22092020 - S-Kaduna: No development without peace, unity— BUHARI
Vanguard Newspaper 22 September 2020
Vanguard Newspaper 22 September 2020
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8<br />
Buhari, Akufo-Addo meet in Aso Rock<br />
over protest by Nigerian traders in Ghana<br />
57% of Nigerian<br />
children under 5<br />
years have no<br />
Fuel crisis looms<br />
nationwide, as<br />
truck owners<br />
withdraw tankers<br />
Previous govts spent N8.9trn on<br />
birth certificates<br />
subsidy in 10 years — PPPRA 6<br />
13<br />
— NPC<br />
from roads<br />
LCCI pushes for immediate implementation of CAMA 2020<br />
6<br />
19<br />
VOL. 27: NO. 64163 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
S-<strong>Kaduna</strong>: <strong>No</strong> <strong>development</strong><br />
<strong>without</strong> <strong>peace</strong>, <strong>unity—</strong> <strong>BUHARI</strong><br />
•Cholera epidemic, hunger tear Boko Haram apart as 80 fighters defect from<br />
Shekau’s faction •Military alerted to planned joint ISWAP/defectors attacks<br />
on Baga town in Borno •Arewa youths claim bandits killed 11,000 in Zamfara<br />
Deduct at<br />
source, pay<br />
MDAs'<br />
electricity<br />
bills<br />
directly to<br />
DISCOs,<br />
KPMG tells<br />
FG 19<br />
UK appoints<br />
Damilola<br />
Ogunbiyi cochair<br />
of COP-<br />
26 summit<br />
11<br />
Crashed<br />
Quorum<br />
10<br />
Aviation<br />
helicopter<br />
had no fuel<br />
— AIB<br />
KADUNA ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT...<br />
From left, Jimi Lawal, Senior Adviser-Counsellor, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, SSG, Governor Nasir El-<br />
Rufai, Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe and Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, Chief of Staff to the<br />
Governor, at the opening ceremony of the fifth <strong>Kaduna</strong> Economic and Investment Summit (KADinvest)<br />
held virtually in <strong>Kaduna</strong>, yesterday.<br />
Why we lost Edo to<br />
5<br />
PDP, by APC chieftains<br />
•APC congratulates Obaseki, says it's victory for democracy•How<br />
2023 permutations ruined party’s chance •Buhari, Buni, Ganduje meet<br />
in Aso Rock •APC was going to win, I don’t know what happened, says<br />
El-Rufai •How Oshiomhole, Tinubu, cost APC, Ize-Iyamu dearly- Ojo<br />
ODUMAKIN 16<br />
TENIOLA 18<br />
COLUMNISTS DELE COLE 17<br />
See<br />
inside<br />
8<br />
Army<br />
commander<br />
killed in<br />
Boko<br />
Haram<br />
ambush<br />
8<br />
Naira<br />
appreciates<br />
to N464.5/$<br />
in parallel 26<br />
market<br />
Mr & Mrs
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 3
4— Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
Suspected<br />
yahoo boy<br />
crushes Okada<br />
operator,<br />
passenger to<br />
death in Delta<br />
By Paul Olayemi<br />
A<br />
commercial motorcycle<br />
operator, popularly known as<br />
Okada rider and his female<br />
passenger have been crushed to<br />
death by a suspected cyber criminal,<br />
known as yahoo boy, around Oton<br />
area of Gana, in Sapele, Delta State.<br />
The suspected yahoo boy driving<br />
a GKL Mercedes-Benz car was said<br />
to have absconded after he rammed<br />
his car into the commercial<br />
motorcycle operator.<br />
Vanguard gathered that the<br />
motorcycle rider died on the spot<br />
while his passenger was said to have<br />
died at the hospital where she was<br />
rushed to.<br />
An eyewitness told Vanguard:<br />
“The Mercedes-Benz car driver was<br />
on speed and after crushing the<br />
Okada man and his female<br />
passenger, the Okada man died on<br />
the spot while the injured woman<br />
was taken to hospital where she<br />
gave up the ghost”<br />
An official of the Federal Road<br />
Safety Commission, FRSC, in<br />
Sapele, who confirmed the incident,<br />
told Vanguard that the commission<br />
operatives had recovered the car<br />
and damaged motorcycle from the<br />
scene of the accident and the<br />
commission has also evacuated the<br />
remains of the late Okada rider to<br />
the Sapele Central Hospital<br />
morgue.<br />
Truck crushes<br />
Neigbourhood<br />
Watch official in<br />
Lagos<br />
By Evelyn Usman<br />
TRAGEDY struck, yesterday,<br />
along the Isolo- Egbe Road,<br />
after an official of the Lagos<br />
Neigbourhood Watch was<br />
crushed by a truck<br />
The deceased identified as<br />
Osunde Kelvin , 38, was riding a<br />
bicycle to resume his afternoon<br />
shift at Excel College, which the<br />
school building collapsed<br />
recently in Ejigbo area of Lagos.<br />
On reaching Powerline busstop,<br />
Ejigbo to negotiate a bend<br />
leading to his destination, a<br />
commercial bus hit the bicycle.<br />
In the process, he was flung into<br />
an oncoming truck with number<br />
plate FKJ 240 AN, which rammed<br />
over him. Efforts to save his life<br />
was fruitless as he reportedly died<br />
on the spot .<br />
An eyewitness, who expressed<br />
disappointment over the reactions<br />
of onlookers, said: "When the<br />
incident happened, no one made<br />
effort to arrest the driver of the LT<br />
bus that hit him. Rather, everyone<br />
was busy taking shot of the dead<br />
man on the floor, thereby creating<br />
an opportunity for driver of the<br />
LT bus to escape.<br />
"The truck driver also<br />
abandoned the vehicle and fled<br />
the scene. Policemen from Ejigbo<br />
division later arrived, covered the<br />
deceased with a white cloth and<br />
evacuated his remains. They also<br />
took the truck away. Kelvin’s<br />
mother died not too long, in an<br />
auto crash.”<br />
Gunmen kill police inspector in Aba, snatch<br />
his AK-47 rifle<br />
By Ugochukwu<br />
Alaribe & Eric Ugbor.<br />
UMUAHIA— Gunmen have<br />
shot dead a Police Inspector at<br />
Uratta in Aba <strong>No</strong>rth council area of<br />
the state and made away with his<br />
AK-47 rifle.<br />
The inspector, whose name was<br />
given as Emma, was said to have<br />
been transferred from Umuahia to<br />
Uratta Police Station about two<br />
months ago.<br />
A police source told Vanguard that<br />
the slain policeman was on his way<br />
to work last Friday at about 8 pm<br />
when he saw a man riding a<br />
motorcycle. He was alleged to have<br />
stopped and impounded the<br />
machine for an undisclosed reason.<br />
The source explained that the<br />
policeman was riding on the<br />
motorcycle to the Uratta police<br />
station when on approaching Chief<br />
Obi Street, he was attacked by three<br />
armed men.<br />
The hoodlums were said to have<br />
inflicted machete cuts on him and<br />
ripped his skull open in the process.<br />
After killing him, the hoodlums<br />
reportedly fled with his AK-47 rifle.<br />
However, luck ran out on one of<br />
them when he was going home<br />
after killing the policeman as some<br />
members of the local vigilante<br />
noticed blood stains on his cloth and<br />
arrested him. He was later handed<br />
over to the police.<br />
Vanguard gathered that during<br />
interrogation, the suspect admitted<br />
his involvement in the killing of the<br />
policeman.<br />
Operatives from state Police<br />
Command headquarters,<br />
Umuahia, were said to have, in the<br />
early hours of yesterday, raided a<br />
popular brothel within the Uratta<br />
area in search of the fleeing<br />
hoodlums, but no arrest was made.<br />
Also, on Sunday night the gang<br />
attacked a police team at Azikiwe<br />
PROTEST: People of Ugwunani-Abor community in Udi Local Government Area<br />
of Enugu State yesterday protesting alleged encroachment on their ancestral<br />
land by the Enugu State government.<br />
16-yr-old suspected cultist arrested with<br />
gun in Anambra school<br />
By Vincent Ujumadu<br />
AWKA—ANAMBRA State<br />
Police Command said,<br />
yesterday, that it arrested a 16-yearold<br />
suspected cultist in an Anambra<br />
school, while no fewer than 80<br />
others were arrested in various parts<br />
of the state this month.<br />
The 16-year old (name withheld)<br />
was arrested with a double barrel<br />
gun in his school compound at<br />
Igboukwu, Aguaata Local<br />
Government Area of the state.<br />
The command said the arrests<br />
were part of efforts to stem the tide<br />
of cultism and other nefarious<br />
activities in the state during this<br />
period of ember months.<br />
The state Police Public Relations<br />
Officer, Mr. Mohammed Haruna,<br />
said the command’s Special Anti-<br />
Cult Unit (SPACS) carried out the<br />
raids at various hideouts and black<br />
spots where suspected cultists were<br />
allegedly hibernating.<br />
He said while 15 suspects were<br />
arrested at Ogidi/Nkpor axis, six<br />
were arrested at Awka/Amansea<br />
axis.<br />
Similarly, five suspects were<br />
arrested at Onitsha/Nkpor axis,<br />
seven at Oba/Nnewi axis, six at<br />
Nsugbe/Nkwelle-Ezunaka axis,<br />
eight at Ogbunike/Abagana axis,<br />
four at Nawfia and another four at<br />
Nimo/Abagana axis.<br />
Others are 12 at Ifitedunu /<br />
Awkuzu axis, four at Amikwo, five<br />
at Nsugbe/3-3 axis and four at<br />
Ebenebe/Ugbenu axis.<br />
According to the PPRO, of the<br />
number, 40 had been charged to<br />
court, while 15 were screened and<br />
released unconditionally.<br />
He said five of the suspects were<br />
placed under police supervision for<br />
being underage, while 20 suspects<br />
confessed membership of cult<br />
groups.<br />
Items recovered from them<br />
include two pump action guns, 10<br />
machetes , five axes, two daggers,<br />
three barrettes, one double barrel<br />
gun, two locally made pistol and<br />
three live cartridges.<br />
The state Commissioner of Police,<br />
Mr. John Abang, commended<br />
Anambra people for providing the<br />
command with actionable<br />
intelligence and reassured the<br />
public of adequate protection.<br />
MRA condemns continued detention<br />
of journalist, Ime Silas, demands his<br />
immediate release<br />
MEDIA Rights Agenda, MRA,<br />
yesterday, condemned the<br />
continued detention of Mr. Ime<br />
Silas, an editor with the privatelyowned<br />
Global Concord newspaper<br />
and publisher of the news website,<br />
The Profile.<br />
The group accused the Akwa<br />
Ibom State government of<br />
incrementally damaging Nigeria’s<br />
human rights record just to satisfy<br />
political egos and called for the<br />
immediate release of the journalist<br />
from custody.<br />
A statement by MRA’s<br />
Programme Officer, Mr. John<br />
Gbadamosi, recalled that “Mr. Silas<br />
was arrested on August 17, 2020 in<br />
Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, for<br />
publishing a report entitled<br />
“Exposed: Okobo PDP Chapter<br />
Chair links Gov Udom’s Wife with<br />
the Plot to Blackmail Deputy<br />
Speaker.”<br />
He was accused of cyberstalking<br />
allegedly in violation of Section 24<br />
of the Cybercrime (Prohibition,<br />
Prevention, etc) Act of 2015.<br />
“On August 18, Mr. Silas was<br />
charged before a magistrate's court<br />
and denied bail. His lawyers filed<br />
another bail application on August<br />
24, which was granted on September<br />
10. Despite having been granted<br />
bail, Mr. Silas has remained in police<br />
custody since his arrest.<br />
“Mr. Silas’ detention after the<br />
court has granted him bail<br />
demonstrates the lengths to which<br />
authorities are willing to go to silence<br />
journalists who are unwilling to<br />
dance to their tune. We strongly<br />
condemn such arrogant violation of<br />
the constitution and careless<br />
disregard for the rights of a citizen.<br />
“The arrest and detention of Mr.<br />
Silas are in breach of Nigeria’s<br />
international treaty obligations,<br />
particularly Article 66(2)(c) of the<br />
Revised ECOWAS Treaty, in which<br />
Nigeria, as a Member State of the<br />
Economic Community of West<br />
African States, agrees to co-operate<br />
with other member states in the area<br />
of information and undertakes to<br />
'ensure respect for the rights of<br />
journalists.<br />
"Such arrest, detention and<br />
prosecution of journalists have been<br />
adjudged by the African Court of<br />
Human and People’s Rights to be a<br />
violation of the Revised ECOWAS<br />
Treaty in its binding judgment in<br />
the case of Lohe Issa Konate v<br />
Burkina Faso, delivered on<br />
December 5, 2014.<br />
“The arraignment of Mr. Silas for<br />
cyberstalking is offensive because<br />
the magistrate's court before which<br />
he was charged clearly has no<br />
jurisdiction to try the journalist for<br />
the offence of cyberstalking under<br />
the Cybercrime Act as it is the<br />
Federal High Court that is given<br />
such jurisdiction by the Law. "<br />
Road by Asa Road junction by 9pm,<br />
injuring a mobile police officer, while<br />
police reportedly shot two of the<br />
gang members dead.<br />
Contacted, Abia State Police Public<br />
Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey<br />
Ogbonna, who confirmed the killing<br />
of the inspector also said one of the<br />
suspects linked to the killing had<br />
been arrested and currently in<br />
police custody.<br />
DISCO agent<br />
drugs 14-yr-old<br />
girl with 200ml<br />
tramadol, rapes<br />
her<br />
The suspect.<br />
By Evelyn Usman<br />
A<br />
staff of one of the nation’s<br />
electricity distribution<br />
companies, DISCOs, has been<br />
arrested by the Police in Lagos for<br />
allegedly drugging and defiling a<br />
14-year-old girl in Ejigbo area of<br />
Lagos.<br />
The suspect (name withheld),<br />
had gone to install prepaid meters<br />
for some residents of Akinwunmi<br />
Street, Ile-Epo area of Ejigbo, when<br />
he met the victim (names withheld)<br />
who was trying to recharge her<br />
parent’s prepaid meter.<br />
The 17-year-old suspect offered<br />
to assist her but ended up taking her<br />
to the DISCO’s Okota branch where<br />
the recharge was done.<br />
However, on their way back, he<br />
reportedly took the girl to a hotel at<br />
Jakande gate, where he allegedly<br />
drugged her drink and raped her.<br />
During interrogation, he disclosed<br />
that he drugged her with 200<br />
milligrams of tramadol.<br />
According to him, “I offered to go<br />
and recharge their meter but her<br />
grandmother asked her to follow me.<br />
On our way back, I bought her a bottle<br />
of soft drink. But before giving it to<br />
her, I went to the hotel where I<br />
dropped 200 milligrams of tramadol<br />
inside. I took her to the hotel where I<br />
paid N2,500 and had sex with her.<br />
“She slept for too long because of<br />
the drug and by the time she woke<br />
up, it was late. When she got home,<br />
they asked what kept her long and<br />
in the process beat her to extract the<br />
truth from her. That was how she<br />
opened up.<br />
“I have never committed such a<br />
crime in my life. This is the first time.<br />
I used tramadol to sleep because of<br />
the noise of the power generating<br />
sets in my compound every night.<br />
My intention was never to end up<br />
in this type of trouble.<br />
"I dropped out of school two years<br />
ago because my mother, a widow,<br />
didn’t have money to pay for my<br />
WASSCE. I started installing prepaid<br />
meters and was paid N1,000<br />
commission. I have been saving the<br />
money to enroll for the WASSCE. My<br />
mother is working as a maid to keep<br />
the family going.”<br />
Spokesman for Lagos State Police<br />
Command, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi,<br />
confirmed the arrest.
vanguardnews<br />
@vanguardnews<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 5<br />
NEWS HOTLINES<br />
018773962,<br />
POCKET CARTOON<br />
@vanguardnews 08052867058<br />
COMMISSIONING—Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar,<br />
commissioning the 2 blocks of 48 rooms at the Nigerian Air Force Investment<br />
Limited Hostels in <strong>Kaduna</strong>, yesterday. Photo: NAN.<br />
Why we lost Edo to PDP,<br />
by APC chieftains<br />
By Clifford Ndujihe, Dayo Johnson, Henry<br />
Umoru Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Johnbosco<br />
Agbakwuru, Omeiza Ajayi, Dirisu Yakubu,<br />
Chinonso Alozie, Ugochukwu Alaribe, & President<br />
James Ogunnaike<br />
LAGOS — High wire<br />
political intrigues by<br />
some chieftains of<br />
the ruling All Progressives<br />
Congress, APC, with<br />
regards to who picks its<br />
presidential ticket in 2023<br />
may have contributed<br />
greatly to its dismal outing<br />
in last Saturday’s<br />
governorship election in<br />
Edo State, Vanguard has<br />
learned.<br />
Party leaders yesterday<br />
lamented APC’s loss of its<br />
only foothold in the South-<br />
South, with Governor Nasir<br />
el-Rufai of <strong>Kaduna</strong> State<br />
saying that three weeks to<br />
the poll, the party was<br />
primed to win but the<br />
unexpected happened on<br />
Saturday.<br />
A member of the Board of<br />
Trustees of the APC, Prince<br />
Benjamin Apugo,<br />
attributed the party’s loss<br />
to internal wranglings.<br />
A chieftain of the party,<br />
Jackson Lekan Ojo,<br />
fingered what he called the<br />
overbearing influence of<br />
former APC National<br />
Chairman, Comrade<br />
Adams Oshiomhole, and<br />
National Leader, Asiwaju<br />
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the<br />
Edo fiasco in which<br />
Governor Godwin Obaseki<br />
of the Peoples Democratic<br />
Party, PDP polled 307,955<br />
votes to beat Pastor Osagie<br />
Ize-Iyamu of the APC, who<br />
got 223,619 votes.<br />
A member of APC<br />
Caretaker/Extraordinary<br />
National Convention<br />
Planning Committee,<br />
Ismail Ahmed, who blamed<br />
APC governors, said the<br />
party would do a review to<br />
know exactly what<br />
happened in Edo.<br />
Meanwhile, torrents of<br />
salutations continued to<br />
pour in for Obaseki,<br />
yesterday, with former<br />
Olusegun<br />
Obasanjo, and former<br />
Senate President, David<br />
Mark, urging the governor<br />
to be magnanimous in<br />
victory to douse tension<br />
and continue to keep Edo<br />
on the path of growth.<br />
APC congratulates<br />
Obaseki, says election<br />
not warfare<br />
The ruling All<br />
Progressives Congress,<br />
APC, has congratulated<br />
Governor Godwin<br />
Obaseki of Edo State on<br />
his re-election as<br />
governor of the state, last<br />
Saturday.<br />
Chairman, Caretaker/<br />
Extraordinary National<br />
Convention Planning<br />
Committee of the party<br />
and Yobe State Governor,<br />
Mai Mala Buni, in a<br />
statement issued in<br />
Damaturu, described the<br />
election as victory for<br />
democracy.<br />
The statement which<br />
was titled: ‘State<br />
Governorship Election:<br />
Victory for Democracy’<br />
reads; “The September<br />
19, 2020 Edo State<br />
Governorship election is<br />
over, the winner has<br />
been declared by the<br />
Independent National<br />
Electoral Commission,<br />
INEC, in the person of<br />
Mr. Obaseki, candidate<br />
of the Peoples<br />
Democratic Party, PDP.<br />
We hereby congratulate<br />
the winner of the<br />
election, the people of<br />
Edo State and all<br />
Nigerians. The <strong>peace</strong>ful<br />
conduct of the election<br />
and its outcome<br />
represent victory for<br />
Nigeria’s democracy.<br />
“As a party, we join our<br />
leader, President<br />
Muhammadu Buhar to<br />
affirm our ‘commitment<br />
to free and fair elections’<br />
in order to strengthen<br />
‘the foundation for our<br />
political and moral<br />
authority’. We commend<br />
INEC, our security<br />
agencies and all political<br />
parties that contested<br />
the election for the<br />
successful conduct of the<br />
election. As a governing<br />
party, we will take every<br />
step necessary to<br />
support the Federal<br />
Government to<br />
consolidate all the gains<br />
achieved.<br />
“We, in particular want<br />
to salute our candidate in<br />
the election, Pastor<br />
Osagie Ize-Iyamu for his<br />
tenacity and leadership.<br />
We similarly commend<br />
our Edo State leaders,<br />
especially our immediate<br />
past National Chairman,<br />
Comrade Adams<br />
Oshiomhole and all our<br />
members in Edo State for<br />
demonstrating<br />
unwavering support for<br />
our party and our<br />
candidate in the<br />
election. In the face of all<br />
the challenges, we<br />
collectively remained<br />
faithful and worked<br />
tirelessly during the<br />
campaigns. We appeal to<br />
all our members to be<br />
strengthened by the<br />
outcome of the election<br />
and unite in order to<br />
correct all the problems<br />
that worked against our<br />
party and our candidate<br />
in the just concluded<br />
election.<br />
“Finally, we specially<br />
hereby celebrate our Edo<br />
State 2020 Governorship<br />
Campaign Council led<br />
by His Excellency Dr.<br />
Abdullahi Umar<br />
Ganduje, Governor of<br />
Kano State. We<br />
acknowledge and<br />
appreciate the<br />
contributions of all<br />
members of the<br />
Campaign Council. As<br />
progressives and<br />
democrats, we are<br />
confident that all leaders<br />
and members of the party<br />
will celebrate the<br />
outcome of the election<br />
as free and fair as<br />
acknowledge by our<br />
leader, President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari.<br />
“Let us unite to move<br />
our democracy for<br />
forward. We must put an<br />
end to the era when<br />
electoral contest become<br />
warfare. We urge our<br />
candidate and all our<br />
members to join us in<br />
congratulating Mr.<br />
Godwin Obaseki and the<br />
PDP, being the declared<br />
winner of the election.<br />
Our attention must now<br />
shift to Ondo State and<br />
ensure that we win the<br />
October 10, 2020<br />
election. September 19,<br />
2020 Edo election should<br />
present a new<br />
watershed. We will work<br />
hard to win the Ondo<br />
election. Having<br />
reaffirmed our<br />
commitment to free and<br />
fair elections, it is our<br />
expectation that all<br />
opposition parties in the<br />
country will also commit<br />
themselves to free and<br />
fair contests. We will<br />
therefore accordingly<br />
expect congratulatory<br />
message from all parties<br />
just as we similarly<br />
guarantee that once we<br />
are defeated in a fair<br />
contest, we will<br />
congratulate<br />
winner."<br />
Chairman of the party,<br />
Comrade Adams<br />
Oshiomhole, was part of<br />
what played out last<br />
Saturday in Edo.<br />
One of them who had<br />
predicted that the ruling<br />
party was going to lose the<br />
election based on<br />
happenings in the party,<br />
said “the Edo election was<br />
essentially a contest<br />
between the <strong>No</strong>rth and the<br />
Continues on Page 26<br />
By Bose Adelaja,<br />
&<br />
Olayinka Latona<br />
the<br />
2023<br />
permutations<br />
Multiple party sources<br />
told Vanguard that<br />
permutations ahead of the<br />
2023 presidential election<br />
which led to the ouster of<br />
the erstwhile National<br />
On US, UK decision to place visa ban on election riggers (2)<br />
The UK and US<br />
governments' threat<br />
of visa ban, asset seizure<br />
and prosecution under<br />
international law, of those<br />
involved in electoral<br />
malpractice, is a good<br />
move. It will bring sanity<br />
to our electoral system. <strong>No</strong><br />
politician will want to lose<br />
his assets overseas or be<br />
denied visas. It will expose<br />
and shame those involved<br />
in electoral malpractice.<br />
—Bankole Akinselure,<br />
Political Activist<br />
The visa ban placed on<br />
election riggers is a<br />
welcome <strong>development</strong>. It<br />
will deter politicians and<br />
those who seek to govern<br />
people from engaging in<br />
election rigging.<br />
Henceforth, we might see<br />
election outcomes being<br />
determined by the people,<br />
not aspirants forcing their<br />
way into office through vile<br />
and dangerous means.<br />
—Oluwafemi Omorege,<br />
Social commentator<br />
The UK and US<br />
placing a ban on<br />
election riggers would<br />
create fear in the minds<br />
those having such<br />
intention and it will<br />
improve the country’s<br />
rating in the international<br />
community when it comes<br />
to elections. Penalties like<br />
this should be<br />
implemented more to<br />
reduce rigging of elections.<br />
—Adebayo Ismail,<br />
Digital Marketer<br />
T<br />
his decision is the<br />
best for the<br />
betterment of our country<br />
and we should appreciate<br />
the UK and US<br />
governments. With these<br />
threats in place, all forms<br />
of electoral malpractice<br />
will be eradicated. Also,<br />
political thugs who believe<br />
election rigging is the only<br />
way to make ends meet,<br />
will no longer have jobs.<br />
—Adegoke Emmanuel,<br />
Cinematographer<br />
Nigeria has been of great<br />
interest to the<br />
international community due<br />
to corrupt practices of which<br />
election rigging is one. This<br />
decision by the UK and US is<br />
laudable in that it will make<br />
key players in Nigeria’s<br />
electoral process to respect the<br />
system. Credibility should be<br />
the hallmark of elections in a<br />
country where democracy is<br />
the system of government in<br />
operation.<br />
—Francis Adegbola,<br />
Corps member<br />
The visa ban is a<br />
welcome <strong>development</strong>.<br />
It will deter forces that try to<br />
undermine our nascent<br />
democracy. I think the ban<br />
should also include family<br />
members and friends of those<br />
election riggers. Secondly,<br />
their assets in those foreign<br />
countries should be seized<br />
and stiffer penalties meted out<br />
on them; only then can we<br />
salvage our country from their<br />
hands.<br />
—Usoh John,<br />
Civil Servant
6 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
LECTURE—From left: Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Chairman, 2020 Kingsweek Planning Committee;<br />
Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser; Leke Oshunniyi, Deputy president, King's<br />
College Old Boys' Association, KCOBA; Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, President, KCOBA; Olumide<br />
Akpata, President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA; Andrew Agada, Principal, King's College,<br />
Lagos, and Sonny Echono, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, during the<br />
KCOBA 111th Annual Founders' Day Lecture, with the theme: 'Education: The Way Forward',<br />
held in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.<br />
Fuel crisis looms nationwide, as truck<br />
owners withdraw tankers from roads<br />
By Michael Eboh<br />
NIGERIA Association of<br />
Road Transport Owners,<br />
NARTO, yesterday, ordered<br />
all its members to withdraw<br />
trucks, especially petrol<br />
tankers nationwide today and<br />
tomorrow.<br />
NARTO's directive was in<br />
protest to the order of the Federal<br />
Government, banning<br />
tankers with 45,000-litre capacity<br />
from lifting petroleum<br />
products in the country.<br />
The transporters are also<br />
issuing a 10-day strike notice<br />
to the Federal Government,<br />
effective September 24, 2020,<br />
over the issue.<br />
Addressing newsmen in<br />
Abuja, National President of<br />
NARTO, Yusuf Othman, stated<br />
that the leadership of the<br />
association, received with<br />
grave shock the recent government's<br />
decision to place<br />
immediate ban on all petroleum<br />
trucks above 45,000 litres<br />
capacity from plying Nigerian<br />
roads.<br />
Othman claimed that the<br />
Federal Government did not<br />
consult with transport owners<br />
before taking the decision,<br />
adding that the government<br />
also did not give them ample<br />
time to prepare for implementation<br />
of the policy.<br />
NARTO is the umbrella organization<br />
of all commercial<br />
vehicle owners in Nigeria,<br />
engaged in the haulage of<br />
petroleum products, general<br />
cargoes, and movement of<br />
goods and passengers within<br />
the country and the West-African<br />
sub-region. Othman described<br />
the sudden ban as<br />
highly insensitive and unappreciative<br />
of the efforts and<br />
contributions of NARTO<br />
members as businessmen and<br />
investors in the very critical<br />
and sensitive distribution and<br />
supply chains of petroleum<br />
products across the country.<br />
He also warned that if these<br />
trucks with 45,000-litres capacity<br />
are withdrawn suddenly<br />
and promptly as being demanded<br />
by the government’s<br />
decision, it would create another<br />
side effect of avoidable<br />
unemployment, especially as<br />
it is estimated that more than<br />
40,000 drivers/drivers mate<br />
and artisans would lose their<br />
jobs.<br />
He said: "For the records,<br />
