04082020 - Insecurity situation rapidly worsening — GOVERNORS

Edo: We’ll meet 

violence with violence, 

says Oshiomhole 

•Lying on TV won’t save him 

— Obaseki’s aide 

43 

Isa Funtua, 

pillar of 

support to my 

govt — BUHARI 

FG, SPDC, others may lose 1 million bpd to agitation in Ogulagha kingdom 

14 

NDDC contracts: 

Ibori, Kalu, 

Uduaghan confront 

5 

Akpabio 

15 

VOL. 27: NO. 64128 TUESDAY, AUGUSt 4, 2020 

Insecurity situation rapidly 

worsening — GOVERNORS 

8 

•Plans meeting Buhari to ‘quickly find solutions’ •To hold sessions with NSA, Defence 

chief, service chiefs, IGP, other security topshots •Commiserate with Borno gov on recent 

attack by Boko Haram, says nation's security architecture fragile 

No loans 

clause 

ceding 

Nigeria’s 

sovereignty 

to China, 

says 

Chinese 

Foreign 14 

Ministry 

EXAMINATION DISTANCING... 

Shoprite 

debunks 

exit story, 

vows not 

to leave 

Nigeria 7 

Mr & Mrs 

Naira now 

N388/$ in 

I&E window 

41 

The examination hall of Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone Three, in preparation for school 

resumption in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan 

COLUMNISTSODUMAKIN16 

DELE COLE 17 

TENIOLA 

18 

See 

inside

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 — 3


vanguardnews 

@vanguardnews 

@vanguardnews 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 —5 

POCKET CARTOON 

clearly that the said accusation 

is false. Dr Uduaghan 

has never approached 

the NDDC for 

any contract whatsoever. 

It is even more ridiculous 

that the said contract is a 

road inside Port Harcourt 

town. 

“Dr Uduaghan has 

drawn the attention of the 

Minister of Niger Delta 

Affairs, Senator Akpabio, 

to the publication and 

hopes he makes a correction. 

Members of the public 

are advised to disregard 

the mischievous publication.” 

Students of Anthony Village Senior High School, queue to wash hands as they 

resumed in preparation for this year's WASSCE, on the heels of eased COVID- 

19 lock-down, in Anthony Village, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez. 

NDDC contracts: Ibori, Kalu, 

Uduaghan confront Akpabio 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, 

South-South, Henry 

Umoru, Festus 

Ahon, Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & 

Chioma Onuegbu 

ASABA — Former 

governors, Emmanuel 

Uduaghan (Delta), 

Orji Kalu (Abia) and 

James Ibori (Delta), yesterday 

challenged the 

Minister of Niger Delta, 

Senator Godswill Akpabio, 

who supervises the 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, to 

substantiate his accusation 

that they took contracts 

from the interventionist 

agency. 

This came as the Senate, 

yesterday, revealed 

how the Interim Management 

Committee, IMC, of 

the NDDC spent N3.175 

billion on COVID-19 in 

Niger Delta within two 

months, April and May, 

2020 respectively. 

However, management 

of the interventionist 

agency, in a swift reaction, 

said the entire expenditure 

was a form of cash 

palliatives distributed by 

the Expanded Interim 

Management Committee, 

EIMC, for sharing among 

staff, the Police, the youth 

and communities in the 

states. 

It also declared that 

there was no fraud in the 

agency, saying some conspirators 

were just bent on 

blowing the whistle to 

heat up the polity. 

Akpabio’s 

allegations false 

— Uduaghan 

A source told Vanguard 

that Uduaghan, who was 

taken aback by the unscrupulous 

allegation 

against him and two other 

former governors, sent 

a text message to the minister 

to clear the air on the 

matter. 

Uduaghan denied taking 

any contract from 

NDDC, wondering why 

his name was linked to 

the scandal. 

Uduaghan, who reacted 

through a statement by 

his Media Assistant, Mr 

Monoyon Edon, said: 

“The attention of Dr Uduaghan 

has been drawn to 

a publication that the Minister 

of Niger Delta Affairs, 

Senator Akpabio, 

has linked two former governors 

of Delta State, 

James Ibori and Emmanuel 

Uduaghan, to contracts 

awarded by the 

NDDC. 

“In the said publication, 

it was stated that Uduaghan 

was linked to the 

emergency repairs of 

Close B, Alhaji Estate & 

Environs, Rumuodomaya, 

Port-Harcourt, at a cost of 

N429 million. 

“We want to state very 

NDDC issues 

have to do with 

missing funds, 

not jobs done 

— Kalu 

On his part, Chief Whip 

of the Senate and former 

governor of Abia State, 

Senator Orji Kalu (APC, 

Abia North), while denying 

the allegation, said: 

“The issues at stake in 

the NDDC have to do 

with missing funds and 

not jobs that have been executed.” 

Kalu said he was becoming 

worried over his 

name being used indiscriminately 

to sell newspapers 

without verification. 

He said: “As a community 

leader, I do not intend 

to stop my interventions 

on roads in NDDC 

states because all the 

states need good roads. 

Good roads help to drive 

the economy. Therefore, 

I believe the NDDC forensic 

audit should focus on 

missing funds and not 

works done. 

“They should focus on 

paying contractors that 

delivered their jobs and 

not using my name indiscriminately 

to sell newspapers.” 

Kalu in a statement by 

Emeka Nwala said the 

road projects mentioned 

by the minister were the 

interventions he facilitated 

for the communities as 

a private citizen before he 

became a senator, adding 

that his name was mentioned 

because he used 

his letter-headed paper to 

write a sympathy letter to 

the NDDC in 2016, requesting 

and pleading 

with the body to rescue 

roads in Abia. 

He said: “I was governor 

of Abia State between 

1999 and 2007 and 

never held any public office 

until June 11, 2019, 

when I was sworn in as a 

senator. Between 2016 

and 2018 during my tour 

of several communities, 

leaders and welfare 

unions of most communities 

pleaded for urgent 

intervention on some dilapidated 

roads . 

“I wrote to the NDDC 

informing the body of the 

conditions of these roads 

and the need for their attention 

since Abia is an 

NDDC state. 

“The NDDC in their 

consideration, for which I 

am very grateful, awarded 

the roads to companies 

that duly tendered for the 

projects and not myself. 

Whatever link I have with 

the projects is because it 

was considered due to my 

intervention. 

“The roads I requested 

for intervention as mentioned 

by the Minister 

were repairs of Ezere- 

Acha-Ndiokoukwu Road; 

Amaubiri-Eluama-Uru 

Ring Road; Lokpaukwu; 

Umuchieze; Ndi Oji 

Abam-Atan Road; the 

Okafia-Ozuitem-Bende 

Road and Ozu-Amuru- 

Abam Road. 

“The contractors have 

completed and delivered 

these roads long time ago, 

except Abam-Atani road 

which I learned from the 

contractors was slowed 

down due to rain but still 

ongoing. 

“Meanwhile, it would 

interest Nigerians to know 

that the contractors who 

built these roads have not 

been paid any dime. It 

has not been easy with 

the contractors but because 

it’s a community 

project, they have only but 

kept hope alive on the 

NDDC. 

“I am so much concerned 

about roads because 

I understand the 

economic importance of 

good roads, that’s why I 

built several roads when 

I was governor. Even as a 

senator, it would interest 

you to know that my major 

constituency projects are 

road constructions, recon- 

Continues on Page 28 

By Bose Adelaja & 

Olayinka Latona 

On amnesty, reintegration of repentant Boko Haram members (2) 

Of a truth, Boko 

Haram unleashed 

terror on Nigerians 

especially in the north but 

that shouldn’t make the 

government not to 

reintegrate repentant ones 

among them if they 

convince us of their 

genuine repentance. After 

all, some politicians 

commit worse atrocities 

without being punished. 

—Ogundele Abiodun, 

Trader 

Boko Haram members 

have done so much 

harm to Nigeria and 

granting them amnesty is the 

worst thing that can happen 

to us. Thousands of 

graduates are jobless and 

hungry and the FG wants to 

waste money on amnesty. 

When will an average 

Nigerian rest from the 

activities of these 

insurgents? Nigeria 

belongs to us all. 

—John Ojori, Hunter 

Granting amnesty to 

Boko Haram 

members is like voluntarily 

punishing innocent 

Nigerians without recourse 

to their plights and anybody 

drumming this should be 

categorised as the enemy of 

the nation. What have 

Nigerians done to deserve 

this wickedness from 

government? This nation 

has suffered enough. 

—Samsideen Gafar, 

Businessman 

It is really hard to 

figure out the logic 

behind the decision to 

grant amnesty to 

repentant Boko Haram 

members. I do not think 

we deserve to be 

cohabiting with known 

criminals all in the 

name of reintegration. 

FG decision is an insult 

to soldiers fighting to 

keep us safe. 

— Ahmad Bello, 

Entrepreneur 

If the federal 

government can 

grant amnesty to these 

so called ‘repentant’ 

Boko Haram members, 

then I think everyone in 

the prisons should as 

well be granted 

amnesty ,since most of 

their crimes are not 

even as brutal as that of 

these Boko Haram 

members. 

—Ojo Queen, Model 

I 

believe that this 

decision is not quite 

right because, I know 

that these people felt the 

need to repent when 

they were caught. Have 

they ever given it a 

thought to repent each 

time they killed an 

innocent person? In my 

honest opinion, they 

need to face the due 

consequences for their 

crime. 

— Olalekan Francis, 

Businessman

6— Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 

2 killed, 5 

injured in 

another 

Lagos 

explosion 

By Evelyn Usman 

& Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

AN explosion rocked the 

Orile-Iganmu area of 

Lagos, yesterday, leaving two 

persons dead and others 

injured. 

This is coming a week after 

a similar incident claimed 

lives in Ajao Estate area of the 

state. 

Like the Ajao’s incident, one 

of the victim’s in yesterday’s 

tragedy was a welder, Ajibola 

Olaoye, 35, while the other 

was a motorist, who was 

trapped in gridlock. 

The incident occurred 

between Coker and Alafia 

bus-stop, at about 4.30 pm, 

while a welder was welding 

an item at a truck park, in 

front of Atla Company. 

An eyewitness, who simply 

gave his name as Waidi, said: 

“We were rattled by the 

deafening sound and 

everyone took to his/her 

heels. A man who was 

trapped in traffic rushed out 

of the car. But a high tension 

wire, which snapped as a 

result of the explosion, fell on 

his hand and cut it off. He 

was among six persons that 

were rushed to the hospital. 

Unfortunately, he died. The 

welder died on the spot.” 

The body of the welder was 

later retrieved by officials of 

the Lagos State Emergency 

Management Agency, 

LASEMA and other rescue 

operators who were at the 

scene. 

LASEMA Head, Public 

Affairs, Mr Nosa Okunbor, 

said: “LASEMA Response 

Team, LRT, recovered a dead 

artisan in a just-concluded 

operation, as a result of a gas 

explosion that occurred at 

Alafia bus stop beside Atlas, 

in Orile Iganmu axis of Lagos 

this afternoon. 

He said: “Investigations 

and eye witness accounts 

attributed the explosion to a 

leakage in the supply of gas 

from the cylinder leading to 

the death of the artisan 

utilising the welding 

equipment while working on 

heavy-duty equipment. 

"Ajibola Olaoye, 35-yearold, 

lost his life at the scene 

of the incident, while four 

other adult males who 

sustained varying degrees of 

injuries and were quickly 

taken to a nearby hospital 

before the arrival of the LRT. 

LRT, Police, LNSC and LASG 

fire service are responders at 

the scene. The entire area has 

been cordoned off to prevent 

any secondary incident. 

“The dead victim (Ajibola 

Olaoye), was bagged by the 

LRT and handed over to his 

family in the presence of 

Officers of the Nigerian Police 

Force from Amukoko 

Division.” 

A 

serving soldier, Sergeant Ayeni 

Samuel, attached to Command 

Day Secondary School, Ikeja 

Cantonment, and dismissed 

Corporal Emeka Harrison of 

Regiment, 7 Division Garrison in 

Maiduguri were among six armed 

robbery and kidnapping suspects 

arrested by the Police Intelligence 

Response Team, IRT, for robbing a 

bullion van in Abakaliki, Ebonyi 

State and killing four police officers. 

Others arrested by the IRT are 

Alfred Robinson; Emeka Illo, the 

group’s sponsor;Elijah aka Chime, 

who is said to be the informant and 

Ibanifiroi Ekene. 

Recall that the robbery attack 

incident on the bullion van in 

Abakaliki, Ebonyi State occurred on 

July 29, 2020. The robbery incident 

led to the death of four police officers, 

leaving others injured. 

Meanwhile, a situation report 

disclosed that “during a serious 

manhunt by IRT detectives with 

technical intelligence support from 

TIU, arrested one Alfred Robinson, 

45 years of age, a native of Gelegele 

Town in Ovia North Local 

Government Area of Edo State on 

1/8/2020 in Asaba, Delta State. 

"During intensive follow up, six 

more gang members were arrested 

by IRT detectives within 24 hours. 

They include Sgt Ayeni Samuel, a 

Nigerian soldier serving in Ikeja, 

Police nab soldiers, 5 others 

over Ebonyi bullion van robbery 

Some of the arrested suspects 

Lagos; Cpl Emeka Harrison, a 

dismissed soldier, who had served 

in Maiduguri, Borno State; Emeka 

Illo, the sponsor of the operation; 

and Abuchi Elijah (aka Chime D 

Mosquito), an informant for the 

robbers and Ibanifiroi Ekene, a 

native of Tombia community. 

Firearms recovered from the 

criminals include 12 undetonated 

improvised explosives; one GPMG; 

six rifles; 51 AK-47 magazines; 1,620 

ammunition; two robbed vehicles; 

breaking implements and charms. 

"All suspects, upon interrogation, 

confessed to the bullion van robbery 

in Ebonyi State and also confessed 

Kidnapping: Imo monarch arrested, N4.2m 

recovered 

By Chinonso Alozie 

Owerri—A traditional ruler of 

Uba community in Awara, 

Ohaji/Egbema Local Government 

Area of Imo State, Eze Andrew 

Okuegbunuwa, has been arrested 

for allegedly organising kidnapping 

and armed robbery activities within 

and outside his community. 

The traditional ruler was among 

suspected members of a 

kidnapping syndicate that included 

a native doctor paraded at the Imo 

State Police Command in Owerri, 

yesterday. 

Speaking during the parade, Imo 

State Police Commissioner, Isaac 

Akinmoyede, said: “On 28/7/2020 

at about 04:00hrs at Umuokuzu 

Awara in Ohaji/Egbema Local 

Government Area of Imo State, 

operatives of Special Anti-robbery 

Squad, SARS through painstaking 

and diligent investigation, arrested 

one Eze Andrew Okuegbunuwa, 

male, 59-year-old of Uba community 

in Awara community in Awara, 

Ohaji/Egbema Local Government 

Area of Imo State in connection with 

kidnap and other armed robbery 

incidents. 

“Investigation further revealed 

that the arrested suspect, Andrew 

Okuegbunuwa, provided the 

operational vehicle, Lexus RX330 

SUV with number plate: URM 404 

EL, for the kidnappers. 

“Having lost the vehicle in the 

•I received money from them only 4 times— Eze 

Okuegbunuwa 

operation, Andrew was given 

N3,000,000 to replace his vehicle by 

the kidnappers. It was discovered 

that the vehicle was not recorded in 

the Federal Road Safety 

Commission, FRSC, database. 

“His arrest also led to the arrest of 

one Bernard Uzoma, a native doctor 

at Umunoha in Mbaitoli local 

government area, whose job is to 

provide the gang with protection 

from death and arrest. He was paid 

N200,000 as his own share from the 

loot. 

“A total sum of N4, 200,000 was 

recovered from the suspects out of 

the combined ransom of N7,500,000 

paid for the release of two victims.” 

When Vanguard spoke to Eze 

Okuegbunuwa, he said: “They 

collected my car and they did not 

tell me what they want to use it for. 

When they came, they said my car 

got lost and they gave me N3.5 

million to replace my car. Let me 

state this, I have received money 

from them only four times. 

“I did not know that they used it 

for kidnapping and they only gave 

money for my car that got lost. I have 

only received money from them only 

four times.” 

Eze Andrew Okuegbunuwa (left) and his gang 

members. Photo: Chinonso Alozie. 

3 dead after car rammed into cement truck in Delta 

By Paul Olayemi 

SAPELE —Three persons, a 

man and two women, 

reportedly lost their lives Sunday 

night in Sapele, Delta State, when 

their car rammed into a truck 

delivering bags of cement to a 

customer in that vicinity. 

It was gathered that the Corolla 

car which was driven by a 27-yearold 

Lucky Wire, popularly called 

Texas Money, rammed into the 

rear of a stationary trailer, parked 

along the Amukpe-Igbeku road 

close to St Mary's Catholic 

Church, Ugbeku, Amukpe. 

A source said the young man 

was returning from a night club 

with the women, believed to be 

under the age of 20 when the 

accident occurred. 

The source, who craved 

anonymity, told Vanguard that 

one of the women was Sophia, 

adding: “They were returning 

from a night club when they 

rammed into the truck, dying on 

the spot. 

“ Late Lucky, Sophia and the 

third person were pronounced 

dead at the scene, while their 

bodies have been deposited in a 

morgue.” 

that four of the rifles recovered 

belong to the Policemen they killed 

during the robbery. It was gathered 

that the suspects are assisting police 

to arrest the remaining gang 

members. 

One killed as 

police, suspected 

yahoo boys clash 

in Delta 

By Ochuko Akuopha 

OZORO—Protest by some 

suspected Yahoo Boys 

alleging extortion and brutality by 

the police in Ozoro, headquarters 

of Isoko North Local Government 

Area, Delta State, yesterday, led 

to the death of a 23-year-old man 

simply identified as Collins, after 

he was hit by a stray bullet. 

Trouble reportedly started when 

the protesters took to the streets 

of the town, displaying placards 

with various inscriptions as 

“Police stop extorting money from 

us”, “ Police leave us alone” 

among others, as they marched 

from Owhelogbo junction to other 

major streets before terminating 

at NDC road. 

A source, who craved 

anonymity, said the youths “came 

out this morning (yesterday) to 

protest against the police 

continuous harassment of young 

boys suspected to be internet 

fraudsters. 

“They are complaining about 

the police searching their phones 

whenever they are stopped and 

asking them to pay some huge 

amount of money to bail 

themselves on the spot otherwise 

they will be taken to the station. 

Others complained of being 

invaded in their houses by the 

police without a search warrant. 

“The police later mobilised and 

in the process of trying to dispel 

the protesters, a gunshot from a 

stray bullet hit the lad and he died 

on the spot.” 

Contacted, Police Public 

Relations Officer of the state 

command, Onome 

Onovwakpoyeya, said “we heard 

that yahoo boys protested. We are 

still trying to investigate who was 

shot.”

COMMENDATION: 

From left— 

G o v e r n o r 

Adegboyega 

Oyetola of Osun 

State, his Deputy, 

Benedict Alabi; 

Secretary to the 

State Government, 

Prince Wole 

Oyebamiji, being 

welcomed by the 

son of the deceased 

Justice Obafemi 

Fasanmi, at the All 

Saints Anglican 

Church, Osogbo, 

during the 

Commendation 

Service on behalf 

of the late Senator 

Ayo Fasanmi, 

yesterday. 

:Vanguard 

News 

COVID-19: FG to open sample collection 

centres, says Nigeria can’t risk another 

lockdown 

By Chioma 

Obinna, Omeiza 

Ajayi & Gabriel 

Olawale 

ABUJA—The Federal 

Government yesterday 

stated its resolve to reduce 

COVID-19 case fatalities in 

the country, announcing its 

decision to partner subnational 

entities to establish 

sample collection centres 

across the 774 local 

government areas in 

Nigeria. 

It also said Nigeria 

cannot risk another 

lockdown, saying the 

economy was bound to 

collapse and lead to death 

of more people. 

The government equally 

said it would soon conclude 

discussions with the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, on appropriate 

guidelines to be adopted for 

the forthcoming 

governorship elections in 

Edo and Ondo states, even 

as it said there would be an 

ongoing surveillance in the 

high-burden local 

government areas. 

Chairman of the PTF and 

Secretary to the 

Government of the 

Federation SGF, Mr Boss 

Mustapha, who disclosed 

this during the briefing of 

the Task Force in Abuja 

yesterday, said: “The 

National Response would 

continue to guide the 

adoption of sector specific 

guidelines and protocols. 

‘’The PTF is currently 

concluding discussions 

with the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, on 

appropriate guidelines to 

be adopted for elections 

beginning with the August 

8 by-election in Nasarawa 

State to be followed by those 

for Edo and Ondo states in 

September and October 

respectively. 

‘’I, therefore, wish to use 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 — 7 

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

•PTF, INEC developing guidelines for elections 

•Places high burden LGAs on surveillance 

this opportunity to implore 

party leaders, aspirants, 

members and supporters to 

remain mindful of the 

virulent nature of COVID- 

19 during electioneering 

campaigns and other 

election processes. We 

need to remain alive to 

enjoy the benefits of our 

democracy. 

“The PTF continues to 

push forward with 

community engagement, 

risk communication and 

support to states. There is 

an on-going surveillance in 

the high burden local 

government areas, just as 

we ramp up our precision 

efforts. Similarly, the 

Federal Government is 

supporting the states to firm 

up their Incidence Action 

Plans preparatory to their 

accessing the World Bank 

facility for the fight against 

COVID-19. 

“Similarly, we informed 

you about the date that exit 

examination classes in 

schools would reopen, 

preparatory to the 

commencement of 

examination. I wish to 

restate that the education 

sector is critical for the 

development of our 

children and our nation. 

‘’Reopening the sector is 

also a source of concern 

based on the fact that the 

school system remains a 

veritable ground for 

increasing community 

transmission if appropriate 

protocols are not put in 

place and more importantly 

adhered to. 

‘’In this regard, the PTF 

wishes to implore 

stakeholders to ensure that 

the agreed protocols are put 

in place and measures 

strictly adhered to.’’ 

Case fatalities 

Minister of Health, Dr 

Osagie Ehanire, said the 

federal government would 

work with states to open 

sample collection points in 

General Hospitals or 

Primary Healthcare 

Centres in the local 

governments. 

According to him, there 

are plans to also have 

sample holding rooms in 

General Hospitals to stop 

incidences of rejection of 

patients by hospitals. 

He said: “Our objective 

is to reduce case fatalities 

to less than 1 per cent from 

present 2 per cent, and we 

are working on innovative 

interventions with prospects 

of improving survival 

chances, especially for the 

elderly and those with comorbidities. 

“We will work with state 

governments to prepare 

necessary space and 

human resources at 

General Hospitals or 

PHCs, to be trained for 

setting up at least one 

sample collection site in 

every LGA in due course, 

with efficient sample 

retrieval logistics to convey 

samples to laboratories. 

‘’For patients with 

significant clinical 

symptoms, we also plan 

the designation of holding 

rooms at General Hospitals, 

with facilities for oxygen 

administration, such as 

oxygen concentrators or 

from oxygen cylinders. 

‘’Some investment in this 

strategy, known in Lagos 

State as oxygen kiosks, will 

be required, but the benefit, 

in lives saved, will be 

significant. All these may 

sound ambitious, but we 

must face the stark reality 

that COVID-19 will also 

spread to small towns and 

rural areas, and so begin 

to prepare structures to 

respond to the challenge. 

Can’t risk another 

lockdown 

National Coordinator of 

the Task Force, Dr Sani 

Aliyu, urged Nigerians to 

ensure compliance with all 

safety protocols, noting that 

the country could not risk 

another lockdown. 

He said: “It is quite clear 

as we can see from other 

parts of the world that 

certain countries are now 

going back into lockdown 

because of the pandemic 

coming back again. In 

other 

words, 

recrudescence, what we 

call a second wave. 

‘’We really cannot afford 

to have this happen in this 

country. It will destroy our 

economy and it will lead to 

a lot of deaths. Therefore, 

we have to reopen safely. 

We cannot risk another 

shut down nor can we risk 

having more lives being 

lost.’’ 

226 vaccines in 

development 

Director General, 

Nigerian Centre for 

Disease Control NCDC, Dr 

Chikwe Iheakwazu said 

there were currently 226 

vaccine candidates at 

different stages of 

development. 

He said Nigeria was 

working with relevant 

partners to ensure that 

when a vaccine becomes 

available, the country 

would have access to it. 

“Normally, vaccine 

development takes 

anywhere between 10 

months and two years. Yet 

we have made incredible 

progress in the last six 

months. The most 

recognised vaccine tracker 

by the London School of 

Hygiene and Tropical 

Medicine shows that there 

are about 226 vaccine 

candidates right now at 

different stages of 

development. So far, preclinical 

and early data is 

encouraging.’’ 

NDDC, EFCC, NSITF probes: 

Don’t stampede Buhari, 

Presidency tells TUC 

....Says threat to embark on protest 

uncalled for 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A Presidency BUJA—THE 

yesterday 

told the Trade Union 

Congress, TUC, not to 

stampede President 

Muhammadu Buhari with 

the threat to embark on a 

nationwide protest over 

alleged President’s 

inaction on the high level 

of corruption uncovered at 

the Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

NDDC, the Nigeria Social 

Insurance Trust Fund, 

NSITF, and the Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC. 

It also noted that the 

planned nationwide protest 

by the TUC was uncalled 

for as the various 

investigative panels 

looking into the infractions 

were yet to round off and 

submit their reports. 

In a statement issued by 

the Senior Special Assistant 

to the President on Media 

and Publicity, Mallam 

Garba Shehu in Abuja, the 

Presidency said the 

ongoing investigation 

processes should be 

allowed to run their full 

courses. 

It further said that those 

found culpable would face 

the full wrath of the law. 

The Presidency in the 

statement advised the labour 

union to join hands with 

President Buhari in the fight 

against corruption. 

The statement read: “The 

reported plan by the Trade Union 

Congress, TUC, to embark on a 

nationwide protest over the 

alleged President Buhari’s 

“inaction over the high-level of 

corruption uncovered at the 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, the Nigeria 

Social Insurance Trust Fund, 

NSITF, and the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC,” is ill advised and totally 

uncalled for, considering that 

there are ongoing investigations 

in the cases by both the executive 

and legislative arms of 

government. 

“These processes must be 

allowed to run their full courses. 

It is against the norm in a 

democratic society as well as the 

natural laws of justice to seek 

action, meaning punishment 

against offenders before proper 

investigation, trial and conviction. 

“The President has made 

it clear that the allegations 

that have surfaced clearly 

constitute a breach of trust 

and as the investigations 

take hold and close out, all 

those found wanting will 

face the wrath of the law." 

Shoprite debunks exit rumour, 

vows not to leave Nigeria 

By Princewill 

Ekwujuru 

SHOPRITE Nigeria, 

yesterday, debunked 

the story making the rounds 

that it intends to close shop 

in Nigeria. 

Ini Archibong, Country 

Director for Chastex 

Consult, representatives of 

Shoprite in Nigeria, in a 

telephone conversation 

with Vanguard said: 

“Shoprite is not leaving 

Nigeria. We have only just 

opened to Nigerian 

investors which we have 

also been talking to just 

before now. We are not 

leaving, who leaves over a 

$30 billion investment and 

close shop?” It doesn’t 

sound right. 

