26062020 - APC crisis: Why Buhari moved against Oshiomhole

Buhari, Tinubu, Fayemi, 

Makinde, others mourn 

as ex-Oyo gov, Ajimobi 

10 

dies at 70 

Sympathisers at Ajimobi's home in Ibadan. Photo: Dare Fasube. 

COVID-19: 17 banks seek CBN’s approval to restructure 32,000 loans 

11 

VOL. 27: NO. 64100 FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

APC crisis: Why Buhari 5 

moved against Oshiomhole 

•NEC dissolves NWC; Yobe Gov, Mai Buni now Caretaker/Convention C’ttee chair 

•Party members to withdraw pending litigations; ratifies Ize-Iyamu for guber polls 

•NWC dissolution not targeted at Tinubu—Buni; ex-NWC members mull legal options 

•APC govs, founding groups, other power blocs battle for APC’s soul ahead 2023 

Kanu never 

attacked 

Christianity 

but fake, 

bad pastors 

— IPOB 

13 

Court orders 

forfeiture of 

N250m 

allegedly 

12 

diverted from 

NDDC 

C’River 

records first 

confirmed 

case of 12 

coronavirus 

OBASEKI GETS EDO PDP TICKET 

From right: Philip Shaibu, Ogbeide Ihama, Gideon Ikhele, Governor Godwin Obaseki Edo State; 

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State/Chairman of the PDP Primaries; Kenneth Imasuagbon and 

others, celebrating Obaseki’s victory after the Edo PDP primary, yesterday in Benin. Photo: Barnabas 

Uzosike. 

COVID-19: FG mulls another 

lockdown, as cases rise 

9 

DONU...16...OWEI...17...AZU...19 

•SEE 

INSIDE 

EDO: 

Obaseki 

emerges 

PDP 20 

candidate, 

to face 

Ize-Iyamu 

Mr & Mrs

2—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020—3


vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

BRIEFING ON APC NEC MEETING—From left: Governors Kayode 

Fayemi of Ekiti; Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna; Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Hope 

Uzodimma of Imo, briefing State House Correspondents after an Emergency 

Virtual Meeting of the National Executive Committee of All Progressives 

Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

APC crisis: Why Buhari 


By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Dapo Akinrefon, 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru, Omeiza 

Ajayi, Ozioruva 

Aliu 

ABUJA — Reasons 

President 

Muhammadu 

Buhari moved against the 

suspended National 

Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, emerged last night, 

as the National Executive 

Committee, NEC, wielded 

the big stick to check the 

crisis ravaging the party 

and avert what the 

President described as selfdestruction. 

At an emergency meeting 

in Abuja, the NEC 

dissolved the factionalized 

National Working 

Committee, NWC, and set 

up a caretaker/national 

convention committee 

headed by Governor of Yobe 

State, Mai Mala Buni, a 

former national secretary of 

the party. 

The emergency virtual 

NEC meeting, presided 

over by President Buhari at 

the Council Chamber, 

Presidential Villa, also 

appointed Senator John 

Akpanudoedehe as 

national secretary of 

caretaker committee. 

Party insiders told 

Vanguard that Buhari 


because he “narrowed the 

party to himself’” and one 

of the founders of the APC, 

committed many 

infractions, sidelined the 

NEC and carried out solely 

many actions that needed 

NEC’s ratification. 

One of the actions that 

needed ratification was 

setting up the screening 

committee for the Edo State 

primary of the APC. 

The insider said all the 

governors who attended 

the NEC meeting were not 

in support Oshiomhole 

and did not dissent to the 

dissolution of the NWC. 

“Can you imagine? 

Oshiomhole narrowed the 

party to himself and a 

leader of the APC; 19 

members of the NWC were 

for Oshiomhole and that 

leader. There were so many 

constitutional infractions. 

Many decisions of the 

party that were supposed 

to be ratified by the NEC 

were taken by Oshiomhole. 

We could not continue like 

that. The President had to 

save the party,” the source 

said. 

On Tuesday, President 

Buhari threw his support 

behind the faction of the 

APC led by court-backed 

Acting National Chairman, 

Chief Victor Giadom and 

the NEC meeting he fixed 

for yesterday. The NWC led 

by Hilliard Eta, who stood 

in for late Senator Abiola 

Ajimobi, who was 

appointed acting national 

chairman following the 

suspension of Oshiomhole 

as national chairman, 

kicked against the NEC 

meeting and urged 

members to disregard the 

notice. Senator Ajimobi 

died yesterday. 

Oshiomhole is in support 

of the Eta-led NWC, which 

enjoys the backing of 17 

NWC members as opposed 

to Chief Giadom backed by 

two members 

Governor Buni was 

sworn-in immediately by 

Attorney-General of the 

Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Abubakar Malami, 

SAN. 

However, some aggrieved 

members of the dissolved 

NWC now headed by Eta 

are determined to 

challenge their dissolution 

in court, arguing that the 

emergency NEC meeting 

was illegal and had no 

power to do what it did. 

Yesterday’s decision of the 

NEC, Vanguard gathered 

is an output of the 

underground raging battle 

for the soul of the APC 

ahead the 2023 general 

polls among leaders of 

various groups that formed 

APC, governors elected on 

the platform of the party, 

and other power brokers. 

Disagreements 

could lead to selfdestruction 

— Buhari 

In his remarks at the 

NEC, President Buhari 

advised members of the 

party to bury their hatchet, 

warning that mutating 

disagreements have dire 

consequences and could 

lead to destruction. 

He said the party’s gains 

could be reversed as 

conflicts overshadow the 

primary objective of service 

to the people. He urged 

members to refocus on the 

larger picture and place 

more emphasis on uniting 

the party. 

He said: “Fellow party 

members, this is a very 

crucial moment in the life 

of our party and it is with a 

deep sense of concern that 

I stand before you today to 

speak as the President of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria who has been 

elected on the platform of 

our great party — the All 

Progressives Congress. 

“The issues currently 

confronting our party at this 

time are such that should 

worry every party member. 

At the moment, our great 

party is faced with internal 

wrangling; there are ongoing 

litigations amongst 

some party members and 

we cannot clearly ascertain 

the status of certain 


Committee (NWC) 

members.” 

The President expressed 

worry over shifting loyalty 

within the party and 

inconsistency in leadership, 

which had opened the 

governing party to mockery. 

He said: “There are also 

other associated disputes as 

to the legitimacy or 

otherwise of holders of 

certain national offices of 

the party. The party is also 

contending with judicial 

claims and counter-claims, 

orders and counter-orders 

and indeed, judgments 

and counter-judgments 

that are predominantly at 

cross-purposes. 

“Confronted with these 

issues, it is obvious that the 

fortunes of the party are 

currently in jeopardy, 

administration of our party 

is becoming impossible 

and there is consequently 

an urgent need for 

intervention to immediately 

arrest further drifts and 

internal wrangling which 

may lead to total 

disintegration. 

“What we see clearly 

emerging, is that we are 

beginning to self-destruct. 

This, my dear party 

members, is not just 

regrettable but utterly gutwrenching.” 

President Buhari 

proposed that: “The 

meeting may adopt the 

developed resolution as 

contained in the agenda 

and pass resolutions 

including: approving the 

immediate discontinuation 

of all pending litigation 

involving the party and its 

members; ratifying the 

primary election conducted 

in Edo State; dissolving the 

current National Working 

Committee, and 

appointing Caretaker/ 

Extra-ordinary Convention 

Planning committee for the 

party.” 

‘Discontinue 

litigation’ 

The President also 

reiterated the need to 

discontinue all litigation 

involving members of the 

party, which were 

connected to issues of the 

party, adding: “The 

directive had been issued 

before, unfortunately some 

members failed to heed the 

directive. Thus, at this time, 

it must be made a 

resolution of the party 

which must be effectively 

enforced with dire 

consequences for members 

who choose to ignore the 

directive.” 

To return APC to 

Continues on Page 26 

By Bose Adelaja & 

Olayinka Latona 

Buhari’s warning to service chiefs on insecurity (3) 

I 

think the warning to 

service chiefs by the 

president is proper. I don’t 

support the idea that they 

should be sacked because 

that will mean 

experimenting with 

another set of officer. They 

should be given more time 

to sit up and work 

effectively on the issues of 

security. 

— Taiwo Adebayo, 

Student 

The way the executive 

arm of government is 

handling the security 

challenges in Nigeria needs 

to stop. It’s important 

Nigeria recalibrate her 

priorities. Are we still a 

country or not? To think 

these service chiefs are still 

been paid with tax payers 

money, while insecurity 

challenge continues. 

— Jude Oseh, Youth 

Advocate 

The sacking of the 

service chiefs is long 

overdue. The federal 

government is spending 

more while insecurity is on 

the increase. If 

government is serious 

about combating security 

challenges, all the service 

chiefs should be relief of 

their jobs with immediate 

effect 

— Oyedokun Oyeniyi, 

Entrepreneur 

Although the service 

chiefs have been 

appointed for some years 

now and the state of 

security in Nigeria is not 

improving, but I think it 

doesn’t call for a sack. 

They should be given some 

more time to sit up and 

work harder; I think the 

warning is enough for them 

for now. 

—Adebayo 

Student. 

Kehinde, 

It’s rather sad that it has 

taken this long to 

discover the incompetence 

of the service chiefs. The 

issue of insecurity is not 

one to still be treated with 

levity. I believe there are 

structures to measure 

performances and if they 

are performing below the 

expected, there should be 

sanctions. 

— Obe Temitoyosi, 

Analyst 

Penalty for non 

performance should 

attract sack so that people 

who could fix our security 

challenges can be 

effectively engaged. The 

non performance of the 

current service chief show 

they have exhausted all 

their ideas and should be 

immediately removed and 

replaced with more 

capable hands.. 

— Rasidat Ajani, Public 

Servant

6 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

Truck kills 

woman crossing 

expressway in 

Onitsha 

A 

middle-aged woman was 

yesterday, crushed by a truck 

while trying to cross the 

highway along Onitsha-Awka 

expressway in Anambra State. 

It was gathered that the driver 

lost control of the truck while 

trying to avoid pedestrians 

crossing the highway. 

Confirming the death, 

Anambra State Sector 

Commander of the Federal 

Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr 

Andrew Kumapayi, in Awka, 

said the accident occurred at 

about 9.46 a.m. 

He said: “The road traffic 

accident involved a green 

coloured DAF truck with number 

plate USL860ZC. 

“The driver of the truck lost 

control of the vehicle while 

trying to avoid pedestrians 

crossing the expressway, but 

unfortunately ran over a 

middle-aged woman, who 

eventually lost her life. 

“The corpse was deposited at 

Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, while 

the vehicle was handed over to the 

Police at Okpoko Police Station, for 

further investigation." 

The sector commander condoled 

with the family of the deceased and 

warned drivers to shun every form 

of dangerous driving while 

tolerating other road users. 

He also advised those crossing 

highways to always make use of 

the pedestrian bridges where 

available. 

PSN petitions 

IGP over 

killing of 

pharmacists 

By Chioma Obinna 

THE Pharmaceutical Society of 

Nigeria, PSN, has petitioned 

the Inspector-General of Police, 

Mohammed Adamu, to 

immediately stop what it described 

as “wanton wasting’ of lives of 

pharmacists across the country 

even as it demanded justice for 

pharmacists killed in the last five 

years in their line of duty. 

In a statement tagged “IGP: 

Please Stop the Wanton Wasting of 

the Lives of Pharmacists,” by 

National Publicity Secretary, Ijeoma 

Okey-Ewuru, PSN demanded the 

immediate investigation into the 

recent killing of Sunday Ike in 

Abuja and the need to bring the 

perpetrators to book. 

According to them, “the PSN with 

a great sense of loss and deep pain 

demands a stop to the gruesome 

murder of pharmacists in the line 

of duty and the swift unravelling of 

those behind the murder of her 

member, Sunday Ike, who was shot 

on the head in his pharmacy at 3rd 

Avenue, Gwarimpa in Abuja on 

June 19 2020. 

“Late Ike is just one in the harvest 

of murders within five years. Austin 

Chukwurah (Rivers State), 

Ternenge Labe (Benue State) and 

Anthony Mgbii (Akwa Ibom State) 

also met their untimely deaths in 

the line of duty.” 

Bandits kill policeman, 5 others in Katsina 

communities 

By Shehu Danjuma 

& Andy Asemota 

NO fewer than 60 bandits 

struck in two Katsina 

communities, yesterday, 

leaving a policeman and five 

residents dead while five 

others, including two pregnant 

women, escaped with severe 

injuries 

The Police Public Relations 

Officer in Katsina State command, 

Gambo Isah, who confirmed this 

to newsmen in Katsina, said three 

persons were killed in 

Kanakulere and another three in 

Kanawa. 

He said about 60 bandits 

stormed the two villages and 

started shooting sporadically, 

killing their victims. 

He said: “The bandits came to 

the villages on foot to commit the 

crime. It was the rampant 

shooting that attracted soldiers 

posted to Maidabina village to 

the two villages. The arrival of the 

soldiers made the bandits flee 

from the villages.” 

The PPRO said the command 

had sent re-enforcement of mobile 

police to the two villages to 

provide protection 

Isah called on the people in the 

eight frontline local governments 

where bandits had been killing 

the residents to provide vital 

information to the security 

personnel about the activities of 

the bandits for action. 

DEATH TRAP: Bad portion of Lagos-Badagry expressway at Mile 2 under bridge, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi 

Azeez. 

Police nab pastor for raping 16-yr-old girl in Akwa Ibom 

•Man, 25, defiles 6-year-old girl in Ekiti 

•As court remands teenager for raping 4-year-old girl 

By Rotimi 

Ojomoyela & Harris 

Emanuel 

UYO—AKWA Ibom State 

Police Command has 

arrested another cleric, one 

Prophet Nnamso Jocab alias 

Armed robber kills colleague 

during operation in Ondo 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—A suspected 

armed robber was 

reportedly shot dead by his 

colleague during a failed 

operation in Okitipupa 

council area of Ondo State. 

Vanguard was informed 

that the hoodlums had 

robbed a lady at a Point of 

Sale, POS, centre in the 

town of N60,000. 

But while the robbers were 

trying to escape with their 

loot on a motorcycle, the 

lady attendant that was 

robbed raised an alarm and 

people nearby pursued 

them. 

One of the suspects 

sensing that the surging 

crowd would soon catch up 

with him shot into the air to 

disperse them, but one of the 

bullets reportedly hit and 

shattered the skull of his 

colleague identified as 

Kehinde. 

Acting on a tip-off, police 

detectives, who stormed the 

scene after the incident, 

recovered the corpse of the 

deceased robber. 

Items recovered, according 

to police sources, include a 

gun, a bag containing money 

snatched from the attendant 

and the cloth belonging to the 

other suspect who escaped. 

The corpse of the suspect has 

been deposited at the morgue 

of the Okitipupa Specialist 

Hospital by the police 

detectives. 

Police image maker, Tee Leo 

Ikoro, confirmed the incident, 

saying the fleeing suspect 

would soon be apprehended. 

“Major Prophet Honesty Jesus,” 

over alleged rape of a 16-year-old 

girl. 

This came as a 25-year-old man, 

Segun Ige, has been remanded by 

an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ 

Court for allegedly defiling a sixyear-old 

girl. 

Akwa Ibom State Command’s 

Police Public Relations Officer, 

Nnudam Fredricks, said an 

investigation revealed that the 

victim previously visited the socalled 

prophet and General 

Overseer of The Living Power of 

Zion Church, at Ndue Eduo, Okon 

Eket, Eket Local Government Area 

for counselling and deliverance, but 

was given an appointment by the 

suspect to report back on June 23, 

2020 for “spiritual adoption.” 

He said consequent upon the 

appointment, the victim visited the 

prophet on the scheduled date and 

while she was in the prophet’s 

counselling room, the suspect 

administered an intoxicating liquid 

substance to the victim, and 

thereafter took advantage of the 

victim and had unlawful carnal 

knowledge of her. 

"The Commissioner of Police is 

miffed at this barbaric act and warns 

sexual predators to desist forthwith 

or continue to face the wrath of the 

law." 

Man, 25, defiles 6-yearold 

girl in Ekiti 

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old man, 

Segun Ige, has been remanded at 

the prison by an Ado-Ekiti Chief 

Magistrates’ Court for allegedly 

defiling a six-year-old girl. 

According to the police prosecutor, 

Mr Caleb Leramo, the defendant 

committed the offence on June 13 

in Oloje-Ekiti. 

Leramo said the defendant, who 

lived in the neighbourhood, defiled 

the girl when her parents were not 

around. 

He said the offence contravened 

Section 31(2) of Child’s Right Laws 

of Ekiti State, 2012, urging the court 

to remand the defendant in the 

prison pending legal advice from 

the office of Director of Public 

Prosecutions, DPP. 

The Chief Magistrate, Mr 

Abdulhamid Lawal, consequently, 

adjourned the case till July 9 for 

mention. 

Court remands 

teenager for raping 

4-year-old girl 

Similarly, an 18-year-old Kunle 

Amujo was also remanded by an 

Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court, 

yesterday, in prison in Ado-Ekiti 

over alleged sexual abuse. 

The police prosecutor, Inspector 

Monica Ikebuilo, told the court that 

the defendant committed the offence 

on May 18 in Odo-Oro Ekiti in Ekiti 

State where he sexually abused a 

four-year-old girl. 

The plea of the defendant was also 

not taken as the Chief Magistrate, 

Mrs Adefumike Anoma, ordered the 

remand of the defendant in prison 

pending legal advice.


:Vanguard News 

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

AGM: From left—ED, Corporate Affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc., Mrs. Ore 

Famurewa; MD, Ben Langat; Chairman, Board of Directors, Moyo Ajekigbe, and non- 

Executive Director, Peter Eshikena, at the 47th Annual General Meeting of FrieslandCampina 

WAMCO Nigeria Plc., held virtually on-line, with shareholders, at the FC Academy, at the 

company's premises in Ikeja, Lagos. 

NIS recruitment scam: You’ve case to 

answer, court tells Moro, others 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A Division BUJA—ABUJA 

of the Federal 

High Court, yesterday, 

held that former Minister 

of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, 

has a case to answer over 

alleged involvement in 

procurement fraud in 

the award of contract for 

online recruitment into the 

Nigerian Immigration 

Service, NIS, in 2013. 

The recruitment had led 

to the death of no fewer 

than 20 persons across the 

country. 

The court, in a ruling by 

trial Justice Nnamdi 

Dimgba, equally held that 

two others charged 

alongside Moro, who is 

currently representing 

Benue South senatorial 

district; Mrs. Anastasia 

Daniel-Nwobia, who is a 

former Permanent 

Secretary in the Ministry 

of Interior and a Deputy 

Director in the Ministry, Mr. 

F. O. Alayebami, also have 

cases to answer. 

The defendants were 

....Reduces charges against them to 4 

hitherto answering to an 11- 

count charge the Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, 

preferred against them. 

EFCC had alleged that 

the former Minister 

connived with the two other 

government officials and 

defrauded 676,675 

applicants of N676, 

675,000. 

Each of the applicants 

that participated in the illfated 

NIS job recruitment 

paid N1000 to procure an 

online registration form. 

They were charged 

alongside the firm 

contracted to conduct the 

botched NIS recruitment, 

Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd. 

EFCC alleged that the 

defendants flouted the 

Public Procurement Act, No. 

65 of 2007, in the award of 

the contract for the 

organisation of the 

recruitment test to Drexel 

Tech Nigeria Ltd. 

The anti-graft agency said 

its investigations revealed 

that the firm, which it said 

was not validly registered 

to operate in Nigeria, never 

bided for the contract. 

It said the contract was 

awarded through selective 

tendering procedure by 

invitation of 4 (Four) firms 

without seeking the 

approval of the Bureau for 

Public Procurement, 

contrary to sections 40, 42 

and 43 of the Public 

Procurement Act, No. 65 of 

2007 and punishable under 

section 58 of the same Act. 

The prosecution told the 

court that one of the 

culprits, Mr. Mahmood 

Ahmadu, who it said was a 

Director at the firm, was at 

large. 

Meanwhile, EFCC 

closed its case on 

November 25, 2019, after it 

called a total of 12 witnesses 

and tendered 57 

documentary exhibits in 

evidence. 

On their part, the 

defendants made a nocase-submission 

wherein 

they urged the court to 

discharge and acquit them 

Schools re-opening: Provide facilities in your schools, 

ASUU, NUT, others tell govt 

By Adesina Wahab 

L AGOS—CRITICAL 

stakeholders in the 

education sector have 

called on government to 

lead by example in 

providing in its own 

schools all the facilities 

required for a safe 

reopening of schools 

during this COVID-19 

pandemic period. 

The stakeholders, 

including the Academic 

Staff Union of Universities, 

ASUU, the Nigeria Union. 

of Teachers. NUT, the 

National Parent Teacher 

Association of Nigeria, 

NAPTAN, and the National 

Association of Proprietors of 

Private Schools, NAPPS, 

stated this in chats with 

Vanguard, yesterday. 

While describing the 

conditions listed by the 

government as good, they, 

however, said most of the 

conditions could not be met 

in government-owned 

schools. 

The Federal Government 

had on Tuesday sent a 

document, titled: 

'Guidelines for schools and 

learning facilities 

reopening after COVID-19 

pandemic closure' to the 

National Assembly. 

Among the conditions 

listed by the Federal 

Government for the 

reopening of schools are 

that each school should 

have temporary isolation 

space and fully-equipped 

clinic. 

Other conditions include 

provision of more 

classrooms and 

employment of more 

teachers so that students 

can sit at least two metres 

apart, provision of water, 

soap, sanitisers, infrared 

thermometers and referral 

system, including protocols 

to adopt if anybody became 

unwell in schools. 

Commenting on the issue, the 

National President of ASUU, 

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the 

government should stop dancing 

around issues. 

“When we met them two weeks 

ago, the six conditions they listed 

were different from these. 

Between then and now, what has 

changed? Who should be 

responsible for the provision of 

these facilities they are talking 

about, is it not the government? 

The Lagos State Chairman of 

the NUT, Otunba Adesina 

Adedoyin, advised that the 

government should come up with 

something realisable. 

“We currently have public 

schools that are overcrowded and 

where the teacher-student ratio 

is poor and where even furniture 

are not adequate. Will it not not 

be a white elephant project if they 

want to start building clinics in 

public schools now? What can be 

done is to make test centres 

accessible and close to schools." 

of all the charges, insisting that 

EFCC failed to establish a primafacie 

case that would warrant the 

court to compel them to enter 

their defence to the charge. 

Ruling on the application 

yesterday, Justice Dimgba said 

that the totality of evidence 

EFCC tendered before the court 

could not sustain seven counts 

in the charge. 

Consequently, he struck out 

counts 1, 3, 6, and 7 as it relates 

to Senator Moro and his two codefendants, 

as well as counts 1, 

8, 9 and 10, as it relates to the 

firm. 

“Having expunged all the 

counts that pertained to the firm, 

based on the fact that EFCC was 

unable to establish its complicity 

in any act of illegality in relation 

to the charge, Justice Dimgba 

discharged and acquitted it. 

“Having noted that indeed by 

the evidence there was, indeed, 

stampede, injury and death of 

applicants as alleged in the count, 

and having also held that the 

Defendants as the principal 

officers with responsibility for the 

recruitment at the material time, 

the court will be interested to 

know what arrangements were 

made by them in relation to the 

exercise in relation to the 

procurement aspects for the 

exercise." 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

ONITSHA—Sand Miners 

Association, Anambra 

State and National Inland Water 

Ways Authority, NIWA, are at 

daggers drawn over ownership of 

the mining pit on the bank of 

River Niger. 

The association, which 

members do their business of 

sand excavation in the area, is 

accusing the Federal 

Government of frustrating the 

business of its members, making 

them incur losses of over N700 

million naira. 

It also accused NIWA of not 

respecting its members the way 

it does for their counterparts in 

other parts of the country. 

The association equally 

accused the Managing Director 

Tramadol abuse fuelling 

insurgency in North East —NDLEA 

A BUJA—CHAIRMAN/ 

Chief Executive of the 

National Drug Law 

Enforcement Agency, 

NDLEA, Muhammad 

Abdallah, said, yesterday, 

that the abuse of tramadol, 

a prohibited drug, was 

fuelling insurgency in the 

North East. 

Abdallah, who spoke 

ahead of the International 

Day Against Drug Abuse 

and Illicit Trafficking 

scheduled for today, with 

the theme: 'Better 

Knowledge for Better Care', 

described drug abuse as the 

real pandemic. 

He noted that tramadol 

remained the most abused 

opiate in the country, 

adding that its abuse in 

Nigeria was higher than 

what holds in other 

countries. 

According to him, all 

hands must be on deck to 

fight the drug menace. 

The NDLEA boss said: 

“The government of India 

has upped its ante; they 

have now put more control 

on the supply of tramadol 

to Nigeria. 

“Tramadol, if I will explain 

a little bit more, for normal 

medicinal dosage is 

between 50mg and 100mg. 

But the ones we have seen 

in Nigeria range from 

200mg to like 500mg. Even 

a horse will be deadbeat by 

the time it takes that. 

“But that is what 

By Chris Ochayi 

A 

B U J A — 

ELECTRICITY 

Distribution Companies, 

DISCOs, said yesterday 

they lose N30 billion 

monthly to energy theft, 

meter bypass, vandalism 

and unpaid electricity bills 

by consumers. 

The companies, which 

disclosed this in a statement 

through their umbrella body, the 

Association of Nigerian 

Electricity Distributors, ANED, 

said over 40 percent of electricity 

Nigerians have been 

taking. That is what fuels 

insurgency in the northeast, 

because theatre 

commandants have 

testified to me that every 

Boko Haram camp they 

have overrun, they found 

paraphernalia of drug 

abuse, particularly 

tramadol. 

“The whole average of drug 

abuse in nations is 5%. In 

Nigeria, it is getting to 15%. That 

is not a data or a statistic we 

should be happy with.” 

Noting that the Federal 

government had also taken steps 

to address the challenge of 

manpower confronting the 

agency, Abdallah said: On the 

part of the government, it has 

taken some steps to ameliorate 

some of the deficiencies of the 

agency. 

‘’For a start, Mr. President has 

authorised an upgrade on the staff 

strength of the agency. A staff 

strength of 5,000, without being 

told, is not a staff strength that 

can fight drugs the way it should 

be fought in Nigeria. 

“Let me just mention three local 

governments – you know Mushin 

in Lagos, you know Fagge in 

Kano or even Nyanya in Abuja; I 

could deploy all of that strength 

to these places including me and 

there will still be some loopholes 

for trafficking and abuse to go on. 

“That is why the president has 

approved the upgrade in phases. 

Following this will be logistics and 

equipment which come naturally 

with the upgrade of personnel.” 

We lose N30bn to energy theft, 

others monthly, DISCOs lament 

Anambra sand miners, NIWA bicker 

over ownership of mining pit 

of NIWA, Chief George 

Muoghalu, of maltreating its 

members. 

Speaking through their 

lawyer, Mr. Gerald Ezeuko, 

SAN, the miners alleged 

that NIWA was using its 

taskforce to “harass, intimidate 

and put them out of work for no 

justifiable reasons”. 

Ezeuko alleged further that for 

almost one month, NIWA used 

its taskforce to seal off his clients’ 

sand excavation and selling pits 

in Onitsha, making them lose 

over N700 million. 

