09082020 - "They killed people, removed the eyes, other body parts"

PAGE 2, SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020

SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020, PAGE 3

PAGE 4, SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020

2023: Nwodo under attack over IPoB comment 

By Olayinka Ajayi 

A 

former National 

Chairman of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, Dr Okwesilieze 

Nwodo, has come under 

fire over his comments 

that Ndigbo would take 

extreme action if they 

failed to produce the President 

in 2023. 

The Third Republic governor 

of Enugu State had 

said on Wednesday that 

Ndigbo would join Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader 

of the Indegenous People 

of Biafra (IpoB), to seek 

the actualisation of Biafra 

Republic if the South-East 

is unsuccessful in producing 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s successor in 

2023. 

Those who flayed 

Nwodo, yesterday, are the 

National President of the 

Arewa Youth Consultative 

Forum, AYCF, Yerima Shettima, 

and a former 

Chairman of the United 

Progressive Party, UPP, 

Chief Chekwas Okorie. 

Our collective 

From left: Managing Director of South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETROL), Mr Toyin 

Adenuga; Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari; and Managing 

Director of China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), Mr Xie Vincent 

Wensheng, displaying signed Head of Terms to signal the end of the over 10-year 

dispute over Oil Mining Lease, (OML) 130, in Abuja. Photo byNAN 

LOW NUMBERS OF INFECTIONS: 

Covid-19 curve not flattening yet, NCDC warns 

By Chioma Obinna 

Amid consistent re 

duction in the number 

of COVID-19 cases recorded 

in the country in 

the last two weeks, the Nigeria 

Centre for Disease 

Control, NCDC, warns it is 

too early to say Nigeria 

was at the end of the pandemic. 

According to the body, 

the reduction in new cases 

of the virus has been occasioned 

by low collection of 

samples across the states. 

The Director General of 

the NCDC, Dr Chikwe 

Ihekweazu, said it was too 

early for Nigerians to interpret 

the decline as flattening 

the curve and a decline 

in new cases does not 

translate to being at the 

end of the pandemic. 

“We had a decline in the 

number of samples collected 

across states between 

the 31st of July and 

2nd of August. This may be 

associated with the public 

holidays which led to a reduction 

in activities across 

the country”, Ihekweazu 

told Sunday Vanguard. 

The Federal Government 

had declared July 30 

and 31 as public holidays 

in celebration of Eid-el- 

Kabir. Nigeria witnessed 

all time high COVID-19 

daily infection rates of 664 

until July 31 when the cases 

dropped to 481 cases as 

against over half a million 

consistent daily cases recorded 

all through the 

month. 

But on August 1, the 

country recorded a drop in 

cases with 386 infections 

as the Federal Capital Territory, 

FCT, Abuja led with 

130 cases while Lagos, the 

epicenter of the pandemic, 

recorded all time low 

cases of 65. 

On August 2, the drop 

continued with 304 cases 

and Lagos recorded 81. 

The country recorded 

the lowest number on August 

3 with 288 cases. Although 

on August 5, there 

was a rise in cases with 

457, it was still below the 

over half a million daily 

infection rates. 

On August 6, the country 

recorded 354 while 

Lagos recorded 76, but on 

Friday, August 7, Nigeria 

recorded 443 fresh cases 

with Plateau leading with 

103 cases and Lagos 70. 

“It is still too early to 

interpret a decline in new 

cases as flattening the 

curve. We are learning 

from countries in Europe 

and other parts of the 

world that a decline in new 

cases does not translate to 

being at the end of the 

pandemic”, the NCDC 

boss said. 

“In most of these countries, 

they are experiencing 

an increase in cases 

again. We are proud of the 

leadership of the Lagos 

State government in responding 

to this outbreak, 

but will not relent in our 

response activities. Although 

Lagos State is the 

epicentre of the outbreak 

in Nigeria, various states 

are at different phases of 

the outbreak. In some 

states, we are recording an 

increase in cases. 

“We are only as strong 

as our weakest link and 

will continue to maintain 

momentum in the response, 

despite the decline 

in the number of new cases 

in Lagos”. 

Continuing, the NCDC 

DG further noted that coronavirus 

has affected people’s 

lives and the economies 

of countries, adding 

that the country now 

knows that the pandemic 

was a ‘marathon and not a 

sprint’.According to him, 

Nigeria must devise strategies 

that first ensure that 

people are safe and that 

life continues. 

agreement is for 

competence, not 

zoning – Shettima 

Shettima said there is 

need for leaders to emphasize 

more on competence 

rather than zoning. 

“If Dr. Nwodo wants to 

join Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB 

to seek secession from Nigeria, 

it’s okay. But he 

should know that Nigerians 

cannot be intimidated 

by anybody. Our collective 

agreement was a crave for 

competence rather than 

zoning. The presidency is 

open to all the geo-political 

zones. The Igbo should 

come up with their best to 

the table. Competence is 

what we crave for, we cannot 

be taken back.” 

Recklessness 

On his part, Okorie, who 

is now a chieftain of the 

ruling All Progressives 

Congress, APC, said: “It 

smacks of recklessness 

and adult delinquency for 

senior citizens to demand 

the 2023 presidency of Nigeria 

through the use of 

threat. 

‘“I am not bothered when 

young ones in the society, 

charged by emotion engage 

in such outbursts, but 

I feel scandalized when 

mature senior citizens 

drop their guard and become 

impulsive and reckless 

in their public statements, 

regardless of how 

subversive and inciting 

such statements may be. 

“It is heart-warming that 

many respectable opinion 

leaders across political, religious 

and ethnic divides 

have continuously expressed 

support for the 

emergence of a President 

of South-East extraction by 

2023, for the purpose of 

equity, fairness, national 

unity and sense of belonging 

to the Igbo people of 

Nigeria.’’ 

Gunmen kill, cart away bodies in 

Ogoni community, natives claim 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

RESIDENTS in Bunu 

are still pondering in 

fear over gunmen who 

stormed the community in 

Tai Local Government 

Area, Rivers State, killing 

some people and carting 

away their bodies. 

Youth Leader in Bunu, 

Justin Wabah, narrated: 

“Around 2am Saturday, 

there were heavy gunshots 

in our community. Opposite 

Bunu-Taagu Road by 

the Songhai, we discovered 

a thick pool of blood 

on the road side where a 

motorcycle was burnt. 

“The volume of blood 

suggested some persons 

may have been killed and 

the corpses taken away. We 

searched the surrounding 

bushes but could find no 

body. Some residents ran 

into the bush without light 

in that thick darkness in 

fear, sustaining injuries in 

the process. 

“We have been experiencing 

killings here. We 

need security patrol. Koroma 

Police Division has no 

patrol vehicle. We need 

regular police presence on 

this our road because this 

is first time we have recorded 

this very act.” 

A 

former senator and 

leading figure of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, in the South-West, 

Senator Buruji Kashamu, 

is dead. 

He died, yesterday, at 

First Cardiology Consultants 

hospital in Lagos after 

a protracted battle 

with the novel coronavirus 

disease. 

The deceased represented 

Ogun East in the 8th 

Assembly 

His friend and long time 

political associate, Ben 

Abiodun mourns as Kashamu dies 

of COVID-19 

Murray-Bruce, an- 

By James Ogunnaike 

nounced the death on his 

verified Facebook page 

Also, a close aide of the 

lawmaker, Olufemi Abayomi 

Arabambi, confirmed 

the death of Kashamu. 

Meanwhile, Ogun State 

governor, Prince Dapo 

Abiodun, expressed shock 

over the death of Kashamu. 

In a statement by his 

Chief Press Secretary, 

Kunle Somorin, Abiodun 

described Kashamu’s 

death as one death too 

many and a devastating 

blow to the nation’s political 

family generally. 

SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020, PAGE 5 

Southern Kaduna Killings: 

Police arrest protesters 

*Afenifere to pay solidarity visit 

By Ibrahim HassanWuyo 

The police in Kadu 

na, at the weekend 

,stopped a group of protesters 

near the Refinery 

Junction,who claimed 

they were demonstrating 

peacefully against killings 

in Southern Kaduna. 

While confirming the 

arrest of a large number 

of the protesters ,the Police 

Public Relations Officer 

in the state, ASP 

Mohammed Jalige, said, 

“The arrests were made 

because there was no 

prior notification of the 

procession. 

“Yes, some of them 

were arrested because 

they did not inform us 

about the procession. We 

just saw the crowd. I 

cannot tell you how 

many of them were 

picked now, but I will 

get back to you later”. 

The aggrieved 

natives,many of whom 

wore black clothes, carried 

placards with inscriptions 

depicting how 

angry they were about 

the situation in Southern 

Kaduna. 

Meanwhile, sub cultural 

groupings from 

other parts of Nigeria, 

such as Afenifere,were 

expected to pay a solidarity 

visit to the contentious 

area at the 

weekend.

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020 

ZONING: El-Ruf 

ufai backs South, says s no northerner 

should run in 2023 

… Uzodinma makes case for merit 

By Nnamdi Okiego 

& Kennedy Mbele 

Amid controversy over 

the propriety of rotational 

presidency between 

North and South, Kaduna 

State governor, Nasir El- 

Rufai has said no northerner 

should contest for the 

presidency in 2023. 

El-Rufai expressed his 

personal opinion on what 

has become a divisive subject, 

dismissing insinuations 

that he was interested 

in the race. 

The governor, who made 

the statement in an interview 

with BBC Hausa Service, 

had also made a similar 

remark last year. 

His latest statement 

came on the heels of Alhaji 

Mamman Daura’s assertion 

that merit should determine 

who becomes President 

instead of zoning. 

Daura, President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s nephew 

aired his views also in 

an interview with BBC 

Hausa Service. 

El-Rufai said: “In Nigerian 

politics, there is a system 

of rotation, in which 

everyone agrees that if the 

north rules for eight years, 

the south will rule for 

eight years. That is why I 

came out and said that after 

President Buhari has 

been in office for eight 

years, no northerner 

should run for office. Let 

the Southerners also have 

1,546 killed in violent incidents in N-Delta in two years – Amb Ekewenu 

• ‘How to fill critical security gaps’ 

By Gab Ejuwa 

Oghenekaro Ekewenu is 

a United Nations’ Ambassador 

on Sustainable Development 

Goals; Chairman, 

Board of Trustees of 

Municipal Youth Vanguard 

of Nigeria and 

former Executive Assistant 

to the Governor of Delta 

State on Maritime Development. 

In this interview, Ekewenu 

speaks on the security 

situation in the Niger 

Delta and the nation at 

large and offers the best 

approach to tackle the situation 

among other issues. 

Excerpts: 

One of the major is 

sues of discourse in 

Nigeria today is insecurity 

which has manifested 

in various forms 

such as militancy, 

pipeline vandalisation, 

insurgency, banditry, 

farmers/herders 

clashes, community agi- 

eight years. If you look at 

how I am, I don’t take anyone 

to work with me for 

the zone he came from. 

The eligibility I look at is 

if who is entrusted to the 

public will hold it properly. 

It has been said that I 

have loved the presidency 

since I was a minister in 

the FCT. This is nonsense. 

I do not want the Nigerian 

presidency. God gives 

power, whether you like it 

or not, if he wants it, He 

will give it to you, but I 

have never sought the presidency 

of Nigeria, no one 

can say I have ever sought 

it”. 

Nigeria operates an unwritten 

rotational presidency 

between north and 

south. Of the major political 

blocs in the country, 

the South-East has not 

produced president since 

1999. 

Meanwhile, governor of 

Imo State, Sen. Hope 

Uzodinma has declared 

that the nation would be 

better off if merit is allowed 

to drive the processes 

of electing public office 

holders. 

He spoke in Owerri, 

when he received in audience 

the Coalition of Ethnic 

Nationality Youth 

Leaders in Nigeria, who 

visited him. 

His words: “I will rather 

see a situation where merit 

is allowed to drive the 

process of determining 

who occupies a public office 

in the country rather 

•Ekewenu 

South-East are reportedly 

ready to unveil the name 

of their own joint security 

outfit for the region soon. 

Similarly, the Pan-Niger 

Delta Forum (PANDEF) 

has reportedly canvassed 

for the de-centralisation of 

the nation’s security apparatus 

to give sub-national 

entities more room to protect 

life and property in 

their domains. 

But some people believe 

that the regional security 

outfits are illegal 

and might be used by 

state governors to fight 

political battles in their 

than where you come from. 

I think merit should drive 

the political process because 

the nation will be 

better off for it. We must use 

our diversity to strengthen 

national unity not to divide 

the nation. We should find 

unity in our diversity by 

believing in each other”. 

He charged the youths to 

always support the Federal 

Government under President 

Buhari who he described 

as the most youthfriendly 

president so far in 

the country. 

Uzodinma said despite 

all challenges, President 

Buhari gave the youths a 

sense of belonging through 

several forms of empowerment 

such as N-Power, political 

appointments, agric 

loans, skills and youth 

fund initiative. 

US SECURITY Y WARNING: NDC char 

harges Niger-Delt 

-Delta govs s on 

security 

By Olayinka Ajayi 

Niger Delta Con 

gress NDC, has 

called on the governors 

of Niger Delta states to 

form security outfits to 

protect the people from 

terror groups trying to 

infiltrate the region. 

Acting spokesman for 

the group, Adokiye Oyagiri, 

yesterday said that 

“The United States security 

warning did not 

come to us as a surprise 

because we are already 

aware of intelligence reports 

that point to the 

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, casting 

his votes, during the State Congress of the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP), in Enugu, yesterday. 

tation, kidnapping, restiveness, 

armed robbery 

and the likes. To fight the 

monster, some regional 

outfits are springing in the 

country. What is your view 

about this development? 

With regard to the recent 

trend in the country, the 

thinking is that the formation 

of regional security 

outfits will bridge identified 

security gaps and 

complement the efforts of 

the Nigeria Police in reducing 

criminalities 

across the land. Well, it 

started with the governors 

of the South-West zone who 

established the Western 

Nigeria Security Network 

(WNSN), codenamed ‘Operation 

Amotekun.’ This 

lead was followed by the 

formation of ‘ShegekaFasa’ 

by the Coalition of 

Northern Groups ostensibly 

for the North-Central, 

North-East and North-West 

zones. Not to be left out, 

the governors of the 

cells. 

EU trains CPN members on child safeguarding 

mechanism 

By Funmi Ajumobi 

European 

Union 

f u n d e d 

programme, Rule of Law 

and Anti-corruption, 

managed by the British 

Council, yesterday 

ended a 3-Day Child 

Protection and Advocacy 

Training for Child Protection 

Network mempresence 

of sleeper cells 

of terror groups already 

in Edo State in the region. 

We also have cause 

to believe that Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State capital, 

and Delta State, 

have already been infiltrated 

by these armed 

and dangerous sleeper 

bers in Lagos State. 

The training held at 

Pearlwort Hotel and 

Suites, Ikeja, according 

to Ajibola Ijimakinwa, 

State Programme Coordinator, 

Rule of Law 

and Anti Corruption 

(RoLAC), focused on improving 

access to justice 

for women, children and 

persons with disabilities 

through, among others. 

HRM Dr. Emmanuel E. Sideso, JP, OON, ABE 1, 

The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Effurun, Delta State , 

blessing the Acting Principal and Chief Executive of 

Petroleum Training lnstitute, Effurun , Dr. Henry A. 

Adimula (left) when the later paid a courtesy visit to 

the HRM at his palace recently. 

states. 

Well, the main counterargument 

on regional security 

outfits is that their 

operations lacked constitutional 

and legal framework 

and that they might 

be misused by state governors 

for political and private 

ends. 

Do the South-South governors 

need to join the 

bandwagon in establishing 

their own regional security 

outfit? 

If, indeed, the South- 

South governors are to establish 

a regional security 

outfit, there’s the need to 

examine some identified 

challenges and gaps. Statistics 

show that besides insurgency, 

there has been a 

significant rise in insecurity 

in the South-South 

states of Akwa Ibom, 

Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, 

Edo and Rivers states. 

A study by the Foundation 

for Partnership Initiatives 

in the Niger-Delta 

(PIND) reports that there 

Hit and run driver kills man in Ibadan 

By Adeola Badru 

PASSERS-BY were on Friday night thrown into 

confusion, just as a hit and run driver killed a young 

man who was believed to have crossed the expressway 

at the JAMZ FM Junction, along Lagos-Ibadan road, 

Challenge, Ibadan without noticing the oncoming 

vehicle. 

The Special Rescue Team of the Oyo State Road 

Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) took the 

corpse of the young man to the Adeoyo morgue. 

Executive Chairman, OYRTMA, Mogaji Akin 

Fagbemi, called on the general public to notify any family 

that may have been searching for a missing middleaged 

man to visit the Adeoyo morgue. 

Court Orders Defendants to Stay Off’ 

T.O.S. Benson’s Land 

By Kennedy Mbele 

Defendants in the case over the Ikorodu land 

of the late former Minister of Information, Chief 

T.O.S. Benson, have been ordered to stay off the property 

pending the hearing of the case. 

Honourable Justice Justice A. M Lawal of the Lagos 

High Court handed down the order in his ruling on the 

disputed land during which he also awarded N30,000 

cost against the 1st - 3rd defendants. 

Five members of the Benson family: Esther Fehintola 

Harriet, Yomi T .O.S. Benson, Taiwo T O. S Benson, Kehinde 

T.O. S Benson and Hewett Adegboyega Olanrewaju, 

had dragged Ahmed Oyebiyi and six others, namely; 

Wasiu Esinlokun, Lateef Saminu Esinlokun, Ebinkunle 

Matimoju, Al- Mustapha Dodo Matti, Saheed Onipede 

and Egbeyemi Latif Oladimeji, to court, alleging that 

they dispossessed them of their land and were selling it 

out. 

PDP CONGRESS: : Nnamani emerges 

Enugu Chairman, Esiso in Delta 

By Festus Ahon, Peter Duru, Ugochukwu 

Alaribe & Eric Ugbor 

New executive members of the Peoples Demo 

cratic Party, PDP, have emerged in Abia, Bauchi, 

Benue and Enugu States. 

In Abia, Former Speaker of the State House of 

Assembly, Chief Allwell Okere, has been elected 

the new chairman of the state chapter of the party 

while Chief Obinna Nwachukwu emerged his deputy. 

Other state officers that emerged were: Zonal 

Chairman, North: Chief Amah Abraham; Zonal 

Chairman, Central: Hon. Chukwu Ezebuiro and 

Zonal Chairman, South, Chief David Chigbu; State 

Organizing Secretary, Chief Victor Ebere, among 

others. 

In Delta and Enugu States, incumbent chairmen, 

Chief Kingsley Esiso and Hon. Augustine Nnamani, 

were re-elected. 

Esiso and Nnamani were re-elected alongside 

other state executives members of the party in a 

consensus arrangement. 

Meanwhile, the party in Benue State has passed 

a vote of confidence on Governor Samuel Ortom. 

Moving the motion yesterday at the State Congress 

of the party in Makurdi, the Secretary, Dr. 

Joseph Nyam, said the governor had won the confidence 

of the people through his performance in 

office hence deserved the vote. 

were 416 violent incidents 

resulting in no fewer than 

1,000 recorded deaths in 

2019. In 2018, there were 

351 episodes resulting in 

546 deaths mainly resulting 

from organised crime, political 

rivalries, communal 

disputes, cult clashes and 

land disputes. This apparently 

justifies the need for 

a regional security outfit to 

curb insecurity in the region. 

But whether the most 

efficient approach is 

through the formation of a 

security outfit is another 

matter. 

Against this backdrop, 

what do you foresee 

as the challenges to 

the formation of a Niger-Delta 

security outfit 

if the governors are 

to key in into the idea? 

Despite the seeming potentials 

in forming a security 

outfit in the Niger-Delta, 

the establishment of 

such an outfit would be 

confronted by a range of 

challenges unique to the 

region. Chief among these 

are the negative impacts 

of the outfit on the wave of 

militant agitations in the 

Niger-Delta. For sure, the 

main personnel would be 

the restive young men and 

if not properly managed, 

they may become challengers 

of the Nigerian 

state. The odds are there 

that under the funding of 

governors of the oil-rich 

region, such an outfit may 

metamorphose into a national 

security threat. 

Another complicating 

factor in toeing the path of 

‘Amotekun’ is the legal and 

constitutional constraints 

in creating and deploying 

a regional security outfit 

whose mandate would 

likely charge it with enforcing 

compliance with 

the various laws of crime 

in Nigeria. 

Continues on 

www.vanguardngr.com.

