18082020 - S-Kaduna leaders want money for peace, says El-Rufai

$500m Chinese loan: Reps, Amaechi, Finance 8 

Minister at daggers-drawn over sovereignty clause 

COVID-19: FG to resume international flights 

Aug 29, warns of another pandemic 

Inflation hits 11-month high to 12.82% in July — NBS 

7 

S-Kaduna 

killings: KDSG 

has questions to 

answer 

20 

— LEKWOT 

19 

VOL. 27: NO. 64138 TUESDAY, AUGUSt 18, 2020 

S-Kaduna leaders want money 

for peace, says El-Rufai 5 

Adds: I won’t appease criminals 

•Tasks Gen Agwai’s C’ttee on solution to crisis •CAN offers to partner KDSG on peace •Gunmen kill over 100 

Muslims in Southern Kaduna — COUNCIL OF IMAMS, ULAMAS •Govt has questions to answer — LEKWOT 

Boko 

Haram: 

Again, DSS 

invites 

Mailafia, 

releases 

him 40 

minutes 

after 14 

FG to 

7 

spend 

N12.657 

trillion in 

2021 

Over 

20,000 7 

Nigerians 

employed 

for Lagos- 

Ibadan rail 

—AMAECHI 

CAN VISITS EL-RUFAI... 

Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El- Rufai and Revd. Supo Ayokunle, President of the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, during the visit of the national leadership of CAN to Kaduna. KDSG Media Photo. 

Split tribunal annuls Bayelsa gov's election 33 

Edo: Arrest trouble makers during 

poll — OSHIOMHOLE 9 

•Says cowards in APC using PGF's D-G to abuse him 

•2.2m registered voters expected •Obaseki takes wardto-ward 

campaign to Edo Central 

COLUMNISTS 

ODUMAKIN 16 

TENIOLA 

18 

See 

inside 

Clark, 

others to 

FG: Don’t 

scrap 12 

Amnesty 

programme 

Naira rises to 

N385.78/$, 

down to 

N475/$ in I&E 

window 

Mr & Mrs 

35

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020

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ON TRIAL: Violators of Covid- 19 regulations in Federal Capital Territory standing before the mobile 

court in Abuja... yesterday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan 

S-Kaduna leaders want money 

for peace, says El-Rufai 

Adds: I won’t appease criminals 

•Tasks Gen Agwai’s C’ttee on solution to crisis •CAN offers to partner KDSG on 

peace •Gunmen kill over 100 Muslims in Southern Kaduna — COUNCIL OF IMAMS, 

ULAMAS •Govt has questions to answer — LEKWOT 

By Luminous 

Jannamike & 

Ibrahim 

HassanWuyo 

KADUNA — 

Kaduna State 

governor, Nasir 

Ahmad El-Rufai, has said 

the crisis in Southern 

Kaduna is unending 

because some leaders in 

the area want money for 

peace to reign but vowed 

not to appease criminals. 

The governor spoke as 

the Christian Association 

of Nigeria, CAN, 

yesterday promised to 

partner Kaduna State 

Government in finding a 

lasting solution to killings 

in the area. 

This is even as the 

Council of Imams and 

Ulamas in Kaduna State 

alleged that over 100 

Muslims had been killed 

by Christian militias in 

Southern Kaduna, 

lamenting that the 

killings had gone 

unreported by the media. 

Meanwhile, former 

Military Governor of old 

Rivers State, Major- 

General Zamani Lekwot 

(retd), has said 

government had a case to 

answer over killings in 

Southern Kaduna, 

wondering how 

foreigners perpetrating 

the act entered the 

country. 

Governor El-Rufai, who 

spoke on a Channels 

Television programme 

Sunday night, said 

previous administrations 

in the state used to pay 

some of the leaders who 

allegedly organize 

killings. 

He said some of the 

leaders in Southern 

Kaduna were aggrieved 

because he stopped the 

purported payment to 

them. 

‘I stopped 

paying peace 

money’ 

The governor said: 

“Most of them who have 

no means of livelihood 

were living off the 

governments. The 

governments before us 

were paying them money 

every month; they called 

it peace money. We 

stopped it. This is why 

they say I am taking sides. 

“Whatever they say, I 

take it. I am the governor 

of the state. If they don’t 

abuse me, who will they 

abuse? Anyone that is 

moderate or promoting 

peaceful co-existence 

between various ethnic 

groups is considered a 

sell-out. 

“For a governor like me 

who does not appease 

them because they are 

used to being appeased, 

they cause trouble, they 

organize these killings 

and then, their leaders are 

invited by the governor, 

they wine and dine and 

they are given brown 

envelopes. That’s what 

they have been doing for 

20 years. 

“We came into office and 

said no more, nobody who 

does not encourage 

peaceful co-existence will 

have access to the 

governor or Government 

House. I have no time for 

them. 

“I have no time for 

nonsense. I will not 

appease criminals. I will 

not appease idle people 

who have nothing to do 

but to raise a spectre of 

genocide. They do that to 

get money into their bank 

accounts and get 

donations from abroad 

instead of standing up.” 

The governor added that 

he is using the security 

agents to “carefully mark” 

the leaders indicted in the 

insecurity in the area, 

adding that the state will 

prosecute them “when we 

accumulate enough 

evidence.” 

“They have come up 

with other things because 

the money they got during 

the election is exhausted 

and they can say whatever 

they want to say. I will 

not appease troublemaker. 

On disregard for COVID-19 protocols by politicians (2) 

“I will not tolerate 

people that incite. I will 

map them, we will arrest 

and prosecute them, that’s 

my style, I obey the rule 

of law.” 

‘We’re committed to 

ending cycles of violence’ 

However, at a meeting 

with President of 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, Reverend 

Samson Ayokunle, at 

Government House, 

Kaduna yesterday, 

Governor El-Rufai 

expressed sadness at the 

loss of lives in a totally 

unnecessary frenzy of 

communal attacks, 

reprisals and revenge. 

He welcomed the visit of 

the CAN leadership and 

promised to consider the 

eight recommendations 

made by Revd. Ayokunle 

for implementation. 

“While we mourn the 

dead, our immediate 

focus remains to stop the 

cycle of attacks and 

reprisals. We remain 

committed to ending the 

legacy of violence that has 

blighted the state for 40 

years,” he added. 

El-Rufai pointed out that 

“part of the false narrative 

of the history of violent 

conflict in Southern 

Kaduna was the loose use 

of terms such as landgrabbing 

and genocide. 

“They are being used in 

Continues on Page 41 

By Bose Adelaja, 

& 

Olayinka Latona 

Disregard for the protocol will put 

others at risk. People refusing to 

obey are people meant to lead by 

example. It’s painful seeing political 

rallies going on while schools are 

closed; politicians campaigning 

instead of channelling the energy 

into providing adequate healthcare 

for schools. If we don't prioritize our 

safety over political interests, we'll 

be having more troubles. 

—Akintayo Emmanuel, 

Student 

The seriousness with 

which government 

fought the pandemic initially, 

was commendable. However, 

it began to abate when political 

struggles began. This is 

because politicians value 

power and its sustainability 

more than lives. It’s pathetic 

seeing this gross violation of 

safety protocols by politicians. 

—Francis Adegbola, Corps 

Member 

The COVID-19 protocols are 

not strictly observed during 

political gatherings. Many of them 

still have to remove their masks before 

talking and the virus is airborne. 

Social distancing is not observed; 

many still come with drivers and 

body guards. I think overcrowded 

political gatherings shouldn’t be 

allowed for now . 

—Abimbola Joseph, 

Entrepreneur 

Obviously, many 

people are taken 

aback by developments in 

the political arena in these 

trying times. It is 

disheartening that many 

Nigerians put their lives 

at risk just for a political 

rally, and makes one 

wonder at the relevance 

of the daily updates from 

NCDC. 

—Fadahunsi Michael, 

Web developer 

The NCDC was 

established to prevent 

outbreak of diseases in 

Nigeria and that will only be 

achieved by following laiddown 

rules. But our leaders 

think since they set the rules 

they can break it and because 

they are in the political 

system, the law cannot catch 

up with them, but nobody 

should be above the law. 

—AbdulSalam Modupe, 

Confectioner 

We are not 

surprised. It’s only 

a timely reminder that the 

Nigeria Centre for Disease 

Control, NCDC, has not 

been honest with their 

operations. In a country 

where sanity is valued, 

political rallies like these 

should not be tolerated. It 

is hard to reconcile this but 

this is Nigeria! 

—Hassan Oluwadamilare, 

Student

6— Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 

UNILAG alumnus 

bags 50 yrs 

imprisonment for 

raping student 

on campus 

A 

N Ikeja Sexual Offences and 

Domestic Violence Court, 

yesterday, sentenced John Otema, 

an alumnus of the University of 

Lagos, to 50 years imprisonment 

for raping a 19-year-old student of 

the institution on campus. 

Otema, 34, a quantity surveyor 

and facilities manager, was 

charged before Justice Abiola 

Soladoye with three counts of rape 

and assault occasioning harm on 

two female students. 

He was found guilty on two 

counts of rape and assault 

occasioning harm in respect of the 

rape of the 19-year-old student 

(Student X) and was, however, 

found not guilty on a charge of 

raping a 20-year-old student 

(Student Y) of the institution. 

He bagged 50 years in prison 

for the rape and three-years in 

prison for the assault on Student 

X with both sentences to run 

concurrently. 

In absolving Otema of raping 

Student Y, Justice Soladoye noted 

that the demeanour of Student Y 

in her testimony was mischievous 

and she would not have claimed 

that she was raped if Otema had 

paid her the N50, 000 agreed upon 

before their rendezvous. 

The judge quoted a portion of 

Student Y’s testimony which 

stated, “To scare him off, I asked 

him for N100,000 but he said he 

will give me N50,000. 

“I gave him my account number 

but he did not credit my account. 

Friendship with benefits was the 

crux of our relationship.” 

The judge described Student Y 

as a game player who had 

embarked on a sexual frolic. 

In convicting Otema of rape and 

assault occasioning harm of 

Student X, Justice Soladoye noted 

that in addition to medical 

evidence and photographs 

tendered by the prosecution, 

Student X had also identified the 

defendant as her assailant who bit 

her back and punched her eyes. 

Man, 26, to die 

by hanging for 

killing farmer in 

Ekiti 

A 

High Court, yesterday, in Ado 

Ekiti sentenced a 26-year-old 

man, Dele Ojo, to death by hanging 

for killing a farmer. 

Delivering judgment in Ekiti, 

Justice Abiodun Adesodun, said: 

“The circumstances of this case do 

not allow for a recommendation of 

clemency to the governor on behalf 

of the convict. 

“You are hereby sentenced to 

death by hanging, may the Lord 

have mercy upon his soul.” 

The prosecution said Ojo 

committed the offence on September 

13, 2018, at Iroko Ekiti in Ijero Local 

Government Area of Ekiti, when he 

murdered one Ajayi Adewole, 

contrary to Section 319 of the 

Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws 

of Ekiti State, 2012. 

The prosecution counsel, Mr 

Wale Fapohunda, said the convict 

had been stealing yams from the 

deceased’s farm. He said the convict 

shot the deceased at close range at 

the farm. 

EFCC arrests soldier, 26 others for cyber fraud 

By Soni Daniel 

A 

serving military personnel, 

Lance Corporal Ajayi Kayode 

and 26 others, have been arrested 

by operatives of the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, for alleged internet fraud in 

the Lekki axis of Lagos State. 

EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, 

in a statement, yesterday, said 

Kayode with service number NAF18/ 

34732 was arrested in his military 

attire during an early morning raid 

at 6B, Fatai Idowu Arobike, Lekki 

Phase 1, Lagos, on Saturday, August 

15, 2020, following intelligence 

received from concerned members 

of the public about his alleged 

involvement in criminal activities. 

The statement said: "Kayode, the 

lance corporal, was arrested 

alongside Kalu Emmanuel, Hassan 

Sunday, Odinaka David 

Okem,Victor Ochiabuito, 

Christopher Prince, Victor Ologhu, 

Alex Aka, Miracle Onyekwere, 

Habeeb Ayomide, Olakunle Ajeigbu, 

Rasheed Olanrewaju, Salam 

Hakeem and others." 

In his statement, the soldier 

confessed that the “big shot yahoo 

The suspects. 

yahoo boys” in whose company he 

was arrested, were his friends and 

that they had been teaching him 

how to make quick money through 

cybercrime. 

The anti-graft agency said while 

the “boys” are members of 

Organised Cyber Criminal 

Syndicate Network, OCCSN, the 

ladies arrested with them confirmed 

the involvement of their “boyfriends” 

in internet fraud. 

Attack on gov’s convoy: 15 arrested in Imo 

By Chinonso Alozie 

OWERRI—FIFTEEN persons 

said to be thugs were, yesterday, 

arrested and paraded by the Imo 

State Police Command for allegedly 

attacking the rear vehicles of the 

convoy of the Imo State governor, 

Hope Uzodinma. 

The incident, which happened at 

New Owerri, around Concord Hotel, 

saw the thugs overpowered by the 

police operatives and were 

apprehended. 

The state Police Commissioner, 

Isaac Akinmoyede, said the suspects 

claimed to be staff of the Imo State 

Oil Producing Areas Development 

Commission, ISOPADEC, were 

protesting over alleged three months 

salary arrears. 

It was said that some of the rear 

vehicles in the convoy were 

damaged. 

According to the Commissioner of 

Police, Akinmoyede: “On August 17, 

2020, at about 1130hrs, a group of 

persons who claimed to be the staff 

of ISOPADEC ambushed the convoy 

of the governor of Imo State. 

“The governor was on his way to 

Obinze for an official assignment 

when the group, who also claimed 

to be owed three months salary, 

attacked the vehicles in the convoy 

The suspects paraded at Imo State Police 

headquarters, in Owerri, yesterday. Photo: Chinonso 

Alozie. 

with a locally made pistol and 

machetes around Concord Hotel 

area of new Owerri. In the process, 

the windscreen of some of the 

vehicles in the convoy were 

smashed and the vehicles 

damaged.” 

On how they were arrested, the 

commissioner of police said: “Patrol 

teams in Owerri metropolis were 

mobilised to the scene and 15 

persons were arrested with one 

locally made pistol, two machetes, 

one masquerade mask, a chain and 

a padlock. 

“The governor’s security aides 

exercised a lot of restraint to avert 

bloodshed in the situation and they 

have been handed over to the state 

CID for discreet investigation.” 

Reacting, Governor Uzodinma, 

through the state Commissioner for 

Information and Strategy, Declan 

Emelumba, called on the police to 

unravel the sponsors of the attack. 

Woman burns 8-year-old nephew's buttocks with hot iron 

over N50 groundnuts 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

CALABAR—A Non- 

Governmental Organisation, Basic 

Rights Initiative, is asking for the 

custody of an eight-year-old-boy 

(name withheld), whose aunty burnt 

his back and buttocks with a hot 

electric iron for allegedly eating her 

N50 groundnuts. 

The incident, Vanguard gathered, 

happened at Anantigha, Calabar 

South, Cross River State capital on 

Sunday, when the victim’s aunty on 

return from church service asked the 

boy about the groundnuts she left 

before going out. 

It was further gathered that after 

questioning the boy she reportedly 

plugged an electric iron and burnt 

the boy’s back and buttocks causing 

him serious bodily harm and 

depriving him of food too. 

Findings also revealed that it was 

not the first time the said aunty was 

inflicting injuries on the boy since 

he started living with her as some 

old scars were still visible on his 

fingers that were placed on a 

burning stove. 

Speaking with Vanguard, 

Principal Counsel, Basic Rights 

Initiative, James Ibor, said they 

received a call from Girl Power 

Initiative, GPI, about a lady who has 

been assaulting her nephew both 

physically (with a hot iron, burning 

stove, hot objects) and emotionally 

Ibor said she plugged an electric 

iron and burnt the boy’s back and 

buttocks because he ate N50 leftover 

groundnuts and that was not the 

first time that such was happening. 

His words: ”From what the boy 

has told us, which is also very visible, 

he has been tortured and 

traumatised, and the boy is in 

serious pains. From here we are 

taking him to a medical facility where 

he can get adequate care and 

treatment. 

“ We have written to the Police and 

the state Ministry of Humanities and 

Social Welfare to enable us take 

good care of him in our own shelter 

because we cannot allow the child 

to go back to the aunty again." 

Items recovered from the suspects 

include diamond jewellery, exotic 

cars and expensive phones. The 

suspects will be charged to court 

soon. 

KILLING OF 2 

SECURITY MEN: 

Okomu Oil Palm 

promises N3m 

reward for 

information 

leading to arrest 

of suspects 

AN3,000,000 reward is 

being promised anyone 

with information that can 

lead to the arrest and 

conviction of the thugs who 

killed two unarmed security 

personnel attached to the 

Okomu Oil Palm Plc. 

Managing Director of the 

company, Dr Graham Hefer, 

made the pledge while 

commiserating with 

surviving personnel of the 

security firm, who were 

protesting the killing of their 

colleagues by the criminals 

who went to steal palm fruits 

and rubber cup lumps from 

the company. 

Hefer said the death of the 

security personnel was a big 

loss to the company and 

urged the protesters to 

provide useful information 

that would lead to the arrest 

of the perpetrators of the 

dastardly act. 

While commiserating with 

the protesters, he stated that 

management of Okomu 

would work together with 

their company and the 

security agencies until those 

responsible for the 

gruesome act were 

apprehended and brought to 

book. 

Earlier, a spokesperson for 

the protesters said they were 

on a peaceful protest to 

know the steps taken so far 

by the management of their 

company to arrest the 

perpetrators.


:Vanguard News 

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HEARING—From left: Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello; Minister of Works and Housing, 

Babatunde Fashola, and Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, during the investigative 

hearing on the review of bilateral loan and commercial contracts' agreements, by ministries, 

departments and agencies, at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. 

COVID-19: FG to resume int'l flights 

Aug 29 

By Emma Ujah, 

Chioma Obinna & 

Gabriel Olawale 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government said yesterday 

that international 

flights will resume in the country 

by August 29, 2020, announcing 

that the resumption 

will start with four flights each 

into the airports in Abuja and 

Lagos. 

Announcing this during the 

briefing of the Presidential 

Task Force on COVID-19 in 

Abuja, the Minister of Aviation, 

Hadi Sirika, said international 

flight operations 

would start with Lagos and 

Abuja. 

According to him, the protocol 

and procedure will be 

announced in due cause. 

He said all the non-pharmaceutical 

guidelines, including 

physical distancing, temperature 

checks, and hand washing 

must be maintained before 

departure. 

Sirika said: "We are glad to 

announce the resumption of 

international flights from August 

29, 2020, beginning with 

Lagos and Abuja as we did 

with the domestic flight resumption. 

The protocols and 

procedures will be announced 

in due course. We thank you 

for your patience. “Passengers 

will need to take COVID-19 

test before departure, payment 

will be made through a 

certain website. Also eight 

days after arrival, they will 

have to take another test. 

He said the government 

was committed to supporting 

aviation industry to survive the 

present challenges. 

“The government intervention 

is in two fold, one from 

CBN which is like loan and 

the second from government 

which is been process, but certainly 

some kind of help will 

come.'' Corroborating his 

view, National Coordinator 

for the PTF on COVID-19, Dr. 

Sani Aliyu, said the preboarding 

test had value only 

for two weeks, after which the 

passengers might have to undergo 

another test a week after 

arrival. 

“When it comes to infection 

control, everybody you met is 

infection potential because 

the day you are told that you 

• Warns of another pandemic 

• Nigerians on parole face repatriation abroad 

• States to get N2.1bn each 

• Declining case fatalities not signs of battle won 

have contact with someone 

infectious; once you follow the 

non pharmaceutical procedure 

you are unlikely to get 

it,'' he said. 

He said the current low level 

of positive cases in the country 

didn't mean the pandemic 

was over, adding that it was a 

result of low demand for testing 

across the country. 

''We have capacity for 

10,000 per day but what we 

are getting is less than 3,000. 

It is important to note that for 

every positive case we get, we 

are missing a lot. As a matter 

of urgency, we need to get people 

tested. 

''If people refuse, the danger 

is enormous. The age brackets 

of people that are likely to 

spread the virus are the ages 

that run around the country 

without taking any preventive 

measure. 

“We, however, urge states 

that got funds to use it in expanding 

testing, risk communication 

and community engagement. 

We are also working 

towards reducing turnaround 

time to 24hours,'' he 

said. 

In his presentation, Chairman 

of PTF on COVID-19 

and Secretary to the Government 

of the Federation, Mr 

Boss Mustapha, expressed 

worry over the possibility of 

COVID-19 ravaging the rural 

areas, announcing that on 

the average, each state would 

be receiving the sum of N2.1 

billion to assist them in fighting 

the pandemic. 

He said: "Lagos got their 

own N10 billion first; Kano, 

N5 billion, while Jigawa and 

Ogun got a billion each. But 

in the budget now, there is a 

provision where each of the 

32 remaining states plus the 

Federal Capital Territory 

FCT will get a billion each for 

the purpose of addressing the 

matter of COVID-19. ''The 

World Bank has also extended 

some facility to the states, 

about $104 million. By the 

time that is added up, it is another 

one billion to each of 

the states to address issues of 

health infrastructure. By the 

time it is all said and done, on 

the average, each of the states 

would be receiving about 

N2.1 billion as support to address 

the issue of COVID-19." 

Mustapha further raised 

concerns that some countries 

had concluded arrangements 

to repatriate Nigerians who 

have been convicted and are 

currently on parole. 

He listed some of these 

countries to include; United 

States of America, United 

Arab Emirates UAE and 

Egypt. 

Meanwhile, the federal government 

has warned that Nigeria 

risks another pandemic 

if the nation failed to urgently 

develop her health infrastructure. 

The Secretary to the Government 

of the Federation, 

SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, 

gave the warning at the inauguration 

of the Board of Experts 

(BoE) of the Healthcare 

Sector Research and Development 

Intervention Scheme 

(HSRDIS) of the Central 

Bank of Nigeria, in Abuja, yesterday. 

The apex bank initiated the 

HSRDIS to quickly respond 

to the challenges posed by the 

COVID-19 and to strengthen 

the nation’s health sector. 

The SGF said: "If we lose 

the sense of the moment, we 

will be confronted with another 

pandemic and we will find 

ourselves starting all over 

again. If we had built on the 

experiences of Ebola and other 

epidemics that we have 

dealt with in the past, probably 

today we wouldn't have 

started with about two molecular 

laboratories for the testing 

of COVID-19. 

"If you travel the shores of 

this country, you will find out 

that we have over 10,000 public 

primary healthcare centers 

scattered in wards and villages 

across the country, illequipped, 

ineffective, and not 

being put into use but we keep 

building them." 

COVID-19, the SGF said 

"has exposed the weaknesses 

in our health system, in our 

governance system, in our security 

infrastructure, in our 

inclusiveness and creating social 

safety nets for our people." 

Mr. Mustahpa said that the 

CBN intervention, "will set us 

on the part of recovering our 

health care system in Nigeria. 

If we did not have the opportunity 

of reconsidering the reconstruction, 

of our health infrastructure 

in this country this 

is a golden opportunity that 

has availed itself. 

"It will be the greatest disappointment 

of our time and 

of our generation if we do not 

seize the opportunity of the 

moment to redress all the deficiencies 

of the defects that 

we've had in our health and 

other infrastructure in this 

country. 

"This particular time is an 

eye opener and it has revealed 

the depth of the weaknesses 

in the system." 

Auditor-General denies illegal 

withdrawal of N10bn from 

NHIS account 

By Michael Eboh 

ABUJA—THE Auditor- 

General of the Federation, 

Mr. Anthony Ayine, yesterday, 

described as false and 

mischievous allegations that 

he connived with Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo to illegally 

withdraw N10 billion from 

the account of the National 

health Insurance Scheme, 

NHIS. 

In a statement from the Office 

of the Auditor-General of 

the Federation, OAUGF, in 

Abuja, Ayine said in the allegation, 

it was stated that the 

first withdrawal of N5 billion 

from the NHIS account was 

made by Osinbajo and himself, 

in December 2016, noting 

that he actually resumed 

office in January 2017. 

According to him, the whole 

allegation therefore, is not 

only illogical, highly embarrassing, 

scandalous, frivolous 

and unreasonable, but it is 

also calculated to smear the 

OAuGF and the person of the 

Auditor-General for the Federation, 

Mr. Anthony Ayine, 

tarnish and discredit his hard- 

FG to spend N12.657tn in 2021 

By Emma Ujah, Abuja 

Bureau Chief 

ABUJA — THE Federal 

Government is to spend 

the sum of N12. 658 trillion 

in 2021, going by the 2021 

budget which is being prepared 

by the Federal Ministry 

of Finance. 

According to the Budget 

Call Circular referenced 

HMFBNP/2000/EXP/S.800/ 

1/3/35 by the Minister of Finance, 

Budget and National 

Planning, Mrs. Zainab 

Ahmed, Ministries, Departments 

and Agencies (MDAs) 

have up to August 28, 2020, to 

make their submissions online 

using the Government Integrated 

Financial Management 

Information System, 

GIFMIS, Budget Preparation 

Module. 

This is in addition to the hard 

copies to be endorsed by the 

Chief Executive/Accounting 

Officers, attesting to their correctness 

and compliance with 

the circular. The N12. 657 trillion 

is to be financed by a revenue 

estimate of N7. 498 trillion, 

leaving a deficit of N5. 

160 trillion. 

Non-Debt Recurrent expen- 

diture is estimated to take 

N5.746 trillion and a capital 

budget of N3.086 trillion. 

MDAs’ capital expenditure 

is allocated the sum of N1. 

485 trillion and N674. 11 billion 

for multilateral and bilateral 

project-tied loans. 

Similarly, N234. 19 billion 

has been allocated to Capital 

Supplementation; N337. 06 

billion for grants and donorfunded 

projects; N335. 59 billion 

for Government Owned 

Enterprises (GOEs); and N20 

for SIP. 

Debt Service has been allocated 

N3. 124 trillion. Out 

of this, domestic debt is allocated 

N2. 183 trillion; while 

foreign debt is expected to take 

N940 billion and a Sinking 

Fund of N220 billion provisioned 

to retire maturing 

loans. The sum of N481. 41 

billion is provisioned for Statutory 

Transfers and another 

N420 billion allocated to the 

Special Intervention Programme 

(SIP). 

Sectoral allocations indicated 

a priority for MDAs 

grouped under Economic 

Development with the Ministry 

of Works and Housing receiving 

the highest allocation 

earned reputation. 

He, therefore, advised the 

general public to completely 

ignore and disregard the libellous 

publication in its entirety 

as a mere fiction of the 

imagination of the authors, 

which is self-seeking and not 

for public good or interest. 

The Auditor-General further 

stated that while the motivation 

behind this publication 

may not be known, it 

clearly displays either that the 

author was completely ignorant 

of the role and responsibilities 

of the Auditor-General 

for the Federation, or that 

the publication is done out of 

mischief for no just cause. 

He said, “To put the records 

straight, and for the benefits 

of the public, we state the following 

facts: That the role 

and responsibilities of the 

AuGF are to audit the nation’s 

accounts and report to the 

National Assembly; the Auditor-General 

for the Federation 

has no Powers whatsoever 

to authorise withdrawal nor 

does he have any business 

withdrawing money from the 

NHIS or any other ministry, 

department or agency (MDA) 

of government." 

Over 20,000 Nigerians employed 

for Lagos-Ibadan rail project 

— Amaechi 

LAGOS—Minister 

of 

Transportation, Chibuike 

Rotimi Amaechi, has 

said that over 20,000 workers 

were engaged for the ongoing 

construction of Lagos- 

Ibadan rail project. 

This, he said, was in compliance 

with the local content 

law inherent in the $1.6 billion 

contract agreement between 

Nigeria and China. 

Amaechi made the clarification 

at a public hearing in 

Abuja yesterday, while responding 

to concerns by the 

House of Representatives 

Committee on Treaties, Protocols 

and Agreements that 

local content was not observed 

in the course of the 

project. He said: "There are over 

20,000 Nigerian workers employed 

for the construction of the 

Lagos-Ibadan railway project, 

only 560 of the workers on that 

project are Chinese,” adding that 

most materials for the project were 

locally sourced except for those 

that were manufactured outside 

Nigeria. 

"We have over 150 Nigerians 

being trained as Engineers in 

China. The Chinese has also 

built two training institutions for 

us, one at Idu and the other one 

is the Transportation University 

in Daura, Katsina State.'' 

•Finance minister gives MDAs deadline for budget estimates 

of N272. 061 billion; followed 

by Power with N178 . 382 billion; 

and Transport with 

N120. 043 billion. However, 

Defence (Ministry of Defence, 

Army, Air force and Navy) 

also got N120. 043 billion. 

The Ministry of Health was 

allocated N93. 678 billion; 

Water Resources, N84. 142 

billion; Agriculture, N83. 862 

billion; while Education received 

N80. 216 billion. 

Mrs. Ahmed said that the 

2021 budget would focus on 

the completion of on-going 

projects and that MDAs should 

avoid introducing new projects. 

According to her, in line with 

the Zero Based Budget (ZBB) 

policy of the administration a lists of 

all projects and their status: on-going 

or abandoned should be submitted 

along with their budgets. 

She said, “MDAs are hereby advised 

that new projects will not be 

admitted into the capital budget for 

2021, unless adequate provision 

has been made for the completion 

of all on-going projects.” 

The minister directed that all 

MDAs must prepare their budget 

estimates within the overhead 

budget ceilings of the 2020 budget, 

which has been retained in the 

2021 budget.

8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—THE House of 

Representatives members and 

the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike 

Ameachi, yesterday engaged in verbal 

exchanges over the $500 million 

Chinese loan Nigeria was seeking for 

rail projects. 

The Minister of Finance, Budget and 

National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, 

was not left out of the heated argument 

that trailed the propriety of the loan, 

especially against the backdrop of the 

clause embedded in the loan agreement 

between Nigeria and China which 

lawmakers saw as mortgaging the 

country’s sovereignty. 

While the lawmakers said the clause 

was inimical to the security and 

development of the country, the 

ministers said it was universal standard 

practice. 

The lawmakers were also at war with 

the transport minister for agreeing to 

have a Chinese colony, Hong Kong, as 

the arbitration centre on the loan 

agreements. 

These developments played out at the 

resumed public hearing of the 

Committee on Loans, Treaties and 

Protocols of the House, chaired by Ossai 

Nicholas Ossai. 

The committee is currently reviewing 

Nigeria’s loan agreements with 

countries, especially China. 

At present, there are about 17 loans 

obtained from China to fund critical 

infrastructure in the areas of rail 

transportation, Information and 

Communication Technology, ICT, airport 

terminal expansion, energy, agriculture 

and water. 

Committee hearing in 

heated argument 

The hearing had started on a friendly 

note, featuring the interrogation of the 

Director-General, Debt Management 

Office, Mrs. Patience Oniha, on details 

of the loans and later progressed to the 

Minister of Finance, Zaniab Ahmed, who 

was represented by Permanent 

Secretary, Special Duties, Aliyu Ahmed. 

The proceedings later progressed to 

the Minister of Transportation, Mr. 

Chubuike Amaechi, being questioned 

on the loans by the lawmakers. 

Questions put to him by the chair of 

the committee on the local content 

components of the loan agreements were 

returned in monosyllabic answers 

without details. 

However, Amaechi said the activities 

of the lawmakers would hinder the 

acquisition of the loans to finance the 

South South rail projects, adding that 

the only loan secured by the present 

government so far was the NI.6 billion 

for the Lagos -Ibadan rail project. 

“We may not get that loan. We will 

lose that contract from Lagos to Calabar, 

because of the committee you have set 

up,” he said. 

But when the committee chairman 

said he was not talking about the South 

South rail project but Nigeria at large, 

Ameachi retorted: “You have approached 

me on South South rail project. Have 

you not? You have. Until you get the 

loan, there will be no contract. And there 

will be no loan.” 

The tone of the conversation prompted 

a member of the committee, Wole Oke, 

to call the attention of the chair for 

“guidance,” but the call was not heeded. 

He was later to be given an opportunity 

to speak. 

With the House getting more heated 

up, the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, 

stormed the venue of the hearing, 

demanding for 10 to 15 minutes break. 