He, therefore, appealed to the 

Managing Director of NIWA, 

Chief George Moghalu, to treat 

sand miners in Anambra State, 

and Onitsha in particular as 

equal partners with their 

counterparts in all the places 

NIWA has offices. 

consumers do not pay bills, even 

as they indulge in illegal 

connection of electricity. 

ANED’s Executive Director, 

Research and Advocacy, Barrister 

Sunday Oduntan, blamed the 

sharp practices on DISCOs’ 

Aggregate Technical, Commercial 

and Collection, ATC&C, losses. 

The DISCOs operators, who 

were present at the recent public 

hearing in Abuja by the Senate 

Committee on Power, said these 

challenges formed a major part of 

DISCOs’ Aggregate Technical, 

Commercial and Collection, 

ATC&C, losses, and called for 

effective legislation against 

energy theft to safeguard 

revenues and improve 

performance in the power sector. 

He said: “There is need for 

effective legislation by the 

National Assembly to checkmate 

energy theft in the country as 

the practice is costing the power 

sector billions of Naira monthly. 

‘’The power sector is currently 

grappling with a liquidity shortfall 

of over N1.5trillion, occasioned by 

a combination of adverse 

conditions among which is the 

high rate of energy theft. 

“Recently, one of our 

members had to publicly 

declare how much they are 

losing monthly from energy 

theft. They lose N3bn 

monthly. That is a lot of 

money and this is from 

people who illegally bypass 

their connections, those who 

take energy from the grid without 

paying as well as those who 

engage in acts of vandalism.”


By Emma Ujah, Abuja 

Bureau Chief 

A 

combination of collapse in 

oil prices and the COVID-19 

pandemic is expected to plunge the 

country’s economy into a severe 

recession, the worst since the 1980s, 

according to the latest World Bank 

Nigeria Development Update. 

The World Bank in statement, titled 

“Nigeria In Times of COVID-19: Laying 

Foundations for a Strong Recovery,’’ 

estimated that Nigeria’s economy would 

likely contract by 3.2% in 2020. 

The International Monetary Fund 

had on Wednesday projected a -5.4 

percent growth for Nigeria in 2020 due 

to the pandemic. 

The projection in the World Bank report 

assumed that the spread of COVID-19 

in Nigeria would be contained by the 

third quarter of 2020. 

The report said: “If the spread of the 

virus becomes more severe, the economy 

could contract further. Before COVID- 

19, the Nigerian economy was expected 

to grow by 2.1% in 2020, which means 

that the pandemic has led to a reduction 

in growth by more than five percentage 

points. 

“The macro-economic impact of the 

COVID-19 pandemic will likely be 

significant, even if Nigeria manages to 

contain the spread of the virus. Oil 

represents more than 80% of Nigeria’s 

exports, 30% of its banking-sector credit, 

and 50% of the overall government 

revenue. 

“With the drop in oil prices, 

government revenues are expected to 

fall from an already low 8% of GDP in 

2019 to a projected 5% in 2020. This 

comes at a time when fiscal resources 

are urgently needed to contain the 

COVID-19 outbreak and stimulate the 

economy.” 

7m people to fall into 

poverty 

The report showed that the human 

cost of COVID-19 could be high and that 

beyond the loss of lives, the COVID-19 

shock alone was projected to push about 

five million more Nigerians into poverty 

in 2020. 

The bank said: “While before the 

pandemic, the number of poor 

Nigerians was expected to increase 

by about two million, largely due to 

population growth, the number 

would now increase by seven 

million, with a poverty rate projected 

to rise from 40.1% in 2019 to 42.5% 

in 2020. 

“The pandemic is likely to 

disproportionately affect the poorest and 

Ghana pledges to restore Nigeria’s 

diplomatic property to original state 

ABUJA—THE 

Ghanaian 

government yesterday reiterated 

its commitment to restore to its original 

state the residential building of the 

Nigerian High Commission in Ghana 

that was demolished a few days ago, 

following an attack. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) 

reports that armed men had attacked the 

mission on Friday night and demolished 

the official residence of the High 

Commission of Nigeria, which was under 

construction. 

Mrs Shirley Ayokor Botchewey, 

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and 

Regional Integration, disclosed this while 

briefing journalists in Ghana on the 

outcome of the investigation into the 

attack. 

She said: “The Land Commission will 

formerly inform the Osu Traditional 

Council that in August, 2000, offer was 

made to High Commission of Nigeria, 

irrespective of the title of land in question. 

“The offer was accepted by the High 

Commission and payment was made 

accordingly that constituted a contract. 

“The Land Commission will proceed to 

issue a Land Certificate to the High 

Commission of Nigeria, to regularise it’s 

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

Nigeria faces worst recession in four decades 

— World Bank 

most vulnerable, in particular women. 

School closures have reduced the food 

intake of almost seven million children 

who are enrolled in the national school 

feeding program. 

“Economic activities have been 

disrupted and women’s livelihoods have 

been particularly impacted. Over 40% of 

Nigerians employed in non-farm 

enterprises reported a loss of income in 

April-May 2020. 

‘’In addition, the fall in remittances is 

likely to affect household consumption 

because half of Nigerians live in 

remittance-receiving households, of 

which about a third are poor.” 

The report discussed policy options in 

five critical areas that could help Nigeria 

recover from the COVID-19 crisis. 

‘’They were: containing the outbreak 

and preparing for a more severe outbreak; 

enhancing macroeconomic 

management to boost investor 

confidence; safeguarding and mobilizing 

revenues; reprioritizing public spending 

to protect critical development 

expenditures and stimulate economic 

activity; and protecting poor and 

vulnerable communities.’’ 

Commenting on the report, the World 

Bank Country Director for Nigeria, 

Shubham Chaudhuri, said: “While the 

long-term economic impact of the global 

pandemic is uncertain, the effectiveness 

of the government’s response is 

important to determine the speed, 

quality, and sustainability of Nigeria’s 

economic recovery. 

“Besides immediate efforts to contain 

the spread of COVID-19 and stimulate 

the economy, it will be even more urgent 

to address bottlenecks that hinder the 

productivity of the economy and job 

creation.” 

Similarly, the World Bank Lead 

Economist for Nigeria and co-author of 

the report, Marco Hernandez, said: “The 

unprecedented crisis requires an equally 

unprecedented policy response from the 

entire Nigerian public sector, in 

collaboration with the private sector, to 

save lives, protect livelihoods, and lay 

the foundations for a strong economic 

recovery.” 

The bank noted however, that the 

government of Nigeria had already taken 

important health, fiscal and monetary 

measures to contain the outbreak, 

moderate the recessionary pressures and 

start mitigating the effects of the 

economic shock. 

ownership of the property in question. 

“Ghana will take immediate steps to 

engage the Osu stool and all 

stakeholders on the impasse. 

“Ghana will ensure that the 

demolished building is restored to 

its original state as soon as possible. 

“The High Commission of Nigeria 

will take appropriate steps to obtain 

building permit for the 

construction.” 

She added that a committee 

consisting of officials of the Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs, Ghana Police Service, 

National Security, and the Lands 

Commission had been constituted to 

investigate the unlawful demolition of 

the building. 

According to her, based on preliminary 

investigation, Nigeria paid for the land 

20 years ago, even though the High 

Commission could not produce the lease, 

land title certificate and building permit 

of the land. 

She, however, gave an assurance that 

the government of Ghana would 

actively engage the Nigeria 

government at the highest level, to 

address the impasse and help calm 

tensions in both countries. 

•Says 7 million Nigerians to fall into poverty 

•Calls for bold policies to save lives, livelihoods 

PRESENTATION: Representative of the Chief of the Naval Staff/Chief of Policy and Plans 

Naval headquarters, Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed (2nd left), receiving COVID-19 

ventilators from Country Representative Messrs OCEA,Yemi Aluko (2nd right), General 

Manager Messrs OCEA Tope Elijah (right), and other senior naval officers, during the 

presentation of 20 COVID-19 ventilators at the Naval headquarters, in Abuja yesterday. 

COVID-19: FG mulls another lockdown 

•Condemns protocol violations by politicians 

•Says Nigerians romancing with COVID-19 

•Worried over resurgence in Europe, Brazil; 80% of Nigerian parents against 

schools re-opening 

By Chioma Obinna, Omeiza 

Ajayi & Gabriel Olawale 

ABUJA—THE 

Federal 

Government yesterday 

condemned the serial violations of 

COVID-19 safety protocols by politicians 

preparing for the governorship elections 

in Edo and Ondo states, saying this was 

the time to declare a lockdown. 

Chairman of the Presidential Task 

Force, PTF, on COVID-19 and Secretary 

to the Government of the Federation 

SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, stated this 

Thursday in Abuja during the daily 

briefing of the Task Force. 

He said if he had his way, he would 

declare another round of lockdown on 

the country, urging politicians to devise 

ingenuous ways of reaching the 

electorate without breaching physical 

distancing measures and the rule on 

wearing facemask. 

Meanwhile, as the increasing number 

of COVID-19 cases continues to take its 

toll on the nation’s health care system, 

particularly as it relates to the number of 

bed spaces, the government said it has 

established Community Support 

Centres in high burden local government 

areas. 

It also frowned on the use of face 

shields as a replacement for face masks, 

advising that shields should only be used 

in addition to wearing masks and not as 

a replacement. 

While also expressing worry over what 

appears a renewed wave of infections in 

Europe, China and particularly Brazil, 

which the government said shared a 

lot of demographic similarities with 

Nigeria, the government equally 

added that the result of a perception 

survey it recently carried out across 

the country showed that 80 percent 

of Nigerian parents were unwilling to 

allow their wards resume school until 

there was full guarantee that they would 

not be exposed to danger. 

It said by next week, it would announce 

when the airspace would be reopened 

for domestic flights. 

On its part, the World Health 

Organization WHO announced that 

there are currently 220 vaccine 

candidates undergoing development at 

different stages. 

Political violations 

An obviously displeased Mustapha 

said even as a politician, he has decided 

not to attend any political rally, saying 

Nigerians had become too casual with 

the pandemic and that the time has come 

to take drastic measures against it. 

Mustapha said in every confirmed 

case, Nigeria would have missed out on 

at least five to seven other positive cases. 

He said: “Gatherings are still not okay. 

Any form of gatherings are still not okay. 

Yes, I know it is an electioneering period 

for some states in Nigeria and people will 

begin to congregate but we must begin 

to devise other means. 

‘’Otherwise, the people who are 

aspiring to lead these offices will end up 

spending the entire budget of their states 

in dealing with the problem they would 

have created, if they become governors. 

So, it is a very serious thing. I am a 

politician and I have been in this 

business for almost 40 years but I can 

assure you that there is nothing that 

will take me to any political rally. Nothing. 

I will use other mechanisms of reaching 

the electorate. 

‘’But to congregate in a political rally? 

For what? So, we have to be very careful. 

The choice is ours. No one can make 

that choice for you. The truth about it is 

that efforts, scepticism and disregard will 

not take us anywhere. 

“If it were within my powers, this is the 

time to lockdown. Lockdown might not 

be a popular thing, but this is the time to 

lockdown because we are already 

romancing with COVID-19 and it is not 

good. So, the message is that we should 

continue to take personal responsibility.’’ 

Resurgence in cases 

The SGF expressed concerns at the 

epidemiological situation of some 

countries where there is a second wave 

of transmission. 

He said: “You would have noticed that 

the number of confirmed cases and 

fatalities released in the last few days 

have been on the high side. While we 

attribute this to increased testing, it 

also goes to confirm the extent of 

the spread within our communities, 

especially the 21 high burden LGAs 

identified as accounting for over 60% 

of infections nationwide. 

“Closely related to the high number of 

confirmed cases and fatalities at home 

are lessons drawn from other 

jurisdictions. From Europe to China to 

the United States of America, the rising 

numbers and reported resurgence in 

some cases should also be of concern to 

us. 

‘’Of particular concern, however, is the 

case of Brazil which has exceeded the 

one million mark of confirmed cases. We 

had informed you that Brazil shares 

several cultural, demographic and 

climatic affinities with us. If any lesson is 

to be learned, Brazil should be a subject 

of interest that will make us change our 

behaviour.’’ 

According to Mustapha, the PTF has 

noted and acknowledged progress being 

made globally and domestically to search 

for a cure for COVID-19, especially the 

recent announcement that 4, 000 people 

have volunteered for a vaccine trial in 

the United Kingdom , adding that this 

gives some room for greater hope. 

“We similarly look forward to the 

outcomes of validation processes for 

submissions made by some Nigerian 

scientists. 

“I wish to inform you that by the end 

of this week, the PTF would be submitting 

a report containing our assessment and 

recommendations to Mr. President. We, 

therefore, urge Nigerians to await next 

steps,” said the SGF. 

Support Centres 

In his remarks at the briefing, Minister 

of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said 

community transmission has now 

overwhelmed the facilities for case 

management. 

Represented by the Minister of State, 

Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, the 

minister said: “The community 

transmission has resulted in the high 

number of confirmed cases with the 

challenge that in some states, the 

facilities for case management may 

become overwhelmed. 

‘’Bearing in mind the importance of 

managing cases in facilities, the Federal 

Ministry of Health through the National 

Primary Health-care Development 

Agency, NPHCDA, has developed a 

guideline for the establishment of 

Community Support Centres.’’

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020—9


:Vanguard 

News 

YPP berates APC, PDP for 

over-heating polity 

ABUJA—THE Young 

Progressives Party, 

YPP, yesterday, berated the 

All Progressives Party, APC, 

and the People’s 

Democratic Party, PDP, for 

over-heating the polity and 

diverting the attention of the 

nation to the challenges 

posed by the COVID-19 

pandemic. 

In a communiqué issued 

after its National Executive 

Committee meeting in 

Abuja, by its National 

Publicity Secretary, 

Comrade Egbeola Martins, 

the YPP stated that the 

ongoing legal fireworks in 

both parties were enough 

danger signals to electorate 

to be cautious so as not to 

go down a route where the 

judiciary rather than the 

people would determine 

the outcome of an election. 

The communiqué reads: 

Access Bank excites SMEs 

with digital cashflow lending 

LAGOS—ACCESS Bank 

Plc has launched a digital 

lending portal, Cashflow Loans 

by Access, which aims to provide 

access to finance for Small and 

Medium Enterprise, SMEs, to 

grow and expand their 

businesses. 

The new service is accessible 

to all SMEs and customers who 

have established sufficient 

cashflow records with the bank. 

Speaking at the launch of the 

digital lending portal, Executive 

Director, Retail Banking, Access 

Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu, 

restated the bank’s commitment 

to impact SMEs positively. 

Etuokwu said: “In a period like 

this, when we need to be more 

present and relevant in the lives 

Dele Odebiyi 

passes on 

THE Odebiyi family of 

Gbogan in Osun State has 

announced the death of their 

son, late Pa Rufus Bamidele 

Olaboye Odebiyi, after a brief 

illness. 

Pa Odebiyi, a journalist of 

repute and former Chairman of 

the Lagos State council of the 

Nigerian Union of Journalists, 

was editor of Africa magazine, 

Lagos Weekend and the pioneer 

editor of Headlines, and also a 

lecturer at the defunct Times 

Journalism Institute, all of the old 

Daily Times stable. 

Pa Odebiyi died at the age of 

77years, and has since been 

buried. He is survived by his wife, 

Adenike Elizabeth; children, Mrs. 

Abimbola Kareem, Yemi, 

Olumide, and grand children. 

•Late Pa Odebiyi 

“The NEC also condemns 

the needless drama caused 

by political actors in the 

APC and PDP at a time 

when the challenges of 

COVID-19, insecurity and 

dwindling economy should 

be at the heart of national 

discourse. 

“These Siamese twins, 

with a notorious reputation 

for always stirring up 

unnecessary controversies 

during electioneering 

periods, just to distract 

Nigerians, should rather be 

ignored and held 

accountable for past mismanaged 

opportunities. 

“These failed political parties 

have never hidden the fact that 

greed remained the only 

motivation for seeking an 

electoral mandate from the 

people, and we appeal to all 

Nigerians to see beyond their 

charade and embrace." 

of our customers than ever, we 

have risen to the challenge to 

ensure business owners have 

easy access to funds to sustain 

and expand their businesses 

while keeping safe. We are 

committed to not only providing 

uninterrupted service but 

superior service to meet the 

needs of all our customer 

segments. 

“To deliver on our promise to 

continually give our customers 

‘MORE’, we have developed 

this efficient digital lending 

platform which will make loan 

application more convenient with 

flexible collateral, favourable 

interest rates, application 

tracking, robust customer service 

and much more. We have been 

focused on providing solutions 

targeted at boosting the economy 

because we believe it is our 

responsibility to contribute to the 

stimulation of economic growth. 

With the launch of Cashflow 

Loans by Access, we are 

renewing our commitment to 

providing the much needed 

financial support to SMEs.” 

Akegwure is 

dead 

THE Akegwure family of 

Ozoro, in Isoko North Local 

government area of Delta State, 

has announced the death of their 

patriarch, Reverend Paul Othuke 

Akegwure. 

A statement issued by the 

family says the late Akegwure, a 

former member of the Delta State 

House of Assembly and chieftain 

of the All Progressives Congress, 

died on June 9, 2020, after a brief 

illness, at 70 years old. 

He is survived by his wife, four 

children and six grandchildren. 

•Late Rev. Akegwure 


SYMPATHIZERS—Some sympathizers at the residence of former governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola 

Ajimobi, in Ibadan, after his death was announced, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube. 

Buhari, govs, Tinubu, others mourn 

as Ajimobi dies at 70 

By Dapo Akinrefon, 

Olasunkanmi Akoni, 

Ola Ajayi, Rotimi 

Ojomoyela, Dirisu 

Yakubu & Shina 

Abubakar 

I BADAN—FORMER 

governor of Oyo State, 

Senator Abiola Ajimobi 

died, yesterday, at the age 

of 70. 

Before the latest 

information filtered in, his 

alleged death was 

rumoured about one and 

half weeks ago which was 

later dispelled by his media 

aide, Mr. Bolaji Tunji and 

one of his children. 

Ajimobi, who was born on 

December 16, 1949, was 

reported to have been on a 

life support machine since 

last Friday at the First 

Cardiology Hospital in 

Ikoyi, Lagos. 

One of his security men, 

who served him for eight 

years, said the death of the 

APC chieftain was “real this 

time.” 

An impeccable source 

c o n f i d e d 

in Vanguard that the 

news of his death was kept 

away from the public 

because of the new 

appointment by the 


Committee, NWC, of the 

APC as acting National 

Chairman of the party. 

The source said: “It is true 

this time around. It was 

hidden before because of 

the political development 

within the party.” 

The source further 

disclosed that the former 

governor had lung surgery. 

It was further gathered 

that the medical experts 

treating him tried all they 

could to revive him but no 

success. 

Wailers besiege 

ex-gov’s Ibadan 

residence 

But as news of his death 

spread, sympathisers and 

APC members thronged 

Ajimobi’s Oluyole 

residence. 

Though no one was 

•Wailers besiege ex-governor's Ibadan residence 

willing to speak about his 

death, the environment 

depicted that something 

unpleasant had happened. 

Sympathizers stood in 

clusters discussing their 

experiences with him. 

All of them wore forlorn 

looks with some of the 

women weeping. 

As of the time of filing this 

report, no family member 

was willing to speak with 

newsmen who besieged 

the Oluyole residence. 

Most of the sympathizers 

did not use face masks 

neither did they observe 

any social distancing as 

required by COVID-19 

protocols. 

All the gates of the two 

palatial buildings were 

locked but there were 

movements of people 

inside the compound. 

His contributions 

will always be 

remembered 

—Buhari 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, who mourned the 

late Ajimobi, said 

his contributions to the 

development of the state 

and nation, will always be 

remembered. 

In a statement by his 

Special Adviser on Media 

and Publicity, Mr. Femi 

Adeshina said: “The 

President commiserates 

with the family of the former 

governor, who served the 

country as a Senator, 2003, 

before winning the 

governorship election in 

2011, remaining steadfast 

and consistent in his 

progressive views, and 

working assiduously for the 

creation of the All 

Progressives Congress. 

“As the party chieftain 

bows out, President Buhari 

believes he left the world 

at a crucial moment when 

the party and the country 

needed his counsels to heal 

and grow, noting that his 

absence will be sorely felt 

by all associates, 

particularly in the APC.” 

We’ve lost a star, 

says Fayemi 

In his condolence 

message, Governor Kayode 

Fayemi of Ekiti State 

described Ajimobi’s death 

as a personal loss to him 

and a huge loss to the 

people of Oyo State. 

Fayemi, in a statement by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Yinka Oyebode, said: “We 

have lost a star, a man of 

honour and a statesman. 

But we are consoled that 

Governor Ajimobi lived a 

good life, made his mark in 

his chosen fields, lifted 

many and left a good name 

and legacies of honour and 

industry." 

Oyetola condoles 

with Ajimobi’s 

family 

Reacting to the death of 

the former governor, 

Governor Adegboyega 

Oyetola of Osun described 

Ajimobi’s death as 

unfortunate, painful and a 

great loss. 

Oyetola, in a statement by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Ismail Omipidan, said: “I 

am shocked and saddened 

by the demise of Senator 

Ajimobi. His death is 

unfortunate, painful and a 

huge loss.” 

I’m saddened by 

Ajimobi’s death 

–Sanwo-Olu 

On his part, Governor 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu of 

Lagos State, yesterday, 

described the former 

governor’s death as a great 

loss to Nigeria. 

Sanwo-Olu, in a 

statement, by his Chief 

Press Secretary, Mr. 

Gboyega Akosile, said: 

“The passage of Senator 

Ajimobi hurt me. My heart 

was filled with grief when 

I was informed that I have 

lost another political icon. 

“Senator Ajimobi was 

more than a politician, he 

was a man of many parts 

whose managerial skills 

and experience are required 

at this critical period 

in our national life.” 

Nigeria has lost 

an outstanding 

statesma 

—Tinubu 

Also, former Lagos State 

Governor and National 

Leader of the APC, Asiwaju 

Bola Tinubu, said Nigeria 

has lost an outstanding 

statesman. 

Tinubu, in a statement by his 

Media Aide, Mr. Tunde Rahman, 

said: “With his departure, Nigeria 

has lost an outstanding 

statesman and one of its most 

able politicians. Our party, the All 

Progressives Congress, has lost 

one of its leading lights. The 

Yoruba race and Oyo State have 

lost a favourite son. I have lost a 

dedicated friend, brother and 

ally. 

The pain we feel at his passing 

is beyond what words can 

describe. This good and excellent 

man has left us but his energy, 

activism and commitment to 

Nigeria and its people shall 

always be with us.” 

"Ajimobi was my friend and 

brother. He was honest and 

forthright. He had the interest of 

the people at heart. We shared a 

common progressive vision for 

our country and how to bring 

prosperity, justice and hope to its 

people." 

His death, a 

national loss 

—PDP 

Similarly, the leadership of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

has expressed sadness over the 

death of Ajimobi, describing it as 

a national tragedy and a huge 

loss. 

In a statement by its 

spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, 

the PDP said: “Senator Ajimobi 

was an exceptionally brilliant 

administrator, outstanding 

legislator and a man of peace, who 

made immense contributions and 

sacrifices towards the unity as well 

as political stability and 

development of our dear nation, 

Nigeria."


:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 

PARLEY— 

Oyo State 

Governor, 

Engr. Seyi 

Makinde 

(right), 

and his 

Edo State 

counterpart 

and PDP 

Governorship 

aspirant, 

Godwin 

Obaseki, 

after a 

consultative 

meeting, 

h e l d 

before the 

party's 

primary 

election in 

Benin, on 

yesterday. 

COVID-19: 17 banks seek CBN approval 

to restructure 32,000 loans 

By Babajide Komolafe 

In apparent reflection of the 

severe impact of the COVID- 

19 pandemic on the economy, 

17 banks have written to the 

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) 

for permission to restructure 

32,000 loans granted to individuals 

and businesses. 

The said loans, amounting to 

several billions of Naira, are 

going bad. 

Deputy Governor, Financial 

System Surveillance, CBN, 

Aisha Ahmed, disclosed this in 

her personal statement at the 

last Monetary Policy Committee 

(MPC) meeting. 

Stressing the need for the 

apex bank to grant forbearance 

to banks to temporarily 

restructure loans of businesses 

and individuals as a way of 

mitigating the impact of the 

COVID-19 pandemic on the 

banking system, Ahmed said: 

“Even as the CBN monitors the 

potential risks to financial 

stability, it is gratifying that 

financial soundness indicators 

have remained strong, despite 

Transport owners call for lifting 

of inter-state travel 

By Theodore Opara 

TRANSPORT owners under 

the aegies of Public Transport 

Owners of Nigeria Association 

have appealed to the Federal 

Government to lift the ban on their 

operation. 

The bus owners comprising 

luxury coaches and mini buses 

bemoaned the financial losses so 

far suffered by their members since 

the ban came into effect as part of 

the measures preventing the 

spread of COVID-19, put their 

losses in the region of N200 billion. 

The bus owners recalled that for almost 

four months, their vehicles have been 

Ma Arieja dies 

A 

businessman in Sapele Local 

Government Area of Delta State, 

Austin Arieja, has lost his mother, Mama 

Menetie Arieja (nee Ayame), at 96 years 

old. 

Arieja, in a statement, noted that his 

mother was a devoted Christian. Burial 

arrangements will be announced later by 

the family. 

•Late Ma Arieja 

parked which is dangerous to the 

state of the vehicles. They, therefore, 

called on the government to intervene 

with a special fund to save their 

already battered businesses, even as 

they drew attention to the debilitating 

concomitants of the ban on the 

travelling public and the economy 

generally. 

The transporters made the appeal in 

Lagos explaining thatroad transport 

accounts for 90 percent of movements in 

the country, and deserves priority 

consideration in the prevailing situation. 

According to the National President of 

PTONA, Isaac Uhunmwagho, the 

transporters are saddled with heavy 

burdens and need incentives to enable 

them revive their businesses after the ban. 

They had earlier forwarded a request for a 

bailout in form of a N20 billion intervention 

fund through the office of Vice President 

and Chairman of the Presidential 

Economic Sustainability Committee on 

COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, in April. 

The association, however, warned that 

the adverse effects of the ban on inter-city 

travels are so dire that many of the 

transport firms and businesses stifled by 

the consequences “are bound to go 

bankrupt”, if the prohibition is reversed 

without bailout. 

the headwinds and rapid 

expansion of credit (gross 

credit increased by N3.0 trillion 

between end-May 2019 

and end-April 2020) driven by 

the Loan to Deposit Ratio 

(LDR) policy. Non-performing 

loans (NPLs) ratio stood at 6.6 

per cent at end April 2020, 

compared with 11.0 per cent 

at end April 2019, while other 

prudential ratios remain 

robust. 

“This resilience notwithstanding, 

the industry remains 

exposed to shocks from 

spillover effects of the pandemic 

on macroeconomic conditions. 

This underscores the 

importance of regulatory measures 

to mitigate the effects of 

the crisis, such as granting forbearance 

to banks to 

temporarily restructure loans 

for businesses and households 

most affected by Covid-19 and 

the Global Standing Instruction 

policy to limit NPLs. 