EDO HOUSE CRISIS: Pro-Oshiomhole lawmakers 

fix Wed for sitting 

*You lack moral grounds to criticise Buhari, Presidency blasts PDP 

*Opposition party accuses AGF of interference, replies Tinubu 

*BUNI: We’re in sttate to win, not to fight 

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State casts his vote during the state PDP delegates 

congress at the cenotaph in Asaba, yesterday. Photo by NAN 

By Dirisu Yakubu & 

Ozioruva Aliu 

The crisis rocking Edo 

House of Assembly is 

not about to end as the 17 

lawmakers opposed to 

Governor Godwin Obaseki 

vowed to sit next 

Wednesday. 

They have the backing of 

the Attorney-General of 

the Federation (AGF), 

Abubakar Malami, who 

has asked the Inspector 

General of Police, IGP, 

Mohammed Adamu, to 

provide security for them. 

Meanwhile, Malami 

came under attack yesterday, 

from the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) which 

accused him of meddlesomeness 

in the Edo House 

crisis. 

The AGF, acting on a petition 

by their lawyer, had, 

in a memo dated August 5, 

2020, requested the Inspector 

General of Police 

to “kindly provide adequate 

security measures 

for the inauguration of the 

assembly members and 

the subsequent sittings at 

the Edo State House of 

Assembly.” 

Constitution 

PDP said, yesterday, that 

there is “nothing in Sections 

90, 91, 101 and 104 

of the 1999 Constitution 

(as amended) cited by 

Malami that empowers 

him to go to the streets of 

our nation to assemble 

some clowns and declare 

them members-elect of any 

House of Assembly without 

any electoral mandate”. 

Last week’s crisis in the 

House was the continuation 

of the logjam occasioned 

by the controversial 

inauguration of the legislature 

on June 17, 2019, 

which saw only 10 members 

being sworn-in by 

Obaseki. 

Those who were not 

sworn-in were said to have 

been loyal to the immediate 

past governor of Edo, 

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, 

with whom Obaseki 

had become estranged in 

the events leading to the 

2019 general election. 

But three lawmakers 

who had hitherto been on 

the side of the governor 

reportedly defected to the 

Oshiomhole group last 

week to swell its number 

to 17 out of the 24- member 

House. 

The 17 lawmakers sat, 

sacked Rt. Hon. Frank 

Okiye as Speaker and 

elected Hon. Victor Edoror 

to replace him. 

Misguiding 

Okiye said the action of 

the lawmakers attempting 

to take over the House was 

illegal, saying they were 

misguiding the AGF. 

According to him, the 

AGF “did not have all the 

facts relevant to the matter, 

before it issued the advisory 

and directive to the 

Police to intervene in the 

affairs of the Edo State 

House of Assembly.” 

The embattled Speaker, 

who shared details of 

pending and concluded 

litigation having a bearing 

on the Assembly, said, 

the Federal High Court 

sitting in Port Harcourt, 

with Suit no. FHC/PH/CS/ 

159/19, gave a final judgment 

on September 19, 

2019, and held that the Assembly 

was properly inaugurated 

on June 17, 2019, 

and that the House is sitting 

and carrying out its 

functions.” 

He added that: “The 

Court also restrained the 

Governor of Edo State or 

any other person from issuing 

the second proclamation 

to restart the 

House. 

“Suit no. FHC/AB/CS/ 

1582/2019: Rt. Hon. Victor 

Sabor Edoror and 13 

others against Hon. Frank 

Okiye (The Speaker, Edo 

State House of Assembly 

and Anor. This is a suit 

filed by the then 14 member-elect 

of the Edo State 

House of Assembly, who 

refused to take oath of office 

and consequent upon 

which their seats were declared 

vacant by the 

Speaker of the Edo State 

House of Assembly. They 

filed this suit to challenge 

the declaration of their 

seats vacant by the Edo 

State House of Assembly. 

The case is still pending in 

Federal High Court No. 4, 

Abuja. 

“Suit No. B/81/OS/ 

2019: Rt. Hon. Victor 

Edoror and 2 others vs 

Hon. Frank Okiye and 

others. In this suit, the 

claimants who were members-elect 

of the Edo State 

House of Assembly, who 

refused to take oath of office, 

challenged the proclamation 

made by the 

Governor of Edo State to 

hold the first sitting of the 

House on the 17th day of 

June 2019 and election of 

officers of the House. This 

suit is currently pending 

before Hon. Justice S. A. 

Omonua. “From the foregoing, 

it is clear that all 

matters relating to the 

functioning or otherwise 

of the Edo State House of 

Assembly and/or its members 

are subjudice”, the 

Speaker added. 

Hindrance 

But Edoror said the issues 

in court were already 

being sorted out and could 

not be a hindrance to his 

assumption. 

He told Sunday Vanguard: 

“We that went to 

court can withdraw and 

they that went to court can 

also withdraw. We have two 

cases in court, the one they 

sued us for and the one we 

sued them for and the one 

that they sued. It was Hon 

Yekini Idiaye that went to 

court and he is here with 

us and I am the one that 

sued and I am here and 

since we have been inaugurated, 

arrangement is 

on to withdraw my case 

and arrangements are in 

place too for Hon Yekini to 

withdraw his case, once 

that is done, no litigation 

in court. But if they so wish 

that what we have done is 

not legal in their sight, 

they should go to court. We 

have been in court and we 

have been patient for one 

year and a half now.” 

Sitting 

According to him, they 

had begun sitting and 

would sit again on 

Wednesday. 

He said: “Business has 

started, we are ready for 

business because the legislative 

arm of government 

has suffered a great deal, 

and there has been no 

work since the beginning 

of this session. We have a 

lot of work to do, a lot of 

backlogs so we have started.” 

Edoror group 

However, while addressing 

newsmen, yesterday, in 

Abuja, PDP frowned on the 

directive to provide security 

for the Edoror group. 

Its National Publicity 

Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, 

said: “Perhaps, 

the Attorney General 

should be made aware that 

the said individuals have 

been absent for 180 days 

during which they abandoned 

their mandate and 

for which their seats were 

declared vacant in line 

with the rules of the legislature 

and the laws of the 

federation.” 

Tinubu 

The party also took a 

swipe at the National Leader 

of All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu, for likening Governor 

Obaseki to a dictator. 

Tinubu had described 

Obaseki as a dictator following 

the controversy 

that engulfed the House 

earlier in the week which 

culminated in the swearing-in 

of some memberelect 

outside the council 

chamber. 

Replying the former Lagos 

State governor, PDP 

said: “Our campaign notes 

that Asiwaju’s position 

also confirms allegations 

that some people in the 

APC are bitter with Governor 

Godwin Obaseki because 

he (Obaseki) refused 

to allow the APC cabal to 

have access to Edo treasury 

as well as his refusal 

to foist illegal levies and 

taxes on the people. 

“It is however imperative 

for leaders like Asiwaju 

not to allow himself to 

be dragged into putting 

personal and group pecuniary 

and political interests 

over and above the 

collective interest and 

wellbeing of the people of 

Edo State.” 

Oba Ewuare 

In a related development, 

the Oba of Benin, 

Oba Ewuare II, has said 

the palace has no preferred 

candidate, saying he 

is a father to all. 

The monarch said this 

when the National Caretaker 

Committee Chairman 

of the party, Governor 

Mala Buni, led a delegation 

to his palace. 

“There is nothing as 

powerful as prayers. As 

you go about your campaign, 

go about it peacefully 

and without bitterness. 

We remain non-partisan 

because of the laid 

down rules of our ancestors. 

We must be fathers to 

all. 

“We see every candidate 

as our child and we pray 

for everybody. It is wiser to 

leave the fate of the election 

to God. I am not 

against any candidate. I 

have never been for or 

against any candidate but 

when the people have chosen 

via the election, we 

will pray for him to succeed 

in office,” Oba 

Ewuare said. 

Speaking during the official 

commencement of 

the party’s governorship 

campaign, Buni said: “We 

are here to win and not to 

fight.” 

Presidency 

Also, the Presidency 

chided the PDP for condemning 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari for endorsing 

the party’s candidate, 

Pastor Osagie Ize- 

Iyamu. 

A statement by the Senior 

Special Assistant to 

the President on Media 

and Publicity, Mallam 

Garba Shehu, said the PDP 

lacked the moral justification 

to criticize the President’s 

action. 

The statement 

reads:”The Peoples Democratic 

Party which has 

been struggling to clear its 

name from alleged deals 

with the underworld in 

Dubai and the United 

States has, to our surprise, 

found the voice to attack 

the anti-corruption war of 

the Muhammadu Buhari 

administration following 

the President’s endorsement 

of Pastor Osagie Ize- 

Iyamu, the All Progressives 

Congress, APC’s dashing 

candidate for the governorship 

election in Edo 

State.” 


ASSASSINATION: Oshiomhole, 

Shaibu trade claims 

By Gabriel Enogholase 

AHEAD of the Edo 

State governorship 

election slated for September 

19, the deputy governor 

of the state, Comrade 

Philip Shaibu, has raised 

the alarm that some individuals 

have been recruited 

by some politicians to 

assassinate some people. 

A former governor of the 

state and immediate National 

Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress 

(APC), Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, dismissed the 

claim, saying Shaibu is 

scared of defeat at the 

polls. 

Shaibu is contesting the 

September poll as running 

mate to Governor Godwin 

Obaseki on the platform of 

the PDP after defecting 

from APC. 

Shaibu, who addressed 

journalists in Benin yesterday, 

said the names of the 

people and their mode of 

entering the state had been 

communicated to security 

agencies. 

He said, “We want to 

More winners emerge in 

Dangote Cement promo 

By Prince Okafor 

The on-going Dangote 

‘Bag of Goodies Season 

2 Consumer Promo’ 

has triggered excitement 

across the country as more 

winners continue to 

emerge, winning millions 

of Naira, goodies bags, 

and several other mouthwatering 

prizes. 

The company last week, 

sent credit alerts of One 

Million Naira each to the 

first three winners to 

emerge from the Dangote 

Cement Promo. 

This was in fulfilment of 

the company’s promise to 

make one thousand people 

millionaires, in its on-going 

“Bag of Goodies: Spell 

Dangote and win a Million 

Naira Consumer Promo, 

which commenced a few 

weeks ago. 

A bricklayer in Lagos, 

Mr. Adekunle Donald, 

said he is very excited 

about the promo and that 

he is expecting to win at 

least One Million Naira 

before the end of the promo. 

“Right now, I am very 

close to winning One Million 

Naira. I have some of 

the letters with me already, 

just waiting to get 

two more letters to complete 

the word “D-A-N-G- 

O-T-E” and become a millionaire,” 

he said. 

Adekunle disclosed that 

he has lost count of the 

numbers of recharge cards 

that he has seen so far inside 

Dangote Cement bags 

since the promo started. 

Medela partners Wellbeing Foundation on 

infant mortality, breastfeeding 

By Nnamdi Ojiego 

• Gbemi Saraki 

Medela Cares, a Unit 

ed States-based facility 

that supports moms 

and babies all over the 

world with medical vacuum 

solutions, says it is partnering 

with the Wellbeing 

Foundation Africa, WFA, 

to combat malnutrition 

and low breastfeeding 

rates in Nigeria. 

The partnership according 

to a statement, would 

focus on lactation care offered 

to mothers of Neonatal 

Intensive Care Units, 

NICU, infants. 

As part of this partnership, 

Medela and WFA 

would work together to 

improve the support offered 

to new mothers in 

bring to the notice of Edo 

people and the nation 

through our intelligence 

reports that certain people 

are now in the state 

courtesy of an opposition 

politician and their mode 

of entering has been communicated 

to security 

agencies and they have the 

information. 

“They are in the state to 

assassinate certain individuals. 

“We call on security 

agencies to investigate 

their activities and why 

they are in the state. I also 

call on President Muhammadu 

Buhari to call on 

security agencies to investigate 

the issue”. 

Oshiomhole, who spoke 

through his media aide, 

Victor Oshioke, denied the 

allegation, saying Shaibu 

was scared of defeat. 

He said: ”There is no 

truth in that. Why will he 

want to kill anybody? Oshiomhole 

contested election 

twice and he did not kill 

anybody. 

Continues on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

Nigeria by delivering 

NICU-specific education 

and training on the value 

of human milk and how to 

build sufficient milk supply 

for long-term breastfeeding. 

This work will involve 

frontline healthcare 

workers, nonprofit organizations 

and government 

agencies. 

Speaking on the rationale 

for collaboration, 

Founder and President of 

WFA and Former First 

Lady of Kwara State, Toyin 

Ojora Saraki explained 

that “Medela’s long history 

as a global player in 

breastfeeding research, 

products, technology and 

innovation is the perfect 

partner for Wellbeing 

Foundation Africa in our 

quest to improve Nigeria’s 

prevalence of breastfeeding 

and our focus on NICU 

support.” 

Also speaking, the Chief 

Executive Officer of Medela 

worldwide, Annette 

Brüls said research has 

shown that breast milk is 

critical for growth and 

overall health for newborns 

and a low-cost and 

highly effective intervention 

that could prevent infant 

death. 

Continues on 

www.vanguardngr.com


Foundation gives N40m to graduates of skill acquisition scheme 

By Ugochukwu Alaribe 

Connak Foundation 

has given out N40 

million to 50 persons 

trained in various vocations. 

Speaking at the official 

handover of cheques to the 

2019 Connak Foundation 

Youth Entrepreneurship 

Initiative graduates, the 

Chief Executive Officer of 

the Foundation, Mrs. Carol 

Emeka- Sunday explained 

that the beneficiaries 

were trained in various 

vocations such as Information 

Communication and 

Technology, leather works, 

fashion designing, auto 

mechanics, furniture making, 

confectionery and food 

processing. 

She stated that the gesture 

was a challenge for 

wealthy people to emulate 

the example of the organisation. 

While advising the beneficiaries 

to use the fund wisely, 

Emeka-Sunday disclosed that 

two of the beneficiaries received 

N2 Million while another 

4 and 13 persons got 

N1.5m and N1M each, respectively. 

Others received 

N750, 000, N500, 000 and 

N250, 000, respectively. 

National Water Resources Bill: Onuesoke urges Nigerians to 

reject legislation 

Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) chieftain, 

Chief Sunny Onuesoke, 

has urged Nigerians and 

lawmakers to reject the 

National Water Resources 

Bill 2020 being proposed 

by the House of Representatives. 

Onuesoke, who made 

the call in Kaduna, yesterday 

during a visit to the 

family of victims of Southern 

Kaduna bandits attack, 

revealed that the bill, 

if allowed to sail through, 

will vest the power over all 

water resources in the 

country in the executive. 

The former Delta State 

gubernatorial aspirant, 

appealed to freedom loving 

Nigerians to resist this 

move to grab the land around 

waterways for cattle herders 

by the Executive arm of government. 

The PDP chieftain, who described 

the bill as a plot to 

advance the interests of the 

cattle-herding population, 

recalled that the bill when first 

introduced last year by the 

Presidency had generated 

TopExec Platform has 

launched into the 

business of multilevel 

marketing in partnership 

with SuperLife, a health and 

fitness drug company. 

District Governor, Rtn Bola Oyebade performing 

tree planting ceremony and beautification / 

renovation of the Rotary peace park in Ikeja GRA 

with President, RC Canal Estate, extreme right, 

Rtn Ozurumba Maureen, Rtn Gabriel Aye, Anthony 

Golden second from right, Rtn Jellily 

Efedi and Rtn Vivian Ohaeri and others. 

controversy across the country, 

because of its desire to 

have the Federal Government 

take charge of lands and water 

resources in the country. 

According to him, “Even 

the Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, had raised 

concerns over the piece of legislation 

, wondering: Is this 

not the same Bill that generated 

controversy in the media”. 

TopEx 

opExec signs health, fitness pact with 

SuperLife 

Speaking in Lagos, Brand 

Ambassador of TopExec 

Platform, Mr. Curtis 

Adekunle, said the group’s 

aim is to push quality brands 

beyond borders, saying that 

the group opted for the 

partnership with SuperLife 

because the company offers 

in Nigeria the best of quality 

stem cells therapy, and that 

TopExec is poised to by its 

depth of professional 

marketing expertise, network 

SuperLife brands with more 

prospects and converts across 

the globe. 

He stated that the 

partnership also comes with 

benefits to both partners and 

sales representatives as 

SuperLife network will be 

strengthened, “the brands 

under SuperLife will get more 

attention from the public.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020, PAGE 9

PAGE 10 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020


What happened last Wednesday in 

your locality? 

In my place, Kurmin Masara, we 

lost 15 people. Kurmin Masara is divided 

into three and we are in the old Kurmin 

Masara. We have Atak’Mawei, Takwa Isah 

and Kurmin Masara. These are the areas 

we lost people. We lost three in Kurmin 

Masara. We lost 12 people in Takwa Isah 

and Atak’Mawei. That brings the number 

to 15. Before the attacks, there was 

a rumour that they were coming 

to attack us, using four groups. 

We were imagining how that 

could be possible, only to hear 

gunshots a few minutes past 

midnight. We wondered 

what could be responsible 

for the gunshots. We called 

different communities to 

know whether the 

attackers were the ones 

shooting, but they said 

no. Shortly after that, we 

started hearing more 

gunshots. It was strong 

and loud because they 

were using high calibre 

weapons. When we 

heard that, we knew they 

were attacking a 

neighbouring 

community, 

Apyia’Shyim, in Kibori. 

While going to render help, some of us 

were close to the area but learnt that they 

were already attacking our place. We had 

to return home to help the situation. 

What did you see upon returning home? 

When we got home, we saw that 

everywhere was burning. They set many 

houses ablaze. More than half of the houses 

in our place were burnt down. They burnt 

some people with their children inside their 

rooms. Some, after shooting them, they cut 

them with machetes. They removed the 

eyes of some victims and went away with 

them. Elsewhere, they killed seven people. 

A victim’s corpse was discovered yesterday. 

We had thought the number was six. After 

killing him, they removed several parts from 

his body and went away with them for ritual 

purposes. When they had succeeded in 

killing people and destroying houses, 

security agents came, distracted the 

attention of the people and brought three 

vehicles from Zango, where soldiers are 

camping and moved them out of the 

environment. In trying to escape, some of 

them who could not enter the cars left through 

a community, Magamia where they shot 

two people dead. These people were not 

even included in the number. Therefore, if 

we add this number, we may have up to 24. 

When the security agents arrived at Kurmin 

Masara, the attackers were hailing them. 

Instead of shooting them, they escorted 

them until they exited from Kurmin Masara. 

The security vehicle was giving them cover 

until they found an exit. The attackers came 

with cars that they used in carting away 

choice property. Before any house was 

burnt, they went in and selected the type of 

property they wanted. Up until now, we 

have not heard anything from government, 

especially Kaduna State government. They 

have neither condemned the attack nor 

sympathised with the people in the area. 

Government is doing nothing to help the 

situation. The happenings show that they 

are behind these people, who they said are 

on revenge missions. As a councillor, 

representing Zamando Ward, I am 

saddened by the situation. Wounded people 

are lying in hospitals without money to pay 

for hospital bills. Nobody is coming to their 

aid. 

How come the communities were 

overpowered even when you have local 

vigilante groups? 

The attacks were planned in such a way 

that even if a neighbouring community 

wants to assist another under attack, it won’t 

be possible. The attacks happened 

simultaneously so that people won’t be able 

to assist those in distress. They said they 

are going to return for another attack. They 

said those they targeted were not killed. 

•Yohana 

They have specific people they want to kill. 

We don’t know what we did wrong. We 

have been keeping them in our 

communities for decades without knowing 

that it would result in mass killing of natives. 

In fact, they put their belongings in some 

of the houses that were destroyed. The 

person that led the attack was the Ardo, 

Fulani word for a community leader, in our 

area, who left the community. He was 

staying in the community before. Those 

who were hiding in maize farms during the 

attack saw him. He has a younger brother, 

who came with him. Two other Fulani people, 

who were staying in the community, 

accompanied them for the attack. They led 

the attacks alongside mercenaries they 

invited. They know every route and exit. 

That was why they carried out the attacks 

with precision. 

You said the people who led the attacks 

were residing in your community. What 

could have made them attack the same 

people they had lived with and were they 

driven out of the community? 

Nobody drove them away. When they 

were leaving, the community told them not 

to leave. The community went as far as 

asking them why they were leaving but 

they didn’t give any reason. What really 

transpired on June 10, 2020, was what led 

to all these killings. They, Fulani, 

slaughtered one Chaweh indigene. His 

name is Yusuf Magaji. 