“We have only just given 

this opportunity to Nigerian 

investors to come in and 

also help drive our 

expansion plan in Nigeria. 

So we are not leaving. I 

have tried to say this as to 

many people as I can. 

There should be no panic 

at all and all of that. There 

is no truth in that report.” 

Recall that a story was 

published online,(not 

Vanguard) that the retail 

outlet has started a formal 

process to consider the 

potential sale of all or a 

majority of stake in its 

supermarkets in Nigeria. 

The report said the retailer had 

struggled in the Nigerian market 

after some South African owned 

retailer shops exited the Nigerian 

market. 

The report further stated that 

Shoprite results for the year do 

not reflect any of their operations 

in Nigeria as it will be classified as 

discontinued operation. 

In a trading update published 

on Monday, the South Africanbased 

company said the decision 

was made after “approaches from 

various potential investors, and 

in line with our re-evaluation of 

the Group’s operating model in 

Nigeria.” 

The company said when it 

reports its results for the year, its 

business in Nigeria “may be 

classified as a discontinued 

operation.” 

The company’s Nigerian 

business posted a 6.3 per cent 

decline in sales for the year 

ending June 2020, according to 

its Monday update. 

The company entered the 

Nigerian market in 2005 and its 

exit continues a trend of South 

African retail business struggling 

in Africa’s most populated nation. 

Mr Price, another South 

African retailer, announced plans 

to close its Nigerian business in 

June. 

In 2014, South African retailer, 

Woolworths, also pulled the plug 

on its Nigerian operation, citing 

high rents and duties, as well as 

marketing difficulties. 

In 2012, Shoprite announced 

plans to spend up to $205 million 

on securing new locations in 

Nigeria. 

The supermarket chain went 

on to spread its tentacles across 

most of Nigeria’s largest cities.

8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 

:Vanguard News 


LAUNCHING: From left—Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, 

Nwamaka Onyemelukwe; Founder, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, Bukola 

Bamiduro; Wife of the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mrs. Olabisi Onigbanjo, and 

Founder, Donor For Africa, Chidie Koldsweat, during the launch of Catalyst For Change, a 

women empowerment initiative, in Lagos. 

Insecurity: Situation rapidly 

deteriorating —Govs 

• Express solidarity with Zulum over attack by Boko Haram 

By Henry Umoru 

A BUJA—GOVERNOR 

of the 36 states of the federation 

yesterday raised 

alarm over the precarious security 

situation in the country, 

seeking to meet President 

Muhammadu Buhari to find 

a way to quickly nip the problem 

in the bud. 

The governors' alarm came 

against the backdrop of last 

weekend's attack on the governor 

of Borno State, Prof. Babagana 

Zulum by Boko 

Haram insurgents on his way 

to Baga to visit internally displaced 

persons, IDPs. 

Aside from this, there had 

also been massive killings of 

people in South Kaduna, the 

North East where Boko 

Haram reigns supreme and 

other parts of the country 

where bandits, herdsmen and 

kidnappers have continued to 

maim and kill people. 

The governor also resolved 

to have marathon sessions 

with all the security chiefs, 

including the National Security 

Adviser, NSA, General 

Babagana Monguno, retd; 

Inspector General of Police, 

IGP, Mohammed Adamu; the 

Director- General, National 

Intelligence Agency, NIA, 

Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and 

the Director- General, Department 

of State Service, DSS, 

Yusuf Magaji Bichi to discuss 

what they described as very 

worrisome development. 

Also expected at the meeting 

are the service chiefs. 

They include the Chief of 

Defence Staff, General Abayomi 

Olonisakin; Chief of 

Army Staff, General Tukur 

Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air 

Marshal Sadique Abubakar 

and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice 

Marshal Ibok- Ete Ibas. 

The governors in a statement 

signed by chairman of 

Nigeria Governors' Forum, 

NGF, and governor of Ekiti 

State, Kayode Fayemi, said 

Boko Haram's attack on Governor 

Zulum had brought to 

the fore the need for the federal 

government and states 

to work together to deal with 

the sect's threat to the country's 

corporate existence. 

Fayemi said: "On our part, 

the NEC sub-committee on 

security will be meeting tomorrow 

(today) and rising 

from the resolutions, thereof, 

will soon dialogue with Mr. 

President and the nation’s 

security chiefs to discuss this 

worrisome and rapidly degenerating 

situation.“"We are 

appalled by the worsening 

security situation in the country 

generally, in spite of all 

the efforts of government to 

end it.“"On behalf of the 36 

state governors of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria under 

the platform of the NGF, I 

write to express our solidarity 

with you and the people of 

Borno State, following the 

attack last Wednesday by 

gunmen suspected to be 

members of the Boko Haram 

sect.“"This is one unwarranted 

attack too many. It epitomizes 

our collective vulnerability 

and the fragility of the 

country’s security architecture. 

"Although you emerged 

from this incident unscathed, 

we note with regret the injuries 

sustained by two members 

of the Civilian Joint Task 

Force and a police officer attached 

to your convoy and do 

accordingly pray for their 

quick recovery. 

"Mr. Governor, Forum 

members are resolutely behind 

you in your effort to rid 

Borno State of these dastardly 

and wicked agents of evil.'' 

Recall that the insurgent 

group had intensified their 

attacks on both military and 

civilian targets in the last two 

weeks which culminated in 

the attacks on the governor. 

Similarly, the insurgent 

group also fired bombs at 

Maiduguri, the Borno State 

APC, PDP trade corruption allegations 

By Omeiza Ajayi & 

Dirisu Yakubu 

Money laundering: Judge 

berates EFCC for stalling trial 

of ex-AGF, Adoke 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—TRIAL Justice In 

yang Ekwo of the Federal 

High Court in Abuja yesterday 

berated the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, for stalling the planned 

commencement of hearing on 

the money laundering charge 

pending against the former Attorney-General 

of the Federation 

and Minister of Justice, 

Mohammed Adoke, SAN. 

Adoke, who is facing multiple 

cases over alleged unlawful 

roles he played while in office 

as the AGF, was in the instant 

charge, accused of complicity 

in laundering of about 

N400million. 

The EFCC had on June 17, 

docked him before the court 

alongside an oil mogul, Mr 

Aliyu Abubakar, on a sevencount 

amended charge 

marked FHC/CR/89/2017. 

Meanwhile, though the court 

adjourned to commence fullblown 

hearing of the case, 

however, at the resumed proceeding 

on Monday, the prosecution 

counsel, Mr. Bala Sanga, 

informed the trial judge 

that anti-graft agency has further 

amended the charge. 

He said the amended charge 

was filed on July 29 and served 

on the Defendants. 

Dissatisfied with the development, 

Justice Ekwo wondered 

why the Commission should 

file an amended charge few 

days to the trial date. 

• Account for failed $460m Abuja CCTV project, $2bn China loan, APC tells PDP 

• PDP blasts APC, asks ruling party to account for N800bn recovered loot 

A 

BUJA—THE ruling All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, said yesterday asked 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, to account for the billions 

of dollars it took from China 

to build a Closed Circuit Television, 

CCTV, system in Abuja 

and for other non-existent 

projects. 

APC in a statement by its 

Deputy National Publicity 

Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, 

noted that the statement 

issued by the Media Office 

of former Vice President, Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar, on the 

standard sovereign guarantee 

and sovereign immunity 

clause embedded in Nigeria's 

loan agreements with China 

to fund the ongoing national 

railway projects could best be 

described as unresearched, 

unintelligent and pedestrian. 

Nabena said as the Minister 

for Transportation, Rotimi 

Amaechi, had explained, the 

guarantee/clause in the loan 

deals was standard, irrespective 

of the country granting 

the loan. 

"Perhaps, Atiku and the 

Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) could redirect their 

energies to explaining to Nigerians 

the status of the failed 

$460 million Abuja Closed- 

Circuit Television CCTV 

awarded in August 2010 by 

the immediate-past PDP administration. 

"Also, they should explain 

the over $2billion China loan 

the PDP administration took 

between 2010 and 2013 

alone; $16billion spent on 

power with no electricity; fuel 

subsidy rackets; counter-insurgency 

funds that were diverted 

and shared to political 

cronies among other 

shocking heists," APC said. 

It recalled that the failed 

CCTV installation project 

was initiated by late President 

Umaru Yar’Adua and awarded 

in August 2010 by former 

President Goodluck 

Jonathan’s administration to 

help security agencies in the 

Federal Capital Territory, 

FCT, check the growing insecurity. 

The ruling party said: 

"Since the agreement became 

capital, killings some people 

and damaging several properties 

and other valuables. 

This was also followed by 

another round of bombing 

which led to the death of a 

couple and some other civilians. 

Boko Haram's operations in 

the country, which started in 

2009, has claimed over 

30,000 lives and properties 

worth billions of naira. 

Their activities have propelled 

Nigerians' call for sack 

of the service chiefs who they 

said had ran out of ideas to 

deal with the insurgents. 

In the North West, no fewer 

than 63 persons were also 

killed by herdsmen in Southern 

Kaduna in Kaduna State, 

even as bandits have continued 

their killing spree in such 

states as Katsina and Zamfara. 

signed, Nigeria has been 

servicing this loan to China, 

while Nigerians are yet to 

attest to the visibility of CCTV 

project and unable to explain 

the status of the video surveillance 

project. The matter is 

subject to a legislative probe. 

"In all of these, we are starkly 

reminded that the PDP remains 

a corrupted and damaged 

product. Nigerians must 

continue to reject the party at 

all levels of government. 

"In the area of fiscal discipline, 

prudence, curbing 

leakages, are we currently 

getting it right? An emphatic 

yes! Every kobo expended on 

infrastructure counts. 

''Verifiable evidence abound 

in the fast expanding national 

railway projects, airport remodelling, 

among other critical 

infrastructure projects, being 

undertaken by President 

Muhammadu Buhari's government. 

The days of phoney 

contracts as institutionalised 

by successive PDP administrations 

are fast fading.'' 

Responding to APC's allegation 

yesterday, PDP in a 

statement signed by the 

spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, 

urged APC to first give 

account of the N800 billion it 

claimed to have recovered, 

noting that every Nigerian 

now knew that the ruling 

party was nothing but a gathering 

of people united by 

fraud and corruption. 

He said: "Five years in the 

saddle, we are where we are. 

The APC that came with the 

mantra of fighting corruption 

has since become the most 

corrupt party in the history of 

Nigeria. 

''Where is the N800 billion 

they claimed to have recovered? 

Nigerians know that 

the so-called recovered monies 

have since been re-looted 

by those shouting war 

against corruption. This government 

has failed by all standards 

and they know it. 

"The PDP advises the federal government 

to immediately begin the 

investigation of its officials and highly-placed 

members of the APC alleged 

to have soiled their hands, with 

a view to bringing them to book. 

"Until they do this, the APC and 

the government it formed at the centre 

should keep their peace because 

Nigerians are now wiser than their 

needless propaganda." 

Addressing the prosecution 

counsel, the visible angry 

Judge said: “From June 

17 to July 17, you did nothing. 

That means you had 

one month and you didn’t 

file the amended charge. 

Just few days to the trial, you 

filed an amended charge. 

“Although you have freedom 

to amend your charge 

up to the time of judgment, 

I do not appreciate a situation 

where things are not 

done on time. 

"This is a 2017 matter and 

I was thinking I could fast 

track it but now the prosecution 

has come up with an 

amendment", the Judge 

fumed. 

The Judge further noted that 

the amended charge was not in 

the court's file. 

He subsequently adjourned 

the case till Tuesday to enable the 

Defendants to enter fresh plea to 

the charge. 

EFCC had in the former charge, 

alleged that Adoke had in September 

2013, accepted the sum of 

United States Dollars equivalent 

to N300million from the 2nd Defendant, 

Abubakar, and thereby 

committed an offence under section 

1 (a) of the Money Laundering 

Prohibition Act 2011 (as 

amended) and punishable under 

section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act. 

It alleged that the former AGF, 

within the same period, made a 

payment of the sum of United 

States Dollars equivalent to 

N367,318,800.00 to one Usman 

Mohammed Bello. 

Obaseki kicks off campaign in 

Edo North 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY —THE gov 

ernor of Edo State, Godwin 

Obaseki yesterday kicked 

off his re-election campaign 

beginning from Igarra, head- 

quarters of Akoko Edo Local 

Government Area where he 

promised to build on the good 

foundation his administration 

has laid in the last three years 

and eight months.“He said the 

foundation which included an 

economic blueprint would 

address the challenges posed 

by the coronavirus pandemic. 

“At the palace of the paramount 

leader of Igarra, HRH 

Oba Emmanuel Adeche Saiki 

II, the Otaru of Igarra, the 

royal father prayed that God 

would guide the governor and 

bless his plans for the state. 

’’We pray that God will guide 

you in all your ways. You 

should not be discouraged in 

advising the youths against violence 

and political thuggery 

because the era of violence and 

thuggery is gone,” the Otaru 

said. 

Responding, Obaseki said 

that with the challenges posed 

by the coronavirus pandemic, 

the people needed a leader 

with focus, and one that was 

genuinely concerned about 

the well-being of the people of 

the state. 

“On agriculture, the governor 

said that food production 

must be improved upon and 

taken more seriously as farming 

should be a priority, with 

the dwindling resources from 

Abuja. 

‘‘What you have seen in the 

last three years and eight 

months is small compared to 

what we have planned for our 

second term. We have the experience 

that our opponent 

does not have. 

Our radical reforms have 

given us a solid foundation to 

build on. We will tackle security 

challenges in the state,” he 

said.



By Adesina Wahab & 

Joseph Erunke 

L AGOS—STUDENTS 

in Senior Secondary 

School class 3, yesterday, 

resumed in Lagos State to 

begin preparations for the 

2020 West African 

Secondary School 

Certificate Examination, 

WASSCE, billed to start on 

August 17, 2020. 

When Vanguard 

visited some schools in 

Alagbado and Ajasa areas 

of Lagos, it was observed 

that both private and public 

schools tried as much as 

possible to meet the health 

and safety conditions 

stipulated by the 

government to prevent the 

spread of the coronavirus 

disease in the country. 

However, Personal 

Protective Equipment, 

PPEs, demanded by the 

Nigeria Union of Teachers, 

NUT, were missing on the 

staff of schools visited. 

Also, while most private 

schools have clinics or what 

is called sick bays, public 

schools had to rely on 

sending back any student 

:Vanguard 

News 


SCHOOLS' RESUMPTION—Mrs. Oluwaleye Olayinka, Principal, Anthony Village Senior High School, 

using infrared thermometer to test students' temperatures before permitting them to enter the 

school premises, as resumption of classes, on gradual easing of COVID-19 lock down, begins in 

Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez. 

As senior high school students resume in Lagos: 

PPEs, isolation centres, missing in most 

schools •Minister to tour Unity colleges 

found to be sick or running 

a high temperature. 

At Surulere Senior 

Secondary School, 

Alagbado, Vanguard 

met three staff members 

with infrared thermometers 

at the gate, checking the 

temperatures of staff and 

students as they come in. 

Two hand washing 

facilities were also installed 

near the gate for people to 

wash their hands. 

Two other hand washing 

points were located on the 

premises, while the 

entrance of each class has 

a bucket converted to a 

handwashing facility and a 

hand sanitiser placed on 

top. 

Students were not 

allowed in unless they had 

their nose masks on. 

The Principal, Mrs. 

Olufunmilayo Ojiba, 

refused to comment on the 

situation. 

It was gathered that the 

school has only 96 SSS 3 

students and they have 

been divided into four 

classes to allow for social 

distancing. 

On how to take care of 

any emergency, it was 

learned that a nearby stateowned 

health centre could 

come to the rescue when 

necessary. 

At Grimes International 

College, also in Alagbado, 

each student was given a 

free nose mask to 

complement the ones they 

brought from home. 

The Proprietor, Mrs. 

Gladys Grimes, said her 

final year students are 34 

and was divided into three 

classes. 

The school has a sickbay. 

At Lawrence Private 

Air Peace sacks pilots over pay 

disagreement 

By Lawani Mikairu 

LAGOS—AIR Peace 

airline, yesterday, 

sacked some of its pilots 

over disagreement in 

salaries and allowances 

There had recently been 

lingering disagreement 

over pay cut and reviewed 

remuneration between the 

pilots and the 

management, which has 

finally culminated to the 

sacking of some pilots. 

The pilots affected are 

those said to be signatories 

to the agitations. 

Reacting to the 

development, the airline 

said: “The management of 

Air Peace wishes to state 

that it has taken a painful 

but rightful decision, in the 

circumstances the airline 

has found itself, as a result 

of the devastating effects of 

the COVID-19 pandemic 

on its operations and 

financial health, to 

terminate the employment 

of some of its pilots. 

“This decision was taken 

for the greater good of the 

company and its almost 3, 

000 workforce, the affected 

pilots inclusive. The airline 

cannot afford to toe the path 

of being unable to continue 

to fulfill its financial 

obligations to its staff, 

external vendors, aviation 

agencies, maintenance 

organisations, insurance 

companies, banks and 

other creditors hence the 

decision to restructure its 

entire operations with a 

view to surviving the times. 

“The pandemic has hit 

every airline worldwide so 

badly that it has become 

very impossible for airlines 

to remain afloat without 

carrying out internal restructuring 

of their costs. 

Anything short of what we 

have done may lead to the 

collapse of an airline as 

could be seen in some 

places worldwide during 

this period. Therefore, we 

decided to review the 

salaries being paid to all 

staff. The new salaries 

reflect a 0%-40% cut of the 

former salary depending on 

the salary grades of every 

staff. Even after the cuts, it 

was obvious that for us to 

be able to sustain our 

operations and survive the 

times, some jobs must 

inevitably have to go. 

“Air Peace has never, for 

one day, ever owed salaries 

to its workers in its almost six years 

of existence, pilots inclusive. 

Rather the management of Air 

Peace has always been known to 

be increasing salaries of its 

employees periodically without 

being prompted by staff. In fact, 

in one fell swoop." 

School in Ajasa, 

enlightenment banners 

about COVID-19 

pandemic and safety 

measures to be taken were 

placed at the gate and other 

conspicuous points in the 

premises. 

NUT reacts 

Commenting on the 

development, Chairman of 

the NUT in Lagos, Mr. 

Adesina Adedoyin, said: 

“We have gone round some 

schools and I have also sent 

some officials of the union 

to go round the six 

education districts in the 

state. It may take some days 

to do a thorough 

assessment of the situation, 

but we can say that the 

government has tried to put 

in place some safety 

measures in the public 

schools visited. 

“We hope that everything 

works out well and there are 

no hitches or negative 

fallouts from this phased 

opening of schools. As 

teachers, we are always 

ready to do the job we are 

paid to do, only that we 

want the safety of all 

stakeholders to be 

guaranteed.” 

Minister to tour 

Unity colleges 

Similarly, as Unity 

Colleges owned by the 

Federal Government are 

scheduled to re-open for 

final year students today, 

the Minister of State for 

Education, Emeka 

Nwajiuba, said he would 

embark on an assessment 

tour of the colleges. 

Nwajiuba, in a statement 

by Bem Goong, Director of 

Press and Public Relations 

in the Federal Ministry of 

Education, stated that the 

Permanent Secretary and 

the directors in the ministry 

would join him in the 

Presidential panel report'll 

reshape anti-graft war 

—Forensic expert 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—-A Director of 

Forensic Investigation, 

International Institute of 

Certified Forensic 

Investigation Professionals, 

United States, Dr. Yusuf 

Aliu, said yesterday that the 

report of the Justice Ayo 

Salami-led Presidential 

Panel investigating the 

former Chairman of the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, Mr. 

Ibrahim Magu, will set a 

new tone in the fight against 

corruption. 

He said the alleged 

massive fraud in the EFCC 

and the Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

which is the latest in the 

assessment tour. 

The statement reads: 

“Ahead of August 4th, 2020, 

Minister of State for 

Education, Mr. 

Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba 

has announced that all the 

104 Unity Colleges are 

ready to open their gates 

to exit classes tomorrow. 

“Announcing the 

preparedness of the Unity 

Colleges at a meeting with 

the Commissioners for 

Education of the 36 States 

of the Federation this 

morning via the Zoom 

platform, the Minister 

lauded Principals of Unity 

Colleges for the 

comprehensive preparation 

put in place for resumption. 

“Across states, the 

Commissioners reported 

varying degrees of 

preparation and readiness 

for reopening between the 

4th and 10th of August, 

2020 for virtually all schools 

within their jurisdictions. 

“From today, the Minister 

of State for Education, 

Permanent Secretary and 

Directors will embark on an 

assessment tour of all Unity 

Colleges to ascertain and 

confirm the reports they 

have received from the 

Principals of Unity 

Colleges. 

“Similarly, Federal 

Education Quality 

Assurance Directors 

deployed to the states 

have been directed to 

monitor compliance in 

their respective states. 

“The Commissioners 

from the states were 

enjoined to embark on 

assessment tours of their 

jurisdictions to ascertain 

the level of preparations 

for reopening. 

“While most schools will 

reopen tomorrow, others 

will continue to fine-tune 

their preparations in the 

coming days for 

reopening.” 

spate of corruption 

allegations cases, has put 

the war on corruption 

under severe scrutiny. 

In a statement, Aliu stated 

that the report of the 

presidential panel on the 

EFCC may further build or 

erode the confidence which 

the international 

community repose in 

Nigeria, especially, 

concerning corruption 

He said: “Ibrahim Magu 

is innocent until he is 

proven guilty of the offences 

as alleged. He is being 

questioned by the 

presidential panel, who will 

in no distant time release 

their report. Political 

analysts are of the 

contention that if Magu is 

eventually indicted for 

corruption, then the war on 

corruption by the present 

administration is lost and 

any gain made, would have 

been rubbished. 

“Though, majority of 

Nigerians believed the 

Buhari led government is 

fighting corruption, the 

International Transparency 

Corruption Perception 

index figures are proving 

the contrary. In the 2019 

report of Transparency 

International, Nigeria was 

rated 146 out of 180, with a 

25 per cent on their 

Corruption Perception 

Index. A 25-percentage 

score is an awfully poor 

result for a country, which 

prides herself as the giant 

of Africa. 

“The report of the 

presidential panel on 

Magu cum EFCC will set 

a new tone on the way 

forward for Nigeria with 

curbing administrative 

recklessness and attendant 

executive corruption. The 

report of the presidential 

panel on the EFCC may 

further build or erode the 

confidence which the 

international community 

repose in Nigeria, 

especially, concerning 

corruption." 

Ekiti workers 

call off 3-day 

warning strike 

A DO-EKITI—- 

WORKERS in the 

Ekiti State civil service, 

yesterday, called off the 

three-day warning 

strike. 

This is coming barely 12 

hours into the 

commencement of the 

industrial action declared 

by the labour movement 

to press for payment of 

outstanding benefits. 

This was sequel to 

Governor Kayode 

Fayemi’s readiness to 

meet some of the 

demands outlined by 

organised labour at a 

meeting held midnight 

Sunday up to Monday 

morning.


:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

FACILITY TOUR— 

Chief Innocent 

Chukwuma, 

founder/CEO, 

I n n o s o n 

V e h i c l e s 

Manufacturing 

(second left), 

explaining the 

functionality of a 

n e w l y 

manufactured 

car to Chairman 

& CEO, Oilserv 

Limited, Emeka 

Okwuosa (third 

right), during a 

tour of the firm's 

facilities at 

Innoson factory 

in Nnewi, 

Anambra State, 

yesterday. 

Fasanmi was a national hero, say 

Oyetola, Akande, Akinrinade, others 

By Shina Abubakar 

O 

S O G B O — 

GOVERNOR 

Adegboyega Oyetola of 

Osun State, former Interim 

National Chairman of the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Chief Bisi Akande; 

former Chief of General 

Staff, Lt. Gen. Alani 

Akinrinade (retd); Osun 

State Deputy Governor, 

Mr. Benedict Alabi; 

Professor Olu Aina and 

Speaker of the State 

Assembly, Mr. Timothy 

Owoeye, yesterday, bid late 

Pa Ayorinde Fasanmi 

farewell describing him as 

a national hero. 

They said this at a 

commendation service in 

honour of the late elder 

statesman organised by the 

Ijabadenuyi for 

burial Friday 

THE family of 

Ijabadenuyi has 

announced the death of 

Chief Alfred Adebisi 

Ijabadenuyi who passed 

away on Sunday, July 19, 

2020, at the age of 90 years. 

There will be a 

commendation service on 

his behalf on Thursday, at 

9am at St. David’s Anglican 

Church, Lafiaji, Lagos, and 

church service and 

interment to be held on 

Friday at 10am in his 

residence at 13 Imaran 

Street, Oke Ogun, Owo, 

Ondo state. 

He was survived by wife, 

children, grand children 

and other relatives. 

•Late Ijabadenuyi 

....As Fayemi names 13-man burial c'ttee 

Osun State government. 

The late Pa Fasanmi died 

on July 30 after a brief 

illness in Osogbo at age 94 

and his remains would be 

buried today in Iye-Ekiti, 

Ekiti State. 

This came as Governor 

Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti 

State announced a 13- 

member committee to 

coordinate the burial 

ceremony of the late elder 

statesman. 

During 

the 

commendation service 

held at the All Saints 

Cathedral, Osun Anglican 

Diocese Headquarters, 

Balogun Agoro Area in 

Osogbo, the Dean, Canon 

Ayodele Fabuluje 

described the late Senator 

as a national hero, whose 

fight against corruption 

could not be rivaled by any 

present generation 

politician. 

He said: “Baba was a 

national hero, whose 

footprints has been 

enmeshed in the sands of 

time. He was a man of 

honour, whose contribution 

to the fight against 

corruption during his stay 

at the senate was second to 

none. He was in charge of 

the allocation of so many 

plots of GRA’s in Oyo, 

Osun and Ondo states yet, 

he refused to allocate any 

to himself. 

“He was a fearless man 

whose contribution to the 

enthronement of 

democracy through NADECO cannot be 

forgotten. 

"He contributed the sum of N100,000 three 

weeks ago to alleviate the suffering of COVID- 

19 on the church. The late Senator deserves 

to be immortalised.” 

In his tribute, Governor Oyetola described 

the late Second Republic lawmaker as someone 

who conscientiously promoted, projected and 

lived for the principles and legacies of the late 

Chief Obafemi Awolowo till his death. 

Oyetola said: “In his 94 years on earth, Pa 

Fasanmi proved that loving and serving 

Nigeria passionately and without personal 

benefits is doable. He was one of few patriarchs 

who stood to be counted in a nation in search 

of politics of ideology and principle. 

Throughout his foray into politics, he was 

consistent as a progressive. 

“Pa Fasanmi was a distinguished son of Ekiti 

who found a home in Osun State and worked 

tirelessly for the progress of the Yoruba race 

as an Afenifere leader. 

Fayemi names 13-member 

burial c’ttee 

Similarly, Governor Fayemi has 

announced a 13-member committee to 

coordinate the burial ceremony of late 

Afenifere leader, Ayo Fasanmi. 