“Can we, please have 10 to 15-minute 

break?,” Gbajabiamila pleaded. 

Chairman of the committee then 

formally announced a 30-minute break. 

Clauses, a standard practice 

— Ministers 

With the resumption of the hearing 

after 30 minutes, the Minister of 

Finance was questioned on 

sovereignty clause, which her 

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

$500M CHINESE LOANS: Reps, Amaechi, Finance Minister 

at daggers drawn over sovereignty clause 

•It’s standard practice for taking loans — Ministers •It isn't — REPS 

representative noted was standard 

practice globally. 

“It is a standard clause in a number of 

commercial agreements worldwide. I am 

aware of the circular. In the event you 

have dispute, you can go to arbitration,” 

he said. 

Not satisfied, the permanent secretary 

was asked to produce the Minister of 

Finance, Budget and National Plaaning, 

Mrs. Zainab Ahmed tomorrow. 

Also speaking on the issue, Amaechi 

said it was the standard practice when 

obtaining loans, stressing that 80 

percent of the loans were negotiated by 

the previous government. 

Noting that local content was also 

factored into the loan, Amaechi pleaded 

with the committee not to chase the 

Chinese away with its stance. 

“These are standard clauses you have 

before you can get the loan. 80 percent 

of these loans were taken before we 

came. And they are standard clauses. 

“Doors and windows made by China 

were rejected, we insisted that we can 

make our own here. Rods and other items 

can be sourced here. The one I signed, 

which is commercial contracts, Lagos is 

the arbitration centre. 

“When China hears what you say now, 

they won’t give us these loans. Once 

you sign, you are bound by the law. Let’s 

get funds to do our projects,” Amaechi 

said 

He, however, promised to make 

available documents showing the 

detailed components of the local 

contents. 

But in response, Ossai retorted: “I 

disagree completely. They are no 

standard clauses. Well, that issue 

concerns national security. We can do 

that again. Our own is to interface 

adequately on the issues.” 

Ministers, such as Minister of Works 

and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the 

Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, 

Mohammed Bello, the Minister of 

Communication, Ali Pantami, among 

others, who were around to make 

presentations were asked to return 

tomorrow. 

The loan clauses 

Meanwhile, documents containing 

some of the loan agreements sighted by 

Vanguard, made it mandatory for Nigeria 

to purchase the technologies, good and 

services with which to build the 

infrastructure from China. 

The document also revealed that 

before the first tranche of loans, otherwise 

referred to as first draw down, can be 

secured, Nigeria must make 15 percent 

of the contract sum in advance. 

In his earlier opening remarks at the 

hearing, Ossai said it was the 

responsibility of lawmakers to ensure 

that Nigerians were not shortchanged 

in the loan processes. 

He said: “The National Assembly, 

through this committee, will work to 

ensure that proper due diligence is taken 

by various MDAs before, during and after 

negotiations/signing of all bilateral loan 

and contractual agreements. 

‘’We believe that both the government 

and Nigerians appreciate the fact that 

bilateral loan agreements are not just 

about infrastructural development but 

also a matter of national interest and 

national security; because the future of 

our children and unborn children are 

involved. 

“As such, the aim of this committee is 

to review the status of these agreements 

to ensure that it’s done with the best 

interest of the Nigerian people in focus, 

monitor the progress of its operation, 

management and administration by the 

relevant agencies of government in 

line with the terms of the 

agreements and recommend a more 

transparent and open process in 

accordance with our enabling laws 

and international best practices. 

“Based on public statements and 

reporting alone, especially since our last 

meeting here, we have heard/seen 

comments and analysis on major 

television networks and national dailies 

by key actors, which have not accurately 

conveyed the severity of the issues and 

what the current structure of these loans/ 

contracts/agreements may portend for 

our nation if not properly planned and 

managed well. 

“We have heard some people ask why 

we are focusing on only Chinese related 

PRO-BUHARI RALLY: National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) rallying support for 

President Muhammadu Buhari in a peaceful protest in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. 

APC, Secondus in verbal war 

By Omeiza Ajayi & Dirisu 

Yakubu 

ABUJA—THE All Progressives 

Congress, APC, has tasked the 

National Chairman of Peoples 

Democratic Party PDP, Prince Uche 

Secondus to sit up and focus on saving 

his party, which has become rudderless 

and now crumbling to pieces right under 

his watch. 

The PDP Charman, Prince Uche 

Secondus in a swift reaction, described 

the ruling APC as a party sleeping on 

duty while the rest of the country burns. 

APC in a statement by its Deputy 

National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini 

Nabena, said it was reacting to the recent 

comments by Mr Secondus on the 

decision of President Muhammadu 

Buhari and APC to defend and support 

free, fair elections as opposed to previous 

PDP militarised elections. 

“The APC calls on Secondus to 

focus on PDP, which has become 

loans and commercial contracts. We will 

like Nigerians to know that we aren’t 

focusing on only Chinese loans. From 

what we know, Nigeria has over 500 

bilateral loans/commercial contracts/ 

agreements and investments treaties 

with different countries and institutions. 

‘’There is no way the committee will 

do a thorough job without segmenting 

the issues based on countries, 

institutions, or MDAs. Thus, it must be 

clearly noted that this is not targeted at 

only China, neither was it designed to 

impede the development of the railway 

•Opposition crumbling, rudderless, APC tells Secondus 

•APC unconscious, sleeping on duty — PDP chairman 

shockingly rudderless under his 

watch,” the ruling party stated. 

APC added that under Secondus, PDP 

had never had it this bad with the 

opposition party’s stakeholders detached 

from the party activities as was witnessed 

with notable PDP leaders boycotting its 

2019 presidential campaigns and the 

recent Bayelsa State governorship bribefor-ticket 

scandal that indicted Secondus. 

The statement read: “Little wonder, 

the recent months have witnessed many 

PDP members resign their membership 

due to Secondus’ activities which has 

brought the PDP to its knees. 

“The PDP under Secondus is in willful 

denial of the obvious that under the 

President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC 

administration, free, fair and credible 

elections is the new normal. Voting 

power is fast returning to the people and 

the era of stolen and procured votes is 

fast-fading. 

“Why will the PDP under Secondus 

not support efforts to ensure the 

NCFront tackles Garba Shehu over Na’abba 

By Ibrahim Hassan 

A 

pressure group, NCFront has 

condemned the statement issued 

by Garba Shehu over DSS’ invitation of 

its leader and former speaker of the 

House of Representatives, Ghali 

Na’abba. 

Head, Public Affairs Bureau of the 

group, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, who gave the 

condemnation in a statement yesterday, 

said: “As decent and responsible 

democrats, we wish to state that the 

timing, promptness and alacrity with 

which DSS these days summons those 

who disagree or criticize the misrule of 

Buhari’s government betrays the sinister 

and dastardly motive of the regime. 

‘’The invitation for questioning of the 

chairman and a frontline member of the 

newly launched NCFront, former 

speaker, Ghali Umar Na’abba, and former 

deputy governor of the Central Bank of 

Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, 

respectively, is a move by the 

government to silence constructive 

criticism and responsible opposition at 

all cost, portending a desperate and 

panicky move to turn the country into a 

police state. 

“If, for instance, DSS has anything 

serious or concrete against Ghali Umar 

Na’abba (as suggested by Garba Shehu, 

the Presidential spokesman currently 

running the Nigerian Presidency 

without the mandate of the Nigerian 

sector and other infrastructure. 

‘’It is rather to ensure full disclosure, 

transparency, accountability, utmost 

good faith, and value for money in both 

the bilateral loans and commercial 

contracts agreements entered into by 

the Nigerian government. 

“The loan agreements we have seen 

so far, shows that government officials 

charged with the responsibility of 

representing Nigeria in these issues 

were more desperate to just take the 

loans at any condition, possibly using 

non-negotiated loan agreements 

templates rather than go through the 

rigour of diligent technical review of 

negotiating specific clauses with clarity 

and for national interest.'' 

independence of our state institutions 

such as the Judiciary, INEC and our 

security services and ultimately deepen 

our democracy and improve our 

electioneering system? 

“We call on progressive partisans, 

particularly in the PDP not to sink with 

the opposition party which has become 

clearly disillusioned under Secondus.” 

Meanwhile, National chairman of 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince 

Uche Secondus, has described the ruling 

All Progressives Congress, APC, as a 

party sleeping on duty while the rest of 

the country burns. 

Secondus stated this yesterday in a 

reaction to an earlier statement by the 

APC which described his stewardship of 

the PDP as rudderless and crumbling. 

Media Adviser to Secondus, Ike 

Abonyi, while reacting on behalf of his 

principal said: “APC and its government 

are in a state of deep unconsciousness, 

sleeping on duty as the nation groans. 

‘’In their struggle to say something, 

they expose their insensitivity to the 

plight of the populace. A lame and 

confused party breeds bad 

government and they together abets 

poverty in the land. God will rescue 

his people from an unfair regime.” 

peoples and electorate), why hasn’t the 

DSS invited the former speaker for 

questioning long before now? 

‘’Why wait till now, when he is now 

speaking for a major alternative political 

movement, the NCFront, on the group’s 

mission to rescue and save Nigeria from 

the exploitative grip of the tiny political 

cabal which has since captured Aso Villa, 

running the Nigerian Presidency as their 

personal estate. 

“Why now? Are we back to the dark 

days of totalitarianism? Are we on the 

odious path to fascism? Why is the state 

so obsessed about hate speech than 

containing and curtailing her own 

obvious hate actions and reckless 

impunity all over the Nigerian space.''

— 


Arrest any trouble maker during poll — Oshiomhole 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & 

Ozioruva Aliu 

A BUJA—FORMER 

National Chairman of 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Adams 

Oshiomhole, yesterday, 

challenged security 

agencies in the country to 

arrest any trouble maker in 

the September 19, Edo 

State governorship 

election, whether they are 

members of his APC or the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP. 

He also carpeted the 

Director-General of the 

Progressive Governors 

Forum, Saliu Lukeman, 

over allegations that he 

(Oshiomhole) was plotting 

to come back as National 

Chairman of the party. 

Meanwhile, the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, has disclosed that 

a total of 2,210,534 persons 

have been registered to 

vote in the election in Edo 

State. 

This came as the PDP in 

Edo State and its 

candidate, Governor 

Godwin Obaseki, 

yesterday, took his ward to 

ward campaign to Edo 

Central Senatorial District, 

where the governor 

promised improved 

infrastructural 

development and security. 

Arrest any trouble make 

in Edo —Oshiomhole 

Oshiomhole, who briefed 

State 

House 

correspondents after 

meeting behind closed 

doors with President 

Muhammadu Buhari at 

the Presidential Villa, 

Abuja, on the allegation 

made against by the 


Progressive Governors’ 

Forum, Lukewarm, said: 

“You want me to engage in 

a fight with a pig? If you 

engage in a fight with a 

pig, the pig already is 

stained by its nature and 

you will wear your white 

garment; and in my case, I 

should use khaki to go and 

wrestle with a pig? I will 

not.” 

Oshiomhole also 

accused Ekiti State 

Governor and Chairman of 

the Nigeria Governors 

Forum, NGF, Dr. Kayode 

Fayemi, of unilaterally 

appointing Lukman as the 

DG. 

Charging security 

agencies to arrest anybody 

that foments trouble during 

the September 19 Edo 

governorship election, 

Oshiomhole said: “The 

outgoing governor is 

talking more about 

violence, you must have 

watched him on Channels 

television where he said 

he will meet violence for 

•Says cowards in APC using DG to abuse him 

•2.2m registered voters expected — INEC 

•As Obaseki takes ward-to-ward campaign to Edo Central 

*Oshiomhole: Former APC National Chairman 

violence and we are saying 

no, there will be no 

violence. It will be like 

celebrating Christmas or 

you are going to do a 

plebiscite between MoU, 

which Edo people have 

now codenamed, 

Memorandum of 

Underdevelopment and a 

governor with a clear 

simple agenda which is the 

product of his brain. 

“We have just found out 

that MoUs are only 

celebrated by consultants. 

They are not celebrated by 

real people.” 

On his meeting with the 

president, he said: “I told 

Mr. President that all is 

needed is good security. If 

APC man commits an 

offence, arrest him; if a PDP 

man commits an offence, 

arrest him. Once one 

person is arrested from the 

APC and another person is 

arrested from PDP, if they 

are found involved in 

unlawful possession of 

firearms and they misused 

those firearms and they are 

arrested and prosecuted, 

the message is clear.” 

Cowards in APC using 

DG to abuse me 

On Lukman, 

Oshiomhole said: “What 

they don’t understand is 

that it is not the office of 

chairman that makes me 

who I am. It is my pedigree 

from my days as labourer 

in the textile industry to be 

the general secretary of 

textile workers all over 

Nigeria and becoming the 

president of NLC. 

“There is no village I go 

to that people do not know 

me and that is what I used 

to override the godfathers 

in Edo State for two 

consecutive terms and 

even got the governor 

elected through elections, 

no violence before 

becoming the national 

chairman. 

“So, if you remove the 

office, it is like our 

president now, maybe I 

cannot compare myself to 

him, but it is like President 

Buhari by 2023, when his 

tenure would have 

elapsed as President but 

those who believe in him, 

in 2024 and beyond, any 

time they see him, that trust 

they have in him will 

always be there. 

“He bonds with the 

people, that bond was not 

created by the fact that he 

is the president, in fact, he 

became the president 

because of that bond. 

“So, it takes an empty 

brain to suggest that 

Oshiomhole wants to stage 

a come- back as the 

national chairman. For 

what? To go and do a resit? 

“So, my attitude is not to 

reply to the noise and it is 

coming from somebody, 

who says he is an 

employee, an appointee of 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE— AHEAD of 

the governorship 

election, former deputy 

governor of Ondo State 

and leader of the Unity 

Group, Ali Olanusi, 

yesterday, reconciled with 

Governor Rotimi 

Akeredolu of Ondo State. 

Olanusi is the chairman 

of the Unity Group, a 

faction of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, in the state, also 

dissolved the Unity Group 

and merged it with the APC 

in the state at an enlarged 

stakeholders meeting held 

in Akure. 

Akeredolu, who 

addressed the meeting, 

paid glowing tributes to the 

aspirants. 

He also urged leaders 

and members of the party 

in the state to work for the 

success of the party in the 

governorship election. 

The meeting had in 

attendance the governor, 

his running mate in the 

election, Mr. Lucky 

Ayedatiwa; former Deputy 

Governors in the state, 

Messrs Ali Olanusi and 

Lasisi Oluboyo; former 

Progressives Governors 

Forum, it is just like the 

cowards that are using 

him are not able to come 

out.” 

2.2m registered voters 

expected —INEC 

Meanwhile, INEC’s 

Director Voter Registration, 

Iro Gambo disclosed that 

2,210,534 persons were 

registered to vote in the Edo 

governorship election 

when he presented the 

voters’ register to the 14 

political parties that would 

participate in the election, 

yesterday at the INEC 

office. 

He also revealed that out 

of the total number of 

voters, 1,159,325 are men 

while 1,052,209 are 

women. 

Further analysis of the 

voters showed that Edo 

South Senatorial District 

has the highest number of 

registered voters with 

1,281,414, followed by Edo 

North which has 564,122, 

while Edo Central 

senatorial district has the 

least with 364,998 voters. 

On her part, INEC’s 

National Commissioner for 

Edo Bayelsa and Rivers 

states, May Agbamuche- 

Mbu said the presentation 

of the register to the parties 

was important to 

underscore transparency in 

the process adding that the 

election would be held 

under strict adherence of 

the NCDC guidelines on 

COVID-19. 

Obaseki takes ward-toward 

campaign to Edo 

Central 

Meanwhile, Governor 

Obaseki, was at Ilushi, in 

Esan South East LGA of 

the state, where he visited 

the traditional rulers of 

Illushi and Ifeku 

communities, His Royal 

Highness (HRH) Sunny 

Eye and Anuka Peter 

respectively, to seek for 

their royal blessings ahead 

of the September 19, 

election. 

He also promised to do 

more for the people. 

Obaaseki, who was 

accompanied by his deputy 

and running mate, Mr. 

Philip Shaibu and 

members of the Edo PDP 

campaign team, assured 

the people that his 

administration will address 

the security challenge 

facing the people of the 

area. 

Obaseki said: “I want to 

secure the lives and 

property of the people 

here. My administration 

has decided to build a 

Marine Police post to 

secure the area. We have 

also purchased gunboats 

which will be given to the 

police to secure the people. 

“We have noticed that 

there are no internal roads 

and the area is ravaged by 

erosion, we will address the 

issues. We will also 

improve agriculture in the 

area and empower the 

youths. 

”The Edo Basic 

Education Sector 

Transformation, 

EDOBEST, programme is 

reforming the educational 

system; Illushi and Ifeku 

communities will also 

benefit from the 

programme. We will ensure 

that youths of this area 

have the right skills to be 

independent and 

contribute efficiently to the 

state’s development. 

”We have a lot to do for 

our people here; we care 

for our people. Before we 

leave office, we would 

develop a 30-year 

development plan for the 

area which will serve as a 

guide for successive 

governments.” 

Unity Group dissolved, as Olanusi reconciles with 

Akeredolu •Jegede picks Rep member as running mate 

National Vice Chairman of 

APC in South-West, Pius 

Akinyelure; governorship 

aspirants, present and past 

legislators at all levels; 

federal, state and local 

governments appointees 

with party officials at the 

state, local governments, 

wards and units levels. 

Akeredolu, who 

specifically lauded his cocontestants 

for positively 

yielding to the 

reconciliation moves he 

embarked upon, said they 

have displayed exemplary 

leadership. 

The governor said the 

new spirit within the party 

must not for any reason 

dwindle but continue to 

soar high. 

He pointed out that the 

election must be used to 

justify the popularity, 

strength and acceptability 

of APC in the state. 

In his remarks, the 

chairman of the Party, Mr. 

Ade Adetimehin said the 

highpoint of the 

reconciliation is that the 

APC under his leadership 

would henceforth be one 

party with one structure 

and common purpose for 

its members, without the 

existence of any form of 

groupings. 

Jegede picks Rep 

member as running mate 

CANDIDATE of the 

People’s Democratic Party, 

PDP, in Ondo State, Mr. 

Eyitayo Jegede has 

confirmed Mr. Gboluga 

Ikengboju as his running 

mate. 

Jegede’s in his twitter 

handle said: “In the task 

of rebuilding the 

confidence of our people in 

their government and in 

restoring hope for a better 

life under a PDP 

administration in Ondo 

State, and following 

extensive consultations 

with leaders of our party I 

am pleased, to announce 

that Mr. Gboluga 

Ikengboju will be working 

with me in seeking your 

mandate in the October 10, 

2020 governorship 

election. 

“We will also work with 

other notable leaders of our 

great party in different 

capacities. In this regard, 

we salute the commitment, 

conviction, support and 

understanding of all the 

aspirants and other leaders 

of our party.” 

Gboluga, the lawmaker 

representing Okitipupa/ 

Irele constituency, is the 

Vice Chairman of the 

Delegated Legislation 

Committee of the House of 

Representatives. 

My candidature not for 

PDP alone — Jegede 

Also, Mr. Jegede has 

expressed the readiness to 

accommodate all those 

having genuine interest in 

his candidature regardless 

of their political parties. 

Speaking during a 

session with stakeholders 

of the party, Jegede said: 

“Since I am seeking the 

mandate of the people of 

Ondo State, it would be 

self-defeating to alienate 

any segment of the society 

in the campaign process. 

“Once you get back 

home, open your doors 

and accommodate all those 

who genuinely show 

interest, irrespective of 

their political parties.” 

Jegede also urged party 

members to bond in unity, 

regardless of who they 

worked for in the preprimary 

election era.


:Vanguard 

News 

Dismissal awaits Amotekun 

personnel caught taking bribe 

—Commander 

By Dayo Johnson 

A 

K U R E — 

COMMANDER 

of the Ondo State Security 

Network Agency, 

Amotekun corps, Chief 

Adetunji Adeleye, 

yesterday, warned that any 

of its personnel caught 

taking bribe would be 

dismissed and prosecuted. 

Adeleye, who spoke in 

Akure during the training 

of personnel recently 

engaged, noted that two 

percent of the personnel 

were dismissed for corrupt 

practices. 

Asked how the Corps 

would curb corrupt 

practices, Adeleye said: “We 

have Amotekun culture. 

It is forbidden, the corps 

operatives cannot take 

gratification and they know. 

“In the course of training, 

about 2% of the people we 

took on board were 

dismissed. 

“Within the corps, there is 

zero-tolerance to corruption, 

zero tolerance to 

misbehaviour. 

“It is a grassroots security 

outfit, so you can’t even 

afford to be rude to the 

members of the public in 

carrying out duties as part 

of the culture of Amotekun. 

“You must exercise a lot of 

decorum and yet be firm. It’s 

the training they have. Any 

operative caught will be 

summarily dismissed from 

the corps and prosecuted.” 

NAPTIP boss, Falana, others 

reject castration as punishment 

for rape 

By Ebunoluwa 

Sessou & Okiemute 

Abraham 

L AGOS—DIRECTOR- 

General of the National 

Agency for Prohibition of 

Trafficking in Persons, 

NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah 

Donli, yesterday, rejected 

castration as punishment 

for rapists, saying the ideal 

penalty should be 

considered. 

She stated this during a 

webinar conference on 

gender-based violence, 

organized by Women 

Empowerment and Legal 

Aid, WELA. 

The convener of the 

programme and human 

rights activist, Mrs. Funmi 

Falana, who is also the 

founder of WELA, 

alongside other 

stakeholders, who 

participated in the 

conference, urged 

Nigerians to maintain a 

sustained momentum in 

the fight against rape, 

adding that rape and other 

related gender-based 

YOV seeks unity, peace of Yoruba 

groups in diaspora 

By Gabriel Olawale 

LAGOS—A coalition, 

Yoruba One Voice, 

YOV, said, yesterday, there 

is a need for all Yoruba sons 

and daughters in the 

Diaspora to unite for both 

political and economic 

liberation of the race in 

Nigeria. 

The group, in a statement 

by its Director of 

Communication, Comrade 

Zacheaus Somorin, said 

the group was launched to 

promote the interest of the 

race at a global stage, 

admitting that the new 

group had embarked on a 

sensitization process to 

foster unity and peace 

among the existing groups 

of Yoruba abroad. 

Somorin, a Canada-based 

Yoruba, insisted that the 

coalition became 

violence should not be 

handled with levity. 

Donli, who insisted 

castration is not an ideal 

penalty for rape offenders, 

added that perpetrators 

could be left with no option 

but to kill their victims after 

the act. 

Also speaking, Lagos 

State Commissioner for 

Women Affairs, Mrs. Bolaji 

Dada, and Ekiti State 

Attorney-General and 

Commissioner for Justice, 

Olawale Fapohunda, 

jointly noted that finding a 

way forward from the rising 

wave of sexual violence in 

Nigeria is a must for all 

stakeholders. 

They stated that issues of 

stigmatization of rape 

survivors should be 

addressed, and the role of 

forensic evidence in the 

fight against rape should 

not be ignored. 

Although emphasizing 

the need for law reforms, 

policy change and a sex 

offender’s register, 

Fapohunda added: “We 

need a serious national 

conversation when it 

comes to the issue of rape.” 

imperative to bring all 

Yoruba professionals in 

many parts of the world 

together to provide a 

unified front for the 

progress of the Yoruba 

nation. 

He said: “Yoruba One 

Voice was founded to 

engage various 

progressive groups, within 

the confines of the law, in 

ensuring that the people of 

the South West do not suffer 

continued economic 

isolation, being trampled 

upon and subjugated; 

adding that a sustained 

agitation for the Yoruba 

economic liberation is 

urgent and critically 

fundamental at this point. 

“Yoruba One Voice is a 

convergent point and one big 

umbrella, created for charting a 

new course for a better future for 

the race back home in Nigeria." 


VISIT—From left: ASP Folajimi Agosile; Danbaba Gawuna, Councillor, Ward B, Apapa, and Majority 

Leader of House in Apapa Local government; Kayode Opeifa, Vice-Chairman, Presidential Task Force 

on Apapa gridlock, Lagos, and Eze Anaba, Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, during Opeifa's visit to 

Vanguard office in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau. 

SERIAL KILLER: We won’t spare those 

involved in suspect’s escape —Oyo CP 

By Emma Nnadozie, 

Crime Editor, & Deola 

Badru 

L AGOS—THE 

Commissioner of 

Police, Oyo State 

Command, Mr. Joe 

Enwonwu, yesterday, 

vowed to round up all those 

involved in the escape of a 

suspected serial killer, 

Sunday Shodipo, in 

Akinyele Local 

Government Area of the 

state, from police custody. 

He also issued stern 

directives to his men to be 

at alert to deal decisively 

with criminal elements in 

the state. 

This came as the Oyo 

State House of Assembly, 

yesterday, called on the 

Inspector-General of Police, 

Mohammed Adamu to 

probe the escape of 

Shodipe. 

The Police boss told 

reporters that the said killer 

suspect, Shodipo escaped 

from police custody at 

Mokola Police division, 

Ibadan on Tuesday 11th 

August 2020 at about 7 

pm. 

Efforts, he stated, had 

commenced ever since 

then to re-arrest him by all 

stakeholders who are lawabiding 

police personnel, 

community leaders, youth 

vigilantes, hunters etc. 

He said: “Whoever must 

have been involved in this 

sordid misconduct will not 

be spared. 

“The measures we have 

taken to deal with criminals 

in the state have been to 

strategize crime control 

mechanisms of proactive 

policing which emphasizes 

community policing 

partnership with all the 

stakeholders, other security 

agencies, military, 

vigilante, hunters, 

traditional rulers, etc. We 

collaborate, cooperate and 

....As Assembly orders IGP to probe incident 

it has been working 

positively." 

Assembly orders 

IGP to probe 

escape 

Similarly, the Oyo State 

House of Assembly, 

yesterday, at a press 

conference, urged the IGP 

to probe and arrest those 

who helped the suspect to 

escape from Police custody. 

The lawmaker 

representing Ogbomoso 

North state constituency 

and Chairman, House 

A DO-EKITI— 

CHAIRMAN of the 

Nigeria Governors’ Forum 

and the Ekiti State 

Governor, Dr. Kayode 

Fayemi, said yesterday 

that state governors would 

support the much sought 

judicial autonomy by 

Nigerians. 

Fayemi said he had led a 

delegation on behalf of the 

forum to meet with the Chief 

Justice of Nigeria, CJN, 

Justice Tanko Mohammad 

and the President of the 

Court of Appeal, Justice 

Monica Dongban- 

Mensem to reach a 

common front on the 

modality for the 

implementation across the 

states of the federation. 

Fayemi said this while 

playing host to President- 

Elect of the Nigerian Bar 

Association, NBA, Mr. 

Olumide Akpata, at his 

office in Ado Ekiti. 

The governor said that 

judicial reform remains the 

engine room of any 

Committee on Women 

Affairs and Social Inclusion, 

Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, 

charged the police to place 

a bounty on the suspected 

killer to speed up his rearrest 

Oladeji said: “I, hereby, 

call on the Inspector- 

General of Police, 

Muhammed Adamu to put 

Oyo State Commissioner 

Police, Joe Enwonwu on 

his toes and ensure a 

thorough investigation into 

the circumstances 

surrounding the suspicious 

escape. 

“It is an inversion of logic 

that a 19-year-old suspect 

escaped from the most 

secured place in the state, 

hence, the call for a 

thorough investigation. 

“As a mother, I feel it would 

be fair to do everything 

within my power to support 

families of the victims to get 

justice for the death of their 

beloved ones. 

“Placing a bounty on the 

head of Sunday Shodipe 

by Oyo State Police 

Command will go a long 

way in ensuring quick and 

successful re-arrest of the 

suspect," the lawmaker said. 

NGF pledges support for judicial 

autonomy 

By Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

democracy, saying 

necessary reforms must be 

undertaken in the judiciary, 

to promote the rule of law. 

He said: “One thing that 

is a priority to us in the 

Nigeria Governors Forum 

is Judicial Autonomy. All 

governors in Nigeria are for 

judicial autonomy, but the 

contention had always been 

the modality for 

implementation. 

“I have met with the CJN 

and President of the Court 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

L AGOS—THE 

Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

yesterday, fixed October 

30 for the Lagos East 

Senatorial District byelection 

to fill the 

vacancy created by the 

death of Senator Bayo 

Oshinowo. 

On the same day, 

another by-election will 

also be held to replace 

the 

member 

representing Kosofe 

Constituency in the 

Lagos State House of 

Assembly, Mr. Tunde 

of Appeal and we are 

working out the modalities 

for implementation to be in 

such a way that will be 

mutually beneficial. We 

consider judicial autonomy 

a critical component of our 

democratic growth and we 

must ensure that it happens. 

“In Ekiti here, matters of 

Justice Sector Reform is so 

dear to our heart and we 

are ready to work with NBA 

to fast track action on this for the 

sake of our Judiciary.” 

Oshinowo: INEC holds 

by-election Oct 30 

Buraimoh. 

Oshinowo and 

Buraimoh died recently. 

Issuing the by-elections 

notice, yesterday, Lagos 

INEC Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, Sam 

Olumekun, said “this is in 

line with section (30)3 of 

the constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria 

which states, that ‘... in the 

case of a by-election, the 

Commission shall not later 

than 14 days before the date 

appointed for the election 

publish a notice stating the 

date of the election.’ 

“The Commission has fixed 

October 30, 2020 for both 

elections."

Vanguard, , TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 — 11 

NEWS HOTLINES: 

08052867023, 08052867058 

BRT ROUTE—Motorcycle riders, popularly knows as 'Okada', have turned the newly commissioned 

BRT Corridor, by Lagos State Government, to their park and route between Ikeja and Ladipo Bus 

stop, along Agege motor road, Lagos (as seen here) yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez. 

UNILAG: Ogundipe, Soyombo fail to resume 

work, as DSS takes over Senate building 

• ASUU accuses Babalakin of discrediting varsity 

By Adesina Wahab 

LAGOS—THE claimants to 

the office of the Vice- 

Chancellor, University of Lagos, 

UNILAG, Professors Oluwatoyin 

Ogundipe and Omololu 

Soyombo, were absent yesterday, 

at the Senate Building office of 

the Vice-Chancellor of the 

institution. 

When Vanguard visited at 

the Senate Building, officials of 

the Department of State Service, 

DSS, joined the university 

security personnel to screen and 

prevent people from entering the 

building. 

Those allowed to enter were 

limited to some floors on the 

building, as people were not 

allowed into the 11th-floor 

housing the office of the Vice- 

Chancellor. 

The Governing Council last 

Wednesday removed Ogundipe 

and appointed Soyombo as Acting 

VC, a development Ogundipe 

kicked against. 

When Vanguard called 

Soyombo on phone, he said he 

had resumed with effect from last 

Wednesday, following the letter 

of appointment given to him by 

the Governing Council of the 

institution and that he could work 

from some other place apart from 

the Senate Building. 

“Yes, I have resumed as the 

Acting Vice-Chancellor and I am 

working as such,” he said. 

When prodded to fix a time for 

our correspondent to meet him for 

an interview, Soyombo said he 

would soon meet with the press 

and relate officially with others too. 

However, when Vanguard 

visited his office in the 

Department of Sociology, Faculty 

of Social Sciences, he was said to 

be at a meeting. 

After waiting for some time, a 

man, who identified himself as 

Odetola Philip, came out and 

described himself as the Personal 

Assistant to Soyombo, saying 

Soyombo would meet the press 

on Wednesday. 

For Ogundipe, it was gathered 

that he was out of town to make 

contact with some people who 

could help him out of his travails. 

It was gathered that since 

Ogundipe returned to Lagos from 

the Abuja meeting of the Council 

where his removal was 

announced last Thursday, he had 

been making attempts to meet 

some influential people to state 

his case. 

He reportedly met some 

prominent traditional rulers in the 

South-West and also went to meet 

a traditional ruler in the North- 

APC affirms Igbokwe as party's 

Ndigbo leader in Lagos 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

LAGOS—THE 

All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

in Lagos State, yesterday, waded 

into the crisis over who is the 

authentic apex leader of Ndigbo 

in the party, affirming its support 

for Joe Igbokwe, the Special 

Adviser on Drainage and Water 

Resources to Governor Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu. 