we wish to state very strongly<br />
that our members are already<br />
discouraged and distressed,<br />
even with the fact that the<br />
transport sector which is one<br />
of the sectors that are worst<br />
hit by the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
because of the total restriction<br />
of movement, the federal<br />
government refused to extend<br />
some intervention to the sector<br />
as done to many sectors of<br />
the economy, including aviation,<br />
agriculture and others.<br />
"In the light of the foregoing<br />
and the fact that we understand<br />
the reasons behind government's<br />
decision, we equally<br />
demand that government<br />
should be more empathetic<br />
and sensitive to the plight of<br />
our members and the very<br />
harsh economic situation of<br />
the time by giving us ample<br />
time to source for money to<br />
re-engineer all affected trucks<br />
and operations accordingly.<br />
"We can assure you that<br />
none of the major transport<br />
companies across the country<br />
can continue any form of operations<br />
with this policy within<br />
this short time frame.<br />
"In view of the above, we are,<br />
therefore, constrained to allow<br />
the decision of all our members<br />
to park their trucks as<br />
from tomorrow (today) to 23rd<br />
September, 2020, prevail as<br />
warning, and furthermore, issue<br />
10 days ultimatum with<br />
effect from September 24,<br />
2020, for a full blown withdrawal<br />
of service.<br />
"If such scenarios occur, we<br />
earnestly plead with those who<br />
will lose employment, income<br />
and general public that will<br />
be negatively affected by this<br />
avoidable situation."<br />
He clarified that the leadership<br />
of NARTO was not in any<br />
way against the decision of the<br />
federal government to ban the<br />
use of truck with more than<br />
45,000 litres capacity in the<br />
conveyance of petroleum<br />
products, considering the dilapidated<br />
state of Nigerian<br />
roads but was particularly<br />
concerned about the sudden<br />
and prompt nature of the ban.<br />
"We consider the approach<br />
to be highly insensitive to the<br />
huge investments the Owners<br />
of these trucks have made and<br />
debts they incurred in executing<br />
the mandate given by previous<br />
administration.<br />
This move by the government<br />
will definitely be counterproductive<br />
considering the<br />
fact that sudden withdrawal<br />
of these trucks will impact<br />
heavily and negatively on the<br />
operations of our members<br />
and the withdrawal will also<br />
create heavy gaps in the supply<br />
and distribution chain<br />
bearing in mind the fact that<br />
NARTO, being the owners of<br />
these trucks, are integral part<br />
of the supply and distribution<br />
of petroleum products across<br />
the nation," he argued.<br />
NCC to usher in new pricing regime for<br />
mobile international termination rate<br />
•Commences cost-based study to determine new rate<br />
By Emmanuel<br />
Elebeke<br />
ABUJA — The Nigerian<br />
Communications<br />
Commission, NCC, has embarked<br />
on a cost-based study<br />
to set the new pricing regime<br />
for mobile international termination<br />
rate, ITR, for inbound<br />
international voice<br />
calls in the country. The ITR<br />
is the rate paid to local operators<br />
by international operators<br />
to terminate calls in Nigeria.<br />
As part of the process for the<br />
rate determination, the commission<br />
has organised a virtual<br />
stakeholders' engagement<br />
forum with relevant industry<br />
stakeholders to intimate<br />
them with the ongoing<br />
cost-based study and the need<br />
to cooperate with Messrs Payday<br />
Advance and Support<br />
Services Limited, the consultants<br />
engaged to carry out the<br />
study.<br />
Addressing the stakeholders<br />
in Abuja, the Executive Vice<br />
Chairman of NCC, Prof.<br />
Umar Danbatta, said the<br />
study has become imperative,<br />
following the various implementation<br />
constraints arising<br />
from contending industry and<br />
market dynamics that met<br />
previous efforts at finding an<br />
optimum price for the termination<br />
of international voice<br />
services in Nigeria. Danbatta,<br />
who was represented at the<br />
forum by the Executive Commissioner,<br />
Stakeholder Management,<br />
NCC, Adeleke Adewolu,<br />
said through the new<br />
ITR pricing, the commission<br />
would be able to balance the<br />
competing objectives of economic<br />
efficiency, allowing<br />
operators the latitude to generate<br />
reasonable revenue.<br />
The EVC, however, explained<br />
that in 2013, the commission<br />
issued a determination<br />
stating that mobile termination<br />
rate, MTR, were the<br />
same, irrespective of where the<br />
call originated, a clause he<br />
said was largely misconstrued<br />
by operators at that time to<br />
mean that ITR should be the<br />
same rate as the MTR.<br />
He said this led to operators<br />
ignoring the international<br />
cost portion, where ITRs<br />
were agreed at MTR level,<br />
<strong>without</strong> a positive residual to<br />
cover the costs of the international<br />
leg for local operators.<br />
“As a result of this, the ITRs<br />
continued to decline, in line<br />
with the MTR glide path and<br />
as the ITR was set in Naira, it<br />
suffered a further downward<br />
slide in dollar terms, following<br />
currency devaluation.<br />
''Ironically, Nigerian operators<br />
paid the international<br />
operators in dollars to deliver<br />
international calls which created<br />
an imbalance of payments<br />
as the ITR in Nigeria<br />
declined,” he said.<br />
Danbatta said Nigerian operators’<br />
profitability and<br />
commercial results were negatively<br />
affected as a result,<br />
putting Nigeria’s ITR below<br />
that of most countries with<br />
which it makes and receives<br />
the most calls, thereby making<br />
Nigerian operators perpetual<br />
net payers.<br />
Danbatta said: “This has,<br />
therefore, led to undue pressure<br />
on the nation’s foreign<br />
reserves, which continue to get<br />
depleted by associated net<br />
transfers to foreign operators<br />
on account of this lop-sidedness,<br />
hence the need for Nigeria,<br />
with volatile currencies,<br />
to regulate the ITR to prevent<br />
or mitigate the imbalance of<br />
payments with international<br />
operators.<br />
Buhari asks <strong>Kaduna</strong> to surpass<br />
investment achievements<br />
•As USAID, KDSG sign MoU to drive<br />
economic devt in <strong>Kaduna</strong><br />
Previous administrations<br />
spent N8.9trn on subsidy in<br />
10 years —PPPRA<br />
By Michael Eboh<br />
ABUJA — THE Petroleum<br />
Products Pricing<br />
Regulatory Agency, PPPRA,<br />
yesterday, stated that N8.9 trillion<br />
was spent on fuel subsidy<br />
by the Federal Government,<br />
mainly by previous administrations,<br />
between 2006 and<br />
2015.<br />
According to data released<br />
to support the need for deregulation<br />
of the downstream<br />
petroleum industry, the PP-<br />
PRA stated that the bulk of the<br />
sum was expended between<br />
2011 and 2015, where N6.7<br />
trillion, representing 74.8 percent<br />
of the total was spent on<br />
subsidy.<br />
Giving a breakdown of the<br />
figure, the PPPRA stated that<br />
N257.36 billion, N271.51 billion,<br />
N630.57 billion,<br />
N409.31 billion and N667.08<br />
billion were spent on fuel subsidy<br />
in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009<br />
and 2010, while in 2011,<br />
2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015,<br />
fuel subsidy gulped N2.1 trillion,<br />
N1.35 trillion, N1.32 trillion,<br />
N1.22 trillion and<br />
N653.51 billion.<br />
Minister of State for Petroleum<br />
Resources, Timipre Sylva,<br />
had stated that the Federal<br />
Government is not currently<br />
in a position, financially, to<br />
pay subsidy, as the COVID-<br />
19 pandemic had impacted<br />
By Ibrahim<br />
Hassan-Wuyo<br />
ABUJA—President Mu<br />
hammadu Buhari has<br />
asked both domestic and foreign<br />
investments worth about<br />
$800 million since 2015, with<br />
investors pledging a further<br />
$2.1billion.<br />
In his good will message,<br />
President Buhari noted that<br />
KADINVEST had become a<br />
respected fixture on the investment<br />
calendar held annually<br />
since 2016.’<br />
He said: ‘’It is a fitting statement<br />
of the resilience of the<br />
<strong>Kaduna</strong> State Government<br />
that it is able to host the 2020<br />
edition amidst the severe disruptions<br />
to the normal order<br />
caused by COVID-19.<br />
''This is the sort of determined<br />
focus that can help the<br />
country to navigate the challenging<br />
consequences of the<br />
pandemic.''<br />
Buhari commended the<br />
efforts of <strong>Kaduna</strong> State government<br />
in establishing its<br />
credentials as the investment<br />
destination of choice in Nigeria.<br />
‘’These efforts have received<br />
just recognition in the response<br />
of the business community<br />
which has put in new<br />
investments in the state.It is<br />
hardly a surprise that <strong>Kaduna</strong><br />
State has emerged as the<br />
leading destination for foreign<br />
direct investment within<br />
Nigeria.<br />
‘’This is a further affirmation<br />
of the ranking of the state<br />
as Number One for Ease of<br />
Doing Business by the World<br />
Bank’s Doing Business Report<br />
2018. I call on the <strong>Kaduna</strong><br />
State Government to keep up<br />
these laudable efforts and surpass<br />
the impressive results<br />
already attained,’’ he said.<br />
It will be recalled that the<br />
maiden edition of KADIN-<br />
VEST was held from April 6-<br />
7, with the theme: ‘’Let’s Move<br />
<strong>Kaduna</strong> into the Global Economy.’’<br />
El-Rufai, who gave an overview<br />
of what the previous<br />
summits have achieved, said:<br />
‘’<strong>Kaduna</strong> has faced fiscal<br />
headwinds as a result of COV-<br />
ID-19 pandemic, with several<br />
mitigating strategies aimed at<br />
repositioning the state to maintain<br />
solvency and emerge stronger<br />
post- pandemic.’’<br />
According to him, KADIN-<br />
VEST attracted 25 local and foreign<br />
investments worth $500<br />
million.<br />
‘’The summit also facilitated<br />
investments through the creation<br />
of a one-stop shop and operationalising<br />
of the ease of doing<br />
business charter, to break<br />
down barriers to investments and<br />
expansion of the fiscal space,’’<br />
he added.<br />
El-Rufai said further that the<br />
second edition of the summit witnessed<br />
the launching of <strong>Kaduna</strong><br />
State Development Plan,<br />
SDP, and ‘Sector Implementation<br />
Plan, SIP, as a vehicle to achieving<br />
SDP through annual budgeting<br />
framework.’’<br />
‘’The Ease of Doing Business<br />
charter, Bus Rapid Transit(BRT)<br />
system, the Eyes and Ears Citizens<br />
Engagement platform were<br />
all launched at KADINVEST,’’<br />
he added.<br />
According to him, a three-year<br />
Memorandum<br />
of<br />
Understand(MoU) with the<br />
United States Agency for International<br />
Development(USAID),<br />
to help drive the economic <strong>development</strong><br />
of the state was<br />
signed at the event.<br />
negatively on the country’s finances.<br />
Sylva had also told newsmen<br />
in Abuja, that since the<br />
introduction of the deregulation<br />
policy in March 2020, the<br />
country had saved about N1<br />
trillion.<br />
Sylva noted that the deregulation<br />
of the downstream<br />
petroleum sector and the removal<br />
of subsidy was not a<br />
political decision, but had<br />
become inevitable, especially<br />
with the effect of the COV-<br />
ID-19 pandemic, the low<br />
crude oil prices and curtailing<br />
of Nigeria’s production<br />
output by OPEC, which had<br />
constrained government’s<br />
revenue.<br />
He said: “It became necessary<br />
that the country cannot<br />
sustain subsidy payments,<br />
hence the decision to deregulate.<br />
Government has stopped<br />
subsidizing petrol at the<br />
pump, but will now play its<br />
traditional role of protecting<br />
consumers from exploitation,<br />
by ensuring that marketers do<br />
not profiteer at the expense of<br />
ordinary Nigerians and consumers<br />
of the product.<br />
"We are no longer in the business<br />
of fixing prices; we have<br />
stepped back and allowed<br />
market forces to determine<br />
the prices. Henceforth, if<br />
crude oil price goes up or<br />
down, it would reflect at the<br />
pumps."
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 7
8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
Buhari, Akufo-Addo meet in<br />
Aso Rock over protest by<br />
Nigerian traders in Ghana<br />
By Johnbosco<br />
Agbakwuru<br />
A<br />
B U J A —<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
Muhammadu Buhari and his<br />
Ghanaian counterpart, Nana<br />
Akufo-Addo, met behind closeddoors<br />
late Sunday night at the<br />
Presidential Villa, Abuja.<br />
Although details of the<br />
meeting which was made public<br />
at about 11:36pm on Sunday by<br />
the Personal Assistant to the<br />
President on New Media, Bashir<br />
Ahmad, on his Twitter handle<br />
were not made public, Vanguard<br />
learned it may be due to the<br />
brewing duplomatic row between<br />
the two West African countries,<br />
occasioned by the maltreatment<br />
of Nigerian traders in that<br />
country.<br />
Bashir Ahmad had in his<br />
Twitter handle said: “President<br />
@MBuhari receives Ghanaian<br />
President H.E. @NAkufoAddo<br />
tonight in his official residence at<br />
the State House, Abuja.”<br />
The Presidential aide did not<br />
elaborate on the purpose of the<br />
meeting, but only posted a picture<br />
of both presidents on a walk.<br />
Recall that Vice President Yemi<br />
Osinbajo had recently addressed<br />
the Nigerian community in<br />
Ghana on the sideline of the<br />
extraordinary session of the<br />
Economic Community of West<br />
African States, ECOWAS, in<br />
Accra, the nation’s capital.<br />
The meeting, which held at the<br />
official residence of the Nigerian<br />
High Commissioner to Ghana<br />
was focused on the challenges<br />
facing Nigerians living in the<br />
West African nation, including the<br />
locking of hundreds of Nigerianowned<br />
shops.<br />
Responding to the issues raised<br />
by leaders of the Nigerian<br />
community at the meeting,<br />
especially the maltreatment of<br />
Nigerians by Ghanaian<br />
authorities, Osinbajo strongly<br />
affirmed the commitment of the<br />
Federal Government to deal with<br />
the issues, assuring them of<br />
justice.<br />
A statement issued by the<br />
Senior Special Assistant to the<br />
President on Media and<br />
Publicity, Office of the Vice<br />
President had quoted Prof.<br />
Osinbajo as saying: “I will<br />
certainly convey the depth of<br />
your grievances to the President.<br />
‘’I am sure he will be deeply<br />
disturbed to hear that despite the<br />
assurances that he had received<br />
(from the Ghanaian<br />
government) there are still<br />
problems and complications,<br />
many of which have been<br />
discussed at the highest levels<br />
with assurances of resolutions<br />
given.”<br />
He explained that the delay in<br />
resolving the issues might be due<br />
to bureaucratic bottlenecks<br />
which is generally a drag on<br />
government activities.<br />
He said: “I look forward to<br />
getting the details and making<br />
sure that we are able to begin to<br />
resolve some of these issues as<br />
quickly as possible.<br />
“But I think you must also<br />
recognize that generally<br />
speaking, governments tend to<br />
be very slow, processes are slow,<br />
bureaucracies are slow, but we<br />
will make sure that we do the<br />
very best we can to get you your<br />
rights, so that at least you are<br />
dealt with justly.”<br />
Referring to efforts made in the<br />
past and even recently to resolve<br />
the crisis, the Vice President said:<br />
“I have followed closely<br />
<strong>development</strong>s here, and many of<br />
the incidents that you have<br />
described, I am already very<br />
familiar with. As a matter of fact,<br />
the President had asked that a<br />
review of all that had taken place<br />
be done.<br />
“There have been direct<br />
communications between our<br />
President and President Akufo-<br />
Addo. Our President has spoken<br />
to him about this, he has made a<br />
formal complaint to him, and that<br />
conversation has been going on.<br />
What the Ghanaian government<br />
pledged to do, on three occasions,<br />
was that the shops will be<br />
reopened. I am a bit surprised<br />
that it has not taken place<br />
because my understanding was<br />
that, that was going to be done.''<br />
Army commander killed in Boko<br />
Haram ambush<br />
THE Nigerian Army has<br />
announced the death of<br />
Colonel D. C. Bako, commander<br />
of the 25 Task Force Brigade, who<br />
was killed by Boko Haram<br />
insurgents in Borno State.<br />
Ado Isa, spokesman of the<br />
army’s Operation Lafiya Dole,<br />
said the colonel died from injuries<br />
sustained after his patrol team<br />
was ambushed by the<br />
insurgents.<br />
In a statement yesterday, Isa<br />
said the late officer was already<br />
recuperating at the hospital<br />
where he was being treated<br />
before he passed away earlier in<br />
the day.<br />
He did not state if there were<br />
other casualties in the ambush<br />
which happened after an<br />
onslaught on the insurgents.<br />
The army spokesman said:<br />
“Operation Lafiya Dole wishes to<br />
announce the demise of one of<br />
our gallant and finest war heroes,<br />
Colonel DC Bako.<br />
“The professional senior officer,<br />
who always at the frontline led a<br />
patrol to clear Boko Haram<br />
Terrorists from Sabon Gari-<br />
Wajiroko axis near Damboa when<br />
his patrol team entered an<br />
ambush at about 10 a.m Sunday,<br />
20 September, 2020.<br />
“Under his able leadership, the<br />
troops cleared the ambush<br />
resulting to the killing of scores<br />
of terrorists and recovery of<br />
weapons and equipment.<br />
“Sadly however, he was<br />
wounded in action and<br />
immediately evacuated by the Air<br />
Task Force Operation Lafiya Dole<br />
to the 7 Division hospital at<br />
Maimalari Cantonment.<br />
“The late senior officer was<br />
recuperating well after successful<br />
operation at the hospital, in good<br />
spirit and also said his prayers in<br />
the early hours of this morning<br />
before his sad passing at the<br />
hospital. May Almighty Allah<br />
grant his soul eternal rest.”<br />
Isa quoted Tukur Buratai, chief<br />
of army staff, as condoling with<br />
Bali’s family, saying the security<br />
agency is “most grateful for his<br />
contributions and sacrifices to the<br />
motherland.”<br />
Southern <strong>Kaduna</strong>: There can’t be <strong>development</strong><br />
<strong>without</strong> <strong>peace</strong>, unity — <strong>BUHARI</strong><br />
•Cholera epidemic, hunger tear Boko Haram apart as 80 fighters defect from Shekau’s<br />
faction •Military alerted to planned joint ISWAP/defectors attacks on Baga town<br />
in Borno •Bandits killed 11,000 in Zamfara — Arewa youths<br />
By Kingsley Omonobi<br />
& Ibrahim<br />
HassanWuyo<br />
A<br />
B U J A —<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
Muhammadu Buhari yesterday<br />
asked indigenes of <strong>Kaduna</strong>,<br />
especially Southern <strong>Kaduna</strong>, to<br />
cooperate with the government<br />
and security agencies to secure<br />
<strong>peace</strong> and harmony in the state.<br />
The President, who made the<br />
plea during his speech at the fifth<br />
edition of the KADINVEST, the<br />
state’s annual economic and<br />
investment forum, spoke as<br />
indications emerged yesterday<br />
that the fighting capacity of<br />
Abubakar Shekau's faction of<br />
Boko Haram has been further<br />
weakened by a sudden defection<br />
of about 80 fighters to the ISISlinked<br />
Islamic State of West Africa<br />
Province, ISWAP, according to<br />
sources, conversant with the<br />
terrorist group.<br />
These came on a day Arewa<br />
Youth Forum, AYF, claimed they<br />
that bandits have so far claimed<br />
killed no fewer than 11,000 adult<br />
males in Zamfara State,<br />
rendering 22,000 women widows.<br />
Buhari’s call for <strong>peace</strong> comes<br />
amid recent efforts to secure the<br />
state from incidents of violent<br />
crimes.<br />
For example, Southern<br />
<strong>Kaduna</strong> has endured ethnic<br />
violence this year, prompting the<br />
Federal Government to send<br />
Special Forces to the region.<br />
“We must live together as<br />
brothers and sisters because<br />
<strong>without</strong> <strong>peace</strong>, <strong>development</strong><br />
cannot take place,” Buhari said.<br />
In his remarks, <strong>Kaduna</strong> State<br />
governor, Nasir el-Rufai, said he<br />
was committed to ending the<br />
Southern <strong>Kaduna</strong> issue, which,<br />
according to him, dates back 40<br />
years.<br />
The governor said the state has<br />
attracted more than $800 million<br />
of local and foreign investments<br />
since 2016, adding also that the<br />
state has had investment<br />
announcements of over $2.1<br />
billion in 2020, far ahead of Lagos<br />
and any other state in the<br />
country.<br />
Also, Vanguard gathered<br />
yesterday that outbreak of<br />
cholera and defection of about 80<br />
fighters to the ISIS linked- Islamic<br />
State of West Africa Province,<br />
ISWAP has further weakened<br />
Abubakar Shekau’s faction of<br />
Boko Haram, according to sources<br />
conversant with the terrorist<br />
group.<br />
Recall that the ISWAP faction<br />
is jointly led by Amir Abubakar<br />
Ba Lawan and Abu Musab Al-<br />
Barnawi, one of the surviving<br />
sons of Boko Haram jihadists<br />
founder, the late Mohammed<br />
Yusuf.<br />
According to the source, the<br />
recent defection of JAS fighters<br />
with their families followed the<br />
outbreak of deadly cholera<br />
epidemic which was further<br />
exacerbated by hunger in the<br />
Abubakar Shekau’s stronghold.<br />
This, according to the source,<br />
was further made worse by the<br />
failure of the terrorist leadership<br />
to prepare for and manage food<br />
shortage and the disease<br />
outbreak during known periods<br />
of heavy rains and floods in their<br />
hideouts and camps.<br />
He noted that one of the most<br />
fundamental reasons for this was<br />
the fact that the Shekau’s faction<br />
was in serious dearth of arms and<br />
ammunition to carry out attacks<br />
and seek for food and other<br />
necessities.<br />
It was learnt that many of the<br />
defectors are said to have<br />
expressed disappointment in the<br />
continuous power mongering,<br />
selfishness and tyrannical rule<br />
under Abubakar Shekau.<br />
“To compound their dilemma,<br />
the faction has been unable to<br />
maintain control of its area of<br />
influence in <strong>No</strong>rthern Borno after<br />
a series of internal leadership<br />
crisis and factional competition for<br />
territorial control, with rival units<br />
loyal to the ISIS affiliated ISWAP/<br />
Boko Haram terrorist’s group<br />
faction.<br />
“This massive defection, which<br />
is an additional battlefield and<br />
moral disaster for Abubakar<br />
Shekau’s Boko Haram terrorists<br />
group’s JAS faction, exposes the<br />
insignificance and fragility of the<br />
group’s loose cell-based structure<br />
kept together only by a thread of<br />
irregular propaganda materials<br />
and the reliance on the<br />
asymmetric nature of the<br />
insurgency to gain relevance.<br />
“It reaffirms the weak and<br />
shadow state of Shekau’s<br />
leadership hold on JAS faction.<br />
AWARD: Best<br />
Graduating Student<br />
of the Nigerian Air<br />
Force Institute<br />
Technology, Deborah<br />
Umoru receiving<br />
award from the Chief<br />
of the Air Staff, Air<br />
Marshal Sadiq<br />
Abubakar, during the<br />
graduation of the<br />
Institute in <strong>Kaduna</strong>.<br />
Although he may still be alive<br />
and in-charge of JAS, his faction<br />
is only relevant when connected<br />
to the activities of ISWAP against<br />
the interest of JAS.<br />
“ISWAP has been the most<br />
active of all jihadists/armed<br />
criminal gangs in the region.<br />
However, the ISIS linked ISWAP<br />
is also at its weakest capacity since<br />
it pledged allegiance to ISIS in<br />
March 2015.<br />
“Its unstable leadership and<br />
unit commanders have been<br />
severely depleted, following the<br />
series of successful ground and<br />
aerial coordinated offensive<br />
attacks by the Nigerian Army,<br />
Chadian forces, and regional<br />
troops of the Multinational Joint<br />
Task Force, MNJTF,’’ the source<br />
said.<br />
Sources on the ground have<br />
also said that the ISIS affiliated<br />
ISWAP has provided a safe<br />
haven for the families of the<br />
defectors, adding that they were<br />
made up of 10 females believed<br />
to be their wives and about<br />
eight children (3 girls and 5<br />
boys) aged between eight and<br />
10 years old.<br />
Meanwhile, sources have<br />
alerted military authorities of<br />
planned series of joint ISWAP<br />
and the defectors’ attacks against<br />
Nigerian troops and other<br />
security agencies deployed in<br />
Baga general area.<br />
A source said: “Some of the<br />
defected fighters have already<br />
been deployed among their hosts<br />
to familiarize themselves. The<br />
identified locations are along the<br />
Fish Dam areas in Baga general<br />
area, with a particular location<br />
given as Garin Mata showing<br />
significant presence of the newly<br />
deployed defectors.’’<br />
Sources described the Baga axis<br />
as a very strategic location for<br />
ISWAP activities, as maintaining<br />
presence in Baga was key for the<br />
jihadists group’s daily survival,<br />
recruitment and fund raising<br />
activities.<br />
“ISWAP may be prepared to<br />
make sacrifice in their determined<br />
efforts to prevent and frustrate<br />
planned relocation of IDPs to<br />
Baga town and the holding of the<br />
first local government elections<br />
planned for <strong>No</strong>vember 28, 2020,<br />
by Borno State government.<br />
“Defections, internal rivalries<br />
and successful counterinsurgency<br />
efforts need to be comprehensively<br />
coordinated<br />
and sustained from the ongoing<br />
onslaught of ‘Operation Lafiya<br />
Dole’ to ‘Operation Boma Wrath’<br />
and the existing MNJTF<br />
‘Operation Yancin Tafki, the<br />
sources said.<br />
Meanwhile, killings by bandits<br />
in Zamfara State has cost the<br />
lives of 11,000 adult males and<br />
left at least 22,000 widows,<br />
according to Arewa Youth Forum,<br />
AYF.<br />
National President of the<br />
group, Alhaji Gambo Gujungu,<br />
who disclosed this in a statement<br />
explained that the killings had<br />
also created some 44,000 orphans<br />
at an average of four children to<br />
a deceased person.<br />
“It’s worrisome that the present<br />
situation of incessant and<br />
barbaric killings, maiming,<br />
kidnapping for ransom, rape,<br />
cattle rustling and wanton<br />
destruction of property and<br />
economic assets by devilish forces<br />
of evil and blood thirsty<br />
insurgents has reached an<br />
unimaginable and horrendous<br />
proportion in a region which was<br />
hitherto <strong>peace</strong>ful and calm, called<br />
<strong>No</strong>rthern Nigeria.<br />
“In fact, hardly a day passes<br />
<strong>without</strong> such incidents occurring.<br />
Of great disturbance equally, is<br />
the fact that the lives of Nigerians<br />
in towns and villages within the<br />
zone are now completely at the<br />
mercy of armed marauding<br />
bandits, wreaking havoc at will,<br />
which is negatively affecting the<br />
socio-economic activities of locals,<br />
in spite of intervention of security<br />
agencies.<br />
“Therefore, in view of this state<br />
of affairs and pursuant to Arewa<br />
Youth Forum’s Conflict<br />
Mitigation and Peace Building<br />
(CMPB) Project, we undertook a<br />
deep and holistic research aimed<br />
at finding out the root causes of<br />
the persistent security challenge,<br />
with a view to finding lasting and<br />
sustainable solution.<br />
“Our preliminary findings<br />
showed that within eight dark<br />
years of banditry in Zamfara<br />
State, a conservative figure of<br />
about 11,000 adult males that<br />
were bread-winners of their<br />
families were killed, leaving<br />
behind an estimated<br />
conservative figure of about<br />
22,000 widows.''