“As at end-May 2020, staff 

reports indicate that 17 banks 

submitted requests to restructure 

over 32 thousand loans 

for individuals and businesses 

impacted by the pandemic, 

representing 32.94 per cent of 

total industry loan portfolio, 

with the manufacturing and 

general commerce sectors 

constituting the bulk of the 

restructured facilities. Results 

from ongoing impact 

assessment of Covid-19 effects 

on impairment by banks, indicate 

modest impact given 

regulatory policy measures already 

implemented. These, 

coupled with close monitoring 

by authorities and enhanced 

risk management practices by 

financial institutions, would 

help to mitigate the emerging 

risks and preserve financial 

system stability.” 

Petrol importation rises 8% to 5.26bn 

litres in Q1’20 —NBS 

By Ediri Ejoh 

THE volume of Premium Mo 

tor Spirit, PMS, otherwise called 

petrol imported into the country rose 

by eight percent, year-on-year, YoY, 

to 5.26 billion litres in the first quarter 

of 2020 (Q1’20) from 4.87 billion 

liters in Q1’19. 

The National Bureau of Statistics, 

NBS, disclosed this in its Petroleum 

Products Imports and Consumption 

(Truck out) Statistics Report 

Q1’2020. 

The report also revealed that the 

volume of Automotive Gas Oil 

(AGO) fell by 27 percent to 1.66 billion 

liters in Q1’20 from 1.21 billion 

litres in Q1’19. 

However, the report added 

that “Zonal distribution of truck-out 

volume for Full Q1 2020 showed that 

5.36 billion of premium motor spirit 

(PMS), were distributed nationwide. 

Operation I must reach my destination 

by fire by force! 

Very gentle and honest man, 

helping his wife out! 

Hmmm! Some women can be 

wicked and lazy!



COVID-19: C'River records first 

confirmed case 

By Egufe 

Yafugborhi, Ike 

Uchechukwu & 

Ozioruva Aliu 

CALABAR—CHIEF Medi 

cal Director of University of 

Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross 

River State, Prof Ikpeme Ikpeme, 

has disclosed that one person's test 

result came back positive for COV- 

ID-19 in Calabar, the state capital. 

According to him, a recent rapid 

test carried out on a patient came 

out COVID -19 positive, however, 

the patient has recovered and was 

discharged last week. 

The confirmation was contained 

in an internal memo(circular) by the 

CMD, Prof Ikpeme, obtained by 

Vanguard, entitle "UCTH Staff 

Health Advisory: Coronavirus 

(Covid-19) pandemic." 

The circular read: "The management 

of the University of Calabar 

Teaching Hospital is aware of the 

agitation and uncertainties associated 

with the coronavirus pandemic 

in the state. 

"With recent developments, it 

does appear that the state may not 

be free of COVID 19 as generally 

believed. A recent rapid test carried 

out on a patient came out positive. 

However, the patient had recovered 

and was discharged from our 

isolation centre last week. Manage- 

ment, therefore, urges staff and patients 

to protect themselves as maximally 

as possible. 

"This is, however, without prejudice 

to the fact that health caregivers 

must make themselves available 

at all times to provide adequate 

treatment to patients without fear. 

"Management, on the other 

hand, will do everything possible to 

ensure that staff and patients are 

adequately protected in line with 

the National Centre for Disease 

Control, NCDC, guidelines." 

We have no covid-19 

case — State govt 

insists 

Meanwhile, the state government, 

last night denied report 

that a positive case of COVID- 

19 has been recorded in Calabar, 

the state Capital. 

State Commissioner for 

Health and Head of COVID-19 

Taskforce Team, Dr Beta Edu, in 

a statement, said "The attention 

of the Cross River State Government 

has been drawn to an 

internal memo by the Chief 

Medical Director of the University 

of Calabar Teaching Hospital, 

Professor Ikpeme stating that 

it had one positive test result. 

"It is important to state that an 

index COVID-19 case can only 

be confirmed with PCR and not 

the antibody Rapid Diagnostic 

test kits which the NCDC had 

said has very low sensitivity and 

therefore, should not be used for 

COVID 19 diagnosis as it may 

produce several false positive cases. 

"As a state government, we 

have commenced investigation 

into this case and we will get back 

to the public with our findings. 

"All efforts to identify and isolate 

suspected cases will be encouraged 

but we denounce any 

attempt to label CRS COVID-19 

Positive using a rapid antibody 

testing methodology." 

Rivers burial, 

marriage organisers 

must submit names, 

address of attendees 

In Rivers State, organisers of burials 

and marriages are bound to submit 

to the state government, names 

and addresses of maximum 50 attendees 

for such occasions or risk a 

fine of N10million as part COVID- 

19 containment protocols in the 

state. 

The state's updated on COVID- 

19 burial, marriage guidelines released 

after State Executive Council 

meeting in Port Harcourt, noted 

that intending couples are also to 


DONATION: From left—Dotun Solanke, CEO, Mediatek; Habeeb Somoye, Marketing Director, Xiaomi Nigeria; 

Engr. Noimat Salako-Oyedele, Deputy Governor, Ogun State; Ms Sola Arobieke, SSA to the state governor on 

Trade and Investments; Gaya Samir, Senior Secretary, Xiaomi Nigeria, and Abdulquadri Umar, Group Accountant, 

Xiaomi Nigeria, during the donation of the first batch of tens of thousands of surgical masks to Nigeria, in aid of 

the COVID -19 pandemic, by Xioami Nigeria, to Ogun State government. 

Ezema for burial 

A 

LAGOS based busi 

nessman, Chief Michael 

Ezema has died at the age 

of 73, after a brief illness. 

Funeral service will take 

place at St. Paul’s Catholic 

Church, Edem-Ani, Nsukka 

LGA of Enugu State, on July 

3, 2020, while burial takes 

place same day in his compound 

at Ubogidi village, 

Edem-Ani. 

He is survived by wife, 

children and numerous relations. 

•Late Chief Ezema 

• We have no covid-19 case —State govt 

insists 

apply to the state governor through 

the Commissioner for Social Welfare 

and Rehabilitation for their marriage 

ceremonies. 

Commissioner for Information 

and Communication, Mr Paulinus 

Nsirim, who highlighted the guidelines 

said application for marriage 

ceremonies, "Must be accompanied 

with information on venue of event, 

names, addresses and phones 

numbers of attendees to make contact 

tracing easy if the need arises." 

"Henceforth, those seeking to 

bury their loved ones would also be 

expected to include names, addresses 

and phone numbers of 

those to attend such funerals in 

their applications. Government 

would not grant approval to any 

application without names, addresses 

and phone numbers.’’ 

Wike lavishes Rivers 

Muslims with food 

items 

Also in Rivers State, Muslims, 

yesterday, lauded praises on Governor 

Nyesom Wike as the State 

Covid-19 Palliative Committee delivered 

large consignments of food 

items to the Muslims community 

in the state. 

Items delivered to the Muslims 

in Port Harcourt through the Muslims 

leadership in the state include 

30 bags of rice, same for beans and 

Late Overah was godly, one of 

our finest —Okowa 

By Etop Ekanem 

SIfeanyi APELE—GOVERNOR 

Okowa of Delta State 

has said the late Joyce Overah, 

a member of Delta State Oil Producing 

Areas Commission, 

DESOPADEC, who died two 

weeks ago, was very resourceful 

and one of the finest in the government 

of Delta State. 

Overah, who was a member of 

House of Representatives and 

immediate past Delta State Commissioner 

for Science and Technology 

passed on at the age of 

59 years. 

Okowa spoke during a condolence 

visit to the family of the 

deceased in Sapele, Delta State. 

Okowa, who was represented 

by his deputy, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, 

said: “We are pained by his 

death. We’ll miss Joyce Overah, 

who was a very resourceful person 

with apt contributions to our 

meetings. In fact, he was one of 

our finest. Overah was my friend 

but I am principally here to condole 

with the family at the instance 

of Governor of Delta 

State, Dr Okowa.” 

Tasking the family to be “comforted 

by the virtues of the late 

Overah, which you and the rest 

of us should live by,” Otuaro said: 

“He was humility personified, 

believed in togetherness and collectivity 

of people.” 

To the wife, Otuaro admonished: 

“Be strengthened by the 

Lord who alone can truly and sufficiently 

equip you and provide 

for you.” 

Court orders forfeiture of 

N250m allegedly diverted 

from NDDC 

Ogoni clean-up: women demand 30% 

affirmative action in HYPREP Contracts 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT 

HARCOURT— 

WOMEN of Ogoni ethnic 

nationality in Rivers State have 

demanded 30 percent affirmative 

action in Hydrocarbon Pollution 

Remediation Project, HYPREP, 

the body implementing the 

clean-up of Ogoniland. 

The women under the aegis of 

Federation of Ogoni Women Association, 

FOWA, in Port Harcourt, 

yesterday, while addressing 

newsmen on their alleged 

deliberate exclusion from 

HYPREP, noted that women 

were sidelined in the ongoing 

remediation project, but giving 

opportunities only to be trained 

in garri processing. 

Speaking, one of the leaders of 

FOWA, Dr Patience Osaro-Ejiji, 

said it was an insult for HYPREP 

to train women of the area only 

on garri processing. 

She said: “The proposed training 

of only 1,200 Ogoni women 

garri, 100 cartons of pasta, 5000 yam 

tubers, 20 cartons of maggi cubes, 

10 bags of salt, 10 (50kg) jerrycans 

of oil and 300kg worth of fish. 

David Briggs, who led the state 

COVID-19 Committee told the 

Muslims leaders that, "Having 

completed ward rounds of massive 

food palliatives delivery which also 

included Muslims across the 

state, Governor Wike directed 

the committee to further make 

special deliveries to key stakeholders 

including Muslims.’’ 

Edo discharges 11, 

clears 2165 

suspected cases, 

records one death 

In Edo State, 11 more COVID- 

19 patients have fully recovered 

and discharged after they tested 

negative for the virus. 

Governor Godwin Obaseki 

disclosed that the state recorded 

one more COVID-19 related 

death, adding that the elderly are 

most affected by the virus. 

According to him, "We have 

discharged 11 more COVID- 

19 patients from the state's 

isolation centres, bringing the 

number of recoveries to 253. 

However, we recorded one more 

death. Our elderly population 

is most vulnerable and must 

be protected this period. 

Please stay safe." 

on livelihood activities is an insult 

to the sensibilities of Ogoni 

women and grossly underestimates 

the scale and complexity 

of the livelihood practices and 

needs of our women. 

“We, therefore, condemn the 

restrictive definition of what we 

can do within the process as exemplified 

in the proposals and 

By Innocent Anaba 

LAGOS—A 

Federal 

High Court sitting in Lagos 

has ordered that N250 million allegedly 

diverted from Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

NDDC, be forfeited to the Federal 

Government. 

Trial judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, 

made the interim forfeiture 

order on Wednesday, following an 

ex parte application by Economic 

and Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, through its counsel, 

Usman Buhari. 

Buhari in the application, ar- 

gued that the money had been 

illegally diverted from NDDC, 

through a contract awarded by the 

Federal Government. 

He prayed for an order of the 

court directing the publication of 

the interim forfeiture order in a 

national newspaper for anyone interested 

in the funds to show 

cause within 14 days why a final 

order of forfeiture should not be 

made in favour of the Federal Government. 

Justice Aikawa, in a short ruling, 

granted all the reliefs sought 

by the EFCC and ordered the forfeiture 

of the money and adjourned 

further hearing in the matter till 

July 9, 2020. 

N9.8bn debt: AMCON seizes 

multi-billion naira property in 

Isheri 

By Onozure Dania 

ASSET 

MANAGE 

MENT Corporation of 

Nigeria, AMCON, yesterday, 

moved against debtors 

owing the Federal Government 

over N9.8 billion by 

seizing their multi-billion 

naira property on the Lagos-Ibadan 

expressway, 

current training of women in garri 

production. 

“In the interim, while 

HYPREP is in the process of developing 

its gender policy, the 

agency must begin to take affirmative 

action by ensuring that 

30 per cent of employments, contracts 

and interventions are set 

aside for women and the issues 

that are important to them.” 

Isheri, Ogun State. 

The property include several 

buildings and Fagbems 

Petrol Station sitting 

on a 30-hectare of prime 

land near OPIC Estate. 

The debtors in suit 

FHC/L/CS/537/2020, are 

Knight Rook Ltd (under 

AMCON Receivership), 

Fibigboye Estates Ltd and 

Grant Properties Ltd. 

AMCON’s representative, 

Adedeji Aniyikaye- 

Quadri, said the move 

followed a June 18, 2020, 

ex-parte order granted 

in the corporation’s 

favour by Justice Saliu 

Saidu. 

The property is delineated 

in Survey Plan No. 

LC10320G of July 30, 

2004. 

Aniyikaye-Quadri said 

AMCON executed the 

judgement following the 

respondents’ failure to settle 

the debt after losing at 

the Court of Appeal. 

Ex-Commissioner, Uduaghan hails Ereyitomi's 

developmental strides 

FORMER Delta State 

Commissioner for 

Transport and a chieftain 

of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

Hon. Vincent Uduaghan 

has commended the 

member representing 

Warri Federal 

Constituency at House 

of Representatives, Hon. 

Thomas Ereyitomi for 

repositioning the 

constituency through his 

developmental agenda. 

Uduaghan gave the 

commendation while 

rejoicing with the 

lawmaker on the 

occasion of his birthday. 

According to the former 

Commissioner; "Hon. 

Ereyitomi is making 

Warri proud at the Green 

Chamber by promoting the 

interest of Warri federal 

constituency at all levels." 

Uduaghan said Hon. 

Ereyitomi is an icon of 

good governance, 

dogged, and has shown 

those qualities in his 

political journey so far. 

He also wished the 

lawmaker good health, long 

life, and happiness 

thanking God for his 

protection.




COMMISSIONING: 

From left — Lion Mojoyin 

Fayoyin, President, Ota 

Esteem Lions Club, Chief 

Azeez Kareem, Baale, 

Abule-Olodo Ketere, 

Sango Ota, Lion Benard 

Eboreime, District 

Govenor 404B-1 Nigeria 

2019/2020 Lions Year, 

and Lion Oluremi Lyinda 

Odunmbaku, District 

Govenor-elect, during the 

commissioning of Ota 

Esteem Lions Club 2019/ 

2020 project, at Local 

Government Primary 

School, 1&2, Ketere, 

Sango Ota, yesterday. 

Photo: Kehinde 

Gbadamosi. 

Kanu never attacked Christianity 

but fake and bad Pastors ---- IPOB 

By Anayo Okoli 

ENUGU—THE Indige 

nous People of Biafra, 

IPOB has said its Leader, 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never 

condemned Christianity 

but only attacked those they 

called fake pastors and men 

of God in Nigeria who refused 

to boldly speak up 

against the incessant and 

state sponsored killings 

and slaughtering of Christians 

in Nigeria. 

According to IPOB, 

"Kanu’s condemnation was 

for religious leaders who 

deliberately kept quiet 

while Christians are killed 

in Nigeria, saying that does 

not amount to condemnation 

of Christianity, disrespect 

to Islam or any other 

religious body. 

"He only condemned the 

evil of extermination of a 

particular religious group 

through state sponsored 

terrorism. 

"Our leader, Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu in his life, 

never condemned Christianity 

because he was 

raised in a Christian home 

by Christian parents and 

will never do such. He has 

respect for Christianity, Islam 

and other faith based 

religions around the world. 

""He is surrounded by 

Judeo-Christian faith practitioners 

of whom he is one. 

His parents died professing 

Judeo-Christian values. 

Only those fake pastors 

who believe solely in 

collecting tithes and offerings 

in churches without 

looking tangibly towards 

improving the lives of their 

fellow Christians in Nigeria 

are the ones behind this 

twisted narrative. 

"May we also use this opportunity 

to appeal to all 

those who may have misunderstood 

our leader as 

disrespecting men of God 

or showing no regard for 

Christian doctrines to disabuse 

their minds and understand 

that he is only 

opposed to wolves in 

sheep clothing. 

"Mazi Kanu, still has respect 

for honest men of God 

who have not compromised 

their divine mandate. 

Again, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu 

is not against any Biblical 

injunctions practiced by 

genuine Christians in reverence 

to God Almighty. 

"For the umpteenth time, 

our Leader does not hate 

Christianity and will never 

attack the faith. What he is 

against is the twisting of 

some Christian doctrines by 

selfish and greedy pastors 

to fleece their brainwashed 

followers”, a statement by 

IPOB spokesman, Emma 

Powerful said. 

The statement further said 

that “it is on record and confirmed 

by the Nigerian government 

that Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu has been at the 

forefront of defending 

Christians in Nigeria more 

than any Christian group 

or pastors and men of God 

have ever done. 

"IPOB spends a huge 

Anambra PDP sacks 3 exco members 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—THE Anambra 

State chapter of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

has sacked three members 

of its executive over alleged 

anti party activities. 

The state chairman of the 

party, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, 

who announced the development 

at a meeting of 

the State Executive Committee 

in Awka, said their removal 

was sequel to their 

indictment by the state disciplinary 

committee of the 

amount of money every 

month in highlighting the 

plight of persecuted Christians 

in Nigeria and beyond. 

Over 80% of the content 

of his message on Twitter 

is about persecuted 

Christians. 

"Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has 

been filling that gap for the 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, not having 

a single social media presence 

in this digital age 

even with all their resources. 

‘‘Our leader is unwavering 

in his divine assignment 

to liberate Biafrans 

and also every suffering 

Nigerian, everybody must 

therefore, support his ongoing 

expository effort 

which is a mandate from 

God Almighty”. 

party. 

Those sacked were Emeka 

Obi( formerly secretary), 

Marcel Anyiam, Vice Chairman( 

South) and Callista 

Adimachukwu (women 

leader). 

Nwobu said they were 

replaced by Chief Emmanuel 

Ebene as Vice Chairman, 

Okoli Akirika( Secretary) 

and Mrs Justina 

Nwafor as women leader. 

Nwobu said: "The new officers 

were selected by the 

executive members of the 

party at the local government 

areas where the erstwhile 

officers hailed from. 

This is to maintain balance, 

equity and fairness. 

He described the new 

secretary,Akirika as an astute 

political party administrator 

and strategist, who he 

said would bring to bear 

his wealth of experience to 

strengthen the party. 

Akirika was a former state 

secretary of All Progressive 

Grand Alliance, APGA, before 

he defected to PDP. He 

was also the commissioner 

for lands in the state during 

the tenure of former Governor 

Peter Obi. 

LGA fraud in Imo: Over N100m padding of salaries, pension discovered 

— Verification committee 

By Chinonso Alozie 

OWERRI—THE Com 

mittee on Verification 

of Staff Salaries of the 

Unified Local Government 

Staff, yesterday, submitted 

their report to Imo State governor, 

Hope Uzodinma, 

pointing out that they discovered 

padding of salaries 

as well as pension to the 

tune of N9 million in some 

local government areas. 

The submission of the report 

from the head of the 

committee, the Permanent 

Secretary of the Local Government 

Service Commission, 

Mrs. Rosemary 

Izuogu, took place at the 

Government House in Owerri. 

Mrs. Izuogu's committee 

said: "The Committee on 

the Verification of Local 

Government staff has submitted 

its report to the Imo 

State government, revealing 

clear cases of payroll 

fraud ranging from illegal 

employments and ghost 

workers as well as massive 

padding of salaries in every 

local government running 

into hundreds of millions 

of Naira. 

"The committee in their 

findings discovered that 

there were irregularities in 

recruitment of many staff in 

the local government service, 

ghost workers syndrome, 

padding of salaries 

in several LGAs in the 

range of N5, N6, and N9 

million, running to the 

tune of hundreds of millions 

of Naira. 

"The committee expressed 

optimism that the 

findings and implementation 

of recommendations 

would help in actualizing 

the 3R programmes of the 

administration - recovery, 

rehabilitation and reconstruction." 

Receiving the report of the 

committee, Governor Uzodinma, 

said: "I commend the 

committee for a work well 

done in fishing out ghost 

staff, who numbered 403 

and exposing several cases 

of salary paddings to the 

tune of hundreds of millions 

thereby saving the state her 

common wealth which had 

been going down the drain." 

COVID-19: NGOs distribute relief 

items to 108 widows, people 

with disabilities in Ebonyi 

• Anambra sets up mobile courts to check 

abuse of face masks to check abuse of 

face masks 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

Also yesterday, the Anambra 

& Peter Okutu State government has said it 

A 

would set up mobile courts in 

BAKALIKI—NO fewer 

various parts of the state to try 

than 108 persons including 

those who contravened the new 

widows, households headed by 

law on COVID-19, particularly 

females and people with disabilities, 

yesterday, benefitted from 

individuals who do not wear face 

coverings or do not wear them 

the welfare items distributed by 

properly. 

Participatory Development Alternatives, 

PDA, supported by Ac- 

Commissioner for Information 

and Public Enlightenment, 

tionaid Nigeria, AAN, and Afikpo 

Health Support Group, 

Mr. C. Don Adinuba observed 

yesterday that the face masks 

AHSG in the state. 

were often not worn appropriately, 

while some people wore 

The beneficiaries who were 

drawn from Abakaliki and Afikpo 

North Local Government 

theirs on the chins and on their 

jaws. 

Areas of the state received welfare 

packages worth N1,128,750 

He said: “There are individuals 

who wear the face masks to 

from the non-governmental organisations 

to enable them tack- 

cover their mouths, but not their 

nostrils. This practice is not properle 

the economic challenges posed 

by the deadly pandemic ravaging 

the globe. 

“The face mask must always 

cover the mouth and the nose. 

Distributing the packages at 

This is because coronavirus enters 

our system through such or- 

Amuro/Mgbom Community 

Secondary School, Afikpo North 

ifices as the eye, the nostrils and 

LGA, the Chief Executive Officer, 

CEO of Participatory Devel- 

the mouths. This is why some 

people wear not just face masks 

opment Alternatives, Victoria 

which cover their mouths and 

Ebere Eze used the opportunity 

noses, but also face shields which 

to call on Ebonyi State Government 

to fulfill its promise of dis- 

cover their eyes, in addition. 

“The compulsory and proper 

tributing COVID-19 relief materials 

to citizens of the state. 

adorning of face masks in public 

places in Anambra State is 

According to her: "Each beneficiary 

will go home with the 

done in the interest of every individual 

in the state. It has killed 

20kg bags of rice, 5 packs of 

nine persons in our state and a 

noodles,10 pieces of onions, 

number of Anambra individuals 

outside the state. The victims 

a litre of vegetable oil, a bottle of 

palm oil, 25 cubes of maggi, 35 

include old people and youths of 

cups of beans, and a sachet of 

both genders. 

salt. 

“Anambra State government 

does not want more of our people 

to get infected by this highly 

Anambra sets up 

mobile courts 

contagious disease, let alone die 

of it." 

NSCDC arrests 2 suspects, 

rescues day-old baby in Abia 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

UMUAHIA—THE Nigeria 

Security and Civil Defence 

Corps, NSCDC, Abia State 

command, has rescued a dayold 

baby girl from a suspected 

syndicate that specializes in 

child trafficking. 

Abia State Commandant, 

NSCDC, Mr Nnamdi Nwannukwu 

who disclosed this while 

briefing journalists in Umuahia 

explained that the two suspects 

were arrested in Aba, over 

an alleged plot to sell the baby 

from a baby factory in the city. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

suspects, Michael Okeke, 37, 

and Amarachi Uche, 35, were 

arrested following a tipoff from 

the command's undercover 

operatives in the city. 

In his words: "The operative 

overheard a telephone conversation 

between the suspects and 

a supposed lady buyer in Umuahia 

for a deal to sell a day-old 

baby for N800, 000 only. Following 

the tipoff, the gallant 

men of the command were 

quickly mobilized and swiftly 

arrested the suspected child traffickers." 

The Commandant also disclosed 

that preliminary investigation 

showed that the baby 

was born on Sunday, May 31 

in a baby factory. 

According to him; “The suspects 

were saddled with negotiating 

for buyers and general 

sales for the baby factory. Our 

investigation revealed that the 

suspects have links with some 

notorious baby factory operators 

and traffickers in the state, 

who have been on the wanted 

list of the command.” 

He assured that the command 

had made adequate provision 

for the upkeep of the 

baby, as a government-owned 

hospital in Aba has been engaged 

to provide necessary 

medical care for the baby.

14 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 — 15


IDON'T know Mrs. Aisha 

Buhari, but I’ve always 

had a soft spot for her feisty, 

say-it-like-it-is personality, 

which doesn’t quite rhyme 

with her chubby-sweet baby 

face. And when she went 

public with bitter complaints 

about some of the people who 

surrounded her husband in 

2016, I defended her on a BBC 

Television programme. And 

I’ve continued to adopt an 

indulgent attitude towards her 

occasional outbursts because 

I am also one for straighttalking. 

In fact, I am far worse 

than Mrs. B because I 

sometimes utter expletives for 

emphasis when something or 

someone has upset me. 

OK, so I have a high 

tolerance level for mouthy 

fellow women who ain’t ready 

to put up with s—t or take c— 

p from nobody. But I was 

extremely alarmed when I 

heard about the scuffle that 

took place when Madame, her 

children and her security 

aides took on Sabi’u “Tunde” 

Yusuf, Mr President’s greatnephew 

and private secretary. 

Long-simmering 

rancour 

We are told that Madame 

and the Tunde - whom I also 

don’t know - have been at 

loggerheads for a while and 

that the long-simmering 

rancour exploded into violent 

spat when Madame’s ADC 

shot at him. 

Thankfully, he missed; and 

the Tunde is still with us. But 

the ADC only missed Tunde 

narrowly and it’s stating the 

obvious to say that the 

outcome could have been very 

different and very disgraceful. 

This toxic drama is the talk 

of Abuja, the talk of the entire 

country and a source of 

fascinated, hushed-toned 

gossip in foreign circles; and 

even I have to say that 

Madame needs to curb her hot 

temper and firmly control her 

•Aisha Buhari 

Fiery first ladies 

wilder acolytes before things 

get out of hand. 

I am willing to believe that 

the Tunde is very annoying 

and had done or said stuff that 

justified a serious reprimand 

or dismissal; but there is 

absolutely no excuse for 

scandalous and potentially 

fatal altercations. It is a great 

privilege to occupy the 

corridors of power; and those 

Would these 

ladies have 

been less pushy 

and less 

opinionated if 

their husbands 

had been 

tougher? In 

other words, 

were and are 

these first 

ladies filling a 

vacuum? 

who get there need to be 

orderly and dignified. 

On reflection, all of our 

recent First Ladies have been 

fiery and hyperactive. Turai 

Yar’Adua was, famously, not 

to be toyed with unless you 

wanted big trouble to enter 

your life and stay there. Ditto 

Patience Jonathan, whose 

penchant for palaver was 

legendary. 

The question I’m asking 

myself is this: Would these 

ladies have been less pushy 

and less opinionated if their 

husbands had been tougher? 

In other words, were and are 

•Patience Jonathan 

these first ladies filling a 

vacuum? 

And did and do they assert 

themselves so aggressively 

because they are alpha 

females by nature and love to 

wield power or because they 

are worried wives who are 

struggling to protect fragile 

spouses? 

Ex-President Yar’Adua had 

to contend with chronic kidney 

disease throughout his 

tenure. Jonathan, who started 

off as his vice and wound up 

Racism and tribalism 

THE videotaped murder 

of George Floyd in 

Minnesota has led to a global 

outcry against the raw, 

rednecked and sometimes 

homicidal racism that some 

white American policemen 

have directed at too many 

hapless African Americans. 

The Black Lives Matter 

mantra and movement are 

being taken very seriously 

indeed nowadays. 