After the killing, people were busy 

searching for his corpse. When the corpse 

was found, we realised they were the people 

that killed him. When they knew that the 

corpse had been found, 

they started to run away 

because they knew what 

they had done. They knew 

the reaction that would 

follow. We tried to 

discourage them from 

leaving, but they refused 

and ran away. It was after 

they left that they returned 

to attack us. We can’t say 

what we have done to 

have warranted the 

killings. 

After the attacks, what 

is the situation in your 

community? 

There are people 

currently in the 

community, but some are 

moving out. As I am 

talking now, Friday 

evening, my wife has left 

for Kaduna because she was scared of 

staying back. Today, my mother and other 

family members are leaving. Since the 

CHILLING ACCOUNT OF S/KADUNA KILLINGS: 

They killed people, 

removed their eyes, other 

body parts — Survivor 

•Says attackers threatened to return 

The attacks 

were planned 

in such a way 

that even if a 

neighbouring 

community 

wants to 

assist another 

under attack, it 

won’t be 

possible 

By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor 

O 

ne of the survivors of last Wednesday’s attacks in some Southern 

Kaduna communities, Mr. Cleophas Yohana, in this exclusive 

interview, gives chilling details of the incidents. 

Yohana, a councillor in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of 

Kaduna State, says attackers mutilated the body of casualties and 

threatened to return. He also accuses security agents of providing cover 

for perpetrators despite the curfew imposed by the state government. 

•One of the destroyed houses in Kurmin Masara. 

•Another damaged house 

attackers said they are returning, many 

people are leaving. Only the men said 

they are going nowhere. They are staying 

back to defend their land. Some men are 

also running. We are not stopping those 

who have decided to leave. We are here 

and would secure our place by the grace of 

God. An audio message was 

released by the attackers. In 

the message, they said we 

would be driven away from this 

land. They said they would 

drive us away to Jos where we 

would meet our brothers. They 

added that even in Jos, they 

would attack us and slaughter 

us. The message is circulating 

on WhatsApp. The message 

was recorded in Hausa 

language. 

Where specifically are the 

displaced people now? 

Some are in our primary 

school. Some refused to go to 

Internally Displaced Persons, 

IDP, camps. They went to meet 

their relatives in the city while 

some are still wandering about. 

They don’t have anywhere to 

go. Some were calling me to 

come, but because of the number of visitors, 

I am receiving I have not done that. I will 

do so today. The community decided to 

bury the dead a day 

after the attack. I have 

pictures of the dead and 

burnt houses. 

Since it appears the 

place is not secure, 

what is giving you and 

others the sense of 

security to stay back? 

We have local 

vigilante groups who 

are moving around to 

see what they can do. 

The community is 

organising itself in 

such a way that we can 

secure the place. If we 

decide to run away, they 

would bring their cows, 

destroy our crops and 

do unimaginable 

things. Before leaving, 

they said they would 

return with their cows, 

settle there and see who 

would come and 

remove them. 

Southern Kaduna 

people have said 

severally that land is 

central to the killings. 

Is land also a major 

reason for this attack 

on your community? 

This is the first time 

they are attacking our 

community because 

they want to take our land. It won’t be possible 

for them. Their mission is to take over the 

land. They have been trying to buy farmlands 

in our place and our people have been 

refusing. They want us to agree so that they 

can be doing whatever they want to do and 

our people are not ready for that. We know 

the type of people they are. If you allow 

them, a million of them would come and 

occupy the community and you would no 

longer have a say in your place. The governor 

even said we don’t want to accommodate 

strangers in our villages. Such a statement 

can cause problems. It has further fuelled 

the crisis. What the Southern Kaduna Peoples 

Union, SOKAPU, President said is what is 

really happening. Laduga is part of Zangon 

Kataf. They removed a part and joined it 

with Kachia simply because they want the 

population of Muslims to be larger than that 

of Christians. They did it to ensure that they 

would have numeric strength over us during 

elections. By the time they add what they 

have in Zaria axis, they would have numeric 

edge over us. That is their target. The plan 

is to bring people here and give them an 

emirate because they don’t want to live under 

our kings. They don’t like people ruling 

over them. Anywhere they settle, they want 

to be the king of the natives. The promise 

that they would have an emirate is among 

the things making them embark on the 

killings.


Govt has strong disdain 

for S/Kaduna people 

—Sarki, community leader 

By Ibrahim Hasssan-Wuyo 

Danjuma Bello Sarki is a community 

leader in Southern Kaduna. In this 

interview, he speaks on the incessant 

killings in their communities. He looks at the 

matter from a historical perspective, saying 

the conflict centres on the quest for territories, 

political power and economic gains. 

What are the underlying issues in the 

Southern Kaduna crisis? 

The crises in Southern Kaduna are caused 

by different reasons. The underlying issues 

sometimes are of different dimensions and 

factors. Some of them are 

ethnoreligious, socio-political, 

traditional power control, 

sociocultural, territorial occupation 

for economic opportunities and 

agricultural resources. 

The crisis started from the 1940s, 

during the struggle for traditional 

power control by the people of 

Southern Kaduna from the 

Zazzau Emirate. Then the major 

cause was the quest for liberation 

and self-determination. 

In the 1980’s it snowballed into 

an ethnoreligious dimension. 

Most of the crises within that 

period were triggered by religious 

beliefs and differences. Though, 

tensions must exist within some 

mixed communities as a result of other 

sociocultural misunderstandings and 

suspicions, which easily escalate little 

squabbles into a huge crisis that sometimes 

results in violent attacks, killing of people and 

destruction of lives and properties. 

The Zangon Kataf crisis was a result of 

economic factors, due to the relocation of a 

market which was situated in a congested 

area, amidst residential houses and densely 

populated. This was viewed by a certain section 

as a ploy to strip it of economic control while 

the other side perceived it as an opportunity 

to site the market in a spacious and neutral 

area. 

Therefore, owing to the prevailing suspicion 

and mistrust that have existed between the 

people, instead of finding an amicable way of 

resolving the dispute, embers of war were 

fanned, whereby it degenerated into a serious 

violent crisis that claimed the lives of so many 

people. 

The 2000 Sharia and 2002 Miss World 

conflicts were both religiously and 

socioculturally motivated. 

Zangon Kafaf, Kaura, Sanga 

That of 2011 was politically 

engineered. It was a reprisal of the 

2011 post-election violence in 

Kaduna town where several people 

who are members or perceived to 

be supporters of Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, from Southern Kaduna 

and other parts of the state were 

killed and their properties 

destroyed, as a result of the defeat 

of President Buhari and his then 

political party, Congress of 

Progressive Change, CPC, by 

former President Goodluck 

J o n a t h a n . 

This again was twisted into 

ethnoreligious violence that claimed the lives 

of so many innocent and hardworking people 

of Kaduna State. The state became highly 

divided and polarised along ethnic, religious 

and political lines. 

After that period, various communities in 

Southern Kaduna began to experience 

widespread attacks by some criminally 

minded- Fulani herdsmen, which began in 

•Sarki 

Fadiya village at the House of the former 

District Head of Fadiya District in Zangon 

Kataf Local Government in 2011. From there, 

it spread to other villages also in Zangon 

Kafaf, Kaura, Sanga, Kauru, Jema’a Local 

Government Areas and others. 

Surprisingly, after the discovery and 

announcement of the deposit of “world-class” 

Nickel in Dangoma in Kaninkon chiefdom in 

August 2016, the area began to witness fierce 

attacks and counter attacks on Goska, 

Dangoma, Bakin Kogi, Golkofa, various 

Kaninkon and Fulani communities in 

November 2016. Since then, most of the conflicts 

in Southern Kaduna took economic and 

agricultural resource dimensions. 

What you hear now are invasion and sacking 

of villages and communities by armed militia 

group, farmers and pastoralists clash, cattle 

rustling, kidnapping and other violent crimes. 

They are centered on gaining economic 

advantage. 

The recent attack which started in Atyap 

land in Zangon Kafaf is equally attributed 

majorly to a land dispute, which inflated long 

time tensions and disharmony. 

How did Southern Kaduna people receive 

the reaction from the Presidency? 

I will tell you without equivocation that 

Southern Kaduna sees the reaction of the 

Presidency as most unfortunate, very irrational, 

so insensitive and bias. It was an obvious 

demonstration of failure of leadership and 

governance that has become the hallmark of 

the Buhari administration. It indicates that the 

government of the day is happy with the killings 

S/KADUNA KILLINGS: 

Nigerians should no longer be massacred 

on the altar of religion or tribe—CAN 

By Eric Ugbor 

It can 

easily be 

resolved 

if 

government 

is sincere 

in taking 

genuine 

steps 

B 

ishop Goddy Okafor is the Chairman 

of Christian Association of Nigeria 

(CAN) in the South-East. In this 

interview, Okafor speaks on insecurity in 

Nigeria using the incessant killings in 

Southern Kaduna as case study, the alleged 

marginalization of the South-East and other 

issues of national importance. 

What do you have to say about the 

incessant killings of Nigerians in Southern 

Kaduna? 

The killings going on in Southern Kaduna 

are very disturbing. We’re one people and 

we believe we’re one nation, but for the 

killings going on in Southern Kaduna to keep 

occurring without the Federal Government 

doing something drastic to stop it is very 

disturbing. So, we’re beginning to ask; is it 

that the Federal Government does not know 

what to do to bring peace to Southern Kaduna 

and stop the killings or they do not have the 

political will to stop them? 

Are you saying there’s no enough action 

by FG to stop the killings? 

These people that are being massacred in 

Kaduna are Nigerians like us all. Federal 

Government owes them a duty to protect 

them. The protection of lives and property is 

the responsibility of government. Every time 

killing happens, we blame it on bandits. So, 

we keep asking, these bandits, are they really 

human beings or spirits? If they’re human 

beings as we all have been made to know, 

why can’t our law enforcement agents go after 

them? Nigeria is a great country, but if we 

keep allowing things like this to persist, it 

will throw everyone into confusion and one 

will begin to ask, do I really belong here? 

Could it be that someone is interested in 

possessing the land belonging to Southern 

Kaduna people so they want to wipe them 

out and take over their land? So many 

questions need answers. 

Are the killings raising doubts among 

Nigerians on FG’s commitment in 

protecting them? 

Let them prove to Nigerians that there is 

no government connivance in these killings. 

Let them prove that FG is not in any way in 

support of what’s happening in Southern 

Kaduna. Everyday bandits with AK-47 will 

go into Southern Kaduna killing people and 

burning houses. They’ll finish and go freely 

and nothing will happen. When the Southern 

Kaduna people who are being killed say “let’s 

try and defend our land” and few of their 

men pick sticks, cutlasses or even dane gun 

to scare away the invaders, they’re the people 

government will go after. This is very 

disturbing and South-East CAN is 

uncomfortable with the killings and we’re 

calling on the FG to do their best and stop 

this. 

What’s the solution to the situation in 

Southern Kaduna? 

FG should do something as a matter of 

urgency. Action is the solution. When 

government keeps quiet on things like this, 

they’re simply telling citizens “you’re on your 

own”. See, what they’re telling every citizen, 

“defend yourselves against bandits, but if 

you’re found with a stick or cutlass you’ll go 

in for it”. Meanwhile, someone who is 

moving about with AK-47 is free and nobody 

goes after him. The solution is drastic action 

on the part of the FG. The governor of Kaduna 

State once said that he had meeting with 

those evil blood suckers destroying lives in 

Kaduna and even settled them at a time. So, 

if they know them, if they can hold meeting 

with them, why can’t they arrest them? Why 

can’t they do something drastic to stop these 

killings? Nigerians should no longer be 

massacred on the altar of religion or tribal 

differences. 

I have a farm and I was called by my 

caretaker to come and see what’s happening 

there. I was optimistic that I was going to see 

some fruits and get something good out from 

the farm. But when I got there, I saw how 

herdsmen brought their cows and damaged 

everything there. Even as we were tried to 

fence the place, they broke it down and 

forcefully moved in their cows. One is helpless 

here. Who do we call on and who do we run 

to? You want us to grow food, but you can’t 

help us secure what we put on our farms. 

This is really disturbing. 

Can the call by NAAS for the President to 

sack the Service Chiefs be part of the 

solutions to the killings? 

The recent call by the National Assembly 

for the President to sack the Service Chiefs is 

not the first time such calls have been made. 

If you watch our President’s body language, 

you’ll see that he’s not thinking along that 

line and that’s very disturbing. You ask 

yourself, is he waiting for everyone to die? 

Perhaps the people who are dead as far as 

he’s concerned are not Nigerians. If the 

President cannot listen to the National 

Assembly, at least he should listen to Nigerians 

and sack these Service Chiefs. We still have 

intelligent people in this country that can turn 

things around if given the opportunity serve. 

in Southern Kaduna. The Presidency is not 

ready to bring it to an end, reconcile the people 

and provide development to the people. 

Looking at the statement you wouldn’t find 

a line where the government condemned the 

heinous act or called for its stoppage. Rather, 

it justified it and also expressed hopelessness 

in resolving the crises or stopping the carnage. 

Since they claim it is politically-motivated 

banditry, revenge killings and mutual violence 

by criminal gangs who are acting on religious 

and ethnic grounds, it shows they know the 

perpetrators on either side. But rather than 

arresting and prosecuting them, they prefer 

to allow it to fester. Likewise, it is a tacit nod on 

the people to take laws into their hands by 

defending themselves or continue the killings 

and counter killings. 

For the Presidency to make that observation, 

one can say categorically that it is an admittance 

of its deliberate intention not to secure the lives 

and property of the people of Southern Kaduna 

How about government’s intervention? 

The intervention by past governments has 

been fantastic, effective and meaningful. Those 

past administrations showed genuine concern 

and took sincere measures to bring past crises 

to an end. But with the advent of the present 

government both at the state and federal levels, 

there is no longer sincerity of purpose or 

genuine efforts in nipping it in the bud. 

Emphatically, Kaduna State government kept 

politicising and fuelling it through the 

utterances, actions and inactions of the 

governor, Nasiru El-Rufai and some of his 

officials.There is no single condemnation of 

the dastardly act. 

It is on record that El-Rufai has a strong 

disdain for the people of Southern Kaduna to 

the extent that they don’t trust him any longer. 

At any given opportunity, instead of correcting 

that information, he keeps reinforcing it 

outrightly. More so, whenever there is an 

attack in Southern Kaduna, the present 

government at the federal level turns a blind 

eye. 

How can the crisis be resolved? 

Justice is key to human interaction. 

Government must ensure justice in carrying 

out its activities.It can easily be resolved if 

government is sincere in taking genuine steps 

that could lead to an amicable solution. 

Government needs to come clean. 

Read more on www.vanguardngr.com 

•Okafor 

Why should the Service Chiefs remain there 

while things have gone totally wrong? 

Nigerians had so much confidence in this 

President when he was about to be elected. 

That was why they gave him massive support. 

We’re still waiting for General Mohammadu 

Buhari to show us that he’s still the same man 

Nigerians voted for. 

Do you foresee changes in Nigeria health 

sector post this COVID-19? 

My worry is the rate at which our good and 

qualified doctors are leaving Nigeria for 

greener pastures in other countries. The 

Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has cried 

out to FG on several occasions that our best 

hands are leaving this country for better 

opportunities. Should FG keep quiet and allow 

them to continue leaving what’s the future of 

this country? So, I look at the rate our doctors 

are leaving this country, I get worried. We all 

are here seeing what happened during this 

coronavirus era. Government that could not 

build one standard hospital, because of 

COVID-19, every state suddenly woke up and 

we’re now in a hurry to have Isolation Centres 

everywhere. My question is, after COVID-19 

what next? Personally I can’t blame the doctors 

for leaving Nigeria. To be continued

Is it now Sai Baba and the 40 

thieves? (2) 

The first part of this 

series ended last 

week with the promise to 

start with facts already 

established. 

One of the indisputable 

truths in the book I am 

already writing is the fact 

that Oshiomhole and 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, after 

accepting Akpabio into 

their party, called all the 

leading members of APC in 

Akwa Ibom State and 

ordered them to turn over 

the party structures in the 

state to Akpabio and regard 

him as their leader. 

Akpabio, it was alleged, 

had convinced the two 

leaders that he could 

single-handedly deliver 

the state to the APC. 

Well, as the American 

circus master, P.T. Barnum, 

said, “A sucker is born every 

minute.” 

Oshiomhole and Tinubu 

actually believed Akpabio’s 

claim. 

But I could have told 

them free of charge that 

with the blunder, APC lost 

Akwa Ibom State which it 

could have won if the 

original leaders were left 

alone. 

More on that in the book 

which is now work in 

process. 

Oshiomole’s recruitment 

Email:biolasobowale@yahoo.com 

Phone Number: 08055069026 

Twitter:@DrDeleSobowale 

Instagram:delesobowalefranklyspeaking 

Website: www.delesobowale.com 

of Akpabio paved the way 

for his appointment as 

Minister. 

One must wonder why 

Buhari and APC chose to 

reward a person who lost 

every election including his 

own race for the Senate. 

That error and its 

consequences could have 

been avoided if any other 

candidate from Akwa Ibom 

had been made Minister. 

In reality, Buhari could 

not have made a more 

serious blunder if it was his 

intention to paralyse the 

NDDC which Akpabio 

supervises as Minister. 

Like a bad chess player, 

Akpabio allegedly 

persuaded Buhari to 

jettison the Board of NDDC 

which the Senate had 

approved and to replace it 

with an Interim 

Management Committee, 

IMC, whose legality is in 

serious doubt. 

We now know that among 

the measures taken by the 

IMC was to award N1.3 

billion to themselves and 

the staff of the Commission 

as “COVID palliatives”. 

So far, they have told us 

how much the IMC 

Directors and staff got. 

But the figures don’t add 

up. Somebody else not 

mentioned got some of it. 

Just as Buhari is 

responsible for 

Akpabio, the 

Minister is also 

responsible for 

the actions of 

the IMC he 

allegedly 

recommended 

for appointment 

and still defends 

And from sources inside 

NDDC, I know who. 

“How NDDC paid staff 

N655m for training, foreign 

trips during COVID-19 

lockdown…” PUNCH, 

July 25, 2020, p 14. 

Just as Buhari is 

responsible for Akpabio, the 

Minister is also responsible 

for the actions of the IMC 

he 

allegedly 

recommended for 

appointment and still 

defends. 

Now, the public knows 

that “the total cost of the trip 

was N85.6m paid to 14 staff 

members to travel to the 

United Kingdom…the 

travelers include the MD/ 

CEO, Prof (Daniel) Pondei, 

the Executive Director, 

Projects, Dr Cairo 

Ojuogboh, and another 

Director, Mr Luke Ibanga”. 

How any officials will 

travel to see students they 

have left stranded and 

turned to beggars is an 

unresolved mystery. 

How they flew out and 

returned during airports’ 

lockdown worldwide is a 

puzzle to unravel. 

One other enigma is why 

the Minister is defending 

the NDDC IMC. 

Last week I made it clear 

that despite the 

Your ailment is not your calling (2) 

By Bankole Ige 

‘’People who take 

responsibility for their own 

healing are the ones that 

heal the fastest…… and the 

ones who consider their 

ailment to also be a 

message and chance of 

improvement are the ones 

that overcome it the 

quickest.” 

In my endeavour to 

accompany Nigerians 

– particularly those of us 

that believe in natural 

healing through Ayurveda 

- on the path from disease 

to ease, I shall be writing 

on various pertinent topics 

related to natural healing 

using Ayurveda’s systems 

of healing. I assure you that 

my recommendations will 

be based on time tested 

traditions and healings of 

Ayurveda - India’s and 

surely one of the world’s 

oldest holistic (“wholebody”) 

systems of healing 

which is based on the belief 

that health and wellness 

depend on a delicate 

balance in the mind, soul 

and body. In fact, 

Ayurveda’s main goal is to 

promote good health, and 

not to fight disease, but 

treatments are geared 

toward specific health 

problems. 

Ayurvedic Approach To 

The Treatment of 

Asherman’s Syndrome. 

Asherman’s Syndrome 

(AS), is a rare acquired 

uterine condition that 

occurs when scar tissue 

(adhesions) form inside the 

uterus and/or the cervix. It 

is characterized by variable 

scarring inside the uterine 

cavity. In milder cases, the 

adhesions, which can be 

thick or thin, can appear in 

smaller areas of the uterus 

and in severe cases, the 

entire front and back walls 

of the uterus can fuse 

together or the scar tissues 

may be sparsely located or 

merged together. 