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 9
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
:Vanguard<br />
News<br />
Lagos helicopter crash: AIB<br />
releases report, says ill-fated<br />
chopper had no fuel<br />
By Lawani<br />
Mikairu<br />
L AGOS—NIGERIA<br />
Accident Investigation<br />
Bureau, AIB, yesterday,<br />
released the preliminary<br />
report on the accident<br />
involving a Bell 206B III<br />
helicopter with nationality<br />
and registration marks 5N-<br />
BQW, operated by Quorum<br />
Aviation Limited, QAL,<br />
which occurred at Opebi<br />
Area, Lagos, on August 28,<br />
this year.<br />
Recall the Quorum<br />
helicopter crashed onto the<br />
roof of a building and a wall<br />
fence at Opebi area of Ikeja,<br />
Lagos, impacting two<br />
vehicles parked in the<br />
compound.<br />
According to AIB, the<br />
initial findings revealed<br />
that the chopper had no<br />
capacity to jettisoning fuel,<br />
but there was no fuel left in<br />
its tanks, after the crash,<br />
even after the chopper was<br />
topped to full tank capacity<br />
on August 27, at Port<br />
Harcourt military airport,<br />
DNPM.<br />
The report also said the<br />
pilot proficiency check had<br />
expired, and there was no<br />
indication and<br />
evidence showing<br />
that “the pilot had applied<br />
for exemption provided by<br />
the NCAA’s All Operators’<br />
Letter, AOL, DG020/20,<br />
neither was there evidence<br />
of an application for the<br />
exemption provided by the<br />
AOL DG018/20 for<br />
proficiency check.”<br />
Ooni seeks gods' intervention against COVID-<br />
19 pandemic ....Goes into seclusion for Olojo festival<br />
By Shina Abubakar<br />
ILE-IFE—OONI of Ife,<br />
Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi<br />
Ojaja II, has proceeded on<br />
a 7-day seclusion, as part<br />
of traditional rites for the<br />
The preliminary report<br />
read, in part: “The technical<br />
logbook entry revealed that<br />
there was an engine run for<br />
10 minutes and a test flight<br />
of 20 minutes, in<br />
preparation for a<br />
positioning flight the next<br />
day.<br />
“The chopper was topped<br />
to full tank capacity on<br />
August 27 and, after<br />
refueling, 10 minutes of<br />
engine run and 20 minutes<br />
of test flight were carried<br />
out on same day at Port<br />
Harcourt. The helicopter<br />
was fitted with a rangeextender<br />
fuel system. <strong>No</strong><br />
fuel jettisoning capability<br />
on this helicopter.<br />
“The helicopter had an<br />
endurance of 3:24 hour.<br />
The operational flight plan<br />
filed by the pilot indicated<br />
an endurance of 3:15-hour<br />
and an estimated flight time<br />
of 2:45 hours. The<br />
helicopter engine was<br />
started at 09:15hour, and it<br />
took-off at 09:20hours. It<br />
later crashed at 12:14hour.<br />
There was no fuel left in the<br />
fuel tanks after the crash.<br />
The mast and main rotor<br />
blades were found intact<br />
during the post-crash<br />
inspection.”<br />
On the crew: “The pilot’s<br />
last medical examination<br />
was valid till August 6,<br />
2020. There was no<br />
evidence to show that an<br />
application for the exemption<br />
provided by the All Operators’<br />
Letter AOL DG020/20 had been<br />
submitted to the Nigerian Civil<br />
Aviation Authority.”<br />
Olojo festival.<br />
Oba Adeyeye moved into<br />
“Ile Mole, Iremo” quarters,<br />
Ile-Ife, for the traditional<br />
rites as he appeared in<br />
white attires on his way out<br />
of the Ile-Oodua palace.<br />
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
Disciplinary c'ttee: Ojudu, Tinubu’s<br />
in-law, others fault Ekiti APC's directive<br />
By Rotimi<br />
Ojomoyela<br />
ASpecial DO-EKITI—THE<br />
Adviser to<br />
President Muhammadu<br />
Buhari on Political Matters,<br />
Senator Babafemi Ojudu,<br />
an in-law to All<br />
Progressives Congress,<br />
APC, National Leader,<br />
Senator Bola Tinubu, Mr.<br />
Oyetunde Ojo, and a<br />
former governorship<br />
aspirant of the party, Dr.<br />
Wole Oluyede, and eight<br />
others have faulted an<br />
alleged directive from the<br />
National Caretaker<br />
Committee, asking the<br />
state chapter to set-up a<br />
disciplinary committee<br />
against them.<br />
They stated that there<br />
was no directive from the<br />
National Caretaker<br />
Committee to that effect,<br />
A statement issued by his<br />
media aide, Moses Olafare,<br />
yesterday, disclosed that the<br />
monarch pledged to dedicate the<br />
spiritual moment to commune<br />
with the gods to completely<br />
eradicate the Coronavirus,<br />
COVID-19 pandemic from the<br />
earth, as well as seek <strong>peace</strong> and<br />
unity among humanity.<br />
He explained that Olojo is a<br />
festival that connotes a strong<br />
indication of God’s creation and<br />
the day of the first dawn on earth.<br />
“I am going into seclusion, I am<br />
going into fasting and prayers in<br />
the ways of our ancestors. Like<br />
you know that we’re gradually<br />
winning the war against<br />
coronavirus and we must indeed<br />
be thankful because we are not<br />
superior to those countries being<br />
crippled by this pandemic.<br />
“After the 7-day seclusion, there<br />
follows the other activities one of<br />
which is the procession of the<br />
sacred Aare crown with which we<br />
will pray for the entire nation and<br />
humanity.<br />
“Every move of the Aare<br />
procession is highly significant,<br />
including the some strategic<br />
junctions of spiritual and<br />
historical significance like ITA<br />
ORANFE and ITA AGBANSALA<br />
and OKEMOGUN where I<br />
would make supplications and<br />
prayers to our ancestors.<br />
adding that the purported<br />
letter was a figment of the<br />
imagination of the state<br />
chapter of APC.<br />
The party leaders who<br />
had been critical of the<br />
composition of the party<br />
executives in the state noted<br />
that the decision of the Ekiti<br />
state APC to commence<br />
disciplinary measures<br />
against them and<br />
subsequent invitation is a<br />
clear violation of their<br />
fundamental human rights<br />
to seek redress in court<br />
when aggrieved with any<br />
process.<br />
Others are: Engr. Ayo<br />
Ajibade, Femi Adeleye,<br />
Nigeria @ 60: Alapomu chairs panel<br />
on Osun essay competition<br />
O Alapomu<br />
SOGBO—THE<br />
of<br />
Apomuland, Oba Kayode<br />
Adenekan Afolabi, Atoyebi<br />
II, has been nominated to<br />
chair the panel of judges<br />
that will determine the<br />
winners for the essay<br />
competition, organized by<br />
Osun State government, as<br />
part of activities marking<br />
the 60th independence<br />
anniversary of Nigeria.<br />
Oba Afolabi is expected<br />
to lead other distinguished<br />
Nigerians like: Dr. Lasisi<br />
Olagunju, an Editor with<br />
By James<br />
Ogunnaike<br />
L Association AGOS—THE<br />
of Retired<br />
Career Ambassadors of<br />
Nigeria, ARCAN, has lined<br />
up a two-week long, fivelecture<br />
series to<br />
commemorate the 60th<br />
Independence<br />
Anniversary of Nigeria.<br />
The lecture series<br />
scheduled to commence<br />
from Tuesday, September<br />
22, 2020 through to<br />
Tuesday, October 6, 2020 is<br />
themed “Nigeria @ 60-<br />
The Journey So Far.”<br />
Dr. Kingsley Moghalu,<br />
Bunmi Ogunleye, Akin<br />
Akomolafe, Bamigboye<br />
Adegoroye, Olusoga<br />
Owoeye, Dele Afolabi,<br />
Toyin Oluwasola, and Ben<br />
Oguntuase.<br />
Aside filling a suit at the<br />
Federal High Court in<br />
Abuja challenging the<br />
constitution of the Paul<br />
Omotosho-led State<br />
Working Committee, the<br />
affected members had<br />
under the auspices of APC<br />
Stakeholders Forum<br />
criticized the administration<br />
of Dr. Kayode Fayemi in the<br />
state of non-performance and<br />
victimisation of party leaders.<br />
The party had, last week, citing<br />
Nigerian Tribune, Dr. Mrs.<br />
Temitope Akintunde and<br />
Dr. Folorunso Oladapo,<br />
both educationists with the<br />
former being the Head of<br />
Department of Economics<br />
in Osun State University<br />
and the latter who is the<br />
Director of General<br />
Education Studies at the<br />
Adeleke University Ede<br />
respectively.<br />
Bayo Adeyinka who is an<br />
author, public speaker and<br />
seasoned banker is also on<br />
the panel.<br />
The topic of the essay,<br />
former Deputy Governor of<br />
Central Bank of Nigeria,<br />
CBN, and a presidential<br />
candidate in the 2019 election<br />
is expected to kick off the<br />
lecture series on Tuesday and<br />
will speak on the topic:<br />
“Nationhood, Development<br />
and Democracy in Nigeria.”<br />
Other speakers include:<br />
Bishop Matthew Hassan<br />
Kukah who will on Thursday,<br />
September 24, speak on the<br />
topic: “60 years of Nigeria’s<br />
Journey to Democracy:<br />
Hopes and Impediments.”<br />
While Dr. Vanessa Iwowo,<br />
an award-winning<br />
management will on<br />
Monday 28 September,<br />
VISIT—Executive<br />
Director, The<br />
Pacesetters,<br />
Jonathan Obatola<br />
(left), presenting<br />
an overview of the<br />
'Vote <strong>No</strong>t Fight'<br />
campaign flier to<br />
the Publisher,<br />
Triangle Magazine,<br />
Otunba Femi<br />
Salako, during<br />
his visit to the<br />
magazine's offices<br />
in Akure, Ondo<br />
State.<br />
directives from national<br />
headquarters set up a 10-man<br />
disciplinary committee against<br />
the party leaders over their failure<br />
to withdraw the suit instituted at<br />
the Federal High Court against<br />
the State Working Committee,<br />
describing their actions as antiparty<br />
activities and clear violation<br />
of the directives of the National<br />
Executive Committee, NEC.<br />
But in a letter addressed to the<br />
chairman of the disciplinary<br />
committee by their counsel, Chief<br />
Ademuyiwa Adeniyi, the<br />
aggrieved leaders explained that<br />
they would not be attending the<br />
committee’s invitation,”as it is<br />
sub-judice in law with<br />
consequences.”<br />
which is for Osun State<br />
indigenes in tertiary<br />
institutions across Nigeria<br />
is: 'Moving Ahead Post<br />
Coronavirus Pandemic:<br />
Impacts and Prospects on<br />
the Economy'.<br />
Participants are to<br />
submit in Microsoft<br />
f o r m a t<br />
to osunessay2020@gmail.com not<br />
later than September 25.<br />
The essay competition<br />
aims at developing and<br />
promoting creative writing<br />
amongst the students.<br />
Moghalu, Kukah to grace retired<br />
Ambassadors Independence Lectures<br />
speak on the topic:<br />
“Nigeria@60: Leadership,<br />
Democracy and the Politics of<br />
Identity.”<br />
A political activist and<br />
scholar, Dr. Usman Bugaje,<br />
will on Tuesday, September<br />
29, speak on the topic: “60<br />
years of Nation-Building: The<br />
Management of Our Diversity,<br />
Resources and Nation-Building.”<br />
According to the host,<br />
Ambassador Joe Keshi, “The<br />
series will review the state of our<br />
nation in the last 60 years and<br />
how the lofty dreams of our<br />
founding fathers of building a just<br />
and equitable nation where no<br />
man is oppressed can be truly<br />
attained."
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 11<br />
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES:<br />
BIRTHDAY—APC<br />
National Leader,<br />
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu<br />
(left), celebrating<br />
his wife, Senator<br />
Oluremi Tinubu,<br />
during the occasion<br />
of her 60th birthday<br />
anniversary, at their<br />
B o u r d i l l o n<br />
residence, in Ikoyi,<br />
Lagos, yesterday.<br />
My wish for Remi at 60 —Tinubu<br />
By Olasunkanmi Akoni<br />
LAGOS—ALL Progressives<br />
Congress, APC, National<br />
Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has<br />
praised his wife, Senator Oluremi<br />
Tinubu, who clocked 60<br />
yesterday for her perseverance,<br />
endurance and independent<br />
character, attributes exhibited<br />
particularly during the struggle<br />
against military dictatorship.<br />
Speaking with journalists at his<br />
Bourdillon, Lagos residence, the<br />
former Lagos governor, described<br />
Senator Tinubu, representing<br />
Lagos Central Senatorial District,<br />
as her greatest friend, ally and<br />
supporter even at most difficult<br />
times.<br />
He said: “We are a living<br />
symbol of love, care, perseverance<br />
and commitment. There are so<br />
many moments, many twists and<br />
turns in our lives.<br />
“You know, during the dark<br />
days when democracy was<br />
assaulted in this country, we<br />
suffered a lot, the family suffered.<br />
As a result of that, she was in<br />
America while I was crisscrossing<br />
Europe.<br />
“She was raising our children<br />
all by herself. It was a very trying<br />
period for every one of us. And<br />
then, we endured and got<br />
through all the turbulence and<br />
today we are still in positions to<br />
serve our nation, to serve our<br />
people.<br />
“You can go around the entire<br />
Lagos and particularly, the Lagos<br />
Central Senatorial District. There<br />
are so many that appreciated her<br />
commitment, her humanitarian<br />
care for both young, the elderly<br />
and the needy.”<br />
Thanking God for her life on the<br />
occasion, he said: “I am very<br />
happy for her on the attainment<br />
of 60. We give thanks to God<br />
Almighty that has spared our lives<br />
and preserved our love together.<br />
“Today, some people are still<br />
lying critically ill in the hospital.<br />
Some children have become<br />
orphans as a result of what is<br />
happening around the country.<br />
So it’s a sombre celebration on the<br />
occasion of her 60th.<br />
For, Nigeria, turning 60 is also<br />
a moment for reflection about all<br />
that we have been through and<br />
where we are”.<br />
On his wish for his wife, Tinubu<br />
said: “My wish is for her to live<br />
longer, for her legacy to be great,<br />
be in good health and continue<br />
to enjoy the fruit of her labour,<br />
enjoy her children and<br />
grandchildren, all of them in good health.<br />
And me too in good health.”<br />
Resumption: Parents tackle school owners over<br />
demand for third term fees<br />
• LASU mgt assures of safety measures, as final year students resume<br />
By Adesina Wahab<br />
LAGOS—PRIVATE primary<br />
and secondary schools in<br />
Lagos resumed on Monday, with<br />
parents tackling proprietors over<br />
demand for the payment of third<br />
term fees for 2019/20 session,<br />
UK appoints Nigeria’s Damilola<br />
Ogunbiyi co-chair of COP26 Conference<br />
UK—THE United Kingdom<br />
has appointed Nigeria’s<br />
Damilola Ogunbiyi as a co-chair<br />
of the United Nations Climate<br />
Change Conference’s, COP26,<br />
Energy Transition Council as it<br />
commences Climate Week 2020.<br />
The UK CoP President, Alok<br />
Sharma, will chair the council<br />
alongside Ogunbiyi, the UN<br />
Secretary-General’s Special<br />
• Ogunbiyi<br />
while the schools resumed for the<br />
first term of 2020/21 session.<br />
Investigation by Vanguard<br />
showed that the <strong>development</strong><br />
could lead to some private schools<br />
losing pupils and students, as<br />
parents and guardians may<br />
withdraw their wards from such<br />
Representative for Sustainable<br />
Energy for All.<br />
Before her appointment by the<br />
UN Secretary-General, António<br />
Guterres, in October 2019,<br />
Ogunbiyi held various leadership<br />
positions in organizations<br />
focused on expanding energy<br />
access in sub-Saharan Africa.<br />
In June 2020, the United States<br />
International Development<br />
Finance Corporation Board of<br />
Directors named her among the<br />
first members of the agency’s<br />
inaugural Development Advisory<br />
Council.<br />
According to Ogunbiyi,”We<br />
cannot achieve the promise of the<br />
Paris Agreement or Sustainable<br />
Development Goal 7 - access to<br />
affordable, reliable, sustainable<br />
and modern energy for all,<br />
<strong>without</strong> a clean energy transition<br />
that leaves no one behind. Today,<br />
just under 800 million people<br />
globally lack access to electricity and we<br />
must close these gaps with renewable,<br />
efficient and affordable solutions.”<br />
schools.<br />
The trouble arose because not<br />
all pupils and students were able<br />
to take part in the online teaching<br />
organised by some schools when<br />
the schools were locked down due<br />
to the outbreak of Coronavirus<br />
pandemic in the country.<br />
Similarly, not all the affected<br />
schools also conducted online<br />
teaching during the lockdown<br />
period, but are demanding<br />
payment claiming they would try<br />
and bridge the third term gap in<br />
the new term.<br />
While some school owners<br />
insisted that pupils and students<br />
should pay third term fees in full,<br />
others found a middle course by<br />
giving some discount.<br />
Meanwhile, final year students<br />
of the Lagos State University,<br />
LASU, Ojo and some selected<br />
members of staff resumed on<br />
Monday after months of closure<br />
necessitated by the outbreak of<br />
Coronavirus disease in the<br />
country.<br />
This happened as the<br />
management of the institution<br />
gave the assurance that<br />
adequately health and safety<br />
measures have been put in place<br />
for staff and students.<br />
Right from the gates, returning<br />
members of the university community<br />
were encouraged by the security teams<br />
on ground to use their nose masks and<br />
wash their hands at designated hand<br />
washing points.<br />
...By fire, by force!<br />
...And will you ever be serious!?<br />
Who go tire first?
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
:Vanguard News<br />
:@vanguardnews<br />
:@vanguardnews<br />
NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
NEW YAM<br />
FESTIVAL: From<br />
left, Shedrack Rapu,<br />
member<br />
representing<br />
Oshimili-South,<br />
Delta State House of<br />
Assembly; Ochor<br />
Ochor, Deputy<br />
Speaker, Delta State<br />
House of Assembly;<br />
HRM Obi Prof.<br />
Chile Edozien,<br />
Asagba of Asaba,<br />
and Her Royal<br />
Majesty, Modupe<br />
Edozien, wife of<br />
Asagba of Asaba,<br />
during the<br />
celebration of<br />
Asagba new yam<br />
festival in Asaba.<br />
Photo: Onojake<br />
Nathaniel.<br />
Oginibo crisis deepens as Desi<br />
rejects Gbagi’s conducted election<br />
•Insists Oginibu community doesn’t exist<br />
By Festus Ahon<br />
ASABA—Leader<br />
of<br />
Oginibo community in<br />
Ughelli South Local<br />
Government Area, Delta<br />
State, Chief Andrew Desi,<br />
has described the election<br />
allegedly conducted by<br />
Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi<br />
wherein one Mr Joel<br />
Ejukolemu was reportedly<br />
elected as President-General<br />
of Oginibu as a sham,<br />
insisting that Oginibu<br />
community does not exist.<br />
Desi in a statement,<br />
yesterday, insisted that<br />
Oginibu is not the name of<br />
their community, alleging<br />
that Oginibu was the creation<br />
of Gbagi.<br />
<strong>No</strong>ting that the name of the<br />
community remains<br />
Oginibo, he said they owe it<br />
a duty to conduct an election<br />
to elect a unified executive for<br />
Oginibo community after<br />
providing an enabling<br />
environment in the<br />
community.<br />
He said: “According to<br />
media report of September<br />
15, 2020, Gbagi spoke on the<br />
outcome of Oginibu election<br />
and added that ‘Uzor<br />
commends <strong>peace</strong>ful<br />
conduct’.<br />
“Gbagi did not mention that<br />
he conducted the election”,<br />
saying that “Uzor’s panel<br />
had already ruled that there<br />
is no Oginibu until Gbagi<br />
follows due process.<br />
“Archbishop Avwomakpa,<br />
Chairman of Oginibo<br />
Electoral Committee, OEC,<br />
whose duty it was to conduct<br />
the election for Oginibo<br />
community was absent.<br />
Bishop Onakovwen, the Vice<br />
Chairman was absent and<br />
Tareri Avwomakpa, the<br />
Secretary was also absent.<br />
“Gbagi conducted the<br />
election and they elected<br />
Oginibu exco. Since the<br />
Chairman, Vice Chairman<br />
and Secretary of Oginibo<br />
Electoral Committee did not<br />
participate in the sham<br />
election, the exco so elected<br />
cannot and will not function<br />
in Oginibo community<br />
because government has<br />
already ruled that Oginibu<br />
does not exist.<br />
Genesis of crisis<br />
“Let me speak on the<br />
background to this sad<br />
behaviour of Gbagi. On<br />
August 19, 2019, concerned<br />
sons and daughters of<br />
Oginibo published a fullpage<br />
rejoinder in the media<br />
to counter Gbagi’s claim that<br />
the name of our community,<br />
Oginibo, has been changed<br />
to Oginibu. Since then,<br />
Oginibo has known no<br />
<strong>peace</strong>.<br />
“At the peak of the Oginibo/<br />
Oginibu crisis, the governor<br />
of Delta State set up a panel<br />
under the chairmanship of<br />
his Special Adviser on Peace<br />
Building and Conflict<br />
Resolution, Chief Edwin<br />
Uzor, to mediate in the matter<br />
and restore lasting <strong>peace</strong> to<br />
Oginibo.<br />
“After extensive<br />
consultations and painstaking<br />
investigations, the<br />
panel issued resolutions<br />
dated February 25, 2020,<br />
which reflected the position<br />
of government on the matter,<br />
covering nine major issues<br />
and appointed Oginibo<br />
Electoral Committee, OEC,<br />
under the chairmanship of<br />
Bishop Avwomakpa and<br />
Bishop Onakovwen as vice<br />
chairman.<br />
“The two contending<br />
factions in the community,<br />
Oginibo led by me, Chief<br />
Andrew Desi and Oginibu,<br />
led by Gbagi, nominated five<br />
members each to the<br />
committee. This committee<br />
was expected to implement<br />
its terms of reference to<br />
reconcile the contending<br />
factions in the community<br />
before holding the election to<br />
elect a new unified exco for<br />
the Oginibo community."<br />
Bayelsa to adopt bottom-top<br />
budgeting process for 2021—Diri<br />
By Emem Idio<br />
YENAGOA— Governor<br />
Douye Diri of Bayelsa<br />
State has expressed the<br />
resolve of his administration<br />
to embrace the bottom-top<br />
budgetting process in the<br />
preparation of the 2021 state<br />
budget.<br />
The governor, who decried<br />
that the top-bottom budgeting<br />
approach used over the years,<br />
noted that it has only resulted<br />
in proliferation of misplaced<br />
projects, misallocation of<br />
projects and sometimes non<br />
untilisation and duplication<br />
of projects, explaining that<br />
the bottom-top budgetting<br />
process will help eliminate<br />
all that.<br />
Diri, yesterday, in Yenagoa<br />
during a one-day<br />
stakeholders interactive<br />
session for the preparation of<br />
the 2021 state budget,<br />
stressed the importance of<br />
citizens participation in the<br />
budgetting processes,<br />
pointing out that the meeting<br />
was in line with the Fiscal<br />
Responsibility Law 2009 (as<br />
amended).<br />
Represented by his deputy,<br />
Senator Lawrence<br />
Ewhrudjakpo, the governor<br />
highlighted education,<br />
health and agriculture as the<br />
core priority areas of the state<br />
next year’s budget.<br />
He said: “What we are<br />
doing today is in line with the<br />
Fiscal Responsibility Law<br />
2009 (as amended), which<br />
states that government shall<br />
direct citizens participation<br />
conference to be convened<br />
and caused the action of the<br />
said conference together with<br />
the views so expressed to be<br />
published.<br />
“We are here not only to<br />
fulfill a necessary obligation<br />
of the prosperity government<br />
but also to fulfill a modern<br />
provision because over the<br />
years, we have always done<br />
the top-bottom budgeting and<br />
not the bottom-top budgeting<br />
which has always made us to<br />
misplace projects, mis-allocate<br />
projects and also to some<br />
extent undertake projects that<br />
are not utilised. There is also<br />
duplication of projects,<br />
therefore, this budget process<br />
will help us eliminate all that.<br />
We are here to plan so that<br />
we don’t fail."<br />
Efe Ekure elected P-G, Africa<br />
Youths Community Int'l<br />
By Gab Ejuwa<br />
NIGERIA’S Efeoghene<br />
Ekure has been<br />
elected President-General<br />
of Africa Youths<br />
Community, AYCi,<br />
International worldwide for<br />
a term of four years.<br />
AYCi is a global<br />
community of youths of<br />
African descent with an<br />
estimated membership<br />
strength of over 700,000<br />
young Africans and with<br />
chapters spread across 111<br />
countries of the world, the<br />
54 African countries<br />
inclusive.<br />
Driven by a clear cut<br />
vision to promote the<br />
fortunes of the African youth<br />
and the advancement of<br />
Africa as a continent, the<br />
policy thrust of the group<br />
is anchored on the<br />
realisation of certain set<br />
goals strategically<br />
earmarked to be achieved<br />
by the year 2030.<br />
Ekure, the Delta-born<br />
youth leader, emerged third<br />
AYCi President at the just<br />
concluded general<br />
elections of the community<br />
held in Addis Ababa,<br />
Ethiopia.<br />
With this achievement,<br />
Ekure has become the first<br />
Nigerian to be elected to the<br />
presidency of the<br />
continental youth body.<br />
Ekure, a good<br />
governance advocate and<br />
author of several books on<br />
leadership is the convener<br />
of The Social Patriotic<br />
Youths Initiative, a civil<br />
society group committed to<br />
youths' <strong>development</strong>, good<br />
governance and youth<br />
inclusiveness in<br />
administration and policy<br />
formulation processes<br />
across Africa.<br />
Ayade begins arrest of illegal<br />
tax collectors in Calabar<br />
By Ike<br />
Uchechukwu<br />
CALABAR —<br />
GOVERNOR Ben<br />
Ayade of Cross River State,<br />
yesterday, fulfilled his<br />
promise by arresting illegal<br />
tax collectors in Calabar, the<br />
state capital.<br />
The enforcement exercise,<br />
which began yesterday, by<br />
Cross River Anti Tax Agency<br />
led by its Chairman, Bishop<br />
Emma Isong, in collaboration<br />
with office of the state Security<br />
Adviser and Anti-Cult and<br />
Kidnapping Squad moved<br />
round Calabar metropolis<br />
arresting illegal tax collectors<br />
as well as ticket sellers.<br />
Vanguard learned that<br />
about 12 offenders arrested<br />
would be prosecuted<br />
immediately through the<br />
special courts created for that<br />
purpose.<br />
So far, 12 persons were<br />
apprehended yesterday,<br />
with various illegal tickets for<br />
the purpose of extorting<br />
unsuspecting taxi drivers,<br />
keke riders among others.<br />
Speaking shortly after the<br />
exercise, yesterday,<br />
Chairman of the anti-tax<br />
Opudu hails Okowa for leading S-<br />
South govs to clinch zone for PDP<br />
By Onozure Dania<br />
CHAIRMAN,<br />
Delta<br />
Waterways/Land<br />
Security Committee in Delta<br />
State, Chief Boro Opudu,<br />
has hailed the South-South<br />
governors, especially<br />
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of<br />
the state for leading a team<br />
and finally clinching the<br />
zone once more for Peoples<br />
Democratic Party, PDP.<br />
Opudu, who spoke in Warri<br />
immediately after the<br />
announcement of Governor<br />
Godwin Obaseki of Edo State<br />
as winner of the September<br />
19, 2020, governorship<br />
election, described the team<br />
work of the governors as a<br />
agency, Isong, said the<br />
enforcement of Governor<br />
Ayade’s Anti Tax Law has<br />
taken effect.<br />
He said: “As you can see,<br />
we are on the streets this<br />
early morning to arrest those<br />
still flouting the government’s<br />
order on illegal tolls and they<br />
will be charged to court<br />
immediately .<br />
“Those arrested will not<br />
escape the arm of the law and<br />
are going to be immediately<br />
prosecuted at the special<br />
court as provided for in 2015<br />
and set up for this purpose.<br />
“We only enjoin Cross<br />
Riverians to go about their<br />
lawful businesses and report<br />
to the agency anybody found<br />
in the sales of tickets,<br />
collection of taxes from keke,<br />
taxi and low income earners,”<br />
he said.<br />
On his part, Security<br />
Adviser to the governor, Mr<br />
Ani Esin, said based on the<br />
order of the governor, they<br />
decided to comb the streets<br />
of Calabar as well as the<br />
metropolis to effect arrest of<br />
those engaged in illegal sales<br />
of tickets, collection of tolls<br />
and taxes from the poor<br />
citizens.<br />
World Peace Day: Benikrukru<br />
urges oil firm to promote <strong>peace</strong>,<br />
redress marginalisation<br />
By Jimitota<br />
Onoyume<br />
WARRI—<br />
Oil-rich<br />
Benikrukru<br />
community, Gbaramatu<br />
Kingdom in Warri South-<br />
West Local Government Area,<br />
Delta State has enjoined<br />
Chevron Nigeria Limited to<br />
promote <strong>peace</strong> in the area<br />
by redressing issue of<br />
marginalisation of the<br />
community by the oil firm.<br />
The community in a letter<br />
to Managing Director of the<br />
oil company by the Chairman,<br />
Boan Eric, and Secretary,<br />
Kingsley Ukuli, alleged<br />
marginalisation of the<br />
community by the company,<br />
saying the oil giant should<br />
not tamper with the Abiteye<br />
field security house boat,<br />
which is a source of income<br />
to the community.<br />
It will be recalled that the<br />
community had last week<br />
protested to the Abiteue flow<br />
station of the firm in their<br />
community with placards<br />
bearing various inscriptions<br />
denouncing the alleged<br />
marginalization.<br />
Ukuli read the letter, which<br />
was later handed over to<br />
representatives of the firm by<br />
the Chairman, Boan Eric.<br />
The community in the letter<br />
lamented the alleged long<br />
years of neglect by the<br />
company on matters of<br />
<strong>development</strong>,<br />
empowerment, employment<br />
and so on.<br />
Mr Francis Obodo who<br />
received the letter during the<br />
protest for the company said,<br />
it would be sent to the<br />
appropriate quarter,<br />
commending the protesters<br />
for their <strong>peace</strong>ful conduct.<br />
tsunami that swept through<br />
Edo State for victory.<br />
He thanked Okowa for<br />
strengthening the historical,<br />
cultural bond and affinity<br />
between Edo and Delta<br />
people, adding that it would<br />
boost commerce, trade and<br />
enhance security of the two<br />
states.<br />
He called on major<br />
stakeholders in the just<br />
concluded Edo governorship<br />
election, especially All<br />
Progressives Congress, APC.<br />
candidate, Pastor Osagie<br />
Ize-Iyamu, to display the<br />
spirit of sportsmanship and<br />
avoid unnecessary litigation<br />
that stagnates progress of<br />
states.