I have been thinking about 

the whole racism issue and 

have concluded that racism is 

a universal phenomenon. You 

only need to listen to certain 

Nigerians saying the most 

terrible and unfair things 

about Indians, for example, to 

realise that racism is not 

unique to whites. Racism is 

essentially about abuse of 

power and I dread to think 

what anti-Indian Nigerians 

would do to Indians if they 

had a chance. 

I remember someone wryly 

saying during the apartheid 

era, when white South 

as his successor, was often 

referred to as weak or gentle. 

As for Buhari, he has 

disappointed a lot of people 

by not being the no-nonsense 

strongman many of us thought 

we had voted for. 

Some folks say that his 

failure to fufill our hopes is 

not his fault and that he is 

vulnerable and mentally/ 

physically exhausted and 

being dominated and 

bamboozled by lieutenants 

who leave a lot to be desired 

Africans were sadistically 

tormenting black South 

Africans, that “in Nigeria, the 

whites are black”...referring of 

course to the ill-treatment by 

the black Nigerian elite of the 

black Nigerian underclass that 

is tragically commonplace in 

this country. 

Meanwhile, let’s ask 

ourselves whether tribalism - 

another hugely messy and 

dangerous can of worms - is 

not a close cousin of racism? 

There is evidence to suggest 

that the Fulanis who are in 

charge of the Federal 

Government at the moment 

unrepentantly discriminate 

against other tribes on several 

different levels. 

There is also evidence to 

suggest that the average 

member of any tribe in Nigeria 

will misbehave when he or 

she is running the show. When 

Jonathan was President, many 

Ijaws - and Niger Deltans in 

general – became loud, 

greedy, arrogant, entitled and 

unbearable. Still, it’s tempting 

•Tuari Yar'adua 

and make bad decisions of 

which he is not aware in his 

name. 

Whatever the case may be, 

Mr President is clearly not 

willing or able to shut 

Madame Aisha down and up, 

so she needs to discipline 

herself to safeguard her own 

reputation. And I pray that 

she will urge her staff to be 

more careful and more 

decorous in future. And that 

she herself will be more 

stateswomanlike henceforth. 

to acknowledge whites as 

champion bigots. 

I have a Jewish friend whose 

father survived the Nazi 

Holocaust in Europe in the 

1930s and '40s. My friend’s 

father, now late, was an 

academic who had studied the 

history of his persecuted 

people, as well as the history 

of the relationship between 

Africans and the Western 

World. And he once told me 

that: “NOBODY can match the 

white Christian for sheer 

bloody cruelty and avarice 

over the ages.” 

Was he right? 

What do Vanguard readers 

think? 

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Africa and the global struggle 

for racial equality 

NIGERIA under President 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

no known Foreign Policy. Under 

him, our diplomats use the 

constitutional provisions on 

Foreign Policy, as compass to 

navigate the seas of diplomacy. 

However, this is not due to a lack 

of knowledgeable people as 

demonstrated by the Association 

of Retired Career Ambassadors of 

Nigeria, ARCAN. This body of 

250 retired ambassadors who 

have sailed our flags to all corners 

of the world, is led by 

Ambassador John Kayode 

Shinkaiye, a courageous 

ambassador who during the 

Sierra Leone Civil War, went to 

the rebel Revolutionary United 

Front, RUF, enclave to persuade 

them to sign the Lome Peace 

Agreement. Once he succeeded, 

he asked them to handover ten 

Nigerian Prisoners of War, which 

the rebels obliged him. 

The ARCAN, obviously tired of 

watching from the side-lines and 

worried that Nigerians were 

almost absent in the global 

movement for racial equality 

which swept through the world in 

the wake of the May 25 murder 

of George Floyd by the American 

police, decided to do some 

reawakening of the country. 

As a first step, it held a virtual 

conference this Monday, June 22 

with the theme: “The Global 

Struggle for Racial Equality: Any 

By COLLINS OBIBI 

THERE are two fundamental 

reasons many people oppose 

Chief Hope Uzodinma as governor in 

Imo State. Some individuals, including 

Uzodinma, know these reasons but 

would prefer to wish them away, and 

that makes the difference. Since people 

know this but for different reasons make 

preferences to accept and support the 

governor, some to repudiate and 

distance themselves, and yet some others 

to be indifferent or are helpless, why 

bother writing? 

Give politicians benefit of the doubt, 

how for instance, should Imo 

professionals, the clergy, real elders and 

statesmen relate with events 

surrounding the 2019 governorship 

elections in Imo and the Supreme Court 

ruling that brought Uzodinma to power? 

Some of us who have worked as 

gatekeepers in the mainstream media 

in the country continually ponder on the 

words introspection, circumspection and 

discretion. Sometimes you can’t but 

adopt Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s 

slogan “I dey laugh” or “sidon look”. 

But when people who should know better 

and who others look up to, especially to 

give direction, undertake to confuse the 

people, you can’t but worry. William 

Shakespeare stated it clearly that “we 

but teach bloody instructions, which, 

being taught, return to plague the 

inventor.” 

For the avoidance of doubt, Uzodinma 

is as qualified to be governor of Imo State 

as any of the former governors or many 

Lessons for Nigeria’s Domestic 

and Foreign Policies.” 

The panellists were Odein 

Ajumogobia, former Minister of 

Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Gadio, 

former Minister of Foreign 

Affairs, Senegal, Prof George 

Obiozor, former Ambassador of 

Nigeria to the USA and Israel, 

Prof Akin Oyebode, former Vice 

Chancellor, Ekiti State 

University, Prof. Bukola Adesina, 

University of Ibadan, and I. 

It was moderated by 

Ambassador Joe Keshi, the 

ARCAN second vice president who 

had accompanied Ambassador 

Shinkaiye on that dangerous 

mission to the RUF enclave. 

In my paper for the conference, 

I argued that while All Lives 

Matter, ‘Black Lives Matter’ has 

been symbolically adopted for the 

global protests because Blacks 

have been at the receiving end of 

half a millennium of brutal 

attacks and savagery. This 

includes unprovoked military 

attacks, five centuries of Arab and 

European slavery, genocide and 

inhuman colonialism. 

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade 

saw 12.8 million Africans 

transported across the ocean. 

This is apart from the over two 

million who died during that 

journey of no return. In the process 

of slavery and colonisation, 

genocide in its most horrendous 

forms was visited on the Black 

Gov Uzodinma and his traducers 

others in the state. Imo is a galaxy of 

stars at whatever level. He was in the 

Senate of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, and had made marks in other 

spheres of life too. 

First, there are many classics and other 

books of all times. Nicole Machiavelli’s 

The Prince written in the early 

16th century based on its acceptance is 

one of them. In the modern world it, at 

least, re-enforces the seemingly agelong 

practiced principle of ‘the end 

justifies the means’ germane to goal 

accomplishment, and antithetical to 

pretensions and sluggishness in the 

journey of life. But we all know that 

there are deeper, more relevant, more 

appropriate and truer compasses of life 

and pursuits. Example the Bible. 

The end ensconced by Machiavelli 

does not exist in humanity. It’s all about 

thesis, antithesis and synthesis, then 

back to thesis. It is, therefore, easily seen 

why Machiaveli warned that though in 

his estimation his proposition was very 

valuable, it remained an advice, a gift 

to the Medici following their return to 

power at the time. I give two examples 

with current events in the world to 

explain this. 

The corona virus, just one virus of all 

the viruses and afflictions, and humanity 

is made to bow. All the pursuits, 

accomplishments and boastings by 

nations obliterated. Rapacious 

acquisitions deflated like balloon. The 

high and mighty, including those at the 

corridor of power, proven less valuable 

than chicken. Consider also the eruption 

people. In Namibia, German 

colonialists in three years from 

1904, wiped out almost two thirds 

of the Herero and Nama peoples. 

This was the first genocide in 

modern history as it came seven 

years before the Armenian 

Genocide and four decades before 

the Holocust of European Jews. 

No other genocide can be 

compared with that of the 

Belgians under king Leopold II 

against the people of the 

Democratic Republic of Congo, 

DRC. The Belgians between the 

Colonial Berlin Conference of 

1885 and 1908, massacred at least 

15 million Congolese. In simple 

statistics, it meant that the 

Belgians murdered an average 

655,000 Africans annually or 

55,000 monthly or 1,812 Africans 

every day! 

A basic lesson 

from the global 

protests is the need 

to address 

grievances and that 

all citizens are 

equal 

France was so desperate to 

make Algeria part of its territory 

that it turned that country into 

rivers of blood killing over two 

million Algerians. The statistics 

of the genocide in South Africa 

are not readily available, but 

decades of massacres including 

Sharpeville and Soweto are well 

documented. Today, about a 

quarter of a century after 

Apartheid, 72 percent of privately 

owned farmlands remain in the 

hands of the minority Whites. 

When the British decided to take 

Australia, it almost wiped out the 

indigenous Aborigine people. As 

at 2016, the aborigines from 

in America today. Once it was 

fashionable to coerce, waylay, kidnap, 

conscript Blacks to advance the 

economic course of America and Europe. 

The people cried, wailed, got heartbroken 

as they, in fact, their most 

ebullient and effervescent, were being 

separated from their kith and kin with 

no consolation from anywhere. Many of 

them died, rather were killed, 

provided that helped in achieving the 

goal. 

They tilled the soil, made the nations 

and continents rich and empires, a 

glorious ‘end’ you may say, and 

according to Machiavelli too. But today, 

America wishes that that era never 

existed. What do you do with the Blacks 

you willingly, fashionably and forcefully 

imported into the continent whether in 

the state of their subservient progenitors 

or the daring young men of today? 

Nothing, in fact, America is helpless and 

I tell you why. 

They must share the heritage, the 

accumulated riches, for they are now 

common patrimony. The cost of 

repatriation is unquantifiable and 

unaffordable. Period. Secondly, where 

do the Blacks return to? Africa that you 

have wasted through centuries of 

dislocation, disorientation, despoiling, 

slavish manipulation, strangulation, 


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being 100 percent of the 

Australian populace have been 

reduced to 3.3 percent. So, there 

is no way humanity can redeem 

itself without the Black people 

being redeemed. 

The Black people from sitting 

at the peak of human knowledge 

and civilisation as typified by the 

pyramids in Egypt and the first 

human universities, have been 

pushed down the human cliff to 

be trampled upon and become 

hewers of wood and fetchers of 

water for the rest of humanity. 

Over the centuries, the Black 

people have been militarily 

conquered, despised, deprived 

and stripped of their humanity. 

So, the on-going struggles 

across the world is less of racial 

equality, and more of a new social 

order, an order that demands a 

new humanity. The American 

‘Black Lives Matter’ protests have 

shown contrasting ways 

governments respond to mass 

protests. 

As President, Barack Obama 

showed empathy. In the Eric 

garner protests of 2014 he said 

that Garner's murder and the legal 

outcome was an "American 

problem" that "speaks to the 

larger issues" of trust between the 

state and the citizenry. 

He sent an unmistakable signal 

to the police and other security 

agencies, where his government 

stood. He let the people know they 

have a receptive ear in the White 

House and made it known that it 

is the citizenry that is ‘law and 

order’ and not what is contained 

the books. 

In contrast, President Donald 

Trump made it known he has 

contempt for Black people right 

from his comments that Africans 

are from ‘shit hole’ countries and 

should return to Africa. During 

the protests, he tried to turn out 

the military against the protesters 

but even within his government 

and the American military, he 

For the avoidance of doubt, 

Uzodinma is as qualified to be 

governor of Imo State as any of 

the former governors or many 

others in the state 

faced opposition. 

The Obama method was much 

more result-oriented and 

rewarding. But that is not a lesson 

the Buhari administration learnt 

from the protests. Rather, it prefers 

the brash, rather thoughtless 

Trumpian method. So when some 

youths in the North took to the 

streets protesting against the 

senseless loss of lives to bandits 

and terrorists and crying that 

Nigerian Lives Matter, the 

government’s reaction was to 

clamp down on them. 

A basic lesson from the global 

protests is the need to address 

grievances and that all citizens 

are equal. In other words, that any 

claimed racial, ethnic, regional 

or religious superiority would 

ultimately lead to crises. 

Another lesson is that 

sovereignty belongs to the people, 

so their interests must supersede 

all other interests including 

claims of law and order. The 

urgency in Nigeria today, includes 

ending the misuse of security 

agencies and reforming them. 

For Africa, the basic message is 

that if we had accepted that All 

Lives Matter, we would not have 

witnessed the Rwandan 

Genocide, and the ethnic 

cleansing in the Central African 

Republic and Southern Sudan. 

Interestingly, South Africans 

participated in the Black Lives 

Matter protests; that must remind 

some of them that the 

Mozambicans, Zimbabweans 

and Nigerians they are attacking 

are Blacks, and that those lives 

matter. 

The lesson for humanity is that 

the rights of all, including the 

minorities, the economically 

disposed and politically 

disenfranchised must be 

respected; in other words, we need 

a New World Order built on social 

justice. The alternative would be 

a bloody peace. 

whatever. Africa that you have taken its 

heart away from the body? Sorry. If those 

nations knew, they would have instead 

followed the Biblical injunction on right 

and wrong, patience and perseverance; 

after all, it was not too long before the 

era of industrialevolution. 

Let me explain the second reason for 

the opposition to Uzodimma with the 

example of land, that resource of 

contention in Nigeria today. You have 

heard a statement like “your land or your 

life" from the highest office in the land. 

Whatever level of despair and 

despondency that causes you is your 

business. Ab nitio, does your faith in the 

country count? 

You are dragging the family land with 

your elder brother. Then you go and 

make alliance with an outsider who gives 

you conditions for his support to make 

you outwit your brother and take the 

land. He asks you to use your money to 

transport, feed and pay him honorarium 

to come and degrade your brother so 

that you can take over the land, wait a 

minute, just for you to use for some 

years, yes many years, after which he 

will then take over the land from you 

and your brother and own it. You 

accepted. 

Meanwhile, you do not have 

desperate need for the land, there are 

other lands you can use; that prime land 

is just the one your brother is holding 

as the head of the family which will pass 

on to you when you become the oldest. 

Let us worry about today, tomorrow will 

take care of itself, you say. Well, time 

will unravel the wisdom of the present. 

•Obibi, a media professional, wrote 

from Lagos


THE worst-case scenario may be here 

soon. We are approaching the 

saturation or breaking point in our war 

against the coronavirus pandemic. 

Things are simply not falling into place 

towards the flattening of the infection 

curve. 

More and more people are 

abandoning the core rules of social 

distancing and sanitation. In the 

markets, malls, worship centres (where 

such has been reopened) and political 

rallies, people are increasingly 

throwing caution to the wind and 

reverting to our old lifestyle. 

Many who still bother wearing face 

masks do so more as ornaments than 

protective shields. Resident doctors 

have just resumed work after a week 

of strike action. 

The bans on interstate travels never 

really worked because people and 

security agencies conspired to sabotage 

it. 

Governments at the Federal and state 

COVID-19: Wrong time to drop guard 

levels are, in all honesty, doing their 

channelling dwindling resources to the 

anti-COVID-19 war. The frontline 

health workers are suffocating under 

the burden of the pandemic with no end 

in sight. 

On Monday, June 22, 2020, the 

national picture of things showed 20,919 

confirmed cases with 7,109 discharged 

and 525 deaths. Out of this, Lagos had 

8,864 cases with Taraba bringing up the 

rear with 18. 

The lockdown on movement of 

people from the North had 

skyrocketed the South East infection 

rates which used to be the lowest in the 

country. Kogi and Cross River states 

continue to maintain their largely 

undocumented status. 

The situation in the nation’s foremost 

epicentre of infections - Lagos State - 

is emblematic of an emerging national 

doomsday scenario. 

The Lagos State Chairman of the 

Association of General Medical 

Practitioners of Nigeria, AGMPN, Dr. 

Tunji Akintade, summarised the 

situation sobrely last Monday: “The 

state government is overwhelmed, the 

country is overwhelmed, all the 

government hospitals and isolation 

centres are filled up in the state”. 

Governments are increasingly being 

forced to adopt the home isolation and 

treatment option. As we go into the 

cold, rainy season the situation could 

get worse. 

Brazil, which shares the same 

equatorial climate with West and Central 

Africa, has become the emerging world 

epicentre of the disease after the United 

States with over 1.1 million confirmed 

cases and more than 51,000 fatalities. 

Everything appears perfectly lined up 

in favour of an explosion ahead which 

the foreign missions foresaw and 

evacuated their nationals early in March 

and April. 

We have now entered a phase where 

governments may not be able to do 

much to protect the people because of 

the sheer magnitude of the situation 

and dwindling resources. 

Government can’t even return to the 

lockdown option because it cannot 

afford to fund it. 

What it means is that we have to 

increasingly take responsibility for our 

own lives and safety. Our lives are now 

in our hands. It is time for self-defence. 

Defend yourself. 

OPINION 

Understanding the next generation of Nigeria’s leaders 

By SIMON ABAH 

EARLY experiences in life shape a 

person’s worldview. Human beings 

are unique and complex and members of a 

particular generation are defined by their 

common values and mutual experiences. 

I grew up at a time when the only television 

station, NTA, started transmission at 

4.00p.m. I still remember the shades’ of the 

rainbow on Nigerian Television Authority 

before the national anthem leading to the 

day’s schedule of programmes? And NTA 

rounded off the day’s transmission at 12 

midnight. 

We watched only a handful of cartoons 

such as Voltron, Thunderbird and 

Thundersub. We saw a trickle of 

programmes such as Sesame Street, Muppet 

show, Cockcrow at Dawn, Village 

Headmaster, Mirror in the Sun, Basi and 

Company, Supple Blues, Behind the Clouds, 

Fortunes, Check Mate, Magana Jari ce; and 

on weekends we were treated to Indian 

movies and Tales By Moonlight. 

We knew newscasters such as Frank Olize, 

Hauwa Baba Ahmed (soon after Hauwa 

Shuaibu Galma), Namsel Nimyel, Tokunbo 

Ajayi, Cyril Stober, Ronke Ayuba, John 

Momoh, Eugenia Abu, Elisabeth Nze, Ruth 

Benamaisia Opia, Sienne Razaq Lawal 

(Allwell-Brown). 

We ran errands for our neighbours with 

joy and on many occasions we were 

reprimanded by them when we behaved 

badly. Girls plaited their hairs with thread, 

played ten-ten, never chewed gums because 

those who chewed gums making the tooting 

sound were considered loose in those days. 

Many Nigerians of my era went to school 

by themselves, dragging the hands of 

siblings along, trekking distances. A lot of 

us didn’t have the luxury of being driven to 

school. Several worked after secondary 

school, bought JAMB forms themselves. For 

the most part, we knew no other form of 

government other than military rule; we saw 

the trajectory of successive governments give 

odd reasons to justify why they had to topple 

the government before them and they even 

behaved badly than their predecessors in 

office. 

These happenings shaped the 

characteristics of my generation in many 

ways: we were loyal to the state, patriotic, 

never questioned authority, confident, 

principled, and sacrificed for the common 

good. Children born after my generation 

and nowadays have Helicopter parents 

willing to join issues with fellow citizens for 

correcting their children. 

There are 24-hour television stations now 

with arrays of shows to choose from away 

from the ones we grew up viewing. Cartoon 

networks here and now pop up obscene 

scenes that need parental control. They were 

born in the technology era, with smart 

phones which they use to access ready 

information. Gone are the days when people 

born in my generation looked-for jobs and, 

worked their way to the top and remained 

there until retirement. 

The digital natives now are in a hurry and 

have an entrepreneurial outlook; they transit 

from one company to another. They want to 

work in big establishments with massive 

corporate headquarters; these natives 

having watched their parents lose jobs and 

suffered financial downturns are in a hurry 

to be in the big-league. 

It is binding on the managers of the 

country’s affairs - those born in a different 

era- to not abandon the youths now because 

of the values which they believe in, values 

which are poles apart from the ones they 

worked with and believed in. Times are 

changing gradually, and with it some 

values. The abandonment of Nigeria’s 

youths because of their ideals, which by the 

way are values of the era they were born in, 

can push them to crime. 

Nigeria cannot build the nation of her 

dreams without understanding the youths 

of today and what motivates them. The 

government should help youths to develop 

skills and abilities to contribute to the wellbeing 

of selves, society and the country. The 

understanding of each generation’s 

practices and preferences so as to 

communicate better with them for national 

growth cannot be exaggerated. An old 

adage after all has it that: “People resemble 

their times more than they resemble their 

parents.” 

Nigeria cannot build the nation 

of her dreams without 

understanding the youths of 

today and what motivates them 

When I engage with youths around me I 

see that they have strong preferences for 

immediate access to information; they love 

to work in establishments that offer generous 

pay package, they abhor being startups, they 

learn best by observation and practice away 

from reading and listening and care more 

about money than people of my own 

generation. 

I observe that they are far more socially 

alert than I was at their age; are not as 

conservative as I was at their age - intelligent, 

with a global outlook, and parents have a 

stranglehold on their career path than 

parents of my generation. Parents look for 

jobs for youths now and many find it hard to 

do such jobs, especially if they consider it 

beneath them. Some rather prefer to do 

‘deals’ than to earn money monthly. 

Youths of this era have a very short 

attention span because they are always in a 

hurry; they can multitask but not efficient 

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in rounding off projects, they do not fancy 

being corrected publicly but privately and 

love to sidestep established authority to get 

their ways in the workplace, they do not 

believe in hierarchy. 

These events shape the characteristics of 

the new-fangled generation in many ways: 

they question authority and the status quo; 

they have helicopter parents, born in an era 

of moral crisis, violence: Boko Haram, 

militancy, ritualists, 419, religious bigotry, 

herders and farmers clashes, banditry, 

politics without conviction, no national 

heroes, and mental thuggery, listen to music 

that must be loud with no content and they 

look for own interest not the common good. 

Nigeria can benefit a lot from the next 

generations if proper strategy is deplored 

to understand them. Understanding must 

go with the acknowledgement that everyone 

is different and life’s journeys can never be 

the same. They are only different due to their 

experiences which are products of the time 

and space they were born in. 

It would be a disservice to Nigeria to give 

youths of the moment leadership positions 

without grooming them rightly for these 

future leadership positions. This generation 

prefers to be set up for success unlike others 

before them that took the chance to be 

successful. They prefer to work to spend and 

not to save, how can they therefore save to 

build the national economy if not coached 

to do so? They need to be shown the future. 

The members of my generation lived to 

work and enjoyed work, youngsters’ now 

work to spend if they even live at 

all. Coaching and mentoring clinics and 

programmes need to be established so they 

can learn the importance of collaboration, 

how to handle proper communication, and 

the proper qualities valued in national 

leadership positions such as honesty and 

integrity. 

•Abah, a teacher, speaker, campaigner and 

consultant, wrote from Abuja

GLOBAL response to the outbreak of 

the coronavirus in Africa has been 

remarkable, especially following fears that 

should the virus take hold, its impact on the 

continent could be catastrophic. Twenty of 

the 80 beneficiaries of the $50billion 

announced as emergency financing facility 

by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, 

are in Africa. 

The charity map also shows that the World 

Bank, the European Union, EU; the African 

Development Bank, AfDB; some members 

of the G7, development agencies and the 

private sector have not been left out. A brief 

country tour might help bring the picture 

home. Zimbabwe, which was already on its 

knees before the outbreak of COVID-19, got 

€68.4million from the EU; $5million from 

the World Bank; $3million from the US; 

and $15.3 from Japan. 

Three countries in the horn of Africa - 

Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti - which had 

barely recovered from the devastation 

brought on by a plague of locusts, got a 

special COVID-19 package of €64million 

from the EU, apart from €105million 

earlier provided to tackle the plague. Egypt, 

Kenya and South Africa, also badly hit by 

the virus, have received lifelines as well. 

Taker king 

And Nigeria, the continent’s most 

populous, has been right up there on the 

league table of COVID-19 package 

recipients. Within weeks of announcement 

of the index case on February 27, the EU 

announced a donation of $54m to the 

Nigerian government in a widely publicised 

ceremony, which drew favourable 

comments from Nigeria’s President, 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

The EU’s gesture was followed by a 

donation of 50 ventilators by the UN and 

personal protective equipment valued at 

$2m to the government. The German 

government donated €26m; the US 

government, through the United States 

Agency for 

International 

Development, 

USAID, weighed in 

with “new funding 

for Nigeria for 

prevention and 

mitigation of the 

novel coronavirus, 

The world is 

in tears; 

grieving hearts 

are asking 

questions 

COVID-19, that has 

reached $21.4m”; while the Chinese 

Chamber of Commerce announced a 

donation of N48million. On its part, the 

private sector in Nigeria has raised an 

estimated N27billion as of June, while the 

government recently announced plans to 

withdraw $150million from the Sovereign 

Wealth Fund to fight the virus, which as of 

now has infected over 20,000 people and 

claimed about 500 lives. 

Weeping eyes 

The world is in tears but the eyes shedding 

the bitter tears can still see and the grieving 

hearts are asking questions. Why is all the 

money going to government - or to put it 

bluntly, to the ruling party - and what has 

government, so far, done with the billions of 

cash received in the name of the poor and 

vulnerable populations? Sierra Leone is 

answering the question in a familiar 

language. The government received about 

$8million from the World Bank as relief 

package for COVID-19, but the ruling party 

of President Julius Maada Bio is treating 

virus palliative like early Christmas gift 

from his family to desperate citizens. 

While the virus is taking its toll on the 

congested capital of Freetown and other 

urban areas just emerging from the 

devastating floods of mid-2019, the 

President’s wife is busy distributing 

palliatives mostly to those waving the flag 

of the ruling party. Relief distribution in 

that country has become so dangerously 

politicised and 

weaponised that 

the opposition, 

civil society and 

the media are 

compelled to ask 

if COVID-19 has 

party colours or if 

the virus knows 

only the 

residential 

addresses of 

opposition parties. It’s also a big problem 

in Nigeria. The trail of the palliatives is 

littered with complaints and bitterly 

imaginative skits by ordinary people who 

swear that they are being robbed. 

A report by the Human Rights Watch 

quoted a Nigerian NGO, the Social and 

Economic Rights Accountability Project, 

SERAP, as saying on April 4, “We are 

seriously concerned that millions of the 

country’s poorest and most vulnerable have 

not benefited from the announced 

palliatives, donations, reported cash 

payments, cash transfers and other benefits.” 

The government did not respond. 

In a country where ethnic tensions are 

fraught, the government is already being 

accused of using palliatives as yet another 

weapon of marginalisation. A number of 

communities in the South East controlled 

by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, have complained openly of neglect in 

the distribution of relief materials at the 

height of the five-week lockdown between 

March and May, for example. 

Similar complaints resonated in Lagos 

and Kano - two of the most densely populated 

urban areas, where ruling party chieftains 

were also accused of hijacking relief 

materials or using them to feather their 

political nests. Were it not for the seriousness 

of the matter, it could pass for a hilarious 

tale of thieves robbing thieves. Trust, an 

increasingly scarce commodity between 

government and citizens in the pre-COVID- 

19 period, has become even scarcer. 

Clean hands, guilty hearts 

A very inconvenient question is, where is 

the money going? Donors cannot, like 

Pontus Pilate, be content that they have done 

their bit. They cannot wash off their hands 

when the guilt in their heart is in plain sight 

and the fate of forlorn beneficiaries is 

getting worse. It’s a sad but true story that in 

a number of African countries, including 

Nigeria, governments having repeatedly 

failed to use donor or recovered funds for 

the benefit of their citizens, can hardly be 

trusted to use the virus packages well. 