Signs And Symptoms of 


• Less flow of menstrual 

bleeding or intermittent 

menstrual bleeding. The 

cervix or lower uterus may 

block the menstruation 

resulting in less flow of 

menstrual bleeding 

• Increased cramps and 

pain during menstrual 

period and ovulation due 

to the result of blockages. 

• Asherman syndrome 

may also result in infertility. 

As the cervix is blocked, 

and uterus wall has shrunk 

hence no chances of 

conception. 

• Recurrent miscarriage 

Phases of Asherman 

Syndrome: 

Phase totally depend 

upon the range and 

thickness of the adhesion 

which is enumerated below: 

• Mild Asherman’s 

Syndrome:- when the 

adhesion are very thin and 

flimsy which can be 

removed with the help of 

thin instrument. 

• Moderate Asherman’s 

Syndrome:- In this phase, 

the adhesion is thicker and 

the strands of muscular 

tissue are mixed with 

fibrous tissue. 

• Severe Asherman’s 

Syndrome:- The adhesion 

becomes very thick, and 

there is severe damage of 

the endometrium. 

Causes of Asherman’s 

Syndrome 

• The main reason for the 

cause of Asherman’s 

syndrome is D&C 

procedure (dilation and 

curettage) done after 

pregnancy 

• Retained placenta 

which requires removal 

manually 

• It can be due to the 

cesarean delivery 

• In non pregnancy cases, 

overwhelming evidence 

that Buhari has failed in his 

war against corruption, 

there is no evidence 

available to me that he 

benefited from the alleged 

corruption going on. 

Buhari reminds me of 

President Shehu Shagari of 

the Second Republic. 

After an exhaustive 

inquiry by Buhari’s military 

junta, Shagari and his Vice 

President, the late Dr Alex 

Ekwueme, were totally 

exonerated from any taint 

of corrupt self-enrichment 

while in office. 

In the same manner, I 

want to declare that there 

is no credible evidence in 

my possession to think that 

Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo has so far 

benefited from corrupt 

practices. 

But the exoneration of the 

two leaders does not extend 

to their subordinates. 

Ranking higher than the 

NDDC in my league of 

corruption-ridden agencies 

of the FG is the Social 

Investment (aka 

Intervention) Programme, 

SIP. More public fund may 

have disappeared without 

trace through this 

programme alone in four 

years than in all the years 

of the NDDC or 

OMPADEC which it 

replaced. 

Like Buhari and Shagari 

before him, Osinbajo 

trusted his subordinates 

absolutely and gave them 

a free hand to operate. 

It was a grave error. 

If ever a comprehensive 

audit of the SIP is 

conducted, the likelihood is 

that it will reveal more 

rogues than Buhari could 

have imagined possible. 

Remember that silence 

always means consent. 

Below is what was written 

about SIP before. No 

A pelvic infection, 

unrelated to 

surgery can be 

reason behind 

Asherman’s 

syndrome 

Intrauterine surgery is 

performed to repair 

structural defects, discard 

fibroids or defects caused 

due to the use of birth 

control devices 

• A pelvic infection, 

unrelated to surgery can be 

reason behind Asherman’s 

syndrome 

• Another reason can be 

physiotherapy, as it can 

cause damage to uterus 

and adhesion formation 

• There are more chances 

to develop Asherman’s 

Syndrome in a recently 

pregnant syndrome than in 

non-pregnant uterus 

• Genital tuberculosis - a 

chronic disease with lowgrade 

symptoms. 

Ayurvedic Treatment of 


From Ayurvedic point of 

view, whenever vata is 

vitiated, it causes painful 

and irregular periods while 

pitta causes heavy 

bleeding, thereby causing 

hot flushes and irritability. 

Best remedy for the 

treatment of Asherman 


rejoinder has been 

received. None will ever 

come. 

‘SIP: POOR NIGERIANS 

SWINDLED AND NOW 

ABANDONED’ 

“It was beautiful and 

simple; as all truly great 

swindles are.” 

O. Henry, 1862-1910, 

VANGUARD BOOK OF 

QUOTATIONS p 239. 

“You cannot adopt politics 

as a profession and remain 

honest”. 

Louis McHenry Howe, 

1871-1936, VBQ p 192. 

Have you heard the great 

good and bad news 

delivered in one line of the 

2020 Budget presented by 

President Buhari? Well, let 

me tell you. The budget for 

the Social Investment (or 

Intervention) Programme, 

SIP, introduced to alleviate 

poverty, provides N5, 000 

per month for five million 

poor Nigerians, feed the 

nation’s school children 

and engage over 100,00 

graduates as teachers – 

among other promises – 

has been reduced to N38 

billion. That is part of the 

good news. 

From 2016-2018 and 2019 

respectfully, N500bn, 

N500bn, N500bn and 

N350bn were the budgets 

for SIP. 

The bad news is that 

without coming out and 

confessing it, Buhari and 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, after using 

the SIP gimmick to achieve 

second term, have now 

completely abandoned the 

poor people. 

No one can now deny 

that N38 billion cannot 

possibly help Nigeria’s 

nearly 100 million poor. 

The APC had used the 

alimajiris to win second 

term and, in its very first 

budget after the elections, 

Syndrome in Ayurveda. 

Ayurveda recognizes that 

there are some excellent 

herbs in offering solutions 

to the female problem such 

as Asherman Syndrome. 

There are products that 

have effective control of 

excessive discharge and 

painful menstruation. 

They help in the regulation 

of menstrual cycles; treat 

and very useful for irregular 

monthly cycles, painful 

menstruation, and 

premenstrual syndrome. 

and help make the uterine 

and endometrium muscles 

that wear out during period 

and miscarriage. 

In Planet Ayurveda, we 

offer effective herbal 

remedies such as: 

*Female Health Support 

*Chanderprabha Vati 

*Shatavari capsules & 

*Pradrantak Churna for 

ayurvedic treatment of 

Asherman’s syndrome. 

These herbal remedies 

are prepared from using 

best quality herbs and 

strictly follow the principles 

of Ayurveda. All these 

herbal remedies of Planet 

Ayurveda are 100 percent 

pure, natural and 

vegetarian. These are free 

from chemicals, additives 

and preservatives. These 

are safe to use as these are 

free from side effects. 

As Ayurveda explains, the 

imbalance of 3 energies- 

Vata, Pitta and Kapha 

(Kinetic, Thermal and 

Potential energy) in the 

body causes diseases. 

Synergistic work of herbs in 

this product controls 

had stabbed them in the 

back. 

There will be hell to pay 

for that. 

The entire episode 

actually now demonstrates 

how cynical and ruthless 

Nigerian politicians can be. 

Granted, only a fool will 

believe the utterances of 

those who take up a 

profession which in 

Nigeria has become a 

hybrid of prostitution and 

banditry. 

But, to toss out millions 

of people at the first 

opportunity after “stealing” 

their votes with false 

promises smacks of the sort 

of heartlessness seldom 

seen in Nigeria. Wahala 

will follow. Mark my 

words.” 

That was the prediction 

last year when Buhari 

presented Budget 2020. 

“There are only two 

families in the world; my 

old grandmother used to 

say: The haves and the 

have-nots. Miguel de 

Cervantes, 1547-1616, 

VBQ p 87. 

And BIG WAHALA has 

followed the unfulfilled 

promises. 

Instead of lifting millions 

of people out of poverty as 

Buhari promised on May 

29, 2015, he has added so 

many more millions to 

those he found in dire need 

such that Nigeria has now, 

during his tenure, become 

the Poverty Capital of the 

World. Consequently, all 

over Nigeria now, the 

have-nots have taken 

control – especially in the 

North – where bandits call 

governors in Kaduna, 

Katsina and Zamfara to 

negotiate the ransom 

government must pay as a 

condition for temporary 

peace. 

Continues on 


vitiated “Vata” and “Pitta”. 

It supports health of female 

reproductive organs. 

•BOSWELLIA 

CURCUMIN 

Boswellia-Curcumin 

Capsules are preparation 

of Planet Ayurveda is pure 

herbal amalgamation of 

Curcumin and Boswellia 

herbs holding therapeutic 

properties which brings 

reduction in inflammation 

and relieves pain. The 

effects of combination of 

these herbs are long lasting 

and permanent in any 

inflammation. Boswellia 

serrata and Curcuma longa 

are well known for their 

anti-microbial activity. All 

the medicinal features of 

this product has made it 

available for people as a 

right Ayurvedic Treatment 

for Asherman’s Syndrome. 

Herbs used in theses 

capsules are: 

Curcumin (Curcuma 

Longa) - Curcumin is the 

main active constituent of 

rhizome of Curcuma longa. 

Curcumin extract is potent 

herb in reducing the 

inflammation and pain. Its 

use has been made since 

ages in Ayurveda to 

increase immunity and 

combat any inflammation. 

It acts on all the three 

doshas, but specific to 

reduce mucus or Kapha. 

Curcumin has Cancer 

prevention, antiinflammatory, 

anti-oxidant, 

hepato-protective 

properties activities. 

Contines on 

www.vanguardngr.com


REOPENING RULES 

FOR THE RECORD: 

•Churches should allow 50 per cent of 

worshippers only at a time 

•Saturday and Sunday services should 

be kept between 1 and 2 hours. 

•Saturday services are strictly for 

churches whose main worship day falls 

on Saturdays 

•Worshippers should exit church 

premises not later than one hour after 

service/mass 

•Churches should be decontaminated 

before the first service of the day and 

after the last service for the day, while 

wiping of surfaces should be carried 

out after each service 

•No vigil is allowed in places of worship 

for now 

•Record of attendance should show 

name, age, sex, address and telephone/ 

email at every service for contact 

tracing in case of any discovery of 

infected/affected people 

•Washing of hands with soap and water 

is mandatory before entry into place of 

worship 

•Use of face mask is compulsory in 

church precincts 

•Use of hand sanitizers is compulsory 

•Worshippers above 65 years are 

discouraged from attending worship. 

However, should they attend, they should 

be given special considerations on the 

rows and positioning during worship 

services. 

By Sam Eyoboka 

Churches in Lagos State are 

reopening today after four 

and a half weeks of lockdown 

occasioned by the 

coronavirus pandemic. 

But while Catholics, Methodists, 

Anglicans and the leadership of 

Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, 

PFN, in the state are resuming 

services, two senior clerics, Pastors 

Tunde Bakare and Chris Okotie, are 

asking their members to continue to 

worship from home. 

The Federal Government had, on 

March 30, directed the cessation of 

all movements in Lagos and Ogun 

States as well as the FCT as part of 

the measures to curb coronavirus 

escalation in Lagos. 

Since then, worship centers in the 

two states have remained shut. 

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, 

penultimate Saturday, announced the 

reopening of worship centres in 

Lagos with effect from today but at 50 

per cent capacity. 

Lagos CAN Chairman, Apostle Alex 

Bamgbola, in a statement on behalf 

of heads of the five blocs of CAN, said 

the reopening was a loud testimony 

to the prayers of church leaders. 

Also reacting in a telephone chat, 

Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, 

Most Reverend Samuel Kanu Uche, 

expressed delight on the reopening 

of worship centers, describing the 

gesture as heart-warming. 

In a similar development, General 

Overseer of the Redeemed Christian 

Church of God, Pastor Enoch 

Adeboye, called on all members of the 

church to begin attending service 

today. 

Adeboye said although some 

services will continue to hold online, 

congregants must be physically 

present in church as it attracts more 

blessings. 

The cleric spoke in a video message 

•Bakare •Okotie •Ighele 

MASKED, 60-YR 

YR-OLD WORSHIPERS: 

Controversy as 

Lagos churches 

reopen today 

•Pastors Bakare, Okotie disagree with fellow clerics, govt 

•Guideline on aged people merely advisory —Bishop Ighele 

titled, ‘From Lockdown to Leaping Up’, 

saying people should not be deceived 

into thinking that attending service at 

home had become a permanent thing. 

On his part, the 

Serving Overseer of the 

Citadel Global 

Community Church, 

formerly known as Latter 

Rain Assembly, Pastor 

Tunde Bakare, directed 

members of his church to 

ignore the directive of the 

Lagos government on the 

reopening of worship 

centres. 

Bakare faulted the 

decision to reopen 

worship centers when the 

Nigerian Center for 

Disease Control, NCDC, 

projected that COVID-19 

may reach its peak this 

month (August), advising 

worshippers not to be 

“deceived by government 

or religious leaders”. 

“I have to appeal to you once again, 

Okotie said he 

decided to speak 

out now because 

mask is now 

graduating into a 

face shield which is 

a veil 

please keep safe and do your best to 

stay alive. Do not let anyone, whether 

religious leader or governmental 

leader, to drive you like 

a sheep to the 

slaughter,” Bakare said. 

“If they (government 

and the authorities) said 

that the month of August 

is going to be the peak 

of the infection, why 

should they ask people 

to rush in (re-open 

churches) again? 

“Please keep safe and 

do your best to keep 

alive by keeping all the 

necessary rules. We 

know that by the grace 

of God this pandemic, 

like the others before it, 

has an expiry date. It 

shall not see our end. 

We shall see its end in 

the mighty name of 

Jesus.” 

Earlier in June, the pastor had said 

his church will remain closed “until 

the coast is clear”. 

Also sharing his perspective, Okotie, 

who is Founder/Senior Pastor of the 

Household of God Church 

International Ministries, and who has 

accused Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, 

of playing a role in the spread of 

COVID-19, argued that going to 

church in veiled faces or masks 

amounts to mocking God. 

In a statement titled: ‘WHY WE 

CAN’T WEAR MASK IN CHURCH’, 

urged members of the Household of 

God Church not to resume service 

today. 

According to the superintendent of 

the Oregun, Lagos-based church in a 

28-minute voice recording sent via 

WhatsApp to his church members, 

wearing of masks or face shield was 

unacceptable. 

Citing Bible references, the pastor 

said “for Christians to wear any type 

of mask or face shield to church is to 

reintroduce the veil which was torn the 

moment Jesus died on the cross.” 

He said with the tearing of the veil, 

there is no longer separation between 

God and His people, warning that 

wearing of masks would reverse the 

order. 

According to him, he didn’t initially 

discuss the mask in his earlier 

broadcast on the Covid-19 mystery 

because he was waiting for its full 

manifestation. 

Okotie said he decided to speak out 

now because mask is now graduating 

into a face shield which is a veil. 

“When a man is standing before God 

in church wearing a shield or mask, 

he is denying the finished work of the 

Cross”, he said, adding that most 

Christians do not understand the 

implications, thinking it is just a 

medical requirement. 

He added that we can’t rush to God 

just because we love to worship. 

“We must only follow the protocols 

outlined in the Bible, not any directive 

that violates the basic tenets of our 

faith,” the pastor insisted. 

The televangelist took his audience 

through a theological voyage, saying: 

“If you look at the progression of the 

evolution of mask, you will notice that 

it progressed from just being a mask 

covering your nose, mouth and the 

area to becoming a face shield which 

is what a veil is. 

“Why that is relevant is because the 

veil is found in the scripture and it 

represents something very profound 

and that is what I want to mention.

INEC’s new election viewing 

portal is great but…. 

One does not have to 

be critical of 

Nigeria’s electoral 

commission to loathe the 

fact that Nigeria has never 

had a free and credible 

election in her history. The 

only one that was globally 

accepted to be close to 

international standards - the 

June 12, 1993 Presidential 

election, was annulled 

making it difficult for it to 

be officially relied upon. 

Before and after 1993, the 

same impediment that has 

thwarted every election in 

the country has subsisted at 

varying degrees. That 

impediment has been the 

antics of the nation’s 

political class described by 

the famous Supreme Court 

Justice Babalakin as the 

chief perpetrators of 

electoral malpractices in the 

country. The situation has 

not changed as some wellmeaning 

Nigerians are, 

now and again, appointed 

to superintend our 

convoluted electoral 

system. Consequently, 

each time the electoral body 

introduces a new device to 

monitor and check-mate 

strategies invented by 

election riggers, the latter 

are always able to 

PhD,Department of 

Philosophy, 

University of Lagos 

08116759758 

opuruiche2000@gmail.com 

n the last three weeks, 

I attempted to answer 

the deceptively simple but 

pregnant question: Was the 

amalgamation of northern 

and southern Nigeria in 

1914 a mistake? The 

nuanced conclusion that 

emerged at the end of my 

inquiry was that although 

the amalgamation was very 

beneficial to Britain and 

northern Nigeria, it was 

hugely disadvantageous 

and stifling for the Igbo, the 

Yoruba, and their southern 

neighbours. Britain 

configured the country in a 

manner that gave northern 

region more landmass than 

the eastern and western 

regions combined. More 

significantly, the colonial 

master kick-started the 

entrenchment of Fulani 

caliphate colonialist 

domination of political 

power at the centre since 

independence by handing 

power over to Sir Tafawa 

Balewa, a move that 

retarded the developmental 

aspirations of southern 

peoples. According to 

Emefiena Ezeani in his 

thought-provoking book 

entitled In Biafra Africa 

Died: The Diplomatic Plot, 

there is abundant evidence 

for the conviction especially 

amongst Ndigbo that had 

the former eastern region 

overwhelm the 

arrangement. It is against 

this background that we 

welcome with some 

apprehension, the decision 

of INEC to introduce a new 

device that may redress the 

situation whereby election 

results in Nigeria are 

hardly consistent with the 

votes cast. 

Four days back, the 

election umpire decided to 

introduce a dedicated 

public portal to enable 

Nigerians to view Polling 

Unit results as soon as 

voting ends in each centre. 

In other words, in addition 

to the only legal INEC 

result sheet, known as 

Form EC8A, the 

commission has arranged 

for a People’s Form EC8A 

which enables citizens to 

view a replica of the official 

result. It is a great device 

that INEC has now 

scheduled to use in the 

Nasarawa Central State 

Constituency bye-election 

of yesterday August 8, 

2020, before extending it to 

the forthcoming Edo and 

Ondo governorship 

elections. We need to note 

however that this 

innovation is really not new. 

Earlier, INEC had 

Justification for resuscitating the 

sovereign state of Biafra (1) 

been allowed to exist as an 

independent Republic of 

Biafra to this day, it would 

have rivalled or probably 

surpassed Singapore or 

South Korea and become 

the pride of the black race. 

Of course, due to the 

tremendous support 

Nigeria received mostly 

from Britain, Russia, Egypt 

and Spain, Biafra was 

defeated after about three 

years of hard fighting that 

cost over three million 

Biafran lives. In this 

connection, only an 

emotionally frozen evil 

person would read about 

how Britain and a few 

countries actively 

participated in the 

genocide against Biafrans 

without being morally 

appalled that such 

wickedness was condoned 

by the same countries that 

fought tenaciously to 

safeguard Europe from the 

madness of Adolph Hitler 

and Benito Mussolini. But 

then, history is replete with 

such monstrosities, a 

testament to the fact that 

human beings can manifest 

a level of bestiality 

unmatched by any other 

creature on this planet. As 

a continuation of my critical 

engagement with the 

present political 

uncertainties in Nigeria, I 

introduced it in the form of 

a Poster pasted at each 

Polling Unit at the end of 

counting, recording and 

announcement of votes at 

that level, but it had to be 

discontinued when people 

began to photograph it and 

add to others obtained 

elsewhere to arrive at 

winners. Such attempt at 

election collation is 

dangerous because it can 

contradict figures officially 

released after appropriate 

moderation at collation 

centres unknown to the 

self-appointed collators. 

While agreeing with INEC 

that the new device can 

increase the credibility of 

elections, we are not 

persuaded that our 

‘desperados’ will allow it to 

be properly employed. 

To start with, because not 

much has been done to 

appropriately penalize 

electoral infractions in 

previous elections in the 

country, desperate 

politicians are not deterred 

from abusing any 

innovation. In the area of 

heated polity amidst failure 

to attain a level playing 

field in electioneering 

campaigns, we have seen 

all the failed attempts to 

stop political fake news and 

hate speech. During the 

military era, the police was 

empowered to deal with 

that at public rallies, but in 

the recent past, it is only 

media organizations which 

transmit such unacceptable 

statements that are fined. 