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 13<br />
:Vanguard News<br />
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
VISIT: From left—Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President-General<br />
of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo and the Obi of Onitsha, HRM, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, when the<br />
Igbo leaders paid a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Enugu, yesterday.<br />
IPOB warns against abduction, killing<br />
of members by security agents<br />
By Chimaobi<br />
Nwaiwu<br />
NNOUS NEWI—INDIGE<br />
People of Biafra,<br />
IPOB, yesterday, condemned<br />
in strong terms,<br />
the alleged harassment, abduction,<br />
torture and secret<br />
killing of its members or<br />
anybody suspected to be its<br />
member, throughout Igbo<br />
land.<br />
The pro Biafra group alleged<br />
that the deliberate<br />
ethnic cleansing has continued<br />
unabated despite its<br />
repeated alarms.<br />
In a statement by its Media<br />
and Publicity Secretary,<br />
Emma Powerful, IPOB alleged<br />
that for no justifiable<br />
reason, the Nigerian security<br />
operatives on September<br />
18, 2020, murdered<br />
one, Mazi Onyeka Udechukwu,<br />
a vigilante operative<br />
in Enugu State.<br />
It equally alleged that the<br />
men, whom it described as<br />
terrorists in security uniform<br />
also shot and shattered<br />
their victim, Udechukwu's<br />
father's private part with<br />
bullets at Ogui Road, Enugu.<br />
It said that the man<br />
whom they shattered his<br />
private part with bullets is<br />
currently receiving medical<br />
treatment at an undisclosed<br />
hospital.<br />
IPOB's statement read,<br />
"We the global family of<br />
IPOB, ably led by our great<br />
leader, Mazi Nnamdi<br />
Kanu, condemn in very<br />
strong terms, the constant<br />
harassment, abduction, torture,<br />
and secret killing of<br />
Biafrans or anybody suspected<br />
to be IPOB member<br />
throughout Biafraland.<br />
"This deliberate ethnic<br />
cleansing has continued<br />
unabated despite our repeated<br />
alarms. For no just<br />
cause, the Nigerian security<br />
operatives on September<br />
18, 2020, murdered<br />
Mazi Udechukwu, a vigilante<br />
operative in Enugu<br />
State.<br />
"These terrorists in security<br />
uniform also shot and<br />
shattered Udechukwu's father's<br />
private part with bullets<br />
at Ogui Road, Enugu.<br />
The victim's badly wounded<br />
father is currently receiving<br />
intensive medical<br />
treatment in a hospital.<br />
"It is still a surprise that<br />
the Nigeria security agents<br />
suddenly became a willing<br />
tool in the hands of the Fulani-led<br />
Federal Government<br />
for the elimination of<br />
Judo -Christians and Biafrans.<br />
"There is no gain saying<br />
the fact that the failure of<br />
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,<br />
to set up a panel of inquiry<br />
to investigate the recent<br />
unprovoked attack<br />
and barbaric killing of unarmed<br />
IPOB members at<br />
Emene, has only emboldened<br />
the perpetrators of this<br />
atrocity and criminality.<br />
"We are equally aware of<br />
the ongoing abductions at<br />
Omuma Road, Aba, Abia<br />
State, and Obigbo in Igweocha,<br />
Rivers State being<br />
perpetrated by those terrorists<br />
in Nigerian security<br />
uniform.<br />
"More than two people<br />
Leadership tussle: S'East APGA visits Njoku<br />
By Chinonso<br />
Alozie<br />
OWERRI—A cross sec<br />
tion of leaders of the<br />
All Progressive Grand Alliance,<br />
APGA, South East<br />
zone, have said that Edozie<br />
Njoku, remain their National<br />
Chairman of APGA.<br />
They spoke after they attended<br />
a burial ceremony<br />
of the mother of one of the<br />
chieftains of the party, Okey<br />
Emereonye, at Umuaghara<br />
Obibi Nguru, Aboh<br />
Mbaise Local Government<br />
Area of Imo State, weekend.<br />
They said that their reason<br />
for recognising Njoku<br />
as APGA, national chairman<br />
followed lawful decisions<br />
and rulings of the law<br />
courts, adding that it was<br />
for the court rulings that<br />
they sought for an order of<br />
mandamus at an FCT High<br />
court, Abuja, to compel the<br />
Independent National<br />
Electoral Commission,<br />
Edo State University, Iyamho resumes <strong>No</strong>v 16<br />
B<br />
ENIN CITY—FOL<br />
LOWING the conclusion<br />
of 2019/2020 academic<br />
session online, Edo State<br />
University, Iyamho, has<br />
said that it would resume a<br />
new session on <strong>No</strong>vember<br />
16, 2020.<br />
The institution will also<br />
hold its post UTME screening<br />
exercise on September<br />
24, 2020, to admit students<br />
for the 2020/2021 academic<br />
session.<br />
According to the Vice<br />
Chancellor of the universi-<br />
ty, Prof Emmanuel Aluyor,<br />
the completion of the 2019/<br />
2020 academic session, was<br />
in line with university's calendar.<br />
He said it was hinged on<br />
the acquisition and utilization<br />
of the Canvas - Learning<br />
Management System<br />
despite the Covid-19 pandemic<br />
Edo University Iyamho is<br />
among the very few universities<br />
in the world where<br />
academic activities did not<br />
shut down due to the Coronavirus.<br />
It will be recalled that the<br />
university was commended<br />
by stakeholders in the<br />
education sector for the use<br />
of Canvas Leaning Management<br />
System.<br />
According to the Registrar<br />
of the university, Dr Isoken<br />
Ogboro, the school was<br />
ready to resume academic<br />
activities. She added that if<br />
the pandemic continues,<br />
the institution would continue<br />
its academic activities<br />
on CANVAS LMS.<br />
have already been murdered.<br />
IPOB is monitoring<br />
all these atrocities, and<br />
those behind them must be<br />
prepared to face the consequences<br />
when the time<br />
comes.<br />
"The latest victims of this<br />
criminality include Mazi<br />
Chukwudi Idika and 10 others,<br />
who committed no<br />
crime known to mankind.<br />
The Fulani dominated security<br />
officers in Abia State,<br />
also tortured an innocent<br />
woman and took her into<br />
custody <strong>without</strong> any provocation.<br />
"We are constrained to<br />
warn that Nigerian security<br />
agencies must stop using<br />
high handedness on<br />
the <strong>peace</strong>ful members of<br />
IPOB, and innocent citizens<br />
of Biafra from now, otherwise,<br />
they will regret their<br />
actions soon. Enough is<br />
enough."<br />
INEC, to recognise Edozie<br />
as National chairman of the<br />
party.<br />
APGA's South East National<br />
Vice President, Uche<br />
Ezekwelu, said: "I believe<br />
in the rule of law and respect<br />
for the decision of the<br />
law court and if you fail to<br />
obey the decision of the law<br />
court, you will not obey the<br />
law of the federation and<br />
that is why we are here to<br />
also pay a visit to our chairman,<br />
who has been recognised<br />
by law."<br />
Adding his voice, the<br />
Chief host, the Imo State<br />
chairman of APGA, Paul<br />
Abala, who chronicled the<br />
legal tussle between Victor<br />
Oye and Edozie Njoku,<br />
said: "Just as Edozie Njoku,<br />
was about to assume office<br />
as the National chairman of<br />
the party, following the congress<br />
held in Owerri, Victor<br />
Oye, rushed to FCT high<br />
court to stop Edozie Njoku<br />
from carrying out his function<br />
as National chairman<br />
and Edozie ordered his<br />
deputy, Mike Adams to<br />
continue to act."<br />
57% Nigerian children under<br />
5 years do not have birth<br />
certificates —NPC<br />
By Vincent<br />
Ujumadu<br />
AWKA—THE United Na<br />
tions Children's Fund,<br />
UNICEF, observed, yesterday,<br />
in Awka, Anambra State that<br />
about 57 percent of Nigerian<br />
children under five years of<br />
age do not have birth certificates.<br />
Speaking during the training<br />
of 75 health workers from<br />
selected health facilities in the<br />
21 local government areas of<br />
Anambra State, the child protection<br />
specialist in charge of<br />
UNICEF Zone A Field office,<br />
Enugu, Mr Victor Atuchukwu<br />
said, it was the right of every<br />
child to have a birth certificate,<br />
regretting that many<br />
parents do not consider it important.<br />
He urged the health workers<br />
to ensure that all babies<br />
born in their areas of coverage<br />
were registered at birth<br />
as that would assist in social<br />
and economic planning in the<br />
country.<br />
Although he identified lack<br />
of adequate manpower as<br />
contributing to the problem,<br />
Atuchulwu observed that<br />
<strong>without</strong> birth certificate, time<br />
would come when the child<br />
would have the need to present<br />
a birth certificate only to discovered<br />
that he or she has no<br />
official record of full names,<br />
place of birth and other vital<br />
information.<br />
He said that at such a time,<br />
their access to basic needs<br />
would be under threat, regretting<br />
that most of the councils<br />
in the state record below average<br />
in birth registration.<br />
Director of NPC in Anambra<br />
State, Mr Joachim Ulasi,<br />
who admitted that the Commission<br />
does not have enough<br />
man power for birth registration,<br />
said that the state had<br />
only148 registration centres<br />
in the 181 communities for<br />
over 4000 health facilities in<br />
the state.<br />
He said: "We just have 148<br />
registration centres, comprising<br />
21 controllers, who are<br />
deputy chief registrars for the<br />
21 councils. If they are removed<br />
from the 148, we are<br />
left with 127, which are located<br />
in health facilities throughout<br />
Anambra State. This<br />
number is not enough. We<br />
have 181 autonomous communities<br />
and we need at least<br />
one centre in each community<br />
while the large communities<br />
should have two or more.‘‘<br />
Igbo Leaders applaud Ugwuanyi’s<br />
accomplishments on <strong>peace</strong>, good<br />
governance<br />
ENUGU—IGBO leaders<br />
have commended Governor<br />
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu<br />
State, for his accomplishments<br />
in the areas of <strong>peace</strong>,<br />
good governance and the recent<br />
state’s economic rating.<br />
Speaking when the leaders<br />
visited Ugwuanyi at the Government<br />
House, Enugu, President-General<br />
of Ohanaeze<br />
Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo,<br />
applauded the governor for<br />
the recent rating of Enugu as<br />
one of the six economically viable<br />
states in Nigeria that can<br />
survive <strong>without</strong> federal allocations.<br />
Nwodo, who was accompanied<br />
by the Obi of Onitsha, His<br />
Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred<br />
Achebe and Chief Emmanuel<br />
Iwuanyanwu, added that<br />
Enugu was the only state in<br />
the South East geopolitical<br />
zone to accomplish such an<br />
outstanding feat.<br />
He disclosed that they were<br />
at the Government House,<br />
Enugu on a routine consultation<br />
on matters of Igbo concern.<br />
He revealed that they appraised<br />
the <strong>development</strong>al issues<br />
in Igbo land and took<br />
brief on Governor Ugwuanyi’s<br />
budget priorities in the areas<br />
of digital education, health,<br />
infrastructure, security,<br />
among others “and we are<br />
pleased with what he told us.”<br />
Your large heart 'll stand you out<br />
for recognition, Buhari tells<br />
Okorocha<br />
By Johnbosco<br />
Agbakwuru<br />
AMuhammadu BUJA—PRESIDENT<br />
Buhari<br />
has felicitated with the former<br />
governor of Imo State, Senator<br />
Rochas Okorocha as he<br />
turns 58, saying that his (Okorocha)<br />
large heart and detribalized<br />
outlook on the country<br />
will continue to stand him out<br />
for recognition.<br />
According to a statement by<br />
the Senior Special Assistant<br />
to the President on Media and<br />
Publicity Mallam Garba<br />
Shehu, in Abuja, the President<br />
noted that Okorocha has been<br />
using the Rochas foundation<br />
to reach out to the poor and<br />
downtrodden in the society.<br />
Buhari in his message of felicitation<br />
said he joined friends<br />
and family to celebrate "the<br />
consummate entrepreneur<br />
and philanthropist, whose<br />
kindness cuts across the nation."<br />
The statement said, "President<br />
Buhari shares the moment<br />
of joy with political associates<br />
of Owelle Okorocha,<br />
whose antecedents as Chairman<br />
of the Progressive Governors<br />
Forum, President, Nigeria<br />
Red Cross Society, President/Founder,<br />
Rochas Foundation<br />
Inc, President, Rochas<br />
Group of Companies Limited,<br />
Pro-Chancellor, African<br />
Business School and former<br />
Chairman, Board of Nigerian<br />
Airspace Management<br />
Agency continues to resonate,<br />
especially among young leaders.<br />
"The President believes<br />
Okorocha’s large heart and<br />
detribalized outlook on the<br />
country will continue to stand<br />
him out for recognition and<br />
appreciation, using his foundation<br />
to reach out to the poor<br />
and downtrodden in the society,<br />
building schools and<br />
health facilities, and providing<br />
scholarship for many.<br />
"As the Senator turns 58, the<br />
President affirms that his dedication<br />
to the <strong>development</strong> of<br />
the country, and unwavering<br />
commitment to the welfare of<br />
the citizenry deserves commendation."
C<br />
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14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
:Vanguard News<br />
Kidnap of 40 farmers, serious<br />
threat to nation’s food security<br />
— AFAN<br />
By Gabriel Ewepu<br />
A<br />
B U J A —<br />
FOLLOWING<br />
weekend kidnap of 40 farmers in<br />
Zamfara State, President of All<br />
Farmers Association of Nigeria,<br />
AFAN, Kabir Ibrahim, yesterday,<br />
called on the government to<br />
bulldoze the forest bandits use<br />
as hideout.<br />
Kabir in a statement, lamented<br />
the unfortunate abduction of 40<br />
farmers from Gobirawan Cali<br />
community in Maru Local<br />
Government Area of Zamfara<br />
State, saying the incident sent<br />
wrong signal to farmers across the<br />
country.<br />
According to him, “The 40<br />
farmers recently abducted in<br />
Zamfara State by gun trotting<br />
bandits scares the living day<br />
lights out me and all farmers in<br />
Nigeria. Again, farmers are being<br />
kidnapped from my village,<br />
Faskari, Katsina State and some<br />
neighboring villages in Zamfara<br />
State largely because of the<br />
continued hiding places offered<br />
to the bandits by thickset forest<br />
that we are reluctant to bulldoze.<br />
“It is very sad that banditry and<br />
kidnapping are becoming a<br />
cankerworm in the food basket of<br />
the <strong>No</strong>rth West of Nigeria with<br />
the farmers bearing the brunt.<br />
The incessant kidnappings and<br />
general insecurity in the <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
West and other parts of the<br />
country portend a serious threat<br />
to our food system. If this matter<br />
exacerbates, the collapse of<br />
governance will rear its head and<br />
the country will pay a very high<br />
price for it.<br />
“Issues of climate change and<br />
other considerations constitute<br />
impediment to this thesis but a<br />
mitigation of the resultant effects<br />
of this action are also<br />
implementable. The obvious<br />
advantage of this defoliation or<br />
sectoral removal of these forests<br />
is the expansion of our cultivable<br />
land and even irrigable land. The<br />
issue of <strong>peace</strong> and security will<br />
be assured once these forests give<br />
way. The Cerrad in Brazil is a<br />
clear example of replacing<br />
wild forests with deliberate<br />
agricultural production and<br />
guaranteed food security.'<br />
“While we appreciate the effort<br />
of the government in ensuring<br />
security in some of these areas<br />
that have become epicenters of<br />
banditry and general insecurity<br />
there is still the need to revisit<br />
some of the advice that we have<br />
given in the various fora that we<br />
have been privileged to<br />
participate in.''<br />
NICE expresses gratitude to FG<br />
over inspection of 3rd Mainland<br />
Bridge<br />
By Etop Ekanem<br />
E<br />
X E C U T I V E<br />
members of Lagos<br />
State chapter of Nigerian<br />
Institution of Civil Engineers,<br />
NICE, led by the its<br />
Chairman, Omolola Adetona,<br />
and Vice, Emeka Ibeh have<br />
expressed their gratitude to<br />
the Federal Ministry of Works<br />
and Housing for enabling the<br />
institution to do an on-thespot<br />
assessment of the ongoing<br />
repair works at the<br />
Third Mainland Bridge.<br />
NICE especially the Federal<br />
Controller of Works for Lagos<br />
State, Olukayode Popoola<br />
and Engr. Forosola Oloyede,<br />
who is the Project Supervisor.<br />
Speaking on the visit,<br />
Adetona said it was an<br />
opportunity for them to learn<br />
from the on-going repair work,<br />
adding that many of them<br />
were very young when the<br />
bridge was being constructed<br />
30 years ago.<br />
Adetona stated that even<br />
the students, who were part<br />
of the visit, had first hand<br />
interaction with the contactor<br />
about the bridge and that it<br />
was an opportunity for them<br />
to learn and ask questions<br />
and also familiarise with<br />
activities of bridge repairs.<br />
Speaking further, Adetona<br />
and her team expressed<br />
satisfaction with the level of<br />
work done on the bridge so<br />
far and thanked the Federal<br />
Government, especially, the<br />
Minister of Works and<br />
Housing, Mr. Babatunde<br />
Fashola for responding<br />
promptly to the yearnings of<br />
the people on the need to<br />
repair the bridge.<br />
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
AWARD: Security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu (3rd left) with security chiefs who were conferred with Security<br />
Excellence Award by the School of Management and Security, Lagos. From left: Brig. Gen. Oladapo Olayiwola,<br />
DCP Muhammed Ali Ari, Class Governor, Matthew Ibadin, DCP Musa Garba and Timothy Oparah.<br />
Schools: FG to sanction violators of safe<br />
reopening guidelines — MINISTER<br />
By Bashir Bello<br />
K ANO—MINISTER<br />
of State for Education,<br />
Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba,<br />
yesterday said the Federal<br />
Government had put in place<br />
mechanism to sanction erring<br />
violators of safe school reopening<br />
guidelines.<br />
Nwajiuba disclosed this during<br />
a one-day stakeholders meeting<br />
with stakeholders from the<br />
<strong>No</strong>rthwest zone on the readiness<br />
for safe re-opening of schools<br />
organised by United Nations<br />
Childen’s Fund, UNICEF, with<br />
support through UNICEF Girls’<br />
Education Project Phase 3, GEP<br />
3, Foreign Commonwealth and<br />
Development Office, FCDO.<br />
He said: “Accordingly, the<br />
Federal Ministry of Education<br />
developed the safe school<br />
readiness template for an<br />
integrated approach to safe school<br />
re-opening which comes with<br />
many lessons. The template<br />
requires the full engagement of<br />
all stakeholders which is<br />
considered a sine qua non for<br />
successful implementation. It is<br />
in view of the above, that the<br />
Ministry considers it expedient<br />
to hold this stakeholders’ meeting<br />
at this time to plan and address<br />
the eventual safe re-opening of<br />
schools and learning facilities,<br />
nationwide. We all know that<br />
great accomplishments are made<br />
based on synergy.<br />
“It is on this premise that we<br />
are all here to deliberate and<br />
adopt the template for safe reopening<br />
of schools and learning<br />
facilities. The template has some<br />
key roles and shared<br />
responsibilities to be played by<br />
the stakeholders at National,<br />
State, LGA and the school levels.<br />
It is imperative to ask the<br />
question “What are you doing in<br />
your state that is different from<br />
what is in the template. I urge<br />
you to critique the template<br />
assiduously for the benefit of<br />
Nigerian school child.”<br />
He added, “We have already<br />
put in place a monitoring and<br />
evaluation mechanism to check<br />
erring states or schools.”<br />
Similarly, Governor Abdullahi<br />
Ganduje of Kano State, said the<br />
meeting, among others, was to<br />
finalize level of readiness of the<br />
states for the safe re-opening of<br />
the schools for the well being and<br />
safety of the school children.<br />
Represented by the Deputy<br />
Governor, Nasiru Gawuna,<br />
Ganduje, said the state had put<br />
in place measures for safe reopening<br />
of the schools that<br />
included continuous disinfection<br />
of the schools, rehabilitation of<br />
schools and provision of the<br />
Personal Protective Equipments,<br />
PPEs, for both public and private<br />
schools in the state.<br />
Earlier, the Chief of UNICEF<br />
Field Office, Rafid Saleh, pledged<br />
the body’s support to the Federal<br />
and state governments to ensure<br />
schools were safe and ready to<br />
guarantee a safe, secure and<br />
MTF holds webinar on Pitching<br />
Ideas: The Art of Story-Selling”<br />
IN continuation of its<br />
virtual learning<br />
programme, MultiChoice<br />
Talent Factory will this<br />
Thursday, September 24,<br />
host a global webinar on<br />
“Pitching Ideas: The Art of<br />
Story-Selling.” The online<br />
session will be facilitated by<br />
the Academy Director (West<br />
Africa), Femi Odugbemi.<br />
The session offers emerging<br />
content creators in the film<br />
and television industry an<br />
insight into practical ways to<br />
pitch their story ideas and the<br />
structure of a strong pitch<br />
document.<br />
According to the MTF<br />
Academy Director, the<br />
webinar is part of<br />
MultiChoice’s mission to<br />
supportive learning environment<br />
for all children in the face of the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
Others at the meeting included<br />
commissioners of Education and<br />
Health, Chairmen of State<br />
Universal Basic Education Board<br />
Directors from Kano, Katsina,<br />
<strong>Kaduna</strong> and Jigawa.<br />
assist emerging creatives in<br />
the film and TV industry,<br />
master the art of story-selling.<br />
“These young creative minds<br />
would get to understand how<br />
to shape their loglines,<br />
synopsis and presenting with<br />
the right kind of energy to<br />
spark interest in your project<br />
ideas” Odugbemi explained.<br />
The webinar, which is part<br />
of a series of industry<br />
presentations to upskill via<br />
our MTF Portal is also<br />
designed to help the next<br />
generation of African<br />
storytellers’ address<br />
industry concerns such as<br />
access to pitching<br />
opportunities at<br />
MultiChoice’s Africa Magic<br />
Channels.<br />
‘Belief in Nigerian economy<br />
motive behind new outlet'<br />
Aquick service restaurant<br />
(QSR), Kentucky Fried<br />
Chicken (KFC), has said the<br />
resilience of the Nigerian<br />
economy was the motivation<br />
behind the opening of its 23rd<br />
outlet in Nigeria.<br />
The management of the<br />
restaurant also said it has plans<br />
to open more branches before the<br />
end of the year, adding that the<br />
need to continue to offer<br />
Nigerians the opportunity to<br />
savour its menus was another<br />
factor that propelled the<br />
expansion.<br />
Speaking during the opening<br />
of the new outlet in Ikoyi, Lagos,<br />
Business Head, Devyani<br />
International Nigeria Limited,<br />
Mr. Manish Mehra said: “The<br />
decision to open the new outlet<br />
despite the current global<br />
economic challenges occasioned<br />
by the COVID-19 pandemic, is<br />
borne out of the belief of the<br />
brand in the resilience of the<br />
Nigerian economy and the need<br />
to continue to offer Nigerians the<br />
opportunity to savour KFC's<br />
world renowned menu with a<br />
secret recipe of herbs, spices and<br />
fresh ingredients of only the finest<br />
quality was responsible for the<br />
decision.<br />
"The opening of a new store<br />
means employment of more<br />
Nigerians who will work at the<br />
outlet. It means more business<br />
opportunities for our local vendors<br />
and suppliers, as KFC meals and<br />
product offering are affordable<br />
and offers great value for money."<br />
Lead, Sales and Marketing,<br />
Devyani International Nigeria<br />
Ltd, Mr. Damilola Owolabi, at the<br />
launch urged residents of Ikoyi<br />
and its environs to patronize the<br />
outlet and enjoy any of its menus,<br />
adding, "KFC is an international<br />
brand that is well respected for<br />
quality and high global standards<br />
that guarantees healthy meals<br />
for their customers."
C<br />
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Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 15
16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
•CCTV footage of Offa robbery gang members in action. Courtesy ChannelsTV.<br />
Offa robbery and the aftermath<br />
THE Offa robbery of<br />
2018 and the<br />
irresponsible way<br />
Nigeria has handled the<br />
aftermath is one more<br />
good reason why those<br />
criticising former<br />
President Olusegun<br />
Obasanjo and <strong>No</strong>bel<br />
Laureate Professor Wole<br />
Soyinka that Nigeria is<br />
tottering towards state<br />
failure should shut their<br />
traps. One of the key<br />
symptoms of a failed state<br />
is cutting deals with<br />
criminals instead of<br />
punishing them.<br />
The Offa robbery was a<br />
bloody one during which<br />
the criminal gang killed<br />
17 policemen and some<br />
civilians. One of the<br />
ringleaders of the<br />
operation is connected to<br />
a person who launched a<br />
vicious attack against me<br />
on behalf of his sponsors.<br />
I knew he wanted to use<br />
me to ingratiate himself to<br />
power wielders in the<br />
country so as to negotiate<br />
justice for the felons. I<br />
refused to swallow his<br />
bait. I just dismissed him.<br />
There are claims that he<br />
approached former Lagos<br />
State Governor, Senator<br />
Bola Tinubu, to assist<br />
when I was sick in 1999.<br />
He was somebody I had<br />
access to and would have<br />
reached directly if I was<br />
comfortable asking people<br />
for money. It was our<br />
lovely leader and father,<br />
Senator Abraham<br />
Adesanya, who called him<br />
and asked my wife to go<br />
and see him. It is not that<br />
I am an unfeeling and<br />
uncaring man who was<br />
taking credit for all I was<br />
doing even under<br />
illnesss.<br />
My wife said, in fairness<br />
to Tinubu, that he<br />
abandoned his food and<br />
lamented: “How can<br />
FEEDBACK<br />
Re: Constitutional negotiation we need<br />
Dear Sir<br />
THANK you for your<br />
article on the above<br />
subject. Thank you too for<br />
being one of those in the<br />
forefront calling for positive<br />
constitutional changes in<br />
Nigeria. You will recall that<br />
the 1999 Constitution we<br />
are operating today was not<br />
"approved by the people at<br />
a referendum".<br />
We have refused to learn<br />
from our past mistakes and<br />
those of other nations.<br />
History is full of the stories<br />
of the demise of nations that<br />
refused to listen to the voice<br />
of reason as it concerned the<br />
restructuring of such<br />
nations.<br />
All those who<br />
messed up the<br />
investigations<br />
into the<br />
robbery in Offa<br />
will answer<br />
questions<br />
before God<br />
some day as the<br />
lives lost were<br />
precious<br />
creatures of His<br />
The refusal of some<br />
Nigerians, both leaders and<br />
followers, to take seriously<br />
the issue of "Constitutional<br />
negotiation we need" makes<br />
me think that such persons<br />
do not believe in Nigeria as<br />
a country and in the concept<br />
of true democracy. Nigeria<br />
will celebrate its 60th year<br />
of independence on October<br />
1, 2020.<br />
One wonders what is<br />
being celebrated when the<br />
common man is undergoing<br />
a litany of woes and the<br />
rights of some ethnic<br />
nationalities are not<br />
respected.<br />
My people have the<br />
Yinka be going through<br />
this <strong>without</strong> letting me<br />
know.” He called the<br />
Heath Commissioner to<br />
arrange what I needed for<br />
medical trip. May Pa<br />
Adesanya rest in <strong>peace</strong>.<br />
Prof. Akin Onigbinde tells<br />
the story of how he<br />
physically led him and his<br />
wife to see a doctor when<br />
his wife was ill. There was<br />
a colleague of ours; he<br />
observed his wife was<br />
waiting for a child; he<br />
wrote some herbs for him<br />
to buy from a shop in<br />
London. The woman<br />
became pregnant in a<br />
month. Good old man! I<br />
saw you in your dirtiest<br />
with money that I couldn’t<br />
ask you for a penny even<br />
as I saw you rolling in<br />
sudden unearned dough.<br />
You were like king of Edom<br />
to me of whom Abraham<br />
said: “I willl not take a<br />
hoof, lest he says I made<br />
Abraham." I recall how<br />
you were camping two<br />
daughters of your late<br />
friend with baits of sacks<br />
of money. And you<br />
thought such would<br />
never have consequence?<br />
The young man you<br />
were trying to use me to<br />
cover his crimes obviously<br />
following sayings: "The big<br />
housefly that refuses to listen<br />
to candid advice usually<br />
goes into the grave with the<br />
corpse. The ear that refuses<br />
to listen to genuine advice<br />
will be forced to do so when<br />
the head is cut off."<br />
I pray that Nigerians, both<br />
leaders and followers,<br />
neither become the stubborn<br />
big housefly nor the ear. We<br />
should make haste while the<br />
sun shines.<br />
We must listen and mend<br />
our ways before the<br />
oncoming rain wets us and<br />
gives us the cold we shall<br />
never recover from. A stitch<br />
in time saves nine.<br />
Tony O. Ekwe.<br />
had some inheritance from<br />
a dad who allegedly did<br />
time in Minna Prison over<br />
stolen clothes in a<br />
laundry outfit where he<br />
worked. A senior<br />
advocate friend of mine<br />
sent me the lies you<br />
concocted a few days back<br />
which he said was sent to<br />
him. I did not ask him the<br />
person as my spirit told<br />
me immediately who it<br />
was. And like Apostle Paul<br />
said: “Alexander, the<br />
coppersmith who did me<br />
great harm”, I have to<br />
come back for you as five<br />
of the Offa robbers were<br />
arraigned in court a few<br />
days ago and your son<br />
was not among them.<br />
It was clear the<br />
Nigerian state had fallen<br />
for pranks when Offa<br />
robbery became part of<br />
the “O to ge” weapons<br />
against Senator Bukola<br />
Saraki. Instead of going<br />
after the criminals,<br />
spirited efforts were made<br />
to link the crime to the<br />
former Senate President<br />
whom they wanted out at<br />
all cost.<br />
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of<br />
<strong>Kaduna</strong> State was in Kwara<br />
State in June 2018 to<br />
commend the Inspector-<br />
General of Police, Mr.<br />
Ibrahim Idris, on the<br />
manner he had been<br />
handling the investigation<br />
of Offa bank robbery,<br />
saying he was doing an<br />
excellent job. El-Rufai made<br />
the commendation in Oro<br />
town at the annual<br />
Ramadan lecture<br />
organised by the Minister<br />
of Information and Culture,<br />
Alhaji Lai Mohammed,<br />
who is a native of the town.<br />
Recall that the National<br />
Assembly had just passed<br />
a vote of no confidence on<br />
the police boss whose<br />
actions and inactions they<br />
considered antithetical to<br />
democracy; but El-Rufai<br />
praised the police boss on<br />
the occasion and thanked<br />
the Chief Imam of Oro,<br />
Mikhail Onisan, for<br />
praying for the nation and<br />
leaders.<br />
He said: “I thank the<br />
Chief Imam for his prayers<br />
for the country, President<br />
Buhari, Inspector-General<br />
of Police, who is doing an<br />
excellent job, Minister of<br />
Information and others.<br />
God wins for Obaseki<br />
HERE is a big<br />
congratulation to<br />
my friend and brother, Mr.<br />
Godwin Obaseki, on his<br />
massive re-election as the<br />
Governor of Edo State for<br />
another four years.<br />
On the eve of the election,<br />
Obaseki stood before his<br />
God and asked Him to give<br />
victory to his opponent if he<br />
would need the blood of<br />
any citizen to be victorious.<br />
God answered his prayer<br />
and won the battle for him<br />
in a <strong>peace</strong>ful atmosphere.<br />
He beat his opponent the<br />
way pompous opponents<br />
should be beaten: silly.<br />
The sweet victory over<br />
godfathers should spur<br />
him to be closer to God the<br />
May God accept his<br />
prayers. Irrespective of<br />
what anybody might be<br />
saying, he (IGP) deserves<br />
commendation, and<br />
Almighty Allah will<br />
continue to guide him."<br />
The Almighty guided him<br />
out of office disgracefully as<br />
he politicised a high crime<br />
instead of dealing with the<br />
criminals. All those who<br />
messed up the<br />
investigations into the<br />
robbery in Offa will answer<br />
questions before God some<br />
day as the lives lost were<br />
precious creatures of His.<br />
The one who lied against<br />
me to curry favour from men<br />
would not have such<br />
privilege before God. This<br />
blood of the innocent will<br />
cry for justice loudly.<br />
Father and work harder for<br />
the people who have<br />
spoken loud and clear for<br />
him.<br />
His victory should also be<br />
a time of reflection for small<br />
men who play god over<br />
fellow human beings<br />
because they are drunk<br />
with power.<br />
God the Father is the One<br />
we should all bow to all the<br />
time and not men who<br />
misname themselves gods.<br />
It’s a new season in Edo<br />
that should send waves to<br />
the rest of the country. Our<br />
people should no longer be<br />
under the bondage of<br />
criminals taking advantage<br />
of them mercilessly.<br />
Enough is enough!<br />
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 —17<br />
Send Opinions & Letters to:<br />
opinions1234@yahoo.com<br />
Explosion in Beirut:<br />
Explosives in Lagos<br />
IT started with one truck<br />
parked outside the gate of the<br />
Tin Can Port, Apapa, Lagos<br />
because the truck park was full.<br />
The next day, two more trucks<br />
parked on the road awaiting their<br />
turn to lift cargo. The park was<br />
busy and so were the factories for<br />
wheat, sugar and cement (rebags,<br />
etc). Before long, and as Nigeria's<br />
appetite for imports grew, more<br />
and more trucks parked on all the<br />
roads leading to the ports on the<br />
flyovers, under the flyovers from<br />
Iganmu to Surulere, to Lawanson,<br />
on the Second Mainland Bridge,<br />
Eko Bridge creating a truck park<br />
that has almost strangled port<br />
activity. The trucks drove most<br />
residents in Apapa away.<br />
The cry to clear this horror has<br />
been shrill and long, but there is<br />
no respite. Why? Lagos State<br />
government claims that the<br />
bridges and roads leading to the<br />
ports are federal roads and<br />
therefore they can do nothing<br />
much about it. A Trumpian lie.<br />
Then they blame the Nigerian<br />
Ports Authority for the truck<br />
gridlock. The NPA may be guilty<br />
of all sorts of things, but you<br />
cannot blame them for the pillage<br />
on Lagos roads.<br />
Lagos State Government<br />
benefits substantially from the<br />