In Nigeria, for example, what is to stop 

crooks who diverted 200 tonnes of dates 

worth N20million donated to Nigeria by 

Saudi Arabia for Internally Displaced 

Persons from swindling billions of 

coronavirus palliatives? Or who is to say it 

won’t happen again in Sierra Leone, where 

top officials of the Health Ministry 

misappropriated $500,000 in donor funds 

from vaccine provider, GAVI Alliance? 

Early concerns about the corona 

palliatives suggest it might not be different 

this time. In Uganda, members of 

parliament allocated $2.6million to 

themselves to “fight” coronavirus in their 

constituency - an appropriation that is as 

good as free lunch. What or who is to restrain 

governments anyway when ruling parties 

have overwhelming control of parliament, 

civil society is largely alienated and the 

media are on a shoestring budget? 

I’m not suggesting for a minute that 

misuse of palliatives is a wholly African 

disease; the shameless cornering of the first 

tranche of the stimulus package in the US 

even by fat cat corporates in that country is 

a cautionary tale. All I’m saying is that if 

the billions being poured into Africa is to 

have any meaningful impact, donors must 

find inclusive structures that take into 

account opposition parties, civil society and 

the media. 

Recipients must be held to account. It’s 

not the only way - but it’s one sure way to 

ensure greater transparency by all 

parties. The current packages – all of them 

almost exclusively bearing the names of 

ruling governments – are a recipe for 

scandal. The packages, as currently 

structured by donors, would only give charity 

a bad name. 


Special Interview 

Governor Sanwo-Olu committed to 

value for money in LAWMA 

—Ibrahim Odumboni, Acting MD 

•Says blackmail won’t stop ongoing reforms 

The Lagos State Waste 

Waste Management 

Authority (LAWMA) has 

been enmeshed in a 

controversy lately 

following protests by 

highway sweepers alleging 

they were being owed back 

pay. The acting Managing 

Director of the agency, Mr. 

Ibrahim Odumboni, spoke 

to journalists during the 

week to clarify the issues. 

Excerpts: 

Not many knew you 

until the recent reports 

of protest against 

LAWMA by some 

highway sweepers 

claiming to be owed 

arrears of salaries. For 

the benefit of readers, 

can you briefly tell us 

who is Ibrahim 

Adejuwon Odumboni? 

Well, let me begin by 

thanking Governor Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu for giving me the 

opportunity to serve. To 

answer your question 

directly, my training was in 

financial services 

management. I attended 

institutions both in Nigeria 

and the United Kingdom. 

Before I was appointed as 

acting Managing Director 

last month by Mr. Governor, 

I was serving as the Executive 

Director of the Lagos State 

Waste Management 

Authority (LAWMA). Before 

then, I had worked with some 

of the top financial institutions 

in the U.K including Lloyds th 

Banking Group, HSBC and 

till date, I continue to cherish 

those exposures because they 

provided me a platform to 

broaden and deepen my 

hands-on experience at the 

managerial level. For 

instance, between 2014 and 

2015, the team I led at Halifax 

Bank was able to grow its 

baseline revenue 

performance and overdouble 

that of the preceding 

year and sustained it. And 

between 2016 and 2017 

came another opportunity to 

help reform wealth 

management team synergies 

with retail banking outlets 

across the entire West of 

England & Wales in Lloyds 

Community Bank & Halifax 

Community Bank. For me, 

those experiences were 

unique because I believe they 

prepared one for greater 

responsibility in life. 

Protests by sweepers 

Lately, your organization 

seems to be in the news for 

the wrong reasons. There 

were reports in the media, 

particularly the 

thesocial media, 

of protests by some 

sweepers that they were 

being owed six-month 

arrear of salaries. What 

really is the situation? 

That is not entirely true. Let 

us just dismiss that as fake 

news or exaggerated story. 

LAWMA was not owing the 

highway sweepers and 

supervisors per se. Our 

operation is such that we 

delineate the twenty councils 

and thirty-seven 

development areas in Lagos 

•Ibrahim Odumboni 

into routes. These routes are 

in turn contracted out to 

mangers or contractors if you 

like. They are the ones who 

hire the sweepers and the 

supervisors directly. Our own 

role is to pay them and carry 

out oversight to ensure 

services we pay for are 

rendered. In this particular 

instance, what happened 

was that reports reaching us 

indicated that the contractors 

were not meeting their 

obligations to those they 

hired. 

Aside that, at our end, we 

discovered that the bills 

being submitted by the 

contractors were shooting 

up as the months rolled by. I 

think Mr. Governor was not 

happy with the situation. I 

was asked to take over in 

May. By the time I took over, 

only two months were being 

owed the contractors 

contrary to the stories being 

peddled around that the 

government was owing six 

months or so. As soon as I 

assumed office, Mr. 

Governor came to our aid and 

Some contractors 

were paying the 

hardworking 

sweepers N5000, 

N12000, N15000, 

N18500 monthly 

whilst the state 

approves N25000 for 

each sweeper and 

N40000 for 

supervisor 

approved money to clear one 

of the months pending. We 

need to appreciate that 

government operates a 

budget. So, if specific amount 

was earmarked to pay salaries 

for a period of time and it 

turned out that the figures 

were unduly overshot, it 

distorts the budgeting 

process and creates cash 

flow problems. 

As someone who is 

committed to judicious use 

of taxpayers money, Mr. 

Governor wanted to get to 

the root of the problem. He 

wanted to know why the 

wage bills shot up, to the 

point that LAWMA was 

having difficulties offsetting 

the bills submitted by the 

highway managers. 

But there have been 

accusations by some of the 

contractors that since you 

assumed office, you have 

mounted a witch-hunt 

against them. 

That is pure blackmail. Of 

course, upon my 

assumption of duties, I knew 

there was no way we could 

sustain the situation on 

ground. As a popular saying 

goes, it is unreasonable to 

keep doing things the old way 

and expect different 

outcome. You have to 

understand that Mr. 

Governor is by training and 

experience a financial guru. 

He approved that we carry 

out a forensic audit, to 

establish the integrity of the 

figures being claimed by the 

contractors. That is the only 

way we can arrive at 

something that is 

sustainable on a monthly 

basis. 

Audit report 

Of course, the audit carried 

out revealed a lot of things. 

We found out that a good 

number of the contractors 

were involved in sharp 

practices by padding up their 

bills with ghost sweepers and 

supervisors. Worse still, they 

were underpaying them. 

Some contractors were 

paying the hardworking 

sweepers N5000, N12000, 

N15000, N18500 monthly 

whilst the state approves 

N25000 for each sweeper 

and N40000 for supervisor. 

That has vindicated Mr. 

Governor. So, our task is to 

ensure that an end is put to 

such misconduct and ensure 

more judicious utilization of 

scarce resources. 

So, as you can see, it is those 

who were benefitting from 

the malpractices that went 

about sponsoring stories 

against us in the media to say 

they were being witch-hunted. 

They even went to the 

ridiculous extent of renting 

crowd to go and lay siege to 

the Government House in 

Marina with a view to 

blackmailing Mr. Governor to 

stop the audit. 

I must commend the 

auditors for doing a thorough 

job. 

As a matter of fact, when the 

auditors got to Ikorodu, they 

found in many areas that 

sweepers actually working 

were less than two-third of the 

those a particular contractor 

was making claims for 

monthly. In one particular 

location, the contractor had to 

go and hire people and 

quickly dress them up in 

LAWMA aprons to make 

them look like sweepers. But 

the secret was revealed when 

the phone numbers put under 

their names were found to be 

either non-existent or 

duplicated. In one case, when 

the phones assigned to four 

different persons were dialed 

for verification, they were 

found to be ringing in the 

pocket of one individual. That 

is the sort of malpractices 

Concludes online 

(www.vanguardngr.com

20—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

Obaseki set to clinch PDP ticket 

•To face Ize-Iyamu in September 19 poll 

•Why I stepped down from race — Imasuangbon 

*Obaseki 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY —GOVERNOR 

Godwin Obaseki of Edo State was 

at the verge of picking the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP governorship 

ticket at press time at the party’s primary 

in Benin. 

Delegates from the 18 local councils 

of the state were left with Obaseki as 

the sole candidate for election as his two 

major rivals, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama 

and Kemmeth Imansuagbon stepped 

down for him. 

As it is Obaseki will face his major 

challenger, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of 

the All Progressives Party, APC, in the 

September 19, 2020, governorship 

election in the state. 

Meanwhile, Imansuagbon, said he 

stepped down because of his desire to 

build a strong and united PDP in Edo 

and pledged to lead the campaign for 

the re-election of Obaseki. 

No one is bigger than PDP — 

Imasuangbon 

Speaking at the Samuel Ogbemudia 

Stadium, he said: “No one is bigger than 

our party. My interest cannot be bigger 

than that of the PDP, my aspirations and 

programmes are what Governor Obaseki 

can do. We have agreed to kill godfatherism 

in Nigeria and the umbrella 

is big enough for all of us so all of us 

must support him. 

“This is a defining moment for our 

nation and for our state. And the person 

that can do it for us is Godwin Obaseki. 

I decided to step aside for the following 

reasons: 

“Obaseki is a performing governor, and 

we want him to continue for the benefit 

of our state. 

“I stepped down because of the unity 

of our great party, our party is stronger 

and greater than my selfish and 

personal goal. We want to entrench 

democracy in our party and in Nigeria. 

“Our governor [Obaseki] stood up 

against god-fatherism. We no longer 

want godfathers in Nigeria. Never again 

will there be godfathers in Nigeria. And 

I stepped down because we want to 

entrench democracy in Nigeria.” 

Obaseki, a big catch for PDP — 

Ogbeide-Ihama 

On his part Ogbiede-Ihama, 

described the coming of Obaseki to the 

PDP as a big catch for the party, adding 

that nothing happens by chance. 

He commended Obaseki for returning 

the PDP back to office in Edo State, even 

as he urged Edo people to give their 

total support to the governor. 

He said, “I step down for Obaseki 

because sacrifice must be made when 

necessary. Let us work together to 

return Obaseki and PDP to Edo 

Government House,” he said. 

On his part, Engr. Gideon Ikhine, said 

God has used Governor Obaseki to 

open the door to the PDP to take over 

Edo State Government House. 

According to him, “Obaseki became 

God’s grace to our prayer and He has 

used him to bring PDP back to 

Government House. On that note, I 

decided to step down and allow him to 

drive and make Edo great.” 

PDP has learned from its mistakes 

—Muhammed 

Chairman, PDP Governorship Primary 

Election Committee for Edo State, 

Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi 

State, said that the party has learned 

from its past mistakes and would not 

allow history to repeat itself in the 

September 19 governorship election in 

the state. 

Mohammed, who addressed delegates 

and party supporters to the 

gubernatorial primary election of the 

party, said Nigerians trust the PDP 

because of its transparency and 

openness, adding that the PDP knows 

the interest and aspirations of 

Nigerians. 

He said: “PDP has been tested and 

trusted and we have been known for 

internal democracy. Yes, we have our 

mistakes but we have learnt our lesson 

from those mistakes. 

“Today (yesterday), we want to prove 

to the world that the PDP is the only 

party that they can trust. The primary 

[election] would be conducted in a free, 

fair, credible and transparent way, to 

prove a point that the party is the only 

one that can do that.” 

He described Obaseki as a very 

resourceful person at Nigeria’s 

Governorship Forum, noting that the 

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was a clear 

attestation of the governor’s 

performance. 

On his part, immediate past 

Chairman of Edo PDP, Chief Dan Orbih 

said: “Obaseki is fulfilling our desire all 

these years by bringing back Edo State 

into the same party with all other states 

of the South South.” 

To avoid rancour at the primaries, 

delegates were accredited at various 

locations and thereafter, they all came 

to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for 

voting. 

The delegates from Edo North were 

accredited at Delta Crescent in GRA, 

while those from Edo South were at 

Urubi street by Five Junction and those 

from Edo Central were accredited at the 

PDP secretariat by 1st East Circular 

Road. 

ROYAL SUPPORT—Members of the Ondo State Council of Obas, led by its 

Chairman, Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akiruntan, declaring the 

council's support for the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, in 

Akure, yesterday. 

APC writes INEC, fixes gov 

primary July 20 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA—THE Governor Mai Mala 

Buni-led Caretaker Committee of the 

All Progressives Congress, APC, 

has written the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

introducing the 13-member committee 

to the Commission and also slating its 

Ondo Governorship Primary Election 

for July 20. 

The letter which was dated June 25, 

2020 was signed by Gov. Buni and the 

secretary of the committee, Sen. John 

Akpanudoedehe. 

Other members of the caretaker 

committee introduced to the commission 

are: Isiaka Oyetola, Governor Osun 

from South-West, Ken Nnamani from 

South-East, Stella Okorete, 

representing women, Niger state 

governor Sani Bello from North-central, 

Dr. James Lalu representing physically 

Dissolution of NWC: Fear grips APC 

aspirants 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—FEAR has gripped some 

governorship aspirants contesting on 

the platform of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in Ondo State following 

the sack of the party’s National Working 

Committee, NWC, and the constitution of 

a Caretaker committee and Extraordinary 

convention planning committee. 

An aspirant, who spoke with Vanguard 

in confidence in Akure, expressed fear that 

the governors’ control over the party may 

affect their chances during the APC 

primary. 

The aspirant said: “Even though 

something needed to be done to arrest the 

possible drift, the timing shows that a level 

playing field was no longer feasible in the 

governorship race. 

“From the look of things, the governors 

have, at last, taken control of the APC; 

some of us warned the National Leader 

that he should put his feet down but was 

scared of the Ondo crisis. 

“With this development, we doubt if 

there will be a level playing ground 

because these governors are like a 

fraternity”. 

Contacted, the media aides to Messrs. 

Olusola Oke and Isaac Kekemeke 

declined comments on the development 

in the party. 

Monarchs endorse Akeredolu 

The Ondo State Council of Obas, 

yesterday, endorsed Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu for a second term in office. 

Its chairman and the paramount ruler of 

Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Frederick 

Akinruntan, said Governor Akeredolu has 

done well in the state and deserves a 

second term. 

challenged, Sen. Abubakar Yusuf 

representing Senate, Mr. Akinyemi 

Olaide representing House of 

Representatives, David Lyon 

representing South-South, Abba Ari 

representing North-West, Prof. Tahir 

Mamman representing North-East and 

Ismail Ahmed representing the youth. 

The letter reads: “I wish to please 

inform your Commission that, the 

National Executive Committee, NEC, 

of our great party at its 8th resumed 

meeting on Thursday, 25th June, 2020 

approved the immediate dissolution of 

the National Working Committee, 

NWC. 

“The National Executive Committee 

also constituted a National Caretaker/ 

Extra-Ordinary National Convention 

Planning Committee.” 

On the conduct of governorship 

primary election in Ondo State, the 

party asked the electoral empire to 

“kindly arrange the monitoring of the 

exercise accordingly.” 

•As monarchs endorse Akeredolu 

Speaking on behalf of the traditional 

rulers, Oba Akinruntan said: “The council 

of Obas in the state has already set up a 

committee in the three senatorial districts 

to work on the emergence of Governor 

Akeredolu and his reelection. 

“We looked at what he has done, 

particularly the Ore Flyover. Before now, 

I told someone I was scared to pass 

through that road since the day I met 18 

people dead in an accident on the road. 

But now, look at what Akeredolu has done 

for us. 

“That bridge is like Lagos and the United 

States Bridge. Look at the way he 

embraced all the Obas in the state. He 

has been fantastic. 

“We have not done this for any governor 

before. These are the Obas from the 18 

local government areas of the state. We 

have set up a Senatorial committee to work 

for the governor. 

“Those who are contesting with the 

Governor are wasting their time and 

resources. They should wait for another 

four years and let Aketi finish his second 

term. 

''On the 10th of July, we are coming here 

for a meeting to talk about how Akeredolu 

will emerge. He will complete his eight 

years in office.” 

Also speaking, the Olubaka of Oka, Oba 

Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, justified the 

position of his fellow kings. 

The Deji of Akure, who spoke on behalf 

of royal fathers in Ondo Central Senatorial 

zone, described Akeredolu's performance 

as iconic adding that all the governor's 

efforts are verifiable and salutary. 

Responding, Governor Akeredolu 

thanked the traditional rulers council for 

the endorsement and promised to do more 

during his second term in office.

Shock as rapists go on rampage in 

Nasarawa, Adamawa, Benue states 

•Three-month-old baby snatched, raped 

•Police arrest 42-year-old over rape of minor 

•NSCDC parades 27-year-old for raping 3-year-old baby in Lafia 

•As party scribe offers bribe to victim’s father to cover daughter's rape 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020—21 

DO THEY KNOW 

WHERE THEIR 

FATHERS ARE? 

Two girls playing in 

the sand on Father's 

Day at the Internally 

Displaced Persons 

Camp at Durumi, 

Abuja. They are still 

waiting for 

government to solve 

the securty problem 

in Gwoza, Borno 

State so they can 

return to their 

ancestrial homes. 

Photo: Abayomi 

Adeshida 

By Peter Duru, Umar Yusuf 

& David Odama 

THE incident of rape and 

sexual assault against 

women which has continued to 

escalate nationwide has 

particularly made its ugly 

presence felt in different parts 

of Northern Nigeria going by 

the alarming number of cases 

recorded in recent time. States 

where the most shocking cases 

have been reported included 

Nasarawa, Adamawa and 

Benue. 

Perhaps most shocking is the 

case of a three-month-old baby 

who was snatched from her 

mother and raped by some 

criminal elements at their 

hideout. Speaking in an 

interview, the mother of the 

toddler, Maimuna Aliyu, said 

she was shocked at the extent 

of the wickedness unleashed 

on her baby by the men. 

“I was deep asleep with my 

daughter. But I later woke up 

to discover that she had been 

snatched from my side. My baby 

was later found abandoned with 

blood stains all over her 

genitals in an uncompleted 

building opposite Government 

Primary School, Adogi. We 

were admitted to the Jos 

Teaching Hospital where the 

baby had undergone surgery 

twice and is billed for the third 

soon,” the sobbing mother said. 

Three-year-old raped 

In another incident, a threeyear-old 

baby was allegedly 

raped by a 27-year-old man, 

Ahmadu Yaro, at Adogi 

Community in Lafia Local 

Government Area of Nasarawa 

State. 

Yaro was later arrested and 

paraded by the Nasarawa State 

Command of the Nigerian 

Security and Civil Defence 

Corps, NSCDC, for the crime. 

13-year- old raped 

Another case involved a 42- 

year-old man, Ahmadu Idris of 

Ngbalang Village of Numan 

Local Government Area of 

Adamawa State, who was 

arrested for raping a 13-yearold 

girl. 

•Nasarawa State governor, Sule 

Confirming the incident, the 

Public Relations Officer of the 

command, DSP Suleiman 

Nguroje, said the Divisional 

Police Officer, DPO, in charge 

of Numan LGA brought the 

matter which has already been 

transferred to the Criminal 

Investigation Department. 

Nguroje said the suspect 

allegedly molested the minor 

while her grandmother sent her 

to market some female 

wrappers to her neighbours. 

The father of the victim, 

Mallam Musa Abubakar, told 

Arewa Voice that the alleged 

rapist deceived his daughter by 

instructing her to take the 

materials to his wives in his 

house so that they could make 

their choice for him to pay. 

Abubakar explained that 

immediately she entered the 

rapist's residence, he directed 

her to proceed to his second 

wife's apartment where he 

forcefully had carnal knowledge 

of her after he allegedly 

threatened to kill her if she 

resisted his moves. Abubakar 

added that the rapist's second 

wife came back home and 

caught them red-handed on her 

matrimonial bed, a situation that 

provoked her to scream and 

alert neighbours to the 

unimaginable abomination. 

NGOs angry over rape 

incidents 

Meantime, the incessant rape 

situation has angered many 

non-governmental 

organisations, particularly in 

Nasarawa State. One of them, 

the Manager of Child 

Education and Community 

Development Initiative, CECDI, 

Jonah Aboki, who has 

expressed disappointment with 

the ease with which the police 

and other security agencies in 

Nigeria dismiss rape cases with 

a wave of the hand, saying that 

must stop if the menace of rape 

is to be checked. 

Aboki claimed that most cases 

Continues on page 22 

COVID-19: We can’t sell our cows, Myetti Allah cries out 

•as farmers and herders explore avenues to end conflicts in Plateau 

By Marie-Therese Nanlong 

A 

FEW weeks ago, 

information filtered in that 

one Mr. Luka Badung, the 

Village Head of Bangai in Bachi 

District of Riyom Local 

Government Area of Plateau State 

was attacked by "an identified 

Fulani herdsman named Ja’afaru 

Tahiru." 

The victim was reportedly in his 

farm that afternoon when he was 

attacked. Before the attack on 

him, it was gathered that some 

cattle were grazing on his crops 

and he asked the herder to take 

them away but the herder refused. 

Rather than do as he was told, 

the herder hit the traditional ruler 

on the head, leaving him 

bleeding profusely. 

•Adamawa State governor, Fintiri 

Although he survived the 

assault, he is still being treated 

for the wounds he sustained from 

the incident, while the suspect is 

yet to be arrested. Mr. Badung is 

not the only victim, he was just 

lucky to survive. Many others 

were not so fortunate: they lost 

their lives as the result of the 

persistent farmers/herders 

conflicts which mostly occur 

during the planting and 

harvesting periods. 

It is common place to hear 

stories of cows grazing on farms, 

ready to be harvested crops being 

mowed down as well as stoning 

and sometime killing of cows that 

are allowed to trespass on 

farmlands. But genuine herders 

and farmers have tried to avert 

violent conflicts in carrying out 

their trades and are working out 

ways of ensuring peaceful 

coexistence in the communities. 

Both groups have denounced 

those who knowingly trespass 

other people's boundaries, 

describing them as trouble makers 

and enemies of peace. To sustain 

and improve on the fragile peace 

being experienced in 

communities in the hinterlands 

within this farming season and 

beyond, stakeholders from the 

herding and farming 

communities have given some 

thoughts on what should be done 

to avert violence and proffer 

solutions that can end violent 

conflicts. Both communities 

acknowledged the ravaging 

COVID-19 disease is already 

having negative impacts on them, 

•Benue State governor, Ortom 

hence the need to forestall other 

man-made problems which would 

further worsen their economic 

wellbeing. 

Speaking with Arewa Voice in 

Jos, the State Secretary of Miyetti 

Allah Cattle Breeders Association 

of Nigeria, MACBAN, Abdullahi 

Ardo, noted that COVID-19 

disease is adversely affecting the 

sales of cattle among the herding 

community and to get a reprieve, 

safety protocols must be obeyed 

and to have a hitch-free farming 

season, all community members 

must live in peace and respect 

one another's space. 

His words: "We are having hard 

time selling our cows in the 

markets because of the COVID- 

19 disease; but we are very 

conscious of the safety protocols 

Continues on page 23

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council and Tor Tiv, Ochivirigh Prof. James Ayatse 

(middle) flanked on his right by his chiefs, the Chairman of BSIEC, Terso Loko, former VC of 

ABU, Prof. Daniel Saror. On his left are the Medical Director of First Fertility Hospital, FFH, Dr. 

Stephen Hwande, Principal Special Assistant to Governor Ortom, Mr. Frank Utoo cutting the 

cake to mark the fifth year anniversary of FFH. 

AREWA VOICE TEAM 

Editor: Soni Daniel 

Correspondents: 

Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin 

Bashir Bello, Kano 

Aliyu Dangida, Dutse 

Umar Yusuf, Yola 

Ibrahim HassnWuyo, Kaduna 

Peter Duru, Makurdi 

Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos 

Abdul Murtala, Kano 

Femi Bolaji, Jalingo 

David Odama, Lafia 

Charly Agwam, Bauchi 

Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja 

Andy Asemota, Katsina 

Kwara APC factions trade 

words over anti-party 

activities 

By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN-- A faction of the 

ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in kwara 

State, has accused Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq 

of being behind the protracted crisis rocking the party 

in the state. According to a statement by the Financial 

secretary and Treasurer of the party, Mohammed Shola 

Tajudeen and Alhaji Dantala Yaro, members of the party 

who recently attended a parley with the state government 

on behalf of the leadership of the party did not have the 

consent of the party. 

But the other faction in a statement by Alhaji Tajudeen 

Aro Folaranmi, dismissed the claims saying it was the 

chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, who was responsible for 

the protracted crisis in the party, accusing the chairman 

of not being accountable to members at any meeting. 

He said: “The governor has never been responsible 

for any crisis, he never had any hand in the crisis.Before 

our crisis escalated, whenever we had meetings and asked 

the chairman to give account of the party’s financial 

expenditure particularly during the last elections, he 

used to curse us, what kind of leadership is that? He has 

never been transparent.” 

However, the action against the governor in the 

statement among others, said “For any avoidance of 

doubt, we affirm unequivocally that the state chairman 

of the party in kwara State is Hon Bashir Omolaja 

Bolarinwa. In line with the provisions of the party’s 

constitution, the deputy chairman can only represent 

the chairman at any official function at the behest of the 

chairman." 

Borno Lawmaker showers constituents 

with tractors, improved seedlings 

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri 

AS part of his constituency 

project, the member 

representing Kaga, Gubio and 

Magumeri Federal Constituency, 

Borno State, Usman Zannah, has 

showered his constituents with 

farm implements and improved 

seed varieties to boost agriculture 

and economic development to 

farmers for this year's cropping 

season. 

He also sponsored the drilling 

of boreholes to ensure a steady 

supply of potable water for the 

people who are mostly farmers. 

And to help prevent the spread 

of COVID-19, the lawmaker 

provided his people with packets 

of hand sanitizer, soap and other 

disinfectants. At a ceremony, 

which was well attended by 

stakeholders, Zannah, who is the 

Deputy Chairman House 

Committee on Basic Education, 

gave out two tractors to 

communities in Kaga and 

COVID-19: Employers can’t sack workers without approval, 

due process —FG 

By Victor Young 

IN its resolve to ensure job 

security and an unnecessary 

sack of workers during 

coronavirus, COVID-19 

pandemic, the Federal 

Government has insisted that 

employers in both public and 

private sectors cannot sack 

workers without approval or due 

process under the nation’s labour 

laws. 

Speaking through the Minister 

of Labour and Employment, 

Senator Chris Ngige, the 

government also urged private 

employers not to default in salary 

payment to their workers 

following the stimulus package 

provided by the government 

during the pandemic. 

Ngige who spoke in a keynote 

address at the virtual High-Level 

Panel, HLP, on Labour Migration 

in Nigeria, organised by the 

International Labour 

Organisation, ILO, with the 

theme, “Implications of COVID- 

19 on the Rights of Migrant 

Workers in Nigeria”, saying “this 

is also why Government has 

continued to pay her public 

servants who have been at home 

since the Pandemic as a sign of 

support during the various 

lockdowns.” 

Presenting the address titled: 

“Accentuating the Role of 

Government in Protection 

Migrant Workers in Nigeria in the 

context of COVID-19 pandemic,” 

Ngige described the timing of the 

meeting as very apt, because of the 

global pandemic which has 

resulted in severe economic and 

labour market shocks across the 

world. 

He acknowledged that the 

political economy of COVID-19 

had had a devastating effect on 

employment and basic services, 

rising cost of living and reduced 

economic activities due to 

disruption of the global supply 

chain. 