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary 

to the governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, stated 

that the committee will work with the family 

of the late elder statesman and the 

government of Osun State to ensure a 

befitting burial for the deceased in Iye Ekiti in 

Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Ekiti State. 

The committee is headed by the Secretary 

to the State Government, Biodun Oyebanji. 

The members are Taju Adejumo as Secretary, 

Bunmi Adetunmbi, Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Tope 

Ogunleye, Folorunsho Olabode, Paul 

Omotosho, Femi Ajayi and Ayoola Owolabi. 

Others are Muyiwa Olumilua, Moji Fafure, 

Ebenezer Ogundana and Alaba Abejide. 

S’West traders petition Sanwo-Olu 

over marginalisation in ASPAMDA 

By Gabriel Olawale 

L AGOS—TRADERS 

from the South West 

wing of Auto Spare Parts 

and Machine Dealers 

Association, ASPMDA, 

yesterday, have petitioned 

Lagos State Governor 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu over 

what they termed as 

marginalization in the 

management of the 

association. 

In a petition entitled: ‘Remarginalization 

of Yoruba 

race in ASPMDA politics 

and administration’, by the chairman of 

Yoruba Forum, Mr. Tunde Akinsola; Secretary 

Mr. Fatai Agbaje and Yoruba elders forum chairman, 

Alhaji Moshood Hoodnas and secretary, Mr. Kola 

Teluwo, said: “We must intimate your Excellency 

that the Yoruba race played a vital role during the 

establishment of Spare Parts Market in Trade Fair 

Complex notwithstanding that the market is 

dominated by the Igbo traders and Yoruba people 

have continued to contribute immensely towards 

sustaining of development and stability of the market 

till date. 

“We have noticed for ages that Yoruba people have 

always been marginalized and manipulated when it comes 

to selecting the executive officers despite being founding 

members of the association but we have remained lawabiding 

and calm so as not to give room to an allegation 

Aunty, please go back and carry your 

husband before another woman pick it! 

Landlord, engineer, tenant, all of them 

mad ooo! 

Lord, I join his brother to beg, please 

have mercy!




CAMPAIGN—Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, waving to a crowd of supporters, during his 

re-election campaign in Ososo, Edo State. 

Edo: PDP chides Ize-Iyamu for adopting 

Oshiomhole's style 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase & Dirisu 

Yakubu 

THE PEOPLES Demo 

cratic Party National 

Campaign Council, PDP- 

NCC, for Edo governorship 

election, yesterday, mocked 

the All Progressives Congress, 

APC, governorship 

candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, 

for saying that he 

would follow the footprint 

of the former APC national 

chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, 

if voted into power. 

The PDP also challenged 

Oshiomhole to present his 

primary School Leaving 

Certificate if he actually 

went to school. 

Chairman of PDP Campaign 

Council for Edo Governorship 

election, Chief 

Dan Orbih, while addressing 

party members and 

supporters in (Ward 5) Ososo 

and (Ward 10) Dangbala, 

Akoko-Edo LGA of 

Edo State, urged Oshiomhole 

to disclose to Nigerians 

the cause of quarrel 

with his successor, Governor 

Godwin Obaseki, 

whom he described as a 

worthy Alumnus of Nigeria 

premier University of 

Ibadan, UI. 

Orbih said, "They said 

Obaseki who graduated 

from University of Ibadan 

has a Certificate. I make 

bold to say that I challenge 

Oshiomhole to show us his 

Primary 6 certificate. He 

should allow Edo people to 

decide who governs them. 

In four years, Obaseki has 

done more than what Oshiomhole 

did in eight years." 

On his part, Obaseki announced 

that the construction 

of the 12.75km Ososo- 

Okpella Road, which was 

abandoned by previous 

administration, will begin 

before the end of the year. 

The governor, who highlighted 

his achievements, 

said that he secured the 

commitment from the 

Chairman of the BOA Cement 

Plc, Alhaji Abdulsamad 

Rabiu, who promised 

to undertake the project. 

Obaseki also disclosed 

his government plans to 

carryout maintenance work 

at the Ojirami Dam established 

by the administration 

of late Brig. General Samuel 

Ogbemudia (rted) towards 

addressing acute 

water supply in the rural 

areas. 

Meanwhile, addressing 

newsmen at the party's 

headquarters, secretary of 

the publicity sub-committee 

of the campaign council, 

Kola Ologbondiyan, said, 

"It is laughable that after 

much orchestration, Ize- 

Iyamu has abandoned his 

plagiarized simple agenda, 

which, in any case, he has 

no capacity to execute, to 

follow Oshiomhole's detestable 

'go and die' policy and 

agenda of falsehood, treasury 

looting, injecting of 

confusion and disregard for 

values, welfare and sensibilities 

of the people. 

"Oshiomhole's footprint as 

the governor of Edo State 

include intimidation of widows, 

alleged suppression 

of personal freedom of citizens, 

entrenchment of corruption 

for which the Edo 

people have been demanding 

his prosecution. 

"That is the footprint Ize- 

Iyamu said he would be 

following; the style of an 

individual who is always 

associated with engendering 

confusion, quarreling, 

disagreements and disunity. 

"We are not amazed that 

Ize-iyamu, having become 

overburdened by reputation 

issues, surrendered 

the APC candidacy to another 

individual, who was 

suspended by his kinsmen 

at his ward and disgracefully 

kicked out as the national 

chairman of his party. 

"Given this sad declaration 

to continue where 

• Challenges Oshiomhole to present 

Primary 6 certificte 

Oshiomhole stopped, Ize- 

Iyamu has shown to the 

people of Edo State and 

Nigerians in general that 

he has no credible principles 

but only seeks to hijack 

governance for selfish 

purposes. 

"With a r APC leader, 

acid bather and person of 

questionable character, it 

is clear that men of goodwill 

in Edo State have 

deserted the APC and its 

candidate. Of course, the 

Edo people will never follow 

a footprint that is 

2023 Presidency: Prominent Itsekiri 

septuagenarian, Pa Oki, slams Balarabe Musa 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

WARRI—A prominent 

Niger Delta leader of 

the Itsekiri extraction, Pa 

Prince Oki has described 

recent call by former governor 

of Kaduna State, Alhaji 

Balarabe Musa for the next 

president of the country to 

come from the South East 

region as misleading. 

Pa Oki, who spoke in Warri, 

Delta State said, there had 

never been anything as 

South East region in the history 

of the country, adding 

that the nation operated four 

regions which he listed as 

Northern, Eastern, Western 

and Mid West. 

He said for sake of fairness, 

the Mid Western region 

should produce the next 

president since it was the 

only defunct region in the 

country that had not produced 

a president for the 

country. 

He called for unity among 

leaders of the defunct Midwestern 

region which today 

has broken into Edo and 

Delta states. 

"Balarabe Musa in the 

Vanguard publication, said 

that the Presidency should 

go to the South East region 

of the country in 2023. 

heading to nowhere. 

"That is why Oshiomhole's 

antics of fake apologies, 

deceitful genuflections 

before Edo 

leaders and hiring of 

campaigners for Ize-Iyamu's 

rallies cannot 

swayed the people of 

Edo State to abandon a 

proven, credible, people-oriented 

and performance-based 

administration 

which they have 

been enjoying under the 

PDP candidate, Governor 

Obaseki." 

"I am sorry to tell Balarabe 

that people like him misled 

and rewrite the history of this 

country. We had four regions 

in Nigeria by/before 1966 

according to the constitution. 

Northern Nigeria (region) 

Kaduna, Eastern Nigeria (region) 

Enugu, Western Nigeria 

(region) Ibadan and Mid- 

Western Nigeria (region) 

Benin. 

"If Balarabe Musa is very 

honest to himself, he should 

know that it is only the Mid- 

Western region that has not 

produced any President for 

Nigeria. Dr Goodluck 

Jonathan is from Eastern region. 

The present six geopolitical 

zone was done by 

Dr Alex Ekweme/Gen 

Abacha to wipe out old Mid- 

Westr. 

"By 1964/66, Nigeria had 

four military leaders according 

to their regions with Gen 

Ironsi from Eastern region as 

Head of Nigeria. General 

Hassan Katsina for Northern 

region ( Kaduna) General 

Odumegwu Ojukwu for 

Eastern region (Enugu), 

General Adekunle Fajuyi for 

Western region (Ibadan) and 

General David Ejoor for 

Mid-West region (Benin). 

"Eastern Region produced 

Dr. Azikiwe, Gen Ironsi and 

Dr Goodluck Jonathan as 

Wike splashes cars on Rivers 

judges ...Chides them for 

By Egufe indulging in partisan 

Yafugborhi 

politics 

PORT HARCOURT— 

GOVERNOR Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, 

handed 41 Range Rover 

Sport Utility Vehicles, SUV, 

to judges in the state Judiciary 

as well as seven judges of 

Rivers origin in the Federal 

Judicial Service. 

The governor said the gesture 

was to change perceived 

"unfortunate narrative" of complete 

neglect and disdain judicial 

officers suffered before 

he assumed governorship of 

Rivers State. 

Wike also announced the 

completion of 20 luxury and 

fully furnished Judges Quarters 

built to provide decent accommodation 

for judges in 

the state. 

He, however, chided judges 

for involvement in partisan 

politics through their comments, 

special affiliations, 

body language and palpable 

commitments, calling for concerted 

efforts at ensuring that 

judicial officers maintain 

"highest sense of responsibility, 

integrity and productivity 

on duty." 

He said, "Adjudication and 

politics are incompatible extremes, 

hence, no judge can 

be both and legitimately 

Presidents. Northern region 

produced Sir Tafawa Balewa, 

Gowon, Banbagida, 

Shagari, Abacha, Yar Adua. 

Western region produced 

Obansanjo, Shonekan. Mid- 

Western region, nil. 

"The six geopolitical zones 

are not regions as Balarabe 

wants us to believe. South 

East zone is derogative to the 

Igbe nation. Eastern region 

is the proper adjective for the 

Igbo. 

"I call on the Oba of Benin 

to play the good role of his 

grandfather, Oba Akenzuwa 

in the creation of the old 

Mid-West region with Benin 

City as capital," he added. 

He enjoined frontline political 

leaders from the two 

states that make up the old 

mid western region to contest 

for the presidency. 

claim to be an independent 

and impartial adjudicator. 

"Heads of the country's judicial 

system should positively 

address the identifiable 

weaknesses and processes 

that have continued to create 

room for judicial corruption. 

"The transformation agenda 

in the state judiciary under 

my administration is 

based on the fact that we believe 

judges and magistrates 

who toil daily to dispense justice 

and advance societal 

peace need to be taken care 

of. 

"Therefore, the rule of law, 

independence of the judiciary 

and effective delivery of 

justice are top priorities of my 

administration." 

The state Chief Judge, Justice 

Adanma Iyaye-Lamikanra 

noted that Wike has made 

the state judiciary the envy 

of other judiciaries in the 

country in terms of infrastructure 

and technology and welfare 

for judges. 

State Attorney and Commissioner 

for Justice, Prof. 

Zaccheus Adangor said the 

official vehicles for the judges 

were a demonstration of 

one of the core values of the 

New Rivers Vision. 

We'll give priority to projects that'll 

boost Delta economy —Okowa 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—GOVERNOR 

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State, yesterday, assured that 

the state government would 

continue to give priority attention 

to projects that would 

boost the economy and enhance 

the living condition of 

the people. 

Giving the assurance 

while inspecting some ongoing 

projects in Asaba, 

Okowa disclosed that the 

twin-project of Film Village 

and Leisure Park would 

serve as a community where 

people would go for entertainment, 

relaxation and 

making of movies. 

He said that the project, 

would on completion, create 

employment opportunities 

for many persons, especially 

now that the number of 

the unemployed is increasing, 

noting that Asaba has 

always been a "movie town." 

He added that the Film Village 

would positively impact 

on the economy of the city. 

Disclosing that the project 

would be completed in 2021, 

barring unforeseen circumstances, 

he said the Leisure 

Park was of "great importance 

to us because whatever you 

do, there is need for relaxation 

and we believe that the 

park will provide that relaxation 

for both our children 

and adults.




PROTEST: From left—Representatives of Association of Tricycle Operators, ATO, in Enugu, Mr Moses Okpaga; Programme 

Coordinator, Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, South-East, Comrade Kindness Jonah and CLO Publicity Secretary, South- 

East, Comrade Paul Duru, during their protest against the imposition of ‘unjustifiable taxation’ on ATO members by Enugu 

State Ministry of Transport in Enugu, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

COVID-19: S-East govs resolve on school 

• As Enugu workers resume full work after 4 months 

resumption 

By Peter Okutu & 

Chinedu Adonu 

A BAKALIKI—GOVER 

NORS of the South East 

geopolitical zone, weekend, 

took a stand on the resumption 

of schools within the region. 

In a communique by the 

Director General of the South 

East Governors Forum, Prof. 

Uchenna Ortuanya, the governors 

stated that random 

sampling of COVID-19 tests 

shall be conducted on the 

teachers and students. 

The communique read: 

"The governors of South-East 

States have resolved to open 

both public and private 

schools for exit classes only 

(JSS3 and SS3) to enable 

them prepare and take their 

WAEC exams. 

"The governors have started 

the decontamination of all 

the schools involved, including 

providing hand sanitizers 

and running water inline 

with COVID-19 NCDC protocols. 

"Random sampling of 

COVID-19 tests shall be conducted 

on the teachers and 

students. 

"Health workers shall be 

sent to the schools to train the 

teachers and students on 

COVID-19 NCDC protocols 

and to also enforce same. 

"Governors, do advise our 

dear teachers and our children 

to know that COVID- 

19 is real though not a death 

sentence but prevention is 

better than cure.Please obey 

all NCDC protocols on COV- 

ID-19." 

Enugu workers 

resume full work 

after 4 months 

forced break 

In Enugu State, in compliance 

with NCDC recommended 

protocols, all categories 

of Enugu State workers 

resumed work yesterday after 

four months of Covid-19 

induced forced holidays. The 

workers were directed to 

close their offices on March 

23, 2020 and have been at 

home since then but receiv- 

forced break 

ing their wages as at when 

due. 

In preparation for the resumption, 

Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi ordered for total 

decontamination of the state 

secretariat which was bubbling 

with human activities 

yesterday with the resumption. 

Though levels 14 and 12 

workers had earlier resumed 

about two months ago, the resumption 

of the other levels 

have brought the state workforce 

to full swing. 

However, missing was the 

hugging and handshaking 

which usually followed such 

reunion. 

When Vanguard reporter 

visited the secretariat, it was 

noticed that all the workers 

complied with the NCDC 

protocol of wearing face 

masks with some clutching 

their bottles of sanitizer as they 

moved into their offices which 

had earlier been rearranged 

to maintain the necessary 

physical distancing. 

The resumption however 

brought with it, the usual 

morning gridlock in some 

major streets in Enugu city 

such as Ebeano tunnel, Okpara 

Avenue, Holy Ghost, 

Old Park, Trans-Ekulu roads 

as the workers headed to 

their offices. 

At the secretariat, the state 

head of service was busy 

overseeing that the workers 

settled down well and in line 

with the approved protocol as 

earlier advised by Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who 

warned all the returning civil 

servants to observe the 

NCDC protocol for containment 

of the spread of the coronavirus 

disease including 

hand washing with soap, use 

of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, 

compulsory use of face 

shield/mask and maintaining 

social distancing. 

Vanguard however observed 

that there was no provision 

of water and detergent 

for hand washing machine at 

the entrance gate as directed 

by the state government. 

The state Chief Information 

Officer, Mr. Ifeanyi Egbo expressed 

surprise over the non 

availability of the machine at 

the gate yesterday, saying 

that the hand washing machine 

has been working 

perfectly before now at the 

gate. 

Mr. Egbo said the Ministry 

of Water Resources and 

state Water Corporation 

have provided those machines 

in many places 

around the state such as 

Parklane Hospital, isolation 

centers, market places and 

schools in collaboration 

with the state government 

to contain the spread of 

COVID-19. 

“Non working of wash 

hand machine is just negligence 

of work. It might be that 

water has finished. It was 

functioning on Wednesday 

when I left office. The ministry 

of water resources has provided 

the machine to different 

offices and establishments 

to help in containing the 

spread of COVID-19.” 

Nigerian woman, Kaosiso Ezibe, 

cleared of fraud in Canada 

ANIGERIAN lady, Kao 

siso Ezibe, has been 

cleared of the fraud charges 

against her by the Ontario 

Court of Justice, Canada 

as all the charges were 

withdrawn. 

She was arrested in Canada 

on July 24, 2019 by Toronto 

Police Service on a 6- 

count charge bordering on 

fraud, laundering proceeds 

of a crime and possessing 

the proceeds of a crime. 

A certified copy of the 

court judgment showed 

that all the charges were 

dropped as the facts established 

that she was a victim 

of the fraud she was 

accused of. 

In a telephone interview, 

Kaosiso Ezeibe expressed 

delight at the outcome of 

the matter, while appreciating 

God for vindicating 

Anambra monarch goes into hiding following 

alleged police harassment over murder 

• We're not aware of attempt to arrest anybody —Police 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA—THE traditional 

ruler of Awba –Ofemili in 

Awka North local government 

area of Anambra State, 

Igwe Ezekwesili Maduagwuna 

has gone into hiding 

following alleged frequent attempts 

by the police to arrest 

him over allegation of masterminding 

the killing of 

some people in the area. . 

There was also an allegation 

that he killed somebody 

when he was local government 

chairman of Awka 

North. 

Maduagwuna, in a telephone 

interview with Vanguard 

said a large number of 

policemen swooped his community 

on Thursday to arrest 

him over the alleged killings. 

An eye witness and an indigene 

of the community said 

it was the old men and women 

that prevented the police 

from what he described as 

the unwarranted arrest of 

their Igwe, as the people insisted 

that their Monarch did 

not commit such an offence. 

“The women barricaded the 

roads leading to our community 

which made the police 

to retreat,” he said. 

The Anambra State Police 

Public Relations Officer, Mr. 

Haruna Mohammed, however, 

said he was not aware 

that some policemen tried to 

arrest anybody at Awba Ofemili 

on Thursday, assuring 

that he would find out the situation 

with the Divisional 

Police Officer, PDO, for the 

area. 

Igwe Maduagwuna, who 

sounded worried on telephone 

said: “I have no hand 

in the death of anybody. Why 

are they after me? Governor 

Willie Obiano should set up 

a panel to find out the true 

situation of things in the area. 

“I hereby challenge any 

person or group who alleged 

that 1, Igwe E.E. Maduagwu 

of Awba-Ofemili was dismissed 

from the Independent 

Petroleum Marketers Association 

of Nigeria, IPMAN, 

because of a murder case to 

her. 

She said she was shocked 

with her arrest, stating that 

she had never been involved 

in any kind of crime 

because of the good upbringing 

she received from 

her family. She said she 

prayed fervently to God to 

vindicate her for the sake 

of her family's name. 

"I cannot thank God 

enough for bringing the 

truth to limelight and vindicating 

me. From the day 

I was accused and arrested, 

I did not stop praying 

and believing God for victory. 

I have never been involved 

in crime and never 

will. The good upbringing 

I received from my family 

and the good reputation of 

my family are so dear to me 

that I cannot be involved in 

crime", she said. 

Ikpeazu sacks Commissioner, LG 

chairman, suspends others 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

UMUAHIA—Gov. Okez 

ie Ikpeazu has sacked 

the Commissioner for Transport, 

Barr. Ekele Nwaohanmuo 

and the Transition Committee 

chairman of Umunneochi 

council area, Mr. 

Matthew Ibe. 

come up with the proof of evidence. 

“Presently, I am the chief 

whip of IPMAN in-charge of 

discipline and ethical behaviour 

in the association. I did 

not kill any person, neither 

was I dismissed from the IP- 

MAN till date. 

“Presently, five indigenes of 

Awba-Ofemili who were arrested 

in their respective 

houses in Awba-Ofemili over 

alleged offences committed 

within Awba-Ofemili are still 

being detained in the correctional 

center in Enugu State 

till date" 

The governor also suspended 

the General Manager 

of the Traffic and Indiscipline 

Management Agency 

of Abia State ,TIMAAS, Mr. 

Bright Chinedu Ikokwu; the 

Transition Committee Chairman 

of Aba South council, 

Mr. Cherechi Nwogu and his 

Aba North counterpart, Mr. 

Victor Ubani. 

In a statement signed by his 

Chief of Staff, Dr. Anthony 

Agbazuere; the governor also 

approved the appointment of 

Mr. Tony Nwanmuo and Mr. 

Godswill Nwonoruo as commissioner 

nominees as well 

as Barr. Eze Chikamnayo as 

the Transition Committee 

Chairman nominee for 

Umunneochi Council. 

The statement added that 

the deputy chairmen of the 

affected council areas are to 

take over the administration 

of the councils. 

He charged the deputy 

chairmen to liaise with the 

Heads of Service to set up 

taskforce teams to check environmental 

indiscipline and 

other vices in their areas. 

It also disclosed that a taskforce 

team would be set for 

TIMASS to further check 

these excesses. 

We're tired of senseless bloodletting in Nigeria 

— Uwazuruike 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

OWERRI—THE pro 

tagonist of Biafra Independence 

Movement, 

BIM, and the Movement for 

the Actualisation of Sovereign 

State of Biafra, BIM- 

MASSOB, Chief Ralph 

Uwazuruike, has commended 

the General Assembly of 

the Unrepresented Nations 

and Peoples Organization, 

UNPO, for accepting Biafra 

as a member of the organization. 

Uwazuruike, who virtually 

addressed the General 

Assembly, also said that 

Ndigbo are no longer comfortable 

with the incessant 

killing of their members 

across Nigeria. 

"Although we are no longer 

comfortable with the incessant 

killing of Ndigbo 

across Nigeria, we will however, 

stoutly resist the temptation 

to resort to armed conflict. 

We will rather explore 

peaceful negotiations to realise 

our sovereign status 

agenda", Uwazuruike said. 

He explained that the 

marginalisation and senseless 

killing of Ndigbo made 

him to travel to India to understudy 

the approach of one 

of the world’s foremost nonviolent 

nationalists, Mahatma 

Gandhi. 

After giving a graphic account 

of what led to the 30- 

month fratricidal war, Uwazuruike 

said that the then 

military governor of Eastern 

Nigeria, Dim Chukwuemeka 

Odumegwu Ojukwu, opted 

to secure his people's life 

and property and in that process, 

declared Biafran Independence. 

His words: "As soon as 

Ojukwu did that, the entire 

people of Nigeria joined to 

fight the people of the eastern 

states. They barricaded 

the entire region and starved 

the region of food. They suffocated 

the entire region. We 

lost over 3,000,000 people 

between 1967 and 1970, 

when the war ended. 

“After the war, the killing 

of our people continued unabated 

in Nigeria. Recently, 

Boko Haram and Fulani 

herdsmen have taken the 

centre stage and are unleashing 

high scale terrorism 

against our people.“




FUMIGATION: Fumigation exercise, in preparation for the resumption of Senior Secondary 

School 3 students, at the Government Secondary School, Garki, Abuja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

No clause in loan contracts ceding Nigeria's 

sovereignty to China —Chinese Foreign ministry 

• Denies political interest in investment financing in Nigeria, Africa 

By Victoria Ojeme 

THE CHINESE Foreign 

Ministry, CFM, yesterday 

denied that China had 

any clause in its loan contracts 

ceding Nigeria' 

sovereignty to China. 

Recall that last week members 

of the House of Representatives 

claimed they had 

uncovered clauses in a loan 

obtained by Nigeria from 

China that conceded Nigeria' 

sovereignty to China. 

But the Chinese foreign 

ministry in a statement said 

"We follow a "five-no" approach 

in our relations with 

Africa: no interference in African 

countries' pursuit of 

development paths that fit 

their national conditions; no 

interference in African countries' 

internal affairs; no imposition 

of our will on African 

countries; no attachment 

of political strings to assistance 

to Africa; and no seeking 

of selfish political gains 

in investment and financing 

cooperation with Africa," the 

ministry quoted President Xi 

Jinping, as saying at the 

FOCAC Beijing Summit in 

2018. 

The foreign ministry said 

"China is committed to enhancing 

investment and financial 

cooperation with African 

countries based on their 

needs to help them improve 

infrastructure and extradite 

socioeconomic development. 

By funding infrastructure 

and other areas that lag behind 

for short of money, we 

have helped the relevant 

countries break bottlenecks, 

enhance their capacity for 

independent development, 

realize social and economic 

sustainable development, 

and improve people's livelihood. 

Such cooperation has 

delivered tangible benefits to 

African countries and peoples. 

"In the process, China always 

gives full consideration 

to debt sustainability and 

seeks mutually-acceptable 

proposals through equal 

and friendly consultations. 

That is the fundamental reason 

behind the enormous 

popularity of China-Africa 

cooperation in Africa." 

How $900m loan for Azura Power was raised —Mgt 

....Says Azura supplies 10% output to national grid 

By Udeme Akpan 

THE MANAGEMENT of 

Azura Power, yesterday, 

said the Financial Guarantees, 

signed by the Federal 

Government was an essential 

document, which paved 

way for the raising of almost 

$900 million loan from the 

International Finance Corporation, 

IFC and other institutions 

for the construction 

of the Azura-Edo Independent 

Power Plant, IPP. 

Managing Director of the 

company, Edu Okeke, said 

it could have been impossible 

for the company to construct 

the plant in Nigeria, 

because there was no framework 

to guarantee investors 

and financiers that they 

would recover their investments. 

Speaking on a private 

television programme, 

Okeke said the company 

had no option than to work 

with the government to secure 

the guarantee required 

by the banks, including, 

FCMB/BOI - Central Bank 

of Nigeria, Proparco – 

French Government Development 

Financial Institution, 

DFI, Swedfund – 

Swedish Government DFI, 

International Finance Corporation 

– Multilateral DFI, 

ICF Debt Pool – Multilateral 

DFI, Standard Chartered 

Bank – International Commercial 

Bank, Rand Merchant 

Bank – International 

Commercial Bank, Standard 

Bank – International Commercial 

Bank, Mauritius 

Commercial Bank – Mauritian 

Commercial Bank and 

Siemens Bank – German 

Commercial Bank. 

Okeke who noted that the 

construction was executed 

and completed ahead of 

record time, said Azura had 

consistently delivered over 

10 per cent of its output to 

the national grid. 

Construction 

According to the project 

report, “The Azura-Edo IPP 

was built by a consortium 

composed of Siemens and 

Julius Berger in exactly 28 

months. Its completion occurred 

eight months ahead 

of its 36-month construction 

schedule without a single 

lost-time injury. As a result 

of this best-in-class construction 

performance, the Azura 

Edo IPP has become a performance 

benchmark for other 

large-scale infrastructure 

projects across the African 

continent. 

“The plant was commissioned 

in the first quarter of 

2018 and attained full commercial 

operations on May 

1, 2018. Since then, the 

plant’s operational performance 

has been among the 

highest of any new-build 

plant anywhere in the world. 

Its availability rate, to date, 

has exceeded 96 per cent 

and its equivalent forced 

outage rate has been lower 

than two per cent. In consequence, 

during the period 

since we reached commercial 

operations, the Azura- 

Edo IPP has provided more 

than eight per cent of all the 

power sent to the national 

grid.” 

