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI— 

GOVERNOR David 

Umahi of Ebonyi State, 

weekend, ordered the sack 

and arrest of Ubeyi 

Development Centre 

Coordinator, Uche Ibiam, 

who allegedly shot dead one 

Enyinna Ibiam at the state 

primaries of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP. 

The order came barely 

after two days of the bloody 

councillorship primaries of 

PDP, which took place in the 

13 local government areas 

and in 171 political wards of 

the state. 

Ibiam was said to have 

pulled, shot at his brother, 

Ibiam Ogbonnaya Junior (aka 

Terror), Technical Assistant to 

the governor on security, but 

fortunately, he dodged and the 

bullet hit the victim. 

The victim, Enyinna Ibiam, 

was a staff of the Federal 

Polytechnic Uwanna but died 

while trying to separate a fight 

between the sacked coordinator 

and his brother, when the bullet 

hit him and pierced through 

his nose. 

The governor, who ordered 

the arrest and sack of the said 

person, made this known in a 

statement signed by the 

Secretary to Ebonyi State 

Government, SSG, Dr. Kenneth 

Ugbala. 

5 feared killed, others injured as Navy, 

youths clash in Ondo riverine communities 

UCWC, weekend, alleged that “the 

invasion has paralysed economic 

activities, destroyed lives and property, 

while some members of the 

communities are still nowhere to be 

found. 

“No fewer than five people have 

already been reported dead and several 

others injured. 

“The activities of Nigerian Navy 

under the watch of Commodore 

Danjuma Ndanusa, C.O., F.O.B., 

Igbokoda should be investigated, The 

Nigerian Navy should be mandated 

DANGER AVERTED: Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Response Team, other first 

responders blanketing the incident spot at the Otedola Lagos-Ibadan link bridge where an oil tanker with 

number plate DKA 952 ZP fully loaded with 40,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, detached and spilled 

its content, yesterday. 

Adoption saga: Man raises alarm over missing brother in Imo 

By Esther Onyegbula 

A 

58- year-old man, 

Chukwuemeka Obilor, has 

raised alarm over the mysterious 

disappearance of his brother, 

Chigozie Obilor, following disputes 

that arose over the inheritance of 

their late father’s property in 

Umudim community of Imo State. 

Chukwuemeka is pointing an 

accusing finger at some members 

of the community and his kinsmen, 

who he alleged, connived to deny 

him his inheritance as an adopted 

son. 

Describing the family’s position 

as an act of injustice, 

Chukwuemeka explained that 

trouble started after their father 

died and his biological son, 

Chigozie, mysteriously 

disappeared in 2011. 

He said: “They have continued 

to accuse me of masterminding the 

kidnap of Chigozie Obilor (Mazi 

Obilor’s biological son), which led 

to his mysterious disappearance 

till date because I want to inherit 

our late father’s estate alone. 

"Apart from peddling lies and 

falsehood, they have continued to 

SARS operative slumps, dies in office 

•As NSCDC personnel dies after promotion examination 

By Evelyn Usman 

SPECIAL Anti-Robbery Squad 

of the Lagos State Police 

Command was thrown into 

mourning, weekend, as one of its 

operatives, Christopher Akpan, 

slumped and died inside his office. 

This came as a female personnel 

of Nigeria Security and Civil 

Defence Corps, NSCDC, 

reportedly died a day after writing 

her promotion examination in Lagos 

. 

It was gathered that the late 

Christopher Akpan was recently 

promoted to the rank of an Assistant 

Superintendent of Police . 

Vanguard also gathered that late 

Akpan, who led a team of operatives 

to effect the arrest of some suspected 

criminals, was preparing for another 

The late Christopher Akpan 

operation when death came 

knocking. 

While struggling with death, his 

colleagues were said to be waiting 

down stairs for the second operation. 

Some of them were said to have 

knocked on the door of his office 

without response. 

It was gathered they concluded 

he could have gone out and 

reportedly dialled his mobile line 

only to discover it was ringing from 

inside his office. 

By the time they forced the door 

opened, they found Akpan on his 

chair, motionless. He was said to 

have been rushed to an undisclosed 

hospital where he was confirmed 

dead. 

Some of his colleagues attributed 

his death to stress . 

NSCDC personnel dies 

after promotion 

examination 

threaten my life, making concerted 

efforts to eliminate all members of 

my family. They have killed my 

brother, Chinedu Obilor, and also 

continued to tarnish our image and 

undermine the good services my 

brother and I have rendered to our 

community. 

“I have decided to set the records 

straight by telling the world and 

Umudim community that my late 

brother and I were legally adopted 

by late Mazi Damion Obilor. I have 

also decided to make available 

copies of our adoption confirmation 

to look for the missing people, The 

Nigerian Navy should release our 

people arrested in connection with 

this unfounded allegation without 

further delay. 

“There should be an urgent all-inclusive 

security meeting in Ilaje 

council. They should also be 

mandated to refurbish the destroyed 

property and should also be 

mandated to refund the looted 

money belonging to our people." 

NSCDC spokesperson in 

Lagos, Kehinde Bada, who 

confirmed the death of its officer 

yesterday, said Basirat 

Olanipekun died on Saturday 

after writing the examination at 

the Ikeja Police College on 

Friday. 

“She was ill and came for the 

promotion examination. It happened 

that after the examination, 

she collapsed and was 

rushed to the police hospital at 

the college where she was 

treated but later died,” Bada said. 

The spokesperson said she had 

been buried according to Islamic 

rites. 

She said the commandant, Mr 

Ayinla Adeyinka, expressed 

NSCDC’s condolences and 

prayed that God would give the 

family the fortitude to bear the 

irreparable loss. 

documents, which have been in 

my custody since the demise of our 

father. 

“I will also use this opportunity 

to call on security agencies to 

unravel the mystery surrounding 

my brother’s mysterious 

disappearance and keep a check 

on trespassers into our father’s 

property. 

"All their efforts to forcefully cajole 

me to relinquish my family’s 

property must fail because I am the 

first son of the family and I am 

entitled to inherit the family estate.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 —7 

Police arrest 17 suspected members 

of Aiye, Eiye confraternities 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

The suspects. 

By Esther Onyegbula 

THE police in Lagos, 

yesterday, said they have 

arrested 17 persons for violence 

during cult clashes at Ijora 

Badia and Ikorodu areas of the 

state. 

The state police 

spokesperson, Bala Elkana, 

disclosed in a statement that 

five of the suspects were 

arrested on Friday at Badia, 

while 12 others were arrested 

yesterday at Ikorodu. 

According to the statement, 

the Ijora Badia Police Station 

received a distress call that two 

rival cult groups were 

engaged in a supremacy 

battle. 

The police said the cult 

groups were armed with 

cutlasses and other dangerous 

weapons, with which they 

inflicted injuries on one 

another. 

The clash occurred at Iso Isu 

area of Ijora Badia, the police 

spokesperson said. 

“Police operatives from Ijora 

Badia Division and Special 

Strike Force on Social 

Miscreants from the 

Command Headquarters, 

Ikeja were mobilised to the 

area and five suspects were 

arrested,” Mr Elkana said. 

The arrested suspects are 

Olaniyi Abiodun, 21; Emola 

Kamal, 20; Muritala 

Gbadeyanka,18; Kadiri 

Bashorun,28; and Adebayo 

Ebiesuwa,25. 

Elkana, a Deputy 

Superintendent of Police, said 

the arrested suspects belong 

to Aiye and Eiye 

confraternities. 

In a similar development, 

the police said members of 

Aiye and Eiye confraternities 

attacked each other at Ladega 

area Ikorodu, yesterday, where 

one of the members sustained 

severe injuries. 

Elkana said officers from 

Ikorodu division, Shagamu 

Road, Ipakodo, Rapid 

Response Squad, RRS, and 

Special Anti-Robbery Squad, 

SARS, were mobilised to the 

scene. 

The 24-year old Lateef 

Ganiyu, who was seriously 

injured during the fight was 

rushed to General Hospital, 

Ikorodu, where he is currently 

receiving treatment, the police 

said. 

Twelve suspects were 

arrested on the scene. 

Mr Elkana said 

investigation is ongoing and 

the suspects will soon be 

charged to court. 

Bros, is it your sweat or your 

forehead? 

Graduate arrested for allegedly forging riders ID cards 

By Evelyn Usman 

A 

33-year-old graduate of Mass 

Communication, Ojo 

Adeyinka, has been arrested for 

allegedly forging Riders Identity 

Cards of Motor Vehicle 

Administration, Agents of the 

Lagos State Government, selling 

same to motorcycles riders 

between N2,500 and N3,400. 

Recovered from the suspect were 

machines used in printing the fake 

documents and large quantity of 

the printed materials. 

His arrest by policemen attached 

to the Ikorodu division followed a 

complaint received from the 

Station Manager of Riders Card, 

Ikorodu division, Prince Ibrahim 

Audu. 

During interrogation, the 

suspect, according to the Police, 

admitted to have started forgery 

of the riders permit last month. 

Confirming the arrest, 

spokesman for Lagos State Police 

Command, DSP Elkana Bala, 

said: “He used the advantage of 

the proximity of his shop to the 

licensing office at Odogunyan 

area to lure his victims, under the 

guise of being an agent of the 

Vehicle Inspection Officer, VIO." 

The suspect 

The result of school na scam 

What about a lady who 

promised to visit but failed?


Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai. 

Troops grumble as non-release of N600bn stalls 

payment of allowances to military personnel 

•Allowances approved under MAFA by President Buhari since 2018 

•Exodus as Boko Haram threatens to attack Garkida again 

•Why we deploy local hunters – Police 

By Kingsley Omonobi 

& Ibrahim Hassan 

WORRIED by the plethora 

of petitions, 

msinformation, exchange of 

unsubstantiated text messages 

and unfounded allegations over 

payment of allowances, and other 

emoluments which personnel of 

the Armed Forces are entitled to, 

and the negative effect it could 

have on morale, military 

authorities have directed 

Formation Commanders, 

Operational and Institutional 

Commanders to engage troops 

and clear any grey areas agitating 

the minds of such troops. 

Petitions sent to NASS, 

Presidency 

Many of the petitions have 

been sent to the National 

Assembly and the Presidency. 

This came on a day the 

people of Garkida in Adamawa 

State raised alarm that Boko 

Haram insurgents threatened 

to launch a fresh attack on the 

area, barely 48 hours after they 

launched an attack that led to 

the razing of homes, churches, 

mosques and other properties, 

and caused the people to flee 

en masse into the bush. 

The directive to commanders 

at all levels, including GOCs, Corp 

Commanders, Operational 

Commanders, Commandants of 

Institutions and equivalent, 

followed misconceptions about 

the implementation of the 

Manual of Financial 

Administration, MAFA, for the 

Armed Forces, which was signed 

into law by President 

Muhammadu Buhari on 

January 26, 2018. 

Under the MAFA which 

implementation ought to have 

commenced in 2018, several 

allowances were reviewed and 

new ones approved for troops 

towards ensuring a boost to 

morale, particularly in the current 

dispensation that the nation is 

at war not only against terrorism 

but also against banditry and 

other national security threats. 

Consequently, Incidental 

Allowances, including Packing or 

Posting allowances, Terminal 

Packing allowances, Lodging 

allowances, were reviewed 

upwards. So also were Courses 

allowances for officers, ratings and 

airmen. 

Furthermore, the MAFA spelt 

out the new Transport allowance 

packages for students of Course 

as it applies to officers of the ranks 

of Majors to Colonels and 

equivalent, Lieutenants to 

Captains and equivalent, 

Sergeants to Army Warrant 

Officer and equivalent as well as 

Private to Corporal and 

equivalent. 

Also contained in the MAFA 

are what personnel are entitled 

to as Non-Accident Bonus 

Allowances, Family Passage 

Allowances and Security 

Debarment Allowances. 

The security Debarment 

Allowance in particular, has 

caused uproar among troops 

because since 2018 when it was 

signed into law, affected 

military personnel claimed they 

had not been paid the money 

which is aimed at keeping them, 

going pending payment of their 

gratuities and pensions 

MAFA states explicitly: 

“Security Debarment 

Allowance is payable by each 

service to all personnel on 

retirement from service. The 

essence of the allowance is to 

debar personnel from employing 

skills acquired in service against 

the state after retirement and the 

amount is 10 per cent of annual 

salary at the time of retirement.’’ 

For implementation of 

payments for Security 

Debarment allowances, it was 

discovered that if funding is made 

available, the Defence 

Headquarters will be saddled with 

the responsibility and not the 

Army, Navy or Airforce authorities 

as erroneously believed by 

military personnel. 

Investigations, however, 

revealed that since the signing 

into law of the MAFA, the dilly 

dally over firstly, the budgeting 

and approval of funding for it’s 

implementation which had been 

in the pipeline, non-availability 

or lack of cash backing had seen 

it’s implementation stalled. 

However, many members of the 

Armed Forces erroneously 

believed that with Buhari’s 

signature approving the financial 

administration, payment and 

other implementation had since 

commenced, convinced that the 

various services were sitting on 

their entitlements. 

What investigations revealed 

Investigations revealed that as 

at 2020, the National Assembly 

STATE OF THE NATION 

Troops of Nigerian Army. 

only appropriated about 48 

percent to 50 percent of money 

needed on the average, hence 

partial implementation 

commenced in all the Services 

which troops are viewing as 

attempts to shortchange them of 

their entitlements. 

So with the dilemma of its 

inability to implement the MAFA 

and to douse the tension it is 

generating, the Payment 

Instructions issued to all 

formations spelt out monies 

troops are entitled to, including 

operations allowances, and 

directs commanders to create 

avenues for troops to ask 

questions on grey areas for clarity 

of purposes. 

Expectations fron NASS 

In the meantime, a senior 

officer who spoke under 

condition of anonymity, said 

there were expectations that 

the National Assembly would 

take the bull by the horns and 

work to ensure that money for 

the implementation of MAFA 

since 2018 is released before 

that of year 2020 catches up 

with the backlog and it 

increases further to more than 

N600 billion. 

Since 2018 when MAFA 

became law, for instance, three 

batches of retirees from the 

Army, Navy, and Airforce, 

numbering over 2,500 Non- 

Commissioned Officers, have 

attended the pre-retirement 

courses at the Nigerian Armed 

Forces Resettlement Centre, 

NAFRC, Oshodi and 

commenced retirement life 

without getting paid, with 

another batch expected to 

proceed in a few months. 

This is besides several 

hundreds of officer cadre 

personnel who have retired, 

having attained 35 years of 

service, or due to age on rank 

or having attained the 

mandatory retirement age. 

Why local hunters are deployed 

Meanwhile, the Police in 

Adamawa State weekend, 

explained why local hunters 

were necessary in the fight 

against the insurgents who 

dealt a heavy blow on Garkida 

town. 

They said only the hunters 

who reside in the locality knew 

the terrain, according to a BBC 

Hausa report monitored by 

journalists in Kaduna. 

The PPRO of Adamawa State 

Command, Suleiman Yahaya 

Ngoroji, said the Police could only 

succeed if the locals cooperated 

and exposed strangers among 

them. 

“We assure you that we are 

collaborating with the Army and 

local hunters to protect life and 

property of citizens, and to 

prevent future occurrence of 

such attack. 

‘’The local hunters reside in 

the affected community. If you 

really want to know the 

geography of a place, it’s 

necessary to work with the 

natives of that place. They will 

show us all entry and exit points,” 

he said. 

The local hunters, journalists 

were told, have the spiritual 

powers to disappear when faced 

with danger, apart from an 

aphrodisiac which made it 

impossible for any sharp object 

or bullet to pierce their skin. 

A resident of Garkida told the 

BBC Hausa Service on condition 

of anonymity, that the insurgents 

had indicated plans to launch 

another attack on the town. 

According to the displaced 

residents,”many have fled on 

foot..even if you have the money, 

there are no vehicles because of 

the high number of people on 

the run. 

“I had to leave my family 

behind. Everybody is scared 

because they (Boko Haram) sent 

a new message that they are 

coming back. 

“We are afraid because there 

is a route that links us with 

Guyuk, Chibok and up to 

Sambisa. 

‘’That is why we are afraid of 

another attack. The last attack 

lasted from 7 0’clock up till 

midnight, they vandalised the 

town, set houses on fire, razed a 

hospital and three churches. 

‘’They killed two security 

agents; we have no information 

of the dead among the town 

dwellers because we all 

scampered for safety.” 

Security beef-up 

However, the PPRO, 

Mr.Suleiman Yahaya, assured 

that security had been beefed up 

in Garkida. 

“Truly, houses and churches 

were burnt, police facility and a 

mini Army barracks too. 

But Investigation is still on by 

the police to ascertain the 

number of the dead,’’ he said. 

He, therefore, sought the 

cooperation of the community to 

report any strange development 

or faces to the authority. 

Monarchs in Delta North ask 

armed herdsmen to quit 

•Say we can longer tolerate killings, 

maiming, raping of our subjects 

•Uwheru kingdom bans consumption of beef 

over herdsmen killings 

•As Army denies plot 

to destroy community 

By Victor Young & 

Brisibe Perez 

ROYAL fathers in Delta North 

weekend gave armed 

herdsmen in the region quit 

notice, and asked security 

agencies to arrest the upsurge of 

herdsmen killings, maiming and 

attacks of harmless indigenes of 

the area. 

The monarchs spoke as the 

people of Uwheru kingdom in 

Ughelli North local government 

area of Delta State banned the 

sales and consumption of beef in 

all communities in the kingdom, 

following the killing of 10 farmer 

by herdsmen in the area. 

Rising from a crucial meeting of 

Delta North traditional rulers 

forum at Owa Oyibu, Ika North 

Local Government Area, LGA, of 

Delta State, the monarchs 

condemned in strong terms the 

unwholesome activities of 

herdsmen in rural communities, 

warning that the people would 

no longer tolerate such 

unprovoked attacks in any land 

in Anioma Nation. 

In a five point communique 

presented by the chairman of the 

forum and Obi of Owa, Dr 

Emmanuel Efeizomor 11, the 

monarchs asked the arms bearing 

herdsmen to stay away from their 

land in their own interest 

He said: “Our people are no 

longer going to the farms for fear 

of either being attacked, killed, 

kidnapped or raped and we are 

saying enough is enough. The 

peaceful disposition of Anioma 

people should not be 

misconstrued for either weakness 

or cowardice. ‘’Any further attack 

on any part of Delta North will be 

met with disastrous 

consequences. 

Consequently, we, therefore, 

resolved to immediately 

reactivate and reinvigorate the 

vigilante groups in our various 

communities, with a view to 

beefing up security within the 

district. 

‘’We are aware that some 

unscrupulous elements in our 

various communities have been 

conniving with the herdsmen to 

wreak havoc on our people. We 

plead with these elements to 

desist from heinous acts in their 

own interest before the long arm 

of the law catches up with them. 

Meanwhile, the people of 

Uwheru kingdom have banned 

the sale and consumption of beef 

in all communities in the kingdom. 

The ban came as the Nigerian 

Army, weekend, denied 

allegations that its personnel 

threatened to destroy 

communities in the kingdom, if 

corpses of those reportedly killed 

by herdsmen were not exhumed. 

Following allegations by Delta 

State Commissioner for Higher 

Education, Prof. Patrick 

Muoboghare, that soldiers 

threatened to destroy the 

communities, if they failed to 

exhume the corpses of those 

reportedly killed by the 

herdsmen during the incident, 

Assistant Director, Army Public 

Relations for 63 Infantry 

Brigade, Captain G. A. Okupe, 

in a statement yesterday, said it 

was its own troops who responded 

to the distress call in the 

community, “that were attacked 

by youths of the community, 

thereby injuring two of the 

soldiers. 

''The public is hereby advised 

to disregard Prof. Muoboghare's 

allegations as the military remains 

resolute in its fight against illegal 

oil bunkering, militancy, sea 

piracy and pipeline vandalism.'' 

Do your worst, Fulani leaders walk 

out on Anambra stakeholders 

•As villagers trail 4 Fulani boys with 6 AK47 

rifles from Umuawulu to Isiagu communities 

By Nwabueze 

Okonkwo 

O existing 

NITSHA—THE 

cordial 

relationship between Igbo 

stakeholders in Anambra State 

and Fulani leaders resident in the 

state appears to have gone awry, 

following an alleged walkout 

staged by the latter during a 

crucial meeting with the police 

and the stakeholders. 

Aside from the walkout, the 

Fulani leaders allegedly handed 

a stern warning to the 

stakeholders to be careful about 

what they described as their 

confrontational attitude, saying 

they were not ready to tolerate 

such attitude. 

They added that the 

stakeholders didn’t need to 

confront them just because they 

saw Fulani boys carrying AK47 

rifles to protect themselves from 

unwarranted attacks. 

It would be recalled that six 

AK47 rifles were seen hanging 

on the shoulders of four Fulani 

boys at Umuawulu community 

in Awka South Local Government 

Area of Anambra State and the 

villagers were said to have trailed 

the four boys on two motorcycles 

heading to Isiagu community, also 

in Awka South LGA, where they 

reside. 

Consequently, when the news 

of the brazen possession of 

firearms spread across the council 

area, the stakeholders convened 

a crucial meeting with the police 

and Fulani leaders and raised the 

matter for deliberations. 

The stakeholders told the 

Fulani leaders in the presence of 

men of the State Investigation 

and Intelligence Bureau, SIIB, 

Awka that they were surprised 

that their boys were displaying 

rifles openly, without minding 

that it an an offence of unlawful 

possession of firearms. 

They expressed 

disappointment that the security 

agencies in the state did not 

make any attempt to arrest the 

Fulani boys for unlawful 

possession of firearms, adding 

that if it were to be Igbo boys found 

with firearms, they would have 

been arrested and charged to 

court. 

However, rather than apologise 

on behalf of their boys, the Fulani 

leaders allegedly told the 

stakeholders to do their worst as, 

according to them, the boys must 

always bear arms for protection 

against religious, ethnic and 

tribal attacks from any quarter.

STATE OF THE NATION 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — 9 

Adamawa Attack: My 

administration has 

weakened Boko Haram’s 

capacity — BUHARI 

President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Insecurity: Niger govt takes case to God, 

as 10,000 are sacked from ancestral homes 

•As Ilorin Emirate seeks divine intervention for Nigeria 

By Wole Mosadomi 

& Demola Akinyemi 

M INNA—GOVERNOR 

Abubakar Sani Bello of 

Niger State has cried out over 

the continuous invasion of some 

communities in the state by 

bandits. 

This is even as the people of 

Ilorin Emirate in Kwara State 

weekend gathered at the palace 

of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji 

Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari, to seek 

divine intervention on the 

insecurity challenges confronting 

the country. 

Speaking during a special 

prayer organized by the state 

government at Minna Central 

Mosque on Saturday, Governor 

Bello said the state government 

had no choice than to resort to 

special prayers for God to 

intervene in the current security 

situation. 

The prayers, he stated, were 

being organized simultaneously 

across the eight Emirate Councils 

in the state, adding that this 

would climax with the Christian 

prayers in churches. 

HEALTH TIPS 

By Sola Ogundipe 

Drink water 

Water helps to maximize 

physical performance. If we do not 

stay hydrated, physical 

performance can suffer. 

Dehydration can have a 

noticeable effect if you lose as little 

as 2 percent of your body's water 

content. However, it is not 

uncommon for athletes to lose up 

to 6-10 percent of their water 

weight via sweat. 

Optimal hydration has been 

shown to prevent this from 

happening, and may even reduce 

the oxidative stress that occurs 

during high intensity exercise. 

Losing as little as 2 percent of your 

body's water content can 

significantly impair physical 

performance. 

Your brain is strongly influenced 

by hydration status. Even mild 

dehydration (1-3 percent of body 

weight) can impair many aspects 

of brain function. 

Mild dehydration (fluid loss of 

1-3 percent can impair energy 

levels and mood, and lead to 

major reductions in memory 

He said: “I call on Christians 

and Muslims in the state to pray 

and ask God for intervention on 

the security challenges that 

have bedeviled the state. 

“Right now, over 10,000 

persons have been displaced and 

several others killed. We have no 

choice than go back to God in 

prayers. 

The governor, who said the 

situation was now beyond his 

power, has, therefore, 

commissioned both Christian and 

Muslim clerics to organise special 

prayers for God’s immediate 

intervention. 

He said in the past few months, 

no fewer than eight communities, 

especially in Shiroro, Rafi, 

Mashegu local government areas 

of the state, had been under 

continuous attack by gunmen 

unabated, with no fewer than 

10,000 persons already displaced 

now taking refuge at different 

camps provided by the state 

government. 

He said: “The have rendered 

over 10,000 people homeless and 

are now in Internally Displaced 

Persons, IDPs, camps. 

and brain performance. 

Dehydration can trigger 

headaches and migraines in 

some individuals. 

Water can relieve headaches in 

those who are dehydrated. 

However, this appears to 

depend on the type of headache. 

Drinking water can sometimes 

help relieve headache symptoms, 

especially in people who are 

dehydrated. 

Drinking plenty of water can 

help prevent and relieve 

constipation, especially in people 

who generally do not drink 

enough water. Urinary stones are 

painful clumps of mineral crystal 

that form in the urinary system. 

The most common form is kidney 

stones, which form in the kidneys. 

A good way to reduce hangovers 

is to drink a glass of water between 

drinks, and to have at least one 

big glass of water before going to 

bed. 

It is actually best to drink water 

cold, because then the body will 

use additional energy (calories) 

to heat the water to body 

temperature. 

Gov Abubakar Bello of Niger State. 

“Today, we call for special 

prayers against these bandits 

and to seek Allah’s guidance and 

protection from these people. 

Also, we hope that God will 

penetrate their hearts to stop 

these activities before it’s too late. 

‘’They have killed innocent 

civilians, killed security men, killed 

vigilantes, they have killed 

women and babies and virtually 

anything that moves around 

them,’’ the governor lamented. 

Christians in the state, led by 

chairman of the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. 

Matthias Echioda, also organised 

a special prayer session yesterday 

at CAN Secretariat in Minna for 

God’s intervention over the 

insecurity in the state. 

Governor Bello, while also 

speaking at the combined 2019 

West African Social Activities, 

WASA, jointly organized by the 

Training and Doctrine Command, 

TRADOC, and 313 Field Artillery 

Brigade of the Nigerian Army in 

Minna on Saturday, said the 

success being recorded in the war 

against the insurgents by the 

military was responsible for 

increase in banditry in the state. 

“The disturbing cases of 

kidnapping, arm banditry and 

cattle rustling within the state in 

recent time cannot be 

unconnected with the defeat of 

the insurgents in the North East. 

Meanwhile, the people of Ilorin 

Emirate in Kwara State are 

seeking divine intervention to 

the security problems in the 

country. 

Though the special prayer was 

organised primarily to seek God’s 

guidance for 85 Ilorin Emirateborn 

professors, the Emir directed 

the clerics to offer special 

prayers for restoration of 

peace and tranquility in every 

part of the country. 

The Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheik 

Mohammed Bashir Salihu, led 

other clerics to offer special 

prayers for the nation’s leader, 

requesting God to help the nation 

win the anti insurgency and 

banditry war in all the troubled 

spots across the country. 

The Emir acknowledged and 

praised the efforts of President 

Muhammadu Buhari at curbing 

insurgency and banditry in all 

their ramifications. 

He, however, maintained that 

what the nation required to 

overcome the hydra-headed 

security challenges in the various 

parts of the country was divine 

intervention through prayers by 

the leaders of adherents of the 

two major faiths in the country. 

Ash Wednesday: Christians to 

dress in black to protest killings 

MILLIONS of Christians 

across the Dioceses of 

Roman Catholic Church in 

Nigeria have concluded plans to 

come out in all black attires 

during the procession of Ash 

Wednesday to show their 

grievances over the killings in 

Nigeria and the insecurity 

situation of the country. 

The Church has also mobilised 

its members all over the world to 

pray for the current insecurity 

challenges of the country. 

Rev. Fr. Felix Gobi, the Senior 

Parish Priest of St. Peter’s Nunkai 

in Jalingo, Taraba State made this 

known during yesterday’s mass 

sermon, noting that the planned 

“Black Dress Protest” was across 

all the parishes in Nigeria. 

Gobi, while urging his 

parishioners to come out in their 

numbers, said the church would 

continue to show signs of 

concern over the unjust killings 

of Christians and Nigerians until 

the security situation is 

improved. 

“We will continue to talk to our 

leaders that this way, we want to 

let them know that the killings of 

Christians by Boko Haram and 

killings of Nigerians by arm bandit 

and kidnappers is a condemned 

situation and must stop. 

“Until we see the will to stop 

these ceaseless killings and an 

improved security situation in 

Nigeria where human lives must 

be respected, what we are 

experiencing in Nigeria now is 

not of God, is Satanic.” 

The information available 

shows that the Roman Catholic 

churches in big cities of Nigeria 

like Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt 

and other major cities would 

carry out the “Black Dress 

Protest” on the streets while 

other churches who are found in 

vulnerable areas would observe 

their protest in their churches as 

they Mark the Ash Wednesday. 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

AMuhammadu BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Buhari last 

night said that his administration 

has significantly weakened Boko 

Haram’s military capability to 

invade and hold Nigerian territory 

unchallenged. 

The President, who said this 

while reacting to the attack on 

Garkida community of Adamawa 

State by the Boko Haram 

insurgents, sympathized with 

families of the victims. 

In a statement by his Senior 

Special Assistant on Media and 

Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, 

Buhari condemned the attack on 

the community, assuring that no 

part of Nigeria would be 

abandoned to their fate. 

He said: “These attacks on soft 

targets by the terrorists are 

obvious signs of frustration 

because my administration has 

significantly weakened Boko 

Haram’s military capability to 

invade and hold Nigerian territory 

unchallenged. 

“Our gallant forces deserve our 

appreciation for repelling the 

attackers but they must go 

By Sam Eyoboka 

beyond this point. They have our 

full support to go after the 

terrorists and have them pay a 

huge price. 

‘’I want to assure the country 

that terrorists will continue to face 

the combined power of our 

military until they give up their 

mistaken ways. 

“These occasional attacks on 

poor civilians by the terrorists are 

mere propaganda efforts to 

portray them as strong in order 

to fool the public into believing 

that they haven’t been militarily 

weekend by our gallant troops.” 

President Buhari said since the 

coming of his administration, 

Boko Haram’s ability to invade 

and occupy Nigerian territories, 

let alone be able to hoist their 

flags, had been frustrated. 

He said in the coming weeks, 

Nigerians would witness an 

aggressive campaign to rout Boko 

Haram once and for all. 

“Security will continue to be 

well funded, despite the 

competing needs of social 

services. I appeal to Nigerians to 

continue to support our troops in 

their gallant efforts to protect the 

citizens and secure the country,” 

President Buhari added. 

Insecurity: PFN challenges 

Buhari to arrest situation 

THE Pentecostal Fellowship of 

Nigeria, PFN, has again lamented 

that the spate of killings, banditry, 

kidnapping, violence, wanton 

destruction of lives and properties 

across our nation, has reached a 

totally unacceptable level to 

warrant immediate and complete 

review of the security 

arrangement of our nation by 

elected political leaders to prevent 

the country from sliding into 

complete anarchy. 

The PFN in a communique 

issued after a stakeholders 

meeting, signed by the National 

President, Rev. Felix Omobude 

and his General Secretary, 

Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, 

called on the Federal 

Government to immediately rise 

to the challenge to protect the 

life of every Nigerian. 

It, therefore, called on the 

Federal Government to do what 

it was elected to do by putting an 

end to the unending cycle of 

violence and killings in Nigeria, 

since the security of lives and 

property remained the primary 

constitutional duty of 

government. 

The PFN also called on the 

Federal Government of Nigeria 

to work assiduously to ensure the 

release of those held in captivity 

by Boko Haram, and its likes, 

especially Leah Sharibu, the 

Chibok girls, as well as other 

Nigerians being held captive. 

“We enjoin President Buhari to 

live up to his campaign promises 

and execute the responsibility of 

his office by defending the life of 

every Nigerian, no matter the 

ethnicity or religion. 