Igbokwe, the former Publicity 

Secretary of the party in the state, 

had been at loggerheads with Mr. 

Jude Idimogu, a member of the 

Lagos state House of Assembly 

representing Oshodi/Isolo 

Constituency II over the 

position. 

While Igbokwe who has been a 

member of the APC since the days 

of the defunct Alliance for 

Democracy (AD) said he is the 

apex leader, Idimogu who joined 

the APC in February 2017, 

however, maintained that he is 

the most senior elected person in 

Ndigbo Lagos APC to date and 

such is the apex leader. 

Clarifying, Chairman of the 

party, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, said: 

Of course, we had a meeting last 

week Friday in my office. With my 

intervention in the matter, the party 

has resolved that both of them should 

work together as brothers and bring their 

supporters together so that they can work 

together for Igbo in APC in peace and 

harmony. 

“With the situation of things, Joe 

Igbokwe will be the apex leader of Igbo 

in APC, while Jude Idimogu will be the 

deputy apex leader. 

"Of course, Idimogu is a young 

man, who has a bright future in 

our party; he must be ready to 

work with his brother, Igbokwe 

who has been in the party for 

some time.” 

When contacted, Igbokwe said 

the party has affirmed him as the 

party leader and that decision 

stands. 

Central whose brother is an aide 

of President Muhammadu 

Buhari. 

ASUU alleges plan to 

discredit UNILAG 

Speaking with Vanguard, 

UNILAG Chairman of the 

Academic Staff Union of 

Universities, ASUU, Dr. Dele 

Ashiru, accused Babalakin of 

leading a group of people who 

want to discredit public 

universities. 

Ashiru said: “We know the 

intention of the people behind all 

these shenanigans, they just want 

to create chaos and make public 

universities lose attraction after 

being thoroughly discredited and 

then buy them over. This did not 

just start. In 2017, barely a few 

months that Ogundipe assumed 

office, the plot to remove him 

started. 

“Do you know that Babalakin 

unilaterally issued queries to 

some principal officers of the 

institution? It was ASUU that rose 

to say the matter must be taken to 

the Council not that he would act 

that way and he was forced to do 

so. It is unfortunate that he, 

Babalakin, who has enjoyed the 

privilege of the law, is denying 

another citizen the right to defend 

himself. 

“The ideal thing is that if you 

have any allegation against the 

Vice-Chancellor, the Council will 

set up a Joint Investigative 

Committee with the Senate. The 

committee will have three 

members from the Council and 

two from the Senate. One of the 

members from the Council will 

chair the committee. The VC will 

be served the notice of allegations 

against him and he will have the 

chance to respond.” 

FG keeps mum 

When contacted, the Federal 

Ministry of Education has kept 

silent on the UNILAG crisis but 

Vanguard learned that the 

Federal Government would make 

its position on Ogundipe’s fate as 

the VC known. 

The dilemma of the government 

stems from the torrents of 

condemnation that greeted the 

removal of Ogundipe from office. 

The staff unions in the school, the 

Alumni Association, the Senate and 

even the Committee of Vice-Chancellors 

are opposed to the development, saying 

due process was not followed. 

I don't know why we don't have 

rain makers again! 

Weed is at work! 

Babe, you need to help him with more 

fuel to avoid stories that touch!


:Vanguard 

News 


MEETING: From left—Former National Chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole; President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, 

during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. 

Clark, others to FG: Don't scrap PAP, 

step watchfully on N'Delta 

• It'll be a slap on the face of N'Deltans —AnnKio Briggs 

• PANDEF, stakeholders, agitators ask FG to rescind plan, refocus PAP 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, 

South-South, Henry 

Umoru, Sam 

Oyadongha, Davies 

Iheamnachor & 

Perez Brisibe 

WARRI—THERE has 

been outrage in Niger-Delta, 

over leaked information 

that the Committee 

set up by the Federal 

Government to appraise the 

Presidential Amnesty Programme, 

PAP, for ex-agitators 

in the region had recommended 

that the programme 

be terminated this 

year. 

This came as South South 

leader, Pa Edwin Clark, 

advised the Federal Government 

not to scrap the 

PAP, as being speculated 

and call a halt to anything 

that will abbreviate the delicate 

peace in the Niger 

Delta region. 

Also, Niger Delta activist, 

AnnKio Briggs, yesterday, 

said it will be a slap on the 

face of the people of the region 

if the presidency goes 

ahead to implement the recommendation 

of the committee 

set up to supervise 

the PAP. 

Speaking in Abuja, yesterday, 

Clark said, "Just 

about 11 days ago, I advised 

and cautioned the Vice 

President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, 

to tread cautiously on 

Niger Delta Affairs, I have 

cause to, again, advice/ 

warn the Federal Government 

to desist from anything 

that will truncate the 

fragile peace that we have 

in the Niger Delta region. 

"I say this because, on 

Sunday, rumours were rife, 

that the four-man Investigative 

panel headed by 

Amb A. Lawal, set up by the 

Federal Government, 

through the Office of the 

National Security Adviser, 

Maj. Gen. Babagana Mon- 

guno (retd), to look into the 

activities of PAP, had recommended 

the scrapping of 

the programme by December 

this year, 2020. 

"FG like I said earlier, 

through the Office of the 

National Security Adviser, 

set up a 4-man Investigative 

panel headed by Amb. 

Lawal, from Bauchi State 

and other three northerners 

as members, on February 

28, 2020, and the job of this 

panel, which all through its 

sitting, I understand, sat in 

the Office of the NSA, which 

was to end on April 24, 2020, 

has lingered until today. 

"They have, up till this 

moment, taking over the 

administration of the PAP, 

operating from the NSA's 

Office. Now we are getting 

information, that this 'Investigative 

Panel' is recommending 

the scrapping of 

the PAP by December, 2020. 

"If this is true, it will be an 

epic example of what we 

say in local parlance 'trouble 

dey sleep, yanga go 

wake am'. This is not a 

threat, it is stating the obvious 

of what will happen. 

Once again, I wish to advise 

FG to tread cautiously, 

except they have prepared 

another 'Operation Crocodile 

Smile'. Wake not a 

sleeping lion. This is not a 

threat, it is a clarion call for 

peace. 

"When I got this information 

on Sunday, my temper 

was high because how can 

a region which contributes 

so much to the economic 

growth, and by extension, 

political and social growth 

of the country be treated 

with so much disdain and 

spite. 

"The question is: Did 

Amb. Lawal and his team 

ever travel to the Niger Delta 

region to find out if the 

objective of setting up the 

programme such as infrastructural 

development of 

sand filling, building lowcost 

houses, building 

roads, etc, which are to be 

carried out by the PAP as 

its second phase activities 

contained in the proclamation 

been achieved? As 

someone outside of the region, 

does he understand 

or feel the sufferings of the 

people of the region?" 

It'll be a slap on 

the face of 

N'Deltans to 

scrap PAP 

—AnnKio Briggs 

On her part, Briggs 

who had last month disclosed 

that there were 

plans to not only scrap the 

programme, but also extend 

same to the Niger 

Delta Development Commission, 

NDDC and Ministry 

of Niger Delta Affairs, 

said the recommendation 

though sad, "Will serve the 

people of the region well." 

She said, "It will indeed 

be sad for the Niger Delta 

people especially the 

youth that was armed. The 

beneficiaries of the socalled 

amnesty programme 

are the Nigerian government 

and the oil companies 

and they have even 

gone further by toying with 

our people and this is like 

a slap on the face. 

"But in a sort of way, this 

serves our people right 

because we are yet to see 

that our future particularly 

the Ijaws is not going 

to be sustained and guaranteed 

in Nigeria. 

"I have said it before 

now that they will stop the 

amnesty programme and 

scrap the NDDC and 

Ministry of Niger Delta 

Affairs and that is because 

our people are yet 

to realise what they have 

to do for themselves." 

Don't scrap PAP 

—Sara-Igbe, 

PANDEF BOT 

member 

Pan-Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, the mouthpiece 

of the people of the coastal 

states of Niger-Delta region, 

other stakeholders, 

including agitators, across 

the region, kicked against 

the plot, yesterday, warning 

that ending the programme 

abruptly was like 

declaring mayhem in the oil 

region. 

National Coordinator of 

South-South Elders, and 

board member of the Pan- 

Niger Delta Elders Forum, 

PANDEF, Anabs Sara-Igbe, 

said the purported recommendation 

was not in the 

interest of the nation. 

Sara-Igbe said: "This rumour 

has been on that the 

government wants to scrap 

the amnesty programme. I 

think it is the worst recommendation 

ever that anyone 

should give now to the 

government especially now 

that we are facing challenges 

of Covid-19 and economic 

issues. 

"The programme has stabilized 

the region and 

should not just be called 

off if the government 

wants peace to be sustained. 

If they end it this 

way, what it means is that 

people may have to go 

back to work. 

"The National Security 

Adviser, NSA, has not supervised 

the programme 

properly. We think it 

should be transferred to 

the office of the President 

for it to be properly supervised." 

It'll cause 

turbulence 

—Oyibode, 

PANDEF youth 

leader 

National Youth Leader 

of PANDEF, Vincent Oyibode, 

told Vanguard: "I 

call on the Federal Government 

not to consider the 

plan if any committee, cabal 

or person recommended 

the evil plan to it. What 

the government should do 

is to refocus the PAP and 

appoint trusted and upright 

Niger Deltan to administer 

the programme. 

"To end it now, that is suicidal, 

it will cause unrest in 

the region and all youths of 

the region must stand to 

defend their right. This is 

nepotism taken too high. 

"I call on all ethnic youth 

leadership of the region, 

particularly the agitators to 

come out to defend what is 

ours. We are tired of the 

husband and wife relationship 

called Nigeria. The 

leaders of Niger Delta 

should all wake up.‘‘ 

It'll complicate 

N'Delta crisis 

—Dr Harry, 

S'South leader 

National President of 

South-South Chiefs, Elders 

and Opinion Leaders Forum 

of Niger Delta, Omubo 

Harry, told Vanguard: 

"This is an attempt to compound 

the problem we already 

have in the region. 

The poverty issue, marginalization, 

neglect, lack of 

jobs in the region have not 

been resolved and they are 

recommending that the 

programme ends this year. 

I think this is a product of a 

bad sense of reason. 

"Why do they want to start 

violence in the fragile region 

at this point? Why should 

they think in this line if they 

are interested in the peace 

and development of Niger 

Delta?‘‘ 

It's a call to anarchy 

—Igbifa, IYC 

president 

President of Ijaw Youth 

Council, IYC, Mr Peter Igbifa, 

said: "I had warned 

against it earlier when we 

heard of it as a rumour. 

However, I hope those 

wishing or recommending 

that the programme be 

stopped do not plunge 

Nigeria into a state of crisis 

because the people of 

the Niger Delta will not 

tolerate this action. 

"Reason for this is because 

the programme has 

other parts beyond just 

payment of stipends. It is 

a programme with a purpose 

in the region. Basically 

speaking, this socalled 

recommendation is 

a call for anarchy.‘‘ 

NSA can't be a 

judge in his case 

—Udengs, 

ex-Bayelsa comm 

Former Commissioner 

for Youths and Environment, 

Bayelsa state, and ex- 

IYC president, Mr Udenga 

Eradiri, accused the NSA, 

whose office supervises the 

programme of being complicit 

in the allegations trailing 

the programme, saying: 

"The NSA can't be a judge 

in his case. 

"To hear that such a recommendation 

was done 

shows the lack of understanding 

of the programme 

and failure at the highest 

level. We have been sceptical 

of the committee saddled 

with the management 

of that programme by the 

NSA because he seems not 

to be coming to equity with 

clean hands." 

Its recipe for crisis 

—Oweilaemi, 

ex-IYC president 

Former President IYC, 

Pereotubo Oweilaemi, said 

"Stopping the amnesty programme 

at this point is a 

recipe for full-blown anarchy 

in the oil sector. 

"This programme is the 

lullaby that pacifies the restive 

youths in the Niger 

Delta. President Buhari-led 

FG should know that the 

truce leading to the grant 

of the presidential amnesty 

to the freedom fighters 

has not been implemented 

on the side of the Federal 

Government. The amnesty 

programme is the live wire 

that still holds the peace in 

the region. 

"If this programme is 

stopped today, it means FG 

is saying the boys should 

go back to the creeks. Before 

the government can 

think of ending the programme, 

let it implement 

the demands of the ex-militants, 

including that of 

PANDEF. That is the only 

justification to end the amnesty 

programme." 

Programme 

should be 

redesigned 

—Wills- Ijaw 

Professionals 

President, Ijaw Professionals 

Association 

(Homeland Chapter comprising 

Bayelsa, Delta 

and Rivers) Iniruo Wills, 

said: "It is not surprising 

because, despite its measured 

benefits in terms of 

pacifying militancy in the 

Niger Delta and restoring 

oil production there, the 

programme has been serially 

characterized by 

graft and gluttony. 

"But it will be a mistake 

to scrap it yet. Rather, it 

should be redesigned and 

repositioned as the Presidential 

Artisanal and 

Mini Refining Programme 

with a life span of about 

five years and clear mandatory 

targets for converting 

the massive, illegal 

and hazardous artisanal 

oil refining economy in 

the Niger Delta region to 

a formal, safe and environment-friendly 

subeconomy, 

thereby freeing 

the oil sector of the current 

bleeding and the region 

of the attendant 

flood of oil pollution. It 

must have timelines for 

training, funding and absorbing 

the current perpetrators, 

with stiff sanctions 

for recalcitrant."




Uzodinma has not invited 

Araraume, Nwosu and I 

— OKOROCHA 

VISIT: Chief of the 

Naval Staff, Vice 

Admiral Ibok-Ete 

Ibas (left) presenting 

a souvenir to the 

governor of Borno 

State, Professor 

Babagana Zulum 

during his courtesy 

visit to Naval 

Headquarters Abuja. 

Igbo youths tip Umahi, Amaechi, 

Onu for 2023 presidential election 

By Peter Okutu & 

Chinonso Alozie 

A OHANAEZE 

BAKALIKI— 

Ndigbo Youth Council, 

weekend, stated that 

Governor David Umahi of 

Ebonyi State, Minister of 

Transport, Chibuike 

Amaechi and Minister of 

Science and Technology, 

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu were 

suitable candidates for 2023 

presidential elections. 

In a press statement 

issued yesterday, the group 

said: “After a joint meeting 

at Abakiliki on Sunday, 

August 16, 2020 and after 

fruitful deliberations, we 

then reached an agreement 

that the Chairman of South 

East Governors Forum and 

Ebonyi State Governor, 

Engr. Dave Umahi, 

Minister of Transport, Mr 

Chibuike Amaechi and 

•As group warns IPOB, MASSOB 

Minister of Science and 

Technology, Dr. 

Ogbonnaya Onu were 

suitable presidential 

materials for 2023 

presidential election. 

“In a joint statement by 

Mazi Alex Okemiri, 

President, World Igbo 

Youth Congress; Dr Helen 

Ogbonnaya, National 

Leader, Southeast Women 

Professionals; and 

Comrade Chidi Ugwujo, 

President, Igbo Students 

Union, we received the 

recommendation of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth 

Council on the lists of 

possible Igbo consensus 

candidates with certified 

Igbo values for 

competence, ingenuity and 

corruption-free as the 

cardinal points of choosing 

these candidates for 

Nigerians at this moment. 

“These are the best 

presidential materials and 

candidates Igbo youths are 

presenting to Nigerians at 

the moment. There are 

millions of capable 

prominent Igbo politicians 

and technocrats more 

qualified to be President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

successor in 2023 but many 

of them are handicapped 

either by pending 

corruption charges by 

EFCC or there’s no visible 

evidence of political 

structures to actualise their 

ambitions or they have 

been linked with 

incompetence in their 

stewardship for Igbos." 

Giving reasons for the 

choice of the trio, the group 

said the infrastructural 

development of Ebonyi 

We've lost over N2bn in 10 days from NIWA 

contractor's harassment — Anambra Sand Miners 

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

N Miners NEWI—SAND 

Association 

of Anambra State, 

yesterday, said it has lost 

over N2billion naira from 

August 4, 2020, when 

National Inland Waterways, 

NIWA, allegedly started 

disturbing their sand 

mining activities through 

its agent, Vamptagregate 

Company Limited which 

collects access fee, to August 

14, 2020, when it held a 

protest against NIWA. 

The association also 

alleged that NIWA 

awarding the contract of 

collecting access fee from 

them and Tipper drivers to 

Vamptargregate, on July 

13,2020, after they have 

secured a court order on 

June 26, 2020 at the Federal 

High Court Awka, in the 

Suit No.FHC/Awka/C/46/ 

2020, was a breach of the 

court order. 

However, when 

contacted, NIWA Area 

Manager, Mrs. Queen Uba 

said the letter giving the 

Managing Director of 

Vamptagregate Company 

Limited, Mr. Stanley 

Nkwoka, the contract is a 

directive from NIWA 

headquarters. 

''Whatever document 

concerning the contract that 

I signed was approved by 

the management of NIWA. 

Whatever contract given to 

the man was just for him to 

make peace between 

NIWA, sand miners and 

Tipper owners. The man is 

not meant to be collecting 

money anywhere. What we 

asked him is to make 

peace, so that after the 

court, we can still work 

together.' 

"NIWA management 

wanted to see his capability 

of making peace for us and 

then other things will 

follow. We did not ask him 

to rush into the field to 

collect money and I know 

our lawyer must have 

called him to order after the 

association's protest. So, 

whatever he is doing with 

them does not concern me 

or NIWA. If he is still 

collecting money or 

disturbing them, that is not 

known to NIWA. 

“NIWA as a federal 

agency has steered clear of 

the sand miners pit and 

also told the contractor, Mr 

Nkwoka, to do the same 

and if he is doing anything 

contrary, he is on his own 

and not on behalf of 

NIWA." 

However, briefing 

newsmen yesterday in 

Onitsha, chairman of Sand 

Miners Association of 

Anambra State, Sir Chris 

Mbaegbu, said that through 

their lawyer, Mr. Gerald 

Ezeuko, SAN, they 

secured a court order, 

dated June 26, 2020, 

restraining NIWA and its 

agents or contractors from 

further collecting the access 

fee but NIWA through its 

agent continued the 

collection even after they 

protested against NIWA's 

disobedience of the court 

order on August 14, 2020, 

leading to loss of over N2 

billion naira by members of 

his association. 

State by Umahi, the roles 

of Amaechi in the elections 

of President Muhammadu 

Buhari and Onu’s record of 

being a first class scientist 

variously stand them out. 

Meantime, an Igbo 

group, Igbo Youth 

Assembly Worldwide, IYA, 

yesterday warned the 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, and the 

Movement for the 

Actualization Sovereign 

State of Biafra, MASSOB 

to desist from the secession 

agenda for a Biafra 

republic. 

The president of IYA, 

Ifeanyi Nwaudunna, spoke 

in Owerri, alongside his 

executives, adding that no 

true Igbo man would 

support the disintegration 

of Nigeria and that the Igbo 

people would be deeply 

affected in many negative 

ways. 

According to them, 

“Nigeria as a nation is better 

united and remains as one 

indivisible entity. If divided 

or disintegrated, it will lose 

its glory of diversity, 

especially economically. 

“There is no part in 

Nigeria, no matter how 

remote that you will not see 

an Igbo entrepreneur 

doing well in business with 

acquired landed property. 

So, of what basis will any 

well-meaning Igbo man or 

woman call for secession 

and disintegration of 

Nigeria?” 

However, IYA said that 

they “Regretted the 

misguided threat by IPOB, 

MASSOB, others and their 

sponsors on secession 

which is not of the best 

interest of Igbo people and 

such agitation for secession 

must be jettisoned 

forthwith. 

“No true Igbo leader or 

patriot will clamour for 

Nigeria's disintegration but 

would rather seek for a 

united prosperous Nigeria. 

Igbo Youth Assembly urges 

the various Igbo groups to 

do away with the quest of 

secession and indulge in 

activities and programmes 

that sustain national unity 

and peace. United we 

stand, divided we fall.” 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O 

W E R R I — 

F O R M E R 

governor of Imo State, 

Rochas Okorocha, 

yesterday, said his 

successor, Governor 

Hope Uzodinma has 

never invited him and 

some of the stakeholders 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

including Senator 

Ifeanyi Araraume and 

Uche Nwosu after his 

victory at the supreme 

court as the authentic 

governor of the state. 

Okorocha spoke in 

Owerri, through his 

Special Adviser, on 

Media, 

Sam 

Onwuemedo while 

reacting to a statement 

credited to Uzodinma 

that he fell out with 

Okorocha because he 

(Okorocha) wanted him 

(Uzodinma) to dissolve all 

the probe panels set up by 

Ihedioha’s administration, 

among others. 

According to Okorocha’s 

media adviser, “Senator 

Okorocha has no problem 

with Governor Uzodinma. 

The governor is the one 

creating problems for 

himself and also 

inventing problems 

where they do not exist. 

His latest media attack 

on Okorocha is one 

example of such ugly 

developments. 

“He was inaugurated 

in January 2020 as 

governor. The key or the 

main stakeholders of 

Politics, avenue to serve, 

not career — OBI 

VICE 

Presidential 

candidate of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, in the last election, 

Mr. Peter Obi, has 

explained that politics 

should not be seen as a 

career opportunity but as an 

avenue to serve and 

contribute to the growth of 

the society. 

Speaking on ‘Politics 101 

with Peter Obi’ platform, 

Obi said that taking on 

politics as a full-time career 

was wrong and would only 

result in engaging in 

unwholesome practices like 

looting of public funds, 

accepting kick-backs and 

other corrupt practices in 

order to survive. 

Obi, who called for more 

political involvement 

among Nigerian youths, 

advised against going into 

politics with what he 

described as “entitlement 

mindset.” He said political 

positions should be seen as 

platforms to increase public 

wealth rather than gather 

private wealth. 

“The main aim of 

participating in politics 

should be to contribute the 

growth and development 

of society, not for self 

aggrandizement. Every 

serving and aspiring 

APC in the state and their 

supporters were all at the 

inauguration, including 

Okorocha, Ifeanyi Araraume, 

Uche Nwosu, etc 

but few weeks after the 

inauguration, the governor 

made his appointments 

of about 106 people, 

including commissioners. 

He never 

deemed it necessary to 

bring in at least one 

known APC member in 

the state to make the list. 

“This is the first time we 

are hearing from 

Governor Uzodinma that 

Okorocha had 

demanded for the 

dissolution of the probe 

panels. Okorocha had 

gone to court to ask that 

EFCC cannot be probing 

him on issues contained 

in the avalanche of 

petitions written against 

him by the state 

government and the same 

government, would also 

have about 12 panels 

probing him on the same 

items or issues. 

“The fact remains that 

the real APC members in 

the state have wondered 

why an APC governor 

would retain panels set 

up by a PDP 

government to probe 

APC government. And 

they have suggested that 

the governor should set 

up his own panels 

instead of continuing 

with the PDP panels. But 

we know that certain 

forces behind the 

governor won’t allow 

him to do that.” 

political office holder 

should aim at increasing 

public wealth and not 

gathering private wealth. 

Public wealth enriches the 

lives of the citizens while 

private wealth only benefits 

one individual,” Obi 

admonished. 

Recounting his political 

journey and what made 

him to join politics, Obi said 

the deplorable security 

situation in Anambra State 

prior to 2003 and the 

industrial action that left 

primary and secondary 

schools shut and the 

stagnant education sector 

pushed him to be part of the 

political system that would 

rebuild the state. He said 

he went into politics as a 

successful businessman, 

with the sole aim of 

contributing to a better 

society, which when he left 

office as the governor of 

Anambra State, he felt 

satisfied with the level of 

growth and development 

the state witnessed under 

him in all sectors of the 

economy. 

Obi stated that there were 

no special requirements 

needed for one to be 

involved in politics apart 

from the passion to serve 

and contribute to society.


By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN—THE family of late 

Abubakar Olusola Saraki 

has filed an appeal at the Court 

of Appeal, sitting in Ilorin, Kwara 

State, challenging the August 

6, 2020 ruling of Justice Abiodun 

Adebara of the Kwara State High 

Court. 

Justice Adebara, had in his 

ruling of August 6, 2020 lifted the 

order of interim injunction earlier 

imposed on the state government 

preventing it from further 

interfering with the three plots of 

land in the Ilorin GRA which 

housed the Ile Arugbo used by 

the Saraki family to cater for old 

people and the needy in the 

society. 

In its application for stay of 

execution, Asa Investments 

owned by the Saraki family is, 

among others, seeking an order 

for stay of execution of the 

August 6, 2020 ruling of the court, 


Ile Arugbo: Saraki family appeals 

court ruling, seeks stay of 

execution 

Access Bank rewards over 

9,000 lucky customers in 

DiamondXtraWins campaign 

ACCESS Bank Plc has 

rewarded over 9,000 lucky 

customers in the DiamondXtra 

campaign tagged XtraWins. 

DiamondXtraWins is a 

seasonal offer leveraging the 

ongoing DiamondXtra campaign 

to reward customers for saving 

and transacting on the bank’s 

digital channels. 

The XtraWins initiative, 

according to the bank, was 

borne out of the need to 

encourage customers to remain 

safe as they carry out their 

transactions during this period of 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

The initiative is also aimed at 

rewarding loyal customers for 

choosing digital channels, 

giving them the opportunity to 

win cash prizes for performing 

transactions daily using the 

Access Bank USSD code *901# 

or the AccessMore App. 

Adaeze Umeh, Head, 

Consumer Banking, Access Bank 

stay of further proceedings of the 

matter before the high court and 

an order “restraining the 

Respondents by themselves or 

through their servants, agents, 

privies or otherwise howsoever 

described from taking any step or 

further step in recognition or in 

pursuance of the Ruling of this 

Honourable Court delivered 

on the 6th day of August, 

2020, in Suit No: KWS/463/ 

2019 pending the hearing and 

determination of the appeal 

lodged by the applicant 

against the said Ruling at the 

Court of Appeal, Ilorin 

Judicial Division.” 

In its appeal, Asa Investments 

submitted that the high court 

judge erred in law and failed to 

exercise his discretionary power 

judicially and judiciously when 

he refused the application by 

the plaintiff’s lawyer as there 

were cogent reasons to believe 

that the application by the 

senior counsel was made on 

valid ground of ill-health. 

Plc, explained that the XtraWins 

initiative was born out of the need 

to transform the lives of the 

bank’s customers who have been 

transacting with the bank’s 

digital platforms especially with 

nationwide restricted movement 

in response to the Covid 

pandemic. 

“In our own little way of showing 

appreciation to our customers for 

their patronage and better 

returns on their savings, we 

launched the XtraWins 

campaign to ensure our loyal 

customers are rewarded. We 

have rewarded more than 100 

customers every day and over 

1,000 every week with various 

cash prizes since the beginning 

of the campaign which started 

about 10 weeks ago. 

“Lucky customers can win from 

N500 – N1million when they 

maintain a minimum of N1,000 

in their accounts and conduct 

at least five transactions daily 

using our USSD code *901# 

or the Access More app to 

purchase airtime, pay bills, 

make transfers and so on.'' 


WOMEN ASSEMBLY PROGRAMME: From left: Opeyemi Awojobi, Sponsorship Manager, Tolaram Group; 

Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, Perm Sec, Lagos State Min. of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation; Mrs. Cecilia 

Bolaji Dada, Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation;Mrs. Omotayo Abiodun, 

PR Manager, Tolaram Group and Mrs. Toyin Iyoha, Marketing Representative, Lush Hair during participation of 

Lush Hair in the ongoing Women Assembly Programme across all Local Council Development Areas (L.C.D.As) 

in Lagos State organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs in Lagos at Surulere LG, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau. 

Boko Haram: Again, DSS invites Mailafia, 

releases him 40 minutes after 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

J Deputy OS—FORMER 

Governor of the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN 

and social commentator, Dr. 

Obadiah Mailafia, was 

yesterday invited by the 

Department of State Service, 

DSS, and spent about 40 

minutes before he was released. 

Recall that Dr Mailafia had 

last Wednesday been invited by 

the DSS and questioned for six 

hours over some allegations he 

made on the security situation 

in the country especially on the 

Boko Haram insurgency before 

he was released. 

The DSS grilling of Mailafia 

followed a radio programme on 

last Monday where he claimed 

repentant Boko Haram 

members had revealed to him 

that a serving Northern 

governor was a commander of the 

terrorist group. 

During yesterday’s invitation, 

he was ushered into the premises 

of the security agency by some 

personnel accompanied only by 

his lawyers, Yakubu Bawa and 

Para Mallam. 

Before he went in, he 

acknowledged messages of 

solidarity from his supporters 

saying, “Thank you, thank 

you.” 

Speaking with journalists on 

arrival, he said, “I am honoured 

to have you here, I love you so 

much, I love our country. I have 

been invited again; I am just 

about to appear before them. The 

invitation came in the weekend 

so I had to honour it. I don’t know 

the reason I am being invited but 

as a good citizen of this country, 

as a loyal and obedient citizen of 

this country, I have to honour 

authority and respond when I am 

invited, to help them in the 

course of their enquiry.” 

Coming out of the DSS office 

at about 12.59pm, his lawyer, 

Bawa who is the Jos Branch 

Chairman of NBA said Dr. 

Mailafia was treated with respect. 

He said: “It is common 

knowledge that Dr. Mailafia was 

invited last Wednesday by the 

DSS and today (yesterday)’s 

invitation was a build-up of what 

really transpired. I want to say 

this that we very much appreciate 

the fact that he was treated with 

decorum again, with honour and 

respect. There was no iota of 

molestation or intimidation of any 

manner. 

“What we want to emphasize 

is like he rightly pointed out is 

that he is a man that loves peace, 

he loves this country so dearly 

Ex-IG never collected N11m from any Emir 

— SHINKAFI 

By Innocent Anaba 

A 

member of the security 

committee set up by 

Governor Bello Matawalle of 

Zamfara State, Dr Sani Shinkafi, 

has said former Inspector 

General of Police and Chairman 

of the Committee, Mohammed 

Abubakar never collected N11 

million from any Emir to 

compromise the report of the 

committee as alleged in an audio 

in circulation. 

Shinkafi described the 

circulation of the purported 

leaked audio connected to the 

former police chief as an act of 

mischief, laughable and childish. 

The purported leaked audio 

had alleged that the former IGP 

and what has happened in 

respect of the clip that went viral 

which is the subject matter of our 

coming this afternoon 

(yesterday) again is to underscore 

the fact that he wants to actually 

make a clarion call to the security 

outfits of this nation. 

“We know the current state of 

our security in this country. We 

are in a serious enigmatic 

conundrum that it is difficult to 

know what is happening. All that 

we are planning to do is to see 

how we can have a better and 

safe country. It is in this light that 

he came again today based on 

the invitation issued to him to 

have an interface with the 

Director and other DSS officials. 

“It was quite a fruitful meeting 

and we have no course 

whatsoever to be worried in 

respect of the invitation. We just 

want to keep calling on everyone 

in this country that we must live 

as one and also see how we can 

enhance our security.” 

....As insurgents attack Borno LG, destroy telecom mast, other facilities 

By Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI—HEAVILY 

armed Boko Haram 

terrorists yesterday attacked the 

headquarters of Magumeri Local 

Government Area, LGA, in Borno 

State and razed down the only 

functional telecommunications 

mast before setting other 

infrastructural facilities ablaze. 

Just last week, the terrorists 

invaded surrounding 

communities of Magumeri and 

displaced hundreds of farmers 

and herders, after killing six 

persons with unspecified number 

of fleeing residents sustaining 

gunshot injuries. 

Magumeri is about 40km drive 

from Maiduguri the state capital 

which has witnessed series of 

Boko Haram attacks, including 

the abduction of oil exploration 

workers and staff from the 

Department of Geology, 

University of Maiduguri on a 

mission around the shores of the 

Lake Chad Basin. 

Vanguard gathered from 

fleeing residents that the 

insurgents invaded the 

community at about 4pm, while 

the military engaged them in air 

strike to no avail. 

The insurgents infiltrated the 

council headquarters, making it 

difficult for the air strike to be 

sustained because of innocent 

civilians. 

Member representing 

Magumeri, Gubio and Kaga 

federal constituency, Usman 

Zannah in a chat, confirmed 

the fresh attack on 

Magumeri Council. 