The Minister in a statement by 

his media aide, Emmanuel 

Nzomiwu, reiterated that the: 

“Federal Government and 

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

have decided to halt job losses by 

putting stimulus packages and 

increased social interventions. 

That was why in his (President 

Muhammad Buhari) May Day 

message to workers and 

Employers declared that any 

retrenchment must follow due 

process of our country’s Labour 

Law and requisite approval of 

Federal Ministry of Labour and 

Employment, whilst the CBN also 

said any laying off in the Banking 

sector will have the approval of 

the Banker’s committee. We are 

reminding employers in the 

country both in private and public 

sectors that the federal 

government still stands on this.” 

He urged the private sector 

employers not to default in salary 

payment, especially since 

government had provided an 

economic stimulus to cushion the 

effect of 

COVID-19. He 

informed that 

“this is also why 

Government 

has continued 

to pay her 

public servants 

who have been 

at home since 

the Pandemic as 

a sign of support 

during the 

v a r i o u s 

lockdowns.” 

Ngige noted 

that the Federal 

Government recognised that labour 

migrants were among those bearing 

the brunt of the crisis and that 

government had made concerted 

and coordinated efforts and 

responses to address the situation, 

such as the inclusion of migrant 

workers in the national pandemic 

preparedness and response plans 

and promoting equitable access 

to essential services. 

Magumeri local government 

areas. He promised that Gubio 

people would soon have their 

own share when the security 

situation improves. 

The gesture, he said, was to 

complement efforts of the state 

government under the 

leadership of Governor 

Babagana Umara Zulum, who 

had earlier repaired existing 10 

tractors for Magumeri Council 

alone for this rainy season. 

He pointed out that the 

improved seed varieties, which 

were brought in from Kano, 

comprised millet and cowpea, 

among other cash crops. This is 

in addition to plan for purchasing 

seed varieties from the Lake Chad 

Research Institute, Maiduguri, 

which are short maturity crops. 

He appealed to security agencies 

to intensify their efforts in the 

fight against Boko Haram, so that 

farmers, who are willing to 

become self-reliant, would be 

engaged in agriculture to ensure 

food security. 

His words: " I am very 

delighted to be in your midst 

today to launch agricultural 

inputs to our teaming farmers. 

This is a constituency 

programme aimed at supporting 

the Borno State Government 

under the leadership of His 

Excellency, Professor Babagana 

Umar Zulum who has the 

passion for farmers by repairing 

10 existing tractors for Kaga 

Council Area alone, and other 

communities across the state."

How I was offered bribe to cover rape of 

my daughter —Odeh 

Mr. Augustine Odeh is the father of 15-year-old daughter who was recently raped at Otada 

Village in Otukpo LGA by one Eddie Ojah, 45, a political bigwig of one of the political parties 

in Benue State. In this interview conducted in Otukpo the aggrieved father spoke on how his 

daughter was raped, how the alleged rapist attempted to bribe him and also begged him in 

God’s name after committing the act, the trauma his daughter is going through; his 

recommended punishment for all rapists and lots more. Excerpts: 

By Peter Duru, Makurdi 

YOU recently reported to 

the Police that your 15- 

year-old daughter was raped, how 

did that happen? 

A few days ago I sent my daughter 

to go and grind cassava at the 

winepress but on her way back, one 

Edi Uja got hold of her, beat her 

and dragged her into his room. 

While inside his room he increased 

the volume of his radio so that 

nobody would hear the shout from 

my daughter. He raped her and 

even inflicted serious injuries on 

her. This happened around 10 a.m 

on that day. The situation 

compounded my daughter’s health 

condition because she recently 

underwent surgery for hernia. 

When she got home, I noticed that 

my daughter was battered. I asked 

what happened and she narrated 

everything to me. I immediately 

took her to the Police Station in 

Otukpo to make a formal 

complaint and the Investigating 

Police Officer immediately 

followed us to the hospital where 

she was admitted for treatment. 

Could there have been an 

existing amoral relationship 

between your daughter and the 

said man before the incident? 

There was nothing like that. 

Do you know the said rapist 

personally? 

I know him personally. We are 

all in the same Otada Village but 

we are not living in the same 

neighbourhood. 

His house is far away from my 

own but the place where we grind 

cassava is closer to him; that is why 

he got my daughter easily. He is a 

politician and state secretary of one 

Shock over rape 

incidents in 

Nasarawa, 

Adamawa, Benue 

states 

Continued from page 21 

of defilement brought before the 

government agencies were 

dismissed on arrival and the 

suspects allowed to walk away 

as if they were above the law in 

Nigeria. 

Aboki said: "We are frustrated 

with the manner and ways rape 

cases are being handled in 

Nasarawa State. How can a twoyear-child 

be molested, 

harassed and dehumanised 

and when the victims manage 

to report their traumatic 

situation to the lawenforcement 

agencies they still 

see nothing wrong with that?” 

•Augustine Odeh 

of the political parties. 

Are you sure this allegation is 

not a frame up? 

My daughter has never had that 

kind of thing before and the way 

he beat her up will tell you what 

happened. Moreover, you will see 

the reaction of a person that was 

forced. There is a clear difference 

between a woman who has given 

consent and one who was raped. 

Again, he came and begged me 

the following day after raping my 

daughter. I have the recording of 

when he came to beg. He came 

with three men, including his 

senior brother. He started to beg 

me, saying that he did not know 

Continues from page 21 

that she was my child. He said he 

thought she was from another 

village in Otada; that was why he 

raped her. He also promised to give 

me money. But I told him I would 

never forgive him for what he did 

to my child. I told him I am 

prepared to die seeking justice for 

my child. 

Why didn’t you arrest him the 

day he came to beg? 

Because we wanted to confirm 

that he actually did it and also have 

him recorded which we did. And 

after we recorded him we learnt 

that some persons called him to 

confirm if he actually did it and if 

he came begging us. He denied 

been cut down with cutlasses 

and people grazing at night." 

Ardo who earlier noted that 

modern ranching can solve 

herders/farmers conflicts added: 

"With the current peaceful 

coexistence that we are 

experiencing on the Plateau, I 

believe we will not have any 

problem this farming season and 

by God's grace, beyond the 

season. Let the right things be 

done." 

Also speaking, the State 

Chairman of All Farmers' 

Association of Nigeria, AFAN, 

John Wuyep, stated that the 

COVID-19 disease has helped 

in some ways to mitigate conflicts 

between farmers and herders, 

especially during the farming 

season. 

According to him: "Because of 

the COVID-19 disease, the 

communities now take part in 

policing the areas; so the issues 

of conflicts have been minimal. 

Apart from the recent incidents 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020–23 

I am worried because she has 

been feeling terrible pains at the 

points she was operated upon. 

Sometimes if she eats she vomits 

everything almost immediately. 

She has been crying of back pains 

as well. We would have left her in 

the hospital but for security 

reasons. 

How has your wife been able to 

cope with this incident? 

She is taking it easy and she is 

the one taking care of her. But as a 

woman I know she is in pains and 

I can see it on her face daily. She is 

like the person carrying the pain. 

But I keep encouraging her and 

assuring her that our daughter will 

be fine though I am also in pains. I 

thank God that the government 

has joined me to ensure that he is 

arrested because I want justice for 

my daughter. 

I must say that anyone who tries 

to do anything to deny my daughter 

have been 

justice will be visited by God with 

searching 

similar incident. That is all I can 

for him 

say because I don’t have money to 

with the 

pursue justice. I am pained because 

police. 

since the incident my daughter is 

There was a 

traumatised. I have been 

time we 

encouraging her but she is scared 

were told he 

of even male members of my 

was at 

family, including her siblings. It is 

Ochobo a 

that bad. 

neighbouring 

Is she in school? 

village but 

Yes, she is an SS II student of 

we went 

Ewulo College here in Otukpo; but 

there with 

because she is so brilliant we are 

the police 

registering her for School 

and the 

Certificate examination. 

vigilante 

A search is currently ongoing 

and he was 

for the alleged rapist. Are you 

not found. 

hopeful that he would be caught 

and what would you recommend 

as punishment for those who 

engage in such acts? 

I am hopeful that he would be 

caught but if he is not caught I will 

hand everything over to God. My 

prayer is for her to recover fully 

from this incident. As for my 

recommended punishment for all 

rapists, it should be castration. The 

man that raped my daughter 

should be castrated to serve as 

deterrent to others like him. 

Though he has two kids already 

his wife divorced him some time 

ago. 

that nothing of such happened. 

Even the persons he brought to beg 

denied that they visited us to beg. 

But thank God we recorded 

everything that happened. 

Did he give you money? 

He did not give me any money 

though he promised to give me 

money. He also promised to talk 

to my debtor who is owing me part 

of the money of the land I sold to 

him. He said he would talk to the 

debtor to pay me the balance. He 

then begged me in the name of God 

to forgive him for what he did to 

my child, that he was not aware 

that she is my child. 

Are you aware that the National 

Assembly member from your 

area has pledged a bounty for his 

arrest since the police is still 

looking for him? 

That is what I heard but up till 

this moment nobody has seen him 

after he came and spoke to me. I 

I am pained 

because since the 

incident my 

daughter is 

traumatised; I have 

been encouraging 

her but she is scared 

of even male 

members of my 

family, including 

her siblings 

So what is the condition of your 

daughter at the moment? 

She is getting better. 

Is she still at the hospital? 

No, she was discharged because 

some people have been coming to 

the hospital and asking questions 

and we do not know who is who. At 

a point some unknown men were 

coming, and out of fear I decided 

to take her home for security 

reasons. In fact, before I moved her 

some persons came asking for her 

test results when I was not at the 

hospital, but when I got there they 

all ran away. The doctor at the 

hospital also advised that we take 

her home for her safety. 

COVID-19: We can’t sell our cows, Myetti Allah cries out 

you to allow your animal to go 

into farmlands just like that 

because anywhere you go, you 

see crop farmers on the farm. It 

was when the crises were going 

on that we had lots of cases that 

cattle farmers graze in the night 

but with dialogue and the 

understanding by both herders 

and crop farmers that night 

grazing is not good, it is 

prohibited. 

"You can't graze in the night and 

say you are doing something 

good for yourself. Why would you 

graze in the night if you don't 

have an ulterior motive? Most 

livestock farmers have 

understood that if issues of 

grazing routes are settled, I think 

we will not be hearing about 

crops being destroyed here and 

there. Anywhere you hear of crop 

destruction, look at it very keenly: 

there is crisis in that community. 

It is usually a case of crops having 

in Miango, Bassa local government 

area, we have not heard 

of crop destruction like in the 

past. We have to know that urbanisation, 

over-population and 

other factors cannot support 

certain trades for long; and in the 

case of animal rearing, the only 

solution is ranching because most 

of the fields are becoming parts 

of habitation. 

"Houses, schools, hospitals, etc, 

have sprung up and will continue 

to spring up. I think the solution 

to farmers/herders conflicts is 

ranching. There are series of 

dialogues and workshops and we 

want to thank and specially 

appreciate Search for Common 

Ground, an organisation, which 

provided a platform where most 

of the farmers and herders always 

meet, interact and share some 

solutions to their issues. As I said 

earlier, the conflict in recent time 

has been minimal. I'm not saying 

it is over but as we continue to 

dialogue, we will achieve the 

best for all of us." 

Meanwhile, for Ezra Matawal 

from Zargwok community in 

Bokkos local government area , 

relevant stakeholders should not 

rest in finding lasting solution to 

farmers/herders conflict. 

According to him: "People in 

charge should do the needful. 

Nobody wants problem and for 

now, there is no problem. What 

can bring lasting peace is if the 

herdsmen would stop putting 

their cows in our farms to destroy 

our crops. People in authority 

should support them to get where 

to put their cows and feed. 

"It is easier to feed animals in 

one place but you can't cultivate 

a tiny portion and expect a large 

yield which you can sell and also 

eat. The ranching policy should 

be properly implemented and 

relevant laws strengthened to 

punish defaulters; by doing so, 

everyone will have his space."


PEREIRA 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Pereira Monisola Ibironke, 

now wish to be known and 

address as Mrs. Akinwusi 

Monisola Ibironke. Former 

documents remain valid, 

general public please take note. 

AFOLABI 


Ibukun Victoria Afolabi, now 

wish to be known as Mrs 

Ibukun Victoria Ajagunna. 

Former documents remain 

valid. General public please 

take note. 

ONYEMARIN 

I, formerly known as Onyemarin 

Lorita, now wish to be known as 

Amamkwu Lorita henceforth. 

Documents bearing either of the 

names Onyemarin Lorita, Onyemarin 

Lorita Ifeoma or Amamkwu Lorita 

belong to same person, me and remain 

valid. General Public, to whom it may 

concern please take note. 

NWOGBO 

I, Nwogbo Joy Nonyelum also 

known as Joycy Chinonye 

Nwanah, now wish to be 

known as Nwogbo Joy 

Nonyelum. All my documents 

bearing Joycy Chinonye 

Nwanah remains valid. General 

public take note. 

AGYA 

I, formerly known as Agya 

Ruth, now wish to be known 

as Agya Ruth Wini. Former 

documents remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

ANAZA 


Anaza Sandra Ifeanyi, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Onyeka Sandra Ifeanyi. 



take note. 

PRESTIGE 

I, formerly known as Akra 

Precious Prestige, now wish to 

be known as Akra Precious 

Oritseweyinmi. All former 


General public take note. 

MUOCHEBE 

I, formerly known as Muochebe 

Benedine Chinwe and Oliver 

Benedine, now wish to be known as 

Onwuje Benedine Chinwe. All 

former documents remain valid. 

NYSC, UBA, ZENITH BANK, 

general public and all relevant 

Authorities please take note. 

NMOKA 


Nmoka Doris Okpohowunwa, 

now wish to be known as Mrs. 

Imuerure Doris Evuarherhe. All 

former documents remain 


take note. 

UCHUNO 


Uchuno Lilian Ifeanyi, now 


Metitiri Lilian Ifeanyi. All 



take note. 

ONYEKABA 


Onyekaba Augustina 

Chinenye, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Okoye 

Augustina Chinenye. Former 



note. 

AKONG 


Akong Ita Okon, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Akong Essien 

Ita. Former documents remain 


take note. 

AMAHJUOYI 

My name was wrongly written 

as Amahjuoyi Chidinso 

Chukwunalu, instead of my 

correct name, Amajuoyi 

Chidinso Eugene. All former 



note. 

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I, formerly known as Onyinye 

Maureen Nwoye, now wish to 

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Mesigo. Former documents 

remain valid. General public 

please take note. 

OLAIYA 


Olaiya Shade Modinat, now 


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take note. 

ANGIRI 

I, formerly known as Angiri 

Benjamin Buduazu, now wish 

to be known as Angre Benjamin 

Sule. Former documents remain 


take note. 

ATAMOKARA 

I, formerly known as Daniel 

Fuokerede Atamokara, now 

wish to be known as Daniel 

Ebifuokerede Kems. All 


valid. General public take note. 

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I, formerly known as 

Ezebunwa Godspower, now 

wish to be known as Eze 

Godspower. All former 

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OTEGBULU 


Otegbulu Chinwe Nnenna, 


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take note. 

UBA 

I, formerly known as Miss Uba 

Nneka Blessing, now wish to 

be known as Mrs. Nwachukwu 

Nneka Blessing. All former 



note. 

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I, formerly known as Miss Duru 

Tracy Joy, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Ogwu Tracy 

Joy. Former documents remain 


take note. 

IKWO 

I, formerly known as Mrs. Ikwo 

Offiong Etim, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Ikwo Essien 

Okon. Former documents 



APUTU 


Francisca Ejiroghene Aputu, 


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take note. 

EMMANUEL 


as Egbaiyelo Gbemga 

Emmanuel, instead of my 

correct name, Egbaiyelo 

Gbenga Emmanuel. All former 



note. 

DAN 


Uduak Dominic Dan, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. 

Uduakobong Godwin Effiong. 



take note. 

LAWI OB 

I, formerly known as Fyafa 

Lawi, now wish to be known 

as Fxafaterimam. Former 



note. 

LUCKY 

I, formerly known as Lucky 

Okiemute Ohwobeno, now 

wish to be known as Afo 

Hwabeno Felix. All former 



NORTEH 


Thankgod Adoage Norteh, 

now wish to be known as 

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TOMPE 

I, formerly known as Tompe 

Gabriel, now wish to be known 

as Tompe Markus Gabriel. 



take note. 

SABORO 

I, formerly known as Saboro 

Happy, now wish to be known 

as Chukwuemeka Happy. 



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I, formerly known as Ezeokoli 

Joseph Chukwuemeka, now 

wish to be known as Ezenwile 

Moses Chukwuchetam. 



take note. 

OKORISA OD 

This is to confirm that the name, 

Okorisa Victoria Oluwatosin and 

Arowolo Victoria Oluwatosin refer 

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documents remain valid. General 

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NTIA 


Emem Asuquo Ntia, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Emem 

Sandy Aaron. Former 



note. 

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All documents bearing my 

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note. 

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I, formerly known as Mrs. 

Glory Jonathan Onosohwo, 


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I, formerly known as Miss Joy 

Odaberuje Alabi, now wish to 

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note. 

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Ozegbe Priscillia Amaka, now 


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KAFE 

I, formerly known as Kafe 

Irambanyang, now wish to be 

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Irambanyang. Former 



note. 

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ONYEMEH 


Onyemeh Jane Chinwe, now 

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note. 

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In my documents, my name 

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Etietop Johnson. The correct 

arrangement is Johnson 

Etietop Nicodemus. Former 



note. 

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Kaycee. All documents bearing 

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ARUWEI 

I, formerly known as Miss Julia 

Segha Aruwei, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Julia Segha 

Onochie. All former 



note. 

EMESIOBI 

This is to confirm that the name, Joy 

Chima Emesiobi and Joy Kemasim 

Emesiobi refer to me. I now wish to 

be known as Joy Chima Emesiobi. 

Former documents remain valid. 

General public please take note. 

OKATO 


Erhivwor Ogheneochuko, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. Okato 

Erhivwor Ogheneochuko. All 



take note. 

EZEDOM EKEH 


Ekeh Ifeoma Favour, now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Aghaeze 

Ifeoma Favour. All former 



note. 

DANJI 

I, formerly known as Danji 

Emmanuel, now wish to be 

known as Danji Emmanuel 

Auta. Former documents 



SAMUEL 

I, formerly known as Samuel 

Hauwa, now wish to be known 

as Suleiman Hauwa. All former 



note. 

ONYEKACHI 


Onyekachi Alloysius 

Thaddeus, now wish to be 

known as Thaddeus Alloysius 

Onyekachi. Former documents 



NNAKWE 

I, formerly known as Nnakwe 

Onyeka Sunday, now wish to 

be known as Nnaukwu Onyeka 

Sunday. Former documents 



OGUNLEYE 

This is to confirm that the name, 

Ogunleye Tobiloba Mojisola and 

Ogunleye Oluwatobi Ifeoluwa refer 

to me. I now wish to be known as 

Ogunleye Tobiloba Ifeoluwa. Former 

documents remain valid. General 

public please take note. 

VICTORIA 

I, formerly known as Victoria 

Aboma Adumein, now wish to 

be known as Peace Aboma 

Adumein. All former 



AKE 

I, formerly known as Andrew 

Chimeze Ake, now wish to be 

known as Andrew Ake. All 


valid. Bank, general public and 

all relevant Authorities please 

take note. 

EIGBADON 


Edith Onosemenhame 

Eigbadon, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Ashuman 

Beloved Edith. All former 



note. 

ORIENO 


Orieno Orobor Anthonia, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. Isidi- 

Peter Orobor Anthonia. All 



take note. 

UMUKORO EZEDOM 

I, formerly known as Miss Umukoro 

Avuariobosa Grace, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Ogbudu BestGrace 

Avuariobosa. All former documents 

remain valid. Kingdom Heritage 

Model School and general public 

please take note.

EKE 


as Eke Chinedu Catetan, 

instead of Eke Chinedu 

Cajetan, now wish to be known 

as Eke Chinedu Cajetan. All 


valid. Lead Way Pension. The 

general public should please 

take note. 

INNOCENT 

I, formerly known as Chukwu 

Francis Innocent, now wish to 

be known as Chukwu Francis 

Okere. All former documents 



PAUL 


Ahukanna Nwanganga Paul, 


Ahukanna Chiemela .P.. All 



take note. 

ACHINIKE 


Achinike Deborah Chidera, 


Nduka Deborah Chidera. All 


valid. The general public should 


public should please take note. 

AGHOGHOVWIA 


Aghoghovwia Princess, now 

wish to be known as Mrs 

Princess Avwora. All former 



note. 

take note. 

YUSUF 


Yusuf Senimentu Joy, now wish 

to be known as Mrs Atavwoda 

Ovuefe Senimentu Joy. All 



take note. 

CHANGE OF NAME 

ELABOR KEKEJE AKAMAKUSI OGHENEKUME BEN 

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as I, formerly known as I, formerly known as Dossy 

Kuburat Elabor, now wish to Kekeje Faith Precious, now Akamakusi Dorcas Udhedhe, Ibreiavemi Dockas Helen Nnamdi Ben, now wish 

be known as Mrs. Kuburat 


now wish to be known as Oghenekume, now wish to be 

to be known as Dossy Helen 

Mercy Lindon. All former 

Arorote Dorcas Udhedhe. All known as Utor Dockas. All 

Kekeje-Kalu Faith. All former 

Nwaose. All former documents 


former documents remain former documents remain 



valid. General public please valid. General public please 


note. 

General public please take note. take note. 

take note. 


OMOREGIE 

STEPHEN 

OGHOJAMONI 

OVORO 

IGINIAMRE 

This is to confirm that the names This is to confirm that the names Mrs. I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss 

Omoregie Vincent and Omoregie Stephen Adaeze Ruth and Mrs. Oghojamoni Emakpor 

Ovoro Emuejevoke Esther, Oghenevwaire Iginiamre, now 

Oshilonya Ruth Adaeze refer to one Augustina, now wish to be 

Igbinosa Vincent refer to one and the 

now wish to be known as Mrs wish to be known as Mrs Alako 

and the same person. I now wish to known as Mrs Akinbobola 

same person. I now wish to be 

be known as Mrs. Stephen Adaeze Emakpor Augustina. All Sefia Esther Emuejevoke. All Oghenevwsire Rachel. All 

known as Omoregie Vincent. All Ruth. All former documents remain former documents remain former documents remain former documents remain 

former documents remain valid. valid. General public please take valid, general public please valid, general public please take valid, general public please take 

General public please take note. note. 

take note. 

note. 

note. 

UDUMA 

OBIKE 

OCHU 

EGWU 

ADESINA 

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as 

Uduma Eunice Awah, now wish Obike Ogochukwu Anabelle, Ochu Loretta Chidiebere, now Egwu Violet Nkechi, now wish Miss Mujidat Adenike Adesina, 

to be known as Mrs Emmanuel now wish to be known as Mrs wish to be known as Mrs Umeh to be known as Mrs Sabastine now wish to be known as 

Eunice Ogbu. All former Oko Ogochukwu Anabel. All Loretta Chidiebere. All former Nkechi Violet. All former Mrs. Ruth Adenike Afolabi. All 

documents remain valid. former documents remain documents remain valid. documents remain valid. former documents remain 

General public please take valid. General public please Banks and general public please General public please take valid. General public please 

note. 

take. 

take note. 

note. 

take note. 

SUNDAY 

BELLO 

JAJA 

RAY-OWEN 

UGWU 

I, formerly known as Chikas I, formerly known as Bello I, formerly known as Miss Jaja I, formerly known as Miss I, Onuu Michael Ugwu wish to correct my 

Sunday Damilep, now wish to 

Haruna Ungwaha and Bello 

name which was wrongly captured as 

Matilda Reuben, now wish to be Marie Ivie Ray-Owen, now 

Ugwu Onu Michael, instead of Onuu Ugwu 

Haruna Omeiza, now wish to 

be known as Chikas Damilep be known as Bello-Ungwaha known as Mrs. Matilda Jaja- wish to be known as Mrs, Marie Michael in my West African Examination 

Council Certificate. I, now wish to be known 

Mpyet. All former documents Haruna Omeiza. All former Oluwafemi Akosile. All former Kester. All former documents as Onuu Michael Ugwu. All former 



documents remain valid. remain valid. General public documents remain valid. West African 


Examinations Council (WAEC), Banks and 


note. 

General public please take note. please take note. 

Institutions should take note. 

ABIA 

I, formerly known as Mrs. Abia 

ONUJAGBE 

I, formerly known as Grace 

IDAGAN 


HAJARA 

I, formerly known as Haruna 

UGONNA 

My name was wrongly spelt as 

Miracle Adimchinobi, now Onyeche Onujagbe, now wish Meg Adebo Idagan, now wish 

Chiwendu Ugonna instead of 

Hajara, now wish to be known 

wish to be known as Mrs. Kor 

to be known as Mrs Meg Adebo 

Chinwendu Ugwunna Emeka. My 

to be known as Mrs Grace 

and called Haruna Grace Sule. correct name is Chinwendu 

Miracle Adimchinobi. All 

Osasu-Ighodaro. Former 

Onyeche Yusufu. All former 

Ugwunna Emeka. Former documents 


documents remain valid, Former documents remain 

remain valid. Ecobank Plc, general 



general public please take valid. General public please public and all relevant authorities 

take note. 

General public please take note. note. 

take note. 


BABALOLA 

KUMUYI 

MATHEW 

FUAD 

OTITIEME 

I, formerly known as Babalola I, formerly known as Kumuyi, I, formerly known as Mathew I, formerly known as Zuber I, formerly known as Miss 

Esther Olufunke, now wish to Olateju Olaboade, now wish to Winner Onipe, now wish to be Abayomi Fuad, now wish to be Otitieme Oghogho Joy, now 

be known as Awonusi Esther be known as Akinlose, Olateju known as Mathew Winner 

known as Aweda Olorunwa wish to be known as Mrs. Joy 

Olufunke. All former Olaboade. All former Ohinoyi. All former 

documents remain valid. documents remain valid. documents remain valid. 

Zuber. All former documents Oduara. All former documents 

General public please take General public please take General public please take remain valid. General public remain valid. General public 

note. 

note. 

note. 



OFOR 

I, formerly known as Ofor 

Chizoba Vivian, now wish to 

be known as Iruka Chizoba 

Vivian. All former documents 

remain valid. The general 

EGBEJIMBA 


Egbejimba Ogochukwu 

Henrietta, now wish to be 

known as Dimkpa 

Ogochukwu Henrietta. All 




EDIJANA 


Edijana Oghenetega Blessing, 

now wish to be known as Mrs 

Edhe Oghenetega. All former 



IBISI EZEJA GAJAH 

I, formerly known as Ezeja 

Ebere Bibian, now wish to be 

known as Idoko Ebere Bibian. 

All former documents remain 


I, formerly known as Mrs 

Chinedu Ibisi, now wish to be 

known as Ms. Chinedu 

Noyerem Anyanwu. All former 



note. 

GIWA 


Miss Naomi Oluwaseyi Giwa, 


Naomi Oluwaseyi Obi-Ajudua. 




I, formerly known as Gajah 

Taiye, now wish to be known 

as Gajah Taiye Ekiotubou 

Osmund. All former 



GEDE 

I, formerly known as Miss Gede 

Ekpoakerezimene Rita, now 


Ambah Ekpoakerezimene 

Rita. All former document 

remind valid, general public 

take note. 