Don’t cancel 

agreement 

Meanwhile, in an email to 

Vanguard, National Secretary, 

Nigeria Electricity Consumers 

Advocacy Network, 

NECAN, Uket Obonga, who 

noted that the Azura deal 

was desirable, said: “I don’t 

believe that we should be 

calling for outright cancellation 

of the agreement yet. 

Rather, a team of legal experts 

outside the Ministries 

of Justice and Power, should 

carefully study the terms and 

conditions of the agreements 

and advise Government accordingly. 

The report or the 

legal opinion of this body of 

legal expert should inform 

the next line of action to be 

taken by the Federal Government. 

“Both parties – Azura and 

Federal Government should 

revisit the Partial Risk Guarantees, 

PRGs, and agree on 

how the interest of the parties 

could best be protected. 

Nothing should be done to 

send wrong signal to the international 

community that 

Nigeria cannot be relied 

upon to keep to agreement. 

We cannot be asking for Foreign 

Direct Investments and 

at the same time wilfully 

breaching the terms and conditions 

of agreement we executed 

with investors who 

obtained credits from a consortium 

of foreign Banks to 

invest in the power sector.” 

Way forward 

On the way forward, Dr. 

Okoro added: “In no other 

way than upgrading our critical 

energy infrastructural 

deficit, we need to build more 

substations, supply transformers, 

provide meters and 

revamp our decayed infrastructure.” 

Isa Funtua was pillar of support 

to my govt —Buhari 

• Writes deceased family in Hausa 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

AMuhammadu BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Buhari 

has once again lamented the 

loss of the late publisher and 

businessman, Mallam 

Isma'ila Isa Funtua, describing 

his demise as a major 

national loss. 

President Buhari in a letter 

he personally wrote to the 

family of the late veteran journalist 

in Hausa language 

said, Malam Isa Funtua was 

of great assistance to him 

and his administration. 

In a statement issued by 

the Senior Special Assistant 

to the President on Media 

and Publicity, Mallam Garba 

Shehu in Abuja, yesterday, 

Buhari said the deceased 

helped in many ways 

to strengthen his government 

and the country before 

his demise. 

The statement read: "President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

has sent a letter personally 

signed by him to the family 

of the late publisher and 

businessman, Isma'ila Isa 

Funtua, describing his demise 

as a major national loss. 

"In the letter he wrote in 

Hausa, the President told the 

bereaved wife, Hajiya Hauwa, 

the children and the entire 

family members that this 

loss was not theirs alone, but 

By Ibrahim 

HassanWuyo 

K ADUNA—DIS 

TURBED by the carnage 

in Southern Kaduna, 

Senator Shehu Sani 

who represented Kaduna 

Central in the senate, 

has joined the Asake led 

Southern Kaduna Peoples 

Union, SOKAPU, to condemn 

the unending killings 

and wanton destruction 

of properties in 

Southern Kaduna. 

"Yesterday he paid a 

courtesy visit to the National 

Headquarters of 

SOKAPU in Kaduna and 

affirmed his support for 

SOKAPU against the 

genocide in Southern Kaduna. 

SOKAPU President, 

Jonathan Asake in 

turn, lamented that Kaduna 

State had never been 

as divided at any time 

than under the present 

government of Mallam 

Nasir el-Rufai", SOKAPU 

said in a statement. 

The statement, explained 

that the erstwhile 

lawmaker who was received 

by members the 

National Executive Committee 

of SOKAPU, said, 

"whenever people face 

cruelty, genocide, massacre 

and all kinds of atrocities 

it is the moral duty of 

every man of conscience 

to lend his voice. I have 

spoken for the people of 

that of the entire country. 

"President Buhari said 

that, ’Malam Isma'ila was of 

great assistance to me and 

my administration. He 

helped in many ways to 

strengthen the government 

and the country before his 

ultimate demise.’ 

"The President recalled that 

"in his active politics, Malam 

Isma'ila served as a Minister. 

He was also a businessman 

and contractor who built 

several government buildings 

in Abuja. 

"President Buhari said, "he 

was a director of Funtua Textile 

Mills for 30 years and 

chaired the Zamfara Textile 

Company," while on his roles 

in the media, "Malam 

Isma'ila was a life Executive 

member of the Board of the 

International Press Institute, 

IPI. 

"Nigerians of all shades 

and backgrounds have 

nothing but kind words for 

him. Late Isma'ila was reputed 

throughout his life for 

his kindness, generosity 

and support for public causes, 

big and the not so big." 

He urged all those 

Malam Isma'ila left behind 

not to allow division in their 

ranks. 

President Buhari also 

prayed God to forgive the 

departed and grant him Aljannatul-Firdaus 

(paradise). 

Shehu Sani, Asake, others unite 

against S-Kaduna killings 

Zamfara very elaborately. 

I did so for Sokoto, Katsina, 

Niger , Taraba State 

and for Birnin Gwari in 

Kaduna and Borno, Benue 

states and host of others 

who are facing similar 

evils." 

"You can't rationalize or 

give excuses for an act of 

genocide, cruelty, mass 

murder and execution of 

human being. There is no 

justification for that. I 

speak in condemning the 

killings in parts, it is the 

same way we have to 

speak against what is happening 

in Southern Kaduna. 

" If you're a Christian or 

Muslim in Southern Kaduna 

your voice must be 

heard clearly, explicitly and 

unambiguously in condemning 

the killings going 

on. We must not shy away 

from the truth. Because silent 

and rationalization of 

such attack shows you're in 

league with banditry and 

terrorism. 

"You must not give up 

in standing and speaking 

for truth to power. We 

have never heard it so bad. 

Women are killed, Children 

burnt and ladies are raped 

and a human being will still 

try and find a justification 

by rationalization of those 

evil acts, is unbelievable. 

He noted that the violence 

in Kaduna is threatening 

the peace of Nigeria.’’

:Vanguard 

News 

Wike signs revised 2020 Rivers 

budget with 48% slash 

•Says Rivers, only state yet to slash office holders' salaries 

By Egufe 

Yafugborhi 

PORT HARCOURT — 

GOVERNOR Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, 

yesterday, signed into law 

the revised 2020 Rivers State 

Appropriation Bill with the 

total originally budgeted 

N530.813 billion slashed by 

48 percent to N300.37 billion. 

Wike signed the budget at 

Government House, Port 

Harcourt, where Majority 

Leader of the state House of 

APPRECIATION: 

Chairman of 

Kangiwa Ward, 

Ibrahim Adamu 

(left), presenting a 

letter of 

appreciation to a 

member of All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

National Caretaker 

Committee, Sen. 

Abba Ali in 

Katsina, yesterday. 

Photo: NAN. 

Assembly, Martin 

Amaewhule, presented him 

the revised Appropriation Bill 

as passed by the House. 

The governor said: “It is 

most unfortunate that 

everybody is living a different 

life now because of COVID- 

19, which calls for us to face 

the economic reality. The 

pandemic has affected 

economic activities and 

revenues of government, and 

it became necessary to review 

our budget. 

“By the revised budget, so 



many things have to change. 

We have cut down capital 

and recurrent expenditures to 

face the reality. We are the 

only state that has not cut 

down salaries of political 

appointees and elected 

officers. 

“Virtually all the states cut 

down 20 to 30 percent of 

salaries of political 

appointees. Having cut down 

recurrent expenditure, the 

overhead will no longer be 

the same.” 

Majority Leader of the 

House, Amaewhule, said: 

“The House passed this bill 

to provide for a law to revise 

the Rivers State 

Appropriation Law No. 12 of 

2019, to make provision for 

services of Rivers State for the 

year ending December 31, 

2020. 

“Against the sum of 

N530.813 billion the House 

approved in 2019, as a result 

of prevailing economic 

circumstances of the country, 

the House now approved a 

total of N171.33 billion for 

capital expenditure. 

“For recurrent expenditure, 

we now have N129.336 

billion bringing the total to 

N300.37 billion.” 

FG, SPDC, others may lose one million barrels 

daily to agitation in Ogulagha Kingdom 

By Innocent 

Anaba 

I emerged, NDICATIONS 

yesterday, that 

the angry people of 

Ogulagha Kingdom in 

Burutu Local Government 

Area of Delta State, have 

concluded plans to 

shutdown oil and gas 

facilities, Forcados Export 

Terminal operated by Shell 

Petroleum Development 

Company, SPDC, in the 

kingdom, which will cut the 

country’s crude oil 

production by one million 

barrels daily. 

The leadership of 

Ogulagha Kingdom, last 

week, in an open letter to 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, had urged him to 

quickly address the 

marginalisation of Ogulagha 

Kingdom by the Federal 

Government or risk the 

shutdown of all oil facilities, 

including Forcados Export 

Terminal in Ogulagha 

Kingdom. 

Chief William Igere, 

Bolouwei of Ogulagha 

Kingdom, who spoke to 

newsmen in Warri, insisted 

that the threat by Ogulagha 

Kingdom to shutdown oil 

facilities and Forcados export 

terminal was unstoppable 

and will cut down daily oil 

production by one million 

barrels. 

He said the Ogulagha 

Kingdom, being a major oil 

producer in Nigeria will no 

longer tolerate and accept the 

deliberate and continued 

marginalisation, neglect and 

underdevelopment of the 

area by the Federal 

Government. 

Igere said: “The Federal 

Government should be 

ready to lose one million 

barrels daily in Ogulagha 

Kingdom because we have 

collectively resolved as a 

people to take our destinies 

into our hands. In our open 

letter to President Buhari last 

week, we did not give specific 

ultimatum for the shutdown 

oil facilities in Ogulagha 

Kingdom. Our plan was to 

shutdown unannounced and 

unexpectedly to make it a 

surprise gift to Nigeria and 

Federal Government since 

the Federal Government has 

refused to address our pains 

over the years.” 

Forcados Export Terminal 

and Oil Pipeline System is the 

second largest network in 

Niger Delta, and transports 

oil, water and associated gas 

from fields in the Western 

Delta to the Forcados oil 

terminal, located in oil-rich 

Ogulagha Kingdom, in 

Burutu, Delta State. 

In the open letter, they 

asked President Buhari to 

appoint indigenes of 

Ogulagha Kingdom into 

federal boards and 

parastatals such as NDDC, 

NIMASA, NNPC, 

Presidential Amnesty 

Programme, federal 

universities to give them a 

sense of belonging in the 

scheme of things, among 

other demands. 

Don’t bring your so-called vigilante to Igboland, IPOB 

warns Miyetti Allah 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N NEWI—THE 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, has vowed that 

henceforth, its members 

would regard as a hostile and 

occupying force, any Fulani 

group posing as a security 

outfit or vigilante anywhere 

in Igbo land. 

IPOB also warned that they 

will take appropriate 

measures to expel such 

vigilante group out of 

Igboland and cautioned the 

Federal Government to warn 

Miyetti Allah not to make any 

incursion into Biafraland. 

In a statement he 

personally signed, the IPOB 

leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, 

accused the Federal 

Government of giving the 

Miyetti Allah tacit support to 

go ahead with the destructive 

plot. 

He said: “Given the 

overwhelming evidence that 

the Federal Government has 

given its tacit blessing to 

Miyetti Allah to proceed with 

this sinister move, the IPOB has 

resolved to take the following 

immediate steps: 

“The IPOB will henceforth, 

regard as a hostile and 

occupying force, any Fulani 

posing, whether deceptively 

called a security outfit or 

vigilante, found anywhere in 

Biafraland. Accordingly, the 

IPOB will take appropriate 

measures to expel such force, 

measure for measure. 

“If the Federal Government 

attempts to assist or otherwise 

enable Miyetti Allah to stay 

put in Biafraland, the IPOB 

will escalate its response to 

include but not limited to 

equally forming countersecurity 

outfits in all states of 

the far North where the Fulani 

are predominant.” 

According to Kanu, IPOB, 

unlike other Nigerians are not 

surprised with the alleged 

announcement by the Miyetti 

Allah Cattle Breeders 

Association of Nigeria, 

MACBAN, in forming a 

nationwide security outfit in 

the country. 

“Now that Miyetti Allah has 

finally confirmed the longrunning 

Fulani conquest 

2023 Presidency: Igbo group 

shortlists Obi, Ekweremadu, 

Kalu, Nnamani, Onu, others 

By Chioma 

Gabriel 

A 

leading pan-Igbo 

organisation, Igbo 

Leadership Development 

Foundation, ILDF, has 

released a shortlist of South- 

East politicians, whom they 

believe are eminently 

qualified to be the President 

of Nigeria in 2023 from the 

South-East zone. 

In a statement signed by the 

organisation’s Chairman Dr. 

Godwin Udibe;Vice 

Chairman/Director Public 

Affairs, Dr. Law Mefor and 

released to newsmen on 

Sunday, the organisation 

listed former governor of Abia 

State and Senate Majority 

Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu; former 

Senate President, Chief Ken 

Nnamani; Minister of Science 

and Technology, Dr. 

Ogbonnaya Onu; former 

governor of Anambra State 

and Minister of Labour and 

Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige; 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, and 

former governor of Imo State 

and serving Senator, Owelle 

Rochas Okorocha as potential 

presidential candidates in All 

Progressives Congress, APC. 

In the main opposition 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, the group proposed 

former Deputy Senate 

President and Speaker of 

ECOWAS Parliament, Chief 

Ike Ekweremadu; former 

Governor of Anambra State 

and former Vice Presidential 

candidate of the PDP, Mr. 

Peter Obi; Governor of Ebonyi 

State, Dave Umahi; Governor 

of Enugu State, Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi; former Vice 

Presidential candidate of the 

agenda of entire Nigeria by 

forming a nationwide security 

outfit, IPOB wishes to go on 

record to state that this latest 

belligerent development may 

have caught the rest of Nigeria 

by surprise but not the IPOB 

which had warned long ago 

that the Fulani has since 2015 

hatched a plot to violently 

conquer the whole of Nigeria 

and is in this wise being overtly 

and covertly emboldened by 

the Fulanised, Islamized 

Federal Government of 

Nigeria. 

“This latest move is merely a 

part of series of actions geared 

to subjugating the Christian 

indigenous nationalities of 

Nigeria that have stoically 

borne the brunt of the brutal 

terror that was unleashed by the 

Fulani since the coming of APC 

in 2015." 

defunct Action Congress, 

Senator Ben Obi; and former 

Presidential Adviser and 

Chancellor/Founder, 

Gregory University, Uturu, 

Prof. Greg Ibe. 

On the criteria and 

principles of selection of 

potential candidates from the 

South East, the group, which 

organised a national 

dialogue on “National Unity, 

Restructuring and Rotation of 

Presidential Power in 

Nigeria” in Abuja earlier in 

the year, said qualities such 

as national visibility, 

acceptability, integrity and 

political courage were used. 

The statement said: “We are 

also persuaded to promote 

qualities such as prudence in 

the management of human 

and material resources, 

commitment to equity and 

pan-Nigerianism, sound 

educational background and 

international reach and 

exposure. 

“However, the shortlist is 

subject to further review in 

the process of further 

consultations.” 

On why it narrowed the 

shortlist to the South East 

alone, the ILDF said it was 

in line with its belief in the 

principle of zoning and 

rotation of the presidential 

seat. 

“Regarding rotational 

Presidency particularly, ILDF 

reiterates that culture of 

rotational presidency 

between the North and 

South has helped to douse 

the political tension in 

Nigeria. We, therefore, 

recommend that it be 

continued for now for the 

good of the federation." 

Obi felicitates with Olumide Akpata 

over NBA election’s victory 

VICE Presidential candidate 

of Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, in the last election, Mr Peter 

Obi, has congratulated Olumide 

Akpata on his recent election as 

the President of Nigerian Bar 

Association, NBA, while urging 

him to draw on his decades of 

professional experience to 

reposition the association to 

greater heights. 

In a congratulatory message 

released by his media team, Obi 

felicitated with Akpata for 

emerging victorious in the NBA 

elections held online on July 30, 

2020. Obi said his flawless 

victory heralded a new era in 

the association. 

Obi urged Akpata to draw on 

his professional knowledge and 

experience to promote the rule 

of law, for which the association 

was known, while reminding 

newly elected NBA President 

that the judiciary was the hope 

of the common man and 

encouraged him to ensure they 

remained impartial in judicial 

matters of the nation. 

He said: “On behalf of my 

family, I wish to sincerely 

congratulate you on your well 

deserved victory as the 30th 

President of Nigerian Bar 

Association. I pray that God 

Almighty grants you the wisdom 

to lead this very important 

Association at this critical period 

of our country’s history, where 

even the judiciary as hope of the 

common man is in question. 

“The Nigerian Bar 

Association stands to promote 

the rule of law. I enjoin you and 

your team of executives to 

ensure the judiciary remains 

impartial in your promotion of 

the rule of law. The Nigerian 

Bar Association and indeed, all 

Nigerians, are looking up to you 

in that regard.”

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 4 2020 

•Southern Kaduna women during their protest of killings in the area 

Southern Kaduna genocide 

IT was with pains in the 

heart being on a zoom 

conference last Sunday evening 

with patriots like Ms Ankio 

Briggs, Col Tony Nyiam, 

FEEDBACK 

Re: Letter to Dr Chris Ngige 

Dear Yinka, 

THANK you for 

article on the above title 

which dealt with two issues. 

Please permit me to comment 

on them. The first part 

highlighted the employment 

scandal in the Federal Ministry 

of Labour. Your "Summary of 

recruitment from 2016- 2018 

region by region” reveals much 

about the level of nepotism 

rocking that ministry. It is likely 

that if the recruitment 

records of other federal 

ministries are examined it will 

Re: Letter to 

Dr Chris Ngige 

Dear sir 

IJUST finished reading your 

piece on the subject of Dr. 

Ngige. I do not know whether 

or not the allegations are correct 

but these are not good signals. 

We cannot be perpetuating 

what we accuse Northerners of. 

Please, whatever the case is, do 

your best to reverse the trend, 

but don’t let it dampen your 

spirit for the fence-mending 

between the Yorubas and Igbos. 

We need each other. We should 

collaborate rather than compete. 

I know that there are bigots on 

both sides but please keep up 

the good fight. 

God bless. 

Ifeanyi Mok. 

Anthony Asake (President of 

Southern Kaduna Peoples 

Union, SOKAPU) and Maazi 

Tochukwu Ezeoke beautifully 

moderating as we looked at the 

be seen that they are in the 

same boat. This will reveal the 

high levels of corruption 

prevalent in the government 

today. Corruption is not only 

when public funds are stolen. 

Nepotism is also corruption. 

Personally, I am not taken 

aback by the minister’s actions. 

Dear Yinka, 

GENERAL 

Ibrahim 

Babangida left office in 

1993 and in every election year 

cycle thereafter, his friends 

and moles will plant stories of 

his presidential ambition. 

When reminded that he was 

once a president of this 

country, they will sing a song 

of him being a military 

president and now wants to 

contest as a civilian. 

Babangida’s chorus boys built 

so much air around him that 

you would think the election 

was his just for the asking. 

The demystification came so 

soon before it even began; the 

rest is history. 

Bola Tinubu’s name has been 

surreptitiously making some 

select papers now and then, 

albeit in a subdued manner, 

likely to test the waters. Bola 

Tinubu like every other 

Nigerian has the right to 

bloody massacre currently 

happening in Southern 

Kaduna. 

The zone that is land to 

majority of Kaduna people has 

If his boss, PMB, is blatantly 

and knowingly practising 

nepotism and he is not called 

to order by the appropriate 

quarters what will those working 

under him do? Obviously, they 

will do likewise as their boss. 

What is going on today in 

government circles makes one 

Re: Tinubu’s rumoured bid and its amusement 

contest election as long as he 

is qualified. However, election 

in Nigeria is won and lost 

based on the bridges you have 

built on your journey, 

resources/capabilities and 

perception. 

Atiku Abubakar has to a large 

extent not been able to win the 

presidential election due to his 

perception-deficit, judged 

wrongly though. Finally, this 

Tinubu’s song has been 

playing for too long; it’s time 

to start dancing; if one spends 

many years learning how to be 

mad at old age, how many 

remaining years will be there 

to practice the madness. 

We also know that no matter 

how many push-ups and 

pressups a lizard does in a 

day, it can never be called a 

crocodile. 

Chief Celestine Ukauwa 

Lagos. 

been under assault for 37 years 

in what cannot be called 

anything than genocidal attacks. 

The present Governor of the 

state, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufia, 

made a confession some four 

years ago. 

He said: “For Southern 

Kaduna, we didn’t understand 

what was going on and we 

decided to set up a committee 

under Gen. Martin Luther 

Agwai (retd) to find out what 

was going on there. What was 

established was that the root of 

the problem has a 

history starting 

from the 2011 postelection 

violence. 

“ F u l a n i 

herdsmen from 

SOKAPU 

should find its 

way to the 

International 

Criminal Court, 

ICC, now as 

chances of 

getting justice 

locally is very 

slim at the 

moment under 

these 

circumstances 

across Africa bring their cattle 

down towards Middle Belt and 

Southern Nigeria. The moment 

the rains starts around March, 

April, they start moving them 

up to go back to their various 

to ask: Where are the men and 

women of character gone in 

Nigeria? The pull him or her 

down syndrome if he or she 

stands on the path of stealing 

the common wealth is what is 

keeping most people of 

character away from 

government appointments. 

Recall that it was these men and 

women of character who fought 

for our independence. 

The second part of your letter 

to the minister dealt on his 

handling of affairs in NSITF. 

The facts on ground showed 

that his action went against the 

law establishing that 

organisation. The minister is not 

a new comer to public service 

rules. What is happening here 

again is the issue of following 

his boss’ footsteps. He believes 

that nothing will happen when 

he fails to follow due process. 

Something has, however, 

started happening. He is being 

called to order by the 

appropriate bodies. Progress 

will continue to elude Nigeria 

if things go the way they are 

presently going. Where is the 

change we were promised in 

2015? When will the false 

prophets of change stop 

deceiving Nigerians? Arise O 

compatriots, Nigeria’s call 

obey. To serve our Fatherland 

with.... 

Tony O. Ekwe. 

communities and countries. 

Unfortunately, it was when they 

were moving up with their cattle 

across Southern Kaduna that 

the elections of 2011 took place 

and the crisis trapped some of 

them. 

“Some of them were from 

Niger, Cameroon, Chad, Mali 

and Senegal. Fulanis are in 14 

African countries and they 

traverse this country with the 

cattle. So many of these people 

were killed, cattle lost and they 

organised themselves and came 

back to revenge. So a lot of what 

was happening in Southern 

Kaduna was actually from 

outside Nigeria. We got a hint 

that the late Governor Patrick 

Yakowa got this information and 

he sent someone to go round 

some of these Fulani 

communities, but of course after 

he died, the whole thing 

stopped. That is what we 

inherited. But the Agwai 

committee established that. 

"We took certain steps. We got 

a group of people that were 

going round trying to trace 

some of these people in 

Cameroon, Niger Republic, and 

so on, to tell them that there is 

a new governor who is Fulani 

like them and has no problem 

paying compensations for lives 

lost and he is begging them to 

stop killing. 

“In most of the communities, 

once that appeal was made to 

them, they said they have 

forgiven. There are one or two 

that asked for monetary 

compensation. They said they 

have forgiven the death of 

human beings, but want 

compensation for cattle. 

Monetary 

compensation 

"We said no problem, and we 

paid some. As recently as two 

weeks ago, the team went to 

Niger Republic to attend one 

Fulani gathering that they hold 

every year with a message from 

me.” 

The killing of women and 

children have started again in 

Southern Kaduna and we are 

yet to hear from the governor 

whether these killers are 

different from those he paid 

before or it is Mallam Garba 

Shehu who said it is “revenge 

killing” going on, that we should 

ask those whom he has 

contacted, and claimed they are 

on revenge killing. 

Asake made some shocking 

re-evaluation about the killing 

fields where security forces 

ignore the killers with the 

excuse that they have not been 

given authority to attack them 

but move swiftly against the 

victims whenever they move to 

defend themselves against 

attacks. 

What is the practical evidence 

of having a government in 

Nigeria when the government 

allegedly watches its citizens 

being killed by foreigners 

whom the governor of Kaduna 

State once boasted he had paid 

ransom? 

SOKAPU should find its way 

to the International Criminal 

Court, ICC, now as chances of 

getting justice locally is very 

slim at the moment under these 

circumstances. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

By CHRIS EGBUNA 

Prof Bolaji Akinyemi and visions 

PROF Bolaji Akinyemi - an 

international colossus - foresaw 

early where and what Nigeria’s 

foreign policy should be. He 

proposed the Afirican High 

Command because he understood 

that without a united Africa, the West, 

Russia and China would trample all 

over it, taking the minerals and 

wealth of the richest continent away 

for next to nothing. Prof also 

advocated that Africa should have 

the nuclear bomb - what he called 

the Black Bomb. Without it Africa 

was doomed to handouts and would 

be forced, like the proverbial dog, to 

eat and defecate with the same plate. 

Prof received abuse for his views 

on the black bomb. For our 

embassies abroad, he saw, long 

before Black Panther, that we should 

have adequate and befitting 

representation overseas: send 

billions of dollars overseas to our 

embassies to buy property for both 

offices and staff. Prof wrote several 

books on the Constitution of Nigeria, 

on how the Constitutions were made 

and what prejudices seeped into the 

Constitution. Other books followed 

which traced the history of Nigeria’s 

foreign policy and so on. But his 

behind-the-scene advocacyspeaking 

truth to power- to the 

military boys must be his greatest 

achievement. One day, I hope he will 

tell you. 

Akinyemi understood that 

intelligence had evolved from the 

Police when M. D. Yusuf was in 

charge. He knew that intelligence 

needed the highest calibre of brains 

Nigeria could produce. He looked 

at the UK(full of first class Oxbridge 

students), at France, at the US, where 

the National Security Adviser was 

nearly always an intellectual: from 

Dean Acheson, on to Albright, 

Kessinger, Brezinski, on to 

Condoleezza Rice, Susan Rice, John 

Bolton, etc. He pressed the various 

Heads-of-State on this, but the 

intelligence practitioners had an iron 

grip on the institution and fought 

him like the plague they thought he 

was. Yet these same people would be 

at his place every opportunity to milk 

his wisdom. 

I was in utter awe of him and his 

intellectual prowess, despite the fact 

that he went to Oxford and Fletcher 

School of Diplomacy, where he did 

his Ph.D and taught. I went to a better 

school, Cambridge, and taught in a 

better ivy league university, 

University of Pennsylvania and the 

Brookings Institute( for a short hands 

on course). 

Bolaji Akinyemi is not really my 

mate. I think he was one of those 

who did not read primary six, went 

to secondary school from primary 

five. His elder brother was my 

classmate: so I was envious of those 

who did not pass standard six. If he 

stood election, I would ask for his 

disqualification as not having the 

first school leaving certificate. He 

also did the Ph.D, just like Stanley 

Macebuh, in two years. I dislike all 

those super bright chaps who make 

plodders like us look bad, even when 

we have tried our very best. 