“We wish to remind the 

President that he is the President 

of every Nigerian and that he, 

along with all our elected officials, 

have responsibility for the safety 

and security of all Nigerians,” the 

communique said. 

The PFN noted that from the 

onset, Boko Haram had left no 

one in doubt that the Church in 

Nigeria was its principal target. 

The communique read: ‘’Its 

activities, especially the 

kidnapping and barbaric killings 

of Christian Clergymen, clearly 

establishes its evil mission and 

objective. 

‘’On account of the 

monumental losses, the Church 

in Nigeria has suffered with the 

destruction and burning down of 

thousands of churches and 

houses by insurgents and rioters 

across the Northern states of 

Nigeria, the PFN renews its call 

for adequate compensation to be 

paid to all affected persons and 

churches. 

“We believe that the just thing 

is for the government to come up 

with a remediation programme to 

compensate victims for the 

hardship they have suffered.’’ 

It restated its call on the 

Federal Government to activate 

the necessary mechanism and 

legal backing for the setting up of 

State Police in the country. 

“We believe that the recent 

agitation and introduction of 

different variants of Regional and 

Community Policing models 

attests to the fact that Nigerians 

are yearning for an alternative 

approach to policing, one that 

incorporates direct participation 

by other tiers of government in 

tackling insecurity in the 

country,” they said. 

The Fellowship is highly 

concerned at the intolerable level 

of poverty across the country, 

worsened by the high level of 

unemployment, especially among 

the youths. 

“We believe that the 

heightened anxiety in the land 

and spike in heinous crimes that 

we are witnessing correlates with 

the high level of unemployment 

in the country. We call on the 

government to urgently address 

the issue of youth 

unemployment.''


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

RETREAT—Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, (2nd left); Minister of State in the ministry, 

Engr. Abubakar Aliyu (1st left); Permanent Secretary, Works and Housing, Mohammed Bukar (2nd right), with 

Ag. Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Taiwo Adeniran, at the day 1 of the 7th Edition of the retreat for 

heads of departments and chief executive officers of agencies of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, with 

the theme:"'Service Delivery for National Prosperity', at the Gombe International Hotel, in Gombe State, Friday. 

N5bn on exotic cars: SERAP sues 

Gbajabiamila, Reps 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—THE Socio- 

Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project, 

SERAP, and 192 concerned 

Nigerians have 

filed a lawsuit asking the 

Federal High Court in 

Abuja to restrain and stop 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Mr. 

Femi Gbajabiamila and all 

members of the House 

from spending an estimated 

N5.04 billion to buy 400 

exotic cars for principal 

officers and members. 

However, no date has 

been fixed for the hearing 

of the suit. 

SERAP is also seeking 

a court order to “restrain 

and stop the National 

Assembly Service 

Commission from 

releasing any public funds 

to the House of 

Representatives to buy 

400 Toyota Camry 2020 

model cars estimated to 

cost $35,130 each until an 

impact assessment of the 

spending on access to 

public services and goods 

like education, security, 

health, and clean water, is 

carried out.” 

Recall that the House of 

Representatives during 

an executive session held 

on 5th February 2020 

reportedly passed a 

resolution that 400 Toyota 

Camry 2020 cars be 

purchased as official 

vehicles for 360 members 

and other persons, including 

top management staff, 

Chief of Staff to the two 

presiding officers, as well 

as some of their special 

advisers and assistants. 

In the suit number FHC/ 

ABJ/CS/205/2020, filed 

last Friday, on behalf of 

SERAP and the concerned 

Nigerians by their lawyers 

Kolawole Oluwadare, and 

Opeyemi Owolabi, stated 

that: “Nigerians have a 

right to honest and faithful 

performance by their 

public officials including 

lawmakers, as public 

officials owe a fiduciary 

duty to the general 

citizenry. All those who 

L AGOS—THE 

National Assembly 

and the Federal Ministry 

of Environment have 

disclosed that there are 

plans to sponsor a bill 

meant to prohibit the 

production of plastics with 

a view to preserving the 

environment. 

A member of the Senate 

Committee on Marine 

Transport, Senator 

Tolulope Odebiyi, 

disclosed this in Lagos at 

the launch of the Maritime 

Action Plan for Marine 

Litter and Plastics 

Management in Nigeria 

hosted by the Nigerian 

Maritime Administration 

and Safety Agency, 

NIMASA. 

Odebiyi said the bill 

would be harmonised with 

hold the strings of political 

power over spending of 

Nigeria’s commonwealth 

have a duty to answer for 

their conduct when called 

upon to do so by 

Nigerians.” 

In a statement by 

Deputy Director of SERAP, 

Mr. Oluwadare, the 

plaintiffs also maintained 

that: “It is illegal and 

unconstitutional for 

members of the House of 

Representatives to choose 

to buy expensive and 

exotic cars while 

encouraging Nigerians to 

tighten their belts and to 

patronize Nigerian 

brands. It is also illegal for 

members to reject cheaper 

and equally reliable 

options.” 

According to the 

plaintiffs, “If the members 

of House of 

Representatives take their 

duties to the most 

vulnerable and 

disadvantaged among us 

seriously, including their 

duties to judiciously 

spend public funds, they 

would not have voted to 

spend over $35,000 per 

car, especially given the 

current economic and 

financial realities of 

Nigeria." 

The suit read in part: 

“Members of the House of 

Representatives are either 

unaware of the 

constitutional and 

statutory provisions on 

their fiduciary duties and 

judicious use of public 

funds or deliberately 

glossing over these 

provisions.” 

FG to stop use of plastic, plans bill to 

ban material 

By Godwin Oritse 

input from the Federal 

Ministry of Environment 

to make a holistic law that 

would impose tough 

sanctions on the 

production of organic 

polymers. 

Odebiyi said: “I am 

happy NIMASA has 

taken the lead in ensuring 

that our waterways and all 

our water bodies are 

clean, safe and a vital 

source of economic activity 

for us in this country. 

“I sponsored a bill with 

regards to plastic 

pollution and the 

proliferation of plastics in 

the country. The issue is 

getting to an alarming 

state. 

“NIMASA has taken 

the lead. But this is the 

back end of it. We also 

have to look at the front 

end. We are spending billions 

of naira tiding up the 

environment; we also 

have people making 

billions of naira 

contributing to this menace. 

That is where the bill 

is aiming. You cannot continue 

to generate pollution, 

clog our waterways, 

cause erosion, flooding 

and all kinds of things, 

and some people are making 

money, knowing well 

that their product is contributing 

to the pollution. 

“The Senate is much interested 

in this issue. We 

see the environment as a 

vital economic resource for 

us in this country. We will 

be working with NIMASA, 

Federal Ministry of 

Environment, and all the other 

agencies.” 

In his remarks, Director- 

General of NIMASA, Dr. 

Dakuku Peterside, lamented 

that Nigeria was among the 20 

countries generating more 

than 80 per cent of the landbased 

plastic wastes that end 

up in the oceans. 

Lagos streamlines offences 

to be prosecuted by Police 

By Henry Ojelu 

L AGOS—THE 

Attorney General 

and Commissioner for 

Justice in Lagos State, Mr. 

Moyosore Onigbanjo, 

SAN, weekend, said plans 

are underway to deploy 

district prosecutors to take 

over prosecution of cases 

from Police prosecutors 

who are not lawyers in 

Magistrates courts. 

Mr. Onigbanjo disclosed 

this at the weekend in his 

office at Alausa, Ikeja 

while speaking with 

newsmen on the report of 

the Advisory Committee 

set up to review 

prosecution of cases by the 

police in magistrate court. 

The AG said the district 

prosecutors would be 

deployed to Ogba, Ebute- 

Metta and Ikorodu 

Magistrates as a pilot 

scheme. 

He said: “We accept the 

recommendation of the 

committee to put in a filter 

mechanism. With 

immediate effect, we shall 

commence deployment of 

LASG shuts 329 health 

facilities over non-compliance 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—THE Lagos 

State Government, 

through the Health Facility 

Monitoring and Accreditation 

Agency, HEFAMAA, 

said a total of 329 facilities 

were shut down in 2019 for 

lack of compliance to stipulated 

standards. 

The Executive Secretary 

of HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola 

Idowu, who disclosed this 

at the weekend, after a 

recent enforcement exercise 

carried out by the agency, 

said that 309 were shut last 

year, while additional 20 

were shut in January 2020. 

Idowu warned that the 

state government would 

not tolerate any form of 

illegal health practices in 

Rewane to headline Rotary’s 

World Peace Day in Lagos 

L AGOS—TO 

commemorate the 

115th anniversary of 

Rotary International, the 

organisation’s District 

9110, which covers Lagos 

and Ogun states, has concluded 

plans to host the 

2020 World Peace and Understanding 

day ceremony. 

Scheduled for 

Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, 

the event which has its 

theme as “Promoting 

World Peace and 

Understanding Through 

Food Security”, according 

district prosecutors in 

three pilot magisterial 

districts (Ebutte-Metta. 

lkorodu, Ogba) to vet 

charges and review case 

files presented by the 

Investigating Police 

Officers, IPO, and ensure 

it meets evidential 

threshold required by law. 

“We will meet with the 

Police to categorize the 

offences lay prosecutor 

will handle, while we will 

ensure adequate 

monitoring of such cases. 

“To demonstrate our 

commitment to 

collaboration and 

enhanced capacity of 

Police prosecutors, Mr. 

Governor recently 

approved the renovation 

of the library in State CID 

Panti, with equipped legal 

resources to assist them 

with research and deepen 

their knowledge of the 

law. 

“We will continue to 

collaborate with the Police 

and engage the 

Commissioner of Police to 

deliberate and find lasting 

results to issues as they arise. 

the state, saying, “health 

security is an integral part 

of public security which is 

the primary duty of the 

government.” 

She urged all health 

facility operators across the 

State to abide strictly by the 

standards of HEFAMAA to 

avoid being sanctioned. 

Idowu said: “I advise 

Lagosians to be cautious 

and desist from patronizing 

uncertified service 

providers and if you suspect 

a foul play or notice illegal 

operations in your 

community, do not hesitate 

to contact HEFAMAA for 

prompt action." 

Idowu, also, urged the 

populace to have 

confidence in the 

government’s ability to 

fulfill the mandate of 

accessible, affordable 

qualitative healthcare. 

to the District Governor, 

Jide Akeredolu, will have 

renowned financial expert, 

Mr. Bismarck Rewane 

as Keynote Speaker 

Ḋiscussants include Dr. 

Biodun Adedipe, Chief 

Consultant, Adedipe 

Associate Limited, Mr. 

Mezuo Nwuneli, 

Managing Partner, Sahel 

Capital Agribusiness 

Managers Limited, Dr. 

Aliyu Samaila, Director, 

Agribusiness Feed The 

Future Nigeria and Navy 

Commodore Daniel 

Atakpa, blue economy 

expert.



Alleged certificate forgery: My Story — 

Bayelsa Deputy gov 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

ABUJA —DEPUTY 

governor of Bayelsa 

State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, 

yesterday, said at 

no point did he contemplate 

forging a document 

for any purpose under the 

sun, while reacting to the 

controversy surrounding 

his National Youth Service 

Corps, NYSC, exemption 

certificate. 

He told newsmen that 

the allegations of forgery 

against him were issues 

in public domain even 

before he was nominated 

as running mate to the 

newly inaugurated governor 

of the state, Senator 

Duoye Diri in the 2019 


LAUNCHING: From left — Akeem Lawal, Divisional CEO, Payment Processing, Interswitch; Bashir Bello, Director 

Finance, Sheraton; Jihane El Khoury, Rooms Division Manager, Eko Hotel; Bob Nwojo, Head, Acceptance 

Channel, First Bank and Jeffrey Williams-Edem, Group Head, Merchant Acquiring, Interswitch during the 

American Express and Interswitch Merchant Acceptance launch held at Twin Waters, Lagos. 

governorship poll. 

Speaking through his 

counsel, Clement Kekemeka, 

Ewhrudjakpo admitted 

to an error in his 

NYSC exemption certificate 

but laid the blame on 

the corps authority whom 

he said, erroneously spelt 

his surname. 

He said: “Sometimes in 

2019 preparatory to the 

National Assembly election, 

and specifically that 

of Bayelsa West senatorial 

district, where Senator 

Ewrudjakpo represented 

until he was sworn in as 

deputy governor, one 

Ibisene Afamkolo took 

him to the Federal High 

Court and commenced a 

suit by way of originating 

summons accusing him of 

presenting a forged 

NYSC exemption certificate. 

“While dealing with that 

matter, being a pre-election 

matter, at a point, it 

became status barred having 

exceeded the period 

of 180 days within which 

it ought to have been dispensed 

with by virtue of 

the provision of the 1999 

Constitution. 

“The next thing that followed 

was that truly on 

the certificate presented to 

INEC by my client in his 

form CS001, which is the 

nomination form, his surname 

was mis-spelt. Instead 

of Ewhrudjakpo, the 

name was miss-spelt as 

Ewhrudjakpa. After the 

matter was struck out and 

even though my client 

had earlier applied for the 

correction of this miss -pelt 

name, he was further 

bored by that matter by reapplying 

again for the issuance 

of a new certificate. 

“He drew the attention 

of the NYSC to the error 

on his surname and 

sought a re-issuance of a 

correct certificate. Consequently, 

the NYSC responded 

and reissued a 

fresh certificate correcting 

our client's name, reflecting 

the surname now as 

Ewhrudjakpo, being the 

issuing authority that has 

the loci standi to replace 

an erroneously issued certificate. 

That put the matter 

to rest.‘‘ 

I’m a miracle gov poised to do miracles in Bayelsa 

— Diri .… vows to defend Ijaws 

Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor, Samuel 

Oyadongha 

YENAGOA—A week 

after he was declared 

governor by the Supreme 

Court, Bayelsa State, 

Governor Mr. Douye Diri, 

has described events that 

culminated in his emergence 

as governor as miraculous. 

Diri also affirmed his 

readiness and total commitment 

to the Ijaw cause and 

interest, saying he would 

defend the Ijaw ethnic nationality 

in the Nigerian 

federation. 

Speaking to newsmen in 

Abuja, yesterday, he noted 

that God has disappointed 

the enemies of the state who 

wanted to use extraneous 

forces to snatch Bayelsa by 

force for their pecuniary 

gains. 

He said, “We will create 

a vibrant economy that will 

propel wealth creation, economic 

boom and industrial 

revolution that will make 

our people to work for themselves 

instead of waiting for 

monthly allocations from 

Abuja, which is not helping 

our people and state for 

now. 

“I will provide streetlights 

in Yenagoa, the state 

capital before my first 100 

days in office and I will also 

strengthen the agricultural 

sector in the state to create 

the needed jobs and income 

for many households,” 

the governor said. 

Meanwhile in Yenagoa, 

during a meeting with the 

Ijaw Leaders Consultative 

Forum, weekend, he vowed 

that the Ijaws, who are domiciled 

in Bayelsa, Rivers, 

Delta, Edo, Ondo and 

Akwa Ibom states, the 

fourth largest ethnic group 

in the country, would not 

play second fiddle to any 

tribe. 

Diri, who is the pioneer 

Organising Secretary of 

Ijaw National Congress, 

INC, hinted that, as governor 

of the only homogeneous 

Ijaw state, he would 

not relent in spearheading 

and championing the Ijaw 

cause or interest. 

Amnesty for Boko Haram repentant 

insurgents unfortunate — PANDEF, 

monarch 

By Perez Brisibe 

UGHELLI—THE Pan 

Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, has described 

deliberations by the Senate 

on a bill that seeks to establish 

an agency that 

would see to the rehabilitation, 

de-radicalisation 

and integration of repentant 

insurgents in the country as 

unfortunate. 

The bill sponsored by the 

lawmaker representing 

Yobe East senatorial district, 

Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, 

was read for the first time 

on the floor of the senate 

last Thursday. 

Reacting to the bill yesterday, 

PANDEF national 

chairman, AVM Idongesit 

Nkanga (retd) while questioning 

the rationale for the 

establishment of the agency, 

warned that the Federal 

Government was treating 

members of the Boko 

Haram insurgents with kid 

gloves. 

This came as the Ovie of 

Oghara kingdom in Ethiope 

West Local Government 

Area of Delta State, HRM 

Noble Eshimitan, Orefe III, 

called for the appraisal of 

amnesty for Niger Delta 

agitators and same for repentant 

Boko Haram insurgents 

whom he said were 

fighting for the removal of 

western education and installation 

of an Islamic system 

in Nigeria. 

“If this is really the cause 

of the insurgents, then it is 

a complex problem in my 

mind that will be very difficult 

to solve,” he stated. 

On his part, a former 

member of the House of 

Representatives and immediate 

Chief of Staff to Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa, Tam 

Brisibe, warned against the 

use of ad-hoc agencies to 

deal with issues bedeviling 

the country. 

He said: “I do not think 

an agency for repentant 

Boko Haram insurgents is 

what is needed. We should 

stop doing things on a quota 

bases. Because amnesty 

programme was done for 

the Niger Delta people, 

somebody from that area 

feels that they should also 

have that kind of programme 

for these people 

who are destroying the 

lives of people in that environment. 

‘‘ 

Edo 2020: Oshiomhole's house 

under siege, fear of attack 

looms 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY — THE 

Benin residence of the 

National Chairman of the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole 

in Oko-Otun area of 

GRA has been under siege 

since Saturday night as the 

two entry points from Ikpokpan 

and Dennis Osadebey 

Road were blocked 

by trucks believed to be 

owned by the state government. 

One of the trucks without 

number plate had Edo 

State inscribed on the doors 

while the other was unmarked 

but usually used for 

Omo-Agege was unanimous choice of our party leaders — Buhari 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume & Francis 

Efe 

WARRI — PRESI 

DENT Muhammadu 

Buhari has described 

the emergence of Senator 

Ovie Omo-Agege representing 

Delta Central senatorial 

district as Deputy 

President of the Senate, as 

a collective decision of leaders 

of his All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

Represented by his Vice 

President, Professor Yemi 

Osibanjo yesterday, in Warri, 

Delta State at a Thanksgiving 

Service organised 

by Omo-Agege on his reelection 

at the Mother of the 

Redeemer Catholic 

Church, President Buhari 

also hailed the courage of 

the Senator, saying he is a 

good team player. 

"Ovie as I call him is a 

very brilliant young man. 

He comes with a lot of courage. 

Himself and the President 

of the Senate, Senator 

Ahmad Lawan were the 

unanimous choice of the 

leadership of the APC." 

He again congratulated 

him on his victory at the 

general elections in his 

senatorial district and emergence 

as Deputy President 

of the Senate. 

Some personalities at the 

church service include Secretary 

to the Government of 

the Federation, Alhaji Boss 

Mustapha, governors of 

Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; 

Nasir Elrufai of Kaduna; 

Hope Uzodinma of Imo; 

Mohammed Abubakar of 

Jigawa; and Ifeanyi Okowa 

of Delta. 

Others were Minister of 

State for Petroleum Chief 

Timipre Sylva, Minister for 

Solid Minerals, Senator 

George Akume and Minister 

of State for Labour and 

Productivity, Festus Keyamo, 

SAN. Other principal 

officers of the National 

Assembly were on 

ground. Prominent traditional 

rulers in the 

state and several other 

bigwigs were also 

present 

Urhobo help me thank 

President Buhari, Osibanjo 

- Omo-Agege 

An elated Omo-Agege 

urged Urhobo nation to 

help him thank President 

Buhari, his Vice, Osibanjo, 

Senate President 

Lawan and the other 

Senators for their resolve 

to elect him Deputy President 

of the Senate. 

refuse disposal within the 

state capital. They were 

packed on the locations as 

at midnight and by yesterday 

when Vanguard visited 

the area in the early 

hours, one of the trucks was 

already in flames while 

policemen in two patrol 

vans were guarding the 

second one. None of them 

agreed to speak to this reporter 

rather they drove 

him away. 

The blocking of the roads 

was in alleged continuation 

of attempts to stop Oshiomhole 

from leaving the airport 

on arrival from Abuja, 

Saturday to attend a burial 

party. He was escorted from 

the airport by heavily 

armed security operatives. 

A source close told Vanguard 

yesterday, "It is 

agents of the state governor 

that ordered the blocking 

of the streets because 

the governor is angry that 

comrade came to town 

without informing him. 

The governor said there 

is a ban on rallies and political 

meetings and he 

believed with Oshiomhole 

around, there would be 

political meetings and 

that was why he ordered 

the closure of the road." 

Meanwhile, the State 

government denied any 

movement in the blockage 

of the roads.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — 13 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—THE 

Middle Belt Forum, 

MBF, has blamed the rising 

spate of insecurity in the 

northern part of the country 

to lack of education and evil 

indoctrinations. 

National President of the 

MBF Dr. Pogu Bitrus who 

spoke yesterday in 

Makurdi, warned that the 

country was gradually 

being overwhelmed by the 

insecurity which he 

claimed originated from the 


BREAKFAST: From Left—Albert Folorunsho, Managing Consultant, PEDABO; Sulaiman Adedokun, 

Deputy Group MD, Meristem; Chief S. I. C. Okoli, Chairman, WABECO Company; Dr. Joseph 

Ariyo, Founder, Telnet Group of Schools; Waheed Olagunju, former Ag. MD, Bank of Industry; and 

Saheed Bashir, MD, Meristem Stockbrokers Ltd., during Meristem's Private Breakfast Session 

tagged: 'Conversations you do not want to have' , Friday, in Lagos. 

Illiteracy, evil indoctrinations in the north 

fueling insecurity in Nigeria —MBF 

Kano, UNICEF move to tackle poverty index S’Court can’t review governorship 

By Bashir Bello 

KANO—KANO State 

government in 

collaboration with the 

United Nations Children’s 

Fund, UNICEF 

inaugurated a 30-man 

Technical Working Group, 

TWG to develop a Social 

Protection policy to tackle 

issues of poverty and 

vulnerability in the state. 

UNICEF Social Policy 

Specialist, Ramatu Aliyu, 

weekend during the 

north and exported to other 

parts of the country. 

He said: “I honestly think 

that the problem of 

insecurity that is bedeviling 

the whole country today 

originated from the north 

and it is a major threat to 

the continued existence of 

this country. Whether it is 

North East or North West it 

is called north and it is 

destroying the country and 

it has its origin in bad 

indoctrinations that are 

misleading. 

“Many of us believe that 

inaugural meeting of the 

TWG , said “For us in 

UNICEF, poverty and 

vulnerability are critical 

areas that must be 

addressed if we are to 

really change the 

developmental indices in 

the state. 

“In view of this, we have 

supported Kano state 

government to launch the 

social protection policy 

development process and 

have set up a 30-man 

Technical Working Group to 

the kind of indoctrination 

that is causing the people 

to behave the way they are 

behaving is basically lack 

of education which is 

rampant up north. So, if the 

north doesn’t fully embrace 

education and do it 

properly in a way that the 

youths will not be easily 

indoctrinated then there 

might not be a quick end to 

the security challenging 

facing our dear country. 

This is the time everything 

possible must be done to get 

education in the north up 

drive the development of 

the policy in the state. It has 

been due for some time 

now, and we have been 

looking forward to this 

process for long. The social 

protection policy is a 

national policy which was 

adopted in 2017 by the 

Federal government and it 

is expected that all states 

should do the same. 

“And why it is important 

is that the policy will drive 

and design the 

implementation of 

ARGUNGU FISHING FESTIVAL: Kebbi to spend 

N680m on rehabilitation of facilities 

By Kabir 

DanKatsina 

KEBBI—KEBBI State 

government 

weekend said it had 

released N680 million for 

the rehabilitation of 

facilities for this year’s 

Argungu International 

Fishing Festival. 

Commissioner of Works 

and Transport, Alhaji 

Abubakar Chika 

disclosed this while 

briefing on the outcome 

of the weekly Council 

meeting in Kebbi. 

He said the money 

would be expanded in 

rehabilitating facilities at 

Argungu, venue of the 

event which includes; 

Arena, Round hats, 

lodges, Artist Camp, 

Pavilions and Matan 

Fada. 

According to him, four 

roads linking the Matan 

Fada venue of the main 

events would also be 

rehabilitated. 

The commissioner 

informed that Governor 

Abubakar Bagudu had 

already constituted 

various committees 

working to ensure the 

success of the festival 

and assured that the 

events would be without 

hitches going by the 

level of preparations by 

various committees. 

He, however, 

revealed that the date 

for the festival would 

be announced in due 

course. 

and running and also 

ensure that the people 

especially the youths, 

embraced education like 

never. 

“This is one potent 

weapon we can use to 

check the terrible 

indoctrinations that have 

create the security 

challenges that we are 

currently facing. And I can 

assure you when that is 

done we would have dealt 

a devastating blow to the 

challenge of insecurity in 

the country,” he added. 

government’s programme 

around poverty and 

vulnerability issues that 

concerns people at the 

community level. 

“Basically, it is a 

significant event for us 

because it signifies 

government commitment to 

providing resources and 

ensuring that there is a 

strategic approach to 

addressing issues around 

poverty and vulnerability 

looking at critically 

financial barriers that 

stopped people from 

accessing basic services like 

- access to health care, food, 

education, shelter among 

others and see to how to 

remove such barriers. 

“Like I said, it is 

significantly important for 

us as UNICEF because 

Kano State is facing the 

challenges of poverty. 

Around 76.4 per cent of the 

population are living under 

poverty according to the 

2017 global 

multidimensional poverty 

index. And we know that 

whatever we do, if we don’t 

address the big challenge 

of poverty, you cannot meet 

the basic developmental 

indices in the state. 

MWUN raises alarm over 

destabilisation plot 

By Victor Young 

MARITIME Workers 

Union of Nigeria, 

MWUN, has raised the 

alarm over an attempt by 

some unscrupulous 

persons and groups to 

malign and smear the 

leadership of the Union, 

destabilize the union and 

create unrest in the sector. 

Reacting to a trending 

report in the social media 

by an amorphous 

group: 'Safe Climate and 

Democracy Naija', linking 

the union and its leadership 

to the sad murder of Ganiu 

Muyibi, a member of the 

union and a less than six 

months old baby; Abraham 

Ukhefi, during an attack on 

the union’s secretariat by 

armed thugs led by a former 

President-General of the 

union in 2001, MWUN 

called on security agents to 

fish out and deal with those 

behind the group in 

accordance with the law 

before the group’s activities 

breach the industrial peace 

and security in the ports. 


MWUN’s Deputy Secretary 

General, Organising, 

Abdul Eroje, the union 

informed that the police that 

investigated the matter did 

not only exonerat the union 

and its then leadership of 

any culpability, some 

individuals were indicted 

in the mayhem. 

While dismissing other 

allegations by the group, 

MWUN contended that 

asking it to drop charges 

against one Professor 

Maurice Fagnon, had 

exposed those behind the 

malicious and smear 

campaign against the 

union and its leadership, 

declaring that it was the 

Nigeria Police and not 

MWUN that took the said 

Fagnon to court. 

MWUN recalled several 

alleged failed attempts by 

the said Fagnon to create 

crisis in the union between 

2012 and 2016 culminating 

into his arrest alongside 

other suspected hoodlums 

at the union’s national 

secretariat on May 31, 

2016, despite a court order 

restraining him and others 

from coming near the 

secretariat. 

The statement said, 

among others: “Fagnon 

and others were later 

charged to court for 

disobeying a court order, 

unlawful assembly, 

invasion of MWUN’s 

national secretariat, and 

wanton destruction of 

properties etc. This case 

is still pending in the 

court. We wish to inform 

the general public that 

Prof Maurice Fagnon has 

a case with the police that 

charged him to court. He 

is not being prosecuted by 

the union or its 

leadership. He and his 

fronts should leave the 

union and its leadership 

alone.” 

case, Kano govt tells Kwankwaso 

KANO—THE Kano 

State government 

says Rabiu Kwankwaso, a 

former governor of the 

state, is “ignorant of 

judicial procedure” for 

asking the Supreme Court 

to review its verdict, 

which affirmed Abdullahi 

Ganduje as governor. 

The Supreme Court, in 

a decision delivered on 

January 20, dismissed the 

appeal filed by Abba 

Kabir Yusuf, candidate of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, who claimed 

the election was marred 

by irregularities. 

Kwankwaso, on 

Wednesday, led some 

members of the PDP from 

the state to the national 

secretariat of the party, 

asking the leadership to 

support the call for a 

review of the Kano 

governorship election 

case. 

Responding to the 

move, Muhammad 

Garba, 

Kano 

Commissioner for 

Information in a 

statement, said: 

“Kwankwaso’s call is a 

clear testimony of his total 

obliviousness on the 

jurisdictional procedures 

that affirmed Dr. 

Abdullahi Ganduje as 

elected governor.” 

Garba said the former 

governor has no grounds 

to call for a review, 

because the PDP suffered 

a 'glaring defeat' at the 

apex court. 

‘’The Supreme Court 

ruling was the affirmation 

of the judgment of the 

tribunal and Court of 

Appeal. That is to say, the 

PDP failed woefully to 

prove their case and that is 

the substance of the case. 

Therefore, there is no basis 

whatsoever for review of 

Kano case,” he said. 

The commissioner said 

Kwankwaso is driven by 

the recent applications for 

the review of the Supreme 

Court's judgments on Imo 

and Bayelsa governorship 

cases, which, he says, 

cannot be compared with 

that of Kano. 

He added that the 

judiciary would not 

overturn its decision.



COURTESY VISIT: From left: Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Salihu 

Danladi; Etsu Patigi and Vice Chairman, Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Ibrahim 

Umar Bologi II; Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Etsu Tsaragi, Alhaji 

Abdullahi Ndakotwa; and Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril; 

during a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Ilorin. 

NDIC liquidates 425 banks, others 

By Emma Ujah, 

Abuja Bureau 

Chief 

ABUJA––THE Nigeria 

Deposit Insurance 

Corporation, NDIC, weekend 

said as at December 

2019, it had liquidated 425 

financial institutions. 

The Liquidation took 

place between 1989 and 

2019. 

An Assistant Director, AD 

in the Insurance and Surveillance 

Department of the 

NDIC, Mr. John Abiodun, 

stated this at the Quarterly 

Forum of the Finance Correspondents 

Association of 

Nigeria (FICAN), in Abuja. 

According to him, the liquidated 

institutions comprised 

51 Deposit Money 

Banks, DMBs, 325 Micro 

Finance Banks, MFBs, and 

51 Primary Mortgage 

NAMA commissions Cat 3 ILS in 

Lagos, Abuja Airpor 

ports 

By Lawani 

Mikairu 

LAGOS––THE Nigeri 

an Airspace Management 

Agency, NAMA, yesterday 

successfully commissioned 

its newly installed 

Category 3 Instrument 

Landing System, ILS, 

at Runway 18 Right of the 

Murtala Mohammed International 

Airport, Lagos. 

Similarly, the agency also 

commissioned those installed 

at Runway 22 at the 

Nnamdi Azikiwe International 

Airport, Abuja. 

Making this disclosure in 

a statement, the Managing 

Director of NAMA, Fola 

Akinkuotu also stated that 

“a flight commissioning of 

the newly installed DVOR 

(Doppler Very High Frequency 

Omni-Directional 

Radio Range) in Lagos had 

successfully been carried 

out just as routine flight calibration 

had also been carried 

out on Runway 18 Left 

in Lagos”. 

Akinkuotu said a NOT- 

AM (Notice to Airmen) to 

this effect had been disseminated 

accordingly while 

calibration of navigational 

aids in other locations 

across the country was in 

progress to ensure all navigational 

aids in Nigeria 

that were due for calibration 

are covered. 

According to the NAMA 

boss, “in spite of initial 

hitches, it is gratifying to 

note that Runway 18R in 

Lagos has been certified for 

CAT 3 just as Runway 22 

in Abuja with the newly acquired 

calibration aircraft 

by the Aviation Ministry. 

Both facilities are now fully 

operational.” 

Banks, PMBs. 