He said: “Yes I can confirm to 

you that at about 4pm today 

(Monday), some heavily armed 

Boko Haram terrorists attacked 

our communities in Magumeri, 

and when the military airstrike 

were deployed to repel the 

attack, the insurgents 

received N11 million from an Emir 

to compromise the outcome of 

their investigation. 

Shinkafi, who was the 

immediate past gubernatorial 

candidate of the All Progressive 

Grand Alliance, APGA, in the 

2019 general elections, noted 

that some desperate politicians 

who wanted to demonstrate their 

enmity for the state were behind 

the circulation of the fake audio. 

According to him, his 

committee , an ad-hoc one was 

inaugurated with a time frame, 

noting that the committee had 

executed its assignment 

excellently in line with the terms 

of reference saying, it was the 

prerogative of the governor 

to either implement or 

reject the recommendations 

of the committee. 

infiltrated the council 

headquarters. 

“It is unfortunate that I don’t 

have details of the attacks, 

because, the terrorists razed 

down the only functional 

telecommunications mast 

which made it difficult to 

communicate with my people.'' 

He said that to the best of his 

knowledge, if not because of the 

COVID-19 pandemic, the 

Judicial Commission of Inquiry to 

investigate those indicted by the 

committee would have been 

inaugurated, adding that, when 

the commission is inaugurated, 

people of Zamfara will understand 

who the real enemies of Zamfara 

are. 

He said: “Aminu Jaji, Bashir 

Adamu Imad, Malan Ibrahim 

Wakkalla were not members of 

the Zamfara State committee for 

finding lasting solution to armed 

banditry and there is no moral 

justification for anybody to have 

claimed that they had resigned 

their membership of the 

committee as a result of none 

implementation of the 

committee’s reports.''


79TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF FORMER MILITARY PRESIDENT, 

IBB, IN MINNA, NIGER, YESTERDAY 

Photos: Abayomi Adeshida 

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (sitting) with his 

children. From left: Aminu, Aisha and Mohammed, during a private event 

to mark the 79th birthday celebration of the former leader at his Hill Top 

residence, Minna, Niger State, yesterday. 

General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) (r) receiving a survenir from Governor 

Abubakar Bello of Niger State during the event. 

IBB with his children and grandchildren. 

...With some guests. 

IBB cutting his birtday cake. 

WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS, WASSCE, 

COMMENCED NATIONWIDE, YESTERDAY. 

Photos: Olu Ajayi, Gbemiga 

Olamikan & Akeem Salau 

Students of Iganmode Grammer School, Otta, Ogun State writing their 

West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, yeeterday. 

....At Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja 

At Sardauna Memorial College, Kaduna State, yesterday. 

At Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, Lagos, yesterday.


Shame of a bar 

CHIEF John Nwodo, the 

President Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo is a lawyer with a gift 

of the gab. I saw him on 

television when he was running 

for president. After 

summarising the Nigerian 

affliction, he concluded that 

“when it is spoilt, Yoruba would 

say: O ti ra(it is messed up) and 

when it is irredeemably bad 

they would say: O ti sedin (it is 

eaten by maggots). That was 

original and deep Yoruba by a 

proper Ibadan boy. 

That diagnosis remains valid 

till date as there is no 

redemptive factor in Nigeria 

anymore. There is no salvation 

anywhere in the country again. 

Men of God are not different 

from common criminals. I can’t 

yet get over the pastor who was 

accused of laundering almost 

one billion. The man claimed 

his church is both for Christians 

and Muslims. 

Lawyers are my issue his 

week before I begin to hear 

“touch not my anointing” and 

other scaremongering. 

When we were young, we 

used to walk with trepidation 

around lawyers like special 

creatures. It was as if they 

possessed some special moral 

continent from the rest of us. 

Corrupt political 

system 

But when the Nigerian Bar 

Association held its election 

recently, its image came down 

to that of APC or PDP or any of 

the political parties in our 

corrupt political system. Shortly 

after the results were 

announced, one of the 

contestants, Mr. Dele Adesina 

fired a petition detailing the 

following allegations: 

Attention: Mr Tawo E. Tawo 

SAN 

My dear Learned Brother 

Silk, 

Re: The Nigerian Bar 

Association 2020 national 

officers election: Petition 

against the management of the 

electoral process. 

The above-mentioned subject 

matter refers. I am one of the 

presidential candidates for the 

Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, 

in the on-going National 

Officers’ Elections and I forward 

this petition in this regard. 

Upon the receipt of the 

Verified Voters List published 

about five hours to the 

commencement of the election, 

my team and I after a 

painstaking perusal of the list 

observed that the list contained 

grave errors of omission and 

•Lawyers at the NBA 2020 election 

commission, including but not 

limited to the following: 

1. Names of purported lawyers 

without branches ascribed to 

them from serial number 25171 

to 29635; 

2. Names of lawyers under the 

subheading “International 

Diaspora” from serial number 

12182 to 12268. A clear violation 

of the provisions of the 

My investigation shows 

that the Board of the 

NBA is in a serious 

dilemma at the moment 

as to how to handle this 

as there are large merits 

in the allegations 

Constitution of the NBA; Page 

1 of 4 

3. Inflation of the list of some 

branches. For instance, Obollo- 

Afor branch on the final list for 

verification had only 39 names 

on the list from serial number 

30424 to 30462. Strangely, this 

increased to 662 on the verified 

list; 

4. Deletion of names of 

members removed from the 

final list; 

5. Many members names 

found their way to branches 

other than their own branch. 

I took this matter up in a 

telephone discussion with the 

other two presidential 

candidates, Dr. Babatunde 

Ajibade, SAN, and Olumide 

Akpata Esq., and a preferred 

suggestion was made that the 

matter be taken up informally 

with the Committee Members in 

the interest of the integrity of 

the Association. In furtherance 

of this, I raised the above issues 

with the president of the NBA 

and a member of the Electoral 

Committee. 

Some explanations were 

made though unsatisfactory by 

which time voting had actually 

started. The Electoral 

Committee admitted this error 

in their Statement No. 019 when 

they said among other things 

that “the situation is regretted 

but arose because members in 

FEEDBACK 

the course of verification did not 

fully update information on 

their current branches and/ or 

sex”. Yet, nothing was done to 

rectify the situation. 

In addition to the above, 

several observations and 

protests have been made by 

different members of our 

association which questions 

the integrity of the process as 

well as the result of the process. 

Some of the protests received 

from different branches are as 

follows: 

1. Very many members, 

particularly from the branches 

Re: Kashamu and the fears of epitaphs 

Dear Yinka, 

THANKS for your write-up 

on the above subject. It 

revealed a lot about the late 

senator. Ours is a country where 

people commit crimes and the 

law looks the other way most of 

the time. It is a country where 

criminals are applauded, 

worshipped, given titles and 

are either elected or appointed 

to sensitive public positions. 

Ours is a country where 

criminals use their ill-gotten 

wealth to thwart the justice 

system. One lesson criminals 

and their hangers-on knowingly 

forget is that crime does not pay. 

The main reason for this is 

because criminals are 

not shamed in Nigeria. This 

sad situation has resulted in 

in the West, like Ibadan and 

Ado-Ekiti, did not receive the 

link to vote and some of those 

who received the link could not 

vote. The same protest came 

from several branches in the 

North, like Gombe, Katsina, 

Birnin-Kebbi, Yobe, and 

Kaduna. 

2. The same complaint was 

lodged vehemently by members 

of NBA Enugu Branch. 

3. Several cases of reported 

disenfranchisement by 

members whose names were 

not on the list. A Senior 

Advocate of Nigeria who 

contacted the helpline line to 

lodge his complaint was told 

that it is because he did not 

many Nigerian youths taking to 

crimes in recent times. The way 

things are going in the country 

has not helped matters. I 

sometimes attribute our 

country’s support for criminals 

and criminality to high levels of 

poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, 

quest for easy wealth, 

ineffective laws and our 

extreme state of anomie. 

Something must be done 

urgently if our democracy must 

survive the pollution some 

persons have injected into our 

politics. The law must go after 

these criminals. When criminals 

are shamed, others desiring to 

take to crimes will think twice. 

Unlike the Nigerian legal 

system that creates loopholes 

for criminals to escape justice 

have his SAN’s number. Query! 

Is SAN’s number a 

requirement? Page 2 of 4 

4. Issues were also raised on 

the security of the NBA 

Membership Portal. On July 9, 

2020, a letter was forwarded to 

the Chairman of the Electoral 

Committee raising several 

issues on the need for a credible 

voters list and the need to know 

the service provider with a view 

to interrogate the process. This 

letter was flagrantly ignored by 

the Committee. 

As at the time of writing this 

statement,... addition of votes 

recorded plus notices yet 

undelivered amounted to 29,820 

which is 185 votes over and 

above the total number of voters 

on the voters register. 

It is also significant to note 

that the system used for this 

election was said to have been 

registered the very day the 

election was to start and MoU 

was signed on that same day. 

This was done all alone by the 

President of the NBA. There 

was no opportunity to 

interrogate the system before 

the commencement of the 

election in order to determine 

its vulnerability, security and 

capacity. 

The inability to deliver 14,000 

notices to prospective voters 13 

hours after the commencement 

of the election is not only 

evidence of lack of capacity on 

the part of the system but also a 

clear disenfranchisement of 

these prospective voters. 

I call on you, Mr. Chairman 

and Members of the Electoral 

Committee of the Nigerian Bar 

Association, to cancel this sham 

election. It is needless to say 

that if the process is bad, the 

product cannot be good. 

Thank you. Yours faithfully, 

Mr. Julius Oladele Adesina, 

SAN” 

My investigation shows that 

the Board of the NBA is in a 

serious dilemma at the moment 

as to how to handle this as there 

are large merits in the 

allegations. But how would the 

bar own up that its elections 

were not foolproof? 

the American system has no 

hiding place for criminals. 

There is a day of reckoning for 

criminals in America no matter 

how long it takes. 

—John Ekwe 

Dear Yinka, 

IJUST finished reading your 

piece on the subject. I am 

grateful to God that this country 

still has people like you who are 

not praise-singers. I believe in 

telling the truth about anybody 

whether the person is alive or 

dead. 

I wish others of your ilk will 

be like you and say it like it is 

without minding whose ox is 

gored. I think it will make 

people to be cautious about the 

way they live their lives. Please 

keep up the good work. 

—Martin I. Oparah. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 —17 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

Where are the Nigerians? 

WHEN the Chibok and 

Dapchi girls were 

abducted, what did you feel? Did 

you feel that these crazy Islamites 

had struck again? Or that this was 

a Northern problem- which selfrespecting 

person would allow 

his daughter to go to school in 

Dapchi and Chibok? Did you 

imagine how you would feel if 

one of those girls was your 

daughter? 

When you heard that they had 

been married off to Boko Haram 

insurgents, did you feel that they 

were fulfilling the will of Allah? 

Did you feel that those crazy 

Northerners who do not 

understand that only by education 

can we all progress, have again 

dropped the bucket? Do you 

really believe that Boko Haram 

and ISIS exist in Nigeria? Or that 

this is just a conspiracy dreamed 

up by the North to wrest power 

away from the South-South 

President Goodluck Jonathan? 

Even if Boko Haram was not 

justified, did you feel that since it 

was the turn of the North to 

produce a President, this aim 

should be achieved by all means 

necessary? If you believe that the 

North has a legitimate turn to 

produce a President, that the 

South also has a legitimate turn? 

Or do you believe that Nigeria 

should be ruled by the most 

competent person, regardless of 

where he comes from? Are you 

prepared to accept the 

consequences of geographical 

rotation among the six political 

zones, or no arrangement 

whatsoever - let the best man 

win? 

Let's step back again. When you 

see an appointment of some 

government position, do you 

immediately believe that one 

sector to which you do not belong, 

is once again monopolising 

political appointments, etc?“ 

The civil war 

In 1966, a group of military 

officers, mostly Igbo, dissatisfied 

by how the country was run, took 

the terrible step of killing the top 

civilian leaders and military 

officers from every region in 

Nigeria. No Igbo politician or 

leader was killed. No Igbo officer 

was killed. This action launched 

Nigeria into uncharted waters. 

Seven months later, military 

elements, mostly from Northern 

Nigeria, struck in a revenge coup. 

A terrible massacre occurred in the 

North and elsewhere, followed by 

great instability and a civil war 

which ended in 1970. Up till today, 

we are still suffering from the 

trauma of these events. 

We have tried in umpteen ways 

to lacerate this cancer of tribalism; 

sometimes we succeed, at other 

times we fail. Of late the cancer 

has remetaphosed. We must all 

believe that this is an evil that 

cannot be tolerated. Our excesses 

must be curbed. We cannot 

continue to gaslight this monster 

or pretend that it is not what it is. 

The first step towards cure is to 

acknowledge the sickness. We are 

stronger together as Nigerians 

than belonging and behaving as 

separate ethnic and geographical 

entities. 

The #BLACK LIVES MATTER 

is confronting systemic racism. 

The response is first to accept its 

existence and then to provide 

programmes to deal with it. We 

do not see White people doubling 

down to claim that racism does 

not exist. Blacks do not want to 

work, are more interested in 

crime, domestic violence, 

strutting their stuff, narcotics, that 

only black women want to work, 

etc, that the top jobs in Goldman 

Sacks, Apple, Amazon cannot be 

When you hear and 

see monstrous oil 

pollution in the South- 

South, such that the 

people there cannot fish 

or farm, what is your 

attitude? 

filled by Blacks, who cannot and 

will not invest, implying that 

Blacks have some congenital 

impairment.But they did not. 

Instead they are trying to deal 

with the situation. Scholarships to 

disadvantaged people, social 

housing, removal of offending 

films, advertisements, creating 

30% more opportunities for 

minorities, etc. 

Even if we face systemic racism, 

or in the case of Nigeria, systemic 

tribalism, or northernization, 

westernization, Igboism in all 

government activities, the right 

to call out this issue must not be 

denied. Every Nigerian must 

learn how to hear uncomfortable 

truths without resorting to 

violence. Is the opinion expressed 

true, has it some merit? If so, the 

proper response is not to claim 

that others have done it. The 

answer is to change because not 

to do so will bring everybody back 

to ruin. We all respond with 

sensibilities. White people round 

the world could have responded 

that Black people do not want to 

work. Instead the young people 

of every colour are demanding 

change. The corporations and 

institutions are responding. Pepsi 

Cola is setting goals to employ 

more people discriminated 

against in their corporations - in 

senior management and at the 

board level. Same with Microsoft, 

Adidas, Nike, Bank of America, 

Facebook, Amazon, Google, 

Netflix, City Bank,Goldman Sachs 

and thousand of computer 

companies. Others are doing the 

same because the status quo is 

untenable. We in Nigeriia should 

do the same. 

When you see the growing 

desertification of the North, what 

do you feel? That this is a 

Nigerian problem or a Northern 

problem? Where is your passion 

for Nigeria - dryness of territory, 

insecurity in our schools? 

Thousands of school-age boys not 

going to school? The Igbo 

apprenticeship scheme in various 

trades - mechanics, textile, 

pharmaceuticals, etc., is in many 

respects similar to the Almajiri 

system, but short of its religious 

painting. 

When you hear and see 

monstrous oil pollution in the 

South-South, such that the 

people there cannot fish or farm, 

what is your attitude? Is it those 

lazy people who want to wear long 

night gowns with golden studs 

and walking sticks - how can they 

fish or farm? They earn all this 

money and there is nothing to 

show for it, except the young fine 

women from there who 

ceaselessly and seductively 

pursue rich men for their money. 

Has it ever occurred to you that 

willy-nilly the ravages of oil 

pollution will have to be corrected 

at great cost and that the problem 

is as much a Nigerian problem 

as desertification? Why does the 

rest of Nigeria not call the South- 

South to order because eventually 

political instability would reign 

throughout the nation? 

When a young girl of 12,13,14 

is forcibly married to an older 

man, are you scandalised or 

quiescent? Has that child not got 

a life to live apart from being 

burdened at a tender age to carry 

responsibilities beyond her years? 

Where is your spirit, your anger, 

indeed your humanity? Leo Da 

Vinci called simplicity the highest 

form of sophistication. Can it be 

true that Nigerians do not like 

themselves? In all the political 

zones, there is a blazing hatred 

of different sections to different 

sections. Why do Nigerians think 

they are unique? Even if they are, 

should it be unique in failure? 

Why can we not be unique in 

successes? Jamaicans, Kenyans, 

Ethiopians, Somalians, Indians, 

Pakistanis, Japanese, Chinese, 

are all unique in many things, but 

I want to highlight sports. 

Nigeria today has people in 

nearly all the major sports and 

entertainment industries; they 

are in medicine, journalism, 

acting, directing, etc, but even 

here - there is no cohesion, no 

traction. They send billions back 

to Nigeria. A former Minister of 

Finance has alerted us to the 

game banks, foreign exchange 

institutions, the CBN, play so far 

as the substantial amount of 

money sent back by Nigerians in 

diaspora. The money is 

substantial. Now any amount our 

envoys in diaspora send back to 

relatives is given to the recipients 

in Naira. My son sends me 

US$1,000, and I receive N340,000 

or less. In remitting the money, 

he has paid all the visible 

expenses. 

To be concluded 

Let University of Ibadan be 

By EDDIE MBADIWE 

IN her column in The Punch 

of Thursday, August 6, 

Abimbola Adelakun seems to be 

stoking the request by Central 

Council of Ibadan Indigenes to 

appoint Ibadan Indigenes as 

Vice Chancellor of the 

University of Ibadan and also 

Chief Medical Director of 

University College Hospital, 

UCH. 

I do not know if Abimbola is 

an indigene of Ibadan for she 

argued in support of the central 

council and probably attended 

their meetings. Her piece bore 

the trade mark of an insider. 

This contribution will be limited 

to the University of Ibadan and 

not the other issues raised by 

this elders council. The other 

issues are not very clear and 

should be analysed on their 

merits. 

The President is the visitor to 

UI and all federal universities. 

The final decision as to who 

becomes vice-chancellor rests 

with him as a person. There was 

a mathematical calculation not 

long ago in which it was shown 

that the Nigerian President has 

about 2000 appointments he can 

make without reference to 

anybody, and vice chancellors 

of federal universities is in that 

umbrella (subject to three 

recommendations from council). 

The appeal by Ibadan elders is, 

therefore, in order. People of 

Nsukka Senatorial zone made 

a similar request vis-a-vis the 

University of Nigeria, Nsukka; 

but on that occasion superior 

wisdom prevailed and their 

request fell on its belly. 

Many years ago when I was 

still a PhD student in the 

University of East Anglia, 

Norwich, a New Chair for 

marine biochemistry was 

created in the school of 

biological sciences. The post 

was advertised nationally and 

internationally. After a very 

rigorous interview process, the 

job was offered to a biochemist 

from Chile. He had three 

publications but they were very 

solid. That is the way to run a 

university. Merit must be the 

leader. 

Sometime towards the end of 

former President Goodluck 

Jonathan’s administration, he 

wrote a letter to parliament to 

the effect that he was going to 

change the name of the 

University of Lagos to Moshood 

Abiola University. He was 

targeting Yoruba votes. I was in 

parliament then. When that 

letter was read, parliament 

nearly erupted as alumnae of 

UNILAG raised such a 

thunderous opposition that the 

very foundation of parliament 

shook. The Executive 

Committee of UNILAG Alumni 

Association pronto filed court 

papers of objections to 

challenge government. The 

various state branches followed 

Let nobody try to 

create a breed of sacred 

cows that could convert 

UI to an ethnic puny 

university 

in double quick march. That 

matter died a natural death and 

University of Lagos is still 

UNILAG. 

Now let us return to the 

premier University of Ibadan 

which without a shadow of 

doubt is primus inter-pares. The 

founding fathers had the vision 

of a world class university and 

that is why so many world class 

research institutes (too 

numerous to document) are 

situated close by and are 

refreshed by the sheer aura of 

UI. Let nobody misunderstand 

the arguments put forward so 

far. If Ibadan indigenes are the 

most qualified by all means, let 

them have the jobs, but let 

nobody try to create a breed of 

sacred cows that could convert 

UI to an ethnic puny university. 

Let us remind ourselves of a 

few facts. The University of 

Ibadan is the only university in 

Nigeria to be ranked among the 

first 1000 in the world. UI 

stands at 991. Some universities 

in South Africa and Egypt are 

better ranked. When we were 

undergraduates in UI the only 

university in West Africa to come 

close was University of Ghana 

Legon which is now ranked 

1307. 

Is there a problem with 

Nigeria that we cannot nurture 

our natural treasures a shining 

example of which is Ibadan? 

Let us not forget that it was 

because of Ibadan Standards 

that medical doctors going to 

the UK for post-graduate 

fellowship were given 

exemption from PLAB. Since we 

started to muddy the waters 

that exemption has been 

withdrawn. The same also 

applied to people who went for 

Ph.D and got exemption from 

Master’s degree. 

The ancient Greek who gave 

the world democracy stratified 

society into three classes. The 

first were the idiots (not like 

idiots of today) but they were 

only interested in their personal 

welfare and would not 

contribute anything to society. 

The second were the tribes 

people who were myopic and 

concerned with only those 

things that touched their tribe. 

They are prepared to fight and 

die for their tribe. The citizens 

were the third group and they 

were the ideal and took interest 

in the overall orderly 

development of society, paid 

attention to law and order and 

promoted the growth of 

civilisation. The ideal of the 

Greeks was to make everyone 

a citizen. University of Ibadan 

was built to produce citizens so 

elders of Ibadan council let 

University of Ibadan be. 

•Dr. Mbadiwe, a former 

federal legislator, wrote from 

Lagos 

C 

M 

Y


THE governance of the Niger Delta 

Development Commission, NDDC, 

must be totally reset to enable it 

deliver its core mandate of 

developing the oil-rich Niger Delta. 

The current model, which makes it 

more of a honeypot and patronage 

centre, renders it a nursery of 

of the three geopolitical zones are 

corruption, confusion and infighting, 

curiously part of the setup. 

thus derailing any meaningful attempt 

With this model, everyone is 

towards turning the developmental 

primarily focused on taking as much 

deficits of the region around. 

as they can from the system, provided 

Under the current model, members 

they carry along the many 

of the Board of Directors are drawn 

“stakeholders” such as the oilproducing 

communities, youths, 

from the oil-producing Rivers, Akwa 

Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Abia, Imo, 

elders, civil society groups, militants 

Ondo, Cross River and Edo states. 

and others who believe they are 

Chairman of the Board, Managing 

eminently entitled to freeload from the 

Director and Heads of the “juiciest” 

system. 

directorates are typically 

While this model stuffs the personal 

representatives of the four “oil 

pockets of these “stakeholders” with 

majors” (Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta 

access to the leadership of the 

and Bayelsa). The North is also given 

commission, the grassroots and the 

a bite of the “cake”. Representatives 

very idea of development lose out. In 

spite of trillions of naira that have been 

NDDC needs a total paradigm reset 

budgeted for the commission since 

2001 when former President Olusegun 

Obasanjo inaugurated it as a means 

of dousing disruptions in our oil 

industry, thousands of projects have 

been abandoned. 

Many contractors simply collect their 

fees and walk away. Some contracts 

are awarded many times over. 

Students on NDDC scholarships 

abroad are abandoned. 

As long as this model remains the 

ruling paradigm of the NDDC, 

nothing will change. 

The forensic audit ordered by 

President Muhammadu Buhari may 

achieve very little because almost 

everybody within the ruling circles has 

soiled their fingers. Even the 

Presidency appears confused. In the 

past 18 months, it appointed the Board 

and two heads of the Interim 

Management Committees and 

worsened the chaos. 

It is time to reset the NDDC into a 

business model. The core oilproducing 

states can continue to 

nominate members of the Board of 

Directors who will function just like 

any company board. 

The Managing Director should be 

appointed by the President subject to 

approval by the Senate. The 

management team should run the 

developmental affairs of the 

Commission in a corporately 

transparent and accountable manner. 

But, will the so-called elders, youths, 

militants and political sharks allow a 

system that delivers the goods without 

putting the money in their pockets 

work? We have to choose between 

development and sharing the money. 

The first part of this piece examined the 

lifestyles of members of the Senate in the Third 

Republic and noted that most members of that 

assembly are leaving the scene. 

THE Clerk of the National Assembly 

then, Alhaji Gidado Idris, GCON; the 

Clerk of the Senate, Mr. A.A. Coker as well 

as the Clerk of the House of 

Representatives, Mr. B.I. Olinmah have 

also passed on. 

In 1979, the Senate adopted 37 

Resolutions, while in 1980 it adopted 58 

resolutions and in 1981 it adopted 97 

Resolutions. In 1982, it adopted 42 

Resolutions and in 1983, 29 Resolutions 

were adopted. 

Each senator was paid N3,000 per 

month and entitled to only five legislative 

aides, namely one legislative aide on level 

12, one confidential secretary on level 

eight, a typist on level four and a clerical 

officer on level four and a messenger on 

level two. 

Each member of the National Assembly 

at that time was given accommodation at 

1004 Estates in Victoria Island, Lagos. 

They were all given medical facilities at 

the 1004 Estate. 

The medical centre at 1004 at the time 

was headed by Dr. Chris Ngige, who is at 

present, the Minister of Labour and 

Productivity. Top federal civil servants 

were equally given accommodation at the 

1004 estate. It was the then Senate that 

approved members of the Federal 

Electoral Commission with Mr. Justice 

Victor Erereko Ovie-Wiskey appointed as 

the Chairman. 

Other members are Chief J.B.C. 

Anyaegbuna (Anambra); Mrs. Ethel Onwu 

(Anambra); Alhaji Ahmed Kari (Bauchi); 

Mr. O.I. Afe (Bendel); Brigadier L.N. 

Obeya (Bendel); Alhaji Mustapha Umara 

(Borno); Mr. R.F. Uko (Cross River); Mr. 

OPINION 

One by one those senators 

are departing (2) 

A.N. Adumanu (Imo); Alhaji Liman Umaru 

(Kwara); Mrs. Husa Iro Luko (Kaduna); 

Alhaji Aminu Salihu (Kaduna); Alhaji 

Mohammadu Mashabaru (Kano); Alhaji 

Zubairu Dandatta (Kano); Dr. (Mrs) 

Mabadeje (Lagos); Alhaji Umaru Audu 

(Niger); Dr. Lateef O. Aremu; Alhaji 

M.B.Ibrahim (Plateau); Mrs. E.A. Pam 

No member of the National 

Assembly was earning more 

than N3, 000 per month and 

there was no financial 

autonomy, no constituency 

projects to be executed by them 

(Plateau) and Alhaji Garba Jabo (Sokoto). 

The Senate also approved members for 

the Code of Conduct Bureau. They are 

Alhaji Isa Kaita (Chairman), Alhaji Nadu 

Maibe (member), Alhaji Hassan Lemu 

(member), Alhaji Zubairu Mahammud 

(member) and Mr. Boniface Chibunna 

Nwakanma (member). Other members 

were Mrs. F.M. Sowole, Mr. Moses 

Olarenwaju Egundeyi, Alhaji Usman Bichi, 

Reverend Akpan Ukpong, Alhaji Isa Iko, 

Mr. Agan Dankoro and 

Chief A.B. Batubo. 

They also approved the 

following as Ambassadors: 

Mr. Baba Gana Kingibe 

(Borno), Mr. I.J. Sagay 

(Bendel), Mr. Y. Abdullahi 

(Plateau), Mr. J.E.U. Ekong 

(Cross River), Mr. G.O. 

Okany (Anambra), Mr. E.O. 

Sanu (Oyo), Mr. A.K. 

Mohammed (Borno), Mr. 

M.A. Carpenter (Sokoto), 

Mr. M. L. Rafinddi 

(Kaduna), Mr. A.M.S. Imam 

(Kwara), Mr. O. Akadiri (Ondo), Mr. 

I.D.O. Sokoya (Ogun), Mr. O. Oshodi 

(Lagos), Mr. O.O. Adesola (Lagos), Mr. 

H.B. Musa (Plateau), Mr. P.L. Udoh (Cross 

River), Mr. P.B. Loroye (Rivers), Mr. O. Ani 

(Ondo), Dr. L.A. Fabunmi (Ondo), Mr. P.O. 

Nnochiri (Imo), Mr. M.S. Umar (Bauchi), 

Mr. E. Fowora (Ogun), Mr. Musa M. Bello 

(Kwara), Mr. A.D.I. Blankson (Rivers), Mr. 

L. Metteeden (Kano), Dr. G. Ijewere 

(Bendel), Mr. I. Chinade (Bauchi), Mr. 

L.S.M. Osobase (Bendel), Mr. J.K. Umar 

(Kaduna), Mr. E.O. Kolade (Ogun), Mr. 

H.I. Emenyi (Cross River), Mr. A.A. 

Mohammed (Kano), Mr. O.O. Fafowora 

(Oyo), Mr. G.A. Falase (Oyo) and Mr A. D. 

Gadau (Bauchi). 

Also approved and confirmed by the 

Senate were the members of the Federal 

Civil Service Commission with Alhaji 

Bagudu Shettima (Niger) as the 

Chairman. Other members were Mr. 

Muritalabi Ashorobi (Lagos), Alhaji M. 

Bayero (Gongola), Mr. Ben M. 

Chukwudebe (Anambra), Mr. Eyoma Ita 

Eyoma (Cross River), Mr. Baguda Hirse 

(Plateau), Dr. Othaman Ladan-Baki 

(Kaduna), Alhaji A.A. Jimoh (Kwara) and 

Alhaji Aliyu Maru (Sokoto). 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

On December 31, 1983, Brigadier Sani 

Abacha, GCFR, who announced the 

overthrow of President Shehu Shagari 

declared that “the Clerk of the National 

Assembly (Alhaji Gidado Idris), the 

President of the Senate and Speaker of 

the House of Representatives shall, within 

two weeks, render account of all the 

properties of the National Assembly”. 

After hearing the announcement, I said 

to myself: Brigadier Sani Abacha must 

have been misinformed about activities 

of the National Assembly. 

No member of the National Assembly 

was earning more than N3, 000 per month 

and there was no financial autonomy, no 

constituency projects to be executed by 

them. 

Unlike now they did not blackmail or 

force the ministers to give them contracts 

and neither did they attempt to run the 

Federal Ministries and Agencies. Except 

the President of the Senate, the Speaker 

of the House of Representatives and their 

deputies, none of them had official cars. 

I remember when the three conference 

halls were to be built in the National 

Assembly, Alhaji Gidado Idris wrote an 

official letter to the then Minister of 

Finance, Professor Matthew Esang, from 

Oron, now in Akwa Ibom State, for release 

of funds. 

The project was executed then by the 

Minister of Works at that time, Mr Victor 

Igwe Masi from Omoku in Ahoada Local 

Government Area of Rivers State. 

When the project was delayed, Dr. Wayas 

had to personally invite Professor Esang 

to his office over the issue. The present 

members of the present National Assembly 

are now living like kings in palaces; in 

comparison their predecessors never 

enjoyed such opulence.

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

RAND 

114.50 -0.20 

2,421.00 -15.00 

13.23 0.13 

45.05 0.25 - 

- - 

379 379.5 380 

495.732 496.386 497.04 

449.1527 449.7455 450.338 

417.1252 417.6755 418.2258 

3.5647 3.5694 3.5741 

0.662 0.672 0.682 

532.1084 532.8104 533.5124 

54.6053 54.6778 54.7503 

101.0559 101.1892 101.3225 

21.7094 21.738 21.7667 

CBN Exchange rate as at 17/08/2020 


Inflation hits 11 months high to 12.82% in 

July — NBS •Food inflation up 0.30% 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

Nigeria’s inflation rate rose 

year-on-year (YoY) by 

0.26 percentage point to 

12.82 percent in July this year 

from 12.56 percent in June. 

This represents the eleventh 

consecutive monthly rise in 

inflation rate since October 

2019. 

Similarly, food inflation rose 

by 0.3 percentage point to 

15.48 percent in July from 

15.18 the previous month. 

The National Bureau of Statistics 

(NBS) disclosed this in 

its Consumer Price Index 

(CPI) Report for July 2020. 

The 

report 

stated:”Increases were recorded 

in all Classification of 

Individual Consumption by 

Purpose, COICOP divisions 

that yielded the Headline index. 

“On month-on-month basis, 

the Headline index increased 

by 1.25 percent in July 2020. 