He saw quite early where Nigeria 

ought to be when we were still 

dancing at Kakadu. He asked for 

the African High Command, the 

setting up of our foreign relations 

on proper foundation poised for 

growth; embassies and staff houses 

were purchased, our security was to 

be revamped with Africa as the 

centre-piece. He asked for the Black 

Bomb which showed great foresight 

for the 1970s. Professor has been 

pressing for Nigerians to go to space 

for over 30 years. He went to 

President Goodluck Jonathan to 

press this issue, but as usual nothing 

came of it. 

I was travelling with Dr. Imo Itsueli 

back to Nigeria. We were school 

mates. He was then working at 

Phillips Petroleum and our 

conversation drifted to oil pollution 

marginal fields and several other 

things. I knew and know nothing 

about oil. He explained to me that 

Federal vs state governments-led community policing 

By EMEKA ORAETOKA 

What Federal Government probably failed 

to understand in the agitation for state 

governments-led community policing is that the 

governors are not interested in controlling the 

Police to fight conventional insecurity; rather, 

they want to control the Police for election and 

other political purposes and nothing more. It is 

obvious that Nigeria is currently grappling 

with politically-induced insecurity. If Federal 

Government doubts this viewpoint, it should 

agree to the agitation for state police, but with 

a caveat that the Federal Police will oversee 

the conduct of elections in Nigeria, including 

town union elections — Anonymous 

FUNDAMENTALLY, the Nigeria policing 

system is administratively Federal in 

nature; that is: the Inspector General of Police, 

IGP, is the highest authority in administrative 

decision making process only. The IGP or the 

Commissioner of Police, CP, does not interfere 

in the operational activity of Divisional Police 

Officers, DPOs, in any state. The question I 

have been asking those agitating for State 

Police without answer is: does the IGP interfere 

or control the operational activities of the DPOs 

across the country? 

It is safe to say that Nigeria policing, though, 

administratively Federal, is operationally 

community-based in nature. When governors 

complain that they are chief security officers 

on paper, that in reality they cannot give order 

to their commissioners of Police, I wonder the 

State-led community 

policing will amount to a 

moving anarchy in Nigeria 

The governors of 

South South have a lot 

to do, but they have 

done very little 

kind of order(s) they are talking about. The 

order they are probably talking about, is at 

best, partisan and election-related in nature. 

At least, no governor had complained in the 

past that he gave a commissioner of police in 

his state an order to apprehend criminal(s) and 

it was disobeyed. 

Now, what is community policing? To me, 

the concept of community policing has so much 

to do with the operational structure, 

notwithstanding whether it is within the 

context of Federal or State Policing. 

Fundamentally, the DPOs under Federal 

Policing ensure security at the community 

levels in Nigeria. On the other hand, 

commissioners of Police in the 36 states and 

FCT, coordinate the operational activities of 

the DPOs. A commissioner of police is at best, 

the public relations officer of the police in a 

state. The IGP on the other hand, is Federal 

public relations officer. He, too, coordinates 

the activities of the states’ commissioners. 

What the proponents of state-based 

community policing have not defined to my 

satisfaction till now, is what “community” 

means in the context of community policing 

in Nigeria? An offline English dictionary 

defines community as a group of people living 

producing state was given and is still 

receiving marginal fields. Some 

have developed them, others have 

converted them to the governor’s 

private company. Still others have 

been shelled out to prominent 

politicians. No operator cleans the 

area it operates. All contribute to 

greater oil pollution. Neither Prof. 

Akinyemi nor I foresaw this. We were 

naive enough to believe that the 

benefits would accrue to the 

common man. I think marginal oil 

fields should be reserved for 

indigenes of the area. What do you 

think? 

We are talking about marginal oil 

fields, no such opportunities existed 

for others. Are there marginal tin 

mines or coal and manganese mines 

or baroid mines? l know the 

governments of oil producing states 

have been shortsighted wastrels but 

so were other governors. 

Oil is what Nigeria depends on at 

the moment, but the cliche tells us it 

is a wasting asset, exploiting it waste 

the indigenes, the environment. 

Now it is a curse to the area and 

people. They cannot fish, farm, hunt. 

No one can go there without weeping 

for the poverty of the people. The oil 

companies have all relocated 

outside the area, and also relocated 

the women of the area. Male youth 

have no jobs or prospects beyond 

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 —17 

an oil well, after a while, may 

produce what the operating 

company did not want - e.g. too much 

gas, or water, or the cost of exploitng 

the oil was no longer profitable. 

Such wells are capped for future use 

or disposal. As he was then about to 

leave Phillips, he wondered whether 

he might not acquire such exhausted 

or marginal field. I had a rather hazy 

understanding of all this technical 

hogwash, but I took notes and asked 

him to look at them and write a 

memorable note for me. 

On return to Nigeria, I broached 

this with Prof. Akinyemi who took 

my two paragraph note to the powers 

that be. I forgot about it, and I am 

sure, so did he. I only later saw 

allocation for marginal fields to 

some people. I think while paying 

tribute to Prof. Akinyemi for his help, 

the issue of marginal fields has 

become big business. Every oilfinding 

and funding existence by 

whatever means possible or 

necessary. We used to advise that all 

Presidents, members of government 

and National Assembly go there for 

a two week retreat. That will be some 

condign and eye-opening 

experience. Do not let us play with 

calamity. If we do, we are doomed. 

I am not one of those who would 

defend the profligacy of the 

governors of the South-South who 

have a debt of explanation to make 

for the poor, irrelevant and irreverent 

use of resources. To whom more is 

given, more is expected. Nor is the 

query answered by saying all the 

governors have little respect for 

money allocated to them and are 

equally financially reckless. The 

Niger Delta is full of towns and 

villages where there are no toilet 

facilities, except outhouses built for 

public use on the shores. That’s 

exactly how it has been since 80 

years ago when I was born. No 

running water in the town. The water 

you draw from the well is covered by 

a sheen of oil. The governors of 

South-South have a lot to do, but 

they have done very little. There are 

two banks in all the Kalabari areas 

of Rivers State. 

Africa is rich beyond belief, but in 

a few short years, those who have 

plundered us will set up an 

architectural construct that would 

leave us as the gatemen and we 

would be unable to enter. The 

Zuckerbergs, Bill Gates, Google, Jeff 

Bezos, Jack Ma of the new 

technological development would 

make a thousand times more money 

than now and no African would be 

anything but cleaners, gatemen, 

security staff. Calcitrate is an 

essential component of all devices, 

just as copper was an essential 

mineral to make the industrial 

revolution possible and to sustain it. 

Imagine the amount of copper used 

to carry electricity everywhere. If this 

copper were in Europe or the US, 

payment for it would be by usage. 

Whenever you switch a light on, 

the owners of the copper would make 

some money. We have seven billion 

people in the world. Consider since 

when they started using insulated 

copper to conduct electricity 

everywhere - consider further that the 

people of Zambia, Zimbabwe, 

Congo were receiving farthings, 

cents each time they used electricity. 

Who do you think would be rich 

today? Each time we use our smart 

phones, thousands of people make 

in a particular local area. Another offline 

dictionary defines it as a group of people 

having ethnic or cultural or religious 

characteristics in common. Based on these 

definitions, how can we practise states-led 

community policing in a multi-ethnic states 

like Kogi, Adamawa, Plateau and Rivers? Do 

we, for instance, hand over Police control to 

Igala, Okun, Okene communities? The same 

goes for Rivers, Plateau and other multi-ethnic 

states. 

Will each and every ethnic group in these 

states be having their own community police 

structure? If it is even decided that local 

government areas within a given state are to 

be designated as communities. Will the DPOs 

within each LGA be reporting to the chairman 

of LGA operationally? How do we come to 

agree on what should constitute a community 

in Nigeria for the purpose of legislation for 

states-led community policing? 

Yes, community policing within the context 

of state policing could work in South East and 

South West because of ethnic or cultural 

affinity, but it will still end up as regional 

policing. Now, if two regions out of six go into 

community policing, what happens to the 

remaining four regions? The fact is state-led 

community policing will amount to a moving 

anarchy in Nigeria. But the protagonists of 

this variant of community policing, will argue 

that Britain and the US are good examples of 

state-based community policing. Fine as this 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

money - they prepared the hard or 

soft ware - no African makes a dime; 

instead all he has to show for 

minerals taken from his land are 

large holes in the ground: and then 

the African is a second-hand person 

dealing with a second-hand 

economy. 

His clothes are second-hand sold 

in bend-down boutiques; even the 

underwear of our women is secondhand; 

our cars are second-hand, our 

generators are second-hand, 

everything is second-hand. 

Our aeroplanes, oil drilling 

equipment, mining equipment, 

mechanical diggers, refuse tricks, 

refrigerators, 

cookers, 

airconditioners, motor spare parts, 

phones, laptops, motorcycles - 

everything second to the second-hand 

people. We do not have millennials, 

or the Z-Generation or Generation- 

X. We have second-hand people, 

second-hand millennials, secondhand 

Generation-X. Since we copy 

all these social movements. All 

African Heads-of-State now take 

themselves - at the same time- to 

China, Japan, France, Russia, 

United Kingdom, Germany, US in a 

sickening display of fealty - “we greet 

you great Massa". 

Our “second-hand” hands are out: 

bank loans in the West and US are 

one per cent or no percent. In some 

places the banks pay to lend to 

business. But when we second-hand 

people get to these same banks, they 

see us as old, crippled people with 

existing conditions - obesity, heart 

problems, diabetes, blood clots - to 

be treated as second hand people 

soon to expire. When we go to these 

same banks in the West they charge 

us between eight per cent and 12 per 

cent. 

Nigeria has a space agency. I am 

sure they are busy and perhaps have 

bought some second-hand satellites. 

If they do anything, they keep it quiet 

because no one knows. But during 

the past 50 years, men and women 

have gone to space. The Indians, 

Pakistanis, Saudi and other Arabs. 

I would think that a country which 

has one quarter of Africa’s 

population should have the hope of 

sending one man and one woman to 

space, just as the Arabs, Pakistanis, 

Japanese, Chinese, etc, have done. 

All it takes is to send two or three 

Nigerians to the space centres of 

friendly countries and when next a 

ship is going to the space station 

there will be a Nigerian there. Watch 

out. Rwanda may beat you. 

viewpoint may seem, if we take a critical look 

at these countries, it will be seen that the two 

countries are linguistically homogeneous. 

When a country has just one language, it is 

already a community, at least from the 

perspective of dictionary definition of 

community. On the other hand, if one looks 

deeply at current protests around the United 

States of America arising from the death of 

George Floyd in the hands of Minneapolis 

Police, one could see the potential problem of 

state-led community policing. 

Ordinarily, the peaceful protest by Black 

Community in Minneapolis over George 

Floyd’s death, is justifiably correct and within 

their fundamental right as the Constitution of 

the US guarantees; but because Minnesota 

State, where the unfortunate incident occurred, 

is controlled by the Democrats, the authorities 

there systematically encouraged anarchy to 

paint the Donald Trump-led Federal 

Government in bad light, ahead of the 

November 3 presidential election. Inspired by 

that, other Democrats-controlled states in the 

US also encouraged anarchy in their domains. 

This is the greatest problem of state-led 

community policing. The agitators of this 

variant of community policing are only 

interested in controlling police for political 

ends. 

Continues online:www.vanguardngr.com 

•Oraetoka, an information management 

consultant & researcher, wrote from Abuja


AFTER months of uncertainties, 

schools in many states of the 

Federation are re-opening to enable 

final year students in secondary 

schools prepare for the West African 

Senior Secondary School Certificate 

Examinations, WASSCE. 

number of recoveries (18,203) and 

The Federal Government, after 

relatively low death figures (860). 

initial objections, agreed to plans by 

We are yet to reach the plateau of 

the regional exam body, the West 

infections. Though a number of 

African Examinations Council, 

candidate vaccines have given reason 

WAEC, to hold the examinations for 

for optimism, we may not witness 

final year students. 

large-scale vaccinations until early to 

We had cautioned against these, 

mid-2021. 

albeit restricted, reopening plans 

The situation calls for total restraint 

because the current situation of the 

in the reopening of all centres of large 

coronavirus pandemic, which 

human crowding such as schools, 

prompted school closures worldwide, 

centres of worship, clubs and stadia. 

has continued to rise not only across 

It is wrong to posit that if the markets 

the world but also in the sub-region. 

and airports could be reopened so 

In Nigeria, confirmed cases passed 

could schools and worship centres. 

the 40,000 mark last week despite our 

Business has to reopen to prevent 

persistent poor testing capacity. 

“hunger virus” which is deadlier than 

Mercifully, we also have appreciable 

COVID-19. While we admit that 

Our worries over schools reopening 

schools and places of worship are also 

means of livelihood for millions of 

people, we still believe that the 

government should provide furlough 

palliatives, especially for the private 

school stakeholders till such a time 

that vaccines will be available for 

everybody. 

We believe in the wise counsel of Ali 

Baba CEO, Jack Ma, that surviving the 

pandemic should be the primary 

objective for everyone right now. It is 

only those who survive that will go 

on and earn school certificates. 

There are several proven cases in 

many parts of the world that reopening 

schools, worship centres and others 

have typically reignited waves of 

infections. Nigeria’s case will not be 

different. It may make nonsense of 

the efforts of those who have kept 

strictly to the COVID-19 protocols due 

to their vulnerabilities. Our children 

stand the risk of becoming unwitting 

vectors of COVID-19. 

With most schools in Nigeria lacking 

running water and facilities for safe 

distancing, we wonder how even the 

teachers will be able to control 

interactions among our excitable 

children to minimise infection spread. 

This reopening for the sake of 

exams will only fray the structural 

fabric of our educational system in the 

middle and disturb the uniform flow 

of transitions from one class to the 

other. 

Even after the School Certificate 

exams, we must still tackle the 

imperative of supporting our private 

sector educators until the wholesale 

reopening of schools. 

The piece, last week, examined the fears 

that in a unified service, brought about by 

Decree 34, Northerners would be at a 

disadvantage. It continues today with Gen. 

Ironsi’s speech. 

EFFECTIVE liaison and coordination 

should be established 

between the Federal authority and its 

provincial counterparts, if we are to 

avoid the pitfalls of the recent past and 

make a more significant impact both 

internally as well as externally. 

“The works programme of the 

Supreme Military Council and the 

Federal Military Government will 

necessarily include the establishment 

of certain essential organs which are 

indispensable for accelerated 

development in some major and 

sensitive areas where proper planning 

has been neglected, haphazard or 

unco-ordinated. We are undertaking a 

review of commercial and industrial 

development, details of which will be 

announced shortly. 

“Other equally important problems 

requiring early attention are: the 

formulation of an education policy 

related to the needs of a developing 

country such as Nigeria, manpower 

training tailored to meet the demands 

of the country, unemployment and its 

attendant social evils. 

“The solution to the problems, you 

will admit, cannot be effected 

overnight. The new regime should be 

given time to tackle the heavy 

programme of work kit has been called 

upon to shoulder. 

“We need maximum co-operation 

from all sections of the country and 

OPINION 

Abused Decree No. 34 and 

demand for restructuring (3) 

resources to the utmost in order lay a 

proper foundation for the present as 

well as for the future. 

“On the question of the political future 

of the country, the experiences and 

mistakes of the previous governments 

in the Federation have clearly 

Whatever merits that 

influenced the 

promulgation of Decree 34 

has turned to demerits; the 

decree has been exploited 

and abused while 

restructuring is inevitable 

indicated that far-reaching 

constitutional reforms are badly needed 

for peaceful and orderly progress 

towards the realisation of our objectives. 

I have already touched on some of the 

major issues involved in my recent 

broadcast to the nation. 

It has 

b e c o m e 

apparent to all 

Nigerians that 

r i g i d 

adherence to 

‘regionalism’, 

was the bane 

of the last 

regime and 

one of the 

main factors 

w h i c h 

contributed to 

its downfall. 

No doubt, the 

country would welcome a clean break 

with the deficiencies of the system of 

government to which the country has 

been subjected in the recent past. A 

solution suitable to our national needs 

must be found. The existing boundaries 

of governmental control will need to 

be re-adjusted to make for less 

cumbersome administration. 

“We are determined that constitutional 

changes, which are prerequisite to the 

re-establishment of parliamentary 

system of government, will be 

undertaken with the consensus of 

various representatives of public 

opinion. 

“Proposals for constitutional changes 

will involve careful and detailed 

analysis, so that the nation will 

eventually have a system of 

parliamentary government best suited 

to the demands of a developing country 

in modern times. We expect that when 

the system of government acceptable 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

to the people of Nigeria has been 

formulated, all elections to parliament 

will be by universal adult suffrage.” 

According to the decree, the Federal 

Military Council shall comprise of 

Head of the Federal Military 

Government and Supreme 

Commander of the Armed Forces, 

Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, 

Chief of staff, Nigerian Armed Forces, 

Head of the Nigerian Navy, Head of 

the Nigerian Air Force, Military 

Governor, Northern Provinces, Military 

Governor, Eastern Provinces, Military 

Governor, Western Provinces and 

Military Governor, Mid-Western 

Provinces. 

The Central Executive Council shall 

comprise of Head of the National 

Military Government and Supreme 

Commander of the Armed Forces 

(President), Chief of Staff, Supreme 

Headquarters, Chief of Staff, Nigerian 

Army, Military Governor, Eastern 

Provinces, Military Governor, Western 

Provinces, Military Governor, Mid- 

Western Provinces, Military Governor, 

Northern Provinces, Administrator of 

the Capital Territory of Lagos, Head of 

the Nigerian Navy, Head of the 

Nigerian Air Force, Inspector General 

of Police and Deputy Inspector-General 

of Police. 

The ghost of Decree No. 34 is still 

haunting us today. Whatever merits that 

influenced the promulgation of that 

decree, it has turned to demerits. The 

decree has been exploited and abused. 

Restructuring is inevitable.













Fashola blames multiple road projects in 

Lagos on several years of neglect 


Minister of Works and 

H o u s i n g , 

Babatunde Fashola, has 

blamed several years of 

neglect by the previous 

administrations in the 

country for the multiple 

ongoing road projects in 

Lagos state even as he 

urged residents to bear 

with the federal 

government for any 

inconveniences caused. 

Speaking during 

inspection of Apapa- 

Oshodi-Ojota- 

Oworonshoki Expressway 

reconstruction project and 

Third Mainland Bridge 

which has been partially 

shut for repairs, Fashola 

said that many people have 

questioned their decision 

to embark on several road 

construction works and 

repairs simultaneously. 

“We truly wish there is 

another better way to go 

about it but what we are 

doing is a response to calls 

by residents and 

commuters on the 

deplorable state of some 

roads as a result of many 

years of work not done that 

we now have to deal with. 

“Currently, we have 

several road construction 

and repairs that are in 

going on such as Apapa- 

Oworonshoki Expressway 

reconstruction, Third 

Mainland Bridge, 

Apongbon bridge, Falomo 

bridge, Obalende bridge, 

Marine bridge, Kara 

bridge among others which 

was as a result of ageing 

infrastructure which need 

to be repaired so that it can 

serve us better. 

“I am very optimistic that 

at the end of all these 

projects, if we all 

NIOB inducts new Fellows, 

tasks them on professionalism 

in building construction 

By Kingsley Adegboye 

The Nigerian Institute of 

Building NIOB, 

has charged its newly 

inducted Fellows to adhere 

to professionalism in the 

course of discharging their 

duties as professional 

builders. 

Making the charge at the 

just concluded first ever 

virtual induction of NIOB 

members into its fellowship 

cadre, NIOB national 

President, Mr. Kunle 

Awobodu, said the Nigerian 

society stands to gain 

optimally when it realises 

and accepts that building 

production management is 

a distinct professional 

service rendered by 

builders. 

Awobodu lamented that 

for too long the society has 

been misinformed or 

uninformed about the 

building delivery process, 

claiming that while the 

impression had been created 

in times past that the designs 

of buildings were services 

rendered by specialists, the 

construction of the building 

had been wrongly, by 

actions and inactions, 

presented as a service that 

any unlettered, untrained 

but ambitious and 

connected individual can 

do. 

According to him, this 

anomaly has been the bane 

of housing and building 

delivery process that has 

earned Nigeria the 

unenviable reputation of a 

nation with seemingly 

unending building 

collapses. 

Awobodu informed the 

inductees that the society 

expects much from the 

profession, to safeguard 

society's interest in the 

construction, maintenance 

and preservation of 

building stock. 

While acknowledging that 

the building delivery 

process from design to 

construction is based on 

teamwork, with each 

participant playing his part, 

he asserted that with all 

sense of responsibility to 

protect lives and property, 

only registered builders are 

charged by Nigerian law 

with building construction, 

maintenance, and 

deconstruction. 

NIOB boss further charged 

the inductees to bring their 

wealth of experience to bear 

in policy formulation and 

mentoring of younger 

professionals. 

cooperate, we will have a 

better travel experience 

across Lagos”, he said. 

Fashola urged Nigerians 

to endure the hardship and 

cooperate with the 

construction workers, 

saying,”There is no better 

time than now to begin the 

reconstruction works.” 

He attributed delay 

experienced in the ongoing 

projects to the lockdown 

due to COVID-19. 

According to him, “The 

nationwide movement 

restriction as a result of 

COVID-19 outbreak kept 

me in Abuja for some time, 

but now that restriction has 

been lifted, we need to 

continue our with ongoing 

projects”. 

He appealed to traffic 

control agencies to ensure 

free flow of traffic, “Our 

traffic control agencies 

should please move to 

alternative routes where 

they will ensure free flow 

of traffic. There is no traffic 

on the Third Mainland 

bridge. So, we don’t need 

you on the bridge. Specific 

people should be 

positioned on specific 

locations in all the 

alternative routes so that 

we can know who is to be 

where at a particular 

time”. 

According to the Federal 

Controller of Works in 

Lagos state, Olukayode 

Popoola, a diversion has 

been created for the 

contractor handling the 

repairs to commence work 

on the outward lane of the 

Island while inward lane 

has been left open to 

enable motorists to ply the 

road with ease. 

IFMA Nigeria lauds federal 

government’s handover of 

National Theatre 

THE 

International 

F a c i l i t y 

Management Association 

IFMA Nigeria Chapter, has 

lauded the federal 

government’s initiative of 

handing over the National 

Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, to the 

Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, 

and the Banker’s Committee, 

saying the symbolic event 

which happened on Sunday, 

July 12 2020, was not only 

commendable but equally a 

step in the right direction. 

The Acting President of 

IFMA Nigeria, Mr. Segun 

Adebayo, who made this 

known in a statement, said 

“This initiative of the federal 

government through the 

Ministry of Information and 

Culture, the Central Bank of 

Nigeria and the Banker’s 

Committee should also be 

extended to other national 

facilities such as the National 

Museum and National 

Stadium among others that are 

not being put into optimal 

use”. 

While commending all 

parties including Lagos state 

government, Adebayo also 

advised the Central Bank of 

Nigeria and Bankers 

Committee as critical parties to 

the success of the project to 

activate the “Sustainability 

Road Map” through the 

proactive engagement of 

professional facility 

management process as they 

commence the revamping of 

the national monument. 

According to him, one of the 

challenges with the effective 

operation of National Theatre 

was lack of professional 

management of the facility. “I 

urge the driver of the project 

to begin with the end in mind 

by engaging professional 

facility management 

practitioners as part of the team 

of the consultants on the 

project. 

“Infact, IFMA Nigeria 

Chapter, is not only willing but 

equally ready to offer free 

professional services as our 

support towards the success of 

the project. This will guarantee 

the sustainability and positive 

impact on the economy 

through job creation and other 

associated value creations for 

artisans and technicians” he 

noted. 

Earlier in the year, the 

Association celebrated the 

World 

Facility 

Management Day, drawing 

attention to the significant 

contribution that FM makes 

to the global economy. This 

contribution of FM 

professionals impacts 

positively on the health, 

safety, productivity and wellbeing 

of everyone who 

utilises the built 

environment. Facility 

Managers create, operate 

and maintain conducive 

environment where people 

work, recreate and also 

reside across the world. 

From left: Immediate Past President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of 

Nigeria, CIIN, Mr Eddie Efekoha; President, Sir, Muftau Oyegunle and wife, 

Lady Elizabeth Oyegunle; Past President and Administerer of Oath, Venerable 

Ladipo Ajayi at the Investiture ceremony of Oyegunle as the 50th President. 

Recapitalisation: Low returns scare 

investors away from insurance 

sector 

By Rosemary Onuoha 

INVESTORS 

are 

scared of investing in 

the insurance sector due to 

the consistent low returns 

on investment by some 

operators in spite of the 

opportunities offered by the 

recapitalisation exercise for 

new investors to buy into 

insurance companies 

Disclosing this while 

speaking to Vanguard, Ada 

Ufomadu, Senior Financial 

Institutions Analyst at 

Agusto & Co, said that the 

inability of some insurers to 

create value on their 

investments is a reflection 

of their lack of investment 

skills. 

Ufomadu said that these 

set of players must learn 

and display the skill to 

channel their resources into 

sound investment outlets 

and show improved 

performance if they wish to 

scale the September 2021 

recapitalisation deadline. 

Ufomadu said: “The 

insurance industry over the 

years has been destroying 

value of investment, 

and that is why investors 

are not interested in the 

sector. However, the reason 

for the low returns on their 

investments is the lack of 

skill. 

“They are not investing in 

the right assets. Some of 

them have long term assets 

for instance in real estate 

investment. They have 

investments in bare lands 

and the lands are just there 

sitting in their books and 

they are not doing anything 

Insurance sector can be successful 

despite Covid-19 – Oyegunle 

THE new President of the 

Chartered Insurance 

Institute of Nigeria, CIIN, Mr. 

Muftau Oyegunle has said 

that despite the ravaging 

effects of the Covid-19 

pandemic, the insurance 

industry can achieve greater 

successes if professionalism 

and ethics is reinforced in 

reaction to the new order. 

Oyegunle stated this on the 

occasion of his Investiture as 

the 50th President and 

Chairman of Council of the 

CIIN in Lagos last week. 

While stating that he has 

come at a time the industry 

needs to change its strategies 

to the new normal, Oyegunle 

said; “Our reactions to these 

disruptions will determine 

with these investments. 

They keep revaluing them 

and getting revaluation 

amounts that cannot be 

actualized. You tell me that 

this land is worth N1 billion 

and if I go to the market and 

say I want to sell this land 

for N1 billion, people will 

say it is N500 million that 

they will pay. So sadly, 

insurance companies are 

not sweating those assets 

to give returns. So, we see 

a huge portfolio of real 

estate investments that are 

not yielding much. 

“Another problem is their 

investment in equities. 

They invested in stocks of 

companies when there was 

a boom in the capital 

market. After the burst 

happened, most of them 

didn’t check out of the 

exposure, they just stayed 

there assuming that things 

will go back up. So, stocks 

that were bought at N50 

have gone down to 20kobo 

and they are still in their 

books and they are not 

doing anything about it. So, 

the value has been lost and 

that is another investment 

that has gone bad. So, the 

allocation of their 

investments is a problem. 

They need to decide where 

they can get the highest 

yield and get out of low 

yielding position and invest 

in. So, going forward, they 

need to be strategic in their 

allocation of assets.” 

While stating that huge 

claims payment need not 

affect profitability as claims 

payment by some 

insurance companies have 

been on the increase in 

recent times, Ufomadu 

our position today and in the 

future. These disruptions are 

here and it has come with new 

challenges that call for the 

reinforcement of our 

professional calling. 