Nothing is done to the 

politicians who have ample 

funds to spend and who 

simply provide more than 

enough to settle the fines 

thereby empowering 

will present arguments to 

justify the quest for the 

resurrection of a sovereign 

Republic of Biafra which, 

mutatis mutandis, means 

that such reasoning can also 

be used to support the 

quest for self-determination 

by any ethnic group or 

collection of interconnected 

ethnic groups in the 

country. Now, it is clear to 

those who value justice, 

equity, and truth that the 

way Nigeria is structured 

and governed at the 

moment is very 

unsatisfactory and cannot 

work because there are 

serious congenital 

abnormalities in her DNA 

which would require 

radical genetic 

engineering to correct. The 

most popular proposals in 

this regard, namely, 

restructuring and Igbo 

presidency project for 2023, 

are cosmetic and do not 

address the root causes of 

our problems. Only 

confederation or peaceful 

dismemberment can 

resolve the perennial 

National Question on a 

long term basis by 

providing the foundation 

upon which geographically 

contiguous and historically 

cum culturally related 

ethnic nationalities can 

build viable countries for 

themselves without being 

asphyxiated in a highly 

centralised administration 

dominated by members of 

another ethnic group. 

Those still insisting 

dogmatically on One 

Nigeria are poor students 

of history either benefitting 

from the current gravely 

flawed system or are 

intellectually dishonest and 

sections of the media to 

breach the laws on political 

communication. If it is in 

the area of law enforcement, 

the same class, the 

politicians, compromise all 

law enforcement agencies 

such that electoral 

malpractices continue 

It is difficult to imagine 

that simple devices 

such as election 

viewing portal, will not 

be exploited to give 

room for greater threats 

to free, fair and credible 

elections 

unhindered. In the 

circumstance, it is difficult 

to imagine that simple 

devices such as election 

viewing portal, will not be 

exploited to give room for 

greater threats to free, fair 

and credible elections. 

In times past, some 

candidates and their parties 

believed that the judiciary was 

well placed to reverse election 

results obtained by fraud or 

some other fake 

arrangements. In the last few 

years however, it is only those 

who obtain victory in the 

courts that hail the judiciary 

as the last hope of the 

common man. But then, we 

can’t really blame the 

increasing lack of faith in how 

election petitions are resolved 

which tends to make people 

believe that the technical 

justice obtained in courts do 

not represent the real wishes 

of the people. A good example 

is the case of the governorship 

Freedom of speech 

without fear of 

reprisals by 

government is a 

basic right of civilised 

human beings 

lacking in creative 

imagination. Ultimately, 

two things will happen: 

either the Fulani (with the 

support of Britain and 

multinational companies 

involved in lucrative 

contracts in Nigeria) would 

eventually succeed in their 

planned conquest of the 

whole country or “Niger 

Area” will break into a few 

independent countries that 

might later decide to form 

a confederation of nations. 

Most Nigerians who 

genuinely think that it is 

time to jettison the British 

colonial amalgam for either 

confederation under a new 

name like Songhai or 

complete dismemberment 

are afraid to state their views 

publicly due to the 

repressive attitude of the 

Buhari government to 

serious criticism, no matter 

how justified or well-argued 

such dissenting opinions 

might be. Nevertheless, for 

those that genuinely 

cherish democracy despite 

its shortcomings, any 

country in which leaders 

use authoritarian methods 

to prevent citizens from 

freely expressing wellargued 

opinions, including 

views that not only criticise 

the leaders themselves but 


election in Osun State where 

a candidate generally 

believed to be the preferred 

choice of the people lost 

because one of the members 

of the Tribunal that ruled in 

his favour was alleged to have 

been absent on one occasion 

during the trial. It is therefore, 

not enough for INEC to 

introduce new devices to stop 

election rigging while other 

institutions who have roles to 

play in an election are doing 

nothing to stop a recurrence 

of the exploitation of 

loopholes in their own 

arrangements. For instance, 

what new devices have the 

police evolved to improve the 

enforcement of electoral law? 

Each time we have an 

election in a state, the police 

will announce the deployment 

of well-over 20, 000 

operatives to the relevant 

venues and talk tough on the 

level of their preparedness to 

combat any breach, yet during 

the process, undesirable 

elements appear and disrupt 

the system without hindrance. 

Sometimes, they destroy 

some materials and run-away 

with others in public glare 

without challenge. Our 

premise therefore is that it is 

only a Polling Unit where 

election was properly held 

that can produce authentic 

results sheets before a socalled 

People’s form EC8A 

can be generated as a replica 

for public viewing. Otherwise, 

the INEC innovation would 

only remain a theoretical 

supposition. On the other 

hand, the situation would be 

different if those who are to 

complement the work of the 

electoral commission are also 

thinking ahead in line with 

best practices in other 

jurisdictions. The Judiciary 

for example needs to work out 

also question the 

foundations on which the 

country was built, is 

unworthy of genuine 

patriotism from the people. 

The essence of democracy, 

according to the Vienneseborn 

British philosopher, 

Karl Popper, is the 

opportunity it offers for 

healthy critical debate and 

non-violent periodic 

replacement of one set of 

people running the 

government with another. 

Implicit in the Popperian 

theory, therefore, is the 

power of the people to 

determine their political 

future, including the 

demand for selfdetermination 

if existing 

political arrangements are 

not delivering security and 

well-being to them. This 

leads us to consider the socalled 

hate speech bill 

which, according to media 

reports, stipulates an 

outrageous fine of 

N5million for anyone 

convicted of the “offence.” 

It is disgraceful that 

members of the National 

Assembly who ought to 

protect the basic freedoms 

of Nigerians and top 

government officials like 

Lai Mohammed whose 

vituperations against 

previous administrations 

can be classified as hate 

speech in line with the new 

bill would introduce and 

support such a horrible 

piece of legislation cloned 

from the obnoxious Decree 

4 of 1984. The main danger 

with that bill is its inherent 

arbitrariness and openness 

to abuse by those in power, 

given that what they might 

consider as hate speech 

could as well be a bold 

strategies for dealing with 

elections without derogating 

from the features of 

democracy to arrive at a 

ruling. Indeed, the case of the 

last Imo State governorship 

election where the winner 

ended up with more votes than 

voters has remained a 

mockery. That case showed 

the judiciary to have ventured 

into election operations 

without the required technical 

expertise in the process 

thereby making the mistake 

of simply adding up votes to 

get a total sum which in an 

election is essentially a 

dependent variable. 

The new INEC election 

viewing portal is great only if 

it is part of global realities in 

the conduct of elections. 

Today, there is world-wide 

consensus that technology is 

the redeeming feature of 

humanity. Those who 

discountenance this reality 

live in the analogue past where 

productivity is encumbered by 

diminishing returns. So can 

we have an INEC that 

introduces a modern portal 

within its obsolete 

framework? Just before the 

2019 election, the legislature 

produced an amendment to 

the electoral act that would 

have rescued INEC’s 

operations from 

obsolescence, but it didn’t 

become law because it was 

said to have come too late 

to the election. For more 

than a year now, we have 

had ample time to 

represent the amendment 

but it has not been done 

because some people who 

usually gain from the old 

system wouldn’t allow it. 

This is why we welcome 

INEC’s innovation but with 

a high degree of 

trepidation. 

unadulterated statement of 

fact by critics. As I 

adumbrated a moment ago, 

Lai Mohammed and many 

politicians supporting the 

hate speech bill would 

have been in serious 

trouble if such a law was in 

place during Jonathan’s 

presidency. Besides, they 

should realise that no 

government in the world 

has ever succeeded in 

stifling completely people’s 

right to freedom of speech. 

It follows that the 

legislation is unnecessary 

and out of tune with 

democracy properly so 

called. Given the 

ephemeral nature of power, 

sometime in the future they 

might be victims of the 

rubbish they are 

championing now. 

Freedom of speech without 

fear of reprisals by 

government is a basic right 

of civilised human beings. 

To be clear, the bill in 

question cannot stop 

responsible Nigerians from 

speaking out against bad 

government policies and 

actions. How is responsible 

democracy possible without 

freedom of speech? 

Sentiments aside, and 

ignoring the tiny 

percentage of agbata ekee 

politicians together with 

their cronies across the top 

social strata reaping 

handsomely from the 

colonial contraption and 

clamouring for the 

continuation of One 

Nigeria, it is obvious that 

the country is a depressing 

example of contemporary 

black man’s failure in 

nation-building. 

To be continued


•Chisom Steve 

BBNaija 2020: 

Romantic emotions 

will kill the game 

—Uti Nwachukwu 

By Sylvester Kwentua 

inner of the 2010 Big Brother Africa 5 All- 

WStars and Nollywood actor, Uti Nwachukwu 

has joined those criticizing the high level of 

sexual immorality being exhibited by the current 

housemates of this year’s edition of the Big 

Brother Naija, lockdown. 

Taking to his official Twitter handle, the 2012 Mode 

Men Awards "TV personality of the Year” winner 

wonders why the housemates of the BBNaija 

Lockdown are more interested in romantic exploits 

than working to win the money. 

“Romantic emotions will kill the majority of these 

#BBNaija Housemates. I just don't understand 

why a lot of them have lost the plot! This isn’t 

ultimate love for heaven’s sake. Some of the guys 

dey fall hand (are disappointing me). If it’s not 

Erica they're obsessed about, it’s Nengi. For 

where 85M dey o.” Uti tweeted. 

Uti rose to limelight in the entertainment 

industry after he won the All-Stars season of 

Big Brother Africa in 2010. Before his big win, 

he had featured on the Nigerian reality TV 

show, the Next Movie Star, where he came 

second. He also worked in the bank for a while, 

before he started participating in reality 

shows. In 2008, he participated in the Big 

Brother Africa 3 reality show and was the third 

housemate to be evicted. He gained a huge 

fan base, so he returned to the house in 2010 

and was known as the housemate who 

always teased other housemates. At the end 

of the show, he emerged as the winner and 

was awarded a cash price of $200,000. 

•Christabel 

Egbenya 

For me sex is sacred, 

spiritual 

Asaba-based •Georgina Ibeh 

budding Nollywood actress, Chisom Steve 

started her journey in the movie industry as a child actor 

in 2013. And going by her rising profile and antecedents 

in the last seven years she's not exactly a rookie. 

In a recent one-on-one with Potpourri, the sultry 

undergraduate of Caritas Private University, 

Enugu, let off a hint that she may still be a fresh, 

untapped item when it comes to sexual matters 

going by her response on the question of sex. 

She didn't make much bones about it but it 

does appear there is a hidden message in 

her summation. 

“Sex for me is sacred and spiritual, to 

be engaged only in marriage which is 

the best institution built in Christ. When 

it comes to relationships for me, it must 

be decent. And being sexy is a 

compliment and yes, a woman ought 

to be proud of her body, I don't know 

•Uti 

Nwachukwu 

T 

—Actress, Chisom Steve 

here have been questions, many 

yet unanswered, about what it 

takes for a woman to be a good 

housewife. Recently, Potpourri 

posted a poser on its WhatsApp 

Status about qualities to look out 

for when searching for a good 

wife and it turned out to be a 

debate of sorts. 

One of the people that 

responded is Edo State-born 

Nollywood actress, Christabel 

Egbenya, and her argument 

hinged on the women's love for 

money. 

“I can say women who don't 

like money too much make the 

best wives. When a woman is 

about flaunting it,” she had said when asked of her 

opinion on sex, relationship, marriage and sexiness. 

Chisom, unlike most actresses, admitted that acting 

pays her bills and gives a bit of an insight to the 

challenges she has surmounted to be relevant. 

“My career has been defined by a lot of challenging 

roles I have played. There's one that took me days under 

the rain literally to film and naturally I don't like going 

under the rain. It was a horrible experience but it turned 

out to be one of my best, but giving up every other thing 

to pursue this career has been my biggest sacrifice. Yes, 

acting is lucrative, and it pays my bills so far. And 

another experience I can't forget is playing the role of a 

tomboy, it is totally outside my natural characteristics,” 

she said. 

According to Chisom, her high point so far remains 

the day she received an award for one of her films in the 

'Most Promising Actress' category at BON AWARDS 

2017. 

She has only produced one film of her own “My 

Beautiful” but featured in over 20 films. 

Women who don't like money make 

best wives —Christabel Egbenya 

By Sylvester Kwentua 

igerian radio personality, Toolz, whose real name is 

NTolu Oniru, believes men can cook but are just too 

lazy to do so. She made this assertion on Twitter. 

“90% of men can cook but they are too lazy to 

cook”. Toolz tweeted. 

Toolz, it will be recalled, early this year, tweeted 

that men cheat because there are many women 

willing to give themselves to a man who doesn’t 

belong to them. 

Toolz was born in London in 1982 and 

currently anchors a program on a popular 

radio station in Lagos. She was one of 

the judges at the 2011 and 2012 

Channel O Music Video Awards. 

not obsessed with money, simple things 

satisfy her. She doesn't give the man 

headaches and most vain things of life 

don't impress her. I'm not saying she 

mustn't like money but not to obsession. 

Such women bring security and peace to 

their homes,” she argued. 

Christabel, who is the Chief Executive 

Officer of Labell Beauty World situated 

in Enugu, told Potpourri, she has 

survived alone without any man in the 

picture. She believes a woman should 

make her own money and not depend too 

much on the husband. 

Christabel hit the limelight after her 

exploits in "Room 202", "Kingdom of 

Pleasure" and "King's Throne". 

90% of men can cook but 

too lazy —Toolz 

Love me or leave 

me — Georgina 

Ibeh 

ast-rising Nigerian actress and 

Ffilmmaker, Georgina Chineye Ibeh, has 

finally decided to conquer her fears of losing 

people she loves. She was able to achieve 

this, according to her, after she sat down to 

wonder if people she loved were also scared 

of losing her. This much she made known 

recently through an Instagram post she 

made. 

“I used to be scared of losing those I really 

love until I asked myself the Big Question; 

Are they also scared of losing me? Love me 

or leave me!” Georgina blasted. 

Gina, as she is fondly called, came into 

the industry in 2007 and she has featured 

in several TV series and movies like: 

Superstory, The Benjamins, 2 sides of a coin, 

The Patriot, College Boys, National Crisis, 

Kukere Babes, Blackberry Babes, Bella's Place, 

About to Wed, This Life, Private Storm, God 

of Shiloh, Love and Lust, amongst others. 

•Toolz

SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020,PAGE 17 

INSECURITY: 

Nigeria is being governed by its 

second eleven – Sule Lamido 

•Says APC will die in 2023 when Buhari leaves office 

•Narrates how Wike foisted ‘eaglet’ leadership on PDP 

By Olalekan Bilesanmi 

Remember Alhaji Sule Lamido? He was Foreign Affairs Minister under the Obasanjo 

administration. He later went to become a two-term governor of Jigawa State. 

After that, Lamido aspired to be Nigeria’s President on the platform of the People’s 

Democratic Party, PDP. But in this interview, the veteran politician claims his quest 

for the presidency led to some politicians viciously coming after him. He speaks on 

the state of the nation. 

Let’s start from the statement 

by Governor Nyesom Wike of 

Rivers State against your party, 

PDP, that the NWC members are 

tax collectors, apparently 

referring to the way Governor 

Godwin Obaseki of Edo State got 

the ticket to contest the Sept 19 

governorship election on its 

platform. 

I don’t like discussing the specifics 

of the character of people. But then, 

for instance, if Solomon Lar, Gemade 

or Audu Ogbeh were the Chairman, 

do you think they would be called tax 

collectors? If Wike called them tax 

collectors including the Chairman, I 

mean the Chairman is Wike’s 

invention; he is Wike’s boy… In any 

case, if you look at the PDP as a history, 

heritage, institution, the party which 

produced three Presidents, Olusegun 

Obasanjo, Musa Yar’Adua and 

Goodluck Jonathan, the party which 

produced government for 16 years, 

which produced so many governors 

and lawmakers, both at the state and 

federal levels, so many council 

chairmen and ambassadors, with this 

huge history behind it, and you talk 

about the capacity, ability, and the 

party is presently being led by eaglets. 

So, the PDP is led, at best, by what 

you can describe as the youth wing of 

the party. Whatever Wike might have 

said, he may not be at fault. Because... 

Whatever Wike said you think 

isn’t a slap on the party? 

Wike can be right 

because if you look at it 

and extend it from the party 

to Nigeria where you have 

institutions and the 

Federal Government in 

terms of performance, 

capacity and service 

delivery and the level of 

governance we have had, 

then you will know that 

Nigeria is being governed 

and led its second 11. On 

the other hand, look at the 

PDP which has produced 

the likes of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Atiku 

among others, and the current leaders 

managing the affairs of the party, you 

could see obviously that the party is 

now being run by the eaglets of the 

party and not by the seniors. Secondus 

is a product of Wike. I am saying this 

with all honesty. I mean no disrespect. 

And then in terms of their exposures, 

experience, age, certainly for them to 

lead a party where people like 

Obasanjo, Atiku and others have 

operated, it means people would 

expect high caliber leaders to tackle 

APC, but as it is, the two groups, the 

government running the country and 

the party as opposition, are operating 

at the same frequency. They are all 

grossly inadequate to lead Nigeria as 

a political party or as a government if 

you look at what Nigeria is in terms of 

our history. 

As an elder statesman among 

others, what are you doing to 

change the narrative? 

I agree with you that the BoT, whose 

members are the conscience of the 

party and whose integrity and political 

profile, should guide the party…it is 

so difficult to explain. We made big 

mistakes as PDP. 

How so? 

We made mistakes because who 

brought APC into power? So, we have 

a problem because I have been saying 

Buhari government is PDP 

government but deformed PDP. It’s just 

like me now, one part of me is 

deformed PDP and the other is 

deformed APC. So, the deformed PDP 

parades some of the finest leaders who 

the PDP honored, dignified and trusted 

but who went and joined the APC to 

defeat the PDP. Everybody at that time 

was angry about PDP. So we left PDP. 

So, this government is a creation of the 

PDP. To correct the mistakes, we need 

to purge ourselves of the sins. Those 

who left PDP should also purge 

themselves of the sins because it all 

about Nigeria today. So, it means all 

of us have been pursuing political and 

personal interests and not national 

interest. If you don’t get it, you can 

abandon the party 

and pursue the other 

party. So it means you 

So, the APC 

came with no 

ideas, the only 

thing they had 

in excess is evil 

are willing to harm 

Nigeria. Ideally, we 

should suppress our 

interests and rally 

behind Nigeria, 

promote Nigeria and 

actualize our mission. 

But by the time we 

pursue our personal 

interests, we are 

leading and Nigeria is 

following. And you 

now have insurgency, kidnapping and 

a country divided. 

You were in government for 

eight years. You set up some 

legacy projects that should still 

be standing… 

You see, we are not talking about me 

as an individual or my government but 

we are talking about Nigeria. The PDP 

did very well, the railway lines, 

highways, the airports. The PDP 

government was a government of 

ideas. Whatever this government is 

doing is all based on the foundation of 

the PDP. In terms of infrastructure, 

economy, security, bond between 

brothers and sisters, harmony between 

the regions, religions and tribe is not 

there anymore. It means our political 

chemistry is terribly distorted. We are 

talking in general terms, all of us, 

those in government, nobody is happy. 

Any regret that you lost power 

in the state? 

No, no, no. You see the people of 

Nigeria have the power and right to 

change the government as and when 

they want. 

Whether rightly or wrongly? 

The right is certified under freedom; 

therefore, you are free to be stupid. It’s 

your right to be stupid. There should 

be no any regret from an individual in 

terms of politics because the right to 

confer authority or withdraw it is in the 

people. 

So, if the Nigerian people fell into 

the APC propaganda that for the 16 

years that PDP ruled, it was all looting 

and nothing was done even though 

they found new, modern airports in 

Abuja, Kano, Enugu and others under 

Stella Oduah, highways, power 

projects, it is most unfortunate. So, the 

APC came with no ideas, the only thing 

they had in excess is evil. They 

unleashed pains on Nigerians. So, it’s 

for the people to make a choice, if PDP 

had not joined APC to support the latter 

in the 2015 elections, they would not 

have won. Recall the previous 

elections, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, 

if you had combined all the parties 

together, they could not defeat PDP. 

So, you don’t believe the 

merger of different parties that 

make up APC brought it to power? 

No, no, no. The merger was a barren 

woman without PDP members coming 

to fertilize it. No matter what they did 

under the merger, there was no way 

they could have won the Federal 

Government. 

What is your take on the clamor 

for the sack of Service Chiefs 

because of the deteriorating 

•Lamido 

security in the country? 

I don’t know why people forget so 

easily. You cannot build a nation if you 

always rely on the spur of the moment. 

But the administration promised 

security during electioneering 

campaign… 

What I am saying is that in 2015 

when the PDP was in power, security, 

material corruption and economy were 

the main issues around which the APC 

build their campaign of propaganda. 