The AD spoke on, 

“Speedy Bank Failure Resolution 

Strategies: Challenges 

and Prospects.” 

He said, “Through efficient 

and diligent liquidation 

activities, the Corporation 

has successfully paid 

in full the deposits of the 

Customers of 18 DMBs, 

(Both insured and uninsured) 

while payment to 

Depositors of Fortune International 

Bank, Triumph 

Bank and Peak Merchant 

Bank was put on hold as at 

end of 2019 due to litigation 

challenging the revocation 

of their operating licence.” 

Mr. Abiodun lamented 

however, that in spite of the 

efforts of the corporation, 

bank failure resolution was 

faced with a myriad of challenges 

that needed to be urgently 

addressed. 

“The effectiveness of the 

NDIC’s efforts in failure 

resolution had been impaired 

by a number of constraints 

and challenges 

which included: delays in 

revocation of the licenses of 

terminally distressed 

banks; depositor and creditor 

apathy and ignorance 

(delay in filing claims); recovery 

of debts owed the 

failed banks; “legal actions 

of owners of closed banks; 

protracted litigations; disposal 

of low quality physical 

assets of the closed 

banks and provision of 

timely liquidity support,” 

he said. 

In addition, the AD said 

the delay in the proposed 

amendments to the NDIC 

Act; poor Corporate Governance; 

poor record keeping 

by banks; poor lending cul- 

While pledging a timely 

calibration of navigational 

facilities at all federal airports 

henceforth, he said 

the availability of the new 

flight calibration aircraft the 

federal government just 

acquired would ensure that 

NAMA was able to carry 

out calibration as and when 

due. 

It would be recalled that 

for over two weeks , foreign 

airlines were diverting their 

Lagos bound flights to 

Kotoka International Airport, 

Accra, Ghana which 

resulted in more than 1,500 

Nigerians being stranded 

in Ghana. 

British Airways, Delta Air 

and other foreign airlines 

said they diverted flights to 

Ghana due to the inclement 

weather in Lagos and 

poor visibility at the Muritala 

Muhammed International 

Airport, Lagos. 

ture; uncooperative attitude 

with the bank closing Team; 

slump in property market 

and court sympathy for 

debtors, were inhibiting the 

activities of the corporation. 

Mr. Abiodun identified 

Insider abuse as a major 

cause of bank failures in the 

country. 

Army vowed to destroy 

Delta community, 

Muoboghare insists 

By Festus Ahon & 

Perez Brisibe 

DELTA––DELTA State 


Higher Education and indigene 

of Uwheru kingdom, 

Prof. Patrick 

Muoboghare, yesterday 

insisted that soldiers from 

the 222 Battalion, Agbarha- 

Otor vowed to destroy 

Agadama community if the 

community failed to produce 

the corpses of those 

reportedly killed by armed 

herdsmen. 

Muoboghare while responding 

to the denial by 

the army authorities that its 

personnel did not at anytime 

make such threats, 

said if the matter was not 

blown to high heaven, the 

army would have carried 

out its threat. 

Speaking to Vanguard, 

he said: “On Saturday 

when the place was chaotic, 

after the soldiers from 

Bomadi retreated to go and 

reinforce, the other Agbara- 

Otor military team came and 

they said there was no reason 

for the protest by the 

youths and that nobody 

died. They insisted that unless 

they see the dead bodies, 

they were going to 

bring down the community 

and that is the truth and 

they appealed to me to talk 

to the community youths 

to go for the dead bodies if 

any. 

“The soldiers now took the 

youths into the forest where 

they met the Fulani herdsmen, 

and they (soldiers) told 

the herdsmen saying, ‘give 

us the dead bodies and the 

herdsmen said no they will 

not release them’ and at that 

point, they dared the soldiers 

and the soldiers beat 

a hasty retreat. 

“The following day was 

when they went back and 

saw some corpses including 

the ones burnt beyond recognition 

by the herdsmen. 

Also, categorically speaking, 

the Police Commissioner 

was angry that the DPO 

Ughelli accepted that those 

bodies be brought. So they 

did not want any evidence 

with the herdsmen and then 

on Monday, they went and 

saw the six corpses and at 

that point, they could not 

deny any more. When the 

police said we should bring 

money for autopsy, I told the 

community members not to 

drop one kobo for autopsy 

but the Governor brought


INDUCTION: From left, President, Professor Nafiu Amidu; Treasurer, Dr. Haddy Bah; 

Registrar, Dr. Goodwill Okara; Assistant Registrar, Dr. Youan Pascal, and Assistant Registrar 

Adjoodi Anabadedi, all of West African Post Graduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, 

during the 2020 congress of college and induction and investitures of fellows from West 

African countries, in Lagos, yesterday. 

Buhari unwilling to protect 

Nigerians —Catholic Bishop 

By Ikechukwu 

Odu 

THE Catholic Bishop of 

Nsukka Diocese, Most 

Rev. Professor Godfrey 

Onah, has said that 


Buhari is either incapable or 

unwilling to protect the lives 

and property of Nigerians. 

The bishop, who said the 

president had abysmally 

failed in protecting the lives 

of Nigerians, called on the 

Federal Government to 

allow different regions of the 

country to have their security 

architecture and take care of 

their peculiar security 

challenges. 

The cleric, who made the 

call during a homily at the 

St.Theresa’s Cathedral, 

Nsukka, yesterday, called 

on the South-East governors 

to institute their security 

outfit just as their South-West 

counterpart. 

He said: “The Federal 

Government has abysmally 

failed with regards to 

security of lives in Nigeria. 


Buhari is either incapable or 

unwilling to protect the 

nation. 

He said: “We bishops of 

Nigeria have said it time 

without number that the 

Federal Government is 

overwhelmed and should 

decentralise security issues. 

The South Western 

governors did the right thing 

by organising their security 

outfit to help in addressing 

peculiar security challenges 

of the region. 

"Let other regions key into 

the initiative and help 

Federal Government in the 

fight against terrorism in the 

country." 

He bemoaned the 

hijacking of the 

Neighbourhood Watch and 

Forest Guard, being local 

security outfits in Enugu 

State by political stakeholders 

and traditional rulers, 

alleging that they are now 

terrorising the people they 

were supposed to protect. 

He also alleged that the 

Forest Guards had 

abadoned the forests in the 

state and have shifted 

attention to the cities where 

they are irrelevant. 

While speaking on the 

inflaming security 

challenges in Nigeria, he 

admonished the 

congregation not to defend 

themselves against the better 

armed terrorist groups, 

adding that it is the 

responsibility of 

governments to do that. 

The bishop, who said many 

of the terrorists were not 

Nigerians, emphasised the 

foolishness in fighting a man 

who has nothing to lose. 

He also charged the 

congregation never to 

reward hatred for hatred, 

saying darkness can only be 

driven by light. 

Dangote Group invests N63bn in 

South-East economy —Nneji 

By Theodore 

Opara 

DANGOTE Group has 

injected about N63 

billion into the economy of 

the South-East, after 

purchasing 3,500 units of 

articulated vehicles (trucks) 

assembled in Anambra 

Motor Manufacturing 

Company Ltd, 

ANAMMCO by Transit 

Support Services Ltd. 

The transaction is part of a 

long term agreement 

between Dangote and 

Transit Support Services Ltd, 

manufacturers of Shacman 

Trucks in Nigeria. The 

agreement sees Transit 

Support Services reviving 

the ANAMMCO plant 

which has almost gone 

moribund. 

Mr. Frank Nneji, 

Chairman, Transit Support 

Services Ltd, representing 

Shacman Trucks in Nigeria, 

disclosed this after a tour of 

the plant. 

According to him, the 

plant was shut down some 

years ago until Shacman 

started production in the 

plant in 2016 when it signed 

an agreement with Dangote 

which led to the revival of 

the plant. 

The production of the 

vehicles has seen the recall 

of all ANAMMCO staff, 

who for years, have not been 

doing anything as the 

company went moribund. 

An excited Transit Support 

chairman said the 

investment had not only 

benefited his company, but 

also returned the pride of the 

South-East economy, which 

the ANAMMCO auto plant 

represents. 

He said: "Since 2016, about 

90 percent of trucks produced 

here are for Dangote. Right 

now at the dump, we have 

about 300 units. Since last 

year, we have done 800 units. 

Dangote Group since 

inception has bought about 

3,500 units from us. It also 

patronises the Shacman 

trucks for its refinery currently 

being built in Lagos,” he said. 

" This is the way the 

Dangote Group is keeping 

the South-East economy 

running”he said. 

Nneji, who spoke with 

journalists on Saturday after 

a facility tour of the truck 

assembly line at the 

ANAMMCO plant, said the 

supplies amounted to over 90 

percent of all Shacman trucks 

assembled at the factory since 

the revival of the plant after a 

long period of abandonment. 

The General Manager, 

Corporate Communications, 

Dangote Group, Mr Sunday 

Esan, said Dangote was 

satisfied with the quality of 

Shacman trucks and assured 

of continued patronage. 

“Dangote Group is 

expanding. Apart from the 

cement, sugar and salt 

factories, among others, we’re 

starting a petroleum refinery, 

the biggest in Africa. All these 

will require a high number 

of trucks. It is a long-term 

relationship,” he said. 

Tension in Anambra as 

community alleges attempt 

to take over market, school 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—THE protracted 

land dispute between 

Abba community in Njikoka 

Local Government Area and 

its Ukpo neighbour in 

Dunukofia Local 

Government Area in 

Anambra State is getting 

messier, with Abba community 

alleging that persons 

suspected to be from Ukpo 

recently supervised the 

fencing of its Oye market 

along the Enugu-Onitsha 

expressway and laid beacons 

around the Abba Community 

Secondary School as part of 

grand design to forcefully 

annex the community. 

The two communities have 

been fighting over a large 

portion of land separating 

them and the matter had 

dragged for many years in 

the courts 

Early this year, a 

detachment of the Nigeria 

Police Force tear-gassed 

traders out of the Oye Abba 

market and its structures were 

later pulled down by 

unknown persons. 

Several prominent people 

from Abba were also 

detained, while the giant 

signpost mounted at Abba 

junction along Enugu- 

Onitsha expressway was 

removed and replaced with 

another one that read Ukpo 

No cancer radio-therapy in S-East, S-South, 

others —Rep member 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O WERRI—Chairman, 

House 

of 

Representatives Committee 

on Health, Paschal Obi, 

representing Ideato North/ 

South from Imo State, 

yesterday, said the South- 

East, South-South, and other 

zones do not have a 

functional cancer radio 

therapy for patients suffering 

the ailment. 

Obi revealed this at Ideato 

North Council Secretariat in 

Imo State, when he was 

welcomed home officially into 

the fold of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, from the 

Action Alliance, AA. 

According to the lawmaker, 

the situation fell short of the 

standard stipulated by the 

World Health Organisation, 

WHO, adding that the plan 

currently was to ensure that 

the six geopolitical zones 

have a functional cancer 

radiotherapy to meet up with 

the demands in the health 

sector. 

Speaking on their plans for 

the heath sector, he said: “We 

just started less than six 

months ago, we have done a 

lot since then but you will see 

the effect of what we have 

done more by the time the 

2021 budget is articulated. 

“The present budget was 

not done by us because we 

did not interface with the 

MDAs. So, we were sworn 

in when the budget was 

ready for presentation at the 

House. By next year, you will 

see us in action." 

junction. 

Worried by the latest 

developments, the President- 

General of Abba Town Union, 

Mr. Bennett Anaekwe, in a 

statement, yesterday, 

described happenings in the 

area as unwarranted and 

unlawful attempts to 

expropriate the community’s 

inheritance by its neighbours. 


statement, “Notwithstanding, 

the leadership of Abba 

wishes to state emphatically 

that the said stretch of land is 

the ancestral home and 

inheritance of the people of 

Abba from time immemorial 

and the citizens of Abba have 

been exclusively cultivating 

the land until the recent 

territorial expansion drive by 

known elements. 

“The leadership of Abba 

community is once again 

drawing the attention of the 

Government of Anambra 

State, the state Commissioner 

of Police and the State 

Director of Department of 

State Security to these 

unwarranted and unlawful 

attempts to expropriate the 

inheritance of the citizens of 

Abba. 

“These institutions of 

government are further 

requested to intervene and 

call the persons concerned to 

order to avoid escalation of 

tension between the 

communities.” 

ECCIMA pleads with FG to 

complete Enugu trade fair 

complex 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU— THE Enugu 

Chamber of Commerce, 

Industries, Mines and 

Agriculture, ECCIMA, has 

once again pleaded with the 

Federal Government to 

complete the construction of 

the Enugu Trade Fair 

Complex as it long did to its 

counterparts in Lagos and 

Kaduna. 

The council lamented that 

the Enugu complex had 

been long abandoned and 

forgotten by the Federal 

Government as if it were no 

longer relevant to the growth 

of Nigeria’s economy. 

It therefore asked the 

Federal Ministry of Trade 

and Investment to priorities 

the completion of the 

complex with attendant 

infrastructure to change the 

lamentations and narrative 

of the Eastern Nigeria trade 

and commerce, especially at 

difficult economic times as 

presently obtained in the 

country. 

Newly installed President 

of ECCIMA, Sir Emeka 

Nwandu, made the plea 

during his acceptance 

speech as the 15th president 

of the council in Enugu, 

weekend. 

Nwadu pledged to attract 

more foreign trade missions 

for members of ECCIMA to 

participate in other to 

enhance international 

business relationships. 

“I advocate for the federal 

government to complete the 

development of the Enugu 

International Trade fair 

complex as we increase the 

scope starting with the 

forthcoming 31st Enugu 

International Trade fair 

holding next month,” 

Nwandu said. 

He promised that the fair 

would be marked with 

specialised exhibitions in 

various areas such as 

automobile, fashion and 

food.

16—Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 

NEWS HOTLINES: 

08052867023, 08052867058 

AWARD: From left— 

Martin Kochl, Supply 

Chain Director, 

Nigerian Breweries Plc; 

Uche Unigwe, Sales 

Director, NB Plc; 

Kenneth Maduakor 

(Ken Maduakor Group 

Limited), National 

Volume Champion and 

Jordi Borrut Bel, Chief 

Executive Officer, NB 

Plc, during the 2020 

Nigerian Breweries 

Distributors Award in 

Lagos. Photo Akeem 

Salau. 

Congress: Call lawmaker to order, Warri 

PDP tell state party chair 

Wof ARRI—MEMBERS 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Warri 

South, ward 1 and 2 have 

called on the Delta State 

PDP Chairman, Mr 

Kingsley Esiso to call a 

member of the state House 

of Assembly member, 

representing Warri 

Constituency II, Matthew 

Opuoru, to order for 

allegedly trying to hijack 

the party structure. 

The aggrieved party 

leaders who made this call 

in Warri, weekend, accused 

the law maker of holding a 

ward Congress without 

involving all members of the 

party. They therefore, 

rejected the outcome of the 

congress which produced 

five executive ward 

members, whom they say 

are members of the 

lawmaker’s family. 

All efforts to speak with 

Matthew Opouru proved 

abortive as he did not pick 

his calls nor reply to text 

messages sent to him. 

Mr Cyril Eboh, the Youth 

President of Okere-Urhobo 

Development Movement and 

member of the Delta State Land 

and Waterway Security, who 

spoke on behalf of the aggrieved 

members said the law maker has 

refused to listen to the party 

hierarchy in the state when he 

conducted a kangaroo party 

congress where he imposed most 

of his family members into choice 

positions in the ward executive. 

He said if the matter was not 

resolved immediately, it might 

snowball into another round of 

crisis that may damage the 

image of the party in the state. 

“We are here today because 

of Okumagba 1, ward 11 has 

been hijacked by the law maker 

representing the good people of 

Warri Constituency II in the 

Delta State House of Assembly. 

“We cannot continue to have 

“PDP in the council area 

has an agreement, that if 

the council chairman is 

coming from Burutu 

North, the party chairman 

must come Burutu South 

and vice versa, and that 

agreement still stands. 

“The present council 

chairman is from Burutu 

South, whose tenure will 

elapse soon just as that of 

the party chairman from 

Burutu North. 

“Your Excellency, I want 

to remind you of what we 

discussed in February, 

2019. How some Burutu 

Delta Speaker appoints 

Eto as Political Adviser 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—SPEAKER 

of Delta State 

House of Assembly, 

Chief Sheriff 

Oborevwori has 

appointed Sir Matthias 

Eto as his Political 

Adviser. 

Oborevwori in a 

statement by his Chief 

Press Secretary, Mr 

Dennis Otu, said the 

Political Adviser who 

hails from Oleh in Isoko 

South Local 

Government Area of the 

State, served as first 

Member of the Federal 

College of Education 

(Technical), Potiskum, 

a situation in a party whereby the 

chairman of the ward is his 

younger brother, the secretary is 

his younger brother, even the 

LGA Organising Secretary is also 

his brother. For crying out loud, 

the party belong to all of us and 

not to a particular family. So what 

we are saying is that the party is 

large enough to accommodate all 

of us and so the positions in the 

party should spread across board 

to accommodate all members. 

“As the youth chairman of the 

Okore-Urhobo community, I want 

to call on the party chairman in 

the state and the party leader of 

the Warri-Urhobo, Chief 

Emmanuel Okumagba, to wade 

into the matter.” 

There'll be mass exodus from Burutu PDP if ... 

—Alapala 

By Chancel Sunday 

B URUTU—PALPABLE 

tension is currently 

brewing in the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

in the Burutu council 

area of Delta State, when 

the agenda of a 

stakeholders’ meeting, 

weekend, allegedly took 

a different twist. 

Anthony Ebitonmo 

Alapala, a leader in 

Ogbolubiri Ward 9, 

raised the alarm in what 

he termed ‘breach of 

existing agreement’ by a 

few leaders attempting 

to impose a candidate on 

the party to continue as 

chairman in the council 

area, against the zoning 

system. 

He warned that if 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, 

the state PDP chairman, 

Kingsley Esiso, failed to 

nip the situation in the 

bud, there might be no 

PDP in the Burutu 

council. 

“When we got to the 

meeting, called by the 

party secretary in Burutu, 

what we saw was an 

endorsement of the 

incumbent party 

chairman by some party 

leaders, which has never 

happened before. 

CBN clarifies domiciliary 

accounts' operation 

ABUJA—THE Central 

Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, has clarified issues 

surrounding the operations 

of domiciliary accounts 

in the country. 

Making the clarification 

in a chat with newsmen 

in Abuja , the Bank's 

Director, Corporate Communications 

Department, 

Issac Okorafor 

stated that “the Bank has 

not prohibited the acceptance 

of foreign currency 

cash deposits by 

Deposit Money Banks.” 

He further explained 

that “Only electronic 

fund transfers into Domiciliary 

accounts can be 

transferred from such accounts 

while cash deposits 

into such accounts can 

only be withdrawn in 

cash also.” 

Okorafor therefore 

urged stakeholders and 

other interested parties 

to always endeavour to 

seek clarification on issues 

and avoid speculative 

tendencies which 

are detrimental to the 

financial system. 

There were reports that 

some banks reports that the 

apex bank had directed 

banks to pay customers 

Naira from domiciliary accounts. 

But CBN said 

there were no such directive. 

leaders manipulated the 

party primaries in your 

name, which you said you 

were not aware of. The same 

thing is repeating itself now! 

“As a leader in my Ward 

and in the council area, 

information at my disposal 

has it that an ‘electoral 

college’ has been set-up, 

particularly in my Ward. 

“If immediate action is not 

taken, PDP in Burutu will 

break into pieces and there 

will be mass exodus to opposition 

parties because a lot 

of aggrieved persons are 

waiting to strike.” 

Yobe State between 2005 

and 2007. 


statement, Eto, who is a 

consummate politician 

also served as Federal 

Commissioner of the 

Public Complaints 

Commission in charge of 

Delta State between 2012 

and 2018. 

"The new Political Adviser 

to the Speaker is a Christian 

and a Knight of St 

Christopher of the Anglican 

Communion and happily 

married with Children. He 

has travelled far and wide 

in the course of his Political 

and Social Assignments", the 

statement added.



THE wealthiest man in the world 

today is a stingy man. Jeff Bezos, the 

amazing owner of Amazon, tops the 

list of world’s richest persons with a 

net worth of over $130bn. 

Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, the 

most charitable billionaire, has given 

away a total of $45.5bn of his wealth 

since 1994 (a lot of which was 

dedicated to the eradication of malaria 

in Africa) and created the Giving 

Pledge project along with Warren 

Buffet which encourages billionaires 

to give away at least half of their 

fortunes while alive. 

Bezos, on the other hand, had sat 

on his pile of cash in spite of many 

walk-outs by staff of the company over 

his reluctance to give to charity. But 

the sleeping giant is finally awake. 

He has committed to the fight to 

save Mother Earth by pledging a 

whopping $10 bn “to work alongside 

others both to amplify known ways 

and to explore new ways of fighting 

Bezos’ $10bn for Mother Earth 

the devastating impact of climate 

change”. 

The fight to limit climate change is 

a universal one which involves 

individuals, groups and countries of 

the world working in concert to 

ensure the Green House Gases, GHG, 

do not exceed 1.55 per cent of preindustrial 

levels. 

In 2018, the Intergovernmental 

Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 

identified the dangers that face all 

living dwellers of Mother Earth. 

It outlined measures that must be 

collectively pursued to ensure that 

dramatic rises in ocean levels do not 

lead to disappearance of coastal lands 

and the death and homelessness of 

hundreds of millions of people, along 

with precious flora and fauna. 

Most countries have signed up to 

the Paris Accord on Climate Change 

initiated in 2016, and millions of 

youths, in the wave of Greta 

Thunberg’s international campaigns, 

annually stage protests to persuade 

their governments to do more to avert 

the disaster which the Secretary 

General of the United Nations, 

Antonio Guterres, warns is now 

“within sight”. 

The fight to prevent the temperature 

of the earth from tipping over requires 

huge sums of money to research 

into. It is a means by which 

the objective can be met even in the 

face of recalcitrance by some powerful 

leaders. 

We welcome Bezos’ gesture, but we 

believe that those who have benefited 

much more from the bounties of 

Mother Earth have an obligation to 

commit more of their financial 

resources to this fight. 

Nigeria’s biggest climate change 

headaches is the project to recharge 

the almost depleted Lake Chad which 

is responsible for mass poverty, 

suffering and insurgency there. It will 

cost over $23bn to transfer water from 

the Ubangi River in the Congo Basin 

to refill Lake Chad. 

More financial commitment is 

required to save the earth, and those 

who have it must remember that if the 

crisis tips over their wealth would lose 

all value. 

OPINION 

When a president’s silence isn’t golden 

By BANJI OJEWALE 

SILENCE isn’t golden when your house is 

in flames and you’re alone at home. You 

need to shout for help from the army of 

neighbours within reach. You need to raise your 

lone voice above the crackles of the inferno 

gaining new grounds. Silence isn’t golden 

when your spotless reputation is vociferously 

impugned or threatened and you have an 

opportunity to stop the campaign. Silence isn’t 

golden when there is a cacophony of opinions 

and reports, false or accurate, reaching the 

public about your candour. Your silence here 

isn’t golden; it is grotesque, grisly and grimy. 

This is what Nigerians have been fed with 

these past few days after the disclosures on the 

‘feud’ between two key men in the 

Muhammadu Buhari Presidency: the 

grotesque, the grisly and the gross. The nation 

can’t afford to function under the weight of the 

creeping official silence that we are witnessing 

in the face of a leaked memo on our security 

profile. Weighty issues have emerged in the 

document that need to be addressed this critical 

time when the aggression of insecurity has risen 

to a crescendo in the land. The memo has not 

come from an outsider shielded from the 

activities of government. Nor is it from any of 

those classified as ‘wailers’, those perpetually 

said to be opposed to Buhari’s government, 

those compatriots who see nothing good in 

the sitting government. 

The damning missive has come from the 

National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana 

Monguno. He is angry that Buhari’s Chief of 

Staff, Abba Kyari has strayed into territory not 

allowed him under the Constitution. He 

accuses Kyari of “undue and dangerous 

interference on matters bordering on national 

security”. So upset is Monguno that, according 

to the Premium Times online newspaper which 

sighted the letter, he “fired a warning memo to 

all service chiefs to desist from taking further 

directives from Mr. Kyari”. 

Monguno, a retired major-general, is 

reported to have said: “Chief of Staff to the 

president is not a presiding head of security, 

neither is he sworn to an oath of defending the 

country…As such, professional practices such 

as presiding over meetings with service chiefs 

and heads of security organisations as well as 

ambassadors and high commissioners to the 

exclusion of the NSA and/or supervising 

ministers are a violation of the Constitution 

and directly undermine the authority of Mr. 

President. Such acts 

and…meddlesomeness…have not only 

ruptured our security and defence efforts, but 

have also slowed down any meaningful gain 

that Mr. President has sought to achieve.” 

The memo is dated December 9, 2019 and 

sent to the president and to the foreign affairs 

minister and his counterparts in defence, 

interior and Police affairs. The president’s chief 

of staff was copied. He titled it: ‘Disruption of 

the National Security Framework by 

Unwarranted Meddlesomeness.’ 

Only a few Nigerians would be surprised 

that nearly three months after Monguno wrote 

the letter, there is little to suggest his concerns 

have been taken care of. We all know our 

beloved president’s introvert culture. He 

possesses a famous niggardly attitude when it 

comes to reacting to kitchen cabinet uproar. 

The man at the centre of it all, Abba Kyari, is as 

reclusive. Both are agoraphobics who do not 

seem to notice what’s going on outside where 

they are, those groaning under the feet of the 

fighting elephants. 

There would be less shock that since Premium 

Times unveiled the seething power tussle 

among the president’s men, there’s been no 

word from the president himself or any of the 

horde of spokespersons. All is calm. The 

government believes in the old adage: speech 

is silver, silence is golden. There is, however, 

more rumble in this unholy silence which 

trashes a glittering appearance. Not all that 

glitters is gold. The grass is suffering under the 

giant weight of feuding mammoths. 

We’re used to fiddling Neros calling for more 

revelry when Rome is burning. We’ve been 

brought to a point where, like Afghanistan, 

Syria and Iraq, the night’s flagship news 

broadcast would not be complete or over if 

there is no report of carnage in Nigeria. Years 

ago, a news editor in one of Nigeria’s leading 

TV stations developed a fetish about one of 

these violence-prone areas. Long before he cast 

his headlines, he kept a permanent spot for a 

major story on multiple deaths from violence 

and suicide bombing in those areas. His 

Insecurity is still the order 

of the day because those our 

president has mandated to 

tackle insecurity are too busy 

attending to petty squabbles 

morbid anticipation never failed; it was always 

fulfilled. And he would end up with a sardonic 

smile. 

Aren’t we at that pass? Aren’t we sometimes 

reluctant to turn on the radio and TV? Are we 

always comfortable with buying grief when 

we buy the newspapers, knowing we shall be 

herded sheepishly into a world filled with the 

news and pictures of a ‘technically defeated’ 

Boko Haram inflicting more pain and anguish 

as they operate freely? Knowing violence has 

become a daily affair here, isn’t it easy for a 

news editor sitting somewhere in 

Johannesburg or Doha or London or Atlanta 

to predict in the morning a headline of mass 

killings in Nigeria and have his adumbration 

manifest one hundred percent hours later in 

the evening? 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

As I was composing this piece, news came 

that Boko Haram terrorists have so far killed 

547 teachers in the North-East of Nigeria 

alone. The president of the teachers’ union, 

Nasir Idris, said insecurity in the region had 

thus led to more challenges: increase in outof-school 

kids who are potential recruits for 

the insurgent Boko Haram and politicians who 

rely less on the vote to get to power. They are 

also ready candidates for cult and armed 

robbery gangs. 

We know why insecurity is still the order of 

the day despite the countless billions of naira 

we have deployed into battling it. Those our 

president has mandated to tackle insecurity 

are too busy attending to petty squabbles. 

Infighting is their preoccupation, more 

important than the constitutional duty of 

terminating the scourge threatening to 

terminate the nation. They ought to be 

removed without delay, for fresh hands and 

fresh ideas to come in. But, according to the 

government, even though the service chiefs 

have overstayed their tenure, they won’t be 

removed soon as Nigerians and the National 

Assembly members demand from the 

president. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the 

Federal Government, says replacing them now 

would be harmful to national security. “You 

don’t just wake up and say sack people, it doesn’t 

happen like that,” Mustapha says. 

How does that comfort Nigerians? It doesn’t. 

It only says we haven’t arrived in the land 

promised us by our leaders when they traversed 

land and sea seeking our votes. The central 

government’s argument crushes our hopes as 

we mark the second anniversary of the captivity 

of Leah Sharibu, the young citizen Boko 

Haram gunmen have refused to free since they 

seized her in February 2018. Both the leaders 

and the led are now helpless as murderous 

men and women straddle the land like the 

Colossus of Rhodes. 

•Ojewale, a social commentator, wrote 

from Lagos

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 —19 

Excess liquidity to persist as N1.7trn inflow hit interbank market 

•External reserves sheds $536m 

By Babajide Komolafe 

THE surfeit of excess 

liquidity in the interbank 

money market will persist this 

week courtesy of inflow of 

about N1.7 trillion. 

Consequently, cost of funds 

is expected to remain in the 

lower single digit level while 

the Central Bank of Nigeria 

(CBN) is expected to sustain 

liquidity mop through sale of 

OMO (Open Market 

Operation) treasury bills. 

Last week, the market 

recorded N627.2 billion inflow 

from matured OMO bills. The 

inflow, which cancelled the 

impact of N299.9 billion 

outflow through sales of OMO 

bills caused market 

liquidity to close at N778.5 

billion on Friday, up from 

N482 billion at the beginning 

of the week. 

As a result, cost of funds 

remained stable below five 

percent throughout the week, 

though average short term 

interbank interest rate rose 

marginally by 54 basis points 

week-on-week. 

Data from FMDQ showed 

that interest rate on 

Collateralised (Open Buy 

Back, OBB) lending rose 

marginally by 50 bpts to three 

percent last week from 2.5 

percent the previous week. 

Similarly, interest rate on 

Overnight lending rose by 58 

basis points to 3.83 percent 

last week from 3.25 percent 

the previous week. 

Analysts expect cost of funds 

to remain at this level this 

week, due to inflow of N1.7 

trillion expected this 

week, namely, N950 billion 

from maturing OMO bills, 

N111.18 billion from maturing 

Nigeria Treasury Bills 

(NTBs), and statutory 

allocation from the N677.3 

trillion to be released by the 

Federal Accounts Allocation 

Committee (FAAN) this week. 

According to analysts at 

Lagos based investment firm, 

Cordros Capital, “We expect 

the Overnight rate to remain 

depressed in the coming 

week, supported by a 

significant boost to system 

Continues on page 21 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 

Banks’ lending rates defy crash 

in TB yields •OPS divided as banks contradict CBN data 

By Babajide Komolafe 

BANKS are yet to adjust 

their lending rates 

downward to reflect the sharp 

decline in treasury bills yields 

occasioned by the excess 

liquidity. The excess liquidity 

was triggered by the exclusion 

of local investors from OMO 

bills late last year. 

While data from the Central 

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) 

indicates little or no change 

in lending rates, the banks, 

however, claim they have 

significantly reduced their 

lending rates. 

On the other hand, the 

organised private sector 

operators disagree in their 

assessment of changes in 

banks’ lending rates in the 

last one year. 

F i n a n c i a l 

Vanguard analysis revealed 

842 basis points (bpts) decline 

in yields on Nigeria Treasury 

Bills, NTBs, year-on-year, 

between February 2019 and 

February 2020, driven by 

excess demand occasioned by 

the exclusion of local 

investors from participating 

in Open Market Operation 

(OMO) for NTBs. 

Consequently, yields on 91- 

Days, 184-Days and 364-Days 

NTBs, fell by 797 bpts, 890 

bpts and 841 bpts to 3.0 

percent, 4.5 percent, 6.45 

percent respectively as at 

February 21st 2020, from 

10.97 percent, 13.4 percent 

and 14.95 percent in 

February 2019. This 

translated to average 

decline of 842 bpts within the 

one year period. 