This is 0.04 percent rate 

higher than the rate recorded 

in June 2020 (1.21) percent. 

“The percentage change in 

the average composite CPI for 

the twelve months period ending 

July 2020 over the average 

of the CPI for the previous 

twelve months period was 

12.05 percent, representing a 

0.15 percent point increase 

from 11.90 percent recorded 

in June 2020. 

“The urban inflation rate increased 

by 13.40 percent 

(YoY) in July 2020 from 

13.18 percent recorded in 

June 2020, while the rural inflation 

rate increased by 12.28 

percent in July 2020 from 

11.99 percent in June 2020. 

“On a month-on-month basis, 

the urban index rose by 

1.27 percent in July 2020, up 

by 0.04 from 1.23 percent recorded 

in June 2020, while 

the rural index also rose by 


by 0.04 from the rate recorded 

in June 2020 (1.19) 

percent. 

“On a month-on-month basis, 

the urban index rose by 


by 0.04 from 1.23 percent recorded 

in June 2020, while 

the rural index also rose by 


by 0.04 from the rate recorded 

in June 2020 (1.19) 

percent.” 

On food index, the bureau 

said, “The composite food index 

rose by 15.48 percent in 

July 2020 compared to 15.18 

percent in June 2020. 

“The average annual rate of 

change of the Food sub-index 

for the twelve-month period 

ending July 2020 over the previous 

twelve-month average 

was 14.63 percent, 0.17 percent 

points from the average 

annual rate of change recorded 

in June 2020 (14.46) percent. 

“This rise in the food index was 

caused by increases in prices of 

bread and cereals, potatoes, 

yam and others, tubers, meat, 

fruits, oils and fats, and fish.” 

From left: Vice President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, 

NCRIB, Mr. Tunde Oguntade; former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun 

Obasanjo; Deputy President, NCRIB, Barr. Rotimi Edu; Past President NCRIB, 

Prince Feyisayo Soyewo; and the President of NCRIB, Mrs. Bola Onigbogi, during 

a courtesy visit by delegation of NCRIB when it presented a Fellowship award 

plaque to Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta 

Why we have inaccurate electricity billing 

— NERC 

By Udeme Akpan 

THE Nigerian Electricity 

Regulatory Commission, 

NERC, yesterday, attributed 

inaccurate billing of consumers 

to poor installation of prepaid 

meters in Nigeria. 

The Commission, 

which identified poor 

training of installers 

as an additional factor, 

has emerged with 

new guidelines for the 

certification of Energy 

Meter Installers 

in the nation. 

The Commission 

also lamented that its 

guidelines on the installations 

were not 

complied with by the 

installers. 

In a statement yesterday, 

the Commission 

said, “Despite the 

existence of the 

Guidelines, faulty metering 

installations 

still persist, which results 

in billing errors 

as well as safety hazards 

with adverse effects 

on human life 

and property. 

“In consideration of 

the above, the Commission 

has approved 

the National Power 

Training Institute of Nigeria, 

NAPTIN’s curriculum for 

training Meter Installers as 

the minimum benchmark for 

training and retraining of Professional 

Meter Installers in 

the NESI. 

“All prospective applicants 

as Meter Installers in the NESI 

shall provide evidence of 

training from NAPTIN or any 

other NERC approved training 

institution whose curriculum on 

meter installation is not below 

the NAPTIN’s benchmark. The 

Meter Installation Training Certification 

from NAPTIN or its 

equivalent as may be approved 

by NERC, is a prerequisite or requirement 

for the issuance of 

NERC Professional Installer Certificate 

for new (intending) applications, 

this is effective from 

1st August, 2020.” 

Commodity Exchange: Expand agric to boost forex, 

securities dealers tell FG 

By Peter Egwuatu 

Top securities dealers in Ni 

geria have urged the Federal 

Government to expand the 

agriculture sector to create job 

opportunities for youths and leverage 

Commodities Exchanges 

to grow the country’s foreign exchange 

earnings, forex, in view 

of dwindling income from the international 

oil market. 

Besides, the Securities Dealers 

have identified the need to put 

in place relevant structures that 

will enhance the growth of local 

industries, highlighting the benefits 

of Commodities Exchanges. 

The Chairman, Association of 

Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria 

(ASHON), Chief 

Onyenwechukwu Ezeagu, at the 

weekend explained that the negative 

impacts of COVID-19 pandemic 

on most sectors of the 

Diageo to 

introduce 

100% 

paper-based 

container for 

spirits 

...As PepsiCo, Unilever 

plan to follow 

By Princewill Ekwujuru 

with agency report 

Diageo, the parent com 

pany of Guinness Nigeria 

Plc, said it will introduce 

the world’s first paper-based 

spirit bottle for its alcoholic 

drink by 2021. 

This is even as Johnnie 

Walker, PepsiCo and 

Unilever plan to follow suit. 

Diageo said the paperbased 

bottle will be made 

from sustainably sourced 

pulp which meets food grade 

standards; and will be fully 

recyclable in standard waste 

streams. 

Diageo has also launched a 

new partnership with Pilot 

Lite, a venture management 

company, to develop the 

technology further through 

Pulpex Limited, a sustainable 

packaging technology company. 

Pulpex has already established 

a partner consortium 

with companies including 

PepsiCo and Unilever with 

these companies expecting 

to launch their own branded 

paper bottles in 2021. 

Speaking, Chief 

Sustainability Officer, 

Diageo, Ewan Andrew, said: 

“We are proud to have created 

this world first. We are 

constantly striving to push 

the boundaries within sustainable 

packaging and this 

bottle has the potential to be 

truly sustainable. While most 

glass bottle alternatives still 

need to use a plastic inner 

layer to contain the liquid, 

Diageo’s new technology 

does not. Instead, the bottles 

are formed by pressurizing 

pulp into moulds, a curing 

oven process, and are also 

sprayed internally with 

specialised coatings. This 

also means that an inner plastic 

layer and outer pulp layer 

don’t need to be separated for 

recycling. The bottle is made 

from sustainably sourced 

pulp to meet food-safe standards 

and will be recyclable 

in standard waste streams. 

economy had made it imperative 

for the government to enhance the 

growth and development of Commodities 

Exchanges as alternative 

sources of revenue. 

He stated: “The need to encourage 

the establishment and growth 

of Commodities Exchanges in Nigeria 

cannot be overemphasized 

in the wake of the crippling impact 

of oil glut and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

If Nigeria is serious about 

diversification of her economy and 

forex earnings, the route to take is 

via functional commodities exchanges 

where all asset classes: 

agricultural, hydrocarbon and 

solid minerals etc are tradable in a 

most efficient and transparent 

manner and the quality of tradable 

commodities are guaranteed. 

“This is even more so for local 

industries that need to be assured 

of regular and uninterrupted raw 

materials supply as their production 

input. The farmers, miners 

etc would benefit from an 

efficient commodities exchange 

platform as they have 

opportunity for prices discovery 

and an assurance of off takers 

of their output.” 

Corroborating him, the Managing 

Director and Chief Executive 

Officer, Lagos Commodities 

and Futures Exchange, 

(LCFE), Mr Akin 

Akeredolu– Ale who volunteered 

information that LCFE 

would soon commence trading 

on Agricultural Commodities, 

Solid Minerals, Currencies 

and Oil and Gas submitted that 

at this critical period, a credible 

option for Nigeria’s accelerated 

economic revival 

would be for the government 

to put in place structures to 

promote agriculture and commodities 

exchanges.


SOUTHERN KADUNA KILLINGS: 

KDSG has questions 

to answer 

— ZAMANI LEKWOT 

•Says: Some people are hiding the truth 

By Chioma Gabriel, Editor Special Features 

MAJ. Gen. Zamani Lekwot, the founder of Southern Kaduna 

Elders Forum, retired from the army in 1985. Following the 

violence that erupted between Muslims and Christians in Zango- 

Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State in 1992 with 

many deaths, a tribunal set up by the General Ibrahim Babangida 

administration sentenced Lekwot and 16 others to death for 

alleged complicity in the killings. The sentences were eventually 

reduced to a short incarceration, and he received a state pardon 

in December 1995. 

Recently, following continued killings in Southern Kaduna, 

there was a call by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria 

that Lekwot be executed as failure to execute him earlier created 

a problem. The council said the only way for peace to reign in 

Southern Kaduna is for government to execute Lekwot and other 

leaders sentenced to death over the Zango-Kataf riot in 1992. 

The SCSN’s Secretary, AbdulRahman Hassan said 

government’s failure to execute Lekwot and others sentenced 

to death over the 1992 riot was responsible for the persistent 

attacks in Southern Kaduna. In this encounter, Major General 

Lekwot answers questions on the problems in southern Kaduna 

and proffers solutions. 

There was a call by the 

Supreme Council for Shariah in 

Nigeria that you be executed as 

failure to execute you earlier has 

created a problem. 

I am not afraid of death. My 

life is in God’s hand. What those 

people are saying is a 

smokescreen. They are hiding 

the truth. What kind of religious 

leader instead of preaching 

peace and love is preaching 

death? What happened in 1992 

has been resolved and that was 

about Zango-Kataf. What is 

happening now is killings in 

Southern Kaduna and instead of 

proffering solutions, you are 

talking about what happened 28 

years ago 

I am a senior citizen of this 

country. I have served this 

country and I’m now retired and 

I’m supposed to be resting. The 

people who are killing Southern 

Kaduna people are foreigners 

who come in and go. Who are 

they and who are aiding them? I 

am a responsible man and a 

retired soldier. 

They should face the problem 

and tackle it head-on instead of 

trying to divert attention because 

that is what they are trying to do 

and no responsible religious 

leader should leave peace and 

love and preaching death and 

more killings after the carnage 

happening in Southern Kaduna 

which has nothing to do with me. 

I have no hand in it. I never had. 

My place is several kilometres 

away from where the killings are 

happening. Zango-Kataf is done 

with and resolved. What has the 

present got to do with the past? 

But like I said, I am not afraid. 

My life is in God’s hand. 

Your group issued a statement 

the other day, is it different from 

what is going on? 

The statement was an appeal 

to Mr. President to intervene on 

a more effective way in order to 

stem the tide of the killings that 

were spreading. The Inspector 

General of Police announced 

something because our appeal 

also requested for a kind of 

intervention in terms of 

reinforcements in men and 

resources as there were killings 

in other parts of the country, like 

Katsina, Zamfara and because it 

appears as if the troops and other 

security people were very few 

and that was why they could not 

enforce the curfew. 

So, following the IGP’s 

announcement that they are 

sending more people to the 

ground and last night 

(Thursday), the army PRO 

announced the sending of 

special forces there in order to 

arrest the situation, we should 

just watch and see. 

The killings have remained 

unabated despite anything that 

was said 

Your surprise is shared by many 

people. It is very disappointing 

because the villagers and the 

herders have lived together in a 

symbiotic way for many decades. 

All of a sudden, things changed 

and the government themselves 

confessed that they were armed 

foreign invaders. In addition to 

the attack on local communities; 

The survivors 

are languishing 

in IDPs, 

suffering there 

without 

government 

support. Well, I 

believe some 

people are 

hiding the truth 

burning their houses and killing 

many, some of them also rustled 

the local herders’ cattle. 

So, since the government has 

identified the problem, they 

should take the next step forward 

to arrest the situation. As you 

know, identification of a problem 

is 50 per cent solution. So, we 

are hoping that by sending more 

troops and security to the 

ground, something more drastic 

will be done. 

Was the President right when 

he suggested they were 

revenge killings? 

Revenge killings? How? The 

killings have been perpetrated by 

these bandits who are foreign to 

the ground. Revenge killings on 

that scale? Many houses burnt, 

innocent women, children, aged, 

killed? The survivors are 

languishing in IDPs, suffering 

there without government 

support. Well, I believe some 

people are hiding the truth. 

In Nigeria today, many 

communities have vigilante 

groups. Don’t they have such 

groups in those areas? 

Vigilantes are youths who are 

not trained and armed. They 

only carry whistles. Their job is 

to detect strange people and 

report and that takes time and 

then these bandits raid the 

communities in the middle of the 

night when people are sleeping. 

So, the solution is for the 

government to flush these people 

out. 

Does that mean they are living 

in the community? 

No, they are not living in the 

community. They come, kill and 

go away. If they live in the 

•Lekwot: The solution is for the government to flush these people 

out 

community, the community 

members will know them. And 

the scale of the killings shows 

that these are not local people. 

They are foreigners and are 

armed to the teeth. So, the 

question is: how did they get into 

this country so heavily armed and 

undetected? The government 

has some questions to answer. 

Also, you know, it is happening 

not only in southern Kaduna, it 

is happening all over Nigeria. 

Why should it be so? We were 

living in peace. 

Where are those people who 

were displaced now? 

They are in IDPs now. You can 

see we are in our own area and 

this is happening in the whole 

country. August is the peak of the 

rainy season. These villages have 

been invaded, many houses 

burned down, the surviving 

villagers have been driven from 

their villages to the IDPs and that 

means they cannot attend to their 

farms. You know what that means 

in terms of their food chain. 

Government aid has not come to 

them. 

The people helping them are 

private organizations. We have 

not seen anything from the 

Kaduna State government and 

they say very little except to try 

to talk about revenge killings. If 

you have identified the problem, 

then when are you going to do 

something about it? These 

massive attacks are a strange 

phenomena. You need to visit 

some of the villages and see the 

mass destruction. We are in the 

rainy season and as some of 

these villages are burned down, 

what will these villagers do? The 

timing and the style are all 

questionable. These are ruthless 

people. Where did they come 

from? That is why the 

government has a duty to find 

out and address. 

Many people are also saying 

that land is central to the killings. 

That it is all about land... 

No, that one is hocus pocus. Do 

you know why? In my area, they 

are not short of land. If anybody 

needs land for anything, he will 

be given. There is no shortage of 

space in my place. When they 

say land is the reason, does that 

explain the massive killings of 

villagers and the burning of 

houses? Sometimes, in burning 

of the villages, they burn the 

corpses of the victims. Pregnant 

women are molested. The 

killings are so spiteful. 

Something is wrong. 

What then could be the issue? 

What do those people want? 

I don’t know. They haven’t told 

anybody. If they had come out to 

say what they want, people can 

talk. Yesterday (Wednesday) and 

the days before, 14 people were 

killed in Niger State. Is that one 

land dispute also? You name 

other states too: Plateau, Taraba, 

Adamawa, Nasarawa, Benue. 

They have even dabbled into the 

southern states. So, instead of 

playing with words, government 

has the duty to do the needful 

because protection of citizens in 

every sense of the word is the 

duty of the government. 

The other day, the President 

was quoted to have said that 

COVID-19 and lack of funds is 

the reason security agents 

cannot do what they are 

Continues on page 21

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 – 21 

Kaduna govt has questions to answer — LEKWOT 

Continues from page 20 

supposed to do... 

COVID-19 started in March 

and these killings have been 

going on in different parts of the 

country. Yes,COVID-19 has 

thrown spanner in the works but 

what happened before? We have 

a duty to secure our country’s 

borders. Why do foreigners come 

in, armed to the teeth and start 

killing citizens with impunity? 

What is happening here 

cannot happen in any of the 

neighbouring countries because 

their borders are jealously 

guarded. Why not ours and I 

hear people quoting ECOWAS 

protocol that allows freedom of 

movement. Does it include arms 

and smuggled items? The world 

is laughing at us. What kind of 

country are we? Look at it. 

The roads are not safe. Villages 

and rural areas are not safe. Cities 

are not safe. Bandits and 

kidnappers are attacking. What 

is happening? 

On the state of the nation, 

some are saying that when the 

country is restructured, 

different zones should be able 

to take care of themselves. 

What is your take? 

As a member of the 2014 

national conference, one of the 

recommendations of the report 

was restructuring the country. 

The first item on that issue could 

be security. We recommended 

the creation of local government 

and state police. If we have local 

government police in place and 

they are well equipped, they will 

be able to handle these security 

threats at the grassroots. 

Instead of that, some people 

prefer the centralized police 

system and this country is very 

large. Even at that, the Nigerian 

police force has problems: 

shortage of manpower and 

equipment, and because of the 

insecurity, no time to train. So, 

restructuring the country is the 

way out and after doing so, you 

handle the economic and political 

aspect. 

The first coup of 1966 is all the 

reason they centralized 

everything. For us to get out of 

the woods, the review of the 

structure is necessary so that if 

that is ideal, job opportunities 

will be created for the youths. 

There are so many youths 

without jobs. When that is done, 

that gap will be filled. And in 

terms of the economic aspect, at 

the moment the Federal 

Government takes the lion share 

of the revenue. We 

recommended that more should 

go to the state and a fraction 

should go to the local 

government so that at the same 

time, so many things can happen. 

Take for instance; the federal 

routes in the state are dilapidated. 

Some state governors use their 

own resources to maintain them 

and then claim from the 

government. As other people 

have said, defence, external 

affairs, internal affairs and a few 

other exclusive roles should be 

•Lekwot: What people expect is a solution to the problem 

handled by the federal 

government, then the state 

should be given the mandate to 

rank their affairs, within the 

constitution of course. So many 

things can be taking place 

simultaneously, each state 

according to the peculiarities of 

its environment. 

Many people have suggested 

to the President to sack service 

chiefs and appoint new ones. Do 

you think it can help in any way? 

As a professional, what I know 

is that service chiefs are 

appointed to serve for three 

years. When they complete their 

term, they can retire but in a war 

situation, it can extend up to a 

point. When Mr. President has 

not done it, only he can answer 

that question. 

The biggest disadvantage in 

the elongation of the service 

chiefs tenure is the frustration it 

places on those in the junior 

ranks who hope to move up 

before their retirement comes. So, 

unless an office is vacated, the 

aspiring junior staff cannot move 

forward. Some will have to retire 

prematurely and that can affect 

morale. 

There is even an allegation that 

many soldiers are resigning. 

Well, I also read about that. I 

have never heard of such in my 

professional life. Soldiers 

resigning in protest against 

what? This is the time we need 

them to defend the country, to 

restore peace and stability. So, if 

instead of serving, they are 

resigning, this is a sign that all 

is not well. So, the powers that 

be should investigate and rectify. 

Many people think that the 

President is being manipulated 

by certain forces and that is why 

he is not doing enough because 

they are giving him false reports 

about what is happening in the 

country. 

Mr. President also has the 

power to consult experts outside 

the government. For example, we 

have senior generals in 

retirement, many of whom are his 

colleagues and are ever ready to 

offer advice. So, why is that not 

being done? As to the issue of 

him being manipulated, I cannot 

tell because I have no access to 

the corridor of power. 

Generally, how would you 

sum up the Nigerian situation 

under the watch of this current 

government? How would you 

assess this government? 

The government came into 

office, promising to address 

security, to improve the economy 

and create jobs for the 

unemployed. Everybody is an 

eyewitness to what is happening. 

Sometimes, when issues arise, 

government offers explanation, 

like addressing the issue or 

having a solution. So there is a 

difference between what the 

government says and what is 

happening. So that too, requires 

investigation. 

We are in democracy now, do 

you think that the National 

Assembly, which is the 

representative of the people all 

As I have said, 

the villagers that 

have been 

displaced from 

their villages are 

languishing in 

the IDPs. He has 

not done enough 

to assuage their 

anguish 

over, in doing what it ought to 

be doing? 

In some areas, the answer is 

yes. In some other areas, the 

answer is no. In some areas, I 

can see them working in their 

oversight functions. In one area 

in particular, there is bitter 

bickering among them. They are 

there to serve. They are supposed 

to be distinguished people or 

honourables. So whatever the 

heat of the issue is, say your own 

and I say my own is the thing. 

We have seen some of them 

changing parties. 

Part of the major problem is lack 

of strong political institutions. In 

Europe, in America, how many 

times do you see politicians crosscarpeting? 

Committed party men 

are sworn true members of their 

party and they will do anything 

to make the party succeed. Even 

when things come to a head and 

they have to sacrifice for the 

party, they do. What is happening 

is a graphic demonstration of 

what the political culture of our 

people is. They shout democracy 

on the pages of the newspapers 

but what they do is anything but 

democracy and of course, the fault 

lies with the electorate. 

Only an enlightened electorate 

can put their political class in their 

rightful places. As long as the 

electorate continue to sleep, we 

don’t know what we are doing. 

That is why they are doing 

what they are doing. I must also 

add that some of them are not 

guilty of what we are saying. 

Some of them are responsible 

members, but in the Nigerian 

system, the few who are right are 

swallowed by the majority who 

are not so right and they keep 

quiet because of the principle of 

“if you cannot beat them, join 

them” and in the end, it is the 

electorate that suffer. But I hope 

that it is a passing and learning 

phase. Things have to improve 

for the country to move forward. 

What is the governor of 

Kaduna State doing about what 

is going on? Is he doing 

enough? 

As I have said, the villagers that 

have been displaced from their 

villages are languishing in the 

IDPs. He has not done enough 

to assuage their anguish. Two, 

has he visited any of them? I am 

yet to see it. And then, we hear 

slogans describing what is going 

on. What people expect is a 

solution to the problem. Where 

he cannot cope, he will appeal 

to the Southern Kaduna elders, 

appealing to the President to 

intervene effectively. 

Last night, I saw on the 

television the army spokesman 

announcing that Special Forces 

have been sent to the place. So, 

we want the bandits expelled not 

only from Southern Kaduna but 

also from other parts of the 

country so that we can continue 

to live in peace with our 

neighbours as before. 

In history, then, we used to 

hear of monolithic North. Does 

still exist? 

The North as it was during the 

late Sarduana’s time is no more. 

We now have states that have 

been grouped into zones. To the 

North, we have three zones. So, 

people who talk of monolithic 

North are talking politics. They 

are describing a political 

constituency in which they can 

stand for election and win. But 

we now have states. 

From the way you described 

it, it seems like states help in 

dividing places and people. 

No, the creation of states in 

1967 has become a blessing to 

the country. Why? States have 

helped become vehicles for rapid 

development. We had provinces 

before. Most of the state capitals 

today, except for the regional 

capitals and the federal capital 

of Lagos, were provincial 

capitals. Take Jos, take Minna, 

take Abakaliki or take Benin. 

Those were provincial capitals. 

Now, some of the state capitals 

are blooming cities because of the 

blessing of state creation. Look, 

when Nigeria had regions, the 

whole North was ran from 


From Kaduna to Maidughuri 

is very far. From Kaduna to 

Sokoto is very far. From Kaduna 

to Ilorin or Otukpo is very far. At 

that time, the roads were dusty. 

So, creation of states has created 

competition among the groups. 

Awka is now a bigger metropolis 

because it is now hosting a state 

capital. 

I know Owerri very well 

because I was DOC in Enugu. 

Before Imo State was created, 

Owerri was not as large as it is 

now. So, state creation in a 

complex federation like Nigeria 

is what we need and I want to 

tell you from my experience. One 

of the largest federations in the 

world is India. It has states and 

the federating units. Every state 

has its own police force and their 

system is working. There are 

about 1.3 billion people. You can’t 

go there and see any tension at 

all. Every state is running its 

system and of course, there is 

something they contribute to the 

central government. 

So, we are a huge country with 

huge problems and different 

diversities. Putting everybody in 

one basket would have been a 

problem. So, creation of states 

makes a lot of sense. By the way, 

the system we are running is not 

the problem. It is the mentality 

of the people who run it. We have 

to be disciplined. 

We have to show more 

patriotism but what we see in the 

political terrain is the pursuit of 

personal agenda. What happens 

to the country doesn’t bother 

many of them. The dishonest 

ones use either tribalism or 

religion to win election. Once 

they get there, they forget 

everybody. So, we have to put 

God first, Nigeria second, then 

our individual interests next. 

There must be a credible platform 

on which everybody can pursue 

happiness with the blessing of 

God.














LAUNCHING: From left—Kehinde Olesin, CEO, March Media; Biola Laseinde, Lead Consultant, Ednisal 

Consulting Ltd; Wale Laseinde, Director, and Elvis Ukpaka, CEO, Vision Drivers Management Consultants Ltd, 

during the launch of CIO awards in Lagos. 

Mother of Enugu rape victim cries out 

for justice • Alleges shoddy investigation by police 

By Ikechukwu Odu 

NSUKKA—THE mother 

of the 21-year-old girl, 

Charity Ngozi Eze, who was 

allegedly raped and murdered 

at Imufu, Igbo-Eze 

North Local Government 

Area of Enugu State, March 

last year has cried out for a 

more thorough investigation 

into the circumstances which 

led to her daughter's untimely 

death. 

The late Ngozi who was living 

with her parents at Abuja 

but relocated to her village in 

Imufu to enable her attend 

extra-mural classes for last 

year's Unified Tertiary Matriculation 

Examinations, 

UTME was allegedly raped 

and murdered by suspected 

assailants. 

It was gathered that Ngozi's 

father, Jonathan, took her to 

the Township Primary School 

1, Ogrute in the morning of 

March 26, 2019, on his motorcycle 

for the extra-mural 

studies as he usually did on 

a daily basis but on that day, 

she did not come back alive. 

Her half naked body was 

found in the morning of 

March 27, 2019 by early risers 

in a bush behind the Community 

Secondary School, 

Imufu where she was allegedly 

raped and murdered 

by miscreants. 

The mother, identified as 

Juliet Eze, while narrating 

her ugly experiences shortly 

after the interment of her 

daughter on Thursday, said 

she was pained when she 

saw some of the suspects 

walking scot-free and still 

challenging the family even 

before her daughter was buried. 

Mrs Eze who was a petty 

trader at Abuja before her 

daughter's untimely death 

said that it has been difficult 

providing for the family because 

she now resides in the 

village with her family with 

no means of livelihood, adding 

that she hardly slept since 

her daughter's untimely 

death. 

She said " Three suspects 

were arrested in connection 

with my daughter's rape and 

eventual murder. However, 

when they were released by 

the police, neither me, my 

husband nor the community 

stateholders were aware. 

"I heard about their release 

from police custody as a rumour 

until I met one of the 

suspects the day I was going 

to the market to buy food stuff 

for the family. That day, my 

heart was broken. They were 

even threatening that we cannot 

do anything to them. Police 

did a shoddy investigation, 

maybe because we 

could not afford to pay them 

owing to our poor financial 

standing. 

"I want the suspects to be 

re-arrested and killed just as 

they killed my daughter. I 

want the government to follow 

up this case and secure 

justice for my dead child. 

"I was selling 'okpa' at Abuja 

before this incident happened 

last year. Since then, I 

have been in the village. 

Feeding is even a problem 

for my family now because 

my husband is equally poor. 

We have been working hard 

to feed our children and give 

them the best possible education 

we can afford and I had 

hoped on Ngozi because she 

worked hard and had told me 

she wanted to study nursing 

at the university. I have not 

been sleeping since my 

daughter's life was snuffed 

out in her prime. Sometimes, 

I will wake up by 1 am, sit up 

and cry in the middle of the 

night." 

Comrade Emeka Mamah, 

who also spoke on behalf of 

the family said police had 

named a suspect who the victim 

turned down his marriage 

proposals. 

"We cooperated with the 

police in providing information 

and other assistance but 

as we are talking, no police 

man visited the scene of that 

incident. It is a year and five 

months now and justice has 

not been served. Police were 

only interested in money. 

"Why she has not been buried 

since then was because 

they demanded money for 

Corona Inquest Form which 

is normally issued free of 

charge. 

"We used our neighbourhood 

watch personnel to arrest 

some of the suspects at 

Onitsha, Anambra State. We 

still paid the police and hired 

a bus for them to go and bring 

them. They didn't do any serious 

work. 

"It was the new state Commissioner 

of Police who gave 

order before we got the inquest 

form. We still contributed 

about N300,000 to pay 

for autopsy because left for the 

police, we would not have 

buried the girl today. At a 

point, we wrote a petition to 

the force headquarters which 

they didn't reply. 

"We should pray not to find 

ourselves into trouble because 

nobody will investigate 

anything. We are very angry 

because the suspects have 

not been punished. The local 

government chairman and 

even the state goveror did not 

even bother to visit the family. 

If it were in Lagos, when 

someone is killed unjustly 

like this, the state will take 

over," Mamah said. 

Nsukka Catholic Bishop calls 

for varsities re-opening 

N35bn pension arrears, gratuities: Obi replies Ngige 

AWKA—FORMER Gov 

ernor of Anambra State, 

Mr. Peter Obi, has said that 

the details of how he cleared 

off over N35 billion in arrears 

of pension and gratuity had 

never and could not be in 

dispute as all the actions he 

took as governor were all 

properly documented and 

would be made available to 

anybody who desired to see 

it. 

Obi, through a statement 

made available to Journalists 

and signed by his Special 

Adviser, Mr. Valentine 

Obienyem, was reacting to 

the claim by Sen. Chris 

Ngige that Obi did not pay 

the N35 billion in arrears of 

pension as he said. 

The statement said that Obi 

was not interested in what 

anybody else paid or claimed 

to have paid as pensions and 

gratuity except his own payments 

and would therefore 

not join issues with anybody 

in that regard. The statement 

further said that Anambrarians 

were aware that the details 

of Obi’s pension and gratuity 

payments had always 

been volunteered by the Commissioners 

of Local Government 

during his tenure, Mr. 

Dubem Obaze and Mrs 

Azuka Enemo, but that in 

any case, the records would 

be made available to any 

person who desired them. 

Insisting that the issues at 

hand were easy to decipher, 

the statement said: “There 

is no point trying to make 

up issues where there are 

none. Most pensioners are 

still alive and very alert 

mentally; anybody desirous 

of knowing the truth as it 

pertains to the payment of 

their pension and gratuity 

should go to Anambra State 

and ask them.” 

On the allusion to faulty 

recourse to statistics by Obi, 

the statement averred: “In 

Nigeria today, Obi is a 

known expert in economics 

and he is empirical in discussing 

economic issues 

which makes him to quote 

a lot of statistics by heart to 

almost every purpose. In 

doing this, he makes sure 

he quotes the right statistics 

and in the event 

where mischief makers 

had tried to dispute his 

figures, he rested the case 

by volunteering the 

source of his statistics. We 

therefore wonder what 

any person wants to gain 

by resurrecting a dead 

case.” 

Though the statement 

acknowledged seeing 

Ngige’s claims clearing 

over N60 billion in arrears 

of pension and gratuity, 

which almost doubled 

what Obi paid, it said it 

was not its brief to start 

interrogating him, as, according 

to him, anybody 

is free to claim anything, 

but that in Obi’s own case 

there were documentary 

evidence to show. 

On the claim by Dr. 

Chris Ngige that he returned 

schools to the 

Church, the statement 

said that the Church that 

received the schools back 

have continued to quote 

Mr. Peter Obi as the person 

that they received their 

schools from. The statement 

queried: “From Sen. 

Chris Ngige’s claims, does 

it mean that the owners of 

the returned schools are so 

confused and irrational as 

not to know who returned 

their property to them?" 

On the continued claim 

by Sen. Chris Ngige that 

he left N13.87 billion in the 

treasury, including over 

N2.4 billion in UBE’s 

funds, the statement maintained 

that proving such 

assertion was very simple, 

as when Obi’s over N75 

billion savings were denied, 

he had to clear the air 

by publishing the names of 

the accounts, account numbers 

and banks where the 

monies were saved, which 

were collaborated by the 

mentioned banks. 

By Ikechukwu Odu 

NSUKKA—THE Catho 

lic bishop of Nsukka Diocese, 

Most Rev. Prof. Godffrey 

Igwebuike Onah, has 

joined the National Association 

of Nigerian Students, 

NANS to call for the re-opening 

of tertiary institutions in 

Nigeria. 

The students' body had recently 

urged the federal government 

to re-open tertiary 

institutions in the country to 

save students from frustration 

already eating into their 

psyche, while also calling for 

strict adherence to all safety 

protocols geared towards 

checking the spread of coronavirus 

at all the learning institutions 

in Nigeria. 

In his submission, the bishop 

while speaking to Vanguard 

at Nsukka yesterday, 

said that it would be unjust to 

re-open the economy while 

keeping the the educational 

institutions responsible for 

character formation of the 

youths shut. 

This development, according 

to him, was wrong as nations 

cannot run on economies 

alone. "We need values 

and these values are naturally 

transmitted by religion 

and proper education," he 

pointed out. 