They said PDP members were all 

thieves. Even in the APC, their former 

Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said if 

you joined the APC, the power of 

Buhari’s piety would wipe away all 

your sins. So no matter how dirty you 

were, how much you stole, if you joined 

the APC, pious Buhari will forgive you 

and wipe away your sins. And if you 

are talking about security, what was 

the promise when they came? That we 

were insecure, that there was Boko 

Haram bombing and killing of people 

in churches and mosques. They even 

brought pictures from other countries 

just to solidify their propaganda solid. 

Former President Jonathan was 

maligned; they abused him and his 

wife. Things became very personal. 

PDP was demonized so much so that 

nobody wanted to associate with the 

party. So, we were flushed out. You are 

asking me about insecurity? They 

failed. You put in a government that 

cannot secure you. So why are you 

telling me? Because it has even gone 

beyond Boko Haram, it has come to a 

situation where a Nigerian will steal 

another Nigerian and demand for 

ransom. Friends would connive and 

arrange fake kidnap. A man would 

attack his people, burn the entire 

village, kill kinsmen and rustle 

animals. When PDP was there, we were 

doing very well but then we were 

demonized. So why are you talking 

about insecurity? 

•In part two of interview next 

Sunday, Lamido speaks on how 'civil 

war' in the PDP led to corruption 

charges slammed on him.

PAGE 18–SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 9, 2020, 

STATE OF THE NATION: 

Buhari’s critics are 

vocal propagandists 

– Bisi Akande 

•On APC crisis: I read about 170 grievances 

•Speaks on his problem with restructuring 

•‘Zoning will continue to compound Nigeria’s problems’ 

• Explains why Yoruba better tolerate Igbo, northerners 

By Dapo Akinrefon, Deputy Politics Editor 

& Shina Abubakar 

FORMER Interim National Chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Bisi Akande, has 

been absent from the political scene for quite some 

time but explains that “for reasons of old age at 82, I am 

not as ambulant as before in political activities.” 

In this interview, the former governor of Osun State bares 

his mind on the crisis rocking APC and how he was able 

to manage the affairs of the party during his tenure, the 

agitation for power shift in 2023 and other sundry issues. 

•Akande 

You have been absent from the political 

scene for a while now. What is 

responsible for this? 

My spirit remains strong for the welfare 

of the Nigerian people, if that is what you 

mean by ‘political scene’ but, for reasons 

of old age at 82, I am not as ambulant as 

before in political activities. And, for now, 

for reasons of coronavirus pandemics, old 

men like me are advised to stay safe at 

home. 

Are you not worried about the state of 

Nigeria? 

The state of Nigeria has become 

worrisome since democracy had been 

truncated by the military in 1966 and had 

continued to be made worse complicated 

for the 29 years of military rule thereafter 

such that those who were old enough to 

understand, experience and appreciate 

democratic governance 

had been almost totally 

decimated. 

Those who now 

dominate politics since 

return of democracy in 

1999 were too young to 

know beyond military ways 

of operations in 

government. It is like 

asking a trained tailor 

who never handled a 

mechanic spanner to come 

and reposition a long 

disused damaged car. The 

condition of the car would 

forever continue to be 

worrisome. 

How do you react to 

those who have expressed 

disappointment at 

President Buhari’s 

handling of the country’s 

affairs...? 

Those who are 

expressing disappointment 

at Buhari’s way of handling the country’s 

affairs are led by his vocal political 

opponents who are using mere political 

propaganda to indoctrinate the society 

against Buhari’s government. 

Most of them were members of the PDP 

who had earlier been in power for 16 

years when there was plenty of oil money 

to put things right but who had no clue. 

They are merely playing on the society’s 

fading memory to make themselves look 

as better alternatives. 

Are you also not worried about the 

crisis rocking the APC? 

APC is a human organization like 

any other human arrangements 

among which disagreements are 

normal phenomenon. As the 

Chairman of the party’s national 

reconciliation committee, I have 

read about one 170 memorandums 

of grievances from members across 

the country and discovered that all 

points of complaints are normal 

happenings among competitors within 

political parties’ structures in all 

democracies all over the world. Were it 

not for the impediments of COVID-19 

pandemics, the committee would, by now, 

have resolved most of the problems. The 

crisis in the APC is 

being magnified and 

exaggerated by the 

Those who are 

expressing 

disappointment 

at Buhari’s way 

of handling the 

country’s 

affairs are led 

by his vocal 

political 

opponents 

opposition media 

merely to confuse the 

Nigerian society. 

You were able to 

manage the affairs of 

the APC as interim 

National Chairman 

successfully. What 

was your secret? 

I had no magic. I am 

as ordinary as any 

other member of APC. 

I merely had an 

opportunity to lead in 

the moulding of the 

young newly merged 

political parties into a 

virile structure that 

would be strong 

enough to dislodge the 

PDP that then formed 

an 

octopus 

government on 

Nigeria. And I 

managed the wisdoms of my colleagues 

in the interim national executive 

committee just to do that. 

Your predecessors, Chief John Odigie- 

Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole, were 

unceremoniously kicked out of office. 

What do you make of that? 

Honestly, both Oyegun and Oshiomhole 

are giants in the administration of our 

party. They have served their times in the 

•Buhari 

affairs 

of APC 

in their 

own respective fashions in a 

way that moved the party to progress. 

History will honour each of them in the 

fullness of time. 

Why is the APC against restructuring 

which is in its manifesto? 

Until when what is now being termed 

‘restructuring’ is aggregatively defined by 

Nigeria, it will remain a mere political 

slogan. APC did not write restructuring in 

its manifesto. APC was talking about 

‘devolution of power’ and its government 

has been trying just to do that. For 

example, Buhari’s government approved 

that 10, 000 policemen be recruited and 

spread equally from among the indigenes 

of each local government to be trained 

and retained in their native places for the 

purpose of community policing. For 

reasons of the worrisome situation into 

which the military’s long intervention in 

power had put Nigeria, the police are not 

yet able to implement Buhari’s 

government order. That will show you that 

power devolution too has to be gradually 

managed if it would not lead Nigeria into 

chaos and collapse. It is beyond any 

political party to handle. It is for the 

concerted resolution of the people of 

Nigeria. 

But do you support restructuring? 

Yes. I do not only support ‘restructuring’ 

but I also wrote a book on it some 20 years 

ago. I support restructuring as defined and 

published in the ‘Yoruba Agenda’. It 

would be unrealistic of me, however, 

to think that my idea should not 

reconciled with others before 

implementation because the way 

‘restructuring’ is defined by A may 

not be the same as B - i.e. the way 

it is defined in Ekiti may not be the 

same as in Egun; and, the way of 

the Igbo may not be the same as 

Kanuri. Therefore, it is a matter for 

the whole Nigeria to resolve and 

not for only a particular political 

party. 

There are calls for zoning of the 

presidency to the South. Do you 

support this agitation? 

Only meritocracy can make any society 

great. Zoning, federal character and all 

such jargons will continue to compound 

Nigeria’s problems. APC has no zoning in 

its constitution. I want the best, highly well 

informed and well meaning person to lead 

me under any setting. I was lucky to have 

learnt under Obafemi Awolowo and Bola 

Ige. They both easily tolerated debates and 

would never go ahead until all arguments 

are exhausted. My experience with 

uninformed leader was devastating. All 

debates lead to quarrels and all opposing 

opinions are misconstrued for disloyalty 

and resulted in enmity. 

Under uninformed leaders, democracy 

metamorphoses into dictatorship and 

public oppression. We debated a lot and 

all the time in the APC Interim National 

Executive Committee of which I was the 

national chairman. All of us remain best 

of friends within our party today. Honestly, 

I don’t support zoning. 

Why is the South-West not united? 

The southwest people are all Yoruba. 

They speak the same language within a 

similar culture. It is the best united 

community in Nigeria today. That is why 

they better tolerate peoples from the East 

and the North in their midst. That is why 

they better tolerate all kinds of religions 

within each of their families. That is why 

they are most peaceful and progressive. 

They enjoy debates among themselves. 

And debates can be full of arguments and 

sometimes acrimonies. The uninformed 

would take such attitude among the Yoruba 

as ‘Disunity’. I think the southwest is 

presently very, very united. And I am very 

happy about that.

SUNDAY Vanguard, AUGUST 9, 2020, PAGE 19 

Caught in the act! 

There is some sort of 

fascination about 

being caught when you 

make love in an 

unorthodox way. These 

hilarious escapades show 

that nothing kill a good 

bunk like being truly 

busted! Oscar’s most 

embarrassing moments 

happened years ago when 

his parents always took the 

family on holidays. “This 

time around, we went with 

another close family, 

consisting of just two 

lovely teenage girls and 

their parents. The eldest 

was too tempting for 

words and I was flattered 

she fancied me. 

“A few days into the 

holidays, we discovered 

we could be alone when 

all of them go to the dining 

room for dinner. One 

night, we wound up 

getting down and dirty 

back to the girl’s parents’ 

hotel room. While I was 

co9mpletely starkers and 

she was lying on top of me 

with her blouse off, her 

mum walked in! Panicked, 

I jumped out of bed and 

locked myself in the 

bathroom, leaving the 

poor girl alone with her 

mum, a medical doctor 

who’s known to me since 

childhood. She proceeded 

to give her daughter a 

lengthy lecture about 

safe sex. Meanwhile, I 

refused to come out of 

the bathroom until she 

was out of the door!’ 

Funke had just broken 

off with John, her 

boyfriend of three years 

and was trying to get 

over the break up. “I 

wasn’t all that heartbroken 

especially when 

I still remained friends 

with some of his 

friends”, she said. I had 

started fooling around 

with Kenny, a good 

friend of John’s and 

after a night out, we 

ended up in my place. 

We settled in front of the 

telly with a bottle of 

wine and started 

making out right then in 

the living room. In no 

time at all, we were both 

naked and having a 

good time until John 

walked in on us! He 

still had the key to my 

flat and had decided to 

let himself in, hoping 

for a reconciliation. 

When he saw what we 

were up to, he went 

crazy and chased 

Kenny out of my flat. 

“We did make up but 

the experience was too 

embarrassing for the 

relationship to be 

revived ...” 

“My boyfriend and I 

went up to this posh 

night club to celebrate his 

promotion”, recalled 

Monica, aged 28. 

Feeling bold, my 

boyfriend dared us to 

make it happen in the 

bathroom. I went first 

and he followed shortly 

after, and we started 

making out in one of the 

empty 

stalls. 

Unfortunately, without 

us realising it, a waiter 

had cottoned on to what 

was going on and tipped 

off the manager, because 

after a few minutes, he 

barged in while we were 

wrapped around each 

other and demanded that 

we leave. I lied and said 

that my boyfriend was 

helping me get 

something out of my eye, 

but the manager didn’t 

buy it. He escorted both 

of us out of the bathroom, 

through the dining area, 

and then out of the door 

with everyone watching”. 

Joanne’s escapade took 

place at the Bar Beach n 

the days when it was 

common to hit the spot 

for a relaxing outing. My 

man and I were having 

sex in his car, which was 

parked at the beach. 

Afterwards, we were 

lying in the back seat in 

the dark, still naked, 

when we heard an angry 

tap on the window. We 

looked up to see two bike 

policemen peering in at 

us with a flash light. 

One found it really 

amusing whilst the other 

one had a disapproving 

look on his face. He 

made us dress, exit the 

car before asking for our 

Ids and the car’s 

‘particulars’. We were let 

go after they made sure 

we handed over all the 

cash on us!” 

Anthony was on a 

direct flight to the USA 

with Chioma, his fiance. 

“I’ve always found the 

long flight boring but 

with Chioma on board, 

this particular one didn’t 

look too bad. The plane 

was half filled and 

during the night, we 

started fooling around 

with each other. We then 

decided to see how 

comfortable the cubicle of 

a toilet in the plane could 

be useful. After getting 

up separately from our 

seats, we met in the toilet 

and proceeded to have 

restricted – but very hot 

– sex in the small space. 

“Because we didn’t 

hear anyone outside the 

door, we kept things 

going for a good 15 

minutes, then decided to 

sneak out one at a time. 

Giggling, I opened the 

door, expecting to make 

a smooth getaway. 

Instead, I was met by a 

line of angry passengers. 

The woman at the head 

of the line stepped into 

the toilet and upon 

finding my my girl in 

there, she screamed, and 

my girl darted out. 

Together, we did a walk 

of a shame down the 

aisle. A few minutes after, 

we sat back down n our 

row, the woman who’d 

been at the front of the 

line cam and took her 

seat … right in front of 

us.!” 

When Zainab 

eventually agreed to go 

with her boyfriend to his 

town house, she realised 

she was about to have 

one of the most boring 

moments of her life. 

“There was very little to 

do”, she said, “and to 

stop me from moaning, 

my boyfriend decided to 

give me a tour of the 

family farm. Wile 

walking through the 

bush, we realised we 

were completely alone. 

We smiled at each other 

slyly. Then my boyfriend 

grabbed me and bent me 

over a bench, and we 

started having sex. 

“Just before I was about 

to climax, a group of 

pupils accompanied by 

their teacher rounded the 

corner, and the teacher – 

who had been speaking, 

stopped, causing 

everyone to gape at us. 

My boyfriend was so 

shocked, he pushed me 

into a bush so no one 

could see me. We both 

hid there, while the poor 

teacher cleared his throat 

and tried to redirect 

attention to the various 

tree species in the farm!” 

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Group urges Ikpuri to vie for Warri South vice chairmanship seat 

A 

pro-Peoples 

Democratic Party ( 

PDP) group, Warri 

South Movement For Justice 

and Equity has called on the 

Supervisor For Education in 

Warri South Local 

Government Council, Chief 

Linda Ikpuri to contest for 

the Vice Chairmanship seat 

of the council in the 

forthcoming elections. 

The group made the call 

at a press conference in 

Edjeba, Warri at the 

weekend. 

The coordinator of the 

group, Blessing Donye, in 

his speech, posited that: 

"We are aware of the PDP 

Warri South sharing policy 

for elective political offices 

whereby both the Delta 

State House of Assembly 

seat for Constituency 11 

and vice chairmanship 

seat are currently being 

occupied by an indigene 

from Okere Urhobo and 

that both offices are 

supposed to be shared 

between the Agbarha 

Warri and Okere Urhobo. 

He, therefore, pointed out 

that it is against the 

principle of justice and 

equity if both offices are 

occupied by persons from 

Okere Urhobo, noting that 

the incumbent Vice 

Chairman of the council 

and member representing 

Warri South Constituency 

11 at the Delta State 

House Assembly are of 

Okere Urhobo axis. 

"That is why we 

thought it wise to call for 

a credible Agbarha Warri 

person to contest for the 

vice chairmanship seat. 

Due to her pedigree, our 

choice is Chief Eya 

Ikpuri. 

The Public Relations 

Officer ( PRO) of the 

group, Anita Prekebena, 

who spoke in the same 

vein, noted that Chief 

Ikpuri who hails from 

Agbarha Warri community 

of Edjeba had paid her 

dues. 

RIVERS: NCDC tasked on testing, 

education 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

The Nigeria Centre 

f o r 

Disease Control, 

NCDC, has been tasked 

to give more attention to 

Rivers State as regards 

testing and education. 

Rivers State 

Professionals Forum 

regretted that over 92 

percent of the 

population of the state 

have neither been. 

RPF had in June 

commissioned Africa 

Polling Institute, API, to 

carry out a public 

opinion poll to assess 

public perception on 

Covid-19 pandemic in the 

state. 

Presenting the report in 

Port Harcourt, Executive 

Director, API, Dr. Bell 

Ihua, noted that the target 

of the poll was to measure 

public awareness and 

attitude of the people to 

the reality and existence 

of the virus in the state.


, 

It pays ys to take time before becoming a merry y widow! 

w! 

“ 

Less than a year after 

my brother-in-law’s 

death, I rang my sister, 

Beverly and was surprised 

to hear her giggling down 

he line”, said Tope, herself 

widowed at 48. “When I 

asked what was going on, 

she told me she had a 

`gentleman visitor’. This 

was around 11 a.m., so I 

told her I’d call back in the 

afternoon. When I did do, 

the girlish coyness 

continued. `He’s staying 

for lunch’, she whispered 

excitedly. So I called back 

at 9p.m. `He’s staying for 

dinner’, she said. 

“She later confessed the 

man didn’t leave until well 

after mid-night. Two 

months down the line, he’d 

moved in with her! Their 

relationship lasted almost 

ten years until her death at 

70. Many children dislike 

their newly bereaved 

parents finding new lone. 

Beverly my sister, was like 

a mother figure to me. I 

became very close to her 

when we lost our mother 

and I knew Bev had found 

being alone very hard. So, 

I was pleased to hear her 

sounding so upbeat. Sadly, 

her new relationship soon 

became less idyllic – but 

rather than leave a man 

who turned out to be a 

charmless bully, she stayed 

with him, desperately 

afraid of being alone again. 

Sadly, a lot of single 

women are prepared to 

‘settle for less’ because it 

beats being alone – the 

stigma of being single is 

very powerful, especially in 

later years. I do not 

condemn my sister’s 

decision, particularly as her 

generation believed thee 

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, 

South-South and Perez Brisibe 

OLOROGUN Jaro Egbo, a 

lawyer and the first All 

Progressives Congress, APC, member 

to declare his intention to contest the 

party’s 2023 governorship primary in 

Delta State, says the party’s all-time 

standard bearer, Chief Great Ogboru, 

and Deputy Senate President, Senator 

Ovie Omo-Agege, who many thought 

had positioned himself for the ticket, 

would throw their weight behind him 

when the time comes. 

Is it not too early? 

This is 2020. The elections are coming 

in 2023, but the end of one election is 

the beginning of another one as we say 

in politics. From all indices, zoning has 

come to stay in Delta State and that 

informed my decision. Even while I was 

in the PDP, I supported the late Obuh 

because I believed it was the turn of 

Delta North and when I left for the APC, 

I also supported Victor Ochei believing 

that after the North does its eight years, 

power will move to Delta Central and 

now we believe that, in 2023, it is the 

turn of Central and I believe that I am 

eminently qualified by 2023. By 2023, I 

will be 54 years, which is the prime of 

every man and, by education, I am a 

lawyer and almost done with my 

postgraduate degree. 

I also have the experience. I served in 

Chief James Ibori’s government, served 

in Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan’s 

government and have also contested 

election to the House of Assembly. At a 

was a shame in not having 

a man. Also, her house was 

twice broken into after she 

was widowed, making her 

fear of being alone even 

more understandable. But 

I think it’s a pity she didn’t 

take time to grieve, push 

through the difficulties and 

learn the ultimate 

happiness and liberation of 

being truly self-sufficient, I 

peak from experience 

because I too was widowed 

in the same year as my 

sister! 

“Although I found myself 

dating and, subsequently 

in a short-lived 

relationship, I soon realised 

it is far lonelier to be in a 

destructive relationship 

than to be single. One of 

the difficulties for my sister 

was that her husband, for 

all his faults had been such 

a lovably eccentric and 

sociable character. I 

couldn’t help but compare 

her new man unfavourably 

with him. 

Bev and her husband 

were married for over 30 

years and she was treated 

like a princess. Her 

husband died of a heart 

attack at 72 and shortly after 

mine was diagnosed with 

pancreatic cancer. Sadly, he 

ha to endure an 

unimaginably painful end. 

“I too felt desolate. I 

couldn’t eat or sleep as I 

mourned as much for my 

lost future as for the man 

with whom I’d shared my 

life for 23 years. Of course, 

I empathised with my 

sister’s loneliness and 

bewilderment at suddenly 

having to manage a house 

and finances all by herself. 

I too felt the same. But 

because of my relative 

youth and the fact that I had 

a career and other interests, 

I was never as desperate to 

fin a replacement man. I 

was about six months after 

my husband’s death that 

Bev found her `wonder’ 

man. I only discovered 

he’d moved in with her after 

my daughter went to spend 

some time with her. `Guess 

what?’, she said after her 

return, `there’s a man 

living with aunty Bev …’ 

“At first I didn’t believe 

her. It seemed so quick. 

How could she go through 

the grieving process 

properly with another man 

sitting in her dead 

husband’s chair, eating the 

same meals she’d cooked 

for him? I met him weeks 

later only for my concern to 

be to be intensified. He was 

rugged and wellpreserved, 

but had this 

faintly menacing 

demeanour. Far from being 

good-natured like her 

husband Jide (that’s his 

name) looked slightly 

threatening – like he’d 

stepped out of a Nollywood 

casting for a gangster film! 