In sharp contrast, the 

average maximum and 

prime lending rates of banks 

remained relatively stable, 

with marginal decline 

of 68 bpts and 146 bpts 

respectively. 

According to the latest 

CBN Quarterly Economic 

reports, the average 

maximum lending rates of 

banks fell slightly to 29.98 

percent in the fourth quarter 

of 2019 (Q4’19), from 30.66 

Continues on page 20 

CAPITAL MARKET 

Zenith Bank’s PAT crosses N200bn mark, sets goal for 2020 P.24 

C 

M 

Y 

K


FINANCIAL VANGUARD 

Banks’ lending rates defy crash in TB yields 

Continues from page 19 

COVER 

percent in the corresponding 

period of 2018 (Q4’18). 

Similarly, average prime 

lending rates fell to 14.99 

percent in Q4’19 from 16.45 

percent in Q4’18. 

This marginal change is 

also reflected in interest 

rates charged by the top 11 

banks on loans to the oil and 

gas, and the manufacturing 

s e c t o r s w h i c h 

accounted for 43 percent 

of banks’ loan book as at 

31st September 2019. 

The eleven banks are 

Access Bank, GTBank, First 

Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, 

Union Bank, Stanbic IBTC, 

Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, 

FCMB, and Sterling Bank. 

F i n a n c i a l 

Vanguard analysis 

of bank’s deposit and 

lending rates published by 

the CBN, showed marginal 

declines of 85 bpts and 25 

bpts respectively in 

the average maximum 

lending rates for loans to the 

oil and gas sector, and 

the manufacturing sector. 

But the average prime 

lending rate for loans to the 

oil and gas sector rose by 

60bpts, though it decline 

marginally by 25 bpts for 

loans to the manufacturing 

sector. 

Further analysis, however, 

shows a narrowing of gap in 

rates between Tier-1 and 

Tier-2 banks with divergent 

movement in the average 

maximum lending rates 

charged by the banks, where 

the former trended upwards 

while the later went down. 

But Tier-2 banks’ rates 

remained higher. 

For the Tier-1 banks, 

namely Access Bank, 

GTBank, First Bank, UBA, 

Zenith Bank, the average 

maximum lending rates for 

loans to the oil and gas, and 

the manufacturing sectors 

rose by 70 bpts and 50 

bpts respectively to 28.5 

percent and 27.9 percent in 

February 2020 from 27.8 

percent and 27.4 percent in 

February 2019. 

For the Tier-2 banks, 

namely Union Bank, Stanbic 

IBTC, Ecobank, Fidelity 

Bank, FCMB, and Sterling 

Bank, the average maximum 

lending rates for the oil and 

gas sector dropped by 240 

bpts to 31.5 percent in 


percent in February 2019. 

Their average maximum 

lending rate for the 

manufacturing sector 

dropped marginally by 25 

bpts to 29.5 percent in 


percent in February 2020. 

Marginal 

declines 

The marginal declines in 

banks’ lending rates, 

according to Professor Mike 

Obadan, a member of the 

CBN’s Monetary Policy, 

reflects unwillingness on the 

part of banks to reduce 

lending rates. 

Stressing that the high 

lending rates charged by 

banks, in spite of the low 

interest rate regime in the 

fixed income market, could 

impede efforts to increase 

lending to the economy, he 

called for measures to compel 

banks to lower their lending 

rates. 

In his personal statement 

at the last MPC meeting held 

in January, the Professor of 

Economics and Board 

member of the CBN stated: 

“The liquidity build-up 

continues as long as the 

OMO bills held by these 

agents mature. Monetary 

policy stance would need to 

take cognisance of this factor. 

The above policies have led 

to the crash of deposit rates, 

particularly, term or fixed 

deposit rates which are now 

even less than the savings 

rates in most cases. “But the 

data do not show the lending 

rates as crashing in a similar 

manner, thus leaving the 

spread between the lending 

and savings rates even wider 

than before. Commercial 

banks have no reason to 

maintain very high lending 

rates in the face of exploitative 

low savings rates. 

“They would need to be 

compelled to do the needful; 

otherwise they are 

undermining the essence of 

the policies. In other words, 

the very high rates have 

adverse implications for 

financial intermediation and 

effectiveness of monetary 

policy transmission 

channels.” 

His comments were, 

however, contradicted by the 

Acting Managing Director/ 

Chief Executive, Coronation 

Merchant Bank, Dayo 

Adegbohungbe, who averred 

that banks have significantly 

reduced lending rates. 

“From our experience 

actually, the reverse of what 

you said is what we are 

experiencing on the lending 

side,” he said. 

Responding to Financial 

Vanguard while addressing 

the press on the sidelines of 

the Coronation Breakfast 

Session in Lagos last week, 

But the data do 

not show the 

lending rates as 

crashing in a 

similar manner, 

thus leaving the 

spread between 

the lending and 

savings rates 

even wider than 

before 

Adegbohungbe said: “It is 

true that deposit rates 

always adjust faster when 

there is a shift either 

downward or upward. So, 

deposit rates initially 

adjusted much faster and 

then lending rates adjusted 

significantly as well. 

“If you talk to any corporate 

banker, they will tell you that 

their lending rates have 

dropped significantly from 

let’s say a year ago. And 

when I say significantly, I 

just don’t want to quote 

figures but I mean really 

significantly. Not only that, 

if you talk to bankers, talk 

to the treasurer, finance 

director or managing 

directors of any of these 

sectors, manufacturing, etc, 

ask them if their interest rates 

are the same as they were a 

year ago or eight months ago. 

They will tell you their rates 

have dropped and they are 

taking advantage of those 

rates to make investment 

decisions, those that they 

probably would not have made 

before the reduction in 

interest rate. 

“But for SMEs that you 

talked about, when you look 

at the pricing, you know 

pricing is always risk based. 

It is true that you have a 

brand of pricing or maybe 

corporate may enjoy better 

pricing and the SMEs and 

Individuals are at the high 

end of the curve. 

Overall pricing 

curve 

“Then the overall pricing 

curve has shifted basically 

because everybody is trying 

to lend to the same group of 

potential obligors from a risk 

stand point and as a result 

of that, the leverage 

of pricing has really shifted 

from the banks to the 

customers.” 

Members of the Organised 

Private Sector (OPS) were 

however divided in their 

assessment of change in the 

lending rates charged by 

banks. 

While, Muda Yusuf, Director 

General of the Lagos 

Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry 

(LCCI) 

c o r r o b o r a t e d 

Adegbohungbe’s claim that 

banks’ have significantly 

reduced 

lending 

rates, Frank Onyebu, 

Chairman, Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria 

(MAN) Apapa branch, 

differed, saying the 

reduction in lending rates is 

cosmetic. 

According Muda Yusuf, 

“The lending rates have been 

significantly reduced 

especially for the corporate 

customers. Not necessarily for 

the small customers but for the 

large to medium customers. 

And lending rates have gone 

down though I can't give you 

specific numbers now but the 

feelers I am getting is that it 

has gone down significantly. 

“First, there is this LDR 

(Loan to Deposit Ratio) policy, 

which was increased to 65 

percent. That has had 

significant effect. In fact I 

have seen some corporate 

customers telling me that 

banks are now chasing them 

with loans, they are going 

after them, to offer them 

credit so that they can meet 

up with the LDR. 

“Then the fact that yields 

on NTBs have also come 

down, the kind of pressure 

that was generating on 

interest rates, that pressure 

has also gone down. So 

generally I think there has 

been a significant moderation 

in interest rates.” 

Frank Onyebu however 

disagreed, saying, “The so 

called reduction in rates is 

mostly cosmetic because 

rates are still unrealistically 

high and highly toxic to 

business. Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria has 

always advocated for a single 

digit interest rate for 

manufacturers. Anything 

short of this will put our 

members in perpetual 

disadvantage knowing we 

also have to grapple with the 

problem of electricity as well 

as other challenges.”



Excess liquidity to persist as N1.7trn inflow hit interbank market 


liquidity from OMO inflows worth 

NGN927.75 billion on Thursday.” 

Similarly, analysts at Afrinvest 

Limited stated: “In the coming week, 

we expect inflows of N927.8 billion 

•Interbank lending rates 

from OMO maturities and we believe 

the CBN to conduct OMO auction. We 

believed increased liquidity resulting 

from the huge inflows from OMO 

maturities will pressure yields in the 

secondary treasury bills market.” 

The inflow of N1.7 trillion is also 

expected to increase demand for FGN 

bonds this week and hence further 

appreciation in bond prices. 

“With over N950 billion of OMO 

maturities to come in next week, we 

expect significant demand, as 

investors’ scramble to lock-in excess 

funds at attractive yields”, said 

analysts at Zedcrest Capital Limited 

in their forecast for the week. 

In the same vein, analysts at Cowry 

Asset Management Limited, said: “In 

the new week, we expect OTC bond 

prices to appreciate (and yields to 

moderate) against the backdrop of 

expected boost in financial system 

liquidity.” 

Making a similar projection, analysts 

at Cordros Capital stated: “We expect 

sustained demand next week across 

the bond yield curve, as market players 

seek to re-invest excess liquidity from 

incoming maturities.” 

Naira gains as external reserves 

sheds $536m 

The naira appreciated in the parallel 

market and in the Investors and 

Exporters (I&E) window last week 

even as the CBN sustained its weekly 

dollar injection of $210 in the 

interbank foreign exchange market. 

The naira appreciated by 50 kobo in 

the I&E window as the indicative 

exchange rate dropped to N364.26 per 

dollar last week from N364.76 per 

dollar the previous week. 

Similarly the naira appreciated by 20 

kobo in the parallel market as the 

exchange rate of the market dropped 

to N358 per dollar last week from 

N358.2 per dollar the previous week. 

But the decline in the nation’s 

external reserves deepened last week, 

as the reserves fall to $36.695 billion 

on Thursday, February 20 from 

$37.231 billion on Thursday, February 

13. This translated to week-on-week 

(w/w) decline of $536 million, 

representing 8.5 percent when 

compared to the w/w decline of $494 

million the previous week. 

According to analysts at Cowry 

Assets, “In the new week, we expect 

stability of the naira against the dollar 

across the market segments as CBN 

sustains its intervention; although at 

a cost to Nigeria’s external buffers.” 

Analysts at Cordros Capital however 

warned that efforts of the CBN to 

defend the naira cannot be sustained 

beyond the first half of the year 

(H1’20). 

They said: “Looking ahead, we 

expect the still healthy foreign 

reserves to support the CBN’s currency 

defence over H1-20. Further out, the 

blend of tighter cash inflows, faster 

pace of capital repatriation, and 

possible resurgence of speculative 

attacks on the naira will force the CBN 

to throw in the towel in our opinion.” 

Forex & TB rates 

Yields on FGN bonds





Zenith Bank’s PAT crosses N200bn mark, sets goal for 2020 

•All eyes on First Bank, Access, UBA 

By Peter Egwuatu 

INDICATION has emerged 

that banks may have scaled 

up to new heights in 

profitability with Zenith Bank 

Plc reporting a Profit After Tax, 

PAT, of N208.8 billion, the first 

Nigerian bank to cross the N200 

billion mark. 

All eyes are now on the 

remaining three Tier-1 banks, 

First Bank, Access Bank and 

United Bank for Africa, UBA, 

to show-up with similar feat or 

otherwise within this week. 

Earlier Guaranty Trust Bank 

had reported PAT of N146.9 

billion for the period under 

review. 

According to Zenith Bank’s 

audited financial results for the 

2019 financial year released in 

Lagos last weekend, it also 

recorded a growth in gross 

earnings to N662.3 billion from 

N630.3 billion reported in the 

previous year. This growth was 

driven by the 29 percent 

increase in non-interest income 

to N231.1 billion in 2019 from 

N179.9 billion in 2018. 

Fees on electronic products 

continue to grow significantly 

with a 108 percent Year on Year 

(YoY) growth to N42.5 billion in 

the current year from N20.4 

billion in 2018. This is a 

validation of the Bank’s retail 

transformation strategy which 

continues to deliver impressive 

results. 

Profit before tax increased by 

five percent growing by N243 

billion in the current year from 

N232 billion in the previous year 

, arising from topline growth and 

continued focus on cost 

optimisation strategies. Cost-toincome 

ratio moderated from to 

48.8 percent from 49.3 percent 

Although returns on equity 

and assets held steady YoY at 

23.8 percent and 3.4 percent 

respectively, the Group still 

delivered improved Earnings 

per Share (EPS) which grew 8 

percent to N6.65 from N6.15. 

The Bank stated that its Group 

increased its share of the market 

as it secured increased customer 

deposits across the corporate and 

retail space as deposits grew by 

15 percent to close at N4.26 

DMO appoints CSL as new stockbrokers to FGN 

By Peter Egwuatu 

CSL 

Stockbrokers 

Limited, a subsidiary of 

FCMB Group Plc, has emerged 

as the new stockbroker to the 

Federal Government of Nigeria, 

FGN. The appointment of the 

firm, as announced by the Debt 

Management Office (DMO) 

followed an open competitive 

bidding process in which other 

stockbrokers participated. 

With the appointment, CSL 

Stockbrokers now has the 

mandate to execute all 

transactions of the Federal 

Government on the Nigeria 

Stock Exchange (NSE), which 

includes, posting bids and offer 

prices of government securities, 

supporting the DMO’s objective 

of promoting trading of Federal 

Government securities on the 

Exchange and attracting more 

retail investors to the domestic 

capital market. 

In a statement, the DMO said 

as 

Government 

Stockbroker,CSL Stockbrokers is 

mandated to build upon the 

achievements already recorded 

by increasing the participation 

trillion. 

Other performance indicators 

show that total assets also 

increased by 7 percent to N6.35 

trillion from N5.96 trillion. 

In demonstration of its 

commitment to its shareholders, 

the Bank has announced a 

proposed final dividend payout 

of N2.50 per share, bringing 

the total dividend to N2.80 per 

share. The statement from the 

Bank added: “In 2020, the 

Group remains strategically 

positioned to capture the 

opportunities in the corporate 

and retail segments, while 

efficiently managing costs and 

expanding further its retail 

franchise employing digital 

assets and innovation.” 

United Capital total asset rise to N150.5bn 

UNITED Capital Plc, has 

announced its audited 

financial statements for the year 

ended December 31, 2019, 

recording a total asset of N 

150.46 billion representing an 

increase of 1.2 percent from 

N148.70 billion in the 

corresponding period of 2018. 

Total Liabilities stood at 

N130.88 billion as against 

N132.86 billion in the previous 

of retail investors in all Federal 

Government Securities. 

Commenting on the 

appointment, the Chief 

Executive Officer of CSL 

Stockbrokers, Mr. Abiodun 

Fagbulu, described the 

development as another 

year while shareholders’ fund 

grew to N19.59 billion from 

N15.83 billion in 2018. 

Profit Before Tax, PBT 

decreased to N4.95 billion in 

2019, compared to N6.22 billion 

in 2018. The decrease in PBT 

was as a result of decline in 

revenue as well as increase in 

the cost of doing business. 

Profit After Tax, PAT stood at 

N4.97 billion in 2019, compared 

Zedcrest democratises investment, unveils new asset mgt firm 

By Princewill Ekwujuru 

ZEDCREST 

Capital 

Limited has launched a 

new investment/asset 

management firm, Zedcrest 

Investment Managers 

(ZIMVEST), a digital private 

wealth and investment 

management company, in a 

bid to digitally democratise 

investment in Africa. 

Zedcrest said in a statement 

that the new company would 

help clients grow wealth by 

beating inflation and currency 

risks through multicurrency 

investments and paperless 

processes. 

According to the Founder & 

Group Chief Executive Officer, 

Zedcrest Group, Saheed 

Amzat, “ZIMVEST’s 

differentiating factor will come 

from the renowned expertise 

of the Zedcrest group in the 

global financial markets. This 

is evidenced by the leadership 

position of its global markets 

business, Zedcap Partners, 

which bagged the 2019 best 

brokerage service award of 

FMDQ OTC. “The Group also 

has a wide distribution 

experience garnered from 

setting up another subsidiary, 

Zedvance, a top-three 

consumer lender in Nigeria.” 

The Chairman of Zedcrest 

milestone in the commitment of 

the firm to be the investment 

management services provider 

of choice in sub-Saharan 

Africa, driven by deep market 

knowledge and global standard 

investment management 

expertise. 

to N4.34 billion in 2018, 

representing a 15 

percent Year on Year, YoY 

increase. During the year 

under review, the Company’s 

PAT margin improved to 58 

percent compared to the 47 

percent in the previous year on 

the back of the Group’s 

strategic tax management 

leading to a deferred tax 

liability write back during the 

year. 

Group and former Managing 

Partner of Ernst & Young, 

Adebisi Sanda, said: "The 

launch of the asset 

management business ties in 

nicely with our plan to 

dominate every important 

vertical of financial services - 

our four pillars of global 

markets, investment 

management, lending and 

payments. 

BEARISH TREND: 

Operators advise 

investors to be 

cautious 

•N188bn lost in 

bearish run 

By Nkiruka Nnorom 

OPERATORS in the capi 

tal market have called for 

caution in stocks investment as 

the equities market closed in 

fourth consecutive week of bearish 

trend, resulting in loss of N188 

billion to investors. 

The operators, who argued that 

the recent increase in Cash Reserve 

Ratio (CRR) by the Central 

of Bank Nigeria (CBN) is 

contributing to the downturn, advised 

investors to consider investing 

in fundamentally sound 

stocks. 

The CBN had on January 24, 

2020, raised the banks’ CRR to 

27.5 percent from 22.5 percent, a 

development securities dealers 

said immediately triggered selloff 

by investors. 

“Amidst continued weak market 

sentiments, we advise investors 

to trade cautiously, taking 

positions in fundamentally justified 

stocks,” analysts at Cordros 

Capital, a Lagos-based investment 

banking firm said. 

The equities market capitalisation 

had fallen to N14.268 trillion 

from N14.456 trillion in the 

previous week amidst the continued 

risk-off sentiment. 

The All Share Index (ASI) also 

fell to 27,388.62 points from 

27,755.87 points, indicating 1.32 

percent negative returns. 

Victor Chiazor, Head of Investment 

and Research, FSL Securities, 

argued that the decline in 

the equities market in the last 

three weeks could not be entirely 

attributed to the increase in 

banks’ Cash Reserve Ratio. 

He said that investors are taking 

profit given the rise in stock 

prices at the tail-end of 2019 and 

beginning of the year, 2020. 

“With regard to the equities 

market, it may be unfair to totally 

resolve that the drop in the equities 

market is directly as a result 

of the rise in CRR. As we all 

know, the equities market revolves 

in cycles and despite it 

being information driven market, 

I don’t think the drop in the market 

can totally be attributed to the 

rise in CRR. 

“I believe the market having 

closed the year 2019 on a negative 

note with stock prices much 

lower, investors took positions in 

the early part of the New Year 

ahead of the companies’ full year 

earnings and dividend declaration 

and as expected, some investors 

are already booking their 

profit given the rise in stock prices 

over the period,” he said. 

“Going forward, as we begin to 

see company earnings and dividend 

declared, we will begin to 

see a gradual return to the market 

and prices are expected to rise 

in reaction to most of the positive 

earnings that are expected to hit 

the market,” he added.


The North has already 

destroyed itself 

We have been saying this for 20 to 30 years. If the North does not 

change, the North will destroy itself. The country is moving on. The 

quota system that everybody talks about must have a sunset clause 

—The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Punch, February 19, 2020. 

THE Emir of Kano is lead 

ing the pack of modern 

Northern thinkers and leaders 

who can now see the 

handwriting on the wall. But, 

even at that he is hesitant to 

go the full distance to tell his 

fellow Northerners the truth. 

He talks as if the destruction 

of the North is something still 

to occur. That is totally false. 

At least from the standpoint 

of economic development, the 

North has already destroyed 

itself. It only remains for it to 

destroy the South as well. 

That is a distinct possibility 

within the next three years as 

Buhari takes the nation deeper 

into the debt trap. 

Gradual end to 

the Age of Oil 

Even if Buhari and his Economic 

Management Team, 

EMT, from 2015 to 2019 had 

been the most competent set 

of managers, the nation 

would still have gone into a 

mild recession in 2016. 

The exceptional Gross Domestic 

Product, GDP, growth 

experienced from 2011 to 2013 

had nothing to do with 

Jonathan’s good management 

of the economy. Even Dr. 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership 

of the EMT at the time 

did very little to prepare the 

country for the gradual end to 

the Age of Oil. 

Strictly speaking, judged on 

the basis of what could have 

been done differently but was 

left undone, Jonathan/Okonjo-Iweala 

were compound failures. 

The former World Bank 

Managing Director was long 

on talk but short on action. 


While she advocated diversification 

of the economy at every 

forum, she did next to 

nothing to bring it about. 

Close to 80 per cent of the investments 

which propelled 

the GDP growth to 6-7 per 

cent were in the oil sector. 

The downward trend of the 

price of crude oil which started 

in the middle of 2013 and 

has continued till today was 

a warning the PDP administration 

ignored. They failed to 

prepare Nigeria for what was 

already being predicted by 

several observers - including 

me. So, to some extent, the 

economic predicament in 

which Nigeria finds itself has 

its origins in the mistakes of 

2010-2014. 

That said, the fact still remains 

that any group seeking 

political power must conduct 

a study of the current economic 

situation as well as the 

trend in the short, medium 

and long term. An incoming 

administration must have an 

idea of what it will inherit and 

have the appropriate plans to 

deal with them. This is what 

Buhari administration failed 

to do. Incidentally, had Buhari 

won in 2011, he would 

have had such a perspective 

study ready before his inauguration. 

I was involved in 

that and there are several 

former members of CPC as my 

witness. 

The country’s fate was hanging 

in the balance on May 29, 

2015. Economic recovery 

would have been extremely 

difficult given the heavy dependence 

on oil even if the 

security situation has improved. 

The global investment 

community, like Nigerians, 

had hopes that with a 

Northerner and Muslim as 

president Boko Haram would 

gradually allow peace to be 

restored. 

Then possibilities for agroallied 

projects can be explored 

with the entire North as the 

epicentre of the activities. Perhaps, 

Buhari also thought 

that his presence in Aso Rock 

was sufficient to procure 

peace without putting up a 

fight. He was wrong on Boko 

Haram. He was slow to act 

decisively. 

Even if all the 

bandits, kidnappers, 

herdsmen 

and Boko Haram 

stop their atrocities, 

the North 

has already destroyed 

itself 

The real destruction, however, 

was not caused by Boko 

Haram - which was locked 

mostly in the North East. A lot 

of projects can be established 

outside the zone which could 

accelerate economic growth to 

over four per cent or more. It 

was the “terrorist without 

boundaries”, called herdsmen, 

who heightened national 

insecurity and created a situation 

in which no part of Nigeria 

is safe. 

Under the circumstances, 

local and foreign investors 


simply stopped searching for 

possible areas of investment 

in Nigeria. All interests in Nigeria 

were shelved indefinitely. 

That was not all, bandits 

and kidnappers, now mostly 

in the North added to the feeling 

of insecurity. 

When the President announced 

that 90 per cent of 

victims of violence and insecurity 

in the North were Muslims, 

he was mostly right and 

it was somewhat disturbing to 

read that the Christian Association 

of Nigeria, CAN, was 

disputing it. 

My friends, still lucky to be 

alive in Kaduna, Katsina and 

Zamfara have confirmed that 

there is probably no Christian 

left in most of the communities 

now under siege in those 

three states. 

Obviously, when any of the 

settlement is razed only Muslims 

are slaughtered. But, that 

fact carries with it the seeds 

of the North’s self-destruction. 

In virtually all those rural 

communities Christians 

constitute the vast majority of 

teachers. In effect, even the 

kids who are supposed to be 

in school might as well stay 

home since there are no teachers. 

Basic 

education 

It is difficult to imagine a 

better way to destroy a region 

or country than to deprive its 

youngest citizens of basic education. 

So, even if all the 

bandits, kidnappers, herdsmen 

and Boko Haram stop 

their atrocities, the North has 

already destroyed itself. 

Whatever pervasive violence 

has failed to demolish, population 

explosion is wiping off. 

Sanusi recently made the following 

observation which is 

more explosive than he realises. 

“The poverty level of the 

North is 80 per cent; while in 

the South, the percentage is 

20 per cent, simply because 

of the culture of marrying 

many wives and producing 

many children who, at the 

end, are left on the streets to 

beg for what to eat.” - The 

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu 

Sanusi II. Punch, January 27, 

2020. 

Unknown to the Emir, it is 

not only the illiterates and the 

poor in the North who overpopulate 

the country. An 

elected member of the Federal 

House of Representatives, 

and a Majority Leader, for 

that matter put up an exhibition 

in the House recently. He 

brought his four wives and 

boasted of having 19 children 

and still expecting more. His 

father had over 20 wives and 

scores of children. 

He is definitely not alone; 

he was only the most ridiculous. 

It never occurred to him 

that most of his siblings are 

living in poverty. 

Furthermore, even as an 

elected member of the House, 

the per capita income of his 

own household is already very 

low. When he dies, he will 

most probably leave behind a 

lot of people barely able to eat 

two meals a day. 

Now, with leaders like 

these, setting bad examples, 

what else is needed to destroy 

the region? 

It is a fact that there is no 

nation on earth which had 

conquered poverty without 

population control. Most 

Northern leaders don’t want 

to promote it because it is politically 

risky. Yet, without the 

courage the North is already 

destroyed – almost beyond redemption. 

ECONOMY 

SON is establishing products lab in 6 geo-political zones 

THE Standards Organisa 

tion of Nigeria, SON, is 

putting structures in place to 

establish regional laboratories 

in the six geo-political zones 

of Nigeria for testing products 

and ensuring that standardization 

is deepened in the 

country. 

The Special Assistant to the 

Director General, SON, Mr. 

Bola Fashina, disclosed this 

in an interview with newsmen 

in Abuja. 

According to Fashina, the 

organisation already has in 

its 2020 budget, plans to establish 

laboratories in the six 

zones to ensure that made-in- 

Nigeria products meet required 

standards for certification 

for local consumption and 

export in order to take optimum 

advantage of the implementation 

of the African Continental 

Free Trade Agreement, 

AfCFTA. 

He said SON would ensure 

that products within each region 

could easily be tested at 

the regionally laboratories, 

instead of sending them only 

to its laboratories in Lagos, 

Kaduna or Enugu from all other 

parts of the country. 

“In the last four to five 

years, we have had a new laboratory 

complex consisting of 

about 32 laboratories in Ogba 

Industrial Estate in Lagos up 

and running. A lot of the laboratories 

there have already 

attained international accreditation 

to ensure that the results 

of whatever tests that are 

carried out there are acceptable 

globally,” he said. 

Fashina noted that the establishment 

of the laboratories 

was aimed at supporting the 

government’s Economic Recovery 

and Growth Plan, 

ERGP, to ensure that Nigerian 

products and produce were 

easily exported without rejection. 

“Apart from these ones, we 

have other laboratories, 

namely textile and leather laboratory 

located in Kaduna, 

civil and mechanical engineering 

laboratory in Enugu, 

and other laboratories in our 

operational headquarters in 

Lekki, Lagos,” he added. 

The Head, Public Relations, 

SON, further said that a national 

metrology institute was 

being constructed to take care 

of the science of measurement 

and accuracy in Nigeria and 

West African to support rapid 

industrialization. 

He explained that the institute 

would provide the primary 

source of standards for mea- 

surement to ensure accuracy in 

length, volume or mass, 

among others to ensure that 

manufacturing and trading 

were done with accuracy. 

Fashina said that the Institute 

would also ensure that 

machines used in manufacturing 

in the country were calibrated 

from time to time to ensure 

accuracy. 

“It is an ongoing project that 

was being funded in collaboration 

with the United Nations 

Industrial Organisation (UN- 

IDO) because laboratories 

evolve with technology as 

taste of people change all over 

the world and in view of the 

fact that standards are not static,” 

he said.



A new 

policy on 

mining is 

underway 

—Adegbite 

The industrialization of the Nigerian economy has 

remained a mere wish until now. However, in 

this interview, the Minister of Mines and Steel 

Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, told 

Vanguard how the Ajaokuta Steel Mills will change the 

story. He also explained that work has been going on 

to sign the proposed agreement with the Russians to 

complete and put the plant into operation. 

Excerpts: 

By Emma Ujah, Abuja 

Bureau Chief and Gabriel 

Ewepu 

WE have seen that you 

are passionate about 

the development of the 

downstream sub-sector of the 

solid minerals industry. 

What is the driving force and 

why do you think the 

downstream sector requires 

a new focus? 

That we derived from the 

original mandate of the 

Ministry and the mandate of 

the President is create 

employment and to increase 

the revenue base. If you look 

at the industry, value is lost 

by exporting raw ore. By 

exporting minerals as they are 

mined we lose a lot of 

money. Minerals require 

value addition and of course 

such lessons have been 

learned from the oil industry. 

Cost of bringing back 

refined petrol 

Look at the export of crude 

oil and look at the cost of 

bringing back refined petrol, 

diesel, kerosene and all that. 

If we could just add the value 

locally we could now export 

refined products and that 

would make a lot of money for 

us and save us foreign 

exchange as well. 

We don’t want to go down 

the same road in mineral 

export. People export raw ore, 

for instance when you export 

other minerals let’s say one 

tonne of raw tin as mined, if 

you convert that to tin ingots 

what you probably get from 

exporting the ore is a mere 35 

per cent . 

If you refined and get the 

real property of tin and you 

export it, you will sell it at a 

higher value and you would 

have reduced your cost. 

Meanwhile, when you 

export the raw tin you are 

exporting a lot of impurities 

which is of no value. The 

buyers are going to buy it 

cheaply and now whoever 

you sell it to will have to do 

the smelting to get out what 

they need which is the tiningot. 

So if you do that locally you 

get better value and you also 

create employment in that 

process, because that process 

itself goes through some 

certain stages which will need 

human resources. 

Therefore, essentially, we 

are trying to focus on the 

downstream to create that 

value and also to create jobs 

for our people. That is why 

we are reviewing 

development policy for the 

downstream sector. 

Why are miners and traders 

in minerals sector exporting 

them in their raw forms? 

One, government has not 

focused on it, so there is no 

policy in place. What we are 

doing now is that we are 

drafting a policy that is on my 

table right now. It has to go 

through some processes. It 

has to go to the (Federal 

Executive) Council before we 

can gazette and put it out for 

implementation. It does not 

have to go to the National 

Assembly, but it needs to go 

to Council for approval. There 

was no focus so people could 

do whatever they wanted. 

Two, the fact that mining is 

largely on informal side- it is 

mostly artisanal mining that 

our people do. 

These are people who are 

doing subsistence mining and 

not the right investments into 

mining. Now they use crude 

methods, simple implements 

•Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite 

to get minerals out and they 

cannot invest in the kind of 

effort that you need to process 

these materials. All they want 

is to get something out and 

make a little money to take 

care of their families and 

immediate needs. That is 

why they are called artisanal 

miners. 

Now, Nigeria is reaching a 

point that we are attracting the 

large investors, the majors are 

beginning to focus on Nigeria 

and they want to come in. We 

need this kind of policy in 

place so that the time they are 

here, you don’t start exporting 

Nigeria is 

reaching a point 

that we are 

attracting the 

large investors, 

the majors are 

beginning to 

focus on Nigeria 

and they want to 

come in 

the raw minerals. Nigeria 

will not benefit, we get the 

rough end of the stick 

because they will pay us very 

low, we lose all the jobs in the 

value chain downstream. 

That is what I am saying- let 

us put this in place now and 

as we progress, we also 

encourage the artisanal 

miners to sell to what 

government has created 

now. We have created 

approved Buying Centres. 

Whatever you realize in the 

raw form, sell it to our Buying 

Centres. They buy it from 

you at the right rate, they 

would not cheat you. 