“Current development in 

the world call for our 

collaborative efforts to 

reinforce professionalism. 

The Nigerian economy in 

general and the insurance 

industry is not immune from 

the vagaries of the social and 

economic disruptions caused 

by the pandemic. The 

resultant harsh business 

environment has become a 

threat which we must 

collectively confront for 

survival.” 

According to him, the 

noted that insurers can still 

record profits if they make 

good investment. 

She said: “Although 

claims payment has 

improved in the recent 

time, insurance companies 

can still be profitable when 

they pay claims if they do 

well on the investment 

management aspect.” 

Ufomadu stated that 

investors are also wary of 

the sector because the 

industry is not open, 

stating: “The insurance 

industry is like a black box 

because they don’t do 

ratings. They don’t want to 

open up their books 

because there is a lot that 

is hidden. 

She said: “Some 

companies have been 

acquired by foreign players. 

However, one thing we 

hear them say is ‘the figures 

we saw when we were 

about to come in were 

completely different from 

what we saw when we 

finally got in. Before we got 

in, you told us that you 

were owing claims of about 

N5 million. Then we came 

in and discovered that 

there are outstanding 

claims of N500 million and 

that doesn’t show on the 

books. But the people who 

need their claims are 

coming to the company and 

asking for their claims.’ 

“That is why rating is 

good for these companies 

because when a company 

is rated, it opens up its 

books and gets 

independent opinion about 

its operations so investors 

know better about the 

company.” 

theme and focus of his tenure 

will be ‘Reinforcing Professionalism 

and Ethics in the 

new order,’ and the choice of 

the theme is borne out of the 

need to establish a rolling 

plan which will guarantee 

that even in the face of current 

global uncertainties, the 

Institute will continue to meet 

the needs of members. 

He said: “Against this 

background, we are going to 

explore the potentials of this 

approach by focusing on a 

six-point agenda. Digital 

transformation of the 

Institute; reinforcement of the 

relevance of professionalism; 

re-energizing the Institute’s 

administrative structure; 

insurance awareness and 

youth mentorship initiatives.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 ---- 31 

Nigeria’s exclusive breastfeeding rate 

abysmally low — EXPERTS 

— UNICEF, WHO urge mothers to breastfeed amid COVID-19 

By Chioma Obinna 

ARE you a mother? 

How well do you 

understand the benefits of 

breastfeeding and 

breastmilk? The World 

Health Organisation, 

WHO, and the United 

Nations Children’s Fund, 

UNICEF, say breastmilk is 

best for babies. 

Studies have also shown 

that breastmilk saves 

children’s lives as it 

provides antibodies that 

give babies a healthy boost 

and protect them against 

many childhood illnesses. 

While researchers 

continue to test breastmilk 

from mothers with 

confirmed or suspected 

COVID-19, current 

evidence indicates that it is 

unlikely that COVID-19 

would be transmitted 

through breastfeeding. 

The World Alliance for 

Breastfeeding Action, 

WABA says breastfeeding 

is a prime example of the 

deep connections between 

human health and nature’s 

eco system. 

WABA also reinstates 

that protecting, promoting 

and supporting 

breastfeeding addresses 

inequalities that stand in 

the way of sustainable 

development. 

The Alliance further 

notes that artificial feeding 

leaves a major 

environmental footprint 

that contributes to the 

depletion of natural 

resources, environment 

degradation and greenhouse 

emissions that cause 

global warming and 

climate change. 

Sadly, despite these 

realities and more, 

Nigeria’s exclusive 

breastfeeding rate has 

remained abysmally low 

with only a marginal 

increase from 2 percent in 

1990 to 17 percent in 2013 

according to the National 

Nutrition Health Survey, 

NNHS, and now 27 

percent as reported in the 

2018 NNHS. 

With some minimal 

progress made so far, 

experts are worried that not 

much has been achieved in 

the last 26 years of WBW 

celebration in the country. 

In the views of the 

Executive Secretary, the 

Civil Society-Scaling Up 

Nutrition in Nigeria, CS- 

SUNN, Beatrice Eluaka, 

how will Nigeria meet the 

global targets of 65 percent 

Exclusive Breastfeeding 

rate by 2025? 

Breastfeeding mother. 

With Nigeria’s current 

childhood under-nutrition 

indicator at 37 percent 

stunting, 7 percent wasting 

and 23 percent 

underweight (NDHS, 

2018) and about 2.6 million 

children under the age of 

five threatened by 

malnutrition (2018 

NNHS), a lot still needs to 

be done to eradicate the 

country’s challenge of 

malnutrition. 

Eluaka says Nigerians 

should become better 

informed about the links 

between breastfeeding 

and the environment/ 

climate change and that 

breastfeeding should be 

anchored as a climatesmart 

decision. 

COVID-19 & 

breastfeeding 

“Aside its nutritional 

benefits (contains all the 

water and nutrients the 

By Chioma Obinna 

PZ Wilmar has 

announced the signing 

of popular Nollywood 

actress, Ufuoma 

McDermott, alongside 

notable Chef and Food 

blogger, Ifeyinwa 

Mogekwu, also known as 

Ify's Kitchen, as 

ambassadors, for its 

premium Master brand, 

Mamador. 

Following the 

announcement, the new 

ambassadors will now 

represent the Mamador 

brand, across its marketing 

baby needs in the first six 

months of life, in the right 

amounts), breast milk 

helps to prevent 

pneumonia and diarrhoea, 

two of the leading causes 

of death for children under 

five and that babies who are 

breastfed are 14 times less 

likely to die than those who 

are not fed breast milk. 

“State governments 

should approve six months 

maternity leave and ensure 

breastfeeding-friendly 

environment/crèches in 

workplaces. Government 

at all levels should fully 

enforce the International 

Code of Breast-milk 

marketing Substitutes and 

ensure that monitoring 

mechanisms are in place 

among others. 

According to UNICEF’s 

Representative in Nigeria, 

Peter Hawkins: “The 

ongoing COVID-19 

pandemic, like most 

emergencies, leaves 

families with children in an 

extremely vulnerable 

position. Given the present 

lack of evidence that 

transmission of the virus 

could occur through 

breastmilk, we recommend 

that mothers should be 

encouraged to initiate and 

continue to breastfeed their 

babies while observing 

good hygiene practices.” 

UNICEF and WHO 

recommend that babies 

should be fed only 

breastmilk in the first six 

months, after which they 

should continue 

breastfeeding – as well as 

eating other nutritious and 

safe foods – until 2 years of 

age or beyond. 

Currently, only 29 

percent of Nigerian 

children between the ages 

of 0-6 months are 

exclusively breastfed. 

Breastmilk substitutes 

such as infant formula, 

other milk products, and 

beverages not only 

contribute negatively to the 

health and development of 

the child, but also to 

environmental 

degradation and climate 

change. Breastmilk, on the 

other hand, is natural, and 

is the only food a baby 

needs in the first 6 months 

of life. 

Findings by Good Health 

Weekly reveal that breast 

milk from the breast and 

expressed breastmilk are 

safe during the COVID-19 

pandemic 

Altough the coronavirus 

spreads between people 

who are in close contact, 

mainly through respiratory 

droplets when an infected 

person coughs, sneezes, or 

talks, however, there is no 

evidence that the infectious 

virus is passed from mother 

to baby in breastmilk. 

Breastfeeding has been 

shown to be safe even 

when a mother has other 

viral illnesses like 

influenza, so babies can 

still receive breast milk 

even if mothers test 

positive for COVID-19. 

COVID-19 

breastfeeding tips 

The first step is for 

mothers to wash their 

hands with soap and 

running water, then wear 

a suitable face mask during 

the breastfeeding exercise. 

Breast milk can be 

expressed as often as the 

baby demands. 

Holding the baby skinto-skin 

helps the latching 

on and also helps trigger 

milk release. Breastfeeding 

is a key preventive health 

step for baby and mother, 

even during the pandemic. 

The availability and 

increased access to health 

care workers, including 

midwives and nurses, to 

deliver skilled 

breastfeeding counselling 

to mothers and families is 

essential. 

Efforts must be made to 

Nollywood stars, Ufuoma, Ifeyinwa emerge Mamador ambassadors 

campaigns. 

Speaking about the 

projects, Marketing 

Manager, PZ Wilmar, 

Chioma Mbanugo, 

disclosed that the 

partnership with Ufuoma 

McDermott and Ifeyinwa 

Mogekwu, was borne out 

of the brand's commitment 

to further promote tasty 

cooking and healthy 

nutrition, as well as the 

brand’s desire to foster 

family bonding and 

togetherness in Nigeria. 

“As a Masterbrand, 

Mamador exists to inspire 

tasty nutrition for everyone, 

every day of the week. We 

believe tasty meals have 

the magic to foster family 

togetherness by involving, 

bonding over meals and 

connecting with family 

members through new 

dishes, sharing recipes, 

cooking together and 

enjoying good food. 

“These women, Ufuoma 

and Ifeyinwa, have proved 

to be strong and 

passionate with admirable 

talents and principles, 

whose positive lifestyles 

inspire many. Ifeyinwa as 

a Chef inspires many, not 

just on how to enjoy tasty 

meals but also how to 

prepare them. Ufuoma 

inspires many careers 

mothers as she manages 

the work-life balance to 

bond with her family and 

sustains an excellent family 

unit. For this and many 

other attributes, Mamador 

is happy to be associated 

with them.’’ 

In response, Ufuoma 

said: “I am pleased with the 

opportunity to partner with 

the Mamador 

Brand.Mamador is a brand 

my family and I are already 

used to and enjoy, so it is 

quite an honour to now 

COVID-19: 

Nigeria 

prioritises 

sign language 

on TV 

TOWARDS mitigating 

the challenges faced by 

people who are deaf or 

hard of hearing, sign 

language interpretation 

will now be a permanent 

feature on daily Nigerian 

national news briefings on 

television. 

People with disabilities 

usually miss out on 

essential information about 

COVID-19, hence the 

inclusion of sign 

interpreters to ensure 

COVID-19 information 

and other bulletins are 

more accessible for people 

with hearing impairments 

so that they can have 

essential information on 

how to protect themselves 

from the infection. 

The inclusion of 

interpreters comes as 

global charity Sightsavers 

has been campaigning for 

more accessible ways of 

sharing information to 

ensure people with 

disabilities are not left 

behind during COVID-19. 

The interpreters first 

appeared in late June 2020 

and are being carried 

forward with permanent 

contracts following a pilot . 

They will be employed 

initially through Inclusive 

Futures, a new UK aid 

funded global partnership 

of 16 development bodies 

led by Sightsavers. 

In a statement, Rasak 

Adekoya, Sightsavers’ 

Programme Officer in 

Nigeria said: “I’m really 

excited to see this 

development and the 

commitment the Nigerian 

government has made. It 

shows the power of 

collective action and our 

ability at Sightsavers to 

advocate and make a real 

impact for people with 

disabilities. 

“We’re always focusing 

represent the brand, this 

means a lot to me and I 

look forward to promoting 

family togetherness 

through making, sharing 

and enjoying tasty and 

nutritious meals with 

Mamador.” 

Food blogger, Ifeyinwa, 

expressed joy about the 

partnership, adding that 

good and healthy nutrition 

play an important role in 

the overall health and 

wellbeing of families. 

“This truth, the 

Mamador brand has 

advocated over the years 

and I am glad to be part of 

its advancement.”


A tribute to my mother 

By VICTOR NDOMA-EGBA 

WHERE do I start about my mother, 

my friend, my confidante, my 

playmate, my soul mate, my pillar, my 

teacher, my everything? Start however I 

must. 

Mama was my very first teacher in every 

sense. She trained as a teacher and was 

one of the first four Ikom (now Ikom, Boki 

and Etung ) women to receive western 

education. I started following her to St. 

Martins Primary School, Ikom where she 

then taught long before I was eligible to 

start school. In my days your right hand 

had to touch your left ear over your head 

before you could qualify to be registered 

in school. By the time I could achieve this 

I already could read and write so I had a 

head start. 

When I eventually could touch my left 

ear with my right hand I started school in 

January 1962.Mama took Ndifon Nkom 

Nku (now Dr. Victor Nkom), late Richard 

Eno , late Aroma Brown and I to school to 

school on our first day and she was our 

first teacher. The others were children of 

her friends. I remember her holding a pair 

of tiny hands in each of her hands. 

It was a remarkable day. Being the son 

of the class teacher naturally drew 

attention to me. This was in addition to 

my young age and physical size. The bell 

had announced break time and as usual 

with children our excitement was noisy as 

we ran out of the tedious classroom to the 

brief respite outside. I joined a group of 

my new classmates at play. Promptly an 

older boy from a senior class singled me 

out and hit me without reason. 

I cried to my mother who was at her desk 

in the classroom and reported what 

happened. She came out and mock 

smacked the boy after hearing him out. 

This gave me satisfaction which was short 

lived as almost as soon as my mother left 

the scene another boy hit me. I immediately 

ran to her again. This time she studiously 

ignored me and my complaint. 

I left to rejoin the group at play deflated 

and disappointed. Not long the bell 

announced the end of the break. As I made 

my way back to the classroom yet another 

boy, this time one of my new classmates, 

hit me. I again went to my mother. This 

time she waited for the class to settle down 

before calling me out to the front and gave 

me six strokes of the cane on my buttocks. 

It was the first time my mother would 

use the cane on me, and also the last time. 

She told me in front of the class that if in 

thirty short minutes three different people 

hit me, all three of them could not be the 

problem but me and warned that should 

that happen again my punishment would 

be more severe. It never happened again. 

I learnt never to be the odd one out, to 

fight my causes and take responsibility for 

myself and actions. I thenceforth avoided 

confrontations but did not run away from 

them. I was never again bullied. I 

sharpened my tongue as weapon in case 

physical strength failed me. 

She was strict but fair, a disciplinarian 

who at the same time allowed children to 

express themselves within clearly defined 

moral boundaries. 

She bore her pains with equanimity. She 

concealed her tears but shared her smiles. 

She trusted God absolutely, sacrificed and 

exerted herself to the very limits of her 

every endowment for her three sons, 

Kenneth, Victor and Roy. She was broken 

each time a relations child failed to choose 

education first as she was worried that her 

children could only be secure if those 

around them were also educated. She 

harangued and pushed, she argued and 

cried, begged and harassed for children, 

especially the girl child to go to school. 

She was an activist for girl child education 

but lacked today’s tools for mass 

mobilization for her cause but deployed 

every available weapon in her time. 

She badly wanted daughters through her 

sons to replace the one she lost whom she 

had already named Constance. She 

wanted to see her lost daughter in her sons’ 

wives, grandchildren and other relatives, 

and looked for her in all of them. She saw 

her in some and did not in others. 

She was a torch bearer, a trailblazer who 

•Ndoma-Egba 

set the standards for her generation. She 

was as gorgeous as she was bold. She 

dared where he peers demurred. In 1960 

she contested elections into the office of 

Chairman of Ikom County Council (now 

Ikom, Boki and Etung Local Governments) 

on the platform of the defunct NCNC. She 

won and became the first female chairman 

of a County Council ( now Local 

Government) in the then Eastern Region 

of Nigeria, and indeed the entire country 

from 1960 to 1963. She was only thirty years 

old but left towering and indelible legacies. 

She believed that one was not successful 

until others looked up to and depended 

you. She believed that hard work and 

character should be the only path to the 

top. I recall how when Kenneth and I were 

in Primary School she bought us torch 

lights as there was no electricity then. She 

would wake both of us late in the night to 

read and tell her what we had read before 

going back to sleep. She did not cut corners 

and hated pettiness. Her tongue was her 

major weapon which you employed 

generously to encourage, to comfort, to 

reassure and to correct. She was a lady in 

every way, a lady of grace, character and 

dignity. She always walked tall, showed 

love and respect to all irrespective of age 

or status. Though petite in stature her 

presence was always overwhelming. She 

was blunt and spoke the truth always no 

matter whose ox was gored. She was a 

woman of great courage, strength and 

versatility. I recall the civil was years. 

Less than three weeks before her death, 

Roy and his wife Amelia and Amaka and I 

had spent five days with her. Though ill 

she still had her faculties and wit totally 

intact. She remained humorous to the very 

end. She was ready to meet her Maker 

She was strict but fair, a 

disciplinarian who at the 

same time allowed 

children to express 

themselves within clearly 

defined moral boundaries 

and she discussed her burial with us. She 

said we had celebrated her during her life 

time and had looked after well and that 

she wanted a quiet and simple burial. 

A mother’s love is incomparable. It is like 

no other relationship. It is unconditional. 

That was Mama. 

The measure of our lives is not the length 

of our years but the life in the years; it is 

not what we got but what we gave. God 

blessed her with length of years, life in 

every one of those years and she gave her 

all to family, community, humanity and the 

Almighty in whose bosom she certainly 

has earned eternal rest. 

De Mama, Achi Nentui, Achi Nyanga, 

yours was a life indeed, rich, full and 

worthy. It was a life of peace, peace of mind 

and soul, peace with people and 

environment, and a life of contentment. 

Tume oyiyi. Nwunene Mmam, rest in 

peace as you live in our hearts. Thank you 

for the memories and the lessons. 

Farewell Sweet Mother, farewell woman 

of virtue and substance, a pioneer, a 

legend. You are now of the ages as you 

close an age and a generation. 

•Ndoma-Egba is former Senate Leader in 

the 9 th National Assembly and former 

chairman of the Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC. 

TRIBUTE 

Adieu, Baba Sama 

BY MOHAMMED ISA 

FINALLY, the day is here. The day I 

have feared all along and always prayed 

that it should never come, though I knew it 

will ultimately come. The day that, whenever 

I thought of it, I always nursed the wishful 

thinking that it will immediately vanish. 

It is the day that with shaking fingers and 

teary eyes, I would have to write a memorial 

tribute to someone that I have been closely 

related with in my entire life, the late Mallam 

Ismaila Isa Funtua. 

As my father’s younger brother, I grew up to 

know Baba Sama, as we fondly called him 

within the family circle as an uncle who over 

the years metamorphosed to a father, teacher, 

mentor, confidant, adviser and above all, my 

pillar of support. 

Baba Sama before his return to his creator 

on July 20, 2020 meant different things to different 

people. But for me, he meant one thing 

– My Backbone - which makes it difficult for 

me to, in one breath, describe him or relate 

my experiences with him. His major impact 

on my life as an adult was changing the course 

of my carrier to the journalism profession 

through cajoling and persistent advice. 

In doing that, he got a helping hand in my 

two former bosses at the defunct Democrat 

Newspapers, the late Mallam Abdulkarim Al- 

Bashir and former Chief of Staff to the President, 

the late Mallam Abba Kyari. 

I was at The Democrat on student industrial 

attachment from Kaduna Polytechnic as student 

of Printing Technology when Baba was 

the Managing Director, Al-Bashir as Editorin-Chief 

and Kyari as Editor and was naturally 

deployed to the Production Department of 

the company where I was expected to gain the 

practical knowledge related to my course. 

Mallam Ismaila always 

deferred to superior reasoning, 

no matter his stand on a matter 

However, with the guidance and support of 

some editorial staff, particularly Ali Mohammed 

Sabi’u (presently Kaduna State correspondent 

of Tribune), I started writing articles 

on politics and other national issues and later 

on “graduated” into writing news stories, an 

expedition that made the late Baba to sustain 

his efforts in convincing me to switch to journalism. 

He was later joined in the push by late 

al-Bashir and Kyari until I succumbed after 

completing my course in Printing. 

By formally becoming a journalist and joining 

the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, I became 

closer to Baba by frequenting his house 

mostly at his invitation, or while unable to 

visit chat on phone on national issues, particularly 

politics. 

When I opted to resign from NAN and join 

the Peoples Daily newspaper, Baba didn’t object 

though he had his reservations but gave 

me his blessings when I told him my decision 

and my reasons. His reaction to my career 

move was typical of Mallam Ismaila. He always 

deferred to superior reasoning, no matter 

his stand on a matter. 

As politics correspondent and later political 

editor of Peoples Daily, Baba gave me all the 

support needed by becoming one of my reliable 

sources of getting or confirming a news 

story. Apart from journalism, my close relationship 

with him taught me several life lessons 

such as virtue of loyalty and honesty in 

every dealing, particularly in political office. 

The day I told him that former Speaker of 

the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu 

Waziri Tambuwal, offered me appointment 

as his Special Assistant on Print Media, his 

admonishment was: “Muhammadu, he (Tambuwal) 

gave you this job based on trust therefore 

hold it in trust too. Never betray him for 

whatever reason; be honest with him and 

maintain absolute loyalty to him, no matter 

the circumstances”. 

It was the same charge he repeated to me 

when former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar 

Bukola Saraki, offered me similar job as his 

Special Assistant on Public Affairs and even 

in my present appointment as Special Assistant 

on Media and Publicity to the incumbent 

•The late Mallam Ismaila Funtua with Isa 

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan. 

I remember vividly the anger in his face when 

sometime in 2014, over a lunch, I expressed 

my bitterness on how he released one of his 

property in Kaduna for Mallam Nasir el-Rufai 

to use it as a campaign office considering the 

humiliation he suffered in the hands of the 

Governor when he was FCT minister. 

El-Rufai had demolished the head office of 

Baba’s company against a valid court order, 

and as if that was not enough, el-Rufa’i dedicated 

pages in his book, Accidental Public Servant 

to rain insults on Baba and denigrated 

his person. “And here you are giving him your 

property for his campaigns free of charge, making 

us your sympathisers looking like fools,” I 

blurted out in anger. 

Baba’s response after a deafening silence for 

some minutes not only made me change my 

stand on the issue but also taught me a lesson 

for life. He calmly and in uncharacteristically 

low voice said: “Muhammadu, you are right 

to be angry, but as a father, I strongly advise 

you never to repay evil with evil. Always strive 

to do good to those who did bad to you as that 

is the only way you will express your appreciation 

to Allah for elevating you above your detractors.” 

Baba’s legacy within the extended family of 

late Isan Ammani is legendary as in spite of his 

status, influence and affluence, he remained 

accessible to all and sundry always giving a 

listening ear and helping hand to each and 

every one of us, thus becoming our rallying 

point. Baba, we will be eternally grateful for 

that. 

No doubt, late Mallam Ismaila Isa was one 

of the pillars of the Buhari administration but 

he was greatly misunderstood as during many 

of our conversations he would express his displeasure 

at some happenings in the country. 

He would lament and express his frustrations 

to the extent that I will begin to wonder if he 

was actually as influential as many believed 

he was in the government. 

Enormous 

pressure 

Whenever I suggested that he could intervene 

if he felt that strongly about any issue, he 

would just say: “Muhammadu, governance is 

not for one individual, not even the President, 

and remember, I don’t hold any political office.” 

My inability to convince the late Baba in 

spite of the enormous pressure I mounted on 

him to author a biography is one of my greatest 

regrets. The present generation and generation 

yet unborn have lost an opportunity to 

have benefit from the numerous experiences 

and stories of political intrigues and calculations 

as Mallam Ismaila was a key participant 

in the nation’s power game for many decades. 

He was an encyclopedia on the nation’s 

political journey and history. 

Even my decision to enlist the assistance of 

his son, Abubakar, and Mallam Mahmud 

Jega of Daily Trust could not help in getting 

Baba to work on his biography. 

Now the reality has dawned on me, that Baba, 

like all mortals, has answered the call of his 

creator as we will all do. I know the coming 

days and months will not be easy as I have 

already started missing those night long calls 

that made Aunty (his wife) to nickname me 

information minister, the weekly Friday lunch 

with other family members and the jokes and 

banters I always shared with Baba as if I am 

his grandchild not a nephew. 

Our only consolation is that at 78, Baba 

Sama not only lived long but lived well in every 

aspect, particularly in positively impacting 

on the lives of many people, some of whom 

he himself did not even know. Allah ya jikan, 

Baba Sama. •Isa wrote from Abuja.







Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020—39 

President Buhari 

must act more 

decisively to 

salvage NDDC 

By OGAGA IFOWODO 

*The first part of this piece 

published yesterday highlighted the 

many ills bedevilling the NDDC 

and how it was turned into a mere 

political patronage machine. It 

continues today with suggestions of 

what the President should do to 

redeem the commission and win the 

trust of the Niger Delta people. 

GIVEN the magnitude of the 

problems currently besetting 

NDDC, such that the actual work of 

developing the Niger Delta has 

practically ceased, only the 

President can break the impasse. If 

he wishes to make friends in the 

creeks now and beyond 2023, I 

would suggest the following as 

urgent steps that he must take. First, 

he should ensure that the forensic 

audit he has ordered is done by a 

reputable international accounting 

firm. The patriot in me would like a 

local company, but it would be 

distracted and unnecessarily 

impugned by the irredeemably 

tainted environment of allegations 

and counter-allegations by those at 

the heart of the problem. To adapt a 

legal maxim, probity must not only 

be served but be seen to have been 

served. 

Second, he should order a halt to 

any new regional or major projects 

in the next five years and cap quick 

impact or emergency projects to no 

more than ten percent of NDDC’s 

annual budget. In that period, all 

abandoned projects are to be 

completed. The only exception 

would be the Niger Delta Regional 

Power Pool and Business Parks 

whose goal is to deliver 7GW (seven 

gigawatts) of affordable energy 

across the region by harvesting its 

copious gas supplies (still sadly 

flared) for embedded power plants 

that would feed business parks in 

raw material enclaves. Any other 

exception would have to be projects 

with funding from donors or private 

sector partners requiring no more 

than token commitment guarantee 

payments. Such as the Niger Delta 

Digital e-Learning Initiative, 

including the retraining of teachers 

and upgrading of curricula across 

primary, secondary and tertiary 

educational institutions. Third, the 

President should ensure a 

restructuring of NDDC’s bloated 

balance sheet, estimated at over N2 

trillion. As a first step to this goal, 

our board cancelled a tranche of 

projects at zero percent completion, 

thereby reducing the balance sheet 

by N200 billion. 

Fourth, urgent reform of NDDC’s 

governance system. The current 

administrative framework is so 

heavily bureaucratic and bound to 

the analog mode as to be a mighty 

clog in the wheel of development. 

In the view of Dr Joe Abah, former 

Director-General of the Bureau of 

Public Service Reforms, everything 

that can possibly be wrong in an 

institution is to be found in NDDC, 

to the point of it being almost 

unreformable. Lastly, NDDC must 

be returned to its core mandate. The 

Regional Development Master Plan 

should be updated to align it with 

the dizzying realities of the 

Information Technology Age and the 

brave new world dawning on us of 

a green and sustainable energy 

future beyond fossil fuels. 

This is not an exhaustive agenda 

of what must be done to salvage 

NDDC now. It is, I hope, a good 

starting point. 

Concluded 

•Ifowodo, a lawyer, writer, scholar 

and rights activist, was the Delta 

State representative on the board of 

NDDC from November 2016 to 

February 2019. 

Work on superhighway excites Coscharis, seeks to invest 

in C'River 

C 

ALABAR—CROSS River 

State governor, Professor Ben 

Ayade, has said that while his 

administration was crystallizing 

industrialisation of the state, 

private investors were needed to 

drive it. 