ports even if it does not own equity<br />
in it (we have always argued that<br />
Lagos State is entitled to equity in<br />
the airports and Lagos ports.)<br />
Are there factories inside the<br />
ports in Lagos? What kind of<br />
factories? If so, is it not time to<br />
decommission these factories and<br />
move them elsewhere. Lagos is the<br />
main port of Nigeria, bringing in<br />
fertilisers (ammonium nitrate) and<br />
storing them and other<br />
inflammable imports at the ports,<br />
including petroleum products and<br />
tank farms. The explosion in<br />
Lebanon was caused by the blow<br />
up of ammonium nitrate<br />
(fertiliser) at the ports.<br />
Ideally several truck parks<br />
should be built outside<br />
Lagos(Mombasa, Eritrea, Angola,<br />
etc., have new state-of-the-art port<br />
facilities) and trucks should only<br />
be on the road to go to the ports,<br />
pick up cargo quickly and leave.<br />
The NPA has to be ready to release<br />
cargo, as it has promised ad<br />
infinitum, within 24hours of cargo<br />
landing in the ports. Accelerated<br />
clearing of goods must be a<br />
priority for all engaged in this<br />
business.<br />
Is Lagos secure? Can it blow up<br />
like Beirut? Most definitely. We do<br />
have fertilisers in the ports. We have<br />
other inflammable materials. To<br />
ask the NPA to be more transparent<br />
in its operations is to speak as a<br />
fool. But the dangers persist. Let us<br />
build a scenario. If one of those<br />
trucks parked jowl-to-cheek were<br />
to catch fire, every truck on all<br />
those roads from Apapa, second<br />
bridge, Iganmu, Badagry road,<br />
etc., would catch fire because they<br />
cannot move and each has fuel<br />
tanks. The fire would be quick and<br />
compulsive, burning nearby petrol<br />
stations, tank farms and even the<br />
ports themselves with all their<br />
factories, etc. I believe that most<br />
of Apapa, Surulere, Badagry road,<br />
Festac Town, Alaba, etc., would be<br />
at risk.<br />
While on this subject of fire, has<br />
it occurred to anyone that South<br />
West Ikoyi is a fire hazard? It was<br />
built as a residential area, but like<br />
all things in Nigeria, good<br />
intentions succumb to<br />
unfathomable greed. One day we<br />
saw one shop in Awolowo Road<br />
then another, then offices, petrol<br />
stations, etc. There is a military<br />
arms and explosive dump in<br />
Dodan Barracks. There are 10<br />
petrol stations on Awolowo Road.<br />
When an area has been planned<br />
for a particular purpose should we<br />
Having noticed what<br />
has happened in<br />
Beirut, please let us do<br />
something to clear the<br />
roads of Lagos before<br />
we all get blown up<br />
not try to maintain that purpose?<br />
The most dangerous area of<br />
Nigeria is still the ports. Suppose<br />
Nigeria is fighting a war with<br />
Benin and Togo or any other<br />
country. Our ammunition stocks<br />
are low and we have ships at the<br />
ports to re-equip our army. The<br />
ports are jammed because of the<br />
trucks. The military cannot be<br />
resupplied. What do we do? Or<br />
suppose a dissident group was to<br />
fire-bomb those trucks?<br />
The problem can be solved. A few<br />
years ago Mr President threatened<br />
to come on a state visit to Lagos.<br />
Apart from the usual preparation<br />
of school children, after hours of<br />
drill, learning to sing for the<br />
President while waving flags<br />
welcoming him, something<br />
extraordinary happened.<br />
Every single truck parked on all<br />
those flyovers, all trucks blocking<br />
Apapa, Iganmu, Badagry road,<br />
etc., was removed. The Lagos State<br />
government announced the closure<br />
of a good number of roads from<br />
Ikeja to Lagos. Of course the<br />
airport was closed to all traffic. All<br />
trucks on Airport Road were<br />
removed.<br />
The President came. He flew<br />
from the airport to the State<br />
House, thus depriving the children<br />
the opportunity to show Lagos<br />
hospitality. Mercifully he did not<br />
spend the night. He returned to<br />
Abuja. My plane from Lagos to<br />
Abuja was delayed for six hours!!<br />
Who pays for all those trucks<br />
causing the gridlock outside the<br />
ports? The owners of the trucks are<br />
paid by the importers who simply<br />
add the cost to the price they sell<br />
the goods which you and I have to<br />
pay for, thus keeping inflation high.<br />
The trucks/trailers clogging the<br />
roads make travelling to work and<br />
around slow, more expensive and<br />
dangerous. And again, we pay for<br />
it. If you spend eight hours in traffic<br />
daily, it is eight hours you could<br />
have done productive work. The<br />
tedium of the delay affects your<br />
mental state, causing stress and<br />
other psychological problems that<br />
will impact on our health and<br />
economy.<br />
Finally, having noticed what has<br />
happened in Beirut, please let us<br />
do something to clear the roads of<br />
Lagos before we all get blown up.<br />
The Lagos airport is in a similar<br />
danger to the existence of Lagos<br />
considering hundreds of petrol<br />
tankers parked on the airport<br />
roads waiting to be supplied from<br />
the airport flow stations. If one of<br />
those trucks catches fire and the<br />
tank farms are ablaze can the fire<br />
be contained?<br />
What kind of contract did Lagos<br />
sign with China stopping it from<br />
finishing the railway and the 12-<br />
lane road to Badagry and Seme?<br />
China has shown its ability to carry<br />
out such projects in Luanda,<br />
Mozambique, Mombasa, Somali,<br />
Eritea; why not Nigeria?<br />
What we need in Nigeria is a<br />
whole reconstruction of the supply<br />
routes to the ports, consisting of<br />
first class secure roads, trailers<br />
parks, hotel, etc. The people of<br />
Lagos have suffered enough. They<br />
demand and deserve better<br />
facilities. Government must meet<br />
its standards and promises. If not,<br />
there is always the vote.<br />
People who live in Lagos must<br />
rise up to the dangers they face.<br />
Five years ago, it took most<br />
workers one or two hours to get to<br />
work and back. Today, it takes five<br />
to six hours for the same trip; why?<br />
Why should you vote for a<br />
government that punishes you so?<br />
Their pedigree would show that<br />
they can do better. LSDPC is now a<br />
shadow of its former self. People<br />
could vote for Alhaji Lateef<br />
Jakande because he did what he<br />
promised.<br />
He built new schools and stopped<br />
children having to go to school in<br />
two streams, morning and<br />
afternoon, so that you found<br />
children returning from school as<br />
late as 10 or 11pm. You could get<br />
a house for N30,000. He repeated<br />
this feat in Abuja when he was<br />
Minister of Works. When he fell out<br />
with SDP he left the party and the<br />
people of Lagos followed him. He<br />
remodelled schools, paid teachers,<br />
controlled Lagos traffic, built<br />
estates and roads fulfilling the old<br />
electoral jingle of life more<br />
abundant: indeed life is now short<br />
and brutish and insecure; and<br />
Lagos is liable to massive<br />
conflagration.<br />
As if that is not enough, Lagos<br />
may also be extinguished by refuse<br />
and chemical and human waste.<br />
We cannot wait for the land fills<br />
before opening near truck parks<br />
but the landfills system of LASMA<br />
is outdated and corruption-ridden.<br />
Lagos still pollutes all the water<br />
around it by dumping waste from<br />
soakaways in the lagoon. All the<br />
factories in Lagos do the same<br />
because Lagos has no plans for<br />
liquid waste. If the ports do not get<br />
you, Alausa will.<br />
Tackling insecurity through media and police synergy<br />
By AYINDE IJADUNOLA<br />
THE third president of the United<br />
States of America, Thomas Jefferson,<br />
said if he was asked to choose between a<br />
government <strong>without</strong> newspapers and<br />
newspapers <strong>without</strong> a government, he<br />
would not hesitate to pick the latter. His<br />
was an extreme libertarian expression of<br />
the view that the media was indispensable<br />
if democracy was to have its full course<br />
and benefit the people maximally. But we<br />
must understand where Jefferson was<br />
coming from.<br />
He was one of the founding fathers of<br />
the United States. And in his days,<br />
emancipation, freedom, liberty, rights of<br />
the people more than the rights of<br />
government were what dominated the<br />
conversation in the society.<br />
Given the experience of the colonies at<br />
the hand of imperial England in the 18th<br />
century, the Americans believed that less<br />
oppressive government and more media<br />
which would champion the rights and<br />
voice of the people was needed. But as I<br />
said earlier, it was a farfetched view.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w, if Jefferson would take such a<br />
position in a contest between the media<br />
and government, where would he stand if<br />
the equation featured the media and the<br />
Police? Would he prefer a nation which<br />
would exist <strong>without</strong> this law and order<br />
agency? Or the Police <strong>without</strong> a nation?<br />
Or a nation running at full throttle with<br />
the backing of the media and the Police?<br />
Last week, the Police chief in Lagos,<br />
Hakeem Odumosu, offered a better<br />
version of the Jefferson puzzle along with<br />
a much improved arrangement of how<br />
society should operate for the greatest<br />
good of the greatest number of citizens.<br />
Police Commissioner Odumosu presented<br />
the picture of journalists and the Police<br />
coming together to render priceless<br />
service to Nigerians. He has given the<br />
nation a strategic synergy that can assist<br />
the society defeat the scourge of insecurity<br />
threatening to swallow us and reverse all<br />
the advances our nascent democracy has<br />
made over the years, even as we prepare<br />
for the diamond jubilee of our<br />
Independence.<br />
Odumosu’s contribution to the<br />
discourse was captured in a statement<br />
released to the press by the Public<br />
Relations Officer, Lagos Command of the<br />
Police, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi. The CP<br />
was quoted as calling for "partnership<br />
between the Police and media<br />
professionals to strengthen security in<br />
Lagos”. Adejobi said:” CP Hakeem<br />
Odumosu…charged the fourth estate of<br />
the realm to partner in strengthening the<br />
security architecture of Lagos State and<br />
Nigeria at large…He urged the media to<br />
always project the country, Nigeria and<br />
the police in a positive light as their views<br />
count on the rating of the Nigerian polity.”<br />
Odumosu spoke when the General<br />
Manager of the Nigerian Television<br />
Authority, NTA, Channel 10, Adegbirin<br />
Kamarudeen, visited him.<br />
So, whereas about three centuries ago a<br />
concerned public officer sought the<br />
exclusion of a state institution and the sole<br />
employment of the press to preserve<br />
society and its people, another public<br />
office holder several generations after is<br />
asking for collaboration between two<br />
critical institutions. It’s impossible to<br />
challenge CP Odumosu’s thesis that the<br />
society needs the gentlemen of the press in<br />
the two-fold business of securing the nation<br />
and restoring its severely battered image.<br />
The point is that what is generally given<br />
to the people as the achievements of<br />
government and its agencies or institutions<br />
starts with what sociologists and analysts<br />
describe as perceptions, interpretations<br />
and ‘coloured’ reportage in the media.<br />
True, this reportage is a reflection of the<br />
productive forces in a given setting.<br />
However, in the long run, in the course of<br />
Nigeria’s greatest challenge is<br />
insecurity and all arms of the<br />
state, notably those who<br />
reportour activities for today and<br />
posterity, must be respectably<br />
brought into the loop of<br />
protecting the country and its<br />
people<br />
processing the reports a lot can take place.<br />
For instance, there can be a ‘tendentious’<br />
headline that buries the ‘virtues’ of an event<br />
credited to government deep in the belly<br />
of the story which an impatient reader<br />
would not arrive at before forming an<br />
opinion. Editors don’t mean mischief<br />
when this happens. All what they may<br />
doing is to satisfy core professional<br />
demands. But, as Odumosu observes, a<br />
pact can be struck between the media and<br />
strategic bodies of the state to let<br />
newsmen key into a larger vision of<br />
combining their professional ethics with<br />
nation-building goals. The reporter must<br />
be allowed to go about his duties, but it is<br />
within the bigger context of serving the<br />
nation with his skills. But how does this<br />
relate with the security of the nation?<br />
What’s the connection between the Police<br />
and the journalist? What’s the nexus that<br />
Odumosu thinks should be strengthened?<br />
There is only one answer to these posers.<br />
The media represents the Fourth Estate of<br />
the Realm, after the Executive, Legislative<br />
and Judiciary. These three are all arms of<br />
government that are responsible for the<br />
upkeep and security of the state. But<br />
although these media personnel are<br />
‘independent’ of the state, they are needed<br />
to produce what emerges as the<br />
perceptions and realities in the country<br />
through reporting the activities of those<br />
other official arms.<br />
These realities and perceptions are the<br />
tools that make or mar and influence the<br />
image and security situation in any<br />
nation. Nigeria can dwell heavily on what<br />
Hakeem Odumosu is proposing as the<br />
panacea for the insecurity in the land. The<br />
country’s greatest challenge is insecurity<br />
and all arms of the state, notably those<br />
who reportour activities for today and<br />
posterity, must be respectably brought into<br />
the loop of protecting Nigeria and its<br />
people. Surely, it will be a death knell for<br />
Nigeria’s insecurity if the country’s<br />
journalists and the Police would come<br />
together in a coordinated onslaught on<br />
the criminals in our midst.<br />
•Ijadunola, a social commentator,<br />
wrote from Lagos<br />
C<br />
M<br />
Y
18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
CONTRARY to widespread<br />
expectations, the just-concluded Edo<br />
State governorship election has come<br />
and gone successfully. The fire and<br />
brimstone we expected to fall from<br />
the skies did not happen.<br />
The pre-election sabre-rattling,<br />
which peaked with the removal of the<br />
roof of the Edo State House of constitutional mandates professionally,<br />
Assembly and gun violence around the outcome always gives reason for<br />
the palace of the Benin monarch, the people to celebrate.<br />
fizzled out into a generally-<strong>peace</strong>ful, We commend every stakeholder,<br />
free and fair election. For the second especially the two frontline political<br />
time since the <strong>No</strong>vember 19, 2017 reelection<br />
poll of Governor Willie PDP, and the all Progressives<br />
parties – the Peoples Democratic Party,<br />
Obiano of Anambra State, the Edo Congress, APC, for generally desisting<br />
governorship election ended with the from a pronounced degree of violence<br />
will of the people prevailing and and electoral malfeasance. We are<br />
<strong>without</strong> bloodshed.<br />
gratified that the feared clash between<br />
The simple reason for this was that “governor’s incumbency power” and<br />
President Muhammadu Buhari kept “the federal might” did not take place<br />
his word towards ensuring a free, fair after all, despite the mobilisation of<br />
and <strong>peace</strong>ful election. Whenever the governors of both parties to Benin for<br />
Independent National Electoral the expected “battle royale”.<br />
Commission, INEC, and the security While we congratulate Governor<br />
agencies are made to carry out their Godwin Obaseki and expect him to be<br />
Edo poll: We are relieved, but••<br />
a servant to all Edo people, we also<br />
urge those who feel aggrieved to<br />
follow the due process of the law in<br />
seeking redress. The judiciary should<br />
also emulate the INEC and security<br />
agencies in ensuring that justice and<br />
the people’s will prevail.<br />
In particular, we commend our<br />
international partners, especially the<br />
United States and the United<br />
Kingdom, which have resorted to<br />
imposition of stiff sanctions on<br />
election riggers and promoters of<br />
violence through visa bans, asset<br />
seizures and possible prosecutions<br />
under international law. This must<br />
have gone a long way in ensuring the<br />
<strong>peace</strong>ful outcome of the Edo<br />
governorship election. It probably<br />
also helped our government in sitting<br />
up and ensuring the right thing was<br />
done.<br />
We call on President Buhari to<br />
continue to ensure that all elections<br />
that will be conducted under the rest<br />
of his watch will be free, fair and<br />
transparent. These include the<br />
forthcoming off-cycle Anambra,<br />
Ondo, Ekiti and Osun governorship<br />
elections as well as the 2023 general<br />
elections. At this juncture of his life<br />
and tenure, Buhari owes Nigeria’s<br />
democracy a shining legacy, being a<br />
beneficiary of a free, fair and <strong>peace</strong>ful<br />
election.<br />
He should lead efforts to ensure that<br />
all residual legal and legislative<br />
requirements which will promote<br />
further INEC independence and the<br />
true will of the people are put in place<br />
before the next elections.<br />
To who much is given, much is<br />
expected.<br />
THE presidential pardon granted by<br />
President Muhammadu Buhari to<br />
former Nationalist and Minister, Chief<br />
Anthony Eromosele Enahoro (1923-2010) and<br />
also to Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli<br />
(1929-1989), former Governor of the defunct<br />
Bendel State and endorsed by the National<br />
Council of State is most welcome. I hope the<br />
pardon will be extended to others, including<br />
Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, former<br />
Minister of Transportation, whose cases are<br />
being reviewed in the Presidency.<br />
Let us discuss that of Professor Ambrose Alli<br />
first. On December 31, 1983, President Shehu<br />
Shagari’s elected government was dethroned<br />
by a military coup headed by Major General<br />
Muhammadu Buhari. Also dethroned and<br />
detained were elected governors who served<br />
between 1979 and 1983. They are Dr. Victor<br />
Olunloyo and Chief Bola Ige (Oyo), Alhaji<br />
Lateef Jakande (Lagos), Chief Bisi Onabanjo<br />
(Ogun), Chief Michael Ajasin (Ondo),<br />
Professor Ambrose Alli and Chief Samuel<br />
Ogbemudia (Bendel), Chief Cornelius<br />
Adebayo and Chief David Attah (Kwara), Dr.<br />
Clement Isong and Chief Donald Etiebet (Cross<br />
River), Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa,<br />
Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi and Alhaji Lawai Keita<br />
(<strong>Kaduna</strong>), Alhaji Garuba Nadama (Sokoto),<br />
Alhaji Abubakar Bardeh and Wilberfoce Juta<br />
(Gongola), Mohammed Guni and Asha Jarma<br />
(Borno), Chief Jim Nwobodo and Chief C.C.<br />
Onoh (Anambra), Chief Sam Mbakwe (Imo)<br />
and Chief Solomon Lar (Plateau), Alhaji<br />
Abubakar Rimi and Alhaji Barkin Zuwo<br />
(Kano), Chief Melford Okilo (Rivers), Alhaji<br />
Abubakar Tatari Ali (Bauchi), Mr. Aper Aku<br />
(Benue) and Alhaji Muhammed Anwal<br />
Ibrahim (Niger).<br />
In overthrowing President Shagari’s<br />
government, Brigadier Sani Abacha, told the<br />
nation in a broadcast on December 31, 1983<br />
that: “You are living witnesses to the great<br />
economic predicament and uncertainty which<br />
an inept and corrupt leadership has imposed<br />
OPINION<br />
Historic perspective on the pardon<br />
of Alli and Enahoro<br />
on our beloved nation for the past four years. I<br />
am referring to the harsh, intolerable<br />
conditions under which we are now living. Our<br />
economy has been hopelessly mismanaged.<br />
We have become a debtor and beggar nation.<br />
There is inadequacy of food at reasonable<br />
I hope the pardon will be<br />
extended to others whose cases<br />
are being reviewed in the<br />
Presidency<br />
prices for our people who are now fed up with<br />
endless announcements of importation of<br />
foodstuff. Health services are in shambles as<br />
our hospitals are reduced to mere consulting<br />
clinics <strong>without</strong> drugs, water and equipment.<br />
Our educational system is deteriorating at an<br />
alarming rate.<br />
“Unemployment figures, including the<br />
undergraduates have reached embarrassing<br />
and unacceptable proportions. In some states,<br />
workers are being owed salary arrears of eight<br />
to 12 months and in others there are threats of<br />
salary cuts. Yet our leaders revel in<br />
squandermania, corruption and indiscipline,<br />
and continue to proliferate public<br />
appointments in complete disregard of our<br />
stark economic realities. After due consultation<br />
over these deplorable conditions, I and my<br />
colleagues in the armed forces have in the<br />
discharge of our national role as a promoter<br />
and protector of national interest decided to<br />
effect a change in the leadership of the<br />
government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria<br />
and form a Federal Military Government. This<br />
task has just been completed.”<br />
Shortly after, the Supreme Military Council was<br />
constituted and the following were appointed as<br />
members: Major General Muhammadu Buhari,<br />
Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of The<br />
Nigerian Armed Forces from <strong>Kaduna</strong> state;<br />
Brigadier Babatunde Abdulbaki Idiagbon, Chief<br />
of Staff, Supreme Headquarters((Kwara State);<br />
Major-General Domkat Bali, Defence<br />
Secretary(Plateau State); Major General<br />
Ibrahim Babangida, Chief of Army Staff(Niger<br />
state); Commodore Augustus Aikhomu, Chief of<br />
Send Opinions & Letters to:<br />
opinions1234@yahoo.com<br />
Naval Staff(Bendel State); Air Vice-Marshal<br />
Ibrahim Mahmud Alfa, Chief of Air<br />
Staff(Gongola State); Major-General<br />
Mamman Jiya Vatsa, Minister of Federal<br />
Capital Territory(Niger State); Brigadier<br />
Joseph Olayeni Oni, GOC, 1st Mechanised<br />
Infantry Division-<strong>Kaduna</strong>(from Lagos State);<br />
Brigadier Mohammed Sani Abacha, GOC<br />
2nd Mechanised Division -Ibadan(from Kano<br />
State); Colonel Salihu Ibrahim, GOC, 3rd<br />
Armoured Division- Jos(Kwara State);<br />
Brigadier Yohanna Yerima Kure, GOC, 82nd<br />
Division-Enugu(<strong>Kaduna</strong> State); Brigadier<br />
Mohammed Mangoro, Minister of Internal<br />
Affairs(Sokoto State); Brigadier<br />
Muhammadu Gado Nasko, Commander-<br />
Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery(Niger State);<br />
Brigadier Paul Omu, Army (from Bendel State);<br />
Navy Captain Ebitu Ukiwe, Flag Officer<br />
Commanding, Western Naval<br />
Command(from Imo State) and Air<br />
Commodore Larry Koinyan, Air Force(from<br />
Rivers State).<br />
On April 5, 1984, General Buhari<br />
promulgated decree Number 3 and decree<br />
Number 8. Decree <strong>No</strong>. 8 states that the Federal<br />
Military Government hereby decrees as<br />
follows: 1. Immediately after subsection (1) of<br />
section 1 of the Recovery of Public Property<br />
(Special Military Tribunals) Decree 1984, there<br />
shall be inserted the following new subsection<br />
(1A), that is - “(1A) Any public officer who - (a)<br />
has engaged in corrupt practices or has<br />
corruptly enriched himself or any other<br />
person; or (b) has by virtue of abuse of his<br />
office contributed to the economic adversity<br />
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; or has in<br />
any way been in breach of the Code of Conduct,<br />
shall be guilty of an offence under this Decree<br />
and upon conviction shall, apart from any<br />
other penalty prescribed by or pursuant to any<br />
other provision of this Decree, forfeit the assets,<br />
whether movable or immovable property, is a<br />
product of a family that has served the country<br />
meritoriously, notably my friend, Ben Enahoro,<br />
To be concluded
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 19<br />
LCCI CCI pushes for immediate e implementation of<br />
CAMA 2020<br />
By Yinka Kolawole<br />
ECONOMY<br />
AMIDST the controversies<br />
surrounding the new Company<br />
and Allied Matters Act<br />
(CAMA) 2020, the Lagos Chamber<br />
of Commerce and Industry<br />
(LCCI) is now pressing for urgent<br />
gazetting of the law, saying that delay<br />
is creating uncertainties in<br />
business decisions anchored on<br />
the law.<br />
Director General, LCCI, Dr.<br />
Muda Yusuf, in a statement made<br />
available to Vanguard yesterday,<br />
noted that the delay in gazetting<br />
the law is yet another example of<br />
how bureaucratic bottlenecks are<br />
allowed to impede economic<br />
progress.<br />
Recall that CAMA 2020 was assented<br />
to by President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari over a<br />
month ago, following which several<br />
groups alleged that certain<br />
sections of the new law was draconian<br />
and could precipitate unwholesome<br />
take-over of private<br />
entities by the government.<br />
But Yusuf stated: “The legislation<br />
and the subsequent assent<br />
were widely applauded by the<br />
business community”, lamenting<br />
that six weeks after the legislation’s<br />
presidential assent it is yet to be<br />
gazetted.<br />
He stated further, “The implication<br />
of this is that the formal copy<br />
of the law is not yet available to<br />
the public and therefore the law<br />
cannot be operationalized. This is<br />
yet another example of how bureaucratic<br />
bottlenecks could impede<br />
the progress of an economy.<br />
“Ordinarily, and in line with the<br />
ongoing digital revolution and the<br />
E- Government agenda of government,<br />
the law should have been<br />
uploaded on the Federal Government<br />
and National Assembly<br />
websites hours after the assent by<br />
the President.<br />
“Being a major business legislation,<br />
the non-availability of the<br />
gazetted copy of CAMA 2020 has<br />
CURRENCY BUYING SELLING<br />
US DOLLAR<br />
POUNDS<br />
EURO<br />
FRANC<br />
YEN<br />
CFA<br />
WAUA<br />
RENMINBI<br />
RIYAL<br />
RAND<br />
120.70 -1.50<br />
2,625.00 -16.00<br />
13.13 -0.25<br />
41.34 -1.81<br />
39.05 -2.06<br />
379 379.5 380<br />
491.7146 492.3633 493.012<br />
448.8188 449.4039 449.996<br />
416.3463 416.8955 417.4448<br />
3.631 3.6358 3.6405<br />
0.6625 0.6725 0.6825<br />
535.2047 535.9107 536.6168<br />
55.9541 56.0284 56.1026<br />
101.0182 101.1514 101.2847<br />
23.4838 23.5148 23.5457<br />
CBN Exchange rate as at 21/09/2020<br />
stalled many activities in the business<br />
environment. These are activities<br />
anchored on the new legislation.<br />
“Additionally, the regulations<br />
that ought to be issued by the Corporate<br />
Affairs Commission on account<br />
of the new legislation have<br />
equally been stalled because there<br />
is no formal document to act<br />
upon.”<br />
“The situation has created enormous<br />
uncertainty in business decisions<br />
which require the legislative<br />
anchor of CAMA 2020 to<br />
PRESENTATION: From left — Cyril Matthew, Deputy Corps Commander, FRSC, RS2.1 Lagos Sector<br />
Command; Charles Nwachukwu, Divisional Head, Institutional Business, Cornerstone Insurance; Imoh<br />
Etuk, Zonal Commanding Officer, RS2HQ Lagos; Chidiebere Nwokeocha, Executive Director, Business<br />
Development, Cornerstone Insurance; and Tokunbo Bello, Executive Director, Technical/Operations,<br />
Cornerstone Insurance during the presentation of kiosks donated to FRSC by Cornerstone in Lagos.<br />
Deduct at source, pay MDAs electricity bills<br />
directly to DISCOs – KPMG to FG<br />
By Ediri Ejoh<br />
ENERGY<br />
THE Federal Government<br />
has been advised to consider<br />
a direct deduction of the electricity<br />
bills of Ministries, Departments<br />
and Agencies (MDAs) and<br />
paying them directly to<br />
the electricity Distribution<br />
Companies, DISCOs,<br />
to drive <strong>development</strong> in<br />
the country’s power sector.<br />
Vanguard gathered<br />
that the DISCOs are being<br />
owed N98 billion by<br />
the MDAs and have not<br />
been able to collect the<br />
debts being owed them<br />
over time.<br />
In its latest report titled:<br />
‘The Twin Shocks and the<br />
Nigerian Energy & Natural<br />
Resources Industry-<br />
An Analysis of the Challenges,<br />
Consequences<br />
and Cure’, KPMG Nigeria<br />
said that the government<br />
may need to continue to<br />
provide financial support<br />
to businesses in this sector<br />
in their present circumstance.<br />
But it stated:<br />
“However, this support<br />
must be administered in<br />
a manner that guarantees<br />
improvement in power<br />
infrastructure across the<br />
progress. As it were, a legislative<br />
vacuum has been created. The<br />
CAMA 1990 has been repealed,<br />
CAMA 2020 is yet to be gazetted,<br />
six weeks after assent.<br />
“It is important that the bureaucracy<br />
works in tandem with the<br />
new normal of leveraging technology<br />
so that the desired outcomes<br />
of reforms can be<br />
achieved, and expeditiously too.<br />
“The implementation of the e-<br />
Government programmes<br />
should be accelerated to make the<br />
public service smarter, efficient<br />
country.<br />
“An obvious impact of the current<br />
situation on electricity distribution<br />
companies in Nigeria<br />
arises from the loss of revenues<br />
due to the reduction of demand<br />
from commercial and industrial<br />
customers. The government<br />
should consider deducting MDAs<br />
bills upfront and paying the same<br />
to the DISCOs directly.<br />
“Government should ensure<br />
consistency and clarity of policies<br />
as this will encourage investments<br />
in the sector; criminalize energy<br />
theft and enforce penalties against<br />
offenders, as well as codify coherent<br />
fiscal policy that encourages<br />
the production of renewables,<br />
mini-grids and solar home systems<br />
to the market.”<br />
On liquidity and collection challenges,<br />
the report noted that “DISCOs<br />
may consider the introduction of<br />
bulk payment incentives to encourage<br />
consumers to invest in significant<br />
pre-payment and ease the cash flow<br />
challenges. This may, however, not<br />
be possible in the short term until a<br />
cost-reflective tariff or price deregulation<br />
is achieved; and DISCOs should<br />
be allowed to engage any Meter Asset<br />
Provider available, anywhere in<br />
the country, <strong>without</strong> any restrictions<br />
(other than quality review and approval<br />
by NERC). This would encourage<br />
the mass deployment of<br />
meters to consumers.”<br />
NIMASA, , Bureau of Public Service partner to<br />
transform maritime sector<br />
By Godwin Oritse<br />
MARITIME<br />
THE Nigerian Maritime Ad<br />
ministration and Safety<br />
Agency, NIMASA, and the Bureau<br />
of Public Service Reforms,<br />
BPSR, are currently in talks on<br />
how to implement transformational<br />
initiatives in the maritime<br />
sector. Speaking in Abuja during<br />
a visit to the Bureau, NIMASA’s<br />
Director General, Dr. Bashir<br />
Jamoh, emphasized the importance<br />
of efficient and effective<br />
and cost effective. Given the current<br />
wave of digital revolution sweeping<br />
across the public and private sectors,<br />
the role of the Federal Government<br />
Press in the dissemination of official<br />
legislations and other publications is<br />
at risk of diminishing relevance.<br />
“It has become imperative for electronic<br />
copies of official publications<br />
to be promptly disseminated to the<br />
public to ensure swift activation and<br />
access to the benefits and values<br />
which such publications offer for the<br />
economy and the society.”<br />
Public Service to Nigeria’s economic<br />
prosperity adding that the Agency is<br />
committed to collaborate with the<br />
ongoing initiative.<br />
Jamoh, who was represented by<br />
the agency’s Director, Reform Coordination<br />
and Strategic Management,<br />
Dr. Kabir Murnai, said the partnership<br />
would be focused on reform initiatives<br />
and <strong>development</strong> research.<br />
According to him a sustainable relationship<br />
between the two Federal<br />
Government agencies was essential<br />
for capacity <strong>development</strong>.<br />
He stated: “We are here to see how<br />
we can connect with BPSR in order<br />
Cornerstone<br />
Insurance<br />
partners FRSC<br />
on COVID-19<br />
awareness<br />
INSURANCE<br />
AS part of efforts geared<br />
towards flattening the<br />
curve of corona virus cases,<br />
Cornerstone Insurance Plc<br />
Foundation, the Corporate<br />
Social Responsibility, CSR,<br />
arm of Cornerstone Insurance<br />
Plc has partnered with the<br />
Federal Road Safety Corps,<br />
FRSC, to create an enlightenment<br />
campaign on covid-19.<br />
To this end, Cornerstone Insurance<br />
Foundation has donated<br />
12 kiosks and 500<br />
branded reflective jackets as<br />
well as flyers to the Lagos and<br />
Ogun Commands of the FRSC<br />
for advocacy and public enlightenment.<br />
At the presentation ceremony<br />
over the weekend in<br />
Lagos, Executive Director,<br />
Business Development, of Cornerstone,<br />
Mr. Chidiebere<br />
Nwokeocha, who represented<br />
the Managing Director, Mr.<br />
Ganiu Musa said that Cornerstone<br />
is a responsible<br />
organisation that is creating<br />
positive impact on the lives of<br />
Nigerians, even as the partnership<br />
conforms to the vision of<br />
the FRSC of safe travel all over<br />
the country.<br />
Nwokeocha said: “Our partnership<br />
with FRSC dates back<br />
to 2014. We have worked with<br />
them in several areas. The<br />
partnership on covid-19 enlightenment<br />
is to ensure that<br />
this campaign is carried to vehicle<br />
drivers.”<br />
Speaking to Vanguard, Executive<br />
Director, Technical<br />
Operations of Cornerstone,<br />
Mr. Tokunbo Bello said that<br />
Cornerstone has been partners<br />
to FRSC for a very long<br />
time, even as they have undertaking<br />
a number of CSR initiatives<br />
together.<br />
Bello said: “This particular<br />
partnership emanated because<br />
of the covid-19 that has<br />
brought a new normal to the<br />
world. We want to sensitise our<br />
people that covid-19 is real so<br />
they should know what they<br />
need to do to prevent the<br />
dreaded disease. So we felt<br />
that if we partner with the<br />
FRSC, it will create a big impact.”<br />
On his part, the Zonal Commanding<br />
Officer, Zone RS2 of<br />
FRSC, Mr. Imoh Etuk stated<br />
that Cornerstone Insurance<br />
has shown commitment to<br />
FRSC course, adding that it is<br />
a shared responsibility of all<br />
to safeguard the lives of Nigerians.<br />
to clearly understand and key<br />
into government's specific priorities,<br />
while still pursuing the<br />
respective mandates and goals<br />
of NIMASA.<br />
“We desire advisory and technical<br />
support services for<br />
change management teams, to<br />
engender an environment of<br />
learning within NIMASA."<br />
Similarly, Director of BPSR,<br />
Mr. Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi,<br />
pledged the Bureau’s commitment<br />
to the collaborative agreement<br />
for the mutual benefit of<br />
the two agencies.