OGBITE 


Oritsejemirigbe Ogbite, now 

wish to be known as 

Oritsejemirigbe Ogbite Sarah. 



take note. 

EKWULONU 

This is to confirm that Ekwulonu 

Stella and Chiagozie Ifeoma Stella 

refer to one and the same person, now 

wish to be known as Ekwulonu 

Stella. All former documents remain 



AKUEWANBHOR 


Akuewanbhor Itohan Jennifer, 


Nwosa Henry Jennifer. All 



take note. 

NWANAGU 


Nwanagu Chijioke Catherine, 


Chijioke Catherine Ekekwe. 



take note. 

OPARA 

My name was wrongly written as Opara 

Patience Peace Chigemezu, instead of 

Opara Patience Peace Chigaemezu in 

that order. I now wish to be known as Opara 

Patience Peace Chigaemezu. All former 

documents remain valid. National Identity 

Management System, Access Bank, First 

Bank and the general public should please 

take note. 

ODAGWE 

I, formerly known as Odagwe 

Cornelius Chuks, now wish to 

be known as Odagwe Cornelius 

Chukwunwike. All former 




OGUNNAIKE 


Oluwatobiloba Ayodeji 

Ogunnaike, now wish to be 

known as Oluwatobiloba 

Ayodeji Ogunnaike Ojeifo. All 




UGWOHA 


Ugwoha Queen, now wish to 

be known as Mrs Obulor Queen 

Bright. All former documents 



NGWU 


Chinenye Perpetual Ngwu, 


Chinenye Perpetual Umukoro. 



take note. 

CHUKWUKERE 

My name was written as 

Chukwukere Chimezie, instead of 

Chukwukere Chimezie Maryjane. I 


Chukwukere Chimezie Maryjane. 

All former documents remain valid. 

Access Bank and the general public 

should please take note. 

AARON 

I, formerly known as Aaron 

Etakponare, now wish to be 

known as Aaron Takponare 

Stanley. All former documents 



Insecurity: 

Rejig service 

chiefs, ex-IYC 

president 

urges Buhari 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY—FORMER 

President of Ijaw Youth 

Congress, IYC, development 

activist, Dr Chris Ekiyor has 

called on President 

Muhammadu Buhari to rejig 

the service chiefs to curtail the 

alarming rate of insecurity 

across the country. 

Speaking to journalists in 

Benin City yesterday, Ekiyor 

said there's something fundamentally 

wrong with the 

armed forces which he traced 

to their leadership and posited 

that it is strange that men 

of the Nigerian armed forces 

who have excelled on foreign 

missions and singlehandedly 

restored sanity to several 

countries in West Africa could 

be battling to curtail the activities 

of boko haram and 

bandits that keep killing innocent 

Nigerians in their hundreds. 

He said: “Any President, 

whether from the minority or 

majority, will first be patriotic 

to the Nigerian state and I am 

convinced that the President 

has that spirit. 

“He would not want a country 

under him to backslide towards 

civil war or unrest or a 

state carved out under his 

watch. So, to that extent I think 

he is compassionate and concerned 

about the security situation. 

But as a citizen, like 

every other, I am concerned 

that the effort that the security 

chiefs are making has been 

heavily politicized." 

Vinci Int'l tasks 

women on 

prevention of 

front hair loss 

By Gabriel Olawale 

L AGOS—AFRICA 

Regional Chief Executive 

Officer for Vinci International, 

Ayo Otubanjo has 

urged women to embrace a 

healthy lifestyle as a means of 

preventing front hair loss. 

Otubanjo, who is a senior 

consultant with Vinci Hair 

Clinic, said that front hair loss 

commonly referred to as ‘Iya 

Eko’ can be quite embarrassing 

for women making some 

women hide behind wigs, 

weaves and other hair covers. 

He said: “There are different 

types of hair loss with a 

variety of potential underlying 

causes. It could be stress, 

nutritional factors, genetics or 

an underlying medical condition. 

In addition to these 

causes, front hair loss is often 

caused by certain hair styling; 

pulling and tugging, tight 

plaits, tight buns, use of hot 

styling tools. 

“Surgical treatments for 

front hair loss vary from hair 

transplant, laser cap treatment 

and platelet rich plasma 

solution. Hair transplant 

comprises of two types 

namely follicular unit transplantation 

and follicular unit 

extraction."


vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

APC GOVS, OTHERS MEET—From left: Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger 

State; former Acting National Chairman of APC, Chief Victor Giadom; Chairman, 

APC Governors Forum, Gov. Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State; Gov. Abdullahi 

Ganduje of Kano State; Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State; Chairman, 

APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Committee, Gov Mai Mala Buni of 

Yobe State; Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti 

State and other party officials, after their meeting at the APC Secretariat in Abuja, 

yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. 



Continues from Page 5 

“winning ways” President 

Buhari said, the party must 

maintain cohesion by 

closing its ranks. “We must 

be alive to the time and the 

task that is before us. As we 

all know, we are 

immediately confronted 

with the upcoming 

gubernatorial elections in 

Edo and Ondo States. 

Therefore, this is the time 

to get our acts together.” 

The emergency NEC 

meeting adopted all the 

recommendations by 

President Buhari, and 

appointed the Governor of 

Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, 

as Caretaker National 

Chairman, while Senator 

John Akpanudoedehe was 

designated Caretaker 

National Secretary. 

APC crisis laid to 

rest – Buni 

Briefing State House 

correspondents after the 

extraordinary NEC 

meeting, Kebbi State 

Governor, Atiku Bagudu 

said the meeting was 

attended by other members 

in virtual manner 

consistent with the 

COVID-19 regulations in 

place. 

He said: “Mr. President 

in his speech called for the 

dissolution of the National 

Working Committee and 

appointed in its place a 

caretaker committee at the 

same time that will serve as 

convention planning 

committee and membership 

were proposed and 

approved by NEC of our 

party. 

“His Excellency the 

Governor of Yobe State was 

charged with the burden of 

leading the caretaker and 

convention planning 

committee. 

“We are happy that today 

the issues bedeviling our 

party have been laid to rest 

by these momentous 

decisions and we are 

equally congratulating Mr 

President on the exercise of 

the mandate that has been 

given to him by Nigerians 

and we should not distract 

him. 

“Equally, the meeting 

ratified all decisions that 

have been taken on Edo 

State primaries and 

screening primaries and a 

name will be forwarded 

properly to INEC, the 

name of our candidate in 

the Edo gubernatorial 

elections and equally the 

schedule of activities that 

will commence the Ondo 

Naira depreciates to 

N387.27/$ in I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira, yesterday, depreciated to N387.27 

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

window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange 

rate for the window rose to N387.27 per dollar yesterday 

from N387.17 per dollar on Wednesday, translating to 

10 kobo depreciation of the naira. 

However, the volume of dollars (turnover) traded in the 

window dropped by 84 percent to $14.68 million from 

$90.88 million on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the naira 

yesterday appreciated by 50 kobo in the parallel market. 

According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate 

platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change 

Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the parallel market 

exchange rate dropped to N457 per dollar from N457.5 

per dollar on Wednesday, indicating 50 kobo appreciation 

of the naira. 

State primaries which by 

God’s grace we will also be 

presenting a candidate will 

commence under the 

leadership of the caretaker 

committee.” 

Buni’s plans for 

APC 

Asked his plans for the 

APC, Buni said: “I know the 

party very well. It’s all about 

doing justice to every 

member of the party 

because without justice 

there won’t be peace. It is 

all about team play. 

“I am a team player, I 

have a capable team that 

can work with me. If you 

don’t manage crisis, 

obviously crisis will 

manage you. So, I won’t 

allow any crisis to fester 

henceforth.” 

Asked whether all the 

constitutional provisions on 

convening the NEC was 

followed, he said: “I want 

to tell you that it is a 

continuation of the last 

notice that was issued and 

we said we have 

adjourned and now it’s a 

continuation of the last 

adjourned NEC meeting. 

All the notices were issued 

accordingly, so in no way 

are we in any aberration.” 

NWC dissolution 

not targeted at 

Tinubu — Buni 

On the allegation that the 

dissolution was done to 

whittle down the influence 

of the party’s National 

Leader, Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu, Governor Buni 

said: “You mention the 

name of one of our leader, 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a 

founding father of this party. 

We are all together to 

rescue this party from all 

this. 

“Nobody is targeted and 

it is against nobody. 

Asiwaju is one of the 

leaders of this party and a 

founding father of the 

party.” 

On the life-span of the 

Caretaker Committee, he 

said: “The duration of office 

is for six months within 

which we will do whatever 

we can as enshrined in our 

constitution and ensure that 

we strengthen the party 

and cap it up with the 

convention.” 

“Whatever happened 

during the last NWC 

culminating in Edo 

primaries have already 

been ratified by NEC. So 

we are good to go. All 

litigations will be 

withdrawn.” 

NEC, only 

opportunity to 

save APC 

– Giadom 

In his remarks, former 

Acting National Chairman, 

Chief Victor Giadom, said: 

“As we all know, the party 

is passing through what I 

call ‘trying times’ and the 

virtual National Executive 

Committee meeting is the 

only opportunity available 

to our great party to act and 

respond for the good of our 

party. 

“The National Chairman 

of the party, Comrade 

Adams Oshiomhole, has 

been suspended by his 

ward and affirmed by a 

court of law. This has led to 

internal crisis and confusion 

in our party as you can 

witness conflicting court 

orders and counter court 

orders flying around the 

party. 

“Our party for the past two 

years has been 

characterized by serious 

violations of our 

constitution and time will 

not allow me to enumerate 

the numerous infractions 

that have led to the present 

crises in the party. 

“For instance, just 

yesterday, INEC wrote to 

us stating that they do not 

reckon with the Acting 

National Secretary that 

signed the notice of party 

primaries to them on the 

forthcoming election in 

Ondo State. 

“That is the precarious 

situation we find ourselves 

as a party as we run the risk 

of freely handing over 

another state to the 

opposition through our 

own internal recklessness.” 

Roll call 

The meeting was 

attended by the Vice 

President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo; President of the 

Senate, Ahmad Lawan; 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Femi 

Gbajabiamila; Deputy 

President of the Senate, 

Ovie Omo-Agege; and the 

Deputy Speaker of the 

House of Representatives, 

Ahmed Idris Wase. 

Also present were former 

Deputy National Chairman 

(North) Lawan Shuaibu; 

Chief Whip of the Senate, 

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; 

Majority Leader of the 

House of Representatives, 

Hassan Dogowa; Deputy 

Majority Leader, Peterson 

Akpatason; and Deputy 

Majority Whip of the House 

of Representatives, 

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. 

The 16 governors 

physically present were 

Hope Uzodinma (Imo), 

Engr. Abdullahi Sule 

(Nasarawa), Abubakar 

Bello (Niger), Mohammed 

Badaru (Jigawa), Mai 

Malla Buni (Yobe), Simon 

Lalong (Plateau), Yahaya 

Bello (Kogi), Mohammad 

Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), 

Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), 

Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

(Lagos), Abdulhahman 

Abdulrazak (Kwara), Atiku 

Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi 

Ganduje (Kano), Nasir el- 

Rufai (Kaduna), and 

Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti). 

Senators Abdullahi Sabi 

and Ajayi Borofice were also 

present. 

Dissolved NWC 

to challenge NEC 

in court 

However 18 members of 

the dissolved NWC have 

faulted their purported 

sack, saying while they are 

watching the “unfolding 

drama,” they are also 

consulting with their 

lawyers and other 

stakeholders. 

A statement to this effect, 

issued on Thursday 

evening was signed by 

factional acting National 

Chairman, Hilliard Eta and 

acting National Secretary, 

Arc. Waziri Bulama. 

The statement read: “The 

following represents the 

collective decision of 

eighteen members of the 


Committee 

“The National Working 

Committee of the All 

Progressives Congress 

wishes to reiterate its earlier 

position that Chief Victor 

Giadom has no authority 

whatsoever to convene a 

meeting of the National 

Executive Committee 

(NEC) of our great Party. 

“Article 25(B) of the 

Constitution of the APC is 

explicit that only the 

National Chairman or the 

“Therefore, all members 

of our great Party and 

concerned Nigerians are 

urged to remain calm 

pending outcome of the 

consultations 

“The 18 members (out of 

20) of the NWC who are 

part of this press statement: 

Hilliard Etagbo Eta, Hon. 

Inuwa Abdulkadir, Pastor 

Bankole Oluwajana, Alh. 

Ahmed Suleiman Wambal, 

Hon. Emma Eneukwu, 

Hon. Adamu Fanda and 

Hon. Ibrahim Masari. 

Others are Hon. Paul 

Chukwuma, Barr. Emma 

Ibediro, Sadiq Abubakar, 

Haj. Salamatu Baiwa 

Umar-Eluma, Alh. 

Tajudeen Bello, Lawan 

Didi, Wogu Boms, 15. 

Babatunde Ogala, Hon. 

Lanre Issa-Onilu, Arc. 

Waziri Bulama (NS) Sen, 

Abiola Ajimobi (factional 

acting National 

Chairman)”, which it 

registered as “indisposed.” 

However, a member of the 

dissolved committee who 

spoke to Vanguard said 

though there is a plan to 

legally challenge the NEC 

meeting and its outcome, 

he has since moved on and 

gone back to his private 

business. 

“I have moved on. As we 

speak, I am in my private 

office doing my business. 

Yes, the guys were saying 

they will challenge the 

whole thing in court but for 

me, I have a second 

address. I was just doing 

the party work as an added 

responsibility. I have since 

moved on”, he said, 

preferring not to be named. 

Buni assumes 

office as 

caretaker c’ttee 

chairman 

Meanwhile, Mai Mala 

Buni, assumed duty at the 

party’s national secretariat 

as caretaker committee 

chairman and promised to 

carry all tendencies along 

in order to restore peace to 

the party. 

Buni arrived the 

secretariat some minutes 

before 2pm in company of 

some APC governors, 

including Yahaya Bello of 

Kogi State, Kayode Fayemi 


Committee (NWC) is given 

the prerogative of 

summoning meetings of 

the National Executive 

Committee (NEC) of the 

Party either for statutory 

(Ekiti), Simon Lalong 

quarterly meetings or for (Plateau), Abdullahi 

emergency meetings. Ganduje (Kano), Sani 

“The same provision of 

Bello (Niger), Nasir elthe 

constitution makes it Rufai (Kaduna), Atiku 

compulsory for a notice of Bagudu (Kebbi) and 

minimum of 14 days in 

Gboyega Oyetola (Osun). 

respect of statutory The Caretaker Committee 

quarterly meetings and chairman left the secretariat 

seven (7) days in respect 

just few minutes after his 

of emergency meetings. arrival. 

“We note that Chief Victor In a brief interface with 

Giadom had convened and 

journalists, Buni said: 

conducted a virtual “After being a two-time 

meeting purportedly to be National Secretary of the 

a National Executive 

party, I can say I know the 

Committee (NEC) meeting party very well. I want to 

of our Party wherein certain assure every APC member 

far reaching resolutions 

that we will do justice to 

were purportedly reached. every one because we have 

“While the National a capable team.” 

Working Committee is 

In an apparent move to 

studying the unfolding bar members of the 

drama, it will be consulting dissolved NWC from 

with stakeholders and team 

accessing their offices, 

of lawyers on the next line 

of action. Continues on Page 27


Celebrating quintessential Governor 

Sanwo-Olu @ 55 

BY GBOYEGA AKOSILE 

Proverbs 22:29 states 

“Seest thou a man diligent 

in his business? He 

shall stand before kings; 

he shall not stand before 

mean men.” This biblical 

verse is the true reflection 

of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

of Lagos State, 

who clocks 55 today. 

Without any iota of 

doubt, the 55th birthday 

of Governor Sanwo-Olu is 

worth celebrating considering 

how he has made 

meaningful impacts in 

private and public sectors, 

especially in the last 

one year of his administration 

as number one citizen 

in the Centre of Excellence. 

Mr. Governor believes 

that an occasion of one’s 

birthday, especially a 

milestone such as the age 

of 55, should be a day to 

reflect on one’s purpose of 

existence in life and, this 

according to him, is “to 

serve the humanity”. 

Therefore the governor in 

his charismatic leadership 

and passion for the 

vulnerable people decided 

not to have an elaborate 

feast for families, friends, 

political associates and 

professional colleagues. 

Rather he has chosen the 

path of honour and genuine 

love for the needy in 

the society by asking people 

to channel the resources 

they intend to use 

for congratulatory advertisements 

in celebration 

of his birthday to taking 

care of the vulnerable 

people in the society. The 

governor, based on his 

passion for the state has 

also declared his intention 

to spend the better part of 

today to attend to many 

important State matters. 

Sanwo-Olu’s gesture 

Sanwo-Olu’s gesture is 

going to bring relief to 

thousands of Lagosians, 

especially the vulnerable, 

whose lives are expected 

to be touched directly or 

indirectly by the millions 

of naira that could have 

been used for birthday 

messages for the governor. 

Sanwo-Olu’s decision 

is a reflection of his conviction 

that “the best 

birthday gift anyone 

would give him at this 

period is to identify those 

at the bottom of the pyramid 

wherever they reside, 

lift them up by putting 

smiles on their facesthat 

way, they would have 

lifted his heart too.” 

As a man who believes in 

putting smiles on the faces 

of others; someone who is 

passionate and empathetic 

towards people around 

him, the governor’s decision 

to have a low key celebration 

on his major milestone 

deserves a lot of accolades. 

Lagos State is the commercial 

capital of Nigeria 

and the Africa’s fifth largest 

economy, and based on 

its unique position as having 

the highest population 

density in Nigeria, the battle 

for the state usually 

dominates the country’s 

politics during election period. 

This is why many political 

parties usually battle 

to be in control of the 

•Gov. Sanwo-Olu 

state. But despite several 

attempts by the opposition 

political parties, the progressive 

camp, which Sanwo-Olu 

belongs to, has been 

in charge of the State since 

the return of Nigeria to 

democratic path in May 29, 

1999. 

The ruling party has provided 

good governance in 

Lagos State in the last 21 

years and Governor Sanwo-Olu 

has been part of the 

State’s progressive trajectory 

in the past seventeen 

years. He was a member of 

the cabinet of the three previous 

governors. The banker, 

who turned politician 

began his political journey 

at 37 when he served as Special 

Adviser on Corporate 

matters to ex-deputy governor, 

Otunba Femi Pedro 

and later Special Adviser to 

Governor Bola Tinubu on 

Corporate Matters in 2004. 

He was head of different 

ministries between 2004 

and 2015 as Honourable 

Commissioner. Former 

Governor Tinubu appointed 

Sanwo-Olu as acting 

The first 100 days 

in office was a 

huge success story 

for a young several 

programmes 

and projects executed 

by Sanwo- 

Olu's administration 

Commissioner for Economic 

Planning and Budget 

from 2004 to 2005, 

and later made him substantive 

Commissioner 

for Commerce and Industry 

in 2007. Also former 

Governor Babatunde 

Fashola in 2007 appointed 

him as Commissioner 

of Establishment, Training 

and Pensions. The incumbent 

governor also 

served as the Managing 

Director/CEO of the Lagos 

State Development 

and Property Corporation 

(LSDPC) under the 

immediate past governor, 

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. 

His emergence as the 

governor of Lagos State 

was historic, considering 

the support that heralded 

his emergence as the standard 

bearer of the All Progressives 

Congress (APC) 

during the party’s gubernatorial 

primaries. For 

the first time in Lagos politics, 

Sanwo-Olu defeated 

an incumbent governor to 

pick his party’s ticket. He 

won the March 2, 2019 

governorship poll landslide, 

defeating 44 candidates 

other who contested 

against him. 

As a man who has played 

active role in the growth 

and development of the 

State in line with the ‘Lagos 

Master plan’, Sanwo- 

Olu didn’t disappoint Lagosians 

immediately he took 

over the mantle of leadership. 

Knowing the various 

challenges facing the state, 

Sanwo-Olu’s administration, 

working with a six pillars 

policy programme 

tagged T.H.E.M.E.S to deliver 

good governance to 

millions of Lagosians 

swung into action. 

T.H.E.M.E.S stands for; 

Traffic Management and 

Transportation; Health and 

Environment; Education 

and Technology; Making 

Lagos a 21st Century economy; 

Entertainment and 

Tourism; Security and Governance. 

It is worthy of note that 

when Sanwo-Olu emerged 

as APC governorship candidate, 

Lagos had literally 

become a dumpsite as 

heaps of municipal waste 

littered the streets. The state 

agency set up for waste disposal 

had been disengaged 

in a curious and controversial 

circumstance, leaving 

residents to resort to indiscriminate 

dumping of 

refuse, which became a daily 

eyesore, even to the government 

of the day. Apart 

from the issue of waste, there 

were several other issues of 

concern that the governor 

faced when assumed office. 

The issues of heavy traffic, 

bad roads, and blockage of 

drainage, among others 

were monstrous in nature. 

Achieving ‘Greater Lagos 

Governor Sanwo-Olu believes 

that government is 

continuum and that was 

why he didn’t spend energy 

in his early days in office 

blaming previous administration. 

Rather than giving 

excuses, Sanwo-Olu hit the 

ground running from his 

day one in office. He took a 

lot of bold steps in the early 

few weeks. To him, the task 

of achieving the ‘Greater 

Lagos’ he promised Lagosians 

must be accomplished. 

Sanwo-Olu, within a week 

in office announced members 

of his kitchen cabinet 

as well as key appointments 

in the state to set the ball of 

governance rolling in the 

Centre of Excellence. 

The governor also signed 

the Lagos State 2019 Appropriation 

Bill of 

N873,532,460,725 into 

law. As promised during the 

electioneering, Sanwo-Olu 

constituted his full cabinet 

within his first 60 days in 

office. 

With the cabinet fully in 

place, the government 

swung into action by working 

hard to ensure that the 

people of Lagos State start 

enjoying dividends of democracy. 

The first 100 days 

in office was a huge success 

story for a young several 

programmes and projects 

executed by administration 

as there were several 

projects displayed in the 

score card. 

Akosile is the Chief 

Secretary to Governor 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu 



Continues from Page 26 

security operatives had 

earlier in the day sealed the 

national secretariat. 

The development came 

two days after the police 

sealed and reopened the 

premises within hours. 

Those who had entered 

the building were sent out 

at about 9am while four 

security vehicles were 

stationed in and around the 

party facility. 

Acting National Secretary 

in the dissolved NWC, Arc. 

Waziri Bulama, had at about 

10:50am arrived the 

secretariat while the NEC 

meeting was going on at 

the Presidential Villa. He 

was, however, barred from 

accessing the premises by 

armed security operatives. 

Why govs want 

to be in charge 

Indications also emerged 

on why APC governors 

backed President Buhari’s 

decision on NEC meeting 

and dissolution of the 

NWC. One of the reasons 

was to save the party and 

take over its structure. 

A close aide of one of the 

APC governors told 

Vanguard that the APC 

governors decided to take 

the party from its leaders 

who sidelined the 

governors. 

“Our governor was in 

Abuja for the APC NEC 

meeting. Those in charge 

of the party think they are 

the only ones who have 

power but we all saw how 

the President shocked them. 

“The governors own the 

party. Who can mobilize 

2,000 delegates? It is only 

the governors that have the 

capacity to do this. 

“Who has the security 

when it is time for the 

convention? If the police 

decide not to cooperate, 

governors can decide to 

come with their security 

outfits. Those former 

governors know this and 

they know how it works. 

“You want to pocket the 

governors, thinking they do 

not matter. Interest is politics 

and every politics is local. 

You have to canvass your 

own interest; but for you to 

think you have planted the 

chairman and secretary so 

that they can do your 

bidding, you have gotten it 

wrong. 

“When the chips are 

down, the secretary you are 

banking on is also 

somebody’s candidate.” 

Fresh battle 

looms 

Indeed, the Vanguard 

gathered that with the 

governors’ position, the 

battle for the soul of APC 

ahead of 2023 has begun. 

There is an intense battle 

for control among three of 

the legacy groups that 

formed the party in 2013. 

The coalition parties and 

groups were the defunct 

Congress for Progressive 

Change, CPC led by 

Buhari; Action Congress of 

Nigeria, ACN led by 

Tinubu; the N-PDP led by 

Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi 

Amaechi, Rabiu Musa 

Kwankwaso, and Aminu 

Tambuwal among others; 

All Nigeria Peoples Party, 

ANPP led by George 

Moghalu; and a faction of 

the All Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA led by 

Rochas Okorocha. 

At inception, Vanguard 

gathered that one of the 

agreements was for the 

CPC to control government 

while the ACN controls the 

party structure. Now, a 

source said the CPC wants 

to control the government 

and party structure 

sidelining N-PDP and 

others 

Most of the other 

coalition groups have been 

sidelined in the scheme of 

things. Saraki, Atiku, 

Kwankwaso and Tambuwal 

have since returned to the 

PDP, alleging 

marginalization, leaving a 

few such as Amaechi. 

According to a source, 

whoever controls the 

party’s NEC and NWC will 

influence the party’s 

candidates in 2023. A host 

of the leaders at the thick 

on the ongoing chances are 

eyeing political slots in 

2023. 

Non-NWC 

members of 

NEC dissolve 

exco 

Meanwhile, the Forum of 

non-NWC members of 

NEC has dissolved its 

executive committee. 

Acting Publicity Secretary 

of the new executive, 

Muhammed Sani Ibrahim, 

in a statement said: “On 

behalf of the majority 

members of the non-NWC, 

I am saddled to announce 

the decision of the members 

of the NEC to express the 

displeasure of the members 

due to the leadership 

failure, ineffectiveness, 

uncooperative attitude, lack 

of transparency and 

accountability in 

stewardship, financial 

misappropriation and party 

unfaithfulness. 

“The forum’s caretaker 

committee led by Hon. 

Nelson Alapa and 11others 

is hereby dissolved with 

immediate effect. In its 

place, a three-man 

committee is hereby agreed 

to run the affairs of the 

forum in acting capacity, 

pending when a proper 

election will be held. 

“The officers are: Acting 

Chairman, Hon. Abubakar 

Fakai, acting Secretary, 

David Okumagba and 

acting Publicity Secretary, 

Hon Muhammed Sani 

Ibrahim.” 

No Victor, no 

Oshiomhole 

An APC chieftain in 

Rivers, Prince Tonye 

Princewill, hailed the 

formation of the caretaker 

committee, describing the 

situation as fair to all sides, 

saying “no Victor, no 

Oshiomhole.” 

Princewill, a close ally of 

Transportation Minister, 

Rotimi Amaechi said this in 

a statement in Abuja. 

“This is a victory for all 

progressives. No Victor, no 

Oshiomole. No victor, no 

vanquished. The President 

has shown leadership and 

an external force has acted 

upon the party to put it back 

on track. 

The people chosen to run 

the affairs in the interim are 

fair, seasoned and 

progressive. I have no 

doubt they will reflect all 

shades of the party and can 

help us usher in a new 

dawn. 

As a Rivers man, they 

should look before they leap 

into my state. It is tricky 

there. Water, as you know 

can be very slippery. Some 

will say it is Rivers State that 

put us here. Let it not do it 

to us again. Please. 

I want to thank Victor 

Giadom for kick-starting 

this peace, Comrade 

Adams Oshiomole for 

accepting it and most of all, 

the President for midwifing 

it. It is not yet time to 

celebrate. Implementation 

is where problems exist. 