The governor made the 

assertion while conducting the 

President of the Coscharis group, 

Dr Cosmos Maduka round the 

administration’s projects in 

Northern Cross River weekend. 

Elated by what he saw, 

especially a section of the 274km 

Superhighway linking Cross 

River with Northern Nigeria, 

Maduka said he was willing to 

invest in the state. 

According him, before his visit, 

he had always dismissed the 

project as a facade, hinting that 

Coscharis, a multi- sectorial 

conglomerate, would explore the 

possibility of maximising 

investment opportunities that 

abound Cross River. 

“Absolutely what we are seeing 

here is incredible to say the least. 

It is better seen than imagined. 

Anytime you hear news about the 

superhighway from Ikom all the 

way to Benue State, everybody 

says forget it, he doesn’t know 

what he’s talking about. 

“One day I asked His 

Excellency, where is this 

superhighway? He said do not 

worry, one of these days I am 

going to take you there. And I 

asked, are you just planning to 

start it? He said, No, 90km of it 

is waiting to be asphalted. And 

today I am standing on the road 

myself and I am just short of 

words to say the least. 

I'll rule by the fear of God 

—Pa Ashenuwa 

KOKO—THE newly installed 

Olare-Aja (community head) 

of Koko community, Pa. Richwell 

Ashenuwa, has promised that he 

would govern the community in 

accordance with the wishes of the 

people, and with the fear of God. 

He maintained that with the 

support of the elders’ council, 

including other arms of 

governance in Koko, he would 

ensure that peace and unity 

reign in the port town. “The task 

ahead is enormous but 

surmountable, with the 

cooperation and support of all 

From left: Tope Adaramola, Assistant Executive Secretary, Nigerian Council of Registered 

Insurance Brokers (NCRIB); Tunde Oguntade, Vice President/representative of President, 

NCRIB; and Fatai Adegbenro, Executive Secretary/CEO, during the annual general meeting 

of the National Association of Insurance and Pension Correspondents in Lagos. 

Edo 2020: PCRC tasks political parties on campaigns, 

violence 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY—THE Police 

Community Relations 

Committee, PCRC, Edo State 

Command has cautioned political 

parties to ensure peaceful 

conduct of their campaigns just 

as it condemned the violent trend 

the campaigns are assuming. 

This caution is coming on the 

heels of the shooting of two 

persons identified as Oguma 

Ojo and Friday Yaya who are 

supporters of Ize-Iyamu. They 

were reportedly shot on Friday 

night by one Omoloju Atere 

popularly called Ugogo said to be 

on the run in Ward II in Igarra, 

Akoko-Edo local government 

area. 

An eye witness said the member 

representing Akoko-Edo II Hon 

Emma Agbaje had addressed his 

supporters where he pledged his 

support for Ize-Iyamu. 

“We came in here yesterday, we 

have looked at the British 

international school, we went to 

Obudu, we have seen the hospital 

being built, we are just coming 

from the airport and I was 

wondering where he is getting the 

resources to do all these. What 

we are seeing here is capacity of 

thinking, of brainstorming”, 

Dr.Maduka said. 

The Coscharis President, who 

disclosed that the conglomerate 

has investments around Africa, 

said he was disposed towards 

investing in Cross River. 

“Cocharis is looking for business 

opportunities. We are doing 

something in Anambra State in a 

Later that night, the assailant 

was said to have gone to where 

the victims were sitting with about 

four other persons and shot at 

them. 

A family member of one of the 

victims said the issue has been 

reported at the police station in 

Igarra. 

A press statement issued 

well-meaning indigenes, 

residents and non-indigenes 

alike.” 

Ashenuwa made these remarks, 

weekend, at the Civic Centre/ 

Town hall of Koko, headquarters 

of Warri North Council Area of 

Delta State, during his formal 

installation as the Olare-Aja, 

saying that. He promised not to 

disappoint them on the mandate. 

At the event, the new 

community leader, on ascending 

the position on behalf of the Iwereko 

and Ameren family of Koko, was blessed 

by Pa Tounukarin Ajafodin of the Ebule 

stock. 

very massive way in agriculture. 

We are looking at opportunities 

in agriculture, so if opportunity 

presents itself we will take a stake 

in this place. We are willing to 

invest. The president of Malawi 

is asking me to come and invest 

there. If I find a better opportunity 

here in Cross River, I will invest 

instead of going anywhere”, he 

said. 

Meanwhile, the governor 

described the Coscharis boss as 

“a core investor with credible 

track record”, adding that he was 

encouraging him to invest in 

Cross River. 

Ayade: “The reason Cocharis 

is here in Obudu is to ensure that 

yesterday by the chairman of 

PCRC Dr Helen Atheka- 

Odemwingie also condemned the 

violent clash of party supporters 

near the palace of the Oba of 

Benin recently. 

She said: “This violent attack is 

viewed by PCRC as highly 

condemnable, barbaric and evil. 

There is no gainsaying the 

$3.5bn spent annually on 

hair —Vinci Clinic 


L Executive AGOS—CHIEF 

Officer of Vinci 

Hair Clinic Africa, Ayo Otubanjo 

has said that both men and women 

spend over $3.5 billion annually 

across the globe in an attempt to 

treat and restore hair. 

Speaking on the National Hair 

Loss Awareness Month which 

runs throughout August, 

Otubanjo said that this huge 

sum of money is mostly spent 

on unqualified individuals, unsuitable 

products and 

unproven treatments that rarely 

give positive results. 

“Hair loss affects millions of men and 

women each day and research carried 

out by dermatologists affirms that 1 in 2 

men will experience hair loss in their 

lifetime whilst 1 in 4 women will suffer 

from hair loss or thinning hair. In addition, 

a third of women of African descent have 

traction alopecia (a form of hair loss due 

to the pulling of the hair at the edges). 

“It is estimated that both men and 

women spend over $3.5billion yearly in 

an attempt to treat and restore their hair. 

In addition, there are many hair loss 

myths and misconceptions in Africa that 

continue to make it harder for sufferers 

to get professional expertise in treating 

hair loss. 

“As the leading hair restoration clinic 

in Africa, Vinci Hair Clinic will be 

championing the national hair loss 

awareness month campaign by 

embarking on a series of activities/events 

throughout the month of August. In line 

with this, the clinic will be hosting a firstof-its-kind 

Global Hair Loss Conference 

in Nigeria and Ghana themed Hair 

Restored, Confidence Secured." 

the specialist hospital here 

becomes a reality. He is the 

representative of Siemens and 

that hospital is going to be 

equipped by Siemens. 

“Also, We want to encourage 

him to invest in at least 50km to 

100km on the superhighway. We 

want to encourage him to invest 

in the British-Canadian 

University we are building. 

‘’As a core investor, as a man 

with credible track record, a man 

who has a history of consistent 

success from start to finish, we 

believe that a handholding with 

him will bring great success to 

Cross River State. That is basically 

the philosophy that underlines 

our decision to have him go 

through all of our projects.” 

obvious fact that this 

unbecoming behaviour is viewed 

as political thuggery and illegal 

means of expressing displeasure 

or anger. 

“The PCRC wishes to use this 

medium to advise the general 

public, particularly parents or 

guardians, political leaders, 

traditional rulers and religious 

leaders to call their youths to 

order and admonish them to play 

politics according to laid down 

rules and regulations." 

‘Ibori is a leader 

with enviable 

qualities’ 

ASABA—SENIOR Special 

Assistant to the Delta State 

Governor on Peace Building and 

Intelligence Gathering, Mr. 

Usinefe Augustine Ogedegbe, 

has described a former governor 

of Delta State, Chief James Ibori 

as a leader with enviable 

leadership qualities. 

The Ethiope East Council 

Chairmanship aspirant, said Ibori 

is a leader who has 

impacted humanity positively. 

He said: “The name Ibori is a 

good name to us here in Delta 

State and in Nigeria at large. 

“As a governor, Ibori laid a 

strong foundation for the rapid 

development of Delta State which 

is currently being followed by the 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. I 

witnessed how he transformed 

Delta State as a Governor. 

Irrespective of the ethnicity, Ibori 

distributed equal developments 

across the state.”

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 

50TH BIRTHDAY THANKSGIVING SERVICE OF MRS GRACE AMADI IN LAGOS 

Photos: Bunmi Azeez 

From left: Onyinyechi Amadi-Beckles, Nkenna Amadi, Chief 

Vincent Amadi, celebrant's husband, Mrs. Grace Amadi, celebrant, 

JO-Amadi Victor, Chioma Amadi and Igweze Amadi, during the 

50th birthday thanksgiving service of Mrs. Grace Amadi, wife of 

Chief Vincent Amadi, Managing Director, Pipeline Maintenance 

Services Ltd, at Anglican Church of the Ascension, Opebi, and 

reception at his residence, Awuse Estate, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, 

weekend. 

From left: Chief Vincent Amadi, celebrant's husband; Mrs. Grace 

Amadi, celebrant; Mr. Igweze, son and Mr. Toyosi Agoro, son inlaw. 

From left: Mrs. Felicia Demuren, Mrs. Hannah Ojolowo and 

Olorogun Nap Ogilo. 

Mrs. Adesuwa Adesina (left) and Mrs. Abimbola Opeyemi

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 


NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Theodore Nyingifa, Managing Director Without A Box PR- Consultants to 

PZ Wilmar (left) with Chef and Food blogger, Ifeyinwa Mojekwu at her official 

signing as a Mamador Brand Ambassador in Lagos. 

NDDC contracts: Ibori, Kalu, 

Uduaghan confront Akpabio 

Continues from Page 5 

structions and rehabilitation. 

We have put in plans 

to finish 19 roads in Abia 

North before end of 2021. 

“Akpabio is my good old 

friend. We have been 

friends even before I became 

a governor. I hope he 

doesn’t expect me to stop 

seeking for road interventions 

in our communities. It 

is his civic responsibility to 

support the communities 

and I am very confident he 

will oblige our future requests, 

especially in areas 

of good roads.” 

Akpabio, calm 

down, I took no 

contract from 

NDDC —Ibori 

On his part, former governor 

of Delta State, James 

Ibori, said he did not receive 

any contract from 

NDDC as alleged by Senator 

Akpabio. 

Ibori, in a statement by his 

media assistant, Mr Tony 

Eluemunor, urged Akpabio 

to “calm down and focus on 

the task at hand.” 

Eluemunor said: “On 

hearing the news of the alleged 

NDDC contract 

award to him from the 

former governor of Akwa- 

Ibom State, Senator Akpabio, 

as published in a 

newspaper and other online 

publications, he did not 

want to join in the ‘dance 

in the market square’ going 

on in the NDDC right 

now. 

“He has decided to make 

this clarification for the 

records because friends and 

associates inundated him 

with phone calls. So, he is 

stating categorically that he 

never solicited for, or was 

awarded, or indeed executed 

any contract for NDDC 

or any government agency, 

at any time, for that matter. 

“In all he has been 

through in and out of public 

office, he has never been 

accused of being a government 

contractor, let alone a 

failed one, hence he did not 

want to dignify the allegation 

with a response because 

it is ridiculous. So, 

Ibori is advising Akpabio, 

his brother, friend and member 

of the former Governors 

Forum, to please calm 

down and focus on the task 

at hand. 

“Ibori said the NDDC we 

have today is a product of 

his personal sacrifice as 

well as those of his Niger 

Naira now N388/$ in I&E 

window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE Naira yesterday appreciated to N388 per 

dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) 

window. Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window dropped to N388 per 

dollar yesterday from N389.25 per dollar on Wednesday, 

translating to 1.25 kobo appreciation of the Naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded in the window 

dropped by nine per cent to $17.23 million from 

$18.83million on Wednesday. 

Similarly, 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 N472.5 per dollar from N473 

per dollar on Wednesday, indicating 50 kobo 

appreciation of the Naira. 

Delta colleagues (1999- 

2007), who rose to the occasion 

to override the veto 

of President Olusegun 

Obasanjo who refused to 

assent to the NDDC Bill at 

the time. 

“If not for the exemplary 

courage some of us exhibited, 

there would have not 

been an NDDC to bicker 

about today. 

“Watching the level the 

NDDC has degenerated to 

is a tragedy. We owe it a 

duty to the people of the 

Niger Delta to make NDDC 

work to ameliorate the sufferings 

of the people of the 

region and realize the 

dream for which we fought 

for it to be set up. So, let 

everybody involved in the 

NDDC do their duties to the 

good people of the region.” 

How IMC spent 

N3.175 bn as 

Palliatives on 

COVID- 19 in 2 

months 

—Senate report 

Meanwhile, the Senate 

has revealed how IMC of 

NDDC spent an amount of 

N3.175 billion on coronavirus 

in the Niger Delta within 

two months. 

The disclosure is in contained 

in the report of the 

Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi 

(APC, Ekiti North) led 

Ad-hoc Committee that investigated 

allegation of financial 

recklessness to the 

tune of N40 billion in the 

NDDC by the IMC. 

According to the document 

obtained by Vanguard, 

the EIMC explained 

that these payments 

were in form of ‘cash 

distribution’ to all parties 

involved and that the IMC 

also submitted the approval 

letter given by the Office 

of the Ministry of Niger 

Delta, authorizing the expenditure. 

The breakdown of how the 

N3.175 billion was shared 

as incentive to staff of 

NDDC in addition to their 

statutory entitlement as staff 

to take care of themselves 

showed that the Managing 

Director, Prof Keme Pondei, 

got N10 million, while two 

Executive Directors, Mr 

Luka Ibanga and Dr Cairo 

Ojougboh got N7 million 

each. 

The report further showed 

that two staff took N5 million 

each; 148 staff got N3 

million each; 157 staff took 

N1.5 million each; 497 staff, 

N1 million each and 464 

staff took N0.600 million 

each. 

The report also showed 

that the IMC spent part of 

the N3.175 billion for training 

consultancy, with 

N35,238,164 expended on 

Refresher Training on COV- 

ID-19, something new to 

the World?; Emergency 

support for the nine Niger 

Delta state governments for 

the containment of the 

spread of COVID-19 in the 

Niger Delta gulped 

N775,000,000. 

Of this, four states - Akwa 

Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers 

- got N100 million each, 

while Abia, Cross River, 

Edo, Imo and Ondo got 

N75 million each. 

N98,358,386 was spent on 

consultancy for the provision 

of publicity on the prevention 

of spread of coronavirus 

in the 185 LGAs in 

the nine NDDC states 

awarded to Julius Dinga 

Nigeria Limited. 

According to the report, 

N475,000,000 was spent on 

COVID-19 for the supply 

of face masks and hand 

sanitizers PPEs for Nigeria 

Police awarded to Hera 

Hospitality and 

N10,000,000 as funds to 

mobilize the NDDC COV- 

ID_19 palliative committee. 

In the report, N267,750, 

000 was the grand total 

amount of money spent as 

COVID-19 Welfare Youth, 

where N46 million each 

was paid to Mercy Mbat, 

Michael Uto, Offiong 

Ephraim for youths in 

Bayelsa and Rivers states; 

N23 million each paid to 

Alex Diffa, Nnamdi Okoroji, 

Ofonime Bassey for youths 

in Bayelsa and Rivers and 

N20.25 million each paid to 

Anozie Susan, Beauty 

Ovie, Nwaoha Beatrice for 

youths in Bayelsa and Rivers 

states. 

No fraud, 

collaborators 

raising false 

alarm, NDDC 

insists 

Denying that there was 

fraud in NDDC, Director of 

Public Affairs, Mr Charles 

Odili, said: “We suspect 

that after the scheming of 

the past four weeks failed 

to achieve the purpose of 

sacking the management 

and scuttling the work on 

the forensic audit exercise, 

the schemers are out again 

to heat up the polity. 

“The point they miss is 

that the forensic audit is a 

project of Mr President. 

Hounding and haunting an 

innocent academic who is 

merely on a national assignment 

will not scuttle the 

audit. 

“Less than two weeks 

after an exhaustive and exhausting 

public hearings by 

both chambers of the National 

Assembly, another 

round of false reports have 

surfaced in the media, alleging 

all manner of improprieties 

by the management 

of the NDDC. 

“One of the reports alleges 

that a fresh massive 

fraud has been uncovered 

in the commission. There is 

no evidence of fraud in the 

commission. The report is 

merely a rehash of the allegations 

which led the National 

Assembly on May 5, 

2020, to order a probe of the 

74-day administration of 

Professor Pondei at the commission. 

“Lest we forget, that probe 

was set up to uncover the 

sum of N40 billion missing 

from the commission. In 

order to allay the fears of our 

stakeholders, we took the 

unusual step of publishing 

the list of payments made 

by the commission since 

Pondei came into office. 

With that publication, the 

rug was pulled from the feet 

of our accusers. 

“When the hearings proper 

started, there was no talk 

of the missing N40 billion 

any more. It was now about 

financial recklessness. As 

we pointed out in an earlier 

release, the issue of missing 

money is one needing 

objective proof. The issue of 

financial recklessness is a 

matter of subjective judgment. 

The reports of the 

hearings have been submitted 

and it is clear there was 

no money missing at the 

commission. 

“The response of the commission 

to the new reports 

is that there is no fraud at 

the NDDC. Professor Pondei 

has run a very transparent 

administration and this 

transparency is now apparent 

after the searchlight put 

on his administration in the 

past one month. 

“Another report rehashed 

the claim of the Contractors 

Association that the management 

demands between 

20 per cent and 30 

per cent kickback before 

paying contractors. We 

wish to state categorically 

that this is false. This allegation 

was made at the 

hearing of the Ad-hoc Senate 

Committee, which 

probed the affairs of the 

commission. 

“The management of 

NDDC was at the hearing 

when the allegation was 

made and challenged the 

man who did so for evidence. 

There was no single 

case that he could allude 

to. Without any evidence, 

the allegation became 

so outlandish that not 

even a single newspaper 

reported it the following 

day. 

“Pondei famously said 

that if any contractor can 

prove he paid him any money, 

he would resign. Four 

weeks since that challenge 

was thrown on July 9, no 

one has come out with any 

proof. It is instructive that 

the Senate report did not 

adopt the allegation as valid. 

It beats the imagination 

why any newspaper will 

report a baseless claim, four 

weeks after it was made and 

for which no one can prove. 

“We appeal to those who 

are putting their personal 

interests over and above 

that of the people of the 

Niger Delta to have a rethink, 

pull back and allow 

the Commission the space 

to serve the people of the 

region.’’ 

HOSCON battles 

Akpabio 

In another development, 

oil producing communities 

in the Niger Delta have alleged 

that the Minister is 

an interested party in the 

ongoing probe of the 

NDDC. 

The communities, under 

the aegis of Host Communities 

of Nigeria, 

HOSCON, also contended 

that inaugurating the Dr 

Pius Odubu-led NDDC 

Board would put a stop to 

the accusations and 

counter-accusations that 

have trailed award of contracts 

in the commission. 

A statement by the National 

Director, Media and 

Publicity of HOSCON, 

Okakuro Whiskey, yesterday, 

read: 

“Chief Akpabio is not only 

an interested party but remains 

one of the foremost 

accused, having served as 

governor of Akwa Ibom for 

eight years and having personally 

recommended 

some of the top management 

staff of the NDDC. 

“HOSCON has consulted 

very widely with other 

critical stakeholders of oil 

rich region and we cannot 

wait for this unending drama 

of daily confession.” 

NDYM vows to 

resist attempt to 

demonize 

Akpabio 

Meanwhile, a youth 

group, Niger Delta Youth 

Movement, NDYM, has 

vowed to resist any attempt 

to demonize Akpabio and 

cause civil unrest in the 

Niger Delta. 

The group in a statement 

yesterday in Uyo by its National 

President and National 

Secretary, Joe Jackson 

and Joshua Osamuiyi 

respectively, said: “We view 

the unjustified excoriation 

of Akpabio by some persons 

as undeserving and unpatriotic. 

“The movement, in consultation 

with the leadership 

of other well meaning 

organisations, notes the 

campaign of calumny orchestrated 

by fifth columnists 

in the Niger Delta and 

their collaborators outside 

the region. 

“We, therefore, make bold 

to state that any attempt to 

demonize the Minister of 

Niger Delta Affairs in order 

to cause stampede and civil 

unrest in the region shall 

be stoutly resisted."

42 —Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, , 2020 

VOL. 1: NO. 246 TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 

BUNGLED OPERATION: Police 

miss kidnapper, purportedly 

kill salesgirl in Delta 

•Grieving father cries to IGP to fish out killer-policemen 

•No such matter before us—SP Butswat, PPRO, Bayelsa Police Command 

DELTA... THE BIG 

HEART OF THE 

NATION 

By Chancel Sunday 

BOMADI— MORE than two 

months after 13 police officers 

attached to Operation Puff Adder, 

Bayelsa State Police Command, 

stormed Bomadi, Delta State, and 

allegedly shot dead a 19-year-old 

salesgirl, Miss Ebikonboere 

Woduowei, at her father’s residence, 

after stumbling in a gun battle with 

a suspected kidnapper, her family 

has cried out to the Inspector- 

General of Police, IGP, to uncover and 

put on trial the killer-policemen. 

NDV learned that the police team 

from Bayelsa Command led by a 

Deputy Superintendent of Police, 

DSP, engaged in a gun duel with the 

suspected kidnapper in the early 

hours of March 22, along Oboro 

Road, Bomadi, but the suspect 

absconded. 

How they killed my 

daughter— Joseph 

Woduowei 

Bereaved father of the deceased, 

Mr. Joseph Woduowei, said his 

daughter was shot in his house, along 

Oboro Road, Bomadi, by the 

policemen who left Delta after the 

botched operation for Bayelsa. 

Mr. Woduowei, who reported the 

murder at the Bomadi Police 

Division, Bomadi, immediately after 

it occurred, alleged that 

investigation into the matter was 

being conducted in an unserious 

manner. 

He said: “On 21st March, 2020, in 

the dead of the night, my wife was in 

labour and I rushed her to the 

Bomadi General Hospital. 

“At about 2.00 am, my daughter, 

Miss Ebikonboere Woduowei, called 

me on phone in distress that armed 

robbers were breaking through the 

burglary proof at the balcony. 

“On receiving the call, I went to 

inform a vigilante group at the 

Bomadi Bridge head, which 

accompanied me to my residence at 

Government Reservation Area, GRA. 

Bomadi. While we were 

approaching my residence, we met 

another vigilante checkpoint at the 

GRA. 

“The head of the vigilante team at 

the GRA, Arefa Ebiye, told us that 

some policemen earlier drove past 

in two vehicles and told him that they 

were going for an operation along 

Oboro Road, Bomadi. 

“He said they also warned that 

nobody should come in case of any 

gunshot within that area. While we 

were still talking, two Police vehicles 

came from the said direction and 

*Late Miss Ebikonboere Woduowei 

drove past the checkpoint. 

“The vigilante leader said they 

were the police team, which earlier 

informed them of their operation in 

the area. 

“The vigilante accompanied me to 

my residence, which is about a 

kilometre away from the 

checkpoint, off the same Oboro 

Road, Bomadi. 

Blood stains 

everywhere 

“On getting to my residence, I saw 

that my kitchen door, entrance door, 

doors to my room and that of my 

daughter were destroyed with blood 

stains in my daughter’s room. 

“There were blood stains even in 

the parlour, but my daughter was not 

in the house. We started looking for 

her and eventually found her lifeless 

body at the entrance of the street 

leading to my house, along Oboro 

road. 

“She was shot on the left side of her 

stomach at close range with the 

bullet piercing through her back. 

“My neighbour, who was at home 

during the operation informed me 

that two policemen on mufti 

standing along the street told him 

they were there for an operation to 

arrest a kidnapper. 

How I knew killerpolicemen 

came from 

Bayelsa 

“Reporting at the Bomadi Police 

station, I got to know from their entry 

record that some policemen under 

Operation Puff Adder, Bayelsa State 

Command, came to carry out 

operation at Bomadi, same night, at 

the same location at 21:20 pm on 

21st March, 2020 

“The said police team led by one 

DSP Chris with 12 others, in their 

exit record stated that there was 

exchange of gunshots with the 

suspected kidnapper, identified as 

John Frank Philip, who escaped, 

along Oboro road, Bomadi at 2. 00 

am, 22nd March, 2020. 

“The matter is before Zone 5 Benin 

but investigation is foot-dragging. 

“I am calling on the Inspector- 

General of Police to treat this matter 

with utmost seriousness because it 

is being treated with little effort when 

maximum effort is needed to reveal 

the truth,” he said. 

No such matter in 

Bayelsa Command 

DSP Butswat 

Contacted, Police Public Relations 

Officer, PPRO, Bayelsa State 

Command, Asinim Butswat, said: 

“The matter is not before us, there is 

no report of such at the Bayelsa 

Command. You should go to the 

Delta Command.” 

Divisional Police Officer, DPO, 

Bomadi Police Division, 

Superintendent of Police, SP, Patrick 

Uebari said: “I just took over the 

station and I have not been 

briefed. If the case has been 

transferred to the State Criminal 

Investigation Department and 

preliminary investigation started, 

the division does not have the 

jurisdiction to answer any question 

on it,” he added. 

NDV could not reach the PPRO, 

Delta Command, Onome 

Onowakpoyeya, for comments. 

RAGE OF DELTA OIL COMMUNITIES: 

Can Otuaro, Okowa’s 

troubleshooter, sway Buhari? 

•Squeezing through where PANDEF was frustrated 

•How Ibori discovered; Uduaghan nurtured; Okowa 

bolstered him 

By Emma Amaize, Editor, NDV 

WARRI— DELTA State Gov 

ernor, Senator Ifeanyi 

Okowa, aka Ekwueme, was understandably 

not tickled, lately, when 

over 100 oil-bearing communities 

from Itsekiri, Gbaramatu-Ijaw, Urhobo, 

Egbema-Ijaw, Ndokwa to Ogulagha-Ijaw 

in his state, joined forces 

to protest gross marginalisation and 

underdevelopment by the Federal 

Government. 

Uneasy tension 

What principally sent a disquieting 

alarm was the 10-day ultimatum by 

the separate host communities to shut 

down oil facilities and operations in 

their respective domains if government 

did not address their grievances. 

If nobody cared, the governor 

knows what it would mean to the economy 

of the state if the host communities 

make good their threats, especially 

as the Pan- Niger-Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, youth groups and others 

had thrown their weights behind 

them. He suffered the effects early in 

his administration. 

It is on record that since the creation 

of the state, host ethnic communities, 

particularly Itsekiri, Ijaw 

and Urhobo, had never united in such 

manner for a shared cause. They had 

always been divided, which was the 

reason Ijaw-Itsekiri crisis festered 

years ago, and with a cohesive force 

this time, they appear unstoppable. 

Revealed by Ibori, 

cultivated by Uduaghan, 

fortified by Okowa 

Quickly, Governor Okowa summoned 

his deputy, Deacon Kingsley 

Otuaro, a conflict resolution expert 

and activist, who has been the troubleshooter 

for his government since 

2015, to appraise the situation and 

determine how to numb the grumblings 

before they snowball to uncontrollable 

dimension. 

Otuaro, a stakeholder in the Niger- 

Delta struggle, was discovered by 

former Governor James Ibori who 

recruited him as his Special Assistant 

on Community Affairs between 

2005 and 2007; his successor, Dr. 