Right now there are some 

charlatans who cheat people 

they go to them because this 

people are desperate. They 

pay them next to nothing for 

their efforts. But if you go to 

our accredited Buying 

Centres, they will not cheat 

you. 

Smelting 

plants 

Now these Buying Centres 

are now linked to the 

downstream people, people 

who have smelting 

plants. For instance, now we 

have given license for two 

gold refineries in Nigeria and 

they are already been built, 

one is in Abuja and the other 

in Ogun state. 

Therefore, instead of taking 

your gold out in that raw form, 

gold can be refined in 

Nigeria, to the value of what 

is quoted in the stock 

exchange. Gold is now 

having the highest rise. Gold 

is now selling for $1,600 per 

ounce. 

So Nigeria can participate in 

that, when we refine the gold 

in that line it’s called the four 

nines (99.99), but when you 

export your gold in the raw 

form, people will buy it 

cheaply from you and they 

will get the rich end. 

You have talked about the 

inability of the artisanal 

miners to invest in large 

plants requiring huge capital 

outlays, what steps are you 

taking to not only attract 

foreign investors- the big 

majors you are talking about, 

but even Nigerians to see that 

there is an opportunity in this 

sector so that they can 

massively in the sector and 

that could even encourage 

foreigners to invest? 

It is because mining itself 

comes with some risk and 

mining itself is not yet 

understood in Nigeria, we 

have lost mining for a while. 

The solid mineral industry 

was the mainstay of the 

nation’s economy in 50s, 60s, 

and even 70s, but since we 

discovered oil in 1956, mining 

has been on the decline. 

The knowledge of mining is 

not there and people want to 

put their money in what they 

know and that’s what the 

ministry is doing now. We 

are embarking on advocacy 

and sensitization to let 

people know that there’s so 

much in the sector. 

All people know is that gold 

sells so much that’s why you 

have a lot artisanal miners in 

gold, but you see beyond gold 

there are so many minerals. 

Nigeria has identified 44 

minerals till date and still 

counting because we are still 

Continues on page 27


A new policy on mining is underway 



spending more on 

exploration. So Nigeria has a 

lot and while people are 

focusing on gold, there are 

even gem stones that are even 

more expensive than gold, 

and people don’t know. 

That is why artisanal miners 

are focused on gold, but there 

are other minerals they don’t 

know that we have in Nigeria 

that can be tapped into. 

Use mining licences or lose 

them 

There are a lot of Nigerians 

who have licenses but are 

holding unto mining licenses, 

they don’t want to commit 

because of the risk. That’s 

another advocacy we are 

doing. We want to clean up 

the sector because the law 

says if you are not doing 

anything with it will be 

revoked. The law of 

mining licence is “use it or 

lose it.” 

I think recently we revoked 

about 1, 800 licenses and it is 

a continuous process. We go 

through the list to find people 

who have it and have not used 

it because when you are doing 

the right thing you are 

supposed to be filling a report 

to the Cadastral Office and 

the mining Inspectorate. 

When you are not filing such 

reports, it means you are not 

doing anything with it. The 

law says you use it or lose it. 

Sir, following on that line, 

when you announced a plan 

to have an agreement with 

Russians towards the 

completion of the Ajaokuta 

Steel Complex, there was a 

lot of euphoria because 

Ajaokuta is considered a low 

hanging fruit. What exactly 

is the status of the planned 

agreement with the Russians? 

It is good that we went to 

town then, it was something 

that was worth celebrating. 

Completing 

Ajaokuta 

The President went to Russia 

with the basket of requests, 

that was during the Russia- 

African summit in Sochi in 

October last year. On the 

sideline of that summit, we 

had a bilateral with the 

Russian President. 

One of the requests that was 

tabled was for the Russians to 

come back and complete 

Ajaokuta, minding the fact 

they built it in the first place, 

when they were Soviet Union. 

It was essentially the 

Russians and the Ukrainians 

under the Soviet Union- it was 

big country then, that built 

Ajaokuta, to about 95-98 per 

cent completion. 

The request that we made 

was, we’ve tried some 

commercial to complete 

Ajaokuta avenue in the past 

which have failed, so now we 

want to try a government to 

government arrangement. 

And president Putin acceded 

to that and promised that the 

Russian government will do 

that. The beauty of it is that 

we got funding- the Russian 

Export Centre which is akin 

to what is called EXIM Bank 

in other countries pledged a 

sum of $460million towards 

this project, while Afrixim 

Bank which is the bank that 

we are also shareholders, also 

pledged a billion Dollars. 

The beauty of it is that the 

money is not tied to Nigerian 

revenue. It is tied to revenue 

from that company. So 

Ajaokuta is beholding to pay 

back the money that is used 

to complete it. That is why 

this is a Build-Operate- 

Transfer. It is the details that 

we are going to work out. The 

kind of money it needs to be 

running. Ajaokuta is such 

that we do it properly. 

There’s a business case for 

that and it can pay for itself. 

Catapulting into 

the industrial era 

That was too good a news to 

keep to ourselves and so we 

went to town and that’s why 

that was celebrated because 

Ajaokuta is something that is 

just waiting to catapult us into 

the industrial era. Nigeria is 

not industrialised because to 

produce simple implements, 

complicated tools, vehicles, 

aircraft parts you need steel. 

And that’s the problem we 

have in Nigeria, we have not 

been able to manufacture 

those things because we do 

not have steel. 

We need to produce liquid 

steel which can now be 

manipulated into many other 

things. Once you produce 

liquid steel, you can do 

anything you want with it, 

you can alloy it- that is add 

some metals because you want 

to have some benefits from 

that alloy. You can change it 

to flat sheets, which of course 

goes to form other shapes, 

you can start making body 

parts for cars. That is why 

everybody is excited about it. 

What is the status of Itakpe 

in this new arrangement? 

Itakpe and Ajaokuta shoud 

have even been the same 

company. Itakpe was created 

solely because of Ajaokuta. 

For you to produce steel you 

need iron ore. Now when the 

steel policy was being 

formulated in the 60s or 

so. The iron ore deposit in 

Itakpe is so vast but it is not 

the biggest in terms of reserve. 

The biggest is actually also in 

Kogi, it is Agbaja, but that 

comes with a flaw in it 

because it has phosphorus in 

it. Phosphorus in iron makes 

•Olamilekan Adegbite 

the steel to be brittle. 

In Agbaja the iron content 

is higher but it has 

phosphorous the richer the 

ore in terms of iron content the 

better for making steel. Itakpe 

iron content is lower but it is 

pure so they settled for Itakpe 

and why that company was 

now built, the company was 

built as a beneficiation 

plant. What is found in Itakpe 

The government 

put N2.5 billion, 

BoI has a 

marching fund of 

another N2.5 

billion making it 

N5 billion 

is about 35% pure iron. With 

the beneficiation that is 

enrichment that is done at 

Itakpe through a process 

that’s why it’s a whole 

company, it upgrades to about 

65%, 68% iron content which 

is now sent to Ajaokuta and 

that’s why a rail line is built 

between them. Like I said 

NIOMCO and Ajaokuta are 

tied together. NIOMCO just 

needs a few refurbishments. 

Don’t we have issues about 

the Indians who took it…. 

The Indians issue is actually 

with Ajaokuta itself and not 

with Itakpe, Itakpe is clean. 

And has the legal issue 

around Ajaokuta been 

resolved? 

Its ongoing, it’s a parallel 

issue, it is been resolved. 

The Bureau Public 

Enterprises is handling that 

so it is been resolved and we 

are making progress, we had 

a meeting in December 

towards the resolution of that, 

so that legal process is been 

resolved legally while this 

process to revive Ajaokuta is 

also going on. 

What’s the update on BOI 

loans for miners? 

The beauty of it is as of now 

two have been granted but I 

think about 20 loan 

applications have been 

approved and those 18 people 

that have not been disbursed 

are to fulfill one or two 

requirements. Till date, the 

total application for the loan 

even exceeds the money that 

we have there. The 

government put N2.5 billion, 

BoI has a marching fund of 

another N2.5 billion making 

it N5 billion. But the 

application till date is about 

N9.8 billion so even far in 

excess of what we have there 

but those who have met the 

criteria and have been 

approved areabout 20. 

Essentially people are just 

realizing that this is not your 

share of the national cake. 

This is something to help you. 

The interest rate is very low, 

it is five per cent and it is 

supposed to help you in your 

mining operations so that it 

can contribute to the bottom 

line for Nigeria in terms of 

revenue, employment. That 

is why government put this 

money in place. 

A lot of people had that 

mistaken impression that this 

is their own, so they went 

there with the intention of not 

having the proper paper, 

means of paying back. So if 

you took the money and 

unable to pay back others 

won’t be able to benefit, it 

suppose to be a recycling 

thing. 

How are you going about 

resolving the friction 

between the federal and state 

governments in the 

industry? The states claim 

ownership of land while 

minerals are on the exclusive 

list? 

We are resolving that 

problem and it is through 

advocacy. I went to the NEC 

(National Economic Council) 

which is of course chaired by 

the vice president, something 

in October last year to present 

our problems. You know NEC 

is made of governors and the 

Vice President. So the 

governors also expressed 

their grievances against what 

federal government is doing 

and all that. 

Resolution of 

the problem 

We all agreed that for this to 

work, all governors accept 

that this is a constitutional 

matter -that mining belongs 

to the federal government 

exclusively. But they have 

a few things that they think 

we should do to carry them 

along. So a committee was 

set up to be headed by the 

immediate past Minister 

(Kayode Fayemi), who is now 

a governor now. Wearing 

those two caps, he knows 

where the shoe pinches, so to 

speak. 

He is the chairman of that 

committee which was formed 

by NEC to help us resolve all 

these. I am a member of that 

committee and a few other 

governors. It is for us to 

harmonize our positions. I 

think it is something that we 

are working out. Beside that 

myself and the minister of 

state will be visiting a lot of 

states on advocacy. I was in 

Lagos, Osun, Nassarawa, and 

I think the Minster of State 

has been to a few other states 

also. We are getting good 

responses from all these 

governors and everything 

seem to be going on very well.





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Victor Olaiya: Trajectory of 

Nigeria’s birth and decline 

AWIDELY held African belief 

is that there are three stages 

in life: when you are born, 

adulthood and old age which 

presages eternal departure. These 

are also symbolised by dawn, 

afternoon and sunset. 

Likewise, the life of Victor 

Abimbola Olaiya, the music 

genius can be broken into three 

equal segments, neatly 

characterized into three 30-year 

periods. He was born into colonial 

Nigeria in 1930 and witnessed the 

agitations for independence and a 

prosperous future. Thirty years 

later, the new country, Nigeria was 

midwifed. 

Olaiya was commissioned to 

perform at the official State 

Banquet to mark October 1, 1960 

Independence Day. In the next 

thirty years, he saw a troubled 

country seized by soldiers, fight a 

needless and degenerative Civil 

War in which some two million 

perished, and the country firmly 

under military jackboots. 

In another three decades, as his 

sun set, he also witnessed the sun 

of his beloved country setting 

thanks to a sick and parasitic 

political class which plays politics 

with everything. 

Olaiya handled the trumpet the 

way only a genius could, and 

90 

played Highlife music which 

rocked the 1950s into the early 

1970s and laid the foundation for 

subsequent music genres like 

Juju. The founder and creator of 

Afro Beat, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, 

cut his teeth under him. Olaiya 

was a music machine producing 

one hit after another. One of them 

is ‘Ilu Le’, a narrative of the 

economic difficulties to which the 

citizens of the new country were 

being subjected. 

The simple, emotive and highly 

danceable song was rendered in 

two stanzas in Shakespearian 

couplet form. The first was about 

the general hardship which all 

suffered. The second stanza 

focused on what he analysed as 

the coping strategies of women. 

He sang in Yoruba that a gaily 

dressed woman would visit a man 

and tell him she’d looked 

everywhere for him, wondering if 

nobody ever told him. For Olaiya, 

this was a mere smokescreen for 

the lady to seek financial bailout. 

This highly melodious song with 

simple and unforgettable lyrics, 

speaks to the heart of the 

populace. It was an early 

indication of Olaiya being a social 

conscience of the people. Also 

embedded in the song is his 

lifelong preoccupation with 

women themes. Another hit “Omo 

pupa” is a dedication to fair 

skinned ladies. In wooing the lady 

he tells her: “When I get to London, 

I will send you money for ticket.” 

Obviously a fake promise. 

In “Mofe muyan” he sang: 

“Please tell the lady not to leave. I 

have said we came to catch fun. 

Lady, please don’t leave. I am 

child-like…” The “Mr. Judge” 

song is rendered as a court drama 

in which he is helpless about the 

beautiful women, especially those 

that frequent the Itafaji and 

Tejuosho markets. 

He sang in English: “I say Mr. 

Judge show me the way. Before 

you talk, I plead not guilty…All 

the girls from Campus 

Square…E.T. Mensah blow your 

horn. Dr. Victor Olaiya blow your 

horn.” 

Monuments are 

unlikely to be named 

after him, but Dr. 

Victor Abimbola 

Olaiya who departed 

on February 12, 2020 

will never be forgotten 

“Tina Mate” is a song wrapped 

like a conflict in a question and 

answer form. He asks, in any 

given situation who do you 

choose: mother or wife, wife or 

girlfriend? In “Iyawo Maronu” the 

husband tries to comfort the wife 

and counsels her not to become 

belligerent or adversarial just 

because they are undergoing 

financial challenges. 

He cautions her not to become 

unfaithful as nobody can predict 

the future. In “Gbemisola” he uses 

a female vocalist who praises the 

husband and pledges her love, 

singing: “If I have riches today, 

you gave them to me.” 

Olaiya loved and respected 

women but in general, he tended 

to see them in his music more as 

lubricants of society rather than 

engines that move society. “Iye 

Jemila” is an hilarious song in 

Ijebu languge in which he called 

out an imaginary couple, the 

parents of his heart throb, Jemila 

who after collecting some money 

from him refused to give him her 

hand in marriage. 

He makes an allusion to the 

Ijebus alleged tendency to 

counterfeit money. He cautioned 

them: “Human beings are water. 

They flow across the world. If we 

don’t meet at the source, we’ll 

meet upstream.” 

In “Afrika” which he rendered in 

English, he lamented that the 

continent is burning and dying. 

Singing: “Afrika, so so fight, fight, 

fight. Afrika so so war, war,war. 

Afrika so so fire, fire fire. Afrika so 

so die, die, die.” He gave examples 

of the then war theatres like 

Congo, Sudan and Chad. 

But in giving examples of the 

wars in Angola, Mozambique, 

Soweto (South Africa) Namibia 

and Zimbabwe, he failed to 

indicate that they were liberation 

wars; necessary wars against 

colonialism, racism and apartheid. 

Olaiya sang many philosophical 

songs employing the trumpet and 

many languages, especially 

Nigerian and Ghanaian. He was 

a well organised person who 

believed deeply in collectivity. I 

was shocked in the late 1980s 

when I got a message from him 

seeking an appointment to visit 

me in the Vanguard Newspapers 

where I was Labour Editor. I 

replied that he is a father of my 

generation and that he should 

rather, grant me the honour of 

visiting him. 

During our meeting at his hotel, 

I discovered he had been reading 

my debate against the Performing 

Musicians Employers' Association 

of Nigeria, PMEAN, being run by 

non-employers who had tried to 

drop the word “Employers” from 

the organisation’s name and 

changed the acronym to PMAN. 

He wanted me to help build 

another musicians body, the 

Nigeria Union of Musicians, 

NUM, which is “a forum for bands 

(and) musicians who play an 

instrument or sing.” 

He was the President of the 

NUM and wanted me, in addition, 

to assist in getting the Radio, 

Television and Theatre Workers 

Union, RATTAWU, to affiliate the 

NUM. Olaiya believed in labour 

and solidarity and marched at the 

May Day. During my visits, he 

gave me copies of his records 

which he autographed. 

Nigeria underwent long spells 

of military misrule with brutal 

dictators holding the country in a 

vile stranglehold. The most brutal 

and kleptocratic was General Sani 

Abacha who wanted to transform 

into an ‘elected’ President. For 

this, he deployed huge sums from 

the looted national treasury. In 

that season of infamy, Abacha 

gave PMEAN a billion naira 

contract to get all the notable 

musicians to perform at a march 

to endorse his be-goggled 

makeover. 

The leading musicians fell over 

themselves to get to Abuja and 

perform for evil. Tried as the 

organisers could dangling huge 

sums of money, two musicians 

pointedly rejected the money and 

refused to join in the chorus of 

infamy: young Femi Kuti and 

Olaiya. Monuments are unlikely 

to be named after him, but Dr. 

Victor Abimbola Olaiya who 

departed on February 12, 2020 will 

never be forgotten. 

The radicalisation of political conflict 

AT the heart of the concept of 

democracy is the sanctity of the 

idea that my opponent's view is a 

strong part of the democratic 

conversation. That whether or not I 

agree with you, you have the right 

to your position and to articulate it 

to the electorate, and yes, that 

position can include a vicious 

denunciation of my opponent. That 

is the basis of free speech and 

political debate. Ideally, it should be 

conducted with respect, but 

decorum is not the test of validity. 

Over the last few years in Nigeria, we 

have gone from at least paying lip service 

to this idea to a position where it is more 

and more accepted that stamping on, 

detaining and even killing those who 

disagree with us is an acceptable 

weapon in the political armory. Those 

who use it do so because they feel a 

level of impunity; it seems that the 

refrain: 'and what can they do’ has 

taken hold, something that can only 

exist when the answer is 'nothing’. The 

more it is ignored, the more daring and 

empowered the culprits become. 

Situations like this emerge because 

of the example set by the highest 

authorities in the land. While I 

commend the decision taken by 

government before Christmas to release 

Sowore and Dasuki from detention, I 

caution very clearly that such a move 

does not undo the wrong or change the 

course of others. 

There are many others who remain in 

questionable custody and the impunity 

that exists at the top only emboldens 

others throughout the system. 

This type of impunity is almost always 

justified by what I call the creed of the 

wicked. The idea that the end justifies the 

means; that we must take this action now, 

this hard thing that must be done, because 

in the long run, Nigeria will be better. 

We are the ones willing to do so despite 

the risk to ourselves. 

But this argument amounts to the 

idea that you simply must 'trust me’ 

with power that was never intended to 

be granted, let alone abused in this 

The traditional power balance 

that means executive authority is 

tempered by the legislature and 

the judiciary has to remain 

sacrosanct 

way, lifts fundamental tenets of the 

idea of benevolent dictatorship. But at 

least with most benevolent dictators, 

there is a clear roadmap and vision for 

where they are taking us. If the 

Nigerian government has that roadmap 

today, then they are not telling us what 

it is! 

Perhaps that is the problem that they 

face. If they could verbalise those 

objectives they might get more support. 

In the absence of them, the 

transgressions 

become the 

story and 

the focus. 

T h e r e 

does not 

seem to be 

a 

recognition, or understanding, that 

simply claiming to be morally right, 

without working hard to gain the 

support of your constituency is not 

enough. Maybe what we have is the 

simple arrogance that comes with the 

belief that 'now I am in power, I do not 

have to explain myself to you’. I do not 

believe this is solely the problem of the 

Federal Government in Nigeria; it has 

filtered down into the states and it is 

spreading to local governments, to 

traditional institutions, to religious 

organisations, to businesses. 

This slide of moral suasion over the 

rule of law is one that is very slippery 

and it is something that we have to 

watch closely. The traditional power 

balance that means executive authority is 

tempered by the legislature and the 

judiciary has to remain sacrosanct. 

The more court orders are disobeyed, 

the faster the slide is. The life and death 

fight for power, winner takes all, loser 

loses all cult like political parties 

dedicated only to win power and crush 

opposition is damaging. 

There is no programme difference 

between political parties; although even 

if there were, radicalisation is possible, 

but a lot more difficult. People have right 

to push back against radicalisation: to 

ask the political parties what they stand 

for and how much of what they stand is 

meaningful. 

But I want to be clear that this is not 

solely the fault of the executive. It 

cannot happen if the other institutions 

are strong. It would not be possible for 

judicial orders to be ignored; if there 

wasn’t at least some semblance of belief 

across the system in Nigeria that the 

Judiciary itself has been compromised. 

The judges and lawyers that have 

allowed such a situation to develop must 

be held equally accountable. It is their 

responsibility to ensure that the judicial 

arm is beyond suspicion, but they have 

failed at that task. All is not lost. But 

time is running out and the journey to 

the 2023 elections is going to be a rocky 

one. How the process evolves and 

develops will be the true strength of our 

democracy. 

Will that vibrant opposition that I 

spoke of at the start be allowed to 

flourish? Or will we continue down the 

path to silencing dissent, and so 

significantly degrade the democratic 

freedoms that we aspire to have closely? 

C 

M 

Y








:Vanguard News 

:@vanguardnews 

Senate moves to establish state police, 

National Police Service Commission, others 

By Henry Umoru 

A BUJA—THE 

Senate has begun 

moves to establish a state Police 

system that would speedily seek 

solutions to the security 

problems currently facing the 

country. 

When it comes on board, the 

State Police would be organised 

and administered in 

accordance with such 

provisions as may be prescribed 

by a law of the House of 

Assembly of a State, subject to 

the framework and guidelines 

established by an Act of the 

National Assembly. 

The bill, sponsored by former 

Deputy Senate President, 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, would 

be supported by 57 other 

members of 1999 Constitution 

Review Committee and other 

senators. 

In the Bill, the Federal Police 

Shall be responsible for the 

maintenance of public security, 

preservation of public order and 

security of persons and property 

throughout the federation, to the 

extent provided for under the 

constitution or by an Act of the 

National Assembly. 

With the bill, the State 

Commissioner of Police will be 

appointed by the state governor 

for a five year tenure, with the 

approval of the State House of 

Assembly, and can be removed 

by the governor upon 

recommendation of the National 

Police Service Commission, 

subject to the approval by twothirds 

majority of the state House 

of Assembly. 

For the establishment of State 

Police to be effective, according 

to the proposed bill, there will be 

the coming on board of a State 

Police Service Commission that 

shall be responsible for 

recommending the appointment 

of a Commissioner of Police, 

Deputy Commissioner of Police 

and Assistant Commissioner of 

Police to the National Police 

Service Commission. 

The commission will also be 

Why we unveiled Hollandia 

Lactose — CHI 

LAGOS—THE management 

of Chi Limited has said that 

the introduction of its Hollandia 

Lactose Free Easy-to-Digest Milk 

into the Nigerian market will 

provide consumers who suffer 

from lactose intolerance the 

opportunity to continue to 

consume milk, and enjoy all its 

nutritional benefits without 

worrying about any side effects 

or inconveniences caused by the 

lactose in milk. 

Speaking during the unveiling 

of the product in Lagos weekend, 

the Marketing Director of Chi 

Limited, Probal Bhattacharya 

said: “Some individuals 

experience some common 

saddled with the responsibility of 

appointing, disciplining, and 

removing members of the state 

police below the rank of Assistant 

Commissioner of Police; and 

other functions and powers of the 

commission as may be specified, 

either in the constitution or a law 

of the House of Assembly of a 

State. 

The commission will be 

responsible for “recommending 

the appointment of a 

Commissioner of Police, the 

Commission shall propose three 

qualified candidates to the 

National Police Service 

Commission.” 

symptoms like diarrhea, 

constipation and others after the 

consumption of milk. Those who 

are lactose-intolerant tend to 

avoid milk and its derivatives 

altogether due to these 

inconveniences experienced 

while consuming milk and dairy 

products, but this will bring them 

relief to them.” 

Lactose is a sugar that occurs 

naturally in dairy products, milk, 

yoghurts and some food items 

made with milk derivatives. 

Lactose intolerance occurs in 

people who cannot metabolize 

lactose properly because their 

digestive systems produce too 

little of an enzyme known as 

lactase required for digesting 

lactose in the body.

:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

Edo govt alleges plot by 

Oshiomhole to destabilise state 

BENIN—THE Edo 

State Government 

has berated the National 

Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Adams Oshiomhole, 

accusing him of 

orchestrating violence 

in the state. 

Special Adviser, Media 

and Communication 

Strategy to Governor 

Godwin Obaseki, in a 

statement, yesterday, 

said: “On February 22, 

2020, there was sudden 

tension in Benin metropolis, 

which resulted 

in large, unruly crowds 

gathering at strategic 

locations, and military 

personnel shooting sporadically, 

thrusting the 

city into pandemonium. 

“The state government 

later learnt that 

the chaos resulted from 

the visit of the suspended 

national chairman of 

APC, Oshiomhole, who 

characteristically 

breached the protocol, 

which required that 

when a person of public 

importance is coming 

into a state, he should 

have the courtesy to inform 

government and 

other relevant authorities 

of his impending 

visit. 

“Suffice it to say that 

the Edo State government 

has absolutely no 

idea that a person of 

such status as a former 

governor of the state 

was visiting. 

“It is unfortunate that 

a former governor who 

should understand basic 

security and protocol 

standards will willfully 

and repeatedly violate 

them and cause 

tension and severe 

threat to public safety 

and security. 

“A few months ago, 

when Oshiomhole 

caused tension in the 

state, due to the same 

behavior, we had reported 

formally to the 

Inspector General of 

Police and the Department 

of State Services, 

DSS, about the avoidable 

carnage, destruction 

of property and severe 

injuries to many persons, 

as well as general 

unrest, which resulted 

from Oshiomhole’s 

abuse of protocol and 

his penchant for crisis 

and violence. 

“We, however, want to 

warn that since Oshiomhole 

has decided to 

carry on with his character 

of impunity, disrespect 

for due process 

and continues to stir 

crisis and disruption of 

peace in the state, the 

Edo State government 

would not be responsible 

for any consequence 

from his unruly behavior. 

“We are, again, calling 

on the Presidency and 

all security agencies in 

the country to prevail on 

Oshiomhole to discountenance 

these acts of 

impunity in the interests 

of the ordinary law 

abiding Edo people. 

“We restate govern- 


ment’s resolve to preserve 

public safety and 

order and call on Edo 

people to eschew violence, 

while going about 

their lawful businesses.” 

CHANGE OF NAME 

ANUNUKEM 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Anunukem Deborah Chiaka, 

now wish to be known as Mrs 

Emeribe Deborah Chiaka. All 

former documents remain valid. 

General public please take. 

IDIGU 

I, formerly known as Mrs 

Magdalene Erhieyovwe Idigu, 

now wish to be known as 

Erhieyovwe Magdalene Iwarah. 

All former documents remain 

valid. General public please take. 

OGBONNAYA 

I, formerly known as Ogbonnaya 

Blessing, now wish to be known 

as Okorie Blessing Chika. All 


General public please take. 

ONOJEFEMUE 


Onojefemue Vivian 

Oghenerukevwe, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Oghenechovwe 

Vivian Oghenerukevwe. All 


General public please take.


OVWIOMOR 

This is to confirm that the 

name Ovwiomor Ngozi Isioma 

and Ovwiomor Blessing 

Isioma refer to me. I now 

wwish to be known as 

Ovwiomor Blessing Isioma. All 

former documents remain 

valid. General public take note. 

OGALA 

I, formerly know as Miss Ogala 

Efoma Vennesa, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Obiekwunye 

Vannessa Efoma. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

NWANKWO 

This is to certify that the names Nwankwo 

Harrison Chinonyerem, Simeon Harrison 

Nwankwo and Simeon Harrison 

Chinonyerem refer to one and the same 

person and now wish to be known as 

Simeon-Nwankwo Harrison 

Chinonyerem. All former documents 

remain valid. General public please take 

note. 

NWANKWO 

ALIAGWU 


Kelechi Christabel Aliagwu, 

now wish to be known as Mrs. 

Kelechi Christabel Solomon 

Eshegbe. All former documents 

remain valid. General public 

please take note. 

AGBAIBO 


Agbaibo Onaike Magret, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Adenuga Onaike Magret. All 


valid. General public please 

take. 

IGWE 

I, formerly know as Chioma 

Rosemary Okechukwu Igwe, 


Chioma Rosemary Donatus 

Tom. All former documents 



NWOSU 

I, formerly know as Miss 

Amarachi Nwosu, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Amarachi 

Christopher Osadebe. All 



take note. 

OZIOKO 


Ozioko Angel Nnedinso, now 

wish to be known as Mrs 

Utoatuonu Angel Nnedinso. 



take note. 

AMADIEGWU 


Amadiegwu Chetachukwu 

Faith, now wish to be known 

as Mrs. Ejezzie Chetachukwu 

Faith. All former documents 



AKPOBO 

I, formerly known as Akpobo 

Daniel, now wish to be known 

as Oyiborhoro Daniel 

Akpobo. All former 


Banks, All Constituted 

Authorities and the General 

Public to please take note. 

ONI 

I, formerly known as Oni 

Titilayo Temitope, now wish 

to be known as Onasanya 

Titilayo Temitope. All former 

documents remain valid. Osun 

State Government and general 

public please take note. 

ADESHINA 


Adeshina Adebukola Aishat, 


Bamidele Adebukola Aishat. 



take note. 

ORJIAKO 


Orjiako Ugochi Queeneth, now 


Ugochi Kingsley Onwuosiri. 

All former documents bearing 

my former name remain valid. 

All relevant Authorities and 

general public take note. 

ADINUBA 

I, formerly known as Aloysius 

Adinuba, now wish to be 

known as Aloysius Okike 

Okwchukwu. All former 



note. 

OCHEI 


Vivian Nkem Ochei, now wish 

to be known as Mrs Vivian 

Nkem Ikem. All documents 

bearing my former name 



I, formerly known as Timothy 

Nwankwo, now wish to be 

known as Timothy Anih- 

Nwankwo. All former 



note. 

AMAJUOYI 

OGEH ENEGIDE OSUNWOKE 

I, formerly known as Miss This is to confirm that Ogeh Divine I, formerly known as Miss 

Amajuoyi Ogechi Bestvin, Odinakachukwu and Ogeh Divine Osunwoke Chigozie Mary, now 

now wish to be known and 

Perpetua refer to one and the same me. wish to be known and addressed 

addressed as Mrs Steven 

I now wish to be known as Ogeh as Mrs Chukwuoha Chigozie 

Ogechi Bestvin. All former 

Divine Odinakachukwu Perpetua. Mary. All former documents 



All former documents remain valid. remain valid. General public 

note. 

General public please take note. please take note. 

PROMISE 

I, formerly known as Victor 

KIMUENU 


ONOCHIE 


Promise, now wish to add 

Lydia Ewhrudjakpor Kimuenu, Onochie Jennifer Chiamaka, 

now wish to be known as Mrs. now wish to be known as Mrs. 

Atube, to be known as Victor 

Ogra Lydia Ewhrudjakpor. All Edochie Jennifer Chiamaka. 

Promise Atube. All former 

former documents remain All former documents remain 

documents remain valid. valid. General public please valid. General public please 

General public take note. take note. 

take note. 

OBIEKWE OHAKAEZE 

BISAN 

URHIEWU OBIE 

I, formerly known as Onyeka I, formerly known and called I , formerly known and called 

Ohakaeze, now wish to be Bisan Kemebimo Favour now Urhiewu Obatarhe Christiana 

known as Ohakaeze Pascal wish to be known and called 


called Olatuyi Obatarhe 

Onyeka. All former Patrick Emebimo Gold. All 

Christiana. All former 

documents remain valid. former documents remain 


General Public should please valid. General public please General public please take 

take note. 

take note. 

note. 

AGBA CHIGBOGU NW 

AI 

ENEMIKU 

I, formerly known as Miss Agba 

Onyinyechukwu Henrietta, 

now to be known and addressed 

as Mrs. Ebegbulem Ikechukwu 

Onyinyechukwu Henrietta, all 

formerly documents remain 

valid general public please take 

note. 

I, formerly known as Miss Uju 

Eucheria Chigbogu, now wish 

to be known as Mrs Uju 

Eucharia Dafikpaku. All 


valid. General Public 

and general public take note. 


Enemiku Anna, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Kpegho 

Enemiku Anna. All former 


General Public and general 

public take note. 