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
20 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, , 2020<br />
VOL. 1: NO. 253 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
ERRATIC POWER SUPPLY: Bayelsa<br />
communities tackle oil firm, defy soldiers<br />
•Lay siege to NAOC facilities, vow not to leave until they get electricity<br />
•Bayelsa govt intervenes, meets with oil firm, villagers<br />
By Samuel Oyadongha<br />
BISENI-<br />
TENSION<br />
heightened at the rustic<br />
riverside Biseni clan, Yenagoa<br />
Local Government Area, Bayelsa,<br />
last week, when angry natives laid<br />
siege to the road linking crude oil<br />
facilities owned by the Nigerian<br />
Agip Oil Company, NAOC,<br />
protesting the company’s alleged<br />
refusal to provide steady electricity<br />
supply to their communities<br />
contrary to promises.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t even the arrival of armed<br />
soldiers could deter the aggrieved<br />
villagers of Biseni communities<br />
from abandoning their occupation<br />
of the road, where they tied fresh<br />
palm fronds round the barricades.<br />
They carried placards, some of<br />
which read, “NAOC: Biseni Clan<br />
is tired of your fake promises”,<br />
“<strong>No</strong> to this injustice, <strong>No</strong> 24 hours<br />
light, <strong>No</strong> Operation,” among<br />
others, saying they want the<br />
state and federal governments to<br />
compel the company to honour its<br />
promise of supplying their<br />
communities uninterrupted<br />
electricity supply from its gas<br />
turbine at Idu in neighbouring<br />
Rivers State.<br />
Though the state government<br />
had waded into the matter and<br />
met with representatives of the<br />
communities and officials of the<br />
company with a view to resolving<br />
the crisis, informed sources told<br />
NDV that the natives were not<br />
prepared to end the siege until their<br />
demand is met.<br />
<strong>No</strong> light, no operation —<br />
Zidigah, CDC chair<br />
A leader of the protesters, who is<br />
also the Community Development<br />
Committee, CDC, chairman,<br />
Tambiri I, Biseni clan, Talkwell<br />
Zidigah, said: “Since 2014 we<br />
have been struggling for this light,<br />
24 hours power supply. A place with<br />
over 50 oil wells, yet we are<br />
suffering. Go to Ogbaland, you will<br />
see that day and night, they are<br />
enjoying light from the company’s<br />
gas turbine.<br />
“If they cannot give us 24 hours<br />
power supply, there will be no<br />
operation. Though we are<br />
presently relying on generator to<br />
power our community, the noise<br />
pollution has been a major<br />
challenge to us coupled with<br />
irregular supply of diesel.”<br />
Sometimes, we’re in<br />
darkness for 3 months<br />
– Chief Ndiware<br />
Also speaking, public relations<br />
officer, Biseni Council of Chiefs,<br />
Chief Clarkson Ndiware, said<br />
“Agip has continued to extract<br />
crude oil from our soil for over two<br />
decades, yet we are not fit to enjoy<br />
power from its gas turbine at Idu,<br />
BAYELSA…<br />
THE JERUSALEM OF<br />
IJAW NATION<br />
Biseni communities lay siege on the road leading to NAOC facilities.<br />
which is just across the river.<br />
Connecting Biseni clan to the<br />
company gas turbine will not only<br />
help boost economic activities<br />
here, but also give our people a<br />
sense of belonging.”<br />
“Sadly, here in Biseni clan, we<br />
sometimes stay <strong>without</strong> electricity<br />
supply for three months when<br />
other neighbouring communities<br />
in Ogbaland, across the Orashi in<br />
Rivers State, are enjoying<br />
uninterrupted power supply. If<br />
they could not give us light day and<br />
night, there will be no operation<br />
on our land,” he warned.<br />
Transformer lays idle<br />
for about 2 years – Mrs<br />
Odiowei, Andrew<br />
In her remarks, the clan’s women<br />
leader, Mrs Faith Odiowei,<br />
Bayelsa women protest oil communities’ neglect by NDDC<br />
By Emem Idio<br />
YENAGOA-HUNDREDS of<br />
women from oil producing<br />
communities in Bayelsa State<br />
have protested against the<br />
Niger Delta Development<br />
Commission, NDDC, over the<br />
neglect of their communities by<br />
the Commission and destruction<br />
of their means of livelihood by<br />
multinational oil companies.<br />
The dissenting women<br />
stormed the state liaison office<br />
of the commission, located<br />
along ever busy Melford Okilo<br />
Road, brandishing placards<br />
with several inscriptions to<br />
ventilate their grievances and<br />
demands.<br />
Some of the inscriptions on<br />
the placards read, “NDDC<br />
intervene to alleviate poverty,<br />
suffering from ecological<br />
disaster,” “NDDC come to our<br />
aid, our means of livelihood is<br />
destroyed,” “We are tired of the<br />
man-made poverty in our<br />
lands,” “NDDC release funds<br />
issued by FG for devastated oil<br />
communities,” “Toxic chemicals<br />
and dynamite are devastating<br />
our rivers and lands,” “NDDC<br />
come and empower our<br />
women,” among others.<br />
Spokesperson of the women,<br />
Mrs. Sophia Ogoun, from Ekeni<br />
community in Southern Ijaw<br />
local government area, said:<br />
“We are from the coastal<br />
communities from Southern<br />
Ijaw, Ekeremor, Nembe and<br />
Brass local government areas,<br />
we are here on a <strong>peace</strong>ful<br />
protest at the NDDC because<br />
of what we have been passing<br />
through.<br />
“The essence of this protest,<br />
recall that sometime early this<br />
year, there was chemical dump<br />
in the high sea that killed<br />
millions of fishes, and this has<br />
adversely affected our<br />
fishermen and women,<br />
periwinkle and other<br />
commodities<br />
“Coupled with the Covid-19<br />
pandemic, we are in dire need<br />
Gangsters scare A’Ibom<br />
residents AKWA IBOM …<br />
By Chioma Onuegbu<br />
THE LAND OF<br />
UYO—RESIDENTS of Uyo,<br />
capital of Akwa Ibom State,<br />
are currently living in fear,<br />
following the resurgence of<br />
criminal activities, especially<br />
incessant night robberies and<br />
attacks by gangsters.<br />
NDV finding showed the<br />
hoodlums numbering between 15<br />
lamented that even the<br />
transformer provided by the<br />
company since 2018 had been<br />
lying idle , adding that they were<br />
tired of writing letters to official<br />
quarters seeking intervention<br />
<strong>without</strong> response, hence their<br />
protest to draw attention to their<br />
plight.<br />
Another native, Okorie Andrew,<br />
stated: “We have made enormous<br />
sacrifice as an oil producing area<br />
with nothing to show for it. Who<br />
will believe we have over 50 oil<br />
wells here. Even the transformer<br />
that was supplied by the company<br />
has been laying waste since 2018.<br />
We will not lift this blockade until<br />
our demand is met,” he said.<br />
At the time of filing this report,<br />
they were still barricading the<br />
road.<br />
BAYELSA…<br />
THE JERUSALEM OF IJAW NATION<br />
of funds to kick start a new life,<br />
therefore, we are demanding<br />
N20billion as intervention funds<br />
from the NDDC from the coastal<br />
oil communities to help alleviate<br />
our plights,” she said.<br />
Addressing the protesting<br />
women, the Principal Manager,<br />
NDDC, Bayelsa Offfice, Mr.<br />
Diete Famonyo, who<br />
commended the women for their<br />
<strong>peace</strong>ful disposition and<br />
described their demands as<br />
legitimate, said as a liaison<br />
office, they would collate their<br />
demands and forward same to<br />
the Managing Director at the<br />
Commission headquarters.<br />
and 20 go from house to house and<br />
shops, ransacking and<br />
dispossessing their victims of<br />
money, GSM phones, laptops, car<br />
batteries among other valuables.<br />
The areas under constant<br />
attacks were Afaha Ube Itam,<br />
Udoudoma, Eneneh Afaha,<br />
Idoro Road, Atiku Abubakar, Ikpa<br />
Road, Asutan Street and Atan<br />
Offot, all in Uyo.<br />
Residents disclosed they<br />
observed that the activities of the<br />
criminals increased within the<br />
state capital since the curfew<br />
occasioned by the COVID-19<br />
pandemic was relaxed.<br />
Inhabitants of Asutan Street,<br />
close to Akwa Ibom Government<br />
House in Uyo, said they no longer<br />
sleep with both eyes closed,<br />
following incessant robbery<br />
attacks.<br />
It’s getting out of control –<br />
Inyang<br />
Mr. Inyang, who spoke to NDV,<br />
last Friday, lamented: “I became<br />
more afraid when I heard that<br />
robbers broke into a chemist<br />
store, Wednesday night, and<br />
cleared everything inside. And<br />
my surprise is that there is always<br />
heavy presence of vigilante group<br />
in the area during the night.”<br />
“Unfortunately, throughout the<br />
period that the 8.00 pm to 6.00<br />
am curfew imposed by<br />
government was still in force, Uyo<br />
was enjoying relative <strong>peace</strong>.<br />
There were no complains of<br />
robbery attacks by residents.<br />
Government and security<br />
agencies should look into this<br />
problem, it is getting out of<br />
control,” he said.<br />
How they attacked my<br />
family and me<br />
— Businesswoman<br />
A businesswoman and one of<br />
the victims of robbery attacks at<br />
Okedo Estate, off Ikot Ekpene<br />
Road, disclosed that hoodlums<br />
broke into her house through the<br />
window after removing the<br />
window louvers.<br />
Her words: “I and my family was<br />
fast asleep when they broke into<br />
my house. The incident<br />
happened about 2.00 am. They<br />
stole my phone and as they were<br />
about to remove other valuables<br />
they sighted the night guards<br />
approaching and ran away. I do<br />
not know what would have<br />
happened to my children and me<br />
if the night guards had not come<br />
at that time.”<br />
Police came after<br />
apprehended suspect<br />
escaped —Dweller<br />
A public servant who simply<br />
identified himself as Mr. Bassey<br />
explained that when he woke up<br />
one morning, last two weeks, he<br />
discovered that the hoodlums<br />
may have entered the estate<br />
because they tried to force his car<br />
open, but did not succeed.<br />
He recalled that in 2017 and<br />
part of 2018 the criminal gangs<br />
used to enter the estate almost on<br />
weekly basis, removing car<br />
batteries, which had forced the<br />
residents to hire private security.<br />
“We decided to go for private<br />
security when we observed that<br />
police were insensitive to our<br />
situation. In fact, there was an<br />
instance when one of the suspected<br />
criminals terrorizing the area was<br />
apprehended by the residents and<br />
when a police officer within the Itam<br />
Division was contacted, they<br />
promised to come."
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Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 21
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22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
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Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 23<br />
SCHOOLS RESUME: From left—Principal, Monatan Junior High<br />
School, Iyalode, Ibadan, Mrs. Ayansola Abosede, addressing the<br />
students on the COVID-19 protocol, to avoid the spread of the<br />
pandemic within the school premises. Also, below, pupils of Adeola<br />
Nursery and Primary School, in Lagos, observing the COVID-19<br />
protocol, after the school resumed for another calender year,<br />
yesterday. Photos: Akeem Salau & Dare Fasube.<br />
UNVEILING—From left: Olalere Odusote, Commissioner, Lagos State<br />
Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources; Doja Ekeruche, Advisory<br />
Board member, Eko Innovation Centre; Governor Babajiide Sanwo-<br />
Olu; Victor Afolabi, Founder, Eko Innovation Centre, and Mrs. Toke<br />
Benson-Awoyinka, Special Adviser on Housing to the Governor of<br />
Lagos State, during the unveiling of winners of the Lagos Smart<br />
Meter Hackathon, at Eko Innovation Centre, Lagos.<br />
LAUNCH—From left: Marketing Director, Beebeejump Solar<br />
International, Abel Su; Regional Sales Manager, South-West, David<br />
Idem; CEO, Power Alternatives Solutions, Rotimi Adebari; Director,<br />
EPC Department, Beebeejump Solar Int'l, Charlie Wen, and<br />
Catherine Eloh, Sales Manager, Power Alternatives Solutions,<br />
during the launch of Power Alternatives Solutions offices, the official<br />
partner of Beebeejump Int'l, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 25<br />
Developer boosts housing delivery<br />
with Beaufort Park in Lekki, Lagos<br />
By Kingsley Adegboye<br />
D ISCERNING<br />
investors and<br />
prospective home owners<br />
who are desirous of<br />
acquiring and living in<br />
the ‘New Lagos’ may have<br />
had their dream come<br />
true, following the launch<br />
weekend of Beaufort<br />
Park, a 72-unit threebedroom<br />
plus boys<br />
quarters residential estate<br />
located on Ablag Avenue<br />
(CMB Road) Off<br />
Monastery Road, behind<br />
<strong>No</strong>vare Mall, Lekki,<br />
Lagos.<br />
A partnership project<br />
between Dayola Property<br />
& Development<br />
Company, developer and<br />
promoter of the project,<br />
and Shell East Staff<br />
Investment Cooperative<br />
Society Ltd known as<br />
Coop East, major<br />
subscribers to the multibillion<br />
Naira housing<br />
estate, and financed by<br />
FirstTrust Mortgage Bank<br />
Plc, sits on a hectare of<br />
land.<br />
At the ground breaking<br />
of the sprawling project<br />
by managements of<br />
Dayola Property &<br />
Development Company<br />
and Coop East, the<br />
Managing Director,<br />
Dayola Property &<br />
Development Company,<br />
Dayo Olaiya, said the<br />
residential estate which is<br />
a premium affordable<br />
fully<br />
finished<br />
<strong>development</strong> when<br />
completed, is built for<br />
discerning investors and<br />
home buyers who are<br />
eager to acquire and<br />
enjoy living in the<br />
developing area of the<br />
Lagos Island metropolis,<br />
adding that the project<br />
will add value to the<br />
investors and the<br />
neighbourhood.<br />
Describing the location<br />
of the estate as new<br />
Lagos, Olaiya said before<br />
now, Victoria Garden City<br />
Model of houses at Beaufort Park<br />
VGC, was the reference<br />
point along Lekki axis.<br />
Disclosing that his<br />
company has plans to<br />
construct the road leading<br />
to the estate, Dayola<br />
Property boss noted that<br />
infrastructure and<br />
facilities expected in the<br />
estate include power with<br />
alternative power supply,<br />
sewage treatment plant,<br />
fibre optic (internet<br />
connection), close circuit<br />
TV, fire alarm system,<br />
DSTV piping, water<br />
treatment plant and<br />
intercom.<br />
Others are security post,<br />
cleaning services, lawn<br />
tennis court, basket ball<br />
court, dedicated car park<br />
spaces, children play<br />
area, full tiled<br />
surroundings, sanitary<br />
fittings and kitchen<br />
cabinet<br />
Speaking earlier, the<br />
President of Coop East,<br />
Hyginus Onuegbu, who<br />
explained the<br />
involvement of his<br />
cooperative society in the<br />
project, said “When my<br />
exco came into office, we<br />
did a strategy session, and<br />
part of the information<br />
from that session is the<br />
fact that currently, Lagos<br />
is the fifth largest<br />
economy in Africa, and it<br />
will soon become the third<br />
largest.<br />
“We also looked at the<br />
landmark in Lagos, size<br />
and population of Lagos.<br />
The landmark in Lagos is<br />
smaller than some local<br />
government areas in<br />
Nigeria. Based on these<br />
dynamics, we said Lagos<br />
is the best place to do<br />
business, because the<br />
property market in Lagos<br />
is the most valuable in<br />
Nigeria and one of the<br />
most valuable in Africa.<br />
“Based on this<br />
information, we then<br />
decided that we must be<br />
a major player in that<br />
market. So, we opened an<br />
office in Lagos in 2018 and<br />
we began the journey.<br />
Since then, we have<br />
multiple <strong>development</strong>s in<br />
Lagos. We have with<br />
different developers in<br />
various residential estates<br />
in Lagos.<br />
Onuegbu who said<br />
Coop East is investing<br />
N1.5 billion in Beaufort<br />
Park, noted that “Our<br />
interest in Beaufort Park is<br />
that we saw Dayola’s<br />
profile, his existing<br />
projects, and we got<br />
people to do a background<br />
check on him.<br />
We were convinced he<br />
could give us value for our<br />
money. After this, we also<br />
carried out market survey,<br />
and what is the value of<br />
our members?<br />
“So, from what we saw,<br />
we agreed we could do<br />
business with the<br />
company. We felt this is<br />
reasonable. And as I speak<br />
with you, we have<br />
between 55 and 60<br />
members that have<br />
subscribed to the project<br />
already. I know that by the<br />
time we finish this ground<br />
breaking today, more of<br />
our members will key into<br />
the project”, Coop East<br />
President stated.<br />
Environmental pollution: Stakeholders, elder<br />
statesmen must see to Ogoni clean-up — CISLAC<br />
By Gabriel Olawale him,”Although a<br />
framework for a definite<br />
Civil<br />
Society intervention was<br />
Legislative provided in 2011 through<br />
Advocacy Centre a report by the United<br />
CISLAC, and its allies Nations Environment<br />
have raised the alarm Programme UNEP, the<br />
over the level of issues surrounding<br />
politicking that has contaminated land,<br />
enveloped the entire groundwater, surface<br />
clean up process which water, sediment,<br />
was conceived to restore, vegetation, air pollution,<br />
remediate and public health, and<br />
rehabilitate the people of industry practice are yet<br />
Ogoni and the Niger unresolved, thus<br />
Delta region as a whole. endangering the lives of<br />
Speaking during a millions of hapless<br />
media parley organized citizens in the area.<br />
by CISLAC in “Several oil spills have<br />
partnership with negatively affected<br />
Cordaid, Executive human health and other<br />
Director of CISLAC, receptors including land,<br />
Auwal Musa, said that air and water resources,<br />
four years after the leading to extensive<br />
federal government socio-economic and<br />
flagged off the muchacclaimed<br />
Ogoni cleanup,<br />
nothing tangible had<br />
been achieved.<br />
According<br />
to<br />
cultural impacts on local<br />
communities in the area”.<br />
Musa said that field<br />
observations showed that<br />
most lots had stopped<br />
work long before<br />
COVID-19 pandemic in<br />
Nigeria, insisting that<br />
“Some lots had stopped<br />
work between September<br />
2019 and January 2020,<br />
reportedly over lack of<br />
payments, while others<br />
are still active, with<br />
reduced staff capacity.<br />
There have been<br />
increased protests by<br />
workers on sites.<br />
“Evidence also exists<br />
that workers have not<br />
been paid because<br />
contractors have not been<br />
paid too. While<br />
contractors lobby to be<br />
paid, others have locked<br />
their sites and embarked<br />
on ‘no pay no work. What<br />
this means is that the<br />
institutional issues as<br />
well as recommendations<br />
and steps to be followed<br />
in carrying out the<br />
exercise have become<br />
victims of senseless<br />
politicking”.
26— Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews<br />
NEWS HOTLINES<br />
018773962,<br />
08052867058<br />
SCHOOLS RESUME—The students of Community Junior High School,<br />
Alapere, Ketu, Lagos, observing Covid-9 protocol, during the school<br />
resumption, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Shonola.<br />
Why we lost Edo to PDP,<br />
by APC chieftains<br />
Continues from Page 5<br />
South.”<br />
He said: “What<br />
happened in Edo was a<br />
result of multiple factors but<br />
let me tell you about the<br />
ones that concern the party.<br />
One, there is the local Edo<br />
politics. There were people<br />
who had issues with<br />
Oshiomhole, even right<br />
from when he was<br />
governor and felt it was<br />
payback time. That is in<br />
Edo.<br />
“<strong>No</strong>w, within the party, it<br />
was you (the media) who<br />
reported that some of our<br />
governors were not happy<br />
that Obaseki was denied<br />
the governorship ticket and<br />
frustrated out of the party<br />
like an ordinary person.<br />
“Well, I do not want to<br />
confirm or dismiss that, but<br />
maybe we have to ask them<br />
(governors) why only two<br />
of them were visible in Edo<br />
during the campaigns.<br />
What happened that the<br />
APC could not do a grand<br />
finale of its campaigns? In<br />
other words, we did not<br />
close our campaigns<br />
properly. It has never been<br />
like that. Even if the<br />
President was not going to<br />
be there, at least the vicepresident<br />
would be there.<br />
“We had a 49-member<br />
National Campaign<br />
Council with about five<br />
serving governors, former<br />
governors, senators,<br />
ministers and others but the<br />
campaigns were reduced<br />
to Oshiomhole and Ize-<br />
Iyamu.<br />
“I saw only two<br />
governors, Abdullahi<br />
Ganduje of Kano who was<br />
chairman of the council and<br />
his vice, Governor Hope<br />
Uzodimma of Imo. So what<br />
happened? Where were the<br />
others?”<br />
Another party source who<br />
was a member of the<br />
dissolved National Working<br />
Committee, NWC, of the<br />
party said the governors<br />
cannot be exonerated.<br />
He said: “You would recall<br />
how some of us had<br />
expressed misgivings<br />
about the letters or<br />
statements that were being<br />
written by the D-G of<br />
Progressive Governors’<br />
Forum, Salihu Mohammed<br />
Lukman. He constantly<br />
assailed Comrade<br />
Oshiomhole and<br />
condemned our campaigns<br />
in Edo. <strong>No</strong>body called him<br />
to order. What he did was<br />
anti-party. He claimed to<br />
have been speaking in his<br />
personal capacity but how<br />
could that have been true?<br />
He was speaking for his<br />
paymasters who have their<br />
sights on 2023. These are<br />
people who do not want to<br />
hear anything Tinubu.<br />
Their aim is to deflate<br />
Tinubu. They see<br />
Oshiomhole as a Tinubu’s<br />
man. My only fear is that if<br />
you deny Tinubu the ticket<br />
and give another person,<br />
are we sure APC would still<br />
remain intact by that 2023<br />
when President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari<br />
would not be contesting<br />
again? Personally, I am not<br />
happy that we lost in Edo,<br />
Naira appreciates to<br />
N464.5/$ in parallel market<br />
By Elizabeth Adegbesan<br />
THE Naira, yesterday, appreciated to N464.5 per<br />
dollar in the parallel market.<br />
According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate<br />
platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change<br />
Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the parallel market<br />
exchange rate dropped to N464.5 per dollar from<br />
N465 kobo per dollar last week Friday, indicating<br />
50 kobo appreciation of the naira.<br />
.However, the naira yesterday was stable at N386<br />
per dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E)<br />
window.<br />
Data from FMDQ showed that the volume of<br />
dollars (turnover) traded in the window dropped by<br />
18 percent to $68.14million from $83.35 million last<br />
week Friday.<br />
having suffered in Rivers<br />
and then in Bayelsa. We<br />
used to have 23 governors<br />
or so, but now I think we<br />
have about 19. Are we<br />
progressing or<br />
retrogressing?<br />
“How can some people<br />
revolt against the party just<br />
because of one man? What<br />
happened in Edo is going<br />
to haunt us for a long time.<br />
I am happy Governor<br />
Ganduje has said that the<br />
party needs some soulsearching<br />
because what<br />
happened is an insight into<br />
2023. I hope they will take<br />
him very seriously because<br />
he was on ground in Edo<br />
as chairman of the APC<br />
National<br />
Council.”<br />
Campaign<br />
Post-mortem<br />
A member of APC<br />
Caretaker/Extraordinary<br />
National Convention<br />
Planning Committee,<br />
Ismail Ahmed, said the<br />
APC would do a review to<br />
know exactly what<br />
happened in Edo.<br />
Ahmed who represents<br />
the youth demography in<br />
the caretaker committee<br />
spoke on the sidelines of a<br />
meeting with APC social<br />
media influencers who he<br />
said must be appreciated<br />
for their role in selling the<br />
party to Nigerians.<br />
He expressed dismay<br />
that for the first time the<br />
APC does not have a state<br />
in the South-South.<br />
Ahmed who conceded<br />
that Ondo also remains<br />
dicey due to the fact that<br />
APC lost the presidential<br />
election in the state, said<br />
the party would however<br />
put its acts together to<br />
retain the state.<br />
On APC’s outing in Edo,<br />
Ahmed said: “Are you<br />
calling that performance<br />
dismal? Remember we ran<br />
against an incumbent<br />
governor and everybody<br />
knows the history of Edo<br />
governorship primary and<br />
there were a lot of<br />
circumstances we cannot<br />
explain.<br />
“We actually hoped we<br />
would win. We had<br />
prepared and we set up a<br />
very good campaign<br />
council. We thought we had<br />
covered the grounds really<br />
well but clearly, in an<br />
election there is always a<br />
blind side. Maybe there<br />
was a blind side that we<br />
didn’t see but the party has<br />
not officially done a postmortem<br />
which we intend to<br />
do this week.<br />
“The National Chairman<br />
would probably call us. I<br />
don’t know, I am not saying<br />
that he will but I am sure<br />
he would call for a post<br />
mortem to know how far<br />
and what went wrong and<br />
how we found ourselves in<br />
this kind of situation.<br />
“We have another election<br />
on October 10 in Ondo. In<br />
Ondo also, APC did not<br />
win the Presidential<br />
election in 2019 and so, that<br />
is very dicey. Although we<br />
are in a good place; the<br />
governor has done most of<br />
the reconciliation that he<br />
needed to do based on<br />
what the reconciliation<br />
committee recommended to<br />
him. We hope that we are<br />
in a good place but we are<br />
not going to take anything<br />
for granted any longer.<br />
Buhari, Buni,<br />
Ganduje meet in<br />
Aso Rock<br />
President Buhari,<br />
yesterday, met behind<br />
closed doors with Mai<br />
Mala Buni, and Governor<br />
Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano<br />
State at the Presidential<br />
Villa, Abuja.<br />
Governor Ganduje was<br />
the chairman of the APC<br />
Campaign Council for the<br />
just concluded Edo<br />
governorship election.<br />
Although the meeting<br />
was described as private, it<br />
may not be unconnected to<br />
the Edo governorship<br />
election.<br />
The APC Caretaker<br />
Committee Chairman, who<br />
is also the governor of Yobe<br />
State and Ganduje were<br />
seen departing the<br />
president’s office using a<br />
route to deliberately avoid<br />
State House reporters.<br />
Ganduje and his Imo<br />
State counterpart, Hope<br />
Uzodimma, spent the<br />
weekend in Benin City as<br />
they hoped to oversee the<br />
victory of the APC in the<br />
poll.<br />
APC set to win 3<br />
weeks ago but...<br />
– El-Rufai<br />
<strong>Kaduna</strong> State Governor,<br />
Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday,<br />
said he was surprised at the<br />
loss of the APC in the Edo<br />
State governorship election<br />
because three weeks to the<br />
election, polls indicated<br />
that the APC was set to win.<br />
“We would have loved to<br />
win,” El-Rufai said, during<br />
an interview on Sunrise<br />
Daily. “Quite frankly I was<br />
optimistic. Up to three<br />
weeks ago, the polls<br />
indicated that we were<br />
going to win. I don’t know<br />
what happened in the last<br />
two, three weeks of the<br />
campaign.<br />
“As you know, a large<br />
number of voters make up<br />
their minds in the last two<br />
weeks of election. Many<br />
voters decide, no matter<br />
what happens, this is how<br />
I am voting. But most<br />
people want to wait and<br />
watch and make up their<br />
minds in the last two<br />
weeks.<br />
“Three weeks ago, the<br />
polls clearly showed that<br />
APC was going to win, but<br />
the results came out<br />
differently from what we<br />
expected.”<br />
However, El-Rufai<br />
commended President<br />
Buhari for his policy of noninterference<br />
in elections.<br />
“The election was<br />
reasonably decent,” he<br />
said. “We were all worried<br />
about violence; there was<br />
very little violence or none<br />
at all. So Obaseki has won,<br />
that’s it. You can’t go into<br />
an election <strong>without</strong><br />
averting your mind to the<br />
possibility of losing.”<br />
How<br />
Oshiomhole,<br />
Tinubu, cost<br />
APC, Ize-Iyamu<br />
dearly- Ojo<br />
Jackson Lekan Ojo, an<br />
APC top-notcher from Oyo<br />
State attributed the failure<br />
of the party’s candidate,<br />
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to<br />
what he called the<br />
overbearing influence of<br />
Comrade Adams<br />
Oshiomhole, and Asiwaju<br />
Bola Ahmed Tinubu.<br />
Reacting to the outcome<br />
of the election, Ojo berated<br />
Oshiomhole and Tinubu<br />
for their display of<br />
“unnecessary influence,”<br />
adding that the manner<br />
Obaseki was treated in the<br />
build-up to the APC<br />
primary election, won him<br />
huge number of supporters<br />
across the state.<br />
In an exclusive chat with<br />
Vanguard, Ojo advanced<br />
reasons APC failed to pick<br />
the only state in the South-<br />
South it controlled for 12<br />
years.<br />
“Adams Oshiomhole’s<br />
overbearing influence on<br />
the campaign train affected<br />
the chances of APC and its<br />
candidate. I know Ize-<br />
Iyamu to be a grassroots<br />
politician in Edo State<br />
politics but the involvement<br />
of Oshiomhole cost him<br />
dearly. People should<br />
realize that the forces that<br />
removed Oshiomhole as<br />
APC national chairman are<br />
still very much around. He<br />
was removed even though<br />
he was a very powerful<br />
party chairman. That<br />
means the powers and<br />
influence he had then have<br />
now reduced drastically. So<br />
those forces fought him<br />
again and Ize-Iyamu.<br />
“Secondly, Nigerians are<br />
not fools. They know that<br />
the high level of insecurity<br />
in the country has not been<br />
well handled by the APCled<br />
government. The same<br />
is true of the economy and<br />
nothing is working at the<br />
moment. So, the people<br />
decided to vote against the<br />
party. The over 200,000<br />
votes Ize-Iyamu got were<br />
earned based on his<br />
personality, not because of<br />
the APC platform. The<br />
party added no value to his<br />
contest. If APC was of any<br />
help, Obaseki couldn’t<br />
have reached anywhere.<br />
Ojo also faulted<br />
Oshiomhole’s decision to<br />
apologize for the words he<br />
used in describing Ize-<br />
Iyamu during the 2016<br />
governorship campaign<br />
saying “I said earlier that<br />
Oshiomhole should have<br />
withdrawn himself from<br />
the campaign. If he was not<br />
a member of the campaign<br />
team, there would have<br />
been no need to apologize<br />
for the words he uttered in<br />
2016. The words he used<br />
in describing Ize-Iyamu in<br />
2016 were heavy and they<br />
became campaign tools for<br />
PDP. Oshiomhole played a<br />
prominent role in the defeat<br />
Ize-Iyamu suffered in this<br />
election.”<br />
Be<br />
magnanimous in<br />
victory,<br />
Obasanjo urges<br />
Obaseki<br />
Former President<br />
Obasanjo has called on<br />
Governor Obaseki to be<br />
magnanimous in victory, as<br />
it was charitable and would<br />
cool passions in the wider<br />
interest of the state and<br />
country.<br />
Obasanjo said Obaseki’s<br />
victory was a proof that the<br />
people of the state valued<br />
his leadership and<br />
appreciated his efforts on<br />
their behalf.<br />
“I salute you and all those<br />
who worked for your reelection,”<br />
Obasanjo stated<br />
in a congratulatory letter<br />
signed by his Special<br />
Assistant on Media,<br />
Kehinde Akinyemi, on<br />
Monday.<br />
He wrote: “<strong>No</strong> doubt, the<br />
outcome of the election<br />
broadly reflects the choice<br />
of Nigerians who have, by<br />
their conduct, visibly<br />
demonstrated that they<br />
value our present<br />
democracy and will do their<br />
utmost to make it work.<br />
“I urge you, therefore, to<br />
reciprocate their trust by<br />
doing everything you can<br />
to strengthen their faith in<br />
democracy and in its ability<br />
to bring about improved<br />
material conditions and<br />
better service delivery. I<br />
also count on your support<br />
of well-meaning Nigerians<br />
like me in our quest for<br />
national <strong>peace</strong>, stability and<br />
economic <strong>development</strong> and<br />
trust that you will play an<br />
active and visible role in our<br />
pursuit of these noble and<br />
desirable objectives.<br />
“You have fought and<br />
won the elections and<br />
deserve to savour the<br />
victory despite all the odds<br />
and challenges posed by<br />
opposition. As you rejoice,<br />
however, I would urge that<br />
you should be<br />
magnanimous in victory<br />
and stretch a hand of<br />
fellowship to the other<br />
candidates who failed in<br />
their bid for the elected<br />
office.<br />
“Such a gesture is not<br />
only charitable but should<br />
also help at this time to cool<br />
passions in the wider<br />
interest of the nation and<br />
your State. You are now, as<br />
before, Governor of Edo<br />
State and not Governor of<br />
only those who voted for<br />
you in Edo State.”<br />
APC lost to<br />
internal<br />
squabbles<br />
– Apugo<br />
Prince Benjamin Apugo,<br />
while attributing the<br />
party’s loss to internal<br />
wrangling, said it was<br />
Continues on Page 27
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 27<br />
Why we lost Edo to PDP, by APC<br />
chieftains<br />
Continues from Page 26<br />
regrettable that APC had to<br />
lose an election it could<br />
have won convincingly if<br />
not for avoidable internal<br />
squabbles. “Edo State was<br />
APC until few months ago<br />
when the governor and his<br />
supporters decamped as a<br />
result of internal wrangling<br />
which some of us think was<br />
unnecessary in the first<br />
place.”<br />
“I think that enough<br />
lessons should have been<br />
learnt from what happened<br />
in Edo State last weekend<br />
when APC threw away a<br />
state that was in her firm<br />
grip, but we are putting<br />
that behind us. We are<br />
putting what happened in<br />
Edo behind us and APC is<br />
definitely going to win<br />
Ondo and other states in<br />
subsequent elections, more<br />
so when new blood has<br />
been injected into the<br />
leadership of the party,” he<br />
said.<br />
Jegede<br />
congratulates<br />
Obaseki, asks<br />
Ondo voters to<br />
choose good<br />
governance<br />
The Ondo State PDP<br />
governorship candidate for<br />
the October 10 poll, Eyitayo<br />
Jegede, SAN has<br />
congratulated Governor<br />
Obaseki on his victory and<br />
asked voters in Ondo to<br />
choose good governance.<br />
Jegede in a statement said<br />
the result of the election was a<br />
manifestation of the people’s<br />
conviction that the PDP is the<br />
credible alternative that can<br />
provide good governance for<br />
the people.<br />
The statement was signed by<br />
the Head, Media Research of<br />
his campaign Organisation,<br />
Samuel Fasua.<br />
“I express personal joy at the<br />
victory of Governor Godwin<br />
Obaseki of Edo State;<br />
particularly for the fact that it<br />
symbolised Nigerians’<br />
disenchantment with the<br />
ensuing poor leadership<br />
under the APC and their<br />
conviction that a PDP<br />
government is the credible<br />
alternative.”<br />
“What has taken place in<br />
Edo thus beckons our good<br />
people of Ondo State to bear<br />
their destiny in their hands, by<br />
similarly rejecting these<br />
feudal lords posing as<br />
democratic leaders, and elect<br />
the PDP in the October 10<br />
governorship election,” he<br />
said.<br />
I didn’t reject poll<br />
result<br />
– Uzodimma<br />
Imo State Governor,<br />
Senator Hope Uzodimma,<br />
has distanced himself from a<br />
report trending in the social<br />
media that he rejected the<br />
result of the Edo governorship<br />
election.<br />
Dismissing the report as<br />
fake, the governor who listed<br />
a litany of similar ‘’fake’’<br />
reports he said were meant to<br />
damage him, said the latest is<br />
an attempt to discredit him.<br />
The Imo State government<br />
urged members of the public<br />
to regard as fake, a press<br />
release on Edo governorship<br />
election credited to the Chief<br />
Press Secretary to Imo state<br />
governor, Oguwike<br />
Nwachukwu and circulated<br />
on social media.<br />
The State Commissioner<br />
for Information and Strategy,<br />
Declan Emelumba said: “In<br />
their desperation to discredit<br />
Governor Uzodimma on the<br />
outcome of the Edo<br />
governorship poll, they have<br />
cast innuendos; insinuating<br />
that he has rejected the<br />
outcome of the governorship<br />
election and that he had<br />
accused the Independent<br />
National Electoral<br />
Commission of being<br />
compromised, and that the<br />
All Progressive Congress will<br />
get judgement from the<br />
tribunal.<br />
“Their insinuation also<br />
includes that the governor said<br />
that the entire process was<br />
marred by irregularities from<br />
INEC officials who, they<br />
claimed, sabotaged the<br />
system.<br />
Obviously relying on the<br />
position of Governor<br />
Uzodimma as the APC<br />
Deputy Chairman for the Edo<br />
Governorship Campaign<br />
Council, the criminal-minded<br />
writers of the irritating fake<br />
news did not stop at that. They<br />
had insinuated that the<br />
governor described the entire<br />
exercise as shameful.<br />
If the authors of the fake<br />
reports still have some brain<br />
in their head, something<br />
would have told them that<br />
since Governor Uzodimma is<br />
neither from Edo nor<br />
Chairman of the APC Media<br />
Campaign Council, the<br />
mischief they were primed to<br />
accomplish will not fly.<br />
“They were also so daft to<br />
know that the governor was<br />
not a candidate in the said<br />
election and would not have<br />
spoken on an election he was<br />
not a candidate.”<br />
Triumph of people’s will,<br />
says Senator Mark<br />
Former President of the<br />
Senate, Senator David Mark,<br />
described the re-election of<br />
Obaseki and his deputy, Philip<br />
Shaibu as the triumph of<br />
people’s will.<br />
Senator Mark in a good will<br />
message to the duo and the<br />
PDP family by his Media<br />
Adviser, Paul Mumeh,<br />
described the victory as<br />
freedom for the people and<br />
enthronement of democratic<br />
culture and practice in the<br />
country .<br />
He said that the<br />
overwhelming victory of the<br />
PDP candidate is a testimony<br />
of the people’s endorsement of<br />
good governance being<br />
demonstrated by the Obaseki/<br />
Shaibu administration in the<br />
last four years in Edo State,<br />
and urged them to be<br />
magnanimous in victory by<br />
extending hands of fellowship<br />
to their opponents and to<br />
spread social amenities to all<br />
parts of the state irrespective<br />
of political differences.<br />
“The entire state is your<br />
constituency. Demonstrate<br />
leadership and magnanimity<br />
as always to all. Be steadfast<br />
and work hard as always to<br />
justify the mandate and trust<br />
of the citizens of Edo State”<br />
because “the mandate given<br />
to you by the people through<br />
their votes is a direct<br />
investment that must of a<br />
necessity attract dividends for<br />
them.”<br />
70 CSOs laud<br />
INEC, Police,<br />
urge NASS to<br />
pass electoral<br />
offences<br />
commission bill<br />
The Nigeria Civil Society<br />
Situation Room, on Monday,<br />
commended the INEC for<br />
conducting what it termed as<br />
a much-improved<br />
governorship election in Edo<br />
State.<br />
The Situation Room which<br />
is a coalition of 70 Civil<br />
Society Organizations, CSOs,<br />
that monitored the<br />
governorship election, urged<br />
INEC to ensure that the<br />
progress made with<br />
improvements in its conduct<br />
of the election, are deepened<br />
and sustained during the<br />
Ondo State governorship<br />
election scheduled for October<br />
10<br />
Ṫhe coalition, which issued<br />
a statement on reports of<br />
observers that monitored the<br />
Edo governorship election<br />
from commencement of polls<br />
to the collation of results,<br />
further commended the<br />
professionalism and conduct<br />
of the Police and some of the<br />
security agencies deployed for<br />
election duty.<br />
The Situation Room<br />
however noted that the<br />
menace of vote trading<br />
appeared to have worsened,<br />
decrying that “politicians are<br />
increasingly investing monies<br />
to buy votes, with voters<br />
appearing to be willing to sell<br />
their votes.”<br />
It urged the National<br />
Assembly to urgently proceed<br />
with legislative action to<br />
ensure the passage of the<br />
Electoral Offences<br />
Commission Bill that creates<br />
a body to enforce respect for<br />
election laws.<br />
The statement, which was<br />
signed by the convener of<br />
Nigeria Civil Society<br />
Situation Room, Mr. Clement<br />
Nwankwo, read in part: “The<br />
administration of the Edo<br />
State Governorship Election<br />
appears to have been a<br />
marked improvement on<br />
recent previous governorship<br />
elections.<br />
“INEC’s processes appeared<br />
to operate smoothly. The<br />
logistics issues of distribution<br />
of materials, deployment of<br />
staff and challenges in the<br />
Voters’ Register were<br />
significantly reduced. In<br />
addition, security personnel<br />
acted professionally.<br />
“The usual issues cited such<br />
as logistical challenges and<br />
overbearing security presence<br />
were less of an issue in this<br />
election, although the<br />
challenge of vote buying/<br />
trading was still prevalent...<br />
“There was an improved use<br />
of Smart Card Readers in the<br />
election, as they were widely<br />
deployed and utilised across<br />
the state. Isolated cases of card<br />
reader malfunctions observed<br />
were reported to have been<br />
rectified, with voting resuming<br />
soon afterwards.<br />
“On a general note,<br />
Situation Room commends<br />
the professionalism and<br />
conduct of the Police and some<br />
of the security agencies<br />
deployed for election duty.<br />
“Reports received by<br />
Situation Room indicate that<br />
security personnel wore<br />
identification tags and<br />
intervened to resolve<br />
disruptions that arose in some<br />
voting locations.<br />
“Situation Room however<br />
received reports of some<br />
Nigerian military personnel<br />
harassing and intimidating<br />
COVID-19: It is premature to say<br />
Nigeria is flattening curve — EXPERT<br />
...Says country’s sampling system has collapsed<br />
By Chioma Obinna &<br />
Gabriel Olawale<br />
A<br />
renowned<br />
molecular biology<br />
laboratory expert, Dr<br />
Casmier Ifeanyi on<br />
Monday cautioned<br />
Nigerians against<br />
jubilating over a statement<br />
credited to the Presidential<br />
Task Force on COVID-19<br />
that the country was<br />
gradually flattening the<br />
curve of the COVID-19<br />
pandemic, saying, Nigeria<br />
was not yet out of the<br />
woods.<br />
Last week, the PTF<br />
Chairman and Secretary to<br />
the Government of the<br />
Federation, SGF, Mr Boss<br />
Mustapha, hinted that<br />
Nigeria was beginning to<br />
flatten the curve with<br />
regards to the COVID-19<br />
pandemic, even as he<br />
warned against<br />
complacency to avoid a<br />
second wave pandemic.<br />
Flattening the curve<br />
refers to community<br />
isolation measures that<br />
keep the daily number of<br />
COVID-19 cases at a<br />
manageable level.<br />
Ifeanyi, who is also the<br />
Secretary-General of the<br />
Association of Medical<br />
Laboratory Scientists of<br />
Nigeria, AMLSN,<br />
debunked the claim.<br />
In a chat with Good<br />
Health Weekly, he argued<br />
that from all the<br />
parameters for measuring<br />
the gains of the COVID-<br />
19 response so far, it was<br />
premature to say that<br />
Nigeria was out of the<br />
woods.<br />
“While the other parts of<br />
the world are talking about<br />
the resurgence of second<br />
and third waves of COVID-<br />
19, it’s sad that a country<br />
which has not tested up to<br />
700,000 out of about 200<br />
million population is<br />
claiming to be already<br />
flatting the curve.<br />
“Such a claim is<br />
laughable when you just<br />
resumed international<br />
flights and allowed<br />
students to go back to<br />
school. The claim is not in<br />
line with experiences from<br />
other parts of the world.<br />
“This is a global<br />
pandemic and as long as<br />
other regions are not out of<br />
the woods, it would be<br />
misleading to convince the<br />
world that Nigeria is<br />
flattening the curve.”<br />
According to Ifeanyi,<br />
most of what is been done<br />
in this part of the world as<br />
regarding COVID-19<br />
response is largely copy<br />
and paste due to reliance<br />
on modelling from another<br />
part of the world.<br />
“For us, the managers of<br />
COVID-19 should hold on<br />
as the economic and<br />
educations begin to open<br />
up before claiming that we<br />
are flatting the curve.<br />
Because we have moved<br />
from 500 cases a day to less<br />
than 200 consecutively for<br />
some days now, doesn’t<br />
mean that we are out of the<br />
woods because our testing<br />
A COVID-19 molecular lab in operation.<br />
capacity has significantly<br />
reduced.<br />
“You have done less than<br />
600,000 tests and you want<br />
us to believe that you have<br />
flattened the curve of a<br />
global pandemic? It’s<br />
laughable.<br />
“Our testing volume<br />
doesn’t meet the<br />
recommendation, what we<br />
are suffering from is apathy<br />
in sampling, the sampling<br />
system has collapsed.”<br />
He said initially the<br />
system was booming but<br />
he blamed the managers<br />
of not managing the<br />
situation well as a result of<br />
which some of the<br />
volunteers have backed<br />
out. “Nigeria has over<br />
20,000 private laboratories<br />
with over 4,000 duly<br />
registered but they fail to<br />
ride on it,” he avowed.<br />
On the reopening of<br />
schools and other public<br />
places, Ifeanyi noted:<br />
“Most countries have gone<br />
back to lockdown because<br />
of re-opening of school or<br />
economy. South Africa<br />
opened up their businesses<br />
and now they are back with<br />
worse cases.”<br />
He warned that “if we do<br />
not have experience with<br />
the full opening of various<br />
sectors, it will not be<br />
appropriate to say we are<br />
flattening the curve<br />
because we now have<br />
international flights from<br />
countries that are<br />
experiencing a second<br />
wave why some countries<br />
have ban flights from such<br />
countries.<br />
“I think the managers<br />
should have a rethink, we<br />
cannot say it's safe yet we<br />
are not out of the woods. It<br />
is wrong timing to say we<br />
are flattening the curve<br />
when we have not done<br />
enough scientifically.”<br />
In its own response to the<br />
claim, the Nigerian<br />
Medical Association,<br />
NMA, challenged the<br />
Federal Government to<br />
produce evidence that the<br />
country was indeed<br />
flattening the curve.<br />
In a chat, the President<br />
of the NMA, Prof Innocent<br />
Ujah, said the country is<br />
doing less tests now even<br />
as he argued that the<br />
determinant is the number<br />
of tests done.<br />
AXA Mansard seeks right mental<br />
balance in business environment<br />
By Chioma Obinna<br />
For<br />
proper<br />
transformation to<br />
continue in a business<br />
environment, AXA<br />
Mansard Insurance PLC<br />
has stressed the need for<br />
players in the business<br />
environment to possess<br />
capacity in emotional<br />
intelligence with the right<br />
mental balance.<br />
Stating this position<br />
during its webinar themed:<br />
""Transformational<br />
leadership in the Evolving<br />
Business Environment", the<br />
company stressed that<br />
having good mental health<br />
encompasses staying<br />
positive, limiting exposure<br />
to so many news and social<br />
media, seeking and<br />
developing a support<br />
system, family, friends,<br />
exercise, physical and<br />
mental exercise as well as<br />
reaching out to a<br />
psychotherapist.<br />
Speaking, the Head of<br />
Energy and Emerging<br />
Corporate, Mr. Akinlolu<br />
Akinyele, explained that<br />
the event was to improve<br />
collaboration with partners<br />
in the broking community,<br />
as well as deepened<br />
technical excellence and<br />
overall growth of the<br />
insurance industry. The<br />
webinar focused on mental<br />
health awareness,<br />
transformational<br />
leadership, emotional<br />
intelligence and its<br />
impact on the industry<br />
currently.<br />
Speaking, the duo of<br />
Head Preventives and<br />
Wellness unit, AXA<br />
Mansard Health, Dr.<br />
Edeigbini Omokhudu<br />
and, Principal Consultant<br />
and C.E.O, VTB<br />
Consulting Limited,<br />
Victor Tamunokuro<br />
Briggs stressed the need<br />
for people to pay<br />
attention to their mental<br />
state as it affects. Saying;<br />
"It is a state of being that<br />
appreciates his or her own<br />
abilities and can cope<br />
with the normal stresses<br />
of life; thus, making him<br />
or her productive to<br />
themselves and to the<br />
society.<br />
They also explained<br />
that with every state in<br />
life, there can also be a<br />
state of disequilibrium or<br />
imbalance which is<br />
referred as mental illness.
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
TRIBUTE<br />
SOT: A Worthy Matriarch at 60<br />
By MOBOLAJI SANUSI<br />
Only a life lived for others is a life<br />
worthwhile —Albert Einstein<br />
WE, as human beings, prefer<br />
to live. But not all lives are<br />
worth celebrating because not all<br />
lives qualify to be described as<br />
impactful even when accorded an<br />
opportunity to make it so.<br />
However, it gives joy to state, with<br />
all sense of decorum, that on<br />
September 21, Senator Oluremi<br />
Tinubu, SOT, the adorable wife of<br />
my political father and benefactor<br />
(omo olodo ide), Asiwaju Bola<br />
Ahmed Akanbi Tinubu - The<br />
Jagaban of Borgu land- falls into<br />
the category of those who deserve<br />
to be celebrated for her attaining<br />
an eventfully depth-filled three<br />
scores on mother earth.<br />
She is a savant in the public<br />
service of this country that is<br />
playing a momentous<br />
complementary role in Asiwaju’s<br />
service to political <strong>development</strong> of<br />
the country and humanity as a<br />
whole.<br />
On SOT, I have an illuminating<br />
experience to share with readers.<br />
In my four years, three months in<br />
the public service of Lagos State,<br />
SOT made an indelible impression<br />
on me out of all the people that I<br />
was privileged to come across as<br />
the immediate past Managing<br />
Director/CEO of Lagos State<br />
Signage and Advertisement<br />
Agency, LASAA.<br />
In our clime where being close to<br />
a man of immense political power,<br />
not to talk of being the wife of such<br />
a man, carries a lot of awesome<br />
privileges, unnecessary hubris<br />
and undeniable authority, SOT,<br />
stands out for her humility,<br />
mental acuity, no-nonsense<br />
disposition, humane outlook and<br />
unusual respect for those hovering<br />
round her powerful husband<br />
seeking one favour or the other or<br />
sometimes coming around to pay<br />
obeisance to the man for past<br />
favours received, to curry<br />
anticipated assistance, or that<br />
daily throngs their residence to<br />
reaffirm their continuing loyalty<br />
to the man.<br />
Viewed from these prisms, one<br />
could, with all sincerity of purpose,<br />
tell the whole world that SOT is<br />
devoid of empty guile that is<br />
usually the hallmark of wives/<br />
children of powerful political<br />
figures. As a senator, she has been<br />
a pride to her constituents; as a<br />
•Senator Oluremi Tinubu<br />
wife, a devoted better half to her<br />
husband, committed mother to<br />
her kids, devoted Christian and a<br />
study in humility and firmness to<br />
the many who crossed her paths,<br />
including someone like me in my<br />
brief encounters with her. SOT,<br />
from personal study, is not fond of<br />
throwing her weight<br />
unnecessarily around. My first<br />
encounter with her was as<br />
interesting as it was intriguing.<br />
She had wanted a request for<br />
someone and she called me directly<br />
on my line unlike others in her<br />
shoes who would bark orders at you<br />
through a third party. I missed her<br />
calls, and more intriguing with<br />
that call was the fact that I did not<br />
have her number on my phone.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t minding my undue ‘insolence’<br />
of not picking her calls, she sent<br />
me a text message introducing<br />
herself. When I saw the text and<br />
her missed calls, I immediately<br />
called her and apologised for<br />
missing her calls and only called<br />
back when I saw her text message.<br />
She was on the other end very<br />
calm and surprisingly respectful,<br />
addressing me with the prefix ‘Mr’<br />
and ending her statements with<br />
‘sir’. To a minion like me in the<br />
political compound of her powerful<br />
hubby, it is unbelievably<br />
commendable. SOT did not end the<br />
call with an order but a plea to me<br />
to meet the person she’s interceding<br />
for and to consider her request if it<br />
is not inimical to the interest of the<br />
agency. I thanked her and later<br />
met the person before getting back<br />
to her. This is a sharp contrast from<br />
many wives or spoilt brats of<br />
powerful men who erroneously<br />
believe that underserved respects<br />
must be accorded them even when<br />
they’re not known to have<br />
successfully handled any known<br />
business or occupied any noticeable<br />
office, other than using their<br />
patriarch’s influence to wreak<br />
havoc on the system. SOT does not<br />
belong in this category, for she’s<br />
using her spousal relationship to<br />
further elevate the BAT brand, not<br />
to diminish it. SOT has character<br />
which has to do with how one treats<br />
those who have nothing to offer.<br />
Another example was during last<br />
year’s election when I was still the<br />
SOT has<br />
character<br />
which has to do<br />
with how one<br />
treats those<br />
who have<br />
nothing to offer<br />
head of the<br />
outdoor<br />
regulatory<br />
agency,<br />
SOT stood<br />
o u t<br />
amongst<br />
t h e<br />
candidates<br />
of all the<br />
political<br />
parties that<br />
contested in the state. It needs no<br />
repeat to state that most politicians<br />
exhibit lawlessness when it comes to<br />
especially the issue of deployments<br />
of outdoor advertising materials. The<br />
politicians, irrespective of position,<br />
education or class have no respect<br />
for the law but SOT, with all sincerity<br />
and sense of public duty, does not<br />
belong to that lawless class. On<br />
countless number of occasions, she<br />
either called me personally or<br />
through Alawiye King, the then<br />
Director General of her campaign<br />
office to ask for the position of the<br />
law or how best to go before<br />
embarking on any political<br />
campaign materials deployment.<br />
SOT hates being identified with<br />
abuse of power or immoral flexing<br />
of muscle. I say with all sense of<br />
responsibility that she’s one of the<br />
very few candidates who paid<br />
outdoor advertising practitioners<br />
for outdoor exposures, not waiting<br />
for freebies, and the only political<br />
figure that made my job as a<br />
regulator easy, pre- and postelectioneering<br />
seasons.<br />
My very last official encounter<br />
with her was when she sent a letter<br />
of request for the placement of some<br />
graduate interns in the agency -<br />
all expenses paid by her. Despite<br />
having sent the agency a formal<br />
request, she, in her humble self,<br />
followed up with a personal call to<br />
me, taking her valuable time to<br />
explain, the laudable objective of<br />
the initiative to her constituents.<br />
Without being immodest to others,<br />
even in lesser shoes to that of SOT,<br />
they’re known to bark orders at<br />
you through an aide rather than<br />
‘descend’ to the level of talking<br />
directly with a minion head of an<br />
agency. From personal experience,<br />
some spoilt brats will usually expect<br />
you to accede to their illegal<br />
bidding because of their false sense<br />
of importance, probably working<br />
for your removal from office as if<br />
that is the end of the world. SOT is<br />
not in this misguided class.<br />
From my psychological<br />
dissection, as a journalist/lawyer<br />
and trained managerial<br />
psychologist, l could discern that<br />
she was just acting her real,<br />
humble, stern and firm self. Again,<br />
my encounter with her after<br />
leaving LASAA affirmed her<br />
humanely humble disposition to be<br />
real, despite being highly placed and<br />
married to Jagaban.<br />
I have gone this far to underscore<br />
the fact of SOT’s humanity as<br />
against the empty haughtiness that<br />
is known to be the hallmark of wives<br />
and children of powerful men of<br />
power, in the corporate and<br />
especially the political worlds.<br />
Several others that l selflessly<br />
assisted, both high and low, close or<br />
far friends/relations, have not<br />
deemed it necessary to check on me<br />
not to talk of finding out whether l<br />
am faring well but such is life.<br />
Back to SOT, the matriarch of our<br />
political family. She has carved an<br />
enduring niche for herself as a<br />
noteworthy public figure, not by<br />
completely relying on the name of<br />
her husband or exploiting her<br />
feminine gender as an excuse. She<br />
has, through her commitment to<br />
public service and humanity in<br />
general, become a beacon of hope<br />
of how far and better a woman can<br />
perform, given the right atmosphere.<br />
As a First Lady of Lagos state, she<br />
set up the First Era Foundation that<br />
came up amongst others with the<br />
pioneer Spelling Bees competition<br />
and One -Day-Governor for the<br />
winner of an academic competition<br />
among secondary school students in<br />
the state. The two competitions, still<br />
retain their importance till date. As<br />
a Senator of the Federal Republic,<br />
so far, she has deployed her resources,<br />
time and energy to truly serve<br />
humanity. SOT is always in contact<br />
with her constituents through her<br />
well organized and attended Town<br />
Hall Meeting to render accounts of<br />
her stewardship thereby collating<br />
cogent feedbacks in the process.<br />
SOT is not a benchwarmer in the<br />
Red Chamber of The Senate as her<br />
sponsored bills have serious<br />
positive consequences on the polity:<br />
Is it her sponsored bill on Social<br />
Security for Elderly Citizens; her<br />
bill seeking amendment of the<br />
Labour Act meant to enhance<br />
employment opportunities for<br />
women in the country or her<br />
sponsored bill to provide Special<br />
Economic Assistance to the center<br />
of excellence to mitigate the<br />
pressure on the state arising from<br />
being the former federal capital<br />
and the melting point for all ethnic<br />
nationalities in the country. It is<br />
on record that she gives yearly<br />
scholarship and grants to her<br />
constituents running into several<br />
millions of naira.<br />
Tertiary institutions like Sir<br />
Michael Otedola College of<br />
Primary Education, The Lagos State<br />
University, Adeniran Ogunsanya<br />
College of Education have all<br />
benefited from her boisterous<br />
influence in the Senate. Some<br />
primary and secondary schools in<br />
Lagos also got federal attention<br />
through SOT’s influence. She is the<br />
convener of the annual Musical<br />
Youth Fiesta Initiative designed to<br />
promote Godly lifestyle amongst<br />
our youth.<br />
SOT is deservedly a recipient of<br />
the national award of the Order of<br />
the Niger, OON. SOT’s life is a study<br />
in leadership. This is a lesson to other<br />
wives/children of powerful figures<br />
that, being virtuous, humble,<br />
hardworking and being committed<br />
to a cause are four of the key<br />
ingredients that can turn them to<br />
successful brands that SOT has<br />
become and not by throwing<br />
unnecessary weight of their<br />
husbands/parents around to compel<br />
undue recognition.<br />
The wives, sons and daughters of<br />
powerful figures must learn from the<br />
model lifestyle and positive<br />
approach to public service of SOT<br />
as she clocks 60 years on earth. To a<br />
pious woman, adoring mother,<br />
conscientious wife to Jagaban, a<br />
committed public spirited officer<br />
and matriarch of our political<br />
family, l say a hearty happy 60th<br />
birthday Yeye Asiwaju.<br />
Congratulations Ma.<br />
•Sanusi, immediate past MD/<br />
CEO of LASAA, is a lawyer/<br />
journalist, who resides in<br />
Lagos.<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020—29<br />
:Vanguard<br />
Edo: Owan West LG boss lauds<br />
Obaseki's victory<br />
By Ozioruva Aliu<br />
BENIN CITY—CHAIRMAN<br />
Owan West local government<br />
area, Hon Frank Ilaboya has lauded<br />
the victory of Governor Godwin<br />
Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade<br />
Philip Shaibu, describing the<br />
victory as an expression of the<br />
wishes of the people of Edo State.<br />
In a press statement signed by<br />
Ilaboya an ace Sports Journalist, he<br />
paid tributes to Obaseki and his<br />
administrative acumen. Owan<br />
West local government area is the<br />
only council Obaseki and the<br />
Peoples Democratic Party won out<br />
of the six councils that make up Edo<br />
north.<br />
Governor Godwin Obaseki, the<br />
PDP candidate polled a total of<br />
307,955 votes to defeat his<br />
opponent, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu of<br />
the APC, who scored a total 223,619<br />
Isoko <strong>No</strong>rth PDP resolves to retain<br />
zoning for elective positions<br />
By Ochuko Akuopha<br />
OZORO—THE<br />
Peoples<br />
Democratic Party, PDP, in<br />
Isoko <strong>No</strong>rth Local Government<br />
Area, Delta State, has reaffirmed its<br />
resolve to retain the current zoning<br />
arrangement and status quo of the<br />
various elective positions in the<br />
forthcoming elections.<br />
Briefing newsmen on the outcome<br />
of a joint meeting of the party's LGA<br />
Executives and 13 ward Chairmen,<br />
Legal Adviser of the PDP in the<br />
council area, Mr. Isaac Atikueke,<br />
said the resolution was in the<br />
interest of <strong>peace</strong>, unity and stability<br />
of the party in the local government<br />
area.<br />
He said the "party at both LGA<br />
and Ward levels appreciated the<br />
state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa<br />
for his unwavering support to the<br />
party and making the party to attain<br />
a limelight position across the state.<br />
Atikueke disclosed that the party<br />
constituted a seven-man<br />
disciplinary committee headed by<br />
Mr. Isaiah Onokowake, even as he<br />
noted that the party called on those<br />
"who initially left the party pre-2019<br />
general election" to "officially return<br />
to the party through their ward<br />
Chairmen"<br />
The party, at the meeting, passed<br />
a vote of confidence on the Mr. Leo<br />
Ogor led leadership of the party for<br />
the manner they have been piloting<br />
the affairs of the party in Isoko <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
and the Chairman of the PDP in the<br />
LGA, Prince Godwin Ogorugba "for<br />
his exemplary leadership style that<br />
is making the party more united,<br />
<strong>peace</strong>ful and formidable in the local<br />
government."<br />
Edo people have proven themselves<br />
worthy of emulation —Tajudeen<br />
Bello-Osagie<br />
B<br />
ENIN CITY—A social com<br />
mentator and businessman,<br />
Tajudeen Osagie, has commended<br />
the people of Edo State for a<br />
<strong>peace</strong>ful election, devoid of violence.<br />
According to him, "The good<br />
people of Edo State have acquitted<br />
themselves well in the discharge<br />
of their civic duties and<br />
have also proven themselves to be<br />
worthy of emulation by other<br />
states."<br />
He lauded the role played by the<br />
Oba of Benin Ewuare II, noting<br />
"The Oba's intervention and call<br />
for <strong>peace</strong> between the two leading<br />
candidates of the APC and PDP<br />
led to a dousing of tension in the<br />
polity."<br />
Okoko's death, huge loss to Ijaw<br />
nation —Ezonebi<br />
ASABA—THE<br />
Publicity<br />
Secretary-elect in the<br />
inconclusive election of the Ijaw<br />
National Congress, INC, Engineer<br />
Oyakemeagbegha Ezonebi, has<br />
commiserated with the immediate<br />
family and the entire Ijaw nation on<br />
the death of Professor Kimse<br />
Okoko.<br />
Ezonebi described the death of<br />
the former president of the congress<br />
and Emeritus Professor of Political<br />
Science at University of Uyo as a<br />
huge loss to the Ijaw nation and the<br />
country at large.<br />
votes.<br />
The statement reads:"It was one<br />
of the longest and toughest<br />
electioneering campaigns ever in<br />
the history of Edo Politics, but thank<br />
God for giving us victory, a well<br />
deserved one for that matter.<br />
"Edo people spoke loudly and<br />
clearly that we are a collection of<br />
people whose voices and will must<br />
be respected at a decisive moment<br />
like this.<br />
“It was a battle between godfather<br />
and the good people of the state, a<br />
battle of light over darkness, and as<br />
always, the voice of the people<br />
remains the voice of God.<br />
“We give God all the glory for<br />
making what the doubting<br />
Thomases think was impossible.<br />
"I have no doubt that the next four<br />
years will witness another phase of<br />
taking Edo State to an enviable level<br />
that will make the citizens and<br />
indeed all Nigerians very proud of<br />
the governor and his team.”<br />
He also commended President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring<br />
a free and fair election in the state.<br />
He said, "This wouldn't have<br />
been possible <strong>without</strong> the president's<br />
clear directive to the electoral<br />
body, INEC and relevant security<br />
agencies to ensure a hitch<br />
free poll." He appealed to the President<br />
to pass the pending Electorate<br />
Act into law,<br />
According to him, "This would<br />
further entrench and imbibe the<br />
tenets of democracy in the polity<br />
and ensure a long and enduring<br />
legacy for the president."<br />
Congratulating the winner of the<br />
election and current Governor<br />
Godwin Obaseki for a hard fought<br />
victory, he enjoined him to extend<br />
a hand of fellowship to his main<br />
rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu<br />
In a condolence message he<br />
issued in Asaba, Ezonebi expressed<br />
shock at the passing of Prof. Okoko,<br />
noting that the former Ijaw leader<br />
was a source of inspiration and a<br />
dependable mentor to the younger<br />
generation of Ijaws.<br />
He said: “He gave purposeful<br />
leadership to the Ijaw National<br />
Congress, and his wise counsel and<br />
sense of direction would be greatly<br />
missed.”<br />
He urged the family to take solace<br />
in the fulfilled and impactful life the<br />
renowned Professor lived, praying<br />
God to grant the soul of the departed<br />
eternal rest.