The cleric called on those in 

government to urgently do 

whatever they can to gradually 

return the children to the 

environment of formation 

and education. 

He argued that there was a 

sense of injustice and sin sustaining 

the continued closure 

of schools in Nigeria because 

many of those in high places 

in government in Nigeria 

have their children in private 

universities and tertiary institutions 

outside the country 

where lectures are going on 

online while the children of 

the poor are loitering at home 

with most of them unable to 

resist the temptation to 

crime. 

The Bishop who is also 

Pro-chancellor of Enugu 

State University of Science 

and Technology, ESUT, 

frowned at the threat of university 

teachers to continue on 

their strike action when 

schools reopen, pointing out 

that their situation can no longer 

be defended. 

According to him, "whereas 

we support whatever effort 

teachers may make to use legitimate 

means of getting 

what is their right, they should 

bear in mind that it is immoral 

or sinful for them to continue 

to be paid for work they 

are not doing." 

He argued that whatever 

may be the disagreement between 

university teachers and 

the government must not be 

settled at the expense of students 

and their parents. 

FG weighs court option, others 

against Ghana over clampdown 

on Nigerian traders 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government yesterday 

said it was weighing its options 

over the closure of 

shops belonging to Nigerian 

traders in Ghana. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

Geoffrey Onyeama, 

disclosed this when he met 

with officials of the League 

of Progressive Ambassadors 

of Nigeria, led by Jasper 

Emenike, its president. 

Emenike, who briefed the 

minister on the state of affairs 

as it affected Nigerian 

traders in Ghana, called for 

the intervention of the federal 

government. 

Nigerian traders had lamented 

the closure of their 

shops by Ghanaian authorities 

over their failure to register 

with the Ghana Investment 

Promotion Council, 

GIPC. 

According to Onyeama, 

the issue will be taken up 

with the Ghanaian authorities, 

and the federal government 

may also explore the 

final option of the Economic 

Community of West African 

States, ECOWAS, court. 

He said "What is the point 

of having an economic community 

if at the end of the 

day, each country will make 

laws and regulations that 

are in contradiction with the 

protocol? That is an issue 

that needs to be addressed. 

"We have the intention of 

calling our Charge D'Affairs 

in Ghana for consultation 

and again to get to the fact. 

We don't want to anticipate 

what our actions would be, 

but we will consider all the 

options depending on the 

facts. 

"Clearly, if it is contravening 

ECOWAS protocol, then 

we would have to look at 

solution including the ECO- 

WAS Court as the final arbiter. 

We will also consider 

the issue of reciprocity in 

terms of the concrete measures 

that will be applied. 

We are following the matter 

very closely and we want 

the matter to be addressed 

within the shortest possible 

time."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020—33 



REMEMBRANCE: From left, High Chief Tunde Smooth, Bolowei of Obotebe Kingdom; 

High Chief Emonena Egukawhore and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro, 

during the first year remembrance of High Chief Egukawhore's mother, late Mrs. Magdalene 

Egukawhore, at the family compound, Ekise Quarters, Patani, weekend. 

Split tribunal annuls Bayelsa gov poll 

•Tribunal chair disagrees, affirms Diri’s election 

•I’ve instructed my lawyers to appeal ruling — Diri 

•As Dickson urges calm 

•Gov asks Assembly to continue with commissioner-nominees' screening 

•Why we disqualified ANDP from guber poll —INEC 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha, 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

BAYELSA 

State 

Governorship Election 

Petition Tribunal, yesterday, 

in a split decision voided the 

outcome of the election held 

in the state on November 16, 

2019, that produced Duoye 

Diri of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, as governor over 

the exclusion of one of the 

registered political parties, 

Advanced Nigeria Democratic 

Party, ANDP, from the contest. 

Two members of the panel, 

Justices Owei Woniwei 

and Yunusa Musa, had in 

their decisions, annulled the 

election. 

But chairman of the tribunal, 

Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, 

disagreed with the majority 

judgment, which nullified the 

election of Governor Diri. 

ANDP had in a petition 

contended that it was 

unlawfully excluded from 

participating in the election by 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

despite the fact that it fulfilled 

all the statutory requirements. 

Justices Woniwei and 

Musa, in their majority 

judgment, agreed that INEC 

illegally excluded ANDP and 

its governorship candidate, 

King George, from the 

election. 

However, disagreeing, the 

tribunal chairman, Justice 

Sirajo, said there was 

evidence that ANDP was 

disqualified from the election 

for fielding an ineligible 

candidate. 

He noted that the party 

nominated an under-aged 

deputy governorship 

candidate, who admitted that 

he was 34 years old, instead 

of the 35 years age bracket the 

constitution stipulated. 

Justice Sirajo said there was 

evidence that the party failed 

to substitute the candidate till 

the statutory window for such 

substitution elapsed. 

According to Sirajo, what 

the petitioners brought before 

the tribunal was a pre-election 

case since INEC’s decision 

that disqualified its candidates 

occurred before the actual 

election held on November 16, 

2019. 

Consequently, Justice Sirajo 

dismissed the petition as 

lacking in merit, even as he 

upheld the election of 

Governor Diri of PDP. 

I’ve instructed my 

lawyers to appeal 

ruling — Diri 

Governor Diri has, 

meanwhile, said he will 

appeal the ruling of the state 

election petition tribunal sitting 

in Abuja and has 

consequently instructed his 

lawyers to file the necessary 

papers. 

Diri shortly after the tribunal 

judgment in a statement by 

his acting Chief Press 

Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, 

said he had implicit 

confidence in the judiciary 

that he would triumph at the 

end of the day. 

He said: “We trust in the 

judiciary and we are 

appealing the judgment. With 

God on our side, we will get 

justice. This is a court of first 

instance and I have instructed 

our lawyers to file an appeal. 

We have a right of appeal 

even up to the Supreme 

Court. 

Dickson urges calm 

Also, immediate past 

governor of Bayelsa State, Mr 

Seriake Dickson, has urged 

Bayelsans not to be perturbed 

by the judgment of the 

tribunal. 

Dickson said in a statement 

by his Media Adviser, Mr 

Fidelis Soriwei, yesterday, 

that PDP and the government 

would appeal the judgment. 

He said: “I urge Bayelsans 

to remain calm. They 

shouldn’t misinterpret what 

took place at the tribunal today 

(yesterday). The judgment is 

a temporary setback, which 

does not have any effect on 

the status quo until all 

processes of appeal are 

exhausted. 

“There is no vacancy in the 

Bayelsa Government House. 

Diri remains governor until 

the Supreme Court decides." 

State Assembly 

members pay 

solidarity visit to 

Diri 

Meanwhile, members of 

Bayelsa State House of 

Assembly, yesterday, paid a 

solidarity visit to Governor Diri 

following the ruling of the 

state’s election petition 

tribunal sitting in Abuja. 

Acting Chief Press Secretary, 

Mr Daniel Alabrah, said in a 

statement said the delegation 

was led by the Speaker, 

Abraham Ingobere, and 

accompanied by the House of 

Representatives member 

representing the Ogbia 

federal constituency, Fred 

Obua. 

Ingobere said the House 

suspended its plenary when 

they received the news of the 

judgment. 

He said: “Your excellency, 

the House is solidly behind 

you and we believe strongly 

that it is the Supreme Court 

that will give the final 

judgment on what happened 

today." 

Receiving the delegation, 

the governor said the tribunal 

judgment, which had a 

dissenting ruling by its 

chairman, Justice Sirajo, was 

not enough to slow the wheel 

of governance, and thanked 

the legislators for their show 

of solidarity. 

He said: “It actually 

encouraged me. It gave me 

the strength and hope that we 

have a brighter tomorrow, and 

that we have an Assembly that 

cares. Let me use this 

opportunity to call on 

Bayelsans to be calm as 

nobody has removed the 

governor. 

“This is the court of first 

instance and we respect the 

judiciary. The judiciary is there 

for the common man and we 

believe that justice would be 

done. 

“I hear you are having 

some august visitors on 

Tuesday. Go ahead and 

perform your legislative 

duties by screening them, and 

I will swear them in as 

commissioners. The state is 

already in motion and we are 

not going back.” 

Why we disqualified 

ANDP from guber 

poll —INEC 

Meantime, INEC has 

explained why it omitted the 

candidate of ANDP from the 

last governorship election in 

Bayelsa State, saying the 

party failed to meet the 

requirements for its 

participation in the exercise. 

INEC’s National 

Commissioner and 

Chairman, Information and 

Voter Education Committee, 

Mr Festus Okoye said: “As of 

the time of the submission of 

the name of the said candidate, 

he was 34 years-old, contrary 

to Section 177(b) of the 

constitution that makes it 

mandatory for a candidate for 

such office to have attained the 

age of 35 years to be eligible 

to contest the election. 

“On September 13, 2019, the 

commission wrote to the party 

drawing their attention to the 

constitutional age requirement 

of 35 years for governorship/ 

deputy governorship 

candidates as stipulated in 

Section 177(b) of the 

constitution. 

“The commission also 

informed them of the 

invalidity of their 

nomination for the 

November 16, 2019 

governorship election in 

Bayelsa State. 

“On September 27, 2019, 

the commission informed 

the party that the deadline 

for the submission of 

nominations as provided for 

in the timetable and 

schedule of activities 

released by the commission 

on May 16, 2019 was 

September 9, 2019. 

“The commission also 

informed the party that 

since they did not submit 

valid nomination, they 

couldn’t validly substitute 

any candidate. 

Consequently, the name 

and logo of the party did 

not appear and was not 

reflected in the ballot 

paper.” 

Urhobo nation demands 

Ughelli, Ethiope, Ame states 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

WARRI— URHOBO 

ethnic nationality has 

called for creation of three 

new states from its eight local 

government areas in the 

present Delta State, listing the 

states as Ughelli, Ethiope and 

Ame. 

President and Convener, 

Evren Urhobo Political 

Congress, and former 

member of the defunct 

Bendel State House of 

Assembly, Chief Michael 

Oghenekaro, made the call 

in Warrri, Delta State, saying 

it would only be fair to carve 

out the three states from 

Urhobo as the fifth largest 

ethnic group in terms of 

population. 

He said: “States have been 

created for the Hausa, 

Yoruba, Igbo and Ijaw that 

make up the fouth largest 

tribe. The Hausa have 20 

states, 19 plus the FCT; 

Yoruba have six states, Igbo 

have five states, Ijaw have 

two states, including Rivers 

and Bayelsa. 

"Edo speaking tribe with 

minor dialectical differentials 

and less in population than 

Urhobo has a state. 

“The case of Delta State is 

sharply different and pathetic 

with Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri and 

Isoko lumped together with 

the 5th largest ethnic tribe 

(Urhobo) with an Urhobo 

governor always suffering 

serious disloyalty and 

insurgency from the other 

tribes. Thus the Urhobo 

ethnic nationality is the only 

one denied the rights and 

privileges accruable to a 

state.” 

The nonagenarian, who 

prayed to see the creation of 

state from Urhobo nation, 

recalled that Urhobo had 

remained committed to the 

corporate existence of 

Nigeria, adding that it was 

the oil-rich resources from her 

soil that was available for the 

Federal Government to 

prosecute the civil war. 

Cameroonian gov’s visit 

to Ayade, threat to safety 

of refugees—Group 

By Ike 

Uchechukwu 

CALABAR 

—The 

Nigeria/Ambazonian 

Restoration Movement, 

NARM, has called on 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari to call off the planned 

visit of the Governor of 

Southwest Cameroon to 

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross 

River State, stressing that 

such a visit was a threat to 

the safety of the refugees. 

Briefing journalists, 

yesterday, in Calabar, 

Executive Director of the 

group, Mr Cletus Obun, 

who was reacting to the visit 

of the Cameroonian Consul 

General to Ayade on August 

9, 2020, to intimate him of the 

desire of the governor of 

Southwest Cameroon to visit 

Cross River State, disclosed 

that the visit was wrong as it 

bothers on Nigeria’s 

sovereignty and a huge risk 

to the lives of Cameroonian 

refugees and a form of 

espionage. 

Delta commited to peaceful 

investment environment 

—Okowa 

By Festus Ahon 

ANOR SABA—GOVER 

Ifeanyi Okowa of 

Delta State has reiterated 

the commitment of the state 

government to the provision 

of an enabling environment 

for investments to 

thrive in the state. 

Speaking in Asaba while 

commissioning Westgate 

ICT Centre, Okowa urged 

potential investors to take 

advantage of the prevailing 

peace and human and natural 

resources in the state 

to invest in the state. 

Obun said: “If as Consular 

General, Patrice Onono told 

Ayade that his visit was 

instructed by President Paul 

Biya of Cameroon to see the 

Cameroonian refugees in 

Cross River, it is unheard of 

that the president of a nation 

can by-pass his counterpart 

and engage in an 

unauthorised interaction with 

an official of that nation 

without the consent of its 

leader, in our case President 

Buhari. 

“We perceive that there are 

ulterior motives behind this 

visit, that is why President 

Biya could not intimate 

President Buhari, instead he 

chose to inform Ayade who 

controls neither diplomatic 

nor security apparatus of 

Nigeria. 

“Also, the issue of the 

Cameroonian refugees 

sheltering in Cross River is 

beyond the purview of the 

governors, unless they are 

acting expressly on the 

authorisation of the respective 

presidents of Nigeria and 

Cameroon.” 

Represented by the Commissioner 

for Science and 

Technology, Mr Matthew 

Tsekiri, the governor described 

the Westgate ICT 

centre with a 600 capacity 

Computer Based Test 

(CBT) centre, retail shop, 

training centre among others 

as inspirational. 

Noting that the state government 

was proud to be 

associated with the 

achievement of Westgate, 

he said the presence of the 

hub in Asaba would save 

government the cost of going 

to Lagos and other 

parts of the world for standard 

ICT products.

34 —Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, , 2020 

VOL. 1: NO. 248 TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 

CROSS RIVER… 

THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE 

By Emmanuel Unah 

IKOT ENEOBONG – 

NATIVES of Ikot 

Eneobong, a 

neighborhood community 

that shares contiguous 

boundary with the Cross 

River Basin Development 

Authority, CRBDA, are 

locked in a bitter war over an 

artificial erosion created by 

the agency to channel water 

out of the area. 

Inhabitants send 

SOS to Ministry of 

Environment 

Former Attorney-General 

and Commissioner for Justice 

in the state, Mr. Leo Aggrey 

and 10 other landlords in the 

community, in a letter to the 

Cross River State Ministry of 

Environment, complained 

that the Managing Director 

of CRBDA, Engr. Bassey 

Nkposong, deliberately 

channelled water to their 

community to flood their 

houses and destroy their 

BAYELSA… 

THE JERUSALEM OF IJAW 

NATION 

By Samuel Oyadongha 

Y 

E N A G O A - 

V A R I O U S 

internal roads in 

Yenagoa, capital of 

Bayelsa State and environs 

without drainage system have 

dilapidated due to years of 

neglect, cutting off inhabitants 

from their homes. 

NDV findings revealed that 

some of the roads had no 

drainage system, so water flows 

into the homes of people when 

it rains, destroying household 

properties. 

Meanwhile, vehicle 

owners in the affected areas 

have resorted to parking their 

automobiles outside their 

homes. 

The marshy nature of the 

land coupled with the poor 

drainage system in the capital 

city, a lot of which lead to 

nowhere, have impacted 

negatively on the roads. 

Worst affected roads in the 

state capital include Captain 

Ayeni Street, Samptex Road, 

Old PDP Secretariat Road, 

Old Azikoro Road, Blue Wave 

Hotel Road, the road 

connecting Market Square 

from the Dimroad end, among 

others. 

The condition of these 

roads has been a source of 

grave concern to residents, 

C’River Basin Authority, community 

on war path over intrusion 

•Ex-Attorney General, residents send SOS to govt 

•CRBDA’ll remove houses built on its land — Nkposong, MD 

*Bassey Nkposong, MD, Cross River Basin Development 

Authority. 

properties. 

“We are sending this Save 

Our Soul to your office for 

urgent attention and 

intervention to stop further 

devastation of our properties 

and save our souls from mancreated 

environmental 

problem leading to gully 

erosion and flooding,” they 

said. 

The residents of the 

community stated that CRBDA 

created the erosion “by 

excavating a 12-feet deep 

pathway between the area, 

which is the boundary 

between us and them in order 

to cut us off. As soon as the 

excavation was done in April 

2020, the erosion havoc 

started, a condition we have 

never experienced in our 

community in our 17 years of 

inhabiting the area.” 

According to them, the 

managing director of the 

agency on December 27, 

2019, “swore in a meeting 

with us that he was going to 

demolish over 70 houses in 

the community, claiming that 

they were built on Basin 

land.” 

They said the Cross River 

State House of Assembly and 

the Ministry of Lands stopped 

the demolition, and in anger, 

CRBDA decided to carry out 

the excavation, which has 

caused havoc. 

CRBDA'll demolish 

more houses on its 

land— Nkposong, 

CRBDA MD 

Responding, CRBDA MD, 

Mr. Nkposong, said he created 

the artificial erosion because 

the channel exited, but those 

encroaching on the 

Authority’s land covered it up 

and built houses and he 

decided to open it again to 

stop them from going into 

their houses to encroach on 

more land that belongs to the 

Authority. 

“There is a community 

behind us that has a water 

channel that passes by their 

front. Now, there is a contract 

which the Basin Authority did 

and its design terminated in 

a hook. That community has 

now grown beyond what it 

was at the time of the 

construction of that channel 

and the people who sold them 

the land did that without 

taking cognizance of the flow 

of the drain 

“In any community, before 

you build your house, you 

look to where the road takes, 

the final level of that road and 

the water level, before you 

build your foundation, but in 

our communities, people just 

buy land and lay foundation 

without taking into 

consideration the road 

direction and water level,” he 

said. 

Nkposong stated that the 

agency had the right to do 

whatever it wants with its land 

and that he has reported the 

encroachment to the Federal 

Government. He also asserted 

that action would be taken at 

the appropriate time to 

demolish the houses built on 

the River Basin Authority 

space. 

Bayelsa residents scream over bad roads 

*Flood streams into people’s homes when there’s downpour 

particularly with the return of 

heavy rains across the state. 

It is also affecting businesses 

in the affected area as 

prospective customers are 

forced to go shopping 

elsewhere with good and 

motorable roads. 

Vehicles damaged 

– Ebiotu, citizen 

A citizen, Ebiotu Jones, 

lamented: “It is sad to note 

that many of the roads have 

deteriorated over the years 

and this has been affecting 

the people living in the area, 

especially the commercial 

tricycle (Keke) operators. 

“Also vehicle owners are 

affected by the bad state of the 

roads. Many have had their 

vehicles damaged by the 

several gullies and craters on 

the roads.” 

Roads riddled with 

gullies 

— Ebi, resident 

Another resident, Dakore 

Ebi, said: “Look at the PDP 

Road, it has cut off since the 

rainy season started. When 

you move towards the express 

road, cars and even trucks 

cannot pass through again 

without getting stuck in the 

flooded portion. Many of the 

business outlets 

here can no longer 

break even 

b e c a u s e 

customers are now 

avoiding the road. 

“This is the 

dilemma facing 

other residents in 

the state capital 

where many of the 

roads are riddled 

with several failed 

portions rendering 

t h e m 

impassable,” he 

added. 

Road cut–off 

– Tricycle 

operator 

A commercial tricycle (Keke 

Napep), operator, who plies 

the Market Square road at the 

Opolo suburb of Yenagoa, 

sighted by NDV, draining 

water from his tricycle after 

wading through the troubled 

road filled with smelling 

trapped water and deep 

craters said: “This has been 

our painful lot, especially at 

this time of the year. This road 

has been cut off and it is 

affecting our business. I can 

hardly break even because of 

the terrible state of the road. 

We are begging the authorities 

to come to our aid.” 

One of the broken down roads in Yenagoa. 

PDP Road 

abandoned 

— Clarkson, inhabitant 

Amaebi Clarkson, who also 

resides in the area, asserted: 

“The PDP Road has completely 

been abandoned by both the 

government and motorists. 

Nobody plies the road 

anymore and it is a perennial 

problem. The only cure is a 

good drainage system on the 

shoulders of the road so as to 

stop the collection of water.” 

We’ve lost hope 

— Okiki, resident 

Also speaking, Okiki, a 

resident of Captain Ayeni 

Street, said: “This is one of the 

worst roads in the same 

capital. Whenever it rains, you 

cannot drive because of flood. 

"We have lost hope as the water 

has no collecting point since 

the express road does not have 

drainage to take the water out. 

Instead, the water flows into 

our homes leading to colossal 

damage to household 

properties. We are calling on 

the government to provide 

drainage on the express road.”

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, , 2020—35 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

OKE-OROMA – LIFE is 

bit by bit coming back to 

Oke-Oroma community, Ikpoba- 

Okha Local Government Area, 

Edo State, after several months 

of abandonment by the 

inhabitants, following armed 

invasion by attackers allegedly 

from Amagba community in 

contiguous Oredo Local 

Government Area. 

As at February when NDV 

visited, the community was 

completely deserted with shells 

of burnt vehicles littering several 

parts of the village and virtually 

all the residential buildings 

either destroyed or torched. 

There was no trace of women, 

children and even animals at the 

time. 

Approaching the Oguedion 

(place of elders), which was also 

razed, there was stench of 

decaying human flesh, but few 

youths gathered near the burnt 

house of their Odionwere (oldest 

man in the village). They said 

they could not go into the forests 

to search for dead bodies, 

including that of 84-year-old 

Monday Okhuelegbe because of 

their safety. 

Military check point 

A return visit last weekend, 

showed that normalcy was 

returning with a military 

checkpoint mounted in the 

community reportedly on the 

request of the Oba of Benin. 

The people appealed to the 

state government and other 

concerned authorities to rescue 

them from incessant attacks. 

They accused some leaders of 

Amagba of causing their travail, 

an allegation that the community 

refuted. 

Late Oba Erediauwa 

settled row in our favour 

— Pa Emokpae, Oke-Oroma 

eldest man 

Acting Odionwere (eldest man) 

of the community, Pa Richard 

Emokpae, told NDV that though 

land dispute between Amagba 

and Oke-Oroma started in 2012, 

the then Oba Erediauwa settled 

the dispute, declaring that 

Amagba land does not extend to 

the community and warned them 

not to trespass, yet they have 

continued to attack them, 

stressing that an attack also 

occurred in 2017 before the one 

of February. 

He said Oba Erediauwa 

declared that Oke-Oroma was an 

autonomous community and 

Amagba and other neighbouring 

communities land do not extend 

beyond Oroma River (the natural 

boundary). 

THE TEAM 

Emma Amaize - Editor 

Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa 

Jimitota Onoyume- Warri 

Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City 

Festus Ahon- Asaba 

Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt 

Emmanuel Una- Calabar 

Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri 

Paul Olayemi- Sapele 

Harri-Okon Emmanuel- Uyo 

Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo 

Ike Uchechukwu- Calabar 

Davies Iheamnachor- Port Harcourt 

Emem Idio- Yenagoa 

Brisibe Perez- Ughelli 

Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor 

Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh 

Chancel Bomadi Sunday - Bomadi 

Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu- Benin City 

Nath Onajoke, Asaba 

Chijioke Nwankpa, Port Harcourt 

Barnabas Uzosike, Benin City 

*Inhabitants of the community appealing for permanent peace from the palace. 

Residents gradually returning to 

Edo community razed by invaders 

•Oke-Oroma inhabitants recount ordeals; appeal for protection 

•Amagba leaders deny attacking Oke-Oroma 

“From time immemorial, Oke- 

Oroma community has never 

been under any community; our 

community is an autonomous 

community, and we have a 

natural boundary, which is 

Oroma River. Oroma River is the 

natural boundary between our 

community and Amagba. 

“But unfortunately Amagba 

came to invade us, and in the 

process, many structures were 

destroyed while vehicles were 

burnt. The Oba of Benin has once 

again declared that Amagba 

does not own any land across the 

river, but the invaders are not at 

rest, they do come to invade us 

everyday, and we have lost 

several people in the battle." 

UDUNG UKUNG- 

INDIGENES of Udung 

Ukung village, one of the 

12 gazetted villages of Eyoabasi 

community in Oron Local 

Govermment Area, Akwa Ibom 

State, have cried out over 

exclusion from their ancestral 

home since 2010, following an 

attack by their neighbouring 

communities from Idua clan. 

Some of the community leaders, 

who spoke to NDV last week, at 

their temporary camp after the 

2010 communal crisis that saw 

over 120 homes razed in the 

village and most of their people 

displaced, wondered why 

government was delaying the 

release of the White Paper of the 

Commission of Inquiry set up to 

look into the incident. 

My people dying in 

exile — HRH Eyo 

Clan head of Okpo in Oron, 

HRH Francis Okon Eyo, who 

doubles as village head of Udung 

Ukung, lamented that his village 

was only a victim of circumstance, 

as the age-long crisis was actually 

between Udung Usotai and Udung 

Ulor villages, all of Eyoabasi 

community and Afaha Eduok and 

Ukpata, all of Idua clan. 

“This place few of us settled 

temporarily was meant for 

building a market. The 

environment is not conducive for 

living. No health facility. My people 

They shot me on both 

legs, destroyed by 3 cars 

—Monday Imagbenikaro, 

victim 

Sharing his experience, 

one of the victims of the last 

attack whose sin is that he 

chose to buy land at Oke- 

Oroma instead of Amagba, 

Monday Imagbenikaro, said: 

“On that fateful day, my wife 

came back home to tell me 

that some policemen at the 

river side asked her and the 

driver to go back, and that 

there was crisis in the 

community and they want to 

settle it. 

“I then said if that should 

be the case, we should lock 

ourselves inside. As we just did 

that, the next thing, I started 

hearing gunshots. Before I knew 

what was happening, they came 

to my house and shot all my 

dogs; they fell my gate and left. 

“As they left, I thought it was 

over, but after some hours, they 

came again, entered my house, 

damaged things, including my 

three cars, and they were even 

arguing if they should set fire 

on my generator, but someone 

said it was not yet time for that, 

but they must destroy 

something, and they destroyed 

everything and left again. 

“The third time again, they 

came at about 6:00pm and 

started hitting my main door. 

They forced themselves in 

and brought me out. Without 

asking any question, they 

first shot me on my two legs 

and I was on the floor. 

“A guy brought out pump 

action and was about 

shooting me when I started 

pleading that my wife is 

pregnant and that they 

should allow me see my 

unborn baby. 

“They brought my wife out 

and saw her. But one said 

they should kill me, the man 

that brought my wife out, 

however, said: 'this man said 

his wife is pregnant and he 

wants to see his unborn baby, 

you still want to kill him? 

Please let him be.' 

They thereafter brought out 

my driver and I started 

pleading that he is my driver, 

that they should not kill him. 

And that was how they 

ordered him to take me to 

hospital, and that no one else 

will touch us." 

The Police confirmed to 

NDV at the time that some 

persons were arrested with 

arms in the community and 

were 

undergoing 

investigation. 

Amagba leaders deny 

violence, claim disputed 

land 

But the Amagba leaders 

accused by Oke-Oroma people 

denied the allegation, saying 

the area in dispute was a camp 

under Amagba and it was the 

children of one of Oke-Oroma 

leaders that came there to farm 

that were mobilising others to 

lay claim to the land. 

A former representative of 

Edo State on the board of the 

Niger-Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC, Hon. 

Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, 

debunked the allegation 

against him, saying he was not 

in any way connected to land 

issues at Amagba and Oke- 

Oroma villages and those 

fabricating lies against him 

were bent on damaging his 

reputation. 

Dislodged A’Ibom community residents want to return home 

*HRH Eyo, Udung Ukung villagers demand release of white paper 

By Chioma Onuegbu 

are dying here. As we speak, we 

have about six corpses to be buried. 

Our children trek long distances 

to go to school in other 

communities. We need help. 

“And I feel bad because I have 

made several appeals to the 

Federal Government, I wrote to 

Akwa Ibom State Government, I 

wrote to the Senate, House of 

Representatives, but upon all my 

appeals, nothing has happened, 

they do not want to help us. We are 

completely neglected. 

“But when it is time for election, 

they will come for us vote to them 

into power and they will promise 

us heaven on earth, after that, they 

will never come back to fulfill their 

promises. 

"I am appealing to the United 

Nations and other agencies to 

come and rescue us from this 

deplorable situation. About three 

thousand people are crowded in 

this environment, it is not 

conducive." 

Francis lamented that their 

immediate concern was the 

permanent closure of the road that 

leads to their farmlands and 

fishing settlement by the 

management of the Maritime 

Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, 

which their community is housing. 

The royal father appealed that 

government should open an 

alternative road for them 

stressing: “We want to go back to 

our ancestral home, but no access 

road. Is Udung Ukung not part of 

Nigeria? And our predominant 

occupation is fishing and farming 

but the men are idle because of no 

access road to our farms. 

"We are saying they should allow 

us go home." 

Also speaking, one of the 

leaders, Chief Eteyen Oboho, 

lamented that since the state 

government set up a Commission 

of Inquiry over the crisis in 2011, 

it has still not released the White 

Paper. 

“We are still waiting for 

government to release the White 

Paper so that we can go back to our 

ancestral home. Thousands of our 

people are displaced. It is just few 

of us that managed to gather here 

and erected these few structures as 

temporary accommodation. 

“Even after the crisis, we were 

still going to cultivate on our 

farmlands and going for fishing 

until the permanent closure of the 

only road that leads us to our 

farmlands, last year. Since then, we 

have been facing difficulty in our 

economic life. There is so much 

hunger and our young men and 

women are idle. 

“We are helpless and hopeless 

because we no longer have means 

of livelihood. Because of the 

traumatic situation we are facing, 

cases of divorce, child abuse, rape 

are on the rise here. This small 

settlement can give you clear 

picture of what we are passing 

through, some people are 10 or 

more living in just one room with 

no toilet facility, no health facility. 

Some lie down on bare floor. 

“From here to our ancestral 

home is about 500 meters, a short 

distance. Our people are 

hardworking, we will be able to 

rebuild our ancestral home within 

a short period of time if we are 

allowed to go back. We are 

suffering so much here. 

“There is relative peace here 

now and we are saying we want 

to go back home, but govermment 

is being insensitive to this issue. We 

have not cultivated on our farms 

ever since the road was closed 

about four years now,” he said. 

We weren’t involved 

in any crisis –Abang, 

community leader 

Contributing, Elder Emmanuel 

Abang, said what baffled them 

was that while they were 

dislodged, the communities that 

have been in age-long boundary 

dispute were not, noting that his 

community was not actually 

involved in the boundary crisis. 

“We were not involved in the 

crisis that was why we were not 

prepared when attacked that 

December 2010. We did not know 

Ukpata and Afaha Eduok in Idua 

clan was harboring such 

aggression against us because we 

were one of the 12 gazetted 

villages of Eyoabasi. 

“Our village, Udung Ukung, 

is only a victim of circumstance. 

Even all re-conciliatory 

committees set up over the crisis 

attests to this fact. But it is painful 

that the communities that attacked 

us are not dislodged, while we are 

here in this Internally Displaced 

Persons, IDP, camp.


Reddington commissions 

PCR lab, medical complex 

to tackle COVID-19 cases 

L-R: The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Centre, Mr Folarin Oluwole; Commissioner for 

Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi; CEO, Reddington Hospital, Dr Yemi Onabowale and Dayo Onabowale 

at the inauguration of Armoured Shield Medical Centre and ZaineLab, first private medical facility approved for 

Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID-19, by Reddington Medical Group in Lagos recently. 

COVID-19: Keeping quiet not an option, 

NCDC tasks Nigerian scientists 

By Chioma Obinna 

AS scientists continue to 

study the coronavirus 

pandemic, Nigerian 

scientists and members of 

the Nigerian Academy of 

Science, NAS, have been 

tasked to wake up and raise 

their voices in defence of 

science as the 

underpinning principle for 

COVID-19 response in the 

country. 

The call which came as 

the Nigeria Centre for 

Disease Control, NCDC, 

disclosed that Lagos State 

contributes 35 per cent of all 

confirmed COVID-19 cases 

in Nigeria, challenged the 

scientists not to take silence 

as an option but to take the 

advantage to overcome the 

crisis created by the 

pandemic. 