NWANKWO OG 

I, formerly known as 

Nwankwo Cindy Ifechukwu, 

now wish to be known as 

Ugochukwu Cindy Ifechukwu. 



take note. 

EZEOZOR 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss Amaka Jane 

Ezeozor, now wish to be 

known and addressed as Mrs 

Amaka Jane Bethel Amadi. All 



ULASI 

I, formerly know as Miss Stella 

Onyinye Ulasi, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Stella Onyinye 

Chukwuma-Obi. All former 



note. 

EDUDJE 

I, formerly known as Edudje 

Oke, now wish to be known as 

Mrs. Omavuaye Oke. All 

documents bearing my former 

names remain valid, general 


ODUNAIKE 

I, formerly known as Odunaike 

Abiodun Regina, now in the joining 

of Holy Matrimony wish to be known 

and addressed as Mobolaji Adamson 

Abiodun Regina, and it should also 

have effect on my certificates and all 

the documents I own including my 

bank. General public please take note. 

ONWUEGBUNAM 


addressed as Miss 

Onwuegbunam Anne Amaka, 


addressed as Mrs. Okoli Anne 

Amaka. All documents bearing 

former names remain valid. 

The general public should take 

note. 

UZOUKWU 


Uzoukwu Onyekachi Perpetua, 


addressed as Mrs Chikere 

Onyekachi Harmony. All 



take note. 

AKPEVWE 


Akpochimora-a Akpevwe and 

Miss Akpochimora-a Akpevwe 

Praise, now wish to be known 

as Mrs. Ugorume Akpevwe. All 



take note. 

ETUMNU 


Etumnu Utodinachukwu 

Harmony, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Akubuo 

Utodinachukwu Harmony. All 


valid. NMCN, banks, general 


OSAKWE 


Osakwe Anwulika Rita, now 


Adigwe Anwulika Rita. All 


valid. General Public 


NWANKWO 

I, formerly known as Nwankwo 

Sonia Somtochukwu, now wish 

to be known as Ugochukwu 

Sonia Somtochukwu. All 



take note. 

ABIEYUWA 

I, formerly known as Mrs. Tejumola 

Osazee Abieyuwa, now wish to be 

known as Miss Erhunse Abieyuwa. 

All documents bearing my former 

names remain valid. Authorities to 

whom it may concern including 

National College of Accountancy, 

Jos, First City Monument Bank 

(FCMB), others and the public 

should please note. 

EMMANUEL 

I, formerly know as Emmanuel 

- Friday Racheal, now wish to 

be known as Emmanuel - Friday 

Racheal Umoren. All former 


General public please take note. 

EBOZOJE 


Esther Omoekeuan Ebozoje, 


Ojeiwa-Ebozoje Esther 

Omoekeuan. All former 


General Public should please 

take note. 

UDOM 

I, formerly known as Udom 

Hannah S.A, now wish to be 

known as Udom Blessing S.A. 

all former documents remain 


take note. 

UDO 

I, formerly known as Joy 

Mkpoikana Udo, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Joy Ubong 

Umahaeyo. All documents 

bearing my former name 

remain valid. Nursing and 

Midwifery Council of Nigeria 


EMEDEM 

I, formerly known as Emedem 

Macdonald, now wish to be 

known as Agbotian 

Macdonald Sunday Emedem. 



take note. 

AKAEZUE 

I, formerly known as Ekaezue 

Abigail Nwaneka, now wish to 

be known as Ekaezue Rosebel. 



take note. 

ADJEKE 


addressed as Miss Ufuoma 

Adjeke, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Mrs. Ufuoma 

Favour Anyanwu. All former 


General public please take note. 

OMOSE 


Omose Aziakpono Juliet, now 

wish to be known as Mrs Ubiuku 

Aziakpono Juliet. All former 


General Public and general 


IYALLA 

This is to notify that Iyalla Opaeriya 

Mark that during my Bank Opening 

my name was wrongly capture as 

Opaeriya Iyalla Joy instead of my 

correct name Iyalla Opaeriya Mark. 

All former documents remain valid. 

Relevant Authorities and General 


AKAIGWE 


Akaigwe Chika Obiageli, now 


Ezeudo Chika Obiageli. All 



NWOGU 


Nwogu Justina Ifeyinwa, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. Mark 

Justina Ifeyinwa. All former 



note. 

EKASHILI 


Ekashili Rita Chinedu, now 

wish to be known as Mrs Kaine 

Rita Chinedu. All former 



note. 

EDEDE 


Edede Adaure Chinaecherem, 

now wish to be known as Mrs 

Edede-Ekpere Adaure 

Chinaecherem. All former 



note. 

OYEWOLE 


Oyewole Mary Abiodun, now 


Bamidele Mary Abiodun. All 

documents bearing my former 

name remain valid. General 


OGHENERHORO 

I, formerly known as 

Oghenerhoro Kevwe, now 


Urhoboghara Kevwe. All 



ISAMA 

My correct name is Isama 

Rose, but my name was 

wrongly written as Izama Rose 

during my BVN registration. 

This is to confirm that my 

correct name is Isama Rose. 



take note. 

OPARA 

My name was wrongly 

captured as Opara Chiamaka 

Vivian, instead of Opara 

Chiamaka Jovita on my BVN. 


valid. Banks and the general 


OVBIYE 


Patricia Oghenenyerovwo 

Ovbiye, now wish to be known 

as Mrs. Patricia 

Oghenenyerovwo Okotie. All 


valid. General public to please 

take note. 

OMOREDE 

I, formerly known as Omorede 

Courage, now wish to be 

known as Omorede Samson 

Courage. All former 


FCMB and General public 

please take. 

IJEH 

I, formerly known as Linda Ijeh, 

now wish to be known as Nmoye 

Linda. All former documents 

remain valid. General public take 

note.



THANKSGIVING SERVICE FOR OVIE OMO-AGEGE 

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege's Thanksgiving Service at Redeemer Catholic Church, 

Effurun, Delta State, yesterday. Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire 

•Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, (right); Senate President, Ahmad 

Ibrahim Lawan, (2nd right); Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo- 

Agege (middle), his wife, Rosemary (2nd left) and Hadiza Isma el-Rufai, 

wife of Kaduna State Governor. 

•Senator Ovie Omo-Agege with his wife Rosemary dancing to thank God as Gov. 

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State looks on with admiration during the thanksgiving. 

•From left: His Majesty, Olu of Warri, HRM, Ovie of Uvwie, HRM, Ovie of 

Agbon Kingdom and HRM, Dr. Ovie R.L. Ogbon, OON, the Ohworode of 

Olomu. 

•From left: Imo State Governor, Senator Hope 

Uzodinma, APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad 

Badaru Abubakar, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El- 

Rufai and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. 

•Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (left) and 

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. 

•From left: Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, 

Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, his wife, 

Rosemary. 

•Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, APC National 

Chairman welcoming Sen. Rochas Okorocha, 

former Governor of Imo State. 

•Rt. Hon. Efe Afe and Rt. Hon. Thomas Eriyitomi. 

•From left: Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, immediate past 

governor of Delta State chats with Rt.Hon. Victor Ochei, 

former Speaker, DTHA. 

•Olorogun Oskar Ibru 

•Chief Hycinth Enuha and Rt. Hon. Temi 

Harriman. 

•Sen. Stella Omu and Dame Esther Uduehi with others. 

•From left: Sen. George Sekibo, Sen. Betty Apiafi, 

Dr. Cairo Ojuigbo, Prof & Mrs. Amos Utuama.


:Vanguard 

News 

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

AWARDS: From left—Assistant Director, Media Management Unit, Public Affairs Dept, Sonny Aragba- 

Akpore; Principal Manager, Media, Public Affairs, Truddy Tony-Awusaku; Head, Information 

Technology, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, all of Nigerian Communications Commission, and the 

Convener, Gage Awards, Johnson Anorh; during the maiden Edition of the award, in lagos, 

yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 

IWO ROYAL RUMBLE: Police AIG lied, Oluwo 

punched me, Agbowu insists 

By Shina 

Abubakar, with 

agency report 

O SOGBO—DESPITE 

denial by the Oluwo 

of Iwoland, Oba 

Abdulrosheed Akanbi that 

he did not punch him, the 

Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa, 

Oba Dhikurulahi Akinropo, 

yesterday, insisted that he 

was punched by Oluwo. 

He, however, stated that 

the Assistant Inspector 

General of Police, Zone XI, 

Bashir Balkama lied before 

Osun State Traditional 

Rulers Council that Oluwo 

did not assault me in his 

presence. 

Speaking 

with 

PREMIUM TIMES in his 

palace, Oba Akinropo 

berated the AIG for 

concealing the true event 

that occurred in his office 

on Friday, February 14, 

2020. 

The monarch said: “The 

Officer in charge of legal, 

AIG, the commissioner for 

chieftaincy affairs, the 

commissioner for lands 

and all other kings 

petitioned were present. 

AIG opened the discussion 

that some kings are having 

a dispute over land. But the 


Chieftaincy Affairs, Taju 

Lawal, quickly waded in, 

saying, land matters are 

best resolved among the 

kings. He argued that it is 

not a criminal matter, so, 

police should stay away. He 

told us all that aggrieved 

parties should go to court. 

At that point, Oluwo stood 

up saying he’s not 

interested in court. 

“I was seated on the same 

row where he seated. Next 

to Oluwo was Alhaji 

Kamal, chairman Iwo Local 

Government and I 

followed. I told him to take 

it easy but the reaction I got 

from him was different 

punches to the extent that 

I fainted. He questioned 

why I should be talking 

while he’s talking. Perhaps, 

I would be dead by now if 

not for AIG that forcefully 

ONDO 2020: I’m not threatened by 

any gang-up —AKEREDOLU 

By Dayo Johnson 

A 

K U R E — 

GOVERNOR 

Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo 

State, yesterday, said he 

was not threatened by any 

gang-up against his reelection 

bid. 

In a statement, his Chief 

Press Secretary, Segun 

Ajiboye in Akure, said the 

gang-up will crumble like 

a pack of cards. 

No fewer than seven 

chieftains of the All 


APC, in the Unity Forum 

have shown interest in the 

governorship position. 

While the party’s primary 

election had been fixed for 

July this year, the 

governorship election will 

hold on October 10 

according to the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC. 

Akeredolu was reacting to 

the lawmaker representing 

....Says, 'I’m not desperate' 

Ondo North Senatorial 

districts, Senator Ajayi 

Boroffice, who said the APC 

chieftains are united 

against his re-election. 

Boroffice had said the 

APC Unity Forum, which 

comprises aggrieved 

members would present 

the standard-bearer of the 

party in the forthcoming 

governorship poll. 

But the governor’s CPS, 

in a swift reaction, said: 

“Governor Akeredolu is not 

a desperate politician.” 

The statement reads: “He 

is not threatened by any 

gang-up in respect of the 

2020 governorship race. 

“His belief in the sanctity 

of the people’s backing 

remains unshaken. 

“Just as Government of 

Ondo State led by 

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, 

SAN, believes in the right 

of all qualified persons to 

aspire to be Governor, it is 

perhaps, untoward on the 

part of supposed leaders to 

be unrestrained in the 

pursuit of their ambitions. 

“Our initial perception of 

the pernicious outburst of 

the senator was to ignore 

him because such was 

misguided. 

“At best, empathy was 

most desirable for a man 

whose lust for excessive 

mischief has severally 

spurred him to paths of 

perfidy against his 

Southwest kinsmen. 

“However, the public, 

especially all lovers of our 

dear party, the APC 

deserve to know that the 

vituperations of Senator 

Boroffice are fallouts of 

deflated hopes. 

“This is more so that his 

huge investment to destroy 

the party and stem the pace 

of development in Ondo 

State appears to have 

yielded no positive results.” 

dragged him away. I 

sustained injury. I told AIG 

that I felt very bad I could 

be assaulted in his 

presence. OC legal, Mr. 

James then asked that we 

should write a statement 

before going to the hospital 

at Asubiaro. 

“The most painful thing 

is the report police AIG 

submitted to the council of 

obas that we never fought 

in his presence. We need 

to be careful about this 

country. Police are one of the 

major problems we have. 

Oluwo himself claimed it 

was self-defense but AIG 

told the council of obas last 

Friday that he did not 

witness any fight. I feel 

betrayed by the police. The 

AIG is a liar. 

“I was surprised that the 

Commissioner for Local 

Government and 

Chieftaincy and the 

Commissioner for Lands 

also boycotted the meeting. 

They both claimed to have 

travelled including Iwo 

Local Government 

chairman. I want the two 

commissioners to swear 

with ogun that I was 

never beaten.” 

By Dayo Johnson & 

James Ogunnaike 

AKURE—A 

public 

hearing is expected to 

hold today across the six 

south west states to draw 

contributions from members 

of the public and notable 

stakeholders on the 

operations of the security 

network codenamed 

Amotekun. 

The Chairman, 

Conference of Speakers in 

the zone, Mr. Bamidele 

Oloyelogun, said this in 

Akure over the weekend. 

Oloyelogun who is the 

speaker of the Ondo State 

Oyo LG crisis: Sacked ALGON 

members reject financial 

compensation 

By Dapo 

Akinrefon & Ola 

Ajayi 

I BADAN—THE 

Association of Local 

government of Nigeria, 

ALGON, in Oyo State, 

yesterday, condemned the 

suggestion by Governor 

Seyi Makinde to pay them 

off describing the idea as 

antithetical to the war 

against corruption. 

In a letter written to the 

Counsel to the State 

Government, Mr. Akin 

Onigbinde by ALGON 

through its lawyer, Kunle 

Sobaloju said the 

suggestion is a disservice 

to the people of their local 

government and Oyo State 

to collect financial 

compensation in lieu of 

their constitutionally 

guaranteed tenure. 

The association also 

expressed appreciation to 

the government for 

recognizing and 

acknowledging their 

mandate as the 

democratically elected 

officials of the 33 Local 

Council and 35 local 

development areas 

respectively by offering to 

pay them their salaries. 

The letter reads: “We refer 

to your letter dated 20th 

February 2020 and have 

brought the contents of the 

said letter to the notice of 

our client which they have 

considered, and by this 

letter, we wish to 

communicate their 

response to you. 

“We have our clients’ 

instruction to express their 

appreciation to his 

Excellency for recognizing 

and acknowledging our 

clients’ mandate as the 

democratically elected 

Chairmen and Councilors 

of the 33 Local Government 

Councils and 35 LCDAs in 

Oyo State by offering to pay 

them their salaries and 

allowances due. 

“However, our clients 

consider it a disservice to 

the people of their 

respective Local 

Government Areas and the 

entire people of Oyo State 

to collect financial 

compensation as proposed 

by you in lieu of their 

constitutionally guaranteed 

election tenure. 

“Our Clients are equally 

of the view that accepting 

financial compensation by 

way of your calculated 

salary and severance 

allowance would amount to 

aiding the breach of the 

constitution and may also 

lead to violation of anticorruption 

laws by 

collecting salaries and 

allowances for futuristic job 

tenure yet to be lived out." 

We’re ready to pursue 

case against 

ALGON —Makinde 

But in his reaction, 

Governor Makinde said 

that the state government 

is ready to pursue its case 

in court against ALGON 

despite the grandstanding 

of the association. 


his Chief Press Secretary, 

Mr. Taiwo Adisa said the 

government was ready to 

the case through in court. 

The statement reads: “Our 

attention has been drawn 

to the statement credited to 

the Association of Local 

Governments of Nigeria, 

ALGON, on the state of the 

suit between that 

association and the 

government of Oyo State. 

“The said statement by 

ALGON insinuated that its 

rejection of the peace terms 

by the counsel to Oyo State 

was based on the belief in 

anti-corruption war. 

“Let it be accordingly 

stated that the government 

of Oyo State is ready to 

pursue its case in court 

against ALGON. 

“The decision by the state 

to pursue the path of peace 

on the council issue is well 

thought out, especially 

following credible 

information that some 

forces are seeking to use 

misguided politicians to 

trouble the peace of the 

state." 

AMOTEKUN: Public hearing holds today across 

S-West —Oloyelogun 

House of Assembly said 

that the speakers in the 

region have agreed to 

give expeditious 

consideration to the 

Amotekun bill without 

abandoning all necessary 

legislative rules and 

procedure. 

He said: “Our region 

which was once admired 

for peace and safety is 

gradually being eroded by 

bandits who wasted 

innocent lives and property 

daily.” 

Meanwhile, the public 

hearing on the security 

outfit is scheduled to hold 

today by 10 am at 

Babafunke Ajasin auditorium, 

Ministry of Women 

Affairs, Igbatoro road, 

Akure, the state capital. 

Ogun Assembly holds 

stakeholders' forum 

Similarly, the Ogun State 

House of Assembly will, on 

Monday (today), hold a 

Stakeholders’ Forum on a 

Bill titled: “H.B. No. 035/ 

OG/2020- the Ogun State 

Security Network Agency 

Law, 2020- A Bill for a Law 

to Establish the Ogun State 

Security Network Agency 

and Amotekun Corps to 

Assist in Maintaining Law 

and Order in the State and 

for Connected Purposes.”


INSECURITY: We 'll resort to 

self-defence if... – EK Clark 

ELDER Statesman, Chief 

Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, 

92, has intimidating 

credentials. He is a teacher, 

lawyer, administrator, Ijaw 

National leader, nationalist, 

leader of the South South 

Peoples Assembly, SSPA, 

South and Middle belt 

Leaders Forum, SMBLF. He 

was Commissioner for 

Education, Mid-Western 

Region, 1968-71; 

Commissioner for Finance 

and Establishment, defunct 

Bendel State, 1972-75; Federal 

Commissioner 

for 

Information, 1975; and 

Senator, 1979-83. In this 

interview, the Kiagbodo, Delta 

State -born leader bares his 

mind on the killings in Delta 

State, establishment of 

Amotekun, the Constitution 

review by the Senate, 

Amnesty Bill for Ex- Boko 

Haram insurgents, security 

challenges in the country, and 

other salient national issues. 

By Henry Umoru, 

Assistant Politics Editor 

What is your take on the recent 

killings in Uwheru, Ughelli North 

and the exhuming of eight 

corpses? 

The news of the killings did not 

come to me as a surprise because I 

am from Delta and my place is very 

close to Uwheru where this incident 

took place. For a long time now, I 

would say for more than 10 years 

now Fulani herdsmen have always 

caused problems in that place in 

their search for grazing land. The 

Uwheru people who are purely 

farmers have always clashed with 

them in their attempt to drive them 

away from their farms and this had 

always resulted in some casualties 

of the Uwheru people. 

The recent onslaught of the 

herdsmen did not come to me as a 

surprise because they are now 

taking advantage of the Federal 

Government not taking action on 

previous cases all over the country. 

We have not heard one day from 

the Federal Government that one 

Fulani herdsman has been arrested, 

his gun taken from him. Rather we 

have heard words of 

encouragements from those in 

authority. 

This time, the herdsmen, 

particularly after the flood which 

normally occupy the grazing land, 

will come with trailers filled with 

cattle and drop them with the 

people. Sometimes they remain 

there and prevent the people from 

going to their farms until when the 

flood is coming again before they 

move back. 

When I heard the governor of 

Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa 

making a statement about the 

incident that took place in Uwheru, 

I was only shocked because he said 

that he learned that they did it with 

the assistance of some military men 

and investigation about that should 

take place. That was the only new 

thing that came to me because the 

issue of attack of the Uwheru 

people had been known to me for 

a long time. 

There is also a problem where the 

security officers, Soldiers and the 

Police in our area particularly in 

Delta are mostly from the North, so 

no action is being taken to prevent 

this onslaught on our people. 

As a result of this, the leaders of 

the South, Middle Belt, that is South 

West, South-South, South-East and 

the Middle Belt met over this issue 

particularly the killing of people in 

the Southern part of Nigeria. When 

we saw a report sent to us by the 

community, we felt very sad that this 

killing took place and the people 

had to be exhumed from shallow 

graves and I heard the Police say 

that they wanted to know who killed 

the people, who buried them and so 

on and I just smiled. 

Does it mean that the villagers or 

the communities killed their people, 

buried them in shallow graves to 

obtain what? Credibility of their 

allegations against the Fulani 

Herdsmen or what? 

We are all Nigerians and no one 

is more superior than the other; 

perhaps this is the reason many 

people in the country are now 

agreeing that we should have state 

police and we are waiting to see the 

next thing. We will be meeting with 

the governor of Delta State before 

we issue our statement on this 

frightening attack on our people in 

the South. 

We thought what is going on is 

mainly in the North and we all 

sympathize with it. So I think this 

matter has to be seriously looked 

into and we shall visit the matter 

again. 

During the last Christmas I was 

at home. One day, I received a 

delegation of 25 women from 

Ughelli South Local Council that 

they learned I was in town and as 

their leader they had come to 

complain to me and I asked them: 

'What is happening?' 

They said they were getting very 

worried because their farms have 

been taken over by Fulani herdsmen 

and they cannot go to the farms for 

fear of being raped or killed; that I 

should appeal to the governor of 

Delta State and use my position of 

being in Abuja to see what could 

be done for them to go back to their 

INSECURITY: 

Highlights 

•Why all zones must adopt 

regional security outfit 

•Community policing not 

good enough 

•Buhari does not own Nigeria 

•It's South-South Govs meet 

on regional security outfit 

•All regions should copy 

South-West's Amotekun 

•How FG's inaction is fuelling 

herdsmen menace 

•Senators should be reduced 

to one per state 

•Size NASS, states assembly 

should be cut down 

farms. 

Similarly, my community women 

also reported that similar things were 

happening in their place that they 

have taken their bush called 

Ugborugbo and they cannot go to 

We appeal to every 

area to do what the 

South-West has done. 

Community policing 

is not enough which 

is being controlled 

from the centre like 

the normal police; so 

I think we have to 

resort to self defence 

as mentioned earlier 

by Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma. 

the farm. What type of country are 

we building? This is what is 

happening in the Niger Delta. 

I also saw in the papers, the 

Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom who 

is 103years old announcing that 

many of his people have been killed 

by these Fulani herdsmen. He 

mentioned the names of those 

killed, the villages that are suffering 

from these type of thing in his 

kingdom and he 

called on the 

government to 

come to their 

rescue. 

We have 

Amotekun in the 

South-West and 

other geopolitical 

zones are 

clamouring for 

theirs. What is 

your take? 

I was outside the 

country when I 

heard of 

Amotekun and I 

approved of it. I 

supported it. We 

the leaders of the 

South and the 

Middle Belt 

supported them 

and congratulated 

them for having 

the courage, the 

boldness and the 

wisdom to do 

what they did 

particularly when 

it is realized that 

only Oyo State is 

governed by a 

different party, the 

P e o p l e s 

Democratic Party, 

PDP, all the other 

five are All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC. So 

•Chief Clark 

one is very happy 

that leaders of our 

people can differentiate 

between 

what is political party and what is 

in the interest of their area and the 

country at large. 

So we appeal to every area to do 

what the South-West has done. 

Community policing is not enough 

which is being controlled from the 

centre like the normal police; so I 

think we have to resort to self 

defence as mentioned earlier by Lt. 

Gen. T.Y. Danjuma. 

We are appealing particularly to 

my region, the South-South that 

the governors should meet and take 

similar decision, no one is going to 

keep quiet while his home is under 

siege, and his people are being killed 

and women are helpless. That is why 

we supported Amotekun. 

Even though there were some 

counter statements that were made, 

the people stood firm and I am 

happy that the law will soon be 

passed by the various Houses of 

Assembly in the South -West. 

Every region or state should adopt 

that because that is the only way 

to prevent the attacks on our 

people. They are not uniformed 

men, they are not state police, and 

all that they are doing is to 

complement the police which do 

not have enough men to go round. 

I was surprised the other day 

when it was reported to me that the 

governors of the South-East are 

dancing what I don’t know, they 

took a decision that they have also 

formed their own before Amotekun 

and they were not copying anybody, 

for them to turn round after holding 

meeting with the security men, they 

now said community policing is 

what they are doing; so what about 

the one they have put ahead before? 

Though I am very surprised, but I 

am happy to note that the entire 

people of the South-East will like 

what is going on in the South-West 

and I think the governors will listen 

to them to change their mind to do 

what they have said they have done 

before. 

The forest guard and so on and 

we all were proud that the 

governors of the South-East have 

now established their own defence 

force. I am saying that every region 

in Nigeria should have a similar 

thing like Amotekun, let it be uniform. 

The Senate has started yet another 

constitutional review. The 

Chairman of the 58-member Constitution 

Review and Deputy Senate 

President, Senator Ovie Omo- 

Agege promised that the report of 

the 2014 Confab would be revisited. 

As one of the 492 delegates to 

the Conference where more than 

600 resolutions were reached, 

which areas do you think the Committee 

should pay serious attention 

to? 

Firstly, on behalf of the Pan Niger 

Delta Forum, PANDEF, I wish to 

congratulate the Senate for 

Constituting a Committee to review 

the Constitution. We pray that all 

members place the interest of 

Nigeria first, and not to play 

partisan politics and ethnicity in 

carrying out their deliberations. This 

is because the Report of the 8th 

Assembly was a disgrace, 

particularly when they voted 

against devolution of power. 

Having said that I will say that 

the first item the Constitution 

Review Committee should consider 

is that of Devolution of Power to the 

states. 

The present Constitution of 

Nigeria has no character of 

Federalism. It is a unitary form of 

Constitution. 

A situation whereby the Federal 

Government controls every aspect 

of Government including Primary 

and Secondary Schools, 

Agriculture, Health, Finance, etc. 

is untidy. And that is why people 

consider the President of Nigeria to 

be one of the most powerful in the 

world. Everything must get 

approval of the President/Centre. 

This is not what happens in the US 

where we copied from. 

The Constitution should contain 

only two tiers of government. 

Matters pertaining Local 

Government should be handled by 

the State, the Federal Government 

should off its hands. 

Local Government Councils 

should be created by State 

Governments in accordance to their 

requirement and as to their ability 

to finance them. 

There should be no joint account 

between the State and Local 

Governments. All monies should be 

paid to the State Governments, and 

the State Governments should set 

up State Revenue Mobilisation 

Commission which should be 

headed by a retired Judge. 

The Federal Government should 

have some of the following 

functions. 

(i) Foreign Policy including 

signing of Treaties. 

(ii) Defence 

(iii) National Assembly which 

should be streamed down or 

reduced to one Senator per State. 

The membership of the House of 

Representatives should also be 

reduced. 

(iiii) Tertiary education as they 

exist now where states are also free 

to establish their own Universities 

should be maintained. 

The present Constitution with 

about 79 powers exclusively 

reserved for the Federal 

Government makes it clumsy and 

authoritative and makes the State 

Governments to work like 

appendages of the Federal 

Government. 

The State Government should 

also reduce their membership of the 

State Houses of Assembly to make 

it cost effective and efficient in 

intelligence. Also the State Houses 

of Assembly should be independent 

of the State Executive. 

Local Governments should not be 

part of the Federal Constitution 

and should be a creation of the Region 

or State, which should finance 

them. 

To be concluded



OSA MBONU-AMADI 

08070524223 

BIC as brush, 

medium and palette: 

An innovation of Art 

Masters 

By Osa Amadi, Arts Editor 

C 

an the ball point pen and 

the ink that flows from it 

serve as brush and medium 

in art? Absolutely! The BIC Arts 

Master Africa Competition proves 

it. 

The ambience was cozy as guests 

arrived and were ushered into an 

average-sized conference hall in 

Ikeja. It was obviously not an allcomers 

affair, but a special 

gathering of the masters. It was not 

a day for speech making. 

The faces of the four young men 

who came for serious business were 

stiff, making the atmosphere thick 

and tense. To ease the tension, the 

host smiled, shook hands with 

them, and said jokingly: “Relax 

guys. It’s not an exam.” 

It was an occasion for celebration 

of four Nigerian master artists who 

were among the top ten entries in 

the last BIC Arts Master Africa 

Competition – the first was held in 

South Africa in 2017. It was limited 

to the South Africa but with the 

success recorded in South Africa, 

BIC decided to expand it to other 

Africa countries. So, all African 

artists were given opportunity to 

enter for this continental 

competition. 

Initially, according to Guillaume 

Groues, Area Development 

Manager, BIC West Africa, the 

plan was to recognize only the top 

three winners in that competition, 

but it was increased to ten, following 

the huge response across the 

continent. The competition, which 

aims to foster local creativity, called 

for African talents to create artworks 

using basically the BIC® Ball Pen 

as their medium. 

Over 5,200 entries were submitted 

by 2,400 artists with each submitting 

two pieces of artworks for the prize 

of BIC Art Master Africa 

Champion. Interestingly, over half 

of the works came from Nigeria. 

The platform was also open for a 

month to the public to vote for 

their favorite artwork. 

According to Guillaume 

Groues, the competition’s 

champions were selected by a panel 

of experts including Ghanaian 

artist and sculptor, Enam Bosokah; 

professor and designer, Hein 

Liebenberg; renowned artists and 

interior designer, Valerie 

Manouvrier; professional curator 

and art advisor, Herve Mikaeloff; 

and avid art enthusiast and collector 

and member of BIC’s founding 

family, Geoffroy Bich."BIC Art 

Master was born from our 

connection with art and creativity 

with the objective to create a platform 

that recognises local talent around 

Africa," said Grouse. 

The first two winners were from, 

Benin Republic and they received 

USD 1,000 dollars (N362,500) cash 

prize, a personalised digital 

gallery space, and a chance to be 

featured as part of BIC’s art 

collection, La BIC Collection. There 

were other range of prizes for other 

winners. One ‘Lucky Influencer’ 

winner, among those that posted 

about the competition on social 

platforms using the 

#BICArtMaster hashtag was 

also selected and rewarded with a 

cash prize. Grouse explained that 

BIC’s connection with art is as old 

as the brand and it spans more than 

60 years, as the brand has provided 

platforms for artists around the 

world to find great inspiration in 

creating portraits, designs, 

sculptures, and installations from 

the brand’s iconic products. He also 

explained that the brand regularly 

works with artists, designers, 

curators, and institutions around the 

world on creative projects and 

expositions. Grouse also mentioned 

that not too long ago, BIC hosted 

in Paris an unprecedented 

exhibition with 250 BIC collection 

works by internationally recognized 

and upcoming artists, which 

captured the art community and 

took its audience on an immersive 

display. 

Guillaume Groues, also explain 

that BIC is not just about pens but 

there are other products like 

lighters, shaving sticks, pencils, 

markers, colouring products, etc. He 

reveled that BIC will be branching 

out of their partnership with CFAO 

following the acquisition of a 

company called Lucky stationery 

Nigeria Limited. "We will engage 

the market deeper with more 

product lines and distribution 

outlets as well as manufacturing 

centres, just like what they do in 

South Africa, Tunisia,Kenya and a 

You can be here in 

Nigeria and link up 

with galleries all 

over the world and 

sell your artwork in 

Australia or Norway 

and make good 

money 

few other places in Africa," he said, 

explaining that the BIC in France 

will be the same manufactured in 

Lagos. But brands like BIC crystal 

is produced only in Nigeria. 

He thanked all the Nigerian 

winners and encouraged them to 

take their art careers higher, 

promising that BIC will always be 

there for them 

In his comment before receiving 

has prize from BIC, David 

Olatoye, who was picked as the 

lucky influencer revealed that he 

has close to 30,000 followers on 

Instagram and he sees art as an 

escape route from his very crowded 

world where he can live out his 

dream. He started professionally in 

2011 although from childhood he 

has been a lover of art and a 

passionate artist. His preferred tool 

for work is BIC ball pen because, 

"the brand brings out that shade in 

me. Most times I walk in the dark 

so BIC draws out that desired light 

and helps me to express what is 

within, in a fashion that is loud and 

bold." He sees the Bic Art Masters 

as a laudable programme and he 

would want young artist to 

consistently look out for 

opportunities like this. "I have learnt 

a lot from embracing BIC. Now I 

can paint faster using 6-10 pens 

at a time. It gives me a lot of freedom 

as one can't make mistake and 

erase it. The traffic is straight so your 

creativity is greatly sharpened. It is 

the kind of capacity that has 

impacted massively in all my art 

endeavours''. 