But we pray for God’s 

guidance and wisdom in 

the affairs of men.” 

Court declares 

Ize-Iyamu APC 

member 

Meanwhile, an Edo State 

High Court sitting in Benin 

City yesterday declared 

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu an 

authentic member of the 

APC, and is quaified to 

contest in the coming 

governorship election as a 

member of the party. 

Presiding Judge, Justice 

Emmanuel Ahamiojie in his 

ruling also said the issue of 

granting waiver is a matter 

that is subject to every 

political party and that it is 

not for the court to 

determine who is to be 

given waiver or not. 

He said: “I hereby declare 

that the Osagie Ize-Iyamu 

(third defendant) is 

qualified to contest, being 

a registered member of the 

All Progressives Congress”, 

the Judge said. 

Recall that state deputy 

chairman of the party, 

Kenneth Asekomhe, now 

expelled; 

Oghumu, 

Benjamin 

Matthew 

Ogbebor and Unweni 

Nosa, had filed the suit 

challenging decision of the 

APC tor grant a waiver to 

Ize-Iyamu, to enable him 

contest the primary 

election.

28 —Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

DhulQadah 4, 1441 A.H. 

Why y Allah Almighty tests His servants 

By Imam Murtadha Gusau 

DEAR brothers and sisters, many 

people ask, why are we tested and 

tried? Why the hardships? Why the 

calamities? Why the tribulations? 

Why the covid-19 and its harsh and 

difficult restrictions? Why the armed 

banditry? Why the cattle rustling? 

Why the Boko Haram terrorism? 

Why the kidnappings? Why the rampant 

rape in our societies? Why the 

bad leaders? Why the bad followers? 

Why the killings? Why..? Why..? 

Why..? These are the very common 

questions from Muslims, from people 

of other faiths, or no faith – so it’s 

important to reflect on them. Because 

lack of answers can sometimes 

distance people from their faith 

(Imam) – if a person doesn’t understand 

why tests and trials happen 

they can start to feel that life is unfair 

to them or even that Allah is being 

unfair to them. But Allah is Al-Adl, 

The Just, and He is Al-Rahman, The 

Most Merciful; He never wants ill for 

His servants, He only wants the best 

for us. There are a lot of evidences in 

the Qur’an and Hadith that helps us 

answer these questions. 

We were created to worship Allah 

alone. We were created to worship 

Allah, and we all made a promise to 

do so before we were sent to earth. 

Tests are a means for us to fulfill this 

promise, in fact, they are a ‘Sunnah 

(way)’ of Allah – i.e. tests are the 

means by which Allah distinguishes 

between us, because they help to 

expose faith and lack of faith. Allah 

Almighty states in the Qur’an: “Do 

the people think that they will be left 

to say, “We believe” and they will 

not be tried and tested? But We have 

certainly tried those before them, 

and Allah will surely make evident 

those who are truthful, and He will 

surely make evident those who are 

false.” [Qur’an, 29: 2-3] 

Allah tests us to purify us and wash 

away our sins. The Prophet Muhammad 

(Peace be upon him) said: 

“No calamity befalls a Muslim but 

that Allah expiates some of his sins 

because of it, even if it were the prick 

of a thorn.” [Bukhari and Muslim] 

So instead of seeing tests as a punishment 

from Allah, this shows that 

in fact, Allah wants to save us from 

punishment – i.e. the punishment 

of the hereafter which is much worse 

than any test and trial faced in this 

world. 

A test can sometimes replace a 

worse misfortune. 

A test can be a form of protection 

from something that might have 

befallen us. Or being deprived of 

something might, in fact, be saving 

us from something that is not good 

for us, even though we don’t have 

the knowledge to realise it at the time. 

Allah the Most High tells us: 

“Perhaps you dislike a thing and 

Allah makes therein much good.” 

[Qur’an, 4: 19] 

Therefore the test which might 

seem so awful to you at the time is, in 

fact, a blessing. 

Tests are given to us to strengthen 

our Iman (faith). The Prophet Muhammad 

(Peace be upon him) said: 

“The people who face the most difficult 

tests are the Prophets, then the 

righteous, then those following them 

in degree. A person is tried according 

to his religion. So if there is firmness 

in his religion, then the trial is 

increased, and if there is a weakness, 

then it is lightened. Verily a trial re- 

mains with a servant until he 

walks the earth having no sin left 

upon him.” [Bukhari] 

Allah Almighty wants to refine 

us, out of His love and mercy, so 

that we can attain not just Jannah 

(Paradise) but the highest 

rank of the Prophets and the righteous. 

Tests expose our faults and 

weaknesses to ourselves – and 

that awareness enables us to be 

more focused and proactive in 

rectifying those aspects of our 

character. Allah tests a person He 

loves. 

The Prophet Muhammad 

(Peace be upon him) said: “Whenever 

Allah wills good for a person, 

He subjects them to adversity.” 

[Bukhari] 

Why? Because if the servant 

reacts with Sabr (patience) and 

contentment with Allah’s decree, 

it brings them closer to Allah. And 

“Allah loves the Patient.” [Qur’an, 

3: 146] Some ways to deal with 

tests and trials 

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) 

stated that when we are 

tested we are faced with two options: 

To be patient! Not to be 

patient! So when we lack patience 

and get frustrated/bitter/lose 

hope/panicky/attack, abuse or 

insult our leaders/or blame Allah, 

this is actually a choice we 

make and not a very good one. 

But those who choose option one 

(to be patient), as difficult as it is, 

benefit from their tests in this life 

and also gain in the next life, i.e. 

...punitive actions 

may not be 

enough, we must 

create a culture 

where rape is 

never allowed to 

flourish 

Jannah (Paradise). 

So how can we choose to have 

more patience and contentment 

when tested and tried? Please read 

the following suggestions: 

Read/listen to Qur’an (because 

Zikr gives contentment – see Surah 

Ra’ad: 28). 

Make Du’a for Allah’s help, 

strength, and relief from the test – 

just as Prophet Ya’qub (AS), and 

Maryam (AS) and the Prophet 

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) 

all did. 

Gratitude puts our tests in perspective 

and stops us from complaining; 

it is the greatest route 

towards Patience (Sabr). 

Remember what others are going 

through – remember the Ummah 

(nation), and people around 

you in your own communities; 

remind yourselves of the tests the 

Prophets of Allah went through – 

they provide us with good examples 

of perseverance. Bear in mind 

every single person is being tested 

in different ways. 

Remember nothing in this life 

lasts forever, so the test and trial 

will have an end In Shaa Allah. 

Allah Almighty says: 

“verily with every hardship 

comes ease.” [Qur’an, 94:5-6] 

Allah does not burden any soul 

beyond what it can bear [Qur’an, 

2:286]; Allah has confidence in us, 

so we too need to have confidence 

in our ability to get through the 

test and trial. 

Muhasabah – use tests as an 

opportunity for self-assessment; 

are there things you can do better 

next time? Are there habits/characteristics 

you need to change? 

Deal with your test one step at a 

time – i.e. if you have a task to complete, 

give yourself small goals. Or 

if you are facing a long-term test, 

try to have patience for that day, 

and start afresh with your goal of 

patience the next day etc. 

Have trust in Allah (tawakkal), 

whatever the test is – because Allah 

is the best of Planners and 

teaches us the best lessons. 

BARKA JUMAH 

Doing good in life 

Every single day is a good day for good and enlightened 

persons because they feel free knowing that nothing can 

despoil their wisdom of faith and trust in Allah. 

“Doing good is life's amazing matchmaker that glue your 

life to Allah's protection and eternal goodness. “Be joyous 

as you pray and let the doing of good be the compass of 

your life. Happy jumat. — Dr. Adewale Adeeyo, OON 

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You’re 

free to o get t refund or deposit 

for or 2021 hajj, Kano tells Pilgrims 

By Bashir Bello 

THE Kano Pilgrims Welfare Board (KSPWB) on Thurs 

day said it was ready to refund all monies paid by 

intending pilgrims for the 2020 Hajj pilgrimage, adding 

that they are also at liberty to book ahead of the 2021 

pilgrimage. 

The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Muhammad 

Abba, made this known while speaking with newsmen in the 

State yesterday. 

Recall that the Government of Saudi Arabia recently said 

that no pilgrims travelling from other countries would participate 

in the 2020 Hajj due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said that Muslims of any nationality 

residing in Saudi Arabia would be permitted to participate 

in the Hajj and that participant must be under 65 years and 

will be tested for COVID-19 on arrival in Mecca. 

Abba said, “Intending pilgrims who would want their money 

refunded would get it and none would lose a kobo. 

“Similarly, for those who would be interested to book for the 

2021 Hajj could leave their money with the board,” the Executive 

Secretary, Abba however stated. 

Chairman/CEO, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zhikrullah Hassan in a meeting 

with the leadership of the Association for Hajj & Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON). The Commission 

decided to returm their caution deposit and Licence Fee to Tour operator to ease refunding of 2020Hajj 

deposits to their pilgrims. The meeting was held yesterday at Hajj House, Abuja.

DhulQadah 4, 1441 A.H. 

2020 Int'l Hajj Cancellation: 

Remain calm, we 'll protect your intetest, 

NAHCON tells intending pilgrims 

•Muslim World body, top scholars back S/Arabia’s decision 

FOLLOWING 

the 

news of the cancellation 

of 2020 Hajj for intending 

pilgrim worldover other 

than domestic pilgrims 

by Saudi Arabia, the National 

Hajj Commission of 

Nigeria , NAHCON, has 

urged intending pilgrims to 

remain calm adding that 

necessary arrangements 

are in place to protect their 

interest. 

Meanwhile, top Muslim 

bodies and scholars have 

continued to hailed Saudi 

Arabia’s decision to allow 

only domestic pilgrims not 

more that 10,000 for the 

2020 hajj. 

Top scholars lauded the 

decision saying it was well 

thought out in order to protect 

the health and safety 

of pilgrims. 

The Commission in a 

statement signed by Head 

Public Affairs, Hajia Fatima 

Sanda Usara, appreciated 

the prayers and support extended 

to it from all segments 

of the society as well 

as the outpour of interests 

and enquiries by individuals, 

pressmen and other 

stakeholders over the cancellation 

of international 

pilgrimage for 2020 Hajj. 

The statement reads: "The 

Commission’s leadership, 

board members and management 

welcome the 

news with complete 

surrender to the will of the 

Almighty, and commend 

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

for this brave decision. 

"NAHCON is sensitive to 

all the enquiries and 

concerns that greeted Saudi 

Arabia’s much awaited 

decision. Hence, the Commission 

assures the general 

public that as soon as its 

leadership fulfils all administrative, 

cum official requirements, 

the Chairman 

and Chief Executive Officer 

of NAHCON shall hold 

a press briefing where all 

your enquiries and way forward 

will be addressed. 

"Meanwhile, NAHCON 

urges intending pilgrims to 

remain calm as necessary 

arrangements are in place 

to protect their interest. The 

Commission appreciates 

the prayers and support extended 

to it from all segments 

of the society." 

Muslim World League, 

top scholars hail decision 

Meanwhile, top Muslim 

bodies and scholars have 

continued to hailed Saudi 

Arabia’s decision to allow 

only domestic pilgrims not 

more that 10,000 for the 

2020 hajj. 

Top scholars lauded the 

decision saying it was well 

thought out in order to protect 

the health and safety 

of pilgrims. 

In a statement carried by 

Saudi Press Agency, the 

General Secretariat of the 

Council of Senior Scholars 

thanked Custodian of the 

Two Holy Mosques King 

Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad 

Bin Salman and 

the Saudi government for 

their great efforts to serve 

the two Holy Mosques and 

Muslims. 

The Grand Imam of Al- 

Azhar, the highest seat of 

Islamic learning, also 

backed the move, calling it 

a wise decision that is 

compatible with the Shariah. 

Sheikh Ahmed Al- 

Tayyeb said that the decision 

takes into account the 

continuity of the Hajj pilgrimage 

while reflecting 

the concern for the safety 

of the pilgrims of God’s Sacred 

House. 

Sheikh Al-Tayyeb said 

that personal safety is the 

most important part of 

Islamic law. The move also 

reflects the awareness of 

the leadership of the Kingdom 

of the seriousness of 

the coronavirus, especially 

in light of its rapid spread, 

threatening the lives of 

people everywhere, the 

Al-Azhar chief said. 

In a statement, Al-Azhar 

praised the efforts of Custodian 

of the Two Holy 

Mosques King Salman 

and Crown Prince Muhammad 

Bin Salman in 

serving and facilitating pilgrims 

and keeping them 

safe. 

Meanwhile, the Muslim 

World League also issued 

a statement on behalf of its 

scholars under the umbrella 

of the Supreme Council 

of the League, the Islamic 

Jurisprudence Council 

and the World Supreme 

Council of Mosques, 

endorsing the precautionary 

measures taken by the 

Saudi government for Hajj 

this year. 

In a statement issued by 

Secretary-General of the 

League and Chairman of 

the Association of Muslim 

Scholars Sheikh Dr. Muhammad 

Bin Abdul Karim 

Al-Issa said: “The emergency 

circumstance of the 

coronavirus pandemic represents 

an exceptional 

case that Shariah should 

take with great care and 

consideration, in order to 

preserve the safety of pilgrims.” 

The statement continued 

that the League contacted 

a number of senior muftis 

and scholars of the Islamic 

world immediately after 

the decision, as the 

nation’s scholars affirmed 

its wisdom as a precautionary 

measure required by 

legal necessity, given that 

this feared pandemic still 

represents a significant 

risk. 

The Egyptian Dar Al 

Iftaa also affirmed that the 

Kingdom’s decision is 

consistent with the provisions 

and purposes of Islamic 

Shariah to preserve 

the lives and safety of 

pilgrims. 

The United Arab 

Emirates Council for Fatwa 

and Shariah also praised 

the decision. 

The Council stressed that 

everyone should abide by 

the instructions issued by 

the government of 

Custodian of the Two Holy 

Mosques King Salman 

based on its sovereign and 

legal responsibility to care 

for pilgrims, Umrah performers 

and visitors and 

help them to maintain the 

health and safety of all. 

In a statement issued on 

Tuesday after its meeting 

chaired by Sheikh Tahir 

Mahmud Ashraf, the 

Council of Pakistani Scholars 

endorsed the Kingdom’s 

wise decision to 

preserve the health and 

safety of pilgrims. 

"Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 —29 

MAN women group talks tough 

against rape, child abuse 

THE Women Asalatu Union of Muslim Association of 

Nigeria, MAN has said that there is urgent need to 

access child-friendly justice system in the country as social 

decadence in the form of rape, violence against women and 

children are becoming intolerable. The women wing of the 

association stated this on the occasion of the international 

day of the African Child held recently. 

In a statement signed by National Deputy Medical Adviser 

of the association, Alhaja (Dr.) Mujidat Mosanya and the 

National Public Relations officer, Alhaja Nurat Adebayo, 

MAN said all women and mothers have to ensure that the 

decades of progress so far made on the Childs’ Rights are 

not jeopardised, noting that millions of girls are put at great 

risks of violence, abuse, exploitation and permanent emotional 

torture. 

“In observance of the International Day of The African 

Child on June 16, we celebrate all the children of Africa and 

call for commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges 

they face. 

“As women and mothers, we are bound to create the needed 

awareness to the challenges our children are subjected to as 

babies, toddlers, teenagers, young adults,wives, mothers and 

grandmothers. The issues in this context centred around 

“Say No To Rape, No To Sexual Violence; And No To 

Domestic Violence” 

“There is an urgent need to access Child-Friendly justice 

system in Nigeria where various aspects of the social decadence 

are becoming intolerable and eating deep into the 

fabric of our culture. 

“These ill practices have exposed the most vulnerable 

groups in our communities including children and the elderly 

to increased dangers and risks of these vices. 

In Nigeria, we have to keep on asking and fighting our 

governments on prosecuting the offenders adequately. “We, 

as women and mothers have to ensure that the decades of 

progress so far made on the Childs’ Rights are not jeopardised 

knowing that millions of girls had been put at great 

risks of violence, abuse, exploitation and permanent emotional 

torture. “Girls and women had lost out on good family upbringing, 

family life, education, particularly in poor areas of 

Nigeria . 

“We must take actions now to reduce the increasing number 

child trafficking, early and forced marriage and female genital 

mutilation and child by enlightening the girl child on knowing 

about herself and these vices. “We as concerned women 

and mothers in Muslim Association of Nigeria, MAN, are 

using this medium to lend our voice to create the needed 

policies and systems by our politicians, legislators, executives 

and other public officers holders to address the issues 

of rape and sexual and domestic violence in our society.” 

New face of the Kaaba under Covid-19 pandemic recently.


•Richarlison 

•Ramos 

Zidane hopes to see 

Ramos finish career at 

Real Madrid 

at both 

ends of the 

field. 

Zidane is hopeful 

that fresh terms can 

be agreed with •Fernandes 

Ramos to put an end 

to the uncertainty over 

his future. 

“Sergio belongs here 

as a player,” he told 

reporters. “He’s been 

here for years and he 

should retire here. It’s what 

I think and I’ll stand by it.” 

Madrid’s victory over 

Mallorca moved them back 

above Barcelona at the top of La 

Liga with seven games to go. 

Everton forward Richarlison has 

confirmed an offer from Man United 

to complete a switch to Old Trafford. 

United were unsuccessful in their bid 

to sign the striker back in January after the 

Brazilian rejected a transfer in mid-season. 

At the time, the Red Devils were 

desperate to land a replacement for 

Marcus Rashford who had picked up 

a back injury. 

The side went on to table offers for 

Erling Haaland and Joshua King 

before landing Odion Ighalo who 

arrived on loan from Shanghai 

Shenhua. 

Wilfried Ndidi has 

inedine Zidane has called on Real 

urged his Leicester 

ZMadrid chiefs to award Sergio 

City teammates to keep 

Ramos a new contract so that the longserving 

defender can finish his career 

fighting to secure qualification 

at the club. 

Ramos has spent 15 seasons with 

the Spanish giants, making close to 

650 appearances in that time, but is 

due to be out of contract in a year’s yson Fury has made a 

time. 

Tsensational claim that 

The 34-year-old 

his namesake Mike Tyson 

was on target for 

wanted a staggering 

the third time in 

£500m to challenge him. 

four games in 

The Baddest Man on the 

Madrid’s 2-0 win 

Planet is set to return to the 

over Mallorca on 

ring in an exhibition fight 

Wednesday, 

after retiring 15 years back. 

highlighting 

Iron Mike has been 

h i s 

linked with high profile 

importance 

fighters including 

to Los 

former rival 

Blancos 

Evander Holyfield 

and Shanon 

Briggs. 

But Fury has 

claimed his team 

were contacted 

Fury claims Mike Tyson demanded 

£500m in comeback fight with him 

•Awoniyi 

Trouble for Ighalo 

as Man Utd bid for 

Richarlison 

•Ndidi 

and revealed that the 53- 

year-old wanted to make half 

a billion pounds to squareoff 

with him in the ring. 

“Whoever was offering the 

comeback money to Mike 

offered us peanuts. 

“Mike was talking about 

£500m figures but what 

came back to us on paper 

was a joke, it was crazy. I did 

have a $10m offer from 

ESPN to do the fight as an 

exhibition but I think 

everyone has moved on 

now,” quoted by Mirror. 

Fury is currently waiting 

for his trilogy fight with 

Deontay Wilder to be 

Richarlison has now come out to admit there 

was indeed an offer from United and Barcelona 

to sign him. 

Richarlison was also a major target for Jose 

Mourinho during the Portuguese’s spell at Old 

Trafford. The Brazilian told Desimpedidos. “But 

the club opted to keep me in the group and I 

didn’t want to leave in the middle of the season. 

It’s bad to leave team-mates like this,” he added. 

Richarlison joined the Toffees back in 2018 from 

Watford in a deal valued at around £50 million. 

He has since established himself as one of the 

most lethal strikers in the Premier League, 

thereby earning 19 caps for the Brazil national 

team. 

Ndidi charges Leicester 

teammates to fight for 

Champions League ticket 

rsenal have reportedly made contact with 

ASporting Lisbon youngster Joelson Fernandes 

over a possible summer move to North London. 

The 17-year-old is yet to make the breakthrough 

into the Sporting senior setup, but he has impressed 

for the Under-23 team. 

Fernandes has scored five goals and created 

two more in 28 appearances at that level this 

season, drawing the attention of a number 

of Europe’s top clubs. 

Barcelona are thought to be tracking 

the Bissau-born winger, while RB 

for next season’s UEFA 

Champions League. 

Brendan Rodgers’ men 

remain third on the Premier 

League table after playing out 

a goalless draw against 

Brighton and Hove Albion at 

home on Tuesday. 

After a three-month hiatus 

due to the coronavirus 

pandemic, they resumed league 

action on Saturday against 

Watford with Ben Chilwell’s 

strike helping them earn a 1-1 

draw at Vicarage Road. 

With seven games remaining 

for Leicester City in the English 

top-flight this season, Ndidi 

believes they can still keep their 

spot in the top-four and stage a 

return to Europe since their last 

campaign in the 2016-17 season. 

“It will be a plus to us as 

players, in our careers, if we can 

play in the Champions League. 

But it is something we have to 

work for,” Ndidi told Football 

Daily. 

“It is not about what we 

have done in past matches. 

These eight games 

remaining, it is important for 

us to actually fight hard and 

pick the Champions League 

ticket. 

“It is something we have to 

work for, we have to stay 

there. If we do our best and 

get the points, then we will get 

there.” 

Ndidi made his Champions 

League debut with the Foxes 

in February 2017, a month 

after joining them on a fiveyear 

contract from Belgian 

outfit Genk. 

He played against Sevilla in 

the Round of 16 and then 

played against Atletico 

Madrid in the quarter-finals, 

with the Spanish side 

knocking them out after a 2-1 

aggregate win. 

•Fury and Tyson 

confirmed for December after the duo 

were due to meet in July before the global 

pandemic. And victory for Fury over Wilder 

along with Johsua defeating Kubrat Pulev 

will set up the battle of the Brits in 2021. A 

deal has already been signed in principle 

for the epic clash between Fury and Joshua 

to unify the heavyweight division. 

Arsenal make contact with £40m Sporting Lisbon starlet 

Leipzig are also interested in signing him. 

However, Portuguese outlet O Jogo reports that 

Arsenal have sent a representative out to Portugal 

to open talks with Sporting, who remain desperate 

to keep him. 

Fernandes currently has a £40m release clause 

in his contract at Sporting, but the Lisbon outfit 

are keen to tie him down to a new deal that would 

see that rise to £90m. 

The youngster’s representatives are cautious 

about placing such a hefty fee on his shoulders at 

such a young age, though, and want any increase 

in his release clause to be capped at £70m. 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 —31 

Awoniyi keeps hope of donning 

Super Eagles shirt alive 

iverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi has 

Lrevealed that he is keeping his hopes 

alive for a Super Eagles debut. 

Awoniyi who plays on loan for 

Bundesliga club Mainz has never been 

invited to the Super Eagles after five years 

of playing in Europe. 

The 22-year-old who has been 

a regular with the Nigerian youth 

teams says he is dreaming of 

putting on a Super Eagles shirt some day. 

“But still you can’t control it and Nigeria is 

blessed with the abundance of football talents 

everywhere. 

“You just have to keep your hope alive, keep 

working hard and believe that with God all things 

are possible.” 

The forward has also never spoken with Super 

Eagles boss Gernot Rohr but says he is working 

towards making the squad for the 2021 Africa Cup 

of Nations (AFCON). 

“That’s why I’m a football player and have 

represented my country in all age grade national 

teams from the U17 to U23 teams,” he also said. 

“It is good for me to be working hard towards 

meeting that target.” 

Awoniyi joined Liverpool in August 2015 and 

has still not gotten a work permit in England 

because he is still without a cap for the senior 

national team of Nigeria. 

Transfer: Juventus, Barcelona 

agree on •80m fee for Melo 

BJuventus 

arcelona 

have 

and 

reached an agreement 

over the transfer of 

Arthur Melo for a fee 

that amounts to €80 

million. The 

Bianconeri, though, 

must convince the 

player to move, 

according to a report 

published by Sky 

Sports 

Arthur joined 

•Melo Barcelona in the 

summer of 2018 from 

Gremio after a string of impressive performances in 

the Brazilian league, having been promoted to the 

senior team as a 19-year-old. The midfielder, who 

looks at Andres Iniesta as an idol, has been compared 

to Xavi in terms of his passing, turning and 

controlling the tempo of the game. 

The midfielder took time settling into the club and 

did not get the chance to play 90 minutes in a game 

a lot of times, pertaining to his issues with stamina. 

However, he seems to be in better shape this season 

and has registered three goals and assists each in 

the 20 games he has played. Despite his impressive 

performances, Arthur has been linked with a move 

away from the Camp Nou, with Juventus hot on his 

trails. 

This transfer rumour boils down to Barcelona’s 

desire to add Miralem Pjanic to their roaster for next 

season, and were initially happy to trade Arthur with 

the Bosnian. However, this idea does not seem to 

have gone down well with the fanbase or with Arthur, 

who does not want to leave the club. 

Man City 

to host 

Liverpool 

at Etihad 

Manchester City have been given permission 

to host their Premier League match with 

Liverpool on Thursday, 2 July at Etihad Stadium. 

The game between the league’s top two sides 

could have taken place at a neutral venue because 

of safety fears over fans gathering outside. 

But a Manchester City Council safety advisory 

group (SAG) agreed it could be played at City’s 

home ground. 

“Following the most recent round of Premier 

League fixtures which have all taken place behind 

closed doors the SAG has signalled it has no 

objections to the above fixture taking place at 

Etihad Stadium as planned at 20:15 BST, 

Thursday, 2 July,” explained Councillor Luthfur 

Rahman, executive member for skills, culture and 

leisure for Manchester City Council. 

“As with all other Premier League matches, this 

fixture will take place behind closed doors, with 

no fans present.” 

Supporters have been barred from attending 

matches or gathering outside stadiums because of 

the coronavirus pandemic, despite the Premier 

League’s return on 17 June. 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had earlier 

opposed plans to hold the game at a neutral venue, 

saying he would “prefer to play in Manchester”. 

Other matches initially requested by police to be 

played at neutral venues included last Sunday’s 

Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool, 

but that was deemed safe to go ahead at Goodison 

Park following talks between the government, 

police and the Premier League.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

Sudoku 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

Across 

1 Far from fair (4) 

3 Rhapsody in Blue composer (8) 

9 Bounce back (7) 

10 Lifeless (5) 

11 Light meal (5) 

12 Affair (anag) (6) 

14 Kid (6) 

16 Something to aim for (6) 

19 Portray (3) 

21 Tropical fruit (5) 

24 Concise (5) 

25 Take no part (7) 

26 Able to read and write (8) 

27 Neat (4) 

Down 

1 Rebellion (8) 

2 Seventh sign of the Zodiac (5) 

4 Bear, tolerate (6) 

5 Rigid (5) 

6 Shedding tears (7) 

7 After deductions (4) 

8 Fastening for a belt (6) 

13 Lawyer (8) 

15 Foretell (7) 

17 Nearly (6) 

18 Finally (2,4) 

20 Deduce (5) 

22 Armed services canteen (5) 

23 Cain’s brother (4) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

two of the same number). 

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

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

(nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means 

that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row. 

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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