Bev on the other hand, was 

all smiles – she was 

obviously relishing the 

attentions of a presentable 

man, so I didn’t want to 

spoil her happiness. 

“Within a few months, I 

noticed a different 

atmosphere in my sister’s 

house. She was a 

wonderful cook and was 

never happier than when 

entertaining – her children, 

grandchildren and her 

siblings’ offspring – but 

Jide objected to this. `Your 

mother’s been on her feet 

all day!’, he’d say 

accusingly. Implying rather 

obviously that perhaps we 

shouldn’t visit them at all. 

In time Bev was always 

moaning that Jide had 

threatened to leave or had 

bullied her in some way or 

the other. It pained me to 

see her manipulated in this 

way and I found myself 

advising her to kick him 

out. Though she sometimes 

agreed with me, she never 

found the strength to see it 

through. 'Jide drives me 

around everywhere’], was 

her main excuse. Other 

times, she’d say: `It’s better 

than being on my own’. 

“She stayed in this 

abusive relationship for ten 

years when she suffered a 

fall. Jide had always been 

good at playing chauffeur 

– he was very proud of his 

car, the only price 

possession he brought to 

the relationship and he’s 

been helpful taking her to 

doctors’ 

DELTA 2023: Why Ogboru, Omo- 

Agege will support me – Egbo 

time I stopped at the primary level, 

another time I ended up being declared 

the winner. So I and my people believe 

that if the report we are getting from 

consultations is anything to go by, we 

should run the race and we are running 

as a pan-Delta candidate because we 

believe that Delta must move forward 

and ripe for new ideas and progressive 

governance. We have issues in APC, no 

doubt, but I believe that those issues will 

be resolved and, when resolved, our 

party will be strengthened and we are 

going to give anybody who is running 

for governorship a run for his money. 

We will continue to consult and 

talk to our people in the North and 

South to support our ideas so that 

we can move the state 

forward. 

Are you plotting the 

political retirement of 

Ogboru? 

No, we are not 

retiring anybody. 

We are running 

the race believing 

that we have a 

programme that we 

can sell to our people and I 

do not see Chief Ogboru 

running against me because 

I am his political son. I am 

•Egbo 

going to seek his blessing at the end of 

the day and I believe that he will bless 

me to run the race. He has been given 

ample opportunity, he has run a good 

race, but this is 2020 and we are going 

to run in 2023. I believe that I will not 

run against him because he will be part 

of my campaign. 

We are talking; he is one of the first 

people I consulted that I need to be 

governor of the state. I am also talking 

with Olorogun O’tega Emerhor on why 

he should support me. The only person 

I have not spoken to because we have 

not had much time is Senator Omo- 

Agege, but I believe that, as we 

move on, I will talk to him that we 

need his support. I will not say it 

is time out for anybody; like I told 

you, we are talking and I believe 

that I will be able to convince him 

at the end of the day to support 

me. And if he is able to 

convince me to step aside 

so that he runs, I think it 

is a matter of 

understanding, but I 

believe that I have a 

better case. This is the 

time for me to enter the 

race and I can feel it in 

my bones. I have spoken 

to people in other 

senatorial districts and 

they are ready to back me 

appointments 

towards the end of her life. 

But had she enjoyed the 

tenderness of real love, with 

him? I don’t think so. When 

I’d asked her whether she 

really loved him, she’d 

said: `It’s different at my 

age – it’s not so much about 

love.” 

“The real clue to her 

feelings was the fact that 

she didn’t leave Jide 

anything, not even a 

memento in her will. Bev’s 

three children however 

gave him a few 

photographs and a modest 

cheque to tide him over 

until he met another sucker, 

but he sent them back with 

a nasty letter. I cannot 

pretend living alone is 

absolutely wonderful – it 

would be nice to have 

someone with whom to 

share life’s pleasures – but 

it is far better than being 

constrained by a damaging 

relationship as my poor 

sister was – whatever the 

fears that kept her chained 

to it. 

Sweet revenge! 

(Humour) 

A husband and wife are 

getting all snugly in bed. 

The passion is heating up. 

But then the wife stops and 

says: “I don’t feel like it. I 

just want you to hold me”. 

The husband says 

“WHAT???” The wife 

explains that he must not 

be in tune with her 

emotional needs as a 

woman. The husband 

realises that nothing is 

going to happen tonight 

and he might as well deal 

with it. 

So the next day the 

husband takes her 

shopping at a big 

department store. He walks 

around and had her try on 

three very expensive 

outfits. And then tells his 

wife: “We’ll take three of 

them”. Then he goes over 

and gets matching shoes 

worth N100,000 each. And 

then goes to the jewellery 

department an gets a set of 

diamond earrings. The 

wife is so excited (she 

thinks her husband has 

flipped out, but she doesn’t 

care). She goes for the 

tennis bracelet. The 

husband says, “but you 

don’t even play tennis, but 

Ok if you like it, then let’s 

get it”. 

The wife is jumping up 

and down. So excited she 

cannot even believe what 

is gong on. She says, I’m 

ready to go, let’s go to the 

cash register”. The 

husband says, “no-no-no, 

honey were not going to 

buy all this stuff”. The 

wife’s face goes blank. “No 

honey – I just want you to 

HOLD this stuff for a 

while”. Her face gets really 

hot she’s about to explode 

and then the husband says, 

“you must not be in tune 

with my financial needs as 

a MAN!!!!” 

believing that if I go in there, I have the 

guts, strength and charisma to drive the 

campaign because in Delta State, power is 

not just given. PDP is not ready to give up 

the race for anybody, so they will fight. But 

the people need someone that they will say 

“this is our man, let us support him”. We 

are also consulting those in APC and PDP 

telling them that “look, let us take the state 

to APC”. PDP has had their own fair share 

of governance in the state and they have not 

taken us anywhere, so we need change. 

What if Omo-Agege says no, can you 

beat him in your party’s primary? 

We have made our calculations and 

we know that the Senate presidency is 

coming to the South-South and who is 

better positioned to take this than Omo- 

Agege? So, we are thinking that by 2023, 

Omo-Agege will become the Senate 

President. So, that leaves the seat of 

governorship open for people like us and, 

be that as it may, as we move ahead, we 

are going to work together because we 

belong to the same party; we may have 

our differences, but we all belong to the 

APC and we are all progressives. Based 

on our belief that the South-South is mature 

to pick the Senate presidency, I believe 

that if he is in the race, I will give him my 

support and I also assume that he will 

support my governorship bid. 

But you had issues with Omo-Agege? 

I have moved on. We are in APC and 

in APC in Delta State, PDP is very much 

entrenched, hence we need everybody 

working together and sailing in the same 

direction for us to make success. 

Read more online at 

www.vanguardngr.com


Foolish Christians 

If you were appointed as Nigeria’s Min 

ister of Finance, would you steal? It 

all depends on what kingdom you belong 

to. If you belong to the kingdoms of this 

world, you would be a fool not to steal. 

No matter the anti-corruption noises being 

made right now, you would know you 

cannot be in that post forever. You can be 

removed at a moment’s notice. 

Therefore, you need to seize the day and 

siphon as much money as you can as soon 

as you can. The only imperative today is 

that you will need to steal with a lot more 

finesse than has been exhibited by past 

looters. You have to make sure you cover 

your tracks very well. In any case, the possibility 

of capture and the threat of imprisonment 

has yet to discourage daylight 

robbery in the kingdoms of men. 

However, put Christians who claim they 

belong to the kingdom of God in the same 

office, and what do you find? They also 

steal. But why would Christians who profess 

the righteousness of God also do that? 

Jesus provides a cryptic answer. He says 

Christians would steal because, in general, 

we are not as smart as unbelievers: “The 

children of this world are, in their own 

generation, wiser than the children of the 

light.” (Luke 16:8). 

Devilish wisdom 

In short, unbelievers steal because they 

are smart: while Christians steal because 

we are foolish. Unbelievers are wise because, 

by pocketing government funds, 

they prepare for their future, which is on 

earth. However, Christians are foolish 

because, by stealing, we prepare for our 

past, which is also on earth. The man who 

prepares for his future is wiser than the 

fool who prepares for his past. 

Unbelievers only have this world; heaven 

is not their portion. Therefore, they are 

Unbelievers steal 

because they are smart: 

while Christians steal 

because we are foolish 

Success in life, ministry: Moral & ministry 

excellence (2) 

Introduction 

WE started on this topic 

last episode from the 

viewpoint of moral excellence. 

Having restored right relationship 

with God through repentance, 

(II Chronicles 7:14), we 

now move on to developing the 

right relationships with our fellow 

human beings. 

Our right relationships with 

human beings is an indicator 

Pastor Akinola 

that our relationship with God is in order, 

as we see in I John 4:20. Those who truly 

love others approve things that are excellent, 

and are highly discerning. (Philippians 

1:9-10). Furthermore, love increases 

with more knowledge and discernment, 

and the cycle grows bigger into higher 

successes for both individuals and the society 

at large. 

Appropriate expression of love for relationships 

wise to steal and thereby secure their 

future in this world. However, this 

world does not belong to believers. We 

are only strangers and pilgrims here. 

Our future is in heaven and not on 

earth. 

In this world, the day starts in the 

morning and ends in the evening. But 

in the kingdom of God, the day starts 

in the evening and ends in the morning. 

(Genesis 1:5). 

Jesus warns: “Whoever desires to save 

his life shall lose it, and whoever desires 

to lose his life for my sake shall 

find it.” (Matthew 16:25). Paul also 

counsels believers: “Set your mind on 

the things that are above, not on the 

things that are on the earth.” (Colossians 

3:2). 

True riches 

Why would God allow a child of light 

to become a Minister of Finance in a 

world of darkness? Why would God 

“promote” a member of his godly kingdom 

with a high-ranking job in the sinful 

kingdom of this world? The answer 

lies in the understanding of kingdom 

dynamics. 

There is a reason for everything that 

happens in the life of a man. There is a 

The expression of love is based on 

facts and logical understanding. Love 

is not mere emotion or feeling. Exact 

knowledge of the different types of relationship 

and their responsibilities 

enable us to express 

love appropriately. Some relationships 

deserve more loyalty, 

sacrifice, dedication, respect, 

and affection than others. 

During this prevalent period 

of COVID-19, highly successful 

people have reached out to 

the less privileged or vulnerable by way 

of providing palliatives. Success is never 

ending, because such acts lead to the 

development of right relationships both 

with God and with fellow humans on 

the part of the beneficiaries. The result 

of this is a general improvement in the 

society, leading to higher successes on 

all fronts both for the individuals and 

the society at large. 

Great societies never define success 

through individual achievements, but 

reason for every situation, for every affliction, 

for every triumph, and every failure. 

There is a reason because God leaves nothing 

to chance. 

Jesus says one of the reasons why believers 

are still in the world is to determine if 

we can be entrusted with the true riches: “If 

you have not been faithful in what is another 

man’s, who will give you what is your 

own? No servant can serve two masters; 

for either he will hate the one and love the 

other, or else he will be loyal to the one and 

despise the other. You cannot serve God and 

money.” (Luke 16:12-13). 

Thus, out of his twelve disciples, Jesus decided 

to make the thief, Judas, his “Minister 

of Finance.” Judas must have thought 

Jesus is a fool, no matter how spiritual he 

might be. Therefore, he stole regularly from 

the common purse. So doing, he failed a 

simple integrity test. 

The man who steals is disqualified from 

the true riches of God’s kingdom and condemned 

to the counterfeit riches of this 

world. True riches endure: counterfeit riches 

ultimately grow wings and fly away. 

Riches in glory 

Jesus says money does not belong to the 

believer: it belongs to someone else. What 

then belongs to the believer? It is God himself! 

As God proclaimed concerning the 

priests and the Levites of the Old Testament: 

“It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, 

that I am their inheritance. You shall give 

them no possession in Israel, for I am their 

possession.” (Ezekiel 44:28). 

Believers are not called to showcase the 

glories of this world. We are called to show 

forth the glories of God’s kingdom, which 

are chronically absent in the world. While 

the world is rich in money, it is poor in mercy. 

The world is lacking in righteousness, 

justice, and equity. It is deficient in love, 

joy, and peace. The world is starved of the 

ornaments of the kingdom of God. 

Look around you. There are people in 

your neighbourhood in need of kindness. 

There are people next door in need of compassion. 

People need truth. They need the 

goodness of God. Jesus says: “Let your light 

so shine before men that they may see your 

good works and glorify your Father who is 

corporate achievements that bring out increasing 

development on all fronts. 

Let’s consider what the Scriptures say in I 

John 3:17. “But whoso hath this world’s 

good, and seeth his brother have need, and 

shutteth up his bowels of compassion from 

him, how dwelleth the love of God in him”. 

According to my daddy G.O, Pastor (Dr) 

E.O. Abina: “We are so religious in this country, 

but not godly”. 

Even nations that are not religious at all 

like us, do godly things because they listen 

to their conscience as a guide in relationships. 

Thank God, He put the conscience 

there in man to always check and guide 

him in right decisions. The extent to which 

each society obey the rule of conscience as 

individuals and as a people determine their 

success and levels of development. 

It is unfortunate that most of our lives 

have been defined by this saying. The result 

is that our society is so impoverished, and 

there is a high level of imbalance, endemic 

poverty, leading to serious instability and 

insecurity. 

Can we define this as a success, even if 

you are riding on a limousine in the midst 

in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). 

Looking unto Jesus 

I am reminded of a possibly apocryphal 

story a woman trader from Kano told me 

about a former president of Nigeria who 

was affectionately called “Maradona.” 

She said after he became president, he 

called his best friend and asked him what 

he could do for him. “I am president now,” 

he said. “Ask me for whatever you desire.” 

The friend gratefully declined because 

he was alright. God had been good to 

him, he said, he had no pressing needs. 

When he left, the president called his lieutenants. 

“Find out what that man is relying 

on,” he demanded. They came back 

and gave him details of his friend’s business 

interests. So the president gave a simple 

instruction: “Block everything. Make 

life as difficult for him as possible in every 

area of his interest.” And his lieutenants 

set out to the task. 

Soon the friend came back to see the 

president. “See me see trouble,” he cried. 

“I am having this problem and having 

that difficulty.” The president was most 

sympathetic. “What am I here for?” he 

asked expansively. “Did I not tell you if 

you have any problem all you have to do 

is tell me?” 

So, after listening to his friend’s lamentations 

about his predicament, the president 

promised to take immediate action. 

Thereafter, he instructed his lieutenants 

again concerning his friend. “Unblock 

everything you blocked.” 

You may well ask what the motive of the 

President was in these machinations. He 

was not satisfied with being the man’s 

friend. He wanted to be his god. 

But what if when the President asked his 

people to find out what his friend was relying 

on, they came back and told him: 

“Sir, he is relying on Jesus.” What do you 

think the President can do in such a situation? 

Can he still tell them: “Block everything?” 

Certainly not! The foolish Christian 

runs to Egypt for help, while the wise 

Christian casts his cares on the Lord, 

knowing He cares for him. (1 Peter 5:7). 

of those who can barely afford three 

square meals a day? I tell you, hell is let 

loose on such a community, because 

crime and vices of all sorts will arise as 

we see in Nigeria today. 

We can now see what God means by the 

statement, “The wicked shall be turned 

into hell and all nations that forget God” 

(Psalm 9:17). 

The recent COVID-19 pandemic all over 

the world has exposed the weakness and 

failure of our society as individuals and 

as a corporate entity. Nations like Nigeria 

that did not consider it fit to invest in 

their basic healthcare systems for their 

communities, suddenly became jittery, 

because they could not go to other nations 

that had good facilities, since travel 

ban had prevented many of the rich leaders 

from travelling abroad to such nations. 

J.K. Akinola. (Senior Pastor) 

The Gospel Faith Mission International 

(GOFAMINT), Ibadan, Nigeria. (Telephone: 

08033376660, 08055405095) 

Pastor (Dr). E.O. Abina – General Overseer 

It is time to do His will (I) 

LUKE 11:28 states: “But he said, Yea 

rather, blessed are they that hear the 

word of God, and keep it.” 

Many believers devoted their times to 

hear the word of God, memorized many 

chapters and verses of the Bible and even 

preached more than others but when it 

comes to application of what they have 

heard or read, they would be found wanting. 

This inability of some Christians to keep 

to the totality of the will of God has become 

a burden and reproach to the body 

of Christ. But the truth remains that our 

physical and spiritual blessings, including 

having a good communion with 

God could only be actualized by doing 

the will of God. When a certain woman 

proclaimed blessing upon the mother 

of Jesus, our Master’s response in the 

above context was that if His mother 

had not done His will, she would have 

forfeited all her blessedness. This is to 

show that no matter what we are doing 

in the house of God or the position we 

are holding, they shall not be counted 

for us if we do not do the will of God. 

Matthew 7:24 says: “Therefore whosoever 

heareth these sayings of mine, 

and doeth them, I will liken him unto a 

wise man, which built his house upon a 

rock: And the rain descended, and the 

floods came, and the winds blew, and 

beat upon that house; and it fell not: 

for it was founded upon a rock.” 

A good and worthy believer is not the 

person who frequently hears the word 

of God, but the faithful doer of the word 

or will of God, he is the obedient Christian. 

His hope or house is in heaven that is 

standing on the rock which is Christ. 

Although it may be attacked by all kinds 

of afflicting evils, sufferings, and persecutions, 

but all these shall be of no effect to 

him for Christ is his pillar. If you want to 

have the listening ear of God Almighty, you 

must be ready to do His will. And if you 

profess Christ without doing His will, your 

profession may not bear good fruit because 

it is by their good fruit-—that is application 

of the word of God—–that good believers 

are known. 

Beloved, I want to let you know that manifesting 

great attention while reading or listening 

to the Scripture, and professing willingness 

to yield yourself to the word of God 

is not enough to endear you to God rather 

rendering actual obedience is what is required 

from you. We must know that doing 

the will of God that we have heard is the 

principal means by which we can affect our 

world in a positive way. 

John 13:17 says: “If ye know these things, 

happy are ye if ye do them.” 

If you understand that doing the will of 

God or practicing what you preach is the 

easiest way to attract the blessing from 

God, happy are you if you exemplify the 

same spirit in your lives. A right knowledge 

and practice of our duty as a believer, 

will certainly make us happy. Let it be 

known to all Christians that to be a good 

follower of our Lord Jesus Christ they 

must seriously apply themselves to the 

knowledge of their Master's will. This is 

because doing what we know to be our 

duty is the only way to true happiness 

which appeals to unbelievers to fellowship 

with us. 

Hebrew 10:7 says: “Then said I, Lo, I 

come (in the volume of the book it is written 

of me,) to do thy will, O God.” 

Jesus attested that He came into this 

world to do the will of God not His will. 

So, it is very clear our Master Jesus Christ 

laid a solid foundation of doing the will 

of the father for us to follow His example. 

The Scripture says He went everywhere 

doing the will of the father and thus left 

that legacy so that we should emulate 

Him and as we do like him we shall be 

blessed in Jesus name.


sam.eyoboka@gmail.com 

Supernatural wonders for all 

Isaiah 45:22 "Look unto 

me, and be ye saved, all 

the ends of the earth: for I 

am God, and there is none 

else." 

The word of God is coming 

to you as an individual. 

It is also coming to you 

as a family and as a community 

and or as a group 

of people who, due to the 

unfair and imbalance conditions 

of life, are in desperate 

need of divine help 

and support from God. 

The good news is that you 

have come to the right 

source because God is a 

very present help in trouble. 

But for you to enjoy the 

total package from Him, 

you must resolve to put an 

end to the lifestyle of sin 

you have been used to. This 

is because that is the basis 

and underlying condition 

for attracting the finger of 

God upon your life and 

family. 

The truth must be told 

and which is, every relationship 

between man and 

man and or between man 

and any other thing or personality 

is on the basis of 

fulfilling certain conditions. 

For instance, those you 

courted and depended on 

in time past for protection, 

VICTORY in life is not 

for the weak in faith 

and the fainthearted, and 

it is much more so in the 

Christian race. For those 

who have the courage of 

their convictions who, despite 

the odds and difficulties 

confronting them, 

move forward in obedience 

to the Lord, the Scripture 

commands to "be 

strong and of a good courage." 

(Deuteronomy 31:6) 

It emphatically states that 

“...from the days of John 

the Baptist until now the 

Pastor William Kumuyi 

power and privileges, who 

promised you false hope, 

demanded some favours in 

return, even to your own 

detriment, which you 

obliged; but you became 

dissatisfied and unfulfilled 

because the relationship 

became parasitic and took 

a heavy toll on you. 