Olatoye took time out to showcase 

some of his artworks and displayed 

his dexterity in using nine pens to 

paint with one hand. In less than 4 

minutes he painted a masterpiece 

of BIC luxury pen to the admiration 

of the audience and other artists. 

For, Eze Tonugo Ebuka from 

Enugu who came 7th in the 

competition, this performance will 

help take his art career to the next 

level. His experience with BIC was 

purely accidental. "My pencil box 

was stolen and my inability to 

replace everything made me move 

to ball pen, and BIC was the 

dominant brand in Enugu. That 

accident made me discover that I 

was indeed a pen artist.” 

That has been Ebuka’s strength 

since that time. He feels patience, 

staying power and possibly a good 

location are what the artist 

needs besides other factors to 

propel his growth as an artist: "If 

you stay in Bauchi where survival 

is the core issue for 99 percent of 

the population, as an artist you can 

only survive in selling your works 

online. Even those who 

appreciate arts there will not have 

Four art theatres for young talents in Lagos 

The Lagos State government 

on Wednesday, February 

12, 2020, disclosed that it has 

completed four art theatres aimed 

at helping to nurture young 

creatives. 

According to the Commissioner 

for Tourism, Arts and Culture, 

Uzamat AkinbiIe-Yusuf, who 

disclosed this during the handover 

ceremony of the four Lagos 

Theatres by the project contractor, 

Terra Kulture Studio Limited, at 

Alausa, Ikeja, said “These 

theatres now provide a place for 

grooming our young talents and 

upcoming artistes. By giving 

these younger ones a place to 

display and showcase their 

talents, we are indirectly 

contributing to the growth of their 

careers and areas of interest.” 

As the state takes charge of the 

four arts theatres which were built 

in different locations across the 

•Hassan Jamiu’s work done with BIC 

state, it was declared that the 

theatres were built to provide a 

befitting place for young and 

upcoming artistes and performers 

to nurture their talents, as well 

as compete favorably with their 

global counterparts. 

The commissioner also stated 

that the choice of Terra Kulture 

Studio Limited for the 

construction works was as a result 

of the impeccable track records of 

the company among other 

household names in the art and 

culture industry. 

“It is our belief that the huge 

investments in the tourism sector 

by this present administration, 

including these new theatres, 

would further reinvigorate the 

good old days of theatre 

performances and rendition of 

indigenous music that would 

increase the interest of the 

international communities in 

Lagos State”, she said 

While promising that the state 

government would continually 

explore the tourism potentials of 

the state and enhance its 

economic gains for the benefits 

of its entire residents, the 

commissioner added, 

“Entertainment and tourism are 

receiving due attention by the 

state government considering its 

exponential tendencies of 

producing a spiral effect on all 

other sectors of the economy. 

“The theatres have been built 

to suit the indigenous use of 

residents of the state and also 

meet international standard and 

this has further reaffirmed the 

resolve of the administration of 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to 

ensure that no ongoing projects 

in the nooks and cranny of the 

state is left unattended to 

including those initiated by his 

the capacity to negotiate profitably." 

Ebuka also showcased his famous 

"Ojulegba" artwork presentation 

that elevated him to the top 

ten team of the BIC Art Masters 

Africa. He said the work took him 

almost 30 days to complete. 

Oscar Ukonu, a Lagos based 

architect and artist who was 6th in 

the competition, feels his field of 

study, architecture and arts overlap 

to a great extent with art 

sharpening his architectural design 

remarkably. He declared his 

determination to pursue both 

powerfully because art is very 

lucrative. 

"You can be here in Nigeria and 

link up with galleries all over the 

world and sell your artwork in 

Australia or Norway and make good 

money. So, you should not limit 

your aspirations at all," he said. 

Oscar also displayed his hyper 

realism piece, "blue boy" that gave 

him the sixth position in the 

competition. 

From the 5th best entrant, 

Ikorodu-based Jamiu Hassan, 

who is the Highest Placed 

Nigerian, it was the parents that 

encouraged him to take part in the 

competition. He was also motivated 

to turn to BIC by the works of some 

of his Instagram mentors because 

he wanted to be like them. Since 

that time, he has never had any 

reason to regret the switch. Jamiu's 

piece, "Ethiopian woman" that gave 

him the 5th position drew a lot of 

interests and cheers from the 

audience. 

Various gifts like premium quality 

cellphones, BIC products, bags, 

etc., were presented to the winners 

from Nigeria at the media event. 

Speaking after the presentation 

of gifts, Yemi Ojo, Business 

Development Manager- Nigeria, 

said the response from the 2019 

competition revealed that it was not 

a mistake for the brand to expand 

the competition to continental Africa, 

saying that the 2020 edition will be 

quite massive and will form part of 

the plan to expand their CSR. He 

also said that the brand is 

partnering with Enactus – an NGO 

that trains young people – to use 

what is within their environment 

for survival and sustainability. 

On the expansion of their market 

presence through the acquisition 

of Lucky Stationery Nigerian 

Limited, Ojo said the Nigerian 

market and indeed the entire West 

African market will experience 

massive presence of diverse 

quality products: "It will be different 

from the time we had it only with 

CFAO. It will really be a win-win 

business for all as more job 

opportunities will be there, more 

capital flow and related businesses 

will also flourish,” he explained. 

predecessors in office.” 

Speaking also, the 

Commissioner for Finance, Rabiu 

Olowo, who said that the new 

theatres would contribute 

significantly to the revenue or the 

state, affirmed that the project 

was executed to specifications of 

the state government. 

He stressed that the four 

theatres had been inspected and 

certified fit for public use. 

Managing Director, Terra 

Kulture Studio Limited, Bolanle 

Austen-Peters, thanked the state 

government for its commitment 

towards making the project 

realisable and delivered on time. 

In furtherance, she expressed 

the hope that the construction of 

the four theatres in different 

locations across the State would 

help decentralize tourism focus 

from the Lagos Island to other 

parts of the state.


OSA MBONU-AMADI 

08070524223 

osaamadi@yahoo.com 

Ola Rotimi’s protégé, Femi 

Branch and his maiden Playfest 

•Prince Olusegun Adeniyi, Daniella Ayeyemi, Portia Ogbuja, Osaretin Daniel and Morenike with their 

3D recycle artwork. 

Need to celebrate outstanding art 

teachers: The CBIS example 

By Osa Amadi 

Nigerian is a country 

where teachers are 

rarely celebrated. But 

Caleb British International 

School (CBIS), courtesy of the 

Director, Dr. Ola Adebogun, 

recently presented half a million 

naira to Prince Olusegun Michael 

Adeniyi, recipient of 

thePresident’s Teachers and 

Schools Excellence Award, BEST 

SCHOOL TEACHER (Private 

Category) 2019. It was presented 

by Mrs. Adeniyi of Lagos State 

Ministry of education at the Accolade 

Assembly, CBISSPort 

Arena on January 29, 2020. 

On the same ground, at the 

Caleb Group of Schools andUniversity 

Gospel Musical and 

Award night held onNovember 

30, 2019, Prince Adeniyi also 

won the Outstanding Staff 

Award. Before then, on October 

5, 2019, during the World’s 

Teachers Day celebration, Adeniyi 

also received the President’s 

Teachers and Schools Excellence 

Award, BEST SCHOOL 

TEACHER (PrivateCategory) 

2nd Runner-up, presented by the 

Executive Directorofthe Teachers 

Registration Council of Nigeria, 

Professor Josiah Oluseg- 

NASS commends IGP, Runsewe 

The National Assembly 

has commended the 

concerted efforts of the 

Inspector-General of Police, 

Mohammed Adamu and 

Otunba Runsewe Director- 

General, National Council for 

Arts and Culture (NCAC), for 

ensuring the protection of 

public utilities. 

Members of the House 

Committee on Culture and 

Tourism led by the Chairman, 

Hon. Ogbeide Ihama, 

denounced the situation 

where private individuals 

convert government property 

for personal use. They 

extolled the IGP and Otunba 

Runsewe for securing the 

permanent site of NCAC in 

Abuja. 

Hon. Ihama said both men 

have remained unwavering in 

their commitment to 

un Ajiboye, on behalf of the President 

ofFederal Republic of Nigeria. 

The award further confirmed 

the Outstanding School 

Award presentedearlier in the 

year to Caleb British International 

School by Office of 

Education 

Quality 

Assurance,Ministry of Education, 

Lagos State. 

Prince Adeniyi has spent over 

two decades giving children access 

to the best, most-stimulating 

and most-rewarding artistic 

engagements. He was trained as 

a teacher at the Federal College 

of Education, Osiele. He graduated 

in year 2000 with Best Graduating 

Student Award in Fineand 

Applied Arts. He bagged 

Bachelor of Arts Degree (Fine 

and Applied Arts) in 2006 from 

the University of Benin, Edo 

State and Master of Arts in Visual 

Arts(Arts Education) in 2017 

from the University of Lagos, 

Akoka. 

Adeniyi is a Certified Microsoft 

Innovative Educator Expert/Trainer; 

Wakelet Ambassador; 

Teach SDGs Ambassador; 

Certified Teacher, Teachers Registration 

Council of Nigeria; 

an active member of International 

Society of Education 

through Art (InSEA) and Society 

of Nigerian Artists, Ogun. 

Earlier recognition of his hard 

work and commitment to art education 

includes: Inspirational 

Teacher of the Year Award 

2019;The InspirationalTeacher 

of the Year Award in May 

2019 (runner-up) with half a 

million cash prizespresented by 

Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, Commissioner 

for Education, Lagos 

State, at the Inspirational EducatorAward 

(INSEA) 2019, organized 

by the Meadow Hall Foundation; 

and Microsoft Innovative 

Educator Expert/Trainer 2019/ 

2020. 

He also won Award of Stewardship 

for his contribution to art 

education in Nigeria during 

the2019 UNESCO International 

Arts Education Week by 

Greensprings School, Lagos; 

Global Teacher Award 2018; AKS 

Education Awards, India on September 

16, 2018; Competition 

Coordinator and Leadership 

Award, presented by CBIS, 2016/ 

2017 Academic Session; Teacher 

of Distinction, Outstanding 

Club Award (Art & Craft Club and 

Green School Club),presented by 

Caleb British Academy, 2015/ 

2016 Academic Session;and Certificate 

of Achievement, presented 

by NNPC/Chevron JV in partnership 

with the FederalMinistry 

of Education in 2015. 

Director-General, NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe (2nd left) taking 

members of the House Committee on Culture and Tourism led by the 

Chairman, Hon. Ogbeide Ihama (3rd left) on an inspection tour of the 

Art and Crafts Village, Abuja. 

protecting government 

property, citing the Arts and 

Crafts Village belonging to 

NCAC, as an example. 

According to NASS 

members who visited the 

premises on an inspection 

visit, the National Assembly 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

What many do not know 

about Nollywood A- 

list actor and film maker, 

Chief Femi Branch, is that he 

was first a theatre veteran before 

the screen overshadowed that 

passion. He is also a poet with 

published poetry collection to his 

credit as well as a prolific dramatist 

trained by one of Africa’s 

legendary classical authors, Professor 

Ola Rotimi. 

Chief Branch turns golden in 

May 2020 and this, according to 

him, calls for a huge celebration. 

Interestingly, he is not partying 

but is using this golden 

opportunity to give back to the 

society through mentorship. The 

occasion of his 50th birthday 

celebration has been planned to, 

beginning from 3rd April 

through 21st June, hold five 

plays- ‘Po’, ‘Shalanga’, ‘Jungle 

Justice’, ‘Ankara committee’ and 

‘Kunme The Musical’; in ten 

cities vis a vis; Ife, Akure, Ado 

Ekiti, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu 

Ode, Ikorodu, Badagry, Benin 

and Abuja; featuring one hundred 

actors. This according to the 

actor, also holds as the maiden 

edition of the annual Femi 

Branch Playfest, a celebration of 

his theatrical writings. 

“When I turned 40 in 2010, I 

celebrated by publishing my first 

anthology and so, this is 50 years 

and it is going to be the biggest 

show I’ve done so far. The festival 

tour begins with ‘Kunme the 

Musical’, it will take a week 

break in Lagos from Monday 25, 

till Sunday 31st May, for the 

festival proper which shall 

feature performances by different 

selected troupes of other plays- 

‘Po’, ‘Shalanga’ and the others. 

The tour resumes on Friday 12 

and ends on Sunday 21st June 

in the city of Abuja. In addition, 

Master classes will hold for the 

different troupes and young 

acting talents as well as writers, 

selected from the Obafemi 

Awolowo University, Ile Ife.” He 

hinted. 

Considering how much theatre 

has suffered since the advent of 

home videos, and the need to fully 

revive theatre going culture of the 

people, Chief Branch noted that, 

“The Playfest is also in 

continuation of my drive to promote 

live theatre through seasonal 

commercial performances 

was pleased with efforts made 

so far by Otunba Runsewein 

refurbishing the Arts and 

Crafts Village which has the 

capacity to generate 

thousands of jobs when 

completed. 

The legislatorsalso harped 

on the need to secure and 

maintain such places as the 

NCAC cultural site which was 

almost taken over by some 

self-serving individuals for 

selfish gains until Runsewe, 

upon assuming office, 

decided the party was over. 

They expressed full support 

to the federal government as 

the council seeks to reopen 

the village for the benefit of 

Nigerians. 

Otunba Runsewe, with his 

team of management, 

conducted the lawmakers 

around the village, 

explaining that no stone will 

be left unturned in a bid to 

rebuild the place to meet with 

international standards. 

•Femi Branch 

of plays. You will agree with me 

that there has been a rebirth of live 

theatre from high profile productions 

such as ‘Kakadu’, ‘Queen 

Moremi’, ‘Fela And the Kalakuta 

Queen’, etc. The problem in Nigeria 

is always about who will start 

something and others will follow. 

Most of us started when there was 

no money in the profession. So, 

what we are doing now, is a continuation 

of what we have been 

doing.” 

Wondering what Kunme is all 

about and why it was chosen as 

the Festival play, he explained 

that “’Kunme the musical’ is the 

story of Queen Esther retold. I saw 

some things in the story that got 

me interested in it. Aside the 

gallant efforts of the young queen 

towards liberation of his people, 

there are lots of humour especially 

with the King who was power 

drunk. But then, this play is set in 

Badagry with Egun names as cast. 

It was chosen as the Festival play 

to celebrate my mother whose 

name is Kunme and she’s from 

Badagry. The play is also looking 

at women/girls empowerment. I 

mean, look at Queen Esther, a 

young girl who laid down her life 

for her people. Her story 

celebrates our women folks and 

let me say this, we are deceiving 

ourselves if we still regard women 

as the weaker sex.” 

For Branch, all this, is a way of 

giving back to the society and 

building a legacy. “We will witness 

a rebranding. As you know, actor 

never grows old. So, I will never 

stop acting. Stage is my passion 

and background, and I strong 

know that that passion will never 

die. At the moment, I’m looking 

back at where I am coming from 

and I’m being more conscious of 

legacy. You know when one is 

young, you could be carried away 

by distractions but at this point in 

my life, I’m concerned about the 

legacy I’ll leave behind. I’m 

grateful to God for how far he has 

brought me so, I want to be 

remembered for impacting the 

young ones. It’s like a gift. It’s not 

always about money but training 

and this is the best one can give to 

aspiring individuals in the 

creative industry. You hear me talk 

about Ola Rotimi all the time it’s 

because he developed time for me, 

that’s why every opportunity I get, 

I celebrate him. So I’ll like to be 

remembered by these mentees in 

like manner.” 

On why the ten cities chosen to 

be toured are in the South West 

region of the country, except 

Abuja, the actor explained that the 

cities chosen “Are significant in my 

life. Experiences that shaped my 

life and career, took place in those 

cities. However, there are plans to 

take the annual tour round the 

country as long as fund is made 

available.”


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

INAUGU- 

RATION 

From left: 

Former Chief 

Judge of the 

Federation, 

Justice Mahmud 

Mohammed; 

President, 

Court of 

Appeal, Justice 

Zainab Bulkachuwa, 

and 

Gov. Ahmadu 

Fintiri of 

Adamawa, 

during the 

inauguration 

of Court of 

Appeal Complex 

in Yola. 

Oshiomhole, Obaseki's feud worsens, as APC 

leaders differ on crisis 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY — THE 

crisis between the 

National Chairman of the 

All Progressives Congress 

(APC), Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, and the governor 

of Edo State, Godwin 

Obaseki, seems unending, 

despite the inauguration of 

the Chief Bisi Akande-led 

National Reconciliation 

Committee which Obaseki 

has accepted. 

The latest development 

was the incident at Benin 

Airport on Saturday when 

some youths suspected to 

have been hired by agents 

of government attempted to 

stop Oshiomhole from entering 

Benin City to attend 

a burial party. 

The youths said there was 

a ban on Oshiomole coming 

to the state without informing 

the state government. 

Although the state 

government has denied involvement 

in the incident, 

two trucks, one marked with 

Edo State on the driver and 

passenger side doors but 

with no number plate and 

another unmarked, were 

parked to block the two entry 

points to Okoro-Otun 

residence of Oshiomhole 

yesterday morning. 

Vanguard gathered from 

sources that Obaseki said 

Oshiomhole did not inform 

the government about his 

coming into the state and 

that the vehicles were used 

to obstruct entrance to his 

house to prevent Oshiomhole 

from holding political 

meetings. 

But Obaseki’s spokesman, 

Crusoe Osagie, denied 

the allegation, saying 

the state government had 

nothing to do with whatever 

was happening at Oshiomhoe's 

residence, even 

though he did not inform 

the government of his presence 

in the state. 

A statement he issued late 

yesterday said the state 

government would not be 

held responsible for the consequences 

of Oshiomhile’s 

indiscretion and unruly behaviour. 

He said: "On Saturday, 

February 22, 2020, 

there was sudden tension 

in Benin metropolis which 

resulted in large, unruly 

crowds gathering in strategic 

points and military personnel 

shooting sporadically, 

thrusting the city into 

pandemonium. 

"Suffice to say that the Edo 

State government had absolutely 

no idea that a 

person of such public status 

as a former governor of 

the state was visiting. 

"It is unfortunate that a 

former governor who 

should understand basic 

security and protocol standards 

will willfully and repeatedly 

violate them and 

cause tension and severe 

threat to public safety and 

security.'' 

He noted that a few 

months ago, when Comrade 

Oshiomhole caused 

tension in the state due to 

the same behaviour, the 

state government had reported 

formally to the Inspector 

General of Police 

and the Department of State 

Services, DSS, about the 

avoidable carnage, destruction 

of property and severe 

injuries to many persons as 

well as general unrest 

which resulted from Comrade 

Oshiomhole's abuse of 

protocol and his penchant 

for crisis and violence. 

"We, however, want to 

warn that since Oshiomhole 

has decided to carry 

on with his character of impunity, 

disrespect for processes 

and continuous stirring 

of crisis and disruption 

of peace in the state, Edo 

State government would 

not be responsible when he 

reaps the consequences of 

his unruly behaviour." 

But Vanguard gathered 

late yesterday that supporters 

of Oshiomhole have 

been disposed to peaceful 

settlement of the crisis but 

their efforts seemed to have 

hit a brickwall. It was 

gathered that a former deputy 

governor had met with 

and advised the deputy 

governor on the need to 

bring an end to the crisis. 

Vanguard also learned 

that the deputy governor 

agreed on the need for the 

meeting and fixed a day for 

them to meet in Abuja. 

A source told Vanguard 

that as preparation for the 

meeting was ongoing, the 

former deputy governor 

was shocked with the breaking 

news of the deputy 

handing down threat of arrest 

and prosecution of 

Oshiomhole to the media. 

It was gathered that that 

action automatically led to 

cancellation of the meeting. 

Speaking on the crisis in the 

party in the state, Oshiomhole's 

deputy for eight 

years, Dr Pius Odubu, in a 

chat with Vanguard, said: 

“There is no crisis in Edo 

APC, rather what we have 

is misunderstanding arising 

from the activities and 

conduct of Governor Godwin 

Obaseki. Mr.Obaseki 

from the onset came with 

the notion that leadership 

of APC in Edo State should 

be retired.“ “Leadership in 

political environment is not 

an appointed one, it 

evolves from the various 

constituencies overtime. 

Therefore, nobody has the 

right or the power to say he 

is retiring anybody from 

active politics. 

''The governor’s disdain 

for politicians had manifested 

in his utmost disrespect 

for the political class. The 

leaders are not being consulted 

or carried along and 

people who worked for him 

were neglected. 

''This gave rise to the misunderstanding, 

contrary to 

the governor’s claim that 

the misunderstanding 

arose from the national 

chairman wanting to be 

godfather. This is far from 

it, as Comrade Oshiomhole 

has never at any time in the 

political activities in Edo 

State wanted to be a godfather. 

''I can also say he has not 

interfered in the business of 

governance in the state. 

When this misunderstanding 

was brewing, Comrade 

Oshiomhole called the 

leaders and the governor to 

a roundtable to sort things 

out, not once, not twice. 

''The leaders always 

showed up but the governor 

never honoured any of 

the invitations. That is 

what created the situation 

we are in today. It is 

certainly not the 

interference of Oshiomhole 

in governance or politics 

of Edo State. 

''Instead, it is the refusal 

of the governor to carry 

along the party leadership 

and leaders who worked 

assiduously for his victory.”“ 

Another chieftain of 

the party, Pastor Osagie Ize- 

Iyamu, said the governor 

has not showed interest in 

the recent spate of attacks 

on members of the party, 

the recent being the explosion 

on the residence of the 

Secretary of the party, 

Lawrence Okah. 

He also expressed shock 

that the Police were yet to 

make any arrest after several 

attacks on members 

and leaders of the party. 

He said: “They went to 

Chief Inegbeki's house and 

threw a bomb there. Who 

will go and throw a bomb 

in his own house because 

they want to do mischief? 

Chief Inegbeneki’s offence 

was that he was coordinating 

a rally in his hometown 

in Irrua. Lawrence Okah 

has been the subject of a lot 

of attack and attention. 

“People like us have tried 

to engage them, all we get 

are insults. Our desire for 

peace is not a sign of weakness. 

This rubbish must 

stop. They must call their 

people to order. This is not 

the work of robbers. Armed 

robbers cannot throw bomb 

and walk away. 

''This was politically motivated. 

Lawrence Okah is 

Secretary of this party. You 

cannot force him to do your 

bidding. If you want him to 

work for you, you must submit 

yourself to the party. 

"We will continue to call 

on our people to maintain 

peace. If we want to retaliate, 

this city will be turned 

into a war zone. It is time 

the security agencies start 

to make arrests. But a 

former Political Adviser to 

Oshiomhole as governor, 

Charles Idahosa, said 

Oshiomhole should step 

down as the chairman of the 

party, saying he was responsible 

for the crisis in 

If you must beg, beg govt, 

not individuals, Sanusi tells 

beggars 

By Ibrahim Hassan 

DUTSE — THE Emir 

of Kano, Muhammadu 

Sanusi II, weekend, 

called on people who beg 

for alms or other forms of 

assistance from individuals 

and relatives to instead direct 

their begging to the 

government. 

News Agency of Nigeria 

(NAN) reports that Sanusi 

made the call at the National 

Conference on Alarammomi 

(Qur’anic Teachers) organised 

by Centre for 

Qur’anic Reciters in Nigeria 

with the theme: “Sanitising 

Almajirchi In Tune 

With Today’s Realities”. 

He urged parents to stop 

sending their children to 

Almajiri schools, stressing 

that children could study 

the Qur’an, in their schools 

and with the teachers in 

their respective communities. 

The emir said that if sending 

children to such schools 

became necessary, then 

parents must send them 

with all the necessary provisions 

to ensure their well 

being and welfare. 

According to him, it is 

wrong for parents to send 

their children away without 

proper arrangements and 

necessary provision, as the 

children will end up begging 

for food and alms. 

Sanusi, who quoted verses 

from the Holy Qur’an 

and Hadith, said whoever 

begs, would resurrect on 

the day of judgement without 

flesh on his face. 

He, therefore, urged husbands 

to see it as God-given 

duty to feed their wives 

and children adequately in 

order for them not to resort 

to begging for alms and 


or relatives. 

“Begging is disallowed in 

Islam and if you must beg 

for alms beg the government 

not individuals or relatives. 

“It is better for you 

to cut firewood and sell to 

earn a living than to beg. 

“Those who beg or seek 


will be resurrected on the 

day of judgement without 

meat/flesh on their faces. 

“And if you must beg, 

then beg the government 

not individuals or relatives. 

This is because they should 

be responsible for the welfare 

and wellbeing of citizens. 

We didn’t arrest anybody with 

fireams, says Edo CP, Jimeta 

•We have nothing to do 

with booing of Oshiomhole 

in Benin – Edo govt 

THE Commissioner of 

Police in Edo State, 

Lawal Jimeta, yesterday 

denied reports that its men 

arrested three persons with 

firearms, following the alleged 

attack on the national 

chairman of All Progress 

Congress, APC, Adams 

Oshiomhole. 

Faction of the party loyal 

to the national chairman in 

the state had alleged last 

night that thugs and cultists 

allegedly mobilized by 

Edo State government to 

attack Oshiomhole at the 

Benin Airport were arrested 

by the police. 

But reacting to the allegation, 

the CP said he was 

not aware of any arrest, 

stressing that his men only 

provided security for the 

APC national chairman to 

all the functions he attended 

in the state until he returned 

to Abuja. 

Oshiomhole’s loyalists 

said: ‘’The Police have confirmed 

the arrest of three 

persons with firearms and 

intent to cause bodily harm 

to the national chairman. 

‘’The arrest came after the 

Police Commissioner in 

Edo State came under scrutiny 

and received several 

distress calls from civil society 

groups bemoaning 

the perceived bias of the 

Police as some officers were 

spotted providing cover to 

some of the armed thugs 

who forced their way into 

the airport, breaching protocol 

and causing panic to 

other travelers. 

‘’Tension rose in the state 

when government-registered 

buses were seen allegedly 

conveying thugs 

and other criminal elements 

to the airport to deny entry 

to Oshiomhole who was 

scheduled to land and proceed 

to events where his 

presence was sought. 

‘’According to inside 

sources, the thugs were 

personally summoned by 

the Deputy Governor, Philip 

Shaibu, and the buses 

and other logistics used in 

conveying them from different 

points in Benin City to 

the airport were provided 

by the Secretary to the State 

Government, Osarodion 

Ogie. 

Also reacting to the allegation 

last night, Edo State 

government said it had 

nothing to do with any alleged 

attack on Oshiomhole, 

saying it didn’t also 

arm anybody to attack him. 

In a statement, Special 

Adviser to the Governor on 

Media and Communication 

Strategy, Mr. Crusoe 

Osagie, said: “It has come 

to our notice that Comrade 

Oshiomhole arrived Benin 

and was booed by a crowd 

of people. 

‘’We are not in anyway 

directly or remotely involved 

in the act. We condemn 

insinuations that the 

Edo State Government is in 

anyway involved in these 

protests. “The series of anti- 

Oshiomhole protests across 

the country in the last couple 

of days, including the 

those who jeered and 

booed Comrade Oshiomhole 

in Benin City, on Saturday 

have nothing to do 

with the state government.


INAUGURATION —From left: Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; New President of Enugu Chamber 

of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Emeka Nwandu; Past ECCIMA 

President, Sir Emeka Udeze; and representative of the President, National Association of Chambers of 

Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief John Udeagbala, during the 

inauguration of Nwandu as President of ECCIMA in Enugu, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

APC no longer a functional 

political party — DG, APC GOVS FORUM 

•Oshiomhole now accuser, prosecutor, judge, says PGF DG 

•Writes Akande C’ttee on steps to reconciliation 

By Omeiza Ajayi develop the needed 

sportsmanship to accept 

results. The old habits of 

ABUJA — Director 

General of the 

Progressive 

Governors Forum, PGF, 

Salihu Lukman, has 

described his ruling All 


APC, as a political party that 

was no longer functional 

due to its inability to hold 

regular meetings of its 

constitutional organs as 

provided by law. 

He also blamed part of 

the crisis in the APC on its 

National Chairman, 

Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, accusing him 

of being the accuser, 

prosecutor and judge in 

most of the disputes 

afflicting the party. 

“The hard truth is that as 

it stands today, APC is not 

a functional political party. 

None of its organs at any 

level is meeting as provided 

in the party’s constitution. 

‘’It is even debatable if 

our membership register 

exists. At best, it will be the 

same old 2015 membership 

register,”, he said yesterday. 

Efforts to reach 

Oshiomhole for reaction, 

last night, proved abortive, 

as his mobile phone could 

not be accessed. 

In a lengthy memo to the 

Chief Bisi Akande-led APC 

National Reconciliation 

Committee, Lukman also 

traced the genesis of the 

crisis in the party to the 

processes leading to the 

2015 general elections. 

He said: “Part of the 

components of the 

contributions of the APC to 

Nigeria’s democracy 

include that the problem of 

imposition of candidates in 

elections were minimised 

considerably within the 

APC, at least in the 2015 

elections. Unfortunately, 

that is where our problems 

started. Contestants in party 

primary election failed to 

aspiring candidates taking 

over leadership structures 

of the party and through 

that 

therefore 

predetermining results of 

the primary elections 

remained the case.” 

Sycophants 

from Edo 

While he contended that 

the procedure for 

maintaining party 

discipline had been so 

cheapened, to the extent 

that the national chairman 

dominates the whole 

process, the PGF DG also 

blamed the chairman for 

surrounding himself with 

those he described as 

sycophants, who he said 

are mostly from Edo State. 

“The crisis in the party is 

clearly getting worse and 

worse by the day. It has 

gotten to a stage whereby 

the competence of 

members of the Comrade 

Oshiomhole-led NWC to 

provide needed 

leadership to ensure 

victory in every election 

has been eroded. We can 

win election and on 

account of some inabilities 

to competently manage 

legal challenges 

associated with 

nomination of candidates, 

we are compelled to 

surrender victory to our 

opponents. This is the 

narrative of the Supreme 

Court judgement of 

February 13, 2020 in 

respect of November 16, 

2019 Bayelsa elections. It 

was also the case with the 

May 24, 2019, Supreme 

Court nullification of the 

election of all APC 

candidates in the 2019 

elections in Zamfara State. 

“In other words, our 

NWC can be described as 

a very efficient Trojan horse 

that opens the backdoor for 

electoral victory to our 

political opponents. It is 

really unfortunate that we 

are faced with all the 

avoidable electoral 

tragedies, all because our 

NWC has decided to 

abdicate its responsibility. 

This is quite disheartening 

and certainly beyond any 

expectation. How can all 

these be happening under 

the watch of Comrade 

Oshiohmole as the National 

Chairman? Comrade 

Oshiomhole’s leadership 

credentials cannot be 

disputed. But given what is 

going on now in APC under 

his watch, it is very clear that 

he is not that same 

Comrade Oshiomhole that 

was an inspiring union 

leader who competently 

handled all organisational 

leadership challenges to the 

admiration of Nigerians. 

“Part of the problem now 

is that he is surrounded by 

sycophants mainly from 

Edo State. Any attempt to 

help him through objective 

advice is condemned as 

betrayal especially when 

such advice comes from 

people who were close to 

him. Many of those who 

claimed now to be his 

supporters and loyalists are 

people who only relate with 

him based on his position 

of power and capacity 

therefore to influence 

access to political positions. 

His success as a leader who 

is able to direct the party 

towards electoral victory is 

never their consideration 

except if they are the 

candidates. 

“One cannot blame these 

sycophantic crowd around 

our National Chairman. 

But I will definitely express 

my disbelief at the way 

Comrade Oshiomhole has 

become all of a sudden, a 

leader who is intolerant to 

criticisms. His level of 

intolerance is so high that 

any disagreement or 

criticism expressed against 

any of his decisions or 

actions is classified as 

betrayal and therefore 

requiring disciplinary 

actions. The procedure for 

disciplinary actions has 

become so cheapened such 

that all the relevant 

provisions in the party’s 

constitution are violated. 