Emmanuel Uduaghan, who nurtured 

and appointed him in 2008 as 

a member of the Delta State Technical 

Support Committee, led by Prof. 

Sam Oyovbaire, and in 2009, made 

him Chairman of Delta State Rehabilitation 

Committee for Internally 

Displaced Persons. 

It was in 2015, Dr Okowa, who 

said God spoke to him, nominated 

him as his running mate and permitted 

him to exhibit his potentials. He 

re-nominated him in 2019 and he has 

impressed him thus far as Mr. Fixit. 

The conflict management expert, 

who handled raging militants, including 

the dreaded Niger-Delta 

Avengers, NDA, when they blew up 

oil facilities in the state and parts of 

the region, as well as skirmishes between 

some Delta communities and 

oil multinationals, including Chevron 

Nigeria Limited, CNL, was, therefore, 

on a familiar terrain when he 

met with the leaders of the protesting 

communities. 

His knowledge and tentacles in crisis 

management spread to other states 

of the Niger-Delta region. He was the 

go-between that Vice-President Yemi 

Osinbajo, also detailed by President 

Buhari, tapped his intelligence to 

hand-grip the problematic Niger- 

Delta before now. 

Our grievances 

— Gbenekama, Besidone, Oyibode 

Otuaro had, in his new-fangled assignment, 

earlier met with the feuding 

Ijaw and Itsekiri communities to 

explore avenues for peace. Gbaramatu 

communities led by the spokesman, 

Chief Godspower Gbenekema, 

listed their demands to include the 

relocation of the Floating Dock/Ship 

Yard to Okerenkoko, restarting of the 

multi-billion naira Gas Revolution 

Industrial Park (GRIP), Ogidigben 

and the Deep Seaport, Okerenkoko. 

The people, while alleging neglect 

of the current administration, had 

also demanded that work resumed 

on the abandoned Omadino-Excravos 

Road Project, as well as consideration 

as host communities in the 

bid for the 57 Marginal Fields. 

Mr Samuel Besidone, who spoke 

for the Itsekiri oil and gas- producing 

communities,made similar demands, 

including being given the 

“right of first refusal” in the bid for 

the 57 Marginal Fields. 

The oil-producing communities 

vowed to shut down oil operations if 

the Federal Government continues 

to ignore their demands. 

Urhobo in in a 10-point demand 

by acting National President of 

Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, 

Olorogun Vincent Oyibode, they 

called on the Federal Government 

to, as a matter of urgency, address 

the 50-year marginalisation of the 

ethnic group and pay compensation 

of N500 billion to families of victims 

of the Idjerhe burst pipeline fire 

of 1998 that killed about 1,000 persons 

in Ethiope West Local Government 

Area. 

Pacifier’s early footprints 

But Otuaro said: “I think that resorting 

now to shutting down oil operations 

by Ijaw and Itsekiri in place 

of the present peaceful path would 

be seen as confrontational owing to 

the present financial situation of the 

FG which the Gbaramatu people acknowledged 

in their own protest. 

“It would additionally cripple Federal 

Government's capacity to address 

our clearly legitimate demands 

and erase outside sympathy for the 

cause. It could lead our vulnerable 

people, deprived of world sympathy, 

to be on collision course with the 

Kingsley Otuaro, 

Deputy Governor of Delta State 

Federal Government. 

“The world has been watching the 

commendably peaceful protests by 

Gbaramatu Ijaw and the Itsekiri 

over pending demands. Let me assure 

our people that results-producing 

dialogue is a process, not an 

event. Let us keep the peace and the 

faith. Dialogue has yielded some 

fruits, however, slow. The Federal 

Government has awarded the electrification 

project that will benefit 

about 50 communities in the said 

Escravos area and work is ongoing, 

but need be expedited. 

“The Delta State Government 

Committee on the Modular Floating 

Dockyard chaired by myself, 

Commissioner of Finance, as well 

as Barr. Bosin Ebikeme, Hon. Kelly 

Penawou amongst others, has not 

closed discussions with the Federal 

Government on sending the Modular 

Floating Dockyard to Okerenkoko 

area for intended purpose, 

while presently supporting Federal 

Continues on page 43

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, , 2020 — 43 

King Appolus Chu crowned new 

Eleme monarch 

By Etop Ekanem 

ELEME— KING Appolus 

Chu (X) has been 

crowned the new Oneh Eh 

Nchia (Paramount ruler) of 

Eleme Kingdom, Rivers State. 

Nchia land priests, led by 

Chief Olaka Igwe, installed 

him as king after his predecessor, 

King Philip Osaro 

Obele, resigned. 

We’ve satisfied 

customary demands 

– Chief Olukanwi 

Presenting the traditional 

drink, which symbolises the 

stool of Oneh Eh Nchia to 

HRH Chu, leader of the Oneh 

Nchia selection committee 

and Paramount ruler of Ekongor 

community in Alesa 

Nchia Eleme, Chief Peter Olukanwi, 

declared that they have 

fulfilled the customary demands 

to select a new Oneh 

Eh Nchia and further described 

King Chu as the most 

fit to occupy the stool, following 

the task ahead, while praying 

for the success of his reign 

as Emere Nchia. 

Accepting to ascend the 

stool of Oneh Eh Nchia, Appolus 

Chu, the Egbere Emere 

Okori Eleme and Paramount 

Ruler of Ogale Kingdom, 

called for the unrelenting and 

untiring support of the people 

and the Nchia Council of 

Chiefs and Elders as he will 

not succeed in the task ahead 

without the people. 

New era for Eleme 

— HRH Ngulube 

Speaking at the ceremony, 

paramount ruler of Alesa 

clan, HRH, Prof. Isaac Eyi 

Ngulube, said: “I want King 

Appolus Chu to take this stool 

given to him with all gravity 

and seriousness because before 

him, we have not seen 

people who are prepared and 

ready to take Eleme forward. 

“Not just about being a chief 

and sitting in one place while 

the people are perishing, encroachment 

all around us, 

people are over- running us 

and the Chief does nothing 

and says nothing. That era is 

in the past. This time, we want 

a pragmatic leadership that 

will speak for the Eleme people 

anywhere and everywhere,” 

Ngulube said. 

Ngulube said further that 

Eleme is a distinct nationality 

blessed with natural resources 

that benefits the entire 

country and, therefore, 

whatever affects Eleme, affects 

the entire country and if 

they speak up, they will surely 

be listened to. He expressed 

optimism that the challenges 

THE TEAM 

Emma Amaize - Editor 

Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa 

Jimitota Onoyume- Warri 

Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City 

Festus Ahon- Asaba 

Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt 

Emmanuel Una- Calabar 

Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri 

Paul Olayemi- Sapele 

Harri-Okon Emmanuel- Uyo 

Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo 

Ike Uchechukwu- Calabar 

Davies Iheamnachor- P/Harcourt 

Emem Idio- Yenagoa 

Brisibe Perez- Ughelli 

Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor 

Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh 

Chancel Bomadi Sunday - Bomadi 

Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu- Benin City 

Nath Onajoke, Asaba 

Chijioke Nwankpa, Port Harcourt 

Barnabas Uzosike, Benin City 

*HRH Appolus Chu during the coronation. 

of Eleme have come to an end 

with King Appolus Chu at the 

helm of affairs of Nchia. 

Square peg in square 

hole – Onungwe, Mbummaeta 

monarch 

Also speaking after the coronation, 

Chief Harrison 

Onungwe, the paramount 

ruler of Mbumaeta community, 

Ogale, Nchia Eleme, 

hailed the selection and coronation 

of King Chu as Emere 

Nchia, describing him as a 

Continues from Page 42 

Government’s efforts in running 

the Nigerian Maritime 

University, NMA,” he said. 

Consultation with Osinbajo 

Last week, he met with Prof 

Osinbajo in company of Minister 

of Petroleum (State), 

Chief Timipre Sylva at Abuja, 

to perfect arrangements to 

commence discussions with 

protesting oil communities in 

the state. 

He told reporters last Thursday, 

at Asaba: “The Federal 

Government has acknowledged 

that constructive engagement 

is the way out to 

deal with the issues. That is 

what we have agreed. 

“I am just back from Abuja 

and like I told leaders of the 

oil-bearing areas last week, 

the federal and state governments 

are only perfecting 

constructive plans for resultoriented 

engagement with the 

oil-bearing areas,” he said. 

Otuaro added: “I assure 

that in the coming days, son 

after Sallah, we will be looking 

at the issues with a view to 

addressing them via a platform 

that will be created. Let 

also appeal to critical 

stakeholders, especially 

oil companies 

not to stay aloof but to 

continually add value 

to what we are doing.” 

Disagreeable FG, 

PANDEF conversation 

However, Federal 

Government’s discussions 

with PANDEF, 

which Osinbajo was 

the arrowhead, had 

since broken down, as 

the regional group 

accused the Federal 

Government of engaging 

in ‘monologue’ 

instead of dialogue 

after the group 

submitted a 16-point 

agenda to President 

Buhari in 2016 and 

square peg in a square hole. 

It is believed that Eleme 

kingdom which has wallowed 

in series of insecurity, traditional 

abuse, external intimidation, 

cultural decay, land 

encroachment, gradual language 

effacement, community 

displacement and many 

more as a result of insensitive 

leadership system, appears to 

have a glimpse of hope as the 

land priests of Nchia installed 

HRH Appolus Chu the Oneh 

Eh Nchia (X). 

Can Otuaro, Okowa’s 

troubleshooter, sway Buhari? 

later held discussions with 

Prof. Osinbajo. 

In the instant case, PANDEF 

National Publicity Secretary, 

Hon. Ken Robinson, in a statement, 

said: “The demands by 

the people of Gbaramatu 

Kingdom, Itsekiri and Urhobo 

groups are germane and 

congruent. The issues of marginalisation 

and exclusion, of 

neglect, discrimination, unfairness 

and injustice against 

Niger-Delta people by the Buhari 

administration; the abandonment 

of the Export Processing 

Zone, EPZ; Gas Revolution 

Industrial Park 

Project; the relocation of the 

floating dock; the ownership 

of Oil Marginal Fields, and 

other matters raised variously 

by the groups, are issues that 

PANDEF has been talking 

about. 

Don’t hurt yourselves 

—Buhari 

Probably preempting the 

outcome of talks with Delta 

communities, President Buhari, 

weekend, cautioned: 

“Those who are destroying 

pipelines and interfering with 

the production of petroleum 

products are hurting their own 

people more than the rest of 

Nigeria because majority of 

their people are fishermen, 

fisherwomen and farmers. 

“Now, if they pollute the 

land and the waters, the fish 

goes into the deeper sea where 

the people cannot go and they 

cannot grow anything. They 

are hurting their immediate 

communities more than any 

other thing,” he asserted. 

Poser 

Supposing that all was well 

in its negotiations with the 

Federal Government, PAN- 

DEF pleaded with the people 

to exercise patience, but Buhari 

overlooked most of the 

demands and seeming resolves, 

which basically gave 

rise to the present agitation by 

Delta communities. 

We’ll meet violence with violence 

•Telling lies on TV won't save 

— Oshiomhole 

By Kenneth Ehigiator & Clifford Ndujihe 

IMMEDIATE past National Chairman 

of the All Progressives Congress, APC, 

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said 

that the party would not fold its arms and 

watch Governor Godwin Obaseki and the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP violently 

rig the September 19 governorship 

election, saying ‘’we will meet violence 

with violence.’’ 

In an interview on Arise Television, 

yesterday morning, Oshiomhole, who 

restated the reasons he is opposing 

Obaseki, and backing Pastor Osagie Ize- 

Iyamu picked holes in Obaseki’s alleged 

threat to deal with APC members and 

supporters in the guise of dealing with 

trouble makers. 

On Sunday Governor Obaseki warned 

of stiff penalties against perpetrators of 

violence ahead of the poll and 

condemned the July 25 display by thugs 

at the gate of the Palace of the Omo N’Oba 

N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, 

the Oba of Benin. 

Obaseki warned those intent on 

disrupting public peace stating that he is 

determined to carry out his primary 

responsibility of maintaining order and 

protecting lives and property as the Chief 

Security Officer of the state. 

Reacting to Obaseki’s threat, 

Oshiomhole said: ‘’if they want violence, 

we will give them violence.’’ 

He said he is against Obaseki because 

the governor has not met the expectations 

of Edo people, abandoned the 

development plan of the state, wrote a 

petition to the President to get Dr Pius 

Odubu dropped as NDDC chairman; as 

well as a commissioner of the NDDC from 

Edo, making the state to lose two positions 

in the commission. 

ZLP's emergence unsettles APC, PDP 

•As Southern Senatorial leaders back Ajayi 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—THE emergence of the Zenith 

Labour Party, ZLP, for the October 10 

governorship election in Ondo State has 

unsettled the camps of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC and People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP. 

Before now, the APC and PDP were the 

dominant parties in contention but with 

the planned defection of the deputy 

governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, the ZLP has 

come into reckoning. 

Barring last minute changes, Ajayi will 

formally resign from the PDP and publicly 

declare for the ZLP, this week. 

Vanguard learned that the camp of the 

PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Eyitayo 

Jegede, may be worse hit. 

PDP leaders, both at the state and 

national levels have held series of 

meetings to halt Ajayi’s defection to ZLP 

because of its implications on the fortunes 

of the party. 

Vanguard gathered that the camp of 

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is equally 

jittery over the movement of Ajayi to ZLP. 

Akeredolu before now was making an 

inroad to southern district areas of the state 

by the choice of his running mate, Mr. 

Lucky Ayedatiwa. With the emergence of 

Ajayi, southern leaders may abandon him 

and pitch their tents with their son, Ajayi. 

It was gathered that close aides to the 

governor have held series of meetings to 

discuss the development and looking for 

a way out. 

Southern Senatorial leaders back Ajayi 

Leaders in the Southern Senatorial 

district in the state perceived to be the 

stronghold of the PDP in the state have 

further compounded the problem in both 

Oshiomhole's image, says Osagie 

Regretting that he worked with Obaseki 

in 2016 without asking for his certificate, 

Oshiomhole said he was given wrong 

accounts of Ize-Iyamu four years, adding 

that Ize-Iyamu had not been a governor 

and he could not have said that the APC 

candidate is a thief. 

Lying on TV won’t save his political 

image — Osagie 

However, responding Oshiomhole’s 

claims on ARISE Television programme, 

Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on 

Media and Communication Strategy, 

Crusoe Osagie, challenged him to tell 

Nigerians the truth about the 

circumstances that led to his removal as 

APC chairman. 

“Contrary to the narrative being 

advanced by the sacked national chairman 

that he was a victim of power play, 

Nigerians who have followed the events 

that led to Oshiomhole’s ouster closely, 

can attest to the fact that he was a victim 

of his own indiscretion and unholy 

machinations. 

“In fact, in Edo State, Oshiomhole was 

the powerful force that millions of Edo 

people fought against, so that the governor 

could breathe and deliver good 

governance to them.” 

“In Edo State, Oshiomhole turned 

against Governor Obaseki when the 

governor failed to yield to his subservience 

and his grand plot to rule by proxy. He 

literally invaded the Edo APC and set up 

parallel structures to hijack it. His 

predecessor, Chief Odigie-Oyegun 

allowed the state’s structure of the APC to 

carry out its activities without any 

interference. To Oshiomhole’s 

immoderation, Edo State is today a PDP 

state and we are free from his inanities.’’ 

camps by queuing behind Ajayi in the 

ZLP. 

In a communiqué after over a four-hour 

meeting in Okitipupa, last weekend, the 

leaders rejected the deputy governorship 

positions allotted to the area by the PDP 

and APC. 

Chairman and Secretary of the Southern 

Senatorial district, Messrs. Adekanmi 

Adegboola Omotayo and Felix Olatunde 

said: “It was called to gather support for a 

third force led by Agboola Ajayi, who is 

perceived to be leaving the PDP for the 

ZLP anytime soon. 

Omotayo, who read the communiqué, 

said: “The Southern senatorial district has 

been totally neglected in the scheme of 

things particularly the governorship seat 

of the state. 

“In view of the rotational policy in force 

in the state, it is now the turn of the 

Southern Senatorial District to field a 

candidate for the Ondo state governorship 

seat. 

“The leaders are in support of the 

candidature of our son, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, 

on the platform of the ZLP in the October 

10 governor election. 

“All indigenes and residents of the six 

local government areas in the Southern 

Senatorial District should embark on 

massive mobilization in support of Mr. 

Ajayi to ensure his victory and by 

extension, our victory in the governorship 

election.” 

Meanwhile, Media Adviser to Ajayi, 

Allen Sowore, dismissed reports in the 

social media that three persons, including 

a former speaker, and two former 

commissioners, are being considered as 

running mate to the deputy governor. 

Sowore confirmed that his principal was 

still consulting.


Highest-earning 

Nigerians in Europe: 

Ighalo dusts 

Osimhen 

Odion Ighalo 

whose loan deal 

with Manchester 

United ends in January 

2021 is still Nigeria’s 

highest paid football 

player despite Victor 

Osimhen’s mega 

bucks transfer to 

Napoli. 

Ighalo is currently the highest 

earning Nigerian footballer as the 

Manchester United striker is paid 

a massive £125K-a-week fee after 

he successfully extended his 

contract at the Old Trafford. 

The 30-year-old joined the Red 

Devils earlier this year from 

Shanghai Shenhua for an initial 

six months loan deal and further 

extended the deal until 2021. 

He earns a whopping sum of 

money ahead of sensational 

youngster Victor Osimhen who 

will be earning £96,000-a-week at 

•Moses 

CHEEKY DEVILS 

Man Utd to pay £108m 

Sancho fee in instalments 

MANCHESTER UNITED will match Borussia 

Dortmund’s £108million asking price for 

Jadon Sancho... but over three instalments. 

The Red Devils are ready to make their move with 

the England superstar with an initial £63m payment 

up front. 

United will then pay the remaining £45m over two 

further instalments “in the next few years.” 

United, who like most top European clubs are 

counting the financial costs of the 

coronavirus pandemic, will hand 

over £27m and then the final £18m 

figure. 

•Victor 

his new club Napoli. 

Osimhen officially joined the 

Italia Serie A side as the club have 

finally unveiled the youngster 

after weeks of trying to seal the 

deal. Napoli completed the 

transfer agreement for the 21-yearold 

for fee plus an array of 

potential bonuses that takes the 

deal up to €50million (about 

N23billion). 

•Sancho 

The report adds that Dortmund WILL 

accept the offer as they don’t mind 

receiving the total figure over a series of payments. 

It will mark a huge profit on the £7m 

Dortmund paid Manchester City for Sancho 

back in 2017. 

United’s hands to finalise the deal have 

been forced by Dortmund who gave the club 

a strict August 10 deadline. 

The Bundesliga side begin their pre-season training camp on that 

date and warned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side that any potential deal 

was off the table once preparations for the following campaign 

commenced. 

Dortmund chief Michael Zorc said: “There is no room for negotiation, 

120 million Euros is the only acceptable fee. 

“Dortmund start their training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, on 

Aug 10, there will be no sale after that date.” 

Solskjaer is desperate for the talent to team up with the likes of Marcus 

Rashford, Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes. 

No going back on 

Super Eagles 

decision—Dessers 

Cyriel Dessers has 

dismissed speculations 

that he could make a U-turn in 

his international career and 

represent Belgium. 

Born to a Belgian father and 

Nigerian mother, Dessers was 

handed an invitation for the 

Africa Cup of Nations tie 

against Sierra Leone, but was 

denied the chance to make his 

debut as football and indeed 

other sports fell victims to the 

corona-virus pandemic. 

“It’s not true. I didn’t even 

talk with Belgium and then they 

make a story,” Dessers told 

AOI. 

“I said I hoped for a call [from 

Nigeria] in September, but 

that’s not even sure. That’s the 

coach who decides, it’s not in 

my hands. It’s just the click-bait 

•Desers 

sites who take things out of 

context and make juicy titles.” 

Dessers delivered eyecatching 

performances during 

his one-year stay with Heracles 

Almelo, scoring 18 goals across 

all competitions to emerge as 

the club’s top scorer. 

The forward’s 15 goals in the 

2019–20 Dutch Eredivisie 

season ensured he also won the 

league’s joint-top scorer award 

along with Steven Berghuis. 

•Iheanacho 

Leicester 

set to offload 

Iheanacho 

Leicester City boss Brendan 

Rodgers is said to be 

willing to listen to bids for 

striker Kelechi Iheanacho to 

help fund a £40m Celtic swoop. 

The Foxes are said to be keen 

on landing in-demand 

Parkhead star Odsonne Edouard 

this summer but must raise 

funds if they wish to land the 22- 

year-old. Iheanacho, joined 

Leicester in 2017 for a fee 

believed to be in the region of 

£25m 

The former Golden Eaglets 

start who had a bright start in 

the Premier League with 

Manchester City before joining 

the Foxes has been linked to 

Aston Villa and Newcastle. 

Wenger picks his 

two favourites to 

win Champions 

League 

ARSENE WENGER believes 

Manchester City and Paris 

Saint-Germain are best placed to 

take advantage of a weaker 

Champions League. 

The Frenchman believes the 

competition has declined in 

quality lately with PSG among his 

favourites despite also, as he sees 

it, declining as a team. 

With Real Madrid still to be seen 

off in the last-16, Pep Guardiola’s 

City are 3/1 joint-favourites with 

Bayern Munich to win the crown. 

And Les Parisiens, back at 5/1 

with Ladbrokes, are also fancied 

Finidi, Carnaviro back 

Osimhen to shine at Napoli 

Former Super Eagles winger 

Finidi George and 2006 

Italian World Cup-winning captain 

Fabio Cannavaro have both praised 

the signing of Victor Osimhen by 

Napoli. 

Osimhen brought a drama soaked 

transfer saga to an end last weekend 

signing for Napoli from Lille on a 

record transfer fee of €80m. 

“It’s a good move for Victor and 

every transfer has its own way of 

negotiations, but I’m happy 

everything went well for 

him.” 

“If he’s happy then we are 

all happy for him,” Finidi 

told brila.net. 

“Why now? , he can 

adapt, Ronaldo for 

example shone in Spain 

before going to Italy and 

everyone thought he’s 

CHELSEA are set for a defensive 

exodus with Marcos Alonso 

and Emerson Palmieri the first out 

to make way for Ben Chilwell. 

The Blues’ defensive problems have 

been well documented this season, 

with a new left-back and at least one 

centre-back an absolute necessity to 

buy this summer. 

The FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal 

exposed Chelsea’s porous defence 

and lack of leaders. 

Frank Lampard is now looking to 

axe some of his current defenders to 

make space for new reinforcements. 

Marcos Alonso and Emerson have 

both struggled to hit the ground 

running this season and could be 

nearing the exit door. 

And all four centre-backs - 

Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, 

Andreas Christensen and Fikayo 

Tomori - have shown flaws, a lack of 

leadership and consistency this term. 

Frank Lampard is said to be a big 

going to struggle because of the style 

of play, but he adapted.” 

Cannavaro speaking with 

Tuttosport said: “The investment of 

Napoli of 70 million for Victor 

Osimhen convinces me. 

“It’s a nice shot! I am happy for 

Rino Gattuso. He really wanted to 

have this player and he arrived at 

Napoli.” 

•Osimhen. 

BLUE EXODUS 

Lampard to offload flop defenders 

by the 70-year-old Arsenal 

legend. 

Wenger is quoted by Metro as 

telling Europe 1: “When you are 

playing a match against Atalanta 

or Atletico Madrid, anything can 

happen. 

“But for me, Manchester City 

and PSG are the two favourites 

in terms of their potential. 

“Aside from that, honestly, 

PSG, I feel they are a little bit 

less strong than three or four 

years ago. 

“In terms of their holistic setup, 

PSG were maybe a bit more 

complete three to four years ago, 

in all positions. 

Kante's Blues future hangs in balance 

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is 

prepared to part ways with 

midfielder N’Golo Kante to raise funds 

to strengthen other areas of his squad, 

according to a report. 

Preparations for the 2020-21 season 

are in full swing for the Blues, who have 

at least one more match to play this 

season - Saturday’s Champions League 

last-16 second leg with Bayern Munich, 

which they trail 3-0 on aggregate. 

Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have 

been brought in from Ajax and RB 

Leipzig respectively, while Bayer 

Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz is rumoured 

to be the next incoming arrival at 

Stamford Bridge. 

Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell 

and a goalkeeper - possibly Atletico 

Madrid’s Jan Oblak - have also been 

linked with a move to the West London 

outfit. 

Lampard has been informed that he 

needs to streamline his squad and raise 

funds if he is to push through those 

signings, however, and Kante is among 

those considered as dispensable. 

The France international has endured 

an injury-plagued 2019-20 campaign, 

featuring just 26 times in all 

competitions, and not at all in Chelsea’s 

last seven matches. 

•Rudiger 

fan of Nathan 

Ake, although 

Manchester 

City have made 

the first 

tentative 

contact with 

Bouremouth 

about a 

potential 

£35million deal 

for the Dutch 

defender. 

•Alonso 

•Zouma 

No final four 

event for 

African 

Champions 

League 

The Confederation of African 

Football (Caf) has ditched plans 

to have a ‘final four’ event for this 

year’s Champions League to be 

played in one country. 

It means the semi-finals, which are 

both Morocco against Egypt as Al 

Ahly play Wydad Casablanca and 

Zamalek take on Raja Casablanca, 

will go ahead with matches home and 

away. 

The first leg matches will now be 

played on 25 and 26 September in 

Morocco and the second legs a week 

later in Egypt. 

It will be a busy few days for 

Morocco who will be hosting a mini 

tournament for the semi-finals and 

final of the Confederation Cup in the 

same week. 

A venue for the one-off final is yet 

to be decided and will depend on who 

reaches the final, which is due to be 

played on 16 or 17 October. 

“In the principle of fairness, the final 

will be played at a neutral venue in 

the event a team from Egypt and 

Morocco qualify from the semis,” Caf 

explained in a statement. 

“Consequently, the bidding process 

has been opened to Member 

Associations excluding Egypt and 

Morocco for the hosting of a one-off 

final. 

“Interested Member Associations 

are to submit 

their bidding 

file including 

the venue for 

the match and 

the mandatory 

Government 

guarantee no 

later than 17 

August 2020.




Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

Across 

1 Fruit seeds (4) 

3 Waterfall (8) 

9 Slices of bacon (7) 

10 Broom made of twigs (5) 

11 La Traviata composer (5) 

12 Small edible crustacean (6) 

14 Pronounce not guilty of criminal 

charges (6) 

16 Male goose (6) 

19 Root vegetable used in salads (6) 

21 Path of a planet (5) 

24 Milky coffee (5) 

25 Winning goal in a match (7) 

26 Height elevation (8) 

27 Nought (4) 

Down 

1 South American (8) 

2 Ropes (anag) (5) 

4 Aid (6) 

5 Brownish yellow (5) 

6 Accepted as true without proof (7) 

7 Burial place (4) 

8 Third sign of the zodiac (6) 

13 Large choral work (8) 

15 Composition for four performers (7) 

17 Immediately (2,4) 

18 Out of direct sunlight (6) 

20 Maladroit (5) 

22 Move (5) 

23 Island to which Napoleon was 

exiled (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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