But the great God of heaven 

is not like those who 

took advantage and exploited 

you in the past. And 

since you know that much 

already, all that remains is 

for you to meet His terms 

and conditions, which is, to 

say no to sin and accept 

Jesus Christ as your Lord 

and Saviour. 

It is only when you have 

switched to this profitable 

gear and connected to the 

true source of power and 

life will your prospect become 

a realization. 

To be continued. 

By Sam Eyoboka 

THE leadership of 

Mountain of Fire 

and Miracles, MFM and 

Daystar Christian Centre 

have resolved not to open 

their worship centres for 

physical gathering on the 

immediate, but will continue 

to hold their services 

online exclusively pending 

further review. 

The governments of Lagos 

and Ogun states had 

announced that churches 

could resume worship in 

their physical church 

buildings as from August 

9 and 16, 2020 respectively 

but the leadership of 

By Pastor G.C. Osuigbo 

CAC Madaiyese Regional Headquaters 

Plot 701/702 Durumi District 

P.O. BOX 2577 

Garki, Abuja. 

Contact us on: 08155555048, like us on 

facebook @cacdurumi 

Divine incubation precedes divine 

manifestation (2) 

TEXT: 1 JOHN 1:1, 2 

“ That which was from the 

beginning, which we have 

heard, which we have seen 

with our eyes, which we 

have looked at and our 

hands have touched--this we 

proclaim concerning the 

Word of life.” 

Time management is not 

Courage in the fight 

Kingdom of heaven suffereth 

violence, and the violent 

take it by force” (Matthew 

11:12) The foundation 

of the Christian's boldness is 

the Word of God. 

As the Lord has committed 

much into our hands, we 

The Olare-aja (head) of Koko, Pa Richwell Achenuwa 

(middle), being introduced to the community by Pa Ajofodin 

of the Eburu stock (right), and Pa Thompson Okotie 

of the Abiuwaye stock, ahead of his installation. 

Rev. Emmanuel Awazie 

*Assemblies of God Church 

Nigeria, 111 Clegg Street, 

Surulere, Lagos. 

need to have the courage 

to be obedient unto Him. 

There is so much in the 

balance, and the challenge 

and call to a life of 

faith in Jesus Christ is a 

daunting undertaking in 

the times, and seasons we 

AKUGBENE MEIN KINGDOM: Community leader 

seeks sanction for alleged illegal monarch 

By Victor Ajihromanus 

A 

community leader, 

and President, Akugbene 

Mein Youth Council, 

Bomadi Local Government 

Area of Delta State, Mr. 

Alfred Warri, has called on 

Delta State government to 

as a matter of urgency, 

sanction Mr. Tam Oporomo, 

over what he described 

as continuous disobedience 

to the peace-building instructions 

of Deputy Governor 

of Delta State, 

Kingsley Otuaro. 

He made this assertion in 

a statement made available 

to newsmen. 

Warri also called on Delta 

State Police Command 

to redeploy the current Divisional 

Police Officer, 

DPO, in the area to another 

locality in the interest of 

peace. 

He further stated that 

despite being cautioned by 

the deputy governor to de- 

08023145567 (sms only) 

MFM, Daystar won’t reopen 

till further notice 

MFM has resolved that it 

will not reopen all her regions, 

zones, branches and 

facilities in Lagos and 

Ogun states for now. 

A statement by the chairman, 

MFM Media Committee, 

Pastor Oladele 

Bank-Olemoh said “this 

period would be utilized to 

put in place all the necessary 

COVID-19 preventive 

and safety protocols as stipulated 

by the Federal Government, 

NCDC and State 

live, and unless you are courageous 

to brave all odds, 

you are bound to flow with 

the tide. 

When the challenge of the 

Lord comes to you that you 

are to do something in particular, 

the fear of people, 

personal weakness and 

shortcomings might impede 

your obedience to the 

Lord. At such a time, you 

need to remember the word 

of the Lord: “Be strong and 

of a good courage…he will 

not fail thee, nor forsake 

thee.” 

From left: Family heads, Pa Samuel Asokpimi of the 

Akeko family and Pa. Johnson Ebisanine of the Olomu 

stock of the Iweroko and Ameren family of Koko town, 

during the installation. 

sist from parading himself 

as a monarch in the kingdom, 

Oporomo is still doing 

so. 

He asserted that HRM 

Pere S.P. Luke Kalamana 

Viii, Pere of Akugbene 

Mein Kingdom in Bomadi 

Local Government Area of 

Delta State, is the government 

recognized traditional 

ruler. 

The statement reads: "I 

call on Delta State government 

to quickly act. Mr. 

Godspower Tam Oporomo, 

the self acclaimed king of 

Kerebiri Mein, has been 

parading himself as king 

in Bomadi local government 

without government 

approval". 

"Even with the warning 

from the Delta State Deputy 

governor on June 21, 

2020, he is still parading 

himself as a king. 

"It means the warning 

from the Delta State government 

means nothing to 

him.Akugbene Mein Kingdom 

is the only kingdom in 

Bomadi local government 

and one of the oldest kingdoms 

in Nigeria". 

Governments,” urging 

members to continue to 

hold her services exclusively 

on MFM Television and all 

online platforms. 

According to him, Power 

Must Change Hands Prayer 

Programme at 7.00 am on 

first Saturday of every 

month and The Great Physician 

Hour at 10.00 pm on 

every Saturday as done in 

recent months. 

Emphasising that the tentative 

date for reopening 

limited to accomplishing 

more things within the 

shortest possible time. This 

is far from the truth. Every 

life should have a scale of 

preference. 

Some very urgent tasks 

may not necessarily contribute 

greatly to the overall 

vision of an organization, 

and yet they are urgent. 

It is important that we 

shift dimension from the 

quantitative aspect of managing 

and utilizing time to 

the qualitative aspect of 

such. The qualitative focuses 

on the grade of the output. 

The qualitative side 

begins with sitting down 

and not with doing anything. 

Jesus picked twelve 

men out of the multitude 

and these men championed 

a cause and mission that 

has salted the human race. 

He began the selection process 

by praying all night 

and not by first picking 

them (Luke 6:12). 

This is why the best and 

wisest use of our time must 

begin with acquiring 

God commands every believer 

to be strong, bold 

and courageous in doing 

His will, because our wellbeing 

and victory in the affairs 

of life depend upon 

our obedience to this command. 

(I Chronicles 22:13). 

David gave the same admonition 

to the young fledgling 

king, his son Solomon: 

“Be strong and of good 

courage.” (I Chronicles 

28:20) The spirit of the Lord 

spoke to Asa through Azariah 

in a similar vein: “Be 

ye strong therefore, and let 

for physical gatherings 

will be September 13, 2020, 

he said the eyes that neither 

slumber nor sleep, 

“shall continue to keep you 

in Jesus' Name.” 

Similarly, a statement by 

the senior pastors of Daystar 

Church, Pastor Sam 

and Nike Adeyemi said: 

“We are aware of the Lagos 

State Government’s 

announcement that 

churches can resume physical 

services from August 9, 

2020. We thank God for the 

progress made so far by the 

federal and state governments, 

the NCDC and our 

frontline health workers. 

knowledge. 

Psalm 90:12 says “teach 

us to number our days so 

that we may apply our heart 

unto wisdom “. This knowledge 

can be formal or informal. 

A life that has encountered 

knowledge will 

also reflect knowledge. A 

life that has been imparted 

will become a living epistle 

and so will need no announcement. 

One wonders 

how ordinary and unlearned 

men, mostly insignificant 

people will became 

living epistles and 

divine compasses for all 

time to come. It definitely 

is as a result of being divinely 

incubated upon. 

Continues online at 


not your hands be weak…” 

(II Chronicles 15:7) Asa 

had the challenge to restore 

backslidden Israel to 

the true worship of God at 

a time when “Israel hath 

been without the true God, 

and without a teaching 

Priest, and without law”. 

The consequence of their 

waywardness was defeat, 

destruction, trouble and 

adversity. Similarly, the circumstances 

we live in may 

be threatening, but courage 

is required for victory. 

Ndokwa seek participation in Nigeria- 

Morocco Gas Pipeline project 

By Victor ‘Tunde Oso 

The Ndokwa nation in 

Delta State has called 

on President Muhammadu 

Buhari, to put Ndokwa sons 

and daughters top of the 

list of the beneficiaries of 

the Federal Government’s 

planned lease of oil and 

gas resources, urging that 

Ndokwaland must be given 

priority attention in national 

issues. 

This was the decision 

reached at a world press 

conference held in 

Kwale,headquarters of 

Ndokwa West Local Government 

Area, one of the 

three LGs in Ndokwa nation 

under the aegis of ‘Ani 

Osa Ndokwa’ Clan President-Generals 

,PGs, and 

Coalition of Ndokwa Associate 

Groups. 

Signatories to communiqué 

include the group PG 

of Ndokwa Clans with his 

first Vice PG and General 

Secretary. Other signatories 

are the principal representatives 

of Ndokwa 

Clan Unions and leaders 

representing Ndokwa 

Youth Congress, Ndokwa 

Nation Developmental Forum. 

Ndokwa Renaissance 

Network, and Ukwuani Bu 

Ani Eze. According to the 

communiqué, President 

Buhari should consider the 

immediate appointment of 

an Ndokwa person to the 

board of the Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

NDDC. 

PTI, Foundation hold entrepreneurship 

training for youths 

In an effort to develop 

and acquire extra skills 

to support youths in Delta 

State, Petroleum Institute 

(PTI) Skill Development 

Academy in conjunction 

with Onuesoke Foundation 

has organised a two-day 

free training workshop on 

entrepreneurship and leadership. 

The workshop titled, 

“Covid-19 And Changes of 

Economic Realities: The 

Need For Economic Development” 

was held 

at the PTI Skill Development 

Academy(SDA) , Osubi 

Campus, Osubi, Delta 

State. The workshop meant 

for Osubi, Okowokoko, 

Ugolo and youths from 

other communities of 

Okpe LG witnessed 

large turn out of participants 

from the environs. 

In a keynote address, Principal/ 

Chief Executive of PTI, 

Dr Henry Adimula urged 

participants to take advantage 

of the training to get the 

needed competitive edge in a 

world of dwindling economic 

fortune brought about 

by the coronavirus pandemic.

Juve sack Sarri over Champions League 

failure 

Juventus have sacked Mau 

rizio Sarri following their 

Champions League exit at the 

hands of Lyon. 

The Continassa hierarchy 

held a meeting following the 

Old Lady’s failure to progress 

to the quarter-finals of Europe’s 

premier club competition, with 

*Pirlo 

...Pirlo takes over 

Juventus have ap 

pointed Andrea Pirlo 

as manager to replace 

the sacked Maurizio Sarri, 

a week after hiring the 

former midfielder as Under-23 

boss. 

The Italian giants 

sacked Sarri after just 

one season despite winning 

Serie A following 

the club’s Champions 

League last-16 defeat by 

Lyon on Friday. 

Pirlo, 41, has signed a 

two-year deal until June 

2022. 

The former Italy midfielder 

was only named 

the club’s Under-23 manager 

on 30 July. 

Juventus said the decision 

to promote him is 

“based on the belief that 

Pirlo has what it takes to 

lead from his debut on 

the bench, an expert and 

talented squad to pursue 

new success”. 

Sarri’s future at the club the only 

point on the agenda in the wake 

of the continental disappointment. 

It was decided that the 61- 

year-old former Chelsea and 

Napoli boss is no longer the man 

to take the club forward, with 

Juve’s signing of Cristiano 

Ronaldo from Real Madrid 

making clear that their intention 

was to win the Champions 

League after several years of 

near-misses. 

A club statement read: “Juventus 

announces that Maurizio 

Sarri has been relieved of 

his post as coach of the first team. 

“The club would like to thank 

the coach for having written a 

new page in Juventus’ history 

with the victory of the ninth-consecutive 

championship, the culmination 

of a personal journey 

that led him to climb all the divisions 

of Italian football.” 

Sarri’s future had been previously 

called into question de- 

Rangers reject Lille’s £16m for Morelos 

RANGERS have re 

jected a £16.25million 

bid from Lille for Alfredo 

Morelos. 

The French club are 

now considering concluding 

their interest 

in the controversial 

Colombian international, 

according to a 

report in the Daily 

Mail. 

*Morelos 

Sancho: Man Utd, Dortmund’s 

negotiations hit brickwall 

*Sancho 

Manchester United 

and Borussia 

Dortmund’s negotiations 

over Jadon Sancho 

has reportedly hit a 

‘snag’ because of the 

German club’s brutal 

demands. A £108million 

price tag has been 

slapped on the England 

international and any 

less will not be accepted 

Dortmund had told 

their Premier League rivals 

that they were willing 

to accept a package 

which included paying in 

instalments. 

However, the Bundesliga 

side have brutally 

requested £90million up 

front with the remaining 

£18m spread over the 

coming years, according 

to Sky Sports. 

United were hoping to 

fund a move for Sancho 

by initially putting down 

£50m and the rest of the 

balance would be tied up 

in performance related 

add-ons, appearance 

clauses and instalments. 

A deadline of August 10 

was set as Dortmund jet off 

to Switzerland for their 

pre-season training camp 

next week. 

Sancho is expected to 

have a seat on the plane 

which will make Lucien 

Favre’s side less inclined 

to sell their attacker. 

SUNDAY Vanguard, AUGUST 9, 2020, — PAGE 23 

They have grown 

frustrated at being unable 

to settle on a fee 

with the Ibrox club 

while reports in France 

insist they have 

agreed personal terms 

with last season’s 29- 

goal hitman. 

Morelos has been 

the subject of four offers 

in the last six 

weeks, but it appears 

Steven Gerrard and 

the Gers hierarchy are 

holding out for their 

original valuation of 

£20million. 

Lille have now entered 

advanced talks 

with Belgian club 

Gent over a £30million 

move for Canadian 

international attack-leader 

Jonathan 

David after selling 

Victor Osimhen to 

Napoli for £55million. 

Gerrard spent a reported 

£8.5million in 

bringng in strike duo 

Kemar Roofe, from 

Anderlecht, and St 

Gallen’s Cedric Itten. 

It was believed he 

was preparing for the 

transfer of 24-year-old 

Morelos. 

Wolfsburg didn’t believe in 

me — Osimhen 

Victor Osimhen has ex 

plained why he 

couldn’t cope with European 

football in his first time 

out with German Bundesliga 

side Wolfsburg. 

The former Golden Eaglets 

star signed a clubrecord 

fee of €70 million 

which could rise to €80 

million with bonuses with 

Napoli of Italy after being 

courted by several European 

clubs. 

Osimhen made 12 league 

appearances for the Wolfsburg 

but didn’t score a 

goal. He said that he didn’t 

get the right support from 

the club. 

“The weather, the language, 

the food [affected 

me]. It was my first time 

in Europe, I was just 18- 

years-old and I didn’t have 

enough time to acclimatize. 

They didn’t believe in 

me very much,” Osimhen 

told Sport1. 

Wolfsburg managing director 

Jorg Schmadtke 

admitted the club was not 

patient with the Super Eagles 

striker. 

“The most important 

lesson is that you have to 

be patient with some transfers. 

You can’t say: We’ll 

sign you up, provide board 

and lodging, and then it’ll 

work. The importance of 

patience is sometimes underestimated,” 

Schmadtke 

told Sportbuzzer. 

Chelsea wont miss Willian, 

says Lampard 

Chelsea boss Frank 

Lampard said he is unsure 

if Brazilian winger Willian 

will remain at the English 

Premier League soccer club 

next season but expects no 

bitterness from both parties 

if he does depart. 

British media has reported 

that Willian is on the verge of 

joining Chelsea’s London rivals 

Arsenal on a three-year 

deal after his current employers 

only offered him a twoyear 

extension which left him 

disappointed. 

*Sarri 

spite leading the club to a ninthsuccessive 

Scudetto, with the 

former banker admitting himself 

that he had been struggling 

to impose his famous ‘Sarriball’ 

style on the squad. 

The 31-year-old Willian’s 

contract expires at the end 

of Chelsea’s Champions 

League campaign. Lampard’s 

side took on Bayern 

Munich in the last-16 second-leg 

yesterday, a game 

Willian missed due to an 

ankle injury. 

“I haven’t got an answer” 

about whether Willian will 

leave, “because Willian remains 

our player at the moment. 

It actually doesn’t 

matter about disappointment 

from any party in this 

situation,” Lampard told 

reporters. 

US Open: Wawrinka pulls 

out over coronavirus fears 

The US Open tennis 

tournament set to 

start on August 31 amidst 

the novel coronavirus 

(COVID-19) pandemic, 

received a further jolt 

when 2016 champion 

Stan Wawrinka pulled out 

of the tournament citing 

the health situation in 

New York. 

The US Open has already 

seen a spate of 

high-profile withdrawals 

including four-time defending 

champion Rafael 

Nadal, with Wawrinka 

the latest to pull the plug. 

Now, the 35-year-old will 

instead focus on Roland 

Garros where he won his 

second career major in 

2015. 

“There is the health situation 

which is particular 

in New York. I didn’t 

want to go the US under 

*Wawrinka 

these conditions,” the 

world number 17, also 

the 2014 Australian Open 

champion, was quoted as 

saying by RTS. 

Players at the US Open 

will be subject to tight 

health controls to avoid 

the spread of the coronavirus. 

It will also be 

played behind closed 

doors. “And the sequence 

of tournaments 

which follows after the 

Steeplechase champion, Kipruto 

tests positive for Covid-19 

*Ruled out of Diamond League 

World and Olympic 

steeplechase 

champion Conseslus Kipruto’s 

bid to kick-start 

his season has suffered 

a major blow after he 

was ruled out of next 

week’s Monaco leg of 

the Diamond League after 

testing positive for 

Covid-19. 

Kipruto revealed the 

setback to Nation Sport 

on Saturday, a day after 

completing his preparations 

for 3,000 metres 

steeplechase race at 

Monaco’s Stade Louis II 

where he had promised 

a sub eight-minute run. 

Kipruto, 25, was 

among 15 Kenyan athletes 

who had been 

cleared to compete in 

the Monaco leg after 

getting special dispensation 

visas to travel to 

the Schengen area. *Kipruto 

Kenya is among countries 

whose nationals 

have not been cleared to 

travel into European 

Union nations owing to 

the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The athletes were, however, 

cleared to travel after 

Sports Cabinet Secretary 

Amina Mohamed 

and Athletics Kenya 

President Jack Tuwei intervened 

on their behalf 

at the Embassy of France 

in Nairobi. 

The athletes travelling 

to Monaco are, however, 

still required to undergo 

a Covid-19 test 72 hours 

before the trip. 

StarTimes secures Broadcast 

Rights for LaLiga Santander, UEFA 

Nations League 

From 

September, 

StarTimes will be 

the home of Lionel Messi 

and Christian Ronaldo 

as the Digital TV operator 

has acquired broadcast 

rights of LaLiga 

Santander and the UEFA 

Nations League. 

The transmission 

rights for the Spanish top 

league will be broadcast 

in French language, 

from 2020/21 to 2024 

season across sub-Saharan 

Africa. 

Matches will be aired 

live and in HD on the 

StarTimes Sports channels 

as well as the Star- 

Times ON streaming application. 

UEFA Nations League 

is UEFA’s newest national-team 

competition and 

is entering its second edition. 

This national-team 

competition replaces 

friendlies with competitive 

matches, allowing 

nations to play against 

equally ranked teams. 

The 2020/21 UEFA Nations 

League group stage 

matches will be played 

between September and 

November. Starting on 

September 3rd, matchday 

1 will see great 

games such as Germany 

vs. Spain, Sweden 

against France and titleholder 

Christian Ronaldo’s 

Portugal vs. Croatia. 

“We are delighted to 

have secured the broadcast 

rights to LaLiga 

Santander, one of the 

most prestigious football 

competitions in the 

world,” said Kristen 

Miao, StarTimes Sports 

Director. 

“The acquiring of LaLiga 

Santander shows our 

commitment to continuously 

enrich our bouquets 

and to provide our 

subscribers with premium 

sports content.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, AUGUST 9, 2020 

SEE SOLUTION PAGE 5 

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Advert Dept: 01- 7924470; Hotline: 01-4544821; Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. 

E-mail website: sundayvanguard@yahoo.com, editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com. Advert:advert@vanguardngr.com. Internet: www.vanguardngr.com 

(ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: WALE AKINOLA 08023145556. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

09082020 - "They killed people, removed the eyes, other body parts"

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