As a result, Comrade 

Oshiomhole is today the 

leading accuser, 

prosecutor and judge in 

almost all cases where 

disciplinary actions have 

been administered in the 

party. The only probable 

exception may be the case 

in his Ward in Edo State 

where he is also being 

alleged to have been 

disciplined”, he stated. 

Way Forward 

Lukman also berated 

Comrade Oshiomhole for 

his intolerance to criticisms, 

and listed ways out of the 

current issues threatening 

the party. 

“With this kind of 

background, it is almost 

impossible to start any 

process of engagement to 

resolve our problems in the 

party without addressing 

the issue of intolerance that 

is today the main 

characteristic of the 

Comrade Oshiomhole-led 

NWC. This is not in any 

way questioning the 

capacity or competence of 

the Chief Bisi Akande-led 

APC National 

Reconciliation Committee. 

No doubt, Chief Bisi 

Akande is one leader who 

has all that is required to 

assist the party and all our 

leaders to resolve current 

challenges. In fact, Chief 

Akande, having led the 

party, immediately after the 

merger negotiations that 

produced the APC in 2013 

has everything at stake if 

the party is allowed to 

continue to suffer electoral 

loses simply because our 

current leaders are 

intolerant to one another 

and consequently not able 

to manage processes of 

candidate selection within 

the party. 

“In addition to Chief 

Akande, the Committee has 

very reputable members 

who have played very 

important roles during the 

merger negotiations of our 

legacy parties in 2013. I am 

very confident that these 

reputable team of very 

selfless leaders should be 

given all the support 

required to ensure that they 

succeed. How can we 

support the Chief Akande 

Committee to succeed? 

‘’I think the starting point 

has to be an appeal to the 

Comrade Oshiomhole-led 

NWC, who facilitated the 

formation of the Chief 

Akande Committee to 

convene a meeting of the 

appropriate organ of the 

party – National Executive 

Council (NEC) or National 

Caucus where a decision 

setting aside all the 

disciplinary actions at all 

levels of the party, including 

the NWC can be taken. 

“Somehow, such a 

meeting can also serve as 

perhaps an ice breaking 

platform where some good 

pronouncements can 

emerge, which can 

encourage all aggrieved 

leaders and party members 

to express their 

disagreement and 

dissatisfaction at the way 

our party is being managed 

since 2015. Steps must be 

taken at such meeting to 

ensure that criticising or 

disagreeing with our 

leaders does not constitute 

an offence. 

“If the Chief Akande 

Committee is to succeed in 

this very crucial 

assignment, it must be 

positioned to set in motion 

the process of rebuilding the 

party. The hard truth is that 

as it stands today, APC is 

not a functional political 

party. None of its organs at 

any level is meeting as 

provided in the party’s 

constitution. It is even 

debatable if our 

membership register exists. 

At best, it will be the same 

old 2015 membership 

register. 

“With such reality, any 

effort towards resolving our 

problems may have to 

commence with verifying 

the issue of who our party 

members are. Somehow, 

this is also an issue that will 

test our tolerance limits. For 

instance, to what extent can 

we accept members such as 

Sen. Kabir Marafa in 

Zamfara who instituted the 

court case that led to 

surrendering the victory of 

our party in the 2019 

election to the PDP? Or to 

what extent can we regard 

members in Ogun and Imo 

who contested the 2019 

elections under different 

parties? 

“However it is considered, 

it is a simple case of 

responding to all these 

challenges based on 

capacity to forgive. The only 

most important requirement 

is that each party must be 

able to accept that mistakes 

have been made. This is 

where the Chief Akande 

Committee will have to 

demonstrate its capacity 

and competence. It is a 

familiar calling to Chief 

Akande. I am confident 

they can be able to 

discharge this function by 

being able to listen to all 

actors without 

apportioning blame to any 

of the actors. Just as they 

listen to each of the actors, 

they should be able to first 

give some minimum 

conditions which each of 

the parties must meet. 

There is also the issue of 

strengthening the 

confidence of party leaders 

at all levels based on 

provision of good working 

conditions. As it is today, 

our party leaders at all 

levels don’t have any 

verifiable working 

condition. This is partly the 

case because, the party’s 

sources of income are still 

vaguely defined. Issues of 

membership subscription 

are yet to be concluded. 

These need to be 

addressed. We can resolve 

all existing disputes within 

the party, if these are left 

as they are today, the same 

old problem will continue 

to rear their heads every 

election season. 

The task of reconciliation 

in APC has to have a life of 

its own. It is about 

commencing the process of 

rebuilding the party. All our 

leaders should 

demonstrate very strong 

commitment. As part of 

such commitment, 

initiative must be instituted 

to block all openings that 

further exposes our leaders 

to more conflicts. One of 

such issues is the question 

of refilling vacant positions 

in the NWC. Somehow, 

there appears to be 

decisions by the Comrade 

Oshiomhole-led NWC to 

endorse successors from 

states different from what 

was agreed at the last 

convention. If this is to go 

ahead, there will be more 

disputes within the party. 

If this is the preferred 

option, then it is safer to go 

for another convention 

where everything about 

leadership of the party can 

be renegotiated, and new 

agreements reached. 

The reconciliationdisposed 

NWC, even if led 

by Comrade Oshiomhole 

must refrain from making 

inflammatory public 

commentaries. As much as 

possible, all statements 

coming from the party 

should be made to reflect 

decisions of organs of the 

party, and the NWC in 

particular must respect its 

jurisdictional limits as 

provided in the constitution 

of the party when it comes 

to matters of issuing public 

statements. There are 

issues that clearly require 

the decisions of superior 

organs such as NEC or 

National Caucus for them 

to be credited to the party. 

Statements must not be 

reduced to opinions of 

party leaders, important as 

that may be”, he added. 

Chief Press Secretary 

CPS to the APC National 

Chairman, Mr Simon 

Ebegbulem was not 

immediately available for 

comments at press time.

50 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

AQUARIUS; Even if you are tempted to gamble by 

whoever and/or whatsoever reason you must resist it or 

else you would be the loser. Being aggressive may help. 

PISCES; Provided you are willing to co-operate with 

others things will not go out of hands but exhibition of 

inordinate ambition can earn you avoidable trouble. 

ARIES; Element of luck will assist you. Those of you 

who are more hard working will have more positive 

things to show for your efforts. Take care of your health. 

TAURUS; Many natives of this Zodiac sign will be 

excited either because of romantic interest within your 

working arena or practical advancement at work. 

GEMINI; Reason with those you can take as veterans 

within your base of operation because if you want to 

force your way without carrying necessary and more 

experienced people along it would back-fire now or 

soonest 

CANCER; The more creative you are the better for 

your cause. However is typical day when too much 

expectation can bring disappointment. Be more family 

minded. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

Progressive people are always grateful for 

what comes to them, and they show that 

kindness towards all of life.”-Take Heart 

Quotes- 

A person who lives in harmony with life mirrors 

these faces of intention; creativity, kindness, 

beauty, abundance and receptivity. They are extraordinarily 

creative and have no need to fit in or 

to do things the way others expect of them. 

-Ella Randle - 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

If you find 

“Miss This 

Year” beautiful, 

then 

you’ll find 

“Miss Next 

Year” even 

more so. — 

Nigerian 

Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LEO; If your priority is financial success you may not 

be disappointed provided you prepare for a few challenges. 

For now both your mental energy and physical 

attributes are enough to win you love not MONEY. Be 

more receptive. 

VIRGO; This is your day when both good luck and 

your personal efforts will bring you success. Try to be as 

caring as possible to those within your base. 

LIBRA; Although there will be challenges at the end 

of it all you will have genuine cause to smile. The more 

secretive you are the better for your cause. This is not 

the right time to ignore your sex life. Do away with 

unnecessary argument. 

SCORPIO; This is not the right time for you to either 

gamble with money or take friends for granted. Secret 

lovers may be in for an exciting day. 

SAGITTARIUS; Success is within your reach, although 

you will need to seek all important supports of 

the influential people around you. Be more loving. 

CAPRICORN; The more ambitious you are today the 

better for your cause. And here is a good day to plan for 

the future but you must do away with whatever can not 

be placed above board. Yong-at-heart among you may 

be in for a romantic day. 

ASTROLOGICAL ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

COUNSELLING 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” 

“HOT” 

By A.O.OLAIDE 

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

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

My time will come when? 

Dear Joshua, 

I have been following your works in the newspapers 

for many years and the truth is you are very 

good. I therefore want your in-depth analysis and 

tell me both about my inner-self , social life and the 

time I am likely to have my much desired breakthrough 

in life. 

Anonymous, Nigeria. 

Dear Anonymous, 

What you will find here-under will answer your 

questions. Here is a natural SPIRITUAL PERSON, 

with great capability for HEALLING (talking of real 

faith healing ministry in the modern Christianity 

language). Yes! You are aggressive, domineering, 

captivating and can be rightly called SPIRITUAL 

MOTHER of many. 

And like your God you are truly a jealous person 

who will do everything within your powers to protect 

those you loved and those who are your faithful 

disciples. 

Although, you are highly intelligent and can 

achieve your desire along the academic world, the 

spiritual energy in your inner-self and great emotional 

personality in you will eventually give in to 

SPIRITUAL callings as indicated by the Moon and 

Neptune that conjoined in most powerful and spiritual 

Scorpio when you were born. 

Social life will always bring you attention, good 

luck, enviable oppositions and possibly fame. The 

best way for you not to be constant loser in the social 

world is to always study situation practically and 

know that your finance will not suffer (if it can not be 

beneficiary) from the setting before taking responsibility. 

As for influential friends you will have them but 

never always take them for granted. 

Sudden SUCCESS will come your way during your 

46th year on earth and will serve as a break-through 

year you can build great foundation of endless success 

on. But the same 46th year will bring love related 

challenges you must manage with all maturity 

or else it will linger till after your 48th year on earth. 

VIRGINIA 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

HOME & ABROAD 

By Lawrence Akapa



Plateau Utd stay top of 

NPFL after Lobi draw 

•Enyimba lose 2-0 to relegation-threatened Nasarawa 

By John Egbokhan 

Plateau United have 

continued to dictate the 

pace in the race to win the 

Nigeria Professional Football 

League title following a 

goalless draw with rivals Lobi 

Stars at the Aper Aku 

Stadium, Makurdi. 

Only one point separated 

both sides before the start of 

hostilities ,with Lobi needing 

a win to go top but Plateau 

United took the fight to their 

hosts and were rewarded with 

a share of the spoils, in turn 

cementing their top status 

with 37 points, while Lobi have 

dropped to the third spot with 

36 points 

In Port Harcourt, Rivers 

United continued their 

pursuit of a continental ticket 

with a 2-1 hard-fought victory 

over Kano Pillars to move into 

second position on the table 

with 36 points from 21 

matches but are ahead of Lobi 

Stars because of superior 

goals scored. 

Konan Ruffin N’Gouan 

opened the scoring for Rivers 

United after 22 minutes 

through a penalty conversion 

while Cletus Emotan doubled 

Former CAF 

General Secretary 

Amr Fahmy dies 

after illness 

Former Confederation of 

African Football 

General Secretary Amr 

Fahmy has died at the age 

of 36. 

The Egyptian served as 

General Secretary between 

November 2017 and April 

2019, when he was removed 

from his position without 

explanation. 

CAF released a statement 

calling his death shocking 

and saying they “extend our 

deepest condolences to his 

family especially his parents, 

his spouse and daughter. 

In December, Fahmy had 

announced a bid for the 

CAF presidency, telling 

BBC Sport he wanted to 

focus on being “pro-Africa, 

pro-football and anticorruption”. 

the homers lead on 88 

minutes but veteran Rabiu Ali 

scored a late goal for Pillars 

three minutes into injury time 

as Rivers held on to claim all 

three points. 

A week after claiming a 

huge 4-1 victory over Abia 

Warriors in the Abia derby in 

Okigwe, champions Enyimba 

lost the initiative as they were 

well-beaten by relegatedthreatened 

Nasarawa United 

2-0. Chinedu Ohanachom 

and Dauda Maigishiri were 

the scorers for Nasarawa 

United, who despite the 

victory still stay rooted to the 

19th spot on the 20-team 

table, with a paltry 22 points 

from 20 matches. 

Eden Hazard is set to miss 

the first leg of Real 

Madrid’s Champions 

League last-16 tie against 

Manchester City due to an 

ankle injury. 

The 29-year-old limped 

off during Saturday’s 1-0 

defeat at Levante in La 

Liga, which was only his 

second match since 

returning from an ankle 

injury, which had kept him 

out of action for almost three 

months. 

Real Madrid assessed the 

injury overnight and 

confirmed on Sunday that 

Hazard has suffered a 

fracture to his right distal 

fibula, however they are 

unable to put a time frame 

on his period of recovery. 

A club statement said: 

“Following the tests carried 

out today on our player, 

Eden Hazard, by the Real 

Madrid medical 

department, he has been 

diagnosed with a fracture to 

his right distal fibula. His 

recovery will continue to be 

assessed.” 

Real Madrid’s next two 

games are at home to 

Manchester City in the 

Champions League on 

February 26 followed by El 

Despite this shock loss, 

Enyimba are seventh on the 

table with 30 points from 18 

matches and should they win 

their three outstanding 

matches, which on the basis 

of this latest defeat is not a 

realistic target, their points 

haul will be 39 and good 

enough to be top of the table. 

At the Sani Abacha 

Stadium, temporary home 

ground of Jigawa Golden 

Stars, Wikki Tourist lost 2-1 

to the former, despite scoring 

first through Promise Damala 

after two minutes but the 

home side fought back, 

netting twice through 

Ibrahim Saleh on 54 minutes 

and Abdullahi Lala 67 

minutes. 

Hazard out of Man City, 

Barca clashes 

Clasico against Barcelona 

at the Bernabeu on March 

1. 

Real’s first defeat in the 

league since October saw 

them fall to second place in 

La Liga on 53 points after 

25 games. 

Ighalo plays as Man Utd thrash Watford 

Bruno Fernandes scored 

his first goal for 

Manchester United as Ole 

Gunnar Solskjaer’s side 

cruised past relegationthreatened 

Watford at Old 

Trafford. Nigerian forward, 

Odion Ighalo was a second 

half substitute, coming in for 

French forward, Anthony 

Martial. 

The January signing’s 

first-half penalty gave the 

hosts the lead before 

wonderful pieces of 

finishing from Anthony 

Martial and Mason 

Greenwood after the break 

secured a 3-0 win. 

Solskjaer reverted to a 

back four, with Mason 

Greenwood coming into the 

side to play wide on the right, 

while Scott McTominay was 

back among the substitutes 

having been out since 

Boxing Day with a knee 

injury. 

Aaron Wan-Bissaka could 

only find the sidenetting 

after Daniel James’ cross 

was parried his way by Ben 

Foster, before the 

Welshman’s clever cutback 

found Fred, only for the 

Brazilian to bend wide. 

It was James’ creativity 

that eventually helped break 

the deadlock shortly before 

half-time as he sent 

Fernandes scampering in 

behind. The Portuguese got 

a toe in ahead of the sliding 

Foster and took 

responsibility from the spot 

himself, sending the 

Hornets goalkeeper the 

wrong way to open his 

United account. 

By Jacob Ajom 

The much anticipated 

2020 Nigeria Oil and Gas 

Industry Games officially 

began yesterday following a 

colourful opening ceremony 

at the Chevron Recreation 

Centre, Gbagada. 

There was a lot of fanfare as 

athletes and officials 

swarmed the exclusive arena 

in the early hours of Sunday 

to witness the grand opening 

ceremony which was 

witnessed by top officials of 

all the participating 

companies. Chairman of the 

Local Organising 

Committee, Malam Aminu 

Zaria presided over the affairs 

of the day. 

In his opening address, 

Zaria enjoined the athletes not 

to forget the real essence of 

the games which, in his 

words, “keep fit, cultivate 

friendships and connectivity 

among workers in the oil and 

gas sector.” 

Police give athletes best of two 

worlds –Mba 

…as 2020 Police games hot up in Awka 

The Nigerian Police Force 

is very flexible with its 

athletes and they are always 

encouraged to have the best 

of their sports and policing 

careers respectively. 

Between February 29 and 

March 7, four centres in 

Awka, Anambra State will 

host the 12th edition of the 

Police Games between 

February 29 and March 7 in 

Awka, Anambra State. 

Deputy Commissioner of 

Police and Force Public 

Relations Officer, Frank Mba, 

at the weekend said a total of 

31 sports would be competed 

for at the event. 

Mba added that police 

athletes are always 

encouraged to get to the peak 

of their respective sports 

careers. 

Watford thought they were 

level soon after the restart 

when Deeney bundled home 

after Dawson had diverted 

onto the woodwork, but VAR 

showed the ball had come 

off the defender’s arm. 

Their misery was 

compounded just before the 

Ahead of the MASVI/ 

Owan West Cycling 

Classic tour scheduled for this 

weekend, the Executive 

Chairman of Owan West 

Council, Hon. Frank Ilaboya, 

at the weekend, set up a 6-man 

Local Organizing 

Committee, LOC. 

The Committe, which has 

the Council Secretary, Hon. 

Odion Daniel Iruobe as the 

Chairman, was charged with 

the responsibility of 

NOGIG 2020: Competition begins 

after colourful opening ceremony 

“There are many examples 

to show that we are always 

ready to boost our athletes. We 

grant those exceptional leave 

of absence and when they 

retire, we reabsorb them." 

“This is a huge contribution 

to development of sports and 

that is why we want to use the 

forthcoming Police Games to 

identify new talents and 

nurture them to the top. We 

have the talents,” Mba said. 

“There were plans to use this 

event not only to prepare the 

police athletes for the 

forthcoming National Sports 

Festival in Benin but also to 

begin the process of bringing 

out athletes that would take 

over from great police 

ambassadors like Chioma 

Ajunwa, late Sunday Bada 

and Samuel Peter.” 

hour mark when Martial’s 

delightful scooped finish 

over Foster gave United 

breathing space Greenwood 

put the cap on an excellent 

day’s work when he bent 

home via the underside of 

the bar with 15 minutes to 

play. 

MASVI Cycling Tour: Owan 

West boss inaugurates LOC 

He said the games were also 

staged to enhance the 

production capacity of the 

workers in the industry. “In the 

next one week, we are going 

to showcase our best who will 

compete among each other 

and we will present to Nigeria, 

a healthy workforce for 

enhanced productivity.” 

The LOC boss also 

informed that two sports; 

Badminton and Volleyball 

will feature for the first time 

in this year’s games and the 

participating companies too 

had increased from 10 to 12. 

In his loaded opening 

speech, Zaria also said very 

soon, “the physically 

challenged members of staff 

of our various companies 

would be made to also feature 

in their special events of 

NOGIG in order to give 

opportunity to everybody.” 

Six countries, including 

hosts Morocco and 

Africa’s most populous 

nation Nigeria, secured 

Olympic tickets for Tokyo 

2020 Olympics on the 

opening day of the on-going 

African Qualification 

Tournament for the Tokyo 

2020 Olympics, holding on 

22nd and 23 February 2020. 

The spread of the medals 

acutely reflects the difficulty 

and competitiveness of the 

Olympic qualification 

process, as well of spread of 

taekwondo development 

across the African continent. 

Morocco and Egypt 

secured two Olympic tickets 

each while the remaining 

four tickets were won by 

Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cote 

D’Ivoire and Gabon. 

In the female -49kg, the 

number one and two seed, 

Egypt’s Nour Abdelsalam 

and Morocco’s El Boutchi, 

lived up by expectations to 

emerge as the category’s 

organizing a successful and 

hitch free competition. 

Other members of the 

Committee are, Esther 

Ovbioje, Usman 

Omokhagbor, Ehigai 

Williams, Hassan Otinau, 

Mr. Izedonmi Humphrey and 

Mr. Edekin Imezua. 

Inauguring the Committee, 

Hon Ilaboya charged them to 

discharge their duties 

diligently and ensure a 

successful outing. 

“Your assignment is to 

organise a hitch free and 

successful event to the 

admiration of all 

“Owan West is now a 

household name following 

our fine outing in the just 

concluded state sports 

festival. Placing second in the 

festival has put us in a postive 

map, and I want you to put 

this at the back of your minds 

by organising a world class 

event.” 

“Remember that over 7 

states’ cyclists and top sports 

journalists are coming for the 

event, and they 

Responding, the Chairman 

of the Committee, Hon 

Iruobe, thanked Him Ilaboya 

for the confidence reposed in 

the Committee. 

“Mr Chairman, I want to 

thank you on behalf of my 

members for finding us 

worthy for this unique 

assignment. The same 

committee handled the just 

concluded state sports festival 

where Owan West came 

second. This assignment is no 

doubt a confirmation of the 

confidence you have in us." 

Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria secure 

Olympic tickets on opening day 

Olympic ticket holders. 

In the female -67kg, 

current African Champion 

and the number one seed, 

Egypt’s Malak Hedaya 

joined the number three 

seed, Nigeria’s Elizabeth 

Anyanacho as the 

category’s Olympic ticket 

holders. 

In the male -58kg, the 

number one seed Morocco’s 

Omar Lakehal and 

Ethiopia’s Solomon Demse 

emerged as the category’s 

Olympic ticket holders. 

In the male +80kg, 

number two seed Cote 

D’Ivoire’s Seydou Gbane 

joined Gabon’s Anthony 

Obame to emerge as the 

category’s Olympic ticket 

holders. 

Day two will see battle in 

the remaining four Olympic 

weight categories, including 

male -68kg, male -80kg, 

female -57kg and female 

+67kg.

Fury destroys Wilder in 

heavyweight title rematch 

TYSON FURY sensationally 

stopped Deontay Wilder in the 

seventh round of their rematch to 

become a world champion for a 

second time. 

It was one-way traffic from the 

off as the Gypsy King stunned the 

long-time WBC champ - even 

licking his beaten man’s blood at 

one point. 

Fury won by TKO after Wilder’s 

corner threw in the towel in the 

seventh round to stop the 

systematic beating - with many 

boxing fans believing the deposed 

champ was ‘concussed’. 

The American was furious with 

the decision - but no-one inside the 

MGM Grand would have any 

arguments on a sensational night 

for Fury and British sport. 

Even two of the judges who had 

come in for some stick before they 

had even started their night’s work 

gave EVERY ROUND to the Gypsy 

King. 

The other kindly threw the 

second Wilder’s way. 

Wilder, 34, was battered from 

pillar to post on a dismal night for 

the Bronze Bomber and was 

floored twice before his corner 

went with the sensible decision. 

The Alabama man was taken to 

hospital after the scrap for a checkup 

and stitches inside his ear. 

Speaking after bagging the 

iconic green WBC belt, Fury said: 

“A big shout out to Deontay Wilder. 

He came here tonight and he 

manned up and he really did show 

the heart of a champion. 

“I hit him with a clean right that 

dropped him and he got back up. 

He is a warrior. He will be back. 

He will be champion again. 

“But I will say, the king has 

returned to the top of the throne!” 

The victory completes a Rockystyle 

comeback for Fury, who spent 

two-and-a-half years out the ring 

battling depression and 

ballooning up to 28st. 

HUNG OUT TO DRY 

Wilder’s trainer blasts assistant for throwing 

in towel against Fury 

DEONTAY WILDER’S head 

coach has admitted that his 

assistant trainer made the 

decision to throw in the towel 

against Tyson Fury against his 

will. 

The Bronze Bomber was 

floored twice by the Gypsy King 

during a stunning surrender of 

his WBC title at the MGM 

Grand in Las Vegas before the 

American’s corner waved the 

white flag. 

Despite the 

fact that Fury 

was winning 

E V E R Y 

ROUND on 

two of the 

j u d g e s ’ 

scorecards 

when the fight 

was stopped, 

W i l d e r 

screamed at his 

team “why’d 

you do that?” 

after they threw 

in the towel. 

The 34-yearold’s 

head 

trainer Jay 

Deas has 

revealed that 

co-trainer 

Mark Breland went against 

Wilder’s wishes to make the call 

to end it. 

He said: “Mark threw the 

towel. 

“I didn’t think he should 

have. Deontay’s the kind of guy 

that’s a ‘go out on his shield’ 

kind of guy. 

“You’ve always got to 

consider, also, that Deontay is 

a fearsome puncher, so that’s 

always a difficult thing, because 

he does always have that shot 

to land a big shot and turn 

things around. 

“I’m the head coach of the 

team, but we do things a little 

bit differently. Ninety nine 

percent of the time, the head 

coach of the team is also the guy 

that’s the lead in the corner. 

“Ours is a little bit more like a 

football team, where the head 

coach doesn’t necessarily call 

the plays; you have an offensive 

and defensive co-ordinator. 

MILLIONAIRE heavyweight 

champ and father of eight 

Deontay Wilder is a man who 

appears to have it all – but he insists 

deciding to lace up the boxing 

gloves was nowhere near his best 

decision. 

It has been a long journey for the 

34-year-old former pancake 

flipper as he climbed from 

“struggling to make ends meet” to 

having the most-feared fist in the 

business. 

Although he may be fearsome 

inside the ropes, away from the ring 

he is very much a family man as 

he looks to provide for his eight 

kids from four different women. 

Wilder had a late start to boxing, 


Fury sends message to AJ 

by wearing ‘Nigeria’ gum 

shield in Wilder win 

T Y S O N 

FURY gave a 

bizarre 

tribute to Brit 

rival Anthony 

Joshua during 

his battering of 

Deontay Wilder 

- by wearing a 

“Nigeria” gum 

shield. 

The Gypsy King 

secured a scintillating 

stoppage victory in his Las Vegas 

rematch to win the WBC 

heavyweight title. 

It has already led to demands 

from boxing fans for Fury and 

Joshua to clash in an undisputed 

title fight. 

AJ is the reigning WBO, WBA, 

and IBF champ. 

And during Fury’s dominant 

victory, he showed he perhaps 

already has Joshua on the mind. 

The Lineal king had a green and 

white Nigeria gum shield in his 

mouth. 

Joshua’s mother Yeta is 

Tyson Fury is “almost sure” he will face 

Deontay Wilder for a third time rather 

than Anthony Joshua in an all-British 

four-belt unification fight that would 

crown an undisputed world heavyweight 

champion for the first time in two 

decades. 

Fury administered a shocking beatdown 

of the favoured American knockout 

merchant to capture the WBC’s version 

of the heavyweight title on Saturday night 

in a return meeting of their split draw 15 

months ago, flooring Wilder in the third 

and fifth rounds before the badly 

Wilder has eight kids from four women 

taking it up aged 20 

But deciding to take up the sport that 

would transform his life forever is nothing 

compared to a life-or-death choice he was 

forced to make while expecting his first 

daughter. 

Wilder and his then-girlfriend Helen 

Duncan were poor teenagers when they 

were told their child would be born with 

spina bifida. 

“It had been scary first off to know I had 

a child on the way. It was even scarier that 

this tiny being would be coming into the 

world with a defect. 

“I was so young, holding my whole 

world in my hands. Suddenly I was facing 

this huge responsibility for a life which 

would need my enormous care and 

attention." 

Nigerian, while his father Robert 

has Nigerian and Irish Ancestry. 

His paternal great-grandfather 

is considered one of the greatest 

men of the town of Sagamu. 

The boxer himself has a tattoo 

of Nigeria on his shoulder. 

Joshua has said of his heritage: 

“I learnt more about my family’s 

history and I ended up getting an 

Africa tattoo. 

“It was a nice combination to 

have ‘Wisdom’ and your heritage 

tattooed underneath, so it went 

well.” 

A pic of Fury wearing the gum 

shield did the rounds on social 

media - leaving many perplexed. 

Some thought it was “a shout out 

to AJ” while other suggested Fury 

was “already starting the mind 

games”. 

A popular opinion was that the 

31-year-old Gypsy King was 

already “calling out Joshua”, 

despite facing a man in Las Vegas 

usually renowned for blasting 

opponents out. 

Fury expects Wilder rematch rather than 

Joshua showdown 

ike Tyson was as happy as 

Mmuch of the crowd in 

attendance as Tyson Fury shocked 

the world to become WBC 

heavyweight champion with a 

hugely dominant display. 

Fans loved the moment with one 

wounded champion’s corner threw in the 

towel midway through the seventh. 

The contract for Saturday’s blockbuster 

rematch called for a 50-50 purse split, with 

Fury and Wilder each guaranteed $25m in 

addition to a cut of the pay-per-view receipts. 

The deal included a rematch clause which 

gives Wilder’s team 30 days to exercise their 

option for a third fight, where the purse 

would be divided 60-40 in Fury’s favour. 

Fury expressed confidence a third 

instalment with Wilder will be next, 

suggesting it be staged at the new 72,000- 

seat NFL stadium presently under 

construction along the Vegas strip. 

Tyson celebrates Fury’s win 

saying, “This expresses all sorts of 

emotions for me! Considering that 

Tyson Fury was named after Mike 

Tyson and Deontay Wilder calls 

himself ‘the baddest man on the 

planet’ which was once the accolade 

of Mike Tyson.” 

Remo Stars player’s death: Gov Abiodun calls for 

order, promises investigation 

By James Ogunnaike 

BEOKUTA - Ogun State Governor, 

APrince Dapo Abiodun, has called 

on players and supporters of Remo 

Stars Football Club, residents of 

Sagamu and indeed the Ogun State 

people to remain calm, following the 

tragic passing of a player of the club, 

Tiamiyu Kazeem AKA Kaka. 

Abiodun, while expressing shock at 

the details of the tragic ordeal, he 

assured that a proper, transparent and 

independent investigation would be 

immediately launched into the incident 

Wilder, Fury rematch breaks 

heavyweight gate record 

ickets to the Deontay Wilder- 

TTyson Fury rematch became a 

hot commodity throughout the past 

week. 

in order to unravel the exact 

circumstances of the occurrence and 

bring persons found guilty to book. 

The governor, who eulogised the late 

player as a young man with great 

potentials for the development of the 

State and the nation in general, 

strongly stated that his government 

will never take with levity, the lives and 

property of the good people of Ogun 

State. 

He further stated that the first 

business of government was security 

and welfare of the citizens of the State. 

By the time they entered the ring 

Saturday night, MGM Grand 

Garden Arena was packed to 

capacity. Officials announced a 

sellout crowd of 15,816 and an 

MGM Resorts International official 

confirmed that the live gate for 

Wilder-Fury II broke the Nevada 

record for a heavyweight fight. 

The live gate produced 

$16,916,440 in ticket revenue 

Saturday night. England’s Fury (30- 

0-1, 21 KOs) knocked down Wilder 

twice, once apiece in the third and 

fifth rounds, and he stopped Wilder 

in the seventh round when Wilder’s 

assistant trainer, Mark Breland, 

threw the towel into the ring. 

Fury won the WBC title from 

Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs), with 

whom he fought to a controversial 

split draw in December 2018 at 

Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

The previous live-gate record for 

a heavyweight fight in Nevada was 

established in November 1999.



Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

ACROSS 

1 Least possible quantity (7) 

5 Opera by Puccini (5) 

8 Loaves,s rolls, etc. (5) 

9 Heavily armed mounted soldier (7) 

10 Molasses (7) 

11 Vacant (5) 

12 Lottery (6) 

14 Pandemonium (6) 

18 Outspoken (5) 

20 Inspirit (7) 

22 Colonist (7) 

23 Hurl (5) 

24 Dots-and-dashes code (5) 

25 Counterfeit (7) 

DOWN 

1 Criminal gang member (7) 

2 Female relative (5) 

3 Declaim (anag.) (7) 

4 Infuriate (6) 

5 Tantalise (5) 

6 Eighth sign of the zodiac (7) 

7 Vex (5) 

13 Modest bet (7) 

15 Large dish (7) 

16 Absconder (7) 

17 Omar –, film star (6) 

18 Breast (5) 

19 Fine net fabric (5) 

21 Ether (anag.) (5) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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: 

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24022020

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