Making the assertions 

during a webinar, the 


NCDC, Dr Chikwe 

Ihekweazu observed that 

science is facing one of the 

biggest assaults as well as 

one of the biggest 

opportunities in a life time, 

even as he regretted the 

series of conflicts emanating 

as a result of the pandemic. 

At the webinar organised 

by the NAS with the theme: 

“COVID-19 Response in 

Nigeria: The Science and 

the Policy”, Ihekweazu 

warned that if scientists in 

medicine, pharmacy or 

public health continued to 

maintain silence, they 

would lose the basis on 

which they have built their 

profession. 

The NCDC boss said 

scientists must continue to 

defend science as the 

underlining and 

underpinning principle on 

which decisions about the 

ongoing epidemic were 

being made. 

His words: “That 

principle is being 

challenged very deeply in 

our society and in many 

other societies. If we don’t 

raise our voices to defend 

this underpinning principle 

on which basis we have 

built our various carriers 

whether it is medicine, 

pharmacy of public health, 

then we collectively stand 

a big risk of losing it all. 

“We need the voices of 

Nigerian scientists. 

Keeping quiet is not an 

option. Somebody comes 

up with a cure of something 

and if we all leave it to 

NCDC to defend, it won’t 

work. We need the scientists 

to really understand the 

basis of which our 

profession is built. We need 

NAS to do much more to be 

vigorous and use their 

voices more in defending 

science as the underlining 

principles on how our 

response should work,” he 

asserted 

Giving an account on the 

COVID-19 response so far, 

Ihekweazu regretted that a 

lot of work done so far has 

been lost in the face of 

public criticism, but said 

currently, 30,000 COVID- 

19 tests are done daily in 

Nigeria. 

He said the major 

concerns of the NCDC was 

to support states to develop 

sustainable response 

activities driven by data, 

scale-up sample collection 

and laboratory testing 

capacity to establish true 

burden, increase Nigeria’s 

contribution to global 

research, solidarity trails, 

clinical trials etc, continue 

collaboration for multisectorial 

research activities 

as well as prepare better for 

the next pandemic. 

On his own part, 

renowned virologist and 

former President of the 

NAS, Prof Oyewale Tomori 

urged President Buhari to 

call all the State governors 

to order towards 

responding to the national 

emergency of the 

pandemic. 

“When we are talking 

about response, we should 

know that in a national 

emergency there is nothing 

like state authority and that 

is why the president should 

have called the governors 

to order. The state authority 

is causing challenges. 

Nobody has control of what 

the state is doing. 

“We have a national 

emergency in our hands 

and we should act like one. 

We don’t understand why 

the president is not calling 

them to order. Kogi is still 

doing what they like and 

Cross River is grudgingly 

responding. There is a 

need for scientists to keep 

on pushing.” 

Speaking, a renowned 

Virologist and former 

NAS’s President, Prof 

Oyewale Tomori regretted 

that President Buhari was 

yet to call the governors to 

order in terms of 

responding to a national 

emergency like COVID-19 

pandemic. “When we are 

talking about state authority 

we should know that in a 

national emergency there is 

nothing like state authority 

that is why the president 

should have called 

Governors together. 

“The state authority is 

causing some challenges. 

Nobody has control of what 

the state is doing. We have 

a national emergency in our 

hands and we should act 

like one. We don’t 

understand why the 

president is not calling 

them to order. Kogi is still 

doing what they like. Cross 

River is grudgingly 

responding. There is a 

need for scientists to keep 

on pushing on.” 

The President of NAS, 

Professor who gave an 

overview of NAS 

involvement in the response 

said the academy was the 

first to issue a statement 

early in March. “Our 

members are serving in 

different committee and 

panels. Our experts are 

actively working on how to 

respond to the pandemic in 

Africa and Nigeria. The 

academy is doing so much 

in preparing for the next 

pandemic. We reviewed the 

whole Ebola thing and 

made suggestions for 

treatment.” 

He said in all the best bet 

remains prevention. “there 

is a need to emphasise the 

preventive measures, such 

as physical distancing, 

washing hands as frequent 

as possible as the only drug 

that has shown effectiveness 

is Remdesivir.. 

On his part, the Dr Bode 

Ladipo, the COVID-19 

incident Manager, Oyo 

State, who spoke on “The 

Situation: COVID-19 

Response in Oyo State” 

noted that the COVID-19 

response in the state was 

faced with challenges of 

Management of resources, 

low level of public response 

to risk communication, 

poor compliance with 

advisories and guidelines 

and poor public perception 

of the pandemic. 

Ladipo stressed the need 

to intensify public 

enlightenment, full 

implementation of the 

Rapid Response Team, 

RRT, and integration of 

sample collection into more 

existing health facility 

structure. 

Speaking, Prof Isa Marte 

Hussaini, of the Ministry of 

Higher Education, Borno 

State, who spoke on 

treatment and management 

of the coronavirus with some 

of the controversial drugs 

said younger people do not 

die more from the virus 

because of their immunity, 

adding that the death rate 

in Nigeria was still under 

2.0. 


TO complement the 

efforts of the Lagos 

State government in 

responding to COVID-19 

pandemic, the 

Reddington Hospital 

Group has commissioned 

the Armoured Shield 

Medical Complex, a 

state-of-the-art health 

facility, in Lagos to deal 

with all cases related to 

COVID-19 including 

testing, treatment and 

management of other comorbidity 

conditions. 

The new medical centre 

built in phases offers a 50- 

bed facility with isolation 

wards, high dependency 

and level 3 Intensive 

Care Unit, ICU, with 

ventilators, organ life 

support machines, CT 

Scan, x-ray, laboratory, 

telemedicine, emergency 

response ambulances 

among other equipment 

and seasoned medical 

personnel required to 

attend to all cases of 

Covid-19 in adults and 

children. 

Speaking during the 

launch of the centre, the 

Medical Director of 

Armoured Shield 

Medical Complex, 

COVID-19: Novo Nordisk supports 

12 hospitals with protective 

equipment 

By Sola Ogundipe 

MEDICAL supplies 

including Personal 

Protective Equipment, 

PPE, have been donated 

by Novo Nordisk Nigeria 

to 12 tertiary and secondary 

hospitals in support of the 

country’s national 

response to COVID-19. 

The protective 

equipment which is to 

support frontline 

healthcare workers 

includes 216 boxes of face 

masks, 216 boxes of 

surgical gloves and 180 

boxes of surgical head 

covers. 

The company’s Country 

Manager in Nigeria, Mr 

Jude Abonu, said the 

donation is in line with the 

company’s global resolve 

to work closely with 

countries, especially where 

it operates, as they strive 

to halt the spread of the 

virus. 

“The donation is our 

modest way of supporting 

the government’s efforts to 

protect health workers who 

are in the frontline of the 

COVID-19 battle. This is in 

Dr.Olusola Oluwole said 

the facility is the only 

private hospital in Lagos 

that is accredited by the 

Lagos State Government 

both for Testing and 

Treatment of COVID-19. 

The centre is 

complemented by 

Reddington ZaineLab, a 

new Molecular biology 

laboratory that has a 

Class 3 Biosecurity 

Technology that promotes 

efficiency and provides 

the highest level of 

protection for laboratory 

staff and the environment 

while detecting and 

diagnosing COVID-19 

within 24-48 hours of 

testing. 

The centre is situated in 

four locations across 

Lagos with an Incident 

Command Office in 

Victoria Island. 

Oluwole said: “The 

isolation treatment centre 

offers a well-furnished 

en-suite single bedroom, 

mini office and lounges 

and is targeted at the 

corporate community and 

discerning clientele who 

desire a private and 

serene environment 

during the period of the 

management of the 

Covid-19 infection.‘‘ 

addition to our traditional 

role of ensuring that our 

life-saving drugs are 

available nationwide 

especially during the 

pandemic,” Abonu said. 

Beneficiary institutions 

include Federal Teaching 

Hospital, Gombe, 

University of Abuja 

Teaching Hospital, 

National Hospital, Abuja, 

Barau-Dikko Teaching 

Hospital, Kaduna, Niger 

Foundation Hospital, 

Enugu, University of 

Benin Teaching Hospital, 

University of Uyo Teaching 

Hospital, University of Port 

Harcourt Teaching 

Hospital, University 

College Hospital (UCH), 

Ibadan, Lagos University 

Hospital (LUTH), Idi- 

Araba, Lagos Island 

General Hospital and 

Gbagada General 

Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos. 

Abonu further assured: 

“Novo Nordisk will 

continue to focus on our 

core purpose of driving 

change to defeat diabetes 

and other serious chronic 

diseases such as obesity 

and rare blood and 

endocrine disorders in 

Nigeria.”


COVID-19 reversing gains of 

optimal breastfeeding in 

Nigeria — EXPERTS 


NUTRITION experts and 

other stakeholders in the 

campaign to improve 

breastfeeding in Nigeria have 

expressed worry that the 

COVID-19 pandemic is 

gradually changing the 

dynamics of nutrition as well 

as giving opportunity to 

producers of breastmilk 

substitutes to interfere with 

optimal breastfeeding 

practice. 

The experts also expressed 

concern that the COVID-19 

pandemic has constituted a 

public health emergency 

around the world with 

implications on the coverage 

of nutrition and health 

interventions. 

The experts spoke during a 

webinar organised by Alive & 

Thrive, partners and the 

Federal Ministry of Health on 

the 2020 World Breastfeeding 

Week entitled: “Breastfeeding 

and the Environment: 

Linkages and Opportunities in 

Nigeria.” 

In his submission at the 

webinar which also 

highlighted the linkages 

between breastfeeding and the 

environment in Nigeria’s 

context and the Infant and 

Young Child Feeding (IYCF) 

policy, Chief of Nutrition at 

UNICEF, Dr Simeon 

Nanama, noted that the 

measures put in place by 

governments around the world 

to contain the spread of 

COVID-19 have led to greater 

economic devastation on the 

livelihood of people. 

Nanama said many 

households, especially those 

with infants and young 

children worry about the safety 

of breastfeeding their children 

at a time like this while others 

who want to breastfeed do not 

have the energy due to 

worsening household food 

insecurity. 

“Nigeria has made some 

progress in increasing the rate 

of exclusive breastfeeding, 

going from 17 percent in 2013, 

to 29 percent in 2018. This is 

on average, a 1 per cent 

increase per year. While this is 

unlikely to make Nigeria meet 

the World Health Assembly 

target of 50 per cent by 2025, 

still, exclusive breastfeeding 

seems to be one of the rare 

nutrition indicators on which 

Nigeria is making slow but 

steady progress.” 

Continuing, Nanama stated 

that the production, 

distribution and use of 

Breastmilk Substitutes, BMS, 

has negative effects on the 

environment. 

He lamented that while 

experts are working to 

understand how the pandemic 

is changing the dynamic of 

nutrition behaviour in the 

country, producers and 

marketers of breast milk 

substitutes have seen the 

opportunity for strategic and 

opportunistic marketing of 

their products which is likely 

to interfere with optimal 

breastfeeding practices. 

“Besides the additional 

financial burden placed on 

Breasfeeding in action 

families, as well as its negative 

consequences on the 

development of children, 

breast milk substitutes such as 

instant formula and other milk 

products play a role in 

environmental degradation 

and climate change in both 

development and emergency 

contexts such as the COVID- 

19 pandemic. 

“We need to strengthen the 

enforcement of reversed 

regulation of BMS in order to 

protect breastfeeding and the 

environment.” 

Earlier in his presentation, 

Senior Programme Officer, 

Nutrition at the Bill & 

Melinda Gates Foundation, 

Dr Victor Ajieroh, who spoke 

on the impact of promoting 

exclusive breastfeeding from 

the first hour of birth, said the 

mechanism for the effect of 

breastfeeding in fostering a 

healthier planet only 

reinforces the necessity and 

urgency for more concerted 

actions to better protect, 

support and promote 

breastfeeding. 

Destructive 

impact 

He said the COVID-19 

pandemic with its associated 

destruction impact on all the 

main domain supply was 

another factor that has further 

reinforced the foundational 

priority of supporting mothers 

with the right information and 

incentives to breastfeed 

appropriately. 

“We appreciate all the efforts 

of the government in 

protecting and supporting 

each citizen in this challenging 

times and the leadership of the 

ministry of health in 

articulating a very 

comprehensive national 

nutrition response plan and 

integrated within the broader 

national COVID-19 response. 

This represents a significant 

opportunity for advancing 

optimums breastfeeding 

behaviours in times like this.” 

He disclosed that 2018 

NDHS shows that the rate of 

exclusive breastfeeding was 

gradually increasing and that 

it gives hope that from the 

current level of 29 per cent 

achieving 50 percent by 2025 

was possible. 

Ajeroh said that counselling 

of mothers during pregnancy, 

immediately after childbirth, 

and during the neonatal 

period has a significant 

positive effect on 

breastfeeding. 

“Mothers are two and half 

times more likely to breastfeed 

when breastfeeding is 

supported and promoted and 

protected. Studies have also 

shown that a one month 

increase in paid maternal 

leave was associated with 7.4 

per cent increase in the 

prevalence of early initiation, 

and a 5.7 percent in the 

prevalence of exclusive 

breastfeeding, 2.2-month 

increase in the period of 

breastfeeding duration. 

“There is also evidence that 

marketing of breast milk 

substitutes discourages 

mothers from breastfeeding 

properly. Execution of all key 

components 

in 

complementary initiative is 

needed,” he added. 

On her part, Professor of 

Public Health Nutrition at 

Obafemi Awolowo University, 

Dr Beatrice Ogunba, said 

breastfeeding leaves zero 

ecological footprints; it uses 

none of our scarce natural 

resources and therefore can be 

sustained for the health of our 

planet. It does not use fuel for 

production, for distribution or 

for sterilisation. For the first six 

months of life, a baby can be 

exclusively breastfed without 

a single drop of water. 

Speaking, Associate 

Director/Team Lead at Alive & 

Thrive, Dr Uche Ralph-Opara, 

said Alive & Thrive’s is 

supporting Lagos, Kaduna 

and nine other states to scale 

up optimal maternal, infant 

and young child practices 

through a four-pronged 

approach: policy advocacy, 

interpersonal communication 

and community mobilisation, 

mass media, and the strategic 

use of data. 

She said the support was 

made possible courtesy of Bill 

& Melinda Gates Foundation 

and UNICEF. 

Officer at Action Against 

Hunger, Hajiya Yakaka 

Mustapha, explained that the 

organisation is working in 

more than five states in the area 

of community empowerment. 

In Borno state, they work in 

more than 41 communities. 

Every year the world 

celebrates World 

Breastfeeding Week from 

August 1-7. The theme of this 

year’s celebration was 

“Support breastfeeding for a 

healthier planet.” 

Philippine minister tests positive for 

COVID-19 for second time 

A 

Philippine 

government minister 

has tested positive for 

coronavirus five months 

after an initial diagnosis, 

authorities said Monday, 

as experts investigate 

whether he had been reinfected. 

Interior Secretary 

Eduardo Ano, who is 

helping to spearhead the 

country’s virus response, 

said he returned a positive 

test on Saturday after 

experiencing flu-like 

symptoms last week. 

He was first diagnosed 

with COVID-19 in 

March, but did not show 

any signs of the disease 

at the time. 

People infected with 

The government of 

Colombia has offered 

a reward of 200m 

pesos ($53,000; £40,000) 

for information about the 

killing of eight people in 

south-western Nariño 

province. 

Four gunmen burst 

into a party held at a 

house in Samaniego on 

Saturday and shot dead 

seven men and one 

coronavirus build up antibodies 

starting about a 

week after infection or the 

onset of symptoms, research 

has shown. 

But scientists are still unsure 

whether the body 

systematically builds up 

enough immunity to ward 

off a new attack by the virus 

or, if it does, how long 

such immunity lasts. 

Some studies have 

shown that patients who 

recover from coronavirus 

may lose their immunity 

within months, or even 

weeks. 

Health Undersecretary 

Maria Rosario Vergeire 

said experts were 

analysing Ano’s symptoms, 

his previous positive 

test, and laboratory 

results to see if this is a 

second infection. 

“Let’s not call it a re-infection. 

The scientific community 

has not yet accepted 

that a re-infection 

occurs,” Vergeire cautioned. 

Ano was tested ahead of 

a meeting with President 

Rodrigo Duterte and 

other key cabinet members 

on Monday to decide 

whether to extend a 

two-week lockdown in 

Manila and four surrounding 

provinces that 

is due to expire this 

week. 

Colombia offers reward after eight young 

partygoers killed 

woman.The victims 

were part of a group of 

about 20 revellers. 

The motive for the attack 

is not clear but 

there are a number of 

drug gangs active in the 

border area with Ecuador. 

Survivors of the attack 

told El Tiempo newspaper 

that some of them 

Democrats fight back in US Postal 

Service showdown with Trump 

Democrats 

are 

launching an 

emergency effort to 

thwart what they warn is 

President Donald Trump’s 

attempt to squeeze the US 

Postal Service — one of the 

country’s most beloved 

institutions — to suppress 

the vote in November’s 

election. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 

calling on the House to 

return to Washington, 

likely next weekend, for 

an unheard of session 

during presidential convention 

season. 

Democrats have also 

demanded that new Postmaster 

General Louis 

DeJoy testify on August 

24 to answer charges that 

his controversial new 

policy changes are intended 

to deliberately 

slow voting by mail. 

The long feared post- 

Election Day showdown 

involving Trump’s false 

claims about voting fraud 

is already here — more 

than two months early — 

due to the building fight in 

Washington over the Postal 

Service. 

With slower mail and 

election concerns, Trump’s 

postmaster general is in the 

hot seat 

The aggressive Democratic 

counter-attack — 

coming at the start of a critical 

two-week political 

crunch that contains the 

Democratic and Republican 

National Conventions 

— follows Trump’s incessant 

falsehoods about mailin 

voting inviting a “catastrophe” 

in November. The 

President admitted last 

week that he opposed $25 

billion in new funding for 

the agency because it 

could be used to expand 

such ballot access. 

had received threats on 

Saturday warning them 

to stop the party they 

were attending on the 

outskirts of the town of 

Samaniego. 

The group said they 

had decided to organise 

the party after an annual 

music festival was cancelled 

due to the 

coronavirus pandemic. 

They gathered at the 

empty house of the 

grandmother of one of 

the organisers to drink 

beer and listen to music, 

according to the father of 

one of the victims. 

Some received messages 

over WhatsApp 

telling them to stop and 

minutes later, four 

armed men burst onto 

the property on motorbikes 

and opened fire. 

Most of those killed had 

either just graduated 

from high school or were 

at university. 

The only woman to be 

shot dead, Laura Michel 

Melo Riscos, was planning 

to study medicine. 

Óscar Andrés Obando 

Betancourt was studying 

sport in the city of Cali. 

Carlos Patiño, the father 

of Bairon Patiño, 

another of the young 

men killed, said his son 

had been attending the 

party with his girlfriend, 

who survived the attack. 

Israel planning UAE flights over Saudi — Netanyahu 

Prime 

Minister 

B e n j a m i n 

Netanyahu said Monday 

that Israel is working on 

opening a corridor over 

Saudi Arabia for flights to 

the UAE, following last 

week’s historic deal to 

normalise ties. 

“We are working with 

maximum energy, and 

we have already begun 

to work on opening an air 

route over Saudi Arabia, 

which will simply shorten 

flights between Israel 

and the UAE,” he said 

during a visit to Ben 

Gurion airport near Tel 

Aviv. “I estimate that we 

will reach an agreement 

that will genuinely allow 

direct flights between Tel 

Aviv and Dubai,” he said. 

“It is a major revolution.” 

In March 2018, Air 

India launched the first 

scheduled service to 

Israel allowed to cross 

Saudi airspace. 

It was seen at the time 

as a sign of a behind-thescenes 

improvement in 

ties between the Arab 

kingdom and the Jewish 

state. During a May 2017 

Middle East tour, US 

President Donald Trump 

flew from Riyadh to Tel 

Aviv on Air Force One, in 

a first known direct flights 

from Saudi Arabia to 

Israel.



OWERRI—IMO State 

government said, yesterday, 

that its position that 

most of the protests in the 

state were sponsored by the 

opposition has been vindicated, 

following the arrest 

by the police, yesterday, of 

armed hoodlums, claiming 

to be staff of the state oil 

commission and claiming to 

be protesting the non-payment 

of their salaries. 

The state Police Com- 



Imo govt indicts opposition, as Police 

arrest fake ISOPADEC staff 

mand arrested and paraded 

a band of hoodlums 

armed with guns, matches 

and other dangerous weapons, 

and masquerading as 

staff of the Imo State oii producing 

areas development 

commission, ISOPADEC, 

and claiming to be on a 

peaceful protest. 

A statement by the state 

government, yesterday, 

said luck ran out on the 

hoodlums, when they encountered 

the governor’s 

convoy, enroute the military 

barracks in Obinze, where 

the governor was headed 

to commission an officers 

mess complex. 

It further said the fact that 

people claiming to be staff 

of ISOPADEC could arm 

themselves with guns and 

matchets says it all, adding 

that they were hired thugs 

by the opposition, who 

were rattled by the public 

ovation that greeted the 

governor’s successful commmissiong 

of new roads in 

Owerri, Friday.‘‘ 

Briefing Newsmen in 

Owerri, yesterday, the state 

Police Commissioner, Issac 

Akinmoyede, said 15 of the 

hoodlums were under investigation 

by the state CID, 

to determine the motive 

behind their action, adding 

that: “The hoodlums ambushed 

the governor’s convoy 

and succeeded in attacking 

the cars at the rear.” 

We'll help SME's fast track Nigeria's economic 

recovery —Access Bank MD 

L AGOS—ACCESS 

Bank's Group Managing 

Director, Herbert Wigwe 

has said that the Bank 

is committed to helping Nigerian 

businesses weather 

COVID-19 pandemic and 

set a course for recovery. 

He made this known after 

the Bank secured loan 

support, worth up to $50 

Million from the International 

Finance Corporation 

(IFC). 

According to Wigwe, the 

funds will, "Help Access 

Bank Plc increase its liquidity 

to several Nigerian small 

and medium-sized enterprises 

(SMEs) navigating 

the economic challenges of 

COVID-19." 

“In Nigeria, SMEs contribute 

over 45 per cent of 

national GDP, account for 

about 96 per cent of businesses 

and 84% of employment. 

Access Bank, therefore, 

recognizes the importance 

of SMEs to economic 

stability and is going the 

extra mile to ensure that 

such businesses are adequately 

financed to weather 

these testing times. IFC’s 

funding will not only enable 

us to extend financial 

relief to our clients across 

all sectors during the pandemic 

but beyond the 

COVID-19 crisis as well. 

Our partnership with IFC 

will help Nigerian businesses 

weather COVID-19 

and set a course for recovery,” 

he concluded. 

The funds from the loan, 

made through IFC’s global 

COVID-19 ‘Fast-track Financing 

Support Package’ 

will enable Access Bank to 

provide increased trade financing 

and working capital 

lending to their business 

clients experiencing 

disrupted cash flows, supporting 

business activity 

and preserving jobs. 

‘Edo 2020: Attack in Apana has 

diminished Obaseki's chances' 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY—A chief 

tain of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Chief 

Lucky James has said that 

the purported attack on the 

convoy of Governor Godwin 

Obaseki last week in Apana, 

Etasko West local government 

area which the 

governor alleged it was orchestrated 

by agents of the 

former national chairman of 

the APC, Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole has diminished 

the chances of 

Obaseki getting votes from 

the area. 

Reacting to the incident, 

James who is also a chief 

from the community wondered 

how a community 

would organise such an attack 

that left four of their 

people injured including a 

baby and a woman frying 

garri. He said the plan was 

hatched by the handlers of 

the governor who were not 

able to mobilise the anticipated 

number of persons for 

the rally. 

He said: “Why should 

the people of Apana organise 

an attack against 

Obaseki? None of the candidates 

of any of the political 

parties are from the village. 

I want to say it is completely 

false, it is a lie of the 

century. They have no 

grouse with Governor 

Obaseki to say they want 

to go and waylay him and 

everybody knows that this 

is the time for campaign. 

Not only PDP or APC, all 

the political parties can go 

anywhere and seek votes. 

“That incident has further 

worsened the chances of 

the governor in Apana village 

because that campaign 

would have given 

him the opportunity to tell 

the people what he has 

done and what he intends 

to do to win their votes, but 

that was lost because the 

governor only ended up 

campaigning to his entourage 

because the people 

didn’t come out again after 

seeing guns and hearing 

gunshots. Their children 

were injured, how do you 

tell that man that had injury 

from gunshot during 

your campaign to come and 

vote for you. If Obaseki 

would have gotten votes, 

this incident has further diminished 

those chances.‘‘ 

Reiterating Wigwe's comments, 

Eme Essien Lore, 

IFC Country Manager for 

Nigeria, said, “It is crucial 

to support smaller businesses 

to keep the wheels of 

Nigeria’s economy turning 

during today’s unprecedented 

economic challenge. 

IFC’s longstanding 

partnership with Access 

Bank means together we 

can move much-needed 

funding to businesses that 

need it most, helping them 

remain in business and retain 

their employees.” 

IFC’s $8 billion global 

COVID-19 fast track facility, 

launched in March 2020 

to support business activity 

and preserve jobs in the 

face of COVID-19, has so 

far invested almost $400 

million through this facility 

in Africa. 

Access Bank, Africa’s 

largest retail bank, serves 

more than 36 million customers 

across a network of 

677 branches. IFC’s portfolio 

in Nigeria stands at 

$1.3 billion, with investments 

in sectors including 

manufacturing, technology, 

financial services, and others. 

COVID-19: Oyetola hails firm 

for supporting Osun govt 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

LAGOS—THE Osun 

State Governor, Adegboyega 

Oyetola, has commended 

Cititrust Holdings 

Plc, a leading financial 

and investments services 

provider in Africa, 

for supporting the state's 

COVID-19 containment 

efforts. 

Oyetola in a letter dated 

August 6, 2020, which 

he personally signed, expressed 

the appreciation 

of the government and 

people of the state to the 

management of the company 

for the far reaching 

support it provided for the 

state, especially during 

the period of the COVID- 

19 lockdown. 

Cititrust, through its 

special COVID-19 Support 

Initiative, provided 

food items worth millions 

of naira to the Osun State 

government during the 

period of the nationwide 

lockdown to mitigate the 

impact of the lockdown on 

residents of the state. 

The company also extended 

similar gestures to 

Lagos State Government 

through the Onigbongbo 

State Constituency, in addition 

to monetary donations 

to Health Emergency 

Initiative, a non-governmental 

organisation, 

for the purchase of medical 

equipment, and to the 

CBN COVID-19 Response 

Account. 

The letter by the governor 

reads, "I bring to you, 

warm greetings from the 

good people and Government 

of the State of Osun. 

On behalf of the good 

people and Government 

of the State of Osun, I 

wish to acknowledge your 

kind contribution towards 

cushioning the effect of 

Corona virus pandemic in 

the State. 

CHANGE OF NAME 

FATAI 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Mujidat Dasola Fatai, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Mujidat Dasola Jegede. All 

former documents remain 

valid. Lagos State Teaching 

Service Commission 

District six and general 

public please take note. 

MAGBA 

I, formerly known as 

Magba Victoria, now 

wish to be known as Mrs. 

Ikechukwu Victoria. All 

former documents 

remain valid. General 



Andrea Onoshokeyame 

Onebamoi, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Andrea 

Onoshokeyame Olu- 

Martins. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

ABAH 


Abah Abigail Eneole, now 

wish to be known as Abah 

Adikwu Abigail Eneole. 

All former documents 



AKINOLA 


Oluwatosin Shola 

Akinola, now wish to be 

known as Oluwatosin 

Shola Odujirin. All 




ADESERI 


Adeseri Oluwadunni 

Justina, now wish to be 

known as Mrs Onasoga 

Oluwadunni Justina. All 

former documents remain 

valid. GTBank and 

general public please take 

note. 

OLUTUNMISE 


Olutunmise Mary-Jane 

Oluwatoluwa, now wish 

to be known as Mrs 

Fianka Mary Tolu. All 



public please take note.


Naira rises to N385.78/$, 

down to N475/$ in I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

S-Kaduna leaders want money for 

peace, says El-Rufai 

Continues from Page 5 

this current cycle of 

conflict, just as they were 

in the 2016/17 and the 

2011/2015 cycles.” 

The governor 

challenged anyone to 

characterize or 

differentiate the 

communal clashes, attacks 

and killings in parts of 

Northern and Central 

Kaduna State, as well as 

in Zamfara, Katsina, 

Sokoto and Niger states 

from those in Southern 


“Is it because in all the 

other cases, the victims 

are lesser humans or 

lacking in voice and 

media hype? What 

happened to our common 

humanity?,” he asked 

rhetorically. 

According to El-Rufai, 

government has “been 

consistent in saying that 

beyond boots on the 

ground, military bases 

and police stations, the 

ultimate guarantee of 

peace is the willingness of 

communities to live in 

harmony and their 

resolve to settle 

differences through lawful 

means. 

“Some people do not 

want to hear this because 

it imposes responsibilities 

on individuals and 

community leaders to 

keep the peace and obey 

the law, but it is the 

civilised way to go.” 

Reeling out his 

administration’s efforts at 

peace building in the last 

five years, the governor 

recalled that his first 

official action as governor 

was to convene and 

preside over an 

emergency security 

council meeting on May 

30, 2015, following reports 

of killings in Sanga LGA 

in the hours before his 

swearing-in on May 29, 

2015. 

“The outcome of that 

meeting was the setting 

up of a committee, chaired 

by General Martin Luther 

Agwai, to study and 

proffer solutions to the 

incessant killings in 

Southern Kaduna which 

had intensified since the 

violent aftermath of the 

2011 elections,” he said. 

El-Rufai also said “that 

emergency security 

meeting also decided to 

prepare a White Paper on 

the report of the Peace and 

Reconciliation Committee 

that had been established 

by the government of late 

Sir Patrick Yakowa.” 

Tracing the efforts he 

has made for peace since 

2015, the governor said 

that “by early 2016, we 

took our efforts to build a 

constituency for peace 

across the state to another 

level, collaborating with 

the Plateau State 

Government and the 

Centre for Humanitarian 

Dialogue. 

“In Southern Kaduna, 

we supported the process 

of the Kafanchan Peace 

Declaration as a 

community-led effort for 

sustainable peace. 

“On Saturday, 

November 12, 2016, it was 

with optimism that we 

unveiled the Peace 

Apology billboard in 

Samaru-Kataf and 

presenting the staff of 

office to the new 

Agwatyap, His Highness 

Dominic Gambo Yahaya. 

“The tenet of the Peace 

Apology was a call for 

mutual forgiveness and a 

dedication to peaceful 

means of resolving 

differences.’’ 

The governor lamented 

that the optimism was 

short-lived, adding that 

“the outbreak of sustained 

peace that we expected 

was soon shattered by a 

spiral of violence a few 

days later. 

“We pushed for more 

security deployment and 

took the meeting of the 

State Security Council to 

Kafanchan on December 

20, 2016, in a practical 

effort at solidarity with the 

people in a time of peril. 

“By early 2017, Kaduna 

State Government, 

working with the Federal 

Government, had 

answered the decades-old 

demand for expanded, 

permanent security 

presence in Southern 


“The Army established a 

base in Kafanchan, while 

Kaduna State 

THE Naira yesterday appreciated by 50 kobo to 

N385.78 per dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) 

window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the window dropped to N385.78 per 

dollar yesterday from N386 per dollar last week Friday, 

translating to 22 kobo appreciation of the Naira. 

The volume of dollars (turnover) traded in the window 

rose by 43 per cent to $20.27 million from $21.09 

million last week Friday. 

The Naira however remained stable at N475 per 

dollar in the parallel market yesterday. 

Government bought an 

estate to accommodate a 

mobile police squadron. 

The Federal Government 

also extended the 

mandate of Operation 

Safe Haven, based in 

neighbouring Plateau 

State, to Southern Kaduna 

and appointed a 

commander of the rank of 

colonel to lead it.” 

CAN ready to 

partner KDSG, 

says Ayokunle 

The CAN President, 

Reverend Ayokunle, had 

earlier assured that CAN 

was ready to partner 

Kaduna State Government 

to ensure that the crisis in 

Southern Kaduna did not 

linger. 