30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
Exploration rises as Nigeria records marginal increase in rig count<br />
By Sebastine Obasi<br />
NIGERIA recorded a slight<br />
improvement by two, in its<br />
rig count in August, having posted<br />
eight, as against six recorded in July.<br />
This is coming at a time the<br />
Organisation of Petroleum<br />
Exporting Countries, OPEC posted<br />
a dismal minus 15, as its August<br />
record showed 377, as against 392<br />
posted in July, latest data from<br />
OPEC shows.<br />
World rig count, however,<br />
improved by 19, as the record for<br />
the month of August stood at 1,168<br />
against 1,149 posted in July.<br />
Libya was the only country that<br />
equalled Nigeria’s plus two record,<br />
among the 13-member OPEC, as<br />
its August rig count stood at 13 as<br />
against 11 recorded the previous<br />
month. Angola completed the<br />
group that made improvement<br />
having recorded one in August as<br />
against none recorded the previous<br />
month. Saudi Arabia, the biggest<br />
OPEC producer led the loser’s<br />
group with its minus nine, having<br />
posted a record of 83 in August, as<br />
against 92 posted the previous<br />
month. It was followed by Kuwait,<br />
which had minus six, as its August<br />
record showed 43, against 49<br />
recorded the previous month. Iraq<br />
had its reduction by three, as its<br />
record showed 29, as against 32<br />
posted within the period under<br />
review. It was closely followed by<br />
the United Arab Emirates, UAE,<br />
which had its reduction by two, as<br />
its record showed 51, as against 53<br />
posted within the period under<br />
review. Six OPEC members had<br />
their rig count unchanged within<br />
the period under review. Angola,<br />
Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,<br />
Iran and Venezuela had 30, 0, 1, 0,<br />
117 and 1, respectively.<br />
The United States had minus five,<br />
as it recorded 250 as against 255<br />
recorded within the period under<br />
review, while the United Kingdom<br />
had its rig count unchanged at four.<br />
Canada made an impressive plus<br />
20, as it posted a record of 53 in<br />
August, as against 33 posted in July.<br />
The OPEC data also stated that<br />
crude oil spot prices extended their<br />
gains in August, climbing to a sixmonth<br />
high as physical market<br />
fundamentals continued to recover.<br />
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
Nigeria’s oil output in fresh downward<br />
•As FG enforces compliance to OPEC quota<br />
trend<br />
By Udeme Akpan,<br />
Energy Editor<br />
AMIDST pressures on<br />
the 2020 revenue generation<br />
efforts, Nigeria’s oil production,<br />
mainstay of the budget funding, is<br />
currently recording a downward<br />
trend as the third quarter's (Q3’20)<br />
average output dropped to 1.362<br />
million barrel per day, mb/d, about<br />
25 percent down from 1.819 mb/d in<br />
the corresponding period of 2019,<br />
Q3’19.<br />
According to the on month-onmonth,<br />
MoM, Oil Market Reports of<br />
the Organisation of Petroleum<br />
Exporting Countries, OPEC, obtained<br />
by Energy Vanguard, the nation<br />
produced 1.353 mb/d and 1.361 mb/<br />
d in June and July 2020, against<br />
1.827 and 1.760 mb/d produced in<br />
the corresponding periods of 2019.<br />
It also produced an average of 1.55<br />
mb/d in the second quarter of 2020<br />
compared to 1.79 mb/d in the<br />
corresponding period of 2019,<br />
showing a 24.5 percent drop, which<br />
overwhelmed the marginal increase<br />
recorded in the first quarter of 2020.<br />
The country produced an average<br />
of 1.75 mb/d in the first quarter of<br />
2020 compared to 1.70 mb/d in the<br />
corresponding period of 2019, thus<br />
indicating an increase of 4.7 per cent.<br />
The recent significant declines began<br />
in June 2020 after OPEC mounted<br />
•Pipeline vandalism, oil theft persist<br />
pressure on the country to comply<br />
with its quota cuts agreed three<br />
months earlier.<br />
Nigeria had largely breached the<br />
OPEC quota agreement in the first half<br />
of 2020, apparently in a desperate<br />
measure to stem the drastic fall in its<br />
revenue following the coronavirus,<br />
COVID-19 pandemic induced crash in<br />
oil price.<br />
Surprisingly, the actual output has<br />
now gone below the OPEC quota for<br />
the country put at 1.4 mb/d. At the<br />
current level of output, Nigeria’s oil<br />
revenue is expected to come under new<br />
pressure as it falls significantly below<br />
the 2020 budget target of 1.8 mb/d.<br />
This <strong>development</strong> may impact<br />
negatively on the ability of the<br />
government to fund its 2020 revised<br />
budget. In the 2020 budget<br />
breakdown obtained by Energy<br />
Vanguard, the government had<br />
stated: “The aggregate revenue<br />
available to fund the 2020 budget is<br />
projected at N8.42 trillion (3.2% or<br />
N263.94 billion more than the<br />
Executive proposal, and 10.9 percent<br />
more than 2019 Budget of N7.59<br />
trillion). In aggregate, 44 percent of<br />
projected revenues is to come from oil<br />
related sources while 56 percent is to<br />
be earned from non-oil sources.<br />
Overall, the size of the budget has been<br />
constrained by our relatively low<br />
revenues.”<br />
However, the government had<br />
projected to use its condensate<br />
component of crude oil output to make<br />
up for the output shortfalls. Energy<br />
Vanguard learnt that the addition of<br />
the condensate component brings<br />
Nigeria’s total output to 1.7 mb/d,<br />
though it is still below the 1.8 mb/d<br />
2020 budgeted target.<br />
In the Oil Production Status report<br />
obtained by Energy Vanguard, the<br />
Department of Petroleum Resources,<br />
DPR, stated that Nigeria produced<br />
about 350,000 barrels of condensate<br />
daily, which were not captured in<br />
OPEC reports, thus bringing Nigeria’s<br />
total output to 1.7 mb/d. At the<br />
current oil price of $42.60 per barrel,<br />
the oil revenue appears to also<br />
compensate for the output shortfall as<br />
the revenue expectation is based on<br />
$28 per barrel.<br />
OPEC quota<br />
The drop in production was<br />
attributed partly to Nigeria’s moves<br />
to comply with OPEC quota, which<br />
restricted the nation to 1.4 mb/d<br />
following the decision of OPEC+ to cut<br />
supply by 10 mb/d between May and<br />
June 2020, 8 mb/d between July and<br />
December 2020, and 6 mb/d from<br />
January 2021 to April 2022,<br />
respectively. Consequently, the<br />
country is required to produce 1.412<br />
mb/d, 1.495 mb/d and 1.579 mb/d<br />
between May and June, July and<br />
December and January 2021 and<br />
April 2022, respectively.<br />
Pipeline vandalism, oil theft<br />
Though oil industry authorities<br />
have not given reasons for the recent<br />
downward trend in the country’s oil<br />
output, Energy Vanguard findings<br />
reveal that pipeline vandalism and<br />
oil theft are still plaguing the industry.<br />
Our correspondent, who visited<br />
Bayelsa State, a major location for oil<br />
production activities, had some<br />
encounters with the illegal operations<br />
on the land, swamp and offshore.<br />
In its Briefing <strong>No</strong>tes, obtained by<br />
Energy Vanguard, Shell Petroleum<br />
Development Company Limited<br />
stated that pipeline vandalism and oil<br />
theft have impacted very negatively<br />
on its operations. Nevertheless, it was<br />
gathered that these vices thrive<br />
because the locals work with their<br />
foreign collaborators to supply the<br />
stolen oil to, not only the illegal<br />
refineries, but also abroad, thus<br />
depriving the nation of huge foreign<br />
exchange.<br />
Experts’ comment<br />
However, in an interview with<br />
Energy Vanguard, the founding<br />
Managing Director, Niger Delta<br />
Exploration and Production Plc, Dr.<br />
Layi Fatona, said: “Production<br />
curtailment arising from OPEC cuts<br />
is being effectively imposed and<br />
monitored. To increase Nigeria’s<br />
production output, we have to create<br />
the opportunity to use the crude oil<br />
locally and internally. The excess<br />
capacity now out of use due to the nonfunctioning<br />
of our refineries remains<br />
a major source of concern. Of course<br />
the illegal stealing of crude oil<br />
continues with very negative impact<br />
on the nation’s economy. Everyone<br />
can see and feel the effect. Indeed,<br />
Nigeria has ‘lost’ a major proportion of<br />
its foreign exchange earnings.”<br />
Similarly, Lead Promoter,<br />
EnergyHub, Dr. Felix Amieyeofori,<br />
said: “Nigeria has the capacity to<br />
produce about 2.0 mb/d, despite the<br />
Niger Delta issues, but had to submit<br />
to the 23 members OPEC+ quota<br />
restriction because of the COVID19<br />
pandemic with the hope of shoring up<br />
crude prices. Unfortunately, the prices<br />
have not picked up significantly as<br />
expected because it is mostly hinged<br />
on the pandemic.<br />
“Besides, the industry, especially,<br />
the upstream segment has been<br />
bedevilled by many issues, including<br />
the delay in passage of the Petroleum<br />
Industry Bill, PIB, which has created<br />
significant investment disincentives<br />
and the various challenges in the<br />
Niger Delta, resulting in untold<br />
hardship, loss of humans, facilities and<br />
revenues in the industry. Of course,<br />
the Ease of Doing Business, and the<br />
general country risks, especially<br />
political, security, poor infrastructure<br />
and unstable macroeconomic indices<br />
are all working against the growth of<br />
the industry.<br />
Way forward<br />
“However, if Nigeria must make<br />
anything out of its vast oil and gas<br />
resources, it must focus on creating a<br />
hub for petroleum products through<br />
refining, petrochemical, and<br />
aggressive investment in gas<br />
monetization. Like the USA, Nigeria<br />
must have to drink its own oil, as it can<br />
no longer depend 100 per cent on the<br />
global market. The market has<br />
become so competitive with<br />
geopolitical leanings, and of course,<br />
between the Cold wars of the United<br />
States dominated West and China/<br />
Russia controlled East. Nigeria must<br />
look inwards to develop adequate<br />
infrastructure to refine most of its<br />
petroleum for domestic use and export.<br />
Exporting crude is no longer the way<br />
to go.<br />
“I think the handwritings are clear,<br />
COVID-19 is here for the long run, and<br />
its impact on the global economy will<br />
take some time to wane out. It is<br />
unlikely that our quota will increase<br />
beyond 1.5 mb/d soon. Consequently,<br />
we need to start looking away from oil.<br />
In addition, we must aggressively<br />
adapt innovative technologies to<br />
ensure efficient production of the<br />
allocated volumes and expand the<br />
product frontiers. The country must<br />
also accept to face the reality that oil is<br />
becoming extinct, and must therefore<br />
do everything to shift towards gas and<br />
other renewable and cleaner forms of<br />
energy. In other words, the world has<br />
changed and will continue to change.<br />
Finally, the government and all<br />
stakeholders must constantly engage<br />
and share ideas on these realities.”<br />
However, in another interview with<br />
Energy Vanguard, Ghana National<br />
Petroleum Corporation, GNPC,<br />
Professorial Chair, Oil and Gas<br />
Economics and Management,<br />
Institute for Oil and Gas Studies,<br />
University of Cape Coast, Ghana, Prof.<br />
Omowumi Iledare, said: “Unlike in the<br />
past, Nigeria might not be in a position<br />
to overshoot OPEC quota because of<br />
capacity constraints. First, many fields<br />
have matured and in the declining<br />
phase. Second, insecurity abounds<br />
where assets to expand capacity<br />
abound. Third, in my opinion, the<br />
protracted PIB debates add significant<br />
uncertainty to <strong>development</strong><br />
investment that takes years to recoup.<br />
Finally, too, with production coming<br />
from a relatively high cost deep<br />
offshore, low oil price is a constraint to<br />
expand output.”
Suarez terminates<br />
Barca contract<br />
•Tipped to join<br />
Atletico Madrid<br />
LUIS SUAREZ is officially<br />
a free agent after agreeing<br />
to terminate his contract at<br />
Barcelona.<br />
The Uruguayan, 33, still had<br />
one year left on his deal at the<br />
<strong>No</strong>u Camp but was told by<br />
Ronald Koeman he did not<br />
feature in his plans in a brutal<br />
one-minute phone call.<br />
That triggered an angry<br />
response from the striker’s<br />
team-mate and close pal Lionel<br />
Messi, who rocked the club by<br />
handing in a transfer request.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w the forward is searching<br />
for a new club after RAC1<br />
claimed he agreed to give up<br />
part of his salary to secure an<br />
early exit from his<br />
Barca agreement.<br />
The ex-Liverpool<br />
and Ajax ace is<br />
believed to be<br />
heading to Barca’s<br />
training ground this<br />
afternoon to say his<br />
final goodbyes.<br />
His departure is<br />
due to be officially<br />
confirmed within<br />
hours, according<br />
to the report.<br />
Evra launches a<br />
stunning attack<br />
on Man Utd<br />
Manchester United<br />
legend Patrice Evra has<br />
launched a stunning attack on<br />
his former club in an emotional<br />
20-minute monologue posted<br />
on his Instagram account.<br />
In the devastatingly honest<br />
social media clip, the<br />
Frenchman takes aim at Ed<br />
Woodward, chief transfer<br />
negotiator Matt Judge and<br />
former team-mates ‘too scared<br />
to speak up’.<br />
One of the main targets of<br />
his rant is chief executive Ed<br />
•Agu<br />
Suarez<br />
•Musa<br />
•Patrice Evra<br />
Woodward, who he claims<br />
trusts people that he shouldn’t.<br />
‘If I have a problem with Ed<br />
Woodward, I won’t talk on<br />
social media,’ Evra said. ‘I will<br />
just call him or meet him faceto-face<br />
about what I think<br />
about something.<br />
Moyes favourite to be axed in<br />
Premier League sack race<br />
DAVID MOYES is heavy<br />
favourite to be axed first<br />
in the 2020-21 Premier League<br />
sack race after West Ham lost<br />
their first two games of the<br />
season.<br />
The Hammers slipped to a 2-<br />
0 at home to Newcastle in their<br />
opening game of the season.<br />
The East Londoners then lost<br />
2-1 at Arsenal on Saturday.<br />
•Moyes<br />
West Ham, with zero points,<br />
sit above the drop zone on goal<br />
difference only, ahead of<br />
Fulham, Southampton and<br />
West Brom. Next up in the<br />
league, West Ham will play<br />
Wolves, Leicester, Tottenham,<br />
Manchester City and Liverpool<br />
in a horror run of matches.<br />
With that in mind, Moyes has<br />
now been installed as the<br />
bookies’ favourite to become the<br />
first manager to be sacked in<br />
the Premier League at 2/1 with<br />
Ladbrokes.<br />
On the Premier League sack<br />
race, Alex Apati of Ladbrokes<br />
said: “West Ham’s fixture list<br />
doesn’t exactly favour David<br />
Moyes.<br />
Emenalo, Olofinjana in running for<br />
NFF technical director post<br />
Top officials of the<br />
Nigerian Football<br />
Federation, have sounded<br />
former Chelsea director<br />
Michael Emanelo as well<br />
Wolverhampton Wanderers<br />
official Seyi Olofinjana for the<br />
vacant post of NFF technical<br />
director.<br />
Former Super Eagles defender<br />
Emenalo was until recently the<br />
sports director at Ligue 1 club<br />
AS Monaco, while another exinternational<br />
Olofinjana has<br />
risen through the ranks at<br />
Premier League side Wolves.<br />
Rohr rolls out 25-man<br />
Eagles for Cote d’Ivoire,<br />
Tunisia friendlies<br />
Super Eagles’ Technical<br />
Adviser, Gernot Rohr has<br />
called up 25 players ahead of<br />
next month’s friendly matches<br />
against the Elephants of Cote<br />
•Osimhen d’Ivoire and the Carthage<br />
Eagles of Tunisia, scheduled<br />
for Austria. Five other<br />
players have been put on<br />
standby.<br />
In the three –time African<br />
champions’ first games this<br />
year, as a result of<br />
the prolonged<br />
global coronavirus<br />
pandemic, Rohr has<br />
listed top names<br />
Ahmed Musa,<br />
Kenneth Omeruo,<br />
William Ekong and<br />
Wilfred Ndidi, as<br />
well as new brooms<br />
Frank Onyeka and<br />
•Chidera Chidera Ejuke.<br />
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — 31<br />
Former U17 World Cup<br />
winning goalkeeper Dele<br />
Alampasu returns to the<br />
group, as well as<br />
midfielder Mikel Agu.<br />
Captain of the most recent<br />
Nigeria U17 squad,<br />
Samson Tijani will join up<br />
with the elite, as well as<br />
Portugal –based exciting<br />
wing back Zaidu Sanusi.<br />
Goalkeeper Maduka<br />
Okoye, now in The<br />
Netherlands, is heading to<br />
Austria as England –based<br />
forward Kelechi<br />
Iheanacho also returns.<br />
Victor Osimhen, now in<br />
Italy with Napoli, and<br />
another former U17 World<br />
Cup winner Samuel<br />
Chukwueze are also<br />
called.<br />
National Principals’ Cup:<br />
Organisers name Amokachi,<br />
Dosu, Onyali ambassadors<br />
•Ex-internationals hail return of tournament<br />
It was a new dawn in the<br />
history of school sports on<br />
Monday as the organisers of<br />
the re-branded Principal’s<br />
Cup announced three exinternationals,<br />
Daniel<br />
Amokachi, Joseph Dosu and<br />
Mary Onyali, as the<br />
ambassadors for the<br />
competition.<br />
The trio were products of the<br />
school sports with Amokachi<br />
winning the competition in<br />
1988 after getting to the<br />
knockout stages a year earlier<br />
with his school, Government<br />
College.<br />
Apart from the unveiling of<br />
the brand ambassadors for the<br />
Cup, the official logo and the<br />
winners’ giant trophy were<br />
also unveiled.<br />
The landmark event was<br />
witnessed by the Minister of<br />
Youth and Sports<br />
Development,<br />
Sunday Dare,<br />
the Permanent<br />
Secretary in the<br />
ministry, Gabriel<br />
Aduda, the<br />
consultant for<br />
the tournament,<br />
HideaPlus<br />
Limited, the<br />
president of the<br />
Nigeria Football<br />
Federation,<br />
•Emenalo<br />
•Olofinjana<br />
Amaju Pinnick among others.<br />
According to the Permanent<br />
Secretary, the main objective<br />
of the revived Principal’s Cup<br />
will be to discover and<br />
develop talents at the grass<br />
roots level while also<br />
exposing them to more<br />
competition and standard<br />
facilities.<br />
“This historic event, the<br />
unveiling of the 2020<br />
Principal Cup is yet another<br />
stride towards the<br />
actualization of mandates,<br />
vision and mission of the<br />
Ministry of youth and sports<br />
<strong>development</strong>,” Aduda said.<br />
In the past, football was the<br />
only sport tagged with the<br />
Principal Cup, but the<br />
ministry has added other<br />
sports like athletics, Table<br />
Tennis, Boxing and<br />
Badminton.<br />
Golf Hall of Fame excites Ibitayo<br />
Ilorin base Golfer,<br />
Oyedele Ibitayo is indeed excited<br />
when he received nomination into<br />
Who is Who in Golf in Nigeria, a 500<br />
page golf book jointly produced by<br />
Nigeria Golf Federation and a blue<br />
chip printing home in Abuja,<br />
Marvelous Mike Press Limited.<br />
The book which was packaged by<br />
Nigeria’s foremost Golf writer Tony<br />
Akhigbe is The Hall of Fame on<br />
those Nigeria golfers who offered<br />
selfless services to impact on the<br />
Fury fires<br />
salvo at<br />
Joshua<br />
•Vacate WBO title,<br />
fight me in 2021<br />
WBC heavyweight<br />
champion Tyson Fury<br />
has applied pressure on his<br />
domestic rival, Anthony<br />
Joshua, to bypass any further<br />
obligations that stand in the<br />
way of a 2021 showdown.<br />
“Rather than fight all these<br />
mandatories he’s got, I’d say<br />
just vacate those belts and<br />
fight the fight everyone wants<br />
to see,” Fury told Behind the<br />
Gloves.<br />
“I ain’t running from you, I<br />
don’t care about you. I’ll go<br />
through you like a knife<br />
through butter. Come and<br />
fight the big boy, step up to<br />
the plate and get knocked out.<br />
Then fight all those easy<br />
guys. <strong>No</strong> disrespect to<br />
Oleksandr Usyk – great<br />
fighter, cruiserweight world<br />
champion, probably going to<br />
be heavyweight champion if<br />
he fights Anthony Joshua –<br />
but don’t take my retirement<br />
cheque, baby. Don’t do it.<br />
•Fury and Joshua<br />
FIFA delays<br />
Akpoguma Super<br />
Eagles switch<br />
World soccer governing<br />
body FIFA is now<br />
being awaited to give the final<br />
approval for former Germany<br />
youth international Kevin<br />
Akpoguma to be eligible to<br />
play for Nigeria.<br />
Super Eagles coach, Gernot<br />
Rohr disclosed that he would<br />
have loved to have the<br />
Hoffenheim towering<br />
defender to make his debut<br />
for Nigeria during the<br />
friendlies against Cote d’<br />
Ivoire and Tunisia but that<br />
wouldn’t be possible.<br />
The centre-back<br />
was born to a<br />
German<br />
mother<br />
and a<br />
Nigerian<br />
father and<br />
has •Akpoguma<br />
represented<br />
Germany U16,<br />
U17, U18,<br />
U19, U20 and<br />
U20 teams,<br />
featuring<br />
in more<br />
than 60<br />
games.<br />
game’s <strong>development</strong>.<br />
And in view of this, Ibitayo who has<br />
impacted on the Ilorin Club he joined<br />
five years ago in area of tournament<br />
sponsorships and infrastructural<br />
<strong>development</strong> became eminently<br />
qualified to be among 250 nominees<br />
published in the historical golf book.<br />
Oyedele Ibitayo, a staff of The<br />
Department of Petroleum Resources<br />
(DPR) said he was totally shocked<br />
when news got to him that he made<br />
the Hall of Fame list.
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020<br />
TODAY’S CROSSWORD<br />
QUICK CROSSWORD<br />
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION<br />
TODAY’S PUZZLE<br />
Sudoku<br />
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER<br />
Across<br />
1 Brave (8)<br />
6 Scatter seed (3)<br />
9 Rule (5)<br />
10 Altered (7)<br />
11 Go before (7)<br />
13 Muscular strength (5)<br />
14 High regard (6)<br />
15 <strong>No</strong>rth American country (6)<br />
19 Foolish (5)<br />
21 Calmed with a drug (7)<br />
22 Entreat (7)<br />
23 Large container of milk (5)<br />
24 Enemy (3)<br />
25 Christmas time (8)<br />
Down<br />
2 Distinguished (7)<br />
3 Compete in a race (3)<br />
4 Surpass (6)<br />
5 Right side of a ship (9)<br />
6 Greek letter S (5)<br />
7 Make broader (5)<br />
8 Threefold (6)<br />
12 All people (9)<br />
16 Amaze (7)<br />
17 Helping (6)<br />
18 In addition (2,4)<br />
19 Rigid (5)<br />
20 Become void (5)<br />
21 Incision (3)<br />
How to Play Sudoku<br />
Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (<strong>No</strong> line can have<br />
two of the same number).<br />
Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine<br />
lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block<br />
(nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means<br />
that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.<br />
<strong>No</strong> mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or<br />
multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.<br />
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