He noted that the crisis 

pre-dated the present 

administration but advised 

Kaduna State Government 

to find a lasting solution to 

the crisis by learning “from 

the past in order to draw a 

road map for the future.” 

According to Revd 

Ayokunle, the continuing 

crisis has made people to 

tag it religious or ethnic 

because it “has given them 

room to say whatever they 

are saying.” 

He implored government 

to bring the killers variously 

referred to as “unknown 

gunmen” to book, arguing 

that the rate of prosecution 

so far was not proportional 

with the frequency of 

attacks. 

The CAN leader argued 

that “whoever attacks first 

and whoever is doing 

reprisal are both criminals 

that must be made to face 

the wrath of the law.’ 

“The Christian 

Association of Nigeria is 

ready to partner with your 

government and security 

agents in finding a solution 

to this matter. Let there be 

a round table discussion 

and a pledge of cooperation 

rather than confrontation.” 

Killing of over 

100 Muslims 

unreported by 

biased media 

— Kaduna 

Muslim clerics 

In a related 

development, the Council 

of Imams and Ulama ( 

Islamic Clergy) in Kaduna 

State has accused the 

media of bias in the 

reportage about the killings 

in Southern Kaduna, 

saying the over 100 

Muslims had been 

allegedly killed by 

Christian militias and had 

gone unreported. 

Addressing the media in 

Kaduna yesterday, 

Secretary General of the 

council, Yusuf Arrigasiyyu, 

said although the media 

was known to be truthful, 

what obtained was, 

allegedly, the contrary as 

media practitioners upheld 

ethnic and religious 


NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

A COVID-19 patient (names withheld) who was a registered candidate writes 

the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination from an isolation 

centre in Gombe, Gombe State, yesterday. 

sentiments in their 

reportage. 

“No person of good 

conscience, Muslim or any 

religious believer, will 

overlook the recent killings 

of over 100 innocent 

Muslims and destruction of 

their property and 

settlements in different 

locations within Southern 

Kaduna,” he said. 

He alleged that the 

killings and destruction 

were carried out by 

suspected sponsored 

Christian militias in 

Southern Kaduna . 

According to him, these 

killings of Muslims was 

“deliberately not reported 

by any media outfit, 

including those media 

houses who were 

mischievously propagating 

the reprisal attacks against 

the Christian communities 

in Zangon Kataf.” 

He said even innocent 

travelers were not spared 

during the attacks, while 

the killings were “covered 

by the media who will 

always prefer to change the 

narrative in solidarity with 

their faith and ethnicity.” 

He said right from the 

time of the killings till date, 

he had never read in any 

media a condolence or 

show of solidarity from any 

part of the country 

sympathizing with the 

families of the slain Muslim 

victims who were 

mercilessly killed in Zango 

Kataf earlier, that might 

have resulted in the reprisal 

attacks by unknown 

gunmen. 

Malam Arrigasiyyu 

expressed dismay that 

some individuals and 

groups in Southern Kaduna 

were good at inciting and 

propagating violence in the 

area in order to achieve 

cheap popularity and 

massage their political 

interest. 

He said: “Let us state it 

categorically clear that 

unless Southern Christians 

refrain from killing 

innocent Muslims living in 

the area which belongs to 

all of them, there can never 

be lasting peace as no one 

has monopoly of violence. 

“However, in the spirit of 

peaceful and cordial 

relationship, this council is 

urging the peace loving 

Christians in Southern 

Kaduna and Nigeria at 

large to engage the criminal 

elements in Southern 

Kaduna and advise them to 

desist from the wanton 

killing of their innocent 

Muslim neighbours for 

peace to reign permanently 

in the area. Violence never 

brings development and 

progress in any 

community.” 

While calling on security 

agents to be on their feet to 

protect lives and property 

of innocent Nigerians, the 

Imams 

and 

Ulama,however, called on 

Muslims to resolve conflicts 

through non- violent 

means. 

“This council urges 

Muslims to resolve any 

conflict through non-violent 

means, while they pray for 

permanent peace in all 

parts of Nigeria, 

particularly in the North 

where the enemies from 

within and outside the 

country are working 

towards its destruction,” he 

said. 

Govt has 

questions to 

answer 

—Lekwot 

Meanwhile, founder of 

Southern Kaduna Elders 

Forum and former Military 

Governor of old Rivers 

State, Maj. Gen. Zamani 

Lekwot, retd, has insisted 

that Kaduna State 

Government must provide 

answers to questions of the 

violence that erupted 

between Muslims and 

Christians in Zango-Kataf 

Local Government Area of 

Kaduna State. 

Lekwot, in a chat with 

Vanguard, said the killers 

in Southern Kaduna are 

foreigners. 

He said: “They are not 

living in the community. 

They come, kill and go 

away. If they live in the 

community, the community 

members will know them, 

and the scale of the killings 

shows that these are not 

local people. 

“They are foreigners and 

are armed to the teeth. So, 

the question is: how do they 

get into this country so 

heavily armed and 

undetected? The 

government has some 

questions to answer. 

“Also, you know, it is 

happening not only in 

Southern Kaduna, it is 

happening all over Nigeria. 

Why should it be so? We 

were living in peace.” 

See interview on Page 20


Lush City 'll bring back Igbos in 

diaspora — PWAN boss 

By Kingsley 

Adegboye 

Lush City, Aba, Abia state, 

a residential estate 

being developed by Property 

World African Network 

otherwise known as PWAN 

Plus, may have become a 

source of inspiration and 

respite for Igbos in diaspora 

to return home, as the estate 

meets the standard of their 

dream home and 

environment. 

Before now, untidy 

environment coupled with 

lack of infrastructure and 

social amenities in rural areas 

had been responsible for the 

reason Igbos in diaspora did 

not want to return home, but 

with the development of the 

Lush City, the thinking of 

Igbos in diaspora is how to 

subscribe to own homes at the 

sprawling residential estate 

that has all it takes to replicate 

their homes abroad. 

Vanguard Homes & 

Property investigation 

revealed that Easterners living 

in the diaspora and those who 

relocate back to their roots 

actually share the same 

frustrations of untidy 

environment and lack of 

social amenities. 

According to Justin 

Okenwa, a human resources 

professional, “This has 

increasingly become the 

greatest challenge of many 

urban Easterners, especially 

retirees and those who wish 

to relocate back to their roots 

for peculiar reasons. I 

definitely prefer to live in a 

nearby city when I retire, and 

visit my village to spend my 

weekends. 

“It is not good for me to start 

learning how to cope with 

challenges of life in a rural 

setting, in my old age. Not 

after several years of city life. 

I have already bought a plot 

in Lush City Phase 2, Aba. It’s 

less than one hour’s drive to 

my home town; and I am glad 

I did. This does not in anyway 

diminish the fact that every 

Igbo man holds ownership of 

a befitting family house in his 

place of birth closely to heart”. 

He finds a soul mate in 

Akpan Ekere, from Ikot Ubo, 

Akwa Ibom state who said 

“One shouldn’t gamble with 

life in retirement. That’s why 

I desire to spend my retirement 

within an organised estate”, 

disclosing that he has 

acquired a plot of land for his 

retirement at Lush City, Uyo. 

“Surely there’s no way I will 

miss the civilised life style I 

have grown up with and used 

to,” Akpan noted. 

Explaining why Ibos and 

their south south neighbours 

find it difficult going back to 

their villages and living 

among their kinsmen, the 

Managing Director of PWAN 

Plus, owners and promoters 

of Lush City by Cedarwood, 

Julius Oyedemi, said until 

there is a paradigm shift in 

housing ownership pattern, 

many Easterners and 

Southerners living in cities 

will continue to find it difficult 

to retire to their native homes. 

“Our experimental estate in 

the commercial nerve centre 

of Abia state, Lush City Phase 

1 Aba, is witnessing huge 

scramble . We actually sold out 

all the plots within four weeks, 

Lush City Phase 2, Aba, is also 

fast selling out and the third 

phase is loading. Interestingly, 

90 per cent of those who 

invested into Lush City 

exclusive estates are Igbos in 

diaspora. 

“Good number of 

accomplished professionals 

living in different Nigerian 

cities, business people and 

politicians also joined in the 

scramble for Lush City 

projects,” Oyedemi disclosed. 

During a recent facility tour 

of Lush City Aba and Uyo, our 

correspondent found out that 

Lush City projects in South 

East and South South regions 

are carefully targeted at 

creating ideal environment 

and orchestrating a change in 

the life style of the people. 

“Our primary objective is to 

spark off development in the 

region and enhance the 

lifestyle of the people 

positively. We want to clean 

up the streets, and have them 

filled with people of positive 

minds. Lush City is a 

revolution intended to use real 

estate to improve South East 

and South South by planting 

cities. 

“We believe that South 

Easterners travel far and wide. 

Why should they come back 

to their own place and the best 

they see are isolated edifices 

spotting a predominantly 

remote village setting? While 

we are not saying that a village 

shouldn’t be a village, we 

Firm unveils winners of inaugural 

Enyo architectural open ideas 

competition 

ENYO Retail and Supply 

(ERS), a leading fuel 

retailing company in Nigeria, 

has concluded its maiden 

edition of the Enyo Open Ideas 

Competition EOIC, an 

innovative contest intended to 

create ideas for a sustainable 

design of its service stations. 

The announcement of the 

top three finalists was made at 

an official event hosted at the 

ENYO Olowo Eko Service 

Station last Tuesday, where 

winners showcased 3D models 

of their architectural designs 

and were subsequently 

presented their prizes. 

The competition which 

kicked off February 27, 2020, 

and received over 350 entries, 

tasked participants such as 

architects, creative and 

innovative individuals with the 

opportunity to develop the 

service station of the future 

using the example of existing 

ENYO service stations. 

Entries were subjected to a 

rigorous review process by 

prominent and renowned 

professionals in the 

architecture space design in 

Nigeria including Fitzgerald 

Umah, Chairman, Nigerian 

Institute of Architects NIA, 

Lagos State Chapter and 

Managing Director/CEO, 

Contemporary Architecture 

Ltd and Arc. (Ms.) Tosin 

Oshinowo, Director, 

CmDesign Atelier among 

others. 

Finalists were then selected 

based on innovation and 

relevance, aesthetics, technical 

quality, clarity and 

comprehension as well as 

functionality of the design 

concept. 

Commenting on the 

initiative, Mr. Abayomi 

want to ensure that South 

Easterners and residents of 

neighbouring communities 

are able to enjoy good 

infrastructure, portable water 

supply, ambience, 

recreational facilities, security 

and elevated lifestyle that they 

enjoy in various cities where 

they reside,” Oyedemi said. 

According to him, “Igbos 

have done so much but they 

are enjoying less. They have 

built lots of exquisite 

mansions scattered in their 

villages and towns. 

Incidentally, many are scared 

to come back home due to the 

absence of urban lifestyle that 

they enjoy in the cities. That 

they have beautiful houses 

doesn’t make isolated family 

mansions in villages and 

towns a city. 

“A collection of those houses 

having adequate social 

amenities, recreational 

facilities, good infrastructural 

base and linked to sprawling 

pockets of towns and villages 

make up a city. We are 

creating an environment 

whereby there will be a show 

of creativity, innovation in the 

South East and South South 

through Lush City revolution. 

At the end of the day, both the 

typical natives as well as the 

cosmopolitan easterners can 

have a feel of ambience, 

security and enhanced 

lifestyle back in their home 

Awobokun, Chief Executive 

Officer, ENYO Retail and 

Supply, said, “The Enyo Open 

Ideas Competition was born 

out of the desire to create new 

service and products spaces 

leveraging both our ideas and 

the ideas of young 

professionals with the hope of 

achieving more respectful, 

user friendly, and functional 

retail spaces for our customers. 

“We are also keen to ensure 

that the filling stations we 

design and build are more in 

line with some of the 

sustainable development 

goals especially those which 

are related to the environment. 

We are grateful for all entries 

received, some were 

particularly innovative, and 

others showed a lot of efforts 

have been put in by the 

contestants. Importantly, we 

are proud that judges were 

committed to the competition, 

and their selection leaves no 

one in doubt that the winners 

should be commended and 

encouraged”. 

The winners which include 

Tobiloba Babalola, Ifeoluwa 

Akande and Olumide 

Owoyele were awarded a total 

cash prize N1, 750,000. While 

the first prize of one million 

Naira went to Tobiloba 

Babalola, Ifeoluwa Akande 

and Olumide Owoyele,second 

and third place winners, were 

awarded ¦ 500,000.00 and ¦ 

250,000.00 respectively. 

One of the judges, Arc. Tosin 

Oshinowo, Director, 

CmDesign Atelier 

congratulated the finalists who 

have been given the 

opportunity to be part of this 

initiative powered by ENYO 

Retail and Supply and 

encouraged them to stay 

committed to the disciplines of 

designs and architecture. 

From left—Mr. Solomon Akpan, Financial Controller; Mr. Adebisi 

Ikuomola, ED Technical; Mr. Ebose Augustine Osegha, MD/CEO; and Mr. 

Ime Umoh, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, all of Anchor Insurance 

Company Limited at the media parley with insurance journalists in Lagos. 

African Trade Insurance Agency will 

enhance local market – Operators 

By Rosemary Onuoha 

Operators in the insurance 

industry have expressed 

optimism that the agreement 

for the establishment of the 

African Trade Insurance Agency, 

ATI, by President Muhammadu 

Buhari will have a multiplier 

effect on the sector even as it will 

enhance the local market in 

Africa. 

Operators who spoke to 

Vanguard on the development 

noted that the move will engender 

economic activity within the 

sector as such as improve 

contribution of the insurance 

sector to the nation’s GDP. 

It will be recalled that President 

Mohammed Buhari, last week 

signed the instrument of accession 

to the agreement for the 

establishment of the African 

Trade Insurance Agency. 

Speaking to Vanguard, 

Managing Director of Anchor 

Insurance Plc, Mr. Augustine 

Ebose said that the multiplier 

effect of the development on the 

country is enormous. 

Ebose said: “The insurance 

industry has been waiting for this 

approval for years and with 

President Mohammed Buhari 

giving the approval, the move 

has given enhancement to the 

Nigerian market. 

“With this move, international 

businesses that are operating in 

the country will consider Nigeria 

insurance market first before 

going outside. In essence, the 

multiplier effect on the Nigerian 

insurance sector is enormous. 

“With this move, local players 

also have the liberation to operate 

in the African market. It could be 

likened to the Economic 

Community of West African 

States, ECOWAS, setup where 

you don’t need passport or visa to 

go to other West African countries, 

rather there is free trade. As such 

there is express freeness to do 

insurance within Africa,” Ebose 

said. 

Also speaking, President of the 

Chartered Insurance Institute of 

Nigeria, CIIN, Sir Muftau 

Oyegunle stated that the 

government under the leadership 

of President Muhammed Buhari 

had demonstrated first-hand its 

commitment to the growth of the 

insurance industry in Nigeria. 

Oyegunle said: “ATI is a Pan- 

African institution that provides 

political risk insurance to 

companies, investors, and lenders 

interested in doing business in 

Africa. Its deep African roots have 

positioned the organization to 

understand and assess the risks 

synonymous with the region and 

to help mitigate them. Its 

reputation as well as its credibility, 

financial strength, underwriting 

capacity, its robust risk solutions 

and risk assessment have ensured 

that it is credibly rated by clients.” 

Oyegunle added that the growth 

of the Agency would go a long 

way in creating an enabling 

platform for foreign trade and 

equally engender economic 

activity within the sector that 

would ensure improved 

contribution of the insurance 

sector to the nation’s GDP. 

It will be recalled that the 

ratification was adopted at 

Grand Bay in the Republic of 

Mauritius on the Eighteenth Day 

of May, 2000 and the purpose of 

the Agency is to provide, facilitate, 

encourage and otherwise 

develop the provision of, or the 

support for, insurance, including 

coinsurance and reinsurance, 

AXA Mansard Insurance 

Plc, a member of the AXA 

Group, has said that it has 

divested from its subsidiary, AXA 

Mansard Pensions Limited. 

The company, in a statement 

said 

that after 

obtaining shareholders’ 

approval at the Extra Ordinary 

General Meeting held on the 

13th of February 2020, the 

company commenced the 

process of divestment by 

appointing Messer Rand 

Merchant Bank as the 

Financial Advisers while Aluko 

& Oyebode acted as the Legal 

Advisers on the transaction. 

It stated: “Upon completion of 

a bid process, Eustacia Limited 

(a member of the Verod Group) 

was selected as the preferred 

bidder. The Company along 

with the minority shareholder 

entered into a sale and purchase 

agreement with Eustacia 

Limited to divest the entire issued 

ordinary share capital of AXA 

Mansard Pensions comprising 

of 60 percent shareholding 

(2,067,672,000 shares) held by 

AXA Mansard Insurance plc 

and 40 percent shareholding 

(1,378,448,000 shares) held by 

the minority shareholder. 

“The divestment has received 

letters of ‘No Objection’ from the 

National Insurance 

Commission (NAICOM), 

National Pension Commission 

(PENCOM), and the Federal 

Competition and Consumer 

Protection Commission 

(FCCPC). The completion of the 

divestment is subject to the 

receipt of the final approval of 

guarantees, and other financial 

instruments and services, for 

purposes of trade, investment 

and other productive activities in 

African states to supplement those 

that may be offered by the public 

or private sector, or in cooperation 

with the public or private sector. 

Highlighting the timely nature 

of the Act, Oyegunle stated that it 

was coming at a time when the 

insurance industry was in need 

of all the benefits that the Act 

would bring to the fore. He stated 

that the signing of the Act by 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

would inspire confidence in 

foreign entities and investors who 

have an eye on the Nigerian 

Market and this would result in 

more partnerships as well as 

exchange of ideas and 

technology. 

AXA Mansard announces 

divestments from pension 

subsidiary 

the National Pension 

Commission.” 

Commenting on the 

divestment, Mr. Kunle Ahmed, 

Chief Executive Officer, AXA 

Mansard Insurance Plc said: 

“This transaction marks a new 

step in AXA´s broader strategy 

to focus on and grow our life, 

property & casualty (P&C) and 

health businesses across all its 

geographies. 

“The AXA Group sees great 

potential in the Nigerian 

insurance market and believes 

AXA Mansard is ideally placed 

to capture these opportunities, 

thanks to its market leadership 

positions in health insurance, 

property & casualty and life 

insurance. We plan to capitalize 

on our successes to further build 

our capabilities and continue to 

deliver the best offers and 

services to our customers”. 

Speaking on the transaction, 

Dapo Akisanya, Chief Executive 

Officer, AXA Mansard Pensions 

Limited said, “We are confident 

about Verod’s strong 

commitment to providing the 

Company with the requisite 

support to actualize our promise 

to our clients and stakeholders. 

As a West African investor with 

deep local knowledge and 

presence, we look forward to 

harnessing Verod’s unique, and 

world-class attributes towards 

setting new standards in the 

industry. Verod has the capacity, 

expertise, and network, to 

support the business to continue 

to expand and to provide 

innovative solutions for the 

benefit of our current and future 

clients.”

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

LEO (Jul23 – Aug 22) Some of your friends may be 

persuading you to join their fun train to the unknown 

land of financial loss and excitement without pleasure. 

Remember the Kingship in you. 

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22) Here is a day you will 

need to allow forceful ones around you to have their 

ways or else they’ll make things difficult for you. 

Remember tomorrow’ll come. 

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 22) Unnecessary argument 

today is the sure way to time wastage and loss of 

opportunity. Think of both your immediate and far 

future. Avoid poorly plan journey. 

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21) Embarkation on 

unexpected and/or badly planned travelling can 

bring both bad result, financial loss and affected state 

of your health. Protect your money. 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec21) You’ll need to 

disregard those with no or lesser influence, even if 

they appear unnecessarily arrogance, or else valuable 

time of yours’ll be painfully wasted. 

L E I S U R BE 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 


“There is nothing noble in being superior to your 

fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your 

former self.” —-E Hemingway- 

Self-improvement means building new positive habits, 

It is a way to make ourselves better and happier people. 

Self improvement usually starts with awareness of ourselves 

and our behavior, and the desire to improve immensely. 

— Ellah Randle 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

The impotent 

man 

does not 

eat spicy 

foods. 

~Congolese 

Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19) Allow your active 

mind to determine your action today. Watch what 

you eat, how your health is managed and who you 

repose confidence on at work. 

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18) Many young 

members of this Star’ll be tempted to throw caution 

to the wind and go for romantic escapade only to 

experience excitement and financial stress. 

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 19) Veterans within your 

base of operation should be accorded deserved respect, 

so that you’ll not run into avoidable (but serious) 

trouble. Be more family minded. 

ARIES ( Mar 21 – Apr 19) If you allow less serious 

ones around you to force you into meaningless and 

unnecessary argument you’ll be the loser. Respect 

Law enforcement agents you encounter. 

TAURUS ( Apr 20 – May 20) ‘’Money is the root of 

all evil” says an adage. To avoid petty but 

embarrassing situation is to separate money and 

friendship. Say no to bad advice. 

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) It’ll take more than 

mere persuasion for you not to become aggressive to 

the resentment of other people. Reason with your 

spouse and/or partners. 

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) Yes, it is good to be as 

hard working as you desire today but it is equally not 

the best to undermine your health by over working 

your health. Be moderate. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL our date e and place of COUNSELLING 

birth th to the Astr 

tr 

Send your dat 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” 

“HOT” 

By A.O.OLAIDE 

Dear Joshua 

Kindly tell me how the planets lined up when I 

was born and what does the future have for me. 

Which day of the week was I born? Please keep my 

real date of birth secret 

Jerome. Abakaliki 

Dear Jerome 

What space can take is given here under. 

HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT 

DAY OF BIRTH =THURSDAY. 

SUN SIGN=GEMINI;SUN IN 8TH DEGREE OF 

GEMINI. 

MOON SIGN = LIBRA ; MOON IN 18TH DEGREE 

OF LIBRA. 

MERCURY IN 28TH DEGREE OF TAURUS. 

VENUS IN 23RD DEGREE OF ARIES. 

MARS IN 23RD DEGREE OF GEMINI. 

JUPITER IN 16TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS. 

SATURN IN 23RD DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

URANUS IN 16TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS. 

NEPTUNE IN 2ND DEGREE OF CAPEICORN. 

PLUTO IN 2ND DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

NORTH NODE IN 18TH DEGREE OF TAURUS. 

SOUTH NODE IN 18TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. 

NUMBERS OF PLANET HOSTED BY GROUP OF 

STAR SIGNS (ACCORDING TO QUALITY & 

E L E M E N T S ) 

ARE;CARDINAL=3,FIXED=4,MUTABLE=3, 

FIRE=2,EARTH=2,AIR=4,WATER=2. 

PUSH-FULL INFLUENCE=60% 

NON-PUSH-FULL INFLUENCE=40% 

PLANET AT HOME=NONE . 

YOUR FUTURE TRENDS 

Around your 40th year on earth, you will start a 

three (3) year cycle of recession . But luckily for 

you, around your 46th year on earth, an endless 

cycle of SUCCESS, remarkable ACHIEVEMENTS will 

start for you. You can rightly be called ladies’ man. 

However during the said three years of challenges 

for you, one or two maters of the heart related 

challenges indicated. Therefore I will advise you to 

beware of what you do and/or tell members of your 

opposite sex during the predicted recession period. 

VIRGINIA 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

HOME & ABROAD 

By Lawrence Akapa


Mikel completes 

Stoke City move 

John Obi Mikel is back in 

England as he has officially 

penned a deal with Stoke City 

ahead of the 2020/21 season 

The former Nigeria international 

is fourth signing of the summer for 

the Potters who are desperate to 

return to the Premier League as 

soon as possible. 

The Nigerian international 

midfielder joins Morgan Fox, 

James Chester and Steven Fletcher 

in checking in at the bet365 

Stadium ahead of the 2020/21 

Championship season. 

Mikel, who won a host of 

domestic and European honours 

during a glittering 11-year stay at 

Chelsea, returns to English 

football after a spell in the Turkish 

Super Lig with Trabzonspor. 

Manager Michael O’Neill said: 

“We’re delighted to bring John to 

the Club. His playing career 

speaks for itself and underlines his 

calibre as a player. 

“I was really impressed with him 

when we met for the first time and 

he outlined what he wants from the next phase of his 

career.” 

“We spent four hours talking and he made it clear he 

wants to get back into the Premier League and finish his 

career there and hopefully he can do that with Stoke 

City.” 

Mikel made more than 370 appearances for Chelsea, 

helping them to land the Premier League title twice, as 

well as three FA Cups, the Champions League and 

Europa League. 

After a spell in China, he played for Middlesbrough 

after joining them on a short-term deal in January 2019, 

making 19 appearances. He won 91 caps before retiring 

from international football following last year’s African 

Cup of Nations. 

Man City lining up Pochettino to take over if... 

MANCHESTER CITY are 

eyeing Mauricio Pochettino 

amid doubts over Pep Guardiola’s 

future. 

The former Tottenham boss is 

also on Barcelona’s radar with 

Quique Setien set to be sacked. 

But Poch has admirers at City 

and would love to stay in England. 

He knows Guardiola, reeling 

from Saturday’s Champions 

League exit to Lyon, has just ten 

months left on his contract. 

So far Guardiola has not 

committed to staying beyond next 

summer, which could soon leave 

City in limbo. 

The club hierarchy would ideally 

like him to extend his deal and 

continue – despite another Euro 

failure. 

His close friends at City - chief 

exec Ferran Soriano and director 

of football Txiki Begiristain – are 

keen for him to stay on. 

But Pep admitted last month 

chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak 

was “not happy” with their effort 

in the league – and the failure to 

win the FA Cup and Champions 

League since will not have helped. 

Poch, 48, is well known to the 

Catalan powerbase at the Etihad 

from his days working in 

Barcelona at Espanyol. 

He is believed to have his 

admirers behind the scenes - and 

his record in Europe will not have 

gone unnoticed. 

Last season he guided Spurs to 

the Champions League final for 

the first time in their history – 

although they ultimately lost to 

Liverpool. 

Simona Halep 

pulls OUT of 

US Open 

World No 2 Simona Halep 

has become the sixth Top 

10 women’s player to pull out of 

the US Open due to concerns for 

her safety amid the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

In a series of tweets posted on 

Monday, Halep, who won the 

Prague Open over the weekend 

by beating Elise Mertens, 

explained that she felt 

uncomfortable travelling to New 

York at this time and will instead 

continue training in Europe. 

Halep wrote: ‘After weighing 

up all the factors involved and 

with the exceptional 

circumstances in which we are 

living, I have decided that I will 

not travel to New York to play 

the @usopen. 

Kompany retires from football 

Former Manchester City captain 

Vincent Kompany has retired from 

playing and become the full-time 

manager of Anderlecht. 

The 34-year-old joined the Belgian 

side in a player-manager role back in 

May 2019 but has now hung up his 

boots and will take on the full 

managerial role at the club. 

Reports in Belgium suggest that 

Kompany had a fall-out with comanager 

Frank Vercauteren with the 

two not sharing the same vision for 

the club. 

Anderlecht only achieved an eighthplaced 

finish in the Jupiler Pro League 

last season, as Kompany amassed 15 

league appearances, scoring once. 

Naples’ mayor expects 

Osimhen to ‘work magic’ 

Fans of Napoli are expecting the club’s record 

signing, Victor Osimhen to live up to his billings, 

when he laces his boots for the Italian Serie A side in 

the coming season. 

The mayor of Castel di Sangro in Naples, Angelo 

Caruso summed up the expectations of the City’s 

football fans during a Radio Kiss Kiss interview. 

“There is a lot of curiosity, the expectation is high. 

There are already many tourists from Campania who 

ask us questions, people are curious and eager to see a 

scenario that has never occurred in our territory and 

in general in the Center-South. 

“Osimhen? We can’t wait to see him at work. I hope 

that stadium doors will open for people, for people 

who dedicate an important part of their life to their 

favorite team.” 

The former Golden Eaglets star signed a five-year 

deal worth • 70m in July, after weeks of speculations 

and interests from several other clubs. He scored 18 

goals for Lille in the French Ligue 1, before the 

coronavirus pandemic forced the league to a stop. 

The 2020/21 Serie A season will start on September 

19. 

Shearer wanted as Newcastle manager 

THE Singaporean cousins trying to buy 

Newcastle want Toon legend Alan Shearer as 

manager. 

Terence and Nelson Loh head the Bellagraph 

Nova Group alongside businesswoman 

Evangeline Shen and believe they are at an 

advanced stage of buying out owner Mike Ashley. 

The investor group on Sunday 

said they had “enlisted the help of” 

Magpies hero Shearer. 

A BN Group insider claimed: 

“We’ve offered Alan the manager’s 

position, or whatever he would like 

to do in the club. 

“He has already accepted to 

work with us if our takeover goes 

through.” 

Shearer was unavailable for 

comment but the group said in a 

statement: “We are at an advanced 

stage of negotiation having 

already provided a Letter of Intent, 

as well as a Proof of Funds on 

August 10. 

“In addition to the engagement 

to Newcastle Football Club and 

community, we have enlisted the 

help of England captain Alan 

Shearer and former player 

Michael Chopra. 

“BN Group founders declared 

their willingness to massively 

Tyler Adams is unfazed at the 

prospect of facing Neymar, 

Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint- 

Germain in RB Leipzig’s UEFA 

Champions League semi-final 

today, hailing his team’s 

“fearless mentality and fearless 

coach” in Julian Nagelsmann. 

Adams was the surprise hero 

for Leipzig in the quarter-finals 

with his last-gasp strike to down 

Atletico Madrid with what his 

first goal for the club. 

Brazil international Neymar 

and France World Cup winner 

Mbappe were both instrumental 

in Thomas Tuchel’s French 

champions beating Atalanta in 

the quarter-finals, and while 

Adams respects the superstar 

contribute to the development of 

the club through their solid and 

international structure and a 

combined business/sport- devoting 

mindset.” 

Match of the Day pundit Shearer 

will not want to take pal Steve 

Bruce’s job at St James’ Park. 

The club’s 206-goal all-time top 

scorer had an ill-fated spell in 

charge in 2009, with Toon 

relegated after his eight-game 

reign. 

Silva will be immortalised 

with a STATUE 

Manchester City will build a statue of 

David Silva outside the Etihad to 

honour the Spanish playmaker’s 10-year 

career at the club. 

Widely accepted as one of the greatest 

players in City’s history, Silva’s final 

game was Saturday’s Champions 

League quarter-final defeat by Lyon in 

Lisbon. 

The club have commissioned a statue 

of Silva as well as dedicating a 

training pitch at the City Football 

Academy to him with a mosaic 

celebrating his role in the famous 

6-1 win over Manchester United in 

2011. 

The 34-year-old is being honoured 

with a sculpture at the stadium 

along with former captain Vincent 

Kompany. Both statues are 

expected to be unveiled next year. 

RB Leipzig don’t fear Neymar, 

Mbappe, says striker Adams 

duo’s abilities, he is by no means 

overawed. 

“I don’t think there’s a written 

game plan for how you can stop 

Neymar and Mbappe, but we’re 

confident in our defensive 

abilities. We’re confident in our 

team’s ability. We know we have 

to go out there and continue to 

play for each other because that’s 

what makes us so good. 

“This fearless mentality that 

our team has, being such a young 

team, we go into these games 

thinking we can win everything. 

Confidence is key in these types 

of moments, but going out there 

and being able to execute is huge 

as well.”




Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 2020 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

Across 

1 Eye make-up (7) 

5 Well done! (5) 

8 Arab country (5) 

9 Finger joint (7) 

10 Astonish (7) 

11 Exchanges (5) 

12 Talented (6) 

14 Delayed (4,2) 

18 Wash vigorously (5) 

20 Discernment (7) 

22 Heraldic creature (7) 

23 Considerable (5) 

24 Inuit canoe (5) 

25 Satisfied (7) 

Down 

1 Wild horse (7) 

2 Swagger (5) 

3 Generally (2,1,4) 

4 Japanese martial art (6) 

5 Feeling of sadness or depression (5) 

6 Causing inconvenience (7) 

7 Portents (5) 

13 Strengthen (7) 

15 Greek letter e (7) 

16 One requiring medical care (7) 

17 Alfresco meal (6) 

18 Jammed (5) 

19 Obstruct (5) 

21 Ravine (5) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

two of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

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18082020 - S-Kaduna leaders want money for peace, says El-Rufai

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